Bouchercon recently announced the theme of their 2016 anthology: Blood on the Bayou. As such, I’ve been musing, researching, and outlining short story ideas. I’ve been to New Orleans twice, both in the spring of 2007. The first time was for a math conference (nerd alert) where I stayed at a fancy hotel downtown and […]
I love traveling. Experiencing other cultures, challenging myself to try new things, getting a fresh perspective on the world. And every place I go inspires me in some unforeseen way. John and I recently spent 10 *amazing* days in Japan, starting in Tokyo and then taking the bullet train south to Kyoto. I won’t bore […]
I purchased this notebook from a stationary store in Paris three years ago. Since then, it’s traveled with me on vacations, to writing workshops and conferences, and to various mystery writing events. It’s chock-full of scribbled story ideas, notes and handouts, and business cards from all the wonderful people I’ve met. This past weekend at […]
I’m not sure why it is that writers are featured in so many movies. Maybe it’s their propensity toward eccentricity or the fact that over 80% of people want to write a book, or perhaps it’s simply that screenplay writers tend to write what they know. Either way, I’m grateful for the films that have […]
Something I’ve learned over this past year of writing full time is that atmosphere is so important for my productivity. A tidy desk, not spotless, surrounded by inspiring artwork. Maple, snoozing in my husband’s office chair, keeping me company indirectly. The willpower to stay off of the interwebs. And of course, music. I love music, and […]
In Marketing, a ‘sneezer’ is a term for someone who promotes products word-of-mouth, and word-of-mouth marketing is still alive and well in the book world (just ask John Green and his army of Nerdfighters). I’ve been a book sneezer for a long time. In fact, if we’ve had a prolonged conversation about books recently, chances are I’ve […]
I found Rory’s Story Cubes in the Calico Cat Toy Shoppe on Bainbridge Island. I first picked them up because the name Rory reminded me of Gilmore Girls, and Gilmore Girls makes me happy. I’ve since found that these Story Cubes are *perfect* for days when my imagination needs a boost. Today was such a […]
I attended the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold Conference this past weekend and, jeez, my head’s still spinning! The conference was AMAZING, the best one yet, jam packed full of sessions on things like conflict and verbs, critique workshops, and pitching opportunities. But more important than all that were the wonderful people in attendance. […]
I had an amazing vacation in Seattle last week. It was wonderful to tour the city, enjoy the delicious seafood, and catch up on some reading. But it wasn’t all fun and games. Seattle also happens to be where my cozy mystery takes place. While I was there, I took notes on things I wanted to […]
I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see Veronica Roth and Margaret Stohl speak at the Tattered Cover in Denver last week. To be honest, I didn’t see them so much as listen to them as my seat was in the nosebleed section, approximately a football field away from the front. Nonetheless, it was so […]