It's a Mystery to Me

Where Might You Fit in History?

2012-02-13T03:48:00.000-08:00

So I glance at my Kindle, which is off, and there's a picture of Jane Austen. She's a little plump, with curls around her face, and my mind says, "If I lived back then, I wouldn't be worried about dropping these extra pounds and fretting about my unfashionably curly hair !"
Things we concern ourselves with were no concern at all in other times, so I often think about the advantages of not living in the twenty-first century. Not wearing shoes might be good. Certainly times without bras were better. Days when older women were revered rather than ridiculed. Times when society was small enough that crime was minimal and eccentricities were handled with gentle understanding instead of governmental angst.
I'm not sure which other eras I'm best suited to, but I'm pretty sure I could cope, wherever.
I know what you're thinking: They had bugs. They died at forty. They had no concept of Facebook. Honestly, I see only one of those as a possible problem.

Why Humans Are Really Cool People

2012-02-06T03:27:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a book about the brain (again, I know--I do this a lot). The author contends that somewhere along the line, humans took a huge evolutionary step that resulted in something unique to the earth: a creature that can consider its own being. It is that, he contends, not language or opposable thumbs or use of tools or whatever you've heard before, that makes us so special. He says we might imagine our computers taking off their covers and turning their webcams into their interior workings as a metaphor for what we as humans do to get to know ourselves better.
I am intrigued by this idea and by all that goes along with it. It's a very cool thing we do, although it results in both bad and good knowledge. We now know that the brain is amazingly complex, adaptable, and plastic, but we also know it can screw us up royally when something goes wrong.
What amazes me is the number of people who don't seem inclined to use the three pounds of amazing power they carry around with them: the people who accept everything they are told; the people who don't read; the people who actually seem proud of their ignorance. They're so open to manipulation from advertisers (Did you even THINK about whether you need that product?), religious zealots (Are you SURE you want to follow that line of non-logic?), and, especially this year, political rhetoric (Do you REALLY think things are going to change if you vote X into office?)
Having these wonderful brains that can examine, process, and filter isn't enough. We have to use them. So maybe the title of this piece should be "Why Some Humans Are Really Cool People, and the Rest Remained in the Primordial Ooze".

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

2012-01-30T04:36:00.000-08:00

I'm preparing a presentation for a group of teachers, and a question I will ask them has come back around to me: How did you come to do the work you do?
I think many of us float into our vocations. For me, a small town girl in the '60s whose mother, grandmother, and great-grandfather had all been teachers, choice wasn't really choosing. It was more doing what I thought I could and should do. Luckily, I loved teaching and made a good living at it.
But now I'm a writer, and I can't imagine doing anything else. What if I'd made that decision forty years ago?
Honestly, I think teaching prepared me for writing. I know there are writers who do brilliant work in their twenties, but I don't think it would have been me. I knew I liked to write, but that isn't the same as having something to say.
John Lennon said that when he was a boy and people asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said "Happy." They said he didn't understand the question; he said they didn't understand the answer.
I think what we want to be changes over time. I'm really glad I spent thirty years working with kids, trying to get them to see their potential, before I finally took a breath, looked around, and realized my own.

Bad Songs: Who's to Judge?

2012-01-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

I just finished rereading DAVE BARRY'S BOOK OF BAD SONGS. It's hilarious, and even when I disagreed with people's comments about a particular song, I had to admit they had a point.
Bad songs, like all bad poetry, stretch figurative language too far, distort emotion until it's scary, and twist syntax to make a rhyme or a syllable count.
I thought it might be fun to revisit the subject of bad songs, with categories.

Song I liked at first and now despise: "Brown-eyed Girl" I think Van Morrison pays all my local radio stations to play his song every fifteen minutes. I'm not sure why he would do this.

Story song that is really lame: Well, honestly, a lot of them are, but "Last Kiss" has been rescued from its well-deserved obscurity several times, even by such as Pearl Jam. What were they thinking?

Song that makes the singer sound like a maniac: There are lots of them, but the Beatles hit a low point with "Little Girl," which has such lyrics as "I'd rather see you dead, Little Girl, than see you with another man."
Yow!

Song that repeats waaaaay too much: Rod Stewart's "The Motown Song" -Rod is a master of saying the same thing over and over, and granted, it does make it easy to sing along.

Song that gets stuck in my head, even though I hate it: "I've Got Friends in Low Places"-I hate the song, the singer, and the sentiment offered, the old "proud to be dumb and drunk" theme so common in country music.

If you like, you might add to the list, argue with my choices, or just go on your way with Garth echoing in the back of your mind.

Guest Author Ryder Islington

2012-01-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Ryder Islington is an exciting new author that my publisher, LL Publications, is about to introduce to the world. Here's my take on her first book, Ultimate Justice. Ryder is my guest today, so please give her some feedback. It isn't easy being the newbie!

Peg's Review:
RyderIslington tells a story that grabbed this reader from page one, elicitingquestions that pulled me through the story to a shocking but totally believableconclusion.

FBIagent Trey Fontaine has multiple cases on his hands: rape, beating, and violentmurder. Trey and local detective Gemini Taylor become convinced that the murdershe is investigating is connected to the other crimes. What neither of themrealizes is that the bloody thread weaves into Gem’s past and her long-agoacquaintance with Trey. What she knows and does not know might—make thatwill—result in violent retribution.

Ultimate Justice, A Trey Fontaine Mystery,is receiving rave reviews from readers. http://www.ll-publications.com/ultimatejustice.html

The small townof Raven Bayou,Louisianaexplodes as old money meets racial tension, and tortured children turn thetable on abusive men. FBI Special Agent Trey Fontaine returns home to find thetown turned upside down with mutilated bodies. Working with local homicidedetectives, Trey is determined to get to the truth. A believer in empirical evidence, Trey ignores his instinctsuntil he stares into the face of the impossible, and has to choose between whathe wants to believe and the ugly truth.

A graduate of the University of Californiaand former officer for a large sheriff’s department, RYDER ISLINGTON is now retired and doing what she loves: reading,writing, and gardening. She lives in Louisianawith her family, including a very large English Chocolate Lab, a very smallChinese pug, and a houseful of demanding cats. She can be contacted at RyderIslington@yahoo.com or visither blog at http://ryderislington.wordpress.com

The Worst of Advertising

2012-01-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

I think I've reached the saturation point, and of course it's my own fault. About the only thing I look forward to on television is professional football and baseball (okay, and JEOPARDY, so I can prove to myself once again that I really am wickedly smart), which means I'm subjected to the same ads over and over. And over.
My students used to get regular tirades from me about how advertising creates false "needs" for all sorts of products. I've actually said the words, "We need to buy fabric softener." Know what? No one needs that stuff, and we're actually better off since I stopped using it. I often told my students that their great-grandparents dated, fell in love, and got married, all without the use of deodorant, toothpaste, hair spray, and a bunch of other stuff we think we need to get from a store. (Their reply was usually "Ick.") We are conditioned to buy and use commercial products for fear we won't look right, smell right, or smile right.
Lately many ads seem focused on never having to defer your gratification, even for a microsecond. There's a whole line of ads where some with a certain phone have several seconds' edge on all their friends in knowing the latest news. Does anyone ever ask, "What is so important that I need to know it fourteen seconds before my coworkers?" Apparently it's all about being cool. Or there's the insurance you can get in 15 minutes. I'd like to think about something so important a little longer than that. And of course there are those ridiculous ads that say you have to call in the next half hour to get some deal. Hmmm. Who's keeping track of how many times a day that claim is thrown out there?
Some of my least favorite ads are humanitarian ones that try to shock me with pictures of deformed children or abused animals (that one goes on forEVER. I know: I've changed the channel for what I thought was long enough and then found out it wasn't over yet.) I've never reacted well to that sort of pressure. I like to make my own decisions about what causes I support, without heavy-handed, sad-voiced people telling me what I must do (and by the way, I HATE that woman who sing-whines behind the animal cruelty one.)
There. I feel better now. You might want to tell me which ads you hate. I'll be glad to let you vent.

Why Do You Read?

2012-01-02T03:52:00.000-08:00

I finished a book last night that was one of those "I can't wait to find out what happens" stories. The author had me caring desperately for the characters, hoping against hope that they could defeat the almost certain doom that swept toward them. I read and read and read...and then they died.
Greek tragedy and ANNA KARENINA aside, that's not what I read for.
I read to be entertained, at least when I read genre fiction. I contend that an "entertaining" author who gives the reader false hopes then zaps his characters betrays an unwritten contract between provider and client. Yup, you surprised me. Good for you, I guess. But getting to know a person intimately, coming to believe that he isn't really such a bad guy, and then watching him get shot by the cops and bleed out on the floor is not my idea of entertainment.
When I write, if I create a character readers like and root for, that character is going to triumph somehow. Not trying to give anything away. I'm just sayin'.

Real Books, E-books, and My Books

2011-12-26T04:05:00.000-08:00

A woman I've known for months said to me yesterday, "I hear you wrote a book!"
Yup. And another, and another, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
I have to stop and think when someone asks me how many books I have out, because there are different versions, different publishers, and different formats. Oh, and different prices!
Here's how it goes:

***MACBETH'S NIECE is out of print in regular, still out in large print and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Macbeths-Niece-ebook/dp/B004ASN9ME/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1324900363&sr=1-1 ($2.99)

***GO HOME AND DIE is only on Kindle and doesn't seem destined to be anywhere else.
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Home-and-Die-ebook/dp/B003XIJ6H4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1324900415&sr=1-1 ($5.99)

***HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER is available in hardcover, large print, and on Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Highness-First-Murder-Five-Mystery/dp/1594148422 ($24.79 or $7.99)

***The sequel, POISON, YOUR GRACE, is recently out in hardcover, soon to be in large print, and should be made available on Kindle soon, but the publisher hasn't made that decision yet.
http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Grace-Five-Mystery/dp/1432825364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324900539&sr=1-1 ($25.95)

***THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY is available in paperback and for all e-readers.
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Detective-Agency-Peg-Herring/dp/1905091702/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324900613&sr=1-1 ($11.32 or $3.99) SEQUEL, DEAD FOR THE MONEY, is due out in the spring, just finished the final edit!

***SHAKESPEARE'S BLOOD is available for Kindle and Nook.
http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Blood-ebook/dp/B0053GCTLE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324900297&sr=8-1 ($2.99)

***SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH is on Kindle but not available for Nook until March.
http://tinyurl.com/88eph4s (Currently on sale at 99 cents)

Crazy, isn't it?

Why? It boils down to decisions that are usually out of my hands. Some publishers market primarily to libraries, so they create sturdy (expensive) books. Some market mostly or completely on the Net. Some do both.

It seems the most available book format is e-books, and Amazon leads the pack with 70% of sales. When a publisher decides on a direction, I'm pretty sure that has a huge impact. So when you ask me how many of my books you can get, the answer will vary. It depends on how you're going to get them!

If you missed one or want to know what a particular book is about, I've just redone my website, http://pegherring.com, and all the info is there. (It's wonderful, and I can say that because I didn't do it!)

Somebody Doesn't Like Sarah Leigh

2011-12-19T03:54:00.000-08:00

My cozy mystery, SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH, is available forKindle and will come in other formats in the spring of 2012. Set in northernLower Michigan, it’s an intriguing mystery and more than that. It's also aboutwhat can happen to friendships between women.

We've all seen movies and read books about those lifelong, girl-to-womanrelationships, and they are wonderful. But what we often don't consider is thatsome of those friendships go wrong over time. It's hard to say which ones will,but when a friendship dies, it's usually because one, the other, or both of thepeople in it changed.

We admit that it happens in marriages. We say, "They grew apart." Ithappens in friendships, too, and if the two parties are lucky, they only growapart. What happens in this story is worse than that.

Carolyn and Sarah have been friends since childhood, but in recent years,things changed. Sarah became cold and distant, even hostile. Hurt, Carolynbacks away, unaware of what she’s done wrong. Their rift becomes public whenSarah betrays Carolyn in a way she would never have imagined. Now more angrythan hurt, Carolyn confronts Sarah, much to the town’s surprise and...well,delight, at least for the gossips.

When Sarah disappears, Carolyn is suspected of drowning her. And when the people responsible for what happened to Sarah comeafter Carolyn, things go from embarrassing to life-threatening, all because shewas once the best friend of the saintly Sarah Leigh.

Get it for 99 cents! Such a deal!
http://www.amazon.com/Somebody-Doesnt-Sarah-Leigh-ebook/dp/B006LLOAJO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324295723&sr=8-1

A Little Silliness Is Good for You!

2011-12-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

(With apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan)

I've Got a Little List

Ifever it should happen that a victim must be found,

I’vegot a little list—I’ve got a little list

Of society’soffenders who might well be underground,

Andthey never would be missed. They never would be missed.

Thereare people who are famous although no one knows the whys;

Reportersstill spout every detail of their petty lives.

Andfolks who will do anything to get some camera time,

Likeeating bugs or climbing walls or swimmin’ cross the Rhine.

Orthose who let the world watch as they’re glad or sad or pissed.

I’vegot ’em on the list. I’ve got ’em on the list.

Thereare those who dance who shouldn’t or who trill when they can’t sing.

I’veput them on my list. I’ve got ’em on the list.

Andyou may have the judges, too. There’s not one worth a thing.

Theynever would be missed. I’m sure they won’t be missed.

Allathletes who are fakers, and the ones who cry and whine

Ifthey don’t get the ball or seven figures—(make that nine!)

Andrappers who think rape and death is for poetic bliss,

Idon’t think they’ll be missed. Just give them all a miss.

There’sthe politician subset who can’t solve a single thing.

I’vegot ’em on the list. I’ve put ’em on the list.

Theirmost effective tactic is the lying mud they sling.

Idon’t think they’d be missed. I’m sure they’d not be missed.

There’sreporters who push microphones at grieving mothers’ heads,

Andask them how they feel now that their children are all dead.

Andfolks who saw the twister or the drive-by at the school

Whogladly tell the story--breaking every English rule.

Andanchors whose pronunciation does not get the gist.

