Friday, March 30, 2007

CRIMESPACE! For Readers and Writers of Suspense!

300 in 3 weeks



That's how many participants signed up to the popular growing CrimeSpace website (http://crimespace.ning.com).









I found out about the growing community when I was setting up my new forum on a great social networking site called ning.com and as always I'm looking for ways to promote myself and decided to drop in and look around.


My! Oh my! Was I overwhelmed and in love at the same!


Immediately I wanted to share this with the world and decided for my entry this week to you, to do an interview with Daniel Hatadi, the founder of Crimespace.


Can you give me a brief Bio on you, Daniel?


Having spent ten years as a computer programmer in the shady field of gambling, I found myself drawn from music, to short film, to reading—something I've ignored since high school. The next step was writing and I've been doing that for the last three years, the first two of which were spent on a novel I never want exhumed from the coffin I buried it in. I've since moved on to a story that could be described in one sentence like this: "An unwilling hitman becomes part of a crime syndicate that stretches back to turn-of-the-century Sydney." To keep me going while I work on it, I've been writing short stories and getting them published at venues such as Crimespree Magazine, Thrilling Detective, Shotsmag UK, and Thuglit. To top it all off, in an insane fit of inspiration, I created Crimespace.


What is Crimespace?


It's a hub, a central meeting place, a bar of sorts, a place for us to share our passion for crime fiction. Like MySpace, but for readers and writers of crime fiction.

Why did you start Crimespace?

Before Crimespace, the crime and mystery community on the Internet was segregated into readers, writers and sub-genres. I saw a hole that needed to be filled. The Internet has had no substitute for the bar at Bouchercon or Harrogate or Thrillerfest. I'm hoping I can turn Crimespace into that bar. Virtually. So far, it's working.


How long has Crimespace existed? How many members?

It's only been going for a single month and members have been joining at the rate of about 100 a week. That makes it just shy of 400 at last check. I've also seen a number of well known authors sign up. These include Val McDermid, Stuart MacBride, Ken Bruen, Sara Gran, John Rickards, Cornelia Read, J. D. Rhoades, Ray Banks, Sandra Ruttan, Anne Frasier, Sandra Scoppettone, Duane Swierczynski, and the list goes on, growing every day.


When you started it, did you expect the instant networking and promotion?


Crimespace was designed to be a social network, so I definitely hoped to see a large amount of discussion centred on crime fiction. But no, I didn't expect to see people doing business or promoting products. I've heard of members who are already getting publishing deals and working together to create like-minded author events, but the promotion aspect of it has me worried. I don't want to see Crimespace turn into the desert of disingenuous "thanks for adding me as a friend" comments that MySpace has become. I've been taking measures to separate promotion from discussion, such as creating a separate Events section for appropriate announcements. Members have responded very positively to this. It's only been one month, so it's hard to tell where it's heading, but so far, as a crime fiction community, Crimespace is thriving.


What is to come for Crimespace?


I have a few plans in store for Crimespace, such as holding a monthly competition, getting together T-shirts and buttons to promote the place, as well as adding a section for crime-based flash fiction. That last one is something I know a lot of members are looking forward to. I'm also trying to think of ways to promote Crimespace to readers. There are already a number of them on board and they seem to be having a blast finding new authors and interacting with the community. One thing I don't want to do is to make money from Crimespace. The ads that run on the site pay for the hosting and software and none of that money comes to me. Profits from the selling of T-shirts or buttons will go back into things like the monthly competition, or anything else I can think of to help promote Crimespace and the crime fiction community. I already have a day job and unless I one day make a living from writing, I'm happy to stay where I am.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Mystery, Sci-Fi and Drama Take The Stage At April Author Event in Chicago

220 Communications and Hidden Pearl Cafe Present “Sessions, Mystery and Mayhem!" Saturday April 7th, from 1PM - 4PM at Hidden Pearl Cafe 1060 East 47th Street Chicago IL..

The event features four writers from the genres of mystery, sci-fi, and drama. The authors will read sign and answer questions about their books. Featured writers include Award winning authors Margie Gosa Shivers, (“Once Is Never Enough”) and Sylvia Hubbard (“Stone’s Revenge”), Author and Media Strategist Mel Hopkins (“Sleeping With A D-Man”) and award winning new author Valerie Withers. (“F.R.I..E.N.D.S. .and the Choices That We Make”).


The event also features all the extras offered at 220 Communications sponsored events, including special prize drawings totaling over $1000. Including resort vacation packages good at over 50 different locations, mystery movie packs, special "mystery prizes".

