November 2008 Blog Posts (153)

An Awesome Advance Review of 'Pestilence'

Australian publisher, author and reviewer Lutz Barz has kindly sent me an advance review of 'Pestilence' which he has recently undertaken and which will soon be published by Literature-Review.com and in other journals he writes for. 'Pestilence' will be published in the near future by 4RV Publishing and this review is, to say the least, absolutely awesome and gives me great optimism for the book's future success. For more… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 30, 2008 at 6:46pm — No Comments

A Late Fall Newsletter and Website Updates

My website guru, my handsome husband, has made quite a few tweaks to my author website (bethgroundwater.com) in preparation for promoting the release of To Hell in a Handbasket next year. The covers of both A Real Basket Case and To Hell in a Handbasket now appear on the Books page and you can click on either one to go to its individual book page complete with reviews, excerpts, etc. Also, we’ve updated my Frequently Asked Questions page and made some minor updates on just about every page of… Continue

Added by Beth Groundwater on November 30, 2008 at 1:16pm — No Comments

Luck is with Me

Hi everyone. Just wanted you to know that at the last minute the warehouse DID ship copies of Blood and Bone to the Books-A-Million in Alexandria. So I'll be signing the book there today starting at 2 pm. Visit me there at 503 King St, Alexandria, VA., and pick up your autographed copy.

Can't get to Alexandria? Then visit my web site - www.ascamacho.com - to order your copy direct from the publisher and enter my contest.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 29, 2008 at 10:19pm — No Comments

In Cold Daylight Now Published in Poland

In Cold Daylight was published in Poland today. Renamed Fire And Water ( Ogien i Woda) this is the second of my marine mystery crime novels to be published in Polish. It is always very exciting to see your work translated into another language and I was also thrilled to receive an e mail from Polish journalist, Anna Kutrzuba, who interviewed me for an article on the book's release. She's written a lovely piece and the article is laid out… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on November 29, 2008 at 2:15am — No Comments

The End

(Cross posted on One Bite at a Time.) Just like the Paul Sheldon character in Stephen King's Misery, I have my own little ritual when I finish a manuscript. I'm sure many writers do. Much tedious work remains--finding a publisher, for starters--but with all the writing done I can take a few days off with a clear conscience.

Sheldon had one drink and one cigarette as his celebration. I wait until I've made every improvement I can; only them… Continue

Added by Dana King on November 29, 2008 at 1:57am — 3 Comments

Black Friday Signing Reminders

Today I sign books at the Borders Express in Dulles Town Center Mall, 21100 Dulles Town Circle, Dulles VA, from noon to 4 pm.

And if the warehouse hasn't run out of copies of Blood and Bone I'll visit Books-A-Million in Alexandria tomorrow. Check in that day to see if it's not too late to get your copy. It's the one at 503 King St, Alexandria, VA.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 29, 2008 at 1:35am — No Comments

Football, You Bet!

I confess, I'm a fan of football, maybe even a fanatic, the derivation of the slightly less connotative word. First is comes the NFL. I actually become depressed when the season ends. Next come college games, where I don't care so much who wins but I watch anyway. I've even been known to watch arena football and other crazy offshoots. This has gone on for years, and lately I've noticed some interesting things.

These days I enjoy games where I don't really care who wins. Where once it… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 28, 2008 at 10:35pm — No Comments

Canada Jim, RIP

My father passed away today at 10:50 AM. He was a man who taught me to respect the rights, opinions and property of others, and that hate should be reserved for the evils of mankind, not the people. He welcomed everyone at his table and shared what he had. He was an explorer who embraced curiosity and decried blind obedience (except when he was trying to eat a meal with six children under the age of 11). He loved all women, but committed his life to just two.

