What We're Reading!

We thought it would be fun to share what we’re reading right this moment! So here’s the scoop on which spines we’ve got cracked and those covers we just closed.

Bethany: I'm reading GEEZER GIRLS, a crime novel by British author Dreda Say Mitchell. The first couple of chapters aren't thrilling me (a garter can NOT hold up a .357), but I really want to like it, so I'm gonna give it little bit longer. And of course, I'm waiting for LITTLE BLACK DRESS to arrive in the mail! (Wish I could speed that up for you, Bethany! :->)

Joelle: TORN (the debut book for the Kensington KTeen line) by Erica O'Rourke. And hey--I also ordered LITTLE BLACK DRESS. I'm feeling like I'm one of the family! (Aw, thanks, Joelle! And you are!)

Laura:  Emily Giffin's LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH.  Very entertaining, fun fast read!

Lori:  I just finished SHELTER by Harlan Coben (comes out in September--his first foray into the YA world).  But I also just read NO REST FOR THE DEAD, a collaboration of 25 mystery authors. Pretty cool!!! (Here’s an excerpt from Lori’s review:  When I read the preview for this book I was immediately enticed. So many great authors all in one place?! A readers dream come true.  Was it possible for twenty-five different authors to write one seamless story? I would quickly find out that the answer was – heck ya!)

Maggie: I'm reading THE SPELLMANS STRIKE AGAIN by Lisa Lutz. Love, love, love this series but haven't had time to read the latest installment until now. It's about a family of private investigators and when I say family, I mean it--the youngest is a teenager. They are constantly getting into each other's business and sabotaging each other's plans. It's hysterical but with a pretty good mystery embedded. One of my favorite series.

Maria: I just finished MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins. It was a great ending to a great trilogy!

Marian (Northern half of Evelyn David): I just finished BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey. A hoot! Am re-reading MURDER ON A GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT by Anne George. Great characters, delightful humor.

Marilyn: I’m reading two books, one is Kris Neri’s REVENGE FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE, which is delightful, and an ARC of a YA novel called JANE JONES:  WORST VAMPIRE EVER by Caissie St. Onge—which is also the name of the heroine. Clever story and I’m enjoying it.

Rachel: Just finished DEAD MAN’S SWITCH by debut mystery author Tammy Kaehler. This is a great choice for fans of a strong female protagonist as it features a resourceful amateur sleuth who is also a racecar driver. Girl power! Kabam! I'll blog about this one soon over at Write It Anyway. Next up for me is a beta read for my thriller writer pal CJ West, whose new one is called ADDICTED TO LOVE, and then I think I'll finally show up (years) late to THE HUNGER GAMES party (Suzanne Collins) because I've just heard too many good things not to give it a try.

Rhonda (Southern half of Evelyn David): I just finished STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens. This is an excellent psychological mystery. A real estate agent was abducted during an open house. She was missing for a year. The book starts after her return. She is seeing a psychiatrist and one chapter at a time she tells us, and the psychiatrist, what happened to her then and what's happening now. STILL MISSING is a fascinating, well written novel. The book has a very unique plot construction with its one session at a time method of conveying the story. Definitely not for the squeamish. There's some sexual content, although not as graphic as you might suppose. I highly recommend it. Next up – THE GIRL WHO DISAPPEARED TWICE by Andrea Kane.

Susan:  I just finished A PUG'S TALE by Alison Pace, which was adorable.  It's about a woman who works in the restoration department of the Met.  She's dog-sitting her boyfriend's pug, Max, while Ben is halfway around the world doing pro bono legal work, and she realizes a painting hanging in one of the galleries is a forgery.  The thief leaves her notes, like a scavenger hunt, until she figures out whodunit (with Max helping, of course!). Now I'm reading EARTHLY PLEASURES by Karen Neches about a greeter in Heaven who's sent down to earth. I'm really enjoying it!

So tell us which book you’ve got open right this minute! Or one you just finished. We’d love to hear what everyone else is reading.

