The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

James Patterson: Prolific Mystery Author Answers How He Does It

Two weeks ago I received a really interesting note from MJ, concerning James Patterson. While we know that Patterson doesn’t write Cozy Mystery books, he does write mysteries. And boy, does he write!

I don’t know if you ever watch Charlie Rose (PBS), but last night he interviewed James Patterson during the second half of the program.   I was VERY surprised (even shocked) when Patterson acknowledged how he writes so many books.  In fact, as C. Rose points out, he’s written (??) numerous books since last fall.  He writes an outline, then invites other writers to fill in the story. No book gets released unless he likes the end product. He’s sold 295 million books!
If interested, here is the link.  Scan through to 39.52 (which is the start of the Patterson interview).

(Unfortunately, that link is no longer available.)

First of all, thank you, MJ, for solving a mystery of my own! I don’t remember the exact year in which I was asked to include James Patterson on the Cozy Mystery site, but since I started his page, I have found myself updating his book lists quite frequently. Actually, sometimes I have found myself adding a new James Patterson mystery to a month’s New Release page, and stopping to make sure I’m correct, since I thought I had just added a new James Patterson release the previous month.

MJ, thank you for sending me this very interesting interview. I truly had wondered how James Patterson was able to write so many best selling mysteries. This answers that question.

P.S. I think it’s terrific that James Patterson gives credit to the other authors, rather than use “ghost writers” who never get any of the glory.

Ladies of Intrigue – Orange County – March 29, 2014

All of you lucky people who live in Orange County (yes, as in California) have a super-terrific treat heading your way! One of the board members of the Orange County Sisters in Crime sent me a letter telling me about an event that will be taking place on Saturday, March 29, that sounds pretty super-terrific-ally special.

The Orange County Sisters in Crime will be sponsoring the “Ladies of Intrigue” event in Huntington Beach, California. The event will be an all-day affair, and will feature both speakers and panelists who write mysteries.

Yes, it gets even better than that! Carolyn Hart and Rhys Bowen will be two of the authors who will be there. Yes, Carolyn Hart as in Death on Demand Mystery Series, Bailey Ruth Ghost Mystery Series, and Henrie O Mystery Series. And, yes, Rhys Bowen as in Molly Murphy Mystery Series, Her Royal Spyness Mystery Series, and Evan Evans Mystery Series. (I told you it is going to be a super-terrific treat!)

They will be covering topics that explore… well, I don’t think I can tell you as well as the letter I got said it, so I am simply going to copy and paste the rest of this information:

Fourteen Orange County and Los Angeles authors are panelists and moderators. Topics include: Tough Cookies: Strong Female Protagonists; Down a Dark Alley: How Setting Shapes Story, and Passport Required: Mystery Goes International.

The authors are Jill Amadio, Cara Black , Lisa Brackmann, Jan Burke, Carol Higgins Clark, Kim Fay, Naomi Hirahara, Tammy Kaehler, Sheila Lowe, Jeanne Matthews, Jeri Westerson, and Patricia Wynn. Moderators are Aileen Baron, Terri Nolan, and Patricia Smiley.

Location: Hotel Huntington Beach. The program is from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and includes lunch. For more information and registration: http://www.ocsistersincrime.org.

There is only one thing that bothers me about this phenomenal line-up of mystery-related fun, and that is: Why don’t these types of events ever take place where I live? I’m guessing you are probably asking the very same thing!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I hope you all remembered to wear green today! For some crazy reason I thought I had missed wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. (I had it in my mind that it was last Friday.) 

I am in the process of deciding which of my TBR Cozy Mystery books I will read next. Decisions, decisions… (Wouldn’t it be great if all of our decisions were this simple?)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Smartphone Parenting… Is It Really that Smart?!?

Brace yourselves! Here comes another Rants and Raves. Unfortunately, as some of you already know, there are many more Rants than Raves! That said, be forewarned that this Rant has absolutely NOTHING to do with Cozy Mystery books OR even mystery books.

First of all, I have chosen a cell phone that it isn’t quite as smart as I am. Granted, I can’t remember all nine of the phone numbers I have programmed into it, but I still consider myself smarter than my antiquated, flip-open phone since I am the one who programmed those nine speed-dial numbers. I have a computer at home that I use to get information, and I have a cell phone I use to call people. That’s how I have opted to live.

Getting back to my Smartphone Rant…

My husband and I go out to lunch at least once a week. Since he retired, we have decided that the weekdays are much better for us >>> We never have to wait for a table, and the service is generally much better when the restaurants aren’t busy.

Lately we have noticed that more and more of the other diners are sitting with a friend or two, but they all have their Smartphones out. (You will probably notice that I’m capitalizing the word Smartphone. There’s a reason for that. I think their owners think of them as proper nouns, rather than common nouns!) It appears that a lot of people have such busy lives that they have to “take care of business” while lunching with coworkers/friends. Since they all have their Smartphones to keep them occupied, it must be OK with all of them.

Since it appears to be OK with all of these adults that we see playing with their Smartphones while supposedly out enjoying a meal together, I’m not going to Rant about that. HOWEVER, and here it comes, I am going to RANT about something we are noticing when we go out to lunch on the weekends with our son: Parents who are occupied with their Smartphones while their children are present. What’s with that!?!

Last weekend, we took our son to lunch and I had a great vantage point of the room. I actually watched one little girl “enjoying” her lunch outing with her mother, who of course, had some very busy business to attend to on her Smartphone. OK, granted, I am not a busy mother of a little eight year old, but would I really spend my entire meal ignoring my child in favor of cruising around on my Smartphone? At one point, the little girl lay on her chair (on her stomach) which was the one time I saw the mother have any interaction with her… and that interaction consisted of briefly getting mad at her daughter and telling her to behave, and then … right back to her important business on her Smartphone.

At another table, I saw a boy who looked like he was about eleven left to do the restaurant’s  little “keep children busy coloring paper” at the table while the parents were busy with their own things. Mom was on her Smartphone, and Dad was listening to something on his MP3 player. What a lovely family outing! (Hint to eleven year old boy>>> next time you’re going out for a family meal take a book OR your own Smartphone so you can join in the family activities!) This sort of Smartphone Parenting seems to be a thing of the norm. (I’m only writing about two cases, but I have witnessed many.)

I now see this same Smartphone Parenting at places like the grocery store, the zoo, on nature walks, while families are in the car, even in an aquarium we visited. Can you believe it? Walking with your children while cruising through your Smartphone?!?

The point I’m making is simple. I am simply amazed to see a lot of young parents who must think their children will always be young and impressionable. I know that at the time you are parenting little ones you think that they will always be there with you. They will always have time to spend with you. They will always want to spend their free time with you.

Just last weekend my husband found an article for me that talks about this very same thing:

U.S. News: When Smartphone Is Near, Parenting May Falter

(I have to admit that they are more neutral to this growing trend than I am. But at least they see there may be a problem.)

My son and husband must be pretty tired of hearing me talk about this while we are out. I try to curb my “just an observation” rants, but I sometimes just can’t contain myself. (I make sure no other people can hear me, so it’s not like I’m openly bringing it to the parents attention. Actually, I’d probably have to learn how to text in order for them to hear my opinion on their Smartphone!)

I wish these very same parents would listen to Harry Chapin singing his song, Cat’s in the Cradle on YouTube:

Enough said!

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