Chicks on the Case logo against a purple floral background.

Guest Chick: Kathleen Donnelly

I recently retired as a K-9 handler. The company I co-owned and worked for, Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines, had friendly dogs (usually Labs) that helped detect and deter drugs, alcohol and gunpowder in schools. Sometimes, teachers would ask me to do a guest presentation for the students. During these presentations, one of the questions I was often asked was “Do you have dogs that flunk out and what happens to them?” Continue reading Guest Chick: Kathleen Donnelly

The Art of the Elusive Comp

Writing comp titles really is an art form. Boiling a story down to “when x meets y” requires a lot of skill. Some tips I’ve heard before are: Nix the bestselling titles (a.k.a. Please don’t think you’re John Grisham) Try to use semi-current works Use ones in a similar genre (some folks recommend using just books, while others are okay with references to short stories … Continue reading The Art of the Elusive Comp

Guest Chick: Hank Phillippi Ryan, and #Giveaway

We are so excited to welcome the incomparable Hank Phillippi Ryan to her first post as a Chicks guest. If you’re wondering what took so long – so are we! And not only is Hank visiting with us today, she’s giving away a copy of her incredible new mystery, The First to Lie to one lucky commenter… BOOK LAUNCH CRAZIES I was trying to look at … Continue reading Guest Chick: Hank Phillippi Ryan, and #Giveaway