This week at Schaumburg Twp. Dist. Library we had the pleasure of listening to authors and policemen Michael Black and Dave Case talk to an audience about crime scenes. They set up a 'body' and a 'scene' and the audience helped 'process' the scene. We had about 115 in attendance. This is an enormous reponse for us for an author program, and we were thrilled with the entire event. If you have not heard these gentlemen speak at LIM, make it a point to do so. I can't believe what an excellent…

This week, I’ve been thinking about Cinderella.



I’ve been thinking about her a lot, wondering how long she stayed "happy" after she landed the Prince and the castle? Was it eternal bliss, or did she eventually go back to worrying about more mundane matters, like pesky royal in-laws, or her pecking order at court? In a real-life example, Princess Diana certainly showed us that sometimes there's nada happily ever…

Posted by Guest Blogger Kate Flora

Almost since my first book, Chosen for Death, in 1994, I’ve been teaching writing for various organizations throughout New England. I think I’m very lucky. I’ve had a lot of wonderful students. I’ve also had occasional students who didn’t want to do the weekly writing assignments, but only wanted to sit there, pen poised, to write down the magic advice which, when followed, would transform them into best-selling authors. At library…

I saw a post on a forum yesterday about why a person should be a reader, and it made me want to add my own arguments. And what's a blog for except to say what I want to say at any given moment?

As an ex-English teacher, I spent years trying, sometimes with success but mostly not, to convince high school students that reading was not only good for them but fun as well. I guess it's something a person has to learn for himself, and it often takes a while. My father didn't begin reading…

SILENT COUNSEL Tour – September 20

Borders

Paramus, NJ

The day started on Long Beach Island, where Sylvia and I usually enjoy a nice, quiet, post-season week by the ocean. That’s the secret, of course. Do it after Labor Day. LBI summers, for sure, have their good points, but they have the crowds, too. Late September, though, is just…

The queries and packets have been shipped out by the agent to six publishers. Let's see if anyone bites.

Normally, what happens in the book world is that someone writes a manuscript. They then try to find an agent, which is usually a lengthy process. Send out queries. Some politely tell you basketweaving might still be an option, or something of that nature. Maybe some invite you to submit more, and you do. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that the average search time for an agent is six months.…

Posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

I love the expression, "Children have imaginary friends. Adults have imaginary enemies." I honestly don't remember having any imaginary friends when I was a kid, but my daughters certainly did, and other parents have told me great stories about their kids' imaginary friends.

I have been thinking about this because my younger daughter (in her 20s, working and putting herself through college) has a friend in need. If the guy didn't have bad…

Several people I've met in the writing business got their start not by the traditional write-a-letter-get-an-agent-who-will-find-a-publisher method, but by entering a contest. Contests are a good way to get noticed, to see if your work is noteworthy, and to achieve publication.

Sometimes you win, and that's great. Winning the better contests in any given genre usually means publication, and that's great. But some I've met didn't win the contest but still caught the attention of an…

SILENT COUNSEL Tour - September 19

Borders

Scarsdale, NY

Let’s face it. Summer’s almost gone. There aren’t too many beautiful, sunny days left in the season, so the magnificent weather on Wednesday afternoon made the drive out to Scarsdale a treat. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to be on my motorcycle—but…

posted by Doranna Durgin

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Belle Dog, who has been confined to a crate for several weeks in the wake of a severe flare of her spinal disk disease. Well, I pull out the leash for her potty breaks, but these have hardly offered her the freedom she craves.

Belle, as it turns out, does not live in…

I don't know about anyone else, but life keeps getting in the way of my writing. Just about the time I plan on having a whole day to hammer out the plot details of a project, something comes up that calls for me to be somewhere else for a large portion of the day. Maybe I'm weak-minded, but it seems that once I've spent several hours in a store, a car, a meeting, or a public building, I can't drag my mind back to the proper set for effective writing. At best I get some editing in, but very…