Mike Befeler's Blog, page 31
November 14, 2019
Older Writers
I know some writers who have been writing since they were eight years old. I’m at the other end of the spectrum. I didn’t start writing until I was 56, and my first novel was published when I was 62. So I like collecting information about older writers. Here are a few:
Delia Owens debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, was published when she was 70.
You don’t even need to be alive to be published. Mary Ann Shaffer died at the age of 73. Her novel, The Guernsey Literary and Peel Pie Society, became a best seller after her death.
Herman Wouk published his novel, The Lawgiver, in 2012 at the age of 97.
Morrie Markoff was at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books signing the first book he had ever written and published, his memoir, Keep Breathing. At the time he was 103.
So it’s never too late to start writing and never too late to get published.
Delia Owens debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, was published when she was 70.
You don’t even need to be alive to be published. Mary Ann Shaffer died at the age of 73. Her novel, The Guernsey Literary and Peel Pie Society, became a best seller after her death.
Herman Wouk published his novel, The Lawgiver, in 2012 at the age of 97.
Morrie Markoff was at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books signing the first book he had ever written and published, his memoir, Keep Breathing. At the time he was 103.
So it’s never too late to start writing and never too late to get published.
November 7, 2019
A New Book Release
For me, it’s always an exciting time when a new book is released. On November 8, 2019, my seventeenth book, The Front Wing, will be published. This is a sequel to the previous mystery novel, The Back Wing.
In The Front Wing , a Harold and Bella paranormal geezer-lit mystery, Harold McCaffrey realizes this is his three month anniversary at Mountain Splendor Retirement Home. Harold helps at an open house by taking names for a waiting list of people wanting to move into the Front Wing of the facility. Afterwards, there is commotion and a dead body is found in the lobby. With the help of his witchy girlfriend, Bella Alred, and other unusual residents, Harold must solve the mystery of why people on the waiting list are getting injured and dying. And don’t believe the myth that vampires don’t age; they get older, move into retirement homes, lose their teeth and gum people on the throat. What others have said about my paranormal geezer-lit mysteries:
“Mike Befeler has crafted a witty and fast-moving paranormal puzzle set in a retirement home. It’s a fun read!” —Edgar winner Rex Burns
“Mike Befeler turns paranormal on its head in this charming tale of murder, mystery, and things that go dead in the night.”—Ellen Byerrum, author of The Crime of Fashion Mysteries
“A clever mystery plot and wacky cast provide humor and intrigue.” —Cricket McRae, author of The Home Crafting Mystery Series
I have enjoyed combining older people, paranormal characters and humor in this latest mystery novel that will keep you guessing.
In The Front Wing , a Harold and Bella paranormal geezer-lit mystery, Harold McCaffrey realizes this is his three month anniversary at Mountain Splendor Retirement Home. Harold helps at an open house by taking names for a waiting list of people wanting to move into the Front Wing of the facility. Afterwards, there is commotion and a dead body is found in the lobby. With the help of his witchy girlfriend, Bella Alred, and other unusual residents, Harold must solve the mystery of why people on the waiting list are getting injured and dying. And don’t believe the myth that vampires don’t age; they get older, move into retirement homes, lose their teeth and gum people on the throat. What others have said about my paranormal geezer-lit mysteries:
“Mike Befeler has crafted a witty and fast-moving paranormal puzzle set in a retirement home. It’s a fun read!” —Edgar winner Rex Burns
“Mike Befeler turns paranormal on its head in this charming tale of murder, mystery, and things that go dead in the night.”—Ellen Byerrum, author of The Crime of Fashion Mysteries
“A clever mystery plot and wacky cast provide humor and intrigue.” —Cricket McRae, author of The Home Crafting Mystery Series
I have enjoyed combining older people, paranormal characters and humor in this latest mystery novel that will keep you guessing.
October 31, 2019
Teaching a Fiction Writing Class
I’m enjoying the opportunity of teaching a fiction writing class for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at California State University Long Beach. This class meets once a week for eight weeks with attendees being age fifty or over.
The class offered me a chance to organize what I’ve learned in writing fiction novels over the last eighteen years, beginning in 2001 when I made the decision to prepare myself to retire into writing. I have taught course while in business and as an adjunct at the University of Colorado, as well as at writers conferences.
