Sometimes inspiration comes from the least expected places. Tasked with revising a manuscript while my husband was progressing through the stages of Alzheimer's led to a subplot rewrite that drew upon my experiences of caring for a loved one living with this devastating disease.

HOW A FAMILY HEALTH ISSUE INSPIRED AND INFORMED ONE OF MY STORY LINES booksbywomen.org/how-a-family... @marcymccreary.bsky.social

This weekend is the 56th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival!! Check out my piece in CrimeReads about how I researched the "Peace Force" (NYPD volunteers!) and how law enforcement operated in this chaotic environment for my novel, The Summer of Love and Death ☮️ 💀 crimereads.com/peace-love-a...

Hullillumination is an annual event in Hull organized by the Hull Lifesaving Museum. Hundreds of flares are simultaneously lit around Hull Harbor and the scene is simply breathtaking 🔥

Lucky me got an Advance Reader Copy of Murder Takes A Vacation by @lauralippman.bsky.social 📚 Reading this one to my husband, who can no longer read due to Alzheimer's. We thoroughly enjoyed the first few chapters last night and looking forward to plunging back in tonight!

My husband's hard-earned 401K savings are earmarked for his longterm Alzheimer's care (which is not covered by insurance), not vacations or whatever else that ignorant fuckwad in the WH claims I should sacrifice so he can play Dear Leader. So, yeah, my anxiety is off the charts right now.

My dad has aphasia due to Alzheimer's & can only say "yes" and "no." He was a singer. I hung with him this weekend & this happened: he was able to verbalize & sing the lyrics to songs he used to perform. Happy he has retained this ability. Sad that he has been robbed of his gift to perform.

Lew and I are victims of Meta's skullduggery to train their AI systems! My novels & Lew’s short stories have been pirated without permission & without compensation 😡 My advice to writers: write from your heart, not from a machine . . . it's actually rewarding to know that every damn word is yours.

I’m just Irish by marriage but my husband Lew McCreary is the real deal ☘️ Happy St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ He was one helluva brilliant writer whose talent was stolen by Alzheimer's.

Happy π Day . . . especially to the fabulous PieLadyBooks who designs pie crust inspired by book cover art. Here's the one she did for my book!

Jumping on the Books-to-Looks Oscar Red Carpet trend with my Ford Family Mystery series of books . . .Tux Edition! How perfect are these...

Lucky me got an early read. A brilliant mix of political satire, absurdity, & dry humor makes this novel an absolute standout in the spy genre. It's an absolute gem of a novel that will have you rooting for a reluctant spy & his cadre of comrades as they outwit a corrupt & oppressive government.

My husband's latest novel THE 13TH STEP is on sale for only 99 cents!! "Fiendishly clever!" “Devilishly entertaining!” "Ingenious premise!" If you’re drawn to tales of revenge that explore our darkest impulses, then I hope you’ll check out his latest novel.

Hands down, best Valentine’s Day movie. #somelikeithot

Who doesn’t love curling up with a fascinating crime story? How about two crime stories? Lew has been writing, well, forever, while I got going later in life. He has been my mentor & writing coach. Lately, I have been his advocate & caregiver. 💕Check out our latest crime and mystery novels...

View from my back deck this morning ❄️

Back to reality after a glorious vacation in Uruguay & Argentina! And back to doing what authors have to do... hawk their books! The paperback version of THE SUMMER OF LOVE AND DEATH will be released this summer & Barnes & Noble is running a pre-order promotion! Snag it today, read it this summer!

Browsing Libros del Pasaje in Buenos Aires and came across the Spanish version of the book that inspired me to try my hand at writing a novel. A must-visit bookstore! @stephenking.bsky.social

Last night in Uruguay, watching the setting sun kiss the water. Heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina tomorrow morning.

Off-the-charts sunset in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

In exactly one week I head to Uruguay 🇺🇾 and Argentina 🇦🇷 for a 10-day vacation! My twin sister did all the itinerary planning, so I just have to show up, kick back, and do what she's tell me to do (just like when we were kids).

I'm binging Shrinking, & while I love the characters & the poignant storylines, it's the title theme, Frightening Fishes, that shreds me. It's about opening yourself to others who can help lighten the load when you're struggling. Personally, the line that guts me: "I want to hear myself think again"

A tradition I started a few years ago on New Years Day morning is to blast a playlist of positive and uplifting songs (hopefully set the mood for the months ahead), and the first song on that list is always Feeling Good, sung by the unequalled Nina Simone. music.apple.com/us/album/fee...

While cleaning out Lew's old file cabinet, I came across this letter from an author who contacted Lew about how much she loved his 1991 novel, The Minus Man. Because Lew has Alzheimer's he doesn't remember receiving this letter or who she is. Anyone know her? A google search tells me she is 92.

