Confession time: I’m an addict. Every morning, I have to scratch my mental itch. My coffee doesn’t taste right and I don’t feel properly awake until I’ve worked through the Sudoku in the newspaper. My family knows, and fortunately they’re supportive. My Mother’s Day gift was a book of Sudoku puzzles with a handy slot …
Why Sudoku is the Perfect Puzzle for Mystery Lovers Read More »
Here’s a tasty treat for you! My newsletter readers may recall that last month I featured an unbeatable deal on a boxed set of brand-new contemporary cozies, the Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes collection. Well, I managed to snag an exclusive interview with author Sandi Scott, one of the contributors! She’s giving us a behind-the-scenes look …
Interview: Cozy Mystery Author Sandi Scott of “The Seagrass Sweets” Mysteries Read More »
As you may recall, Mottley’s longstanding friendship with Chief Inspector Forthright reached a breaking point in Mr Mottley Gets His Man: “I’ll grant you see things, Mottley – things we might never pick up on. I let you muck in on this case because I thought you might be useful. Mucking, indeed! Look what you’ve done, …
#SneakPeek: Mr Mottley & the Plushbottom Conundrum – Old Friends Read More »
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 …
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 …
Ask and you shall receive. I’ve heard cat lovers speak of “Cat Central,” a mystical agency that assigns cats to their destined homes, often by opaque or circuitous chains of cause and effect. Sometimes I think there’s a version of this for books and authors, bringing a certain volume into your hands at just the …
Review: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d by Alan Bradley Read More »
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 »
For a while now, folks have been asking me “How’s the new book going?” Seems like it’s time for a real update. The first draft of “Mister Mottley and the Dying Fall” was my NaNoWriMo project last year, and it was a great learning experience. I learned, for example: The “fast draft” approach is …
The Golden Age writers toyed with various sets of rules of “fair play.” The oath of the famous “Detection Club,” which boasted Christie and Sayers in its membership, was: Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow …