Crime Fiction's Sexiest FEMALE Authors of 2012!

I know you've been anxiously awaiting this year's sexiest ladies of crime fiction. I think I have a good bunch to share with you.

Like with the men, I would like to pay homage to last year's ladies as they certainly have not lost their sexy either. I hope you enjoy the gals joining them in 2012.

SEXIEST AUTHOR FROM ACROSS THE POND

Look, Meg dressed for the sexiest award!

Meg Gardiner is an American of course, but she calls England home these days. So we can include her in this category. She's smart...a three-time Jeopardy champ even. She's witty, kind, generous and of course very talented. If you aren't following Meg on Twitter, you absolutely should be. You'll see all of these qualities reflected in her posts.

For me, I look forward to Bouchercon because I am able to see Meg in person then. No matter how you interact with her, it's impossible not to adore her and she that definitely qualifies her for sexy!

Meg is the author of the Jo Beckett series and the Evan Delaney series. And 2012 brought her first standalone novel, RANSOM RIVER.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO HAS ALSO WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY

Proof positive that Lisa belongs on this list...doesn't get any sexier than wombats!

Lisa Lutz does indeed have a screenplay to her name, but has sworn that she will not write another. I guess only time will tell that for sure, but personally, I'm just enjoying her books. The author of five Spellman novels and a novel she co-wrote with David Hayward, HEADS YOU LOSE, rumor has it she's now working on a children's book.

Lisa gets credit for introducing me to my favorite curse word(s): "sentence enhancer" and that alone should get her on this list, right? But actually she's hysterically funny and a blast to know. Lisa received the lion's share of personality and it shows in everything she does. Absolutely sexy!

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO ISN'T AFRAID TO GET HER HANDS DIRTY

Rosemary and Max enjoying a book.

A master gardener, Rosemary Harris not only gets her hands dirty in her own garden, but she writes the Dirty Business Mystery Series, featuring Paula Holliday.

That isn't the only way Rosemary gets her hands dirty, though. An avid supporter of Habitat for Humanity, Ro has participated in 6 Habitat builds around the world AND she and her husband have worked very hard on their Chalula Library Project, building a community library in Tanzania. Generosity like that is way beyond sexy!

I also have to add to her list of sexy qualities that she's an animal person. And you all know how I feel about THAT!

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO WROTE UNDER A PEN NAME

Dead or alive, Julie is one sexy dame!

Julie Goodson-Lawes, a.k.a. Juliet Blackwell, a.k.a. Hailey Lind, is one of those people who my good friend Pop Culture Nerd would say needs to be pushed down the stairs. Not because she's mean or nasty but because we envy her. And don't worry, we wouldn't really push her down the stairs because while I am envious of her youthful beauty, her wide range of talents, her intelligence, her sharp wit, her friendly nature...I also adore her as a person. She's never stingy with a smile, a hug or a kind word. You can't help but consider that sexy!


As Juliet Blackwell, Julie writes the Haunted Home Renovation series and the Witchcraft Mystery series. As Hailey Lind, Julie wrote with her sister and together they created the Art Lovers Mystery series.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHOSE HEART BELONGS IN TWO COUNTRIES

A sexy woman in the sexy city of Paris!

 Cara Black, like her protagonist Aimée Leduc, is an American who loves France. When I contacted her to ask her if I could include her in my selection this year, she informed me that she was in France writing her next book. And by golly, who is she running into over there...none other than Craig Johnson from our sexy male authors list!

The French love her, too. I have to say congratulations because this summer Cara received the Medaille de la ville de Paris.

Cara is one of the most appreciative people I think I've ever had the chance to meet. If you observe Cara when she's at a signing and people are waiting in line, she just gushes over each person and makes them each feel as though they are the reason for her success. And granted they do buy her books, which helps her success, but she makes sure they know she genuinely appreciates their support and interest. That is sexy; I mean, have you ever encountered that author who seems like they couldn't care less about the people waiting in line to have a book signed? And then you witness Cara and she just glows with happiness. It's a sight to behold.

Cara is truly a gem and I'm honored to include her on the list this year!


Aaaaaaaaanddddddd.....

THE SEXIEST FEMALE AUTHOR OF 2012

Kindess is sexy!

Marcia Clark! I would truly like to gush on and on about this woman. I'm fortunate in that I get to interact with her through my work with xuni.com. She's been very generous and has participated in some blog events. AND I finally got to meet her in person this year at Bouchercon. Through all these forms of contact Marcia has simply been a joy to know.

Marcia is incredibly funny. Her sense of humor is priceless. She's very smart, and she's also incredibly kind. I can only speak for myself on this front, but I'm envious of her sense of style. She has a gift...o.k. she has many gifts, but she has that one, too.

Let's add to the list of sexiness, Marcia is also an animal person. I wrote about her social media documentation of the hummingbird born in a nest outside her house, and she's a dog owner. I love that she adopted her dogs. And when you listen to her talk about them, you know what a special person she is.

Oh, my goodness, I almost forget to mention that I love her books, too!  Her female prosecutor, Rachel Knight, is a welcome addition to the crime fiction genre.

Hopefully Marcia isn't going to kill me for snagging this picture off Facebook, but hello, what says sexy better than big lips and the bookworm?

Big lips are this year's sexy!

My many, many thanks to the sexiest female authors this year. They are such great sports and super fantastic people...in addition to being great writers in this genre. I hope that you will check out their work if you haven't already.

And, as I've mentioned before, sexy is subjective, so feel free to let us know in the comments who would be on your list this year! Happy Reading!

Crime Writers as Adjectives

I saw this article last month and today I was doing some interview work and used the term Fitzgeraldesque, which got me thinking about what adjectivized versions of crime writers names would mean. Don't worry; I won't be anywhere near as focused on sex as the Flavorwire writer was.

The one that jumped to mind immediately was:

(James) Burkeian

Exceptionally atmospheric detail that entices all the senses.

And you know I absolutely had to have one for:

(Robert) Craisish

Characterized by loud shirts and funky socks.

or

Pertaining to intimate bonds between adult heterosexual males.

(Craig) Johnsonesque

Having desirable qualities. A Johnsonesque town is one everyone wants to visit; a Johnsonesque character is one everyone wants as their friend.

(Bryan) Gruleyian

Containing hockey metaphors.

(Lee) Childish...wait, maybe that one doesn't work so well, how about Lee Childian...Childesque???

Marked by a nomadic nature.

(Gregg) Hurwitzian

Having a whirlwind of emotion. If it makes you laugh, cry, scream, rejoice...it's Hurwitzian.

I haven't forgotten the criminal woman. Here we go with theirs:

(Sophie) Littlefieldesque

Of or pertaining to creatively smart women.

(Karin) Slaughterish

Marked by a dark, painful history.

(Rosemary) Harrisian

The quality of blossoming.

(Lisa) Ungerian
Of or pertaining to the psychological examination of one's actions.
(Cara) Blackesque

Marked by French couture.

I started with Burkeian and I'll finish with a Burkeish:

(Alafair) Burkeish

Of or pertaining to a love of Nutella

or

Having an incredible knowledge base of pop culture

O.k. so my creative genes aren't that strong. Help me out here. What crime writer adjectives would YOU add?

MURDER AT THE LANTERNE ROUGE - Cara Black

First line: "Too small for a bomb, Aimée Leduc thought, nudging with her high-heeled toe at the tiny red box on the cold landing outside Leduc Detective's office."

Aimée Leduc is back in Cara Black's twelfth installment to her series set in Paris, France. This time, the female investigator is more motivated than ever. Her business partner, René, is determined to find and protect his girlfriend, Meize, when she disappears and a man is found dead, shrinkwrapped and carrying a picture of Meizi in his wallet.

Aimée has had misgivings about Meize and how quickly René has attached himself to her. So when she disappears, Aimée is not so sure she's innocent. René, on the other hand, will hear nothing about the possibilities of her involvement in the murder. But as Aimée begins investigating she finds herself in the middle of far more than a dead man in shrinkwrap, and it may even lead  her to the one person she longs to find more than anyone - her mother.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is chock full of fascinating science that blends the past with the present, but it's also full of fascinating characters. The science focuses on the stain glass of ancient church windows, but the real color comes in the form of Black's characters. Aimée is a fashioniesta, as much as she can be - her bank account is a regular concern - but she loves sales. And she drives around on a pink Vespa. René is a dwarf and often Aimée's voice of reason. Meanwhile the third member of Leduc Detective Agency, Saj, keeps everyone's chi balanced.

Black weaves several plot lines together to keep the pace of the novel moving and constantly building suspense. Her obvious research into the scientific areas of fiber optics, stain glass, and the Knights Templar, works to make a complex concept understandable and thoroughly enjoyable for the layman. The movement of the novel is also physical as Aimée and René make their way around various part of Paris - especially Chinatown, bringing the geographic locations to life on the page.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is a solid P.I. novel with an unusual P.I. Black has put a unique twist on her approach to the genre and it works well.

Murder at the Lanterne Rouge is available from Soho Press in hardcover (ISBN: 978161695061) and from AudioGo on audio (ISBN: 9781609987718). 

Caught! - Cara Black

Ah huh! Cara Black was sneaking in some reading time at the signing booth during the L.A. Times Festival of Books this year. What has her so captivated? Alafair Burke's 212.

Cara's tenth novel in her Aimée Leduc Investigation series, Murder in the Palais Royal, was published in March of this year. Two outstanding crime fiction authors contributing to our pool of outstanding female protagonists. Great combination!

Technorati Tags: Alafair Burke, Cara Black, Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime

You Have the Right to Six Words - WEEK 14

Week Fourteen! Just when you thought I surely must be running out of interesting crime fiction writers to highlight, right? Well, do I have a treat for you! This week's group of writers take us all over the map in their books, their travels, their schooling, their homes. We cover England, France, Ireland, Australia and more. Let's visit the world, shall we?

