Judith Post's Blog, page 60

Agatha Raisin

I’m a fan of M.C. Beaton’s Hamish Macbeth mysteries.  Having a laidback constable who’s happy doing his job and staying where he is, with no pretentions of ambition, even though he’s devilishly clever and always solves a case, is a novel twist.  People often underestimate him, and that  works to his advantage.  It’s refreshing to read about someone who’s perfectly satisfied with his life.  At least, so far.  I’m way behind in the series.

M.C. Beaton also writes the Agatha Raisin mystery series, which can now be seen on Acorn TV.  Way back, when the early books first came out, I bought a couple and tried them.  And Agatha annoyed me so much, I couldn’t make myself read another one of them.  I went right back to my clever, amiable Hamish.  But recently a funny thing’s happened.  I ran out of shows in the Shakespeare and Hathaway series I enjoyed so much.  Ditto for the series Rosemary and Thyme.  The Queens of Mystery was even shorter with its witty narrator and sly humor.  I enjoy Longmire, but HH and I only watch one or two of those shows a week.  So we tried Bosch, but that show’s so depressing, we’re going to finish the first series and swear off it.  That led us to try Agatha Raisin on TV.  And we really enjoy it.

I was younger when I first tried Agatha.  I’m not sure if my sense of humor has changed, or if the TV shows appeal more to me than the books would.  And for me, it doesn’t matter.  I think I’ve found a good balance, watching Agatha and reading Hamish.  It lets me enjoy both sides of M.C. Beaton.

What about you?  Have you read M.C. Beaton?  Do you enjoy Agatha and Hamish, or do you prefer one over the other?

 

Mystery Musings

Okay, I’m a writer.  Which means that when I read a book, I can’t help editing in my head as I go.  That doesn’t affect how much I enjoy a story.  I separate my editing brain from my reading pleasure, probably to the point that I don’t comment on things that bother me because I know how hard it is to write a book.  I also know how subjective my tastes are.  Things that other readers love don’t always hit me the same.  So I err on the side of focusing on the positive.  But then, that’s what I do in general anyway.  It’s who I am.

I do often think about what would happen if the author I’m reading came to Scribes, my writing group, and read his manuscript there.  Our group is eclectic.  It has a Regency romance and fantasy writer, a YA fantasy/horror writer, a newspaper columnist, an ex-addict writing a memoir to unglamorize drugs, a retired cop/philosophy teacher who’s writing about his experiences, two thriller writers, two literary members who write plays and poetry, a children’s writer, and a humor writer, among others.  And they’re the toughest critics I have.  I get nervous every time it’s my turn to read, but I’m so lucky, because each of them focuses on something different.

The last time I read, I took the first chapter of a new mystery series I want to try.  Not every member was there.  We only have a few rules and attendance isn’t one of them.  I really wanted feedback, and I got it.  I can go around our table–in my mind–and remember what each person commented on, because I know what they look for, and they don’t miss much.

The YA fantasy writer:  Where are the smells?  The description?  I want to be able to place myself in the setting, to see it.  I want more internal dialogue to know how she feels about what’s happened.

The poet:  You used too many general word choices instead of specific words.  I liked the active verbs and this phrase…  I liked the tone and voice, too.

The playwright:  You introduced too many characters too soon.  I had trouble keeping them straight.  Maybe hold off to introduce a few of them later, but good job on the dialogue.  It felt real.

The Regency writer:  I got the romantic interest right away even though you kept it subtle, and I liked the interaction between the characters.  You made the story’s big question clear.  I know where the story’s going.  This isn’t exactly a cozy, though?  Won’t you have to appeal to a different market?

The ex-cop:  You made the youngest brother a drug user.  I know that’s going to be a plot complication later.  The first chapter didn’t have the big hook, but I can see it coming.

The memoir writer:  I like how all of the characters are close and care about each other.  I can tell what happens to one of them will affect all of them.

The thriller writer:  I didn’t get bored.  It held my interest, but I like a big hook at the very beginning, something that grabs me.  I can see that this might appeal to some readers, though.  I hope pretty soon, you pick up the pace, give us something juicy.  Nothing really happened in this chapter.  It’s all set-up and hints.

The newspaper columnist:  It flowed well.  Nothing too abrupt.  The transitions made the writing smooth, but I got confused with all the characters.  Make them more distinct.

I’ll stop there.  You get the idea.  But I often hear their voices when I read someone else’s book.  Or I’m writing my own:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snippet

Since each of my Muddy River books is on sale for 99 cents, I thought I’d try to tempt you with Book Two this week.  Raven has a surprise for Hester:

Where was the man taking me? We hadn’t even packed any food, and I’d learned from experience that my demon loves his luxuries. I shook my head. I could guess all I wanted, but it wouldn’t do any good. I settled back to enjoy the ride.

