Volume 2, No. 8

Welcome to the eleventh issue of Crime and Suspense, the ezine for fans of crime, suspense and mystery fiction. Summer is still hanging on, dogging our heels with all the tenacity of a pit bull. Maybe that's the real reason they call these the dog days of summer. Or maybe it's because we go around with our tongues hanging out from the heat! At any rate, I hope you enjoy these very special stories from our august authors (august authors... heh, heh... get it? No? Never mind.)

Our authors this month are John J. Wilson, Rus Morgan, Beverly J. Taylor, Agnes Dee, Bernie Thomas, Gary Hoffman, Linda Thorne and Tony Burton. You can read more about all these authors in the Rogues' Gallery on the Crime and Suspense website. Rus Morgan, Beverly Taylor, Linda Thorne and Bernie Thomas are all making their first appearance in the ezine, so make them welcome and let them know how much you like their work. (It's Bernie's first published story anywhere, by the way)

Sunny Frazier lays all her cards on the table about David Skibbins's new book Eight of Swords. And Wil Emerson tells us all about the good act of reading Tami Hoag's Prior Bad Acts.

Chelle Martin gives us another very interesting article about writing, with "He Said, She Said" on writing dialogue.

This Month's Featured Stories...

Heavy Burdens by John J. Wilson. Knowing about a wrong that has been done can be a very hard thing to bear. Knowing about a wrong that has been done to you, and not saying anything about it, can be even heavier. But knowing you are the cause of another person's destruction, someone you care about...

He finally came to his decision as he pulled into the driveway on a late Friday afternoon in August of 1998. He knew for months what he wanted to do and planned carefully for it. He parked the car well off to the left, making sure not to block Steph’s car. She’d be leaving with the kids in about an hour, so he hurried in to help her finish loading the Tahoe. He would have bet his life savings that the car was certainly not loaded yet. He smiled grimly to himself.

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Henry the Hit Man by Rus Morgan. Nobody wants to get old. And when we do reach that point, there's something inside us that makes us reject the idea that we ought to slow down, take things easy, maybe not take the same risks. But do WE listen? No-o-o-o...

Why would an adult stop his car in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge traffic on a busy Friday evening?

Why would that adult get out of the car, go around back and get smushed by a hit and run driver?

I saw Henry’s car later in the Police Impound. It was an old, yellow Mercedes. The back was all mashed in and Henry’s blood was all over it. The glass all around was intact, except for the right passenger window which was broken from inside out.

I looked at that window glass and it all came to me. I knew.

Three Strikes by Beverly J. Taylor. In most small towns, one of the best places to hear the latest gossip is either the barber shop or the hairdressers. Of course, the gossip isn't always true, and even when it is, it isn't always good news.

“Did you hear the news?” Ida May Simpson asked as she sprayed mist on Mrs. Crane’s hair, “They’ve found another body.”

“Really? Tell me all about it,” Samantha Crane glanced up and paused as she reached for a magazine.

“It’s a man, same as the others. A young, good-looking fellow—you might know him—Jimmy Benson.” Ida May loved to pass on news, good or bad, it made no difference to her.

“Of course I know Jimmy. He’s helped me a few times with repairs at my place since Claude died in the hunting accident. That’s awful. Who would want to hurt a nice young man like that?”

Green Bread by Bernie Thomas. "Step on a crack, break your mother's back!" "Your ears are burning? Someone is talking about you!" Old wives tales--not quite superstitions, but not really logical, either. How about you, do you light three on a single match? Is there something really at the bottom of old those silly beliefs? Maybe.

If you’re like me, you grew up in a traditional, old-fashioned family; one with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins, and one with a rich heritage, be it Polish or Irish or Italian or any one of a number of other colorful ethnicities. And, if you’re like me, that heritage included beliefs and superstitions that are more commonly referred to as old wives tales.

I grew up listening to little snippets of wisdom that predicted coming into money, or a visitor to the household, or bad luck, or even death, none of which ever actually happened. As I grew older, friends told me that someone loved me because only one side of my cigarette lit with the match, or a girlfriend said that it was bad luck to put my shoes on the table, or even the occasional stranger felt the need to inform me of some pending event, because I dropped a spoon in a restaurant. Old wives tales. There must be a million of ‘em.

The Waitress by Agnes Dee. How many times have you been ignored by a restaurant server? Or maybe treated rudely? Sometimes, doesn't it make you just want to kill them?? Come on, you can admit it.

"That waitress really ticks me off."

Jacob smiled to himself, but kept his paper up in front of his face. He didn't reply to the man sitting next to him at the lunch counter.

"I said that waitress ticks me off." No avoiding him. Jacob put his paper down and turned to his neighbor.

"My name's Jacob. Insurance," Jacob lied.

The man brightened. "Oh yeah? I'm Ronan." He put out his hand for a shake, and his attention turned to the waitress.

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Fritz of Oakmont by Gary Hoffman. Oh, the burdens of being rich! Being looked upon with envy! Having to decide just what to do with all that money! And keeping the hands of the uninvited out of your hoard--that's got to be the worst part! There are those who make their living by helping the wealthy protect their goodies.

“Mr. Montoya, this is a fool-proof system,” Walter Greene, the owner of Greene’s Security said. “All other security systems have flaws. This has none.”

“You better be right. I’ve had three robberies at my house, and one was successful. I was told I had the most up to date safe and security system, but it failed. Whoever pulled off the successful one is still out there. I have a feeling they’ll try again.”

Walter smiled. “Well, if they do, it’ll be their last try at anything.”

A Relative Matter by Linda Thorne. You always hurt the one you love. Or maybe it's the one you used to love... or the one you wished loved you. I don't know, really. But hurting the one someone else loves can be really risky!

The day was going to hell in a hand basket. Not even 9:00 a.m. and my boss, George Nordyke, stood in my office doorway screaming. “Jena Thompson didn’t show up or call in!”

I looked into his scrunched up face. “I know. Kevin told me first thing this morning.”

Fat fingers gripped both sides of the doorframe as he leaned his stumpy body in. “I want her final check mailed out today!”

Cleaning House by Tony Burton. People change. Sometimes it's for the better, but it seems like most of the time it goes in the opposite direction. Some people lose all their motivation and spirit when they lose their job--they are identified by what they do, not who they are. And usually someone else ends up taking up the slack.

“Alice! Bring me a damn beer, willya?” Preston called, scratching his crotch under the covers. He heard a clatter in the other room, then the opening and closing of the refrigerator. Alice, sweaty hair hanging across her brow from under a scarf wrapped around her head, walked in with a still-foaming can of Budweiser.

He took it from her and swigged it, then let loose a ripping fart under the sheets. Alice closed her eyes, but said nothing. “What’re you doin’ in there, anyway?” he asked her, annoyance in his voice. “You're makin' a lot of noise, and you look like hell!”

Don't forget the Members' Hall of Fame!

If you are a subscriber to this ezine and have written a crime, mystery or suspense novel, or have been part of a published anthology of such stories, or if you have written a book on the craft of writing, we want to know about it! Send your information, including your name, book title and ISBN (if available). We'll give you some free exposure in the Members' Hall of Fame!