THE STILETTO GANG

We've Moved!

2022-07-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hello & Goodbye from the Stiletto Gang!

We've been on the blogger platform for MANY years, but as the platform slowly gets abandoned by the developers it's become more and more unfriendly to readers and writer's alike. So...

We've moved!

You can now find us at: www.TheStilettoGang.com

We're taking our old posts with us and we've added functionality, like getting the posts delivered to your inbox, and easier access to our bios and our books. We hope you'll join us on our writing journey there.

Evacuating from a Wildfire

2022-07-05T04:30:00.026-04:00

By Kathryn Lane

I love the mountains in northern New Mexico. Nature in this area constantly surprises me with beautiful vistas, wildflowers, and above all, the wild animals. We have elk, deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, several varieties of birds, Cooper hawks, and bears. Occasional wild cats and mountain lions also roam the area. I’m mesmerized by the herds of elk and their calves.

For some writers, the beach inspires them. For me, the mountains clear my brain and let my creativity flow. This year our normally peaceful mountain hideaway proved that nature can also be terrifying. A horrific wildfire started when controlled burns in the Gallinas Canyon in the Santa Fe National Forest near Las Vegas, NM, got out of hand and turned into the most destructive wildfire in the state’s recorded history.

In May, evacuations began very close to where we live. We could see the flames beyond the mountains in front of our cabin and the smoke was so thick, we decided to pack up and leave. What to take with us became an issue. Essential articles that we need for any trip is a given. Emergency items came next. After that, it’s a conflict between sentimental items, such as paintings, and what we could fit into our vehicle.

Two years ago, I’d given my husband, Bob, a bathrobe for the cabin. He lost it after forgetting it on a trip last year. He’d spent at least two months searching online for a replacement. For two months he grumbled about the bad selection, grim colors, wrong fabric, incorrect length, and lack of styling. He finally ordered one and it arrived two days before we evacuated. A thick, heavy terrycloth robe, I put it in the car.

He immediately asked why we needed to take it.

“We’ll survive the evacuation,” I said, “but I can’t get through two more months of you hunting for another bathrobe.”

Thankfully, we are back in our beloved mountains and our cabin survived just fine.

I’d decided, before the wildfire started, to place my next Nikki Garcia mystery in New Mexico.

Now I’m wondering if I should include a wildfire in the mix to complicate the plot. One thing is for sure, Bob’s bathrobe will not be a part of the story! Or maybe a bear will eat the robe!

***

Postscript: The fire is no longer a threat, but for many families who lost their homes, their struggle is far from over.

***

Kathryn's Nikki Garcia Mystery Series - on Amazon

Amazon Paperback - https://www.amazon.com/dp/173328270X/

Amazon eBook - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084GSGSRX/

ABOUT KATHRYN

Kathryn Lane started out as a painter in oils and quickly became a starving artist. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation. After two decades, she left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels in over ninety countries.

Visit my website at https://www.Kathryn-Lane.com

Photo credits:

All photographs are used in an editorial and/or educational manner

Elk and their Calves by Kathryn Lane

Firefighter – Taos News

Brown Bear by Kathryn Lane

Covers for the Nikki Garcia Mystery Series – Heidi Dorey designs for Tortuga Publishing, LLC

Photo of Kathryn Lane by Bob Hurt

Off to camp...

2022-07-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

by

Debra Sennefelder

I'm all packed for camp...but there's one thing missing from this photo and that's my laptop because the camp I'm participating in July is Camp Nanowrimo. 😆 Seriously...I don't camp. Never had. Not even when I was a girl scout.

So, what the heck am I doing?

Camp Nano (National Novel Writing Month) happens twice a year. It has a more chilled vibe than National Novel Writing Month, which is November (I never understood how that month was chosen). In November the goal is to write a 50,000 word manuscript. The Camp sessions, while they are still a month long, have more flexible goals. And this year my goal is to write two outlines and the first 50 pages of each new book. Yeah, a pretty lofty goal since my outlines tend to run 20-25 pages (single spaced). But I'm up for the challenge! If I keep repeating it, I'm sure I'll believe it.

So far, I am doing pretty good with the goals I've set. I've been working since last Monday (I arrived at camp early...that's me!) and I've done pretty good with plotting this book. I'm on track to wrap up the outline by mid-week and then I can start writing the first 50 pages. I already wrote the opening paragraphs and I love this story!

Before I go (words need to be written), I wanted to share that Connie celebrated her third birthday on June 30th. I baked her a cake and then she went to her favorite shop to pick out a birthday toy. It was a fun day.

Have you participated in Camp Nano? Or, have you actually went camping? Please leave a comment down below.

Have a wonderful July 4th.

Debra Sennefelder is the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series. She lives and writes in Connecticut. When she’s not writing, she enjoys baking, exercising and taking long walks with her Shih-Tzu, Connie. You can keep in touch with Debra through her website, on Facebook and Instagram.

Planning Inspiration

2022-06-28T05:00:00.244-04:00

By Lynn McPherson

Looking for inspiration these days can be tricky. Where do you go to find it? I am happy to report that I'm planning mine to come by way of my sister's upcoming birthday. Weird, right? Let me explain. My sister has a milestone coming up this fall and has organized a trip to celebrate. Not a big surprise since she loves to travel. It'll be her first time away for over two years, but she and her husband are finally ready to head out again to explore the world, one destination at a time. This time, her plans include me!

The destination is Paris. The trip will include my sister and her husband, my parents, and myself. I'd love to bring my husband, too, but that would mean bringing the kids. And that would be a different trip.

Posing in front of Basilique de Sacre-Coeur

I love Paris. I haven't been in many years(!) and I am already counting down the days. I used to visit more often, having lived two years in London and having much easier access to the City of Lights. I've included a few photos from back then...

The first question my sister had for me is what I want to do. She shared her list and wanted to know mine. I had no answer. It had been so long since I planned a vacation without the kids, I didn't even know where to start. So, I decided I should start with a book (of course). I downloaded Paris, by Edward Rutherford on Audible, and picked up a copy of The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley.

I'm already thinking about the people and places I'll see, the fun I'll have, and the memories I'll keep. I'm also thinking about how I can bring Paris into a mystery.

I'm excited and inspired. And I'm not even there yet!

Where do you find inspiration?

Lynn McPherson has worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. She now channels her lifelong love of adventure and history into her writing, where she is free to go anywhere, anytime. Her cozy series has three books out: The Girls' Weekend Murder and The Girls Whispered Murder, and The Girls Dressed For Murder.

[Lynn's Author Site] - [Buy Lynn's Book]

Weekend with Friends by Dru Ann Love

2022-06-27T04:00:00.040-04:00

by Dru Ann Love

Every year me and two of my friends plan a weekend getaway. We’ve been to Boston, Denver, Savannah, and most recently Memphis and Tennessee. Whatever is our destination, I always look to see if I have any author friends in the area and plan a lunch. I like to introduce them to the authors and the books they write. In most cases, they do tend to make a purchase or two.

This past weekend, we did the touristy things, Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, and the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks march to the fountain in Memphis and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum, and the Musicians Hall of fame. But the most entertaining activity was meeting the authors and one of them was Lois Winston. We picked the Margaritaville restaurant for lunch, but who knew they had live music that just never stopped. It was hard hearing conversations if you weren’t nearby. It was great seeing Lois and my other friends.

When you travel, do you seek out friends to visit?

What Love Really Means

2022-06-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

Writer, humanist,

dog-mom, horse servant and cat-slave,

Lover of solitude

and the company of good friends,

new places, new ideas

and old wisdom.

The answer to what love is has defied the best efforts of philosophers and poets, yet we know it when we see it, as these keen observations from children prove.

"Karl, age 5: ‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’

Billy, who is 4, had to think about it, but decided, ‘When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.’

And Rebecca observed, ‘When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So, my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.’”

And Teresa (TK) age. . . never mind . . . said, ‘Daddy is love--you can crawl onto his lap, and he will read the comics in the newspaper for you; you can crawl on his shoulders, and he will flip you over and over again! You can know you will always have a place to go if you need it; he will always be there.’

