Last night was one of the most emotional nights of my life.



First, I had to give a speech. And I do not like public speaking. It's like finding yourself in one of those weird dreams where you are suddenly starkers in a public place with nowhere to run and hide. Not comfortable with it in the least.





Second, the speech was about my Aunt, who suffered and passed away from a horrifying and, until lately, rarely seen disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa.





Third,… Continue

I have a WIP. Not unusual here at Crimespace, with everyone either in the middle of one, or planning one out. It's just unusual for me, since it's my first. And this first novel-writing stuff is for the crazies...luckily I lean towards insanity to start with, so it's a pathway I'd venture towards anyway.





But I tend to be a bit shy. I have a lingering fear of appearing an idiot, so I tend to keep my mouth shut rather than put myself out there. Until you get to know me. Or put… Continue

I am currently in computer hell right now.



It appears I need to get my MSN browser fully supported, not a term I relish, from my aged and gravity plagued point of view, but one that is necessary, I'm afraid. Then I can sit back and bask in the sunshine of all these friendships that everyone is kindly offering.



So, hope you don't think I'm rude. I like you, I really, really like you. And I want to grab my basketball and join you on the court, but there are things that it… Continue

I'm talking about the Short Story, Barflys. I have two fingers of Macallans at my side as I ponder this quandry (It's been bothering the hell out of me for sometime) and I thought Crimespace would be an excellent place to pose this question.



I find, if I leave this realm of Murder and Mayhem, that the Short Story holds little respect in other forms of literature. People seem to treat it like the red-headed step-child of fiction. This upsets me. Most of the stories I remember with… Continue

Ken Bruen writes like a cast-off angel, with hard-earned clarity, honest brutality and a depth of compassion that is astonishing. His voice is unmatched in Noir Fiction-in ALL fiction- and I was so haunted by The Magdelene Martyrs that I could not sleep the night I finished it. His refusal to speak anything but truth, no matter how confrontational, is intensely liberating for his readers; his defiance of corrupt clergy is heroic - he is as essential for this Recovering Catholic as water and… Continue

I ask this of just about all the writers I meet and I was wondering what the people here will say?



Do you prefer one over the other?

Why?

Which format brings the most recognition and the most feedback?

Does the more common "non-paying" status affect your decision on who to submit to?

Does the networking possbilities of ezines add weight to your decision?

Do readers feel there is a difference in status between the 2 formats?

Any gripes about either… Continue