For those of you who aren't familiar with horseracing, the first leg of the Triple Crown is tomorrow (Saturday, May 1). With the exception of last year, which was...after all...LAST YEAR...the Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday of May. It holds the distinction of being the longest-running sporting event in the United States, dating back to 1875. My personal history with the race doesn't go back quite that far. As a horse-crazy kid, I'm sure I've watched it every year since I was born, thanks to my dad, who was a sports aficionado. But my first memory of it was 1971 when a longshot by the name of Canonero II came charging from the rear of the pack to win.  Everyone thought it was a fluke. Until he repeated the feat to win the Preakness, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown and is run two weeks after the Derby. Not a lot of time for a horse to rest up between races. It had been 25 years since the world had seen one horse sweep all three races. I remember t...

It's almost time to celebrate the launch of Death by Equine ! The release date is sneaking up on me. May 11th! The party is being held on Zoom this time, so everyone can attend. Hosted by Mystery Lovers Bookshop , the event involves a discussion between me and my dear friend and longtime critique buddy, Donnell Ann Bell .  Donnell helped me create the earliest version of this book over a decade ago. When my first agent couldn't sell it, Donnell hounded me to do something with it. For a long time, I resisted, having moved on to my Zoe Chambers series. When the lull in the publishing action happened, and I decided to dust off, revise, and indie-publish Death by Equine , Donnell became the obvious choice to include in the launch party.  I haven't seen her interview questions yet but last I heard, she had something like FIFTEEN of them. Yes, I'm a little scared. Mostly though, I'm excited. I get to hang out with one of my dearest friends. Laughter is inevitable.  The p...

If writing is your career, you're never really resting on your laurels. For instance, this week, I'm continuing to prep and format the print version of Death by Equine and juggle the marketing side of its impending release. I'm revising and rewriting a chunk of Fatal Reunion (the next Zoe mystery) following Sunday's meeting with my critique group. And I'm working on the first book in the new series, which my agent has out on submission.  The location of the new series "Working on" doesn't really mean "writing" at this point. Sure I have three chapters and a synopsis completed. Those are what are out on submission. I'm eager to pick up at chapter four and start putting words on the page. However, I'm not quite there yet. When I'm offering a critique on a new writer's first few chapters, nine times out of ten I find the story doesn't truly begin until page 25. Or page 30. Or page 50. Prior to that, the writer is laying out...

Last week, I finished the second draft of Fatal Reunion AKA Zoe Chambers #11. Does that mean it's done? Oh, heck no. I have a critique group meeting this Sunday and they'll give me feedback on fifty pages of it. Next week, I'll work on their comments and make fixes as needed. But for the moment, Zoe and Pete and the gang are resting. I was supposed to teach an online writing workshop for a local library this Saturday, but it's been postponed. Happily, the reason for the postponement is the flipflop of last year's cancellations. We're putting it off until we can have the workshop IN PERSON, inside the library , later this summer. This makes me extremely happy. I love to teach, but much prefer seeing the looks of understanding or confusion on my students' faces, thereby allowing me to shift focus to keep everyone up to speed. That's nearly impossible when focusing on a shared-screen PowerPoint.  Which brings me to what my main focus is this week: Death by...

My newsletter went out this morning. If you missed it, check your inbox. If you aren't a subscriber, you should sign up now . (There's a free short story as a gift for subscribing.) The real reason I mention the newsletter, though, is even if you did receive it, there was one topic I didn't cover. The 2021 Pennwriters Conference. There's a link to it on the Events page of my website, however.  I've long touted Pennwriters as one of the writing communities without which I'd never have been published. It's a multi-genre organization that offers networking, workshops, meetings, critique groups, and...yes... an annual conference .  This year's conference, like so many others, will be virtual. If travel, lodging, and the cost of all those meals have been your excuses for not attending in the past, here's your chance.  Check out the schedule here . I'm teaching two workshops on Friday. First is Red Herrings and the Moonwalking Bear. If the name makes y...

Last week, I experienced one of the high points of the last twelve months. Granted, I've had some wonderful things happen to me over the last year--a new agent and a new contract key among them. But last week, I got my first dose of the COVID vaccine. I broke down and wept when my husband and I received our appointment confirmations. I wanted to hug the gentleman who administered the shots. I didn't. Social distancing and all. But I thanked him profusely.  A weight has been lifted. There's a light at the end of this long dark tunnel. I have hope. Hope that I can spend time with my family soon. Hope that I can visit with friends this summer. Hope that I can travel and do in-person book events this fall.  Hope. And I hope, if you haven't already received the vaccine, you'll get it SOON. 

It's been a stressful week. After much procrastination, I buckled down and started the actual process of publishing Death by Equine . I confess my stress levels were off the charts. This was all new to me. I didn't know what I didn't know. Thankfully, I left myself plenty of time to allow for "bugs." And I have some amazing friends in the writing community who offered answers and advice.  My release date is May 11. My goal has been to have it up for pre-order by March 11 (TODAY), and I've met that goal. The part I hadn't anticipated is that I can only offer digital for pre-order. The print book is uploaded and ready, but when I clicked "publish," it went live! And the version of the manuscript is still in uncorrected proof stage! Ack! So I pulled the plug. At least I know it's ready to go once I complete my final proofread and make the fixes. Want to pre-order? For Kindle, click here . To order in one of the other digital platforms (Nook, App...

