June 2008 Blog Posts (161)

May Mystery Bookspot update

Reviews

The State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy "This is a terrific beach read that moves along at a good pace."

Scalped: Casino Boogie by Jason Aaron "In this volume we will start to see the broader canvass of characters, their fractured personal histories and the intricately plotted connections that inform their… Continue

Added by BrianLindenmuth on June 4, 2008 at 4:20am — No Comments

Only one can win: The nominees for the Hammett Prize 2007

Next weekend this year's winner of the Hammett Prize will be announced. The nominees are:

•The Outlander, by Gil Adamson

•The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael Chabon

•… Continue

Added by Bernd Kochanowski on June 4, 2008 at 12:05am — No Comments

"Boostiere"

I got a boost from an unexpected source yesterday, and it made all the difference. After announcing online that I had a book signing this week, someone jumped on DorothyL to say she "highly recommends" my book. Wow.

In this crazy business of rejections, century-long waits, and zillions of talented authors vying for each spot on a publisher's schedule, the boost one gets from just one person saying, "I liked this!" is critical. We must remember to tell each other when we like what we… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on June 3, 2008 at 10:11pm — No Comments

'A Study in Red' wins Cover Design Award, Now a Nomination for 'Purple Death'

I'm delIighted to report that 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' has won the Authors Lounge Cover Art Design Award for May 2008. (General Category)

I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of those friends who supported the book by placing their votes for the design.

NEW NOMINATION - PURPLE DEATH

My cover for my forthcoming novel 'Purple Death' has now received a nomination for the June award from the same company and… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on June 3, 2008 at 8:53pm — No Comments

OOTG REVENGE ISSUE SHORT FICTION CONTEST

THE JUDGES: VICTOR GISCHLER AND ANTHONY NEIL SMITH

Anthony…

Continue

Added by Out of the Gutter Magazine on June 3, 2008 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Revealed!

As promised, I have finally been “revealed” on Clute and Edwards excellent podcast Behind the Black Mask. I always feel kind of self-conscious about verbal interviews, (after all, I’m a writer not a speaker) but other that my slight post-op lisp from all that lovely oral surgery, I guess I did OK. But don’t take my word for it. Listen for yourself.

Added by Christa Faust on June 3, 2008 at 12:09pm — No Comments

A Visit on "Mysterious Musings"

Please stop by for a visit on Julia Buckley's "Mysterious Musings" blog today as I begin my blog book tour. You can find her at http://www.juliabuckley.blogspot.com/

ALSO...

Please don't miss the fantastic t-shirt contest on my blog beginning today...

http://everysecretcrime.blogspot.com

Ah, that's a t-shirt giveaway ...not a wet t-shirt contest...

Added by Doug M. Cummings on June 3, 2008 at 4:49am — No Comments

BEA and Who Is This Man?

So I went to my first Book Expo this weekend. Had no idea what to expect. Here are some quick impressions:

THINGS I WAS DELIGHTED/AMUSED TO SEE:

1) So many dressed-up people at the L.A. Convention Center. How can some people survive walking around all day in heels? A reminder that this weekend is all about business.

2) A wide array of booksellers and librarians… Continue

Added by Naomi Hirahara on June 3, 2008 at 4:11am — 1 Comment

Fact from Fiction

Saturday I spent time at a book signing with an author who had written

a political thriller connecting a Black presidential candidate to a

century-old conspiracy involving Lincoln's assassination. I love fiction with a sound

historical base, but this kind of thing does bring out the more

extreme conspiracy theorists, a few of whom felt the need to explain

to us all that was obvious to them about underground power, racial

suppression, hidden Middle East machinations… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 3, 2008 at 4:00am — 1 Comment

Updated publishing schedule, 2008 releases

Still Waves Publishing have just posted details of the revised publishing schedule for my 2008 paperback releases. I must say it's great to see them all together on one page, and I love the short descriptions the publisher has put to each book.

Please see http://stillwavespublishing.blogspot.com/

Added by Brian L Porter on June 3, 2008 at 3:21am — No Comments

People Should Come with Warning Labels

I don't know why this came into my head, but it's true. We all should have labels, like the little packets of nuts the airlines used to give us that said, "Contains nuts." Okay, pretty obvious. But people should be alerted to people.

