J.C. Paulson's Blog, page 3

Free sucks. Fight me.

Way back when the Earth was cooling, I landed my first job as a journalist with the local newspaper. ‘Twas the only thing I ever wanted to do.

I thought that if I worked hard, didn’t screw up too badly, and stuck like glue to my ethics, I would have a long if not entirely brilliant career.

Then the Internet landed like a bomb in the middle of newsrooms everywhere, and suddenly the world changed almost overnight. It felt like it tipped on its axis and rolled over as if in capitulation.

Immediately, editors and media owners everywhere jumped into the ethereal sea of free. It was a new era of journalism, they cried. We will reach more readers, offer more content, hire more online reporters and garner more advertising because new platform! Isn’t this exciting?

Well, we know how that turned out. Not too much later, reporters were being laid off, newspapers were closing doors, and the big Internet companies were sucking up all the advertising dollars like vampires in a feeding frenzy. I do not exaggerate.

While I do not entirely blame the advent of online everything for my untimely exit from full-time newspapering, I definitely do blame same largely for the culture of free.

Free. Free is different from freedom. Free is the opposite. Free is the murderer of careers in culture, arts, newsgathering and truth-telling. Free allows for uncurated preaching to choirs of discontent, even as it provides forums and platforms for useful human connection. So it’s not all bad.

But it’s pretty bad.

In desperation and with little choice, artists have pivoted into the free culture, particularly musicians and authors. Embraced would be entirely the wrong word. While I know little about marketing music, I know a fair amount about marketing books. Let me rephrase: I know of or have studied the trends and approaches used by authors around the globe. They are, for many if not most, frustrating, ever-changing, and largely useless.

Here is one such marketing concept. If you are, for example, the author of a series, you should give away your first book as a loss leader! Everyone will love your book So Much that they will buy All The Other Books In Your Series and You Will Become Rich And Famous. I’ll give you that this has worked for some authors, such as the illustrious Mark Dawson. However, in the main, people will download or pick up practically anything for free, then completely ignore the item because free requires no investment in attention, time or, ahem, money.

POLL:

I ran a straw poll on Twitter with the simple single question: Free Books??

Answers (312 respondents):

Yes! 43.3 per cent

Never! 10.3 per cent

ARCs/magnets/on sale only: 36.5 per cent

Free is stupid: 9.9 per cent

(For those unfamiliar, an ARC is an advance reader copy. A magnet is something you produce that is given away for FREE to entice people to sign up for newsletters or otherwise “follow” an artist.)

Some of those declaring Free is Good had good points. A few authors said they write for themselves and do not seek filthy lucre, and good on them. Others have had some luck providing the first book in the series for nada, leading to sales of ensuing works. Some felt that giveaways had indeed grown their readership. Many said loss leadership is a tried-and-true marketing strategy.

But many others argued that free equals bad in the minds of many buyers. In addition, there’s that lack of investment issue, which means the free book settles to the bottom of the must-read pile like whale dung.

News flash: some artists do actually try to make a living from their work. As one writer put it:

“I work my fanny off writing/creating/editing and spend a fortune to get a book ready to go out. No way am I going to just give it away! You want to read it "free" join a beta reader group or wait for a sale.”

Right!?

And here’s some more theory support from an advertising expert, ie, not “just” an author:

“I've worked in advertising for 24 years and have never bought into the loss leader marketing approach. It says, "We can't sell it so we are giving it away." Financially, it only works if you are overcharging on other sales. But bargain hunters will thank you for your generosity.”

Free, in my humble, sucks. The free culture was founded by the big boys running the big ether companies. They are the ones making the money on the backs of artists (and many other types of folk.) The rest of us, however, are also to blame. We capitulated early on, and now there’s a long, winding road back, largely blocked by massive boulders of inertia and power.

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, we must return to the garden, and only by banding together will it happen. It’s not strewn with gold, and it never was. But it is lush with beautiful words, strange and illuminating ideas, entertainment, escapism, enduring truths and liar detectors. And that is worth something, damn it.

