K.P. Gresham's Blog, page 6
January 15, 2024
A WRITER’S RESOLUTIONS
Helen Currie Foster, January 15, 2024
“But at my back I always hear time’s wingèd chariot drawing near…” (Andrew Marvell, 1621-1678)
Today in pre-dawn darkness, the house quiet except for the murmuring furnace, my characters were already at me, barking orders: “More! More smells, tastes, experiences! More about me! Tell people what I’m thinking, what I’m experiencing, what I’m worrying…
December 12, 2023
A CHRISTMAS WISH
FRANCINE PAINO
A.K.A. F. DELLA NOTTE
So this is Christmas – And what have you done?
So begins the first verse of John Lennon’s 1971 hit song. His good wishes toward wo/mankind had a political message wrapped in the lines. But politics aside, it was and still is a good message. But the question, What have you done? requires some thought. What have you done to keep the Christmas spirit alive…
November 22, 2023
Thanksgiving–for Books Reread
by Helen Currie Foster
Now and then, when I sneak a book off the shelf, glancing around to be sure no one notices it’s a children’s book…or pick up an old LeCarré…I’m grateful for the joy of rereading.
Rather like upcoming Thanksgiving dinners! Think of their literary content! Suspense, of course–is that turkey really done? Imminent peril–are the drippings sufficient for decent gravy? Strong…
November 6, 2023
My Dirty Little Secret
by K.P. Gresham
Up to now, I’ve avoided a particular phrase in describing my Pastor Matt Hayden Mystery Series. And the secret is…I write Christ-centered mysteries.
To me, this term is more accurate in describing my books than calling it Christian fiction. Of course, it is Christian fiction. However, a lot of folks who read Christian fiction expect there will be no swear words, no blood on the…
October 31, 2023
THE WITCHING HOURS OF HALLOWEEN
It’s time…for ghosts, goblins, witches, warlocks, and, of course, the dead. It’s Halloween.But what was it about in ancient times, and where did it begin?
The customs of Halloween can be traced back to the Druid priests of the Celtics. It was the second most significant holiday of their year. The first was Beltane – the growing season celebrated from April 30– May 1. The second, October 31, was…
October 17, 2023
THE PULL OF EMPTY SPACES
by Helen Currie Foster~October 17,2023
Last week, trudging up a rocky trail to an abandoned abbey high above an Italian valley in the Sabine Hills, I heard another walker ask this: after the Romans defeated the Sabines, were any Sabine ruins left?
“Yes,” said the guide. “A temple to the goddess of empty spaces.”
The goddess of empty spaces? Her name?
“Vacuna.”
Even in fourth year Latin at…
October 9, 2023
The Good, the Bad, the Cleanup
by N.M. Cedeño
First, some good news! My story entitled “A Matter of Trust” was published in Black Cat Weekly #110 on October 8 via editor Michael Bracken. The story features genetic genealogy private investigator Maya Laster who first appeared in “Disappearance of a Serial Spouse” in Black Cat Weekly #79 in March 2023. In this, her second published case, Maya is working to help her client, Bob…
September 25, 2023
Mystery Tomorrow. Comedy (& Some Tragedy) Tonight.
Thinking today about Anais Nin’s statement, which she attributed to the Talmud–“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are”–I decided to write about how the idea applies to the way I read Donna Leon’s Inspector Brunetti mystery series. Then I remembered a post I wrote for Telling the Truth, Mainly, which serves as a lead-in. It isn’t really about R&J.
I’ll get to Brunetti next…
September 19, 2023
Bouchercon Honors Sara Paretsky
by K.P. Gresham
The 54th Bouchercon National Mystery Convention in San Deigo honored Sara Paretsky with the David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award. This award honors the memory and contributions to the crime fiction community, and Sara Paretsky, a force of nature to be sure, certainly deserved this recognition.
Bouchercon, the largest and oldest mystery fan convention in the world, is a…
September 12, 2023
BOWLING AND PIN-MONKEYS
By
Francine Paino, aka F. Della Notte
Mundane worlds can become amazing when writers are plunged into them. Looking through old family photographs, I came upon a picture of a handsome young man whose start in this country could have been better. He worked as a pin-boy in a New York City Bowery bowling alley a hundred years ago. My story, The Runaway Pin Boy, was inspired by this long-deceased…
