by Sparkle Abbey
Today we welcome a very special guest to the blog – our friend and fellow Iowa author Clara Mckenna who is has a fantastic release coming out later this month, Murder at Glenloch Hill. More about that later.
First, we had some questions for Clara about her writing journey, her process, and more.
Before we get started with our questions, tell our readers a little about yourself. Maybe start with where you live, where you’re from, what you do beside writing, etc. Whatever you’d like to share.
I live in a Victorian farmhouse on the outskirts of Ames, Iowa, though I grew up in Upstate New York. I’m passionate about travel, which I do both for fun and to research my books (Why else would I set one of my series in the UK?). I love to hike, whether in a local park or in the Highlands of Scotland. Since there aren’t any tearooms nearby, I also enjoy hosting afternoon tea at home, using my ever-growing collection of vintage teacups, which I use daily and are not just for display.
And now to the questions.
What started you on your writing journey?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I like to say I started with handmade greeting cards when I was four. I would always include original prose or a verse inside. I eventually graduated to poems, short stories, even a historical play when I was 12. I continued to write poetry throughout high school and college, having a few published in my college literary magazine. But it wasn’t until I’d changed careers twice as an adult, did I finally write a novel. And that, A Lack of Temperance, was my first published book.
What do you write? And why did you choose that genre or sub-genre?
I write what I like to call historical cozy mysteries. I have two series, the Hattie Davish Mysteries that follows a late 19th century American secretary who solves crime in every historic town she visits and the Stella & Lyndy Mystery series about an unlikely duo who mix love, murder, and horseracing in Edwardian England.
I chose the historical mystery sub-genre because I wanted to combine my love of mysteries with my passion for history. If I’m going to spend my whole day writing something, I want to love it as much as I hope my readers do.
What’s your favorite part of writing?
My favorite part of writing comes when I’m completely immersed in the story. Often, I’ll be so engrossed in the writing that I lose complete track of time, space, everything. I’m in the world I’ve created and when the words are flowing, there’s nothing like it. And since my mysteries are set in the early days of the 20th century, for me, it’s the closest I’ll ever get to a time machine.
And what’s your least favorite part of writing?
My least favorite part is the time required for me to write a book start to finish. It takes me a month to plot my books, two months to write a very rough draft, six months to edit my rough draft and two months to polish everything up. I’d love to write two books a year but until I figure out a way to edit faster (I’m looking at you, synonyms), I’ll only be able to publish one book a year.
How much do you plan before you start a book?
Since I write historical novels, and because my publishing editor requires that I submit an outline for his approval, I have quite a bit to do before I can start. My planning process has two aspects – an outline and historical research.
I start by creating a detailed scene-by-scene outline, which includes all the necessary plot elements like clues and red herrings. I then research the historical context – the topic, setting, and anything else that comes up from my outline. This ensures my plot is historically accurate and appropriate. Based on my research, I then adjust my outline as needed.
That being said, in the world of plotter versus pantser, I’m a “plantser.” I plot extensively upfront but remain flexible as I continue to research and write.
Where do your very best ideas come from?
My best ideas always come from when I visit the location of the book. When I do a site visit, I not only take in the sights, sounds and smells of a place, I do extensive research in local libraries, museum, and archives. Every time I come away with an array of plot elements, characters, and detail that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Who knew the New Forest had its own resident “snake catcher?”
What part of writing is the most difficult for you to write? Characters? Conflict? Emotion? Something else?
This may sound funny, but I struggle with writing humor. If I try to intentionally include humor, it always backfires and falls flat. Instead, I just write and hope it emerges organically in the right places at the right time.
And also smell – I never think to include it. Might have something to do with my poor sense of smell? I don’t know, but I always have to intentionally add it at the end.
What’s next? Tell us about your next book and when it will be published.
Thanks for asking! My next book is MURDER AT GLENLOCH HILL, the 6th in the Stella & Lyndy Mystery series. It releases on November 26, 2024. Stella and Lyndy take a weekend trip to Scotland to visit her distant kin’s country estate and, as the blurb on the back of the book says, “learn how sinister bad sportsmanship can be when a prestigious golf tournament becomes a deadly game of murder…” Sounds pretty good, don’t you think?
We think so! Thanks for stopping by, Clara. We’ve already pre-ordered our copies and can’t wait to read more of Stella & Lyndy’s story.