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Published on December 28, 2020 14:39

The incredibly prolific crime writer Graham Smith

Graham Smith has been a fan of crime fiction since reading a Famous Five book at age eight. One day, as you will learn, he decided he could write at least as well as some of the books he was reading.

As he says on his website: “I turned my hand to writing in my late thirties and consider it to be the most infuriatingly rewarding hobby imaginable, although I’m well aware that I’m nothing more than a stenographer for the voices in my head.”

Meet author Graham Smith.

Welcome, Graham. You’re the author of not one, not two, but three mystery series. Tell us a bit about how you wrote them. Did you tackle one series first, or do you write concurrently? And do you sleep?

I write all of my books in much the same way, on my couch with the TV on low in the background. I basically just get my butt in the seat and try to write a minimum of 1,000 words per day.

I wrote the first books in the Harry Evans series first and then interspersed them with the Jake Boulder series. At that time I would have an idea for a story and then I’d give it to either Jake or Harry depending on which of the two would best be suited to the plot. I wrote the DC Beth Young series after the first two as I’d moved to a new publisher and the contract I had meant I had to give Beth my full attention. I do sleep, but it seems I need less and less the older I get.

I understand you’re also a builder and hotel manager. Tell us about your ‘other life’ and any personal bits you’d like to share.

I’m a former joiner and when I got the opportunity to run the family hotel and wedding venue, I transitioned from using my hands to using my head. It’s a very different life but I love what I do as our core business is weddings and it’s always great to work with customers who are having a wonderful time.

Were your detectives created from whole cloth, or were there inspirations behind these characters?

I find that all the characters I create have their roots in people I know. No one character is solely created from one real person; rather I think of them as a blend of influences and characteristics that make them who they are.

When and why did you become an author? Was there an ‘event’ or did you always want to write?

I kind of fell into writing after realising that I couldn’t keep tossing books across the room muttering “I could do better than this” without trying my own hand at writing. I did have an attempt in my teenage years that was so shockingly awful I’m delighted to say it’s lost to the sands of time.

How do you publish, and how often?

I generally have one or two books out each year and the scheduling for each release is very much down to my publishers, their publishing schedule and how quickly I can write the books. I currently have releases scheduled for April, July and October 2021, plus I have another novel out on submission with my agent so that may or may not be published next year if a publisher snaps it up.

Who are your authorial inspirations?

I think every author I’ve ever read and been entertained by has to count as an inspiration as I love being transported to a new world. Certain authors I would class as inspiring are Diana Thomas, Craig Russell, Lee Child, Matt Hilton, Zoe Sharp and A.A. Dhand.

What do you prefer to read?

I am crime fiction through and through, but I read most of the sub genres such as historical, espionage thrillers, crime action thrillers, police procedurals and so on. The only crime novels I tend to sidestep are the cosy mysteries as I like some grit in my novels.

Do you have any brilliant tips for other authors, whether emerging or established?

The best tips I can offer are to get your butt in the seat and start writing. You can edit bad writing, but you can’t edit a blank page. I’d also say to read five books that are in the same sub genre as the one you’re planning to write and then after reading them, write a 500-word review. The review needn’t be critical or effusive, but it must cover the various elements of a story such as pace, plot, character, any themes and how the novel makes you feel. Knowing you have to review a story in this way makes you much more of a careful reader and gives you a better understanding of the various tools in a writer’s toolkit.

Thank you so much, Graham!

Please find Graham Smith at these locations:

,,www.grahamsmithauthor.com

Amazon UK ,,https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graham-Smith/e/B006FTIBBU/

Amazon US ,,https://www.amazon.com/Graham-Smith/e/B006FTIBBU/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/grahamnsmith...
Twitter ,,https://twitter.com/GrahamSmith1972

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Published on December 07, 2020 06:30

A sixth sense for serial killers: Author MJ LaBeff

MJ LaBeff describes herself as the girl next door with a dark side. If she moves into your neighbourhood, though, have no fear: she’s too busy writing suspense novels, working in the financial services industry, exercising, running after three dogs and — when she has time —watching the Investigation Discovery channel. The dark side is entirely engaged in creating compelling characters, notably her protagonist Rachel Hood, and serial killer plots.

