Because I am the mom of a teen-aged daughter and volunteer as the co-leader for her Girl Scout troop, I spend a lot of time around kids between the ages of 13 and 18. I've realized something over the last few months. I want to be young again! Not just young, but young enough to know it all!

Yes, I wish I was young enough to know it all again! I want to be:

Young enough to think I had all the answers to every single one…

,,,and boy do my legs ache! Seriously! I walked, stood, ran, and/or shuffled for three days. My legs will never feel like a part of my body again, and I simply couldn't care less! I had a BLAST! Malice was amazing!!

Funny story here. I'm sitting outside one of the panel rooms, getting my day in order, checking the mini guide book they handed out, making sure I'm in the right spot and trying to decide what to do next, when this sweet lady walks up and sits down with me and we start to…

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.…

I have been following all the updates on the news coming out of Virginia Tech since this horrible thing happened. Even though I don't know anyone personally who attends VT, this has still left its mark on me.

Events like this should only happen in fiction. No one should ever have to feel so dispirited as to see no other escape than to die and take others with him.

The fact that the doors were chained shut from the inside to prevent escape makes me cringe. It makes me want to…

I found out through a cozy discussion group that one of my favorite authors, Elaine Viets, is very ill. She was scheduled to be the Toastmaster at this year's Malice Domestic next month. I was very excited at the thought of meeting her. Now I'm just sad that she is ill and I'm praying her condition improves completely and swiftly. Her doctors are saying she has a long road ahead, but should recovery. That's great news!

To post a 'Get Well' message for Elaine, go to:…

Ya know what has become quite a mystery to me over the last five years? Girl Scout cookies--more specifically, why people order them and then refuse to pay for them? Over the last five years the kid unit has been with the Girl Scout organization, we have steadily decreased the number of people we ask to order cookies each year. And each year, there are new folks to add to the list of 'Those We Won't Ask Next Year Because They Didn't Pay This Year." It's strange to me!

One thing I…

Writers are a funny lot, aren't we? I was asked recently why I bothered to write if I didn't try to get published. My answer seemed reasonable to me at the time. I said, "I'm not published because I'm not polished enough yet. I just need more time and practice." As I said, seems perfectly reasonable, does it not? Then another question was lobbed at me that has my head still spinning. With all the sincerity in the world, this sweet little librarian said, "But how will you know when you are…

Well, this is my first ever official blog entry. Don't know what the big whoop is all about, but I'm willing to give it a shot, at least once. I'm usually willing to try new things, within reason and if it's not something I wouldn't do with my Gramma in the room. Considering she lives with me, it's totally a possibility. Well, 'lives' is not exactly true. She died in 1982, but she 'visits' and plays tricks on me from time to time. She calls often and lets me know all is well with her. At…