R.I.P. David Thompson of Murder by the Book

David Thompson: A Celebration of Life

McKenna Jordan and the Murder by the Book family are planning  a celebration of the life of David Thompson, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday, September 13, 2010.

Many have asked about tributes to David’s memory. Alafair Burke has set up a fund for those who would like to make a donation in David’s name. The charity will be determined later. For those wishing to contribute, here are the details:

Checks to the order of "In Memory of David Thompson" (NOT simply David Thompson)

Mail for deposit to:

7 E. 14th St. #1206

New York, NY 10003

For those who would like to make a direct payment please contact alafair@alafairburke.com for account information

- - -



Unbelievably sad news for the mystery community.

David Thompson died unexpectedly yesterday.

We join everyone in sending his wife McKenna, and the rest of his family, our most heartfelt sympathy.

More here - http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-14-10-murder-by-the-book-david-thompson-dies-suddenly-mystery-community-mourns/


Murder by the Book posted the following at Facebook - "It is with deep sadness that we must share the news that David Thompson passed away suddenly on September 13, 2010. David worked at MBTB for 21 years, & he made an indelible impression on the store & everyone who met him. There will be a memorial service, and we will share the details as soon as they are available. In the meantime, David's wife, McKenna Jordan, asks that no tributes be sent to the bookstore for now. We appreciate the loving support that customers have always given the store, and in the difficult days to come we will need it more than ever."

A storybook marriage - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/6864334.html

Mysterious Deaths, and the Birth of Western Civilization by Gary Corby

Gary Corby is the debut author of The Pericles Commission.  It's the first of a mystery series set in Classical Athens starring Nicolaos, the elder brother of Socrates.  Gary lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two daughters. He blogs at A Dead Man Fell from the Sky, on all things ancient, Athenian, and mysterious. More information is at GaryCorby.com.

Mysterious deaths, and the birth of western civilization

by Gary Corby

Birth and death so often go hand in hand.

Back in 461BC, in a city called Athens, the people decided that they could do a better job of running things than any group of privileged wealthy.  So they started a system where everyone got a vote.  It was the world's first democracy, and at that moment, western civilization was born.

There are other dates you could argue for, but it’s hard to go past this one: a sovereign state with one man one vote, free speech for every citizen, written laws and equality before the law, with open courts and trial by jury.  

It all sounds terribly modern, doesn't it?  More was happening too.  Modern drama was being invented at the same time as democracy.  Aeschylus was writing his plays; two young men called Sophocles and Euripides were beginning to write their own.  A philosopher called Anaxagoras developed a theory of matter in which everything was made of infinitesimal particles.  That was the birth of atomic theory.  Herodotus was traveling the world, writing his book called The Histories, and in the process founding both history and anthropology.  A young kid called Socrates was outside somewhere, playing in the street, and on the island of Kos, a baby called Hippocrates was born to a doctor and his wife.  

A lot of people don't realize all these great advances happened in a period of only 50 years.  It's the blink of an eye, historically.  The intensity of the time must have been incredible, and incredibly exciting.

The democracy didn't happen by accident.  It was pushed for, constantly over many years, by a statesman called Ephialtes.  

Then, within days of the birth of democracy, it all went horribly wrong.  Ephialtes was murdered.  
The world’s first political assassination in a democracy happened within days of the birth of democracy, and the victim was the man who created it.  This is the sort of thing you expect to read in a modern thriller.  But this is what truly happened, 2,500 years ago.

And that's the point at which my first book,  The Pericles Commission begins.  My detective Nicolaos is commissioned by the up and coming young politician Pericles to find the murderer.  It's a real, historical murder, solved by a fictional character.

Nicolaos begins his adventures right at the birth of what we know today as the Golden Age of Greece.  The Golden Age was 50 years packed with tales of adventure, war, conspiracy, lust, love, corruption, power politics, assassination . . . you name it and it happened.  If Nicolaos can survive his highly hazardous missions, he'll live to see the first years of western civilization, when politics, drama, medicine, science, philosophy, and even sport became as we know it today. 
 
This is what I love about historical mysteries, and which drove me to write my own.  The fun of solving the mystery, plus an exotic locale so strange it could be from epic fantasy, plus the knowledge that it really happened.  All right, maybe it didn't happen exactly as I wrote it.  We don't know who killed the real Ephialtes so I supplied my own devious solution.   But even so, in how many other genres can you get all that wrapped into one?  

Twists in a Mysterious Life by Thomas H. Cook

Thomas H. Cook is the author of twenty-seven  books, including two works of true crime. His novels have been nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the Macavity Award and the Dashiell Hammett Prize. The Chatham School Affair won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel in 1996. His true crime book, Blood Echoes, was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1992, and his story "Fatherhood" won the Herodotus Prize in 1998 and was included in Best Mystery Stories of 1998, edited by Otto Penzler and Ed McBain  His works have been translated into fifteen languages. 

