Marilyn's Musings

Thanks to Marilyn for hosting me today. The title of this post comes from something my mother-in-law once said. She didn’t really think my books were awful, she was just surprised that my strong woman character, Thea Kozak, lived a tough gal, unconventional life and didn’t back down from challenges. ( Chosen for Death +6) Not backing down from challenges is something we writers all face. Writing characters who are not like us. Learning about whole new worlds to make them feel authentic for our readers. Trying out different styles and voices. In my case, my curiosity about the world of crime and crime writing has led me on a rather strange journey, starting from the corner of the genre I’d call “strong female amateur PI” to writing, editing, and publishing crime short stories, then to police procedurals, true crime, and, most recently, to memoir. I rarely know quite what I’m doing, but I also find myself not backing down. This journey gives my agent a headache. Her advice, ...