For a complete list of Clara’s books, visit her website at: www.claramckenna.com
And to connect with her, you can find you on Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub with the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claramckennawriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claramckennaauthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/clara-mckenna
My Mother’s Slippers
/in Debra H. Goldstein/by DebraAt this time of year, I think about my mother. She was a driving force in my life until her unexpected death in 2014. There are still times when I want to pick up the phone and share good news with her or ask for her advice, but I can’t. What I can do is keep a part of her with me – her slippers.
Not the pair she wore, but one of twenty or thirty pairs of the identical slippers that she hoarded. My mother was an atypical hoarder. Everything in her house was always perfectly in place and her kitchen floor was so clean that one could eat off of it. Newspapers and magazines were thrown out once read; finished books, except for ones I wrote, were loaned to friends, or donated; and clothes were stylish but took up no more than a closet.
Her hoarding fetish involved shoes. She loved them. Because she had a hard to fit foot (super narrow and only a six or six and one-half), if she found a pair of shoes to fit, she bought them — in every color. If she found something she loved was going to be discontinued, she stocked up on them. The thing about my mother was that she wore all of those shoes. Each one matched an outfit or a mood and while she kept them carefully boxed on shelves in her closet, she believed in wearing and enjoying them.
After she died, my sister and I relished the memory of her cute outfits and her shoes. I was only saddened by the fact that while we had the same shoe size, our feet were just different enough that the last that fit her didn’t work for me. What did work were her slippers. She had found a pair of step-in flower-patterned slippers that she loved because they were narrow enough to stay on and soft enough not to rub her foot. She wore that particular brand for years and when she discovered they were being discontinued, she bought up every pair she could find. When she passed away, there were twenty plus pairs that had never been worn. I tried one on and they were perfect. Although I didn’t take them all, I brought several pairs home with me. Seven years later, morning or night, I think of my mother as I step into a pair of her slippers. The wonderful thing is that I know she will still be with me for years to come because of the ones I have yet to begin using.
Do you have anything passed down from a parent that reminds you of them regularly or that you have that may give someone continuing memories of you?
Luckless Love
/in New Release, Novels, Romance/by Bethany MainesNext week will see the release of Luckless Love, a contemporary “enemies to lovers” romance with a hint of “mistaken identity” set in Eastern Washington with a “happily ever after” ending. This standalone novel was fun to write, but more fun to research. The story revolves around a winery and it’s head enologist (that’s wine maker for us less fancy people) who falls for a new-to-town photographer. To be fair, Juel Lugo, my co-author did the most research, I just tasted the wine. And I was very much OK with that division of labor.
Did I Learn Anything?
Yes, I did! Dom Perignon is not just the name of expensive champagne. He was a real person who helped in the invention of champagne. The people of Champagne wanted to make it more bubbly and Monsieur Perignon figured it out. This fact is of zero relevance to the plot of Luckless Love, but I still enjoyed learning it. Each section of Luckless Love does come with a wine recommendation and I hope that readers enjoy trying new wine as much as my co-author and I did.
So What is the Book About?
Photographer, Simone Laurent is homeless, loveless, and luckless when her motorhome conks out on the last leg of a year-long road trip. Arriving at Ryan’s Garage in the small town of Luckless Washington, Simone meets Jordan Ryan, the grumpy wine-maker from the Amante Winery, and mistakes him for a mechanic. But while sparks and tempers flare, normally sunshiney Simone is still unable to pay for repairs to her motorhome. Simone sets out to get a job, vowing to dismiss all thoughts of the sweaty “mechanic” from her mind. But that’s hard to do when Jordan turns out to be her new boss. But while Jordan and Simone are determined to focus strictly on the big wine event coming to town, their friends, family, and Cupid have other plans. With the crush coming from more than grapes, this hapless duo will need all the help they can get to make sure they end up in Luckless Love.
Luckless Love is a wholesome standalone rom-com, full of quirky characters, laughs, true love, and a guaranteed happily ever after. The print edition is now available! Follow the links below to get your copy!
***
Remember to check out all of the Stiletto Gang’s catalog on our book page! www.thestilettogang.com/books/
Burning Your Zozobra
/in amateur sleuth mysteries, Book Clubs, Romantic Suspense, Samantha Newman Romantic Mystery series, Stress relief, Suspense/by Gay YellenWhile one half of our nation rejoices this week and the other half wonders what went wrong, here comes Thanksgiving, Christmas and
Hanukah, when we’re all thrown together at friends’ parties and family reunions. Finding common ground where we can stand together may be difficult as we tiptoe around each other’s feelings after the election.
