My Blog
From 19th-Century London to 1925 Catalina Island by Susan Van Kirk
I have enjoyed and loved Charles Finchs' Lenox series since the day I picked up the first one. It would be hard to beat #14, "Extravagant Death." I thought that to be his very best yet because Lenox was feeling his age, was alone in a different country, and was coming...
What’s a Nice Author Like You Doing in a Novel Like This? by Jenny Dandy
Readers who know me—recent acquaintances, long-time friends from college—have been making comments to me that usually contain some variation of “but you seem so nice…how do you come up with these characters, these scenarios?” Where do bullies like Philippe,...
Pantsers and Protagonists by Cathi Stoler
When it comes to writing my novels, I’m a pantser—someone who doesn’t plot out the whole story but writes by ‘the seat of their pants’ as they work out how things will evolve. However, there is one thing I’ve always done first, which is find my protagonist. And, for...
A little old lady walks into a conference… by A.M. Loweecey
Several years ago, I was at a writer/fan conference which focused mainly on cozy mysteries. I did indeed have a cozy out. I also had my first horror out. I was in the lobby talking about books to readers I'd just met. I'm fine with talking to a roomful or a handful of...
The Pinnacle of Inspiration by Micki Bare
Whenever I’m asked about the inspiration for my middle-grade Zahra of the Uwharries series, my thoughts drift to childhood as I explain that hikes with my dad planted the first seeds. We lived smack dab in the middle of the “sticks”—as my New York cousins described...
The Wall Street Mysteries: a Review by Susan Van Kirk
Murder Over Broken Bonds: A Wall Street Mystery (1) by Rebecca Saltzer This is a perfect time to begin reading Rebecca Saltzer’s series of Wall Street mysteries because the theme of the first book is greed. Whatever you currently think about stocks and bonds, this...