February 2009 Blog Posts (186)

Maybe I asked for it...

Hubby called me at work this morning and I convinced him to get the grocery shopping done today, since he didn't have anything else to do.

I said, "pick up something for dinner."

"What?" he asked.

"Surprise me."

He called me when he got home and said he had a surprise for me for dinner. Okay, I had something to look forward to when I got home. So, while I'm watching Judge Judy he said dinner would be ready in about 20 minutes.

"I don't… Continue

Added by Tory Richards on February 12, 2009 at 10:30am — 3 Comments

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ROMANTIC ENVIRONMENTAL SUSPENSE

Yes, I invented the genre. Romance, suspense, sex, murder, all against an environmental context, the purpose of which is to stir public interest in the environment while telling a good suspense story.

Added by Lynn Romaine on February 12, 2009 at 9:30am — 2 Comments

Three Strikes

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez. Three gifted players thought to be locks for baseball’s Hall of Fame have been accused of taking steroids or performance enhancing drugs.

On Monday, after word leaked out about a 2003 positive test, Rodriguez, the New York Yankees third baseman, admitted that he used steroids for a three-year stretch from 2001-2003. Rodriguez hit 156 home runs during that period, including 57 in 2002, the most he’s ever hit in one… Continue

Added by Christopher Valen on February 12, 2009 at 7:06am — 3 Comments

Has anyone heard of a new agent looking. . .

Has anyone heard of a new lit agency opening up? Or an expeienced agent working at one agency deciding to go out on his own? And oh . . . it'd be nice if this agent acutally likes both mysteries and fantasy sci-fi genres.

God, wouldn't be nice if we could just schmooze with publishers . . . and publishers would take the chance on allowing writers to directly contact them.

I know, I know. . . wishful thinking.

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 12, 2009 at 6:04am — No Comments

New Contracts

I'm excited to announce that the three books in my Patty O'Donnell series have been acquired by Mundania Press. As currently scheduled, the first, Blood Money, is due out in April 2010, to be followed by Rio Star in October 2010, and Reef Runner in April 2011.

Sample chapters will probably be available at my website before long, but in the meantime you can get to know Patty through the free story posted on my website. Just go to… Continue

Added by Pepper Smith on February 12, 2009 at 3:37am — 6 Comments

Murder in the Magic City

Murder in the Magic City is an annual book conference for writers and readers in Birmingham, Alabama. I just got back and can report that it was excellent. It's an invitation only event for writers -- so there were only 16 authors there. About 150 readers attended the main all-day event in Birmingham, and another 150 at a separate event the following day in Wetumpka -- about 50 miles away. Both were great. The area has an excellent community of readers, writers and friends. And the conference… Continue

Added by Meredith Anthony on February 12, 2009 at 3:27am — No Comments

Authors and Book Covers

How important are the efforts of an author in regards to what they want on their bookcovers? How much 'imput' does an author have who is published by a major publisher?

In '81 when DAW published my Banners of the Sa'yen, I had no imput whatsoever. Fortunately they chose a 'legend' in the Fantasy sci-fi artworld to do the cover. And it was fabulous!

I am not being published these days by a major house. So i am deeply involved in the artwork. But whether big, or small, or… Continue

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 12, 2009 at 3:15am — 8 Comments

A 'Curious Thoughts' explanation

Apparently I have sowed a sea of confusion in my last blog about photos. Let me explain. It occured to me as I was going down the membership pages and looking at people, a set of patterns were emerging. (Either that, or I had taken too much of my diabetic medicine that morning)

The photos broke down into these categories:

1. Authors--Head shots. Many from the upper shoulders and head. No backgrounds.

A goodly number have the author posing in a slight… Continue

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 12, 2009 at 1:40am — 3 Comments

Taking A Chance

(Cross posted to Working Stiffs)

My personal “catch phrase” has been that I’m a yoga instructor who writes mysteries, striving to become a mystery writer who teaches yoga. I guess I’m going to have to revise that. Because after a lot of thought and… Continue

Added by Annette Dashofy on February 12, 2009 at 1:39am — No Comments

In honor of Valentine's Day, a little death.

