This photo is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Last week, Jer and I traveled to Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Book Festival, then down to New Orleans for Halloween. Our recent college grad daughter Eliza is back home, and she babysat Pogo, our sixteen-year-old chihuahua mix rescue. Pogo has been on a bit of a downward slide over the last year. In September of 2021, he … Continue reading Trying to define the “Quality of Life”
Not that long ago, I started receiving emails from OneDrive titled “Your memories from this day.” At first, I didn’t really pay attention to them. My motto, stolen from a book called The Year of Jamie’s Diary (which I’m ashamed to admit was also stolen by yours truly from the Scarsdale junior high school), is “Forward ever, backward never.” But eventually, driven by a combination … Continue reading Your memories from this day are… what????!
We’re excited to share some great savings on books from your favorite authors – us! Here are June specials, listed alphabetically. NOTE #1: prices sometimes fluctuate, so make sure to confirm the sale price before purchasing. Also, check out our other books because there might be sales for them that we’re not even aware of! NOTE #2: The Amazon links may be a bit wonky. … Continue reading Newsflash: Chicks Book Deals
It’s the book birthday for CAJUN KISS OF DEATH, the seventh book in our very own Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery series! The next shot from Cupid’s bow may be fatal in USA Today bestselling, Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron’s hearty and delightful seventh Cajun Country mystery. In Pelican, Louisiana, Valentine’s Day has a way of warming the heart, despite the February chill. But the air at … Continue reading Ellen’s Book Birthday: CAJUN KISS OF DEATH
The following statement may make people who know me snort a beverage out their nose, but I’m really uncomfortable promoting my work. The reason for the disbelief on the part of my friends is the blaring, may I say ballsy, “Shameless Shilling Campaign” I create for each of my book releases. Ironically, my discomfort with promotion is the whole reason I created this tongue-in cheek … Continue reading Shameless v. Apologetic
Got ya with the title, didn’t I? It’s a good one. A really good one. The trouble is, that’s all I’ve got. At least, so far… Recently, for the first time in six years, I suddenly found myself between projects. Free time meant I had no excuse not to go through the twenty-plus years of accumulation that make our house look like it belongs in … Continue reading Eight Ways to Die
No parades. No balls. No bars. No hordes of visitors reveling in iconic Mardi Gras celebrations. You’d think that would plunge a city into a deep depression. Well, not if that city is New Orleans. Don’t get me wrong, there was depression. How could there not be? But then some of New Orleans’ many creative types came up with a way to celebrate in a … Continue reading Mardi Gras becomes Yardi Gras
When I was twelve years old, my mother announced that we would no longer have a Christmas tree. The family was suffering from financial troubles and Mom and Dad were in the dumps. My reaction – “Give up the family Christmas tree?! Oh, hell to the no.” I told my parents if they bought one, I’d take over decorating and un-decorating it. They agreed to … Continue reading When Crafts and Christmas Collide
Welcome to Chicks Book Club! Please feel free to ask any questions you have about the book, the series, the characters, the writing process, the research, or anything you’re curious about. Continue reading “Chicks Book Club: Murder in the Bayou Boneyard”
Ever since I began writing the Cajun Country Mysteries, a highlight of publication has been my annual panel appearance at the Louisiana Book Festival, which takes place in Baton Rouge either the last Saturday in October or first in November. I always combine the trip with a visit to New Orleans, especially now that our daughter has followed my path and is attending college there. … Continue reading A New Orleans Halloween
Yes, it’s another post about virtual appearances. But this one has pictures! And links! Because… if you’re promoting a book these days, it’s gonna be an online experience. Which can actually offer some great opportunities from the comfort of your own home, in pajamas from the waist down. (Then again, I’ve been wearing men’s pajama bottoms as pants for ten years, so I was ahead … Continue reading Virtually Yours, Ellen…
When you write mysteries, you tend to gravitate toward the macabre, which is how I ended up on the Creole Mourning Tour offered by St. Joseph Plantation in Louisiana. Continue reading What I “Borrowed” From a Creole Mourning Tour
Chicks on the Case 