Tag Archive for: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Celebrating the Third Virtual Mystery in the Midlands with a Matching Game

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by Paula
Gail Benson

Longing
to attend a writing conference? Here’s one that costs only $8!

On
Saturday, July 16, from 10:30 am to 3:15 pm ET, the Southeast Chapter of
Mystery Writers of America and the Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime, are
proud to present their third virtual Mystery in the Midlands.

Our wonderful
participants include keynote David Heska Wanbli Weiden, who will be interviewed by Hank
Phillippi Ryan. In addition, three panels will be moderated by Dana Kaye. The
panelists are Alan Orloff, Shawn Reilly Simmons, and Joseph S. Walker, talking
about short stories; Daryl Wood Gerber, Raquel V. Reyes, and Abby L. Vandiver,
talking about cozies; and Hallie Ephron, John Hart, and Hank Phillippi Ryan,
talking about settings and suspense.

We would love for you to join us. You can register
through this
link.

If you can’t attend the broadcast, by registering, you can watch the recording.

At $8, it’s a bargain!

Following is a little game to match our
participants with fun facts about them. See how much you know about our
distinguished authors and check your results with the answers at the end.

Hope to
see you on Saturday, July 16! Don’t forget to register:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/mystery-in-the-midlands-3/register

AUTHORS

1.
Hallie Ephron

2.
Daryl Wood Gerber

3.
John Hart

4.
Alan Orloff

5.
Raquel V. Reyes

6. Hank Phillippi Ryan

7.
Shawn Reilly Simmons

 8.
Abby L. Vandiver

 9.
Joseph S. Walker

 10.
David Heska Wanbli Weiden

 

FUN
FACTS

A. Has been to baseball games in 21 different
major league parks

B.
Edited Midnight Hour anthology

C. Cheese-phobic

D.
Considered being a professional violinist

E.
Has 2 rescue Bichon Frise dogs

F.
Grew up among writers, but only reluctantly became one after age 40

G.
In addition to a writing passion, loves riding a tractor

H. Successfully sued the CIA for information on a
sunken Russian submarine

I.
Worked as a parrot wrangler at a pet store

J.
Has made over 30 fairy gardens



ANSWERS

1. F

2. J

3. G

4. C

5. I

6. H

7. D

8. B

9. A

10. E

Fabulous Books to Be Released this Fall!

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by Paula Gail Benson

This fall a number of great
authors are making their debuts or continuing their publishing success with
some fabulous reads for the season. I selected the following four to highlight
because of my connections with each writer: Yasmin, Tara, and Hank have become
close personal friends and Wanda and I are both attorneys and graduates of Lori
Rader Day’s instruction at the Yale Writers’ Workshop. I hope you’ll have a
chance to check out each of these novels. I know I’m looking forward to reading
them all! 

Yasmin Angoe

Yasmin Angoe
is the Secretary for my local Palmetto Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the 2020
Sisters in Crime Eleanor Taylor Bland award winner. Her debut novel, Her Names Is Knight, will be released in
November 2021. The story features Nena Knight, who was stolen from her Ghanaian
village as a child and has become an assassin for the Tribe, a powerful
business syndicate. After saving a life while on assignment, Nena hopes to take
a new life direction, but then she discovers a new Tribe council member is the
man who destroyed her village, murdered her family, and sold her into
captivity. She cannot begin anew without taking him down first. Not only is
Yasmin looking forward to the launch of her novel, but also she is anticipating
working with Endeavor Content and Ink Factory who have purchased the rights to
develop Nena’s story into a series.

Tara Laskowski

Crimereads calls Tara Laskowski: “A lyrical new voice in
the world of gothic storytelling and suspense.” Tara’s novel One Night Gone won the Agatha, Anthony,
and Macavity awards as well as being nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark
award, Left Coast Crime award, Strand Critics award, and Library of Virginia
Literary award. Her new book, The Mother
Next Door, will be released on October 12, 2021, and tells the story of the
Ivy Five, a group of four neighborhood moms who plan the annual Halloween block
party. When a new mom moves in, the group invites her to make them five once
more, but then they start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose
secrets of the past. New York Times bestselling author Andrea Bartz says The Mother Next Door is “a witty, wicked
thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of
the suburban dream.”

Wanda M. Morris

Wanda M. Morris,
a corporate attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia, has her first novel, All Her Little Secrets, debuting on
November 2, 2021. Her protagonist, Ellice Littlejohn, a corporate attorney in
Atlanta, finds her boss dead in his office, but rather than notifying the
authorities, Ellice leaves. She’s protecting a number of secrets from her past,
including those of a younger brother who has been at odds with the law. New York Times and International
Bestseller Karen Slaughter praises the novel as “a brilliantly nuanced but powerhouse exploration of
race, the legal system, and the crushing pressure of keeping secrets. Morris
brings a vibrant and welcome new voice to the thriller space.”

