Tag Archive for: Sparkle Abbey

We Just Want to Celebrate!

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by Sparkle Abbey

What did you do to celebrate Independence Day?

Here in the Midwest, there were small-town parades, fireworks, and cookouts. We decorated bikes, ate potato salad, and listened to Yankee Doodle Pops. Other parts of the country may celebrate in other ways. But whether you celebrate at the beach or in the backyard, poolside or at the park, it’s a chance to pause to commemorate our country’s Independence Day with family and friends. 
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day of our busy lives that sometimes we forget to pause and celebrate. Holidays remind us to do that.
We’ve had a couple of months of celebrations. There have been birthdays, graduations, dance recitals and weddings. 
Milestones. It’s so important to pause and really celebrate those milestones. To take a moment and thoroughly enjoy them and tuck the memories into the corners of your heart.
Lately, we’ve also had some writing milestones. Book #9, Barking with the Stars, came out. this year and book #10, The Dogfather is slated for an August release. Wow. Book Ten. Of course, we’re crazy busy and working on more books and so we have to remind ourselves to pause and celebrate our Book #10 milestone.

What about you? What milestones big or small have you had recently? Did you take time to pause and enjoy the moment?

Pacing A Page Turner

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by Sparkle Abbey

Over the years, one of the questions we get asked frequently is how to do we keep our pacing so tight? We jokingly like to reply, “We leave out the boring stuff.”

Some people think pace just happens organically. Honestly, we work pretty darn hard on

pacing. For us, pacing is a combination of structure, word choice, tension, action and reaction, cliffhangers, and knowing when to “show” versus “tell.” We work on pace at the very beginning. Although at times, to find the right pace for a scene or chapter, it takes rewriting many times to get it right. We thought we’d share a few techniques we use to control pacing.

STRUCTURE
When we refer to structure, we’re talking about chapters, scenes and sentence length.

Shorter chapters and scenes are quickly read and make the reader feel that the story is moving along quickly. Fragmented sentences, punchy verbs, and snappy dialogue also speed up the pace. But if you have a story of only 800-word scenes, it’s not going to have the urgency you’ve intended, just a story with short chapters. Knowing when to move between longer scenes, where the story builds with important details and descriptions creating the anticipation of what’s going to happen next, allows for the shorter scenes to stand out and move the story along.

WORD CHOICE
Active verbs create action and suspense while painting a clearer picture in the reader’s mind. Harsh consonant sounds such as “crash” or “kill” create more urgency than “bump” or “murder.” By selecting the right words not only will the pace change, but it’s a subtle way for mystery writers misdirect the reader by planting clues toward a suspect.

CLIFFHANGERS
We love cliffhangers! When the end of a scene or chapter is left unresolved or with a greater

disaster than when the scene began, the pace automatically picks up, and the reader has to turn the page to find out what happens next. Just remember, don’t leave your reader hanging for too long!

SHOWING VS. TELLING
Writers hear it all the time, “show don’t tell.” Most of the time it’s true, but there are times when it’s better to tell than to show. “Showing” is a play-by-play, making your readers connect with characters and to become invested in their story. There are some instances where it’s better to condense the details to move the story along.

Each scene requires a different pace. Some need to be quick and urgent while others need to slowly build and give readers a chance to catch their breath. As writers, we strive to write a story with those types of peaks and valleys, and when we do that our readers tell us the book was a page-turner. 


One of the best compliments a writer can receive.




If you’re looking for a summer read, Downton Tabby is only $1.99 on all eBook formats.

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

Murderous Wit: A Malice Panel I’ll Remember

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Malice Domestic Murderous Wit Panel

