In late 2020 or early 2021 (I can’t remember the exact timing anymore), a fellow author friend of mine approached me about doing a list building mystery anthology featuring female detectives or sleuths. It would be available for the month of October 2021 for free in exchange for an email. After that, the anthology would […]
Writing Journey
The Story Behind the Story: “Ice Cold Murder”
When the concept for The Murder Before Christmas dropped into my head, it didn’t come alone. It brought more ideas with it, including Ice Cold Murder and A Grave Error, which is a novella prequel. So, from the beginning, it was clear this was supposed to be a series. That doesn’t mean I didn’t resist […]
The Story Behind the Story: “The Murder Before Christmas”
I never dreamed Charlie Kingsley would become such a major force in my life. I was in my twenties when I first had the glimmering of the idea that would eventually become It Began With a Lie. At the time, I thought it was going to be a one-off, standalone book, focused mainly on Becca […]
The Story Behind the Story: “The Third Nanny”
Once I finished the bulk of the work for The Reckoning so it would be ready for a December launch, I found myself at a bit of a loss. I wasn’t sure what my next project would be. I had a couple of ideas but they didn’t feel ready yet. For me at least, once […]
The Story Behind the Story: “The Reckoning”
I never planned to write this book. That isn’t to say the story wouldn’t have been told—it definitely would have. But it would have been wrapped up in one book in my Secrets of Redemption series rather than two. However, the moment the story downloaded into me back in April 2020, I knew Charlie’s story […]
The Story Behind the Story: “The Summoning”
After I published The Evil That Was Done, I got to work on a new series. While I had a vague idea for a fourth Secrets of Redemption book, it was still a little hazy, and I thought it would be smart to write a new series. Alas, I found myself really struggling with the […]
It’s Official: “The Summoning” is complete
Well, not complete complete, as it still needs editing, but the first draft is officially DONE! I started The Summoning 3 months ago during the zombie apocalypse. At the time, I was struggling with a different novel, the first of a new series, and it wasn’t coming together. But then, I hurt my eye and […]
The Writing Journey: Your Guide to Writing During a Global Pandemic
Shakespeare allegedly wrote King Lear while under quarantine. (And he didn’t even have a typewriter back then, much less a computer. He had to write everything by hand!) So, you should have no trouble getting that book done, right? (You know–the one you’ve been talking about forever.) You’re stuck at home anyway, so why not […]
The Writing Journey: The Legend of Happy-Faced Spiders
I taught myself to read when I was three years old because I wanted to write stories so badly. That’s how my About page begins. However, what I didn’t share is what I did BEFORE I could read. You see, I had the craving even then to tell stories. I wanted so badly to capture the words […]
The Story Behind the Story: “The Evil That Was Done”
The Evil That Was Done is the third book in my award-winning Secrets of Redemption series (it also had the title “What Was Done,” more on that below). It has the distinction of being the first third book in my first series. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like writing a series, I […]