Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
Now and again a quiet revolution starts brewing. This is one of those times. Facebook has just made it possible for readers to buy ebooks directly from an author’s fan page without clicking to Amazon or any other retailer. It’s a huge development, and I think it’s going to require a major shift in buyers’ … Read more
I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Nobody’s Child is a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. It’s in their “Mainstream” category. The award will be given in July in NYC during the RWA convention at the Death by Chocolate event. I think I’ll be going.
Aclamada novela de suspenso de la mafia cubana ahora publicada en español La novela premiada de la autora más vendida de novelas de detectives, Havana Lost, ambientada en Cuba durante la revolución y el Período especial treinta años más tarde, ahora está disponible en español. La Habana perdida será publicada el 1 de abril de … Read more
I’m excited to share with you a structure for both writing and editing a chapter of your novel. We’ve all been schooled in introductions, conclusions, and the overall flow of a novel. But what about individual chapters, which, after all, are the building blocks of your story? Is there a format? How do you know … Read more
I’m very excited to announce that the Spanish translation of Havana Lost will be released May 1. In honor of the release, I’m giving away 2 print copies via Goodreads. You’ll find everything you need to know below. I hope you’ll enter! Goodreads Book Giveaway La Habana Perdida by Libby Fischer Hellmann Giveaway ends May … Read more
Suddenly Orphan Black is the most talked about show on TV. For the uninitiated, Season three started Saturday night on BBC America, and it promises to be even more complex (maybe even a little unwieldy) than the past two seasons. I’ve been watching it since the beginning, and I’ve been a big fan. Part of … Read more
I just finished a short article by Gretchen Rubin on the PW Tip Sheet titled “How To Become A Better Reader in 10 Steps” that I can’t praise highly enough. Whether you’re a fiction reader, (and I hope you are) a non-fiction reader, a news/internet/research article junkie, I hope you find it as … Read more
As some of you know, my 6th novel, Doubleback is on sale this week at Amazon for 99¢/.99£. I thought you might like to hear some of the backstory — why and how this book came to be. It was published in 2009, but I’d been thinking about it for a while. Especially the first … Read more
Hi, everyone. I’m happy spring is trying to settle in Chicago. On the left is Oak Street beach. It doesn’t quite look like this yet, but I’m counting on it soon. And hoping we’ve seen the last of the tornadoes. I have some fun things for you: not one, … Read more
Many of you have read Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott. When I started my journey of writing, hers was the first book I read. I still have to remind myself it’s okay to write shitty first drafts. And I still have to remember it doesn’t all happen at once. But her advice has weathered … Read more