Happy February! 

As February unfolds around us, I've been reflecting on the magic of books – both reading and writing them. These thoughts are inspired by a stubborn back sprain that makes moving anything but my eyes a careful negotiation.
Books are remarkable in their ability to transport us elsewhere when we need it most. As I write to you today, I've been thinking about how certain books become timestamps in our lives, marking moments both good and bad. I can still picture myself curled up with Nancy Drew mysteries during snowy winters when tension filled our house, finding solace in solving puzzles alongside Nancy. I remember the weight of Ken Follett's "Eye of the Needle" in my hands as I sat alone in my dorm room in Nice, a young flutist far from home. The "Poisonwood Bible" kept me company through an eight-hour emergency room wait (who knew an ant bite could lead to cellulitis?), and Lucy Foley's "The Paris Apartment" became my anchor during those haunting hours in the ICU, watching over my husband as he battled Guillain-Barré syndrome.
These memories remind me why I write – to offer you that same escape, that same solace I've found in books throughout my life. 
Now for some exciting news – I've just finished a locked room mystery that's off to the editor soon! Be on the look out for Death on the Isle, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and cozy mysteries:)

​What are some books you can remember the exact time and place that you read them? Comment below....

The latest installment in the Sugarbury Falls series, book number 10, was recently published just in time for Halloween. After noticing the popularity of holiday specific cozies, I wrote two this year--Murder is Ruff, which centers around Christmas, and The Spooky Course, centered around the fall holiday season. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Do you actively seek out holiday-themed cozies to read, or does the theme not affect your reading choices?



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Sugarbury Falls in the fall—a cinnamon-spiced paradise of craft fairs and pumpkin carving competitions. But when a reporter is murdered at a local haunted house event, the festive spirit takes a sinister turn, spooking the whole town. With one of the town's detectives away on his honeymoon, true crime writer and former journalist Emily Fox steps in to help unravel the web of suspects and motives. The victim made dangerous enemies in his relentless pursuit of juicy stories—a wealthy businesswoman accused of killing a squatter in her warehouse, a jealous girlfriend, and even Emily’s daughter’s boyfriend, who has unknown skeletons in his closet! Could her daughter be in danger? As haunting secrets are revealed and layers of deception are unmasked, Emily realizes that unless the killer is brought to justice, there may never be true peace in Sugarbury Falls again.
 

This 13th mystery in the Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mysteries was inspired by a puppy named Zoey who came from the streets of Puerto Rico, to the Broward Humane Society, to my son Kevin's home. It was love at first sight and I was honored to be with my son when he adopted her. She's full of love and energy and in this book, she winds up being a heroine. 

When Susan’s granddaughter asks Santa for a puppy, Susan can’t help playing fairy grandmother. With Christmas approaching, Susan adopts a shelter pup to surprise Annalise, but as the holiday draws near, her excitement turns to worry when she fears the exuberant puppy might chew the stockings, destroy the presents under the tree, and otherwise wreak havoc on Christmas morning. Susan and her detective daughter Lynette enroll the pup in obedience school in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but their plans take a sinister turn when the school’s owner is killed in his locked office while the class waits for the lesson to begin. With the only window in the office too small for an exit, the pretense of suicide ruled out, and the search for suspects looming, Susan is determined to ‘help’ her pregnant daughter sniff out the clues, but solving the murder isn’t going to be a walk in the dog park— it’s going to be ruff. Get ready for a cozy mystery filled with canine capers, holiday charm, and unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Diane Weiner and Cozy Cat Press are proud to announce the birth of book 4 in the Sara Baron Tuned In Mysteries

Name: The Deadly Reveal
Born : August 12, 2023
Weight: 13.3 oz
Height: 6x9 inches

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFGCM9VB
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It’s a boy! It’s a girl! It’s a murder? Oboist Sara Baron and her fiancé get more than they’re expecting when murder interrupts their gender reveal party and their beloved midwife is arrested for the crime. Can they put the blame where it’s due and deliver the real killer?

