Sherry Harris's Blog

Edith/Maddie here, with my last post.

Yes, it’s time for me to say good-bye here. I’ve made the hard decision to shed my Wicked Authors cloak.

I’ll still be scribbling away, and you can always find me over at my Maddie Day/Edith Maxwell Facebook page and on my web site. I’m also continuing on the Mystery Lovers Kitchen blog.

I wish Julie, Jessie, and Liz all the best with their writing.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, readers, for your support of all the Wicked Authors over the past 12 years. None of us could do it without you.

Our mutual support was so important as our careers gained liftoff, and our photoshoot in Maine was epic fun, as you can see. If you want one last six-member group sighting, we’ll all be at New England Crime Bake in November!

Writing might be a solitary pursuit, but no one has to do it alone.

In this special video chat, I had a blast catching up with my friend and fellow mystery author Daryl Wood Gerber to talk about one of the most important (and sometimes overlooked) parts of the writing journey: community.

Daryl and I dove into the ways being part of a supportive group—whether it’s a critique group, an online network, or an organization like Sisters in Crime—can truly shape a writer’s career. From offering encouragement and honest feedback to simply reminding you that you’re not alone, community gives us the courage to keep going, especially when doubt creeps in.

We shared our own experiences with writing groups, the difference between in-person and virtual support systems, and how networking has opened doors and fostered lifelong friendships. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your publishing path, having people in your corner makes all the difference.

So grab a cup of tea, settle in, and watch our conversation below. And if you’re looking for “your people” in the writing world—this is your sign to go find them.

We’d love to hear from you: What has community meant in your writing life? Let us know in the comments!

Edith here, writing from north of Boston where spring bulbs are bursting out and birds are busy building nests.

Spring is also a great to welcome back Leslie Karst, whom I was delighted to spend time with at Left Coast Crime in Denver a couple of weeks ago. She has a fun bit in her new Waters of Destruction that she took from real life!

But first the cover copy: After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new neighborhood and playing with their new little dog, Pua. But while they’ve made good friends with local restaurant manager Sachiko and her partner Isaac, they can’t help but feel a little lonely. So when Sachiko begs Val to fill in for a member of her bar team who’s gone AWOL, Val dusts off her cocktail shaker and happily agrees. It’s a great chance to meet more people – and learn the local gossip.

Such as about Hank, the missing bartender, who vanished after a team-building retreat at a local beauty spot a week ago, and hasn’t been seen since. Until, that is, his body turns up at the bottom of the waterfall, and the police seem very interested in where Sachiko was at the time of his death. Sachiko couldn’t have killed him . . . could she? Val dives into the murky waters of the case, determined to find out.

Book two in my Orchid Isle mystery series, Waters of Destruction—which released Tuesday—opens with my protagonists, Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen, at a garage sale in Hilo, Hawai‘i. The two have just moved to the Big Island from Los Angeles and are looking to furnish their new 1930s-era plantation style home.

The problem is, there’s a guy who’s been beating them to every house they’ve visited so far that morning, and he’s buying up all the items they would’ve snagged had they gotten there first: colorful Pyrex bowls, a cast iron skillet, vintage Japanese plates, even a copy of The Joy of Cooking.

Some of Robin’s and Leslie’s early garage sale finds in Hilo

This was a fun scene for me to write, since it’s based on what actually happened to my wife Robin and I when we moved to Hilo and bought a house here some eighteen years ago. We arrived on-island with suitcases full of clothes and other essentials, but the house was almost completely bare. The previous tenants had left a few things at our request: a set of plain white plates and dishes, some towels, an old leather couch, and a couple of plastic waste baskets (which we turned upside-down and used for tiny tables).

Dinner in our their home

So we needed furnishings and kitchenware pronto.

Luckily, the garage sale culture in Hilo is strong. We’d buy the Friday newspaper, peruse the classifieds to check out the addresses of the garage sales the next morning, and then map out the most efficient route to hit them all without not too much back-tracking.

