Meet Rosalie!

Rosalie Chandler is a woman of a certain age. When she boards a cruise ship with her husband, Stanley, for their long-awaited cruise through the Eastern Caribbean, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.

Feeling a little depressed over her fifty-something birthday, and, oh-by-the-way, that twenty or so extra pounds that seems to have crept up on her over the last few years, Rosalie is fairly certain that her life has begun to wind down. That is, until she meets six women only a few years older than her own daughters, who welcome her with open arms into their newly formed clique.

When the group decides to gather their wits and set out to solve the mystery of a missing crew member, they, and Rosalie (dubbed, "Rosie"), by her new circle of friends, realize that she has a knack for all things investigative which makes the group look to her not only for motherly advice, but for clues and insight into the disappearance as well.

Rosalie Chandler is funny, smart and heartbreakingly fragile in this story of a woman looking for her place in the world when she doesn't seem to fit anywhere, anymore.

Cruising to a Murder

A new story means a new notebook. Oh, but wait. It has to have a matching folder. Here’s what jumped out at me.

My new story, “Cruising to a Murder,” is about seven women who meet on a cruise ship and solve a murder that the crew is trying to cover up. They become life-long friends and find themselves in some pretty funky situations in the years to come. They’re funny, smart and sometimes, a little complicated. Getting to know them has been a blast for me and I’m finally ready to write their stories. My writer friend, Karen, and I have made a pact to have our first drafts completed by Crimebake of this year. Making that commitment to each other has been a good motivator to keep it going. Thanks, Karen.

Next, I’ll find a little something that I think Rosalie, my protagonist, might carry around with her. It might be a key ring charm or a healing stone. Not sure yet as to what that might be, but I’ll know it when I see it, and I’ll keep it with me to remind myself to try and experience things from her point of view.

My friend Margo’s characters keep a journal. What a great idea. It’s a terrific way to stay in tune with all the characters, even when you’re only writing about one. And you know what? You never know what might come out on the pages of those journals.