Guest Author - Naomi Hirahara and Giveaway

I am excited to have Naomi Hirahara with us today.  She is the Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai mysteries. The first book in her Officer Ellie Rush Mysteries is being released by Berkley Prime Crime and is available in both mass market and ebook format. For more information, go to www.naomihirahara.com. 

I reviewed Ms. Hirahara's first book in the new Ellie Rush mystery series (click here), so finding out a little more about the author and her new heroine will be fun.  Please welcome Naomi Hirahara and show your appreciation in the comments!

Winner of Murder at Westminster Abbey is Michelle Willms.  I will be emailing you shortly for your mailing email.

Finding Ellie Rush

For the past five mystery novels, I’ve been in the head of a man significantly older than me (although as the years pass, that gap is closing in!). His name is Mas Arai, a gardener in Southern California, Hiroshima survivor, and, of course, a reluctant detective. Mas was modeled after my father and men like him – working class and seemingly ordinary on the outside, but with intricate secrets and strength within.

In April of this year, I’m embarking on a very different mystery protagonist, Ellie Rush. She’s, well, first female and considerably younger, 23 years of age. And the biggest challenge for me – she’s a bicycle cop with the LAPD assigned to downtown Los Angeles’s central core.

Don’t ask me the last time I’ve ridden a bicycle, but take my word for it, I can. And in terms of shooting a gun, I have. In 2011, the same year my beloved father was battling terminal stomach cancer, I participated in a Southern California-based ATF Citizens Academy once a week for two months. There we learned about the hidden perils of cigarette smuggling (usually this crime is linked to more dangerous international gang syndicates), the adventures of going undercover, and how to follow an arson trail.

Providing a brief break from sharing caregiving duties with my mother, these sessions let me escape into the shoes of someone completely different from me. We even donned earpieces and stuffed wireless radios in our jackets to do surveillance at a local mall, wore bulletproof jackets and aimed pellet guns inside an abandoned office which, for our pretend purposes, was supposed to be harboring suspects, and finally went to an outdoor gun range, where we shot firearms of various sizes.

The biggest eye-opener for me is how essential it is for law enforcement officers to work together as a team. But what about the lone rogue detective that we see so much on TV, the movies, and novels? In crashing a drug pad, often the Number Two ATF man or woman has to pull the collar of the person in front. “Hey, not so fast!”

As a lover of basketball, I could totally relate to team coordination. Everyone has a certain role and purpose. I had always viewed law enforcement as powered by adrenalin and emotion, but for it to work properly, quite the opposite is true.

During that same year, I also agreed to step in as an instructor of a UCLA undergraduate writing workshop. As I gazed at the beautiful, fresh faces of these 15 young people, I was transported to my college days, when despite a sluggish economy, we also remained optimistic about our futures.

Somehow these two experiences – the ATF Citizens Academy and the UCLA writing class – intertwined in my brain. The following year, my father passed away in a hospital bed in the room where he had watched his favorite samurai and Japanese soap opera programs on TV for decades. As I struggled with this great loss, I grappled with focusing on something new and young. Slowly this young woman, Ellie Rush, emerged – vibrant and enthusiastic, yet still wondering how she would make her mark on this world.

While the tone of the Office Ellie Rush mysteries are much lighter and breezier than my Mas Arai mysteries, there are still some common elements. I still want to take my readers on a tour of lesser known areas in my “homeland” of Los Angeles. And family and friends are important to both – although cranky Mas will not admit it publicly.

Ellie has her first mystery adventure in Chinatown, so the first book is titled MURDER ON BAMBOO LANE. Hope you might want to take a ride with her, and it won’t matter when you were last on a bicycle.

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NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!

Entry for giveaway lasts until Sunday April 6th, 6:00 p.m. (MST).  U.S.  entries only please.  The publisher will ship one copy of Murder on Bamboo Lane to the winner.

How to enter:

*** First, you must be a member (follower or email subscriber) of this blog.***

All entries are to be in the comments for this post.  Please leave your contact email address.

I will accept entries for this giveaway until Sunday April 13th, 2014.  I shall notify the winner via the email address you provide to get your physical mailing address and have the prize sent directly to you.

IF you are a member of this blog, you only need to leave a comment with your correct email.  BECOME a member of this blog if you aren't already and enjoy the celebration of all things mystery and suspense.

If you mention this and provide a link on your Facebook or Twitter to share with friends, please note that in the comments and you will get an addition entry!

 

Author Interview: Sara Sue Hoklotubbe

This week we have an interview with Sara Sue Hoklotubbe.  I reviewed her Cherokee mystery "The American Cafe" featuring Sadie Walela here.  Sara is a Cherokee tribal citizen who grew up on the banks of Lake Eucha in northeastern Oklahoma, and uses that location as the setting for her mystery novels.  She gained her appreciation for her heritage from her Cherokee grandmother. Their lessons of love and life are reflected in Sara’s writing today.

Sara was named Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers for her first book, "Deception on All Accounts."  She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc., and Tulsa Night Writers.

 

I am hoping to see a lot more of this author and series.  Enjoy getting to know Sara a little better and her passion for writing.

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

Usually a plot idea or a storyline comes to me first since my main objective has always been to tell a good story.  The characters then seem to fall into place.

- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

I make a loose outline of the storyline to help get things straight in my mind.  However I’ve discovered that if I write a very detailed outline, the characters end up taking over and changing it dramatically before I finish the manuscript.  I have to remain flexible.

- I enjoyed Sadie's character (Lance and Red too).  What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

My characters are made up from a combination of my imagination and people I’ve met in the past.  I see their faces and hear their voices in my mind, and allow them to expand their personalities as I write until I know their innermost thoughts.   

