From January to the end of March, New England writers can submit stories for the annual Crime Spell Books anthology. We get a variety of stories from a diverse groups of writers, and often a new writer’s first story. Although each of the editors probably has a private set of expectations and standards, I know I’m going to be surprised more than once. I learned that lesson years ago.

In the 1990s I was invited to judge a short story contest sponsored by a local newspaper. I was one of three local writers who would judge the stories submitted to the editor of the arts and culture insert magazine. 

We were a dutiful trio, reading each story more than once, taking notes and evaluating each one according to whatever we considered the appropriate set of criteria. We knew of each other but didn’t know each other personally, though we all knew the editor. At the end of our period of private deliberations, we gathered an hour before the luncheon, where we’d announce the winners, who would be awarded certificates. This is where the surprise came in.

Each of us came with a different story that we ranked as number one. As I look back I’m amused by our passion for our chosen piece of fiction. We couldn’t understand how the other two hadn’t seen the perfection, the style and wit and wisdom in our perfect piece of prose. Of course we discussed our choices at length, certain we could persuade the other two because weren’t we all rational, professional writers?

One writer chose a story because it was a quiet meditation with a gorgeous nearly perfect sentence right in the middle. And it was a lovely arrangement of words expressing a gentle wisdom, but what about the rest of the work? The next judge picked a story that dawdled until the punchline, which I had to admit was effective. But neither judge had picked the story I chose, which to this day I’m convinced was the only true story—with a beginning, a middle, and an end, describing an experience that left the characters changed and the reader nodding in recognition and satisfaction. I’ll admit that the other two judges probably felt as strongly as I did and still do. How did we resolve this dilemma? We didn’t.

The newspaper was on a schedule. The program had to begin, but the editor was ready for us. Another writer gave a talk, the editor congratulated all the writers who had submitted stories, and then she announced that three stories had taken first place. Each judge got to present “their” choice, to the delight of three writers (and their families) in the audience.

I learned later that this is what happens every year. Three judges and three stories. We just can’t seem to agree on what makes something work, something worth reading a second time, something to share with friends and talk about in classes. The editor doesn’t try to persuade the guest judges to reach consensus. Wise move. Instead everyone learned the lesson of the world of publishing. Tastes will range, but every writer is encouraged to follow their own path, and every reader will find a work that resonates with them.

I’m so sorry I missed my turn in January, but I was a tad bit distracted!

Randy and I spent the last week of 2025 in Arizona, a trip he surprised me with on Christmas Eve. He’s been wanting to buy a place in Arizona for our future retirement … you know, someday!

I haven’t been keen on the idea of moving to Arizona since I love living in Oregon. I love rainy days and early nights, which I see as reasons to write. And I can’t imagine living somewhere without the four seasons. With each season, I’m reminded that change is a good thing.

My husband, on the other hand, hates the rain. He complains about every season except summer and talks incessantly about living somewhere warm in winter. Hence, my Christmas present to Mesa, Arizona.

Even though I had no intention of relocating to Arizona, I convinced myself that it would be nice to get away and relax after the holiday season bustle. Of course, this meant I’d have to endure Randy’s enthusiasm for looking at homes to buy, so I asked God for patience.

We arrived late on Christmas Eve night, ending up at the local Denny’s for a less-than-delicious dinner before arriving at the place we’d rented and falling asleep. The next morning, I frowned at the Keurig (I’ll never understand brewing a cup at a time) and made a cup of coffee.

Since I was up before Randy, who likes to sleep in, I thought maybe I’d find a Christmas movie to watch. Remote in hand, I settled on the couch and began channel surfing. The morning sky was beginning to lighten, and I thought we’d left the porch light on. I crossed the small living room, opened the door, and was greeted by the rising sun.

Every morning, I got up early so I could watch the sun come up. I spent all my free time outside at a patio table, writing and smiling.

Randy had researched and planned several excursions, including one to a nearby lake. As we wound our way out of town, our route took us by a beautiful sight … Superstition Mountains.

