Tag Archive for: Lynn Cahoon

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.
. .

Virtual friends

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Welcome to the new age….

Did you have a pen pal as a teenager? Someone you wrote long, emotion filled letters about your life, your hopes, your dreams that lived far enough away to keep your secrets?

I loved getting and sending my letters. Until real life stepped in and we lost touch.

Now, I have virtual friends. People who live across the world that I keep in touch with, hope for, dream with.  Some I’ve met, some I might never meet in person.

But whenever we do, it’s like old friend reunion time.

Like last month when I got to meet our Stiletto Gang member, Dru Ann Love.  She’s as charming and bubbly as her Facebook posts show her to be.

I’m also friends with fellow Stiletto Gang member – Laura Bradford.

I’ve met a lot of my friends on line and now, in person. I love having that feeling of meeting old friends even though we may have only met once in person.  Now that I’m starting to attend more mystery conferences, I may be running into you soon. 🙂

Tell me about your virtual friendships? Are they as good or better than old fashion pen pals?

Lynn

FYI – to (celebrate my birthday month) prepare for the release of IF THE SHOE KILLS November 10th, Kensington has put the digital version of MISSION TO MURDER on sale for #99cents all of October. Don’t miss the second book in the Tourist Trap Mysteries.

Buy at Amazon/Nook 

Visiting the Scene of the Crime

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Last month I went home to Idaho for a few weeks. We visited family and spent some quality time sitting around a campfire making s’mores and talking about the old days with friends.

On our way home, we decided to take the scenic route back. Our first afternoon took us past the road to Sun Valley. The area is know for it’s amazing skiing and celebrity visitors, but for me, it’s the fictional home of an unpublished manuscript my agent has been shopping. I love the small town feel of the area and the easy access to outdoor activities, although I’m more of a cross-country skier than downhill.

We passed a gas station that used its small advertising area to proudly proclaim they carried the largest selection of grasshoppers in the area. You know you’re in prime fishing country with that type of sign. 🙂

Great trip and lots of pictures to remind me why I love this story so much.

What’s your favorite place to visit?

Release week – Mission to Murder!

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Hi guys!

It’s been a little crazy over at Casa Cahoon.  I had a jam packed RWA conference running from 7 in the morning to after 10 at night. (Don’t worry, I did get down to the Riverwalk and enjoyed some Tex Mex at a couple of spots.

I remembered why I loved fish tacos.

And of course a good Texas beer.

Then I came home to release week for MISSION TO MURDER. This is the second in the series and Jill is in deep hot water this time.

In the California coastal town of South Cove,
history is one of its many tourist attractions—until it becomes deadly…

Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More,
has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old
mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Morgan, the obnoxious
owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his
business to contest her claim. When Morgan is found murdered at The Castle
shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to
ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her
name. But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic
preservation to self-preservation …

If you haven’t started the series yet, GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER is still on sale for $2.  Less than what I paid for coffee at the restaurant. 

Lynn

San Antonio Bound….

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Each summer, 2000 romance writers invade a different city, a different hotel chain.  This year, our annual get together is on the River Walk in San Antonio.

I’ve been to 2 Nat’ls. The last one being held in NYC. I loved the energy of being in the city. Since my friend and I stayed off site, we road the subway. Once I navigated it on my own and felt like Mary Tyler Moore in the opening credits when I emerged in the middle of Times Square, totally lost, but loving it.

This year, I’ve been invited to a dinner, two parties, and a lunch for one of my on line groups. And I’m having breakfast with my editor. The last time I went to a conference, I snuck into my one and only party as a plus one.

Stiletto Gang at NYC – me and Laura Bradford

But it’s not all party time. I’ll be signing at the Literary Signing and signing MISSION TO MURDER at the Kensington signing. Must order signed by author stickers.

And there’s the workshops. And I’ll have to hit a few of the signings and drag a new bunch of books home to share with my MIL. And see a few local sites, like the Alamo.

The Dakota

I’ll be home soon, tired and back at the day job. But the memories from Nat’ls will bode me over until my next conference in October.

Lynn

11 days away from release date for the digital version of MISSION TO MURDER! Can’t wait? Buy your paper copy here.

Cause of death – Researching?

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So, yeah, I’m writing a new mystery for the Tourist Trap
series.  And I’ve got this dead guy in
the middle of the floor, playing, no being, dead.
I know who kills Kent. I know why he has to die.
It’s the how.
I had a great idea that I started researching and ran into
some controversy over whether or not a stun gun can kill someone.  So now I’m mulling over the but what if…
additions.
I’m trying to make the story interesting without delving
into the world of science fiction or fantasy. 
My Google search history would make a serial killer proud.
Meanwhile, I’ve got a dead guy in the middle of the stage.
Literally. 
So this question is for the cozy mystery reader – How
realistic do you like your murder facts? 
I don’t want to make people throw the book across the room. (grin)
To gather more information, I’ve joined a crime writer yahoo
group and am busy searching the files for relevant entries. I’ve searched out
blogs from former police officers where they post about the effects of
different weapons.
In the past, I met two guys who owned a lot of guns (prior
military dudes) in a bar. When I said I’d never shot a gun before, they offered
to take me to the desert and teach me to shoot.
I went.
Luckily, I also came home, but I started to get a little
nervous when I thought about how isolated the spot they’d chosen for the
shooting lesson. 
When we were driving to our favorite ATV riding site with my
husband’s best friend, I brought up the question of guns. I think the friend
thought I was a bit off, or at least until my husband asked if this was for one
of my books.
So writers, what have you done in the name of research?  Know any great murder sites you’d like to
share?
Lynn
If you like your mysteries in paper format, MISSION TO MURDER is now available -e-book July 31st.

