Debra H. Goldstein's Blog, page 17

Guest Blogger: Lynn-Steven Johanson – The Cat in the …Book

The Cat in the…Book by Lynn-Steven Johanson

I’m a cat lover as well as a dog lover. I live with dogs…and one cat. I should say, “my cat.” I admit to being owned by my cat, and he knows it. “Boris” is a Russian Blue, and he’s my best buddy. So, I guess it was only a matter of time that a feline would end up playing a role in one of my mysteries.

Havana Brown, the title of my most recent novel, is a prequel to Rose’s Thorn, my first mystery published in 2020. For those who may not know, the title comes from an uncommon breed of domestic cat, a shorthaired, chocolate brown beauty. And in the story, hairs from a Havana Brown provide the only common link in a series appalling serial murders. Those hairs are the only evidence Chicago Detective Joe Erickson has when he goes on the trail of a killer who has no desire to stop taking lives.

Spoiler alert: the cat didn’t do it! In fact, he’s not even an accomplice. Does the cat help catch the serial killer? Is he killed off in climactic gun battle? I can’t reveal that kind of juicy stuff! But he is a recurring character in Havana Brown.

When Rose’s Thorn begins, we learn Joe Erickson is on medical leave from Chicago PD after suffering a nervous breakdown shortly after catching a serial killer. We don’t learn anything about the circumstances. He has returned to his Iowa hometown to take care of his father’s estate. And while there, he bumps into his former lover, a criminal profiler, who has been called in to consult on a double murder. So, looking at this background information, the idea of a prequel began percolating, and the story came to fruition with Havana Brown.

Why did I include a cat in this mystery? Well, with hard-boiled crime fiction, you need to look for opposites and contrasts to the darker elements. And I think in this story, a cat not only provides clues for solving the crime, but also adds some interesting lighter moments and some incongruities that give certain characters dimension. In the end, I guess readers will determine how well I succeeded.

~~~~~

Lynn-Steven Johanson is an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced on four continents. Born and raised in Northwest Iowa, Lynn holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His first Joe Erickson Mystery, Rose’s Thorn, was published by Level Best Books in March 2020. They have scheduled the release of Havana Brown for April 2021. Lynn lives in Illinois with his wife and has three adult children. He is currently working on the third installment of his Joe Erickson Mysteries.

Lynn’s website: www.https://LSJohanson.com

Lynn’s Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/streetsofmarathon

 

The post Guest Blogger: Lynn-Steven Johanson – The Cat in the …Book appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Storytelling and the Ides of March

Storytelling and the Ides of March by Debra H. Goldstein

Today is the Ides of March. Originally thought of as a day to settle debts, it became a day of notoriety because of it being the date Julius Caesar was killed. Its significance is that it is believed to have changed the fate of the Romans.

As a writer of mysteries, I often think about how lives and plot lines change when there is a murder.

There is the act and whodunit. Based upon the Shakespeare play and movies, I always through it was Brutus, but (accordingly to Wikipedia), at least sixty senators were party to the conspiracy and act of stabbing Julius Caesar to death. They hoped to overturn his policies, but they didn’t succeed. Instead, the Roman empire imploded.

In my books, murder is never random. It ties to a social issue, conflict between people, or a means to an end. As I create the details of the murder, I embrace its importance in setting the tone and establishing the movement of the story.

The murder also is a catalyst for how the characters behave. Some hide from its brutality, others dive into the why behind the crime, and of course, the protagonist tries to find out who did the dastardly deed and what the character’s motivation was. In the moment, there are characters who go into shock at the loss, individuals who have unkind things to say about the dead body, and those who observe the details for what’s out of place and find their minds filled with questions.

Some of the reactions are genuine, some fake, but all add to the characterization and move the plot along. Now that you know the way Caesar died, how do you think Cleopatra reacted? How would you write her next chapter-the one that began the day after the Ides of March?

