My full time job aside, this is the time of year when I try to make the best of my hobby (writing) by making several book store appearances, keeping my blog posts up, pushing a newsletter out, posting to social media sites and maybe adding a few words to the novel I'm working on. As someone close recently observed, there is a very fine line between "hobby" and “mental illness."

Why Shakespeare, what made made you pick that time and period and author?

C: Actually we sort of came upon the Bard by accident. We were brainstorming video ame ideas (a medium that interests us as storytellers) and Anthony made a crack about Kill Bill. Except he said instead of having a game where you are trying to kill David Carradine, he said it should be a different Bill, such as say… Billy Shakespeare?

A: We’ve both been fans of…

Many of you know that I draw my inspiration and ideas from the area in which I live and where my DI Andy Horton crime novelsand thriller novelsare set: Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and generally the Solent area on the South Coast of England.

My marine mystery country is a vibrant area full of contrasts and contradictions, which…

Finally my first novel, DIRTY SWEET, is available for the Kindle for under ten bucks ($7.16 - no idea how it ended up at that).

The book was first published in Canada by ECW Press and then picked up for publication in the USA by Harcourt. A paperback version did get published just at the time Harcourt merged with Houghton Miflin but I don't know if any…

Detroit Police Homicide Detective, Sergeant Roman Stefan, has one of the best arrest records on the force—he’s also a dirty cop. Roman promises his ailing father that he will clean up his life and go straight. The problem is, Roman likes being dirty. As he deals with his promise, he is assigned to a 4-month old homicide investigation…

We have an ambitious tripleheader today, three novels each different, each has a decidedly different flavor, and each is the type of novel that one can take and use for different reasons. Our first novel this morning has its roots in a Ponzi scheme, but that isn’t what I want to focus on, instead I want to focus on the main message Alan Sakowitz is trying to deliver, or at least, I think he is. Here is the synopsis of the novel and I think you may possible see where I am going with…

I like to share feedback I get from readers. Today I'd like to introduce you to Juli Monroe.

I met Juli, a sell proclaimed e-book lover, on the KindleKorner group, then learned that she lived nearby. In fact, Juli was one of the friends who stopped by at my last…

I've been absent for two weeks, Thanksgiving weekend was fantastic, had enough turkey on Thursday and again on Saturday to last me a year. Very convenient.

Last Saturday, Dina and I went downtown. The falling snow and relative warmth and little wind made it a perfect winter wonderland in which to soak up the holiday cheer.

We ate breakfast in a restaurant that faced the Chicago River, a young and very talented jazz guitarist, made our meal a sensation.

Breakfast was…

Paranormal mystery murder short story is what the tags read on this digital short story by A.J. Pompano. Has your GPS ever given you the wrong directions? Ever wonder why? One explanation can be gotten from this brick of plastic explosives disguised in a firecracker 4910 words. Check out the story line:

“Chuck Stratton’s detective father brought two disappointments to the grave. One was that that he couldn’t find a kidnapped girl in time to prevent her murder and the other…

The new issue of Kings River Life has an interview with mystery author Penny Warner, along with a review of her latest book HOW TO CRASH A KILLER BASH & a drawing to win a signed copy of that book http://kingsriverlife.com/12/11/interview-penny-warner-review/

There is also the final chapter of my mystery novel DEADLY DISCRIMINATION…

I have featured Tor in the past and enjoyed his work so much I wanted to read some more. He has a nice package up over at Smashwords that has four digital short stories in it called: Four Felonies and One Very Small Problem. The price to pick up all four is $2.99, not bad for four quality stories. I have featured one already, Starting Over , please check our archives for my thoughts on that. Today I want to concentrate on another digital…

• A Dark Matter by Peter Straub (Doubleday)
• Kraken by China Miéville (Del Rey)
• Sparrow Rock by Nate Kenyon (Leisure / Bad Moon Books)
• The Caretaker of Lorne Field by David Zeltserman (Overlook Hardcover)
• The Passage by Justin Cronin (Ballantine)
• Under the Dome by Stephen King (Scribner)

Reader voting ballots can be found…

Check this out, it comes from the back cover of this graphic novel:

“Mission Statement:

To entertain and educate young minds by creating unique illustrated books to recount stories of human values, to arouse curiosity in the world around us, and to inspire by tales of great deeds of unforgettable people.”

Their website is : www.campfire.co.in

The author of this graphic novel is C.E.L. Welsh. I have…

This week I begin a series of author interviews. I'll be travelling to various parts of the world to talk with them (so I may max out my credit card on expenses. lol Just kidding, I make the authors pay my travel expenses. Okay, kidding again. I actually use my newly discovered transporter. Yes, that's the truth.)



I think you'll find the answers to a standard questionnaire very interesting and I encourage you to click on the links and check them out further.



First, I start…

The Lovey Awards are presented annually to authors attending Love Is Murder. Books and short stories nominated for the Lovey must have been published in the year preceding the current conference. Because Love Is Murder did not occur in 2010, books & short stories nominated for the Lovey Award 2011 were published in 2009 or 2010.



This year we will be listing the nominated books in the newsletter so that you, the voting attendees of LIM 2011, will have a chance to read at least…

The Lovey Awards are presented annually to authors attending Love Is Murder. Books and short stories nominated for the Lovey must have been published in the year preceding the current conference. Because Love Is Murder did not occur in 2010, books & short stories nominated for the Lovey Award 2011 were published in 2009 or 2010.



This year we will be listing the nominated books in the newsletter so that you, the voting attendees of LIM 2011, will have a chance to read at least…

I am going to lead off with this today for a few reasons. Prepare yourself because I am going to be hitting you with a bunch of information on this bad boy. Monday I am also going to lead off with this dynamic duo, Conor McCreery & Anthony Del Col, in a Q&A I was lucky enough to get. The graphic novel is original, fresh, irreverent, and just about all the things I love in a graphic novel. Here is the official press release:

“Canadians Successful in quest to Kill…

Saturday I return to Maryland to sign some books at Borders in the in the Gateway Center. The store is right on Route 301 in Prince Georges's County, across from the Bowie Baysox stadium, 1/4 mile south of the Route 50 interchange. If you're looking for holiday gifts they have a great bargain books section, but of course nothing beats a novel signed by the author, right? Stop in and say hello between 1pm and 4pm, at 4420 Mitchellville Rd, Bowie MD.

Does Cotton Malone ever get to be behind the counter of his book store and actually sell a book to anyone? If so what would the book be and to what famous figure or character would he sell it? Fun thought? Well, since he didn’t sell any books this again,

what exactly did he do with his bad self ?

“The tomb of China’s First Emperor, guarded by an underground army of terra-cotta warriors has remained sealed for more than 2,000 years. Though…