I knew I’d be out of pocket today so I invited fellow author Kassandra Lamb to guest blog. Kassandra has departed from her amateur sleuth series to write police procedure. Further, I don’t think I’ve ever met a more helpful muse! Thanks for joining us, Kassandra~ Donnell
I am a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants. No outline, just a basic story idea, and I sit down and see what pours out onto the page. When I started writing Book 1 of my newest series, I didn’t even know my protagonist’s back story.
I only knew two things. One, a successful Maryland homicide detective would be snatched out of her comfort zone and dumped into a new job as Chief of Police in a small Florida city. And two, her first big case would be a serial killer.
I actually knew very little about Judith Anderson (who was a secondary character from my Kate Huntington mystery series)—other than she was a workaholic, no-nonsense cop who had a lot of integrity.
So imagine my surprise when this happened as she and one of her detectives are making a death notification to a victim’s next of kin…
Detective Jacobs rang the sister’s doorbell, then rapped knuckles against the door.
I jerked.
Two burly county cops on the porch, the afternoon sun beating down. “Is your mother home?” Me, a scrawny teenager, staring at them, my throat so tight I couldn’t talk.
I shook my head slightly, brutally shoving the memory away.
Jacobs’s back was rigid. Had he picked up that I’d had a brief flashback? More likely, he was bracing himself for the task at hand.
Wow, I was as shocked by this little flashback as my protagonist was!
But I was a psychotherapist for 20 years, specializing in trauma recovery, so I quickly realized that Judith had some demons in her psychological closet. And they were being stirred up by the insecurity of being in a new and challenging situation.
I was quite familiar with the way that flashbacks and dreams often reveal more about such demons. But what was this flashback about?
I only had a vague idea at that point. I knew in my gut that her mother was dead. But was she murdered?
The dream Judith had a few chapters later wasn’t much help…
The dead woman on the floor got up, as she sometimes did. “Are you hungry? I’ll fix you a snack.” She walked toward the fridge, and I sat at the tiny kitchen table.
My long legs barely fit under it. She called it our postage-stamp table.
A buzzing sound. Was it the microwave?
Another buzz.
I opened one eye.
Then a quick flashback in Chapter 10 told me why Judith had little to no social life back in Maryland (in the Kate books)…
More warmth in my chest, offset by anxious butterflies in my stomach.
Talk about mixed emotions.
Maybe Kate was a friend after all.
A mental flash of a dark-haired woman lying on a floor, seemingly asleep but not.
My chest constricted, the warmth gone. The anxiety prevailed. Letting people in was dangerous.
Then Judith has a lucid dream in Chapter 14 (lucid dream is psychobabble for one in which you know you’re dreaming), and I learned more about how the woman on the floor died…
It was one of those freaky dreams in which you know you’re dreaming.
The woman lay crumpled on the floor.
Here we go again, I thought in the dream.
I walked slowly toward her, trying to convince myself that she was only asleep. But why would she be sleeping on the kitchen floor?
I saw the pill bottle, empty on its side, and my heart raced.
The woman raised her head and stared at me.
Okay, that was new. She’d gotten up before and acted normal, but this penetrating stare was a new development.
Her mouth opened and a mechanical voice came out. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
It wasn’t my fault,” I said, in a quavering teenager’s voice.
“You could have saved them,” the mechanical voice said.
A phone rang.
My mother stood up and walked to the kitchen wall phone. She picked up the receiver and said, “Hello.” But the phone kept ringing.
I jerked awake. My cell phone was ringing.
When I was writing Book 1, I hadn’t really thought through whether or not Judith would have a love interest, but my muse was a step or two ahead of me (as she often is). Judith meets the sheriff of the adjoining county in Chapter 20…
A rotund man in a khaki uniform and matching Stetson stepped out of the driver’s side of the lead cruiser—a stereotypical rural sheriff with graying hair and a bushy mustache.
“This here’s county jurisdiction,” he said as he approached where I stood.
“I know that. That’s why I called your department.”
The man opened his mouth, but another voice interrupted. “I’ll take it from here, Deputy. Why don’t you join in the search?”
“Harumph.” The rotund man huffed away.
A slimmer, taller man, mid-forties—also in a khaki uniform—stepped forward, hand extended. “Sheriff Sam Pierson, ma’am. You must be Chief Anderson.” His voice was a pleasant baritone.
I shook the hand, trying to hide my surprise. I, of all people, should know better than to make assumptions based on stereotypes. “Good to meet you, Sheriff.”
“Call me Sam.” He gave my hand a slight squeeze and let it go.
I hesitated, then said, “Judith.”
He raised an eyebrow, and I figured it wouldn’t be long before he tried to call me Judy.
He looked around, slowly shaking his head. “A serial killer’s one hell of a welcome to Florida for you.”
Sam never, ever calls her Judy, and over the next 2 books, he slowly but surely worms his way at least partway past her defenses.
But then, in Book 4, Felony Murder (my most recent release), Judith keeps seeing Sam around town, talking to various women. He swears it’s a doppelganger, someone who looks like him. As this issue is coming to a head, Judith is distracted by a flashback during a phone conversation.
“Judith, are you there?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.”
