Sleuthsayers: Talking About Historical Mysteries...

I love reading tales in which real-life people are placed in fictional situations. The classic example of this is the novel Ragtime, which featured an ensemble cast of people such as Harry Houdini, JP Morgan, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, and ton of others.

It’s a tricky thing to get right, and until now I’ve resisted playing in that particular sandbox. But that changes with the publication of my new short story in Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine this month. In that story, two real-life people—Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain—become the detectives in a case of commercial sabotage in 1893 New York.

I hope you’ll take the time to check it out.

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, when I’ll be talking about Mother’s Day.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Sleuthsayers: Giving It Away for Free

If you’re a writer, friends inevitably ask for advice on how to get published. It’s a tricky situation, because not everyone has what it takes to go the distance in what has always been a difficult profession.

I’m talking about this over at the Sleuthsayers mystery writers blog today, and I’m finding that the comments alone are fascinating. LOTS of writers go through this in their careers.

I hope you’ll take the time to check it out.

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, when I’ll be talking about one of my new short stories.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

The Joy of Monotasking

A lot of my daily brain power is spent obsessing about productivity, which inevitably leads to LESS productivity.

Today I’m sharing some advice I’ve picked up over the years from other writers about how to get shit done. My essay touches on everything from Deep Work by Cal Newport, to the wisdom of Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Carl Jung, and Elmore Leonard.

I also get a chance to show off my new, fancy-ass pencils.

I hope you’ll take the time to check it out.

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, in April.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

My Short-Lived Adventures as a Detective

Okay, I’m not proud of this, but back when I was a kid, I set up shop as a detective. That exploit lasted maybe a single day, since I had no freaking idea what I was doing.

Of course, I got the idea from reading the greatest series of kids’ books ever, namely the adventures of Encyclopedia Brown.

I share the story today at the Sleuthsayers mystery blog, and I also delve a bit in the history of those books and spotlight its legendary author, Donald J. Sobol.

I hope you’ll take the time to check it out.

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, in March.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Sleuthsayers: Drinking With Archivists

Up at the Sleuthsayers mystery blog today, I’m sharing the story of a real-life mystery that popped up during World War II.

I first learned about it from an archivist at the National Archives in Atlanta, who told me how researchers there had found a couple of cryptic advertisements that ran in the New Yorker magazine during the war. Back in the 1940s, US Naval Intelligence thought the ads looked suspicious, and flagged them for further investigation.

Interestingly, one of the blog’s readers did some more research, and discovered that at least some parts of the story did check out. You’ll find it all at the Sleuthsayers blog today,

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, when I’ll be talking about the time, as a kid, when I launched a detective agency in my parents’ garage.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Sleuthsayers: How I First Met Sherlock Holmes

My first blog post of 2021 talks about my first encounter with the great detective, Sherlock Holmes.

The post, which is up at the mystery blog, Sleuthsayers, features a couple of old paperback covers from the first set of Holmes books I received one Christmas.

I’m running the story this month because among Sherlock Holmes fans, January is the unofficial month of Sherlock’s birthday.

You can check out the post here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, when I’ll be talking about a real-life World War II mystery that popped up in the pages of the New Yorker magazine. Yes, the New Yorker.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe. Yes, this wonderful bookstore is still operating, and shipping books all over the world.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

The Greatest Christmas Mystery, Ever!

I have a pair of lovely blog posts up at the Sleuthsayers mystery writers’ blog this month that I think are worth a look if you are a fan of all things Christmas. It’s the true story behind the making of one of America’s best-loved poems: A Visit from St. Nicholas (aka ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas).

Did you know that there is a very serious question about who really wrote that poem? Did you know the true story is mired in accusations of plagiarism, which only modern science could intelligently untangle?

If you’re interested in the full story, check out the first post, which went up back in November. That post is right here.

If you’re the sort of person who wants to cut to the chase, the sort of person who’s totally cool reading the last chapter of a mystery novel first, then by all means just read the stunning conclusion. I assure you that you will still understand the gist of the entire thing. The second post is right here.

Thanks, everyone, for your support this month and all this year. We’ll get through this.

May the rest of your December be bright!

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Santa Image above courtesy of Markus Spiske on Unsplash

WE GATHER TOGETHER with Denise Kiernan

My wife — the New York Times Bestselling author Denise Kiernan — introduces her new book on the Sleuthsayers blog today.

The post is in the form of a Q&A. I fire off the questions, and her answers give us all a glimpse of her new book, WE GATHER TOGETHER, which is a look at how the American holiday of Thanksgiving came to be.

The link to the blog post is here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, in December, when I’ll be talking about a surprising Christmas literary mystery that endures to this day.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

Check out Denise’s book here: We Gather Together.

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. (The Kringle e-book will be on sale for the duration of November, right up until Christmas!) You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

Mr. Poe and the Sunshine Lady

I’ve got a new post up at Sleuthsayers today, writing about a local spooky story, with a smidge of Edgar Allan Poe thrown in for good measure.

The link to the blog post is here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, in the November. My wife Denise will be talking about her new book, We Gather Together.

If you’re looking for reading material during your pandemic down-time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. (The Kringle e-book will be on sale for the duration of November, right up until Christmas!) You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe.

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Credit: Bookshelf image at top by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

One-Legged Playboy Writes Constitution

I’m back at Sleuthsayers, the mystery blog, today, writing about one of my favorite historical figures.

He was a man named Gouverneur Morris, who was a rake and scoundrel at the time of the American Revolution. His sexual exploits are legendary, as was the fact that he wore a wooden leg. (He lost his left leg in a carriage accident while in his twenties.)

He stands out in history for the work he did on the writing of the U.S. Constitution. Among other things, he gave America a phrase that we invoke to this very day whenever we speak of the document.

No, I won’t spoil it for you. You’ll have to read the story for yourself.

The link to the blog post is here.

If you like my work, kindly consider bookmarking Sleuthsayers. The next post will be in three weeks, in the depths of October. I’m planning something appropriately spooky and morbid.

If you’re looking for reading material during this hellish time, I hope you’ll consider one of my books or my wife’s. If ever there was a time for escapism, it’s now!

The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe.

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Independence Hall photo credit: Phillip Goldsberry on Unsplash