Switching Gears and Finding Joy

/in /by

My current work in progress is a historical mystery, my first foray into writing in that genre. It’s also the book I’ve wanted to write since I was fifteen years old. There are a lot of reasons the project has stalled over the years, but now that I’m fully into it, I’m finding so much joy.

As this is the first time I’ve ventured into history, I’m finding out how essential the research is. And savoring it! One example—I spent at least a half hour learning how the old-fashioned cash registers work. I’ll probably never need to use this information in real life, but my character needs to operate a cash register in her family’s shop, and I can’t have her standing before a customer, looking inept.

Everything about the writing feels different, too. Word choices and expressions must reflect the idioms of the day, more than a century go. It’s a treat to say things in different ways, not having to resort to modern-day slang or curse words. I find myself playing with language as I imagine a first kiss between two restrained and proper young lovers.

Shadows of a couple embracing on a column.

The best part is that the setting is my home town, and two of the characters are my grandparents, whom I didn’t have many years to know. I’m passionate about “getting them right,” and I’ve channeled them, conducted interviews with family and community members, and reacquainted myself with my family.

Overall, the writing of this book is fulfilling a dream, and I’m certain that the end product will be better for the story’s having percolated for decades.

 

Have you ever switched gears and found joy? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Saralyn Richard is the author of seven mystery novels, including the Detective Parrott series, the Quinn McFarland series, A Murder of Principal, and the children’s book, Naughty Nana. Visit her website at https://www.saralynrichard.com and sign up for her monthly newsletter for unique opportunities, giveaways, surveys, and fun.

THE KITTEN WHO LIVED (A True Story)

/in , /by

Dear Readers:

Just last month, I had the privilege to help facilitate a rescue. When the heroine of the adventure, acknowledged cat whisperer Fran Bush, wrote the story and sent it to me, I asked if I could share it. I think you will truly appreciate Fran’s talent and expertise, both as a storyteller and a caring human being. I’m proud to call her my friend.

Here in her own words is the story of “The Kitten Who Lived.” Thanks, Fran, for sharing.

Paula Gail Benson

THE KITTEN WHO LIVED (A True Story)

By Frances “Fran” Bush

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, I received a text message from my friend Paula asking me if I would be willing to take a kitten who a friend of hers had found.  The friend couldn’t keep the kitten. I said Yes.  Paula put her friend Catherine in touch with me and then I learned the rest of the rescue story.

Catherine and her husband, Shawn, live in Lexington, S.C., and they rescue dogs.  They were traveling on a very busy highway in Lexington County, in a 55mph zone, when they spotted 2 dogs in the center of the road.  They had stopped to check on the dogs when they noticed one dog had something in its mouth. They forced the dog to drop what they thought was a squirrel only to realize it was a tiny kitten.

In a few more seconds, the dog would have killed the baby kitten, but Catherine and her husband saved it!  

Having rescued the baby kitten, they tried to find help.  When they contacted the animal shelters in and near Columbia, S.C., they learned the shelters would not take cats or kittens because of some kind of cat illness.

Then, they checked every other place and person they could think of with no help found. Catherine resorted to posting a plea for help on Facebook.  That is where our mutual friend Paula saw the post, contacted me, and put me in touch with Catherine.

If Catherine had not posted on Facebook and Paula had not immediately seen the post and called me, I would never have known about the tiny baby kitten needing help.

When Catherine texted me, we arranged to meet about halfway between Lexington and my home in Windsor.  Catherine and Shawn were waiting for us when we arrived in Pelion, S.C.   One look at the tiny baby kitten in a big box and I knew it was worth the trip.  I talked to Catherine for just a couple of minutes, and they gave me a 7-pound bag of Fancy Feast Kitten food they had purchased.

When I took the hissing kitten out of the box, I realized the kitten’s eyes were stuck shut and that puss was leaking from the corners. My husband Don went into the store and bought a bottle of water, then I used a wet tissue to open and clean the tiny feral kitten’s eyes. There was a lot of infection in the kitten’s eyes but no visible permanent damage.