Sadie’s personality evolved into a person I truly liked in the first book, grew in the second, and continues to do so in the manuscript I am currently working on.
 

Lance didn’t even exist in the first book until my editor asked me to add another Indian character.  She suggested a doctor or some other professional.  I went back and added Lance as a police officer.  He took on a much larger role in THE AMERICAN CAFÉ, and has now managed to elbow his way into a permanent role in the series.
 

Red came out of nowhere and ended up being one of my favorite characters in THE AMERICAN CAFÉ.  But for now, he hasn’t made it into any of my other work.

-  Native American mysteries often introduce some of the tribe's mysticism as an element to the story.  Is there a possibility that the series may feature more Cherokee spiritual elements in future installments?

It’s hard to know where my characters will end up taking the story, so we will see.  Some Cherokees believe hearing a hoot owl is a warning of impending death.  An event in THE AMERICAN CAFÉ definitely puts Lance on edge because of that belief. 

I like to include cultural tidbits in my books such as traditional Cherokee foods and games.  I have also included a few Native words, phrases, and songs.

-  Do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

I’m a creature of habit.  I like to write in the morning after I take a walk and have a light breakfast.  If there’s something that needs my attention, I try to take care of it before I start writing, otherwise it will creep into the back of my mind and distract me.  We converted the guest bedroom into an office where I enjoy quiet meditative music while I write.  I don’t like barking dogs and noisy lawnmowers trespassing in my writing space.  I recently kicked out several pages while sitting in a coffee shop, but that’s unusual for me.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

 When I am working on a project, I try to write something every day.  Sometimes that's a lot; sometimes it is not.  There are days when other things simply comes first, but when I'm writing I shoot for four to five hours a day.  Since THE AMERICAN CAFE was released a few months ago, I have had to divide my time between marketing and writing.  I am unable to write much while traveling, but the story never leaves my mind.  If I don't have time to write, I take notes.  Ideas can be fleeting.

My first book took over two years to write and I finished the second book in about the same amount of time.  Of course, once a book is submitted for publication, the process can take between eighteen and twenty months.  The huge gap between the publication dates of my first two books had a lot to do with rejections, rewrites, resubmissions, my husband's retirement, quite a bit of traveling, and a couple of long-distance moves.  I expect to have my current manuscript finished and ready to submit by the end of the year.

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

I spent over twenty years in the banking business which translated into Sadie’s career as a banker in my first book, DECEPTION ON ALL ACCOUNTS.  It should be no surprise that the book begins with a bank robbery.

I can’t say I was prepared at all to become a writer other than my heart’s desire.  My favorite quote is:  “Since I have no training, I have no limits,” a statement made about the art of sculpting by Seminole artist, state senator and tribal leader, Enoch Kelly Haney.  The only thing I had, and still have, is the desire to tell a good story.  My dad was a fiddle player, a fisherman, and the best storyteller I ever knew.  He’s passed now, but I think he would like my stories as much as I did his.

-  Who is your favorite Mystery character?

Jim Chee.  Hillerman’s mysteries took off when he added Chee to his other main character, Leaphorn.  The addition of Chee added another dimension, the conflict between performing duties as a tribal police officer and a desire to become a traditional medicine man.  Since Hillerman passed  a few years ago, I miss both Chee and Leaphorn and wonder what they are up to.


-  Which author has influenced or inspired you the most?

My husband introduced me to Tony Hillerman’s mysteries and they have had a huge influence on me as a writer.  I gobbled up each one of Hillerman’s mysteries as soon as they were released.  I loved his books because they were easy to read and focused on “why” more than “how” which made his mysteries special to me.  I always felt like I had learned something when I finished one of his books.

- How did you get your first break to getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter?

I have never had good experiences talking with agents and editors at writer’s conferences, and perhaps that is due to my own inability to communicate a good sales pitch.  It was at a gathering of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers in Norman, Oklahoma, that gave me my first break.  I made contact with another author who won that year’s Writer of the Year Award.  He graciously shared the name of his editor at the University of Arizona Press and suggested I contact her.  They had published his fiction book and he thought they might be interested in mine.  As it turned out, they liked my book because it reflected current day Native life, included realistic characters, and was void of stereotypes that are prevalent in today's stories about American Indians.  It was a good fit.  They have been wonderful to work with on both of my books.


- What are you currently reading?

I recently finished The Spider’s Web by Margaret Coel.  I love her books.  She writes about the Arapaho on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.  She has a new release coming out in September, Watching Eagles Soar: Stories from the Wind River and Beyond, and I can’t wait to get it.

I’m getting ready to start reading To Fetch a Thief, A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn.  I really enjoy these mysteries written from the dog’s point of view.

Another book I’ve acquired to read is Broken, a non-fiction book by Lisa Jones.  It is her personal story about an Arapaho medicine man, a quadriplegic and gifted horse trainer and his effect on animals.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When I was working on my first manuscript, I read about a fire that destroyed a couple’s home while they were away on vacation.  The homeowners were writers, and both lost all of the work they had stored on their home computer.  Since then, I backup my current work-in-progress on memory sticks and rotate them one at a time to the bank safe deposit box on a regular basis.  It's a little overkill, but it gives me peace of mind.

-  If your Sadie Walela Mysteries were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in your character's roles?

Cherokee actress DeLanna Studi would make an excellent Sadie.   I think Lance should be played by Adam Beach.

-  Do you have anything you would like to share about your next book in the series?  We hope we don't have to wait as long as the break between book one and two.

