tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32660967939447443312024-02-06T21:36:53.072-05:00The Fiction FilesWriters of all stripes walk on the wild side, though wordscapes teeming with python wranglers, Confederate spies, medieval siege weapons and even the occasional Ferrari. This blog celebrates all the weirdly wonderful facts and confabulations that flavor both our stories and our lives.Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-58805932163876614592019-10-07T02:30:00.000-04:002019-10-09T15:51:04.406-04:00Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice? Not Hardly
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Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-41282330571856983572018-11-04T15:28:00.001-05:002018-11-04T15:28:50.630-05:00Whittleween 2018Some shots from the latest Halloween extravaganza, our 22nd!
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-13818360533105394512018-08-24T08:44:00.003-04:002018-10-09T21:21:25.757-04:00Creature Comforts - Coming This Fall!
"Creature Comforts" is an epilogue to Necessary Ends, the sixth book in the Tai Randolph/ Trey Seaver series. It's also a prologue of sorts, with Tai sorting out her feelings about a decision that she's barely spoken into reality. As such, it sets the stage for the next book in their adventures, which I am hard at work upon.
In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy an idyll at Cumberland Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-54427836130273917482018-04-18T15:48:00.000-04:002018-06-04T18:23:51.103-04:00Guess Who's a Derringer Finalist?
It's me! My novella “Trouble Like A Freight Train Coming” is a finalist for a Derringer Award for Best Novelette (which the Short Mystery Fiction Society describes as a work between 8001 and 20,000 words).
“Trouble” is one of four stories in the anthology Lowcountry Crime: Four Novellas published by Wolf’s Echo Press.
"Trouble" is a prequel to my Tai Randolph Mysteries (the sixth of Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-492915670273559672018-04-06T11:31:00.000-04:002018-04-06T11:31:00.541-04:00Talking Mayhem and Mystery at The Book LadyPlease join me at The Book Lady Bookstore for a mystery Q&A with crime fiction writer J.J. Hensley on Friday, April 27th at 7:00 PM.
There will be wine and noshes and good conversation as we discuss writing and publishing and mystery fiction. Bring your curiosity and your questions - there's sure to be some marvelous mayhem.
J.J. will be signing copies of Bolt Action Remedy, the first in Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-70555411802839882742018-04-01T16:00:00.000-04:002018-04-01T16:00:50.381-04:00A Southern Gothic Love Story & NECESSARY ENDS
Thank you, Cora Lockheart, for the fantastic review (and for interviewing me too - it was a pleasure to spend time on your virtual porch -- I rarely get to talk about Tai & Trey, "A Rose for Emily," #2 pencils, and cemeteries in one discussion).
Raising a glass of bourbon to you, lady!
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-70428737515888101082018-01-31T14:42:00.000-05:002018-01-31T14:42:05.337-05:00A Little Liquor, a Lot of Larceny
It's release day for the Tai & Trey short story, "Liquor, Larceny, and the Ordinal Classification of Courtship Rituals." You can get it now on Amazon Kindle for 99 cents!
It's the story of Tai's first date with Trey, although exactly what constitutes a first date is a point of contention. It takes place
right after The Dangerous Edge of Things, the first book in the Tai
Randolph series Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-88854131922040621662018-01-31T13:56:00.000-05:002018-01-31T13:56:42.724-05:00Coming in April!
Necessary Ends, the sixth in the Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver
series from Poisoned Pen Press, hits a bookstore near you on April 3rd! I
really enjoyed writing this one, and I hope you'll enjoy reading it.I'll
have all the details in the spring newsletter, as well as info on
pre-release giveaways, debut day parties, and other fun stuff.
In Necessary Ends, Tai must put her personal troubles on Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-51927989668703445632018-01-30T16:06:00.000-05:002018-03-20T08:39:17.592-04:00Wanna be a Bourbon Badass?
It's no secret—my girl Tai loves herself a drink. And while her tastes run from PBR to scuppernong wine to mojitos, her drink of choice is bourbon, straight or on the rocks.
Tai is also a badass, so it was my distinct pleasure to meet Linda Ruffenach at the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute. Her book How to Be a Bourbon Badass was smart and funny and chockful of good bourbon Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-67131465945869573972018-01-30T15:37:00.000-05:002018-02-07T15:47:04.990-05:00Mysteries on Sale for February!
