Creative Writing Courses One of the questions I am sometimes asked is if I feel it’s advisable to take creative writing courses? For me, the answer is both yes and no as every writer will have their own unique journey. However, by delving into my own experiences of courses, I hope to explore the answer […]
What Makes Sherlock So Special What indeed! Sherlock Holmes has been with us for over one hundred years and the public’s interest for him remains unquenchable. He is known the world over and is so familiar that his name has become part of our vernacular. Moreover, he is the most portrayed character in film and […]
Book Review: Five More American Mystery Classics The American Mystery Classics series continues to republish some great crime novels of the past, featuring some of the greatest talents in the genre, including some legends who have unfortunately fallen into undeserved obscurity. John Dickson Carr made his name with the “locked room” mysteries and impossible crimes […]
DVD Review: Monk: The Complete Series (2020 Rerelease) Critics and pundits love to bandy the word “relevant” around certain creative works, arguing that because of its topic, themes, or political agenda, a certain book or movie or TV series is exceptionally “relevant” to the current era. Often, this terminology means nothing more than “this work […]
HUNTING WHITEY There is an art to writing true-crime. The key is to immerse yourself in the worlds of both the criminal and the victim. To develop and understand their psychological profiles, a writer must get a sense of their personal space – where they lived and where they died. While researching our book […]
Isolation: A Suspense Writer’s Best Friend A curtain of silence over the city. Empty streets criss-crossing the landscape. Shuttered storefronts and pedestrian-free sidewalks. Furtive, nervous looks from the scattered few venturing out in the open. A scene from a Stephen King novel? An episode of The Twilight Zone with Rod Serling lingering in the […]
Does it take a tribe to write a book? There are plenty of writers who will tell you this job is perfect for the introvert and while that is mostly true I’ve learned it takes a tribe to write, polish, and publish a book. I’m not just talking about the editors and publishers—though […]
Ten Spy/Heist Reads from Bookstore Owners We all have our favorite subgenres in the mystery/thriller world. For me, it’s spy and heist novels, the more escapist the better. Who doesn’t love the skilled patriot working in the shadows for king and country, the cat burglar challenging a high-tech security system, or the grifter spinning the […]
Three Amazing Classic Thrillers That Need To Be Made Into Films Right Now (plus one underrated amazing spy film that you really need to see) by Michael Ledwidge Sometimes you come across a book that is so good you shake your head and wonder to yourself why isn’t this a movie? Here are […]
Top 10 Rules About the CIA Every Spy Novel Writer Must Know Stories of men and women operating in the shadows from each corner of the world, while the rest of us mere mortals go on about our lives, have captured our imagination and helped build a multi-billion book and movie industry. Year after year, […]