Idon’t think they’ll be missed. They’d none of them be missed.

Youmay put ’em on the list. You may put ’em on the list,

Forthey’ll none of them be missed. They’ll none of them be missed!

What Readers Really Want

2011-12-05T03:32:00.001-08:00

Something familiar. But different
Something comforting. But edgy.
Something deep. But attainable.
Something entertaining. But...you get the idea.

The Winner--and Another Shot for You

2011-11-28T03:42:00.001-08:00

The winner of my Gratitude Giveaway Hop gift certificate is Jennifer. I was overwhelmed at the number of people who stopped by, and I'll definitely participate again in the hops. What a great idea, Kathy! If you want to see how organized this woman is, look at http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/.

Now. If you didn't win that one, here's another chance for a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate. I'm looking forward to January, when my next mystery, SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH, will release as an e-book. A fan wrote to say what a clever title I'd chosen, which was nice, because my editor and a couple of other people who've seen it didn't get the allusion at first. I think it has to do with age. If you read the title and a certain commercial jingle doesn't pop into your head, you're too young.

Anyway, it gave me the idea for this week's contest. Give us the cleverest book/movie title you can think of. Maybe it's intriguing, maybe it's funny, maybe it's darkly ominous or brightly promising. You can explain your choice in one sentence if you like, but you don't have to. "Experts" on this end--me and a couple of friends--will decide next Monday which is most deserving of the prize.

The Promised Poem

2011-11-21T07:00:00.001-08:00

The Mystery Reader’s Lament

There’s laundry that’s wet in the washer; it finished an hour ago.

But Kinsey has put on her little black dress, so my housekeeping’s bound to be slow.

You can’t beat a tough country lawman, and Walt Longmire’s been through a lot.

I guess I won’t get to the Macy’s Day Sale, ’cause poor Walt is about to get shot!

My doctor expects me this morning, and the roadways are slushy with snow,

But Reacher is in such a terrible mess! How he gets out—I just have to know.

I can’t be a brilliant forensic, a Gil or a Kay or a Bones,

But I can encourage their efforts (and even their lesser-known clones).

My family and friends sometimes chide me. I don’t get a lot done, it’s true.

Just blame all those authors who write crime so well: I’ve got too much reading to do!

Peg Herring, 2011

Read My Post--Win a Book

2011-11-20T12:59:00.001-08:00

I'm guesting at Suzanne Adair's blog--http://suzanneadair.typepad.com/blog/2011/11/a-tudor-thanksgiving.html#comments--The topic is Thanksgiving or its equivalent in historical authors' area of expertise.Make a comment Sunday or Monday and enter to win a free copy of HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER.

Day Last: The Party's Over

2011-11-19T02:11:00.001-08:00

As the Church Lady would say, Isn't that interesting!In order to make my life even more exciting during the week of a booklaunch, getting ready for a workshop today, having the family home for avisit, and monitoring this Blog Party, the Internet disappeared frommy home for approximately 24 hours.This is not something to be taken lightly.We did live through it, but it was kinda like being thrown into the Dark Ages.Conversations just stop. "When did the Tigers trade Magglio?""I don't know I'll look it--" Stop."How do you make monkey bread, anyway?""Let's do a Goo--" Stop."Is it gonna snow tomorrow?""I think they said--" Stop.How quickly we become dependent on those little boxes! Anyway, the Internet break healed overnight, so here's our status:Roger's name was drawn for the last Amazon gift certificate.Laura gets the prize for the best comment on Thursday. Friday was a bust,so we'll save that last question for another time.Here's where I thank you all for coming to my party. I consider POISON, YOURGRACE to be well and truly launched. I think the blog party's a greatidea, and I plan to make some tweaks and do it again now that I knowhow it rolls.For the authors who participated: my goal in the next few weeks (maybe months--there were quite a few) is to post an Amazon review of one of your books.For the readers, I've written a poem you might enjoy because it expresses thestresses of being a mystery reader. However, since guests are sleeping in the vicinity of my office, I can't post it until tomorrow. So come back one more time if you'd like a copyfor your wall (or your dartboard)!

Day Six: Never Rains but It Pours

2011-11-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

If you're here for the Gratitude Giveaway Hop, the post is found in the archive list, below on the left hand side. We're in the middle of a party (which you are welcome to join) or you can scroll down to the GG Hop post and sign up for your gift. Sorry for any confusion, but I'm so glad you stopped in! As long as you're here, you can meet several other authors who are "partying" with me and mentioning their latest releases, so ENJOY!

Partiers' Update:
The author copies of POISON, YOUR GRACE showed up yesterday afternoon. Winner was Brenda from MS, who guessed November 16.
Winner of the draw for yesterday is Kay. Congratulations!
Best post of the day was tough-they were all good, but I like Laura's sending a modern teen back to Little House days. Better than when the Hiltons spent time on that farm or whatever it was they did!

Today's question is introspective, which works well for a Thursday, I think.
Choose one and give us the short version of why:

a) You can become wildly famous and receive several awards for one book but can never write another.
b) You can make a ton of money but must stick to one series.
c) You can keep writing whatever you like, but you will never be rich or famous.

Peg's answer: I would have to go with c), although it's hard to say what I would do if that ton of money was
waved in front of me. Better authors than I have succumbed to the crank-out-another-one mill.

Gratitude Giveaway

2011-11-17T00:01:00.001-08:00

Welcome, New Visitors!
As part of the Gratitude Hop (http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hops.html), I'm giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate to one person who comments on this blog over the week of the Hop.

If you don't know, the Gratitude Hop allows visitors to "hop" from one blog to another where authors are giving away prizes for a specified period of time. You use the link above to find them and sign up for as many as you can manage!

What I'm particularly grateful for this year is being a "real" author. Ten years ago, I was teaching school (and loving it) but the desire to be an author just grew and grew. I told my husband about it and he said "Go for it, if that's what you really want." (Another reason to be grateful: an understanding spouse.)
It took a lot of work, some tears, and some refiguring of goals (I thought I'd give it two years but it actually took six.) BUT--I have six books out as of yesterday, and they've been very well received by critics and readers alike. My publishers, Five Star and LL-Publishing, are conscientious and helpful, so I've got support and gentle guidance that makes my work the best it can be.
So I'm celebrating the release of POISON, YOUR GRACE, the second in my Simon & Elizabeth (Tudor) mysteries on November 16th, enjoying the thrill of having people tell me they like my books, and remembering to be grateful--I could still be teaching comma rules to sophomores (not that there's anything wrong with that!).
Learn more about me at http://pegherring.com/

Day Five: Time Travel

2011-11-16T03:36:00.000-08:00

Important business first: Yesterday's draw winner was Gerri! Congratulations!
And the clever comment choice is Kay, because she's right about V.C. Andrews. It's quite an accomplishment to write books when you're dead.

Today's question: Consider moving one of your important characters to another time period. What would be his/her advantages and disadvantages there? (You can have two sentences here, one for each.)
Peg's anwer: Elizabeth would be a great modern businesswoman, having both the intelligence and the nerve to stage takeovers, risk capital, and lead stockholders into bold new ventures. She would not deal with the paparazzi well, though, since she is not good at holding her temper or suffering fools.

No sign of books yet. Sorry Barb, Nancy, and Penny!
Again, if Blogger won't let you comment, email me at pherring@m33access.com and I'll post for you. It isn't nice to me, either, but I can get in.

Party On!

Day Four: A Deadly Question

2011-11-15T03:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Party! A few snags, but what party doesn't have an uninvited troublemaker? We're celebrating the release of POISON, YOUR GRACE, so here goes.

Yesterday's winner of the draw for an Amazon gift certificate is Laura. Congratulations!

Haven't seen any books yet, so everyone's guess on the delivery date is still good!

Commenting is a bit of a problem for some, and I apologize. Feel free to email me the comment and I'll enter you in the drawing, post your wisdom for the world, and give you credit. pherring@m33access.com

Today's question is NOT morbid, honestly. It's just for creative speculation.

If you could not be the wonderful "you" you are and you had to instead be a dead author, which one would you choose and why?

Peg's anwer: (Gee, Peg, you ask really tough questions!) I probably should say Shakespeare, because I love his plays so much, but as a novelist I would choose Thomas Hardy because I love his characterization, grasp of setting and human frailty, and subtle humor, and I've come to share his world view more and more over time.

http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Grace-Five-Mystery/dp/1432825364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321354506&sr=1-1

This is London Bridge as it was. It will play a large part in Book #3 of the Simon & Elizabeth series, my WIP.

Blog Party Day Three: What Do They Think of You?

2011-11-14T03:02:00.000-08:00

Winner of the drawing for an Amazon gift certificate for yesterday's comments is Wendy. Congratulations!

The most impressive post was Lois', which was a big, fat lie and therefore wonderful fiction.

Today's question:

Q: If your protagonist read your book, what would he/she have to say about it?

A: (my response) Simon would feel that I gave him too much credit because he made mistakes that might have cost Elizabeth Tudor her life. POISON, YOUR GRACE http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Grace-Five-Mystery/dp/1432825364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320842708&sr=1-1

Remember: ONE SENTENCE and a link to your latest book!

Also, no sign of my author copies yet, so there's still time to guess the date and time they will arrive. Release date is Nov. 16. The closest guess wins an autographed copy.

Here's Barbara Graham (right) with Luci Zahray (aka The Poison Lady) at Malice (I think).

And finally, thanks to all the people who've been publicizing this Blog Party. When you have one, be sure to invite me! And be sure to return every day until Saturday for another question!

Blog Party: Day Two

2011-11-13T02:25:00.000-08:00

Day one was great, and here's the tally.
Winner of the drawing for the Day One Amazon gift certificate (drawn from my faithful U of M hat. Did you see those boys yesterday? Yay!) is Liz.
I loved everyone's answers and noted a LOT of food mentioned, especially chocolate. Oddly enough, Liz also gets tagged for the best answer, possibly because I recognized that feeling of guilt as one drags around papers that must be graded.

Note to non-authors: you are welcome to comment, even if the questions are designed for writers. You DO want to qualify for the Amazon gift certificate, so think of something to say! Also, I'll keep track of your guesses on what day my books will arrive until they get here, but please give a day and a time, so we can narrow down the field to one winner when it happens.

So here's today's question: When you are at work on a typical writing day, where will you be and what will you be wearing? Remember ONE SENTENCE, and add a link to your book for anyone who's looking to buy today!

Peg's answer: Since I write historicals, I wear an authentically antique green housecoat with lots of pulls around the bottom (the result of cat affection) when I trudge upstairs to my office at about six a.m. to start work.

POISON, YOUR GRACE http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Grace-Five-Mystery/dp/1432825364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321179546&sr=1-1

Blog Party: Day One

2011-11-12T03:32:00.000-08:00

Welcome to My Party!
The idea is for writers to answer a question in ONE sentence. They can then add a link to their current book (I start it off below to demonstrate). We'll continue with a new question each day until November 19th.

For attending the party, which celebrates the release on Nov. 16th of POISON, YOUR GRACE, the second of my Simon & Elizabeth mysteries, you can win in several ways.
1) All comments, whether author, reader, or some other form of life we don't understand, are entered in a daily drawing for a $10 Amazon gift certificate.
2) If you'd like to guess when my author copies will arrive at my home, give a date and time. (Again, release date is 11/16/11, and I haven't got them as of 11/12/11, so who knows?) Closest to the actual time I take delivery wins an autographed copy of the book.
3) Authors, I'm going to recognize the cleverest responses in a variety of categories: humor, uniqueness, creativity, and universality (that's the one that makes all the other authors say, "Oh, so true!" I'd like comments on which readers think are the best ones, but it's my blog, so I'm the final judge. ;)

So here's today's question:
What five things would your protagonist carry with him/her on a typical day, and where would those things be?
Simon carries an apothecary bag that, along with medicines like fox grease and toiletries like powdered rabbit head, often has elements of disguise like a wig, gobs of wax, and a cap to cover his hair.

POISON, YOUR GRACE: http://www.amazon.com/Poison-Your-Grace-Five-Mystery/dp/1432825364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321096987&sr=1-1

Blog Party!

2011-11-11T03:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday, Nov. 12, and every day until Nov. 19th, I'm having a party on my blog.
Visitors will meet a bunch of author/friends who will answer (hopefully with
wit and humor) questions about themselves and their work in ONE sentence.

Everyone is invited to visit and comment. Each day I will draw a name from the
list of people who comment, and that person will get an Amazon gift certificate.

The party celebrates Five Star's release of POISON, YOUR GRACE, the second
of my Simon & Elizabeth mysteries, on Nov. 16th. So visit, meet some great
authors, and help me celebrate. (P.S. According to LIBRARY JOURNAL,
"this historical shines," so you might want to pre-order a copy of
POISON, YOUR GRACE on Amazon!)

It's all right here at http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com/

Being in Two Places at Once

2011-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

Today I'm guesting in two different places--oh, the wonders of the Internet!

This double-blogging is accidental but fun. At Dames of Dialogue, I post about women

(dare I say "dames"?) in the Tudor Era. You can see that one at

http://wp.me/ptCd3-1F4

On the Perfect Romance blog, http://perfect-romance.com/ I tackle a subject dear to

my heart: Did Shakespeare Write Shakespeare? (Short answer--YES.)

Take a look. Both blogs offer lots to readers, and I thank my hosts for providing

opportunities to authors.

The Problem with Mystery Writers

2011-10-31T05:47:00.000-07:00

That's easy: there are too darned many of us.
I just returned from Magna Cum Murder, which is a small con. Attending cons, while a lot of fun, always underscores how many people are out there writing mysteries--and a lot of them a pretty good at it.
One man at an informal discussion said it out loud, "I know I'm as good as a lot of the best-selling authors, but I just can't get recognized."
It's true.
You get good--even great--reviews. You get nominated for awards. You splash your book covers all over the Internet, the local bookstore, wherever. People tell you how much they loved the latest book.
But there are hundreds of authors with similar stories.
Now, some fudge a little, saying they're "best-selling" authors when they mean that one day they hit the top ten of a very tiny slice of the Amazon pie. From what I hear, you can manipulate your subgenre to the point that you are in the top sellers for that subgenre because there might only be a few dozen books listed. There are other ways to do that, too. For example, I could call myself a best-selling author because for one week in the summer of 2010, my local bookstore sold more of my historical mysteries than any other. They posted that on their site, so I could...well, you get the idea.
Anyway, the trouble with being a mystery writer is that most of us are cognizant of the fact that there are lots of similar books written by lots of similar writers. It's hard if you have any sort of modesty to scream that your books are the best ever.
That doesn't keep some from doing it.
For most of us, the hard-sell just isn't a comfortable way to go. We might feel--maybe know--that we're as good as most, better than some, but that just isn't going to get much attention. Modesty is a wonderful human characteristic. For an author, it is probably a predictor of anonymity.