by
Paula Gail Benson

This
year at Malice Domestic, I had the privilege of moderating the panel on
Murderous Wit. It featured five outstanding authors (my Stiletto Gang blogging
partner Sparkle Abbey, the team of Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, Ginger
Bolton, Becky Clark, and Lida Sideris). Not only did I enjoy getting to know
each of these writers better, but I learned so much from hearing about their
techniques and series.
I
have long admired Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the Pampered Pets mystery
series, and I always look for them at Malice, wearing black shirts that identify
ML as “Sparkle” (after her rescue cat) and Anita as “Abbey” (after her rescue
dog). Their titles are delightful take-offs on movies, TV shows, and well known
stories including: Desperate Housedogs
and Get Fluffy. As collaborators, they
plot together, then separately craft each novel in their series, featuring a
different protagonist. ML writes about Caro Lamont, a former psychologist
turned pet therapist, and Anita’s main character is Melinda “Mel” Langston, a
disgraced Texas Beauty Queen who owns a pet boutique.
Before beginning her current donut shop series, Ginger Bolton
previously wrote the Threadville Mystery Series under the name Janet Bolin. Located
in Threadville, Pennsylvania, a town of fabric, yarn, quilting, and embroidery
shops, the first book, Dire Threads, was nominated for an Agatha. Her
donut shop series features Emily Westhill, who runs the best donut shop in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin,
alongside her retired police chief father-in-law and her tabby Deputy Donut. Survival of the Fritters is available
and Goodbye Crueller World comes out
in August. Ginger based her new series on an actual donut franchise that
started in Clare City, Michigan. Its name is Cops and Doughnuts and its website
is https://copsdoughnuts.com/.
With Ted Hardwick, Becky Clark has written the Dunne Diehl (pronounced
Done-Deal) mysteries. She has a new series, Fiction Can Be Murder–A Mystery Writer’s
Mystery, where her protagonist is mystery author Charlemagne “Charlee” Russo whose agent is found dead
exactly as described in Charlee’s new, unpublished manuscript. Becky is the
seventh of eight children. She creates purses from book covers and sells them
on Etsy as Lazy Squirrel Designs. She had us all laughing as she seriously
insisted, “Humor is funny.”


On her
website, Lida Sideris writes about how she grew up believing she had been born
in North Hollywood, an image she associated with glamour and cocktail dresses.
When she located her birth certificate and found it said North Glendale, she
took to writing instead of therapy. She and her protagonist,
Corrie Locke have both worked as entertainment attorneys for film studios. Lida
writes the Southern California Mystery series that includes Murder and Other Unnatural Mysteries and
Murder Gone Missing.

I
was intrigued to find connections between Nancy Drew and animals with all of
these authors. In reading their work, I learned they not only knew how to turn
a clever phrase, but also understood how to craft a page turner plot. If you
want to learn about or enjoy excellently paced storytelling, check out these
novelists. They will captivate you.

Travel Plans aka Adventures

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by Sparkle Abbey

What’s that saying about the best laid plans? Oh, right…the full quote is “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” From the Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

It seems that particular quote is often true for us. And especially when it involves travel plans. Or as we like to call them travel adventures.

More times than we can count we’ve had flight delays, road construction delays and bad weather (ice, snow, thunderstorm) delays. Heck, we’ve even had a tumbleweed delay on a flight into Denver. Now, there have been a few times when the travel plans gone awry, were out own fault. We may or may not have missed a turn and ended up in Michigan. Twice.

Has anything like that ever happened to you?

We have, more than once, completely missed mystery conferences or apperances because our rebooking couldn’t get us on-site in time. Not good. So you can understand our trepidation as we booked our flight for the Malice Domestic conference at the end of this month. We love attending Malice Domestic. We love meeting readers, reconnecting with friends and fellow authors, and hanging out with book people. So, we’re thinking positive travel thoughts and hoping for smooth sailing…er…flying.

If you’re planning to be at Malice we look forward to seeing you there. In fact, if you see us at Malice we’re happy to share a cocktail or a coffee and hear some of your travel adventures. Or perhaps you’d like to share here?

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The authors co-write the best-selling Pampered Pets Mystery Series which focuses on the wacky world of precious pedigrees, pampered pooches, and secrets in posh Laguna Beach, California. The main characters and amateur sleuths are Texas cousins, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist, and Melinda Langston, a pet boutique owner. The two would join forces and work together if they were speaking, but they’re not.  Midwest Book Review calls the series “A sassy and fun mystery!”

At Malice Domestic this year Sparkle Abbey (aka Anita and Mary Lee) will be on the Murderous Wit panel at 3:00 PM on Saturday along with Paula Gail Benson, Ginger Bolton and Lida Sideris.

