Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Read-it-First with Suzanne Beecher
Read-it-First with Suzanne Beecher
Join St. Martin’s Read-it-First e-mail book club and sample a hot NEW release each week. Each weekday morning, we’ll send you a taste of the week’s featured title right to your inbox. By the end of the week, you’ll have read approximately a few chapters, enough to decide whether it is the right book for you…sometimes just before it even hits the stores!
And it’s all completely FREE!
I signed up just in time. Next week (April 13th) is featuring Louise Ure's latest: LIARS ANONYMOUS.
Click cover image for more info.
posted by Sal Towse at 6:48 PM|
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Join St. Martin’s Read-it-First e-mail book club and sample a hot NEW release each week. Each weekday morning, we’ll send you a taste of the week’s featured title right to your inbox. By the end of the week, you’ll have read approximately a few chapters, enough to decide whether it is the right book for you…sometimes just before it even hits the stores!
And it’s all completely FREE!
I signed up just in time. Next week (April 13th) is featuring Louise Ure's latest: LIARS ANONYMOUS.
Click cover image for more info.Labels: books, mystery, writers
posted by Sal Towse at 6:48 PM|
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Simon Wood on writing with dyslexia
TV interview on ABC News 10's Sacramento and Co.
Simon talks about dyslexia and his writing and the back doors you learn to use to do what you want to do when the dyslexia is holding you back. Simon, for those who don't know him, writes thrillers (as Simon Wood) and horror (as Simon Janus) and (under yet another pseudonym, Simon Oaks) has a nonfiction book out last month, WILL MARRY FOR FOOD SEX AND LAUNDRY.
Simon's Web site
posted by Sal Towse at 5:41 PM||
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Simon talks about dyslexia and his writing and the back doors you learn to use to do what you want to do when the dyslexia is holding you back. Simon, for those who don't know him, writes thrillers (as Simon Wood) and horror (as Simon Janus) and (under yet another pseudonym, Simon Oaks) has a nonfiction book out last month, WILL MARRY FOR FOOD SEX AND LAUNDRY.
Simon's Web site
Labels: books, mystery, video, writers, writing
posted by Sal Towse at 5:41 PM|
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Monday, October 27, 2008
RIP Tony Hillerman
Tony Hillerman has died at age 83.
My favorite memory of him was his appearance as guest at the first fundraiser dinner for (what now is known as) the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries back in the early nineties. The Foundation had originally asked Robert Campbell to be guest speaker but Campbell answered (hashhish remembering here) something to the effect that Campbell really wasn't so hot with the public speaking thing. If he had been good at it, Campbell said, he probably would've chosen a vocation other than writing. But he knew this guy. ...
Hillerman signed one of my hardback first editions before the dinner and kept the audience laughing during dinner with his dry wit and self deprecating stories of bloopers he'd made and his life as a writer. Hillerman all-in-all proved to be a generous, charming, raconteur sort of a guy.
Hillerman did a lot for the mystery-writing community and writers in general, a lot for libraries and readers. He earned the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Talking mysteries : a conversation with Tony Hillerman and Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir are excellent introductions to Hillerman the writer and his writing.
Hillerman's writing evoked the Southwest. His mysteries were appreciated by the Navajo nation because of his depictions of and respect for the native culture. The Navajo Tribal Council honored him with its Special Friend of the Dineh award in 1987.
He was one of a kind.
RIP.
posted by Sal Towse at 10:58 AM||
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My favorite memory of him was his appearance as guest at the first fundraiser dinner for (what now is known as) the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries back in the early nineties. The Foundation had originally asked Robert Campbell to be guest speaker but Campbell answered (hashhish remembering here) something to the effect that Campbell really wasn't so hot with the public speaking thing. If he had been good at it, Campbell said, he probably would've chosen a vocation other than writing. But he knew this guy. ...
Hillerman signed one of my hardback first editions before the dinner and kept the audience laughing during dinner with his dry wit and self deprecating stories of bloopers he'd made and his life as a writer. Hillerman all-in-all proved to be a generous, charming, raconteur sort of a guy.
Hillerman did a lot for the mystery-writing community and writers in general, a lot for libraries and readers. He earned the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Talking mysteries : a conversation with Tony Hillerman and Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir are excellent introductions to Hillerman the writer and his writing.
Hillerman's writing evoked the Southwest. His mysteries were appreciated by the Navajo nation because of his depictions of and respect for the native culture. The Navajo Tribal Council honored him with its Special Friend of the Dineh award in 1987.
He was one of a kind.
RIP.
Labels: biography, books, damn, mystery, people
posted by Sal Towse at 10:58 AM|
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Off I go again.
This time to Baltimore and Bouchercon.
Have to be at the airport by 5A, which means up by 4A in order to get some espresso in my system.
Walked down the hill tonight for a gathering to talk about our neighborhood community center, Tel-Hi. Our friend Donna is the development director. She spends her days raising money for the center. Another friend, Gail, is on the board and spoke tonight and sent e-mails to people she knew on the invite list, saying you must come, will I see you there.
Met some nice people. Bumped into some old friends. The hosts had a Dali on their wall, a portrait of the wife at age
Wonderful place. Genuine people. Good cause.
We -- well, I -- missed the debate. We walked down the hill and over to the gathering and I could hear Obama's voice coming out of open windows as neighbors watched the debate we'd jettisoned in order to support a good cause. I'm sure I'll be able to pick up on what happened at the debate some time between now and when the next debate happens.
See you 'round some time after I get back. I get back late Monday. Give me at least Tuesday to veg out on the couch and restore my social equilibrium.
His nibs will be home for Fleet Week and the Blue Angels, but I'll miss all that. C'est la vie.
