In five weeks, I’ll be leaving on a jet plane for New Orleans and Bouchercon2016 .  I’ve never been to NOLA, so that alone is a big draw for me. However, Bouchercon is a mystery lover’s family reunion…if you had hundreds and hundreds of family members. For example, click here for a list of some of my “family.” This will be my fifth Bouchercon, although I’ve missed years in between. My first was in Baltimore in 2008. Then I drove to Cleveland for it in 2012. Followed by Long Beach and Raleigh in 2014 and 2015. In the weeks leading up to “Blood on the Bayou,” I’ll be blogging here every Wednesday to share memories from those previous years. Oh, and there’s a Bouchercon anthology: Blood on the Bayou containing some incredible short stories including several by good friends of mine. More on that in the coming weeks as well. In the meantime, go here to find links to pre-order it! 

I confess. This next book is making me slightly insane. Or, putting a more positive light on the matter, it’s giving me a wild ride on the emotional roller coaster. I’m currently working on revisions. Stuff needed fixed. It’s that simple. It’s also that confounding. Over the last few weeks, I’ve threatened to pull my hair out, I’ve beat my head on my desk, and I’ve broken my computer mouse…but that’s another story. This week, however, I’ve turned a corner. First, I took a day off. Sort of. Tuesday, my friend and fellow Pittsburgh area author Joyce Tremel and I headed north to Erie for a book club talk. I love book clubs. I love Erie .   I needed a day away from the computer. So we killed an entire day. It’s a three-hour drive for me (each way). And there is no way I’m going all that way without sticking my feet in the sand while Lake Erie ’s waves lap at my toes. The book club was fun, too! As was the actual road trip. (Picture two crime writers cruising th...

Subtitle: Physician, heal thyself For over two weeks, I’ve been working on the edits on the next Zoe Chambers mystery ( No Way Home) . And for two weeks, “working” has looked a lot like staring at printed-out pages. Or staring into space. There are problems that need addressed. But how? About a week into my staring, I had something of an epiphany. Not about a fix. But about the source of my problems. I’d left out one very important step in my process. I teach a workshop on villains and antagonists (not necessarily the same thing, by the way). Part of the workshop involves getting the villain’s story and backstory written down. This is stuff that won’t end up in the book. But it’s stuff that directs what ends up in the book. It’s the unseen action that drives the story. And it can be a lot of fun. Since this is stuff that isn’t going into the book, it can be truly terrible. No one but the author is going to read it. No one is going to edit it, critique it, or othe...

Our "farm" isn't really a "working" farm any more. I miss the horses. A lot. I even miss the neighbor's %#*$ing bull bellowing outside our bedroom window at daybreak. But it's summer and there are moments when I'm reminded we're definitely out in the country. Like when I hear the plaintive cries of coyotes wafting through that bedroom window in the middle of the night. And in spite of those coyotes, we have a whole family (several generations, at the moment) of rabbits living in and around our yard. I call them the Bun family. Mr. Bun, Mrs. Bun and babies. Bigger babies (the teenagers?) and wee babies (second crop of the year).   They're not very spooky and pose for photographs almost daily. Our grand-nephew has bought my mom's house and is the sixth generation to live on this farm. Sort of. No one in the fifth generation ever resided here. But he's embracing his newfound farmer status. He especially embraces his grea...

Once again, I fell off the blogging wagon. And once again, I'm determined to start anew. Posts may be short, but hopefully, they'll be a lot more frequent.

My publisher, the fabulous Henery Press, is offering another copy of With a Vengeance for a Goodreads Giveaway! Click here to enter. By the way, I've been told, the pre-ordered print copies are starting to ship! Yay!

Congratulations to Judy Kendzierski and Alyson Widen, the two winners of my Goodreads Giveaway! Your signed Advanced Reader Copies will be in the mail before the end of the week!

Click the link to the right for a chance to win a signed Advanced Reader Copy of  With a Vengeance !

Last Saturday, I'd spent a wonderful day out with my writing buddies of our local Sisters in Crime chapter. We met for lunch and conversation at Chelsea Grille in Oakmont before walking across the street to Mystery Lovers Bookshop for our business meeting. The weather was lovely. We had a great turnout. I was re-elected as vice president. When I came home, I noticed the light blinking on our answering machine. I expected a hangup or a telemarketing computer-generated voice, which is about all we receive on our landline any more. Instead there was a real, live person stating she was from Malice Domestic and could I please call her back. Malice Domestic? Last year, I'd received a similar call congratulating me for having my novel, Circle of Influence nominated for an Agatha for Best First. But that was last year. I knew it couldn't possibly be anything like that this time. They probably needed to confirm something with my registration. Still, my hands shook so bad,...

