October 2009 Blog Posts (190)

Review of B.R. Stateham's "Murderous Passions"

B.R. Stateham’s “Murderous Passions” (Publish America, 2008) sets forth an ambitious task for its protagonists and readers: two detectives have four separate homicides to solve in one novel.

The result is manna for those starved for honest-to-goodness police procedurals. Stateham’s old school style shrugs off today’s trendy… Continue

Added by Benjamin Sobieck on October 15, 2009 at 2:00pm — 3 Comments

Writers Networking

Writers! Want to know what to do at a networking opportunity like Bouchercon? Check my main blog - http://ascamacho.blogspot.com

Added by Austin S. Camacho on October 15, 2009 at 7:45am — No Comments

Your Life and Your Ride

Your Life and Your Ride

When your ride

Is cold, hard steel

And your day

Is long, hot and hostile,

How do you end

Your night's lonely thoughts?

Are they cold and hard

Like your ride?

Are they long, hot and hostile

Like your day?

Are do you separate

The job from your personal life?

It is a struggle

That leaves many

Swimming in the sauce

Or choking on a… Continue

Added by Roger C. Bull on October 15, 2009 at 2:29am — No Comments

Catching Up and Moving Ahead

Since my last blog post I was part of the program on social media for writers that Johns Hopkins University and the American Independent Writers jointly presented. I learned quite a bit, and did some valuable networking.

Then I did some book signing at Waldenbooks in Virginia Center Commons. As always, manager Tracy took good care of me and I got to sign several of my titles.

I also held my first book signing at the huge Borders Bookstore in Annapolis. As often happens on… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on October 15, 2009 at 12:16am — No Comments

Those disorganized Swiss

You know the reputation. "Swiss" isn't a nationality. It's really an adjective meaning highly organized and perhaps even a little too punctilious.

That's a myth. The place is just like the Middle East... (Look, I write fiction, but I may be onto something. Read on.)

On my recent reading tour, I stopped in Basel as a guest of the superb Literaturhaus Basel. Everyone told me to go the city's main art museum for an exhibition of… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on October 15, 2009 at 12:00am — 6 Comments

Ruined, I Tell You! I'm Ruined!

I've said it here before, so stop me if you've heard it: writing has made me into a very picky reader. Once upon a time I could enjoy a mediocre book: let myself slide into disbelief, allow a few terrible sentences to pass, ignore a character who has no flesh whatsoever. But now that I'm tuned in to the "how" of writing, I'm offended by writers who slack off, the way good doctors and good lawyers must be embarrassed and insulted by the Medicare-cheaters and ambulance-chasers in their… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 14, 2009 at 10:37pm — 3 Comments

Money, Money, Money

It ain’t easy being a writer. And I’m not talking about the hard work, the solitude, the craft—that’s a post for someone else’s blog. I’m talking about the money we want to spend wisely. Namely, the money most of us don’t have.

And this isn’t about the not-enough-to-live-on advances either, or the… Continue

Added by F.T. Bradley on October 14, 2009 at 11:30am — 4 Comments

Great Review of THE GATEKEEPER from the IMBA

This means a lot to me, since it comes from an organization near and dear to my heart. They select a few books a month to promote, and The Gatekeeper was one of them!

Here's the review, and a link to it:

http://www.killerbooks.org/

Who better to pick the best mystery books of the month than the people who run mystery bookstores?

Each month, the 40-odd quirky stores that make up IMBA submit their favorite recent reads to a rotating editor who then… Continue

Added by Michelle Gagnon on October 14, 2009 at 8:23am — 6 Comments

New Noir Film Fest

-----

I had a lot of movies piled up on both the DVR and my “To Be Watched” Shelves and a lot of those were film noirs that I’d never seen. I had such a great time in August at the Noir City Film Festival, that I decided to have my own “New (to me) Noir” fest.

Here’s the list of what I watched, you can go to my blog to see what I had to say about each film.

My blog is here:

http://www.johnweagly.com/blog/

And here are the… Continue

Added by John Weagly on October 14, 2009 at 2:43am — No Comments

Hawaii Five-0 Reboot

There's talk going on that CBS is thinking about rebooting the old '70's cop show 'Hawaii Five-O.' J.J. Abrams (the latest Star Trek movie,) is being mentione being involved--so it has the potential of having a good prduction qualities to it.

