The synopsis is all about a man in his late fifties. He has a wife and two teenage sons. His wife has had medical problems and the healthcare expenses are rising. Deep over his head in debt and wanting to find a better job as he has been working at a department store acting as the regional manager. However, he has hit the top with his earnings. With working sixty hour weeks, there is little hope that even a part-time job will dent his needs. One evening he is looking through the want ads.…

posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

"But at my back I always hear Time's winged chariot hurrying near."

"To his Coy Mistress", Andrew Marvell

I admit it. I'm a Boomer, and our generation ain't getting any younger. Clever marketers have noticed that. We are daily bombarded with the "opportunity" to purchase long-term care insurance, retirement property in warm (or foreign) climes, and cemetery plots.

Despite more than a few creaks and groans in the ole…

I had lunch with a writer friend the other day and we got into a discussion about what we write. I'm about to be published in historical romance when I really love writing mysteries. She's published in cozies and wants to start a series with a paranormal detective. Conventional wisdom says to write what you know, but there's also the consideration of what will sell versus what you really love to write.

My friend's written two series, one she devised herself and one she was asked to…

In 1947 there’s only one female P.I. in New York City and her name is Allie Fortune.

They call her the P.I. Princess. Allie Fortune is the only woman private…

Were I a more prepared man, I'd have pictures, but, alas...

It was a blast. I probably signed my name to fifty books and probably missed out on many more. The store, Partners and Crime, has a big heart but a small floor and, if I counted correctly, there were thirteen authors from the anthology in person last night. Abraham Rodriguez flew in…

Another CrimeSpace fellow is in the hot seat this week.

Dave Zeltserman chats about his new with Word Nerd here.

In addition to long asides that take the reader out of the story, there is another practice all too common in modern cozy writing that drives me crazy. Because of "themed" mysteries, we all have to learn about a craft, a job, or a hobby as we follow clues to whodunnit. That's not terrible, but authors should be careful not to let their theme overshadow the plot. There's a tendency to get so detailed that the text reads like an instruction manual rather than a story, and in the end I get the…

I swear, y'all. I leave town for a week and Lindsay Lohan gets popped again?! Seriously, what kind of entourage does she keep that allows her to engage in high speed SUV chases with a .12 BAC and coke in her pocket? BTW, if you haven't seen the clip of CNN's Jack Cafferty attempt to boycott the LiLo story, it's proof that the man might occasionally climb off his rocker but hasn't consumed the cable news koolaid yet.…

I meet every Tuesday with my critique partners, Judy Moresi and Donna Ross.

Today I brought along the first 10 pages of my newest book. I asked Donna, "How often have you read this starting chapter?"

She laughed. "What? Maybe, oh, five times?"

Yes, and that doesn't count all the times I've rewritten this without her knowledge.

Not long ago, someone asked, "How often do you rewrite a book?"

The answer: As often as necessary. Here's the deal: Those first ten…

What a great time I had meeting new and old friends - and how thrilled (stop laughing) I was to have some of my favorite people and writers - P.J. Parrish (Kris & Kelly) , Joe Finder and Nick Stone take home that terrific looking award.

If you missed the convention this year - don't miss it next year! It's truly unique and before I forget - many kudos to all the volunteers who worked for months to put on such a great event.

There's tons more I could say - but hey - what…

Greetings--

I've been writing since I was 12; most of that writing has been done on computer. Now that I'm 32, I've come to believe that modern tools are not as good as the old tools.

On my desk right now sits a 1940s-vintage Royal typewriter. In the roller is a sheet of paper, the 17th such sheet, with a lot of words on it. Those words are part of my new novel, "Speak for the Dead." This is book #8. As with every book, this is THE ONE that will be the break-out. Period. But…