My Blog
Revisiting “The Education of a Teacher (Including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks)”
Next week, my eleventh book, a memoir, will go up on Amazon, and I must say I’m proud of it. I also feel honored to have been the teacher of the students living in these stories. In August 2010, I published a memoir about teaching at Monmouth High School as The...
Chatting on The Hystery Chronicles Podcast with Verena Rose
I had a lot of fun talking with editor and writer Verena Rose on her Hystery Chronicles podcast. We discussed my latest book in the Endurance series, Fabric of Lies, and also how I use animals in my books. She asked me for something my readers don't know about me....
A Character Time Out by Lois Winston
What do a nasty communist mother-in-law and a Shakespeare-quoting parrot have in common? They’re both characters in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. However, Ralph, the African Grey parrot, is a lot more likeable than Lucille Pollack, Anastasia’s...
Looking Back at 2025
Everyone is writing about looking forward to their writing projects for 2026. I’ve decided, since 2025 went by so quickly, that it might be fun to see what I actually did accomplish since I unretired and ran the local art gallery, leaving little time to write. I...
In Praise of Memoirs by James M. Jackson
Are you aware Susan Van Kirk's first book-length published work was a memoir? Yup: The Education of a Teacher (Including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks). It's out of print now, but rumor has it that may change in 2026. Given that, I'd forgive you if you think this blog...
Review of “The Hidden City” by Charles Finch
I have enjoyed and loved Charles Finchs' Lenox series since the day I picked up the first one. His creation, Charles Lennox, is a Victorian detective from the upper class who investigates and solves cases, eventually creating a detective agency. It would be hard to...