Y'know, I'd almost forgotten I had a profile on here. My internet presence leaves much to be desired. Or not desired, depending.

Anyways, yeah, crime. Crime's rad. Except when my car gets stolen. Or the passenger's side door lock busted in. Or when my roommate's checks get boosted from our mailbox. But even then, I at least get an opportunity to use the word "paper-hanger."

Been reading Joshua Armstrong's The Seekers. It's pretty good. I could do without some of the…

Cameron Hughes of CHUD.COM offers a new interview and review tied to Head Games.

The…

It's

been, as they say in the UK, donkey's years since I've posted. They say

other things in the UK, too, one of my favorite's being "Here's your

pint."

Alaska and Bouchercon were so fantastic that it's taken me awhile to come back down to earth. When I did, this past weekend, I found that I'd landed

in Denver,…

I'm excited to announce that I have sent my publisher a new manuscript. This one is titled Identity Assault. Each of my personal reviewers reported that this is one of the best manuscripts yet and they were unable to put it down once they had started reading it. Hopefully Identity Assault will be released during the summer of 2008.

Identity Assault is the story of a covert spy who has recently lost his wife to a tragic accident. Even though he is…

Just wanted to let you know I've lined up the following book signings for Nov. and Dec.

Venice Bookshop, Venice, Florida, November 16th and December 7th from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Poe House of Books, Crystal River, Florida, November 24th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Circle Books, St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, Florida, December 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Any Crimespacers in those areas? If so, do drop in. I'd love to meet'ya!

Russ

Posted by Lorraine (L.L.) Bartlett

It's been almost two years since my first book was published by a small press and given a teeny, tiny print run. The book didn't get a lot of notice, which quite frankly broke my heart. Not surprising, anyone in that position would feel the same. I got some lovely reviews online, but it wasn't enough to get the book into libraries and the hardcover price was also a turnoff to readers unfamiliar with my name.…

When I started the quest for publication, the question came up of what name I would use. There are of course two possibilities: use your own name or use something else. I chose to use my own name for the simple reason that I like things uncomplicated.

At conferences where I worked at the registration table, I've met authors who don't know what name they gave when signing up. One gave me four possible names that her agent might have registered her under! I'd rather not clutter up my…

Good Evening,

Just a brief note to make you aware that I run two webistes dedicated to fiction. The first site, Powder Burn Flash (http://powderburnflash.blogspot.com ) is for flash fiction up to 1000 words in length.

Tonight, I opened a new site for crime/mystery short stories up to 10,000 words at Darkest Before The Dawn (http://darknessbefore.blogspot.com).

Each site has…

One way I have of bypassing plot complications is simply to write the resolution first, and if I have a writer's cramp about how I get there, I just leave it and come back to it later. It's a sort of blitzkreig of the written word.

I can always come back to those painful sections later, and work them out, especially after the book is that much nearer completion, and things have come into better focus...which is what I am doing now. Enough blogging--back to the grindstone.

I'm happy to announce that two of us blogging buddies from Writers Plot have finally met. More accurately, some of us know each other separately, but we've never crossed paths since we joined forces in these cyberpages. This weekend two of us actually wound up face to face for the first time. I supply the evidence: Jeanne Bracken and Sheila Connolly, at the New England CrimeBake conference this past weekend.…

Someone asked me yesterday if writing is less fun now that I'm officially in the business of writing (well, sort of). The answer, at least at that moment, was no. I'm at the point in my newest effort where the protag has grabbed me by the shoulder, pushed me to the keyboard, and ordered, "Write down what I tell you."

It sometimes takes a while for that to happen, and then it's work. But when she's talking in my ear, as fast as she can, my job is simply to write down what I hear, and…

I have 45 books near my bed right now. I don't say nightstand, as that is long since covered with books. Some are know on a dresser, and on the floor. I have one review due Monday, a column due in two weeks of 7 -8 reviews, and a couple other mystery titles that I need to review in two weeks as well.

In one of the other blogs I read, there was a discussion about whether or not it is smart marketing for authors to court libraries and librarians. There are of course, many many good…