What I Liked in 2014

There was a lot to like this year and a lot to dislike, but I'll try to keep this positive.

In television this year we probably witnessed some of the best TV ever made in HBO's "True Detective," a show that also did the impossible, and made me like Woody Harrelson. Probably the best take on a comic book superhero happened late in the year in "The Flash," which in turn spun out of "Arrow." Also in the comics realm and improving with every episode is "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Please click on the links for my regular reviews of those shows.

This year I also dug "The Affair, " "Black Sails," "Power," "Penny Dreadful," "The Newsroom," "The Comeback," and the sadly canceled and much-maligned "Selfie"

As far as movies go, I loved Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, proof positive that the superhero genre in film has grown up and proved it can be more than it's been in the past. A close tie with those films would be the small and powerful horror flick The Babadook that I really loved. Also on my good list this year would be The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden, Jodorowsky's Dune, and Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel. On the bad side would be This Is the End, which of course would be my main reason for not wanting to see The Interview.

I haven't read all that many comics this year, but I would have to give serious props to Grant Morrison's Multiversity comics, which I not only read, but also enjoyed immensely. As far as real books, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Marie Gilbert's Roof Oasis and the newest South Jersey Writers' Group anthology Reading Glasses, and the two best books I've read this year are Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks by Andy Burns and Murder on Edisto by C. Hope Clark.

For more of my views and those of the staff of Biff Bam Pop!, check out the newest Biff Bam Popcast on the best and worst of 2014 right here.

The Writer's Chatroom Presents C Hope Clark Tonight

C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters a well-known writer's reference for grants, contests, markets, publishers and agents for the serious writer. The website and newsletters have existed for fourteen years, and been recognized by Writer's Digest Magazine in its 101 Best Websites for Writers for thirteen of those years. 42,000 writers receive her newsletters each week.

She's published in Writer's Digest, Writer's Market, Guide to Literary Agents (by Writer's Digest), The Writer Magazine, as well as multiple trades, glossy mags and numerous Chicken Soup books. She's interviewed often by both writing and business websites and speaks to writing conferences throughout the United States. Her book The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success, continues to sell steadily.

She is also author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Lowcountry Bribe is the first in the series published by Bell Bridge Books. The mysteries describe federally employed Carolina Slade's sleuthing abilities throughout rural, rarely seen South Carolina settings, facing crimes not found in your typical mystery. Her follow-up, Tidewater Murder, is now available too. The third book in the series will be released in 2014.

Read more about Hope and Carolina Slade at www.chopeclark.com, Hope's beautiful website.

WHEN? Sunday, December 29, 2013, Eastern USA Time: 7 PM Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE? The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.

Hope to see you tonight!

C. Hope Clark's Tidewater Murder

I have talked about this kind of happy coincidence before. When a friend has a project - a book, a story, music - you kinda have to say it's good or that you like it, it's just professional courtesy, and so you can get a good review back when it's your turn. This is actually one of the reasons I rarely do book reviews - to avoid doing just that.

But it is such a delight when it's true, and with Hope Clark it is so true. She's not only the founder of FundsforWriters, one of the best writing newsletters out there (if you're not subscribed and you want to be a writer, get subscribed, it's that important), but also someone I have interviewed for years in The Writer's Chatroom, a mentor, and a friend. And she has written two fantastic thrillers, the second even better than the first.

Hope Clark is smart, clever, savvy, and sassy - a fireball of a writer, and her protagonist, Carolina Slade is just like her. "Biologically I could be her mother, in a Loretta Lynn kind of way." That is one of my favorite lines from the book. This is the kind of snark and sass that Slade is all about. She's a southern belle spitfire with a dash of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, and I love it.

The Carolina Slade Mysteries are what might be termed 'rural thrillers,' but that would be unfair, it's about character, and about tension, and the thrill of the mystery. Clark's people are real, and the sense of place is real. You feel you know them, you feel you are there. I read TIDEWATER WATER in one sitting, just as I did with its predecessor, LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE, something I rarely do, but I could not put it down. They are both such smooth and pleasurable reads, while being tense rides as well. Clark has the same sort of style as Stephen King, a prose that compels you to keep reading.

This is not praise I hand out easily, I am not a mystery guy. And as much as I liked LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE, I dug the second book even more. I would not have believed it was possible, but it is. I am waiting with baited breath for the next in the series.



And if you'd like to know the true story behind LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE, and how Hope met Mr. Clark, you need to check out "Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game." You can get it on Amazon here.

I will be interviewing Hope at The Writer's Chatroom on Sunday evening, December 29th, so please come on by then and join in on the discussion. Details can be found here.

The Writer's Chatroom Presents C. Hope Clark

C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters, a well-known writer's reference for grants, contests, markets, publishers and agents for the serious writer. The website and newsletters have existed for fourteen years, and been recognized by Writer's Digest Magazine in its 101 Best Websites for Writers for thirteen of those years. 42,000 writers receive her newsletters each week.

She's published in Writer's Digest, Writer's Market, Guide to Literary Agents, The Writer, as well as multiple trades, glossy mags and numerous Chicken Soup books. She's been interviewed often by both writing and business websites, and speaks to writing conferences throughout the United States. Her book, The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success, continues to sell steadily.

She is also author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Lowcountry Bribe is the first in the series published by Bell Bridge Books. The mysteries describe federally employed Carolina Slade's sleuthing abilities throughout rural, rarely seen South Carolina settings, facing crimes not found in your typical mystery. Her follow-up, Tidewater Murder, is now available too, and absolutely rocks. The third book in the series will be released in 2014.

Read more about Hope and Carolina Slade at here website.

I will be interviewing Hope and moderating the chat, as I have for over a decade now, tomorrow night (September 29, 2013) at 7 PM EST. Just go to The Writer's Chatroom and click on "Enter Chatroom," no password is needed. Hope to see you all tonight night!

Lowcountry Bribe by C. Hope Clark

LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE by C. Hope Clark has the best opening line I have read in quite some time: "O-positive primer wasn't quite the color I had in mind for the small office, but Lucas Sherwood hadn't given the décor a second thought when he blew out the left side of his head with a .45." I was hooked.

Hope's descriptions don't end with that beautiful Tarantino-esque opening. In what sounds at first like the last thing I would ever read - an agricultural mystery in the Deep South - Hope delivers fast paced, easy reading, absolutely compelling prose. Her sense of place and people put you there, and the tension and twists don't let you put the book down. I read it in one sitting, and I don't do that often. I loved the characters, and the edge. And this is coming from someone for whom mysteries are just not in the wheelhouse.

Carolina Slade Bridges is a strong female protagonist, a good woman drawn from equal parts Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Cornwell, and Elmore Leonard. She's tough, she's harsh, she's by the book, and quite often, she's Hope Clark herself - or at least the woman, mentor, and friend I have come to know after a decade of interviewing her at The Writer's Chatroom. It's no secret the book is loosely based on real events, but how close, no one's talking. Any way you slice it, Slade (don't call her Carolina) rocks, and I can't wait for the next installment - TIDEWATER MURDER, due next month. Four stars out of four, highly recommended.



Buy the book here, and be sure to come by The Writer's Chatroom this Sunday evening for a chat/interview with the author.

Chat with Novelist C. Hope Clark Tonight

I have been interviewing writer C. Hope Clark of Funds for Writers in The Writer's Chatroom on a regular basis now for nearly a decade. She is a wonderful lady, a terrific writer, a font of amazing writing knowledge, a mentor, a friend, and now, a novelist.

Tonight I will be interviewing her about her just released first novel, Lowcountry Bribe, the first book in the Carolina Slade Mystery Series. So please come on by the chatroom here tonight at 7:00 PM EST to find out more about the book, the author, and the world of writing.