One more day with the eyes stuck shut and the kitten could have been blind. Catherine had saved the kitten again!

Don drove home while I cuddled the dirty little feral spitfire. I love getting feral baby kittens that I can tame and find homes for.   By the time we got home the sweet little flea covered kitten had quit hissing and was taking a nap.

The first thing that needed to happen was to feed the kitten. I thought the kitten was about 8 weeks old and I had stage 2 kitten food and canned kitten food.  The kitten would not eat the canned kitten food, stage 2 liquid, or kitten kibble.

Next was a bath. The fleas and dirt had to go. By the end of the bath the little Hissy-Fit was a Beautiful Kitten with lots of white and a patchwork of black and tan strips.  Then I noticed an injury on the kitten’s abdomen. The injury didn’t look deep, but it needed to be checked.

For Martha Teachey, who lives with us, it was Love at First Sight.

I managed to get a little watered-down formula into the kitten Saturday night.

Don drove into Aiken to PetSmart on Sunday for Cat Milk Replacement formula.  Yep, the kitten loved that!  I spent all of Sunday playing with and bottle feeding the Beautiful little kitten and I cleaned the baby’s eyes every couple of hours. By the end of the day, I was smitten and so was Don.

What should I name the kitten?  I settled on Lexie Girl or Lexy Boy for Lexington kitten.

First thing Monday morning I called the Vet’s office and was told to bring Lexie in that afternoon.  Lexie was a hit with everyone who saw the tiny kitten, and they were amazed at Lexie’s story. Dr Barber checked Lexie – 5 weeks old, female, 1.0 pound. He prescribed ointment for her eyes and said the wound on her abdomen was healing.  When they asked me if I was keeping her, I said YES.

5 weeks old! No wonder Lexie didn’t want the other kitten food. Time to buy more Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR). I took Lexie into PetSmart.  The employees and customers loved her.

It has been one week since Catherine and Shawn rescued Lexie and every day is a new adventure. Lexie loves to play. We had to clip her claws – I became her climbing post and chew toy. Lexie loves her other new toys, too.  She does NOT like being carried and becomes a Velcro baby.  Lexie has graduated from a small carrier at night to a big crate.  Lexie has her own tiny litter box and has Litter Box Trained Herself. 

Most of the big cats still have not accepted Lexie. They hiss at her and she hisses back at them.  But Lexie knows that We are her Mommy and Daddy. And I am SOOOO glad that we have her!!

UPDATE: 10/11/2025  We adopted Lexie 2 weeks ago today. All of the cats have accepted Lexie. She is weaned from the bottle, loves her kibble and canned food, and Plays and PLAYS! Lexie is now 1½ pounds.

UPDATE: 10/16/2025  We adopted Lexie 19 days ago today.  Lexie has grown from the tiny baby kitten who was 6 inches long to 9in long + her tail. Lexie is now 1lb 12oz. She climbs onto the recliner, jumps off, and tackles me and Daddy. 2 of our big cats have started playing with Lexie.

 Thank You Paula!!!

Thank You Catherine and Shawn!!!

Don and I have done cat rescue for 35 years. We live way out in the country, back off the road, and we have several acres of land, so we are not putting the cats in danger or overcrowding the neighborhood.  No matter how many cats we have, we try to make room for one more if they need us.  Most of the time we take care of them, tame and spoil them, and try to find them a good home. But if needed, they will always have a home here.

Lexie is now HEALTHY and HAPPY!

donalee Moulton

A life well lived – highlights and hiccups

/in , /by
by donalee Moulton

I was recently asked about life’s pleasures as a writer, and otherwise. I thought I’d share some of my likes and dislikes with you. I would love to hear what you’d say to these.

