Recently Lisa returned to Portland, Maine for a quick weekend trip–and had the chance to revisit the super-cool Press Hotel. She couldn’t stay there, because it’s super expensive now and she was plum out of hotel points. But she felt nostalgic for this typewriter post–and thought she might share it again, for all you QWERTY fans…. Continue reading A Girl and Her Typewriter – Redux
This year some of us Chicks will spend St. Patrick’s Day together—at Left Coast Crime in Tucson. We have a few Irish-themed treats up our sleeves, together with our friends from the Cozy Mystery Crew—but in the meantime, here’s a helpful guide to prepping for the day that’s ever-green (even in the desert). You don’t have to drink, and you don’t need to be remotely Irish to have fun! Continue reading 288 Hours to Paddy’s Day!
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 here, delighted to welcome amazing author, anthology editor, publishing entrepreneur, and our good friend Judy Penz Sheluk to Chicks today. Even though we can’t imagine the prolific Judy ever procrastinating on anything, she’s sharing a little secret… Continue reading Guest Chick: Judy Penz Sheluk
It’s middle-ish November, and you know what that means: one of us Chicks is just back from the New England Crime Bake writers conference. Yes, we have photos (sort of), and our faithful Chick correspondent’s annual report… Continue reading In the Mood for Crime Bake
Yesterday I saw an S.M.S. (Save My Sanity) tweet from a mystery author I’ve never met. Let’s call her Angie. She was manning her table at a book festival when a passerby noted her banner and estimated the likely number of readers for Angie’s sub-genre: 3. That could have ruined Angie’s day, if she hadn’t sold a bunch of books—and figured out a crucial element for her next mystery at the same time. Continue reading 13 Helpful Comments to Inspire a Mystery Writer
Lisa here, just back from a trip to Target and who knows how many other retailers on Route 22 in New Jersey. I had a List, you see, and it took a few extra stops and U-turns. It’s beastly hot here in early September, but the stores are full of pumpkins, skeletons, black cats, and ghosts. So cute in the store—but in real life… Continue reading Who You Gonna Call? Not Me.
You know that scene in Total Recall, the 90s action thriller with Arnold Schwarzenegger & Sharon Stone where the Martians’ giant, life-maintaining fan is shut off and their air supply is totally cut and they’re gasping and flopping like Dali clocks? Continue reading Hey Mr. Heat Miser
A few summers ago, I got The Call. No, not my agent, or my publisher, or Ed McMahon from beyond the grave to inform me I’d won an unfathomable amount of cash. It was a Facebook message from an author friend with an invitation to guest on her group’s culinary mystery blog. I accepted on the spot, of course. Then I wracked my brain for a fabulous, no-fail recipe to share… Continue reading Blueberries Gone Wild
Yes, poppies were the evil flowers that put Dorothy and her friends to sleep in the Wizard of Oz. They also bring to mind the killer seeds of the opium crisis. But the blood-red, starkly bright poppy blossom also represents something more: the memory of lives lost in battle. And maybe–just maybe–a bit of hope for those left behind. Continue reading Poppies – 2022 Edition
Yes, beloved readers, it’s Valentine’s Day. Even if you celebrate Superbowl Hangover Day, Olympic Ice Dancing Recap Day, or your regularly scheduled I-Don’t-Like-Mondays Day, you’ll be bombarded with pink and red hearts and flowers and droolworthy chocolate recipes. You won’t find those here, but one of us Chicks has a public-service warning for you: Beware the Roses… Continue reading The Rose Wars
The late great legend Betty White once said that, in her day, “seeing pictures of people’s vacations was considered a punishment.” (She was referring to Facebook.) Well, dang. One cannot argue with Betty White. But if it’s okay, I thought I’d share a few random photos (with authorly commentary) from my incredible adventure last month in Cartagena, Colombia. Continue reading Notes from Cartagena: Blooper Reel
Chicks on the Case 