All Blog Posts (12,730)

Nailed, and (sort of) proud of it

posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

Fingernails are overrated. You heard it here first. For a whole lot of years, I have been a (go ahead, wince) nail biter. Right down to the quick. Short as they could get without actual surgery.

Yeah, it wasn't attractive, as my mother constantly reminded me when she wasn't slapping my hand away from my mouth in public. Even after I…

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Added by Writers Plot on July 19, 2007 at 10:36pm — No Comments

Blogging Rocks #6

As I crouched in the trees wondering how to get the drop on Rocky and his stone-cold buddies, an incident began that might define poetic justice. Things happened so fast I hardly had time to comprehend what I was seeing.

Rocky's two bodyguards were bored, uncomfortable, and obviously not into hunting. There must have been an incident before I got there, and the pot was simmering. Only a few minutes after I arrived, the Asian said something in a low, gravelly voice, something I didn't…

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Added by Peg Herring on July 19, 2007 at 10:02pm — No Comments

He’s Behind You.

According to reports in the British press yesterday Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney is seeking a part in a forthcoming episode of Midsomer Murders.…

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Added by Adam Colclough on July 19, 2007 at 9:15pm — No Comments

DEAD CONNECTION - Day 3- July 18

Landed in Chicago without a hitch in time to for a call-in with NPR's Talk of the Nation. I think many of you would enjoy the brief interview about readers who skip to the end of the book first. Listen to it here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12062565&sc=emaf

We had…

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Added by Alafair Burke on July 19, 2007 at 3:40pm — No Comments

It's been a long time

I've been totally lax over here at Crimespace — and other places — while finishing up the fourth Annie Seymour book, SHOT GIRL. The book's not expected on my editor's desk until Oct. 1, but I want to get it in really good shape before I send it off to her, and the journalist in me won't let me miss a deadline :) Right now it's with a couple of readers, a couple have already gotten back to me and I'm tweaking.

A book is never completely done. In fact, once the book is… Continue

Added by Karen E. Olson on July 19, 2007 at 11:16am — No Comments

Bouchercon panel

So it looks like I'll be on a panel at Bouchercon. Fun, fun, fun. It's going to be an historical forensics panel. I might just be the only medieval mystery writer there. Though I've seen plenty of panels this will be my first and I am quite excited. The sucky thing is I won't have a book yet but I am preparing bookplates to sign for any interested stragglers.

Added by Jeri Westerson on July 19, 2007 at 10:09am — No Comments

Who's Calling the Shots?

I’ve always been intrigued when authors talk about a character who ‘takes over’ as if the author is just along for a ride. I’m as eager as any writer to meet a strong character...one whose voice I can simply

sit down and record on paper as she speaks. Perhaps I’m too new at this

game to have met one.

Stranger Than Fiction (Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin…

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Added by Lois Karlin on July 19, 2007 at 8:45am — 2 Comments

Word Nerd chats with Jon Armstrong

Another Wednesday brings another interview with an author.

Here's Jon Armstrong, talking about his debut novel, "Grey."

Added by Bethany K. Warner on July 19, 2007 at 7:16am — No Comments

Newsletter #7

Straight Up - The Official Newsletter of Author J.A. Konrath #7

In this issue:

--Introduction

--Book Launch Party

--The Dirty Martini Tour

--Bookseller Contest

--Reviewer Contest

--Writing Contest Winners

--Library Contest Winner

--Free Whiskey Sours

--MySpace

--Books for Troops

--Recent News

--Summer Reads

--Freebies

--INTRODUCTION

You're on this mailing list because you love books. I love them, too. This email is…

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Added by JA Konrath on July 19, 2007 at 7:11am — No Comments

Blogging Rocks #5

Added by Peg Herring on July 19, 2007 at 6:30am — No Comments

DEAD CONNECTION tour - Day 2 - July 17

Tuesday night was a joint event with the talented debut writer Brent Ghelfi at Minneapolis's Once Upon a Crime. Local writer Peter Rennebohm was a mensch and helped Pat move all the books. Minneapolis regular Bob Lynch provided a warm friendly face, and I made many new friends as well.

