Decided what to write for the Debut Dagger. Two or three years ago I started a fantasy novel and abandoned it. I revisited it a few times but could never get beyond about chapter 4.

I realised it was the characters I couldn't let go of, whereas the story itself was - poor :D

Then some real-life events and a bit of brainstorming suggested a story that these characters seemed to fit a lot better than they did a fantasy, so I decided to write it. 1800 words in so far and I still…

“Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.”

And I don't even have a DVD collection. I have VCR tapes. I also have movies I download. Yes, folks, I admit, I download movies from the Internet. Illegal, you say? Let's not get into that particular issue. And let's totally stay away from my downloading television shows, about…

Just started a short story to send off for hopeful inclusion in an anthology. They sent the last one back so the hopeful isn't very hopeful. I think the reason was probably that I had (IMO) great characters, interesting dialog and background and NO PLOT AT ALL....

When I thought about it later, it seemed to me that nothing much actually happened. So I think I would have sent it back too :D That's what you get for writing something at the last minute in a big rush.

Coffee is…

A visit to the newly refurbished Sandhurst Library in Bracknell Forest on 4 December was the perfect way to finish a busy year of talks and public appearances in 2013. Not only were the audience lovely and packed with some die hard DI Andy Horton fans but after my talk about murder, crime and bodies there was a gorgeous English tea complete with cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream,…

I have a  new story up at Spinetingler that might interest some here.  It concerns a writer and how he handles rejection.

The English language is simple.  OK, it's really not that simple, what with all its irregular verbs and myriad words borrowed from other languages.  But at least in English, we don't have to deal with fancy forms of letters.  The good old Microsoft Word keyboard just isn't set up for those either.

I first encountered this issue in my writing life in Grand Jeté  (yes, Jeté. not Jete).  The word is French and that little reverse accent is called an acute.  Other writers have…

Great news for my fellow CrimeSpace readers: StoneThread Publishing is offering all of its titles in any e-book format (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Apple, pdf, etc.) for 50% off between now and December 24th. In addition, StoneThread is offering a FREE fiction sampler.

Of course, I hope you'll take a look at my thriller, 13 Days: The Pythagoras Conspiracy. Among the StoneThread titles I've read and recommend are The Grave on Peckerwood Hill…

(This was written a few months back. I've since moved on and hope I can avoid this kind of experience in the future)

I know. Everybody has bad days but don't you feel some people have more than their fair share? You may even think this about yourself.

As writers, bad days can turn into opportunities for story content. So, feel free to use any of my experiences in one of your…

According to recent statistics, men have all but stopped reading fiction. Do they watch great television? Yes. Do they read non-fiction? Some. But the novel – that great interior journey – seems to have been lost to them.

It wasn’t always this way.

The path from boyhood to manhood used to go something like this: Boys got dirty, played with plastic guns, disturbed…

http://mitziszereto.com/blog/an-interview-with-dorian-gray/

A top notch crime thriller. At Murder Beach Mystery Reviews. http://billsmedia.blogspot.com

The anthology, "Stone Cold--Best New England Crime Stories," is now on sale.

I am proud to have one of my short stories, "Pipe Dream," included.

Folks, I have a blog up on Suzanne Adair's site (http://www.suzanneadair.net/2013/11/21/japan-before-shogun/) where I talk about writing the Akitada series. You'll find a nice discussion there, and a book giveaway, and the announcement that DEATH ON AN AUTUMN RIVER will be free for Kindle November 23-26.

I.J.Parker

 www.ijparker.com

Crime authors get to research all sorts of interesting things and last Saturday I spent a fascinating morning at the Fingerprint Bureau at Hampshire Police Support Headquarters at Netley, UK, learning how the fingerprints taken at the scene of crime and of people in police custody are identified. Although I'd researched this before and have had lots of advice from the Fingerprint Team I went there specifically to ask questions that relate to the…

Just finished 'Bandits", a real page turner. I didn't realize Leonard wrote 'Get Shorty' and 'Be Cool." Both were major motion pictures with John Travolta and Danny DeVito. (DeVito produced both films.)

An Abduction Revelation is a mystery fiction novel that explores an interesting mix between the paranormal and true life events of the author.

The intriguing book video trailer for An Abduction Revelation, published by Balboa Press, was revealed today on DGT Book Promotion news. In addition, Thomas L. Hay shared an insightful interview this week on the Reading and Writing Addiction blog about himself and the release of An Abduction Revelation. An Abduction Revelation…