Here's more about Hope: C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com, a well-known writer's reference for grants, contests, markets, publishers and agents for the serious writer. The website and newsletters have existed for a dozen years and been recognized by Writer's Digest Magazine in its 101 Best Websites for Writers for eleven of those years. 42,000 writers receive her newsletters each week.

She's published in Writer's Digest, Writer's Market, Guide to Literary Agents (by Writer's Digest), The Writer Magazine, as well as multiple trades, glossy mags and numerous Chicken Soup books. She's interviewed often by both writing and business websites and speaks to writing conferences throughout the United States. Her book The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success, continues to sell steadily.

She is also author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Lowcountry Bribe is the first in the series published by Bell Bridge Books. The mysteries describe federally employed Carolina Slade's sleuthing abilities throughout rural, rarely seen South Carolina settings, facing crimes not found in your typical mystery.

Hope Clark lives in rural South Carolina, on the banks of the beautiful Lake Murray, amidst her wildlife and gardens, alongside her federal agent husband and chickens.

Hope to see you tonight!

Chat with C. Hope Clark

The Writer's Chatroom

Chat with C. Hope Clark

C. Hope Clark (Hope) founded and serves as editor of www.FundsforWriters.com, a well-known writer's reference that reaches 20,000 readers weekly with grants, markets and motivational editorials that generate stacks of thank-you notes from readers. Writer's Digest voted FundsforWriters one of its 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for the past nine years.

Hope's dozen ebooks are rapid sellers ranging from "Grants for the Serious Writer" to "Short & Sweet; Markets for Fillers." Hope has published in magazines like Writer's Digest, The Writer Magazine, ByLine Magazine, Next Step Magazine, College Bound Teen, TURF Magazine, and Landscape Management. "The Shy Writer" is a nonfiction paperback she penned to aid writers like her who have difficulty appearing in public. Published in 2004, it continues to readily sell and was re-released as a second edition in Fall 2007.

After 25 years as a manager with the federal sector, she requested an early retirement in her forties to write full time and manage FundsforWriters, marrying her knowledge of grants and her love of writing.

She lives in Chapin, South Carolina on the banks of Lake Murray and has completed a novel, the first of an agricultural mystery series, which is currently being read by several agents. She is married to a recently retired federal agent who inspires her love of mystery writing.

http://www.fundsforwriters.com

WHEN?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Eastern USA Time ..... 7:00 PM

Not sure what time that is wherever in the world you are? http://www.worldtimeserver.com

WHERE?

The Writers Chatroom at: http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

Scroll down to the Java box. It may take a moment to load. Type in the name you wish to be known by, and click Login. No password needed.

Please note: The chatroom is only open for regularly scheduled chats.

Don't forget the open chat on Wednesday nights, 8-11 pm EST!

Please feel free to pass this announcement on to anyone or any groups that you think may be interested. Thank you.

Have you joined the forum yet? Meet our members. Keep the discussions going after chat. Learn where the hottest markets are for your genre. Find a critting or writing partner. Get inspiration, education, and social interaction at the same place.

Please check the Chatroom Schedule for information on upcoming guests and writing-related chat topics. Visit our Previous Guests page to catch up on what you've missed.

The TWC Team: Audrey Shaffer, Renee Barnes, Kim Richards, Lisa Haselton, Don Tomsa

Copyright © 2008 The Writer's Chatroom. All Rights Reserved.

The Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest

The 7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest, sponsored by IdeaWeaverSoftware.com.

FundsforWriters and its annual sponsor IdeaWeaver, creator of writing and creativity software, announce the 7th Annual FundsforWriters Essay Contest.

THEME: "The Best Advice I Ever Had."

As is the FundsforWriters trademark, applicants enter with or without an entry fee, their choice. Prize monies range from $10 to $200.

LIMIT: 750 words.

DEADLINE: October 31, 2008.

http://www.fundsforwriters.com/annualcontest.htm

Direct any questions to Hope Clark here.