Entries by Stiletto Gang

In the Kingdom of Procrastinators

It seems like procrastination is the theme of the week. Let me share some of my time-wasting secrets and tricks to avoid writing. 1. Cleaning: This is a good one because it makes you feel virtuous while you are clearly procrastinating. The minute writer’s block hits, I decide that it’s time to strip all of […]

Someone to Watch Over You

I sat, mesmerized, last Thursday as the saga of Flight 1549 from New York to Charlotte, unfolded on the television. A few things struck me as I, and the newscasters, got new information: 1. All 155 people and 5 crew members survived, despite having been subjected to the dreaded “water landing” which you hear a […]

The Marvels of Modern Dentistry

I was one of those fortunate children who didn’t get too many cavities. I ate as much candy as the next sugar-obsessed cretin growing up in 1970s America, but every time I went to the dentist, I got a clean bill of health. (Unlike one of my siblings, who had every tooth filled by the […]

Counting Down

Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January ’09) and Dead Girl Walking (2010) from St. Martin’s Press Minotaur. A former middle and high school teacher, and current CEO and CFO for La Familia Ramirez, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola on […]

Running Out of Food and Other Holiday Memories

The holidays are fading from our memories, the tree is down, the ornaments away, and the house is back to normal. Well, sort of; it’s never really normal around here. Here are my memories of Holiday Season 2008, just a few short weeks in the past. 1. Hosting Christmas Eve: Every year, I host a […]

Lacking the Decorating Sense

This past Saturday night, my good friends (and former Stiletto Gang guest posters) Tina Jordan and Ted Hindenlang hosted the most fabulous book signing party for me at their home in our little Village. It was a fabulous night. Tina and Ted live in one of our Village gems—a 1918 Colonial that Tina has lovingly […]

In Gratitude, Part I

We at the Stiletto Gang have been in existence almost a year, by my accounting. It has been a lot of fun, blogging about this and that and learning about my fellow writers and all of you posters, who always let us know when we’re on the right track, and when we’ve ridden off the […]

A Little Snippet from “Quick Study”

Dear Stiletto Gang readers: I hope you don’t mind…I’m going to give you a little snippet from “Quick Study” the third installment in the Alison Bergeron/Murder 101 series that will be published on December 9. Alison’s journey begins at Madison Square Garden where she is celebrating her birthday with her best friend, Max. If you […]

The Mysterious Mystery

David Stewart (1938– ) received the Ph.D. from Rice University in 1965 and taught philosophy at Rice University and the North Texas State University before moving to Ohio University in 1970. In addition to being a faculty member, Stewart served a variety of administrative roles at Ohio University including that of provost from 1993 to […]

Surviving Thanksgiving, One Martini at a Time

OK—so we’ve got all of the basics covered: the sweet potatoes, the green bean casserole, the turkey, the stuffing…there’s nothing left for me to contribute. So, because being together for Thanksgiving can be fraught (and is there a better word to describe being with one’s family answering questions like “how could you have voted for […]