Should I ask him if he was in town earlier?
No, the answer came back. Too quickly.
Was that my old distrust bubbling up? Or something else?
My mind flashed to my father coming home from work, and me, as a teenager, hiding in my room and listening for the timbre of his voice. Was he jovial or pissed at the world? And if I couldn’t tell, should I go out there? What if I said something that would set him off?
Not that he’d ever gone after me.
“Judith?” Concern in Sam’s voice still, but more strident.
My insides tensed. A flash of my father’s arm high in the air, his hand fisted. My mother cowering…
I can’t deal with this right now.
“Sorry, I’m kinda distracted. I need to go.”
And toward the end of this latest book, a dream helps Judith sort out her feelings about her stepmother, her father’s second wife…
The dead woman was lying on the kitchen floor, the pill bottle beside her. She slowly rose and turned toward me. “You really should be nicer to her.”
“Sheez, Mom, not you too.” The voice was that of a peevish teen. “That’s what Dad’s always saying.”
“She’s doing the best she can.”
“But she’s the one who took Dad away from us.”
“Not you, darling.” Tears pooled in my mother’s eyes. “Only me.”
An annoying buzzing sound interrupted my thoughts.
The buzz came again, followed by a ping. I opened one eye.
I’m starting to have some fun with these dreams and flashbacks my muse keeps producing, and I’m loving how they reveal Judith’s back story and psyche…little snippets erupting from the deeper layers of her consciousness.
Now that I think about it, it makes sense that my muse would be fond of such devices, since all three—flashbacks, dreams and muses—reside in the subconscious mind.
I wonder what will pop out in the next book…
About Felony Murder:
All is not as it seems in Starling, Florida…
A phone call from a desperate teen, awaiting trial for felony murder, spurs Chief of Police Judith Anderson to re-open the case of a drug deal gone wrong. But her investigation finds more questions than answers. How did the white gang members involved end up with sweet plea deals, while the Latino kid with no record is charged with felony murder? Meanwhile, attempts on the mayor’s life and glimpses around town of her lover with various women divide Judith’s attention and trigger her old demons of distrust.
About the Author: Kassandra Lamb has never been able to decide which she loves more, psychology or writing. In her youth, she had to decide between writing and paying the bills. Partial to electricity and food, she studied psychology. Now retired from a career as a psychotherapist and college professor, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. The magic portal to this universe (i.e., her computer) is located in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.
She is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series (about a psychotherapist as amateur sleuth), the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries (about a service dog trainer and her mentor dog), and the police procedural series, The Co.P. on the Scene Mysteries, plus a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book. She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
WEBSITE: https://kassandralamb.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kassandralambauthor
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kasslamb/
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/kassandralamb/
BOOKBUB PROFILE: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kassandra-lamb
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5624939.Kassandra_Lamb
Justice in New France, 1734
/in Historical Mystery, Mystery, Uncategorized/by donalee MoultonI posed 10 questions to the book’s main character Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk assigned specifically to document the case of Marie-Joseph Angélique almost three centuries ago. His answers are below. (Hint: You can also find them in the book.)
Witnesses are a cornerstone of the French judicial system. We do this without lawyers. We do not allow lawyers to practice in New France. We are not English.
I turned to the Criminal Ordinance of 1670 and other legal documents for this question. It does not take me long to find what I am looking for. Rumor alone constitutes legal grounds for accusing, arresting, and convicting an individual.
Confrontation is part of the judicial process. It enables the accused to deny accusations directly. It gives witnesses the opportunity to rethink, perhaps to revise, their earlier testimony.
The Criminal Ordinance permits torture for serious crimes. There are reasons for this. Torture can help extract a confession. This is important to get to the truth of a matter. There is also the issue of accomplices. Torture can help to draw out names that would otherwise die on an accused’s lips.
The brodequins are very effective. Misleadingly and accurately called laced boots or tight boots, this particular form of torture involves packing a person’s legs between narrow boards tightly bound. Wooden wedges are then pounded between board and human flesh. Bone breaks. Boards do not.
French law says all accused are presumed guilty. The accused must prove their innocence.
The punishment: death, torture, or banishment. Or some combination of those. Being found guilty will mean an end to the life someone knows regardless of the punishment.
The Code Noir explicitly states how slaves are to be treated in New France. It discusses punishment and freedom of movement, or more accurately, lack of movement. The Code also requires all slaves convert to Catholicism. It is an owner’s responsibility to ensure this happens. Sooner rather than later.
Mais oui! The appeal judgment would be rendered by the Conseil Supérieur in Québec. It is the foremost judicial body in New France. Their decision will be final.
There is a prison, of course. It is attached to the courthouse – and it is where the jailer lives.
On a warm spring day in April 1734, a fire raged through the merchants’ quarter in Montréal. When the flames finally died, 46 buildings – including the Hôtel-Dieu convent and hospital – had been destroyed. Within hours, rumors ran rampant that Marie-Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman fighting for her freedom, had started the fire with her white lover. Less than a day later, Angélique sat in prison, her lover nowhere to be found. Though she denied the charges, witnesses claimed Angélique was the arsonist even though no one saw her set the fire.
Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk assigned specifically to document her case, believes Angelique might just be telling the truth. Or not. A reticent servant, a boisterous jailer, and three fire-scorched shingles prove indispensable in his quest to uncover what really happened.
Angélique’s time is running out as Archambeau searches for answers. Will the determined court clerk discover what really happened the night Montreal burned to the ground before it’s too late?
How Cozy!
/in amateur sleuth mysteries, Author Life, Book Clubs, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery Series, Romantic Suspense, Uncategorized, women sleuths/by Gay YellenThe Body Next Door has just won GOLD in the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards. I am honored and happy for the recognition, the fifth one for this, my second book in the Samantha Newman Mystery Series. I’m also amazed and amused. Here’s why:
Flashback to 2014:
I’d helped someone else write a successful thriller, and just finished the first book that was all mine. I wrote it as a thriller as well: fast-moving and tense, bad guys revealed from the beginning, there’s a bomb, and good people might die.
Then I wrote a sequel, The Body Next Door. When it was released in 2016 (the recent American Legacy prize is for backlisted books), many readers and reviewers called it a Cozy. The first prize it won back then was a Chanticleer Mystery & Mayhem award, which, as I later discovered, is given for cozies like Agatha Christie classics. I was pleased, but confused.
Cozies are very popular entertainment, but when I studied the genre more than a decade ago, I encountered a slew of rabid rule-keepers that strictly defined what made a book a cozy and, especially, what must never happen in one: graphic sex, cursing, and bloody violence. Not wanting to incur the wrath of the cozy police in the form of angry reviews, I laid low.
While there’s no graphic sex in my books, the bad guys in the first book do some pretty unsavory things. Also, cozies are usually set in small towns, while my series is set in a big metropolitan area. It’s common for a cozy protagonist to own a cat or other sentient pet (Samantha has none) and to manage a small business, preferably a cozy store or restaurant. Neither element is present in my books.
And yet, to my amazement and amusement, The Body Next Door has won a Best Cozy award again. Now I’m wondering if the series should be described as Cozy.
The rules seem to have loosened in recent years. Are cozy readers more forgiving?
I’m still wary of calling the book anything except a Romantic Mystery. Full of suspense, with interesting characters and a dollop of humor, whichever way someone wants to classify my books is just fine with me, as long as they have been entertained.
Do you look for certain genres to enjoy, or are you an omivourous reader?
Please comment below!
Gay Yellen is a former magazine editor and national journalism award winner. She was the contributing book editor for Five Minutes to Midnight (Delacorte), an international thriller and New York Times Notable. Her award-winning Samantha Newman Mystery Series includes The Body Business, The Body Next Door, and The Body in the News.
Gay loves to connect with book clubs and community groups in person and online. Contact her through her website, GayYellen.com.
How My Muse Revealed Protagonist’s History with Flashbacks & Dreams
/in Guest Blogger/by Donnell Ann BellI knew I’d be out of pocket today so I invited fellow author Kassandra Lamb to guest blog. Kassandra has departed from her amateur sleuth series to write police procedure. Further, I don’t think I’ve ever met a more helpful muse! Thanks for joining us, Kassandra~ Donnell
I only knew two things. One, a successful Maryland homicide detective would be snatched out of her comfort zone and dumped into a new job as Chief of Police in a small Florida city. And two, her first big case would be a serial killer.
I actually knew very little about Judith Anderson (who was a secondary character from my Kate Huntington mystery series)—other than she was a workaholic, no-nonsense cop who had a lot of integrity.
So imagine my surprise when this happened as she and one of her detectives are making a death notification to a victim’s next of kin…
Detective Jacobs rang the sister’s doorbell, then rapped knuckles against the door.
I jerked.
Two burly county cops on the porch, the afternoon sun beating down. “Is your mother home?” Me, a scrawny teenager, staring at them, my throat so tight I couldn’t talk.
I shook my head slightly, brutally shoving the memory away.
Jacobs’s back was rigid. Had he picked up that I’d had a brief flashback? More likely, he was bracing himself for the task at hand.
Wow, I was as shocked by this little flashback as my protagonist was!
But I was a psychotherapist for 20 years, specializing in trauma recovery, so I quickly realized that Judith had some demons in her psychological closet. And they were being stirred up by the insecurity of being in a new and challenging situation.
I was quite familiar with the way that flashbacks and dreams often reveal more about such demons. But what was this flashback about?
I only had a vague idea at that point. I knew in my gut that her mother was dead. But was she murdered?
The dream Judith had a few chapters later wasn’t much help…
The dead woman on the floor got up, as she sometimes did. “Are you hungry? I’ll fix you a snack.” She walked toward the fridge, and I sat at the tiny kitchen table.
My long legs barely fit under it. She called it our postage-stamp table.
A buzzing sound. Was it the microwave?
Another buzz.
I opened one eye.
Then a quick flashback in Chapter 10 told me why Judith had little to no social life back in Maryland (in the Kate books)…
More warmth in my chest, offset by anxious butterflies in my stomach.
Talk about mixed emotions.
Maybe Kate was a friend after all.
A mental flash of a dark-haired woman lying on a floor, seemingly asleep but not.
My chest constricted, the warmth gone. The anxiety prevailed. Letting people in was dangerous.