Summer Reading Club

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Do you remember the library programs where you earned points
for every book read?  Of course, there’s
always that kid who read the easy books, just to get the points. But for me, it
was a matter of pride to expand my reading level, especially in the summer. All
I wanted was a good story. And one that would keep me entertained so that my
books wouldn’t run out before I got a ride back to town and the library.

Yes, I was also that geek kid who read the summer readings
lists provided by the English departments in my schools. 
These days on Facebook, we can take quizzes on what books
we’ve read.  Although we don’t get points
towards prizes like mini pizzas. J
I’m doing a 50 book challenge this year on Goodreads.  So far, I’m 9 books behind schedule. But
isn’t that what summer’s for? Stealing time to sit on the deck with your feet
up and your nose in a book? My parents always said that like it was a bad
thing.
For me, I’m focusing on a few cozy’s before I return to
writing The Tourist Trap Mysteries in a few weeks. Then I’ll buzz through Robyn
Carr’s Thunder Point and Virgin River series.
What are you reading this summer?
Lynn
Side Note – If you haven’t read GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER – A
TOURIST TRAP MYSTERY, now’s a great time to pick up your digital copy.  From June 10-24th, Kensington is
running a sale on GUIDEBOOK to get ready for the July 31st release of MISSION
TO MURDER (available for pre-order now.)
$1.99 is a great price to try out a new cozy series. 
“Murder, dirty
politics, pirate lore, and a hot police detective: Guidebook to Murder has it
all! A cozy lover’s dream come true.” –Susan McBride, author of The Debutante
Dropout Mysteries

Signs of Summer

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As I write this on my lunch hour from the day job, I’m eating a BBQ chicken salad made of leftovers from last night’s grilled dinner. When the weather turns warm, we grill a lot of our dinners. And on the weekends, some lunches as well. Last year, it was a matter of necessity as we were remodeling the kitchen and had no stove for a while. I love making a green salad and then topping it with whatever meat I choose. (Which is frequently fish.)

Last summer’s trip to the ball game

 Walking this morning, I saw another sign of summer, water flowing down the gutter. One of the homeowners was power washing the outside of their house. As a kid, we lived in a neighborhood that flood irrigated. Irrigation day was glorious. The cold water would build up on the lawn, two or three inches deep. Then overflow into the cement gutter that would warm the flowing river from the heat of the day. We walked barefoot through the neighborhood, feeling the cool water splashing our feet.

Taste of Cincinnati – street fair = street food! 

 Once the water receded, we’d catch night crawlers for fishing. Bigger than worms, they would be floated out of their homes when the water filled the ground.

Last week a different walk took me past a blooming peony plant and reminded me of our annual trips to the cemetery to decorate the family graves.

With Fourth of July on the horizon, what’s your must do summer activity? I’m thinking ice cream can’t be too far down my list.

Enjoy your summer,
Lynn

Saying Goodbye to a Series – A continuing discussion.

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Some of you might have seen my post over at Sara WalterEllwood’s blog during THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER blog tour on my bitter sweet
feeling on letting go of The Bull Rider series. Today, I wanted to talk about the journey. Or as Ron White would say when asked how far the plane would go, “all the way to the crash site.”
THE BULL RIDER’S BROTHER marked my entrance into the
publishing world.  On June 4th,
2012, I became a published author.  The
sweet story about four friends (Lizzie, James, Barb and Jesse) who return to
Shawnee for the town’s annual rodeo weekend, each with their own agenda, taught
me a lot about how to tell a story and how to be an author. Most civilians
(those outside the publishing world) think all the work is in the writing.
Everyone who’s ever published through digital first, traditional or even
self-published will tell a different story. 
Between edits and reviews and promotion, a book takes many hours of time
to show up with the buy me button on Amazon.
As soon as I signed my contract for BRB giving James and
Lizzie their happy ever after, I started writing on THE BULL RIDER’S MANAGER.
This was Barb’s story. I knew she worked too much and didn’t have a strong
family support system going in. Barb’s house was the fun one growing up, the
one without rules. So I knew this had to be about her learning to accept and
finding her own family. How it turned into a wild night in Vegas, I’m not sure,
but I’m glad the story took me there. By November 2012, the book had that
coveted buy button.
Then life happened. Around Easter 2013, I signed a three
book contract for THE TOURIST TRAP MYSTERIES. One book written, the second
started, and a vague idea for book three. 
By the end of the year, I had all three done and ready for their release
dates spanning 2014 (GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER-April 17th, MISSION TO
MURDER –July 31st, and IF THE SHOE KILLS- October 28th).
I’d also started a new, cowboy romance that I thought could
be an amazing series. This got put on the back burner when I signed the
contract.
So as soon as IF THE SHOE KILLS went off to my editor, I
returned to the last book in the Bull Rider series, Jesse’s story.  I’m glad I waited, mostly because Jesse
needed the time to grow and change. And I’m very proud of his character arc
over the three books. Little brother all grown up. THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER
released April 28th and I closed the door on Shawnee and the four
friends.

But what about the stories I didn’t get to tell. Kadi’s
riding instructor deserves a happy ever after. 
Cash Dillon, the dumped, in THE BULL RIDER’S BROTHER, got his story told
in a novella, SHAWNEE HOLIDAY, exclusively available at Amazon. And then
there’s Angie, the Sullivan brothers crazy mom.
It’s hard to walk away. But I don’t have the time now to
write these stories.
Maybe someday.
Do you have series that you or the author hasn’t finished
that you’re waiting for another book?