Things you never want to run out of: Chocolate, sweat pants, downward dogs

Things you wish you’d never bought: White chocolate, stilettos, a gym membership

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking about writing with other writers

Favorite foods: Miso chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, baked gnocchi

Things that make you want to gag: Snails (even if you call it “escargot”), lima beans, coconut

Favorite music or song: I like music I can move to or with lyrics that move me

Music that drives you crazy: Opera (sadly)

Last best thing you ate: Cider doughnuts

Last thing you regret eating: Some waxy wrap thing with shredded carrots

The last thing you ordered online: A catio for Wiley Bob so he can safely go out in the sunshine

The last thing you regret buying: A wool winter coat that’s itchy to look at and itchy to wear

Things you always put in your books: Humor

Things you never put in your books: Blood, guts, gore (at least so far)

Favorite places you’ve been: Sable Island, Thailand, Sweden

Places you never want to go to again: Yoga retreats with yurts

Favorite books (or genre): Charlotte’s Web, Where the Crawdad’s Sing, The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five

Books you wouldn’t buy: Horror

Best thing you’ve ever done: Written books and stories and poems and articles

Biggest mistake: Going to the opera ties with joining a gym

The nicest thing a reader said to you: One reader posted a picture of themselves lounging in the sun reading Hung Out to Die. They captioned it “Perfect afternoon.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Some readers see sexual tension between two characters in Hung Out to Die. I just don’t see it.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: I can get up off the floor without using my hands. So can one of my characters.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Love of coffee. I don’t drink caffeine. 

My Accidental Career

/in , , , , , , , /by

Have you ever bluffed your way into a job?

In my ongoing task of digging through the overwhelming amount of my family’s old photos and papers to form some semblance of an organized archive, I’ve recently encountered episodes of my life that I haven’t thought about in years. Including the one that turned me into a professional writer.

It started with accepting an emergency assignment for a job I knew nothing about.

One Friday morning in L.A., a friend called me at work to ask if I could fill in for a journalist who was scheduled to cover the opening of a new tennis camp in Lake Tahoe over the weekend. Apparently, the designated reporter fell ill at the last minute, and the magazine was desperate to find a replacement.

Would I take the gig?

I knew zero about the game of tennis, but the magazine didn’t know that. They hadn’t asked. That’s how desperate they were.

The job meant a few extra bucks for me, and I had no weekend plans. So, that evening, I borrowed a racket from a friend, packed a bag and boarded the next puddle jumper from L.A. to Tahoe to cover the event.

This was in pre-Internet days, so there was no way for me to access information about the game of tennis or the new camp, a reality that hadn’t sunk in until I was on the plane. I told myself that a reporter’s job was just to ask questions, which helped calm my nerves. After all, I’d written lots of reports in high school and college. What could be so hard about writing this one?

By the time I arrived, it was almost midnight. I’d already missed the welcome dinner and any chance to find out anything in advance of  tomorrow’s Opening Day’s activities.

The first thing I learned when I arrived at the courts the next morning was that the camp’s purpose was to teach tennis professionals how to teach tennis. All the attendees were accomplished players. All fifteen or so of them were there to get certified as tennis pros at various country clubs around the nation. Since they were already seasoned athletes, the training was sure to be exceedingly rigorous. And I was expected to participate.

After a long and excruciating first day on the court, I was ready for bed as soon as the sun set. When I woke the next morning, my legs were completely in spasm. I rolled off the bed onto the floor and belly-crawled to the bathroom, then hoisted myself into the bathtub. After a few minutes of soaking in warm water, the cramps relaxed just enough for me to hobble to the courts in time for a second round of torture. All the pros were already warming up, practicing their sleek forehands, twisty backhands, powerful overhead smashes, cunning lobs, and the rest of the words in my new sports vocabulary.

I returned to L.A., turned in my report, and collected the check. The next month, Tennis Illustrated  published the article. A few weeks later, they called to ask if I’d be interested in being their editor. The offer was almost twice what my job as Assistant to the Director of Production at The American Film Institute paid, so I accepted.

And then I really panicked. I wasn’t really sure what an editor did. And all I knew about the tennis world was from those two days at the resort. How could I possibly run the magazine?