A man born in a home for… Continue

Added by Karyn J. Powers on November 28, 2008 at 2:30pm — 4 Comments

Esther Newberg Says the Sky is Falling on New Authors

This is the second time in a week I've run across a quote from uber-agent Esther Newberg in some article on the current state of publishing that suggests it's a bad time for writers (and presumably others) to be breaking into the business: “It is seriously going to be a time for known commodities ... I would hate to be starting out in the business.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/26/books/26rich.html?_r=1&ref=arts

Sounds a bit self-serving to me. Guess who primarily… Continue

Added by Eric Christopherson on November 28, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Holiday, Schmoliday

All you office workers, truck drivers, and construction people, enjoy the holiday. All you writers, I hope your brain allows some rest, but don't count on it.

It's more likely that your fertile (shall I say, febrile?) brain will choose this purported "down time" to hit you with the best subplot ever, a great character quirk, or even a whole new book idea. And you know from experience that if you don't write it down...

That's the problem with creativity; it has a mind of it… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 27, 2008 at 9:29pm — No Comments

Greetings! And Meeting

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Now, if I can waddle out of the house tomorrow I’ll head to the Borders Express in Dulles Town Center Mall to celebrate Black Friday with a couple other crime writers. We’ll do a team book signing from… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 27, 2008 at 9:14pm — No Comments

Announcement

I'm reading-signing on December 12 at 6 PM at Canio's, Main Street, Sag Harbor.

Hope anyone in the area will come.

Added by Robert Boris Riskin on November 27, 2008 at 6:33am — 1 Comment

Making My eBook FREE

I've decided to make the digital version of Darkness and the Devil Behind Me available for free. It's only available through my website. It will stay free through the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays. After that, I'm not sure. But for now, it's available for anyone who wants it.

Added by Persia Walker on November 27, 2008 at 5:41am — No Comments

New Contract Offer

Boy, did my agent work fast? After the shattering disappointment of the recent problems and eventual contract release from Steel Waves Publishing, I'm delighted to announce that my literary agent has, within two days, negotiated a brilliant contract offer from 4RV Publishing who have offered to publish all five of the novels currently in need of a good home. Consequently, 'Glastonbury', 'Pestilence', 'The Nemesis Cell', 'Purple Death' and… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 27, 2008 at 5:19am — No Comments

Story Reprinted

My story 'The Perfect Angel' is in http://a-twist-of-noir.blogspot.com/
This is actually its third appearance. It was in the Dec. 2006 edition of B J Bourg's Mouth Full of Bullets and was originally in The 3rDegree in March 2003.
Check out A Twist of Noir. Christopher Grant is offering a varied selection of stories, some old, some new.

Added by J.R. Lindermuth on November 27, 2008 at 12:04am — No Comments

Required:10% Inspiration

I guess Edison said it, something like: "Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration." That's true, but that dash of inspiration is SO necessary. I'm willing to work really hard on my writing, but there has to be a spark that makes me want to do so, make me feel, as one writer put it, that I am the only one who can tell the story.

One thing that helps is professional magazines. Over the last week, I got no less than four, and I set them aside, a little daunted at the task of… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 26, 2008 at 10:30pm — 2 Comments

Thanksgiving message

When you look at the economy these days you might wonder just what we all have to be thankful for this year. Let me remind you that others have had it far worse. Remember, the Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. In fact, no Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.

I'm particularly fond of this quote from H.U. Westermayer who said that if the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would…

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 26, 2008 at 8:57pm — No Comments

WHOOPS - LAST MINUTE "PROBABLE CLAWS" CONTEST!!

Sorry, folks, I posted this elsewhere. But I won't draw my winners until SUNDAY (Nov. 30) so if you're interested, email me today!

Probable Claws is coming out this spring! I've got a… Continue

Added by Clea Simon on November 26, 2008 at 1:10pm — No Comments

Catching the digital wave

Digital book sales, aka e-books, continue to soar.

According to the AP and other news reports, Random House has announced that they are digitalizing thousands of additional books. Excerpts will be available online. Read rest of post here

Added by Kathryn Lilley on November 26, 2008 at 8:31am — 3 Comments

Suck on this ...

For about the last ten years I've been trying to convince everyone and anyone that there used to be sweets called Double Agents ... no-one believed me. So suck on this ... PROOF!

Added by Tony Black on November 26, 2008 at 4:38am — 2 Comments