And then we’d get up early on Saturday morning. And I mean early. Folks in Hilo do not sleep in. Most garage sales started at six am—though sometimes even at five—and the classified ads would invariably say “no early birders,” as otherwise they’d have people waiting at their doors at four am.

Scoring a real bed and mattress quickly

Because of the early hour, many homes would offer coffee and food for sale as well as typical garage sale items. So we’d treat ourselves to butter mochi, hot malasadas (a sort of Portuguese donut), and Spam musubi while picking through boxes of kitchen utensils and checking out dressers and end tables.

But there was a problem. This one guy seemed always to get to the houses before us, and he had the exact same taste as did we: mid-century kitchenware, Japanese carved wood furniture, silk aloha shirts, and framed artwork depicting scenes from old Hawai‘i.

We bought out almost all the furnishings of a guy who was moving to the Mainland, and he even helped us move!

So we decided to skip the next house on our route and next go to the one after that. Which worked. For that week. But then, there he was again the following Saturday, already at the first house we’d arrived at. (We later realized he had a stall at a local farmers market/flea market down in Puna and eventually befriended the guy.)

Garage sale-ing—or more accurately, lānai sale-ing—was a terrific introduction to Hilo for us. For not only did we end up with a collection of lovely furnishings for our new home, but by mapping our those routes and then driving through so many different neighborhoods, we quickly acquired a familiarity with the town.

A special find: our monkey bar and Martini glasses!

But most of all, it gave us a glimpse into the local culture that was invaluable to malihinis (newcomers) such as us, as it allowed us to visit the homes of families from all different walks of life: Hawaiian, Filipino, Portuguese, Japanese-Hawaiian, Chinese, haole (foreigners of European descent), and those simply referred to as “locals”—a mishmash of all the above.

I still remember those garage sale-ing days fondly. Though not the getting up at five am….

Readers: Do you like to go to garage sales? What are some of the best finds you’ve made at them? Comment below (with your email address) for a chance to win a copy of the first Orchid Isle mystery, Molten Death! (US residents only)

Leslie Karst is the Lefty Award-nominated author of the Orchid Isle Mysteries Waters of Destruction and Molten Death, of the Sally Solari culinary mysteries, and of the IBPA Ben Franklin and IPPY award silver medal-winning memoir Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. When not writing, you’ll find her cooking, cycling, gardening, and observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock. Leslie and her wife and their Jack Russell mix split their time between Hilo, Hawai‘i and Santa Cruz, California.

Leslie blogs with Chicks on the Case and Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, and you can also find her at LeslieKarstAuthor.com.

Edith writing from north of Boston, as always, and today wearing my Maddie Day hat .

I’m delighted to wish my thirteenth Country Store Mystery a Happy Book Birthday!

I truly never thought ten years ago that the series would run this long. I’m so happy a ton of fans got hooked on Robbie Jordan, her renovated country store and restaurant, and the sleepy but somehow murderous hamlet of South Lick, Indiana.

Here’s the cover copy for Scone Cold Dead: After a body is found in a local farmer’s field, Jordan suspects that a newcomer in South Lick, Indiana, may not be a stranger to everyone in town . . .

Country store and café owner Robbie Jordan is just weeks away from giving birth. While her husband Abe scrambles to get the house ready for their baby’s arrival, Robbie makes last minute arrangements to keep her shop and restaurant, Pans ’N Pancakes, up and running when she’s on maternity leave. And it seems Robbie and Abe aren’t the only ones grappling with anxiety—a stranger is causing a stir in town and Robbie’s Aunt Adele appears unusually preoccupied at the baby shower . . .
 
But when someone finds a body in the ram field on Adele’s sheep farm, it’s Robbie’s turn to be worried. Especially after Chief Buck Bird uncovers a troubling link between Adele and the possible murder victim. Robbie has no choice but to knit the clues together and solve this mystery before anything else gets flocked up . . .

