February. The month of love. That time of the year when everyone thinks about romance and chocolates and flowers.
So I’m pondering murder.
(Come on. Don’t pretend you didn’t see that coming.)
Specifically, I’m thinking about one of my favorite pieces of a good murder mystery, a moment I like to call “the Find.” (more…)
Whenever people ask what I do, I like to look straight at them, smile, and reply “I murder people.” I usually give them a moment to squirm before I add, “Fictionally. I write mysteries.”
I did the same kind of thing in high school. See, I went to a classical school. It was technically public, but specialized—no athletics, an emphasis on academics, cultural arts, and foreign languages. But before the school was transformed into a classical school, it was an alternative school. So whenever people asked what school I went to, I’d just offer the first part of the name and leave off the label “classical.” I could see the struggle on their faces as they attempted to reconcile the image of me with the concept of a delinquent. (more…)