I’m currently working on the third book in the series.  Sadie has to find a missing elderly Cherokee neighbor, Buck Skinner, who has become the main suspect in the murder of an identity thief.  To sort out the details of Buck’s dilemma and clear his name, Sadie and Lance have to reach into the past to another place and time to uncover the truth.  Working title is Giggle Hill.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Thank you so very much Sara for that great interview!  I am eagerly awaiting Sadie's next adventure.  I agree with you on Jim Chee, he is my favorite of the series too. 

 

Interview - Sheila Connolly

I am still traveling so this will be the only post for this week.  I hope your holiday season is warm and joy filled, where ever you are.  We have Sheila Connolly joining us who writes the Orchard Mysteries and the new Museum Mysteries.  I recently reviewed A Killer Crop, the latest in her Orchard Mysteries here.

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?
Yes.  Or none of the above.  In fact, I often start with the setting, or even a particular part of the setting.  One book came about because I was wandering through an orchard and found a ruined springhouse in the middle of it.  My first thought was, what a great place to put a body!  I ended up creating a whole book around that, starting with, why would there be a body in the springhouse?  Who was it?  How could you sneak a body in there without anyone noticing?


- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?
Once I have the basic idea, I usually let it stew in my head for a while.  When I'm ready to start writing the book, I sit down with a pad and pencil and write something between a general outline and a letter to myself, including questions I need to resolve.  I may never look at it again, and a lot of elements will change, but the process of laying it out the first time is important to me.

After that I kind of let things flow.  I keep a running outline, which lets me see how much time has elapsed in the story, which character has been absent for too long, and where I am in the page count in case I need to pick up the pace.


- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?
For a couple of years I have been collecting old photos of what I call "interesting faces" and use them for inspiration for people from the past who sneak into my books.  The contemporary characters I let do the talking.  Very few of them are based on people I know (and I'm still waiting for the people who I did "borrow" to recognize themselves).


- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

One of those things you don't know about before you're published is how much time you'll have to devote to various kinds of promotion.  That makes the writing time all the more precious.  I find my creative mind works best in the morning, so that's when I try to actually write.  The afternoon is for the business side, and when my mind really slows down, I read.

A few years ago we moved into a Victorian house.  When I first went through it with the realtor (at which point it was filled with the treasures of an elderly couple who could easily be called hoarders) I took one look at the landing over the stairs and said, that's where the desk goes.  I write at my father's old kneehole desk, with my grandmother's filing cabinet and my great-grandmother's Art Nouveau lamp.  I have a window overlooking our fairly quiet street, and all my current reference materials are within arm's reach.  There's a 3'x4' corkboard over the desk, with all sorts of odd pictures that either relate to the work in progress or that I find entertaining—plus the things I absolutely, positively can't lose in the piles on my desk.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?
I write every day, including weekends.  I get up, throw on sweats, fill the coffee mug, and sit down in front of the laptop.  I take a short break for lunch and keep going until the words run out.  At night I turn into a couch potato.

I write quickly (and find myself apologizing to a lot of writer friends who seem to agonize over each and every word).  That's been true from the start, when I had no idea what was expected—I just did it.  I can complete a draft in two to three months.  Then I like to put it aside and gain some distance before I try to edit.  Sometimes there's only a week or two for that, but I have an editor I trust, thank goodness. (And if she's reading this, the book that's due in February is in good shape.  Really.)

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

I've been a real gypsy in my career: at various times I've been an academic art historian, an investment banker, a non-profit fundraiser, and a professional genealogist.  And I've managed to use all of those experiences in one way or another in my books, believe it or not.

I also started reading at an early age and have never stopped.  When my husband and I were first married, we started collecting mysteries (and this was in the Dark Ages before the Internet!).  We focused on mystery writers and tried to assemble full series by each of them.  If you're wondering, yes, I read them all.  As a result, I have a pretty full collection of classic mysteries.  But I realized a few years ago that I had a definite bias toward traditional mysteries or cozies—there were relatively few thrillers or suspense novels mixed in.  

I started out trying to write romantic suspense, but I don't think I was very good at it.  Things really clicked when I started writing cozies.

- How did you get your first break toward getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter etc?

The usual, slogging through endless query letters to various agents.  I landed one bad agent, but it took me a couple of years to realize he was useless.  I started all over again, but at least I think my writing had improved. 

I ended up with my current agency when one of my query letters to them (my third or fourth—did I mention I'm persistent?) came back minus the enclosure, or even a return address.  But I figured out who had sent it, and emailed asking for the response.  It was, predictably, a rejection, but the agent was so apologetic about the mistake that she asked if I'd be interested in "trying out" for a work-for-hire for Berkley Prime Crime.  I said yes, BPC loved it, and I was launched with the Glassblowing Mysteries, written under the pen name Sarah Atwell.

BPC must have liked what they saw, because even before the first book hit the shelves, I had signed to write the Orchard Mystery series, under my own name.  The next year they bought the Museum Mystery series.

So, short answer:  because somebody didn't seal an envelope, I've ended up with eight books published in under three years.

- What are you currently reading?

I read my friends' books, and I try to find time to read non-fiction and other things that sound interesting, whether or not they're related to my own books.  But I'm way behind on best-sellers, and the to-be-read piles are reaching frightening heights.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

 
I keep odd talismans on my desk, like pieces chipped off tombstones (I spend a lot of time in cemeteries, for genealogy purposes), a pencil sharpener in the form of a cannon, from Valley Forge, and an elephant eraser based on Lucy, and an eraser modeled on Lucy, the Victorian elephant in Margate, New Jersey, that's big enough to walk through.  Mostly they're things that make me smile.

 - Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?
I have in the past.  I was part of a group put together through the Guppies, a Sisters in Crime on-line chapter, several years ago.  We kind of drifted apart after a year or two, but I'm still in touch with two of the members.  I learned a lot, reading the work of other people and getting their feedback.  I think that most writers are too close to their own work to be objective, and it's a good idea to test your writing on others—particularly those who are willing to be honest with you—before sending it out into the wider world.  The biggest problem I found was that I was usually writing more quickly than the others, so when they were commenting on Chapter 7, I was working on Chapter 15.  I think I would have preferred a group that read the whole book at once and could comment on pacing, character development, and the holes in the plot.  I've had some first readers since, but not consistently.
 

Thank you so much Sheila!  Great Interview!  I love Sheila's writing setup, it sounds wonderful.  I will be back with you in the new year.  Be safe and out there.

Author Interview - Jane Cleland

Mysteries and My Musings is honored to have the wonderful opportunity to interview Jane Cleland.
Jane K. Cleland’s multiple award-nominated and IMBA best selling Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series has been reviewed as an Antiques Roadshow for mystery fans.  I love that! Jane chairs the Wolfe Pack’s
literary awards, which include the Nero Award and the Black Orchid Novella Award, granted in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She is a past chapter president and current board member of the Mystery Writers of America/New York Chapter. 

Library Journal has just named Jane's first Josie Prescott mystery Consigned to Death a "core title" for librarians looking to build a cozy collection, one of only 22 titles listed, along with books by Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers.   So we are truly honored to have such a prestigious mystery author with us!!  Please give a warm welcome to Jane Cleland

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

I usually start with an antique, with knowing how it will be involved in murder… so I guess we can say that I start with the plot.


- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

 I write detailed synopses. Each one covers all the plot points, characters, situations, and how Josie will solve the murder.


- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

I see characters in my head and listen to them, then write down what they say.


- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

 I have no idea how I get so much done, although certainly I’m disciplined and persistent. Here I am 1 a.m. writing you! I never wait for inspiration; I get to work and write. Also, I write in whatever time I have, ten minutes here and fifteen there, for instance.


- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

 I don’t have the luxury of writing full-time, so I have to fit it in whenever I can. The synopsis usually takes me longer than the book. The synopsis for Deadly Threads, which will be out in April 2011, took five months to write. The book took two months. (And yes, it nearly killed me!)


- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

It’s all I’ve ever read (for pleasure), and my mom was a mystery writer. Maybe it’s genetic!


- How did you get your first break toward getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter etc?
 I got an agent. I found her in Jeff Herman’s book, The Insider’s Guide to Publishing.


- What are you currently reading?

 And Be a Villain by Rex Stout


- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write notes to myself. I jot a gazillion little notes while I’m writing. The last thing I do before I say a book is done is read all my little notes to be certain I haven’t forgotten anything.


- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?

No. I’m pretty much a loner. I think they work for some people. It’s just not my style.


- If your Josie Prescott mysteries were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in your character's roles?
I wrote Josie and Ty with particular actors in mind, but I’ll never tell! I want readers to have the pleasure of having their own images.

Thank you so much Jane for that interview and I look forward to the next novel. 

Check out the videos of Jane on YouTube here.

Author Interview - Sally Goldenbaum

We have a favorite author joining us today, Sally Goldenbaum.  You can read the review of her latest mystery, Moonspinners, here.  


Sally was born in Manitowoc, Wisc, a small city on the shores of Lake Michigan where her father was a shipbuilder.  She went to high school in Green Bay, Wisc, a boarder in an all-girls academy, just like her sister, mother and her seven sisters before her had done.  Then she went to college at Fontbonne in St. Louis, and graduate school (philosophy) was Indiana U in Bloomington where she met her husband. In between all of that she was a Catholic nun for several years.

One day she was sitting in a sandbox in a park, watching her children play. She was new to Kansas CIty, looking for company. There was another mother there, Adrienne Staff, a transplanted New Yorker. And as those things go, the ex-nun and nice Jewish girl from New York  glommed on to each other and discovered they both had a burning desire to write. And so they did. Together. They found a wonderful agent and published (some together, some alone) 25 to 30 novels.

Though Adrienne went on to other things, Sally started writing mysteries some 10 years later.  Please join me in welcoming Sally to Mysteries and My Musings!

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

     Usually I have the plot idea first--and that includes the victim--but only after I play with it, turn it around, upside down, maybe even start to write, do I know who the murderer is. Then I throw myself into the writing and sometimes as the story ripens, someone else may emerge as the murderer. Once (only once, thank heavens!) I finished the whole book and sent it off to my editor. She responded quickly that she liked the book except for one thing: the wrong person did the deed. She didn't know who did it, but it wasn't the person I picked, she said. So I had to go back and find someone else. And she, of course, was absolutely right. The book was so much stronger because of her astute observation.


- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

     The first thing I do is come up with a synopsis--usually about two pages--that I send off to my editor. Sometimes this doesn't include who did it, and rarely includes how the seaside knitters discover the real murderer (because at that point, I have no idea!). Then I write a first chapter or two to give me a feeling for the story. By that time, I know the following:

• who was murdered

• who did it

• why they did it

I round those things out with other details such as the season of the year, what else is going on in town at the same time (a wedding? a holiday party? a problem in the life of one of the knitters or a neighbor, etc.), and that's it. I don't have an outline, but as I go along, I keep an open file in which I jot down possible scenes and ideas that occur to me as I'm writing.

