Who Knew A Bunch of Killers Could Be So Wonderful? by Jenny Milchman

Jenny Milchman is a suspense writer from New Jersey. Her debut novel, COVER OF SNOW, is forthcoming from Ballantine in January 2013 and is available for pre-order now. Her short story The Closet will be published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in November 2012. Another short story, The Very Old Man, has been an Amazon bestseller, and the short work Black Sun on Tupper Lake will appear in the anthology ADIRONDACK MYSTERIES II.

Jenny is the Chair of the International Thriller Writers Debut Authors Program, and the founder of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which was celebrated in all 50 states and four foreign countries in 2011.

Jenny hosts the Made It Moments forum on her blog, which has featured more than 200 international bestsellers, Edgar winners, and independent authors, co-hosts the literary series Writing Matters, which attracts guests coast-to-coast and has received national media attention, and teaches writing and publishing for New York Writers Workshop and Arts By The People.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Knew a Bunch of Killers Could Be So Wonderful?

by Jenny Milchman

 

The mystery world is a warm and welcoming one, as any frequent, or even not-so-frequent, visitor to this very blog knows. Kaye is the warmest and most welcoming mistress of mystery herself, and when she decided to venture forth in a whole new way, I think she also found the welcome I’m about to describe.

 

My introduction to the mystery world began when I attended a local MWA meeting at a downstairs bar and restaurant in New Jersey. I remember that Mary Jane Clark was a featured speaker. I hung around the periphery of where she was talking in a state of awe. After the dinner, the host asked for any news from attendees. I had mentioned to someone at my table that I’d recently signed with an agent, and when the call for news was made, my tablemate all but shoved my hand into the air.

 

“I have a literary agent,” I murmured into the crowd, and the whole room burst into applause. Even Mary Jane Clark was clapping.

 

What nobody in that room could’ve known was that I didn’t find this bit of news very applause-worthy. In fact, the agent I’d signed with was my third, and I knew all too well by then that agent doesn’t necessarily = book deal. I was writing my seventh unpublished suspense novel at the time to prove this corollary.

 

But when the writers and mystery lovers in that dim, wine-wet bar began clapping, something happened. I felt a sense of camaraderie that propelled me through my current novel, and even onto the eighth, which turned out to be the one that sold.

 

Yes, that third agent, about whom all the MWA members were happy, did indeed sell a novel of mine.

 

But she couldn’t have done it without another warm welcome from the mystery community.

 

What happened after that dinner? Well, I kept writing, and my agent started submitting. And as had occurred with my other novels and other agents, we got close. But the interested editors were always turned down by their editorial boards. No offer was made.

 

And then the mystery world began extending itself. Louise Penny, Timothy Hallinan, and Stefanie Pintoff all agreed to look at unpublished manuscripts of mine. If that didn’t exactly make NY publishing all of a sudden open its arms, for sure it enabled new submissions to be made.

 

And then one day another author agreed to read my manuscript. Nancy Pickard’s book, The Scent of Rain & Lightning, was being talked about everywhere that year. And Nancy had an editor she felt was uniquely suited to my work.

 

Nancy turned out to be right. And that’s how my debut novel finally came to sell.

 

Because of a warm welcome extended by the mystery community.

 

After my book sold, writers I’d admired for years, even decades, were there to say hello. Linwood Barclay, Lee Child, Harlan Coben, Julia Spencer-Fleming, William Kent Krueger, Laura Lippman, Hank Phillipi Ryan…the list of favorite writers who, when I reached out to them, reached back goes on and on.

 

The world of mystery and thriller authors is the warmest I’ve ever found.

 

Not bad for a bunch of people who kill folks for a living, huh?

 

Jenny Milchman’s debut novel, Cover of Snow, will be published by Ballantine on January 15^th.

 

 

 

 

 

Reaching the Starting Line by Jenny Milchman

Jenny Milchman is a literary suspense writer whose debut novel just sold. COVER OF SNOW will be published by Ballantine in early 2013. Her short fiction has appeared on Amazon bestseller lists, and another story is forthcoming in an anthology called ADIRONDACK MYSTERIES II. Jenny teaches courses on polishing, pitching, and publishing your work for New York Writers Workshop. She co-hosts the series Writing Matters, which draws speakers from both coasts to events held at a local independent bookstore.  Last year she founded Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which was celebrated in 30 states, Canada, England, and this year spread to Australia. Jenny welcomes authors in the Made It Moments forum on her blog. Please look for her at http://jennymilchman.com


"Reaching the Starting Line"
by Jenny Milchman

This spring, after eleven years of trying, I finally reached the starting line.

