Not for me, although I'm always interested in discovering new writers. Chris Roerden, author of the Agatha Award winning nonfiction book, Don't Murder Your Mystery, is looking for writers. The next edition of her book will be an all-genre edition called Don't Sabotage Your Submissions. She's looking for writers of novels or short stories in any genre to share their best examples of writing techniques.

Details are available at:…

Woke up feeling really tense and bad-tempered today. Must be the after-effects of having such a nice weekend. Mind you, I’m still cheered by the fact that Lord H rescued me from a bathroom spider last night – he wrapped it in kitchen towel, squashed it and then placed the kitchen towel plus dead spider on the floor. When I asked him why he didn’t just put it in the bin, his answer was that we still needed to have the fun of jumping up and down on the darn thing, whilst yelling. Which we duly…

How do you choose your books? My guess would be that if you aren’t buying them on the instructions of a reading list the title probably plays a major role in the choice you make.…

I consider myself a well-educated person, with a solid liberal arts education. And over the course of my education I've learned multiple languages: French (starting, officially, in third grade); Spanish (one year in middle school); Latin (one year in high school); German (two years in college); and most recently, Irish (three years and counting). So I thought I knew about languages.

I was wrong.

Recently a friend e-mailed me about a book she was enjoying, and asked some…

By Guest Blogger Charles Benoit

We’ve been promising ourselves to give it a try and after years of chickening out, my wife and I finally decided to jump in and just do it. Rose admits to nodding off now and then and at times I found it a bit like flogging a dead horse, but overall it’s been fun and, for me at least, highly educational. I highly recommend you give it a try. Start at the beginning, do a little bit each day and before your know it you’ll be totally into…

My friend and yours, Jack Bludis, said this:

"I don't think 'reality' necessarily lends to make a book *seem* more authentic. It may just make it less readable."

Bloody brilliant, innit?

The occasion was a discussion about profanity in books, specifically hard boiled and 'noir' books, going on over on the DorothyL list. Some writers think that if a character would use the f-word in every sentence, then they have a responsibility to faithfully record…

Happy Fathers' Day to all fathers out there, first off. I managed to remember to send my stepfather the chocolates he's allowed to eat (ie the ones Mother doesn't eat first ...), so I am a Good Stepdaughter today, hurrah! Mum is apparently taking him out for an airing, which includes a concert and some tea, today, so we took bets on how long it will be before he grumbles about something. My money's on the first half hour. Lord H however says that we misjudge the man - and in fact all it is…

It seems like every book I've picked up to review has been a good one. And when I like an author I tend to buy the other books that author has written so I have a lot of new books coming in.

I am reading Innocence by David Hosp and really enjoying it. Just finished Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box. Another good one. I have Betrayed but haven't read it so that will be next on my list.

Really enjoyed Donis Casey's The Old Buzzard Had It Coming. I love the title. I bought Hornswoggled…

Am feeling very modern today - have finally set up an account on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) last night, so have at last entered the modern world. Mind you, I don't have many friends on it yet - 3 so far to be precise - so if anyone out there is on Facebook and prepared to take pity on me, please do. I'd be very grateful.



Meant to be very literary this morning, but have done sod all - sorry. Might do some…

by Pari Noskin Taichert

An idea is precious, more valuable than gold.

But if forced, new quickly descends into old.

The most brilliant spark can lose its glow

When edited too much, when pushed where it doesn't want to flow.

Work each day, sit at the computer.

Grab and observe like an emotional looter.

Characters demand their stories be told.

The writer transforms into mother,…