Editing by Elizabeth

November 20, 2017

The Battle for Reading High School by Jon Bennett

It’s a pleasure to welcome Jon Bennett to the site today. I had the honor of working with Jon on his novel Reading Blue Devils (Open Books). In the book, Bennett uses a fictional student rebellion at Reading High School in Ohio to tackle serious topics such as bullying and racism, the struggling American educational system, and the very nature of good and evil, yet manages to do so with his tongue planted firmly in cheek throughout most of it. Today, Bennett shares a secret about American high schools that helped inspire his novel: bathrooms are where you get the true pulse of a school. →

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November 18, 2017

Gun Kiss

“I’ve worked on two manuscripts with Elizabeth, both of which were picked up by publishers, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be returning to her for my next. With her legal background and editing skills, Elizabeth is super sharp and astute. Not only will she correct your copy to the standard, but her development skills will catch things you didn’t notice. She’ll let you know what needs to be corrected, offer suggestions for change, and sensibly question details so that the story sounds logical, without distorting your writer’s voice. Take my word for it, you’re in safe hands.” — Khaled Talib →

November 15, 2017

The Grind by Frank Bill

It’s an honor to welcome Frank Bill back to the site. Bill burst onto the scene with his powerful collection Crimes in Southern Indiana, which was named by GQ magazine as one of the best books of 2011. Next came the hard-hitting novel Donnybrook, which is currently in production by director Tim Sutton with Frank Grillo starring. Bill’s follow-up to Donnybrook, The Savage, out now from FSG Originals, is “an unnerving vision of a fractured America gone terribly wrong, and a study of what happens when the last systems of morality and society collapse.” →

November 09, 2017

From Finance to Fiction by Martin Bodenham

I’m pleased to welcome Martin Bodenham to the site today. Martin’s latest novel, Shakedown, is out November 13th from Down & Out Books. Today, Martin reflects on how the big egos and greed he witnessed during his extensive career in private equity and corporate finance inspired the plots of his three financial crime thrillers. →

November 07, 2017

What Inspired Me to Write this Book by Rebecca Marks

Rebecca Marks is here today in conjunction with Stone Cold Sober (Black Opal Books), the latest entry in her Dana Cohen Mystery Series. Cohen, a fortysomething retired NYPD detective, moved back to her family’s home “on the crags over the Long Island Sound” with the intention of settling down and helping her aging father with his winery. You can’t turn off twenty-two years of cop instincts, however, and Cohen keeps finding herself drawn into investigations, with or without the blessings of local law enforcement. →

October 10, 2017

Stopping Monsters with a Story by Rich Zahradnik

Rich Zahradnik has stopped by in conjunction with the release of Lights Out Summer, the fourth book in Zahradnik’s award-winning Coleridge Taylor mystery series. Lights Out Summer is set against the backdrop of the infamous summer of ’77 in New York City, which saw the Son of Sam killings and a July blackout plunge the city into fear and chaos. Zahradnik stopped by to talk about some of the journalists who inspired him at the beginning of his nearly four-decade journalism career, and therefore became a part of Coleridge Taylor as well. →

October 06, 2017

You Have the Right to do Research and a Lack of Accuracy May be Held Against You by J.J. Hensley

It’s a pleasure to welcome J.J. Hensley to the site. The author of three previous novels, his debut, Resolve, was named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. Hensley’s latest, Bolt Action Remedy (Down & Out Books), is the first in a new series featuring former Pittsburgh narcotics detective Trevor Galloway. Today Hensley is here to talk about one of his pet peeves—law enforcement inaccuracies in crime fiction. Having worked as both a police officer and a Secret Service agent, J.J. knows what he’s talking about when it comes to getting law enforcement procedure correct. He just wishes everyone paid as much attention to detail. →

October 02, 2017

Killing Malmon by Dan and Kate Malmon

“Never before has killing someone benefited such a good cause.” So goes the tag line for Killing Malmon, a collection of short stories in which longtime Crimespree Magazine contributor, Kit Kat lover, and hug eschewer Dan Malmon meets his demise. Thirty times. But don’t worry, it’s all for a good cause. I’ll let Killing Malmon editors Kate and Dan explain. →

September 24, 2017

Banned Books Week 2017: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Today is the start of Banned Books Week 2017:

“Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, BBW highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted banning of books across the United States. →

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