Tag Archives: The Chill of Night

Silly Similes and a Good Laugh.

Posted on March 16, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: One of my pet peeves in much of the fiction writing I read or occasionally edit, is the use (misuse is a more accurate term) of sloppy or inappropriate similes. However, bad as they are, over the years … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged Bad writing, crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, high school English, James Hayman, Maine Crime Writers, maine mysteries, mystery writers, similes, The Chill of Night, The Cutting | 6 Comments

The Chicken or the Egg? Character or Plot?

Posted on February 28, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: As I start my fourth novel, tentatively titled The Crossing, I’ve been thinking a lot more about the importance of McCabe’s character to the flow of the story. About how everything he does is driven by his sense … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged Character, crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, dennis lehane, James Hayman, Maine, Maine Crime Writers, maine mysteries, McCabe, mystery writers, mystery writing, plot, The Chill of Night | 6 Comments

Children Killing Children

Posted on February 16, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: Most parents will tell you teenagers are stupid. Even smart teenagers are stupid. Maybe it’s because, as I’ve read, adolescent brains and emotional circuitry are not yet fully formed. Or maybe its just because they haven’t yet had … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, gun violence, James Hayman, Maine, maine mysteries, mystery writing, suicide, teen suicide, The Chill of Night, The Cutting | 3 Comments

The Hard Job of Doing—and Thinking—Absolutely Nothing.

Posted on February 4, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: Each year two old friends invite Jeanne and I to join them in a house they rent for the winter. It’s right on the beach on Longboat Key, a long and somewhat overbuilt sandbar outside Sarasota on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, Florida, Jack McMorrow Mysteries, James Hayman, Longboat Key, Maine Crime Writers, maine mysteries, mystery writing, The Chill of Night, The Cutting, vacations | 5 Comments

MWPA and “Thrillers From A to Z”

Posted on January 23, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: This winter I’ll be leading a six part workshop titled “Thrillers From A to Z” that’s designed to guide six to ten beginning and intermediate writers through the difficult and sometimes excruciating process of writing and hopefully publishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged crime stories, crime writing, crime writing workshops, Jack McMorrow Mysteries, James Hayman, Kate Flora, Lea Wait, Maine Crime Writers, maine mysteries, MWPA, mystery writing, suspense writing workshops, The Chill of Night, The Cutting, thriller writing workshops, Thrillers From A to Z, workshop, writing | 2 Comments

If Not Now, When?

Posted on January 10, 2013 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: On Christmas Eve, Portland got lucky. On that Monday before the holiday, between approximately 11 o’clock in the morning and 2:15 in the afternoon, a twenty-four-year old college student named Justin Dean was seen by numerous bystanders walking … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged AR-15, crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, Gun Rights, James Hayman, Maine, Maine Crime Writers, McChrystal, Newtown, Newtown Massacre, NRA, The Chill of Night, The Cutting | 8 Comments

Darkness First. Prologue. Part II

Posted on December 28, 2012 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: Those of you who have been following the adventures of McCabe and Savage in The Cutting and The Chill of Night will be pleased to know that the third in series, Darkness First, will be coming out at … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged crime stories, crime writing, Darby Farr Mysteries, Darkness First, Eastport, James Hayman, Maine, maine mysteries, mysteries, mystery writers, mystery writing, Prologue, Suspense thriller, The Chill of Night, The Cutting, writing, writing craft | 1 Comment

Darkness First: A Sneak Peek.

Posted on December 12, 2012 by mainecrimewriters

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged Bay of Fundy, crime stories, crime writing, Darkness First, James Hayman, Maine, Maine Crime Writers, maine mysteries, oxycontin, The Chill of Night, The Cutting, Washington County | 2 Comments

A Perfect Roast Chicken

Posted on December 1, 2012 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: The other night my wife, Jeanne, and I and a few friends had dinner at a small, crowded French bistro we all like on Portland’s Longfellow Square called Petite Jacqueline. What I ordered was nothing fancy. Just a … Continue reading →

Posted in Jim's Posts | Tagged Bon Appetit, chef, crime stories, crime writing, Foofies, gourmet, Jack McMorrow Mysteries, James Hayman, Maine, Maine Crime Writers, murder, Petite Jacqueline, Portland restaurants, Roast Chicken, The Chill of Night, The Cutting, writing | 2 Comments

“So, How Did You Learn to Write Thrillers?”

Posted on November 20, 2012 by mainecrimewriters

James Hayman: Whenever I give a reading in a bookstore or a library, I usually mention that when I began writing the first McCabe thriller, The Cutting, I had no prior experience writing fiction. I’d never written so much as … Continue reading →