For Linus of Peanuts fame, Halloween was all about the pumpkins—and unshakable faith in one in particular. Would you, too, wait through the night in a worthy patch for the mysterious Great Pumpkin’s annual return? Or go for the candy? It’s said that Jack of lantern fame was once a real person who made a bad deal with the devil. He ended up forever doomed … Continue reading The Great Pumpkin Lives!
Lisa here, delighted to welcome Chicks’ good friend and distinguished author Thomas A. Burns, Jr. (Tom to us!) to the blog today. Sherlock Holmes fans, you’re in for a treat as Tom introduces his latest Holmes pastiche, SHERLOCK HOLMES IS…THE WIZARD OF MONTAGUE STREET, and shines a lantern on the mysteries of the Great Detective’s early days. Continue reading Guest Chick: Thomas A.Burns, Jr.
“[T]he monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” This quote is attributed to Albert Einstein. Continue reading Bore Me
Today, on Chicks: Fabulous guest Kim Harrington, whose debut cozy A KILLER FOR CHRISTMAS is sure to sleigh this holiday season. Take it away, Kim! Continue reading Guest Chick: Kim Harrington
Lisa here, with an updated version of a post I wrote 6 years ago about the publishing world and its relationship with ever-evolving and “improving” tech. GRWM (Get Ready with Me) and see How it Started/ How It’s Going … Continue reading Merrily We Roll Along
Today we Chicks are talking about writing rules. First, are they even real? If so, which are our personal faves–and which might we prefer to ignore? Continue reading Chick Chat: Rules of the (Writing) Road
These days, every time we venture online–or open our email–we’re bombarded with information. True or false, all those details must be processed by our frazzled brains and sorted into a cerebral in-box system: Keep, Ignore, Discard. But what happens when SOME people’s brains refuse to let go? Continue reading Trivial Pursuits
Just how much do writers’ childhood memories shape the people–and authors–they become? Oh, hardly at all. Really. Take Lisa, for instance… Continue reading Mystery on Cherry Street
I’m a creature of habit. I love my routines. I think I have a ritual for everything; actions I must take when I wake up, and before I go to sleep, exercise, cook, clean, write. Conventional wisdom is routines are good for us for a variety of reasons. They keep us focused on the tasks we’re working on, which increases our productivity. I’ve also read … Continue reading It’s routine
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday…Having trouble remembering exactly what day it is? Well, good news! You can easily rule out Sunday… Continue reading Sunday Scaries, We Want You Back
Titanic. Forrest Gump. Jurassic Park. Harry Potter. Bridget Jones’s Diary. Clueless. Pulp Fiction. Whitney. Grunge, prep, and hip hop. The 90s nostalgia is real. Did we ever really say Bye-Bye-Bye? Continue reading The 90s Called: They Want (the Real) You Back
I usually glance at the next day’s weather forecast on my phone, so I have a general idea of what’s supposed to be coming our way. For about a week recently, I was constantly checking the weather. As most of you know, I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We get more snow than most people, and I’m accustomed to that since we moved … Continue reading Snowpocalypse comes to town