Long story short: no outline. None. The story evolves as we go along. This can be very frustrating sometimes and I think, "Oh, wouldn't it be great to have an outline and know what's going to happen next?!" But it never works that way for me. The stories evolve as we go along, me and the characters, holding hands and excited to see what happens down the pike.


- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

When I first came up with the idea of the Seaside Knitters series, I needed to know the four main characters well. So I wrote essays about each of them, including where they grew up, went to school, what they were like as kids. How they reacted to happenings in their lives. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them this way. I also use the enneagram, an ancient method of personality profiling, in developing characters, and I assign profiles from this system to individuals, which helps me give them a consistent personality. It also assists in learning their vulnerabilities.

 Sometimes I do have a person I know, or a public person, in mind to help me with the physical characteristics of certain people, but the characters are never modeled after an actual person, not completely anyway.

I do keep a chart of all physical characteristics. Readers are so sharp--they will catch  me at changing hair color if I don't.


- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?
    I had a full-time position while writing the first three Seaside Mysteries (and the Queen Bee Quilters series). Back then, I wrote from 5:30 to 7 in the morning, at night, on weekends, and took some vacation days.

    Place? I have a screened-in porch that I write on with a friend (Nancy Pickard) in good weather. When it's too hot or too cold, I head to a coffee shop with comfortable chairs.

    If I need a nudge, something to pull me into the mood, I either review what I wrote the day before or pick up someone else's novel, someone I admire, and it almost always draws me to the blank computer screen.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

        Last year I was able to move to full-time writing and it's a much better arrangement than writing at 5:30 am! Normally I write 5 days a week, starting about 9 and going until 3 or so. The few weeks before a deadline, that goes out the window and I write more frequently, as in 'all the time'. Normally I can complete a book in 6 to 9 months. I have done it in less time, but it's difficult.

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?
    It sounds fabricated because everyone says it, but Nancy Drew nurtured my love for mysteries when I was young. I have written other novels, but hadn't considered mysteries because i didn't think I'd be good at the puzzle part. Then a friend suggested I help her with a book she was working on, and from her I learned the fine points of writing a mystery--when and how and why to drop red herrings, how a writer need to relate the murderer, pacing, that sort of thing. And I was hooked.

    Every job I've ever had, from college teaching to working in public television to editing bioethics journals, involved writing. So that, too, was good background. And lastly, I love being around people--cable repairmen, painters, lobster fishermen, teachers, other writers, my friends and family and grandchildren. And maybe that's the best preparation of all--a love for people.
 
- How did you get your first break toward getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter etc?
    My very first break was at a writer's conference. There was an agent there who had agreed, as part of the registration fee, to read a couple pages of a manuscript. She gave us (my first few novels were written with another woman) some tips, asked us to send her a few chapters, and shortly after, she was able to find a home for the book (s). I know it's not always so easy. We were very lucky.

    Years later, after taking a few years off from writing to edit a journal, that same editor mentioned that she'd be willing to represent the seaside knitters. And once again, she found a very nice home for them!
    
 - What are you currently reading?
I am reading The Room, a haunting novel by Emma Donoghue, Cutting for Stone, and Innocent.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmmm. Not sure if this qualifies as a quirk, but I have a great interest in exploring the friendship among strong women. I also think I have pretty good insight into what makes people tick. I employ both those interests and skills in weaving the knitters'  tales.


- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?
I've never been in a critique group, though I've taught creative writing in college and we did critiquing there. I rarely show my writing to anyone before it goes to my editor, although I do brainstorm with a friend who is also a mystery writer. My editor is my critique person, in a way.

I don't have anything against, critique groups, though, provided there are rules that keep people from doing damage to one another's writing ego. I think critique groups can provide a structure that makes it easier for writers to keep writing.

 Special note:
My next Seaside Knitters book is A Holiday Yarn. It will be in bookstores Nov. 2, 2010. And I am deep into writing the fifth book in the series, A Wedding Shawl, right now.

I love hearing from readers and invite them to visit my website: http://www.sallygoldenbaum.com/


Thank you for a great interview Sally!!

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PBS has a new Sherlock Holmes series.  It is set in 21st Century London.  I have seen the premier episode and I must say I liked it.  Here is the PBS website for the new show http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/sherlock/.

Author Interview - Margaret Coel

Mysteries and My Musings is immensely grateful that Margaret Coel agreed to honor us with an interview.  You can read the review of her latest novel, The Spider's Web, here.  She is a fellow native Coloradan who hails from a pioneer Colorado family. The West — the mountains, plains, and vast spaces — are in her bones, she says. 

Along with the Wind River mystery series, Margaret Coel is the author of five non-fiction books including the award-winning Chief Left Hand, published by the University of Oklahoma Press. This biography of an Arapaho chief and history of the Arapahos in Colorado has never gone out of print. The Colorado Historical Society recently included Chief Left Hand among the best 100 books on Colorado history.

She writes in a small study in her home on a hillside in Boulder. The window frames a view of the Rocky Mountains and the almost-always blue sky. A herd of deer are usually grazing just outside, and one summer a couple of years ago, a mountain lion made its home closeby.

"Every day,"she says, "I drink in the West."  

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

I always start with the plot idea, usually just a tiny spark of something I think would be interesting to write about.  For The Spider's Web, the tiny idea was that of an outsider arriving on the Wind River Reservation and bringing murder, chaos and distrust in her wake.  I let the idea float round for awhile, asking myself a lot of "what if?" questions.  What if the outsider is a psychopath?  What if the Arapahos blame her for the murder of an Arapaho man?  What if she appears to be innocent?   What if Father John senses something dangerous in her?  And what if Vicky takes her as a client?  How will that affect Vicky's relationship with her people?  With Father John?  Eventually, the tiny spark grows into the plot of the novel. 

- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

I don't do a true outline.  Rather, it is more like a road map.  I map out where I'm going to start, how I'm going to go, and where I intend to end up.  What I never know until I get into the writing itself is what adventures my characters may have along the way, what marvelous things might develop that I hadn't foreseen.  But with my road map, the characters can't ever go too far afield.  At the same time, I think you always have to leave room for the surprises, because they can be wonderful.

- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

I begin by jotting down obvious facts about the character.  Physical description, hair and eye color, little ticks, background and education--all that kind of thing.  I ask myself, what is it this character WANTS?  Then I start writing, and I find that I learn all kinds of things about my characters as I write about them.  With The Spider's Web, Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden make their fifteenth appearance, and you know what?  I am still learning new things about them.  

- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

 I think of my writing as a job, and like any job, I do it everyday, except for Sundays (usually).  About the only ritual I have is that I walk three miles every morning before I start work.  I find walking not only loosens my muscles, it seems to loosen my brain and gets the ideas flowing.  While I love music, I prefer to work in silence.  Just me and my characters having a conversation.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

 I write in my office at home, and I try to get to the "office" by 9 am. and write 4 or 5 hours.  Then I spend a couple hours on the business part of the writing business, dealing with agents, editors, publicists, emails, speaking requests and so on.  Also I do a lot of research for each novel, so I spend time reading and gathering information on the internet.  Makes for very full days that usually don't end until 6 p.m. or so.  I can write a novel in 6 months or less.  But each year, I not only write a novel, I write short stories, essays, book reviews, book introductions--all kinds of pieces.

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

Absolutely nothing.  Except for the fact that I always loved to read mystery novels from the time I discovered Nancy Drew--and that was a long time ago.  I have always followed the advice I was given years ago by a writing teacher:  Write what you love to read.  I love to read history, and I wrote four history books.  I love to read biography and wrote a biography.  I love to read mysteries---so there you are.

- How did you get your first break toward getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter etc?

My experience was different for the non-fiction/history books, which I wrote, submitted to the publishers myself, and had them accepted. 

To sell a mystery novel, I knew I would need an agent.  First, I wrote the novel, The Eagle Catcher.  Not until I had the completed novel did I put on my business cap and go out to sell it. Remember, you can't sell something that doesn't exist!   I attended conferences where I met agents and editors.  I did a lot of networking among my writer friends. And, yes, I sent out queries.   Through all of that I located my first agent who not only sold The Eagle Catcher to Berkley Publishing, but got me a contract for the next two novels.   

- What are you currently reading?

 Innocent, by Scott Turow.  It is excellent.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

  I can't write without my cup of tea. I've been known to drive to the grocery just for tea because I was out.   No tea, no writing.

- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?

  I was part of a critique group when I started writing my first novel, The Eagle Catcher.  I found the experience very helpful.  We met every two weeks and brought a part of our chapters to read.  I learned a lot about what was working and what wasn't in my novel from the other members' comments.  The time came when I felt confident to strike out on my own, but  I recommend critique groups as a way to get started. At the very least, you always  have to write something for the next meeting, so it spurs you on.  No excuses.

Thank You Ms. Coel for that great interview!!

Please leave comments and show Ms. Coel our appreciation for her time.

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Author Interview - Lauren Carr

Only a few days to out Blog Anniversary Celebration!  Be sure to come back and take part.

Today we welcome author Lauren Carr.  You can read the review I did of her latest novel here.  Lauren is a popular speaker who has made speaking appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She is also an active member of Sisters in Crime. She lives with her husband and son on a mountaintop in West Virginia. 

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

I have to say that I always start with the plot idea. Generally, it comes from a “What if…?” or a “Why would…?” scenario. It’s Murder, My Son sprang from an old episode of Unsolved Mysteries. It was the case of a woman found dead after years of being stalked. However, the police could never catch, or even identify, her stalker. Everyone, the police and her friends and family, said the victim admitted that she wasn’t telling them everything. Eventually, her secret got her killed. So, I started thinking, “What type of secret would someone keep even when they were being terrorized to death?” I kept working on that in my mind until I had a storyline for It’s Murder, My Son.

- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

If I do an outline, it is very loose. Mostly, I make notes in order to sort things out in my mind. Ninety-five percent of the time, I won’t refer to the outline when writing out the book.

- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

The personality comes first. It is a given that certain types of personalities are capable of some things that others are not. The characters drive my storylines. It is not unusual for me to want to go one way with the story, only to get so far into the book and have a character drive it in a different direction.

I have a vision of all of my characters in my mind. Of course, since they are fiction, I don’t have pictures of them. Even Gnarly, the German shepherd in It’s Murder, My Son, has certain distinctive physical characteristics that make him unique in my head.

In my current work in progress, Old Loves Die Hard, there is a character with an outrageous personality, but I had trouble visualizing him. While we were on vacation this summer, I saw a man at a rest stop who appeared quite bizarre. As soon as I saw him, I knew he was this character that I had already developed for Old Loves Die Hard. Suddenly, I could see him. After we got home, I returned to the manuscript and gave that character this stranger’s physical description, which was a perfect match for his personality.

- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

I have a writer’s studio in the top floor of our home. My husband built it for me after A Small Case of Murder came out.

I used to write early in the morning. It was the only time that I could be alone. But as my son has gotten older and more antisocial, I am able to write more after the sun comes up. I write about four hours a day. Two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening before I go to bed. During the day, I’ll work on marketing and promoting my books.

