Trying Something New: Black Cat

While I enjoy the works of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I must confess mystery has never been my most prolific genre. Don't get me wrong, I love a good thriller. I just usually prefer something a little lighter when reading for pleasure (yes, I'm a huge fan of the romance genre. I love Happily Ever Afters).

I have, however, enjoyed more than a few issues of the mystery magazines such as Alfred Hitchcock Mystery and Ellery Queen. Oddly enough, I've not once read an issue of Sherlock Holmes mystery magazine. None of the stores in my area carry it, so...

I've often wondered over the reason these mystery magazines are still so successful, yet others have floundered by the wayside. Most genres no longer have print magazines dedicated solely to their market. Not only do these suspense magazines continue, a new contender has just been introduced.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine just launched its inaugural issue this past month. A production of Wildside Press, this magazine is slated to issue quarterly. I just received my copy of issue one, and hope to delve in soon. I've already recognized several author names (if you follow the SleuthSayers blog you will recognize them as well). If you're interested in learning more, you can read an interview with the editor, here.

Have you checked out this new publication yet? Are you a mystery magazine reader? Who is your favorite mystery writer?

Distilleries, Doomed, Dead, Dancing, Doyle, and IWSG

Distilleries – Whisky is to the Scots what champagne is to the French, and a visit to this country would not be complete without sampling this fiery, heart-warming spirit. All malt whiskies are produced using similar processes, but the environment, maturity, and storage of the whisky have such a strong bearing on its character that each one is a different experience. We toured The Blair Athol Distillery https://www.discovering-distilleries.com/blairathol/

Doomed, Dead, and Buried – Our last night in Scotland we decided to take a haunted tour. If you’re ever in Edinburgh, I highly recommend the Doomed, Dead, and Buried tour. Equal parts history, legend, and imagination this 2 hour tour offers glimpses of Scottish life not found in any other tour. We began walking the streets from the main square, toured underground vaults, and ended the evening in a cemetery.  https://www.mercattours.com/view-tour/doomed-dead-and-buried

Dancing – is an important part of Scottish culture, and each dance often has symbolic meanings – for instance the circle in a reel represents the circle of life. In the sword dance, recorded as early as the 15^th century and referring to war, the feet skip nimbly over the swords without touching them. To see a sample similar to the ones we watched:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ, DL was a British writer and physician, most noted for his character Sherlock Holmes and his detective fiction, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction.   http://www.arthurconandoyle.com/

Today is also the monthly IWSG posting. This month, we were asked "Have you ever taken advantage of the A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, or publicity for your book?"

MY ANSWER: As a thank-you to the blogging community, and to celebrate one year since its publication, I am offering FREE e-pub copies of my western short story “Broken Angel” from now through April 30. If you would like to receive a copy, simply email me at writinginwonderland(at)gmail(dot)com