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Recent Posts
- Our Blog Has Relocated to www.KillerNashville.com/blog
- The Problem With Reality / Author Warren Bull
- Variety is the Spice of Writing – But So Is Plausibility / Author Stephen L. Brayton
- Writing History Right / Author Michael Tucker
- Rolling. Speed. Action. Cut! … Darn, Take Two! Rewriting and the Zen of Film / Author Daco Auffenorde
- Adding Depth to Your Story / Guest Blogger Philip Cioffari
- Collaborations Can Be As Easy as 1-2-3 / Author Steven Womack
- Pitching Grisham and Doing-In Your Ugly Babies: An Interview with author Tony Vanderwarker
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Author Archives: Clay Stafford
Our Blog Has Relocated to www.KillerNashville.com/blog
The time has come! All of our loyal readers and newcomers can now read the Killer Nashville Blog on our main website (www.KillerNashville.com/blog). We hope to see you there! Clay Stafford Founder of Killer Nashville
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Variety is the Spice of Writing – But So Is Plausibility / Author Stephen L. Brayton
The beauty of the written word is that real life can be just a jumping off point. Plus, there’s no reason to get bogged down in the same details over and over. In this week’s blog, author Stephen L. Brayton … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged alpha, beta, brayton, challenge, choreograph, details, exercise, heroine, instructor, martial arts, material, night shadows, order, pi, plausibility, private investigator, realistic, scenario, scene, Stephen Brayton, story, taekwondo, technique, training, variety, weapons, writers group, Writing
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Rolling. Speed. Action. Cut! … Darn, Take Two! Rewriting and the Zen of Film / Author Daco Auffenorde
If the thing to remember when purchasing property is location, location, location, then the thing to remember when writing is…well…not writing at all. It’s rewriting. Citing examples from Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, Lisa Scottoline, Charlie Chaplin and others, author Daco … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged actor, CIA, director, edit, Ernest Hemingway, film, groups, Manuscript, Neil Gaiman, operative, process, publisher, publishing, retake, rewrite, rewriting, scene, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, submission, submitting, The Libra Affair, The Scorpio Affair, writing groups
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Adding Depth to Your Story / Guest Blogger Philip Cioffari
The bottom line for writing fiction (and I would also say nonfiction) is telling a good story. While Samuel Goldwyn’s advice of “if you’ve got a message, send a telegram” might be true, it defies a long tradition of creating … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged black market, character, conscience, crime, current issues, D.H. Lawrence Award, danger, english, fiction, Guest Blogger Series, guest bloggers, Killer Nashville, larger audience, morality, Philip Cioffari, professor, professor of english, relevant, smuggling, social issues, Tarrt Fiction Prize, Thriller
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Collaborations Can Be As Easy as 1-2-3 / Author Steven Womack
Writing with someone else is tricky. Most writers have their own toys, their own ideas, and they like to write in their own way. How do you keep the other person from being an intrusion rather than a partner? How … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Uncategorized
Tagged Author, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Collaboration, cozy mystery, crazy, ego, Elsa, Frozen, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, McDaniel, movie, movie writing, Readers, screenplay, scrip;t, script writing, Steven, Steven Womack, Thriller, thriller writing, Wayne, Wayne McDaniel, Womack, Writing
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Pitching Grisham and Doing-In Your Ugly Babies: An Interview with author Tony Vanderwarker
What happens when Tony Vanderwarker, the founder of one of Chicago’s largest ad agencies, decides he wants to write fiction? He connects with author John Grisham and learns to do-in his ugly babies. Here is a wonderful story of mentorship … Continue reading
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Things Readers Want to Know/ Author Del Staecker
If you’re a seasoned author, you get asked the same questions by non-writers. If you’re a beginning author and haven’t yet found your stride, sometimes you find yourself asking the same questions. It’s always beneficial, even for the most seasoned … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
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The Thing About Theme / Author Frank Zafiro
“Theme” is an oft-misunderstood term. It’s one of those techniques that can take a writer’s work to a new level, but it is also a concept that can lead to hours of confused discussion. In this week’s Killer Nashville’s 52 … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Uncategorized
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Madness and Media: An Ethical Exploration / Author Bruce De Silva
Author Bruce De Silva goes, not only into the mind of a serial killer, but into the court system designed to hold him in Killer Nashville’s 52 Weeks, 52 Guest Bloggers series https://killernashville.wordpress.com/category/52-guest-blogs-series/ Never say never. That’s one of those things … Continue reading
