Maybe It’s Normal, but I Don’t Have to Like It

By Kay Kendall

This month I’m putting final touches on my second mystery, rushing to meet a self-imposed deadline and trying to make up for time lost with my spouse’s recent illness. The waiting period before my editor’s comments arrived was agonizing. That was when I drummed my fingers on the table instead of pounding keys on my PC.

What will my editor say? Is my second book junk compared to my first one? Is it a hopeless mess? Have I lost my touch—that is, any talent that I had to begin with? The days passed. The clock ticked. I chewed my cuticles. I waited. 

All authors who address the agonies of the writing and publishing process

mention that there are always down periods when they doubt themselves. Even those who routinely issue bestselling novels confess to having these feelings.

Okay, so misery loves company. I admit that their angst makes mine lighter by seeming normal. Usually that kind of reasoning works for me.

However! This week while I waited for my editor’s next round of revisions, I decided this was no fun at all. I didn’t care if it was normal. I didn’t care if others felt the same way. I didn’t feel good about anything, and my nerves were shredded.

Yesterday when the long-awaited documents hit my inbox, I opened them immediately, read through the general comments, and scanned the three-hundred-page manuscript that will become RAINY DAY WOMEN, the further exploits of my intrepid amateur sleuth Austin Starr.

After thirty minutes of reading, I realized I had slid into a comfortable groove. I’d been here before with mystery number one, DESOLATION ROW. I recalled enjoying this part of the process—the to and fro with my editor. She’s a good fit with me. We happily spend time choosing the right synonym or arguing about the proper way to spell whiskey. Or whisky, depending what country it comes from. Yes, I had worked through this once with the first book. You bet I could do it again. 

Since I have persevered, not given up, not thrown in the towel, I have moved on to this delicious stage of preparing my manuscript for publication. If it weren’t for the too-tight deadline, I would be having a blast. I cannot burn the midnight oil as I once did—never mind at 30. How about back when I could really tear up the track—when I was 50? <Note to Editor Beth: Yes, I've indulged my flaw--a fondness for cliches--but I usually mean them tongue-in-cheek. I'll enjoy them here all the better to rip them from the ms.>

And so it goes, as my manuscript, my editor, my publisher Stairway Press, and I tramp ever onward to that hallowed publication date. Please mark your calendars, my friends. RAINY  DAY WOMEN sees the light of day—despite its title—on Tuesday, July 7.

                                                        *******

Kay Kendall set her debut novel, DESOLATION ROW--AN AUSTIN STARR MYSTERY in 1968. The sequel RAINY DAY WOMEN shows her amateur sleuth Austin Starr proving her best friend didn't murder women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. A fan of historical mysteries, Kay does for the 1960s what novelist Jacqueline Winspear accomplishes for England in the 1930s–present atmospheric mysteries that capture the spirit of the age. She is also an award-winning international PR executive who lives in Texas with her husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. Terribly allergic to the bunnies, she loves them anyway! Her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan buff too. 

My Latest Book by Marilyn aka F.M. Meredith

Though I haven't seen a copy yet, Violent Departures, the latest in my Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series is now available on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Violent-Departures-Rocky-Bluff-P-D/dp/1610091817/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1426344244&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Violent+Departures+by+F.+M.+Meredith

Blurb for Violent Departures:

College student, Veronica Randall, disappears from her car in her own driveway, everyone in the Rocky Bluff P.D. is looking for her. Detective Milligan and family move into a house that may be haunted. Officer Butler is assigned to train a new hire and faces several major challenges.

I am expecting copies and hope to have them by the time this blog post appears.

As always, I have events scheduled and hoping to have books available by them.

On line, I'll be doing a blog tour, and here is where I'l be and what I wrote about the first week:

April 1  http://mmgornell.wordpress.com/

What’s Happening with Gordon Butler?

April 2  http://christanardi.blogspot.com/

            Introduction to the Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery Series

April 3 http://gumbojustice.blogspot.com/

            My Writing Process

April 4 http://justthefactsmaam.blogspot.com/

            Research

April 5 http://jrlindermuth.blogspot.com/

 What’s Up Next?

April 6  http://marianallen.com/

The Importance of Place

April 7 http://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com

            Coming Up With New Ideas for an Ongoing Series

Contest:

Because it has been popular on my other blog tours, once again I’m offering the chance for the person who comments on the most blog posts during this tour to have a character named for him or her in the next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery.

Or if that doesn’t appeal, the person may choose one of the earlier books in the series—either a print book or Kindle copy.

