Judo-Write!

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by Bethany Maines

I was thinking this morning about how much writing is like
karate.  Actually, to be perfectly
honest, everything is like karate. You’re laughing right now.  I can hear it all the way through the
internet. (Although, that might be the photo.)
While teaching karate I occasionally make such lofty
statements, and my students laugh too. They refer to those as their “sensei-ism
of the day.” The philosophy of karate is to bring the body and the mind into
harmony and to learn to be aware of not only what the body is doing, but what
it is not doing.  The problem with that
kind of talk is that it sounds like a lot of wishy-washy, new age gibberish to
a lot of people. But if we think about it in an applied way, we can see that it
makes sense. Simply putting your body through a work out (though beneficial) is
not as effective as practicing with intention, awareness, and a plan for future.
Writing is the same way. Some writing, any writing is better
than no writing in the same way that taking the stairs is better than
absolutely no exercise for the rest of the day. But it isn’t an actual work
out. If you simply type some crap up without any thought about plot
development, theme, or structure you end up with a mish-mash of nonsense that
only your relatives will want to read.
When you practice writing with the goal of keeping to one
point of view or developing theme through word choice you become aware of those
techniques in other writers and in your own writing. These exercises aren’t rules
being forced down my throat; that is me choosing to pursue a goal as an
exercise. And this philosophy can expand to any other pursuit.

So, dear readers, your sensei-ism of the day is: whatever
your passion, practice it with intention and perseverance.  And life is like karate. Now go have an crane
stance-ing, waxing on, awesome type of day.
Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Tales from the City of
Destiny and An Unseen Current.
 You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION AGAINST INANIMATE OBJECTS

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     by Sally Berneathy

The dictionary defines “inanimate” as
“(1) not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms;
(2) not animated or energetic; dull; (3) belonging to the class of nouns that
stand for nonliving things.”

We humans…living, animate beings…have a tendency
to refer to nonliving things such as a chair or table as “inanimate
objects,” inert and harmless. We label them thusly and then go on our way,
feeling superior, smug and safe.

Fellow humans, be warned! They have deliberately lulled
us into this false sense of security! We need to be aware that so-called inanimate
objects can be and often are dangerous! Before it’s too late, we must pass laws
to protect ourselves!

Let me give you some examples of the behavior of out-of-control,
evil inanimate objects. If humans had committed these atrocities, they would have
been arrested, convicted and punished. But we have no legal recourse against
renegade inanimate objects.

A few years ago in the middle of a Kansas City ice storm, I stepped
out onto the back porch of the house where I’d lived for ten years. In all those
years, the back steps had done nothing but lie there quietly, never making the
slightest threatening movement until they saw their opportunity. The instant I
set foot on that top step, it slid right out from under me, whacked me on the
backside and shoved me down to the next step which repeated the process! Whack,
shove, whack, shove, whack, shove—all the way to the ground.

I will spare you the graphic details of my
bruises. Suffice to say, they were extensive and excruciating. Had another
person inflicted those injuries on me, he’d have been charged with assault and
battery and sent to jail. Those steps should have been sentenced to at least 5
years in maximum security with termites for guards.

Needless to say, I never trusted those steps again,
but my bicycle was a different story. We have always been great friends—going
for rides, soaking up the sunshine, smelling the honeysuckle. One morning my
bicycle and I were out for a ride, going really fast around a cul-de-sac,
leaning over, pretending to be a motorcycle…it loves that…when suddenly,
without any warning, my bicycle fell on its side, and the pavement sprang up
and viciously attacked my face.

It smashed my forehead, bloodied my nose, crushed
my lips and chin, and my head hurt for days.

So far as I could tell, that pavement sustained NO
injuries and, of course, received no punishment. It should have been sentenced
to life in one of those prisons where the inmates still crush rocks. Wouldn’t
have been a very long life.

The bicycle claims it was a victim too. Said the
sand tripped it. It did sustain some scratches, and it has exhibited no violent
tendencies since that time. So, for the bicycle, a suspended sentence and another
chance. 

