Subscribe to receive new posts in your inbox:
-
Thriller and Mystery Books and Authors Influencing My Writing
No author writes in a vacuum, although we do our best to avoid blatant duplication wherever we can. I’m no exception to this rule. As such, I wanted to give credit where it is due to the books that have most impacted me over the years and that have helped inform the types of stories… Read more
-
The Regulars of Amanda Lexie
Releasing August 11, 2026 from Torchflame Books Check back soon for preorder! Early Praise for The Regulars of Amanda Lexie “In J. J. Hanna’s quirky mystery novel The Regulars of Amanda Lexie, a coffee shop’s customers are tied to a cybercrime sting. … Humor is generated through people’s reluctance to make too much small talk;… Read more
-
Christmas Chaos: a Slice of Life Short Story
© J. J. Hanna 2024 “This store is chaos,” Annie said into the phone as she frantically tried to maneuver her cart out of the aisle she’d been blocked into. “That’s what you get for leaving your shopping to the last minute,” Rachel quipped. “Have you found anything good?” “Legos for my nephew, a new… Read more
-
Off the Path: a Halloween Story
J. J. Hanna © 2024 It was the time of year when forests always seemed to beckon visitors off the path. Most of the time, trees are what they seem: strong, stoic plants that guard the wild spaces. They are wood and greenery, alive yet locked in place and limited to wherever their roots are… Read more
-
Be Who You Are, Not Who Others Think You Should Be
Author Profile: E.M. Goldsmith In the quiet morning, you may rush through your breakfast, and your coffee, and quickly head off to work. But for author E.M. Goldsmith, the quiet mornings before her 9-5 job are when she carves out the time to work on her craft. Warming up her mind at 5 a.m. with… Read more
-
Book Review: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
🖋 🖋🖋🖋🖋 This book is expertly written and I enjoyed every part of it—the humor, the foreshadowing, the red herrings, the playing on and pulling on expectations to subvert them. This is a master class in gritty comedy, and a beautiful example of how to use a genre to pull off one of the most… Read more