For those of you who haven't read one in this series, it isn't necessary to start at the first one as I've written each as a stand-alone--whatever the crime is will be solved by the end. Yes, of course, the characters grow and change through out. This has been called a cozy police-procedural though it really doesn't have the criteria for a cozy except that the setting is a small town and it is a bit milder than most police proceduarls as the members of the police department and their families are more tlike the men and women that I know.

Marilyn aka F.M. Meredith

Meet the Authors of the 2014 Agatha Best First Novel Nominees!

Each year at Malice Domestic, writing excellence is recognized by the Agatha awards. This year’s nominees for Best First Novel are:

Circle of Influence by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
Tagged for Death by Sherry Harris (Kensington Publishing)
Finding Sky by Susan O'Brien (Henery Press)
Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Farley Moran (Berkley Prime Crime)
Murder Strikes a Pose by Tracy Weber (Midnight Ink)

Today, the Stiletto Gang welcomes Annette Dashofy, Sherry Harris, Susan O’Brien, Terrie Farley Moran, and Tracy Weber. All are not only skilled and talented writers, but also charming and caring people. Thanks, Annette, Sherry, Susan, Terrie, and Tracy, for stopping by to share your work and thoughts with us!

What was the idea or inspiration that led you to write your nominated novel?

ANNETTE:

Years ago I happened to overhear a snippet of conversation regarding a local political brouhaha. The person said, “Someone should just kill him and put him out of my misery.” No one actually did, but you can’t say something like that around a crime fiction writer and not have it end up in a story! In my case, it spun out a bunch of “what if” questions that ultimately became Circle of Influence.

SHERRY:

My story is a little different. An editor in New York was looking for someone to write a garage sale series. Through a series of fortunate events the chance to write a proposal for him landed in my lap. I’ve always loved garage sales and the proposal—synopsis of the first three books, first three chapters, cast of characters, and marketing plan—poured out of me in four days.

SUSAN:

I’ve wanted to be an author since childhood, and I’m not sure why. I don’t remember ever not wanting to be an author! My love of mysteries grew over the years, and by the time I was ready to write one, I was a parent. My protagonist Nicki is a mom, and I wanted her to be honest about the funny, overwhelming nature of parenting—while solving mysteries that I hope parents and non-parents will enjoy. Also, I planned to donate part of my royalties to organizations that serve missing kids and their families. It’s almost surreal to have these dreams come true!

TERRIE:

I wrote the book I wanted to read. If I could create my own world, (Oh, wait—I can) I would have my home away from home be a book store/restaurant just like the Read ’Em and Eat—all books all the time, with book-themed food served on author-themed tables. Book clubs meet there regularly, and I wondered what would happen if a beloved book club member was tragically murdered. In Well Read, Then Dead that is exactly what happens.

TRACY:

A homeless lady—I’ll call her Susan—used to hang out near the entrance to my neighborhood grocery store, and she always had a large Rottweiler mix in a crate next to her. Over time, I got to know them both, and I asked her about the crate. She told me that the Rottweiler would sometimes lunge at other dogs that walked by on the sidewalk. The crate—which she stored behind the building at night—allowed her to keep the dog with her, in spite of its reactivity.

Susan adored that dog and went to great lengths to take care of it, in spite of her own financial issues and living conditions. She was as dedicated to her pet as most people are to their children.

I started to wonder: What if her dog had an expensive health condition as well as its behavior issues? What would she do? What could she do? That’s when Bella and George formed in my head. Unfortunately, Susan disappeared from the neighborhood long before I wrote the first draft of Murder Strikes a Pose. I haven’t seen her almost two years, so I’ll probably never know what she would have thought about being my muse. I hope she would have felt complimented.

What advice would you give to writers?

ANNETTE:

Don’t ever give up. Keep studying the craft of writing. And finish the book.

SHERRY:

Don’t give up and study the craft. I have stacks of rejection letters—from back in the day when everything was still done by snail mail. I have two and a half books written that never sold. I kept writing, went to lots of conferences, met people, and learned. When the opportunity finally came, I was ready. Also, I wish someone would have told me that maybe it was time to move on from the series that didn’t sell and to try something new.

SUSAN:

If you believe your work is meant to be published, stay positive and don’t give up! The journey to publication can be long and difficult—yet incredibly rewarding. Keep your options open, too. I ended up working with a small publisher and an attorney (not an agent).

TERRIE:

My best advice for every writer is: Trust your own judgment. Keep on writing. Submit. Don’t wait to hear back. Write something else. Submit that. The more you write, the more comfortable writing becomes until you can’t imagine your life without pounding the keyboard or picking up the pen.

