Readers Who Mispronounce

The other day, my family and I went to the seaside, where I spotted objects floating in the water. “See those buoys!” I said, pronouncing the word like boys, whereupon the rest of my family looked at me oddly. They corrected me,  stretching “buoy” into two syllables, more like boo-ee. (To be fair, after some online digging, it seems like the latter is the American … Continue reading Readers Who Mispronounce

Bookstore cats

Hi, it’s Ellen! Sorry about the late post. I had four events – three events in one weekend – to shill for, I mean celebrate the launch of A Very Woodsy Murder, my first Golden Motel Mystery. Two out of the three were policed by those of a furry persuasion: bookstore cats. I don’t know why I haven’t paid attention to this phenomenon before. There’s … Continue reading Bookstore cats

From Boats Finds a House to Miss Marple Finds a Body

I know many of the readers of this blog would point to something such as the Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown series as their early loves, but the first book I remember truly adoring as a child is Boats Finds a House, by Mary Chalmers. It’s a picture book about a cat who’s retired from working as a mouser and ratter on a sailing ship, … Continue reading From Boats Finds a House to Miss Marple Finds a Body

Guest Chick: Julie Mulhern

Welcome, guest Chick Julie Mulhern! Julie writes the oh-so-fun and witty Country Club Murders for Henery Press. She joins us today to talk about her happy childhood (yes, they actually exist) and how it inspired her series. Happy Childhoods, Lack of Angst, and Murder I had an idyllic childhood. There, I said it. Mine was a childhood filled with horses, and tennis, and a happy … Continue reading Guest Chick: Julie Mulhern

Malice Bound! Or Unbound???

On Thursday, I take off for the Malice Domestic mystery convention. Four years ago, I didn’t know what the h-e-double hockey sticks Malice was. This year, I’m a nominee and a mentor – along with author Susan Van Kirk – to some poor, unsuspecting author. (Hi, Mary Feliz!) As my mother would say, “Go figure.” Now that I’ve discovered mystery conventions, I’ve been traveling so … Continue reading Malice Bound! Or Unbound???

I Hated Your Book.

As I scrolled through celebratory messages on my birthday, I noticed  an email forwarded from my website. Usually people getting in touch this way are readers letting me know they enjoyed my books or asking for travel advice on an upcoming Cajun Country vacation. Figuring this email fit into one of those two categories, I opened it. The reader – I’ll call her Betsy – … Continue reading I Hated Your Book.

Chicks Interview: SinC President Diane Vallere

Diane Vallere is a powerhouse. Not only does she write four — that’s right, FOUR — mystery series, she’s served in a variety of volunteer positions, culminating in her current gig as national president of the renown organization, Sisters in Crime. How does Diane do it all, and what tips does she have for fellow authors? Read on…  EB: How on earth do you write four series? … Continue reading Chicks Interview: SinC President Diane Vallere