Today, I Met an Author by Debra H. Goldstein

Today, I Met an Author by Debra H. Goldstein
Today, I met an author. Physically, she was petite, but her words packed a solid punch.  The holiday tale she read me was well crafted – it had a defined beginning, middle, and end and contained two interesting and unexpected twists. The characters were simple, but well drawn and names like Elfy and Santa served to enhance the story.  Even though the author’s spelling and punctuation, especially forgetting to use quotation marks, was distracting, the use of dialogue and narrative was effectively balanced.  Best of all, many of the story’s pages contained cartoon like illustrations that allowed poorer readers to follow the story.  What I read might be called a rough short story, but I expect we’ll be seeing more polished offerings from this author in the future.  After all, she only is a second grader.

I was in her classroom to discuss Chanukah and to answer questions about being a judge and a mystery writer.  The children I spoke to were all wonderful – active, bright, and engaged.  Their outfits reflected their personalities and the fact that they probably all now chose their own clothing for school. Some of the boys sported red Alabama hoodies, there was a lone LSU t-shirt, and one girl had sparkles on her shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

After I talked about mystery writing, the teacher requested me to discuss ways to get around writer’s block.  I told the students they could journal or write a few lines about something they observed in their respective lives and that maybe, one day in the future, one of their notes would become the basis for a story.  We role-played taking a simple observation and fashioning it into something more.  With the give and take of the class, my speaking time went by quickly.

I was packing up my Chanukah props when the teacher asked if I would listen to a student’s story. “Of course,” I replied.  I cringed at the request especially when I realized the would-be author reminded me of Luna in the Harry Potter books. Throughout my talk, the child had never cracked a smile.  Her clothing was a mishmash consisting of old tennis shoes with pink laces, striped blue and grey leggings covered by a green frilly skirt that only stayed on because of its tight elastic waistband, and a flowered grey and green shirt. She looked from her teacher to me and back to her encouraging teacher.  Then, her long blonde curls dusting her shoulders, she glided from the story circle to her desk.

She came back with a blue cloth-covered journal. We pulled two second grade chairs next to each

other and then head bent, finger under each word, she slowly read to me. When she finished, she glanced at me and then stared at her journal.  Neither she nor I said anything for a moment. I don’t know if it was fear or simply shyness that kept her silent.  Me? I was blown away.

I found my tongue and praised her work by making comments about how it was structurally better than many stories written by adults.  I pointed out how well she had developed high and low points that worked as act changes that successfully moved the story forward and I told her repeatedly how mature the final resolution was.  As I spoke, she visibly relaxed. When she was slipping the book back into her desk, I thought I saw the sliver of a smile when I told her to “keep writing.  I look forward to reading more of your work.  You have the gift.”

She may never write another story, but I hope she does because today, I met an author.

The Dealer in Your Neighborhood

by Bethany Maines

I was talking to a librarian the other day and she laughed when I said I thought librarians were like drug dealers.  But they really are! They even target the little kids! Get them hooked on the picture books, next thing you know the kids are applying for library cards and mainlining Harry Potter, Divergent and TheTesting.  Give it a few years and YA just won’t give the same buzz and the kids have to move on to bigger and bigger fiction.  And that’s when the librarians start pushing the hardcore stuff – Faulkner, Atwood, Joyce. If you’re not careful your kid could end up reading the entire Lord of the Rings even though there’s a perfectly good director’s extended cut blue ray back home.

And just like pushers, librarians are extremely open-minded.  They don’t care where you’ve come from.  Rich, poor, or in between – all library cards are the same to them.  (Unless it’s an out of state card, in which case you will have to pay the buck and get a local card.)  They don’t even judge when all you want to read is Romance novels; they just point you toward the romance section and recommend new authors who also write in the kilt and dragon milieu.  It’s a slippery slope, my friends. You go into the library for the videos and the free internet access and the next thing you know you’re reading and using words like “milieu.” 