Thank you, Papa for everything and always. I love you . . . and that's the most important thing.

T.K.Thorne is a retired police captain who writes Books, which, like this blog, go wherever her curiosity and imagination take her. More at TKThorne.com

2022-06-23T13:00:00.024-04:00

June 23, 2022

mi Chicana Garden Southern Colorado 2022

Dear Reader,

It is officially summer, and I spent the solstice riding on a quad runner with mi esposo in the Sangre de Cristos near the cell phone towers at 10,000 feet (about twice the elevation of Denver, Colorado). The air felt thin and caused me to get short of breath. But the oxygen was thick and smelled like wildflowers and mountain meadows and forests. Just what the doctor ordered. I am working on being a better human being and it begins with me and my happiness. A friend suggested I try MACA powder for my low energy and depression during the pandemic and damned if he was not right in his diagnosis and prescription. He is my friend of thirty-two years and my acupuncturist. He is a keeper. He goes ice fishing and hiking with mi esposo. They are like minded. Nature lovers and animal lovers.

I am planning a birthday party for a few relatives and celebrating the fourth of July, Independence Day. Whose independence you ask? Some people are saying we are free, but I say until we are all different but equal, until we are undocumented not illegal human beings, until the LGBTQ community and people of color are no longer afraid to walk with pride down main street, I say we are not free. We are all slaves. Slaves of greed, power, sex, drugs, rock, and roll. Lol.

That was my Independence Day rant. Every year I suffer through the holidays. Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Winter Wonderland, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, etc. When is my holiday? I am going to celebrate this fourth of July as a sacred ceremony honoring my ancestors' who lived and died on this soil in Southern Colorado, New Mexico, the New Mexico Territory, Mexico, los genizaros. The indigenous slaves. My ancestors were not free they were herded into missionaries and pueblos and became indentured servants and laborers. The truth hurts because it is the truth. Deal with it. If you do not want to learn this country’s history, you will never know the people who live here and what they have endured just to survive in a world of colonialism. You heard me. Decolonize your diet. Beans, rice, green chile, tortillas. But what do I know. I know after sixty-five years and a life of hard knocks and abundant blessings, that dying is easy; it is the living that is hard.

Lynette Aragon Patrick and Juliana Aragon Fatula at family home Southern Colorado

Anastasia is Back, and This Time the Crime is Real!

2022-06-22T03:30:00.002-04:00

By Lois Winston

Most mystery writers and readers are fascinated by true crimes. Even if our reading doesn’t branch out beyond cozy mysteries, many of us watch everything from Murder, She Wrote reruns to each iteration of the Law & Order franchise. Some of us have even become hooked on true crime podcasts.

Me? I’m a news junkie. All my books have been inspired in some way by actual events, or human-interest stories. Inspired is the key word, though. For instance, in A Stitch to Die for, the fifth book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, I wove in a thread about Munchausen by Proxy Disorder after reading about several high-profile cases.

However, I’ve never incorporated an actual crime into one of my plots—until now. For Guilty as Framed, the eleventh book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, I’ve centered the plot around a yet unsolved crime that took place in 1990.

For years I’ve been fascinated with the burglary at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It’s still considered the largest art heist in history, and to this day, not only haven’t the perpetrators been caught, but none of the artworks have ever been recovered. Worst of all, many of the suspects have since died.

But how do you incorporate a true crime cold case into a cozy mystery, especially when that crime might one day be solved, no matter how the likelihood diminishes with each passing year? I certainly couldn’t have my sleuth find the paintings or unmask the actual perpetrators. I don’t write alternate-reality fiction. In addition, the crime was committed in Boston, and my amateur sleuth resides in New Jersey. Besides, Anastasia is in her mid-forties. She would have been an adolescent at the time of the theft.

This was the puzzle I set for myself. Like my sleuth, I can be extremely stubborn when I set my mind to something. I may fail at a task, but I rarely give up and walk away. It helps that I’m a pantser and not a plotter. So I started out by reading everything I could get my hands on about the theft, watched a few documentaries, then just started writing, allowing my brain free rein. After writing myself into a few corners, backtracking, and beginning again…and again…and again, I came up with a story that uses various events from the actual crime, making them plausible within the pages of my story. Of course, I had to take authorial liberties along the way, but hey, I’m writing fiction. I can do that.

I invented several characters for the purpose of advancing my plot. I’ve also changed the names of suspects and their relatives, whether they’re still alive or not, to protect the innocent, the not-so-innocent, and yours truly. But in the end, I stayed true to the major events of the crime but found a way to involve my sleuth.

It’s just too bad that Anastasia couldn’t solve the mystery of what happened to all those missing artworks. There’s still a huge reward outstanding for any information leading to their recovery, and anyone who knows anything about Anastasia knows she could really use the money.

Guilty as Framed

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11

When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.

Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.

A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.

But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?

Guilty as Framed is currently available for pre-order and will be released September 6th. Find links here.

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.

2022-06-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

Scouting for Good Reads

by Saralyn Richard

One of my most memorable activities from childhood was being a part of the Girl Scouts. My Girl Scout troop was phenomenal. Our leaders, Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Martin, made sure every meeting was a learning experience and a social experience worth our time and effort. We went on several trips, including one to the Alamo in San Antonio, the State Capitol in Austin, and to a dude ranch in New Braunfels. Many of the girls in our troop are still among my close friends today.

The scout program encouraged each girl to select an area to “specialize” in, with the goal of earning a badge in that field. I earned many badges in my time, but my favorite was—no surprise here—the reading badge. The reading badge didn’t require me to go out into scorching hot, mosquito-infested campgrounds. I didn’t have to prove proficiency at knot-tying (although I recall doing something like that anyway), sharp-tool-wielding, or fire-starting. All I had to do was chill with a book in the comfort of my house, which was my favorite activity anyway.

The reading badge turned out not to be that easily obtained, however. If memory serves me correctly, I had to read a hundred books, most of them required. Lots of these books were Newbery Award winners. Many of them were classics. Most were long. Some of the titles I remember were Hittie: Her First Hundred Years, Desiree, King of the Wind, Johnny Tremain, Adam of the Road, Caddie Woodlawn, Little Women, Black Beauty, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Pippi Longstocking, Robinson Crusoe. I remember sitting in the elementary school library, reading every chance I could.

Even though I was an avid reading before I decided to work on the badge, I benefitted in numerous ways from reading so many excellent books. My vocabulary increased, as did my understanding of diverse cultures and themes. Most of all, my love of reading grew exponentially. The more I read, the more I craved clever story lines, exquisite descriptions, fascinating characters.

I’m sure the reading badge contributed to my choosing to major in English and to teach high school English. More than likely, it inspired me to try my hand at writing, too.

I decided to see what the requirements are for the reading badge today, and here’s what I found out. Girl Scouts has modernized its “curriculum.” The options for badges, awards, and pins include more practical topics, like saving the environment, becoming financially literate, becoming a space science researcher, and leading in the digital world. See here for a complete list. A scout can earn a reading diva patch (see here), but so little is required that one could earn that in a week’s time.

At the risk of sounding like an anachronism, I’m sad that the opportunities afforded by the rigorous reading badge no longer exist for young girls. At the same time, I’m extremely grateful that I earned mine when I could.

Were you a big reader when you were younger? What were some of your most memorable books read?

Saralyn Richard’s award-winning humor- and romance-tinged mysteries and children's book pull back the curtain on people in settings as diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools. Saralyn’s most recent release is Bad Blood Sisters. A member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Saralyn teaches creative writing and literature at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and continues to write mysteries. Her favorite thing about being an author is interacting with readers like you. Visit Saralyn here, on her Amazon page here, or on Facebook here.

Celebrating the Third Virtual Mystery in the Midlands with a Matching Game

2022-06-20T00:30:00.007-04:00

by Paula Gail Benson

Longing to attend a writing conference? Here’s one that costs only $8!

On Saturday, July 16, from 10:30 am to 3:15 pm ET, the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime, are proud to present their third virtual Mystery in the Midlands.