Meet MJ LaBeff.

Welcome, MJ. You're the author of the Last Cold Case series; three have been published and one lands in January, I believe. What inspired you to write this series?

Initially I became intrigued by how changing seasons and moon phases can affect people and from there each story was inspired by something different that helped me shape the crimes (in each book there is a current case linked to a past cold case) and the serial killers. I tend to look at situations real and imagined and wonder, “what if?” I create character enneagrams and dive into their back stories to develop what I hope are realistic characters and serial killers. I put each serial killer in a specific situation and then look at what dark could emerge from that incident(s).

Last Summer’s Evil book 1 developed out of my goal to create a sympathetic serial killer and not reveal if the person were male or female to keep readers guessing until the very end. It might’ve been the most difficult book to write because there were abductions and murders taking place simultaneously.

Last Fall’s Hunted book 2 was inspired by a personal family experience; my aunt had kidney disease and lost her battle in the mid-eighties. At the time, I was quite young but remember her being on dialysis and looking sick. I think about her often and started asking my mom questions about her illness and the kidney transplants that sadly didn’t work and then my imagination took over: “What if a parent was so desperate to save a child that they took horrific measures and employed the help of other family members too?”

Last Winter’s Taken book 3 started around two ideas. The first was the lengths a woman might go to to have a child. I was intrigued by the idea of someone having such strong motherly instincts but also having a diabolical side conflicting with that nurturing nature. The second was a fascination with the Salem Witch trials after coming across an article about an archeological dig and artifacts found. As I continued to ponder the “what ifs” and my main character’s back story, I saw this thread bringing these ideas together.

Last Spring’s Stranger book 4 was the result of an article I read about bullying but the real inspiration came from a childhood game of truth or dare. I recalled being at a sleep over and a girl took a dare. She was dared to drink a glass of toilet bowl water. Thank goodness she didn’t. Can you imagine how sick she could’ve gotten? That grade school memory had me wondering, “What if a prank ended in death?” Of course, what happens in the book is much more intentional and sinister.

Tell us a bit more about your detective, Rachel Hood. Was it important to you to have a female main character?

Rachel is smart, strong, fearless and a psychic empath. She runs toward danger. She loves chasing down a criminal. She wants justice for all and risks her life for it.

Paranormal activity and psychic abilities are fascinating to me. I believe we all have a very strong sixth sense but choose to ignore it. Some people might call it gut instinct. I think it’s more than that. Having this psychic gift causes Rachel to feel every ounce of the victims’ pain in the books. However, she does need to have some personal connection to that person. Often it’s hard for her and FBI agent Nick Draven to determine what connects her to the victim. Although the psychic empathy adds a different layer to the plot, hard evidence must be found to capture and convict a killer.

It was important to have a female lead for a couple of reasons. Being a female writer, I could relate to Rachel physically and emotionally, and I admire women who are courageous. I wanted to develop a female homicide detective who was equal to her male counterparts and extremely driven. The two things she fears are marriage and having children. She’s confident in her career but highly uncertain about being a wife and mom since she grew up without one. However, FBI agent Nick Draven isn’t allowing her to go so easily. There’s a light romantic thread that develops between them throughout the books. I felt this helped to make Rachel more realistic.

You've also written one romantic suspense novel.

I’ve written several novels. Many aren’t published and probably never will be. Let’s face it. Some books just need to go to book heaven.

Mind Games was my debut novel released in 2015. It was not the first novel I’d written but the fourth. After much persuading, I ended up self publishing. The book had languished for so long and after nearly 50 agent rejection letters, it was time to breathe life into it. It’s available exclusively at Amazon in eBook and paperback and at Barnes and Noble in paperwork only.

Here’s a brief synopsis of Mind Games to whet your reading appetite.

Sparrow Von Langley had a childhood that was anything but typical. Born into the privilege of wealth in Crystal Cove, California, her father is Dr. Theodore Von Langley, a well-respected, nationally-known behavioral therapist. Tormented by frightening visions brought on by a series of mysterious deaths, Sparrow is determined to search for the truth behind the tragedies and reconnects with Dr. Derrick Sloan.

