By Karna Small Bodman Have you ever read a book where a dog is one of the characters? It turns out that our Rogue author, Alex Kava, has written an entire bestselling series featuring a dog, “Grace,” who works with her K9 handling, Ryder Creed and FBI agent Maggie O’Dell to rescue people. In her...
SERENDIPITY IN OUR LIVES
By Karna Small Bodman Serendipity, n. The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. We’ve all heard the term, and we may have experienced it now and then, but have you ever thought about how so many things in our lives are there because of chance or an...
ROGUE FLASH – Children and a dog in the White House
We are happy to announce that Rogue Karna Small Bodman just received a contract to publish her new children’s picture book, Wrigley in The White House, which was inspired by the 6 years she served in The White House (those experiences also inspired her adult political thrillers). This new...
JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER?
By Karna Small Bodman When selecting the next book to read, are you influenced by a friend’s recommendation, a review you saw, the current bestseller list, the author’s name, or perhaps by the cover? And, if you’re in a bookstore (thankfully there are still a few around), you probably check out...
TIPS FROM THE PROS
by Karna Small Bodman My fellow Rogues are all bestselling thriller writers, so I’m sure they are familiar with these “Tips” for creating a great thriller. However, I figured I could always use a refresher course, or a reminder of the basics, so I recently watched a presentation on how to craft a...
WRITING IN DIFFERENT GENRES
by Karna Small Bodman Have you noticed how some of the all-time bestselling authors have occasionally ventured away from their best-known genres to write a book in a completely different one? Here are some prime examples of the switch. James Patterson is known world-wide for his great thrillers,...
DO NOVELISTS PREDICT THE FUTURE?
by Karna Small Bodman Many authors say they get ideas “ripped from the headlines” and then do a “what if” to craft a tale. But what if, instead of following headlines, the author actually predicts them? Have you ever read a novel and later discovered that an event, historical reference, attack —...
MIKE LAWSON GOES ROGUE
I am delighted to introduce an old friend I first met at Thrillerfest many years ago, Mike Lawson. He began his career working for the US Navy as a nuclear engineer. While keeping his “day job” he began writing a terrific series centered in the US Congress. Now he has a new thriller, Redemption,...
A LITERARY DINNER PARTY
By Karna Small Bodman In The New York Times Sunday Book Review section, you’ll see a prominent author answering certain questions such as: “You are hosting a Literary Dinner Party, which authors (living or dead) would you invite and why?” What an interesting challenge. Considering the heartless...
WHAT POINT IS THE AUTHOR MAKING?
By Karna Small Bodman George Bernard Shaw once observed, “The best way to get your point across is to entertain.” I often think about that quote when I read a “thought-provoking” novel and sense that the author is trying to call attention to an issue, problem or, threat, and perhaps encouraging...