Then Judith has a lucid dream in Chapter 14 (lucid dream is psychobabble for one in which you know you’re dreaming), and I learned more about how the woman on the floor died…
It was one of those freaky dreams in which you know you’re dreaming.
The woman lay crumpled on the floor.
Here we go again, I thought in the dream.
I walked slowly toward her, trying to convince myself that she was only asleep. But why would she be sleeping on the kitchen floor?
I saw the pill bottle, empty on its side, and my heart raced.
The woman raised her head and stared at me.
Okay, that was new. She’d gotten up before and acted normal, but this penetrating stare was a new development.
Her mouth opened and a mechanical voice came out. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
It wasn’t my fault,” I said, in a quavering teenager’s voice.
“You could have saved them,” the mechanical voice said.
A phone rang.
My mother stood up and walked to the kitchen wall phone. She picked up the receiver and said, “Hello.” But the phone kept ringing.
I jerked awake. My cell phone was ringing.
When I was writing Book 1, I hadn’t really thought through whether or not Judith would have a love interest, but my muse was a step or two ahead of me (as she often is). Judith meets the sheriff of the adjoining county in Chapter 20…
A rotund man in a khaki uniform and matching Stetson stepped out of the driver’s side of the lead cruiser—a stereotypical rural sheriff with graying hair and a bushy mustache.
“This here’s county jurisdiction,” he said as he approached where I stood.
“I know that. That’s why I called your department.”
The man opened his mouth, but another voice interrupted. “I’ll take it from here, Deputy. Why don’t you join in the search?”
“Harumph.” The rotund man huffed away.
A slimmer, taller man, mid-forties—also in a khaki uniform—stepped forward, hand extended. “Sheriff Sam Pierson, ma’am. You must be Chief Anderson.” His voice was a pleasant baritone.
I shook the hand, trying to hide my surprise. I, of all people, should know better than to make assumptions based on stereotypes. “Good to meet you, Sheriff.”
“Call me Sam.” He gave my hand a slight squeeze and let it go.
I hesitated, then said, “Judith.”
He raised an eyebrow, and I figured it wouldn’t be long before he tried to call me Judy.
He looked around, slowly shaking his head. “A serial killer’s one hell of a welcome to Florida for you.”
Sam never, ever calls her Judy, and over the next 2 books, he slowly but surely worms his way at least partway past her defenses.
But then, in Book 4, Felony Murder (my most recent release), Judith keeps seeing Sam around town, talking to various women. He swears it’s a doppelganger, someone who looks like him. As this issue is coming to a head, Judith is distracted by a flashback during a phone conversation.
“Judith, are you there?” Sam asked.
“Yeah.”
Should I ask him if he was in town earlier?
No, the answer came back. Too quickly.
Was that my old distrust bubbling up? Or something else?
My mind flashed to my father coming home from work, and me, as a teenager, hiding in my room and listening for the timbre of his voice. Was he jovial or pissed at the world? And if I couldn’t tell, should I go out there? What if I said something that would set him off?
Not that he’d ever gone after me.
“Judith?” Concern in Sam’s voice still, but more strident.
My insides tensed. A flash of my father’s arm high in the air, his hand fisted. My mother cowering…
I can’t deal with this right now.
“Sorry, I’m kinda distracted. I need to go.”
And toward the end of this latest book, a dream helps Judith sort out her feelings about her stepmother, her father’s second wife…
The dead woman was lying on the kitchen floor, the pill bottle beside her. She slowly rose and turned toward me. “You really should be nicer to her.”
“Sheez, Mom, not you too.” The voice was that of a peevish teen. “That’s what Dad’s always saying.”
“She’s doing the best she can.”
“But she’s the one who took Dad away from us.”
“Not you, darling.” Tears pooled in my mother’s eyes. “Only me.”
An annoying buzzing sound interrupted my thoughts.
The buzz came again, followed by a ping. I opened one eye.
I’m starting to have some fun with these dreams and flashbacks my muse keeps producing, and I’m loving how they reveal Judith’s back story and psyche…little snippets erupting from the deeper layers of her consciousness.
Now that I think about it, it makes sense that my muse would be fond of such devices, since all three—flashbacks, dreams and muses—reside in the subconscious mind.
I wonder what will pop out in the next book…
All is not as it seems in Starling, Florida…
A phone call from a desperate teen, awaiting trial for felony murder, spurs Chief of Police Judith Anderson to re-open the case of a drug deal gone wrong. But her investigation finds more questions than answers. How did the white gang members involved end up with sweet plea deals, while the Latino kid with no record is charged with felony murder? Meanwhile, attempts on the mayor’s life and glimpses around town of her lover with various women divide Judith’s attention and trigger her old demons of distrust.
About the Author: Kassandra Lamb has never been able to decide which she loves more, psychology or writing. In her youth, she had to decide between writing and paying the bills. Partial to electricity and food, she studied psychology. Now retired from a career as a psychotherapist and college professor, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. The magic portal to this universe (i.e., her computer) is located in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her.