Derrick has been searching for his missing sister, Kathlyn “Kat” Sloan, since her disappearance ten years ago. A hypnotherapist helps Sparrow pull together the pieces of her traumatic past, and her repressed memories reveal the twisted truth behind the mysterious deaths and Kat’s disappearance. She is shocked to discover her father’s possible involvement, and when her hunt collides with Derrick’s search for Kat, she must decide if she can trust him enough to follow the evidence trail together or risk losing the man she loves.

Will the only daughter of the respected doctor prove his guilt or innocence in his quest to change lives? Find out in ,MIND GAMES .

Why did you become an author? Were you always driven to write, or was there an inspirational moment?

I love reading and books. Even in grade school, high school, and college I always read for fun. One of the greatest joys before I started writing my own books was reading others. I would marvel at sentence structure, word choices, and how a simple phrase could convey an emotional reaction whether it was fear, sadness or happiness. I love how really great writing can make me laugh, cry, or panic. Now my time is limited so I don’t breeze through even the most engaging books. Sorry, but a girl needs to sleep.

Prior to working in the financial services industry, I worked in marketing and advertising and that fed my writing desire. When I changed careers, I missed writing a lot. Since I was a little girl, I had always wanted to write a book, but it seemed like an unrealistic dream. Now I could kick myself for not writing much earlier!

I started my first book on January 1, 2007 (unpublished and never will be) and discovered how much I liked the writing process. Since then I’ve written a book every year except for 2019; I focused on polishing a manuscript to query literary agents. I’ve received several positive responses but those agents felt they didn’t have the right editor to pitch. Next.

Did you start by seeking a publisher, or by publishing independently? How did your relationship with Muse It Up come about?

I had high hopes of landing a literary agent. Between my novels Haunting Lyric (unpublished for now) and Mind Games I collected 80 or so rejections. I’m a stubborn, persistent kinda girl and for each rejection I’d picture this pair of boxing gloves and just think, “Next!” I wasn’t about to let a rejection letter TKO me! Rejections didn’t devastate me; they made me write more, polish manuscripts and try again. They were disappointing and fuel for some great workouts too!

By the time I was half-way through writing Last Spring’s Stranger, book 4 of the Last Cold Case series, I couldn’t imagine submitting to an agent. I was ready to unleash these books on the world. I started looking at smaller publishers and came across Muse It Up. I read some of the authors with MIU and thought this could work. I submitted Last Summer’ s Evil book 1 and in my query pitched the series. They loved it and wanted all the books! The senior editor and publisher battled each other in an email for editing dibs but for the sake of continuity, they agreed to work together.

What do you like to read? Who are your favourite authors, and did any of them inspire or motivate you?

I love mysteries and gritty, dark thrillers. My favorite author is Mary Higgins Clark; she’s brilliant. I discovered her books in college in the ‘90s when a friend gave me Where Are the Children? By then Clark had so many books out, I devoured every single one.

Ironically, it was a romance author who truly inspired me to write. I had the pleasure of meeting NYT bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson. We struck up a friendship and she looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Just write.” So, I did. I was blessed to have her endorse my novel Mind Games and critique a few of my early books. I also owe a lot of thanks to my critique partner, Patricia Forsythe Knoll. She’s been hanging in there with me for years now and reads/critiques my dark thrillers.

I have so many favorite thriller authors, and I continue to discover more and more- Carter Wilson, Bryan Gruley, Bruce Coffin, Karin Slaughter, Meg Gardiner, Lisa Gardner, Dean Koontz and . . .

If you’d like to learn more about me and the books I write, please visit my website www.mjlabeff.com and let’s be friends on FB https://www.facebook.com/LaBeffMJ or Twitter and Instagram @MJLaBeff. The books in the Last Cold Case series are available where all eBooks are sold and in paperback online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you so much, MJ! See below for links to Last Spring’s Stranger book 4.

