Is this thing on?

Malice Domestic Convention

2011-12-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm excited about being the Guest of Honor at Malice Domestic 2012! This convention is so much fun, and the people are so warm and welcoming there. I hope to see you there! Held in Bethesda, MD, it's a short Metro ride from all the sights in Washington, DC and close to shopping, restaurants, and more.

Registration price increases after 12/31/11, so now is the time to sign up.

Happy holidays!

2011-12-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

Whichever holidays you may be celebrating this season, I wish you all the best, and thank you for your kind support!

Anarchy Cobbler Recipe

2011-11-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

My Facebook friends asked for a recipe, so I thought I'd write it out almost exactly the way I made it. For those of you who are about to tell me that cobblers don't have two crusts, see the title of this post.

Anarchy Cobbler

*Parts of the process you need not repeat.

*1)While in a doctor's waiting room, spare the batteries on your electronic devices and do it old school — a saying which is probably old school — and pick up a magazine. Look for one that has a lot of delicious-looking food on the cover, and as you flip through it, become enamored with a pear pie recipe. As you are called to the front desk and must set the magazine aside (because doctors may not always know what's wrong with you, but they do always know when you have reached a critical point in an article), tell yourself that since it is this month's issue, you can find this magazine at the grocery store.

*2) That afternoon, realize, after looking in at every check stand in a way that makes the store employees nervous, that the November issue of said magazine was only available in October.

*3) Search online. Nothing about this will be intuitive. That makes it a quest, so you will be happier when you finally find the recipe. Print it out.

*4) Don't take the recipe with you when you shop. Trying not to attract the same kind of attention you received the day before, buy lovely Bartlett pears (or whatever type you prefer), but not enough of them. (I bought three or four. What was I thinking?) Fail to buy at least one other key ingredient.

*5) Some days later, see the pears and say to yourself, "I better make something out of those." Envision the unspoken and unpleasant "or else."

6) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

7) Remove premade refrigerated crusts, such as these, from refrigerator and packaging. They will need to be out for at least 20 minutes, so if you are normally able to make any recipe in the time it says it will take you to do it, move very slowly over the next few steps.

8) Wash and peel the pears, which should be ripe but still firm. If they are soft, we'll have to think of something else to do with them. Pearsauce, anyone?

*9) This is the point where you realize that you don't have enough pears. In my case, about 1.1 lbs for a recipe that called for 3 lbs.

10) Core the pears and cut into chunks of a size that can fit in your mouth without choking you or making you look like a hamster who discovered where the sunflower seeds are kept. About 1/2 inch to 1 inch chunks will do. While doing this, think about what the hell you are going to do to make up the rest of the volume of the pie. Let the anarchy begin.

11) Notice that there four apples in your refrigerator that are still good, but nothing, least of all goodness, lasts forever, so they should become part of this pie. In my case, I found a Cameo and three Honeycrisps. Give them the same treatment you gave the pears in steps 8 and 10.

12) When you had the refrigerator open, you noticed some great apple cider. I saw cider made from Honeycrisp apples, but you may see something different. I poured about a cup of this into a small saucepan.

13) To this cider, I added the rest of the raisins I had in a container, and part of a bag of dried cranberries. Total was maybe a cup and a half of dried up bits of fruit. Here's the deal: want it to have a little tartness and zest? More dried cranberries. Can't get enough sweetness? More raisins. Simmer over low heat until they plump up a bit, then remove from heat.

14) Still a little short of filling, you say, "Hey, don't I have pie filling around here somewhere?" Get up on a step stool and let the games begin. Find a can of Oregon Blueberry in Light Syrup. Drain off the syrup and be sure to rinse the sink or you know you'll have a bluish-purple sink, which is always a lure for uninvited persnickety houseguests. No one wants this to happen to you. Rinse. (I'm sure fresh blueberries would work wonderfully if you don't like fruit from a can. Well, I'm not sure. We'll hope someone who knows what they're talking about may be able to chime in here.)

15) Put the fruit chunks into a large bowl if you haven't done so already. Add the blueberries. Drain any remaining cider from the cranberry/raisin pan and add those little fellows into the bowl.

16) Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Gently stir to coat the fruit.

17) Add these spices either to your taste or using this as a rough guide, sprinkling them over the fruit mixture

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

18) Add 3 tablespoons of corn starch and 3/4 cup of sugar or Splenda to the fruit mixture. Gently mix all this together.

*19) Realize that those pie crusts are ready to rock and roll. Look for pie plates or tins. They are not in the usual place. Then again, some of us don't bake enough pies to really be allowed to say "usual place." Continue searching until it dawns on you that you would not have stored them outside the kitchen. Forget about looking in the attic and wash up.

20) Find a square glass cake pan, something in the neighborhood of a 9x9x2, or whatever pleases you. This is anarchy, after all.

21) Place one crust on the bottom of the pan. It may not fit perfectly up the sides. This is okay. You are trying to put a round pie crust into a square pan. If this distresses you, read last sentence of step #20 to remind yourself of our theme.

22) Spoon the fruit mix into the pan. Take a stick of butter and a knife and carve off little dots of butter, 2 tablespoons worth or so, dropping them on to the top of the filling as you go.

23) Take out your super-duper lattice-maker, otherwise known as a pizza cutter, and cut the second crust into strips. Begin a lattice pattern, screw it up, fake your way to freedom.

24) Put the Anarchy Cobbler into the oven. After twenty minutes, lower heat to 350. Bake for about an hour or until it looks good to you.

25) Don't burn your mouth, but after it cools a bit, enjoy! It has been found to be especially good with ice cream.

That's it! I'm thinking of making it with barberries next time out. Hmmm....

Thank you, San Francisco!

2011-11-08T21:58:00.001-08:00

The event for A Study in Sherlock went well this evening. Thank you to all who attended and to the San Francisco Public Library for hosting the panel.

To Continue...the Journey to Cedron

2011-11-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Of course I intended that many weeks ago, I would publish more about my Missouri adventures, and tell you what I saw over that rise.

Sigh. real life intervenes.

Anyway, here's what was just over that rise, viewed though a rain-splattered windsheild:

This is Assumption Catholic Church, in Cedron, Missouri. This lovely little church, built in 1838, is no longer an active parish. But the church and its cemetery are being maintained through the efforts of a devoted local group.

Thanks to their efforts, I was able to visit the grave of Lorenz Weingartner, my great-great grandfather. Part of the excitement of this discovery was the ability to confirm bits and pieces of information about him gathered from my family, and to correct some of our errors.

But most of all, I was grateful to see a place where my ancestors had gathered and sought the comforts of their faith together, a place where some of them probably met their future spouses, where they were wed, where their children were baptized, and where, as with Lorenz Weingartner, they were laid to rest. I had the chance to think of their courage in leaving their own families Germany, crossing the Atlantic, and then half the U.S.. They settled in western Missouri and started farms there.

The area where my family lived is beautiful. It's not far from the Missouri River, near the Lewis and Clark Trail. My thanks again to the Cedron Church preservationists — without them, it is unlikely I would have ever had those peaceful moments in Cedron.

First, about Ian in Disturbance.

2011-11-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

I posted something about this on Spoilerville, but since some of you are asking about it here -- Yes! There is a typo in the hardcover edition of Disturbance. The confusing Ian is Kai.

What happened?

I had named the character Ian in an earlier draft. Changed the name. (If you want to know why, please read about it on Spoilerville.) Apparently, one slipped through despite several people reading through several other drafts.

In other words, I made a mistake. I know, I know... but really, happens all the time.

Sorry for any confusion, and especially for yanking some of you out of the story and irritating you more than I would have believed possible.

Another adventure begins: part 1

2011-09-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

First, a few notes re St. Louis. Bouchercon was loads of fun. I want to thank the fans and volunteers who made this a great convention. Special thanks to those of you who took the time to come to see me on panels or in the book room signings! It was so good to see so many of my friends and colleagues. These conventions always make me feel deeply grateful for the friendships I've formed with my fellow writers.

Today, after leaving Bouchercon, I began a different kind of adventure.

I decided to set out on a journey that I've been wanting to take for many years now, a journey in search of family history.

Over 160 years ago, some of my ancestors left Germany and settled in western Missouri, and I have long wanted to see the area where they lived in the early 19th century, and to try to discover more about them.

I learned the name of what I thought was the town where my great grandfather was born. I also learned the name of the church where he was probably baptized, and alas, that it was no longer an active parish. Still it was clearly being cared for. I also found out that there was a cemetery on the church grounds.

I fired up the browser and looked for the church and town, but the town didn't show up on maps. Turns out it is what is known as an "unincorporated populated place." The GPS didn't recognize it. Fortunately, iPhone did.

So I drove from St. Louis to this area, not far from Jefferson City, the state capital. I turned off the interstate and on to a two-lane highway. The countryside was beautiful, with rolling hills of farmland, many creeks, and the Missouri River nearby.

After some time, the directions indicated that I should turn left at a certain lane. The lane was in fact an unpaved road, with more than its share of loose, fist-size rocks. I went slowly, but I have the kind of imagination that allowed me to envision getting a flat tire and not being able to call AAA. Or anyone else. And worse, of course. (Were the nearest humans really a family of cannibals? No.)

The lane dipped and curved and dipped and curved again and again. Soon I was past farms and houses and passing through a forest. This matched none of the photos I had seen of my destination. As you can see from the photo above, there was no promise of seeing a church and cemetery near open fields.

I took this photo planning to email my siblings with a message based on one of my favorite Vonnegut quotes, (or, should I say, Bokonon quotes?) "Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."

It was a lovely day, I was in a beautiful place, and had no fixed schedule. If it turned out I had come up with a miss when I picked a place that only seemed likely, that was the nature of likely. I wasn't exactly lost, I just hadn't found what I was looking for. I would eventually reach another road, and it would take me back to the highway.

But one should always wait to see what's over the next rise before assuming you've missed your opportunity...

Bouchercon Bound

2011-09-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to Bouchercon in St. Louis, and hope to see some of you there!

Here are the panels I'm on:

Thursday, September 15 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.

A CLEAR CUT CASE OF MURDER-Landmark 5,6,7

But is it? Forensics panel

Leslie Budewitz (M), Jan Burke, Marcia Clark, Jonathan Hayes, Stefanie Pintoff, Doug Starr

Thursday, September 15 4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.

SISTERS-Landmark 5,6,7

These gals and doing it for themselves.

Robin Agnew (M), Jan Burke, Deborah Crombie, Erin Hart, Hank Phillippi Ryan

Friday, September 16 2:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.

KEEP THE PARTY GOING-Majestic A,B,C

Twist Phelan, four authors-need we say more?

Twist Phelan (M), Jan Burke, Harley Jane Kozak, Bob Ward, Gary Phillips

I'm leaving Saturday morning for an adventure I'll write more about from the road.

Helen McCloy Scholarships for Mystery Writing

2011-08-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I was on the board of Mystery Writers of America, and had the pleasure of serving with Elizabeth Foxwell. Her contributions to our field are innumerable, and as in all her endeavors, she served the organization with excellence. One of her many innovations on behalf of MWA was to conceive of and work to establish the Helen McCloy Scholarships.

Helen McCloy (1904-1994) was an author, editor, publisher, and agent. Over the course of her writing career, she was an Edgar winner, Grandmaster, MWA President (its first woman president, in 1950), and helped to establish the New England Chapter of the organization.

I have just seen an announcement in the MWA newsletter by Chris Roerden, the current chair of these scholarships. For 2012, there are two $500 scholarships available to help a promising mystery writer pay the registration fees for live writing programs, classes, courses, or workshops. The scholarships are open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents only.