My writer’s brain kicked into overdrive, and by the time we’d visited the lake, stopped for lunch, and began our journey back to Mesa, I had a heroine, a cover, and a mystery plot.

Let me introduce Sapphire Stone, cousin to Wyatt, Derrick, and Blake Stone from my Stoneybrook Mystery Series. Sapphire, much to her mother’s dismay, is a Private Investigator who also moonlights as a security guard at a cannabis store. Most of her jobs involve following cheating spouses or uncovering insurance fraud. But when she discovers a body in a vehicle crushed by large boulders in a section of the Superstition Mountains, she finds herself a step behind a cunning killer.

I was over the moon to have a new storyline to imagine and build. New characters to create. A new town and state to learn about. And those mountains … oh, the stories that lie hidden in the history of the towering red rock peaks always reaching for the sky.

I’m not sure what came over me, but I’m guessing the bright sunshine sparked my imagination. All of a sudden, I found myself embracing the idea of living in Arizona. After all, we didn’t plan to move away from Oregon entirely. We’d still have our small house in Donald. And we would spend summers at our small cabin on the Siletz River outside of Lincoln City, so I could enjoy the ocean I adore.

I’ve always wanted to live in México, the reasons are many, but as I’m sure you all know, the country is undergoing major changes. I long for the country I first visited thirty-five years ago.

While I still plan to visit the places I love, I no longer feel it is safe to live in México, a realization that has been heavy on my heart.

I believe God gave me more than patience. Everything about Mesa seemed to soften my heart and weaken my resolve. We looked at a few mobile homes in fifty-five-and-over parks, but none met our needs. For me, this was a relief. Even though I was enjoying our trip, I still wasn’t sure I wanted to live in Arizona.

But the minute we walked into the last place on our list, I knew we’d found the perfect home. It was a newer model and had the right layout. The best part, though, was a covered patio area where I could see myself working on a novel.

As I said at the beginning, I was a bit distracted in January because of all the work required to close on our new home in Mesa, Arizona. While we won’t be moving anytime soon, we are planning a ten-day visit in May.

When I write a book, I have to remember to let my characters tell me the story, rather than move them like chess pieces. Advice I should apply to my life, too. When I stopped trying to be “Master of the Universe,” I was blessed with a new home, a happy husband, and a new mystery series to write!

Happy Writing, Ladies ~

Each writer has a different way of getting started on the next book. Some prepare a story board, others keep pages of notes, some make an outline. I see a group of people moving around doing whatever it is they’re doing, which isn’t always clear in the beginning but I know it will be soon enough. Because location is especially important to me, I pull out photographs I’ve taken of the general location I’m focusing on. They aren’t usually of a specific place I have in mind for the plot, though they can be, but more of a way to get my brain thinking about what I’ve seen there, how people move through the space. Right now, that means India.

My current work in progress is an Anita Ray story, most of which usually takes place in the coastal resort of Kovalam, just south of the state capital Trivandrum. Even though such a story might begin in Hotel Delite, Auntie Meena’s business where Anita lives and helps out, the plot may take Anita away from the water and into a nearby city or inland village. She might go to Chalai, the main bazaar in the city, or to Connemara Market, where I often went to take pictures of fish or vegetables. (I love markets.)

In this mystery novel, Anita travels into the hills with a group of tourists staying at the hotel. They’ve heard about a particularly interesting chapel and want to visit. So, off they go. This gave me a chance to pull out images of the twisting roads rising up the Western Ghats, with homes built right along the verge and bougainvillea or other vines tumbling over trellises and brushed by a passing lorry. 

While I was sorting through images I came across one of groves of rubber trees. The hills can be a surprise to some foreigners who expect all of South India to be a jungle, huge climbing vines, thick bush, and bright flowers the size of basketballs. They don’t expect a small forest of deciduous trees.

