Choosing which point-of-view to write from is one of the most fundamental decisions an author has to make, well before a single word is put to page. And like all rules a writer "has" to follow, the POV rules are made to be broken. The only thing that matters is the...
It was early 2021 and I couldn’t stop thinking about the eighties. For you maybe it was the seventies, or early 2000s, or whatever time it was that whisked you back to your youth, what we collectively call the good ole days, even if we can never all agree on when...
Last month I promised to tell you a stupid thing I did. Time to make good on that. I've had a handful of embarrassing moments in my life, most notably the time I feel asleep on a plane, had a nightmare, then woke up mid-flight screaming and scaring the holy hell...
It’s less than two months from the launch of The Father She Went to Find and things are stirring. It’s the same with every book launch, so why does it always feel so surprising? This will be my ninth published book, and with every launch I’m never quite sure what to...
You smell that? That’s the scent of a new year, fresh out of the dryer. Crisp and clean, almost like new. So what are you going to do with 2024? Fold it, put it away, and forget about it? Or put it on immediately and get it covered in dirt and sweat before it’s...
I only went to one writer’s conference this year. Ideally I attend two or three, but, you know, that gets expensive! I made the hard decision to forgo Thrillerfest and Bouchercon (my usuals), and instead attend something truly special: Iceland Noir (“A literary...
This was my first Halloween with neither of my two kiddos at home. Wow, how fast it all goes by! Seems like it was just yesterday I was showing the little ankle-biters the proper way to decorate for Halloween. They didn’t listen at first; for the few several years...
Who the hell is Penny Bly? Early in the pandemic, this was the question I couldn't get out of my head. Penny Bly was going to be the driving force behind my next thriller, but I knew very little about her. As most of you know, I don't outline; my books simply start...
I have a few mantras about writing that I like to push out to the world through public speaking and social-media posts (you may have seen my "writing tip of the week" videos; if not, shame on you). I'm a big believer in substituting action for excuses. As such, it's...
People are always surprised when they find out book titles are often not the title the author used. Looking back, my publisher changed the title of five of my nine books. And that’s okay! I’ve long since learned not to get attached to my working title, and often I’ll...
