Art Taylor's Blog, page 52
July 23, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Mourning Glory” by Mollie Cox Bryan
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
Mollie Cox Bryan visits the First Two Pages this week as part of a series featuring contributors to Deadly Southern Charm: A Lethal Ladies Mystery Anthology. Mollie’s story is “Mourning Glory,” which you’ll get a glimpse of in the essay below, but short fiction is just one of the many forms and genres she writes in. While centered on women’s stories, Mollie has written novels, cookbooks, essays, poetry, and more. The first book in her Cumberland Creek series, Scrapbook of Secrets, earned an Agatha Award nomination, and other books in the series have been contenders in the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Awards. She also writes the Cora Crafts Mysteries, and her latest book goes in a brand new direction: The Jean Harlow Bombshell, first in a new series and Mollie’s first non-cozy mystery. Added bit of trivia: Mollie and Jean Harlow are distantly related!
For more information on Mollie’s work, visit her website here, and you can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Beyond Mollie’s story “Mourning Glory,” Deadly Southern Charm features short fiction by Frances Aylor, Lynn Cahoon, Judy Chalkey, Stacie Giles, Barb Goffman, Libby Hall, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Samatha McGraw, K.L. Murphy, Genille Swope Parente, Deb Rolfe, Rod Sterling, S.A. Warwick, and Heather Weidner. The collection was edited by Mary Burton and Mary Miley in conjunction with the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime and published by Wildside Press.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Bryan-Mourning-Glory
July 16, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Shadow Man” by Bradley Harper
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First
Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists
analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until
just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
This week’s installment of The First Two Pages continues a series featuring contributors to Deadly Southern Charm: A Lethal Ladies Mystery Anthology, and I’m especially pleased to welcome Bradley Harper—who, while not a lethal lady himself, certainly has charm to spare. His debut novel, the Sherlock Holmes pastiche A Knife in the Fog, was a finalist for this year’s Edgar Award for Best First Novel—success building on his lifelong fandome of Sherlock Holmes and on extensive research into Victorian-era London, including touring London’s East End with a historian specializing in Jack the Ripper. Before turning to creative writing, Bradley was a US Army Colonel and pathologist with extensive experience in autopsies and forensic investigation. And on a lighter note, he and his wife play Mr. & Mrs. Claus each Christmas. Doesn’t he look the part?
For more information on Bradley’s work, check out his website here. In addition to enjoying the preview of his story below, do check out the full anthology which features a fine group of writers: Frances Aylor, Mollie Cox Bryan, Lynn Cahoon, Judy Chalkey, Stacie Giles, Barb Goffman, Libby Hall, Sherry Harris, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Samatha McGraw, K.L. Murphy, Genille Swope Parente, Deb Rolfe, Rod Sterling, S.A. Warwick, and Heather Weidner. The collection was edited by Mary Burton and Mary Miley in conjunction with the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime and published by Wildside Press.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Harper-Shadow-Man
July 11, 2019
My July Newsletter
My July newsletter was originally intended to be a June one, as you’ll see.
Plenty of news here, both reflecting on the last couple of months and looking ahead to the rest of the year and into next year as well: awards, publication news, and more. But sadly, not all of the news is good—highpoints and a low one in equal measure.
The full newsletter is here. Thanks so much for reading.
July 9, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Art Attack” by Heather Weidner
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
One of the anthologies I picked up at this year’s Malice Domestic was Deadly Southern Charm: A Lethal Ladies Mystery Anthology, featuring a great line-up of authors I admire, many of them friends as well. Here’s the full list of contributors: Frances Aylor, Mollie Cox Bryan, Lynn Cahoon, Judy Chalkey, Stacie Giles, Barb Goffman, Libby Hall, Bradley Harper, Sherry Harris, Maggie King, Kristin Kisska, Samatha McGraw, K.L. Murphy, Genille Swope Parente, Deb Rolfe, Rod Sterling, S.A. Warwick, and Heather Weidner. The collection was edited by Mary Burton and Mary Miley in conjunction with the Central Virginia Chapter of Sisters in Crime and published by Wildside Press.