I Solve the Nation's Problems

2011-10-24T03:37:00.000-07:00

War, hunger, disease, invaders, and corruption. You’ve heard a plethora of proposals to end these scourges, but we know in our hearts that none of them will work. The plans we hear about come too late, offer too little, or are just plain dumb.

I have a solution that will work. Guaranteed. Here it is.

I propose that every household in the United States designate a sacrifice: a member they will give up for the good of the nation. Maybe you’ve got a kid who just isn’t working out like you hoped. Maybe your mother-in-law has been living with you for three years now and everybody’s pretty sick of having her around. Maybe your spouse has gotten expensive what with knee replacements and prescription Viagra.

There could be any number of reasons for your choice, but make one—let’s say by April 15th. Within three months, the designated sacrifice will cease to exist. Note: You won’t have to watch. Someday he’ll leave home and never come back, or you’ll go out for a gallon of milk and find her gone when you return.
This plan is fair, effective, even (sorta) Biblical. If it isn’t American, maybe it should be.

If you’re thinking it sounds harsh, give me a moment. Here are the advantages.

*The population will drop drastically, lessening strain on budgets, housing, medical care, etc.

*The old, sick, and incompetent will likely be most often chosen, so health care costs will plummet.

*For all you homophobes, the gay population will be reduced by almost 50%, since they’re mostly households of two.

*Jobs will be created. Somebody’s got to do the actual work of this plan, which will involve list-making, phone calls and record-keeping, and, of course, the wet work. Again, we’ve got plenty of people qualified for those jobs—in the government and in prison. (Another advantage: less jail crowding and a chance at fulfilling work for those less than completely socialized).

The details:
If you have a relative outside your home whose removal would benefit the nation, (ex-spouse, street bum, prison inmate, or college student) you can designate him or her by providing five (5) supporting testimonials. We will hunt him/her up--maybe "down" is a better term--and make that person your sacrifice. You’ll still be making a contribution, and we appreciate that.

Illegal aliens could be offered a deal: if they give up TWO household members, they can stay. That way we still have enough workers for all those jobs we don’t want, but not as many scary foreigners as before.

Incentives could be given to rid the nation of wrong-doers. If a family gives up a member with a rap sheet, they get—oh, maybe one of those foreclosed homes the banks are all stuck with.
If a family simply can’t make the choice for themselves, a neighborhood poll could be taken. That teenager who drives by your house full speed or the guy who borrows your tools and never returns them could be history.

So there it is. If it seems heartless, consider this. How much worse is it to let people go on with no jobs, no medical care, no homes, and no politician anywhere who can figure out how to help? My way is quick, and admit it—unless you’re the one chosen, you won’t be losing much. Everyone has a relative who just takes up space or even pollutes the space around him or her. We need group sanction, permission from society to say: “This is where it ends.” It’s kind of like that TV show "Intervention" but with permanent results.

And just so you know, this plan can be re-instituted as needed if things start to go awry again. History shows us that it often takes more than one purge to really set things right again. ;)

Like An Author? Help Her Out!

2011-10-17T04:16:00.000-07:00

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. If you like an author, there are three very important things you can do that don't cost you a penny. The world of publishing is flooded these days with lots of authors, some great, some good, and some who should be slapped for putting their garbage on public display.
Because of that, authors need help from their fans. It doesn't take much, and it doesn't take long. Here's what you can do.
Thing #1-Contact your library and tell them about the book. Libraries need input into what readers want to read, and they, too, struggle to wade through the thousands of books that come out each month. They use reviews and public input, so you can be that input. Talk to the acquisitions librarian and tell him/her why you think an author or book is a good buy for them. It helps to have specific info like the ISBN, the publisher, and the correct name of the author (all available on the author's website, for sure). Some libraries have a form you can fill out to do this.
Thing #2-Write a review and post it on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. A lot of people don't feel qualified to do this, but come on. If you can read, you can tell other people why you chose a certain book and how you felt when you finished it. You don't have to comment on the underlying theme or do character analysis. Amazon reviews can be as tiny as 20 words--how hard can it be?
Thing #3-"Like" your author wherever you can: Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, etc. Honestly, I'm not sure how, but it moves their info upward in the hierarchy so others are more likely to see it. I have several friends on FB who repost my stuff so their friends who aren't my friends (yet) see it.
Things like these help an up-and-coming author a lot. Actually it helps any author, so go ahead and "like" Lee Child if you must, but consider "liking" us lesser known types as well. We're the ones that need the exposure.
And thank you for your support.

Guest Post: Donna Fletcher Crow--Those Valiant Victorians

2011-10-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Today I welcome Donna Fletcher Crow to my blog. She makes an interesting case for the Victorians, even though I'm a Tudor girl myself! Thanks for visiting, Donna!

Those Valiant Victorians

I love history. Especially English history. All periods of it. But I have always had a special fondness for the Victorians. It’s easy to look back on just about any period of history as being a simpler time in which to live than our own. (I do love my rose-colored glasses!) But it at least sometimes seems refreshing to think of dealing with different problems, if not necessarily simpler ones. (And, no, I don’t want to talk about the Black Death.)
In defense of my partiality, however, I’ll point out, along with the inestimable Wikipedia, that the Victorian Era comprised almost 64 years of “peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence.” The thing I find most endearing about the Victorians, however, was their energy and, in keeping with the aforementioned self-confidence, the belief that they could do anything and fix anything.
It wasn’t that their period was without problems. One need only point to urban poverty, child labour, conditions in mines, factories, prisons. . . Almost all a result of the practically overnight turn from being an agrarian culture to industrialization— certainly as major a turning point in human history, if not bigger, than our own technological revolution. Unprecedented economic and population growth, changes in farming, mining and manufacturing methods sent people flooding into the cities with all the accompanying social problems.
Problems for which many people blame the Victorians, but I rise to their defense and point out that, yes, these things did get out of hand, but as soon as the energetic, confident Victorians became aware of the problems, they set out to correct them, largely because they saw it as their Christian duty.
This is the world of my Lord Danvers Mysteries. As a mystery writer, I have a special interest in crimes of the period and so in each book in the series my amateur sleuths Charles, Lord Danvers, and the lovely Lady Antonia, find themselves embroiled in two mysteries, one a true crime as well as one of my own devising which I have wrapped around the historical facts.
In A Most Inconvenient Death, the first in the series, Charles, Charles Danvers, still in mourning for his lost love Charlotte, hopes to find escape from his ghosts at the country estate of his oldest friend Sir John Boileau. The events surrounding the coming of age of Sir John’s son and heir have much of Norfolk astir— until the peace of an autumn evening is shattered by a brutal murder.
The police are quick to point to a quarrelsome farmer but Lord Danvers has his doubts. As the local magistrate, Sir John has an interest in the investigation. But is the real connection much closer to home? And does Danvers owe the greater loyalty to an old friend or to the truth?
Then Danvers is even more unsettled by the entrance of the alluring Lady Antonia Hoover.
The Stanfield Hall Murders were the sensation they are portrayed to be, the elaborate coming of age celebrations and the ensuing dramatic trial are all recorded history. Lady Antonia, Lord Danvers, his irrepressible man Hardy and their pioneering aeronautical adventures are my contribution.
Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 36 books, mostly novels dealing with British history.

The Lord Danvers Mysteries feature historical Victorian crimes within fictional stories. A MOST INCONVENIENT DEATH is set on a country estate in Norfolk, GRAVE MATTERS begins with the opening of the Crystal Palace in London before Charles and Antonia fly off to Scotland in his aerostat for their honeymoon. TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN finds the couple in Canterbury where Antonia has complications enough battling with the dark secret she has kept from her husband even before she becomes embroiled in a grisly murder.o see more about The Lord Danvers series and Donna’s other books as well as pictures from her garden and research trips go to: www.DonnaFletcherCrow.com.

Her blog is at: http://www.donnafletchercrow.com/articles.php

and you can follow her on Facebook at: http://ning.it/eLjgYp

Recognition...and None

2011-09-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

When my first book came out, some years ago, it was like someone dropped a pebble in Lake Michigan. My friends and acquaintances were thrilled, so locally, there were ripples. The larger world barely noticed.
My second book, the first Simon & Elizabeth mystery, got more attention: good reviews from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, LIBRARY JOURNAL, BOOKLIST, etc.
The third book also got good reviews, and people (very few, but still) started saying, "I've heard of you" when I went to book events.
Now that the second Simon & Elizabeth mystery is set to appear, buzz is good, and reviewers write in terms of not just a good book, but a good series. And THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY just made the top three finalists in EPIC's competition for best mystery of the year.
So what does that mean?
For one thing, it's scary. Other writers have told me that a successful book puts pressure on an author: the next one has to be just as good, maybe better, to satisfy fans. I feel that pressure too.
On the other hand, it's rewarding. Good writers work really hard to make their books as exciting, correct, engaging, and believable as they can, and it's great when someone recognizes that. It isn't the prizes, not really. We all know that no book is the BEST of any given year. There are a lot of good books released every year, every month. What's great is having someone acknowledge that I worked really hard and was successful in creating something readers enjoy. And it isn't really that one book; it's all the writing done up to that point. In a way, that first book is as responsible for my current success as any of those in between, because getting a publication contract was the first step, the one that let me think, "Maybe I really can do this." The next few books establish a person as more than a one-book wonder, and if that person is lucky, the day comes when someone says, "This book is pretty darned good. We might consider giving it an award."
So it's great to be recognized. But as any real writer will tell you, we'd be doing this anyway. For those who love writing, recognition is gravy on the meat of story-telling, a nice addition, but not the meal.

BoucherCon 2011

2011-09-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

If you missed my Monday post yesterday, it's a Tuesday post today. I was in transit from BoucherCon to home, and I just couldn't fit any more in.
Today is catch-up day, but I had to say here how much fun Bcon was, even though I often feel like a small fish in a big pond at such events. Rubbing elbows with the greats of our field, meeting lots of fans, and talking, talking, talking about books is a great way to take a break from real life and at the same time learn what is real in writing and publishing.
The conference was well done. The MWA Breakfast hosted by the Midwest chapter was great, thanks in large part to our president, Tony Perona. (I know he had help, but the boss gets the biggest headaches.)
I got to spend time with friends I'd met before: Luci Zahray (the Poison Lady); P.J. Coldren, reviewer; Donna White Glaser, author. I also met some interesting new people: a judge who loves reading mysteries, a woman who's turning her love of mystery into a review blog, and a lot of librarians out combing the titles for what their readers will want.
It was great. I'm tired, but more than ever aware that this is what I love.

Why I Love Fictional Mystery

2011-09-12T04:28:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, along with practically everyone else in the U.S., I read HELTER SKELTER. It was absolutely fascinating, and I never read another true crime book.
My friends sometimes tease me about how easily I dispatch people in my stories, but that's the point: they're book people, not real people. Despite their omnipresence these days, I avoid news stories that promise in-depth coverage of gruesome crimes and vicious criminals. That's real. Someone got hurt. Someone isn't right in the head. I don't want to know any more about it.
But in a novel, I'm fine with killing off one or two people, maybe more. It's part of a guided tour for the reader, a plan for his or her enjoyment. For a few hours we pit our minds against the detective's and see if we, too, can figure out who and why. As the writer, I have to really pay attention, because it's my responsibility to make it exciting and to make everything work out in the end.
Maybe that's the problem for me with reading true crime. I can't make it work out, can't stop the killing and the residual pain for family and friends. But in my books, justice will triumph and we will know it all. In that, fiction tops real life every time.

What in the World Are You Wearing?

2011-09-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

The other day in Wal-Mart we saw a guy who'd decided, for no reason I can imagine, to tie a colorful bandana around his leg, just below where his shorts ended. Unless he was recreating some war-time image, maybe the spirit of MaryJane in '67, I didn't get it.
I am all in favor of accessories, but I can't get into scarves. I have tried wearing them, and I always feel like I've got this extraneous piece that needs to be removed, like I'm wearing a coat in the house. Others I see wearing billowy, nubby, silky, or even fringed scarves look classy and sophisticated. When I try it, I just look uncomfortable. (This isn't just a feeling; the few times I've tried it, people tell me I look that way.)
Pyschological? Probably. But it doesn't change the fact that when a person feels odd, she is likely to act oddly. The end does not justify the effort.
So back to the guy at Wal-Mart. Yeah, it looked weird to me, but at least he isn't hung up on some image of himself that can't move forward with the times. He's out there, experimenting.
Or maybe he's just out there.

Hackneyed Plots and Not So Much

2011-08-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

They say there are only twenty or so. Plots can be boiled down to certain themes: coming of age, finding love, restoring justice, etc. The devil, as they say, is in the details.
Mysteries tend to be about restoring--or at least seeking--justice, so the reasons we choose and read certain mysteries will often relate to subthemes. Many like mysteries where they learn about a job, a craft, a way of life. I like some of that, too, but I also want some creativity in the way the protag looks for justice.
I just finished a book that was okay. There was a subtheme about a certain job/lifestyle, and there was lots of interesting info about how people operate in that setting. The mystery, however, was so trite as to be irritating, and the human interest part of the story so predictable that I was thinking, "Okay, in this chapter she's going to fight with her boyfriend again, so I'll just skip to the next one and get back to the story."
It's a problem with genre fiction, and the reason I seldom read romances. The reader knows how the story goes as well as the writer, so there isn't any tension.
On the other hand, there are mysteries (and romances, too) that break the mold and make the old search-for-justice theme new and interesting. Finished with (mostly skimming) the book mentioned above, I began a new book where I was pulled into the story right away. I don't know what's going to happen, but I want to know, because I care about the characters and the author has skillfully led me into their lives. I'm liking it a lot, though I'm only about ten chapters in.
You want to know what it is, don't you? It's called AN UNCERTAIN REFUGE by Carolyn Rose.
Now, I might come back next week and tell you I was disappointed in the ending--don't know, haven't got there yet. But I really won't mind, because I'm getting my money's worth along the way. Plots are indeed limited to certain themes, but a good author takes that theme and makes a worthwhile story of it.
And that's what I'm talking about!