 

The post Storytelling and the Ides of March appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George

 

There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George

I know Sarah Blair doesn’t like to cook, but I’m not sure about baking. I’d guess that’s a no to that domestic art also. I’m totally with her on the cooking. But, for some reason, I’ve always loved to bake. My start was Home Ec in junior high school. I hope kids still learn to cook in school, but I’m not sure. It was strictly gender divided when I was there, in the immediate Post Dinosaur Age. Boys took shop and girls took sewing and cooking. And baking. I know I would have loved shop! I eventually did take an auto mechanics course, but the way I learned to tune up an engine won’t work on computerized cars, alas.

Tally Holt, the sleuth in the Vintage Sweets cozy series, is a bit like me. She loves to bake, too. And to make candy. Luckily for her, she inherited a recipe box from her beloved grandmother, whose hobby was recreating her favorite treats in her own kitchen. She found recipes for Twinkies, Whoopie Pies, and even Clark Bars, as well as Mary Janes, chocolate-covered caramels, mint fudge, and other goodies.

When her best friend from childhood, Yolanda Bella, told her there was an empty shop next to her own Bella’s Baskets, Tally decides to come back home to Fredericksburg Texas and go into business with those precious recipes. Things are going along pretty well when she hits a snag. The snag is in the form of a dead body in her kitchen. Even worse, Yolanda is the main suspect.

That’s the first book, REVENGE IS SWEET. Tally perseveres and get through two more books, selling sweets all along the way, through DEADLY SWEET TOOTH and now, March 9th, INTO THE SWEET HEREAFTER. She is comforted along the way by her wise Maine coon cat, Nigel, who—sort of—offers her council and reassures her that things will be okay.

Back to the topic of cooking versus baking, though. I’m sure that a big reason I love to bake is because I love to eat the product. I do like making candy, too, and for the same reason.

Do you prefer cooking or baking? Or both or none?

Kaye George is a national-bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of pre-history, traditional, and cozy mysteries (her latest is the Vintage Sweets series from Lyrical Press), as well as over 50 shortstories. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Smoking Guns chapter (Knoxville), Guppies chapter, Authors Guild of TN, Knoxville Writers Group, and Austin Mystery Writers. She lives and works in Knoxville, TN.Kaye’s web page: http://kayegeorge.com/Kaye’s Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaye-George/114058705318095Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4037415.Kaye_GeorgeBookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kaye-georgePhotos from pixabay.com

The post There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Our World by Debra H. Goldstein

The trees outside my window are bare. When we moved into this house a few months ago, the leaves were so plentiful I couldn’t see any of the other new houses being built in our subdivision. But now, although the tree trunks create a barrier, it isn’t the same. Then again, the world is not either.

We mourn the many loved ones lost to the pandemic. We mourn the time we’ve lost in sharing the lives of our parents, children, grandchildren, and friends. We mourn the sensation of a hug, whispering in an ear, a simple touch of kindness.

We complain that we are tired – tired of being in the house, tired of being scared when we go into a public place like the grocery, tired of masks (which we wear because we know they are essential), tired of Zoom/Crowdcast/Free Conference call, etc., and tired of having our grandchildren, nieces, and nephews think we live in a small facetime screen.

We are thankful if our family and friends are healthy, if those we know who become ill get well, that we have Zoom/Crowdcast/Free Conference call, etc. to stay in touch, that there is a vaccine that at some point we might get, and that we know there will come a day when this darkness gives way to light.

 

 

The post Our World by Debra H. Goldstein appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Patience and Personality

Patience and Personality by Debra H. Goldstein

I am not a patient person.

It isn’t that I want it yesterday. I am willing to work for things, to wait until a flower blooms to cut it, or however long it takes to make sure something is done right. But, I am not a patient person.

I must force myself not to finish people’s sentences for them – especially my husband, who is a true Southerner – but I always blame that on being a transplanted Yankee. It drives me crazy when someone gives me every detail of the leaves left on one tree without cutting to the chaste: it is the only tree not diseased because it isn’t a Dutch Elm or a pine tree or whatever else is being attacked by some vicious disease.

Years ago, I was in a leadership group that ran a test on the thirty members in the class. Based upon our answers, we were determined to belong to one of four groups. One group was best described as party animals. They liked to have fun achieving their goal – if they managed to get it done. The second group were the followers. The few people in this group executed any directive they received but needed to come back to one of the other groups if something went awry. The third group were collaborative leaders who made decisions only every detail was explained, and every opinion heard. The fourth group, which was almost as small as the followers, were the bottom liners. They digested material put in front of them, asked specific questions that they expected clear answers to, and made a decision.

