DUST JACKETS: SPQR: The King's Gambit

One of the more unique mystery series to come along belongs to John Maddox Roberts. The “SPQR” series is set in ancient Rome and offers us a detective in the form of Roman official Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger. While he doesn’t have the slick resources of modern-day detectives, the book still contains a certain procedural feel that makes it easy to explore this long lost world.

Decius handles one of the more violent sections of Rome, and yet when a foreign merchance and an ex-slave are murdered in his district, he feels compelled to snoop. His search for answers makes him several enemies within the very government he serves and the more he investigates, the more clear it becomes that what he has discovered is far more than a murder but a conspiracy that threatens the empire.

From a mystery standpoint, I’m not sure this book was anything all that amazing. I think many of us have come to expect certain things of mystery novels, and Roberts delivers this. What he does to make this book stand out just a little more is take advantage of his setting. He really does a nice job of bringing Rome to life, and as anyone who’s seen the new HBO series “Rome” will appreciate, Roberts doesn’t scrimp on the sex either. Roberts goes so far as to treat readers to a threesome that includes an adrogynous-looking, contortionist-slave.

Perhaps the weakest thing about this book is the ending. I don’t think I’m really giving anything away by saying Decius solves the case, but the way the truth is learned and what happens because of it just kind of disappointed me. I didn’t exactly feel like much of anything really got resolved.

Roberts has managed to turn this into a rather decent series. Despite my disappointment with the end to the first book, I enjoyed his storytelling and use of setting enough to obtain a copy of the second book (to be fair, I think my wife bought it, but I wanted it, too). The first book also earned Roberts an Edgar Award nomination.

Other Books by John Maddox Roberts:



Of late, my wife has become quite addicted to watching the aforementioned tv series “Rome.” I can’t help but wonder if Roberts’ publisher will take advantage of the tv show’s following to increase the readership for these books.

Oh, Baby!

Frank Meets Hip, Episode II

Frank Meets Hip, Episode I

Nearing the End

As the title to this entry suggests, my wife and I are finally nearing the end of our book. It’s hard to believe that after all this time, we’re finally writing the last chapter to The Last VanDaryn. We started on the chapter two nights ago. The first night didn’t go so well. We’d “known” for months which character’s point-of-view we’d need for the scene, but once we started writing it, we realized we’d been wrong.

My wife and I have run into the point-of-view issue quite a few times of late. Our story contains some very strong characters, and when they end up in the same scene together, it’s not so easy to pick the right eyes through which to see those events. We had so many issues because of it that we got into a heated debate about how the big battle (that every fantasy adventure is “required” to have) was going to work. My wife was convinced that we’d equipped our characters with a battle plan that didn’t work, because the scene just wasn’t working. I insisted that the plan made sense, and in the end, my wife was the one who realized we needed to try it from a different character’s point-of-view. It was amazing how well the scene worked once we made the change. The pacing of the fight and even the build-up to it worked so much better. Even after all these years of writing, I’ve gained a new appreciation for just how much a different perspective can change a scene for better or worse.

At one time, I’d feared the book would barely break the 90,000 word mark. I should have known better. With just a little more to write, we’re already at 110,000 words. That might slim up a bit once we do the editing, but we’ll have to wait to see. We’ll probably finish the last chapter tonight, and we plan to celebrate by popping the cork on the bottle of sparkling wine you see on the right.

I’m rather excited about reaching the end of The Last VanDaryn for several reasons. Most of all, I’m eager to hunt for an agent who can find us a publisher and thus make some money off of our book. Another reason will be my solo effort The Cold Shoulder. My fantasy/thriller novel has suffered from neglect while Sheri and I focused on our joint project. During the past year, our writing group the Ten Page Club has enjoyed the samples I’ve brought from that book. I’m hopeful that I can finish that one pretty quickly once I no longer have The Last VanDaryn to worry about.

Know Your Ending

When it comes to reading, most consider it bad form to find out the ending before you’ve actually read the book. Not so when it comes to writing. At least, that’s the advice I learned last month from two of the thriller genre’s best-selling writers.

