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I started writing limericks in high school. That was before I got into trouble for publishing a high school look-alike of the 1950s Confidential magazine (a fictional version of the story appears in my mystery novel, The Hayloft). I no longer write scandal sheets, but I do still write limericks. Here are some of my mystery limericks:

Of hostage talks writes Jeffery…

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In one sense, voice cannot be taught, just as good writing
cannot be taught, but it can be learned.

I think voice is developed from writing thousands upon
thousands, even millions of words, and of course reading
more words than we write.

Summary: Voice can't be taught, unless the student has the
ability to learn, but I think most learn it by
assimilation.

Got to playing with the website builder and revamped my site. In doing so, I got to wondering, who sort of information do readers want to find on an author's website? Feel free to check it out, and let me know what else you might have wanted to see. The link's on the left in my profile. Updating again is no biggie.



On the other matter, we've just adopted a new cat, our third, and our second stray. The first one we adopted a year ago. She'd been hanging out in our yard for a while, and… Continue

Dave White, author of When One Man Dies (on sale everywhere in September and widely praised already - James Crumley gave it two fingers up...thumbs, that is) asks what you'll be reading this summer. For me the summer is a short one since I've just today finished calculating and entering grades for my summer classes and soon I'll need to prepare for the Fall. Also, I'm a slow reader so I'll be lucky to finish two or three books before I've got…

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Went to the Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building for jury service yesterday. Never got called up but noticed these cheap-looking posters up on the walls. They resembled movie matinee posters with a different "celebrity" face on each one with the message--the Office of the Los Angeles Jury Commissioner features HARRISON FORD, EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, JAMIE LEE CURTIS, JUDGE LANCE ITO, etc. Supposedly they also spent eight hours in a stuffy room on uncomfortable chairs. Never have seen a celebrity…

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I was asked by a friend how I write when I write and for how long. A lot easier asked than answered. I have read of writers who work eight-to-10-hours a day, sometimes six-days a week, in front of the computer. Wow! If I did that, I could get a book done in three months. I am not sure how good it would be, not with my shortsighted thought process.

Like many writers, I have a job that pays the bills and then my real job, writing. So, at the end of the day I can be all juiced up…

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I've just learned that Publishers Weekly has given ISLAND OF EXILES a starred review. Even better than that fact is the review itself:

"Parker's fourth Sugawara Akitada mystery (after 2006's Black Arrow), set in 11th-century Japan, manages to outplot its superb predecessors. When exiled and disgraced Prince Okisada is poisoned on…

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