I know what kind of reader you are—voracious. Luckily, my writer friends all have sales this February. Check out one of their fine mysteries.
TERRY ODELL
Deadly Secrets - 2/1-2/28 - FREE
KARLA BRANDENBURG
Epitaph - 2/19-2/28 ~ 99¢
LARISSA REINHART
A View to a Chill - 2/1-2/28 ~ 99¢
CHRISTA NARDI
Murder in the Theater - 2/1-2/28 ~ 99¢
TONYA KAPPES
A Charming Fatality - 2/6-2/12 ~ 99¢
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-91611493695479342182017-12-07T17:21:00.001-05:002017-12-15T17:09:18.690-05:00NECESSARY ENDS Sneak Preview!CHAPTER ONE
The closet was narrow and dusty, with barely enough room for me to stand. Dead insects crunched under my sneakers, and spider webs glued themselves to my ponytail. Though empty of appliances and devoid of air conditioning, the foreclosed duplex was crammed with beat-up sofas and ratty mattresses, and it smelled like sawdust and old shoes. Faux suburban meth-dealer chic.
Trey Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-24106496458385231452017-08-20T19:42:00.002-04:002017-08-20T19:42:49.274-04:00It's Not A Bird Or A Plane And You Shouldn't Be Looking At It Regardless!
In case you haven't heard, there's an eclipse today! But of course you’ve heard—how could you miss
it in this day of the 24/7 news cycle? Every channel and every social media
feed has been counting down to it breathlessly. Our clockwork universe has its
cycles and seasons, and those who watch the skies have known this was coming
(just like the know when the next one will be, and the next).
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-2837321323278065722017-08-11T11:30:00.003-04:002017-08-11T12:04:32.102-04:00Trouble Has a New Cover!“Trouble Like A Freight Train Coming” is a prequel to
the Tai Randolph series. It's set in Savannah several years prior to the inheritance of
her Atlanta gun shop and her first encounter with security agent Trey
Seaver, who ultimately becomes her partner in both romance and crime
solving. For readers familiar with the rest of Tai’s adventures, this
story is a chance to watch her develop her Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-56951732927493279452017-08-11T03:00:00.000-04:002017-08-11T12:05:19.162-04:00LOWCOUNTRY CRIME Now Available in Nook, Kobo, Google Play, and iBooks!The entire LOWCOUNTRY CRIME: FOUR NOVELLAS anthology is now available not just on Amazon, but also on Nook, iBooks, Google Play and Kobo.
LOWCOUNTRY: That portion of the Southeastern United States characterized
by low country, generally flat—whether barrier island, tidal marsh,
tidal river valleys, swamps, piney forests, or great cities like
Charleston and Savannah.CRIME: An act, forbidden byTinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-91847271284395546652017-04-10T14:28:00.001-04:002017-04-10T14:59:27.080-04:00How to Catch A Wild Idea: Links and Freebies
Links to the Free Kindle Stories:
"Zero to Sixty"
Tai's been hankering to get behind the wheel since The Dangerous Edge of Things. But when your boyfriend has control issues, sometimes the best laid plans take years to come to fruition.
In this, the epilogue to Reckoning and Ruin,
Tai's patience is rewarded and she finally gets her hands on Trey's Ferrari. And it's just as
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-52387585185967918332017-04-05T00:30:00.000-04:002017-04-05T11:54:25.669-04:00Guest Post from Kathleen Kaska: Greyhound Research
Research for my books takes me to all sorts of unique places, most of which I enjoy. For my Sydney Lockhart series, set in the 1950s, I visited historic hotels where the stories take place. Before that, when I was a staff writer for a health and fitness magazine in Austin, I cycled, hiked, and climbed in some of the best parks in Texas. And I’ve canoed, floated, snorkeled, and scuba dived all Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-49317173175018253042017-03-03T13:48:00.002-05:002018-01-31T13:45:35.076-05:00"Trouble Like a Freight Train Coming" Available as a Standalone
“Trouble
Like a Freight Train Coming” is a prequel to the Tai Randolph
mysteries. It's set in Savannah several years prior to the inheritance
of her Atlanta gun shop and her first encounter with security agent Trey
Seaver, who ultimately becomes her partner in both romance and crime
solving.
