Monday, August 22, 2022

Death of an Author

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 The author falls to the ground, Geneva kneels next to him, gives mouth to mouth, then Mike starts chest compressions. Finally, the two co...
1 comment:
Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Summer Entertainment

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 We are still in the lazy, hazy days of summer, when many of us slow down, enjoy leisure pursuits and family visits, and generally put hard ...
1 comment:
Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Sharing Research

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 by Charlotte Hinger In addition to my mystery series, I have published historical novels, an academic book, short stories, and a number of ...
2 comments:
Monday, August 15, 2022

Here comes inspiration

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 Inspiration can strike writers at any time, in any place. As songsmith Paul Williams once sang, here comes inspiration, walking through the...
2 comments:
Friday, August 12, 2022

Plotting the Journey

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My dog Fergus has been home from daycare alll week because he has an eye problem that seems to have started with itchy, irritated eyes. He s...
Thursday, August 11, 2022

What’s at Stake?

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“More danger,” my agent said, after we’d been discussing a draft of a novel I sent her, two weeks ago. We’d spent 30 minutes on the phone, d...
Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Writing Long, Writing Short

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 by Sybil Johnson Recently, I’ve been working on an essay about crafts in cozy mysteries for a book on cozies being put together by Phylli...
Tuesday, August 09, 2022

Can It Happen?

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 by Charlotte Hinger On my way to Kansas last month, I listened to Dissolution , Michael Gear's first book in his two-book Wyoming Chron...
4 comments:
Monday, August 08, 2022

Calling Your Baby Ugly

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 By Thomas Kies When I teach my Creative Writing course at the college, I’ll bring out some of Stephen King’s tidbits of advice for writers....
Thursday, August 04, 2022

Setting

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One the past month or so I (Donis) have been trying to start a new series set in a fictional resort town patterned after Eureka Springs, Ark...
Tuesday, August 02, 2022

Nicodemus

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 by Charlotte Hinger Last weekend I went back to Kansas for the annual Emancipation Celebration held in Nicodemus, Kansas. I'm on the bo...
2 comments:
Monday, August 01, 2022

Guns, Cannoli and offers you can't refuse

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 The most recent book I've read for no other reason than my own pleasure (distinct from books that I read ahead of events, interviews or...
3 comments:
Friday, July 29, 2022

The Telling Detail

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 A couple of days ago I was reading Tangerine , a psychological suspense novel by Christine Mangan. It's Mangan's first novel and se...
Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Knowing When To Let Go

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  by Sybil Johnson I recently cancelled my subscription to the Los Angeles Times. Not a big deal, you say? I’ve had a subscription to the Ti...
2 comments:
Monday, July 25, 2022

My Book Launch and Creativity

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 By Thomas Kies Whisper Room, my fifth novel, is due for release on August 2nd and obviously I couldn’t be any happier.  I’m busy preparing...
2 comments:
Saturday, July 23, 2022

A Labyrinth of True Crime

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 I've just finished Julian Rubinstein's excellent, The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborho...
Thursday, July 21, 2022

Brain Drift

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Lordy, it's hot. Of course I live in southern Arizona, so I'm not surprised that it is supposed to reach 112º today. It's a clic...
Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Lazy, hazy days of summer

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 I laughed when I read the last few posts by my blog mates, something I always do when I'm searching for a topic. After many years on th...
Tuesday, July 19, 2022

How Long?

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 by Charlotte Hinger Wonder of all wonders. I'm very close to getting a historical novel published that I wrote in the '90s. This bo...
3 comments:
Monday, July 18, 2022

Maintaining focus

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 I read Frankie's post the other day and I can sympathise. Or is it empathise? I never do get that right! Anyway, I know where she's...
4 comments:
Friday, July 15, 2022

Living with Writer's Block

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 I've been trying for months to finish a 4,000-5,000 word essay for a special journal issue on Edgar Allan Poe and his impact on mystery...
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Phrogging

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  by Sybil Johnson Phishing I’ve heard of for years. Only recently did I run across the term phrogging. Being a curious sort, I looked it up...
4 comments:
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Old Useage

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by Charlotte Hinger  I've almost let this day slip by without posting. Truth is I've had such a frustrating experience with Amazon t...
Monday, July 11, 2022

Clearing Cases

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 By Thomas Kies While doing research for my new book, I came across some numbers that were troublesome.  So rather than keep them to myself,...
2 comments:
Friday, July 08, 2022

Venturing into the World

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 As I read what my blogmates have written over the past months about venturing out into the world, I feel like the woodchuck who lives under...
2 comments:
Thursday, July 07, 2022

Barking Mad

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 What a strange time we're living through. I read Charlotte's entry, below, with consternation. She finally takes the plunge and re-...
Tuesday, July 05, 2022

The Downside

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 Last Wednesday I received an email from Candy Moulton, the executive secretary of Western Writers of Ameria. She said a number of conventio...
4 comments:
Monday, July 04, 2022

Everyone's a critic

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 I have a new book coming out here in the UK this week. Actually, such is the way with retail now, it's already in some stores, although...