GrayBasnight

Inspiration from Ellen & Clint by Gray Basnight

Gray Basnight stops by in conjunction with the release of his newest, Flight of the Fox (Down & Out Books). Flight of the Fox uses the rumored relationship between FBI Director J Edgar Hoover and FBI Associate Director Clyde Tolson as the jumping off point for a “what if” modern-day thriller in which a professor must run for his life while trying to decode a mysterious journal, the contents of which certain members of the government will stop at nothing to keep from seeing the light of day.
TerrenceMcCauley

The Importance of Authentic Diversity in Crime Fiction by Terrence McCauley

Award-winning author Terrence McCauley returns to the site today. After a run of successful releases in his James Hicks thriller series, McCauley is taking a break to revisit the 1930s and his character Charlie Doherty (Prohibition, Slow Burn, The Devil Dogs of Belleau Wood). The Fairfax Incident (Polis Books) catches up with Doherty now working as a private investigator. Today, McCauley stops by to talk about the importance of authentic diversity in crime fiction, both on the page and behind the pen.
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Motivation by Susan C. Shea

It’s a pleasure to welcome Susan C. Shea back to the site. Susan is the author of the Dani O’Rourke mystery series (Murder in the Abstract, The King’s Jar and Mixed Up With Murder), as well as a French village mystery series featuring American expat Katherine Goff. The second book featuring Katherine, Dressed for Death in Burgundy, which follows series debut Love & Death in Burgundy, is out now from Minotaur Books. Today, Susan stops by to talk about what motivates characters—internal vs external, everyday vs extraordinary—and how to make sure readers care as much about that motivation as the characters do.
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Relentless

“I’ve worked with Elizabeth on both self-published and traditionally published books. Each time I found her to be extremely professional, timely and she provided a great knowledge of the genre of crime fiction, as well as fixed my grammatical travesties. I could go with any number of people to correct my spelling, but Elizabeth gave my writing a bit more that I feel really helped push it to its final stage.” — Mike McCrary

SpysGamble

The Spy’s Gamble

It was an honor to work with Howard Kaplan on two political/espionage thrillers, including The Spy’s Gamble, which was released on June 5th. Kaplan holds a BA in Middle East History and has lived in Israel and traveled extensively through Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, experience which informs his writing. The Los Angeles Times says Kaplan’s writing is “in the best tradition of the genre” and that he is “without peer in his grasp of the delicate and explosive relationship between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

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Senioritis by Jon Bennett

Jon Bennett is becoming a bit of a regular here, and it’s a pleasure to welcome him back. I worked with Jon on his debut novel, Reading Blue Devils, in which Bennett uses a student rebellion at a fictional high school to tackle serious topics such as the US’s struggling public education system, bullying and racism. As the school year comes to a close around the country, Jon has stopped by to address a phenomenon found in every high school: senioritis.
Tushhog

Tushhog

“At some point in the revision process, writers inevitably lose sight of the words they’ve written. The sharp eye and mind of Elizabeth White can help you see your work anew. She tells you where you’ve done your job well, and where you’ve made a mess of things—story notes, line edits, fact checking, you name it. And all this feedback comes with the vibe of a smart friend who gets what you’re doing.” — Jeff Hess

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The Search for Surprise by Jeffery Hess

I have the pleasure of knowing Jeff Hess as a friend, and the honor of working with him as an editor. Jeff is here today because the second book in his Scotland Ross series, Tushhog, is out now from Down & Out Books. Given my involvement with the book it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to review it, but I’m more than happy to turn the floor over to Jeff to ruminate on the idea that the writing process is a search for surprises, and sometimes you have to go down some wrong roads to get where you ultimately need to be.
SavannahSecrets

Savannah Secrets

It’s a pleasure working with Alan Chaput on his Vigilantes for Justice mystery series set in Savannah, Georgia. The first book in the series, Savannah Sleuth, was released in December of 2017, followed by the second story featuring Savannah social icon Patricia Falcon, Savannah Secrets, in March of 2018.