Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 171
February 26, 2018
Know thyself – and au revoir!
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Over a year ago, for reasons that escape me now, I thought it would be a good idea to write two very different novels at the same time, namely a crime fiction and an historic fiction – the crime fiction is the third of The Scottish Lady Detective novels, a series of lighter, less serious reads. The historic fiction is the sequel to The Blue Suitcase, a serious
Over a year ago, for reasons that escape me now, I thought it would be a good idea to write two very different novels at the same time, namely a crime fiction and an historic fiction – the crime fiction is the third of The Scottish Lady Detective novels, a series of lighter, less serious reads. The historic fiction is the sequel to The Blue Suitcase, a serious
Know Thyself
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Over
a year ago, for reasons that escape me now, I thought it would be a
good idea to write two very different novels at the same time, namely
a crime fiction and an historic fiction – the crime fiction is the
third of The Scottish Lady Detective novels, a series of lighter, less serious reads. The historic
fiction is the sequel to The Blue Suitcase, a serious
Over
a year ago, for reasons that escape me now, I thought it would be a
good idea to write two very different novels at the same time, namely
a crime fiction and an historic fiction – the crime fiction is the
third of The Scottish Lady Detective novels, a series of lighter, less serious reads. The historic
fiction is the sequel to The Blue Suitcase, a serious
February 24, 2018
No Spam Calls in the Future
Futurists like to give us a rosy view of tomorrow, mostly because they're funded by technologists with something big to sell, never mind the negative consequences. On the flip side, novels about the future tend to be bleak and the setting is often quite dystopian. Three of the landmark works about this grim future are 1984, Brave New World, and We. Most of us are familiar with George Orwell's
February 22, 2018
Distracted Characters
The discussion about endings got me thinking about my series arcs and my subplots that sometimes extend beyond the current book. The romances. The deceptions. The murder that is solved, but the relationships that aren't resolved. I was going to write about that, but then my life intruded.
I've been juggling balls -- symposium in April, classes to teach, SinC chapter, non-profit board, books to
I've been juggling balls -- symposium in April, classes to teach, SinC chapter, non-profit board, books to
February 21, 2018
Countdown to a Launch
This year's comfy shoes
I love the discussion about fuzzy endings. I think endings are wildly important—more important that we generally believe—and I have a lot to say about that. But that will have to wait for another day. For this coming Saturday, February 24, is the official launch day for my tenth Alafair Tucker Mystery, Forty Dead Men. The big ol' launch party will be held at 2:00 p.m.
I love the discussion about fuzzy endings. I think endings are wildly important—more important that we generally believe—and I have a lot to say about that. But that will have to wait for another day. For this coming Saturday, February 24, is the official launch day for my tenth Alafair Tucker Mystery, Forty Dead Men. The big ol' launch party will be held at 2:00 p.m.
February 20, 2018
Olympics and crime fiction
After reading Charlotte's and Aline's posts on fuzzy endings and playing fair, I got to thinking about what is so compelling about crime novels. I've asked myself this question many times, of course, and use the answers to guide my writing all the time, but this time, because of the Olympics, I'm coming at it from a different angle. Like much of the world, I've been immersed in the Olympics and
Holy Moley!
by Rick Blechta
I’m sitting here somewhat in shock. Quite possibly by the end of this month our “little blog that could” will welcome its 1,000,000 guest. That is just remarkable and not many blogs reach this kind of pinnacle.
Way back in June 2006 at the (late, great) Bloody Words Convention in Toronto, Vicki Delany, Charles Benoit, Michael Blair, Alex Brett and I sat around in the hotel bar
I’m sitting here somewhat in shock. Quite possibly by the end of this month our “little blog that could” will welcome its 1,000,000 guest. That is just remarkable and not many blogs reach this kind of pinnacle.
Way back in June 2006 at the (late, great) Bloody Words Convention in Toronto, Vicki Delany, Charles Benoit, Michael Blair, Alex Brett and I sat around in the hotel bar
February 18, 2018
Playing Fair
I did enjoy Charlotte's post about her dislike of 'fuzzy endings' - where the author hasn't really told you what happened and you have to make up your own mind - as well as the comments about it afterwards.
They seemed to echo something I'd been thinking of writing today - the question of what a detective story ought to be. Perhaps Oscar Wilde's Miss Prism summed it up in her defense of the
They seemed to echo something I'd been thinking of writing today - the question of what a detective story ought to be. Perhaps Oscar Wilde's Miss Prism summed it up in her defense of the
February 16, 2018
Recreating Sherlock and Having Fun With It.
By Vicki Delany
Now that I’ve switched my focus from darker, grittier crime
novels (standalones like More than Sorrow, the eight novels
in the Constable Molly Smith series) to cozies, my only aim as a writer is to
have fun with it.
And I’m having a lot of fun with the Sherlock Holmes
Bookshops series, in which the third, The Cat of the Baskervilles, came
out this week.
There
Now that I’ve switched my focus from darker, grittier crime
novels (standalones like More than Sorrow, the eight novels
in the Constable Molly Smith series) to cozies, my only aim as a writer is to
have fun with it.
And I’m having a lot of fun with the Sherlock Holmes
Bookshops series, in which the third, The Cat of the Baskervilles, came
out this week.
There
February 15, 2018
Uncertain Endings
Three times lately I've read mysteries where the ending is up to my imagination. How everything turns out is entirely up to me.
The three books have one thing in common. I will never buy another book from these authors.
Seriously. Fuzzy endings are to be expected in most of The New Yorker short stories and a great many literary books. But when they occur in mysteries I feel betrayed. I
The three books have one thing in common. I will never buy another book from these authors.
Seriously. Fuzzy endings are to be expected in most of The New Yorker short stories and a great many literary books. But when they occur in mysteries I feel betrayed. I
