by Susan Van Kirk | Feb 11, 2022 | mysteries, mystery, reading, small towns, Susan Van Kirk, suspense
“In the heartless cruelty of my sixth-grade year, I sat behind Ned Fisher in English class, joining in the snickers of my friends. Ned had ears that stuck out from his head like Dumbo the elephant, and he probably wished he could fly away. Now, decades later, I...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 26, 2021 | Blog, mysteries, mystery, Susan Van Kirk
Lesson Plan for Murder by Lori Robbins What’s not to love when an English teacher like me reads a mystery where the chapters are titled Things Fall Apart or Heart of Darkness and the protagonist is a high school English teacher? First, I loved the clever, intelligent...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 2, 2021 | Blog, mysteries, mystery, publishing
When I first began writing mysteries, I didn’t know a great deal about copyrights, publishers, or self-publishing. My first series, the Endurance Mysteries, was published by a traditional publisher. After putting out Three May Keep a Secret and Marry in Haste, that...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jan 4, 2021 | Blog, mystery, reading, writing
(The True Story of New York City’s Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case that Captivated a Nation) by Brad Ricca [St. Martin’s Griffin Books 2016] I loved the history in Brad Ricca’s book about Grace Humiston, a lawyer and advocate for the voiceless...
by Susan Van Kirk | Nov 12, 2020 | Blog, mysteries, mystery, reading, Susan Van Kirk, writing
Arabella Carpenter and business partner Emily Garland find themselves in a world of legal entanglements in this newest addition to the Glass Dolphin series, Where There’s a Will. Arabella is hired to do an appraisal of a vintage photograph for the executrix of an...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jul 9, 2019 | Blog, mystery, reading, suspense, writing novels
This spring I discovered a new Midwest mystery writer by reading her second book first, and then doubling back to her debut. Connie Berry lives in Ohio, a state qualifying her to be in my Midwest neighborhood. I highly recommend her series to all mystery readers, but...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 15, 2019 | Blog, mystery, reading, suspense, writing
Proud to announce the birthday of my fifth mystery. Dru Ann Love interviewed my main character, Beth Russell, https://drusbookmusing.com/ today. Available at Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and from my publisher, Encircle Publications. Available in both ebook and...
by Susan Van Kirk | Apr 22, 2019 | Blog, mystery, Susan Van Kirk, suspense
A Death at Tippitt Pond (A Sweet Iron mystery) will be launched this June, beginning a new chapter in my writing life and a new series involving mystery, history, and genealogy. The main character, Beth Russell, is a historical researcher and genealogist. For reasons...
by Susan Van Kirk | Mar 8, 2019 | Blog, mysteries, mystery, small towns, Susan Van Kirk, suspense, writing
When I was growing up, my parents rented a room to a lady who was working at a store in our town. It was shortly after the end of World War II. Her name was Margaret, and she came from a tiny rural town twenty miles away. I imagine our city had more opportunities to...
by Susan Van Kirk | Oct 13, 2018 | Blog, mystery, writing
Nine years have passed since I first started asking people for information I could use in my books. At first, requesting information was a harrowing experience for me. How do I go about asking perfect strangers for some of their time and expertise? Should I call?...