Twists in a Mysterious Life

by Thomas H. Cook

I had not intended to become a mystery writer, which is strange since my first book was about a New York City homicide detective who is given the assignment of solving a murder.  Actually, there were two murder victims, neither of which was human.  The dead were two fallow deer, both given to the New York City Children's Zoo by a very prominent NYC family, hence the assignment to the case of a homicide detective.  The detective goes from witness to witness and, of course, finds the killer.  And I didn't think of this as a mystery?   It was, of course, a by-the-book police procedural.  I didn't realize this, however, because I'd never read a mystery, much less a police procedural.   The book was nominated for an Edgar.  Voila! I was a mystery writer.   My next novel was fully mainstream, but the one that followed it was a serial killer mystery.  My fourth book was another mainstream novel.  I was really in trouble.  Nobody knew what sort of writer I was.  In fact, I didn't know what sort of writer I was.   A friend suggested I write a series character.  I did three books with this character, then got really bored with him.   There is nothing worse than being bored by your own characters, and so I dropped the series at book three.  Now what?
 

I truly didn't know.  I moved to Spain, wrote a book so bad I didn't even submit it to my agent.  I felt washed-up, exhausted, more or less brain dead.  Then, rather suddenly, I got a new idea.  I would write a book that was both a mystery AND a mainstream novel.  That book was MORTAL MEMORY, and since writing it, I have done nothing but blend, or at least attempt to blend, elements of the crime novel with elements of the mainstream novel.   The result, at least in terms of my career, has been mixed.  I have gotten loads of critical praise, awards and nominations for awards, and loads of translations, with actual success if France and Japan, but in the U.S., neither fame nor fortune have been mine.  I have come to think that the problem is not with the books, but with the way readers in America are demarcated.   This demarcation is severe.  People who read "mainstream," rarely approach the "mystery" section of a bookstore.   As for "mystery" readers, they are equally demarcated by sub genres:  cosy, police procedural, thriller, private eye, series characters, etc.  I don't write books that fit well into any of these categories.  Once, at a speech in Nashville, a reader said, "Mr. Cook, your problem is that people don't know what they're going to get when they pick up one of your books."   My response:  "Isn't that a good thing?"   It is, in fact, a good thing, but it is hard on readers who are shelling out upwards of twenty-five dollars on a writer whose books they can't entirely predict.   This reluctance to take a chance was brought home to me recently in London.   I had just walked out of my publisher's office in Bloomsbury.   The cabbie asked if I were a writer. I said that I was and that I wrote "crime novels."  He then mentioned a very well-known crime writer and said, "I just bought the sixth book by her.  Boy, did the last four suck!"  And yet, this cab driver had bought yet another book by this author rather than take a chance on buying a book by an unknown writer, with no series character, namely Me!   The fact is, we should all read outside our comfort zones from time to time.  We should all occasionally choose an author with whom we are unfamiliar.  I sometimes think of reading only within one genre as akin to never traveling beyond your own town or farm or city.   I am currently writing a non-fiction book about visiting "the saddest places on earth," and though these places are very different, I have gotten something powerful from each of them, something I would not have gotten had I stayed home, or merely gone to various places within one genre of tragedy, say from one death camp to another.  What has made this experience moving is the variety of places I have visited.  I only wish the reading public would do the same, visit different writers, genres, worlds.

Being Your Own Boss by Beth Groundwater

Beth Groundwater writes the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series (A Real Basket Case, nominated for the 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award, and To Hell in a Handbasket, May, 2009) and the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventure mystery series (the first, Deadly Currents, will be released March, 2011). Though she doesn’t have her own gift basket store, Beth makes gift baskets for family, friends and charity events. She was an avid "river rat" in the 1980s, running whitewater rivers in an open-boat canoe, and she has enjoyed reacquainting herself with that subculture and its updated boating equipment while researching her second series. Beth lives in Colorado and savors its many outdoor activities, including skiing and whitewater rafting, and loves talking to book clubs. Please visit her website at http://bethgroundwater.com/ and her blog at http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/ to get to know her better.

Being Your Own Boss 

by Beth Groundwater

In my previous life as a software engineer, I spent many years as a manager, first of one project, then more than one project, then of an entire small office of fourteen people who worked on multiple projects. I became very proficient in constructing project flowcharts, estimating the number of person hours needed to perform each task, and in tracking progress and keeping my staff on task. So why can’t I do the same thing with the one recalcitrant employee I have now, who goes by the name of Beth Groundwater?

Employee Beth would rather play on Facebook, take a break to sneak-eat a dark chocolate bar, throw in a load of laundry or go outside for a hike or bike ride or even to pull weeds than to put that butt of hers in the chair and write. Because writing is work, and work is hard, and takes concentration, and makes her head hurt. So, I, as Manager Beth, have to come up with strategies to keep Employee Beth on task, cranking out those pages, working through those edits, meeting those deadlines, and writing those blog posts!