Join us next week as some of SinC/LA's biggest "heart breakers" get together to discuss

love and relationships in modern mysteries.

"I Love You to Death"

Hannah Dennison, Kathryn Lilley and Pamela Samuels-Young with moderator A.H. Ream

Tuesday Feb. 17

7 p.m.

Redondo Beach Public Library

303 N. PCH, Redondo Beach, CA… Continue

Added by Kathryn Lilley on February 12, 2009 at 1:30am — No Comments

Reviewing the Reviews

(Cross posted at One Bite at a Time.)

Book reviews have received a lot of attention lately, largely been because newspapers are dropping them faster than a banker can endorse a bonus check. Various web sites are picking up the slack. Most online booksellers post reader reviews, which may be of dubious merit. Some are written by the writer’s friends; others may be written by competitors with an ax to grind before placing it directly… Continue

Added by Dana King on February 12, 2009 at 1:23am — 3 Comments

Lots of Love - Hardly a murder

Love is Murder proved to be three days of great fun and great connections. One of my favorite mystery writers, Jeffery Deaver, delivered an hilarious keynote talk. One of my favorite thriller authors, Steve Berry, sat on the panel I moderated. And the audience agreed that I gave the most convincing solution of an invented theft on another panel.

Aside from the good time I had with 300 other crime fiction fans there was a re-enactors convention in the hotel the same weekend. Civil War… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on February 11, 2009 at 10:29pm — No Comments

Wednesday's Question: When Setting Is a Character

I'm reading Nevada Barr's A SUPERIOR DEATH, and being a native Michigander, enjoying the way she brings Lake Superior into the story and makes it one of the cast. How about some other mysteries where the setting is essential to the solution and excellently drawn? (I know, it's almost too easy!)

Added by Peg Herring on February 11, 2009 at 9:44pm — 6 Comments

Here's a curious thought

Here's something curious; go through all the member photos. Pick those whom you think are authors, and then writers, and then readers only, and then agents.

See a pattern? I think there is. Author photos are different from everyone else's.

What do you think?

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 11, 2009 at 5:46am — 5 Comments

Shannon Wallace has done it this time!

Go on over to Sam Harper's place and see what he is in a dilemma about. You can bet Shannon Wallace is at the bottom of it!
http://samharpercrimescene.blogspot.com

Added by Kim Smith on February 11, 2009 at 2:42am — 1 Comment

The Personality of a modern tough guy

Since my last blog, a comment was made which has had me swimming through the pages of the past, examining all the detective characters I've enjoyed reading over the last forty some-odd years. That expanded into the characters seen in the movies and on tv.

The comment made was something to the effect that our modern day genre has morphed to the point that a character like a Mike Hammer or Bulldog Drummond couldn't exist these days. Or, at least, doesn't exist these… Continue

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 11, 2009 at 12:51am — 10 Comments

My Top Ten Favourite Books

How do you choose your top ten favourite books when you have so many favourites? That was the dilemma facing me when I was asked by The Book Depository to contribute the article for their web site today. It was even more difficult because I had to choose books that are still in print and so many of my favourites aren’t. But I struggled on and managed to whittle it down to ten.

You can… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on February 10, 2009 at 10:57pm — No Comments

A Question of Character

Now that I've made a case for plot, I'll move on to character. Which character in today's mystery writing would you most like to sit and talk with, listening to what he/she has to say about things? And conversely, which character would you most like to tell off if you had the chance to force him/her to listen to you?

Added by Peg Herring on February 10, 2009 at 10:17pm — 2 Comments

That article's HOT, said Google Labs

I went deep into the bowels of the Internet today. Read post

Added by Kathryn Lilley on February 10, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Latest Review - A Study in Red

The latest review of 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper'

"A Study In Success"

By: Kristina Dalton, February 08, 2009

After reading a great deal of this author's work, I have to say he certainly deserves the movie deal in place to bring ASIR to the big screen. While it requires a certain intellectual level to truly appreciate this smart thriller, it… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on February 10, 2009 at 6:11pm — No Comments