November 2009 Blog Posts (149)

Hidden Gems in International Markets

I'm attending the annual autumn seminar organised by the Independent Publishers Guild of Great Britian in London this week, and this year its topic is 'International Trade- The Hidden Gems.'

The Seminar will help independent publishers to make the most of their overseas business, identifying some territories they might not have considered in addition to providing up to date information on established export markets including North America, Australia and Ireland. It will provide some… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on November 9, 2009 at 11:14pm — No Comments

Feet on the Ground, Ms. Author!

I found somewhere a list of things one shouldn't say to a mystery author, and I got a charge out of it, because I've heard just about all of them: "I don't read fiction" (with nose lifted); "I buy my books at garage sales, but I'll look for yours"; and the most frequent, "Oh. My (son, daughter, granddaughter, neighbor, washing machine repairman, etc.) wrote a book, too." (That one is often followed by, "Would you like to read it?" or "Could you send it to your agent?")

I've added… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 9, 2009 at 10:45pm — 3 Comments

What's it like to Finally Get Published?

Catch the impressions of a newly published steampunk author – Nick Valentino – on my main blog - http://ascamacho.blogspot.com/

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 9, 2009 at 9:43pm — No Comments

ACTS OF DESTRUCTION - my new crime novel

'Acts of Destruction' is now available in paperback, and as an e-book. For details, please see www.matcoward.com

Here are the reviews so far ...

“funny, dark and charming” - Morning Star.

“splendid ... a fine story ...should be on everyone's summer reading list. Wicked sense of humour and tale that barrels along. We thoroughly enjoyed it.” - Eco-Logic Books

"Nothing I’ve read in ages has made me think more than… Continue

Added by Mat Coward on November 9, 2009 at 8:46pm — 2 Comments

OPEN & CLOSED - in paperback at last!

Thanks to the brilliant “backinprint” programme run by the Authors Guild, my last “Don and Frank” crime novel, Open and Closed, is at last available as a trade paperback. You can order it through any real or online bookshop, or direct from the website:

http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000127209

Here are some of the reviews of the hardback edition:

“Will… Continue

Added by Mat Coward on November 9, 2009 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Live Chat and Dead Darlings

This seems to be a slow weekend here on the Internet. I can never figure out where people disappear to or why. What could possibly be more fascinating than roaming cyberspace? :) I realize in some places the weather is too nice to stay inside, in other places it's too nasty to do anything online. Many writers are involved in National Novel Writing Month. Many others are busy procrastinating. And me . . . well, here I am, still virtually book touring.

Today's stops:

Beth's… Continue

Added by Pat Bertram on November 9, 2009 at 7:45am — No Comments

Submission season open

But only for a short while. Head over to http://www.cnpublishing.co.uk to find out more

Added by Darren Laws on November 8, 2009 at 10:27pm — No Comments

A Disturbing Letter from a Disturbed Child

I received a rather strange letter from a kid named Timmy the other day. It was totally out of the blue. But once I read it, I knew I had to post the letter on a website. Per Timmy's demands, he said it had to be a website dealing with crime.

I'd been published online with Flash Fiction Offensive earlier this year, so I sent the letter there. The FFO editor agreed to post it, giving it the name "Timmy Says Post This on a Website."

Click here to read the letter:… Continue

Added by Benjamin Sobieck on November 8, 2009 at 12:56pm — 2 Comments

REVIEW: "THE SQUEEZE"

THE SQUEEZE by Gil Brewer

Review copyright 2009 by Mike Dennis

A fortune in illicit cash, a sinister gambling joint operator, a gorgeous redhead, and enough double-crossing to last a lifetime…those are the building blocks of The Squeeze, a fast-moving novel by Gil Brewer.

Written in 1955, The Squeeze is centered around Joe Maule, a Chicago transplant to the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida, the site of many Brewer tales. Joe is in debt to the tune of $12,000,… Continue

Added by Mike Dennis on November 8, 2009 at 7:05am — No Comments

Meet Me in MD this weekend

Today my book signing is at Borders Express in White Marsh Mall - 8200 Perry Hall Boulevard, Baltimore, MD from 4 pm to 8pm.

Tomorrow I’ll close out the weekend at the Borders Express in Columbia Mall. That signing will run from 2pm to 5:30pm. The store is at 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD. I hope you can visit me at one of those stops.

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 7, 2009 at 10:16pm — No Comments

Raking the Leaves of My Mind

The other morning I was staring out the window at all the leaves on the ground, marveling at how so much come from almost nothing. A bit of water, a bit of soil, a bit of sun, and something exists where nothing did before. I cherish those leaves. There’s no lawn here, just native grasses, so I don’t need to rake the leaves. I let them finish out their natural cycle of replenishing the soil from which they came.

