One of the hardest things about being a writer is the waiting to hear back on a project. And yes, I’ve followed the advice of ‘write the next thing’ and the next, and the next… Oh well. Off to write the next thing now 😎

My old author photos were pre-pandemic when I was still dying my hair red so I had new ones taken to show me now. These are my Top 3 - which is your favorite?

Waiting is hard esp. when u write a book u & your agent love—1 she’s convinced a publisher will love. She submits it & u wait to hear. You write another book so you don’t go crazy, finish it & send to yr agent waiting for her response—she loves it! Now you wait to hear about 2 books on submission… 🤞

Great idea!

In all the discussions about whether to have a "The" in my new book title, I never thought that without it we'd have "Edinburgh Murders Catriona McPherson". So thank you @hodderbooks.bsky.social and @katenorman17.bsky.social. [deleted joke about Glasgow] Coming to the UK in April.

Thrilled to share the official PM announcement of my new book deal! 🎉Two clarifications: Death of a Flying Nightingale is nominated for a Lefty, not an Agatha & this is a 3-book deal with @severnhouse.bsky.social with a 2nd Alphabet Sleuths mystery still to come. Thank you, Vicky & SH!

Thrilled to have signed a contract with Severn House for a new mystery series, The Alphabet Sleuths (think The Golden Girls meets The Thursday Murder Club) & a WWII historical, The Postmistress of Puddlington, the book of my heart I wrote during lockdown when I needed to escape. Thx @vickyweber 🌹🌹

Reading a WWII novel set in England by a British author whose other WWII novels I’ve loved. BUT she refers to a young woman making a ‘Bundt’ cake. In 1941 England. Seriously? The U.S. created Bundt cakes (inspired by a dense ring-shaped European cake called kugelhopf) but not until 1950.

Had a great talk this morning with my amazing CMA agent @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social who will be sending my women’s fiction debut about neurodivergent senior Primrose out on submission to publishers next week!🤞🤞

Thrilled to bits to be nominated for my first Lefty! (For Death of a Flying Nightingale.) I’m honored to be in such great company in the Best Historical category. Congrats to all the nominees! @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social

* Going to bed early * Not leaving my house * Not going to a party My childhood punishments have become my adult goals

How to write: Stop not writing. Keep your butt in the chair. Write really bad small sections of the whole—passages, moments, episodes, memories—til you have an incredibly shitty 1st draft. Then take out the boring parts, the lies and pretensions. Then write a better 2nd draft.

I continue to be deeply moved by this statement to the heavens by President Carter.

#writingcommunity #anquerying Drumroll… After 2+ years of querying & myriad rejections for 3 books I’m excited to announce that @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social at CMA is my new agent! 🎉 I’m thrilled by Vicky’s love of & vision for my women’s fiction debut about neurodivergent senior Primrose!

HUGE congratulations to my client, @christyswiftbooks.bsky.social for this AMAZING review in Publishers Weekly. I couldn't be more proud of her! #Romancelandia...you're going to want to get your hands on this book when it releases! www.publishersweekly.com/9781538767764

Stuck in a scene? Do what the pros do: use brackets. Write what the story beat is: [Our hero gets out of the fight through clever means] Then just keep writing what happens after. Maintaining momentum is key to getting the most words on the page. Meanwhile solutions often present themselves later.

Saw #Wicked today. Wow. It’s everything & more. John Chu did a brilliant job directing & all the actors were fab. Cynthia Errivo & Ariana Grande were pitch perfect as Elphaba & Glinda. And boy can those two sing! Chills. Sheer perfection.

SCOTZILLA fails the p.69 test abysmally: no mention of the wedding and the phrase "dragon slasher" is quite misleading about the book as a whole. page69test.blogspot.com/2024/12/scot...

SCOTZILLA is out there today, stalking the streets. It's set at the Summer Solstice and that's not the only way it's a pretty good antidote to the times. If you like Schitt's Creek and think weddings have jumped the shark . . . could be the book for you. catrionamcpherson.com/lexycampbell...