A little over a year ago, we had to make the difficult decision to move my mom from her house to an assisted living home. It’s been difficult for both of us on many levels, one of which being the fact I’ve lived two doors away from her for decades. Now I live two doors away from an empty house. Seeing it day in and day out makes my heart heavy. Going through it in preparation to put it on the market has been gut wrenching. I do well for a while, tossing stuff that Mom saved for heaven-only-knows what reason. But then I come across something that has sentimental value, and I choke up. I lock the house, come home, and weep. But this weekend, we’re turning a page. Moving from the Past to the Future. We have a buyer for the house. My grand nephew. Yes, the family home is staying in the family. I couldn’t be happier. He’s moving in over the next few days. I still have to go through Mom’s “stuff” and clear it out. But some of what’s left after a year of my slow archeological dig can...

As promised, today is the BIG REVEAL of my next book's cover! With a Vengeance will be in stores May 3rd, but you can get a sneak peek AND a chance to win your choice of any of the Zoe Chambers mysteries at Dru's Book Musings !

As always, I'm behind on updating my website. This will be a priority next week, however. For one thing, I have a bunch of new personal appearances and guest blog dates either already confirmed or in the works. Stay tuned for the list. For another thing, Monday is the big reveal of my next book cover! I'm super excited about this one. It seems like a long time coming. After all, the first three came out boom boom boom --six months apart. It's been a year for this one. I'm as eager and impatient as my readers! Dru's Book Musings will be rolling out the new cover for me. I'll post the exact link as soon as it goes live. One other small request: If you've registered for Malice Domestic already, and IF you've read and enjoyed Bridges Burned, I would very much appreciate it if you would consider nominating it for the Agatha Awards (Best Contemporary Novel). I don't stand a chance of being a nominee without my readers' support.

Yes, I fell off the blog map for a while there. At the risk of sounding redundant because I've apologized for it multiple times over the last few years, I'm sorry. One of my goals for 2016 is to blog more. Another goal is to finally set up a real newsletter. But I digress. Happy New Year a day late. And since I didn't do my usual look back on New Year's Eve, I'll lump that in here, too. My goal for the last two years has been to find balance. Hey, it's a work in progress. I'll give myself a solid C+ and try to do better. Another goal for 2015 involved travel. I definitely fulfilled that one. I went to Williamsburg VA with Hubby (strictly vacation, no work) in March, Bethesda, MD in April/May, New Jersey in August, Colorado and New Mexico in September, and Raleigh NC and Nashville TN in October. And that's not counting the numerous Pennsylvania road trips I took. I loved every second of it. Except maybe the four-hour flight delay getting out of Ra...

The SECOND draft is done! Yes, I’ve crawled out of the writing cave yet again. With a Vengeance has been sent off to my beta readers—fresh eyes to read the entire manuscript straight through. In the meantime, I’m taking two weeks off to do other things. Like blog. And begin outlining the next Zoe Chambers mystery. And get out in the sunshine! This weekend, my camera and I hit the bike trail between Ohiopyle and Confluence on a beautiful summer day. I wasn't the only one enjoying the day. This guy was fly fishing at the confluence of the Casselman River, the Youghiogheny River, and Laurel Hill Creek. My hubby was out there on the Yough (pronounced YAWK) somewhere, too, but this wasn't him.  Here's a view of Confluence...both the town and the spot where the Casselman comes in from the upper right, is joined by Laurel Hill Creek on the upper left, and merges with the Yough at the bottom of the frame. Further along the trail, I took a few moments a...

I have spent much of the last month sitting in front of my computer, writing like a crazed woman. That’s my excuse for not having blogged recently, and I’m sticking to it. However, this past week, I typed two lovely little words (The End), so I’ve resurfaced, albeit briefly, to catch up. My first bit of news: Circle of Influence has been nominated for the David Award for Best Novel. This announcement came completely without warning. I awoke one morning to congratulatory posts on Facebook. Let me just say, don’t assume I know about good stuff happening to me. More often than not, I learn about this stuff from Facebook or Twitter friends who bring it to my attention. I did set up a Google Alert for myself once, but it doesn’t seem to work. The only one I ever received was about a particularly scathing review. I can do without being alerted to bad news. Anyway, I am now registered to attend the Deadly Ink Mystery Convention in New Jersey in August for the awards banquet. ...

