Why Do We Love Reading about Murder?

Why do we love murder mysteries? What makes them so popular? I have some thoughts, but I’d love to hear your ideas. Why read murder mysteries? 1. Crime is an engrossing subject. If I have a choice of reading an article about inflation or about a dentist who poisoned his wife, I’ll go with the…

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I Don’t Read that Paranormal Stuff

People often declare to me that they never read mysteries with ghosts, wizards, werewolves, or vampires. This saddens me, since my debut novel, Murder Casts Its Spell, is a paranormal mystery. So far, I’ve never argued with these anti-paranormal, but now I’m ready to respond. It’s time to analyze why I wrote about a female…

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When Little Joannie Gets Busted

You may think you know enough to write about adult bad guys, but what if the cops arrest a 9-year-old in your crime fiction?Here’s a checklist of basic issues when writing about children who break the law—AGECheck your state for the age range for children to be arrested and prosecuted. In Arizona, juvenile court jurisdiction begins when…

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How to Survive a Book Festival

THINGS I WISH I’D KNOWN BEFORE I WENT TO THE TUCSON FESTIVAL OF BOOKSOn March 12-13, Clark Lohr and Tim Moore graciously shared their booth at the Tucson Festival of Books with me and two other writers—Jackie Sereno and Robert Dukelow. It was my first experience at pitching my own book for sale, and it…

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A Lawyer Just Invaded My Story!

As an author, you may be wary about including a lawyer in your crime fiction, because you don’t want to be tripped up by thorny legal points. However, in your current mystery, you need a lawyer to make a few appearances to get the heroine’s best friend out of jail. You hope this relatively minor…

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Oops, The Conference Organizers Called My Bluff and Put Me on a Panel

First, don’t panic. You can do this! Don’t be surprised if a panel member, usually the most published, immediately withdraws. You’re still a contender! Reply energetically to the moderator if he/she requests your bio, copies of your newest book, and suggested questions or topics. It’s better to respond quickly rather than obsess over correct or brilliant comments.…

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