Sheila Webster Boneham's Blog, page 14
April 9, 2014
Finding a Narrator's Voice from Susan J. Kroupa
by Susan J. Kroupa
“My, Doodle has quite a vocabulary,” one of my
editors said when she was critiquing Dog-Nabbed,
the latest Doodlebugged Mystery. Oops. She didn’t mean that as a compliment.
Doodle, the narrator of the Doodlebugged books, is a dog. More specifically, an
obedience-impaired labradoodle who routinely gets in trouble in his job as a
bed-bug detecting canine.
As a narrator,
“My, Doodle has quite a vocabulary,” one of my
editors said when she was critiquing Dog-Nabbed,
the latest Doodlebugged Mystery. Oops. She didn’t mean that as a compliment.
Doodle, the narrator of the Doodlebugged books, is a dog. More specifically, an
obedience-impaired labradoodle who routinely gets in trouble in his job as a
bed-bug detecting canine.
As a narrator,
by Susan J. Kroupa
“My, Doodle has quite a vocabulary,”...
by Susan J. Kroupa
“My, Doodle has quite a vocabulary,” one of my
editors said when she was critiquing Dog-Nabbed,
the latest Doodlebugged Mystery. Oops. She didn’t mean that as a compliment.
Doodle, the narrator of the Doodlebugged books, is a dog. More specifically, an
obedience-impaired labradoodle who routinely gets in trouble in his job as a
bed-bug detecting canine.
As a narrator,
“My, Doodle has quite a vocabulary,” one of my
editors said when she was critiquing Dog-Nabbed,
the latest Doodlebugged Mystery. Oops. She didn’t mean that as a compliment.
Doodle, the narrator of the Doodlebugged books, is a dog. More specifically, an
obedience-impaired labradoodle who routinely gets in trouble in his job as a
bed-bug detecting canine.
As a narrator,
April 6, 2014
Working With Co-Authors: Third Time’s The Charm
by
Darlene Arden
I
had sworn I’d never have another co-author.
I had also sworn that I would never write a wfh (Work for Hire)
book. For those not familiar with wfh,
it means that you are hired to write the book (or article, or whatever) for a
flat fee. In the case of books, there are no royalties involved. The publisher makes all of the money.
Publishers usually make all of the money
Darlene Arden
I
had sworn I’d never have another co-author.
I had also sworn that I would never write a wfh (Work for Hire)
book. For those not familiar with wfh,
it means that you are hired to write the book (or article, or whatever) for a
flat fee. In the case of books, there are no royalties involved. The publisher makes all of the money.
Publishers usually make all of the money
April 2, 2014
Novel Settings - Beyond Geography
by Sheila Webster Boneham
Setting is an essential part of
many mysteries, as well as other types of fiction. Some settings are important
enough to be regarded as "characters" of a sort – Tony Hillerman’s
Southwest, John Connolly’s Maine, J.A. Jance’s Arizona and Seattle, Carl
Hiassen’s Florida – well, I could go on for pages!
My own mystery Animals in Focus mystery series featuring
Setting is an essential part of
many mysteries, as well as other types of fiction. Some settings are important
enough to be regarded as "characters" of a sort – Tony Hillerman’s
Southwest, John Connolly’s Maine, J.A. Jance’s Arizona and Seattle, Carl
Hiassen’s Florida – well, I could go on for pages!
My own mystery Animals in Focus mystery series featuring
March 30, 2014
Fictional Dogs Honor the Dogs of Our Lives
by Lou Allin
“I wish my
dog could talk.” If you’re an author, they’d ask for a role in your books. Limpid
brown eyes with questioning brows, a whimper of excitement at keyboard sounds,
a paw on the computer table, and a nose snuffling the bookshelf. They want in.
Freya, a
German shepherd, was eight when she worked her way into my first series. Belle
Palmer was a realtor, living in the
“I wish my
dog could talk.” If you’re an author, they’d ask for a role in your books. Limpid
brown eyes with questioning brows, a whimper of excitement at keyboard sounds,
a paw on the computer table, and a nose snuffling the bookshelf. They want in.
