Let's catch up from my last post. The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books was fabulous despite some inclement weather. My panel was indoors, and the rain didn't start until my signing beneath a tent was wrapping up. Photo courtesy of Martha Reed My "fellow thriller writer" panelists were awesome. The quotation marks are because I felt like a fraud being labeled a thriller writer, not because of the two gentlemen on the panel. They were legit. And kind. They made me feel like I belonged there.  I made it to my second appearance that day with time to spare. I did not, however, remember to take photos or ask anyone else to. The Pennwriters Conference was amazing as always. I spent some quality time with my fabulous friend, Hank Phillippi Ryan, who helped me brainstorm plot twists for a future book.  More recently, I participated in a local author book event in Waynesburg, PA, and officially launched What Comes Around at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. Next up is Noir UNDER th...

Here's a list of what's been going on. Helpless did not win the Agatha. My streak holds What Comes Around is now available in ebook and paperback. What Comes Around will be out in audiobook in July. I had a root canal, followed by a temporary crown, followed by a permanent crown. I finally got some contractual stuff settled (going back to my agent's death in November.) I've been trying to work on developmental edits for the next Honeywell mystery.  Here's a list of what's coming up. Thriller Panel at the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books, Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Cozy Panel at the Upper St. Clair Library, Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Pennwriters Conference, May 17-18  The parts I find ridiculously funny are the two panels on Saturday. First, because I'm double-booked and am praying I don't hit traffic getting from one to the other. Second, because I'm classified as a thriller author in the morning and a cozy author in the afternoon.  Those aren't t...

I've been busy. I turned in the next Detective Honeywell manuscript on March 1. Afterward, I spent most of the month taking care of boring non-writing stuff. Annual doctors' exams and tests that I'd been putting off. Tax preparation. Other necessary but uninteresting personal odds and ends. As the end of the month neared, Matthias and Emma were getting rambunctious inside my head, so I started drafting what is currently being called "Honeywell #4."  It was kind of fun having only that one book on my plate.  Of course, that didn't last long. Along came the cover art for the next Zoe Chambers mystery! I love it! Next, my developmental edits for Honeywell #3 arrived earlier this week. There aren't really a lot, but a few of them require a lot of thought. The changes will make it a much stronger book, but I'm now working on two different books at the same time. Draft Honeywell #4 in the morning, revise Honeywell #3 in the afternoon.  Oh, and my line edits ...

The week before my then-agent Dawn Dowdle passed away, she'd called me to tell me One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK) wanted three more Detective Honeywell mysteries! We'd started negotiating in the days leading up to her death. Then the bottom dropped out. Fast forward a few weeks. I signed with Paula Munier at Talcott Notch. But there were lots of contractual complications in dealing with the closing of Dawn's agency. Then the publishing world closed down for the holidays. But things kicked into high gear recently and resulted in this: It's official. Matthias Honeywell and Emma Anderson will be back for three more books, the first one set to release this December. And I should mention, Beyond Redemption is my working title. I'm certain my publisher will change it by the time it comes out. They always manage to come up with better titles than I do!

Earlier this week, this happened: HELPLESS has garnered my seventh Agatha nomination.  I still remember my first one. Back then, we were notified by a phone call. I'm pretty sure I broke the poor woman's eardrum with my scream. That was the only time I screamed at the news. Every time since then, I've sobbed happy, grateful tears. Now, we're notified by email, so only my husband gets to witness my tears.  We don't know who else is nominated until the official announcement.  Holy cow, what an incredible group of books and authors!  I have so many wonderful readers who are cheering me on. "This is your year!" they say. I smile and silently remind myself of Einstein's definition of insanity: " Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results ." Of course, I always hope to hear my name called. Part of me has an irrational lust to possess one of those Agatha teapots, but I'm well aware that the true honor is...

Last year, I failed miserably in my intent to slow down. This year, I'm taking measures to see that I will be able to slow down in the near future. We'll see how it goes. I realized yesterday that I can't yet talk about much of what's on my plate for 2024. I have a book deal sitting on a desk while everyone's off on holiday break. Until that contract is signed, I'm keeping quiet. Suffice it to say, I'm writing a book that should come out at the end of the year. More on that later. I'm teaching a couple of writing courses this year, one in January, another in November. Plus, I have a couple of workshops scheduled.  The 13th Zoe Chambers Mystery, What Comes Around, is scheduled for release in May. Stay tuned for more on that (cover reveal, pre-orders), too.  I have two other books to outline and one of those to write before the end of the year.  I'm sorry I'm being so vague. Basically, I'm saying, that in 2024, I plan to write two books and out...

Every year, I take a few moments to post here about what the past twelve months have brought, followed by my hopes and goals for the coming year. Starting with a retrospective of 2023: If you want to read my list of goals from January, click here .  How did I do? Well, I met all my writing deadlines. All three books I anticipated releasing did indeed come out on time. I'm still waiting for the print release of Keep Your Family Close, but the digital came out on December 8.  Accounting-wise, I managed to get caught up in time to get my tax stuff to my accountant, AND I'm proud to say, I've done much better with keeping up on the income and expenses this year! In fact, my spreadsheets are done! Most of them, anyway. I still have to compile my mileage, but that's pretty easy.  I also did better with my fitness goals. I'm still not where I'd like to be (and the holidays have done a real number on my workout routine), but I'm definitely improving.  Where I failed...