Yup, I fell into the fourth group. Except for deciding where I go with people to eat (I am collaborative or even a follower on that topic), I analytically approach almost everything else. That doesn’t seem to bother people in the first two groups, but it certainly frustrates and confuses those in the third group. Of course, their style frustrates and confuses me, too. What about you? What group are you in and what do you think about the other two groups?

The post Patience and Personality appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Joanne Guidoccio – What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave?

What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave? by Joanne Guidoccio

When I first heard this question at a creative writing workshop, I was tempted to say that I intended to firmly hold onto the reins. A neophyte with no literary credits to my name, I couldn’t imagine characters actually misbehaving on the page. Thankfully, I paused and waited for more seasoned writers to respond.

What followed was an animated discussion about a ghostly character who suddenly appeared and replaced the original protagonist, new characters who emerged out of a conversation, and a male character who decided to change gender. In each case, the writers allowed the disruptors to alter the course of the narrative.

A bit woo-woo for my taste, but I concluded that writers—for the most part—were a motley bunch.

Fast forward four years.

Partway through the manuscript of Between Land and Sea, a paranormal romance about a middle-aged ex-mermaid, I hit a major writing block. Days turned into weeks as I stared at the blank screen, unable to move the plot forward. In short, I was lost with no clear trail or direction in sight. At one point, I even considered filing away the manuscript.

Help arrived from a most unexpected source. One evening, I dreamt about Kendra Adams, a minor character I had mentioned only in passing. In my dream, she appeared as a world-renowned psychic and holistic healer on par with Sylvia Brown and Louise Hay. When I woke up, I felt inspired to let Kendra take over the remaining one hundred pages of the novel. As I wrote, the dialogue flowed freely, and the story arc took an intriguing turn.

In the sequel—The Coming of Arabella—Kendra shares the spotlight with the protagonist.

Fast forward another five years.

In my recent release, No More Secrets, I introduced Lynn Miller, aka Bellastrega as a psychic companion for the protagonist. My original intention was to have her appear only in the first chapter. For some reason, that didn’t sit well with Bellastrega. She invaded my dreams several times and persuaded me to assign her a separate POV. She wanted to interact with all the characters and provide the reader with well-honed insights into their personalities. When I decided to include an epilogue, I let her take over.

My advice to writers dealing with rogue characters:

Release expectations about how the storyline should flow. Let the new (or transformed) characters take over for a while. If the dialogue feels more authentic and the scenes practically write themselves, go with that flow.
Reassess your decision at the editing stage. Does the altered storyline make more sense? Or are you more comfortable with the original outline?
Get feedback from beta readers. While you may not wish to share the shenanigans of the rogue characters, you could ask readers to highlight strong dialogue and memorable scenes. Their responses may surprise you.

Book Blurb – No More Secrets

 Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold…

Purchase Links

Amazon (US) – https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Canada) – https://www.amazon.ca/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (UK) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Australia) – https://www.amazon.com.au/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX/

About Joanne:

A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Website – https://joanneguidoccio.com

The post Guest Blogger: Joanne Guidoccio – What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave? appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Judith Gonda – Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic

Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic by Judith Gonda

2020 started out with such promise. The first book in my landscape architect Tory Benning mystery series, MURDER IN THE SECRET MAZE, was set to release on February 26. I was finally going to have a book published.

The corona virus first penetrated my consciousness in early January. My younger daughter and her new husband were honeymooning in Asia. They arrived back in town just before LAX started to crack down and test incoming travelers. I felt an uneasiness as stories about virus-stricken travelers in Seattle, northern California, and then, Los Angeles, populated the news.

In March I was set to moderate a Left Coast Crime writers conference panel on Analyzing Murder: The Psychology of Crime, which for me was my coming out party of sorts, the first writers conference I would attend as a published author. I got busy reading panelists’ books in between practicing my short pitch for a debut author breakfast at the same conference. But none of that was meant to be.

As California’s Governor Gavin Newsom started to talk shut down and the NBA cancelled games, high risk people from my conference panel started to bow out, as I eventually did, too, two days before the conference started.

