Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 112

Art Taylor on Inspiration

Happy Monday! Liz here, and I’m happy to be sharing my spot today with our good friend and recent Macavity-winning author Art Taylor. Art just edited California Schemin’, this year’s Bouchercon anthology – and he gathered together some of the authors to find out from where they get their diabolical ideas…

Take it away, Art and friends!

Art: Where do you get your ideas? It’s a common question for writers—such a regular question at book events and author panels and online interviews that it’s become almost a cliché. 

But it’s a persistent question for a reason. Many of us like to hear how the creative process works generally—and often a particular story strikes us in a way that we want to know something more about the initial spark that set the storytelling in motion.

I was fortunate to edit California Schemin’, the anthology for this year’s Bouchercon, which took place earlier this month, and stories by several of the contributors had me wondering where the stories came from. Fortunately, I was in a position to ask.

 

[image error]Drops of blood from a murder knife on white background, Front view Blank for design.

California Schemin’ features stories by Bouchercon guests of honor Walter Mosley, Scott Turow, Anthony Horowitz, Anne Perry, Cara Black, and Catriona McPherson as well as a baker’s dozen of stories selected from more than 150 blind submissions—including works by the authors below. 

I hope you enjoy hearing them talk about where they got their ideas—and hope you’ll check out the full anthology, available now from Wildside Press. 

Kim Keeline on “California Fold’em”

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“California Fold’em” sprung from a prompt by Carolyn Wheat, author of How to Write Killer Fiction. She had her class write for three minutes, starting with the line “No, I won’t give you the money.”

What I wrote was grittier than my usual style—and I liked it. The scene featured Eddie, a down-on-his-luck con artist, pleading with a pawnbroker who won’t buy his stolen goods.

From that prompt came the draft of a novella, “Crossing Vlad,” and the start of two more connected novellas. But what brought Eddie to such dire straits in the pawn shop? I figured it involved poker—and, of course, a con. 

Then I saw the Bouchercon anthology listing. Nothing said California and scheming more than Eddie, so it seemed time for his “origin” story. 

I live near one of only two legal card rooms in San Diego. It’s barely legal, having been raided by authorities multiple times, and is near a seedy motel often griped about in my community newsletter. It seemed the perfect setting. While I’ve never played Texas Hold’em, I researched and talked to friends who play. 

I am thrilled my second short story is now published. Maybe someday you’ll learn the rest of Eddie’s story.

Eileen Rendahl on “A Spoonful of Poison“

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I became friends with some amazing women standing on the soccer sidelines watching my sons and theirs play for, well, a long time. The boys are grown and have all flown the nest, but those friendships remain. We see each other once a week or so, and the text chains can be epic. These women have been next to me through some dark moments and I’ve stood next to them during some of theirs. The women in “A Spoonful of Poison” are an amalgamation of many wonderful female friends I’ve made over the years.

How did it become a murder mystery? One time when I was headed out to be with someone during a challenging time, my boyfriend quipped “Good friends help you move. Best friends help you move the body,” and I thought, “. . . hmmmm.”

Linda Townsdin on “Re-entry”

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“Re-entry” was the result of two wildly different ideas. I had participated in the annual Sacramento Santa Run, where thousands of registered runners received packets with identical Santa suits, including beard and hat, and raced through the streets in a swarm of red and white. Always looking for ways to commit crimes—on paper—I imagined how easy it would be to get away with a criminal act where everyone moved fast and looked like everyone else. A sea of Santas! I filed it away as a fun idea for a humorous story. 

Later, after reading about prisoner recidivism, I wondered what it would be like for someone who had spent 20 years in prison to be released in an unfamiliar city with no family or friends to help him acclimate. I wrote an in-depth scene about that character. 

For “Re-entry,” I combined the two ideas, and wrote a story that teetered on the brink of humor but was ultimately heart-rending. 

Carrie Voorhis on “The Fandancer’s First Murder”

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My sleuth is a 19th-century woman that I built from, really, trash. I’m forever falling down rabbit holes on the Internet, and one day I found the website of a man who excavates Victorian rubbish dumps and adds his finds to a database. Dishes and silverware, bottles of household cleaners, makeup containers, candy tins, photographs, discarded clothes and shoes. There’s something very human and revealing about the things we throw away and the story grew from there.