She is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series (about a psychotherapist as amateur sleuth), the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries (about a service dog trainer and her mentor dog), and the police procedural series, The Co.P. on the Scene Mysteries, plus a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book. She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
WEBSITE: https://kassandralamb.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kassandralambauthor
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kasslamb/
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/kassandralamb/
BOOKBUB PROFILE: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kassandra-lamb
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5624939.Kassandra_Lamb
Thanks to the Fire Department!
/in Author Life, Debra H. Goldstein/by DebraThe Irondale Fire Department – four strong and a truck – just left my street. The four firefighters previously had been in my home. They weren’t there because of a fire. Rather, as a community service, they’d responded to my request for help with an upstairs beeping alarm.
As many of you know, I’m recovering well from back surgery, but I’m not quite at the point that I can scramble up ladders to change the batteries in smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. A friend had tried to help me determine which of the two was the beeper, but she not only couldn’t ascertain the culprit, but she wasn’t able to figure out how to open either of them. Not being able to maneuver the steps, I was no help to her.
At that moment, while the chirping continued, I remembered reading that the fire department would help in a situation like the one I found myself in. I called the non-emergency number and explained my situation. Once they learned I had the batteries necessary for replacement, they asked if right now was a good time for them to come out to help me.
Yes!
They arrived. While two went upstairs to determine the problematic alarm, one carried in a small ladder, and one kept me company downstairs. They quickly resolved the chirp, then waived off my thanks for their help. To them, it was all in a day’s work. To me, it was lifesaving or should I say sanity saving after two days of chirping.
When they pulled away, two neighbors, fearing I had fallen, texted to see if I was okay. I replied that I was more than okay. My problem was solved, and I was feeling grateful.
I have the same feeling when I interact with other writers. Whether we brainstorm, listen to each other’s tales of woe about our writing, or lament about something that has broken in our home that has distracted us from writing, we come through for each other. For that I am grateful.
Have you had a situation where a community service, like that provided by the fire department, or a personal connection with another author, has made you feel grateful?
A Happy Birthday!
/in Author Life, author promotion, Give Away/by Bethany MainesDO LOOK BACK
/in Author Life, Uncategorized/by Susan P. BakerWhat is this thing about not looking back? Does anyone really not do that? How do we know where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been? I was thinking about that a lot lately because, I guess you could say, I experienced a bad spell where I was way down in the dumps. Then I was at a meeting last week and someone started talking about Lot’s wife and not looking back. (BTW, I’m annoyed we don’t know Lot’s wife’s name.) I’d already been thinking about her.
The past twelve or so months have been trying to say the least. Not wanting to bore any readers with my sad story, suffice it to say, if I took a stress test, I’d score 100+.
Since I moved back from Mexico at the end of 2016, I’ve aimed to put out at least one book before the end of each year, but because of the issues in my sad story, I didn’t get one out before the end of ’23. So, what did I do? I set myself a goal, or you could say, a deadline of June ’24 to get that book out and the end of ’24 to get another book out I haven’t finished yet either.
I was feeling sorry for myself that so many issues were getting in the way on this book writing and publishing thing that I so often love. Frustrated. Then I remembered, at the end of each year I look at what I did or what happened in the previous year and what I want to do in the upcoming year. Like Janus. I hadn’t really let myself focus on that as much as I usually do, so one day I sat myself down and looked at what I’ve accomplished not just in the past year but in the past seventy-four (74) years of my life. I instantly felt better, especially when I didn’t turn into a pillar of salt.
I also felt better a couple of days ago, when I decided I’d probably quit getting headaches, some of which are migraines, if I quit overwhelming myself. I changed my deadlines and gave myself permission to change them again. I’m in this because I love it, and I don’t love it when I put unreal expectations on myself and cause myself to have a negative response.
By the way, did you know that if you go on YouTube and put in Don’t Look Back, you will find pages of songs that include Don’t Look Back In Anger. What is it about not looking back that fascinates people?
What a coincidence that I was reading about Janus, and to my surprise, I found a blog or essay or whatever the author called it about Janus, the god of writing. https://writescape.ca/site/2017/01/janus-the-god-of-writing/ .
I’m saying look forward, but look back. See where you’ve come. See what you’ve accomplished. Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive—Elbert Hubbard. (Something I’ll be constantly reminding myself.)
Susan P. Baker is a retired judge, mother of 2, grandmother of 8, world traveler, author of 14 published books with several partials in her drawers—at least that’s what she used to say back when partials were printed out, before computers and the Internet. You can read more about her at www.susanpbaker.com.
How Best to Make Sure the Books You Love Keep Coming
/in Uncategorized/by DebraSome of the things I’ve learned as a published novelist have turned me into a better fan of my own favorite authors. I’ve written on this blog before about pre-ordering and how I learned of its importance to writers. Instead of waiting for the books of my favorite author to be published, I pre-order now, knowing I’m contributing to their success, as well as assuring I’ll have their book as soon as it’s available.
I thought I was already helping with reviews. On my blog, www.LindaRodriguezWrites.blogspot.com, I try to spotlight books by literary writers of color who might be hard for the average reader to find, as well as mystery novelists who are writing high-quality fiction. I do this with profiles, interviews, and sometimes reviews of individual books. However, I’ve learned that reviews on Amazon and Goodreads count more toward sales than those longer ones on my blog or elsewhere.
