December 2008 Blog Posts (187)

Why do 90 percent of submission land in the "no" pile?

Why do 90 percent of submissions land in the "no" pile almost immediately, without being read beyond the first few pages? Not counting the wrong genre for the agent or editor receiving the submission, or dumb mechanical mistakes, the #1 culprit is average voice. "Average" means the writer's voice sounds like everyone else's, smothered under layers of writing habits that the gatekeepers and first readers have learned to instantly recognize, habits that have spread to millions of writers as well… Continue

Added by Chris Roerden on December 24, 2008 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Pulp Santa

Pulp Santa came early this year. Look what I found in my stocking!

Added by Christa Faust on December 24, 2008 at 4:45am — 1 Comment

That Jeremiah Johnson Feeling

What must it have been like to go for months without speaking to another human being? Were the trappers of the old west crazy to choose that sort of life, or were they more sane than most? Thoreau wasn't alone at Walden, but he recommends even that much solitude for those who want to decide what matters. I don't necessarily want to shun the company of others, but I wonder what long periods of solitude might bring.

I'm sure you talk to yourself, but then, I do that anyway. I'm betting… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 23, 2008 at 10:42pm — 2 Comments

Just Do It!

In the middle of a busy weekend I attended a great dinner party Saturday. While we were at the table, still digesting the delicious turkey and dressing (and ham and greens and yams and...) one of the guests told me that she had long wanted to write a book but didn’t know how to start. She had stories to tell, but feared that when she put them on paper they would be terrible. I tried to be encouraging but never seemed to find the right words to get her started.

After dinner our host… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on December 23, 2008 at 10:29pm — No Comments

A Study in Red wins Movie Deal

What a Christmas present. I'm over the moon to be able to report that my novel 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' is going to be made into a movie! I was contacted by a Los Angeles Motion Picture Production Company who expressed an interest in the Motion Picture/TV rights to the book and after a series of negotiations, I'm pleased to say that a deal has been agreed and Thunderball Films will be responsible for turning my… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on December 23, 2008 at 5:14pm — No Comments

Man, this blog needs updating

Happy Hanukkah!

"L-i-n-g-o" was posted today on Powder Burn Flash.

A Twist of Noir has republished my love letter to the City of Angels, that originally was on Powder Burn Flash blogspot.

A Twist of Noir also has republished… Continue

Added by Cormac Brown on December 23, 2008 at 2:38pm — No Comments

The Black Death (Alive and Kicking)

http://mitziszereto.wordpress.com

Added by Mitzi Szereto on December 23, 2008 at 10:57am — No Comments

The Case of the Fractured Future

The following is one of the Private Eye parodies I do for my main blog about the business of showbiz, and thought I'd post it here too. Enjoy.

_______________________________

It was a quiet day in my humble little office wedged between the Happy Ending Massage Parlour, and Big Dick's Discount Double Entendre Warehouse. Christmas was right around the corner and I had to get a new tree for the office because the one I had… Continue

Added by D.R. MacMaster on December 23, 2008 at 5:54am — No Comments

Suspense Magazine announces........

That on christmas day through the end of the year, we will be airing all of our stories and interviews on our radio station. You can find it here: www.suspensemagazine.com/suspenseradio.html After the new year, we will be moving the radio station to it's own page.

Today, Monday December 22nd, we are going to be interviewing James Rollins. This should be a very cool interview to hear!

We have interviewed Steve Berry, Gregg Olsen and Tess Gerritsen. We have a lot of… Continue

Added by John Raab - editor of Suspense Magazine.com on December 23, 2008 at 3:16am — No Comments

Blogging this week

Just a little heads up to my readers, I have a new interview up at Nancy Famolari's blog today and I will be blogging and visiting her site all week!
http://nancyfamolari.wordpress.com/
hope you will stop by and chat with me!

Added by Kim Smith on December 23, 2008 at 2:15am — No Comments

Weekly Blog - Monday 22nd December

Whenever I write a novel I usually go through a phase of being concerned that it’s not as good as those that have gone before it. This phase often begins in the conception of the novel and carries on through the plotting and research to the actual writing itself. I think that this stems from the fact that I’m not comparing like with like. Previous novels, by their very nature, are complete, whereas the current one is always a work in progress. As I write it, flaws become apparent, and by the… Continue

Added by Steven Hague on December 23, 2008 at 12:45am — No Comments

the Latest

My weekend started Friday evening at Borders Books in Silver Spring, MD. It was a great event, aside from finding a couple dozen new readers. First, new pal James Grady stopped by. Jim started his writing career in 1974 with "Six Days of the Condor," which became a brilliant film starring Robert Redford. His new book is "… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on December 22, 2008 at 11:20pm — No Comments

Writing a Bad Book

No, not naughty-bad. Talent bad. Many people will tell you that the first book you write is likely to be bad, maybe even stinky bad. I don't know if that's always true or not, because there are first-time authors who succeed. But who knows how many manuscripts they hide away before they publish that stunning "first novel?"

What is clear to me is that authors can't tell when their books are bad. I had a conversation recently with someone who read, or tried to read, a book by a mutual… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 22, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Genre Flash 3 - just in time for a little Christmas / Summer shopping

Just in time for your last minute Christmas shopping - Genre Flash 3 has been released by the local Sisters in Crime - make sure you have a look through the publication, not just for Christmas ideas, but for P D Martin's report on Bouchercon this year.

Added by Karen from AustCrime on December 22, 2008 at 9:03am — No Comments

Favorite Scene of the Crime?

What's your favorite scene of the crime? Do you like a dark, deserted, spooky old mansion with a mile long driveway that's ten miles from the nearest town? Do you like a crowded subway in downtown New York City during rush hour? No witnesses? One witness? A hundred witnesses?

I like for my 'killers' to be rather on the bold side. People, generally speaking, are not really good witnesses to a crime, with the shock and all, and descriptions of what happened and who they saw usually end… Continue

Added by J. F. Juzwik on December 22, 2008 at 4:52am — No Comments

Been a hell of a Fall

Sorry not to have been here almost for all of the Fall. Been too stressful, with everything flying in air at the same time - and I literally mean it. (Umm, no, not the things flying in the air part... That hasn't happened. Yet. We'll keep our fingers crossed.)

The paperback line was delayed, but Duane's and Al's books are coming out in March and April. Kevin Wignall's Who Is Conrad Hirst? (which is one of the best thrillers I've ever read) should follow in June. Then come James… Continue

Added by Juri Nummelin on December 21, 2008 at 2:30am — No Comments

Wait... Meet me in MD AND VA this weekend

I told you that today I'm at Ukazoo Books reading with other contributors to "New Lines from the Old Line State: An Anthology of Maryland Writers" from 2 pm to 4 pm.

Sunday I'm back to my old selfish ways, and back to my old haunts - specifically the Borders Express in Dulles Town Center Mall. It's even my usual time there: noon to 4 pm. Find me there, at 21100 Dulles Town Circle, Dulles VA, to complete your collection of Hannibal Jones mysteries or to get hooked on the Stark and… Continue

Added by Austin S. Camacho on December 21, 2008 at 12:37am — No Comments