Event: WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS MONTHLY MEETING Monday, June 17, 2013

WRITERS' GUILD OF TEXAS MONTHLY MEETING

 

Monday, 17 June 2013

7-8:30 p.m.

Topic: Annual WGT Read-In

Speakers: Featuring the Work of Members

 

Richardson Public Library

900 Civic Center Dr.

Richardson TX 75080

Basement Room

 

Read your work to an appreciative audience of your peers. Three ways to sign up and read:

·       Sign up at the May 20 meeting — signup sheet will be available.

·       Send an email to Virginia Boylan, velkaecs@aol.com.

·       Sign up at the June 17 meeting, if we still have room to add readers (those who sign up in advance get first dibs on reading slots).

Ø  Please note: Readings are limited to a maximum of 5 minutes, with a brief “set-up” of no more than 1 minute allowed

Ø  We estimate that approximately 10 people will be able to read.

Ø  Remember, this is a public library so material must be “PG” or “G-rated” — suitable for all ages.

 

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The Writers' Guild of Texas WGT Critique Sessions: Third Wednesday of each month.

Registration: 6:45-7:00 p.m.

Reading/critiquing: 7:00-8:45 p.m.

 

Basement Room of the Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Dr., Richardson TX 75080.

  

18 June: Coordinator Liz Klein leads these sessions. Participants present their original work and receive feedback.

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For more information about The Writers’ Guild of Texas, contact Membership Coordinator John Vance at john.vance1@gmail.com or WGT Critique Group Coordinator Liz Klein at wgtcritiquegroup@gmail.com.

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Annual 2013 WGT dues of $25.00 may be paid at meetings or by mail to Writers' Guild of Texas, 6009 W. Parker Road, Suite 149-175, Plano TX 75093.

 

All WGT events located at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public.

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Monday, 15 July 2013: Randy Rawls, a North Carolina author with Texas ties, Randy is the author of several books. His most recent novel is Hot Rocks. Read more about Randy at his website, www.randyrawls.com   Monday, 19 August 2013: LaRee Bryant. The Business of Writing. The importance of approaching writing as a profession, dealing with agents and editors, and basic "don'ts" and "dos" regarding contracts. LaRee is the author of 7 historical novels and 2 non-fiction books, has recently finished the second book in a new cozy mystery series, and is now working on a new stand-alone mystery.   Monday, 16 September 2013: Jill Allison Bryan. Writing Past Procrastination, Perfectionism and Perfectly Good Excuses-5 Fun Ways to Jump Start Your Creativity. Jill will jumpstart your creativity with interactive exercises to stimulate your writing. Jill is a certified Master Kaizen-Muse® Creativity Coach, read more at www.creativeoasiscoaching.com.   Monday, 21 October 2013: TBA.   Saturday, 2 November 2013: Workshop. Rachel Simeone. Book marketing expert Rachel Simeone uses her 20+ years of experience in Internet and consumer marketing to help authors accelerate their sales and achieve their dreams. Implementing proven marketing strategies, Rachel develops customized marketing programs that attract readers and deliver sales. She is known for her innovative ideas that exploit hidden opportunities to give authors a marketing advantage. In addition to her work with authors, Rachel also developed a book marketing training program for the online publisher Blurb.   Monday, 18 November 2013: TBA.   Monday, 16 December 2013: WGT Holiday Meeting.

 

All Writers' Guild of Texas events held at the Richardson Public Library are free and open to the public.

 

For more information about The Writers’ Guild of Texas, contact Membership Coordinator John Vance at john.vance1@gmail.com or WGT Critique Group Coordinator Liz Klein at wgtcritiquegroup@gmail.com.

 

Writers' Events Calendar (contact carol.woods@verizon.net to have your conferences, meetings, or other writing-related event listed here—no individual book signings, please):

Saturday, 22 June 2013: Writing Workshop with Robyn Conley, Book Doctor. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Brady Housing Authority Community Room. 405 East Main, Brady TX 76825. Fiction writers: character building, plot development, marketing tools, revision tools; non-fiction writers: cornerstones of theme and sensory details used by journalists, poets, and those who want to leave a written legacy for their children. $15.00. www.robynconley.com

 

Friday-Sunday, 12-13 July 2013: Lexicon 2013. Sessions, pitch panels, awards, drawings, giveaways. One on ones with agents, publishing executives, writers. Pitch panel on Sunday. Bookstore for published authors. Contact: Mitch Haynes, LexiCon President – 940-206-0262 –MAHaynes36@aol.com. Hilton Garden Inn, Denton, Texas (940-891-4700). LexiConWritersConference@yahoo.com

 

Friday-Sunday, 19-21 July 2013: Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. Friday keynote: Susan Orlean, Saturday keynote: Rick Atkinson, Sunday keynote: Skip Hollandsworth. Workshops, agents, dozens of speakers, contest. $295.00 until 30 June 2013m then $370.00. Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, 1800 Highway 26 East Grapevine, Texas 76051-9641. 817-481-8444.http://themayborn.unt.edu/MaybornConference.htm

 

Thursday, 15 August 2013: The Writer's Block presents the second of two FREE! The Craft of Fiction Writing Series 2013. “Beginnings, First Chapters, and Endings" led by writer Ann Fields. The Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak in Dallas, Texas, 75204, (214) 821-0911. Register online at http://www.writersblockinc.org/.

 

Thursday-Sunday 24-32 October 2013: Austin Film Festival 2013 Conference. Film competition now open. Screenplay competition now open. Austin TX www.austinfilmfestival.com.

First Saturday each month (except January): Dallas MWASW (Mystery Writers of America, Southwest). Texas Land & Cattle, 812 South Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. $5.00 door fee, cash only. All who attend are invited to remain for lunch. Contact info: LaRee Bryant, LBryant316@aol.com. Permission to forward.

First Saturday each month: Pens and Pancakes Writers Workshop. 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Dock Bookshop. 6637 Meadowbrook Dr. in Fort Worth, TX 76112. Guest facilitator Shewanda Riley. Dock Bookshop (www.thedockbookshop.com). 817.457.5700. FREE.

The Dallas Area Writers Group (DAWG) put together a summer reading list—including a reading list for writers. Check it out! The more readers in the world—the more opportunities for writers! www.alanelliott.com

Second Saturday each month: North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop. Meets every 2nd Saturday at the Hurst Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 6pm.http://www.ntsfw.com

Frisco Writers Meet-Up Groups: Day group meets every 3rd Thursday and night group every 2nd Tuesday. See website for more details. http://www.meetup.com/writers-749/

Visit http://www.writersleague.org/programs/classes.html for up-to-date information on Writer's League of Texas workshops held in Austin TX.

Visit http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ for guidelines to participate in the annual Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

 

The Writers' Guild of Texas is a nonprofit professional organization whose primary purpose is to provide a forum for information, support, and sharing among writers; to help members improve and market their writing skills; and to promote the interests of writers and the writing community.

 

If you don't wish to receive these announcements, please let me know.

Permission to forward this email is not only granted, but encouraged. Let's get the word out to as many in the writing community as possible.

 

Carol Woods, Communications

Writers' Guild of Texas

carol.woods@verizon.net

 

 

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--CrimeFictionWriter: Death of the first draft

I am nowhere near able to do this .....

CrimeFictionWriter: Death of the first draft: I don't know precisely when I stopped writing first drafts, but I do know I haven't written a first draft in years. When I started...

Interesting Reading Elsewhere: "There's No Such Thing as Good Writing: Craig Nova's Radical Revising Process"

In one of my many online writing groups, Texas author Jan Christensen posted a link the other day to this very interesting article in The Atlantic. The piece is here and written by author Craig Nova. It will make you think about the necessary act of revising your work in a radaically new way.

Well worth your time.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--Tall Chambers at Bookbrowsing

PJ Nunn has an interview that author Earl Staggs did with his character Tall Chambers. You can read the interview here and it is well worth your time. You could even leave a comment. In your comment, you might suggest my idea that Tall needs a sidekick named "Short Magnum" in book two of this series is a good one.

Earl isn't so sure about that.

He definitely was not impressed with my idea that a female character could be named "Tiffany Penetrator" or "Trixie Doubleshot."

I also suggested Terminal Response as a sequel to Justified Action and he didn't much care for that either.

 So hard to help him be successful.....

FFB Review: "THE VANISHERS" by Donald Hamilton -- Reviewed by Barry Ergang

 Friday means Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott. Please welcome back Barry Ergang and make sure you check out the other reading possibilities here after you read the review below……

THE VANISHERS (1986) by Donald Hamilton

Reviewed by Barry Ergang

I've been a fan of Donald Hamilton's novels about secret agent Matt Helm since I was in my teens, which means over the course of fifty years, give or take a year or two. Paperback originals under the Fawcett Gold Label imprint, the Helm novels  date back to 1960, starting with Death of a Citizen and ending in 1993 with The Damagers. Those who only know Helm via the (admittedly entertaining) movie spoofs starring Dean Martin do not begin to know the character. The Helm of the novels is a tough, canny, no-nonsense professional who makes the James Bond of Ian Fleming's novels look like a callow, sentimental, incautious amateur. Helm's enemies are also far more plausible than Bond's, however diverting and cartoon-like the latter's may be.     

