Since our novels are all supposed to have tons of conflict in them (major, minor, and in between), our protagonists need to use their problem solving skills…usually. In real life, I think our [...]

Once again, I’m posting writing links that I previously posted to Twitter. The idea of doing this isn’t to overwhelm anyone—I’m overwhelmed looking at this list myself! But I thought that if I [...]

So I was in the grocery store….again….(must make more lists) and was nearly run down by a little guy pushing a shopping buggy that was bigger than he was. “Benjamin! Watch our for [...]

Today I’d like to welcome Alan Orloff to the blog. Alan is a fellow Midnight Ink author with a new release–Diamonds for the Dead. He’s also writing a new series for Midnight Ink–The [...]

Actually, I’m at 3 different blogs today. :) So, let me go ahead and link to them all, here. My post is up at A Good Blog is Hard to Find, where I’m [...]

It’s important to have an online “home base”—an established place to call your own—even if you’re an unpublished or aspiring writing. To find out why you should develop an online presence, and how [...]

I’m going to the Malice Domestic conference at the end of this month in Washington, D.C. This has put me in a tizzy. Conferences and other types of public appearances do that to [...]

For the past month, I’ve been dying to spring clean. But my schedule has been so busy that I haven’t had time to do more than just basic maintenance around the house. The [...]

I was at the grocery store (again) yesterday before taking ten kids to my son’s 13th birthday paintball party. I was buying lots of chips and soft drinks. I saw a woman in [...]

It’s been a month since my daughter learned to ride a bike. We were all really excited—now we could ride bikes as a family! Charlotte, North Carolina, has greenways that go on for [...]

For a few months, I’ve seen tell-tale signs of social media burnout at some of my usual haunts—on different blogs, Twitter, maybe a little on Facebook. Mostly from bloggers. I think those of [...]

Today I’d like to welcome writer C. Patrick Schulze to the blog. Patrick is a friend of mine through Twitter (@CPatrickSchulze) where he not only posts helpful original content, but also tweets useful [...]

A couple of days ago, we were visiting our family in Alabama. The kids had gotten very restless and were about to start wreaking havoc in their grandparents’ house. I shooed them outside [...]

I’m doing a mid-week Twitter list this time, so I don’t get so far behind! The last post I did for links generated so many hits that I think I’ll have to make [...]

There aren’t many jobs where youth is a disadvantage. I believe writing is one of them. Actually, I don’t think someone in their 30s is particularly young. Until recently, the 30s was considered [...]

Today is my deadline for the second Memphis Barbeque book. I’m emailing it to my editor this morning. I’m getting better with deadlines. I’ve always met them, but I’ve felt very reticent about [...]

I’m taking a couple of days off from blogging to celebrate the Easter weekend with my family. I hope you’ll enjoy this older post, which originally ran last June. Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, [...]

I’m taking a couple of days off from blogging to celebrate the Easter weekend with my family. I hope you’ll enjoy this older post, which originally ran last July. :) I wasn’t cool [...]

Today is the first day of spring break for my children. This week of spring break is also the time to celebrate four close family birthdays, observe Easter, send off my taxes, and [...]

I’d like to welcome guest blogger Amy Dawson Robertson to Mystery Writing is Murder today. Amy is a native Virginian and graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis. She lives in the Washington [...]

I’m doing my best to eliminate paper from my writing process. At this point, the only paper that’s still around are the notebooks (and Post It notes) for my car and purse. I [...]

When it comes to writing, we all tackle things different ways.  We outline or don’t outline.  We focus mainly on plot or mainly on character.  We revise as we go or wait till [...]

My mother is, right now, my only first reader.  I think only a mom will put up with being asked to drop everything and read a book from start to finish because the [...]

I’ve had a few people ask me to run more writing links here—and for some reason I keep forgetting!  I post probably 25 or more writing links a day on Twitter, but that [...]

What is it about writing that makes us reluctant to admit to doing it? You’d think I could easily explain that I’m a writer by now. But usually a couple of times a [...]

Today I’d like to welcome author Stephen D. Rogers to the blog. Stephen is the author of SHOT TO DEATH and more than six hundred stories and poems. He’s the head writer at [...]

A couple of days ago, I was busily clearing out the weeds and grass that encroached on the kids’ sandbox in the backyard. “What are you doing?” asked my son. I frowned at [...]

Y’all have caught me at a bad time—I’m really feeling the need to do some spring cleaning (it’s very springy here now in North Carolina), but I’m smack dab up against a huge [...]

My children are both in Scouts. It’s been a great experience for them—they get to try new things and build self-confidence and self-reliance. The only thing I dislike about it? The selling. I’m [...]

My husband is a computer whiz. He does something so complicated at work that I don’t even understand it enough to explain it. I’m pretty good on computers. I’m much better than many [...]