Luckily, the friend who had loaned me his racket came to the rescue again. Not only did he know tennis, but he’d also been the editor of his college newspaper. He gave me his extra racket along with a manual of editorial squiggles (which I came to learn were called “proofreaders’ marks”) so I’d know how to mark copy.

That is how, while I was still in my twenties, my life as a professional writer began. After a couple of years of covering big tournaments and interviewing tennis greats, I moved on to the masthead of a lifestyle magazine, where I earned a national journalism award. And then I turned to writing novels, which also happened to me out of the blue. But that’s a story for another time.

Today, with my multi-award-winning Samantha Newman Mystery Series—and beloved writing colleagues all over the country—I’m thrilled to be part of the publishing community. And I’m working on another book. But that is another story for another time.

To all the aspiring writers out there, keep writing. You never know when good luck might lead you to your best life.

Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism.  She later served as the contributing writer for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), which debuted as a New York Times “Notable.”

Her multi-award-winning Samantha Newman Mystery Series is packed with suspense and laced with touches of romance, heart, and humor. Available on Amazon or through your favorite bookseller. 

What Do the Girls Have to Say About the Guy?

/in , , , /by

A Guest Post by Author M.E. Proctor

Ten years ago, when the character of Declan Shaw, a Houston PI, popped into my head, I didn’t give a second thought to the fact that I’d just committed myself to write, from a male perspective, what could become a series. It didn’t bother me. I wanted to try my hand at a detective story featuring in the main role a bruised romantic shamus, a classic updated for the 21st century.

I completed a first manuscript (full disclosure: that attempt will never be published; it was a trial run) and gave it to my husband. He’s a brilliant writer and my first beta reader. He said he enjoyed the story and proceeded to criticize it down to the bone. It’s good to have a fierce reviewer at home; once you’ve cleared that hurdle there’s nothing the world can throw at you that’ll make you flinch. He picked up two dialogue excerpts and commented: “A guy would never say that.”

Out of a 300-page story, I thought that was a pretty good score. It also made me aware of the stumbling blocks that our subconscious takes pleasure in throwing in our path. Note to self: Guys don’t giggle, unless they’re Tommy Udo and about to push a lady down the staircase. Not the mood I was going for … I fixed the dialogue and toughened it up.

We’re quite a few years later now. I have a ton of short stories under my belt, a retro-noir novella written in collaboration (Bop City Swing) where I take the part of the hardboiled cop and my writing partner, Russell Thayer, is in the female assassin’s head, and two Declan Shaw novels. Girls or guys, pumps or brogues, I’ll slip into the shoes the story calls for.

Except …

In Catch Me on a Blue Day, Book 2 of the Declan Shaw series, my PI gets very close and very personal with Isabel, a cute art gallery manager.

I’ve written quite a few seduction/sex scenes and I’m not new to the challenge, but the story required this one to jump higher in the temperature range than I’d gone before. I could have written it from Declan’s point of view—there’s another scene with Isabel in the book that gives him quite a kick—but for this particular one, I thought I could do more from the girl’s perspective. It’s a decision that changed the structure of the book.

The Declan stories are mostly told from his standpoint. Secondary points of view come into play, out of narrative necessity (for example, I put him in the ICU in Book 1, Love You Till Tuesday, and the plot couldn’t remain frozen for a week).

In this case, changing the angle to Isabel gave me an opportunity to put a different light on the main character, and reveal things about him that would never have surfaced otherwise. He’s a very controlled guy and she pushes his buttons so hard he loses his footing.

Next to Isabel’s star turn, I also gave voice to two other female characters who play a major role in the story. They form the other points of a triangle with Declan in the middle, in the crossbeams, and they balance the narrative.

The first one is Jean. She’s old enough to be his mother and would love to slip into a protective role. She does it, in a harrowing scene, and Declan accepts her help, but he remains reticent and unwilling to let her in too close. She sees herself as a nest builder, and he is a drifting soul. Their alliance can only be temporary.

