Linda Lovely's Blog, page 2

Pigs Don't Sweat, Authors Do!

By Linda LovelyMy Brie Hooker Mysteries are set on a Udderly Kidding Dairy in Upstate South Carolina. The farm's 400 goats and animal menagerie often figure in the plot. In BONES TO PICK, the first book in the series (debuting Oct. 24), Tammy the Pig roots up a buried skull and with it lots of deadly secrets.In BONES TO PICK, Tammy is a pot-bellied pig adopted by Aunt Eva after her original owners abandoned her. As Udderly's veterinarian laments, too many people buy pot-bellied pigs as pets when they're cute babies but lose interest when they grow. So what is a pot-bellied pig and how big do they get? While the breed is considered "small," the average adult weighs about 150 pounds. Yet because it's so dense, a pig of this size would be much smaller than an 80-pound German Shepherd. And Tammy would be a dwarf compared to her farm hog cousins that can weigh in at 900 pounds. Long prized in Vietnam as a symbol of happiness, satiety and wealth, the once plentiful breed was put on an "endangered" list in the 1970s in its native habitat. It was marketed as a pet in the US during the 1980s. Purebred potbellies were black and heavily wrinkled with sway backs sagging bellies.What's Tammy's temperament?She's very smart. Pigs are considered  earth’s fourth smartest animal group just behind apes and chimps, whales and dolphins, and humans. Sorry, dogs. Potbellied pigs are not only intelligent, they're curious and have distinct, charming personalities. They can be taught tricks but they have an independent streak. While they can be housebroken, Tammy is an outdoor pig. (They will not soil their water source.) Affectionate creatures, they usually get along well with dogs and cats. 
Pigs Don't SweatAt age three, Tammy is still a youngster. However, she can expect to reach a ripe old age of 15. Like my vegan heroine, Brie, she enjoys fresh fruits and vegetables and needs to have clean water always available. That's because Tammy, like all her pig relatives, doesn't sweat. So she needs the water to cool off. 
Rooting is a natural instinct and how pigs find food in nature. Tammy loves toys. Like her brethern, she's susceptible to Porcine Stress syndrome, e.g. "freaking" out. But Udderly's vet knows how to calm her down.
Authors SweatWhen I was a kid, I spent a great deal of time on my cousin's farm and helped feed the hogs. But I'm no expert on pigs in general or potbellied pigs in particular. That means that I may have made more than one mistake in my portrayal of Tammy. As an author, I do try to get the details right. But I hope Tammy will forgive me if I made a mistake.
Do you enjoy reading books that include animals?  

Write What You Fear?

 By Linda Lovely
We’ve all heard the old saw—write what you know. Oh, really?
Fortunately, most authors of mysteries, thrillers, and romantic suspense have never been shot, beaten, handcuffed, kidnapped, stalked or targeted by a relentless assassin. So does that mean we can’t write about heroines and heroes thrown into terrifying situations?
I couldn't do this!Of course not. There is a way to write what we “know” when we place our heroines/heroes in dangerous situations we’ve never experienced. Method actors do it all the time. They draw on the real emotions that gripped them at some point in their lives.
I suffer from “moderate” vertigo and a fear of heights. Years ago, when I was a partner in a PR firm that prepared feature articles for corporate clients, I covered the Miss Universe contest for a computerized lighting equipment manufacturer. The client requested photos (I was both writer and photographer) taken from “above” its overhead lights to spotlight its equipment with the Miss Universe contestants on the stage below. To get the shots, I was allowed to climb the scaffolding during rehearsals. (Did I mention this contest was NOT held in the USA where OSHA standards might apply?)
As I scooted along the beam, the whole rickety structure seemed to sway. I was terrified. Sweat beaded on my forehead. My heart raced. My fingers were so sweaty I could barely focus the camera. I got dizzy. Closed my eyes. Tried to steady my breathing. I watched a sweat droplet plummet and wondered if the lady below thought there was a leak in the roof. The incongruous thought made me want to giggle. Edge of hysteria? Maybe. I climbed to the top of this lighthouse to take
pix for a client. As high as I go & not thrilled. 
My seventh book, Bones To Pick, a humorous mystery, will debut in October. The plots are quite different. But—what a surprise—my heroines all suffer from vertigo and a fear of heights and often find themselves in situations where they must overcome those fears to survive.
In Dear Killer, Marley Clark climbs to the pinnacle of a lighthouse to flee a gunman. In No Wake Zone, the sequel to Dear Killer, Marley must leap from a rooftop to the scaffolding of a roller coaster to lure a killer away from her cousin. In Dead Line, the first of my Smart Women, Dumb Luck Romantic Thrillers, Nexi Ketts rappels into the depths of a cave that’s deeper than the Statue of Liberty is tall.
Do you take advantage of your fears and remembered emotions when you write? If so, do you have fears that resurface in different guises in your manuscripts?   

