November 2008 Blog Posts (157)

Remember Veteran's Day

Cynthia Ozick said that we often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. I hope that on Tuesday all of you remember our service members, certainly people who most deserve our gratitude. To quote poet Maya Angelou, "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 11, 2008 at 10:59pm — 1 Comment

Any Writing Is Good Writing, Maybe

I'm a proponent of doing whatever it is you want to do well. How to get to Carnegie Hall...ba dump bump.

It's true. Genius and talent and all that are great, but practice is better. The more you write, the better the quality, with one caveat. Mindless writing will never improve.

I talk to people all the time who tell me how much they write, and they often sound boastful when they say, "I've got notebooks full of stories." One man told me he'd written 75 short stories in the past… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 11, 2008 at 10:36pm — No Comments

Story sale to Sniplits.com

I am very pleased to announce that I recently sold audio rights to Sniplits.com for my holiday-themed short story "Biscuit Connection." This is the second story of mine that Sniplits has picked up. The first was "Covered Dish Casseroles." I was very happy with the female voice actor who read my story and the emotion she put into the dialogue.

Sniplits publishes audio short stories as DRM-free MP3 files - and offers a paying market for new and established authors. Stories range from… Continue

Added by Beth Groundwater on November 11, 2008 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

Latest book news and forthcoming marine mysteries

I’ve just received from my publisher my copies of the Large Print version of Deadly Waters, which is now on sale. It looks really good and I hope it enables people who are visually impaired (sadly a growing number) to enjoy this marine mystery crime novel.

Deadly Waters is already available as a talking book and in hardback and trade paperback and will shortly be published as a mass market paperback in the UK with a new jacket cover in April… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on November 11, 2008 at 3:23am — No Comments

Mafia Guys

Goodfellas, the Godfather, Donnie Brasco, The Sopranos- Hollywood's obsession with mobsters dates all the way back to the turn of the century. A litany of wise guys have gained fame and notoriety and eventually been incarcerated by the feds. Beginning with Al Capone and stretching to modern times with the Dapper Don, John Gotti. Costa Nostra , our thing, has-been immortalized in movies, TV shows, newspapers, magazines, and books. Fiction has blurred with reality and the mafiaso has become a… Continue

Added by Seth Ferranti on November 11, 2008 at 1:23am — No Comments

GREAT Crime Fiction I didn't write

Admin OptionsEdit Post Add Tags

Delete Post Manage Blog Sometimes in the rush to share newly-discovered authors I forget to even mention some old favorites. For example, I’ve been a fan of Max Allen Collins for a lot of years. In the 21st century, Collins practically defines hard boiled crime fiction. Before he wrote Road to Perdition, before was collaborating with Mickey Spillane, before he was raising the level of comic book writing on Batman, he was reinventing Dick Tracy after… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 10, 2008 at 10:21pm — No Comments

Getting the Details Right

As they'd say in a certain comic strip, "Arrrgh!" An author who wrote a very nice blurb for my upcoming novel noticed an error that should have been detected months ago, by "helper readers," by the first editor, or, of course, by the author herself. Luckily, is it something that can be fixed with a sentence, and I have another chance to edit before the ARCs come out. But such things start me wondering, "Will it ever be truly right?"

Stories abound from authors who've made a mistake… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 10, 2008 at 10:19pm — No Comments

Latest Press Release for 'A Study in Red'

Thanks to the free service provided by Biblioscribe, the latest Press Release for 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' is now available to view at http://www.biblioscribe.com/press/publish/book_press_release/A_Chillling_insight_into_the_mind_of_Jack_the_Ripper.shtml I would recommend the Biblioscribe service to any of my fellow authors who may be looking for cost-effective (Free) methods of publicising their… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 10, 2008 at 9:37pm — No Comments

Weekly Blog - Monday 10th November

Justice For All attracted another glowing review on line this week, on www.bfkbooks.com. BFK Books (also known as the Book Fiends Kingdom) are a charitable organisation dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the care of adults with autism, a condition that impairs a person’s ability to understand and interpret the world around them. To this end, they publish book reviews and interviews with authors for the public’s reading pleasure, then ask that people make a £2 donation via the ‘Just… Continue

Added by Steven Hague on November 10, 2008 at 7:25pm — No Comments

Married to a psychopath!!!

