Wishing you all a very merry holiday season. In case you’re looking for something to read, my Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime put out an anthology a year ago, and to celebrate, we’re offering a real 12 Days of Christmas Deal for Lucky Charms: 12 Crime Tales . My contribution, “Sweet Deadly Lies,” is set in the same county as my Zoe Chambers mysteries, although in a different town. In fact Monongahela County Police Detective Wayne Baronick puts in an appearance. Mona Peterson had once told me the chunk of fake turquoise hanging on a heavy silver chain around her neck always brought her luck. Seeing that same silver chain cutting purple grooves into the gray skin of her throat, I had my doubts. My Marsdale PD partner, Cale Harper, finished stringing crime scene tape around the back side of the Marsdale High School football field bleachers where Mona’s body had been discovered. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and ambled over to me. “I’ve seen it all ...

I'm at West of Mars today talking about my short story "Sweet Deadly Lies" from Lucky Charms . Stop in and check it out.

Forgive me, Garrett Morris, for borrowing (and corrupting) your famous SNL tagline, but 2013 has been bery, bery good to me. As I look back at my first blog post for the year, my goals for 2013 included pitching some story ideas to Pennsylvania Magazine , querying Circle of Influence , finishing the second Zoe Chambers book, finishing the short story I was working on, and making my dream of traveling out west a reality. How did it turn out? I only pitched one story to Pennsylvania Magazine , but it was accepted. My article “Restoring the Past, One Buggy at a Time” appeared in the September/October issue. As for querying Circle of Influence … If you’ve followed this blog (or if you’ve kept tabs on me on Facebook or Twitter) you already know I signed a three-book contract with Henery Press in early September. Circle of Influence , the first in the Zoe Chambers mystery series, is set for release in late March 2014! (Available for pre-order now!) The second in the seri...

A year ago, as I was completing my short story for submission to our local Sisters in Crime chapter’s anthology, I had no idea whether it would even be accepted, let alone end up being the first of THREE launches within nine months! The second will of course be Circle of Influence in March and the third will be the second Zoe Chambers mystery coming out in September. But today is the big day for Lucky Charms: 12 Crime Stories .  I’m sharing the excitement with eleven of my Pittsburgh area Sisters in Crime . It’s truly amazing how much talent we have here in southwestern Pennsylvania . As previously mentioned, I wrote my contribution “Sweet Deadly Lies” a year ago, long before my contract with Henery Press —long before I knew my cast of characters from Circle of Influence would be hitting the bookshelves in short order. But it turns out to be excellent timing, because when I created this short story, I borrowed one of my secondary characters from the series for it....

A multi-published author friend told me once I signed my contract, life as I knew it would change drastically. Wow, was she right. I could definitely use a few more hours in each day. But I’m learning how to schedule my time. My real “creative” energies fizzle after about 3 p.m., so I have to fit my writing in before then. Businessy stuff (yes, I know there’s no such word as “businessy” but there should be!) can be done later in the day or pre-caffeine in the morning. Now if only I could manage to block out the world during my creative hours. I’m working on it. My Sisters in Crime chapter is all abuzz about the upcoming launch of Lucky Charms . You can pre-order a print copy NOW from Mystery Lovers Bookshop . Want a signed copy? You can note that when you order. Want to meet all of us who contributed? We’re having a spectacular launch party at Mystery Lovers on Sunday, December 8 starting at 5:00 p.m. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, we’d love to see you. Otherwise, ...

Somehow I seem to have blinked and missed October. At least I managed to grab some photos one foggy morning to prove autumn happened, because yesterday we had snow on the barn roof, and this morning the thermometer showed temps in the 20s. If winter isn’t here yet, it’s certainly pounding on the door. It’s been yet another crazy busy month. My revisions on Circle of Influence are due Tuesday. I’ve “finished” them at least three times in as many days. Yet each morning I fire up the computer, open that file, and find something to tinker with. I can see it now—I’ll be giving a reading from the published novel and still find something I want to change. In addition to turning in my revised manuscript on Tuesday, I’m supposed to get my first look at my cover art that day. Now that I’ve completed (yeah, right) the edits and Deadline Panic has evaporated, I’m eager and excited to see my debut cover. As in NERVOUS WRECK. Henery Press produces such great covers, I can’t wait to s...