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  • Gratitude in the Port of Destiny

    As I sit in my cool office, away from the waves of heat emanating from the ground outside, I’m so grateful. With Port of Destiny: A Victorian History, Mystery, & Romance I’m realizing a lifelong dream. When I was fifteen years old, I learned a secret about my grandfather. I never told anyone, because I thought it belonged in a book, and I would be the perfect person to write it.
    I started the research in the 1970s, the manuscript in the early 1980s. I purchased my first computer, a Macintosh. I was working full-time then as an English teacher… […]

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Let's Talk with Terry Ambrose

“Does Your Dog Have His Own Shoe Collection?"

Dog wearing shoes from Wikimedia Commons

The first time I heard anything about dogs wearing shoes was in Las Vegas in June many years ago. It seemed hilarious at the time. Fast forward to today, and I realize this isn’t just a thing, dogs have fashion choices, too. Check out this week’s post for the full story.

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Win Two Free Books – August 2026

Contest Run: Aug 1-22, 2026
Win Two Free Books - August 2026

  • Enter to win two free books in our monthly giveaway:

    Lois Winston – Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, print (US only) or e-book
    Terry Ambrose – The Case of the Beguiling Brooch, print (US only) or e-book

Enter Here!

On The Bench

Characters on the Bench

This week in our Characters on the Bench feature, we’ve asked our characters how they got their starts as amateur sleuths. You won’t want to miss their answers!

Read the complete "On The Bench"!

Latest News

  • Terry Ambrose

    has his fingers crossed that, with the constant back-and-forth between home and Palm Desert behind him, he can focus on writing again. Life, however, may have other plans. As the saying goes, only time will tell.

  • Nancy J. Cohen

    announces that Murder Pays a Call won a silver medal in the FAPA President’s Book Awards.

  • Debra H. Goldstein

    is excited to announce that her collection of short stories, With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying, published by White City Press, is a 2026 Killer Nashville Best Short Story/Collection Silver Falchion finalist. Awards will be announced at the Killer Nashville banquet at the end of August.

  • Cheryl Hollon

    is happily keeping cool at her keyboard. This season she’s diving into the fast-paced world of short fiction, crafting stories for five anthology submissions. It’s a refreshing creative challenge that lets her experiment with new mysteries, memorable characters, and satisfying surprises.

  • Maggie Toussaint

    is working toward publication of her next book in October 2026. She recently worked up the book blurb for the cozy paranormal mystery with the help of all the authors at Booklover’s Bench. Her book cover delivery has been slipped forward a month, so she’ll let you know when she has that part ready to go. Other than that, she’s sweltering in the heat!

  • C.B. Wilson

    is excited to announce that she will be a panelist at Killer Nashville this year. Come and see her to talk mystery, mayhem, and dogs. Glimmer, the Diamond Dog, and star of the Gem Hunter’s Mysteries, proves again that she’s got lots to say. Every Monday and Wednesday, she will share Glimmer’s Giggles. A funny photo of her friends (Please feel free to send me a photo of your dog) and herself up to no good on Facebook & Instagram. https://facebook.com/cbwilsonauthor and https://instagram.com@cbwilsonauthor

  • Lois Winston

    is happy to announce that Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the 14th book in her Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, is a finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Comedy and also the Readers Choice Award. In addition, Lois will be presenting a breakout workshop on Goal, Motivation & Conflict: The Three Building Blocks of Every Novel, Synopsis, Pitch, and Back Cover Copy, at the Killer Nashville Writers Conference, August 20th-23rd.