My face had barely recovered from this incident
when I needed to get my Christmas decorations out of the attic. The only way to
get into that attic was to drag a ladder across the garage floor, center it over
the small opening and climb up. Ladders are notoriously untrustworthy, so I was
cautious climbing up the ladder, but I totally trusted that attic. I let it keep
my stuff. That’s the ultimate in trust.

I had a box of Christmas decorations in my arms,
one foot still in the attic and the other on the top rung of the ladder when the
two of them separated from each other, plunging me straight down to the floor
below.

As I tumbled downward, my only thought was,
“Oh, lordy, I hope I don’t land on my face this time.”

The garage floor took pity on me and only smacked
against the more padded areas of my body.

The death sentence for both the attic and the
ladder. Conspiracy to commit murder. The floor…a few months in rehab and
enforced separation from criminal influences.

After being so cruelly betrayed, I sold the condo that
harbored that attic and moved into a house several miles away. It’s a nice
house. Hardwood floors, sunroom, and a lovely storm door of heavy etched glass.
I liked that door from the first time I entered that house. Apparently the
feeling was not mutual.

I had some furniture delivered and propped the
storm door open for the delivery guys. When they were finished, I went out on
the porch, undid the latch and started back inside. That’s when this lovely
door—which had never done anything except sit in the doorway, preening itself
in the sunshine—suddenly showed its true violent nature. Instead of gliding
gently closed, it rushed forward, grabbed my ankle and tore a chunk out of my
heel.

Copious bleeding, excruciating pain and eight
stitches in the emergency room.

I would have liked to do to that door what it did
to me…smash it! Tear a chunk out of it! But it’s an expensive door. And—did I
mention?—quite lovely.

Oh, dear. Does this mean…I’m harboring a criminal?

Perhaps this would not, after all, be a good time
to press for legislation against the crimes of inanimate objects. Let me
redraft my proposal and get back to you.

 

 

Water and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein

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Water and Writing by Debra H. Goldstein

Why do I write better when I can sit and stare at a beach or lake? What is it about the twinkle of the sun reflecting off water that immediately slows my breathing and empties my mind of worrisome demanding thoughts? Why does a storm’s swirling whitecaps or a boat’s wake sometimes disturb me while at other times energize me?

I don’t know.

I’m writing this from a patio staring at the bay during the last moments of a trip to San Diego. My handwriting is all over the page because other than occasionally glancing down to see where my pen is striking, my eyes are glued to the view. I note a few umbrellas stuck in the sand, tied paddleboats and kayaks bobbing from a pier waiting to be rented, and an occasional cyclist or walker dotting the beach, but mostly I look to where the water and horizon blend.

There are ripples reflecting constant motion, but unlike the ocean side, there are no waves. Light

shimmers across the surface except in dark pockets near the shoreline. Rocks below the surface? Packed sand?

The water is like my writing style. Parts are dazzling, bright, sparkling and wonderful while others
deep and dark. When I look at these competing parts of the water, I marvel at its completeness. And, like the water, I realize the highs and lows of writing are what make me whole.

Not all of writing is perfect. Far from it. The techniques and word choices are often lacking, but the combination of them creates something new every moment.

Being near water energizes and nourishes me – as does my writing. I can’t live without either. Can you?

Bouchercon 2015 Redux

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By Kay Kendall

I know, I know. You may be asking yourself right now…”What in heck is a Bouchercon?” When I was new to the mystery-writing scene, I asked myself that too. Now I know it’s the world’s largest mystery fan-and-writers conference, held yearly in different cities, and offering one fattening feast for the mystery-lover’s soul!

