William Simon - "Will Graham"

It's Official!

2012-02-13T05:10:00.000-06:00

Today is cover release day for THRILLER 3: LOVE IS MURDER. The anthology of stories includes "Spider's Tango", a short story featuring Nicholas White of SPIDER'S DANCE!

The anthology will be available on 29 May, 2012 from Mira Books!

AMAZON: http://tinyurl.com/t3limamz

BARNES & NOBLE: http://tinyurl.com/t3limbn

Whatever happened to Late Night Television?

2011-12-06T04:29:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me on a personal level know two things: one, I occasionally go through periods of insomnia, and two, I’m a movie fanatic.

Anyone else notice we no longer have late night or all night movies on network affiliate stations?

Used to be, late night TV was a treasure trove of forgotten movies and TV pilots, two part episodes edited together and released as a feature film overseas, unsold series pilots, forgotten "Movies of the Week", and almost anything you can think of.

In the years pre-Tivo and before DVDs were even conceived, late night television was the only place to find such treasures. Channel 20, at least once a year, ran THE SAINT AND THE FICTON MAKERS, VENDETTA FOR THE SAINT, and THE SAINT AND THE BRAVE GOOSE, double episodes of (wait for it) the series THE SAINT and RETURN OF THE SAINT. Channel 13 could be counted on to pull out on a regular basis such things as the pilot for the Robert Wagner/Eddie Albert series SWITCH (under the ridiculous title “Las Vegas Roundabout”), the under-appreciated Jim Hutton series ELLERY QUEEN (“Too Many Suspects”), episodes from the infamous NIGHT STALKER starring Darren McGavin stitched together with a voice-over, MISSION: MONTE CARLO from the Roger Moore/Tony Curtis series “The Persuaders”, the surprisingly likable CRIME CLUB with Robert Lansing, and the gold standard, the one to drink enough coffee to stay awake to catch, TO TRAP A SPY and THE SPY WITH MY FACE, a double feature culled from “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

Not to mention the local “horror hosts”: ‘Chilly Billy’ Cardille and Zacherly in Chicago (early experiments in syndication programming), and my personal favorite, a gentleman named Jim Parker who, every Saturday night at 10pm, became “The Vegas Vampire.” (Channel 5, KVVU, Henderson/Las Vegas) Repeated showings of the Universal Studios Monster Classics, a run of the “Inner Sanctum” mystery series starring Lon Chaney, Jr, (made with a budget of 99 cents), running through them all, then starting all over again. When that played out, the station turned to feature versions of the old Republic serials: THE MASKED MARVEL, DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE, THE MYSTERIOUS DR. SATAN, etc. etc. etc. When those played out after five or six or ten repeats, back would come Mr. Parker as The V.V., and it would start all over again. On a school trip to California in the early 70's, Elvira - Mistress of the Dark kept several motel rooms of teenage boys awake and aware and in awe until dawn while she simultaneously made shameless fun of an all-night marathon of Godzilla movies.

Once I got my first VCR in 1981, nirvana had arrived. Top loading, could only program one timed recording every 24 hours; crude now, but it was a wondrous thing at the time, especially the ‘Pause‘ button that would let me cut out the commercials. A trip to Radio Shack, ten minutes with a pair of wire cutters, a soldering iron, and electrical tape, and I had a remote control that stretched from the unit across the living room to the couch, where I could watch in comfort and edit the commercials out. One infamous night, I set the alarm to go off at 1:50am for the 2am showing of THE MAGICIAN starring Bill Bixby.

Now....

Well, now we get a retired action star paired with a former model on fourteen different channels simultaneously telling me how a device that would be rejected by the S.S. as cruel and unusual called the Total Fitness Gym will change my life. Or new chemical formulas to re-grow my hair. (Women, especially pregnant women, should not even touch that stuff, but I can rub it into my scalp on a regular basis? Uh, yeah, right, sure, I’ll stick with the Jean-Luc Picard Look, thank you.) We get flawless models extolling the virtues of air purifiers, or demonstrating in their snow-white jumpsuits how to clean house using a New and Improved Vacuum Cleaner that not only picks up dirt but holds it in a disposable bag. (Um, isn’t that what vacuums have always done?) Or we get half-hour informational commercials (‘infomercials’ - yet another tres chic bastardization of the English language) about losing weight, but with strict warnings about potential ‘leakage’. (We’re not EVEN going there.)

I look at my VHS tapes and shake my head, remembering when that was a source of wonder. I marvel at those who have never seen CASABLANCA, because they ‘don’t watch nothing [sic] in black and white’. Mention the names Agatha Christie or Ellery Queen or S.S. Van Dyne or Leslie Charteris and get looks of befuddlement. Say something about Sherlock Holmes and hear “Oh yeah, that Prissy English Dude. My parents used to watch that. I thought it was stupid.” Mention William Shakespeare and get a lecture of how much time is "wasted studying that sh-- in school." Charles Dickens is boring, and don't even think about Jane Austen.

In the now classic GET SHORTY, Danny DeVito plays an actor whose most recent film is a biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. In the story, he decides to branch out and become am independent producer. There’s a brief shot of a copy of Newsweek with DeVito’s photo, and the headline “Napoleon Solo?” No one else in the theatre got it. I laughed until they almost threw me out, but no one else got it.

Someone once told me I'm a 33 and 1/3 guy in an MP3 world. But I’m comfortable with that, so it’s okay....

IT TAKES A THIEF

2011-11-18T05:47:00.003-06:00

I've been waiting for this on DVD for years. The eOne set was announced a while ago, and I kept an eye on the shifting release date like Alexander Mundy and his father, Alistair, would keep an eye on diamond collections or museums. The fact that the sequel to SPIDER'S DANCE centers on a slick, smooth, and suave thief is entirely coincidental, of course!

The set, after a slight delay from the manufacturer, finally arrived.

Most, if not all, of the 5 star reviews on Amazon about the show are several years old, lobbying for the release of the series on DVD. Sadly, after all this time, the reality is considerably less than 5 star quality.

'Digitally re-mastered'? Hardly. The episodes on Hulu that appeared about four years ago and show up there on a rotating basis are of higher quality. Specks, static, etc. on every episode watched or looked at so far. No idea what these were manufactured from, but they are not *remotely* re-mastered. Color balance varies widely (and wildly!) in each episode. The video quality is on a par with 10-15 year old well cared for VHS recordings.

Second season theme is incomplete. I know the full 60 second S2 intro is out there, because I've seen it intact (rarely, I'll admit, but it is out there on some prints) on brief syndication runs in different cities over the years. Not on every episode, true, but at least one or two, so it does exist. No excuse for it not to be used here.

So far, third season is also using the abbreviated version of the theme on about half the episodes. Again, no excuse.

The 'Special Feature' film version of the pilot was evidently dubbed from the VHS release years back: the disclaimer about "copying this VIDEOTAPE is prohibited," and "This VIDEOTAPE is for private use only" (emphasis added) is intact and displays before the opening credits. Just toss in a VHS tape burn a DVD from it.

The packaging is flimsy at best, awkward at worst; extra long accordion foldouts. I can see the potential for scratching the discs coming down the road. The ultra-flimsy 'insert' used to hold the disc sets in place was crushed when I took the cellophane off.

Coasters? DRINK COASTERS? To quote Al himself, "Are. You. Kidding?"

A 35mm frame is included in a nice protective folder, but it's stated this is a reproduction and not an original. I understand 35mm clips from a 40+ year old TV series are hard to come by, but the effort is appreciated. The 'Collectible Booklet' by Dean Brierly is an expansion of his terrific article about the show for "CinemaRetro", written when Hulu.Com first put the series online in 2009 or so.

The Special Feature Interviews with Robert Wagner and Glen Larson are nice to watch. Mr. Wagner is still a gentleman of Old School Hollywood, and his memories of the series are nicely presented, but the quality of episode transfers and lack of substantial extras rank this one at 2 out of 5, and that's only due to my affection for the show overall. It's nice to have the episodes to watch when the mood strikes, but one has to wish things had been done right and proper.

One day, I may have to look into the German and Australian sets.

Please, Watch

2011-11-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

Please, take 60 seconds and watch this.

One dollar. Consider the possibilities....

Not 1 More Child from PROTECT on Vimeo.

Elaine Viets Works It Out!

2011-11-07T06:12:00.000-06:00

Elaine Viets, author of the Dead-End job series, personally works every job she has Helen Hawthorne do. Hotel maid, retail clerk, receptionist, and telemarketer are just a few of the jobs Elaine has actually worked for research. PUMPED FOR MURDER, tenth in the series, takes things in a brand new direction while keeping the basic concept. Her other best-selling series, Josie Marcus - Mystery Shopper, requires a lot of Elaine's time shopping in the stores of Ft. Laurderdale, where she lives with her husband, Don.

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I realized I couldn't hold a real job.

Seriously, the nuns at my high school steered me into writing.They suggested that I become a newspaper reporter, very advanced thinking back then. I was a newspaper columnist and reporter for many years, which helped hone my writing skills. I am forever grateful to Sister St. Bernard, Sister Grace Edmond and the other nuns.

