Tag: June Lorraine Roberts

  • Mo Hayder: Darkly intense

    Characters we don’t want to believe exist I’ll never forget the first Mo Hayder book I read: The Treatment. When I finished it I was filled with bleakness. I decided then that her writing was not for me and removed her from my author list. A few years later I picked up The Devil of…

  • Elephants, rhinos and painted dogs too

    In South Africa at the Tau Game Lodge delighting in another world. I’ll be home soon to talk to you about the little reading I’ve been able to catch up on. Hope all is well with everyone. ~ June Lorraine

  • Chain gang: authors/writers talk about their work

    Stefania Manttana of the Chase Williams Mystery Series convinced me to participate in this fun initiative. It’s a great way to learn about other writers and the work they sweat over and thrive on. Stefania’s writing is charming, fun and enjoyed by many. Perhaps it’s because as she says, “I write crime novels and detective…

  • Bay Street: A Novel

    Neurosis behind the door, delusions at the desk Cheeky, dark and clamorous, it’s an escapade into a Toronto corporate law firm. Perhaps inside out is a better term as Philip Slayton slides readers through the hallways and into the heads of some curious and some very strange characters. Piper Fantouche is a junior partner at…

  • Binge watching: Bing reading

    Choose your time wisely. Binge watching on one or over several of the screens available to you has been much in the media lately. I saw a TV ad the other day that was amusing. A man discovered his wife was cheating on him. She had watched ahead on a series they had both agreed…

  • Vicki Tyley: an introduction

    The women in Tyley’s books are many women we know. At times confident, strong, and capable. And at times disillusioned, doubtful and insecure. One way or another they work their way through life finding their path through discovery and need, and rising to the necessity of challenges. They exhibit bravery and fearfulness, at times in…

  • CWC Arthur Ellis: Best Novel Longlist

    Crime Writers of Canada has released its longlist for the 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel. The shortlist for all seven categories will be released on April 24th and the winners will be announced on June 5th. For a list of the 2014 entries in all categories check out the CWC entries. Good luck…

  • Book in hand

    Boulder Books, Colorado The lure of old school A friend dropped off two books for me the other day and I can’t stop looking at them. Silly I know, but having relied on my trusty Kindle for the past while the site of two actual books with their moody covers is intoxicating. A trip into…

  • Peggy Blair: Magic

      Let me talk to you about Peggy Blair, or rather her first book The Beggar’s Opera (Midnight in Havana in the UK.) Blair has set up a premise that would seem difficult to pull off. She does. And not just pull off; she eases us into the premise with an ‘of course’ familiarity that expects…

  • Kilmoon

    Over the past few months I’ve been happily following and commenting on Lisa Alber’s blog and she has returned in kind. The excitement over the pending release of her first book has burst upon us and Kilmoon has been launched. For a peek into Lisa’s delightful personality have a look at her guest post on the…

  • eNovellas: Short form

    Photo: Openroadmedia.com The trend for eBook short-stories or eNovellas has increased to the degree that they are now a fully accepted addition to an author’s writing arsenal. Some are used as a fill-in between full-length books keeping readers interested in the characters and a series’ arc. They are also used as prequels to current works,…

  • Florida Roadkill: Off the walker in the 27th state

     If the Cohen brothers were to write a book this would be the one. Fortunately we have Tim Dorsey making his mark with the printed word. Florida Roadkill is violent, extreme, and funny as hell. It has a cast of characters as long as some parolee’s rap sheets, and enough stories to fill another book.…

  • Noir

    How dark is it for you? In January I said I would be looking into the book world of noir and I have been diligent. While not yet ready to get into, I have several books under my belt and a few more to go. What an interesting journey.  It brings about the discussion about…

  • Harry Bosch: In Person

    Many of us have been following Michael Connolly’s LAPD Detective Harry Bosch for 18-years. Now we will be able to watch him via Amazon Studios (stream Bosh on Amazon Prime) thanks to Connolly’s efforts. The project is based on the book series plus new material, and a voting system for those who view the pilot.…

  • The library sneak

     It took time and persistence, patience and cunning. At the age of nine I had all of that plus moxie.  Carefully, biding my time and picking up a random book, I kept watch from the edge of the pages. There was my chance! I slipped around the corner and moved from the children’s library into…