Good News--My PI novel, "The Combat Zone," about a PI who hangs his hat in 1970's Harvard Square and spends time in the Combat Zone, Boston's red-light district, made the final cut (5 novels) in the Minotaur/Private Eye Writers of America "Best First Private Eye Novel" competition.

Bad New--it did not win.

I guess I am still looking for an agent/publisher for this novel, which will hopefully be the first in a series. Working on second book now. 

 …

This is my first post on this site, so I'll give you a little background about myself. I gave up my day job a few years back to become a full time writer. I'd had the idea for a crime novel for many years, but never had time to actually put in the work needed. Well, it was a struggle, but I finally completed my first novel "Broken". For about a year I thought about submitting to a publisher, but could not write a synopsis that I really thought did the book justice. In the end I choose to go…

I wanted to write this on one of the reviews I've done on my other blog, braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com but decided instead to write this up as a regular blog. One of the reasons I chose to do it here instead of there is because I initially thought I'd write this at the beginning of one review and it might seem like I was lambasting the author, which, essentially, I am. I could have written up a separate…

One day in August of 1991, I was uptown and saw the local taekwondo club had a special offer of two weeks' free classes. I'd always been interested in martial arts, so I thought this sounded like a good deal and started classes.

I'd been in Oskaloosa less than a year and soon after starting my job at the radio station I joined the local community theatre group. I had been acting in plays since…

From award winning criminologist R. Barri Flowers and the bestselling author of Murder at the Pencil Factory and The Sex Slave Murders, comes a powerful new historical true crime short, in eBook and audio: Murder of the Banker’s Daughter: The Killing of Marion Parker.

On December 15, 1927, twelve year old Marion Parker, daughter of a…

From award winning criminologist R. Barri Flowers and the bestselling author of Murder of the Banker’s Daughter and Murder at the Pencil Factory comes a powerful new historical true crime short, The “Gold Special” Train Robbery: Deadly Crimes of the D’Autremont Brothers. 



On Thursday night October 11, 1923, the Southern Pacific Railroad Express…

I really enjoy the forms of the American Taekwondo Association. The white belt form has 18 moves and you work yourself up to 81 moves for the first degree black belt form. White belt starts with some very basic moves, punch, front and side kicks, low, high, and middle blocks, and a knifehand strike (karate chop). Each form thereafter introduces a new move or combination move with some extra turns, and so…

My first bike was a 5-speed Schwinn. The gear shift was in the middle with a big black knob on the end. Banana-type seat. Later, I had a ten speed which I outgrew. In Oskaloosa, I had, for a short time, a three speed several decades old, complete with a headlight. Unfortunately, I kept it in the laundry room and someone stole it. Now I have a ten speed that is just a bit small for me, but it…

I've just had a story published in "Hardboiled."  Unfortunately it is their last issue after almost 25 years of publication.

Some great stories by some great writers, many of whom went on to be very successful authors.  Gary Lovisi did an outstanding job as editor/publisher through the years.

The magazine will be missed!

http://www.oneworldsinglesblog.net/2014/09/release-date-announcement-for-deception.html

I went out for track in both junior high and high school. I never placed in any of my races. I went out for basketball as a junior in high school but the first warm up made my legs hurt for three days.

I'm not a fast runner but I've built up the endurance through taekwondo and through persistence.

I break down my running exercises into two categories. Intervals and…

Vandals: A Collection of Young Adult Horror-Suspense Tales includes four spine-tingling young adult tales of horror and suspense from the Vandals Series by bestselling author R. Barri Flowers. In each gripping story, teen vandals are left to deal with the frightening consequences of their actions.

Praise for R. Barri…

Murdered in the Man Cave is a cozy mystery novel by bestselling crime writer R. Barri Flowers.

In the first book of this exciting new cozy series, Riley Reed has a popular blog offering advice on home décor and renovation and does part-time consulting work in Cozy Pines, Oregon.

When Riley is asked by an old flame, Brent…

We now return this blog to its regularly scheduled program. lol

This was my main thrust at the Sisters in Crime meeting. I discussed my fitness regimen, how I workout. Then I related those workouts to writing. So, let's spend a few weeks on just this aspect.

I discussed my workout regimen in that I have a lottery system that determines what I do from day to day (or day to…

Tide of Death introduces the enigmatic DI Andy Horton, whose patch is Portsmouth and the Solent area on the South Coast of England. The action opens on a foggy August Bank Holiday and to mark the occasion Tide of Death is on a special offer on Amazon Kindle for August Bank Holiday, only 23 - 26 August. So if you haven't met Andy Horton yet here's your…

I think of Means as part of the cop phrase, “The suspect had means, motive, and opportunity.” I take it and revise it just a bit so that Means includes preparation, opportunity, and follow up.

Preparation

When it comes to fitness, you have to prepare for the workout. This includes cardio work to get the heart pumping. Proper warmup starts with cardio. You need the heart going and…

Recently, I was asked to write about where I write and why. That got me thinking…so here are my thoughts.

My home office is, I suppose, a bundle of contradictions.

First of all, it is small.

It’s only half the size of my husband’s home office. I’m kind of like the wife who drives a Chevy while her husband gets the Cadillac.

But I wouldn’t have it any…

The third in the DI Horton series (currently eleven) set on the South Coast of England in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight is on a special Kindle offer for August only £1.99 or $3.34.

As Horton is forced to confront his past he's faced with a dangerous adversary who will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out...

DI Horton is…

Murdered in the Man Cave is a cozy mystery novel by bestselling crime writer R. Barri Flowers.

In the first book of this exciting new cozy series, Riley Reed has a popular blog offering advice on home décor and renovation and does part-time consulting work in Cozy Pines, Oregon.

When Riley is asked by an old flame, Brent…