Behind the Book: “Maria DiRico’s” Fourth Catering Hall Mystery

Welcome to “Behind the Book,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share the real stories behind our stories. Inspiration, motivation, frustration, jubilation–you’ll find them all right here… Hi, Ellen and “Maria” here! You’ll notice I didn’t include the title of Catering Hall Mystery #4 in the header. And the cover image is on the bottom of this post … Continue reading Behind the Book: “Maria DiRico’s” Fourth Catering Hall Mystery

Ellen ByronMarch 10, 2023March 7, 202335 Comments

News

Happy Book Birthday, Ellen Byron!

It’s Release Day for Wined and Died in New Orleans, the second book in Ellen Byron’s new series, The Vintage Cookbook Mysteries! Says the Library Journal, “Fans of Byron’s award-winning ‘Cajun Country’ mysteries will enjoy her return to New Orleans with an engaging, fun cast of characters.” Congratulations, Ellen! You can pick up a copy through the link below. About WINED AND DIED IN NEW … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday, Ellen Byron!

Chicks on the CaseFebruary 7, 2023January 21, 202331 Comments

Ellen Byron

Behind the Book: Wined and Died in New Orleans

Welcome to “Behind the Book,” our fun new Chicks on the Case feature! Join us as we Chicks share the real stories behind our stories. Inspiration, motivation, frustration, jubilation–you’ll find them all right here… Hi, Ellen here, pulling back the curtain on my new Vintage Cookbook Mystery. The main plot of Wined and Died in New Orleans is twofold: 1) a valuable cache of 19th … Continue reading Behind the Book: Wined and Died in New Orleans

Ellen ByronFebruary 3, 2023January 22, 202330 Comments

Lisa Q. Mathews

Plotting with Robots

Will robots write our books in the near future? True, we writers spend plenty of time pounding our heads instead of our fingers on the keyboard. But will we hand over our jobs to artificial intelligence? Lisa asked an AI bot to come up with 2 short mystery plots, just for fun … Continue reading Plotting with Robots

Lisa Q. MathewsJanuary 30, 2023January 29, 202340 Comments

Guest Post

Guest Chick: Denise Swanson

Jennifer here, offering a warm welcome to Denise Swanson! She’s here to share about the fascinating hunt for great names. Thanks, Denise! The Name Game I’ve always been fascinated with names. Maybe because I always hated my first name. Granted, Denise is better than the one my parents first considered—Ernestina after my father. But I would have much preferred a more elegant name like Kathryn … Continue reading Guest Chick: Denise Swanson

Jennifer J. ChowNovember 9, 2022November 2, 202225 Comments

Ellen Byron

The Most Inane – or Most Useful Writing Tip Ever. You decide.

Much as I despise admitting it, words don’t always come to me as quickly as they once did. There’s nothing like having a word on the tip of your tongue, then have it dart away and zip around your brain like a fly trying to dodge a swatter. Recently I endured a particularly bad bout of what-is-that-damn-word-I-had-it-a-minute-ago-and-it-went-away-and-then-came-back-and-then-went-away-again-itis. The little devil of a word taunted me, … Continue reading The Most Inane – or Most Useful Writing Tip Ever. You decide.

Ellen ByronOctober 3, 2022October 13, 202247 Comments

Chick Chat

Chick Chat: Seeds of Mirth–or Murder?

Today we Chicks share our (mostly) humorous experiences from real life that inspired an element in our writing: books, series, characters, scenes–you name it. Read on and feel free to add a few of your own!

Chicks on the CaseAugust 26, 2022August 25, 202234 Comments

News

Happy Book Birthday, Ellen Byron!

It’s Release Day for Bayou Book Thief, the first book in Ellen Byron’s new series, The Vintage Cookbook Mysteries! Says the Library Journal, “Fans of Byron’s award-winning ‘Cajun Country’ mysteries will enjoy her return to New Orleans with an engaging, fun cast of characters.” Congratulations, Ellen! You can pick up a copy through the link below. And read to the end of this post for … Continue reading Happy Book Birthday, Ellen Byron!

Chicks on the CaseJune 7, 2022June 2, 202221 Comments

Guest Post

Guest Chick: Krysti Meyer

Jennifer here. Please give a warm welcome to Krysti Meyer, a cozy mystery podcaster and an award-winning author! Here’s a fun conversation about her new Get Cozy podcast: How did you get into podcasting? I’ve been a fan of cozy mysteries ever since the pandemic started. They’ve been such a delightful escape from the serious issues we’ve been facing globally in the past few years. Before … Continue reading Guest Chick: Krysti Meyer

Jennifer J. ChowMay 25, 2022May 12, 202233 Comments

Guest Post

Guest Chick: Jacqueline Vick

Hi, Ellen here! I e-met Jacqueline Vick through Dana Kaye’s Your Breakout Book and we became fast friends – to the point where I have to remind myself we have yet to meet in person! I love her post on where writers find unexpected idea inspiration… Where Writers Get Their Ideas. It May Surprise You. One of the questions I’m most often asked about writing … Continue reading Guest Chick: Jacqueline Vick

Ellen ByronApril 6, 2022March 22, 202224 Comments

Guest Post

Guest Chick: Olivia Blacke

Jennifer here, and it’s always a pleasure to welcome Olivia Blacke to the blog. Has she got a treat for you today! Olivia shares about all the fun tropes that can be found in cozy mysteries! Cozy Mystery Tropes By Olivia Blacke Cozies, like every genre, have their tropes and conventions – situations and plot devices that are so synonymous with cozy mysteries that they … Continue reading Guest Chick: Olivia Blacke

Jennifer J. ChowJanuary 12, 2022January 3, 202228 Comments

Guest Post

Guest Chick: Rosie Genova

The Chicks are happy to welcome Rosie Genova with her delicious debut Chicks post. Get a load of that cookie platter – yum! Early one dark December morning I opened my eyes and squinted at the clock on my nightstand—4:50. I blinked, shook my head, and had one sort-of-coherent thought: Why is that oven up so high? Yes, I even think about food in my … Continue reading Guest Chick: Rosie Genova

Chicks on the CaseDecember 15, 2021December 9, 202124 Comments