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Phenomenal
USA Today bestselling author Hank
Phillippi Ryan is the winner of five Agathas as well as the Anthony,
Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark awards for her fiction and
37 Emmys for her broadcast journalism. Hank’s latest stand alone novel, Her Perfect Life, tells the story of
Lily Atwood, a beloved television reporter who has fame, fortune, a
seven-year-old daughter, and an apparently perfect life. Lily depends on an
anonymous source. When the source begins telling Lily secrets from her own
life, Lily fears someone is out to destroy her. Rachel Howzell Hall, Los
Angeles Times Book Prize finalist and Anthony, ITW, and Lefty award nominee,
said, “I loved this book! Reading Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Her Perfect Life made me paranoid–who’s watching me, who’s lying
to me, who’s hiding from their prior life? My nerves were shredded by the time I
reached the last chapter of this big-hearted page turner.”

Welcome fall and hooray for these new fun reads!

An Interview with Hank Phillippi Ryan

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by Paula Gail Benson

How do you possibly describe the multi-faceted Hank Phillippi Ryan? Intrepid, award-winning investigative reporter and winner of 37 Emmys? Creator of the Charlotte McNally Mysteries and Jane Ryland Thrillers? Author of short fiction, teacher of writing craft, recipient of 5 Agathas (the only author to win an Agatha in 4 different categories: Best First Novel, Best Novel, Best Short Story, and Best Non-Fiction), 4 Anthonys, the Daphne, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award? Bestselling author of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers? And whose 2019 novel  THE MURDER LIST just won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year?

Why is it not surprising that all of the above
apply, as well as enthusiastic encourager of writers and readers?

Today, it’s a great pleasure to welcome Hank to The Stiletto Gang for a few questions.

Hank,
you’ve had great success with series mysteries and thrillers and now are
excelling with your stand alone suspense novels. What drew you to writing crime
fiction?

Well that should be such an easy
question, but it really isn’t. First, thank you. What a lovely thing to say!
What drew me to writing crime fiction? Well, I always loved mysteries and
thrillers, and read like crazy my whole life. And although it had crossed my
mind to write crime fiction, it was never really a goal. But one day in—2005
maybe? I had a good idea for a mystery novel. I just knew it was a good idea,
and all I could think of was writing the book. I was obsessed! It was
craziness, because I had no idea how to do it, but I just deeply wanted to. And
that became Prime Time, my very first novel, which won the Agatha for best
first novel. And it’s still really selling!

I
was 55 years old  and had been a television
reporter for about 30 years then. So there was no reason for me to start
something new except for sheer desire. I guess I am the poster child for
following your dreams in mid-life. Yay.

What
led you to progress from series to stand alones?

Progress
from series to standalones.  Hmm. Well, I
look at it less as progress and more as change. The Charlotte McNally
books, beginning with Prime Time, a series of four, had a certain sensibility–first
person, fast-paced and fun.  But then I got the idea for a bigger
thriller, a multiple point of view heftier novel, and I knew that could not be
a Charlie McNally book. And that was my first investigative thriller, The Other
Woman, which won the Mary Higgins Clark award. So I wrote four more in that
series, and there’s another one under contract, and I’m very excited about that.

But
then I had another idea for a book that could not be a series book. It had to
be one of a kind, a standalone, a twisty psychological suspense. And I love
that – – the power of the standalone, where anything could happen! And I
started writing what  I call cat-and-mouse
psychological suspense. First was Trust Me, then The Murder List, then The First
to Lie.  And I am thrilled with that.

Do
you ever consider returning to your series?

Yes,
absolutely! I adore the Charlotte McNally books, and would love to write more
of those. And as I said, I’m under contract for another Jane Ryland. Hurray!
But I prefer, if I have a choice, to do whatever book is taking over my brain
at the moment. I just sent in my 13th novel, another cat and mouse
psychological suspense! Which doesn’t quite have a title yet.

Would
you ever want to revisit any characters in your stand alones?

Revisit
any characters… I’m thinking about that, and I have to say–no. The key part of
a standalone to me is that you’re witnessing the very most important thing that
ever happened in these people’s lives. Yes, they had lives before the book, and
their lives will continue after the book–some of them at least–but this
is all you need to know about them. When you write a standalone, it feels to me
that those people’s stories will be finished, and I absolutely would have had
to write the books differently if the characters are going to continue.