Thanks for joining the Wickeds, everyone! Readers, where do you get your inspiration? Leave a comment below!

About the authors:

Kim Keeline was co-chair for Left Coast Crime 2020, designing their logo, program book, interactive mystery game, and more.  She’s also president of the San Diego Sisters in Crime 2019-2020. She’s relatively new to short stories. In March 2020, her first story, “The Crossing,” was published in the anthology Crossing Borders. She freelances in marketing, editing, web site design, bookmarks/postcard design, etc.—particularly helping other authors. She is currently writing/revising two mysteries. www.kimkeeline.com. 

Eileen Rendahl is a national-bestselling award-winning author of mystery, thriller, urban fantasy, romantic comedy, and romantic suspense. She also writes as Kristi Abbott, Lillian Bell, and Eileen Carr. If you think you’re confused, imagine what it’s like inside her head. She has had many jobs and lived in many cities and feels unbelievably lucky to be where she is now and to be doing what she’s doing. http://www.EileenRendahl.com.

Art Taylor is the author of The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense and On the Road with Del & Louise, winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel. His short fiction has won an Edgar Award, an Anthony Award, and multiple Agatha, Derringer, and Macavity Awards. He edited Murder Under the Oaks, winner of the Anthony Award for Best Anthology. He is an associate professor of English at George Mason University. http://www.arttaylorwriter.com. 

Linda Townsdin writes the Spirit Lake Mystery series inspired by her childhood in northern Minnesota. Focused on Murder (2014), Close Up on Murder (2015), Blow Up onMurder(2017), and Longshot on Murder (2019)have been called “complex murder mysteries with bone-chilling thrills and a little romance.” Townsdin’s background as writer/editor for a national criminal justice consortium has been helpful in plotting her series. Her short fiction is published in several anthologies. She lives in California. lindatownsdin.com.

Carrie Voorhis—former advertising copywriter—started her writing career as a proofreader for the For Dummies publishers, a skill she still lends to friends and family whether they like it or not. In her spare time, she cooks, eats, and enjoys reading about cooking, eating, and people killing each other. She is currently at work on her Zoe Falconer mystery series. http://www.boxoffancy.com.

Guest -Judi Lynn and a Giveaway!

Jessie-In New Hampshire where the darkness is gathring earlier and earlier.

October is just about the perfect time to double-check one’s to-be-read pile to be absolutely sure that there are enough books to last the winter. Our guest today has one you might just want to add to your stack! Take it away, Judy!

Hi!  I’m Judi Lynn, and I want to thank The Wickeds for inviting me to their blog today.  My latest Jazzi Zanders cozy, THE BODY FROM THE PAST, ends with a Halloween party.  Jazzi’s husband, Ansel, loves holiday parties, and since he and Jazzi host Jazzi’s family meal each Sunday, they combine the meal with a celebration.  Jazzi’s cousin, Jerod, and his wife have three kids—Gunther, 5; Lizzie, almost 3; and Pete, almost 1.  Their friend, Walker, has a son, too, River-7.  Jazzi makes “mummy” hotdogs, wrapped in strips of crescent rolls; meatballs with sliced green olives attached that look like eyes, and floats them in marinara sauce; pumpkin soup; and caramel apples and popcorn balls.  Ansel loves kids, so he plans lots of Halloween games for them and buys a black cat pinata for them to break open.  

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Writing the party scenes made me think about Halloween when my sisters and I were growing up.  We ran the entire neighborhood, knocking on doors for candy.  We were only allowed one night to fill our goody bags.  Neighbors went to extra bother for the holiday.  One woman made candy apples to hand out every year.  Another made homemade caramels.  The lady down the street made popcorn balls, and another baked cookies.  Homemade treats are taboo these days.  Parents would worry what was in them.  

When our girls were little, I baked tons of cookies for their Halloween school parties.  No more.  Now, we buy lots of candy every year and leave our porch light on, but fewer and fewer kids knock on our doors these days.  