William: What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?

Yes. My current goal is to write three chapters a week. Each chapter is between 1500 and 2000 words. Today I'll revise Chapter 15 of my next Helen book and then start Chapter 16. I get up about 8:15, then eat breakfast in bed while reading a mystery. I start work between 9:30 and 10. I am not a morning person.

After I answer email and check the news and Facebook, I write. I take a break about 11:30 for tea and a snack, then go back and write until 3. That's when I go out for lunch, usually at Seasons 52. After lunch I edit my day's work, answer mail and attempt to clean off my desk -- a task I always fail at.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

It takes me about five months to write a book I do two a year and then promote for a month before starting the next book. I'm a plotter. Mysteries are too intricate for me to attempt seat of the pants writing, though I may change my carefully worked out plot if a good twist occurs while I'm writing.

William: How much research was involved? Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

My novels, particularly my Dead-End Job mysteries, are heavily researched. For many of the Dead-End Job books, I actually work those jobs. I was a hotel maid for "Murder with Reservations," sold septic tank cleaner in a telephone boiler room for "Dying to Call You," sold bustiers to bimbos for "Shop till You Drop," worked at a dog boutique for "Murder Unleashed," at a snobby country club for "Clubbed to Death, a pricey hair salon for "Killer Cuts" and more.

William: Do you base your characters on actual people?

I use bits and piece of other people. That sounds like Dr. Frankenstein. How about this? My characters are composites. I take habits and physical details that I've observed from real people and blend them into a fictional character, sort of the way cooks make tomato soup. It doesn't resemble a vine-ripened tomato, but it's definitely made from one.

William: Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

Helen Hawthorne could be Jennifer Garner or Sandra Bullock. I see Maggie Gyllenhaal as Josie Marcus. Phil is based on my husband, Don.

William : What are you working on now?

My next Helen Hawthorne mystery, "Final Sail." Helen works aboard a yacht as a stewardess. She has a difficult job in a glamorous setting. A Fort Lauderdale-based yacht chef has been helping me with the background -- and she invited me to eat aboard the 143-foot yacht. Victoria is a fabulous cook. Buy my books so I can get a yacht, please. I promise to invite you all for a cruise.

William: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

Write every day. Learn to self-edit. That was my hardest lesson. New writers -- including me -- think every word out of their computer is golden. It took me a long time to realize I could say more with less.

Favorite craft books are Stephen King's "On Writing" and Nancy Pickard and Lynn Lott's "Seven Steps on the Writer's Path." Since I write cozies, I like to reread Agatha Christie and take apart her stories. I love the plotting and character descriptions and learn something new from them every time.

William: Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

I like quiet when I write, but I pamper myself with good tea (Dragonwell Green) and healthy food.

William: When you're not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

I love to read mysteries and I like to go out to lunch at the end of long day of writing. I usually go to Seasons 52, near my home. All the food is 475 calories and the staff is friendly and helpful. For vacations, Don and I like to go to Key Largo, where I eat yellowtail snapper and relax by the water.

William: What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

I feel lucky to have a challenging and creative job. So many people are worn out by dull, draining work because they have to feed their families or they need the health insurance.

William: You're stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

One book: Mark Twain's "Huck Finn." One CD: "The Best of Eric Clapton." One DVD: "Chicago."

Please tell us more about your books!

My latest mystery is "Pumped for Murder," a Dead-End Job novel about the wonderfully weird world of competitive women's bodybuilding. Here's the book trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVqt6cCzVkY. Helen and Phil also investigate a 1980's suicide that may be murder.

This book is a departure: Helen and Phil are back from their honeymoon and they've opened their own detective agency. Thanks to good advice from you, William, their agency is doing well. I'm hoping this change will give new life to a long-running series.

Music As Inspiration

2011-10-31T04:35:00.001-05:00

Had lunch with a friend the other day, and we got on the subject of writing. He'd just finished MONSTERS UNDER THE BED and, somehow, the conversation turned to music and writing. I mentioned I'd written the first part of the final chapter to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Carol of the Bells", the scene (for those who have read it) where Michael O'Leary is driving through the night, racing against time, fueled by a rage beyond description.

The arrangement below, starts out soft and Holiday-Like, but starting at 1:59... well, by the time it's done, it sounds like music from an incredibly action-packed car chase from a Bruce Willis movie:

The whole conversation made me think about it on the way home, how music can help what comes out of the keyboard. Inspiration, mood, thoughts, ideas, the right music in the background can make the words turn into something wonderful (if we're lucky!)

STREET HEAT, being firmly set in the pre-Y2K era, was written to a lot of Robert Palmer music, with a little Glenn Frey and Annie Lenox thrown in.

SPIDER'S DANCE was backed up by coolness from Dave Grusin, Count Basie, etc, plus Louisiana music, everything from New Orleans Jazz to Zydeco. (And a lot of Rat Pack, no sense pretending otherwise.)

Now, juggling two projects, I find my music selections flying all over the place. The (as yet untitled) sequel to SPIDER'S DANCE centers on Michaela O'Brien's brother Ian... an internationally infamous thief known as "L'Araignee". The soundtrack to the television series LEVERAGE is getting a lot of play these days as well as soundtracks to British TV series from the 60's and the 70's. The (finally, after 40+ years) official soundtracks to the classic series I SPY get a lot of play, also, for the international flavor I'm aiming for.

The other book, more of a suspense/horror concept, is being backed with music from the old Hammer movies starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, some of Franz Salter's work from the older Universal Monsters Series, and believe it or not, soundtracks from DARK SHADOWS. Cliched, sure, but it seems to help keep the keys clicking.

When there's a Big Action Scene, nothing beats the music from RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Nothing.

All of the above is on the iPod, too, so it all goes with me when I work someplace other than the office. On more than one occasion, I've created separate soundtracks for each work in iTunes; a couple of mouse clicks, and the mood is set and it's off to the races.

So.... what fuels your imagination when you're sitting at the keyboard? As Steven Spielberg once said, what music "tells your hero when to run or duck, whether to kiss the girl or smash the enemy"?

Scary Stuff

2011-10-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

Suzan Harden over at Wild, Wicked, and Wacky, is hosting different authors this week on what scares them:

http://wildwickedwacky.blogspot.com/2011/10/monsters-with-guest-blogger-will-graham.html

Baskerville Hall, and the "footprints of a giant hound". What more needs to be said??

Nostalgia

2011-10-17T08:14:00.000-05:00

One of the better 'different' cop/PI shows of the era. Mike Longstreet was blinded when a bomb meant for him killed his wife. Using advanced (for the time) techniques, Mike heightened his other senses and became a formidable investigator.

Always wondered why James Franciscus wasn't a bigger star than he was.....

Life Its Own Self

2011-09-26T04:43:00.001-05:00

To borrow from the brilliant Dan Jenkins, "Life Its Own Self" has been a touch hectic the past few weeks. Still have some terrific guest blogs for you to read, a new novel (shamelessly pointing to the picture for SPIDER'S DANCE at the right), and hopefully some entertaining stuff coming down the road!

Hank Phillippi Ryan

2011-08-29T04:30:00.000-05:00

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the investigative reporter for Boston's NBC affiliate. A television journalist since 1975, she has won 27 Emmys and ten Edward R. Murrow awards for her work. A best-selling author of four mystery novels (the latest is DRIVE TIME), Ryan has won the Agatha, Anthony and Macavity awards for her crime fiction. She’s on the national board of directors of Mystery Writers of America and the New England board of Sisters in Crime. Her newest suspense thriller, THE OTHER WOMAN, is the first in a new series beginning in 2012 from Forge Books. Her website is http://www.HankPhillippiRyan.com

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

HANK: Well, interesting. Tough question. I’ve been a television reporter for thirty years, and that’s all about writing. Before that, I worked at Rolling Stone magazine, writing and editing a column on Washington DC called Capital Chatter. So that was writing, too. I never thought about it as “being a writer.” I thought about it as “writing” for my journalism job. But gradually, I guess, I realized that even though I was fascinated by the research, and loved the hunt for the story, and the shooting, and editing, and production, that part I enjoyed the most was the writing of the story. The crafting of the words, choosing just the right one, making each story a jewel, and how I would take all the information I’d uncovered, and make it into a compelling story. So, that’s writing.

And then, when I got my first idea for a novel, again, I just wanted to tell that great story. So, this is the long was of describing that what I think about is storytelling, not “being a writer.”

What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?

HANK: Yes, goals. Big time. Because I have a full-time job as a reporter, and a full-time job as a mystery author and a full time job as a mystery promoter, and a full time job as a wife, I have to be very organized and focused. On a regular week day, I work at the station from 9 til 6, I go home and write until about ten.

When I have a novel in the works, the only way I can really feel that I’m making progress is to—and don’t laugh—figure out how many words I need to write, say 90,000. Divide by how many days I have to do it, and then set a goal of that many words per day. Say, 576. And whether it takes me three hours or half an hour—I can’t get up from the desk until I do that.

