Dave Vizard's Blog, page 6

Going on ice, though I have as much aversion to cold as the Oscars do to people of color

I am not an ice fisherman, but I am heading out on Saginaw Bay today – three days before the end of January - to do some research for my next book.

But, here’s the kicker. At this stage of my life, I have as much aversion to the cold as the Oscars have to people of color. I absolutely have no use for weather that makes my teeth chatter and my knees knock.

With the temperature just below freezing, and a howling wind from the northeast that makes it feel bone-chilling cold, this is not anything I am looking forward to. In fact, I’m dreading it.

However, there is nothing like experiencing the real thing to give a piece of fiction the kind of authenticity that will engage readers and pull them into a story. A piece of advice I picked up at Love Is Murder mystery writer’s conference a few years ago is that a good writer has got to do the research – the legwork – to make a story ring true.

And the key word here is research. One of the most frequently asked questions I receive when I’m meeting with folks at book clubs and writers’ circles, or with college or high school students, is this: You’re writing fiction, so why can’t you just make it up - why does it have to be accurate?

The answer is that readers are too smart to be fooled by pure fantasy and wild guesswork. If the work is dead wrong and filled with misinformation and errors, then the author is dead in her or his tracks.

It’s all about plausibility. If readers believe they’re being handed 250 pages or more of B.S., they’re simply not going to swallow it. And worse, if they put a book down and move on, it’s unlikely an author can lure them back.

So, I’m doing the legwork. I’m going out on the big ice with Fisher Joe, a friend I occasionally knock down a few beers with at the Blue Water Inn in Caseville.

Fisher Joe has got the ice gig down to a craft. He should, he goes out to catch Walleye and/or Perch almost every day in the winter. And he’s almost always successful. When I run into Joe, we inevitably swap a few, fresh cold ones. I buy him a few Bud Lights in exchange for a mess of fish – a small portion of whatever he caught that day.

All I have to do is clean the catch, season it up right, and toss it into the oven or into a pot of sizzling Canola oil to fry. Served with a baked spud and homemade coleslaw, the result is a delicious feed.

Pardon my drooling taste buds. They’re taking me off track here. The reason I want to go out with Fisher Joe is not the fish, but to research the experience.

He’s going to help me find out all kinds of things. What kind of clothing is necessary to weather Michigan’s coldest weather? What are the essential tools and gear of the ice fisherman? What about the bait (once out on the ice, you can’t just run back into town to pick up worms)? How do you judge the thickness of the ice to support you and your gear? What about weather patterns and shifts in temperature or wind? How do you know when it’s time to get off the ice?

And while I will rely on Fisher Joe for lots of information, my research won’t stop there. I’ll also talk with many of my neighbors, who have their own fishing traditions and rituals. That’s the great thing about living in a community where you have many resources.

But that’s not all. Before I’m done, I’ll also touch base and spend time with people at the Huron County Sheriff’s Department and the Coast Guard about cold-water rescue. They’re the folks who go out and get the anglers on the ice when they get in trouble.

So, by now you’re probably wondering just what kind of story a murder mystery writer might be conjuring up about ice fishing on Saginaw Bay.

Well, stay tuned. If all goes well, I’m hoping to publish by the end of the year and it will be within your reach.A Grand Murder

How a Barry, Barry good interview originated from a Key West rain shower

I just learned another valuable lesson in the power of networking.

Sometimes, you just never know how making a connection on one day in one place can end up paying off for you down the road in another time and place. Please, let me explain.

Earlier this week, I was interviewed by Barry Eva for his national talk radio program called “A Book and a Chat,” broadcast from his home in Connecticut on New Visions Radio.

Barry is originally from England, and the format for his show is an informal “chat over a cup of tea,” as he describes it. With more than 800 shows under his belt, he’s no novice when it comes to interviewing.

He asked me many thoughtful and provocative questions about writing and our common love of the written word. He was easy to warm up to because Barry is also a writer, the author of a successful young adult romance book "Across the Pond," as well as other notable works.