Four years ago, it also felt like our national unity had frayed, both physically (the pandemic) and culturally (we vs. them). Back then, I wrote a guest post for Jungle Red Writers about a new word I’d learned from an article in The Conversation. This week, our local newspaper reprinted the original essay.
The word is zozobra.
In Spanish, it means “anguish, anxiety, or gloom,” which many of us suffered from in those fear-ridden times.
And yet, barring a truly effective alternative to lighten our national funk, what better time is there than Thanksgiving to remind us of what’s truly meaningful in life? For me, that includes friends and family (regardless of political differences), the health that still sustains us, and a sense of purpose that keeps us engaged in the world.
Yes, bad things happen every day, and sometimes they happen to us.
It helps to practice gratitude for the small things that bring us joy.
I am grateful for family and friends, and for being accepted into a writing community where colleagues honor and respect one another, where we share our ups and downs in the wacky world of publishing. To my Stiletto sisters, and to Sisters in Crime and beyond, I would be bereft without your continued friendship and support.
And to our readers! Thank you for reading!
Or, if you’re not quite ready to let go of your anxiety, you could plan your very own Zozobra Festival and exorcise the beast.
What are you grateful for today?
Please tell us in the comment section below.
Now available from your favorite bookseller. Readers and book clubs, please contact me at GayYellen.com.
The Magic of Editing
/in Donnell Ann Bell, humor, Inspiration, Lois Winston/by Donnell Ann BellSource: Clker-Free-Vector Images/Pixabay
By Donnell Ann Bell
As a writer, I can attest that I stare at a computer monitor more than I ever stare at a mirror. So, it should be no surprise there are times I walk by one and am shocked at the creature staring back at me. The thoughts that come to mind? For god’s sake, woman, put some makeup on! Where did those wrinkles come from? What’s with that hair? For years, I wore my hair short because, frankly, a stylist I’m not. What’s more, many a baseball cap has come to my rescue during bad hair days.
When my husband and I moved to Las Cruces I noticed people of all ages wore their hair long. I mentioned it to my stylist who said, “Well, let’s grow yours and see what happens!” Uneasily, I agreed, and soon learned growing out layers is a process. At every appointment I’d suggest we cut it. Her response was always the same, “Not yet.” “I’m too old for long hair,” I’d insist. To which she’d argue, “Are not.”
These days there isn’t a baseball cap in my closet. Of course, I still have bad hair days but now my saving choices are banana and claw clips. (And let me tell you, those things are EASY and a side benefit of never having to fret in front of a mirror.)
In addition to not looking in mirrors, I’m terribly uncomfortable with selfies. Likewise, I haven’t had a professional author photo taken since 2010. After a recent hair appointment, when my stylist did my hair, and not me, I thought, wow, this might make a decent picture. Into my bathroom I went and came up with a possible pic—save that my glasses caught such a glare, no one could see my eyes.
I was ready to ditch the idea, when a possible solution came to me. My brilliant critique partner designs covers; she does amazing graphics as well. Maybe Lois could get rid of the glare. I sent her the photo and to my disappointment, she said, “I can’t,” then quickly added, “But my son can.”
“Never mind,” I said, mortified that anyone besides a trusted friend would look at my image. But Lois asked him anyway. Further, she added to my mortification telling me how busy he is and that it would be a week.”
A couple of days later, however, she texted me, including a GIF of Seinfeld’s Elaine doing a happy dance. Her text read, “Check your email, your picture is ready!”
“Oh my gosh,” I cried, then jokingly asked, “Do I look as good as Elaine?”
“You look better,” Lois said.
Yeah, right. Nevertheless, I dashed to my computer and downloaded the picture that her son had edited for me and laughed out loud. I was still laughing when I called her and said, “Lois, this isn’t me.”
“It is,” she said, “Only better. He even got rid of the electric toothbrush in the background.”
Seriously? I took a selfie with my toothbrush in the background? Is it any wonder my face is perpetually red?
Want to see what he came up with?
Note: I must have been so horrified by the toothbrush pic, I deleted it before I decided to write this blog. So I found one of me having fun trying on glasses before an eye doc appt. (FYI, I haven’t changed my glasses since 2010, either. :))
Before:
After:
I knew Lois’s son was a talented artist who owned his own business. I had just never delved into how talented. When I pried further, Lois said, “Scott has a degree in animation. He specializes in post-production work for movies and TV. He worked for several companies in New York before starting his own when he moved to Tennessee in 2019. He’s worked on many major shows and movies and was nominated for one Emmy so far. You can find his CV on IMDb.
