tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64759861730854683602012-01-23T17:29:53.635-05:00Crime fiction, animal issues, and rock & roll. What more do you need to know?Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.comBlogger4451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-34603880429194253322011-12-27T18:30:00.002-05:002011-12-27T18:32:29.103-05:00

"That ain't mine." Here it is, the real final (sans a review quote) cover for Cats Can't Shoot, the second Pru Marlowe pet noir, out April 3, 2012.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-92089359684399835222011-12-21T12:34:00.003-05:002011-12-21T12:47:32.249-05:00

It has taken a little longer than expected, but the Dulcie Schwartz mysteries are going to be e-books! Look for Shades of Grey, Grey Matters, and Grey Zone to be available in your favorite e-format on March 1, 2012 (that's only three months, folks) - check your favorite venue or go right to the source, my publisher Severn House. Grey Expectations will debut as an ebook when that book comes out in

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-13864027114346374472011-11-27T18:17:00.003-05:002011-11-27T18:19:57.860-05:00

I'm honored to have won five of these over the years from the Cat Writers Association. This latest one is for best novel of the year, Dogs Don't Lie, which despite the name, features an ornery tabby named Wallis.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-4139610427487425552011-11-22T12:23:00.005-05:002011-11-22T16:05:52.688-05:00

Hi folks,In the spirit of supporting indie bookstores – and celebrating my recent Muse Medaillion win – I'm offering a contest. Buy any one of my books at an indie bookstore* between now and Dec. 15, and you will be entered to win a CD audiobook of Dogs Don't Lie. Runner-up prizes will include a signed Shades of Grey cover flat, and various other miscellany. Win and I will personalize your prize

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-83462098076272265052011-11-19T15:51:00.001-05:002011-11-19T15:54:07.076-05:00

Just found out I won the Muse Medallion for Fiction from the Cat Writers Association, an international association of vets, behaviorists, researchers, wildlife journalists, and, yes, fiction writers who write about cats. This is the fifth time I've won, but each time is an honor.I did not attend the banquet last night, but received an email with the judge's comments:“This may be the toughest

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-18503667776607109302011-11-15T09:15:00.003-05:002011-11-15T09:18:44.668-05:00

I opened the LJ pre-pub alerts, because I saw it had a Mysteries Jan-April 2012 and I thought, hmm.. maybe one of my books will get a mention. Well, I got most of a whole subsection AND a cover!!!excerpt below:PurrIn Clea Simon’s Cats Can’t Shoot: A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir (Poisoned Pen. Apr. 2012. 250p. ISBN 9781590583258. $24.95; pap. ISBN 9781590588697. $14.95), animal psychic Pru Marlowe learns

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-9304882268900079002011-11-06T19:33:00.005-05:002011-11-07T13:05:14.109-05:00

As one of more than 20,000 followers of Jack the Cat (whose saga was chronicled on the "Jack the Cat is Lost in AA Baggage at JFK" facebook page), I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear that the lovely creamsicle-colored feline died today. Along with all those other cat lovers, I had followed the search for him – a search that resulted in many other strays and ferals being rounded up (and

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-39585535113528973852011-11-04T13:18:00.001-04:002011-11-04T13:20:00.333-04:00

Now, just as Peter Murphy used to sing that everyday is Halloween, so some of us feel that everyday is a cat day. But the first week of November has been officially designated as National Cat Week by, well, by the folks who determine such things. So CELEBRATE! And also, speak out for our feline friends, if you get a chance: http://saveacat.org/calltoaction.html

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-21457030324924714982011-10-11T20:20:00.004-04:002011-10-11T20:26:37.290-04:00

No cover yet, but the pre-order for Cats Can't Shoot (Pru Marlowe pet noir #2) is up at Amazon, which sort of makes it all feel real. The delivery date for this book is April 3, 2012. The fourth Dulcie Schwartz mystery, Grey Expectations (US edition), is due to be released on April 1 (unless that's some kind of a joke...). Which means, once again, this spring I'll have two books out. Whee!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-83140039217624555892011-10-06T21:13:00.008-04:002011-10-06T23:57:56.659-04:00

Most anyone reading this probably knows me as a writer. I love writing – and I'm thrilled to be on the brink of a new contract. But what you may not know is that writing does not pay my bills. In order to hold up my end of the household, I do contract editing and writing for a variety of clients. One of the biggest is my reason for joining Occupy Boston today.It started two weeks ago, but it

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-42645045555767659342011-09-20T10:33:00.002-04:002011-09-20T11:08:49.468-04:00

Coming in 2012 from Severn House! Preorder here.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-84241643919777022012011-09-07T12:47:00.003-04:002011-09-07T12:51:58.346-04:00