What a wild rollercoaster ride November was. Losing my friend and agent, Dawn Dowdle was rock bottom. But what's that saying? When one door closes, another opens? I guess it's true.  Earlier this week, I accepted an offer of representation from the amazing Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary Services.  Paula asked me some tough questions when we first talked. She made me take a good luck at where I am with my writing career and where I want to go. Stepping out of one's comfort zone is never easy, but life is too short to avoid taking the big chances and shooting for the stars. If nothing else, Dawn's sudden passing taught me that.  Think about it. A new year is coming. What big dream have you been pushing aside for the sake of playing it safe? If you had a chance to do (or write!) what you've always dreamed of, what would that be?  

Yesterday evening, I received news that completely knocked me for a loop. My beloved agent and good friend, Dawn Dowdle had died.  I'd just talked to her on the phone about a potential new contract last Tuesday. We laughed about some publishing business silliness. We emailed back and forth over the next several days. She'd been having some relatively minor health issues that were supposed to be treated yesterday.  She died of a heart attack Sunday afternoon.  Even as I type it, I can't quite believe it.  I can't even fathom what her daughter and husband are going through.  Her huge extended family at Blue Ridge Literary Agency, myself included, are reeling, heartbroken, devastated.  Right now, no one really knows what the future of the agency will be. We're all sitting tight, waiting, and remembering Dawn.   

It's been so long since I last posted and so much has happened, there's no way I can fit it all into one post. Especially since I'm busy with the second draft of a new book. So I've decided to catch up a little at a time.  First up, HELPLESS , my 12th Zoe Chambers Mystery came out in May. It's my first foray into straight suspense, rather than whodunit mysteries, and the reviews have been outstanding. I'm so happy. And relieved.  Second, Where the Guilty Hide is FINALLY available in paperback in the US. It took a lot of trial and error and manually pushing buttons by my UK publisher, but it's out there! I won't go into the frustration involved in not being able to get my books into US bookstores. And I've been assured this won't happen when the second Detective Honeywell Mystery comes out in print early next year.  That would be Keep Your Family Close which has my absolute favorite cover of all of my books! It's up for digital pre-orders no...

I am over the moon to share the news that Fatal Reunion has received an Agatha nomination (my sixth!) for Best Contemporary Novel! You can find the entire nominee list here . You would think that six nominations in, I wouldn't be surprised by the news. But I am more stunned with each one. I never take it for granted and never assume I'll ever walk that path or wear that "NOMINEE" ribbon at Malice Domestic ever again. I'm beyond grateful to those who wrote down my name on the nomination forms. 

I may have started 2023 with lots of hope for a productive January, but the Universe quickly revealed other plans. My husband staggered out of bed on New Year's morning and announced he felt lousy. No, we did not go out partying on New Year's Eve. On January 2, he tested positive for Covid. After two days of playing nursemaid, I also tested positive.  Thankfully, we both had mild cases. His was worse, but I think that's because I learned from his mistakes and from the virtual doctor's appointment he had before I started feeling crappy.  Still, mild or not, it knocked me down for a couple of days. Days I didn't have to spare. My deadline for the second Detective Honeywell Mystery is February 1! The good news is I've made up for lost time. And we've both recovered, which is even better news. Barring unforeseen disasters, I will make my deadline. More good news is today is the digital release of Where the Guilty Hide ! It's being well received so far, which...

Here we are, beginning a whole new year. It'll fly by, I'm sure. As I age, the hours, days, weeks, and months seem to gain momentum. So it's only natural that my biggest hope for 2023 is to SLOW DOWN.  Having said that, I still have goals for the year. Here's what the first quarter looks like. January: Complete my second/third draft of Detective Honeywell mystery #2 so I can meet my February 1 deadline. February: Tackle my 2022 accounting stuff. Once again, I failed at keeping up-to-date with recording expenses, so it all has to be done NOW. Also, work on a second round of edits on HELPLESS, the 12th Zoe Chambers mystery. And begin outlining the 13th one. March: Work on developmental edits on Honeywell #2 and begin drafting Zoe #13  If all goes according to the schedule, I should have THREE books coming out in the next twelve months! So much for slowing down. But I do plan to begin each day with some "me time," be it meditation, yoga, or exercise. Or a combina...

It's time for my annual assessment of the current year before I make plans for the new one. Click here to read my goals and hopes for 2022.  I did well, overall. Fatal Reunion came out on schedule in May, although too late for Malice Domestic or Pennwriters. But I did attend both conferences and had a blast. It just came out in audiobook too! The NaNoWriMo project not only found a title, but a home, and is coming out next month from One More Chapter/HarperCollinsUK! Where the Guilty Hide will release in digital on January 20. It comes out in print in the UK on March 2. I don't have a print release date yet for here in the US.  The 12th Zoe Chambers mystery, Helpless , is with my Level Best Books editor, awaiting its May 2023 release. It's a bit of a departure for me. More suspense than whodunit mystery. It was a wild ride to write and hopefully will be the same for my readers! My "mini book tour" included a trip to Florida for Sleuthfest in July, where I had a ...

