Jun 13, 2016 | Fun Historical Facts, Random Musings
A couple of days ago, I mentioned one of the greatest fences of all times, Marl Madelbaum. Today I’ll introduce you to a counterpart of hers, “Deadshot” Mary Shanley, an early 20th century undercover supercop. Hadley Meares of Atlas Obscura...
Jun 11, 2016 | Fun Historical Facts, Random Musings
Organized crime in New York is often portrayed as a boy’s game, but one of the first and most influential crime bosses in the history of the city was a Prussian immigrant known as “Mother” or “Marm” Mandelbaum. Eric Grundhauser recently shared her fascinating story on...
Jun 9, 2016 | Maps and Infographics, Marketing
Bookbub recently announced it will start offering advertising spaces. Unlike the vigorous screening process that leaves more books out than it allows in its popular newsletter, these will be available to anyone who can afford them. BookBub Ads will run in a dedicated...
Jun 5, 2016 | Fun Historical Facts, Maps and Infographics
Continuing my infatuation with maps, I came across this fine 16th-century example of a cartographer’s imagination running wild in an excellent post by Urvija Banerji of Atlas Obscura. The creatures depicted on land in the 16th-century Carta Marina are not...
Jun 1, 2016 | Blog hops tours & reblogs, Events and Giveaways
Today, we’re celebrating the release of THE DEEPEST BLACK by USA Today Bestselling author Rainy Kaye. THE DEEPEST BLACK is 99 cents for a limited time! Check it out, then scroll all the way down for an opportunity to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Ember has a...
May 30, 2016 | Events and Giveaways
Today is Memorial Day in the US. Memorial Day became a US national holiday in 1971 and is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It continues the custom of honoring ancestors by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves – an ancient and worldwide tradition. In...
May 29, 2016 | Interviews Features and Reviews, Writing
You know how much I love trivia about the English language. One of my favorite resources for that sort of thing is the AWC – the Australian Writers’ Centre – and their free weekly newsletter. It includes a great grammar section called Q&A, plus...
May 27, 2016 | Fun Historical Facts, Maps and Infographics, My Publications
A New Pearseus Map Prompted by my recent post on maps in fantasy, I edited the Pearseus map I’d drawn for the Robinson Companion. The new map, seen below, is in high resolution (2700×2200) and includes Caria, a location first mentioned in Endgame, the...