The honeymoon was over -- and so was her life ..or at least that's the way her nut-case husband wanted it.. this is the amazing true story of Barbara Bentley who survived her husband's attempt to kill her only to fight California's divorce laws in a battle as intense as the one for her life. Don Woldman, famed family law attorney, and co-host of TRUE CRIMES will have a great time with this one!…

Continue

Added by Burl Barer on November 10, 2008 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Author's Update

It was a weekend of surprises, most of them good. Friday I signed lots of books at the Borders in the Baltimore Washington International Airport. I also met a woman who said her book club would love to have an author visit them. Saturday I signed a few more books at the Waldenbooks in Landmark Mall. I also met a man who wants me to speak to the men’s group at his church. So both those events will pay unexpected dividends.

But due to a clerical error on the part of a store manager I… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 10, 2008 at 11:47am — No Comments

The inspiration for The Memorist - by M.J. Rose

Once upon a time, my husband and I went to Vienna on a vacation and fell in love. Not with each other - we'd already done that - but with the city. Read rest of post here.

Added by Kathryn Lilley on November 10, 2008 at 5:00am — No Comments

Over at my main blog...

Every Saturday at my main blog I do a little piece about comedy videos. Today I did a little retrospective of the classic British show that warped my childhood, The Goodies.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Added by D.R. MacMaster on November 9, 2008 at 4:57am — No Comments

Paradigm of Existence by Margot Justes

My blogs are usually light and written so I may keep in touch with readers, writers and maybe a fan or two. This week will be a bit different.

A friend suffered a devastating loss and frankly I don’t know how to help except to be there for her when and if needed.

Often when faced with a tragedy we mourn, that goes without saying, we lose a bit of self and we question the existence of everything; because the loss is so great, so incredibly unimaginable and… Continue

Added by Margot Justes on November 9, 2008 at 2:58am — No Comments

Meet Me in VA - At the Mall or in the Airport!

I told you that today will find me in Landmark Mall - 5801 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA - at Waldenbooks from 1 pm to 5 pm.

TOMORROW I’ll be talking to more frequent flyers, this time at Borders in the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, VA. I’ll hang out there from 2 pm to 6 pm.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 8, 2008 at 9:55pm — No Comments

Whodunnit? I Dunno (The Genesis of A Study in Red) - Article

The article 'Whodunnit? I Dunno' recently commissioned by The Journal of The Whitechapel Society 1888 is now available to view online at http://www.biblioscribe.com/press/publish/book_writing_tips/Whoduunit_I_Dunno.shtml

The article tells of the genesis of the book, and how I first came to be interested in the case of Jack the Ripper. I hope it will prove an interesting read for those who may wish to know more about the book..… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 8, 2008 at 8:34pm — No Comments

Book Launch for Veil of Lies!

Veil of Lies; A Medieval Noir is out! And more importantly, we are partying. If you are in the LA area, stop by tomorrow, Saturday, November 8th at 4pm to Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. There will be sword-fighting knights on the sidewalk in front, medieval fare inside, a harpist, goodie bags, champagne, and good times. Oh yeah. And books! It's open to all so come on down!

Added by Jeri Westerson on November 8, 2008 at 5:41am — No Comments

Whoopee! 'A Study in Red' is a Number 1

My novel, 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' is today the Number One bestseller in the Amazon UK chart of Jack the Ripper, Crime,Thriller and Mystery Books at… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on November 8, 2008 at 3:01am — 1 Comment

Meet Me at the Airport or in the Mall

I told you that today I’ll greet travelers at the Borders in the Baltimore Washington International Airport between 3pm and 7 pm. TOMORROW will find me in the mall again – this time Landmark Mall. I’ll sign books in the Waldenbooks there from 1 pm to 5 pm. If you’re near the mall, at 5801 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA, stop and say hi.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 7, 2008 at 10:25pm — No Comments

My US trip

I've been back from the States for just over two weeks now, but it's taken me a while to catch up on the day-to-day stuff! So, the trip...

Bouchercon in Baltimore

I had a great time at this international mystery convention - so good I hope to get back in 2010, when it's being held in San Francisco. Both of my panels went well and I met some great people - authors and readers alike.

New York

After Bouchercon came… Continue

Added by Phillipa Martin (PD Martin) on November 7, 2008 at 12:44pm — 2 Comments