#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
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.
Post #5 “Inspiration in Unlikely Places” – Mya O’Malley
Mya O’Malley, published author of contemporary romance, young adult, and paranormal romance/mysteries, provides us with an exciting look at how a writer is never really on vacation! Every place she visits inspires her to explore its history and weave tales of mystery to delight her readers.
Presently, Mya’s novels have been published by Solstice Publishing, Clean Reads, TouchPoint Press, and Blue Tulip Publishing. Mya spends her free time honing her skills in photography, painting, and reading just about anything she can get her hands on. Mya loves to travel; she has visited several amazing locations such as Aruba, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, and Australia. Mya is currently working on her twelfth novel.
Post #6, February 2, 2019 “Ask Questions; Write a Story” by Carol Chester
Carol Chester is a former student of mine in both the undergraduate and graduate programs at Worcester State University. I always found her writing sprightly and insightful: a pleasure to read! In 2014, she enrolled at Worcester State University, where she is currently working toward a master’s degree in English. Since 2015, Carol has been a consultant at the WSU Writing Center, where she specializes in research papers, memoir, personal essays, and news stories. She has graciously accepted my invitation to write us a blog. Her choice? One of her many successful fields of endeavor, news writing. Find out about how to write a successful news story – and have some fun along the way.
Post #7, June 16, 2019 “Adventures in Writing a Historical Novel” by Timothy Shaw
Tim Shaw is back with us to celebrate the release of his second novel following Geoffrey Chaucer’s mystery-solving endeavors: A Year in Oxford. In this essay, Tim leads us through the the questions and concerns of an author working to balance believability and historical accuracy with modern perceptions in crafting a historical novel. He also lets us in on the pleasures of drawing on your own areas of expertise, delving deeper into those areas, and opening up that world for your readers. Enjoy!
Post #8, July 29, 2019 “Early American Horror: The Influence of Charles Brockden Brown” by Kathy Healey
Before there was Steven King, before there was even Edgar Allen Poe, Kathy Healey tells us there was Charles Brockden Brown unveiling the corruptions and hypocrisy of the American psyche underlying our society through his Gothic writings. Kathy Healey is an adjunct Professor of English at Worcester State University. Her academic interests include American literature, Gothic literature, and literature and the visual arts. Kathy co-edited with me a collection of essays on the Gothic, Gothic Landscapes: Changing Eras, Changing Cultures, Changing Anxieties. She contributed an essay on Charles Brockden Brown to the book, and like me she is a huge fan of the original Dark Shadows! When she’s not teaching and writing, she loves spending time with her family and her cats.
Post #9, August 25, 2019 “Who Done It? The Medium Knows.” by Carolyn Marie Wilkins
Carolyn Marie Wilkins leads us through an inspiring family and personal history and how they have shaped her talents as a writer. A healer, an intuitive counselor, a psychic medium, and a professor at Berklee College of Music. A Reiki Master since 1996, Carolyn has spent more than twenty years engaged in the study of spirituality, energy and healing. She has studied at the Arthur Findlay College of Psychic Arts in Stansted, England, and is a member of renowned English medium Mavis Pittilla’s Boston Mentorship Program. As a musician, Carolyn has performed in the Pittsburgh Symphony and represented her country as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. She is also the author of five books –Damn Near White and They Raised Me Up (published by the University of Missouri Press) Melody for Murder and Mojo for Murder (Pen-L Publishing), and Tips for Singing (Hal Leonard Press).
To find out more about Carolyn, visit her website: www.carolynwilkins.com
Last revised 8/25/19
