#1 “Travels with Cara” – Lisa Lieberman
Lisa Lieberman’s Cara Walden series is set in the 1950s, crossing Europe, at times in the sweeping mode of 1950s adventures and at other times in the shadowy atmosphere of the era’s noir films. Lisa’s essay reveals how the historical research that undergirds an exciting, realistic novel may unveil a dark past that is no less startling and moving for the writer. You’ll love her two novels: All the Wrong Places and Burning Cold.
#2 “A Good-Natured Plea from a Mystery Reader” – Ruth Haber
Ruth Haber is a former professor of English at Worcester State University and an inveterate reader of mysteries. She has put me on to some great reads; and, as a member of my editing posse, given me telling advice on revising my writing. Here, she draws on her dry and wonderfully mischievous humor to voice concerns of mystery readers worldwide.
#3 “Using Your Equestrian Smarts to Write a Good Story – Connie Johnson Hambley
In her blog, Connie explains how, like riding, writing is a skill that takes a disciplined approach to master, along with lots of practice. The best books tell more than a simple story. They have a message. Connie Johnson Hambley grew up riding horses on her family’s New York dairy farm. An award-winning writer, she applies her law degree to writing high-concept thrillers featuring women entangled in modern-day crimes. Her experiences volunteering at a therapeutic riding center inspired her to write about the human stories surrounding horses’ power to heal. The third book in The Jessica Trilogy, The Wake, joins The Charity and The Troubles. She is also Vice President and Featured Speaker of the New England chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Post #4 “Everyone Knows about Chaucer, Or Do They?”
Tim Shaw’s blog gives us an enlightening look at why he loves writing a historical mystery; how he has discovered in a young Geoffrey Chaucer’s real life exciting, fertile ground for writing an intriguing tale that startlingly differs from the stereotyped vision many have of The Canterbury Tales’ author. Tim is the author of A Death in Catte Street, a Geoffrey Chaucer Mystery as well as the creator of a blog on the Middle Ages, www.dailymedieval.com., where he presents “bite-sized pieces of medieval people and places, events and customs that are usually ignored in favor of Arthur and jousts in the Hollywood view of the time.” His degrees in medieval studies and continued personal research make his site a valuable source for information on the medieval world. We can look forward to sequels to Geoffrey Chaucer’s detecting adventure, with A Year in Oxford, expected in 2019.
Last revised 9/16/18