The Fawcett Gold Medal paperbacks included detective stories by the likes of Richard S. Prather and Stephen Marlowe, spy thrillers by Edward S. Aarons and Philip Atlee, and noir by David Goodis and Peter Rabe. These were, in the main, slim fast-paced novels that typically ran between 144 and 160 pages in length. A few exceptions ran close to or slightly over 200 pages. But then, over time, some of Fawcett's authors started writing longer books. I don't know if it's true or not, but I've often suspected that many publishers demand longer books so they can charge higher prices for them.

In the novel under consideration here, a number of relatively prominent people—scientists, businessmen, and politicians—have vanished (or have been vanished) during the course of the year, and Matt Helm's boss, Mac, expects to be among the next to disappear. He assigns Helm to check on the well-being of the hospitalized Astrid Watrous, who may have been poisoned by a woman named Karin Segerby. Astrid's oceanographer husband is among those who have vanished. After putting emergency routines in place against the possibility of Mac's disappearance, and then being told to "scramble" by a trusted colleague, Helm and Astrid fly to Norway to begin a perilous journey through Scandinavia to a mysterious installation known as the Darkroom. Besides having to worry about attacks from possible terrorists, Helm has to deal with Swedish relatives whose loyalties are hard to determine. To further complicate his situation, a man named Bennett, an old enemy, has been appointed temporary head of the agency in Mac's absence, and aims to make his position permanent. He's declared Helm a traitor and defector, and has assigned agents to kill him. Beset from all sides, Helm isn't sure whom he can trust.

Sounds like a tense, exciting read, doesn't it? For this reader it is and it isn't.

First-person narrator Helm retains the wry manner that was established in Death of a Citizen, and which I've always found appealing. E.g., "A man who says he isn't going to take any chances, as he jabs a gun amateurishly into the back of a trained agent, makes it very hard for said agent to take him seriously. It's one of the situations for which we're taught several responses, mostly lethal, even though no sensible person with a firearm is going to move in that close. After all, the whole point of guns is that they can hurt at a distance."

The problem with The Vanishers is its length. At 295 pages, it lacks the pace of so many of the other books in the series, especially the first thirteen. It's filled with protracted passages that describe the various routes Helm takes driving through Norway, Finland and Sweden, often sounding more like travelogue than fiction. It reinforces the suspicion I voiced earlier, that the publisher may have insisted on longer work and Donald Hamilton therefore padded the story with lots of filler. Even some of the dialogue exchanges seem to go on longer than necessary. Padding dilutes tension rather than prolonging it. Another notable feature is that, being  occupied with entirely different matters, Helm isn't at all involved in the resolution of the vanishings.

Did I dislike the novel? No. It was fun to visit with Matt Helm again, even if aspects of the visit were disappointing. Would I recommend it? Yes—with the caveat about padded passages and the suggestion that some readers might want to skim or even skip over them.

Barry Ergang © 2013

The reviewer would like to thank Karen Mayers for kindly loaning him The Vanishers.

*****

Many of the Matt Helm novels are among the books from his personal collection that Barry has for sale at http://www.barryergangbooksforsale.yolasite.com/. He contributes 20% of the price of the books to our fund, so please have a look. A Derringer Award winner, some of Barry's written work is available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere-- Writing Mystery with Linda Rodriguez

Over on the Book Country blog, there is an interesting interview with Linda Rodriguez of Every Broken Trust and Every Last Secret. I really like this series and highly recommend it. The books definitely should be read in order starting with Every Last Secret. The very good interview is here and discusses the books as well as her writing process in general.

In case you missed my reviews, my review of Every Broken Trust is here and Every Last Secret is here.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere---Six Steps of Self-Publishing (Mostly for Traditional Authors)

Author Libby Hellman with lots of good advice on what she believes is the best way to go self published in Six Steps of Self-Publishing (Mostly for Traditional Authors)

Interesting Reading Elsewhere---- Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Heist -- Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

 Texas author Bill Crider reviews The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: The Heist -- Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg: I'm a big fan of the work of Lee Goldberg, and Judy's a big fan of the work of Janet Evanovich. So when the review copy of this bo...

