Mystery Weekend Roundup for January 12, 2014

Edgar Allan Poe Birthday Bash!

Got plans for the 18th of January? Head on over to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia for the 205th Birthday celebration of the founding father of American horror and mystery.  Starting at 12 Noon, the schedule is packed with discussions, readings, a murder trial and a tour of the museum. The cake cutting is at 6 PM and at midnight, participants will raise a glass in a toast to Poe. Authors from the new Anthology, Virginia Is For Mysteries, will also be there to discuss their new book. All this for only five bucks!

Well, what are you waiting for? Click here to see the full schedule.


Rest In Peace, Poe's Deadly Daughters

We are saddened to report that a popular mystery blog, Poe's Deadly Daughters, will cease publication on January 19th, the anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. On that day, their last blog post will be published. For seven years, these "daughters" of mystery and suspense have entertained and enlightened us with their comments, interviews and reviews. Library Journal placed them in its Top Ten List of mystery blogs.

Julia Buckley had this to say about the blog: "It's been wonderful to work (virtually) alongside some terrific mystery writers and to explore some interesting ideas about writing, reading, and publishing, as well as sharing little tidbits about ourselves. We're most grateful to those who were readers and left comments that provoked such great discussion."

One of my first interviews as a newly published writer occurred here with Julia.  Along with Sharon Wildwind, Sandra Parshall, Elizabeth Zelvin, Sheila Connolly, Jeri Westerson, Darlene Ryan (aka Sofie Kelly) and Lonnie Cruse, they will be missed. But the blog will remain, for writers and the curious to stumble across and discover anew.


Anniversary of the Death of Agatha Christie

It was on this day in 1976 that Agatha Christie passed away at the age of 85.  She is of course one of the top selling mystery writers of all time. The last novel she wrote, Postern of Fate, was published in 1973, though it was not the last to be published. She also wrote romance novels under the pen name, Mary Westmacott. 

Just a few months ago, the estate of Agatha Christie announced that a new Hercule Poirot novel would be written by author Sophie Hannah in Christie's style.  Think you could write like Agatha Christie? The estate is accepting submissions for Chapter 4. You can read the details at Agatha Christie's home page. Why not give it a try?


A Fracking Good Story - Writers Enter 2014 Armed With New Words

Writers struggle to find just the right word to express their ideas, emotions and stories. As Mark Twain said, "'The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."

We have a bevy of new words to add to our literary arsenal, including bitcoin, selfie, fracking and twerk, to name just a few (oh, wait, three is a few, isn't it?).

Well, you get the point. Some of these have actually been around for decades (ie: twerk), but have only now gained popularity.

So bone up on these new offerings. You can find a great list of recent words that have entered the English language in the Oxford English Dictionary. Check out more references by clicking here, and here. Or as Irish crime writer Declan Burke would say, clickety-click here.


The Worst Reads For 2013?

By now you've probably been blinded by the "best-of" book lists that every publisher, book reviewer and blog poster has thrust at you like a red hot poker. So I thought you might find this list amusing. Posted on Beneath The Stains Of Time, its the Worst Mystery Reads of 2013. You'll be surprised by who made the list. And if you're a writer, have no fear...all of these were written decades ago. Enjoy!