Posted in Forensics, Guest Blogger Series, Law Enforcement, Uncategorized
Tagged Author Bruce De Silva
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An Interview with 2014 Killer Nashville Attending Editor Bryon Quertermous
All the agents and editors who come to Killer Nashville are looking for new authors. We make sure of that before they are invited. Sometimes, though, we see a new house that is incredibly hungry. And, for us, that’s a … Continue reading
Posted in Interviews
Tagged Angry Robot Books, Author, authors, Award Winning, Books, Bryon Quertermous, characters, Clay Stafford, Crim Fiction Imprint, Crime Fiction, Exhibit A Books, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, mystery, Writing
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Blending Humor and Tension in a Traditional Mystery / Author Nancy J. Cohen
There’s nothing funny about murder. Or is there? Mystery, romance, and how-to author Nancy J. Cohen navigates the delicate balance between bloodshed and laughter in her guest blog, “Blending Humor and Tension in a Traditional Mystery.” Here’s a great way … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged Author, Award Winning, Bad Hair Day series, Blending Humor and Tension in a Traditional Mystery, characters, Clay Stafford, drama, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, Marla Shore, mystery, mystery series, Nancy J Cohen, Readers, Shear Murder, suspense, Themes, Writing, writing the cozy mystery
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Thursday, February 27, 2014 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
DEATH CANYON by David Riley Bertsch KILLER’S ISLAND by Anna Jansson THE LAST TIME I DIED by Joe Nelms Dear Murderous Reader – This week my reading was all over the place. I went from a mystery-western, to a Swedish version of a … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged Anna Jansson, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, David Riley Bertsch, Death Canyon, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Detective Inspector Marian Wern, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Joe Nelms, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Killer's Island, murder, mystery, Nashville, New York City, Readers, Series, sweden, Swedish Mystery, The Last Time I Died, Writing
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Killing Your Protagonist – Or At Least Trying To / Author Vic DiGenti (aka Parker Francis)
What makes us keep turning the pages? The same thing that makes us watch a train wreck. Award-winning author Vic DiGenti shares with us how he beats up his protagonists and how, if they didn’t have to appear in the … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged Author, Award Winning, characters, Clay Stafford, Criminal Minds, CSI, current-events, drama, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, Killing Your Protagonist, Matanzas Bay, Monty Python Show, mystery, mystery series, Parker Francis, protagonist, Readers, suspense, Themes, Vic DiGenti, Writing
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Time Management for Writers / Writer Chloe Winston
How do I find the time to write? It’s a common concern for busy people. Travel writer Chloe Winston, through her own trial and error, has found a way to make it work. She shares her techniques with you. Here’s … Continue reading
Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Friday, February 14, 2014 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
DEATH NELL by Mary Grace Murphy FRAME-UP by Jill Elizabeth Nelson LOVE IS MURDER by Sandra Brown MEGAN’S MARK by Lora Leigh MOTIVE FOR MURDER by Carol J. Post SCORCHED by Laura Griffin THE SEARCH by Nora Roberts SILENCE by Debra Webb SWEET SURRENDER by Maya Banks TELL ME by … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged Book of the day, Books, Carol J. Post, characters, Clay Stafford, Death Nell, Debra Webb, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Frame-Up, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Laura Griffin, Lisa Jackson, Lora Leigh, Love is Murder, Mary Grace Murphy, Maya Banks, Megan's Mark, Motive for Murder, murder, mystery, mystery series, Nashville, Nora Roberts, Readers, Romantic suspense, Sandra Brown, Scorched, Series, Silence, Sweet Surrender, Tell Me, The Search, Valentine's Day, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Monday, February 10, 2014 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Beewitched by Hannah Reed Books, Cooks, and Crooks by Lucy Arlington Days of Wine and Roquefort by Avery Aames Three must reads from Berkley Prime Crime’s lineup. Part 1 of 3. Dear Murderous Reader – It doesn’t get any better than Berkley Prime … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged A Novel Idea, A Queen Bee Mystery, Avery Aames, Beewitched, Berkley Prime Crime, Book of the day, Books, Books Cooks and Crooks, characters, Cheese Shop Mysteries, Cheese Shop Mystery, Clay Stafford, Cozy, cozy mystery, Daryl Wood Gerber, Days of Wine and Roquefort, Deb Baker, Ellery Adams, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Hannah Reed, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Lucy Arlington, murder, mystery, mystery series, Readers, Series, Sylvia May, Writing
