A Writer’s Thoughts on the Waldo Canyon Fire by Robert Spiller For those of you who have wondered how it was in Colorado Springs during the Waldo Canyon Fire, here are the facts:  A fire storm raged out of Waldo Canyon, was fed by mindless winds, spread at an insane speed across my beautiful Rocky …

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          Going for the Gold – Top Three Medals for Writers   This is the week of the Olympics.  Most of us will be glued to our televisions from the Opening to Closing ceremonies.  Some will hold our breath while gymnasts fling themselves into the air from the high bars or …

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What Makes A Good Writer’s Group by Linda Rodriguez  author of Every Last Secret  – winner of the (St. Martin’s) Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition Over the years, I have been a part of many writer’s workshops, groups, and organizations. I have been a founder of several. When I was a young wife and …

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   Good-bye Nora Ephron                              by Debra H. Goldstein I never met Nora Ephron.  Unlike the beautiful tribute Liz Smith wrote about her, I can’t say I personally experienced her wit, humor or cooking.  But, I feel that Nora Ephron intimately knew me. Essays like “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” “On Maintenance,” and “I …

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Location, Location, Location  by Norma Huss You know what they say about buying or selling a home. The three most important attributes of a home are location, location, and, of course, location. How about a mystery? Maybe location isn’t  all three of the top choices, but it does play an important role. When I wrote …

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GUEST BLOGGER: AGATHA AWARD WINNING AUTHOR LESLIE BUDEWITZ Thank an Author Day     I’d like to declare a new holiday: Thank an Author Day. Now I realize that coming from a writer, this sounds completely self-serving–because who doesn’t like to hear thanks? To hear praise, to hear that your work entertained someone, or helped them …

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Malice Domestic XXIV has ended – amazingly!  As a dedicated cozy mystery reader (and writer), I have long realized that many of my favorite authors are Agatha winners and that the Agathas are awarded each year during the Malice Domestic Conference.  Research, a writer’s second best tool, revealed that Malice is one of the largest …

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          Thank you, Debra, for inviting me to write a guest post. I’m not a mystery/thriller writer, although the writing I do can be very thrilling when it comes together. I’m a children’s book writer; mostly picture books with an occasional chapter book or middle grade novel (ages 8-12) thrown in. I can hear some …

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ABOUT MARILYN AND HER WRITING — IN HER OWN WORDS: Since I’m brand new to this blog, let me tell you something about myself. I’ve been writing all my life, but wasn’t published until 1982. My first two books were historical family sagas based on both side of my family’s genealogy. The first one was …

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How can stinky fish help you write a mystery? “Red herrings,” a staple in classic/traditional mysteries, refers to false suspects and clues that the writer sets up to confuse the reader. One of the pleasures of reading mysteries is to work the author’s puzzle and match wits with the sleuth to reach the same deduction.  …

Toss in Those Red Herrings by Sally Carpenter Read More »