The reviews have been awesome:

“This book really makes my heart fill with joy, not only for a brand new baby character, but because Robbie was wicked in this book. She was so strong and fearless at times, I was so proud of her.” -Goodreads Review

“…several twists I didn’t see coming…wonderful characters…emotional depth … a highly satisfying read.” -K.A. Davis, reviewer

But this one about Robbie from several books ago is still my favorite:

“Fearless and forthright protagonist …crafted to maximize intrigue…hefty serving of heart…Robbie Jordan kicks as much butt as Jack Reacher…with way better food!” – Jay Roberts, reviewer (and a good friend of the Wickeds).

I’ve had fun in the last couple of months presenting several recipes from the book over at my other group blog, Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen:

Robbie’s Guacamole, Cinnamon Pecan Scones, and the Celebrating Baby Cocktail. On April 8 Kim Davis will share my Apple Cider Muffins recipe over on her Cinnamon, Sugar & and a Little Bit of Murder blog. Bon appetit!

SO many friends and fans have helped with this series. My former agent, John Talbot, who got excited about my idea for cozy mysteries set in southern Indiana. My older sister Barbara Bergendorf, who lived in Indiana for decades. Kathy Boone Reel and Jane Carter, who contributed recipes. Hoosier-of-origin Tim Mundorff, who told me about fried biscuits and various dialect bits. Jay, with his glowing reviews. My fellow Wicked Authors, always, who boosted me and helped spread the word. My Indianapolis Maxwell relatives, my sons, and my sisters, always my biggest boosters. And more whom I am sure I’ve forgotten.

Plus every single reader who said this is their favorite series, that they can’t wait to get back to Robbie and gang in the next story, that they miss South Lick between books (I do, too!), readers who preordered each book or asked their library to acquire it and who left positive reviews. You’ve all kept me going, and I’m grateful.

Readers: Do you have a favorite book in the series? A favorite character? I’ll send three readers a signed copy of the book, and if you’re in Canada or elsewhere, I’ll give you an audiobook code, instead.

PS: You still have until tonight at 11:45 pm EDT to bid on all of the fabulous donations to the Crime Writers for Trans Rights auction!

Most of the current and former Wickeds have items in the auction for readers and for writers. Click here to explore and bid before it’s too late.

Edith/Maddie here, writing during a flight delay from Denver after the Left Coast Crime convention.

Jessie, aka Jessica Ellicott, and I had some delightful conversations about our historical mysteries recently. We thought we’d share three of them, one at a time, with you now at the end of Women’s History Month.

Researching historical mysteries is the topic of this first chat: how do we research the past? What are our best sources? Have we taken field trips? How do we keep track of it all? And how do we decide how much to include on the actual page?

Readers: Do you notice when history seems to come alive in books – or when it doesn’t? What period do you like to read about, and do you have favorite sources for that era?

Hey everyone, it’s Julie Hennrikus and I am here on the Wicked Authors to share some pretty exciting news. I am part of a short story anthology. These are words that don’t come out of my mouth quickly or easily because short stories are not my forte. But I was asked by Josh Pachter to be part of a really exciting new anthology. The title of it is Every Day a Little Death and it’s short stories inspired by the music of Stephen Sondheim.

So the way this worked is he invited folks to be part of it and then he wanted us all to pick a musical and then pick a song from the musical. And our short story had to be the title of the song. Then our imagination took over. It had to be a crime story. That was the only restriction he put on us.

I got the musical, Merrily We Roll Along which debuted in 1980, 81, 82 around there. It was not a huge success for Stephen Sondheim when it first ran. He never stopped working on it. I actually think Stephen Sondheim is a great example of a true artist because he always pushed himself. He tried something new every time he wrote a new show. Shows like Merrily We Roll Along he kept working on over and over and over again until he found a way to make it work or collaborators found a way to make it work. So he never gave up on it.