What are those strategies? First, I break large tasks into small weekly or daily ones that can be measured. My largest task right now is to write the rough draft of the third Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery (working title Basketful of Trouble) and finish it by the end of January, 2011. That’s because in February I need to start promoting the March 1st release of Deadly Currents and start researching and outlining the third book in that series, the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series. So, I broke my large task into weekly ones.

My average word count per page is about 275 words and my average book length is about 77,000 words or 280 pages. A reasonable output for me is 20 pages a week or 5500 words (I know! Employee Beth is a slow writer.). That means I should be able to write that rough draft in 14 weeks, with a few partial or full weeks added on for vacations, conferences, and such. Taped on my writing table right now, where Employee Beth can’t help but see it, is a weekly schedule from mid-August to the end of January, with the number of pages each week I need to write.

I start each day writing, and I don’t allow Employee Beth to do anything else (like read her yahoogroups or Facebook status updates or friends’ blogs) until that daily word count is done. And, if she slacks off and doesn’t finish the 5-day work week with at least 5500 words written, guess who’s at the computer Saturday morning?!

Now, Employee Beth is slippery and squirmy and can find all kinds of excuses and ways to delay progress, so the next strategy is to make her accountable for those weekly goals. My critique group is excellent for that, and I report to them at each of our bi-monthly meetings on how work is progressing on the manuscript. Also, I feed into Employee Beth’s Facebook habit by having her post her progress in status updates there every few days. If her friends don’t see progress, hopefully they’ll come looking for her and ask what’s up.

The last strategy is rewards. If Employee Beth meets her daily word count, she can have a glass of wine at dinner with her handsome hubby and watch a Netflix movie with him or get lost in a Margaret Coel or William Kent Krueger novel. And, if she meets her weekly goal, she can do something fun on the weekend (like whitewater rafting or skiing!) rather than sit at her computer Saturday morning.

Now all this isn’t to imply that I don’t enjoy the writing process. I do! My gift basket designer Claire Hanover and my whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner are cool chicks to hang out with and I love their company—in my head. And when I’m in the zone and characters are shouting at each other and I’m typing as fast as I can to keep up with their bickering, that feeling is the absolute best. Not every work day is like that, however, and I need to keep on writing even when my characters don’t feel like playing. So, I look at my schedule, put my butt in the chair, open the manuscript file and start fiddling with words until something happens. My fervent hope is that my readers enjoy the result!

So how do you keep yourself on task? What are your strategies for being your own boss?

PS. Kaye asked for photos of our workspaces, so a picture of my basement writing office is below. 

Somehow, I Always End Up Writing About Food by Ellery Adams aka JB Stanley

Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia. 

Somehow, I Always End Up Writing About Food 

 By Ellery Adams aka JB Stanley

The heroine of A Killer Plot, Olivia Limoges, is an oak barrel heiress and entrepreneur in the seaside paradise of Oyster Bay, North Carolina. One of her businesses is a five-star restaurant named The Boot Top Bistro. In honor of this fine establishment, I thought I’d share a killer autumn cocktail and to-die-for appetizer that might be served up by Gabe, The Boot Top’s attractive bartender. 

A fair question to ask might be when do the Bayside Book Writers have the opportunity to imbibe when they are caught up in a murder investigation? Every Saturday evening they meet in Olivia’s refurbished lighthouse keeper’s cottage to critique one of the group member’s chapters, but the sudden and violent death of one of their own changes their schedule forever.

I don’t want to reveal any more that a glimpse of the plot, because it’s difficult to talk about the writers without giving too much away, but I promise a range of quirky characters in this coastal mystery. There’s the reclusive Olivia and her constant companion, Captain Haviland the poodle; the roller-skating dwarf from Grumpy’s diner; Flynn, the handsome bookstore owner; Millay, the beautiful Goth bartender; Sawyer Rawlings, the compelling Chief of Police and many more.

So come to Oyster Bay, pull up a barstool at The Boot Top and have a cocktail and an appetizer. But beware, because not all the vacationers who come to relax in this charming seaside town make it back home again.

For more info, please visit elleryadamsmysteries.com

Pomegranate Martini

2 oz citrus vodka

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice

1 oz simple syrup

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a dash of rose water if available. Garnish with thin orange slice or flamed orange peel. 

 

Olive Crostini Recipe

*INGREDIENTS*

1/2 cup black olives

1/2 cup green olives with pimientos

2 medium cloves garlic

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

4 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, grated

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 French baguette loaf

Chop olives in Cuisinart. Transfer to medium bowl. With machine running, drop garlic through the feed tube of the food processor and mince. Add Parmesan, butter, and olive oil, and process into a paste. Add butter mixture to bowl with olives. Fold in jack cheese and parsley. Cut baguette into thin slices and spread each slice generously with olive mixture. Cook under broiler until bubbly and lightly browned - about 2 minutes. (I’d like to credit Elise from Simply Recipes for this great dish!)

Movin' On by Nancy Dillingham

Poet Nancy Dillingham is a sixth-generation Dillingham from Big Ivy in western North Carolina.  She lives in Asheville.

