Last weekend, I attended Malice Domestic, a popular conference for mystery authors and fans held annually in Bethesda, Maryland. I missed going last year and was determined to make it this time, despite another spinal flareup that’s made it difficult for me to walk or stand for any length of time without a lot…
On Friday, I was a presenter at an area high school as part of their career day. They asked me to do two presentations, one on my experiences as a professional dancer and dance educator, and one on my current career as a novelist. Preparing for both was an experience. For one thing, a tsunami…
Entire industries have grown up around providing services for authors—publicists, book coaches, freelance editors, writing teachers and workshop leaders, promotion services, advertisers, audiobook readers, the list goes on! Sadly, some “services” turn out to be scams—like the ones promising to turn your book into a film if you’ll just pay oh…a few thousand dollars for…
I had one of those crazy weeks where fitting in writing time was a definite challenge. First there were the days working on taxes which unfortunately reminded me that yes, writing really is a business. Then there was the meeting with our tax guy, the health scare for my husband which had a happy ending…
Can anyone resist a mystery author whose description on her website is: “Writing Mysteries. A dog is my muse. Humor is my guide.”? As a lover of dogs, humor, and mysteries, I know I can’t. And whether you meet Darlene Dziomba in person or read one of her mysteries, I promise you that you will…
Derby Rotten Scoundrels, our local chapter of Sisters in Crime, decided to sign up for the Kentucky Flea Market, a three-day affair. Not only could we hopefully sell some of our books, but we might attract some new members to our group. After spending Friday, Saturday, and Sunday making small talk with passers-by, people-watching (which…