Of course, I get behind. But at least I know how behind I am.

The “write every day” theory works for me. Even if it’s just fifteen minutes, when you keep going , somehow it eventually it gets done. I’m a big proponent of “keep going.”

About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

HANK: Well, PRIME TIME, the first book, took about a year and a half. The first final result was 723 pages! So then I had to CUT 400 pages. (I know, what can I tell you, I had no idea what I was doing.)

FACE TIME was the first book I’d written that was already sold. SO I had a hard deadline. It took me—9 months I wrote AIR TIME in 7 months. That is writing as fast as I possibly can, and even though I love that book, and it turned out nicely, I didn’t have the best time writing at that speed.

DRIVE TIME took 9 months, and my new book (!) THE OTHER WOMAN, took about 11 months. Next book, I bet, ten. That seems doable.

Plotter or pantser. Well, I think I’m a plotter, but certainly after I think of the basic plot, it changes dramatically. Dramatically.

Depends on what the characters do, and what would really happen. If you saw the outline (required by the publisher) of DRIVE TIME, and then read the book (and I hope you do) you would howl with laughter. They are nothing like each other. Because when you actually write the book, there’s some sort of mystery/magic that takes place. People say things, or do things, or the story grows in your head and it’s just—different, when it’s real.

In my new book, THE OTHER WOMAN, there’s a character who in the synopsis is critical to the final scene. When I was actually writing the book, I realized, early on, that person had to die. NO! I whined, I need that person in the end.

But it wasn’t meant to be. They had to die. And the ending worked much better without them.

Do you base your characters on actual people?

HANK: No. Yes. Kind of. Not really. Everyone is someone, you know? And my mother will tell you she is most definitely Mrs. McNally, and that I’m Charlie McNally. But not really. You know what it’s like—you meet a person, and they have a quirk, or an attitude, or a manner of speaking. And you swipe that and add it to a character.

But no one is based on anyone specific.

Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

HANK: Oh, funny. In the TIME books, Charlotte McNally is definitely Rene Russo. And Josh is…oh, Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. Not gonna happen, I guess.

But it does help, I think, to visualize a real person. In my new book, one character is Keira Knightly, and thinking about her makes her character come to life in my head.

What are you working on now?

HANK: Oh, thank you for asking! THE OTHER WOMAN, a novel of suspense and the first in a new series, is coming in hardcover from Forge books next year.

THE OTHER WOMAN is the story of a disgraced Boston television reporter on the trail of an ex-governor’s secret mistress. And of a Boston cop on the trail of a suspected serial killer. What happens when they realize—they might be hunting the same person? As one character says, “You can choose your sin, but you cannot choose your consequences.”

It’s perfect for 2012, since the tag line is: “Seduction, betrayal, and murder—it’s going to take more than votes to win this election.”

(Forge is also the publisher of terrific novelists such as Boston’s own William Martin, the renowned Eric Van Lustbader, Gary Braver and Bill Pronzini. ( And Margaret Truman.)

So, it’s new, its different, it’s not first person, its multiple points of view. I love it. We shall see.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

HANK: Advice. Advice. I do have advice.

Two things. One—you never know. I mean—you never know what’s good and what’s bad when it happens. Something that you think is a HUGE disappointment might turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened. You know that’s true, right? So when a person gets rejected, or dismissed, or dissed , or ignored, or whatever—it might turn out to be wonderful. So I try not to be upset by things.

Situations generally work out, don’t they? Sometimes in a way you would never predict.

And there’s a motto on my bulletin board—“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” I envision success. And operate as if things will work. Why not?

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

HANK: Nope, nothing. Silence. No music, no movies. When I’m writing my news stories, at the station, it’s chaos, three televisions going, people yelling, talking, lots of activity. I’m fine. But writing my novels, not. Quiet.

I have written at Tanglewood, off at a picnic table on the grass, with the Boston Symphony playing on stage. That worked. And I worked on a verandah overlooking the Caribbean for a week in Nevis. That worked. But I’m best, at home, at my little desk.

I do have a t-shirt that say inspiRED. And one that says TiRED. And some Nancy drew pants. And a Sue Grafton T-shirt. But I don’t need them. J

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

HANK: I don’t. I know, it’s a problem, but I do nothing to relax. It’s a bad thing, I’m sure.

What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

HANK: SO many things! When I’m working on a book, and just the right words come out. Sometimes I’m typing so fast that my fingers are barely keeping up with my brain. And that’s the zone, and that’s fantastic.

When someone says they’ve read my books, and loves them. Wow. I still am not used to that. And I hope I never get used to it.

And it’s been terrific to get to know so many people in book world, readers and librarians and writers—it’s a fabulous loving generous community.

You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

HANK: Eeesh. Impossible! Book: Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin. Movie: oh, gosh, ah…The Godfather. But even that would eventually get boring, wouldn’t it? That’s Entertainment, the first one? Lawrence of Arabia? One CD—some huge Paul Simon compilation.

Please tell us more about your books!

HANK: Love to! Beginning with the Agatha winning PRIME TIME, they’re a fun, fast-paced series of mysteries about an investigative reporter in Boston (!) who is smart, savvy and successful—but is worried she’s going to be replaced by someone younger.

She‘s married to her job in TV—and wonders what will happen when the camera doesn’t love her any more. So each of the books is Charlotte McNally’s hunt for the story that will save her career.

In PRIME TIME (Did I say that won the Agatha? J ) she discovers secret messages in computer spam.

In FACE TIME (A Booksense Notable book) she stakes her career on proving a convicted murderer is innocent. Problem is—the woman might be guilty.

In AIR TIME—Anthony, Agatha and Macavity nominee—she’s on the trail of counterfeit designer merchandise. (I scared myself so much with this story , now I never check my luggage at the airport.) The first line is: It’s never a good thing when the flight attendant is crying.

In DRIVE TIME—Agatha and Anthony nominee—Charlotte discovers what really happens to your car in valet parking. I can promise you, you’ll never look at parking garages the same way after you read it!

Next is THE OTHER WOMAN, which introduces disgraced Boston TV reporter Jane Ryland and Boston cop Jake Brogan. It’s somewhat different from the TIME books—more of a suspense thriller--so I’m eager to see what everyone thinks!

www.hankphillippiryan.com

Gail Barrett

2011-08-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

Gail Barrett always knew she’d be a writer. After living everywhere from Spain to the Bahamas, earning a graduate degree in linguistics, and teaching high school Spanish for years, she finally fulfilled that lifelong goal. Her books have won numerous awards, including the National Readers’ Choice Award, the Book Buyers Best Award and Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart. A member of Romance Writers of America, she currently lives in western Maryland.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

By about the seventh or eighth grade. I’ve always loved to read and knew right from the start that I wanted to create stories of my own.

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you set goals?

I definitely set goals. I start writing by 7am, and get most of my writing done in the morning. By mid-afternoon my brain is worn out.

About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

When I was teaching full time, it would take me a year to write a book. Now I can do it much faster, depending on the amount of research. Frankly, I love to tinker with words, so if I didn’t have a deadline, I’d probably dither over a manuscript forever. I absolutely love to revise.

I am definitely a plotter. I need to know who my characters are and what their goals are before I can begin a book. I need to know their main issues, how they are going to change and grow, and of course, what the mystery or suspense is all about.

Do you base your characters on actual people?

No, never, but I sometimes take certain characteristics of people I know and then exaggerate them to fit my needs. I also draw on my own experiences in life to add depth to the characters.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the second book in my new Stealth Knights miniseries, called High Stakes Affair. It is scheduled to come out in March 2012.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

My advice is to persevere. It took me twelve years to sell my first book. It was the sixth full book I’d completed. And even now, I continue to get rejections. So you have to really want this career to succeed.

My favorite craft books:

- Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham

- Goal, Motivation, & Conflict by Deb Dixon

- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King.

I have others, but those are definitely must-reads.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk?

Whenever I need to think about a scene, I get in the car and drive somewhere while listening to instrumental music. For some reason, that helps me think. I usually listen to Celtic music.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us?

I love to walk. I used to run long distances, but I’ve slowed to a rapid walk now. I try to walk five miles a day, and I also lift weights. And of course, I read. If I can’t read for at least an hour or two each day, I feel deprived.

What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

Hearing from a reader that she liked my book. That is an absolutely amazing feeling.

You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

Seriously? I don’t know how I would ever decide. The music CD would either be my Celtic Christmas CD, or one of Berrogüetto’s albums. The movie is tougher. Either Knotting Hill, French Kiss, or Love Actually, because I’d probably feel depressed if I were stranded, and one of those would cheer me up.

And the book....I really have no idea. I have bookcases filled with favorite books. If I wanted something funny, I’d take a book by Jennifer Crusie or Kristan Higgans. If I wanted sexy, I’d take one of Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander books. Suspenseful - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. And then there are all the classics...

