Accidental Discoveries About City Of Chicago Landmarks

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In my work in progress, main character Quille searches for a missing woman while trapped in the iconic Chicago apartment complex River City, which might or might not be a Chicago landmark. (The novel is The Charming Man, Book 2 of my Q.C. Davis series.) Built in 1986, River City has always reminded me of the cylindrical many-windowed building that the cartoon family the Jetsons lived in. If you’re too young to remember, The Jetsons featured a space-age family that got around in flying ...
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Pride, Prejudice, and Patience a/k/a Really, I Still Have This Cast?

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Launching my latest novel, Book 1 in a new mystery series, while dealing with a broken foot has forced me to confront some things about myself. For instance, I discovered I'm a pretty impatient person. I can also be my own worst enemy when it comes to living in my head. What ifs and worst case scenarios are great for fiction writing. And for foreseeing possible problems when you're representing a client in a lawsuit. Not so good for mental health. So here's what I've learned. Or at ...
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The Debut Of Q.C. Davis a/k/a The Worried Man Is Here!

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3D Cover of The Worried Man A Q.C. Davis Mystery
The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery No. 1) released yesterday--with a little less fanfare than I'd planned. Turns out getting around and getting work done is a little challenging with a broken foot. As a result, my Coming May 1 postcards will be going out after May 1. Maybe that will capture more attention? Regardless, I'm really excited about the release. If you like mysteries, especially ones set in Chicago with female sleuths (says the diehard V.I. Warshawski fan), I hope you'll c...
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Why I Love V.I.

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This week I'm sharing a favorite post from my previous blog about why I love fictional female private eye V.I. Warshawki. The republishing is mainly due to my having decided this past weekend to declutter, including by taking a basket full of old manuals down from the top of my fireplace. Both the basket and I came down. The basket survived intact. I, however, broke my foot. The lesson: leave your clutter where it is. What amazed me in updating the post (originally from 2012) is ...
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No Girls Here: Naming The Worried Man

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There’s a reason I didn’t use "girl" in the title of The Worried Man, though I thought about it. (I imagine every author with a mystery, suspense, or thriller coming out these days at least considers using a Girl title.) Girls Are Popular The temptation to use Girl was strong. It’s a great shorthand way of saying if you liked The Girl On The Train or Gone Girl (or before that, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), you’ll like this book. And most of the time that would be true. All of those ...
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Rizzoli, Isles, & Q.C.?

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The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery No. 1)
I had another post I planned to write today (about why I didn't use "Girl" when deciding on a title for my new mystery). But I'm deferring that, or calling an audible as one of my football-fan friends would say, to share some news. Audible is a good word because the news I'm sharing has to do with an audiobook. Specifically, Blunder Woman Productions accepted The Worried Man, the first in my new Q.C. Davis mystery series, to publish under its umbrella as a audiobook. Finding Blunder Wom...
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Sneak Peek: Chapter 2 of The Worried Man

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3D Cover of The Worried Man A Q.C. Davis Mystery
Read Chapter 1 of The Worried Man, Q.C. Davis Mystery #1. Chapter 2 The detective sat across from me at the worn kitchen table. His tan suit jacket was large and too boxy for his frame, but his tie was knotted in a perfect half-Windsor. Between that and his silver crew cut he looked ex-military despite the ill-fitting jacket. “What was your relationship with the deceased?” During the time it had taken the police and paramedics to arrive I’d pulled the armchair close to the couch and sat. I...
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Sneak Peek: Chapter One of The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery #1)

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The Worried Man, the first book in my new Q.C. Davis mystery series will be released May 1, 2018. Here's how it starts: Chapter 1 The first time I met Marco, we talked about death. His. The police asked a lot of questions about that later. We met the night The Harmoniums, the three-person a cappella group I belong to, sang at Kensington Pub in Lincoln Square. I noticed a guy with all his hair–dark, curly, and a little on the long side—walk in during our second set. I guessed him in his...
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Values v. Religious Beliefs (a/k/a Why Readers Ask About Cyril)

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Last week in Questions, Abortion, and The Awakening Series I said that this week I'd write about why Cyril was my favorite character in The Awakening (after Tara, the protagonist). And I will talk about that, but first I want to say a few things about my mom and about religion, which will take us back to Cyril.  My mother was 42 years older than me. She grew up in a time when questioning church authorities simply wasn’t done. She and my dad memorized doctrine as children. They didn’t talk...
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Questions, Abortion, And The Awakening Supernatural Thriller Series

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One of the first book bloggers who reviewed The Awakening said she couldn't tell what my views as the author were on abortion, and she really liked that. The book begins with an unexpected and supernatural pregnancy. It also takes place in the modern day. At least at the moment, abortion is a legal option the protagonist would have. Because of that, I knew I needed to think about the topic of abortion. It’s Complicated The situation is particularly complicated for Tara, the main char...
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