My birthday was in March. It wasn’t a milestone birthday nor did I celebrate it in any special way, but I did receive two cards during my birthday week that I saved because they had quotes I thought might make interesting blog topics. Since March, they have been sitting on a table in my bedroom […]

How I became a Rogue Woman Writer   By S. Lee Manning   I’ve always loved spy stories. There’s something that has always fascinated me about a secret world, where politics matter, and the stakes are high. Spies exist in a parallel plane to the real world, something like the magical world of Harry Potter. […]

Song Lyrics: Using Them in Books by Manning Wolfe (click for comments) Writers often include music references in their manuscripts to establish a mood or setting without consideration of the legal issues surrounding their use. Song lyrics are copyrighted, just like books. And, like books, the copyright is created the minute the tune is written, […]

Discovering Your Secret Sauce by C. A. Newsome There is a lot of advice geared to “writing to market.” In my opinion, that leaves you chasing both the cart and the horse with little likelihood to catch up. You might make a few dollars cloning “Twilight,” “Fifty Shades of Gray,” or Harry Potter, but you’ll […]

When you read this, I’ll be getting ready to attend my fifth Malice Domestic. Although I didn’t leave the bench until two years later, this conference marks the fifth year of my formal commitment to a writing career. Malice is a mystery fan and writer conference. While there, I will wear both hats while appearing […]

How I Chose My Imaginary Best Friend by Carolyn Mulford When I write my Show Me mysteries, I spend many more hours with my characters than with anyone else. I choose them carefully, for they have to entertain me through a series. Unlike some writers, I don’t write about people I know. I prefer creating […]

Today You Are a Man by Debra H. Goldstein Last weekend, our oldest grandson had his Bar Mitzvah.  When he was called to the Torah, he became a man in the eyes of our religion. In my mind’s eye, he still is the infant his grandfathers supported on a pillow during his Bris. Somewhere, along […]

The Crud by Debra H. Goldstein Well, I finally got back on my feet (literally) and what happened? The Crud. In case you have been lucky enough to miss it this season, and I hope you have, it is a stuffed head or runny nose (in my case, think two to three boxes of Kleenex), […]

Supporting My Local Retailers vs. Convenience by Debra H. Goldstein I believe in supporting local stores and merchants. After all, my family’s quality of life was tied to the fact my father and his father were retailers. I grew up in towns where there were small stores where store owners knew us and where the […]

What Makes Great Characters Outstanding by Dr. Shirley B. Garrett   I’m a psychologist as well as a writer, so characterization is important to me in both the characters I write and the ones I enjoy reading. My personal goal as a writer is for the psychology of each character to be accurate and provide […]