My husband belongs to our local American Legion, and members donate candy to have a Trunk or Treat.  Both of our city’s malls pass out candy for kids going door to door from one shop to the next.  Our local elementary school banned devil and witch costumes for the Halloween costume parade.  No witches on Halloween?  Come on!

 I have wonderful memories of waiting until dark to dress in my costume and fly out the door with my big grocery bag, ready to beg for treats.  Kids in our city are only allowed two hours for trick-or-treating—5:00 to 7:00.  It’s not even dark.  And parents walk with their kids to keep them safe.  I know the world has changed.  I know parents have to be more cautious of their kids’ safety.  But it makes me sad.

Trick or treating, when I was young, was so much fun.  Our neighborhoods were still innocent.  Our neighbors made us feel safe, not wary.  I don’t spend much time mourning for the “good, old days.”  Life evolves and changes.  But I do miss the joys of Halloween.

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Readers: What was trick-or-treating like for you when you were growing up?  Are you still a fan of All Hallow’s Eve? Judi is giving away a copy of The Body from the Past to one lucky commenter!

To find my blog:  https://writingmusings.com/

Judi Lynn is the pseudonym for Judith Post.  I love to cook, so recipes sneak into most of my books.  I’ve always wanted English gardens like Agatha Christie writes about, but my own are mostly survival of the fittest.  I’m no great gardener.  I like kids, animals, and most people

Thankful Thursday Giveaway

Jessie: In New Hampshire where there is as much colorful foliage on the ground as on the trees.

Every month we are picking a Thursday to mention something we are each grateful for and to offer a giveaway of books to one lucky commenter. So, Wickeds, share with all of us what is making your heart sing with thankfulness this month!

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Edith/Maddie: I’m thankful I got away for a week-long solo writing retreat on Cape Cod. While there, I wrote almost half a book and typed The End. The cottage I rent is my happy place and where I find it easy to let the muse flow. And every day I’m thankful the coronavirus hasn’t hit me or anyone I’m close to. I will give away either Murder on Cape Cod or Murder at the Taffy Shop, winner’s choice.

Barb: I am grateful my husband and I got to spend this month renting a place on a lake near my son and his family. When we made the plan I imagined us helping with remote school and providing childcare coverage for our seven-year-old granddaughter. There’s been some of that, but I think the most exciting thing for all of us has been seeing new faces and spending time with new people after all this time in relative isolation. I’m giving away an Advance Reader Copy of Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door.

Liz: I am grateful for continued good health and a full life that keeps me busy…sometimes a little too busy, but better than the alternative! I am also so grateful that my dogs have a fenced-in yard to run around in. It makes me so happy to watch them playing outside. I’ll give away a copy of Witch Hunt.

Jessie: I am so thankful that my two sons at college have stayed healthy and that their campuses have been able to safely remain open. I am also so grateful for all the enthusiastic help my husband has given me on a recent and ongoing office redo! I’m giving away an Advance Reader Copy of Murder Comes to Call.

Sherry: I am thankful that we got to take a mini-break last week. We rented a house on a lake south of Annapolis for three nights. It was a fabulous neighborhood and so refreshing to be away for the first time since last February. I will give away an ebook of any of my books.

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Wicked Wednesday-Writing Rituals

Jessie: In New Hampshire enjoying the scent of wood smoke in the air.

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We’re talking about rituals and routines on Wednesdays this month and so, of course, I wondered about your writing routines. How do you start a writing session? What do you need to do or to have at hand to get to work? Do you have any rituals associated with a new book or a new series?

Edith/Maddie: I talked earlier about starting my daily mornings of writing. On a less-frequent schedule, I love setting up a new Scrivener project for a new book. (For readers not familiar, Scrivener is software many of us use to keep our writing and all the book information in one place.) I save the project for the last book in the series as a new project, rename it, and delete all the content. This carries over all the research, my Series Characters file, and the series timeline to the new book. Then I take a nice pen and a notebook to my rocking chair and start coming up with character names for the new book. It makes me so happy to have a new story brewing in the creative parts of my brain.

