June 2009 Blog Posts (187)

Thriller Bugbear #69: Plot-Point Techno Madness!

Much as I love Nordic crime fiction, the Europewide megaseller “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson made me want to throw knives like the Swedish chef on The Muppet Show. Why?

Two reasons.

First, the minor reason. Written by a (tragically deceased) Swedish journalist, the book is… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on June 18, 2009 at 9:05pm — 2 Comments

Lecture en francais a Jerusalem

Je fais une lecture en francais chez la librairie francaise a Jerusalem ce mois. Voici les detailles :

«Meurtre chez les Samaritains» de Matt Rees, Editions Albin Michel

Tout est possible en Palestine, et rien ne dit que le jeune Ishaq, le fils du prêtre des Samaritains de Naplouse, n’a pas été exécuté parce qu’il était homosexuel. Rien ne dit non plus que sa connaissance intime des caisses noires du Vieux, l’ancien Président de l’Autorité palestinienne, ne lui a pas été fatale.… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on June 18, 2009 at 6:42pm — No Comments

Some Great Bedtime Reading

Some kind soul at Houghton Mifflin sent me a copy of THE CROSSING PLACES by Elly Griffiths. This was such a compelling read that I stayed up late for three nights trying to squeeze in more chapters . . . and that's my favorite kind of book. The amateur sleuth here is English archeologist Ruth Galloway, an almost-forty, likable loner who lives in a small house on the Saltmarsh, a remote area of England where Ruth is not unlikely to find the occasional… Continue

Added by Julia Buckley on June 18, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

BLEEDER final cover at last

Today I received the final cover art for BLEEDER (Sophia Institute Press, forthcoming August 2009). Actually, I got two versions: one with a bearded cleric, and one shaven (Esau was an hairy man but…)

Anyway, I preferred the bearded image since the beard is mentioned in the story, and a stigmatist identifies closely with Jesus, who had a beard. In a passage from the Servant Songs of Isaiah, which Christians have long understood to be pointing to… Continue

Added by John Desjarlais on June 18, 2009 at 8:31am — 1 Comment

Happy Days!

It's started, the best time of the year for the hard-working author: The first reviews are coming in.

Usually PUBLISHERS WEEKLY is the earliest. In this instance, I was blessed with a short review in THE DAILY BEAST last week. But now PUBLISHERS WEEKLY has arrived with a starred review:

The Convict's Sword: A Mystery of Eleventh-Century Japan I.J. Parker. Penguin, $15 paper (416p) ISBN 978-0-14-311579-3

In Parker's compelling fifth mystery set in feudal… Continue

Added by I. J. Parker on June 18, 2009 at 5:21am — 11 Comments

Of Aztecs and Conquistadors Nominated for The New Covey Cover Awards

I'd like to ask for your votes my friends. 'Of Aztecs and Conquistadors' written by my alter ego Juan Pablo Jalisco and with a superb cover design by Graeme S Houston, has been nominated for this month's New Covey Cover Award. I'd really appreciate it if my friends would visit http://thenewcoveycoverawards.blogspot.com/ as soon as voting opens later today, (noon at some places in the USA) and vote for the entry at #6, 'Of Aztecs and… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on June 18, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

Variety reports that Phillip Noyce will direct Mixed Blood the movie

Variety, Hollywood Reporter and Screen International have given a lot of space to the announcement that Phillip Noyce will helm the… Continue

Added by roger smith on June 18, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

Meet Me in MD Tomorrow

Thursday I get to pay the Maryland Writers Association back for their kindness. I’ll be speaking at the Howard County chapter’s monthly meeting. I intend to share a wealth of information about creating good characters and I know there will be lively discussion. We’ll meet from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Elkridge branch of the Howard County library, 6540 Washington Blvd, Elkridge, MD. All writers, and aspiring writers, are welcome.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 17, 2009 at 10:54pm — No Comments

Productivity

Why is it that some days I get so much done and other days I might as well weed petunias as try to write? It has to be mind-set, but I wish I had better control of turning it on and off.