Every month in Richmond, James River Writers holds “The Writing Show” at the Science Museum of Virginia. This odd mix of talk show and “Inside the Actors Studio” brings in talent from all corners of the literary world. We’ve seen many agents, editors and writers pay our city a visit. Last month, thriller writers Brian Haig and Steve Berry came to “The Writing Show” to discuss how they build their thriller novels.

Brian specializes in military thrillers where as Berry tends to write history-based thrillers. As their style of thrillers differ, so did much of their advice. They provided a friendly counterpoint, and while I could easily focus on all the ways in which they disagreed, I think it far more interesting to look at one thing on which they did agree. Both Brian and Steve said that to write a tight thriller novel, the writer needs to know how it’s all going to end. They both pointed out that knowing how it all ends makes it that much easier to realize what isn’t important to the story. As a writer, you’re less likely to waste time on a “cute” scene that doesn’t really add anything.

While my specialty is writing fantasy, I found their discussion on thriller novel construction very useful. Perhaps the most interesting thing for me was that they confirmed something I’d suspected about one of the novels I’m writing. For some time, I’ve considered my solo work The Cold Shoulder a thriller novel disguised as a fantasy novel. The things Brian and Steve said about writing thrillers confirmed that for me.



I don’t really know how The Cold Shoulder will end, though. Heck, I’m still trying to figure out all of the villains. Brian and Steve made me appreciate how important the ending really is to building a good thriller, and I will be able to use that advice to make The Cold Shoulder a well-written story. I probably won’t know my ending until I get there, but when it comes time to edit, you can bet I’ll be approaching that task with a firm idea of how everything ties into the end.

I have to say that this particular “Writing Show” was one of the best we’ve had. Hopefully, I can draw on that particular show for a few more blog entries. Both Brian and Steve offered so much useful advice.

"I'm not dead yet!"

Yes, Wildcat still lives. Frank’s still kicking around somewhere, too.

Let’s get to the first order of business. Thanks to all who sent e-mails and posted well-wishes and questions as to this blog’s future (and my own). I seem to go through phases with my blog, and reality has just demanded too much attention. Something had to give, and this blog suffered for it. I seriously considered closing the Lair down for good. That I couldn’t make up my mind is the main reason I’ve hesitated to reply to many of your queries. I was scared to commit myself to either path. That said… the Wildcat’s Lair is going to stick around.



I’m happy to say the time away from the Lair has been worth it. Much as I wanted to announce The Last VanDaryn (the book my wife and I are writing together) was finished or would be done by the end of the year, that just hasn’t happened. We have made a lot of headway on it, though. Last month, I took off more than two-and-a-half weeks in order to make a serious dent in the book. It paid off. We’re in the home stretch with our heroes close to their big fight with the main villain (what fantasy adventure is complete without the big battle at the end?). Our word count: about 95,000. The holidays have made additional time off from work all but impossible. The disadvantage to writing together is that we sometimes do need to be in the same room to write a scene. So much of this book’s last third has been that way, and it’s frustrating when we can’t find the time to be in a room together to get it done.



Of course, other things are also keeping us busy. I’m happy to announce I’m moving up in the literary world (at least here in Richmond). As something of a reward for all the prep work to the 2006 James River Writers Conference, I was voted in as a board member to James River Writers earlier this month. I consider it more of a reward for me and my wife. I might officially be on the board, but we’re pretty much a package deal. We both had a hand in preparing this past October’s conference. Sheri and I have already started planning next year’s conference. The first meeting for the planning committee was held earlier this month at our house. The meeting went well. We’ve already put together some great topic ideas, but we have to panel these sessions. As things come together, you can expect updates here in the Wildcat’s Lair.

Speaking of the Lair, I’m considering taking the blog in some new directions. Nothing drastic, mind you… just the occasional need for change. One change you’ll already notice is my picture. The old one had gotten just a bit too dated. My hair has gotten thinner and a few wrinkles clearer. The time has come to owe up to it.

Seems odd even to me that I’ve chosen Christmas to make this decision, but that’s just how it worked out. With that in mind, happy holidays to you all. I’ll post again soon.

"I am Sam"

Time for some long overdue self-promotion. Last month, a short story of mine was published in “Spinetingler Magazine.” The story in question is perhaps one of the strangest stories I’ve ever written (and that’s saying a lot!) entitled “I am Sam.”

