Dori the gargoyle

My Stowaway Gargoyle in Portland

Dori is a sneaky little gargoyle. He's gotten into the habit of stowing away in my bag when I go out of town. Earlier this month I visited Portland, where my new Accidental Alchemist mystery series is set, and Dori came along for the ride.

Dori at Powell's Books, finding Juliet Blackwell's books.
(The character Oscar in Juliet's witchcraft series is half gargoyle.)

Dori with mystery authors Lisa Alber and Cindy Brown.

Confused by all the coffee in Portland.

Book research at River View Cemetery. The leaves are changing color so early this year!

A dinner party before heading home from a wonderful trip.


A Three-Book Deal for a New Mystery Series!

I'm thrilled to announce the news that Midnight Ink has acquired my new mystery series in a three-book deal!

The Accidental Alchemist is the first book in a new mystery series about alchemist Zoe Faust and her gargoyle sidekick, Dorian, who was accidentally brought to life by a French stage magician. It's set in Portland, Oregon, but like my Jaya Jones treasure hunt mystery series, this one also involves a lot of history from different parts of the world.

I wrote the first draft of The Accidental Alchemist for NaNoWriMo two years ago, while I was going through chemotherapy. I'm sure I was subconsciously thinking about the Elixir of Life from alchemy as subtext, but what I was consciously writing about were things I felt passionately about: my life-long fascination with gargoyles, my new-found love of cooking, and my passion for twisty puzzle-plot mysteries.

As a kid, I always joked about having a pet gargoyle. It was never going to happen in real life, but why not in fiction? As for cooking, I never thought much about it until my cancer diagnosis. But once I started learning how to cook, I learned how absolutely amazing vegan food can taste and how much fun cooking is! Cooking from scratch has become so much a part of my life that it made its way into this series. So as I craft this complex mystery plot, I'm weaving in my other passions. It's a lot of fun to write -- and once it's out I hope you enjoy the finished product!

Dori the gargoyle with my NaNoWriMo mug filled with a homemade smoothie.