Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
Libby Fischer Hellmann 
Sadly, my favorite Thursday activity is now over. Thanks to my daughter, who told me about “Serial” a month ago, I was able to binge-listen to 8 podcasts, and then followed up every week until yesterday. The ending? I’m sure there will be unending discussions about Adnan’s guilt or innocence, the tragedy and/or travesty of … Read more
With the explosion of Self-publishing, there are so many people and organizations willing to take your money that your inbox is probably as cluttered as mine. Among the emails are announcements from companies who will produce my book, discover my book, buy my book, review my book, and more. Before you jump into any arrangements, … Read more
A friend asked me why, after publishing 11 novels, I’m still in a writing group.”You’ve already published a lot of novels.” The answer was in his question. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would not have published 11 novels without my writing group. I joined 18 years ago… way before I was … Read more
My daughter has been called for jury duty next week, and yesterday sent out a message to my newsletter recipients with a link to my original blogpost about the My Day at the Daley Center back in June. Turns out several people have their own stories about serving on a jury in Cook County, so I thought it would be fun for … Read more
Two of my Ellie Foreman mysteries are discounted to .99 cents and .99£ all week on Amazon, both US and UK. An Eye For Murder was nominated for an Anthony Award, and A Shot To Die For won Best traditional novel at the Love is Murder contest. They’ll stay at that price until December 14. … Read more
I’m very excited to report that Shelf Unbound Magazine (devoted to small and independent presses) named Havana Lost as one of their “Notable Page-Turners” in their 2014 Fiction Competition! An early holiday gift.
In the mood for a mystery? Well, this is a different type of mystery, especially if you love photography and the visual arts. As you undoubtedly know by now, I’m from Chicago, and one of the most fascinating stories I’ve come across recently is about photographer Vivian Maier. This quiet woman was born in New York in … Read more
And… We’re Off! The holiday season is here. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the shopping days before and after. Deals. Steals. Discounts. And more. This year I’m doing my part. I know many avid readers read ebooks. I do, too – they’re convenient, lightweight, and I love the backlight that allows me to read in … Read more
In the last Writing Lite tip, I share a simple but profound structure for writing and editing a chapter that I think is fantastic. It was created by Crime writer Nancy Picard, who is one of the most talanted authors I know. It combines everything you need to know about plot and character, and I … Read more
Let’s explore language, with an emphasis on pacing. Sometimes you want longer sentences. Sometimes you want crisp short ones. One of my favorite passages that shows the variety of pacing is from Raymond Chandler. He’s talking about a bar opening for the evening. Listen in. And yes, you can have a glass of wine.