I can’t afford to say too much about this story, as it involves a really great twist. In short, “I am Sam” follows a police investigator who finds himself investigating a murder he saw happen in his dreams. No, he’s not psychic, and the explanation for why he has the dream is the real twist to the story.

“Spinetingler” has really proven itself an outstanding online magazine. I had only just discovered it shortly before I submitted “I am Sam,” and the longer I’ve been following the magazine, the more impressed I’ve become with it. The quality of the writing in this magazine is just great. I consider “I am Sam” one of my best works, easily my best short story to date, and it’s definitely in good company with this magazine. Until finding “Spinetingler,” I don’t think I’ve ever really found an online magazine I took seriously, but the folks behind this magazine deserve a lot of credit. I think they’ve proven an online magazine can turn out some serious literature and create some real exposure for writers. Even better, the magazine is now available in print, which is really cool, so check it out… and buy a copy!



As you’ve probably noticed, my blogging has gotten horribly sparse of late. The James River Writers Conferencetook its toll last month, and this month it’s a determination to finish The Last VanDaryn, the book my wife and I are writing together, that’s forcing me to neglect my blog. We’re close to 68,000 words right now, and we can clearly feel the story’s momentum starting to infect us. I’ve written my share of books over the years, and I’ve learned the last third or quarter of the book usually becomes an obsessive thing for me. After all, this is where you always pull the threads together and the best twists to the story happen. If you (the writer) just let the story do it’s thing and have done your work right up to this point, it just comes together without a lot of work. The story starts to write itself.

Hopefully, come the end of next month, I’ll be able to tell the story of many late night writing sessions and a successfully finished book. From there, it’ll be time to market that book and start writing the next. This actually brings me full circle to the initial reason for my entry. See “I am Sam” finally in print is bittersweet, because I’ve been able to look forward to it being published. Now, I haven’t anything pending to go into print. I’ve no time for short stories, though. It’s time to finish this book.

The Quill Awards: Wildcat's Rant, Part II

This past August, I indulged myself in a rant about the Quill Awards. Guess what? I’m doing it again… and for about the same reason I had the first rant.

For those who’ve slept since then, I will recap my previous rant. The Quill Awards offer a venue in which more commercially successful books receive the praise they deserve. Unfortunately, some of the categories are ridiculously broad. Case in point: my beloved fantasy/sci-fi has gotten saddled with horror for the same category. To add insult to injury, one of the “fantasy” nominees is more romance than fantasy: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. The lone horror nominee is the so-called retired writer Stephen King with his novel Cell.

Now that we’re all caught up, the reason for this sequel to my previous rant. Bad enough that I’d feared the “retired” King would win, but the winner has actually turned out to be the one book that never had any business in the category in the first place. That’s right. Gabaldon’s romance beat out the real fantasy writers. Am I the only one baffled by this? Do the people voting for this category realize her book doesn’t even belong as a nominee?

Bad enough this category got goofed, but let’s take a look at another genre-driven category that’s been botched: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller. Our winner here is Janet Evanovich’s Twelve Sharp. Okay, I’ll grant you that Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books get put in the mystery section at the bookstores, but to call these books mysteries is a real stretch. Evanovich delivers a plot, at least, but these books are more comedies than anything else. The mystery is a very secondary thing. I love Evanovich’s writing. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone out there with a funnier writing voice. I’m glad to see her receiving due praise, but it’s a shame that it has to come at the expense of books that more truly embody this category (insanely broad as it is).

The Quill Awards are all about popularity, and that is what won out this year, as it’s supposed to. Both of these books earned their victories. As far as I’m concerned, they just got put in the wrong categories.

Two Agents, Tap Dancing Vampirates and a Wildcat

Yes, the Wildcat is finally back.

Despite my best efforts, September turned into a month of bloglessness. So what happened to your dear Wildcat and his sidekick Frank? Well, Frank just slept—the lucky bastard. I on the other hand, kept plenty busy.

As the diehard fans know, my wife and I have spent all year planning the James River Writers Conference. This past weekend, the big event finally went off without a hitch. With plenty left to do for the conference and a book to work on, something had to give and “The Wildcat’s Lair” suffered for it. I just couldn’t rationalize placing my blog above the conference and my writing, and with so much of my time devoted to the pre-conference work, I find myself oddly idle now that my world is technically post-conference.



