Special reading moments are the ones that steal your breath for no other reason than the beauty of the written word. A masterpiece of a sentence suspended in time. ✨📚 That’s Steinbeck. Always. This quote is one of my favorites. 💛 #booksky #BookQuotes #Steinbeck #LiteraryMoments #ReadersOfBluesky

One of the roadblocks writers share with me is: “I don’t know what to write.” My advice—switch the medium. 🎶 Music 🌲 Nature 🖼️ Art Creativity isn’t a straight line. Sometimes it’s a melody, or a color palette that pulls the words out of you. ✍️✨ #WritingCommunity #CreativeInspiration #booksky

Asked which author inspires my writing and the answer was immediate: Shakespeare. ✒️🎭 Timeless wit, heartbreak, humor, wisdom… the Bard always has a line ready for any moment a story might need. Some inspiration flickers. His? It endures. 🕰️📚✨ #booksky #Shakespeare #ReadersOfBluesky #BookLovers

Sunday Gratitude 🌤️ Is it true you love birds more as you age? I spent 10 minutes watching a blue jay in my yard. 🐦✨ And what about a newfound love of flowers…🌸 Walks with my granddaughter include stops for bloom photography. Aging doesn’t take the wonder—it redirects it.💛 #GratitudePractice

☕✨ I’m back in the world of Zion Sawyer! After the heavy themes of Escaping Enemies, it’s a breath of fresh air diving back into cozy mysteries. There’s just something about the quirky characters in Zion Sawyer’s world. 💛🔍 #CozyMystery #ZionSawyerMysteries #BookCommunity #MysteryAuthor #Booksky

Two words. One letter. A whole journey. ✨📖 My titles aren’t just alliteration—they mirror the emotional path of my characters. A title shouldn’t just sound good… it should feel right. (Finding the right one can take forever 😅) #BookTitles #Booksky #WritingLife #AuthorCommunity #CharacterJourney

There’s a location in Escaping Enemies that’s rooted in a macabre real-world history. 🗺️👁️ Think you know the place? Drop your guess! 👇 Let’s see who spots it. 😉 #booksky #EscapingEnemies #ThrillerBooks #MysteryReaders #DarkHistory #StoryInspiration #CrimeFictionCommunity #AmWriting #BookMystery

Heroes are great… but give me a charismatic villain any day. 😈 Crafting a three-dimensional antagonist is one of the most rewarding parts of writing. Writers — which do you love bringing to life more: your hero or your villain? #booksky #writingcommunity #authors #characterdevelopment #villains

Mystery writing is all about the twist 🔄. My dad gave me my first one—he told me to swap the “obvious” killer in Murder on Russian Hill for someone who seemed innocent but had the deeper motive. 💀📚 #booksky #MysteryFiction #WritingCommunity #CrimeWriters #PlotTwist #AuthorThoughts

As a mystery writer, I find myself doing some weird research. For instance, Dorothea Puente still haunts Sacramento. She murdered 9 people and buried them in her backyard. Modern DNA testing has helped close the book on killers like her. 🕵️‍♀️ #TrueCrime #Booksky #Justice #TrueCrimeHistory

Sunday Gratitude 🎃 I’m so thankful to spend my retirement from teaching with my four puppers—they’ve mastered the art of the Halloween party. 🐾👻 #Gratitude #RetirementLife #DogLovers #HalloweenVibes #booksky

Even after fifteen years and countless pages, I still wonder if this book might be the one I can’t finish. 😅 Yet somehow, the words always find their way. Typing “The End” never gets old. 💻❤️ #booksky #writingcommunity #amwriting #authorlife #writersjourney #storytellers #creativeprocess

🎉 First draft of Escaping Enemies is complete! Editing starts now — and I’m thrilled to share it with you soon. Available December 1st in ebook, print, and audiobook formats. 📚🎧 #amwriting #amediting #writingcommunity #bookannouncement #comingsoon #EscapingEnemies #booksky

One chapter left in Escaping Enemies! 🖋️ Next stop: editing — the sedimentary layers every author must dig through to find the diamond beneath. 💎 #amediting #writingcommunity #authorlife #EscapingEnemies #booksky

Curious what everyone’s reading! I’m reading Down in New Orleans by Heather Graham — it felt like the right pick after spending time in NOLA. #CurrentlyReading #HeatherGraham #DownInNewOrleans #AmReading #BookChat #booksky

Truth or Fiction? 🔍 I’ve posted three statements — one’s real, two might not be. Think you can spot the truth? Comment your best guess, and check back later for the reveal. #TruthOrFiction #WritingCommunity #WritersOfBluesky #BookTalk #StoryGame #ReadersOfBluesky #booksky

The next Christmas Mystery novel, Escaping Enemies, will be published in all formats: eBook, print, and audiobook on December 1st. Place your preorder now: www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXN62QJT

When I teach my From Plot to Print class, I always tell writers: start with the ending. You don’t have to draft it yet—just know exactly how your story concludes. A clear ending anchors your plot and keeps every scene on course. #writingtips #writerslife #writingcommunity #storystructure #booksky

Gratitude moment 🌸 My backyard is my favorite spot — flowers in bloom, sunshine on my face, and the feeling of being home. I’m grateful for this small patch of earth I get to care for. 🌿 #Gratitude #NatureLover #PeacefulSpaces #HomeAndGarden #BloomSeason #SimpleJoy #booksky

Weekly writing progress: 2 more chapters complete! Caught a bunch of pesky little mistakes and rewrote a high-stakes action scene four times until it felt right. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. #Booksky #WritingCommunity #WIPUpdate #EditingLife #AuthorJourney #WritersOfBluesky

I start my From Plot to Print class with one thing: an elevator pitch. 🛗 Authors should try to summarize their book in 100 words or less — it’s a lesson in precision and clarity. ✍️ Writers — do you use elevator pitches to sharpen your storytelling? 💭 #WritingCommunity #AuthorsOfBluesky #booksky

Subplots are where my stories start to breathe. Many of them quietly grow until they’re ready to step into the spotlight as main plots later in the series. I love letting conflicts unfold across multiple books . #WritingCommunity #WritersOfBluesky #StoryCraft #PlotDevelopmen #BookDiscussion #booksky

The littles have spoken: the recliner is theirs. I didn’t stand a chance. 😂🐾 #dogs #writinglife #authorlife #booksky

Teaser Tuesday: a moment from Escaping Enemies where everything changes. #TeaserTuesday #Mystery #Thriller #WritingCommunity #BookTeaser #booksky

Choosing a main character’s name can take days. For my Christmas Mystery series, I wanted something original yet meaningful. Everleigh is a combination of Evelyn and Leigh, two women who inspired her life. #ChristmasMysterySeries #CharacterDevelopment #EverleighBeckett #AuthorLife

My book promotion team works for free healthcare, marshmallows, and endless cuddles. Honestly, best employees ever. 🐾✨ #AmWriting #AuthorsOfBluesky #WritingCommunity #DogsOfBluesky #BookPromotion #AuthorLife

Weekly writing progress: finished a new chapter and cleaned up some continuity issues. Still editing for smoother flow—every tweak brings the story closer to where it needs to be. #WritersOfBluesky #WritingCommunity #BookProgress #EditingProcess #AuthorLife

Most of my mystery novels take place in San Francisco. But for my Christmas Mystery series, I wanted a change of scene. Sacramento, my adopted hometown, felt like the perfect place for new secrets to unfold. #mysteryfiction #writingcommunity #Sacramento #SanFrancisco #ChristmasMystery #booksky

Book research really is a slippery slope. One minute I’m learning how police track cellphone pings for Escaping Enemies, and the next, I’m watching Robert Irwin dance his heart out on Dancing with the Stars. 🕺🐊 #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #AmWriting #EscapingEnemies #RobertIrwin #BookResearch

In elementary school, I entered a writing contest. I grew up in Pacifica 🌊, a seaside gem near San Francisco. When developers started building on the hills, I poured my feelings into a story — and won. Fifty years later, that spark keeps me writing 🖋️ #booksky #WritingJourney #WhyIWrite

Character Spotlight — Everleigh Beckett. Half of the missing persons team, known for her precision, empathy, and relentless drive. She’s haunted by what she’s lost, but no one tracks the missing quite like Everleigh. #CharacterSpotlight #CharacterFocus #MysterySeries #AuthorLife #booksky

Back in the editing trenches again. Eight rounds down, more to come. A story’s never done — eventually we have to just hit publish and send it on its way. ✍️ #AmEditing #WritingCommunity #WritersOfBluesky #AuthorLife #EditingProcess #WIP #booksky

Still carrying on Dad’s Niners game-day ritual with my brother. Win or lose, we’re #49erFaithful. ❤️💛 #NinerNation #GameDay #NFL