Please tell us more about your books:

My next book comes out in September. It’s called COWBOY UNDER SIEGE and is the third book in a miniseries I wrote with five other authors. There are six books in the series (which is called the Kelley Legacy), and we each wrote one. I have a list of the books on my website (www.gailbarrett.com).

After that, in November, I’m launching my own miniseries called the Stealth Knights. This series features semi-reformed bad boys who use their unorthodox skills for the greater good. The first book in the series is HIGH RISK REUNION. The second is HIGH STAKES AFFAIR. All of these books are published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense.

How Did We Get Here?

2011-08-08T06:27:00.001-05:00

Last week, I had the chance to participate in a panel for Bay Area Writer's League with authors June Faver and Melissa Ohnoutka to talk about the whys and wherefores of choosing the independent publishing path.

It was a great deal of fun, mainly because the audience asked very sharp, intelligent questions about both traditional publishing and the new wave of eBook publishing.

I ran into a couple of people I hadn't seen for several years, always a genuine pleasure. The audience's questions ranged from technical formatting issues to marketing to book signings.

There was also the (still) surreal experience of meeting a complete stranger, someone I've never met in my life, telling me how much they enjoyed STREET HEAT. That's still a real thrill, one of those moments that I hope never, ever gets routine..:)

The thing that struck me more than anything is how the rules of the publishing game are indeed changing, and changing quickly.... and how readers are more than willing to embrace those changes. Thanks to eReaders, and the pricing structure of most eBooks, readers are more than willing to give a new author a chance. Think about it: the price of a mass market paperback is now somewhere between $7.99 and $11.99. ($11.99? I've got hardcovers with that price on the dust jacket!) Some quick math shows a 7.99 mass market equals almost THREE eBooks at 2.99. A lot of eBooks are less than that, in the .99 range. Readers are not only embracing the new technology, but buying eBooks in quantities never seen in the publishing industry before.

It's nice to see readers are still willing to take a chance on a new author, willing to try a book in a different genre, or just make an impulse buy they really enjoy.

Jory Sherman Chills Out

2011-08-01T04:49:00.003-05:00

Between Carl Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Mulder & Scully of THE X FILES, there was a terrific series of paperback originals about a paranormal investigator named Russell 'Chill' Childers and his associate, Laura Littlefawn, written by Jory Sherman. Breezy and fun reads, they were also pretty scary stuff, and I am pleased to say I still have the entire series.

Jory is working on some exciting new projects, and it is a genuine honor to have him here today to talk about them! To learn more about this fascinating author, please visit his website: www.jorysherman.com

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Jory: I think it was more of a case of my realizing that I was a writer. I never dreamed of being a writer, but it took several nudges from Fate to make me realize that I was a writer. I wrote my first story at age 8 when my father accidentally ran over my puppy in his Cadillac. I wrote a little story about my love for “Doopers.” In the Boy Scouts, I wrote about our hiking trips in the Rocky Mountains around Denver, and my scoutmaster, Fritz Stamm made me “Troop Scribe.” When I ran away from home at age 15, I wound up in the advertising department at the Denver Dry Goods Co., and won seveeral awards for my ad copy when I was 17. In the Navy, while stationed at Sangley Point in the Philippine islands, I wrote all the continuity for the AFRS radio station and several original radio plays and began dabbling I poetry on the teletype machines. After I was discharged from the Navy in 1953, I bought a typewriter and tried to write short stories. I failed. Then, I developed a condition known as manic-depression and spent time on a special ward at Ft. Miley Veterans Hospital in San Franccisco. My doctors started taping my psychiatric sessions and then asked me if I would like to get out of Occupational Therapy (OT). I hated OT and said so. They gave me a private office, typewriter and paper. I started writing with no objective in mind and showed my efforts to a writer in my group. He flipped out and declared me a genius and said my writing was poetry. So, after I was dicharged from the hospital I made up my mind that I would just write. I would do anything to enable me to write and that’s what I did. Some of this is related in my memoir, BUKOWSKI & ME, (Rebecca J. Vickery, publisher) which is available on my website, www.jorysherman.com, and can be purchased for Kindle, Nook, Sony, Ipod, Ipad, Smashwords, CreateSpace and in bookstores.

William: What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?

Jory: I spend very little time at the keyboard each day. A half hour to an hour at most. The rest of the time, I am listening to books since I can no longer read printed books, and thinking. I meditate and my ideas bubble up from my subconscious. I generally don’t write anything down until around 2pm in the afternoon. I only sleep 3 to 4 hours a night, so much of my daylight hours are spent with my subconscious mind in a dream or meditative state. I rely on my subconscious mind so much, sometimes I cannot distinguish between actual events or those vivid scenarios that I dream. But, the most powerful tool we have is our consciousness and I believe that consciousness is part of the universe, part of the dark energy that makes up 75 per cent of the universe. Quantum physicists are still trying to figure out whether this is a 6^th sense, a part of our brains or if we are all connected in a cosmic consciousness outside the brain. And, studies seem to indicate that we who are blind can actually see by using consciousness that might be overridden by sight. In other words, we use different receptors in the brain to “see” that we normally do not use or need. The writer can often see or discern subtle shifts in personality that others might miss. The word “personality” is derived from the Greek word “persona” which means “mask.” The attentive writer can detect what’s behind the mask of personality.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Jory: A 60,000 to 70,000 word novel takes me about a month to write. The longer books, 80,000 words take a month and a half to 2 months. The 100,000 to 125,000 word novels may take me 4 or 5 months, sometimes longer, depending on where I have to go and what I have to do besides write, i.e. speak or teach. I do not plot novels anymore, although I did when I first started and when I was submitting synopses to publishers. I seldom followed these outlines because I discovered that the very act of writing is the key to make a story come alive. The key to any novel or short story is in the writing itself, when all is revealed along the course of writing the story. This is a valuable principle that I teach in my classes and practice every day. I believe that every human being is a natural-born storyteller, but the discipline of writing every day is what makes a writer. And, writing is a self-generating process. The more you write, the more you learn about your characters and their tangled lives. And, for many years now, publishers have not asked me for a synopsis. I just give them a title and go to work. And, I often see the whole book as already produced long before I write it. And, publishers now ask me to provide a script for the cover artist, which I do, with pleasure, because I love to paint with words or watercolors, oils, or acryllics. Many of my recent books have covers that I painted myself.

William: How much research was involved? Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

Jory: I always do more research than I need to do. I want to know all I can about a particular place or period and then I take what I need to put n the frame or background. Research is vital for much of what I write, but a good eye for detail and memory are very useful too. I find that I absorb a great deal and while writing I am often able to dredge up particular places or incidents and transform them into material for my books and stories.

William: Do you base your characters on actual people?

Jory: Of course. But most of my characters are composites of two or more real people, and I always disguise my sources so that I won’t face lible or slander charges. But, novels are about people, and I observe people very carefully and note their mannerisms, their speech patterns, their masks (personality) and behavior. All life is fascinating to me, human, animal, fish or fowl, insect or microbes. Life is puzzling and incredible on every level.

William: Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

Jory: I don’t visualize actors or actresses when I create a character. But, for the Chill books, I thought of one actor who could have played him at the time and an actress or two who might have played Laura Littlefawn. I have known a great many movie stars and many stage actors, but I don’t picture them as characters in my novels. I gave Larry Hagman a copy of GRASS KINGDOM when we were both celebrity dove hunters in Abilene in case anyone ever wanted to make a movie out of the book. But, it would be too expensive to film, especially in these times.

William : What are you working on now?

Jory: I am writing a novel called DESTINY’S CAROUSELS, entirely for eBook publication. But, I will soon start another Ralph Compton Trail Drive novel for Signet. They just published THE AMARILLO TRAIL, which I wrote last year. Ralph has been dead for several years but some of us write his books now and all the royalties go to his estate. We get paid a flat fee. The trail drive novels are challenging and fun to write since they involve a long, arduous journey with many perils along the way, and plenty of opportunity to explore human conflicts.

William: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

Jory: I tell my writing students, not to read books on how to write short stories or novels until after they have written a story or book. Then, I tell them to buy and read one particular book written by a friend of mine, Christopher Vogler. The book is THE WRITER’S JOURNEY, and Chris gives a blueprint for anything you may wish to write. I also recommend my friend Loren D. Estleman’s book on Popular Fiction writing. But if you read a book on the craft of writing before you attempt to write, you are putting one more obstacle in your path. Beginning writers put a number of obstacles out in front of them and often are unable to finish either a short story or a novel. Writing is the best way to learn. I just wrote, at first, and there was no structure to my poetry, no craft, so I began to study forms and read many poets and a wide range of poetry until I found my own voice and knew what Dylan Thomas called “my sullen art and craft.” There’s also my own MASTER COURSE IN WRITING (High Hill Press) which contains much of my philosophy about writing and I have used these methods with beginners and pros. I work with many professional writers who put obstacles in their paths or have writer’s block. And writer’s blocks is something I’ve never experienced, but if writers follow my advice they will never experience this dubious condition.

