Let’s Talk with Debra H. Goldstein Archive

Creating Communities for Authors and Readers

This “Let’s Talk” column existed before I ever joined Booklover’s Bench. As there have been several authors who have contributed to this blog over the years, that equals more “Let’s Talk” posts covering more topics and thoughts than I could ever catalog. Why is that important to you and to us? Because it has let […]

I hate packing

I’ve been on the go throughout the country for the past three weeks. First, in a nine-day span, I managed to spend time in Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I visited family during the first two stops. San Francisco was a combination of four days of work-related activities and catching up with friends and […]

Let’s Really Talk

Today, January 15, is MLK Day (Martin Luther King Day). There will be prayer breakfasts and other formal observances in most cities, as well as heavy media coverage. I, too, could devote my blog post to this holiday, but as a writer, I know there are more topics to possibly address than the obvious one. […]

Sadie Hawkins Day and Parity in the Mystery World

Today is Sadie Hawkins Day! This holiday was originally a fictional creation of cartoonist Al Capp (Alfred Gerald Caplin) in his Li’l Abner comic strip. In the cartoon, Hekzebiah Hawkins, afraid his daughter will never land a husband, declares a Sadie Hawkins Day during which she can break the societal norm that a man chases […]

National Daughters Day

Here’s to the daughters in my life – and to those in yours. Although International Daughters Day is celebrated on the 28th; today, September 25, is National Daughters Day. So, let’s raise our hands in a toast to the daughters that we have, have been, or were born to. In my case, I was the […]

August 14 Holidays

I am so bummed. Yesterday was National Left-Handers Day. As a southpaw, I would like to have written about the difficulties writing in long hand poses for writers (smudging the words with our left pinky). Alas, that is not to be. I must talk about what is celebrated on August 14. If you are in […]

Debra Goldstein presents Bethany Maines

Finding the Funny By Guest Author Bethany Maines My recent release, Between Floors, is the second book in the Valkyrie Brothers series. Each book has a hint (or more) of mystery, action, and romance, combining these various influences into one humorous adventure. However, that meant that I needed something funny to kick off each story. […]

Using Idea Gems and Imagination to Create Short Stories and Novels

Writers are often asked what the basis for their short stories and novels are. For me, the answer is simple. I use idea gems pulled from real life as the springboard for my imagination. Once my imagination kicks in, I polish or revise the mixture to create polished short stories or novels. For example, in […]

National Siblings Day

Today, April 10, is National Siblings Day. Research has demonstrated that 80% of American children have one or more siblings. I’m in the group that only has one. So, here’s a shout out to that one sibling, my sister, Michelle. In researching the day, I discovered that Claudia Evart, having lost her siblings at a […]

Short vs long

Some people think that a short story is merely an abbreviated novel or that a book is an extended short story. Both are true, but only in a limited sense in terms of their elements. As an author who writes both long and short, I’ve come to realize that although there is overlap, the two […]

New Release: With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying

This has been a wonderful week. In fact, I’ve been happy dancing non-stop. Let me give you a hint why I’ve been in such a celebratory mood. WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING was officially released on February 4 in print and e-book formats. It is a collection of eighteen of my short […]

A Day of Thanksgiving, Unthanksgiving, and French Toast

Today is not a day for writing. Hopefully, if you are observing Thanksgiving, today is a day for celebrating without having to buy gifts, family interaction (enjoyable or bickering), football games, the Macy’s parade, and turkey and other traditional dishes. I could go into the history of the holiday and how there was once numerous […]

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost’s poetry has always intrigued me. Two poems – The Road Not Taken and Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening have served almost as a mantra for my interpretation of how life should be lived and understood. Imagine my dismay when I recently learned that The Road Not Taken, rather than being […]

August Marks My New Year

Most people think January 1 marks the beginning of a new year. Not me. I consider that date as only being the one on which I write a different year on my checks. In the South, my mind views August as the annual change, but modifies it to September in the North. Although I haven’t […]

July 4th – How Could I Ignore Writing About Independence Day

The Fourth of July means no mail, work, legal proceedings, or banking, as well as yes to parades, fireworks, and the eating of barbecue and watermelon. This U.S. federal holiday, officially called Independence Day, celebrates the Second Continental Congress’s 1776 ratification of the Declaration of Independence, which established the United States of America. The Declaration […]

The Joy of the Amateur Sleuth

Debra Goldstein presents: A guest article by Valerie Burns One of the key components of cozy mysteries is the use of the “amateur sleuth.” Amateur sleuths are individuals, usually female, who are not paid to solve crimes. They’re not trained members of law enforcement, nor are they highly skilled. Amateur sleuths are average people just like […]

Respect your cat day

I have a confession to make. When I began writing One Taste Too Many, the first book in the Sarah Blair mystery series, I understood that because it was going to be a cozy, the inclusion of a pet was highly recommended. My research showed that the preferred cozy animal was a cat. No problem. […]

Do You Want to Fly a Kite?