Our wonderful participants include keynote David Heska Wanbli Weiden, who will be interviewed by Hank Phillippi Ryan. In addition, three panels will be moderated by Dana Kaye. The panelists are Alan Orloff, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and Joseph S. Walker, talking about short stories; Daryl Wood Gerber, Raquel V. Reyes, and Abby L. Vandiver, talking about cozies; and Hallie Ephron, John Hart, and Hank Phillippi Ryan, talking about settings and suspense.

We would love for you to join us. You can register through this link.

If you can't attend the broadcast, by registering, you can watch the recording.

At $8, it's a bargain!

Following is a little game to match our participants with fun facts about them. See how much you know about our distinguished authors and check your results with the answers at the end.

Hope to see you on Saturday, July 16! Don't forget to register:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/mystery-in-the-midlands-3/register

AUTHORS

1. Hallie Ephron

2. Daryl Wood Gerber

3. John Hart

4. Alan Orloff

5. Raquel V. Reyes

6. Hank Phillippi Ryan

7. Shawn Reilly Simmons

8. Abby L. Vandiver

9. Joseph S. Walker

10. David Heska Wanbli Weiden

FUN FACTS

A. Has been to baseball games in 21 different major league parks

B. Edited Midnight Hour anthology

C. Cheese-phobic

D. Considered being a professional violinist

E. Has 2 rescue Bichon Frise dogs

F. Grew up among writers, but only reluctantly became one after age 40

G. In addition to a writing passion, loves riding a tractor

H. Successfully sued the CIA for information on a sunken Russian submarine

I. Worked as a parrot wrangler at a pet store

J. Has made over 30 fairy gardens

ANSWERS

1. F

2. J

3. G

4. C

5. I

6. H

7. D

8. B

9. A

10. E

Getting Stronger

2022-06-15T02:00:00.024-04:00

By Barbara J. Eikmeier

I lift weights. Twice a week my husband and I go to the gym. The nutritionist at the army health clinic told me about the weight training room. She said as we age it is important to do weight bearing exercises to keep our bones strong and joints limber. “Just go twice a week. Go in the middle of the day – there’s no one there at that time.”

Another year passed before I went. The catalyst was my annual cholesterol check. I begged for 6 months of diet and lifestyle changes before going on medication. Thus, the gym - and less wine and more veggies.

But there is another reason I started lifting weights. I had become weak. When I travel to give quilt presentations, I bring multiple suitcases stuffed with quilts, pushing the airlines 50-pound weight limit with those big bags. The check-in agent, eyeing my bags, would say, “put that up here” motioning with their chin to the scale. I’d laugh and say, “It’s not over 50 pounds because I can’t lift 50 pounds.” Each spring, when my travel season began it was true, I couldn’t lift 50 pounds, but as the trips added up, I could feel myself getting stronger. Yes, that may have been me holding up the line while pulling items from an overweight suitcase and stuffing them in my carry-on. Just by handling those heavy bags I became stronger. Strong enough to lift more than 50 pounds by the end of the season.

Then came Covid-19 and my work became a series of Zoom presentations. And I grew weak.

When my travels resumed, I lifted my bag onto the scale that first trip and it was heavy! I was visualizing what I could move to my carry-on bag just as the scale settled on 43 pounds. Only 43 pounds? I quickly moved shoes and jeans from my carry-on to the checked bag. That’s because I have another problem once I board the plane – getting my carry-on in the overhead bin. My rule is, if I can’t lift it myself, I must check it. But I’m 5’3” and it’s not a matter of strength as much as a matter of height. (At least that’s what I always tell the nice tall man in the aisle seat who jumps up to help me!)

The army gym is not a flashy place. It’s old, and kind of run down. I wish someone would sweep the floor. It’s often only the two of us there. It’s quiet, almost meditative. But when soldiers come in the atmosphere changes. They are young, and strong, and physically fit. They sweat and grunt and the weights come clanging down as they finish their routines. There’s a demand for the best machines and a polite toe taping or pacing when they must wait. Among the most popular machines is the leg press – it's for the quads and glutes. I like it. And the sit up machine. I like it too. And there is the Graviton machine. It’s meant to condition your arms to do pull ups. I can’t do a pull up. I’m not sure this machine can even help me get there. But I do it. Every time.

There is a less popular machine called the Overhead Press. My husband skips it. He explained, “I don’t think there is much benefit in that machine.” I said, “I hate this machine.” He asked, “Then why do you do it?” I said, “Watch my arms.” I lifted the weights over my head. He watched. I lowered the weights and said, “It’s the muscles used to put my carry-on in the overhead bin.”

The gym, even on the slowest days, is a good place to shop for character traits. There’s another older couple who come in wearing street clothes, and each do a few machines, talking the entire time. Their workout takes 10 minutes. Should that even count as a workout? Who am I to judge?

And there is a young woman who runs on the treadmill in the cardio room before lifting weights. Her dark hair is pulled back in a bouncy ponytail. I like following her on the weight circuit because she is my height, so our settings are the same. I don’t know anything about her but in my writer’s mind she is an Army lawyer. She runs fast and lifts fast and is very focused.

And there is a group of firefighters from the post fire station. They move from machine to machine keeping their hand radios within reach. Their big red firetruck is just outside the gym parked along the curb, ready to go at a moment's notice. One of them wears a bandanna around his head, Karate Kid style. Another harasses his buddy to speed it up on the Biceps machine. His buddy's response is to go slower.

And my favorite, the retired marine whose shaved head glistens with sweat when he works out. He looks intimidating – all muscle and sinew. He only does three machines but with many reps and huge stacks of weights. One day I asked him, “Do you alternate upper body and lower body workouts?” He smiled. Maybe you’ve heard the term ‘resting bitch face’? This guy has resting ‘fierce face’. He looks scary. But when the marine smiles his face will melt your heart a little. He shows his bright white teeth, his double dimples dimple and the deep creases in his forehead relax. And over that one question we became friends. He took me to the free weight room down the hall and taught me how to use a standing machine for an intense abs’ workout. He said, “You are a little short, but you are doing it perfectly.” He told me it’s easy to talk yourself into skipping the gym, like 90% of the people he knows. With that gorgeous grin he added, “Now if only I had a refrigerator that automatically locked at 6 pm, I’d be in good shape!”

I lift weights. I’m getting stronger and my character file is growing. What's your favorite place to shop for characters?

Barbara J. Eikmeier is a quilter, writer, student of quilt history, and lover of small-town America. Raised on a dairy farm in California, she enjoys placing her characters in rural communities.

How Do You Feel About Emojis?

2022-06-14T02:30:00.151-04:00

by Gay Yellen

Once upon a time, I had a comfortably introverted life. That all changed in 2014, when my first book came out, and my publisher urged me to join the rest of the world on Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms.

Facebook

At first, it was tough to emerge from my cocoon, but little by little, I was posting like a pro. I came to feel pretty comfortable about it, too, until last year, when I read an article in The Wall Street Journal about the generation gap in how people interpret what the little emoticons mean.

Take the smiley face, for example. People over the age of thirty generally use it to express happiness, or to indicate a positive response, like saying "good job!" Or perhaps, "I'm happy for you." But you might be dismayed to know that twenty-somethings and teens find it patronizing, and if they use it at all, they deploy it sarcastically.

The skull and crossbones icon has also been reinterpreted by the younger set. Instead of pointing to danger, they use it to show that they are laughing so hard, they're dying. And the frowny face? For most people, it's a sign of disapproval or frustration. But for the younger set? They are more likely to be pining for the unobtainable object of their affection.

Since reading the WSJ article, I second-guess myself almost every time I reply to a post. Does my response feel genuine to the person receiving the message? Or does it come across as ironic when it's meant to be sincere?

And what to make of the pile of Poop emoji, especially if it's smiling? Even after consulting the internet for the answer, I'm not really sure, although I did learn that, in 2015, it was the most popular emoji in Canada, while the Eggplant reigned supreme in the States. Excrement and sexual innuendo. Lovely.

Thank goodness there's one icon whose meaning we all seem to agree on. We still feel good when the universal symbol for love is delivered to us, although it may help to know that various heart configurations and colors connote different degrees and types of affection. These days, younger people prefer to use the word "fire" and its icon to indicate their strong positive feelings, especially when the response is to a "hot" person or idea. Heart-hands are gaining on in popularity, too.

If you're concerned that people may misread your intentions when you use emojis, you could try consulting emojipedia.com or a few emoji bloggers for an answer. Be warned, however, that you might end up even more confused.

As for me, I'm thinking the safest bet it to revert to an old standby that has worked to express our true feelings for centuries: words.

Readers, how do you feel about emojis?

Gay Yellen writes the award-winning

Samantha Newman Mysteries including

The Body Business,

The Body Next Door

(available on Amazon)

Coming soon,

The Body in the News

Request for a Time Management Intervention

2022-06-13T09:00:00.025-04:00

by Donnell Ann Bell

Well, it’s happened. I survived my sixth book release. I wrote blogs, put out a newsletter, attended Facebook parties, attended a fantastic Zoom presentation with the Corrales Community Library (near Albuquerque), appeared on my local community radio program, worked on my own blog, and made some valuable and very sweet connections by doing so.

In between that, I went to the grocery store, paid bills, changed my sheets, vacuumed, and mopped my tile floor. (I live in a desert. If dust builds up, you may never see me again.) I also had agreed to judge The Colorado Gold, part of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and my deadline came due during this time.

I take contest judging very seriously as I’ve been a contestant and I know what happens on the other side of the spectrum. There is so much hope when aspiring authors submit their entry. Chances are, too, they’re not wealthy, and I want them to get the most for their entry dollar. I finished those entries, and can pretty much guarantee I gave them their money’s worth.

Last night, I joined my husband and watched a beautiful sunset, then as he went off to bed, I snuck back into my office and typed out labels for marketing books to mail, and wrote thank you notes to the very generous experts who advised me on Until Dead, A Cold Case Suspense.

A glorious New Mexico sunsets

This morning, I’ve thrown in another load of laundry. I’ve still yet to make my bed. Will do so after I finish this blog after which I’ll be out the door to ship them off at the post office. I hope to come home and exercise (I pray last week’s housework counted for something because my formal exercise routine surely escaped me during all of the hustle and bustle). This afternoon I have a dentist appointment and I swear between now and Wednesday I will get a pedicure!

Some of you may wonder why a woman who no longer works outside the home is trying to cram so much into her schedule. I’m leaving for Colorado this Thursday for a month. This is a welcome respite to visit with my family, play with the grandkids, take my mom to her doctors’ appointments, and of course catch up with her. I’m actually looking forward to my road trip where I can listen to books on audio and just breathe! My favorite alone time!

For the most part, I have a lovely life and recognize I am so so blessed. I also know there are twenty-four-hours in a day but now the experts are saying in addition to exercise, sleep is critical. My Fitbit now tells me it’s time to go to bed! Sorry to tell you this, Fitbit; I’m a rebel and often am forced to ignore you.

I know/pray my busy season is coming to an end so I can get back to writing. I’m already planning my alone time in Colorado so I can return to my work in progress. Which brings me to the point of this blog: How did I ever work forty hours a week, raise a family, do volunteer activities, and write books?

Finally, now that I look at my calendar, I realize this blog isn’t due until next week. Can you believe it? Doesn’t matter. This baby’s going in.

So I ask you. How are your time management skills? Are you sometimes overwhelmed? Confused what day it is? Please tell me I'm not alone and how you fit everything in!

Donnell Ann Bell is an award-winning author of four bestselling romantic suspense novels and two mainstream taskforce suspense novels. Until Dead, a Cold Case Suspense, was released on May 31, 2022, and she is currently working on Book Three. Readers can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or BookBub. For social media contact or to learn more, find her at www.donnellannbell.com

Oh Where, Oh Where has my launch gone? by Debra H. Goldstein

2022-06-10T07:00:00.003-04:00

Oh Where, Oh Where has my launch gone? by Debra H. Goldstein

June 28 is the release date from Kensington of my fifth Sarah Blair novel, Five Belles Too Many. As I write this blog, three days before it will appear on the Stiletto Gang blog, I have yet to confirm a physical launch location (which would be in mid-July). That’s unusual for me.

When One Taste Too Many, the first book in the series, was published, there was a table at Barnes & Noble at the Summit in Birmingham and not only did I have the initial signing there, but two nights later, I had an indie signing at Little Professor. Both were successes and the events were repeated when Two Bites Too Many was released. And then, a few weeks later, after I had additional live signings in Alabama, as well as in California, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Colorado, the world shut down because of Covid.

We weren’t sophisticated with virtual panels and signings during the height of Two Bites Too Many’s

release, but we definitely were by the time Three Treats Too Many and Four Cuts Too Many were published. I crisscrossed the country doing zoom presentations. It wasn’t the same as being able to sign books live for readers, but it did give me an opportunity to partner with writers I adore from other parts of the country for the same presentation. I was sure by the time, Five Belles was published, I’d be able to have a launch similar to my first ones, but that isn’t the case.

B&N in my area of the world has not returned to live signings. Our indies are beginning to do events, but with certain health protocols still being followed. I am in limbo. I’m ready to meet fans in person again, but I’m not jumping through hoops to make the live signing happen. Instead, I’m taking a step back and watching and waiting, figuring the official live launch may be replaced by smaller bookstore gatherings in July and August.

In one way, it is a shame. Five Belles Too Many is my second favorite book in the series. In it, Sarah is forced to chaperone her mother when Maybelle is a finalist to win the perfect Southern wedding. When the reality TV show’s producer is found dead with Sarah’s greatest nemesis kneeling by the body, Sarah must find the true killer before any more of the contestants or crew are permanently eliminated.

Because of the humor and nature of the book it would be fun to interact with a live audience, but that’s not to be. In the meantime, I’m going ahead with virtual plans, including a takeover of Joanna Slan’s Readers on June 20 and an incredibly special Summer Blast/New Release Party with three other cozy authors, Terry Ambrose, Maggie Toussaint/Volana Jones, and Nancy J. Cohen, on June 28 from 7-8 EST. I’ll also be participating in a Great Escapes Tour (June 17-30) and visiting other blogs including The Wickeds, Jungle Red Writers, Chicks on the Case, Dru’s Book Musings, and Mystery Lovers Kitchen. The fun part of the parties and blogs for readers is that there will be plenty of prizes to be won. I’ll also be offering additional prizes if you are a newsletter subscriber (you can sign up on my website – https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com ).

For more chances to read reviews, win prizes, and find out how Five Belles is taking off, don’t forget to visit me on:

Twitter: @DebraHGoldstein,

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debrahgoldstein/ , or

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debra-h-goldstein .

Or, make my day by pre-ordering a copy of Five Belles Too Many from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite indie bookstore. We’ll call it being part of the silent launch.

How do you feel about not having as many live signings?

The Parts of a Book

2022-06-08T06:00:00.010-04:00

By Bethany Maines

Recently, we’ve added Harry Potter to our daughter’s bedtime story reading. Once we’ve completed a book, we watch the movie version. But then, of course, she wanted a wand and an owl. There’s not much I can do about the owl, but a kindly auntie did provide a wand for Christmas and a potions “class” with dry ice and tea that turns blue. (Butterfly Pea Blossom Tea if you’re interested, but be forewarned, don’t google the Latin name if you’re at all prone to laughing at dirty jokes.) But now, she wants the fancy potions bottles. So after some quick youtubing around and going Dr. Frankenstein on a recycling bin test subject, I’m prepared to have an afternoon of magic potion bottle making.

None of which has anything to do with writing, except that plotting out how to turn something random into magic is pretty a good definition of what it a writer does. There was even the “oh shit” part where I was pretty sure I screwed it up and it was going to be a disaster. I believe that every book I’ve ever written has featured that part.

