___ You already know what a sucker I am for Twitter. These past couple of weeks I’ve been pretty plugged in to the hivemind. Not sure why–it’s just one of those seasons. Riding that wave of uncomplicated, virtual friendship and instant gratification feeds something inside me. Not always, but often. Perhaps it has something to …Read More

You know how there are some people that you meet, and instantly like? I met D.P. Lyle at my first Thrillerfest back in 2007, if I recall correctly. I had stars in my eyes and was incredibly goofy throughout the whole conference. But Doug is one of those smart, confident people who makes a person–fan …Read More

I find it tough to review thrillers because, frankly, there often isn’t much beyond an enticing, exciting plot to review. Thrillers tell fast-moving stories in which the hero/heroine is caught up in events that throw his or her life out of control. The trick for the thriller writer is to make the protagonist interesting and …Read More

The wonderful J.T. Ellison sent me the link to this perfect Handbasket pic on icanhascheezburger.com. I think we have a new mascot!

My first SLR camera was a Pentax ZX-30 film camera. I put it away about six or seven years ago when it needed servicing, and picked up an inexpensive digital snapshot camera because I was mostly just taking random pictures of my kids. Since then I’ve had a progression of nice-enough digital cameras, but I …Read More

I just accidentally followed my own blog. Can I have a #facepalm, please? On to the point at hand… What the hell is a hipster? My daughter tells me that a hipster is basically someone who is anti-anything that is considered cool by the culture at large. They include old hippies, young, under-employed urbanites, and …Read More

Warning: This is not a very pretty, shiny post. Bliss House is the tentative title of my nearly-completed WIP. I won’t go into deep detail here–this isn’t about the novel itself, but about some accidental research. Jillian McAdam is a fourteen year-old girl who has shut herself away in the massive house her mother has …Read More

Dear God, Please send me: James Patterson’s sales P. D. James’s longevity Charlaine Harris’s smile David Morrell’s wisdom Louise Penny’s powers of description Daphne du Maurier’s sense of drama Otto Penzler for a mentor Sue Grafton’s pacing Dashiell Hammett’s clarity Laura Lippman’s awards Agatha Christie’s productivity Graham Greene’s brains Harlan Coben’s charm Nora Roberts/J.D. robb’s …Read More

I’ve never been an enthusiastic jewelry collector. Like socks, I never can seem to find just the right thing to go with whatever I’m wearing. One of my sisters (both, maybe?) prefers to wear only fine jewelry, and she does have lovely taste. I, however, am eclectic, and you’re liable to run into me wearing …Read More

There was this girl. Let’s call her Bitsy. Bitsy was the young woman my middle class self always wished she had been. Moneyed. Athletic. White-blonde, and very lightly freckled. East coast-educated, sorority-bred. Brilliant taste in clothes. Rarely wore more than one or two pieces of jewelry, and never carried a purse–only her wallet.  She didn’t …Read More