Mysteries Are Junk

2011-08-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

That got your attention, didn't it? We mystery readers love our mysteries. We have our favorite authors and wait excitedly for their next book (Yes, I preordered Lee Child's next Reacher novel.) We discuss the plots, characters, et cetera over lunch, by Internet, and at mystery cons (Can't wait for B-con in less than a month!) And we devour them one after another, eyeing the next one in the TBR pile as we finish the current one.
But we know they're junk. Throwaways of the literary world. Genre fiction. Passing fancies. Light reading. Something to pass the time.
Think about older mysteries. They become charming reflections of worlds past, but most of us don't read them anymore. Yes, we recognize that Christie and Sayers and Chandler were groundbreakers, but life has passed them by. They're quaint. Out-dated. There's not a CSI in sight.
Even with mysteries of only a few years ago, problems arise. I was re-reading a MS I wrote in early 2011 and realized that technology has already passed it by. The guy is lugging around a laptop so he can connect to the Internet. Yeah, right.
Themes change, too. What was spooky becomes blase, and what was groundbreaking becomes boring. We're told that vampires are out, now (thank goodness) and mermaids are in (WHAT?). Many writers rush off to chase the current trend, but sooner or later, all the crafts will be covered, all the possible serial killer scenarios will be explored, all the life-problems possible for the protagonist will be examined.
So mysteries, at least the vast majority of them, are trash. They will be tossed into landfills, left unread on library shelves, and inherited in dusty cardboard boxes by heirs who try earnestly to give them to someone, anyone. They're so much alike that we can't recall if we read this one or not, so we put a little mark somewhere inside or list it on Goodreads or try some other way to prevent wasting money re-buying an already read book. (E-readers help us keep track: a bonus for technology.) Most of us will admit that even the books of authors we like become a muddle in our heads, and we play the "Seinfeld" game with each other: "It's the one where Betty has to confront the fears of her childhood when Archibald sends her to the Caribbean to look for pirate treasure."
Oh, yes. I did read that one. Wasn't it great?
What does endure in mystery, as in any genre, is quality writing, the capturing of human interaction at its worst and best. All the clever plot devices and eccentric characters in the world can't replace the drama of man versus man (or human versus human if you prefer). Fifty or a hundred years from now, if people are captivated by any of today's mysteries, it might be to get a glimpse of our times, to chuckle at the primitve methods of crime-solving or the antiquated trappings. But if the writing is excellent, if the struggle for good is presented believably and compellingly, then that mystery will not be junk. That mystery will be a classic.

I'll Make You Famous

2011-08-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

I loved that line in YOUNG GUNS, but for authors, it's not so easy. 150,000 books published each year, not to mention the gazillions already out there. How does a writer become famous?
"Write good books," you say. Ah, dear reader, that's a great answer, but it isn't enough. Nor is having a solid publisher, getting good reviews, having enthusiastic fans, or writing a series. All good answers, but not the answer. The world of books is contrary. There are terrible authors who sell millions of books, self-published authors who make tons of money, nasty reviews that actually spur sales, fans who have little effect, and series that start out well and go nowhere.
So how does one become famous? Here's my answer.
I don't. I stop worrying about it. I do what I love. I have fans who think my work is great. They buy enough books to make my publishers happy. I remind myself that Billy the Kid's offer to make someone famous meant killing him. Steig Larsen notwithstanding, I'd rather be writing than that kind of famous.

The "It" Author

2011-08-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean Stephen King, at least not specifically. "It" authors are like the "It Girl" of bygone days-the star that has a quality we can't really define. People just say the person has got "it".
I just finished a book by Tim Hallinan, and I'm pretty sure he's got "it". I didn't like the characters much, not even the protagonist. They're into a world I find distasteful, and they make some really bad choices, to use psycho-speak. There might even have been holes in the plot. However, I read right up to the end, because Hallinan has "it", that vague quality that makes a reader, once she's started, want to read on.
Of course, not everyone likes every author's work. The above-mentioned Stephen King definitely has "it" (pun intended) but not for me. Other authors that readers rave about leave me less than thrilled, too. At the same time, I respond to authors that make my friends look at me funny. ("You LIKE that stuff?")
I recognize personal differences of opinion on what is good reading. Still, there is an "it" quality to the best books that attracts readers and makes them run around telling other people how great an author is. "It" makes fans wait breathlessly for an author's next book and makes them a little sad when they finally get it and finish too quickly, so there's a year to wait for another.
I'm pleased when people tell me that a book of mine grabbed them, kept them reading, and made them anxious for the next one. The best books have got "it", and the best authors seem to find "it" every time.

If You Like It, Tell Somebody!!!

2011-08-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers of Books, (any books)
As an author, I will give you a piece of inside advice. The best thing you can do for us if you like our work is TELL it! Two methods are really helpful.
First, you can tell the author herself, in person or online or whatever. (We'd even love a singing telegram if they still had those.) Every author wants to hear someone say, "I loved your book." It never gets old. Yesterday in church, two people said that to me, and I can't tell you how much it lifted my spirits. It's book #5, and some of my friends are starting to think it's old hat that I write mystery novels. But on a day when life is getting me down, on a day where the things stacking up in front of me are overwhelming and not-fun, those two people in church were golden. They didn't make a big deal out of it, just said, "I read the new book. It's really good." One added the often-heard, "When's the next one coming?"
The other thing readers can do, so valuable that it can't be measured, is tell others about a book they like. Word of mouth is better than anything a publicist can come up with. A former coworker liked THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, so she took it to her sister, who was recuperating from surgery. She liked it too and is going to present it to her local library and recommend that they look into my work. Another acquaintaince was disgusted that a local bookstore isn't carrying my books. She asked them why and said she'd come there specifically to buy one. See how those ripples move outward and get bigger?
Don't be shy about writing reviews on Amazon. They don't have to be scholarly or in-depth. A simple "I liked this book because..." is great. Readers unfamiliar with an author want to know that someone liked the book, and often another "plain old" reader has as much influence as a professional reviewer.
So when you like a book, say so. I'm going to take my own advice now and write to Michael Orenduff, whose book, THE POT THIEF WHO STUDIED PYTHAGORUS, is both well-written and fresh. I recommend it.

Is Reading Really Fundamental to Growing as a Writer?

2011-07-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Guest Blogger Joanne Troppello! Here's what Joanne has to say about reading as a writer. And take a look at her inspirational book, MR. SHIPLEY'S GOVERNESS, described below.

I have always loved to read ever since I was a little girl when I first discovered books. Reading fueled my appetite to learn to write and the rest is history—well, almost. For a while I was focusing so much on writing my current WIP’s that I didn’t read any new books for over six months. Of course, that’s not beneficial to my writing and I finally realized that.

I recently started doing some book reviews and that has whet my appetite again to reading and why I love it so much. It’s also reminded me how much (as a writer) I need to read other books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Reading how other authors write is beneficial to sharpening your own writing skills. If you’re looking closely enough, you’ll see what works for other authors and what doesn’t. Your skills will be honed. That’s the point, right—we should always want to do what is necessary to sharpen our skillset and write better novels. At least that’s my goal.

I know with my first book, I did not know what I was doing other than basic grammar skills and that I really, really wanted to be an author. However, wanting to be a real author and truly being one—two totally different stories. Being a successful author takes hard work and determination and you always need to take the good with the bad. Are you able to handle constructive criticism from editors, publishers, book reviewers and even readers…without getting offended? It takes me time to process the criticism, but usually I can get a handle on it and use that to make my writing better.

Now that my second novel has been published and I’m working on my third and fourth, I’m excited that I’m still learning more on how to write better and get a truly polished novel that readers are waiting with bated breath to read. Starting to read other books again has truly assisted in that journey.

There are different levels of writing and I want to strive to make it to the highest level that I can write. Reading more books can open your mind to those different levels of writing skills and you can compare that to your own set of skills and figure out where you need to improve. Obviously, your end goal is not to copy another author’s work. That would be plagiarism and wrong! My point is that reading good, quality work can inspire you to see where your writing skills are lacking and open up your eyes to see where you can improve.
I recently received a Kindle and let’s just say that I LOVE it!! I never thought I would enjoy reading on an eReader since I was an advocate for print books, but after my mom got one (and she was more against the eReader than I was)…she convinced me that I would love it. I’ve only had the Kindle for a month and I’ve fallen in love—I’ve been kindle-fied!

So, just curious what other people think on the subject of eBooks vs. print books. Do you think print books will become obsolete? If you have an eReader, which kind and what do you like about it?

Bio: Joanne Troppello is an author of mystery and inspirational romance novels. Her second novel, Mr. Shipley’s Governess, was recently released by Wild Horse Press. She is at work on her next novel, a romantic suspense. She is married and loves spending time with her husband and family. Blog: http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/blog.html

Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoanneTroppello

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joanne.kerzmanntroppello
Book Blurb: MR. SHIPLEY'S GOVERNESS

Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents' deaths. Unable to live in their home any longer, she takes a job as a live-in tutor to Anastasia Shipley to remove herself from her painful memories and the feeling that God has abandoned her.

Anastasia has an illness that has prevented her from ever attending school and makes her father, Sebastian, over protective.

When Sophie first meets Sebastian, she cannot deny the intense attraction she feels toward him. When an unexpected romance begins between them, she starts to rebuild her relationship with God, with the help of a certain little girl.

Purchase Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mrshipley039sgoverness-481158-149.html

What Was I Thinking?

2011-07-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, my editor at LL asked when I might be finished with the second book of the Dead Detective series. After a pseudo-scientifi process, I told her June.
Wrong. Here's why.
First, I am an incurable optimist. I tell myself that I will write for four hours/day, five days/week. That never happens, of course. Life intervenes.
Second, creativity does not like being forced. Even if I could sit before my computer for four hours a day, five days a week, much of that time would be spent cursing an unmoving cursor.
Finally, I'm just a tad anal. I can't just write it and say, "There it is." I have to read it over and over, making it better. Then I have to get people I trust to give me feedback. Then I read it again. More than once.
So I started telling myself that July starts with the same two letters as June, and the editor might not notice. But July is fading fast, so it might be...well, it won't be January. I hope.
Maybe I should have told her from Day One that I am a cockeyed optimist.

Research, a Kind of Mini-Vacation

2011-07-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I traveled to the Mackinac Bridge this weekend. It's something we've seen lots of times before, but I found that as I reached the closing scenes of the second Dead Detective Mystery, I needed to look at the bridge with a new purpose. The book is already past the date that I gave my editor for submission, but I needed to answer some specific questions: can a person get from the water onto the bridge, would the bridge workers be aware of a pedestrian, and could she get up onto the bridge structure from the deck.
We examined the south end of the bridge carefully, taking notes from directly underneath, in the visitors' center, and from each side. We discussed how a climb could be made from the ground to the bridge deck. Then we drove across the bridge, as slowly as possible, much to the chagrin of others on the bridge. (There's no stopping, so we had to do what we could.) Now I'm guessing Homeland Security was aware of us by this time, but they probably concluded we were just another loony older couple, not a real threat.
I also needed to look at boats, so hubby took me to a marina when we got into the Upper Peninsula. Now we owned several boats in the past, but I was not really paying attention back then. I listened carefully as he told me the parts of several different boats, how the parts work, what they're used for, etc. As we talked, a man came along, looking at us rather oddly, and got onto the boat we were discussing. My clipboard and note-taking clearly made him nervous, so I explained what we were up to. His face lit like a candle, and he gladly told us all sorts of details. Later, we heard him telling other boaters that his vessel was going to be featured in a new mystery novel, DEAD FOR THE MONEY.
Research complete, we enjoyed our weekend in the U.P., wandering around Sault Ste. Marie as we talked over plot points and solved little knot-lets. Hubby seemed happy to be able to help, and I returned home with a new enthusiasm, ready to add details that will make the story resonate with readers.
I've already decided, however, that my next book will be set in Alaska, Italy, or maybe Australia. Somewhere I've always wanted to visit.

The Flag, Pie, and...Mystery Novels?

2011-07-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

I just finished three pies for our church ice cream social, held on the Fourth every year. I like making pies. They require a little expertise, they look pretty if they're done well, and they get you all sorts of compliments from people who hope you will make more.
On this Fourth, the pies reminded me of my novels. They, too, take some expertise, and I've worked many, many years, days, and hours to get to the point where I know that I will need to work many more years, days and hours. You never arrive as a writer, in my opinion: you just keep working at it.
Mysteries are pretty when well done, despite a few bloodstains here and there. With characters the reader can root for, a plot that is intriguing and not too obvious, and all the other literary elements considered and polished, a writer creates art.
And the compliments! Nothing makes a writer happier than to have a reader say, "When will there be more?"
I'm working on it. Have another piece of my pecan pie while you wait.

2011-06-27T04:21:00.000-07:00

Checking my email last evening, I learned that Martin Greenberg has died. He was a man I never met, knew nothing about, and would not have recognized if we'd passed on the street. But he had a huge influence on my career.

Greenberg was in charge of Tekno Books, which publishes for Five Star, where my first book appeared. That book led to others, which led to attention from reviewers, fans, and other publishers.

It's an odd business. I have never met anyone from Five Star, never met either of the agents I've had, never met most of the people I interact with everyday on-line. Yet we work for and with each other to stay alive in the business. We send each other breezy little notes and official-looking notifications. We call each other by our first names, because it's the way of the Net. Books are submitted, edited, formatted, and published by people I'll never see who only know what I look like from the photo at the end of the finished product.

