M.J. Mac's Blog

Coffee, Checklists, Chaos 2 days to go to launch…

2 days to go to launch… The to-do list is real. I’m due for a freak out. I need to pack the tiara. I’m almost ready… sort of.

2 Days to Launch: Send Help (and More Coffee)

There’s a certain point in every book launch where the to-do lists stop looking like lists and start looking like manifestos.

That’s where I’m at. Two days to go until Betrayed on the Promenade releases, three days until I’m on a plane, and five days until I’m standing at the Mississippi Book Festival trying to look like a woman who has it all together.
Spoiler alert: I do not have it all together. Yesterday, I took Elvis for a walk wearing two completely different shoes and didn’t notice until my neighbor waved. I waved back like I meant to start a new trend.

The To-Do List: Final Boss Edition
Here’s what’s still on my list:
• Finish packing for the festival – have I decided what outfit to wear? Of course not!
• Triple-check that my festival display fits in my suitcase without breaking airline weight limits or physics. Did I remember the skeletons? I NEED the skeletons.
• Hope customs doesn’t think my digital book displays are some kind of high-tech contraband (Honestly officer, it’s just a display, but while we’re here, can I interest you in my cozy mystery series? It’s about a Cruise Director…)
• Remind myself not to joke with the Houston Immigration Agent when they ask if I have anything to declare. “Nothing but plot twists and who get’s it first,” because while hilarious in my head, it’s probably not airport-approved humor.

Nightmares I’ve Already Had (Because Why Not?)
• Opening a box of books only to find every single one printed upside down. Reminder - CALL MOM!!!
• My suitcases getting lost somewhere between Panama and Mississippi
• My voice vanishing mid-sentence at the festival with a reader who is a cozy mystery influencer with a following of 1M readers

But I’m (Sort of) Ready
Despite the caffeine shakes, my fear that my suitcase is one rogue bookmark away from being overweight, and the small voice in my head screaming, “WHAT IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG?”… I’m doing this.
In 48 hours, Betrayed on the Promenade will be out in the wild. Kennedy Reeves and her most treacherous cruise yet will be in readers’ hands. And in five days, I’ll be in Mississippi surrounded by books, coasters (not contraband), and readers who remind me why I do all of this in the first place.
It’s not perfect. It’s not calm. But it’s mine. And honestly? I wouldn’t trade it for anything… except maybe a refill on this coffee.

P.S. Mississippi, I’m Coming for You
Headed to the Mississippi Book Festival? Stop by my table and say hi. I’ll be the one in a tiara, grinning like a sleep-deprived raccoon in Author's Alley.

Didn’t pre-order Betrayed on the Promenade at launch? Shame! But lucky for you, it’s just a click away.

________________________________________
Now, if you’ll excuse me…
There’s a cruise director with more than cocktails to juggle. Kennedy’s just received a text message that could sink her ship, and let’s not even talk about the email she hasn’t opened yet. I really should check on her before things spiral… further.

Passports, Post-Its, and 250 Lists Later

30 days before launch… Everything’s fine… it’s fine… have you seen my to-do list? I need more coffee and Post-Its.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like being one month out from launching a book and prepping for a book festival… let me paint you a picture.

There are 250 to-do lists scattered like confetti, 150 Post-It notes clinging to every flat surface like neon barnacles, and I broke out in insane laughter when I realized I was printing on the wrong side of the printable vinyl.

Somewhere in the chaos, I realized I had to renew my passport because—why not add “international paperwork panic” to the mix? And while it’s a simple matter for others, drama follows me like glitter at a kindergarten craft table. Let’s just say that my passport photo looks like I’ve just survived a 20-hour flight through turbulence with a toddler kicking the back of my seat.

Welcome aboard. We’ve officially set sail for Chaos Cove.

Here’s a peek at my actual pre-launch checklist:
• Rally ARC readers (please, please say yes)
• Finish designs for bookmarks, table overlay, and coasters (more on those in a second)
• Find something to wear. I know it sounds weird—but I need the perfect outfit that says – yes, I’m an international best-selling author, and of course, I have it all together.
• Pretend I’m not worried about another laptop stunt like that epilogue glitch from A Shiver on the River. Let’s just not talk about it.
And I’m only halfway through the list.

