Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 195

A Shaken Snow Globe

There are days when it hits the fan, when life leaves you feeling like your head is a shaken snow globe, and you want nothing more than a quiet corner and a blank computer screen.

These are the days when you know you’re a writer –– when at the end of a long day you don’t want a drink, you don’t want to exercise, or even to curl up with a good novel, but, rather, to fill a blank screen.

I had

Keeping Track

Right now I’m looking for a sentence. Not just any old sentence—the first sentence of my WIP. Sometime when I was working on the final edits to A Palette for Murder I thought of the perfect sentence for the next book. I wrote it down in a safe place so I wouldn’t lose it. Trouble is, I don’t remember where that “safe place” is. It could be anywhere.

I tend to write down my thoughts in random

Some things to make you smile

by Rick Blechta

It’s another one of “those” weeks and there’s been no time to think of a topic for a post — let alone write one. I just noticed that it’s nearly one-thirty, and I’d better get something up so there won’t be a big Tuesday hole here on Type M and that just will not do!

Being prepared with quick fixes is something in which I specialize, so this week I come armed with cartoons of a

On Nurturing Delicate Flowers. And then there’s me.

By Vicki Delany

As many of you know I am a great fan of the modern Gothic novel. I am reading one right now by an author I have followed for a long time, Carol Goodman. The book is entitled The Widow’s House.

I am enjoying it very much, but what prompted me to write about it today is Goodman’s portrait of the main characters: a ‘writing couple’ and their famous author/professor.



I won’t

Working the List

Sorry to be late today. We had a technical difficulty, and I couldn't log-on. I need to get ready for a film screening (including dinner with group) at school this evening. Therefore, I'm going to save my longer post for next time and simply share a couple of observations I've made since my last post.

1. The physical therapy that I mentioned having for my neck is working. I have to remind myself

The Fork in the Road

When last we met at this spot on March 22, Dear Reader, I (Donis) wrote about reaching the middle of my work in progress. I was feeling like I had veered off into the weeds and was having to slog my way around a bit in order to find my way back onto the road. In the two weeks that have passed, I have managed to get back onto the highway and get moving again. So here I am, speeding along

Goodreads – love it or hate it

Barbara here. As part of the build-up to the September release of my next novel, THE TRICKSTER'S LULLABY, my publisher sends out periodic emails with promotional suggestions. Yesterday, the subject was Goodreads. The publisher is planning a giveaway, and wants me to be involved in the promotion, claiming that Goodreads is becoming the single most important social media site for authors and

Could this mean the end of crime fiction?

by Rick Blechta

I meant to write about this last week. In fact, I had started writing this post the day before, but last Tuesday sideswiped me, and all of a sudden it was eight in the evening. My posting day was irretrievably gone. I can take comfort that I seldom miss a week, and honest, my intentions were of the best, but, well, things happen sometimes…

So on to my explosive title for this