The deadline for application submissions is February 29, 2012, which sounds as if it is a long way off, but two letters of recommendation are needed, and those can take a while to gather, so if you are interested, please start the process now!

Please visit this site for more information:
http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=AwardsPrograms-McCloy

Look for the Boy

2011-07-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

A revolutionary man,
Who wears no black cape
Throws no bomb
Burns no building and
Kills no dignitary,
Is hard to find
In a cast of thousands.

But look for the boy
Who has a fire in his eyes
That says he's been
Alone too long,
And watch his world self-destruct.

If you had asked me just yesterday give you a short list of things I'd never put on this blog, poetry from my freshman year of college would not have made the list. That's because the idea would have been so unthinkable, it wouldn't have occurred to me as being even a remote possibility.

But here we are.

Today my sister Sandy gave me a copy of a publication she had found among some items she's sorting through from the attic of the house where my family lived during my high school and early college years. "I think you have a poem in this," she said.

The long, thin, illustrated booklet, a bit yellowed with age but otherwise in good shape, was the free poetry writers workshop anthology (all lowercase in the original) from the Experimental College at CSULB. I don't see the Experimental College anywhere on the university's Website these days, so there are probably a diminishing number of us who remember its freewheeling opportunities for non-credit study of topics outside (sometimes way outside) the usual curricula.

I confess that I have corrected a couple of typos in the copy above. But otherwise, it is as I wrote it. I brought it home, where photographs from Norway stared back at me from a newspaper on the dining room table.

I couldn't (now, and perhaps not then) name the events that led me to write this poem. I was eighteen. Now, almost four decades after it was published, I've seen far too much of the handiwork of those lonely boys in the time that has passed since I wrote it.

Jungle Red and other adventures

2011-07-17T02:18:00.000-07:00

Safari (or Mozilla, or whatever browser works) over to Jungle Red, where Rhys Bowen interviewed me. I talk about Disturbance, whether or not Irene is my alter ego, writing about "dark subjects," the Book Passage Conference, and Spoilerville. Please stop by and leave a comment -- if nothing else, help me to reinforce the idea that the actual title of my new book is Disturbance.

I'm back from St. Louis and signed books today at Apostrophe Books. Next week, I'm traveling to the San Francisco Bay Area. Here's the schedule through the end of July:

July 21-July 23
Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco)

Saturday, July 23, 2 PM
M is for Mystery
86 East 3rd Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 401-8077

Tuesday, July 26, 7-8 PM
Redondo Beach Main Library
303 N. Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310-318-0675
Free event.
Books will be available from Mysterious Galaxy, which will soon open a new store in Redondo Beach!

Apostrophe Books this Saturday!

2011-07-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

As you know, I'm heading to St. Louis for an event on Thursday. But I'll be back in So Cal on Saturday, July 16th for signing at a lovely bookstore in Long Beach, California — Apostrophe Books! This store is in Belmont Shore between Park and Roycroft, next door to Starbucks. (See map below -- click on the address to go to Google Map.)

I'll be there from 2-4 PM, and hope I'll see some of you who recognize parts of Las Piernas as belonging to your home town!

Apostrophe Books
4712 E. 2nd St
Long Beach CA 90803
562-438-7950

View Larger Map

St. Louis, here I come!

2011-07-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hope to see those of you in the St. Louis area at this event -- just a few days away!

Thursday, July 14 at 7 PM  (Doors open at 6 PM)
St. Louis County Library  
Headquarters - Auditorium 
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. 
St. Louis, Missouri
314-994-3300

It's a free event. 
Books will be available from Barnes & Noble. See you there!

Image above by spiroll on morguefile.com

Announcements: Spoilerville is open! And more signings!

2011-06-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Some of you have wanted to post comments about Disturbance on this blog, but fearing that those who haven't read it yet will have parts of the plot spoiled for them if I let those comments go through here, I've decided instead to start an experiment -- I've created a new place for readers called Spoilerville.

You can reach it at any time by going to http://spoilerville.com

The idea is that you now have a place where you can ask a question or make a comment that gives away the ending of the book, and where you can also feel free to talk to other readers about it.

I will be putting up pages for other books, and I'm open to your suggestions about this site.

Here are the next few places where I'll be signing Disturbance:

Saturday, July 2, 1-3 PM
Mystery Ink
7176 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-960-4000

Saturday, July 9, Noon
Mysteries to Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-374-0084

Saturday, July 9, 4 PM
Book'em Mysteries
1118 Mission St.
South Pasadena CA 91030
626-799-9600

Notes from the road

2011-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in Phoenix, AZ tonight, here for the Poisoned Pen's Conference Call at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. I know, you're looking at one of your weather apps and saying, "Triple-digit heat!" Well it is the desert, and it is summer. But they are prepared for that here. And in addition to beautiful grounds, the buildings were designed by Albert Chase McArthur, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and one can clearly see the influence of Wright throughout the hotel.

Add to that the fun of a well-organized conference featuring Laurie R King, Dana Stabenow, Peter Lovesey, Alafair Burke, Jacqueline Winspear, April Smith and many others. (Seriously, take a look at the conference website!)

Tonight I had the pleasure of spending time with a new author whose name may be known to you, Marcia Clark. Her first book, Guilt by Association, is already a national bestseller, and getting all kinds of great buzz, including this blurb from James Ellroy: "You must read this book."

I just started it and find myself in agreement with Mr. Ellroy. I'll add that she's funny and smart as a whip, so if you can, come out to see her in person here at Conference Call or in July at the Book Passage Mystery Conference.

Tomorrow I'll be on the program in conversation with Laurie King. I'll be signing books here. If you want a signed first edition of Disturbance, it's easy to order one from the Poisoned Pen by clicking here:

http://tinyurl.com/62zfuk6

You can also order signed first editions from the other stores on my schedule page — including stores where I've been this past week.

After the conference I fly back to California — hope to see some of you at Mysterious Galaxy!

An Interview with Scott Butki

2011-06-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

The new interview is up on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's pages! I talked to Scott Butki about Disturbance, the return to the Irene Kelly series, serial killers, journalism, forensic science, and why statistics on homicides are probably unreliable.

http://tinyurl.com/3c7ko7o

A couple of interviews

2011-06-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Marlyn Beebe reviewed Disturbance — which is officially published tomorrow! — for the Crime Fiction Collective. She also did a two-part interview with me on her blog, Stuff and Nonsense.

For part one, in which we mostly talk about Disturbance, Irene, search dogs, and research:

click here

And for part two, in which I discuss writing about violence, and reveal how an optimist came to write books in which dark and disturbing things sometimes happen to her protagonist:

click here

I'll have another interview link to share with you a little later in the week, with further discussion of Disturbance, so stay tuned.

And I'll be saying more here about Disturbance and some of the issues raised in these interviews in the near future!

Jan

Disturbance Launches 6/21!

2011-06-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here's where I'll be over the next few days! Please come by and say hello.

Tuesday, June 21, 7 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-449-5320

Wednesday, June 22, 7 PM
Book Carnival
348 S. Tustin Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
714-538-3210

Thursday, June 23, 6:30 PM
Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005
713-524-8597
1-888-4-AGATHA

Saturday, June 25
Conference Call—Poisoned Pen Conference
Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
2400 E Thunderbird Trail
Phoenix, AZ
Fee is $50, limited to 125 registrants
To register, call 888-560-9919
or send an email to sales@poisonedpen.com
The Biltmore offers a special conference room rate of $89/night plus applicable taxes. To reserve your room (don't delay, the conference bloc could quickly be snapped up): go to www.arizonabiltmore.com and use the code "ppen11" in the group/convention box.
Guests can also call 800.950.0086 to book their reservations anytime (days, nights and weekends) using the same code.

Sunday, June 26, 2 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111-1040
858-268-4747

Other dates can be found on my Website at http://janburke.com/schedule.php

Redesigned site is live!

2011-06-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

The updated site (as you can probably tell from the new look of this blog!) is now live. So please visit

http://janburke.com

and take a gander.

Thanks to Maddee James and her staff at xuni.com for all the hard work. Nothing like having someone send you a set of images and 24 pages of notes and a "how soon?" plea -- she did a beautiful job, IMHO!

Those of you who are aspiring writers, be sure to look at the FAQ page, third question down -- you can download a pdf of my (ahem) wisdom, just for you.

And my schedule for signings of the upcoming release of Disturbance can be found here:

http://janburke.com/schedule.php

Almost here!

2011-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

I'm excited because:

The new Irene Kelly book, Disturbance, will be out on June 21! You can preorder it now from your favorite bookseller. Click here to see where I'll be signing. Add to that an appearance at Book'em in South Pasadena, where I'll be on the afternoon of July 9.

I've been named the Guest of Honor for Malice Domestic XXIV! I love this convention and I'm so flattered to be the GOH. I'll be joined by other honorees Dana Cameron (Toastmistress), Simon Brett (Lifetime Achievement), Lee Goldberg (Poirot Award), and Fan Guest of Honor Ruth Sickafus. I'll hope you'll join us April 24-29 at the Hyatt in Bethesda, MD!

I'll be speaking at some great writing conferences this year, the first of them this coming Sunday -- So Cal MWA and Sisters in Crime's LA Chapter are teaming up for the California Crime Writers Conference.

My Website will soon have a new look! Stay tuned!

The Crime Lab Project Website has been updated and combined with our blog to make it easier to keep current with forensic science news.

I've just finished going over the proofs for "The Imitator," my short story in A Study in Sherlock. I am so looking forward to reading the other stories in this anthology. Laurie King, Neil Gaiman, Laura Lippman, Lee Child, and many others participated.

Schedule for Disturbance Signings as of 5/15/11

2011-05-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

June 11-12
California Crime Writers Conference
Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, 9-10:15 AM:
"Bad Guys & Sidekicks—How to write a great supporting cast"
The Hilton Pasadena
168 S. Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, CA

Tuesday, June 21, 7 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-449-5320

Wednesday, June 22, 7 PM
Book Carnival
348 S. Tustin Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
714-538-3210

Thursday, June 23, 6:30 PM
Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005
713-524-8597
1-888-4-AGATHA

Saturday, June 25
Conference Call—Poisoned Pen Conference
Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
2400 E Thunderbird Trail
Phoenix, AZ
Fee is $50, limited to 125 registrants
To register, call 888-560-9919
or send an email to sales@poisonedpen.com
The Biltmore offers a special conference room rate of $89/night plus applicable taxes. To reserve your room (don't delay, the conference bloc could quickly be snapped up): go to www.arizonabiltmore.com and use the code "ppen11" in the group/convention box.
Guests can also call 800.950.0086 to book their reservations anytime (days, nights and weekends) using the same code.

Sunday, June 26, 2 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111-1040
858-268-4747

Saturday, July 2, 1-3 PM
Mystery Ink
7176 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-960-4000

Saturday, July 9, Noon
Mysteries to Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-374-0084

Thursday, July 14
St. Louis County Library
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
More details soon!

Saturday, July 16
Apostrophe Books
4712 E. 2nd St.
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-438-7950

July 21-24
Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(Just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco)
More details will be posted soon about Jan's schedule at the conference, but you should register now if you want to attend this great event!

Site update

2011-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm working with my Web site manager, Madeira James, on a new look for the Web site. I'm really excited about the design she's come up with, and right now I'm buried in updating the content. The schedule has some additions, so be sure to check that page if you look at the current version of the site.

I have lots to tell you, but the Web site revision must come first...

Thanks for your patience!

Disturbance: the basics

2011-04-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

I've written two long posts this week, so this one will be a little shorter. It won't be all I'll have to say about Disturbance, but I hope it will answer a few of your questions.

When will Disturbance be published?

