Ladies of Mystery

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not sure if I love to write, or if I love to have written. There are aspects to both that I love. I really love to brainstorm a story. (It’s like a new romance.) I’m very attracted to my idea and can’t wait to learn more about it. (Sort of like the first attraction to someone new.) Then I start to write and it’s so fun to see it start ...

When I completed my first mystery novel, Hung Out to Die, I quickly discovered that the novel would not stand alone. A synopsis was required. As a freelance journalist and communications specialist, I’ve put together a lifetime of pitches and proposals. Still, I spent some time reading up on what makes a successful synopsis. Then I wro...

Venturing Out

I am the author of the five mysteries that comprise the Joe Turner Mystery series. Like Joe, I am a criminal defense attorney practicing in Oakland, and my thirty years in the courtroom have provided a trove of stories. Write what you know, I suppose.

Joe is a more interesting version of me—younger, better looking, drinks mor...

It always amazes me when I’m listening to something or see something, and it triggers a book idea.

I just finished book 2 in the

* Vacations and Writing
by Margaret Lucke

“A writer never has a vacation. For a writer,
life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.”
–Eugene Ionescu

Ionesco may be right. Even when writers ta...