I received an offer on my novel, a literary mystery called COVER OF SNOW.

I can’t refer to this as the finish line, even though it certainly felt like I ran a marathon to get here, because all the really hard work starts now. Editing the manuscript (which I am doing right now, having just received my new editor’s brilliant thoughts—-this is the ninth version; it was the eighth one that sold). Reading galleys.  (Oh! I can hardly wait to see this thing called a galley. It feels like the crown jewels to me. Or the Emerald City). Figuring out how (whether) to promote. More and more authors, such as originally self-published sensation M.J. Rose, say that the best promotion is writing more books.  So—writing that next book.

But it was definitely something, an 11 year something in my case, to arrive at this point. How did it happen? It’s a story unique to the mystery and suspense community, which I liken to a circle of friends.

I’ve been represented by three great agents who between them found 15 great editors who wanted to make offers on one or another of my books.  The editorial board remained the sticking point—-with potential deals being thwarted for reasons that over the years became less about craft, which I still needed to learn, and more about things that pointed to the sometimes arbitrary nature of the submissions process.

During this time, I went to readings and book signings by authors I admired. Laura Lippman. Tana French. Jonathan Kellerman (who played guitar). I watched, and learned, and yearned for the day I might be up there.

I also wrote to authors. And because authors—-I think especially in the mystery/suspense world, although this may be my bias—-are a forthcoming, supportive bunch, I got responses back. I started to make not connections but friends.

It just made sense that when I read good news about these friends, on listservs like DorothyL, I would drop them a quick did-you-see-this note? I was always happy to see achievements by people who were making it in this world, including some who had offered me encouraging words and support—-even going so far as to give an unpublished manuscript a blurb.

Then someone offered to do even more than that.

One of my favorite authors, whose most recent book had been mentioned in at least a dozen Best Of lists last year, wrote to me one cold, late winter day. I felt as chill and desperate as the weather. My latest almost-offer had just fizzled—-and it was our last shot.

“I just want to tell you that I love this book,” wrote Nancy Pickard, in an email that now hangs on my wall.  “And if it doesn’t let me down in the end—and I can’t imagine that it will—then I will want not just to offer you a blurb, but to put it in my own editor’s hands.”

I don’t know to express how grateful I was for that email. (And it’s a bad thing for a writer not to be able to express something in words).  The gratitude went beyond words, because Nancy’s response buoyed me for weeks. They carried me through my latest disappointment like a wave does a surfer. And though I didn’t think they’d do much more than that, it was enough, more than enough.

By now I knew how subjective the process was. What was the chance of an editor liking my work even if one of her authors did? And even if she did like it, what were the chances that she’d be able to make an offer?

I don’t know what the chances were, but somehow it happened.

Not only did Nancy’s illustrious editor love my book, but in a blindingly fast few weeks-—publishing time is best measured on a geologic scale—-she had acquired it.

After eleven years I was going to be a published author.

And it happened because of a friend I had made in this wonderful world of mystery.

I am uncomfortable with the whole promotion thing—I much prefer to be getting the word out about other writers’ books and triumphs. So when my novel comes out—when I finally reach that starting line—another dear friend from the mystery world has done me the honor of agreeing to announce the news.

Her name is Kaye Barley.

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day

My friend Jenny Milchman has established the holiday of her dreams.  And 'tis a lovely thing!

It's "Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day."

And the date is December 4th, 2010

How lovely is that?!

AND there's a gorgeous poster to boot!

I love this idea.  Especially for those who are concerned that "real" books might be disappearing.  I'm not in that camp.  I think we'll always have real books - right along with ebooks.  I think there's plenty of room for both in our lives.  I'm a buyer of both.  (ah HA!  a blog topic - Yay!  but for another day).