TRACY:

Don’t give up, and don’t procrastinate. Write every day. Write what you love. If you spend every day working on what you love most, even if you never get published, you’ll have had a good time. That’s what matters most.

For the Agatha banquet, what kind of shoes would you (or if you prefer, your protagonist or a character from your story) wear? [This is, after all, The Stiletto Gang!]

ANNETTE:

This is such an appropriate question since it’s one I’m currently pondering. I bought a great dress, but it’s white and all my dressy shoes are black or dark brown. I was thinking of getting taupe pumps, but lately I’m considering getting crazy and going with ruby red or animal print pumps!

SHERRY:

Ah, lovely stiletto wearing folks of the world, I envy you but I gave up heels a long time ago. I will look for a pair of snazzy flats! However my protagonist Sarah would wear something with a peep toe and a three inch heel.

SUSAN:

My protagonist Nicki and I are both uncomfortable walking in high heels. (Her next adventure actually relates to this topic!) Honestly, I wear orthotics, so I’ll probably wear my only pair of dress shoes—with a moderate heel—that accommodates them. If you see me, please understand! Thanks!

TERRIE:

Shoes!! Having grown up in the era where a lady’s shoes and purse must match, and heels were worn every day, I once owned stilettos in half a dozen colors. (We also wore white gloves on the subway, but that’s a story for another time.) Due to an ancient softball injury, compounded decades later by a broken ankle, I will be wearing a pair of very low-heeled pumps to the Agatha Banquet. But, never fear Stiletto Gang, I still have a pair of gray suede three-inch heels in my closet that I cannot bear to give away. Sometimes I put them on and hobble around the house, with my cane in hand for safety. They still look fabulous and I feel fabulous when I have them on my feet. Alas, my left ankle wobbles if I try to walk in them.

TRACY:

Given that Kate and I are both yoga teachers, we would really prefer to go barefoot. But if that won’t work, a pair of comfy Birkenstocks will work quite nicely!

Feeling Lucky - Friday the 13th by Debra H. Goldstein

FEELING LUCKY – FRIDAY THE 13TH by Debra H. Goldstein

Walk under a ladder, admire the black cat that runs across my path, and not carry a lucky penny, rabbit’s foot, or charm are all things I’m going to do today. It’s Friday the 13th, probably one of the most feared and safest days when it falls. This year, 2015, the 13th day of the month falls on Friday in February, March and November.

According to Wikipedia, my main source of factual information for today’s blog, there is dispute as to when it truly became such a superstitious day. Some say the Middle Ages, others the 19th century, but all agree that it became a popularized day of fear through literature. Although it was mentioned in an earlier published biography, the 1907 book Friday the Thirteenth by Thomas W. Lawson, in which a broker uses the superstition of the day to create a Wall Street panic, was the first bestseller to dwell on the date. More modern books to capitalize on Friday the 13th include John J. Robinson’s Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry (1989) and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (2003).

Wikipedia references a study by the Ashville, North Carolina Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute as estimating seventeen to twenty-one million people in the United States are impacted by fear when the 13th falls on a Friday. These people avoid normal business activities, traveling, “or even getting out of bed.”

Not me. I have enough things happen on other days that Friday the 13th is simply one more day – good or bad. Hopefully, because of everyone else’s fears, I can get a discount on an airline ticket, be safer on the roads because people tend to drive more carefully on Friday the 13th, and not worry about a bucket of paint dropping on me when I walk under that ladder because my painter opted to stay home. I know already that I’m lucky – you’re reading this blog.

Tell me, are you afraid of Friday the 13th? Have any Friday the 13th experiences to share?

Genre Bending

By Bethany Maines

I read Marjorie Brody’s post yesterday “Passion Knows NoGenre” with interest. Marjorie was discussing that she hates being tied to one particular genre, but that the general industry wisdom is to do exactly that – stick to one thing! I love Marjorie’s rebellious flare, but the topic also tied into something I’ve been pondering for awhile: pen names and branding.

As a graphic designer with over a decade of industry experience I have referred to myself periodically as a “branding expert”. Branding is about capturing the concrete and implied qualities of a company or person in their visual, advertising, and on-line representations. Branding seems trivial to some, but as human beings we do it ALL the time. Only most sociologists call it “stereotyping”. Humans seem to prefer to have a short little label to stick on people. We don’t really like being forced to confront the broad spectrum of human reality – it takes too long and we’ve got better things to do with our time. What I do as a graphic designer is try to lodge the preferred stereotype in a consumers mind before they apply their (usually not as complementary) own.

