Catriona McPherson's Profile

but who can spell the next word? So let's leave it there. I've been blogging with Femmes Fatales for . . . checks notes. No really I just had to go and look up the file details of a photograph... Continue reading

Posted Sep 22, 2020 at My Weblog

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Finding the bright side ...

... even if I have to use an electron microscope. An eight-spotted skimmer that will be relevant later I've been trying not to grumble too much most days, during this year of up-ended plans and cancelled events. Not because "there's... Continue reading

Posted Aug 11, 2020 at My Weblog

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With a splinter of ice in my heart . . .

I've written twenty six novels. (Three of them aren't published yet, if anyone's counting.) And a handful of short stories. Two sitcom scripts that went into development and never came out again. More blog posts than there are weeds in... Continue reading

Posted Mar 12, 2019 at My Weblog

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Call her by her name.

What’s harder? Naming characters or naming pets? I’m having an awfy job finding the right name for two characters in the WIP. It’s so bad I’ve given them both two names each. They don’t call one another by their real... Continue reading

Posted Feb 12, 2019 at My Weblog

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NOT BUYING BOOKS

By Catriona My book buying embargo (until I've read at least half of what's on my TBR shelf, or until Left Coast, whichever comes first) is beginning to bite. So a weekend of libraries seemed perfect. It kicked off at... Continue reading

Posted Jan 29, 2019 at My Weblog

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Homicide for the Holidays

Now that our Thanksgiving food comas have worn off and the Black-Friday+Shop-Small-Saturday+Cyber Monday frenzy has died down, we Tuesday Femmes took some time to reflect on our favorite holidays and recommend some holiday reading with accompanying food and drink suggestions,... Continue reading

Posted Nov 27, 2018 at My Weblog

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Marriage is . . .

. . . now there's an opener, eh? The end of this particular quote is nothing to do with Groucho Marx or institutions, though. Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Edinburgh's most illustrious and beloved writers, said marriage was "a step... Continue reading

Posted Nov 13, 2018 at My Weblog

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I Want a Tiara!

Catriona writes: I've never had a guest-post title I agree with more. I want a tiara too! (It's a similar feeling to when MC Beaton told me she had just got a new opera cloak because her old one was... Continue reading

Posted Oct 30, 2018 at My Weblog

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B & Bees Kneeses

It's getting to the time of year - summer a faint memory behind us and Christmas* a faint prospect ahead, that short breaks start to seem like a great idea. And what could be better than a short break in... Continue reading

Posted Oct 23, 2018 at My Weblog

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Guest Post: Spirits on the Screen

Catriona writes: I'm delighted to be hosting Cynthia Kuhn today. I read her debut The Semester of Our Discontent shouting "YES!" every few pages, and upsetting the cat, because Cynthia really gets to the heart of academia in a way... Continue reading

Posted Oct 9, 2018 at My Weblog

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New Kid on the Blog

Catriona writes: It's a big day at Femmes Fatales today. We're welcoming our newest blog sister. (Well, I say "welcoming"; it might feel more like badgering to the newbie herself, since the rest of us old lags each chose a... Continue reading

Posted Sep 25, 2018 at My Weblog

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Guest post! The (Wo)man Behind The Curtain

Catriona writes: It's my deep pleasure to be welcoming to Fatal Acres today someone I know a bit and like a lot but usually have to admire from afar because all we ever get a hot minute at Malice -... Continue reading

Posted Sep 24, 2018 at My Weblog

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Is *that* Paul Revere?

by Catriona McPherson of the Femmes Fatales. I didn't know whether to cheer or spit at the news that Central Park, NYC, is about to welcome its first statue of a woman. (A real woman, that is; as opposed to... Continue reading

Posted Sep 18, 2018 at My Weblog

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A Day for Contemplation

Catriona writes: I'm always happy to hang out with Eileen Rendahl (aka Lillian Bell), in person, in books, or in blogs, but I'm especially glad to welcome her as guestblogger today. I'm not American and I didn't live here in... Continue reading

Posted Sep 11, 2018 at My Weblog

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Tools and Tricks That Changed the Game

Catriona writes: I'm at the beach. And, as luck would have it, Jessie Lourey and Shannon Baker are on a blog tour. So Femmes Fatales is the lucky recipient of quite simply the best, most lightbulby and least precious blog... Continue reading

Posted Aug 29, 2018 at My Weblog

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Americana the Beautiful.

By the time you read this, I will be . . . in South Dakota. We're going out for a bit of a drive, the scientist and me. From California to Boston to Florida and back. And if doing it... Continue reading

Posted Jul 24, 2018 at My Weblog

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The Story of A Story

Catriona writes: It's the second Monday of the month (last night, as I'm writing this) which means I'm just back from the pub quiz. One of the questions was: What city is the brightest in the world? We were divided... Continue reading

Posted Jul 10, 2018 at My Weblog

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Low Down Dirty Vote!

I've had a slightly awkward relationship with the 4th of July in the eight years since I got here. For a start, we lost that one so why am I celebrating? And it's summer so the fireworks can't start till... Continue reading

Posted Jun 26, 2018 at My Weblog

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The Name Game

Catriona writes: The only decision easier than "Will I have the author of PICKED OFF (Henery Press, 5 June) as my guest at Femmes Fatales, when her new book comes out?" was the choice of topic. Linda Lovely (yes, really)... Continue reading

Posted Jun 12, 2018 at My Weblog

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On the road.

by Catriona McPherson of the Femmes Fatales. Bit of a trek coming up this summer as I head out on a twenty-nine state excursion, driving from California to Massachusetts (OMG - it just took me seven count them seven pre-coffee... Continue reading

Posted May 22, 2018 at My Weblog

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Keep sweating the small stuff

I know, I know. There's big stuff happening all over the world and even if there weren't we should choose our battles and/or chill and/or let it go. Namaste. But. I find annoyed people more entertaining than almost anything else... Continue reading

Posted May 8, 2018 at My Weblog

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Walking (and eating, sleeping, breathing . . .) on Sunshine

BSP warning. (You get a free pass for promotion the week a new book’s out, right? I hope so.) Well, SCOT FREE, came out on Sunday. It’s the first book I’ve written set in California and the jacket is .... Continue reading

Posted Apr 10, 2018 at My Weblog

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Comfort Through Cardio

Forgive me the nearest thing I've ever written to clickbait, only I was listening to a BBC R4 Food Programme on comfort food while sweating and puffing through half an hour on the cross-trainer and coming up with this top-five... Continue reading

Posted Mar 13, 2018 at My Weblog

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Call me unreliable . . .

I've been asking around about unreliable narrators recently, taking soundings about whether to ... out a bit of Louise Penny's quote on an upcoming book. And was there ever a more princess problem than that? "Boohoo, poor me, I don't... Continue reading

Posted Feb 13, 2018 at My Weblog

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Punctured: a plea for help.

Calling all punctuation experts! Are you a stickler? Do you love nothing more than a properly-placed semi-colon? Can you help me with some speech marks in a book I want to love? Because at the moment the punctuation marks in... Continue reading

Posted Jan 9, 2018 at My Weblog

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