All Discussions Tagged 'Mystery' - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T13:13:15Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Mystery&feed=yes&xn_auth=noSecond Novel just released - Scent of Gardeniatag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-03-14:537324:Topic:3342662012-03-14T17:48:03.220ZDick C Watershttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DickCWaters
<p>My second novel in the Scott Tucker series was just published. After much consideration I decided to publish using Amazon's KDP process. I thought I would have some issues formatting my manuscript into the Kindle format, but it went rather smoothly.</p>
<p>Hopefully this link will show you what the novel is about - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SCENT-GARDENIA-Tucker-Series-ebook/dp/B007JZ0JHI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331744279&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Scent of…</a></p>
<p>My second novel in the Scott Tucker series was just published. After much consideration I decided to publish using Amazon's KDP process. I thought I would have some issues formatting my manuscript into the Kindle format, but it went rather smoothly.</p>
<p>Hopefully this link will show you what the novel is about - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SCENT-GARDENIA-Tucker-Series-ebook/dp/B007JZ0JHI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331744279&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Scent of Gardenia</a></p> Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine submissiontag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-17:537324:Topic:3314652012-02-17T00:09:07.990ZJed Powerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JedPower
<p>Thought someone might be interested.</p>
<p></p>
<p>On July 7, 2011 sent a story to A. H. Couple of days ago I sent an e-mail query about the submission status. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Received today: "At the moment we are responding to stories received in early June. Therefore we estimate it will be another 1-2 months before you will be notified of our decision."</p>
<p></p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>Jed </p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Thought someone might be interested.</p>
<p></p>
<p>On July 7, 2011 sent a story to A. H. Couple of days ago I sent an e-mail query about the submission status. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Received today: "At the moment we are responding to stories received in early June. Therefore we estimate it will be another 1-2 months before you will be notified of our decision."</p>
<p></p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>Jed </p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Updating 'old' clues in Published Books for new electronic formats.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-12-05:537324:Topic:2576662010-12-05T08:18:08.708ZHazel Edwardshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/HazelEdwards
<p> </p>
<p>Has anyone else had to update clues, technologically for a later edition of a mystery?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Due to likely e-book adaptation, I've revisited a print published, junior mystery I wrote six computers ago. Twenty years on, rights had reverted,I couldn't find the back up disk and scanning was not viable for this kind of conversion, so it meant re-typing. I cursed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But it's been an enlightening experience.…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Has anyone else had to update clues, technologically for a later edition of a mystery?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Due to likely e-book adaptation, I've revisited a print published, junior mystery I wrote six computers ago. Twenty years on, rights had reverted,I couldn't find the back up disk and scanning was not viable for this kind of conversion, so it meant re-typing. I cursed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But it's been an enlightening experience.</p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000">Although some references need updating, the actual mystery has survived with immediacy of details I’d forgotten. Art is a 10 year old sleuth, a poor reader but a resourceful<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> problem-solver , with asthma who enters competitions under various names, and wins a giraffe.Inbetween is a greyhound scam. ‘Winning a Giraffe Called Geoffrey’ now is like reading someone else’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> clues.</font></font></span></p>
<h1 style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font size="5"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"> </font></font></font></span></h1>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">But certain details need updating:</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"> </font></font></font></span></p>
<ul style="MARGIN-TOP: 0cm" type="disc">
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Technology- related<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> clues<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>. E.g. polaroid photo.. Common then, archaic now. Today most kids use digital or their mobile. GPS exist.</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Audio recorder became<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> mini micro</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Peanut butter snack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> Out today for the kids with allergies. Used cheese.</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">My ‘sleuths’ wander around the streets and down the creek on their own finding clues like lost greyhounds<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> '</span>Helicopter' parents restrict this today ( But I let my characters continue to roam.)</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Walk home from school alone and detour,.(Left this)</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Mario (Mars Bar) is the fat kid and a bully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> This would be considered product placement.</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Blackboards have become whiteboards.</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">My Australian migrant kids are Italian. If I were writing today, they’d be Somali.</font></span></li>
<li style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">But the major change is the greater degree of freedom, children had after school. Now everything is parent- organised with chauffeuring.</font></span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">Now that’s a problem for a kids’ mystery.</font></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"> </font></font></font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000" size="2" face="Times New Roman">There are three more books in the series which I’ve renamed ‘Project Spy’ Only two more books to retype as I’ve found the file of the fourth book. What a relief.</font></span></p>
<p style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"> </font></font></font></span><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font size="2"><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#000000"> </font></font></font></span></p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000">My new year’s resolutions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> include<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span> BETTER FILING!</font></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><font color="#000000">Has anyone else had to update clues in adult crime or mystery stories?</font></span></p> Is Graphic violence becoming a modern day trend in thriller and mystery writing?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-07-08:537324:Topic:2411672010-07-08T23:11:36.938ZBenoit AKoahttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BenoitAKoa
