cloudy, drizzle, cool, temps 17
You'll never guess what happened...and you'll probably think I'm making this up now, I've had such great good fortune recently - but STILL LIFE has been shortlisted for an award...almost six years after being published. The Barry Award for Best Crime/Mystery Novel of the Decade!
Since this is 2010 it seemed a good time for the people at Deadly Pleasures magazine to look back on the past decade, so they put together this special Barry for this year.
Here's the list
MYSTERY/CRIME NOVEL OF THE DECADE
Ken Bruen - The Guards
Michael Connelly - The Lincoln Lawyer
Stieg Larsson - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Dennis Lehane - Mystic River
Louise Penny - Still Life
Carlos Ruiz Zafon - The Shadow of the Wind
What I love about this category is that I suspect it will be hotly debated...the ones left off. The ones on it. However, I will not be one of the people debating!
More editing/writing today...going well...slowly, but well. Off tonight to do a Skype. Skype doesn't work in our home - we're too remote, so we've discovered we need to go into the village and use the highspeed there. The cafe called Cafetier offers free highspeed. Now the problem is that it closes at 7pm, and the skype tonight is at 8pm...but I've been assured that if I sit in the car outside the cafe I can still get the high speed.
I think Jane Austen had to do exactly this...and Dennis Lehane, all the time.
But I'm happy to do Skype and meet readers, and this is with the Chicago Library system, so that's fun.
I'm just afraid I'll hare off out of here and forget the laptop!
rainy today so Gary's coming tomorrow to take the photos for the Globe and Mail of the baby blue beetle.
Showing posts with label Skype. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skype. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Macavity!!!
mainly sunny, mild, temps 17
Lovely day. Wayne came to mow. It's his 70th birthday!!! Yippee. He said he's quite stunned to find himself 70. But as we all know, people are living healthy, active lives easily into their 90'. So 70 is the new 50.
Wonderful news yesterday. Indeed, it was Marjorie from Connecticut who wrote to congratulate me. I'm afraid I didn't quite believe it...until poor woman sent me the link to Janet Rudolph's blog. She's the head of Mystery Reader's international.
The Brutal Telling has now been nominated for a Macavity award! Here's the announcement and the other nominees....
Macavity Award Nominations 2010
The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International. The 2010 Macavity Nominations are for books and stories published in 2009. Mystery Readers Journal is MRI's publication. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, in October. Bouchercon will be held in San Francisco in 2010. This award is named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats).
Congratulations to all!
Best Mystery Novel
• Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
• Tower by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman (Busted Flush Press)
• Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (Wm. Morrow)
• Nemesis by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett (HarperCollins)
• The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
• The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan (Minotaur)
Best First Mystery Novel
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Delacorte)
• Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti (Wm. Morrow)
• A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Minotaur)
• The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville (Soho Crime)
• A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Picador)
Best Mystery Nonfiction
• L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin (Random House: Harmony Books)
• Talking about Detective Fiction by P.D. James (Alfred A. Knopf)
• Rogue Males: Conversations & Confrontations About the Writing Life by Craig McDonald (Bleak House Books)
• The Line Up: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives, edited by Otto Penzler (Little, Brown & Co)
• Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo (Penguin Press)
• Dame Agatha’s Shorts: An Agatha Christie Short Story Companion by Elena Santangelo (Bella Rosa Books)
Best Mystery Short Story
• “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” by Ace Atkins in Crossroad Blues (Busted Flush Press)
• “Femme Sole” by Dana Cameron in Boston Noir (Akashic Books)
• “Digby, Attorney at Law” by Jim Fusilli, (AHMM, May 2009)
• “Your Turn” by Carolyn Hart in Two of the Deadliest (Harper)
• “On the House” by Hank Phillippi Ryan in Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers (Level Best Books)
• “The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away” by Marcus Sakey in Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can’t Put Down (Mira)
• “Amapola” by Luis Alberto Urrea in Phoenix Noir (Akashic Books)
Sue Feder Historical Mystery
• A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge)
• In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (Minotaur)
• A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd (Wm. Morrow)
• Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur)
• Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (Henry Holt)
Lots of fabulous reading.
And thank you all for your messages and celebrations. I feel sort of overwhelemed...both joyous and perhaps a little shy about this embarrassment of riches!!! But I'm sure I'll get over that shyness! But not the joy.
And what a list! Wonderful books and authors.
Must go. Globe calling in a few minutes to interview about the new book. Love your comments about the Karmann Ghias. As kids that was our dream car. I think we mostly liked the name. So exotic. Made us feel very 'in the know' and mature.
