Several years ago at a former job, I was promoted to a supervisory position. The transition was rough. Management was making stupid decisions. Direct reports were (understandably) rebelling. I was in the middle. Fun times. One morning, I was leaving for work. I turned the key in my ignition—and nothing happened. My first thought was, “OMG! Someone planted a bomb in my car!” Yes, that … Continue reading Where’s the Crime?
It’s been a pretty mild winter for us here in the U.P., so far. We’ll continue to have some snow through April, and it’s not at all unlikely that we’ll still have some chunks of ice floating in Lake Superior in June. I’m not complaining. The city keeps our streets ploughed. Our heating works well where we live. A few inches of fresh snow last … Continue reading When weather gets scary
If I woke up one morning, let’s say it’s Feb. 2, and found myself living in an endless loop, what would I want to happen over and over? Would I relive a favorite day? My wedding day, for example? No. It was a lovely day. And back then my husband could, and did, actually pick me up and carry me over the threshold. But, we … Continue reading Let’s just do it — again
Like many people I start each January with a list of resolutions of all the things I’m going to accomplish during this calendar year. You know the list – ambitious, optimistic, unrealistic goals. Most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by March and have forgotten all about them by April. Not me. I stop actively pursuing those goals by March, but I tell (lie to) … Continue reading Never too late to start writing
A warm welcome to Phyllis Betz, who’s the editor of the Writing the Cozy Mystery anthology! Read on to find out why she thinks this collection of essays is so important. Why I Put Writing the Cozy Together Phyllis M. Betz Sherry Harris’ essay in the anthology demands that the cozy be treated with respect. This is the reason why I thought bringing together cozy … Continue reading Guest Chick: Phyllis Betz
I Things I love about October: leaves changing color, widely available pumpkin spice options, and Halloween decorations and movies. Leaves are ablaze with color here in the Marquette area. The most spectacular fall displays in the Upper Peninsula are actually in the Keweenaw Peninsula, in case you’re planning a visit. It’s a couple of hours drive from our home to the middle of the Keweenaw. … Continue reading Pumpkin Spice and everything nice
Bob Dylan famously proclaimed to the world that “he not busy being born is busy dying,” thereby dividing life into two segments: the period when we consistently make the most of our life and move forward, after which we merely exist and begin marching towards our grave. But having just celebrated my 68th birthday this past weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about our human … Continue reading Busy Living; Busy Dying
I missed the Chicks last week when some of them were in Nashville. Not that I would’ve seen them in person anyway. But, because they were in Tennessee — and I wasn’t! I do get a bit homesick. Not because I’ve ever lived in Nashville. I lived in and around Memphis for most of my life. My brother and his wife lived in Nashville for … Continue reading I’d like to be on the road again
This is a story of rejection, perseverance, and generosity. A few years back, the mystery writers convention Malice Domestic announced that the subject for their next anthology of short stories would be food and cooking. I’d never penned a short story before, but given my love of all things culinary, I thought, “Great! I’ll try my hand at it and write a one about food!” … Continue reading Long Story, Short
Filling out a medical form a few days ago, I had to write 2024 for the first time. Having been born and grown up in the twentieth century, this date still sounds futuristic to me. It brings to mind the song 2525, which first came on the radio in 1969. (I had to look up the release date and the artist, Zager and Evans). At the … Continue reading Good intentions
A warm welcome to José, who is giving us a peek behind the writing curtain. Read on for tips on how he finds opportunities to write, all while spending time with his family and juggling a day job. Finding the time to write By José H. Bográn As many authors do—dare I say most?—I have a day job to pay the bills. More than a … Continue reading Guest Chick: José Bográn + GIVEAWAY
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
Chicks on the Case 