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Donis Casey is the author of the award-winning series of mysteries featuring Alafair Tucker, the sleuthing mother of 10 children, which is set in Oklahoma during the booming 1910s. In her latest novel, THE WRONG GIRL, Donis shifts her attention to one of those children, Blanche, who makes it to Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties and transforms into the celebrated Bianca LaBelle, a major star of the silent screen. A new series set in a new location and era presented many challenges for Donis, as she explains in this insightful piece.  

On a beautiful, sunny fall day, hundreds of bookish people chose to stay indoors to attend Hachette’s eighth annual Book Club Brunch. For the second year, the event was held at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, but for the first time, we convened in the theater.

Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks recently announced the launch of its new line, The Haunted Library of Horror Classics, which will debut in January 2020 with a new edition of Gaston Leroux’s 1911 classic, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Each volume in the Haunted Library will feature a specially written introduction by a horror literature scholar or author, and include notes and annotations explaining the work’s historical context and the vocabulary of its day. The brainchild of Lisa Morton, a past president of the Horror Writers Association (HWA), the series is edited by Leslie S. Klinger and Eric J. Guignard, both longtime members of the HWA. In this Q&A conducted by Michael Barson, the Director of Publicity at Poisoned Pen Press, Klinger and Guignard explain what led to the formation of the Haunted Library line and preview some of the other titles that will be published in the months to come.  

The Morristown Festival of Books on October 11th and 12th is THE place for readers, authors, aspiring authors and all who love new ideas. With 24 sessions to choose from --- three moderated by our own Carol Fitzgerald --- deciding which ones to attend is not easy and maybe even a test of your personality traits. Do you go to hear an author who you have read and love, or do you move out of your comfort zone and attend a session about a book or an author you have not read or perhaps have not even heard of? My friend and fellow book club member Donna and I did a little of both and were not disappointed.

THE DEVIL’S OWN GAME is the third installment in Annie Hogsett’s mystery series, Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead, featuring the T&A Detective Agency. When a sniper targets a blind man walking along the lagoon of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the bullet is a wake-up call aimed straight for Allie Harper and Tom Bennington, shattering their illusion that the Mondo Mega Jackpot Nightmare is over. Annie enjoys being in charge of every aspect of her novels --- calling it both a challenge and a thrill --- but there are times when even she is caught completely off guard by how her stories unfold, as she explains in her witty blog post.

Warren C. Easley is the author of the Cal Claxton Oregon Mystery series, the seventh installment of which, NO WAY TO DIE, is now available. In this blog post, Easley explains why plotting a mystery is not as easy as some people may think. He also discusses the pros and cons of being an "Outliner" and a "Pantser" --- and what he considers himself to be.

Thomas Kies is the author of the Geneva Chase mystery series, the third installment of which, GRAVEYARD BAY, is now available. These books take place in Fairfield County, Connecticut, which Thomas knows very well, having spent 18 years there working for a newspaper. But there are other reasons why he chose this area, a bedroom community that is extremely affluent yet also has to deal with crushing poverty in economically challenged cities, which can lead to some horrific crimes. After reading this piece from Thomas, you will understand why Fairfield County is such a fascinating setting for a mystery series.  

Our reader Nancy Sharko was at the 19th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival on August 31st and shares her experiences with us in this blog post. Here, she talks about the panels she attended, featuring Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Beth Macy, Sara Paretsky, Laila Lalami and many more.  

Sara E. Johnson worked as a middle-school reading specialist and newspaper contributor in North Carolina, before she and her husband relocated to New Zealand for a year. This big move served as the inspiration for her series featuring forensics expert Alexa Glock, the first installment of which, MOLTEN MUD MURDER, is now available. “There are countless ways this brutal landscape can swallow a body,” Sara warns in this fascinating essay about her adventures in New Zealand, making it a perfect setting for these mysteries.

Clive Cussler is the author or co-author of more than 50 books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt, The NUMA Files, The Oregon Files, Isaac Bell and the Fargo Adventures. G.P. Putnam’s Sons started publishing his work in 1999, a partnership that has remained intact two decades later. Clive turned 88 on July 15th, and his writing career is still going strong after all these years. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Michael Barson --- who worked at Putnam from 1994 to 2015, and is currently the chief publicist for Poisoned Pen Press --- has written a wonderful piece in which he recalls meeting Clive and the 1999 book tour they went on together, which, he says, “was unlike any other I had been involved with up to that time.” Click here to see a photo gallery of Clive and Michael through the years.