I keep waiting for coronavirus to call a time out but, uh, so far . . . no. It's turning me into an armchair traveler. You, too? I have missed museums. Not that I'm a rabid art hound, but museums are a great reason to get up and go somewhere new to refuel my creative...
It’s time to bring back The High Chaparral
I have a suggestion or two how to fix Hollywood's Latino diversity problem. Well, maybe not fix. But at least make a good start. The problem in perspective In a recent commentary for CNN, Felix Sanchez, chairman and co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for...
When Detective Emilia Cruz Meets Santa Muerte
Every Detective Emilia Cruz novel uses unique aspects of Mexican culture to create crimes and situations that would not be possible anywhere else. In PACIFIC REAPER, Emilia confronts the cult of Santa Muerte, the saint of death embraced by drug cartels. Someone is...
When a Favorite Teacher Shows Creativity and Compassion
My favorite teacher was Mr. Taverna. He was the only male teacher in the elementary school and undoubtedly the most famous. Everyone in town knew that Mr. Taverna was a great teacher and it was quite a coup if you got in his fourth grade class. First, his math...
Fiesta Stories from the Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexico
Mexico's rich culture is a big part of my Detective Emilia Cruz series set in Acapulco and inspired a new project: The Insider's Guide to the Best of Mexico. This free guide is a collection of great stories from 36 experts who shared their insider tales of where to...
Art Stories from the Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexico
As a mystery writer, my Detective Emilia Cruz police procedural series usually explores the dark side of Mexico: cartel violence, police corruption, and missing persons. But Mexico's rich culture is as much of a character in the books as Emilia herself. Mexico's art,...
Art and the Greek Economic Crisis
Although many of my books are set in Mexico, and I write frequently about current events there, the years I spent in Greece also live in my heart. So I can't help worrying about how the Greek economic crisis will impact the friends who still live there. The crisis...
Visiting Norway, Mystery Author Style
Can a mystery author who writes about sunny Mexico really love cold places? Yep. Besides Mexico, where my mystery series is set, my favorite country (except for home) is Norway. Not only does the country have superb natural vistas of mountains and fjords, but...
Thrillers are Tastier on Talavera Pottery
If you read this blog with any regularity you know the following; I am a mystery author I drink too much coffee I love Pinterest and Twitter I find inspiration in unlikely places Talavera Pottery The latest thing to jog my imagination is talavera, the beautiful and...
Mexican Retablos: Prayers on Steel
After a few bites of the cake Raul seemed to realize that she was waiting. “He read about the United States and wanted to go. He tried to cross the desert but the Virgin abandoned him because what he was doing was wrong. He got lost and died in the sun.” “I’m so...
Little Silver Miracles
I’ve been thinking about visual inspiration lately, as I tackle KING PESO, the 4th Emilia Cruz mystery. Thankfully, Mexico is replete with visual cues to creativity, from large (the Basilica of Guadalupe, Mexico City’s Zocalo, assorted volcanoes) to small (shots of...
A Box, a Mystery Series, and Some Lacquer
She came back a moment later with a box decorated in the traditional rayada carved lacquer technique. It was the size of a loaf of bread and the bottom was fitted with a small drawer with a tiny gold knob."This is a most special and precious item," Tifani said as she...
One Heart, Three Tragedies
Three places I love are bleeding and all I can do is watch and pray. Mexico As many readers know, my years in Mexico and Central America provided the impetus for my mystery and thriller novels and part of my heart will always be in Mexico. But the country has been...
The Ghost of Christmas Past
What if you were truly haunted by the ghost of Christmas past?Sometimes I think I might be.That First ChristmasWe spent our first Christmas as a married couple in a fairy tale setting. It was crisp and cold that year in Vienna, Austria. We strolled through the market...
Entitlement, Mexico style
Over the last few weeks I've been following the news stories about the fate of 43 students who went missing in the Mexican state of Guerrero, in a small town not far from Acapulco, in late September. The students, from a rural teaching college, were mostly men in...