You've heard the phrase “If I only knew then what I know now.” This doesn't apply in the writing world. Everything I thought I knew about writing has changed in the last 20 years. Oh, not the basic rules of grammar and punctuation, that's still in p…
November 14, 2010 at 2pm to November 21, 2010 at 10am
Leaving from Los Angeles. Three days at sea for panels and such. Ports-of-call: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. No extra charge for the conference, just pay for the cabin.
Bev has wrangled 120 cabins. She'd like to see $100 deposit t…
November 29
The mystery cruise to the Mexican Riviera is a go for Nov. 14-21, 2010. Details at Beverly@cruisingsmart.com Looking for speakers and fans.
Last week at my writing group, one of the aspiring authors had a bit of a breakdown. She suffered from what all writers eventually go through. Her faith in her abilities was shaken, the struggle to get her story on paper seemed overwhelming, and the…
The early bird registration fee is available until October 31st. Founded in 1997 as the Police Writers Club, the Public Safety Writers Association is open to both new and experienced, published and not yet published writers. Members include police o…
Are you an Author, Reader, Publisher, Editor, Agent or Other?
I'm the author of "Fools Rush In: A Christy Bristol Astrology Mystery." The second in the series, "Where Angels Fear," is due out in February, '09. I'm also known as "The Contest Queen" because of over 35 awards for my short stories. They can be found on "Valley Fever: Where Murder Is Contagious;" "Seven By Seven: The Seven Deadly Sins Anthology;" "Never Safe; " and "Gone Coastal." I also have 7 flash fiction stories on Kindle titled "Over in a Flash."
I'm a Navy Brat and joined the Navy during the latter part of the Viet Nam era. I attended Fresno State on the GI Bill and received a degree in journalism. After working as a feature writer on a small paper, I joined the sheriff's department an worked for 17 years with the narcotics squad. It seemed logical to write murder mysteries.
Anything by Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, and Daniel Silva. JA Jance's Beaumont series, Sue Grafton. "Choke" by Chuck Palahniuk; "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller; "The Source" by James Michenerl
You've heard the phrase “If I only knew then what I know now.” This doesn't apply in the writing world. Everything I thought I knew about writing has changed in the last 20 years. Oh, not the basic rules of grammar and punctuation, that's still in place even if sometimes ignored. But how I write, and more importantly, how I publish has come out of the dark ages.
I knew I wanted to be a writer from age 13. I had good teachers, learned what I needed to know to put sentences together and got encou… Continue
I remember my mother reading a picture book I already knew by heart. When he was home from sea duty, my father would spin stories of his childhood in the South. Sometimes he'd recite scenes from “Gone With the Wind,” changing his voice to fit each character. Okay, that may have been a little over the top. Does an eight-year-old really need to go to sleep with Scarlett's “As God is my witness” speech ringing in her dreams?
I just returned from a trip to the Mexican Caribbean. It was a cruise saluting Veterans, very patriotic (I am a Vietnam Era vet). I was on a panel of authors talking to the vets about writing their memoirs. We got together later with the travel agent who pulled together the trip and pitched the idea of a mystery cruise: Mystery On the High Seas: A Cruise To Die For.
Details: Nov. 14-21, leaving from Los Angeles. Three days at sea for panels and such. Ports-of-call: Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan an… Continue
Last week at my writing group, one of the aspiring authors had a bit of a breakdown. She suffered from what all writers eventually go through. Her faith in her abilities was shaken, the struggle to get her story on paper seemed overwhelming, and the awful question loomed: Am I really a writer?
This rite of passage is crucial. Writing a book initially seems like fun. The potential novelist thinks, “Oh, I have stories to tell, I have a great imagination, I got an 'A' in English class in high scho… Continue
Every Author sets out with high hopes of publishing their book and seeing it on the shelves of the big chains. They deserve to be there. After brain-sweat and sacrifice, the reward should be wonderful book signings and lines of buyers waiting for an autograph.
That's the carrot that keeps writers pounding away at the keyboard. It happens to a lucky few. But sometimes the author published by a major publishing house is a one-book wonder and left to contempla… Continue
Tell me where you want it sent and what do you need from me for the year horiscope. I dont know what time I was born but Rick Levine hit close to home on the guess I made. I read his daily on my birth date. When I lived in the Bay Area I went to quite a few places. The only thing they all said was I had the gift of intuition. The marks were the same on both hands. When it got a little spooky for my husband I stopped. Besides I was in wild state of mind back in the early 80's. They have faded but they are still there. I just dont listen as I should.