That something special to get me in the zone: Once I start thinking about the characters and the plot and the scenes, and then I’ll get there. Once I get in that zone, it’s hard to get me out.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

My work schedule varies. After I write a draft, I let it sit while I go onto to another project. That way, when I return to the draft, I can read it with fresh eyes. I’ll go through three drafts of a book before sending it to my perfect reader. Each draft takes approximately six weeks to complete. My perfect reader is my mother, who is an expert when it comes to murder mysteries. She reads them all. She used to read Perry Mason to me at bedtime. I almost always have revisions based on her recommendations. After that, the book will go to the editor, and then on into the publication process.

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

My dear sweet mother. She turned me on to Perry Mason, then Agatha Christie, and whodunits. That is something that we share. Neither my brothers nor sister share the love Mom and I have for murder.


- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have trouble deleting my work. As I go through drafts of my books, instead of deleting whole sections that I decide to do away with, I’ll cut and paste them into another document called Cut Scenes. I’m not totally crazy because there have been times when I have lifted a cut scene or two and used it in another project.

- I see you self published, what were the factors the made your mind up to go that route? Has your experience been positive going this route?

My first book, A Small Case of Murder, was self-published through iUniverse. At that time, I knew no one, and couldn’t get anyone to even read it. It was named finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Since I was self-published, I had to invest in and do all of the marketing and promotion for my book. I had to print up bookmarks, postcards, advertisements for book signings. I had to write and send out press releases to the media and set up interviews. I had to set up booksignings and book events. I had to pay for and do it all.

My second book, A Reunion to Die For, was traditionally published with Five Star Mystery. Even though I received an advance, I went through that and beyond in no time. Personally, I did all of the marketing and promotion. I had to print up bookmarks, postcards, advertisements for book signings. I had to write and send out press releases to the media and set up interviews. I had to set up booksignings and book events. I had to do it all.

Five Star Mystery had said they would take It’s Murder, My Son, but I chose not to go back to this publisher because they had done away with their paperback division. It is very hard to sell a $26 hardback when you’re an unknown. Another traditional publisher offered a contract for It’s Murder, My Son. I was tempted, but I kept coming back to the question, “Why do I need a traditional publisher? I had to do everything on my own when I was traditionally published as I did when I was self-published.”

By the time the traditional publisher and I came to a disagreement on the contract, it was very easy for me to say, “Thanks, but no thank you.”

It’s Murder, My Son has been through two editors. The cover is designed by the traditional audio publisher. I did the book’s interior layout design, something I have been doing professionally my whole adult life.

I independently published It’s Murder, My Son with CreateSpace, for the print version; DTP for the Kindle; and Smashwords for the other e-publication distributions. I have been very happy with the results and how well It’s Murder, My Son is doing. I will definitely continue with self-publishing.

A traditional audio publisher, Books-In-Motion released the audio version, including MP3 download. I have looked at Podio, but considering that I hate the sound of my own voice, I think I’ll stick with Books-In-Motion for the audio.

- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?

No, I haven’t participated in any critique groups. I get an honest critique from my mother. I’ve heard different things about them, some positive, some negative. I guess it is a matter of getting in with a really good one.

- Do you have another book in this series planned? If so, please tell us a little about it.

Oh, yes, definitely. I am already working on Old Loves Die Hard. In this next installment of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Mac returns to Georgetown when his wife becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the ADA, the man for whom she had divorced Mac.

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Author Interview - Lorna Barrett

Welcome the bestselling author Lorna Barrett to Mysteries and My Musings .  Lorna Barrett is the nom de plume of author Lorraine Bartlett.  Lorraine's other alter ego, L.L. Bartlett, writes psychological suspense and the Jeff Resnick mystery series.  She's done it all, from drilling holes for NASA to typing scripts in Hollywood, and lives a life of crime in western New York.

I am so tickled that Lorraine graciously gave an interview to our little slice of the blogosphere!  You can read the review I did on her latest book in her Booktown Mystery Series, Bookplate Special, HERE.  Please give a huge welcome to Lorraine!!

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?


Actually, I start each book with the opening scene and let the story develop around it. Often I’ll know something very basic about the plot. For instance; in Bookplate Special I knew I wanted to write about food pantries but I had no idea how I was going to introduce the subject or that the whole food aspect of the book would be so great.

- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

I have a vague idea of what the book is going to be about, because my publisher requires a synopsis, but I rarely stick to it, and so far have had no complaints. I try to make sure that everyone in the story has something to do, or if they don’t, that I am setting them up for something in a future book in the series. (I find that a lot of fun.)

- I enjoy Tricia and her supporting cast, what is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

Occasionally I find a picture that helps me develop the characters. I found a picture of a woman in a decorating magazine that was definitely how I pictured Angelica. When I blogged about it, some of my readers came back with very unflattering remarks about her. (Saying, for one, that the woman in the picture was TOO OLD to be Angelica. But to me, this picture WAS Angelica in the flesh (so to speak). It just goes to show that everyone interprets the characters differently. And they do reveal themselves to me as I write. I seldom know too much about them before I start.

- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

I have to actually carve out time to work. For years, I found it best to write in the morning. Now I find afternoons are better because I can get my promotion and networking done in the morning, plus answer emails, etc.

I don’t seem to be able o write in my “office” anymore. There are too many distractions. I get a lot of my writing done on my laptop on the dining room table. Sometimes, when I’m really stuck, I’ll go sit in my car with a legal pad and a pen. I often find I get my best ideas that way.

