Author Archives: joesouza

I recently had to go back in one of my novels and change the name of a popular restaurant I used. Why? Because the restaurant went out of business and I didn’t want to date my novel by having a … Continue reading →

These days I have no time to write—and yet somehow I keep on writing. Between long hours working, handling a complicated estate, and the dramas of family life, I’m finding virtually no time to sit in front of the computer … Continue reading →

— I did a total remodel job this last month and noticed the similarities between that and writing a novel. From the ashes of demolition I needed to come up with a design and interesting concept, and the closer to … Continue reading →

I was going to write about The Grateful Dead today. But then I read Jule’s intriguing post yesterday and decided to do a fun follow up post about editing. Julie’s sense of bewilderment amused me because I know just how … Continue reading →

My son started shooting a commercial for Maine Cabin Masters today, which made me think about writing about architecture. Needless to say, I really enjoy writing about it. What is it about architecture that I, and so many other people, … Continue reading →

Come summer I like to eat, especially after a long day of writing tense thrillers that increase my appetite. Now, I like to eat year round, but summer eating holds a special place in my heart, er, stomach. So what … Continue reading →

Have you ever arrived at the end of your novel and realized it just didn’t work? Or that you had no idea how to end it? Or who did the crime and why they did it? If the answer to … Continue reading →

Have you ever eaten a bad lasagna? There’s too much Ricotta and very little ground beef, cooked bland and underseasoned. No garlic. Tomato sauce poured from a jar instead of San Marzano tomatoes simmered in spices. Dense sheets of pasta, … Continue reading →

The recent popularity of suburban thrillers in crime fiction begs the question: what exactly is a suburban thriller? More often than not it involves a crime that in some way touches upon a fragile relationship, usually a troubled marriage. The … Continue reading →

Everyone remembers the great song Stuck in the Middle With You by Stealers Wheel. It played prominently in Tarantino’s classic crime move, Reservoir Dogs. But the song is not what I’m talking about here in this post. What I’m referring … Continue reading →