Vegan Summer Fare-Blueberry Pie

By Linda Lovely

Here's another dessert that would my vegan chef heroine, Brie Hooker, would be pleased to serve to her friends. I'm posting vegan recipes every other Friday. Okay,  I'm on a dessert kick at the moment, but blueberries are in season. Still picking from my bushes.
Blueberry Pie Filling

For baked single-crust 9-inch pie
5 cups freshBLUEBERRIES 4 tablespoons of cornstarch 3/4 cup sugarPinch salt½ + Tsp. Lemon zest (grated lemon peel)1 Tblsp + Lemon juice½ Cup Water
In a 1 quart pan, thoroughly stir/mix the sugar & cornstarch. This ensures no lumps. Then add 2 cups of blueberries, the lemon peel, lemon juice and water. Cook over medium high heat. You need to stir constantly after it starts bubbling. It will come to a full boil and thicken rapidly after it does. It’ll be almost like paste when it’s ready. Take the pan off the heat and fold in the 3 cups of uncooked blueberries. Then spoon the combined mixture into your baked pie crust. Let cool, then refrigerate.
Not a vegan? You can serve with ice cream or whipped cream. A vegan? The pie’s good solo or with one of the nondairy ice creams.
Hints: Buy a real, fresh lemon. Use a grater to zest the skin, then squeeze the lemon and remove the seeds. I use half the lemon zest and half the lemon juice for one pie. You can refrigerate the rest of the lemon juice/zest for your next pie, which will be baked tomorrow if your family eats blueberry pie like mine does.
The uncooked berries are what makes this pie so delicious. You can make the pie with frozen/defrosted berries but it won’t have the same texture and will tend to be more watery. But in the winter, it’s still a treat.

Critique Partners & Beta Readers with Unlike Minds

By Linda LovelyI love to write (and read) mysteries and romantic suspense/thrillers tailored to an adult audience. That’s why I initially sought critique partners who focused on the same genres and shared my sense of humor and fondness for snark.They “got” me—and my writing style. Me (center) with critique partners Howard Lewis & Robin Weaver However, mostly by happenstance, I’ve widened my critique/Beta reader circle. I belong to a five-person local critique group (three women and two very secure men). We meet one afternoon each month for an intensive critique session. We’ve been at this for several years.  We limit the size of the group to five so we have the time to provide in-depth critiques. Group members include a man working on a young adult fantasy, an author who focuses on Southern-flavor, character-rich short stories, a published memoir author, and a former Air Force co-pilot writing about his experiences in Vietnam. Our backgrounds are as different as our writing styles and reading tastes. Our birthplaces include Algeria, two Southern states and two Midwestern states. Our former professions include English teacher and labor union representative, engineer, translator and manager, college professor, and me handling all types of public relations and advertising.    To prepare for monthly in-person sessions, we each email five+ pages from a work in progress. These submissions may or may not be sequential. For example, I may choose a love scene I’m insecure about, pages with troublesome dialogue where I’m trying to surreptitiously shoehorn in some backstory, or a section where I want to see if my attempts at humor are actually funny.  We also read completed manuscripts for each other once we’ve polished them and feel we are nearing the finish line.While I’d never give up the invaluable feedback I receive from fellow hard-core mystery/romantic suspense authors, I find the questions, suggestions, and comments from authors who don’t share my mindset to be equally valuable. (Long-distance critique partners Maryanne Romano and Robin Weaver have been lifesavers for YEARS.) A male critiquer—no matter what genre he writes—is priceless, because he can warn when a hero’s dialogue is pure nonsense—“No man would ever say that.”  Having critique partners from different parts of the country helps you discover which regional sayings are fun versus ones that prove so puzzling they cause a “huh?” reaction that takes readers out of the story. I firmly believe the more diverse your critique circle the more likely you are to appeal to a broader audience—plus you become a more nuanced writer and reader. I didn’t know how much I could enjoy fantasy, short stories, and memoirs until I joined this group. Members of my local group are—Donna Campbell, Danielle Dahl, Howard Lewis, and Charles Duke.
I also have recruited members of my book club as Beta readers. The more (and more diverse) the merrier.  Who critiques your manuscripts? Who are your Beta readers?

