I write long and short – novels and short stories. Most writers prefer one to the other because they require different skills, but I really enjoy the challenge of both. One problem with writing short stories that appear in periodicals and anthologies is that people may read or hear about one story, but they often […]

I’m currently mentoring a gifted fourteen-year-old author who’s writing a novel. Each week, I share a quote with her from a writer that I’ve found either helpful or humorous. Some of my favorites include: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you […]

 It’s been said that San Francisco considers its opera only slightly less sacred than the Holy Grail. The city is totally an opera town. That’s one major reason why I chose to set Overture to Murder, Book 3 in my Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, at San Francisco Opera. The City by the Bay and […]

When 2024 began, it appeared that all but one thing would be status quo. The only change would be the birth of a new grandchild in April. That child, a boy, arrived as planned and immediately charmed everyone by being easy going.   For me, writing became complicated when my Sarah Blair series ended and a […]

From Lord Byron’s Don Juan (1823) “Tis strange-but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction.” In our quest to ‘get it right,’ authors are natural researchers and lifelong learners with a penchant for discovery, and as we satisfy our curiosity, the quest for truth builds and enhances our tales.  When I began writing […]

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, cracking a secret code involves? Wonder no more. We’re going to dive into the world of spycraft. Sorry, I won’t be giving away any secret code books or nifty decoder rings. But I am extending an invitation to dive into the intriguing world of spycraft, a subject that takes […]

The classic answer to the perennial “Where do you get your ideas?” question is that ideas are everywhere. They truly are. The fun part is when the idea pops up when you least expect it and you know it’s good, and because of some very special event, the result of that idea is going to […]

My number one reminder when writing a cozy? Keep it cozy. It must have a comforting feeling, much like a cup of tea, a warm blanket, a good book, or a relaxing dinner with friends. In fact, one of the main reasons readers say they return to a series is because the characters feel like […]

Autumn leaves show us their fall colors first and then they flutter to the ground. Oh, how I enjoyed jumping into leaves as an adult. That’s right. Down where I grew up, our trees are mostly deciduous. Fall was something I read about and saw pictures of but never experienced until I was grown up. […]

I’m often asked what compels me to write mysteries. I know I’ve always been interested in crime fiction because that’s the genre I’ve read from a very young age. Devouring the Nancy Drew mysteries quickly evolved into reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, and Dorothy L. Sayer’s […]