Looking at those leaves, I was reminded of written words, and how they… Continue

Added by Pat Bertram on November 7, 2009 at 11:38am — 1 Comment

New blog features, Melbourne Cup and interesting resource

Today I’m launching my new blog features! My web guru has incorporated Wordpress into the site, which gives me some of the more standard blog features such as the blog roll, an RSS feed and a comment field.

To sign up to the RSS feed on my website, go to: http://pdmartin.com.au/blog/

Onto writing…or maybe not….

I have to confess, not much went on this week in the way of writing or author-type activities. I did, however,… Continue

Added by Phillipa Martin (PD Martin) on November 7, 2009 at 7:46am — No Comments

My Blog Book Tour starts Monday, November 9 - come visit me!

I'm revving up for my first-ever Blog Book Tour, starting this Monday, November 9th. Ten wonderful writers have offered to host me. Hope you'll visit my blog to see the schedule and get links for the first three stops.

Julie Lomoe's Musings Mysterioso

Added by Julie Lomoe on November 7, 2009 at 3:30am — No Comments

Huff Post on Crime Fiction: What do you think?

Huffington Post book blogger Jason Pinter has a column about "The State of the Crime Novel." It's a fairly Yankocentric appraisal of current crime writing by a series of top US reviewers. It includes this from veteran mystery columnist Oline H. Cogdill: "One of the main missions of crime novels is to paint a timely portrait of the issues in our times. This doesn't mean these novels have to hit you… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on November 7, 2009 at 1:54am — 12 Comments

Reminder -- Join me if you can today on Twitter's popular #LitChat

Today from 4-500 pm EST I've been asked to guest-host the very popular writers' chat group #LitChat on Twitter. The topic this week is Alternate Avenues in Publishing -- so the discussion should be lively to say the least!

If you don't already have a Twitter account, signing up is free, and fun. It's purely selfish I know, but I'd sure love to see some familiar CrimeSpace faces there.

If you are already Twitter-Savvy, then you know all you need do is to use the search… Continue

Added by Donna Carrick on November 7, 2009 at 1:44am — No Comments

Opeining lines to 'Murderous Passions' on my blog

Over on my blog I've put up the opening lines to 'Murderous Passions.' The first Turner/Frank novel of mine. If you haven't taken a look at the novel, go over and check it out. You can post a remark (using an alias, of course) and tell me what's all wrong with it. Or. . . . miracles behold! . . . . you might find you like it.

In my other posts I've started a little discusson on the difference between 'noir' and 'hard-boiled' styles in writing. . . stealing of course, a few ideas from… Continue

Added by B.R.Stateham on November 7, 2009 at 1:29am — 2 Comments

Raising the Dead - Part 1 and Part 2

Raising the Dead Manuscript from Its Grave Part 1

by Robert W. Walker

I published myself after a lifetime of eschewing any sort of vanity press. And I did it using a “dead” manuscript about a “dead” subject filled with “dead” historical characters in a “dead” time period which one editor, a true pro, said of: “It is the hardest time period to write about, to make come alive, and especially to display any sort of sexual encounter, but in your hands Rob, if anyone can pull it off,… Continue

Added by robert walker on November 7, 2009 at 12:07am — No Comments

Lousy Weather

You can't go out and rake those leaves with the wind blowing.
You can't finish sorting the stuff in the garage into give-away, throw-away and put-away piles with the rain and the damp.
You can't go for a walk. Well, you could, but you'd be wet and miserable in five minutes.

You might as well write something.

Added by Peg Herring on November 6, 2009 at 10:22pm — No Comments

Meet Me Tomorrow in MD

Today my book signing is at Borders in Ronald Reagan National Airport from 1 pm to 5 pm.

Then Saturday I head north to the Borders Express in White Marsh Mall. I have high hopes for my first visit to that store, at 8200 Perry Hall Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. I’ll start signing books at 4 pm.

SATURDAY - I’ll close out the weekend Sunday at the Borders Express in Columbia Mall. That signing will run from 2pm to 5:30pm. The store is at 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD.… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on November 6, 2009 at 10:03pm — No Comments

Another Note on Reviews

The reviews came out Monday; Wednesday brought an inquiry about film/TV rights. I have no idea where that will go (I referred it to my agent) but I have to think the review created interest from that quarter. Would anyone in the industry have heard of my book without the review? Probably not.

Added by Peg Herring on November 5, 2009 at 10:07pm — 8 Comments