William: Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

Jory: No, I don’t dress for the part. I listen to classical music when I write or write in complete silence. I wear comfortable old clothes. When I’m writing I am on a higher plane and living the story in my mind, so no particular trappings are needed.

I don’t have the TV on, although I have one in my office. If I do have it on, it’s tuned to Sirius classical music. Intermezzo is a favorite program. No voices, just the orchestral music.

William: When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

Jory: I write every day. I listen to a lot of books and follow the paths of great writers in my mind, such as Vladimir Nabokov. I subscribe to audible.com and get 2 books a month from them and I download books for the blind from BARD or order them from Austin. I have both a digital player and an analog player that Books for the Blind furnished me. I have several MP3 players that I use to play those books I download from audible.com. I also have a Kindle which allows me to read when I wear special glasses and use a halogen lamp. The Kindle can also read to me, although it uses a mechanical voice that mispronounces many of the words in the text. But, I follow along with elevated boldface type and this has ceased to be annoying. I read a lot of science and arcane books such as the Bhagavad Gita or the Mahabarata and my friend Zechariah Sitchin’s books and the Kindle cannot handle many of the biblical or sanscrit translations.

William: What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

Jory: That’s a tough question and one that I find difficult to be objective about. I guess the best answer is a subjective one. After I finish a book I go through a kind of minor post-partum depression. I am elated to have finished the novel, but I don’t think it’s any good. My wife jumps on me about this. All I know is that when I’m writing I am in a different world, a world without stress or anxiety. But, like many writers, find it challenging to face that first blank screen. My instinct is to procrastinate, to put off writing until the last possible minute. But, once I start, all fear goes away. And this is what I preach to beginning writers, my No Rules and No Fear, approach. So I adhere to my own edict and have avoided procrastination. I dislike having deadlines, though, and have created a mental system for myself. I call it the 10 Day Method. When I am faced with writing a 340 page book, I tell myself that if I write 34 pages a day, I’ll be finished in 10 days. This helps me meet deadlines, because at the end of each day, I figure the number of remaining pages and if it’s 120 pages, I have to write only 12 pages a day to be finished in 10 days. Most days I write about 10 0r 11 pages, but sometimes I write 20-25 pages and even more if I’m short on the deadline. I have another rule I follow (which is outside the bounds of my No Rules philosophy) and that is I never stop writing for the day at the end of a chapter or a scene. I always stop midway when I know what is going to happen next and that way I can hit the ground running the next day and do not have to face a blank page in Word.

William: You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

Jory: I would probably want Vladimir Nabokov’s THE GIFT or his ADA since these books would fully engage my mind. The movie would probably be either JEREMIAH JOHNSON or BLACKHAWK DOWN, and the CD would be Eugene Isthmian playing Chopin’s Nocturnes. I saw him in concert once and I have always loved Chopin.

Please tell us more about your books!

Jory: I never read or edit my own books. Once they’re written, they are proofed and paginated by my wife, Charlotte. I am having my Chill series republished since they were way ahead of their time and had no audience. But, they were published in 14 countries and I think now is the time to reissue them. My BALLAD OF PINEWOOD LAKE was originally published in hardcover and sold more copies than any of my westerns. I have the rights back to that book and it will be published in a week or so, with a cover I painted. It is a beautiful sad book. Many who have read it thought it was a true story of my own life, but it is fiction. There is another Baron book soon to be published, THE BARON DECISION, and I have one more to write, which I have already started. These are 600 page books. I want to write 2 or 3 more CHILL books and must find, or steal, the time. And, I have a number of others on my plate, including a series of mysteries set in Branson, Missouri where we lived for some 20 years. My collected poems, REFLECTIONS, was just published last week by High Hill Press. This covers many years of publishing poetry since I began to write. I also painted the cover of this book.

Nancy Martin Rox

2011-07-25T04:59:00.013-05:00

Nancy Martin is the author of over forty-five novels, and is most famous for her "Blackbird Sisters" series about three Philadelphia Main Line heiresses who wake up one morning and find Mom and Dad have drained all their trusts and headed for the Islands. The eldest, Nora, is forced to find a job and ends up working for the local newspaper, writing the society column. As always, there's a dead body found, a mystery to solve, and each book is hysterically funny. Nancy won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times in 2009. Her newest book, STICKY FINGERS, is a sequel to last year's FOXY ROXY. Roxy Abruzzo is a woman with a heart of gold and a, uh, slight streak of larceny, solving crimes while collecting profits along the way, and trying to keep her personal life in some sort of order.

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I started writing in the 8^th grade---sharing stories with my best friend. We wrote to entertain each other. (Having an audience from the beginning made a big difference, I think. I still write to entertain Mary Kate!) But it wasn’t until I became a school teacher (and quickly realized I was not cut out for it) that I wondered if I could make a living at writing. Those were the hottest days of historical romances, so that’s what I set out to write. I published my first book in my twenties. Gulp—thirty years ago!

William: What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?
I think self-discipline is a big factor when it comes to success as a writer, so I write just about every day. When I’m not writing, I’m reading or I’m thinking about writing. (I have no life!) When drafting, I try to write at least ten pages a day. I try not to go back to edit until I have fifty pages to work with. (It took me a lot of years before I had the self-discipline not to go back every day.) I’m very aware of the passage of time. I could easily spend two years crafting a book, but I don’t have that luxury.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

It takes me about nine months from start to deadline. Therefore, I don’t have time to be a pantser. I write about fifty pages just to have fun creating characters and throwing all kinds of story elements at the wall to see what sticks. Then I outline. And I re-outline. And I outline a little more. Now I use a big 3-way display board that I cover with Post-It notes. I can move those around when I feel the need. I don’t always follow my outline, of course—I like the excitement of a fresh idea as much as anyone—but I know it’s always there to return to if I get lost. If I don’t outline, I find myself making the most obvious story choices, and that’s not good. I like surprises as much as any reader.

William: How much research was involved? Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

When I wrote romance novels, I didn’t do a lot of research. (Mostly because I was at home with my kids and couldn’t drag everybody to the library. Or—uh---maybe I just had so much romance in my life that I didn’t need no stinkin’ research?) Nowadays, I do a lot of reading and I’m always trolling for story ideas. I read a lot of magazines and at least two newspapers aday. The book I just finished—the 8^th Blackbird novel called NO WAY TO KILL A LADY—I was reading about privileged men who feel empowered to abuse women. I read lots of stories and accounts from various points of view, and I layered my reading into the story. I was also reading about events in the Middle East at the time (weren’t we all?) and I found a way to ease some of those story elements into the book, too. I think it works. We’ll see what readers think.

William: Do you base your characters on actual people?

Are you a litigious person, William?

William: Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

I don’t visualize as much hear their voices. I fear choosing an actor will limit me, too. There are some things you can’t envision certain actors doing, right?

William : What are you working on now?

I’m working on two projects. Doing the revisions on NO WAY TO KILL A LADY for Penguin and tinkering with a proposal for Minotaur, the publisher of my Roxy Abruzzo series. I’m very lucky to have two publishers.

William: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

My advice is to write. Write a lot. Write because you love doing it. When you’re not writing, we should all be reading like mad. The only way to keep up with what’s going on in the industry is to read widely. My favorite craft book to recommend isn’t non-fiction. It’s Michael Chabon’s WONDER BOYS, which shows the less glamorous side of the writers of literary fiction. It’s a hilarious novel, but it also really shows how writing is done well. I attended the Robert McKee workshop a few years ago, and found it career-changing. I also Jane Smiley’s THIRTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE NOVEL, and Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY. But I wouldn’t tell a writer to avoid any how-to book. You can learn from them all. I’ve pieced together what I consider the best of all the how-to stuff, and formed it into my own method. It’s complicated, but it works for me.

William: Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

I like silence. I’m easily distracted. So, no music. No television. No husband, if he dares to breathe loudly. If I’m really pounding it out, rushing toward a big deadline, I wear my magic feather. It’s a hawk feather that fell out of the sky one afternoon, and I stick it into my hair clip. If you’re laughing, William, please remember I know where you live.

William: When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

I swim laps. I try to go to the pool every day. With my head underwater, my imagination wanders around. I often come up with solutions to problems I didn’t know I had.

William: What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

True story: I meet a lot of people who say they’ve read my books during times of great stress or trauma. I am stunned by the number of people who come up to me to reveal they read my books with a mother while she was dying or a sister who was hospitalized. It’s very humbling. Rewarding, too. But mostly humbling. I write light, amusing books that are a little romantic and uplifting, and I try to create a clever plot. But mostly, when I write I find myself thinking about readers who really, really need to be entertained. It’s not a bad mission in life.

William: You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

Ask me tomorrow, and you might get a different answer. I might choose the Patrick O’Brian seafaring series. (I know, I’m cheating! That’s actually 18 books.) Or the Complete Works of Jane Austen. Movies? I dunno. Ocean’s Eleven if there’s no sound. (Who cares what those gorgeous men are saying?) Or maybe Sense and Sensibility. Or The Hunt for Red October. (Can you pass that one up if you see it’s playing? Likewise Grosse Point Blank or Apollo 13?) The CD would have to be a mix tape my daughter Sarah made for me—a little rock, country, movie soundtracks. I have no specific music taste. I do appreciate silence. The better to hear the voices in my head, I guess.

Please tell us more about your books!

I got started writing earnest historical romances, but quickly moved to category romances, which were fun and quick and sexy. But when my daughters got old enough to read my books—bwah!--I switched to mystery, which I enjoy most because the form is so flexible. I can write almost any kind of a story as long as a mystery holds it together. My Blackbird Sisters Mysteries are light and witty and a little romantic. They’re set in Philadelphia, the Main Line and Bucks County. Sex and the City goes to Cabot Cove—that kind of thing. HOW TO MURDER A MILLIONAIRE won some awards, and the Blackbirds earned me the Romantic Times lifetime achievement award for mystery writing. My Roxy Abruzzo mysteries are funny, too, but they’re darker. They’re set here in Pittsburgh, where I live. The most recent is STICKY FINGERS.

www.nancymartinmysteries.com

J. Carson Black Rules!

2011-07-18T05:14:00.004-05:00

There's a lot to say about J. Carson Black. Horsewoman, professionally trained opera singer, and author, she lives with her husband in Arizona. "Jake", as she is known, and I met via the Internet a few years back, and I bought her novels. DARKNESS AT THE EDGE OF TOWN caught my attention instantly: a State Investigator on the trail of an Internet predator. Her writing and story style is such that I was instantly caught up in the book, spending most of one evening doing not much more than reading it as fast as I could.

Since then, and she has continued her writing career by attacking (you'd have to know Jake, that's the only word) the Kindle Book Market. At one point, three of her books occupied Amazon's Best-Seller List at # 1, # 3, and # 4.... at the same time, in addition to occupying the #1, 2, and 3 in Police Procedurals for a month and a half!

Her newest novel, THE SHOP, is a dirty and dangerous look at the Cult of Celebrity, and machinations in our government that will keep you awake at night, asking yourself, "I wonder....."
Razor sharp writing, perfect characterization.... what more can you ask for? And now, here she is!

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

JCB: My first “book” was THE EASTER EEG, written and illustrated by me – a few scrawled words in crayon on the flipside of my dad’s test papers (he was a teacher). I loved to read from an early age. My mother was brilliant at appealing to my materialistic instincts to keep me reading. Every Friday night we’d go to a store called the House of Paperbacks, and my parents would turn me loose to buy whatever books I wanted. (Books were about 75 cents then.) I’d pull together six or seven books. I remember buying THE MOUSE THAT ROARED and ANIMAL FARM, and of course---you’ll like this---MY FRIEND FLICKA. When I read Ray Bradbury’s SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, I wish I’d written that book. I wanted to be an author. I got shunted into music because I could sing well, but eventually I found my way back, and sold my first book, DARKSCOPE, in 1990. It was a horror novel, inspired by THE SHINING and GHOST STORY.

William:  What’s your typical writing day look like?  Do you set goals?

JCB: When I’m serious,  I do.  My goal is to write 6000 words a week, however I can get it.  I figure I have a day or two leeway.  Sometimes it comes down to painfully totting up my word count.  Other days, it’s wonderful!   I try to be outside when I’m writing, weather permitting.  Since I live in Arizona, weather permits a lot.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

JCB: For a while there, I was writing a book a year, when I had a publisher. I’m afraid I slow down if I’m not being prodded!  I take the middle way, which I learned from a magnificent book called WRITE AWAY, by Elizabeth George.  She lays out about eight scenes or so, not too far  into the future, but far enough where she gets a good string going.  She thinks about everything: the point of view, what the character is thinking and feeling, what happens that might disappoint him, the thrust of the scene, the place. I don’t know if I do it like she does, but I roughly sketch out the scene and sometimes, all of a sudden I’m just writing it!  Kind of like the training wheels have magically fallen away.

William:   How much research was involved?  Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

JCB: I do research on the fly, as I need it.  I used to research everything, but I realized it was only a way to put off getting started.  Because I never really know what turns the story will take.  I hate wasting my time doing research on something that I won’t even need!   Not that I don’t pay attention to the basics. If I’m writing about a homicide detective, I have to know how a homicide detective works!

William:  Do you base your characters on actual people?

JCB: Well, you can’t help but learn from those around you. Characters are usually amalgams, though – even the few times I tried to base a character on a person I knew, that character became his/her own person.

William:  Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels?  Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

JCB: Lordy, I haven’t seen a movie in a long time!  I don’t know who the stars are.  I really need to round out my life!  I’ll have to get back to you on that, after I’ve seen some.  I will say, though, that after the fact, I thought of the woman who starred in “Cold Case”—her character and demeanor, most fits my character Laura Cardinal.

William :  What are you working on now?

JCB: Another thriller, along the lines of THE SHOP.  ICON is about a movie star  – the Tom Cruise of his day--- a man named Max Conroy. He escapes rehab in the Arizona desert, but they’ve screwed him up---and now someone is coming to kill him.  He teams up with a sheriff’s deputy who has autobiographical memory. His memory plays tricks on him, and she remembers everything. I’m about 25K into it.

William:  Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?  Favorite craft books?

JCB: Advice?  Write.  Keep writing.  And realize you won’t be a success right away.  The writing is the important thing, not the other stuff. If you’re in it to make a million dollars, fuggedaboudit!  Writing books I have found useful, at various junctures in my life:  WRITE AWAY, by Elizabeth George; WRITING THE BREAKOUT by Donald Maass; ON WRITING, by Stephen King.  I like David Morrell’s book on writing – he recently came out with a new edition, THE SUCCESSFUL NOVELIST: A LIFETME OF LESSONS ABOUT WRITING AND PUBLISHNG.

William:  Do you have an interesting writing quirk?   (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?)  Music you listen to?  Movies in the background?

JCB: Quirks.  Want to be outside.  I write single-spaced, Times New Roman, 14 point, because I think the double spaced stuff looks wrong---it doesn’t look like a book.  I move stuff around, and I use different colored fonts to differentiate the latest draft of a chapter or even a paragraph.  I often confuse myself with this method.  And when things aren’t going well, I check word count constantly.  Oh, I just wrote 216 words. Only so many to go!

William:  When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

JCB: Read, go for walks in the desert, and just generally be outside.  Also, I seem to be taking aging cats to the vet more frequently.  The life of a bestselling Kindle author – the excitement NEVER STOPS!

William:  What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

JCB: Having written something good.  Crackling good.  Hugging myself and gloating. Also, researching, especially if I can go on a trip somewhere!

William: You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

JCB: I hate to be a stickler, but wouldn’t sea water get into the DVD player? I can’t choose music or a movie – although you and I share a deep love for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL – but for the book, it would be LONESOME DOVE, hands down.

Please tell us more about your books!

JCB: I have written three books in the Laura Cardinal Series, starring a female Arizona Department of Public Safety homicide detective. She troubleshoots homicide investigations in small towns and rural places, where the authorities lack the resources they need to solve the case. The three books are DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, and THE DEVIL’S HOUR. I am planning another Laura book, as well as a short story. THE SHOP is my latest book, a big thriller that was tons of fun to write. You helped me a lot with that book, William, and I doubt I would have had the confidence to write it if it weren’t for you and your wonderful (literary) fighting and killing skills. I also have a romantic suspense race horse story called DARK HORSE, and a ghost story called DARKSCOPE. Rounding out the bunch is my short story, PONY RIDES. I drew the cover myself. (The author who draws his own cover has a fool for a client?) You can find all of them on amazon under J. Carson Black, in the Kindle Store. If you must have a paperback, you can find the first two Laura Cardinal books in books – used.

I write what I love to read: thrillers and crime fiction. My “unknowing mentors,” as you so beautifully described it, include T. Jefferson Parker, Robert Crais, Jonathan Kellerman, and Michael Connelly. Not that I’m anywhere near as good as those guys. I just love their company.

Tess St. John Never Lets It Show!

2011-07-13T04:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for letting me visit your blog today, Will.

What inspired you to sit down and write your first story? Or were you one of those kids who began dreaming and writing your own stories from a very young age?

I hated to read as a child. After I married, I began picking up my husband’s books – Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, those type thrillers – and I loved them. And in my late thirties I began reading romance and a whole new world opened up. Then after a few years I began writing down stories running through my mind. My high school teacher advised all of us to try to find a book inside us…so I did.

Your favorite book (and yes, you can pick only one).

Watchers, by Dean Koontz. I read it so long ago, I’m not sure it would still be my favorite, but I’m going with that one. When the monster was holding that Mickey Mouse video asking to be killed, I just lost it…first book that ever made me cry! Of course, I hate to cry, but it moved me!

What’s your youngest childhood memory?

I remember very little, but when I was four I drove my tricycle to the neighbors and told my brothers and sisters they “Better get your asses home,” it was a direct quote from my mom.

How many siblings do you have?

I’m the youngest of five and I really think they, along with my parents, taught me so much about people and I’ve used that in my writing. Youngest children have a tendency to listen and observe. I avoided a lot of heartache that way.

What is your favorite movie?

Galaxy Quest! “Never give up. Never surrender.” But The Iron Giant is a close second.

Who is your favorite all time hero from a book or movie?

Cam Rohan from Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas. She writes such wonderful men and while I adore them all, Cam is my favorite! I don’t know if you remember the saying “Honey hush” from the eighties, but he makes me think that!

Now please tell us about your writing, books, and what’s on the horizon for you? And anything else you think inquiring minds want to know!

DON’T LET IT SHOW – Book 1 of my Undercover Intrigue Series was released June 30th.

Can love survive secrets, lies, and murder?

Attorney Gail Martin's life can't get any worse. Her client has been convicted, her law license suspended, and her inbox inundated with a strange riddle. But things start looking up when a handsome cop saves her from the press.

Undercover FBI agent Sam Newton is in Houston to catch drug dealing cops while pretending to be one. His identity must be kept top secret, but his attraction to Gail can't be concealed or ignored. He's tried, repeatedly.

As their love deepens, Gail confides she doesn’t believe the man in jail for her mother's murder is guilty. She and Sam investigate her mother's case, hitting nothing but dead ends. When tragedy strikes, Gail is left with only the email riddle, which leads her on a deadly quest for the truth about her mother’s life and death—if she can stay alive long enough to solve it.

The second book in the Undercover Intrigue Series – Eyes of Jade will hopefully release before the end of summer.

You can also find out about me and all my books at http://www.tessstjohn.com .

Thanks so much for the opportunity to visit today, Will.

And I have a question for everyone…Who is your favorite hero?

The Pirate Lady

2011-07-08T06:06:00.000-05:00

Today's guest is Jennifer Bray-Weber, author of a terrific trilogy of pirate novels. Old fashioned adventure written with today's sensibilities, her books are not only entertaining but sweeping adventures that will truly take you to another world. Her new novel, THE BRUISED SKY, just took 2nd place in the Romance Through the Ages Contest for 2011! She's a serious talent to reckon with, and I guarantee you'll enjoy her books.

And now insert drum roll), on to the show!

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I am not one of those authors who had been writing since childhood. Shocking, I know. And, I can’t say I ever realized that this would be a career choice. My creative writing college professor suggested a story I had written for class could be a novel. I took it as a dare.

William: You? Take a dare? I'm shocked, shocked I say! :) What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?

Wake up, feed the children, start the laundry, clean the kitchen . . . oh, you mean my actual writing? That comes when the baby is napping. Depending on where I am at in the writing process, I do try to maintain a word count goal. That said, I have to be flexible with young children in the house.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

My first novel took seven months to complete. That was when I thought this writing gig was easy. I was terribly naïve and had so much to learn. My next two novels took a little less than a year each to complete. I was learning my craft and having a baby at the time. I expect to speed up my game, though being a bona fide pantser will make speed a challenge.

William: How much research was involved? Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

When writing historical fiction of any sort, there is quite a bit of research involved. Fortunately, I love history. I didn’t mind reading up, making sure my facts, as well as the liberties I take with those facts, were right.

Inspiration? My pirate tale came to me in a dream. Sound corny? It’s true. No, really.

William: Do you base your characters on actual people?

No. But I draw from emotional experiences I’ve had with people. I may not have been kidnapped by a handsome pirate (there is still hope Captain Jack Sparrow will knock on my front door), but I have been in a situation where the loss of free will terrified me. I try to convey that terror, or other emotion, on the page--with a bit of snark, of course.

William: Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

Gosh, that’s hard. I don’t have any particular movie star I ‘visualize’ when writing. And I never thought of who I’d cast to play my characters. Lame answer, I know. However, Jason Isaacs would play a terrific Commodore Bennington in Blood and Treasure with his shifty eyes and nasty sneer.

William : What are you working on now?

Edits, edits, and more edits. But I hope to start my next pirate romance very soon.

William: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

My advice is to write the story that encompasses your passion. Be open to constructive criticism, listen and learn. And always, always act upon opportunity. No matter how small or quiet opportunity knocks, doors open.

My favorite craft book, hands down, is On Writing, by Stephen King.

William: Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

LOL. I’m addicted to the energy drink Sugar Free Rock Star. I feel most creative when I’m juiced. I also like to listen to Pirates of the Caribbean movie soundtracks to get me in the piratey mood. From time to time, I’ll light an incense stick to fill the room with an exotic scent. Stimulating the senses is an important tool for me.

William: When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

I have kids, relaxing is at a premium. But let’s assume for a moment the children are happily playing and I’m not cleaning their faces, picking up their toys, fielding some crisis, or changing a diaper. Soaking up the sun on a white, powder-soft beach whilst the sea breeze gently kisses my warm cheeks (face, not butt) and sipping an adult beverage would be divine. Or I could just do a Sudoku puzzle.

William: What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

Validation with contest wins and nods from my peers is super, but when someone shares their vibrant excitement over my hero and heroine as if they were personal friends, well, now that is a real reward.

William: You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

You are an evil man, William. The book, a thesaurus. Bet you thought I would pick one story or author over another, didn’t you? The DVD, Blazing Saddles. The CD, I’m ditching the CD for my iPod. Sorry, I live for my eclectic mix of music.

Please tell us more about your books!

Romancing the Pirate is a series of dark, gritty, steamy pirate tales full of adventure and romance. Dangerous pirate captains seek their fortunes and spirited lasses steer them into uncharted waters of the heart. Each story features the pirate ship Rissa and her loyal crew, including the vertically challenged cook, Henri, who fancies ribbons and loads of rum.

The first in the series, Blood and Treasure, is available now through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. A Kiss in the Wind is scheduled for release by Carina Press in spring 2012.

For more information about these books and those to come, please visit www.jbrayweber.com

The Name is Benson..... Raymond Benson.....

2011-07-04T04:15:00.006-05:00

Raymond Benson is one of those lucky people who took a lifelong passion and turned it into a career. After writing and publishing THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION, when John Gardner retired from the 007 novels, Raymond was asked to take up the mantle. He went on to write six continuation novels and three novelizations carrying on the 007 series.

Raymond and I first met a lifetime ago, when Victory Games was producing a James Bond RPG, and we re-connected a few years ago. As a reader, I'm very excited about his new series, THE BLACK STILETTO, due in September. The premise is quite simple:

What if you learned your own mother was once a costumed vigilante in 1960's Chicago?

Raymond released a 'teaser' titled THE BLACK STILETTO'S AUTOGRAPH. It's available in every possible format at Smashwords. Click on the cover to go there. (If the cover does not work, use this link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69804 )

I give it my highest personal recommendation! The setting of 1960's Chicago, the mood, the tone, the action.... it just works! Raymond has finished the as yet untitled BLACK STILETTO 2, and is outlining # 3.

And now.... on to the Q&A:

William: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Raymond: Relatively later in life than most writers. I initially wanted to be a theatre director. I got a degree in theatre directing, worked for a year in a regional theatre, and then made the big move to New York City. There, I directed plays and composed music for theatre for a decade or so. It was during that period, when I was in my late 20s, that I realized there was no money in theatre… so I became a writer. [insert canned laughter here]

William: What’s your typical writing day look like? Do you set goals?

I do. I write a scene a day. By that I mean it’s a scene with a beginning, middle, and end. A scene might be an entire chapter of fifteen or more pages. Or it might be a quickie, only two pages long. Whatever the length, that’s my goal for the day. If it’s a short one, I finish early and reward myself by going to a movie or something. If it’s a long one, I’m at the computer all day. I try to be done by dinnertime. Then, before I go to bed, I read over the scene, make minor corrections, make it “presentable” but by no means perfect, and then move on. The next day I do the whole process again. After many days, I have a first draft manuscript. I don’t go back and seriously correct or revise until after the complete first draft is finished.

William: About how long did it take you to complete one of your novels? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a plotter. I seriously believe in outlining. It was the way I was trained and it works best for me. I spend a great deal of time on the outline, which is really a prose treatment of the entire book. Each chapter is represented by a paragraph. During this phase, I lay out the entire plot so that I know exactly where I’m going—all the twists and turns and red herrings and obstacles and climaxes. Then, when it comes time to write the book, I have a detailed blueprint to go by. I can still be creative during the writing because there’s dialogue, descriptions, and other stuff that magically comes to me—I’m not necessarily married to the outline, it’s just a tool, a map, so to speak.

William: How much research was involved? Was there something that inspired you to write this particular story?

For my Bond novels there was a great deal of research. I traveled to all the locations and walked in Bond’s shoes—stayed at his hotels, ate the food, smelled the smells, observed the people… but I didn’t bed the women or jump out of any airplanes without a parachute. Often I had to research some technical thing, the MacGuffin. With my original thrillers, there is still research, but I rarely travel anywhere for them because I set them in locations I know well—usually New York, Chicagoland, or Texas. My newest book, The Black Stiletto, takes place in all three. Since most of it occurs in the late 1950s, the research involved getting the accuracy of the time period, especially in New York.