Sad News

Joan Parker, the wife of author Robert B. Parker, died Tuesday. The obituary in the Boston Globe can be found here.

Applies to all of my writing

though these days it is mainly letters that I am doing to insurance companies, collection agencies, student loan folks like NELNET who can't understand reality or documentation.....

Sandi Tonight

Sandi is doing okay. She does tire very easily, but says she does not hurt all over like she used to before the transplant. She is incredibly pale and seems pretty weak to me. After every meal she gets body wracking chills just like she did before the transplant.

Quite honestly, she seems to me to be just as weak and sick now as before she left for the transplant and that worries me. A lot.

Her patience for stupidity is pretty low right now and it does not take much to annoy her. Like the stupidity of a certain local medical service company who ignored the reality of our situation and turned her over to a collection agency over a $33 bill we have been making installment payments on. As she pointed out while cussing them to me--if we didn't have the money to pay it it all off in one shot to the original creditor, why in the heck would they think we suddenly would if some worthless collection agency hassles us?

Makes one wonder....

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free Advice from James Lincoln Warren

 Lots of good advice here whether it be for short stories or longer works......

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free Advice from James Lincoln Warren: Free Advice from James Lincoln Warren : Here, completely free, is some advice for aspiring short story writers of crime fiction.

Shooting Sheriffs

....and other targets....

 

Interesting Judicial Ruling

A judge in New York had found against Fox Searchlight Pictures and says they must pay interns for the work that was done. Unpaid internships are very common and I never understood why it was okay. Yes, I know one is getting college credit and work experience, but it also seemed to me that is the company involved was basically getting free labor. Seemed to me the company got far more out of it than the intern did based on what I was told over the years by some who had gone through these deals as well as what I had read about them.

Sounds like this judge saw it the same way in the story here. It will get appealed so it is not the end of the matter in this court or in other courts where other cases have been filed. Still, it is an interesting judicial ruling that could have considerable impact.

I'm Telling You

and I can still do a pretty good imitation of the voice at least.....

 

WTF--Wednesday Twisted Funny

Imagine....if you will....

Very True

and very thankful that Sandi is back home. She gets tired easilym as expected, but she looks amazingly good.

 

FREE BOOK---Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

 And well worth your time....

Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Free for Kindle for a Limited Time: AN IMAGE OF DEATH (The Ellie Foreman Mysteries): Libby Fischer Hellmann: Amazon.com: Kindle Store : Who knew that a career in video docume...

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--Straight From Hel: Don’t Club Your Reader With Your Message

 Besides being right about chunky peanut butter, Carolyn has some advice that some writers really need to heed......

Straight From Hel: Don’t Club Your Reader With Your Message:  Today, Carolyn J. Rose is posting here on Straight From Hel. Carolyn is the author of several novels, including  Hemlock Lake ,  Throug...

Message From Glen Walker

I have mentioned my friend Glenn Walker from time to time here. He is involved in various projects involving writers and entertainment. He posted the message below yesterday in one of the groups I am in on a project worthy of your support.
 

I want to promote the South Jersey Writers Kickstarter: 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/195597240/south-jersey-writers-group-2014-anthology?ref=email 

Please donate if you can, it's a good thing to support fellow writers.  

Glenn

Sandi is HOME!

Supershuttle took forever but she is finally home.

Love Story--Not!

I can remember telling one of my High School English teachers that Romeo and Juliet was not a love story for this very reason. She told me I didn't get it and to be quiet. Something a number of my teachers said a lot in a lot of classes over the years, but I digress. Apparently I am not alone in my thinking.....

Beta Readers Needed

Do not panic-- it is not for me. Author Frank Zafiro put out a call tonight for readers for upcoming projects. I have read several of Frank's books and have several more in the TBR pile. I keep meaning to get to them and then stuff happens. Frank is looking for what is commonly referred to "beta readers." Look at the blog here and see if you have an interest AND fit the bill. If you do, tell him I sent you....

On Track

for Sandi to come back home tomorrow. She says she feels fine and she sounds good on the phone. I think she is tired of me telling her to ask for help and to wear her mask. But, I worry and have to say stuff.  Especially since, overall, things have gone so well. She is coming home approximately two to three weeks earlier than planned because things have gone so well. I hope they are not rushing her out of town.

She flies out late tomorrow morning Florida time.

Books

If, by some nearly impossible miracle, I am ever well enough to work in a classroom again, I want the below on a poster for the students---and probably a lot of the parents. Books matter....