It works, and because of people like Martin Greenberg, I'm a "real" author.
Thanks, Marty, and rest in peace.

Simon & Elizabeth Sleuth Again

2011-06-20T04:13:00.000-07:00

I got the ARCs (advance review copies) of POISON, YOUR GRACE recently. The ARC serves several purposes: it gives the author a last chance to check the book over before it goes to publication. It allows reviewers the chance to read the book and write their opinions before it goes on sale. It gives an author the chance to tease audiences a little by giving away a few copies of the as-yet-unfinished product.
And it makes me crazy.
Just kidding, but it seems the ARCs show up just when I'm at my busiest. SHAKESPEARE'S BLOOD has not been out for a month yet, so there's lots of promoting to do with that one. The sequel to THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY is supposed to be almost done and it's...not. And the fact that the second Simon and Elizabeth book is almost ready means that I should be well into the third one. I am. Sort of.
I am not complaining. I wrote for about five years without anyone in publishing taking any notice at all except to say "Not for us." I'm thrilled to have people waiting to see what happens to Simon, and I'm intrigued by what is happening in my other books.
Anyway, I do have two ARCs of POISON, YOUR GRACE to give away. Anyone who contacts me this week: blog, Facebook, email, website, whatever, and says he/she would like one will be entered in a drawing on Friday from my famous U of M hat.

Interviewed Today

2011-06-14T03:58:00.000-07:00

Sylvia Ramsey interviewed me for her blog today, and it was actually FUN! Here's the link:
http://wwwthouhtfulreflections.blogspot.com/2011/06/showcasing-new-novel-shakespeares-blood.html

Automatic Reading Versus Involved Reading

2011-06-13T04:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you feel like a rut; sometimes you don't.
There are books that are automatic. You know the characters, know how they're going to react. You know, generally, what situations they will encounter, and you know they will triumph in the end. Books of this type, when well done, are entertaining, and authors like Sue Grafton and Lee Child do well with them.

Non-automatic books take a different type of writing. The reader does not know what to expect, does not know what the characters will encounter or if they will triumph. I've just begun THE SAMURAI'S GARDEN, and it has that feel. Such books tend to be termed "literary fiction" while those above are termed "genre fiction".

I guess that's fair, but there's room for both types of writing in my life. Sometimes I want--maybe even need--to know that the story will end with the ends neatly tied up. (I didn't even mind when it seemed our hero was blown up in an underground explosion a few books back, because I knew he was going to be fine.) Sometimes, I want that edgy feeling of not knowing, of not reading the same old thing, and then I lean more to the literary side of fiction.

What I find I can no longer abide is bad writing on either side. Genre fiction that is so stereotypical or childishly drawn that it's an insult to my intelligence. Literary fiction that dresses nothing up in pretty words and expects everyone to admire it, like the Emperor's new clothes.

Writing, whatever level, whatever genre, whatever subject, has to be good writing. If a writer can entertain me with the same character doing similar things for a dozen books, good for him. If a different writer weaves a spell around me for the duration of a book, if he or she takes me deeper into the human condition, wonderful. There are a few who can do both, and those are the ones whose next book I await with anticipation. But I don't require all things of all authors. Just do what you do well, and I'll find a time when I'm in just the right mood to enjoy it.

What Exactly Is Printers Row?

2011-06-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's two things: a place and an event. Printers' Row is a section of Chicago (near Grant Park, if that helps) historically known for (surprise!) printers. Annually, there is a book festival here where they shut off the streets to traffic and set up rows of tents where booksellers of all kinds hawk their wares. I'm sure the police hate it, but readers don't. Thousands of people gathered in the HOT sun yesterday to see what's out there in the way of reading material.
And the answer is a lot. Everything from traditional publishers' releases to university press books to religious tracts to self-pubbed works. I am part of the Mystery Writers of America group, and we have a tent marked off with (what else?) crime scene tape. We take turns reading from our books as audiences wax and wane, survey and study, peruse and (hopefully) purchase. Between times, the authors present exchange ideas, complaints, and aspirations with the only people on the planet who really understand--other authors.
For me, Printers Row meant a long car trip, a lot of expense, traffic hassles, and some trepidation, since my "chauffeur" was in Canada fishing and I had to come by myself. Still, it is something to see, this Printers Row. It is gratifying to see so many people excited about a reading event, people who want to meet authors, look at new releases, and (best of all) buy books.

Slipping into an Author's Skin

2011-05-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

I started a Margaret Atwood book yesterday, and now I am Margaret Atwood. Her storytelling is my storytelling. I feel that I know--or should know--what's coming next, maybe because it's happening to me, or maybe because I'm telling the story or because it just fits so well. In the last month, using talented authors' skins, I've been a tough private eye and a disillusioned lawyer. I've been a black maid working for a white family in the '60s south. I've been a naive rich girl working her first ever job as a secretary. And I've been a woman with MS.

I was not able to be some characters. Lots of books that are perfectly readable are not wearable for me. I can't be that ditzy cozy heroine who muddles her way through improbable adventures. She doesn't fit, and I keep falling out of her story. Neither can I be that non-feeling protagonist who anesthetizes the stink of life with booze. In most cases I can read those books, but I don't wear them. I sit on the margin, looking in.

But when an author's skin fits, it is a golden time. There is no greater thrill for a reader than finding that author who lets you slip into his skin for a few hundred pages, who lets you read yourself a story using his words as if they were your own.

Life's Paradox

2011-05-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is: It's not about you; it's all about you.
And as Forrest Gump would say, that's all I have to say about that.

Why Are Self-Published Books Bad?

2011-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Trick question. They're not, or at least they don't have to be. Some people I know have self-published, AFTER they thought about it for a long time. They paid an editor to find the errors they missed. They paid an artist to do a classy cover. They even paid a computer geek to make sure the formatting is clean, correct, and friendly to whatever e-reader would be used. Then and only then did they self-publish. Yay for them.
On the other hand, there are people who are too anxious, too egotistical, or too clueless to make their books the best they can be. I heard a (supposed) author say not too long ago, "I never edit. I just put it out there." Yeah, I'll bet that's what it is: out there.
The industry is changing--has changed. Authors can make their work available for sale to the public without waiting for an agent, an editor, or a publisher to deem it suitable. But that's a double-edged sword. Yes, it makes for variety, avoiding the "this is what sold well last time" mentality that many publishers exhibit. But unless a person is open to help and advice, quality suffers. Somebody has to tell an author when it isn't working. Somebody has to correct his or her mistakes in plotting, in syntax, and in spelling.
If you're going to be a self-published author, the responsibility falls on you. You have to do what a "real" publisher would do and submit your work to lots of people for criticism and suggestions. Don't want to put out a bad book? Then don't let your love affair with your own creative genius blind you to the possibility that without help from others, your book might be, indeed, really bad.

The Limits of Teasing a Reader

2011-05-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, Author, you've got a big secret in your book, something that happened to the main character in the past that has a bearing on how he/she acts today. Here are Peg's rules for dealing with it:
First, refer to it sparingly. I get tired of being reminded that there's something you know that I don't.
Second, make the clues progressive, so I have a chance of figuring it out, at least partly, before the end.
Third, the secret had better be good enough when I get there to justify the hints and clues. I want to feel what the character felt and decide I might have had the same reaction.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I just finished a book with such a secret. I got tired of the vague hints that kept coming up but never added to my understanding of the character. And in the end, I thought the author hurried through the explanation so that I never got the sense of experiencing the terrible event with the protagonist. He was so well drawn in the rest of the book that I felt cheated by being left out of his life-defining moment. I felt like I'd been teased all along, and then the author just walked away. They shouldn't do that.

Reading Reviews

2011-05-02T04:09:00.000-07:00

As a writer, I cringe when I hear of a new review of my books. I feel like J. Alfred Prufrock--Do I dare...?
As a reader, I probably should cringe as well, because it's going to cost me. A good review makes me want to read a book, and by "good", I don't necessarily mean positive. A good review is like a teaser: it gives enough info to entice me onward, which generally means onward to a purchase. Even if the reviewer doesn't like the book, or if he/she criticizes bits of it, it might still sound appealing enough for me to buy it.
Bookstore owners are great "reviewers". They hand-sell books they enjoy, recommending them to readers they see as similar in reading tastes. Professional reviewers are helpful, too, although you need to get a feel for the individual and what he or she chooses to read and review.
I just read a review on THE KILLING SONG by P.J. Parrish on MysterEbooks.blogspot.com from my friend P.J. Coldren. Now I'll have to buy the book, because it sounds great. Add a frisson of anticipation to that cringe as the "cha-ching" hits my credit card!

Mean People

2011-04-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

There's been a thread on a group I'm a member of about cruelty, specifically editors who tell an author that they don't like her work in the unkindest terms. Some think it's for the best: it discourages those of little talent, keeping them from wasting their time. It toughens those who are determined, as in the old saying, "Criticism is like wind to a fire: it extinguishes the small and enkindles the great."
True as all that might be, I believe that some--indeed, most--cruel people are not "cruel to be kind." They are simply cruel. They love being in a position where they can control someone else's future and maybe even ruin their hopes. I saw it all too often in teaching, those (thankfully) few teachers whose desire was to prove how much smarter they were than the students and that only their tutelage and advice could lead to success in life. The rest of us spent much of our time trying to nullify the damage their meanness had on kids.
I recently experienced one of those mean strokes from out of the blue. I had done something I thought was going to help a lot of other people. What I got in return was a mean response from one person, accusing me of self-interest and, in effect, fraud. Wow.
It bothered me for many days. I withdrew from areas where this person might be, feeling bruised and falsely accused. Then I got an appeal from the person: he needed help. Turns out his life is in the toilet, and he wondered if his friends could help him out. I can only hope that his friends did.
As to the discussion of editors, someone wrote a post about how badly they are treated, how they receive very little pay and no recognition. It is this, the writer contended, that makes them seem so mean.
Okay. So maybe mean people are suffering. They lash out because their lives are so awful that they must.
It's an explanation, but not a justification.

Two Reasons Why People Write Novels

2011-04-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

#1-To show the world as they view it
#2-To show the world as they wish it

Yeah, I know, there is money and fame and the dream of winning some massive prize for the Great American Novel. But mostly, it is a desire to do one of the above.
I'm reading (as usual) several books at a time, and they brought me to this conclusion. I see in one author a desire to show the reader what life is like for a person with a certain problem: how he comes to face it, how he feels about himself, how he fares in his journey to wellness. It's obvious from the story that the author either went through this journey or is close to someone who did. The scenario is real-world. Down-to-earth.
My second current is the fun kind of mystery, a "what if" scenario that takes the reader along with ever-so-clever detectives from an earlier era who work perfectly in tandem. As I read, I slip into believing what the author wants me to believe, that treads and threads and clever heads will solve the crime. Don't we all wish for a partner who combines love for us with genius and the ability to read our minds?
The third book presents a tough-guy private eye who inhabits a world I cannot imagine, a world where knives flick into view and slice someone's throat before the victim knows what's happening. While I can read such books from time to time and enjoy them, it's not the way I see the world, even if in some cases, it's true. Readers of this sort of book get a peek at a world they can only imagine, and the writer's job is tough, because even the protagonist is pretty scary, the sort most readers would not invite to tea.
My point is that an author writes to show his world view, either wishful or truthful, according to his own experiences. Some become famous, usually because they do it so well. And how does one do it well? I suppose by making their own world view available to us and making us believe, at least for the duration of the book, that that is how it was at a certain place and at some point in time.

The Deciding Factor

2011-04-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

Who decided it was a great idea for restaurant managers to wander the tables, asking if the meal is good?
I'm always either in the middle of a bite or my companion is in the middle of a story. It's an interruption. It's unnecessary. And then the waiter comes by and asks the same thing in about twenty seconds. (And after all, that's the person you've bonded with, having been told their name and their intentions: "Hi, I'm Derek, and I'll be taking care of you today." Good, Derek. I need help with some plot knots, someone to carry this bag of books around, and possibly some pyschiatric counseling.)
And who decided that stores need my phone number? They aren't going to call me up, at least they'd better not. But try saying, ever so politely, "I'd rather not share that." Sales clerks act as if you'd slapped them with an iron gauntlet.
I recall a relative who worked for a furniture store being disgusted with "experts" who came in to tell them what customers did and did not want in a sales clerk. Some of it was so ridiculous as to be offensive, yet the bosses made the employees act in accordance with it. After all, someone studied something to come to that conclusion (and they had paid for the advice), so people were bound to be impressed.
I suppose it's none of my business what business chooses to do. Those who can see through the silliness either smile or grimace in disgust. We encounter "expert decisions" that are asinine every single day, to the point where we have to decide which ones we will fight and which we'll just accept. In the restaurant, for example, I smile and tell the manager things are fine. I've even given up arguing with Fashion Bug about the phone number.
I'm glad, however, that I make the decisions in my books. No expert tells me what the reader will like. I find what I like, and then I publish it, hoping someone else will, too. You won't find me stopping by as a reader is engrossed in my book, asking, "So how is everything today?"

