Tag Archive for: If the Shoe Kills

The Idea Store by Lynn Cahoon

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Last summer, before my life turned upside down, I committed to joining Toastmasters at my workplace. Since August, I’ve given one speech.

This month, I’ll be giving two, one in a competition. Crazy, right?

The good news is I’ve been speaking in public since my first job where I was the radio girl who listed off the new, hot job opportunities available at your local unemployment office.  Then I spent over ten years training the regional staff at Idaho’s Health and Welfare department. Want to know how to deal with computer issues, or what assets count against Medicaid? I’m your girl.

But the speeches I’m giving this month are more personal. And I’m hoping I can keep my emotions in check while I’m talking. The first speech talks about where the ideas come from for my books. My mother asked me the same question. “How do you come up with all these ideas?”

The answer I gave her was kind of broad, but I’ll tell you the true writer secret. We’re magpies. We take bits and pieces of everything we’ve ever did, seen, or heard for our stories.  We’re taught to write what we know, so my first published book was The Bull Rider’s Brother.

No, I’m not a bull rider expert. But I love cowboys. Especially those in tight fitting jeans and a pearl snap western shirt? Add in a hat and boots, and I’m gone. The book’s first line tells you a lot about my main character Lizzie, but also, a lot about the author – me.

Cowboys aren’t easy to love, but they sure are easy on the eyes.

Then I mixed three or four of my favorites sites in the Idaho mountains and imagined the new town of Shawnee Idaho. I added in two brothers, the older being way too protective of the younger, to the point it affected his own happiness, threw in a too cute kid and a main character who’s been burned by love, one too many times.

All things I know about.

There’s a saying that authors pass around that says use your life history to season your writing. If  the people you know wanted to be painted in a positive light, they should have been nicer to you on the way.

I love this.

So where is your idea store?

 
If you’re interested in starting the Tourist Trap series before Dressed to Kill launches in June and Killer Run, in August, eKensington has Guidebook to Murder on sale for the month of March – digital $1.99. Check out the story that started it all….
 

Mystery She Read by Lynn Cahoon

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I’m in a reading mood. I adore getting lost in a story, reading through the hours until my body is stiff and my dogs are chewing on my leg, trying to get me to let them out….

Okay, maybe not that.

I’ve been working on a presentation for my RWA chapter (go MoRWA) on Killer First Lines. Authors are warned away from several starts, one is this classic Snoopy line, “It was a dark and stormy night.” We’re told not to use it. It’s weather and setting and boring.

Except, if you’re Madeleine L’Engle and writing A Wrinkle in Time. I loved that book growing up. As a fatherless child, myself, this story gave me hope that my dad too, was just on another planet, waiting to be magically pulled back to my life.

Yes, there are reasons I’m an author. Like my mom asked, “How do you make up all these stories?” I would have thought she knew I’d been doing it all my life.

Authors don’t give up their imaginary friends, we just give them lives in our books.

Another book I loved as a kid was The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I loved the story of a little boy driving through the fantasy world through a tollbooth that showed up in his room, just because he was bored.

Boredom doesn’t happen for authors as we’re off imagining a new world. And it that gets boring, I need to change up the story.

So what was your favorite book as a kid? Was it mystery related?

Lynn

Oh, and if you want a bit of romance for your Valentine’s Day, I have a novella in My Sexy Valentine. My story, The Twelve Days of Valentines, twists the classic Christmas song into a how to win your love in 12 days.

Recreation – or Re-create?

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Yesterday I hit send on an email to my editor with my fifth Tourist Trap book. I sweated the deadline on this puppy as I had hip replacement surgery mid November. Coming into December, I had about 15,000 words done out of 72000 I ended up with to finish.

 I worried about finishing.

I worried that even if I finished, would the story come together. 

I worried I couldn’t write on my laptop in my living room.

But it came together. I love the story and the role one of my characters, Aunt Jackie is taking on. I love watching the characters come alive and the little whispers I get when I read an interaction. Like seeing a couple notice each other and start to fall in love.

My next book I’m doing really bad things to a really nice person. And frankly, I can’t wait to get started. (insert evil laugh here.)

South Cove is becoming more and more real to me as I write each book.