Once again, I’ve been remiss in posting here. To be honest, until last week, I didn’t have a lot to blog about. Where The Guilty Hide is still with my publisher as is Helpless .   I’ve made great progress on the second Detective Honeywell Mystery, as yet untitled. Beginning next week, I’m going back into Book Jail to finish the first draft, hopefully before my developmental edits on Helpless come back from my editor.   So I’ve been busy writing. Except for last week.   I mentioned back in June that Death By Equine had been named a finalist for the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. Last week, Thursday, November 3, was the cocktail reception at Castleton Lyons Farm for the award presentation. Most of a writer’s life is taken up by the stuff I just shared. Drafting a new book, editing another, waiting to hear from publishers. Getting nice reviews is often what keeps us plugging onward. And PLOTTING onward. To be nominated or named a finalist is nothing short of a dre...

Greetings from my writing cave.  I'm making great progress on my Book Jail projects. Only ten days in and I've completed copy edits on Where The Guilty Hide . Unless my editor determines my fixes still need more fixes, it will be off to proofreading next!  I've also completed the second draft of the next Zoe Chambers Mystery and shipped it off to my beta readers. That means two of my three goals have been met.  Now I have the big one to work on. I'm happy with the way the outline is shaping up for the second Matthias Honeywell Mystery. And I have opened a new Word doc and typed "Chapter 1" as well as an opening paragraph. To be honest, the opening paragraph sucks but it's a first draft. For me, all that first opening paragraph has to do is give me a starting point from which the story can flow.  The other BIG THING that's happened is Where The Guilty Hide is now available for pre-order with a release date of January 20! So far, only digital is listed,...

I've planned for this month all summer. By "planned" I mean I've been saying NO a lot. No doctor appointments, no speaking engagements. No days off.  All I'm doing is writing.  Before I go any further, let me catch you up on Rule of Thirds , the first in my new Lake Erie Mystery Series. First, it's no longer " Rule of Thirds ." The sales and marketing teams at One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK) have changed the title to Where The Guilty Hide . My first reaction to the new moniker was "OooOOooo..." Which is precisely what they were going for. Second, it's no longer the Lake Erie Mysteries. It's now the Detective Honeywell mysteries. Matthias (Honeywell) is overjoyed to get top billing and, in my fictional world, is flaunting it over Pete Adams, who has been miffed about not sharing the billing with Zoe Chambers all these years.  Good thing these two characters live in different parts of the state.  Anyway, I'm okay with this sec...

Once again, I've fallen behind on my posts, but I have a good excuse. Several, actually. June was a busy month.  In case you missed it, there was my interview with James Patterson.  In addition to a bunch of appearances throughout the month, I was working on the next Zoe and Pete mystery, tentatively titled Helpless . It's proving to be quite the challenge.  At the end of the month, I received word that Death By Equine had made the cut and has been named one of THREE finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award! I'll be traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, in November for the announcement of the $10,000 winner.  I also received my first editorial letter from my new UK publisher for the first book in my new Lake Erie Mysteries series. I wasn't sure what to expect. New editor. New publisher. The United Kingdom. But I couldn't be more pleased with her insights and suggestions. So for several weeks, I put Helpless on the backburner and focused my full attention on revisions...

Late last year, at the urging of one of my readers, I submitted Death By Equine for the 2021 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. I filled out the application, sent in the required copies of the book, and promptly put it out of my mind.  Then early last week, I received an email notifying me that my novel had been named one of six semi-finalists for the award! I was over the moon! The three finalists will be announced later this month. Cross your fingers! At least I'll be so busy that I won't have much time to obsess over whether Death By Equine makes the cut. Fatal Reunion may have been released on May 10, but the launch events begin in earnest with my launch party at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Sunday, June 12, followed by Lunch with the Author at The Gathering Place on Wednesday, June 15, the James Patterson event on Thursday, and a publishing panel at the Kittanning Library on Saturday.  For details and even more events, check out my website .

I'm about to hit the road to Lancaster, PA, for the first in-person Pennwriters Conference since 2019. This weekend I'll be on a publishing panel and teaching one or two workshops (one for sure; another is on standby in case another instructor can't make it). I'm less anxiety-ridden about this trip, having survived the one to Bethesda for Malice three weeks ago. My people skills aren't so rusty this time! Before I leave, though, I wanted to share the rest of the BIG NEWS in my life and career.  First, last week I signed a two-book contract with HarperCollins UK (One More Chapter) for a new series set along Lake Erie!  If you look back at one of my more frustrating posts , you'll read about my ongoing battle with proposals. THIS new series was one of those. Thanks to my fabulous agent, Dawn Dowdle, it has found a wonderful home. You'll be hearing more on it in the near future. And finally, next month I'll be sharing the stage at the Steamfitters Event Cen...