It is stating the obvious to write that Shakespeare was a genius, but every once in a while, that fact is brought home to me with such clarity that I have to do it. As writers, we know about themes and how they enrich a story. In MACBETH, the theme of sleep is handled brilliantly.

At the outset, Macbeths have no idea that murder sticks with a person. They think (although he is less convinced of it than she is) that once the king is dead, everything will be fine. But once it is done,…

Back On Murder novelist J. Mark Bertrand interviewed on Hook’em & Book’em about his soon-to-b released murder mystery. Join us as the author tells about murder, suspense and a detective trying hard to get his police career Back On Murder.…

Book One of the Randi Black Series, Murder at Timber Bridge is now available at Amazon and Smashwords. Print version coming…

Hello Everyone,

Almost a year to the day after my last post (time sure flies, doesn't it?), I am pleased to announce my new True Crime book is finished, and will be available at fine booksellers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Target, Indigo, and many more at the end of May.

Unsolved: True Canadian Cold Cases profiles 12 still-solvable cases from 1967 to the present day. Not all the cases are well-known,…

I’m author Victoria Roder and as an author, the world around me is an endless opportunity for writing material. Everything I see, touch, taste, hear, and observe is ripe for the picking. My friend Denny gave me a t-shirt that reads, Be Careful What You Say. You Might be in My Novel.…

I wrote about some of the positives about e-publishing yesterday. Here are some of the negatives. To start, there is the small percentage of people who actually own a reading device. The number is growing rapidly, but it's still small. 5 or 10 years from now this will be much less of an issue. Reaching those people can be difficult, particularly for fiction. Sites like this one can help, because at least you have a target audience. But how many of you own reading devices?

The ease of…

I just found my e-book, GO HOME AND DIE, is now available on Kindle. That's so cool.

Now if I just had a Kindle of my very own!

My "vintage" mystery concerns a prim young woman of the '60s, Carrie, who meets a recently-returned Vietnam vet, Jack. Their first meeting is a bit rocky, but they soon learn to appreciate each other's good points. Carrie admires Jack's courage in facing the problems life has thrown at him. Jack admires Carrie's ability to see the good in the world and help him see it as well.

I chose not to dwell on the politics of the Vietnam war. If you're looking for a commentary on why we…