I’ve always just given stars to books on Goodreads. I’ve read so many books that I didn’t think I had time for more than that. I was wrong. Those stars don’t do much good. It’s the reviews that make others decide to pick up the book to read. It’s the same with Amazon—reviews lead to sales. Even for authors who seem to have it made! Often even famous writers are just a breath or two away from tumbling down the slopes in the fickle game of publishing (as we saw recently when the major publishers all suddenly threw off multiple mystery writers, leaving many scrambling for new publishers or trying to reinvent themselves), and success is even more volatile for midlist authors. I try not to buy much on Amazon, so I’ve not done much except hit the ‘Like” button for a book/author I enjoy.
I learned about how important these reviews can be to authors, and I’d set myself a goal to post a daily review of a novelist whose work I enjoyed on either Amazon or Goodreads. Unfortunately, Amazon now won’t allow me to review many of the books I’d like to, because they assume I’m friends with the author. In some cases, I barely know the author, and in others, I don’t know them, at all, but Amazon has decided that, since I’m an author myself, I must necessarily know all other authors, apparently. So this is one way that I can’t contribute to keeping my favorite authors publishing, but if you can, those reviews matter more than almost any others. I have learned how to link my blog, so a review on my blog posts to my author page on Amazon or Goodreads, however. This is one thing I can do to make sure the writers I love don’t disappear on me.
I’ve always been a person others ask for book recommendations, primarily because I read so much in so many areas. Now that I’ve learned how important that word-of-mouth advice on books can be, I’ll be doing a lot more book recommendations and not just waiting for folks to ask me. I have occasionally requested my library system buy a book I want that they don’t have. Now, as soon as I know a book is coming out by one of my favorite writers, I will request my library system order that book—and my own pre-orders for those books will be through local bookstores because that helps them decide whether or not to order in that book to have on the shelves.
The publishing business is in deep flux right now, and authors are being required to do more than ever to promote their books. Every novelist I know, famous or unknown, is buried in a mountain of promotion efforts while still trying to write the books we fans love and wait for breathlessly. The sheer numbers, literally millions, of books flooding the market now, some by authors who haven’t bothered to learn to be good writers or good editors, makes it hard for the potential buyer to find the writers who have worked for many years to hone their craft. Everything we, as fans of good writing in whatever genre, can do to make our favorite authors successful ensures that in the volatile atmosphere of publishing today these favorite novelists will survive and thrive—and continue providing us with our favorite addiction, their good books.
Do you know of other strategies we fans can do to help ensure the success of the book and authors we love?
Welcome Special Guest – Suspense Author, Sharee Stover
/in Author Life, Guest Blogger, Mystery, Romantic Suspense/by Mary Lee Ashfordby Sparkle Abbey
We have some questions for you but before we dive into those, please tell our blog visitors a little bit about yourself.
Hi all! I’m extremely grateful to be joining you today. I’m a Colorado native transplanted to the Midwest. I joke that I was dragged down Interstate 80 by law enforcement. All true, since my husband was a Lieutenant for the State Patrol, (now retired). In all seriousness, I came willingly for the sake of love to live out my very own happily ever after with him and have never looked back. We have three amazing kids and a brand-new grandbaby. I write full-time alongside our newly rescued German Shepherd, Maverick. My husband and I love the outdoors. We enjoy long daily walks with Maverick as well as regular weekly runs together. In fact, we just completed our first family 5k run! It was a blast. Our youngest daughter plays violin in the youth symphony, so we spend a lot of time driving to and from those rehearsals and practices. Downtime for me includes crocheting and of course, reading (although I love audiobooks and true crime podcasts as well).
And now to our questions.
What started you on your writing journey?
I initially began writing with the intention of documenting my mother’s life story. She is a South Korean war bride, and her story is incredible. After ten years, I’m still working on the book, and I promise myself regularly that I really will finish it someday soon. However, the shift from non-fiction to fiction came after I attended a fiction writers bootcamp about fourteen years ago. I learned a ton and it started me on my journey to hone and write fiction.
What do you write? And why did you choose that genre or sub-genre?
I read mysteries, suspense, and romantic suspense so the transition to writing those genres was natural for me. I love the intensity of a deep who-done-it mystery, combined with nail-biting suspense, and the thrill of falling in love. I write heavy on the suspense because it’s my favorite component. I believe in keeping my stories authentic, especially in regard to police procedures. Having my own subject matter expert at home is a huge benefit. Solving a crime, investigating the case, and taking down the villain are my favorite parts of the story. Add in romance with a hunky hero, and it just doesn’t get better than that.
What’s your favorite part of writing?
Writing is my dream come true and I try to never take for granted the joy of doing it. Even on the hardest days. Brainstorming ideas is so much fun because it’s a blank slate to create characters, drop in clues to the mystery, solve the crime, and develop the hero and heroine’s personalities. If ideas just present themselves without my having to hunt them down or research for them, that’s even better. I enjoy editing because I at least have words to work with and expand on. I love writing about brilliant dogs who help solve the case too!
And what’s your least favorite part of writing?
By comparison, the final edits are a double-edged sword because it’s time consuming and can be frustrating. Especially if my weasel words are taking over the page and I’m having to kill them repeatedly.