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Outline or No Outline? / Author Rick Reed
Outline or no outline? That is the question. Sometimes it’s great to hear how other successful writers do it. Author Rick Reed, after writing several acclaimed books, has found his groove. Here’s his take on how he plots. Happy Reading! … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged Author, Bestselling, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Final Justice, Forensics, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, murder, Murder In Mind, mystery, Nashville, Outline or No Outline, Police Procedural, Readers, Rick Reed, The Coldest Fear, The Cruelest Cut, Themes, Writing, writing from a title, writing from an idea, Writing from an outline
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An Interview with Agent Jill Marr of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Today, we have an interview with agent Jill Marr of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Jill has been attending Killer Nashville since 2010 and has been a staunch supporter of the conference ever since. She has a strong Internet and … Continue reading
Posted in Interviews
Tagged Agent, Agent Jill Marr, characters, Clay Stafford, drama, guest bloggers, Interview, Jill Marr, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Success Story, Killer Nashville writers conference, murder, mystery, mystery series, Nashville, Readers, Sandra Dijkstra, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, success story, Themes, Thriller, thriller writing, Writing
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11/06/2013 The American Novelist: A Killer Nashville Series / Author Charles Brockden Brown
Originally posted on Clay Stafford:
Killer Nashville’s Featured Books of the Day serves several purposes. Entertainment and love of reading, of course, is high on the list. I do my best to avoid the boring. There is also education, which…
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Sherlock Holmes / Author Amnon Kabatchnik
My love affair with detective fiction began decades ago in a far-away country where people read and write from right to left. Paperbacks began to arrive in Israel from the U.S. and England, and I couldn’t resist the pictorial, enticing … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged 221B Baker Street, Agatha Christie, Amnon Kabatchnik, Arsene Lupin, Arsene Lupin vs Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, Basil Rathbone, Beryl Stapleton, Blood On The Stage, Books, Broadway, characters, Charles H.F. Brookfield, Charles Marowitz, Charles P Rice, Chekhov, Clay Stafford, Conan Doyle, Crime and Suspense, Dorothy L Sayers, Dr. John Watson, Dr. Watson, drama, eccentric, Edgar Wallace, Ellery Queen, Erle Stanley Gardner, femme fatale, Forrester, Frankenstein, Frankenstein monster, French adventurer, George Ashiotis, Great Detective, guest bloggers, Ibsen, John Arthur Fraser, Judd Woldin, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville writers conference, Langdon McCormick, life-or-death, Lillian Hellman, London's Royal Court Theatre, Mary Morstan, Mrs. Hudson, Murder in Baker Street, New Century Theatre, Ouida, Professor Moriarty, Readers, Reichenbach Falls, Rex Stout, S.S. Van Dine, Sax Rohmer, Series, Seymour Hicks, Shaw, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes on the Stage, Sherlock's Last Case, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Charles, Sir Henry, sleuth, SS Van Dine, strong plot, Tennessee Williams, The Burglar, The Burglar and the Lady, The Final Problem, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of Four, Theatre by the Blind, Tim Kelly, Under the Clock, Watson
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Wednesday, October 23, 2013 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Killer’s Art by Marji Jungstedt The Girl in Berlin by Elizabeth Wilson Death on Demand by Paul Thomas Styx & Stone by James W. Ziskin Today’s Killer Nashville Featured Books take me around the world, but they all have two things in common: non-stop … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 1950s spy novel, 1960s, all-boy's club, Author, baltic sea, Berlin, Book of the day, Books, brains, characters, Clay Stafford, Communist, Crime Fiction, Death on Demand, drama, Elizabeth Wilson, Ellie Stone, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, fiction, James W Ziskin, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Killer's Art, Marji Jungstedt, murder, mystery, Mystery debut, mystery series, New York, New Zealand, New Zealand Police Department, non-stop suspense, Paul Thomas, Police Procedural, Readers, Reporter, Series, Sexism, Styx & Stone, suspense, sweden, The Girl in Berlin, Thriller, Writing
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An Interview with Author Eyre Price / Killer Nashville Success Story
Today, it’s my pleasure to interview Eyre Price, author of the Crossroads thriller series and Killer Nashville Success Story. So, Eyre, when did you know you wanted to be a writer? I’ve absolutely always wanted to be a writer. It … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series