Great Pyrenees-Meet Udderly Kidding's Animal Cast

By Linda Lovely
My new light-hearted Brie Hooker Mystery series is set on a goat farm, Udderly Kidding Dairy, in Upstate South Carolina. Naturally, the farm boasts lots of four-legged residents, who often play important roles in the plots.  So, every other Friday, I’ll be introducing readers to my animal cast. Today’s spotlight is on the Great Pyrenees dogs that guard Udderly’s 400 goats. Kay Barrett and CokeUdderly has five Great Pyrenees, just like Split Creek Farm, a real goat dairy located in the Upstate. While I’ve seen Split Creek’s guard dogs, I’m better acquainted with Coke, a relatively new addition to my friend Kay Barrett’s.household. A few months back, Kay went to an animal shelter to adopt a much smaller dog. However, she quickly fell under Coke’s spell. When we play tennis at Kay’s house, she sometimes lets Coke out to greet her tennis buddies at the end of our matches. Coke is a BIG delightful, friendly bundle of energy.Appearance: Pyrenees are large—85 to 115 pounds when full grown—with luxurious white coats, chocolate eyes, and a plumed tail. Work History:  Once France’s “royal” dog, he was bred to guard flocks in the Pyrenees mountains. His French nickname is Patou—shepherd. He’s a descendant of mastiff-type dogs. He isn’t a herder, he’s a protector. The Marquis de Lafayette brought the first Pyrs to America. At Udderly Kidding Dairy, these brave dogs protect the goats from coyotes—and poachers.Traits: Gentle with children and all kinds of young animals. (Kay’s grandchildren adore Coke, who also puts up with a new kitten’s attentions.) A good hiking companion, but as an avid explorer or territory, he isn’t the best candidate for off-the-leash walks. .He’s great in cold weather, but sensitive to heat and he drools. The breed is naturally nocturnal. Hope you’ll want to meet Udderly’s Pyrs when Henery Press releases BONES TO PICK, the first Brie Hooker Mystery in October. 

Always Ask-Research The Fun Way

By Linda Lovely
The Internet has given authors tremendous new research tools. We can Google almost any topic and find a wealth of materials and information, though it pays to do some vetting to make sure the sources we’re tapping are reliable.
YouTube gives authors a visual/audio window that lets us witness everything from Billy goats in rut to lessons for beginners who want to fly drones. These are actual examples of how YouTube helped me craft scenes in my second Brie Hooker Mystery, my current work in progress.
However, there’s still no substitute for speaking directly with experts. I was journalism major in college and have spent the bulk of my career interviewing individuals for (nonfiction) feature articles. So I’m quite comfortable asking folks questions about their work and themselves. I realize some authors are shy and feel they may be imposing if they ask strangers to spend time answering their questions. Yet most people are flattered rather than annoyed and enjoy talking about their work and themselves. In fact, I can’t ever recall being rebuffed by a single information “source.” Of course, that’s also because I make it clear why I want the information and how I plan to use it. Now that I’m writing fiction, that simply means I’ll be using their experiences and insights to help build more interesting, well-rounded characters and more credible plots.
For BONES TO PICK, my first Brie Hooker Mystery, my interviews included in-person visits to goat farms and breweries (what a hardship). This gave me an opportunity to ask the owners a variety of questions. I also got to taste goat cheese and fudge, and, of course, sample moonshine. Visiting locations helps you visualize potential scenes and also provides ideas about situations and activities for your characters.  Joining a goat yoga class was a true adventure!
So how do you find experts if you want information related to law enforcement topic? 
Even authors of cozy mysteries should try to be as accurate as possible in describing law enforcement and legal procedures, forensics, investigative techniques, etc. I’ve found attending my local Sisters in Crime chapter’s monthly meetings and the phenomenal annual Writers’ Police Academy have been treasure troves of information—and contacts. 
Through these organizations I’ve met everyone from FBI, ATF and Treasury agents to paramedics, coroners, detectives and defense attorneys. What’s more, since we've met, I’m not a stranger calling \out of the blue. We have a prior connection and they know my request is legitimate.
If you don’t know an answer, ask! Not only may you be surprised by the answer, you may find answers to questions you didn’t even know you should ask. Conversations can be a wonderful adventure.