Coming next month from Worldwide – a mass-market paperback edition of "Shades of Grey." (This first Dulcie Schwartz feline mystery is now available as a trade paperback from Severn House.) I'll post a link when it becomes available, but in the meantime, here's the new cover!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-35633507640492503452011-08-24T09:04:00.002-04:002011-08-24T09:07:06.209-04:00

Yes! Dulcie and Mr Grey are going to be ebooks. My upcoming - Grey Expectations - will be released as an ebook about eight months after publication (next fall, probably). But my lovely publisher is working to get the first three mysteries - Shades of Grey, Grey Matters, and Grey Zone - into ebook by the holidays! Yay! And yes, Dogs Don't Lie is already available in a kindle edition. Ereaders

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-7547743251780647142011-08-10T12:08:00.002-04:002011-08-10T12:10:45.037-04:00

From my lovely agent: "GREY ZONE" on the front desk at the Winchester Public Library. And... great news, folks, GREY EXPECTATIONS is a go! My editor loves it, I'm working on some tiny revisions, and we're talking cover ideas. WHEE!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-50738812346368087042011-06-29T12:30:00.002-04:002011-06-29T12:31:44.448-04:00

I am thrilled. I am exhausted. I am a little melancholy. I am ... done. The hesitation is because I have finished the first draft of the fourth Dulcie Schwartz and Mr Grey mystery, tentatively titled GREY EXPECTATIONS, for my lovely publishers Severn House. But as you and I know, that really means I have a ton more work to do. First, the revisions: Do I have clues that make no sense? Does any

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-49995742409769904322011-06-02T12:08:00.002-04:002011-06-02T12:17:54.773-04:00

After getting this thoughtful, but odd review of "Dogs Don't Lie," I'm wondering if a warning label should be put on the cover - on top of the very big photo of a cat, perhaps?In part, it reads:"The book is well-written and well-paced, and I didn't identify the killer until shortly before the reveal. Simon also has a lot of interesting, common sense things to say about animals and their owners. I

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-53043339710529474742011-05-30T13:26:00.003-04:002011-05-30T13:37:00.993-04:00

I may never be a bestseller according to the New York Times or Publishers Weekly, but here in my hometown, at Harvard Book Store, my new Dogs Don't Lie is the second-most-popular paperback this week. I am thrilled! And, in case you're curious, yes, you can order a signed copy from Harvard Books, or Brookline Booksmith, Partners & Crime (NYC), or Books on the Square (Providence, RI). They will

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-81197637837600283582011-05-25T11:23:00.002-04:002011-05-25T11:25:44.285-04:00

I'm on my way to the huge Book Expo America today! I'll be signing (and giving away!) copies of Dogs Don't Lie and Grey Matters, donated by my publishers. I'm also looking forward to meeting one of my publishers - Severn House - the home of Dulcie and Mr Grey, since they'll be there. And, of course, I'm psyched to catch up with old friends, meet some people I've only read or chatted with online -

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-67344547975920128162011-05-06T10:08:00.000-04:002011-05-06T10:08:00.620-04:00

The Book Blog of the Bristol Public Library is a great source for reviews and news. But I must confess, I love it most for Melon, librarian Jeanne's faithful feline. Here he is, "taken aback by a plot twist" in Grey Zone.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-9941373543086167112011-05-05T15:40:00.001-04:002011-05-05T15:43:18.430-04:00

"The fast-paced story is propelled by Dulcie’s frenetic investigations and harried personal life, but unlike in many cozies—in which the mystery plot is lost amid the personal detail—here the many scenes from Dulcie’s life actually support the main story. ... a must read."Full review:Publication: BOOKLISTIssue: 1ST MAY 2011Simon, Clea. Grey Zone: A Dulcie Schwartz Mystery. Severn House. May 2011.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-46698201579367689382011-05-05T14:15:00.006-04:002011-05-05T14:20:33.789-04:00

She loves that I'm developing/revealing more of Pru's character, she found the plot nicely complex (and at one point suspected a red herring - ha!). In short, Cats Can't Shoot – the followup to Dogs Don't Lie in the Pru Marlowe pet psychic series – is a go. Once I read it through one more time for myself, of course. Whee!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-79801162494029269912011-04-26T10:57:00.002-04:002011-04-26T10:59:32.464-04:00

Well, that's just one of the questions behind my second Pru Marlowe book, "Cats Can't Shoot." But the big one is: will my agent like it? I've now sent it off to her, which means I can dive into the fourth Dulcie Schwartz mystery (yes, I do have a crazy schedule). My agent always has brilliant suggestions, so I know "Cats" will get another thorough revision once she gets back to me. I still worry

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-51352677841209683762011-04-15T12:18:00.004-04:002011-04-15T12:22:04.633-04:00

So after two FABULOUS events – thank you, Partners & Crime and Brookline Booksmith! – I am back to work! Still buzzing about all the people who came out – old friends, new ones, readers with great questions all – I'm now diving back into the second Pru book, tentatively titled, "Cats Can't Shoot." I finished the draft a few weeks ago, which means that it's almost new to me. I can see the flaws (

