This morning was the awards brunch, and I sat with some very companionable ladies from Wisconsin and Tucson, as well as friend and author Neil Plakcy and author Mike Belfeler. Once breakfast was out of the way the Guests of Honor were…well…honored. Lee Goldberg, our toastmaster, regaled us on ta...

Another day in Hawaii. Well, someone's gotta do it. I was up early to head for the debutante breakfast sponsored by Mystery Scene Magazine--at 7:30 in the morning. There were, in fact, many brave souls in attendance. Among the first-timers were Barry Broad with EVE OF DESTRUCTION, Rebecca ...

When I got off the plane, I immediately regretted not finding some way to fit my husband in the luggage. That would have really been the only way to get him to Hawaii with me. Not that I was all that fired over a tropical vacation. After all, I’m from southern California. I can go to the beach any...

We are approaching Valentine’s Day, and though it has become a secular holiday in the most banal of ways, let us not forget that its roots are in the Catholic calendar of the communion of saints. It is the feast day of Saint Valentine, though which saint Valentine exactly are we talking about is t...

We are approaching Valentine’s Day, and though it has become a secular holiday in the most banal of ways, let us not forget that its roots are in the Catholic calendar of the communion of saints. It is the feast day of Saint Valentine, though which saint Valentine exactly are we talking about is t...

Also from 2007, the companion piece to the interveiw below. Recently we talked with a bloke who makes swords. Didn’t think there would be much call for that these days, did ya? But there is, in fact, from interested collectors all over the world. But what about making these swords? Our smith...

Here is a post from 2007 . He was a bit reluctant to give me the skinny on how he made swords, sort of the point of this interview. Alas. But I ran a How-To in the next post, so, likely, I'll also rerun that here.  Today we are talking with sword smith Paul Binns, a 38 year old bloke...

Are we ready for another year of murder and mayhem? I know I am! I have such a huge To Be Read list. Talk about murder. And so little time to get to it. Especially since the holidays are over and I have to get back to the day job. But, I've finished the first draft of the third Crispin and worki...

Since tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, I decided to post an article I ran last year at this time (because like any older person, I'm beginning to repeat myself): Growing up Jewish in a Christian America was sometimes trying, especially when my family was of the reformed variet...

Every year at this time, I try to get recommendations from fellow authors on what they might give as book gifts. Here are some great ideas along with my own picks. First, author Michelle Moran offers her picks (and what marvelous picks they are!): "Well... yours of course! Followed by Christoph...