Progress check-in: Escaping Enemies is up to chapter 6! Some days the words fight me; other days they pour out effortlessly. Either way, it’s moving forward. #AmWriting #WritersOfBluesky #WritingProgress #AuthorLife #EscapingEnemies #WritingCommunity #booksky

🔥 Teaser Friday: sharing the first line from Escaping Enemies! Everleigh and Isaac are back, and this time, the stakes couldn’t be higher 💣❤️. #TeaserFriday #AmWriting #WritingLife #WritersOfBluesky #RomanticSuspense #booksky

Writers — are you a plotter or a pantser? I start with an outline, but my characters love surprising me mid-story. #WritingCommunity #WritersOfBluesky #PlotterVsPantser #AmWriting #StoryCraft #booksky

Pet cameo time! This is Bailey, my heart dog. She’s always by my side while I work, quietly keeping me company and offering all the support I could ever need. 🐾💛 #PetCameo #HeartDog #WritingCompanion #DogsOfBluesky #BaileyTheDog #WriterLife #DogLove #booksky

From the newest chapter of Escaping Enemies: The stakes are rising, and Everleigh and Isaac are clashing over the next move. Their partnership has never faced a test like this before. #WritingCommunity #MysteryFiction #SneakPeek #EscapingEnemies #AmWriting #FictionWIP #CharacterDrama #booksky

Character backstories are the heart of my series. In the Christmas Mystery books, Isaac left the police force after a case went terribly wrong — and though he’s mentioned it before, the full story has never been told. That changes in Escaping Enemies. #CozyMystery #WritingCommunity #Readers

This space is my sanctuary. Surrounded by books, I can lose myself in countless worlds without stepping outside. #BookSanctuary #CozyReads #ReadersHaven #BookNook #booksky #bookskyreaders

This week's work on Escaping Enemies: doubled the word count, but the story is revealing itself piece by piece. This one’s more intricate than the other Everleigh and Isaac books — and I’m excited to see where it leads. #AmWriting #CozyMystery #WritingLife #AuthorJourney #WorkInProgress

A novel always starts with the seed of an idea 🌱. I nurture it until it grows branches (subplots) and leaves (characters). I even rehearse the whole story in my mind before I write a single word. #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #FictionWriter #Plotting #AuthorLife #WIP #WritersOfBluesky #booksky

🌸 A little burst of happiness from my son’s garden — nothing brightens a day quite like a hibiscus in bloom. #Hibiscus #GardenLife #FlowerMagic #NatureBeauty #BloomBright

When you pick up a book, do you want it to transport you somewhere completely new, or do you enjoy stories set in places you already know? I’m curious what draws you in — the familiar or the far-flung? #BookChat #ReaderReflection #StoryWorlds #FictionLovers #ReadersCorner #BookDiscussion #booksky

🚨 Sneak peek from Escaping Enemies! 🚨 Everleigh just learned the name Atlas Finn — an alias tied to dangerous activities lurking on the dark web. This is the moment when she and Isaac realize how high the stakes are. #MysterySeries #BookTeaser #ReadersOfBluesky #CozyMystery #ComingSoon

Three days a week, I spend time with my granddaughter and write from a desk my kids set up for me. Surrounded by four dogs, writing time is never lonely. The little ones curl up on the big dogs like they’re heating pads. 🐶📚💛 #WritingLife #DogLovers #GrandparentLife #WritersOfBluesky #AmWriting

Cozy mysteries are all about charm over chills. ✨ Amateur sleuths ✨ Small town settings ✨ Crimes happen off-page They’re perfect if you love the puzzle but not the gore. What cozy mystery series tops your list? #CozyMystery #MysteryReads #Booksky #ReadersOfBluesky #BookishCommunity #CozyReads

Today’s progress on Escaping Enemies — there’s still a long road ahead, but the story is finally taking shape. Loving how it’s coming together! ✍️📚 #EscapingEnemies #WritingProgress #CozyMystery #AmWriting #WIP #Bookish #WritersOfBluesky #StoryInProgress

Went to a convention and returned with a heavier suitcase and an even longer TBR list. 📚 I may not be rich in cash, but I’m rolling in "old book" money. 😄 #BookishHumor #BookAddict #TBRList #ReadersOfBluesky #BookCommunity #Bibliophile #BookHaul #BookLover #booksky

In honor of Escaping Enemies, the next book in the Christmas Mystery series, I made Isaac’s favorite meal — though I doubt he’d sign off on it. Too few carbs and way too much green. 🥑📚 #ChristmasMysterySeries #CozyMystery #BookSky #BookishLife #ReadersOfBluesky #BookCommunity #BookTalk