Welcome back to our little corner of the crime fiction world! This week, I want to share a fascinating concept that adds a bit of forensic sparkle to our detective tales: Locard’s Exchange Principle.
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I like to keep track of my yearly reading. Not only is it a nice way to look back and feel some accomplishment (especially when I look back over multiple years), it keeps my feet to the proverbial fire.
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Anytime we face the arrival of a new year, I like to look back twelve months and see how I did. It’s a way to feel a boost of motivation (look what I accomplished!) while eating a bit of humble pie (look what I screwed up!).
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I wanted to share an amusing little story from my recent brush with civic duty: my call to jury duty. It's been quite a while since I last found myself in a courtroom as a prospective juror.
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As fans of crime fiction, we love the thrill of a well-told story. But let’s take a moment to pull back the curtain on one of the most enduring tropes in the genre: the idea that a TASER can render someone unconscious with a single zap. Today, we’re going to debunk that myth and shed a little light on how these devices really work.
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I want to take you behind the curtain of a concept that often appears in crime fiction and real-world policing alike: noble cause corruption.
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Most of us have driven through town and seen it—paint scrawled across a wall, a bridge, or the back of an abandoned building. Sometimes it’s just a few letters, other times it’s a full mural that makes you hit the brakes and stare. We lump it all together under one word: graffiti.
But not all graffiti is created equal.
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Let’s chat about a Spokane icon that keeps sneaking into my books: the Monroe Street Bridge.
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Hello again from the world of crime and intrigue! This week, I wanted to share a little peek behind the curtain into one of the guiding principles that often shapes the way my detectives think: Occam’s Razor.
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I want to take a moment to be fully transparent with you about how I approach the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in my creative and professional work. Here’s what you can expect:
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For the last couple of years, I’ve offered my e-books widely across multiple platforms like Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, and my own website. Unfortunately, I’ve encountered a significant amount of fraudulent activity, with numerous attempts at processing fake credit card transactions through my store. This has been a frustrating and time-consuming issue, and it’s something that many independent authors are currently facing.
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In a recent newsletter, I asked my readers two questions.
1. What is your favorite mystery series and who is it by?
2. Which of my mystery series do you like the best?
Thought I’d share something cute with you today.
In 2018, we picked out our Vizsla puppy, but we couldn’t bring her home right away. We had to wait a few weeks before she could join our family.
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I’m writing this post while sitting in the Springfield (MO) airport. My flight home is delayed an additional hour. Instead of fretting about the potential of missing my connection (which is wasted creativity), I thought I’d maximize this opportunity and share an update on my weekend.
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Years ago, I read a book called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. It’s the concept that small actions, repeated over long periods, can generate tremendous results. I was so impressed with the book that I later bought it on audio and listen to it occasionally when I need a kick in the habits.
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“There are three things you can’t do in cozy mysteries,” a well-known author once told me. “You can’t swear, you can’t have sexy stuff, and you can’t show violence on the page.”
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I’ll admit I made a mistake in 2024 with my website. I forwarded my URL to my store, making it the destination for people looking to learn more about me and my books.
I liked the idea of having a one-stop shop. In theory, there’s a lot to like about that idea. Though it left some things to be desired.
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In August 2023, I started my online store, using the Shopify platform for the backbone. I dabbled with it for a few months, trying to learn the various intricacies of being an online retailer. While I did that, I was also learning how to advertise on Facebook.
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There’s an old quote that’s often attributed to Albert Einstein that goes something like this: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Writers are definitely guilty of this behavior.
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In 2017, I tracked how many books I read. I shared the list on the personal finance website I was running at the time, The Bumbling Millionaire. I enjoyed the experience so much I’ve tracked my annual reading every year since.
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