Women Writers

When I began my author adventure in 2020 at the ripe, old age of 58, I decided I may have been ripe, but I wasn’t expired. But I was clueless. And when I say that, I mean I was winging it in every aspect of my newfound, late-in-life passion. Starting out totally self-taught has a […]

When people hear I’m both a veterinarian and a cozy mystery author, their eyes widen. A veterinary career is surprisingly great training for writing about amateur sleuths, quirky characters, and hidden clues. I love puzzles, but I also love a happy ending. Life can be unpredictable, but the satisfaction I get from treating patients and

Reading the past contributions, I thought I’d talk about one thing no one ever mentioned to me when I started out – keeping track of the chaos that is publishing.  First up, my story. I have always dreamed of being a writer but thought that was something someone else did. I was a rural Idaho

Thanks so much, Debra for having me back to your blog. My next Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, Murder at Cape Costumers, releases August 26th. It’s the seventh in the series of stories that take place in fictional Westham on upper Cape Cod. Bike shop owner Mac Almeida and her Cozy Capers book group sometimes

Cozy mysteries almost always feature an amateur sleuth. These individuals aren’t trained members of law enforcement and aren’t getting paid to solve mysteries and bring down evil doers. Critics of the genre often disparage the use of amateurs to solve crime as “unrealistic.” But is it?  I would argue that the most important skill needed

One of the tropes in cozy mysteries is a furry pet, likely a cat or a dog. More often than not, the animal appears on the cover, signaling to the reader that there’s a feel-good story inside about a kind person, and no animals will be harmed. (But a human will probably die.) Sometimes the

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m an author. I’m also an editor, as well as the owner of the independent publishing imprint, Superior Shores Press (SSP). Part of what I publish under the SSP umbrella, beyond my own work, are multi-author anthologies. Number five, Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of

Hi, I’m Lexi, and I write fantasy and southern-fried paranormal romance set in Alabama. While there is no right or wrong way to write, here are a few odd things about my so-called process: Supernatural oddities: In book one of the demon hunting series, Demon Hunting in Dixie, there is a talking dog and a

As writers we want to tell compelling stories to keep readers turning the pages. One way to do that is to use universal themes to connect emotionally. Whether your primary story is violently intense or adorably cozy, relatability is an important way to drive a reader’s psychological investment.  Family is one of those elements that

When I wrote my first book, I did so with a gun on my hip. I worked at the New York/Quebec border for ICE (although it wasn’t called that then). I routinely volunteered to work the least favorite shift: midnight to 8 a.m. because I could squeeze in some writing. We had what we called