November 2008 Blog Posts (157)

New Radio show

Chatting with Marta Stephens over at my radio show tomorrow night.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kims
730 CST 830 EST

Marta is the author of Silenced Cry and most recently, THE DEVIL CAN WAIT.

Added by Kim Smith on November 19, 2008 at 1:41pm — No Comments

A Christmas Murder Scavenger Hunt

Work the Clues!

The Devil Can Wait

Another Sam Harper Crime Mystery

by

Marta Stephens

Nine bodies, a cursed relic linked to a Christmas Eve prophecy, and no suspects. While homicide detective Sam Harper hunts down the guilty, YOU can track the clues in “The Devil Can Wait” for a chance to win an autographed copy of “Silenced Cry,” the book that launched the Sam Harper Crime Mystery series and received honorable mention at the 2008 New York Book… Continue

Added by Marta Stephens on November 19, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Just Finished One Daunting Task and One New Endeavor

I had to change the email I've been using since 1990. Geez, I must have my name and books on over 1200 websites. I have no idea how it will play out. If you know me, I am no longer: campbell@arkansas.net but I am now: andreacampbell@hughes.net. Yes, believe it or not, I went from dial-up to satellite. I just hope my future success moves as f-a-s-t. Anyway, can I really change all site addresses I'm on? probably not. That's just the… Continue

Added by Andrea Campbell on November 19, 2008 at 8:17am — 2 Comments

An unusual book signing location- Colonial Bank, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

I just finished three book signings in less than four weeks and I learned a lot about the buying public, readers, and how the current economic crisis is affecting book sales.

But first, let me tell you about meeting Patti Stegal, (see photo) the daughter of my friend Sue Harrison. Patti was in town from Illinois, where she’s a teacher. Sue bought her a copy of “Chasin’ the Wind” when it first came out, as a gift and after… Continue

Added by Michael Haskins on November 19, 2008 at 5:57am — No Comments

And it just keeps on getting better

'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' continues to amaze me. As well as continuing to sit at Number one in the Amazon UK chart of Jack the Ripper books, 'Sorted by Average Customer Review' and also in the Ripper 'Crime and Mystery Thriller' chart, it has today recorded it's highest ever position in the overall Jack the Ripper Books (All categories) Best Seller chart on Amazon UK, currently standing at Number 8 out of a total… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 19, 2008 at 5:11am — No Comments

Kenneth E. Pierce (1949-2008)

My best friend for eighteen years was a cop named Ken Pierce.

For eight of those years, Kenny P. and I worked together. He was a lieutenant and then a captain on the sheriff's office (and later retired as Major). I was a deputy. We also lived in the same apartment complex where he found each of us poolside accomodations for providing security.

On the street, we served the occasional felony warrant together, with him stepping in once to prevent me from arresting the wrong… Continue

Added by Doug M. Cummings on November 19, 2008 at 1:10am — No Comments

Santa Smiles

Last weekend's Christmas market had its share of grumpy shoppers, most of them men who were dragged along. One could get to thinking that Christmas is a women's holiday. I mentioned to one fellow that the only grown man who really seems to enjoy the season is Santa Claus.

"Maybe," the guy said. "But do you know why Santa is so jolly? It's because he knows where all the bad girls live."

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 18, 2008 at 10:16pm — No Comments

Characters Who Keep Getting Bigger

If books are like our children, so are the characters in them, and it seems like there's always one in my stories who needs attention. He demands that he become more than I intended him to be. A guy I needed for just one turn in the plot won't leave after his hour on the stage has been strutted and fretted away. In MACBETH'S NIECE it was Banaugh, who started out as Tessa's escort to Macbeth's castle and ended up staying through the whole book, providing all kinds of help for her and finding… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 18, 2008 at 10:08pm — No Comments

The latest News

I spent the weekend at the 15th Annual Northern Virginia Christmas Market, which was both a fun and a profitable time. Aside from signing lots of books I got to chat with dozens of mystery lovers and got exposure to hundreds of potential future readers. I even chatted with one lady who asked if my books were available on Amazon's Kindle. When I told her yes she pulled the device out and checked for them right there in front of me. How cool is that? And as a bonus, my lovely wife Denise joined… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 18, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

STILL TIME TO CATCH ROB WALKER'S GUEST POST AT MAKE MINE MYSTERY

Come on over to Make Mine Mystery at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com and check out Rob Walker's guest blog, his dog, and don't forget to wish him a Happy Birthday!