How much do you plan before you start a book?
I am a plotter to the max because I need a detailed synopsis to keep me on track as I write. I spend several weeks creating that, as well as deep character development before I ever start writing the story. I require a solid mental visual of the story and characters that translate on to the page. I use programs like One Stop for Writers as well as a physical storyboard with sticky notes to plot out scenes and chapters. I also enjoy research which includes field trips to locations for my books and talking to experts like forensic specialists.
Where do your very best ideas come from?
True crime stories or forensic developments give me the best ideas. For me, the story almost always begins with the crime.
What part of writing is the most difficult for you to write? Characters? Conflict? Emotion? Something else?
Ugh. Conflict is a constant battle for me, especially in romance. Keeping the suspense high while establishing a strong reason for why the characters cannot be together that will sustain the story is tough.
What’s next? Tell us about your next book and when it will be published.
Threatened and falsely accused…She’ll need this K-9’s protection.
Only seconds after widowed mother-to-be Naomi Carr-Cavanaugh is rescued from two masked gunmen, she’s accused of multiple murders. Detective Bennett Ford believes he’s finally apprehended the Rocky Mountain Killer—until Naomi is attacked again. Now she must rely on Bennett and his K-9 partner for protection. But with threats closing in, she’ll have to prove her innocence first in order to stay alive…
The Mountain Country K-9 series is comprised of ten Love Inspired Suspense authors working on a continuity story while also developing each individual book. It’s a great exercise in cooperating with other authors as we must keep communication a priority to sync the storyline and characters. The book released on April 23, 2024 in print, ebook, and audiobook.
Up next is the second book in my Heartland Fugitive Task Force series, Guarded by the Marshal, releases September 24, 2024. Here’s the back cover blurb:
Tracking a fugitive…and shielding an infant.
When police chief Dani Fontaine gets an emergency call, she never expects to be ambushed by gunfire—or to find her friend’s abandoned baby. Now Dani must keep the child safe, while evading assailants and investigating a leak in her department. And that means working with Deputy US Marshal Beckham Walsh, the man who almost destroyed her career. Protecting a child while searching for stolen weapons becomes more perilous at every turn. And with a target on their backs and multiple suspects, it could be their deadliest mission yet…
The cover is amazing with a super hunky hero. Who doesn’t love that? The story is about the Heartland Fugitive Task Force commander Deputy US Marshal Beckham Walsh reuniting with his first love, chief of police, Danielle Fontaine. They’re pitted against each other with Dani defending her evidence technician accused of stealing Beckham’s case evidence. And of course, there’s a brilliant canine included in the story.
Here’s a bit more about Sharee’s background:
Thanks for visiting The Stiletto Gang, Sharee!
If you’d like to find out more about what Sharee is up to next, here are links to join her newsletter and how to find her on social media:
Clicking Our Heels: Hobbies that De-Stress and Fill Our Wells
/in Author Life, Clicking Our Heels, Stress relief/by DebraClicking Our Heels: Hobbies that De-Stress and Fill Our Wells
Have you ever felt super stressed? Blocked from doing anything? Do you have a hobby or other activity that de-stresses you and fill your well? Here’s what works for the different Stiletto Gang members.
Bethany Maines – My daughter and I had a standing date last summer for Fridays so that we could do art. I took half days on Friday and we would pick a project and try it out.
Barbara J. Eikmeier – Hands down working in my sewing room. If I can sew for an hour, I can feel my stress level drop.
Saralyn Richard – Gardening, cooking, being out in nature.
Dru Ann Love – Quilting and reading and watching Sci-fi movies
T.K. Thorne – Tending my little pond and brushing my horses. Combing tangles out of their tails, in particular, calms me. I can’t explain why, but it is a semi-mindless process that gives me satisfaction, even when I know that the next day it will all be a mess again.
Debra H. Goldstein – Reading for pleasure or soaking in a hot tub with a gossipy magazine.
Lois Winston – Other than wine? Listening to Rhapsody in Blue while taking a long walk.
Lynn McPherson/Sydney Leigh – Walking the dog. Nothing beats it.
Gay Yellen – Reading is my #1 go-to when I need to relax or spark my writing brain. If I’m too stressed to read, I work the hardest crossword puzzles I can find. As I concentrate on something so completely mundane, it works to tune out the emotional noise.
Donnell Ann Bell – I am playing pickleball often these days and learned it is a perfect de-stresser.
Debra Sennefelder – I enjoy counted cross stitch.
Anita Carter (1/2 of Sparkle Abbey)- When I get stressed or need to think something through, I’ll clean my office or a closet and organize everything.
Mary Lee Ashford (1/2 of Sparkle Abbey) – I wish I had some hobbies, but I don’t really have any unless you count reading. For me, refilling the creative well is a book on the beach, or a favorite coffee shop with a book and a latte. Sometimes wandering the library will do it or browsing a bookshop.
Shark versus Machine
/in Brooke Terpening/by Brooke TerpeningI was saddened to hear of the passing of Janet Reid, a.k.a., the Query Shark. As an aspiring author, I followed her blog posts on query letters and was fortunate to get a private critique by the Query Shark herself. Her comments and suggestions were spot on, but more than that, she appeared to care about the success of a newbie author. Even after exchanging three or four revisions of my query letter, the Shark emailed she found the perfect comp title for my story.