Actually the full name of this beloved conference is quite a mouthful: Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention. No wonder it is AKA Bouchercon! This yearly event honors Anthony Boucher (pseudonym of William Anthony Parker White, 1911-1968). He was a writer, editor, and critic of science fiction and mystery who became known as the cornerstone of modern mystery analysis. He championed crime-writing greats long before the mainstream literary establishment recognized their talents and remained an indefatigable fan and insightful reviewer of all kinds of crime fiction.  From the 1940s until the end of his life, he reviewed mysteries and science fiction for The New York Times and other US papers. He helped found Mystery Writers of America in 1946 and served as its president in 1951. The Anthony Awards are also named for him and are given out each year at, naturally, the Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention.

Panel discussions held on a wide variety of topics form the backbone of the conference and are designed to encourage interaction among readers and writers. Typically four or more panels are concurrent, and my heart broke when some of my faves were up against each other at the most recent Bouchercon, held in Raleigh NC October 8-11.

In the last five years I’ve attended four Bouchercons–the first two as an aspiring author and the last two as a published author. At both of these last two cons, I’ve participated on a panel.

This year I moderated a panel on historical mysteries, called The Past Is Never Dead. Author-panelists Joyce Elson Moore, Rosemary Poole-Carter, Deanna Raybourn, and Holly West spoke passionately about the historic periods and characters they write about, and the audience responded enthusiastically. The large room was packed, and no one left. And that fact alone is amazing. Afterwards members of the audience came to tell us how much they enjoyed our talk, and we five left on a high, eager to have a repeat performance at next year’s Bouchercon.

GAYLE LYNDS, queen of spy fiction

Speaking of which–the overall buzz is already high about Bouchercon 2016, to be held in New Orleans September 15-18. The conference hotel is almost filled up, a whole year out, which is almost unheard of.