Moving On

by Nancy Dillingham 

We sat in the back seat

of the old black car

parked behind the smokehouse

smelling of cigarettes and shaving lotion

We drank Kool-Aid

and ate bologna sandwiches

on Bunny Bread

Sun spilling in our laps

lulling us to half-sleep

we imagined Daddy

tuning the radio

Sunday morning traveling to church

we heard the squishing and twisting of sound

until he found WWNC

The Chuck Wagon Gang sang

"Precious Memories" in close harmony

their words tumbling out of the dashboard

Daddy humming or singing along

Saturday nights he'd tune to WSM

listen to the Grand Ole Opry

while we rode down to the store

for Push-Ups and Nehi's

Let's Hank Snow, he said

when we'd get back home

meaning time to go to bed

and we'd go to sleep

the nasal sound of
I'm moving on, I'll soon be gone

echoing in our heads

It's always exciting conceiving a new book.  With each of mine, I like to plan from the whole to the specific parts.  By that, I mean I usually get inspired (thank goodness!) by an old black and white family photograph.  A theme for the book usually follows or comes simultaneously.

From the photograph, I begin planning the look of the cover and the title.  THis process can go on for months as I put my thoughts down in a notebook.  I look for quotes that I might use for an epigram and do any research that might come in handy.

For this current book in progress, I took my point of departure from an old black and white photograph I have had on my wall for many years.  Taken in 1950, it is a picture of two of my sisters and me--three ragtag little girls standing in those quaint dresses of the era in front of the grill of an old car (or truck), all chrome and old tag showing.  I've tried to find out the exact model--no success yet.

Then I thought of the song "Moving On," written in 1950 and sang by Hank Snow, the "Singing Ranger," who performed often on the Grand Ole Opry.  I put the words to the song down in my notebook.  Then, of course, I began to think of other songs we used to listen to with Daddy--he loved country music and old gospel songs.

I had just read Eudora Welty's  One Writer's Beginnings and was struck by and identified with these lines:  "I am a writer who came from a sheltered life.  A sheltered life can be a daring life as well.  For all serious daring starts from within."  I jotted these lines in my notebook also--a possible epigram for the book.

Then I saw a course listed for UNCA's Great Smokies Writing Program with poet Katherine Soniat entitled "Dreams, Memories, and Photographs" beginning in September.  I have signed up for the course.  I know that the writing courses that I often take always stimulate my creativity and aid in writing my books.

I now have the concept (and the title poem--see above) for a new book of poems.  I have the daunting but exhilarating task of following the process to fruition--to a new book of poetry.

Hank and Ro and the ALA - or, Who Loves Us, Bloggers?

During the American Library Association Convention in June, Rosemary Harris and Hank Phillippi Ryan recommended a few blogs. 

They had this to say:  "We only had a limited time and so we had to choose a broad selection—there are lots of other wonderful blogs out there. The goal of our talk was to introduce librarians to mystery and thriller blogs, and encourage them to check them out. (Little library joke.) We emphasized it’s a great way to connect with authors, learn about new books and become part of the community."

And I have this to say:  "Yay Yay and Yippee Skippy!  I am over the moon that Meanderings and Muses was included!"

Rosemary and Hank listed their suggestions in alphabetical order.

I, being the greedy guts girl that I am, have moved Meanderings and Muses to the top of the list.  heh heh heh - sometimes it's good to be Queen of My Own Domain.

Drum Roll, please - - -

Meanderings and Muses

Fan and avid reader Kaye Barley has amassed a surprising number of followers and guest bloggers. She’s a trendsetter in the mystery community, beloved by authors from every genre in the field.  This blog is a low key, friendly and informative must-read–especially if you are interested in the genre buzz. 

(Tickled pink?  Me?!  You bet!!  Many Thanks and Many Hugs to Hank and Rosemary!).

 And, in all seriousness, if you're not familiar with the following blogs, please do yourself a favor and take a look.  I heartily join Hank and Rosemary in recommending them.

Cozy Chicks Blog

Features JB Stanley, Heather Webber, Lorna Barrett, Kate Collins, Deb Baker, Leann Sweeney, and Maggie Sefton. “We blog about our writing and our lives and discuss book promotion.”  They send quarterly newsletters and hold seasonal contests for readers.

Femmes Fatales

“Ferociously talented women dedicated to the fine art of crime fiction.”  Charlaine Harris, Dana Cameron, Kris Neri, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Toni L. P. Kelner, Elaine Viets, Mary Saums and Donna Andrews bring their wit and wisdom to this long-running cyberchat.

Inkspot

Feature two dozen authors published by Midnight Ink Books.  They blog about all aspects of the writing life–motivation, editing, publicity, marketing, book signings, and libraries.  Some bloggers are Elizabeth Spann Craig/Riley Adams, Beth Groundwater, Sue Ann Jaffarian, Felicia Donovan, Julia Buckley, Deborah Sharp, Alan Orloff, and G. M. Malliet.

