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Ron Adams's Blog (47)

Everything I Need to Know About Writing I Learned From Spenser

Everything I Need to Know About Writing I Learned From Spenser

(With apologies to Robert Fulghum)

I was saddened to hear of the passing recently of the Grand Master of American Detective Fiction, Robert B. Parker. Parker’s Spenser, and later Jesse Stone, were the inspiration for me to begin my own writing career. Going one step further, I realized that everything I have used in my own writing I learned from absorbing pages and pages of the adventures of Spenser, Hawk, Susan… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on January 23, 2010 at 6:58pm — No Comments

Welcome to Bawstin - a Guide for Newcomers

Welcome to Bawstin ( Boston)

For those of you who have never been to 'Bawstin', this is a good guideline. I hope you will consider coming to 'Beantown' in the near future. For those who call New England home, this is just plain great!

Information on Boston and the surrounding area:

1. There's no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, no water on Water Street.

2. Back Bay streets are in alphabetical 'oddah': Arlington, Berkeley,… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on December 3, 2009 at 4:46pm — No Comments

Back to the old drawing board...

It is with extremely mixed emotions that I have recently ended my association with Enspiren Press. I cannot say enough about the mentorship and freindship offered to me by the company, and specifically Ms. Suzanne James. She taught me more about the publishing business than I had ever known, and for that I am extremely grateful. A very sincere thank you, Suz, for all your help and support.

However, strictly as a business decision, I have opted to pursue another publisher/agent in… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on August 7, 2009 at 10:45am — No Comments

What Makes a Good Bad Guy

What Makes a Good Bad Guy?

Getting your readers to hate the bad guy is much easier than getting them to sympathize with them. True, you may want to give your villain some redeeming qualities, but if your character does something truly loathsome, your readers will never forget.

Some of the most memorable villains will often cause their victims to suffer in either their body or mind. Think about some of the most notorious bad guys, and you’ll see what I mean. Nurse Ratched… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on June 12, 2009 at 4:59pm — No Comments

Featuring Author Christine Duncan

Featuring Author Christine Duncan

It is my pleasure to host Christine Duncan, creator of the Kay Berreano mystery series. She has some very interesting and unique insights to share regarding writing that works.

Christine Duncan is an Arvada Colorado mystery writer. She got her start in writing for the Christian market, writing for Sunday School magazines. Her credits include Accent Books and Regular Baptist Press.

Her Colorado based, Kaye Berreano mystery series… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on June 2, 2009 at 5:15am — No Comments

Some Things You Never Outgrow

It was a bad week. We all have them, kids and adults alike. Everything I touched broke, everything I tried to do became undone, and it seemed the harder I tried the further behind I wound up. Even the end of the workday brought no relief. The traffic was brutal, the never ending construction on Route 5 slowed everything to a crawl for no apparent reason, and to be honest, I was still stressed over my wife’s recent surgery for a spinal tumor. My parents had been helping out a lot with the house… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on May 26, 2009 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Don't Just Sit There, Look It Up!

I was sitting there tonight with my son and daughter, when Katie asked me how to spell a word. She had written it on her homework page 3 different ways, and she said none of them looked right. So, being the brilliant homework technician I am, I told her to look it up. We did it together, and found the answer she needed.

When writing fiction, we are faced with two choices. We can make it up, or we can look it up. Unless you’re recreating the world of the Hobbits, let me recommend the… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on April 20, 2009 at 9:35pm — No Comments

In Praise of My Day Job

Like many writers still trying to fight our way onto the best-seller list, I have a day job. As a matter of fact, I am happy to point that out any time anyone asks how my writing career is going. I am the Director of Rehabilitation Services for two nursing homes in downtown Buffalo, and truly love what I do. The following article from the New York Times came across my desk in February this year, and was written by Caitlin Kelly, the author of “Blown Away: American Women and Guns.” After a day… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on April 12, 2009 at 5:57am — No Comments

Guest Blogging at Frightening Journeys

Hey Gang,
I've been invited to be a guest blogger at author Nichole R. Bennett's site Frightening Journeys Blog: http://paranormalwriters.blogspot.com/. I'll be bloggin about Bad guys, with some expert opinions from the last year's International Festival of Authors in Toronto. Swing by, check it out, leave a comment.

Ron Adams
Key Lime Squeeze - Coming in March from Enspiren Press
moderator, InspiredAuthor

Added by Ron Adams on February 27, 2009 at 5:22am — No Comments

Interview with Melanie Jenkins!

I had a great time answering some unique questions from fellow author Melanie Jenkins. I'd like to invite you to check it out at:
http://authormelani eanderson. blogspot. com/2008/ 12/interview- with-ron- adams.html

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!