And now, The Coaster Chronicles (AKA How I Lost My Sanity but Gained Great Swag)
I had this amazing idea for a giveaway at the Mississippi Book Festival – a custom cocktail coaster for newsletter signups.
Reality Check: Sure I could point and click and have Amazon what I need…Sure I could have sent this off to be done but why? I’m an author AND a crafty person. Right? Suffice it to say that by the end of the 4th coat of acrylic sealer I was loopy enough to seriously consider designing a second batch with “Send Coffee and Sanity” as the tagline. The good news? They turned out gorgeous. So if you’re headed to the festival, you might just score one.

But Here’s the Thing…
Despite the chaos, the panic, and my questionable passport pic, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Launching Betrayed on the Promenade means Kennedy’s most dangerous (and most hilarious) cruise yet is about to hit shelves. And seeing readers at the Mississippi Book Festival? That’s the dream.

So yes, I’m terrified. But I’m also beyond excited. And maybe (just maybe) I’ve figured out how to print on the correct side of the vinyl. Progress, right?

Now, if you’ll excuse me…
I need to get back to my manuscript. Kennedy’s juggling passengers, pageants, and a certain smooth-talking emcee who may or may not have just taken a very unexpected swim. Things are about to get messy—and not just because of the sequins.

No Tupperware was harmed…

...or, how I accidentally reorganized my life to avoid writing “the end”

There’s a specific kind of avoidance that only writers know. It’s not laziness. It’s not procrastination. It’s… productive avoidance. The kind where you accomplish everything except what you’re supposed to be doing. Like, say, writing…book seven—and the final book—of your mystery series.

Case in point: Foul Play on the Cay is allegedly in progress. And by “in progress,” I mean the title exists. And the plot? It’s been birthed, reworked, and sacrificed to the story gods multiple times. I’ve changed direction so many times that I may qualify as a windsock. Let me tell you, there is nothing like the pressure of writing the last book in a series you’ve lived with for six years to bring out the very worst of your productive procrastination habits. And by “worst,” I mean wildly impressive.

With the Hubster out of the country and zero distractions (read: no audience for my rants and raves), I have:
• Hand-painted two accent walls.
• Reorganized every closet in the house.
• Donated enough clothing to clothe our small town at least twice!
• Completed an actual painting—on canvas, not just mental gymnastics.
• Walked the beach like I’m waiting for a message in a bottle from the muse.
• Lost eight pounds—turns out rewriting plots burns calories.
• And, perhaps most telling, made Elvis the dog question my sanity. Again.

I even—brace yourselves—matched my Tupperware lids. That’s how far we’ve fallen. Every cabinet in the kitchen has been reorganized. Kids, I found lids I didn’t even know I owned. That’s the level of avoidance we’re talking about. But here’s the thing: I know what this is. I’ve been here before, just… never quite like this.

Because this time, it’s not just writer’s block. It’s goodbye. It’s time to write book seven, Foul Play on the Cay. The end of the line for my wisecracking, cruise-directing, crime-sleuthing alter ego.
Kennedy arrived when nothing made sense. When, after making a machine run seamlessly, I found I was no longer needed. I wasn’t fun anymore, according to some. So, in typical knee-jerk fashion, I turned everything sideways to live where I didn’t speak the language or know the rules, and learned how to find the perfect mango from under the tree for my evening margarita. I had to adjust to a world ruled by the tide, not the number of emails I had to address or meetings to attend.

Kennedy helped me figure out who I was after everything changed. She gave me permission to be bold, messy, curious, and clever. She helped me reclaim my voice when I wasn’t sure I had one left.

But here’s the deal: I know this pattern. This creative storm cloud that rolls in after writing a book I’m proud of (looking at you, Betrayed on the Promenade). It’s equal parts fear, perfectionism, and the nagging sense that I’ve used up all my good words. Spoiler: I haven’t. They’re just hiding behind the curtain, probably sipping that mango margarita and mocking me while I alphabetize the spice rack.

So, of course, being me, I’m avoiding writing her final act. Avoidance is my name—just ask anyone I know. Because, how do you wrap up a character who helped you rebuild your life?

