KILLER NASHVILLE'S PICKS

It seems that everyone has a blog now and we appreciate you reading this one.

The organizers of Killer Nashville, a conference for writers and readers of mystery, suspense and thrillers, also have a blog, but with a twist.

An original blog from authors or forensic experts will be posted each week on the site for 52 weeks. That means that long after the seventh annual conference, slated for Aug. 23-26 at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., is over, readers can still be part of the action.

In addition, the blog will feature a "book of the day." I especially like this touch as it connects readers with a variety of books, from Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty, Olen Steinhauer’s The Tourist, Keith McCafferty's The Royal Wulff Murders, Betty Webb's Desert Wind, and James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice.

As you can see, the "book of the day" doesn't just go for the best sellers, but also introduces readers to authors they may not have heard of yet as well as classic mysteries.

And each mini review delivers insight to the book. Here's what the site has to say about The Postman Always Rings Twice: "First published in 1934 and banned in Boston for its explosive mixture of violence and eroticism, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a classic of the roman noir. It established James M. Cain as a major novelist with an unsparing vision of America’s bleak underside, and was acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for The Stranger."

The books are chosen by Killer Nashville organizer Clay Stafford, who has an interesting background.

A book of the day is an ambitious undertaking and I think it enhances the conference's commitment to writers.