It's a Mystery Blog

At 771 pages, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is in many ways a magnum opus. It is also a massive treasure trove for writers. Let’s delve in and see what we discover. This post contains spoilers. The Goldfinch* by Donna Tartt (*Amazon Affiliate link) Summary: Thirteen-year-old Theo Decker survives the blast that kills his […]

Today we’re reading a slow-paced mystery, The Curse of La Fontaine by M. L. Longworth for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted by Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you are finished, […]

The mystery author from last week’s Whodunit challenge #2 is Faye Kellerman. Her husband is New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman. He has written a series of books featuring detective Alex Delaware. Their son, Jesse Kellerman, is also a well-known author. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Faye’s first book, The Ritual Bath […]

Dorothy Gilman (1923-2012) wrote children’s books under her married name, Dorothy Gilman Butters, for a number of years before starting the popular Mrs. Pollifax series. Gilman traveled extensively and used her experiences to send her protagonist to exotic locations throughout the world. The Mrs. Pollifax Series by Dorothy Gilman Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New […]

Let’s look at the first paragraph of J. A. Jance’s Downfall for Book Beginnings on Fridays, hosted at Rose City Reader. Downfall* by J.A. Jance (*Affiliate link) Summary: Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady has recently lost her mother and stepfather. Now she must investigate the death of two women at a local landmark, while at […]

Today we’re going to explore whether you need a novel theme for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). What is Theme? Theme is often listed as a story element, but what is it? The theme is the main or central idea of a novel. To say it another way, it is the key message or an […]

Research for a novel can be a real bear because it is critical to get the facts right for your readers, but too much can derail your writing completely. How much research do you need and when should you do it? Maybe you think you don’t need to do research at all. It’s fiction […]

If you have been following our NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) preparation series, it is time to consider your novel’s emotional content. The emotional aspects of novels can be complex and confusing, but if done properly, can lead to a hugely successful novel. Considerations When Writing Emotions and Feelings 1. Emotional Response of Readers Authors […]

You are four. The tops of meadow grasses and wildflowers brush your shoulders as you wander. Mid-stride, you yelp and look down...Read full story →

Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling who best known for writing the Harry Potter books. Cormoran Strike series: Private detective Cormoran Strike lost his leg in Afghanistan, but that isn’t why he’s struggling. Instead, he’s had a run of bad luck. He’s broken up with his girlfriend, is down to one client, […]

Early in her career, Liza Lutz wanted to be a screenwriter. After selling one screenplay, things stalled. She first wrote The Spellman Files as a screenplay, but it was only able to publish it after turning it into a novel. After some success as a mystery author, Lisa now writes for the HBO series The […]

John Sandford (real name John Roswell Camp) started out as a journalist. After a distinguished career, including winning a Pulitzer, he decided that he could make more money writing novels. It turned out to be a good choice. You can find out why he chose to write under a pseudonym for the Prey series and […]

I’ve just returned from the Tucson Festival of Books 2018 and I’m a combination of exhausted and euphoric. What an awesome event! In case you’ve never heard of it, the Tucson Festival of Books is held on The University of Arizona® campus. It celebrates southwestern U.S. books and authors (for the most part, there […]

Let’s take a look at the next book on The Bestseller Code 100 list, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, from a writer’s perspective. Be sure to visit Karen’s review from a reader’s perspective as well. This post contains spoilers. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (*Amazon Affiliate link) Lovely Bones is a perfect novel […]

I have been churning out short stories lately and my favorite editor asked me why I was doing short stories rather than working on a novel. I told her that sometimes it pays to focus on short stories. 5 Reasons to Write Short Stories 1. They are short and not as much of […]

Today we have an older novel, The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted by Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you’re finished add your URL to […]