So, if that kind of blatant pushing of mind-expanding education is acceptable to you, then you should probably hug the next librarian you see.  Just remember that the VIG on those late library books is due next week...

  

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 and Facebook.

Holiday Traditions

Tis the season for mothers to run themselves ragged getting ready for the big day. There’s shopping and baking and parties and decorating, the trimming of the tree and cooking and wrapping and the absolutely essential but last minute addition to the Christmas list.

There’s the coffee cake that has become an important part of Christmas morning and the breakfast soufflé that no one loves but we’ve had it for so many years it’s not Christmas without it.

Christmas morning will arrive and we’ll open presents and eat the same breakfast we eat every year. My husband and I will pick up wrapping paper and grumble about the mess.

Then – and only then – will I indulge in my favorite Christmas day tradition. I’ll admire the tree with its bright lights then curl up on the living room couch with a mystery from Santa. That’s right. Each year Santa brings me a book. One year it was Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast of St. Stephen by Emily Brightwell. Another year Deanna Raybourn’s Silent in the Sanctuary made an appearance in my stocking. Amazing how Santa figures out exactly what I want to read! Amazing how the kiddos have figured out that their tired mother needs a few hours with a book before she can face Christmas dinner.

So this year, when the madness has ended and I displace the dog and curl up on the couch with a collection of nutcrackers looking over my shoulder, what holiday-themed mystery should I read? Any tips for Santa?

I wish you all a holiday season filled with joy, fellowship and wonderful books!




Julie Mulhern always wanted to be a writer. She spent her childhood creating pen names and dreaming of exotic, mysterious, romantic places. To that end, she went to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia (because, when you’re from the Midwest, the South is both exotic and romantic). There she earned degrees in politics and French. She even spent a year living in Paris. But the Midwest beckoned and she returned home. Now she lives with her husband, two daughters and a dastardly dog (see above). It might not be exotic or mysterious but it is romantic. Visit her at www.juliemulhern.com. Her first mystery The Deep End is available for pre-order.

Redemption Stories

by Linda Rodriguez

I’ve been thinking of redemption narratives lately—plots where someone, usually a charismatic male character, who has been of dubious morality redeems himself, quite often as an act of love for a major female character. Redemptions plots are powerful storylines that crop up in every genre—literary, mystery/thriller, science fiction, fantasy, adventure, western, and of course, romance.

Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities is the major redemption story of the debauched wastrel lawyer, Sidney Carton, redeeming his sins by sacrificing himself to save an innocent man, all from his overwhelming love for Lucie Manette. On a more recent note—and in another genre altogether—in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, evil vampire Spike loves Buffy so deeply that he seeks out a sorcerer to bring back his soul and all the torments of the damned that come with it, redeeming himself and sacrificing himself at the end of the series to save the world so that Buffy won’t have to. 

In many mysteries and thrillers, alcoholic or disgraced protagonists and major characters make sacrifices, including the ultimate one, in an effort to redeem themselves. Lawrence Block’s entire masterful Matthew Scudder series is the story of an alcoholic ex-cop’s continuing search for redemption after he causes the death of a young girl.

  

The sinner who repents his sin and sacrifices himself in some way to try to make amends has been an enduring and powerful narrative throughout history. As writers, we probably don’t make use of it as often as we should. I’m a big believer in hope, and a redemption story offers a sense of hope, even when there are no real survivors at the end. If someone has sacrificed in an attempt at redemption, all has not been lost.

I look around sometimes after listening, almost in despair, to the news and think that’s what we need more of in this country, true redemption narratives—people willing to make real sacrifices to make amends for the wrongs they’ve committed. Instead we have people who won’t even admit they’ve done wrong when they kill someone.

Do you have favorite novels or other kinds of stories that are redemption plots?

Are Book Signings Old Hat?

By Sparkle Abbey

In a couple of weeks we will have our last book signing for 2014. We always enjoy participating in signings. It’s a great way to connect with our readers, network with other writers, and to support local booksellers.  

