Mike Befeler's Blog, page 8

Another Enjoyable Left Coast Crime Conference

Last week Iattended the Left Coast Crime Conference in Bellevue, Washington. I was on asenior sleuth panel with ArthurCoburn, Susan McCormick, Paula Charles and Ellen Kirschman:

I also moderated the Meetthe New Authors Breakfast, introducing 31 debut authors whose first mystery/thriller/suspense/thrillernovels was published in 2023 or early 2024.

I caught up with oldand new friends including two fellow authors with Encircle Publications: SharonDean and BJ Magnani:

Judging Writing Contests

I’ve been a judge a number of times for writingcontests. In 2013 I was a judge for the Mary Higgins Clark award for MysteryWriters of America. I received over 130 books to judge. The criteria were a suspensenovel in the tradition of Mary Higgins Clark:

·      "The protagonistis a nice young woman whose life is suddenly invaded.

·      "She’s self-madeand independent, with primarily good family relationships.

·      "She has aninteresting job.

·      "She is notlooking for trouble–she is doing exactly what she should be doing and somethingcuts across her bow.

·      "She solves herproblem by her own courage and intelligence.

·      "The story has noon-scene violence.

 

Of the books I received to read approximately one hundredwere cozy mysteries with a female protagonist, not a suspense novel. Afterreading a few pages, I could determine that these were not consistent with theguidelines. Over the next year, my wife and I read all the cozy mysteries andstarted chuckling about the cozy tropes. This inspired me to write A MysteryYarn that will be published later in April and is now available for pre-ordering.It’s a parody that includes these tropes:

·      The protagonist is awoman who runs a craft store

·      She had a bad previousrelationship

·      She has a sort-ofrelationship with a man in law enforcement

·      She finds a dead bodyand becomes a suspect

·      She has a dog

·      She has a cat

·      There’s a ghost in herstore

·      Her best friend is agay guy

·      There are recipes atthe end of the book

Itwas an enjoyable exercise to write a humorous cozy. As an example, the protagonistcan’t cook. Her recipes include toast, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese,scrambled eggs, and s’mores.

Jokes

Every day I email jokes to three friends and often post them onFacebook. Since I write humorous mystery novels, I’m a big fan of what I call “dumbdad jokes,” jokes we dads tell to our kids and grandkids to make them groan.Here’s one example of this very sophisticated form of humor: Which bathroomfixture is most likely to be submerged? The sink. Groan and bear it.

Table Co-hosting at the Left Coast Crime Conference

I’ll be attending the Left Coast Crime Conference in Bellevue, WA,in April. In addition to moderating the Meet the New Author Breakfast,participating in Author Speed Dating and being on a senior sleuth panel, I’llbe co-hosting a table at the Saturday night banquet with fellow author BruceRolfe.

Release of Three New Audiobooks

I have three audio books that have been released: Mysteryof the Dinner Playhouse, The V V Agency, and Coronavirus Daze.

Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse on Amazon 

Amazon.com: Mystery of the Dinner Playhouse (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Independently Published, Virtual Voice: Books 

The V V Agency on Amazon Amazon.com: The V V Agency (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Independently Published, Virtual Voice: Books

Coronavirus Daze on Amazon 

Amazon.com: Coronavirus Daze (Audible Audio Edition): Mike Befeler, Independently Published, Virtual Voice: Books

In Mysteryof the Dinner Playhouse a staged murder at a mystery dinner playhouse turnsinto a real poisoning death. Recently retired detective, Gabe Tremont, iscalled back to solve the crime, while struggling to figure out how tosuccessfully retire. He discovers the playhouse director, the cast members anda spy from a competing theater all have reasons to want the victim dead. Thisbook also deals with the topic of hoarding.

 

Imagine a dash of Philip Marlowe wrapped in an urban fantasy. The V V Agency is a paranormal mystery that spoofs thePI subgenre and introduces the transvictus—a unique shape shifter. Van andVanna run a detective agency, but clients never see them together for a simple reason.A sexual encounter transforms one into the other, and nudity renders them invisible.This presents some interesting dilemmas for his and her love lives, but gives thema distinct advantage when doing detective work. Van and Vanna take the case ofa woman suspected of killing her husband.

 

Coronavirus Daze is an uplifting andhumorous story about a boy keeping a journal during the Coronavirus outbreak. Tad, amiddle school student in Southern California, must deal with the boredom ofbeing stuck at home with his parents during the Coronavirus pandemic and has alife transforming experience when he makes an unexpected discovery. Readers mayshed a tear and will certainly have some chuckles as Tad recounts hisadventures in a time of chaos and uncertainty.