I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t a single picture from the entire weekend. Both days, I forgot the digital camera. Fortunately, one of JRW’s board member’s went running around collecting pictures. I hope to get my hands on those and post quite a few for all of you to see.

My wife and I had the pleasure of playing host to three rather interesting folks. One of them is a writer I’ve mentioned in here before,C.S. Friedman. Inviting Celia to the conference was one of my ideas, and she offered some amazing information for our session on creating a fantasy world. My wife moderated the session, and as detailed as I thought my wife and I were about creating our fictional world of Iridia, I have to say that Celia shames us both. She brought a list of things she figures out for her different worlds and cultures, and the immensity of it stunned me. Hopefully, I can share some of that in a future blog entry. She took part in several sessions and offered some great insights in all of them.

Celia had the misfortunte of relying on my maps to find her way around Richmond, and I kept screwing up with the directions because of downtown’s one-way streets! Despite my poorly improvised maps, she joined me and my wife along with several others for a Friday dinner at Café Gutenberg. While there, I found out something she and my wife have in common, in addition to writing fantasy. Turns out they both love to make jewelry with beads.

The other two my wife and I enjoyed showing around Richmond were agents Kate Garrick and Cameron McClure. Both young ladies turned out to be a delight. On their second night here, all four of us were lured by JRW boardmember Jason Tesauro to a place called “Gallery 5.” This rather avant-garde art house is built into an old firehouse, but this night, the place was one big party, complete with a great jazz band, a burlesque show and tap dancing “vampirates.” My wife and I don’t get out much, so we had a blast staying out late as my mother-in-law looked after the kids. The place was so packed, Iwas scared I might grope somebody by accident. I think our visiting New York agents were surprised by all this southern, capital city had to offer and enjoyed themselves. The next morning, I made a point of finding Jason at the conference and telling him, “I had a lot of fun. I felt violated, but I had fun.”

The entire weekend lived up to and beyond my best wishes. The speakers from out-of-town that I met all turned out to be great and generous people. One of the best surprises was editorial consultant Marcela Landres, who specializes in Lantino literature. In addition to being one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met (her website’s picture doesn’t do her justice), she turned out to be a fabulous speaker with great information for writers trying to break into the business. I was fortunate enough to have her as part of my session on self-publishing. She joined my friend Tony Jones and Dave Kuzminski (the owner of "Preditors & Editors") on the panel. I had feared this session I moderated would be poorly attended and boring. The room was packed and my panel kept it both informative and fun. As a moderator, you just can’t ask for more than that.

Then there was one of the funniest men I’ve ever met: Brian Haig. Oh my God! Earlier this year, I reviewed his book Secret Sanction. I remember how struck I was by the humor in the writing, and as funny as his writing is... the man himself is even funnier. Even before the conference, I spent more than an hour talking to him on the phone and having the best time. I had placed him on a panel about the differences in writing male and female characters. Poor soul, he was the only man (C.S. Friedman, Susann Cokal and Cathy Maxwell were his fellow panelists). Even the moderator, Irene Ziegler, was a woman. The session definitely lived up to my expectations, providing some useful details on how to write from the point-of-view of the opposite sex.

The conference has made my past year a frenzied one. All too often, I would think I was caught up with all I needed to do, and then I’d get a call from someone with JRW who made me realize we still had much more to get done. As frustrating as things could get, I was always grateful for those calls, because they kept us on track. My wife and I are also going to help plan next year’s conference, and it will be interesting to do it now that we’ve got one under our belts. We’ve already discussed many ways in which we might plan things better. I look forward to seeing how that turns out.

As for my blog... Yes, the Wildcat’s Lair is back in business. Things will move a little slowly between now and December 1. That’s the deadline Sheri and I are currently working with for our book The Last VanDaryn. We’re about 62,000 words into the book right now. That probably leaves us about a third of the book to go. With that in mind, we probably won’t be participating in NaNoWriMo this year, which is a pity. In the meantime, you can expect some good news about my writing, perhaps an annoucment involving myself & JRW, a preview of C.S. Friedman’s new book Feast of Souls and, of course, lots of Frank.

Frank's Beach Blast, Episode VII