Yesterday I did the final edit on a whole novel (the one I had to shorten), did a bunch of correspondence that needed catching up, and got a good start on a short story I'm twisting to fit a particular editor's needs. That involved printing pages, a lot of computer time, and many small decisions that… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on June 17, 2009 at 9:39pm — No Comments

New Flash Piece "Spinning" up on MFA/MFYou

Hi all...sorry I've been so quiet (working on a new novel).

But I just wanted you all to know I've got a new flash/crime piece up. It's called Spinning

They had this to say about me in the "Letter from the Editor" section: Matthew Quinn Martin studies in a Popular Fiction program and I can honestly say his story “Spinning,” with its clever playing with names, self-constructed identities, and how much… Continue

Added by Matthew Quinn Martin on June 17, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

Dealing with People You Can't Stand

I met a person last weekend who immediately made me angry, which doesn't happen all that often. We all have types we avoid, and for me it's the person who, obviously feeling that he/she knows best about everything and everyone, launches upon first meeting into an analysis of what you are doing that is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. My anger faded quickly once I reminded myself that this person is actually a rather sad sort, trying to make the world fit an outdated idea with pure bombast and… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on June 17, 2009 at 12:09am — 3 Comments

More Russian Roulette blog tour

Today the Russian Roulette blog tour continues on Authors on the Net

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 16, 2009 at 11:19pm — 2 Comments

PLEASE HELP ME WIN!

Russian Roulette is entered in the “Wake up… Celebrity Author” contest. The book with most votes by September 25th will appear on the Barnes & Noble Bestseller List. Please cast your vote at THIS LINK.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 16, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

A New Era!!!!!

From my blog

http://mari-thewritersblock.blogspot.com/

Several days ago I blogged about the loss of Roseanne Savo's wonderful groups in Ventura County, and tonight I have wonderful news. Roseanne is going to continue some of the groups as a non-paid volunteer, and while times and meeting locations will change, the groups will continue.

The Monday night group that I attend is going to change times and meet at 2 PM on Fridays, but Barnes & Noble is thrilled to have… Continue

Added by Mari Sloan on June 16, 2009 at 5:06pm — No Comments

Learning about the blogosphere through Blog Book Tours

Since the beginning of May, I've been immersed in the online Blog Book Tours course. I've been posting on my blog, Julie Lomoe's Musings Mysterioso, almost daily, and as of today I expect to log 2,000 visits. That's since May lst, not just today. Even so, for me, that's an enormous number, though it's minuscule for some.

The course is demanding, but highly informative for writers who want to maximize their online presence. The next course… Continue

Added by Julie Lomoe on June 16, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Another cool Review

Another great review of Russian Roulette is up on “Between The Lines”.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 16, 2009 at 7:10am — No Comments

How I started writing my novels

I've just uploaded a new video. In this video I talk about how I began writing and the long road to publication. It takes a while for many writers to discover their writing style and to find what they truly want to write, and that's how it was for me. It also takes time to learn your craft and resilience to cope with the rejection letters and disappointments along the way.

I first seriously started to write fiction with the aim of publication over twenty years ago. I wrote at… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on June 16, 2009 at 3:44am — 2 Comments

Today's Guest Blog

The Russian Roulette blog tour continues on "In Reference to Murder"

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 16, 2009 at 12:11am — No Comments

Author Update

The bottom line of my book’s opening event at Borders in Waldorf MD was that it was an unqualified success. They made it a special event with trays of snacks and yummy soft drinks and helium filled balloons. And I was pleasantly surprised at how many people took a copy of Russian Roulette AND one of my back list novels. Big props to manager Missy Robinson for pulling it together on short notice when we learned the Borders Express in the nearby mall couldn’t host me as planned. And if you missed… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on June 15, 2009 at 10:51pm — No Comments

Fan Mail now out in the UK

Fan Mail is the third in my crime series featuring Aussie FBI profiler Sophie Anderson.

In Fan Mail, Sophie is working a case where fiction has become fatal. A popular crime writer is murdered and posed just like the crime scene in the dead author’s last book. Full synopsis

Fan Mail also answers some of those lingering questions from The Murderers' Club, so all will be… Continue

Added by Phillipa Martin (PD Martin) on June 15, 2009 at 10:02pm — 2 Comments