Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 16

My New Dog - Seven Years in a Cage

 My dog Scout, a fourteen-year-old Shiba Inu, seemed as though he was getting close to the end. Severe bronchitis, treated with steroids that caused digestive issues while stoking his appetite, made him gain a lot of weight, which aggravated his arthritic hips. Poor guy could barely walk in between his coughing fits. The impending grief of losing such a dear companion prompted my girlfriend

Tik Tok, Facebook, and the Intersection of Social Media and Book Marketing

This is an excerpt from a longer post on ShelleyBurbank.com published Jan. 24, 2025. I'm currently living on the island of Guam with my husband. We've been apartment-hunting and trying out local cuisine. Writing fiction has taken a back seat, but hopefully we'll get settled soon. Meanwhile . . .The recent TikTok ban (then the non-ban) provoked much discussion and downright angst in other corners

Angel City Beat

 by Sybil JohnsonAs many of you know I live in the Los Angeles area. We’ve been in the news lately because of the horrendous fires that have devastated parts of the area, Altadena and Pacific Palisade in particular. We live far enough away from these fires that it hasn’t been an issue for us. The only problem we had was one or two days of smoke in the air as it came down the coast. Then

Lying

   by Steve Pease writing as Michael Chandos    When I was a working stage actor, and a poor film and radio actor - wait a minute - stage actors are poor too. I digress. When I was a stage actor, people asked if I was lying when on stage. I wasn't being me, I was pretending to be someone else, therefore, I was lying, they said. Writers face that too, I think.   

Launch preparations

 Here I am again, a little late and a few words short. I have been very busy juggling a few different balls, always mindful that I need to do four dog walks a day, cook, eat, and sleep. But my twelfth Inspector Green novel, SHIPWRECKED SOULS, is due to be released Tuesday January 21 and I have two launches planned -- one in Toronto and one in Ottawa. I wish I could go farther afield and

Inspiration from the Past

Catherine DiltsI never thought I’d write historical fiction, until a storydropped into my lap. A whole trunk full of stories. I had to start somewhere,so I picked one. And this story is a doozie.Going through the piles of photos, newspaper clippings,letters, and journals my mother left me, I discovered an irresistible truetale. My great-aunt Mildred was in a bank robbery.If you knew

Welcoming the Unexpected

Journal Collage CoverBy Shelley BurbankOne of the best parts of coming to the last page of a journal is starting the first page of a new one. No, it’s what comes before that. It’s picking out a new journal with a beautiful cover or, in my case, creating a collage cover that will inspire me over the course of filling the pages. I use no set dates. I start when I start. I write when I feel like it.

My Year in Books, 2024

 by Sybil JohnsonHappy New Year! Sorry I missed my last posting date. I was in Seattle for Christmas and, well, was too lazy/busy to put something together before I left.It’s time for my annual reading wrap-up. January to December, just to make it clear. I say this because I participated in shepherd.com’s My 3 Favorite Reads 2024. Their year runs from end of September 2023 to October 2024.

My First Type M Blog

 Good Grief. I came across my first post for Type M and can't resist reposting it. Next time I'll tell you how much has changed about publishing. And how much things have stayed the same.Saturday, April 30, 2011Blog HeavenI’ve died and gone to blog heaven, of course. When the gracious, talented Donis Casey invited to become a regular contributor, naturally my first instinct was to mumble “

One place to get inspiration - Al Capone

     People often ask, “Where did you get the idea for this story?” They are often surprised by the answer: daydreams. Perhaps they expect my Muse to whisper to me as I sleep and dream. I am not Edgar Cayce, the Sleeping Prophet. My dreams are disappointing.           I can have a Star Wars level murder mystery working in my head, but my dreams,