Barry focused the interview on getting me to tell his listeners about my journey - how I arrived at this point in my life where I’m working on novels every day.

I thought it was a great show because, well, we talked mostly about me - and my work - for more than 30 minutes. What could be more fun and interesting than that, right?

Well, you can judge the interview and our discussion yourself by following this link:

my link text

But what is also an interesting story is how I made the connection to Barry and his show. That’s a journey of a different sort. Again, allow me to explain.

Let’s go back in time two years. My wife, Barb, and I were vacationing in Key West, Florida. Over the years, we have come to love the Keys and every visit requires us to spend at least a few days in Key West.

During our last visit, I toured the Harry S. Truman Little White House. I love history, and I’ve always been fascinated with the late president. When the chance came to see where Truman made the final decisions about using nuclear weapons to end World War II, I jumped at the opportunity.

While on the Little White House grounds, the tour was interrupted by a mid-afternoon rain shower. It forced a big group of us to huddle on a covered porch to avoid a drenching.

That’s where I spotted a very interesting looking woman who was trying desperately to cover her head and keep her hair dry. She wore a colorful shirt with the words: I love Talk Radio – ask me about it.

So, being the inquisitive soul that I am, I could not resist. I introduced myself and asked her about the words printed in big letters across her chest.

Her name is Fran Silverman, who it turns out is a Talk Radio advocate and publicist. She also has written a number of e-books on Talk Radio shows ranging from animals to sports. Fran represents a number of authors and writes a bi-weekly e-zine for authors of all genres. You can find her this way: franalive@optonline.net

While the rain shower cooled off the Little White House from Key West’s hot afternoon sunshine, we talked. I told Fran about my first book, “A Formula for Murder,” and gave her a thumbnail sketch of the book I was finishing at the time, “A Grand Murder,” which published last summer.

I loved her enthusiasm and energy. I also think she was impressed with the description I gave her of my novels and my marketing efforts. She asked me to stay in touch.

We did. I reconnected with her last fall. Now, Fran represents me. It wasn’t long before she introduced me to Barry Eva. I sent Barry a copy of my latest book, and I was soon scheduled for his show.

As I mentioned earlier, I thought the show turned out great. In other words, it was Barry, Barry, good!
A Grand Murder

Giveaway puts novel in hands of readers far and wide

My Goodreads giveaway is now complete, and I’m eager to send “A Grand Murder” off to faraway places.

In case you’re not familiar with how the promotion works, this is it in a nutshell: I offered to hand out 20 books during a 30-day promotional period. 1,183 folks on Goodreads asked to be part of the giveaway and get a chance at winning one of my books. When the promotional period ended, Goodreads randomly selected the 20 winners from the 1,183 requests and sent me their names and mailing addresses.

This week, I will mail out my book to the winners. They hail from all over the United States and Canada. I did not opt to include the United Kingdom or Australia in the giveaway because I was afraid of monster postage fees.

I figure Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, Campbell River, British Columbia, Cedar City, Utah, Avondale, Louisiana, and Reynoldsville, Wyoming, are pretty far-flung locales from my perch on Sand Point, Michigan.

The reactions to the book from those far-away places, I hope, will be interesting and tell me about my abilities as a storyteller and writer.

“A Grand Murder” is a Michigan book from top to bottom. Fiction based on real Michigan people, places, events, and history. That’s what I write because that’s what I know. Though I’ve traveled quite extensively, Michigan has almost always been my home.

To be sure, Michigan has its warts and shortcomings. If you follow the national news, some of our biggest cities end up in the top part of the FBI’s annual violent crime report. Our politicians can be, oh, how shall I put it, a little whacky. And sometimes our weather can be downright brutal (like right now).

We’re famous for our vehicles, our music, our bountiful lakes and fresh water, our generous nature, our hearty work ethic and our sports teams (except for the Detroit Lions, who are the world’s biggest heartbreakers).

It’s a place I love, and I believe my affection for the Winter Wonderland comes across in my work.

“A Grand Murder” is selling well and getting good reviews since it published in June of last year. But most of that attention is coming from the folks who live here in Michigan with me.

