At last, answers to some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Q.C. Davis Mystery series:
Do I have to read the Q.C. Davis books in order, or can I pick up any title and dive right in?
You can read the books in any order. No later book spoils the mystery in any earlier one. Some readers like reading in order so they can follow the recurring characters’ lives as they unfold. (The first book is The Worried Man.) But others enjoy jumping into the series in the middle and then going b...
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Shows And Stories Cure Late Winter Blues
Looking to cure late winter blues? When it's cold and gray out or world events feel overwhelming, I try to choose books and shows that help me unwind and feel happier.
In case they might be helpful to you, too, here are a few of my favorites.
Intriguing, Upbeat Mystery To Cure Late Winter Blues
In comedy/drama A Man On The Inside, Ted Danson plays a retired professor who needs something new in his life. He answers an ad for a freelance private investigator to go under cover in a retirement ...
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Balance Your Work, Your Life, Your Year
Everyone talks about work-life balance, but how do you achieve it?
If you're like almost everyone I know (especially other authors and artists), you're juggling favorite projects, other work that pays some bills, possibly the business aspects of your art, and, oh, maybe family, friends, and all of life. For that reason, I've personally spent a lot of the last few years constantly feeling that whatever I'm working on, I "should" be doing something else.
Last month, though, I set aside a co...
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How To Write A Mystery
Ever wondered how to write a mystery? Or how I write the Q.C. Davis crime novels/mysteries? I use key plot turns as a basic structure. This video shows how I wrote and revised based on those turns for my latest Q.C. Davis novel, The Skeptical Man.
Scrivener, the program I used, made it easy to both follow the overall plot I sorted out in advance and vary it where needed. (No spoilers, though, if you haven't yet read the book.)
Intrigued by The Skeptical Man? Learn more by clicking here.
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Book Launch The Skeptical Man
Join me October 9 on my author Facebook Page for the book launch of the new Q.C. Davis crime novel The Skeptical Man.
Peek behind the scenes of the new release and all the Q.C. Davis crime novels throughout the day. There'll be videos, location photos, book excerpts, quotes, and, of course, the traditional all-important book launch quiz.
Win and get a character named after you in the next novel!
Hope to see you on October 9! Click here to join.
The Skeptical Man Book Launch
Just...
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Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give (Book Review)
As someone who is happily single, I'm sure I'm not the target audience for the book Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give by Ada Calhoun. I bought it because I like reading memoirs by authors whose worlds are different from my own. (It's good for my fiction writing, and I just enjoy learning about other people's lives.)
I liked the author's willingness to share anecdotes that didn't put her in the best light, her humor, and her openness about the challenges of staying married.
Many of the storie...
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Our Father (2021) (Movie Review)
This week I'm talking about the 2021 movie Our Father, where two young women go in search of their estranged uncle after their father's death. (I'm aiming to watch an average of one movie a week in 2024.)
I chose Our Father because I've been wanting to watch a movie featuring Chicago actor Brian King. A trailer for this one caught my eye, though he appears in only one scene.
The Premise Of Our Father
In the days after their father's death, two young women learn that they have an u...
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The Final Girls (Movie Review)
This week I'm talking about the movie The Final Girls. As I wrote about last week, I'm watching one movie a week in 2024.
I chose The Final Girls because I like the actress Nina Dobrev. She plays a key role, though she's not the lead.
The Premise Of The Final Girls
Main character Max's mother is an actress best known for a starring role in a classic cult horror movie. Max and her mother are very close, which is easy to see in the opening scene. But tragedy strikes, and her mother is ki...
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New Year’s Resolutions For Fun
New Year's resolutions can be tricky. That's why I rarely make them, but this year I decided to. Why? Because a friend suggested a way to make a new year's resolution fun.
Many people make resolutions to try to improve parts of their lives they struggle with. But often they focus on what the "should" do not what they want to do. Eat vegetables every day. Go to the gym once a week. Learn a language. The challenge comes when you miss a day or a week, then one more, and pretty soon it's March. S...
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New Release Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1
New Release: Buffy and the Art of Story Season Three Part 1: Write More Gripping Plots, Characters, And Themes By Watching Buffy
What can you learn about fiction writing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
How about how to create gripping plots, characters, and themes that speak to the audience decades later?
This book delves into each episode of the first half of Season Three of the cult TV series. Each chapter includes questions to help you improve your own writing and storytelling....
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