Turning "Off"

I’m the kind of person who when faced with nothing to do, a long stretch of interrupted peace, finds something to do.  I’m not good at relaxing.  Mr. Maggie often refers to it as my “on/off switch.”  He says that if I’m not “on,” I’m “off,” which usually means that I’m asleep.  I have a hard time turning off my mind and my body, which is why doing yoga has proven spectacularly unsuccessful for me.

The last few weeks, however, have forced me to do just that—turn off while awake.  I have just finished a day job project that required me to get twenty books revised and to the printer—all in India, no less—by the middle of June for a mid-July collective pub date.  To say that the project nearly did me in is not an understatement.  (For proof, you can ask either the northern half of Evelyn David or Susan.  They have heard enough whining to last a lifetime.)  I had to deal with the first round of edits on my next book (PHYSICAL EDUCATION, out in November) and then the copyedits.  I have a number of other projects for work in various stages of readiness, and with varying degrees of author compliance.  By say the twentieth of June, my brain was fried.

So, I decided to play against type and take a few days off.  At first, it was an unsuccessful experiment, with me going deep into the bowels of the Barbieri basement (you remember, the one with the vermin) and beginning to clean.  Three giant black plastic bags later and I was only mildly sated in my quest to bring order to the house.  Suffice it to say, we still have a long way to go, but we’re getting there. Then there was the issue of packing child #2 for camp.  That took all of two hours.  I still had a lot of energy and not a lot of things to do.

I decided to read a book.  And then another.  I took long, meandering walks down by the river, through town, and even through the woods.  I spent a lot of time at the Laundromat while waiting for the delivery of our new washer.  I bought a notebook and started outlining chapters for a new book I’m working on.  I wrote down a few ideas for yet another book.  I wrote the beginning of the new Alison Bergeron book.  And I started to see the benefit of this relaxing thing, this turning off of the mind.  By turning off the mind, I discovered, you are actually turning it back on, and are able to think.  And for a writer, that feeling is priceless.

I guess I’m finding that there is a lot competing for space in my over-packed brain so I’m going to have to think of ways to carve out time to get some thinking done, as sad as that sounds.  When do your best ideas come?  When you’re busy?  Or when you’re “off”? 

Maggie Barbieri

Sneak Peek of My New Cover

This is the cover for my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Bears With Us, due out mid August.

When I was asked by the cover artist what I wanted on the cover, I said a stylized Native American looking bear. Did I have a picture in my mind? No, but this particular artist has done all my covers and she has always been able to come up with something that fits the story and looks like a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

I was on vacation when the publisher sent me a picture of the cover--I was and am ecstatic. She definitely nailed it.

In this particular book, the mountain community of Bear Creek is plagued by bears. Though there is a fish and game warden, he can't be every place at once and Tempe finds herself having to chase bears out of people's homes. Of course there's plenty more to keep her busy, but for awhile the bears are her biggest problem.

I've been fortunate with all my covers lately. Both publishers have artists who really aim for giving a hint of the book and trying to interpret the author's vision.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Enjoy the Holiday!

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries - e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback - Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback - Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

Romances

Love Lessons - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

I've Got the My-New-Book's-Out-in-Two-Months Jitters

by Susan McBride

Yeah, it starts early.  Like, long before your book hits the shelves in any brick-and-mortar stores.  When it's available for pre-order online, only usually your cover art's not even up yet and there's no description.  Just your title and your name, and a lonely box that says, "Cover Unavailable."

Even if you've got another book to write that's supposed to be keeping you busy, you're thinking about it.  You can't help it. People keep sending you things, like copy edits, galleys to proof, and other stuff involved in the production process that always requires your immediate attention.  Although you try to put it out of your head, they won't let you.  It's like pine needles from your Christmas tree.  You think you've got them all swept up and yet, when you vacuum in July, there they are. 

