THE MYSTERY WRITERS - Jean Henry Mead

When Jean Henry Mead asked me to contribute to her anthology of advice from mystery writers, a broad category as you can see, I was honored and delighted. If you're a writer, would-be novelist or an interested reader, this book is for you. It's available on Kindle and paperback.

Pat Browning, herself an excellent mystery writer, posted the following list on her Amazon review of the book:

THE MYSTERY WRITERS is chock full of good advice and interesting personal tidbits. In all, there are 60 mystery writers within 12 categories.
The categories and authors are:
SUSPENSE: James Scott Bell, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Joan Hall Hovey, Ellis Viler, Cheryl Kaye Tardif.
CRIME NOVELS: Lawrence Block, J.A. Jance, Bruce DeSilva, Diana Fanning, Craig McDonald, Geraldine Evans.
POLICE PROCEDURALS: Leighton Gage, Alafair Burke, Martin Edwards, Pat Brown, Marilyn Meredith, Bob Sanchez, Maryann Miller.
THRILLERS: Robert Liparulo, Vicki Hinze, Shane Gericke, Timothy Hallinan, Lise Glendon.
PRIVATE EYES: Sue Grafton, Randy Rawls, Mark Troy.
NOIR: Vincent Zandri, Roger Smith.
TRADITIONAL MYSTERIES: Sandra Parshall, Gerrie Ferris Finger, Madeline (M.M.) Gornell, Earl Staggs, Holli Castillo, Alan Orloff.
HISTORICAL MYSTERIES: Julie Garwood, Ann Parker, Nancy Means Wright.
CONTEMPORARY WESTERN MYSTERIES: Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson, Curt Wendleboe.
HUMOROUS MYSTERIES: Lois Winston, J. Michael Orenduff, Rebecca (R.P.) Dalke, Marja McGraw, Susan Santangelo, Ann Charles, W.S. Gager,Chris Redding.
COZIES: Elizabeth Spann Craig, Anne K. Albert, Ron Benrey, Maggie Bishop.
AMATEUR SLEUTHS: John M. Daniel, Margaret Koch, Jacqueline King, Lou Allin, Karen E. Olson, Pat Browning, Leslie Diehl, Sunny Frazier, Jinx Schwartz.

Happy Reading!

Gerrie Ferris Finger
http://www.gerrieferrisfinger.com
Coming in July: THE LAST TEMPTATION, sequel to
THE END GAME

DEBUT MYSTERY BY MARILYN LEVINSON

A MURDERER AMONG US

Wingsepress.com

Marilyn Levinson is a former Spanish teacher, and the author of several books for children, and young adults. RUFUS, and MAGIC RUN AMOK was selected by the International Reading Association, and the Children’s Book Council for “Children’s Choices for 2002.” NO BOYS ALLOWED has been in print since 1993.

A MURDERER AMONG US is her first published adult mystery. MURDER A LA CHRISTIE was a finalist in the 2010 Malice Domestic contest. She is a member of The Authors Guild, RWA, The Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Guppies, and is president, and co-founder the Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime. She lives on Long Island with her husband, Bernie and their cat, Sammy.

Welcome Marilyn. Tell us about the book and how you promote it.

My mystery, A MURDERER AMONG US, made its debut on June first, and I’ve never been busier!  Years ago, when I wrote YAs and books for kids, I spoke in schools and libraries.  Even did the occasional book store signing.  But an author’s life these days is something else entirely.

Keeping an updated website is essential.  So is blogging, commenting on fellow writers’ blogs, tweeting on Twitter, and “liking” on Facebook.  I’ve learned to design a business card, I’ve struggled to create a bookmark, attend conferences and conventions, and do all I can to get my book in the public eye.  This is especially important because A MURDERER AMONG US is an ebook and available in print as a POD.

A bit about my novel:  Lydia Krause has moved to Twin Lakes, an upscale retirement community on Long Island, to start a new life.  Her neighbor introduces her to Marshall Weill, the community’s financial advisor, whom Lydia recognizes as the convicted embezzler who drove her sister to suicide.  She exchanges heated words with Weill’s wife. The woman’s found dead the following morning, mowed down by Lydia’s Lexus.  Now Suspect Number One, Lydia investigates.  Amid threats and more deaths, Lydia forges new friendships, helps resolve her grown daughters’ problems, and finds romance.

A MURDERER AMONG US is available at Wingsepress.com.  Click on:

 http://bit.ly/kOZgcz 

It will soon be available on Amazon.com, Kindle, and Fictionwise.com

Thank you Marilyn for an informative look at your work. Sounds quite exciting.

Gerrie

http://www.gerrieferrisfinger.com/

THE GHOST SHIP, June 28, 2011

INTERVIEW WITH BETH GROUNDWATER

Good morning, it was my pleasure to be interviewed by the author of the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series. Her first novel, "A Real Basket Case" was nominated for an Agatha Award.


Read Beth's interview.

http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/

BOOK TRAILERS

I wrote earlier this month about making a book video trailer for The End Game.

The mystery novel is loaded with action, so why not, I thought.

I contacted several companies and found that, at this point in my mystery fiction career, I'm better off spending the money (it's expensive, folks) on other promotions.

Book trailers, I learned, are for already famous writers. Think of it like this: You see the preview of a motion picture. You know the stars; you like them. They've never disappointed, or if they have, not overly so. So, when the movie comes to your theatre, you plunk down your cash to see the entire film.

But say you don't know who the stars are, are you as apt to separate yourself from your cash? Which, these days, no one seems to have an abundance of.

So, no book trailer for me, this time.

But I will one day. The sequel to The End Game, The Last Temptation has just as much action, maybe more, and, because you read The End Game , you won't think twice about parting with your bucks to buy the book.

HAMMETT PRIZE NOMINATIONS

One day I hope my book will be listed here. I have room on my shelf for the coveted Thin Man Trophy.

The Hammett Prize is given for excellence in crime writing for U. S. and Canadian authors.

The International Association of Crime Writers (IACW) has announced the 2010 Hammett Prize Nominations:

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott(Simon & Schuster)
Devil's Garden by Ace Atkins (Putnam)
The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (Penguin)
The Long Fall by Walter Mosley (Riverhead)
The Way Home by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown)