Category: Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries
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Sheltering in Place – Day Who Can Remember
Pickled Penning For the past thirty-eight years, I have been a Mrs. Even though I held a job, actually ran a department at Stanford University, hubby was a hotshot performer. Being with a rock and roll band, a jazz duo, and with other musical skills, he outshone me. That left people always asking, “what’s it…
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Sheltering in Place – Day I Have No Idea
They say A Day Without Writing is Like a Day Without Sunshine. Actually, maybe ‘they’ don’t. Maybe nobody else says that but me. I know I’ve been paraphrasing something or other for so long, I can’t even remember what the original phrase is. A Day Without Wine is a Day Too Sober? Hmmmm. Maybe not.…
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Sheltering in Place – Day Something or Other
When it comes to my writing, I have a fire in the belly. Or maybe it’s acid reflux. It’s hard to tell sometimes. All I know is I finished writing Casting Call for a Corpse, Book 7 of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, on Sunday night and now I’m itching to start the next novel. …
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Sheltering in Place – Day 68
I am a crazy writer. I admit it freely. Even though I try to write every day, I got thrown off my stride by the silliness of trying to write a romance novel, which was a kiss of death for me. I fell behind on my self-imposed deadlines and have yet to catch up. Christmas…
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Sheltering in Place – Day 44
Today I started the final chapter of the latest Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Casting Call For a Corpse. This novel has taken a really long time, probably close to 18-months. It’s not any more complicated than the others, but I’ve been a little busy, what with one thing and another. Let’s face it, just trying…
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Sheltering In Place – Day 2
It was a lovely day today. Birds were singing, flowers blooming, and the San Jose hills were green and gorgeous. We took a walk. Hubby is on a new med and it’s making him tired. I’ve been feeling pretty energetic, so today for the first time in nearly forty years, we were evenly matched in…
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“Sheltering In Place” – Day 1
So here I am with a Type A Personality husband being told we are to Shelter In Place for the next three weeks to help prevent the spread of CV19. In some ways, it has been made easier by the fact that almost every place near and dear to hubby’s heart has been told to…
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Alert the Presses! New Covers for the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries!
I’ve been rebranded. And it’s not as painful as it sounds. The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries are now called a “fun detective cozy!” Below see all the new covers for the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries. Why change covers? Why not? Tastes change, concepts change, hairstyles change. Remember the sack dress? Of course not. Most of…
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History of Slavery in California
I am doing research for my latest book, Casting Call for a Corpse, Book 7 of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, and came across a very interesting article in Wikipedia about slavery in California which led to yet another article, Uncovering California’s overlooked slave past, updated 2/16/2004 6:21:25 PM ET by Deborah Kong for NBC during…
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Marriage Can Be Murder
Marriage Can Be Murder, Book 2 of the Love Can Be Murder Mystery Novellas, debuts on March 17th. While it has nothing to do with St. Patty’s Day, nonetheless I want to cry “faith and begorrah!” These novellas are lighter and shorter than the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries and showcase the Nick and Nora Charles of…
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All Good Things Must Come to an End…
I usually don’t do a hard-sell hawk but this is over a $30 value. This first of a series featuring murder and assorted mayhem by ten critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling authors (including yours truly) is available for only 99¢ until the end of April. Sleuthing Women: 10 First-in-Series Mysteries is retiring at the end of April 2018.…
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Viva Mexico!
Some of the books I write are humorous mysteries involving a Mexican/America Family called the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, which I am proud to say have won several awards. Our visits to Mexico in the early nineties, often had us staying with Mexican families during the language immersion courses we were taking. I’m here to tell you, the Mexicans…