It's the ides of April, so why don't we call it that?

I like the idea of a term for the middle of the month. We have the first of the month and the last of the month. So "the ides" is a good marker, letting us know we're halfway through. No one says it, though.

There are lots of words from the past that we've thrown away, words that are still good, like those rollover minutes on TV. Varlet. Whippersnapper. Mewl. Strumpet. I could go on.

When they're done right, bookstores feel kind of like home. You do as you like, stay as long as you like, have a snack, read a little, chat a little about your favorite things, and get intellectual stimulation from discussion with those who "live" there. I've been in lots of bookstores in the past few years, staying near a table of my books and directing customers to the bathroom or the nonfiction shelves. As I visit, I see the staff in action, and it's easy to tell the best…

April in the D. April in Paris. Pieces of April.

Whatever your impressions of the month, it seems to inspire folks. My goal is to finish my WIP before Malice Domestic, which is at the end of April. Somehow, in springtime, all things seem possible.

I don't know why this came to mind, but it seems to me that what we watch on television says something about us as individuals.

Of course, there are plenty of factors that enter into the equation. People with little to do, such as the elderly or the unemployed, often watch shows they really don't like very well, just for something to do. I visited someone in a nursing home recently who was watching one of those Disney Channel teeny-bopper shows about junior high school angst. I know…

Which living writers would you most like to sit down for an hour with and why?

I'll start.

Margaret Atwood - She's just so brilliant.

Ariana Franklin - We'd have lots to discuss.

Sara Paretsky - What she's done in this business!

It isn't by design that they're all women. I'm sure there are lots of male writers

who would provide a fascinating interview as well. And my list might change

tomorrow.

My "vintage" mystery concerns a prim young woman of the '60s, Carrie, who meets a recently-returned Vietnam vet, Jack. Their first meeting is a bit rocky, but they soon learn to appreciate each other's good points. Carrie admires Jack's courage in facing the problems life has thrown at him. Jack admires Carrie's ability to see the good in the world and help him see it as well.

I chose not to dwell on the politics of the Vietnam war. If you're looking for a commentary on why we…

You have an idea. Maybe you have the first three chapters done. But somehow, the rest isn't coming. Is it writer's block? Is it bad plotting? Will it ever become a novel?

Experts everywhere have one answer: butt in chair. You have to write. You have to sit there. You have to keep at it. Will it be good? Maybe, maybe not. But you can't fix it if it isn't there.

Write a whole story. Once you're written "The End", then you can worry about whether it's good or not and…

Tuesday is the book launch party for HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER. I have received word that the books I ordered for said launch will arrive on Wednesday.

It's the sort of problem one can't complain about. The reason for the delay in shipping is that the first printing of HHFM sold out shortly after the release date, January 20th. The publisher is working on catching up, but ... I'll be having a party without hundreds of little guests of honor.

Am I disappointed? Certainly. Will…

This week I focused on MHO of what makes a good mystery: believability, the right sleuth, etc. Today I'll finish with the end, that final wrapping-up that either leaves the reader satisfied and wanting the next book from the author or...else.

Golden Age mysteries tended to have a rather lengthy scene where the sleuth replayed the whole scenario, pointing out clues and often ending with a dramatic accusation: "And that's how I deduced that (bum-bum-bum-bahhhh) the butler did…