There’s a really terrific documentary about the initial production called The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened. The conceit of Merrily We Run Along is it starts and then it goes backwards in time. It starts with a party when there is a terrible fight between these three old friends. Then we go backwards to when they were in college and had everything in front of them and life hadn’t gotten in the way. In between we see how it all fell apart.

The song I chose from that was “Not a Day Goes By”. That song is a song that a lot of people know. It’s a torch song frequently performed as part of a cabaret act. It’s really lovely. Here’s a Bernadette Peters version.

I had to noodle this for a while. Now my problem with short stories is that every time I start a short story, I end up starting a new book because writing 5,000 words or less and really telling an entire story is hard to do. There are people who do it well. One of the people on this blog, Edith Maxwell, does it really well. Barbara Ross does it really well. Sherry Harris has done it. It’s just a hard thing for me to do.

So it was hard for me to really think about how was I going to tell a whole story based on this song in less than 5,000 words. At the time, I was listening to the Vicki Bliss series by Elizabeth Peters, which is one of my favorite series. And so I started to ask myself some what ifs. What if Sir John didn’t redeem himself? What if he broke Vicki’s heart?

Right? Because that’s what “Not A Day Goes By” is about. It’s about somebody who loves somebody but cannot be with them anymore because it’s just too hard. And so given that what if and given the song and given the inspiration, I didn’t write about theater, which surprised me, but I did write about the art world and forgeries and use some other research I’ve been doing and came up with this short story.

I’m thrilled that it’s part of this anthology, which is coming out on March 22nd, which would have been Sondheim’s 95th birthday. The theater part of me is just so thrilled to be part of this homage. The writer part of me was really thrilled to have this challenge. And I’m really grateful to Josh Pachter for asking me to be part of it.

The people who are in this anthology are just brilliant. It will be on sale on March 22nd. It’s on Kindle as well. Ask your library to order it, or your local bookstore. Let’s spread the word because this is a really fun anthology full of excellent short stories based and inspired by Stephen Sondheim.

Friends, who is a Sondheim fan? What song do you think would have made a great short story?

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Edith/Maddie writing from a blustery north of Boston. Yes, March is still coming in like a lion.

Three of the Wicked Authors are traveling to Denver, Colorado this week for the Left Coast Crime fan convention.

Liz/Cate, Julie, and I are looking forward to schmoozing with fans, hanging out with fellow authors whom we usually see only online, visiting with each other, and casting our eyes on some real western mountains. Actually, that last is probably mainly my anticipation. This native Californian misses living with massive shapes on the horizon.

If you’re going, we look forward to seeing you! If you’re not, we’ll post a trip report after we get back.

Here’s where we’ll be:

Edith/Maddie will be with some of her Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen blogmates on the “Mysteries with Recipes” panel Saturday at 9. She’s also hosting an Author-Reader Connection with Leslie Budewitz on Thursday to share a glass of wine at 5:45. Or you can sign up for a cuppa with Kensington authors Friday at 11. She’s hosting a table at the banquet, too, also with Leslie Budewitz. Otherwise, look for Edith/Maddie in the bar!

Liz/Cate will be on the panel “A Little Bit of Magic” Saturday at 1:30 with Daryl Wood Gerber, Gigi Pandian, and Jen Chow, moderated by Kate Lansing. Come check it out! Otherwise, she’ll be around all weekend!

Julie will be on the “Senior Sleuths” panel Saturday at 10:15. She’ll also be sitting at the Sisters in Crime table for chunks of time (between 11-3 Thursday/Friday/Saturday, and will be cheering on debut authors at the New Author Breakfast Friday morning.

Readers: Will you be there? If not, do you have a favorite place to meet authors, whether in person or online?

Edith/Maddie here on a cold and rainy writing day north of Boston.

Wait, you say. This post’s title says when authors DON’T write. So what gives?

Well, that’s the thing. Authors do so many things that don’t include the creative writing of books or short stories. Don’t get me wrong. I spent the morning yesterday writing a new scene in Poisonous Pour, the 3rd Cece Barton novel, and I’m doing the same thing today, as is my practice every day (unless I’m on Grammy duty, in which case my entire focus is rightly on the most adorable toddler in the known universe).

