Elizabeth J. Duncan's Blog: Elizabeth J. Duncan's Blog, page 2

Top 10 things not to say to an author

10. I read 50 Shades of Grey. Is your book anything like that?

9. So, when are you going to give up your day job?

8. Are they going to make a movie out of your book?

7. I don’t buy books. They’re too expensive.

6. How long does it take to write one of your little stories?

5. You should set your story in my town/workplace/back yard

4. How big is your advance?

3. Will you name a character after me/my mother/my boy friend?

2. How can I get published?

1. I could do that if I had the time.

Top 10 things not to say to an author

10. I read 50 Shades of Grey. Is your book anything like that?

9. So, when are you going to give up your day job?

8. Are they going to make a movie out of your book?

7. I don’t buy books. They’re too expensive.

6. How long does it take to write one of your little stories?

5. You should set your story in my town/workplace/back yard

4. How big is your advance?

3. Will you name a character after me/my mother/my boy friend?

2. How can I get published?

1. I could do that if I had the time.

A Small Hill to Die On

The North Wales market town of Llanelen is abuzz when a Vietnamese family moves into Ty Brith Hall. It isn’t long before the family’s business dealings have the townsfolk wondering what’s really going on up at the big house on the hill.

Things take a sinister turn when Penny Brannigan, spending a midwinter afternoon sketching the magnificent views that surround the town, discovers the body of the new family’s teenage daughter. Many secrets lie buried in the shallow grave, along with the girl, who Penny identifies by the snakeskin manicure she received at Penny’s salon. When an elderly woman returns to Llanelen to care for her ailing brother, Penny discovers the truth about another death at Ty Brith Hall, one that hits very close to home. Though Penny’s romantic interest, Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies, warns her to stay away, Penny can’t resist getting involved, and her urge to help will ultimately put her in danger.

Elizabeth J. Duncan’s latest offering in this engaging series is filled with memorable characters, great escapes, explosive plot twists, and plenty of Welsh charm.

Praise

“Satisfying addition to an entertaining cozy series.” – Booklist

“Toronto author Elizabeth J. Duncan carefully layers her plot with multiple storylines, which all tie nicely into a whole.” – Yahoo, Shine.

A Killer’s Christmas in Wales

As the townsfolk of the Welsh valley town of Llanelen settle in for the snowiest winter in twenty-five years, an American stranger arrives. Harry Saunders charms the ladies, one of them in particular: Evelyn Lloyd, the town’s former postmistress, who was left comfortably off after the death of her husband. After Mrs. Lloyd invests a good deal of money with him, Harry goes missing, as does her money. His body is soon discovered outside the walls of Conwy Castle, and Mrs. Lloyd is implicated in the murder.

Although Penny Brannigan and her business partner, Victoria Hopkirk, are busy overseeing the grand opening of their new spa, that doesn’t stop Mrs. Lloyd from desperately seeking Penny’s help to prove her innocence. It’s quite possible that Harry made other enemies while in Llanelen and Penny’s investigation unfolds while she juggles her work at the spa, her growing relationship with Detective Inspector Davies, and the Christmas window competition that she signed up to judge.

With A Killer’s Christmas in Wales, Elizabeth J. Duncan delivers a delightful holiday-themed mystery.

Praise

“This year’s best Yule murder is by Torontonian Elizabeth Duncan.” – The Globe and Mail

“A plum-pudding of a book for those of us who love comfy mysteries.”—Alan Bradley, New York Timesbestselling author and Agatha, Barry, Dilys, and Macavity Award winner

“Readers who enjoy classic English mysteries will find lots to love. . . . Duncan excels at bringing her characters to life.” —Mystery Scene Magazine

“A delightfully intriguing, fast-paced cozy, à la Agatha Christie. . . . With its gorgeous, small-town setting; friendly, interesting characters; and baffling murders, it’s a holiday cozy that is sure to please.” —Gumshoe

A Brush With Death

When Penny Brannigan moves to her cottage in the small Welsh town of Llanelen and begins sorting through the belongings of her benefactor, a deceased teacher, she comes upon a packet of love letters from a promising young Liverpool artist named A. Jones. An artist herself, Penny sets out to discover more about this mysterious painter who met a tragic end in an accident in 1970.

