Performing Autopsies on Great Bodies of Crime Fiction.
BSP—short for Better Speaking Program? Badly Spoiled Prom? Butter Squash Pumpkin? Blissfully Stupid Politician? No, as unlikely as it may seem, BSP stands for Blatant Self Promotion. And in the crime fiction field, it seems as though indulging in BSP, is a badge of honor, or rite of passage for an author. Almost every writer … Read more
Almost is the key word in the above title. Struggling to retrieve the joy and inspiration I acquire when reading has been tough, and tedious. I’ve opened and begun a slew of books. Some deserved to be abandoned quickly, others may have had potential that I ignored, and some were obviously quite good, and those … Read more
When I saw the cover of June 10th’s ‘Parade Magazine’ with Nathan Fillian chest deep in water holding Jaws, I had to explore what the heck the point of this photo was. Turns out the actor who plays the title role of Richard Castle on the TV detective series, is a reader. A real one—not … Read more
The premier fanfest, Bouchercon, will be held this year in Cleveland OH, Oct. 4-7. Each year at the convention, awards named for Anthony Boucher, a well known mystery critic and novelist, are given out. The fans who pay in advance to attend, send in nomination ballots, and then vote on each category, the winners are … Read more
Sitting in the movie theatre waiting for Johnny Depp to appear as Barnabas Collins, various trailers were screeching across the screen. Violent one and all, nothing new there. But when the familiar figure of our most beloved president appeared, I was pulled in–for about 30 seconds. Because after identifying the protagonist, the 16th president known … Read more
Nancy Drew, a familiar name even to those who have never opened a juvenile mystery. The original books have been edited, altered, modernized and celebrated in film and TV. Even today there are contemporary stories featuring the teenager and her two girl friends, Bess and George. But if you are like most, you’ve never heard … Read more
In the mid 2000’s, I had a website where I sold vintage illustration jewelry. For each category I wrote a description. Within the Girl Sleuths subject was a sub category of just Nancy Drew pins. Instead of describing the dust jacket art, I decided to write a little ditty using Nancy and her entourage for … Read more
The annual conference that ran Friday through early Sunday, named the winners of the coveted teapot, The Agatha. The Malice Domestic Conference is always held at the end of April, on the Friday after the Mystery Writers of America has their banquet, citing the best in crime fiction by bestowing authors with a bust of … Read more
