Melissa Westemeier

Sally Smith’s newest title, A Case of Life and Limb, ticks all my boxes: a secret corner of London (that really exists!), a twisty mystery set in a real place in history, backstage theater drama, lawyers wrestling with ethical questions, complex characters, and a sassy cat. She describes her background as a barrister living in The Temple, the secluded grounds dating back to the Knights Templar and today a main legal district in London. We also talk about Gabriel’s origin stor

This will always be my favorite turkey--disguised as Darth Vader to escape slaughter. Hearing my favorite song on the radio when I start my car Finding exactly the right amount of a spice or seasoning (or flour or oil or whatever) in my pantry when I'm in the middle of making a recipe Sleeping through the night and waking up before my alarm, feeling well-rested Waking up without that stupid ache in my right shoulder Reaching something on a tall shelf without needing to find a

TWO guests, double the fun in this episode where Kelly and Kristina discuss how social media and celebrities can be a toxic mix. What’s the truth? What’s the conspiracy theory? How deep can people crawl down rabbit holes? Inspired by real life headlines and pop stars, the Mancaruso sisters wrote a twisty thriller about a celebrity journalist who gets sucked down rabbit holes while investigating accusations about iconic pop star Harlow Hayes. Kristina and Kelly dish about pop

I've spent the last few months in revision mode while managing some marketing details for the Nun the Wiser Mysteries. Revisions take a lot of energy, they're a bit like doing a puzzle as you try to slot in the best-shaped scene or line of dialogue to smooth out a manuscript so the entire thing flows nicely and all the readers' questions get answered and any confusion gets laid to rest. Revising a novel means attending to LAYERS of text, including character development, word

When everyone’s in costume, even a killer can hide in plain sight…

Eva Jurczyk’s newest book, 6:40 to Montreal , is an homage to Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express . In this locked room thriller, 6 passengers and 1 steward get trapped in train, during a blizzard, with no wi-fi and all their fears and grief surface as the situation gets worse. We’ve all got irrational (or rational?) fears about being trapped, but Eva raises the stakes by drawing on her own experience with illness and how that changes how we view life. No spoilers