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-27542342785702888412011-04-06T13:46:00.001-04:002011-04-06T13:46:00.173-04:00

I was honored to have both of my new books reviewed in the Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch. Book critic Jay Strafford got the difference in voice, the difference in characters, and he liked 'em both. THANK YOU!!Mysteries: Felines, canines and plotlinesBy JAY STRAFFORD Published: April 03, 2011Anyone who has ever been the human companion of an animal, particularly of a dog or a cat, knows that

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-76590486296090321912011-04-05T21:37:00.002-04:002011-04-05T21:42:35.755-04:00

Yes, Dogs Don't Lie, the first Pru Marlowe pet noir, has been available for a bit now, but today is the official publication date! I've been so busy, I almost forgot to post that, but now I have. Pru and Wallis are officially launched! Much rejoicing here at Chez Musetta.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-20438225588443015382011-04-01T13:27:00.003-04:002011-04-01T15:00:21.529-04:00

I've been busy!The last few weeks, I've been chatting and writing and it's all finally coming to light. The most recent was a really fun interview I did for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Cat Lady. But I also had a real heart-to-heart with Ingrid King over at Conscious Cats and guest blogged at Meandering and Muses and at the Creatures n' Crooks bookblog both.Oh, and this just in - I was also

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-27671963687546425602011-04-01T11:32:00.002-04:002011-04-01T11:36:09.422-04:00

Today is the official publication day of the U.S. edition of GREY ZONE, the third Dulcie Schwartz mystery! Celebrate with your favorite kitty (past or present).

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-48008109108817103112011-03-30T16:11:00.001-04:002011-03-30T16:13:39.509-04:00

A new mystery columnist takes over – but she relates to Dulcie and Grey Zone!Simon, Clea. Grey Zone: A Dulcie Schwartz Mystery. Severn House. May 2011. c.216p. ISBN 9780727869920. $28.95. M Dulcinea Schwartz’s life as a Harvard grad student is more complicated than most. She’s a bit psychic; has a ghost cat, Mr. Grey, for a muse; and is already known to the local police for earlier cases (Grey

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-78102334444413189812011-03-21T09:13:00.004-04:002011-03-21T09:24:20.239-04:00

Today, as I re-read two new lovely reviews of Grey Zone, I have a confession: I did not think I'd made this book, the third Dulcie Schwartz, a very good mystery. My reasons were good: Last spring, my mother was declining through a series of illnesses and health crises that were rapidly building on each other. By the middle of March last year, it was pretty clear she was dying, and she passed away

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-72803868327545907662011-03-11T16:46:00.002-05:002011-03-11T16:48:44.981-05:00

so far... Monday, April 11, 7 p.m.Partners and Crime, 44 Greenwich Ave., New York. 212-243-0440.Tues., April 12, 7 p.m.Reading/signing with Rosemary Herbert, Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 617-566-6660Tuesday, May 17, 7 p.m.Book launch reading/party, Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 617-542-READand remember, if you can't make an event you can always

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-71024310014397799882011-03-10T14:14:00.001-05:002011-03-10T14:15:13.571-05:00

"Simon writes a high-quality cozy mystery, well paced and plotted, with plenty of twists." - Booklist (starred review). Oh my! How did I miss that first time through?

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-77781310748934951172011-03-10T11:23:00.001-05:002011-03-10T11:28:20.381-05:00

A starred review for Dogs Don't Lie!Pru Marlowe has recently returned to her hometown in the Berkshires, ostensibly to care for her dying mother. In reality, she fled New York when she was weeks away from completing her degree as an animal behaviorist, having endured a nervous breakdown caused by her sudden ability to hear animals. Only a few months later, after setting up shop as an animal

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-18099298902677658032011-03-10T11:07:00.000-05:002011-03-10T11:08:27.605-05:00

"Watch this series closely. It could well spring to the top of the animal-cozy genre." – Booklist (starred review)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-78068621245466531772011-02-23T09:22:00.000-05:002011-02-23T09:23:25.452-05:00

"A delightful new series"! Woohoo!Library JournalBerkshires pet psychic Pru Marlowe finds her highest-paying client dead in his living room with his throat torn out. The prime suspect is the victim's blood-covered pit bull, Lily. Trying to save Lily places Pru squarely on the path to danger. VERDICT Simon, author of the Theda Krakow (Probable Claws) and Dulcie Schwartz series (Grey Matters),

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-28177699374062221362011-02-14T11:43:00.004-05:002011-02-14T11:46:48.926-05:00

"[C]risp writing and polished plot are a pleasure from start to finish." – Robin Agnew on Dogs Don't Lie. Can a book with a cat be taken seriously? (Answer: yes)."While I often am approached by writers wanting to send me ARCs and have me read, possibly review them, and certainly try to sell them, it’s not often that I say “yes,” send the ARC, and less often when I actually read and enjoy them.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-11549238639516158702011-01-24T13:31:00.002-05:002011-01-24T13:34:10.840-05:00

Dulcie and Mr. Grey will continue! Just got the contract for a fourth Dulcie Schwartz mystery! Yay! In the meantime, some of the just-out British editions of Grey Zone, the third Dulcie feline mystery, seem to be making their way to these shores. US release date is April, but if you can't wait...