Many
of your books draw upon your journalism background. As a legislative staffer, I
enjoyed reading about Rachel North’s experiences with the Massachusetts Legislature
in The Murder List and figured you
incorporated some of your own knowledge from working in and covering
congressional proceedings. How has your own work in journalism and politics
influenced the ideas you want to develop in crime fiction?

Oh
my goodness, I am so lucky about that! I could never have written these books
without my own personal history being involved.  I worked in several campaigns for governor and
senator in Indiana, and then I worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative
assistant in a judiciary committee subcommittee. I learned so much, not only
about politics, but procedure and psychology and what goes on behind the
scenes. Then as a reporter, I learned how to write quickly, and take
complicated things and make them fascinating and interesting and distilled to
the essence. I also learned how to tell a story, right? Beginning, middle, and
end. And for years I had to write a new story every day! So there could
be no better training ground for writing fiction.

In particular, your stand alones have focused
on truth and justice, and on how those concepts affect family and personal
relationships. What do you find most compelling in exploring and entangling
these themes?

You
are so right! Truth and justice–in every realm of our lives. I don’t mean
to sound high-faultin’, but what is truth? Is it what we wish for, or what we
believe, or what someone tells us? Is there a true truth? Or does it depend on
who tells the better story. I think that is so fascinating. Justice, too, what
does that really mean? There are all kinds of meanings of justice–court
room justice, karmic justice, personal justice, the justice of the universe.
Does revenge count? Does that even work?  Making things right, I
often think about that. I have a feeling that we are put on earth to help make
sure things are right–and to support that process whenever we can. But how
do we know what’s “right”? And is right different depending on the situation?
You can see I’m going off on this now… But that’s my constant thought. I love
to explore why people do what they do.

Figuring
out characters’ motivations becomes a strong focus in your stand alones. How do
you develop the cat-and-mouse atmosphere while playing fair with readers?

Yes,
exactly! And I don’t completely know the characters’ motivations when I start–I really don’t know anything except one core idea. So I develop my cat-and-mouse
atmosphere by exploring what each character wants and how far they’ll go to get
it.

And
because what they want is diametrically opposed, that creates instant conflict.
And in  a cat-and-mouse game, only one
person can succeed, but I want the readers not to be quite sure who they’re
rooting for.  That’s exactly what we were
talking about before: What is good and what is right all depends on how you
look at it.  

So I
want to set up a situation where you think one person is good, and believe what
they say. And then you hear the same situation from someone else’s brain, and
you think oh– now I see the other side of the story. And isn’t that just
like journalism and politics? And that’s what I try to do in my books. And I
play fair, as you say, by telling the reader absolutely everything. It’s just
that…they may be thinking about those things in the wrong way–the way the book
suggests they should, not in the way that turns out to be real.

Boston
is another true character in your novels. What are its unique qualities that intrigue
you as a crime writer?

Oh, Boston! It’s so perfect. It’s old,
incredibly old, and incredibly new, with diverse and vibrant neighborhoods and
culture and ridiculous geography and impossible streets and crazy drivers and a
fast-paced brusque constantly-moving atmosphere. And the weather! Is completely
nuts. The harbor, and the history, and the food, and the clash of cultures– the Brahmins  and the newcomers and the aggressively territorial
neighborhoods. All wonderful for fiction.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing The First to Lie? What did you find most rewarding about crafting that novel?

The most challenging aspect?  In two
words: the middle. Okay, to go on a bit: I don’t want to give anything away for
those who haven’t read The First to Lie, and I’m crossing fingers you
eventually will. But most rewarding about crafting that novel is how it is
absolutely and supremely fair. Readers are given every single piece of
information. To be oblique about it, I had to very carefully keep certain
people away from other people in the novel. There are certain people who are
never in the same scenes, and there are certain people who never meet. And I absolutely applauded myself, briefly 🙂 when that worked.

What’s
next on your writing horizon?

I’m in the midst of the final edits of my new
book! I’m so thrilled about it–and that’s fun to say, because about a month ago
I was in despair.  It doesn’t have a title yet, but it will be published
by Forge on September 14. It is another cat-and-mouse standalone, I am happy to say,
about celebrity and fame and the vulnerability of people who are always in the
spotlight. 

One person asked me to describe it in 10 words
and I said: Fame. Fortune. Your perfect daughter. Can you keep one secret?

So. Crossing fingers! And thank you so much
for inviting me–I wish we could chat in person!

Thank you for spending time with us here at the Stiletto Gang. I really look forward to our next meeting in person! Best wishes for your continuing success!

