She had a highly-regarded editor pluck her out of the online equivalent of the slush pile and signed her two a two-book deal with St. Martin’s.  She’s also eighty-something years young.  But Eugenia Lovett West does not rest on her laurels or her age when it comes to writing tightly-plotted mysteries.  Her latest novel, OVERKILL, [...]

Imagine entering a writing contest sponsored by a major publishing house, but not winning. Then imagine getting an e-mail from a very A-list editor wanting to offer you a two-book deal because your writing captivated her. An aspiring novelist’s fairy tale ending, right?
Dreams did come true for mystery novelist Eugenia Lovett West because [...]

Is there such a thing as a perfect crime?
Eight months ago, forensic investigator Theresa MacLean lost her fiancé in a bank robbery gone wrong, and she’s had trouble concentrating on her work ever since. But now a particularly difficult case may just be what she needs to regain her focus by demanding all her skill, [...]

Lisa Black knows a thing or two about death.
She’s worked in a coroner’s office as a forensic scientist, has testified in dozens of homicide trials, and has examined her share of fingerprints. It’s no wonder that, as an author, she gravitates toward suspense novels and dark subjects. Though she’s written books under another name, [...]

“The President of the United States is dead.  He was murdered in the morning sunlight by a four-year-old boy.”
Hooked?  Oh, but you will be when you continue reading author, innovator and WU contributor J.C. Hutchins’ debut thriller 7th Son: Descent. 
Every novelist hopes to create a storyline riveting enough to keep the reader enthralled and a concept [...]

I’ve never met another writer like J.C. Hutchins. And I’ve met plenty over these years as a blogger and novelist. Author, innovator, and just a darn nice guy, J.C. Hutchins does more in a day than the rest of us do in a month. And he’s breaking the mold in terms of what writers need [...]

Writer Unboxed contributer and award-winning author Barbara O’Neal (AKA Barbara Samuel) released a new novel right before the New Year. Her last book, The Lost Recipe for Happiness, was a runaway success, going back to print many times. Her latest book, The Secret of Everything, promises to be as delicious as the last.
Hungry for [...]

If you missed part 1 of my interview with Dashka Slater, where we discussed her lyrical, fascinating and comic novel of magical realism, The Wishing Box, click HERE, then come back. Today, Dashka tells us about her other writerly hats–children’s book author, poet, short story writer, teacher–and lets us in on a few of her [...]

Kath and I have read our fair share of books for Writer Unboxed, and I’d be hard-pressed to name one I didn’t enjoy. But while on a family vacation recently, I decided to read something just for me. I chose The Wishing Box, a debut novel by author Dashka Slater, for it’s promise of a [...]

“Panic has a way of defining an individual. It scrapes the soul bare, strips away pretense, reveals the core of the human spirit. It’s hard to dissemble when fear crawls up your throat, your heart stampedes like a herd of wild animals, and your skin burns with the prickly-heat of terror. For the six people [...]

Chicago-based suspense author Libby Fischer Hellman has her fingers in many pies. Stints as a film producer and highly-sought speaker who conducts media training and crisis communication workshops have provided Fischer Hellman with a wide net to draw from to inject her books with extra authenticity and allow her characters to be multi-dimensional. With six [...]

If you missed part one of my interview with independent book editor Lorin Oberweger, click HERE, then come back. Lorin not only has nearly two decades of experience in the publishing industry, she’s an expert at honing in on what writers want–what they need–and offering workshops tailor-made for them. She’s also a ghostwriter and award-winning [...]