So, what else do authors do besides write new words or fix the ones they’ve written? Here are a few of the things on my list lately:

My foodie grab bag is pretty much done. All I have to figure out is a basket or something to hold all the items, a holder I can easily fit in my suitcase.

2. Scone Cold Dead releases April 1, and I still have three or four guest blog posts to write in the next two weeks. Gulp. I need to start chipping away at those. I’ll be on Writers Who Kill on March 23, on Criminal Minds on March 27, on Jungle Red Writers on release day, and over at Drus Book Musings on April 7.

Also a release event is a quick Facebook party on March 30 that I’ll share with great author pal Leslie Karst, because we share the April 1 book birthday! But setting up the party event is another item on my to-do list. Gulp #2.

3. I also have a short story I want to submit to Snakeberry: Best New England Short Stories, which has a deadline of March 31. I have a tale drafted but I know it needs polishing. Gulp #3. I haven’t promised anyone a story, but it’s a premier annual anthology I always at least try to place a short story in. My first published short crime fiction was in the second year of the collection, published by the original Level Best Books back in 2004. You can grab a $.99 ebook of “Yatsuhashi for Lance” here or on Amazon.

4. And then I have the dreaded taxes to pull together. I hire a CPA to actually figure out the numbers, but I need to pull together all my business expenditures and figure out which category it goes in. Tomorrow afternoon my kitchen table will be littered with credit card statements, W-9 forms, trip and mileage records, charitable contribution acknowledgements, and receipts. I am not a person who stays organized during the year other than stuffing receipts in a folder. Gulp #4.

This is very much an author task. If I weren’t self-employed as an author with a home office, my taxes would be simple and straightforward — but I am, and they’re not. And because I’m driving to New Jersey for two Kensington author events next weekend (see my Appearances tab for details), and I’m flying to Denver for Left Coast Crime two days after I get home, I need to submit all my tax info before I leave town. I hope to see you at one or more of those events!

5. Finally (well, probably not finally, but it is for this post), I do try to stay healthy despite a job that has me pinned to my screen for hours on end. I use a standing desk, which helps me stay upright and mildly active and is much better for my back. I also schedule in time to walk at least 11,000 steps, and I take a gentle balance class online twice a week. I consider being that active a requirement of the job.

Those are a few of the things that go into being an author. Some bring me joy, some don’t, but they’re part of the job. I try to make plenty of lists and set myself calendar reminders so nothing slips off the cliff into oblivion.

Also, we Wicked Authors know we’ve been rather AWOL lately. We’re all going through a lot personally and are finding our way gingerly to new ways to continue this blog. We apologize for our absence and thank our regular readers for your loyalty. Sending hugs!

Readers: What are some tangential tasks you have to do as part of your main occupation or retirement? Are they hard to pull off, and if so, how do you manage?

Edith/Maddie here, with a thrilling announcement. No, I didn’t (yet) hit the New York Times bestseller list.

But I do have “While the Iron is Hot,” a short crime story, in the latest issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, one of the two premier mystery magazines!

I have loved the phrase Carpe Diem for many years. According to Wikipedia, “Carpe diem is a Latin aphorism , usually translated “seize the day”, taken from book 1 of the Roman poet Horace’s work Odes (23 BC).”

It seems to me that the related aphorism, “Strike while the iron is hot,” has a similar meaning. If you have a chance, take it. Don’t waste opportunities. More pragmatically, once your iron is well-heated, press the wrinkles out of another shirt or brand another steer or straighten your hair’s frizz or curls or do whatever you might use a hot iron for.

So, why did I title my story that way? I wish I kept as careful a track of my process for writing short stories as Sherry Harris does, but I don’t. I know last year sometime I was remembering the way some people reacted at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I had neighbors who set their groceries on the front stoop to air and be wiped down with sanitizer before they brought them in the house. Others let delivered mail sit for three days before touching it. Others washed all produce in bleach, and so on.