Author Speed Dating at the Left Coast Crime Conference

I’ll be participating in the Author Speed Dating atthe Left Coast Crime Conference in April. This is an enjoyable event where I willbe speaking to 18 tables of mystery readers along with fellow author TonyOllivier. At each table, we each will give a two-minute pitch about our latestmystery novels. Then we move on to the next table. It’s an excellent way toreach new readers. I’ve also found that by the end, we could give each other’spresentation. I always hand out postcards of my books as well.

Publication of Murder in the Museo Kircheriano

My  historical mystery novel, Murder in theMuseo Kircheriano, is now available.

Print Amazon: Amazon.com: Murder in the Museo Kircheriano: 9781941271575:Befeler, Mike: Books

Or contact your favorite bookstore. 

I’mavailable to give presentations to book groups, libraries and serviceorganizations via Zoom or in-person. Mikebef@aol.com

I’ll be presenting and signing at Mystery Ink Bookstore FernhillClubhouse 5472 Diamond Dr, Huntington Beach, CA on Sat., May 4, at 1 PM. and Book Carnival 348 S. Tustin,Orange, CA, on Sat. April 27 at 2 PM

In Murder in the Museo Kircheriano Jesuitpriest Athanasius Kircher created the world’s most amazing museum in the midseventeenth century Vatican. He was brilliant and reputed to be the last man toknow everything. He also bordered on being a con man.

When Queen Christina abdicates her throne in Sweden,converts to Catholicism and visits Kircher’s museum, she and Kircher discover adead body. They team up to solve the mystery of the murdered man, whileencountering a secret nephews circle.

Postcards

When one of my new books ispublished, I always have postcards made with the cover art on one side and informationabout the book on the other side. I provide the text, and my daughter-in-lawwho is a terrific graphic artist designs the postcard. Then I have thepostcards printed. I have a snail mail list that I send the postcards to, and Igive them out at conferences such as the Left Coast Crime Conference and otherevents. I have Murder in the Museo Kircheriano being published in March,and A Mystery Yarn being published in April. The postcards have beenprinted and are on their way to me.

Pre-order for A Mystery Yarn

The third book in my Omnipodge Trilogy, A MysteryYarn, following Old Detectives Home and Last Gasp Motel, willbe published by Encircle Publications on April 24 and can now be pre-ordered.

Print Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Gasp-Motel-Omnipodge-Mystery/dp/1645994724

Print Barnes and Noble: A Mystery Yarn by Mike Befeler, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®(barnesandnoble.com)

e-book Amazon: A Mystery Yarn (An Omnipodge Mystery Book 3) - Kindle edition byBefeler, Mike. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Or contact your favorite bookstore.

I’m available to givepresentations to book groups, libraries and service organizations via Zoom orin-person. Mikebef@aol.com

In A Mystery Yarn, whilemaking the rounds to visit her fellow shopkeepers in Ominpodge Village Center,Pru Pendergast overhears an argument between her obnoxious landlord, BartCunard, and Sally Midge Cunard, Bart's ex-wife, during which Sally Midgeaccuses Bart of being involved in shady real estate dealings with developerLarry Ludwick. Pru also hears jewelry shopkeeper Jake Yalley defend Sally Midgeand threaten Bart.

When Pru visits FloFlorrest's yarn shop, Bart comes in and gets into a shouting match with Flo.Pru next goes to Bea Potter's bookstore and listens to Bea complain about Bartsexually harassing her. Then Pru has lunch with best friend Herb Hanover-of Herb'sHerbs-and he cries about Bart calling him hateful names while Herb is stillsensitive over his partner's death.

Pru returns to her shop,Driftwood Creatives, to find Bart dead, garroted with driftwood handles andbrown Vicuna yarn. She also notices that Bart's diamond ring is missing fromhis hand. Because his body is found in her shop, Detective James Moriarty immediatelyquestions Pru and accuses her of murder, but she's certainly not the onlysuspect. Pru must escape attacks on her own life and avoid being arrested untilshe can find the real killer and solve the crime, all while trying to catch theeye of her new sort of boyfriend.

Senior Sleuth Panel at LCC2024

I will be on a senior sleuth panel at the Left CoastCrime Conference on Saturday, April 13 at 4 pm in Belleview, WA. Other panelistsare Paula Charles, Ellen Kirschman, Susan McCormick and moderator Arthur Cohen.I’ve had the pleasure of being on panels with Ellen and Susan before. I willalso be moderating the Meet the New Author Breakfast on Friday, April 12 at whichPaula and Arthur will be presenting. Senior sleuths are a major part of mymystery writing since the majority of my mystery novels feature older amateursleuths.