I'm so excited. I'm attending Malice Domestic for the first time this year. Until last year, I didn't even know it existed and now just the thought of being in the same room with some of my favorite authors has me goosebumpy and giggling like a school girl. Amazing to me!

Hopefully, while I'm in the room with the likes of Margaret Maron, Carolyn Hart, Cathy Pickens and so many others, their muses will shake an accusatory finger at mine and asked about that sorry work ethic of hers.…

Posted by Leann Sweeney

I have always loved animals, but was only allowed to have one cat during my childhood, but she conveniently disappeared, just like Harvey, our rabbit. Only later did I learn that lost meant sent away. My mother was a dog person and my father liked birds because they could whistle back at him or enjoyed the mirror as much as I'm guessing he did. The first thing my husband and I did when we moved into our first place was to adopt two kittens. Fanny…

No, I don't mean my marriage is breaking up, heck we just celebrated 15 years what would be the point? I mean I need to divorce my current work in progress....actually I just need to divorce a chapter...but I can't seem to make myself do it.

See, that's my problem. I'm so married to my words I can't make myself delete them all together. I have three "deleted scene" folders for this current work because when I'm writing I just let the words and scenes flow. But then when I go back and…

Murder with Reservations - Help Elaine Viets

This seems like a pretty cool place to be.

I can write the books, but I'm just learning the ropes in terms of promotion.

But the internet is cool for these things. I'm sitting at my son's gymnastics class and posting a blog. Woo hoo. I love technology.

I don't have much to say this afternoon, but that won't last long. Thanks to all who have friended me.

I"ll be back later.

cmr

Very up and down today, I must say. In that order. Both me-wise and weather-wise. This morning was good. On all fronts (ho ho). Went into Guildford early and stocked up on underwear at Marks & Spencer. Where would I be without that shop? Today I've been bold and rebellious and actually bought bras that weren't white. Or black. Which are my usual bra colours. No, today I have bought, amongst other items, one pink and one light taupe bra. So I feel wild and free and liberated.…

One day last fall, Michelle Becker and I reviewed the forensic sessions we'd attended at several writers' conferences. The classes were good—but the information often covered the same ground twice or left gaping holes. What we needed was a conference dedicated to solely to forensics.…

Our DVD competitions seem very popular. Our next one is in conjunction with Network DVD, And there is the chance to win a copy of the Special 9 Disc box set of The Best of Ruth Rendell Mysteries worth £59.99 and with a blurb line from our very own Peter…

Posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

Can you have a "claim to fame" if nobody remembers? I don't know if Al Gore invented the internet or not, but I myself coined the phrase "blatant self-promotion", commonly shortened to BSP. I can't prove it, but I defy anyone to disprove it.

Here's what happened. I've been a member of the online mystery community DorothyL (www.dorothyl.com) for at least a dozen years. Some…

It takes a special frame of mind to embark on and complete a novel and I have to admit I am a long way from reaching that at the moment, despite enjoying the hell out of my writing my first book "The Fast Shuffle". I couldn't get the words on the page fast enough a few years ago when I raced through it and, even though it has yet to reach a big audience, I am proud as punch about it. It reflects my personality well, faults and all.

At the moment, I am writing dialogue and ideas for a…

Please check the new anthology THE FLASH, edited by Peter Wild, published by Social Disease and featuring a story by myself (amongst many others much more worthy - see below). The title refers to the length of the stories: each one…

Did some real secretarial stuff today and prepared papers for Monday’s Steering Group meeting – which feels like getting more back to normal after the hiatus of the Easter holidays, conference etc. And God knows how much I like normal. If only I saw it more often.



The rest of the morning was spent visiting the new Manor Park campus – where Carol works some of the time as part of her mentoring remit. We walked there and back which took about 20-25 minutes or so each way, but…

Whew--finally A Treasury of Regrets is officially on sale. This Sunday I'll be doing a book signing in Hudson, NY, where I lived until four months ago.

Since I have no cash and no driver's license, I can't drive around for hundreds of miles to promote my book. But I CAN talk (endlessly) on the phone! So if you are in a book club (USA or Canada), or your friends are, and you like historical mysteries, please consider inviting me over, via your speakerphone, for a live…