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">I read Writing Mysteries, A handbook by the mystery writers of America and I would like to have opinions on Jeremiah Healy's rules of violence in a private investigator stories. Though my books are not private investigator types nor are they hard boiled mysteries, I believe most of the advice in that…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">I read Writing Mysteries, A handbook by the mystery writers of America and I would like to have opinions on Jeremiah Healy's rules of violence in a private investigator stories. Though my books are not private investigator types nor are they hard boiled mysteries, I believe most of the advice in that book pertains to mysteries and thrillers as well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">What do you think that "...there must be some violence but no graphic scenes of child abuse, rape and animal cruelty." Even though these things exist in real life and mystey and thriller writting emulates reality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">As of late, I've read plenty of stories that violate this rule and quite frankly, thought they were more realistic and I disagree with Jessica Mann and Jeremiah Healy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">My novel INSTANT MESSENGER for instance is a fiction based on real life serial killers, and I believe I owe it to my audience, the true crime lovers, to give them a front row seat of what happens to victims of serial murder, violence and rape behind closed doors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">I quote one article bellow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">·</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span> <b><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #005689; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">Amelia Hill</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">·</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #005689; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The Observer</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">, Sunday 25 October 2009</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">·</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #005689; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Article history</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">"Jessica Mann, an award-winning author who reviews crime fiction for the</span> <i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">Literary Review</span></i><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">, has said that an increasing proportion of the books she is sent to review feature male perpetrators and female victims in situations of "sadistic misogyny". "Each psychopath is more sadistic than the last and his victims' sufferings are described in detail that becomes ever more explicit, as young women are imprisoned, bound, gagged, strung up or tied down, raped, sliced, burned, blinded, beaten, eaten, starved, suffocated, stabbed, boiled or buried alive," she said."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 2.25pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #5e5e5e; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">What do you think? Is mystery becoming more realistic and the meek should either cope with it or, exercise their right to freedom and simply not read what is quickly becoming a trend—realism?</span></p>
<p> </p> Murder and Humor: Oil and Water? The Tone of a Mystery.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-06-28:537324:Topic:2398882010-06-28T12:35:34.650ZCaroline Trippehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CarolineTrippe
In my first post ever, I took exception to incidents (IMO gratuitous) of cruelty to animals in murder mysteries. During the course of that very lively discussion, someone brought up--inevitably--the moral dilemma of whether or not one is LESS upset by the violence done to humans --whether adult or children---than that occasionally done to animals. Which is, of course, the premise of the murder mystery, so we can't really do without it! <br></br>However, there are all sorts of ways to handle…
In my first post ever, I took exception to incidents (IMO gratuitous) of cruelty to animals in murder mysteries. During the course of that very lively discussion, someone brought up--inevitably--the moral dilemma of whether or not one is LESS upset by the violence done to humans --whether adult or children---than that occasionally done to animals. Which is, of course, the premise of the murder mystery, so we can't really do without it! <br/>However, there are all sorts of ways to handle violent death, different "attitudes." These attitudes, which <span style="font-style: italic;">presumably</span> reflect the author's own, are embodied in the novel by the various protagonists---most strongly by the detectives, of course--but in no small way by other characters as well. <br/><br/> I am talking now about the TONE of the mystery (and therefor also about the author's INTENT in writing the mystery). Is the TONE grimly serious, a social diatribe, a black humor satire in the guise of a mystery, a light-hearted travelogue caper, or post-modern cozy? (Most contemporary mysteries seem to incorporate elements of different types). Is it meant to raise your hackles, or only mildly titillate your suspense receptors? Is it a beach read or a novel that attempts to "transcend the genre?" <br/><br/>Now and then I will enjoy a murder mystery with a whimsical tone--- for instance Jane Langton's series, always delightfully illustrated by the author, ---which are actually quite serious underneath it all---but when I see the word "funny" or "witty" in one of the book-jacket blurbs, I may not take that one home with me. <br/><br/>I think I did say that I read mysteries for "escape" and relaxation---and that's true, up to a point. I love good ambiance, naturalistic dialogue, a complex plot and spine-tingling suspense; but on some level I believe I'm also reading for the experience of "catharsis." (Maybe that's the suspense---release from terror). It sounds sort of pretentious to say so---but there you are. <br/><br/>The bottom line is that TONE is very important. How much humor and wit---black or incidental---can a story take before murder becomes trivialized? Before the suspense is actually diluted ? Before the corpse, once a living breathing human being, becomes a cipher? Becomes compromised---so that we care less about who he or she was, or why this happened to them? <br/><br/>It goes without saying that we accept the death of the first (and often subsequent) victims as the premise of a novel about crime---but are we <span style="font-style: italic;">moved</span> by it? And in what way? How does the writer manipulate OUR attitude? Does a story in which a lot of wit and humor is employed suggest that this victim was expendable? Deserved to die? That we should not care about the person who was murdered, only about how the detective goes about solving the crime?<br/><br/>I'm not suggesting that there is no place in murder mysteries for wit, any more than that there is no place for sex or gustatory pleasures, as a minor diversion, or to flesh out the characters, make them convincing. A serious story can often use a touch of comic relief. But where do you draw the line? <br/><br/>I should add--maybe the TONE of a given mystery is determined by who you see as your main audience? <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>