Vegan Summer Fare-Mixed Fruit Pie

By Linda Lovely
Brie Hooker, the heroine of my soon-to-be-released humorous mystery series, is a vegan chef who lives with her Aunt Eva, a cantankerous carnivore, on a goat dairy farm in South Carolina. 
Every other Friday, I hope you'll tune in for a vegan-friendly recipe that I'm convinced would even win a thumbs-up from skeptical Aunt Eva. 
Summer is an ideal time to try adding some vegan dishes to your repertoire, even if you're a die-hard omnivore That's because there are so many delicious fruits and vegetables that make for beautiful entrees and desserts. Here's a recipe for a fruit pie--only nuts and fruits. No eggs or dairy. Everyone I've served this has loved it.

I first found a version of this recipe here: Get Healthy Marshall Texas

Fruit Pie(Vegan)The “crust”1 generous cup pitted datesHeaping 1/3 cup each: Walnuts, cashews, almonds1 tsp vanilla extract
The Filling2-3 ripe bananas, sliced lengthwise1 cup strawberries pureedYour combination choice of whole/sliced fresh fruits: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mandarin oranges
·       Put all the nuts in the food processor and process till they’re finely chopped, then add dates (I cut them into smaller pieces first) along with vanilla and process to create a sticky goo.·       Press the crust into a glass pie plate (9-10 inches)·       For the first filling layer, arrange the bananas slices on the crust and use a fork to smoosh them into a layer.·       Place sliced strawberries on top of the bananas and pour the pureed strawberries on top.·       Next arrange all of the whole (or sliced) fruits on the top alternating colors for a pleasing display·       Cover and refrigerate.
Hints: This is a beautiful (and tasty) summer dessert. The only problem? It doesn’t keep well. Serve this when you expect it to be consumed in one sitting—two at most. I use the roasted cashews rather than raw cashews and I’m generous in measuring my nuts. Too many nuts? Not a possibility. 

My Book Club Improves My Writing--And My Mind

By Linda Lovely
While I’ve always been an avid reader, I didn’t join a book club until after I’d written my first novel. Even then, I joined reluctantly at a local bookstore owner’s urging. I’ve now belonged to he Book Feast Club for several years. I’m absolutely certain my membership has made me a better writer—and maybe even a more rounded individual. And no, I’m not talking about my hips, even though the ladies of Book Feast always combine discussion with dinner.
Our book club has 15 members. Not all were able to make this summer dinner meeting
--and some photos didn't quite turn out so not everyone's pictured on this page. Why did I resist joining a book club? My two main reasons are interrelated. The first is time. I didn’t want to spend time reading books someone else picked for me when I didn’t have enough time to read all the novels I really wanted to read. My to-be-read stacks were already teetering with new works from long-time favorites along with manuscripts and novels from new authors I was meeting in organizations like Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America. My second reason for reluctance was my impression that book club selections would be dominated by “literary” titles that were presumably good for me but usually depressing and certainly not my mystery/thriller/romantic suspense mainstays.
So what did I discover? This book club’s fiction selections are eclectic. While we all make suggestions and vote, we attempt to balance our annual list with a little of everything--historicals, mystery/thrillers, romance, humor, classics and, yes, thought-provoking literary prize winners.
Do I wind up reading some books I don’t like? Yes, but that’s more than balanced by discovering authors I otherwise might never have read and learning new ways to engage readers (as well as what really turns the readers in Book Feast off). I  should add that our club is not militant. If you don’t like a book, you are not required to slog through to the end just to attend the meeting where it will be discussed. The general rule of thumb is try to read the first fifty pages before you give up.
Of course, I also have to add that I LOVE our members. The wonderful women are just as diverse as our reading selections. Ages range from forties to eighties. Professions (current and former) run the gamut from librarians and professors to nurses, flight attendants, and medical techs. The group includes Southerners and Yankees, liberals and conservatives. Our conversations are always lively—and civil. Politicians could learn a lot from our members.