Indiana in summer stretched out like a lush landscape of verdant green. The miles flew by, the music relaxed me, and we were turning onto a narrow dirt drive before I realized it. I sat up to concentrate more on my surroundings. Lots of trees.   Wherever we were going was private and secluded. And then I saw it.

A small, pristine lake sparkled in front of us with a large log cabin situated at the end of the lane. The dirt road curved to follow the lake’s shores, and a dozen tiny cabins clustered at its far tip. No cars were parked in any of the driveways.

“Did you rent the entire thing?”

His grin tilted, cocky. “I bought it. I thought it would be fun to be able to get away from Muddy River once in a while, to take short mini-vacations.”

“And the cabins at the end?”

“Your coven might want a weekend gathering spot once in a while, maybe come here to celebrate each solstice. And we could let friends use them, even if we’re not here. But the big cabin’s just for us, our private sanctuary.”

Excitement buzzed through me. I loved Muddy River, but sometimes, it felt like living in a goldfish bowl. Everyone knew our business. He parked at the cabin, and I threw my arms around him. “You’re brilliant.”

But it turns into a shock:

Claws growled, and I returned my attention to him. He stalked off toward the end of the lake where the small cabins were clustered.

Raven’s lips pressed into a tight line. “Your cat’s too upset. I have a bad feeling about this.”

So did I.

He led us to the last cabin in the group and Raven scowled at its open door. “I didn’t leave this unlocked.”

My stomach knotted. I wasn’t sure I wanted to look inside, but Raven pushed the door wider and we both stared at a man and a woman lying on the floor, their skin stretched tight over their skeletal bones. Every ounce of blood or life force had been sucked out of them.

The Year of the Rat (we’re clever, and 2020 is our year!)

Okay, cyberpunk is WAY out of my comfort zone.  I’ve been known to read a dystopian now and then, but when too much science is involved, I usually shy away.  BUT, I’m a fan of C. S. Boyack, and his latest book is…cyberpunk.  I’m reading it, and I’m enjoying it!  I’m still not sure I’m a true cyberpunk fan, but I sure am a C.S. Boyack fan.  This book is fun!  So I invited Craig here to tell you about it himself.

Thanks for inviting me over today, Judy. It’s an honor to be promoting my new book, Grinders, on your space.

I have something special for everyone today because Judy and I were both born in the Year of the Rat, according to the Chinese Zodiac. Every twelve years our year comes along, and 2020 is our year. Believe it or not, it has a tie to the story.

Grinders is a bit of cyberpunk set in a future version of San Francisco. One of the things San Francisco is famous for is its Chinatown. Before we get there, I need to return to the rats.

Grinders are people who perform illegal surgeries that are technologically related. It’s like plastic surgery, but involving microchips and radio antennae, that kind of thing. Grinder tech is illegal, and the surgeries are performed in basements and garages.

My antagonist is trying to research a new bit of grinder tech. Because this is illegal, he can’t just buy lab animals to experiment on. The authorities would trace the purchases back to him. He uses a shady street gang to make connections to various trappers who can provide him with research animals. Prior to the start of the story, he’s gone through a lot of various rodents, with limited success.

The lone success is in the form of a muskrat his young son named Daisy. She has fiber optic whiskers installed in her face. They light up and change colors to reflect her mood. Daisy was a stepping stone to Subject Forty-Three who is a white rat. Forty-Three is the only survivor of a string of rodents my antagonist tried to install functioning gills into. He can breathe underwater, but isn’t necessarily inclined to do so.

This poses some problems for the antagonist, because he needs the rats to infiltrate the sewer system to retrieve some abandoned intellectual property. Is Daisy too big to fit through all the tight spaces? Will Forty-Three be willing to complete the mission? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

That’s when I had one of those writer’s epiphanies. This is the Year of the Rat. The story is set in San Francisco. I have rat characters in the story. I was born in the Year of the Rat. With cyberpunk being all about flashy environments, the annual parade was the perfect place to have the major event of the story go down. Since I was on a roll by that time, it’s also Year of the Rat in the story, so there are people dressed as rat mascots in the parade, and I tried to take it way over the top.

This is a little behind the scenes peek at my writer’s brain. One other thing that I find cool for authors is Pinterest. I don’t promote there, but I started keeping a pin-board for each of my recent books and series. I’m a pretty visual guy and some of you might be, too. If you’d like some inspirational images for Grinders, you can check them out here. It will give you some of that cyberpunk esthetic, maybe a case study for some main characters, there are even muskrats and rats in a few images.

It’s time for me to drop a blurb and cover along with that all important purchase link. I hope I’ve inspired a few of you to check out this cool story. Thanks again to Judy for inviting me over today.

