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Allison Brennan August!

Criminal Element is celebrating “Allison Brennan August” — LOL. I cracked up when I saw the plan, but I’m really excited because my Maxine Revere/Lucy Kincaid crossover SHATTERED will be out on August 22 and leading up to it, Criminal Elements is reviewing all 12 of the Lucy Kincaid books, the 3 Max Revere books, and all their respective novellas.

And today I have a guest blog!

The end of last week and all weekend I was writing blogs and articles for different websites and my publisher. All things that need to be done … but isn’t actually writing. I mean, it’s WRITING, but not creative writing. I’m in the middle of writing ABANDONED, Maxine Revere #5, while awaiting revisions for BREAKING POINT, Lucy Kincaid #13. Still, it was fun and a needed break.

Oh, and I’m writing a short story for a charity anthology to benefit victims of domestic violence. It was an idea and draft I had a long time ago, but didn’t have the skill to write it the way I wanted … now, hopefully, I do.

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Tagged with: Allison Brennan, Criminal Element, iZombie, Lucy Kincaid, Maxine Revere, publishing, reviews, SHATTERED, writing
Posted in Allison Brennan, Books, Books, Books!, Writing Life

Another One Bites the Dust …

Well, that sounds pessimistic! Truly, I’m jumping up and down for joy (well, sagging tired in my chair) because I’m DONE with BREAKING POINT. I sent the draft off to my editor at the same time I lamented my miserable process.

I love my muse, but she’s a total bitch.

It took me more than two full months to write the first 85,000 words of BREAKING POINT. And 3 days to write the last 25,000+ words. I have had some 10K+ days, but they are few and far between and NEVER two in a row. In fact, usually when I have a writing day that exceeds about 5K words, the next day or two are sluggish.

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Tagged with: Allison Brennan, Breaking Point, deadlines, editing, Lucy Kincaid, writers, Writing Life
Posted in Allison Brennan, Books, Books, Books!, Writing & Publishing

New Book! New Book!

TWO TO DIE FOR is out this week in ebook! Yeah me!

There’s a story behind these stories … and it starts with SHATTERED.

SHATTERED is my fourth Maxine Revere cold case mystery. More than a year ago, I’d started writing a book I called THE EX-WIFE which had a completely different plot concept. I initially liked the idea, but I couldn’t get into the story. Then a series of small things happened.

First, I saw an episode of some television show. I honestly can’t remember what show, probably SVU or NCIS, but it was a common enough plot for a crime show, a twist on the Strangers on a Train theme. SHATTERED has nothing to do with any twist on STRANGERS, but remember, I was thinking about my current story THE EX-WIFE where I was having trouble figuring out the killer’s motivation.

The original story also dealt with being wrongly accused of a crime. Max originally was investigating two cases, one where the suspect was innocent and one where the suspect was guilty. But Max deals with cold cases, and I was having a difficult time getting her involved in an active police investigation. Because she’s a reporter, and the police would totally freeze her out. So I was writing and re-writing the set-up trying to get a grip on the core story.

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Tagged with: Allison Brennan, ebooks, Lucy Kincaid, Maxine Revere, novellas, SHATTERED, thrillers, Two to Die For, writing
Posted in Allison Brennan, Books, Books, Books!

MAKE THEM PAY, Out Today!

When I first started writing the Lucy Kincaid series, I didn’t plan on how many books I would write, but if someone told me I would have 12 books in this series I don’t know that I would have believed them.

But I do. As of today.

MAKE THEM PAY is the culmination of what I thought this series could be. Lucy has grown from an insecure wannabe FBI agent who questioned her instincts and struggled to move on from a troubled past and feared she could never love; into a mature, confident FBI agent who has found the capacity to love and be loved.

RT Book Reviews Top Pick!

Over the course of Brennan’s fantastic Lucy Kincaid series, readers have not only been treated to intricate and gripping suspense, but also the evolution of a complex relationship. At last Lucy Kincaid and Sean Rogan are about to tie the knot, but of course things cannot go smoothly. This time the threat is coming from within the Rogan family, which magnifies the treachery. By utilizing absorbing plots and building layered characters over the course of this outstanding series, Brennan keeps demonstrating she is one amazingly talented storyteller!

When I started writing the series I wanted to show the evolution of a new FBI agent. So many series have experienced, seasoned agents and detectives. What about someone who is just starting out? Who has to get into the FBI, pass the classes, and be at the bottom of the pecking order as a rookie?

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Tagged with: Allison Brennan, book, Lucy Kincaid, Make Them Pay, new release, Sean Rogan, series, thriller, writing
Posted in Allison Brennan, Books, Books, Books!, Writing & Publishing

Terrific Trio: Ellison, Spindler, Kava are back!

See me jumping up and down? I have three of my favorite people on my blog! Not just three talented, amazing authors (who write about murder — double great!) but three wonderful, down-to-earth women who I like and admire.

JT with her cats, Jordan and Jameson (Or is it Jameson and Jordan? I can’t tell them apart!)

Not to play favorites (because like my children, it’s hard to pick a favorite author), but I’ve known J.T. almost as long as I’ve been published. Her debut thriller ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS came out in 2007, a year after my debut novel. And she asked me — ME! — then totally an unknown to read and blurb her book. I remember reading it on the plane from Sacramento to RT in Florida and being completely and totally hooked. We met for the first time at the first Thrillerfest, in Phoenix, AZ, where I met some of my favorite people in the business — that’s the weekend I also met Toni McGee Causey, who you all know from her time here as a contributor to MSW.

But I digress (surprise, surprise!)

When I heard that the Terrific Trio were back with a new book, I had to have them here on Murder She Writes. I’m not one for boring interviews (yawn) so I asked them a few fun questions and I hope you enjoy their answers.

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Tagged with: Alex Kava, Allison Brennan, Erica Spindler, J.T. Ellison, reading, Slices of Night, Storm Season, suspense, thrillers, writing
Posted in Allison Brennan, Books, Books, Books!, Our Guests & Friends

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Blog Archives

Allison Brennan August!

Another One Bites the Dust …

New Book! New Book!

MAKE THEM PAY, Out Today!

Terrific Trio: Ellison, Spindler, Kava are back!

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