When I said, “He’s amazing,” she added, “I’m a proud mama.”
Well, I should say so!
It seems like cheating to use this as my author photo. Then again, we often edit things to make our projects better, right?! I’m so grateful to Scott Winston for taking his valuable time to help what he captioned, “Mom’s friend.” I wish him amazing success and karma in life.
The fact is, I couldn’t use this photo without admitting how “doctored” it is. But trust me, I plan to use it. Lois was so generous to say, “It’s you, only better.” Know what I really think? That photo shows the magic and value of editing!
Special Guest – Historical Mystery Author, Clara McKenna
/in Author Life, Cozy Mysteries, Guest, History/by Mary Lee Ashfordby Sparkle Abbey
Today we welcome a very special guest to the blog – our friend and fellow Iowa author Clara Mckenna who is has a fantastic release coming out later this month, Murder at Glenloch Hill. More about that later.
First, we had some questions for Clara about her writing journey, her process, and more.
I live in a Victorian farmhouse on the outskirts of Ames, Iowa, though I grew up in Upstate New York. I’m passionate about travel, which I do both for fun and to research my books (Why else would I set one of my series in the UK?). I love to hike, whether in a local park or in the Highlands of Scotland. Since there aren’t any tearooms nearby, I also enjoy hosting afternoon tea at home, using my ever-growing collection of vintage teacups, which I use daily and are not just for display.
And now to the questions.
What started you on your writing journey?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. I like to say I started with handmade greeting cards when I was four. I would always include original prose or a verse inside. I eventually graduated to poems, short stories, even a historical play when I was 12. I continued to write poetry throughout high school and college, having a few published in my college literary magazine. But it wasn’t until I’d changed careers twice as an adult, did I finally write a novel. And that, A Lack of Temperance, was my first published book.
What do you write? And why did you choose that genre or sub-genre?
I write what I like to call historical cozy mysteries. I have two series, the Hattie Davish Mysteries that follows a late 19th century American secretary who solves crime in every historic town she visits and the Stella & Lyndy Mystery series about an unlikely duo who mix love, murder, and horseracing in Edwardian England.
I chose the historical mystery sub-genre because I wanted to combine my love of mysteries with my passion for history. If I’m going to spend my whole day writing something, I want to love it as much as I hope my readers do.
What’s your favorite part of writing?
My favorite part of writing comes when I’m completely immersed in the story. Often, I’ll be so engrossed in the writing that I lose complete track of time, space, everything. I’m in the world I’ve created and when the words are flowing, there’s nothing like it. And since my mysteries are set in the early days of the 20th century, for me, it’s the closest I’ll ever get to a time machine.
And what’s your least favorite part of writing?
My least favorite part is the time required for me to write a book start to finish. It takes me a month to plot my books, two months to write a very rough draft, six months to edit my rough draft and two months to polish everything up. I’d love to write two books a year but until I figure out a way to edit faster (I’m looking at you, synonyms), I’ll only be able to publish one book a year.
How much do you plan before you start a book?
Since I write historical novels, and because my publishing editor requires that I submit an outline for his approval, I have quite a bit to do before I can start. My planning process has two aspects – an outline and historical research.
I start by creating a detailed scene-by-scene outline, which includes all the necessary plot elements like clues and red herrings. I then research the historical context – the topic, setting, and anything else that comes up from my outline. This ensures my plot is historically accurate and appropriate. Based on my research, I then adjust my outline as needed.
That being said, in the world of plotter versus pantser, I’m a “plantser.” I plot extensively upfront but remain flexible as I continue to research and write.
Where do your very best ideas come from?
My best ideas always come from when I visit the location of the book. When I do a site visit, I not only take in the sights, sounds and smells of a place, I do extensive research in local libraries, museum, and archives. Every time I come away with an array of plot elements, characters, and detail that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Who knew the New Forest had its own resident “snake catcher?”
What part of writing is the most difficult for you to write? Characters? Conflict? Emotion? Something else?
This may sound funny, but I struggle with writing humor. If I try to intentionally include humor, it always backfires and falls flat. Instead, I just write and hope it emerges organically in the right places at the right time.