It will be available on June 21. Some copies will probably be available for the California Crime Writers Conference.

Is it an Irene Kelly book?

Yes.

In what formats will Simon & Schuster make it available?

Hardcover and e-book.

Is it true that this is a sequel to Bones? Do I have to read Bones to understand what's going on in Disturbance?

Some time has passed since the end of Bones when Disturbance begins, but serial killer Nick Parrish is back. Don't worry, you can read Disturbance even if you haven't read Bones yet — the plots stand by themselves, and if you read Disturbance first you won't be lost, etc. That said, I think you'll probably enjoy Disturbance more if you remind yourself of the events in Bones, and you'll probably enjoy Bones more if you read it first. It is currently available in paperback and as an e-book.

Is Bones based on the TV show?

No. It was published before the show first aired.

What's Disturbance about?

[Okay -- read no further if you don't want to know anything about the plot! Potential spoilers of some events in the story.]

Disturbance finds Irene facing an old enemy: serial killer Nick Parrish, last seen in Bones, has recovered from his injuries, and has vowed to have revenge. Others dismiss her fears by reminding her he's in prison, but Irene finds little reassurance in that. He's connected to the outside world through an online group of misguided fans that calls itself The Moths.

They seem intent on disturbing her peace of mind, playing unnerving tricks. But matters take a darker turn when the frozen body of a young woman is found in the trunk of a car parked near Irene's home. The corpse is has been painted — decorated with moths. She won't be the only calling card Parrish's helpers leave for Irene.

Irene has other upheaval to contend with. The newspaper where she has worked most of her adult life is shutting down. Being a reporter has been more than a job — it has been a bone-deep part of her identity. Reporting for the Express was the work she dreamed of doing from childhood, a career in which she excelled, and telling the stories of her community has brought her satisfaction and a sense of purpose.

She's tough and resilient, but this is a blow that leaves more than a bruise. Can she reinvent herself, or even find the will to do so?

Nick Parrish may not give her time to answer that question. He's back. And he's not alone.

The Messenger: Shade

2011-04-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I love dogs. (Cats, too, but alas, I'm allergic to them). Perhaps that's why I'm especially attached to a dog who appears in The Messenger — Shade, who is a cemetery dog.

Although not all readers will stop to figure this out, Shade is actually the oldest of the characters in the book, although there is nothing decrepit about him. He's a large, long-haired black dog. Shade is Tyler's benevolent and protective companion. Although Tyler's existence has been one that has denied him long-lasting human relationships, he has had the comfort of Shade's loyalty.

Mysterious, large black dogs are a staple of fiction and folklore, whether as ghosts or fierce inhabitants of the moors near Baskerville. They guard the gates of Hades, or come upon unsuspecting riders at midnight.

Cemetery dogs are part of the legends of many societies, and their roles vary from tale to tale and place to place. Seen racing next to a carriage at night in England, they would presage death, as they would if they walked into a church during services. In present day, they might cause a car crash on a lonely road at night. These large black dogs are often said to have glowing eyes. They would most likely be encountered near bridges or at a crossroads (the latter are often described as places of mystical power, perhaps because they are places of transition). In some places they work for demons, snatching souls and taking them to the devil.

Yet other tales portray them as wholly benevolent. They may guide lost travelers. They may loyally guard the grave of a person they were close to in life.

Cemetery dogs, in particular, often have the task of guarding graveyards. We could probably use a few more cemetery dogs now. Although perhaps more of a problem in the 19th century, grave-robbing is not entirely a thing of the past. I imagine that people who believe a large black (perhaps supernatural) dog is fiercely protective of a cemetery might think twice about disturbing those who rest there.

By the way there are real-life dogs known as cemetery dogs at the Historic Congressional Cemetery and a few other places. They aren't Shade, but like him, they do play a role in protecting and caring for cemeteries.

One of my own real-life dogs, Britches, had an influence on Shade's appearance. You can see him above (we were out visiting that day) and can probably tell that he's a wonderful old fellow. You may also notice that when he was younger, he posed for the photo used by my sister, Sandra Cvar, to create the print that eventually ended up, full circle, among the images at the top of my site and this blog.

Some catching up

2011-04-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

As usual, I'm behind on posting here. And answering questions, and...well, you should see what the house looks like. Or not.

So here's a little catching up. I'll post more about The Messenger tomorrow, and more about Disturbance starting this weekend, including information about a few of the places I'll be appearing when it comes out in late June.

Disturbance is now available for preorder from any bookseller. For a link to the Simon & Schuster page about it: Click here. If your bookseller needs an ISBN to order it, the number is ISBN-10: 1439152845 or ISBN-13: 9781439152845

It will be available as an e-book and will also be available as an audio book from Recorded Books, although I don't have a release date for the audio book yet. Stay tuned.

The Messenger is currently available in paperback and as an e-book.

If you haven't yet signed up for the California Crime Writers Conference, sponsored by Sisters in Crime's Los Angeles Chapter and Mystery Writers of America's So Cal Chapter, take a look at this site. T Jefferson Parker and SJ Rozan are keynote speakers. I'll be teaching a session on Sunday morning.

Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference

2011-04-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

One of the best conferences in the U.S. for those who want to write crime fiction is held at one of its best bookstores — the Book Passage, in Corte Madera, California, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. I'm pleased to announce I'll be part of the conference faculty this year.

The conference will be held July 21-24. The faculty also includes John Lescroart, Cara Black, Daniel Silva, Martin Cruz Smith and many other notable writers, as well as editors, agents, and experts.

You can learn more about the conference here, and I'll be posting about it again as we get closer to the time of the event -- but sign up soon, this event has limited space.

Sign up now for Conference Call

2011-04-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to say that I'll be part of the Poisoned Pen's Conference Call on Saturday, June 25, 2011. This will be a great event. Other participants include Laurie R. King, Michael Koryta, Peter Lovesey, April Smith, Dana Stabenow, Juliet Blackwell, Alafair Burke, Marcia Clark, Robert Dugoni, CS Harris, Sophie Littlefield, Lauren Willig, and Patricia Wynn.

Details:

Conference Call
Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
2400 E Thunderbird Trail
Phoenix, AZ
Fee is $50, limited to 125 registrants.
To register, call 888-560-9919
or send an email to sales@poisonedpen.com

The Biltmore offers a special conference room rate of $89/night plus applicable taxes.
To reserve your room (don't delay, the conference bloc could quickly
be snapped up):
go to www.arizonabiltmore.com and use the code "ppen11" in the
group/convention box.
Guests can also call 800.950.0086 to book their reservations anytime
(days, nights and weekends) using the same code.

Quick Notes

2011-03-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping I'll see some of you at the RT Booklovers Convention at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, April 6-10, next week! My panel is on Friday, but I'll be around this great convention at other times, too! The panel is "Striking the Balance: Adding Heart-Pounding Thrills That Work" and it starts at 1:30 pm.

I just posted something on the CLP Blog, "What can I do to improve public forensic science?"

I have a short story in A Study in Sherlock, edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, which will be published in October.

The schedule for the tour for the next Irene Kelly book, Disturbance, is shaping up. Details soon.

Why I colored outside the lines

2011-02-26T01:15:00.000-08:00

In a week or so I'll start to say more about the new Irene Kelly book, Disturbance, so I don't want those of you who've been waiting and waiting for this next entry in the series to fear that you'll have to wait until June to hear anything about it. But since the new edition of The Messenger is out now, I'm going to talk about it first.

Besides, last year Real Life intervened and I did a lot less blogging than I wanted to do, so this allows me to do a bit of catching up.

Why, some of you wonder, did I step outside of writing crime fiction to write a supernatural thriller? Was I trying to jump on the vampire bandwagon? Did I have a sudden urge to "go woo-woo"? Was I sick of writing about Irene? Ending the series?

The Messenger is not my first foray into writing about the supernatural. My short stories "Ghost of a Chance" and "The Abbey Ghosts" have supernatural elements in them. The Messenger was, however, my first attempt to write a novel in that genre.

As for the popularity of vampire novels, that had no influence at all. Some writers are happy doing a lot of market research and deciding what they'll write based on that. I'm not one of them. I've never taken that approach to choosing what I'll write.

I should mention that there are no vampires in The Messenger. I'm not knocking them — I have favorite books among the vampire fiction — especially Anne Rice's powerful Interview With The Vampire, one of those rare books from which I can recall image after image, phrase after phrase, more than ten years after last reading it. And Charlaine Harris's incredibly fresh take on the world of vampires added to my respect for her writing.

I am admittedly not very "woo-woo." I tend to be skeptical and think the vast majority (if not all) of the so-called "reality" shows on television about "paranormal investigators" are ridiculous. At the same time, I have beliefs that I haven't arrived at through rigorous use of the scientific method. I just prefer to keep most of that to myself, so that we all get along a little better.

I have a belief about writing: if I've done it well, you should be able to engage your imagination with what's on the page without having to know a thing about me. Odd thing for a blogger to say, I know, but there you have it.

I'm hoping that the fact that there will be a new Irene Kelly book out in June will put to rest all the anxieties readers seem to have about my being sick of writing about her or ending the series. This is my third time through this — heard the same kind of thing when I wrote Flight and when I wrote Nine. It's okay. I'm fond of Irene, too. Sometimes, the best thing I can to for the next Irene Kelly novel is to stretch in another direction before coming back to the series.

The reasons I wanted to write The Messenger are many, but most of them have to do with observations, questions, and Tyler Hawthorne.

My ideas for books, when not ordered from the Secret Warehouse of Fabulous Ideas for Novels That Only Published Novelists Know About, And How Unfair Is That.com, often evolve out of observations that spark questions. I saw friends freaking out about aging, and mentioning things along the line of, no matter who that old lady was in the mirror, inside, they were still twenty-four. And I heard, especially through my work with the Crime Lab Project, people who wished they had been able to have one last conversation with someone they loved, now deceased. Or had a loved one fall into a coma before dying, and longed to hear that loved one speak, and wondered if the loved one could hear and understand what was being said to him. And taking this from another perspective — as one person said to me, "If any of us were told we only had five minutes to live and could make one last phone call, very few of us would dial the office."

So what if you appeared to be twenty-four forever? Not because you had a wormy portrait in the attic, but as a result of some other supernatural agency.

And what if you had a gift that allowed you, if you took the hand of someone who was dying, to hear that person's thoughts, allowing them say (through you) what they longed to tell their loved ones?

These are not questions that would fit well into an Irene Kelly novel. Nothing in the Irene books up to now have suggested that she inhabits a world in which such things could happen.

These questions led to other questions, and I longed to explore them. So I decided to color outside the lines, and that was how I met Tyler, whom I'll talk about next time.

The Messenger is out in paperback!

2011-02-24T14:42:00.001-08:00

I'm excited to announce that Pocket Books has just published The Messenger in paperback! Get ready for some posts about this book -- I had lots of fun with the research. Yes -- even supernatural thrillers can require research!

Death investigation gets some long needed attention

2011-02-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I am an advocate for the improvement of public forensic science. I just posted something on the Crime Lab Project blog that I hope you will read.

It's a list of stories published/aired in a joint effort by PBS/NPR/ProPublica on the state of death investigation in the United States.

Death investigation in this country is a mess. And it's too important to be left in a mess. Please take the time to become informed about this issue.

To go to the CLP Blog, click here or copy and paste this link into your browser:

http://tinyurl.com/47ujfgd

The next Irene Kelly book

2010-07-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

I'm literally just finishing it. The title is Disturbance, it is scheduled to be out in June, 2011. More details soon!

This blog has moved

2010-03-31T13:08:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://janburke.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://janburke.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

We interrupt this series of posts...

