by admin | Jul 7, 2011 | Uncategorized
“I Child-Proofed My House . . . but they get in anyway.” It’s a well-known fact that I’m not a kid-person. I’m not into them. They’re not my thing. I don’t do kids. Don’t introduce me to your children until they’re ready to discuss quantum mechanics with me. (Diana’s kids are there already!) So how did Maddie Porter get born and invade six of my books (the sixth miniature mystery, “Mix-Up in Miniature,” will be out next spring)? Maddie is now 11, well below the age I can relate to, the discussable age, and she’s also a skinny redhead, the likes of which I never saw growing up in my Italian neighborhood. I’ve always resisted the “characters want to be heard” myth. Creating a character and moving her around 350 pages in a believable way takes a lot of work. I was on a panel once with the great Reginald Hill. Someone asked him, “Do your characters ever take over and write the story?” “If only they would,” he answered. “I’d go and have a spot of tea.” I’m with Sir Reginald on that, but there’s no doubt that Maddie the Kid crept onto my screen before I could think about whether I wanted to deal with a preteen. Maddie is precocious and loves sweets, which helps, because I can imagine manipulating her to talk about string theory, and her computer skills make her a good little sidekick sleuth, but I’ve warned her, she’d better not start acting up like some of the kids I see at the mall. I have ways of eliminating characters I no longer have use...
by admin | Jun 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
This week I’m off to speak at Type-A-Parent conference. I’m looking forward to meeting some excellent bloggers and mommies! It will be my first visit to North Carolina which I hear is wonderful! I’ll also be stopping by Dallas to be on Conversations Cafe hosted by Cheryl Nash. If I can get my hands on the video link, I’ll post it upon my return. In the meantime, summer is finally in full swing here in San Francisco. The weather is beautiful and the kids are having a ball. Our kitchen remodel is almost complete…waiting with baited breath – I’ll post the pictures here perhaps after our vacation to Montana – oh, yes. There’s that too – an extended camping trip with the family to Big Sky – can’t wait. What are your summer...
by admin | Mar 1, 2011 | Formula for Murder
In the third installment of the Maternal Instincts Mystery Series: Sleuth and first-time mom Kate Connolly and her baby are the victims of a hit-and-run, but escape unharmed. A witness identifies the car’s French diplomatic license plates, yet when Kate and her hubby try to get some answers, they get le cold shoulder. But there’s something going on at the French consulate that’s dirtier-and far deadlier-than any diaper. Order your copy today – available where books are sold: Amazon Barnes & Noble To celebrate the release of Formula for Murder, we’ve teamed up with San Francisco baby apparel company Libraknits to give away a FREE luxurious handmade baby hat to one lucky winner!!! Just enter our contest and spread the word to win the LibraKnits luxurious handmade baby hat of your choice!!! Contest Details...
by admin | Dec 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
(Blogging over at the The Ladykillers today: but I’ve copied the post here too for your convienance) Meet Bob. He is 22 months old. According to some child-rearing books children between the ages of 18 to 24 months are “Developmentally at a level similar to Neanderthals two million years ago.” Seriously? I’m living with a Neanderthal? Oh, don’t worry, the book goes on to explain that Neanderthals were smarter, more verbal, and more agile than ape-men (what a relief) but also more aggressive and stubborn. Well, you got that part right. So what does Bob have to do with Time Management? First off, there is a lot to learn from Bob – he’s stubborn and tenacious – which may be qualities all writers need to possess. Secondly, he does what he wants. I laugh as I write this – but it’s pretty much true. If he wants to sleep- he does, if he wants to eat- he does, if he wants to play in the garden but it’s raining he pounds on the window with his little fists – you get my drift. He either does what he wants or fights for it. So how does all this relate to “Time Management”? I think we all make time to do what we like to do. The question I get asked more often than anything else is, “With three small kids, where do you find the time to write?” My answer is, “I make the time.” It’s about priorities. Here are my tips about making the time: We’re all busy, when you can make out a...
by admin | Nov 11, 2010 | LadyKillers
I’m blogging over at the Ladykillers today. Our topic was shoes and I interviewed 3 yr. old Tommy on his new rainboots, but we had a little situation that needed big sister, Carmen’s, help. The situation could have led to many secrets revealed – which is just the thing mysterys are made of! Check out the post at the Ladykillers to see my little cuties in...
