tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post5489726606297678445..comments2024-03-17T02:20:03.772-05:00Comments on Riding With The Top Down: Guest Author: Hank Phillipi RyanKathleen Eaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-6783704479016389232008-04-22T13:23:00.000-05:002008-04-22T13:23:00.000-05:00Well, I'm always wrong when I try to guess the out...Well, I'm always wrong when I try to guess the outcome and whether it has a twist or not doesn't seem to matter, so for me, knowing there's a twist or not knowing is irrelevant. I just want a good story!<BR/><BR/>Great blog!Virginia Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16641613214603672322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-36016015295941918222008-04-22T04:55:00.000-05:002008-04-22T04:55:00.000-05:00This is just too funny and too much like watching ...This is just too funny and too much like watching movies at my house. It's nice to know that I'm not alone and I'm sure my other half feels the same. LOL<BR/>MareAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-5877282882284038522008-04-21T23:00:00.000-05:002008-04-21T23:00:00.000-05:00Hey flchen: Thanks for the kind words! I always th...Hey flchen: Thanks for the kind words! I always thought Encyclopedia Brown was the best name. Although I can't spell "encyclopedia" without singing it like they did on Mickey Mouse Club. Do you, um, remember that?Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-1781251503335201912008-04-21T22:37:00.000-05:002008-04-21T22:37:00.000-05:00Hi, Hank! I really used to love Encyclopedia Brow...Hi, Hank! I really used to love Encyclopedia Brown mysteries as a kid, but now I tend to read and watch simply for entertainment so I tend to not try very hard to figure anything out--just along for the ride, so to speak, unless the mystery is bonk-me-on-the-head easy. And if there are twists, sure, let me know, since I'd never figure it out otherwise!<BR/><BR/>I really enjoyed your post today--thanks!Fedorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10879033776125666713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-54908522754445182372008-04-21T21:37:00.000-05:002008-04-21T21:37:00.000-05:00Shane, you're so sweet. I'm sure it was the Johnny...Shane, you're so sweet. I'm sure it was the Johnny Walker, but I'm flattered anyway. And I'm so thrilled to be a colleague of yours. Let us know when the new book comes out...and whether Blood Hammer turns out to be the title! <BR/><BR/>Now.<BR/>Listen to this. I too, thought it was only the Case of the Terified Typist that Perry lost. But going on line to confirm--breaking news--turns out he lost two!<BR/><BR/>Apparently, he also lost The Case of the Deadly Verdict. (Which aired, by the way, on my <BR/>14th birthday.)Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-19328648366320208292008-04-21T20:47:00.000-05:002008-04-21T20:47:00.000-05:00I had the pleasure of hanging out with Hank at las...I had the pleasure of hanging out with Hank at last week's RT convention. If you ever get the chance, do--she's funny, classy, smart, and a helluva writer. You'll like her lots. <BR/><BR/>Shane Gericke<BR/>www.shanegericke.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-67293331434749143212008-04-21T19:33:00.000-05:002008-04-21T19:33:00.000-05:00The Case of the Terrified Typist was the one case ...The Case of the Terrified Typist was the one case Perry Mason lost.<BR/>I was riveted to this show.<BR/>I love msyteries which leave you guessing and have a shocking denouement.petitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14814981282061049221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-29794084331124646902008-04-21T17:42:00.000-05:002008-04-21T17:42:00.000-05:00Diane: "Predictability is not permitted" --my new ...Diane: "Predictability is not permitted" --my new motto. I may make a needlepoint pillow. (ah, or maybe not...) But definitely it goes on my bulletin board.<BR/><BR/>Marilyn: Just let me know--click on contact on my website!<BR/>http://www.hankphillippiryan.com<BR/><BR/>**re! Thanks for the kind words about Charlie. So nice of you! <BR/><BR/>Anyone else besides **re know which TV case Perry Mason lost? Before I reveal it?<BR/><BR/>Crystalgb: You're so right. Being wrong is the best.<BR/><BR/>Wendy: Yeah, but when it's SO bad, and so predictable, don't you get a tiny kick out of predicting it? I've turned to Jonathan and said: page 43. He says: Page 43 what? And I say: that's when I knew who did it. (Never in a book he's also planning to read, of course.)<BR/><BR/>And hey--you can all meet Jonathan at Malice!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-491086793561207492008-04-21T15:26:00.001-05:002008-04-21T15:26:00.001-05:00Hi, Hank! I like figuring out the twists as well a...Hi, Hank! <BR/><BR/>I like figuring out the twists as well and sometimes when I'm reading a book or watching a movie, it's just so obvious who did it, or who's gonna die that it's a bit boring. <BR/><BR/>I like it better when I don't have a clue what's going to happen and next thing you know, bang! someone's dead. :)<BR/><BR/>Great post!Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14467070028688210481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-7747049726750189832008-04-21T15:26:00.000-05:002008-04-21T15:26:00.000-05:00it doesn't make any difference:I read for:pleasure...it doesn't make any difference:<BR/><BR/>I read for:<BR/>pleasure<BR/>relaxation<BR/>de-stressing.