Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 178
November 25, 2017
Will crime fiction lose its wheels?
One of the staples of crime and crime fiction may soon disappear. I'm talking about the get-away car.
To explain, the tech prognosticators are predicting that soon—within ten years, maybe five—the private car as we know it will be as obsolete as the horse-drawn buggy. According to this vision of tomorrow, to get around, instead of firing up the family jalopy, we'll summon a robotic Uber/Lyft
To explain, the tech prognosticators are predicting that soon—within ten years, maybe five—the private car as we know it will be as obsolete as the horse-drawn buggy. According to this vision of tomorrow, to get around, instead of firing up the family jalopy, we'll summon a robotic Uber/Lyft
November 24, 2017
The best advice?
Recently a lady posted me asking "what is the most important advice you can give to someone who is beginning to write a novel and why?"
The question threw me because I could think of so many things I wanted to tell her. I received the best overarching advice many years ago, at the start of my career, from a man who became a major power in the publishing business: "Write what you really
November 22, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving
I have much to be thankful for this year. I say that every year, usually in the cliche way most of us living First World lives do. But this year things are a little different.
This time around, the words resonate a little more. Actually a lot more.
On August 24, after a week of not feeling so hot and two days after driving my 19-year-old to Kenyon College in Ohio, which is 10
This time around, the words resonate a little more. Actually a lot more.
On August 24, after a week of not feeling so hot and two days after driving my 19-year-old to Kenyon College in Ohio, which is 10
November 21, 2017
Thanksgiving at the Beach
It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S. Time for half the population to travel to visit the other half. Or that’s the way it seems, anyway.
I enjoyed the recent posts by Aline and Barbara on setting so I thought I’d chime in.
I live in a Southern California beach city. Temperatures here are fairly mild as far as fall and winter are concerned, although we did register unseasonably warm temps in
I enjoyed the recent posts by Aline and Barbara on setting so I thought I’d chime in.
I live in a Southern California beach city. Temperatures here are fairly mild as far as fall and winter are concerned, although we did register unseasonably warm temps in
Stop the presses!
by Rick Blechta
A thriller has won a major literary award!
Yes, you read that correctly. Michael Redhill’s Bellevue Square won the Giller Prize last night (along with the $100,000 prize). The annual gala event is broadcast by CBC coast-to-coast-to-coast here in Canada and it always gets massive media attention, which is very good for publishing in general here in the Great White North. And
A thriller has won a major literary award!
Yes, you read that correctly. Michael Redhill’s Bellevue Square won the Giller Prize last night (along with the $100,000 prize). The annual gala event is broadcast by CBC coast-to-coast-to-coast here in Canada and it always gets massive media attention, which is very good for publishing in general here in the Great White North. And
November 20, 2017
Tanjin Binhai Library, China by MVRDV
For my brief post today, I'd like to share the news about China's spectacular new library, the Tianjin Binhai Library in Tianjin. Why? Because it's unbelievably beautiful and we writers all like libraries, don't we?
The library contains 1.2 million books and is designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV.
The 360,000-square-foot library is designed to look like a giant eye. It has five
The library contains 1.2 million books and is designed by the Dutch architectural firm MVRDV.
The 360,000-square-foot library is designed to look like a giant eye. It has five
November 17, 2017
RJ Harlick: The special people I’ve met along the way
Our guest blogger this weekend is my long-time friend and fabulous Ottawa writer, Robin Harlick. Called “the queen of Canadian wilderness fiction,” RJ Harlick writes the popular Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of West Quebec. Like her heroine Meg Harris, RJ loves nothing better than to roam the forests surrounding her own wilderness cabin or paddle the endless lakes and rivers. But
The special people I’ve met along the way
Our guest blogger this weekend is my long-time friend and fabulous Ottawa writer, Robin Harlick. Called “the queen of Canadian wilderness fiction” RJ Harlick, writes the popular Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of West Quebec. Like her heroine Meg Harris, RJ loves nothing better than to roam the forests surrounding her own wilderness cabin or paddle the endless lakes and rivers. But
Conferences and Subplots
I intended to chime in on the discussion about setting, but last night I was thinking more about conferences and subplots. No, I'm not planning to use attending a mystery conference as a subplot in my book in progress. But attending a conference did take me back to tinker with my subplots.
This past weekend, I attended the New England Crime Bake, one of my favorite conferences. It's jointly
This past weekend, I attended the New England Crime Bake, one of my favorite conferences. It's jointly
November 15, 2017
The Day of the Dead
I missed my post a couple of weeks ago, and it was completely by accident. I actually wrote the entry below and scheduled it for publication, but I didn't hit publish. Instead I kept it as a draft. Now, I've been known to do this before, but I always always check on my post day to make sure the entry came up.
Except for last time. Instead, I was lying in bed suffering from the flu, and rather
Except for last time. Instead, I was lying in bed suffering from the flu, and rather