What a fabulous weekend. I wish I'd taken more photos, but I was too busy having fun! Therefore, I've had to steal photos from others. Let's say I borrowed them. It sounds better. Saturday was a blur of nerves and anticipation. I still hadn't slept well and was feeling the effects. Thankfully, I did lay down for a couple of hours after my book signing and dozed a little. It was enough so that I was ready for the banquet. I love this picture with my Henery Press chicks, Rachel and Erin. Besides, Rachel's sweater and lanyard discretely camouflaged my real waistline, making me look like pretty fab in my new dress! Honestly, I'm not THAT thin! The fabulous Alice Loweecey sat at my table at the banquet and posed for a buddy shot with me. Alas I did not win. The Agatha for Best First Novel went to my dear friend Terrie Moran. I'm really thrilled for her! That's the perk of becoming pals with the competition. You're happy no matter who wins. B...

I'm extremely sleep deprived so forgive me if I don't make a lot of sense this morning.  Friday, preparing to take on the day. Our New Kids on the Block Panel went well. I'm so honored to be included with this fabulous, witty group of women. And we really do like each other! Circle of Influence sightings in the book store. At Opening Ceremonies, we received our nomination certificates. It's really real! Today is THE DAY. Breakfast with Sisters in Crime, book signing, and tonight, the Agatha Awards banquet.  And hopefully, in between there somewhere--a nap.

Martha and I said goodbye to the Mercersburg Inn after a fabulous breakfast and made the final two-hour drive to Bethesda, arriving early afternoon. Once we were checked in, our first stop was Uncle Julio's , an incredible Mexican restaurant we'd visited last year and dreamed about ever since. We were not disappointed. YUM. Back at the Hyatt, the crowds were gathering and the mystery world's biggest family reunion started kicking off, if not officially (that happen's today). Four of us Agatha Nominees for Best First Novel met in person for the first time at the bar (of course). Left to right: Me, Tracy Weber, Terrie Moran, Sherry Harris. Missing from the photo is Susan O'Brien, who arrives today. Thanks to the fabulous Dru Ann Love for taking the photo--and for telling each of us that we were going to win. #HedgingHerBets. Today the real adventures begin. My New Kids on the Block panel is at 1:00. Opening Ceremonies are at 5:00 followed by a mixer with t...

My travel buddy, Martha Reed, has family in Mercersburg, PA, which is on the way to Bethesda. She asked if it would be possible for us to leave a day earlier than our original plan so she could see them and attend a function at the school here. She promised to put me up in my own hotel room so I could unwind a bit before the big weekend. Hubby was fine with the plan, so we hit the road this afternoon. What Martha didn't tell me was the "hotel" was actually the Mercersburg Inn , a Georgian mansion, bed and breakfast. Very historical and lovely. And we're the only two guests in the house. And we're on separate floors! It's gorgeous! I hope it's not haunted. I'm thinking it would be a great location for a writers retreat for our Sisters in Crime back home! Tomorrow: breakfast and then on to Bethesda and Malice Domestic!

After spending the weekend holed up at our camp (for Hubby, it’s The Fishing Camp…for me it’s The Writing Camp), making good progress on the 4 th Zoe Chambers Mystery, it’s now officially the Monday Before Malice . Malice Domestic officially begins on Friday, however my traveling companion (Martha Reed AKA Thelma—or Louise—I can never keep us straight) and I are leaving on Wednesday so she can attend another event in Maryland that evening. This leaves me with very little time to get everything done that needs to be done. Today’s agenda: Spend the day with Mom, pick up my dry cleaning (my two good jackets for the convention), and pack. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but the problem is WHAT to pack. Those two jackets, yes. Three pairs of GOOD jeans (my uniform of choice), my fancy dress and red shoes for the Agatha Awards banquet—and then I’m stuck. I can’t decide which tops to wear over the jeans and under the jackets. And which shoes should I pack. I have my two pairs of tri...