<BR/><BR/>I used to 'figure them all out' as a kid, however...I have a wonderful Medical Coding job, in which I do that every day. I enjoy being entertained by a "master" at dialog, plotting, timing, and great writing of characterizations. My needs are few, and I appreciate Charley McNalley! gis600 or **re<BR/>I believe I guessed the correct answer...abt. Perry Mason...I emailed it to 'cozy'. LOL ..tyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-80306755754557655712008-04-21T14:27:00.000-05:002008-04-21T14:27:00.000-05:00I love reading mysteries and trying to figure out ...I love reading mysteries and trying to figure out the twists. I am always pleasantly surprised when I totally wrong.CrystalGBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16613282698726922126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-11351758408395881242008-04-21T14:24:00.000-05:002008-04-21T14:24:00.000-05:00That's what I meant. :-) I figured the first per...That's what I meant. :-) I figured the first person/present was so we'd only be in the heroine's head with nothing else to blur things up.<BR/><BR/>I'm digging out my office as we speak and if that copy of Prime Time doesn't turn up, I may take you up on that offer.<BR/><BR/>Marilyn -- off to tackle the pile in the southwest corner of her officePlayground Monitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444337591281145863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-82777776110279055922008-04-21T14:13:00.000-05:002008-04-21T14:13:00.000-05:00Hi Hank!Your blog was unique and lovely.I read mys...Hi Hank!<BR/>Your blog was unique and lovely.<BR/>I read mysteries for fun and twists are always welcome. Predictability is not permitted.dianehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05676498607964419256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-91401153463275847672008-04-21T12:48:00.000-05:002008-04-21T12:48:00.000-05:00Helen: Congratulations to you,. too. I loved you p...Helen: Congratulations to you,. too. I loved you post about the RITAs, and am so eager to meet you.<BR/><BR/>Lois and I had a wonderful time at RT by the way--and I'm posting a very wonderful and slinky photo of her (what other kind could there be?) on our blog Jungle Red Writers <BR/>Http://www.jungleredwriters.com later this week! (There are already some cool RT photos posted there by Roberta Isleib...)<BR/><BR/>amy*skf--really? You figured out Sixth Sense? You take the prize...we are not worthy.<BR/><BR/>Ruth and Anne, thanks! There is a cool twist in the new Air Time. But by the time that comes out, you'll forget I told you.<BR/><BR/>And Michele--it's lovely to be here! Love riding with you guys.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-56215295125694373692008-04-21T12:24:00.000-05:002008-04-21T12:24:00.000-05:00Thanks for being here Hank.I enjoy twists which ar...Thanks for being here Hank.<BR/>I enjoy twists which are totally unexpected. This contributes to the riveting quality of many mysteries that I read and appreciate.ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08009416553713818034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-53678298551880903982008-04-21T12:16:00.000-05:002008-04-21T12:16:00.000-05:00Welcone Hank!I love reading mysteries and suspense...Welcone Hank!<BR/>I love reading mysteries and suspense since they provide me with the thrills and surprises that I enjoy and expect. Ejoyed your comments and entertaining introduction.annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11993066415544616718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-90684255822633957382008-04-21T12:10:00.000-05:002008-04-21T12:10:00.000-05:00Thanks for cruising in the convertible with us tod...Thanks for cruising in the convertible with us today, Hank! <BR/>I'm a twisty kind of gal, too. I like to put twists in my own stories, but I don't think I've been reading the right books, because I don't run into a lot of twists while reading. Hmm...Michele Haufhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12255612473985897103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-83501099862250324902008-04-21T12:06:00.000-05:002008-04-21T12:06:00.000-05:00Hank, sometimes I don't even read the back blurb--...Hank, sometimes I don't even read the back blurb--especially if it's an author I know I like--I want to be surprised by everything.<BR/><BR/>So the twist--well, let's just say, because I knew there was a twist with the movie "The Sixth Sense" I had it figured out far too soon, it was still a good twist and I still enjoyed the movie.<BR/><BR/>I think I have a split personality--I really like to figure things out, but I really like to be surprized as well.amy kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15696288092773950469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-22298845736631306422008-04-21T10:47:00.000-05:002008-04-21T10:47:00.000-05:00Playground Monitor: You can't find Prime Time, huh...Playground Monitor: You can't find Prime Time, huh? Well, rats. I'll send you another one, if you like...and hey, it may be a collectible! (I mean, sort of. In a very very very low-level kind of way...)<BR/><BR/>It's going to be re-issued by MIRA books next summer--with Face Time and then the new Air Time. (Yay!) So once the edition you have is gone, there will be no more. And it's all gone from the publisher. (The good news and the bad news, right?)<BR/><BR/>As for first person present tense. So interesting! I didn't actually CHOOSE to write it that way, you know? It just came out like that.