When They Like You, Critics Matter

2011-04-04T05:09:00.000-07:00

I've certainly done my share of carping over authors' failings, both live and online. I am impatient with characters who act in ways real people never would, with plots that don't make complete sense at the end, and especially with killers who come out of nowhere in the last chapter. However, I don't pretend to be a critic. Like so many other people, I only know--and only want to talk about--what I like.
I've heard writers and readers say that critics don't matter. "I never choose a book based on what the
critics say", or, "If people buy my book, who cares if the critics pan it?"
That all might be true, but when a critic says a book is wonderful, any author HAS to be thrilled. I'm a terrible chicken about my own reviews, but my publisher sent me one on Friday with the note, "Tell everyone."
Okay, that sounded pretty good. Still, I'd only read one sentence of the review she used as a teaser on the website, and I was reluctant to read more. I'm the type that finds that one even slightly critical part of the whole review and focuses on it. I'd promised myself I wasn't going to read any reviews, simply to protect myself from shifting my writing to what someone else said I should do rather than what I do.
A friend read the whole thing and said, "Go read it, Peg", so I did. It was wonderful. It was enough to convince me for all of five minutes that I really can write.
And then I started thinking about Book #2: How am I ever going to live up to that critic's expectations a second time?
It's a great feeling, getting a good review. But then you have to remind yourself, what matters in the next book is what you write, not what someone might say about it.
Read the review of THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY at http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/dead-detective-agency

Reading Something Else

2011-03-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Several days a week, I read to someone who can no longer read for herself. Like most tasks that serve others, my reading to her serves me as much as it helps her. It's not just the good feeling I get from helping to brighten her day. I'm getting smarter.
As readers, we sometimes get stuck in a rut. I used to read everything, from biography to philosophy to classics to P.I. novels. In the last few years, I had pretty much dropped everything but mystery, the type of books I most enjoy. I'm not sure why, but I think it had to do with ease: I knew what I was getting (vicarious excitement), I knew I would like where it ended up (some sort of justice) and I knew my part in things (add up the clues and make a guess at the ending).
Now, my read-aloud books are chosen to suit my listener's taste, and she is interested in quantum physics, brain research, and various branches of philosophy. And do you know what? It's fascinating stuff!
We finished THE WATCHMAN'S RATTLE last week, which we both enjoyed. In fact, I found I could hardly wait to get back to reading it. The book we're reading now on brain research and OCD (the title escapes me), has interesting implications for so-called "normal" people, and explains a lot about everyday human to human encounters.
It's an unexpected benefit: a project I took up to allevitate someone else's boredom has banished mine. I realize that by reading only one type of book, I had almost stopped challenging my intellect. (And brain research tells us THAT is the way to early dementia.)
Not that mysteries aren't fun, and even challenging in many ways. Not that I will EVER stop reading them. (I will certainly continue writing them, since there's no way I could ever write on string theory or the function of the cerebral frontal cortex.) But I have been reminded, by reading what someone else likes, that variety of reading experience is a great way to think about a larger world, to challenge my mind, and to perhaps spur my own writing into new, more exciting areas.

Guest Blogger Chris Redding

2011-03-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

Today my guest is Chris Redding, author of INCENDIARY. Thanks for giving us a peek at your book, Chris! It sounds hot! (Oh, I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Chelsea James, captain of her local first aid squad, is trying to keep the organization afloat, but someone is sabotaging her. The squad is her father’s legacy and she feels responsible to keep it going.
Jake Sweeney, back in town after a decade, is investigating the arsons he was accused of long ago. When they start again Chelsea and Jake must join forces to defeat their mutual enemy.
Jake would like to rekindle what they had before he left town, but his departure left Chelsea hurt and bewildered. To begin again, she must learn to trust him.
Her life could depend on it.

Here's an excerpt: The electricity of an impending storm raised the hair on Chelsea James’ arms. She stood, barefoot, on her wide front porch, watching the wind almost blowing the trees back and forth. And through it all, her dead sister’s voice played in her mind. ‘It’s like nature has to violently clean up,’ Morgan used to say when they stood in this very spot. They’d both loved storms then.

The power of nature impressed Chelsea while Morgan concentrated on the aftermath. Odd that Morgan never thought of the aftermath of her own actions.

‘How so?’ Chelsea would ask her older-by-a-few-minutes sister.

Morgan’s eyes would be wide. ‘Because a storm gives the trees a haircut, gets rid of the ones that are weak. And on top of that, the rain helps the ones that do survive,’ Morgan had answered.

Chelsea nodded.

But this storm didn’t bring with it the same renewal. Somewhere deep in Chelsea, she knew this storm was different. This storm could bring destruction.

Or worse, this storm might not bring the wanted rain for those trees that survived.

Chelsea sighed. Right now she missed her sister more than anything.

Then her firehouse pager went off. “Unit 37, you have a fully involved structure fire on Briar Lane.”

Writing Like a Monk

2011-03-21T03:45:00.000-07:00

Fellow author Laura Alden and I hosted a retreat for writers last weekend. We took over a small inn in northern Lower Michigan. We sent each writer who arrived to a quiet place for hours at a time with the demand that they "Just write!" Everyone who attended was pleased with the amount of work accomplished. It's amazing what a person can get done when no phone rings, no laundry buzzer sounds, no spouse pounds in the basement, and no kids interrupt to ask what's for dinner.
Another advantage was the ambiance. I think we each felt encouraged by the sight of the others working away: some editing with paper and pen, some typing away on laptops, and some sketching an outline. (I even sketched the murder scene for my next book, although the way I draw, it looks a lot like a Rorschach ink blot.) If the group was tempted to linger too long over lunch or breakfast, one determined soul would rise and say, "I'm going to get some work done," and soon all of us would be back on task.
Of course there was that precious face time with other authors. The discussions included books we like, books we don't like, publishing, books, agents, readers, books, fans (crazy and otherwise), working conditions and books. There were other topics at some points, but put a bunch of writers together, and it's mostly going to be about books.
Some think it's unnecessary to pay money to find a place to write. "You can write at home," they say. Yes, I can. In fact, I do. But once in a while it's great to play Thoreau and remove myself from the world. I guess I would say, "I went to the inn because I wanted to write deliberately."

What Novel Can Compete with "Reality"?

2011-03-14T04:54:00.000-07:00

Mystery writers get together, and they talk. They discuss how hard it is to keep their books "real": correct police procedures, well-drawn protagonists, and non-stereotypical antagonists. We sweat, toil, and reread a thousand times to be sure the mystery makes sense, the ending adds up, and the world is set right at the end.

Then comes reality. People who should get no attention at all are splashed all over the media as if the lives they are leading make sense. I won't say the names (because the whole process makes me sick), but you can name five "celebrities" without even trying who are fawned upon by press and fans for their disgusting behavior. Come on! If you saw certain Hollywood/sports/rich-kid types in a downtown alley, doing what they do, (taking drugs, flashing their privates, ranting incoherently, etc.) you'd hurry away with a shiver. Yet when such things are done in a mansion, by people with more money than brains, too many Americans think it's okay, even entertaining. Oh, they laugh and say, "I just like to see what he/she/they will do next." They don't seem to realize that by providing an audience, they're encouraging, even paying for, bad behavior. If they read it in a mystery, they would think, "People would never go to a concert hall and pay to see a drug-crazed person rant on stage for an hour."

Then there's the question of what is real. Current TV shows depict "reality" in such bizarre ways that no one except a kindergartener should buy it. Maybe it's my years as a drama director, but the staging in those shows seems so obvious to me that I can't get past it. Still, we haven't caught up to the Romans yet, paying for the chance to see men die. Score a half point for us.

Then there's politics, where no one even knows what real is anymore. What we know is that telling the truth in the political arena is the kiss of death. It's all about spin. Given a little time, the public forgets what their opinion was, anyway. Leaders of other nations are our enemies, then our friends, then our enemies again. A pol who for years acted with callous disregard for the good of the nation writes a memoir, making himself look heroic. And one who intends to run for President in the next election claims he committed adultery because he cares about America, even though at the time he was harshly critical of the President's sexual behavior.

Could we ever get away with that one in a novel? I wouldn't even try. Reality is way less real than fiction. In my books at least, the good guys win in the end, and the egotistical, immoral pigs get what they deserve. I guess that's why writers like me like their reality better than the "real" thing.

Guest Blogger Lois Winston

2011-03-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

Today I welcome Lois Winston, author of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. I've certainly HURT myself with a glue gun, but "deadly"? That's her title, and here's her story.

THE FINE ARE OF EAVESDROPPING
By Lois Winston

Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, my latest book and the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series, came out the beginning of January. Since its release, I’ve had many people ask me how I came up with the characters and plot for the book. Death by glue gun is certainly not an everyday occurrence, even within the world of amateur sleuth mysteries. Having lost count of all the times I’ve burned myself with a glue gun, the idea didn’t seem all that far-fetched to me. However, the questions got me thinking about the various ways I’ve come up with ideas for my books, and I thought I’d share one of them with you today.

Have you ever thought about how much time you spend waiting? Every day. We stand in line at the supermarket, the post office or motor vehicle, waiting to be waited on. We while away countless hours in doctor and dentist waiting rooms, waiting for someone to jab something cold and uncomfortable into our nether regions or perform root canal. And then we sit or lie there waiting for the procedure du jour to end. We freeze our butts off in the bleachers while our kids kick around a soccer ball or toss a football. We hang around the multiplex lobby, waiting for the previous movie to let out, then hunker down in our seats and wait some more for the next feature to begin. We sit like zombies every morning and evening as the train or bus carries us to and from work. We stand around waiting to be seated in restaurants, then wait for the waiter to take our order and bring our food.

I’ve put all that waiting to good use by eavesdropping. Who among us doesn’t love to eavesdrop? Don’t deny it. We all do it. Forget baseball. Eavesdropping is the national pastime. Since the onset of cell phones, we can eavesdrop with abandon. Try going anywhere without hearing someone’s personal phone conversation. You can’t. Whether you’re in a restaurant, on a train, in a hotel lobby, walking down the street, on line at the supermarket, or even in a public restroom, I guarantee there will be somebody nearby carrying on a highly personal phone conversation in a voice loud enough for everyone within a block’s radius to hear. There’s something about cell phones that makes people raise their voices. Conversations that would normally be held in hushed whispers are broadcast wirelessly like sports announcers booming play-by-play.

Over the last few years I have been privy to the most private details of total strangers, thanks to Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T. All those conversations become fodder for characters and plots. Some have made their way into the pages of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun. Some will be in Mop Doll Murders, the next book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series. And still more will be in future books. So next time you’re carrying on a personal phone conversation in a public setting, you might want to think about who could be listening. You may wind up in some author’s next book.

***

Lois Winston is an award-winning author and designer as well as an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Visit Lois at http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com.

Buy Link for Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738723479?ie=UTF8&tag=loiswins-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0738723479%22%3EAssault%20with%20a%20Deadly%20Glue%20Gun%20(An%20Anastasia%20Pollack%20Crafting%20Mystery)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg

On the Road Again

2011-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

In my dreams, a week dances tantalizingly just over the horizon. This week is filled with nothing. No appointments, no road trips, no phone calls. In my dream, I work at one of my three computers (the sitting down at the desk one, the standing up when my back is tired one, and the go-anywhere laptop one) all day, every day, and at the end of the week book #3 of the Simon & Elizabeth series, which is in bits and pieces at this moment, melds into a seamless story with a beginning, a middle, and and end that makes perfect sense for the reader.
That's the dream. Last fall, I promised myself January through March for writing, since we decided not to travel this winter. I'm not sure where January and February went, but March is speeding by and I've got
not one, but two trips on the docket.
So what do I do about those promises to stay home and write? I will do what most authors I know do: write in short bursts, take every available moment to get the story told, work to make it come together when I can.
And plan for a new dream: that April, May, or even June will provide that empty week that dances just ahead of me, tempting but always just out of reach.

Crawling Home

2011-03-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked the end of Peg's Blog Crawl, a February-long tour of 21 blog sites with 17 different hosts.
What I learned: it's a lot of work.
What it means: hopefully, that some new people know my name and are interested in THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY.
Now here's the shocker: the book's release has been delayed until April 1 of this year.
I know, I know. Most of the people who read my posts on the Blog Crawl will have forgotten about it by then. However, my publisher made the decision for some very good reasons, and I have to be glad that they are thinking ahead and supporting the release as well as my overall writing career.
So here's what I'm going to do. I will visit the blog sites I visited in Februay one by one in March and explain the situation.
The winners of the Blog Crawl drawings, listed below, need to understand that their prize will be a little later than intended, but it is coming.
And if you're interested in buying THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, I guess you can put it on your wish list or preorder. I will be grateful.
Winners: (These people need to tell me a) if they want their book in ebook or print form and b) an address I can use to accomplish that.
     Week 1 Sara Thompson
     Week 2 M.E. Kemp
     Week 3 Savvy
     Week 4 Lelia Taylor
      Final Alice Duncan

Guest Blogger Geraldine Evans

2011-02-28T03:42:00.000-08:00

Today I welcome Geraldine Evans from "across the Pond". Here's the info on her latest book, and you can follow her blog tour using the links below.

