Since I do not exactly write a regular blog on www.sharonfiffer.com, I probably worry way too much about what I should, can, am expected to, or will-write–when asked to “guest-blog.” This time, however, to circumvent the problem, I have decided not to wax poetic, ruminate, or explore a topic. Instead, as my heroine, Jane Wheel, might do (and does several times in Scary Stuff and all of the other books chronicling her adventures), I will offer you a practical list. How To Enjoy a Writing Conference 1. Attend conferences where readers and writers meet. Don’t overdo conference-going or you will never find time to write, but once a year or every other year, take the plunge. (I just returned from Bouchercon 2009–—a fan-based mystery conference which, this year, was held in Indianapolis) To read the rest of Sharon’s list and to comment please click here. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

October 2008On Sale: October 7, 2008368 pages ISBN: 0441016332EAN: 9780441016334Hardcover$24.95 Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com 2009 Anthony Award Nominee “The Night Things Changed” by Dana Cameron for Best Short Story Wolfsbane and Mistletoe by Kat Richardson, Carrie Vaughn, Patricia Briggs, Keri Arthur, Charlaine Harris The editors of Many Bloody Returns deliver the perfect howl-iday gift, with new tales from Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn, and many more. New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Keri Arthur, and Carrie Vaughn—along with eleven other masters of the genre—offer all-new stories on werewolves and the holidays, a fresh variation on the concept that worked so well with birthdays and vampires in Many Bloody Returns. The holidays can bring out the beast in anyone. They are particularly hard for lycanthropes. Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner have harvested the scariest, funniest and saddest werewolf tales by an outstanding pack of authors, best read by the light of a full moon with a silver bullet close at hand. Whether wolfing down a holiday feast (use your imagination) or craving some hair of the dog on New Year’s morning, the werewolves in these frighteningly original stories will surprise, delight, amuse, and scare the pants off…

May 2009On Sale: May 12, 2009352 pages ISBN: 0375846980EAN: 9780375846984Paperback$6.99 Young Adult, Mystery Buy at Amazon.com 2009 Anthony Award Nominee for Best Childrens/Young Adult Novel The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein “A rip-roaring ghost story.”—Booklist, Starred Zack, his dad, and new stepmother have just moved back to his father’s hometown, not knowing that their new house has a dark history. Fifty years ago, a crazed killer caused an accident at the nearby crossroads that took 40 innocent lives. He died when his car hit a tree in a fiery crash, and his malevolent spirit has inhabited the tree ever since. During a huge storm, lightning hits the tree, releasing the spirit, who decides his evil spree isn’t over . . . and Zack is directly in his sights. Award-winning thriller author Chris Grabenstein fills his first book for younger readers with the same humorous and spine-tingling storytelling that has made him a fast favorite with adults. Previous Picks Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

Lydia Chin/Bill Smith February 2009On Sale: February 3, 2009Featuring: Lydia Chin; BIll Smith384 pages ISBN: 0312245564EAN: 9780312245566Hardcover$24.95 Mystery Private Eye Buy at Amazon.com Bouchercon 2009 Toastmaster author S.J. Rozan The Shanghai Moon by S. J. Rozan With The Shanghai Moon, S. J. Rozan returns to her award-winning, critically acclaimed, and much-loved characters Lydia Chin and Bill Smith in the first new novel in the series in seven years. Estranged for months from fellow P.I. Bill Smith, Chinese-American private investigator Lydia Chin is brought in by colleague and former mentor Joel Pilarsky to help with a case that crosses continents, cultures, and decades. In Shanghai, excavation has unearthed a cache of European jewelry dating back to World War II, when Shanghai was an open city providing safe haven for thousands of Jewish refugees. The jewelry, identifed as having belonged to one such refugee – Rosalie Gilder – was immediately stolen by a Chinese official who fled to New York City. Hired by a lawyer specializing in the recovery of Holocaust assets, Chin and Pilarsky are to find any and all leads to the missing jewels. However, Lydia soon learns that there is much more to the story than they’ve been told:…