BAD GOOD GUYS by Deborah Elliott-Upton Last week I wrote about the good bad guys, but sometimes it’s the bad good guys that court the Muse. Tucking my children into bed, they always begged, “Tell me a story.” The mother in me knew it was a ploy to extend their bedtime. The writer in me […]

GOOD BAD GUYS by Deborah Elliott-Upton “A good man can be stupid and still be good. But a bad man must have brains – absolutely.” – Maxim Gorky, The Lower Depths, 1903 Let’s talk about the Bad Guys. The villains with a capital V. The ones who don’t always wear a black hat, although they […]

KILLING THEM OFF by Deborah Elliott-Upton Mystery writers may never need to consult a therapist. We work out our hostilities through our stories. Is your boss a jerk? Kill him off! Mother-in law on your case? Kill her off! Your rival stole your boyfriend? You know what to do – and never spend a day […]

RISKING IT ALL by Deborah Elliott-Upton When my husband and I watch TV game shows where a contestant must decide whether to continue and risk losing the monies already won or walk away with cold hard cash and give up the chance of winning the jackpot, we take different paths. My husband would take the […]

UNEXPECTED COMPANY by Deborah Elliott-Upton Depending on who it is, unexpected company may not always be a bad thing. In Chapter Seven of Only If It Rains (my unpublished-at-the-moment mystery novel), a character slated to be Victim # 4 unexpectedly became too important to kill. The comic relief necessary to offset the tension, Mike Bailey […]

STORYTELLERS by Deborah Elliott-Upton Every family has at least one — and I’m not talking about the black sheep (we’ll save that for another day) — but the ones known as storytellers. I always look forward to this time of year. The fireworks, the picnics, but mostly getting together with family and friends I haven’t […]

END OF TRAIL by Deborah Elliott-Upton I have just returned from Cowboy Heaven, a.k.a End Of Trail, the annual World’s Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting, the fastest growing sport in the country. Over 600 competitors plus vendors and tourists crowded the New Mexico valley this past weekend. I admit, I find nothing cuter – no […]