Random essays, interviews, and columns I’ve written for a bunch of different, fun sites and publications:
Exposure: A Review
I reviewed Ramona Emerson’s sequel to her National Book Award-longlisted debut, Exposure, for the Washington Post.
Guide Me Home: A Review
I reviewed Attica Locke’s final book in her bestselling, award-winning Highway 59 trilogy for the Washington Post.
Farewell, Amethystine: A Review
I reviewed a Walter Mosley mystery for the The Washington Post! Pretty cool to have the chance to do that.
Hunted: A Review
I reviewed Hunted by Abir Mukhurjee for The Washington Post, and I got to use the phrases “Tocquevillian” and “hypermasculine killing machines.”
The Importance of Humor in Crime Fiction
I highlighted some writers I admire in this essay for Crimereads, including Kellye Garrett and Lou Berney.
Upcoming Crime Fiction in 2024
Booktrib asked if I’d write about crime fiction I’m excited about in 2024, so I listed books by some writers I can’t wait to read.
Smoke Kings: A Review
I reviewed Jahmal Mayfield’s debut novel for the Washington Post, and even got to reference John Wick!
How to Talk to Your Children About War
SmokeLong Quarterly republished this short essay I wrote for my newsletter about war, as well as an accompanying interview.
Writing Advice
The writer Damyanti Biswas had me on her writing advice series, and I talked about waking up too early, writing violence, unique characters, and more.
Hot Springs Drive: A Review
I reviewed the new Lindsay Hunter, Hot Springs Drive, for the Washington Post. I loved this book! Maybe my favorite book of the year and, keep in mind, I had a book out this same year.
The Dossier
The writer Jeff Circle had me on his series, “The Dossier,” and I was finally about to put into print what I heard outside Jeffrey Dahmer’s hotel room.
The Traitor: A Review
I reviewed Ava Glass’s The Traitor for the Washington Post.
Drowning: A Review
I reviewed T.J. Newman’s second novel, Drowning, for the Washington Post.
Too Many Tabs
Halley Sutton has a wonderful newsletter called Too Many Tabs, and she was kind enough to interview me for it. I talked about Christmas Villages, hip hop, and sexy sex stuff.
Interview with Andrew J. Brandt
The writer Andrew Brandt had me on his video series to talk No Home for Killers, my daily routine, publishing, and so much more.
Ten Questions
I had the chance to participate in Crime Writers of Color “Ten Questions” series on YouTube, and I talked about No Home for Killers, the best way to kill someone, where to hide a body, the ushe stuff.
Review: Last Seen in Lapaz
The Washington Post asked me to review novelist Kwei Quartey’s Last Seen in Lapaz, and I thought it was a brutal, but terrific, book. Oh sorry, spoiler.
Character Study: The Big Thrill
I spoke with The Big Thrill (along with Peter Swanson, Hank Phillipi Ryan, and Alma Katsu) about what it would be like to spend the day with one of our characters. I picked Emily, the vigilante in No Home for Killers, and learned I wasn’t nearly cool enough to hang out with her. Ha ha, kidding – I already knew that.
The Writer’s Center Magazine
The Writer’s Center Magazine interviewed me about writing thrillers, No Home for Killers, and I topped it off by mentioning fast food (print only).
A Question of Character
I wrote this essay in response to the complaints I’ve heard about the unfair ways that diversity is affecting publishing.
2 Great Thrillers to Read Now…and 2 for Your Summer Reading List
The Washington Post asked if I’d write a crime fiction roundup, so I was happy to recommend four wonderful 2022 thrillers from Lisa Scottoline, Katie Gutierrez, Sally Hepworth, and Amanda Jayatissa.
The First Two Pages
The writer (not the drummer) Art Taylor invited me to contribute a small essay to his series, The First Two Pages. I wrote about my short story, “The Search for Eric Garcia,” which was published in The Midnight Hour.
Local Author Love (Northern Virginia Magazine)
Northern Virginia Magazine interviewed me for their section, “Local Author Love,” and I explained why They’re Gone would not fit in Philadelphia (sort of).