Today, I’m welcoming Heather Weidner to discuss her story “Art Attack”—the first of a series of essays by contributors to the anthology. The excerpt Heather includes in her essay runs a bit more than two pages, as you’ll see, but I find it interesting how the actual first two pages tip toward the next scene. The opening section is focused on exploring the dynamics between a group of characters, layering in the various differences between them, and hinting at how those differences might be the seeds of great conflicts. As the second scene opens, the story then moves quickly toward the story’s central conflict—the discovery of the body and the murder to be solved.
Heather’s previous short stories have appeared in the Virginia is for Mysteries series and in 50 Shades of Cabernet, and her novella “Diggin’ up Dirt” appeared in To Fetch a Thief. She’s also a novelist, with two books in her Delanie Fitzgerald series: Secret Lives and Private Eyes and The Tulip Shirt Murders.
Heather is also very active online, both on blogs and on social media. She blogs regularly at her own website and at Pens, Paws, and Claws, and you can also connect with her at many other places online, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, and more.
Do check out Heather’s other work and connect with her where you can, and in the meantime, enjoy this glimpse at her story “Art Attack.” Stay tuned too for essays by more contributors to Deadly Southern Charm ahead, including Bradley Harper, Mollie Cox Bryan, and Kristin Kisska.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Weidner-Art-Attack
July 8, 2019
This Saturday: Chesapeake Writing Workshop, Arlington, VA
This Saturday, July 13, the all-day Chesapeake Writing Workshop takes place at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. The event focuses on “How To Get Published,” with a mix of programs on both the craft and the business of writing, plus one-on-one critique sessions and opportunities to meet with agents and editors.
I’ll be part of the schedule, with a presentation on “killer openings and spine-tingling suspense.” Here’s the program description:
2019 Edgar Award winner Art Taylor offers both genre writers (mystery/thriller/crime) and literary writers tips and tactics for heightening tension, escalating conflict, tossing in the unexpected left turn, and generally keeping readers turning page after page.
Here’s the full line-up of authors and presenters and the equally fine group of editors and agents.
More info can be found here—looking forward to seeing attendees later this week!
July 2, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Dzintra’s Tale” by V.S. Kemanis
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First
Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists
analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until
just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
On the heels of a series featuring essays by contributors to the new anthology The Best Laid Plans, I’m pleased to welcome one more of that collection’s authors—V.S. Kemanis—but in this case, she’s not writing about her anthology story but about her latest short fiction in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, one that builds a bit on her own personal history, as you’ll see below.
In addition to her work for EQMM and in The Best Laid Plans, Vija’s short fiction has appeared in the anthology The Crooked Road, Vol. 3 (EQMM) and in five of her own story collections, most recently Your Pick: Selected Stories, and is forthcoming in Me Too: Short Stories (Level Best Books). She is also the author of the Dana Hargrove legal suspense novels. You can find out more about that series and about all her work at www.vskemanis.com.
In the meantime, please enjoy the essay here—and check out the full story in EQMM‘s new issue, which features a terrific line-up of other contributors, including Michael Bracken, Brendan DuBois, Chris Holm, Richard Helms, Tara Laskowski, Twist Phelan, R.J. Rozan, Marilyn Todd, Peter Turnbull, Vicki Weisfeld, and more.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Kemanis-Dzintras-Tale
June 25, 2019
The First Two Pages: “The True Cost of Liberty” by Chris Wheatley
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First
Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists
analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until
just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
Today’s First Two Pages essay rounds out a series of posts by contributors to the new anthology The Best Laid Plans, edited by Judy Penz Sheluk. Chris Wheatley is a fiction writer, journalist, and musician based in Oxford, England. His nonfiction has appeared in publications including The Guardian, Prog Rock Central, Under the Radar, and he is a regular contributor to Shindig! Magazine and Line of Best Fit. As for fiction publications, you can find his short fiction in the anthologies Urban Crime Short Stories and The Spell Books, Volume 2: Creatures. With his First Two Pages essay below, enjoy a glimpse at his latest short story, and discover more about all Chris’s work at his website here.