If you don't see this message til Tuesday, stretch his Birthday even longer. Scroll to his post and don't be afraid to leave a… Continue

Added by Morgan Mandel on November 18, 2008 at 12:50pm — No Comments

Crime writers.....I'm calling you....

Okay so here's the skinny, my friends. I was the editor of the popular ezine, TREI, which unfortunately closed down last month. Now, I'm taking it to the streets and starting my own. It's called Writers Together. Now, I'm a huge fan of Noir and crime fiction, so what I'm doing with the mag is an entire section devoted to just that, and let me tell you Noir City ROCKS!

I'm looking to feature Noir and Crime Writers, books and artists. If you have written a book(s) and would like to be… Continue

Added by C. L. Freire on November 18, 2008 at 4:51am — No Comments

Sequels from Shakespeare

I really don't know where the idea of MACBETH'S NIECE came from. Of course I taught the play for years, and that may have been the beginning, but who knows what makes a particular plot evolve in a writer's head? First came the idea that the man may have had family in the castle who were concerned for him but unable to change the course of events. Then came the notion that it would be a young woman who has her own problems to deal with, related to her status as the king's niece but not directly… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 17, 2008 at 10:39pm — No Comments

Weekly Blog - Monday 17th November

As some of you may have noticed, the layout of the site has undergone some minor changes (although I don’t think my web designer, Christine, would thank me for calling them minor!). From now on, when you click through to the publicity page for JFA you’ll find a list of all the interviews and photos opps I’ve carried out thus far (whereas previously they were all on this page, meaning that you had to scroll down them to find specific items). All you have to do now is simply select an item and… Continue

Added by Steven Hague on November 17, 2008 at 9:55pm — No Comments

Washington Post on Small Crimes: "a piece of crime noir genius"

"The plot of Small Crimes is a thing of beauty: spare but ingeniously twisted and imbued with a glossy coating of black humor. Zeltserman takes up all the familiar tropes of the formula -- femmes fatales, frighteningly dysfunctional families, self-destructive drives and the death grip of the past -- and shows how infinite are the combinations that can still be played on them. " Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post

read the whole review… Continue

Added by Dave Zeltserman on November 17, 2008 at 11:20am — No Comments

The MMPB Review Debate

THE FRAILTY OF FLESH has just been reviewed in THE GLOBE AND MAIL.

Significant, because not only does it mark my first major newspaper review, but because of the long-held beliefs that mass market paperback releases struggle to gain prominent industry reviews.

When WHAT BURNS WITHIN was released it was reviewed in… Continue

Added by Sandra Ruttan on November 17, 2008 at 2:30am — 8 Comments

Play it Again, Sam

Version one of the trailer for Death Was in the Picture proved to have a typo. Version two -- hopefully - does not. (At least, if it does, it’s a different one!) Here it is:

This is the second Kitty Pangborn mystery, after 2008’s Death Was the Other Woman. Death Was in the Picture will be published January 20, 2009 by St. Martin’s… Continue

Added by Linda L. Richards on November 16, 2008 at 5:55pm — No Comments

Buying Books by Margot Justes

Last week I read a blog-wish I could remember where-about the status of publishing. It is in trouble just like the rest of the businesses around the world.

The author of the above mentioned blog simply stated that if we each bought a book for this holiday season, we would have a tremendous impact on the publishing world and the domino effect of the economy-all the people in the periphery-from the printer to the stocker to ink and paper manufacturers-you get the drift.

I,… Continue

Added by Margot Justes on November 16, 2008 at 4:12am — No Comments

A Writer's Week

Little did I know when I embarked on this new career as a writer how much of my time would be spent on tasks OTHER than writing. This past week I did the following:

- Contacted a bookstore to determine the status of my payment for consignment books, then deposited the check when it arrived,

- Mailed a copy of A Real Basket Case to a Japanese publisher interested evaluating it for publication in Japan,

- Participated in a 20-author library signing event,

-… Continue

Added by Beth Groundwater on November 15, 2008 at 3:07pm — No Comments

Facebook: The Anti-Social Social Network

New blog post at: http://mitziszereto.wordpress.com

Added by Mitzi Szereto on November 15, 2008 at 7:55am — No Comments

Death Roll Audio Book

Last week Death Roll was released in audio book form by Books in Motion. I wasn't expecting it to come out till sometime in 2009. Nice surprise! I've listened to the first two chapters. There's something about hearing a professional actor read your words--adding life and texture to them--which is always a thrill.

Added by Michael Allan Mallory on November 15, 2008 at 6:52am — No Comments