Then a pandemic was declared. It paralyzed me initially, but deadlines loomed ahead, and I threw myself into book-release activities.

So, debut and launch opportunities lost, or were they? I tried to do what I do every time life throws me a curve ball–I try my best to adapt.

On the plus side, I’ve had fewer competing demands on my writing time. With no social invitations to worry about, I wrote my heart out. It was a great escape to visit fictional Santa Sofia, smell the sea breeze, the pine scent from Christmas trees, even imagining my own hair frizzing in the marine layer.

Ralph’s Instacart has also been a big plus and has become my new BFF. I don’t miss lugging heavy groceries. No more time wasted waiting in line at checkout either.

Another positive aspect has been that I get to spend more uninterrupted time with my two rescue Pomeranians, Izzy and Ollie. All three of us belong to a mutual admiration club, my husband is an associate member.

I’m a developmental research psychologist by training, and I’m always examining behavior, my own included. This time with the stress of the pandemic, my anxiety was different. I think it was because the pandemic shook me so much, I not only needed to write but it was also a legitimate excuse to think about my plot instead of worrying about whether we were all going to die.

My debut didn’t have the launch I’d envisioned. But its virtual launch was just fine. With so many new behaviors to learn, from working with an editor and promotion, in a way it was better because I absorbed information at my own pace. Now with the second Tory Benning mystery, MURDER IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT, just released three weeks ago, I’ve adjusted my book launch expectations and expanded my social media skills to announce its release.

Looking back puts things in perspective. It could always be worse. But looking ahead, I’m hopeful the future will be better.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Judith Gonda is a mystery writer and Ph.D. psychologist with a penchant for Pomeranians and puns, so it’s not surprising that psychology, Poms, and puns pop up in her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring landscape architect Tory Benning. To learn more about her books, please visit her website: https://www.judithgonda.com

 

The post Guest Blogger: Judith Gonda – Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger – Janis Wilson – Time for History

Time for history by Janis Wilson

Victorian England is the setting of my novels. In Goulston Street, I wrote about the crimes and search for the world’s most famous killer, Jack the Ripper. Extensive research about the period in which the crimes occurred was time-consuming but essential.

The most compelling question about the story, of course, is the Ripper’s identity. The second most troubling question is why he wasn’t caught. In other words, were the cops inept or uninterested?

With other cases, all one would have to do was read the police file,  However, the Ripper case has held such fascination for so many for more than a century, the files were examined repeatedly by the public. Scotland Yard took no precautions against the purloining of key documents. Ripperologists have been significantly hampered by Scotland Yard’s failure to protect its internal memoranda. Another drawback to studying the case was the lack of police training in the late 19th century.  Scotland Yard led the way in creating a detecting protocol. Police didn’t start working in plain clothes until 1842. The Ripper murders took place in the Autumn of Terror, 1888. These police were far from welcomed by the community; they were feared. Londoners suspected they were spies.

There being a shortage of material about the Ripper case, I had to do my own detecting. I wondered to whom the police reported. In many cities, the Police Department comes under the mayor or city council. I asked myself who was the big cheese in London and the answer was easy. Queen Victoria. If provoked, she wasn’t shy about commanding her subjects to take action. Sure enough, I discovered she’d written a coded telegram to the Home Secretary (the equivalent of the American Secretary of State) expressing displeasure with the lack of progress in the investigation.

Armed with this information, I began a search of Home Office materials on the case, cross-referencing with key events in the case. The Police Commissioner made one particularly bone-headed move cost him the respect of the men he led. A message written in chalk on a wall off Goulston Street read, “The Juwes are not the men that will not be blamed for nothing,” or words to that effect.

Actions that quickly followed discovery of the message left the investigators uncertain precisely what it said but it was widely accepted that the message was an anti-Semitic statement in an area populated primarily by Jews. Officials feared people would take the words to link Jews with the Ripper crimes.

The confusion arose after the police commissioner ordered the words be washed from the wall. Police responsible for finding the killer took offense at this order, which was carried out before a photographer could memorialize the message. I realized the decision would have to have been explained so I sought out the written record. The commissioner had written a detailed memorandum to the Home Secretary explaining his reasoning, but to no avail. So shocking was this destruction of evidence that, in a day or so after explaining his reasoning, the commissioner bent to pressure and resigned.