Jen’s Book Thoughts

Started about 2 years ago by a high school English teacher.  At JBT you’ll find review, interview, news about book events and author events, and special projects like “Six-Word Memoirs from Crime Fiction’s Greatest Writers.”  JBT has also incorporated video interviews on the blog.  Visiting authors have included James Lee Burker, Michael Connelly, Gregg Hurwitz, T. Jefferson Parker, Michael Koryta, Dennis Lehane, Sue Grafton, Lisa Unger, and Ken Bruen.

Jungle Red

Writing well is the best revenge.  Multiple award-winning authors Hank Phillippi Ryan, Rosemary Harris, Roberta Isleib, Rhys Bowen, Jan Brogan, and Hallie Ephron write about writing, not writing, reading, and the publishing world and the real world.  Jungle Red Mondays are a special chat among all the authors, in a “View”-like atmosphere, they invite visitors to join in the discussion.  Wednesdays showcase a special guest–such as Katherine Neville, Linda Fairstein, Carolyn Hart, Michael Palmer, agents, editors, and some of their favorite librarians.  Fridays are “anything can happen!”

Lesa’s Book Critiques

Lesa Holstine is a library manager in Arizona who has worked in public libraries for 37 years. Her blog features book reviews, author interviews, and recaps author appearances.  Articles are frequently picked up for syndication, and can often be read in the Chicago Sun-Times.  She also reviews women’s fiction for Library Journal and crime fiction for Mystery Lovers’ Journal.

The Lipstick Chronicles

The renowned and successful Lipstick Chronicles just celebrated five years online, and now includes authors who appeal to a broad fiction audience.  It’s irreverent, edgy and often hilarious, it gives an up-close look at some top notch writers.  The bloggers have won every award in the industry: Brunonia Barry, Diane Chamberlain, Heather Graham, Harley Jane Kozak, Margaret Maron, Nancy Martin, Louise Penny, Nancy Pickard, Cornelia Read, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Sarah Strohmeyer, Kathy Reschini Sweeney, Elaine Viets and Jacqueline Winspear.

Meritorious Mysteries

Mystery maven and North Carolina author escort Molly Weston’s blog features mystery author guest bloggers on Tuesdays and reviews of great mysteries not usually found on the NY Times Bestseller List.  Meritorious Mysteries offers readers crime fiction gems they might not otherwise find.

Murderati

Hard-boiled and medium-boiled mystery and thriller authors take turns writing thoughtful and provocative essays.  Their website says: “…examines critical themes, historical archetypes and trends in publishing, marketing and the life of the published author.”  Bloggers are: Alafair Burke, Alex Sokoloff, Allison Brennan, Brett Battles, Cornelia Read, JD Rhoades, JT Ellison, Louise Ure, Pari Noskin Taichert, Robert Gregory Browne, Stephen Jay Schwartz, Tess Gerritsen, Toni McGee Causey and Zoe Sharpe.

Poe’s Deadly Daughters

Poe’s Deadly Daughters bills itself as “a blog for mystery lovers.”  Bloggers are Elizabeth Zelvin, Sandra Parshall, Sharon Wildwind, Lonnie Cruse, Julia Buckley, and Sheila Connolly (aka Sarah Atwell).  Often it’s books, reading, the writing process, creativity, or language, but also a vast range of topics from crime and alcoholism to parenting and animals.

Seven Criminal Minds

Seven Criminal Minds includes 12 crime writers including Kelly Stanley, CJ Lyons, Meredith Cole, Sophie Littlefield, Bill Cameron, Shane Gericke, and Rebecca Cantrell.  Each week, they respond to questions about writing and reading, murder and mayhem–focusing on one topic.

The Stiletto Gang

“Women writers on mission to bring mystery, human and high heels to the world.”  Visitors to TSG are treated to “healthy doses of humor, opinion, mysteries, and information.”  Gang members are Evelyn David, Marilyn Meredith, Maggie Barbieri, Rachel Brady, Misa Ramirez and Susan McBride.

Stop, You’re Killing Me

Stop, You’re Killing Me is a resource for lovers of mystery, crime, thriller, spy and suspense books.  “We list over 3,300 authors, with chronological lists of their books (over 38,000 titles), both series (3,700+) and non-series.  And it’s perfectly fine with us if you print our pages for your private use, especially for a trip to your local library or bookstore.”

The Road to the Skull Ring by Scott Nicholson

Scott Nicholson is the author of nine novels, including Speed Dating with the Dead, The Red Church, and Drummer Boy. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and several children’s books, in addition to four fiction collections. Writing advice, articles, art, and more are available at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com. 

The Road to The Skull Ring
By Scott Nicholson

As a kid, I was very easy to please–just give me some crayons and scrap paper and I would stay quiet for hours. While the wax babysitter did wonders for family harmony, it also helped me build a rich internal world where anything was possible.

