Guest Author CB Wilson

Here’s something mystery readers instinctively understand: the best puzzles don’t always start with a body. Sometimes they start with something small, glittering, and absolutely irresistible—something that promises beauty while whispering danger. Diamonds do this better than almost anything else. For centuries, these stones have appeared in crime fiction as far more than shiny valuables. They’re emotional time bombs. They ignite conflict, uncover buried secrets, and expose humanity at its best and worst. Writers keep returning to them because diamonds refuse to be passive props—they’re catalysts with their own lore built in. The symbolism goes deeper than you’d think… […]

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Guest Author Denise Swanson

Romance and Mystery – by Denise Swanson

As a reader, I always felt there were two components to a great plot—mystery and romance. And as a writer, I find it darn near impossible not to include both of those elements in my stories. It’s a little like that old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercial, I get either mystery mixed up into my romances or romances mixed up into my mysteries.

I blame this on my favorite pre-teen series Trixie Belden. There was always a hint of romance running through those books. Would Trixie and Jim Frayne end up together? Hint. In my Scumble River series, I answer that question how I wanted it to be answered. […]

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