Literary Genome Project?

by Bethany Maines         

As I was furiously hitting the “thumbs down” on Pandora this morning, I wondered just how their stupid blankity, blank, blank, algorithms could get my musical tastes so wrong. Pandora, for those unaware, is a free music service that plays “stations” based on songs you select or “like.” I doubt that I have ever “liked” an Audio Slave song, and even if I have, at no point in my entire life, will I ever feel like Audio Slave at eight in the morning.

An internet search reveals that Pandora algorithms ignore such things as genre, artist, or what other members also like those songs. Instead, they run of Music Genome technology that analyzes each song and suggests songs that have similar characteristics. Which, in theory, is awesome.  At eight in the morning, it sucks major hind tit.

But isn’t that the problem with algorithms? There is always one more factor you wish the algorithm had been programmed to consider.

I used to read the newspaper movie reviews and I became attuned to interpreting the reviewers taste to mine. A one star comedy was really a two star comedy. A two star action movie was really four star awesomeness. And a three star drama was a three star drama. The man really did not fully embrace the action movie ethos. 

Finding a book to read is another exercise in mental jujitsu. We all do it - weighing what we know about the author, the person recommending the book, the book blurb, and any reviews, all before buying or borrowing. All I really want is a book with minimal plot holes that makes me laugh, fall in love, and thrill to moments of action. We need a Literature Genome project! Something who can tell us all about the tone, the writing quality and the basic je ne sais quoi of a book. Although, now that I think about it – that may just be currently known as “a Librarian.”

The Stiletto Gang is now on Facebook!  Please come join us!

  

Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her on Twitter.

A brave new world - FACEBOOK!

by: Joelle Charbonneau

Okay, Facebook has been around for a while, so it isn't exactly brand new. Each of us have our own social media pages for us to socialize, post cat photos and talk about what we had for dinner, but as of this week we now have combined forces and have a page dedicated to all things STILETTO GANG!

Hurray! Throw confetti!  Dance!  Eat cake!  Take a nap!

Hmmm...well, the last suggestion might not sound all that exciting to some, but the idea of a nap sounds like a wonderful way to celebrate to me.  I guess that's the late night writing sessions and the hectic conference and travel schedule talking.  But hey - we all have different things that make us happy, right?

Which is why a group Facebook page is such a fun concept to me.  Instead of one person blogging every day - which is good...now we can all chat and yammer and give stuff away all on the same days. It's an every day party hosted by a bunch of ladies in high-heeled footwear.  (Or wedges and flats....I can't help it.  High heels and I don't always get along!)  We are still working out all the details on how the Facebook page will evolve and much of that depends on you and what kinds of parties you like best....cake eating?  Confetti throwing, dancing or napping?  However it grows and changes, I can promise you one thing - it's going to a fun adventure.   But of course, for the adventure to really begin, we need you!  

Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/stilettogang

Like the page.

And let the fun begin!

Through the Evil Days - Julia Spencer-Fleming

The Stiletto Gang is delighted to welcome Julia Spencer-Fleming!  We are huge fans so this guest appearance has us all a-twitter...if you haven't checked out Julia's books featuring minister Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne, now's the time. Through the Evil Days, the seventh in this fantastic series, is on sale this November.

Dos and Don'ts of blending Mystery and Romance

I clearly remember the moment when I realized that the romance subplot/second story of my mysteries had become the plot/primary story: I had just given a talk to an enthusiastic group at a bookstore,  detailing how I work out the twists and turns of the murder, how I use the harsh weather and rural landscape to echo conflicts within the book, how the crimes highlights social issues I feel strongly about. The it was time for questions. A well-dressed woman's hand shot up. “What I want to know is,” she stood up for emphasis, “when are they going to Do It?”

Well, then.

The tradition of including a romance within a mystery goes way back – who among us hasn't swooned when Peter Whimsey finally got his proposal to Harriet Vane right: “Placetne, magistra?” “Placet.” Or when Deborah Knott finally realizes Dwight Bryant has been waiting for her for years. Or when art thief John Smythe, battered and bruised, admits his love for art historian Vicky Bliss? Can you recall the crimes in Gaudy Night, Rituals of the Season and Trojan Gold? I can't. But, boy, I remember those scenes.

So what have I learned in seven – soon to be eight – books about the tortured, tempestuous relationship between Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson and chief of police Russ Van Alstyne? Glad you asked. Let me share with you my dos and don'ts of blending the genres:

DO take advantage of the long story arc. In a straight-up romance, the hero and heroine need to find their “Happy Ever After” by the end of the book (in the same way that the mystery has to be solved at the end in crime fiction.) But in a series, readers get to follow the couple, sometimes for years, as they get to know and love each other. When Russ and Clare meet in In the Bleak Midwinter, he's contentedly married and she's a brand-new cleric in a brand-new parish. How they struggle and resist and succumb to their feelings becomes a story that spreads out over seven books (and counting!)