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-74154244211116471392011-01-11T12:20:00.003-05:002011-01-11T12:23:15.655-05:00

Love the quotes she chose. Love the four stars, too! Review of Dogs Don't Lie by Pamela Kramer, The Examiner:Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon is a clever mystery sure to charm animal lovers who enjoy mysteries. Even lovers of mysteries who aren't animal lovers will enjoy the twists and turns that meander through this story, the first in the Pru Marlowe Pet Noir series.Pru Marlowe, who is almost a

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-77461862750107526442011-01-11T12:17:00.003-05:002011-01-11T12:19:53.330-05:00

The third Dulcie Schwartz mystery doesn't hit stores in the US until April. But it's now out in the UK, so I just got a lovely box from my publisher, Severn House. Here's my new desk set up, too.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-9098212155534168352010-12-15T12:32:00.004-05:002010-12-15T12:34:52.776-05:00

My review of Henning Mankell's latest, Daniel, ran in today's Boston Globe. I wished I liked it more. I've also just read an advance of his last Wallander mystery and, wow, did I hate that. Sometimes, I think, a writer loses respect for his readers, and that's a sad thing.From today's Globe:How do we see our world, and how does that vision affect others? These are the questions at the heart of

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-7591317599531157532010-12-03T09:52:00.001-05:002010-12-03T09:54:47.808-05:00

I'm not usually a Dennis Lehane fan. Usually seems like he's trying too hard. But going back to Patrick and Angie, he hits all the right notes - the real notes. My review in today's Globe.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-19577204669267813262010-11-22T22:18:00.004-05:002010-11-22T22:23:45.841-05:00

Please excuse the lack of writing (or crime or cats) while I oversee the renovations on our new house! At the very least, this is a marvelous distraction while I await my editor's comments on the first 100 pages of Pru #2, Cats Can't Shoot. In the meantime, for your viewing pleasure...

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-80671681661580860912010-11-02T11:25:00.004-04:002010-11-02T11:29:02.774-04:00

"Don’t miss Dogs Don’t Lie (Poisoned Pen. ISBN 9781590588604. $24.95; pap. ISBN 978 1590588628. $14.95) from Clea Simon, a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and many other venues when she’s not writing sharp nonfiction works or animal-based mysteries." - from Library Journal's pre-pub alert, Spring 2011 mysteries to watch out for!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-43590052025901447252010-11-01T13:18:00.003-04:002010-11-02T11:29:58.765-04:00

The kitten leaves her mark... Grey Zone, the third Dulcie Schwartz mystery, out in the UK in Dec., in the US in April:

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-72404655137163967302010-10-26T20:47:00.000-04:002010-10-26T20:48:32.577-04:00

It seems we have lost another. Poor guy. He will be missed.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-45116923487307568162010-10-12T15:50:00.004-04:002010-10-13T11:39:34.090-04:00

The final cover for my debut pet noir, Dogs Don't Lie (coming in April), which Beth Kanell, co-owner of Kingdom Books, Waterford, VT, calls, "a tightly plotted and interesting mystery, with a strong underlying flavor of 'Nancy Drew grown up.'"(and, while you should wait and get it from an indie, yeah, you can also pre-order it here.)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-70368917481689575132010-10-06T11:07:00.002-04:002010-10-06T11:09:25.089-04:00

"Information is dangerous currency. How we get it, what we do with it, and how we dismiss that which we would rather not know are hot topics, especially in contemporary thrillers. Spy master John le Carré has long dealt with these questions, chronicling betrayals both personal and patriotic. His British peer mystery writer John Lawton is now entering this tricky territory as well. In their new

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-70016692519719525552010-10-01T16:44:00.003-04:002010-10-01T16:47:24.853-04:00

Just sent off the copy edits for Grey Zone. Sent back the corrected ARC for Dogs Don't Lie last week (did I really repeat/misspell that many words? Guess so). Have done enough research so that I should be able to write at least half this book without doing any more. Nothing for it but to write. Hooboy...

