Great Guest Blog Month 2006, Week One

Yes, it’s that time of year, the publishing holiday known to one and all as August. So just like last year and the year before, Confessions will be handed over to a series of guest bloggers over the course of the month. Some names you’ll recognize straight away; some are just getting their writing careers off the ground. Some of them will post prodigiously; others will post but once, hanging out in the backblogs thereafter. And once their daylong stints are through, the blog comes back to me for the Weekend Update every Sunday, plus the usual round of news, views and whatnot on Mondays and Tuesdays (except when otherwise stated.)

So to kick things off, this week’s contestants…er, guests are Julia Spencer-Fleming, who takes the reins Wednesday, and Patricia Abbott, who has her moment on Thursday. Julia (left) is best known for winning probably every major mystery award for her debut novel IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, starting with the SMP/Malice Domestic contest and snagging the Anthony, the Macavity, the Barry to boot. She’s followed that up with four more books featuring Millers Kill parish priest Clare Fergusson and town sheriff Russ Van Alstyne, the latest – ALL MORTAL FLESH – due out in stores this October.

Patricia Abbott (right) is a name you’ve heard a hell of a lot of late, since she’s had short stories in Shred of Evidence, SHOTS, Demolition, Flashing in the Gutters, and Murdaland – the only other woman in the upcoming debut issue aside from Mary Gaitskill, which is damn fine company indeed. She’s working on a series of linked stories about several generations of one particular family, which I hope she finishes sooner rather than later because I want to read it already.

See you next week – no Weekend Update for a mini-vacation beckons. Julia and Patti’s posts will appear below this one.