Saying Good-bye to a Cozy Critter

Saying Good-bye to a Cozy Critter

(Cover picture is by Jane Barron.) We filled the round booth in the back corner of the cafe. A bouquet of flowers sat on the table. Gathered around were five Cozy Critters, Carolyn, Peg, Nancy, Jane, and me. We laughed, took pictures, and ate. But, at the center of it all was a bit of […]

Will the Real Ned McNeil Stand Up?

Will the Real Ned McNeil Stand Up?

  Ned McNeil is the main gal in three cozy mysteries concerning a historical house and moonlight. She doesn’t actively go looking for trouble, but it always finds her. She has courage but she also has her share of doubts and fears. I think you’ll like her. I do. Ned is the shortened version of […]

Tribal Customs Continue

Tribal Customs Continue

  Routines are nice as long as they don’t become ruts. Routines are not the same as schedules. A schedule seems rather inflexible and fixed, but a routine is a pattern that gives meaning to a day. Routines are more like tribal customs. In the dim, dark ages that many people have never experienced, those days […]

Cornered With Nowhere to Run

Cornered With Nowhere to Run

  An excerpt from the soon-to-be-released Moonstruck and Murderous. Ned has gotten herself cornered. I took a deep breath. I was in a tight place with little room to move. Pushing against the inglenook’s brick wall to give myself leverage, I stood up. The brick under my hand moved. What? Was the mortar so aged […]

Idle Thoughts and Sunny Moments

Idle Thoughts and Sunny Moments

As the sunlight tips the tree-tops and the grass is damp with dew,  When the air is filled with birdsong, then my thoughts return to you. Sliding slowly into the day with a cup of coffee and idle thoughts is nice. No deadline to meet this morning, nothing pressing (except, of course, for editing Moonstruck) […]

Coffee, Books, and Blackberry Winter

  This is blackberry winter. Blackberries are blooming and the temperature has fallen to forty-four degrees this morning. A good morning for a cup of coffee and a crackling fireplace. A good morning for a chat with friends. Because this is starting out to be a wonderful day for staying inside and reading, let’s talk […]