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-64305254020387563602010-09-29T10:37:00.004-04:002010-09-29T10:43:47.932-04:00

I love writing, but sometimes research takes the cake. I'm getting ready to start the second Pru Marlowe pet noir and have been immersed in the world of antique guns. In some ways this is silly: the collectible that appears in the first scene of this next book will probably not be seen again after page 30. But I want to get it right. And besides, when you start researching something esoteric like

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-53519124764593498932010-09-06T18:01:00.002-04:002010-09-06T18:03:34.404-04:00

morning coffee at the Moors Motel

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-76605975911644844512010-09-01T11:09:00.002-04:002010-09-01T11:15:43.289-04:00

I'm re-reading Grey Zone this week - my editor loved it (yay!) but considering all the crap that went down this spring, she gave me a week to re-read/revise one more time. And I'm slogging along when, yesterday, I hit one of those passages where I wonder, "What the hell was I thinking?" Couldn't for the life of me figure it out.Skip ahead a few hours: the Neighborhoods and Iggy Pop at House of

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-65528377747879835862010-08-23T09:06:00.001-04:002010-08-23T09:08:16.358-04:00

We plan, God laughs... my review of Amy Boesky's moving memoir, "What We Have," in today's Boston Globe.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-34212387890297749212010-08-03T20:25:00.003-04:002010-08-03T20:30:33.365-04:00

OK, I admit I am psyched that Dogs Don't Lie, my first Pru Marlowe pet noir mystery, is already listed as available for preorder on Amazon (and I promise, indie bookstores, as soon as you list it, too, I'll post links!) That book won't be published until April, 2011, but it was edited and accepted in June. But I just saw that Grey Zone, my third Dulcie Schwartz mystery, is also now listed on

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-48794271563437411392010-07-16T11:38:00.003-04:002010-07-20T19:43:43.628-04:00

Cheap Trick and Squeeze, row N. So much fun. Reviewed it for the Phoenix here.photo by Scott M. Lacey for the Boston Phoenix.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-21169427049280225522010-07-16T09:15:00.003-04:002010-07-16T09:22:21.203-04:00

Monday morning, I was sick as a dog but I had one un-missable appoint: a phone interview with Naomi Novik. Novik, you may already know, is the author of the Temeraire novels: Napoleonic-era fantasy, only set in an alternative world with intelligent, sensitive dragons. Not my usual cup of tea, but they're so smart and funny - well, others have made the comparison to Jane Austen. Let me just say it

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-45354014700869647192010-07-12T00:24:00.001-04:002010-07-12T00:25:56.468-04:00

My review in the Boston Phoenix:"Frank Mackey's life changed when he was 19. The year was 1985, and he and his girlfriend Rosie Daly were about to run away together. Growing up in Faithful Place, one of working-class Dublin's more depressed byways, they knew they had no future in Ireland, particularly because Rosie's aspiring family despised Frank's booze-ruined clan. London — freedom — beckoned,

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-84455982524911714082010-07-07T10:36:00.006-04:002010-07-15T17:42:10.882-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy! DOGS DON'T LIE, the first Pru Marlowe mystery, is finally through revisions and on track to be published by Poisoned Pen Press next April. This cover isn't final, but it looks pretty good, doesn't it? (If you don't think so, please tell me - and why - before publisher commits to it!) Cover will have "A Pru Marlowe pet noir" on it somewhere, I

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-56932628061312699932010-06-18T12:06:00.001-04:002010-06-18T12:07:42.546-04:00

Am I right folks?

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-63860704053341493732010-06-17T14:53:00.001-04:002010-06-17T14:54:52.911-04:00

From Publishers Marketplace:"Mystery/Crime: Clea Simon's DOGS DON'T LIE, first in a new "pet noir" series featuring a bad-girl animal psychic and her sidekick, a crotchety tabby, to Annette Rogers at Poisoned Pen Press, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in April, 2011, by Colleen Mohyde at Doe Coover Agency."More info when I have time - am now waiting to hear from editor on

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-8499450536566099022010-06-16T14:03:00.001-04:002010-06-16T14:03:50.789-04:00

wait for it...

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-90767400785737699412010-06-05T23:21:00.002-04:002010-06-05T23:24:21.426-04:00

I love summer (or, ok, spring) in the city. Everyone lives outdoors, from the shirtless man in mardi gras beads to the couples returning from dinner out. And as we did the same, we encountered these random bits of conversation:2." ... I don' t think anyone could live 20 minutes underwater..."2."It has a little bit of everything.""No, it doesn't."3."My father always kept his shotguns (plural)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-60366784193330004052010-06-03T11:07:00.002-04:002010-06-03T11:09:34.880-04:00

I got to review the new spy-fiction anthology "Agents of Treachery" in today's Boston Globe:"What is the proper setting for an international thriller in these global times? Is it World War II, the last unequivocally just war, or the fight against terrorism? Does it take place in Europe or the Middle East, or right here at home? These are some of the questions tackled by the authors in this packed

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-19935349261450347712010-05-20T14:43:00.004-04:002010-05-20T14:52:57.224-04:00

"Dumb Beasts," the first Pru Marlowe story, will air on "Lit 103.3, Radio for the Ears," on WXOJ, 103.3, a low-power FM in Northampton, Mass. The show broadcasts original short stories every Tuesdays, at 1 p.m., and my offering will be in rotation with two others, airing on June 1, June 22, and July 13. On those days, it will also stream from the station's website at http://

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-25126626508351776992010-05-13T09:24:00.004-04:002010-05-13T09:26:48.062-04:00

Check out this lovely review of "Grey Matters" in the Bristol Public Library book blog. Melon is a major consumer of feline fiction, as you can tell..