Most of us are past that, thank goodness. But what if somebody took an abundance of caution to the point of paranoia? That was the germ of my story. I had great fun going darker than in my novels, playing with the three characters and how the narrator interpreted “seize the day.”

I hope you love it! Several good friends and past guests of the Wickeds also have stories in this issue of the magazine, like Rob Osler and Lori Rader-Day, so be sure you read it cover to cover. I love the springlike-yet-murderous front cover, which ties in with some garden work in my story.

Readers: How often do you pick up a short story collection or magazine?

How much fun is it to visit a character after a series has ended? Lots! We’re delighted to welcome Sherry Harris back to tell us about her new short story! And P.S. how fabulous is the cover of that magazine?

I’m so delighted to be back visiting the Wickeds to talk about my short story “Light My Fire.” 

Late last November my friend and editor, Barb Goffman, called me saying she missed Sarah and the man in Sarah’s life, Seth. She asked if I’d be interested in writing a short story for the online short-story magazine Black Cat Weekly. They were doing a special Valentine’s Day edition and Barb thought this would be the perfect time to revisit Sarah’s world. My deadline was the first of the year and I had to include some romance. After mulling it over briefly, I said yes. 

And then I panicked! The last time I’d written about Sarah was five years ago when I turned in Absence of Alice. I knew the broad strokes of their relationship and knew that in Absence of Alice I’d put them in a situation that could tear them apart. But all the details were a little vague. If you haven’t read the series, there are some slight spoilers ahead. 

I started searching through old manuscripts for the word “Seth.” I started with Tagged for Death but then leaped forward to Sell Low, Sweet Harriet. Back and forth between manuscripts until I’d searched them all taking notes. Woah! I have put those two through the wringer. It was way worse than I remembered. 

All of that was helpful, but I still didn’t have a clue as to what the crime was, who died, or who did it. More panicked ensued. So, I reread the end of Absence of Alice because I knew the short story would take place after that. There it was in the last five lines—the leaping off point. Here they are: 

“Sarah?” Harriet walked over to me. 

“Hey, thanks for helping out today.” 

Harriet nodded, but little lines creased around her eyes. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“I need your help.” 

Everything started falling in place. “Light My Fire” takes place a week after the end of Absence of Alice. I knew I wanted to include my readers’ favorite things like the DiNapolis and fluffernutter sandwiches. Sarah and Seth were still on shaky ground. But at least I knew who did it and why. 

I sent the story in, Barb did her usual magical editing, and we were done. For some reason last week, I went back to look at the end of Absence of Alice again. Only this time I grabbed the book instead of my manuscript. Much to my surprise the five last lines I mentioned above aren’t in the book. I realized between the time I’d sent the manuscript in and the time the book came out, I’d found out Kensington wasn’t renewing the series. I hadn’t wanted the series to end with a cliffhanger, so I took them out during the production process. 

I keep wondering what story I would have written without those lines or if I would have written one at all! I had so much fun being back in Sarah’s world. I hope you read “Light My Fire” and love spending time with Sarah. 

“Light My Fire” came out on February 9th. Here’s a link to Black Cat Magazine: https://blackcatweekly.com/b/dyshu

Here’s the blurb: 

After narrowly escaping a fire that destroys evidence of a murder, Sarah Winston relies on her wits to prove a friend is innocent of the crime. At the same time, she’s trying to reignite her relationship with Massachusetts’ Most Eligible Bachelor. Will she be able to do both without anyone else getting burned?

Readers: Do you like reading short stories based on novels? 

Bio: Sherry Harris (https://sherryharrisauthor.com) is the Agatha Award nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. She’s published short stories in Edgar Allan Cozy, The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell, Black Cat Weekly, and Three Strikes You’re—Dead. Sherry is a past president of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America.