Tagged Author, Bestselling, Blues Highway Blues, characters, Clay Stafford, Daniel Erickson, drama, Eyre, Eyre Price, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Success Story, Killer Nashville writers conference, murder, mystery, mystery series, Nashville, Readers, Rock Island Rock, Rockford Files, Series, Stephen J. Cannell, success story, The Killer, Themes, Thriller, thriller writing, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Book / Friday, October 4, 2013 / “Roots: The Saga of an American Family” by Alex Haley / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
As abhorrent as I have always viewed slavery, this book actually made me feel it. Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley Like most of Americans in the 1970s, I was riveted to the mini-series “Roots.” Also probably … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 1970s, Africa, African American, African American History, Alex Haley, American History, Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Classic Literature, Clay Stafford, Controversy, drama, Emmy Award nominations, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, genealogy, Historical, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, literature, politics, pulitzer prize, Readers, Roots, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, Slavery, slaves, The Saga of an American Family, The Thornbirds, Themes, Winds of War, Writing
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There’s A Story Everywhere You Look / Writer Chloe Winston
“I’ll never get published.” Rubbish! (And I’m not even mentioning computer-generated books.) Best-selling novelist Carolyn Hart lives in Oklahoma. In rural Oklahoma. She just started writing, submitting, and getting published and winning national awards, even “Malice Domestic” this year, because of her … Continue reading
2014 Guests of Honor Announced
Killer Nashville is please to announce bestselling authors Lisa Jackson and William Kent Krueger as the 2014 Guests of Honor for our 9th annual writers’ conference. Lisa Jackson is neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA … Continue reading
Posted in About Killer Nashville, Announcements
Tagged 2014, 2014 Killer Nashville, 2014 Killer Nashville Writers' Conference, Author, authors, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, bestselling authors, Clay Stafford, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, Lisa Jackson, mystery, New York Times, New York Times Bestselling Author, Ordinary Grace, Romantic suspense, Series, suspense, Tell Me, Thriller, thriller writing, William Kent Krueger, Writers' Conference, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Book / Friday, September 27, 2013 / “SNAFU” by Glen C. Allison / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Discover why I’m a new fan of Glen C. Allison’s messed-up protagonist in SNAFU. SNAFU by Glen C. Allison For years I have been a friend of Glen C. Allison; now, I’m a fan. Glen has created an incredible series with New … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 2013, 2013 Killer Nashville, Al Forte, Author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, drama, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Forte Suspense Series, Glen C. Allison, I'm a little mousey, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Louisiana, murder, mystery, mystery series, Navy SEAL, New Orleans, Readers, running though the housey, Series, SNAFU, suspense
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Creating and Managing a Supporting Cast in a Series / Author Frankie Y. Bailey
Providing a protagonist of a crime fiction series with a supporting cast is a task that should be approached with both caution and malice aforethought. Caution because once a character is introduced as a part of the protagonist’s life, he … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged Books, characters, Clay Stafford, drama, entertainment, Frankie Bailey, Frankie Y Bailey, guest bloggers, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville writers conference, protagonist, Readers, Series, Supporting Cast, The Red Queen Dies, Writing
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When Your Novel and Plausibility Part Ways / Writer Julie Bates
What time is it-really? Such was the thought running through my mind after having my brain jogged from its immersion in a friend’s manuscript. I had settled into the novel’s antebellum atmosphere and slowly sunk into the sultry rhythm of … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged antebellum south, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, comedy of errors, guest bloggers, Julie Bates, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville writers conference, Location, plausibility, Readers, rich details, running through my mind, steam punk, suspense novel, Themes, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Book / Wednesday, September 18, 2013 / “Theodore Boone: The Accused” by John Grisham / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A young wannabe lawyer finds himself on the wrong side of the law in “Theodore Boone: The Accused” by John Grisham. Read my review. Theodore Boone: The Accused by John Grisham I grew up reading John Grisham books. Now my son … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 2013, 2013 Killer Nashville, adult series, attorney, Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Hardy Boys, John Grisham, john grisham books, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, legal fiction, legal thriller, murder, mystery, mystery series, Nancy Drew, nancy drew and the hardy boys, New York Times, New York Times Bestselling Author, Readers, Series, suspense, Themes, Theodore Boone, Theodore Boone Series, Theodore Boone: The Accused, Thriller, Writing, YA, Young Adult