They love the local connections and references. They enjoy reading about places they are familiar with. And they like the historical references that bring my stories home to them.

But now, through this Goodreads giveaway, I’m pushing the book out there in front of people who may have no clue about the Mitten State. Here’s the question I hope to get some answers to: How will “A Grand Murder” play in Moon Township, Pennsylvania? Or Rancho Cordova, California? Or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m pretty confident in this book. I believe it’s a good story and a good read - well written and professionally edited. I think the storyline and plot will resonate with lots of people, no matter where they live.

But, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In my case, that means the test of the book will be in its reading.

The people at Goodreads say about 40 percent of the people who receive books through their giveaway program review the book. That means, if my Michigan math is any good, about eight people will write reviews of the novel. I think that’s a good thing.

But I am hoping for an additional response. When I send the books out this week, I’m going to include a bookmark with each mailing. A hand-written note will be on one side of the bookmark, thanking the contestants for participating, and asking them to send me an email with their reactions – good, bad, or ugly.

Stay tuned. I will keep you posted on how it turns out.
A Grand Murder

'Revenant' should glean plenty of Oscar hardware

MINI REVIEW:

If you decide to catch “The Revenant,” be prepared for a completely immersive and thrilling experience. It's gripping and entertaining from beginning to end.

You’ll be immersed in the American frontier of the early 1800s where the difference between trappers, Native Americans and the animals they pursue is frightfully small.

You’ll be immersed in a classic, simple story of survival and the inspiring power of will. Leonardo DiCaprio is convincing as Hugh Glass, a scout and frontiersman who survives a horrifying bear mauling and abandonment in the wilderness. With this performance, it’s hard to imagine the Oscar going to any other actor.

You’ll be immersed in director Alejandro Iñárritu’s epic tale that clearly displays the beauty and brutality of the Old West. At times, you’ll feel like you’re there, in the scene, with Glass or villainous trapper John Fitzgerald, who is played brilliantly by Tom Hardy.

A word of caution for the squeamish: some scenes are shockingly graphic, both in violence and blood-dripping gore.

I enjoyed “The Martian” and “Spotlight” very much, but this movie just feels like it’s a cut above in terms of pure power and impact.

"The Revenant" is a 5-star movie.

Fear can be writers biggest obstacle

I will visit Laker High School creative writing students this week. Their teacher invited me to speak with them because they are curious about the whole writing process and wanted to talk with an author.

I’m happy to meet with them. I’ve been working with young writers through most of my career as a newspaper reporter and editor. When I was running the newsroom of a respected daily newspaper, I often visited high schools and colleges.

First off, it was fun. Nothing like being challenged by young people about what you do and how you do it. But it also gave me a chance to meet young writers, and recruit them as potential future employees. Plus, it was just good community relations for our newspaper.

We hired lots of young people as part-timers, editorial clerks, free-lance writers and reporting interns. A few actually became journalists. Some caught fire in the business and went on to big-time careers as reporters and writers for national audiences. I think all of them enjoyed the experience of working in a professional newsroom.

In advance of my visit this week, the creative writing teacher asked her students to put together a list of questions for me to answer and discuss during our visit. I reviewed them this afternoon.

One word describes the questions. Terrific.

Very interesting. I can tell that they are giving the writing process a lot of thoughtful consideration. The questions range from: “What are the preparations you go through before sitting down to write a novel?” to “How do you deal with distractions when trying to write in an active area” or a household in chaos?

Alexis wants to know how I continue to find inspiration to write. Larissa is eager to find out what my biggest pet peeve was when I was an editor. Anthony says he would like to see if he could get his novel published and what is the best way to do that.

One question that came up repeatedly, in different variations, has to do with the obstacles to writing.
How do you get past writer’s block? What do you do when you hit a wall and simply do not know what to write next? What is the one thing that most young writers struggle with, and how should they work through that?

See what I mean? Great questions.

So, what do I think is the biggest obstacle to writing, and how do I get past it?

The answer is this: Fear.

Fear of failure. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of rejection. Fear of humiliation.

