Posts

The Winter Slowdown

Image
I tend to book fewer author events once October is gone. In the first place, the tourists have returned home, at least the ones who shop for books. Visitors who come north in the fall and winter tend to have goals like skiing or snowmobiling, so they don't visit bookstores much. In the second place, people who live up north start heading south. Michigan bookstores don't host many authors outside the summer months because there just isn't the return on the time invested. In the third place, the weather is full of surprises, so booking a trip to Traverse City or Grand Rapids is a bit of a crap-shoot. Will I be able to get there, will it be a nail-biting ride, and will anyone else show up if I do make it? In the fourth place, I need time to focus on writing. I plan one more Dead Detective book (though #3 has yet to appear). I got the cover art for the 4th Simon & Elizabeth (left), which comes out early in 2015, and I'd like to do one more of those. And my Maggie Pil

Magna 2014 Has Left the Building

Image
I manned the Midwest Mystery Writers of America table for a while, with the able assistance of E.A. Poe I returned last night from Magna Cum Murder, a mystery conference held in Indianapolis, IN at the beautiful Columbia Club. One can safely say that a good time was had by all, and the organizers, led by the indefatigable Kathryn Kennison  do a great job of making everyone feel at home. Since I've attended many Magnas, I saw lots of authors I've chatted with, dined with, or sat on panels with in the past, either at Magna or at other cons. Molly MacRae, Sarah Wisseman, Sharan Newman, Tony Perona, Albert Bell, Dan (D.E.) Johnson, John Desjarlais, Monica Ferris, Ann Margaret Lewis, Carla Norton, Elaine Orr, Carol Preflatish, Lori Rader-Day, and Brenda Robertson Stewart. Among those authors you will find a wide array of mysteries, from woo-woo to cozy to deadly serious. What does one do at a mystery con? If you're an author, you sit on panels and discuss wh

Magna Cum Murder

Image
This weekend I'm headed to Magna Cum Murder, a mystery con that's fairly close to home (only 7.5 hours!). Magna is organized by the folks at Ball State University, and it's a great place to see old friends from the mystery community and meet new ones, especially fans. From Friday p.m. until Sunday, we'll discuss our favorite genre, bemoan the current state of publishing, and enjoy being with people who get it, who know how much fun it is for very nice people to read, write, and talk about violent death. I'm on two panels. On Saturday I'll be discussing historical mysteries with Sharan Newman, Albert Bell, Sarah Wisseman, and C.J. Norton. Historical discussions often focus on how much research an author should do and how much inclusion of history in a mystery is enough...or too much. My Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries got me on this panel, and since the fourth book of that series ( Her Majesty's Mischief ) is due early in 2015, I'm pleased to be there.
Image
The Loser Mysteries Loser is like no character you've met before: homeless, dirty, and mostly silent. Join her as she finds her way back from the dark places she's been. Find out why she fell into despair. See if she can learn to cope again, to sleep in a bed, meet someone's gaze, and possibly accept there's something worthwhile left in her life. ********************************************* Killing Silence (Book #1) Loser sleeps in alleys, washes up in gas station rest rooms, and eats when she can. Lost in her own misery, s he barely notices the hardships of life. When a child captures her attention and that child's welfare is in doubt, however, Loser calls on long-forgotten resources to help. Can someone who lives among the lost become a rescuer, or will her demons--and a vicious murderer--defeat her? Ebook  Print ****************************************** Killing Memories (Book #2) Ebook: Print Upset by the attention su

You Know Where You Can Go!

Image
Where does the song recommend you go? 1. "When you're alone and life is making you lonely..." Petula Clark 2. "So if your baby's left you..." Elvis 3. "If you're blue and you don't know where to go to..." Young Frankenstein for one 4. "___ ___ is the scene you should make..." The Cowsills 5. "Take your troubles to the ____" Elvis again Answers: 1. Downtown www. youtube .com/watch?v=Zx06XNfDvk0 2. Heartbreak Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PotB76gi2_4 3. (Putting on) the Ritz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1FLZPFI3jc 4. Indian Lake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw7ubMgByYQ 5. Chapel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00eUebsh68M

Listen to Your Mother!

Image
Songs about Mama: 1. "Mama Said There'd Be ___ ___ ___" The Shirelles 2. "Mama Told Me ___ ___ ___" Three Dog Night 3. "___ ___ Mama" Cabaret 4. "Mama's Got a ____" The Who 5. "The Last of the ___ ___ Mamas"  Sophie Tucker Answers: 1. Days Like This www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQlImg2bm28 2.  Not to Come www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKaQzQAlNn4 3. Don't Tell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhIt69v0yzY 4. Squeeze Box https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXoxH8HI7z8 5. Red Hot  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS-n8_mCuSE

By Train or By Bus

Image
Here are some songs that are about travel by train or bus, which is how we saw Grand Canyon last week. We took the GC Railway from Williams, AZ, into the park, took a bus tour of the high points, and then had a day to explore on our own before taking the train back to Williams. We highly recommend it! 1. Train: "____ Island Line" (Johnny Cash) 2. Bus "Thank God and ____" (Roy Clark) 3. Train "City of ___ ___" (Arlo Guthrie) 4. Train "The ___ Train" (Duke Ellington) 5. Train "Engine Engine # ___" (Roger Miller) Answers: 1. Rock www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBeZPJ03lW0 2. Greyhound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx8x3LCnYZw  3. New Orleans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMS_ykiLiQ 4. A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2w2m1JmCY 5. 9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjQsI8BrTtk