A Character to Remember

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By Sparkle Abbey


“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

No matter the genre, no matter that wonderful twisty plot, no matter the well-drawn setting, when it comes down to it, we find that what we really remember from a good book are the characters.
Some characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gables, and Jo Marsh stand the test of time and have stayed with us a very long time.

What makes a character memorable?

There are a lot of opinions and great lists out there about what makes a character memorable, but here’s ours:

1. Relatable – They may be quite different from us in terms of background, physical appearance, education or income bracket, but there must be something about them we can relate to. We enjoy Miss Marple because of her curiosity and interest in what makes people tick. We can relate!
2. Unique – Though we want to connect and relate we also want them to be unique. Not a stereotype or a cookie-cutter personality. Characters are more interesting when they stand out from the crowd. Think Monk and his unique phobias and unusual view of the world.
3. Talented – They’re not only unique they are good at something. Perhaps they are a virtuoso in some area, perhaps not. Maybe their talent is standing their ground, or telling it like it is, or taking care of details. Memorable characters do brave things and to do that they need to have a gift to share with the world.
4. Rootability – Okay, that’s probably not a word. But what we really mean is give us someone we can root for. Not someone who is perfect. Not someone who always has the answer or doesn’t get into jams. We want a character who we can care about, worry about, and cheer on as they work their way through the ups and downs of the story.

So that’s our list. What do you think makes a memorable character? Have you read a book recently where a character stayed with you long after you finished the book?

Sparkle Abbey
Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.

Sparkle Abbey’s Top Five Writing Books

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by Sparkle Abbey

We are list people. By that we mean we like to make lists for just
about everything. On any given day you could ask to see our daily to do lists,
goal lists, grocery store lists, movies we want to see list, books we want to
read list, conferences we want to attend list, places we want to go list, home
improvement projects list, or a vacation/conference packing list (yes, that
really does exist). We love lists! It’s possible some might call us list
obsessed.

Creating lists makes us feel organized, helps us to remember
things, and at times is a way to relieve stress and get focused. Crossing items
off of our list is extremely satisfying. It’s a visual of what we’ve
accomplished. We’ve been known to jot down an item we’ve already accomplished just
to have the satisfaction of crossing it off.

One of our favorite lists is of writers’ reference books. There
are so many amazing books available that a writer’s education can never be
complete. We’re always learning ways to bring new insight and inspiration to
our craft. Even the most seasoned writers have their favorite, go-to reference
book.

There is an abundance of writing books, and we are all ears when a
fellow writer starts talking about a new one they’ve just purchased. Could it
help us find new inspiration?  Has
someone explained “scene and sequel” in a new and interesting way? Is there a
new plotting book that will help us develop a stronger and more intricate plot?
There are books for beginning writers, intermediate writers, and books for the
writer who’s been around the block a timer or two.

Here’s a list of five reference books that we highly recommend and
use frequently.


Full disclosure, this book was written by our publisher at Bell
Bridge Books. But we read this book, breathed this book, and lived this book for
years before we began working professionally with Deb. Goal Motivation and Conflict (or GMC) will teach you how to tell a
clear story by using your characters goals, motivations, and conflicts.

This is a dense book and we don’t recommend reading it
in one setting. He explains the fundamentals of a good story, action and
reaction, and scene and sequel.

If you’re writing a mystery, this is a must have.
Besides breaking down what a mystery is and its subgenres, you’ll learn how to
create three dimensional characters, effective plots, and strategic revision. If
you like worksheets, like we do, this book has them in spades.

There are probably hundreds of books on self editing, but this
book is the one that w have found the most useful. The book helps you identify
what needs editing and revising, and covers everything from, show don’t tell,
voice, dialogue, and point of view along with hands on exercises.

Anne gives advice and inspiration by sharing experiences from her
own life. She will move you from laughter to tears  as she talks about getting past that crappy
first draft, dealing with writer’s block, and finding inspiration in not only
by what’s around you,  but by what’s
inside of you.

We have so many more recommendations, but we thought
we would just start with these five.

What about you? Are you a list maker? Or does just the thought of
making a list increase your anxiety? What about reference books, do you have a
favorite? If so please leave a comment and let us know which ones you
recommend. If
we don’t have it, we probably will add it to our list of books to buy next.