  

Which is why I don’t usually tell my graphic design clients that I’m a writer.  It confuses my brand.  I can see the thought bubble form: If she writes, then she can’t really be a graphic designer; everyone knows you can’t have TWO talents.  Fortunately, the writer brand is equivalent with “poor” so when I tell writer friends that I also do graphic design they just nod.  But industry wisdom has the same “does not compute” problem with genre.  “But she writes Mystery, she can’t also write (fill in the blank).” 

And up until now the only way to write something different was to use a pen name. But with the online world being what it is and with lawyers being blabbermouths, keeping a pen name identity a secret is hard to do.  The other problem is that as writers have become more and more responsible for their own publicity they realize that it’s hard enough getting recognition for one name, let alone building buzz for an entirely new, second name.

Which is why I find the development of the new style of pen name so interesting.  “Wrting as” has become the marketers new favorite phrase. Such as: Laura Spinella writing as L.J. Wilson pens Ruby Ink! (I’m half way through my advance copy and it’s a fantastic, saucy romp of a book – pick it up on March 31!)  “Writing as” is now code for “I’m not writing in the same genre, so be prepared for something different.”  And I couldn’t be happier about it. At last writers have found a way to break out of the genre trap! Perhaps in a few years Pen Names will be the new industry wisdom. We’ll just have to see which pen name Marjorie chooses.  

Passion Knows No Genre

by Marjorie Brody

At a local writing group last night, the presenter talked about the value of writing in one genre. Not a new concept. I’ve often heard authors and agents assert that the way to build a following (in addition to writing an excellent book) is to focus on one genre. Perhaps the reason this particular idea zapped me last night, was because I’ve been struggling with that concept myself. Even my psychological suspense novel couldn’t settle down into one genre. It won awards in both adult and YA arenas.

I can see the value of holding fast to one genre. It makes wonderful, logical, and practical sense. I admire those authors who can stay niche-focused. 

I can’t. 

I enjoy experimenting with styles and forms and subjects. I write literary short stories, avant guard plays, middle grade adventures, picture books, poetry, and even tinker with science fiction. I enjoy reaching out to readers of differing ages and literary preferences. Diversity of genres pushes me to think in unconventional ways. 

Variety has also allowed me to experience my words in 3D. And let me tell you, there’s nothing like seeing your characters come alive on the stage. When the audience reacts with jolts of surprise, bursts of laughter, or muffled sobs—all at the intended moment—I mean, come on, it’s not often that authors get to see their reader’s reactions first hand.  

The other day I wrote a poem from the point of view of my next novel’s protagonist. It allowed me to get into that character’s head and heart. Will I find a place for that poem in the novel? I don’t know. If nothing else, I can utilize images from the poem to capture the essence—the impact—of that character’s emotion. And, I’ll still have a poem to add to a collection. (I’m currently working on a poetry collection, in addition to my prose.) 

Perhaps I’ll need to accept the consequences of writing in different genres: touching a few people in each, versus a lot of people in one. Then again, while readers do tend to gravitate toward their favorite genres, I trust that if they find an author they enjoy reading, they will follow her no matter what she writes. 

Bottom line: yes, I want to develop a powerful following, but I guess I’m just rebellious  enough to do it my way. 

Have you ever shunned popular wisdom to remain true to yourself? 

Marjorie Brody is an award-winning author and Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her short stories appear in literary magazines and the Short Story America Anthology, Vols. I, II and III. Her debut psychological suspense novel, TWISTED, was awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2013 Great Midwest Book Festival and won the Texas Association of Authors 2014 Best Young Adult Fiction Book Award. TWISTED is available in digital and print at http://tinyurl.com/cvl5why or http://tinyurl.com/bqcgywl. Marjorie invites you to visit her at www.marjoriespages.com.

Writing and Readers

I write a blog post once a month. Not daily. Not once a week. Once. A. Month. I should be able to wow you with witty observations or snarky asides. The truth? I got nothing.

My excuse? I’m adapting, coming to the unwelcome understanding that being a writer means more than writing books. It means marketing. It means making myself far more available than my introvert self would like. All my brain power is being used to learn new skills while simultaneously writing a book.

Last week, a friend of a friend called me. Seems he’s written a book and wanted to find a publisher. “How,” he asked, “did you get your agent?”

I explained the query process and suggested he look at Publishers’ Marketplace.

“How long will it take?” he asked.

“There’s no telling,” I said. “But it can take years. Do you have a second book in mind? Something to work on while you’re waiting for responses?” Writing was the only thing that saved me from losing my mind during the query process. If I was writing, I was doing something positive. Otherwise, I was obsessively checking emails.

