Continuing this stroll down memory lane, I'm thinking back to the second book in the series. Lost Legacy remains one of my favorites of all I've written. And this scene is one of my favorites from it.  Pete tucked the phone into his pocket as Zoe and his father appeared in the doorway. She gave him a guilty grin. Pete held up a hand. “I don’t want to know.” “But—” “You didn’t lose Pop. That’s the main thing.” In fact, his old man looked almost—perky. Harry nudged Zoe. “Do I still get something to eat? I’m starved.” “Sure. What’ll you have?” “A milkshake. Chocolate.” Pete snorted. “That’s not exactly a healthy lunch.” Zoe planted her fists on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s still too early for lunch. This is...brunch.” Harry nodded in fervent agreement. “Yeah.” “Chocolate milkshakes for brunch?” Zoe dropped her stance and leaned down to Pete’s ear. “At his age, if he wants a milkshake, I’m buying him a frigging milkshake.” Why is it one of my favorites? Simple. Th...

My fabulous publisher, Henery Press is having a giveaway now through November 14. Grand Prize is 32 awesome e-books and a Kindle Fire on which to read them. First Prize is 32 awesome e-books. And there will be FOUR second-place winners of 8 awesome e-books! One of the 32 books is my Lost Legacy (Zoe Chambers #2) so that you haven't read it yet, you'll have a chance to meet Pete's dad Harry before Uneasy Prey comes out in the spring. Click HERE to enter! And good luck!

I want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated to the Alzheimer’s Association, either through my page or individually. My team raised $650 this year for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which is a personal high, one I hope to top next year. Part of that donation came from my pledge to give a portion of my royalties from the sale of Lost Legacy to the Alzheimer’s Association. For those of you who don’t know why this is my pet charity, I lost my dad to Alzheimer’s over ten years ago and lost my mom to a nasty cousin of Alzheimer’s, Vascular Dementia, almost a year ago. Speaking of Lost Legacy , in it I created the character of Harry Adams, Pete’s father. He was a labor of love since Harry has Alzheimer’s and I infused him with bits of my own dad. Creating a character with a disease that touches so many was a huge risk. I wanted to be true to the illness, but I also wanted a character that readers would want to spend time with. I guess I succeeded because I’ve been gett...

On November 4, I will participate in my third Walk to End Alzheimer's. It's a small thing. A couple hours out of one morning of my life. But every time I've done it, the tears follow me, just beneath the surface. An ache for what this disease has taken from me, from my family, and my friends. Is there anyone out there who has not been touched in some way by this disease? I don't know of any. I lost my dad over ten years ago. I lost him much earlier than that to Alzheimer's. He slipped away in dribs and drabs. The first time I walked, it was in his memory. Last year, my mom was failing. Technically, not from Alzheimer's, but from a close cousin to the disease, Vascular Dementia. I walked in memory of my dad and to honor my mom. This year, I walk in memory of both of them. Because I wouldn't wish the disease on my worst enemy. Having it. Being a caregiver to someone who has it. Loving someone who has it. It all is cruel beyond words. This year,...

My first two Bouchercons were easy road trips as well as being pre-publication. My third one was 2014 in Long Beach. I had two books out and therefore could rationalize the plane tickets. I'd never been to the west coast, never seen the Pacific Ocean, and we're talking southern California in NOVEMBER, so to say I was excited was an understatement. Leaving (cold Pittsburgh) on a jet plane...the sunrise over the clouds. Long Beach and palm trees and 70 degree weather. Henery Press was well represented... ...although we played hooky a bit, having some murderous fun while we were at it. Book sightings! I did head inside to watch a few panels. And in spite of major jet lag, I made it to the Henery Press gathering prior to the evening festivities. The next day, the Pittsburgh contingent (Martha Reed, Susan Thibadeau, and me) went for a walk down the street... ...to the beach! And the Pacific Ocean! One last ...

Yes, I’ve fallen into both of those categories. If there’s any hope, it’s that acknowledging the problem is the first step to recovery. Right? Today is the official launch of Bridges Burned.  Granted the online dealers have been shipping print copies for weeks now, and my big launch party was this past Saturday, so you would think the “official” release would be somewhat anticlimactic. Or at least I always think it’s going to be. Wrong. Besides the big publicity push for the new book, my brilliant publisher, Henery Press, does the remarkably smart thing and puts the previous book on sale during launch week. So Lost Legacy is available in all e-book versions for only 99 cents. The deal hit BookBub. And then Lost Legacy started climbing the sales ratings. Most of the time, I pay little attention to these numbers. I check on occasion to make sure I’m hanging out in my usual range—adequate, but not newsworthy. But the BookBub thing stirred me to star...

It’s time once again for me to look back on the year as it comes to an end. One thing I can say about 2014: There’s never been a dull moment. It started out frantic with revving up to release my first novel while finishing my second and starting my third. And in March, the day I feared might never happen came to fruition. My first launch party was a huge success. I’d dreamed of someday signing the famous bathroom wall at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. It finally happened. Then I spent a few months learning to be a published author, attending book signings and conferences. Soon I was gearing up for the launch of my SECOND book! At the same time, I was finishing the third one. The highs were tempered with lows, namely my mom’s health issues. My goal for 2014 was finding balance. I think the Universe wanted to make sure I kept things in perspective. The second launch party was incredible, too. And as if that weren’t enough, I hit the USA T...