While at a retrospective art exhibition in Liverpool, Penny recognizes what she believes to be a watercolor painted by Jones. But it is attributed to another artist. Helped once more by a small group of townsfolk, including her enterprising business partner, Victoria Hopkirk, Penny sets out to prove her suspicion that art theft is at the heart of the case, and that Jones’s death was no accident.

In her eagerly awaited sequel Elizabeth J. Duncan wonderfully revisits the bustling Welsh town and vibrant characters introduced in The Cold Light of Mourning. With its lyrical prose and tantalizing puzzle, A Brush with Death is a real treat of a mystery novel.

The Cold Light of Mourning

The picturesque North Wales market town of Llanelen is shocked when Meg Wynne Thompson, a self-made beauty who has turned out to be something of an unpopular bride, goes missing on her wedding day—and turns up dead.

The last person believed to have seen Meg alive is local manicurist Penny Brannigan, who vows to find the killer. Seems that several people—including those on the guest list—had reasons to wish Meg dead. But when the trail leads Penny to the groom, a red-hot secret threatens to shake the small town to its very core…

Talking to … Erika Chase

Today, we’re talking to Erika Chase, aka Linda Wiken, who is basking in the success of her recently published first novel, A Killer Read, An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery, published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Erika Chase

Erika, where do you live and why do you choose to live there?

I live in Ottawa and I love it! It’s the perfect sized city – lots of green space, two rivers, wonderful variety of restaurants and shopping, even night life if I could stay awake that late! It’s also a very friendly city with lots of museums, art galleries, cultural events and choirs! I think I’ll stay!

Was there a moment that changed everything when you knew you were a writer?

Don’t laugh, but it was grade 8 English. True! I kept getting top marks on essays and short stories; my English teacher, Mr. Ross, was a real go-getter and encouraging, so I tried my hand at writing a novel. Didn’t finish it, thank goodness. But the main character was a young girl, about my age, living on a horse ranch. My fantasy at that time.

What is your most memorable experience in a library or bookstore?

My first customer at my very first signing just happened to be from White Rock, B.C. This started off a long conversation about that beautiful spot (I was born and raised not far from there) and when I said I’d be in White Rock in about three weeks, we said we’d keep an eye open for each other, have fish and chips on the beach by the boardwalk. Small world!

Describe a typical day in your life when you are working on a book, that is writing, re-writing, editing, proofing.

The only thing typical about my days is the act of writing. I’ve found it’s best to get all the email, Internet and blog matters dealt with right away so I won’t get ambushed later on. It’s also a good way to wake up the writing brain.

In a previous working life, I used to wake up really early and write before my son got up for school. Then I started walking during that time period and writing at night. Now, I find I write best early afternoon…and then just keep on going until I want to stop. Or have to.

Describe your writing process. How do you get from concept to finished manuscript?

I started writing a synopsis when I began writing this book series. It was a requirement from the publisher. Before that point, I’d just write by the seat of my pants.

But I prefer this method. It gives me a clear direction and, although I often take a different route, I eventually get to the destination I’d originally planned. I find it’s a good way to get past any roadblocks, commonly called writer’s block, and I feel I already know what to expect when I start writing. It’s the surprises that keep cropping up, that keep the process fresh.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what type/artist/songs?

While I’m writing the Southern cosies, I like to listen to music that transports me there. The soundtrack from The Big Easy is a favourite; songs like Sweet Home Alabama will also do. I can listen to the same music over and over – it becomes background and doesn’t grow stale. For my other writing, it’s always classical music, usually baroque and instrumental. Soothes the wandering thought processes.

Share a memorable experience you had with a reader.

A Facebook friend started posting messages before my book came out as to how much she was looking forward to reading it; then that she had purchased it; then that she had read it and loved it. In addition, she’s eagerly awaiting the second book, Read & Buried, which is due in Nov., 2012. Yay, friends!

What’s the nicest thing a critic or reader has said about your work?