I cannot stand working in dead silence. In fact, my life is set to music. I turn on my stereo with new age the minute I get up in the morning, and I even go to sleep listening to a rain/music CD. I find the sound of rain on the roof to be very soothing. (I’m listening to one of those “rain” CDs as I type this.)

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

As I mentioned, I like to write in the afternoons, and generally do it between 1-5 p.m. (But if the muse is really on fire, I’ll continue to write until I hit a roadblock.) I like having at least nine months to write a book. I need to read my contracts a bit closer, because for the last year or so I’ve had to write two a year, which can sometimes be difficult—especially as there are other things going on in my life.

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

Absolutely nothing. I didn’t decide I wanted to write until I was about 19, and I don’t have an English degree. I wasn’t sure I wanted to write professionally, and dabbled at it for a lot of years. Then in the early 1990s my husband encouraged me to start thinking about writing professionally. It took me 11 years to see my first “traditionally published” novel in print.

- Can you recommend a fiction book that provides a great example of the writing craft to dissect and learn from?

I am not a big believer in how-to-write books, although I did love Anne LaMott’s Bird by Bird. The best piece of writing advice I ever got from a how-to book was by Natalie Goldberg who essentially said that the best way to learn how to write is to sit down in front of your keyboard (or with pen in hand) and just do it.

- What are you currently reading?

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingels Wilder. I either read non-fiction or children’s books while I’m writing one of my own books. I definitely avoid cozy novels a good part of the year, which means I have a read-a-thon of my friends’ books when I’m in between writing my own books. About the only exceptions are when my publisher asks me to read a manuscript for a blurb. That’s fun—especially if I’m doing it for a friend. I loved Hannah Reed’s Buzz off and Avery Aames’s The Long Quiche Goodbye—which were lovely diversions.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t think I have one.


- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?

I used to rely on a critique group before I was published. The best place for unpublished mystery authors to find help learning about the craft and the publishing business is the Guppies Chapter of Sisters in Crime. (sinc-guppies.org) A good critique group can be invaluable. A bad critique group can set you back years. I’ve had wonderful critique partners who genuinely wanted me to succeed, and other’s who tried to sabotage me. I think online groups can be more effective than face-to-face groups, which often degenerate into just social gatherings. Online critiquing keeps you focused on the work at hand.

Now I rely on first readers and other published authors to critique my work, and only with completed drafts. I no longer find chapter-by-chapter input to be of much use.

- I understand you have another book due to be released August 3rd, please tell us a little about it.

Chapter & Hearse is the 4th book in the bestselling Booktown Mystery series. (I also write the Jeff Resnick Mysteries as L.L. Bartlett, and the Victoria Square Mysteries (which will debut in Feb. 2011) as Lorraine Bartlett.) It was a difficult book to write, because my father was very ill and ultimately died during that time period. But I was glad to escape into Tricia’s world for a couple of hours every day. Stoneham may have it’s problems, but there’s also a lot of love and friendship there, too.

Here’s a description of the book:

Tricia’s sister, Angelica, considers herself to be the next celebrity chef. To celebrate her first cookbook, Angelica hosts a launch party, but sadly the only guest is an oversized cutout of herself. Worse than the lack of fans is a nearby gas explosion that injures her boyfriend, Bob Kelly, the head of the Chamber of Commerce.

Tricia’s never been a fan of Bob, but when she reads that Bob is being tight-lipped about the “accident” and how it killed the owner of the town’s history bookstore, it’s time to take action. As the incriminating details emerge, Tricia gets wrapped up in a murder that proves to be as spine-tingling as the books that line her shelves…

Lorna Barrett writes the New York Times Best selling, and Agatha nominated Booktown Mystery series. You can find her website at www.LornaBarrett.com and her blog at www.LornaBarrett.blogspot.com

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you Lorraine/Lorna for such a great interview.

So readers, I loved what she is currently reading and how her life is set to music.  Any thoughts, what did you find interesting in the interview?

Interview: Martha Grimes

Winners of the Giveaway for THE BLACK CAT by Martha Grimes are Pixie13 and the Book Mole.  You should have received an email asking for your mailing addresses.  Congratulations!

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Martha Grimes agreed to give us an interview, below are her responses.  Thank you Martha.

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?

None of the above; I start with a pub name.

- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?

No. Once I was writing a Richard Jury mystery and I was stuck, so I thought I’d do an outline. So I wrote an outline, and when I came to the same place, I was still stuck.

- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?

I just take the character as he comes.

- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

No, you find time by making it a priority. I usually write at home in long hand, but I also like being in coffee shops and writing there.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?

It takes a year for me to write a book. Forget the schedule.

- How much research goes into your work and do you complete that up front or "just enough" as you go?

I do it as I go along.

- Setting seems as important as the characters in your mysteries, any tips on conveying a sense of place well?

That would take a book in itself to answer. Unfortunately, anyone who wants to write should have this sense to begin with.

- Can you recommend a fiction book that provides a great example of the writing craft to dissect and learn from?

There is no such book, I wish there was. What is good about books about writing is that they keep a writer company. For that purpose, they're very useful.

- What are you currently reading?

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I like a lot of different colors of ink when I’m writing.

- How did you get your first break towards getting published? Was it sending in a query or meeting an agent at a writing conference etc?

No. I believe in the process of first writing a book. I sent the first one to a publisher and got it back, another publisher and got it back, another and another and another. The secret is persistence.

- Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?

The pros are they usually have food. The cons? Such groups are fairly useless when it comes to writing.

Here is an additional video of Ms. Grimes that gives some additional information on her writing process.