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Book / Monday, September 16, 2013 / “Until She Comes Home” by Lori Roy / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A murder and disappearance destroy the essence of a once-respectable neighborhood in “Until She Comes Home” by Lori Roy. Until She Comes Home by Lori Roy Winning an Edgar for your first novel is a hard setup for your second one. … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 2013, Award Winner, Award Winning, Bent Road, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Detroit, drama, Edgar, Edgar Award, Edgar Award Winner, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, literature, Lori Roy, murder, mystery, Readers, Romantic suspense, Spellbinding suspense, suspense, Thriller, Until She Comes Home, Writing
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Location, Location, Location: Should You Go? / Author Alana White
If the book you are writing is set in your hometown, details and interesting locations are relatively close to hand: a few days will go a long way in establishing tone, mood, and finding intriguing, unusual places for scenes to … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged 1400's Italy, Alana White, Author, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, fifteenth century, five hundred years, Florence, florence cathedral, Florence Italy, guest bloggers, Guid'Antonio, Historical, Historical Mystery, Historical Novel, Historical Series, Italian Renaissance, Italy, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville 2013, Killer Nashville writers conference, Literary genre, literary mystery, Location, mystery, mystery series, Piazza Limbo, politics, Readers, Series, Sign Of The Weeping Virgin, Silver Falchion Award, Silver Falchion Finalist, Themes, Vespucci, Viper district, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Book / Thursday, September 5, 2013 / “Tell Me” by Lisa Jackson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Who murdered a pregnant teenage girl? Her mother is not talking. Tell Me by Lisa Jackson Thriller author Lisa Jackson’s new book “Tell Me” sucked me in and disabled me like a snakebite. Out of nowhere, from the first page of … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged 2013, Author, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, cozy mystery, drama, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Georgia, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Nashville writers conference, Lisa Jackson, literature, murder, mystery, New York Times, Readers, Romantic suspense, Savannah, Savannah Georgia, snakebite, suspense, Tell Me, Thriller, thriller author, Writing
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Time Of Death / Forensic Investigator Steve Rush
Accurate details prove important when including crime scenes in our prose. Three basic questions we want to answer when writing these scenes are: What was my character doing before incident? What altered and/or interrupted her/him at the inciting moment? What … Continue reading
Posted in Forensics, Guest Blogger Series, Law Enforcement, Writing
Tagged authors, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Dragnet, Facade, Facts, Forensic, Forensic Investigator, Forensics, guest bloggers, Jack Webb, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, mystery, Readers, Shane Kinsey, Steve Rush, Time of Death, Writing
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Killer Nashville Investigator’s Sweepstakes / Logan L. Masterson
We are happy to announce through the coordination efforts by Logan L. Masterson and Killer Nashville author-alumni, and at least one stroke of luck, The Killer Nashville Investigator’s Sweepstakes is a go! Thanks to the awesome contributions from all involved, we … Continue reading
Posted in Announcements
Tagged 2013, 2013 Killer Nashville, c j box, fabulous prizes, general admission, grand prize winner, Investigator, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Investigator's Sweepstakes, Killer Nashville writers conference, Logan Masterson, Rafflecopter, Sweepstakes, Writers' Conference, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Tuesday, June 23, 2013 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
The senseless murder of children in Africa, an Amish love affair, a woman’s heart-tugging self-discovery, the financial industry’s crooked corporate deals, and the death of a police officer. Here are some books I think you might find of interest. Some I have … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day
Tagged Alan Glynn, Author, authors, Award Winning, Bestselling, Book of the day, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Deadly Harvest, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Graveland, Jennie Shortridge, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Laura V Hilton, Lifetime, literature, Liza Marklund, Love Water Memory, Michael Stanley, mystery, Readers, Romantic suspense, Series, Surrendered Love, suspense, Themes, Thriller, thriller writing, Writing
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Killer Nashville’s Featured Books / Friday, June 19, 2013 / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
