Comparing Crime Rates: Acapulco vs Points North
In mid-February, prompted by a spate of news reports on crime for 2012--including a list of the...
The Friday Fiesta: Travel with a Filmmaker, A Camera, Disappearing Destinations, and Titanic II
As a fiction and mystery author I draw on my own world travels and experiences living in Mexico...
About the time I went to Fiji
Arriving in Fiji alone at 1:00 am after a 12-hour flight was unnerving but that’s the way the...
Matching Books with Museums in Mexico City
There you are, strolling through amazing exhibits and you know something’s missing. Like the...
A Friday Fiesta of Close Encounters: Maps, Murano, Mississippi and Designing Vietnam
As a fiction and mystery author I draw on my own world travels and experiences living in Mexico...
The Case of the Mysterious Immigration Debate
I’m a mystery and thriller author, not a political pundit or a news commentator. My books so far...
Friday Fiesta: Love, Murder, African Design and the Final Frontier
As the author of a mystery series I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the...
Historic Preservation That Scares Us and Why That’s a Good Thing
Elsewhere in this blog I've talked about historic preservation as a means of taking the...
Friday Fiesta: Saving the Food Chain, A Language, Literary Thought and Your Self-Esteem
As the author of a mystery series I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the...
The Best and Other Interview Questions to Ask a Mystery Writer
There are certain interview questions to ask someone who has just published a novel in a mystery...
Friday Fiesta: An Artist, An Astronaut and the Unexpected in Nepal and on Kilimanjaro
As the author of a mystery series I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the...
3 Latinas Who Inspired Fiction’s Newest Crimefighter
Police detective Emilia Cruz is the main character in CLIFF DIVER, the first novel in my new...
The mysterious case of 4 Jars of Inspiration
Ready to sweeten life? Throw out a sour mindset?As the author of a mystery series--a relatively...
The Friday Fiesta: From Guatemala to Antarctica, with Museums and Manners, too
As a fiction author I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the time I draw...
Lost in Mexico has nothing to do with translation
In CLIFF DIVER, the first full-length book in my new mystery series, Acapulco police detective...
Friday Fiesta: The Real Big Bird, Famous Birthdays, and Beer for Fido
Coming 30 January! CLIFF DIVER: An Emilia Cruz NovelAs a fiction and mystery author I love to...
The Friday Fiesta: An Outdoor Seat, Music, Chocolate, and a Story
As a fiction author I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the time I draw...
Walking the Mouth of Hell
I ended up with the yellow hard hat but what I really needed were safety goggles. My eyes watered...
A Nicaragua Christmas: The Treasures of Alter Eco
Advertising in Managua, Nicaragua, can be hit-or-miss so I wasn't quite sure what I'd find when I...
A Nicaragua Christmas: Shopping at Mama Delfina’s
Managua, Nicaragua, is full of surprises including the beautiful art and antique store, Mama...
The Mary/Mujer Paradox
December is a big month for Mary, the mother of Jesus. On 8 December Catholics celebrate...
The Friday Fiesta: Safari, Snow, Scotland and Surprising Films
As a fiction author I love to weave unique cultural gems into the plot. Most of the time I draw...
5 Life Lessons from a Month of Writing Dangerously
NaNoWriMo can be described as a cult phenomenon, a virtual writers gathering, a very strange hobby...
Crafting a Christmas at the Mercado
This is the year my Christmas won't be Made in China. Instead of the usual commercial shiny things...