I. J. Parker's Blog – October 2009 Archive (4)

The End

Presumably typing "The End" for a new novel spells exhilaration for authors. Frankly, it's never done this for me (just as I've never thrilled to holding one of my books). Invariably, there are so many things left to do before the book goes in the mail. In my case, there a few loose ends to check, a historical note to write, a neat quote to find, a map to draw. None of these pleases me. They are chores. So I'm depressed.

I'm even more depressed by the thought that this book may never see… Continue

Added by I. J. Parker on October 31, 2009 at 12:13am — 7 Comments

Covers

Covers are part of the publisher’s sales pitch. Authors are not generally involved in the selection process. That can be both frustrating and infuriating. I happen to be one of those people who cringe at ugliness and mistakes.

Mystery novels are rarely blessed with handsome covers. From what I’ve seen and read, the cover “artist” goes to a large universal photography file, selects a likely scene (usually dark and foggy) and copies… Continue

Added by I. J. Parker on October 11, 2009 at 2:22am — 7 Comments

I meant to post a blog but . . .

I see that most of you have no problems posting photos and book covers on your blog post. I, on the other hand, don't seem to be able to transfer a cover image from my files (jpeg) to the blog. And nowhere in "Help" is this problem addressed. Neither does the "Upload Photo" method explain why there is an "error" with my image and what to do about it.

Any suggestions?

(And sorry to blog about it, but I didn't know what other route to take)

Added by I. J. Parker on October 8, 2009 at 4:54am — 15 Comments

Akitada Investigates a Historical Murder: "The Kamo Horse."

I get some of my plot ideas from Japanese history and literature. In this case, one of the old chronicles supplied a tale that ended up as a short story.

The TALES OF THE HEIKE is a prose epic that commemorates the bloody battles between Taira Kiyomori and Minamoto Yoritomo which ended the imperial rule and brought in feudal Japan under the rule of a shogun and warlords. The epic contains a number of memorable anecdotal stories, among them that of the murder of the beautiful Lady… Continue

Added by I. J. Parker on October 3, 2009 at 4:00am — No Comments