Have to drive into Sutton to do a Skype test. Fingers crossed we can find a highspeed link there.
I'm sorry, I just have to go back to the Macavity! I really am so happy about that. All that work on the book, all alone. for a year - every day. Like all the other nominees. And then to have this happen. It sure feels great!!!
Yippeee....
Speak to you tomorrow! Oh, am up to 125 pages (out of what is now 248 pages - halfway)...and the wordcount is now 110,400. Yay. The lower the better, I figure. Within reason, of course. But sure don't want to fall into the trap of getting more and more wordy and self-indulgent as the series goes on. Indeed, I need to become more and more disciplined. Not bloated.
Lovely day. Wayne came to mow. It's his 70th birthday!!! Yippee. He said he's quite stunned to find himself 70. But as we all know, people are living healthy, active lives easily into their 90'. So 70 is the new 50.
Wonderful news yesterday. Indeed, it was Marjorie from Connecticut who wrote to congratulate me. I'm afraid I didn't quite believe it...until poor woman sent me the link to Janet Rudolph's blog. She's the head of Mystery Reader's international.
The Brutal Telling has now been nominated for a Macavity award! Here's the announcement and the other nominees....
Macavity Award Nominations 2010
The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International. The 2010 Macavity Nominations are for books and stories published in 2009. Mystery Readers Journal is MRI's publication. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, in October. Bouchercon will be held in San Francisco in 2010. This award is named for the "mystery cat" of T.S. Eliot (Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats).
Congratulations to all!
Best Mystery Novel
• Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
• Tower by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman (Busted Flush Press)
• Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (Wm. Morrow)
• Nemesis by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett (HarperCollins)
• The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
• The Shanghai Moon by S.J. Rozan (Minotaur)
Best First Mystery Novel
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Delacorte)
• Running from the Devil by Jamie Freveletti (Wm. Morrow)
• A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Minotaur)
• The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville (Soho Crime)
• A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Picador)
Best Mystery Nonfiction
• L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin (Random House: Harmony Books)
• Talking about Detective Fiction by P.D. James (Alfred A. Knopf)
• Rogue Males: Conversations & Confrontations About the Writing Life by Craig McDonald (Bleak House Books)
• The Line Up: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives, edited by Otto Penzler (Little, Brown & Co)
• Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo (Penguin Press)
• Dame Agatha’s Shorts: An Agatha Christie Short Story Companion by Elena Santangelo (Bella Rosa Books)
Best Mystery Short Story
• “Last Fair Deal Gone Down” by Ace Atkins in Crossroad Blues (Busted Flush Press)
• “Femme Sole” by Dana Cameron in Boston Noir (Akashic Books)
• “Digby, Attorney at Law” by Jim Fusilli, (AHMM, May 2009)
• “Your Turn” by Carolyn Hart in Two of the Deadliest (Harper)
• “On the House” by Hank Phillippi Ryan in Quarry: Crime Stories by New England Writers (Level Best Books)
• “The Desert Here and the Desert Far Away” by Marcus Sakey in Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can’t Put Down (Mira)
• “Amapola” by Luis Alberto Urrea in Phoenix Noir (Akashic Books)
Sue Feder Historical Mystery
• A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell (Forge)
• In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (Minotaur)
• A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd (Wm. Morrow)
• Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson (Minotaur)
• Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (Henry Holt)
Lots of fabulous reading.
And thank you all for your messages and celebrations. I feel sort of overwhelemed...both joyous and perhaps a little shy about this embarrassment of riches!!! But I'm sure I'll get over that shyness! But not the joy.
And what a list! Wonderful books and authors.
Must go. Globe calling in a few minutes to interview about the new book. Love your comments about the Karmann Ghias. As kids that was our dream car. I think we mostly liked the name. So exotic. Made us feel very 'in the know' and mature.
Have to drive into Sutton to do a Skype test. Fingers crossed we can find a highspeed link there.
I'm sorry, I just have to go back to the Macavity! I really am so happy about that. All that work on the book, all alone. for a year - every day. Like all the other nominees. And then to have this happen. It sure feels great!!!
Yippeee....
Speak to you tomorrow! Oh, am up to 125 pages (out of what is now 248 pages - halfway)...and the wordcount is now 110,400. Yay. The lower the better, I figure. Within reason, of course. But sure don't want to fall into the trap of getting more and more wordy and self-indulgent as the series goes on. Indeed, I need to become more and more disciplined. Not bloated.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
The muddle in the middle
overcast, rain, hail, sun, rain, hail, sun - temps, who knows!
One of those unsettled, dramatic days that swung from beautiful sunny and warm to violent winds and hail. And, of course, it chose to pour just as we needed to be outside. Took Trudy for a walk - approached the pond and suddenly there was thunder and lightning. So Trudy and I skiddadled back home. Poor Michael was out back cutting daffodils for Nancy and George when the storm arrived. He scooted back inside too.
We've had dogs - Bonnie in particular - who were terrified of thunder storms. Trudy doesn't seem to care at all, which makes all our lives easier.
We set the alarm for 6, as I mentioned yesterday - got up and were writing by 8am...in front of the fire. Fun to see Michael getting back to his book with real vigor...as he does everything. And I think I might finish my first draft tomorrow. Nothing at all on the agenda tomorrow - except to write...yay!!!
When we were in Washington, at the Malice Domestic, I was chatting with some other writers and heard a phrase I'm not sure I'd heard before. But it sure is true. The Muddle in the Middle. Now, I never thought I was the only writer who got all kinda confused in the middle of writing my books - I'd heard lots of other writers describe exactly the same phenomenon. But I'd never actually heard that perfect description!
The Muddle in the Middle. As you see, I feel it should be capitalized.
Perfect. And, as a middle child, I can attest to the fact it's true for more than just a book.
At about noon we headed out (through the storm) to Knowlton. I had a bookclub meeting in Boerne, Texas, via Skype. but, having done skype from home we realized our internet is too slow to support it well...so we needed to find another way to do it. and we thought of Nancy, who has high speed and is a computer whiz. Unfortunately I'd raced back from the pond with Trudy so fast, and then we were late, so I jumped in the car and forgot I was still wearing my rubber boots. So the boots got to come with us to Nancy's, to the bookclub, to lunch later with Cotton. To Danny and Lucy's bookstore.
We're home now - organizing our trip to New York City in July...need to work ahead to fit events and interviews and meetings together. Pretty fun, I have to say. I haven't yet reached the stage where flying for parties, interivews, and meals and meetings around my books is 'old hat'. It still gives me a thrill to realize I'm talking about myself, and haven't simply made it up.
Looking forward to writing tomorrow...fingers crossed I finish. That would be good. Oh, over lunch, Cotton mentioned that there's snow in the forecast for Sunday!!
Speak to you tomorrow.
One of those unsettled, dramatic days that swung from beautiful sunny and warm to violent winds and hail. And, of course, it chose to pour just as we needed to be outside. Took Trudy for a walk - approached the pond and suddenly there was thunder and lightning. So Trudy and I skiddadled back home. Poor Michael was out back cutting daffodils for Nancy and George when the storm arrived. He scooted back inside too.
We've had dogs - Bonnie in particular - who were terrified of thunder storms. Trudy doesn't seem to care at all, which makes all our lives easier.
We set the alarm for 6, as I mentioned yesterday - got up and were writing by 8am...in front of the fire. Fun to see Michael getting back to his book with real vigor...as he does everything. And I think I might finish my first draft tomorrow. Nothing at all on the agenda tomorrow - except to write...yay!!!
When we were in Washington, at the Malice Domestic, I was chatting with some other writers and heard a phrase I'm not sure I'd heard before. But it sure is true. The Muddle in the Middle. Now, I never thought I was the only writer who got all kinda confused in the middle of writing my books - I'd heard lots of other writers describe exactly the same phenomenon. But I'd never actually heard that perfect description!
The Muddle in the Middle. As you see, I feel it should be capitalized.
Perfect. And, as a middle child, I can attest to the fact it's true for more than just a book.
At about noon we headed out (through the storm) to Knowlton. I had a bookclub meeting in Boerne, Texas, via Skype. but, having done skype from home we realized our internet is too slow to support it well...so we needed to find another way to do it. and we thought of Nancy, who has high speed and is a computer whiz. Unfortunately I'd raced back from the pond with Trudy so fast, and then we were late, so I jumped in the car and forgot I was still wearing my rubber boots. So the boots got to come with us to Nancy's, to the bookclub, to lunch later with Cotton. To Danny and Lucy's bookstore.
We're home now - organizing our trip to New York City in July...need to work ahead to fit events and interviews and meetings together. Pretty fun, I have to say. I haven't yet reached the stage where flying for parties, interivews, and meals and meetings around my books is 'old hat'. It still gives me a thrill to realize I'm talking about myself, and haven't simply made it up.
Looking forward to writing tomorrow...fingers crossed I finish. That would be good. Oh, over lunch, Cotton mentioned that there's snow in the forecast for Sunday!!