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-77392227789380333332010-05-11T12:01:00.002-04:002010-05-11T12:03:27.631-04:00

My wonderful friend, the artist Chris Mesarch, sent me this illustrated quote from an Adam Gopnick New Yorker piece on Vincent Van Gogh.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-41299829048300884932010-05-04T15:59:00.002-04:002010-05-04T16:02:34.306-04:00

Oh, isn't this COOL! Just heard that Alan Vogel, host of "Lit 103," on WXOJ in Northampton, Mass., will be reading my story "Dumb Beasts" over the air later this month or early next month. The show, which bills itself as "Fiction for the Ears," airs Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m. EST, but I believe all the shows are also available as podcasts. More details as I get 'em!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-19592497780000312932010-04-16T17:42:00.001-04:002010-04-16T17:43:59.890-04:00

I review Yann Martel's latest, "Beatrice and Virgil," in the Boston Phoenix:In contemporary literature, the Holocaust is the okapi in the room: looming and somehow irresistible. Such, at least, appears to be the thesis of Beatrice and Virgil, Yann Martel’s first novel since his 2002 Booker Award winner, Life of Pi.The okapi, in the book, is stuffed, the namesake of Okapi Taxidermy, an odd little

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-11104901529820600042010-04-04T15:04:00.003-04:002010-04-04T15:05:50.616-04:00

Denise Mina seems to be taking a gentler tone with her characters in her new book, "Still Midnight." Click to read my review in the Boston Globe."It may be “Still Midnight’’ in Glasgow, as the title of Denise Mina’s latest crime novel suggests, but somewhere in the dark, beleaguered city dawn is showing through. In her seventh noir-ish outing, Mina, winner of the John Creasey Memorial Award for

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-88219739973517570942010-04-02T10:52:00.004-04:002010-04-02T11:32:40.859-04:00

One of the Jewish traditions is that you burn a candle for the dead for seven days. So last Monday, actually a day after my mom died, the funeral home asked me if I wanted one - and since I've been picking and choosing between the traditions that feel right to me, I said "sure." Lit it that evening. And... it kept burning. I found it very comforting and when it hadn't burned out by Monday, I kept

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-4802892206358424422010-04-01T09:13:00.000-04:002010-04-01T09:15:13.629-04:00

Memorial for my mom My mother was a complicated woman, and my relationship with her was not always easy. But I loved my mother, and I know she loved me and was proud of me. One of the very few times, in fact, that I think I ever really disappointed her was back when I was in elementary school. My class - maybe it was third or fourth grade - had had a discussion about jobs, particularly about

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-33059578560245490532010-03-30T09:30:00.006-04:002010-03-30T10:58:51.424-04:00

This is possibly the oddest review I have ever received and begs the question: why was this particular critic, who clearly neither likes nor is familiar with this "prosaic genre,"was assigned this book. (I also wonder why, for all his own fastidious prose, he could not get the name of my protagonist right.) Still, I don't mind being called "Austen-esque," even in this backhanded way."Dulcie

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-9419525103110800942010-03-27T19:55:00.004-04:002010-03-27T20:00:31.742-04:00

Scanned these in to put on memorial program for Wednesday: 2009 and (approx) 1975:(not sure how to flip the newer one, sorry.)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-58252560235786585732010-03-24T13:36:00.002-04:002010-03-24T13:41:55.183-04:00

Thank you for coming tonight.As many of you know, I lost my mother on Sunday, so I’d actually like to start this reading by talking a little about her, before going onto my new book. There is a connection: My mother came to several of my readings here at Brookline Booksmith, and some of you probably met her here.One of the last times she really went out into the world was to come to a reading

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-79638167898813089812010-03-21T14:13:00.001-04:002010-03-21T14:14:00.475-04:00

Hi folks. My mom, Iris Simon, passed away this morning at the age of 83. I may not be posting for a while. Thanks for understanding.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-16925076705697974722010-03-15T17:53:00.001-04:002010-03-15T17:58:20.921-04:00

"Simon scores with the spectral Mr. Grey and the likable Dulcie." – PW 3/15/10Whee!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-18904003152416370582010-03-15T14:18:00.001-04:002010-03-15T14:18:56.530-04:00

Hi folks,I often get emails asking if I can sign and mail books. I'm always happy to! But sometimes the logistics can get complicated. So, I thought I'd get out ahead of this one. I'll be doing a launch event (reading/signing) at Brookline Booksmith next Tuesday, March 23. If you're anywhere nearby, I'd love you to come and chat and have some snacks with us. But if you can't, and you'd still like

