This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. As a teenager, I loved to read bodice rippers. That passion faded. I explain it this way: I grew up to be a mystery writer. Romance novels don’t hold my interest because the outcome rarely varies from my guess on Page 20. I’m sure I sounded like a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. One hundred years ago, only a science fiction writer could have dreamed that being a writer would involve much more than a pen, typewriter, and some paper. Bookstores would take care of selling one’s work, and there would be the occasional exciting invitation to lecture at a private … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I was messing with my books today and turned them so that the spines were hidden. No titles, no idea of content. They seem like a visual representation of how powerless books are if we don’t see what they’re about. Blank books remind me of silenced voices. The … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. It takes just two tanks of gas to get the 1,100 miles between here and Southern Louisiana—and no tolls to pay, either. I know this because last week, I drove there with my husband to see his mother and brother and the rest of the family. Sharing the … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Jamshedi Navroz Mubarak! According to the old Persian calendar, March 20 or 21 is the day that the new year named Navroze, Navroz, Nawrooz, and various other spellings is welcomed. This observance mostly celebrated by Zoroastrians—the group inside known as Parsi; Bahai worshippers; and Sunni Muslims with roots … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is sending ripples of pain from the traumatically besieged country to the rest of the world. I fear for the trapped Ukrainians and foreigners unable to escape the Russian military. I marvel at the resistance of Ukrainians who are literally giving their lives for … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I recently read an incredible novel: Passage West by Rishi Reddi. I fell hard for the small cast of sympathetic characters, Indian and Mexican immigrants in early 20th century America, and I yearned to know more from her about this mysterious part of American history. I’m sharing an … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. In my long-ago life as a newspaper reporter, there were a few words I wasn’t allowed to use. No profanity, of course. And the other expression I remember was THE WHITE STUFF. White stuff was on the lips of every television weather reporter when they talked about snow. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I’ve invited a special guest writer this week. Daisy, approximately four years old by the human standard, is a Yorkshire terrier mix who has become the heart of our home. I am devoting most of my time this week to rewriting a manuscript, so Daisy kindly agreed to … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Have you ever thought about what happens to a particular book after it’s been read? Does it settle into a gentle slumber on a shelf, or a haphazard spot on the floor? How will it continue to do its work? I love having a house full of books; … Read more