writing process

Why Sudoku is the Perfect Puzzle for Mystery Lovers

Confession time: I’m an addict. Every morning, I have to scratch my mental itch. My coffee doesn’t taste right and...

Interview: Cozy Mystery Author Sandi Scott of “The Seagrass Sweets” Mysteries

Interview: Cozy Mystery Author Sandi Scott of “The Seagrass Sweets” Mysteries

Here’s a tasty treat for you! My newsletter readers may recall that last month I featured an unbeatable deal on...

#SneakPeek: Mr Mottley & the Plushbottom Conundrum – Old Friends

#SneakPeek: Mr Mottley & the Plushbottom Conundrum – Old Friends

As you may recall, Mottley’s longstanding friendship with Chief Inspector Forthright reached a breaking point in Mr Mottley Gets His Man:...

#StoryInspiration: A Dream of Darkness

#StoryInspiration: A Dream of Darkness

When readers ask where I get my story ideas, I feel compelled to tell them the truth (mostly). So I...

The Power of Place in the Fictive Dream

Mottley & Baker’s second adventure, Mister Mottley and the Dying Fall is set in October of 1932, six months after...

Review: Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d by Alan Bradley

Ask and you shall receive. I’ve heard cat lovers speak of “Cat Central,” a mystical agency that assigns cats to...

Help by Merete Veian via Flickr

How to Survive Writing a Book.

It’s simple, they told me. Writing a book is like any other goal – consistent effort over time. Crap. I’m...

Guest Post: Cooking Up a Method By Angela D’Onofrio

I was lucky enough this week to swap guest posts with indie mystery author Angela D’Onofrio, whose psychological suspense novel From...

Finding the Pony – The Revision Punch List

For a while now, folks have been asking me “How’s the new book going?”   Seems like it’s time for...

The Deadly Sins of Mystery Authors

The Golden Age writers toyed with various sets of rules of “fair play.” The oath of the famous “Detection Club,”...