Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Highlights The Writer’s Guide to Weapons

September 8, 2015September 8, 2015 / Ben / 2 Comments

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine is the real deal when it comes to mystery fiction mags. It’s been in print since 1941, and it continues to maintain a newsstand presence to this day, along with digital editions. Stephen King even called it the best mystery magazine in the world. In the mystery/crime fiction universe, this is as top dog as it gets.

I was thrilled to receive a mention in the Blog Bytes column by Bill Crider, himself a cornerstone of the genre, in the September/October 2015 issue. Crider graciously highlights this website, CrimeFictionBook.com, writing, “Everything is presented with clarity and precision, so you don’t have to be an expert to understand it, although you might feel like one after you read it.”

This is an incredible honor, and I thank Crider for his kind words. I put a lot of time into this website and the book published by Writer’s Digest. This recognition means a lot to me.

I’ll be swinging by a bookstore to pick up a copy of the issue. Here are the pages I screen-grabbed from a digital edition with the comments. Be sure to show your support to EQMM by picking up an issue for yourself, too.

On Writing Nail Guns as Weapons in Fiction

September 3, 2015September 3, 2015 / Ben / 2 Comments

There’s something exceptionally brutal and timeless about using nails for nefarious purposes in fiction. (Image by Maare Liiv via sxc.hu)

It must be nail gun season, because this is the second post of the week related to these tools in fiction. Up now is Graham Smith, a terrific crime writer from Scotland, to provide some context for using nail guns on characters in fiction. In addition to writing books, Smith has a background in using nail guns professionally (for less sinister purposes, of course).

Enjoy!

~Ben

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Can a Nail Gun be Used like a Firearm?

September 1, 2015September 3, 2015 / Ben / 1 Comment

It has the word “gun” in its name, so a nail gun should be a fine substitute for a traditional firearm, right? (Shutterstock image)

I’m over at crime writer Sue Coletta’s stellar blog today discussing whether a nail gun can actually be used like a firearm. I won’t spoil it for you, but I take a look at how a nail in flight compares to a bullet fired from a traditional gun. It turns out there’s a simple mathematical formula to help determine just that. Take a look. I think you’ll enjoy the analysis.

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10 Golden Tips for Writing Weapons in Fiction

August 27, 2015September 3, 2015 / Ben / 6 Comments

The following is excerpted from my book, The Writer’s Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction. It’s an abbreviated version of the list of “golden tips” (but not golden rules, because that’s just asking for it) found in the book.

Enjoy!

~Ben

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When the Black-Eyed Children Knock & Other Stories

August 25, 2015April 27, 2017 / Ben / 7 Comments

“Whatever you do, don’t let them inside.”

Available exclusively on Wattpad!

Liam is a new father struggling to adapt to life with a baby. Growing more sleepless and paranoid with each passing night, he wonders if the taps on the windows and mysterious faces at the door are all in his head. He’ll find out the terrifying truth when the black-eyed children knock.

When the Black-Eyed Children Knock is a superbly suspenseful read. You’ll never hear a knock at the door at night in the same way.

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