DON'T play it safe. There's a lot of crime fiction where the amateur sleuth meets the detective in book one, dates him in books two through four, is engaged in book five and married by book six. Their big conflict is usually that she's nosy and he's overprotective. Nice enough, but it doesn't tend to make the heart race. A good romance has complications and obstacles and hurdles galore for the lovers. In Hank Phillippi Ryan's Jane Ryland books, her eponymous heroine and Detective Jake Brogan are passionately in love right from the start. But if he's dating a reporter, he'll be suspected by the department anytime anyone leaks a story to the press. And if she's dating a cop, her hard-won career as a crime reporter becomes tainted be perceptions of favoritism. They literally can't be seen together. But they yearn to be together! What to do? Obviously, you have to keep reading to find out.

DO use danger as an aphrodisiac. In Out of the Deep I Cry, Russ and Clare are locked in the pitch-black  cellar of a derelict building. They have no weapons, no phone and the place is flooding with freezing cold water. (It sounds a little bit like the Perils of Pauline as I describe the scene, but trust me, it works.) Isolation and the fear of imminent death break down their barriers and they kiss. Who wouldn't? If the hero and heroine are going to be rubbing shoulders with bad guys and putting themselves in harm's way, take advantage of it!

DON'T mess with reader expectations. When someone picks up a mystery, she has a reasonable expectation that there's going to be a crime (usually a murder) a series of clues, and a solution. When someone reads a romance, she has a reasonable expectation that there will be a couple, they will change and be changed by each other, and they will reach a Happily Ever After (or at least a Happy-For-Now, with an option to upgrade.) There's not much more disappointing than getting to the end of a mystery and not learning Whodunnit. Or how. It's equally infuriating to root and cheer for a couple only to have one of them die or leave town at the end. Elizabeth George, I'm looking at you, here.

DO It. When readers have anguished and yearned and hoped along with a couple for two, four, six books, they want to experience the payoff. You don't have to have a play-by-play book with diagrams, but let's see a few fireworks! Readers want to experience the big emotions in the other parts of the characters' lives – anger, frustration, triumph – so it's natural to want to be there for one of the biggest emotional events of all. And, after all, unlike killing someone, it's something most of us have actual experience with...

Julia Spencer-Fleming's New York Times bestselling books have won multiple awards, including the Anthony and Agatha, and have been Edgar and RT Reader's Choice nominees.  The next Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne novel, Through the Evil Days, comes out on November 5^th. You can find Julia at her website, her readerSpace, on Facebook and on Twitter as @jspencerfleming. She also blogs with the Jungle Red Writers.

http://www.juliaspencerfleming.com/index.html

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062196538

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rituals-of-the-season-margaret-maron/1100299235?ean=9780892968091

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780380731237-3

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Evil-Days-Fergusson-Mysteries/dp/0312606842/ref=la_B001IGUSD4_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380651916&sr=1-1
 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-bleak-midwinter-julia-spencer-fleming/1100337490?ean=9781250006516

http://www.amazon.com/Hank-Phillippi-Ryan/e/B001T2BNEA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1380651974&sr=1-2-ent

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250016041

http://www.juliaspencerfleming.com/index.html

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Evil-Days-Fergusson-Mysteries/dp/0312606842

http://www.juliaspencerfleming.com/index.html

http://juliaspencerfleming.ning.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julia-Spencer-Fleming/177457288939862

https://twitter.com/JSpencerFleming

https://twitter.com/JSpencerFleming

http://www.jungleredwriters.com/

The Mental Getaway

By Laura Bradford

I'm not sure if it's the stress of my impending deadline (although I think this is going to be a really fun book) or life stuff, but I keep finding myself dreaming of places I want to go.

Some, are favorite spots--places I've been and absolutely adore. Others, are places I simply want to go to because of things I've heard or pictures I've seen.

Today, I want to get on a plane and go to Disney. I just want to smile and play and have ZERO stress.

Next week, I could see that becoming my aunt's place in the city...where I can write for hours and then head across the park to watch the sea lion's eat.

Where would you go today if you could?

~Laura

How Do You Decide Which Mystery or Writing Conference to Go to?

Going to mystery cons are so much fun--and I used to go to a lot more than what I do now. The main reason I've cut down is I no longer enjoy flying. I've always had to change planes at least twice and often three times. Once I had to change concourses which meant a bus ride and going through security again.