Hmmm..... This could get very interesting. I can't wait for our group to start. My husband and I met at a Pool Hall in Alameda,Ca. right on the other side of the San Francisco Bridge. That is a little hint of what I wrote you earlier. I was saving that story for book 2. I wanted to start with a coming of age story as a Navy Brat then go into the 80's from the Bay Area. Oh by the way - I was signed up for the Navy too but got pregnant a month before I was to leave for boot camp. Sept. 1981. If my husband chose the life he had back then I would have been on the other side as well.
I am so not ready for Christmas. I just realized I don't have much time either. One good thing is the DH is off Friday and possibly all next week, so I can give him a few chores to do, which may help some. I'm counting on him to put stamps and labels on the Christmas cards, and do a few things around the house to straighten it out some. Unfortunately, I'm the organizer in the family, so I can't expect too much on the getting-the- house ready front. That's pathetic, since I'm not very organized. (g)
Anyway, I hope to get the house into decent shape before Christmas, when I do my annual meal for the family. There's also that Christmas list to get together. Time is ticking away.
What about you? Are you ready for Christmas? Or do you celebrate another Holiday? If so, are you ready?
One of the main reasons for writing "Cynthia's Attic" came from my failure - failure to appreciate my ancestors. Our family stories are probably no more or less interesting than most, and I went out of my way to avoid remembering most of them or asking questions about my grandparents lives.
For instance. Did I bother to ask my grandfather what it was like playing in the first night football game in America?
Or did I try to find out just which relative "supposedly" sold a city block on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles for $20,000? Guaranteed, I would not be sitting here writing a blog had that particular relative held on to the property.
Then there's the story, "Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou," of my great-great grandfather, Augustus Boilliat who disappeared in 1860 while taking a load of produce down the Mississippi River to New Orleans? Oh, sure I've read different accounts about what happened to him, but lost forever are the stories his grandson (my grandfather) could've told me about facts he'd heard from my great-great grandmother, Marie Julia, about her husband's disappearance.
I remember a few accounts told by my dad about his adventures as a teenage cave guide at one of the largest caves in the Southern Indiana area, Wyandotte, but I only have to guess at some of the adventures he must've had.
That's why I'm writing adventures I wanted my ancestors to have; adventures I can enjoy with them through the eyes and voice of my character, Gus.
The idea for Cynthia's Attic: The Magician's Castle came from detailed genealogy research done by my cousin, Betty. Long before the Internet, she traveled to Switzerland to search for documents that would tie our great-grandmother, Harriet Kistler, to Peter Kistler the First, President of the Republic of Bern, 1470-1480. I've tried to honor the Kistler family in the fourth adventure in Cynthia's Attic.
Thanks, Morgan, for having me as a guest!
Mary Cunningham
Mary Cunningham is the author of the award-winning 'Tween fantasy/mystery series, Cynthia’s Attic. She is proud to announce the release of book four, "The Magician's Castle," Dec 1, 2009. Her children's mystery series was inspired by a recurring dream about a mysterious attic. After realizing that the dream took place in the home of her childhood friend, Cynthia, the dreams stopped and the writing began.
She is also co-writer of the humor-filled, women's lifestyle book, "Women Only Over Fifty (WOOF)," along with published stories, "Ghost Light" and "Christmas Daisy," A Cynthia's Attic short story.
To celebrate the release of "The Magician's Castle," (Quake/Echelon Press, DEC 1, 2009), a winner will be chosen on each blog stop to receive a copy of the "Cynthia's Attic" short story, "Christmas With Daisy!" So, be sure to make a comment!
Monday, I'm over at my group blog, http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/, where I'm blogging about the mystery of the missing checks. Come on over and find out what it's all about.
I'm firming up some dates for speaking engagements in 2010. One's tentatively set for March 28, at 1:30 at the Niles Public Library, another probably in mid May at the Schaumburg Township District Library.
Also, coming up is a radio interview at WJJQ again on May 7, at 9:35 a.m. before my booksigning May 8 at Cover to Cover Books in Tomahawk, WI.
I've heard that some people are more afraid of public speaking than of dying. Surprisingly, I find it easier each time I do it. As long as I have my cheat sheet with me to glance down at once in a while for security and I like what I'm talking about, I'm okay.
What about you? Do you like to talk or would you rather not?
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Cheers,
Brian
http://beekayvic.tripod.com
:-)
Mari Sloan
Thank you for your nice comment
Greetings from Italy,
Elisabetta
Welcome to Book Place.
Have a great time here & be sure to tell your friends about us.
Morgan Mandel