The second one is Kate, close in age to Declan and Isabel. Fiercely independent, wary of emotional entanglements, and dealing with a troubled past. Her sister was murdered thirty years ago, a death that destroyed the family. Kate never knew the girl; she was only two at the time. She doesn’t open up to people easily, and her trust is hard to win. She’d like to see Declan as some noble defender, but he’s a bit wobbly.

Seen through the eyes of these three women, Declan’s character gains new dimensions.

I enjoyed trading his cowboy boots for Isabel’s sandals, Jean’s sensible shoes, and Kate’s wellies … for a little while.

Catch Me on a Blue Day
A Declan Shaw Mystery, Book 2

“For Ella and all the innocents slain by soulless men.”

It’s the dedication of the book on the Salvadoran civil war retired reporter Carlton Marsh was writing before he committed suicide.

A shocking death. Marsh had asked Declan Shaw to come to Old Mapleton, Connecticut to help him with research. He looked forward to Declan’s visit: “See you at cocktail time, a fine whiskey’s waiting.” They talked on the phone a few hours before the man put a bullet in his brains.

Now Declan stands in the office of the local police chief. The cop would prefer to see him fly back to Houston. He’s never dealt with a private detective, but everybody knows they are trouble. If only there weren’t so many unanswered questions around Marsh’s death … the haunting first three chapters of his book, and that dedication to Ella, a girl whose murder thirty years ago brought the town to its knees.

In Catch Me on a Blue Day, Declan is far from his regular Texas stomping grounds. He’s off balance in more ways than one, and the crimes he uncovers are of a magnitude he could not foresee.

Between the sins of an old New England town and the violence of 1980s El Salvador. And the links between the two.

Buy links

paperback

ebook

~*~ 

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. She’s the author of the Declan Shaw detective mysteries: Love You Till Tuesday and Catch Me on a Blue Day. She’s also the author of a short story collection, Family and Other Ailments, and the co-author of a retro-noir novella, Bop City Swing. Her fiction has appeared in anthologies and magazines like Vautrin, Tough, Rock and a Hard Place, Bristol Noir, Mystery Tribune, Reckon Review, and Black Cat Weekly among others. She’s a Shamus and Derringer short story nominee.

Pen Names & Projects

/in , , , , /by

A New Pen Name for a New Project

As some of you may remember from earlier in the year, I was on a writing and submitting spree. Novella’s, short stories, writing contests—I was on a writing rampage! And with some spicier romance novellas in the collection, I asked for your help picking a pen name, so that I could differentiate between the standard spicy and the extra peppers brand.

And you came through!

Readers Helping Writers

There was a poll.  Everyone responded and the pen name Vivienne Cross was selected as the winner!  I was excited to start using it, but decided to hold off on doing any prep work until I had set on my branding strategy and had the right release to go with it.

Well, welcome to fall! Welcome to new contracts. Welcome to having the work I’ve been doing pay off.  And now… welcome to wishing I had done some additional work on the pen name.

It was the 21st of September

In September, I went to acquire the domain name (for reasons I won’t discuss until next month) for Vivienne Cross and found that it was not available.  Suspicious.  I typed in the web address and, low and behold, it was being firmly occupied by someone who had put out a new book in August of this year.  Complete face palm.  While I had done my due diligence to see if anyone was using the name when I came up with it, there is nothing I can do about someone grabbing the name before me.

Inventing the Skateboard

Once my father said he invented the skateboard.  And I know you’re thinking… No, he didn’t.  But yes, he came up with the idea of putting his rollerskate wheels on a plank all on his own.  And so did at least three other people out there in the 1950s.  So, while I could be deeply suspicious that this author stole it from me, I have to admit that my own experience suggests otherwise. Every time I’ve tried to come up with a pen name, I’ve had at least three names that I considered genuine winners only to find that someone is already using it.

Forward Momentum

But I still need a pen name!

So I went back to the list and while I liked the runner up I found that I was no longer willing to take any of the secondary names. So I went back to the drawing board and worked with my business partner and another writer to workshop a new pen name.