I still remember the impact of those odd Dr. Seuss books and how words could be silly and serious at the same time. And then I entered the world of monster comic books, learning a different type of storytelling, and so I started making my own comics on folded notebook paper. In the middle grades I was winning essay contests, and by high school I was the weird guy writing short stories and humor for the school newspaper.

My college years involved lots of writing classes and a strange mix of influences ranging from Hemingway, Vonnegut, Lennon, Brautigan, and the classics to mood-altering substances. I was writing serious fiction that had no plot and involved lots of suicidal guys smoking cigarettes. Highly original, I know.

Somehow my creative energy shifted to song writing and rock bands, but I still played with words, eventually getting back to fiction when I took my second turn at college. Again with the writing classes, but now my influences had broadened to include mystery, science fiction, horror, suspense–lots more commercial fiction. I remember a guy brought his novel to class, written on yellow legal pads and based on the Dungeons and Dragons game, and I was thinking, “Well, if he can do it, I can do it.”

A year and three novels later, I was finally ready to start learning, and my fourth novel actually sold, but it was my fifth novel, The Skull Ring, that got me my first agent. I remember his saying at the time, “I like it but I don’t see it being a big novel.” 

I wanted to say “Well, I can write it on 11" x17" paper with a font size of 48 if you want,” but in those days you pretty much had to just put up with whatever your “handlers” said was reality. Though we sold six books together, for some reason The Skull Ring never came up again. I think we pitched it to my editor and he came back with “Satan is too dated.”

I didn’t know Satan could go out of style.

Actually, Satan is not a character in the novel, though it does contain Satanists. My heroine Julia Stone is piecing together childhood memories when the past starts creeping back–first in mysterious messages, then little clues around her house, and soon in larger, more threatening ways. And the therapist who is privy to Julia’s innermost secrets has begun to violate and exploit that trust–and the rural handyman is taking a little too much interest in Julia’s affairs.

Inspired by actual case histories described in psychological diagnostic manuals, Julia undertakes a journey to hell and back–much of it in her mind, though certainly she has plenty of tour guides along the way.

I hope you’ll take that journey with her. Because Julia Stone will remember...even if it kills her.

The Secret of Good Writing . . . by Leighton Gage

Leighton Gage is the author of the Chief Inspector Mario Silva Series, police procedurals set in Brazil.

He loves to communicate with people, which may be one of the reasons why he is fluent in three languages and conversant in three more.

He loves to travel, even to places that other folks may not find particularly appealing. He visited Spain in the time of Franco, Portugal in the time of Salazar, South Africa in the time of apartheid, Chile in the time of Pinochet, Argentina in the time of the junta, Prague, East Germany and Yugoslavia under the Communist yoke and lived in Brazil during the time of the military government.

He and his Brazilian-born wife spend much of the year in a small town near São Paulo and the remainder visiting children and grandchildren who live in three other countries.

The Secret of Good Writing…

…is rewriting

Ernest Hemingway rewrote the first chapter of For Whom the Bell Tolls twenty-two times. When asked, How come? The Master said, Because I couldn’t get the words right.

I cannot think of a better way to put it.

It takes me a year to write each of my books.

I work from outlines. I know how a book is going to end before I sit down to write it. I generally have the first draft on paper within six months of developing the overall concept.

The rest of the time I spend on getting the words right.

A friend of mine, a woman whose writing rhythm is much like my own, told me of a signing she’d done with another author. He said to her, I write three books a year. Do you think your books are three times better than mine?

Flabbergasted (great word, that. How often do you get to use a word like flabbergasted?) she was unable to give Mr. Fecundity the kind of answer he deserved.

Backward, turn backward,

Oh, time in thy flight,

I’ve thought of a comeback

I needed last night!

             - F. G. Kernan

A sweet and simple Yes would have sufficed.

It would have been true as well.

Each of her books is three times better than anything that gentleman (gentleman?) has ever written.

He’s able to grind out his three books a year because he doesn’t re-write any of them.

There was a cartoon, years ago, in The New Yorker. It showed a diminutive French sculptor. (You know he’s French because he’s got a little moustache and is wearing a beret.) He’s up on a high ladder with a mallet in one hand and a chisel in the other. His wife, hands on hips, is standing in the doorway of his studio. The huge statue he’d been working on has just split down the middle. Her line: There you go again, Pierre. You and your ‘one more tap’.

I identify 100% with that gentleman.

I don’t have a beret or a moustache, but that’s me.

One More Tap Gage. (My taps are on keyboards.)

With every book, I keep on tapping until my publisher tells me the galleys are set in stone.

I think all of us should do likewise. We owe it to our readers.

A few years ago a gentleman I knew wrote a novel. His first and only. He developed a great premise, wrote it in a furious one-off, and submitted it to agents. And received the usual rejections.

Impatient, he self-published – and, only then, did he ask me to critique it.

I owed this guy. So I did it. I read his work, made copious notes and composed myself for a long session with him. Fifteen minutes in, he started to balk.

