Month: April 2012

Sneak Peek: Storm Rising by Kenneth Hoss

Today we have a sneak peek of Kenneth Hoss’s book, Storm Rising:

Storm Rising by Kenneth HossWhen a murder investigation turns Detective Kelli Storm’s attention to a drug kingpin, the last thing she expected was to find a link to her father’s killer from twenty years earlier.

Detectives Kelli Storm and Bill Hayes are investigating multiple homicides in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood.

When a young woman is murdered, Kelli tracks the killer to a Gentleman’s Club in Manhattan. There she locates an unwilling witness. When the woman is assaulted and left dying, the investigation takes a new twist. The DEA steps in and takes over, forcing Kelli off the case.

She decides to take a different approach. Working behind the scenes, she pulls out one of her father’s old case files and finds a connection between the killer and his murder.

Storm Rising – A Kelli Storm Novel is available through Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.  Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Storm Rising by Kenneth Hoss”

Getting it Right: Juries by Karen Wyle

Author and attorney Karen A. Wyle

[This is part 2 of a three part “Getting it Right” series by author and attorney Karen A. Wyle. This series is aimed at helping authors understand and add meaningful and convincing detail in writing courtroom drama. Part 1 can be found here.]

As promised, here are a few basics about juries.

There are some kinds of cases that may or may not be tried to a jury, and other kinds of cases where there will never be a jury.

In a criminal case where there is a possibility of more than six months’ imprisonment, a defendant has a right to trial by jury. In some states, a defendant facing less than six months also has that right. If you’re charged with an infraction, such as a parking ticket, you probably can’t get a jury trial. Continue reading “Getting it Right: Juries by Karen Wyle“

So You’ve Decided to Become an Indie Author…

You’re one of those people with a vivid imagination and a way with words. Your friends all tell you you are smart or deep or articulate or funny or witty or creative. You spin stories and people love those stories. They have been telling you for years you should write a book, because they would definitely buy that book.

Maybe you have characters in your head whose stories are demanding to be told, who will not leave you alone until you sit down at a computer and let it flow. Maybe these characters in your head talk to you, and you talk back to them, and the medication doesn’t seem to be helping at all.

So, you’ve decided to become an indie author. Wise choice. Now you’re thinking about:

  • Fame
  • Wealth
  • Critical Acclaim

These are just three of the things that won’t be happening anytime soon. But don’t worry, all is not lost. I’m here with some helpful tips on how to survive on an indie author income of tens of dollars a year. You won’t have to do this for long, of course, because your big break is right around the corner. I can feel it. But, until then, this may be a big adjustment if you’re used to having things like spending money and electricity. Here are 7 suggestions that will help ease the transition: Continue reading “So You’ve Decided to Become an Indie Author…”

Paying the fiddler

We are told to avoid clichés. As writers, we are supposed to be original and thought-provoking. I suggest, however  – after over a quarter of a century of devising original sentences to put end to end in original works – that nothing moves a reader more than recognition.

Seeking originality, being inventive, and coming up with a piece of writing that’s totally unique has its drawbacks. It might not be liked. Readers might not understand what you are getting at. They might not see your premise. Where you are coming from might be a place they have never visited, and so not be able to identify. Or identify with. Continue reading “Paying the fiddler”