D.C. is Full of Crime Fiction Writers…
This is one of my most favorite essays that I’ve written. I wrote it for the Washington City Paper about why the DC/MD/VA region is a hub for crime fiction.
Writng Outside Representation
I wrote a piece for CrimeReads about writing outside of your own racial boundaries, and asked fellow writers Radha Vatsal, S.A. Cosby, and Steph Cha for their thoughts.
First Chapter Fun
I was lucky enough to get the First Chapter Fun treatment for Hank Phillippi Ryan and Hannah Mary McKinnon for They’re Gone!
Writers Who Kill
Paula Benson interviewed me for the fun collaborative site, Writers Who Kill. We talked about They’re Gone, writing ladiez, and parenting.
Hasty Book List
This was SO MUCH FUN! I talked about when I knew I wanted to be a writer, the joy of damaging books, and why hands sucks (it all makes sense in context).
1455 Presents Crime Fiction in the Year 2020
Jennifer Hillier, Vanessa Lillie, L.A. Chandlar and myself chatted about crime fiction and it’s relevance to social issues in the year 2020.
An Interview with Amber Crowie
The writer Amber Crowie and I interviewed each other about our books, both releasing on 11/10/20, the year 2020, and what it’s like working with our agency.
Writing Outside of Books
Bethanne Patrick, Greer Macalister and I talked about the importance of expanding your writing outside of your chosen field.
Community in a Pandemic
1455 Literary asked me to contribute an essay to their literary magazine, Movable Type.
Indie Crime Scene
Had a great chat with Indie Crime Scene about women writers, women character, and Mexican Islamist terrorists who hate freedom.
The 14:55 Interview
This was so much fun! Sean Murphy interviewed me on behalf of 1455 Literary, a Q&A that has to be contained within 15 minutes. It’s always a good idea to have me on a timer.
Who is E.A. Barres and What Has He Done with Ed Aymar?
This lovely little column ran in Do Some Damage, and included contributions from writers I love – Marietta Miles, Jennifer Hillier, Shawn Cosby, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and LynDee Walker.
Tips for Virtual Author Events
This is a column I wrote for the PR folks at Books Forward about hosting virtual events. Basically boils down to don’t be boring.
Taking Book Tours Virtually
Oline Cogdill, one of crime fiction’s best journalists and reviewers, interviewed me (and others) about the rise of virtual events, with a focus on Noir at the Bars. It’s a 3-part series, and you can read it HERE and HERE.
Writers Crushing COVID-19: An Anthology for COVID-19 Relief
I wrote an essay for this collection called “Fragments,” thoughts for my son about what it’s like living through a pandemic, and how he’s helped me through it.
D.C.’s Noir Writers Arrange Moody Virtual Readings to Support Local Bookstores
The lovely people at DCist interviewed me about my D.C.’s VIrtual Noir for Indie Bookstoires initiatives.
The Big Thrill: The Swamp Killers
Sarah M. Chen and I were interviewed about The Swamp Killers for The Big Thrill.
An Author’s Balancing Act
I wrote this for Publishers Weekly Soapbox about the difficulty of writing about violence realistically, and my responsibility to it.
Read #99 Women
Historical fiction author Greer Macallister invited me to take part in her #99 Women series, a great idea in which one author writes a short tribute for a female author or character. I wrote about my friend Tara Laskowski.
The Swamp Killers? The Inside Scoop
Pretty honored that the Anthony-award winning blog site, Jungle Red Writers, invited me and Sarah M. Chen on to discuss our co-edited novel-in-stories, The Swamp Killers. Art Taylor interviewed us about the collection and the current state of writing fiction in a time of “fake news.”
What Scares You
My friend Tara Laskowski had a great idea for a series and invited me to participate. “What Scares You” is a series where writers admit to what terrifies them. For me, the answer was Twitter.
WildMind Creative
The nice people at WildMind Creative interviewed me about writing, persevering, marketing, and googling yourself (not a euphemism).
Author Spotlight with Steph Post
The wonderful Steph Post had me on her blog’s Author Spotlight series. We talked about writing, publishing, and deserted island reads.
