September 2008 Blog Posts (137)

AUTHOR PUBLICIST, VIRTUAL TOUR HOST, AUTHOR - ANGELA WILSON on Tour Now

Catch Author Publicist, Virtual Tour Host, Author - Angela Wilson - as the tables are turned on her at her virtual tour at http://morganmandel.blogspot.com today through Friday.

Also at… Continue

Added by Morgan Mandel on September 9, 2008 at 8:00am — No Comments

Which do you prefer the creative writing process or the revisions?

I’ve just finished writing the first draft of a new DI Horton marine mystery crime novel with a feeling of relief and exhilaration. Of course, this is nowhere near the finished version, in fact there are chunks missing at the end of the novel (although the last chapter is there of a kind), and not all the facts tie up and certainly the clues and red herrings aren’t all in place. But now I feel released from that great sense of urgency to get everything down on paper (or rather computer screen)… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on September 9, 2008 at 1:09am — 2 Comments

Alafair Burke at The Poisoned Pen

When Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, introduced Alafair Burke to the audience, she said they had both graduated from Stanford. They went on to mention other authors who went to Stanford - Michele Martinez, Diane Mott Davidson, Tess Gerritsen, Twist Phelan, and

Yxta Maya Murray. Barbara said when she was in school, Wallace Stegner was their famous graduate, and they used to say John Steinbeck failed Freshman English… Continue

Added by Lesa Holstine on September 9, 2008 at 12:30am — No Comments

Pilots Say What They Mean

I overheard a conversation recently between an airline pilot and a passenger. The pilot was trying to reassure the nervous passenger that he was in no danger flying in a commercial airliner.

“How can you say that?” the passenger asked. “I just read that there were 136 crashes just last year, resulting in 965 deaths.”

“That just proves it,” the pilot said with a smirk. “Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.”

Added by Austin S. Camacho on September 8, 2008 at 10:41pm — No Comments

Choosing the Day You Die

You don't get to; at least most of us don't. There's no "off" switch that you can hit when you've had enough. Juliet says "If all else fail, myself have power to die," and she means it. Most of us are more Hamlet than Juliet, and "conscience does make cowards of us all."

Aging is a process of accepting what you can't do and what you will accept as you wait for the end of life. How much does your knee or hip or shoulder have to hurt before you let someone slice it open and replace… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on September 8, 2008 at 10:18pm — No Comments

Weekly Blog - Monday 8th September

Sightings and Signings

Last week saw the release of the long awaited (by me, at least) October edition of Arena magazine, in which I was featured as one of the six best new thriller writers in the UK today. Each writer got a full page spread in the magazine, comprised of a professional photograph alongside a Q&A. The brief for the Q&A was to be punchy, pithy, and funny, so the pressure was on to come up with some comedy gold.

Prior to the magazine’s release… Continue

Added by Steven Hague on September 8, 2008 at 8:12pm — 2 Comments

YOU MAKE ME SICK!!!

Dr Feldman, expert on Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy was our guest Saturday...
listen to the show on the player, or from here: http://www.ryan-stiles.org/TrueCrimeShowSeptember62008.mp3

Added by Burl Barer on September 8, 2008 at 1:21pm — No Comments

T&T BACKSTORY #4: HEMINGWAY & DOS PASSOS

A portion of Toros & Torsos takes place in Spain early in 1937 as Hector Lassiter joins Ernest Hemingway and novelist John Dos Passos in Madrid during the early days of the Spanish Civil War.

In T&T, Hector has gone to Spain as a favor to Pauline Hemingway — agreeing to watch over a sometimes erratic Ernest, while at the same time doing what he can to contain Hem’s growing preoccupation with journalist Martha Gellhorn, the woman destined to become the third of four Mrs.… Continue

Added by Craig McDonald on September 8, 2008 at 10:34am — No Comments

Addictions

I was just sitting here thinking about addictions. And not necessarily drugs or alcohol. I myself have never tried drugs while my younger sister tried everything under the sun. To this day she smokes like a chimney while I smoked for one week at the age of thirteen and gave it up, cold turkey.

