To the authors who read my blog: As you write your new book, do you find that you have some chapters you prefer to other chapters? To the readers who read my blog: As you read a cozy mystery, are there chapters that stand out to you? And then, of course, there are favorite parts within each chapter. […]

Characters and Time
At one of our critiques, a few years back, I mentioned to my friends gathered around the table that I should start a third mystery series starring them, the Cozy Critters! Everybody liked that idea and started choosing names for themselves and cautioning me not to kill them off in my book. “Well, why not?” […]

And So It Goes
The last day of April has come around and tomorrow, we start a brand new month of this eventful spring. Will spring finally settle in and feel comfortable in May? Let’s hope she stays in a good mood and there’s nothing in store like the Peggs tornado of 1920. Each year, I re-print the account […]

The Car Race
“It’s all your fault,” I muttered. Annabelle just shrugged, a goofy grin on her face. I shifted on the hard, wood chair in the sheriff’s office. It was uncomfortable, but so was the glare of the Diller County Sheriff. Believe it or not, Annabelle and I were here because of the slumping sales of my […]


Don’t Rock the Boat!
Do you ever feel like you’re in a boat, trying to make a safe harbor? “Don’t rock the boat” is a saying most of us have heard or used, meaning to just go along with the status quo, don’t say or do anything that might ruffle the waters. At times, this may be a wise […]