Even before I started writing my Pepper Martin mystery series, I liked to hang out in cemeteries. In fact, it was in a cemetery that I got the idea for Pepper, a tour guide at a historic cemetery who solves mysteries for the ghosts there. Book #6 will be out soon, but some [...]

I have a new book coming out in just about three weeks. “Tomb with a View” is the sixth book in the Pepper Martin mystery series, and like all authors with a new story about to be introduced to the reading world, I’m excited. And a little nervous.
Will readers like the book? [...]

It was a dark and stormy ni– er . . . morning.
You may have heard about the tornadoes that ripped through western Ohio last Saturday. The remnants of that weather system made their way through the Cleveland area Sunday morning–and I had a Pepper Martin Tour of Cleveland planned.
Yikes! When I woke [...]

What can I say about my first MARCON (Multiple Alternative Realities Convention)? I could talk about how a huge group of volunteers put on the most fun weekend I’ve seen in a long time. Or how great it was to meet so many readers and fans. I could talk about spending Saturday [...]

Life has been chock full of adventures as of late, and this week’s been no exception. My latest–a trip to the charming Ohio town of Milan–answers the question about the gloves.
I was in Milan (pronounced with a long A as in “mile”) to take a look at the button collection at the historical museum [...]

Ask any writer and they’ll tell you: there are good book signings and bad book signings. The good ones . . .well, that’s pretty obvious. A good book signing involves booksellers who are welcoming and engaging, the ones who actually knew you were coming to their store that day, ordered books, publicized the [...]

Back from the wonderful Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend, and had to share pictures and stories. Eighty authors there along with lots of readers and a fabulous staff from Barnes & Noble who handled book sales for us.
All in all, a successful and fun event, especially for those of [...]

Back from the Malice Domestic mystery conference in Arlington, Virginia, and thinking about the last blog I posted. In it, I advised anyone going to a conference to go with a plan. I went to Malice with a plan. The question, of course, is did I accomplish what I wanted to?
Well, I [...]

I’m heading to the Malice Domestic mystery conference in Arlington, VA next week. For me, at least, Malice means the official start of the conference season. Others will be heading off at the same time to RT and I’ve recently heard a lot of people talking about going to this year’s RWA convention [...]

As writers, we spend most of our days locked in our own little worlds–plots, characters, dialogue that swirls around inside our heads even though nobody but the people in our imaginations are talking! As I’ve said a thousand times, it beats having a real job (especially one at which I might have to wear [...]