COASTAL CRIMES Anthology

 I'm delighted to share with you my latest short story. This one is a mystery published in the COASTAL CRIMES anthology by Sisters in Crime. There are 15 stories of seaside mayhem, all written by members of the Mystery by the Sea Chapter of SinC. My story is "The Inheritance."

Stories are by Angela G. Slevin, Teresa Inge, Jayne Ormerod,

Michael D. Rigg, Maria Hudgins, Ken Wingate, Adele Gardner, L.W. "Skip" McLamb, Judy Fowler, Sheryl Jordan, Karen Jean Osgood ... and yours truly!

Anthology published by Wildside Press, June 2021.

Coming soon to your favorite bookseller!

I got some great news to kick off the new year. Monique Patterson, VP/editorial director at St. Martin's Press, contacted me this week to tell me "Rosie's Curl and Weave" is being reissued!

It will be a trade paperback "as part of the ongoing promotion for some of our African-American fiction titles," Monique told me.

Look at this great cover!

It goes on sale Nov. 16, 2021, at $9.99 but you can pre-order now at your favorite bookseller.

The anthology features four novellas by some of my best writer sisterfriends: Donna Hill, Rochelle Alers and the late great Francis Ray. 

I hope you'll enjoy the read and the reissue! 

Here's the blurb from the book:

STEP INSIDE FOR A DAY OF BEAUTY, LAUGHTER...AND LOVE.

Whether you want a cut, weave or braid; a facial, manicure, or massage; there's always a helping hand-and a sympathetic ear-at Rosie's Curl and Weave on 125th Street in Harlem. And sometimes, when you least expect it, love walks in the door. So sit back, relax, put your feet up, and enjoy, as four talented writers render four magical stories about the love of beauty and the beauty of love.

Score!!!!!

So, you know that the stay-at-home reality is real when your curbside grocery delivery actually contains what you want and not a substitute!

Doing the happy egg dance!

Coronavirus Chic

A mask and gloves are required accessories in this pandemic. Social distancing -- 6 feet away from other people -- is the new normal.

Here are some of my coronavirus chic looks.

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

Easter 2020 blessings to you!

Today is unlike any Easter Christendom has experienced. But glory to God, COVID-19 has brought His word into so many homes than normal.

I began this Resurrection Sunday with Sunrise service at live.wc.org, followed by early service at my church newfaithchurch.org. Then regular morning news shows, "Meet the Press" and "This Week." I spoke with my Mom while the news shows were on. And then watched the live Easter TV broadcast from lakewoodchurch.com.

In normal times, I wouldn't be able to physically attend all three of those services on the same day because of Houston's drive times and traffic. Because of the coronavirus, it was made possible!

Glory be to God for enabling this Easter Sunday to be a powerful witness for Him.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Wash your hands. Be blessed.

COVID-19 in the Kitchen

My stove has been asking me: "Who are you and what happened to the lady who used to live here?"

I have honestly done more cooking in the last almost five weeks than I have in the last few years. Here's a bit of what's been on the stove and in the oven.

Yes, you CAN put too much ice and frozen fruit into a single-serve smoothie blender. 

Chili. Enough for that night and quite a bit in individual containers and put in the freezer. 

Bacon omelet. Yum!

Thank you to cousin Christina for the perfect tuna casserole recipe! But in true coronavirus stay-at-home style, I worked with what I had at home. Delicious!





Stay safe. Stay healthy. Wash your hands. Wear a mask if outside. Be blessed.

Coronavirus and COVID-19

Coronavirus by CDC.gov

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has changed the way people live, work, love and mourn across the planet.

I've been working from home since March 12, the company response began March 11, but I had to go into the office to pick up my work laptop.

COVID-19, stay-at-home orders and social distancing are the buzzwords. People wearing masks when out in public is a part of this new dystopian landscape.

For me, personally, I miss seeing friends and coworkers. I miss my scrapbooking and writer pals. And I miss the simple joy of being outside and not feeling like I'm putting my life in jeopardy by doing so.

My heart breaks for the thousands of people who have died of this pestilence and for their families who are unable to see them or mourn in the traditional ways.