“I already wrote it once,” he said. “I don’t want to write the damned thing all over again.”

I told him what I tell anyone who considers embracing this profession: If you’re not prepared to write your book all over again, don’t waste your time writing it in the first place.

He wasn’t so prepared. He gave up.

Here’s a photo of me at work.

See that stack of paper? That’s a clue, that I’m revising, maybe for the fifth or sixth time. I don’t remember which draft it was, but I do remember the book I was working on: Every Bitter Thing, the fourth in the Chief Inspector Mario Silva series.

Like all the others, it took months to get the words right.

Our shopping lists, my grandchildren’s drawings, my daily notes, messages that my wife and I leave for each other – all are on the back of marked-up manuscript pages. The mother lode of the entire neighborhood’s supply of scrap paper is located in my office. Every book yields a stack half as tall as the working surface of my writing desk. I bought a laser printer because I got tired of waiting for manuscripts to print-out on my aged inkjet.

I have never seen a single page of my prose that I didn’t think I could improve upon by re-writing.

Including what I’m writing now.

I’ll put it aside for a few days when I’ve finished banging it out.

And then I’ll tap, tap, tap.

And tap again before I send it off to Kaye.

And, since you, Dear Reader, are unlikely to honor me by putting it on a shelf in your home, or paying to acquire it, I figure I can take some liberties with it.

By not revising this post anywhere near as much as I would a book.

Knowing me, that means I’m going to blush when I see it up on Meanderings and Muses.

Should I have begun three phrases in succession with the word And?

Should I have kicked-off the post with the description of the cartoon instead of the quote from Hemingway?

Stuff like that.

There’s always a good deal to consider, even in a short post like this one.

Rewriting.

It’s not only the secret of good writing.

It’s the soul of writing well.

Meanderings and Muses - where's it going from here ?

Who would have ever thought this blogging thing might ever become a bit of a problem?!

On July 25, 2008, I was guest blogger at The Stiletto Gang Blogspot - http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/2008/07/smoking-and-not-smoking.html - I wrote a piece called "Smoking and Not Smoking"  At that time I had just quit smoking.  It was just the most fun writing that piece.  I had no idea I had words inside me that wanted to pop out. (still not smoking, by the way.  I haven't had a cigarette since May 2008.  I don't know the exact date 'cause I didn't want to get caught up in saying out loud (even to myself) "this is the very last one," and being disappointed in myself when it wasn't.)

Then in September, 2008 I was guest blogger at Murderati - http://www.murderati.com/blog/2008/9/19/a-virtual-montparnasse-part-one.html - JT Ellison invited me to share thoughts about "A Virtual Montparnasse."  JT had no idea, I'm sure, that she was a party to building a monster.

Then, in October I made my first trip to Bouchercon. 

the rest, as they say, is history. 

It was an incredible experience and all the emotion needed an outlet.  With the help, and seemingly, the blessing of Evelyn David of The Stiletto Gang, and JT Ellison, I now knew there was a perfect outlet for me.  Blogging was born with me in mind, I'm sure of it!  The monster was unleashed.

When I first started playing around with blogging, I had not a clue.  Truth be told, I'm still doing it by the seat of my pants.  I knew I had some things I wanted to say.  One of the things I will always remember my friend Vickie saying is "if you don't really want to know Kaye's opinion, don't ask."  After poo poo-ing blogging in general for a couple of years, I was now not only a convert, but one with a mission.  I knew I didn't want to blog every day.  Even if I could think of something interesting to say every single day, I knew I wouldn't have time.  Not and say it the way I really wanted to say it.  So, thought I.  How about tapping on a few shoulders and see if maybe some friends in the mystery community might want to come play?  I wanted my new on-line home to be similar to Bouchercon.  A whole group of people, many of whom know one another, but many who may not - hanging out and enjoying one another and their one known commonality - crime fiction.

Next I wanted my on-line home to look pretty.  We always want our homes in the best shape possible when company comes to call, right?  Why not extend that same respect and care to our on-line homes for our on-line friends and family.  It took me (a non-techie) a long time to come up with what seemed to work.  I had no idea what I really wanted, so I browsed around in Blogger knowing I would know what I wanted when I found it (sorta like that perfect pair of shoes).  As time went on, I stumbled onto a lot of  different backgrounds and designs, played with a few of them for awhile, then with the newest version of Blogger designs I made yet another little change, which is where we are now.  I'm sure, though, that, like life - we'll see more changes while we're here.  Along the way, I had to ask a lot of questions and count on several experts to get me to a point I was happy with.  A major snag in the very beginning was learning the name I really wanted for my new home wasn't available.  Someone else had already snagged it.  The nerve!  So I just had to play around with the words until I was able to place them in a way that someone else had not yet stumbled upon.  Hence, we have Meanderings and Muses.  And that picture of Harley is a nice fit, and seems to sum things up quite nicely, don't you think?  He had wandered meandered down our driveway, and appears to be thinking musing about whatever he sees down the bank around our pond.  Probably a bunny, possibly a deer.  Or maybe he just had a thought he wanted to ponder a bit while he sat in the snow. I do like "Meanderings and Muses" loads better than "Wandering and Thinking" don't you?

