In today's post we'll catch up with one of my fav, mystery authors, Amy Reade, who is celebrating her new release, A Traitor Among Us, Book 2 in the Cape May Historical Mystery Collection! I've had the pleasure of knowing Amy for a few years now and have totally enjoyed reading her books and series. I can't wait to read this latest tale, let's chat with Amy: Q1: Amy, thanks for being my guest today. You're a prolific writer with multiple series and stand-alone books that have

“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.” — Henry David Thoreau #HappyApril! For this post I am super excited because...I'm not here! Or, I should say, as you're reading, I'm flying. ✈ April has ushered in a trip to Albuquerque to attend the Left Coast Crime's Southwest Sleuths, mystery conference (more on this in another post). After months of #lockdownian (my new word, I kind of like it

“From the moment I picked up your book until I put it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.” ― Groucho Marx There's one thing I know for sure as we wrap of the first quarter of this most interesting year, 2022 is the gag gift that keeps on giving, LOL! I don't think I've ever seen a year where every single day we are presented with a new, major conundrum to deal with. I truly was not expecting the 'what is a woman' hysteria that emerged this past w

This International Women's Month I'm super excited to have as my guest, author Sandy Bazinet! She has penned several series and short stories that often deal with heartbreaking, sometimes bittersweet, yet uplifting moments experienced in life. I've found in reading Sandy's books I often reflect on my own, similar situations and am filled with gratitude to know I am not alone. I love her compassion, humor, and insights she shares in her stories. This week we're celebrating her

THE FAIRIES by William Allingham 🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀 Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together; Green jacket, red cap, And white owl’s feather! Down along the rocky shore Some make their home, They live on crispy pancakes Of yellow tide-foam; Some in the reeds Of the black mountain-lake, With frogs for their watchdogs, All night awake. High on the hill-top The old King sit

“Motives for murder are sometimes very trivial, Madame.” “What are the most usual motives, Monsieur Poirot?” “Most frequent—money. That is to say, gain in its various ramifications. Then there is revenge—and love, and fear, and pure hate, and beneficence—” “Monsieur Poirot!” “Oh, yes, Madame." Dame Agatha Christie For the March mystery topic post, I'm discussing motives for mur-dah most foul. What compels a person to become so incensed to commit the most heinous of crimes? Fo

"It might be a Scottish name, taken from a story about two men on a train. One man says, 'What's that package up there in the baggage rack?' And the other answers, 'Oh, that's a MacGuffin'. The first one asks, 'What's a MacGuffin?' 'Well,' the other man says, 'it's an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.' The first man says, 'But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands,' and the other one answers, 'Well then, that's no MacGuffin!' So, you see that a Ma

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose Wi

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin'; if you're not mitten-smitten, you'll be frostbitten! By jing-y feels spring-y.” ― The Old Farmer's Almanac Holy, chocolate truffles, month two of 2022, here we are! Have to say the Twitter trends ending January were a bit eye-popping: WWIII; political SOBs & #PartyGates; the never-ending vitriol (sigh) between the Vs (vaxxed) vs. UVs (unvaxxed); the fall, fall, fall of the stock

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” – Emma Thompson Wow, what a week this has been! Today, I'm super excited to have the cover reveal for book 7 in my cozy series, Blood on the Vines: Harvest at Castlewood Manor. I want to thank my uber-talented stepdaughter, Danielle Gregorio for another fabtastic, book cover design--I love the wine glass against the vines, it has a 3D affect that draws you in. The pink and

Poison Pen Letter [ˈpoizn pen ˈledər] NOUN a letter, typically anonymous, that is libelous, abusive, or malicious. Each month in 2022, I want to blog about topics and tropes that are associated with the #mystery genre. First on the agenda, the poison pen letter! These written assaults are often used in storylines, particularly in cozy mystery tales. I currently happen to be writing one where poison penned post cards are causing more than a bit of angst with the villagers of M

Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, go

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ― Norman Vincent Peale We headed to the hills last week for a bit of mountain air and Christmas cheer in Big Bear. The weather was delightfully chilly and warmed this SoCal gal's heart--I got to wear my faux-furry boots for the first time! I was also charmed to see the magic of Christmas in full display on the streets and shops of this quaint mountain town, no surfboards in si

Tea! Bless ordinary, everyday, afternoon tea! Agatha Christie Bring on the #holidays! I so agree with Dame Christie's proclamation--there is nothing better than afternoon tea. What a lovely tradition to sooth the soul and let the worries of the day subside. At the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, the view of the sun breaking through the marine layer was the perfect backdrop for a delightful, holiday afternoon. Best yet, the holiday decor theme throughout the main floor was surf

“I busied myself to think of a story, a story to rival those which had excited us to this task. One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and awaken thrilling horror . . . to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.” --Mary Shelley Well, hello December! What better way to begin this final month of the year than with a juicy, literary debate on the origins of the science fiction genre! Twitter went ballistic on November 20th when a book rev

💕✨🌹"The Divine Feminine is awakening now..." 💕✨🌹 Happy #ThanksgivingEve! For today's post I'm serving up a fabulous chat with #writer, creative, Bibiana Krall to celebrate her new release, Mont Pelier! This one's a mystical, thrill filled fantasy that will keep you guessing and gasping at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this latest tale; let's catch up with Bibiana: Bibiana, your Irish Phantom Series is an original take with an eerie paranormal premise mixed with fo

"When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach." Dame Agatha Christie Just a little over a week before the biggest eating day of the year here in the U.S.---who's ready to get their stretch pants on?! For today's post I'm highlighting a few of my favorite cookbooks and the recipes that get my taste buds chomping at the bit. I'm always looking for recipes to add to, or put a new, culinary spin on Thanksgiving classics. These books are filled with culin

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing..." Benjamin Franklin Like many writers this month, I've set my NaNoWriMo goals, slowly but surely achieving my word count objectives. I have to be honest--my challenge is based utilizing the months of planning that has resulted in an outline for book 7; Blood on the Vines: Harvest at Castlewood Manor. I haven't started from scratch, but none-the-less am doing my best to take advantage of the writing momentu

Well, hello November, what a weekend! The #spooktacular season of scary ended at midnight Sunday and at 12:01am November 1st, the holidays jingled on in, at least for me, LOL. Christmas Bizarre ❄ Rikkhe St. Claire Hygge & Bisous Holiday Mysteries is here! Five stories of Christmas mystery and holiday magic are coming your way... A storyteller tradition continues... I absolutely love this time of year when everything sparkles and shines. The prep for this collection has once a

When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, 'tis near Halloween... Just five more days until the spookiest night of the year, who's ready to get their #Boo on? For this scary night post, I thought I'd give a writer's lift #Shoutout for a few books and stories I've previously read for this countdown to Halloween. These tales from various genres will prime the goosebumps, get those hearts pumping, and best of all, are calorie free!🎃 It's been