It's New Year's Eve and as I have almost every year, I'm taking some time to reflect on my Looking Ahead post from this past January.  The biggest question mark a year ago was the status of books 3 and 4 in the Honeywell series. As you likely know, both have recently been released with tomorrow being the "official" release date of No Stone Left Unturned in print. After the shaky start, I'm especially happy to have these two out in the world.  I had a relatively full schedule of appearances all year, despite not having anything new out.   Malice Domestic was especially fun because it was announced that I will be their 2026 Guest of Honor! More on that in tomorrow's Looking Ahead post.  I succeeded in turning in the standalone, however, my agent sent it back with lots of notes. I'm still working on it.  I also succeeded in completing Honeywell #5. At least the first draft. I submitted it by my deadline and now have it back, also with notes, these from...

I’ve frequently been asked, usually by writers still trying to find their way, how many drafts I write of a book. I never have a good answer. Or when I give one, I inevitably make myself a liar while working on the next book.   But right now, I’m starting on Draft #4 of my current Work in Progress, which, by the way, is due to my publisher on December 1. However, my Draft #4 is likely very different from your Draft #4.   Let me break it down.   The first draft is a free-for-all. I may or may not have an outline. If I do, it’s sparse and not carved in stone, so I’m slinging words on the page to see if they work or not. It often sucks. But even Draft #1 isn’t a rough first draft by the time I reach the end. Each day, I re-read the previous day’s work and make tweaks before I start fresh. Once a month, I send pages to my critique group for feedback. I may or may not incorporate that feedback while I’m still powering through the word-slinging phase, but there are alwa...

It’s been 18 months since my last book release. Prior to that, the longest I’d gone between books had been 12 months. In my world, it feels like decades! I mean, it never gets old. This is my seventeenth published novel, and it’s still a rush!   And yet, I admit, I’ve felt a bit subdued leading up to this one. And confused.   What am I supposed to do? How does one promote a new book?   As if I’ve never done it before.   I think I finally figured out why I feel this way, and it goes beyond the length of time since I did it before.   This book release, like the previous two Detective Honeywell novels, is digital only. For now. While a large portion of my readership gets their books on digital platforms, it doesn’t feel 100% real until I hold the print copy in my grubby little hands.   Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled for all of you who are huddled over your phones and iPads and Kindles reading my book today. I love you all beyond words.   H...

When I was a kid, our farm gardens were massive. We had acres of potatoes. My grandmother's "kitchen garden" had to be at least a thousand square feet. Corn, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, kohlrabi, onions, peppers, and so much more. Rhubarb, horseradish, and dill grew along its borders. We had an apple orchard as well as pear and peach trees.  Now, we have a ten-acre chunk of that 150-acre farm, and our little garden has grown progressively smaller over the decades. This year we have onions, cucumbers, a few sad tomato plants, peppers, and one plant each of yellow squash and zucchini. Those last two are threatening to take over the world alongside the cucumbers. We've given bushels of the things away. People see my husband coming and run. They can't escape. He drives by when folks aren't home and leaves squash on their doorstep.  I've been cooking and eating squash and cukes for lunch and supper every single day. Yes, I'm sick of them. And...

Fifteen years ago today, the Universal Cat Distribution System deposited this tiny, wormy, flea-infested little one on our front porch. I tried to find a home for her, but Kensi had already decided THIS was home, and I was her human. I've learned to never question her again.   Kensi 2010 Happy Gotcha Day, Kensi. Kensi 2025

I'm breathing a little easier this week. I completed and turned in my proofreads of No Stone Left Unturned early this week and have been pounding away on the first draft of the fifth Honeywell mystery. As of today, I've topped 75,000 words. I expect this one to be around 90K or a little under, so I'm on target to meet my goal of completion by the end of August. Yay me! I do have one item on my to-do list that will take up part of my time this coming week. As I mentioned last time, I'm teaching a two-hour workshop for Steel Quill Workshops. It's titled Creating 3-Dimensional Characters and is geared toward all genres and all skill levels. If you're interested, click here to register. The workshop takes place on Sunday, August 24 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 at 5858 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA.