There is power in a group. At least writing power.Authors who blog together not only seem to attract fans together but it means less work for each of those authors.After all, I would rather an author be working on a novel than spending time writing a blog. As one who writes two blogs, this one for Mystery Scene, and also Off the Page for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, I know how much time these can take.Blogs are also a great procrastinator….which is pretty much a hobby for every writer I know.While I am not convinced that authors who blog by themselves really draw in the fans, I think that those who do it as a group do.No, this is not based on any scientific research, or even any feeble research, or any research at all.Instead it is just a gut feeling that comes from attending myriad mystery writers conferences since 1995. I’ve seen first-hand the community of mystery writers; how when a fan approaches one that writer will beam and express their thanks but also point out a fellow writer or two that the fan may also like.That always seemed to me to be a win win situation – by the time the fan had read the other authors the first author’s new book would be out.Another appeal of group blogs is that these are not just discussions of writing. Sometimes the posts are about dive bars, or reality shows or Susan Boyle or traveling. Just about all of them also feature guest blogs.Here’s some group blogs that I regularly check out.Once I started writing this blog, it seemed better to break into parts.The second part will be up on Thursday.No, it is not a list of all the group blogs. I don’t mean to leave anyone out.So feel free to add your own blog to the comments section, or tell me what you think of these group blogs.Naked Authors: Ridley Pearson, Jacqueline Winspear, Paul Levine, James O. Born, Patricia Smiley, Cornelia Reed. So much to like here. Among the blogs, check out the one that James O. Born wrote about Susan Boyle, when she was first on Britain’s Got Talent. You just don’t expect this tough Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent to be so taken with Boyle’s singing.The Kill Zone: Michelle Gagnon, Joe Moore, John Gilstrap, John Ramsey Miller, Kathryn Lilley, Clare Langley-Hawthorne. OK, I admit, I have a self-serving interest in this blog. I was a guest blogger a few weeks ago, as a question and answer session. Here’s that link. The site often has guest bloggers, most of them authors.
The Lipstick Chronicles: Nancy Martin, Sarah Strohmeyer, Elaine Viets, Michele Martinez, Harley Jane Kozak, left. This site never fails to make me smile – how could it not when it’s billed as “Where the Book Tarts talk love, laughter, laundry and the mysteries of life.” But there are some serious subjects thoughtfully tackled.PHOTOS: Michelle Gagnon, Ridley Pearson, Cornelia Reed, Paul Levine,
Archive for the ‘Donna Andrews’ Category
Authors who blog together, Part I
Monday, June 8th, 2009Charles Todd’s next adventure
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
For years, I have been a big fan of the Ian Rutledge series written by Charles Todd. Set in post World War I era, the series is steeped in the atmosphere ofBritain during this time. More importantly, the series looks at a brilliant Scotland Yard detective who is still shell shocked from his time during the Great War. Todd has kept the high standards in this series since it began with A Test of Wills in 1997. So I am quite interested to learn that Todd will be launching a new series with A Duty to the Dead, due out in August from HarperCollins A Duty to the Dead will continue Todd’s look at the horrors of Word War I, this time through the eyes of Bess Crawford, a battlefield nurse.Todd is one of the handful of authors who have used the WWI background as a way of looking at society, survivors’ guilt and Britain during the first part of the 20th century.Todd wrote one previous standalone, The Murder Stone, about a young heiress in 1916 who returns to the rural estate where her powerful and beloved grandfather is dying of a stroke.Todd, the writing name for mother and son Charles and Caroline Todd, has made my annual list of the best mysteries for several years. Judging just from previous history, I think that readers will embrace Bess Crawford as they have Ian Rutledge. While some authors will write only one series – and carry it on for decades – I’m always enthusiastic when an author tries something new, especially when they return to their regular series.Sometimes it seems as if the author returns that regular series a little fresher, having had a nice and sometimes much needed vacation from their regular characters. I never want Michael Connelly to give up Harry Bosch, at least not for several years, but his breaks have only served to make his series even better. Connelly’s latest The Scarecrow comes out May 26Harlan Coben’s stand alone thrillers put him on best sellers lists, but he still returns to Myron Bolitar now and then. Laura Lippman’s stand alones have been some of her best work, but I always like to see what’s going on with Tess Monaghan.Other authors such as Donna Andrews, Laurie King, Charlaine Harris – dear me, the list goes on and on – have given us two or even more series.The winner in all of this has been the reader.Do you have a favorite second series from an author?PHOTO: Caroline and Charles Todd; photo courtesy HarperCollins
When mysteries and theater collide
Sunday, May 10th, 2009I know I am dating myself here, but the first play I saw that had a strong mystery element to it was Sleuth, during its first round on Broadway. It was in the year 19—- (what, you think I am going to say?). It also was my first experience with Broadway and my first visit toNew York City.Sleuth was an epiphany for me – allowing me to see that deft plotting and subtle clues could be translated to the stage. (At least that is what I believe I thought; I was pretty young at the time.)What Sleuth did was give me a lifelong respect for good mystery plays. Frankly, there are not a lot out there but the ones that succeed work well.(For the record, the musical Curtains worked; Agatha Christie’s long-running The Mousetrap does not.)