I had hoped to have Death by Equine ready for publication by now. I had hoped to be able to list it available for pre-order by the first of next week. Alas, I'm running behind. My reasons (excuses) are numerous, beginning and ending with yet another round of Covid Distraction.  A year ago, when the pandemic began, I lacked focus, motivation, and creativity. Lots of us were in that boat. By autumn, I'd regained my ability and passion to write. Lately, it's once again become a struggle. Add Cabin Fever and Spring Fever to the mix and you have one frustrated author.  I have moments of eagerness and hope. A third vaccine. Lower case numbers. Maybe my husband and I will get our vaccinations sooner rather than later. Part of my brain begins to plan trips in anticipation.  Even a weekend at Lake Erie, a mere 3-hour drive, sounds amazing. But I can't let myself get too excited. Focus. I must focus.  That means continuing to run through one more round of revisions on Death b...

I started writing Death by Equine back around 2005. I landed my first agent with it, but it never sold. The agent and I parted company a couple of years later.   Fast forward to last spring. I'd completed Til Death , my tenth Zoe Chambers mystery, and had reached the end of my contract. I wasn't sure what was next.  I dragged out that 15-year-old manuscript and run it through my critique group to determine if it held up and was worth revisiting. They liked it, so I decided to delve into the world of indie publishing.  I contacted a cover artist and sent the manuscript to my freelance editor. Within the last two weeks, I received the results from both.  So far, nothing has been that far from my previous experience. Yes, I had a lot more say in the cover, but I've worked with my editor for most of the Zoe mysteries and her comments came as no surprise. (What is always a surprise is how I miss all that stuff!) Going forward, though, feels like entering a strange n...

If you've known me for any length of time, you probably know that the character of Harry Adams ( Lost Legacy , Uneasy Prey , Cry Wolf , Til Death ) is loosely based on my dad, who had Alzheimer's. And you might also know that my mom later was diagnosed with vascular dementia.  The topics of caregiving and especially caregiver's guilt, of which I'm well acquainted, are near and dear to my heart.  I was honored (and quite frankly, a bit terrified) to join my dear friends Bobbi and Mike Carducci on their Rodger That podcast to share my experiences with the topic. It's one of the hardest interviews I've ever done. Click here to listen. 

If you're one of my newsletter subscribers (who actually opens and reads them), you already know about my next book, coming May 2021. But if you aren't (or haven't), here's a little bit about it.  Death by Equine Veterinarian Jessie Cameron agrees to fill in for her mentor, Doc Lewis at Riverview Racetrack so he can take a long-overdue vacation. When he's tragically killed by one of his equine patients the night before he's supposed to leave, Jessie quickly suspects the death is anything but accidental. Her search for the truth is thwarted by everyone from well-meaning friends to the police, including her soon-to-be-ex-husband. Undaunted, she discovers layers of illegal activities and deceit being perpetrated by the man she thought of as a father figure, creating a growing list of suspects with reason to want Doc dead. Too late, she realizes that her dogged quest for the truth has put her in the crosshairs of a devious killer desperate to silence her. Permanentl...

I gave up making resolutions decades ago. Those wishes that sound good on January first but that have no solid plan to accomplish. "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get published" just don't work without hard work and deadlines. Last year, I made plans and goals and...well...we all know what happened there too!  This year? I have a combination of concrete goals and hopeful plans. My goals look like a production schedule.  January - send manuscript to freelance editor, start drafting new manuscript, contact cover artist about the manuscript being edited, continue second draft of the next Zoe mystery. February - receive manuscript back from editor and begin final rounds of revisions, continue drafting new manuscript and second drafting next Zoe mystery, solidify cover art, begin putting marketing plan in place. I was going to go on, but frankly it's boring. Besides, you get the idea. Concrete goals are the things I know I can do to move the process ahead. ...

I've been dragging my feet about writing this post. Let's face it. Most of us would much prefer to forget about 2020 rather than look back at it. But I don't think we can do a good job of looking forward without acknowledging what we've been through. I released two books in 2020. Under the Radar came out in late February. I had lots of travel plans, book festivals, mystery conferences, and book signings lined up. I managed to squeak in my launch party, a joint event with pal Liz Milliron at Mystery Lovers Bookshop.  But the rest of my plans fell, one by one, like dominos.  My second 2020 book, Til Death , came out in June.  My launch party and subsequent appearances were virtual. My sales took a hit, but not as bad as I'd anticipated. Folks were stuck at home and reading more. Plus, with no travel expenses, my finances balanced out.  Still, my writing career seemed to be in freefall for much of the year. Til Death was the last book of my contract. As I wrote it, I...