Hank Phillippi
Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author
of 12 thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five
Agathas, four Anthonys, the Daphne, and for The Other Woman, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is
also on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and
dozens more journalism honors. Book critics call her “a master of suspense,” “a
superb and gifted storyteller,” and she’s the only author to have won the
Agatha in four different categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story
and Best Non-Fiction. Her 2019 standalone, THE MURDER LIST, won the Anthony
Award for Best Novel, and is an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award
nominee. International bestseller A.J. Finn says, “exciting, explosive,
relentless,” and the Library Journal starred
review calls it “A must-read.” Hank’s newest novel: the chilling psychological
standalone The First to Lie. The Publishers Weekly starred
review says “Stellar… Hank Phillippi Ryan could win a sixth Agatha with this
one.” and bestseller Sarah Pekkanen says “Book clubs will gobble it up.”

Hank is a founder of MWA
University and past president of National Sisters in Crime. Visit Hank online
at HankPhillippiRyan.com, on Twitter @HankPRyan, on Instagram @hankpryan and on Facebook at HankPhillippiRyanAuthor.

 

 

The Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction

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by Paula Gail Benson
Portions of this post
appeared in the November 19, 2019, post for Writers
Who Kill. However, this great news deserves to be shared more than once!

I was delighted to be asked by Carol Puckett and Kendel Lynn to be the contest
coordinator for the Bill Crider Prize for Short Fiction, debuting this year at
the Dallas Bouchercon. The contest honored the memory of revered Texas writer
and reviewer Bill Crider. Open to any writer in the world, stories had to be
between 3,500 and 5,000 words and deal with the theme “Deep in the Heart.”
Jim Jackson, who was experienced working on anthologies, agreed to
be the submissions coordinator, without knowing what that task might entail.
Sixty-three stories were blindly submitted. Thirty-seven advanced to the second
round and eleven were selected as finalists for the following prizes:
·         First Place:      $1000
·         Second Place:  $750
·         Third Place:     $500
·         Bill Crider Memorial
Scholarship:      Registration to Bouchercon 2020
We were so fortunate to have excellent short story writers and
editors to agree to judge the preliminary rounds. They were: Carla Coupe, Kaye
George, Barb Goffman, Debra H. Goldstein, Tara Laskowski, Robert Mangeot, Karen
McCullough, Warren Moore, Terrie Moran, and Beth Terrell. I cannot thank these folks
enough for taking on the difficult task of determining which stories would go
forward.
Janet Hutchings, editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine,
and Linda Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine,
graciously agreed to serve as judges for the final round.
The eleven finalists were:
“Long Overdue” by Jaap Boekestein
“Trust Me” by Douglas Dorow
“Mi Corazón, Sin Cartero, Sin Timbre de las Puerta (My
Heart, Sans Postman, Sans Doorbell)” by Dixon Hill
“Resuscitation” by Ann Kellett
“Cahoots” by C.C. Guthrie
“The Texas Justice Project” by James L’Etoile
“Lambs and Wolves” by Robert Lopresti
“Death and Texas” by Lissa Marie Redmond
“Dead Armadillos Don’t Dance” by Kari Wainwright
“The Last Man in Lafarge” by Joseph S. Walker
“Armadillo by Morning” by Stacy Woodson
And, the top four prizes were awarded to:
·         First Place:     
Joseph S. Walker
·         Second Place:  Jaap Boekestein
·         Third Place:     Douglas
Dorow
·         Bill Crider Memorial
Scholarship:      Dixon Hill
We were delighted to have three of the four prize winners (Joseph
S. Walker, Douglas Dorow, and Dixon Hill) at the ceremony hosted by Hank
Phillippi Ryan. In addition, a number of the participants and judges attended
and we took a “class” photo.

Although publication was not part of the prize for this contest, I
firmly believe you’ll be seeing these stories and their authors’ names in
print. So, be watching for them.
Following Bouchercon, Joseph S. Walker attended New England Crime
Bake, where he was honored with the Al Blanchard award. Way to go, Joe!

Many thanks to all who
participated as entrants, judges, and planners of this contest. I hope it might
be a tradition that continues to other Bouchercons.

Summer Reading – Part II

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Summer Reading – Part II by Debra H. Goldstein

For ten days, I forgot about being a writer.  Instead, other than reading Murder on Wheels with an eye towards reviewing it, I let my mind forget about the tools of the trade and I read for pleasure.

Biographies, cozies, thrillers, literary fiction – all were fair game.  My goal was pure enjoyment or as I like to refer to it:  FUN.