I’m stalling (can you tell?). Circling the plot like it’s a crime scene. I’ve outlined and re-outlined, second-guessed everything from the killer’s motive to the cocktail menu. But I know this story is there. I just have to stop painting walls and let myself feel the weight of what it means to let her go. And you know what? That’s okay.

This messy, jittery, productivity-in-disguise phase is…a part of the process. The beach walks, the title changes, the wild urge to paint something—those are me circling the story, waiting for it to reveal itself.

And when it does? Oh, honey. Let’s just say someone’s definitely getting murdered in paradise.

So yes, this month’s update is light on word count… but heavy on everything else.
To my readers who’ve walked this journey with Kennedy (and me), thank you.

Truly. I promise, Foul Play on the Cay will be worth the wait.

Eventually…
Like, after I alphabetize the spices. And regrout the bathroom tiles. And if you’re a fellow writer who’s ever panic-cleaned your way through a plot hole, I see you. You’re not alone. Circle the story.

😉
Until next time,
Keep your secrets close and your cocktails closer.
#MJMacAuthor
Until next month!
Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 77K readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 1,300 four-star reviews.
I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!

They Had It Coming: Why Despicable Victims Make the Best Mysteries

Not to sound like a sociopath, but I get a deep sense of satisfaction every time one of my fictional victims bites the dust. Not because I’m bloodthirsty (I prefer my drinks with umbrellas, not body counts), but because I make absolutely sure that the dearly departed deserved it.

From A Boat for a Goat to my upcoming mystery, Betrayed on the Promenade, there’s one thing all my victims have in common: they were the kind of people you'd cross the street—or an ocean—to avoid. In the cozy mystery world, that’s not just acceptable. It’s the rule.

Cozy readers don’t want innocent victims. They want villains in victim's clothing. The kind who cheat on their taxes, their spouses, and their diets, and lie about all three. The ones who steal credit, cut buffet lines, and wield passive aggression like it’s a superpower. And when they end up facedown in the punch bowl, no one’s crying. Suspicious? Absolutely. But sympathetic? Meh, not so much. After all, they had it coming.

Despicable victims give us space to play. As a writer, I get to bake in juicy motives—grudges, secrets, scandal, and betrayal. It's the literary version of loading up your sundae with every topping. Sure, it might get a little messy, of course your stomach will ache, but oh, is it delicious fun.

Plus, when readers meet one of my victims, I want them to immediately think, Ooooh, someone’s gonna kill you, and I can’t wait to find out who. And when they come up to me or make a comment on social media on Motive Mondays, and say, “X was despicable.” I get all tingly, and a tear comes to my eye. It’s what makes cozy mysteries feel like a puzzle and a popcorn flick.

While writing Betrayed, I had an especially good time crafting a character so slick, so self-serving, so thoroughly unpleasant that by the time things come to a head, I was smirking. I won’t spoil it for you…All I’ll say is I was humming the “Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago and wearing a grin from ear to ear.

So the next time you’re reading a Kennedy Reeves mystery and meet a character who’s just a little too smarmy, rude, or manipulative—don’t worry, we’ll take care of them in a future book. Around here, karma wears a captain’s hat.

😉
Until next time,
Keep your secrets close and your cocktails closer.
#MJMacAuthor
Until next month!
Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 73K readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.
I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!

A Sneak Peek at the Sass, Shade, and Suspicion Coming in Book Six

By the time this blog post goes live, Betrayed on the Promenade will be in the capable hands of my editor—and I’ll be breathing into a paper bag while muttering, “It’s fine, it’s all fine.”

After months of simmering drama, suspicious soufflés, and secrets tucked between appetizers, it’s time to serve up something a little sharper: the one-liners. The zingers. The kind of dialogue that makes you raise your eyebrows and whisper, Ooooh, they did NOT just say that.

So, in honor of turning in book six (and surviving another deadline with only minimal sobbing), I’m sharing a sampler platter of some of my favorite lines from the manuscript. These little beauties are pulled straight from the mouths of suspects, schemers, and one pageant queen who's finally had enough.

"You've outlived your usefulness."
It’s amazing how fast warmth turns to ice when someone doesn’t need you anymore. Just ask Zane.

"Beggars can't be choosers" —unless they're choosing who to blackmail.
Some people ask for a handout. Others ask for hush money.