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FKMRYY8

Apple

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1527136329

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/last-spring-s-stranger

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-springs-stranger-mj-labeff/1137460833?ean=2940164659028

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Published on November 16, 2020 09:39

Kirk Burris: epicure, wanderer, author

Kirk Burris is a man of many talents. After attaining a degree in psychology with a minor in English, Burris became a photographer and Realtor while also developing passions for cooking, snorkeling, travelling and, of course, writing. He’s been everywhere from Tokyo to New York, and you’ll find international references as well as delicious dishes tucked into his romance and mystery works. Here’s a taste of the Missourian-now-Floridian’s life and work.

Welcome, Kirk. I understand you're a cook as well as an author. Tell me more.

Cooking is definitely a passion of mine. As a young child in the 70s, I was subjected to all the “quick fixes” that every mother leaned on. Ragu in a jar. Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper. SPAM, of course. And if a vegetable didn’t come in a can, it didn’t make it to our table. We were poor, living in the Midwest, and I didn’t realize you could actually buy fresh spinach until I moved out when I was 18. Once I started cooking for myself, I realized I had some talent, and soon began developing my own recipes. As with everything, practice makes perfect. So these days, I call myself a home chef. One day I hope to finally produce the cookbook I started working on 10 years ago with my mother. She passed away last year, so it’s a goal of mine to finish it one day when time allows. I’m looking at starting a cooking blog in the meantime where I’ll share some of my favorite recipes.

Your second novel, 12 Pills, was just released. What can you reveal about the book?

12 PILLS was a fun adventure for me. My debut novel, Breaking Sandcastles, teased a murder mystery, but it was really more of a romance. I had some fans that asked me to do a full-on mystery, and I was eager to give it a go. I’ve read a fair amount of Grisham and Patterson, so I wanted to try that genre. I’d say 12 PILLS is very fast paced, much like Patterson’s work. It keeps moving.

Apart from the blurb you can read online about the plot, an FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer targeting his childhood friends, I can tell you that the characters are pretty flawed. They seem “peachy” on the surface, but you start to figure out they both have security issues. Agent Whelan saw his previous partner gunned down in front of him and is dealing with the trauma of that. His new partner, Agent Miranda Jones, is his immediate superior. She has issues revolving around the need to prove herself — and not just to her superiors, but to herself. So you’ve got this pair of agents both looking to validate themselves, which puts added pressure on finding this psychopath who’s killing someone once a week. The pressure is immense. It doesn’t help Agent Whelan that he is immediately smitten with Agent Jones. It’s almost a side plot, his constantly reminding himself that he can’t pursue an intimate relationship with her. (As if she’s even available.)

I try to keep the characters very real and down to earth, not some stereotyped super-agents like you see in a lot of fiction. They enjoy laughing and having a drink with friends just like most of us. They pull their hair out when frustrated and have dreams and nightmares. Agent Whelan’s nightmares were especially fun to write.

And what about the first novel?

Breaking Sandcastles was my debut novel. It is extremely personal to me, though not about me in any way. You could say I poured myself into those characters, especially Marion Kelly. I hadn’t been writing, only dabbling, and not seriously since college. I set out to write a powerful love story. I’m a huge fan and believer in love. I was inspired by my dad for the character of Jonathan, a gifted painter. My dad’s an artist. And he also loved my mom like I’ve never seen anyone love someone before. In the book, Jonathan works to convince Marion, who is insecure (my running theme), that she is worthy of receiving and living the life she wants, and that it should include love. Specifically his. He’s eleven years her junior, which didn’t seem like such a big deal when I was writing it. But reviewers were often shocked. Some appreciated the notion, some not so much. Marion meets Jonathan when he’s only 17, so I guess they inferred some sort of inappropriate relationship, but I make it very clear that nothing happens between them until they reconnect when he is 22. Then it becomes a rollercoaster of ups and downs, with a lot of laughs and tears. My favorite reviews compare it to The Notebook by Sparks. One person even suggested it was better, which made my day. It certainly has a lot more humor than Nicholas Sparks’ work. I like to laugh and find a lot of things funny in life, so humor definitely works its way into my stories.

We could use a lot of that right now.