And don’t miss the two previous essays by other contributors to The Best Laid Plans: Lisa de Nikolits and Mary Dutta.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Wheatley-True-Cost-First-Two-Pages
June 18, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Festival Finale” by Mary Dutta
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First
Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists
analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until
just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
One of my favorite aspects of anthologies is discovering new writers—both those new to me and, in some cases, authors making their publishing debuts. So it’s a special thrill to welcome a writer today reflecting on her first-ever fiction publication: Mary Dutta, whose story “Festival Finale” appears in the anthology The Best Laid Plans, edited by Judy Penz Sheluk and officially launching today!
Mary is one of twenty-one authors in the collection, which covers a wide range of locales, including “a subway station in Norway, a ski resort in Vermont, a McMansion in the suburbs, or a trendy art gallery in Toronto.” For her story, Mary visits characters and settings that might be familiar to many readers here: a published author, an aspiring author, and a literary festival. In the essay here, Mary explains that the story was inspired in part by her own city’s literary festival—one I’ve attended myself! …and now seeing it in a whole new light.
Be sure and follow Mary on Twitter to find out about more stories ahead—and congratulations in the meantime on this first great success!
This is the second in a series of essays by contributors to The Best Laid Plans. Last week, the First Two Pages hosted Lisa de Nikolits, and next week we’ll welcome Chris Wheatley.
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
Dutta-Festival-Finale
June 14, 2019
Fairfax Library Summer Reading
Earlier this week, the Fairfax County Public Library in launched its first-ever system-wide Adult Summer Reading Program, offering prizes for library patrons who complete reading and activity logs between June 13 and August 31. I’m thrilled that a couple of copies of my novel On the Road with Del and Louise are part of the prize packs that program participants can win at the end of the summer, along with books by other local authors, including my wife Tara Laskowski too!
The adult reading program is a companion to a long-running Summer Reading Adventure aimed at children and teens—one that our son Dashiell has participated in each summer for years now. We’re upping the challenge for him this year, since he has to read each of the books on his log himself, rather than counting ones that we read to him.
Check out both programs at the library’s website for information on the various prizes, including free merchandise, free admission to local events and activities, and additional discounts from area sponsors.
I’ve already got one book listed on my own reading log: Josephine Tey’s A Shilling for Candles. Always up for a challenge myself!
June 11, 2019
The First Two Pages: “Fire Drill” by Lisa de Nikolits
In April 2015, B.K. Stevens debuted the blog series “The First
Two Pages,” hosting craft essays by short story writers and novelists
analyzing the openings of their own work. The series continued until
just after her death in August 2017, and the full archive of those essays can be found at Bonnie’s website. In November 2017, the blog series relocated to my website, and the archive of this second stage of the series can be found here.
Today kicks off a series of essays by contributors to the anthology The Best Laid Plans, which releases officially next Tuesday, June 18. The collection features twenty-one authors and cover a wide range of locales, including “a subway station in Norway, a ski resort in Vermont, a McMansion in the suburbs, or a trendy art gallery in Toronto.” Gathering all these stories together is editor Judy Penz Sheluk, author of the Glass Dolphin Mystery and Marketville Mystery series as well as number of short stories as well.
The First Two Pages will be hosting three contributors to The Best Laid Plans, one each week to frame the launch. First up is Lisa de Nikolits, author of eight novels, with a ninth, The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution, scheduled for publication later this year. Her short fiction and poetry have also been published in various anthologies and journals across the country. Originally from South Africa, de Nikolits now lives and writes in Toronto.
And stay tuned over the next two weeks for essays by Mary Dutta and Chris Wheatley as well!
Please use the arrows and controls at the bottom of the embedded PDF to navigate through the essay. You can also download the essay to read off-line.
deNikolits-Fire-Drill
