"I don't know what we're going to do about her, Doctor. Every morning she gets up, packs that suitcase, and away she goes, up and down the streets of Brownsville. Everyone in town thinks she's deranged.

“And don't bother to call her by her name. She only answers to that horrible nickname people used to call her when she was young. My lord, she’s 41 year old and she’ll never get a husband if she doesn’t snap out of it. She doesn't pay me any mind, but she'll answer when her daddy talks…

Hey, I have a new short story called THE BULLY available for download exclusively on Amazon.com for just 49 cents (the story runs 30 pages so it's a great deal). It's also currently Amazon's Number One Bestselling Amazon Short! If you've never tried my writing before, here's a great chance. Also, you can seen the first ever Amazon video to promote a short of me talking about THE BULLY. It's up now at www.amazon.com/shorts

You can download The…

My new thriller THE FOLLOWER is on sale now at bookstores everywhere. For more info check out www.jasonstarr.com

I'll be reading in NYC, HOUSTON, and ARIZONA over the next couple of weeks so check out my tour schedule at my website!

Thank you!

"The Follower is this generation's Looking for Mr. Goodbar and a crackling hot beach read." Page Six, The New York Post

"A chilling yet humorous tale of obsession." NY Daily…

I think "What If" I wrote a book and "what…

So, I’m deep in the throes of writing my second book in the Fat City Mystery series, which is titled A KILLER WORKOUT.



I’m sure each writer is different, but during the writing process I’m prone to mood swings. I experience creative highs, followed by troughs of despair. Mid-cycle, there’s often a disturbing echo of Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s Five Stages of Death.



Here’s an example of one of my cycles:



1. Shock,…

Along with a link to the review of Whale Song, by The Dark Phantom Review, you'll find an enlightening interview with author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, as she embarks upon Day 10 of her 'Touring the World' virtual book tour.

Welcome to The Dark Phantom Review, Cheryl! It’s nice to have you here. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about your book, and what inspired you to write such a story?

Thank you for having me here.

Whale Song is an emotional…

No really. There is, of course, a large contingent of English crime fiction writers. And there are a fair number of Irish crime fiction writers. And plenty of Scots are working hard at the trade. But are there no Welsh crime fiction writers? Or do they write in Welsh? Maybe there are plenty of crime fiction writers from Wales, but I just don't know it. Possibly because they've since moved. How about John Rickards? Is he really from Wales? Maybe Lee Child?

Or is there a paper…

I was too distraught to take in the details of the interview. I had become numb, dead to the world, irrelevant and bereft. I lived in a state of extreme suspension for the next few days. I pulled the phone from the wall, locked the door, closed the curtains, and left the apartment in darkness. I ate from cans, dry cereal chased with swigs of wine, beer and then vermouth and then vodka. I slept but did not dream. Then the taxi driver banged on my door, yelled that he was there to take me to a…

It seems like I never have enough time to write. Things crop up, things I want to do or have to do, things that seem like they will not take long but somehow soak up a whole day. Certainly I can't complain about my husband saying, "Let's go out to lunch," or my friend calling to say we should visit another friend whose husband died. Life is life, and it makes its demands.

It's just that I always feel like I should be getting it on paper, making the story better, becoming the writer I…

posted by Leann Sweeney

That title sounds self-serious and ridiculous all at once, doesn't it? I guess that sums up my personality. But this is not a post about me, but rather about the other me--a new character who needs a voice. And she doesn't have one. Not yet.

I have been writing a certain series heroine for years, one who jumped onto the page immediately. Guess I'd been planning her birth for years, so that could be the reason. Her name is Abby Rose and you should visit…

If you read an earlier blog, you know my friend Art, one of the managers of the Hog’s Breath Saloon, has decided to write a novel. I think his words were something like, “If you can do it, so can I!” I think he’s discovering it is not as easy as he thought.

“I read you recent blog,” Art said and bought me a Jameson on the rocks. “Insightful,” he nodded and smiled.

I knew there was more to come, so I waited and sipped my Jameson.

“Thank you, Art,” I finally…

Just finished "reading" (as in an audiobook) Scott Turow's Ordinary Heroes http://www.scottturow.com/ordinaryheroes.htm set in World War II. Lovely writing. Great research and incorporation of authentic details and a bibliography on the website to prove it: http://www.scottturow.com/ordinaryheroesbibliography.htm

Great characters, especially the two…

Don't forget. There's a contest to win a copy of THE CONCRETE MAZE over on my website. It costs nothing to enter, but the value of the prize is, well, it's...$7.99.*

* And no, I won't give you cash instead of the book.

Ever since I made the mistake of allowing someone to do an e-mail campaign for me (my agent suggested it might be a good idea), I have been bombarded with mail (both snail and e) from the same outfit. They change their name periodically. Perhaps because word gets out. Last year they were Airleaf. Now they are Author Celebrity Associates. And they offer instant fame! For money. The costs rise with every new campaign.

The latest bit made me sit up. The bold headline read: "Imagine The…

As part of my 'Touring the World' virtual book tour I wanted to make sure that you had some fun along the way. I wanted to give you interesting articles and interviews, plus samples of my work, and today's sampling is a creepy short story (unpublished) that I hope you'll enjoy.

And for…

We're all beginners at one time.

Therefore, we should all be ever-willing to help each other.

However, there are good reasons why an author will say, "No," if you ask him or her to read your unpublished manuscript.

1.) There's no upside. Here's what I mean. One author I know said, "Every time I read someone's manuscript they get mad about my comments. They SAY they want me to be honest, but .... It's not worth it." Yep, honesty can hurt. And ruin even good friendships.…

posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

Today's sermon...er, blog... is about researchers of easy virtue. The ones who go directly to the New York Times website to find articles and other information. The ones who pay for articles rather than looking for them as freebies. The ones who have a house full of books they've read once but will never touch again unless they dust them once in a while or pack them to move. (Do you know what it costs to move books? We are already weeding out books…