So why do I say authors should join a book club? Writers tend to spend a lot of time with each other. We talk about point-of-view and plot structure, character arcs and dialogue tags. Do readers know or care about these things? No. It’s interesting and instructional to see what engages readers and what writing flaws they will overlook if the characters are compelling and the storylines keep them hooked. It's just as interesting to see what they can't abide. The club members by and large are a big part of my target audience.
Want to know what the Book Feast has on its calendar for the next 12 months? I’ll include our reading list in my next Once-In-A-While Newsletter. Here’s a link to sign up. Newsletter Sign-Up
Do you belong to a book club? If so, what do you like most about your group?
P.S I love to visit with book clubs—in person if feasible or by Skype or Free Conference Call. Let me know if you’re interested.

A 200-Word Gem—Write It and Cash In

I don’t write short stories. I’d rather write a complete chapter than a 200-word story. My husband will testify that I can’t answer a simple question in less than 200 words. But I DO appreciate short stories. And, for the last several years, one of my responsibilities as a veteran Writers’ Police Academy (WPA) volunteer has been to line up reader judges for the Golden Donut Short Story contest. Another of my duties is to count the words in each story—to make certain they contain EXACTLY 200 words, including the required title. Here's a man who knows how to make words count! Craig Johnson,
author of the Longmire series, and this year's contest judge.The exact word count is a unique contest rule that writers (can you believe it) sometimes fail. Hey, how many of us were math majors or big on following a rule book? Nonetheless there are big rewards for short story authors who can tell a riveting tale in exactly 200 words. The winner of this year’s Golden Donut contest not only receives a nifty trophy and lots of recognition—online and at the WPA banquet—but also gets a FREE registration to a 2018 WPA event. And, guess who's the final judge for this year's Golden Donut contest? Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series. It’s been a pleasure to read the Golden Donut entries in past years. They’ve ranged from funny to spine-tingling, melancholy to horrifying. It’s amazing how a single photo can spark such different tales. The rules of the contest are simple. The contest photo absolutely MUST be the main focus of the story, not just a mere mention within the text. Here’s the inspirational photo for the 2017 contest: And the good news? There’s still time to enter! The deadline for entries is July 2. Plenty of time to pen 200 words. And you don’t have to be registered to attend the 2017 Writers’ Police Academy to enter. The contest is open to all. Here’s the link to all the details: http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/short-story-contest/And don’t forget I’ll be COUNTING on you…
Good luck!

Who Are The Scariest Villains?

By Linda Lovely
October conjures up thoughts of Halloween ghosts, goblins, and all things scary. And that has me thinking about the villains that scare me the most. They are villains who have the ability to charm and distort, and they are relentless is pursuing their visions no matter the cost. Here’s what the villains in my published novels and work-in-progress tend to have in common:
Gender—I seem to believe in equal opportunity when it comes to villains. Females are the primary villains in half of my books/manuscripts. Gender may influence how the villains go about achieving their goals, but the evil women and men share many of the same personality traits.
Appearance—Most of my “major” villains tend to be attractive if not downright handsome/beautiful. Their good looks provide a mask for their frightening personalities and evil intentions. I have had some fun with their villainous sidekicks/henchmen, making their outward appearances a tip off to their frightening predilections.
Personality Traits—Whether male or female, my villains share certain personality traits. They are arrogant, greedy, self-centered, determined, smart, and ruthless.
Motives/Goals—I’ve worked hard to ensure my villains all consider themselves heroes/heroines of their own stories. They have reasons for doing what they do. Of course those reasons may not be rationale or socially acceptable but they’re valid in their minds. Their motives include power, money, promoting an idea/ideology, revenge, lust, and love. That last one “love” may prompt them to do unspeakable things to anyone they perceive as harming or posing a threat to their loved ones.   
Chilling Villains from Novels/Movies—Here are some of the chilling villains who haunted me long after I read the book or saw the movie.Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the LambsAnnie Wilkes, MiseryDr. Christian Szell, Marathon ManEleanor Iselin, The Manchurian CandidateNoah Cross, ChinatownNurse Ratched, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s NestNorman Bates, PsychoPractically the entire cast of Gone Girl (That doesn't mean I enjoyed that book. I only finished it because it was a book club pick. I want to have someone to root for.) 

Which villains giveyou the biggest chills?