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How We Do It: Two Writers Talk Technique

This month's shared blog focuses on friendship and jealousy between writers. As always, Caroline has a great take. You can see mine on her blogWriters need support—and other writers. But what happens when your friend gets that 6-figure deal and you get another...

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Three more days

Did you read the New York Times story about anxious liberals today? Did you recognize yourself? I did.New month, new rules. I will not spend more than 15 minutes per day, total, on five thirty eight.com, electoral vote.com, or pollster.

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I get all my news from The Weekly Reader

As goes the Weekly Reader, so goes the nation?(thanks to electoral-vote.com )That said, it still can't hurt to make some more phone calls!Weekly Reader Calls It for ObamaIn contrast to McInturff, the Weekly Reader's quadrennial poll of students from kindergarten to...

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Roasted author!

Yikes! I'm on the skewer today over at Book Roast ! I've already answered a bunch of questions for the moderator and handed over excerpts, bits and pieces, and along the way some trivia that nobody else knows in preparation. I'll be taking questions (and, probably,...

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R.I.P., Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman has died at the age of 83. Over at her blog, Sarah Weinman rounds up the tributes of this wonderful writer, who brought the Southwest and Native American culture alive for so many through his mysteries.

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Oooh…. scary!

Walking home from a concert last night, we saw lots of small groups wandering the streets - most in costume. It was a blustery night, not too cold, but windy and rainy, and often we'd see couples with raincoats and umbrellas. Not till we were close would we notice the...

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“Oui, On Peut!”

Oh, I love this video! Black and white, male and female, cajun (fiddle) and zydeco (accordion) musicians together, singing a pro-hope, pro-Obama "Oui, On Peut!" ("Yes, We Can"). Lousiana may be a red state, but it's got a blue heart – and you can dance to it! (The...

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End of an era

Well, here it is, my last Boston Globe "Radio Tracks" column. The summer Arbitron ratings are out, but I figured I'd close out with something fun – and give a last boost to college radio, my favorite form of the medium. Maybe not my best written column, but I had a...

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The fear factor

It's now 2 p.m., and I've only read 14 pages. But hey, at least I've read 14 pages!No, despite my post of a few days ago, I have not yet geared myself up to read my ARCs of Probable Claws. (I know! I know!) Instead, I'm back into a project that I put aside a few...

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End of an era

Well, I'm not the first and I'm afraid I won't be the last, but I'm now a victim of the economy. Although I focus this blog on my crime fiction (and occasional book reviews), for the last 12 years I've also written a weekly column for the Boston Globe about radio. But...

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