Posts Tagged ‘suspense’

DailyLit Launches 2nd Piece of Original Fiction from Laurel Dewey

Laurel Dewey’s inimitable heroine Detective Jane Perry returns in You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover, her first “blog entry” and the second work of original fiction created for DailyLit. Jane, whom Dewey introduced to DailyLit readers in Unfinished Death, is a tough detective with a disarmingly honest voice: “Being a cop is all I know how to do and I’m good at it. That’s not arrogance, that’s confidence…I can walk into a hot crime scene while the blood is still wet and death still hangs heavy in the air and I can hear the walls whisper their secrets. Sometimes I can hear the screams and pleas from the victims before they took their last breath.” Enjoy!

Winners of the 50 Word Crime Noir Challenge

In September our Reader Challenge asked you to write a crime noir in 50 Words. Thanks to all who participated–so many of you submitted great mini-crime stories, making for a great challenge. Our guest judge James Ellroy just picked his three winners.

Without further ado, here, in no particular order, are the winning crime noirs. Congratulations! Each winner will receive a free signed copy of Blood’s a Rover, Ellroy’s new novel.

“Not What It Seemed” by seagoat
 I almost fell for the dame. She murdered Case and now she was going down. She yanked her little gun from her purse and fired. She was a lousy shot. I slugged her beautiful face. The wig flew off. I gaped. Then I kicked him in the crotch.

Untitled, by mstrust
“It’s done?” she asked.
He had a photo as proof. She looked closely. Held out a bag.
“Killing his girlfriend was cheaper.”
“You hired someone else?” He sounded hurt.
“Simple job,” she smiled.
He shook his head.
“Scorned women keep me in business.”
“Hits?”
“Arrests,” he said, pulling his badge.

“A Friend in Need” by snailgenie
In trouble again.
She wiped the rain out of her eyes, or was it tears?
He hesisted…
She wasn’t the brightest bulb, but then again, he often had a hangover.
He sighed and offered her his coat.
Later, he’d regret leaving his handcuffs in the pocket.

Read all the entries in our Reader Challenge forum.

Halloween Reads

The origins of All Hallow’s Eve go back to the Celts, whose autumn festival Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half.”

Come to the dark side with one of our spooky books. And have a very happy Halloween.

New Short Fiction by Laurel Dewey — Free on DailyLit

As we first mentioned in our newsletter, we’re excited to launch the first of five new novellas from Laurel Dewey, a fresh voice in crime writing. Unfinished Death, a novella written for DailyLit readers, features Dewey’s signature–and incredibly well-loved–heroine Denver Police Detective Jane Perry, a character who has had a striking impact on readers.

We’ve seen some comments from our own readers that show how well-loved Jane Perry is. Recently in our forums Lad525 said “I love the realness and straight talking attitude of her main character, Detective Jane Perry.” And Wildcat1733 was excited too:

“I just signed up with Daily Lit when I found out about them serializing original short stories by Laurel Dewey. Thank you! Thank you! I’ve read both Jane Perry novels (PROTECTOR and REDEMPTION) and devoured them. She has quickly become one of my top ten favorite writers. If you like your fiction gritty, creative, character-driven and thought-provoking, you too will LOVE Laurel Dewey’s stories.”

For her part, Dewey, who has said that Jane came to her, fully formed and “demanded that [Dewey] learn about her,” was surprised by how much her readers responded to Jane:

“I wasn’t prepared for was the massive connection Jane Perry would have with readers who ranged in age from fourteen to ninety. While her impatient, gritty, and often foul-mouthed behavior irritated some people, they also admitted that they couldn’t stop reading. The majority were drawn to Jane’s intelligence, compassion, intuition and brutal honesty, as well as the indelible impression she makes as a survivor….What was intriguing was that readers didn’t so much want to be like Jane; rather, they wanted to hang out with her.”

Unfinished Death–published for the first time on DailyLit–drops us into Jane’s world in the dark days before her first novel, Protector. We’ve been able to make this story–and the four novellas that will come out over the next four months–absolutely free thanks to the publisher, Storyplant, who’s counting down to the launch of Dewey’s book Redemption in February 2010. Enjoy!

If you’d like to read more about readers’ reactions to Jane Perry, visit Laurel Dewey’s site.

DailyLit News: October 2009

Note from the CEO
It’s a month of style, soup, and spooks.  Check out our new DailyLit Style line launching with Shoes, Bags and Tiaras featuring stunning objects from the Victoria & Albert museum collection. We’ve also got recipes from Molly Katzen (known for her bestselling Moosewood Cookbook); the spooky Legend of Sleepy Hollow as our new Big Read; oh, and for the beat of a different drummer, we’ve got a new memoir from Stewart Copeland, drummer for The Police.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan [at] dailylit [dot] com

New! DailyLit Style Kicks off with Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras
We’ve created DailyLit Style to bring you fashion, art and style of all kinds. Kicking off this line is Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras featuring objects from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London sent directly to your inbox one gorgeous object at a time. Read it—FREE.

New Reads: Recipes, A Rocker, and More
—Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen: The author of the best-selling “Moosewood Cookbook” has just released a brand new collection of recipes, from Genuine Mac & Cheese to Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunchy Things; we’ve got a taste for you. Read it—FREE.
—Strange Things Happen by Stewart Copeland: He’s the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Find out what happened backstage, pictures and all. Read it—FREE.
—Unfinished Death by Laurel Dewey: In anticipation of the paperback release of Dewey’s detective novel, “Redemption,” each month we’re releasing one original, never before published story featuring her inimitable character, Jane Perry. Read this month’s story—FREE.

