Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
Hi, everyone. Welcome to WRITING LITE #2. I’m still talking about suspense, but this time I start at the beginning and discuss the power of that first line. I talk about why it’s important, how to approach it, and give you some of my all-time favorite examples. It is a little longer than I anticipated … Read more
It’s so hard to whittle down my favorite authors. I’ve read so many wonderfully dark, nuanced stories over the years. But these are the male authors I have on automatic buy… or listen. Being the proud owner of an iPhone (plus the cool thingie you plug directly into the cigarette lighter to make the audio come out of the radio) means I’m becoming fonder of audio by the minute.
Here’s another excerpt from Set The Night on Fire, an example of Boomer Lit. In it, two characters, Rain and Dar, are seeing each for the first time since the late Sixties. They’re talking about another person they lived with back then. Remember, this is a thriller. Rain opened her eyes. “You need to … Read more
Instead of an excerpt this week, I thought I’d show you some images from the late Sixties. The footage in the video trailer was shot at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 by Chicago filmmaker and artist Tom Palazzolo, who kindly let me use it. The passion and the intensity on all sides is … Read more
You may have heard the phrase “Boomer Lit” bandied about recently. There’s been a swell of talk about Baby Boomers and what the literature designed for boomers should or should not be. Some people think ‘s pretty much all nostalgia, a look back at the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that epitomized the age. Others … Read more
Thriller Writer Traci Hohenstein tagged me for this – Thanks, Traci. (I think). Some people are calling it “Queen or King for A Day”… Others are calling it what it is: A Blog Hop. Here’s how it works: I answer 10 questions on the Next Big Thing I’m working on, then I tag five other … Read more
A writer’s journey often takes them to unexpected places. I know mine has. Like many beginning writers, I decided I could write a novel fresh out of the gate. So I did. Funny—no one wanted it. At the time I was irritated. Why not? I’d just spent four months working on what I thought was … Read more
Ellie Foreman is baaacckk! Now you can read the award-winning suspense ebook series featuring Ellie, a single mother and video producer in the Chicago suburbs. Meet Ellie’s father Jake, her daughter, Rachel, her boyfriend David, Fouad, Susan, and many other characters you’ll learn to love. Think “Desperate Housewives” meets “24.” WIth an emphasis on “24.” … Read more
Finally, I’m able to concentrate on other things. As you know, I went to Cuba in February. My next book is set there, and I wanted to fact check some settings as well as Cuban positions on the issues. So I hooked up with a travel agency I highly recommend, btw, and signed up for a … Read more
I am amazed and honored to report that TOXICITY was among the books cited by the Chicago Tribune in their list of favorite 2011 Chicago authors’ books! Here’s the link to the article. Some of my other favorite authors were also listed, including Laura Caldwell, Dave Heinzmann, Jamie Freveletti, Marcus Sakey, all of whom are … Read more