Writing is a Crime
Diane Fanning, author of fifteen true crime books and twelve mystery novels, blogs about writing, reading, crime and observations of life. Sometimes serious, sometimes irreverent.
DearReader.com Features Diane Fanning August 2
TREASON IN THE SECRET CITY, the second book in the Secret City, comes out the first of August. It is filled with spies, treachery and challenges for Libby Clark. She has to face down…
Southerners, Listen Up!
Hey, y’all, let’s get this straight. Virginia is a southern state. I’ve run across people from Texas, Alabama, Georgia and even South Carolina who have referred to my state as being “Yankee.” I don’t know if this arose because…
Influence Your Book Store
The number of book stores in this country has declined in the last decade. And the inventory in existing book stores has gotten smaller. As a result, I’ve heard many people complaining that their favorite types of books are no longer available on the shelf. At a recent book signing, a Barnes and Noble staff person gave me information that will point in the right direction to harness your power and make an impact on the inventory. The secret is…
The Manhattan Well Mystery: The Coldest Unsolved Case in American History
History, mystery and a host of fascinating characters—Paul Collins latest effort, Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America’s First Sensational Murder Mystery, entertains as it illuminates the early years of the United States. At its core is Manhattan Well Mystery, the death of a young woman…
The Call of My Heart
A funny thing happened to me last March. I was riding in the car heading from Virginia’s coast to the western part of the state. The moment I saw the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon, the word “home” reverberated in my head. A funny thing happened to me last March. I was riding in the car heading from Virginia’s coast to the western part of the state. The moment I saw the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon, the word “home” reverberated in my head.
That single word was soon followed by a song from…
ANNE PERRY AND THE MURDER OF THE CENTURY: Recommended Read
Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham is a fascinating read. I’ll admit that initially I thought the title was a bit over the top—there are a lot of homicides that could challenge that claim. However, when I realized the book was written by a New Zealand author, I realized that in the context of that country, it did live up to its billing.
Sleep My Darlings: The True Story of a Mother Who Murdered Her Children in Cold Blood
This weekend, the driving bass of boisterous music echoed across the canyon and into my house. It made me think of Calyx Schenecker because the reason for the noise was the Relay for Life at New Braunfels High School, a fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society.
Calyx was an ardent supporter of this event at C. Leon King High School. She lead a team of Harry Potter enthusiasts…
Free Books for the Celebration of 2013
The winning continues during the Celebration of 2013, the year of my 20th book. So far this year, I’ve given away three of my books: Wrong Turn, Mistaken Identity and Bite the Moon along with Angel Sometimes by Helen Ginger and Gone the Next by Ben Rehder.
Missing Person: Shattered Lives
Eight years ago today, Mike Severance disappeared. That weekend, he was supposed to fly from Texas with his wife, child and stepson to visit his family in Maine. He never arrived.
Twenty-four-year-old Air Force Staff Sergeant Mike Severance survived five missions in the middle east, landing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Uzbekistan. As a C-130 crew chief, he participated in 515 sorties and 232 peacekeeping missions, accumulating 922 flying hours with a 99 percent departure reliability rating. By all accounts, he was an outstanding airman.