Who Goes There?

Who Goes There?

Who comes through my yard at night When all is dark and still, When the only sound, for miles around Is the call of the whippoorwill? I’ve often wondered what animals amble through the yard under cover of darkness, maybe stopping for a drink at the bird bath? Nemo had an encounter with one the […]

Remembering Dad

Remembering Dad

Today is my dad’s birthday. I’ve written about him a lot, both here and in my books. Only, he wasn’t called by his name, Bob Day, rather, he showed up here and there as admirable traits in male characters, especially the heroes, because that’s what he was– my hero. I can’t resist mixing  a little […]

Signs

Signs

This morning, I stooped down to pick up a something on the floor. It jumped! So did I. The “something”  was actually a small, black cricket. This is cricket weather–one of the signs that fall is approaching and summer is winding down. There are other clues that autumn is waiting in the wings, ready to […]

The Menace in the Middle

The Menace in the Middle

Do the first lines of a new book tell you whether you want to read the whole thing? First lines are important. So are final lines, but how about the middle? The middle of a mystery is important too. These are middle lines from my seven cozy mysteries.  Can you identify the book each is […]

Stop While You’re Ahead

Stop While You’re Ahead

Stop while you’re ahead. I used to hear this phrase a lot; not so much nowadays. It means to cut it out, stop doing or saying whatever. It’s useful in a lot of circumstances, but certainly in speaking or writing. One of the hardest things a writer has to do is delete those unnecessary words […]

When There’s Nothing Else To Do

When There’s Nothing Else To Do

Reaching across the table, I squeezed her hand. “Oh, Mom, think of it! Think of the people we’ve always looked up to, so respectable and virtuous, so God-fearing and honest. How’d they get that way? Maybe it’s because they came through some tough times. Maybe it’s because they strayed from the Lord and He brought […]