April 2009 Blog Posts (202)

Back to the Good Stuff

We're back at home, hospitals have faded into the background, and I had a successful presentation last night. Those three things make me somewhat more cheerful, although it was a near miss. Here's the story.

I hurried home from that faraway hospital place, changed my clothes, packed my stuff in a bag, and headed to the location where I was scheduled to speak. I stopped to eat on the way, choosing a fine dining establishment with a three-course meal, as I always do when I'm on the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 17, 2009 at 10:31pm — 1 Comment

Nothing Frozen Here, Fresh or Otherwise, Except the Shrimp

See author Darden North's recipe for a great dip (actually borrowed from his wife) to serve at a football party, or anytime for that matter, posted as a guest on cookbook author Martha Cheves's blog. Cheves is author of "Stir, Laugh, Repeat."

http://marthaskitchenkorner.blogspot.com

Added by Darden North, MD on April 17, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Another Thursday Night

Yeah, second blog post. Finally! I just had my Thursday night mystery book discussion at the library where I work. This month's selection was Killer Year: Stories to Die For... Overall, I didn't like the collection. The stories aren't the type of thing I typically like to read. Too many of the stories seemed like they were written by the same author, working from the same set of guidelines on style. I like to see more--what I can only describe as--flavor. A better sense of individual… Continue

Added by Brian Abbott on April 17, 2009 at 1:15pm — No Comments

Maybe It's Just Me...

But I'm seeing a lot of sad stuff lately. The hospital was the big sad stuff: people dying, people crying, that sort of thing. Kind of to be expected.

But also sad was McDonalds in the morning, where old people congregate these days now that the corner diner is gone. Eavesdropping on their conversations, there seems to be a frantic desire to do something useful, anything. I heard a woman go on for several minutes about how her grandson wanted her to bring him a Subway sandwich for… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 17, 2009 at 2:00am — 4 Comments

The Bridge - trailer

Here's the promo trailer for the TV show I'm working on, The Bridge.

The show synopsis is:

It is the role of the police to protect society - but who is there to protect them? The police union has become powerless against the politically-motivated police department and street cop Frank Leo (Aaron Douglas) is sick of it. By popular vote Frank becomes president of the 8000 strong police union but makes many powerful enemies… Continue

Added by John McFetridge on April 17, 2009 at 1:52am — 5 Comments

The Writing Life: Matt McAllester

I’m starting a new feature on my blog today—a series of interviews with authors about what it’s like to be a writer. I’ll be asking them the questions readers often ask me, and I’m intrigued to know how they’ll answer them. Be sure to follow this blog so you’ll see what these fascinating writers have to say in the coming months.

It’s a great pleasure to begin this series with my friend Matt McAllester. A Scot, he’s been one of the most… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on April 16, 2009 at 3:23pm — No Comments

Kudos to Madeleine!

Congratulations to my friend and fellow-writer Madeleine Harris-Callway! Her prepublished mystery novel "The Land of Sun & Fun" has just been short-listed for the Debut Dagger award in London, Eng. It's a great read, Mad!

Added by Donna Carrick on April 16, 2009 at 9:53am — No Comments

Images of Betrayal by Claire Collins (Review)

Images of Betrayal

by Claire Collins

Romance

Published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC

ISBN# 1935171011

Abandoned and betrayed by her family, seventeen-year-old Tysan Reynolds supports herself the best she can with tips from the diner where she works. Into her lonesome life come two men: photographer Walker Sandoval and high school heartthrob David McKee. What should have been a magical time of romance turns into a time of horror; the photos Walker takes foretell… Continue

Added by Pat Bertram on April 16, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

How Much is Too Much?

(Also posted on One Bite at a Time.)

I recently parted ways with an agent and have begun trying to place a novel with a publisher on my own. The process is as tedious and frustrating as I remember it, and could be used as a tool for AAR to encourage writers to hire agents. If creating a law can be compared to making a sausage, wading through what’s involved to find a publisher is like having to find and kill the required animals, butcher… Continue

Added by Dana King on April 16, 2009 at 5:14am — 1 Comment

Douglas Clegg talks about his upcoming book, and what secret power he wishes he had

Catching up with bestselling author Douglas Clegg, Reader's Entertainment finds out about Isis, ereaders and what Douglas has been up to on Facebook lately.

Question: Using the Twitter method of answer (140 characters or less) tell us about the type of books you write.

I write stories about people up against extraordinary or irrational circumstances. My books have been categorized as horror, suspense or fantasy fiction, depending on the… Continue

Added by Sheila English on April 16, 2009 at 2:30am — No Comments

What Do You Call Crazy?