No doubt next year’s location will be terrific, but the event itself will have a hard time matching this year’s programming. Many famous authors were there, but if forced to pick a favorite panel I’d choose the one about espionage fiction, before and after the Edward Snowden top security breaches. Everyone on this panel had some experience in the spy field, from a former CIA analyst to a US marshall retired. Authors were Gayle Lynds (called the queen of spy fiction), Terry Shames, Marc Cameron, Susan Elia MacNeal, and moderator Mark Greaney. The book I’m writing now has a spy theme so you know I was really enthralled. And if you’ve never attended a Bouchercon before, I encourage you to consider going one of these years. You are guaranteed to be equally enthralled.
~~~~~~~

KAY KENDALL

Kay Kendall’s historical
mysteries capture the spirit and turbulence of the 1960s. Kay’s degrees in Russian history and language
help ground her tales in the Cold War, and her titles show she’s a Bob
Dylan buff too. DESOLATION ROW (2013) and RAINY DAY WOMEN (2015) are in her
Austin Starr Mystery series. Austin is a 22-year-old Texas bride who ends up on
the frontlines of societal change, learns to cope, and turns amateur sleuth. Kay
lives in Texas with her Canadian husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel
Wills. In her former life as a PR executive, Kay’s projects won international
awards.

Haunted Places in Real Life and in My Books

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Over the years I’ve had a fascination with haunted places and have stayed in a few.

The Queen Mary is supposed to be haunted–and has a tour with some special effects added. However, I once was there for a conference and many of the photographs taken during the awards ceremony showed that we’d been visited by tiny orbs of light. When I went down to my room after the ceremony and got off the elevator, nothing looked as it had before and I couldn’t find my room. I had to go to the center of the ship and come back–and then all was returned to normal. Something to do with the haunting? I have no idea, but it was definitely weird.

The historical  Menger Hotel in San Antonio is another place that’s haunted. No, I didn’t see any ghosts, but I may have heard one. While trying to sleep, someone kept knocking loudly on the door or another room, I finally poked my head out and though the knocking continued, no one could be seen.

The Bella Maggiore Inn in Ventura CA is another haunted spot–Room 17 in particular. Yes, we asked to stay there and were warned it was haunted. This old bed and breakfast was once a boarding house which you can tell. A previous time we stayed there, the room we had once had a Murphy Bed which is now the closet and the bathroom had obviously once been a kitchen.

The haunted room was much smaller–and our ghost didn’t show up. However, my daughter said that was because I was there–the ghost is supposed to be a prostitute and I guess hubby would have had to be alone to be visited. However, the whole place has the ambience of being haunted.

Then there’s the Santa Maria Inn. It has two parts, a modernized hotel on one side, then the old hotel where the movie stars once stayed. We’ve stayed there several times. In the old part, the rooms are small compared to what we’re used to today, but each one is different. No, didn’t see any ghosts, but it certainly seems like there might be one or two lurking just beyond the next corner of the long corridors.

No wonder I like to write about ghosts and haunted houses–and I’ve written quite a few.

My Deputy Tempe Crabtree series always has many ghosts and spirits. The only one about a haunted house is Spirit Shapes.

I even included a haunted house in my latest Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, Violent Departures.

What about you? Have you ever visited a haunted place or encountered a ghost?

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

WRITING MULTIPLE SERIES: Featuring Edith Maxwell

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With this post, I’m beginning to interview authors who write multiple mystery series. My first guest is Edith Maxwell, also known as Tace Baker and Maddie Day, who writes the Lauren Rousseau, Local Foods, and Country Story Mysteries. Her newest series, featuring an 1880’s Quaker midwife debuts in April. Welcome, Edith!
Paula, thanks
so much for having me on the blog, and for asking such intriguing questions! I’m
delighted to be here again.
How did you initially decide to write
fiction?
I wrote stories
as a child and then pretty much gave up creative writing for a few decades. It
was my now ex-husband who said, when our younger son had gone off to
kindergarten and I had every morning to myself for the first time in five
years, “You like to read mysteries so much. Why don’t you write one?” Bingo. I
had a small organic farm but didn’t grow anything in the winter, so I set to
work writing a mystery set on an organic farm.
You have published short stories. How
did those help and continue to influence your career?
After I spent
about nine months writing about two-thirds of a mystery novel (which ended up
being my first Local Foods mystery nineteen years later), I reentered the paid
work force. I had a full-time job as a technical writer, with a commute, and
