2024 came in like a battering ram for me. As many of you know, my mother died on January 3rd, the day after her 97th birthday. Despite her age, her death was unexpected and up-ended my life a bit. Okay, a lot. I haven’t even had time to grieve, to be honest. I’m guessing that will come at the end of March when I’m staring … Continue reading A L’il Help From the Hive Mind
It’s Oscar season–and you know what that means, readers! Time for us Chicks to spill on the celebs we’d most love to hang out with this year–and maybe a personal award nom or two…
Continue reading “Chick Chat: Stars in Our Eyes”
It seems my home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is receiving what lots of people across the nation were hoping to hear from Punxutawney Phil, the world’s most well-known groundhog — that there’s going to be an early spring. As Joni Mitchell famously said, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Hey, Phil, can we take it back? According to the news, Punxutawney … Continue reading Don’t Know What You’ve Got
Where do you get your ideas for characters? Are they based on people you know? Are they based on you? Such are the questions authors are often asked. And for me, the answers are: everywhere, yes, and yes. But it’s not quite so simple as that. None of my characters are based solely on any one person. Rather, they’re mostly an amalgam. Or perhaps the … Continue reading A Rainbow of Characters
Today the Chicks are bubbling over with holiday joy as we bring you the marvelous Catriona McPherson, whose newest addition to her hilarious Last Ditch Motel mystery series, HOP SCOT, released on December 5. Take it away, Catriona, and thanks so much for visiting with the Chicks! OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES In HOP SCOT (Last Ditch Motel mystery No.6) Lexy Campbell and the … Continue reading Guest Chick: Catriona McPherson
Ellen here, happy to host Maya Corrigan, author of the always entertaining Five-Ingredient Mysteries. She’s talking about the genesis of her super fun cozy mystery titles. Take it away, Maya! Thank you so much for hosting me, Ellen. I’m happy to be here visiting the Chicks. I’ve gotten to know several of you at mystery conventions and hope to meet all of you at future … Continue reading Guest Chick: Maya Corrigan
A few years ago, my cousin Marie and I met up for lunch at some trendy Manhattan restaurant. I don’t remember what we were talking about, but she suddenly went, “You’re a Californian.” My jaw dropped. I was appalled. I quickly corrected her. “No, no, no. I’m a New Yorker who lives in California.” I’m sure my instant reaction comes as no surprise. New York’s … Continue reading A cover reveal and a change of heart.
James Joyce famously declared of Ulysses, his masterpiece love-letter to Dublin, that if that city “one day suddenly disappeared from the Earth it could be reconstructed out of my book.” But what’s fascinating is that, although Ulysses was written between 1914 and 1921, the last time Joyce actually set foot in Dublin was two years before he started writing, in 1912, after which he never … Continue reading Writing From Afar
Today is Becky’s 39th wedding anniversary, so instead of talking mysteries, we’re talking romance. But because it’s Becky, it’s light on the romance and heavy on the comedy. Weigh in with your favorite RomCom movie. And tell us, do you lean more toward the rom or the com?
Continue reading “Chick Chat: Favorite Romantic Comedy”
Today we welcome Julie Mulhern, author of the Country Club Murders and the Poppy Fields Adventures, whose new book, Killing My Softly, releases in December. Welcome, Julie! When I wrote the opening line of what would become my Country Club Murders series—”My morning sun doesn’t usually involve corpses”—I never dreamed I’d still be writing about Ellison and Frances and Grace ten years later. Ten years. … Continue reading Guest Chick: Julie Mulhern
Ah, to go back in time and dress up for Halloween…because, well, not all of us Chicks have big party plans. Yet, anyway. While we wait for our invites, here’s what we (or our characters) might choose as costumes…
Chicks on the Case 