Today I started a long overdue novella to finish off The Council series. Then I’ll be back in South Cove, causing havoc with my character’s lives. 

But right now, I’m taking a mini break and relaxing. Time to heat up some apple cider and eat junk food because I finished a book.

Again.

Lynn

Do you love series? If you haven’t started The Tourist Trap Mysteries, Guidebook to Murder is on sale for $1.99 Check out the book that hit the NYT’s list this summer.

Buy here – Kindle or Nook

What are you reading and welcome to December By Lynn Cahoon

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The end of the year is always a time of reflection and planning for me. I go over out budget, try to see where we can make adjustments, look around the house for remodel ideas, and examine my writing career. I also take stock of my health. Just call me a Covey convert. I love his books about goal setting and looking on ways to improve your life.

This year, I’m kind of being forced to do something I never plan time for. I’m resting. I had a hip replacement two days after I released my last book -IF THE SHOE KILLS. Yep, I’m a planner. I also had a crown done last month since apparently I can’t have dental work done for six months now.

So I’m tucked in my recliner with a comforter over my legs as I write this post.

What have I learned the last three weeks? I hate asking for help. I push myself too fast, too far. And you can watch cooking shows 24/7 on cable.  And I can write on my laptop.

The weather here in St. Louis isn’t helping. We had highs in the 70’s yesterday and today we have freezing rain.

I’m planning a soup day with a good book as soon as I get my words in today. And although my house doesn’t have a fireplace, I’ll be imagining one like this to warm my toes….

Help me out here… What are you reading? I need to stock up my Kindle.

Lynn

Magna Cum Murder – a visitor report By Lynn Cahoon

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Last weekend I drove to Indianapolis, Indiana for a my first mystery conference, Magna Cum Murder, sponsored by Ball State.

The weekend was beautiful, both outside and in the historic Columbia Club where the conference was held. According to the valet, the Club was built in 1924. The great lobby was filled with dark wood and a stone fireplace, perfect for burning clues in a pinch. The place was soaked in history.

Friday I attended a fascinating presentation by Karen Cooper, a retired CSI from Florida, on how to find a burial site in the wild.  From finding the grave, including pointing out disturbances on the soil, to excavating, Karen gave us a real life look into how law enforcement handles buried victims. We even talked about the most likely suspects based on body positioning.

Then we had an speaker who wanted to talk about the workings of arson investigation and the use of science in criminal cases.

That evening, we were on our own for dinner, but the conference had set up a screening of an old noir movie for later. I spent the time preparing for the panel I was moderating on Sunday.

Saturday morning I had my first panel talking about twists in mysteries. Although we all could point to twists in books and movies, talking about adding them into our writing process was difficult. Mainly we agreed that we hope for a twist, but just write the plot we’d planned.

Sunday’s panel was on the topic of romance in mysteries. Some of my panelists but one wrote romantic suspense and the other two, like me were cozy writers. We had a spirited discussion on the increase in sex in current day stories, and the change over time on what a ‘normal’ woman as your amateur sleuth could get away with and still be seen as a creditable investigator.

Between panels, book signings, and chatting up readers and other authors, my weekend was filled with mysterious goings on.

Have you attended a mystery conference?  

Lynn
www.lynncahoon.com

Squee — IF THE SHOE KILLS is out in print now and the digital release is a week away – November 10th!!!!

The tourist town of South Cove, California, is a
lovely place to spend the holidays. But this year, shop owner Jill Gardner
discovers there’s no place like home for homicide. . .

As owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner
looks forward to the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. But when the mayor
ropes her into being liaison for a new work program, ’tis the season to be
wary. Local businesses are afraid the interns will be delinquents, punks, or
worse. For Jill, nothing’s worse than Ted Hendricks–the jerk who runs the
program. After a few run-ins, Jill’s ready to kill the guy. That, however,
turns out to be unnecessary when she finds Ted in his car–dead as a doornail. Officer
Greg assumes it’s a suicide. Jill thinks it’s murder. And if the holidays
weren’t stressful enough, a spoiled blonde wants to sue the city for breaking
her heel. Jill has to act fast to solve this mess–before the other shoe drops.
. .