“I’m just going to write the one book,” he said. Then he told me all about his book.

“Agents make their livings off of commission,” I explained. “Most of them want to build a long-term business relationship.”

This he brushed aside.

“Have you considered self-publishing?” I asked.

“I have, but I don’t want to do any marketing or plan my own book tours.”

I answered with a moment of silence. How to break it to him? New authors do their own marketing. And book tours? Think blog tours.  “You’ll be doing most of the marketing,” I said. “And I don’t think you can count on a book tour.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

My publisher, Henery Press, has been remarkable with its marketing assistance and I am grateful. But, the truth is that if a reader wants to engage with an author then the author, not the publisher, needs to engage.

My book has been out in the world just under three weeks and already I have met fabulous readers. They have questions about the characters, want to share a 19070s remembrance, or want to know when the next book is coming.

Readers make late nights and early mornings worthwhile.

Still no witty observations or snarky asides but maybe I got a little something after all. I have gratitude for every single person who has bought and read The Deep End.

Thank you!

Now, go tell your friends about it!

 

 

Julie Mulhern is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions. She is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist. The Deep End is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award.

 

Visit my website or buy The Deep End at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 

 

How Best to Support Your Favorite Writers and Make Sure the Books You Love keep Coming

How Best to Support Your Favorite Writers and Make Sure the Books You Love Keep Coming by Linda Rodriguez

This is a piece I posted to Writers Who Kill a couple of years ago. I'm reposting it here because I think it has important information that I didn't know until recent years and that others have since told me they also didn't know. I'm also adding to this list "likes" and "tags" on Amazon and retweets about authors' books. Nancy Cohen reminded me about these. I think I'd missed them because I was already doing all those.

The publishing business still offers a steep learning curve to me. However, some of the things I’ve learned as a published novelist are turning me into a better fan of my own favorite authors. I’ve written on here before about pre-ordering and how I learned of its importance to writers. Instead of waiting for the books of my favorite author to be published, I pre-order now, knowing I’m contributing to their success as well as assuring I’ll have their book as soon as it’s available.

I thought I was already helping with reviews. On my blog, www.LindaRodriguezWrites.blogspot.com, I try to spotlight books by literary writers of color who might be hard for the average reader to find, as well as mystery novelists who are writing high-quality fiction. I do this with profiles, interviews, and sometimes reviews of individual books. However, I’ve learned that reviews on Amazon and Goodreads count more toward sales than those longer ones on my blog or elsewhere.

I’ve always just given stars to books on Goodreads. I’ve read so many books that I didn’t think I had time for more than that. I was wrong. Those stars don’t do much good. It’s the reviews that make others decide to pick up the book to read. It’s the same with Amazon—reviews lead to sales. Even for authors who seem to have it made! Often even famous writers are just a breath or two away from tumbling down the slopes in the fickle game of publishing, and success is even more volatile for midlist authors. I try not to buy much on Amazon, so I’ve not done much except hit the ‘Like” button for a book/author I enjoy.

I’ve learned about how important these reviews can be to authors, and now I’ve set myself a goal to post a daily review of a novelist whose work I enjoy on either Amazon or Goodreads. I’m also going to learn how to link them so a review on my blog will post to Amazon or Goodreads. This is one thing I can do to make sure the writers I love don’t disappear on me.

I’ve always been a person others ask for book recommendations, primarily because I read so much in so many areas. Now that I’ve learned how important that word-of-mouth advice on books can be, I’ll be doing a lot more book recommendations and not just waiting for folks to ask me. I have occasionally requested my library system buy a book I want that they don’t have. Now, as soon as I know a book is coming out by one of my favorite writers, I will request my library system order that book—and my own pre-orders for those books will be through local bookstores because that helps them decide whether or not to order in that book to have on the shelves.

The publishing business is in deep flux right now, and authors are being required to do more than ever to promote their books. Every novelist I know, famous or unknown, is buried in a mountain of promotion efforts while still trying to write the books we fans love and wait for breathlessly. The influx of millions of ebooks by people who haven’t bothered to learn to be either good writers or good editors—and this is not meant to describe the many self-published writers who have worked hard at both—makes it hard for the potential buyer to find the writers who have worked for many years to hone their craft. Everything we, as fans of good writing in whatever genre, can do to make our favorite authors successful ensures that in the volatile atmosphere of publishing today these favorite novelists will survive and thrive—and continue providing us with our favorite addiction, their good books.

Do you know of other strategies we fans can do to help ensure the success of the book and authors we love?