This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. In Mid-Coast Maine, the sun comes up just little after 5 in the morning. I stay awake, no matter what, because of the light and the singing robins and chickadees in the garden outside the Cape Cod house we’re renting. The sky is always blue, the air never … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Not only am I an old writer, I started writing fiction a very long time ago. Seventh grade, to be exact. It was the greenest of seasons—when I’d read hundreds of books but not taken a single class in the craft—was an afterschool pleasure coming after or sometimes … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Napping after lunch is a tradition with adherents worldwide, especially in warm seasons and places. We had 87-degree weather yesterday in Baltimore—the second hot day in a row. Cherry trees are bursting into pink heaven outside my bedroom window. As I lie down over rather than underneath the sheet because … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I’ve been thinking quite a lot these days about human connection. Apparently, a loneliness epidemic is worsening—even though the pandemic is over. Twenty years ago, most Americans felt they had more close friends than they do today. In addition to the pandemic cutting down on gatherings that never … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. This year I moved my desk and laptop into the long skinny room running along the back of our third floor. And this has changed not only our house—but also my writing life. It’s always been a difficult room. An oddball zone with great windows, but nowhere to … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A few weeks ago, I had the fun of interviewing a literary lion in Washington DC—and I received a gift that went far beyond the signed copy of a book. Sir Alexander McCall Smith was touring the United States in support of one of his newest novels, The Great … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. My family settled in Minnesota when I was seven. You’d think the Laura Ingalls Wilder books set in the prairies around the state would be the perfect fit for a book-loving, history fanatic. I liked them because they were set in the past, but I was obsessed with … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. What does it take to bring an idea into book form—and then to take one book into a series? My first mystery came out in 1997, and it turned into a series that lasted for eleven books. Then I went on to throw myself into a second series … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Surely, every writer has a different equation of how much writing they leave as is—and how much they willingly alter. Fine tuning is a major part of my work these days, and it’s every bit as challenging for me as getting the first draft on paper. For my … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. From where I sit, the view has changed. The windows which once offered views of my neighbors’ houses are now filled with nothing but green. The elms, oaks, and cherry trees have leafed out, giving a false appearance that summer has arrived. However, the temperatures in Maryland are … Read more