February 2010 Blog Posts (134)

A TV Interview, a Launch Meeting, and two Guest Mystery Author visitors

At my regular blog I posted a link to an interview that Eden Lane, a reporter for the KBDI 12 public television station in Denver, did with me and other authors present at a benefit signing for the Colorado Humanities and the Colorado Center for the Book. Let me know what you think of it!

At the Midnight Ink blog today, I talk about the "Launch… Continue

Added by Beth Groundwater on February 5, 2010 at 5:25am — No Comments

Great Advice

I expect everyone who stops by this blog is at least familiar with the name Joe Konrath. He's a successful midlist writer of crime fiction, with a six-book series to his credit. Recently he's branched out into horror and science fiction. You can't miss him at a conference: no one works the room as tirelessly as Joe. In the promotion department, he's James Brown, the hardest-working man in publishing. The numbers of signings and guest blogs he's done while still knocking out a book a year are… Continue

Added by Dana King on February 5, 2010 at 4:30am — 1 Comment

The Eye of the Beholder (19)

“He’s not going to show up Tabby Cat,” Preston said into his cell as he paced the living room floor. “He thought I was joking just like he was. I should have answered his last question.”

“No, Pres, you should have answered his unasked question and told him who you really are.”

“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair and then growled as he realized he was at the window again looking down at the street in front of the apartment building.

He hadn’t meant to tender… Continue

Added by Edith Glass on February 5, 2010 at 2:11am — No Comments

What Is Mystery? Great Sleuths

Ask 2 readers what makes a great mystery and you'll get 2 answers, 6 for 6, 10 for 10, and so on. But they'll probably agree that the sleuth, protagonist, hero, or whatever has to appeal to the reader. Maybe he or she is sympathetic, like Odd Thomas, or heroic like Jack Reacher, or irritating-but-determined like Columbo. Somehow we have to want him to succeed, and we have to feel at the end that he has, even in noir, where success isn't always very successful.

How do sleuths go at… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 4, 2010 at 10:23pm — No Comments

Phantom of the Opera

I'm drinking coffee in my new, cool Phantom of the Opera mug. It has a mask on it that turns white when you're drinking something hot.

My daughter, niece and I went to see it Friday night. It was girls night out and we met early for dinner and the show. What a great evening it turned out to be. Just like old times! Affectionately called "The Golden Girls" by my son-in-law, (more like the three stooges) we always have a fun time together and I… Continue

Added by Tory Richards on February 4, 2010 at 11:52am — No Comments

Now I'm Hungry

New story up at Thrillers Killers n Chillers

Added by Chad Rohrbacher on February 4, 2010 at 11:28am — No Comments

Looking for an online mystery writing class/mystery writers conference

As I've mentioned, I am seriously madly in love with my mystery novel in progress: Snaketown. I am looking for a mystery writers conference which is about new writers. I don't want an agent or schmooze one.

Looking for a decent mystery writing class. Gotham? Seems like a factory. Also, doesn't seem to read students work. Somewhere else? I don't want to go back to school.

Am I dreaming? All suggestions gratefully received and appreciated!

Added by Virginia Conn on February 4, 2010 at 6:42am — 3 Comments

Inkless, Tonerless, Rewritable Printer

Added by John Dishon on February 4, 2010 at 5:41am — 2 Comments

Amazon Stock Falls in E-Book Dispute

Yes, it's important to us, but not so much to everyone else.

Added by Dana King on February 4, 2010 at 3:51am — 3 Comments

The Eye of the Beholder (18)

Cary held his breath as he watched Rickerson work his way through their new website. Everything he and Kelly had discussed and worked on now hung in the balance. If Rickerson rejected it… He didn’t want to think about that. Yes he was being selfish, he knew that, but he had come to value the times he and Kelly had been together even if it had been just through emails and then, once there was an actual site to visit, by IMs.

What had started out as just a business arrangement,… Continue

Added by Edith Glass on February 4, 2010 at 3:48am — No Comments

Location research for the next Inspector Horton crime novel

I've been doing a spot of location research for the Inspector Horton crime novel I am currently writing, which will be number six in the marine mystery crime series. (Called marine mysteries because they are all set against the backdrop of the sea).

