by Susan Van Kirk | Nov 18, 2020 | Blog, mysteries, publishing, Recent News, Susan Van Kirk, suspense, writing, writing novels
No wonder Thanksgiving is a prelude to long winter nights. A holiday focusing on blessings gives us the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and be thankful for what we’ve received. We hope that our gratitude and happier memories can get us through the cold nights when...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 13, 2020 | Blog, mysteries, small towns, Susan Van Kirk, suspense, writing
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...
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 | May 19, 2019 | Blog, mysteries, reading, suspense
I know I have an Events page which is WONDERFUL, but I figure sometimes people might like to plan ahead, and old events drop off the Events page while new ones then appear. But you can’t see more than a few at a time. So here are some of the exciting events...
by Susan Van Kirk | May 15, 2019 | Blog, mysteries, small towns, suspense, writing
When I considered some of the overwhelming pop cultural trends of the period between the early 1960s and mid-1970s, I knew I would have to include the wild fashions and the music. What better way to do this than to have Beth Russell explore the bedroom of fictional...
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 | Apr 6, 2019 | Blog, mysteries, small towns, Susan Van Kirk, suspense
In a recent post, I discussed the move from my Endurance Mysteries to my little town called Sweet Iron, Illinois, in my upcoming book, A Death at Tippitt Pond. This is the first of three posts about recreating the past and present in the lives of characters in a small...
by Susan Van Kirk | Mar 24, 2019 | Blog, mysteries, suspense, writing
Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger write a mystery series called the Skylar Drake Murder Mysteries. Janet is visiting today to talk about their latest book and the research that led them to this mystery. Welcome, Janet! My husband Will Zeilinger and I co-write...
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...
