The Thrill of it All

Breaking through: When mysteries become lit

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Publisher's Weekly outlines the conflicted views when a book is categorized as "mystery" or "crime fiction" and when it's categorized as "literary." Weighing in on the subject are authors Michael Connelly (who writes the best-selling Harry Bosch series), Kate Atkinson (U.K. detective Jackson Brodie), and Jess Walter (who won an Edgar Award for Citizen Vince). Breaking The Wall: When mystery becomes literary fiction, and vice versa

Best Mann: No sudden moves!

2009-11-23T06:00:00.014-06:00

Best Mann For The Job #37 is now online at TitleTrakk.com: The desperate fugitives make their move! Trust me, this is where things pick up. Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com.

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.) Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com.

Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB Teaser/Trailer

Previously:
Best Mann: Knock Knock
Best Mann: This can only end badly
Best Mann: The cows figured out the difference
Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?

The Buzz (Nov 21)

2009-11-21T09:00:00.004-06:00

The links getting the most hits this week at Learning Curve ...

01. Edward Woodward (1930-2009) (Crime TV Themes: THE EQUALIZER w/ CALLAN)
02. Best Mann: Knock Knock
03. Everyody still hates Brad Meltzer in paperback.
04. Authors on Facebook and Twitter
05. Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly vs. Serenity)
06. MWA vs Harlequin
07. James Patterson-branded e-reader
08. I, ALEX CROSS by James Patterson
09. Too much magic
10. Best Mann: This can only end badly
11. Who knew the Starsky and Hutch theme had words?
12. eBooks: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing
13. Mr. Monk is Online
14. James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
15. Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
16. How to write a cozy mystery
17. Q&A: RANDY SINGER (Self Incrimination)
18. KILLER Q&A: J.T. ELLISON All the Pretty Girls
19. KILLER Q&A: DEREK NIKITAS (Pyres)
20. BRAND VS. VARIETY

MWA vs Harlequin

2009-11-20T10:00:00.002-06:00

Harlequin has opened up a self-publishing business -- and blurred the lines enough between the pay-for-play side and professional editorial side that some worry aspiring authors could mistakenly think that paying for the one will lead to the other. Trade organizations Mystery Writers of America, the Romance Writers of America, and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America have announced that Harlequin could lose its eligibility to participate in awards and other professional functions.

From Lee Goldberg's blog:
MWA Takes Stand Against Harlequin
Trouble on the Harlequin Horizon

More hubbub:
RWA, MWA and SFWA Angered by Harlequin's New Self-Publishing Imprint (Publishers Weekly)
Why Agents May Be Opposed to Self-Publishing (Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt)
Self-Publishing: A Rant and a Q4U (Literary agent Rachelle Gardner)
Thomas Nelson and Self-Publishing (Literary agent Chip MacGregor)

Everyody still hates Brad Meltzer in paperback.

2009-11-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

A great idea for a book trailer!

Brad Meltzer, The Book of Lies (Grand Central Publishing)
In Chapter Four of the Bible, Cain kills Abel. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.

In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found.

Until now ...

Authors on Facebook and Twitter

2009-11-18T05:00:00.002-06:00

Fiction Addict talks to Kevin Kaiser (brand manager at Creative Trust), Miriam Parker (Associate Director, Online Marketing at Hachette Book Group), and Tosca Lee (author, Havah) about the effects of social networking and new media on the publishing industry. They cover the pros and cons of Facebook and Twitter, how important it is for authors to “get their name out there”, and social networking etiquette. Listen here: Social Networking and Publishing

Related: Technology can be an author's best publicist
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discusses the the web and social media with writers Anne Rice, Gregg Hurwitz, Alafair Burke, and more.

I, ALEX CROSS by James Patterson

2009-11-17T10:00:00.001-06:00

New in stores:
I, Alex Cross
Written by James Patterson
Little, Brown And Company

You can't run
Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

You can't hide
The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain—they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive
As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable—a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

Excerpts
Audio Excerpts

Related links:
James Patterson-branded e-reader
James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
Patterson on ABC's CASTLE
James Patterson: He's everywhere, he's everywhere
James Patterson Sets World Record (GalleyCat)

Edward Woodward (1930-2009)

2009-11-16T10:14:00.001-06:00

TV legend Edward Woodward ("The Equalizer," "Callan") passed away today at 79. He will be missed.

