Monday, March 25, 2019
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson: Reviewed by Ambrea Ten years ago, when Calamity arrived in the night sky, ordinary people were given extraordinary powers—and ...
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Ghost It Was (1936) by Richard Hull
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Ghost It Was (1936) by Richard Hull: Only a year or two ago, Richard Hull was dimly remembered as the author of an unconventional inverted detective story, The Murder of My ...
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: WHERE SLEEPING LIES LIE
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: WHERE SLEEPING LIES LIE: This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions . M. Naidoo will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a r...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar March 25-3...
TEXAS BOOK LOVER: Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar March 25-3...: Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of March 25-31, 2019 compiled exclusively for Lone Star Literary Life by Texas Book Lover. Sp...
Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: The Verge Practice by Barry Maitland
The
Verge Practice by Barry Maitland (Allen & Unwin, 2003) is the seventh of the
excellent Inspector Brock/DS Kolla British police procedurals. While a Chinese
delegation waits to discuss a huge project, one of Charles Verge’s staff
members goes in search of the great man, only to find his young second wife
stabbed to death and Verge himself has disappeared. After months of fruitless
searching and Verge sightings all over the world, Scotland Yard pulls in a new
team led by David Brock, hoping for fresh insight. They go over all of the
original interviews and inquiries and find a couple of financial discrepancies
that lead to Spain, where Verge’s father was born. Suspicion points to one of
Verge’s staff and then down a different path, as Maitland piles misdirection
upon misdirection and then wraps up with a startling conclusion.
On one level this is a straight-forward police
investigation of a crime with a byzantine motive. On another level it considers
the nature of creativity: What sparks it? What kind of environment nurtures it
best? How is it turned into something useful and marketable? On still another
level – this is a complicated narrative – is the question of how well anyone can
know anyone else, even someone greatly loved. This query comes up in different
ways throughout the book.
Maitland, himself an architect, pulls out all
the stops in describing the way a large architectural practice operates and the
details of each of the buildings Verge designed. He contrasts the former nicely
with the small practice Verge’s first wife sets up for herself after their
divorce. There is an ugly little subplot in which one of the police forensics
specialists sneakily slides the blame for his mistake onto someone else, who
doesn’t understand she’s been thrown under a bus.
I have to say I am a little tired of Kathy
Kolla putting herself into senseless jeopardy. It seems to me she did something
similar in Silvermeadow. Here she
goes to Spain, without telling anyone where she is going, to single-handedly
dig further into the background of shady characters. They decided to publicly
humiliate her when they could just as easily have made her disappear. No one
would have ever known what happened. Her supervisors were rightfully enraged. Other
than that, I found this book to be a thought-provoking, multi-faceted piece of
crime fiction, typical of the series, and a solidly good read.
These stories are easier to find in the U.S.
than they were when I first discovered them about 10 years ago, but I still
have only managed to read about half of them, and those out of order. The website
of the author’s publisher shows a new Brock and Kolla was released in January
2019 after a hiatus of about six years.
·
Publisher: Arcade
Publishing (July 14, 2004)
·
Language: English
·
ISBN-10: 1559707135
·
ISBN-13: 978-1559707138
Aubrey
Hamilton ©2019
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Rule Against Murder: by Louise Penny
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Rule Against Murder: by Louise Penny: A Rule Against Murder is another novel for the Canadian Book Challenge . Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their 35th annivers...
Crime Watch: Review: DARK SACRED NIGHT by Michael Connelly
Crime Watch: Review: DARK SACRED NIGHT: DARK SACRED NIGHT by Michael Connelly (Orion, 2018) Reviewed by Craig Sisterson Renée Ballard is working the night beat again, and ret...
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Beneath the Stains of Time: Myths and Murders: "The Case of the Modern Medusa"...
Beneath the Stains of Time: Myths and Murders: "The Case of the Modern Medusa"...: Edward D. Hoch had a storied, decades-long career as a voluminous writer of short stories and passed away, in 2008, with close to a thou...