Julie: Edith, I do the same thing when I get my project into Scrivener. My starting a book ritual is a bit different. I start with a yellow pad where I start my plotting, and move to a pack of notecards where I add scenes and rearrange until it all makes sense to me. Then it moves into Scrivener. I’ve realized lately that a writing routine makes a huge difference for me to get get in the headspace for the work. Before I start I get a beverage, close my eyes and think about the story for a few minutes, and then I begin. I need to make space for the muse to come and visit.

Sherry: Wow Julie that is so impressive! Usually, I get an idea, open a Word document, and start writing. Sometimes I talk the plot out with one of my writing friends. I’ve been working on plotting more before I write, but when scenes start playing out in my head I just have to get them down. The interesting thing with the third Chloe Jackson book is that I’ve changed my writing schedule. I normally write in the afternoon, but I’ve started doing a morning and afternoon writing session. I guess when the muse hits, I don’t want to let her go.

Liz: For my last few books, I’ve been able to have plotting conversations with Jessie that have been SO helpful. I’ve come away with so many scenes to start the book, which really helps me with that paralyzation procrastination that hits me when I don’t know where I’m going next. I put all those scenes into Scrivener also and then rearrange, add, expand as needed.

Barb: Like Julie, I start on paper, often with circles and arrows and lots of lists. Then I write a synopsis for my editor which forces me to see the narrative structure of the story. Then, like Liz, when I’m lucky, I get a plotting session with Jessie. From there, to scene cards in Scrivener. Then write the first draft, never looking back, so I don’t turn into a pillar of salt like Lot’s wife. I don’t know whether these are habits or rituals or some sort of superstitious attempt to replicate what worked the last time, but it’s what I do! One thing is for sure, there is no one “right way” to write fiction.

Jessie: Thanks Barb and Liz for the nod! I love to noodle up plots and untangle knots with other authors!

I start all my books with a glimmer of an idea, a lot of research to see where the idea leads and a notebook to corral the thoughts that come up. I ask myself questions in the notebook and then I answer them a variety of different ways. If one feels right to me I circle it. Next I make a sort of mind map of the story on a large glass board I have mounted on my office wall.

Once I feel like I have an idea of what scenes will start to look like I write a sentence or two describing what happens in them onto sticky notes at random. I add to and arrange the sticky notes again and again until all the scenes are in place. Then, because my current editor requires an outline, I dictate a more detailed version of what I am reading from each sticky note into a Word document to become an outline. I copy and paste each paragraph of the Word document into my scene cards in Scrivener. Then, I am ready to start to write the book.

Readers, what do you need nearby to take on your own work or favorite projects?

Getting It All Done

Edith here, writing from north of Boston and feeling a bit anxious.

Anxious about what? I had two books release last month that are selling well. I’ve completed the first draft of novel #27. Neither I nor anyone in my family has contracted COVID-19, and I have a roof over my head and a good heating system heading into a New England winter. All good, right? Of course.

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I’m anxious because of that unfortunate picture. I am heading into the literal body shop on Thursday to have the disintegrated base of my left thumb rebuilt. It’s a problem that has grown increasingly more painful over the last four years, with bone on bone and no joint space left to put an injection into. A surgical procedure called opponensplasty can fix it.

I shouldn’t be anxious. It’s day surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital with a highly regarded surgeon experienced in the procedure. I won’t have general anesthesia. I’ll be in good hands and am having the required COVID test this afternoon. Still, it’s a medical procedure, and ya just never know on all kinds of fronts. (Yes, I have already cast my ballot for November 3. Ya just never know…)

And then? Uh, six weeks without the use of my thumb. Gah! I’ve been trying out doing all kinds of things without using my left opposable digit and discovering how much will be impossible. If you came to visit starting on Friday – which you won’t, so that we all retain our COVID-free status – you would find me braless and wearing elastic-waisted pants. Yeah, that thumb thing. I’ll be relying on Hugh for a lot as it is, and asking him to button my jeans and fasten my bra might put him over the top.

I am nothing if not a list maker. About a month ago, I started drawing up a list of everything I needed to get done before October 22nd. It kept growing and it’s still not all crossed off. I included blog obligations for November, because I want to save any strength in my fingers for writing fiction.

