As a culinary cozy mystery author, my kitchen is just as important as my writing desk. For me, the two are inextricably linked. I include recipes at the end of my books, but what people don’t often see is the rigorous (and delicious) recipe testing that goes on beforehand. It is a brilliant excuse to…
People often imagine a writer’s life as one of solitary confinement—a lone figure hunched over a typewriter in a dark room, perhaps with a single candle for company. I’m happy to report that the reality is much more social! While the actual act of putting words on the page is a private one, I find…
There is a common misconception that mystery authors spend their evenings exclusively with a magnifying glass and a stack of Golden Age detective novels. While I do love a classic whodunit, a significant portion of my life is spent reading far outside my own genre. If you were to peer at my current bedside table,…
Authors are frequently asked where they get their ideas. People often look for a singular moment of divine inspiration—a sudden bolt of lightning or a dream that provides a fully formed plot. For me, it isn’t quite like that. It’s far slower and subtler than that, and it’s infinitely more satisfying. Once I decide to…