Pick Your Poison (Forensics in Historical Mystery, Part 1)

Two weekends ago, I spoke at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold Conference on the topic of Forensics in Historical Mystery. A number of people asked me to share the information here on the blog, so for the next few Mondays I’ll be talking about translating modern forensics into historical settings, and how I handle forensics issues in the Shinobi Mysteries. For the uninitiated, “forensics” literally translates “of the law” – and the science of forensics involves the interface between science and law. More specifically, forensics is the science of investigating and solving crimes. However, the primary job of

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Hello, San Francisco – and a Shiny New BLADE

I’m in San Francisco this afternoon (September 26, 2013)! If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join me at 6pm at Book Passage on Fisherman’s Wharf (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco) for a reading and signing from the first Shinobi Mystery, Claws of the Cat! But that’s not all – I’ve got more exciting Shinobi Mystery news. The second Shinobi Mystery, Blade of the Samurai, will release on July 15, 2014, and is now available for pre-order! Check with your local or online book retailer for more details, and watch this space for more news as the date approaches!

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Do You Own Your Copyrighted Works?

Many authors will view the title of this post with a skeptical eye. How could I not own my copyrighted works? I wrote them, I own them. Question answered. Or is it? Copyright law recognizes several types of copyrighted works which are not owned by the creator, or which are owned by the creator in partnership with another person or entity. Let’s take a closer look at the legalities of copyright ownership: 1. The general rule: creative works are owned by their creator. As a general rule, ownership of copyrighted works, along with all the related rights, belongs to the author or

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My First Time…Times Two

Today, I’m redirecting you to THE QUIVERING PEN, where I’m talking about “My First Time” and why it turned out better than I expected. Intrigued? Confused? Here’s the link to find out all the explicit details. I promise it’s worth reading and I promise it’s safe for work. In other words, it’s probably not what you thought when I told you I’d talk about my first time. Or maybe it is … you’ll just have to click to find out.

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Copyright Formalities Part 2: Copyright Registration

Last week’s Wednesday post looked at copyright notices as placed on published works. Today, we’re continuing discussion of copyright formalities with a look at copyright registration,meaning registration of copyrighted works with the United States Copyright Office.* The U.S. Copyright Office allows authors and publishers to register copyrighted works. Registration can be completed online or by mail (though the Copyright Office prefers online registrations, and I suspect before long online registration may become mandatory). Registration creates a permanent record of the work and the copyright holder (the person who owns the copyright). In most cases, the copyright holder is the author

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Sometimes, it’s “Fighting Emo”…

Most of the time, the inhabitants of my little reef live peacefully side by side. Conflicts usually amount to little more than a flash of fins and a “move along” when someone comes too close to Emo the clown’s anthelia home. Occasionally, however, turf wars happen. The anthelia coral where Emo hosts grows beautifully and fast, in part because the clownfish takes great care to groom and protecting the coral’s arms. As a result, I have to “prune” the coral regularly, to keep it from overgrowing parts of the tank and interfering with the nearby territory belonging to our watchman

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Hello, Denver!

I hope all of you in the Denver area will join me one week from tonight at the Tattered Cover Bookstore on Colfax for a reading and signing of CLAWS OF THE CAT! More details: Denver, CO: Monday, September 16, 2013: 7:30 PM Reading & Signing: Tattered Cover Bookstore 2526 East Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80206 Map Link Although I don’t live in Denver, I love the city itself and the supportive writing community that flourishes in and around it. Many (if not most!) of my writing friends live in and around Denver, and I look forward to my annual

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An Interview with Anna Lee Huber

Please welcome mystery author Anna Lee Huber, who’s joining us today to celebrate the release of her second Lady Darby Mystery, MORTAL ARTS (Berkley Trade, September 3, 2013)! Anna Lee Huber is the award-winning author of the Lady Darby historical mystery series. She is a graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.  She currently resides in Indiana with her family, and is hard at work on the next novel in the Lady Darby series.  Visit her at www.annaleehuber.com.   Scotland, 1830. Lady Kiera Darby is no stranger to intrigue–in fact, it seems to follow wherever she goes. After her foray

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The Beauty of “No”

As summer draws to a close, many writers will spend the autumn waiting for answers from agents and editors who requested pages at conferences or from queries during the last few months. Some will eventually get “the call,” but for the overwhelming majority, waiting will lead to “no.” (Or, in some lucky cases, “No, thank you.”) That “no” is something you never get used to. It never ceases to hurt. You’d think that after twenty, or fifty, or maybe a hundred rejections, a writer could build up a callus sufficient to keep that “no” from knocking the wind from her

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Copyright Formalities: Tuxedos Optional (Part 1)

In the United States, the term “copyright formalities” refers to two different actions: placing a copyright notice on creative works and registering copyrighted works with the U.S. Copyright Office. Today, we’re taking a closer look at the copyright notice. Copyright “formalities” are requirements for obtaining certain types of protection and damages (for example, statutory damages for infringement) but do not affect the  existence of the copyright. Copyright attaches to qualifying works automatically and at the moment of creation (assuming the works are properly fixed in a tangible medium” as we discussed in more detail last week). Use of a copyright

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