I’ve discovered that in my quest to write decent short stories and novels (or at least publishable ones), I sometimes replace my love of words with mechanical technicalities.  When I’m writing, the same critical eye comes into my reading habits.  I pick apart the language of other authors.  I look to see how they use dialogue, plot, setting, word choice, and grammar instead of simply relaxing into the story.  If two linked ideas couldn’t realistically connect in real life, I’m disturbed.  If a character’s name isn’t remembered correctly or a hole exists in the plot, the book is a disaster for me.

When I stop writing and become a reader again, I regain my ability to enjoy well-written and not so well-written books.  I chuckle, I laugh, I cry, and I am fulfilled by the different worlds I visit.  Best of all, I remember why I want to write – to help provide even a smidgen of these feelings to others.
So, what did I read on my break that refreshed me and gave me the drive to write again:

I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Mary Higgins Clark
Destroyer Angel – Nevada Barr
night, night, sleep tight – Hallie Ephron
Truth Be Told – Hank Phillippi Ryan
Interpretation of Murder – B.K. Stevens
The Kept – James Scott
The Inverted Forest – John Dalton
A Fine Romance – Candice Bergen

Have you read anything you’ve liked lately?  I’m making a list for my next ten day break.

Memories of Malice Domestic 27

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Memories of Malice Domestic 27 by Debra H. Goldstein

Not enough sleep as toastmaster Toni L.P. Kelner urged all of us to get during the weekend, but there definitely was plenty of fun, friends, and sharing of stories, beverages, and new experiences at the 2015 Malice Domestic Convention that now is in the history books.  Held in Bethesda, Maryland, Malice is billed as a fan conference.

Since I began attending in 2012 when I was on the Academic Panel talking about my mystery on the University of Michigan’s campus, Maze in Blue, I haven’t been certain who the fans really are because I think the writers and the non-writers equally qualify as fans.  I know I am thrilled when the two non-writers who met me at the 2012 New Authors Breakfast make it a point to find me and tell me that they have followed my career this year (For their loyalty, they both will receive free copies of my new book, Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery, when it is published by Five Star in February 2016). But, the truth is that I am personally excited to meet writers I have held in esteem for years and newbies that I can’t wait to follow. See if you recognize a few of both in these pictures that capture some of my Malice Domestic 27 memories:

2015 Academic Mystery Panel – Susan Van Kirk, Lori Rader-Day, DHG, Triss Stein, Neil Plakcy

Jungle Red Writers Game with Hallie Ephron, Rhys Bowen, Charlaine Harris, Roberta Isleib/Lucy Burdette, Hank Phillippi Ryan and the game players including DHG

Picture One:  Nikki Bonnani, Susan Van Kirk, Marilyn Levinson, Grace Topping
Picture Two: DHG, Catriona McPherson, Barb Goffman
Picture Three:  Maggie Toussaint, Nancy J. Cohen, Maggie King, DHG
Picture Four:  Terrie Fairley Moran & DHG
Picture Five: Kathy Waller & DHG
Picture Six:  Edith Maxwell & DHG
Picture Seven:  Leslie Budewitz & DHG
Look at my grin — who says writers aren’t fans?  Do you admit it, too?

My Writing Vacation – Or Books I Enjoyed When I Let Myself Read for Fun by Debra H. Goldstein

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Many of you know I stepped down from the bench a year ago to give myself the freedom to write during the day.  The results were mixed.  In the beginning, I couldn’t get disciplined enough to do much more than organize my daughter’s wedding, travel, and watch every possible episode of How I Met Your Mother and NCIS. I finally found my writing “legs” and finished a novel that beta readers are now reviewing and wrote and submitted a number of short stories.  Four of them, “A Political Cornucopia,” “Who Dat? Dat the Indian Chief!,” “Early Frost,” and the “Rabbi’s Wife Stayed Home,” were published by Bethlehem Writer’s Roundtable (November 2013), Mardi Gras Murder (2014), The Birmingham Arts Journal (April 2014) and Mysterical – E (April 2014), respectively. At the same time, my 2012 IPPY Award winning mystery, Maze in Blue, was re-released by Harlequin Worldwide Mystery as a May 2014 book of the month.

