Few things irk me more than pious pronouncements that whatever transpires must be “God’s will” or “God’s plan.” I invariably want to scream, “Are you kidding me?” Evidence abounds that painful and challenging things happen to people all the time that surely no loving God would allow, or worse, would have planned. Take my writing…
I’ve always been drawn to books set on islands, as well as those that explore long-held family secrets. Alice Fitzpatrick’s SECRETS IN THE WATER features both, and I’m so delighted to welcome her to my blog today to talk about her novel, the first in a new series, Meredith Island Mysteries. Below are her responses…
All signs pointed to a disastrous performance for the community chorus I sing with at the rehearsal yesterday morning. The director stopped us mid-song several times, furious that we were still making mistakes she deemed unacceptable. “I’m right on the edge, people,” she told us. She wasn’t kidding. Meantime, the accompanist wasn’t feeling well, and…
On my Guppies’ Sisters in Crime listserve, there’s been an interesting discussion about career choices, especially when it comes to choosing paths to publication. One of our members, Judy Penz Sheluk, has written a wonderful book on this subject, FINDING YOUR PATH TO PUBLICATION: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE. Choices include: finding an agent and shooting for…
My writer’s group was discussing Ruta Sepetys’s wonderful book, YOU The Story, A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory. Sepetys advises writers to use our own backgrounds and experiences as grist for our fiction. One of the questions she suggests we pay attention to is: “What elements of your childhood self still exist in your…
I’ve always been fascinated by those personal experience pieces in which folks report that their lives have been rejuvenated by the simple act of unplugging their mobile phones. The idea of replacing endless texts, emails, and Facebook messages with face-to-face interactions, not to mention eliminating interruptions while writing, is so appealing to me. The problem…
Being older than dirt, I actually remember enterprising door-to-door salesmen pushing vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias. They were invariably cheerful and perseverant folks who brushed off the inevitable “no thanks” they got along the way to making a sale. All I can say is I would have made a terrible salesperson. Take the other day, for…
A trip to Hawaii occupies a prominent place on my bucket list, so it’s a special pleasure to welcome mystery author Pamela Asbury-Smith to my blog. She spent fifteen years living in Hawaii and now writes mysteries set there. Below are her responses to my interview questions, followed by her bio and buy link: Can…
It never ceases to amaze me how many fascinating backgrounds and skills mystery authors bring to their stories. And Christine Knapp is definitely no exception. As a practicing midwife for many years, Christine brings a wealth of experience which lends terrific authenticity to her midwife mystery series. Below are her responses to my interview questions,…
As a huge fan of films from the 1930s and 40s, it’s a treat to interview Elizabeth Crowens about her new mystery series set in 1940s Hollywood. Below are her responses to my interview questions, followed by her bio, book description, and buy links: First off, congratulations on the release this month of HOUNDS OF…