And also smell – I never think to include it. Might have something to do with my poor sense of smell? I don’t know, but I always have to intentionally add it at the end.
What’s next? Tell us about your next book and when it will be published.
We think so! Thanks for stopping by, Clara. We’ve already pre-ordered our copies and can’t wait to read more of Stella & Lyndy’s story.
For a complete list of Clara’s books, visit her website at: www.claramckenna.com
And to connect with her, you can find you on Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub with the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claramckennawriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claramckennaauthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/clara-mckenna
Clicking Our Heels – Wardrobes and Our Novels and Characters
/in characters, Clicking Our Heels, Novels, Writing and the Arts/by DebraWhen one thinks of the elements that go into a book, one thinks about things like characters, setting, voice, but the Gang members recently had a discussion about how wardrobe plays a role in our books and how we dress our characters. We thought we’d share our thoughts about wardrobe with you.
Lois Winston – Anastasia is too busy paying off the enormous debt her first husband saddled her with when he dropped dead at a casino in Las Vegas. Clothes shopping is the furthest thing from her mind these days. She’s most comfortable wearing her old Defy Gravity or NY Mets sweatshirts.
Saralyn Richard – I loved dressing Margo in Murder in the One Percent. She makes an entrance into the dining room for dinner in a smashingly elegant dress. I shopped for days online to find the perfect one!
Gay Yellen – One of the challenges Samantha Newman faces in my latest release, The Body in the News, is the “uniform” that her new employers force her to wear. The wardrobe directive inflames her natural rebelliousness and makes for a bit of humor as well.
Mary Lee Ashford – Fashion isn’t a big part of my current series, but in the Pampered Pets books Caro and Mel’s designer wardrobes were a big part of their characters. Because I’m not a fashionista by any stretch of the imagination, dressing Caro required a lot of fun research.
Donalee Moulton – One of the characters in the book I’m working on now, Bind, is a little out there, wonderfully so. She practices reflexology, is a certified yoga instructor, and may get messages from those in the great beyond. Dressing her — without making her a stereotype — is a challenge.
Debra Sennefelder – In my Resale Boutique Mystery series, Kelly Quinn is a fashionista and the backdrop of the series is her consignment shop, so I do pay attention to how the characters dress. Some are trendy, so I search online and follow fashion influencers and other characters really don’t care about fashion.
Anita Carter – In the Pampered Pets series, clothes play a large part in the characters. I’m not big into designer brands so had a subscription to Vogue, watched a lot of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and window-shopped the Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s websites.
Bethany Maines – Pinterest! Once I establish my character’s background the look becomes important and if I don’t already have something picked out Pinterest will ALWAYS be able to find me just the right outfit.
Barbara J. Eikmeier – Amanda moved from the city to a farm and I used her wardrobe to show how she is a fish out of water in the beginning. As she slowly gets accustomed to her new surroundings her wardrobe changes become an important indicator of how she’s trying to fit in. But I let her keep her stilettos because she’ll need them at the end.
T.K. Thorne – In my urban fantasy, House of Rose, Becca is always dressed well, in opposition to Rose, whose idea of fashion is a clean tee shirt and jeans. It was a fun way for the very different characters to express themselves, learn to love their differences and to recognize the deeper values that bind them.
Donnell Ann Bell – I think I’ve answered this question before. My characters are not clothes horses at this point. I garb them to suit the character. However, I occasionally write a secondary character that is well off and I describe that on the page.
Debra H. Goldstein – Wardrobe is more important for my secondary characters than for my major characters because it helps define their roles.
Dru Ann Love – No.
The journey of a reluctant author by Dru Ann Love
/in Dru Ann Love, Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann LoveYou become a first-time published author and you enjoy the accolades from readers, friends, and fans.
Then our short story is nominated not once, not twice, but three times for a variety of upcoming awards.
Now I am a first-time-published award-winning author.
So, what is supposed to happen? I get queries as to when will I write the next short story? Again, reluctant author here.
But I did write a flash fiction (short story under 1,000 words) and submitted it to three places and all three rejected the story, nicely and one even gave me critique on how to improve it.
Now what do I do? I really don’t have it in me to write a short story that is at least 5,000 words all by myself. I really didn’t have it in me to write the 500 words I wrote for my flash fiction. But I did. One never knows.
I’ll just bask in the glow of winning three awards on my first time out. And wish my co-author, Kristopher Zgorski, congratulations on on writing two new short stories for two different anthologies—one available now, and one publishing next March—and his next goal of writing a full-length novel. Yay Kristopher!!
