Spice up Your Mysteries - Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. I know not everyone celebrates, but I do because it extends the party from my birthday. This year, it’s on Friday the thirteenth, but that’s another story.

So, let’s talk romance. A few years back when I was the program director for our mystery writers’ group, I invited some amazing romance writers to visit and give us some tips for spicing up our mysteries. (Many thanks to Mary Burton, Tracey Livesay, Avery Flynn, and Lisa Dyson for all their great advice!) The writers’ genres variety from sweet to va-va-voom, and it was a hoot to listen to them describe how to write romantic situations.

I write cozy mysteries that are PG-13, so anything too racy happens behind closed doors. That works for cozy mysteries that are primarily based on bringing the guilty to justice and strong character relationships. But, the industry is changing with a whole lot of new subgenres that blend with other book genres like romancy, a combination of fantasy and romance.

In my first series, my character was devoted to her job, and she really didn’t have much of a social life. And I received a lot of feedback from readers that they wanted more romance to make her seem more like a regular person. (Delanie did have a fling in Secret Lives and Private Eyes, and that caused a lot of conflict for the storyline. Later in the series, she starts dating an FBI agent.)

For two of my cozy series, I’m currently writing books 7-9, and I’m toying with the idea of having a wedding. No spoilers yet.

I think romance is important to any story, and here’s why:

• A little romance livens up the story line.

• It can create conflict for the characters to move the plot forward (or attempt to derail it).

• It makes the characters more human. Emotions are a part of life.

• And romance add some fun elements for the characters and readers.

Do you like a little (or a lot of) romance in your mysteries?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Seth Voorhees

I’d like to welcome author Seth Voorhees to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest aspect of being a writer, for me, is financial: professional editing services, marketing, publishing, and advertising. It requires a team. Writing and doing revisions are the easiest parts.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Drawing inspiration. I have an active imagination. I’m inspired every day. By what I read, see on television, experience at work, hearing the news, when talking to coworkers, driving down the road, or even when I’m at the gym. Frequently through observation, I find myself thinking, “I should write about that.”

Things you need for your writing sessions: I’m an early morning writer. For me, I need my coffee, or hot chocolate if it's really cold out.

Things that hamper your writing: Traveling for work. It takes me out of my groove and limits my writing time. I am an early-morning writer. That’s when my creativity and imagination are at their peak. I’ve learned that after three in the afternoon, I’m useless.   

Words that describe you: Positive, Spiritual, Creative, Caring, Productive, Humble, Loving, Joyful, Dorky, Humorous, and Patient. 

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Stoic, Reactionary, and Blunt.

Favorite music or song: That depends on my mood. I love most genres. But the song that comes into my head frequently is “Fly Me To The Moon,” by Frank Sinatra.

Music that drives you crazy: Screaming heavy metal.  

Things you’d walk a mile for: A great movie. I love going to the movies. You can walk into a theater with troubles, and when you leave the theater, all of those troubles have vanished.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Big Spiders.

Things you always put in your books: Aspects of spirituality, because it is a big part of my life, and it can lead a character down many roads.

Things you never put in your books: Killing off the main character. I’m not a fan of killing them off. Even if their ending fulfilled some larger picture, or they are now at peace because they completed some unfinished business, I don’t care. I feel it ruins the experience.

Things to say to an author: Don’t let the trope police scare you. Writing about a popular trope with your clever twist is not copying someone else's work. Proof: scan the mystery section and point out all of the books with the trope: Person dies, their friend doesn’t agree with how the investigation is being handled, so they try to solve it.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: My views on Politics, Men’s Health, and Religion.

Favorite books (or genre): The Horror Genre. I cannot pick one book. There are too many to count. But one that I’ll recommend is The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Sorry Politics, but no thanks.

Favorite things to do: I love reading, fishing, going for walks, doing puzzles, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, and hanging out with my family.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Going to a late-night concert. I have no interest anymore.  

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: The first Cassette Tape I ever purchased was Garth Brooks, titled: Chase.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Heavy Metal. I can live without it.

 My favorite book as a child: The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel. I loved all of them. My mother read them to me before bed.

A book I’ve read more than once: I’ve only read one book more than once. That was Animal Farm by George Orwell. The reason was that I’d read it in High School and didn’t grasp its deeper themes. I reread it as an adult to better understand it.

Your favorite movie as a child: The Princess Bride, directed by Rob Reiner. As an adult, I still love it.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): As a child, Are You Afraid Of The Dark on Nickelodeon. The Tale of The Fire Ghost was one of several that kept me up. As an adult: Arachnophobia.   