I once worked with a respected editor and writer who said he lived ever single day of his life in fear that he would be exposed as a fraud who had no idea what he was doing. “I start every day thinking that today would be the day that I will be discovered, and uncovered as a boob and an idiot. Once I accepted it and got past that idea, then I could carry on and aggressively attack the day ahead.”

The trick, in my mind, is to turn fear around to work in your favor. Instead of allowing it to block or cripple your efforts to write, use it as motivation to turn that writing into the absolute best piece of work possible. Make fear motivate you to excellence, don’t let it throw you off track.

Fear, and conquering it, will be one of the things we talk about at Laker High School this week.

I’m really looking forward to it.
A Grand Murder

Reader wishes my assassin had gotten caught

I always enjoy hearing from readers who have purchased one of my books or received one as a gift.

Regardless of how they view the book, it’s good to hear what they think – good, bad, or ugly.

First of all, I am thankful for anyone who spends hard-earned money on one of my works. After all, they didn’t have to buy it for themselves or for a loved one. They could have spent their money on all kinds of stuff.

But I also like to hear from readers to get their take on something I’ve written. Careful readers, who enjoy a variety of different kinds of books, almost always have interesting observations. I value their feelings and thoughts.

And sometimes they come up with great plot twists that I hadn’t even considered during the process of writing and working with an editor to complete the book.

I am just now starting to hear from readers who received one of my novels as a Christmas gift. Carolyn, from Midland, bought “A Grand Murder,” my new novel, during a book signing I participated in at Little House Gifts in downtown Bay City. I remember her well because she asked so many good questions about the book.

Carolyn had purchased the book as a gift for a friend, and she asked me to sign the book for Marie and note that it was a Christmas present from her good friend. I’m happy to personalize any book if it helps makes the purchase special.

But before Carolyn wrapped and presented the gift to Marie, she decided to read it herself. “I saw it sitting there on the dining room table at home for three days. Finally, I picked it up and started reading it. Three days later I put it back down and then wrapped it for Marie.”

Wow, I thought that was a very nice compliment. Carolyn classified the novel as a “page burner” and said she enjoyed the mystery and the story very much. But then she repeated something I’ve heard other readers suggest. “I really wish your assassin would have gotten caught. It bothered me that she got away at the end of your book.”

For those unfortunate souls who have not had the opportunity to read “A Grand Murder” yet, let me just say for background purposes that my assassin is a woman named Charlie, who only kills men for money when they have demonstrated conclusively by their acts that they deserve to die.

So, some readers view Charlie, who is a secondary character in the book, as a heroine. She succeeds and provides justice only when the police and courts have failed. Nevertheless, Charlie is a cold-blooded killer, and it’s hard for many to see her in any other way than as a villain.

No doubt about it, “A Grand Murder” has an unconventional ending. I planned it that way. In real life, the good people don’t always win, get the life partner of their choice, or ride off into a golden Hollywood sunset.

I know it doesn’t seem right, but sometimes, the bad folks prevail. Life, though, has a funny way of sorting things and evening things out overtime.

So, I wrote Carolyn a long note, first thanking her for buying and sneaking in a read of my book. I explained that “A Grand Murder,” when it was under construction, had three different endings. I chose the one she read for several reasons, but the chief one is that I have other plans for Charlie, who already plays a key role in my next novel, the third installment of the Nick Steele series.

Carolyn said she was delighted to hear this news, and she’d like me to let her know when the next book is finished.

Now, that’s what I call a happy ending.
A Grand Murder

Not the best Grisham, but pretty darned good

Rogue Lawyer
by John Grisham (Goodreads Author)
17819847
Dave Vizard's review Dec 28, 15 · edit
really liked it
bookshelves: good-stuff
Read from December 26 to 28, 2015

This is a different kind of John Gisham book. It's actually a series of stories that are linked together.

Book started out slow, mostly because I had a hard time engaging with Sebastian Rudd, Grisham's Rogue Lawyer. So rogue, in fact, that the author declares that Sebastian is rogue several times in the course of the stories. By the last declaration, I had the feeling it was kind of like Sarah Palin declaring repeatedly that she's the Rogue Politician.

