Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
What happens when I’m between books
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
When I finished my first manuscript and sent it to an editor, she broke the news to me that my characters sucked. That they weren’t believable, they did things because I wanted them to, not because it was in their nature. I learned the hard way that I’m really not in charge of my characters … Read more
There are many exercises and techniques with which you can experiment to develop your characters, but this is my favorite. I use it all the time with important characters, and once I get into it, I’m always surprised to learn who a character really is, what shaped them, what motivates them, and how they’re going … Read more
My daughter and I went to Central Europe in May. I reported back on all of the cities we visited — with one exception. It’s taken me six months to talk about Budapest. My impression was that Budapest wasnt … Read more
I think the letter speaks for itself. I am beyond frustrated. Naren K Gursahaney CEO, ADT Security The ADT Corporation 1501 Yamato Rd Boca Raton, FL 33431 September 8, 2014 Dear Mr. Gursahaney, I’m writing to you as a former Brinks and then ADT customer for over 10 years. Over those 10 years, I … Read more