SleuthSayers: Popcorn Proverbs, Number 4
SleuthSayers: Popcorn Proverbs, Number 4: by Robert Lopresti We have done this before and we are doing it again. These are quotations from crime movies, alphabetical by the titl...
KRL This Week Update for 3/23/19
Up in KRL this morning
reviews and giveaways of some more food mysteries for your spring reading
fun-"Hot Fudge Murder": A Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe Mystery by
Cynthia Baxter, "Restaurant Weeks Are Murder": A Poppy McAllister
Mystery by Libby Klein, "Drawn and Buttered": A Lobster Shack Mystery
by Shari Randall, "No Good Tea Goes Unpunished": A Seaside Café Mystery
by Bree Baker
And reviews and
giveaways of "True Fiction" and "Killer Thriller" by Lee Goldberg
We also have a review of
another new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries mystery movie, "Crossword
Mysteries: A Puzzle to Die For"
And reviews of some more
British mystery TV on BritBoxTV - season 9 of "Vera", two versions of
"Maigret" and "Shakespeare & Hathaway"
http://kingsriverlife.com/03/23/brit-box-trilogy-of-entertainment-vera-maigret-shakespeare-hathaway/
And a review and
giveaway of "Lily Barlow: The Mystery of Jane Dough" by Carla Vergot
We also have a mystery
short story by Nupur Tustin
For those who prefer to
listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL we now have the latest up,
a fun baseball mystery short story "Two Men On, One Man Dead" by Jack
Bates and read by Ariel Linn
http://kingsriverlife.com/03/23/krl-news-new-mysteryrats-maze-two-men-on-one-man-dead-by-jack-bates/
Up in KRL News and
Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "Sleuthing for the
Weekend" by Jennifer L. Hart
Happy reading, watching
and listening,
Lorie
Review: Mystery Weekly Magazine: March 2019
Mystery
Weekly Magazine: March 2019 opens with “K. O’Connor” by Mike McHone. Detectives Molly
Fetterly and Jim Biggins were still in route to the hospital when the man died.
Hospital staff has no idea who he was or who dumped his broken body outside
their building so that he would be found. Fortunately, Detective Biggins knows
who the deceased was and that gives them the name they need to start investigating
the case.
Etta
has just announced that she poisoned the soup in “Let’s Talk Toxins” by Martin
Zeigler. This presents an interesting problem for her husband, Otto, as he sees
it. It is also a pleasant change of pace from the usual boring things she wants
to talk about at bedtime. It has been years since she had a sense of humor or
pulled a prank, but tonight she is just full of wit delivered with a teasing
smile.
Getting
rid of a family member is also a point in the next tale, “Finishing Off Gammie”
by Stan Dryer. In this case, Gammie is the mother-in-law and she has to go.
Harry Fredder has decided she has outlived her usefulness as she has turned
increasingly bitter and lonely. He has plans for travel and more with his wife,
Martha, and Gammie is becoming and increasing problem that threatens their long
planned retirement. That can’t happen.
The
knife used by an unknown assailant killed Allison Browning at the District of
Columbia War Memorial. She had been in the middle of taking a selfie when she
was stabbed and collapsed trapping the cell phone beneath her. As people
started converging the killer had no choice but to flee and could not hang around
to look for the phone. In “A Flash Of Red” by BV Lawson, Scott Drayco is on the
case thanks to her wealthy grandfather who desperately wants to know who killed
her and why.
Long ago
Vivee Driscoll starred in the classic movie, Girl on a Bike. These days she lives in Room 209 in the Whittier
Hill Retirement Community. She is almost one hundred years old and the star of
“Antiques” by Gregory L. Norris. An unwilling star as well as things are
escalating in a dangerous way.