When I received notice that Maze was reissued and the fourth story had been accepted for publication, I

decided to take a two week vacation from writing and rejoin the world of being a reader.  Some of the books I could have done without (diet books – I’ve gained weight since I decided to write), some were simply okay (a biography of Barbra Streisand), but some proved to be pure fun.  One of the exciting things to me, is that many of the books I really enjoyed were written by authors I have met at various conferences and who, in many cases, have written guest blogs for “It’s Not Always a Mystery.”(http://debrahgoldstein.wordpress.com)

For a good suspense read, let me recommend Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Agatha winning The Wrong Girl.  I read her Mary Higgins Clark MWA winning The Other Woman last year and eagerly was awaiting this book.  Then, I picked up the third book in the Skeet Bannon series written by Linda Rodriguez.  Every Hidden Fear was published the week I took my reading vacation, I couldn’t put it down – each book only has hooked me on Skeet since Linda won the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition for Every Last Secret.

I wanted to get a little food and farm reading in so I turned to Edith Maxwell’s A Tine to Live, A Tine to Die which I followed with Leslie Budewitz’s Agatha winning Death al Dente. Food wasn’t my only companion during my reading excursion.  I added a little comedy and romance with Kendel Lynn’s Board Stiff.

Much as I enjoy mysteries, I needed to spice up my life with a few good looking men so my bedtime reading was Robert Wagner’s Pieces of My Heart.  Tonight, I’m snuggling up with Rob Lowe’s book, Love Life.  I plan to read fast because tomorrow I’m giving myself back to writing.

The Generosity of Mystery Authors

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by Kay Kendall
The first conference for mystery fans that I attended
was Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis. Previously I’d only attended writers’
conferences where would-be authors pitched manuscripts to agents and sat at the
feet of those hallowed gods/goddesses called published authors. Bouchercon,
billed as the “World Mystery and
Suspense Conference,“ was an entirely different breed of cat. I couldn’t
get my mind around what was going on.  
And then I got it! The published mystery authors weren’t there to tell us
how to write, how to sell, or how to win an agent. No, they were there to talk
about their writing and their writing worlds. Once I figured that out, I soaked
up every tiny detail that came my way. And I loved it.

I’m holding Charlaine’s LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS,
 the second Sookie Stackhouse book,
and she holds my debut mystery, DESOLATION ROW. 

The session that stands out, still to this day, was an
afternoon panel of new authors. One man exclaimed his astonishment over the
generosity of mystery writers. He said they supported each other and even him—a
newbie. But he was shocked to discover that mystery writers do so little
backbiting. Then he leaned over and leveled a hard look at us in the rapt
audience. “Poets are not like that,” he said. “I’ve attended meetings of poets
with a relative, and they’re just awful.” The audience howled.
While I can’t comment on poets, I can say from experience
that mystery authors are indeed generous. At Bouchercon 2012 in Cleveland I met
two authors who later agreed to blurb my debut mystery, Desolation Row. First,
thriller writer extraordinaire Norb Vonnegut gave key advice that helped me through
final edits. Whenever I need advice from
a seasoned pro, I still turn to Norb. Janet Maslin, influential book review at the
New York Times, calls him “the author of three glittery thrillers about fiscal
malfeasance” in which “he is three for three in his own improbably sexy genre.” 
The second author was Hank Phillippi Ryan, to whom I
was introduced only in passing. Yet brief as that encounter was, this
multi-award winning mystery author agreed to blurb my debut effort when I asked
her. 
As well, Stiletto Gang member Linda Rodriguez reached
out to me as an online pal to offer help setting up a bookstore event in the
Kansas City area. (Her writing career began as a poet so she may disagree with
the opinion I quote above.)
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Mystery
authors are a benevolent group. At heart they love the genre we write in and
seem to understand that the success of one does not take away from the others. In
fact, a whole organization has been founded on that principle, the
International Thriller Writers. After attending Bouchercon 2004 in Toronto, ITW
founding members decided to reach down and pull up writers who needed help in
climbing the slippery slope to publication, “providing opportunities for mentoring, education and
collegiality among thriller authors and industry professionals.” 
A much older organization is the Mystery Writers of America founded in 1945. It underwrites MWA-University, one-day seminars led by
experienced authors who share their how-to advice for a minuscule fee. The session
I attended last weekend in Dallas was, as the under-30s would say, “awesome.” The
attached photo of me with Charlaine Harris was taken at that event. When this
creator of the Sookie Stackhouse series of paranormal mysteries (on which the
HBO series True Blood is based) wished me success like hers, I almost fell
over. In truth, I’d be pleased with one percent of her enormous fan base.

Traditionally the holiday season is when we are encouraged
to be more big-hearted and giving than usual. As I contemplated blogging about generosity, I remembered the mystery authors I’ve been privileged to meet. While I can’t
thank each one individually because they’re too numerous, I can offer this
posting as an ode to them collectively. Both their writing and the generosity
of their spirit serve to inspire me. 

