SCATTERED THOUGHTS by Deborah Elliott-Upton Once I started reading mysteries regularly my mind began to think in a different vein. I started to find criminal elements everywhere. I’m not sure this is healthy, but it aids my writing, so I’m not complaining. Pouring milk into my breakfast cereal reminds me of missing children—and those who […]

PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW by Deborah Elliott-Upton On both Facebook and on my LinkedIn account—like everyone else—I regularly receive messages concerning people I may know to invite to join me on my accounts as friends and colleagues. Rarely do I do this, but every once in awhile, I find a name or face that reminds […]

FICTIONAL GIFTS by Deborah Elliott-Upton Talking about short stories never bores me. The elements are pared down to what is really important and nothing more or less. There is no time to meander about someone’s intricate background. Yes, it may be interesting, but no, it may not really matter all that much by the end […]

TRUE CRIME VS . FICTION by Deborah Elliott-Upton John Douglas There’s no doubt more than a few true crime stories are out there masquerading as fiction. For those of us who abhor the knowledge some people have little regard for life, why are we still tempted by the daily doses of true crime facts littering […]

IN RAPTURE WITH A HORROR AUTHOR by Deborah Elliott-Upton I’ve just returned from an intensive week long workshop with Bram Stoker and Anthony Award Nominee, Alexandra Sokoloff. Alex won ITW’s Thriller Award for Best Short Fiction with her story, “The Edge of Seventeen.” It is my opinion that we never stop learning—or rather, we should […]

WHO IS THAT MASKED MAN? Deborah Elliott-Upton Tell the truth: If you saw someone on a television news program wearing a ski mask, bandana covering his face or even a Halloween mask when it isn’t Halloween, would you question his honesty? What if he tries to cover his face with either a jacket or his […]

A STORY TO REMEMBER Deborah Elliott-Upton For several years I have been trying to track down a short story I read in either 9th or 10th grade of high school. I couldn’t forget the story of two burglars with the delightful twist ending. I thought I remembered the title of “Clothes Make the Man,” but […]