Sunday, July 02, 2006

On Watching The Maltese Falcon - OR - Why do I bother?

So I just got back from seeing The Maltese Falcon at the George Eastman House here in lovely Rochester, NY. A Sunday night screening of a 50-year-old film, six bucks a pop, and the place was packed. I know the script by heart and watch it every time it comes on TCM and at least once a year I pull out the DVD, but there's no way you pass up the chance to see it on the Big Screen. And I know I'm not supposed to do this, that I should just let go and enjoy the film, but the entire time I watching it I couldn't help but thinking that there was no way I'm ever going to write anything that great. Which is a stupid thing to admit on a blog that I hope leads people to buy my books (several copies each, please) but come on, let's be honest here. Now if you know the movie, you know that the script is almost word for word from the book. So sitting there, listening to lines that resonate like lines from The Odyssey must have resonated with Greek mystery writes a couple of millennia ago, I wonder why the hell I bother.

And then Sam Spade spoke to me.

It’s the great end line of the film – not written by Dashiell Hammett but suggested on the set by Bogart himself.

“It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.”

Okay, it’s corny. But sometimes corny’s true.

Cheers,
Charles

Saturday, July 01, 2006

Type M for Murder

Type M for Murder

Happy Canada Day to everyone! In honour of our nation's birthday, I suggest that everyone read a Canadian mystery novel today. I, however, will be falling down on the job, as I'm currently reading a book sent to my by my cousin Sheila in South Africa. It's called the Native Commissioner by Shaun Johnson and is the story of a man who worked for the S.A. government in the apartheid years - his job was a "native commissioner" and how the conflict between what he wanted to do in relation to the black people he oversaw, vs what he was told to do by his bosses brought about disaster to him and his family. It's very good, and reminding me of those days in South Africa. I lived there from 1973 - 1984. As I read, I'm smiling at seeing all those words that I haven't thought of in years. Bottle store = a liquor store, the bioscope - believe it or not a movie theatre. The character's wife has just bought him a safari suit. But you can be sure that once I've finished the Native Commissioner I'll be back to mysteries - and Canadian mysteries at that.

Happy Canada Day, whether you celebrate it or not,

Vicki

Monday, June 26, 2006

Welcome to Type M for Murder

Launching

The first entry for our new blog – wow, this is exciting. Welcome.

We are a varied group, with only one thing in common – we love mysteries. We love to read them and we love to write them. We are all members of Crime Writers of Canada; mostly Canadians (including a brand-new Canadian) with one American, who kindly places Canadian characters in all his books. I'll let the others introduce themselves.

I’m Vicki Delany, and as well as being the launch of this blog, it's also release month for my second novel, Burden of Memory. Release month is pretty exciting – seeing the real book for the first time, admiring the beautiful cover art, reading the reviews on the back (there is a review of Scare the Light Away from Drood Reviews that I hadn't even seen before). Having lunch with the lovely and talented Charles Benoit and his wife Rose in Rochester. (My publisher is American, so it is easier if I drive down to Rochester to sign books to be returned to Poisoned Pen than to have the books cross the border twice). Setting up the launch party, doing interviews, arranging some booksignings,

A friend of mine at work bought a copy of Burden of Memory for her son to give his teacher as an end-of-the-year present. He had me write, "This is to Mrs. X, from my very good friend, Sheldon." Sweet.

I've had two interviews recently – one for Mystery Women n the UK with Julian Maynard-Smith, who I enjoyed meeting at Goldsboro Books in London in March. Keep an eye out for the interview at http://www.mysterywomen.co.uk/). I also had a really fun interview for Spinetingler magazine (due out July 20th at http://www.spinetinglermag.com/). What made that interview fun was that Lou Allin (author of the Belle Palmer series) and I interviewed each other. So I got to ask questions as well as write them. It was interesting just how similar our questions were.

If you're in the neighbourhood (and even if you're not) consider yourself invited to my launch. The party will be at Scene of the Crime bookstore (address below) on Saturday July 8th from 2 - 5. There will be lots of good food, plenty of great conversation, and the opportunity to see what other books Don has for sale. I'm hoping to persuade my mom to make the fabulous punch that was such a hit last year. The launch party for Scare the Light Away was the biggest event at Scene of the Crime all year, and I am sure that this year's party will be just as much fun. Sadly, Don and Jen are closing the bricks-and-mortar version of Scene of the Crime in August, so my party will probably be the biggest one this year, as well. It's always sad to see a bookstore go out of business. But Don will be keeping his online store open. He specializes in first editions and collectors' items. (http://www.murdermysteriesandmore.com/)

So: Welcome to our blog. We hope you drop by regularly and see what we have to say. Comments are more than welcome, and if you're surfing the 'net, why not follow the links to our web pages.

Scene of the Crime
2464 Lakeshore Road,
(southwest corner of Lakeshore Rd and Bronte Rd)
Oakville, Ontario
Contact Don Longmuir: 905-469-6731