mysteries

An interview with Kellye Garrett, author of the DETECTIVE BY DAY series

Saturday, October 28, 2017
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This week’s guest at the Deb Ball is a force to be reckoned with. Kellye Garrett has, in addition to writing a highly acclaimed mystery novel, spearheaded the 17 Scribes group of 2017 debuts for over a year now. She has tirelessly devoted herself to organizing the group and celebrating each release, and I daresay it’s largely due to her that it’s so robust and active. Her own debut, Hollywood Homicide,…

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Guest Author JOELLE CHARBONNEAU on Writing Every Day and Letting It Go + GIVEAWAY

Saturday, June 21, 2014
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Got a treat for you today, Deb Ball readers! Joelle Charbonneau is with us! Joelle Charbonneau has performed in opera and musical theatre productions across Chicagoland. She now teaches private voice lessons and is the author of the New York Times bestselling THE TESTING trilogy (THE TESTING, INDEPENDENT STUDY and GRADUATION DAY) as well as two mystery series: The Rebecca Robbins mysteries (Minotaur Books) and the Glee Club mysteries (Berkley)….

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LYNNE RAIMONDO Tells an Unbelievable Story + GIVEAWAY

Saturday, April 12, 2014
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Today we have mystery author Lynne Raimondo as our guest, and this is a real treat: She’s going to tell us a story! Yes, yes, it has implications for writing what’s “believable,” and it’s a writing lesson–but also A STORY. Lynne is the author of the mystery DANTE’S WOOD, called “taut, compelling, and very moving” by Louise Penny(!), and the follow-up, DANTE’S POISON, out May 6th from Seventh Street Books….

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JULIE HYZY Talks Research and Puts Us on the Watch List + GIVEAWAY!

Saturday, January 25, 2014
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Today we’re excited to have mystery writer Julie Hyzy on The Debutante Ball! A relentless snoop and mystery seeker since childhood, Julie Hyzy gets to play detective by writing amateur sleuth adventures. She’s thrilled to have won the Anthony, Barry, Lovey, and Derringer Awards, and still can’t believe that she has “New York Times Bestselling Author” across the front of her books. Julie writes the White House Chef Mysteries and…

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Book-Buying Habits of Midwestern Girls

Monday, December 9, 2013
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When I was a kid, reading was my thing. I rollerskated a bit, and could occasionally be forced outside to “play,” but I was happier sitting somewhere with a book than doing anything else. But one thing about books confused me. When I went to the library or to a bookstore, I noticed book covers first. I noticed that I was drawn to some covers more than others. I noticed…

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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN on Right and Wrong in Debut Promotion + GIVEAWAY of THE WRONG GIRL!

Saturday, November 23, 2013
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HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s NBC affiliate. She’s won 30 Emmys, 12 Edward R. Murrow awards, and dozens of other honors for her ground-breaking journalism. A bestselling author of six mystery novels, Ryan has won multiple prestigious awards for her crime fiction: the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, and most recently, for THE OTHER WOMAN, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. National reviews call her a “master…

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CLARE O’DONOHUE on Writing Series and “Dangerous” Reads + GIVEAWAY of THE DOUBLE WEDDING RING

Saturday, October 5, 2013
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We’d like to give a rousing welcome to Clare O’Donohue, author of the Someday Quilts mysteries. The fifth book in the series, The Double Wedding Ring, was released Sept. 24. Clare is also the author of the (so far) two-book Kate Conway mystery series, an edgier series in which the protagonist is a TV producer. In The Double Wedding Ring, Nell Fitzgerald’s future is on her mind, and it looks…

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INSPIRATION STEW || The Helluva Year That Inspired My First Novel

Friday, September 6, 2013
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Here I am, your Friday girl, and in all honesty, after reading my fellow debs’ posts this week, I felt an acute case of stage fright, because, for one thing, aren’t they awesome? And for another thing, I couldn’t think of the inspiration for KILMOON. So here’s a question, what do my first trip to Ireland and family trauma have in common? They both inspired my novel. In one helluva…

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Deb Dana’s Summer Vacation to 16th-Century Japan

Tuesday, July 16, 2013
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Today, friends, I have the honor of introducing our VERY LAST DEB LAUNCH. Yes, that’s right: Deb Susan’s engrossing debut, CLAWS OF THE CAT, comes out today, and it is the perfect (or should I say purrrfect) summer read! For a lot of people, summer means travel and vacations, but if you’re me, and you have a four-month-old munchkin demanding your constant attention, exciting vacations aren’t exactly in the cards….

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Why Deb Susan Likes “The Song That Doesn’t End”

When my son was young, the end credits to “Lamb Chop’s Play Along” featured The Song That Doesn’t End. Not surprisingly, he loved it. More surprisingly, I happen to love it too. For those not acquainted with this little gem: (My apologies to anyone who actually clicked it. You’ll now be singing it for weeks.) I love the song for its childlike denial of endings. If the song never ends,…

Friday, December 28, 2012
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