Hope Within the Violence
My friend Sarah M. Chen interviewed me for the LA Review of Books, one of the premier publications out there! Honored to be in their pages.
Interview: Clea Simon
The writer Clea Simon interviewed me for the “Five Questions” portion of her blog. We talked about why elevator pitches are so difficult, the risk of co-opting a voice, and the strength of crime fiction in the DC/MD/VA triangle.
Murder Books
Roger Johns of Murder Books interviewed me about THE UNREPENTANT, weird sex stuff, and why traveling sucks. I stand by all of my thoughts on those subject.
Interview: Greg Levin
The writer Greg Levin interviewed me for his blog! We talked books, writing, Panama, and how terrifying it is to talk to high school students.
Interview: Alison McMahan
The writer Alison McMahan interviewed me about a wide range of topics, mainly THE UNREPENTANT, but also the DC/MD/VA writing scene and my experiences at GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY!
5 Questions
It was a lot of fun to take part in Shotgun Honey’s 5 Questions series with Nick Kolawkowski! We talked THE UNREPENTANT, writing ventures, and why the D.C. writing scene might be the strongest in the country.
World of My Imagination
I did an interview with World of My Imagination and talked about THE UNREPENTANT, writing, and (what I think will be) the next literary movement.
Virginia Center for Literary Arts
I did a reading, accompanied by my friend DJ Alkimist. And we were joined by the writer Angie Kim, who was accompanied by her son. The folks at VCLA put together a lovely write-up and included a video of the event. Check it out! It’s really good!
Interview: One Bite at a Time
Dana King had me back on his blog to talk about THE UNREPENTANT and the crime fiction community. And I called him a cranky asshole. I stand by that.
An Author’s Balancing Act
I wrote a column for Publishers Weekly Soapbox about my changing views in regards to violence, particularly within my own work. Publishers Weekly! Cool, right?
The popular site Mystery Playground hosts a weekly feature called Drinks with Reads every Friday, in which a Friday discusses what drink pairs best with their work. I wrote about screwdrivers and the first time I got drunk. No shame here!
Interview: The Big Thrill
My good friend, and a fantastic writer, Wendy Tyson interviewed me about The Unrepentant for The Big Thrill. And they stuck me on the cover! Very cool!
Interview: Crimespree Magazine
I’ve read Crimespree Magazine for years, long before I was first published, and it was surreal to be interviewed by them. I talked about The Unrepentant and why my favorite passage in crime fiction is a sex scene.
The Center
I was asked to write an essay about the shooting at my son’s day care for Unloaded: Vol. 2, an anthology of crime fiction stories without guns.It’s the only piece of nonfiction among all that fiction, and I was honored by the request. I think it’s the best essay I’ve ever written.
Wicked Cozy Authors: The Night of the Flood
Our last interview for The Night of the Flood, I promise! Anyway, this was a fun one. Alan Orloff, one of the contributors, interviewed Sarah M. Chen and me about the book. Thanks to Sherry Harris for having us on the site!
A Look into The Night of the Flood
Crimespree Magazine invited a few of us to discuss what led to our stories in The Night of the Flood. So I wrote a little introduction and Sarah M. Chen, Jennifer Hillier, and Angel Luis Colon gave some background.
Interview: The Night of the Flood
Sarah M. Chen and I were interviewed by Basil Sands about The Night of the Flood in ITW’s The Big Thrill. Also included a picture of me and Mario and Luigi. That’s not relevant to the book, FYI.
Interview: The Night of the Flood
Dana King interviewed me and my co-editor, Sarah M. Chen, about our work with The Night of the Flood. We used the opportunity to talk smack about the other contributors, obviously.
Monday Inspiration: Aymar and Alkimist
The writer Marietta Miles was nice enough to feature and interview me and DJ Alkimist on our collaboration! Very cool to appear on Do Some Damage, one of my favorite crime fiction sites.
Composite Sketch
It was a geniune honor to be part of the BOLO Books composite sketch series! I love what that site does for crime fiction, and it was truly lovely to be part of it.