2010-03-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

I will continue talking about LCC tomorrow. Today, while working on the CLP News, I came across some news stories in the Mobile Press-Register I think everyone in the U.S. should read -- about a massive backlog of fingerprints in Alabama. I talk about them on the Crime Lab Project's blog.

Left Coast Crime 2010 - Part II

2010-03-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

The convention organizers graciously agreed to work with the Crime Lab Project and the California Institute of Forensic Science to sponsor a special event on Wednesday, March 10.

The Left Coast Crime 2010 Forensic Science Day. They also very generously agreed to donate all proceeds from the day to the Crime Lab Project Foundation, to be given to the CSFI. Rose Ochi tells us that these funds will be used to help graduate students purchase materials to carry out their research.

So not only were we offering something unique to attendees, they were supporting a great cause!

The day took lots of planning and preparation, and we're all indebted to the CFSI's Rose Ochi for her early support of the event, to Harley Sagara for his many efforts, and to Howard Ho for his additional help.

This was a full-day event at the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles. The HSFSC is a new facility that houses forensic science services for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department. It is the largest "full service" crime lab in the country. It also includes training and research facilities as well as classrooms.

Attendance was limited to 75 and the event sold out weeks ago.

Here's a quick look at our day.

8:30-8:45 Welcome

We were honored to be welcomed by Cheryl L. Ney, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies at CSULA.

Rose Ochi, the Executive Director, California Forensic Science Institute and I, in my role as head of The Crime Lab Project, made additional opening statements. Harley Sagara served as our ringmaster throughout the day.

A series of excellent presentations followed:

8:45-9:45 The Crime Scene

Don Johnson, CSULA School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics

9:45-10:45 Questioned Documents

Mel Cavanaugh, Questioned Documents Examiner, Sgt (Ret.) LASD Scientific Service Bureau

11:00-12:00 Forensic Science and the Courts

Myrna Raeder, Professor of Law, Southwestern University School of Law

After lunch, we split into smaller groups for a tour of the HDFSC. The tour was followed by three more excellent presentations:

2:00-3:00 Firearms

Allison Manfreda, Criminalist II, LAPD Scientific Investigations Division-

Firearm Analysis Unit

3:15-4:15 Trace Evidence

Lynne Herold, Senior Criminalist LASD Scientific Service Bureau/Trace Section

4:15-5:15 Biology-DNA

Katherine Roberts, CSULA School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics

I did an informal follow up session for writers on using what we had learned. Each attendee also received a handout with lots of additional information.

The feedback from our attendees has been incredibly positive and their reviews of the day have been stellar. I'm sure we'll do another event at the HDFSC for CFSI, and I've been talking to other convention organizers about doing a similar program at a future Left Coast Crime. When I know more about that, I'll let you know.

I was especially glad that my husband, Tim Burke, was able to join us for this day. He hears me talk about this stuff all the time, and we've donated to CFSI, but this was his first chance to actually look around inside the building!

Tomorrow: LCC 2010 - Part III

Left Coast Crime 2010 - Part I

2010-03-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

I have so much to tell you about Left Coast Crime 2010! So much, I'm going to turn this into several posts.

I was one of the Guests of Honor this year, and I consider this among the highest honors I've received.

I was asked to be a GOH a few years ago by Paul Anik, an incredibly bright and energetic lover of mystery books. He collected them, and reviewed for "I Love a Mystery."

Paul and his wife, Barbara, traveled all the way to Santa Barbara to surprise me an appearance there, and you'll get a glimpse of his sense of humor when I tell you that Paul, an attorney, "served" me with a "subpoena" -- an invitation to be a Guest of Honor in that format. I was so flattered -- the first mystery convention I ever attended was Left Coast Crime 1992, so Left Coast Crime has always been special to me. When Paul offered this prestigious honor to me, of course I immediately agreed!

Paul's enthusiasm was contagious, and over the next two years I saw him make many efforts to ensure that LCC2010 was a success.

Then tragedy struck. In early 2009, Paul died of a heart attack. He was an active man, and far too young to be lost in this way, and it was a great shock to all who knew and loved him. To have someone so full of life and laughter suddenly taken from us seemed incomprehensible. (You can see a photo of him and read more about his life here.)

Paul's committee of volunteers carried on his work. Putting a convention together isn't easy under any circumstances, but this group did so after losing the chief organizer of the event, and while dealing with their own grief over his loss.

They dedicated this convention to his memory, and I was deeply honored to be seated with Barbara and his children, Vanessa and Ben, at the convention banquet.

In tribute to Paul, LCC 2010 created the Panik Award, given for the "best Los Angeles noir book published in 2009." It was won by Linda L Richards for Death Was in the Picture.

I think Paul would have been very pleased by how his convention turned out. I heard nothing but raves from attendees. He worked hard to ensure that his fellow mystery readers would have a great experience, and the committee ensured that happened. And I think he would have been especially happy to know that his pick of Downtown Los Angeles as the site of the event proved to be a excellent choice.

Ed Thomas

2010-02-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

I learned today that Ed Thomas has passed away.

I can't tell you how hard it was to type those words. I knew he had been ill, knew that he was not expected to survive, but still it's hard. Even as I would not wish a moment's suffering on my beloved friend, it is so hard.

In 1992, many months before my first book was published, I received a call from a bookseller in Orange, California. Ed Thomas, the owner of Book Carnival, had read an advanced readers copy of Goodnight, Irene, and invited me to sign at his store when it was published. He was kindness itself, and I accepted his invitation.

So my first book signing was held at Book Carnival, and I came away from it with a false impression that every signing at any store might include a huge turnout. My humility was soon returned to me. But after that, I tried hard to arrange matters so that Book Carnival would always be my first signing date. Although I wasn't always able to prevail over plans my publisher's marketing department made, every time I published a book I signed there as soon as I could. It wasn't the turnout, although they always managed a good one for me, but I would have been happy to return in any case — because that 1992 phone call was the beginning of two treasured friendships — Ed and Pat Thomas were unfailingly kind to me over the next 18 years.

Ed had already been in the book business a long time when I met him. The number of authors who felt a family-like loyalty to him is legion, and by the time I met him already included Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and scores of others. For me, each visit to that store was like a visit home. Pat and I would talk about Texas and family and friends; Ed would tell jokes and stories; they would always treat you right. I would come to a friend's signing and still be in the store over an hour after it ended, talking to Ed and Pat.

Ed would tell me a joke (he had my number early on re judging how earthy they could be) and Pat would blush and wave a dismissive hand at him and say "Oh, Ed!" even as she laughed with us.

The Book Carnival is one of the oldest stores of its kind in the country. In 2003, Ed and Pat Thomas traveled to New York for the Edgars, where they were presented with the Raven. They were richly deserving of the acknowledgement.One of my favorite photos was taken of the three of us that night, and you can see it here.

Jokes and stories were part of each of my visits to the store, but nothing excited Ed like discovering a good read. I never walked out of Book Carnival only carrying the book I came in for. That was okay — I happily anticipated discovering a new (to me) writer with each visit. It was what every writer knew when they were at the store — Ed loved the books he sold. He knew mystery and dark fantasy (the store's specialty). He was extremely well-read in the genres, and also read beyond them. He knew book collecting, but he was not one of those folks with an untouched library. He learned what his customers liked and remembered that, so that even if a book could be bought cheaper somewhere else, they came to his small store for all that he offered them beyond a buck off. And what he offered was a great deal of knowledge and personal service. He was a man who wouldn't tell you he liked something he didn't. He wouldn't tell you a rare book was worth more than it was. The buyer didn't have to beware at the Book Carnival.

I always loved to exchange stories about some of our wackier encounters with the public. Ed once told me a story about getting a call from a man who asked him where the store was.

Ed told him the address.

The man said, "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is," Ed said.

Ed listened with growing incredulity as the guy started to argue with him about it. "Look, whether you believe it or not," Ed said, "I'm standing right here in it."

How I wish he was standing right there now, that I could drive there tonight and visit one more time, and let him know how very much I'll miss him.

Radio tonight

2010-01-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'll be on Desert News Talk Station KNewsRadio.com 94.3 FM with host Christopher Rice tonight at 7:15 PM Pacific talking about the Crime Lab Project. If you get a chance, listen in and call in! http://www.knewsradio.com

Books on the iPhone/iPod

2009-12-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

There are a number of formats you can use to read (or hear) my books now, including electronic editions. An addition to these formats is one I just became aware of -- Iceberg Reader offers several of my books for the iPhone and newer iPods. Just go to the App Store on your phone and search by my name, and you'll see the list of currently available books.

If you'd rather listen to the books on your iPhone or computer or other device, you can also download or purchase other formats of my audio books from iTunes, Recorded Books or Audible.com.

Fallbrook's Writers Read is final 2009 appearance

2009-12-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'll be in Fallbrook, California for an evening with Fallbrook's Writers Read on Tuesday, December 8 at Café des Artistes, 103 S. Main Street. Fallbrook is in northern San Diego County, just inland from Oceanside. I recommend arriving in town early enough to take a walk through its galleries and stores in the downtown area. I often have lunch at Café des Artistes when I'm in town -- definitely worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood.

Doors open at 5:30 with a supper menu available. I'll be reading and signing books beginning at 6 PM.

There's an open mic for others to share original poetry and prose from 6:45 to 7:30 PM.

My friends at San Diego's fabulous Mysterious Galaxy Books will be providing books for sale and signing.

Except for a sold-out event at the Los Angeles Regional Crime Lab, this will be my last scheduled public appearance for this year. I've intentionally kept my schedule clear until March 11-14, 2010, when I'll be at Left Coast Crime in Los Angeles, where I'm a Guest of Honor.

I hope to see you in Fallbrook and hope you have signed up for both Left Coast Crime and the special Forensic Science Day at the convention.

Happy Holidays, and thank you again for your support this past year!

Not Going to World Fantasy Convention

2009-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say that due to circumstances beyond my control, I won't be at the World Fantasy Convention. I'll be offering my membership to the convention through the Live Journal site:

http://community.livejournal.com/worldfantasycon

I look forward to trying to get to this one in the future. For those who are going, have a great time!

Music on Hold - Or While You Wait for Me to Post Advice for Writers...

2009-10-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get the next book finished, so not much posting going on, I know. But for those of you who are looking for writing advice and publishing advice, let me give you a couple of links to sites that are worth your while. Read them. Twice.

First and foremost: SWFA's Writer Beware. My friend Lee Goldberg spearheaded a successful effort to get additional support for this site from MWA — and MWA deserves praise for pitching in -- one of its many efforts on behalf of writers.

I strongly encourage you to spend a lot of time on that site.

Then, take a look at Pub Rants (short for Publishing Rants.) Agent Kristin Nelson kindly takes the time to instruct newcomers (and experienced writers as well) on this blog, which will give you her views on the business of publishing and help you to understand the work of agents and how they can help you -- and how you can best approach them. Start with the Agenting 101 blogs!

More later. I have to get back to work....

Next Up -- More October Events

2009-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Alas, I won't be at Bouchercon this year, so I'll miss seeing those of you who are going. But I've got a full schedule of appearances this fall, so I hope we'll meet up at one of these events!

Friday October 9 - Nashville, Tennessee
Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word
12-1 PM session followed by signing
War Memorial Plaza
Nashville, TN
Evening: Authors in the Round Dinner

Thursday October 22 - Costa Mesa, California
"Will You Kill My Boss For Me?" and Other Harmless Requests:
My Life as a Crime Fiction Writer
CSULB Orange County Alumni Event
Orange County Speakers Series
Wyndham Resort, Orange County
3350 Avenue of the Arts
Costa Mesa, CA
Cost of event: $50 CSULB Alumni Association members, $55 non-members Reception at 6 PM, Presentation and discussion at 7 PM
RSVP by 10/16/09 - Click here for ticket information.

Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1
World Fantasy Convention
San José, California
This event is sold out, but if you have an attending membership, I look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, please see the schedule page of my Website!

A Forensic Science Panel & a Book Fair-- Stop by and say hello!

2009-09-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've got two public appearances coming up soon -- more to come in October and November!

Tuesday, September 29, 11:45 AM-2:30 PM
California Forensic Science Institute Forum
"Challenges Facing Forensic Science"
Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center
Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory
William T Fujikoka Room
1800 Paseo Rancho Castilla
Los Angeles CA 90032

Call CFSI for more information at (323) 343-4877

Sunday, October 4

West Hollywood Book Fair
West Hollywood Park
647 N. San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood [click here for a map and link to parking info]

Noon - Crossover/Supernatural/Mystery Panel (which probably has a better name by now, but this is the only one I've been given) in the Fiction Pavilion

2:30 PM Sisters in Crime: How Far Have We Come?
in the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion

There will be signings after each panel, and at 4 PM I'll also be signing at the Sisters in Crime booth.

Coming soon: appearances in Orange County, CA; Nashville, Tennessee; San Jose, CA; Muskego, Wisconsin; and Fallbrook, CA. See my Web site's Schedule page for more info!

Dog Fairness

2009-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Some have wondered why I talk about two dogs, but only have a photo of one on my book jackets. That's because Cappy is the only one who sat still long enough to be photographed on the day we took the jacket photo. If you look closely at that photo, you can see that I am restraining him from running after the squirrels that made Britches too much to deal with that day.

Britches was the model for Shade, though -- there is a slightly altered picture of him above, the second image in the line-up in the illustration bar at the top of my blog and Web site.

And here are a couple of photos of him. The hedgehog toy recovered from the attempted drowning.

Thoughts on a petty version of Le Corbeau

2009-09-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm far from the first person to consider the downside of Internet anonymity, but a recent post to a blog I came across a couple of days ago has brought the subject to mind, so you get to hear me vent.

I'm not going to name the blog or link to it, because I think the person behind it would love nothing more, and I don't want to gratify him or her with more traffic. You see, I don't know if it's a he or a she, because if you want to hide your identity on the Web, going genderless is apparently the next step after devising what you believe to be a catchy pseudonym. This person wants us to think It (so much more fitting in this case than s/he) is a professional in the business of the mystery genre. An important It, It wants you to know, too important to be named, here to share insights with the great unwashed, but from behind a curtain. Where's Toto when you need him?

There are some cases in which I can see the reason for shielding one's identity. Consequences in the workplace are one. If you're living under an oppressive regime, by all means, save your life and liberty with a pen name.

Even if someone wants to offer advice without making specifics about his life known to everyone with a Dell, fine by me. One hopes against hope that readers of such a site will be cautious about anonymously given advice, since they really don't know if it's being given to them by a con artist or a benevolent expert. Caveat everybody.

I've seen some anonymous advice blogs handled well, and they have this in common: they are never used to insult people who then won't know who just attacked them.

Anonymity used to escape a more personal level of responsibility, used as a shield to allow one to be uncivil or otherwise behave badly is never praiseworthy.

What bothered me about this blog was that the anonymous It seems to enjoy sending a kind of modern version of a poison pen letter. (Not to be confused in any way with the mystery press and bookstore, by the way!)

Here's what bothered me: A point that could have been made otherwise (easily!) comes off instead as a thinly veiled way to stir the pot, to make trouble. An author (not me) and her work are disparaged, a load of names that will increase traffic to the blog are dropped, and in the end we know nothing of the person making the remarks other than what It claims to be true about Itself.

Maybe there's a special place in hell where certain people burn without ever having any idea who sent them there. I have a feeling they'll discover a high percentage of anonymous bloggers in that neighborhood.

The mystery writing community is a relatively small town, on the whole supportive and friendly. Sewing seeds of mistrust there is helpful to no one. We can do without this corbeau.

Celia Fremlin

2009-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

"Fremlin is here to stay as a major mistress of insight and suspense."
New York Times, April 3, 1960

"Celia Fremlin is certainly one of today's more gifted writers."
Los Angeles Times, May, 1963

I've just learned that English novelist Celia Fremlin passed away this summer, on June 16, 2009.

Fremlin, born in 1914, wrote two novels of manners before turning her pen to crime fiction and suspense. She won the Edgar for Best Novel for The Hours Before Dawn, first published in 1958. If you've never read it, find a copy as soon as possible. I strongly recommend it. It's superbly written, unsettling and perceptive.

Beyond that, I think those of you who want a look at women's lives in late 1950s -- as well as some insight into women's lives now, will find that without the least bit of preaching, Fremlin gives you something to think about. It's available from Chicago Academy Publishers.

Her eighteen other novels include Uncle Paul, The Jealous One (also available from Chicago Academy Publishers), The Spider-Orchid and Dangerous Thoughts. A bibliography is available here.

I've been collecting her books over the last ten years, and can tell you that the critical acclaim was well-deserved.

I'm indebted to Elizabeth Foxwell for sending me a link to Martin Edward's blog, where I learned of Fremlin's death, and I agree wholeheartedly with all he has to say there about the stunning lack of notice her passing has received.

Inside The Messenger: Memento Mori and Mourning Rings

2009-08-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

"Also, I do will and appoint ten rings of gold to be made of the value of twenty shillings a piece sterling with a death's-head upon some of them."
— a will dated 1648, quoted in Finger Ring Lore by William Jones

Those of you who've read The Messenger know that a special memento mori ring is part of the story. While only Tyler and Amanda can tell you where to find a ring exactly like the one in the book, memento mori rings are real.

Rings have long symbolized the eternal -- the unbroken circle. "Memento mori" is a Latin phrase that literally means "remember you shall die," and refers to objects that serve as a reminder that death awaits us all, and for those who believe in an afterlife, that it, too, awaits.

"As I am, so shall you be."

Memento mori and mourning rings were often made of gold or silver, might include gemstones, enamel work, or hair art. They were often decorated with symbols of death and mourning: skulls, skeletons, hourglasses, coffins, urns, willows, acacias, and garlands, to name a few. In my research I came across a few that had a single eye painted on them -- the deceased keeping watch. A little unnerving for the surviving spouse, one would think.

Memento mori rings have been worn since ancient times. Some of the most elaborate were made in 16-19th centuries in England, but they were also worn in many other countries.

William Shakespeare bequeathed memento mori rings to his wife and his daughter -- it was not uncommon at that time (and in later centuries) for wills to contain instructions that mourning rings be made with inscriptions to reminder the wearer of the deceased.

In Searching for Shakespeare, Tarnya Cooper writes that "Memorial rings were not only given or bequeathed as a lasting token of remembrance, gratitude and affection at death, but were also exchanged in betrothal and marriage." The book shows several examples of these rings.

Here are some links to photographs of memento mori rings and places where you can find more information about them:

The Art of Mourning Lots of historical information and many beautiful photographs of rings.

A ring worn at Jamestown, early 17th century. Possibly worn by Captain Christopher Lawne.

Laurell Antique Jewelry This site also has beautiful photographs of mourning rings.

Victorian Hair Art - This page shows a lovely example of mourning jewelry made with hair art -- a fascinating subject of its own!

Morning Glory Antiques - has photographs of several other examples of hair art from the Victorian period, including mourning rings

Brief notes

2009-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

I hope you are planning to attend Left Coast Crime 2010 in Los Angeles next March! I'm the Guest of Honor -- along with some guy named Lee Child. You may have heard of him? Yeah, I think he's great, too. Anyway, we'll be there along with Bill Fitzhugh and lots of others, so please register now. And don't forget to sign up for the Forensic Science Day -- it's going to be so cool!

The Crime Lab Project blog is running a Death Quiz -- find out how much you really know about death investigation in the U.S. -- and then tell your friends to take the quiz. Ignoring the dead can cost us our lives.

My Web Master is as overwhelmed with work as I am, so it may be a little while before my schedule on the site shows this, but -- I'm going to have some new additions to my October schedule, including the Southern Festival of Books, October 9-11 in Nashville, Tennessee. Stay tuned for details.

Speaking of Web sites, don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but one of my nieces, Heather Cvar, is a makeup artist, and her recently updated site has some cool photos on it. You can see them at HeatherCvar.com

Artistic ability runs in the family -- her mom, my sister Sandy Cvar, will be one of the print-makers featured at the International Printing Museum's Los Angeles Printers Fair on August 29. And if you go to the Orange County Fair, look for one of Sandy's prints in the Fine Arts Professional Graphics exhibit!

That's it for now. I have a ton of stuff to post here, but it will have to wait while I work on my next book.

Keeping up with me while I fall behind

2009-07-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

I know it's not great to have a blog and not post to it for over a month, but the thing is, I'm writing. Figure most of you would rather see a novel than a post. But if you are just dying to know what I'm up to on a more frequent basis, you can always follow me on Twitter (Jan_Burke) or add me on Facebook.

I stopped in here, by the way, to let you know that over on Murderati, Cornelia Read has revealed that I am both mean and a whiner. Sad but true. Of course, "sad but true" is what got me into this trouble in the first place.

And now, back to work!

"The Fallen" is nominated for a Barry Award!

2009-06-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased and honored to announce that "The Fallen," which appeared in the August 2008 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, has received a nomination for Best Short Story for the Barry Awards!

Barry Awards are named in memory of avid mystery fan Barry Gardner. The Barrys are voted on by readers of Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures. Winners will be announced at the 40th annual Bouchercon, which will be held October 15-18, 2009 in Indianapolis.

For a full list of nominees in all categories, click here:
http://www.blackravenpress.com/BarryAwards2009.htm

New Audio Books!

2009-06-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

New audio books are now available!
You can now listen to
Goodnight, Irene
Sweet Dreams, Irene
Dear Irene,
Remember Me, Irene
Hocus
and
Liar
on Recorded Books. Click here for a link:
http://tinyurl.com/mcmav9
The books are unabridged and are also available at Audible.com and other audio book sites.

Other titles are on the way!

Why it's a good time to read Bones

2009-06-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

Pocket Books has just released a new paperback edition of Bones!

For those of you who haven't read it in a while, this might be a good time to re-read it. Why?

Let's just say that in the book I'm writing now, Nick Parrish is making the news again.

California Crime Writers Conference

2009-06-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the California Crime Writers Conference, sponsored by the LA chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, on Sunday, June 14th at 2:00 PM. I'll be teaching a session with Doug Lyle, "CSI: The Real Facts." The event is being held at the The Pasadena Hilton, 168 S. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA. This is part of a two-day conference for writers that should be very helpful for those of you who are working on manuscripts. Hope to see some of you there!

I have some news about Bones and Liar, but I'll save that for the next post. A deadline and a few other matters have kept me from being more active on the blog, but don't give up on me!

Back from Mayhem...and about Facebook

2009-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just back from a wonderful time at Mayhem in the Midlands. It is one of the best organized fan conventions in the U.S., and always held at a size that allows people to actually spend time together -- as opposed to the usual feeling one gets of having waved to all of one's acquaintances while crossing Grand Central during a marathon.

This year Dana Stabenow was the Guest of Honor and Zoe Sharp was the Caroline Willner International Guest of Honor. Dana and I have been good friends for some years now, and she asked that I serve as the "Toastmaster" this time, which means I interviewed her at the convention on Sunday. At some point, that interview will be available online. I really enjoyed getting to know Zoe, and look forward to reading her work. The first books in her series have been picked up for reissue by Busted Flush Press, so watch for announcements from the BFP Website next year.