“I absolutely adore cozy mysteries and when it is a well written tale, I melt like marshmallows on a Scottsdale, Arizona dashboard. Kudos to Erika Chase who had succeeded in turning me into a sticky mess with every page turned. A Killer Read is another top-notch reading experience from Berkley Prime Crime. Good catch, Berkley, for scooping up this talented lass.” From Seattlepi.com

Which mystery author, living or dead, has influenced your writing the most?

For the cosies, it’s Carolyn Hart. I was hooked on her Murder on Demand series when it first came out in the mid-1980s and stayed with it for many years. I loved the setting of a mystery bookstore and the wonderful town she’d created. The mysteries were always very well-plotted, too.

Do you think writers are born or made?

It’s a combination of the two. That interest has to be there but then it takes a lot of coddling, cajoling, and just plain hard work to be a writer.

What is the most rewarding part of being an author?

The feeling of accomplishment! I love the process of writing and re-writing a book. But when you send it in to the editor, a completed masterpiece, it’s the best feeling ever.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Don’t give up. Keep sending your material out – to editors, to agents, to contests! Cultivate a critiquing group or a small number of people to read your writing and more importantly, who you trust will give you honest feedback. Always try to refine your writing skills. And most of all, hang out in bars at mystery conferences or at least be friends with someone who has a dynamite agent.

Make your pitch! Describe what happens in your latest book in two sentences.

At the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, a stranger does a gate crash and is later found dead. It’s up to Lizzie Turner and the book club members to find the killer.

What challenges did you face writing this book?

Where to start! No, that wasn’t a challenge. I just mean, there were so many. This was a ‘work for hire’ – the editor at Berkley Prime Crime already had the idea and it was up to me to write the story, or three of them actually. Therefore, I had to embrace the characters – and their names – that she’d chosen. That was the most difficult part, trying to make them mine. Especially since they had names. I love choosing names and often build a character from that name. This was a new process for me.  Other challenges – having a thirty-year-old heroine. Okay, I’d been there at one point, so not insurmountable. Also, she was a reading specialist about which I knew nothing. Fortunately, it helps to have relatives. Setting it in a Southern U.S. town was also interesting.

What sets this book apart from your previous work?

Considering that previous novels I’ve written were never published, that’s what sets this one apart. I can definitely see their failings at this stage of my writing. As mentioned, the synopsis kept me on track so this one is actually coherent and structured.

My other published works are short stories. A totally different writing process.  Obviously, the length is the main difference, therefore with short stories, every word has to count.

The “or” questions

 

Cup of coffee or glass of wine?        Cup of espresso

Twitter or Facebook?   Facebook

Library or bookstore?   Bookstore

Print or ebook?      Print

Setting or character?     Character

Book or movie?    Book

 

If you could choose anywhere in the world to write your next book, where would it be and why?

Sicily. I toured there a couple of summers ago with my choir and absolutely fell in love with the countryside, the ocean shores, and the people and culture. I even fantasized about owning a small villa (only in my dreams!) there.

What can you tell us about your next book?

The Ashton Corners Book Club gang is back and there’s a dead author on Lizzie Turner’s living room floor in READ & BURIED, due November, 2012 from Berkley Prime Crime.

If you’d like to meet Erika Chase, she’ll be in conversation with two other notable Canadian crime writers, Vicki Delany and Lynwood Barclay at 9 a.m., Saturday, June 2, at Bloody Words, a mystery conference for writers and readers, Toronto. And be sure to visit the Erika Chase website.

About Erika Chase 

Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime.  In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.

Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.

Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker.  Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.

Talking to Erika Chase

Today, we’re talking to Erika Chase, aka Linda Wiken, who is basking in the success of her recently published first novel, A Killer Read, An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery, published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Erika Chase

Erika, where do you live and why do you choose to live there?

I live in Ottawa and I love it! It’s the perfect sized city – lots of green space, two rivers, wonderful variety of restaurants and shopping, even night life if I could stay awake that late! It’s also a very friendly city with lots of museums, art galleries, cultural events and choirs! I think I’ll stay!

Was there a moment that changed everything when you knew you were a writer?