So it was with much skepticism and a bit of apprehension that I attended a recent performance of Jeffrey Hatcher’s Murderers, currently at the nationally known Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida. Murderers runs through May 23 at the Asolo.Hatcher’s (Tuesdays With Morrie) Murderers is a sly trilogy about three people who never expected to become killers, but did.Murderers is set in a fictitious Sarasota retirement community, but the play can be appreciated no matter where you live. The three “murderers” are a 50something man who marries his girlfriend’s mother so the younger couple can avoid estate tax; a woman whose husband’s old love moves into their retirement community; and a manager at the retirement community who hates the way some of the residents are treated.
The three characters’ monologues are witty, reminiscent of the kind of tongue in cheek work that Donna Andrews, Elaine Viets , Jeffrey Cohen and Harley Jane Kozak write.The Asolo’s actors are first-class, and the play hinges on professional actors. Lesser talents would not get the nuances of Murderers.Mystery fans would find much to like in Murderers. If it is done in a regional theater near you, I would love to hear your comments.While I am not a theater critic, I am married to one who is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, whose recent conference was in Sarasota, Florida. The conference is a wonderful excuse sample an area’s best theater; in the past the conference has been held at Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Chicago, among other locales.PHOTOS: Bryan Torfeh, top, Mercedes Herrero, bottom, in Murderers. Asolo photos
Festival of Mystery features 42 authors
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
Mystery fiction fans know how many conferences there are that celebrate the genre we all love.
The sheer number can be a bit daunting.
But the 14th annual Festival of Mystery sounds like a conference that should not be missed.
It’s Monday May 4 at the Greek Orthodox Church, 12 Washington St., Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
The Festival of Mystery is sponsored by the good folks at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, which is near
Pittsburgh.
This year, about 42 authors from the United States and Canada will be on hand to discuss their works and to meet readers.
The conference is from 4 to 9 p.m. and is the largest book festival in that tri-state area.
But plan to get there early.
A line generally starts forming in the early afternoon; the first 100 into the hall receive a bag of mystery books donated by the major publishers.
Like most mystery conferences, the Festival of Mystery also supports literacy in its community. A raffle for gift baskets will benefit Beginning with Books. Refreshments are sold by the Riverview High School Honor Society and WDUQ-FM is co-sponsor.
And the price cannot be beat. Tickets are $7 in advance; $8 at the door.
The timing also seems geared for mystery fans. It comes just after the Edgars Awards, April 30, and then Malice, May 1 to 3.
Seems pretty easy that after you leave Malice in Washington to head over to Pennsylvannia for the Festival of Mystery. Make it a nice long weekend of mystery fiction.
And the authors are not to be missed.
They include Donna Andrews, Rhys Bowen, Jane K. Cleland, Jeff Cohen (be sure to check out his hilarious video), Ellen Crosby, above right, Casey Daniels, Rosemary Harris, Mary Jane Maffini, Toni Kelner, Nancy Martin, Louise Penny, Jason Pinter, Marcia Talley and G.M. Malliet, directly right.
OK, I know I had to leave way too many off that list, but the complete list along with their bios is on the Festival of Mystery Web site.