Ann asked about Facebook. Here's a badge that I think will get you through to my page there:

I'll try to put that in the sidebar of the blog. Wish me luck! First I have to deal with an unruly dry cleaner. Seriously. More on that soon.

Facebook & Twitter & Emailing me directly

2009-05-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked about this, so here's the contact information:

I'm on Facebook -- Jan Burke.

I'm on Twitter. (Yes, before the recent tidal wave of celeb sign ups.) You can see my Tweets here on the blog or follow me -- Jan_Burke. You can send a message to me on Twitter using the usual Twitter commands. (@ or D)

And if you want to send me an email, puzzle this out, because if I write it out here, spammers will collect it off the blog and drive me nuts. So:
My last name
a dot
TheMessenger
at
Gmail
usual dot com suffix.

So the first part is Burke.TheMessenger

If you post a comment here and put your email address in your comment, I will read the comment and get back to you, but I won't make your comment public. That's to keep you from getting hassled by spammers.

CSULB Library

2009-04-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

This post is a test -- I've had a really odd message from Google on my blog's dashboard, so I'm not sure the blog is working.

Had a wonderful day today at the CSULB Library. Saw ORCA, its automated system for retrieving books and journals not kept in the usual stacks -- amazing, something almost out of science fiction. And the high-tech Spidell Center within the library is a great way for students to be able to use computers and search online for information. In a hundred other ways, the space has been opened up, made airier and brighter. There were lots of students there, making use of its resources.

There are many other plans, all of which will benefit the students, and I hope funding comes through for them. So if you're also a 49er -- one of CSULB's alumni -- consider a gift to the University Library. Visit it and you'll see they're making good use of the funds.

We now return to you after dropping off the face of the planet

2009-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have fallen so far behind on posting here. It's not because I am quiet by nature or haven't got a thing to talk about. Mostly, it has been a matter of trying to focus on all the stuff on my plate right now and to catch up after traveling. First the main part of the tour, then the American Academy of Forensic Science meetings, and most recently Left Coast Crime 2009 in Hawai'i. I've also had day-long local events, such as the fabulous ALPHA event in Fullerton yesterday. And then there is the work I've been doing on the next Irene Kelly novel -- I'm trusting none of you will mind if I make that a bigger priority than blogging.

I do wish the elves would come to my house and prepare my taxes. My accountant would probably feel that was an improvement, too.

My current desire to blab here comes from a response to being involuntarily silenced. A couple of days ago, the guys repairing our roof apparently cut through the fiber optic cable that carries our telephone, television, and Internet connections. It was like blowing the circuit breaker on our doorway to the rest of the world.

We've definitely gone longer without television, phones, email or using the Web, but it was *planned* on those other occasions. This time, the timing was not so hot. If we hadn't had a pair of iPhones, we wouldn't have been able to do much business. Since we get a crappy level of cell phone signal inside the house (I suspect our attic is lined with cell-signal-kryptonite), this meant holding some interesting conversations on the front lawn. Our neighbors already think we're crazy, so it wasn't too big a risk.

The one or two pressing needs (printing the directions to the event I was at on Saturday, sending an afterword to Jim Seels for ASAP Publishing's special edition of two terrific Ken Bruen short stories) were taken care of at my sister's house.

So we survived. All of this made me think about how dependent we've become on this one cable running from a pole in the backyard to our roof. As you might expect, for the first hour or so we felt really frustrated, as we ran around and tried to figure out what had happened. But once we reached the "nothing we can do about it until Verizon repairs it" stage, we found plenty to do with our time. After all, writing a manuscript doesn't require an Internet connection -- although this did interfere with my ability to enjoy my usual pastime of rationalized procrastination -- aka indulging in research.

It's fixed now (yes, Verizon came out here on a Sunday). I may just plan -- I do like it so much better when it's planned -- to go for a few more stretches like that.

Invest Your Forensic Science Reality Check

2009-02-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, the U.S. Congress mandated a study of forensic science by the National Academy of Sciences. Founded by a law passed during the Civil War, the NAS provides expert studies of scientific matters for the government.

So many have eagerly (or with trepidation) awaited their report on the state of forensic science in the U.S., and its recommendations on how it might be improved. That report was made public last week. You can read about here:
http://www.tinyurl.com/NASforensic

The report should serve as a reality check to those who believe in the fantasy world version of forensic science. The NAS called for "major reforms and new research," said that forensic science in the U.S. is "badly fragmented," that it is lacking in "rigorous certification programs," that "many forensic science labs are underfunded, understaffed, and have no effective oversight."

And that's just part of the first paragraph of their press briefing.

You may notice that much of this fits in with what the Crime Lab Project has been saying for some time.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be reading the full report from the NAS (you can read it free online, pay for a full-report pdf, buy chapters, or order a hardcover on the NAS Web site). I'll post my thoughts about it here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself. The more people who are informed about the challenges facing forensic science, the better our chances of seeing real change.

Sculpture on a Monday

2009-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

I'm back home until Left Coast Crime, and have lots of stuff to talk about from the American Academy of Forensic Science meetings, more about The Messenger, and other topics. But before launching into any of that, I thought, why not take a moment for beauty?

Many thanks to my friend Donald Grant, who told me about Kristen Hoard's sculptures and other works of art. You can see her work by clicking here. ( http://www.metalphoria.com )

Above: "Small Fire Tree" by Kristen Hoard

Poetry on a Wednesday -- Or, Another reason to love G.K. Chesterton

2009-02-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

A discussion list I'm on has been reading Georgette Heyer's mysteries, most recently The Unfinished Clue. Much as I like many of her other books, I'll admit that I'm not a great fan of her detective stories, and find this one particularly weak. I have a theory that Heyer despised many of her contemporaries, because so many of her books portraying them are heavily populated with unlikable characters.

One of the characters in The Unfinished Clue quotes lines from a poem by Frances Darwin Cornford, which led one of the list members to provide a link to this site:
http://tinyurl.com/crp5fg

I'm so glad I followed it, for the sake of the amusement to be found in G.K. Chesterton's response to the poem.

I'll add that while I laughed, Cornford was far from unread in her day, and should be remembered for other poems -- "All Souls' Night," for example, which appears in the Wikipedia article about her.

Bookplate update

2009-02-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

The last of the bookplates have been given away -- these are no longer available -- many thanks to all of you who asked for them! I'll try to do something like this again in the near future.

Yours,

Jan

My apologies for being so late getting the bookplates out -- I sometimes have this notion in my head of "Miracle Jan" who can do things like go on a book tour and sign and mail out good stuff on the few days she has home -- and still do local events, spend time with her husband and dogs, respond to a thousand emails, get stuff to the dry cleaners, do laundry, go to the grocery store, and all other necessary errands and tasks in those same two days. Did I mention sleep?

Anyway, Miracle Jan was a no show last month, so I'm catching up now and will sign and get those bookplates out this week. If you want one and didn't get a chance to ask before, just send your name and address to burke.themessenger at gmail.com. I'd write it in a plainer fashion, but one must do what one can to foil spammers.

Paul Anik

2009-01-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

I'm heartbroken to report that Paul Anik, book collector and mystery lover who was organizing Left Coast Crime 2010 in Los Angeles, died suddenly of a heart attack.

I have seldom known anyone who was so enthusiastic about life and the books he loved. He will be missed.

Jan

Invading other blogs

2009-01-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

I'm back home now, and have a few minutes to come up for air and thank all of you who showed up at events where I was signing. That's the part of touring that I love most -- meeting readers! If you missed seeing me at the stores listed in recent posts, many will still have signed books available. And if you don't live near those stores, all of the ones listed on the sidebar to the right will ship signed books while supplies last. Also, I do have other events on my schedule, and you can click here for more information about them.

I've been traveling a bit on the Internet, too -- a couple of friends invited me to guest blog.

Recently, Elaine Viets allowed me to vent about devising the pitch for a new book on The Lipstick Chronicles.

Rhys Bowen interviewed me on Jungle Red Writers.

They're both fun blogs, so take a look around while you're there!

Signing Schedule - Week of January 18

2009-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 20, 6:30 PM
Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005
713-524-8597
Toll free: 888-4-AGATHA (888-424-2842)
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/mbtbhtx

Wednesday, January 21, 7:00 PM
Borders - Lee's Summit
1664 Northwest Chipman Road
Lee's Summit, MO 64081
816-347-0044
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bblsmo

Thursday, January 22, 7:00 PM
Left Bank Books (Central West End)
399 North Euclid Ave
St Louis, MO 63108
314-367-6731
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/lbstmo

Ohio and Kentucky

2009-01-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving for Ohio in the morning, getting ready for some signings and other events there and in Kentucky.

I was interviewed by Mark Perzel on Cincinnati's NPR station, WVXU, For the "Cincinnati Edition" show. You can listen to the interview online by clicking here for the complete show for January 10 -- you can find the interview at about the halfway point. If you buy the book through the station's Web site, a portion of the sale benefits WVXU.

A review of The Messenger and my interview with Vick Mickunas appears in today's Dayton Daily News. You can read that article by clicking here.

Here are a few of the interviews scheduled (more about others soon):

On Tuesday morning, January 13th, I'll be on TKR-Cable TV's Northern Kentucky Magazine show at about 10:30 AM.

On Wednesday, January 14th, I'll be on WDTN-TV's 2 News at Noon.

On Thursday, January 15th, I'll be on WKYT-TV's 27 Noon News.

The bookstores where I'll be this week are listed on my schedule page and this post below:
Is this thing on?: Schedule for The Messenger Tour - Week of January 11

Gaza Protests in Westwood Result in Cancellation of Today's Mystery Bookstore Signing

2009-01-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the best laid plans must be laid aside --

Today I had two signings planned for The Messenger. I had just left Mysteries to Die For after a great signing there in Thousand Oaks and started down the 101 freeway, when I got a call from Bobby, the manager of the Mystery Bookstore in Westwood. Because of a large number of protesters at the nearby Federal Building and on some of the streets of Westwood, law enforcement had blocked freeway exits to the area and all of the surface streets leading into Westwood Village, so he asked to cancel the signing. Another author had been unable to reach the store, and Bobby felt sure I wouldn't be able to get to the store from outside Westwood.

Bobby later kindly brought preordered books to my house, and I signed them for any of you who had requested them. I also signed some stock for those who order books or come by the store after today.

I hope none of you were caught in the heavy traffic or frustrated in trying to get to the store, and also apologize to the two fans in Westwood who apparently managed to get the store. I hope I'll see you at another local event.

Schedule for The Messenger Tour - Week of January 11

2009-01-10T00:08:00.000-08:00

I'll be on several television and radio programs this week in Ohio and Kentucky -- I'll post more about that soon.

Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Rookwood Commons
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513-396-8960
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/jbcinoh

Wednesday, January 14, at 7:00 PM
Books & Co.
Greene Shopping Center
4453 Walnut Street
Beavercreek, OH 45440
937-429-2169
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bcbcoh

Thursday, January 15 at 7:00 PM
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green Circle
Lexington, KY 40503
859-273-2911
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/jblfky

Saturday, January 17th at 1:00 PM
Book Carnival
348 Tustin Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
714-538-3210
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bkctca

I have more signings coming up and I hope you'll be able to stop by and say hello. Here are some stores where I've already signed books, and while supplies last, these stores will happily ship autographed books to you if you order by calling the store or visiting its Website:

Mysterious Galaxy
858-268-4747

Poisoned Pen
480-947-2974
Toll free: 888-560-9919

M is for Mystery
650-401-8077
Toll free outside the San Francisco Bay Area: 888-405-8077

Book Passage
415-927-0960
Toll free: 800-999-7909

Books Inc. in the Marina
415-931-3633

Mysteries to Die For
805-374-0084

Mystery Bookstore
310-209-0415
Toll free: 800-821-9017

Signing Schedule - Week of January 4

2009-01-02T22:23:00.001-08:00

The Messenger is now in stores! Here's where I'll be the week of January 4th -- please stop by and say hello!

