Maggie Pill Mysteries

 Update on this post: I found that most people didn't like the drippy letters. Sometimes I get excited about something that's "different" and don't realize that it's kinda weird. I went back to the drawing board and got almost 100% consensus on a new version, so here it is. It's neater, but I like that the pointy lettering is reminiscent of cat teeth/claws. Thanks to all who gave ideas and opinions.       Today I'm looking for opinions on covers for the next book, scheduled for November release. I like the fancy font stuff, but I admit the plain is easier to read. Imagining that most people will see this online, as a thumbnail, which cover takes your eye? Or make a suggestion. I'm interested.

Here it is: I write books more for me than for you. Early in my career, my agent asked me to write an Amish mystery. I said I didn't know much about the Amish, and she said it didn't matter. Amish mysteries were hot. Yeah, no. I have acquaintances in the biz who write "franchise" mysteries. The publisher owns the theme, maybe a coffee shop location or a schoolteacher protagonist. One person I know wrote a few James Bond books. Another is now Jessica Fletcher. They're paid pretty well to be unknown authors of someone else's ideas. Um, no. I've had publishers who wanted me to write more in a series that was selling well. I've had fans who ask for more stories about this character or that. If I feel like the story arc has ended... No. I write what I want to write, what I feel like writing at this moment in time. I don't care if gazillions of people never hear of the book. I have fun putting it all together as I see the story. Yes, I get editing help a

Readers, the new book is on its way to Editor #1, and I still don't have a title. I'm interested in hearing your ideas for a book about     An elderly woman    lives in Florida    has 8 cats   finds a dead body in her side yard   can't stop herself from trying to find the killer. I found this great picture, so what might this book be called? My working title is Lorilee's Furry Gang of Eight but that's kind of long and not very satisfying. I tried a title generator and got 2 other possibilities: Murder with Cats and Cats & Crime.   Meh.

  Books are all gone. Thanks for your kind comments!

These days, we're bombarded with tales and videos of people "going off," telling everyone in a restaurant, store, or neighborhood how angry they are at that moment. A local restaurant owner actually closed her business in the middle of the Memorial Day rush because customers were so rude to her staff, who were running their legs off trying to keep up. People ( some people) feel entitled to say whatever they want, based on their perceptions and opinions at a given moment. How about we do the opposite? Tell people what's going on that's good. Tell people what you like about them. Tell people they're doing a good job. In the past week, I got two communications, one by mail and one on Facebook. Former students wrote, out of the blue, to tell me how much I meant to them back in the day when they sat in my class for a year. I've been retired from teaching for twenty years, so that happened a long time ago. It still meant a lot to me to hear it. I try to do my o

  My upcoming project introduces a woman who has 8 cats. (It doesn't have a title yet, so ideas would be appreciated.) She gets involved in solving a murder (of course), so it's almost a textbook example of a cozy mystery: amateur sleuth, humor, pets--you know the drill. The first completed draft is currently with a beta reader. After that will be revision, edit, revision, edit, etc. for months, so the "when?" is up in the air. The book was fun to write, because I used cats from my own past--not that I ever had eight at once. Some pics below are representations; others are real cats from my life. The Professor, a very ornery character, is based on my daughter's cat Taz, who was kept in a box for the first year of his life and never got over it. He lashed out at anyone who got close (except for her), so we all learned to give him a wide berth. Taz was black, but he had the same look on his face as this guy. Albert is completely black and...large. He's an amalga