One of the authors who has attended the Festival of Mystery several times is Elaine Viets, right, who writes the Dead End Job series about Helen Hawthorne and the Mystery Shopper series about single mother Josie Marcus. Viets will have just finished her stint as toastmaster at Malice.
Viets is quite a fan of the Festival of Mystery. Here’s what she had to say:
“I started attending about six years ago. It’s perfect for touring mystery writers. We drive up in clusters of two to six the Monday after Malice Domestic,” said Viets in an email.
“At the Festival, we try to share a room with the writer who snores the least. Writing is a solitary business, so on the drive to Oakmont, Pa., we have a terrific time complaining about publishers and agents, swapping jokes and gossip.
“We try to arrive in Oakmont in time for the 2 p.m. library tea, because all writers need librarians. The librarians listen patiently to us.
“Readers literally come by the busload. It is mystery writers heaven.
“The Festival attracts serious buyers. They purchase books by the shopping bag, as if mysteries will be outlawed by morning. They love new series, or authors they haven’t seen in a couple of years. They also come back for their old favorites. We writers spend about four hours telling readers about our work.
“Then it’s over and we’re exhausted. We have pizza with Mary Alice and Richard and the staff and leave for home the next day.
“I had to miss it the last two years and felt a page was torn out of my writing life. It’s like coming home.”
Sounds like a plan to me.
PHOTOS: Top, from left, Rhys Bowen, Jason Pinter, Nancy Martin, Donna Andrews.
HOLIDAY ISSUE #107
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008Hi everyone,
Once again we’ve searched high and low for items for the annual Mystery Scene Gift Guide. In fact, Kevin Burton Smith found so many great gifts that we couldn’t fit them all in. You’ll see a couple of ideas on this page and there will be even more on our blog in the coming weeks. Feel free to post suggestions! And we’d love to hear your thoughts on the first ever color section in Mystery Scene.
Left: Dust jackets are at the intersection of the literary and visual arts and Diane Plumley’s engaging jewelry proclaims your love of both. Prices range from $10.00-18.00 for pins, necklaces, earrings, and tie tacks. Visit picture-perfect-designs.com to see more offerings.
Reading the financial news these days is more horrifying than anything Stephen King ever dreamed up. Don’t you wish that someone as competent as John Putnam Thatcher of the Sloan Guaranty Trust were in charge? Jim Huang is a long-time fan of Thatcher’s creator, Emma Lathen, and in his timely article, “Right on the Money,” makes a convincing case that you should be, too.
As the hometown of our next president, Chicago is also in the news. Sean Chercover gives a rousing tour of “the ultimate insider town” in his well-reviewed sophomore effort, Trigger City. In this issue, he talks to Oline Cogdill about writing, politics, and his ongoing love affair with the Windy City.
After you read the news, you’ll need some cheering up. May we recommend Donna Andrews? Her funny, sweet-tempered mysteries are just the thing to get you back on the sunny side of the street.
It’s not only criminals who are crafty these days. “The Arts & Crafts of Crime” takes a look at a variety of sleuths who interrupt their knitting, pot-throwing, doll-making, home-canning, and quilting to catch bad guys.
Brian’s hands-down favorite article this issue is “Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered,” Scott Ratner’s look at puzzle mystery films from the 1930s. Also in this issue, we’ll look at the intriguing Baroness Orczy of Scarlet Pimpernel fame, check in on Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan who is crossing boundaries yet again, and find out what happened to Erle Stanley Gardner’s missing “Fiction Factory.”
This coming March, Brian and I will be travelling to Left Coast Crime, our first ever trip to this conference as well as to Hawaii. (Hmm, coincidence? I think not.) Mystery Scene is sponsoring a “Meet the New Authors” Breakfast and a “History of Mystery” lecture showcasing fantastic art from the Mystery Scene archives. Hope to see some of you there!
Best wishes from all of us for a happy, healthy, and highly entertaining New Year.
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief
Posted in Announcements, Commentary, David Morrell, Donna Andrews, Emma Lathen, Erle Stanley Gardner, Gift Guide, Laura Lippman, Scarlet Pimpernel, Sean Chercover | 1,079 Comments »