About Seth:

Seth Voorhees lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with his partner and stepdaughter. He enjoys drawing from his experiences as a social worker, particularly in adolescent development and mental health, to shape his characters and their journeys through human morality and challenges. He identifies himself as a Dark Fiction author. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Sociology and Psychology from Black Hills State University. 

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://SethtVoorhees.com

Facebook (@Seth T Voorhees)

TikTok (@stvoorhees)

Instagram (@authorsvoorhees)

#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Nikki Knight

I’d like to welcome the multi-talented Nikki Knight to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Rejection
Easiest thing about being a writer: Taking edits and notes – after a lifetime in a newsroom, I’m not hung up on my lovely words!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Five minutes and a flat surface for the laptop.

Things that hamper your writing: Lack of sleep – I work morning drive on the weekend, and I can’t get anything done on Mondays!

Words that describe you: Determined, creative, loyal, family-oriented. (Family of blood, work, and affection!)

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Easily distracted, hot-tempered, oversensitive.

Something you’re really good at: “The Dance,” anchoring breaking news.
Something you’re really bad at: Meeting people in person. I’m painfully shy. (I know it doesn’t make sense!)

Last best thing you ate: Chocolate cake on date night…I took the best bite and my husband didn’t mind!
Last thing you regret eating: Leftover canned soup. But I hate wasting food!

Favorite music or song: K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack (today!)

Music that drives you crazy: Pop stars trying to be country because it’s hot right now.

The last thing you ordered online: Fun press-on nails.

The last thing you regret buying: Blue eyeliner that looked cobalt and turned out to be turquoise. (Cobalt eyeliner and mascara is my signature thing.)

Things you always put in your books: Pets with personality –and a role in solving the case!
Things you never put in your books: Children in danger.

Things to say to an author: I love your work.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Gee, it looks so easy!

The funniest thing to happen to you: Walking in Manhattan’s Battery Park with a friend, we turned a corner and there she was. And I said, in the hill country accent I’d spent the last ten years working to lose: “Oh mah Gawd, it’s the Statue a’ Liberty!” My buddy just walked away like he didn’t know me

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: That time my dress fell off onstage during a college theatre production. I was a costume assistant, and I’d checked everyone’s outfits but my own. Good thing I was wearing dance underpinnings.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: We were at the Aquarium with our son, watching the beluga whale when there was suddenly a wave of liquid under it…and my son said, at full volume: “Look, Ma, the whale’s peeing!” It’s in the opening scene in MURDER ON THE SEA OTTER EXPRESS. 

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Unlike Grace, I don’t poison people…though I’ve thought about it occasionally!

My favorite book as a child: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.

A book I’ve read more than once: STRONG POISON, Dorothy Sayers.

About Nikki:

Nikki Knight is the pen name of Kathleen Marple Kalb, an anchor/author/mom…not in that order. The Agatha-nominated author of short stories and more than a dozen novels, she’s also a longtime weekend anchor at New York’s 1010 WINS Radio. Her book series include the Grace the Hit Mom, Vermont radio – and under her own name, Ella Shane and Old Stuff Mysteries. Active in writers’ groups, she’s currently a Marketing and Communications Liaison on the National Board of Sisters in Crime, and a past VP of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and NY/Tri-State SinC. She and her family live in a Connecticut house owned by a large calico cat.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Nikki-Knight-101660128672615

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmarplekalb/

Threads: @kathleenmarplekalb

Bluesky: @mysterymarple.bsky.social   

What To Do While You're Waiting...

I never realized how much I would be waiting in my writing life. I am not a patient person. I like websites that respond in three seconds, check-out lines that are short, and quick responses. And I’ve learned, not everyone is on my schedule. There is a lot of waiting when you decide to write or publish a book.

If you want to be traditionally published, there are things you will have wait for. You will wait months (if not years) to hear back about queries, for edits, and for cover designs.

Here are some things you can do while waiting:

• Write your next book, especially if you are querying your first book. If you get a multiple book offer, you’ll need to have that second book ready for submission in year (or less).

• Work on your newsletter and social media followings. If you are querying an agent or publisher, they do look at your web presence. After I sold my first book, I spent a lot of the waiting time between edits building up social media followings. It took a lot of time, but it was worth it to build up a base and a small street team.

• Create or spiff up your website. Make sure it looks like you and your style of writing. Make sure that all of the buttons and links work. The colors, graphics, design, and fonts should be unified.

• Join a writing group. They are wonderful for networking, finding opportunities, and learning about your craft and genre.

• Find a critique partner or group to help you polish your manuscript.

