I went to see the movie District 9 and was blown away by it's originality. I know this is a crime forum but we're writers and you can appreciate something well done and original. Sci-Fi has always been a great way to get political messages through to the public. I wonder if anyone else agrees with me on this?

Has anyone else read this book by Ian Spector? I admit I'm juvenille to begin with, just ask my wife and kids. I bought this slim tome in the San Antonio airport bookstore. I was laughing so hard on the flight I had people wondering what the dude in the last seat was up to. Here's a few observations from the book:



"Chuck Norris will eat your soul for a Klondike bar."



"Mr. T sleeps with a pillow under his gun."



"After hearing that Jesus had fed multitudes with… Continue

I was wondering how you come up with names of your characters? The most unusual way I come up with names is to walk cemeteries with paper and pen. Somehow, I feel I'm keeping the spirit of the person alive. Especially when I see an unattended gravesite. Perhaps this person has no more relatives or is forgotten by their ancestors. Is this stupid of me? Is it disrespectful? Anyhow, I'm sure others have unique ways of naming their characters. I'd be really interested to know.

I believe it was Hitchcock who coined the term, "McGuffin," which is an item in a thriller or crime that doesn't matter but helps move the story along. My favorite McGuffin was the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. There's been a thousand theories on what was in the case. I always thought it was a 1/2 dozen Royale With Cheese burgers. Anyhow, what is your favorite McGuffin?

When you're writing and you describe a gun sitting on the nightstand. . . does that mean it has to be used? Can we be unpredictable or do readers get upset at this? I do like skirting around the established "rules." After all, how are we to become unique literary creatures if we pale to copy? Then again, I read Naked Lunch I said to myself, "What the F- - - was that?"

Will we ever know the casue of his death? Was it a simple heart attack or something else? A fifty year old man in terrific shape who didn't drink or smoke. Sometimes the mysteries of real life dwarf that of our fictional tomes. In any case, we of the Generation X have lost an Icon. I remember the girls in my high school with the Thriller posters in their lockers. Its sad. . .

My next book is due out in the fall and is titled Adirondack Mysteries. I'm very excited about the anthology. Fellow Crimespace member Angela Zeman is in it as well as S.W. Hubbard, Gigi Vernon and others. I wrote a story in the book called Blackfoot Joe.

My friend, and fantastic author, Angela Zeman, suggested I sign up for Crimespace. This is the coolest thing . . .ever! There's a terrific amount of amazing authors on here. I can tell this will be another addiction for me. I'm honored to be included on Crimespace.