So, a lot of people have asked how I came up with the storyline in my novel. Basically, it came from two sources: 1) the Southern California Writers Conference, and 2) my warped sense of humor.

I went to my first SCWC in 2006, in Palm Springs, armed with a handful of my humor essays, a kind-of-short story and an open, if clueless, mind. The conference had a topic contest: 250 words, any genre. The topic? Ice.

When I first heard it, I thought, "How stupid." But an idea began to percolate. By Sunday morning, I had written 250 words on the hotel stationary and submitted it. And guess what? I won. The entry is here:

www.writersconference.com/ps/topic/ps3topic_a.html

It's a "noir" kind of piece, with a humorous angle. At the same time, I began to joke about a new detective for the Baby Boomer generation - Peri Menopause, Private Eye. She was a gal who'd solve every crime by crying, eating chocolate and bitch-slapping everyone until someone confessed.

Shortly after the conference, I married the topic contest entry and Peri, and envisioned Peri finding more than an ice cube tray in the freezer...

How about a severed hand?

Naw, not compelling enough.

How about a severed hand wearing a big, expensive ring?

Viola! A story begins to take shape! Now all I had to do was figure out who the hand and the ring belonged to and how they got in the freezer.