June Shaw's Blog, page 12

A far from ordinary resolution

by Bill Kirton Brace yourselves because, although I’m about to ask you to read just one sentence, it contains 157 words but only 3 commas and 2 full stops, one of which is there to indicate an abbreviation. So, with names, dates and other things changed to avoid being prosecuted by members of the profession of those who wrote it, here goes:
THAT, the acquisition by the Company of the remaining 73 per cent. of the issued share capital of Acme Trading (Soc) Ltd ("Acme") resulting in Acme becoming...

Heirs of the Body

by Carola

The 21st mystery in my Daisy Dalrymple series is coming out in trade paperback from Minotaur on May12th.
Set in England in 1927, it's the story of the hunt for the legitimate heir to Daisy's cousin Edgar, the present Lord Dalrymple. Claimants to the viscountcy turn up from all corners of the Empire. When his lordship invites four of them--as well as Daisy and her family--to stay at his country estate to celebrate his fiftieth birthday, mayhem ensues.

Reviews of the hardcover edition:

"...

A History of Poisons

by Jean Henry Mead

The discovery of poisons occurred when prehistoric tribes foraged for food; an often deadly experience, or what would later be known as Russian roulette. Primitive poison experts were people to be reckoned with, and they either served as tribal sorcerers or were burned at the stake, depending on whom they practiced.

Our first written accounts of poisonings are from the Roman era over 2,000 years ago, although the Chinese, Egyptians, Sumerians and East Indians had practiced t...

The Sparrow’s new clothes

by Bill Kirton The new clothesI’ve written many times about The Sparrow Conundrum, usually trying to persuade readers to buy it. But this time (although I’d still love you and all your friends and family to get a copy because my wife is still dreaming of the tax exile she envisaged when my first book was published in the 90s), I’m using it to illustrate a different point.
A while ago, it came under new management and the new edition has now been published. So what? You ask. Well, to begin with,...

Writing with Family

By June Shaw

Here are my sweet teen granddaughters, avid readers who are sisters that asked to write a book with me. (Okay, the third one is me.)


Me: Do you really want to write a book, or do you just want money?

Them: No, writing a book should be fun. We'd love to do it with your help.

They loved HUNGER GAMES. So did I. We agreed to write YA dystopian. While I created most of the novel, they were great help. I asked for lots of input, and they gave it.

Sometimes the main character got...

Malice Domestic--A Bucket-List Item--May1-3, 2015 Bethesda, MD

I’m leaving for Malice Domestic on April 30, and I’m so excited. For years I’ve wanted to attend this wonderful event, and now I shall, God willing and the creek don’t rise. (Okie speak)
I will soon be on my way, via Southwest Airlines, with Judy Rosser, BFF and my remarkable beta reader, riding shotgun. Judy is a reader, and this convention is for READERS! They call themselves fans, I call them fabulous.  L-R Carolyn Hart, Jackie King, Judy Rosser
Bouchercon 2013Sharing our room at the Hya...

How Carolyn Hart Became a Bestselling Author

When Carolyn Hart sent me an announcement of her soon-to-be released novel, I asked that she write a guest blog and she graciously complied:                                              
      In the spring of 1985, I was a failed author. I’d had seven books published but another seven manuscripts were stacked, gathering dust,...

Reviews

I'm a day late but I just wanted to sneak in a couple of early reviews of my next Daisy Dalrymple mystery (Minotaur, June).

Publishers Weekly: "...Affecting..."
                          The rest is just about the story, but at least the one word that's actual review is positive!



And Booklist:
"Now here’s a proper British mystery. The title refers to the two million excess...

A chat with a frog

By Bill Kirton  Richard Dawkins, the eminent but controversial evolutionary biologist, is always being attacked for his ‘militant atheism’ and uncompromising rejection of things ‘supernatural’. A while ago, the accusation was that he’d claimed fairy stories were bad for children. It was a false accusation but I took the chance of using it to write a blog. It went like this:
(There’s a frog sitting on the wall outside my house, right on the corner, near the gate. He spends a lot of time the...

Aging in Place--Perfect for This Writer

by Jackie King
A couple of years ago, I decided to sell my 4-bedroom house and get myself settled into a cozy writing nest where I could age in place. The plan was that I would have nothing to worry about except writing, which I love. (Well, love/hate, but that’s a different essay.)
The first step was to find the right nesting place. After visiting several different facilities, I chose Woodland Terrace, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa has been my home since I was in my twenties.
I looked at a number o...