two little boys to raise. I couldn’t really carry a plot and all the characters
of a novel around in my head and write about them during the few snatches of
time I had to myself. Instead I started writing short stories and kept honing
my craft with those until my life opened up enough to write novels again
fifteen years later. Several of my short stories were published in juried
anthologies, and that gave my resume a boost when I proposed a cozy series to
my agent. “Just Desserts for Johnny,” which was inspired by a bad encounter
with a fraudulent press, was published in Kings River Life Magazine and then
was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story this year!
Who publishes each of your series and
how did you begin writing each series?
When I was laid
off my tech writing job, I started writing my first Lauren Rousseau mystery, Speaking
of Murder. Barking Rain Press published it almost four years later, and
then published Bluffing is Murder, too.
The Local Foods
Mysteries came about when John Talbot contacted our New England Sisters in
Crime chapter and said he wanted to work with authors to develop cozy mystery
proposals. I queried him about a series set on an organic farm (see above). We
worked on the proposal together and he sold it to Kensington within a week in a
three-book deal. After I wrote Book Three (Farmed and Dangerous), I
proposed the Country Store Mysteries to my Kensington editor. He not only
bought it, also in a three-book deal, but renewed the Local Foods series for
two more books.
I live in an
historic New England town and am a Quaker, and I felt a real calling to write a
series with a Quaker midwife set in the late 1880s. Somewhere in between other
books, I wrote the first in the series, Delivering the Truth, plus a
three-book proposal, and we sold that to Terri Bischoff at Midnight Ink.
How many books do you write in a year
and what is your publication schedule?
I am letting
the small-press Lauren Rousseau Mysteries go dormant, so I now write three
books a year. Two are on a yearly schedule, due January 1 and May 1, but the
Country Store series are on a seven-month schedule. If you think you just heard
a little scream of panic, you are correct, because the due dates sometimes get
kind of nuts. For example, in 2016 I have books due in January, March, and May.
To cope with this I write ahead and work as hard as I can. The January book, Breaking
the Chain, is all done and I’m halfway through the March book, When the
Grits Hit the Fan. And I try to remember to breathe! I did leave my day job
two and a half years ago, which is the only way I could pull this off.
Do you write under more than one name?
If so, was that by your choice or a publisher’s request?
The first
Lauren Rousseau mystery was almost accepted by Barking Rain Press when I was
reading my first Kensington contract. It stipulated essentially that I couldn’t
publish any other mysteries as Edith Maxwell, so I convinced them to let me use
a pen name, Tace Baker.
When they
offered me the Country Store Mysteries contract, Kensington said they wanted me
to use a pseudonym. Not my choice, but I wasn’t about to turn down the contract
only for that, so Maddie Day was born. Luckily, the Quaker Midwife Mysteries
are coming out written by Edith Maxwell.
What “relationship” do you have as an
author with each of your series’ protagonists?
Each of my protagonists
have traits, practices, or skills that come from a piece of me or my past. I
love resurrecting some of the things I used to do and now either don’t or can’t.
Lauren is a contemporary Quaker, a linguistics professor, and a runner, the
latter two both things I did in the past. Cam Flaherty is an organic farmer,
and now I get to be back in that world without doing all the hard work of
digging, planting, and harvesting. Robbie Jordan lives in southern Indiana
where I lived while earning a PhD in linguistics, and she’s originally a
Californian, like me. And Rose Carroll, my 1888 midwife, lets me back into the
world of pregnancy and childbirth, which I used to teach to expectant parents
in my living room. She and John Greenleaf Whittier worship in the same lovely
simple Meetinghouse where I walk to worship on Sunday mornings, and Rose lives
in my house, built 1880. I am fond of each of these gals and I get excited when
I can jump back into their lives and start a new story.
Setting has an important role in each
series you write. What is your approach to developing a setting that fuels the
story and draws in readers?
You’re right
about the importance of setting. Whether the 1888 mill town and Carriage
Capital of the World, the academic campus and coastal town of Lauren Rousseau’s
world, the organic farm and small rural Massachusetts town it’s in, or the
scenic hills of Brown County with the local dialect more Kentucky than Indiana
– they each inform the stories and govern how my protagonist acts. These are
all places I either live in or have lived in, although the town of South Lick,
Indiana is entirely fictional. Each of my series would be very different if it
were set elsewhere.
Is it a challenge to keep coming up with
original and inventive plots? How do you do it?
So far plots
have just sort of come to me, and I sure hope that keeps happening. I often
envision the victim and the murder weapon first, and then think about how I can
