Happiness, Small Changes, And More Than One Job

Posted on September 11, 2019September 11, 2019 by admin

Creative Penn Interview with Lisa M. Lilly on Happiness, Anxiety, and Writing

Recently I was interviewed by Joanna Penn about juggling multiple careers, happiness, and stress management on The Creative Penn podcast. I loved talking with Joanna. Through her blog and podcast she's been encouraging creative people and sharing information for over a decade. Among other things, we talked about: Solving problems or meeting challenges through many small changes or actions rather than one big fix Changing the questions we ask ourselves to focus on solutions rather t...

The Fractured Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery No. 3) Cover Reveal

Posted on August 22, 2019 by admin

The cover for The Fractured Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery No. 3) features the Chicago Temple Building. The 21-floor gothic skyscraper in the heart of downtown Chicago is home to Seminar, a shadowy company whose key leader is dead. The prime suspect is a long lost friend of Quille C. Davis. In a desperate midnight call, he begs Quille to help. The Fractured Man - coming November 4, 2019. Visit here or the Q.C. Davis series page for updates.

Q.C. Davis Mysteries In Large Print

Posted on July 24, 2019 by admin

One thing I love about ereaders is that I can adjust the font size to make it bigger. (It's especially key now that I need reading glasses.) But sometimes I really prefer a paperback book. That's why I decided to create Large Print paperback editions of the first two Q.C. Davis mystery/suspense novels. The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis 1) The night before they plan to move in together, Chicago stage-actress-turned-lawyer Quille finds the man she loves dead in his apartment. Suspicious o...

A Man In Search Of A Ring (Or Is He?)

Posted on July 10, 2019 by admin

No New Beginnings “None of them jumps out at me.” Joe glanced at his phone. Nearly eleven. He’d spent hours researching online over the weekend, so he hadn’t thought finding the right ring would take more than forty-five minutes. An hour at most. Now he worried he’d be empty-handed tonight. He had lunch plans with a new client at twelve-thirty and a conference call after that. He could fit in more shopping late in the day, but he needed to stop at the grocery store, too. To get steaks for...

4-Book Box Set, 5 More Days, 99 Cents (Sale On Awakening Series)

Posted on June 26, 2019June 26, 2019 by admin

Limited Time Sale This week The Awakening Complete Supernatural Thriller Series is on sale at a special price. If you haven't finished series yet (or started it for that matter) it's a great time to get it. The ebook editions of the complete 4-book series are 99 cents through Sunday, June 30, 2019. Kindle Kobo Nook Apple GooglePlay If you'd like a doorstop (or just love print), feel free to check out the paperback edition (but sorry, that's not 99 cents). Then And Now I finished ...

Technology And How A Thirty-Something Character Grocery Shops

Posted on June 19, 2019 by admin

I have a problem with technology. And age. Quille, the main character in my current mystery/suspense series (the Q.C. Davis series) is nearly 20 years younger than me. Because of that age difference, she almost certainly uses technology differently than I do. Not only in her law practice but in her day-to-day life. Including when she shops. So today, all in the interest of character research, I checked out Amazon Go. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made t...

Happiness, Anxiety, and Writing: Using Your Creativity To Live A Calmer, Happier Life

Posted on June 12, 2019August 21, 2020 by admin

I struggled with anxiety for a long time before I saw the connection to creativity. The relationship between the two finally hit me while plotting the first book in my Awakening series. To figure out challenges for my protagonist, I kept asking What If? What If she's determined to go to medical school and discovers she's pregnant despite never having had sex? What If her parents, usually supportive, think she's in denial about her situation? What If when she persists in her "story" they t...

Chicago Printers Row Lit Fest on June 8, 2019

Posted on June 5, 2019 by admin

Please join me at Chicago's 35th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest under the Chicago Writers Association Tent on Dearborn Street between Polk and Harrison (around 730 S. Dearborn). I'll be there from 10 a.m. to 12:30 on Saturday, June 8, 2019. The fest itself continues all day Saturday and Sunday. Tons of books, demonstrations, and events. You'll find the The Charming Man, the latest Q.C. Davis mystery (set in Chicago), my entire Awakening supernatural thriller series (with the new covers),...

The Hunger Games: And Still Men Talk More (Women & Men in the Movies No. 11)

Posted on March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 by admin

This week I’ll look at how women are portrayed, and how they interact with other characters, in the 2012 dystopian thriller The Hunger Games, one of my favorite films. And books for that matter. (You can find out more about the 3 tests I'll use in Women, Men, and Movies or just read on.) The Story In the future a wealthy capitol city governs twelve districts that once rebelled against it. As payback, the Capitol requires each district to draw names of one boy and one girl—called Tributes—ea...

The Corner of Ida B. Wells and Wells

Posted on February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 by admin

In a scene in my novel The Worried Man, main character Q.C. Davis becomes disoriented. She uses Congress Parkway as her guide to get back home. Chicago recently renamed that street Ida B. Wells Drive. The name change reflects changing times, yet shows how slowly change occurs. The City And The Street The short street now known as Ida B. Wells Drive forms the border between downtown Chicago and the Printers Row neighborhood just south of downtown where I live. It's a street a lot of C...