Merry Cover Release!

If you’re not brain-deep in publishing on a regular basis, you might not know just how little input an author has on the cover of her or his book. If you’re lucky, you get to see cover sketches. Perhaps you even get a chance to weigh in on various cover designs. For me, this was…

Christmas on the Coast!

For the past few days here in Ashland, Oregon—where our RV snuggles beneath the green bows of a giant redwood for the winter—fog has made every morning chill, puffy white and muffled. It reminds me so much of the places Saffi Graywood visits as she sleuths her way along the Oregon coast in my Pacific…

Seasons of Saffi

I love the way cozy mystery series take the reader from season to season. The blaze of a beachside read as I swelter beneath the sun gives way to the chill of a spooky autumn tale read beneath the snuggliest blankie. Kids dressed as spooks crunch through leaves to collect treats from grownups dressed as…

A Mystery Unfolds

For me, immersion in a place is key to writing a mystery with enough atmosphere and presence to allow the reader to fully experience the story. A few years ago, I was awarded a two-month writing residency at a very special place created to foster connection between art and ecology. These photos were taken during…

Publication Day: Book 2!

When I find a series I love, I can’t wait until the next book comes out. When I have to wait years for the next book I get irritated. By the time the next book pubs I’ve forgotten all about the first and have to reread it. Sometimes, the next book never shows and I…