Right? The world is crazy at the moment. The corona pandemic is tragic, on so many levels. My heart absolutely breaks for everyone who has been affected by this horrible disease. I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve and get so compassionate about people. I constantly feel like I’m watching Sally Field in Steel Magnolias after her daughter’s funeral. One second I’m crying, the next laughing, then pause for a moment and repeat. Life has just become insane in 2020 and I look forward to resuming a sense of normalcy as much as everyone else. I actually saw a person online comment about someone else’s work failing to mention the coronavirus and how thoughtless it was. I try to be a socially-aware person, though it gets harder as I age. So I went back and added an acknowledgment to 12 PILLS, reminding people I wrote it over a year ago before COVID-19 existed. I ask people, given how much real drama our lives have right now, and we are forced to watch it play out on the news every night, to please just enjoy 12 PILLS for the fun, escapist reading it is intended to be.

Perfect. And you also have a fun short story available?

Yes. Soul Survivor. It’s a very sweet, paranormal romance short story. I sort of play with the notion of why some souls get trapped here on Earth instead of moving on when they die, and what it takes for them to be released into the next realm. The story addresses those answers. The notion of how a human can fall for a ghost interested me, and then it’s all brought home in the end when a team of ghost hunters set out to capture our main character, the ghost who’s stuck haunting an old warehouse.

What drives you to write? Were you inspired by other authors?

I started writing stories very early. Grade school, junior high. Always short stories or poetry. Looking back, I suppose most of them were some sort of commentary as to what I was going through in my own life at the time.

Ironically, in high school, I read at least a book a week. And all of it was science fiction or fantasy, which I still love. And I may try my hand at that genre one day. I have an idea for a time-travel novel that I’ve been tinkering with. I know it’s not great for new authors to jump genres when they’re trying to grow an audience. So that’s tough, because I love so many genres myself. I’ve started penning the first few chapters of a young adult novel about angels. I just love so many topics.

As for authors that inspired me, most would be sci-fi authors. Frank Herbert (Dune is so amazing) for his world-building. Melanie Rawn and David Eddings for their unbelievable character building and epic storytelling. I love Grisham’s early work; The Firm and The Client were great. His books the last few years have become unnecessarily wordy and slow.

What are you working on now?

I’m about 10 chapters or so into the follow-up to 12 PILLS. I can’t say much without revealing some spoilers for the first book. (Like who survives). But it will be a stand-alone story, so new readers can enjoy it, as well as fans from the first. For those who have read 12 PILLS, I’ll dive a bit more into some of the characters. I hope to build them up into a series. The follow-up will also prominently feature someone who suffers from an extreme case of schizophrenia and multi-modal hallucinations. Perhaps it will shine a light on that disorder that hasn’t been brought into the public’s attention for a while.

What are you reading?

I just read A Protector’s Beginning by Kyle T. Davis. It was a fun sci-fi romp. I read Becoming by Michelle Obama. It was every bit as classy and relevant as I knew it would be. She’s such a powerful force in our country right now. She’s too smart to get into politics herself, but if she did, she’d make a hell of a president. My dad has a huge book collection, so I’m always borrowing copies from his library. A lot of mysteries. I just started Mortal Prey by John Sanford. His style is different than what I’m used to, but I think it’s good to challenge yourself like that when you’re an author. It broadens your palate. Perhaps not as much as my lobster bisque or my homemade dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), but it’s all good.

Thank you so much, Kirk! Great “chatting” with you.

Find Kirk Burris and his books at:

Books:

12 PILLS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FVBRBKV

Breaking Sandcastles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQDKECC

Soul Survivor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JFN2RG

Kirk:

Author website: https://kirkburris.com/

Amazon profile page: www.amazon.com/author/kirkburris

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BurrisKirk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkBurrisAuthor

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Published on October 14, 2020 07:14

Eileen Curley Hammond and the marvelous Merry March

Eileen Curley Hammond writes magnificent mysteries. Her “cozy” series is helmed by sleuth Merry March, whose first adventure — Murder So Sinful — hooked me from the hop. Eileen has recently released her fifth book and is a gracious contributor to my upcoming cookbook, Cooking with Fire. It’s a brilliant collaboration, since food figures largely and deliciously in her own stories. I’m delighted to share this interview with Eileen.