"Toast his swan song."
Every villain wants a standing ovation. Some get a body bag instead.

"Dazzle, distract, and dupe."
Zane Owens didn’t just wear the crown—she weaponized it.

"And now it’s your turn to pay the piper."
Revenge isn’t always loud. Sometimes it sounds like a soft knock on a locked door.

"The die was cast the moment she stepped on board."
Not every passenger is there for the cruise.

"Pick your poison."
A metaphor, sure. But also...maybe not?

"The price for my silence just went up."
Everybody’s got a number. Some just come with decimal points and death threats.

"Once a con, always a con."
Redemption arcs are nice. But let’s be honest—they’re rare.

So there you have it—a teaser trailer made of sharp tongues and sharper twists. No spoilers (I promise!), just a little peek into the tone, tension, and tangled web of Betrayed on the Promenade.

If one of these zingers made you snort, gasp, or nod in agreement, I’d love to hear it. And if you’ve got a favorite one-liner of your own? Send it over—I’m always collecting new material. 😉

Until next time,
Keep your secrets close and your cocktails closer.
MJ Mac

Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 75K readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.

I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!

Serving Up Suspense: A Critic, a Plot Hole, and a Roll of Antacids

I've been watching season two of The Bear—which might be a mistake because it’s sending my restaurant-opening PTSD into overdrive.

I’ve had the privilege (or the punishment, depending on the day) of being part of several openings. You spend hours agonizing over the tiniest details—the perfect chair, the menu font, the napkin logo. Which plate best complements the chef’s signature tomahawk chop? Flowers on the table or candles? You become an expert in things you never thought you’d care about, like the tensile strength of a soup spoon and what linen company gets lipstick stains out of napkins best.

A lot of people assume opening night is the most nerve-wracking part. And sure, it is. And it isn’t. I’ve sat in an empty dining room minutes before the doors opened, heart in my throat, wondering if we’d just launched the next hot spot or made the world’s most expensive mistake. Held my breath during the fire suppression test. Cried ugly tears installing the last piece of décor I had spent months collecting. Hyperventilated in the private dining room when an overhead water line burst, soaking everything in sight. Evacuated soft-opening diners down eighteen flights of stairs when the computerized smoke alarm screamed from a glitch in the system. And raised a glass to the team…while up to my elbows in dishwater.

But ask any chef or restaurant owner what the most terrifying night is, and they’ll all say the same thing:

The night the critic arrives.

You want every detail to be perfect that night. The right music, the right lighting, the right wine pairing. Because nothing sinks a dish faster than the wrong match—trust me, serve the chef’s famous lasagna with a Burgundy, and the review will read like a post-mortem. A crime against the palate, the critic will write, popping an antacid and cursing your existence while another piercing cramp encircles their gut.

Writing is no different. And preparing your manuscript for your editor, in my limited world, is right there with seeing the restaurant critic’s reservation on your books. Terrifying.

I don’t want misplaced commas or wild run-ons yanking my editor out of the story, breaking the ambiance I’ve spent months crafting. Especially not after that kitchen disaster (aka plot hole) that had me pacing in circles, frantically rewriting, and reaching for my own industrial-sized roll of antacids as my meticulously crafted outline went down the proverbial drain.

I need the first bite of Betrayed on the Promenade to hook her instantly—a swoon-worthy, eye-rolling, a you-have-to-try-this moment. I think I have it:

“You’ve outlived your usefulness.”

Then there’s the chef’s kiss—the OMG moment no one, not even me, saw coming. I’m still amazed when I read it, and I’m the one who wrote it! (Okay, there may have been a splash or two of wine involved.)

And I want the last line to be just as unforgettable:

“She wasn’t sure which yes mattered more.”

While my editor slices and dices to take this book to Michelin star status, I’ll be in the alley, paper bag over my nose and lips, trying not to pass out. There’s no peeking through the swinging kitchen door, watching her either devour what I’ve written or push her fork around until she’s done.

While I wait, I’ll reflect on the last eight months—throwing spaghetti on the wall as I outlined, feeling like a short-order cook slinging out my rough draft, simmering the story stew with impatience, nursing a brain cramp from the plot twist, and calculating how much frosting I’ll need if I’ve baked a flop and have to triage before serving.

And then… then I’ll get the email and read her verdict.

