News 
For announcements and happenings.
Coming in 2013
The Mayan calendar came to its end, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Instead, it’s the start of a new era. Does that herald an increase in creativity? A dawning of new stories? It’s time to look ahead to what 2013 will bring. I still need to conclude my original and ongoing seralized… Read More ›

Celebrating Two Years
Pop the cork and pour the champagne, it’s The Poisoned Martini‘s birthday! I can hardly believe it’s only been two years! The site has really grown in that short time. Thank you to everyone who’s stopped by for a visit or two or a longer stay to see what develops. I especially want to thank all… Read More ›
A New Page
Check out the new page on The Poisoned Martini! For a long time, I’ve been meaning to add a page about Syracuse, NY, my hometown and the setting for much of my writing. The page will complement the local links I’ve previously included at the bottom of the page. This new feature is meant to give… Read More ›
Blog Week V (Nov 11 – 17)
Once again, it’s nearly time for Blog Week! Being in the middle of participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I must be insane to think of hosting a blog week. Where will I find the time?! But it’s always fun to see what’ll happen. Now you might be asking: what’s Blog Week? Think of… Read More ›
National Novel Writing Month 2012
Have you started writing your novel? It’s that time of year when writers take up the challenge to write a novel as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). From November 1 until 11:59:59 on November 30, all budding writers are encouraged to tackle writing a novel (50,000 words minimum or approximately 175 pages). With… Read More ›
10,000 Hits!
In the wee hours of the morning, The Poisoned Martini achieved a milestone … 10,000 hits! What garnered that coveted 10,000th hit? This post about the musical Into the Woods. Since I first wrote about this favorite of mine on January 4, 2011, it’s been visited 215 times, making it the 3rd most viewed post on… Read More ›
From the Co-author of The Agatha Christie Companion
Recently, The Poisoned Martini received a letter… Dear Brian Abbott, I am Len Lovallo, the co-author of the Christie Companion. This afternoon, I was on Google and happened to click on Image for myself–for no particular reason other than I had never done it before–and saw the photo of the Agatha Christie Companion –“well used”, and I… Read More ›
Blog Week IV (May 28 – June 2)
It’s almost that time again…Stay tuned for The Poisoned Martini’s fourth Blog Week! What is it? All week long, there’ll be something new to see, read, or experience on The Poisoned Martini. That means daily posts, and maybe more. Be sure to check out the site daily for an intensive week of posts, starting Monday! Sincerely, Brian… Read More ›
National Short Story Month
Did you know May is National Short Story Month? Though I don’t believe it’s officially recognized–like April as National Poetry Month (established in 1996)–there is growing momentum to recognize this form of oft overlooked writing. “Short stories are one of fiction’s most vital and necessary exports, though often they are not read with the frequency… Read More ›

Unearthing Murder
Read along with The Poisoned Martini this Spring… Mysteries are all about uncovering hidden truths. Archaeology is all about unearthing secrets of the past. Together they are a natural fit for an exciting story that presents a murder to solve and details about another time and place. Such stories have long been part of the… Read More ›