I also did not care for the protagonists overbearing cynical view of: the cops, judges, prosecutors, witnesses, jurors. Everybody is corrupt, bribery is rampant, and the whole judicial system is run by arrogant morons. I kept thinking that if it's this bad, why doesn't he choose another career, which is kind of how the story ends - on a down note.

Now, on the other hand, I did like how Grisham used fiction to draw attention to current issues and events. He puts a spotlight on human trafficking, America as the incarceration nation, heavy-handed police/SWAT forces that shoot first and ask question later, the murky world of cage fighting and promoting, and child custody wars that plague so many single parents.

It took a while for this story to gel, but by the second half I was engaged and burning pages. Not the best of Grisham, but certainly better than his last effort - Gray Mountain, which I thought was too predictable.

Rogue is still a good story, well worth reading and buying in my book.

Hateful 8 - mini review

Watched Hateful 8 last night.

Not your standard Christmas season fare, but what you'd expect from Tarantino, writer & director.

Lots of shoot 'em ups and gore galore, which is so heavy that it kind of douses out the story. Good cast, with some holdovers from Django.

Post Civil War, set in Wyoming winter. Bounty hunters clash with gang of low-lifes, so we're talking lowest of the low. Harsh times, place, people.

Vile language, including frequent use of N-word.

Not a movie I would pay money to watch.

The nightmare before Christmas - gift wrapping

Today, I face the last obstacle to another blissful Christmas.

Of course, I’m referring to the annual nightmare of gift-wrapping. It’s the only thing that stands in the way of a wonderful holiday, and it always comes down to this one horrible afternoon on the day before Christmas Eve.

All the packages are laid out at the end of the dining room table. An assortment of colorful and cheerful wrapping-paper rolls is stacked on a chair near the table. Clear plastic tape, a straight edge ruler, sharpened scissors, and a separate box of ribbons and bows stand at the ready near the other end of the table.

All I have to do is push it all together, and make it come out in a stack of beautiful gifts. Easy, right?
Not hardly.

No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, my gifts always come out looking like I just wrapped a bologna sandwich. The corners are uneven, sometimes torn. The edges look like I put the paper through a shredder. The wrapping paper is so crooked the images look like they are going to fall off the packages. The ends of the packages are a ragged disgrace.

Why am I so aware of this annual failure? My wife, Barb, the sweet and adorable part of my life, is the perfect gift wrapper. Believe me, she could beautifully wrap a present blindfolded, with one hand tied behind her back, while dangling upside down from 25 feet of scaffolding.

So, what is a simple, but clumsy wordsmith to do? My neatest packages are colorful and meaningful dialogue, finely crafted sentences that contain both a noun and verb, and sleek narrative that drives a story like a swift Corvette racing down the freeway.

When it comes to gift-wrapping, I am the classic, and sometimes dangerous, klutz.

Ah-hah! The easy, simple solution would seem to be gift bags, right? They’re colorful, neat, and tidy. Just stick your gift into one and then stuff a whole bunch of colorful tissue paper around it. And poof! Beautiful gift - all done!

Not so fast. The sweet and adorable one has deemed that gift bags are for present-wrapping weaklings. Only fraidy cats and quitters resort to gift bags.

Same thing applies to those who pay professionals to gift wrap, or those who take advantage of retailers who offer a free wrap with purchase (duh! That means you’re paying too much for the gift!).

So, I’m faced with the daunting task today of standing at the dinning room table stacked with unwrapped gifts, the paper and ribbons, and the tools of doom. I’ll get through it. I always do, somehow.

By Christmas Eve, the job will be done. Family members will recognize me as the slightly frazzled guy with chunks of clear-plastic tape in my hair, paper cuts on my fingers, and scissor cuts on my arms, present name tags sticking out of my pockets, and presents that look unsurprisingly like bologna sandwiches.

As gifts are handed around, snickers and guffaws will abound.