Fingers crossed, I didn’t serve her a Burgundy with her plate of lasagna.

Until next month!
MJ Mac


Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 73K readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.

I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!

Baking a Flop

I’m not a baker. Never have been. Don’t intend to become one. Blame it on the false advertising of the Easy Bake Oven. Nothing I made looked like the commercial, although what was I expecting with a lightbulb for a heating element? The only time I really think about baked goods is when I’m craving a double-chocolate brownie, but before I drive across the potholes to the grocery store, I remember one of those delicious dark squares equals two sweaty five-mile treks down the beach to burn off the calories. I will also tell you that before I married the Hubster (who is a terrific baker), my oven was used for storage, and anything placed on my cake plate came from the bakery at the Piggly Wiggly. I think this opening paragraph tells you a lot about me. Oh come on, you know me.

But recently, I found myself drawing a parallel between baking and writing. Both are creative processes that involve a series of steps, both bring joy, and both can result in something beautiful or, at times, less than perfect. Some of you are already thinking, She’s gone off the deep end, but hear me out.

Some stories rise beautifully—effortless, airy, practically floating out of the oven like a picture-perfect soufflé. I envy those authors. I imagine they also have spotless kitchens, perfectly starched aprons, and cartoon birds that flutter in to help with the dishes. Me? I’m the girl with flour smudges on her face and a shirt streaked with every ingredient used who opens the oven only to feel her eyelashes melting, sees the sunken cake, and thinks, Okay, how do we salvage this? But in these moments, I find a unique joy in the creative process, in the imperfections that make the end result uniquely mine.

On the rare occasion that I bake and produce a flop, it’s usually because I missed a step. And when a rough draft flops? That’s usually because I faceplanted on a literary pothole. I didn’t think the idea through all the way. Like a fallen soufflé, sometimes, as much as I want that fantastic plot or subplot, a motive, a method, a funny character, or a classic one-liner to work, it just… doesn’t. But that’s when a sunken cake turns into a stunning trifle, just waiting to be devoured.

Case in point: I have a notecard with a chef’s kiss, a perfect zinger from Dolly, my nonagenarian beauty contestant, and yet I cannot find a single place for it in my story. It's a great line, but it just doesn't fit anywhere. Don’t force it, I remind myself. But it’s so good! Keep searching in one of your twenty edits before it gets sent off to your editor. I’m willing to bet we can find a place for it, my writer ego says.
Here’s another one: how this entire book was supposed to go has nothing to do with the story I wrote. Not. One. Thing. It was supposed to be a robbery on the ship by a band of beauty queen thieves. Now it’s something completely different. Talk about grabbing the wrong bag of flour!

I also have to remind myself not to over-edit. When I do, my manuscript turns into the literary equivalent of an overwhipped meringue—dry, deflated, and wondering where all its joy went.

At the end of the day, whether in the kitchen or at the keyboard, the goal is the same—make something that brings people joy. And if it flops?

Well, as we all know, frosting fixes everything. Until next month!

A Recipe for the Unexpected

So, here I am in month four of writing Betrayed on the Promenade, and if you’re one of the two people (yes, I’m up to two!) reading this, I need to confess something.

I follow a recipe when I write. It’s the Type A in me. I can’t help it. It’s like the lists I make to make decisions (Spoiler Alert – Kennedy does too, a lot in this book) There’s a process: write the rough draft, print it out, go through it page by page, adding ingredients like a seasoned chef, listen to it—more stirring and testing. A dash of motive here, a spoonful of snarky dialogue there. Let the chapter come to a slow boil before serving it with a cup of cliffhanger to keep readers turning the page.

And then there are the index cards. Oh, the index cards! They’re color-coded too. They make sense to no one but me, and sometimes, not even me if it was written while I was half asleep:
• NOTE: Walter needs a distinct voice pattern—research.
• NOTE: Check flights from San Juan to Nassau. Can seaplanes take off on land?
• NOTE: How many sleeping pills can you crush into bourbon to knock someone out? (Now, that one earned me a raised eyebrow from The Hubster, who now waits until I’ve gone to bed before enjoying his nightcap.)
But then there was the notecard that changed everything:
• NOTE: What are the alibis? We have the suspects. They all have great motives. Wink is a jerk, but not everyone can kill him. This isn’t the Senate floor when Caesar met his maker.