William: Do you base your characters on actual people?

Not really, although I’m sure subconsciously that can happen. I’m more often guilty of using the names of real people. I did this a lot with the Bond novels because that’s something of a tradition that started with Ian Fleming himself. He would often use his friends’ names as characters, or change the name slightly. I did that. I had friends begging me to make them a villain or have them die some exotic death. Women friends wanted to sleep with Bond. That kind of thing. I suppose with The Black Stiletto I didn’t base any characters on real people, although there is quite a lot of me in the character of Martin, the Black Stiletto’s son.

William: Who would you cast to play your characters in the movie version of your novels? Anyone in particular you ‘visualize’ when you write?

I do this a lot—I mentally cast the part and write the novel as if I was writing for that actor. It helps me develop the character. I don’t necessarily reveal to anyone who I was thinking about. With the Bond novels I did, later, in an interview. For example, I envisioned Jeremy Irons as the baddie in Zero Minus Ten, Kenneth Branagh as the baddie in High Time to Kill, and so on. I never visualized a particular actor for Bond—not even Connery, who is my favorite. He was always the shadowy figure I first pictured when I read the Fleming novels back in the 60s. Probably something more akin to the Daily Express comic strip drawing of Bond. For The Black Stiletto, yes, I definitely have several actresses in mind who could play this part, but I’d rather not say.

William : What are you working on now?

I just completed Black Stiletto 2, which is already scheduled for publication in May 2012 (at the time of this writing we’re still searching for a title, which we will finalize in the next week or two)… and now I’m researching and preparing to outline Black Stiletto 3!

William: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Favorite craft books?

Read a lot.

William: Do you have an interesting writing quirk? (Like a favorite shirt or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?) Music you listen to? Movies in the background?

I do listen to music, but not always. I can go with or without, and it doesn’t matter if there are vocals or not. Sometimes I like to listen to heavier, driving rock when I write action scenes. No other quirks that I can think of.

William: When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and relieve the everyday stress life throws at us.

I love movies. I write cinema-related articles and DVD reviews for Cinema Retro magazine (www.cinemaretro.com). I love music. I write music-related and CD reviews for Progression magazine (www.progressionmag.com). I teach Film History at the College of DuPage, and it’s a subject I love and can talk about anytime and anywhere. I read a lot and always have a book going. I take the book with me when I go out in case I have to stand in line somewhere or wait on something—and then I read. I take long walks. I play the piano. I surf the Internet.

William: What do you find the most rewarding aspect about writing?

It’d be nice to answer that the money is the most rewarding aspect, but I haven’t been able to do that yet, although I’ve managed to maintain a freelance lifestyle for nearly fifteen years. It’s always gratifying to hear someone say he or she enjoyed one of my books. But probably the most rewarding thing is the act of writing a novel itself and seeing it through to the end. I liken the job to building one of those jigsaw puzzles that has a zillion pieces. You do a little section at a time, and slowly but surely the puzzle gets finished. And that feels good.

William: You’re stranded on the proverbial desert island. You can have ONE book, ONE movie on DVD, and ONE CD of music. What would you choose?

No way I can answer that! Okay, I’ll try. Book: From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming. DVD: 2001: A Space Odyssey. CD: Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull. But that list could change, depending on what day I’m stranded on the proverbial island.

Please tell us more about your books!

My newest book is The Black Stiletto (Oceanview Publishing, Sept. 2011). You can see a promo video at the official website, www.theblackstiletto.net, as well as download a free teaser short story. It’s the first in a series about a female costumed vigilante operating in the late 1950s, early 1960s. Library Journal just described it as “a mashup of the work of Gloria Steinem, Ian Fleming, and Mario Puzo, all under the editorship of Stan Lee.” That pretty much sums it up! I’ve published over 25 books, so I can’t talk about them all. Most people know me from my James Bond novels, which I wrote between 1996-2002. They’re now collected in anthologies entitled The Union Trilogy and Choice of Weapons. There are a couple of “rock ‘n’ roll thrillers”—A Hard Day’s Death and Dark Side of the Morgue; the latter was nominated for a Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel of 2009 by the Private Eye Writers of America. A couple of newer novels are exclusive e-books: Torment, a supernatural thriller, and Artifact of Evil, a thriller with fantasy elements, historical figures, and Jewish mythology. Folks can find out a lot more at my website, www.raymondbenson.com, and by following me on Facebook.

Never Throw Out an Idea

2011-06-13T06:18:00.002-05:00

"MONSTERS" is another one that began life as a script for a television series. Over the course of time, it was then adapted for another series. The second version came out much better than the first, but neither deal worked out, although the second series held onto it for almost two years before finally deciding, "We don't think so."

Fair warning, this is not a story for the faint of heart. There's nothing explicit in it, but the subject is kind of tough (which is, I believe, ultimately why it was never filmed for either series).

This current and final incarnation came about when a good friend mentioned a publisher was looking for Christmas themed mysteries. Originally, the story was set on Halloween, but I played with the manuscript a little and realized it was an easy shift, and maybe a stronger story, to have it all happen on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. Two brand new characters, both of whom I became fond of, a new franchise, and it was off to the races.

The publisher eventually 'passed', in large part due to the lack of resolution in the finale. The ending is vague and ambiguous on purpose, leaving it to the reader to decide what may or may not have happened.

A couple of things had to be fudged (a howling thunderstorm with lots of lightning was necessary for the climax. A great deal of research revealed thunderstorms and lightning in the middle of winter are incredibly rare, but they do happen. Not often, but often enough to be able to use it) for this new version to work, but I was pleased with the final result. This may or may not turn into a series; that decision hasn't been made yet.

Also included is the short story "Perception", which appeared in the July 2010 issue of SUSPENSE MAGAZINE with the proposed tag line, "A serial killer is terrorizing Houston. A hunter stalks his prey. Nothing is what it appears to be. It's all a matter of perception....." (The magazine didn't use the tag line, but I always liked it..:) Some minor tweaks here and there, and this version is the final definitive version.

And that, as they say, is "The Story Behind the Story!" I certainly hope you enjoy them!

Out of the Past

2011-06-11T06:36:00.002-05:00

Long ago and far away, I was determined to be a screenwriter for television and movies. Came close a couple of times, but never really broke through. I was determined, though, and, uh, well, maybe a tiny bit stubborn. (cough, cough)

I wrote and submitted a spec script for a network series that I personally really liked quite a bit. The characters were complicated and layered, there wasn’t always a happy ending, and the show tackled some serious issues before anyone else. While a lot of it was exaggerated and ‘Hollywooded’ up, it was a more than pleasant way to kill an hour once a week. (I am deliberately not naming the series for several reasons not worth going into.) I had landed an agent at the time, things were going nicely, when the show was abruptly yanked off the air with no explanation. To this day, I don’t know what happened, why it was cancelled, or just what went down.

Okay, this happens. Things like this happen a lot more than most people realize. The fact anything gets filmed, anything gets released, or a series actually makes it on the air is such an incredible long shot. To be a success, well, someone just won the lottery and got struck by lightning simultaneously.

Anyway, I really liked the script, and it eventually dawned on me it could easily become a novel, hopefully the start of a series. Of course, I couldn’t use the original series premise, so I started from scratch with a former police detective turned best-selling mystery novelist. (This was 1991, so any comparisons to a current TV series featuring a best-selling mystery writer who ‘really IS Ruggedly Handsome’ don’t count.) I wrote the story the way I now saw it, and was quite pleased with how it turned out.

I sent it out to anyone and everyone I could think of. Got some terrific rejections along the lines of “I really loved this, but my partner/associate felt it lacked a certain ‘something’ that prevents us from extending an offer at this time.” Some editors responded with similar thoughts, others a form rejection. Eventually, I slapped it on a diskette (remember those?) and filed it because writers never throw anything out.

Time passed. The Y2K shenanigans came and went, the horrendous events of September 11, 2001 happened. Technology moved forward at an alarming pace, the world changed, and then something came along I couldn’t believe: the Kindle.

I’ll be the first to eat some crow on this. I didn’t believe the Kindle would work, I didn’t agree with the concept at all of eBooks. I want a BOOK book, not an electronic pad that I flick a finger on. I want to turn a page, I want the smell of a new book, I want the feel of it in my hands. Then I bought an iPad, and my world view shifted. Dramatically.

Some friends of mine tried publishing their work as an eBook. Some of them had terrific success, others sold slow and steady; kind of like Real Life Publishing. After thinking and cogitating and mulling, I decided ‘what the heck’, dug out the diskette (with WordStar documents, if you remember that one), and decided to pull the trigger… so to speak!

For better or for worse, damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead, and a rousing cry of ‘Excelsior!’:

STREET HEAT for Kindle

STREET HEAT for Nook

Under the pseudonym ‘Will Graham’:

We’ll see what happens next….

P.S. "What's next"? I'm glad you asked...:)

SOMETIMES, THERE REALLY *ARE* MONSTERS UNDER THE BED will be released June 15th!