However, the last laugh will be mine. I know that five minutes after the gifts are handed out – no matter how pretty and tidy they are - the wrapping paper will be torn to a thousand pieces with bows and ripped ribbon littering the floor.

Merry Christmas!
A Grand Murder

How cousin Rosie got a new job and opened a door for murder

My cousin Mary Rose is one of the sweetest women you would ever want to meet. Honestly, I don’t think she’d have the heart to swat a fly, put down a trap for a mouse, or even say, “boo!” to a trick-or-treater at Halloween.

So, I must say that I was a little surprised when she asked me, after my first novel was published, to be included in the new murder mystery that I was writing at the time.

At first, I was reluctant to include her in the story. The reasoning goes back to my days as a newspaper editor. Your name, and how you are described, always looks different when it ends up in print – especially if you are not used to being dangled out there in front of the public. I can’t tell you the number of times folks wanted to be part of a newspaper feature and then were surprised at how they were viewed when it came out. That’s the nature of the beast. And, believe me, the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt Rosie’s feelings.

But, in addition to being a sweetheart, she also is persistent. In fact, she can be as tenacious as a pup gnawing on old, leather shoe.

Finally, after a number of pleas and appeals that would make a lawyer beam with pride, I agreed. At the same time, however, I said I would have to find a way to fit her into the story, which had already gone through a first draft and a developmental edit by a professional literary coach.

“I understand completely,” Rosie said, and then neatly laid it back completely on me. “I’ll leave it up to you and your good judgment.”

Yikes! Thanks a lot!

I started poking around my manuscript looking for a character, and a role, that I thought Mary Rose could play. It didn’t take long to find the perfect spot for her. All I had to do was modify the character to be more like my cousin and less like the person I had originally portrayed.

In my stories, characters, like the events and places, come from real-life experience. When I’m creating a character, I have to know who that person is, where they came from, what motivates them, and how they think. I have to visualize them in the story, interacting with others, to push the narrative and write dialogue.

All of the characters in my novels are combinations of people I have known or worked with during nearly 35 years in the newspaper business. Believe me, I have no trouble coming up with colorful, distinctive, and lively characters.

The number of memorable and wonderful people I was associated with during my career was one of the great things about being a daily newspaper journalist.

In this case, Mary Rose Hayden (I used her maiden name to help protect her privacy) replaced Brenda Burleigh, a Realtor, who plays a pivotal role in A Grand Murder, my new novel.

This became fairly easy to do. In real life, I am a Realtor, the job I proudly do to keep sharp-clawed, drooling, bill collectors and the tax assessor from banging down my door and seizing all of my asset (singular use of asset is correct when it comes to calculating my finances).

I had modeled Brenda after a real-life Realtor, who I have enjoyed working with the last few years. But Brenda, a sweetie in her own right, was not what you’d call a ball of fire. Semi-retired, unmotivated and pretty much worn out, I did my best not to let her downer personality become a distraction in the story. Brenda did not have great traits to sell real estate, but that didn’t matter for the role she played in my story.

Mary Rose, as I mentioned earlier, is the opposite. Full of life, optimistic, and a go-getter, she could be a poster child for Real Estate Today magazine. In my story, I describe her as hard working, always smiling and as slender as a swizzle stick with dark, bushy hair on one end and long narrow feet on the other.

The key role Mary Rose plays in my story is that she is pulled into the plot, unwittingly, by an assassin bent on finding entry to a home for sale. The killer is looking for a location to fulfill a contract killing. Mary Rose opens that door, but then deftly closes it as a result of her professionalism as a Realtor. I cannot reveal more because I do not want to spoil this essential aspect of the story for you.

Let me just say, however, that Mary Rose fit the bill perfectly. And, best of all, she is really pleased with how she came out in the story – even though the assassin refers to her later in the story as “that bitch!” Whew!

My new problem? Well, at this year’s Vizard Family Christmas Party, another relative, Beth Murray, begged to get in the next novel.

Hmmm, I wonder if Beth would like to be the supervisor of a lady’s homeless shelter in Key West?
A Grand Murder