Freya, a
German shepherd, was eight when she worked her way into my first series. Belle
Palmer was a realtor, living in the
March 26, 2014
Writing Serious Issues in Entertaining Mysteries
by Sheila Webster Boneham
If you have read any of my Animals in Focus mysteries, you know that dogs and cats and other critters are vital characters. After all, the series isn't called Animals in Focus for nothing. In fact, each book in the series spotlights a different "animal activity" and each mystery hinges on a serious real-world issue. Just as they do in real life, serious issues
If you have read any of my Animals in Focus mysteries, you know that dogs and cats and other critters are vital characters. After all, the series isn't called Animals in Focus for nothing. In fact, each book in the series spotlights a different "animal activity" and each mystery hinges on a serious real-world issue. Just as they do in real life, serious issues
March 23, 2014
Inspiration—German Shepherd Style!
by Tracy Weber
I’m delighted to join all of you here on Writers & Other
Animals! As a certified animal nut, I can’t imagine a place I’d rather be. Since
my mystery series revolves around a feisty German shepherd named Bella, I
decided to share a little about the two German shepherds that have most inspired
my writing.
I barely remember the far-from-perfect German shepherd my
parents owned
I’m delighted to join all of you here on Writers & Other
Animals! As a certified animal nut, I can’t imagine a place I’d rather be. Since
my mystery series revolves around a feisty German shepherd named Bella, I
decided to share a little about the two German shepherds that have most inspired
my writing.
I barely remember the far-from-perfect German shepherd my
parents owned
March 19, 2014
Cat Detectives, Part 1
By Toni LoTempio
Cat Detectives,
anyone?
As a writer of cozy mysteries featuring an extremely
communicative cat (the Nick and Nora mysteries, debut December 2014) I must
confess to being partial to mysteries that feature cats! (not that I don’t like
dogs, or give dogs equal time, I do, I do!
But when you own a twenty-two pound blogging cat, your loyalties are
naturally going to
Cat Detectives,
anyone?
As a writer of cozy mysteries featuring an extremely
communicative cat (the Nick and Nora mysteries, debut December 2014) I must
confess to being partial to mysteries that feature cats! (not that I don’t like
dogs, or give dogs equal time, I do, I do!
But when you own a twenty-two pound blogging cat, your loyalties are
naturally going to
March 16, 2014
Owney, The Globe-Trotting Mail Mascot
by Elaine Faber
I ran across an
interesting story the other day about a little mutt dog that became the
nation’s Post Office mascot from 1888 - 1897. Owney, a little mixed terrier,
traveled for nine years across the nation’s railways on mail trains, always
returning to Albany, PA, a key division point on the New York Central railroad
system, one of the two largest railroads in the U.S. at that
I ran across an
interesting story the other day about a little mutt dog that became the
nation’s Post Office mascot from 1888 - 1897. Owney, a little mixed terrier,
traveled for nine years across the nation’s railways on mail trains, always
returning to Albany, PA, a key division point on the New York Central railroad
system, one of the two largest railroads in the U.S. at that
March 12, 2014
Mega Fauna of North America in Neanderthal Mysteries
by Kaye George
I’ll admit that I set my
Neanderthal mystery series in North America because I’m in love with the mega
fauna that roamed here before the last Ice Age, which is when that series takes
place. The Neanderthals disappeared as a distinct race about 38,000 years ago. However,
we now know, because of the advances in genetic science, that they’re not
completely gone. In fact, I,
I’ll admit that I set my
Neanderthal mystery series in North America because I’m in love with the mega
fauna that roamed here before the last Ice Age, which is when that series takes
place. The Neanderthals disappeared as a distinct race about 38,000 years ago. However,
we now know, because of the advances in genetic science, that they’re not
completely gone. In fact, I,
