Tucson is beautiful. Something is wacky with the weather because I travelled from downcast Los Angeles to sunny Tucson and still returned to a rainy SoCal. Really, though, the hotel setting for Left Coast Crime (LCC) was so surreal and pretty! Majestic mountains, fluffy floating clouds, and impressive cacti surrounded me! I even saw a cactus with a rose growing on it! Of course, I didn't go for the secluded location. I went to see people--and they didn't disappoint either! It's … [Read more...]
Busy, Busy Bee
March 14, 2023 Leave a Comment
Hey all, This week will be packed! Today, I'm off to celebrate the anniversary of The Bookish Hour podcast. Come join me!It'll be two nights of Mystery March Madness with great authors. I'm on for tonight: March 14th stream: https://youtube.com/live/vVGTmYYzE4AMarch 16th stream: https://youtube.com/live/9hi9pFuKnQ8 Also, I'm flying out to Tucson for Left Coast Crime soon! I'm nominated for a Lefty Award for Death By Bubble Tea, and I'll be on two panels and busy with multiple … [Read more...]
Lefty Award Nomination!
January 18, 2023 2 Comments
Have you heard of Left Coast Crime? If you’re a crime fiction fan and live West-ish (western US, Canada…), you might know of it. This exciting conference for fans brings together readers and authors for a wonderful time of connection. Every year, it changes locations. In 2023, it’ll be held in Tucson in March. I’m really excited about LCC since my book, Death By Bubble Tea, has been nominated for a Lefty Award in the Best Humorous Mystery category. Find me listed next to Ellen Byron, my … [Read more...]
December Already?!
December 14, 2022 Leave a Comment
How can it be December? The calendar must have sped up. I’ve conceded to this time warp, though, by beginning to listen to Pentatonix music. For some reason, as a kid I used to really like “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Maybe it was the fun repetition or countdown of numbers. (Modern update: My nieces and nephews now do coordinated hand motions to the song.) I also like reflecting over the year as it closes out, so here’s my writerly spin on the List of Twelve: 12 Drafts DraftingMaybe … [Read more...]
(Not) Drinking from Cacti & Other Fun Road Trip Facts
April 14, 2022 4 Comments
Whee! We recently drove from California to New Mexico for the Left Coast Crime conference. I love gathering random factoids on road trips. At a pit stop in Phoenix, we stopped by the Desert Botanical Garden. Thank goodness it wasn’t too hot. (The temp would go up to high 80s later on.) I was wowed by all sorts of cacti (but please don’t give me a pop quiz on them). Unfortunately, I was also sad to discover that you can’t really drink water out of a barrel cactus. It’s more like a glue or sap … [Read more...]
It’s Conference Time!
March 29, 2022 2 Comments
When is a conference not a conference? <drum roll> When it happens in March 2020. The last time I went to a writing conference was in 2020 for Left Coast Crime in San Diego. It was surreal experiencing the shutdown of the entire event. Notices were quickly taped to doors and windows. People scrambled for their phones to rearrange transportation and find lodging. I resigned myself to canceling my hotel reservation (hoping for a refund) and traveling the two hours back to Los … [Read more...]
To Swag or Not to Swag?
March 15, 2022 2 Comments
It’s conference season time! As an author, a lot my time is spent in solitary creation. There comes a few points every year where I actually get to go out and meet folks, including readers. This happens at book festivals, and to a smaller extent, at bookstores. Fan conventions, though, are a different beast entirely. These gatherings invite readers to mingle with their favorite authors. They’ve been on pause (or virtual) for the last few years, so I’m excited to see them up and running … [Read more...]
2022 Lefty Award Finalist
January 19, 2022 2 Comments
Hey, everyone! Just a quick post to say that MIMI LEE CRACKS THE CODE is a Lefty Award Finalist for Best Humorous Mystery. So honored to be on this great list of authors! https://leftcoastcrime.org/2022/Awards.html … [Read more...]