​A man held his badge up to the peephole. 
“Ms. Blake? I’m Detective Russo. I’m working the Isabel Hernandez homicide. May I come in?”
She unlatched the door. Detective Russo was muscular with thick, dark hair and a Brooklyn-Italian accent. She put his age at around fifty, maybe a decade older than she was.
“Who is Isabel Hernandez?”
“The victim was found just off campus this afternoon.”
“You mean the body in the woods? It was murder?”
“Correct. I have a few questions.”
“Come in.” She felt completely puzzled as to why he’d be questioning her about a murder case. Maybe not completely puzzled. The thought this victim was the person she was set to meet had been nagging her all afternoon. “I don’t know how I can help you.”
“Did you know the victim?”
“Me? No. I just resumed teaching a couple of weeks ago. I don’t have any students named Isabel.”
The detective pulled a business card from his pocket. “We found this on the body. That’s you, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s my business card. I just got them in the mail a few days ago.”
“This is your home address scribbled on the back. And your phone number, correct? Did you write this? Have you given away many cards?”
She grabbed her reading glasses. “Yes, it’s my address and phone number. No, I didn’t write it, nor have I given away any cards yet. I have no idea who this girl is. Do you have a photo?”
The detective opened his iPad. “Her fiancé sent this to us.”
Jenna stared at a beautiful young woman in a party gown, with huge brown eyes. “I’ve never seen her before.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She considered whether to mention her concern. “Wait. I don’t know her, but I received a strange note when I went into work today. It said to meet behind the student union building after my class. Isn’t that near where the body was found? It was…”
“It was what?”
“The note said it was a matter of life and death.” Her heart sank.
“Do you have the note?”
“Yes, it’s in my purse. Hold on.” She dug through the purse. “Here.”
The detective compared it to the writing on the back of the business card. “I will get the lab to analyze it, but it looks like the victim’s writing. What did she say when you met with her?”
“I didn’t. I mean, I went to the back of the student union building after class and waited, but she never showed.”
“She wasn’t one of your students? You’re certain?”
“I can check my roster.” She opened the laptop and drummed her fingers on the coffee table waiting for it to load. She scrolled through her two classes. “Nope. No Isabel Hernandez.” She scrolled through previous class lists. “Not a former student either.”
“Don’t you find it strange? Someone you never met before died with your card in her
pocket. And now you tell me you received a note. If you know something you aren’t sharing…”
“I told you I’ve never met her and I have no idea why she had my information.”
“Well then, here’s my card. If you think of anything, any possible connection to this girl,
call us immediately.”
“I will.” She resented the detective’s tone. Does he think I had something to do with this? I won’t be blamed for another death—not in this lifetime.

This book was so much fun to write! Took me right back to the Caribbean beaches, the rainforest, and great memories (there wasn't a murder thankfully).

Turquoise water, rum punch, and fun in the sun. What better way to celebrate 35 years of marriage. Emily and Henry Fox go on an anniversary cruise to the Caribbean expecting nothing less, but when Henry’s old med school buddy turns up dead in his cabin, it’s anything but smooth sailing. 
 

Coming August 2023!

Jenna, an emotionally fragile college professor, is challenged when a mysterious note requesting a meeting leads to a visit from a homicide detective. The murder victim has the professor's business card on her body, her GPS is set for Jenna's address, and Jenna's scarf is determined to be the murder weapon. Problem is, Jenna has never met the victim! Jenna discovers having survived a school shooting is just the tip of the iceberg and the love of her life wasn't at all who she thought he was.

“Tomorrow, tomorrow, there’s always tomorrow.” Does that song from the musical Annie ever run through your head when you think about writing? Not to generalize—well, maybe to generalize—all writers at times fight the urge to procrastinate. The temptation to binge-watch Netflix has on more than one occasion come between me and my current work in progress. Below are my 5 tricks for staying productive. 

1. Make it Routine 

I like routine. If I schedule an hour or two after breakfast and another hour or two in the afternoon to write, it helps keep me on track. Sometimes I even use Netflix (or Britbox or Acorn) as a carrot. If I write for an hour, I can watch TV guilt-free. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Silly as it sounds, when I started running, I used to mark on the calendar each day I ran (yes, I used to teach elementary school). I did the same when I started writing. Both activities have become habits.

1. Set Goals

Write them down and be specific. How many books do you want to write this year? Do you want to start a new series or finish writing a series that’s in progress? For me, my goals last year were to create boxed sets for my Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mysteries and Sugarbury Falls Mysteries, to get all my books made into audio book format, and to complete a third book in The Sara Baron Tuned-In Mysteries (Bad Vibes was just released). Every year (usually around tax time) I set a financial goal for the upcoming fiscal year.

1. Break it Down

Writing isn’t one activity; it has many components. My worst procrastination happens when I’m trying to get the first draft down. It’s hard work! If I don’t have the mental stamina for it on a given day, I’ll edit, revise, or proofread what I’ve already written. Eventually you’ll need to do that anyway. Sometimes I’ll outline the next chapter or chapters, or I’ll go through and highlight the clues or important plot points in the manuscript for easy reference. 

1. Research or fact check

Sometimes I use my writing time to research. Although I write fiction, I’ve spent countless hours researching things like the wine making process, the driving age in Vermont, insider trading, unemployment fraud, lethal and undetectable drugs… you get the idea. 

1. Change the Scenery

Although I almost always write on my laptop at the kitchen table, if I’m outlining or brainstorming ideas, I’ll stretch out on my bed with a gel pen and writing journal. I’ve never gone to a coffee shop to write, but I know successful authors who do. Sometimes I’ll even sit at my desk in my home office (go figure).
Writing is a joy, but it’s also work. Building consistency, setting goals, changing scenery, and matching your mental mood to various writing tasks may help fight procrastination and increase productivity. Happy writing!