Reviews
Five Questions with E.A. Aymar
Can male authors write female characters? Should they? In the era of #MeToo and "other voices," these questions are coming to the fore more often in all the arts. And in crime fiction, at least, there has been a concerted effort to publish and promote voices that have...
Cool cats, professors, and more…
I only wrote a few entries in "300 Songs 300 Years," but I'm as proud of these as of many other things I've written over the years. Edited by my buddy Brett Milano, who also wrote the lion's share of the entries, this really fun new book chronicles the history of New...
Five Questions with Dale Phillips
Here in New England, we have a real crime fiction community. Thanks to our robust Sisters in Crime speakers bureau, we meet up regularly at libraries. We gather at events like the Boston Book Fest, and we exchange ideas at Mystery Writers of America meetings (and...
Ready for summer reading?
What are you looking forward to reading this summer? There are so many great books coming out. Here in the Boston area alone, we'll be celebrating Hallie Ephron’s Careful What You Wish For, (Aug. 6), Hank Phillippi Ryan’s The Murder List(Aug....
Five Questions with Leslie Budewitz
You probably know Leslie Budewitz from her fun, frothy Food Lovers' Village and Spice Shop cozies – the latest of which, CHAI ANOTHER DAY comes out on June 11. Or maybe you heard that she just won the coveted Agatha for her short story, "All God's Sparrows." Those of...
Great thrillers by women
When a list of the supposed 100 best crime novels only included 28 by women, The Guardian responded with this great list of female authors (including Ann Cleeves, Val McDermid, and Dreda Say Mitchell) of 50 can't miss thrillers, all by women. Click through here (and...
Five Questions with Bryon Quertermous
Dark books can have a ton of heart – and Bryon Quertermous's certainly do. Bryon's books often place his characters in horrible situations, where they have to deal with the emotional ramifications of grief. Yet, when I had the honor to serve with Bryon on a committee...
“Shades of Grey,” rediscovered…
One of the most unexpected joys of becoming a writer has been discovering a community of generous, wonderful people. Mary Kennedy – whose bestselling Talk Radio mysteries are grand cozy fun (she also writes cookbooks and more!) – was one of the first to welcome me....
Five Questions with Lewis DeSimone
Did Lewis and I know each other in college? That was so long ago, I no longer remember. What I do know was that hmm-hmm years ago, when I was putting together an alumni book event for a significant reunion, Lewis was one of my first classmates to respond. That meant I...
See you at Malice!
Do you know about Malice Domestic? Do you like cozies (traditional mysteries)? If so, you should join hundreds of other authors and readers at Malice 31. Established in 1989, Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area...