Back when it was easier, I went to Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime no matter where they were (well in the U.S. anyway.)  After a while it was like going to a reunion because of meeting old friends--some of whom I met at previous cons.

One of my favorite cons was Mayhem in the Midlands which is no longer in existence. Too bad, Omaha was a great place to visit. And that was part of the whole experience, because all these cons are held in different cities, there is the opportunity to see places you'd never get to otherwise.

I went once to Love is Murder and loved it. Being a California native, what I didn't love was flying in right in front of a snow storm--though loved the snow once we got settled in the hotel. Also loved meeting new people, and spending time with old friends too.

I've been twice to Malice Domestic--loved it, but it's just too far away.

Left Coast Crime is another favorite--and I will be going to the one in Monterey CA--that's drivable for me. Whether or not I'll go to Bouchercon (also in CA--Long Beach) hasn't been decided. Driving in L.A. traffic is another things I've given up.

One writing conference I go to every year is Public Safety Writers Association's conference. The participants are made up of men and women in many public safety field, active and retired: police, FBI, dispatchers, firefighters, the Air Force equivalent of NCIS, on police psychiatrist, most of whom write mysteries or want to write mysteries and a small contingent of mystery writers who have figured out this is a good place to make friends with people who know how it really is. A small conference, it's easy to really network.This one is always in Las Vegas in July--another I can drive to, and the month it's held makes the hotel price cheap.

Epic is a conference for e-published authors and publishers. I've been to most of them. This is small and moves around each year. Whether I go to anymore will depend upon where they are

The big question is why go? First off, it's fun. Mystery readers attend Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime. An author can meet readers with a little effort (means speaking to strangers), being friendly, and handing out business cards or bookmarks. I've met several readers this way who have since become my fans..

Because most of us are mystery fans too, it's great to see your favorite authors and tell them how much you love their books.

What Mystery or Writing Conferences do you go to, and why?

Marilyn

Coming very, very soon. #13 in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series!

Bouchercon in Albany

This is my third year attending Bouchercon, which gives me the chance to visit cities that may or may not have been on my radar. So far I’ve been to St. Louis and Cleveland and got to see their main tourist attraction, that being the Arch and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This year, Bouchercon was in my home state and its capital, Albany. I’ve never been there and I was excited to see the governor’s mansion and the state capital building. I suspect their main attraction is the EGG, which is part of the Empire State Plaza.

Friends: As always, it is great seeing old friends and meeting new friends face-to-face. The power of social media makes this happens. I’ve also stopped saying “I’m a just reader” when asked what am I. Now I say, “I’m a blogger, reviewer and a reader” as I have been told.

Panels: There were so many panels to choose from attending several of the panels that were offered. One panel had Brad Parks turn from book author to Superman Parks. Another panel talked about big city crime. Then there was the panel where attendees had to guess what food product was featured in which author’s book. That too was fun. One panel was popular by the time I got there it was standing room only. Then there was the panel that talked about how far could you go in a cozy. Then there was panel about being a private eye and the panel about being a writer with no room service. Overall, I had a good time at the panels that I attended.

Books: What can I see, one of the things I like about attending these conferences is what books will appear in your goodie bag, what books will I buy and what books will I get as free giveaways. This is my biggest haul of books I’ve gotten autographed and standing on line was worth it. I was most happy with my copy of W for Wasted by Sue Grafton and I knew no matter how long, I will be standing in that line to get my book autographed.

Authors: Harlan Coben called me a troublemaker. It was great talking with authors that I’ve work with on my blog and those I friended on Facebook. These conferences allow a face-to-face meeting and it’s great. It also gives me the opportunity to meet other authors that I have not come across in my regular reads. There’s a couple of new authors who debuts their new books in 2014 and I look forward to reading their work.

I was lucky to get the opportunity to take a tour of the New York State Trooper facilities. It was cool. We got to see their headquarters, their gym, their dorms and when we saw a training that involved German Shepard dogs.  We also got a chance to go into the indoor firing range where I imagine myself shooting a bulls-eye in dead center mass. 

I'm an introvert but when I am in my element, that is being around authors, fellow readers and books, I’m not as shy. Thank you for letting me know that reading is good and hanging with the authors and fans is Awesome.

Am I'm going to the next Bouchercon? Yes I am and I can't wait to hit the town of Long Beach. Who else is joining me?

Some photos from Bouchercon.  What excited me most was finding a phone booth with a working phone and a seat where you can close the door.
                 

