Literary Influences

Which author, book and/or movie has influenced you the most? by Rebecca Cantrell I know you probably expect me to list some great literary fiction that I love, like Doris Lessing and Elie Wiesel. Or maybe thriller writers I’ve gotten into lately, like James Rollins and Brent

READ MORE

Worse Than Sex Scenes

This is the post I’ve been dreading writing. I’d sooner admit to my criminal past (OK, I actually finessed that one), than write about my favorite book. It’s not that I don’t read. I do. I read constantly. I’m currently reading: •    HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISON

READ MORE

Herding Cats

Do I control my characters or do they control me? By Rebecca Cantrell I control most of my characters as much as I control my housecat. The cat and the characters usually come when I call. I can pick them up and move them around, but they

READ MORE

Where I Like to Write

Ah, this one’s more complicated than it looks. I grew up with four siblings and it seems like we constantly have house guests or extras around. So, I like to write anywhere that no one is poking me, talking to me, waving their arms, sitting on my

READ MORE

Criminal Writerly Habits

Do I have criminal habits? I have some habits that would be considered criminal in writer’s court, punishable by not getting as much writing done as I think I should. Here are the top 5, in reverse order. Try not to be too shocked. 5. Bitching about

READ MORE

Outline or wing it?

Both. There. Done. My shortest blog post ever. More details? It won’t be pretty. Don’t tell my editor, but I write the first 50 pages blind. I have no idea who the characters are or what they will do. Because I write historical fiction, I know when

READ MORE

It depends on where you’re sitting

NEWS: Busy week for A TRACE OF SMOKE. SMOKE is Thriller Book Club selection at dearreader.com: http://www.supportlibrary.com/fm/shelf_main.cfm?win1=LLIST&id1=81&CFID=21947286&CFTOKEN=97892259   SMOKE also got a good review in the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper on Sunday: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009906280314   Finally, SMOKE and I got a write up in the Hawaii Tribune: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/articles/2009/06/26/features/features05.txt  POST:

READ MORE