Have you felt reluctant?
Go Slow—Adults Playing! by T.K. Thorne
/in T.K. Thorne/by TK ThorneI just read an article about the importance of connecting or reconnecting with our playful selves. “It offers a reprieve from the chaos.”
That sounded intriguing. There is certainly a lot of chaos going on at the moment. I could use a reprieve.
When we were children, we didn’t play to accomplish anything. We just played. Explored. Play = fun. Fun was an end goal. We didn’t post stuff we did to social media or analyze what we learned. We just played. Learning was the byproduct of curiosity.
If I may borrow a biblical phrase—And it was good.
But who knew there were personality play traits?
One study broke preferences down into four categories:
Our play as adults adapted from what we naturally enjoyed (our play preference) as children. Some adults, for example, “seek fun through novelty, whether it’s traveling to new places, exploring new hobbies, or buying new gadgets.”
“List the activities you enjoyed as a kid,” the article suggested, “then brainstorm the grown-up version.”
So, here goes:
I liked to climb trees. I had a special tree in the front yard, a young live oak with inviting arms that was my special place to go when things got tough, or I wanted a different perspective, or a steady, quiet friend. There was also the top shelf in the tiny linen closet that had an antique oval glass window where I could look out at the world, but no one could see me.
I rode many amazing chimera horses that were my legs, jumping over logs, chairs, bushes, and anything in my path. And if there weren’t enough things in my path, I would put them there to jump over. (Would you believe that is a sports competition now with adult people? It’s called “hobby horsing!” ) I currently have three real horses in my yard, but they think they are living at the Horse Retirement Riviera, and I doubt “jumping” anything is on their play list.
I did have a Barbie doll, but she was in reality a prop for my plastic Breyer horses. To my annoyance, she could only ride sidesaddle with her legs sticking out straight. I draped my horses in my mother’s costume jewelry and had them interact in elaborate storylines, often without the interference of people characters. Who needed them?
Screenshot
Lest you think me a hermit, in the first decade of my life, I did interact with others in play. I remember games of Red Rosie, tag, touch football and kickball, but when we didn’t have enough people for that or were too young to join in, I participated in impromptu gatherings where we acted out scenarios. I was usually the bossy “director.”
“You are the prince. And you are the princess. And you are the merchant. And you are secretly in love with the queen and, oh yeah, I am the queen….”
Hmm.
At least in part, intellectual play seems to have appealed to me. That sparked this idea:
Maybe I need to look at writing, not as a chore TO DO, but as a chance to play.
I like that.
So, hang on. We’re just playing here.
When I write, I often use two of the most powerful words that I know of. They open doors into imagination, exploration, and . . . play.
They are (cue drum roll)—
“What if . . . ?”
What if I just thought I was a serious writer, but I am actually just playing?
[Laugh of delight!]
How did you play? Is there a way to replicate that now, to permit yourself to do something just for the joy of it?
*The results of my adult play:
*The results of my adult play:
I write about what moves me,
following a flight path of curiosity, reflection, and imagination.
Check out my (fiction and nonfiction) books at TKThorne.com
Trolls: Character vs. Caricature When Writing Suspects and Antagonists in Mysteries
/in audiobooks, amateur sleuth mysteries, Author Life, characters, Cozy Mysteries, crafting cozies, How to Write, indie publishing, Inspiration, Lois Winston, Mysteries, women sleuths/by Lois WinstonTrolls?
Trolls: Nasty creatures who live under bridges.
Trolls: Nasty people who bully others on social media.
Trolls: Weird looking collectibles from the 1960s (now the stars of animated movies.)
Trolls: Kristoff’s fun-loving adoptive family in Frozen
Trolls: Amazing works of art from recycled materials by Thomas Dambo.
The trolls have noticed that “small people” (us humans) are harming the planet. The goal of these giant trolls is to educate humans, whereby they’ll rediscover nature and become thoughtful, caring stewards of our planet. A more positive message than those other trolls who frequent social media, right?
So what do these trolls have to do with writing mysteries? Actually, quite a lot. When we think of trolls, most of us think of ugly, nasty creatures, either real or fictional. But both Thomas Dambo’s recycled trolls, Kristoff’s adopted family, and those weird bygone mini collectables showed us that not all trolls are nasty and that ugly is subjective.