Monday, January 5, at 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble Huntington Beach
7881 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-897-8781
This store is in the Bella Terra Mall, near the Cheesecake Factory.
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bnhbca

Tuesday, January 6, at 7:00 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Suite 302
San Diego, CA 92111
858-268-4747
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/mgsdca

Wednesday, January 7, at 7:00 PM
Poisoned Pen
4014 North Goldwater, Suite 101
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-947-2974
Toll free: 888-560-9919
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/ppbsaz

Thursday, January 8, at 1:00 PM
Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista
Corte Madera, CA 94925
415-927-0960
Toll free: 800-999-7909
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bpcmca

Thursday, January 8, at 7:30 PM
Books Inc. in the Marina
2251 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-931-3633
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/bimsfca

Saturday, January 10, at 1:00 PM
Mysteries to Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-374-0084
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/mtdftoca

Saturday, January 10, at 4:00 PM
Mystery Bookstore
1036 Broxton Avenue, Suite C
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-209-0415
Toll free: 800-821-9017
Click here for a map
or go to http://tinyurl.com/mblaca

Free Bookplate Offer

2008-12-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

The last of the bookplates have been given away -- these are no longer available -- many thanks to all of you who asked for them! I'll try to do something like this again in the near future.

Yours,

Jan

A large, signed edition of this book plate of Shade, the cemetery dog in The Messenger, ~~is available free~~ to those who are on my mailing list and fans of this blog.

These bookplates were designed by Sandra Cvar. Only a limited number are available, so for now, we'll only send one per household.

To receive a book plate, just send your name and address to this e-mail address:
burke.themessenger -- at -- gmail.com

replace the spaces and "-- at --" with the usual e-mail symbol.

This offer is void where prohibited.

An Introduction to The Messenger & Tour Info

2008-12-24T23:52:00.000-08:00

Starting today, I'm going to be telling you more about my newest book, The Messenger. And tomorrow I'll also tell you about an offer for those of you who faithfully read this blog or belong to my mailing list.

Q: When will The Messenger be published?
The official publication date is December 30, 2008. I've been hearing that some people are already receiving copies. You can order The Messenger on the website of your favorite bookstore, through Indiebound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers, or by calling your local bookstore. If you want a signed copy, many of the bookstores I'll be visiting on my tour will ship a book to you -- call to ask.

Q: What's it about?
The Messenger is a supernatural thriller. I'm going to tell you more about the characters, the story, and some of my research for the book over the next few days. You can also read about the book on my website. Here's a brief introduction to it, though — and skip the rest of this section if you really don't like any kind of spoiler!

Far below the surface of the Caribbean Sea, a salvage diver hears an eerie voice coming from the wreckage of a 19th century ship. The voice belongs to Adrian de Ville, who offers the diver power and wealth if he will pledge his service and help Adrian find Tyler Hawthorne. It's a bargain the diver comes to regret.

Tyler Hawthorne lives in Los Angeles. To all appearances twenty-four, he is in fact more than two hundred years old and nearly immortal. In 1815, as he lay dying of his wounds at Waterloo, Adrian offered him a memento mori ring, and the opportunity to recover and become The Messenger. Tyler has since had the ability to hear the thoughts of the dying in the last moments of their lives and conveys their final messages to their loved ones. With only a cemetery dog named Shade to bear him company, he leads a solitary and nomadic existence.

Now, in L.A., he finds himself drawn to a woman named Amanda Clarke, who has secrets of her own.

The dying give messages to Tyler, too, and lately they've indicated that his life is about to change. But will this change allow him to grow closer to Amanda, or bring him under the power of his old enemy?

Q: The Messenger isn't an Irene Kelly book -- does that mean you've stopped writing about Irene?
No. I'm working on a new Irene Kelly book now.

Q: Will you be on a book tour for The Messenger?

Yes. Here are the places I'll be:

Monday, January 5, 7 PM
Barnes & Noble Huntington Beach, CA

Tuesday, January 6, 7 PM
Mysterious Galaxy San Diego, CA

Wednesday, January 7, 7 PM
Poisoned Pen Scottsdale, AZ

Thursday, January 8, 1 PM
Book Passage Corte Madera, CA

Thursday, January 8, 7:30 PM
Books Inc. in The Marina San Francisco, CA

Thursday, January 8, TBA
M is for Mystery San Mateo, CA—stock signing

Saturday, January 10, 1 PM
Mysteries to Die For Thousand Oaks, CA

Saturday, January 10, 4 PM
Mystery Bookstore Los Angeles, CA

Tuesday, January 13, 7 PM
Joseph Beth Cincinnati, OH

Wednesday, January 14, 7 PM
Books & Co Dayton, OH

Thursday, January 15, 7 PM
Joseph Beth Lexington, KY

Saturday, January 17, 1 PM
Book Carnival Orange, CA

Tuesday, January 20, 6:30 PM
Murder by the Book Houston, TX

Wednesday, January 21, 7 PM
Borders (Lee Summit) Kansas City, MO

Wednesday, January 22, 7 PM
Left Bank Books St Louis, MO

Be sure to keep checking the schedule page on my website for updated information.

Thankfulness

2008-11-30T00:48:00.000-08:00

In the U.S., we've just celebrated our Thanksgiving holiday. I have so much to be thankful for, and this holiday, which gives a chance to reflect on that, is one of my favorites.

As always, I thank my fans for their loyal support, and hope your own holiday has been fabulous.

And on the lighter side, here's something to make you smile!

At my feet

2008-11-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

A few leaves, as one would expect on a November afternoon -- even a summer-hot November afternoon. But on the driveway today, the salt and pepper of ash. Fragments of distant trees, brush, and homes. Nomadic bits of ruin.

Smoke Gets In Our Skies

2008-11-15T20:20:00.001-08:00

Raymond Chandler wrote a great short story about life in LA during a Santa Ana wind, "Red Wind." It's been a while since I've read it, so I don't remember if he mentioned the fires that seem to be the inevitable result. Perhaps fewer people had built homes in the hills then. But right now, in areas where houses have been built since before Chandler's time, people are being burned out of their homes, and wildlife areas are being destroyed.

Fortunately, our home is not in a danger zone, but if you live anywhere in the LA basin right now, you are probably getting a gray snow of ash on everything. The air smells as if you've got your head up a chimney. And the day has been darkened by smoke.

The photo above was taken many miles from any active fire, looking southwest (toward the coast), at two in the afternoon. The brown in the sky is smoke, and that blue stripe is what the day should have looked like. It seemed more like dusk than the middle of the afternoon.

For information on the fires : LAFD and this Fire Map.*

*This link has been updated -- the earlier map link was not regularly updated.

Is it a sin to love a computer?

2008-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

My Macintosh G4 is dead. I'm sad about that.

It's not loss of data -- I'm probably going to be able to recover even the small amount that wasn't backed up. I haven't used it as my main computer for some time now. But it has been a part of my life since 2000, and made my life easier in a thousand ways.

Before I go on, I'm going to say a word about the other side, just to set something straight -- I really don't have a problem with those who love Windows. I say this because I've noticed that when we who are Mac users start talking about loving an Apple computer, we get profiled as maniacal worshippers who will not admit that there is anything to like about the competition -- seriously, there's this assumption that we're all rabid. Not so. I've used both systems, I like Macs better, but I don't feel the need to make a religion out of it.

The late G4 was one of a long succession of Macs in our home. I bought my first Apple computer when I was a graduate student -- an Apple IIe. I had used an Apple II and an Apple II+ owned by other family members, but this one was my own. It was a major investment for me on my student budget, but I loved it and made constant use of it. After I met Tim, our roommate's new Mac caught our attention. Eventually, we bought an SE/30 -- Goodnight, Irene, my first novel, was written on it. I loved my first laptop -- a Powerbook 100. We bought a Performa from a young computer salesman who is now a computer genius. Other Macs in the house have included a Mac Mini, a G5, a titanium Powerbook, and a Macbook. Although Tim talked me out of owning a Newton, we both have iPhones.

I loved the G4, though. For one thing, it was the only computer in the house that still ran OS9 (I refused to upgrade it from the last of OSX versions that would run Classic, and all the software that didn't make the transition. I do wish Aspyr would create a version of MahJong Parlor -- the real game, not that POS solitaire -- that would run on OSX.) There is software on it that runs peripheral devices, and those may need to be replaced now, too.

The guy at the Apple store (where I dragged the carcass in desperation) diagnosed the problem as the power supply, but said Apple doesn't stock repair parts for computers more than five years old. He also told me that hanging on to OS9 is "like living in a condemn house." This from the company that condemned it. For some of us, the historic has its value. But okay, I understand what he meant, and after all, I did move forward. We are using new Macs and Leopard in the house. I just liked the old Mac and all it offered before its power supply bit the dust.

And not just because of the OS. Many pages of novels and short stories were written on it. I communicated with many of my friends and fans using that computer. Any number of projects and organizations were aided by the work I did on it. When I think of the time spent sitting before it and its (at the time of purchase) futuristic two-ton monitor, I feel as if I'm saying goodbye to an old friend.

If I can't find a way to bring it back from the dead, it will be recycled. We'll have more room -- that monitor is a real space hog.

It is, ultimately, an object.

I tell myself that, and to just move on.

But the truth is, I loved it, and I already miss it.

We interrupt this blog for an important message

2008-11-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

VOTE!

If you are eligible to vote in the United States, please take time to go to the polls. Vote early if you live in a place where that's an option, or plan time to vote on November 4. Don't kind of sort of think about maybe doing it at some point on Tuesday -- make the plan now! Click on this Google map link to find your polling place.

I will return to give you all sorts of news and information about The Messenger, the upcoming tour, and other items of interest about my books and stories, but right now, this is message #1:

VOTE!

Train Twitter

2008-10-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

I love riding Metrolink, and recently discovered that Metrolink is on Twitter. So I signed on as a follower. Frankly, I expected dull notifications. But this is the first Twitter posting I received from them:

San Bern Line train 331 delayed 30 mins due to unruly passenger at Upland stn. Passenger removed by local police.

And that, ladies and gentleman is the kind of thing that comes to mind when people ask me "Where do you get your ideas?"

The Messenger

2008-10-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

I invite you to visit my Web site, janburke.com, to see information about the new book, The Messenger. The site currently says it will be out in "December," but that's kind of misleading. Officially, at this moment, the release date for the book is December 30th, and you can pre-order it from online booksellers now for delivery then. The tour for the book starts in early January.

All of that nitpicking aside...if you follow the link on my home page, you'll find information about the book. And as on this blog -- some new artwork. Enjoy!

first look at the new look

2008-09-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

The new images at the top represent scenes from the new book, The Messenger.

2008-09-22T04:01:00.001-07:00

http://ping.fm/p/MIVXL - Outside a Mexican restaurant in Orange Co

2008-09-22T03:54:00.001-07:00

http://ping.fm/p/dePj3 - Power plant #1, seen outside an LA vegan restaurant

New forensic science class at CSULA

2008-09-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

The California Forensic Science Institute is sponsoring a series of extended education courses at CSULA that are open to the public. The first, "Basic Crime Scene Investigation," is a two-day course taught by Ruben A. Flores, a Supervising Criminalist at the LA County Sheriff's Dept lab. He's also worked for the Huntington Beach PD and the LAPD.

