After seeing a post over on Sarah’s Crime Pieces blog this week and being touched and reminded by a great cause and the charitable heart of crime writers, I wanted to do a post myself about the In a Word: Murder anthology that the lovely Margot Kinberg over at the blog Confessions of a Mystery Novelist has organised and edited.
It was then that I realised I didn’t know enough and I didn’t have the eloquence to do the justice to the heartfelt decisions that had gone on behind the scenes to bring this to fruition, so I asked Margot if she would mind saying a little about how, In A Word: Murder, came about, and what it means, to her personally and those involved.
She was extremely obliging and I received something back from her the same day!
I hand you over to Margot to tell you about this special crime anthology.
Thanks very much for hosting me, Rebecca. Thanks too for letting me share the background of In a Word: Murder. Here’s how it all started. Maxine Clarke was a dedicated and knowledgeable friend to the world of crime fiction. I’m also honoured that she was a friend to me. Her passing last year left a real void in the crime fiction community and in my life. I wanted to do something in her memory, and what I do is…write. Maxine had once told me half-jokingly that I ought to have my sleuth Joel Williams solve the murder of a publisher, editor or reviewer. So I decided to do just that, with the proceeds of the story going in aid of Princess Alice Hospice, which was so helpful to Maxine and her family in her last days and weeks. Then, with inspiration from fellow blogger and author Patti Abbott, the project became an anthology. I was honoured and delighted that some very talented writers from the international community wanted to be a part of this project. They made this all possible, and I am grateful. And I’d like to think that Maxine would have been pleased.
Many thanks again for inviting me for a visit!
Thank you Margot!
You can get hold of In a Word: Murder on Amazon UK and US sites and it’s for a very good cause and in memory of a member the crime fiction world. Check it out if you can!
Prashant C. Trikannad says
This is a lovely tribute to Maxine Clarke and her contribution to crime fiction. I’ll be supporting the cause by picking up the anthology and reading it. Not unexpectedly, it has some excellent writers.
Sarah says
Great post, Rebecca and thanks for your support.
Margot Kinberg says
Thanks, Rebecca! Your support really means a great deal.
Jacqui Murray says
Sounds like a great book. I’m getting into murders lately. There just aren’t enough good thrillers out there.
cheriereich says
Aww! Sounds like a fantastic anthology!
Joanna (Lazuli Portals Trilogy) says
What a wonderful way to honour someone’s life. Fabulous. I’ve bought my copy! Short stories are such fun to write; it’s great to see more anthologies hitting the shelves.