The Criteria

We quickly established some guidelines for what I wanted to achieve with the name and assessed which names had ranked higher in the poll to find names in a similar style.

  • Must not be in use by another author
  • Preferably uses a last name that hits earlier in the alphabet for higher billing in anthologies
  • Must resonate with the paranormal romance and fantasy genres
  • Brings main character energy

With those boundaries in mind, we developed our list, did some research and settled on (drum roll please)…

Author Banner for Sirena Corbeau, the pen name of Bethany Maines

Sirena is a name originating from the mythical sirens and Corbeau means crow in French. I liked the symbolism and I liked the sound of the name.  And yes, I threw myself on acquiring the domain name without delay. Thank you all for your help in selecting a name and I wish our efforts had not been in vain! But hopefully now we can all enjoy Sirena Corbeau and her future novels.

**

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She participates in many activities, including swearing, karate, art, and yelling at the news. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

And don’t forget to check out more books by the Stiletto Gang: BOOKS

Let’s Talk About Writing: Ngrams

/in , , , /by

Ngrams home page

If I was the betting sort of writer, I’d place odds that most of our Stiletto Gang readers (and dare I say it, even the authors), don’t know what an Ngram is. If that’s the case with you, don’t feel bad. I’d never heard of them either until I listened to a webinar on writing historical fiction. One of the tips was, you guessed it: ngrams.

Here’s how it works (Tip: click on an image to view a larger version):

Replace the pre-filled text (Albert Einstein,Sherlock Holmes,Frankenstein) with the expression of your choice. For this blog, I’ve entered tag you’re it (no comma as it would recognize “tag” and “you’re it” as separate searches. Note: the search criteria for Ngrams is currently 1800 to 2022.

According to Ngrams:

“Tag you’re it” first appears in 1897, with varying degrees of popularity over the years, with a peak in 2012. Which means if you’re writing a novel set during the Civil War, “tag you’re it” isn’t going to be authentic to the period (even if you decide to break up the war action with some kids playing).

Ngrams results for Tag You’re It 1800-2022

If you want to drill down further, you can click on a time period to find examples of where the referenced text was found. Which means you may find yourself going deep into the weeds and down the rabbit hole. But hey, that’s what writers do.

Drill down to find references.

Especially when we’re looking for new ways to procrastinate.

The Past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada and a former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the multiple award-winning author of seven bestselling mystery novels, two books on publishing, and several short stories. She is also the editor/publisher of five Superior Shores Anthologies, including the 2025 Derringer- and Silver Falchion- nominated Larceny & Last Chances. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com

Readers: Check it out and leave a comment with your Ngrams experience.

 

Coffee cup and leaves

Why We Love Fall

/in , , , , /by

by Mary Lee Ashford

Coffee cup and leavesIt’s October and it seems like Autumn vibes are everywhere. From pumpkin themes, to hardy mums, to sweater ads – fall has been unleashed. It’s not feeling much like fall here in the Midwest as we’re have temps in the high 80s as if Mother Nature is not ready to let go of summer just yet.  Though I’m sure I’ll be complaining in a couple of months when the really cold weather hits, I have to admit that I am so ready for cool crisp mornings, the glorious colors of autumn leaves, and maybe even a little pumpkin spice. It seems I’m not alone.

According to Kathryn Lively, a professor of sociology at Dartmouth College, our obsession with fall is a social construct that starts when we’re children.  She says, “As children, we come to associate fall with going back to school, new school supplies, seeing friends. It’s exciting, for most. We still respond to this pattern that we experienced for eighteen years.” I don’t know about you, but I loved, loved, loved school supplies. In fact, you might still find me wandering the aisles at Office Depot, excited about a new notebook or pen.

We also associate fall with comforting and cozy things – a warm fire, a soft blanket, tasty soups or stews.  She calls these temporal markers and says, “From a sociological lens, our emotions are tied inextricably to the meaning that we make about ourselves, others, events and times of year.”