When Cara Black's son started kindergarten, Cara started writing classes. The writing classes lead to a writing group and the writing group ultimately lead to her debut mystery novel, MURDER IN THE MARAIS, an Anthony Award nomination and a Macavity Award nomination. Having some extensive knowledge of France from attending schools in France, but not BEING French, Cara created Aimee Leduc, her heroine who is half French, half American. Cara also wanted to capture the "salt of the earth" people in France, the folks "you sit next to on the metro." And these characters have translated into nine successful novels. Cara's most recent Aimee Leduc novel, MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER, was released this year and book number 10 of the series, MURDER IN THE PALAIS ROYAL, is due in 2010. Like her heroine, Cara likes dogs and use to own a moped. She can also be found taking black and white photos when she isn't writing. Cara and her family call San Francisco home, but

Heaven - Paris at dawn, coffee, croissant.

Adrian McKinty was raised in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland and attended Oxford University before emigrating to the United States. Living in Harlem, he worked in bars, bookstores, building sites and the stacks of the Columbia University Medical School Library until 2000 when he moved to Denver and focused his energies on writing. His efforts paid off in spades when his first book DEAD I WELL MAY BE was shortlisted for an Ian Fleming Steel Daggar Award and was chosen as one of Booklists' 10 best crime novels of 2004.

Last year Adrian took his family on yet another journey. Lately they find themselves in the land down under. But Australia seems to be fairing equally well for the man Ken Bruen calls "a friggin genius" and Frank McCourt called "a cross between Mickey Spillane and Damon Runyan, the toughest, the best." This year Adrian released the novel FIFTY GRAND to much acclaim and is working on a young adult novel, tentatively titled DARK ENERGY.

And I have to admit that ever since Adrian sent his memoir, I have been itching to share it with you. It is one of the most poignant of the entire series (in my opinion anyway):

stillness, iceberg,
crash,
listing, sinking, stillness

Doesn't that just send chills up your spine? I know you all are looking his books up on Amazon or the library now!

As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge suspense novels. She has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy and has worked in numerous trauma centers, as a crisis counselor, victim advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight. CJ credits her patients and their families for teaching her the art of medicine and giving her the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist.

CJ calls her novels "thrillers with heart;" the first of which is titled LIFELINES. LIFELINES was released in 2008, became a National Bestseller and won a Reader's Choice Award for Best First Novel. Her second novel, WARNING SIGNS, was published in January of this year and the third, URGENT CARE, is scheduled for release this November. I look forward to Mondays when I can indulge in small snippets of writing from CJ as she blogs for 7 Criminal Minds each week.

When she isn't doctoring or writing or blogging, CJ enjoys traveling, hiking, white water rafting, outdoor photography...whew! And she holds an orange belt in Kempo. She's been all over the world including Kenya, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Caribbean; she's seen a world of experiences in the ER; it makes perfect sense for her to recognize:

Among us, everyday, heroes are born.

Our final author is this guy I'm sure none of you have ever heard of before. Really, he's almost virtually unknown around these parts. I'm sure he's going to be the one people are least interested in. He writes a series around an ex-Army Major named Jack Reacher. Wait! Wait-wait-wait! You've heard of this guy? You're telling me you know who Lee Child is? Of course you do! You can't exist in the crime fiction realm and not know that Jim Grant, known to all of us as Lee Child, is the author of 13 Jack Reacher novels and almost as many short stories. This award-winning crime fiction writer and President of the Mystery Writers of America spent the first half of his working career in television, and then just before his 40th birthday he was fired. And what a birthday present that turned out to be. After dealing with a little anger and disbelief, Lee bought himself some writing materials and produced KILLING FLOOR, which not only turned into his first Jack Reacher novel but also earned him a Barry and an Anthony award.

This year, in addition to publishing the 13th Jack Reacher novel, GONE TOMORROW, Lee funded 52 "Jack Reacher scholarships" at his alma mater, The University of Sheffield; received an honorary doctorate from that same university; and toured alongside his younger brother, Andrew, as Andrew made his debut in the world of crime fiction. This is a man I'd like our young people to look up to: his creativity, his work ethic, and his generosity make for an exemplary role model. At age 40, life gave Lee Child lemons and Lee Child made enough lemonade to share with everyone. Today he shares his six-word memoir with us:

Needed a job. Tried this one.

And I know an awful lot of Reacher Creatures who are so, so glad he did! I want to add a small little tidbit here that I thought was rather impressive. As part of Lee's book tour this year, he did an event at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. My sister works as a contractor there, which was why I initially took notice of it, but it's just one more example of Lee's generous nature.

I would like to thank all of our authors today for their generosity. Cara, Adrian, CJ, and Lee, your willingness to participate and share with us is so greatly appreciated! And of course we also appreciate your sweat and tears that go into the wonderful books you write for us to enjoy. Best of luck for continued success!

Well? Another good week? I think I'm rather partial to this week. But there's still a lot of big-time stuff still to come in this series. I hope you'll be back next week. Same time! Same place! See ya then!

Happy Reading.



Bouchercon countdown: 50 days!!