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-3813139238029146562010-03-02T11:46:00.001-05:002010-03-02T11:48:18.591-05:00

Meant to post this review, which I wrote for the Boston Globe. Belatedly... "Does truth, as well as beauty, exist in the eye of the beholder? That’s one of the questions posed in Bellwether Prize-winner Heidi Durrow’s heartbreaking debut, “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky.’’ Others - about race and memory, love and family - follow hard on its heels in this dramatic coming-of-age novel.."(more here.)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-83283466410230358092010-02-28T13:47:00.001-05:002010-02-28T13:48:48.485-05:00

From today's Richmond Times-Dispatch:"Back-stabbing, jealousy and gamesmanship. Is it corporate America? Or could it be academia? In Grey Matters (232 pages, Severn House, $28.95), the second installment in Clea Simon's series featuring Harvard grad student Dulcie Schwartz, it's definitely the latter.This time out, Dulcie is continuing to research her thesis, a study of an obscure Gothic novel of

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-66486538139188389772010-02-25T14:29:00.002-05:002010-02-26T01:05:09.129-05:00

Open till Friday over at Goodreads - good luck!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-37899112643626242192010-02-24T11:04:00.001-05:002010-02-24T11:05:51.316-05:00

This Court Reporter blog noted my blog as covering a variety of topics "from animal rights to crime fiction." Um, I guess I'd better get back to updating this!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-40607736681922063502010-02-10T12:52:00.003-05:002010-02-10T12:54:33.163-05:00

I just couldn't love "The Man from Beijing," (as I say in my Boston Phoenix review). Too many things kept throwing me out of the book, mostly a sense of heavy handed message. Mankell is – as are most crime writers – highly moral. Usually, he lets his characters do the talking. What do you think?

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-74468180496947644792010-02-09T14:01:00.005-05:002010-02-09T14:06:17.009-05:00

"Sure to provide cat fanciers with a relaxing couple of hours." – Kirkus Reviews on Grey Matters.Not bad, right? Well, coming from Kirkus, this is probably meant to be snarky - the infamous "Kirkus kick." But I'll take it. I mean, I write to entertain and those who fancy cats are my natural audience. The funny thing is, the Kirkus review of Grey Matters starts off with a wonderful synopsis -

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-31220783382782298442010-02-09T11:00:00.003-05:002010-02-09T11:05:34.685-05:00

One of my favorite blogs, combining pet news and advice and book reviews, is The Conscious Cat. This week, TCC awarded an "Over the Top" award to longtime librarian and indefatigable book blogger Lesa Holstine and her Lesa's Book Critiques blog. The award is most apt - Lesa reviews and interviews nonstop, providing a serious alternative to the quickly disappearing newspaper reviews (especially

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-55362684203319259832010-01-25T12:25:00.002-05:002010-01-25T13:47:43.961-05:00

My Grey Matters officially pubs in March – here's my first pre-pub review: Grey Matters, Simon, Clea (Author), Mar 2010. 240 p. Severn, hardcover, $28.95. (9780727868404).Simon’s second Dulcie Schwartz mystery picks up a few months after the end of Shades of Grey (2009), with Harvard doctoral student Dulcie deep into her fall semester, overloaded with grading papers and concerned about getting

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-43514971195013373922010-01-25T10:52:00.002-05:002010-01-25T10:58:41.861-05:00

Why does James Patterson bother? From reading the New York Times profile, I've learned that he has five "co-authors" who actually writethe books he drafts. He skews his plots for marketing purposes. He's abandoned his early literary potential to write sadomasochistic rape/torture thrillers. And he does this why? Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have tons of money. But if that were my main

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-23078288864924958492010-01-21T13:46:00.002-05:002010-01-21T13:49:52.641-05:00

Coming soon! Officially, a March 1, 2010, book. But, because it was published in Dec. in the UK and, I guess, copies shipped, it's already available at a few places (primarily online.)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-35001596402006867032010-01-19T15:34:00.002-05:002010-01-19T15:41:26.460-05:00

A few years ago, I had the honor of being on a panel at the Concord Literary Festival with Robert B. Parker. I'd seen the local luminary - the creator of the Spenser mysteries, and arguably the reviver of hard-boiled crime fiction - before, often. When Jon and I would splurge for a dinner at Rialto, we'd see him comfortably ensconced on one of the restaurant's big wraparound banquettes. When I'd

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-83815949340678889992010-01-08T12:52:00.002-05:002010-01-08T12:56:10.573-05:00

Words do not do this Lithuanian composer's orchestration of Nora the Piano-Playing Cat's music justice. Just watch.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-61215368816338498912010-01-08T12:50:00.003-05:002010-01-08T12:52:45.331-05:00

