Posts by Laurie King
Lantern’s Dance: The Beginning
Because what I do for a living often seems like magic—I come up with an idea and *POOF* you have the book in your hand—I thought I might do a series of (spoiler-free!) blog posts about the actual process. Though rest assured—it’s still pretty magical. As with many of my books, The Lantern’s Dance began…
Read MoreWaves of glass
Every October, my county hosts Open Studios, three weekends when selected artists in all manner of media open their doors and let people wander in and out, asking questions, buying things—and commissioning projects of their own. I always set off with a list of artists I want to see, and I try to buy something…
Read MoreRain gonna fall
It’s April, here on the Central Coast, and in a normal year, we’d be pretty well finished with rain until October. Not that we can remember what a normal year looks like. This year we’re above our more-or-less average of 33 inches (the below are from the excellent Weathercat.net) – Last year, on the other…
Read MoreHitting “SEND”
I hit the SEND button–wahoo! First draft, hence short, untidy, and incomplete…but it’s sent, out into the editorial world. Now I wait, and see what she thinks. (*sound of chewing fingernails**) I think I’ll reward the newsletter subscribers with the first page this weekend. Or if not reward, at least give them something to talk…
Read MoreThe Business of Writing: The Editor (2)
Last day of February, the last of February’s posts celebrating 30 years of A Grave Talent. ** About a year after Grave Talent came out in 1993, St. Martins Press published The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. Two months later, in April, 1994, Grave Talent won the Edgar award for Best First Novel. Nonetheless, the sub-editor in charge of the…
Read MoreThe Business of Writing: The Editor (1)
Part of February’s month-long celebration of A Grave Talent, the Edgar-winning first novel about SFPD Inspector Kate Martinelli that started a writing career. ** I wrote a few days ago about my beloved first agent, Linda Allen, the woman who got me started as a writer. The agent is the person who knows the industry,…
Read MoreThe Case of the Upside-Down Hebrew
A Grave Talent, as my first book was dedicated to my husband, Noel–in Hebrew, which is only right between two scholars. Amos 3:4 means, more or less, Can two people walk together unless they be in agreement? I know, scholars are really romantic, right? Now, there are two mysteries here (beyond the mystery of…
Read MoreThe Art of the Review
Part of February’s month-long celebration of A Grave Talent, the Edgar-winning first novel about SFPD Inspector Kate Martinelli that started a writing career. One of the things I had fun with in writing A Grave Talent was crafting a series of reviews of the work of Eva Vaughn, the artist at the center of the…
Read More…And a Year Later: Edgar!
Part of February’s month-long celebration of A Grave Talent, my Edgar-winning first novel. ** A year after A Grave Talent was published, my first venture into publishing took me to the annual Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards banquet, when it was nominated in the Best First Novel category. I went with my daughter (then…
Read MoreThe Author Photo: a work in progress
Part of February’s celebration of A Grave Talent, the Edgar-winning first novel that started a writing career. ** If you have ever tried to take a good picture of yourself—not just a grinning selfie with friends but the kind of photo that says “thoughtful, intelligent person with a trace of humor and wit”—well, all I…
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