Don’t laugh, but it was grade 8 English. True! I kept getting top marks on essays and short stories; my English teacher, Mr. Ross, was a real go-getter and encouraging, so I tried my hand at writing a novel. Didn’t finish it, thank goodness. But the main character was a young girl, about my age, living on a horse ranch. My fantasy at that time.

What is your most memorable experience in a library or bookstore?

My first customer at my very first signing just happened to be from White Rock, B.C. This started off a long conversation about that beautiful spot (I was born and raised not far from there) and when I said I’d be in White Rock in about three weeks, we said we’d keep an eye open for each other, have fish and chips on the beach by the boardwalk. Small world!

Describe a typical day in your life when you are working on a book, that is writing, re-writing, editing, proofing.

The only thing typical about my days is the act of writing. I’ve found it’s best to get all the email, Internet and blog matters dealt with right away so I won’t get ambushed later on. It’s also a good way to wake up the writing brain.

In a previous working life, I used to wake up really early and write before my son got up for school. Then I started walking during that time period and writing at night. Now, I find I write best early afternoon…and then just keep on going until I want to stop. Or have to.

Describe your writing process. How do you get from concept to finished manuscript?

I started writing a synopsis when I began writing this book series. It was a requirement from the publisher. Before that point, I’d just write by the seat of my pants.

But I prefer this method. It gives me a clear direction and, although I often take a different route, I eventually get to the destination I’d originally planned. I find it’s a good way to get past any roadblocks, commonly called writer’s block, and I feel I already know what to expect when I start writing. It’s the surprises that keep cropping up, that keep the process fresh.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what type/artist/songs?

While I’m writing the Southern cosies, I like to listen to music that transports me there. The soundtrack from The Big Easy is a favourite; songs like Sweet Home Alabama will also do. I can listen to the same music over and over – it becomes background and doesn’t grow stale. For my other writing, it’s always classical music, usually baroque and instrumental. Soothes the wandering thought processes.

Share a memorable experience you had with a reader.

A Facebook friend started posting messages before my book came out as to how much she was looking forward to reading it; then that she had purchased it; then that she had read it and loved it. In addition, she’s eagerly awaiting the second book, Read & Buried, which is due in Nov., 2012. Yay, friends!

What’s the nicest thing a critic or reader has said about your work?

“I absolutely adore cozy mysteries and when it is a well written tale, I melt like marshmallows on a Scottsdale, Arizona dashboard. Kudos to Erika Chase who had succeeded in turning me into a sticky mess with every page turned. A Killer Read is another top-notch reading experience from Berkley Prime Crime. Good catch, Berkley, for scooping up this talented lass.” From Seattlepi.com

Which mystery author, living or dead, has influenced your writing the most?

For the cosies, it’s Carolyn Hart. I was hooked on her Murder on Demand series when it first came out in the mid-1980s and stayed with it for many years. I loved the setting of a mystery bookstore and the wonderful town she’d created. The mysteries were always very well-plotted, too.

Do you think writers are born or made?

It’s a combination of the two. That interest has to be there but then it takes a lot of coddling, cajoling, and just plain hard work to be a writer.

What is the most rewarding part of being an author?

The feeling of accomplishment! I love the process of writing and re-writing a book. But when you send it in to the editor, a completed masterpiece, it’s the best feeling ever.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Don’t give up. Keep sending your material out – to editors, to agents, to contests! Cultivate a critiquing group or a small number of people to read your writing and more importantly, who you trust will give you honest feedback. Always try to refine your writing skills. And most of all, hang out in bars at mystery conferences or at least be friends with someone who has a dynamite agent.

Make your pitch! Describe what happens in your latest book in two sentences.

At the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, a stranger does a gate crash and is later found dead. It’s up to Lizzie Turner and the book club members to find the killer.

What challenges did you face writing this book?

Where to start! No, that wasn’t a challenge. I just mean, there were so many. This was a ‘work for hire’ – the editor at Berkley Prime Crime already had the idea and it was up to me to write the story, or three of them actually. Therefore, I had to embrace the characters – and their names – that she’d chosen. That was the most difficult part, trying to make them mine. Especially since they had names. I love choosing names and often build a character from that name. This was a new process for me.  Other challenges – having a thirty-year-old heroine. Okay, I’d been there at one point, so not insurmountable. Also, she was a reading specialist about which I knew nothing. Fortunately, it helps to have relatives. Setting it in a Southern U.S. town was also interesting.

What sets this book apart from your previous work?

Considering that previous novels I’ve written were never published, that’s what sets this one apart. I can definitely see their failings at this stage of my writing. As mentioned, the synopsis kept me on track so this one is actually coherent and structured.

My other published works are short stories. A totally different writing process.  Obviously, the length is the main difference, therefore with short stories, every word has to count.

The “or” questions

 

Cup of coffee or glass of wine?        Cup of espresso

Twitter or Facebook?   Facebook

Library or bookstore?   Bookstore

Print or ebook?      Print

Setting or character?     Character

Book or movie?    Book

 

If you could choose anywhere in the world to write your next book, where would it be and why?

Sicily. I toured there a couple of summers ago with my choir and absolutely fell in love with the countryside, the ocean shores, and the people and culture. I even fantasized about owning a small villa (only in my dreams!) there.

What can you tell us about your next book?

The Ashton Corners Book Club gang is back and there’s a dead author on Lizzie Turner’s living room floor in READ & BURIED, due November, 2012 from Berkley Prime Crime.

If you’d like to meet Erika Chase, she’ll be in conversation with two other notable Canadian crime writers, Vicki Delany and Lynwood Barclay at 9 a.m., Saturday, June 2, at Bloody Words, a mystery conference for writers and readers, Toronto. And be sure to visit the Erika Chase website.

About Erika Chase 

Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime.  In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies’ Killing Circle.

Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.

Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker.  Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.

Dolly on the upswing

 

 

Happy to report that Dolly is doing so much better! Not quite three weeks after her surgery she’s almost fully recovered and is her wonderful old self.

She got up and showed me she was ready to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She hesitates going down the stairs but she did that before the surgery, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It felt so good to be out walking with her again.

The joy of small things 2 – Dog walking

Every dog owner knows there are times when you just don’t feel like doing the walk. It’s dark, it’s cold. I’m too tired. There’s the endless repetition of winter clothes and boots on and off, on and off to trudge through wet, heavy snow, hoping the dog will do her numbers and you can both go home where it’s warm and dry.

Almost two years ago, our darling dog Dolly was diagnosed with a spindle cell tumour. It was removed, she recovered and we enjoyed 18 months or so of cancer-free life. She was bright and lively and life was good. She’s an outdoor kind of dog and she loves her rambles.

And then, a few weeks ago, I felt a lump on her belly. After several vet appointments, including a visit to an oncologist, and tests, we were told the same type of cancer had returned, but in a different place. However, the tumour was deemed operable and on Monday, April 16, 2012, she had the surgery.

The first few days post op went well, and then something went terribly wrong. She couldn’t get up. She couldn’t get downstairs to go out. She was confined to her bed.

It was terrible to see this usually active dog unable to stand up on her own. She could walk just a few steps and those steps were taken on trembling legs. She would collapse and need a helping hand under her bottom to get up again.

As she lay on her bed, I sat beside her, holding her and talking to her. My heart broke for her. I hated to see her like that, so not the dog she used to be. I regretted the surgery.

And what I missed most, what I would have given anything for, was to be outside with her once again, walking. Although I would have gratefully settled for walking along the street with her, in any weather, I longed for a proper ramble.

We ramble in Sir Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke by the shore of Lake Ontario where there’s beautiful scenery for me and amazing smells for her. She trots along at a pretty pace, taking it all in, looking around from time to time to make sure I’m keeping up. We used to ramble for about 60 minutes but now that we’re older, we’ve cut back to about 40. Maybe we don’t walk as fast or as far as we used to, but the sun shines on us, the air is crisp and clean and our ramble is a wonderful, welcome interlude from the demands of the day.

Dolly’s on the mend now. And we’re both looking forward to the day when once again we’re on the move. It can’t come soon enough for either of us.