Added by Ron Adams on December 5, 2008 at 10:20am — No Comments

"I Love My Bad Guys"

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the International Festival of Authors in Toronto this year, the short drive across the Peace Bridge into Canada being yet another perk of living in Western New York. While there, I attended a roundtable discussion of the psychology of the villain in contemporary fiction. The formal title of the roundtable was “Psycho-babble – Inside the Character’s Twisted Mind.” The panel included such heavyweights in crime and thriller fiction as John Connolly, Jeffery… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on November 30, 2008 at 6:05pm — No Comments

New Review for KEY LIME SQUEEZE

There are a few books that you begin to read and know you in for a treat! Key Lime Squeeze is one of those rare books. Be prepared to miss meals, appointments and phone calls as you join Joe Banks on his adventures.

From the first page, to the last line, this exhilarating novel takes its readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions, tears, laughter, intrigue and tension. Trying to out-guess the plot is a waste of time. Even the good guy/bad guy border is hard to define. Just when you feel… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on November 19, 2008 at 12:13am — No Comments

The Three P's of Writing

The Three P’s of Writing

I have had an occasion recently to witness the turmoil of some writers and publishers when things don’t go according to plan. It was a sad thing to watch, and I am grateful to have maintained good working relationships with all the parties involved. I offer, therefore, some assistance for the new, budding, aspiring, frustrated writer still working on getting their masterpiece into the hands of the readers. Please take it for what it is, and I hope these tips… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on November 14, 2008 at 6:01pm — 2 Comments

BlogTalk Radio Interview Tonight

Please join me tonight at BlogTalk Radio for an interview with Ms. Kim Smith, author of the Shannon Wallace mysteries. We'll be discussing my newest novel, Key Lime Squeeze, writing in general, mysteries in specific, and just chatting about whatever comes up. She as a wonderful and talented writer and an insightful host, so it should be an interesting half hour from 7:30pm CST/8:30 EST on http://www.blogtalk radio.com/KimS.

Added by Ron Adams on November 5, 2008 at 5:47pm — No Comments

"What's Wrong"

“What’s wrong?”

I was having a bad day, stemming from a fairly stressful weekend. I was not my usual fun-loving self, and my co-workers noticed. One of them had the misfortune to ask me directly. In no particular order, here’s what’s wrong as I see it:

- The designated hitter rule in baseball.

- The wearing of spandex by anyone over the age of thirty, over the 200 pound mark, or by anyone other than the most elite of athletes. The rest of us don’t want to have to… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on November 3, 2008 at 8:10pm — No Comments

Shadows and Night - A New Blog for lovers of horror and suspense

Just in time for Halloween, a new blog site for lovers of horror fiction. Shadows and Night is dedicated to short fiction with a sense of the macabre. It is meant to be a place to showcase not only my writing but the best short stories from any of my colleagues with a taste for the strange, the unusual, and the frightening. Join us...

www.shadowsandnight .blogspot. com

Added by Ron Adams on October 2, 2008 at 7:14pm — No Comments

New Short Story - "Another Brick in the Wall"

http://www.slapastory.com/short/Another_Brick_in_the_Wall

Please check out my latest short story, "Another Brick in the Wall", on slapastory.com. It is a short story competition, so if you like the story, I'd appreciate a vote. In any event, I'd really like to hear what you have to say, good or bad. I am still new to the short story form, so I am gratefull for all input.

Thanks and enjoy!

Added by Ron Adams on September 24, 2008 at 7:42pm — No Comments

Key Lime Squeeze reviewed by Mirella Patzer

Wow! All I can say is thanks, Mirella!

"I just finished reading this novel on the weekend and although I'm a true blue historical fiction reader, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fabulous sleuth thriller soon to be released by Enspiren Press. So here's my sneak peak at an early review:

Joe Banks is an ex-cop turned private detective, a family man respected for his high moral character. A friendly contact in the insurance industry hires him to investigate a liquor theft at… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on August 24, 2008 at 6:48pm — No Comments

Author Interview with Crystal Adkins

It was a pleasure to be interviewed by Crystal Adkins for her blogspot, Interviewing Authors. She asked me a lot of very good questions, and all in all, it was a lot of fun to do. Please check out her site at: http://interviewswithauthors.blogspot.com/2008/08/ronald-adams-interview.html

Added by Ron Adams on August 24, 2008 at 6:42pm — No Comments

The Envelope, Please...

The KEY LIME SQUEEZE casting contest is officially over! The winning cast consists of:

MATT DAMON as Joe Banks

SANDRA BULLOCK as Paula Banks

EDWARD NORTON as Solomon

CHARLIZE THERON as Samantha Kelly

JASON STATHAM as Tony Cantolino

JOHN LITHGOW as Paul Cantolino

EVA LONGORIA as Angela Cantolino-Boothby

and

SAM NEILL as Robert Boothby

And the winning entry belongs to… Continue

Added by Ron Adams on August 19, 2008 at 8:11pm — No Comments