Musetta is still sporting this classic look, but I've replaced this old iMac with a sleek flat-screen model. Sadly, the mess on the desk remains pretty much the same! Anyway, Musetta once again takes her place among literary fat cats in today's Galleycat.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-14474184462185479422009-12-23T11:12:00.004-05:002009-12-23T11:21:15.559-05:00

Cambridge Voices: A Literary Celebration of Libraries and the Joy of Reading is out! I have five copies in my hot little hands (well, ok, on my bookshelf) and I cannot wait to read the contributions by such luminaries as Jill Lepore, Matthew Pearl, Robert Pinsky, Gail Mazur, and others (my own contribution is a Dulcie short story). Supposedly, those who do not live in our fair city will soon be

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-78436866842266599322009-12-07T16:55:00.003-05:002009-12-07T16:57:08.257-05:00

After months of living like this, this friendly, playful tabby has been trapped and taken home by a T trolley operator. A real-life happy ending! Yay!

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-15912097211234221512009-12-01T10:51:00.005-05:002009-12-01T11:08:16.579-05:00

Signed hardcovers make the best gifts - don't they? – and signed first editions of both of my two latest mysteries, Probable Claws and Shades of Grey, are available at Harvard Book Store (call 'em, they ship). But for those who just want something to read, Worldwide today unveiled its mass market paperback edition of Probable Claws – for less than $5! This is a web-only deal, but at this price,

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-14166891014740733322009-11-21T23:35:00.002-05:002009-11-21T23:37:33.831-05:00

My Muse! I am pleased as punch to announce that I won the 2009 Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion for short story for my animal psychic mini-mystery, "Dumb Beasts," from Dead Fall: Crime Stories by New England Writers. Whoopee! And now... to bed.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-42494228863908260742009-11-18T14:18:00.002-05:002009-11-18T14:22:24.557-05:00

Heading down to White Plains, NY, this weekend for the annual Cat Writers' Association annual conference. I'll be giving a "Mystery 101" talk to aspiring whodunit authors and listening eagerly to reports on everything from the feline genome project to new media marketing. But basically I'm going to chill with my peers – and to attend the Westchester Cat Show.Conference registration is now closed,

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-35831923357175783802009-11-10T14:12:00.003-05:002009-11-10T14:19:40.756-05:00

The Cambridge Public Library's main branch - right by me - has been closed for several years while the original, wonderful Gothic-style 1889 main building was renovated and a beautiful high-tech green wing was built. Jon and I have watched the building, etc., come together, oh so slowly, and on Sunday we joined the THRONGS (yes! throngs! This is Cambridge, after all) who came to the grand opening

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-69576774224660573822009-11-09T11:57:00.005-05:002009-11-09T12:01:09.541-05:00

Well, in this house! Just heard from my publisher that Shades of Grey has sold out its first printing and is going into a second run. Yay! (This is one of the best things about a small press - they may do small press runs, but they can go back QUICKLY. That, and you get personal emails from the production folks.)

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-35142577939572956652009-11-06T15:15:00.002-05:002009-11-06T15:17:01.281-05:00

Great, another thing to worry about: a cat catches swine flu from his people. (Though this cat is "85 percent recovered.") Anyone sneezing on Musetta has to answer to me about it, got it?

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-71998491972928299402009-11-03T11:59:00.002-05:002009-11-03T12:04:37.166-05:00

The new project is coming along - I'm now at the stage where I believe this can become a book. It's funny, this being November - the month of NaNoWriMo - but I'm writing this book more slowly than any of its predecessors. Doing some every day, taking time to think about it, to plot (and then to ignore said plot). Maybe this is just going to be a contrary book. We shall see...Anyway, excuse me if

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-6952132854666095032009-10-29T00:01:00.001-04:002009-10-29T00:01:02.247-04:00

Every day is National Cat Day here at chez Musetta, but still, more reason to celebrate.

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-91190023852717876302009-10-22T14:13:00.002-04:002009-10-22T14:26:33.153-04:00

It's funny. I've been talking to friends recently about how difficult my new project is, and so few of them believe it. When I say I'm having trouble getting started and that at times I don't know if what I'm writing now will coalesce into a book, they scoff (a little). They say, "oh c'mon" or (the more encouraging) "you'll have a draft by March." They look at my track record – eight books in

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6475986173085468360.post-50257712678673276752009-10-15T10:38:00.002-04:002009-10-15T10:41:43.875-04:00

Am I jealous of all my colleagues at Bouchercon? You bet. But while I'm home getting work done, I'm also preparing for the Poisoned Pen Webcon to be held next Sat., Oct. 24. The first-ever online mystery conference will have it all: live events, text "panels" with mystery authors discussing topics. Even a coffee house for folks to gather in. Where will I be? Check out the panels on cozy mysteries

Clea Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10810838253598050028noreply@blogger.com0