Becky Clark

1 DOWN: DEATH BY HOMICIDE Quinn Carr wishes her life could be more like a crossword puzzle: neat, orderly, and perfectly arranged. At least her passion for puzzles, flair for words—and mild case of OCD—have landed her a gig creating crosswords for the local paper. But if she ever hopes to move out of her parents’ house, she can’t give up her day job as a waitress. She needs the tips. But when a customer ends up dead at her table—face down in biscuits and gravy—Quinn needs to get a clue to find whodunit . . . 6 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “M” It turns out that solving a murder is a lot harder than a creating a crossword. Quinn has plenty of suspects—up, down, and across. One of them is her boss, the owner of the diner who shares a culinary past with the victim. Two of them are ex-wives, her boss’s and the victim’s. A third complication is the Chief of Police who refuses to allow much investigation, preferring the pretense their town has no crime. To solve this mystery, Quinn has to think outside the boxes—before the killer gets the last word . . . “FRESH, FAST, AND FURIOUSLY FUN . . . Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority.” —Brad Parks , Shamus Award-winning author (on Fiction Can Be Murder) Includes original crossword puzzles, also downloadable from BeckyClarkBooks.com!

Puzzling Ink

Mystery author Charlemagne "Charlee" Russo thought the twisty plots and peculiar murders in her books were only the products of her imagination. That is, until her agent is found dead exactly as described in her new, unpublished manuscript. Suspicion swirls around her and her critique group, making her confidence drop as severely and unexpectedly as her royalty payments. The police care more about Charlee's feeble alibi and financial problems than they do her panicky claims of innocence. To clear her name and revive her career, she must figure out which of her friends is a murderer. Easier said than done, even for an author who's skilled at creating tidy endings for her mysteries. And as her sleuthing grows dangerous, her imagination starts working overtime. Is she being targeted, too? Praise: "Becky Clark wields a witty pen, writing about an author who is plunged into her own mystery."--Marty Wingate, author of the Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather series "Becky Clark is a hilarious new talent in mystery fiction. With a mixture of humor and plot, Fiction Can Be Murderpulls back the curtain on the creative writing process and exposes the homicidal thoughts that take place while writing a book."--Diane Vallere, national bestselling author of the Costume Shop mysteries "In Fiction Can Be Murder, Becky Clark gives us a fun and funny peek into the writers' life. Although in the case of her protagonist, the smart, likeable, and feisty Charlee Russo, that life includes the real murder of her agent. This clever mystery, first in a new series, is perfect for book lovers."-- Vicki Delany, national bestselling author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries "Charlee Russo is my new favorite amateur sleuth! Wickedly witty author Charlee takes us along on her wild ride to prove her innocence in the murder of her literary agent, a murder based on the plot of onevof her own books! Giving readers an inside look at the writer's life, Becky Clark pens a funny, clever page turner of a mystery and I can't wait for the next one in this terrific new series!"-- Jenn McKinlay, bestselling author of the Library Lover's Mysteries "Fresh, fast, and furiously fun, Fiction Can Be Murderpacks one surprise after the next. Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority on this particular subject. Charlee Russo is like a lot of authors I know--except most of them only dream of killing their agents."--Brad Parks, Shamus-, Nero-, and Lefty-award-winning author of Closer Than You Know "This killer plot will take you on the literary ride of your life. In this new series, Clark has crafted an intriguing mystery that opens the door into the crazy world of literary agents, publishers, royalties, critique groups, and murder." --Cheryl Hollon, author of the Webb's Glass Shop Mysteries "The charming heroine and the supporting cast shine in Clark's fun and funny solo mystery debut...which doesn't take anyone too seriously in the best way possible."--Kirkus Reviews "A promising series debut."--Booklist "Cozy fans should enjoy this funny and affecting view into a mystery writer's life."--Publishers Weekly

Fiction Can Be Murder

1 DOWN: A PERSON OF INTEREST Quinn Carr has been quietly creating crosswords for the Chestnut Station Chronicle in her small Colorado town since she was in high school, but she has yet to solve the puzzle of how to make a living from her passion. So she lives with her parents and works at the local diner, catering to regulars like The Retireds, a charming if cantankerous crew of elderly men. The most recent member to join the group is a recently retired tailor, the unfortunately named Hugh Pugh. 4-LETTER WORD FOR "IMPALE" But Hugh's misfortune dramatically increases when he's arrested for stabbing his husband with a pair of fabric shears. With a cryptic crossword clue left at the crime scene, Quinn seems tailor-made for solving this murder. The local police may be determined to pin the crime on the kindly tailor, but Quinn will use her penchant for puzzles and what her therapist calls her "obsessive coping mechanism" to get the clues to line up and catch the real culprit--before the killer boxes her in. . . . "FRESH, FAST, AND FURIOUSLY FUN . . . Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority." --Brad Parks, Shamus Award-winning author on Fiction Can Be Murder Includes original crossword puzzles!