It is
annoying when somebody parks in your parking space. William is annoyed when he pulls into the lot
at Fuller Engraving having come from burying his father to find a car in the
spot. Things are going to get way worse. “In The Truth Of The Matter” by Gina
Burgess secrets have a way of coming out for all to see.
Mowing
the neighbor’s yard led to one thing and then another in “A Case Of Southern
Discomfort” by C. L. Cobb. While there is some carnal southern hospitality,
there are some serious issues as well. There is also a clear need for a gun as
it is the South after all.
Heather
enjoyed her walk in “A Flap Over A Ring” by Jenna Weart. In the “A-You-Solve-It”
mystery, her ring is now missing and she needs your help to identify the thief
among her fellow vacationers at the Daisy View Lodge.
The
answer to the February 2019 “A-You-Solve-It” mystery titled ‘Stair Case” by
Laird Long closes out the issue.
As has
been the case in previous issues, Mystery Weekly Magazine: March 2019 features
a nice mix of stories and styles. None of the tales is over the top in
terms of language or graphic scenes and none of them are noir in style or tone.
All are solidly good mysteries that don’t push the boundaries or sensibilities
of any reader, but do provide plenty of reading entertainment.
Mystery Weekly Magazine: March 2019
February 27, 2019
ASIN: B07PBYLYF4
eBook (also available in print)
116 Pages
$2.99
For quite some time
now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at
all of a review. I read and review each issue as I can. To date, I have never
submitted anything to this market and will not do so as long as I review the
publication.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
The DPD Beat: Officer Involved Shooting
This occurred late this afternoon just a few blocks away across the street from the grocery store we use. The event resulted in a lot of sirens from numerous police cars and paramedic units, helicopters overhead from the police and television stations, and a lot of concern for quite awhile.
The DPD Beat: Officer Involved Shooting
The DPD Beat: Officer Involved Shooting
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Devil's Country by Harry Hunsicker
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Devil's Country by Harry Hunsicker: Today we are pleased to have Kevin Tipple as a guest reviewer. Kevin is well known in mystery circles for his insightful reviews,...
FFB Review: Monkey Justice And Other Stories by Patricia Abbott
Back in October 2011, Snubnose Press
published a collection of stories titled Monkey
Justice: Stories. It took me quite a few months to get to it with
everything going on here at the time, but I finally did and reviewed it in May
2012. As you may have seen elsewhere this week, the book is back in print thanks
to a news publisher, Down & Out Books. The title is slightly different too
as the collection of stories is now titled, Monkey Justice And Other Stories. From what I have read elsewhere
review wise, it is still the same great read I told you about back in 2012. So,
it seemed only fitting that I tell you about it again as part of FFB hosted by
Todd Mason. Make sure you check out the full list of reading suggestions today
over on his blog.
Noir comes
in many forms and nuance. Monkey Justice: Stories is composed
of stories that have no easy answers on how to classify them. They live in a
shadowy land where things are open to interpretation, not easily summed up at
the end of the pieces, and offer a glimpse into lives already stressed by
poverty, abuse, and other circumstances. The ways these characters deal with
situations are driven not by societal expectations, but by their own personal
frame of reference.
The book
opens with “Like A Hawk Rising.” Thanks to an injury on the most recent job,
Bernie is home and stuck there while Marsha tries to take care of business. It
isn’t like they don’t have problems of their own, but what is going on next
door is really beginning to upset Bernie.
Art loves
babysitting his granddaughter in “The Snake Charmer.” Art is not happy with
what is going on around his granddaughter. Things have to be dealt with for
Zelda’s sake.
Bob Mason
knew something had happened to Lillian Gillespie in “Sleep, Creep, Leap.” The new neighbor is going to be way more
interesting than Lillian ever was over the years. Whether she is really worth his
interest remains to be seen.
Dreams are
just part of the deal in “Bit Players” where not everyone can be a star. When
you are a player in someone’s dream there are no retakes. You have to do it
right the first time. When something goes wrong the subject wakes up.
