I do love my detectives and their tough-guy sidekicks: Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, Spenser and Hawk, and now Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Elvis Cole is an ex-Ranger with a Mickey Mouse phone, a bright yellow Corvette and a troubled past Joe Pike is his silent partner — dark shades, distinctive tattoos and very few words. The bonus for… Read more
I’m back! It’s been ages since I’ve had words to post (after my little vacation), but I have some great words this week. This week, my words are from The Mistress of Abha by William Newton. Set in Arabia, it’s the story of a young man’s adventures and his search for the father he barely knew. Really good story so… Read more
When Elizabeth Lerner was fifteen, something horrible happened to her: she was kidnapped by a serial killer. She was held hostage for nearly 6 weeks. She was beaten and raped. But she wasn’t killed. He killed girls before he kidnapped her, he killed girls after he kidnapped her. He did not kill Elizabeth. She has never known why. Walter Bowman… Read more
First, thanks to the kind folks who inquired about my whereabouts. December was very, very busy for me — work, family, lots of travel, some personal stuff — and I just found that I wasn’t able to keep up. January brought the realization that I wasn’t having much fun on the website lately. I found myself reading furiously, trying to… Read more
I picked up Writing Out The Notes: Life in Great Big Sea at a Great Big Sea concert in Kent, Ohio a few months ago. I confess: I am a folk music fan. I have a tremendously eclectic taste in music; my iTunes library has everything from the Sex Pistols and Einsturzende Neubauten to Bobby Golodsboro and Glenn Gould and… Read more
This is a really special review and giveaway! Concrete Operational is a collaborative media project — a novel, art book and music cd — wrapped up in a fascinating package, each complementing the others. At the end of this post, there will be a chance to win a copy of the full set, so read a bit about the project… Read more
Hurray! Another mystery series! Regular readers know that I love a good mystery series, and Linda Castillo’s novels featuring Kate Burkholder have all the indications of a good series. In Pray for Silence we’ve got a main character with an interesting background and character flaws that will keep things interesting, a problematic love interest, engaging minor characters and a good… Read more
When the government attempts to ban a book, what do other authors think? I’ve certainly read comments from authors when the local library tries to ban Harry Potter or Captain Underpants or something else equally silly. But what sort or reaction would authors have if the government tried to make these books unavailable? Back in 1960, the British government tried… Read more
Back in the late 1700’s-early 1800’s, Japan was closed to the world around them. It was illegal for a Japanese citizen to leave Japan. It was illegal for foreign citizens to enter Japan, except under the most strictly monitored conditions. But countries around the world understood that Japan would be a lucrative market and trading partner, if only they could… Read more
Happy Wednesday! I’ve got a few more words this week from The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. I finished that one this week and it’s fabulous. I hope to have the review posted tomorrow. I’ve also got a word or two from my new book, Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo. It’s a good change of pace, a police… Read more