July 2008 Blog Posts (167)

Disturbing Trend Or Sign Of The Times?

We all know how fiercely competitive the publishing world, especially the mystery field, has become. Legions of readers are trying their hand at writing to varying degrees of success. Anyone who’s tried to get a novel published also knows that talent is only one part of the equation, and a small one at that. There’s a lot of luck involved.



Someone once said “I’d rather be lucky than talented,” and I often think the same thing. But luck is harder to change than talent, so I constantly… Continue

Added by Michael W. Sherer on July 27, 2008 at 11:14am — No Comments

Architecture of Paris by Margot Justes

You may think I have a theme in mind-in fact I do, it is after all summer and tourist are on the road.



As you can see below, my novel is set in Paris and if you are lucky enough to be going to that spectacular city this summer and happen to love architecture, there is no better place to start than Paris.



Gothic architecture does not come any better than Notre Dame, the flying buttresses abound, and the Sunday peel can be heard for miles. Notre Dame is one of many truly… Continue

Added by Margot Justes on July 27, 2008 at 9:28am — No Comments

My Other Blog

Aside from my own regular blog I contribute to one I’m very proud of. I share “Criminal Minds at Work” with seven other crime novelists. The site gives fans a chance to step into the minds of this group of talented, twisted, slightly psychotic writers with a penchant for mystery, mayhem and murder. We all write crime fiction or sometimes true crime that gets the heart pumping and the blood boiling. If you’d like to know what mystery and… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on July 26, 2008 at 10:29pm — No Comments

A Writer's Life

Hi guys and gals,



People are always telling me I should blog. They say it’s a brilliant marketing tool and a way of keeping in regular contact with readers by giving them something extra.



I fall into the Stephen King school when it comes to revealing my ‘writer’s life’. Basically, I sit on my ass. Who wants to read about that? Or to steal from Otto von Bismarck, ‘Writing is like sausages. You sleep far better the less you know how they are made.’



Having stated… Continue

Added by Michael Robotham on July 26, 2008 at 4:02pm — No Comments

KATHRYN CASEY LIVE INTERVIEW SATURDAY JULY 26TH 2pm

Kathryn Casey writes true crime and mystery fiction -- and does them both incredibly well. She is our special guest SATURDAY July 26th 2pm PDT on TRUE CRIME AND....
To listen live, either go to the listen live link at http://outlawcrime.com or
at 2pm PDT just go to http://www.mrcigar.com/live.asx for the streaming audio.

ENJOY

Added by Burl Barer on July 26, 2008 at 1:06pm — No Comments

Fly, kitty, fly!

A genetic mutation – or the miracle of photoshopping? Either way, this amuses. Thank you, Caroline Leavitt, for sending it along!

Here's the link to the supposed news article about this Chinese winged cat, who supposedly sprouted wings to escape sexual… Continue

Added by Clea Simon on July 26, 2008 at 4:30am — No Comments

He Said/She Said-STOP THAT!

I've blogged before about editing and how for me it has to be in layers. One of the zillion or so trips through a WIP will be a search and destroy of "-- said," sometimes known as dialogue tags. Several things need to be considered.



First, do you need to say who said it? The best thing is to have the dialogue itself indicate who is speaking. If there are only two people in the room, it can be assumed they take turns speaking (proper punctuation helps the reader keep track, too). It's… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on July 25, 2008 at 10:51pm — 2 Comments

Meet Me Tomorrow in Maryland

Tomorrow I make my first appearance at the Books-A-Million in the Beltway Plaza Mall. I’ll start signing books at 4 pm. in the store at 6118 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD. Wish me luck! And if that’s your near you, come by and make me feel welcome for my first time in your town.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on July 25, 2008 at 10:29pm — 1 Comment

Killer Hobbies hosts thriller author Michelle Gagnon

Killer Hobbies is pleased to host thriller author Michelle Gagnon as a guest blogger today. Read her post, "The Shocking, True Story behind my Russian Supper Club Performing Career."

Added by Kathryn Lilley on July 25, 2008 at 10:22pm — No Comments

Author J D Rhoades guest blogs on the topic of Marketing vs. Connecting

How often have you been invited to sit down with a published author and asked your opinion about anything?



Here's your chance, your invitation to chat with this week's MURDER BY 4 guest blogger J.D. Rhoades, author of BREAKING COVER, published in July 2008 by St. Martin's/Minotaur, and the Jack Keller series of thriller novels: THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND, GOOD DAY IN HELL, and SAFE AND SOUND, also from St. Martin 's.