Kay Kendall
~~~~~~~
To celebrate the conclusion of 2013, the year in which my debut mystery was published, I will give away one copy of Desolation Row to someone who leaves a comment here about the joys of reading mysteries . . . or how you feel about mystery authors . . . or, heck, anything that you think is related! 

The Drive to Sell Books vs. Building Relationships, by Misa/Melissa

/in /by

Sometimes you meet an author that just makes you scratch your head and go, “Huh. Glad she thinks she’s all that, because her attitude and people skills sure leave a lot to be desired.”


Then you meet an author who is the complete opposite. She’s friendly, gracious, enthusiastic, approachable, and seems to *get* that writing books, like so many other things, is about building relationships.


Okay, here’s the story. I run Books on the House, as many of you know. The site is going amazingly well. 10,000+ total visitors per week. 24,000+ total page views per week. Fantastic authors have signed on to be featured and to promote their books. These include the phenomenal Sarah Addison Allen, Lori Wilde, Ridley Pearson (who often writes with Dave Barry), Allison Brennan, our own Susan McBride, Jane Yolen (children’s book superstar), and so many more. They come on, their books are featured, they are featured, and at the end of the week, they give away a few copies of their book to the lucky winners for the week (all randomly chosen). Readers find new-to-them authors and books. Authors find potential new readership. Exposure is huge. It’s win-win.


Well, a while back, I happened to be talking with a writer who happens to share my agent. I’ll call her Writer A. I mentioned to Writer A that she should think about coming on Books on the House. I’d do a big splash for her and give her some upgrades (camaraderie and all that, right? Same agent! Mutual friend! Just reaching out to her…).


Her response was immediate and so dismissive that I was honestly stunned. She said, curtly, I might add, “Thanks, but no thanks.” She’s made it a policy, she said, to never, ever give away free books.


This shocked me on a couple of levels. First, whether you’re a debut author or a multiple bestseller, I just think it’s a good idea to be friendly to other people. Life is all about building relationships. Without the people around us, the things in our life and what we go through cease to have meaning.


Being nice = good karma.




I didn’t care if this author came on Books on the House. I was simply offering her the opportunity, along with some freebies, because of our shared agent and a mutual friend. I know how hard it is to let readers know about your book which is why I created the site. I thought she might like exposure for her debut novel. She could have politely declined. Like I said, I didn’t care if she came on, I was just reaching out.


She could have handled it more professionally. She didn’t, and that rubbed me wrong.


The other issue I had with her response was her ‘policy’ to never give away a free book. SHOCKING!!! This business, now more than ever, is built on word of mouth. Authors receive FREE COPIES of their books for just this purpose. We should be giving them away to the press, to reviewers, and to avid readers in our target audience who will then spread the word. Again, good karma. This author’s philosophy is so vastly different from mine, I wanted to get other opinions. Your opinions Maybe I’m WAY off the mark.


I don’t think so, though. I come now to example 2. Hank Phillippi Ryan. Now, I admit, I haven’t read Hank’s books yet. I’ve had them on my ‘to buy’ list, but, shoot, there are, like 500 books on that list, and I don’t own a digital reading device yet, btw, so 500 books would take up WAY too much space.


But I digress.


Hank is on Books on the House right now. Her fourth book, Drive Time, just came out. When she contacted me, she was super enthusiastic, not about coming on my site to promote, but just about her books, about people discovering her books, and about making connections with readers. We talked on the phone and I liked her right off. She has that infectious personality that just makes you want to smile and spend time with her. I wish I could go visit Boston just to drop in on Hank!




Anyway, we worked together to come up with something different to really get people to interact on the site this week and boy has it been successful. First, we did a Skype interview (which is where I also discovered I REALLY respect Hank Phillippi Ryan). She’s smart, successful, driven, accomplished, caring, empathetic… I could go on, but I’ll leave you to watch the interview yourselves (Interview with Hank Phillippi Ryan Part 1 and Interview with Hank Phillippi Ryan Part 2). Did I mention she’s won, like, a boatload of Emmies for her investigative reporting? Warrior woman. I like it.


Hank wanted to do something fun for readers and to give many people the opportunity to win copies of her books. It wasn’t just about getting people to buy Drive Time. (On a side note, I’ve seen authors practically begging people to buy their books so they can keep writing. I cringe when I see this because, again, we have to build relationships FIRST and sell books SECOND.) Hank wants people to know about Charlotte McNally, her sleuth. She has something to say to her readers through her character and how better to introduce her character and books to people than by talking about them, loving them, and graciously giving away a few copies to avid readers? Actually, she’s giving away more than a few. One a day, plus a grand prize of the whole set. And she’s giving away a prize to commenters, something no one has done before on Books on the House. She’s interacting with the commenters, she’s talking to readers, and she’s building connections.


