3 Reasons Why I Set My Mysteries in the 1960s

I’m often asked at author events, “Why did you set The Finger Lakes Mysteries in the late 1960s?” I love that question!  When the story idea for The Cavanaugh House first came to me, I told Rich about it. We were driving to visit my family in Rochester, New York. We’d planned to visit the Finger Lakes region since Rich had never been there. He suggested I set my mystery in that area. (More on that story in another blog.) Aside from Rich’s brilliant suggestion, here are three reasons why I chose that era. Technology Does anyone remember the 1980s Read More

Love Mysteries? Meet Anastasia, the Crafty Sleuth

Who doesn’t love mysteries that involve crafts? Author Lois Winston, my Sisters in Crime sister, combines crimes of passion, murder, with passions we love, crafts. Welcome to my blog, Lois. Talk about the mysteries you’ve written. What was the first seed of an idea you had for these books? How did it develop? The Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series came about when my agent asked if I could write a craft-themed amateur sleuth series. She knew an editor looking for one and also knew that in my day job, I worked as a designer in the consumer crafts industry. Assault Read More

Why Every Author Needs to Sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider”

As my daughter Kate and I drove home from our shopping trip today, we were trying desperately to keep her twins, Peanut and Punkin, from falling asleep in the car and thus spoiling their naps. We went through the animal sounds until even Punkin got tired of mooing and hoo-hooing and singing the alphabet. Her protests were getting increasingly energetic. I started to sing one of their favorite songs from a book in their toy box at our house. “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” They listened and asked me to sing it again, and again, and again. The third time through (or Read More

How the Opening Scene Can Make or Break a Book

Have you ever read a book that grabbed you from the first sentence and never let go until “The End?” Have you ever been so captured by the opening scene that you reread it? Those are books with good hooks. I’ve often read that an editor will decide whether or not to acquire book based on the first page. Some say the first five pages; some say the first five paragraphs. The point is, the opening scene can make or break a book’s snagging that longed-for contract. The same buy-in is true for readers, although I believe most readers give Read More

In Search of a Witch

Readers often ask where I get ideas for my books. The answer is as varied as the titles I’ve published. But here’s an insight into the inspiration for a book I have already begun to research. My husband Rich is a genealogy enthusiast, and during a family search, discovered that his 9th great-grandmother had been accused of witchcraft in Quebec, Canada. Oh, man, when Rich told me about her, his great, great… grandmother’s story started spinning in my brain. I wanted to write a book based on her life. In my preliminary research, I found his grandmother had come to Read More