A man on death row, a second wife learning the startling truth about the first, a sister avenging the death of her sister, and how to write a killer thriller. Here are some books I think you might find of interest. … Continue reading
Posted in Recommended Books of the Day, Writing
Tagged Attica Locke, Author, authors, Award Winning, Bestselling, bestselling author, Book of the day, Books, Candlemoth, characters, Clay Stafford, Death, Death Row, Dorothy Koomson, drama, Featured Book, Featured Book of The Day, Historical, Jodie Renner, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville Featured Book, Killer Thriller, literary mystery, literature, Low Pressure, mystery, New York Times, R.J. Ellory, Readers, Romantic suspense, Sandra Brown, Second Wife, suspense, The Cutting Season, The Woman He Loved Before, Thriller, thriller writing, Writing, Writing A Killer Thriller
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Why Washington Political Thrillers Aren’t Real to Me and Why I Want to Write One / Author/filmmaker & Killer Nashville founder Clay Stafford
I’ve reviewed numerous Washington political and legal thrillers and mysteries over the past twenty years. After reading Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress by Olympia Snowe, I came away feeling that many of the … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged Author, authors, Beth Terrell, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Equal Rights, fiction writer, Fighting for Common Ground, Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress, filmmaker, guest bloggers, Jimmy Stewart, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, legal thrillers, man-against-the-machine, massive machine, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Olympia Snowe, Party man, political fiction, Political Party, Political Thriller, Political Thrillers, political writers, politician, Readers, realistic world, Robert Penn Warren, Senator, Stalemate in Congress, Tennessee, United States, Washington, Washington Political Thriller, Writers, Writing, writing a political thriller
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A Writer’s Training Ground / Writer Tom Wood
I always loved a good mystery, but never, ever, in my thirty-six-year career as a sports writer and copy editor at a major Southern daily newspaper did I imagine writing one. So when I decided it was time to write … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged abbott and costello, authors, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, east point georgia, fiction horror, fundamental lesson, Great American Novel, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, last millennium, literature, mystery, mystery science, newspaper, Readers, southern, sports writer, Tom Wood, Writers Training Ground, Writing
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The Best Contest I Ever Lost / NYT bestselling author Lynn Viehl
In 2012 I entered Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award contest, but don’t bother checking the names of the finalists; I didn’t make that list. There was no trophy or bragging rights for me; I’m just one of the many Claymore losers … Continue reading
Posted in Claymore Award, Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged authors, award contest, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Claymore Award, claymore feedback, feedback, guest bloggers, her Ladyship's curse, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, literature, Lynn Viehl, mystery, New York Times, new york times bestsellers, New York Times Bestselling, New York Times Bestselling Author, professional author, Readers, Writing
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The Dark Side of Mystery Writing / Author Joyce Lavene
I was thinking about how much darkness mystery writers have to take in – and deflect – every day. What made me think about it were the shocked and horrified faces of friends and family after I’d related what I … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged authors, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, Ellie Grant, guest bloggers, Joyce Lavene, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, literature, mystery, Plum Deadly, Readers, the dark side of mystery writing, Thriller, Writing, writing death
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How to Slash Your Word Count by 20-50% / Editor & Author Jodie Renner
…and tighten up your story without losing any of the good stuff! Have you been told your story looks promising or even intriguing, but your novel is way too long? Today’s readers have shorter attention spans, and publishers don’t want … Continue reading
Posted in Guest Blogger Series, Writing
Tagged authors, Books, characters, Clay Stafford, edit your book, editing your book, editing your story, editing your work, guest bloggers, Killer conversation, Killer Nashville, Killer Nashville writers conference, mystery, pacing for power, Readers, romance, style that sizzles, Thriller, well-written, Word count, Writing
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Killer Nashville Blog 
Critiques Are A Two-Edged Sword / Author Maggie Toussaint
Authors are polarized on the subject of critiques. For some, the idea of anyone criticizing any part of their baby is unthinkable. Other authors wouldn’t dream of turning in a manuscript unless it had been vetted by critique partners. So … Continue reading →