Her policy is to spread her books around, and I like that approach!


I tell you what, I was so enamored with Charlotte McNally (being of a certain age and trying to figure out what her future will be given her choice of career over romance) that I immediately went out and bought Prime Time, the first book Hank’s series.


Have I bought Writer A’s book? Nope. It sounds like it is a fun read, but I’ve not heard her talk about it, haven’t felt her love for her story or characters, and haven’t felt her love and respect for readers. All I’ve seen is her drive to sell books. Her ‘policy’ turned me off, quite frankly. She’s all about selling books, not building relationships.


Will I buy books from the other type of author I mentioned? Doubt it. I get that people want to write for a living. So do I. But when an author spends his or her time focusing on that, assuming that readers care whether or not he or she continues to write, I think they’re missing the point. How can they care when they’ve not read the author’s first book? And why will they read the first book if they know nothing about it, don’t feel his or her passion for the characters, their journey, or the themes he or she is compelled to write about? Again, all I’ve seen is a stifling drive to sell books, not build relationships with readers. I guess it can be a fine line, but it’s one I think authors need to be aware of.


I want to hear your thoughts. Should authors care more about building relationships with readers? As a reader, are you more drawn to an author who does this? As an author, how do you find balance between the drive to sell books and the desire to build relationships with readers?


Am I just plain loca?


Misa Ramirez/Melissa Bourbon

The Puck Does not Stop Here!

/in /by

Nikki Bonanni has worked in the fitness industry for almost 20 years. In the 90’s she began as a Fitness Director at a small health club in Ithaca, NY, eventually becoming the general manager. While at that small club Nikki joined forces with a friend to open a personal training and consulting business which thrived for 6 years with over a dozen trainers working in both the gym and traveling to private homes. She is now an Exercise Physiologist in a new health club that is co-owned with a medical center, and is a part-time faculty member teaching at Ithaca College. In her spare time, she is working on her first mystery novel.

I am a true believer in doing things that make you happy. Trusting that if you want it bad enough there is always a way to make it happen. Realistically everyone needs to make a living and pay the bills. I am lucky enough to have a career that is also fun—I am an Exercise Physiologist in a health club that sits on an inlet to Cayuga Lake. Granted there are long hours and sometimes weekends, but the benefits far outweigh that. I get to see the water and wildlife, work with interesting people helping them become healthier, be active throughout my workday….and wear sneakers to work!

Work isn’t the only thing that defines you, and I have many other interests. One that has been a part of my life since I was a kid is mysteries. From Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys to Agatha Christie I have always been an avid reader. For many years I also professed that I wanted to be a mystery writer. Thanks to Carolyn Hart and The Christie Caper I became aware of this real life conference called Malice Domestic.

One day years later I was training a client who was also a mystery reader and mentioned Malice. Sure enough she said she’d love to go with me. There it was, my first opportunity to become part of a different world. That led to investigating other conferences, and although it took awhile to get there I was starting to realize one of my dreams. For the past two years I’ve gone to a number of these GREAT events. I have also started to write, and have been overwhelmed with the generosity, help and friendship of other authors. If I had not taken that first step this thing that is now a big part of my life would never have happened.

As I said, I have a lot of interests, so there was still something that I loved that was missing. Sports. Throughout high school and college I played several varsity team sports. When you join the adult world, lack of time and opportunity often lead to athletes ‘retiring’.

One of my clients happened to be a goalie on a women’s recreational hockey team. Since field hockey was one of my sports I expressed an interest in maybe one day trying ice hockey. She invited me to an open hockey, and even though I told her I could only skate forward she insisted I go play. Needless to say it was a bit of a disaster! However, after a friend nicely told me I could not play hockey until I learned to skate, I decided that I did indeed want to do it.

It was a harsh reality for me to not be able to have the ability to do a particular sport; I am generally at least adept at most athletic endeavors. Skating was not so. It was beginner lessons for me, and even the little kid version of ‘wiggle your butt’ could not propel me skating backwards—I just ground holes in the ice.

If you want it badly enough, you can do it! At age 40 I really wanted to be good enough to play on a team, and after lessons, beginner women’s hockey and then spring league, I have done it now playing on two teams and having a blast!

So, since I have not actually published a book (yet), I do have a giveaway. Anyone that posts something they have done to follow their dream will be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Prime Time along with a cool tote bag! Thanks Hank!!

Nikki Bonnani