Things are
really bad when your brother prostitutes your sister to save the house. That is
what happened in 1931 in “The Instrument Of Their Desire.” That may have saved the house, but it changed
everything.
“Hole in
the Wall” features an out of work guy by the name of Martin on vacation in
Europe thanks to a fat severance package. He is only 28 and yet can’t seem to
make any kind of connection with anyone. Martin deals with the problem in
various ways and not all of them are legal.
Daddy has
not been around in more than a decade.
Prison time will do that. In “Escapes” Rex Knight has returned to the
free world in Northern Indiana and things are going to change.
Rufe has
not finished breakfast and already Georgie is outside waiting in “Georgie.” Rufe’s
mom is doing what she has to do to supplement the family income. At 12 years
old it is a good thing Rufe has a friend in Georgie.
Superman
dealt with the awful Dave in “My Hero.” She keeps telling them what happened,
but the police don’t believe her.
The title
story “Monkey Justice” follows next. Cheryl never knew her husband was cheating
on her. She never knew he had fathered another child at the same time she was
pregnant. Delivering two weeks late meant that now she knows the extent of his
betrayal. Nothing will ever be the same.
“On Paladin
Road” a couple of the neighbors have sort of bonded over antique guns. One
writes about them. The other one collects them. Another thing that brings them
together is their age and the future is not looking too bright.
Margaret
Olson has returned in “What Happened Next.” Patrick agreed to meet her for
lunch and has no idea what she wants. She always had the power over him to get
him to do things before she left. Her name may be different now, but she wants
to pick up where they left off years ago. It is far too late for that as the
years have changed everything.
Korin
speaks in “Tongues” late at night and what she says clearly isn’t joyful. The
ability to speak in tongues is fairly rare in society at large. It certainly
does not happen at Southern New England Bible College. Other things she does
would cause even bigger issues if they were known.
Life in a
nursing home is the backdrop to “The Tortoise and the Tortoise.” George knows
what goes on in the nursing home and isn’t happy that his status has slipped
now that Father Ryan has arrived. Something has to be done.
Something
also has to be done in “The Squatter.”
The squatter next door, Gerry Upson, wants to borrow her phone and maybe
something more. He made Annette Mueller uncomfortable at first¸ but now she
feels something else.
In “The
Trouble With Trolls” Dad wants Patrick and Denny to pick up a woman at the
airport. Dad has plans and expect his
sons to do what needs doing. Hopefully
it won’t be as bad as the last time.
The
interstate makes the commute to work much faster though it brings back bad memories.
He would rather take the long way in “A Saving Grace.” Taking the long way will have its own
consequence.
Like a lot
of the stories in this book the narrator of “Girl Of My Dreams” is trapped in a
prison of his own making. So he keeps going to work for a man he hates, making
a sixty mile commute he hates, and watching his life pass on by because the
alternative of starting over somewhere else is just too much. Of course there
is a woman involved. A woman who will
need Randy’s help.
The
photographs freelancer Violet take at first in “Raising the Dead” don’t really
work. They are missing something and don’t really reflect the real Detroit. The
Detroit one can see just by looking over the window.
I was with
Joe Piney way back when and now “I Am Madame X’s Bodyguard.” I used to be somebody that others feared and respected. At 50 plus times change and certain allowances
have to be accepted.
Melissa has
spotted a target in “Catnap.” First really good one in weeks and she plans to
take full advantage.
Plagiarism
is the problem in “RE: University Protocol On Incidents Of Student
Plagiarizing.” Some students just don’t get it and will go to extraordinary
lengths to make their point.
Things are
far different for Ben in California than back in Portland with his mom. In
“Souris” readers learn a few things about Ben, his dad, and the step mom’s
family. “The Frenchies” are back and it is going to be a long summer visit.