I have addictions. McDonald's hazelnut ice coffee and sweet tea are two I have to have on a regular basis. Not every day, but at least a couple, okay few times a week. What's wrong with… Continue

Added by Tory Richards on September 8, 2008 at 8:53am — 2 Comments

Rosemary Harris Featured Author this month

Rosemary Harris is the Featured Author on Mystery Lovers Corner this month. Check out her interview and sign up for the drawing for an autographed book at www.mysteryloverscorner.com

Added by Dawn Dowdle on September 8, 2008 at 8:17am — No Comments

Book Signing Opposites

It was a weekend of opposite book signing experiences. Friday I did a rare evening signing - in lovely weather - at an urban store - a Borders - in MD. They were able to get all my titles EXCEPT Blood and Bone.

Saturday I did an afternoon signing - during a torrential downpour - in a mall store - a Books-A-Million - in VA.… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on September 8, 2008 at 7:08am — No Comments

More Travel Stuff by Margot Justes

I have missed the last couple of weeks-family events and a trip to Decatur, GA for a book festival-pretty much took care of the two weekends.

The good thing about promoting A Hotel in Paris is that I get to travel, so for this blog, I want to get back to travel agencies. When I travel promoting the above mentioned book, I have specific locations already selected. So it’s easy for me to book the hotel and flight all by myself.

However, picking a vacation destination is… Continue

Added by Margot Justes on September 7, 2008 at 7:22am — No Comments

The Crime Never Stops!

It's another thrill packed Saturday for my live True Crime radio show!!
Listen live 2pm PDT by clicking this link

Added by Burl Barer on September 6, 2008 at 12:34pm — No Comments

All I need to know, I learned from a koala

Click to read this post

Added by Kathryn Lilley on September 6, 2008 at 6:30am — 3 Comments

In the Flesh or On the Net?

There's a lot of discussion these days of virtual book tours vs. get-in-the-car-and-drive events. I know not what others may think, but as for me, I show up in person when possible.

A name on the net is just a name. A picture helps, live-chats help, and web cams help, but you matter more when they've met you, when you feel more like a friend and less like a presence. It's psychological, of course. We all like to feel that we're important, and when important people travel to visit us,… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on September 5, 2008 at 10:39pm — No Comments

Meet Me in MD or VA

I've already told you that tonight at 5 pm I have a book signing at the Borders at 8518 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD. TOMORROW I'll be at the shopping capitol of the Mid-Atlantic, Potomac Mills. Books-A-Million is the site of that book signing, starting at noon. The address is 2700 Potomac Mills Cir, Woodbridge VA.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on September 5, 2008 at 10:08pm — No Comments

The big one?

OMG...will Ike be the one? All of Florida is in the cone of, shoot, I can't recall the word the weather man used. My daughter and I just got off the phone, after going through a list of things to take care of before next Tuesday, when we should start feeling the effects of the storm. The weather man said this storm is going to be big, dangerous, and have the potential of doing the same kind of damage we received in 2004. Right now we can only wait to see how it turns.

Keep your… Continue

Added by Tory Richards on September 5, 2008 at 10:48am — No Comments

On the Road to MD

Tomorrow I'll head to Silver Spring, MD for a book signing after work. Those of you who can never get away on the weekend can find me at Borders Books from 5 pm to at least 7 pm If you don't know Silver Spring well, just Mapquest your way to 8518 Fenton Street.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on September 4, 2008 at 10:38pm — No Comments

Burying Your Head in the Novel

My dad used to comment from time to time, not always fondly, that there was no talking to me when I had my nose in a book. I think my husband would alter the statement these days: there's no talking to me when I have my nose in WRITING a book. When things start to click I disappear into my office and pay no attention to what anyone else is doing. I bring pages of editing to the breakfast table, unable to delay the process until after cereal. In the passenger seat when we travel I work on grids… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on September 4, 2008 at 9:53pm — No Comments

The Short Story From Hell completed at last-Short exerpt included FREEFREEFREE

Finally I convinced the characters in THAT DAMN CALLAHAN GIRL to behave and act the way I thought they should. It was a long and arduous struggle, but they finally all complied. It should be ready to submit after a few days cooling off period and some tweaking to improve a couple of rough spots. It is a first person ramble that has a couple of long speeches from people who are narrating action when the protagonist is not present and I need to smooth out some bumps there, but the most… Continue

Added by Tom Cooke on September 4, 2008 at 4:14pm — No Comments