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 …
The #MeToo posts the last couple of days are getting to me. Well, so they should. They should get to all of us. But it’s prompting me to find something positive, so I noticed the hashtag Be That Guy. I wanted to share a story, because Being That Guy is not complicated and it’s not …
Mottley & Baker’s second adventure, Mister Mottley and the Dying Fall is set in October of 1932, six months after Book 1. My stories always have a lot of humor in them, but since his one was set just before Halloween, I wanted to bring in an element of spookiness, danger, a moody atmosphere and …
If you came here from my Facebook post, April Fool! If not, you can read the blurb HERE Thanks for playing along. Why not help prank your friends by liking and sharing the Facebook post? If you want to read some real Mottley stories, you can pick up “Mister Mottley and the Key of D” free …
Honestly, I tried. November – February is its own liturgical season at my house: the Unending Feast of St. Cadbury. We roll straight from Thanksgiving to a birthday, Christmas, two more birthdays, Valentine’s Day and yet another birthday. It’s a lot of parties, a lot of travel, a lot of cleanup, and a lot of chocolate. …
It’s simple, they told me. Writing a book is like any other goal – consistent effort over time. Crap. I’m doomed. How do you keep going in a creative life when the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” are coming at you from all directions? Cuz I don’t know about you, but fortune can get …
I was lucky enough this week to swap guest posts with indie mystery author Angela D’Onofrio, whose psychological suspense novel From the Desk of Buster Heywood has drawn raves for its realistic and nuanced characters. We’re each giving our personal slant to the theme of Resilience, and I think you’ll like what she’s “cooked” up for you! Over …
Guest Post: Cooking Up a Method By Angela D’Onofrio Read More »
What better way to enjoy a mystery (especially about the Jazz Age) than with a cool vintage bevvie? Mottley’s favorite drink is the vodka gimblet, distinguished from its better-known cousin the gimlet by its use of unsweetened lime juice for a bracing tang. In the short story “Key of D,” Mottley also visits Harry’s Bar in …
Literary Libations & Character Cocktails – Guest Post by Sarah Miller Hill Read More »