Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 7

The Interview

by Charlotte HingerMary's Place is a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in historical fiction. I'm thrilled to be given this level of recognition. The ceremony is this coming Saturday. A while back I read a witty short story, "What Is . . ." If one of the readers of Type M knows where it was published, please let me know through the comments section of this post. I thought about that story when

It's like the stage on the page

    In my mid-20s, while working full time as an Air Force Officer, slogging thru a Master's program, coping with a new family and an old house, I decided to become a professional actor. I'd already been writing, since junior high back when they had those things. I was published in Fanzines and small publications that paid with a copy with your story in it. Short fiction, but with a

Wonder Girl

 Original movie posterDid you ever see the movie Wonder Boys, with Michael Douglas? It's one of my favorite movies of all time, and here (aside from the Bob Dylan theme song) is why: it's about writers. On top of that, it's an excellent film about writers. Douglas plays a university professor of creative writing who several years earlier wrote a novel which won the Man Booker Prize for

A Garden Surprise

 Catherine DiltsSummers in Colorado tend to bego-go-go. We want to fit in all the outdoor adventures that don’t involve snowsports. The growing season is short at higher elevations. If you want to stopto smell the roses, you’d better do it quick!One of my favorite hobbies isgardening. I’m far from alone. 55% of the USpopulation lists gardening as their hobby. Over 70 million

Mystery Writing and Conspiracy Theories

 by Thomas KiesWhy are so many of us enamored with conspiracy theories?I know that I’m enthralled by one right now.  This business about Jeffrey Epstein.  Unless you live under the proverbial rock, I know you’ve heard about it.  Boiled down into as few words as possible: Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy financier who ran a vast sex trafficking operation involving underage

A Dark Death: Analysis of a Cozy Mystery

By Shelley BurbankHappy Friday, Type M Clan! I hope your July is going swimmingly. Here in Guam we are heading toward rainy season and have had several days of downpours–not unwelcome from my point of view. I love a good rainy day. They tend to be excellent for writing, cozy and hushed. Every once in a while I am approached with a request to read an Advanced Reader Copy and write a

My Summer Vacation

 by Sybil JohnsonI feel a little like I’m writing one of those grade school essays on “what I did on my summer vacation.” I don’t remember what I wrote back then, but it probably involved visiting relatives. Every year we drove from Washington state to Minnesota. I did a lot of staring out the window, which I enjoyed, and reading on those trips. Here’s what I did last week: We flew to

The Big Bang

 by Charlotte HingerAnd a grand time it was too. The whole Hinger clan met in Beaufort North Carolina for a 4th of July celebration. We hope to establish a tradition similar to our beloved Phez Phest which took place in Hoxie Kansas every fall. Of course the Coast House event is minus the bird dogs and the hordes of friends who came from all over lugging musical instruments. But we got

Wordplay prompts for stories

 MC hereLecturing about genre writing to students is great fun. They almost always ask, "Where do you get your ideas?" My answer is always the same: "From everywhere". My mysteries are about crimes and the people involved, villains and victims. Mostly about the people and how their choices, behavior and circumstances got them to where they are, into the pickle they're in. It's fun to

Independence Day

original cover Tomorrow being the 4th of July has caused me to reflect upon all the many, many U.S. Independence Days I have enjoyed in the past. Like birthdays, most of the 4ths I have lived through blur together now, or are completely lost to memory, but one in particular stands out for me, and that is the Bicentennial.Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience. (I suppose that a person