My Book: "Mind Slices: A Collection of New and Previously Published Stories"

My short story collection Mind Slices: A Collection of New and Previously Published Stories features 16 short stories in a variety of genres. Some tales lean towards the science fiction side, some lean towards mystery, and almost all of them lean towards suspense. Most stories also contain more than one genre. The e-book is currently .99 cents and is available online at:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009OIV346  

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243655

 

Barnes and Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-slices-kevin-tipple/1113576100?ean=2940044983076 

 

And yes, in case you wondered, the background on the cover is part of my MRI done back in September 2010. Somehow, it seemed appropriate to use it.

I hope you will consider buying a copy.

Kevin

(While the anthology is available as an e-book, I still have a few copies of Volume 2 below in print for $10.00 that includes media rate postage)

Sandi Saturday Night

Sandi is easing into her last Saturday evening at The Atria and feeling pretty good. Just about now she is probably playing bingo again and trying to do better than she did earlier today bingo wise. She talked to me a little while ago and said everything was good.

Along with some pictures of her new friends, she sent me some more pictures of her most recent home away from home. To the left is the front driveway and some of the rocking chairs. Sandi loves rocking chairs and has been spending a lot of time out there rocking away while she is crocheting.

A closer view of the front door area to the right and the water feature at the front below.

If everything goes right, in less than 48 hours she will be back in Texas. Our anniversary is the 15th so as far as I am concerned this is an early anniversary present. 28 years and counting.....


Kevin

 (picture taken this evening by Karl using his cellphone)

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--- Ed Gorman's blog: Eyewitness: Beautiful Losers Written by Kevin Burton Smith

 And well worth your time......

Ed Gorman's blog: Eyewitness: Beautiful Losers Written by Kevin Burton Smith

The Latest "All Mystery" is out--June 8th

Per Rebecca who has posted the below...

Oh boy, new books, new authors in this week's issue

Berkowitz, Ira  Black Angel        New release
Beyman, Guilia Words in the Dark 
Conway, James  In Cold Blonde   New release
Franklin, Lynn The Blue Diamond 
George, Kaye Eine Kleine Murder  New release
Helle, Darcia Killing Instinct New release
Hubbard, S.W.  Another Man's Treasure 
Preston, Mar NO Dice 
Roberts, Wendy Drop Dead Beauty New release
Vallere, Diane  Buyer Beware         New release


Please note: We're on the last two weeks before All Mystery Newsletter combines with Dirt Cheap Mystery Reads--link will still be http://allmysternewsletter.com  But starting first Sat. of July, we'll be promoting Kindle e-books priced $0.99 to $3.99 ONLY, and listed as Kindle Deals for the week. And since we have so many UK crime writers, we'll also have links for both US and UK readers. 

Sandi's Latest Project

came about because of me and my need for a walker. She thought I could use something that would carry my reading glasses and book when I had to go out. She saw a couple of patterns and while she has been at The Atria she used up some of her yarn to make this in her first attempt.

The front side is to the left and the backside of the caddy is below.

I'm told that she will donate this to a new friend there at The Atria and she will make me a more "manly" one when she is back home. How she is going to make one with rocket launchers, machine guns, and footballs all over it I do not know.....

Interesting Reading Elsewhere----MAKE MINE MYSTERY: Publishing and Other Perils - A Rant

 And very much worth your time.....
 
MAKE MINE MYSTERY: Publishing and Other Perils - A Rant:              In the greatly lamented and only partially mythic ‘Golden Era’ of publishing printing books was a gentlemen’s game. The publ...

Saturday Funny

at least to me....

 

Sandi Tonight

Sandi had a long afternoon of doctor stuff, but, the news is really good. The main thing is the fact the blood clot is gone. She had an ultrasound to make sure and it is gone. She will need to be on the cumidin awhile longer, but, the clolt is dissolved and the danger has passed.

They did have to give some magnesium today because she was a little low so they put a bag into her. She was borderline needing it and since they are sending her home to Texas on Monday they felt they should go ahead and give her one for the flight.

Yes, you read that right! Sandi is coming home Monday on a direct flight from Jacksonville to Dallas Fort Worth Airport. If everything runs on time she should be here by late afternoon Monday.

She is coming home to quarantine here and will not be able to see anyone or go anywhere excect for the doctor's office at the hospital. Her first appointment with her cancer doctor at Medical City Dallas is for the afternoon of the 19th. They will do blood work on her, check a few other things, and then lay out how the followup care here is going to work. All we know at this point is that in about 70 days she will need to be back at Mayo for a week of tests and doctor visits.

She is finally coming home. I can hardly believe it.