The annual Hull Bonfire was lit 🔥 This usually takes place on Thanksgiving but was postponed due to drought conditions. It’s a fabulous town tradition that brings the community together.

As 2024 comes to a close, just a quick reminder that my husband, Lew, is donating 100% of his royalties to the Alzheimer's Assoc. With your purchase, you are supporting a cause that is near & dear to our hearts . . . and our brains. And the best part . . . you receive a brilliant crime thriller!

What a year of reading! I wish I had the time to devour more books, but to have read (or listened to) 57 books is quite the accomplishment for me this year. Many of these books I read aloud to my husband, Lew, who has Alzheimer's. I can't begin to tell you how rewarding that was for both of us.

A Festival of Lights at the McCreary house! Celebrating the first night of Chrismukkah 🕎 🎄

Lew completely immersed in Handel’s Messiah with his new Beats 🎁 🎄💜 He can no longer read because of Alzheimer’s so this is a great way to keep him engaged with what he loves: music, podcasts, audiobooks 🎶

A rare sighting! Three swans hanging out on the icy Weir River Estuary behind my house. Just need four more for "seven swans a-swimming!"

Oh no! 😲 It's down to the wire and you still haven't gotten a gift for that mystery lover in your life! No need to panic! Because you know what makes a great last-minute gift? Ebooks! Or even better . . . 3 ebooks!!!

On the winter solstice we displayed these luminaries on our porch to raise Alzheimer’s awareness. I’m a little late posting our "light the night" display, but we are fighting all year long to #ENDALZ 💜 You can find our fundraising page at act.alz.org/goto/mccrear... 🙏🏻

Sunset over the Weir River Estuary.

While carrying my books, I tripped and fell and they scattered across the floor in the shape of a Christmas tree! What? You think I purposely posed them like this?

Set in the Catskills, Detective Susan Ford enlists her dad, retired detective Will Ford, to help her solve present day crimes that have a connection to his old cases. Meanwhile, Susan must walk a fine line with her mother, Vera Ford, who has a knack for meddling in her investigations.

Day 21: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. My daughter gifted me these earrings, which I wore at every book event this past year.

‪Day 20: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. After Lew's Alzheimer's diagnosis, he never thought it would be possible to get his third novel published. But...when there's a will there's a way! We did it!

Day 19: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. There was no way I was going to pass up a chance to meet @claremackwrites.bsky.social at my local B&N back in April when she swung by Hingham, MA on her book tour.

Day 18: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. Today is my mom's 84th birthday (hard to believe, right?) 🎂 I dedicated my novel to her. She laughed at the dedication (an inside joke), then cried (happy tears).

I'm not a superstitious person, but getting on a plane on Friday the 13th is a bit unnerving. Off to Wisconsin for a family visit.

Day 17: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. Yup, that's Margaret Atwood. What a treat to hear Ms. Atwood talk about her life and her books at the Nantucket Book Festival back in June.

Day 16: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. A couple of days before the release of our books, Joanna Schauffhausen and I held a joint pre-launch event at our local B&N. Love that wall showcasing our books!

Day 15: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. While purging old items buried deep in my kitchen cabinets, I unearthed this mug my daughter made me 20 years ago when she was 10. She says it's a squirrel monkey.

Day 14: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. I put my narration skills to the test recording the Acknowledgments section of Lew's book. Tons of folks to thank for helping me get his book out in the world!

Day 13: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. In July, I visited the site of the Woodstock Festival to take photos and videos to promote The Summer of Love and Death. It was a blast . . . and groovy!

I was given the opportunity to pen an essay about publishing a book for a loved one when the author can no longer manage the process themselves. Big thank you to @paulamunier.bsky.social and CareerAuthors for providing this platform to share ideas for creating a legacy project. bit.ly/41kuuTL

Day 12: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. Chatting it up (aka fangirling) with two giants of crime fiction, Dennis Lehane and Harlan Coben, definitely ranks up there as being a highlight of this year.

Day 11: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. Had such a lovely afternoon taking part in a crime writers panel at B&N with @tsierraauthor.bsky.social and Vanessa Lillie. Love that wall of books behind us!

The saddest thing I had to do today was cancel all my husband's magazine subscriptions because he can no longer read. I bought him a couple of large print books thinking it would help, but he's struggling with that as well. Thank goodness for audiobooks. Alzheimer's sucks.

Day 10: If you're following along I am posting my 24 "joys" of 2024 (1 per day) to counteract all the grief I've experienced this year. My twin sister (next to me) helped organize this Women in Crime Fiction panel discussion event with Tessa Wegert, Wendy Walker, and @elisehartkipness.bsky.social