The bottom line is if we love fall what we really love is we love what the season has come to represent to us. And I, for one, am all in. Bring it on! How about you? Do you love fall? Or are you ho-hum on the season change? My latest book in the Sugar & Spice Mystery series is set in fall. And I loved bringing all that entails into the storyline.

Comment below for a chance to win a copy of NIGHT OF THE LIVING BREAD. And have a fabulous fall!

“Night of the Living Bread was a sweet read. So well-plotted, the story moves at a lively pace. A fine mystery, entertaining characters that feel like good friends, set in an Iowa small town, complete with yummy recipes, delivered everything I needed for a perfect escape”—Lori Caswell, Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

“The mystery unfolds like delicious layers of a croissant. The pace is perfect, the dialogue sparkles, and Ms. Ashford doesn’t skip a beat.”

“Clues are sprinkled throughout for the quick armchair detective to catch, and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming. The author does an admirable job bringing all the elements together into a scrumptious read that kept me turning pages.”

“Night of the Living Bread was a sweet read. So well-plotted, the story moves at a lively pace. A fine mystery, entertaining characters that feel like good friends, set in an Iowa small town, complete with yummy recipes, delivered everything I needed for a perfect escape”

 

 

Author Mary Lee Ashford

Mary Lee Ashford is the author of the Sugar & Spice mystery series and also half of the Sparkle Abbey writing team. She is a lifelong bibliophile and public library champion. Prior to publishing Mary Lee won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa, a member of MWA, and Novelists, Inc. She lives in the Midwest with her family and her feline coworker.

People Are a Lot More

/in /by

“People are a lot more than their political inclination.”

I read that statement today in a Washington Post article about an older man who found happiness in a wildly diverse group of coffee drinkers at a local café. People came there every day to sit and talk about everything, including politics, bringing pointedly different views. But they were respectful of each other, and they cared about each other.

I belong to a group sort of like that. We worked as policewomen in the same department…umm…decades ago. We’ve discussed enough politics to know we have differing perspectives. Our backgrounds are different. Our lives have taken us down different paths, but we find a way to meet about once a month, and we’re important to each other.

To keep the peace….

SEE MORE

When Life is Stranger than Fiction, Stick it in a Cozy Mystery Novel

/in /by

By Lois Winston

Have you ever read a cozy mystery novel and thought, “No way would that ever happen in real life!”? I know that many readers will think exactly that when they read about the idiosyncratic behavior of Barry Sumner, a character in Seams Like the Perfect Crime, my fourteenth and latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery. However, I’m here to tell you that I didn’t have to rely on any fictional enhancements when I decided to incorporate into my newest mystery the extremely odd habit of a very peculiar neighbor who lived across the street from me decades ago.

Who among us hasn’t come across an odd neighbor at one time or another? According to the Oracle of Google, the average American moves 11.7 times in a lifetime. Chances are, at least one of those moves will place you next door, down the block, or across the street from a neighbor you will deem weird, eccentric, or unusual in some way.

Many people shy away from such individuals, but as an author, I’m fascinated by human nature in all its forms. Besides, up until four years ago, I lived most of my life in New Jersey, a state that defines weird. We even have a magazine devoted to all things weird within the state, including some laws still on the books. For instance, it’s unlawful to frown at a police officer. That one made it into Sorry, Knot Sorry, the thirteenth book in my series.

When my husband and I moved twenty-seven years ago, I became mesmerized by the unusual behavior of the man who lived across the street from us. In the back of my mind, I always knew he’d one day show up as a character in one of my books. And now he has. Unfortunately for him, he becomes the victim of a killer. Fortunately for him, this fate didn’t befall him in real life.

I’m currently finishing the next book in the series. Embroidered Lies and Alibis will release early in 2026. The plot deals with the aftermath of the murder in Seams Like the Perfect Crime, as well as other events impacting Anastasia and her family, including an Internet scam targeting her mother. And of course, Anastasia finds herself dealing with more dead bodies!

Have you ever had a quirky neighbor you thought would make a great character in a cozy mystery? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook download of any of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.

~*~

USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mini-Mystery.