FFB Review: "Pilikia Is My Business" by Mark Troy

Friday means Friday’s Forgotten Books hosted by Patti Abbott. This week I selected Pilikia Is My Business by Mark Troy. Faithful readers of this blog will know I selected this book before when it came out from a new publisher three years ago. This was a book Mark completed long before I was invited to join the local writing group we both belong. If you missed the news, Mark's new book, The Splintered Paddle, has been picked up by Five Star Books. This is the same book we saw in group as he worked on it when it was titled The Law of the Splintered Paddle. It also came in second last year for the Claymore Award. Mark shortened the title at Five Star's request, but I must say the original title had more meaning to the story. While I won't be able to review that book since it went through our group, I can and did review this way back when before I joined the group.....

Written by 2002 Shamus Award Nominee Mark Troy, this fast paced and suspenseful novel revolves around Hawaii based private investigator Val Lyon. An ex cop, ex-con, and former pro basketball player, Val Lyon doesn’t tolerate idiots and has little patience for those who don’t do the right thing. Her latest case brings her to the office of Brian Magruder who used to work in the Honolulu Public Defender’s Office before going out on his own.

Part of the wealthy and politically connected Magruder family, Brian is a bit of a black sheep of the family as he has gone his own way. Among his many clients is Jean Pfeifer whose case has turned into a media firestorm. Jean claims that her ex-husband, Jason “Jock” Pfeifer abused their son, Nathan. Jean has stopped the visitations and has hidden their son in an effort to protect him from further abuse from his father. She faces contempt charges and jail time unless she brings Nathan back out of hiding and lets him see his dad. Something she isn’t going to do.

This strikes a chord with the media and the viewing public causing a media firestorm with Jean and her attorney at the center of things. Numerous groups get involved making Jean and by extension Nathan part of their agendas. That also ratchets up further the media scrutiny. Brian Magruder initially just wants Val to be part of the security team, and to protect Jean at a public rally the next day. With emotions running high on all sides, something is sure to go bade and it does. Soon, a simple body guard job morphs into a case involving death threat, blackmail, extortion and a missing child as well as the beginnings of a romance between Val and Brian Magruder.

While occasionally reminiscent of the Stephenie Plum type character because Val is also a woman with a sarcastic wit, Val is a much better character. Not only does she have a deeper and more complex background, she also learns from what happens and takes precautions as opposed to Stephanie who makes the same fundamental mistakes in book after book after book. Val is an evolving character over the course of the novel and one that builds quickly on experience.

That fact, coupled with a steady pace, plenty of twists and turns, and characters that come alive for the reader, it is no wonder this book was a Shamus Nominee. simply put, Pilikia Is My Business is a very good one.


Pilikia is My Business
Mark Troy
http://www.marktroy.net/
Ilium Books
2011
ISBN# 978-0578069661
Trade Paperback (also available as an e-book)
302 Pages


Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2009, 2010, 2013

Birthday--Plus 25

As Tropical Storm Andrea works her way northward across Florida this evening, Sandi is finishing up her 25th day since she had her stem cell transplant. She continues to do amazing well all things considered. She still has some pain in her neck in the area of the blood clot, but the swelling seems to have gone away. Hopefully this does mean the cumidin has gotten to a high enough level that the blood clot is finally dissolving.

Tomorrow afternoon she has approximately four different appointments in different labs and back and forth to the cancer doctor office to see how she is. Sandi is still wanting desperately to come back home. The original plan was for late June, but they gave her a little hope last week she might be home sooner. As much as I want her back home too, I want that damn blood clot gone first as I am very worried about her flying with it.

I don't expect any information from her until late tomorrow--possibly early evening--and will update when I know something.

Sandi Wendesday Evening

As Tropical Storm Andrea churns in the Gulf heading on a path predicted to take it just north of Jacksonville, Florida, Sandi is doing okay. Her next doctor stuff is not until Friday afternoon so hopefully the worst of the storm will have passed on by the time she has to get out in it. Kind of hard to wear one of those paper surgical masks they want her wearing at all times when the rain is flying around you.

She seems to be doing okay. Everything feels the same at this point, according to her, and nothing new medically has cropped up. Apparently bingo is a serious business at The Atria and she has been playing a lot of bingo to pass the time. That is when she isn't crocheting or being asked to teach crocheting. I think they ought to put her on staff as a morale director because she is doing what she does best and pumping up all who meet her.

WTF--Wednesday Twisted Funny

In case you wondered the question has been answered....