How many times in your life have you looked at a picture of a child running down the beach unfurling the string while a kite bobs above his head? When you hear the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” from Mary Poppins, does it become an instant earworm? Do you have a memory of trying […]

Pivoting to Win

I married into a family whose blood runs Crimson. They exalted Bear Bryant and now believe Nick Saban is a god. Each Saturday, if they aren’t in the stadium, they sit glued to the television. Usually, I don’t. It seems to me that the best part of a game – the only important part – […]

Taken from the Comics

Every week, my husband receives a sheet with cartoons from The Far Side, Maxine, and other pictures of signs that are in the public domain. He doesn’t waste his time perusing them, but he does pass the page to me as I find them a real hoot. Why? Because of the truth in them. Think […]

Opening Lines

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” (Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier) “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.” (Little Women – Louisa May Alcott) “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” […]

The Art of Improvisation

Have you heard the one about the author who took ten years to write his first book? How about the tale of the writer who produces two to three books a year? I can’t provide the punchline for either of those questions, but I can explain the art of improvising a complete mystery in one […]

Should Have Played Poker is Back!

Most of you know me as the author of the Sarah Blair Mystery series, but there was a mystery book before this, SHOULD HAVE PLAYED POKER. I’ll start out with the publication timeline of that book, and you can see that while it was successfully published, it endured a downsizing company and the pandemic…Keep reading […]

National Library Day

Let’s celebrate! Today is National Library Day, which is part of National Library Week. This week, especially today, is when, since its 1958’s inception by the American Library Association, we give special recognition to libraries and librarians. Personally, I appreciate libraries and librarians every day. As a child, my mother took me to the library […]

Happy Birthday, Daddy! Thanks for Teaching Me to Love Words

Today would be my father’s ninety-seventh birthday, but he died at seventy-seven. I don’t write about him as often as I do my mother. Part of the reason is because her background as a Holocaust survivor, assimilation into American culture and English (without a trace of an accent), fierce protection of family and possessions, and […]

New Year Thoughts

For 2023, our author collective resolves to take positive actions to make the world better in some way. There’s so much we can do for the people we already know and for those we haven’t met yet. Here are a few thoughts about how one kindness often begets another. First we shouldn’t worry about what […]

Happy Holidays to All of You from All of Us!

Happy Holidays to all of our friends, fans, and writing communities! Our authors are here to share their self-care tips that help them make it through the busy holidays. When your schedule gets overloaded, remember to take time for yourself. It will get better. Plus, what fun it is to de-stress with us! Maggie Toussaint: […]

Deadlines and Delay

Who hasn’t had a deadline to meet, but been afraid it will be missed? In most cases, even if it takes an all-nighter, the task is completed on time. Sometimes, though, it simply can’t be done. A family crisis, personal illness (can you spell Covid), mechanical failure of the printer or computer, or “the dog […]

Why I Celebrate National Literacy Day

Today, September 8, is National Literacy Day. It is a day that I can’t let pass without commenting on as a writer, reader, and mother/grandmother. As a writer, I hope people will find and embrace my books to escape from the moment. My writing goal, especially with the Sarah Blair series, is that my books […]

When Is It Time To Stop?

I’m a Type A personality. That’s the one where the person is considered highly motivated and competitive. For as long as I can remember, other than needing four to six hours of sleep, I tried to cram as much as I could into my waking hours. That is, until a bout of Covid in late […]

Celebrate June 2’s Holidays Per the National Holiday Calendar

When in doubt what to write, the easy brainstorming approach is to grab a topic from whatever national day in question falls on the day the blog will appear. Brain blocked, I went to the National Day Calendar and discovered that June 2 is National Bubba Day, National Rocky Road Day, National Rotisserie Chicken Day, […]

From Beginning To End, You Can Read-A-Long With Me

Once upon a time, a character, Sarah Blair, a woman who finds being in the kitchen more frightening than murder, came into my mind. I instilled Sarah, her family, and her friends, with the many of the same characteristics and traits that my family, friends, and I possess. To intrigue and amuse readers, tidbits of […]

Give me February 1 over February 14

by Debra H. Goldstein I am not a fan of Valentine’s Day. Hearts, cards, chocolates, flowers, and being taken out to dinner are nice, but February 14 has nothing on February 1. The truth is that Valentine’s Day, much like Christmas, has become commercialized. It has become a holiday of the masses with the vendors […]

Let’s Talk with Debra H. Goldstein

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Debra H. Goldstein

Changing Colors by Debra H. Goldstein When we moved into our house a year ago, the trees outside my office window were luscious and full of leaves in stark contrast to one dead tree that stood proudly in the midst of the greenery. In the Fall, the leaves fell, and all the trees more closely […]

Let's Talk with Debra H. Goldstein

Let’s Talk with Debra H. Goldstein Archive

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