Sandra Balzo

Female

Fort Lauderdale, FL

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:
Brookfield, Wisconsin
About Me:
Sandra Balzo is an award-winning author of crime fiction, including eight books in two different mystery series--one set outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the other in the High Country of North Carolina. Balzo's books have garnered starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, while being recommended to readers of Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris, Harlan Coben, Joan Hess and Margaret Maron. A former member of the National Board of Directors for the Mystery Writers of America, Sandy and her fiancé, fellow crimewriter Jeremiah Healy, split their time between South Florida and North Carolina.
I Am A:
Reader, Writer
Website:
http://www.SandraBalzo.com
Books And Authors I Like:
Traditional mysteries and PI books--Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Jeremiah Healy, etc. Barbara Michaels' AMMIE, COME HOME is my all-time favorite--so much so I wrote an essay about it in MYSTERY MUSES: 100 Classics That Inspire Today's Mystery Writers.

Comment Wall:

  • Sandra Balzo

    Welcome to my new crimespace page! I'm happy to be here to meet and mingle with readers and writers. I'm new to all this, especially blogging, and my first question is...is there spellcheck on this thing????

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Karen J. Laubenstein

    Hi Sandra! Welcome. Don't think there's a spellcheck. I like your booklist - also wondering if you've read Louise Titchener? She's done Baltimore similar to Evanovich. I found Titchener while waiting for Evanovich's next Big One.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Hi Karen--you're my first comment! Yahoo!! No, I haven't read Louise Titchener, but I'll have to put her on my list. Especially since Bouchercon will be in Baltimore next year.

    Thanks much for the warm welcome.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Eric Stone

    Ah, procrastination, I know it all too well. It's the great thing about emailing writer pals in the middle of the day, you know you'll always get a quick response. Welcome to this place. It's good for procrastinating - and other stuff too.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Thanks, Eric! And I agree it sure is tempting to hang out here--and on e-mail--all day.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Cyndi Martin

    Thanks for adding me! Your books intrigue me (coffee AND murder!) and now I have to find them!

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Naomi Hirahara

    Nope, you don't need to do a thing after accepting a friend request. Some do the "thanks for the addy" thing. If you want to cultivate conversation, you can certainly do that. I'll have to do a myspace page next year for my middle-grade book so I'm getting my feet wet with crimespace. It's nice to communicate with out-of-staters, etc. I don't see crimespace as a site to actually sell my books--more for socializing.

    And hey, I'm so with you on the TV show selections. I'm really missing SIX FEET UNDER. And looking forward to the new season of BROTHERS AND SISTERS. If it weren't for THE CLOSER, I wouldn't be watching TV at all this summer.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Lesa Holstine

    Well, it's about time. I've been waiting for your next book. Good to see it's due out in November!

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Harry Shannon

    Go write something! In fact, get two pages for me while you're at it.

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Thanks, Cyndi and Lesa! And I feel the same way--it seems like FOREVER!! I changed publishers, hence the delay. And Naomi, you HAVE to let me know how myspace goes when you try--maybe I'll have to take THAT plunge, too!

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Thanks for the invite, Harry! And I'll write two for you, if you write four for me tomorrow. Seems only fair, right?

    Aug 16, 2007

  • David L. Hoof

    How about Grounds for Divorce?

    Aug 16, 2007

  • Julie Hyzy

    Hiya Sandy!
    Thanks for the invite. Love the "Bean there..." title. And I hear you about procrastinating. I should be writing too, but y'know... summer... hard to keep at the keyboard when the weather's nice. ;-)

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Peg Herring

    Sandy,
    I think we met just after you published the first book, maybe at Magna? Anyway, thanks for the invitation. You're right that blogging takes away time from "real" writing, but we do have to have some contact with other human beings, preferably ones who read and write!

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Cara Black

    Hi Sandy,

    Me, too December deadline..should be writing!

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Kathryn Lilley

    I know just how you feel. I have a November first deadline and just over 200 pages written. A voice in the back of my head keep chanting like a parrot, "Gotta write! Gotta write!"

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Hi all--I'm trying to train myself NOT to look at Crimespace until AFTER I get my writing for the day done. Unfortunately today my daughter wrangled me into taking her shopping for college duds. She's home three more days and then it's SERIOUS writing time. I'm with you, about summer Julie--it's just so hard. And Kathryn, my deadline is December 31. Hope I'm as far as you are in a couple of months!!! Peg is right, though. Human contact is a good thing.

