January 2010 Blog Posts (151)

Book Tours Not Just Ego Tripping

Not long ago a friend of mine commented that my travels to promote my books must be a great pleasure to me. “You just have to talk about yourself,” he sneered. “You must like that.”

I ignored the implied insult (until now). But it struck me that people might think book tours are literally ego-trips. Wrong on two counts.

First, it’s only on book tour that people will frequently come up to you and say that you look better in your jacket photo. In Aachen last year,… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on January 10, 2010 at 10:28pm — 3 Comments

Review - The Twilight Time, Karen Campbell

Book Title: THE TWILIGHT TIME

Author: Karen Campbell

Publisher: Hodder

Copyright: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-340-93560-6

No of Pages: 339

Book Synopsis:

Anna Cameron is a new Sergeant in the Flexi Unit. On her first day in the new job she discovers she'll be working with her ex, Jamie, now married and with a child. In at the deep end emotionally after many years without him, she's also plunged headlong into the underworld of Glasgow's notorious Drag - the… Continue

Added by Karen from AustCrime on January 10, 2010 at 4:11pm — No Comments

Tuesdays With Friends

Hi guys,

I'm starting a new feature on my other blog, KdBlog, called Tuesdays With Friends. It's the day I invite another writer to take over the blog and run with it. It's a chance for me to make new friends, and a chance for other writers to talk about something that interests them and to promote their writing to a new set of readers. If anyone on Crimespace is interested in becoming a KdBlog Tuesday Friend, shoot me a message.… Continue

Added by KD Easley on January 10, 2010 at 8:57am — No Comments

'Pestilence' Released

I'm delighted to announce that Double Dragon Publishing have released the e-book edition of my new novel 'Pestilence' (The paperback edition will follow in a couple of weeks). This is one my own particular favorites amongst my own books and I hope it will entertain and enthrall those who read it. Available in e-book from Double Dragon Publishing

As soon as the paperback is available I… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on January 9, 2010 at 9:53pm — No Comments

Review: DYING GASP by Leighton Gage

Soho Crime, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-56947-613-0

Hardcover, 336 pages

$24.00

Reviewed by Larry W. Chavis

This is the third novel in the series featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Brazilian Federal Police, and in it he faces one of the grim problems of his country: the forcible prostitution of the very young. I so doing, he must deal with corruption in the local police force, as well as higher-level… Continue

Added by Larry W. Chavis on January 9, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments

More Social Networking

My name is KD Easley, and my mystery novel, Where the Dreams End came out in August of 2009. My promotion efforts have been small thus far, mostly social networking sites and word of mouth. So, now I'll give Crimespace a try. I love being part of a social networking site where everyone here is a mystery fan. I kind of feel like I've arrived home.

So far, I like Crimespace. It's easy to use, friendly and I hope to meet some new mystery fans here, but do I really have time to maintain… Continue

Added by KD Easley on January 9, 2010 at 5:39am — 5 Comments

It's a Question of Focus

I spoke with a professional blogger last summer. I didn't even know there were such folks, but anyway, I got some advice that I'm finally going to put into practice. She told me that blogging about writing, while nice for me and possibly helpful or interesting for other writers, is not the way to grow a readership.

One part of me says, "But I like exchanging ideas with writers." And the other part says, "But you've done that for several years now. Shut up."

So, while I may… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 8, 2010 at 10:18pm — 4 Comments

The Decade that Dare not Speak its Name

In the documentary “Imagine,” John Lennon comments that his song “Starting Over” from "Double Fantasy" was a message to fans his own age in which he aimed to ask them: “Hey, how’re you? Weren’t the Seventies a drag? Let’s hope the Eighties will be better.”

If John had lived on through the Eighties to experience the decade just gone, I’m sure he’d have used a stronger word than “drag” to describe it, and it would’ve been… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on January 8, 2010 at 7:45pm — No Comments

Review - Stone's Fall, Iain Pears

Book Title: STONE'S FALL

Author: Iain Pears

Publisher: Random House

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 9780224084376

No of Pages: 597

Book Synopsis:

In his most dazzling and brilliant novel since An Instance of the Fingerpost, Iain Pears tells the story of John Stone, financier and armaments manufacturer, a man so wealthy that in the years before World War One he was able to manipulate markets, industries and indeed whole countries and continents. A panoramic… Continue

Added by Karen from AustCrime on January 8, 2010 at 11:26am — No Comments

Domestic Crime - What do you think the court should do in cases like this?

Here's a real event that happened during my tour of duty almost ten years ago. The case is still in litigation so the names were changed to protect the innocent.

