We escaped sultry St. Louis over a decade ago to move to sunny and seventies Southern California. We love it here. But this year, apparently, SoCal decided to remind us of what we escaped—a month of heat and humidity. Except now, we’re suffering through it without air conditioning, because sunny and seventies shouldn’t require a/c … Read more
I formatted one of my books as a pdf this morning and Adobe told me it was a large document and would I like it summarized? I almost spit at the screen. An entire year of squeezing out the perfect words, making them pull together in the best manner to generate emotion and stimulate thought—reduced … Read more
My July 21st release of THE KILLER’S DASTARDLY INTRIGUE is my 100th published book!!!!! It’s been a long strange trip since the days back in the early 80s when I sat with my 99c Walmart notebook and 19c Bic pen and scribbled stories to amuse myself while the kids played in the backyard. Those were … Read more
We spent most of our merry month of May circling the Adriatic, then cruising around Italy to spend a few days in Tuscany, one of our favorite places in the world. The coast is a spectacular panorama of rocks and forest with the occasional beach and some of the best food in the world. So … Read more
I think I write small town books where everyone helps one another because I can’t control the world outside my doors, but I get to give good people happy lives and send the bad ones to jail.
Admittedly, I am not entirely certain when spring arrives in Southern California. We had a glorious January with sun and seventies, after a rainy December. I barely had time to trim back my roses before they started blooming again. When we lived elsewhere, I always planted daffodils so I could watch their green shoots pop … Read more
For a short time only, The Secrets of Wyclfiffe Manor, the first book in my Gravesyde Priory Mysteries, is free, and the following books in the series are discounted, in case you got started and didn’t pick up the next ones. Stock up on your winter reading! For readers who delight in eccentric characters, gothic … Read more
I know most of you are sitting in front of fires trying to stay warm. Been there, done that, ran away. But even in the cold days I decorated the pines with suet so the cardinals made bright flowers against the green. I need flowers! Here in SoCal, we have live poinsettias splashing color against … Read more
LORD ROGUE FREE, one week only! (and check the next books in the series for discounts—stock up on your winter reading at the best prices!) Showing my roots in action/adventure Westerns from the days of big books readers can dive into: From Philadelphia salons to the untamed western frontier, a woman on the run must … Read more
We took a marvelously relaxing cruise of Puget sound, meeting up with Mary Jo Putney and her husband to discuss writerly subjects and enjoy the scenery and a wine tasting or two