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I’m hoping to get to the garden chores today. And I can cross off the Oct 20 Wickeds item – this post! Actually, I should have gotten the newsletter item sent out by today, too, and I now see I never added VOTE – also done.

If you have any prayers, good thoughts, or healing energies hanging around, I could use them on Thursday morning!

Readers: What do you do to calm anxieties? Are you a list-maker?

Hive Mind and a Giveaway

Jessie: In New Hampshire where the apples are ripe and the nights are chilly.

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Recently I posed a question on social media asking what readers look for in author websites. Or if they looked at author websites at all. The response was surprisingly generous and specific. Commenters mentioned looking for lists of book series in order. They want to know about research. They are interested in upcoming releases. They mentioned behind the scenes looks at the writing process and the writing life. They said, in normal times, that they check aiuthor websites for events and appearances.

It was fascintating and a little intimidating. You see, I asked the question because I am in the process of working with a web designer to overhaul my own website and I wanted to know what it was that would be of benefit to those people who go looking for what I put out into the world wide web.

Armed with reader suggestions and a questionnaire from the web designer I began thinking about all the things to include as well as what to leave out. I am not at all sure I am anywhere near done. Between the content for each page, the links, reviews, book covers and art choices for the overall look there is a lot to consider. It is fun to plan but it is also a decently sized undertaking and I want to be sure to have it satisfy and last for some time to come. Because as much as I try to enjoy anything I set out to do, I really am eager to get back to my latest novel-in-progress!

So readers, do you visit author websites? If so, what are you hoping to encounter if you do? I have one ARC for the next Beryl and Edwina mystery, Murder Comes to Call, for a randomly chosen commenter.

Pike Place Market – Where the Ghosts Live On Guest Leslie Budewitz

[image error]I’m happy to welcome back Leslie Budewitz. She’s a multi-published author. a fellow past president of Sisters in Crime, and a lovely human being. The paperback version of the fifth book in her Spice Shop mystery series, The Solace of Bay Leaves, comes out on October 20, 2020. Look for a giveaway at the end of the post!

Leslie: When I was researching Assault & Pepper, the first Spice Shop mystery, I took a trip to Seattle and my BFF and I spent the day prowling the Pike Place Market, where the series is set. We stopped for coffee at Ghost Alley Espresso, http://ghostalleyespresso.com/ a hole-in-the-wall that neither of us remembered. I told the owner what I was up to. Turned out she was a child of the Market, whose parents had started a business selling her mother’s watercolors, cards, and calendars. (Called Studio Solstone, it’s still there. http://www.seattlewatercolors.com/ And the BFF sends me their calendars; you can see the espresso shop in the lower middle.)

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Our new friend wanted a storefront as home base for her business giving ghost tours of the city, including the Market. Her tiny shop under the stairs, on the way to the Market Theater and the Gum Wall, had originally been intended as a rest stop for drivers and delivery men, then became forgotten storage. Only because she grew up knowing the Market inside out did she realize it could be useable space. Convincing the agencies that run the Market was another matter, and she used her own story to illustrate the process of setting up a business in the Market and leasing space. Literally—she took over my notebook and sketched out the organizational structure.

 

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Most useful cup of coffee I ever had.

(In truth, I don’t think she actually charged us for the coffee, but I bought several books from her, including her book, Market Ghost Stories, and I sent her a signed copy of Assault & Pepper.)

That conversation fed me details about running a Market business that have worked their way into the Spice Shop series—the role of the Public Development Authority and the Historic Commission, the hoops Pepper jumps through to get permission for a new sign in Guilty as Cinnamon, the basement storage units where she finds clues in Killing Thyme.

It also gave me the ghost theme.

I’m not talking your ordinary ghosts. Instead, I’ve explored the history of the Market through its ghost stories, fueled by its history and higgledy-piggledy construction. (One book does involve an actual–maybe ghost—I won’t spoil the series for new readers by saying which one.) I’ve played with ways the word “ghost” shows up in our language: “ghosting” in relationships; ghost traps, a sad fact of the fishing life; and in The Solace of Bay Leaves (out October 20, from Seventh St. Books), ghost signs.