make that work. Sometimes I don’t know which of the several suspects is the villain
until well into first draft. I will say that attending talks by the Poison
Lady, Luci Zahray, has been instrumental in giving me ideas for murder weapons.
<grin>
Since at the Stiletto gang we like to
delve into shoes and accessories, what are your protagonists’ favorite foot or
carrying apparel?
Cam wears work
boots on the farm, of course, but when she cleans up she likes to put on her
turquoise cowboy boots. She carries a messenger bag decorated with
hand-stenciled crows. Robbie wears sneakers when she cooks breakfast and lunch
in her restaurant, and pairs fun ankle boots with a swirly skirt when she goes
to a party or knee-high leather boots in winter. And Rose wears simple lace-up
shoes (what we would call boots today) and nearly always has her birthing
satchel with her when she goes out (which you can see on the gorgeous cover of Delivering
the Truth – out in April!).

Thanks again
for having me. I’d be delighted to give away a copy of Flipped for Murder
to one commenter here.
Artist depiction of Edith writing with a scene from one of her novels in the background
Amazon-bestselling and Agatha-nominated author Edith
Maxwell writes four mystery series, as well as award-winning short stories.
Maxwell’s Country Store
Mysteries, written as Maddie Day (Kensington Publishing), debuts with Flipped
for Murder in October, 2015. Farmed and Dangerous is the latest in
Maxwell’s Local Foods Mysteries series (Kensington Publishing, 2015). The
latest book in the Lauren Rousseau mysteries, under the pseudonym Tace Baker
(Barking Rain Press, 2014), is Bluffing is Murder. The first in Maxwell’s
historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries series, Delivering the Truth, will
debut in April, 2016 (Midnight Ink).
Maxwell lives
in an antique house north of Boston with her beau and three cats. She blogs
every weekday with the other Wicked Cozy Authors (wickedcozyauthors.com), and
you can find her at www.edithmaxwell.com, @edithmaxwell, on Pinterest, and at www.facebook.com/EdithMaxwellAuthor.

Let’s Hear It for the Bad Boys

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by Linda Rodriguez

In the second Skeet Bannion novel, Every Broken Trust, I’ve complicated Skeet’s life and
relationships with a dark and dangerous man of mystery who walks into the story
and makes Skeet feel things that scare her, as well as bringing out the jealous
side of nice Joe Louzon, Skeet’s friend and possible love interest. This was
not what I’d planned to have happen in that book, and he went on to play a
major role in the third Skeet novel, Every
Hidden Fear, as well. I don’t know where this bad boy came from to
complicate Skeet’s and my lives, except of course he had to come from my own
head.

I must confess I’ve always had a fascination with the bad
boy. You know, like Marc Antony, Heathcliff, Sydney Carton in Tale of Two Cities, Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, James Dean in Rebel without a Cause, and Buffy’s Spike. I know it’s not healthy,
but judging by the sheer number of bad boys in fairy tales, literature, movies,
and television, it must be pretty common.

I
have been fortunate enough to have been married to two of the nicest men in the
world, my late first husband and my current husband, but before and between
them, I had lamentable taste in men. I blame it on all the reading I did as a
child. The bad boys were always the most interesting guys. I mean, in A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens’s Sydney
Carton was a drunken wastrel of a lawyer prostituting his great intellect to
the ambitions of lesser men with more willpower, sure. But what a passion he
had for pretty Lucy Manette! He sacrificed his own life to save the man she
loved, just so she would be happy. Wow! And in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff—well, we all know how he made the
pages steam with his great love for Cathy.

One
sizzling scene in Buffy of a lovesick
Spike watching outside Buffy’s window at night inspired me to write a poem, “Outside Your House at Midnight, Coyote” (“Closing
his eyes, Coyote can see within/ your walls as you undress and slide under/ covers”).
 This was followed by a
whole sequence of poems about the bad boy archetype as Coyote, the Native
American trickster figure, such as “Coyote in Black Leather,” “Three O’Clock in the Morning Alone, Coyote,” “Coyote
Invades Your Dreams,” “Coyote at Your Wedding,” and others, ending finally with
“Coyote in High School,” where I asked, “I wonder/ if anyone ever warns the
hard-shelled boys in leather/ against the honor-roll girls?”  (These are my most popular poems with women. I
even have a whole group of female fans in the UK just for the Coyote poems.)

Of course, I am the woman who wrote an entire book of
passionate love poems with the title Skin
Hunger (“forgive me for touching so much/ while we talk/ I can’t help myself”). So the Coyote
poems and the new bad boy in my mystery novels should come as no surprise to
anyone, least of all me.

After the wild and disastrous period in my life still
referred to by family and friends as the time of “the mad monk” (don’t ask!), I
began to date a man who was a number of years younger than me. One woman friend