His article… Continue

Added by Marta Stephens on July 25, 2008 at 10:04pm — No Comments

Bond moments

When I was fifteen or so, on a family holiday in Majorca, I befriended a group of local Spanish kids. They were older than me and led by Juan, an eighteen year old whose father was one of the richest men on the island. Juan drove Number Five, a Ferrari red catamaran that his father had co-piloted to third place in the world speedboat championship a few years before. It was a monster.



I mention this because my research trip to Monte Carlo last week (see… Continue

Added by James Twining on July 25, 2008 at 9:44am — 1 Comment

Black Lamb

BLACK LAMB

1.



RITE OF PASSAGE



Charleston, South Carolina – 1995:



If the frigid, stifling December air inside the car could somehow allow me to move my hand, the anxiety alone would surely object. I attempt to take just one tiny peek at the three-inch scar running diagonally across my palm, the one that forever connects me to Ryno, Dax, Yaya and Eddie. My best friends in the world, the ones who choreographed me through my most significant rite of… Continue

Added by Liam on July 25, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

King of the Holly Hop

I received the nicest note from Les Roberts about my review of King of the Holly Hop, saying I "Got" the book. Yes!

Here's my review.





It's been twenty-three years since I lived in Ohio, so Les Roberts' Milan Jacovich mysteries always take me back. It's been six years since the last book in the series, and even Milan seems to be looking back in King of the Holly Hop. It's a sad book. For Milan, and me, there's no going back to…
Continue

Added by Lesa Holstine on July 25, 2008 at 12:04am — No Comments

Meet Me Tomorrow in Dulles Airport!

Tomorrow afternoon I continue my summer airport tour with a visit to Borders in Washington Dulles International Airport. If you’re flying onto or out of the Capitol area you can meet me between 1 pm and 5 pm. You may need to look around a little. There are actually three Borders bookstores in the airport and I don’t know which one I’ll be at. With luck, we’ll meet and I can sign a novel for you.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on July 24, 2008 at 10:07pm — No Comments

Know Your Genre & Subgenre

It's hard to pinpoint, pigeonhole, and particularize a book. It may have elements of romance, mystery, adventure, suspense, paranormal, and historical. My book, MACBETH'S NIECE, has all of that. But agents and editors want you to tell them in a word what to call it. This is because they have to have a word to tell their marketing department which has to have a word to tell bookstore owners. "What shelf will it go on?" is the question. Nobody said it was fair, it just is.



Some… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on July 24, 2008 at 9:46pm — No Comments

Not at His Best in SERENADE, Cain Was Still Able

Serenade James M. Cain (1937)



As Serenade opens, protagonist Jack Sharp is banished from Paradise, subsisting in Mexico as a kind of operatic stumblebum. He lost both his golden voice and his European Eden when he deserted his muse over the sin of homosexuality. The agent of his temptation and fall was rich, charming Winston Hawes, his maestro and mentor in Paris.



In his Mexico hell, Jack nevertheless finds his Eve, a three-peso whore named Juana Montes, who… Continue

Added by Paul McGoran on July 24, 2008 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Win a copy of Blood Sunset by Jarad Henry - finishes this week

Just a quick reminder - if you like police procedurals and you'd like to try this second book (doesn't matter if you haven't read the first) from new local author Jarad Henry - then the competition will be drawn tomorrow, my time. Make sure you've got your entry in (no geographical restrictions again):

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/4705

Added by Karen from AustCrime on July 24, 2008 at 9:13am — No Comments

A Freebie!

Anyone want a free .pdf file of a free short story?

Go to www.victorgischler.blogspot.com for details.

VG

Added by Victor Gischler on July 24, 2008 at 7:10am — No Comments

The Last Embrace

Denise Hamilton takes the reader back to Los Angeles, in the heyday of Hollywood, for two violent weeks in 1949 in her first standalone, The Last Embrace. The reader sees the city, and its dangers, through the fresh eyes of Lily Kessler. Her impressions bring the story to life.

Lily was a stenographer and spy for the OSS in Europe. Following the war, she found herself without a job, as so many women were as the men returned. She lost her…
Continue

Added by Lesa Holstine on July 24, 2008 at 12:20am — No Comments

'A Study in Red' Still Holding Top Spot in Amazon.uk Chart

I'm absolutely delighted to see that 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' continues to hold the number 1 slot in the Amazon UK chart which displays all Jack the Ripper books in their catalogue in order of 'best by average customer review.' The listings can be seen at http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/qid=1216816200/ref=sr_st?keywords=jack+the+ripper&rs=266239&page=1&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Ajack+the+ripper&sort=reviewrank

This shows me that the readers are… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on July 23, 2008 at 11:51pm — No Comments

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