In fact, there are many parts to writing a book that don’t get discussed in English classes. For instance, the “Oh Shit” part is sometimes followed by the Drinking part. Which is often then followed by either the Dawn of Inspiration or the Damned Recycling Bin of I Hate You. And my next paranormal romance featured the three week long Hiatus of Indecision. My personal favorite part is the Shining Hope of a New Project. Sadly, it’s frequently followed by the Hopeless Disillusionment phase. But if you’re lucky you can make it through the Weary Slog to the End part and end up with a book full of characters that you love and a feeling of accomplishment that the story got told.

If you’re interested in seeing how the Hiatus of Indecision resulted in a story about vampires that don’t glitter and a shifter wolf who got a little more than he bargained for on his way to rob a bank, you can check it out below.

MAVERICK: Maverick Lacasse, shifter wolf, bank robber and rebel didn’t mean to take Deya Jasper with him on his way out of Littleton Texas, but fate had other plans. But as the two flee for California, vampires dog their every step, and both Deya and Maverick find themselves questioning if the unexpected bond they feel can withstand the dangers they face.

PREORDER NOW

Maverick takes place in the Supernatural world of the 3 Colors Trilogy, but is a stand-alone novel.

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, San Juan Islands Mysteries, The Deveraux Legacy Series, and numerous novellas and short stories. When she's not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

A Nod to Writers and Artists

2022-06-07T03:30:00.020-04:00

By Kathryn Lane

In every novel of my Nikki Garcia mystery series, I’ve mentioned a writer or a visual artist whose work I admire. Since my mysteries are set in foreign countries, this detail adds a touch of that country’s culture.

Waking Up in Medellin takes place in Colombia and I wove in the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Laurette in Literature for One Hundred Years of Solitude, and the sculptures of Fernando Botero into the story.

Research on Fernando Botero's sculpture

Danger in the Coyote Zone takes place in Mexico and I mentioned Leonora Carrington, a British woman who lived and worked among the surrealists in Paris and moved to Mexico to escape the ravishes of World War II. She remained in Mexico, married the Hungarian-born photographer Emerico Weisz, and lived in Mexico City for the rest of her life. Leonora infused her surrealist paintings and sculptures with a feminine perspective, and she played an important role in the women’s rights movement in Mexico. In my novel, I only mention that Nikki notices one of her surreal sculptures on a street in San Miguel de Allende. To my amazement, I received an email from Wendy Weisz, Leonora’s daughter-in-law. Wendy had read my first novel in the series and had purchased the second one too. She was pleasantly surprised to find the mention of her late mother-in-law’s sculpture. Hearing from her was thrilling to me, especially since I’ve never met anyone in the Weisz family though I’ve always admired Leonora’s art and sculpture.

Leonora Carrington's Self-Portrait in New York's Metropolitan Museum

Revenge in Barcelona includes action scenes that occur at Gaudi’s architectural sites, such as the world famous Sagrada Familia Basilica. Not only did I research Gaudi’s work, but also I made two trips to Barcelona to make certain I had the facts right. (That Barcelona is my favorite city in the world did not influence my decision to travel there to fact check!)

Author and her husband. She was researching Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.

While writing Missing in Miami, I took a slightly different approach. I’d read Klara and the Sun by Ishiguro. Josie, Ishiguro’s character, suffers from an illness that is never fully defined. My character Andrea, the missing girl in my novel, also has an illness. I mentioned Ishiguro’s novel despite his lack of ties to Cuba to subliminally correlate his Josie to my Andrea. I never mention Ishiguro’s character or her illness so I don’t expect many readers to catch the comparison unless they’ve read both novels.

The author loves Ishiguro's novels!

I’m currently writing a novel about a math prodigy. In it I’ve mentioned Miguel de Cervantes and his picaresque novel, Don Quixote de la Mancha. It’s prompted me to reread the adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, a novel I love despite the fact it was written in the early 1700s.

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on their steeds.

***

Do you incorporate allusions, a nod, or direct references in your novels to either writers or their work?

***

Kathryn's Nikki Garcia Thriller Series - on Amazon

About Kathryn

Kathryn Lane started out painting in oils and quickly became a starving artist. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and embarked on a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation. After two decades, she left the corporate world to plunge into writing mystery and suspense thrillers. In her stories, Kathryn draws deeply from her Mexican background as well as her travels in over ninety countries.

Visit my website at https://www.Kathryn-Lane.com

Photo credits:

All photographs are used in an editorial and/or educational manner

Botero Sculpture - by Kathryn Lane

Leonora Carrington's Self-Portrait - Pinterest

Sagrada Familia - by Kathryn Lane

Klara and the Sun - Amazon

Don Quijote de la Mancha - Amazon

Sleuthing In Stilettos Has A Cover

2022-06-06T04:00:00.001-04:00

Happy June! Can you believe we're six months into 2022? It feels like I blinked and the year was half over. Honestly, I hope the same happens for the next three months because I really dislike the hot, humid weather. I'm much more a fall kinda gal. :) But, the month I'm really looking forward to this year is December! That's when SLEUTHING IN STILETTOS releases!!! And I got the cover for the book the other day. I absolutely love it. It fits the story so well.

Writing this story was so much fun for me for so many reasons but I can't go into those reasons because they'll be spoilers. Let's just say, Kelly Quinn finds herself up to her false lashes in hot water and big trouble. So, you see why I loved writing the story so much. Here's a little bit about SLEUTHING IN STILETTOS.

Kelly Quinn, owner of a high-end consignment shop, is a booster for her Long Island town’s small businesses—but now a store owner’s murder has brought big trouble . . .

Locals in Lucky Cove seem to harbor hostility toward Miranda Farrell, proprietor of a new shoe store. Nevertheless, Kelly invites her along to a Chamber of Commerce meeting. But soon afterward, Miranda’s body is found in her shop, with Kelly’s uncle—who’s had multiple public arguments with her—standing nearby. Could her uncle really have committed murder over a business dispute? Or is Miranda’s death related to her late husband’s long-ago embezzlement case?

Kelly feels compelled to investigate, despite her detective boyfriend’s objections—not to mention her commitment to promoting Small Business Saturday. But her effort to pump up sales may fall flat. After her presentation to the committee is sabotaged, the Chamber gives her the boot—and tongues start wagging. Now she has to do some fancy footwork to find the killer . . .

The book releases on 12/6/22 and is available for pre-order at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

When I received this cover from my publicist, it truly made my day. I've had crushing back-to-back deadlines, so having this bright spot pop into my day was amazing. BTW, I did meet both those deadlines. Yay! And I've managed to do some reading. Over on my personal blog, I shared what I've read so far this year and three books I'd like to read next. My current read is The Art of the Decoy by Trish Esden. Set in New England and centered around antiques. I love it!

What are you reading? I'd love to know. Because, you know, the TBR pile can never be too big.

So You Want to Write a Book

2022-06-02T02:00:00.011-04:00

By Sparkle Abbey

Part 2: Old School Research

Welcome back to So You Want to Write a Book!

There’s a book in everyone, right? If you’ve decided that there’s a book in you and you’re ready to embark on that journey, we’re excited for you!

Last month we talked about where to start when writing a book for the first time. We asked you a lot of questions, such as:

Are you passionate about a particular storyline?
What type of book are you interested in writing?
What idea is constantly on your mind?

You may remember there was also an assignment. We hope you took our suggestion to write down ALL your ideas. If so, pull out that notebook where you jotted down them down, and let’s talk about what you wrote. (If you didn’t take that step, there’s still time. Just take that step today.)

By now you should have decided what you’re passionate about and what type of book you’re going to write. You should know if you’re writing fiction or non-fiction. A thriller or a memoir. Romance or a self-help book.

Okay, are you ready for step two? Step two is what we call Old School Research. And we’re the first to admit, that not everyone agrees on this. We believe to write well in any genre or subject, you need to be well-read in that area. What is currently being written? What type of plot resonates with you? What characters speak to you? How do the best-selling stories unfold? What can you LEARN from books you love as well as books you put down after a few pages?

Back when we first started writing we read over 100 books in our genre. While we aren’t telling you to read 100 books before you start writing, we are telling you to read extensively in the genre or subject in which you’re going to write. There are some who disagree with this approach for various reasons. They may worry about copying another author’s work. Probably not. After 100 books, one thing you’ll notice is there’s really no new plot. And how you write your story is all about what you uniquely bring to the table. However, by reading deeply in your selected subject, you’ll have a better understanding of how to make your book stand out from the crowd. You’ll also begin to understand the importance of reader expectations. (More on that down the road!)