All the attendees at this OLLI course are there because of an interest in fiction writing and the desire to learn more about the process of writing and getting published. We are half way through the course, and at each session I’m bombarded with excellent questions.
The class offered me a chance to organize what I’ve learned in writing fiction novels over the last eighteen years, beginning in 2001 when I made the decision to prepare myself to retire into writing. I have taught course while in business and as an adjunct at the University of Colorado, as well as at writers conferences.
All the attendees at this OLLI course are there because of an interest in fiction writing and the desire to learn more about the process of writing and getting published. We are half way through the course, and at each session I’m bombarded with excellent questions.
October 24, 2019
Speaking at Libraries
Since returning to Southern California in 2015, I have been invited to give author presentations at a number of libraries. This has included Iacoboni Library in Lakewood, Michelle Obama Library in Long Beach, El Segundo Library, the library at Leisure World in Seal Beach, Friends of the Costa Mesa Library, Pomona Library, Glendale Library, Fountain Valley Library, Seal Beach Library, and Cypress Library. I have events scheduled through Westminster Library and Anaheim Library.
I also attend books clubs at two local libraries.
Libraries provide an important and needed service for our communities. I always enjoy meeting readers when I do library events.
I also attend books clubs at two local libraries.
Libraries provide an important and needed service for our communities. I always enjoy meeting readers when I do library events.
October 17, 2019
Writing Series, Sequels or Standalones
When I started writing, I didn’t give any consideration to writing a series or a standalone. As I got into writing my first published novel, Retirement Homes Are Murder, I started thinking beyond the first book. Eventually, this ended up being a six book series. Once I made the decision to view this as a series, I sketched out additional locations and plots for the protagonist, Paul Jacobson.
Since then I have also written and had published a number of standalone books. I also gave thought to what I might do if I decided to continue with the same protagonist. At this point in my writing journey I have sixteen published books with another due out in November, 2019.
Of these two, are sequels. My most recently published mystery novel, Paradise Court, is a sequel to Court Trouble. These are both sports mysteries featuring the sports of platform tennis and pickleball, sports I have played. Coming out next month is The Front Wing, a sequel to The Back Wing, a paranormal geezer-lit mystery taking place in a retirement community with very unusual residents.
Since then I have also written and had published a number of standalone books. I also gave thought to what I might do if I decided to continue with the same protagonist. At this point in my writing journey I have sixteen published books with another due out in November, 2019.
Of these two, are sequels. My most recently published mystery novel, Paradise Court, is a sequel to Court Trouble. These are both sports mysteries featuring the sports of platform tennis and pickleball, sports I have played. Coming out next month is The Front Wing, a sequel to The Back Wing, a paranormal geezer-lit mystery taking place in a retirement community with very unusual residents.
October 10, 2019
Writing Paranormal Geezer-lit Mystery Novels
My first published books were the Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery series featuring an octogenarian with short-term memory loss. My agent at the time suggested I explore paranormal mysteries so I wrote and had published The V V Agency that features a shape-shifting private investigator. Next, I decided to combine geezer-lit and paranormal with The Back Wing, a mystery that takes place in a retirement home with very extraordinary residents. After a number of other published mystery novels, I’m back with a sequel titled, The Front Wing.
In The Front Wing, a Harold and Bella paranormal geezer-lit mystery, people on a waiting list to get into the Front Wing of a retirement community have accidents and are killed. Harold McCaffrey marshals the special abilities of his unusual friends including aging witches, vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters to solve the mystery. And don’t believe the myth that vampires don’t age. They get older, move into retirement homes, lose their teeth and gum people on the throat, The Front Wing will be published in November by Encircle Publications.
In The Front Wing, a Harold and Bella paranormal geezer-lit mystery, people on a waiting list to get into the Front Wing of a retirement community have accidents and are killed. Harold McCaffrey marshals the special abilities of his unusual friends including aging witches, vampires, werewolves and shape-shifters to solve the mystery. And don’t believe the myth that vampires don’t age. They get older, move into retirement homes, lose their teeth and gum people on the throat, The Front Wing will be published in November by Encircle Publications.
October 3, 2019
Sisters in Crime Presentation
Sisters in Crime is one of the mystery writer organizations I belong to. I joined when living in Colorado and am now a member of the Los Angeles chapter, being a sibling in crime.