Mature rubber trees look like saplings but they’re mature enough to produce the sap that is the basis for rubber, and farmers capture it the same way we capture sap for maple syrup. I lay the photograph out on my desk alongside two or three others, and let my thoughts drift. I needed a murder scene the reader could grasp in hindsight but nothing obvious, and this needed to be away from Hotel Delite and Kovalam. The rubber tree grove gave me plenty to work with.

With important scenes taking shape near the rubber plantation and a tea shop, I had some important questions resolved and now needed only a Catholic chapel, so I rummaged around and found a photograph of one set among the trees. It was the right size for what I had in mind, and its location gave me plenty of scope for the specific activities I was toying with.

It’s exciting at this point to look at the photographs arrayed in front of me and see more fully the progress of the story. The characters are there, they’re spreading out among the trees and the buildings, and their voices punctuate the sound of feet shuffling through leaves and forest debris. I can see them and follow them, and when I do their behavior begins to fill the plot. My story idea, initially vague, takes shape.

We are well into 2026. How are you doing with those writing goals? Are you racing against time like me? Trying to get your word count every day. Wanting to keep the goals you made on January 1^st?

Every year, I have the same goals. Write at least two books, lose twenty pounds, exercise more, don’t spend so much time on social media, and be more focused on my goals. I feel like I’m slowly making progress, but it’s very slow.

I like to wake up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and write. When I have other things I have to do instead, it throws off my whole day. I try and make it back to writing, but that doesn’t always happen.

Life is busy. There are so many calls on my time, and I ask myself every year, how do I say no to things that I don’t need to do so I can concentrate on writing. You know how it is, on Monday you look at the week ahead and think, I have lots of time to write this week. Then things begin to steal that time away. Your best friend wants to meet for lunch or someone needs  you to do things for them. The kids need you. The bills need to be paid. You have to shop for groceries. The list goes on and on.

I’ve known writers who say they never go out to lunch when they are writing a book. They wait until the book is finished and then take a few days to catch up with friends before they dive into the next writing project.  I personally don’t think I could do this. I don’t want to live in a vacuum where all I do is write. I want to find a way to have it all!

Others say they shut off their phones or shut down social media while they’re writing. I think this might help me. There is no reason I need to check social media every few minutes. I don’t even need to check it every hour.

I decided to go online and see if I could find good time management goals for writers and there were a lot of them. I borrowed a few ideas.

Create a To-Do List

I love making lists. There is so much satisfaction in checking off those tasks, so this one really appealed to me. Put everything on your list because everything sucks up our time. And maybe if it’s there you can find a way of doing it faster to free up more time for writing!

Set Boundaries

I have a tough time with this one. I’m a people pleaser, so if someone needs me to help them or needs something done, I tend to put aside my schedule to help them out. I need to work on this one.

Avoid the shiny objects syndrome

That made me laugh, but it’s important to stay focused on your current project and avoid getting sidetracked by a new one.

There are apps that block distracting websites. If you need to, use them. I don’t know how many cute clothes I’ve bought because an ad popped up for one of my favorite websites and I just had to stop what I was doing a buy a sweater or dress.

Avoid procrastination

I know I’m a procrastinator, so I need to figure out how to work around that. Common reasons for procrastination are fear of failure, perfectionism, and feeling overwhelmed.

Set realistic goals. 

Don’t think you’re going to write 50,000 words in one day. Make your goals attainable. I read somewhere that Stephan King writes 2,000 a day. If that’s what works for you, that’s great. Just try and do it every day.

Use specific times for different tasks.

I like to write first thing in the morning, and work on social media posts and marketing in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes I make the mistake of skipping writing for marketing. I’ve found that marketing can suck up a lot of my time. I need to be strict with myself and make sure I keep to my schedule. One way to do that is to jot down notes when something sparks an idea while I’m writing, then I can do that later during writing task time.

I’m easily distracted, so self-discipline is very important for me.

And one of the most important things is to not guilt yourself if you don’t get your writing goals done. I liked this quote I found online: Scheduling is there to serve you. You are not in service to scheduling.

Time management is an important tool in our writer’s toolbox. My goal for 2026 is to use it wisely.