#WriterWednesday Interview with Kristine Jensen

I’d like to welcome Kristine Jensen to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: As someone with a full-time writing job, making time to sit down and write my personal work

Easiest thing about being a writer: Letting the words flow once I sit down to write

Things you need for your writing sessions: My iPad with attached keyboard that has no access to email or social media

Things that hamper your writing: Getting sucked into my emails or social media

Words that describe you: Loyal, disciplined, trustworthy, hardworking, imaginative

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Empath, stubborn, overthinker

Something you’re really good at: Coming up with creative solutions to problems

Something you’re really bad at: Sleeping

Last best thing you ate: Gingerbread cake

Last thing you regret eating: Stale tortilla chips at 2am

Favorite music or song: Female vocalists

Music that drives you crazy: Hard rock, some repetitive techno music

The last thing you ordered online: A 2026 calendar

The last thing you regret buying: A book about clearing clutter (it just makes me feel worse about all my stuff)

Things you’d walk a mile for: Almost anything, I love to walk

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A certain politician’s voice who shall go unnamed

Things you always put in your books: My heart and soul

Things you never put in your books: Murders

Favorite places you’ve been: Croatia, Southern France, Santa Barbara

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas

Favorite books (or genre): Fiction and historical fiction

Books you wouldn’t buy: Dystopian sci-fi

Favorite things to do: Reading, gardening, baking, hiking

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Removing a dead “gift” that our cat has brought into the house

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Climbed to the top of a fire lookout tree in a Montana forest

Something you chickened out from doing: Learning rock climbing from my son

The funniest thing to happen to you: I was talking about an ex-boyfriend to my mom and we ran into him and his new girlfriend in a mall — he must have heard me because we both turned red.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: I misspelled the last name of our CEO in a printed program for the company’s annual event with 10,000 attendees.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: My husband

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Hmm…the celebrities I’ve met looked like their pictures.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: You’re a great writer, please keep writing.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “It must be easy to write a memoir” — my book is fiction, not a memoir, and is set in 1963.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: Designed and planted beautiful flower gardens in our front and back yards

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Most recently, a fancy cake I baked got stuck in the pan and came out in pieces

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: An incident with sheep who get caught in flood waters

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: One reader thought the protagonist in Wednesday Club: A Novel was me, but Ivy is actually very different from me

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: Fleetwood Mac

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Hard rock

My favorite book as a child: Little House on the Prairie

A book I’ve read more than once: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Your favorite movie as a child: Wizard of Oz

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): The movie Willard — a horror film about rats

About Kristine:

Kristine Jensen is a lifelong writer whose work spans scripts and storytelling for brands and organizations. Raised in South Dakota, Kristine drew inspiration for Wednesday Club: A Novel from the minutes of her grandmother’s women’s club. She lives in Oregon, where she writes fiction that celebrates unlikely friendships and the quiet power of small towns.

Let’s Be Social:

Website/social media: www.wednesday-club.com

Facebook: Wednesday Club Novel

Instagram: Wednesday_club_novel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensenkristine/

Keeping Track of Your Book Details

I write four series, and I am often asked to provide details about the different books. I have to have a way to keep this all organized. Here’s what I do:

• I keep (and backup) a Word file for each series that includes each book’s ISBN and buy links from a variety of different booksellers.

• I have an electronic folder with the artwork for each book’s cover. I keep subfolders with copies of the marketing graphics that I use.

• For details about me, I have a Word document with a standard small, medium, and large biography. I also have a list in this document of the links to my social media sites.

• For the details of each series, I keep an Excel spreadsheet that has a column for each book. I list details for each character and what books they appear in.

• And finally, I keep a Word document for each series that lists blurbs and reviews by book. If I ever need a pull quote, I have my choice.

What helps you stay organized with your writing materials?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Pat Daily

I’d like to welcome Pat Daily to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite snacks: Peanut butter pretzels

Things that make you want to gag:  Fish and the smell of cooking fish. I made a pact with fish early in life – I won’t eat them if they won’t eat me.

Something you’re really good at: Public Speaking

Something you’re really bad at: Understanding that not everyone thinks I am as funny as I do.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Astronaut

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Work on a team creating a hydrogen-powered aircraft

Last best thing you ate: Chicken Vindaloo from Tandoori Twist in Houston

Last thing you regret eating: Brussel sprouts

Things to say to an author: I love your work. Your Spark Chronicles series is fantastic!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Have you ever written anything I might have read?

Favorite places you’ve been: Yosemite, Tokyo  

Places you never want to go to again: Beijing

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): J.K. Rowling, Senator John Kennedy, Bill Maher

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone who chews with their mouth open

Favorite things to do: Stare into a campfire while chatting with family and friends

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Watch televised golf or NASCAR

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my wife and have two phenomenal daughters

Biggest mistake: Speaking to a colleague out of anger rather than taking my time and responding more professionally.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Jumped out of an airplane the second time. The first time, I was too naïve to understand how scary it was going to be.