    Aug 18, 2007

  • Silvia Foti

    Hi Sandy,
    Thanks for the invite. Have we ever met a writer who is not worried about the next deadline? How do writers find the time when they have a full-time job...say hypothetically as a high school English teacher...and say hypothetically as a mom with two kids in grade school? I love meeting all these cool people on Crimespace!

    Aug 19, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    So true, isn't it Silvia? My kids are older now, and I still manage to use them as my reason for not getting things done! I'm not sure what I did when they were little, and I worked in an office 45-minutes away. Guess I was much better at organizing.

    Aug 20, 2007

  • Libby Hellmann

    Howdy...What took you so long?

    Aug 22, 2007

  • JackBludis

    We share a lot of favorite authors and TV. To the best of my recollection we share a lot of mystery lists as well.

    Aug 22, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    To the best of my recollection, too, Jack! Great to see you here.

    Aug 22, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Hey, Libby--You KNOW you have to hit me over the head with these things. Heck, before you know it, I'll be blogging!!!

    Aug 22, 2007

  • Brian Thornton

    Sandy- don't feel so bad about the procrastination. After all, you could have a deadline at the end of this month on, say, a ghost-writing project for which you have no enthusiasm (as opposed to working on your own fiction), instead. Uh.... not that I know about that sort of thing first-hand, of course...

    ;)

    Aug 23, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Hypothetically speaking, huh, Brian? But you HAVE made me feel ever so much better about MY deadline!! Hang in there on yours--you'll get it done.

    Aug 23, 2007

  • Newt Love

    Hey! If a author writes a novel in the forest, and nobody reads it, did it make a sound?
    I'm newt, slithering from the shallow end of the gene pool, into the open ocean. Sharks are likely to eat me before the salt water kills me, but who wants a quiet life?

    Aug 27, 2007

  • Cheryl Norman

    We like a lot of the same books, so I'm sure your coffee mysteries will suit my tastes. So you're brewing up another one, eh? BEAN THERE, DONE THAT? What happened to GROUNDS? Your editor may find that grounds for revision **grin** Publishers seem to like the same old grind (sorry! couldn't resist!).

    Cheryl

    Aug 29, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    You're absolutely right, Cheryl. I have a feeling I won't get away with...well, BEANS. (Have you ever seen a business with more puns in it than the coffee business??!!) I do like the Grounds titles, but I can't resist trying to push it. GROUNDS FOR MURDER was initially titled THE MILKMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE. Guess DIAL AUTOGRIND FOR MURDER is out of the question. Sigh.

    Aug 31, 2007

  • Rajnikant

    hello Sandra how are you my name is rajnikant. may i join your network???

    Oct 27, 2007

  • MysteryDawg

    Welcome aboard and greetings from Southern California

    Oct 31, 2007

  • Sue Dawson

    eagerly awaiting purchased books-- Confirmed Order #1986-7635-6481

    Nov 5, 2007

  • Sue Dawson

    Well, I am nearly to Chapter 18 in UNCOMMON GROUNDS and am loving it. As I sit here on my p.c. my self-cleaning oven has only about half an hour to finish.
    The weather is picture perfect for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Your autographed books arrived a couple of days ago, and I started UG at the dentist's office. The books were worth the wait, and I am nowan admirer of Maggy. As you know, my first husband was a dentist, now retired, who left me for his hygienist whose husband committed suicide. Tomorrow would have been Jolly's and my 35th wedding anniversary, so I am feeling a bit blue. However, I can pop on a demo tape from his professional music days. How many widows can do that? ;-)

    Nov 22, 2007

  • Sue Dawson

    Books arrived safely, and I am almost to chapter 18 of UNCOMMONG GROUNDS. Maggy is a peach!

    Nov 22, 2007

  • Sue Dawson

    Hey, I was told the first comment did not go through, so now you get three for the price of one.

    Nov 22, 2007

  • Sandra Balzo

    Hi, Sue! So glad the books arrived and you're enjoying Uncommon Grounds. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

    Nov 24, 2007

  • Allan E. Ansorge

    Sandra Glad to see the second book is out. Attended your signing in Sussex for the first one. I'll check your web site and try to catch up with you for a signed copy.

    Dec 18, 2007