You can run but you can't hide.  You can fight, but it's a lost cause.  You can pull yourself up by your bootstraps, shake off the dust, and get right back up on that horse...well, you know what I'm getting at. It's called the My-New-Book's-Coming-Out-Jitters. And there are obvious symptoms, and I'll describe a few in case you think you've got jitter fever coming on.

For starters, you can't help looking at your online numbers.  I know, I know.  You've told yourself you wouldn't do that any more.  But it's a new book, one you've poured your heart into.  Surely someone's ordered it by now?  So you take a peek, certain you'll be amazed by the digits.  And, yes...yes, you definitely are.  Because isn't it not a good thing to be at one million?  Should you call your mom and ask her to order?  Should you pretend you didn't see?

Then there are the bad dreams.  Nightmares to be specific.  You're at a writer's conference and one of your best friends approaches, telling you she's talked with your publisher and your new book only has a 2% sell-through.  That, for sure, is a very bad thing.  You wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath.  Then you look at the calendar and realize the book hasn't come out yet.  You're safe.  For now.

You start Googling, looking for early reviews.  Only you keep coming across ad copy for the book that isn't your favorite.  It's everywhere.  Along with your old bio that you wrote specifically for the last book that had to do with things this new book has nothing to do with.  Do you:  (a) panic and whine to anyone who will listen (always my first choice); (b) suck it up and ignore it; or, (c) stop spending so much time online looking at stuff that makes you crazy and FOCUS ON THE BOOK THAT'S DUE IN A FEW MONTHS.  Hmm, now that's a tough choice.

I'm not sure this disease appears in any medical textbook or if it's acknowledged by the CDC.  Still, it exists.  And the most frightening thing about it:  there's no cure.  None that I'm aware of anyway. Sure, some authors say a couple drinks ease the pain. But as Maggie knows, I'm no drinker. Others suggest a long vacation, but I've got two deadlines this year.  So that's a no-go.  A lobotomy could be the answer only, yeah, I think I'd miss those two deadlines for sure if I went that route.

Did I mention that Little Black Dress is out two months from today?  (Well, it's officially a September 1 book, but it releases on August 23.)  So I expect my jitter fever to go sky high in the ensuing weeks.  You might want to keep your distance.  I've heard it's not catching but you can never be too sure.

Finding your Voice

by Maria Geraci

As I write this, I have no idea who will be the winner of the new NBC show The Voice. I will say, that I have thoroughly enjoyed the show and really like all four of the finalists. But hands down for me, my favorite has been Dia Frampton, the beautiful, shy, folksy indie singer-songwriter who never fails to blow me away each week.

Dia doesn't have the most powerful voice on the show. Or the biggest. But for me, it's the voice I've most connected to. And that translates into the voice I'd most likely buy an album from. And as a matter of fact, I've already bought one of her songs. If you haven't heard her rendition of Kanye West's Heartless, run to go hear it. It's absolutely fabulous.

I also love the fact that Dia wears flats on the show (sorry, Stiletto Gang!) She's not a heels kind of girl. She's not overly glamorous. She's just her and that shines through in her music. And just like musicians and any other artists, as writers, we too, have to let ourselves be who we are. We have to let our voices shine.

Voice is often defined as that unique quality that you and only you alone possess. It's your style. Your signature. It's what makes readers connect to you. It's your view of the world and how you present yourself to others. No one can teach you "voice." It's developed through frequent writing and letting one's guard down. Stripping yourself of pride and ego and all the walls we put up to hide ourselves from others. Letting your voice shine through is scary. But we owe it to our readers and to ourselves to give them the very best of us. The real us.

FYI: Today, I'll be over at Romance Divas (a free website for romance writers) doing a workshop called "Picking up your Sagging Middle." I'm dissecting the novel The Hunger Games to figure out what made it such a page turner. The workshop is being held in the forums section of the website under Workshops and Conferences- NGTCC (Not Going to Conference Conference). Best part? It's free!

Writing Schedules, Writing Setbacks

By Elizabeth S. Craig


Some days it’s tough to find time to write. But I really have to squeeze it in. I have an approach that works really well (except, well, when life happens):

The Set-Up—the Night Before:

I make a list of what I’m writing the next day. By no means can I call this list an outline because that messes with my head. :) It’s just “a list.”