As mentioned, there was no formal police training at this time, so there were no protocols for investigating crimes like serial killing. The crimes occurred in the East End, the most impoverished and densely populated area of London. Today, crime scenes were be roped off to preserve footprint and DNS evidence.  In 1888, East End residents wandered through the crime scenes on their day to day errands. No one knew about preserving shoe prints. DNA had not been discovered at that point, so the cigarette butts on those streets were not collected.

Another useful tool to investigating police work was the newspaper. Cbeap newspapers, often called “penny dreadfuls” proliferated. I read them not only to discover how the investigation was conducted but also what police were not doing.

Police intensely distrusted these newspapers, seeing no benefit to sharing information with the press. But reporters are indefatigable and enterprising, so they followed the detectives around and interviewed witnesses as soon as detectives departed. When information was no forthcoming, reporters made it up. In fact, the name “Jack the Ripper” was created by a newsman who wrote a penned a purported confession to the crimes and signed it, “Yours truly, Jack the Ripper.”  To this day, the title is shorthand for any serial killings, especially those committed with a knife.

In trying to identify those responsible for the investigation, I discovered a problem that plagued investigators after the 9/11 attacks.  There was no coordination of investigative efforts.  The “City of London” is not only the financials district of England, but a separate governmental entity with its own police force separate from Scotland Yard. One of the five murders was committed inside its borders, meaning the City police were solely responsible for solving that crime. Scotland Yard did not share information with City police and vice versa.

I have an entire bookcase devoted to the Ripper case and have studied many theories. As discussed in my novel, I landed on one theory advanced by a gifted historian that I found persuasive. I am still researching the Victorian era and am working on a book about a famous socialist and the harsh view of government opposition to the left wing that still rings true today.

Research is fun. I recommend it for everyone. It is a learning constellation that goes in multiple directions, all of them enriching.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Janis Wilson is a writer, trial lawyer, and lecturer.  For the past several years, she has been a true crime commentator on the Investigation Discovery and Oxygen Channels. She has appeared on such programs as “Deadly Affairs,” Evil Stepmothers” and “Killer Couples.” She could be a called a Renaissance woman, but she swears she is not that old.

She attended the University of Memphis, graduating with a degree in journalism. She became a newspaper reporter, but later returned to the University of Memphis and obtained a Master of Arts in Political Science.  Hoping to combine her love of journalism and politics, Janis moved to Pennsylvania’s capital, Harrisburg, and resumed her newspaper career. In Harrisburg, Janis spent countless hours in state and federal courts, covering investigations, grand jury proceedings and trials.

In court, Janis observed the best and worst trial lawyers.  One was so bad she decided, “If he could get through from law school, so can I.”  And she was right; she graduated from the Temple University School of Law.

Her novel, Goulston Street, purports to name the real Jack the Ripper.  Janis is a renowned Ripperologist and has taught a course at Temple University on the famous Victorian era killer.  She is a co-organizer of RipperCon, an international conference of persons who study the Ripper’s crimes and Victorian era police practices.

Janis is a chapter president of Maryland Writers Association and belongs to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Guppies, The Wodehouse Society, and Sherlockians of Baltimore.

She lives without incident in Baltimore with her husband and two rescued cats.

 

,

 

,

 

The post Guest Blogger – Janis Wilson – Time for History appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guess Blogger: Judy Penz Sheluk – It’s Not Always a Murder

It’s Not Always a Murder by Judy Penz Sheluk

The first thing I do after writing The End is to send a copy of the manuscript to my beta readers. I did just that with Where There’s A Will, the third (and final) book in my Glass Dolphin cozy mystery series, and waited to hear back.

Now, I’ll be honest with you. Even after five published novels, I still get nervous. After all, when you’ve been immersed in a project for months, you tend to lose perspective. What if they hated it? After all, I encourage honest feedback. That’s the point of having beta readers.