Speak to you tomorrow.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Robert Parker
overcast, foggy, wet snow, temps freezing
Going nuts getting things done. Heading to Montreal tomorrow, so need to be all sorted out here before we leave. Michael and I have been going flat out. Loads of laundry, packing (dear Lord how can my suitcase be full??? My plan was to just bring two bathing suits, a cover-up and books - what is filling up the suitcase???)
You won't believe it, but we've book a butler-level suite at Sandals. And, among other things, he actually unpacks. Hope he also packs up.
Five sleeps to the trip.
Robert Parker died earlier this week. So sad, and so young...just mid-70's. I started that last sentence with "poor Robert...' but took out the 'Poor'. We all die - but wow, did he ever live. Great life, I think. Doing what he loved, and respected for it.
I remember reading the obits of Paul Newman and realizing I couldn't feel badly that he'd died, because he'd lived so fully.
I think, after the Sandals experience, I can die happy too. Just, please Lord, not before!
Thank you for all your lovely comments about the Edgars. Feeling better - these bruises don't last long. But kindness always helps the healing. Thank you!
This Friday Michael had a morning eye doc appointment in Montreal, the I'm off to see our nephew Charlie play in a hockey tournament. He's visiting from Toronto. Friday is also Michael's son's birthday. He's coming to the apartment for drinks, then the two of them are heading out for dinner. A friend, Ron, died on Saturday. he was in his 90's and had also lived a rich life, filled with art and friends and delight. His funeral is Friday. Shaping up to be a busy day.
Breakfast Saturday with Mary - our sister-in-law (charlie's mom) and her mother - Chez Nick's, on Greene Ave.
Did my first Skype event this morning with students at Alexander Galt Regional Highschool in Lennoxville. They'd read a few of my books, and one student even wrote a poem about Bean. I asked her to email it to me. it was amazing. Such fun to speak with them about books and writing and choices...and to hear the questions they had.
What a fabulous thing Skype is - to actually see people from a distance in real time.
Kirk just called - he's on the way with the upholsterer to take the sofa and two arm chairs from the living room. The ones I've mentioned before...made of stone. Better then than me lifting them. Must dash. It is after 4 and I'm still in my pajamas. Another great thing about Skype...who knew I spoke to a high school class while wearing pajamas???
Take care - speak tomorrow.
Going nuts getting things done. Heading to Montreal tomorrow, so need to be all sorted out here before we leave. Michael and I have been going flat out. Loads of laundry, packing (dear Lord how can my suitcase be full??? My plan was to just bring two bathing suits, a cover-up and books - what is filling up the suitcase???)
You won't believe it, but we've book a butler-level suite at Sandals. And, among other things, he actually unpacks. Hope he also packs up.
Five sleeps to the trip.
Robert Parker died earlier this week. So sad, and so young...just mid-70's. I started that last sentence with "poor Robert...' but took out the 'Poor'. We all die - but wow, did he ever live. Great life, I think. Doing what he loved, and respected for it.
I remember reading the obits of Paul Newman and realizing I couldn't feel badly that he'd died, because he'd lived so fully.
I think, after the Sandals experience, I can die happy too. Just, please Lord, not before!
Thank you for all your lovely comments about the Edgars. Feeling better - these bruises don't last long. But kindness always helps the healing. Thank you!
This Friday Michael had a morning eye doc appointment in Montreal, the I'm off to see our nephew Charlie play in a hockey tournament. He's visiting from Toronto. Friday is also Michael's son's birthday. He's coming to the apartment for drinks, then the two of them are heading out for dinner. A friend, Ron, died on Saturday. he was in his 90's and had also lived a rich life, filled with art and friends and delight. His funeral is Friday. Shaping up to be a busy day.
Breakfast Saturday with Mary - our sister-in-law (charlie's mom) and her mother - Chez Nick's, on Greene Ave.
Did my first Skype event this morning with students at Alexander Galt Regional Highschool in Lennoxville. They'd read a few of my books, and one student even wrote a poem about Bean. I asked her to email it to me. it was amazing. Such fun to speak with them about books and writing and choices...and to hear the questions they had.
What a fabulous thing Skype is - to actually see people from a distance in real time.
Kirk just called - he's on the way with the upholsterer to take the sofa and two arm chairs from the living room. The ones I've mentioned before...made of stone. Better then than me lifting them. Must dash. It is after 4 and I'm still in my pajamas. Another great thing about Skype...who knew I spoke to a high school class while wearing pajamas???
Take care - speak tomorrow.
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