Harry Houdini was a well-known escape artist, a film star, and a tireless warrior against spiritualism. He placed advertisements in local newspapers, including this one in the December 1, 1922 Richmond Times Dispatch. Spiritualism was a religious movement based on the belief that the dead and the living could have contact with each other. Houdini … Read more
It’s the 1850s and serialized stories are all the rage. Amazon Kindle takes a note from history and allows authors to serialize stories. I’m writing a mystery story set in rural West Virginia. It’s a step away from my love of the cozy and historical mysteries. Each week, I’ll publish a new “episode” via Kindle … Read more
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. Currently, I’m on a mission to use up the leftover turkey in creative ways. I made a turkey potpie with a buttermilk crust and even impressed myself when it came out of the oven with a beautiful golden crust. My husband who claimed he … Read more
This is a flash fiction piece I wrote this weekend for a contest. The contest assigned historical fiction, wagon, and daybook. Each of these had to appear in a story of 1,000 words or less. I used elements from my childhood in Colorado. Our first home had an old wagon and a rock fence. I … Read more
Far from being a ganster’s moll, Elizebeth Friedman was the codebreaker who helped to bust them. Elizebeth Friedman is widely known as the first female cryptanalyst. She and her husband William led a team of codebreakers during World War I. During Prohibition, Elizebeth worked with the federal government to break the rum runners secret codes. … Read more
This week instead of talking about the 1920s and all that was fabulous about the bootleggers, gangsters, and their ilk, I wanted to announce my fellow author’s book release. Heather Weidner has a book birthday this week, and I’m super excited about it. If you love cozy mysteries, fun characters, and unique settings, Heather’s Vintage … Read more
This week’s mug is George Remus, former successful defense attorney turned bootlegger and murderer. George was born in Germany, but he and his family arrived in the U.S. when he was a child. The family settled in Chicago. George found early success as a pharmacist, but at age 24, he decided to become a lawyer. … Read more
Have you heard of the Queen of the Bootleggers? Her name was Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe and she was a famous female rumrunner who kept the liquor flowing between the Bahamas and the United States for three years before calling it quites. Cleo called herself the Rum Queen of the Bahamas, but to me she was … Read more
Check out my interview on Bryan Nowak’s All Things Writing Podcast.
Today, I was interviewed by podcaster and horror writer, Bryan Nowak, on why I write cozy mysteries and why they appeal to readers. I believe that they provide a hint of comfort and restore order to the world every time an amateur sleuth solves a crime. Many of us our armchair detectives who enjoy a … Read more