Over the past three years, we’ve participated in local events, regional mystery reader festivals, and larger book signing at national conferences. Sometimes the events are planned for us, and some we’ve planned ourselves. There are a couple of things that all the books signings have had in common: we never know what’s going to happen or how many people, if any, will show up. That seems to depend on the venue, the advance publicity, and often what else is going on in the community and in people’s lives.

Our very first signing was for the launch of Desperate Housedogs, which our local Des Moines library organized for us. We sold more than 100 books! It felt like every person we knew had taken time to celebrate our success. It was a night we’ll never forget. 

Since that first book launch, we’ve had numerous signings. Every one of them we’ve enjoyed immensely. Sometimes we sell out of books, and other times we’ll only sell a handful of books. Regardless of the number of books we sell, we always enjoy talking to the folks who have taken the time to come and see us. At one recent event, there were five people at the signing, including the bookseller. Oh, and we can’t forget the three cats—especially the one who decided to lay on top of our books. There was a lot of laughter that night.  

Recently we’ve talked to many of our fellow writers who’ve decided not to participate in local or regional signings due to low turnout. A book signing can be lonely for an author. Sometimes the only conversation we'll have with someone is to answer the popular question, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”

As we sent our “Save the Date” email, it got us thinking. Since readers can easily engage with their favorite authors via social media, and with more ebooks being sold now more than ever before, are book signings a thing of the past?

We hope not. We enjoy getting out and talking to fellow book lovers about great authors, and discovering what everyone is reading. We’ve found many of our favorite writers that way. It also kicks us out of our writing caves and makes us interact with the real world.

What about you? Do you attend book signings? If so, who did you go see?

Oh, and in case you were wondering about that last book signing, here's the info:

  

Book signing in Des Moines for our newest release! 
Friday, December 19th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Beaverdale Books - 2629 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA

Maybe we'll see you there!

My First Three Authors—or RIP P.D. James

By Kay Kendall

     When I was the age of 20 through 45, I only had occasion to see live, in person, three authors of note. The first was Truman Capote, soon after In Cold Blood became a bestseller. He stepped out on the basketball court of Allen Field House at the University of Kansas, a diminutive figure in a place usually dominated by giants. 

     He smiled faintly at a crowd of a thousand people and began to read immediately from his non-fiction account of the murder of the Klutter family on a farm in western Kansas. He hypnotized the audience with his performance, despite his voice being so high-pitched that it almost squeaked. In Cold Blood went on to become today’s second highest selling true crime book of all time—behind only Helter Skelter about the Manson murders.

P.D. James, 1920-2014

          One of my majors in college was English literature so it was natural for me to be in awe of famous authors whose work I admired. While I never got closer to Mr. Capote than the length of three cars, I sat at the feet, literally, of Margaret Atwood when she read her poetry to an adoring throng of women at the University of British Columbia some four years later. Strangely, this author’s gig also occurred in a gymnasium—although much smaller in size of room and audience than Capote had had. When Atwood finished reading one poem that really captured my heart, I embarrassed myself by gasping aloud and clapping ahead of the other audience members.

         Twenty years after the Atwood encounter, I saw a notice in the Houston Chronicle stating that P.D. James would appear at a Border’s bookstore on a coming Sunday. Excitement flooded through me at this news. I’d read and enjoyed all her mysteries and decided to attend this book signing. I’d never been to one before and figured she would be an excellent choice to start with.

         That hallowed day dawned wet and gloomy. Undeterred by the rain, I drove half way across Houston (no small undertaking) to meet P.D. James and to have her sign her latest mystery, Original Sin. The ninth book in her series starring Commander Adam Dalgleish featured murder afoot in a publishing company in London.

         I arrived early at the bookstore but rather bedraggled from tramping across the parking lot in torrents of rain. Houston was experiencing what I’d learned to call its version of a monsoon. Once inside the store, I was told by staffers that Ms. James’s plane was delayed by the weather, but she was expected to appear shortly. We were encouraged to wait. A group of thirty did so.