Fortunately, the feedback for Where There’s a Will was positive. One reader, however, did make this comment:

“I know the first two books in this series had murders at the center of the drama, so I was surprised that, although there were compelling mysteries reminiscent of your style in the Marketville series, there was no murder. Even more surprising was how much I enjoyed the story, even without a murder in the mix. I really couldn’t put it down. The mystery of the wills and how it all could impact the lives of all the characters was really intriguing.”

Now, as an author, I knew I was taking a risk. Cozy mystery readers have come to expect a murder. In fact, there’s often a dead body in the first chapter, sometimes on the first page.

But I wanted this story to be about friendship and forgiveness, about second chances, and about leaving my main characters—Glass Dolphin antiques shop co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland—at a good place in their lives.

That’s not to say that some of the characters in Where There’s A Will don’t deserve to fall victim to a bad end, and not everyone gets the second chance they might have hoped for, had one been offered. But hey, I write without an outline. Is my fault that when it came to “their turn for redemption” I didn’t find them worthy? I don’t think so. But that’s the thing about pantsing my way through the pages. I’m often surprised by who gets forgiven, and who doesn’t. Even when there’s not always a murder.

About the book: Emily Garland is getting married and looking for the perfect forever home. When the old, and some say haunted, Hadley house comes up for sale, she’s convinced it’s “the one.” The house is also perfect for reality TV star Miles Pemberton and his new series, House Haunters. Emily will fight for her dream home, but Pemberton’s pockets are deeper than Emily’s, and he’ll stretch the rules to get what he wants.

While Pemberton racks up enemies all around Lount’s Landing, Arabella Carpenter, Emily’s partner at the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, has been hired to appraise the contents of the estate, along with her ex-husband, Levon. Could the feuding beneficiaries decide there’s a conflict of interest? Could Pemberton?

Things get even more complicated when Arabella and Levon discover another will hidden inside the house, and with it, a decades-old secret. Can the property stay on the market? And if so, who will make the winning offer: Emily or Miles Pemberton?

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KFLQ6KH

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-theres-a-will-judy-penz-sheluk/1137780682?ean=2940162992455

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/where-there-s-a-will-87

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/where-theres-a-will/id1533844283?ls=1

About the Author: A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreaks & Half-truths, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors. Find her at www.judypenzsheluk.com.

 

The post Guess Blogger: Judy Penz Sheluk – It’s Not Always a Murder appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blog: FOUR AUTHORS Tell All About Four “Tails” of Miscreants and Murder

Teresa Inge

FOUR AUTHORS TELL ALL ABOUT FOUR “TAILS” OF MISCREANTS AND MURDER

To Fetch A Villain, the third book in the Mutt Mysteries series, features Four Fun “Tails” of Miscreants and Murder. Tell us what it’s like to write with multiple authors?

Teresa Inge – We coordinate the stories, editing, cover art, publication, and book promotion. Since the four of us are in other series together, we love coordinating the series.
Heather Weidner – It’s fun. I love being in group projects for discussions and camaraderie. Writing is solitary, so I enjoy hanging out with writer friends in a collaborative effort.
Jayne Ormerod – Great fun. We write individually, resulting in four stand-alone stories. It’s like Christmas morning when reading the book from start to finish. The real fun is planning (often at Williamsburg Winery), marketing, and book signings.
Maria Hudgins – The best part is readers get more than just my slant on things. My dogs and are friends, partners, and equals in brains and common sense. The other authors provide entertainment and activities for their pets.

Since readers of crime fiction love a series, what is your protagonist’s name and background and

Heather Weidner

do you use the same protagonist in each book?

Teresa Inge – Catt Ramsey, owner of the Woof-Pack Dog Walkers in Virginia Beach, is in the wrong place at the wrong time throughout the series. But when accused of murder, she’s on the case with pups Cagney and Lacey, sister Em, and family friend Jonathan Ray
Heather Weidner – My protagonist is sassy private investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald. She’s also my sleuth in the Delanie Fitzgerald mysteries. It was fun to include her and her computer hacker/partner, Duncan, and his English bulldog, Margaret, outside the regular series.
Jayne Ormerod – I use a different protagonist and canine sidekick in each story. Different personalities are needed for different situations. But the “voice” is the same. It’s more like sitting in a sharing and caring circle while each amateur sleuth tells her adventures in crime fighting.