I can't bring myself to celebrate winter. I've never skied. My sledding and inner-tubing days are long behind me. I used to attempt skating, but the memories of landing on my backside keep me from ever trying it again.  Nope, I don't do winter.  But I love Winter Solstice. It's about looking forward to more hours of daylight. This is it. We've bottomed out on the darkness quotient and are heading toward spring! We had snow last week. It was pretty. Yes, although I don't do winter, I can appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature painting the world in black and white.  Ask me again in January or February (or March!) and I won't have anything nice to say about snow. But it's the week leading up to Christmas, so I'm okay with it. Ha! As if I get a say! The longest year in the history of the world is winding down. I'm cautiously optimistic about the New Year, although I have no illusions about things suddenly becoming rosy just because the ball drops at ...

In writing and in life, patience is not only a virtue, it's a survival necessity. Being doggedly stubborn also helps. Almost twenty years ago, when we last had the roof on our log cabin replaced, I wanted GREEN. Preferably green steel. But the menfolk in my family solidly refused and I ended up with brown shingles.  Blah. I'm not usually a nag, but ever since, every time I see a green roof on a log home, I point it out to my husband in the most obnoxious manner possible. Believe me, he got the point.  Three years ago, we installed new entry and storm doors. I insisted on green for the storm doors. So they'd match the green steel roof I would one day have. Two years ago, we had a garage built next to our house. It was my husband's dream, and I let him pick all the details...except for the color. And yes, the roof was green steel so it would match the green steel roof I would one day have on the house as well. This spring, we had a horrendous hailstorm. It put huge divots...

My much-anticipated writing retreat didn't quite go off as planned. I lost two days helping a friend deal with a family health emergency ( NOT COVID) and then Hubby returned home early from his hunting trip. As a result, I had only one full day of blessed solitude to write. I did, however, make good use of it. I completed a very rough first draft of Fatal Reunion (Zoe Chambers #11) as well as another round of polish to the thoroughbred racetrack mystery I plan to release in May 2021.  I had one other "distraction" but it was a good one. Yesterday, I signed a three-book contract with Level Best Books to continue the Zoe series! I'm thrilled to have found a home for the Monongahela County gang. It will be a while (spring 2022) before Fatal Reunion hits the bookstore shelves, but such is the publishing business.  As for NaNoWriMo, I did not technically "win." But seeing as I managed to produce a completed manuscript, I definitely don't see it as a loss. ...

 I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Yes, it was definitely different this year, but it was still nice. There was just my husband, his mom, and me. And plenty of food.  As is the family tradition, this morning, Hubby and the Nephew headed off to hunting camp. That will be different too since there will only be three men sharing the camp.  Meanwhile, I have set aside the next few days as my own personal writing retreat. No packing, no driving. Just me, Kensi, and my computer. And a big pot of chili. Hubby dislikes the stuff, so once a year, I cook up a batch and eat it until the hunters return home.  My plan is to use the retreat template my dear friend Ramona Long used when we all gathered at the Clare House near Philly.  The Retreat House Retreat buddies, Martha Reed  and Edith Maxwell My writing space on retreat Meditation and some yoga in the morning. Coffee and breakfast. Writing. Coffee and lunch. A walk. Writing. Maybe a nap. More writing. Supper. Dur...

I tried using the blog feature on my website, but it's just not working for me. I'm still at Writers Who Kill, although only once a month now. And things are starting to happen in my world, so here I am.  At some point late in October, I decided to do NaNoWriMo AKA National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to write a complete 50,000-word novel in one month. It happens every November, and while I've used the group energy to boost my word counts in the past, I've never done it on an official basis before. Two incentives pushed me into it. One: I needed a distraction from the political overload steamrolling our way in November. Two: I was 35,000 words into my current manuscript and was floundering. I figured 50K more would give me a completed first draft.  As of right now, I'm at almost 42,000 NaNo words (77,000 manuscript words) and the end is in sight.  In other news... Right after signing up for NaNoWriMo, I signed with an agent! Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary i...

Life and deadlines have kept me from posting here lately. Seems I need a deadline to get anything done. Well, I have one now. I'm the new kid in the group blog, Writers Who Kill and today is my first post there. I'll continue to post every other Sunday, and I hope you'll follow me and the rest of the group. Today's post is about Selective Deafness --sifting through the noise and clutter of life to find what's really important.

My Uneasy Prey blog tour is pretty much done, but the links are still up on my website if you want to see what you missed. I do have a couple more guest spots coming up including this Friday with the Wicked Cozies ... always a fun stop! This morning I turned in my revisions for Cry Wolf , the next Zoe Chambers Mystery coming this September. And I'm working on the NEXT next Zoe Chambers Mystery. In my "spare time" (cue the laughter), I'm updating my "Avoiding Emotional Cliches" workshop, which I'll be teaching this Saturday at the Writers Project Runway IV conference in Leesburg, Virginia. If you're a writer or aspire to be, you should check this out. It's an awesome line-up. And we'll be signing books later in the afternoon, so if you're in the area, stop by!