Who could replace such a publishing icon?
Like most writers, I’ve been educating myself about the explosion of artificial intelligence. I serve on the board of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of MWA and am researching an upcoming talk I’ll be presenting on the current state of artificial intelligence. During my research, I was surprised to learn some writers use ChatGPT for critique. Some even anthropomorphize the software, calling it “Chatty.”
I decided to take Chatty out for a spin. For authenticity, I found a query letter on the Query Shark’s website from July 30, 2023 (https://queryshark.blogspot.com ) to submit for a critique.
So how did Chatty stack up again the Shark? For a comparison, here is Chatty vs. Shark for each portion of the italicized query letter. Let me know which you prefer.
There are stories that never get told, but need to be. TITLE, a 92.000 upmarket women’s historical fiction tells the remarkably true stories of three generations of Italian women as they face World War II, the Fascist Movement, immigration, unexpected pregnancies, and a global pandemic. Challenging societal expectations, they experience the love, loss, and yearning for better that binds us all across generations.
Chatty says:
Shark says:
(it’s not)
It’s more like the start of a book review.
An effective hook gives us a sense of the problem that drives the book.
Here’s the hook for All Roads Lead Me Back to You by Kennedy Foster [omitted for brevity]
See the difference?
The characters have an emotional component and we see what problem they face.
Vittoria was born in a small town in Northern Italy in 1914. Growing up in the absolute poverty of a war torn country, she longs for better and isn’t afraid to take on anyone, even Mussolini himself to find it. But challenging societal norms takes unexpected turns and soon she finds herself with the broken promise of a soldier, a growing belly, and no ring.
Anna was born an illegitimate child amidst the height of World War II. Distrustful of men, yet always seeking their attention, she solicits the attention of the boy next door– the one with big dreams, who soon leaves for Canada, asking Anna to join him. She sees a chance for a new land, a new start, a new life. Who needs love when you have an opportunity?
Grace was born the child of immigrants. Trying to make something of herself, she is tired of trying and quitting a million things – including relationships. No sooner does she commit to completing her master’s degree, then she meets Jax, and everything comes together and falls apart. Suddenly, there are too many choices and one big question: How does one define “better”?
Chatty says:
Shark says:
Plot isn’t what happens. It’s not the events of the book.
Plot is choices the characters face and what’s at stake with those choices
You must have plot in a query, even if you’re querying a character-driven book.
You also don’t tell us how these women are connected. (Are they?)
Three generations makes me think they’re related to each other, but that’s not obvious from the query.
Also, by introducing all three characters equally, you can’t focus on the start of the story.
If the story begins with Vittoria, let’s give her more page time. If the story starts with one of the other two, lead with her, give her more page time.
You have a limited amount of space here to engage your reader. Focus on how the story starts.
Vittoria (or whomever) wants to (what?)
BUT, (problem) prevents her.
Now she must (choose a path.)
Get that on the page first.
Then show how the characters are linked.
You do NOT need the details of Anna and Grace, unless one of them is the main character, not Vittoria.
TITLE would be the love child of Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, What We Carry: A Memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang, and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
Chatty says:
Shark says:
Just say your book will appeal to readers who liked: Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson,
Untamed by Glennon Doyle,
This is a memoir. Don’t use NF as a comp for a novel, even historical fiction.
What We Carry: A Memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang,
also a memoir
and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
This was pubbed in 2017 so it’s too old to be an effective comp.
If you take a look at the Amazon description of Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson, you’ll see there is conflict and tension (which is what you need in the query)
A melding of immigration, identity, I have my master’s in English with an emphasis in Technical Writing, and currently work as a content creator and SEO specialist. When I’m not working or writing you can find me reading a million children’s books to my one and two year old sons (or removing whatever object they’ve found to turn into a sword). I’m passionate about telling untold stories in literature, the stories that make us feel like we aren’t alone.
Chatty says:
Shark says:
Thank you for your time and consideration of my submission.
Best regards,
Chatty says:
Shark Says:
Best regards,
You only need one closing.
Not a bad critique from Chatty but the advice offered is generic and superficial—advice that could apply to almost any query letter. Let’s see how the program opened the critique:
Your query is well-written and engaging, with a clear synopsis of your book and its themes. However, there are a few suggestions to consider for improvement:
And ended with:
Overall, your query effectively conveys the essence of your book and your passion for storytelling. With a few adjustments, it could become even more compelling to agents.
The Shark’s comments aren’t nearly as kind, but that’s because agents and publishers aren’t going to treat writers with kid gloves. It’s a competitive business. Janet Reid’s query critique provides blunt, honest, and actionable feedback from someone who’s spent her career in the publishing trenches.
I can understand the allure of tools like Chatty, but the Query Shark did more than provide a service. She showed aspiring authors what to expect. No offense to Chatty (although I doubt its feelings can be hurt), but a computer program doesn’t care if a writer succeeds. With her generosity and acumen, Janet Reid did. She showed it every time she put out her blog.
R.I.P. Query Shark.