According to a course brochure sent to me by the CFSI, "...Students will learn the fundamentals of physical evidence identification, documentation, collection, and packaging. Through class exercises and a fun homework assignment, students will get practical experience in the common methods of crime scene investigation...."

The course is scheduled for 11/15 and 11/22, 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and is limited to 25 students. The course fee of $275 includes a booklet and other course materials.

Call the CFSI at 323-343-4900 for more information or to register for the class.

About ten posts worth of random notes

2008-09-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy for letting me know about this gem.

~~~

My sister, Sandy Cvar, will be teaching "Introduction to Linocut" at the International Printing Museum on Saturday, September 13, 9:30-4:00. This will be an easy way to learn how to carve linoleum to make a print. You don't need to be an artist to have fun with this method of printmaking!

We loved our recent visit to the museum. Even if you don't want to try working with linocut, if you're in the South Bay area, stop by and visit them.

~~~

We just subscribed to HBO. Why? True Blood, which is based on Charlaine Harris's fabulous Sookie Stackhouse series. We are also looking forward to the next David Simon project.

~~~

Last few days have been hectic. Having finished proofreading The Messenger, I sent it back to my editor. Sandy has finished some graphics for the update of the Web site, and Madeira James is at work on the new look.

I made a trip to see my folks, was a party to -- won't bore you with the long story -- destroying the firmware on my dad's iPhone. (Yes, in their 80s, my parents are using iPhones and texting, using Maps, checking stock quotes, downloading apps for games and all sorts of other cool stuff. And yes, at that age, I hope I'm willing to take space shuttle trips or use whatever cool tech is available then.) So I took the phone into the Apple store in Costa Mesa, and with the kind and efficient help of Genius Bar genius Johnny, got it up and running again. So two trips out of town, but I got to see the parents a little more often that way, which is always a good thing.

~~~

One of these days I'm going to have to post something about the Skeptical Inquirer. Which may sound like a strange thing to say, since I've just written a supernatural thriller. But there you have it. I don't really believe there's a city in Southern California named Las Piernas either. Sorry if I just made anyone cry. But I also saved you gas money by preventing you from driving around looking for it.

Anyway, great article in the Nov/Dec 2007 issue (yes, I'm behind on almost everything) by Denis Hamel. It's about a quotation floating around the Internet and elsewhere, lauding astrology and falsely attributed to Einstein. You might say that you don't have to be Einstein to suspect that he probably didn't believe in astrology, but the hoax persists. Hamel's article not only shows that Einstein didn't author this "quote," but shows that even given proof that it's a hoax, some folks refuse to remove it from their sites. I'm not the first person to tell you not to believe everything you read online, right?

~~~

I'm going to do a little work for the Crime Lab Project and then get back to work on the new book. Follow me on Twitter if you want details from here.

Have a good one! And thanks, Vgan -- I'm also glad the world did not implode when they fired up the black hole machine today. Not that I was really worried.

2008-09-07T03:15:00.001-07:00

Done with the galleys. Now on to the next item on The To Do List From Hell.

Nature's dust mop rides again

2008-09-04T10:37:00.001-07:00

The contest is on.

If you go to this site (aka http://ping.fm/p/AFvQH ),

you'll see one of my dogs, Britches, wearing an attractive yellow leaf.

Britches is one of nature's dust mops. He goes outside, and a little bit of outside comes back in with him. If you have a dog or a cat that provides a moving sampler of nature on four paws, link to a photo from the comments section. If you need an easy way to this, consider opening a ping.fm account. (As previously noted, I love ping.fm -- makes it easier for me to blog, keep up with Facebook and Twitter, etc.)

No prizes. Just my complete sympathy.

2008-09-01T16:11:00.001-07:00

Planting the last two of seven California native plants I bought at Las Pilitas -http://ping.fm/OaqqQ

Galleys!

2008-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

The galleys for The Messenger have arrived! It's always an exciting day when galleys are in, for several reasons --

The book starts looking like a book! Gone are the double-spaced manuscript pages, the ones I produced on my computer, and we're also past the stage when the symbols of copy-editing covered those pages. This is the phase of production of a book in which those manuscript pages have been given over to the artistry of those who design and layout the type and pages -- the final look of the book itself. If you can image an unbound book being photocopied, single-sided, you now have some idea of what galley pages look like. The first time I see any book at this stage is a wonderful moment, a moment when the book-as-book comes closer to being a reality.

It's also the last chance I'll have to correct errors. This is truly unnerving. If you're an author, when you see your copy-edited manuscript (previous stage of work), you become aware that your brain filled in all sorts of things that your fingers did not type on the keyboard, and that you, until now -- despite numerous readings of screens and printed pages before now -- never noticed were missing or unclear. So you work hard to stay focused while going over a copy-edited manuscript. Then, thinking you've caught whatever problems you and a team of experts could catch, you mail it back. A few weeks later, you see the galleys -- and yes, there is always something that has been missed by the folks who were looking for errors before now.

You also know that despite your efforts and those of your publisher, some howlingly funny, boneheaded error will remain, and you will be hearing about it by e-mail within the first week after the book is published.

Galleys also bring a sense of urgency with them -- there is never a lot of time between when one receives them and when one's publisher wants them back. So I'm off to work on galleys!

2008-08-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

Enjoying ping.fm -- brilliant idea!

2008-08-26T11:54:00.001-07:00

Um...helps to put the right date for an event on one's blog. Previous post should read "September 6." Yes. Saturday.

Making prints

2008-08-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

Not fingerprints, this time, but artwork.

As some of you know, my sister is printmaker Sandra Cvar, who will be giving printmaking demonstrations at the International Printing Museum on Saturday, September 6th*, between 10 AM and 1 PM. It's Family Printmaking Day, and Sandy will be demonstrating everything from potato prints to linocuts. I plan on being there, and I hope you'll join in the fun if you're in the area.

The museum includes a collection of antique printing machinery. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults and $7 children/students. Pay at the door, but RSVP to Rachelle Chuang at

bookarts --at-- printmuseum.org. (Convert that into an email address.)

The International Printing Museum/Book Arts Institute

315 Torrance Blvd

Carson CA 90745

310-515-7166

*Not, as previously bumbled, 9/9. Sorry about that.

iTunes!

2008-08-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, forgive me for wearing my shades indoors -- I'm feeling too cool for the room. ;-)

The audio version of Goodnight, Irene is now available on iTunes!

Click here, or go to:

http://tinyurl.com/5z2mqt

Why I didn't feel the quake

2008-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

I was here, not there. Hope all my friends in So Cal are okay.

Help find Jeddah

2008-07-18T13:29:00.001-07:00

My friend Maria Lima says she loves working at Matrix Group International in those hours when she's not writing her great vampire series, and this story in the Washington Post gives one example why that's understandable.

Matrix is sponsoring the Help Find Jeddah Web site:

http://www.helpfindjeddah.com

Jeddah, pictured above, went missing from her airline-issued kennel at Dulles Airport. Her owner, John Weisner, is a U.S. Army soldier on his way to a year-long assignment in Saudi Arabia. Weisner and his wife, Ronia, need your help to find their beloved dog. Spread the word, and if you live in the Dulles area, please help in the search.

More Audio Books!

2008-07-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that two more Irene Kelly books — have been released as audio books by the wonderful folks at Recorded Books!

Sweet Dreams, Irene and Dear Irene, are now available unabridged on CD and audio tape. (Unabridged means the whole book is recorded — every page read.) Recorded Books offers sturdily bound CD and tape editions for libraries. For the average consumer, they offer several choices -- you can buy them as CDs, as cassette tapes, or you can rent them in either format.

As with the audio edition of Goodnight, Irene, Eliza Foss is the reader for these two.

Click here for information on ordering the audio edition of Goodnight Irene:
http://tinyurl.com/gniaudio

Click here for information on ordering the audio edition of Sweet Dreams, Irene:
http://tinyurl.com/sdiaudio

Click here for for information on ordering the audio edition Dear Irene,:
http://tinyurl.com/diaudio

Sightings Near the Downtown Interchange

2008-07-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

I was recently stuck in traffic in downtown Los Angeles when I saw the 1800Autopsy van, which didn't bother me until I realized it was traveling in the wake of the "training bus."

It sounds so much easier than writing them

2008-06-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Perusing the impressive biography of Andrew Malcolm on the LA Times political blog page, I came across this startling sentence:

He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.

All well and good until it rains

2008-06-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Sandra, who is an artist, spotted this cool blog post about an artist who doesn't just scrawl "wash me" on dirty car windows.

http://tinyurl.com/4fhvmj

And if you want to see some of Sandra Cvar's work, click here:

http://www.sandycvar.com/gallery/index.htm

Go crows!

2008-06-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

A story from Reuters about my favorite birds, defending their homes. And wreaking a little havoc at the same time.

Cover for The Messenger!

2008-06-12T07:30:00.001-07:00

Here it is -- there will be a few changes, but this is the preliminary cover for the new book, which will be out in January.

I'm on my way to Texas for the Southwest Chapter of MWA's writing conference, "Hardboiled Heroes and Cozy Cats." See you there!

"The Fallen"

2008-06-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

He watched her for a moment before he left for work, thinking that he could have drawn a map of her body, served as a kind of cartographer of every plane and curve of her surface, as it was not so very long ago. Jared McKay believed he could trace — strictly from memory — Catherine’s body as it had been, when he had been her explorer, eager to know the line of her neck, the curve of a shoulder blade, the dimple behind her knee.

These are the opening lines of "The Fallen," my newest short story, which is appearing in the August 2008 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (aka EQMM).

Jared is a police detective who returns from leave to take an assignment on a surveillance job, looking for distractions from his troubles at a difficult time. It's an assignment that will result in revelations about his own life, and the lives of those closest to him.

I find that Jared is still on my mind, many months after I finished the story. I hope you will enjoy reading "The Fallen."

A couple of people have told me they've received their copies of the August EQMM magazine, so subscribers should have it in their mailboxes any day now. If you aren't a subscriber and want to see the story, I have information below about how to get the magazine.

Those of you who follow my short story writing know it has been a while since I've had a new one out. I fell behind on my novel manuscripts, so I had to catch up there before I set time aside to write a story. The most recent story was "Zuppa Inglese," really a novella, I suppose, which appeared in 2006 in Otto Penzler's Murder at the Racetrack.

As I've stated elsewhere, I love the short story form, both as a reader and a writer. I'm proud to be included in this issue of EQMM — the magazine has a rich and wonderful history, and here in the Burke household we continue to look forward to each issue.

Now -- for the promised info about getting a copy of the story:

If you want to subscribe to the magazine, you can do that online, at Dell Magazines' Mystery Place Web site. I don't think the July issue information is up yet, so I'm not sure when they'll have information about the August issue, but you can get subscription information there, or subscribe on Amazon.com.

If you don't want a subscription but want a copy of the magazine, there are several ways to get one.

If you want an electronic version (many formats available), it should soon be available through Fictionwise. The August issue isn't posted on Fictionwise yet, but I imagine it will be there soon.

You can find EQMM at many newsstands, at some independent mystery bookstores, and at retail outlets including the following:

B Dalton

Barnes & Noble

Borders

Eastern Lobby Shops

Gateway Newsstands

Relay

The Great Canadian News Company

Waldenbooks

Keep in mind that limited copies are available, so you may want to order one in advance from your local store.

Finally, you can also order individual copies as back issues from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Details can be found by clicking here -- see item #3.

If you do get a copy of it, let me know what you think of the story!

Yours,

Jan