Self Matters by Dr. Phil McGraw – NOT a book review
By Annette Rey
If you don’t like Dr. Phil, and it’s my experience people either love him or hate him, don’t stop reading. If you are a writer, these comments can help you.
When You Cannot Remember the Word (Lethologica)
By Annette Rey
When you are writing, it seems inevitable, interruptions occur that waylay your train of thought; the jangling of the telephone, the doorbell rings, a family member talks to you. That’s bad enough.
What about the pauses in your writing when you can’t remember the right word you know should go right in that spot in your sentence? You’re on a roll and your fingers are moving deftly, except for that!
I have two very good tools to help shorten that unwanted pause, and to get your mind back on writing.
A Useful Tool
By Annette Rey
A book I support for writers and for just any person who wants to increase their vocabulary is: The Penquin Rhyming Dictionary. On first glance, a person who is not a poet might think this book has no use for them. But this is a great source for expanding your knowledge of words.
Who’s (oops) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? by C. Edward Good
The Big Ten of Grammar by William B. Bradshaw, PhD
Woe is I by Patricia T. O’Conner
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White
The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing by Thomas S. Kane
Punctuation, Plain and Simple by Edgar C. Alward and Jean A. Alward
Prentice Hall Reference Guide by Muriel Harris
Getting the Words Right, How to Rewrite, Edit, and Revise by Theodore A. Rees Cheney
By Annette Rey
A myriad of grammar guides exist and I have half a dozen of them. The one I find most extensive and simply written is Who’s (oops) Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway? By C. Edward Good. This book was originally published as A Grammar Book for You and I (oops! Me). This is my go-to resource for sentence construction.
By Annette Rey
Most writers have children. If you are a crime/mystery writer, you might want to share what you do with your appropriately-aged kids. It never hurts to have more understanding between parents and children. And all parents should encourage their children to read.
Following is a list from my local library of CSI books for kids.
Crime Scene by Vivien Bowers
Forensic Science by Ron Fridell
Bones Never Lie: How Forensics Helps Solve History’s Mysteries by Elizabeth MacLeod
Crime Scene Science Projects by Elizabeth Harris
Dusted and Busted!: The Science of Fingerprinting by D. B. Beres
Fingerprints: Crime Solving Science Experiments by Kenneth G. Rainis
Hair, Clothing and Tire Track Evidence by Kenneth G. Rainis
Blood and DNA Evidence by Kenneth G. Rainis
Forgery: Crime Solving Experiments by Brian Lane
Crime and Detection by Brian Lane
Gut-eating Bugs: Maggots Reveal the Time of Death by Danielle Denega
The Human Body: Investigating an Unexplained Death by Andrew Solway
And, finally:
Forensics: Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation by Carla Mooney
These books sound exciting. The ones on science experiments should appeal to both you and your children. What parent isn’t looking to guide their child for the annual Science Project at school?
There’s more to learn where this came from. Visit your public library.
By Annette Rey
Writers can always use a concise list of category-specific books. Following is a list from my public library.
FBI Handbook of Crime Scene Forensics
Forensic Science (3 volume reference set)
The CSI Effect by Katherine Ramsland
The Real World of a Forensic Scientist by Henry Lee
Forensics the Easy Way by Harold Trimm
The Mammoth Book of Crime Scene Investigation by Roger Wilkes, B.A. (editor)
Aftermath, Inc.: Cleaning Up After CSI Goes Home by Gil Reavill
Teasing Secrets from the Dead by Emily Craig
Murderous Methods: Using Forensic Science to Solve Lethal Crimes by Mark Benecke
Cracking More Cases: The Forensic Science of Solving Crimes by Henry C. Lee
Shocking Cases From Dr. Henry Lee’s Forensic Files by Henry C. Lee
A Question of Murder by Cyril Wecht
Tales from the Morgue: Forensic Answers to Nine Famous Cases by Cyril Wecht
The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds by Katherine Ramsland
Ultimate CSI by Catherine Marrinan
Dead Center: Behind the Scenes at the World’s Largest Medical Examiner’s Office by Shiya Ribowsky
And finally:
Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution of Forensic Science by William Bass
I don’t know about you, but I want to read all of these!
