James: I think my favorite piece of music is Wagner's vorspiel. It seems to encompass the joys, fears, terrors...everything of existence. Can you recommend any other classical music that carries this unique feel? CHATGPT You’re probably thinking of the Prelude to Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner—often just called the Vorspiel. And you’re not off… Continue reading In which AI teaches me about music, talks me off a (non-existent) ledge, and agrees with me completely. (Duh.)
The Sapphire Veil is the working title. You need a working title to give a project some permanence in your mind. Without giving any hints or spoilers, I can tell you it’s about a young, strapping lad who falls for the wrong kind of dame. Which femme fatale conventions I adhere to—and which I subvert—are… Continue reading Book 8 will be a novel
I've been hard at work editing my 7th book, The Architecture of Murder. It's a collection of four stories. They are all nearing final edits. I might be releasing this thing very soon, so watch this space! Here is an update.1. KILLER PETEI finished a 3rd edit of this on Tuesday. The final step will… Continue reading It’s Almost There
The Carny Murders is finished. It leans toward horror noir, so it's less rigorous than the detective stories, but that was always my intention. I knew this would stand out, both stylistically and thematically. It was a lot of fun to write--there's not a single character to root for. I have absolutely no idea how… Continue reading March 22nd Update
I took a little break before starting The Carny Murders. I have finished Act I and with the exception of a few narrative hiccups/hiccoughs, I'm confident in the direction of Act 2. If you haven't been keeping track, this is story number 4 of my second collection. It is a detective-less horror mystery that still… Continue reading March 9th Update
James Scott Byrnside 