Dick Francis is the cozy lover’s Raymond Chandler. He plunks down a hard-boiled thriller right in the middle of a cozy mystery setup, and somehow it just…works. It’s really amazing when you think about it. Francis’ books have all the trappings of a textbook cozy, right down the line: an amateur sleuth with an interesting hobby or …
So far in the Story Inspiration series, we’ve looked at why a book’s setting matters so much, discovered Lundy Island and why it’s a nexus of myth and legend, delved into some of my personal nightmares, and explored the historical Pirate Kings who show up in my island’s backstory. But why is Lundy sometimes …
#StoryInspiration: The Kingdom of Heaven. That’s Mr. Heaven to You. Read More »
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a warm, safe, and fun holiday celebration. And I hope those who don’t celebrate Christmas were more amused than annoyed by those of us who do. I wasn’t sure whether I’d get to read and review a holiday mystery this month, because my hands were always full with work, …
Pull up a beach chair and join me at Island Confidential for today’s stop on our blog tour. My fellow mystery author Frankie Bow from Hawaii is hosting me for a guest post all about my philosophy of writing, plus a book excerpt and a recipe for Mottley’s favorite cocktail. Come chill out with me …
Cheers! Mottley’s Favorite Cocktail Recipe, the Gimblet Read More »
Tweeeet! En voiture, mesdames et messieurs! Today we depart on a tour of cozy mystery blogs, under the gracious auspices of Lori Caswell at Escape With Dollycas. Each day’s stop will feature a review, spotlight, guest article, or interview with Yours Truly about the new paperback release of Mister Mottley and the Dying Fall — and a …
Growing up, it just wasn’t Thanksgiving without my mom’s pecan pie. Over the years, I’ve found that most people who say they dislike pecan pie have never really had one. They’ve had Karo-syrup-and-egg-custard pie with a few pecans sprinkled on top. Ew, gross. (Honestly, I couldn’t even find a picture of a really proper pecan …
Thanksgiving Dessert Mashup: Chocolate Molasses Bourbon Pecan Pie Read More »
The FAQ’s that I get the most F – ly about Dying Fall involve the backstory of Brackmor Island. Particularly, were the L’Amaurys real historical figures? Yes, and no. If you haven’t read the book yet, don’t worry — no spoilers. In the book, the ruins of L’Amaury Castle were originally built by a notorious family …
Social media can be a time-waster or even elevate your blood pressure, but it can also be delightfully social. It was on Twitter that I “met” the talented and charming Kelly Klages of the Poirot Blog, and I’m delighted to introduce you to each other! Kelly is an enormous fan of Hercule Poirot, particularly the long-running …
When readers ask where I get my story ideas, I feel compelled to tell them the truth (mostly). So I cringe inwardly and repeat the dreadful cliche: “Sometimes, from my dreams.” I generally think of myself as an upbeat, even flippant, person. But I do suffer from time to time with vivid nightmares. And sometimes …
As we run up to the Halloween release of Dying Fall, I want to share some of my inspiration for the setting, characters, and events. My story is set on the imaginary island of Brackmor, the home of an eccentric millionaire. Brackmor is located off the North Devon coast and is the size of a …