My Blog
Reeling Them In: Using Red Herrings in Mysteries by Daphne Silver
Today, I'm hosting fellow Level Best Book author, Daphne Silver, on my website blog. Take it away, Daphne... There are so many things I love about cozy mysteries: quirky characters, charming locales, and taking a virtual escape. However, the thing I love most about...
Channeling the Inner Sleuth by DonnaRae Menard
It doesn’t matter where I’m speaking, about what, or to which group, eventually someone wants to know where the stories come from. I really want to say that’s a tough question, but I find inspiration in the darndest places. Mostly because I can’t keep my nose out of...
How Elizabeth Catherine became Liza (and acquired a cat, an elderly neighbor and a voice in her head.)
Today I've invited Linda Norlander to my website to talk about her mystery writing. All writing careers are not alike, and Linda's is pretty funny! Take it away, Linda... Back when I was in my mid-thirties, I created a character I named Elizabeth Catherine or...
Why We Love Amateur Sleuths by Anna St. John
There’s a lot to love about cozy mysteries. Almost always, they begin in a picturesque small town filled with quirky characters we can easily imagine as our neighbors and friends. While a thriller might keep us on the edge of our seats, a cozy mystery pulls us into...
Fooling Grandma Part Deux by Susan Van Kirk
Back in August 2021, I wrote in my blog post: “Once upon a time I had three children who married and had children of their own. Now I have eleven grandchildren. I hadn’t thought I’d have such a bonanza, but four of them came as twins to my older son and his wife. Yes,...
Looking Back…Looking Forward by Susan Van Kirk
As I sit in my office in my small Midwest town, the snow continues to fall, and we may get over a foot over the next day or two. It’s beautiful, but I plan to stay inside today catching up on tasks I put off as I finished writing Death in a Ghostly Hue. Cleaning out...