Kassandra Lamb's Blog, page 15

The Fun and Challenges of Writing Holiday Stories

by Kassandra Lamb ~ A couple of weeks ago, I guest blogged about the fun and challenges of writing holiday stories, on Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers, the blog of Anastasia Pollack (the main character in Lois Winston’s delightful series, the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries).

And I had so much fun writing that post, that I just had to share it with you all here on our blog!

So I’ll give you a little taste and then send you over to Anastasia’s and Lois’s cyber home to finish it up.

...

5 Tips to Reduce Stress During the Holidays (an encore)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Another oldie but a goodie. I promise to have some new stuff in the next week or two.

This is a joyous time of year, but it is also the most stressful time of year for many of us. Especially for those who are trying to make Christmas happen for their families.

So here are 5 tips to reduce stress during the holidays.

1.  Write It Down.

Santa isn’t the only one who should be making a list and checking it twice.

This is actually 3 tips in one. First, making a ...

‘Tis the Season for Shoplifters ~ 19th Century Style (Plus a New Release)

background photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

(This seemed like an appropriate time to re-run this post, during the season of shoplifters.)

by K.B. Owen ~

As “Black Friday” rapidly approaches, the official opening of the holiday shopping season in the U.S., we thought it would be fun/interesting to look at a related activity, past and present.

‘Tis the Season for Shoplifters

According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, retailers lose $13 billion (that’s a 1...

Belated Gratitude and a Free Veteran’s Day Story

A little late but nonetheless quite sincere expression of gratitude to our Veterans:

Thank You for Your Service!!!

And here’s a treat for you all ~ a FREE Veteran’s Day story based on her father’s Army experience in WWII, from Vinnie Hansen.

Private First Class

1945

Private First-Class Mitchell Nelsen, 37773149, lay in the hull of a boat. To conserve oxygen, the new recruits had been ordered to lie down except to go to the bathroom. They were packed in, Mitchell thought, lik...

Off-Week Updates

by Kassandra Lamb

Our Fall ’21 Holidays Contest is over. And the winner is Julie M.

Congrats, Julie!!!

Plus, I have a new release coming up that I’m really excited about. It will be available for Preorder very soon.

LETHAL ASSUMPTIONS, A C.o.P. on the Scene Mystery

Judith Anderson’s no-nonsense attitude and confidence served her well in her climb to homicide lieutenant in the Baltimore County PD, but that confidence is shaken when she finds herself one step behind a serial ...

It’s a Good Year to be a Precrastinator (Plus a New Release!)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ No, that is not a typo in the title. Rather than a procrastinator, I am a precrastinator. I like to get things done waaay in advance.

And with supply chain issues and delivery delays, this is a good year for people like me to exercise our precrastination skills!

I’ve blogged about precrastination before, specifically how I like to get my Christmas shopping finished no later than November 30th (about when everyone else is getting rolling).

Well, this year I’ve carried...

True Ghost Stories (an encore)

by Kassandra Lamb (on behalf of the group) ~ Four years ago, we asked our authors if they knew any true ghost stories about sightings of ghosts or other kinds of hauntings. We got more than we bargained for. This post was too good to only put up once, so re-running it this year. Some of these stories will give you chills!

Halloween Hauntings: True Ghost Stories

For once, we’re not letting our imaginations write the stories. These are true ghost stories we have heard that have happened to ...

Two Great Autumn Contests for You!

We’re celebrating Autumn with two great autumn contests for you!

First, misterio press’s Fall ’21 Holidays Contest.

Prizes are a lovely autumn bounty mouse pad and matching sandstone coaster.

Plus 5 signed paperbacks!!

Runs until 11/7/21

For more details about the Fall ’21 Holidays Contest…

And to ENTER, click HERE.

Good luck!!

Contest #2 comes to you from K.B. Owen

It starts today and runs until 10/31/21.

Two winners, randomly drawn from the e...

Deep POV: Climbing Inside the Main Character (an Explanation for Readers and Writers)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Readers, have you noticed over the last few years that you are much more sucked into certain books? It feels like you are actually inside the main character, experiencing their thoughts and feelings as your own.

photo by David Lezcano on Unsplash.com

There’s a reason for that. A buzz word among authors in recent years is “deep POV.” POV (point of view) usually refers to which character’s eyes we are looking through in the story. Usually it’s the main character’s perspec...

Rad Reads for Autumn, an Off-Week Goodie

by Kassandra Lamb ~ I wanted to share with you all some great reads for Autumn that I’ve discovered recently (plus one I’ve known about for some time).

They include the free first-in-series story, Undertaking Irene, of Pamela Burford’s Jane Delaney series. What a romp!

This series has a very creative premise. Jane Delaney, aka the Death Diva, makes a living by doing anything that’s not blatantly illegal at funerals, from being a paid mourner to swiping an heirloom brooch off the corpse...