I did read recently, however, that picture books might be on the decline.  That, to me, is horribly sad.  To think of children of the future not having that joy of sitting down with a picture book in their lap, or a pop-up book, isn't something I can even bear thinking of.

And - we all know that a lot of our indy bookstores have been closing their doors lately.  Another sad business.

"Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day" isn't by any stretch of the imagination meant to ignore our libraries.  Heavens no!  They're another of our greatest treasures - also, sadly enough, in danger in some communities.

Bookstores and libraries have lived happily together for many years, and we'd all love to see them continue their happy coupling, free of the insecurities and instabilities wrought by today's economy.

I keep my librarians pretty busy.  I also do my part in helping my favorite bookstores.  I'm a "pusher."  Once I've discovered a book I love, I tend to "push" it onto friends I think might enjoy it.  A lot of times that means buying several copies to give as gifts.  And my favorite baby gifts include not just a book, but one of the adorable plush characters to go along with it - I love finding these at the bookstore.

So, let's help Jenny get her holiday off the ground with a bang.  If you don't have a child to take to a bookstore, just help pass the word.  Maybe print out a copy of her gorgeous poster and ask your bookstores to hang it.

Anything to help promote reading is a grand thing.  Right?!

Just for Today...Some Mysteries And Muses by Jenny Milchman

Jenny Milchman is a suspense writer from New Jersey, and the married mother of a kindergartener and preschooler. Her first novel is on submission right now, and several of her short stories have been published on line. Jenny co-hosts the series Writing Matters at a local independent bookstore; features authors in the Made It Moments column on her blog, suspenseyourdisbelief.com; and speaks about life as an emerging writer at conferences and on radio.

Jenny's Workspace -
Lovingly referred to as
"A Closet of One's Own"


and swears she could work in a shoebox as long as she has books

Just for Today...Some Mysteries And Muses by Jenny Milchman

If Kaye Barley is one of the queens of mystery, then Meanderings And Muses is its kingdom. Or queendom. The subjects are books. Hundreds, no, thousands, of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, just waiting to serve us with their plot twists and turns, their characters seeking to communicate and enlighten. So many books, waiting to be discovered, here and elsewhere.

There’s the lonely, middle aged woman who makes up a roommate for companionship—or is she made up? And the little girl who has the power to kill people with her mind—so sad how terribly many people she dislikes. Then the bereft son who enters the Florida wilderness one day—but may not ever come out.

What happened? Why did I do what I did? The characters whisper, holding out a beckoning finger. Come. Come read my pages and see.

How do all these books get born?

I suspect the process is different for every writer. I have a novel on submission right now, and for me a mystery always begins with a question. The one that woke me in the middle of the night a while ago was: What would make a good man commit suicide?

Death is such a selfish beast, and when it’s self-inflicted, it’s tempting to think that the person who died was also cruel in some way. But there are situations that make life crueler than death, and if a man encountered one of them, then perhaps he’d have no other choice.

What would such a situation be?

That became the crux of my first novel, but as any writer knows, a compelling premise has only the smallest connection to a completed book.

The novel I’m speaking of went through thirteen drafts. Yes, lucky thirteen. Then it grew into a whole different book. And I started counting drafts all over again.

Are mysteries particularly unwieldy to write? They usually involve a puzzle, and that means to a certain extent that the writer can’t fly off to great, looping heights in regard to plotting. By the end, everything must make sense in terms of what came before.

So those happy surprises that a writer of another kind of fiction might run with have to be resisted by the mystery writer. Either that or the book will need to be rewritten after ‘the end’ has been penned. This could happen, well, thirteen times or more. Some writers swear by outlines as an antidote to this problem, but so far they haven’t worked for me.

There’s something about those secrets that the characters whisper. I need them to come to me in the dark. If I knew all the ooglies and monsters that would appear as the pages start to accumulate or the word count starts to go up, then I wouldn’t be surprised or scared. And if I’m not, how can I expect a reader to be?

In the end I think we suspense and mystery lovers journey to the kingdom for a few specific things. We trust the authors who birth all those troubled, hurting characters and their stories to surprise and frighten us.

But we also to trust them to do something else. To find the justice in the awful actions that propel a good mystery. The part that says, Yes, something terrible happened. But there was a reason for it. Come.

Come listen to me tell you what it was.