Thinkingdog Publishing

There’s a new ailment going around the creative world, and it’s highly contagious. Symptoms include staring at your unfinished manuscript, sighing heavily, and mumbling something like, “I should be writing.” Yes, my friends, I’m talking about writing guilt —and though I hadn’t heard of it until recently, I seem to have earned an honorary PhD in the subject. Here's what happened.... A little while ago, I had a solo art show . One entire gallery. My artwork. My setup. My everything. It sounds glamorous, right? Cue the applause, the soft lighting, the elegant hors d’oeuvres—except, behind the scenes, it’s less “artistic reverie” and more “running a small logistics company while trying to look charming in public.” I was the planner, the promoter, the installer, the social butterfly. It was exhilarating… and exhausting. And right in the middle of it all—between hanging canvases and smiling through small talk—this tiny voice piped up in my head: “You haven’t written your 1,000...

  A lot of people have asked me lately, usually right after “What are you working on next?” and right before “Can Blueberry please narrate my life?” — how is Buddy doing? Is he settling in? Is he adjusting? Is he surviving life with a self-proclaimed magical Papillon? If you missed it last year, yes — I adopted another Papillon. His name is Buddy, he is eleven years old, and he arrived with big eyes, a hopeful heart, and absolutely no idea what he was walking into. Blueberry, of course, had opinions. She would like it officially noted that she is the magical Papillon. Capital M. Capital P. She insists Buddy is a “muggle Papillon,” which feels both unfair and suspiciously on brand. Still, despite her protests (and her dramatic sighing), I have a strong feeling he’s growing on her. Not that she’d ever admit it. In the beginning, she made sure to establish the rules. She demonstrated her agility skills with the enthusiasm of an Olympic athlete auditioning for applause. She...

I grew up in a small town. And when I say small, I don’t mean “quaint tourist brochure small.” I mean the kind of small where the most exciting event of the year is the volunteer fire department festival, closely followed by the church raffle. You showed up for both, by the way. Not attending would have been suspicious. This was one of those corners of the country where everyone knew not only your name, but whose child you were, what you had for lunch yesterday, and whether you were walking a little too fast for a Tuesday. Privacy was… aspirational. Naturally, when we needed to get away from it all, we went to a cabin. In a town that was even smaller. I wish I were kidding. As an out-of-towner, you knew everybody in about a week flat. By week two, people nodded knowingly when you walked by. By week three, someone’s aunt had decided you needed more sweaters. This is how community works when there are approximately twelve people and a cow. But here’s the thing—it was beauti...

There’s a dangerous myth floating around out there, and I hear it all the time. “I don’t have anything to write about.” Which is fascinating, because five minutes earlier, you were telling me about a weird look a stranger gave you in the grocery store, your dog absolutely refusing to pee for reasons known only to her, and a sentence you overheard in line that made you stop mid-thought. But sure. Nothing to write about. Here’s the truth I’ve learned as an author—and especially as a cozy mystery author. The big moments are overrated. The small, throwaway, blink-and-you-miss-it moments? Those are where the magic lives. The glance. The pause. The overheard sentence. The dog who suddenly plants her feet like she’s staging a protest because the grass feels emotionally wrong today. Recently, I was having a few drinks with my artist friend. Nothing fancy. Just gabbing, laughing, shooting the breeze the way you do when the world slows down enough for real conversation. Her house, by...

  If You Love Magical Cozy Mysteries, You’re Already One Of My People There’s a particular kind of reader who finds their way to magical cozy mysteries. You might not call yourself out on it in public, but you know who you are. You like your mysteries clever, your danger politely contained, your communities a little quirky, and your magic woven in like it’s always belonged there. You believe animals understand more than they let on. You suspect small towns hide big secrets. And you absolutely want a happy ending waiting for you with a cup of tea. Welcome. You’re in excellent company. This is my little love letter to magical cozy mystery readers everywhere—and yes, a handy guide for everyone wondering what on earth a magical cozy mystery really is. One: You Like Your Magic Subtle, Not Splashy In magical cozy mysteries, the magic doesn’t crash through the door wearing a cape. It hums quietly in the background. It lives in intuition, small rituals, unexplained connections...

  There are days when I open the news and immediately regret having eyes. Everything is a hot mess. Everything is urgent. Everything is either on fire, arguing, or trending for all the wrong reasons. And while I absolutely believe in staying informed, there comes a point where my nervous system taps out, pours itself a cup of tea, and quietly whispers, nope . That’s usually the moment I retreat into my own cozy mysteries. Not because I’m avoiding reality. Not because I think the world should be wrapped in bubble wrap. But because sometimes you need proof—actual proof—that there is a place where things still make sense. Where people show up for each other. Where kindness exists, even when it’s a little messy and occasionally paired with gossip. Especially the gossip. In my cozy mysteries, I write worlds that feel like coming home after a long day. Worlds where neighbors might talk a little too much, secrets absolutely exist, and someone will definitely say the wrong thing ...

  Stone Walls, Secret Whispers, and Why My Books Are Haunted When you grow up in Germany , old buildings aren’t a novelty. They’re just… Tuesday. Crooked timber frames. Weathered stone staircases. Heavy wooden doors that creak even when you swear no one touched them. Windows that look like they’ve seen at least three wars and a scandal or two. Entire streets where the buildings lean toward each other like they’re sharing gossip. I lived in places like that. Apartments with stairwells that echoed just a little too long. Ceilings so high your imagination had room to stretch. Basements that absolutely, positively were not haunted… except, you know, maybe just a little. When you grow up surrounded by history, you don’t have to try very hard to believe that walls remember things. That footsteps linger. That stories don’t always end when people do. So yes. There are ghosts in my books. Not because I sat down one day and thought, “Let’s add a ghost for fun.” But because when you’v...