Well, what do you think? Are you onboard to read, read, read for the next few weeks while you’re thinking about your book? As you read, keep your notebook handy. Take notes on what you learn, how you’ll be different, what works, and what doesn’t.

If you’d like, share in the comments what you’ve decided to write and what you’ve learned from reading extensively in your subject, and how you’ll use that to write a book that stands out from the crowd. And as always, if you have questions, feel free to ask us.

Next month we’ll talk about knowing where you’re headed. Sound intriguing?

Sparkle Abbey's latest story (written in first person) is a short but fun one. If you've not yet
checked out PROJECT DOGWAY, this is a great time to do that.

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don't tell the other neighbors.)

They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website

Clicking Our Heels - Physically Moving Outside Our Comfort Zones?

2022-06-01T01:30:00.001-04:00

Clicking Our Heels – Physically Moving Outside Our Comfort Zones?

In last month’s Clicking Our Heels blog post we discussed our favorite forms of exercise. Our answers were quite varied, but what if we had an opportunity to physically move outside our comfort zones? What if we had the option to skydive, bungee jump, mountain climb, or ??? – would we or would we opt to be couch potatoes?

Mary Lee Ashford: Oh, no. No skydiving, bungee jumping, or mountain climbing for me. Boating could be a yes, but I would undoubtedly take a book along.

Bethany Maines: I’ve been indoor skydiving (total blast), I would go bungee jumping given the opportunity, I’ve hiked up a few mountains, and I like being a couch potato but usually someone in my family is hogging it. Frequently, it’s the dog.

Gay Yellen: The beautiful city park across the street makes for easy, almost daily walking jaunts.

Lynn Mcpherson: I’ve been skydiving three times. It was amazing. I’m not good at sitting around. I like to get outside and have some fun.

Donnell Bell: I love taking hills, not necessarily mountains-I tried that and lost two toenails!!

Barbara J. Eikmeier: I would be willing to go zip lining.

Lynn C. Willis: Oh, mountain climbing! I have books on training to climb Everest but have recently realized I don’t like the cold.

Lois Winston: None of the above. However, I do love to take long walks.

Robin Hillyer-Miles: I like hiking. I am not a dare devil!

Dru Ann Love: Definitely a couch potato. Give me a sci-fi movie and I’m in heaven.

Kathryn Lane: Love mountain climbing!

Debra Sennefelder: No to everything in that question. LOL I won’t climb a mountain, but I love a good hike. So there you have my level of adventure.

Anita Carter: If those are my only choice, I guess I’m a couch potato. LOL The most adventurous active I’ve ever done was ziplining.

Linda Rodriguez: I love the idea of bungee jumping with my walker with specialized support for my wrecked shoulder. I think I’ll go with that.

Shari Randall: No, thank you! Couch for me!

Debra H. Goldstein: All of these require exertion – even getting on and off the couch. I think I’ll take a long hot bath while reading a good gossipy magazine.

2022-05-27T06:30:00.003-04:00

Writer, humanist,

dog-mom, horse servant and cat-slave,

Lover of solitude

and the company of good friends,

new places, new ideas

and old wisdom.

Today, I delve into the decade I was born into but have only a vague recollection of—the 1950s. The vehicle for time travel was Lynn McPherson’s delightful The Girls Dressed for Murder. So far, there are three books with Izzy: The Girls' Weekend Murder, The Girls Whispered Murder, and The Girls Dressed for Murder.

I really want to go shopping in Twin Oaks, y’all, and that is saying something since I don’t have a shopping gene. But in lieu of that, I am chatting with Lynn.

TK: So, Lynn, what made you pick the 50s decade?

Lynn: Several years ago, I ran my own business. After five years, things went downhill, and we were forced to close. During that time, I became pregnant with my first child. My life changed overnight, and I went from a small business owner to a stay-at-home mom. I felt like I'd transported back in time, to the 1950s. It was a huge adjustment, and I began to watch a lot of I Love Lucy reruns. I thought about what a fun protagonist a homemaker from that era would make. From there, ideas began to percolate, resulting in the Izzy Walsh series.

TK: I love the interplay between your characters, “The Girls.” My favorite line was “Sometimes there was no other cure for a sad heart than a best friend.” How important are relationships to your stories?

Lynn: They are the core of the Izzy Walsh series. The love between Ethel and Lucy inspired me to show how important and amazing good friends can be (nevermind when you have a murder to solve)!

TK: Do you write the Izzy Walsh stories with a character arc or does Izzy get to just dig into the mysteries in the cozy coastal town of Twin Oaks?

Lynn: Thanks TK. I always start out with a character arc and an idea of where the story is going to go and how it will get there. However, Izzy and her friends often get in the way. Sometimes they have a mind of their own and I have to fight to keep them in line. Usually by the end, we make up and a compromise is reached.

TK: What about the Brenna Flynn mysteries? How are they similar or not?

Lynn: Brenna Flynn, the protagonist in Death On The Set, by Rose Kerr, definitely has some similarities to Izzy. Both characters are smart, inquisitive, and have a knack for trouble. I'd certainly recommend it as a fun read. The series is set in the current day, and Brenna Flynn is widowed, like Izzy, but she has no kids. Brenna is a former guidance counselor who lands a position as a production assistant on a cooking reality show.

TK: I see from your website that you have jumped out of an airplane. What, pray tell, drove that and how was the landing?

Lynn: Well, that was an adventure. I guess you could say I have a knack for finding trouble, too. I've gone skydiving three times and it was a blast. My best jump was in Australia. It was a tandem jump (I was attached to my instructor) and we jumped from 14,000 feet over the Great Barrier Reef. I saw turtles! We landed on the beach, and I couldn't shake the smile off my face for days.

TK: What did you do at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? This sounds like fertile writing ground! Can we expect to see a plot thicken there at some point? I was a civilian employee and worked on transcripts for court prep. I read some pretty spicy stuff (too spicy for the cozy genre!). It certainly gave me some insight into character building, and I have a few ideas I might dive into at some point. But my true writing love is cozies so for now, I'm going to stick to small towns and amateur sleuths.

Thanks Lynn, it was great to get to know you a bit, SG Sister!

Lynn’s website: https://lynnmcpherson.net

Purchase all her books on Amazon

T.K.Thorne is a retired police captain who writes Books, which, like this blog, go wherever her curiosity and imagination take her. More at TKThorne.com

Mental Health and the Pandemic by Juliana Aragon Fatula

2022-05-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

May 25, 2022

Dear Reader,

This year I’ve written book reviews, judged book contests, entered two manuscripts for publishing and started writing a new novel. My writing has been sporadic, and my submissions have been few, but I continue to write and read and do research and learn every day.

I’ve been writing for the Stiletto Gang for years and have written several posts about my life as a writer and educator. I’ve also written about my genealogy research and stories about my ancestors. I’ve posted book reviews and interviews. I’ve posted photos of my Chicana Garden and my flowers. I’ve written about my music therapy for the blues, and I’ve written about my dysfunctional family. I’ve told the stories of my life and how I ended up the Crazy Chicana in Catholic City in Red Canyon Falling on Churches, Colorado. My characters are based on the compilations of people I’ve known. Many of them are dead but I’m still here telling their stories. My imagination is wicked, and my sense of humor is dark and disturbing. I write from the heart and tell the truth, not the facts, the truth.

My therapist tells me to get my joy back I need to think about the good things in my life and so I’m going to tell you about some of the good things that make me unique and adored. I am kind and generous and funny and smart and creative and silly. I like my eggs hard-boiled and with no runny yokes in my fried eggs. I only eat my meat well done never rare. I love children but have a soft spot for the elderly. I’ve rescued hundreds of at-risk teenagers and given them guidance and love.

