Clea Simon's Blog, page 78

Murder! Mayhem! Elizabeth George!

This must be the busiest weekend in crime fiction - Murder & Mayhem in Milwaukee, a dozen different author events, and here in New England: Crimebake! With honored guest Elizabeth George! The festivities kick off tonight and continue through the weekend. (I'm on a panel tomorrow morning at 10:10 - Avoiding the Cabot Cove Syndrome, which, as cozy writers know, is quite a challenge.) I'm not sure

Calling all critics (and book bloggers, etc.) - review copies of THE NINTH LIFE

It's up!! The e-ARC of my upcoming (March) mystery, "The Ninth Life," is now available on NetGalley. You have to register (it's free and fast) and request the book (search either "The Ninth Life" or me, Clea Simon), but if you review in any format, you will be approved and within 24 hours you'll have a download of my dark, new cat mystery. I'm so excited about this book and hoping you'll help me

Revising

Recently, on Facebook, I saw a T-shirt that read: Writing is like riding a bicycle. Only the bicycle is on fire, and you are on fire, and everything is on fire, and you are in hell." For some reason, this is making the rounds among writer friends.

This week, I started revising my next Dulcie mystery, and now I remember why. Most days, I like writing. And I know revising is necessary. At times,

Sigh... (reading proofs)

Last week, I sent off the page proofs for The Ninth Life. It was excruciating, knowing that this was my last chance to make any changes in this book, which I love so much. Of course, at this point in the process – after editing and revisions, after copy editing – I'm not supposed to be making changes. I'm supposed to be looking only for actual errors (like when "Care" is spelled "Car"). Still, my

Get ready for "Cozy at the Café"!

Maybe you've heard of Noir at the Bar, a crime fiction reading series here in Boston? Well, the lovely and talented Toni L.P. Kelner has decided that we gentler types should have our night out, too. And so on Dec. 1 (that's a Tuesday), she's called a bunch of us together for Cozy at the Café, to be held at the Trident Café on Newbury Street in Boston, starting at 6:30 and running till we run out

And still more kind words for "The Ninth Life"

I wasn't sure what Dana Cameron would say. I wasn't sure this multiple-award-winning author would even have the time to look at The Ninth Life, the first book in my new Blackie and Care series. But she did, responding with this:

The Ninth Life is a tour through a criminal wilderness of alleys and gutters, guided by a hunter as canny and fierce as they come. While Care is a smart, tough, and

More advance praise for "The Ninth Life"

The multiple-award-winning Hank Phillippi Ryan also read an advance copy of my "The Ninth Life" and had kind things to say.

"A tour de force of point of view – the talented Clea Simon flawlessly portrays a main character the likes of which we've never encountered! With skill and style and profound understanding, she entertains readers with an exciting, compelling, and utterly unique adventure."

Getting some advance blurbs for "The Ninth Life"

Joe Finder, New York Times bestseller, read an early version of "The Ninth Life" and was so kind as to send me this:

"Forget everything you think you know about 'cat mysteries.' The Ninth Life is a dark and gritty story of life on the streets, told from the unique point of view of a narrator who sees things humans can't. Clea Simon has given us a window into a world of constant and surprising

My home site is now up to date!

Complete with a "books" page listing all my series books in order and lots of upcoming events. Please drop by and let me know what you think. (Click here for my home page.)

"Kittens Can Kill" "will have fans looking forward to the next installment." How nice!

Bella Online reviews "Kittens Can Kill" today, praising the "well drawn" characters who are "comfortable in their own skin" and noting that despite "many clues and red herrings, the reveal at the end was still a surprise." Overall, she concludes, "this interesting who-done-it will have fans looking forward to the next installment." Isn't that nice? Thank you, Bella Online! Read more here.