Blog
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...
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...
Interview: John Hodgman
I sat down with the funny man for the Boston Phoenix.Long before John Hodgman became universally recognized as the systems-challenged PC in Apple’s ads, he was writing fake trivia for such publications as McSweeney’s and the New York TImes Magazine. Discussing his new...
You’re dead to me!
Oh, lordy. My ARC (advance reading copies) of Probable Claws have arrived. The new mystery doesn't publish until April, but these are the advances that go out to Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, Kirkus, and other long-lead reviewers. Because Poisoned Pen...
Traps to avoid (when you’re writing your mystery)
I'm a member of Sisters in Crime (a great organization that's open to male mystery writers and mystery fans of all genders, too) and today the group's chat invited suspense master James Frey to answer some questions. One of the first was "What are some common mistakes...
How We Do It: Two Comics on Writing
For a change. A very funny (and decidedly unhelpful) take on the writer-editor relationship by British comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb.
Hmm….
Having trouble working today. Something has crashed on my computer and I can't find my mouse. (Okay, did all your friends send this to you, too?)Happy Bouchercon, you mystery folks who are in Baltimore!
Cats for Obama
Cast your kitty's vote on this Catster poll!And... my review of Gioia Timpanelli's "What Makes a Child Lucky" in today's San Francisco Chronicle
Not a cat…
But still pretty cool! As a kid who grew up worshipping the Blue Whale at American Museum of Natural History, I was thrilled to read about this sighting of a real blue whale, off the coast of Gloucester. I've seen dozens of humpbacks and minkes on whale watches, and...
How We Do It: Two Writers Talk Technique
Caroline Leavitt and I have a pact. Each weekday, we are to write 1,000 words on our work in progress. Not on our freelance, but on our fun stuff - our novels. In today's blog on Caroline's site, I talk about why I think that works. Here, Caroline gives her own take!...