Welcome, Eileen. I’m dying to know more about you. We’ve had a great virtual relationship and curiosity has been killing me. Over to you.

My entire career was in the insurance field in the United States, the majority of it with two Fortune 100 companies. Just before I was fortunate enough to retire, I headed marketing for life insurance and annuity products. Along the way, I learned how to put a compelling story together.

About six months before retirement, I began telling anyone who would listen that I would write a book. I had no idea what it would be about, or how to write one, but I was determined (and on the hook because I had set an expectation).

I read everything I could get my hands on about writing a novel and the nuts and bolts of publishing. I went to local classes and asked authors for their advice, and since this was four years ago, almost all of the advice advocated for traditional publishing. Being a contrarian and a control freak, I chose a different path and haven’t looked back once.

Why cozies? And why Merry March?

My mother was a huge mystery fan. I named my company, Twody Press (family nickname), in honor of her. So, it was only natural that I, too, became a mystery aficionado. I’ve always loved Agatha Christie’s books, and I guess today they would be considered cozies. I must admit I sometimes struggle with what is acceptable for the genre and what would be too much, but think I’ve threaded the needle so far.

I wanted my main character to be a businessperson, and since I know the insurance business, she ended up being an insurance agent with her own shop. I love Christmas, so she became Merry, and then March came to mind for her last name, which I like because no matter what setbacks occur, she always moves forward with resilience.

She does. Love her name. How many books are in the series and do you plan to continue it? What are you working on right now?

Murder So Hot is the fifth book in the series, which debuted in early September. I love each of my books because they let me explore different topics relating to emotional intricacies. This particular book deals with someone who is adopted, and by chance discovers who his birth mother is. It allowed me to explore what family is and how blood is just one of the ties that bind us.

I didn’t have a set number of books in mind when I started. I had thought the sixth book might be the last for the Merry March series, but now I don’t think it will be. As long as there are interesting topics to explore, and she continues to grow as a person, I’ll likely continue it.

I’m hard at work on the sixth Merry March mystery (title as yet undetermined.) You can also find my micro-fiction by following me on Twitter.

What do you enjoy reading? Have you been inspired by other authors?

I’ve always been a voracious reader of all genres, including non-fiction. But my favorite on the beach/ready to relax reading is mysteries. I love trying to puzzle out whodunit. I mentioned Agatha Christie above; Carolyn Keene also was an influencer in my early years with Nancy Drew. Today, I find myself drawn to other independent authors. I love J.C. Paulson’s Adam and Grace series, Helen Whistberry’s noir Malhaven Mysteries, and Alicia Anthony’s Blood Secrets books, to name a few.

Eileen! It’s so kind of you to include me. Thank you so much for this, and all the best with Merry March.

How to find Eileen and her work:

www.eileencurleyhammond.com

https://www.facebook.com/eileen.curleyhammond.9

https://www.instagram.com/eileen.curleyhammond/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-hammond-44801611/

https://twitter.com/curleyhammcozy

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Published on October 02, 2020 10:11

The microphone-wielding cat servant and author Kathleen Marple Kalb

When I virtually met Kathleen Marple Kalb more or less six minutes ago, I was immediately fascinated by her character, Ella Shane, and amazed at the similarities in our ‘real’ lives. She’s a radio anchor (I’m a print journalist . . . but it’s close) and she also writes mysteries (historical ones.) Those were just two of many great reasons for learning more. Read on.

Welcome, Kathleen. Let's start with a bit of a bio. I understand you're owned by a cat and busy behind a microphone.

Thank you for inviting me, Jo! My writing partner is NOT sitting on the keyboard right now, though she probably will before the end of the interview. Merritt T. Kalb is a rescue kitty who treats my son like her baby, my husband like her daddy, and me like her servant.

As for me, I like to call myself an author/anchor/mom, not in that order! I’m a weekend anchor at 1010 WINS Radio in New York, which enables me to spend most weekdays at home with my son…and until Virtual School, there was plenty of writing time. I’ve been on the air since I was a teenager in Western Pennsylvania. I started writing as a kid too, though I stopped for a while when I was building my career. After the Imp started kindergarten, I decided to try again. It took a couple of years, a couple of failed projects – and a couple of hundred rejections, much of that during a family health crisis. Just as my husband was pulling out of the worst, my agent signed me, and sold the Ella Shane series to Kensington. Pretty amazing journey. And I thought that was the hard part – until the debut in April 2020.

