Note: Chris Grabenstein will be one of the Guests of Honor at Sleuthfest, March 1 - 3, 2012. He's the author of the John Ceepak series, for which he won the Anthony Award for "Best First Mystery." JCS: Chris, I know that unlike most authors, you didn't just get a wild idea and start writing. Before you started your Cepak series, you studied James Patterson's success. What sorts of decisions did you make? How have they worked for you? … [Read more...] about Keep It Spare and Lean: An Interview with Chris Grabenstein
SleuthFest
The Winner of the 2010 Fla-MAN-go Award Is Barry Eisler
Some of the nicest people I know...kill people...on paper.Barry Eisler is one of those nice people. He's unfailingly gracious. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He's smart as a whip. He's a heck of a businessman. He's a good sport.At SleuthFest this past weekend, he again proved why he's one of everyone's favorite authors. On Saturday, Barry was awarded the "Fla-MAN-go," an honor with a dubious past. Seems that one SleuthFest years ago, the … [Read more...] about The Winner of the 2010 Fla-MAN-go Award Is Barry Eisler
Mourning the Passing of Stuart Kaminsky
I was so sad to hear of the passing of Stuart Kaminsky. He had written many, many mystery books and was honored numerous times by the Mystery Writers of America. He was a gentleman, a brilliant writer, and a generous colleague to all in our profession.We met at Sleuthfest, oh, three years ago? He stepped in to fill a short story class after Elaine Viets had her stroke. I asked him after the session what he thought about outlines. He told me that … [Read more...] about Mourning the Passing of Stuart Kaminsky
Guest Blogger Neil Plakcy
Please welcome my friend, Neil Plakcy--1. Tell us about yourself. I know you teach, Neil. What do you teach and where? How does that work with your career as an author? What sort of impact has this had on your writing schedule? What have you learned through teaching that you apply to your work?Though back in 1988 I signed up for the new Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at Florida International University just to learn to write … [Read more...] about Guest Blogger Neil Plakcy
When Do You Need an Agent? Part II
Last weekend, a book buyer surprised me with this question: "Did your agent come find you? Or did you find your agent?"I had this quickie mental image of my agent, Liz, going door-to-door in the neighborhood and asking, "Any writers in the house?"But I bit back a chuckle. I suppose someday an agent might "come find" me or one of my friends. But right now, most of the authors I know actively sought out an agent.When do you need an agent?Well, it's … [Read more...] about When Do You Need an Agent? Part II
