Here in the heartland, we’ve been in the grips of a drought for months. Mother Nature, she of the bizarre sense of humor, finally noticed and, like all good mothers, tried to set things right by gracing us with back-to-back blizzards. Last Wednesday, we got a foot of snow in four hours, a depth that… Continue Reading When It Snows It Pours »
Read MoreOn guns and anger – a Brit’s view of gun crime
If I only had a voice at my disposal, I’d use it to tear strips off you. If I had no arms and legs and lost my temper, I’d bite your kneecaps ‘til you capitulated. If I had fists, I’d punch you. If I had a knife handy I’d probably stab you. And if I… Continue Reading On guns and anger – a Brit’s view of gun crime »
Read MoreValentine’s Day Stories
Valentine’s Day is here and I thought it would be fun to share stories about how we met the loves of our lives. My wife and I met on March 5, 1979 at a singles’ event. All throughout the day I had a growing feeling that I had to go the program that evening, though… Continue Reading Valentine’s Day Stories »
Read MoreCriminal injustice – Fatally flawed investigation tools
I used to love Serpico, the series and movie based on Peter Maas’s excellent 1970s crime novel, one of my favourite all time thrillers. Back in his day the tools at a cop’s disposal were relatively basic with fingerprint analysis the star of the crime investigation show, a universe away from the sophisticated electronic noses… Continue Reading Criminal injustice – Fatally flawed investigation tools »
Read MoreChoosing the title for my next book
Choosing a title for one of my books is a fifty-fifty proposition. About half the time, choosing a book title comes to me at the outset. It feels natural; a good fit and helps focus me on the story. When I see the title in print or repeat it to someone else, I say, yeah, that’s… Continue Reading Choosing the title for my next book »
Read MoreAt the mercy of socks – The tyranny of inanimate objects
Inspired by Joel’s post about the curious habits of inanimate objects, I decided to take a look at the habits of those that live and breed in our house. These real-life mysteries enrich our existence, delivering just enough weirdness to keep everyday perambulations nice and spicy. Like millions of British households, we’re at the mercy… Continue Reading At the mercy of socks – The tyranny of inanimate objects »
Read MoreLook What I Found In My Garage
There’s an old saying that real life is more interesting than anything we can make up. I don’t know whether that’s true, and I hope that it isn’t because if it were, I’d have to switch from writing mysteries to writing non-fiction and I’m not ready for the tell-all memoir. That said, there are some… Continue Reading Look What I Found In My Garage »
Read MoreClimate change, technological innovation and the writer’s challenge
Are there any new stories? I really enjoyed reading Joel’s last post about the writer’s challenge, the fine art of giving age-old tales a new slant. I imagine all stories cover the same subject matter as far as the human condition goes. A potent mix of love, hate, fear, jealousy, courage, weakness, greed, violence, redemption… Continue Reading Climate change, technological innovation and the writer’s challenge »
Read MoreGetting Down to Business
I’ve always thought of going Indie as starting my own business. Since I’d never done that before, I followed one of my basic rules of life – know what I don’t know and then find it out. So, I researched self-publishing, worked with a consultant who taught me the ropes about Google Adwords and Amazon… Continue Reading Getting Down to Business »
Read MoreAre There Any New Stories?
I love my pal, Kate Naylor’s guest post on machine-generated fiction. It got me thinking about a claim I’ve heard many times and which I believe. There aren’t any new stories, just new ways to tell them. To test that claim, I did what any scientific researcher would do. I googled “are there any new… Continue Reading Are There Any New Stories? »
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Crisp writing, great characters. Doesn't go where you think it will go. A good read.
Great book! Lot's of fun and funny. Plus, very interesting insights into improv and how to apply rules of improv to the work place. Highly recommended.
A knockout! If you like action, humor and horror, you won't stop with this first installment in this new series. You'll get the rest of them the minute they are released.
One of the best books I've read in a long time. History that reads like the most exciting thriller. Great insights into the expansion of the United States into the West and the crushing cultural conflict that decimated Native American tr...
Just getting started with Michael Connelly's latest - vintage Connelly; captures you from the first page.
