My Blog
A Writer in Search of a Title…or Two
Back in 2012, I sold my first mystery, Three May Keep a Secret, to a small publisher called Five Star Publishing. It was followed by two more books and a novella, all concerning a retired teacher named Grace Kimball in her small town of Endurance. I called the series...
Same Book, Three Covers
We all know that book covers sell books. Duh. Cover artists and publishers connect complicated pieces and parts to come up with covers that sell, reflect the contents, promote a brand for a series, and fit the publisher’s catalog. I had not thought about all those...
What I Missed at Left Coast Crime and Why It Matters
I made a difficult decision this past week. Months and months ago, I sent in my entry fee and planned to go to a writing conference called Left Coast Crime held in San Diego from March 11-15. I was looking forward to it because I’d been to Malice Domestic a couple of...
The Devil Is in the Details or the Mathematical Mysteries of Timelines
I don’t know when I first heard the axiom, “the devil is in the details,” but it is certainly true when it comes to writing mysteries. Mathematically, the ages of characters and dates of events must be worked out in advance. Many a time I have written a paragraph...
Is It the End After You Write “The End?”
Writing “The End” on a manuscript is a luxurious feeling, followed quickly by exhaustion. Tons of anxiety and pressure fall from my shoulders, and I know I have finished another novel. It’s a bit sad because I’ve lived with these characters I love and admire, and then...
Never Take a Trip on Halloween
[I published this post several years ago, but felt it was worth revisiting.] Ever have one of those “Alfred Hitchcock moments” where everything seems totally normal but later turns weird? Such a moment happened to me when flying from Illinois to Phoenix, Arizona. My...
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