Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 218

What a Difference...

THE QUESTION:  If your writing process/life could be summarized as the title of a song – what song would it be? And why?

BY RM
What pops to mind is "WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES"
I've written before about serendipity, the day I met my mentor, the late great Holley Rubinsky, which led to meeting my other mentor and friend, author Deryn Collier.

What a difference a day made.
These two mentors believed in me and put me back on my writerly feet. So I braced myself for another loss and entered...

Singing to Myself

If your writing process/life could be summarized as the title of a song – what song would it be? And why?
-from Susan
Not only is this the hardest question I’ve ever been asked on 7CriminalMinds, but it begs the question of how I can begin to summarize my writing processes. Catch me on Wednesday and my process, my writing life, is apt to be 180 degrees different than it will be on Sunday.  Meet me for coffee on Tuesday and I’m floating. See me at an event on Friday and it’s doom, doom, doo...

Shades and Striations

My desire to broaden the reach of mystery/crime fiction as it relates (or doesn't) to race, class, and identity in America is plain. While this may have engendered eye rolls from more than a few folks prior to November 8, 2016, a subtle nod toward diversity can now be considered a radical act. Yet I'm not throwin' bombs. I'm tossin' books.

My first suggestion comes from the late, great Chester Himes, whose work, along with his amazing life, demands to be considered a national treasure on a sca...

Black and Blue and Indigo

by Alan

What 3 mystery books are “must reads” for those who have never read mysteries before?

So many great books to recommend! So many potential “must reads”! How can one possibly choose?

By narrowing things down using my Book-Sort-O-Matic Machine (patent pending)!

I hauled it out of deep storage, replaced the flux capacitor, and programmed the following criteria:

1) Book written by an author who is either an Edgar Award winner or MWA Grand Master.

2) Book itself either won, or was nominated...

Hard to put down

by Dietrich Kalteis
Here are three mysteries I’ve read over the past few months, ones that I’d recommend to someone who’s never read one.
First up is Sucker Punch by Canadian writer Marc Strange. It’s the first Joe Grundy mystery in a two book series, published by Dundurn Press in 2007. It was Strange’s first mystery and was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for best first mystery right out of the gate. Its storyline follows ex-boxer Grundy whose claim to fame is he was once KOd by Evander...

You can't go wrong with a classic British mystery

By R.J. Harlick
What three mystery books would you recommend to someone as must reads who’s never read a mystery before? 
A tough question. There are so many fabulous mystery books that have been written over the years, it makes for a difficult choice. Since it is February 14, I could look at mysteries that have a hot steamy romance. Though, that isn’t usually a crime novel’s strength.
I developed my love for mysteries by devouring Agatha Christie as a child before moving onto other Britis...

3 Must Reads

Terry Shames answers the question: What 3 mystery books are “must reads” for those who have never read mysteries before?
What a question! Before I would make such a recommendation, I need to know what kinds of books the reader likes to read: Fiction or non-fiction? Does he/she like to learn something when they read, or do they prefer to use reading as an escape? What interests them: history, science, social issues, women’s concerns, art, music? Do they like to read books set in other countries...

Face to Facebook

How do you get yourself and your books noticed by the public? We hear that many publishers aren’t doing much PR anymore. How do you stand out from the crowd?

by Paul D. Marks

Set your hair on fire, borrow Lady Gaga’s meat dress, wardrobe malfunction. All of the above. They say there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Everyone earlier this week had so many great things to say, I hope I have some new ones as well as maybe re-hitting some of the previous things in my own inimitable way, especially...

Yes to everything, by Catriona

"How do you get yourself and your books noticed by the public? We hear that publishers aren't doing so much these days. How do make your work stand out from the crowd?"


Disclaimer: I'm late with a book, getting very close to the revised deadline, stressed and grumpy and some social niceties have evaporated. Also I can't top or even match the magisterial splendour of Cathy's post yesterday. But here's what I found in the corners of my brain when I had a scrape round.

My default position is "yes...

Keeping up with the ??? by Cathy Ace

How do you get yourself and your books noticed by the public? We hear that many publishers aren’t doing much PR anymore. How do you stand out from the crowd?
PLEASE BUY MY BOOK! ” …a pleasant mélange with a garnish of death and danger.” Kirkus ReviewsMy first Cait Morgan b...<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>