Steve and Danielle

Neighbors saw and heard glass being smashed and shattered at the apartment of Danielle, Steve's girlfriend and the mother of Steve's nine month old daughter, Casey. The neighbors telephoned police.

When I arrived I saw the front bay window of the apartment smashed with fragments… Continue

Added by Johnny Russell on January 8, 2010 at 4:30am — 7 Comments

Talking About Books

Met a friend for lunch yesterday for the express pleasure of talking about books, publishing, authors, reading, and writing. Some of you might have regular contact with others in the biz, but living in rural northern Michigan limits my opportunitites, and I'm lucky if I get to speak to someone who really knows the stresses of publishing once a month. I'm sure I bore my friends silly with talk of edits and pub dates, and many of them struggle to keep up with the argot.

But lunches… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 7, 2010 at 10:07pm — 1 Comment

Shamelessly Begging for Your Votes, My Friends

Okay everyone! Here I am again shamelessly begging for your votes. all my nominations are doing very well so far, but I would especially like to ask if anyone would add their votes to my nomination in the Authors category at http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml I briefly reached the number one slot last night only to be knocked off again this morning. Obviously competition is very strong and every vote could… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on January 7, 2010 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Review - Black Butterfly, Mark Gatiss

Book Title: BLACK BUTTERFLY

Author: Mark Gatiss

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Copyright: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-74325-712-1

No of Pages: 204

Book Synopsis:

Lucifer Box. He's tall, he's dark and, like the shark, he looks for trouble.

Or so he wishes. For, with Queen Elizabeth newly established on her throne, the now elderly secret agent is reaching the end of his scandalous career. Despite his fast-approaching retirement, queer events leave… Continue

Added by Karen from AustCrime on January 7, 2010 at 12:12pm — No Comments

VBT: Day Three

Over here http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com talking about the making of the book, and how I got some ideas for it. Join us!

Added by Kim Smith on January 7, 2010 at 8:26am — No Comments

Good Grief!

Took me five minutes to find out how to write a new post!

I am selling some things on ebay. Have a look if you would like. I collect Charms, and I am selling lots, both Sterling and silver-tone.

I am also FINALLY doing the reading I need to for Snaketown and the research on ceramics. I have to resist the temptation to actually try to throw a pot or two! I'm so easily… Continue

Added by Virginia Conn on January 7, 2010 at 8:18am — No Comments

Can you suggest a clever crime-oriented ending with a twist for this song?

Can you suggest a clever crime-oriented ending with a twist for this song?“Pussy Whipped”

Download free MP3 at:

http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2214652

"Doctor, yes, I think I have a problem. Use the word disorder if you like. My cat, she nags me night and day. No's a word I cannot say. Meow. Feed me, now.

I worry that she might get diabetes. Then, I'll have to give her shots for life. I try to stop… Continue

Added by Mike on January 7, 2010 at 12:30am — No Comments

Thoughts on Speaking and Listening (R)

Here's what I observed over thirty years of teaching communication. It's important for today's author to be a good speaker, because we must present well before agents, editors, and audiences of potential readers. While I would hate to think we compete with each other, we are compared to other writers as we sit on panels, in pitch sessions, and so on. Many times I've bought books based on the impression a speaker made on me at a convention. Nevada Barr springs to mind; she has such a presence on… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 6, 2010 at 10:23pm — No Comments

Review - Innocent Blood, Elizabeth Corley

Book Title: INNOCENT BLOOD

Author: Elizabeth Corley

Publisher: Allison and Busby

Copyright: 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7490-8062-4

No of Pages: 541

Book Synopsis:

DCI Andrew Fenwick is on a tough case. The Choir Boy investigation, a project outside ordinary police jurisdiction, aims to expose an infamous and increasingly powerful paedophile ring. Moreover, with eleven-year-old schoolboy Sam Bowyers missing, every second counts. But is the investigation more… Continue

Added by Karen from AustCrime on January 6, 2010 at 3:35pm — No Comments

Virtual Book Tour Day two

If you are following me around the net this month, thank you so much! I appreciate your support so much! If you want to chat with me about goals and resolutions for the new year, go on over to day two here http://www.abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com

Added by Kim Smith on January 6, 2010 at 10:15am — No Comments

Guest Post Number One

http://brotherkangrants.blogspot.com/2010/01/guest-post-shed-of-ones-own.html

I am going to start doing guest posts every week or two if possible, This is the first one and if anyone here is interested in doing a guest post let me know, message me here.

Added by KevinRegier@BrotherKangsRants on January 6, 2010 at 7:37am — 2 Comments