A childhood spent on motion picture sets gave me the unique opportunity to see the world through a different lens. I was lucky enough to have a father who owned an independent production company in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was an unusual childhood, but it allowed me to get to know many […]
Tag Archives: Blog Article
Why the Paranormal is Normal in New Orleans
If you’ve ever strolled through the French Quarter, you’ve seen ghost tours clogging sidewalks, for sale signs warning of haunted houses, and, if lucky, you’ve overheard the locals speak of paranormal happenings keeping them up at night. That’s the way of things here. Living with ethereal intruders is as commonplace as beignets and showers every […]
Q & A with author Nancy Allen
Q: Tell me a little bit about your background. How did you begin practicing law? A: When I was born the practice of law was entirely a man’s profession and – particularly in Missouri – women didn’t enter into the practice. My father was a lawyer, but I guarantee that when my three sisters were […]
Literary Thrillers: An Oxymoron? by Bonnie Kistler
What’s in a name? Plenty, if we’re talking about the label assigned to a novel. It governs where the work is shelved in a bookstore or library or what algorithm an e-tailer uses to recommend it. It determines whether the novel’s readership is largely men or almost entirely women, or children or young adults or […]
Wastrels and Layabouts: Six Novels with Charming, Workshy Anti-heroes by Peter Mann
Writers are great shirkers, as everyone suspects and all writers know. Our patron saint is Bartleby of Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener, whose great refusal, “I would prefer not to,” is our battle cry against the world of workaday drudgery. For why work when you can write? Of course, it takes discipline and craft, those […]
Exclusive Interview With Leslie Klinger
The Strand Magazine is a huge fan of Leslie Klinger, in this exclusive interview we got the opportunity to speak to one of the most notable authorities of the Sherlock Holmes novels. An expert of classic genre fiction, Leslie Klinger tells us all about his start in the world of the crime genre and his […]
Dangerous Secrets Reveal The Truths In A Marriage – “My Darling Husband” By Kimberly Belle
Rewriting real-life tragedy I have led what most people would consider a charmed life. I grew up solidly middle class, in a nice home with two loving parents and a slew of beloved pets. I am college educated, financially comfortable, a happily married mother to two healthy children who’ve grown into kind and thriving adults. […]
Understanding the Accidental Killer by Rebecca Taylor
When I was sixteen and just about to get my driver’s license, my friend’s mother made a surprising confession. When she was a young adult, she made a right-hand turn on a green light when a woman on a bicycle suddenly rode in front of her moving car. She hit the woman, launching her body […]
10 Novels Inspired by True Crimes
As true crime stories, documentaries, and podcasts become more mainstream, it only makes sense that it continues to weave its way into fiction as well. Part of what makes true crime so fascinating is the horror and intrigue we feel when trying to wrap our heads around the darkest parts of humanity – and the […]
Six Survival Thrillers That Will Make You Question Your Own Life
Ever since I was young, I have been obsessed with survival thrillers. Whether they’re nonfiction tales rooted in unbelievable yet true, real-life situations or fantastical made-up fictional scenarios, the stakes don’t get any higher in storytelling than life or death adventures. These types of stories never fail to make us ponder our own existence since […]
Excerpt From “LOST OASIS” by R Lawson Gamble
Excerpt From “LOST OASIS” by R Lawson Gamble After digging into steaming heaped plates of tangy soul-satisfying Mexican food, the friends leaned back in their chairs to contemplate the possibility of dessert. Zack sipped the dregs of his margarita and eyed his friend. “What else did you learn today? I’ve heard nothing to suggest a reason for […]
A Bible of Bad Men and Other Mob Tales
After growing up hearing mob tales and names from the Five Families, William Boyle reflects on what drew him to the mob genre and inspired some of his projects, such as his newest novel A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself. I grew up on the border of Bensonhurst and Gravesend in Brooklyn, and the […]