 

Sandi Tuesday Evening

The patient is not in the best of moods tonight.

 First, she did NOT get yarn yesterday at Target. I apparently totally misunderstood the situation.

Second, they did not do an ultrasound on her blood clot. Her cumidin level is 1.9 and since that was below 2 they did not do the test. Her other blood work continues to show improvement so that is good. They seem happy with where she is, but did not really do anything testing wise she thought would be done today or tell her that things are drawing to a close in Florida. She had the idea that would happen today.

So, the long and the short of it is they will see her Friday and put her through a number of appointments/ blood work to see how she is. She wants to come home NOW, but that is not happening yet.

Sandi Today

Just talked to her and she enjoyed her trip out to Target today. Said it was nice to go poke around like a normal person. Apparently she was able to get some yarn too so that made her happy.

More importantly she reports that her neck is better today. Less pain and less swelling in the area. Sandi says the neck is not as stiff as it has been in recent days either. Still not right, but better which might be a good sign. This was the first night in a week that she hasn't sounded very raspy. Hopefully the cumidin level is now high enough that the clot has begun dissolving.

She has five appointments tomorrow starting just after nine with various doctors and testing folks. Hopefully, by the late afternoon all the news will be in and it will be good.

Lesa's Latest Contest

Lesa posted the below yesterday....

This week, I'm giving away 2 cozy mysteries, Cat Nap and The Sleeping Salesman Enquiry. Details on my blog, http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.

Lesa Holstine

lesa.holstine@gmail.com 

http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com

Skeet Bannion returns in "Every Broken Trust" by Linda Rodriguez

“’Just remember. No criminal has the power those with wealth and political clout have. The ultra criminals use politics to thrive unmolested.’” ( Page 231)

If chief of campus police Skeet Bannion liked politics she could have stayed with the Kansas City Police Department where she just might have been their first female police chief. Instead, she bailed out on the politics and more when she left for the calmer setting of nearby Chouteau University. At least that was the plan though things have not really worked out that way. Recent events in Every Last Secret have taught her that there is no running from politics or her ties to Kansas City.

It has been a few months since those events happened as Every Broken Trust begins. As a favor to good friend Karen Wise, Skeet has agreed to open her home for a small party to welcome the new dean of the Chouteau University Law School. George “Mel” Melvin who has ties to Skeet, Karen, and many others is to be the new dean. The guest list created by Karen is getting longer and longer as is the depth of complexity to the party. Despite Karen's assurances that everything is going to be fine, Skeet is getting more and more stressed by the upcoming party as well as some of the people surrounding Mel.

The party turns out to be a disaster, but not in the way Skeet had feared. After an incident with a drunk at the party, Karen calls for help asking Skeet to come to a nearby underground storage area known as “the Caves.” A complex built into the limestone caves that run beneath the university is now is the scene of a murder victim and an injured Karen. Leonard Klameth, one of many attending the party, is now dead and Karen has suffered a serious head injury.

Who did this and why are the first two threads of a puzzle that will cause Skeet Bannion to learn far more than she ever wanted about the personal lives of those she thought of as friends. “Like many things in this case, the truth was worlds apart from appearances. A murder always opened a can or two of worms. Sometimes the worms turned out to be snakes.” (Page 158)

This second novel in the series penned by author Linda Rodriguez lives up to the highly entertaining first book. Having well established the primary character of Skeet Bannion, the focus here character development wise is on the many other characters in her life such as her ward, Brian, her current possible romantic interest, Joe Louzon, her past romantic interest, Sam, and numerous other friends that first appeared in  Every Last Secret. Her relationship with every single person in her life will be fundamentally altered in some way by the events that happen in Every Broken Trust. A complex cozy style read this latest book in the series is not only very good, it further establishes the fact that Skeet Bannion is a powerful character in her own right on every level.

Every Broken Trust: A Mystery

Linda Rodriguez

http://www.lindarodriguezwrites.blogspot.com

Minotaur Books (A Thomas Dunne Book)

http://www.minotaurbooks.com

May 2013

ISBN# 978-1-250-03035-1

Hardback

304 Pages

$25.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System. If you are in the area and would like more information about Plano libraries go here.

My September 2012 review of Every Last Secret can be found here. 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013

Sandi Tonight

Nothing new to report as everything is pretty much the same with her. She does not see the doctors until Tuesday so she has signed up to go on the hospital shuttle to a local Target store tomorrow to get out a bit.

Her room is nice and all, but I think it is getting to her.

 

Despite the blood clot in her neck, they cleared her to go last Friday and she is looking forward to getting out somewhere normal for the first time in weeks. I think she wants to pick up a few things to make her stay a little bit easier as, for one thing,  she is out of yarn.



Sandi without yarn is not a pretty sight. I mean there is that whole green Hulk rage thing.......

Review Queries

I remain swamped with a huge backlog of books and therefore I am saying yes to very little. Currently with Sandi far from home having her stem cell transplant, my biggest issue is my own health and how slow I am these days with books. If I do ever start working on my own stuff again I will be even slower in terms of reading and reviewing.

Authors who I have enjoyed and reviewed their work before have the best chance with me right now due to my incredible TBR pile. Also authors who fit the guidelines for my column in the Senior News Newspaper also have a major leg up on the competition. If you don't fit either category, your chances of me accepting your work are very low. That lack of acceptance has nothing to do with the quality of your work and everything to do with my personal situation here.

At this time I don't envision any changes in this situation for the foreseeable future.

The Latest "All Mystery" Is Out--June 1-7

according to Rebecca who posted the below.....

This week's newsletter includes, a crime busting pilot, a pirate, a depression era PI, and a serial killer after a editor (Oh boy!)

Brown, Duffy  Iced Chiffon
Castillo, Mary Lost in the Light
Dahlke, RP  A Dead Red Heart
McLaughlin, Staci All Natural Murder
Myers, Ruth M.  No Game for a Dame
Moats, Bob Fatal Rejection
Odell, Terry  Deadly Bones
Stephens, Richard Pirate Tales 
Watson, Galen  The Psalter
Wood, Nancy Due Date

http://allmysterynewsletter.com 

No News

Sandi, me, the boys, and everything else --crappy or otherwise-- is the same. Nothing has changed and no news to report.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere-- Bookbrowsing Blog

Publicist PJ Nunn of Breakthrough Promotions has a blog post from author Neil Plakcy about using Pinterest today. I have a Pinterest deal though I have not done that much with it. Neil's post titled Pinterest for Inspiration and Profit has some tips here.

After you read that, make sure you surf around on the blog as there are other interesting things to read. There always are!

Interesting Reading Elsewhere--Kent's Rants

First, if you are not reading mystery author William Kent Krueger, you should be.

Second, you ought to read his recent post "The B&N Ban." You can read it here. Basically, it seems the ongoing feud between Simon and Schuster and Barnes and Noble has reached epic stupidity as Simon and Schuster authors can't do book events at the stores and their books are not being ordered.

While the heavy weights slap each other silly, the authors involved and potential customers suffer. And you know who the real winner is in all this crap--Amazon. One would think those in charge at Barnes and Noble would have bigger things to think about --like saving the company--then being stupid like this.

Just makes one want to pull the car over and scream at the offspring in the back seat.

Interesting Reading Elsewhere----Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Giant Pink Slugs WBAGNFARB

 Makes me think of Pandemonium by Warren Fahy.....
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Giant Pink Slugs WBAGNFARB: TreeHugger : High on the dew-dampened peak of Mount Kaputar, in New South Wales, Australia, there exists a world distinct unto itself, an al...

May 2013 Reads and Reviews

With Sandi still in Jacksonville, Florida undergoing her stem cell transplant to fight the non hodgkins lymphoma and me back in Texas with the boys, I have been reading a little more lately trying to keep my mind off of things. In addition to interviews, news, market calls, and other things on the blog, this is the complete list of the “May 2013 Reads and Reviews.” All reviews are mine unless otherwise noted.

Ring Of Truth by Elena Santangelo

The Disrespectful Interviewer: Thirteen Interviews with Authors by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Shotgun Saturday Night: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider

Red Mountain: A Detective DiPino Thriller by David Thayer

Swan’s Landing: A Web Sawyer Mystery by Douglas Quinn

Dying Voices: The Carl Burns Mystery Series by Bill Crider

The Coyote Tracker: A Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger Novel by Larry D. Sweazy

BRASS KNUCKLES: The Oliver Quade, Human Encyclopedia Stories by Frank Gruber (FFB Review by Barry Ergang)

Scratchgravel Road: A Mystery by Tricia Fields

They Love Not Poison by Sara Woods (FFB Review by Patrick Ohl)

Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins

Silken Prey: A Novel byJohn Sandford

Pandemonium by Warren Fahy

Daiquiri Dock Murder: A Key West Mystery by Dorothy Francis (FFB Review)

My thanks to both Barry Ergang and Patrick Ohl for allowing me to run their reviews on my blog.

Kevin