News, Reviews, and Interviews

Cover Art May 2022 blog tour

May 13 - May 26, 2022 A book blog tour is so much fun, because you can join, no matter where you are in the world. Visit these fabulous…
Vanessa Westermann
1 min read

10 Art Mystery Books

Art is all about perspective, about noticing the details. When we try to find the meaning behind an artwork, we raise questions and search…
Vanessa Westermann
6 min read

Let's Talk About Dialogue

What writer doesn’t enjoy a little recreational eavesdropping, every now and then? I don’t know about you, but I love conversations…
Vanessa Westermann
2 min read

Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant for Writers

I’m absolutely thrilled and grateful to have received an Ontario Arts Council publisher’s recommender grant for writers, to support the…
Vanessa Westermann
1 min read

How To Set Writing Goals

Let’s not kid ourselves, writing a novel is a long process. A target word count of 70,000, 100,000 or more can be daunting, to say the least…
Vanessa Westermann
4 min read

Reflect On Your Writing Year

Writing is about revision. We’re constantly polishing our stories, honing our visions, to create the most immersive experience possible for…
Vanessa Westermann
1 min read

Free Holiday Cookbook

It’s that time of year again, for holiday baking! As a token of appreciation for all of those wonderful readers out there, The Wild Rose…
Vanessa Westermann
1 min read

In the Media

Erica Robyn Reads Interview with Vanessa Westermann Date: August 18th, 2021 Hasty Book List blog Authors for Independent Bookstores Date…
Vanessa Westermann
2 min read

Review of Moonlight & Misadventure anthology

When the moon is full, humans can become moody, nervous, irritated or even—in crime fiction—trigger-happy. Linked to darkness, crime and…
Vanessa Westermann
2 min read

The Writer's Toolkit - Notebook Edition

I love brainstorming on paper. There’s nothing like a blank sheet (no lines) and the speed of a fountain pen to free the imagination…
Vanessa Westermann
2 min read

Review of The Ancient Dead by Barbara Fradkin

In The Ancient Dead by Barbara Fradkin (the 4th book in the Amanda Doucette Mystery series), a photographer discovers a human bone in an…
Vanessa Westermann
1 min read

10 Valentine's Day Themed Mysteries & Chocolate Recipe

February might be dull, but it was the Valentine month and these sleuths were romantic duos who celebrated love as well as mystery. -Carolyn…
Vanessa Westermann
2 min read