So,  then I made a list of names of people I'd like to have as guests in my new home.  I was heartened and gratified when so many of them graciously agreed.  I had initially hoped for 12 responses, thinking that if I could get one guest a month, it might prove enough to keep some folks interested enough that they'll be willing to drop in every so often to see who might be visiting.

Suffice to say, I got a few more than 12 responses.  And now, by golly it's grown.  A lot.  I now have two guests every week; one on Mondays, and another on Thursdays.  Additionally, I also have guests on the occasional Saturday.  And this past year I received some notes from people who were interested in participating.  Some of whom I just was not able to accommodate, but not because I didn't want to.  If I didn't have this pesky little full-time job, it would be a different story.

Through all this and future changes, I want Meanderings and Muses to remain what it started as.  A group of people who love books, (mysteries and crime fiction mainly, but not exclusively).  I also want to continue the mix that, to me, keeps the mystery community the special place it is.  A lovely mix.  Writers who are well known, along with those who are not so well know.  Writers who are still working towards being published, along with fans who just enjoy reading good work (and who are the most loyal group of people on God's green earth).  All of whom truly enjoy one another; offering advice, assistance and words of encouragement to one another freely and without ego.  Mixing and mingling, sharing a hug, a laugh, and a memory. 

When I first started this adventure, I didn't give a thought as to where it was going, or if it even had a future to think about.  As the first year was drawing to a close, it dawned on me I had to make a decision as to whether we'd try again or just fade into oblivion.  The only way to find out whether we might have a go at a second year similar to our first was to send out some invitations and just wait and see if we were going to be able to fill enough dates with guests to move forward.  The calendar was filled within a couple of days.

Recently, I decided to try something a little different in an attempt to fill next year's calendar. First,  I really wanted to try to lasso in a few of my very favorite people who have not participated in the past.  Writers - well-known and not so well known, bloggers, reviewers, and readers.  So.  Here's the thing.  And I have to admit, it's been a bit of a surprise.  While trying to gather in some new voices, I've received a couple of notes from people who have been guests in the past asking why they were eliminated from my invitation list this year.  Not so.  Not so at all.  I'm just issuing invitations differently this year.  And right now, I'm really just getting started.  No one is being eliminated from my list of guests.  However,  truth be told, unless I want to have a different guest every single day (which I don't), I'm not going to be able to invite everyone I'd like to invite this year.  So, please be patient with me and let's see how this works.  If someone who has participated in the past does not receive an invitation this year, it's only because the calendar got full before I got to everyone I'd like to include (that has not happened yet).  The invitations (once I was able to contact several new guests), are going out in a totally random fashion.  I'm sure there's a better way of doing this.  But.  It's the way I've chosen to do things this year.  Randomly.  Totally Randomly.  As a name pops into mind, I'm sending them an invitation.  There truly is no rhyme nor reason to how these are being sent.  I'm not out to hurt ANYONE'S feelings, and I'm not passing over anyone intentionally for any reason.  I still have some dates to fill.  The invites will be continuing for several more days, maybe even another week - maybe two.  Next year, if Meanderings and Muses is still around, we'll see how the invitation process irons out then.  And chances are, if someone has participated in the past but doesn't receive an invitation to participate this year, they'll receive one next year (IF we're still around).  I may have to start staggering the invitation list from year to year.  But you know what, it's early!  Everyone who is interested "may" yet receive an invite.  Again, bear with me, please. 

I'm tickled pink so many have agreed to play.  Including some surprises.

I'm gratified beyond words that Meanderings and Muses has become a place that seems to have garnered your respect, and still maintain its uniqueness.  Some posters may find it disconcerting that there aren't a lot of comments left.  Me too!  But - I can assure you; we continue getting a lot of hits.  A LOT!  And as you know, many of you receive comments in your email, or on your Facebook page instead of here in the comments section.  I have a theory about comments.  I'm thinking there are a whole lot of reasons why some people don't leave them; one of which is just simply not feeling comfortable with doing that.  Another is that they just simply don't want to be viewed as someone who's bouncing all over the web leaving random comments far and wide; so they read and then just move on.  It's O.K.  We all, honestly, do a lot of that, I think.  But I think it's fair to say that what you're writing is being seen.  You do have an audience here.  A very appreciative one; including me.

I want Meanderings and Muses to always be a place of honesty, where we can speak our feelings freely while showing respect to those who think and feel differently than we might in our ideologies.

But mostly?  Hell, Honeys - I just want you to have fun !

When the 2011 calendar is complete, I'll be posting it right here.  I hope you'll keep checking back often.  I enjoy having you all drop by.  And I hope you'll enjoy all the terrific guests we have lined up for the coming months.