Sparkle
Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and
Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this
series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue
pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The authors co-write the best-selling Pampered Pets Mystery Series which focuses on the wacky world of precious pedigrees,
pampered pooches, and secrets in posh Laguna Beach, California. The main
characters and amateur sleuths are Texas cousins, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist,
and Melinda Langston, a pet boutique owner. The two would join forces and work
together if they were speaking, but they’re not.  Midwest Book Review
calls the series “A sassy and fun mystery!”

Series Stories: Why We Love Them

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by Sparkle Abbey

The days are short and the nights are long and in many parts of the country it’s really cold outside. The perfect time to immerse yourself in a new book. Or maybe in a new series.

We confess we’ve often found ourselves hooked on a great series, whether a mystery, a YA, a science fiction story, a fantasy novel, or a family saga. It seems we’re not the only ones, readers (and for that matter television viewers) seem to love a series.

What is it we love about them?

Characters – When we’ve connected with the people in a story, we want to know more. They become friends that we want to hang out with again and again. Peope we care about. Often attachment to the characters in a series is what makes readers pick up that next book.

Setting – The setting of a story can be an element that draws us back. Maybe it’s a fictional place that feels very real to us and one we want to continue visiting. Or perhaps it’s a real place that’s described so well that we feel like we’ve been off on a trip to a favorite spot.

Unresolved Issues – Frequently with popular series stories, in addition to things that are resolved within the confines of that one book, there are other questions that remain unanswered. Those questions may arc over the course of the series and while the protagonist may make progress in each book, there’s still more work to be done.

We read a Forbes article that included some numbers on how many episodes it takes before television viewers are “hooked” on a series. According to Netflix data, three is the median number of episodes neccessary to hook viewers. Although there are a few examples where people were engaged sooner. With books, at least for us, often the first in the series decides whether we’ll go on to the next or not.

What do you think? Do you have some favorite series? Book Depository offers this list of what they consider the 20 Best Book Series Ever.  Any of your favorites listed there? What is it that brings you back to a series? We’d love to hear your thoughts on why series stories are so popular.



Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They’ve chosen to use Sparkle Abbey as their pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets – Sparkle (ML’s cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

The authors co-write the best-selling Pampered Pets Mystery Series which focuses on the wacky world of precious pedigrees, pampered pooches, and secrets in posh Laguna Beach, California. The main characters and amateur sleuths are Texas cousins, Caro Lamont, a pet therapist, and Melinda Langston, a pet boutique owner. The two would join forces and work together if they were speaking, but they’re not.  Midwest Book Review calls the series “A sassy and fun mystery!”

Desperate Housedogs, the first book in Sparkle Abbey‘s mystery series is currently on sale for only 99 cents in all ebook formats for a limited time. If you love pets and love light-hearted mysteries, this might be a great time to try out this fun series!

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

iBooks

Movie Stars Merry & Bright

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by Sparkle Abbey

Judy posted earlier in the week about the traditions of holiday movies and we couldn’t help but add our two cents worth on the topic because we love holiday movies. Do you like holiday movies? Do you have a favorite (or two or three) that you look forward to each year as they start appearing in the television line-up?

We love It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop’s Wife, The Holiday, and oh so many others. Such great stories and so many wonderful stars!

There’s nothing like Zuzu Bailey proclaiming, “Teacher says, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel get his wings.'” Or Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. Or Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law and all the madcap mixups in The Holiday.

But we have to tell you, there’s a new kid on the block. A new entry in our favorite holiday movie must-see list. The Man Who Invented Christmas with Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as Charles Dickens, and Christopher Plummer as Scrooge was a surprise as we hadn’t heard much about it. But this telling of how Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol did not disappoint!

Perhaps some of the charm for us was the protrayal of Dickens, the writer, and the difficulties he encounters as he tries to work out the plotline and get his characters to behave. And deal with real life difficulties at the same time. We won’t give away any details, but if you get a chance, check out this new movie that’s on our list of favorites.

Speaking of stars, we’ve been busy with the launch of our latest installment in the Pampered Pets mystery series, Barking with the Stars, and we’d love to give away a special holiday gift packet to celebrate. Just leave a comment below before midnight December 9th and we’ll draw from among those commenting for a free Sparkle Abbey book and some other Christmas goodies.