I'll be giving a presentation, "Becoming an author has no expiration date" on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime at the South Pasadena Library at 2:30 PM.This is about my experience starting to write later in life and writing about older characters.
I'll be giving a presentation, "Becoming an author has no expiration date" on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime at the South Pasadena Library at 2:30 PM.This is about my experience starting to write later in life and writing about older characters.
September 26, 2019
Book Clubs
Over time, I have participated in a number of book clubs and have also presented to book clubs. As a writer, I have found it valuable to hear feedback from readers on what they like and don’t like about specific books.
This coming Sunday, September 28, at 4 pm, there is a celebration of book clubs taking place at Rancho Los Cerritos in Long Beach, CA. A group of three women, Dee Abrahamse, Linda Haley and Susan Redfield, have spearheaded a project to identify approximately 130 book clubs in the greater Long Beach area.
Let’s hear it for book clubs.
This coming Sunday, September 28, at 4 pm, there is a celebration of book clubs taking place at Rancho Los Cerritos in Long Beach, CA. A group of three women, Dee Abrahamse, Linda Haley and Susan Redfield, have spearheaded a project to identify approximately 130 book clubs in the greater Long Beach area.
Let’s hear it for book clubs.
September 19, 2019
Editing Old Manuscripts
During a very productive period after I retired in 2007 until we moved back to Southern California in 2015, I completed a number of mystery novel manuscripts. To date, 14 mystery novels, a thriller and a non-fiction book have been published. A number of the other manuscripts are in the publishing pipeline, and there’re others I have not yet submitted for publication.
When a completed manuscript is ready to be submitted, I always have to go through an editing pass to fix things that have changed since initial writing. As an example, in my thriller, The Tesla Legacy, I referred to Osama bin Laden hiding in a cave. By the time it was ready to be published, he had been killed, so I needed to edit the wording.
Many of my novels refer to actual places. Another thing I’ve run into is that restaurants that characters visit go out of business. If my novel is to take place in current times, I then need to change the restaurant or use a fictitious name.
For some of the manuscripts, I have left the time in the past. For others I use current time. If using current time, I also need to be aware of changes in technology. A novel taking place in the 1980s can refer to pay phones but not in current times. I’m reading an older mystery right now where the protagonist uses a dial up link for her computer. Phone and computer technology can date a manuscript.All part of a writer’s editing challenge.
When a completed manuscript is ready to be submitted, I always have to go through an editing pass to fix things that have changed since initial writing. As an example, in my thriller, The Tesla Legacy, I referred to Osama bin Laden hiding in a cave. By the time it was ready to be published, he had been killed, so I needed to edit the wording.
Many of my novels refer to actual places. Another thing I’ve run into is that restaurants that characters visit go out of business. If my novel is to take place in current times, I then need to change the restaurant or use a fictitious name.
For some of the manuscripts, I have left the time in the past. For others I use current time. If using current time, I also need to be aware of changes in technology. A novel taking place in the 1980s can refer to pay phones but not in current times. I’m reading an older mystery right now where the protagonist uses a dial up link for her computer. Phone and computer technology can date a manuscript.All part of a writer’s editing challenge.
September 12, 2019
Men of Mystery
Coming up on Saturday, September 21, is one of my favorite mystery writer/fan conferences, Men of Mystery, at The Grand in Long Beach, CA. I will be joining 35 other mystery authors in a day-long event where we will each give a one minute pitch about our mystery novels, have lunch with a group of mystery readers, sign books and chat.
I have been attending this conference since 2009 and enjoy it each time. When living in Colorado, I would schedule a visit with our kids in LA around this conference, but now that we’re back living in Southern California, it’s a ten minute commute.Headliners this year include Thomas and Jo Perry, Gregg Hurwitz and Scott Brick. I look forward to catching up will friends and meeting new people.
I have been attending this conference since 2009 and enjoy it each time. When living in Colorado, I would schedule a visit with our kids in LA around this conference, but now that we’re back living in Southern California, it’s a ten minute commute.Headliners this year include Thomas and Jo Perry, Gregg Hurwitz and Scott Brick. I look forward to catching up will friends and meeting new people.