Something you chickened out from doing: Scuba diving at night

The nicest thing a reader said to you:  “When Spark gets turned into a movie, I want to do the soundtrack.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “My God, do you even speak English?”

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Solitude. I know it sounds odd, but I love the time alone with my characters as we try to figure out what words will go on the page.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Start much earlier in life.

 About Pat:

Pat Daily is a polymath, serial entrepreneur, gamer, and the author of the Spark Chronicles, a near-future science fiction series. Pat began his professional career as an engineer and Air Force test pilot. After leaving the military, Pat worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs before launching his first company. He has worked globally as a human performance and safety consultant.

When not writing or bringing new airplane designs to life, Pat can be found gaming. He is a fan of role-playing games – particularly open worlds with engaging storylines where actions have consequences. Pat and his wife live in Houston.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: https://thepatdaily.com

Blog: https://feraldaughters.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patdailyauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patdailypics/

X: @patdailyauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21521042.Pat_Daily

#WriterWednesday Interview with Carol Pouliot

I’d like to welcome the amazing Carol Pouliot back to the blog and congratulate her on her 2026 Agatha nomination!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Deleting a paragraph/page/chapter that I worked on for days, when I realized that it had to go.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Getting lost in the book I'm currently writing. 

Things you need for your writing sessions: My comfortable chair with special cushions for my back.

Things that hamper your writing: Stress. 

The last thing you ordered online: All the books in Jennifer Ashley's Below Stairs Mysteries. I love them!!

The last thing you regret buying: A living room chair that has the perfect color combination. Sadly, I got sick of the pattern too quickly. I've been looking for a chair to replace it for the past two years.

Things you always put in your books: I always put some kind of reference to art in the books.

Things you never put in your books: I never put graphic sex or vulgar language in my novels.

Favorite places you’ve been: My current favorite place to go is England. I really love the villages and towns in Cornwall, Devon, and the Cotswolds. I've been about a dozen times and can't wait to go back.

Places you never want to go to again: I didn't care for Mexico and won't go back there. 

Favorite books (or genre): I’m hooked on British mysteries. They're always my first choice, whether they take place in a contemporary setting or a Victorian one. I love getting lost in London as well as in the enchanting small town.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I always read the first few pages of a book before I buy it. If it's badly edited, I won't read or buy it. 

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I moved to France by myself when I was 22. I had the name of the school where I supposedly had a job, but I didn't have an address, a place to live, or a plan. I didn’t care because I just wanted to go to France!! This was in 1973, so no cellphones or computers to help. I called my mother from the airport in New York right before I left. Thank goodness a letter had arrived with the address of my school. That was all I had when I took off. 

Something you chickened out from doing: I was a gymnast from eighth grade until my junior year of college. At that time, the even parallel bars were available for girls and that was my equipment. I was practicing for a meet and chickened out of a very tricky, scary dismount. 

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I was invited to speak at a book club shortly after Doorway to Murder, book one in my series, came out. After my talk, a woman raised her hand and said, "I've read a lot of time-travel books but this is the first one I ever read where I thought it could really happen. 

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I was at a book festival, standing behind my table which was filled with copies of all of my books. Someone came up to the table and asked where my books were available for purchase. My answer was: “Right here, right now.” 

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Chapter one of book one, Doorway to Murder, actually happened to me and was the inspiration for the time travel part of my mystery series. I wrote the chapter exactly as it happened. 

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Although I did give Olivia some of my interests and a couple things in my background, she's not me. 

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: The first record I remember buying was an EP by Sam Cooke with the song "You Send Me" on it. We're talking vinyl here!  

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: I've never cared for folk music or the James Taylor style of music. 

My favorite book as a child: I adored The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I loved the way the kids furnished the railway car, and how brave and resilient they were.

A book I’ve read more than once: I always reread favorite books. I’ve reread all of Martha Grimes’s Richard Jury series, Ann Cleeves’s Vera and Jimmy Perez books, Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks novels, as well as all the Agatha Christie mysteries. I’m sure I will read them all again at some point.

About Carol:

Agatha-nominated author Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a time-travel twist and a seemingly impossible relationship between Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books are known for their attention to historical details, rich atmosphere, and multi-layered plots. Carol is the former President and Program Chair of her Sisters in Crime chapter, Co-Chair of Murderous March, and a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks. Carol teaches a workshop for beginning mystery writers titled What’s So Great About Agatha? She enjoys speaking to groups interested in reading and writing, and loves talking with book clubs. You can find her email address on the Contact page of her website. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.

Let’s Be Social:

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