Leigh from Portland, Maine sent a note asking if I had any advice on fellowships, etc. that would give him time to finish his first mystery novel, start another. I’m probably not the best person to ask as I’ve never gone that route. But there must be others out there who know what’s available, how competitive it is. Leigh is a journalist, poet, fiction writer with a long list of credentials. Seems like a good guy so I’m sure he’ll appreciate any writerly advice.
I told him that I only got one piece of advice way back when: Robert B. Parker advised unpublished writers like me to finish the book and send the ms. to somebody who would know whether it was good or it was crap. I remember him saying, “Don’t show it to your mother.” So I didn’t. Instead I sent it off to people in the biz. In a matter of weeks, I got one form letter rejection, two encouraging notes from agents, and then a letter from a regional publisher saying they wanted to buy my book. That was DEADLINE (1993).
Anyway, if you can help Leigh out, please comment on this post. I’m sure others will benefit as well.














In PORT CITY SHAKEDOWN, the first Brandon Blake novel, Brandon gets a full dose of bad guys. A brawl in a funeral home introduces him to Joel Fuller, a sociopathic hustler. Fuller is fresh out of jail and determined to take Brandon out—after Fuller and his sidekick Kelvin shake him down.
Rocky isn’t a tough guy. He’s a skinny little kid with crooked glasses, and he shouldn’t be homeless in Portland, Maine. When McMorrow and Roxanne pluck him from under the stomping feet of a gang of street kids, Rocky latches onto McMorrow–and drags him into a world of murder, both old and new. Why is McMorrow protecting Rocky? The cops want to know. Why is Rocky on the run? McMorrow wants to know. Why does death follow in Rocky’s wake? Jack and Roxanne need to find out before they’re added to the list.
A friend, Alexis Grant, just landed a 5-week writing fellowship. She’s an ex-print journalist writing a travel memoir. Check out her blog. http://alexisgrant.wordpress.com/