Dad and his GrandmaMy dad has been an English teacher for almost 40 years. Not a research-driven, theoretical professor, but a hands-on teacher who has dedicated his life to encouraging young people to read, to think, and to express their thoughts clearly. And to...
When I started thinking about an “Interview with a Character” series, I wasn’t sure how it would be received. I’ve always been a bookworm, and I clearly remember the days before the interwebs when I lived amongst people with whom this was not necessarily a...
A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is the 17th installment of Lawrence Block’s legendary series focused on “favor do-er” and New York denizen Matthew Scudder.Like many of us, I’ve known Scudder for a long time. We first met him in THE SINS OF THE FATHERS, originally published...
When I think about my favorite literary characters, one that always leaps to the top of the list is Clete Purcel, Dave Robicheaux’s sidekick in the classic series by master storyteller James Lee Burke. I think it no exaggeration to call Mr. Burke one of the greatest...
I’ve been browsing upcoming releases lately, and I’ve found some interesting titles, along with a few I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on early (reviews of those coming soon!). In the interim, I thought it might be fun to have a list…so...
I like the St. Petersburg Times. It’s my local daily paper, and I’m glad that it is. It’s one of the lone remaining independent daily papers…that is, one that’s not owned by one of the Big Media Companies. It has some exceptional reporters, and takes its...
Welcome to the final installment of interviews with Carter Ross. It’s been fantastic working with Brad Parks on this, and I’m eternally in his debt for the opportunity!Carter Ross is in the final round of the World’s Favorite Amateur Sleuth...
This week, TIME published their list of the “140 Best Twitter Feeds.”It’s a dumb list.Don’t get me wrong–I follow seven of the people on it. But there’s no “best” about it; it comprises Twitter feeds that have a lot of...
Welcome to the second half of my interview with Carter Ross, investigative journalists and protagonist in Brad Parks’ latest novel, EYES OF THE INNOCENT. In addition to containing excellent insight into the mind of a reporter, the below gives a quick preview of...
Every reader has a wish …some want to meet a particular author, some want to embrace a signed first edition of a certain title, and some, like me, want the opportunity to interview favorite characters.Jen and BradI’m thrilled to share the first in what I...