confronted me to tell me over and over again that I was being stupid, that this
younger man was only going to get tired of me and throw me over, that it was
just sex that was blinding me. I tried to explain that I loved the kindness and
brilliance of this man, but she kept holding forth. Finally, fed up, I said
sweetly, “You’re absolutely right, of course. I know he’s no good and is going
to break my heart, but I just can’t help myself—the sex is just so good!” Her
mouth flew open in silence, and she stormed out, never to be seen by me again.
That younger bad boy and I have been together now for twenty-seven years.

So let’s hear it for the bad boys! Have you a penchant for
the guys who exude trouble, the dark and dangerous types? Have you had any of
those passionate, crazy, and sometimes destructive loves? Or do you like to
keep those guys between the pages of a book, as I prefer nowadays?

The 4 Question Interview

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Today Bethany Maines uses her blog space to interview first time novelist J.M. Phillippe about her debut novel Perfect Likeness.


Bethany Maines, a native of Tacoma WA, is the author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, and Tales From the City of Destiny. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some serious butt with her fourth degree black belt in karate, she can be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.

J.M. Phillippe has lived in the deserts of California, the suburbs of Seattle, and the mad rush of New York City.  She worked as a freelance journalist before earning a masters’ in social work.  She works as a family therapist in Brooklyn, New York and spends her free-time decorating her tiny apartment to her cat Oscar Wilde’s liking, drinking cider at her favorite British-style pub, and training to be the next Karate Kid, one wax-on at a time.  You can follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Q1: J.M. Phillippe tells us a little about your book!

A1: My book is about a woman who is not super happy with her everyday life, so she creates a fantasy version of herself and goes off on adventures in her head. But then one day, the fantasy version of herself becomes real — and begins to haunt her. I really wanted to tap into the feeling a lot of people have of not feeling like who they are and the life they live is “good enough.” What would happen if that little voice in your head stepped out of your head and started talking to you as an actual being?

Q2: As a mystery / adventure writer I was intrigued because I felt that the core of Perfect Likeness was Ally’s unraveling the mystery of what was wrong with her, but the book isn’t a traditional mystery. Have you ever written mysteries or were you inspired by mystery novels?
A2: I love mystery novels and have been reading them since I was a kid. My aunt gave me a complete set of Agatha Christie books and that’s what really started it for me. I particularly like mysteries with strong characters and dark themes, like the Dashiell Hammet books or Elmore Leonard books. But I also love a good sense of humor with my mystery like the Janet Evanovich books. I think ultimately every book has a question it poses, and tries to answer, and there is an element of mystery in more books than people realize. Even the Harry Potter series — every book has a different mystery to solve, but it’s not seen as a “mystery series.” But you also can’t beat a classic “whodunit”.

Q3: What is your number one tip for writing?
A3:The number one tip I can give other writers is to not listen to any voice in — or outside — your head telling you that you’re not good enough, or what you are writing is not good enough. Embrace the drafting process and get something completed before you judge it — and then revise, revise, revise.

Q4: What are book are you working on next?
A4: I am actually working on a sort of zombie story, which is very different than Perfect Likeness, although I’m interested in exploring many of the same themes. It’s called “Infected” and is about a woman who is attacked — and doesn’t get away. I’m really enjoying writing the action scenes.

Honing My Craft While Having One Hell of a Time

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by Marjorie Brody


I don’t know about you, but I’m always on the alert for opportunities to sharpen my skills. I enjoy attending organized workshops and seminars, and although I share my new knowledge with colleagues when I return home,  it’s not the same as if we all attend a workshop together—which can be pricey when you consider transportation, hotels and meals, as well as workshop fees. So, this year I hosted three private workshops at my home. I arranged for well established authors and writing instructors to fly into town and do a two-and-a-half day seminar for twenty of my colleagues. We had a blast. We learned, ate, laughed, ate, worked hard, and ate. We talk about our learnings and remind each other to implement our new-found insights long after the seminar ends. We even created a spin-off from the seminar Eric M. Witchey conducted which allowed us to extend our workshop experience.

