But the reason I bring it up is because while skiing this weekend, I thought of a great idea for a murder mystery at a ski resort. I told my ski-mates and before I knew it, we were all on the chair lift, brainstorming good murder methods for the story, passing around a flask of peppermint schnapps.

It seemed odd, thinking about such a violent subject while taking in the pristine beauty of the Eastern Sierra. But as a crime writer, you have to take inspiration where and when it comes.