It’s UK National Crime Reading Month!!!

Hey UK friends and readers—it’s time to CELEBRATE crime. Crime Fiction that is. Today, June 1st, marks the start of the United Kingdom’s annual “National Crime Reading Month,” an event spearheaded by the UK Crime Writers’ Association! National Crime Reading Month (and we REALLY need one on this side of the pond) “aims to bring…

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CrimeReads Interview with Dr. Cassandra Kuba: What its like to really stand over a dead body as well as helping creators of crime fiction get it right

This is too cool! Those of you who have a copy of And by Fire handy, pick it up and flip to the “author’s note” section. You’ll notice my thanks to Dr. Cassandra Kuba. Dr. Kuba punches WAY above my weight—she’s a PhD biological anthropologist, and a university professor focusing on the study of the…

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When Rags Go Bad: how rags can burst into flames and try to kill you

If you’ve ever done any refinishing (furniture, wood floors, etc.) you’ve likely heard the warnings—leave the rags you’ve used lying around and you could have a house fire. So what’s the deal? How do perfectly innocent rags (or newspapers for that matter) turn into incendiary bombs ready to burn down your garage or home? Simply…

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Announcing the FRIENDS OF FIRE Reader Promotion

Sometimes early birds don’t get worms . . . they get FABULOUS, fiery, BOOK SWAG 😉 Today I am launching my 🔥🔥🔥 Friends of Fire Reader Incentive 🔥🔥🔥 a swag extravaganza designed to celebrate reader enthusiasm for And by Fire. The Friends of Fire Incentive will reward up to fifty [yes, 50] readers who pre-order…

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No Tea No Shade . . . King Charles II’s Queen Did NOT Introduce Tea to England, But She Made It Fashionable

So, here’s the skinny: Catherine of Braganza (wife of England’s King Charles II) loved tea, but she cannot be credited for introducing tea to the British. Catherine did, however, almost single-handedly turn tea into widely consumed and very fashionable beverage. Where did Catherine’s penchant for tea come from? Portugal. After all she was a Portuguese…

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