Book Trailer: DEADLY REUNION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awvRkiuwoFs

DEADLY REUNION
A Rafferty & Llewellyn crime novel by Geraldine Evans

EXCERPT 4 from Chapter One
The Senior Common Room was at the front of the house and their borrowed office was at the back. From where he stood, Rafferty could see cricket and

rugby pitches stretching to the middle distance. At the edge of his vision was what looked like tennis courts and Jeremy Paxton had mentioned they had a swimming pool in one of the out-buildings. All in all, they seemed to do very well for themselves.
They had interviewed all the reunees and they had all said much the same. Even the ever-rebellious pig-hater, Sebastian Kennedy hadn’t strayed from the general line, which was that nothing out of the ordinary had happened on the day that Adam Ainsley had gone for a run and never come back.
When questioned as to why nobody had commented on his absence at dinner, they had all claimed they had assumed the dead man had either gone to his room or decided to eat in the town. According to Giles Harmsworth – and the others had said the same – Adam Ainsley had been in a funny mood all morning and – considering this was a reunion – had been pretty unsociable towards most of the group. And when Rafferty had commented on this, Harmsworth and the rest had claimed the dead man had never been any different.
‘Always got in a humour on the slightest pretext’, had been Harmsworth’s take on this. ‘We thought nothing of it.’
‘So none of you went to see where he was when he didn’t show up for dinner that evening?’ Rafferty persisted.
‘No. We had no reason to.’
The school’s dormitories, for the older pupils at least, were made up of two-bed rooms. The dead man had been sharing with Sebastian Kennedy, but as Kennedy had been steadily depleting the school’s wine cellars during the evening, he had – or so he claimed – failed to notice that Ainsley was still not in their room at midnight, which was the time Kennedy had finally staggered off to bed.
‘What do you think, Dafyd?’ Rafferty asked once they were finally alone. ‘Do you reckon they’re colluding for some reason?’
Llewellyn shook his thinly handsome face. ‘No. They’re too disparate a group. I can’t see that Giles Harmsworth or Victoria Watson would agree to.conceal a crime.’
‘Unless they did it,’ Rafferty chipped in.
‘There’s always that possibility, of course. But we have no evidence as yet that this was anything other than a suicide.’
‘Come on! How likely is it that anyone of sound mind would choose such a method?’
‘We don’t know that he was of sound mind – we found anti-depressants in
his room. And maybe he didn’t know what symptoms the poison would cause and thought he would just go to sleep. As I said, we’ve no evidence that he didn’t kill himself.’
‘We’ve no evidence that he did, either. And given that he must have been a well-educated man seeing as he attended Griffin School, would he really not have taken the trouble to find out what the poison did to the body before he did the business? And, taking that into consideration, if he did kill himself, Hemlock seems a particularly peculiar method to choose, given that it paralyzes the limbs and Ainsley used to be a professional sportsman.
Why not just use pills and whiskey?’
Llewellyn gave a tiny shrug. Rafferty was pleased to see that, for
once, his educated sergeant had no arguments against his theories. They had been through the dead man’s things and there had been nothing – apart from the anti-depressants – to indicate that suicide was a possibility, though he got Llewellyn to make a note to check with the dead man’s doctor. No one had said that he seemed other than they remembered him from the days when they had been cooped up together for weeks at a time and got to know one another intimately. No suicide note or suspicious substances had been found. Though, on the other hand, as Rafferty regretfully acknowledged, neither had there been anything to indicate that Ainsley felt he had reason to fear for his life from one of his fellow reunees, Why would he have attended the reunion if that was the case? They had found nothing of any interest at all. Yet it must be one or the other as accidental death was surely out of the question.
Adam Ainsley had, after a career as a professional rugby player, studied to become a sports coach and was now employed as a Physical Education teacher at another private school; this much he had learned from the other reunees. He had been twice divorced and at the time of his death had been single, with no known romantic entanglements. From the various comments from his former classmates, the dead man had been a popular boy with the girls at the school and had cut a swathe through most of them. His moody, Byronesque manner, clearly finding favour with the fair sex. And given his sporting prowess, he had been equally popular with the boys.
To listen to the surviving reunees, the wonder was that anyone should have wanted to do away with such a popular young man. But someone had. Rafferty was convinced of that, in spite of Llewellyn’s mention of suicide.
And he would find out which of them it was, no matter how many expensive legal types they conjured up between them.

LINK TO MY PAGE WITH THE BLOG TOUR DATES:
http://www.geraldineevans.com/wednesday_14_december_2010_035.htm

Deadly Reunion
A Rafferty & Llewellyn crime novel by Geraldine Evans
Publication: 24 February 2011 (UK) 1 June 2011 (US)

Blurb: Detective Inspector Joe Rafferty is barely back from his honeymoon before he has two unpleasant surprises. Not only has he another murder investigation - a poisoning, courtesy of a school reunion, he also has four new lodgers, courtesy of his Ma, Kitty Rafferty. Ma is organising her own reunion and since getting on the internet, the number of Rafferty and Kelly family attendees has grown, like Topsy. In his murder investigation, Rafferty has to go back in time to learn of all the likely motives of the victim's fellow reunees. But it is only when he is reconciled to his unwanted lodgers, that Rafferty finds the answers to his most important questions.

Links:amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/4qjgay4
amazon.co.uk: http://tinyurl.com/4f56pxp
ebooks on amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/4re8apo
ebooks on amazon.co.uk: http://tinyurl.com/6du98kq
Geraldine Evans’s website: http://www.geraldineevans.com
Geraldine Evans’s blog: http://www.geraldineevanscom.blogspot.com

PRIZES
The draw of all the comments throughout the Tour will take place at the end of the Tour (end-Feb). There will only be three winners, each of whom wins one signed copy of Deadly Reunion, my latest hardback (fourteenth in my Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series), one copy of each of two ebooks that are the first and second novels in my Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series, that is, one of Dead Before Morning and one of Down Among the Dead Men. They will also receive a subscription to my blog (which they can let lapse when it runs out).

BIO
Crime Author, Geraldine Evans
Geraldine Evans has been writing since her twenties, though only began to
get novels published halfway through her thirties. As well as her popular
Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series, she has a second crime series, Casey &
Catt and has also had published an historical, a romance and articles on a
variety of subjects, including, Historical Biography, Writing, Astrology,
Palmistry and other New Age subjects. She has also written a dramatization
of Dead Before Morning, the first book in her Rafferty series.
She is a Londoner, but now lives in Norfolk England where she moved, with
her husband George, in 2000.
Deadly Reunion is her eighteenth novel and fourteenth in the humorous
Rafferty & Llewellyn crime series. She is currently working on the next in
the series.

This Week's Winner

2011-02-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

The winner of the drawing for a copy of THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY this week is Lelia Taylor.
You have one more chance to win. I will put all the entries into a hat on Tuesday, March 1, including those who comment on the final entry of Peg's Blog Crawl, "Why Do We Say That? Part III" at http://www.stacyjuba.com/blog. That winner gets the fifth and final free copy of DDA in either print or e-format.

2011-02-22T04:14:00.001-08:00

Yesterday's post had a mistake in the link for today's blog at Geraldine Evans' blog. It's correct now, I hope, but here it is again.
http://wwwgeraldineevanscom.blogspot.com/

This Week's Blog Crawl

2011-02-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

Feb. 21 Jeff Marks-And What About Contractions? http://www.thelittleblogofmurder.com
Feb 22 Geraldine Evans-Idioms http://wwwgeraldineevanscom.blogspot.com/
Feb. 23 Maryann Miller-Eccentric Phrases http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com
Feb. 24 Peg Herring Being Precise http://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=pegfish
Feb. 25 –Peg Herring Bad Words Topic http://criminalmindsatwork.blogspot.com/

Bid Day, Big News, Big Headache

2011-02-19T04:27:00.000-08:00

Today I'm giving my Write, Edit, Publish workshop, which is always fun. That's a good thing, because word came this week that my February release is no longer February. It's April. Oh. So the Blog Crawl is a little... early.
Never fear. We will finish this thing and soldier on. This week's winner of the draw for a copy of the book is "Savvy". That person should let me know which format--print or ebook--is best and it will be done. In April.

Blog Crawl--and I'm Actually Crawling!!

2011-02-14T03:45:00.000-08:00

It's toughest in the middle, right?

The crawl continues. The winner of the drawing for comments during week 2 is M.E. Kemp.
The schedule for this week is as follows:
Feb.13. Lelia Taylor Syntax and Sentence Structure http://www.cncbooks.com/blog
Feb.14 Jenny Milchman-Why Do We Say That? Part II suspenseyourdisbelief.com
Feb.15. Pat Brown-Dialogue and What It Reveals http://themysteryworldofpabrown.blogspot.com and http://pabrown.livejournal.com
Feb. 16 Debbi Mack-Portmanteau Words http://midlistlife.wordpress.com
Feb. 17 Peg Brantley-The Possessive Problem http://www.suspensenovelist.blogspot
Feb 18 Bo Parker-Read It Aloud http://www.cobbledstones.com
Feb 19 Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 3--right back here:
http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com

The Mystery Reader’s Lament

2011-02-06T03:35:00.000-08:00

There’s laundry that’s wet in the washer;
It finished an hour ago.
But Kinsey has put on her little black dress,
So my housekeeping’s bound to be slow.

You can’t beat a tough country lawman,
And Walt Longmire has been through a lot.
I guess I won’t get to the Macy’s Day Sale,
’Cause poor Walt is about to get shot!

My doctor expects me this morning.
The roadways are slushy with snow.
But Reacher is in such a terrible mess!
How he gets out—I just have to know.

I can’t be a brilliant forensic,
A Gil or a Kay or a Bones,
But I can encourage their efforts,
And even their lesser-known clones.

My family and friends sometimes chide me.
I don’t get a lot done, it’s true.
You can blame all the authors who write crime so well:
I’ve got too much reading to do!

Prize Drawing & Blog Crawl Stops for Feb. 7-13

2011-02-05T04:05:00.000-08:00

Through the scientifically unbeatable method of asking my husband to pick a number, I have chosen the Week 1 winner of a copy of THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY. That person is Sara Thompson, who commented on my stop at Chris Verstraete's blog, http://candidcanine.blogspot.com. Thanks to Sara and to all who participated this week. You have three more weeks to Crawl, four more chances to win!

Feb. 7 Rhonda Dossett-The Ones Spell Check Won’t Catch http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com
Feb 8 Nancy Cohen-Metaphors http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com
Feb. 9 Kaye George-Names Into Words http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com
Feb 10 Lisa Haselton-Losing the Spice http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com
Feb 11. Chris Redding-Inventing Words http://chrisreddingauthor.blogspot.com
Feb 12. Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 2
Feb.13. Lelia Taylor Syntax and Sentence Structure http://www.cncbooks.com/blog

Stops on Peg's Blog Crawl

2011-02-02T03:40:00.000-08:00

Win free books/e-books on the Blog Crawl!

Today's stop is at Chris Verstraete's blog, and the post is "Slowing Readers-Bad Policy". Find it at http://candidcanine.blogspot.com

Why Do We Say That? Part I

2011-02-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining me on Peg’s Blog Crawl! Stay with the group and you’ll have a great time. Everyone who comments will be entered in a drawing for Peg’s new release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY (LL Publishing), and other interesting giveaways.

The Post- Why Do We Say That? Part I
You learn the secret of time travel and decide to visit someone from British history, like Elizabeth I, Macbeth, Thomas Becket, or Boudicca. Forget the fact that the food will gross you out or that bathrooms as you know them are nonexistent. You will be unable to ask for the chicken instead of the boiled eels or for directions to the outhouse. You will not comprehend what they say, and vice versa.

The language we call English has been around since the middle of the fifth century, but spoken language changes constantly. What we know today as English is not what it used to be. Old English “Hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!” (From BEOWULF: “How the heroes valor performed!”) is pretty much unintelligible without tutoring in its sounds and meanings. What pronunciation does one give to a ð, anyway? (Answer: a breathy th sound, such as in the word “thin”.)

Middle English “And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne” (CHAUCER: “And at a knight then will I first begin.”) has words we recognize on paper, but when it is spoken, we’re lost. For example, in the word “knyght”, all the letters were pronounced, so it would be “k-neecht”, with the ch a growl in the back of the throat that sounds like a phlegm problem. Since written language seldom keeps up with pronunciation changes, we ended up with silent letters and confusion. (Is it “in-ter-est-ing” or “in-tres-ting” at your house?)

Modern English is over five hundred years old, and Shakespeare is considered a writer of Modern English. “Really?” You might ask. Yes. We recognize most of the words he used, and the sentence structure, though eccentric, is decipherable. Hearing Shakespeare speak would be problematic, however. For example, what we call "wind", the air that blows around us, was pronounced like "wind", as in to wind up a music box. With differences in pronunciation, inflection, and syntax added to the speed of spoken language, we’d be lost in the Elizabethan world, at least for the first few days.

So why do we say things the way we do? In some ways, we’re lucky. English has more words than any other major language, so nuances of expression are possible and varied. As conquerors and visitors came in, we often simply tacked their language onto what was already there. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, for example, the Saxons were a defeated people, living close to the land. We use their terms for animals on the hoof, like "deer" and "swine". The Norman conquerors, however, gave us the words used for those same animals when they are served at dinner: "venison" and "pork".

English today is a blend of its ancient roots, modern life, and foreign phrases we adopted or adapted. Readers hope writers use the language well, and that will be the subject of this Blog Crawl: the good, the bad, and the ungrammatical. Follow the Pathway, and tomorrow we’ll take up the topic, “Slowing Readers=Bad Policy.”

The Poser: Name three books/series in which the protagonist meets a famous person from history. (Your comments on this or any other aspect of my post will enter you in prize drawings.)

The Prizes-Weekly prizes (your choice of THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY in e- or print format) will be drawn from the names of those who comment on the blogs as we go, either answering the daily question or adding to/commenting on the information in the post. Comment once/day, but the first commenter each day gets entered twice in the drawing on Saturday!

The Pitch: THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, #1 in The Dead Detective Mysteries-paranormal.
Tori Van Camp wakes in a stateroom on a cruise ship with no memory of booking a cruise, but she does have a vivid recollection of being shot in the chest. Determined to find out what happened and why, Tori enlists the help of an odd detective named Seamus. Together they embark on an investigation like nothing she’s ever experienced. Death is all around her, and unless they act quickly, two people she cares about are prime candidates for murder.

The Perpetrator: Peg Herring is a writer of historical and contemporary mysteries. She loves everything about publishing, even editing (most days). Peg’s historical series, The Simon and Elizabeth Mysteries, debuted in 2010 to great reviews. The second in this series will be available in November from Five Star.

The Pathway: The next entry, “Slowing Readers=Bad Policy” at http://candidcanine.blogspot.com
on Feb 2nd.

Peg's Blog Crawl

2011-01-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

You've heard of a pub crawl. Well, this is the same except it's not.
Same: You "crawl" from one place to another with a lot of other people.
Different: It's virtual: no taxis, no traffic, no crowded rooms.
Same: You "travel" with like-minded people who are out for a good time.
Different: You'll never see them face-to-face.
Same: You meet new people, visit new places, and enjoy the trip.
Different: No hangover at the end.

Peg's Blog Crawl begins tomorrow right here. My topic is the English language, its origins, its variety, its general craziness. I've named it "Do the Dead Speak Perfect English?" in honor of my February release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY.

Did I mention prizes? I'm giving away a book each week, either print
or e-book, as the winning commenters choose. I also have some little surprises
along the way, so join in and chime in (that's how you enter the prize drawings). You can indulge every weekday in February, learning a little about the eccentricities of English, and you won't have to crawl home!

