Our Members' Writing Success~

Barry Basden:

The Camel Saloon has advised that "Names from Another War" was one of their ten most read pieces last year.

And in Amazon's Kindle store, CRACK! AND THUMP ended the year as one of their ten bestselling books about World War II. I have no idea why the heightened interest in a book that came out four years ago, but thanks to many on the nonfiction list who commented on the parts I subbed back then, especially to Diane Diekman, whose fine edit helped me breathe life into a comatose early draft.  Thanks also to Bob Sanchez, who copy-edited the final version. I've never found a glitch. Best to all in the coming year. May you have as much fun as I in this crazy thing we do--the solitary joy of arranging words on a screen.

"Why My Grandfather Had All Those Bessie Smith Records" will appear in the May issue of PANK. Thanks to those on the fiction list who critiqued this little piece of hint fiction.

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Mel Jacob:

A record month.   

Gunshoereview.com:

A Play of Piety (A Joliffe Mystery) by Margaret Frazer: When Mistress Thorncoffyn  beats her steward senseless for cheating her, he survives, but badly bruised and  barely alive. However, the next morning  others find him dead in a small stream. 

Like Ellis Peters in the Cadfeal mysteries, Fraser shows the medieval world as  less primitive than many readers  believe. A Stranger in Mayfair (Charles Lenox Mysteries). The fourth Victorian Charles Lenox novel by Charles Finch finds Lenox, now  a new Member of Parliament, asked by an acquaintance, Ludo Sparling, to  solve the murder of a young footman.  

A Truth For a Truth (Ministry is Murder) by Emilie Richards: Aggie Sloan-Wilcox finds herself hip deep in murder when a former minister dies and the police suspect his take-charge wife is the killer. As always, Richards delivers a fun mystery with plenty of self-deprecating humor.  

Death and the Running Patterer, A Curious Murder Mystery by Robin Adair provides detailed insights into the early history of Sydney, Australia in his debut novel. Nicodemus Dunne, a patterer--a sort of town crier, who provides news for those who cannot read or haven't the money or time for local newspapers. An ex-convict, now on parole, he responds to the governor's call to assist in solving the brutal murder of a soldier. Little does he know his efforts will lead the authorities to believe he did the killings. 

Falling More Slowly: Detective Inspector Liam McLusky by Peter Helton Soho: Set in Bristol, the new police detective must solve a series of bombings, cope with politicians and jealous colleagues, and prevent more maimings and  murders. 

Frozen Assets: Gunnhilder Mystery Series by Quentin Bates: Set in Iceland against the background of that country's financial meltdown, police sergeant Gunnhilder Gísladóttir investigates the suspicious death of a young man from an apparent drowning in a  rural village. Others dismiss it as an accidental death, but Gunna doesn't agree.

 

India Black by Carol K. Carr: Abbess (madam) India Black and French, an aide to the prime minister, take readers on a breakneck romp though Victorian England in pursuit of two  Russian agents and documents stolen from a War Office official.

Love Songs from a Shallow Grave, A Dr. Siri Investigation by Colin Cotterill:The adventures of Dr.  Siri Paibourn, the Laotian coroner continue when three women, all educated in  Europe, die from a sharpened epee through the heart. Siri also gets caught in the horrors of the Khmer Rouge in 1978.

SFRevu.com

Frostfire: A Novel of the Kyndred by Lynn Viehl: Lynn Viehl specializes in hot fantasy romance with vampires and genetically altered humans in her latest  Kyndred novel. Kidnapped, Lilah Devereaux wakes naked in a refrigerated truck handcuffed to a corpse. 

Gaslight Grotesque: Nightmare Tales of Sherlock: A mixture of tales set in the Victorian era and focusing on Sherlock  Holmes and Dr. Watson with supernatural elements at work.  

The Soul Mirror: A Novel of the Collegia Magica by Carol: Carol Berg keeps her heroine Anne de Vernase and the reader guessing in The Soul Mirror, the sequel to The Spirit Lens. Now her younger sister lies dead outside the Collegia Seravain slain by  her own magic or by some unknown hand.

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Alice Folkart:

My story, "Language of Love"(started on Practice a long time ago), and my poem, "Valley of the Shadow of Tax Time" (originally posted at Perfect Day 4 Poetry (sometimes known as PD4P), have a whole page to themselves in Kathy Highcove's current Newsletter for the California Writer's Club, West Valley Chapter. The link below will take you there, but you'll have to scroll to page 12 to see my contributions. But don't be in a hurry. There are some interesting things to read along the way. Kathy does a super job as editor of this periodical and has lately been  featuring writers from the IWW. Great to see ourselves in print! Thank you Kathy.

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Kathleen Jordan:

My flash, “Ages of a Woman,” is the first piece on Glossolalia (under my penname, Kathlen McClain). Thanks to the Fiction group for their comments.

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Mark Kline:

My translation of “Copenhagen Noir,” published by Akashic Books, Brooklyn, is out. It's the latest in Akashic's series of noir short story collections set in various cities, each story by a different writer who lives in, or is somehow connected to, the city. Each writer sets his or her story in a specific quarter of the city, the idea being that readers will get a broad view of the city--and hopefully be entertained. Personally I think the view the collection gives of Copenhagen is more like a chaotic drive-by glimpse, but most of the stories are good, a few of them more than good. Several of the writers involved in Copenhagen Noir follow the Scandinavian tradition of critical social realism. Some stories involve sex trafficking, prostitution, porn. I mention this because if anyone is tempted to buy a copy, you might want to know that there are some graphic and uncomfortable scenes. 

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Tom Mahony:

There's a new review of my novel Imperfect Solitude in Kurungabaa.     

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Jacki Massoud:

My story, "Shit Water," has been published by Bastards and Whores and is now online. Something about this particular story being published by this particular mag really amuses me.  Thanks to everyone on the fiction list who helped me out with this one.

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Sarah Morgan:

I wish my writing life was always like this--the editor read this little piece on my blog and wrote asking permission to publish it. How could I say no? I am very proud to lead off the New Year at Camroc Press Review with my short essay, DOG TAGS.  No one critted this piece for me, but I know that my writing is a direct result of the nonfiction list, so a big thank you to all of you, and a big thank you to Barry B. All the best in your writing life.

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Joanna Weston:

Happy New Year! I've a poem, "And then," up at Snow Monkey, at Cheers!

My poem, “Intricate pieces,” was chosen as one of the “Best of 2010” at the Cynic Online Magazine. Check the right-hand “Café” column, scroll down to the fourteenth, and there I am. Two poems in the print anthology, “Out of the Warm Land.” One poem, “Starlight,” in the UK print journal, “Weyfarers.” And two poems, “Impassive Cold,” and '”Our Side of the  window,” in “Tower Poetry.”  With many thanks to the poets of the Poetry-W list for their help with just about all of these! Cheering madly.

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