Kassandra Lamb's Blog, page 6

Welcome Seeker, to the UnTarot

by Kirsten Weiss ~ This spring, I published a work of experimental fiction, The Mysteries of Tarot. Ostensibly a book on how to read Tarot cards, it contained a murder mystery in its “editor’s” comments. When I started work on my new mystery series involving an online mystery school, I must have had that in mind, because I decided to create “Tarot” cards for the school (later dubbed “UnTarot” cards) and include their images in the book.

Things got a little out of control.

I started off ...

My Flip Side: An Interview with my Alter Ego, Jessica Dale

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Last week, my alter ego, Jessica Dale, had a fun interview with historical mystery and fantasy writer, Janet L Buck.

(Note: Payback , Book 1, is always 99 cents!)

Jessica is not just my alternate pen name for writing romantic suspense. She’s also my more carefree and impish persona. Come find out more about her, and the ups and downs of writing her trilogy.

There’s also a book spotlight for the trilogy on her Ally Shields’s website (her alter ego).

Here are teasers...

Reviews of Two Mysteries for Animal Lovers (and a 99-cent Sale)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ I thought I’d share with you all my reviews of two mysteries for animal lovers. One is by a misterio press author—the woman who co-founded our little group with me, to be exact. I love her Pet Psychic series.

And I also have a 99¢ sale going this week for Book 2 in the Unintended Consequences romantic suspense trilogy, Backlash. (See below–and Book 1 is also 99¢.)

Karma’s a Bitch*, Book 1 in the Pet Psychic Series, by Shannon Esposito ~ 99¢

If you like a side-dis...

An Off-Week Goodie: Our Characters’ Furry Sidekicks

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Last Friday, I sat down with cozy writer, Victoria LK Williams to chat with her about Marcia’s dog, Buddy, for her series Those Furry Sidekicks.

It was a lot of fun!!

Here’s a sample of what we talked about:

Vicki: Who is your protagonist’s sidekick?

Kass: Marcia Banks trains service dogs for military veterans, and her sidekick in her Black Labrador named Buddy. He is her mentor dog and four-legged best friend. He was the first dog she trained. And the first boo...

Unmasking the Villains: The Delightfully Wicked World of Mystery Novels! (plus a New Release)

by Kirsten Weiss ~ This past month, I attended a workshop on writing villains. In mystery novels, we don’t really see the bad guys/gals until the unmasking of the villains at the end. So the dynamic is a bit different than in a thriller or even teen drama (which left me out of much of the workshop). But the villains are there in mysteries, causing trouble behind the scenes. A good villain makes a small town mystery as cozy as a wool blanket on a rainy day.

The Suspicious Suspects: They’re Eve...

Getting Old Together, One Day at a Time (Plus a New Release)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Yesterday was my 47th wedding anniversary. Coming up fast on the big 5-0. In my youth, I would wonder, somewhat awestruck, how couples made it that far. Fifty years!! Wowza! But now I know how they do it, by slowly getting old together, one day at a time.

Feel free to laugh at the leisure-suit-style tuxedo. They were all the rage at the time.

I’m also a week away from my 71st birthday. And I’m going a bit “Wowza” over that as well!

So I’m not quite sure if this post i...

The Joys and Challenges of Writing Romantic Suspense ~ an Encore (Plus 3 New Releases!)

by Kassandra Lamb and Kirsten Weiss ~ Since we are both about to release new books with romantic components, this seemed like a good time for an encore presentation of our post on writing romantic suspense.

Both of us have ventured a bit into the realm of romantic suspense. Since we already had romances as subplots in many of our mysteries, we thought it shouldn’t be that hard to make the romance a bit more central and call it romantic suspense.

It’s turned out to be a little more complic...

Body Language of an Attack (Plus a New Release)

by Kirsten Weiss ~ Like Kass and Shannon at the Writers’ Police Academy, I recently had my own up-close research experience, during which I learned the body language of an attack.

In June, my sister talked me into an “extreme close quarters” combat class. We both take martial arts, and we’ve both been practicing at the shooting range. So though I was hesitant—mostly because it would involve twenty-four hours of training over the course of a summer weekend—I agreed.

I rationalized it as boo...

After All These Years: Imposter Syndrome as a Businesswoman (Plus a New Release)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ I think any woman over fifty will be able to relate to this story! I’m well over 50, and I’ve been a self-employed businesswoman twice in my life—for a total of 32 years. And yet, a few weeks ago, I realized that I still sometimes suffer from Imposter Syndrome as a businesswoman.

I called my Mary Kay representative to order some facial cleanser and asked her to mail it to me, since I was about to leave on a trip. She expressed concern that the package might sit on my porch...

A Fun Off-Week Goodie: Are Squirrels Cute?

Do you think squirrels are cute? Well, this post from last year, by a fellow author, Lois Winston, may convince you otherwise…

SQUIRRELS–CUTE OR DEVIOUSLY CUNNING?

by Lois Winston ~ Beatrix Potter made us think that squirrels were cute. Most homeowners and gardeners would disagree. A recent conversation with some writer friends reminded me of an experience that proved how deviously cunning those little critters are. 

Years ago, our next-door neighbor was hosting a large celebratory f...