Published in 2014, The Ghost of Marlow House is the first of the Haunting Danielle series by Bobbi Holmes.  The latest installment in the series, The Ghost and the Poltergeist, will be released around April 30.  Danielle Boatman arrives in Fredericksport, a fictional small town on the Oregon coast, to take possession of a three-story, turn-of-the-century mansion, left to her by her great-aunt, which she intends to turn into a bed and breakfast.  Her friend Lily has come with her to help for the summer.  However, when Danielle goes into Marlow House for the first time, she d ..read more

 Though I’ve never met a ghost, I’ve read enough about ghost sightings and hauntings to believe they exist. Experts in the field say some spirits remain earthbound because they’ve experienced a brutal or sudden death and don’t realize they’re dead. Others remain here because they have unfinished business or issues they need to resolve before passing on. Ghosts, whether you believe in them or not, have a permanent place in our literary lore. Readers find their manifestations unnerving, thrilling and intriguing. George and Marion Kerby in Topper and the sea captain in The Ghost and Mrs. Mui ..read more

Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Split or Chocolate Cake and Why? Eating preferences can tell you a lot about an individual’s personality. Here’s a little insight into each of the Writers Who Kill bloggers. Connie Berry - Cheesecake, please—but hold the strawberries. Lori Roberts Herbst - Strawberry cheesecake. I'm not a huge ice cream eater. I love chocolate (too much), but there's just something about cheesecake that tingles my tastebuds. Debra H. Goldstein – Chocolate Cake – especially a multi-layer one with raspberry filling between the layers puts me into a sugar high frenzy. James M. Ja ..read more

By Paula Gail Benson Each year, I look forward to interviewing Agatha nominees prior to the Malice Domestic Conference. Unfortunately, my work schedule did not allow me to ask questions this year, but it has not stopped me from enjoying the diversity, uniqueness, talent, and skill of the nominees’ work. In this message, I wanted to showcase the best contemporary novel and best short story nominees. They all are people I respect greatly and many of them have become dear and cherished friends. The best contemporary novels show the amazing scope and range mystery novels can explore. Malice Domes ..read more

Life Cycle Experiences with Writing and Family by Debra H. Goldstein Like many of you, I am a blog lurker. Besides the ones I write for, I read several other author blogs on a regular basis. Consequently, I’ve become familiar with tidbits of the various authors’ lives. I’ve rejoiced with them during life cycle events like births, Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, or a child becoming their co-writer, and I have been saddened when there are mentions of illness or loss of loved ones.  Two things I look forward to are the announcements of new publications and new grandchildren. The fun from these is th ..read more

 By Korina Moss As I begin to prep for my trip to Malice Domestic in less than two weeks, I’ve been thinking about all the dreams that I’ve realized there. Malice Domestic is a three-day fan convention/ conference in Bethesda, MD, attended by hundreds of authors and fans alike. It celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. (Hence, the name for the Agatha Awards voted on by Malice attendees and handed out at the awards banquet.) This will be my third year attending, and boy, I never imagined what amazing experiences this conference would bri ..read more

 By Lisa Malice In the lead-up to the release of LEST SHE FORGET, my publisher (CamCat) peppered me with fun and thoughtful questions for use in marketing and promotion. This month’s Q & A has me yearning for a return to the Golden Age of Hollywood with movie stars that could really bring lead characters my psychological thriller to life. QUESTION: If your book were to be made into a movie, which actors would you cast to play your characters?   ANSWER: What a fun question! I took to the Internet to cast Lest She Forget, scrutinizing photos and film histories of actors who ..read more

  Getting Your Writing back on Track by Heather Weidner   What have you written lately? The day gig has been a little crazy. I’ve written performance reviews, several proposals, emergency announcements, and a couple of policies. There are days when my book marketing and writing projects don’t get as much attention as I’d like to give them, and sometimes, there are days that I just don’t feel like writing after work. Stuff happens. Life and work often throw your writing off schedule. Here are some ideas to get your writing back on track. 1.      If you’re an ..read more

      By Margaret S. Hamilton   “Should he reach out to Amber? No. It was one thing to embrace his own redemption, another to open that Pandora’s box. He wished her well and he hoped, not just for his own sake, that she would be allowed to resume her life without the past rising up to haunt her. Staying away from her would be the greatest kindness Joe could confer. Thank god a gallery in that location was destined to tank.” (p.37-8)   In Laura Lippman’s psychological suspense novel, Prom Mom, three women are suspended in an orbit around handsome and narcissistic Joe ..read more

We’re all familiar with various “rules of writing,” from various sources. The concept of “show, don’t tell” is often attributed to Russian writer Anton Chekov, who said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Painting a picture with words encourages readers to picture the scene in their minds, creates a bond with between reader and author, and serves to carry the story along vividly. At the same time, I realize that some of my favorite authors do a lot of telling in their work, and it works well for me. I love Margaret Yorke’s psychological suspense ..read more