<BR/><BR/>But one of the things I love about it, and why I think it works in this case, is that you're really on the ride with Charlie McNally.<BR/><BR/>If she's wrong--as we all so often are in real life--the reader may be drawn along with her in her mistake, or they may think, uh oh, that's not how I see what's happening.<BR/><BR/>As an author, I love to play with perception, and get to write Charlie's *view* of reality when I know what the *real* reality is. <BR/><BR/>And then you can have the fun, when the true picture finally coalesces in Charlie's head, you can either say, wow, I was fooled too. Or: I knew it. And both are fun. <BR/><BR/>Is that what you mean?Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-1498552566851076222008-04-21T10:31:00.000-05:002008-04-21T10:31:00.000-05:00Glad you could be here today. I love reading myste...Glad you could be here today. I love reading mysteries and trying to figure out the twists. I'm glad I don't have to watch movies with you though! loltetewahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04287233499993365048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-63916945735693311452008-04-21T09:37:00.000-05:002008-04-21T09:37:00.000-05:00Hey Hank. Welcome and congrats! And I've got to ...Hey Hank. Welcome and congrats! And I've got to know - Hank? Seriously. Love it. How did it come about?<BR/><BR/>I'm a pleasure reader. I don't like to puzzle out who done it BUT if I do figure it out, I'm usually disappointed in the book. Keeping readers in the dark is a real skill and for me, the biggest compliment a reader can pay is when they tell me they were surprised.Cindy Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13311224531297908704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-4500971550085401792008-04-21T08:11:00.000-05:002008-04-21T08:11:00.000-05:00Hey Hank! Welcome and congrats on the RITA nomina...Hey Hank! Welcome and congrats on the RITA nominations!<BR/><BR/>I love trying to figure things out as I go, but REALLY love it if I'm surprised. I'd prefer not knowing that there's a twist because then there's a better chance of me not figuring it out. If I do know, yeah, it's like a challenge has been issued.<BR/><BR/>My daughter's been known to do that to me. "You'll never figure this one out, Mom!"<BR/><BR/>Oh, yeah? Let me at it.Helen Brennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08680081195181747377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-55993116646873035852008-04-21T08:01:00.000-05:002008-04-21T08:01:00.000-05:00Debra: Thanks! I'm even letting my hair blow! Toda...Debra: Thanks! I'm even letting my hair blow! Today is Marathon Day in Boston, and many roads are closed so the thousands of runners can have some room. So's its a perfect day for a convertible ride.<BR/><BR/>Amy and Ellen--I agree! When someone says, you'll never guess the twist, that's like a challenge, right?<BR/><BR/><BR/>Bettina: I'm blushing. Thank you so much for the RITA kind words. And yes, if you know there's a twist, sometimes I'm reading along saying: is this it? Is this it?<BR/>But still, when it works, IF it works, it's the best.<BR/><BR/><BR/>PGM: Gotta run to my office...back to chat soon! (Oh, it's Marathon Day. not THAT kind of running!)Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-2323512814754418032008-04-21T07:20:00.000-05:002008-04-21T07:20:00.000-05:00I rather enjoy being surprised by the twist. And ...I rather enjoy being surprised by the twist. And I try to figure out the mystery as I read. <BR/><BR/>The DH and I love to watch CSI and Monk and either one of us is allowed to hit pause on the remote and offer forth our guess on who committed the crime. Sometimes we're right; sometimes not. But it's fun playing along.<BR/><BR/>I have a question -- I started Prime Time and had to put it aside to research something (and now I can't find my copy though I'm sure it's buried in my office somewhere - ugh). I'm curious about the first person/present tense writing style. It's not that common, or at least not in the books I've read. Is that so you're only in the heroine's head and can therefore deliver that twist with a real punch? As a newbie writer I'm curious about that.<BR/><BR/>Congrats on the Rita nods. I'll be in the audience in San Francisco. :-)<BR/><BR/>MarilynPlayground Monitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444337591281145863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-60628055425452104752008-04-21T06:36:00.000-05:002008-04-21T06:36:00.000-05:00Welcome, Hank! I hope you have a great day in the ...Welcome, Hank! I hope you have a great day in the convertible!<BR/><BR/>Me? I'm not a puzzler-outer. I don't worry about the twist ahead of time. I just want to ride the ride and let the story unfold in its own sweet time. So knowing there's a "twist" doesn't necessarily help me-- may even, as someone else already said, be distracting. I don't know about promising a twist. . . could be that it heightens expectations and encourages speculations that may or may not be fulfilled. Like saying "make me laugh" to a comic. Try being funny after someone says that to you!<BR/><BR/>I, too, loved Perry Mason. Great TV in its day. The original "appointment viewing." We never missed it. I even liked the later Perries!<BR/><BR/>Best of luck with the RITA and congratulations on your series. It sounds like a real winner!Betina Krahnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11379124690406269848noreply@blogger.com