Have you been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try the Lexy Cooper mystery series? There's no time like the...present. From December 7 through 11 the digital version of Schooled (Lexy Cooper 1) is absolutely FREE! What's Schooled about? Lexy Cooper is a Community Manager at Xenon Corporation, maker of the Xenon24/7 videogame console and... Continue Reading →
My new book is out!
This is a proud moment for me seeing the first three Lexy books under one cover. Also new: this one released in eBook and paperback simultaneously. The book is a big 'un: it runs over 600 pages and weighs more than 2 pounds. Slip one under the tree of your favorite reader. Super duper thanks to... Continue Reading →
Free Books!
In honor of the return to school, the first Lexy Cooper mystery is free this week. Download the Schooled eBook through September 6 for the price of sunshine! Here's what readers are saying about Schooled: “Filled with great characters, and a twisty-turney perfect murder mystery plot.” “Witty, empowering, and deeper than you think.” “Lexy is... Continue Reading →
Bringing out your dead: When to drop the first body.
Conventional wisdom dictates that mystery/crime novels offer up a body early on. Think about every episode of every incarnation of Law & Order. There's the discovery of the victim, then the iconic "DONK DONK" (also called the "clang") followed by the theme song/opening credits. Then the detectives are on scene and the process of discovering... Continue Reading →
Course Correction – When a work-in-progress isn’t working
Last week I wrote a long post lamenting the shitty state of my new novel Summer Wind. If you want to read the whole boohoo thing it's here. The short version is: It sucked. My main character Detective Mike Malick was stiff and uninteresting. One of the solutions I pondered was "Try switching to the... Continue Reading →
Why is this book taking so long to write?
My first novel, The Sleepless Nanny, took nine months to write. It wasn't a long book, or particularly complex. I wrote it for one hour each night, most of the time with a toddler on my lap. Second novel (Schooled)? Three months. Ditto with the third (Pwned). This, the fourth book, should be the quickest/easiest... Continue Reading →
Breadcrumbs: the art of leaving clues
Writing is hard. Anyone will tell you that. Just sitting down and squeezing your brainthoughts onto a page via your fingers freaking HURTS. And I'm sure that non-fiction has its own hellish idiosyncrasies and each genre no doubt has its unique challenges. Sci-Fi writers probably struggle to think of cool names for non-existent tech, and... Continue Reading →
Casting the Novel: Herding Your Characters
I always knew that at some point I would need to create some system for tracking characters in my Lexy Cooper series. I just didn't know it would happen this soon--by the third book. Actually if I'm honest, it would have been helpful to have something in place while I was writing Pwned, the second... Continue Reading →
Bad as I Wanna Be – Character or Heroine?
Lexy Cooper is the protagonist of my mystery series set in the videogame business. You'll notice I didn't use the word "heroine." There's a reason for that. She's not heroic. She's not a role model. I don't want Lexy to be a good girl. To always do the right thing. To know all the answers.... Continue Reading →