I witnessed an event yesterday that reminded me of CATCH 22. A psychiatrist asked a patient if she would consider a life-extending but invasive process. She at first said no. He asked why and she said it was prolonging an inevitable decline and she didn't want that. He talked with her for some time and then asked again if she would consider the treatment. She said she would consider it. He then informed her that she was competent, since she'd given the "right" answer. His word.

So,… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 16, 2009 at 1:44am — 4 Comments

South Africa's first crime anthology puts me in a reflective mood about short stories

South Africa’s first anthology of short crime fiction was recently released, to much fanfare. Bad Company, edited by Joanne Hichens, features short fiction by Deon Meyer, Michael Stanley, Margie Orford, Andrew Brown, Mike Nichol, me and many more, and has a great introduction by Lee Child.

The publishers, Pan Macmillan, should be commended for sticking out their heads to get the project done, because hardly any of the big-name publishers will touch an anthology these days. Why?… Continue

Added by Richard Kunzmann on April 15, 2009 at 8:05pm — No Comments

Review: The Third Person, Steve Mosby

I for one am very happy to see when a crime author decides to blend genres and firmly leaps out of the box create for the genre. Steve Mosby presents us with an excellent crime story, which has elements of speculative science fiction chucked in, along with a dash of horror.

Steve Mosby published his first book at about the same time as me, and at about the same age, around 26. When I read The Third Person, it left me gobsmacked and not a little jealous. If he can… Continue

Added by Richard Kunzmann on April 15, 2009 at 7:24pm — No Comments

Review: Last Car To Elysian Fields, James Lee Burke

James Lee Burke is arguably one of America’s greatest hardboiled detective authors, and Last Car to Elysian Fields not only does that reputation justice, it strengthens his position as a crime writer with an immense literary range that borders on the poetic.

Detective Dave Robicheaux is asked by Father Jimmie Dolan to join him on a trip into St. James Parish, where he meets the daughter of a musician who disappeared years before. Soon strange links begin to emerge between… Continue

Added by Richard Kunzmann on April 15, 2009 at 7:03pm — No Comments

Review: The Queen of the South, Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Bringing literary pedigree to crime fiction

Every now and again an author who is deemed 'literary' makes a foray into crime fiction. I guess the results are often mixed - though I loved the City of Glass series by Paul Auster, a detective story of identities, so to speak, I still don't quite know what to make of it. Queen of the South on the other hand is emotionally engaging and will stay with you a very long time because of that. That is, if… Continue

Added by Richard Kunzmann on April 15, 2009 at 6:46pm — No Comments

Review: Catch Me a Killer, Micki Pistorius

An insightful profile of South Africa’s leading forensic profiler

Every crime writer needs his or her good sources, and this is one of those autobiographies by a top forensic profiler which is invaluable, particularly when you're writing about serial killers in South Africa. The political and social landscape of that country are unique, and it is terrifying to see the kind of violence which that country's apartheid history bred. When Micki first came to work for the… Continue

Added by Richard Kunzmann on April 15, 2009 at 6:24pm — No Comments

A Last Word on Amazon

The Amazon rank is back up for CONTROL FREAK. I hope this signals the end of the whole sorry mess, but here’s a few final thoughts.

The fact that non-erotic LBGT books were targeted is totally outrageous and unacceptable, but putting aside the issue of which titles actually deserve a naughty label and which don’t, I still find the underlying concept of Amazon’s “adult” labeling system very disturbing. Amazon has publicly admitted that they made a mistake by including all gay and… Continue

Added by Christa Faust on April 15, 2009 at 4:55am — 5 Comments

Snipers

While writing my latest police procedural, “The Black Minute”, which will be released in September, I did quite a bit of research on snipers. I recalled some of that research after hearing the remarkable account of the three Navy Seal snipers who simultaneously fired three shots, killing the three pirates who were holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage off the coast of Somalia.

Probably the most famous sniper in United States history was Carlos Hathcock. During the Vietnam War… Continue

Added by Christopher Valen on April 15, 2009 at 12:59am — No Comments

Watch your Morning Coffee

I like to point you to books that will be good additions to your personal library, or web sites that might help you find them. Today I want to tell you about a new on line television show from WVTA Television called “Morning Coffee."

David Ewen, producer of my Blog Talk Radio show, Book Bridge, has started a televised program on the web to promote authors, publishers, writers, and book sellers. The first… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on April 14, 2009 at 10:35pm — No Comments

People Watching

I'm spending my days in a hospital this week, so I'm doing a lot of observing. You might call it eavesdropping, but I have to be there, and I can't close my ears, so there.

Anyway, it's great fodder for drama, the juxtaposition of tragedy (illness, death, emergency) with the daily routines of life (gossiping, laughing, teasing). I have never been able to comprehend how medical people do it, but I greatly admire those who are good at it.

Then there are the snippets you get… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 14, 2009 at 10:17pm — 1 Comment