The Brooklyn Book Festival

I’m finally back in Kansas City from the Brooklyn Book Festival. More than 45,000 people attended the festival, and 200 stalls sprawled across three blocks in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, representing a cross-section of independent bookstores, independent presses and magazines. At times, the crowd was so packed it was difficult to move. New York City's largest free literary event offered a long list of lectures, conversations and presentations at fourteen different locations. Sunday afternoon presentations included famous authors with Brooklyn connections, such as Edwidge Danticat, Pete Hamill, and Colum McCann.

After a weeklong series of over 60 “Bookend” events from Sept. 16 – 22, the Brooklyn Book Festival consisted of 90-plus panels, readings and workshops spread across 14 stages. Among the venues were Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, Columbus Park, Brooklyn Law School, St. Francis College, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church.

I wasn’t sure I’d make it safely to the festival from my Brooklyn hotel since my cab driver couldn’t find the address and ended up driving while wearing his reading glasses so he could decipher his cell phone’s GPS. But he managed to deliver me safe and sound to St. Francis College where my 10:00 a.m. panel was to take place.

On the panel called “Six Degrees of Separation,” Meredith Walters of the Brooklyn Public Library moderated Brooklyn poet laureate Tina Chang, novelist Ray Robertson, memoirist Leigh Newman, and me as we read from our work and discussed the similarities and differences of between the different genres of writing. The conversation ranged across the topics of voice, setting, and characters/personae and found us agreeing with and learning from each other as we examined the process of writing.

Next for me came a reading with other great Latino authors at the Las Comadres/La Casa Azul Bookstore booth in the small city of vendor booths that had sprung up on the Brooklyn Borough Hall plaza. A lovely crowd gathered and grew as the reading progressed. The crowds moving among the stalls warmed my heart—so many readers and booklovers.

All too soon in midafternoon, I had to leave the festival to make the trip down the Hudson River to the Hudson Valley Writers Center, a beautiful restored train station, to give another reading with the incredibly talented Sergio Troncoso. This center is located in Sleepy Hollow, New York, one of the loveliest towns you’ll ever see.

All this whirlwind of activity was bookended by a grueling road trip from Kansas City to New York City and back. Now, all I want to do is sleep. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, though. 

Do you like to attend book festivals or writers conferences? Do you return energized or drained?

Sometimes it pays to be lazy

by Maria Geraci

Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch catching up on the shows on my DVD when I decided to get something out of the freezer. Okay, I'll just get this out of the way and admit it was ice-cream. An ice-cream Snickers bar, to be exact.

So I got my ice-cream Snickers bar and put the box back in the freezer, when something horrific happened. I couldn't shut the door back again. It was stuck. Like something was in the way. Only I couldn't easily find what that something was.

Let me give you a little background on this fridge. It's old. Like 20 years old. But it still runs perfectly and with 2 kids in college I'm not replacing my fridge anytime soon unless forced.

So with my rapidly melting Snickers bar in hand and the rest of Chicago Fire to catch up on, I was faced with a dilemma: Take the time to figure out what was causing the freezer door to stick, or enjoy my ice-cream and my show.

Anyone who knows me, knows I choose Option B. Yes, I have always preferred instant gratification.
Now, I will preface this to say that I didn't have anything expensive in the freezer. No big cuts of meat or anything. As a matter of fact, probably the most valuable thing in the freezer at the time was the rest of those ice-cream Snickers bars.

So I enjoyed my ice-cream and my show and by the time I got back to the freezer some of the stuff in the bottom drawer had began to melt. I went to the garage and got the biggest trash bag I could find and began tossing stuff away, which mainly consisted of countless bags of tired looking frozen vegetables and other semi-frozen products of questionable origin. Once I had that bottom drawer cleared, a miracle happened. I was able to close my freezer drawer. Mystery solved!

But of course, I couldn't stop there. I emptied out the rest of that freezer, scrubbed it down with soap, rinsed it out and now it shines like the top of the Chrysler building. I was on a roll. So I figured why stop there?

Next, it was the oven. Yes, it's self-cleaning, but hey, someone has to push the button to start the process.

The microwave and stovetop came next.

Then my pantry.

My husband came home from work to find me in a flurry of kitchen activity. Not exactly the activity he would have preferred at that point (which would have been me cooking dinner) but hey, I now had a near spotless kitchen. With a freezer door that easily opens and shuts and lots of room for more stuff.

I'll be honest. If I had chosen Option A, I would have quickly discovered I had too much stuff in the bottom drawer, rearranged a few frozen vegetable bags, been able to close my freezer door and gone back to my cozy couch and my tv. I'd also still have a messy kitchen.

The moral of my little story? Sometimes procrastination wins the day.