Can’t wait to read the latest in the Last Ditch series! These books always crack me up 😂

Some ALTER EGO love from Goodreads on the eve of release - including being listed as one of the site's Most Anticipated December Books + a lovely mention from bestie @kellyekell.bsky.social! Most Anticipated: www.goodreads.com/blog/show/28... 20204 overview: www.goodreads.com/blog/show/28...

🤣🤣

Ok, admit it. Who here has tartled before? I definitely have!

Upcoming #NewBooks in #Mysteries #Thrillers and more for your #ReadingLists. #PublishingNews Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of December 1, 2024 drusbookmusing.com/december-1-2...

This is your Black Friday reminder that actual book shops can't afford to discount like Amazon and supermarkets do. If you can, get full price books but also a full heart.

Thank you @thetimes.com ! Honoured that One Perfect Couple was selected as one of the ten best crime novels of 2024 - in some very fine company including @janecasey.bsky.social and @markbillingham.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/culture/book...

#WritingCommunity Had a great, laugh-filled conversation with my top agent choice where she offered me representation 2 days before my birthday!! 🎉 Happy Thanksgiving birthday to me! 🦃 Then I woke up today & realized it was only a dream. Damn. #amquerying

Writers, authors, ANYone (especially if you’re male) if I don’t know you personally but start following you, please don’t DM me. It’s creepy. (And earns you an automatic block.)

"If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people." -- Virginia Woolf

Attention #bookbloggers and #bookreviewers! DEATH UPON A STAR, the first in my Evelyn Galloway vintage Hollywood mystery is now available for review on Netgalley. #booksky BookSky 💙📚

Epiphany. I’ve been anxiously waiting to hear back from 3 agents who have my full, but recently I received some great publishing news (which I can’t publicly share yet) & I decided to rejoice in & celebrate that instead of obsessing over getting an agent! What will be will be. #amquerying

It's good and bad promo week at Criminal Minds. I'm following Susan Shea, @gvaljan.bsky.social and @ericbeetner.bsky.social on Mon,Tue,Wed. Glance at mine, by all means but deffo scroll back to them. 7criminalminds.blogspot.com/2024/11/in-m...

Obsessively checking email waiting to hear from agents w/my full. I vacillate between being philosophical & grown-up by putting it out of my mind & working on my contracted book & refreshing email & stalking social media for a hint they’re reading (& loving 🤞) my book. The agonies of #amquerying

One of the things I love about retirement (including no longer having to attend stultifying work meetings) is afternoon naps. I try to write daily until early afternoon, then take a delicious nap. (Sometimes a Power Nap of 20 minutes; other times an hour & a half.) Bliss.

Happy book birthday to my friend @jenniferkmorita 🎉🎉🎂I got to read an early version of her debut novel—a wonderful, atmospheric mystery—and loved it! Congratulations, Jennifer on your first book. So happy for you!

Yay! Love this show 💕💕

#PublishingNews of the #Mysteries #Thrillers and more coming out this week. #NewBooks Dru's Book Musings: New Releases ~ Week of November 17, 2024 drusbookmusing.com/november-17-...

Pirating books hurts authors.

Trying to stop obsessively refreshing my email as I wait to hear back from #agents. Should I distract myself by cleaning the house while blasting the Mamma Mia soundtrack or work on the book that’s due in March? Decisions, decisions… #amquerying

Ah, Google says BlueSky posts can’t be longer than 300 characters so will try again.

Are there post length restrictions I don’t know about? Like Twitter?

Anyone else having trouble posting on Bluesky this morning?

Vague #publishing “tweet.” All will be revealed soon. Shedding happy tears in CA. #amwriting

Where are all my fellow writers & readers? I’m the author of several books, including cozy mysteries & historical fiction. Now #amquerying agents with my women’s fiction debut featuring a neurodivergent senior on a quest. #writingcommunity

Just joined BlueSky but am technology impaired so it may take awhile to figure it out. (Line where to post a bio, etc.) I’m an author who loves books, tea, and England.