Spring has finally—and abruptly—arrived here in Minnesota. On Friday, there was still snow on my little garden plot of perennials. On Saturday, it had melted enough that I could rake away the remaining leaves from last autumn. Two days later, my crocuses bloomed. Spring drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased; its snows were melted…and a greenness grew over … [Read more...]

One of the highlights of my year is having tea with ladies from the "Tantalizing Tea" book club. Over the last several years, these readers have also become dear friends. This year's tea was especially enjoyable because author-friends Erica Vetsch and Michelle Griep were there as well. The ladies showered us with delicious food, laughter, and generous gifts. Did we talk much about our … [Read more...]

You may have already seen the cover of my next book, thanks to the efforts of Austenprose and many talented bloggers and bookstagrammers. But just in case you haven't seen it yet, I'm happy to share with you the cover of my 2023 release, A Winter by the Sea, Book Two in my On Devonshire Shores series, which will release in early December of this year. It was an interesting challenge to write … [Read more...]

For the last week or so, I’ve been reading a print-out of my next novel (A Winter by the Sea, December 2023) and making LOTS of changes as I go. I catch so many more errors/repeated words/unnecessary words when reading a paper copy than when reading on screen. (If you are a writer, have you had the same experience?) Now I’m inputting all those many corrections into the Word file. As … [Read more...]

Since today is Valentine’s Day, and since I’m preparing to discuss "the conventions of mysteries vs. romances” with a crime writer, my mind is full of all-things-romance. And I would love your help! Although romance novels (and the people who write or read them) are sometimes scoffed at, romance has long been the bestselling fiction genre, and that trend shows every sign of continuing. … [Read more...]