This
collection of stories features primarily characters living on the edge of
society. On the edge of society in the terms of financial status, moral
compass, and occasionally even sanity. What unites them is a search for
justice. In each case there is a need for justice--either perceived or in
actuality in the world of the story. What they perceive to be justice can have
disastrous and often fatal consequences.
If you want
to feel uplifted and hopeful for humanity, this book is not for you. If you
notice the neighbor looks at you funny or you realize you might be the one
looking at somebody else funny, this could be the book for you. These
twenty-three stories are not only powerfully good; they will continue to mess
with your head long after you finish the book.
PDF
supplied by the publisher quite some time ago in exchange for my objective
review.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2012, 2019
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 28 Fabulous Writing Conferences in April 2019
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 28 Fabulous Writing Conferences in April 2019: Pixabay Spring is here! There are some excellent opportunities to network, pitch your work, and attend stimulating workshops in Apri...
Gravetapping: "In A Small Motel" by John D. MacDonald
Gravetapping: "In A Small Motel" by John D. MacDonald: A favorite anthology of mine, featuring vintage hardboiled crime stories, is American Pulp ; edited by Ed Gorman, Bill Pronzini and Mart...
One Bite at a Time: An Interview With Patricia Abbott, Author of Monke...
One Bite at a Time: An Interview With Patricia Abbott, Author of Monke...: No one is more responsible for the writer I have become (in a good way) than Patricia Abbott. The flash fiction challenges she used to run...
The Web Writer Spotlight: 10 Podcasts to Make You a Better Writer
10 Podcasts to Make You a Better Writer: Whether you are a fiction or non-fiction writer, these top writing podcasts will help you grow as a writer.
Bitter Tea and Mystery Review: Smoke Detector by Eric Wright
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Smoke Detector: Eric Wright: Smoke Detector is the 2nd Charlie Salter mystery, set in Toronto, Ontario. Salter is a member of the Metropolitan Police, but has not been ...
Only days left to win books and more from KRL
Only days
left to win a copy of "Chocolate Cream Pie Murder" by Joanne Fluke
and while there check out a yummy chocolate cream pie recipe from Joanne
And to
win a copy of "Dead as a Doorknocker" by Diane Kelly
Also to
win a copy of "Grave Expectations" by Sandra Gardner, while there also
check out a bonus review of the first book in the series "Dead Shrinks Don't
Talk"
And to
win a copy of "The Puppy Who Knew Too Much" by VM Burns and while there
check out a fun dog related guest post by VM
And on
KRL News and Reviews only days left to win a copy of "The Saint Paddy's
Promise" a St. Patrick's Day mystery by Kathi Daley
Happy
reading,
Lorie
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: I'm Ready for My Close-Up...by Janis Patterson
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: I'm Ready for My Close-Up...: by Janis Patterson In journalism school I was taught to lead off an article with the big news first, so the readers c...
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
EYE DOC VISIT
We are home and the dilation has worn off enough that I can
see a little bit to post this. Working email or poking around online is going
to have to wait until things are way better.
Scott is absolutely fine with only a very slight change needed
on his prescription.
It has been seven years since I was in for a check and it
seems that everything is fine. Yes, my eyes have changed significantly and I
need new glasses. In fact, I will now need two different pairs. One for driving
as seeing distance has become an increasing issue. So much so I have quit
driving on any freeway as I just can’t see far enough down the road to feel
safe at highway speeds. I will also have a second pair for reading and on the
computer. They will be set up to be bifocals and should help.
More importantly, despite my terror, there is no sign of any
macular degeneration at all. No glaucoma, no cataracts, no anything. In my left
eye there has always been a large vein wrapped around the optic nerve from
front to back. It is something that has to be watched as it could rupture and cause
a massive stroke. It has not changed at all.
The Doctor spent considerable time evaluating both of my
worries today as well as comparing the retinal photographs from 2012 and today.
There is no change at all.
I can’t tell you how relieved I am about that.
So, good news all around. Next up on this, we should have
our new glasses in about two weeks.
I am hoping to be able to see well enough today to be online
and working on my email, but there is a more than decent chance I won’t be able
to. I want to thank one and all for their good thoughts and prayers on my
behalf as I was nervous wreck.
Guest Post: Sandra Ruttan interviews Renee Asher Pickup
Please welcome Sandra
Ruttan with her first guest post here on the blog. My hope is that this post is
the first of many from Sandra. In addition to her various books, Sandra Ruttan
is now a submissions editor for Bronzeville Books. They are planning their first
anthology, Illicit, and are seeking
submissions at their website.
You can learn more about the anthology as well as the books Bronzville Books is
seeking by reading the interview below with Renee Asher Pickup
Interview: Sandra Ruttan interviews Renee Asher
Pickup
SR:
First, who is Renee Asher Pickup? Tell us a little about yourself.
RAP: Whenever I have
to answer this question it triggers a small existential crisis. So first, I’ll
say I’m the kind of person who regularly jokes about existential crises,
because I’m almost always in the middle of one. Professionally, I’m the
acquisitions editor at Bronzeville Books, one of the editors for the Shotgun
Honey website, and a crime fiction writer and essayist. I’m also a Marine Corps
veteran, a mom, a green haired old punk rocker, and obsessed with the
movie From Dusk Till Dawn (really).
SR: How
did you become Bronzeville Books' acquisitions editor?
RAP: I’ve been friends
with Bronzeville’s founder, Danny Gardner, for years. We’re both writers and
passionate readers, so every time we got together we were talking about
writing, publishing, what makes good stories, what stories and voices we felt
were missing from the genres we loved. Without either of us realizing it, I
guess he was putting me through a multi-year job interview.
When he called me to tell
me what he was doing and asked me to be involved, I said yes immediately.
SR: What
is it about Bronzeville that made you want to get involved?
RAP: Bronzeville has a
really electric and exciting energy, and we’re focused on stories and authors
that have strong voice and new perspectives. It’s a view of publishing
that really delivers for the authors and puts the time, money, and effort into
the books we believe in. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in that?
SR: You're
the acquisitions editor for a new publisher that is considering works in all
genres and most age groups. What will it take for works to stand out to you so
that you'll fight to publish them?
RAP: More than
anything I’m looking for heart. As an acquisitions editor I need “page turners”
and stories I can sell -but there are plenty of heart stopping thrillers, deep
space sci fi stories, and bank robbery novels that have something to say inside
the tight story and genre conventions.
I really want works that
bring up new or underrepresented view points. Is it going to show me something
about the world I wouldn’t have seen otherwise? Is it going to be a book for a
reader somewhere who has never seen their perspective represented before? Maybe
it’s a story that’s been told a thousand times before but this writer is
telling it with a new take, digging a little deeper, finding the meaning inside
of it.
It might sound really artsy
but I want to be moved, and I want to see work from people who are trying to do
something different.
SR: One
of the first projects you're working on is Illicit. Where did
the idea come from?
RAP: Danny brought up
the idea of a crime themed erotica anthology and I jumped all over it. I love
sex. I love writing about sex. I love reading about sex. There’s a weird divide
in most writing circles where people just don’t feel comfortable including sex.
It happens off the page, or it happens in a quick three lines. But if a writer
can tell me things about a character based on how they order and eat a pastrami
sandwich (and a good writer can), then they can certainly do the same with a
sex scene. I want to rip the bandage of that taboo. More sex!
Then I had to ask what made
an erotica anthology a Bronzeville book. We got into these discussions about
what kinds of relationships, bodies, kinks, and people the average person is
exposed to if they’re buying mainstream books or viewing mainstream love stories
on film and TV. I thought about erotica writers I’d spoken to who talked about
how difficult it could be to place stories that were queer or kinky and friends
who talk about how they often feel like media insists that they are not sexual
or sexy because of disability, size, race, etc. So we decided to stick all of
that in the submission call. When you pick up this book, it should turn you on,
make you eager to get to the end of the story, but it should also expose you to
sex and relationships you aren’t used to seeing.
