I’m so delighted to welcome Linda Rawlins to my blog today. Her 40 years as a physician has given her a wealth of stories and insights that she has drawn upon to write compelling mysteries. First off, congratulations on the release this past year of MISTY MIDWAY, the seventh book in your Misty Point Mystery…
As any writer can tell you, the writing life has its share of lows as well as highs. I’ve yet to meet a writer who hasn’t experienced rejection or hurtful remarks about their work. One of my more discouraging moments came years ago when I was thinking about applying to the journalism program at the…
Because marketing and promoting our books has become largely our responsibility as authors, we spend a fair among of time doing what we call “BSP,” otherwise known as “blatant self-promotion.” But today, I want to promote something much larger than myself, which is our amazing professional organization for mystery writers, Sisters in Crime. Founded in…
On Wednesday night, Joyous Singers, our senior chorus, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a minor league baseball game in our city. It was a scorchingly hot evening, but I thought we sang well, and it was fun to dip into a whole other slice of life in our community. As a kid and later the…
The other day, I was reading an interview of an author who confessed that she becomes anxious and a bit irritable when she’s not writing. I can relate. It’s not that I haven’t been writing for the past few weeks, but I’ve focused on guest blogs and articles in connection with my recent releases of…
My mom used to say, “As we get older, we get so patterned.” She usually said this when my sons and I had descended for our annual summer visit and disrupted all of her usual routines. I’m pretty sure she loved having us come and especially loved seeing us leave! I can definitely relate. I…
Have you ever had a week where so many nice things happened that you felt as though your head was on fire? Last week was one of those for me. First came the release of DEATH IN THE END ZONE, a sequel to MISSED CUE featuring the same homicide detective, Caitlin O’Connor. As many of…
I’ve been so crazed writing articles in connection with the upcoming May 18 release of DEATH IN THE END ZONE that I’ve barely had a moment to reflect on my experience attending Malice Domestic at the end of last month. But being a part of this special weekend was genuinely an uplifting experience! For those…
Having heard stories about homeowner’s association boards, it’s clear to me that they offer plenty of material for mystery authors! Susanna Sullivan does a terrific job of setting her novel at a condo complex with a “challenging” board. First off, congratulations on the release of DROWNING IN DECEPTION, the first book in your Lily Gallagher…
Debut Author Susan B. Nolen Talks About the Importance of “Social Context” for Character Development
Having published my first novel at 65, I have a soft spot for debut authors who publish their first novels later in life, and who draw upon their professional backgrounds to enrich their fiction. So, it was a special pleasure to interview Susan B. Nolen! First off, congratulations on the release of your debut novel,…