A Day in the Life of a Writer of Mysteries

A Day in the Life of a Writer of Mysteries

Writing a mystery is an all-consuming thing. I mean, it sort of takes over. For example, I went to get groceries. That was where I was, physically. My mind was somewhere else. My thoughts went something like this: The plantation was once called a plantation but it has changed now to growing soybeans and race horses. […]

When the Long Ago Suddenly Reappears

When the Long Ago Suddenly Reappears

Is the past really the past or does it reappear now and then? I saw one of my old college professors the other day, even though he has been dead a good number of years. Now, before you think I’ve gone completely round the bend, let me explain. Actually, I didn’t see him but I […]

Untangling the Web

Untangling the Web

Why do you pick up a cozy mystery and read? Is it because you like the characters or is it the setting? Do you like to try to untangle that snarled web of a mystery before the protagonist does? Have you noticed that in the cozy mystery genre, there’s a lot of leeway, a lot […]

And Then There Were Three

And Then There Were Three

Three was definitely not a crowd yesterday but we were in good company. Jane, Peg, and I sat around the hundred -year old table, munching chocolate chip cookies and swigging Folgers coffee. And, we talked. Critiqued? Yes. Visited? Yes, a lot! Peg shared with us two captivating cozy mysteries she recently read– Wedding Cake Crumbles […]

What Did You Mean When You Said Hello?

What Did You Mean When You Said Hello?

What Did You Mean When You Said, “Hello?” “What on earth are you talking about, Cub?” I asked the big, red-faced man who jumped off the seat of his dirt mover. “What did you mean there’s something in the well?”  The whole book is based on that question and Darcy wondering if it was Best […]

Ice and Hibernation

Ice and Hibernation

Only one thing to do on a morning like this–hibernate! We don’t have a major ice storm, just ice on the roads in enough spots to make them slick.  At least, most of us won’t be in Darcy and Flora’s predicament:           Sleet rattled against the worn boards of the barn, and a […]