Please share your favorite holiday movie, if you have one. Or if you’re not into holiday movies, is there a movie that you re-watch each year?

Wishing you all things merry & bright and a great holiday season!
Sparkle Abbey

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of two mystery authors (Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter). They are friends and neighbors as well as co-writers of the Pampered Pets Mystery Series.


They love to hear from readers and you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And if you want to make sure you’re up on all the Sparkle Abbey news, stop by their website and sign up for updates at sparkleabbey.com.

Book Fog

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by Sparkle Abbey

We’ve all experienced it, right? That feeling when you’ve been so immersed in a story that you come up for air and the real world seems a little foggy.

As a reader, those are the best books aren’t they? The author has succeeded at taking us on a journey. We’ve lived in the world they’ve created and spent time with characters who seem like real people.

What readers might not realize is that writers experience book fog, too, but in our creative role, in a slightly different way.

Writers have many different approaches to writing a book – some plot extensively, others just jump in and write, and some revise as they writer. But regardless of the process, when we complete a book, we have lived with these characters, in this world we’ve created, living their hopes and dreams and conflicts, for a very long time.

We’re often asked: How does it feel when a book is done? Are you excited? We have to say, we’re almost always in a book fog. We’re tired, we feel that writing “the end” euphoria, but mostly we feel that a part of us is still in that book world.

Writers, we’re sure you’ll recognize what that’s like. Readers, the best way for us to explain it is that it’s like the feeling you get when the story captures you so completely that, for a little while after you finish the book, you’re still in – 1920s Australia, 1740 Scotland, or modern day Laguna Beach.

So readers, we have to ask, what was the last book that gave you book fog?

Leave a comment and we’ll draw for a prize in the next week!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series which combines murder, zany characters and the wacky world of pampered pets. Their latest book, Barking with the Stars, will be released November 17th and can be pre-ordered right now on Amazon, Kobo, and iBooks.

Liars or Truth Seekers?

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by Sparkle Abbey

Ever play two truths and a lie? The ice breaker game where each person shares three facts about him or herself, but one is really a lie. The others must pick out the lie from the truths. The most successful players know that the best lie contains a truthful element.

According to Stephen King, “Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” Perhaps one can consider fiction to be a form of two truths and a lie.

Great fiction has the power to reveal truth through well defined and developed characters. Yet truth is a matter of perspective – especially in mystery fiction. Truth, lies and deceit are pillars in a great mystery. If the characters, for the most part, always told the truth, the mystery is quickly solved and well, that’s pretty darn boring. And a very short novel. Think about some of your favorite characters. They are most likely flawed, complex, and strive to do the right thing, although at times going about it the wrong way.

Are they liars or truth seekers? Perhaps both.


When do characters lie?

Secondary characters lie to the protagonist, the protagonist lies to other characters, and the protagonist lies to his or herself.

Self-deception is an important element in fiction. Like in real life, our characters are quick to justify and find excuses for lying—even the good guys. It’s only a white lie, to protect someone’s feelings. They didn’t actually lie; they just omitted the truth when asked if they had information. Or maybe they did lie to protect someone they love who is accused of a crime they didn’t commit, buying time to find the truth. Ah…a truth seeker!

 

Professional lie detector Pamela Meyer says, “Lying is a cooperative act.  Think about it, a lie has no power whatsoever by its mere utterance. Its power emerges when someone else agrees to believe the lie.” (Check out her awesome TED Talk: How to spot a liar). 

As writers we “lie” by planting clues of misdirection, red herrings, false clues, inaccurate witnesses, and false confessions. Our lies add tension and hid the truth until the appropriate time for the big reveal. In a mystery these types of lies are acceptable because the reader is already in on the joke or “lie” the second they opened the book. The reader “agrees to believe the lie.”

As writers not only do we want to entertain, but we also have a point of view, a “truth inside a lie” we want to convey to others by storytelling—redemption, love, forgiveness, justice. A truth seeker.

Though we are, you could say, “professional liars” we have a responsibility to the reader to play fair throughout the journey we take them on: to use the lies to weave the story, create the conflict, and eventually to reveal the truth. 

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the neighbors.) They love to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, their favorite social media sites. Also, if you want to make sure you get updates, sign up for their newsletter via the SparkleAbbey.com website.