Maria Hudgins – Jessica Chastain, a mystery writer is totally deaf but very competent on her own. Her trained service dog, Trey, acts as her ears and watches out for her. In my other series, Dotsy Lamb, a retired history professor gets into trouble around the globe, and Lacy Glass, plant pigment expert and archaeology wannabe, attends digs, wherever a certain archaeologist is working.



Joyce Ormerod

As dogs are the primary characters in your story, what are their names and breeds and how do they help solve crime and murder? And do you ever include your own dogs in the series?

Teresa Inge – Cagney and Lacey, two Yorkshire Terriers go everywhere with Catt Ramsey to solve crime and murder. They bark and alert Catt to dangerous situations. I sometimes include my own dogs Luke and Lena, two shepherd mixed dogs in the series.
Heather Weidner – Margaret, the Wonder Dog, an English bulldog is sidekick to Delanie’s partner, Duncan, at Falcon Investigations. She naps, snacks, and provides security at the office. One summer, she alerted Delanie and Duncan to a snake in the ceiling. My Jack Russell    Terriers are Disney and Riley from the same litter.
Jayne Ormerod – We’ve had six dogs during our lives. Each inspired certain traits of my fictional dogs. In my story “Ruff Day”, Mr. Belvedere is a silver Great Dane and some of his antics stem from my sister’s experiences as a dog walker.
Maria Hudgins – Trey and Kim, Bichon frises are based on my bichons, Holly and Hamilton, who were with me until five years ago. Trey, a trained service dog, is devoted to making Jessica’s house run like clockwork. Kim, a rescue is working to put her sad past behind her. Together, they’re playful but can be forces to be reckoned with!

Anything else you want to share about future books in the series or yourself?

Maria Hudgins



Teresa Inge – I am writing a story for the next Mutt Mysteries book, To Fetch a Killer. Murder by the Glass and Virginia is for Mysteries will be published in 2021.
Heather Weidner – I write the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries and the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries. The fourth Delanie book will be out in 2021, and the first Jules book will launch in October 2021.
Jayne Ormerod – Some book proceeds are donated to animal welfare by each author. I send mine to Hope for Life Rescue in Virginia Beach. Our dog Scout and grand-dog Porter came from there. Tiller is our double rescue dog.
Maria Hudgins – I have no dogs now. Lulu, my snowshoe cat that I keep indoors has little opportunity to fight crime. She loves to be read to and prowls the house at night. Her nightly snooping might be a start to a story.

Maria Hudgins

Maria Hudgins is the author of four Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries, Death of an Obnoxious Tourist, Death of a Lovable Geek, Death on the Aegean Queen, and Death of a Second Wife. These stories are set in Italy, Scotland, the Greek Islands, and Switzerland. Before using a place as a setting, Hudgins visits and takes copious notes. Two mysteries in her new Lacy Glass Series are available on Kindle and Kindle Prime. Scorpion House centers around an expedition house in Luxor, Egypt. The Man on the Istanbul Train follows the young botanist from Istanbul to an archaeological dig in central Turkey. She lives in Hampton, Virginia.

Teresa Inge

Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn’t carry a rod like her idol, but she hotrods. Love of reading mysteries and writing professional articles led to writing short fiction and novellas. She is president of Sisters in Crime Mystery by the Sea chapter and author of short mysteries in To Fetch a Thief, To Fetch a Scoundrel, To Fetch a Villain, To Fetch a Killer, Virginia is for Mysteries, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Coastal Crimes: Mysteries by the Sea, and Murder by the Glass. Connect with Teresa and her social media sites by checking out her website: http://www.teresainge.com .

Jayne Ormerod

Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor). She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne’s publishing credits include more than a dozen mysteries of varying lengths. A complete list can be found on her website www.jayneormerod.com.

Heather Weidner

Heather Weidner writes the Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series set in Virginia (Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband), and her Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries launch October 2021. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Deadly Southern Charm. Her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. Through the years, she has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers. Find out about Heather and her social media contacts through her website: http://www.heatherweidner.com

 

 

The post Guest Blog: FOUR AUTHORS Tell All About Four “Tails” of Miscreants and Murder appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.