My Road to Fiction by Bryan Gruley I have wanted to be a novelist for as long as I can remember. I started dreaming about writing chapter books when I was reading Hardy Boys mysteries in second grade. But I didn’t publish my first novel until I was 51 years old. That was ten years …
What Cozies Are About for Me by Angela M. Sanders Until recently, I valued cozies as what they aren’t. They aren’t too disturbing or cruel. Even the murders are easy to stomach, especially surrounded by such warm and engaging characters. Cozies allow me to get away from the pain of the real world, which—in my …
An Interview with Carrie Singleton by Marilyn Levinson Carrie, how did you end up living in Clover Ridge, CT? When I was young, my brother and I spent summers at my father’s family farm outside of Clover Ridge, CT. I had fond memories of those days. After college, I got a degree in library science …
It’s All About How You Tell the Story by Leslie Karst Like Debra—the host of this fabulous blog—my career before becoming a mystery author was in the legal profession. I spent twenty years as a civil attorney specializing in research and appellate work, which was basically akin to writing a term paper every day of …
Researching for Authenticity in Historical Fiction by D.J. Niko Researching historical fiction and thrillers with historical themes is a little like going down the rabbit hole: you have to enter another world and come out, sweating and panting, on the other side before you can actually get it. When you research and write about the …
HOW I WRITE MYSTERIES by Sandra Robson When I start writing a new book, I begin with a blank piece of poster board and a strong sense of place. A three-story, desolate-looking house in Newport, Rhode Island, an ancient white stucco church in New Mexico, a London street in relentless rain—the aura of an intriguing …
coming from Kensington on December 18! – available for pre-order https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Many-Sarah-Blair-Mystery/dp/1496719476
Finding Your Voice: Plotter or Pantser by James M. Jackson Every author is told to “find your voice,” as though they left it under the hydrangea in the side yard. I suggest that if you write enough, your voice will find you. Voice is what comes naturally to you: the cadence of your sentences, the …
Malice Domestic – Hope to See You There by Debra H. Goldstein Normally, I post thoughts about writing or personal thoughts I hope capture your interest, but this is the week of Malice Domestic. For once, I’m overwhelmed getting everything ready to go. Because this is a fan and author conference, I hope to see …
Instructing a Creative Writing Workshop by Judy Penz Sheluk I was recently approached to instruct a one-day Creative Writing Workshop at my town’s Arts Council. Now, for three years, I was a Creative Writing tutor for an online writing school, so I did have some experience, but the school provided the content. My role was …