You know ghost signs, don’t you? Faded advertising signs painted on the sides of old buildings, for a long-gone tenant or an unrelated product. Some are quite vivid; others, you’ve got to squint to see. Some walls boast layers of signs. Occasionally, as happened in Missoula while I was writing Solace, one will reappear when an adjacent building is torn down. I was already fascinated by ghost signs and had been hoping to work them into the series. When I read that story and saw the sign, I immediately thought it belonged in Solace, where Pepper investigates a shooting that leaves an old friend gravely injured and discovers unexpected ties to the unsolved murder of her friend Laurel’s husband.

How that ghost sign would work its way into the story, I didn’t know. Here’s a hint.

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Unfortunately, I’ve never taken any photos of ghost signs in Seattle, and didn’t get a chance to travel there this summer, as I’d hoped. These photos are from downtown Kalispell, Montana, the nearest “big town” to me. (Readers of my Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries know it as Pondera.)

Readers, any ghost signs in your town? A favorite old building you’ve heard is haunted? Talk to Leslie in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy (US only) ot The Solace of Bay Leaves.

 

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From the cover of The Solace of Bay Leaves, the 5th Spice Shop Mystery by Leslie Budewitz (Seventh St. Books, July/October 2020, in paperback, ebook, and audio).

Pepper Reece never expected to find solace in bay leaves.

But when her life fell apart at forty and she bought the venerable-but-rundown Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, her days took a tasty turn. Now she’s savoring the prospect of a flavorful fall and a busy holiday cooking season, until danger bubbles to the surface …

Between managing her shop, worrying about her staff, and navigating a delicious new relationship, Pepper’s firing on all burners. But when her childhood friend Maddie is shot and gravely wounded, the incident is quickly tied to an unsolved murder that left another close friend a widow.

Convinced that the secret to both crimes lies in the history of a once-beloved building, Pepper uses her local-girl contacts and her talent for asking questions to unearth startling links between the past and present—links that suggest her childhood friend may not have been the Golden Girl she appeared to be. Pepper is forced to face her own regrets and unsavory emotions, if she wants to save Maddie’s life—and her own.

[image error]Leslie Budewitz blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in two cozy mystery series, the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. Watch for her suspense debut, Bitterroot Lake (written as Alicia Beckman) in April 2021. A three-time Agatha-Award winner (2011, Best Nonfiction; 2013, Best First Novel; 2018, Best Short Story), she is a past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives and cooks in NW Montana.

Find her online at www.LeslieBudewitz.com and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LeslieBudewitzAuthor More about the Solace of Bay Leaves, including an excerpt and buy links here: http://www.lesliebudewitz.com/spice-shop-mystery-series/

 

 

The Detection Club

By Julie, enjoying lovely fall weather in Somerville

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Have you heard of The Detection Club? I first learned about them when I was researching my thesis, “Agatha Christie’s Four Models of Narrative Voice”, which was published in 2009. In order to get a thesis about Agatha Christie approved through the Harvard Extension School , I had to do lot of research to support my ideas. Some of it was dry, kindly put. Other parts were fascinating, including learning about The Detection Club.

The club was founded in 1930, starting as a supper club of sorts where writers got together to talk. Though Arthur Conan Doyle was invited to be the first president, ill health precluded him from taking on the role, so it went to G.K. Chesterton. He served until his death in 1936. E.C. Bentley was president until 1949, and then Dorothy L. Sayers took over until her death in 1957. Agatha Christie was the next president, until her death in 1976. The next presidents were Lord Gorell (1957–1963), Julian Symons (1976–1985), H. R. F. Keating (1985–2000), Simon Brett (2000–2015). Martin Edwards is the current president. He wrote The Golden Age of Murder, a fabulous book that discusses how the members of the Detection Club transformed the mystery genre.

Here are a few things that fascinate me about the club.