Here's the Schedule:

Feb. 1 Peg Herring-Why Do We Say That? Part I-Find it at http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com
Feb. 2 Chris Verstraete-Slowing Readers—Bad Policy-Find it at http://candidcanine.blogspot.com
Feb. 3 Melissa Bradley-He Said, She Panted http://melissasimaginarium.blogspot.com
Feb. 4 Marilyn Meredith-The Dreaded Adverb http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com
Feb. 5 Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 1 http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com
Feb 6 Weekend—
Feb. 7 Rhonda Dossett-The Ones Spell Check Won’t Catch http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com
Feb 8 Nancy Cohen-Metaphors http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com
Feb. 9 Kaye George-Names Into Words http://travelswithkaye.blogspot.com
Feb 10 Lisa Haselton-Losing the Spice http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com
Feb 11. Chris Redding-Inventing Words http://chrisreddingauthor.blogspot.com
Feb 12. Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 2 http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com
Feb.13.BONUS POST Lelia Taylor Syntax and Sentence Structure http://www.cncbooks.com/blog
Feb.14 Jenny Milchman-Why Do We Say That? Part II suspenseyourdisbelief.com
Feb.15. Pat Brown-Dialogue and What It Reveals http://themysteryworldofpabrown.blogspot.com and http://pabrown.livejournal.com
Feb. 16 Debbi Mack-Portmanteau Words http://midlistlife.wordpress.com
Feb. 17 Peg Brantley-The Possessive Problem http://www.suspensenovelist.blogspot
Feb 18 Bo Parker-Read It Aloud http://www.cobbledstones.com
Feb 19 Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 3 http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com
Feb. 20 Weekend
Feb. 21 Jeff Marks-And What About Contractions? http://www.thelittleblogofmurder.com
Feb 22 Geraldine Evans-Idioms http://geralineevanscom.blogspot.com
Feb. 23 Maryann Miller-Eccentric Phrases http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com
Feb. 24 Peg Herring Being Precise http://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=pegfish
Feb. 25 –Peg Herring Bad Words http://criminalmindsatwork.blogspot.com/
Feb. 26 Weekend-Draw for Prizes from Week 4 http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com
Feb. 27 Weekend
Feb. 29 Stacy Juba-Why Do We Say That? Part III http://stacyjuba.com/blog
March 1-Final Drawing for Prizes from All Entries http://itsamysterytomepegherring.blogspot.com

E-readers, Kindle, and Nook--Oh, My!

2011-01-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

I belong to several on-line chat groups for authors (probably too many). The gist of what's going on is that authors are catching on to the e-book revolution, some reluctantly, some anxiously, some willingly. It's scary, because a lot of things change with e-books.
For example: you don't need an agent to publish an e-book. You don't even need a publisher, if you're willing to do some homework. There isn't that assurance that some of us need that we've got professionals behind us. Then again, some authors have felt for some time that there really isn't an Oz behind the curtain.
You do still need an editor, but there's an interesting change there, too. When an author hires an editor, she maintains more control over the book. An employee, the hired editor, SUGGESTS changes, where a publishing-house editor tends to DEMAND them. One I had a few years back kept prefacing his proposed changes with "I want..." I began thinking, "Whose book is this? It's my name on the cover!" When you disagree with a pub-house editor, you can fight with them (I have) or you can give in (I've done that, too). When you hire an editor, you are wise to listen to what they advise, to get your money's worth and to recognize what objective readers will see in the work you love so much. But if you love it the way it is, it's up to you.
A current discussion in my chat groups is ISBNs. Once considered mandatory for a professional publication, questions have arisen about them for e-books. They're expensive, and if you're only going to publish electronically, you have other options. (If a book goes into print, the ISBN would be different anyway.)
Of course, traditional publishing is pulling on the reins, and I think they have to. It would be a mistake to let every joker who thinks he/she can write throw a book at us and make the pool of candidates for panels, awards, and reviews so large it's beyond managability. Rules are established, and even if some authors don't like them, they keep us honest. Yes, someone read my book other than my sister. Yes, my publisher works with multiple authors and does not guarantee publication or charge me for publishing.
Still, the publishing world is changing, so quickly that we can hardly keep up. Some predict that books will soon come out initially as e-books. If they do well, someone will take the chance and put them into print for libraries and those who love "real" books. My February release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, is e-book and POD. I like that, because I will have physical copies for display and electronic copies for all those people who have never met me.
E-publishing is ecologically better, quicker, and easier. Like Dorothy and her friends, authors are treading with caution into the forest of e-books. Our sense of "Oh, my!" is fear for some, awe for others, and for the un-cowardly: "Look at all the possibilites!"

I Quit--Does That Make Me a Bad Person?

2011-01-11T04:21:00.000-08:00

I gave up on the second of the GIRL WITH/WHO series.
Yup.
I just don't care.
It's hard for me to like a protagonist who is so weird, so amoral, so flat.
It's irritating to me that someone did not edit out the thousands of details that (I guess) are supposed to add to the story but instead draw it out. I don't care how many T-shirts, cups, chairs, and bedsheets the woman bought.
I seldom like the "I'll get that person if it's the last thing I ever do" plotline.
I will admit that by halfway through the first book, I got caught up in the story and wanted to know what happened, but I only got that far because friends told me to keep slogging through the ridiculously drawn-out beginning. Even when I got into the story, I was disgusted by the characters' disregard for any sort of moral code but their personal desires. It could be that I'm too sheltered, that life is that way, but I'm just sayin'.
So this morning I read another chapter and then thought, "There are lots of books I would like better than this one, so why am I reading it?" The answer, I suppose, is the hoopla that the world has raised about the series, but I decided that isn't enough reason for me. I don't mind being in the minority, reading books that I choose rather than ones someone else says are must-reads.
After all, I have no idea what a Kardashian looks like, and it hasn't done me a bit of harm so far.

20 Days in February = A Blog Crawl

2011-01-03T04:12:00.000-08:00

To promote my new release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, (LL Publishing), I would like to create a “blog crawl”. Somewhat like a pub crawl, a blog crawl begins at one place--my blog site--and meanders through a lot of similar places, like your site. Unlike a pub crawl, however, no one requires a taxi to get back home at the end. :)
The idea is that I will do a series of posts in February, each one leading to the next and referring to the one before. The posts will be entertaining and challenging and will focus on the English language. I have chosen to call it IS PERFECT ENGLISH DEAD? It will be designed to interest both readers and writers, having fun with the eccentricities of our language. Hopefully, people will join the crawl, visiting all the sites along the way. It’s promotion for my book; it’s exposure for your blog. Symbiosis!
If you would like to join the blog crawl, simply let me know which weekday in February works for you. If you’d like to choose the topic, I have posted a list below.
(Weekdays in February)
1. Why Do We Say That? Part I
2. The Dreaded (Overused and Abused) Adverb
3. Eccentric Phrases
4. Losing the Spice
5. Names Into Words
6. Being Precise
7. Same Word/Different Word
8. Portmanteau Words
9. The Possessive Problem
10. Why Do We Say That? Part II
11. Inventing Words
12. He Said, She Panted
13. Read It Aloud
14. Repetition
15. The Ones Spell Check Won’t Catch
16. And What About Contractions?
17. Slowing Readers—Bad Policy
18. Dialogue and What It Reveals
19. Metaphors: Beautiful, Extended, and Stretched to Breaking
20. Why Do We Say That? Part III

Let's Ask the Dead

2010-12-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

My upcoming release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, might have put me in a strange state of mind. I keep wondering what the dead would think of the living at a funeral.
Funeral attendance is required more and more often as a person ages. Here's what I notice about them:
First: The ministers in charge seem to miss the fact that the people are there not for a sermon, but out of respect for the person who died. Instead of acknowledging this, many clergymen and women make the occasion into a bid for conversion. My thought: if attendees are churchgoers, they don't need a second weekly sermon. If they're not, you just emphasized for them why they don't go to church.
The other thing I wonder is if the dead really would enjoy seeing their loved ones publicly exposed in the throes of their grief. It is painful to me to be present as family members suffer. I don't want to watch them being led into the church before and out of the church after, following that dreadful box of dead. Where did we get the idea that grief is somehow resolved by publicity?
So here's my personal declaration. No funeral. When I die, I want a nice dinner for anyone who cares to attend. No wringing the grief out of people by capsulizing my life and telling everyone what a great gal I was. The minister can attend, and he will be allowed to say grace if he can do it in a minute or less. After that, just talk about me while you enjoy the chicken and meatballs. Or don't, as the mood strikes. Enjoy each other's company. That's what a funeral should be for.

THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY

2010-12-20T04:47:00.000-08:00

People often ask authors where their ideas come from. I speak not for others, but as for me--not a clue most of the time.
THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, my January release, seems to have stemmed from a conversation I had with my son, a Merrill Lynch VP. He mentioned that he had fired one of their employees for selling away. I asked what that was, and he explained. It took root somewhere in my head, and the idea for a mystery formed.
Where the dead part came from, I could not tell you. I had no real desire to jump on the paranormal bandwagon, and to be honest, the story is not a typical paranormal: no vampires, no screaming vengeance from beyond the grave, and most certainly no ghouls or zombies. Think the Thomas part of Odd Thomas, not the fighting-other-worldly-creatures part. Kind of gentle paranormal, kind of speculating on things other-worldly without being scary or gloom-and-doom-ish. It's a mystery that just happens to involve dead people, and even though I don't know where the idea came from, I had a great time with it. And sometime in January, I hope a lot of other people do, as well.

Proud Words and Self-Publishing

2010-12-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

Look out how you use proud words.
When you let proud words go, it is not easy to call them back.
They wear long boots, hard boots; they walk off proud; they can't hear you calling—
Look out how you use proud words.
—Carl Sandburg, American poet and essayist, Primer Lesson, 1922

The same can be said for self-publishing.
I went to a book-selling event last week, and of seven authors in attendance, two were traditionally published. As we chatted, all five of the self-pubbed authors admitted to me privately there were mistakes in their books they wish could be fixed.
That is what's wrong with self-publishing.
To be fair, it can be done and done well. But in too many cases, self-publishing equates to impatience, and we all know the adage about haste making waste.
Sometimes it's just plain ignorance, like the author who kept informing prospective customers that her book was a "fiction novel". Sometimes it's frustration, like the man who tried for seven years to get the attention of The Machine and could not. Often it's lack of study of the industry, a lack of awareness of consequences. And sometimes--perhaps more so of late when e-publishing has begun to take off--it's a conscious decision. The writer understands that she will be doing her own promotion; she gets help with editing and formatting; she carves out her niche and works to make it as attractive and visible as possible. She keeps in mind that if people read a book with her name on it that is badly produced, full of errors and weak elements, they are unlikely to repeat the experience.
So take Sandburg's warning to heart. Like proud words, self-published books cannot be taken back once they are out there. Writers should send them out only under carefully considered circumstances. Every collection of words you offer the world should be words that make you proud.

It's Wrong, So Make It Right--Rewrite

2010-12-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

A writer who is paying attention knows when something's wrong with a project. That knowledge does not come early on, and often not easily. For me, when the writing is ongoing, it is important to get the main story down, and details almost have to be left fuzzy. I am an insistent advocate of "rest time" for a first-draft manuscript, time (like a month) in a drawer or on a CD so I see it with fresh eyes. Any MS needs multiple rereadings by the author before anyone else ever sees it. Like your child, you should want your writing to be as beautiful as possible when the world sees it.

Multiple re-reads allow a commited author to notice the things that aren't logical, places that need rewriting. There are times when I'd rather not. (Why can't I stretch credibility a little? Even great writers have done it. For example, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO. How many times can two people accidentally stumble into each other in one lifetime?)So I may be tempted to gloss over why the protag goes to a particular spot. Or how she happens to leave her cell phone at home. Or when she chooses to go there, it is where the murderer is, too, by some odd chance. But as I go back over the piece, each time looking for different types of errors, those places feel weak. They need fixing. They need rewriting.

I just finished the edit of my January release, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY. The editor found more things that needed rewriting, and that's to be expected. No author I know is capable of judging her own work alone. It takes an educated and committed editor to finish the job, acting as objective reader and polisher. So even after I'd read the piece and rewritten the weak spots I found, I was in for more work. However, I know the book gets stronger each time I read again, write again, examine again.

Rewriting is not a lot of fun, and the mark of an amateur is unwillingness to do it. Many would rather stagger onward and write more junk than go back and make that first draft into something worthwhile. For me, the term "writer" might be more correctly termed "rewriter". It is the people who are willing to reread and rewrite, many times, who produce excellent books.

I Can Write It, You Can Write It, He Can Write It...

2010-11-29T03:50:00.001-08:00

I just finished Martha Grimes' FOUL MATTER, a send-up of the publishing industry that I found thought-provoking. She touched on so many aspects of writing and publishing that I have felt or observed, things like author fantasies (I could write a great novel if I had someplace to go and write uninterrupted), author insecurities (What if I can't finish this mess? What if I'm really not any good at all?), and the outrageousness of publishing (the fact that talent is way down the list of why an author gets published, the manipulation of sales figures and contract wording, and the lack of serious editing, especially for authors who have already "made it").
Aside from enjoying the book immensely, I found that some things I've been subconsciously aware of were confirmed, at least for me. Talent is subjective. We don't know if we have it, nor do our editors, agents, and readers. Writing is an art, and people only know what they like. There are those who try to speak for the world, hence Pulitzer Prizes and the New York Times Bestseller List. But no one can define talent outside his or her own opinion. To me, if you put William Kent Kruger's prose alongside John Grisham's, there is no comparison, and they both tell a good story. But which of them is making money hand over fist?
Perhaps time is the best judge of writing talent, although there are those who hate the classics and claim Ernest Hemingway bores them. For genre fiction, time is an enemy in most cases. Reading Agatha Christie today requires a suspension of modernity; one has to step back in time mentally and appreciate what she was doing at the time. I doubt she would be widely published today.
So what's a writer to do? I guess we have to assume that we can write, that what we do will be appreciated by somebody. Maybe we'll hit the scene at just the right moment and make a splash. Maybe we'll have a string of respectable successes. Maybe we won't be recognized at all, even though we know in our hearts that we're better than that other guy. In that case, we have to hope that we're ahead of our time and will be wildly popular in the future. Maybe Steig Larsen is watching from some shadowy afterlife and chuckling into his beard.