In 1984, after a friend’s wedding in Texas, I meandered my way through Cajun Country on the way to New Orleans and came upon a lovely small town on Bayou Teche. With its grassy square and gracious old buildings sporting wrought-iron balconies, the place had the flavor of a petite New Orleans. I carried the memory home with me, and years later fictionalized it as … Continue reading Was it Memory or Fantasy?
You’ve seen the movie Groundhog Day, right? The 1993 classic, with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell? It’s the story of TV meteorologist Phil Connors, who relives February 2 over and over again—until he gets it right. In honor of next Tuesday’s Groundhog Day, we’re talking about writing do-overs. What would we do differently? And what would we keep trying until we get it right? Continue reading “Groundhog Day”
Over the weekend, my husband and I were taking a hike, and he told me about a podcast he’d been listening to. In it, a Broadway actor named David Costabile—who also played Gale Boetticher on Breaking Bad—told a story about auditioning at the Schubert Theatre, which was the first Broadway theatre he’d ever been in. He walked out on stage and said, “Listen, before I get started, … Continue reading T Minus Two Months to Terror in Taffeta
Attention, Hollywood agents: you may not have gotten the memo, but we’ve pre-cast some of your best clients to star in the as-yet-unsigned movie versions of our books. They’ve already begun doing staged readings in our heads, and sometimes they even help inspire us. Get those contracts ready, and see you at the wrap party.
Hard to believe sometimes, but there are other types of writing out there besides mystery novels. This week the Chicks share what we moonlight as when we’re not penning the crime-solving adventures of our beloved main characters.
Continue reading “Write On: What We Write When We’re Not Writing Mysteries”
It’s a brand new year, time for black-eyed peas, the Rose Bowl Parade, and new year’s resolutions! Today, the Chicks are ringing out the old and ringing in the new as we talk about our intentions for 2016.
Continue reading “Resolved: The Chicks’ New Year’s Resolutions”
As the year winds down, awards season heats up. And since I’ve yet to be approached about becoming a member of the Academy—nor have I ever voted in the People’s Choice Awards, despite my being clearly qualified as a Person—I’ve created my own awards. Herewith, the Cooper’s Choice Awards. The envelope, please….
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—if you’re lucky enough to avoid travel disasters, family feuds and the worst gift at your office’s White Elephant exchange. Join the Chicks as we relive our worst holiday memories. Continue reading “Holiday Horror: Our Biggest Holiday Disasters”
We’ve all debated what delicious dish we should contribute to a holiday party, and our characters face the same dilemma. The Chicks have landed on a few fab choices for their protagonists. You can decide whether their party guests are in for a treat—or out of potluck.
Sometimes it’s easier to come up with a three-hundred page book than a three-word title. The journey can be brutal, with dozens of contenders considered and then discarded. Or, miracle of miracles, the first title you come up with can be an instant winner. Which way did it go for our Chicks?
Continue reading “En-titled?”
Cheers or jeers for Black Friday? Love it or hate it, everyone seems to have an opinion—including The Chicks. Back away from the leftovers and spend it with us!
Continue reading “Black Friday: How We’re Celebrating the Day after Thanksgiving—Or Not”
It’s been an amazing year for the Chicks. We met each other. We celebrated two book birthdays. We even started this blog! With Thanksgiving next week, we wanted to share our appreciation for all the good things that made us most happy this year.
Continue reading “What We’re Thankful For This Thanksgiving”
Chicks on the Case 