That's the name of the New Book piece that was just published in the current issue of Mystery Scene Magazine. That's issue # 100, rather momentous, a nice bit of luck. The article refers to how animals are being used more and more in mystery stories these days. Not only does this reflect a greater senstivity toward animals by society at large, but a larger understanding of their importance not only to the planet but to the way they enrich our lives. This love of animals is why Marilyn Victor…

Another week, another interview.

This week, it's Jay MacLarty in the hotseat.

Read what he's got to say here.

I recently finished an ARC of THE CONCRETE MAZE, by author Steven Torres. This book marks his first effort at book-length noir/hardboiled fiction (he's written a series of police procedurals set in Puerto Rico that I need to check out). Anyway, it's a doozy. Fans of the genre will find all the classic elements at play here - urban setting, drugs, prostitution and plenty of desperation and impending doom. What's different is the strong sense of familial loyalty and…

posted by Jeanne Munn Bracken

I'm nobody's idea of a tech weenie. Oh, sure, if it's on the internet, I can probably find it faster than the average bear, but when it comes to making computers do what they're supposed to do, I'm sunk. Deep.

At my library job, I'm often asked to help patrons with their computer problems--usually printing or e-mail. I can figure out most…

posted by Doranna Durgin

Okay. I'm gonna get political. And I'm gonna get opinionated. I hope you're ready!

There's an orchestrated series of aggressive spay/neuter laws sweeping the country--or trying to. And they suck. They should be fought, tooth and claw and yes, fiercely worded blogs.

I said this to an agility friend at practice the other day and startled her deeply. I don't blame her for being surprised--of anyone in this world, I am vocal in…

There are lots of ways for readers to find a new writer they want to try, but perhaps the easiest is to look them up in the Yellow Pages. Specifically, I recommend the Author Yellow Pages web site. AuthorYellowPages.com is a searchable directory of author websites. After years of hearing from readers who wanted easy access to authors and their websites, The Book Report Network created this website where authors list their official and publisher websites, as well as fan and…

Woo Hoo! The Marian Kind is now on sale, and my first review, from Cocktail Reviews, also hit the airways.

Here's what Black Russian had to say...

"Set yourself up for a fun ride!"

"excellent one-liners that made me laugh out loud."

"A breath of fresh air, The Marian Kind is a must read for all romantic comedy readers."

"Favourite lines:

He took a scone and stared like it was Snow White’s…

posted by Donna Andrews, SinC Chapter Liaison and author of the Meg Langslow & Turing Hopper mystery series.

Potential SinC members often ask what benefits they can get from joining

the organization. And most SinC members--including me--have very

decided ideas about what benefits SinC could or should offer.



But just to play devil's advocate--or possibly prove that I'm still a

child of the sixties--I'd like to suggest that we all need to shift our…

Questions, Answers, Sales, Chocolate!

Wow! I just got off the phone with the Southern half of Evelyn David. She just finished her talk at the Lawton Public Library in Lawton, Oklahoma and was bouncing off the walls with excitement. I've heard of a runner's high – that point in a race where all your endorphins kick in. I think there…

I have a quote on my Crimespace page: "Kindness and compassion could solve a whole lot of problems." Somebody asked me the other day what's the context, why do I have that there? So after a while, when the fact that somebody had asked was still on my mind, I decided to blog about it.

First off, it's not really a quote, nobody has said exactly those words that I know of, except me. It's there because a saying on a web page is sort of like an epitaph -- it should be something…