Watch the opening credits sequences for his shows "The Equalizer" and "Callan" at Crime TV.

Obituary: Edward Woodward Telegraph.co.uk
UK's Edward Woodward, Star of 'The Wicker Man,' Dies at 79 Bloomberg
Wicker Man, Equalizer actor Edward Woodward dies Reuters
'Equalizer' star Edward Woodward dies at 79 The Associated Press
Actor Edward Woodward dies at 79 BBC News

Best Mann: Knock Knock

2009-11-16T05:00:00.003-06:00

Best Mann For The Job #36 is now online at TitleTrakk.com: While the sheriff is preoccupied with a local matter, the bank robbers -- desperate, fugitives, needing medical attention -- have stopped at a farmhouse. (Nothing good can come from this.) Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com.

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.) Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com.

Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB Teaser/Trailer

Previously:
Best Mann: This can only end badly
Best Mann: The cows figured out the difference
Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!

James Patterson-branded e-reader

2009-11-13T07:23:00.001-06:00

Computer Shopper reports that Sony is releasing new special edition romance- and crime-themed eBook readers in time for Christmas. The James Patterson Reader Pocket Edition comes pre-loaded with Patterson's best-selling Cross Country and selected excerpts from two upcoming James Patterson books, a free download of the new Alex Cross novel Worst Case (not due for publication until 2010), and a letter from the author, "which may or may not also be ghost written."

Related:
James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
Patterson on ABC's CASTLE
James Patterson: He's everywhere, he's everywhere
James Patterson Sets World Record (GalleyCat)
ITW Anthology: Starred Review

Too much magic

2009-11-10T11:10:00.002-06:00

My friend Kevin Kaiser meditates on why your fiction can't have aliens that turn into vampires: Too much magic

Posted using ShareThis

Best Mann: This can only end badly

2009-11-09T05:29:00.001-06:00

Best Mann For The Job #35: You might have wondered whether we forgot about those desperate fugitives ... on the run from the law, needing medical attention ... now driving through the unsuspecting town of Hope Falls ...

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.) Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com.

Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com
Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB Teaser/Trailer

Previously:
Best Mann: The cows figured out the difference
Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo

The Buzz (Nov 6)

2009-11-06T08:00:00.004-06:00

The links getting the most hits this week at Learning Curve ...

01. Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly/Serenity)
02. Best Mann: The cows figured out the difference
03. The problem of writing 'when the spirit moves you'
04. Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
05. [Castle ABC] Save Castle... Again! How To Save A Show [The Fray]
06. Mr. Monk is Online
07. MONK final season
08. Mystery TV Themes: NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
09. Who knew the Starsky and Hutch theme had words?
10. eBooks: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing
11. James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
12. 'Twilight' author steals 'Breaking Dawn'?
13. Mystery TV Themes: HARDY BOYS / NANCY DREW
14. Watch WALLANDER online
15. Are you "Monkish"?
16. Mystery TV Themes: IT TAKES A THIEF
17. How To Write a Cozy Mystery
18. Mystery TV Themes: PETER GUNN
19. TV Themes: THE AVENGERS (w/ THE NEW AVENGERS)
20. Shalhoub on MONK: 'Everything does come to an end'

Who knew the Starsky and Hutch theme had words?

2009-11-04T09:00:00.003-06:00

Apparently in some parts of the world there are words to the theme for '70s cop show Starsky & Hutch. Listen:

You can watch the more familiar opening credits here:
Mystery TV Themes: STARSKY & HUTCH

More classic TV opening credits here:
NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
HARDY BOYS / NANCY DREW
THE AVENGERS (plus THE NEW AVENGERS)
MONK
MANNIX

Best Mann: The cows figured out the difference

2009-11-02T08:16:00.002-06:00

Best Mann For The Job #34: You're not going to believe this, but the whole thing with the cows is inspired by my boyhood on the farm. (Although, while cityboy here says it's because the cows "figured out" the difference, the unspoken truth here is that cows are too dumb to trick. And the real-life farmer I'm thinking of never seemed to understand that.)