For
readers familiar with the rest of Tai’s adventures, this story is a
chance to watch her Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-16272572071264680882017-02-20T07:00:00.000-05:002017-02-20T08:42:01.530-05:00LOWCOUNTRY CRIME: Available NOW!
Tai Randolph is accustomed to murder and mayhem. As a tour guide in Savannah, she’s learned the tips are better when she seasons her stories with a little blood here, a little depravity there. She’s less experienced in real life criminality, however, preferring to spend her days sleeping late and her nights hitting the bars.
But when she gets the news that her trouble-making cousin has keeled Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-59502157544100969612017-02-14T10:06:00.000-05:002018-02-12T10:07:08.409-05:00Fine Print for GiveawaysAs always...
The fine print: No purchase is necessary. You must be at least 18 years old to enter and must supply a mailing address in the continental US - if the winner does not have an address in the continental US, an e-book of the same edition will be offered as the prize. The winner will be notified through Facebook. Tina Whittle is not responsible for transmission failures, computer Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-58661284817040142212017-02-13T12:24:00.000-05:002017-02-13T12:24:03.074-05:00February is for Book Lovers!
To enter the Booklover's Bench drawing for the Samsung Galaxy Table A, click HERE.
To enter the drawing for the print or e-book copy of Lowcountry Crime: Four Novellas, click HERE.
To get your free copy of Not Even Past, a Tai & Trey Valentine's Day novella, click HERE.
Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-32409261077169352692017-02-01T21:32:00.000-05:002017-02-20T08:40:08.102-05:00Newletter Subscribers: Win a copy of LOWCOUNTRY CRIMES!
Tai Randolph is accustomed to murder and mayhem...of the fictional variety. As a tour guide in Savannah, Georgia, she’s learned the tips are better when she seasons her stories with a little blood here, a little depravity there. She’s less experienced in real life criminality, however, preferring to spend her days sleeping late and her nights hitting the bars. But when she gets the news that Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-45208312593389388272016-10-11T10:50:00.000-04:002016-10-11T17:06:29.312-04:00Win A Copy of "Small Favors"!
Threats. Stalkers. Sexy pirates. It's just another day on the job for Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver in "Small Favors," a between-book novella releasing October 25th for Amazon Kindle. And you can win your very own copy! See the entry below for all the ways that YOU can enter.
The contest begins at 5:15 Tuesday, October 11th and runs until 11:59 PM on Wednesday, October 19th.
The fine print: Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-60210555028449531632016-09-17T21:31:00.000-04:002017-09-26T12:20:37.816-04:00Secret Subscriber Only Giveaway
Thank you for being a newsletter subscriber, and for supporting my Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver mysteries. The 6th book in that series—Necessary Ends—is scheduled for an April 2018 release from Poisoned Pen Press.
Until then, please have a free short story on me! I've made all my independent works FREE on Tuesday, September 26th FOR ONE DAY ONLY! (except for "The Seventh Rule of Swimming" which Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-8716993680056168952016-08-04T00:00:00.000-04:002016-08-04T08:05:10.379-04:00For All The Pantsers Out There*This is a re-post from 2011, but I got several questions at Murder Goes South about my very pantsy outlining process, so I'm sharing again.
Are you an Outliner or a Pantser? My guess is you know.
As a former English teacher, I'm supposed to be a fan of outlines. But here's my dirty little secret—I hate the things. I taught my students how to create them, use them, revise them, but deep inside Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3266096793944744331.post-70667094790353255362016-07-28T14:27:00.001-04:002016-07-28T14:33:38.594-04:0050 Shades of Cabernet - Coming Soon!
Woo-hoo! I've got a short story coming out! It's called "And Wine to Make Glad the Heart" and was co-written with James M. Jackson for the mystery anthology 50 SHADES OF CABERNET (to be published by Koehler Books in March).
It's set in Atlanta, and features Tai and Trey and Jim's savvy sleuth Seamus McCree. There's darts and drink, tarot and shenanigans. You know, the usual.
And so here I Tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.com0