I loved Fallen Idols - can't wait for the next installment
H x

Red Sox, huh? Just kidding. I guess I'm still holding a grudge from 2004! My wife and I were able to visit Cooperstown this past March. It was an awesome experience, although it was ZERO degrees outside. I'm glad your mother enjoys St. Louis; we get back there as much as possible. We currently live in Springfield, Mo. where we have the Cardinals AA team. So, here we get to see the up-and-comers like Rick Ankiel, Colby Rasmus and Brendan Ryan. I hear you about baseball tickets. It costs us $200 or more to travel to St. Louis to see a big league game. Thank goodness our families live there, so we have a place to stay. Anyway, I look forward to more baseball chats!

LOL. What makes you assume I do research? Or the kind you think I do? I write. I create. That's my job. Isn't it the same for you? ;-)

I generally just go for things. LOL. Actually integrity is very important to me but humans are humans. The ONLY person you ever have any control over is yourself. I'll enjoy YouTube and police myself only. Your patio sounds VERY interesting.

I'm just happy this place is so much easier to use than MySpace. Everyone keeps telling me that I have to have a MySpace page to promote my book, but that place is a nightmare. I love CrimeSpace but I'm just learning to find my way around here, too. I can't help but feel I'm at a wonderful party but I don't want to step on toes before I even get to know anyone.
:-) Mari

Cooperstown was great. We were there on my 30th birthday, so it was an awesome gift. I enjoyed the Vicotorian homes and the little card shops and restaurants. I think it would make a great background for a mystery! Congratulations on Fallen Idol. Where can I pick it up in the States? I'm currently writing my first. The working title is "Father's Forgiveness." It's a very good idea, but it's kind of at a halt right now while I work on my thesis -- a series of creative nonfiction pieces about being a police reporter.

Funny you should say that, as I often make such a reference when I'm interviewed re would you ask a crime writer how many people they have buried in the back garden?

My back garden is unsullied. Mind you, I don't actually HAVE a back garden, but...

Neil, I hear that, believe me. Teacher here, by day, in my pit, pounding the keyboard at night. It is good to connect with others. Sure do like you list of books and movies. Loved the Kinsella book!

Actually, I started keeping track because I'm on several award committees, and wanted to remember what I'd read. And listing them by date I read them helps me find a review if someone missed it.

Very interesting. Where can I get ahold of your Kinsella books. Amazon? Barnes and Noble?

Still WHAT? ... like in 'waters'???

Well, good for you for doing what it takes to get the job done. I'll look forward to reading your stuff. Are you with a big publisher? Are they promoting it and sending you around? What kind of support are you getting?

Well, my experience will have been very different. I've just signed a two book deal with a very small house out of Maryland. As they are a small publishing house, they have limited distribution, emphasis on the limited. I will have to do a lot of it myself. They concentrate on seminars, conferences, and competitions.

You're really stuck on this aren't you? LOL!

Makes perfect sense to me. I struggled over going with this publisher or not, as I did some research on the internet, and there was a clamor of voices trashing this particular publisher for this reason and that. My sister gave me some good advice, which was to make the best possible decision and then, once made, do not re-think it again. I've pretty much done that. I've decided I like the small publisher. They are interested in series, which is what I'm writing, and they are dedicated to introducing new writers. Of course, NO BODY is going to make any money off this venture. I think they make just enough to remain in business. But I don't have everybody in the world trying to vote on how I should write the books. And I figure if there is room to grow, we will grow together. They also put me onto my agent, who was another 'pause for thought' in that she's pretty much off the radar. She doesn't belong to the agent organizations, and she doesn't do email, and she doesn't publish her address or telephone number. Once the publisher put me onto her, I had to hunt to get to her. But she had a long career with the Hearst organization, she specializes in mysteries, and according to othere well-known agents in the field, those of us who are with her "are in good hands." They had introduced me to several other agents, all in huge corporate agencies, and I just was put off by the agent-millness of it. I preferred the small proprietary agency. I had been with Helen Merrill for sixteen years. She had taken me on when I was writing plays. She was a Viennese ex-patriot, and a nazi. She took no guff. But, then she died. I decided, well a lot of people will probably jump ship...I resolved to stay loyal to the agency. AND THEN THEY DUMPED ME! Loyalty: go figure. Anyway, I really want to be free to do the work as I want to do it, so I do not want a lot of interence; thus, the small, boutique operations are feeling right for me. This is probably a lot more than you wanted to know. I started writing it and got on a roll.

Hi Neil!

Thanks for your post on my page. In answer to your question, yes, my publisher is in the UK, BeWrite Books and Silenced Cry is available on all the Amazons and other shops. If you'll look in the "Buy Now" section on my site, www.martastephens-author.com I have several British locations listed including the London Book Depository. It's also available directly from my publisher at http://www.bewrite.net/merchant2/4.00/merchant.mv?

Thanks so much for taking time to view my video. If you're interested, I developed a 6-part series of articles on developing and Internet presense. They too are available on my website in the "Author to Author" section. I'm posting one a week. Thus far you'll find three posted. "The Public Author," "The Author's Website," and "Book Trailers." Upcoming titles are, "Spreading the Word," "Virtual Book Tours," and "The Hometown Advantage."

You asked how the book is doing. I'm not getting rich, but Silenced Cry is doing well, I think. My publisher is happy. I had great sales in this past fall (the book came out in April 2007) and I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing. For the moment that's what counts. :)

So glad we "met!"
Marta

PS: If you do visit my site, please be sure to put yourself on my guest map!! :)

no, I read for enjoyment. When I participate in the award process, I want to make sure I remember the books I've really liked, and I usually do my reviews right after reading the books. I review about 100 books a year, so I still read for pleasure Maggie who is mourning the San Diego Chargers loss to the evil NE Patriots (US football)

You need to attend one of my famous erotic writing workshops. I've run into similar issues with writers and they all say at the end, what the hell was I so afraid of?
If you can write blood and guts without a blink then you should be able to write a bit of the erotic. The important thing is that you write it well. It doesn't have to be OTT. I'm not big on OTT. But I am big on quality prose, whatever the content. x

Hey Neil...Thanks for the discussion input...I'm also a prosecutor by day and night-writer. I'd buy you a pina colada, but I'm not writing to you to escape...Ah, Rupert, great song...

Neil, excellent comment to the plotting thread. I couldn't have described my own method any better, even though I've tried. Best of luck.

Thanks for your input on the Plot or not to plot discussion

Joe

Hello Neil. Helen mentioned that you're also down to appear at CrimFest so I thought I'd drop by and say hi. I also work as a lawyer, though as a pensions solicitor, its not quite as exciting as the CPS...
Cheers
Chris

Hello! didn't realise you were in law. You must have found Infamous/In Cold blood truly interesting then from the legal aspects alone.
I'd love to know what you thought about the case--about the defendants and about Capote. (sometime, if you find the time to tell me)! all the best.