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.) Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com.

Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com
Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB Teaser/Trailer

Previously:
Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo
Best Mann: "What IS this place?"

The Buzz (Oct 30): CASTLE vs. FIREFLY

2009-10-30T08:00:00.003-05:00

The most hits this week at Learning Curve ...

01. Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly/Serenity)
02.[Castle ABC] Save Castle... Again! How To Save A Show [The Fray]
03. Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
04. Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
05. The problem of writing 'when the spirit moves you'
06. eBooks: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing
07. Mr. Monk is Online
08. Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
09. Everybody's got an opinion
10. James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
11. Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo
12. 'Twilight' author steals 'Breaking Dawn'?
13. Donald Westlake: Gone, Not Forgotten
14. How To Write a Cozy Mystery
15. Mystery TV Themes: NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
16. Mystery TV Themes: HARDY BOYS / NANCY DREW
17. Watch WALLANDER online
18. Are you "Monkish"?
19. (TIE) Mystery TV Themes: PETER GUNN
19. (TIE) Mystery TV Themes: THE SAINT

[Castle ABC] Save Castle... Again! How To Save A Show [The Fray]

2009-10-28T05:00:00.012-05:00

You don't want Castle canceled, so you're probably wondering... how to save a show?

[Castle ABC] Save Castle... Again! How To Save A Show [The Fray]

Related links:
Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly/Serenity)
Watch CASTLE on ABC
Publishing news (July 10) (ABC's fictional sleuth Richard Castle writes a book, a long-lost whodunit by Graham Greene, and Wonder Woman vs. domestic violence)

Watch CASTLE free on Hulu!

Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly/Serenity)

2009-10-27T14:37:00.003-05:00

Well, these are a hoot for fans of actor Nathan Fillion and writer/producer Joss Whedon ...

Castle: "Space Cowboy" (Firefly/Serenity)

[Castle ABC] Sneak Peek at 2x06 "Vampire Weekend:" It's Just A Theory! [Oct 26 2009]

Related links:
Watch CASTLE on ABC
Publishing news (July 10) (ABC's fictional sleuth Richard Castle writes a book, a long-lost whodunit by Graham Greene, and Wonder Woman vs. domestic violence)

The Buzz (Oct 23)

2009-10-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

The most hits this week at Learning Curve ...

01. Best Mann: It's 'lectric!
02. Mystery TV Themes: NBC MYSTERY MOVIE
03. Watch WALLANDER online
04. eBooks: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing
05. Mr. Monk is Online
06. Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
07. Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
08. Everybody's got an opinion
09. James Patterson signed for 17 books through 2010
10. Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo
11. Are you "Monkish"?
12. TV Themes: THE AVENGERS (w/ THE NEW AVENGERS)
13. Next Time on CASTLE (Mar 23)
14. More from Mr. Monk
15. TV Themes: MONK
16. Watch CASTLE on ABC
17. How To Write a Cozy Mystery
18. Dr. Whodunit
19. TV Themes: MANNIX
20. Write Fast, Edit Slow

eBooks: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing

2009-10-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

As the publishing industry continues to wrestle with the challenges of the changing marketplace and the new media, mystery novelist Joe Konrath has been blogging for weeks about his experiments with e-book publishing. Now he compares his royalty statements and comes up with some interesting conclusions: Kindle Numbers: Traditional Publishing Vs. Self Publishing.

Related links:
Now, THIS is how you do a blog tour
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR WRITERS

Best Mann: It's 'lectric!

2009-10-20T21:35:00.000-05:00

Best Mann For The Job #33: While our desperate fugitives seek medical attention, the new sheriff is reminded that law enforcement is not all gun play and fisticuffs ...

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.)

Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com
Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com

Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB Teaser/Trailer

Previously:
Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?
Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!
Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo
Best Mann: "What IS this place?"
Best Mann: Seriously, the town is small

Mr. Monk is Online

2009-10-19T07:53:00.004-05:00

Earlier this month, novelist/TV writer Lee Goldberg and MONK writer/producer/director David Breckman participated in an interactive live interview webcast, where fans were allowed to question them about the adventures of TV detective Adrian Monk on screen and in print.

Here are all three parts of the interview from YouTube, available in one handy playlist. Recorded live Oct 4, 2009:

LEE GOLDBERG MONK WEBCAST

Related links:
MONK final season begins tonight
Mr. Monk and Season Seven on DVD
Shalhoub on MONK: 'Everything does come to an end'
Mr. Monk and the Finished Manuscript
ADRIAN MONK: The face of OCD
Mr. Monk And The Continuity Police
Mystery TV Themes: MONK
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)

Best Mann: You're that new lady sheriff aint'cha?

2009-10-12T12:16:00.007-05:00

Best Mann For The Job #32: Even as our desperate fugitives drive through Hope Falls seeking medical attention, the new sheriff meets one of her constituents.

Best Mann For The Job stars Grace Mann, a woman with a complicated past who returns home to become sheriff of Hope Falls, Tennessee. This serial drama aspires to the style of the classic serial comic strips, with the crime-bustin' chops of a rural Dick Tracy, the small-town charm of Gasoline Alley, and the emotional touches of The Heart of Juliet Jones. (Or if you prefer, imagine if T.J. Hooker became the new sheriff of Mayberry.)

Latest strip exclusive at TitleTrakk.com
Read the story from the beginning at StudioWell.com

Watch the trailer on YouTube at Channel StudioWell
Become a fan on Facebook
More free online comics at StudioWell.com/Comics

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB (Teaser Trailer) 00:15

BEST MANN FOR THE JOB (Official Trailer) 1:59

Previously:
Best Mann: Bigfoot, Kryptonite, and Mogo-Pogo
Best Mann: "What IS this place?"
Best Mann: Seriously, the town is small
Best Mann: "Any word on those bank robbers?"
Best Mann: KA-BOOM ("Mann Vs. Superman")
Best Mann: "The tank's cracking!"

Vote for your favorite fictional sheriff!

2009-09-22T09:30:00.004-05:00

Over on the official Facebook page for Best Mann For The Job, we've started a poll that asks for your favorite fictional sheriff. (But to be fair - and not weird - Sheriff Grace Mann is not eligible.)

Your candidates:

Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith Show)
Elroy P. Lobo (The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo)
Dan Rhodes (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries)
Roscoe P. Coltrane (Dukes Of Hazzard)
Jack Carter (Eureka)
J.W. Pepper (James Bond films)
Joe Dalton (Metropolis Mystery Series)
Amos Tupper (Murder She Wrote)
Mort Metzger (Murder She Wrote)
Jimmy Brock (Picket Fences)
Quick Draw McGraw
William O. "Bill" Gillespie (In The Heat of the Night)

So click on over and vote! Democracy doesn't work unless you go to the polls!

Everybody's got an opinion

2009-09-09T09:20:00.010-05:00

Over the summer, the blog Original Books reviewed my first three novels, Forgiving Solomon Long (2005), Deliver Us From Evelyn (2006), and Tribulation House (2007). They inducted Trib House into their "Elite List," but were not so kind to the first two:

FORGIVING SOLOMON LONG (2.5 stars): "Everything about this book was just average for me. It was neither good nor bad, as it is with most debut novels."

DELIVER US FROM EVELYN (1.5 stars): "This book is really lame as a whole, and the stupid end and stupid romance don't help. It's basically a waste of your time."

TRIBULATION HOUSE (4.5 stars): "This is the only book Chris Well should have ever written. An excellent read."

Anyway, some people liked all three books. If you want to buy a signed copy, order it from Mysteries & More. Supplies are limited! (Sample chapters and plot info are available on my site.)

My website also has a preview of my 2010 book, the 3-in-1 whodunit collection The Kentucky Geezers Mysteries.