There are bright moments-- neighborhoods where kids play their instruments on the lawns, healthcare workers doing stay-at-home dances, and seeing how communities around the globe have come together to exercise on balconies, get married with a clergyman yelling out of a window to the couple below. For each of those flashes of joy and resiliency, there are videos of doctors, nurses and healthcare workers in the hardest hit cities breaking down with stress and lack of PPE (personal protective equipment), and lack of staff because their coworkers have COVID-19.

This, too, shall pass. Living through it is hell. We have hope though. Researchers around the world are working with one goal: find a cure or vaccine. It will take time, but it will come.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Wash your hands. Wear a mask if outside. Be blessed.

Merry happy snowman

Got a kick out of this soda display at a Houston-area Walmart.

Bouchercon 2019

Had a terrific Bouchercon 2019 in Dallas. I presented on a panel with a group of delightful writers. "Civil Wars: North vs. South" on Saturday, Nov. 2 was about the differences between (and among) Northern writers and Southern ones.

Left to right: Moderator Kathleen Kent, David Burnsworth, and moi (all three of us born in Pennsylvania!), Margaret Moseley,  Brian Panowich, and Rob Pierce.

S.A. Cosby from Gloucester, Va., (top pic because I'm posting via phone) won the Anthony Award for Best Short story! We met in the bookroom after the panel.

IWR: More pics

Reception with Iceland President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and the First Lady, Eliza Jean Reid, (who also founded the IWR);  Authors Tessa Hadley and Chigozie Obioma; scenes of Iceland. 

Iceland Writers Retreat

Reykjavik, Iceland.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I made a gingerbread house for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  So much fun.

Soothing Water

Kemah, Texas. Saturday, Sept. 28, 2018.

Artist Trading Cards

Here are two ATCs created for partners in a Chtistmas ATC swap. Each partner was to get one ATC. Of course, I didn't make mine the same.

#NeverForget

Killer Nashville: With two top-notch writers

Jeffrey Deaver, me, Jeremy Finley.

Said Jeff: "We should write a book and this will be our author photo."

Killer Nashville: Criminal Minds

No, not the TV show, "Criminal Minds," but the best panel of the conference on Crime and Disorders of the Mind.

Among the six panelists: a cop, a retired Navy command master chief, a former police/investigative reporter, and a forensic psychologist.

Some highlights:
"Everyone in this room has something they are struggling with. But we don't wear it on the outside," said James Glass. The context there was prompted from an audience question was can someone be pure evil without a mind disorder?

"Influences in your life will make you capable of evil," said Jason Fort. As an example, he cited a person whose family was slaughtered. That person may not have started with an evil intent  but is after total vengeance.

And from the forensic psychologist: "Some people are missing parts you can't get spares for."

L-r: Jason Fort, James Glass, Steven Cooper, Sharon Marchisello, John Hegenberger, and Rick Helms.

Mystery writers gather at Killer Nashville

The 13th Annual Killer Nashville conference includes awesome speakers including Jeffrey Deaver and J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels series. Joe's after lunch Q&A offered this advice: "Have a gimmick." Readers don't have to remember his name or the names of his books, just that the main character is names Jack Daniels.

And on conflict:
"Characters have to be damaged."

Seton Hill University MFA Mentors at Work

Back at Seton Hill University to teach and mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Mentors have a bit of downtime between sessions. So what do we do? We write! An empty classroom in the Admin building becomes a place to get some work done for an hour or two.

Paul Goat Allen, Will Horner, me, Anne Harris and Rebecca Drake.

What a year!

2016 will go down as the year I spent more time at Sentara Williamsburg General Hospital and with the physical therapy team at TPMG Strive than I did doing just about anything else! Totally unanticipated.

In March, a torn meniscus in the left knee had me hobbling around. Then, in late September, I had a hard fall out in the woods doing Master Naturalist stuff on a nature trail. (Which reminds me, I've totally neglected my Brown Girl in the Woods blog!) My constant companion for six weeks was this sling. Not fun for sleeping. And no driving either.

When I showed up at TPMG Strive, the physical therapists were like, "What are you doing here again?"

Had to get the hair braided straight back since lifting both arms was out of the question. This pic was Dec. 18, a week before I was released to drive again and to ditch the brace.

What I discovered along the way ... it's more than a bit difficult to write when you're in pain! I tried to manage with one hand then just gave up. Glad to be out of the sling now.