I read a lot, but there's a moment in some books where the story grabs me and won't let go. I want/need/demand to know what happens, and I'm reluctant to do anything else until I find out. This morning I tore myself away from Jack Reacher's perils to do the work of authoring, but it wasn't easy.

Of course it's not the same author for everyone. Books that thrill me may leave you wondering what all the hoopla was about. Lee Child's work, Laura Lippman's, Victoria Thompson's-- are just a…

Because I am the mom of a teen-aged daughter and volunteer as the co-leader for her Girl Scout troop, I spend a lot of time around kids between the ages of 13 and 18. I've realized something over the last few months. I want to be young again! Not just young, but young enough to know it all!

Yes, I wish I was young enough to know it all again! I want to be:

Young enough to think I had all the answers to every single one…

Fan Mail will be officially launched on the 7th February with an online webcast - if you head off to:

http://www.pdmartin.com.au/news.asp?id=52

For details of the webcast, where to login and the various times for times in Australia, North America (East and West coast) and UK / Ireland.

One of my favorite blogs is Declan Burke’s www.crimealwayspays.blogspot.com. As if there are not enough American mystery writers, my library is now beginning to hold Irish mystery writers, because of Declan.

Irish writer Adrian McKinty now lives in Colorado and even taught at one of the state’s universities. He has an interesting guest blog on crimealwayspays that deals with James Elroy’s work.

McKinty, no slouch himself,…

Nearing completion of my first Steve Berry book: The Venetian Betrayal

It took me a little while to get into and then it was rather quick reading ... once the pace was rolling the story was rather intriguing ... like I said I am nearly done, so I'll update if I end up REALLY liking it ... cause an off ending can ruin a great read. I cannot stand it when a favorite character either dies or the ending does not fit the way the story was headed. LOL

I like Mondays. The slate is clean (sort of) and enthusiasm is high. I make a list of the week's target tasks, both personal and professional. It's an odd mix: "clean cat pans" is right next to "design new workshop" and "tighten Chapter Six." It works for me, though, as I work through my week on a schedule of my own choosing. Sometimes I think about all the years I spent in education, answering bells, shifting gears every hour: "Speech class now," "Oh, now it's world history." "Am I ready…

By Nancy Martin (SinC member at large)

Three years ago, some author friends and I decided to call ourselves the Book Tarts and start a blog (insert www.thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com ) in order to reduce our PR travel and help sell our books. Our success has come as a result of a lot of vigilant, ongoing work. (Our only motto? Never blog about diets.) If you're reading this, chances…

Posted by Sheila Connolly

Lorraine's post last week started me thinking about how I choose what my characters look like. The thing is, I don't have a single answer. And for some of them, I have only a vague idea what they look like, even when I've written an entire book about them.

My first heroine was easy: she looked like Jodie Foster. In contrast, her love interest in that (shelved) book I never did quite visualize. I think he was Mister Average,…

Listen to the Blogcast

I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about the nature of persuasive arguments. Why is one person good at it, and not another?

Certainly, one needs well-framed and well-developed content and a delivery style people find pleasant to listen to or read—after all, people aren't stupid and they won't pay attention unless they want to. But that's all theory... in order…

There's a good piece by Charles McGrath in today's Times about genre fiction and quality. The call out quote - "Today's novelists feel as if they have to choose

either pedestal or plot."

Referring to the Brady Affair, he says…