There are a few shows I love so much that I know I’ll watch again, so I buy them through iTunes. And, I’m spoiled — I hate commercials and I love high-quality viewing. CASTLE is one of those shows. The one draw back is that I usually have to wait an extra day before I can see the show, because its not available for download until it’s aired, meaning once Hawaii gets to see it, it’s available for download. That’s usually between midnight and 2 am. Because I was finishing revisions for DEAD HEAT Monday night, I didn’t even remember… Read More

Three years ago, I discovered a new show that I absolutely loved. GRIMM. What if fairy tales weren’t fiction? What if there were people who could change into monster-like creatures? What if they weren’t all monsters but, you know, the resident clock repairman or the bridge builder? After six episodes, ratings were low and every television reporting website I frequent (there are many) said it was on the cusp of being cancelled. That it could go either way. I thought for sure it would be gone — networks do that, you know. If a show they demo doesn’t meet XYZ… Read More

First, I apologize for being late with the blog this morning. I had it on my calendar to write it last night, but then ended up watching BONES with my son and daughter and promptly forgot. Even though the writers totally screwed up season 6, the payoff was worth it. I’d give it an A-. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, though! I’m just pleased that Season 9 of BONES is almost as good as the first five seasons. As everyone who reads this blog regularly knows, television is my addiction. I love it, I think the writing… Read More

First …. we have a winner! Thank you to everyone who commented on Lisa Gardner’s giveaway Tuesday … Random.org picked CRYSTALGB as the winner of the beach bag bonanza! Crystal, I sent you a private email, so make sure you reply! Congratulations! Okay, now for some serious matters. Very serious. I’m talking about television.

Wow. Just wow. There are so many great shows on television today that I can’t possibly talk about them all, but I wanted to share my thoughts on some of the season finales and how they worked … and didn’t work. Warning: there are spoilers. Do not read if you don’t want spoilers. Got it? Or skip around … I identified each show in the heading, so skip those you don’t want spoiled.

One more week and COLD SNAP will be done. It’ll need revisions and copyedits, but the story will all be there — if all goes well. Last night, I wrote a new prologue. I had one already drafted, but it nagged me … I just didn’t like it. It didn’t show my heroine, Elle Santana, the way I wanted. She has a very strong motivation for doing what she’s doing, and the original prologue didn’t show that. The new one does — a teenager she’s been helping dies in her arms of a drug overdose after being thrown from a… Read More

… And no, I don’t mean anything to do with cleaning. It’s television finale time! Okay, not quite yet, but they’re getting close, and I’m getting excited. There are a couple of shows that will end before the May Sweeps, and those are the ones I’m talking about today. I really love the competition in the television world — cable TV has really pushed networks to do new and different things, resulting in some amazing productions. These shows — from FX, Fox, and AMC — are three that stand out for me. But those of you who know me, know I… Read More

It’s Toni’s day today, but she’s helping her brother Mike get settled. He’s been released from the hospital (yeah!) and she’s been working double time to make sure he has everything he needs to recover. I know she has a lot to share, so come back in two weeks for an update. AND continue sending Mike and Toni your prayers and positive thoughts. In the meantime … For those of you who have been following Murder She Writes for a few years, you know that I love television. I love television more than going to the movies. Sure, there are… Read More

My two oldest daughters are both going through a bit of turmoil because they don’t know what they want to do with their lives. Katie (18) is in college knows what she doesn’t want to do, and has a few ideas about what she might want to do. She’s in the process of changing her major. Kelly (16) wants to do a whole bunch of things, many focused around learning in college. She wants to narrow it down, but the more she learns the more she wants to learn. I told them both, don’t stress about it. College is the… Read More

July is a busy month for romance and thriller writers, and those of us who write romantic thrillers, we often have to chose between Thrillerfest and Romance Writers of America. Two conferences in one month is expensive, but since these are usually the only two conferences I attend, I save up. I find both valuable for not only my career, but my sanity–I get to hang with my fellow writers and see friends I usually only talk to online. I met Toni at the first Thrillerfest in Arizona–still the single best conference I’ve ever been to. We’ve been best buddies… Read More