Mystery Story Structure, by Maureen McQuerry, based on Hallie Ephron
MYSTERY STRUCTURE — HALLIE EPHRON ACT I ACT II ACT III Introduction of the crime (mystery) and the sleuth Direct the investigation toward a conclusion which later proves to be erroneous.Change of focus and scope of the investigation. This is the pivotal point in the story where it become evident that the sleuth was on the wrong track. Something unexpected occurs, such as the appearance of a second body, the death of… Read More
Plotting the Mystery Novel, from ticket2write
From: http://ticket2write.tripod.com/id28.html The classic mystery is popular fiction which follows a specific formula. Clever writers may try to change the formula, but the most clever will cling to it for a very good reason. They work within the bounds of the formula because it works! The following outline serves the modern mystery novel, as defined by editors and publishers. A typical story will contain 60,000 to 65,000 words (205 manuscript pages) and… Read More
Pardon My French
Allen Johnson‘s latest book, Pardon My French: How a Grumpy American Fell in Love with France, is scheduled for release in October but you can pre-order it now. Here’s the skinny, from Amazon: To make a friend is a joy. To make a friend in another country is a wonderment—a small miracle. Pardon My French follows the lives of an American couple who have embraced a daunting mission: Not to be spectators in France, but… Read More
Myri’s Hands
About Myri’s Hands, written by Jane Roop: From childhood, Myri saw things other people didn’t see, like pulsating arcs of energy and spirits. Her dad had warned her. Best to keep such nonsense to herself. But in his last moments when he saw Ruby, a spirit, arrive to help him to the other side, he had smiled. After his death Myri’s life became stranger. Her hands often throbbed with heat. When she… Read More
The Telling Stone
In The Telling Stone, book 2 of the Time Out of Time duet by author Maureen Doyle McQuerry, Timothy, Jessica and Sarah must decode a map cipher to help them find the four treasures needed to complete their quest. As in book 1, Beyond the Door, readers will be able to solve the mystery along with the protagonists. Abrams has announced that the paperback edition of The Telling Stone will be released May 2016…. Read More
Beyond the Door
Beyond the Door, the first in the Time Out of Time duet from Maureen Doyle McQuerry, weaves a compelling coming-of-age story with fantasy and mythology. With his love of learning and the game of Scrabble, Timothy James feels like the only person who understands him is his older sister, Sarah, and he’s fairly certain nothing interesting will ever happen to him. But one night, while his parents and sister are away, the… Read More
In the Wake of Lewis and Clark
In 2014, C. Mark Smith was asked by the American Queen Steamboat Company, which operates the American Empress cruise ship on the Columbia River, to write a short history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that their passengers could reference as they cruise the Snake and Columbia rivers. In the Wake of Lewis and Clark: From the Mountains to the Sea, was published in 2015. The book is designed to help American Empress passengers… Read More
A Sleep of Prisoners
From Amazon… In A Sleep of Prisoners, Mr. Fry investigates dramatically the problems of four prisoners of war. Locked up in a church in enemy territory, the men find that both personal and general conflicts become more explosive in confinement. One soldier loses his temper and half strangles his friend. In succeeding dreams each prisoner demonstrates his inner response to the events, extending himself, his companions and the problems they face on… Read More
Short & Happy (or Not)
From Amazon, Short & Happy (or Not), edited by Richard Bunning and Dixiane Hallaj … … brings together authors from English speaking countries around the globe and a sprinkling of ex-pats who enjoy life in non-English speaking countries as well. Their stories cover just as wide a spectrum of subjects. Humor (or humour), light romance, science fiction, fantasy, memoir, satire, reflection, exotic locales … it’s all here in bite-sized pieces. And it includes… Read More
The Awakening
Written by Allen Johnson, From out of a barefoot boyhood among endless rows of olive trees, and a forbidden passion for a courageous Moroccan beauty, to a horrific struggle against tyranny in the war-torn streets of 1936 Granada, comes a story where love cannot exist without mercy . . . mercy one carries for one’s whole life as a badge of honor . . . mercy and compassion passed down from generation… Read More