At the beginning, in order to become a member, you had to promise to write by the rules. The rules include justice being served, all clues being part of the mystery (fair play), contrivances like hidden rooms, unknown twins, and gangs are to be used sparingly, and all poisons need to be known to science. To read an article about 10 rules, click here.There is a story that Agatha Christie almost got kicked out the club because of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, but Dorothy L. Sayers voted to keep her in. (No spoilers on Roger Ackroyd from me, or in the comments, please.)The club was very active in the early years, and still holds three meetings a year. How do you join? You’re invited to become a member when you’re elected by a secret ballot. I can only imagine that invitation is a thrill for any writer.The club members have published several books. The Floating Admiral, for example, was a mystery that was written by members, with each contributing a chapter to the book. More recent books have had a bit more structure, but the group effort has continued. Here’s a link to Amazon where all of the books are available, save one. I just listened to a podcast about The Detection Club (which inspired this post), and Martin Edwards said that a new book, called Howdunnit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing By Members of the Detection Club , was being released. Needless to say, it’s on my Kindle now. The articles include insights from 90 different crime authors.

Usually the Wickeds get together a couple of times a year to talk, write, inspire, support, eat and laugh. We also go to conferences like Malice Domestic and the New England Crime Bake, and hang out with other writing friends. In thinking about the Detection Club, and remembering our Wicked dinners, I understand the roots of the group. It’s so much fun being with other people who share the same passion for writing, and interest in macabre subjects. Let’s face it, there aren’t many dinner parties that can center on the best poison to use at a wedding.

Readers, have you heard of The Detection Club, or read any of their books?

Wicked Wednesday-Reading Rituals

Jessie: in New Hampshire watching the leaves put on an autumnal show!

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All writers are dedicated readers and with that sort of dedication, I’ve noticed that rituals and routines tend to develop. So Wickeds, do you have any routines or rituals to your own reading practice? Do you ever feel the need to shake it up?

Sherry: It is a rare night I don’t read before I go to sleep, even if it’s only a couple of pages. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, when the house is quiet and I get to escape reality. I usually read crime fiction, but like to shake it up with books like The Jane Austen Society. One of my favorite parts of reading is that delicious moment when it’s time to decide what book to read next.

Edith/Maddie: Like Sherry, I read in the evenings. I rarely watch television, and I love reading on the couch with kitty Ganesh asleep on my lap (the TV is in Hugh’s den). During the long days of summer I sometimes read an ebook while sitting on my deck into the evening, because it doesn’t matter how dark it gets.

Julie: Generally, I read fiction at night, non-fiction during the day. I have different rituals for each. Non-fiction requires a notepad nearby, sitting up and staying hydrated. Fiction is read at night, or during a weekend afternoon, relaxed and enjoying the experience.

Barb: I read fiction in bed at night, usually on my Kindle so I don’t wake up my husband. I love narrative non-fiction and short stories, but I always feel a little at sea if I don’t have a good novel going. That’s my easiest transport to another world. I love having a printed book for vacation or a long weekend and will hoard new releases by my favorite authors for those occasions.

Jessie: Like Julie, I read non-fiction in the mornings and fiction later in the day and on weekends. And like Barb I feel off if I don’t have a novel on the go at all times. I have a refillable notebook/folio where I keep my kindle, blank paper and favorite pen for my morning reading routine where I take notes on the non-fiction I am reading. In the evenings I like to read froma physical copy of a novel if possible to feel as though I am switching into a slower pace.

Liz: It really depends on my mood. If I’m in a fiction mood and really into what I’m reading, I’ll read whenever and wherever I can. If it’s non-fiction, I usually read in the morning for a few minutes before I start work. If I’m in any sort of routine, I do like to read fiction at night and also weekend mornings if time allows. I’ve also been doing a lot of audio books lately. I like to listen while walking the dogs as well as driving, and especially if I’m super into the book I’ll steal time whenever I can.

Readers, what is your reading habit like? Is there any predictable routine to it?

A Wicked Welcome Back to VM Burns

I am delighted to welcome Valerie Burns back to the blog today! She’d here to talk about her RJ Franklin Mystery series.

Thanks, Julie and all of the Wicked Authors for inviting me to spend time with you all today.

Food and Murder



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I was recently honored to have a chance to talk about food cozies with Wicked Author, Maddie Day (Elizabeth Maxwell), and Joanne Fluke on NPR’s Under the Radar with Callie Crossley. It was amazing. I love cozy mysteries and I love food so anytime I can combine the two, I’m in heaven. However, one question has stuck with me. Why does food pair so well with murder?

