Halloween Magic

Who can resist the magic of Halloween? Certainly not me, as Neal can personally attest. So far Halloween has been featured in two of my Caffrey Conversation stories. In 2004, Neal and Peter were put through the wringer in Azathoth's haunted house (The Woman in Blue). The next year, Mozzie and Sara joined them for a ghostly Halloween complete with tangerine slime (Columbia Ghost Story). Arkham Neal celebrated Halloween in The Crypt when he was treated to the trifecta of Arkham's nasty creatures—nightgaunts, ghasts, and zoogs.

Character Redemption Arcs

It's possible that I have a mild addiction to writing character redemption arcs. Often I want to redeem my villains. It takes me by surprise when they don't want to be redeemed. Robert Winslow, for instance, in "Caffrey Flashback" and "Caffrey Disclosure" insisted that he was not going to change.

Happy Anniversary to White Collar

Ten years ago, on October 23, 2009, White Collar premiered in the United States. The pilot is in many respects my favorite episode. It set the stage for the close friendship between Neal and Peter while demonstrating the charm, wit, and urbane sophistication which would be trademarks of the series. Over the past six years that we've been writing Caffrey Conversation, Penna and I have referenced many of the scenes from the pilot. Here are some of our favorites.

Happy Fic-versary!

The term "bookversary" has been popping up for the anniversary of book publications. Is ficversary a word yet? If so, it's time to use it in honor of Silbrith publishing "Complications" -- her first ever fanfic -- on October 23, 2014.

An introvert at a writing conference

Recently a writers group hosted a writing conference at a local hotel, and several of the workshops were relevant to my science fiction novel. Feeling very bold, I decided to attend. Now I've recovered sufficiently to describe the experience.

Vault Acquisition: Sands of Abydos

Sands of Abydos is the seventh acquisition of the library vault at Miskatonic University. It is the sequel to Time Crystals in the Arkham Files series. The first chapter begins on December 26, 1975, twelve days after the conclusion of Time Crystals.

Six-Crossed Knot: Backdrop to Illusion's Voice

Illusion's Voice is the eighth story in Six-Crossed Knot, a series based on the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The story opens on October 31, 1599. On this day nine years ago, Diana and Matthew timewalked into the world of Elizabethan England. Jack is currently 16 years old.

The Mozart Connection

White Collar has an eclectic soundtrack of pop, rock, and classical music. The wide-ranging repertoire suits the personality of Neal Caffrey, a Renaissance man of diverse tastes. Among the canon list of featured composers, Mozart is particularly significant.