SR: Do
you hope that having Illicit as Bronzeville's first anthology
will help encourage writers to submit edgier fiction?
RAP: I hope it shows
writers that Bronzeville is really open to anything that moves us. We’re not
drawing any lines in the sand.
SR: How
do you think projects like Illicit help define Bronzeville's
platform?
RAP: Bronzeville is
all about breaking down the dividers. So Illicit is a crime
fiction anthology that is also an erotica anthology. We’re drawing writers from
both genres and mixing them together. Bronzeville is not going to do an LBGTQ
anthology, and then an anthology featuring disabled people, and then one for
people with kinks - we’re taking the absolute best stories we can find
featuring all kinds of people. No dividers, no subgroups. Bronzeville is a
neighborhood. We all live here together, everyone’s invited to the block party.
There’s no sign on the door telling anyone to stay out or come back later.
SR: Nikki
Dolson is Bronzeville's first signed author. What made you want to work with
Nikki?
RAP: That’s easy -
she’s incredible. She’s easily one of the most talented authors I’ve read in
the last few years. She has a handle on character that blows me away, and her
ability to work strong emotion into tough stories and situations is a talent I
can’t define. I’m so excited to be working with her. Her collection is going to
blow people away.
SR: For
you, what are the ideal ingredients in a great adult fiction story?
RAP: Deep, compelling
characters who experience real emotions and real consequences. I’ll invest in
any kind of story if you can make me give a shit about the people involved.
That doesn’t mean “likable,” in fact, you’re going to impress me a hell of a
lot more if you get me invested in a character who’s awful. Alissa Nutting did
that in Tampa, which has stuck with me for years. Her
protagonist is pure evil, a disgusting predator, but I kept turning the pages.
SR: And
the ideal ingredients in a children's book or YA?
RAP: The most important
element for children’s and YA is to respect your audience. You might be writing
for a five year old, but five year olds have experiences, inner lives,
opinions, and imaginations that are almost certainly wilder than yours.
With YA that’s even more
important. Teens are going through all kinds of shit. The books that stick with
a teenager are going to be the ones that acknowledge that. A lot of people
think that because you eventually grow a little older and wiser, that you have
the right to look down on or condescend to teenagers. But your mortgage payment
or stress at work isn’t actually bigger or more important. High school kids are
dealing with drugs, sex, sexual assault, unplanned pregnancy, whatever is going
on in their home lives, all while being treated like children and being asked
to make adult decisions about life after graduation that will affect them for
the rest of their lives. Your book doesn’t have to tackle all of that, but a YA
book that fails to acknowledge the adult in young adult is
always going to fail.
SR: Do you have any
pet peeves or taboos writers should avoid when submitting to you?
RAP: If you’re writing
a character outside your experience, please do some research. I get exhausted
quickly when I see an identity used as shorthand. Saying someone is a Marine,
for example, doesn’t explain why they kill people now. Writing that a character
is disabled doesn’t explain a cynical world view. If you don’t know for certain
how a mental illness affects people - look it up. Do the research. We need more
stories from minority perspectives, but they need to ring true.
SR: What's the most
rewarding part of your role?
RAP: I’ve been a
reader and a writer my entire life. I can’t describe how exciting it is to be
one of the first people to read something really amazing, and play a role in
getting it out into readers’ hands.
SR: What do you find
hardest?
RAP: Saying no. I know
the amount of work, emotion, and stress that goes into writing something,
polishing it, and sending it out into the world. I’ve gotten better at
rejecting work over the years but it’s never easy.
SR: What advice do
you have for writers planning to submit to Bronzeville?
RAP: Be bold. Find your
truth and tell it.
