Go 'head be gone widdit.

Today I gave a mini version to the Las Vegas Quill Keepers of the workshop I'll be presenting at the Las Vegas Writers Conference in April 2010...in...where else? Las Vegas. The title is "Crafting Twists and Dropping Clues." It was very well received, so I can't wait to present it complete with Power Point and a short interactive workshop.

While preparing the presentation, I realized that one of my all-time favorite Twist and Clue movies was "The Usual Suspects." I revisited it and wow---did I… Continue

My Daughter Am I blog tour is winding down -- I have seven days to go (eight if you include today) and I don't know whether to be sad or to rejoice. Since my promotion motto is "Promotion is just another word for party," I decided to rejoice and have an end of blog tour party on the 22nd and 23rd. You are all invited, of course.

The most interesting aspect of the tour has been coming up with unique guest pos… Continue

I grew up in a house full of readers where everyone’s favorite pastime was to gather around the fireplace and read, talk about books, or read aloud from books such as The Hound of the Baskervilles. Gradually I became aware that some of my parents’ favorite books were mysteries, but I didn’t really understand why until I started to write one.


Traditional mysteries are layered puzzles, like archaeological digs. The best ones are rich in character and setting, hard to put down but satisfying to f… Continue

CH. 2 FAST JACK
He was moving along smoothly as the wheels clicked over the separations in the sidewalk- tic-tic-tic. Jack was a striking figure in his wheelchair. The caps just below his knees added to his total look of mystic and curiosity. They were stainless steel caps just below the knees were his legs had been shot off. His upper body was muscular with his arms betraying his strength. He had a square jaw and was an attractive man topped with pure blonde hair cut short. Judging from his arm… Continue

Sphere: Famous Street Was Caught Between East and West
Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that "before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered."
She lauded Gorbachev, with whom she shared an umbrella amid a crush of hundreds, eager for a glimpse of the man many still consider a hero for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union.

THRILLER CROSSROADS provides some of the subtleties hidden behind the past decad… Continue