DailyLit’s Big Read: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
With Halloween approaching, we’ve made the classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow our next Big Read. Join us in following our hero Ichabod Crane into the dark, misty woods. Read it—FREE:

Reader Challenge: Tea with the Queen
As a tribute to the launch of “Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras” from the Victoria & Albert Museum collection, this month’s Reader Challenge will challenge you to invite an unlikely character for tea with the queen.  Describe this encounter in one sentence and post your royal responses in our Reader Challenge Forum. (For those of you who took part in last month’s challenge, winners will be announced shortly.)

Fresh Voices, Fresh Tastes
We’re proud to announce the launch of two series from our very own DailyLit Externs: Authors in the Kitchen by Megan Halpern features bestselling authors, including Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), talking about cooking and the stories that spice it up. The Ghost in the Pantry by Erin Ferretti-Slattery features recipes and stories that highlight’s her own family’s rich history. Read Authors in the Kitchen or The Ghost in the Pantry—FREE.

DailyLit Selects (This Week: Malcolm Gladwell)
DailyLit Selects is our on-going series of excerpts from new and noteworthy authors. This week we’re featuring an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell’s new book What the Dog Saw. You can also check out excerpts from Dan Brown’s new book and Oprah’s latest book club pick. Read DailyLit Selects—FREE.

Get Short Stories by Best-selling Author Jeffery Deaver for $.99

Exciting news!  Best-selling thriller author Jeffery Deaver is now available on DailyLit. And, the Deaver launch also brings about another DailyLit first: you can subscribe to the full book, Twisted: Collected Short Stories, or just a single story–which, for a limited time only, will cost you just$.99. The stories, like Beautiful and Without Jonathan, are full of the twists and suspense that have made Deaver a prize-winning author. For less than a buck you can sneak a few thrills into your day. Happy reading!

DailyLit News: July 2009

Note from the CEO

We have a real treat for you this month. One of my favorite authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jhumpa Lahiri, is making a short story available for FREE to DailyLit readers. We’re also offering a spy thriller by best-selling author Joe Finder for FREE. And, for some short summertime reads, check out stories by best-selling authors Jeffery Deaver and Mary Higgins Clark. Oh, and if you appreciate what we’ve been doing, come become a fan on Facebook.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan@dailylit.com

DailyLit’s Big Read: Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Jhumpa Lahiri

Our new July Big Read is (drumroll please…) Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, “Hell-Heaven,” from Unaccustomed Earth. For those of you not familiar with Jhumpa Lahiri, she’s a best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and deserves all the glowing praise there is; she’s simply amazing! Here she tells the story of a family forever changed by one woman’s quiet love. READ FOR FREE.

Featured Free Thriller: Paranoia by Best-selling Author Joe Finder

Best-selling author Joe Finder comes to DailyLit with the spy thriller Paranoia, made completely FREE for our readers. Here’s what you have in store: when a slacker employee crosses his boss, to avoid criminal charges he needs to spy on a rival corporation. Soon he’s in way over his head—and then the real nightmare begins. READ FOR FREE.

Reader Challenge: Summer Love in One Sentence

Inspiration for this month’s reader challenge came from Jhumpa Lahiri, who’s known for her turns of phrase that are short yet revealing. You’ll see what I mean when you read “Hell-Heaven”, this month’s Big Read, which tells the story of an unexpected love. In a single sentence—that’s right, a single sentence—tell your own story of summer love. Share your single-sentence love story in our Reader Challenge Forum.

Short Stories from Jeffery Deaver and Mary Higgins Clark

…are now here! Jeffery Deaver, described as the “grand master of the plot twist,” comes to DailyLit with thrilling crime stories. Get single stories for just $.99 (for a limited time only!) or read the whole collection, Twisted. And we’ve got mystery stories from Mary Higgins Clark’s The Lottery Winner, which spent 12 weeks on PW’s bestseller list.

Inspiring Tips for Your Life

- The Life Plan: Many of us would like to make our lives better but don’t know where to start. The Life Plan: 700 Simple Ways to Change Your Life for the Better offers daily tips and inspiration to improve your life throughout the year. Check it out HERE.

- My Start-Up Life: Here’s a book that will either inspire you or thoroughly depress you! At the age of 12 Ben Casnocha founded a company; by 19 he was a CEO. Just think of him as the Doogie Howser of Silicon Valley. Read it HERE.

Classics by Request

Thanks to requests from readers “Cloward” and “dreamdust,” we’ve just launched an early collection of poems by C.S. Lewis. Spirits in Bondage, one of Lewis’s first published works, is now available for FREE on DailyLit. Read C.S. Lewis for FREE.

DailyLit is on Facebook

DailyLit is on Facebook! Become a fan of DailyLit to see who else is reading with us and show your friends what you spend all your time at “work” doing. Plus, you’ll get the latest from DailyLit and find out about new books and features right as they happen. Become a fan and share your thoughts about DailyLit HERE. (Oh, and @DailyLit is on Twitter, too!)

Short Stories from a Master of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark

We’ve just launched a short story collection from Mary Higgins Clark, America’s “Queen of Suspense.” The Lottery Winner features a number of adventures with Willy and Alvirah, a pair of sleuthing lottery-winners. Although luck was on their side when they won the lottery, Willy and Alvirah now seem to attract trouble: a visit to the Cape and a spa getaway lead to dead bodies and stolen jewelry rather than rest and relaxation. Luckily reading these stories isn’t the least bit stressful.