Carol A Guy's Blog (48)

One question I’ve been getting lately is “Why did you choose the genre you write?” For those who don’t know, my focus is contemporary mystery/thrillers and crime fiction, with some romance thrown in. I chose this genre because it’s what I like to read. I originally became a fan of pulp fiction mysteries from watching old film noirs on TV. I’d see something like “Double Indemnity,” “The Maltese Falcon” or “The Big Sleep,” then seek out the book at the library. If I liked it, I’d make my way…

I love writing humorous flirting scenes in my romances. There’s something sensual and fun about two people engaging in verbal jousting when they feel that initial spark and decide to test the waters. Sometimes you can radiate more heat with a few lines of suggestive dialogue than with a paragraph of in-your-face eroticism. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Flirting is all part of creating sexual tension with your characters. It’s defined as “trying to attract…

The nominations for the Academy Awards were recently announced, along with the requisite number of surprises. People have been quoting lines from movies for years, and many make their way into pop culture, as well as trivia nights in sports bars. As a change of pace, I thought it would be fun to test your knowledge about which movie these lines of dialogue came from. Some are obvious, others not so…

Do you have a time machine that can take you back to when things may have been simpler, or when you were happier? Maybe a vacation with someone special, or enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime experience? The answer is yes, we all possess such a device. It’s called memory, and do you know what can magically kickstart that machine? Music! It has the power to bring back things we filed away in our mental scrapbooks.  

We just survived another Christmas season, and nowhere was this…

Every year at this time, we’re bombarded by holiday-themed romance flicks on TV. Christmas and love affairs go together like cookies and hot chocolate, but some cable networks take it to the extreme. The most recent count is 116 new TV movies this year. With that many on deck, I question the originality factor. The Hallmark Channel began airing their lineup before Thanksgiving, followed by Lifetime, Ion and Netflix. I try to catch a few, but some of them threaten to push my blood sugar level…

Perhaps I’ve been doing this too long, but I recall when people spoke to each other using complete words and sentences, either verbally or written. Remember that? Now, it’s all done in a digital shorthand called acronyms. Once upon a time, we also composed notes and letters using cursive writing. Do they still teach that in school?

An acronym is a pronounceable word formed mostly (but not always) from the initial letters of a descriptive name or title. Its origin is from the…

“The things you regret are the risks you don’t take.”

I wish I could claim credit for that bit of wisdom but the truth is, I heard it in the movie “Grumpy Old Men.” It was spoken by Ann-Margaret to Jack Lemmon about relationships, and not being afraid to offer your heart to someone. It seemed like good advice but I think it applies to other things in life, too.

As writers, we’re obligated to take chances and push boundaries. Some of us pushed our…

Over the summer, I attended my (GASP!) 50^th high school reunion. I’ve adjusted to the shock of how many years have passed since graduation, and it was fun trying to identify old classmates that I hadn’t seen in years. After we got past the great lie that starts with “Gee, you look good!” some of us talked about what used to be. The passage of time might make you remember things as being simpler then, and perhaps they were because we didn’t have grown-up responsibilities, but I…

People tend to get attached to certain films, books, TV shows and music to the point of obsession. We find something we like and just can’t get enough of it. Facebook groups, fan conventions and online clubs sprout up over just about anything. For proof, look at things like “Game of Thrones,” “Star Trek,” the Marvel superhero films and the James Bond flicks, to name a few. Many of these fall into the category of cult classics.

A cult classic is defined as something…

A weekend getaway at a secluded cabin turns deadly when former classmates Amanda, Holly, Gayle, Wendy, Cherie, Sue and Leah find themselves fighting for survival against an uninvited guest and the forces of nature. Friendships are put to the test as dark secrets bubble to the surface, and things take a shocking turn that will force the women to pull together in a surprising way.

Walnut Lake is now on sale for $0.99 per Kindle download until July 31, 2023 …

I read a post on a reviewer’s website that made me rethink online courtesy. This woman went on a rant about authors who aren’t considerate enough to say “thank you” when she reviews their books, often at their request. She held the opinion that after she spent “hours reading and reviewing” a book, the least the author could do was “take a few minutes” to send a follow-up e-mail, especially if it was a good write-up.

Wow – I thought we were all on the same page! I used…

It’s summertime, and the living is easy, according to the old song. Among the many warm weather activities many of us will indulge in, movies still make the list. There have been a lot of films that use this time of year as a backdrop, and many of them rely on standby tropes like summer camp or vacations. Romance usually plays a big part, too, along with funny situations. Here are a few good ones, in no special order. How many of these have you seen?

“The…

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like an eggs and ham breakfast—the chicken was involved, but the pig was committed.”

That quote was credited to Anonymous. I don’t know who this Anonymous guy was, but he sure got around, judging from the number of quotes, stories, poems and songs credited to him. He must be getting on in years, because you can trace his credits back to the 1600s. If you look around, you’ll see that he’s still putting…

A year ago, I published a blog containing a list of banned books from the American Library Association. I compared their list to one I ran across from 40 years earlier, and was surprised to see many of my alma mater’s “required reading” titles. To put this in perspective, that was the era when American history books told us all about the Civil War, slavery, the Holocaust, the Communist menace, and the civil rights movement. No one felt the need to withhold the facts about these historical…

In this case the hero is former CIA operative, Nick Seven, the fictional creation of award winning, best selling author Tim Smith. Don’t miss this unique “character interview” as Nick speaks out about his life, his adventures and the man who created him.

This month, I’d like to share something different I did as part of the promotion for my latest Nick Seven thriller “Out of the Shadows.” I was asked to submit a character interview (not the easiest thing to write). I…

Ever wish you could dazzle people with your brilliant vocabulary? This month, my guest blogger award winning, best-selling author Tim Smith, shares some advice from the “experts” about how to do this. Of course, he’s added his own insights and a delightful dash of humor. You don’t want to miss this one.

A group of university professors released a list of words they feel we should use on a regular basis. They’re convinced that the ten words they focused on will make us…

Let's go to the movies! Ever wonder if some of your classic Hollywood favorites would fit into the new tech age of film making? Today, award winning, best selling author Tim Smith gives us some surprising and amusing answers to that question:

I enjoy watching old mystery/thriller movies and crime shows. There are some clever plot twists and devices used in those classics by Alfred Hitchcock and his peers, or old episodes of “Law & Order,” “Mission: Impossible,” and…

This month award-winning, best-selling author Tim Smith shares with us some helpful ideas and personal insights about how writers can stay motivated. I found this to be extremely inspiring and I think you will also.

We’ve all had trouble staying motivated once we start writing the next Great American Novel (at least it might be, if Stephen King takes a year off). For many of us, it follows a pattern. You get a terrific idea and think “Hey, this would be a dynamite story for…

This month, award-winning, best-selling author Tim Smith addresses the bane of every author's existence, writer's block. What  to do? How to overcome it. Is there even a cure? Let's read on and see.

I developed my initial interest in creative writing when I was in high school. The English department didn’t have a formal textbook for the course, because it was being offered for the first time. We had to buy a paperback from the bookstore to use as a guide, and I…

This month award-winning, best-selling author Tim Smith offers a timely perspective on how much we can believe when it comes to various medial outlets. His examples are very thought provoking with a dash of humor.  Enjoy!

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as much as you please.” – Mark Twain

I’m not sure how closely Mark Twain followed his own advice, but that quote can apply just as well to news writing as it does to fiction in this…