‘e2’80’a6and then I work my way down in the stack to the Saturday paper, and find: ‘e2’80’9cHouse panel votes to chop food stamps.’e2’80’9d It seems that our Ag department, dominated of course by Bush Republicans, and in a move originally suggested by the White House, are trying to help chop $50 billion out of the…

I had the sort of weekend that reminds me why I’e2’80’99m in this book business. I spent a lot of time with my good friends of the Poisoned Pen (bookstore and press), had a couple of decent events, didn’e2’80’99t get seated next to a boor or a small and mistreated child on either flight, got…

I’e2’80’99m off to Phoenix for the weekend, two events and a chance to see my friends in Scottsdale of the Poisoned Pen, bookstore and press. Back Monday, assuming I survive the sudden climate change. If any of you are within striking distance of San Francisco, you should know that I am doing an evening conversation…

I’e2’80’99m putting together the quarterly newsletter, which will go out some time in November, and in addition to the cover of THE ART OF DETECTION and maybe a photo of me in England, I’e2’80’99m trying to decide what I want to write. Author newsletters occupy one of those tricky areas between promotion and the personal…

That’e2’80’99s TAD done and dusted. At long last, THE ART OF DETECTION is off my desk, all the blue Post Its (notes to self) removed and the brown Post Its (notes to editor) folded neatly along the side of the page; all the copy editor’e2’80’99s mistaken changes of my American English into English English (Mr.…

You want to know how to become a successful writer? Look at what Ian Rankin has to say on the matter. TO PLAY THE FOOL was the first book I wrote under contract. Sixty pages or so into it, my mother fell down and broke both her wrists. She could do nothing for herself. My…

Lee Goldberg has some interesting things to say (Oct 19) about rejection’e2’80’94or rather, passes on some interesting takes on his book from jaundiced editorial eyes. Nearly twenty letters turning him down, and the book goes on, when finally published, to great reviews. As I read through the above paragraph, an intriguing thing pops out at…

Please turn your thoughts to Ed Gorman, on his way to a scary procedure. Ed is one of the founding members of the mystery world as it stands today, and having him go shaky is frightening for us all. Strength, Ed. And we’e2’80’99re going to miss your blog. *********************And while we’e2’80’99re on grim things. Molly…

So, what do we think of the Quill awards? On the one hand, any group with the sense of humor to hand not one, but two awards to the Jon Stewart crew is my kind of people. On the other hand, the entire thrust is so commercial, it’e2’80’99s a little off-putting. On the one hand,…

The face of THE ART OF DETECTION was revealed to me, as in a dream’e2’80’a6 Actually, UPS brought it on Saturday in one of those brown envelopes that explode grey fuzz all over everything when you pull the tab. I’e2’80’99ll post it here and on the web site when they finish ‘e2’80’9ctweaking’e2’80’9d it and sent…