By Jerri Williams Authors know well the question. Readers, as well as new and not-yet-published writers, ask it all the time. “Where to you get your story ideas?” For me, the answer is simple. Many of my premises and plot twists come directly from the true crime tales my guests share on my...
DANIELLE GIRARD GOES ROGUE: FINDING YOUR WRITING COMMUNITY
Gayle Lynds: What a thrill to welcome Danielle Girard! With 16 novels and an array of short stories, she’s a true writers’ writer, with books that keep you turning the pages, characters you want to take home with you, and large dollops of wisdom amid the electric suspense. No wonder Danielle hits...
BREAKING IN A NEW PAIR OF SHOES
By Tracy Clark I've had a heck of a time writing lately. Shirtsleeves up. Eyes on my laptop. Fingers on the keyboard. Digging for diamonds like those seven little Disney guys. I started a new crime series. And I’m a pantser. Feel me? This means I started with zip, which is fine. I always start...
MEETING YOUR HERO
by Jenny Milchman My heroes don’t fly or wear tight neoprene suits or fight epic battles. They’re not fictional; they’re real. (Well, okay, Reacher—he’s fictional, and fights, and would probably look great in a neoprene suit). But for the most part, my heroes are literary ones. Authors. I’ve been...
MY BIG FAT LATINO NOVEL
by Isabella Maldonado The Latino equivalent of Windex is Vicks VapoRub, which is used to treat everything from a head cold to a sucking chest wound. Now you know. When I retired from police work and took up crime writing, I saw the need for a change from what usually populated bookshelves in the...
SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL GOES ROGUE!
Kim Howe: Susan Elia MacNeal travels back in time to WWII to bring us a captivating story of a mother and daughter who went undercover as spies inside Los Angeles’ Nazi movement. This fierce twosome takes incredible risks to help save American democracy. Susan, welcome to the Rogues! Susan Elia...
LAURIE KING GOES ROGUE
LAURIE R. KING is known for her masterful storylines and her accuracy when it comes to all things mystery and intrigue, showcasing how research is a critical tool for fiction writers. Discover how Laurie uses her skills when it comes to getting the facts correct.
THE CAREFUL AGING OF A SERIES CHARACTER
by Alex Kava Alex Kava’s Grace and Maggie O’Dell are two of readers favorite characters. Last month, I received this Facebook message from a reader with a great question: “Maggie O’Dell was my introduction to thrillers back when I was maybe 14 or 15 years old, so I’m really happy there’s this...
REGIONAL FLAVOR
by Isabella Maldonado I write two crime fiction series, one with a homicide detective and the other featuring a federal agent. A major difference between the two is how the setting changes the feel of the story. Having your main character work in the same place grounds your story deeply in the...
Characters That Keep It Real
by Tracy Clark I just gave my first author presentations on craft, one on writing settings and one on building book people (characters). I think I did okay. I hope I did. But I’m a writer, not Mr. Chips, so things might have been a little, you know, shaky. I put the presentation together (with...