But who'll play the head role Jack Lord (I think that was his name) had as the lead? Like all other reboots, you gotta sit back and take the wait-and-see attitude. It might work. It might not.

Added by B.R.Stateham on October 14, 2009 at 2:01am — 15 Comments

Midwest Book Review Gives Killer Career 5 Stars!

I'm so very happy to report that Midwest Book Review gave Killer Career 5 stars on Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/review/R169FXMK7RVLB6/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Here's the link to Midwest Book Review's site as well:

http://midwestbookreview.com/sbw/oct_09.htm#Mystery/Suspense

Thanks for letting me share,

Morgan… Continue

Added by Morgan Mandel on October 13, 2009 at 11:49pm — No Comments

How Many Characters Is Too Many?

I lunched with a fellow writer yesterday and we discussed that topic, which is about as useful as "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" The answer has to come from the story itself, and the author has to make intelligent decisions as things progress.

Another friend in the business made the point recently that mystery is a little different from other genres, since "extra" characters are needed to create red herrings and give the reader alternate guesses. So the question… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 13, 2009 at 10:45pm — 1 Comment

LOOK-SEE

I was on my zero turn mower

out in the field mowing slower.

Was a clear day-no wind-still,

An Indian summer day- warm with a breath of chill.

I stopped my mower to stare.

The sky was a soft inviting blue,

cotton tuffs scattered in the view.

The Sun was gentle in the chill'

raising my senses to a thrill.

Then a puff of cotten set underneath the glow,

filtering the golden rays just so.

The scene became a pallet of mist,

a beautufull… Continue

Added by RONALD FEASEL on October 13, 2009 at 10:27pm — No Comments

Research-- A labour of love, or just one more diversion?

Some people share a popular misconception that fictional stories appear fully formed in the mind, waiting to be dropped casually onto a page, as if the writer is nothing more than an automaton, a vehicle through which fiction can flow.

There are, in fact, many aspects to creating any written work. Take for example the art of research. I’m often asked how much research I do and what resources I use. Depending on the type of story being told, at some… Continue

Added by Donna Carrick on October 13, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Bad Dialogue

Often it begins with "As you know..." followed by a character telling another character stuff the author needs the reader to know. That's bad.

Dialogue reveals character and advances plot. Characters can make observations about the past if it's done well, "I never did agree with the king's decision to close the monasteries last year." There, we got some history, a timeline, AND a character snapshot.

And, by the way, keep it short.

Added by Peg Herring on October 12, 2009 at 9:43pm — 9 Comments

COLD OR WARM

Cold or warm it's the first impression,

a first encounter causes the expression.

You meet someone new,

the eyes are the first you view.

You do a quick scope.

from head to toe you grope.

From their mouth you analyze,

their words spoken you cannabalize.

In a flash you decide,

do I like this hide.

If your wise you wait and see,

does this person speak free?

You excange your chatter,

the usual… Continue

Added by RONALD FEASEL on October 12, 2009 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Large Print, Reviews and Frankfurt

I received the large print edition of The Suffocating Sea, the third in the DI Andy Horton series of marine mystery crime novels last week, and it looks good. This will now be on sale on line or to order through bookshops, and also available on loan through libraries. In addition, The Suffocating Sea is available as a talking book, which can be bought as a… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on October 12, 2009 at 8:15pm — No Comments

You Don't Know Until You Know

April was the last book fair that I attended. I was there to help my father promote his novel Escape 2 Earth. It was more of an entertainment event than it was a book festival. We had so many people who came by who didn't get science fiction or didn't like it. That boggles my mind, people who don't like scifi, but to each their own.

But these past three weeks have been exciting to say the least. Things started of a little slow going to Baltimore, but things really picked up in… Continue

Added by lovelylj on October 12, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Updated my dedicated web site for the Turner Hahn/Frank Morales series

I've udated the Turner Hahn/Frank Morales web site ( www.turnerhahnnovles.com )

I've placed the images of Turner and Frank up it as created by Adam Grose--a talented graphic-novels artist from England. Check it out.

Added by B.R.Stateham on October 12, 2009 at 2:36pm — 4 Comments