I’ve been married twice. Once when I was twenty-one. Divorced at twenty-two. It was a disaster. Married again and found my lifelong partner of 32 years and counting. I have one son, no daughters, no grandchildren, and lots of siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. All my aunts and uncles on both sides have died. My parents died on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, many years apart. I am an orphan.

I love zombies and werewolves and vampires and love stories about the unlovable. I listen to a variety of music but love Reggae and Dance music. I love to dance and have danced in too many saloons, dives, bars, and joints to count. When I was in my twenties, I played soccer in Colorado Springs and enjoyed running on the field playing fullback defense.

I love animals and spoil my pets. My home is filled with houseplants and my garden is flowering from May to October with flowers and herbs. I grow my own cannabis for medication and make a salve for pain and edibles for dosing for my depression. I’ve had the same small-town country doctor for 40 plus years. I’ve known him longer than my husband.

I began therapy again during the pandemic and am on my way to healing but it is a process, and you can’t rush or count on pharmaceuticals for a cure. It takes work. I’m working hard at healing and returning to my joyful self. I haven’t been joyful for a couple of years. I’ve stayed away from people and practiced social distancing to the extreme. I’ve been vaccinated, boosted, and boosted some more. I fear getting Covid or the Monkey Pox and avoid gatherings with people who are not vaccinated. My life has changed, and my joy has diminished but I’m striving for a better future where I travel and visit friends and enjoy going to writing workshops and comingling with strangers.

Until I no longer fear the outside world, I’ll continue to hibernate in my comfy little house with my husband, Big Bad Baby Boy Bear, and Yogi. I’ll continue to write and read and submit my work and when my first novel gets published, I’ll celebrate. There is hope for me and I know I can be a better human being and that is what I’m working on.

These photos of books in my library speak clearly about my choice of authors and subjects. I have a collection of poetry and novels by writers of color and it continues to grow. My skin color, brown, has been underrepresented for centuries and today that fact has changed. Please read books by writers of color and the LGBTQ community and broaden your understanding of the world. If you need any recommendations, I’m happy to suggest a book or two for you. Thank you and keep the faith.

Writing as Catharsis

2022-05-25T01:30:00.023-04:00

Who would think this cute baby would grow up to be the inspiration
for the woman who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?

By Lois Winston

During an interview recently, the interviewer told me she loves Anastasia Pollack, my reluctant amateur sleuth, but the character she really, really loves is Anastasia’s communist mother-in-law. “You write the best antagonists!” she said, then asked me where I came up with the idea of giving my protagonist a communist mother-in-law.

This is a conversation I’ve had many times since Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series, debuted in 2011. Lucille Pollack is the character my readers love to hate. Is it because so many of my readers have mother-in-law issues? Perhaps.

Or maybe it’s because Lucille is such an over-the-top unbelievable character. I’m sure many readers think so, but here’s a little secret: Unlike all my other characters, Lucille didn’t spring from my imagination. The woman who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is based almost entirely on my own communist mother-in-law.

Yes, you read that correctly. My mother-in-law was a card-carrying commie. Beyond that, though, she was nasty, really nasty, especially if you dared to have an opinion that differed from hers. This was a woman who always knew everything, an expert on every subject. And she was always right—according to her. No one else’s opinions mattered because everyone else was always wrong. You didn’t have conversations with my mother-in-law; you were subjected to lectures—on every subject under the sun. She wasn’t perfect, though. She did fail at things, but when she did, it was always someone or something else’s fault. Never hers.

A couple I knew and whom my father-in-law had befriended, once called me the day after they had dinner with my in-laws. They wanted to know how I put up with “that woman.” This was a pattern throughout the years I knew my mother-in-law. Friends never lasted long because she was so insufferable.

Even my father-in-law, who had always seen his wife through rose-colored glasses, eventually woke up to her true nature. When he needed her most, she was too selfish and self-centered to be bothered.

The thing about antagonistic people, though, is that although they’re insufferable in real life, they make for great antagonists on the page. My mother-in-law grew increasingly nastier the older she got. However, instead of letting her get to me, I brought her doppelganger to life in the form of Anastasia’s mother-in-law Lucille Pollack. Whether it’s a matter of “don’t get mad, get even” or turning lemons into lemonade, all those years of putting up with my mother-in-law paid off in the end when I created the characters my readers love to hate.

My one regret? My mother-in-law didn’t live to see my literary revenge, but it wouldn’t have mattered. She was too highbrow to waste her time reading fiction and certainly wouldn’t have read anything written by her stupid (her word) daughter-in-law. Twenty novels, five novellas, and a children's book later, revenge is sweet.

Meanwhile, Anastasia's mother-in-law Lucille winds up wreaking havoc yet again in Guilty as Framed, the 11th book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, now available for preorder.

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.

Interview with Cozy Author, Rose Kerr

2022-05-24T05:00:00.203-04:00

By Lynn McPherson

I met Rose Kerr earlier this year at Malice Domestic. We had a few good chats over some delicious cake and I'm delighted to have her here today to talk about her great new book, Death on the Set. It's the first book in the Brenna Flynn Mystery Series, recently published by Touchpoint Press.

Rose, can you tell us about your debut novel, Death on the Set?

Brenna Flynn is my protagonist in Death on the Set. Brenna's had some bad luck. Her husband was killed in a highway accident, and then she loses her job as a high school guidance counselor due to budget cuts.

She returns home to Bayview City and works with a temp agency to find work until she can get work as a high school guidance counselor.

Brenna interviews for the job of a production assistant for a cooking reality show and aces the interview. On the second day at work, she finds a body. The police think she may have something to do with the murder and she's their prime suspect.

Determined to prove her innocence, Brenna uses the skills she's honed as a high school guidance counselor to learn about the victim and members of the cast and crew. The stakes are raised with threatening notes, poisonings, and blackmail.

Can Brenna uncover who the killer is before someone else dies?

The story is so much fun. Where do you get your book ideas?

I had a lot of fun writing this book! For Death on the Set, my son and I were watching a cooking reality show and the head chef (who shall remain nameless) was especially nasty to the contestants. I looked at my son and said, one day someone is going to kill him. My son said, Mom, there's your story. It took a while to get that story out, but it was fun writing it. The other two books in the series came from ideas that had been in my mind for some time.

Why did you choose a former guidance counselor as your protagonist?

I've worked with guidance counselors in the past. Some skills they have seemed natural for my amateur sleuth to have. The skills Brenna uses include research, understanding how people think, observant, active listening, drawing people out, critical thinking, problem solving, gathering information, making informed decisions, Brenna genuinely likes people and wants to help them where possible.

How important is setting in your books?

Bayview City is a fictional town on the shores of Lake Superior. My husband and I raised our family in a small town in Northern Ontario on the shores of Lake Superior. We had beautiful parks close to our town and took advantage of Lake Superior's coastline. The lake was a factor in our lives because of how often the weather changed. We had some storms that came up quickly. The lake is vast, majestic, and constantly changing. I've used some parts of the town we lived in and parts of larger towns and cities in my books. It's a setting I'm familiar and very comfortable with.

What's your writing process? Do you have an extensive outline? Are you a pantser?

I do a lot of preparation for my books; I outline thoroughly. In my series, my main character, Brenna Flynn, takes on temp jobs. It's important for me to understand the responsibilities she has for each position. The recurring characters each support Brenna differently. New to the series characters need to be developed. I like to know who is the victim, who the killer is, and why they're the victim and the killer. I've tried pantsing and it just didn't work for me. I admire anyone who is a pantser! One thing I've started doing with book three is ending my writing session with a brief note reminding me of the next scene. It's been helpful to keep me on track.

Did you always want to be a writer? Why crime?

I wanted to write, but wasn't sure what to write. I tried my hand at writing romance, but it didn't stick. I found writing murder mysteries much more fun!

Who are your favorite cozy authors?

I have several authors that I reach for frequently: Connie Berry, Lynn Cahoon, Kate Carlisle, and Vicki Delany. I'm always looking for new cozy authors to read.

What's next for Brenna Flynn?

Book two, tentatively title Death in Academia, is with my editor. I'm writing book three, working title, Death at the Festival. I don't think Brenna is going to find work as a guidance counselor for some time!

Rose Kerr lived most of her adult life in small towns. She and her husband raised their family in a small town in Northern Ontario, on the shores of Lake Superior. Rose is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Guppy Online Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and Crime Writers of Canada. For more info visit www.rosekerr.com

Facebook: https://https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor

Instagram: @r.m.kerr

Twitter: @rkerrwriter

Pinterest: @rosekerrauthor

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/rosekerr

Short Story Month and a Diabolical Treat

2022-05-23T00:30:00.019-04:00

by Paula Gail Benson

In World News ERA, Ashleigh Durden wrote an article “Why is May Short Story Month?” that delves into the history and practices to celebrate short fiction. She traces declaring May short story month to Dan Wickett, the founder and editor of the Emerging Writers Network (EWN), who on April 7, 2007, posted an article suggesting a short story month, just as April had been designated National Poetry Month. That following May, Wickett read and reviewed a short story a day. Due to reader enthusiasm, the next year it increased to two stories a day and in the third year to three stories a day.

Meanwhile, writers were urged to set a goal of the number of stories they would write during the month. StoryADay.org continues this tradition with suggestions for short stories to read and prompts and advice about writing short stories.

Earlier this month, on May 9, Malice Domestic released its latest anthology, Mystery Most Diabolical, published by Wildside Press and edited by Verna Rose, Rita Simmons and Shawn Reilly Simmons.

Art Taylor featured three of the stories in his The First Two Pages: “All in the Planning” by Marco Carocari, “There Comes a Time” by Cynthia Kuhn, and “Fly Me to the Moon” by Lisa Q. Mathews.

In addition, Barb Goffman, winner of the Agatha Award twice as well as the Macavity, Silver Falchion, and 2020 Readers Award given by Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, described her story, “Go Big or Go Home,” in her Sleuthsayers post “Everything is Fodder”, where she explains how almost any irritation can lead to a mystery short story.

Contributors to the anthology include editor, Edgar nominee, and Derringer award winner Michael Bracken; Agatha and Thriller award winner Alan Orloff; Agatha nominees Alexia Gordon, Cynthia Kuhn, and Keenan Powell; Al Blanchard award winner Mary Dutta; and Margaret Lucke who wrote an excellent craft book, Schaum's Quick Guide to Writing Great Short Stories.

I’m proud and humbled to have my story included with those of many accomplished and distinguished writers. Here’s a complete list:

Leah Bailey · “A Killer in the Family”

Paula Gail Benson · “Reputation or Soul”

M. A. Blum · “Little White Lies”

Michael Bracken · “Locked Mesa”

Susan Breen · “The Demon Valentine”

Marco Carocari · “All in the Planning”

Mary Dutta · “Devil’s Advocate”

Christine Eskilson · “The Reunion”

Nancy Gardner · “Death’s Door”

Barb Goffman · “Go Big or Go Home”

Alexia Gordon · “Happy Birthday”

B. J. Graf · “Servant of the Place of Truth”

Maurissa Guibord · “Into the Devil’s Den”

Victoria Hamilton · “Reunion with the Devil”

Kerry Hammond · “Strangers at a Table”

Peter W. J. Hayes · “The Ice House”

Smita Harish Jain · “Keeping Up with the Jainses”

Cynthia Kuhn · “There Comes a Time”

Margaret Lucke · “The Devil’s-Work Ball”

Sharon Lynn · “The Professor’s Lesson”

Tim Maleeny · “A Cure For Madness”

Lisa Q. Mathews · “Fly Me to the Morgue”

Adam Meyer · “Crime Rate”

Alan Orloff · “There Once Was a Man Named Larue”

Keenan Powell · “Miss Millie Munz”

Graham Powell · “A Rough Idea”

Lori Robbins · “Accidents Happen”

Cynthia Sabelhaus · “Exegesis”

Nancy Cole Silverman · “The Case of the Sourdough Starter”

Shawn Reilly Simmons · “The Devil’s in the Details”

C. J. Verburg · “A Terrible Tragedy”

Andrea Wells · “Taking Umbrage”

Here’s a little about the background for my story, “Reputation or Soul.” When I saw the call for Mystery Most Diabolical, I looked up “diabolical” in the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It had a note about the origins of the term, from the Greek “diabolos” that means “slanderer.” Usually, “diabolical” is associated with the devil. I began thinking about a trade off: if given a choice, which might a person be willing to live with--losing a soul or having a maligned reputation?

I started with an image of a jilted bride, sitting in a turret room in the church, knowing with certainty that her groom had skipped the ceremony as well as stealing a substantial sum of money. I was certain the bride remained calm about this occurrence and equally certain that her younger brother, the narrator of the story, was completely puzzled about her response.

Together, they went to visit their abusive father, now confined in a nursing home. The father berated them, but the sister spoke kindly to him without telling him about the runaway groom. Then, the sister asked her brother to go with her on her honeymoon trip, to a location where she expected the groom might resurface.

Whose action will hurt most? In a scenario where almost everyone has a reason to seek revenge, will it occur and what will be the consequence?

There are still a few more days left in the short story month of May 2022. Why not check out the stories in Mystery Most Diabolical?

Book Babies: A Guest Post by Rosalie Spielman

2022-05-20T00:00:00.013-04:00

I want to wish a very warm Stiletto Gang welcome to Rosalie Spielman. Rosalie has committed a portion of the proceeds of the sales of her book, Welcome Home to Murder, to the DAV - Disabled American Veterans. What a worthy cause! Read on to learn more about Rosalie and see how you can take part in this great fundraiser. --Shari Randall

Every author dreams of that day when the story that they labored over and loved into existence is birthed into reality. But what happens when the idea is not originally your own? I can tell you from experience, the birth is no less exciting!

After I was signed by my agent, the book I queried with went on submission and I casted around for new ideas just in case that one didn't work out. Then my agent posted that Gemma Halliday Publishing was looking for more authors for their multi-author series, Aloha Lagoon. I decided to give it a shot. I did my research, sent some ideas, and a writing sample. A few months later, I was given a contract to write Death Under the Sea, which became the 16th book in the series.

This contract came with a few limitations. Setting, to me, is a character itself in cozy mysteries. But in this case, Aloha Lagoon and its resort were already established, as were the detective and various other characters. So, while the characters of Kiki Hepburn and her friends are completely my own, she belongs to the series, and even, in part, to the other authors. I've made the metaphor that while I did give birth to Death Under the Sea, I was a surrogate for the publisher. No less pain or love put into it, just not completely my baby.

Compare that to Welcome Home to Murder, which was completely mine from conception to birth. There is so much of me in this book - the main character, Tessa, is a veteran from a military family, and originally from a tiny town. I come from a military family, was a veteran, too, as well as being a military spouse for over two decades. Writing a military character was second nature for me. I understand the special challenges of the military life as well as being sensitive to the problems and pain some service members endure.

My children occasionally make me cry. That includes my book babies. There's a scene in Welcome Home to Murder that I wrote crying, edited crying, and cannot read without crying. Still. Without fail, my eyes will begin leaking. In this scene, Tessa is reflecting on the losses she and her fellow service members have experienced. I will not pretend that I understand fully how service members who struggle with the unseen wounds of war feel. But I can sympathize - and empathize, to a point - and my heart aches for them.

When the book went out on submission, I had included some resources for veterans in need at the end of the manuscript. I was unsure that section would make it to publication. But when my publisher read it, they offered to donate a portion of preorders and early sales to one of the charities. This touched me so deeply. (So much, in fact, that I got choked up telling the crowd about it during my Malice Domestic panel.) I've chosen the DAV, or Disabled American Veterans, to receive the donation. This organization does so much for veterans who need help, and now, every reader who purchases Welcome Home to Murder in either format will also be helping. Welcome Home to Murder will be released on 7 June, 2022.

Originally from a tiny town in the Palouse region of Idaho, as a military brat, veteran, and military spouse (retired), Rosalie Spielman has moved more times than she has fingers to count on. Somewhere along the way, Rosalie discovered that she could make other people laugh with her writing. She enjoys reading to escape from the real world and hopes to give you the same with her stories.