Leslie Keller Books

Handbags & Homicide, written by Dorothy Howell This is the first book the series (A Haley Randolph Mystery). It was lighthearted and a very easy read. The main character has a passion bordering on obsession with handbags. Would she kill to get the latest Louis Vuitton? We meet Haley as she is shopping for a new handbag, which is outside of her already taxed budget. Haley has a job at a law firm. To supplement that income she also has a part-time job at a mid-level department store. The law firm story left me somewhat confused as it really didn't have much relevance in the story, except to force Haley to work more hours at the department store. Told in first person, Haley describes herself as follows: "So you might think that I, Haley Randolph, with my long, coltlike legs, shampoo-commercial-thick dark hair, and my fifty percent beauty-queen genes..."  Haley sounds like she is a shampoo commercial away from more than fifty percent perfect. Describing herself ...

I thought this title would be appropriate as I take this blog in a new direction. As a writer of cozy mysteries, I would like to focus on the genre as a whole. I'll include reviews of new cozy releases, as well as some of the old favorites. I'll also lead you on a journey to discover how cozies are assembled - how to find the red herrings among the legitimate clues. But let's discuss what makes a cozy. If you've never heard the term, you may be surprised to find that this type of mystery has been in existence for a long time. I doubt I could find someone in the U.S. who hasn't heard of Agatha Christie - even if they have never read her. If you ever watched the Murder She Wrote television series which ran from 1984 through 1996 then you enjoyed a cozy. More recently if you saw the movie One for the Money you watched a cozy written by Janet Evanovich. A cozy is a murder mystery. What sets it apart from other murder mysteries is that there is no graphic violence ...

I'm excited about not one but two one day writing conferences I'm attending this month. For the second year I attended the Avondale Writers Conference, which is jam packed with sessions and agent pitches. The following week an Arizona Writers event with none other than Chuck Sambuchino, best known for his Writer's Digest work. I am thrilled to have such quality conferences located here in Arizona. Even if you have already published with a traditional publisher or independently published, you can learn valuable tips. An added perk at both conferences were the agent pitch sessions. These are an invaluable tool in obtaining agent feedback one to one. I will include some of the great tips in future posts. I apologize for the blurry image but I'm terrible with the iPhone. Happy Trails, Leslie

Today's topic is about whether you should edit your own work or pay for the services of a professional editor. I have read Menu for Murder probably one hundred times beginning to end. My friends and family have read it. I printed a hard copy for a book club to read. Everyone found a few errors here and there. I use spell check and grammar check. Sounds like I covered all the bases, right? Wrong! To be honest, I was afraid of what might happen when an editor read it. Would the editor hate my writing? Would I find out I really can't write and I shouldn't ever contemplate quitting my paying job? Would an editor try to re-write my manuscript into her own story? I realized, if an editor hated my work and tried to change the entire thing, I didn't have to accept it. The advantage of hiring your own editor is that you can choose what to accept or reject. If a traditional publishing house options your work, they will use an in-house editor. You lose control of what stays ...

I'm very lucky to live in a state where I can be outdoors almost all year. I wanted to post this picture of a "small rock" I came across while hiking. It's hard to tell from this picture, but it's probably more than twenty feet high and at least that wide. If you have never experienced the beauty of Arizona I would definitely recommend planning a trip - just not in July or August! Happy trails, Leslie

Writing is a solitary event.  Most of us work alone, banging away at the keyboard, locked in a room where no one can disturb us, typing into the wee hours of the night. If you have read some of my past posts, you would know that I sit at the kitchen table where I can look outside and enjoy the view.  The television is generally blasting in the other room and my partner is practicing his guitar. It's not quiet or isolated. This works for me. I think if the room is too quiet my brain fills with clutter.  A myriad of thoughts ricochet around in my head. However, sometimes neither the chaos nor locking myself in a room works.  I cannot focus on writing. I check my Facebook page a dozen times a minute. I bake something. I find laundry to do or some other chore that could wait for another day. When this happens, I know it's time to walk away. I need to focus on something which takes my full concentration and doesn't permit any other thoughts to interject. For me...