An Improvisational Year

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. The songs are playing day and night. Some of them are tentative, while others blow the dust off the steep wooden staircase. My son is home from college for the winter holidays and nestled in his third floor bedroom with all his electric guitars—and the amplifiers. The improvisations … Read more

Get Your Roasted Nuts Here!

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Throughout December, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are always in my shopping cart. I first wrote about this peculiar passion three years ago, yet I couldn’t resist returning to the topic this year.  And the nuts made me contemplate whether traditions can shift a bit and still feel comforting. This … Read more

My Holiday Movie at The Charles

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A Thanksgiving movie is as much of a tradition for me as the cooking. When I used to return from Baltimore to St. Paul, Minnesota, in November, my sisters and mom and I always endeavored to find a special film to watch at an art house theater like … Read more

The Last Line

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. It’s often said that the start and end of a book are easy, but the middle is terrible. I’ve been lost in the creation of a novel for about fifteen months—and quite intensively during September and October. I wouldn’t say any part of this book has been easy. … Read more

A Breath of Fresh Air

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. What is it about wind at the shore? It’s the most soothing caress. When you add in the eternal sound of crashing waves, and an endless blue expanse of sea and sky… to me, that’s a perfect moment. I drove a few hours with my family to Lewes, … Read more

Hot Enough To Fry a Pancake

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A little more than a week ago, I was lying in a darkened bedroom at 4 PM on a Friday afternoon—wracked with fatigue, weakness and thirst. The day had started splendidly. I’d driven about 40 miles to the Washington suburbs to visit with my new author friend Shauna … Read more

A Tiny Guessing Game

This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Can you guess the name of this building? Recent travels, lots of book Zooming, and the vines in my garden are conspiring to make me a trifle overwhelmed. But there is beauty in the chaos, and the world is opening up… truly it is. My eye was caught … Read more