Culinary or “food cozies” are mysteries that have a food theme. The sleuth in a culinary cozy can be a professional baker, like Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson mysteries, the owner of a café, restaurant or country store, like Maddie Day’s Robbie Jordan, or simply a woman who shows her love by cooking for her family and friends, like Mama B in my RJ Franklin Mystery series. Similar to other cozy mysteries, sleuths in a food cozy must still use their deductive skills to solve a mystery. However, in a food cozy, the sleuths must also rustle up meals or deserts that make your tummy growl and your mouth water.

In all honesty, I have no idea why food and murder go well together. However, I do have a theory. Food is one common thread that binds people together. It’s the one thing that all humans have in common. Everyone, regardless of race, religion or sex, has to eat. It’s essential for basic survival whether you’re eating gourmet meals prepared by someone like Swiss chef, Fritz Brenner in Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe Mysteries or Jell-O in a can like Debra H. Goldstein’s Sarah Blair Mysteries (even non-cooks need to eat). Thankfully, there are tons of food themed cozy mysteries out there, with something to appeal to every taste, culture and dietary need.

Food is not only essential for life, it’s important for social and emotional well-being (Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia has mended many a broken heart). Many social and cultural events include food. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and even funerals (repast) will include some form of food. Whether a couple is meeting for the first time or celebrating a milestone there’s almost always food (or at least cake).

Of course, it might be as simple as realizing that, like me, people just like to eat. However, for mystery writers, the inclusion of food could serve another purpose. Murder, even those without graphic descriptions are unsettling. Including something as mundane as eating might be needed to provide balance. There’s something very ordinary about eating. Regardless of the trauma, eating provides a moment of normalcy. In a food cozy, food brings the normal into a very abnormal situation. Readers may not know what it’s like to be mixed up with a murder, but we all know what it’s like to eat our favorite meal at our favorite restaurant. Most of us can relate to finding comfort in a bowl of macaroni and cheese or in a slab of meatloaf, a plate of spaghetti, a bucket of fried chicken, or a slice of cheesecake in times of distress. And, what is more distressing than murder?   

So, why do food and murder pair well together? Perhaps, food provides a common link that we can all relate to in one way or another. It helps to provide a connection between the reader and the sleuth by allowing them to share a meal while they work together to solve a mystery.

If you’d like to hear the NPR interview on Food Cozies, you can listen here: Under the Radar

Readers: Do you have a favorite comfort food?

About Steal Away

[image error]Detective RJ Franklin has worked with Search and Rescue volunteer, Marti Alexander, many times. So, he’s not surprised when he receives a call that she and her dog, Callie, have found a body near the St. Joseph River. What is surprising is when he learns that the body is that of her ex-husband, Jake Harrison.  Between Marti’s unusual behavior, the fact that she had motive, opportunity, and the means to kill her cheating ex-husband, RJ doesn’t believe she’s guilty. Overlooking the mountain of evidence that all points to Marti as the killer, RJ starts investigating to see who else wanted Jake Harrison dead. With the help of his partner, Harley Wickfield IV, and his sharp-as-a-whip godmother, Mama B, RJ discovers a web of lies, deceit, and corruption. When one of RJ’s suspects with ties to the underworld gets a bit too close for comfort to RJ’s close-knit church family, he has to decide between his loyalty to his church and his commitment to his badge. Can RJ protect those closest to him, keep the River Bend community safe and catch a killer?

All of the titles in this series come from Negro Spirituals and there are soul food recipes in each book. Preorder your copy today!

[image error]About the author



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V.M. (Valerie) Burns was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Seton Hill University. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers Association of America, Thriller Writers International and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime. In addition to the RJ Franklin Mystery series, V.M. Burns is also the Agatha Award nominated author of The Plot is Murder, the first book in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series; and the Dog Club Mystery series. She currently resides East Tennessee with her three poodles. Readers can keep up with new releases by following her on social media.

Website: http://www.vmburns.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vmburnsbooks/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/v-m-burns
Buy Link—- Amazon, B&N