Baltimore here I come.
Labels: life, mystery, San Francisco, travel, writing
posted by Sal Towse at 9:09 PM|
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
A toast to the late crime writer Jim Crumley
Late again, naturally.
Just realized when checking the program schedule for Bouchercon that although I (rightly) booked Oct 8 - 13 for the hotel -- and booked early enough this year to actually get in the convention hotel -- my frequent-flyer tickets are for the 9th and I'm arriving late afternoon, so I'll miss the first day. Don't know how that mixup happened.
Drat.
Double drat because I'd already begun ratcheting up my "maybe I don't want to go after all" "who really will I know" misgivings and this almost completely derailed me.
I've recovered. I'll call the hotel and tell them I won't be there until the 9th.
But drat anyway.
Update: His nibs, being the sweet feller he is, called Delta and asked how much it would cost to change my tickets from Thursday 7A to Wednesday and they said, $100. So, his nibs, being the sweet feller he is, changed the tickets. Bless his heart. Plane leaves at 6A Wednesday and xfers through Atlanta, then on to Baltimore.
posted by Sal Towse at 2:50 PM||
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Drat.
Double drat because I'd already begun ratcheting up my "maybe I don't want to go after all" "who really will I know" misgivings and this almost completely derailed me.
I've recovered. I'll call the hotel and tell them I won't be there until the 9th.
But drat anyway.
Update: His nibs, being the sweet feller he is, called Delta and asked how much it would cost to change my tickets from Thursday 7A to Wednesday and they said, $100. So, his nibs, being the sweet feller he is, changed the tickets. Bless his heart. Plane leaves at 6A Wednesday and xfers through Atlanta, then on to Baltimore.
Labels: books, life, mystery, travel
posted by Sal Towse at 2:50 PM|
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Carnival of the Criminal Minds
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Rap Sheet's ONE BOOK PROJECT
Better late than never.
Last May, in honor of its one-year anniversary, The Rap Sheet organized The Rap Sheet's ONE BOOK PROJECT.
We invited more than 100 crime novelists, book critics, and bloggers from all over the English-speaking world to choose the one crime/mystery/thriller novel that they thought had been "most unjustly overlooked, criminally forgotten, or underappreciated over the years."
Interesting list. Steve Hockensmith, author of Holmes on the Range and On the Wrong Track, nominates THE DOORBELL RANG (1965) by Rex Stout and explains why. J.D. Rhoades, lawyer, blogger, and author of Safe and Sound nominates Katy Munger's MONEY TO BURN [1999]. Linda Fairstein, author of Bad Blood, chose Robert Traver's ANATOMY OF A MURDER.
... and the list goes on.
If you're a crime fiction fan, this list will keep you in reading material for a long, long time.
[via The Rap Sheet]
posted by Sal Towse at 3:18 PM||
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Last May, in honor of its one-year anniversary, The Rap Sheet organized The Rap Sheet's ONE BOOK PROJECT.
We invited more than 100 crime novelists, book critics, and bloggers from all over the English-speaking world to choose the one crime/mystery/thriller novel that they thought had been "most unjustly overlooked, criminally forgotten, or underappreciated over the years."
Interesting list. Steve Hockensmith, author of Holmes on the Range and On the Wrong Track, nominates THE DOORBELL RANG (1965) by Rex Stout and explains why. J.D. Rhoades, lawyer, blogger, and author of Safe and Sound nominates Katy Munger's MONEY TO BURN [1999]. Linda Fairstein, author of Bad Blood, chose Robert Traver's ANATOMY OF A MURDER.
... and the list goes on.
If you're a crime fiction fan, this list will keep you in reading material for a long, long time.
[via The Rap Sheet]
Labels: blog, books, mystery, people
posted by Sal Towse at 3:18 PM|
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
RIP Barbara Seranella (1956-2007)
Received a note from my SinCNorCal cohort with word that Barbara Seranella died Sunday while awaiting a liver transplant.
Sad news for those who'd known her.
More information at her site.
Life's too short for some. This is, as one of her titles said, an unacceptable death.
Less than three weeks ago, I blogged that her New Year's message showed such spirit.
We all had hoped ...
posted by Sal Towse at 10:04 AM||
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Sad news for those who'd known her.
More information at her site.
Life's too short for some. This is, as one of her titles said, an unacceptable death.
Less than three weeks ago, I blogged that her New Year's message showed such spirit.
We all had hoped ...
Labels: mystery, obit, writing
posted by Sal Towse at 10:04 AM|
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Friday, January 05, 2007
Word from Barbara Seranella
Seranella wrote a New Year's op-ed for the LA Times to clue us in on how she's doing since July 2005, when she had two liver transplants, followed by a month-long coma.
I HAVE DEDICATED every shooting star, broken wishbone and blown-out birthday candle to the same thing during the last year: I want my health back.
We want the same for you too, Barbara.
op-ed continues
(Seranella's ninth Munch Mancini murder mystery, DEADMAN'S SWITCH, is due out in April from St. Martins/Minotaur.)
[Thanks for the heads-up on the article, Miss Snark.]
posted by Sal Towse at 1:55 PM||
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I HAVE DEDICATED every shooting star, broken wishbone and blown-out birthday candle to the same thing during the last year: I want my health back.
We want the same for you too, Barbara.
op-ed continues
(Seranella's ninth Munch Mancini murder mystery, DEADMAN'S SWITCH, is due out in April from St. Martins/Minotaur.)
[Thanks for the heads-up on the article, Miss Snark.]
posted by Sal Towse at 1:55 PM|
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: views from the Hill
Bertold Brecht:
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again.
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again.
