Blog
Mysteries for All Seasons
Contrary to what many people think, California has seasons as distinct as those in other regions of the country. It’s Autumn now. Shorter days have robbed the leaves of chlorophyll, and vineyards and trees glow with vibrant color: mahogany, red, yellow, and...
Mysteries for the Long Haul
April 2020, and it looks as if we are inside for the long haul so I want to share some of the mystery series I enjoy. They are well-written, and the plots will keep your interest but will not give you nightmares. These are the books I read when I am tired. When you...
Famous First Lines Quiz
It is a truth universally acknowledged—to steal a line—that good writers are well-read. Fellow writers (and readers) see if you are able to match the first lines with their titles and authors. The first lines are numbered; the authors are lettered; and the answer key...
Mrs. Forgione’s Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs
As with most of Mrs. Forgione’s recipes, this is more a guide than a conventional recipe. She wishes you could cook with her so you could see firsthand how she makes things. Her sauce recipe is flavored by meat which is removed and served separately. The meat gives...
The Mystery Novel as Coffee Table Book
Introduction: What writer hasn’t looked around her office and wondered where all those hard copies of her drafts came from. And then wondered what to do with them. Here is one solution. What I have written exists only if it appears on paper and I am able to hold it...
Launch Party
It was ninety-seven degrees June 8, 2014, when we gathered at CRUX Winery to send In the Shadow of Lies: An Oliver Wright WWII Mystery out into the world. Thank you for coming. I had a wonderful time!
Launch Party Recipes
Many people who came to the Launch Party asked for recipes for the watermelon water and dips. Heidi's Watermelon Water Ingredients 8 cups cubed, seeded watermelon (about 6 pounds with the rind) 1 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 4 cups club soda or...
What I Learned About Using Lyrics While Writing “In the Shadow of Lies”
Sometimes, a song enters my mind and becomes the soundtrack for the scene I’m writing, particularly if the scene includes Oliver, who shares my love of music. Early in the book, he sits in the dark listening to Billie Holiday sing “Gloomy Sunday.” If the reader knows...
Remember Pearl Harbor
Seventy-three years ago, Americans sat by the radio horrified by Japan’s sneak attack on the Pacific Fleet in Honolulu. They wanted to know more than the radio could tell them. Were their loved ones safe, what would the Japanese do next, would the United States be...
Xylitol: Sweet and Deadly to Dogs
I’ve been worried recently about the number of people who don’t know that the artificial sweetener xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and that it is being used in more and more products. This is Andy licking the bowl after I made cookies. (I do sterilize the bowl...
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