Punning with Scissors

Between a kidnapping, a double booking, and a crew of hapless volunteers, Charlee worries the writing conference will go to the dogs. Mystery author Charlee Russo agrees to speak at a Portland writers' conference organized by her friend Viv Lundquist. When Viv picks her up at the airport, she frantically tells Charlee that her daughter Hanna has been kidnapped. Charlee takes over the conference preparation so Viv can search for her daughter, but the situation gets tense when the hotel double-books the event with a dog show. Despite this, Charlee is compelled to investigate after she learns shocking secrets about both Hanna and Viv. Can she find Hanna in time, or will a plot twist lead her to a ruff ending? Praise: "This humorous cozy boasts an engaging sleuth, well-drawn secondary characters and numerous plot twists."—Booklist "So good I wanted to read it twice! It has everything I love in a funny mystery: characters I care about, a plot that grabs me from page one, voice, and laughs galore. Clear your day, because this laugh-out-loud comic caper mystery is a one-sitting read!"—Jess Lourey, Anthony, Agatha, and Lefty-nominated author of the Mira James Mysteries "Clark is the queen of the subtle misdirect and the casually dropped clue. I gave myself a resounding 'I could have had a V-8' head slap when I reached the end and realized she'd given me everything I needed to solve the mystery without me ever knowing it!"—Kristi Abbott, author of the Popcorn Shop Mysteries "The backdrop for Clark's witty, engaging mystery is a writers' conference where everything that can go wrong does so, in a hilarious way. You'll both sympathize and laugh along with heroine Charlemagne 'Charlee' Russo as she balances saving the conference from total disaster with the dangerous task of rescuing the kidnapped daughter of a close friend."—Ellen Byron, Lefty-nominated author of the Cajun Country Mysteries "Another winning entry in this wonderful series, Foul Play on Words is a clever, compelling mystery. The intriguing plot will pull you in immediately, and the engaging sleuth with quips at the ready will keep you laughing all the way through. A must-read for fans of humorous cozies!"—Cynthia Kuhn, author of the Agatha Award-winning Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries "Foul Play on Words is irresistible. A perfect combination of comedy and suspense. Mystery writer Charlee Russo narrows down a long list of oddball suspects at the wildest writer's conference of all time. Every word funnier than the word before. A must read."—Gretchen Archer, bestselling author of the Davis Way Crime Capers "Foul Play on Words is hilariously quirky with a side of neurosis. The misadventures of being a mystery writer were never so much fun."—Libby Klein, author of the Poppy McAllister Mystery Series "Becky Clark is a talent to watch! Foul Play on Words is funny, quirky, and has everything cozy readers love: heart, humor, and mayhem!"—Diana Orgain, USA Today bestselling author of the Maternal Instincts Mysteries

Foul Play on Words

Want to speed up your writing process and complete a top-notch novel in just two months?Learn veteran author Becky Clark's tried-and-true techniques to: - Write faster - Organize yourself - Create a flexible outline you can live with (even if you hate outlines with an intensity usually reserved for walking into a spider web)- Devise your own reliable system to get you from the premise to THE END in eight short weeks. - Become the prolific career novelist you've always dreamed of!I've read a LOT of books on craft. This book combines a complete structure with a lot of options on how to work around the typical roadblocks that pop up for most writers. Kim OlgrenI'm in your debt! TR FischerYou offered a ton of information, and because of your humor, it all made sense to me. You've inspired me to get serious about my writing. Seth PoolerI always have this thought that there just isn't any time, but really the problem is I have not actively chosen time for all my endeavors. I was surprised at how thorough and actionable the content was. LOTS of concrete steps are provided to help anyone find a plan that suits them. Extremely relatable and helpful. Lindsay MaroneyBuy this book! It takes all the confusion out of writing a novel. Becky breaks down how to go about it from start to finish. Norma Thomas

Write Faster, Write Better, Be More Organized

Eight Weeks to a Complete Novel

1 ACROSS: HUMAN REMAINS Creating crossword puzzles for the Chestnut Station Chronicle won’t allow Quinn Carr to quit her diner waitress job any time soon. But it does provide an outlet for her organizational OCD, and also lets her leave subtle hints for police chief Myron Chestnut, an avid puzzler, when his investigations need some direction. Some mysteries, though, leave even Quinn stumped—like the property deed she finds in her grandfather’s old desk. The document lists Quinn’s mother as the owner of some land on the outskirts of Chestnut Station, but Georgeanne refuses to discuss it. 8 LETTERS, STARTS WITH “S” Quinn visits the site, located near a World War II Japanese internment camp that’s since been turned into a museum. There she unearths a weathered Japanese doll…and a skeleton. Before she can uncover a killer, she has to identify the victim. Was it an inmate trying to escape? A guard? Or someone closer to home? As Quinn fills in the blanks, she finds an unexpected link between her family and Chief Chestnut’s—one that could spell more deadly trouble… “FRESH, FAST, AND FURIOUSLY FUN . . . Becky Clark writes with wry wit, a keen eye, and no shortage of authority.” —Brad Parks, Shamus Award-winning author on Fiction Can Be Murder Includes original crossword puzzles!

Becky Clark

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