I make sure that there are no social media windows up and running when I close my laptop before going to bed.

I set the coffee maker to automatically start perking at 4:45 a.m.

That next morning:

I get up and start writing. No email, no social media. Just an hour of writing. Then I feel smugly successful all day!

Unless….

There’s a sick child.

There’s a sick dog or cat.

There is some horrible, unspeakable disaster awaiting me when I go downstairs.

Plan B!

For me, Plan B involves giving up on writing first thing, addressing whatever disaster has happened, then running away from home to find a suitable location for writing (i.e., a place that sells good coffee at an inexpensive rate). I will eat an egg, bacon, and grits and will consume about 4 cups of coffee…and write for an hour straight, at least. The waitresses, realizing my desperation, silently refill my coffee as I mutter to myself. I know no one there, nor am I likely to make friends, since I’m usually make-up free, haphazardly attired, and in disreputable flip flops. I tip well, knowing that I’m doomed to return and wanting my laptop and me to be welcomed back.

Unless…Plan B won’t work because there’s some place I have to be right after taking the carpools. (For you this could be work, for me it could be a dental appointment for a child or myself, the vet with the sick animal that put me on Plan B to begin with, etc.)

For that, I offer Plan C

The most important part of Plan C involves being prepared to write on the go. To implement Plan C, I’m armed with 4 x 6 notecards, pencils, and pens. At stoplights on the way to whatever thing messed up Plan B, I make notes on the tops of each notecard, detailing what scene, setting or character description, etc. will be on that card. During the day, I fill the cards with writing.

But then, some days… Even Plan C won’t work. These are truly wretched days when unexpected events leap out at you all day and wrestle the pen and paper right out of your hands.

So…you might have to get all the way to Plan Z (before Plan Zzz). Writing really late at night before turning in. This is when I call it quits after 15 minutes. If I’m not under a deadline, I might just give myself a free pass…a Get Out of Writing Free card. But I can’t do that very often because it’s ten times harder to get back into the manuscript (and meet deadlines.)

Do you have fallback plans for your writing? How often do you give yourself a Get Out of Writing Free card, or end up at Plan Z?

Elizabeth S. Craig
______________

Elizabeth’s latest book is, Finger Lickin’ Dead, released June 7th. Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley as Riley Adams and is featured at The Mystery Lovers Kitchen. She also writes the Southern Quilting mysteries (2012) for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink.

Blog: Mystery Writing is Murder

Twitter: @elizabethscraig

Why I Love Facebook

Families use Facebook to keep in touch, same with teenagers, and authors use it to let people know about their books.

I've heard some say they don't understand Facebook or what the great attraction is--frankly I don't understand those people.

Here's why I love it. I have a huge family and many of them are on Facebook and I get to read what they're doing and see their latest photos. One of my friends from grammar school found me on Facebook. She read about me making an appearance at a college near her home and she met me there and we had dinner together. Never would've happened without Facebook.

Someone who friended me on Facebook made comments after a lot of my posts so I became familiar with her face. When I was giving a talk at a bookstore in her town, she came and I recognized her face immediately. It was like greeting an old friend. Recently she told everyone at another talk that she loved having me for a friend on Facebook because I shared so much of what is going on in my life it made me seem like a "real person" not just a writer. (And she loves my books.)

Other readers I've met at mystery conferences have become my friends and I love reading about what they are up to--and the same with writers I've met in the same places. Especially since Mayhem in the Midlands was cancelled at least I can keep up with the authors and fans that I loved to hang out with.

I like it when people review movies they've seen--I rely on their feelings about the movie much more than any of the paid critics. Same with books, if someone I "know" really likes a book chances are I'll like it too.

I like reading what other members of the Stiletto Gang are doing when they post on Facebook.

So, what are your feelings about Facebook? Love it or hate it? And why?

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com Books by Marilyn