You've written two mystery novels in the Diva Ella Shane series. How would you describe your specific genre? What are the novels about?

They’re historical mysteries set in Gilded Age New York and featuring swashbuckling diva Ella Shane. She is best described as part Beverly Sills, part Anne of Green Gables and part Errol Flynn. Ella grew up as Irish-Jewish Lower East Side orphan Ellen O’Shaughnessy, and found fame and fortune singing “trouser roles,” heroic male parts like Romeo. She, her cousin Tommy Hurley — a “confirmed bachelor” and former boxing champ — plus friends including a progressive priest, a female newspaper reporter, and a woman doctor, get into all manner of mayhem.

The first book, A FATAL FINALE, revolves around the death of Ella’s most recent Juliet, who turns out to be the cousin of a duke. His Grace comes to town looking for answers and gets a lot more than he bargained for, including a couple of fencing matches and a possible courtship with Ella. Book Two, A FATAL FIRST NIGHT, begins with a murder in the dressing room on premiere night, and takes us into a series of interlocking mysteries, backstage drama, and more.

What inspired you to write novels? Are there any authors you particularly admire and may have influenced you?

I’ve been reading series mysteries since I can remember . . . and started sneaking Robert B. Parker’s Spensers in with my Nancy Drews when I was still in middle school. Not long after, I stumbled across a copy of Elizabeth Peters’ DIE FOR LOVE, and just fell in love with the wonderful snarky humor, the sharp writing, and the wicked plot. Peters’ Amelia Peabody series are the gold standard for historical mysteries as far as I’m concerned.

Are you planning more in the series?

I’ll keep writing Ella as long as people keep reading her! She’s a lot of fun to write, and I love all of the characters around her, especially Tommy. As a reader, what I love about series mysteries is watching the characters grow and evolve as their lives unfold, and it’s a great joy to make that happen as a writer.

What are you working on now?

Ella #3 is done, and waiting for the final copy edit. Ella #4 is about two-thirds finished. I’m also working on a few other projects, including a contemporary mystery series set at a small radio station in Vermont, inspired in part by my time there. And I recently started a chapter series on the subscription content service Channillo.com: ON THE SIDE OF THE ANGELS follows a nice suburban mom who also happens to be an assassin. (Wonder where I got that idea?)

Right? HA! Do you have any advice for new authors about writing or publishing?

Do the work and be a pro. Yes, we’re talking about creativity and magic here, but nobody’s going to see how great you are if you don’t present yourself properly. So know the conventions and follow them, and never give anyone a reason to weed you out. Understand that rejection isn’t personal: it’s a “no” today to one piece of work, not a judgment on your career, and certainly not your life. Finally, just keep going. No matter what happens, you will never have to wonder what if, because you know you gave it everything you had. That’s worth a lot, even on a bad day.

Exactly. Thank you so much, Kathleen.

How to find Kathleen and her books:

BUY AND SOCIAL LINKS:

A FATAL FINALE (out now!)

,https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496727237/

A FATAL FIRST NIGHT (coming 4/27/21)

PREORDER: ,,https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496727244/a-fatal-first-night/

Website: ,https://kathleenmarplekalb.com/

Facebook: ,https://www.facebook.com/Kathleen-Marple-Kalb-1082949845220373/

Twitter: ,https://twitter.com/KalbMarple

Instagram: ,https://www.instagram.com/kathleenmarplekalb/

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Published on October 02, 2020 07:29

The microphone-wielding cat servant and author, Kathleen Marple Kalb

When I virtually met Kathleen Marple Karb more or less six minutes ago, I was immediately fascinated by her character, Ella Shane, and amazed at the similarities in our ‘real’ lives. She’s a radio anchor (I’m a print journalist . . . but it’s close) and she also writes mysteries (historical ones.) Those were just two of many great reasons for learning more. Read on.