That last card stopped me cold. I had all the ingredients—motive, means, opportunity. I knew who the killer was. But then…
It didn’t hit me in a flash of brilliance. It was more like that moment before your brain cramps when you chug a margarita. Or when you’re cooking with someone, and you each add a little something to the chili, and instead of being three-alarm, the wallpaper begins to disintegrate, your eyelashes melt, and the wood trim spontaneously combusts when you remove the pot’s lid.

In that moment, my brain went from feeling like my tongue was frozen to the clothesline post (don’t go there) to a Carolina Reaper Pepper (I couldn’t even look at it in the store without feeling sweat on my upper lip). And in those thirty seconds, everything changed. I started running from room to room with my proverbial hair ablaze.

“What are you doing?” I hollered at the guest room.

“No, it’s preposterous. We know who did it,” I scoffed, pacing across the porch.

I looked at the maniacal woman in the bathroom mirror. “It will mean hours of rewrites. You have a deadline!”

“But it could be so cool,” I admitted, nibbling my lower lip as I opened the refrigerator, feeling the arctic blast on my sweating face.

Finally, I collapsed into my office chair, grabbed a pen, and scribbled another card: PLOT TWIST.
And just like that, the story shifted. That twist was a shock, a revelation, a whole emotional rollercoaster. It felt a lot like tasting dill pickle soup for the first time—completely unexpected but absolutely fantastic.

Will it blow readers’ minds? I hope so. But for now, I’m just savoring the surprise it brought to me.

Until next month!
_______________________________________________________________
Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 60,000 readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.

I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!

Simmering the Story Stew: When Chaos Starts Making Sense.

If you’ve been following my cooking-adjacent writing saga (and I hope you have because validation feeds my soul), you know I’ve compared writing the rough draft of my new book to cooking—a chore I avoid like the plague. Seriously, I’d rather scrub grout with a toothbrush (not mine, of course). But somehow, for close to forty years, I’ve managed to feed people without poisoning them—unlike those charmingly toxic characters in my books who deserve everything that’s coming to them.
Can I get an AMEN from the choir here? I mean, who do we loathe more—The G.O.A.T from book one? The sequin-clad J. Mitchell? Or Miriam from book four? (SPOILER ALERT: she’s returning like a canker sore) And let’s not forget Jill Drake, the pearl-wearing, conniving author who finally got her comeuppance.
Now, let’s be clear: writing the rough draft is not my favorite. It’s a hot mess. And even though I enter into it with my three-ring binder full of carefully written notes and an outline that would make an English teacher cry with joy, it quickly devolves into a middle school cafeteria food fight, with ideas, characters, plot twists, one-liners, and dialogue flung at me like marinara laden pieces of spaghetti. A month later, I emerge looking like I’ve just gone ten rounds in a MMA fight and ended up on the losing side.
But then it happens—I write the last rough chapter. (Heavy emphasis on rough—I’m still tinkering with the cliffhanger, but trust me, it’s coming. Picture me cackling like the wicked queen from Sleeping Beauty here.)
After that, I do the unthinkable: I take a week off. And let me tell you, it’s torture. I’m not allowed to touch the manuscript, which feels like locking away one of the Hubster’s famous desserts with a sticky note reading, “For company only.” Really? Really?
The stew (aka the book) needs to simmer. And, yes, like every impatient cook, I struggle with this step. But it’s necessary. During this "resting period," I reintroduce myself to Elvis and the Hubster, attack the mountain of chores I’ve neglected, and arrange the hundred cryptic notes I’ve scribbled on everything from receipts to strange photographs—sometimes wondering, What exactly did this mean? I also let out the breath I’ve been holding for weeks, though it usually makes me sound like a whoopie cushion that’s been sat on one too many times.
Of course, I can’t stay away for long. Impatient cook that I am, I sneak back for a taste test to see if my “stew” is edible or if I should abandon ship and call for takeout. (Don’t judge. I’ve done it, didn’t get caught, received a compliment on the meal, and will absolutely do it again.) This is when the editing magic begins: a dash of tension here, a sprinkle of humor there, and skimming off the fat—like unnecessary subplots (which I adore but can’t always keep). I also notice the peas I’ve been avoiding—those poor characters who need love and attention but got shoved to the side like vegetables in a picky eater’s dinner. Sorry, peas.
As always, there’s a lesson in here somewhere, and this time it’s about reflection. Stepping back to simmer isn’t just important—it’s necessary. Catch your breath. Let it go, as Elsa belted out in Frozen. Sidebar - Mom, stop reading. (I recently sang, “Do you want a margarita?” in my best Elsa voice to my sister during our “family vacation,” and she snorted.
Before I sign off, I’ll give you a little teaser: this book’s got a twist that even I didn’t see coming. It had me pacing in circles so much that poor Elvis thought we were training for a doggie marathon.
But now it’s time to dive back in and taste the stew again. See you next month—hopefully, with something that’s finally ready to serve!


Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of close to 70k readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.

Marinara Messes

Last month, I wrote about hurling spaghetti at the wall (figuratively, Mom!) as I prepped to draft Betrayed on the Promenade. If you missed that blog, picture a well-intentioned cooking experiment gone very, very wrong—and the flour-dusted, egg-splattered kitchen is my brain.

Then came NaNoWriMo, also known as National Novel Writing Month. The recipe? Write 1,667 words per day for 30 days to cook up a rough draft ready, after some seasoning, to be served to readers. Naturally, my overachieving brain gave a hairball cough and said, “Oh, how cute, 1,667 words? No, you’ll sit at that table and write 2,500 words before you get your glass of wine.” I should explain now that my creativity, reality, and goal-setting skills do not get along. They argue like kids touching the imaginary “my side” line in the backseat of the car.

But I digress. Back to writing the rough draft, were there changes along the way? Do I follow a recipe to the letter? The better question is: There’s so much linguine on the floor (a nod to last month’s blog) that I could cater a carbo-load dinner for a track team.

Some characters got cut faster than extras in a bad soap opera. Scenes I was sure would-be Pulitzer-worthy? Turns out, they were about as useful as the egg poaching cups I received as a wedding present a hundred years ago. And the hilarious dialogue I scribbled down on a scrap of paper in a moment of creative genius in the car? Let’s just say it sounded flatter than a karaoke singer after happy hour.

But here’s the thing: the rough draft is done. It’s out of my head. For the last month, it’s felt like I was in the tiny, sweaty truck stop diner kitchen, slinging out whatever was hollered to me between the stainless-steel rails. But thankfully, today, the world is a little quieter (or at least, my corner of it is). Now that I’m done with the rough draft, tomorrow begins the next phase: starting with cringing while reading what I wrote and slowly massaging it into a book readers will love. The space in my head will shift from noisy chaos to library silence—broken only by the furious scratching of my pencil on Post-its with notes of things to add and plot holes that need to be paved. Will there be more pasta on the floor? You can bet on it. Come on over, I’ll be serving spaghetti every Wednesday night for the next few months, but bring your own glass of wine.

So, what’s the moral of this month's blog? Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe it’s that, like life, writing is messy. So are spaghetti dinners. I always seem to end up with marinara on my shirt. And that’s okay. One thing I do hope you come away with is this:(Oh, come on, you’re 483 words into this blog. Go ahead and finish it. I’ve only got 82 to go!) If you’re staring at your own rough draft disaster (or thinking ahead to those ambitious and amusing New Year’s resolutions), just remember: diamonds start as coal, spaghetti starts as dough, and first drafts are messy. Sometimes, you have to wade through the chaos, laugh at the disaster you’ve created (Did you see the video I did about trying to organize my life with color-coded index cards?), and figure out how to turn it into something worth serving.

Until next month! Bon Appetit!
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Hi, I’m author MJ Mac, and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read this month's blog. The Kennedy Reeves Mystery series is a collection of whodunits that have captured the hearts of over 60,000 readers! Many say it’s the perfect blend of Murder She Wrote meets The Love Boat. With a crafted mix of eccentric characters, plot twists, “ah-ha” moments, cliffhangers, and a cruise director you can’t help but root for, it’s no wonder the series has garnered a devoted following and over 400 four-star reviews.
I appreciate your support and hope you continue to join Kennedy on her thrilling adventures! Stay tuned for more updates, and happy reading!