220 Communications is the parent company for online art gallery Kreationsart.com and online media (books, music, film) site BUY220.com. The company is dedicated to the marketing and promotion of the arts using a positive and innovative approach. The company features monthly “Sessions” events in partnership with Little Black Pearl Art Design Center in Chicago IL and has held events in Detroit, Dallas, Memphis and Milwaukee. 220 Communications is the creator of the "Authors and Artists" Chicago event now in its fourth year to be held September 7th- 9th.

Sponsors for Mystery and Mayhem are Little Black Pearl Art Design Center and BUY220.comMedia

Contact Glenn Murray glenn@220communications.com
1-866-533-9884
www.220communications.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Who the H* * * is Mark Terry?











March 20, 2007




When asked, which isn't all that often, I say that I am a freelance writer, editor and novelist. I make a living off the written word, although I didn't always--for 18 years I worked in genetics at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, a job for which I often think the less is said the better.
The fact is, I'm a writer first and editor and novelist comes afterwards. The majority of my income--at the moment--comes from freelance writing of one sort or another. I love this job and it is treating me very well at the moment.
To-date, I've had three books published and the fourth, THE SERPENT'S KISS, will be out from Midnight Ink/Llewellyn Worldwide on July 1, 2007. It, like THE DEVIL'S PITCHFORK, deal with Dr. Derek Stillwater, a troubleshooter for the Department of Homeland Security, ex-Army Special Forces, expert in biological and chemical warfare and terrorism. SERPENT is book 2 in a 4-book contract, though I hope to write about Derek for a very long time, as well as a number of other projects I've got cooking or my agent is currently marketing.
To find out more about me or my books, check out my website, www.markterrybooks.com or my other blog, www.markterrybooks.com/blog.html
When not writing I lift weights, bike, study Sanchin-Ryu karate, kayak, walk my dog, or hang out with my wife and kids. I hope you'll enjoy stopping by and see what those of us who blog here might have to say.
Best,
Mark Terry

Friday, March 16, 2007

The Mind of a Killer... what lies beneath?




My name is Janaya Black and I have started a series called the "Prison Chronicles" that takes a deep look into the life stories of 3 different women in the same prison, to see what drove them to the various extremes that landed them in prison.



In my first book, The Breaking Point, I wrote about Marion Hayes who was imprisoned for murdering her loving husband and childhood sweetheart. This story is not the typical illustration of a battered woman who woke up one morning and decided that she wasn't going to take it anymore. It is more of a tale that illustrates how someone who is continuously beaten down by life and all of its unforeseen circumstances can endure, and then in the heat of a moment one thing can drive them over the edge past the point of return. It is a sad and relentless story of a woman who has the best of intentions but just can never seem to get ahead.


My second book, As Told By the Other Woman, tells the story of a young girl name Timberlynn Crawford, a young woman who unknowingly gets involved with a married man and ends up murdering his wife. This story is another example of how people can get caught up in emotional situations that drive them to violent extremes.

Why did I choose to go this route with my debut series? I often find myself wondering why and how people can commit the horrific atrocities that we see on the news everyday, so in order to derive some sort of understanding of what I saw I began to write stories of fictional people to bring myself some sort of insight as to what might drive an individual to murder.
So...with that said, I invite you to journey with me into the depths of my mind to find out what I will come up with next! For those who know my work...there is a lot more to look forward to. And for those who don't know my work, please check me out...I promise you won't be disappointed.

Mystery Writers of America to Help Libraries

-- Publishers Weekly, 3/16/2007


Mystery Writers of America has launched MWA: Reads Library Initiative, to help financially struggling libraries throughout the U.S. The program aims to bring attention to the needs of public library systems by donating books to libraries for their collections, focusing on books for children and young adults.


MWA is starting with a pilot program in West Virginia, where it is seeking donations (especially children's mysteries) to the West Virginia Library Commission. Booksellers and publishers may send books in new or "great" condition to MWA:Reads LI, attn: Suzy McGinley, WVLC, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Cultural Center, Charleston, W.Va. 25305. More information is at www.mysterywriters.org/MWAreads.

AWESOME RESOURCE FOR MYSTERY/SUSPENSE WRITERS - A MUST HAVE!!!!,


I really thought I knew all there was to writing suspense, but I wanted more insight to mystery.


So at the Murder in the Grove conference, I had the honor to meet Carolyn Wheat and buy this book. On the plane ride home from the conference, I found myself immersed in this book like it was a real life page turning suspense roller coaster. Carolyn's insight on this genre is amazing and she should have said this was a foundation guide for mystery and suspense writing because anyone who picks up this book will no doubt after reading it, know how to write in this genre.


With easy to understand terminology, lots of examples and references, How to Write Killer Fiction is the bible for how to write mystery and suspense. I myself will treasure this book for years to come and will highly recommend it to any writers out there. Of course no ones touching my copy because its signed by the author. nah-nah!
Sylvia Hubbard, Author of Stone's Revenge http://sylviahubbard.com
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