I’ve always felt that to write books, you need to love books; one thing follows the other! But the inspiration to tell a story comes from many sources, and one that’s always been key to my work are the books that surround me, the books I grew up reading and the works created by the […]
Category Archives: Blog Article
The Twelve Best Novels with Courtroom Scenes
The Twelve Best Novels with Courtroom Scenes In the long history of literature, courtroom scenes bring about the most memorable and dramatic moments. It’s no wonder authors are drawn to them, whether the book is a legal thriller or not: there is something inherently thrilling about the life-or-death, win-or-lose outcome of a courtroom battle. Consequences […]
Exclusive with Shawn Nocher, author of A Hand to Hold in Deep Water
Exclusive with Shawn Nocher, author of A Hand to Hold in Deep Water By Emily S. Martin TSM: What provided the inspiration for your book? Shawn Nocher (SN): The first chapter was originally a short story written years ago in a workshop. Over the next decade, I spent a lot of time imagining an entire backstory […]
The Problem of the Pandemic Novel
THE PROBLEM OF THE PANDEMIC NOVEL Catherine Ryan Howard On March 27, 2020, Ireland went into lockdown having had a total of just over 2,000 coronavirus cases in a population of five million or so. There had already been a rash of restrictions – the government had announced that pubs were to close mere days before […]
Get Ready for the Day Using Sherlock Holmes Gear
Get Ready for the Day Using Sherlock Holmes Gear By Anna Shura Getting ready in the morning can be a lot more fun if you are accompanied by Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Luckily, The Strand has a perfect array of helpful Holmes items to start your day: 1. Sherlock Holmes Book Cover Mug https://strandmag.com/product/sherlock-holmes-book-cover-full-color-mug/ […]
Top 5 Vacations through Puzzles
Top 5 Vacations through Puzzles By Anna Shura The past year has redefined what it means to stay-cation, and while the world is slowly coming back to normal, travel is not available for everyone yet. But don’t worry! The Strand has the perfect way to travel from home. Check out these worldly puzzles for some […]
Jane Austen Wishlist
Jane Austen Wishlist By Anna Shura The magnificent Jane Austen celebrated her 204th death day anniversary on July 18th. A leading author for many centuries deserves our discussion and readership after all these years. This post goes out to the many Austen fans around the world. Whether you self-identify as an Austen fan and […]
Interview with Sandra Brown
Interview with Sandra Brown By Anna Shura Sandra Brown is the woman behind over 70 New York Times bestsellers and her recent 83rd publication: Blind Tiger. Her novels range from romance to historical fiction to suspense/thriller. In her exclusive interview with The Strand, Sandra Brown discusses finding the inspiration behind her Western Prohibition setting for Blind […]
Interview with S.L. McInnis
Interview with S.L. McInnis by Anna Shura S.L. McInnis has a degree in broadcasting and has worked in public radio and television. Like the two main characters in the book, she studied music for years. She lives in Rotterdam with her husband. Framed is her debut thriller. AS: Could you please tell us […]
Life Meets Art in Thriller World Through the Ages
Life Meets Art in Thriller World Through the Ages The act of concealing one’s identity to do the job of an undercover operative can be as simple as using a throw-away alias for a onetime meeting, or as complex as developing a full-on Jason Borne fake identity with enough backstory and backstopping to fool […]
For Openers: Great First Lines of Legendary Novels
For Openers: Great First Lines of Legendary Novels “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” “I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time.” “It was a dark and stormy night.” Well, hello! And count me in. With these concisely atmospheric opening […]
Celebrate Harry Potter’s Birthday in Style
Celebrate Harry Potter’s Birthday in Style By Anna Shura July 31st marked the beloved wizard’s 41st birthday. (Yikes, does anyone have an anti-aging spell?) As a self-proclaimed huge Harry Potter fan, I give these items a stamp of approval, and I may or may not have all of them in my shopping cart already. […]