After the event, Brent and his wife, local writer Chris Everheart, and I discovered that steakhouses in Minneapolis don't mess around. I tried not to think about the number of future Brangelina children… Continue

Added by Alafair Burke on July 19, 2007 at 1:36am — No Comments

It's A First-Draft Life

posted by Doranna Durgin

Yup, I'm back to it. Scent of Danger is back in progress, and once again I'm shifting into first draft gear. Because for me, first draft creates a different world. I love revising, I get a kick out of the production stages, I lo-oove the part where the book shows up on the shelves...but first draft, that's what it's all about.

The thing about first draft, though...it takes over your life. I've come to think of the…

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Added by Writers Plot on July 18, 2007 at 10:44pm — No Comments

Editing Blues

Writing is fun. You can create your own universe. You control everything that happens in your story. Need a reason for people to walk quickly past your murderer as he disposes of a body in the backyard? You make it rain, and not just a little rain, it's a torrential downpour. You're master of the weather. How cool is that?

Eding on the other hand, is a tedious chore, a pain in the patootie, and absolutely no fun at all. As I plow through my…

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Added by Judy Nichols on July 18, 2007 at 10:30pm — No Comments

My Website Contest

Thought I'd let people know that there have been some changes to my website including a contest. There's also a bunch of stuff for the new novel besides the contest, links to stories and interviews I've done with authors.

Only strange thing? My front page promotes THE CONCRETE MAZE and the BRONX NOIR anthology that I'm very proud to be a part of, but the motif of the site is the tropical isalnd of Puerto Rico. The juxtaposition…

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Added by Steven Torres on July 18, 2007 at 10:30pm — No Comments

I am officially a "librarything"er

Well I was avoiding it all for a while - but I finally relented and our library has been uploaded to librarything.

http://www.librarything.com/profile/austcrimefiction

It's amazingly addictive - and its really fascinating to wander around and see firstly who has the same books as you (Hi Helen ) and then to see what else is in their collection.

Wander over - have a look -…

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Added by Karen from AustCrime on July 18, 2007 at 4:57pm — No Comments

TRUTH IN FICTION/FICTION IN TRUE CRIME

Contemporary authors often find themselves in the uncomfortable position of defending the accuracy of their fiction, while true crime writers of dubious repute (not me)

publish nonsense as if it were well-researched and factual.

I've never met Mark Fuhrman, author of Murder in Spokane, but I wrote a book, Body Count, about the same case. I devoted a full year to intensive research and

interviews, pouring…

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Added by Burl Barer on July 18, 2007 at 9:47am — No Comments

Advertising Special - Harry Potter Weekend

To celebrate the release of the final Harry Potter book I want to magically

change our advertising rates for crimespace members.

I will be doing Layout on the Sept/Oct issue starting on July 28.

Any ads I recieve before then I will discount 10% if you tell me you

read this blog post. Save an additional 5% if you pay early.

Regular rates are here:

http://www.crimespreemag.com/advertise.html

The advertising rates will be going up for… Continue

Added by Jon Jordan on July 18, 2007 at 9:20am — No Comments

Book signing success!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Borders book signing on Saturday

the 14th. Wow! Invisible Shield sold out of the Borders'

stock and then I sold a few of the ones I brought along! It was

great to see the other Five Star authors, Julie Hyzy, Mike Black, Dave

Case and Tom Keevers, who signed their books too. We all had a

great time and went out to dinner afterwards. If you email me

privately I can give you the details on who ordered what. :))

Yesterday I… Continue

Added by Scarlett Dean on July 18, 2007 at 3:51am — No Comments

2 New Book Deals

I have a double-whammy to announce. I'm super excited to announce that Dorchester Publishing has acquired WE ALL FALL DOWN and will be released next July. An excerpt will be appearing in the back of PAYING THE PIPER when it comes out in November.

My other book deal is a little off the beaten track for me. I'm writing a humorous self-help book for Adams Media. Adams approached me after reading some of my essays and thought I was the kiddie for their project.

So I'm a busy for… Continue

Added by Simon Wood on July 18, 2007 at 3:35am — 3 Comments

My Own Thrillerfest Awards

I confess, didn't go to the Awards Banquet. All due respect, but four hours?

In a ballroom with Noo Yawk in all its glory right outside? Sorry.

Although I would have loved to have caught the Killer Thriller Band

again.

But, I decided, why not come up with my own awards from T'fest? So, without further ado:

DUDE, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AWARD: This one's a tie between David… Continue

Added by J.D. Rhoades on July 17, 2007 at 11:12pm — 4 Comments