***

Blurb:

Jimi Cabot made one mistake as a starving college student. When she went to work for the San Francisco Police Department, it nearly cost her the job. The union stepped in and they had to reinstate her. They did so by assigning her to the duty nobody wants, Grinder Squad.

Grinders are people who use back room surgeries to enhance their bodies with computer chips, and various kinds of hardware. Jimi is sure that if she can just bust one grind shop, it will be her ticket back.

Paired with veteran cop, she soon learns that Grinder Squad is a cash-cow for the department. They are nothing more than glorified patrol cops, and generally get the worst assignments.

Matchless is the most wanted grinder of all time. He disappeared years ago, leaving only the evidence of those he enhanced during his career. With these pieces, Jimi picks up the cold trail to try working her way back to more respectable duty.

Grinders is a cyberpunk story set in a world where global warming has eroded coastlines, and society has solved many of our current problems by replacing them with new ones. There are cyber shut-ins, cyber-currency skimming schemes, and more in this futuristic tale.

This book also takes the opportunity to poke a stick at current issues that seem to have lasted into the future. Entitled people, helicopter moms, overzealous homeowner associations, and lack of decent jobs are all present. Never preachy, these issues make up the day to day work of a patrol officer.

I hope you enjoy Grinders as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you.

Purchase link: http://mybook.to/Grinders

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You can contact Craig at the following locations:

Blog My Novels  Twitter Goodreads Facebook Pinterest BookBub

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Happy Book Birthday to THE BODY IN THE APARTMENT!

Sorry.  I can’t help it.  It’s too exciting when one of my books finally comes out.  So I have to share that The Body in the Apartment is officially on sale today.  Hooray and Happy Dance!  And for the first time ever, the audible for the book came out on the same day as the ebook.  A first for me.  On top of that, I’m getting good reviews.  I might float all day.

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https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/39309

Here’s the cover for the audiobook.  Pretty cool, huh?

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Thanks for sharing in my celebration.  And hope you have a happy, wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

More TV, No Reading

My grandson’s on leave, and he stayed with us all last week.  Awesome!  This week, he’s staying in Indy to see his mom and his brother and his wife.  We’ll probably drive down to see him one more time before he flies back to California, but we sure loved seeing him while it was our turn.

Reading is pretty much a solitary endeavor, so I didn’t do any of it while he was here.  He’s not a voracious reader, even though he still manages now and then.  Like HH, he likes nonfiction more than fiction.  But during his stay, since TV and movies are more social, that’s what we did in the evenings.  He brought most of the shows on his laptop for us to watch, but on Thursday, we waffled about what to try, and I talked him into watching Ford vs. Ferrari.  He and HH weren’t sure they could trust me (I’ve talked them into one English mystery too many), but they got even more into the movie than I did–and I really enjoyed it.

I’m not a car person, and I usually have to make myself sit through movies about racing, but the characters in the movie were so well done–and the small mindedness and pettiness of the Ford executives so irritating–that the tension between men who love cars and men who focus on selling them to climb the corporate ladder drew me in.  Wonderful acting.  Wonderful story.

HH and I, somehow, have gotten out of the habit of watching movies.  I didn’t realize how much I miss them until Nate’s visit.  HH and I have made a pinkie pledge to start renting one every weekend–IF there’s one that looks good.  But we’re so far behind, if every new movie is a bust, we have hundreds of old ones we missed.  At least, that’s our intention.  For now.  But you know how life goes.  Pretty soon, it will be warm outside, and we’ll sit on our favorite couches later than usual.  So it might be easy to slip into plop fanny on sofa and read mode.  We’ll see.

Hope you find the time to read a good book, watch a good movie, or write a great scene.  So, for now, happy writing!

Fishing for Plots #Plotting #StoryEmpire #WIPs

What kinds of plots do you hook? A great comparison by Mae Clair.

Story Empire

Hi, SEers! It’s Mae Day on Story Empire, and I’m here to talk plotting—and fishing. 

Early in our marriage, my husband introduced me to flounder fishing. That attachment eventually evolved into crabbing, clamming, and a long stretch of boat ownership, but in the beginning, it was all about catching the coveted flounder.

I quickly learned there were several types of fish and sea critters attracted by the bait I dangled in the water and not all were desirable. Kind of like plots.  Sound crazy? Let me put it in perspective:

This is a Sea Robin
Photo courtesy of Versageek via Wikimedia Commons

JUNK FISH
When you’re fishing for flounder, just about everything else falls into the category of “junk fish.” The most common junk fish we’d hook were sea robins. These guys will never win a beauty contest. If you don’t believe me, take a gander at the…

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Snippet

Each of my Muddy River books is on sale for 99 cents for the rest of this month.  This is a snippet from BLACK MAGIC CAN BACKFIRE:

A waxing moon etched tall grasses leading to the tree line with silver. The humid air clung to my skin. Raven was standing behind a line of cars parked at the end of the asphalt, his strong body silhouetted by a few tall, overhead street lights. Not much effort went into making the parking lot safe, but shape shifters and vampires could see in the dark. Only witches needed flashlights to follow the path to the woods.