We’re often asked who is our favorite fictional sleuth, but who is your favorite fictional suspect or antagonist? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free download of any one of the first eleven audiobooks in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series.
~*~
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.
The Generosity of Writers
/in Anthologies, Book events, Mysteries, Paula Gail Benson, Short Stories/by Paula BensonAuthors are amazingly kind in sharing their time and knowledge. When I asked Michael Bracken about collaborating on a virtual short story conference (Mystery in the Midlands: Writing the Short Story, sponsored by the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America), he immediately helped to recruit a panel of “New Voices” (Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, James Andrew Hearn, Stacy Woodson) whose stories already have garnered awards, and suggested Art Taylor to present a segment on craft. The program took place Saturday, October 19, 2024, with 154 registered. I’m delighted to say the presenters received rave reviews from those listening and calls for the recording from those who could not attend.
To say “thank you” to these fabulous authors for participating in the program, please let me briefly recognize them and provide links where you can find their work.
Michael Bracken is well-known as a writer of almost 1,300 short stories, a renowned editor, and an excellent speaker at conferences and other events. A complete list of his books and short stories is available on his website at https://www.crimefictionwriter.com/. He has been nominated for an Anthony, an Edgar, and a Shamus, and has received multiple awards for copywriting, three Derringer Awards for short fiction, and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award for lifetime achievement in short mystery fiction. In 2024 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his contributions to Texas literature.
He edited the Anthony Award-nominated The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods and his most recent anthologies include Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House (co-edited with Stacy Woodson and released October 14, 2024) and Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith (to be released November 8, 2024). He initiated an in-person short story conference, ShortCon, that took place in Alexandria, Virginia, in May 2024 and will occur again on June 7, 2025. For more information see: https://www.eastcoastcrime.com/#/.
Not only is Art Taylor a first-rate teacher and thoughtful friend, but he is an exceptional author, who has been called by Jon L. Breen in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine “One of the finest short-story writers to come to prominence in the twenty-first century.”
A complete list of his works may be found at https://arttaylorwriter.com/books/. Ashley-Ruth Bernier and I recommend On the Road with Del and Louise: A Novel in Stories (Henery Press, 2015): winner, Agatha Award, Best First Novel, 2015; finalist, Anthony Award, Best First Novel, 2016; finalist, Macavity Award, Best First Novel, 2016. When I began reading this collection, I questioned whether I would ever really like the flawed main characters. By the time I reached the last story, I put off reading it for a while because I didn’t want to finish my connection with them. I remember Margaret Maron praising the book and saying she intended to give up writing novels and concentrate on linked short stories. Art’s other collections include The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions. The Anthony award winning anthology he edited is Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015.
Somehow Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier finds time to write while working as a first-grade teacher as well as being a wife and a mother of four. On her website, she says: “My stories reflect my most treasured identity—that of a daughter of the Virgin Islands. My stories all feature St. Thomas in some way, and hopefully show the joy of a life spent in a dynamic community.” Her short story “Ripen” appears in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023. She has been a Derringer nominee and a Killer Nashville Claymore finalist. “Sweeten: A Naomi Sinclair Short Story” (a Christmas story) is published in Festive Mayhem 4: Thirteen Cozy and Cold Winter Holiday Mystery and Crime Fiction Stories (released October 1, 2024). Her website lists a complete list of her stories at https://ashleyruthbernier.com/.
Drawing on his background with degrees English, mechanical engineering, and law, James A. Hearn writes mystery, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His story “Home Is the Hunter,” originally published in Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Volume 3, also appeared in Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023. “Blindsided” (in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, September/October 2021), which he wrote with Michael Bracken, was a 2022 Edgar nominee for best short story. A complete list of his work is found at https://jamesahearn.com/.
In addition to her own writing and editing anthologies with Michael Bracken, Stacy Woodson has been a US Army veteran, an instructor at Outliers Writing University, and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, who has appeared in Amazon’s Jack Ryan and Wonder Woman 1984. She is a two-time Derringer Award-winning author and her debut story that appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Department of First Stories won the 2018 Readers Award (only the second time in the award’s history that a debut took first place). On her website (https://stacywoodson.com/), a complete list of her stories is available as well as five stories coming soon including: “A Rose of a Rose” in Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir Vol 5, Down and Out Books, 2024; and “Confessions of a Background Artist” in Hollywood Kills: Crime Fiction Inspired by Hollywood, Level Best Books.
Please help to thank all these extraordinary authors for their generosity.