Personal
A Writer to Watch!
Part of the month-long celebration of A Grave Talent, the Edgar-winning first novel about SFPD Inspector Kate Martinelli that started my writing career. One of the surprises I found as a new author was that people not only read the book, but talked about it as if it mattered. Take reviews: who knew they were…
Read MoreMom’s Christmas Cookies
If Dad produced odd German spicy treats every year (as my recent post talked about), my mother could be depended on for the kinds of cookies you could give to the postman without imagining his puzzled look. Mostly sweet, best eaten fresh, and decorative. Some were super-sweet, like her “Matrimonials.” She produced decorated butter cookies, of…
Read MoreDad the Baker
It’s no accident that the cold, dark time of year finds us thinking of warmth and family—either enjoying it, or missing it. And nothing represents family quite so much as holiday foods. Which generally means cooking. Growing up, my mother was the cook, but certain things my father claimed as his. Preparing Sunday brunch gave…
Read MoreWriting the Past: Free Love, Thumbing Rides, and Other Incomprehensible Habits
People think of Laurie King as a writer of historical mysteries, especially the 1920s, a time of short skirts, fast cars, and that exciting new tech, radio. Back to the Garden is set more recently than the 20s. It has two timelines: one now, the other flashing back to the 1970s. In 1972, a main…
Read MoreLaurie’s Writing Corners
My publisher asked me recently to give them a couple photos of my writing space, along with a short piece of writing, to use for their Instagram (@randomhouse) series called #WritersRoutine. But Insta posts aren’t meant for detail, so, for the insatiably curious (and for those who don’t have Instagram) here’s the photo of where…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Super Power?
Many skills mastered by others fill me with awe. Juggling, applying flawless nail polish, turning a quadruple back flip, walking the Appalachian Trail—my life will never include those skills. But by God I can fold a fitted sheet. Not only can I, I then package each set in a neat package, and store them in…
Read MoreA Visit With Old Friends
Last month I posted a couple of questions on Facebook—both the author page and the Beekeeper’s Apprentices group—wondering what people had been reading in the past year. I wasn’t really surprised to find that many of you, like I, have been reaching for old friends. In 2020, reading was heavily re-reading. “I hang out with…
Read MoreThe 2021 Noel Q. King Lecture: Voices of God, Voices of Madness with Tanya Marie Luhrmann Thursday, February 18, 2021, 5 p.m. (A Virtual Event) The Noel King memorial lecture, which started as a way to keep a religious studies presence on the UC Santa Cruz campus, this year welcomes a more individual approach…
Read MoreThe making of HRF Keating
What makes a writer? How do skill, circumstances, and determination come together in a lifetime of shaping stories? I’ve met a lot of fine writers, during my 27 years as a published author. One I am most grateful to have called a friend was H. R. F. Keating. I met Harry and his wife Sheila…
Read MoreRussell’s life onscreen
The other day, a charming appointment popped up on my e-calendar: This was to remind me of a video conference with the English team working to bring Russell to the screen. And despite smoke in the air, the occasional rolling blackout, and the inevitable problems of getting Microsoft to talk to Apple, we managed to…
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