10.5.21 13 Questions for Author Nicholas Kaufmann, Author of “The Hungry Earth”
Ever since I started reading Nicholas Kaufmann’s stories — and later, his books — I’ve been a fan: He weaves together a clever blend of horror, fantasy and suspense in which things often go very badly for his characters, but that’s an excellent thing for us readers. As the author of seven novels and two…
Read More7.16.21 It was 57 years ago today … The Beatles stayed in our hotel room
Did you know you can stay in the same hotel room The Beatles lodged in for a single night, on August 21, 1964? In Seattle, Washington? Now you do. And that’s what we did! The Edgewater Hotel, where this momentous event took place, has made a certain amount of hay out it all. (Not our…
Read More7.06.21 In which I can finally say: I have a fracking book contract
I’ve been writing fiction, quite literally, for most of my life. Decades. Hundreds and thousands of words, some better placed than others, some telling a story and some wandering off into the weeds. And today, I get to say for the first time officially: I have signed a contract to get my novel, Tune in…
Read More3.08.21 Drawn that way: Four times I got musicians to create self-portraits in my notebook
I don’t think I do that many “fun” posts here, so I’m going to change that at least once. In the 1990s I did a lot of music journalism; it was my “in” to getting bylines. I long ago segued into TV and film articles, but for a brief period I had this idea that…
Read More2.2.21 How to spend 25 years getting one story published (or) the “Rough Beast, Slouching” story
A little bit of fanfare, if you will. Dim Shores Presents: Volume 2, featuring my novelette “Rough Beast, Slouching,” is finally shipping copies! This is a milestone for me for a couple of reasons: 1) It’s the longest story I’ve ever had published (9,700 words give or take)2) It’s the oldest story I’ve ever had…
Read More11.4.20 I spent 17 hours in a school gym spent protecting the electoral process on Monday. There were apples.
Yesterday I rose at the crack of OMG to head the short distance to my polling place — where I served as a poll worker, starting at 5 a.m. With the exception of a few bathroom breaks, a lunch hour and a dinner hour, I was in that elementary school gym until about 10 p.m.,…
Read More10.12.20 How Two Spam Emails Cost Me $650 (or) When PicRights Enters Your Life
I just bought something for $650! Three photos, as it turns out. Three digital photos. And I nearly lost out on the opportunity to do so, because the letters about those photos showed up in my spam folder first, and it was only by chance I happened to check and discover that … well, crap.…
Read More4.7.20 Christopher Meloni talks ‘Law & Order: SVU’, Part 3: Emmy competition, unstable Stabler
Big news for Law & Order: SVU fans: Det. Elliot Stabler is coming back! OK, not to SVU, but to his own series! Back in 2008 I was writing The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion with Susan Green, and spending a lot of time at the studios watching how the sausage got made. The…
Read More4.4.20 Christopher Meloni talks ‘Law & Order: SVU’, Part 2: Stabler loves Benson
The big news for Law & Order: SVU fans hit on the last day of March: Det. Elliot Stabler was coming back! OK, not to SVU, but to his own series! Back in 2008 I spent a lot of my free time hopping over to The Law & Order: SVU studios to co-write The Law…
Read More4.2.20 Christopher Meloni talks ‘Law & Order: SVU’, Part 1: Auditions and 22-hour workdays
The big news for Law & Order: SVU fans hit on the last day of March: Det. Elliot Stabler is coming back! OK, not to SVU, but to his own series! It’s been a long, dry spell for Stabler fans. Christopher Meloni originated the role of Stabler in 1999, when SVU became the first spin-off…
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