         After an hour had passed, the throng had dwindled by half. The restless remnant was told the author would come, no matter what, but it might be a long while. I turned to a women beside me and said, in honor of the author’s British heritage, “In for a penny, in for a pound.”

         After a total of three hours, P.D. James finally arrived. By that time only five dauntless readers remained. I was second in line. She signed my book and talked pleasantly with me for several minutes. I was so thrilled I thought I might levitate.

         Looking back two decades later, I no longer recall what we talked about. I do remember how kind and gracious she was. Meeting P.D. James remains a high point in my life.

         When I read of her passing last week at the age of 94, of course I recalled my shining moments talking with her. Knopf Vintage, her longtime publisher, calls P.D. James “the everywhere adored queen of crime fiction,” and she certainly was that for me. 

          I think it is important to meet one’s heroes, to learn that they are flesh and blood like you, in order to be inspired to follow in their foot steps, in whatever small way possible. Had the august author been too tired and cranky after her travel delay to appear or to be gracious when she spoke with me, who knows if I would have gone on to write my own murder mysteries?

My generation of boomers coined the term groupie.  I realize now that term applies to me. I am a groupie of certain authors. No, not in the regular sense since I don’t want to sleep with my favorite authors. I simply want to BE them.

Have you had similar memorable encounters with authors who resonated with you? I hope you have, and if so, I'd love to hear your tales. Please share.

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 Kay Kendall set her debut novel, DESOLATION ROW--AN AUSTIN STARR MYSTERY in 1968. The sequel is Rainy Day Women, will be out in 2015. Her amateur sleuth Austin Starr must prove her best friend didn't murder women’s liberation activists in Seattle and Vancouver. A fan of historical mysteries, Kay wants to do for the 1960s what novelist Jacqueline Winspear accomplishes for England in the 930s–write atmospheric mysteries that capture the spirit of the age. Kay 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. 

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Titles and Covers Too Similar? by Marilyn Meredith

Frankly, I always thought it was a good thing that the covers in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries are similar. And though my titles are all short, I hadn't thought about any being too similar.

However, with my latest two books, it seems that both the titles and the cover are similar enough that I've  had one person tell me she already had a copy of one book when I knew she was referring to the one that came before ti.

The stories themselves are not similar at all.

The latest book is River Spirits.

The blurb for this book is:

While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made against the female stars, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again, the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

The book right before this one is:

The blurb for this one is:


Ghost hunters stumble upon a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree's investigation pulls her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past and the present, and demons and angels at war.

The mysteries are very different despite both titles having a similar word in them: Spirits and Spirit.

I've been fortunate to have the same artist design most of the covers so they all have a similar style, but I really think if there is a problem, it might be with the titles. 

When both books are on display side-by-side, no one seems to even mention the resemblance.

Readers, what do you think?

Writers, have you ever had a problem like this?

Marilyn

What are you reading and welcome to December By Lynn Cahoon

The end of the year is always a time of reflection and planning for me. I go over out budget, try to see where we can make adjustments, look around the house for remodel ideas, and examine my writing career. I also take stock of my health. Just call me a Covey convert. I love his books about goal setting and looking on ways to improve your life.

This year, I'm kind of being forced to do something I never plan time for. I'm resting. I had a hip replacement two days after I released my last book -IF THE SHOE KILLS. Yep, I'm a planner. I also had a crown done last month since apparently I can't have dental work done for six months now.

So I'm tucked in my recliner with a comforter over my legs as I write this post.

What have I learned the last three weeks? I hate asking for help. I push myself too fast, too far. And you can watch cooking shows 24/7 on cable.  And I can write on my laptop.

The weather here in St. Louis isn't helping. We had highs in the 70's yesterday and today we have freezing rain.

I'm planning a soup day with a good book as soon as I get my words in today. And although my house doesn't have a fireplace, I'll be imagining one like this to warm my toes....

Help me out here... What are you reading? I need to stock up my Kindle.

Lynn