My husband's label, for example, would say: "Be aware that this man is always early." I learned it when we were dating, but pizza cooks, golf partners, and newspaper vendors might benefit from knowing that if the time established is 6:00, he'll be there… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on June 2, 2008 at 11:02pm — No Comments

Competition to win a copy of Redback by Lindy Cameron

We're having a go at a little competition - no geographical restrictions on this one so please feel free to enter if you'd like to try a thriller style book from an Australian Author:

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/4624

Added by Karen from AustCrime on June 2, 2008 at 2:45pm — No Comments

Weekly Blog - 2nd June

Last week, I journeyed down to London to meet Louise Swannell of MIDAS P.R. Louise is the account director charged with publicising my debut novel, Justice For All, and I’m happy to report that my book looks to be in very capable hands. I met Louise in a coffee shop close to the theatre district, where she gave a quick dummy’s guide to the art of publicity, with me playing the role of the dummy. She then went on to quiz me about my writing, my background, my inside leg measurement, etc, as she… Continue

Added by Steven Hague on June 2, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

Donna Moore Interview

THE BLOODY SCOTS, PART 2

Suspect: Donna Moore

Known Aliases: Kafka, Queen of Shoes!

Occupation: Writer, Reader, Some Scary Day Job Involving Financial Stuff

Last Known Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Join us this week as Donna talks about her Lefty Award winning P.I. spoof,… Continue

Added by Angie on June 2, 2008 at 6:42am — No Comments

Leonard Cohen, Underground Porn, and a girl named Nookie

...All that and a whole lot more is in the fifth installment of the Roland Longville series, Lady Midnight. Mr. Leonard Cohen's management was kind enough to answer my humble entreaties (they said yes) to use lyrics of his song, also entitled Lady Midnight, in the text. The blurb runneth thusly:

In this lurid tale, Roland is hired by a senator who aspires to higher office. He wants Roland to bring his wild child daughter home before her antics disgrace him and cost him… Continue

Added by Timothy C. Phillips on June 2, 2008 at 4:30am — No Comments

Anthony Award Nominees

Thanks to Judy Bobalik's posting on DorothyL, I have this year's Anthony Award Nominees. The Anthonys will be presented at Bouchercon in Baltimore in October.

The 2008 Anthony Award Nominees

BEST NOVEL

James Lee Burke-Tin Roof Blowdown (Simon and Schuster)

Lee Child – Bad Luck and Trouble (Delacorte Press)

Robert Crais- The Watchman (Simon and Schuster)

William Kent Krueger-Thunder Bay (Atria)

Laura Lippman – What the Dead Know (William… Continue

Added by Lesa Holstine on June 2, 2008 at 2:12am — No Comments

Brain better, Back still Sucks

I am slowly getting better and have discovered a position in the recliner that enables me to use the laptop and get some work done. It isn't perfect and I can't do it all day long, but it's a lot better than it was. I cranked out another three hundred words yesterday that weren't absolutely terrible. Of course, using the laptop I have to type everything twice because my fingers aren't used to the keyboard and my sentences tend to come out looking like 'omm omblitz gonna' blew tghe shet outta'… Continue

Added by Tom Cooke on June 2, 2008 at 1:20am — No Comments

Nodoby Move, this is a review: Chasin' the Wind

For anyone who has visited Key West, or any Caribbean island, the first thing they notice is a phenomenon known as ‘island time’. Things travel at their own pace. If a beer takes 10 minutes to get to you, so be it. If you have to wait in line 15 minutes while the clerk and a shopper chat, life goes on. What visitors don’t realize is that ‘island time’ is just one outward sign of an entire lifestyle which is totally foreign to most Americans and Europeans. While non-islanders see it as rudeness… Continue

Added by Michael Haskins on June 1, 2008 at 9:50pm — No Comments

Printers Row in Chicago by Margot Justes

The first time I went to Printers Row was last year.

I was helping Echelon, since my book was not yet out, I had nothing to sell. But I also went to see what all the fuss was about and of course to learn what needed to be done to sell books.

It was exciting - exciting that is - if books excite you as they do me…there were books everywhere, all types of books, rare, used, new, somewhat used-you get the drift. Books were everywhere.

I was delighted to see so many… Continue

Added by Margot Justes on June 1, 2008 at 11:02am — No Comments

The Story Behind the Book

Everyone who writes, does so for a reason. Some of us have a story to tell. Some of us want to change the world. My books Safe Beginnings and Safe House are set in a battered women's shelter because I'm in the second group. I want to change the world.

I'm not out to depress people. Nor do I think readers need education on the subject of domestic violence. Most of us know plenty because most of us can name at least one person we know in that situation. But I want to keep the problem… Continue

Added by Christine Duncan on June 1, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments