Rural Florida: Perfect for Recycling Bodies

As some of you know, we spend our winters in Florida, in rural Florida where alligators, cattle and vast expanses of prairie and fields for grazing make up the landscape. People are almost incidental to this area. Without air conditioning, bug spray and fire ant killer, people would not have ventured more than ten miles…

Read More

It’s a Trip with Cats

  It’s that time of year again when we close up our house in New York and make the trek to Florida. Most people pack clothes for Florida, turn down the heat in the house and hit the road, arriving no more than two or three days later. We are not most people. We own…

Read More

Guest blogger Lois Winston: Making Fun of Murder

She’s visited several times before, but I’m delighted to have author Lois Winston back again to my blog. Like me, shes a gal who likes to write humor, and she’s an expert at it. USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and…

Read More

A Crowded Season for Murder

Fall is not my favorite season. Here in Upstate New York it is usually cold and wet, signaling for me the coming of snow, more cold and ice. But this year, we had no summer, only rain, rain, rain. So now we are enjoying summer, weeks of sunny, warm weather. A little late, perhaps, but…

Read More

Playing with the Cozy Mystery

Camel Press, publisher of my Eve Appel mysteries, sent me the contract for mysteries 7 through 9. I am thrilled to be writing three more adventures with Eve Apple and her friends and family. Now I must consider what joys as well as difficulties I will provide to create tension and conflict for her. I’ve…

Read More

Some Thoughts on Promotion, Publicity and Sales

Book Blog Tours: Fun for a Grumpy Old Author I remember reading about those good old days when publishers did all the promotion for you and booked really great book tours. And they paid the freight, too—motel rooms, travel expenses, food and drink. These were the same people who gave authors a substantial advance. We…

Read More

What’s Not on the Page

Some of the material in this blog appeared years ago on a blog, but I recently was thinking about how much of what the writer knows about a character never finds its way onto the page, but is important in developing both character and plot. Particularly important in my writing is my life as a…

Read More

Small town cops

  Clewiston is a small community set at the southern edge of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. For the past several years the museum has sponsored a book event featuring local authors. The event is held at the museum, a wonderful place to explore. It is filled with artifacts that are prehistoric as well as others…

Read More

Launching A Cozy Mystery Series

She’s visited here before, so I trust you recognize her name and her picture. I’m delighted to have her back again. Elaine Faber is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers, NCPA, and Cat Writers Association. She has published three cozy cat mysteries and two WWII mystery-adventures. Elaine’s award-winning short stories are included…

Read More

The winner is, and another contest

Contest for A New Muse   Here’s a list of the suggestions readers made for my new muse:   Coyote Raven Brahma Bull Fairie, Swamp Fairie Ghost of Chuck Wagon cook Frog Spoonbill Rhesus Macaques Florida Panther Flamingo Iguana Domestic Cat Kinkajou River Otter Skunk Ape Burmese Python Pixabay.com-choose Bald Eagles Anhinga Thanks to all…

Read More