Reading Across America: Going Noir in DC
I had the chance to contribute a piece to the terrific “Reading Across America” series by Penina Roth, so I wrote about Nour at the Bar, and how it fits with Washington, D.C. (I host the D.C. series). Also includes a dismembered penis!
The Sword
My friend Jenny Drummey started a new feature where writers write about giving up cherished objects. I wrote about why I can’t keep a sword and a toddler in the same house.
Alison Emerges
jmww journal debuted “We All Do What We Can,” the second track by DJ Alkimist and me. This essay explains the impetus behind it.
Cool Stuff Writers Do
SmokeLong Quarterly interviewed DJ Alkimist and me about our joint effort, “short stories + music.”
#30 Authors: Flood Gate
As part of the annual #30 Authors project, I reviewed (lovingly) Johnny Shaw’s novel, Flood Gate.
A Hot Night in D.C.
Eryk Pruitt read at D.C.’s third Noir at the Bar, wrote about it for Spinetingler Magazine, and interviewed me for the piece.
The Hard Truth
My friend (and a terrific writer) Kim Alexander, invited me to contribute a piece about writing workshops to the Fabulous Fictionistas. So I wrote about the time a professor beat my work up.
Interview
The novelist Jenny Yacovissi interviewed me for Late Last Night Books. Topics included Star Wars, exes, and things I wish I’d changed.
7 Things I’ve Learned So Far
The terrific Chuck Sambuchino runs a series called “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far,” and I contributed a column to it. I talk about not being an a-hole and posse’ing up.
Autopsy
I wrote about my trip to the morgue for the Sirens of Suspense. What’d you do on YOUR summer vacation?
One Bite at a Time
The writer Dana King interviewed me, 20 questions-style, for his blog. We had fun! I talked about stalking exes online.
Developing an Unforgettable Series Character
I wrote a guest post for the podcast Crime Fiction.FM about character creation, and how Tom Starks relates to Campbell’s mythic hero quest. Just kidding; I don’t know what that means.
Interview
The Baltimore Guide did a really lovely interview with me. I talked about You’re As Good As Dead and how Baltimore influences my work. And I barely use the word “lovely,” so you know I really liked it.
Interview
I was the Guest Editor for SmokeLong Quarterly, one of the best flash fiction pubs out there, and they interviewed me for the site. I talked about writing, violence, and my favorite TV show of all time (spoiler alert: it’s Manimal).
Made It Moment
Jenny Milchman runs a fantastic series of “Made It Moments” on her blog. I wrote about it how I haven’t made it yet.
What I’ve Learned Since I Got Published
I detailed three things I’ve learned since I got published, including why lying matters.
Interview
The book reviewing site, Fast Page Turner, conducted a very nice interview with me about the Dead trilogy. They also reviewed I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead a week or so earlier. You can read that review here.
Finding the Right Publishing Path
I wrote about my own path to publishing, and the different options open to writers today. Also contains tips on how to sleep to the top (no judgment).
The Story Behind the Story
I wrote this for one of my favorite crime fiction writing sites, The Rap Sheet, about revenge. Contains a brief mention of Darth Vader.
Meeting Audience Expectations
Here a piece I wrote about meeting audience expectations, and why erotica fans need some kissin.’
Five Tips on How to Get Blurbs
Here’s a piece I wrote about getting blurbs for your book. Or, as the kids call it, blurbin’!
Your Hero Sucks
Here’s a piece I wrote about heroes in thrillers, and the complexity of creating a compelling story with a flawed main character.
Creating a Fan Base with Serial Fiction
I wrote a small piece for Tuesday Serial about how I used my serial novella, When the Deep Purple Falls, to try and create enthusiasm for I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead. This essay has the words “sex dungeon” in it, for some reason.
Interview – Cathrina Constantine
One of my fellow Black Opal Books’ writers interviewed me for her blog. We discussed editing and orgies. Usual stuff.
Weekends in Baltimore
I wrote this small essay for The Big Thrill magazine when I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead was first published, and discussed why I wrote about Baltimore and some of the challenges with trying to capture a city.
This piece was then re-printed in Pen in Hand, the official publication of the Maryland Writers Association. You can read the issue here.
