You know one thing I like about writing cozy mysteries?  They’re series, centering around the life of the protagonist.  Which means they need a large cast of friends, family, and business associates, all with the potential to get developed as the series progresses.  Of course, some of these people will be developed into murder suspects – and victims.  But the people closest to your protagonist are generally safe bets for readers to get attached to. Cozies also allow for elements of romance, as new people come into the character’s life as a result of the murder investigation.  Which gives a whole other layer of tension to the plot. I’ve taken advantage of all of that in GRAND OPENINGS CAN BE MURDER, the first book in my Bean to Bar Mysteries.  My protagonist, Felicity Koerber, moved home to Texas after her husband died.  She’s made some new friends, and her old friends – especially her best friend Autumn and her Aunt Naomi – have rallied around her, to help her through this time of grief.  And Naomi is a bit of a matchmaker, determined to get Felicity dating again, so there’s bound to be some cute guys dropping into her world,…

2020 has been a YEAR. I know I don’t have to go on and on about the trials and tribulations associated with it, but with the US Thanksgiving holiday next week, I decided to practice gratitude and think about the things I’m grateful for… some of these are silly, some are serious, and some are, of course, books. Keurig K-Cafe Coffee, Latte, and Cappuccino Maker  This was one of our early pandemic purchases and it has made my life so much better. I’m not saying I stopped going to Starbucks, but having the ability to make delicious lattes at home with just a few pushes of a button has changed my life–and probably the lives of the two people I live with, who know I must be caffeinated to be remotely pleasant. Harlequin Desire Category Romances 2020 will be the year of desire for me… Harlequin Desire, that is. Between the recent cover style revamp and the current crop of authors writing for this line, Harlequin Desire romance novels have saved my life this year. When things began in March, I was in a huge reading slump, and the comfort I found in reading about outrageously beautiful and unfathomably wealthy…

This week my friend Yvonne has been visiting from England. One of the things that we try to accomplish when she visits is to see how many bookstores we can peruse in the Dallas area. Often while we are in the bookstore Yvonne’s cell phone will ring, and it will be another friend of ours from Hawaii.The conversation almost always starts with what book are you looking at? Does it look good? Oh, I think I might want a copy of it too. Yvonne being the generous sort is always willing to contribute to someone else’s tbr pile, so we add book upon book to the basket we’re toting, and eventually try to head to the checkout stand. So last spring Yvonne is in Dallas visiting, and the phone call comes. This time it’s slightly different. I’d like a book that I think is red, it might have heart in the title and might have been written by someone named Kane, or is it Cain, is that a first or last name? She had no clue! How in the world did she expect us to find this book? Well, Yvonne is nothing if not determined, and I’m not far behind…

Sara of Fresh Fiction fame thinks I can write a column while I on the other hand am not as certain, but decided that if she was going to be encouraging then I should give it my best shot by helping with the Fresh Fiction blog. Christine SonOriginally uploaded by freshfiction Friday, August 15, 2008 I met a couple of friends for a lovely and lively dinner, and then on to a book signing for a debut author [Christine Son] who also happens to be local to our area. Is there really anything better than meeting friends for a dinner and books without the husband, significant other, and or children? I for one think not. Yes, the main purpose is to discuss books, but if the group of friends is close doesn’t the discussion naturally go from the romance found in books to the romance found in your real life? Does that not then have you wondering are you married to a hero worthy of a romance novel? I know that physically I may not be married to a typical hero, but he’s there for me emotionally and financially. He’s a great dad, but more importantly he doesn’t mind my…

I have a confession to make: Most of my friends don’t read romances. For one reason or another, they simply…don’t read romances. Period. Either they’re worried about being judged by the racy covers, or they think all that romance stuff is “a fairy tale,” or they prefer to read exclusively about serial killers, or they’ve tried one (just one!) romance–possibly a decade ago, or more–and have decided the whole genre just isn’t for them. That’s okay with me. I mean, there are occasionally awkward moments between us, I’ll admit that. Because I’m passionate about reading and writing romances! I think they’re awesome. I like to celebrate the power of love, the thrill of attraction, and all the wonderful differences between men and women. At the same time, I’m a live-and-let-live kind of person. I don’t think it’s up to me to try to “convert” anyone to my favorite genre. I wouldn’t like it if someone tried to force me to take up lawn bowling or sushi eating or PlayStation playing (it would be futile; I’m a Nintendo Wii gal). Our dissimilarities make us uniquely interesting, and the world would be a boring place if everyone liked the same things. That…