Eric Christopherson's Page

Just got back last night from a vacation in California, the last half of it in San Francisco. While my wife attended an academic conference, I made a four or five block pilgrimage to the corner of Post and Hyde streets to view the apartment where Dashiell Hammett lived from 1926 to 1929, where he wrote most of his short stories and his first three novels, the last being one of my very best favorites, The Maltese Falcon. (He lived in the top floor corner unit in the photo provided.)

His apartmen… Continue

Well after the recent discussion here on Kindle publishing, I decided to stick one of my novels up there, even though I don't own the device.

It's a thriller and it got me my first agent but never sold to a major house, though it came close in a couple places. I've made one sale in the first days it's been available, first time I've ever been paid for my work.

(Weird feeling!) Below is the pitch and the link ...

Argus Ward is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who runs a protection agency… Continue

A tad bittersweet coming in second though...

Just found out that "Frame-Up," my recently completed crime thriller co-written with Brad Schoenfeld took first runner up in a well-known British-based competition for unpublished writers in all genres.

The contest is run by a site called YouWriteOn, or YWO for short, which is sponsored by the British Arts Council. It's at http://www.youwriteon.com/

One gets nominated by one's peers at the site (and there must be a couple thousand entries each year… Continue

Hey I've decided my new WIP is going to be a Gothic thriller that takes place in a spooky mansion during the course of one night. I'm trying to get more familiar with the sub-genre. I've been turned on to Britain's Patrick McGrath but can you recommend any other writers working in this area?

Just for kicks, here's the (very short) prologue. See if it catches your interest ...

I, Miles Trenowyth, write down this record at the goading of Dr. Horace James, practitioner in the newfangled black… Continue

This is the second time in a week I've run across a quote from uber-agent Esther Newberg in some article on the current state of publishing that suggests it's a bad time for writers (and presumably others) to be breaking into the business: “It is seriously going to be a time for known commodities ... I would hate to be starting out in the business.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/books/26rich.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Sounds a bit self-serving to me. Guess who primarily reps known commodities?… Continue