If you ever get a chance to attend a workshop with Eric, I encourage you to do so. Eric has sold well over 100 short stories, a slew of non-fiction articles, and four novels. He consults with authors often and is a popular workshop presenter at the Willamette Writers Conference, Wordcrafters Conference, and the Short Story America Festival and Conference. Eric has a unique way of understanding story development and boosting productivity. You might want to read his article in Writers Digest, July 2005 on EDACE.

After several days with Eric, a group of us decided we wanted to use his strategies for developing stories. So, we started a group called the Story Starters. We’d pick a genre, a writing technique (e.g., amplifying setting through pov, person vs environment, indirect dialogue) and two emotions from bowls containing dozens. Occasionally, we pick the name of an item from another bowl (e.g., a  crushed soda can, a smelly pillowcase, a squeezed lemon slice). Then in a twenty minute period, we’d write a story using Eric’s EDACE and all the elements we’ve randomly picked from the bowls. When the timer rings, we’d each read our story aloud. The only rule: It doesn’t matter if our work is less than stellar. We are practicing. Merely practicing—although what great practice it is. The more we utilize the process and implement our skills the more integrated they become.

The system the Story Starters use allows us to experiment with genres outside our comfort zones, move characters from one emotional state to another, and have one hell of a time. Amazing ourselves with our creativity—and our consumption of popcorn, sweets and coffee—we laugh and inspire and impact each other other with our stories. We’ve built a strong sense of collegiality and a built-in cheering section for our published endeavors. The Story Starters meet every other week and embark on this process twice in an evening.

At the rate of two story-starts (although many times we finish a completed story in 20 minutes), that’s 52 short story ideas a year. Some will be tossed away, some will be refined and submitted to journals, and others become the ideas for longer works.

We’re having an awesome time practicing our craft. 


What about you? What practice techniques do you use?

P.S. When I told Eric I was going to mention him in this blog, he offered to send my readers a longer .pdf version of his Writers Digest article on EDACE. (He’s written several articles for Writers Digest and The Writer magazines). He also said if you had a specific question about some aspect of your writing, he could send you an article that may be helpful. He’s willing to do this if you contact him before November 13 and mention the Stiletto Gang.  His email address is: eric@ericwitchey.com.


Marjorie Brody is an award-winning author and Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her short stories appear in literary magazines and the Short Stories by Texas Authors Anthology and four volumes of the Short Story America Anthology. Her debut psychological suspense novel, TWISTED, was awarded an Honorable Mention at the Great Midwest Book Festival and won the Texas Association of Authors Best Young Adult Fiction Book Award. TWISTED is available in digital and print at http://tinyurl.com/cv15why or http://tinyurl.com/bqcgywl. Marjorie invites you to visit her at www.marjoriespages.com. 

Tomorrow – Lookin’ for fun and feelin’ queasy

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Tomorrow is my third book release this year. You’d think by now I’d be
used to that queasy, what-if-everyone-hates-it feeling in my stomach. That
feeling alternates with spikes of what-if-everyone-loves it euphoria.


Every so often, a tiny rational part of my brain says,
“Deadlines.” Please note the “s” at the end of that word.

The emotional part of said brain ignores this dire
reminder.

Truly, my ability to string words into coherent, interesting
sentences is seriously impaired. So rather than torturing you with inanities, I’m
sharing an excerpt from Guaranteed to Bleed.

If you like what you read but prefer to read books in order and haven’t read
The Deep End, this is your lucky day! Book one of the Country Club Murders is
on sale for $.99.



Without further ado from Guaranteed to Bleed…
Silhouetted by the lights in the street,
Anarchy Jones was still identifiable. He reminded me of a sheriff in a western
who’s just pushed through the swinging doors to the saloon. One who doesn’t
much care for what he sees.
My hands—even the bleeding one—shook. How
could I explain away a comatose date, a crossdressing brawl and a bloody wrist?
            Anarchy crossed the room in a few
strides. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes scrunched as if he was trying
to find answers without actually speaking to me. His gaze shifted to Upson. “Is
he dead?”
            “No.”
            “Are you sure? Usually when I see
you, someone’s been murdered.” The man had a point.

            “I’m sure.” I folded my hands in my
lap. “He’s not dead.”

***********************************************************************


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. 

Her first romance was a finalist in the 2014 Golden Heart® contest. That book, A Haunting Desire, released July 28, 2015.

Julie also writes mysteries. The Deep End (available now) is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award. Look for book two, Guaranteed to Bleed, October 13, 2015.