Release Day: Audiobook Edition of The Worried Man

Thanks to Blunder Woman Productions and narrator Angela Dawe, The Worried Man, the first book in my new Q.C. Davis suspense/mystery series, released today in audiobook format. More about The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis 1): She loved him, but did she know him?  The night before they plan to move in together, Quille finds the body of the man she loves dead in his apartment. Police point to his failed medical career and past alcoholism as evidence of suicide or accidental overdose. His ex-wi...
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Please Join Me At Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago June 9

If you'll be in the Chicago area on Saturday June 9, please stop and say hello at the Printers Row Lit Fest. I'll be under the Chicago Writers Association Tent Saturday, June 9 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. The CWA tent will be between Harrison and Polk on Dearborn Street (so around 700 S. Dearborn). The Lit Fest (formerly called the Printers Row Book Fair) is open June 9 and 10. It spans Dearborn Street from Congress Parkway to Polk, and there are usually tents along Polk and events in the Haro...
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The Debut Of Q.C. Davis a/k/a The Worried Man Is Here!

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.

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

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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Sneak Peek: Chapter One of The Worried Man (Q.C. Davis Mystery #1)

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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