A couple of weeks ago I visited the local family-owned hardware store for mouse traps. It's not that I saw any mice, but I saw a few droppings and I heard the chewing in the walls. We've learned the hard way that mice travel in troops, and when the weather changes, they find their way indoors for shelter. David is a masterful mouse-trap setter, but he has one type of trap he prefers, so I'm a picky buyer. While I hate killing the little rodents, … [Read more...] about Of Mice and Men and Pigs
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Lessons Learned Judging Contests
Right now, all my spare time goes to reading manuscripts for a contest. This isn't the first contest I've judged, nor is it likely to be the last. Although the effort is certainly time-consuming, it's also a great education. I thought I'd share some of the lessons learned, lessons that apply to any contest you enter.1. Read the directions. I know you're probably thinking, well, duh! But I can't tell you how many people goof this up. They misread … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned Judging Contests
How to Talk Like They Do in the Lou
Last week I took my niece Lexie, my sister Jane, and Lexie's son Skyler to lunch down in Florida. Since Skyler is only two, the nice greeter at Chili's gave him the kid's menu and a couple of crayons. I helped a little with the coloring, and then Skyler turned over the menu and there it was...the St. Louis Arch. That's a photo I took of the Arch this summer looking straight up at it. It's an amazing piece of sculpture. In one way, it's like the … [Read more...] about How to Talk Like They Do in the Lou
A Halloween Close Call–A Kiki Lowenstein Novella
Need a Kiki fix? For less than a cup of coffee, you can read the most recent adventure of Kiki Lowenstein, "A Halloween Close Call." Kiki Lowenstein is invited to a Halloween Party at Detective Chad Detweiler's parents' farm. But mysterious happenings around St. Louis have everyone on edge--and Kiki has a close encounter that leaves a surprising clue behind! This entertaining 10,000+ word novella is only $1.99 and available at A Close Call. … [Read more...] about A Halloween Close Call–A Kiki Lowenstein Novella
I'm a Researchaholic: An Interview with Joe Finder
Joe Finder will be appearing at the Love Is Murder Conference in Chicago, Feb. 4-6, 2011. For more information go to www.loveismurder.net1.Unlike most action oriented books, your settings are not exotic. Often the scariest scenes occur in office buildings. Many authors rely on dramatic settings. How do you manage to make such commonplace settings still seem frightening? The familiar is what we identify with most, and we need to identify with a … [Read more...] about I'm a Researchaholic: An Interview with Joe Finder
How to Make a Book Safe and More from Angela
Angela Daniels wrote a neat post about her visit to Bouchercon. You can read it here. http://www.fiskateers.com/blog/2010/10/24/mysteries-car-deaths-and-safe-cracking/ And that's a picture Angela took of one of the book safes she made in her second session.You can go directly to this LINK, and see her how to info. Isn't this just the cutest thing? … [Read more...] about How to Make a Book Safe and More from Angela