This Horton novel is again based in Portsmouth and the surrounding harbours at Portsmouth and Langstone, and this time also around the historic and splendid ruins of Portchester Castle.… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on February 4, 2010 at 1:39am — No Comments

What Is Mystery? Believability

The mystery I'm reading right now doesn't have it. The descriptions are artful, the plot moves along, the situation is unique and interesting. But I feel the author's hand on my shoulder, pushing me along, trying to make me believe what she needs me to believe in order to get to her conclusion.

Characters say things that sound, well, out of character, and I hear her yell, "THAT'S A CLUE, READER!" People explode with anger, blurting out their secrets when they should be cautious and… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 3, 2010 at 10:11pm — 6 Comments

'Pestilence' is now available in paperback from Amazon.com

It's all happening at once at the moment. Following the appearance of Purple Death in paperback, I'm so pleased to see that 'Pestilence' (Double Dragon Publishing, Ontario), has now appeared in paperback at the site of Amazon.com. One of my own personal favorites, (are you allowed favorites from your own books...hehe?) Pestilence is a little different from some of my other books and tells a complex tale… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on February 3, 2010 at 9:29pm — No Comments

Helen Dunn Frame at KdBlog today!

This week's Tuesdays with Friends guest is Helen Dunn Frame. Stop by and say hello.
www.kdblog.typepad.com

Added by KD Easley on February 3, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Cover-Up at Guantánamo

Late in the evening on June 9, 2006, three prisoners at Guantánamo Bay reportedly committed suicide. A fascinating article written by Scott Horton that will appear in the March 2009 edition of Harper’s Magazine, questions the government’s account of what actually occurred that night, and has the makings of a blockbuster Hollywood movie similar to “A Few Good Men.”

According to Horton, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which has primary investigative jurisdiction within… Continue

Added by Christopher Valen on February 3, 2010 at 8:08am — No Comments

Teaming Fiction with Music

I have a new guest posting on my blog, “Another Writer’s Life” from a romance author who is sharing her musical muse - http://ascamacho.blogspot.com/

Added by Austin S. Camacho on February 3, 2010 at 1:20am — No Comments

Palestine Scene of the Crime

Crime writer J. Sydney Jones has a new blog called Scene of the Crime. He aims to interview writers about the impact on their writing of the location and sense of place in their novels -- usually from far-flung countries. This week he features me on my Palestinian crime novels. Read on, for the full interview.

A Different View of Palestine

Matt Beynon Rees has… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on February 3, 2010 at 1:08am — No Comments

A new Turner/Frank short story up and running

I have a new Turner Hahn/Frank Morales cop story up and running on darkestbefore dawn. It's called 'Dirt.' Take a look at it and tell me what you think. You can find it at

http://www.darkestbeforedawn.net

Added by B.R.Stateham on February 3, 2010 at 1:06am — No Comments

What Is a Mystery?

Sounds like it might lead to a "Who's On First?" situation: "What is a mystery? I don't know; it's a mystery to me." When we say we love mysteries, what do we mean?

It could mean we love picking out clues in a story and separating them from the red herrings. Some of the greats of mystery excel at the casual reference that is so important later in the story or the item clutched in the dead man's hand that could be nothing, could be something.

Some of us love the chase; the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on February 2, 2010 at 10:14pm — No Comments

Review - The Devil's Tears, Steven Horne

Book Title: THE DEVIL'S TEARS

Author: Steven Horne

Publisher: Pan MacMillan Australia

Copyright: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4050-4006-8

No of Pages: 334

Book Synopsis:

1975: When bloody war ravages his beloved Portuguese Timor, Cesar da Silva flees with his wife and children from a country in flames. But in their desperate bid for freedom, amidst the chaos and devastation, Cesar's young family becomes separated. Believing his wife and two daughters dead,… Continue

Added by Karen from AustCrime on February 2, 2010 at 11:09am — No Comments