Sandra Ruttan ©2019
Sandra Ruttan ©2019
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
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Review: Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue Four -- Editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe
After
a short introduction to the issue, Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue 4
opens with “Something Fishy” by Michael Bracken. If you have read Mr. Bracken’s
fiction before you know he always weaves an interesting story where everything
is not as it seems. Such is the case here where readers are taken to the
mermaid show at Weeki Wachee in Florida and more. Erin is one of the mermaids
and she has a friend with a major problem. She also has a cellphone left by a
patron. She also has a plan that becomes increasingly dangerous and detrimental
to her health and the health of others.
Alan
Orloff is up next with “In Separable, In Sufferable.” Ripping off the
drug dealer was easy compared to dealing with that annoying voice in his head.
That voice has plans for better days for Earl and expects him to comply.
“Use Of
The Awkward Hand” by Julie Leo features handwriting analysis, a polygraph
machine, and a possible classic femme-fatale.
The woman in question, Mrs. Nicole Hightower, is a widower, a fiction author,
and a murder suspect.
The
short poem “The Timeline Murders” by the late Janet Fox is next. The short poem
details the current/past/future case being worked by Inspector Quick.
Dayle A.
Dermatis and “Umberto Scolari And The Feast Of Paradise.” Umberto Scolari is
having a hard time. The Duke’s astrologer has declared that tomorrow should be
the wedding feast. If he can’t fix the rotating stage the Duke of Milan will
not be happy. Nor will his boss, Leonardo. Then someone uses poison and the stage
is a secondary issue for Scolari. How the person died is an easy question to
answer. Who did it and why are questions that are a part of tale of intrigue
among the nobles.
“Moe’s
Seafood House” by Ramona Defelice Long opens at the named establishment.
Saturday night and the place is packed. Ken is not pleased and his companion,
Amanda, is trying to keep him calm and excuse his boorish behavior. As the
evening rolls on she has to make a lot of excuses for him.
For
Masie Finch and Emmaline, the anniversary each year when their parents died is
tough. It happened years ago and yet the anniversary still haunts them both. As
the years have passed it also become clear that Masie has to take care of
Emmaline as the younger sister just can’t cope with life. The anniversary this
year means they are at a Bed and Breakfast in Londonberry, Vermont. In “Mud
Season” by Su Kopril, their fiftieth anniversary and trip is getting off to a
strange start and not just because there is mud everywhere and the place is a
little shabby.
Blackie
Rose is dead on the stage as “Messin' Wih The Kid” by Steve Liskow
begins. Detective Tracy Hendrix and his partner, Timmy Bryne, have their
hands full to figure out why he died. None of his band mates and assorted other
folks can believe he is dead, though as the investigation proceeds they had all
noticed he seemed a bit off in the hours leading up to his sudden death. Was it
a drug overdose as possibly indicated by the white residue around his nostrils
or was it something else that killed the star of the group known as fireworks?
Gregory
was part of the family and now he is very much dead. He was found floating in
the river next to the family houseboat. Clearly shot in the back, he was murdered.
Like any family member, his death has to be avenged in “Assassin Scroll” by
Tais Teng. Even if he was the idiot of the family and thus had to be left out
of their thefts of antiquities and such. Stealing a scroll that dates back to
the Crusades might have something to do with the escalating problem that will
lead to a showdown in Amsterdam.
Baby
sister Tay is in love again and there will be problems in “Trouble In Mind” by
Cynthia Ward. There always is with Tay and her love life. Tanis will have
plenty to do to try and fix this mess as winter reluctantly loosens its grip on
Maine and their dairy farm. That last blast of winter serves as a backdrop for
hot passion and problems that can’t be allowed to foster and grow.
Black
Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue Four
Editors
John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe
Wildside
Press
ASIN:
B07MQBJ99T
January
2019
eBook
(also available in print)
130
Pages
$3.99
By
using funds on my Amazon Associate account, I picked this up late last January
in order to read and review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2019
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