As I joined him, I noticed thirteen humps that dotted the ground from the asphalt to the forest. Bodies. He nodded at them. “Looks like someone picked them off on their way back to their cars. What can you tell me about them?”

I walked to the nearest girl, stared down at her. “Belladonna, she recently started a new coven of young witches. She was their leader.” The girl’s face and skin were unnaturally pale, her body shriveled. She was only eighteen. Too young to die. She’d just recently graduated from my school of magic.

Raven’s black brows furrowed into a deep V. “I met her, didn’t like her much. She convinced twelve other girls to follow her?”

I hadn’t like her much either, but she was only in her teens. She had centuries ahead of her to grow and mature. “She was smart and vicious. When I taught her, she took pleasure in embarrassing anyone she considered beneath her. If she was halfway nice to someone, they considered themselves lucky and joined her clique.”

He grimaced. “Weaklings. I’ve seen that happen.”

I couldn’t disagree. “A few of the other girls grew to be as nasty as she was.”

He motioned to the other dead bodies. “Would this be her coven?”

I walked to the next girl and the next, then nodded. All pale with sunken cheeks and loose skin hanging from their bones.

 

True Detective

My grandson is here on leave, staying with us this week.  We love watching TV together at the end of the day.  And this time, he came with his lap top so that we could watch the first season of True Detective together.  He’s been wanting me to see it for a long time, but it’s a lot more fun watching it when he’s here, because we’re those awful people who pause shows and yak about plot points and characters while we watch.  We’d never do that at a movie theater.  It annoys me when I pay to see a movie and people talk during it.  But at home, hey, it’s a whole different story.

We haven’t finished the series yet, but we started it last night and even HH got so hooked on it that we binge watched four episodes in a row until we were too tired to watch anymore.  The first thing I noticed was the show’s opening.  The music and images reminded me of the opening for True Blood.  Moody music.  Moody images that flash on screen.  You know, for sure, that you’re not going to watch a Hallmark movie.  And I don’t mean that as a put-down of either.  I happen to enjoy both.

The Long Bright Dark begins with the first body the detectives, Matthew McConaughey and Wood Harrelson, find.  And of course, the victim is staged.  Her naked body is kneeling and bent over with antlers tied to the top of her head and a “devil’s cage” made of twigs hanging over it.  She has stab wounds on her abdomen.  It looks like a ritualistic killing.  And after examining it, McConaughey declares that she isn’t the killer’s first victim.  There had to be more leading up to it.  Woody Harrelson doesn’t believe him but soon learns that his new partner might be odd, but he’s brilliant…and obsessive.

The combination of the new detective–an outsider–and the detective at home in his station and his home town–is used often, because it works.  It creates conflict between the protagonists to add to the conflict of the story’s plot.  And The Long Bright Dark does a great job of both.  Both characters are flawed but view life from really different angles.  McConaughey doesn’t believe in anything–religion, institutions, relationships; whereas, Harrelson is a married man who believes in family values, even though he rationalizes what that means so that he can sleep with someone else.  After all, gritty detective stories can’t have protagonists that are too happy, right?

Just like in the series True Blood, the story is set in Louisiana, and the poverty of many of the settings sets the tone for the serial killer who preys on women and children.  There’s a gritty texture that runs through every episode.  Our grandson keeps reassuring me that I’m going to like the ending of the show, and I hope he’s right, because it’s hard to tell how the protagonists are going to fare from one episode to the next.  And that’s a pretty awesome achievement, in and of itself.  The Long Bright Dark is done well.

 

New Release: In Search of McDoogal by Mae Clair #buddyfic #humor #comedyoferrors

I love Mae Clair’s writing, and she’s trying something new this time. Can’t wait to read it. If you need a little humor, you might want to give it a try.

From the Pen of Mae Clair

Hi, friends. I’m super excited! Instead of sharing a book review today, I’m sharing news of my own release! I had originally intended to do a cover reveal before publishing In Search of McDoogal, but then decided to go all in.

If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you already know McDoogal is a different type of story for me. Not only can you read it in ninety minutes or less, but it’s light-hearted in tone. No creatures or beasties, no dark or brooding mystery to solve. Just two guys on a day trip, trying to recover a…well…I’ll let the excerpt explain.

In the excerpt below, Brady Conrad has just arrived at the house of his friend, Declan Fitzgerald. These two have known each other since high school and are colleagues at an institute dedicated to marine and environmental research. After dragging Declan from bed with a rude…

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