Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 124

The Seven Wonders of Being a Mystery Writer

by Julie, staying put in Somerville, adding to my mask collection

This month the theme of the blog is celebrating our seventh anniversary of the blog. Today, I thought I’d talk about seven wonderful things about being a mystery writer.

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Stress reduction. Crime writers are usually very nice people, and there’s a good reason for this. Killing people on the page is a fabulous way to reduce stress. As a writer it becomes habit to step back and observe human behavior. Particularly awful behavior is fodder to the imagination. Personal affronts become motives. Nasty people become victims. It’s really very helpful.

Research. Research is a wonderful way to while away hours and hours. I sometimes refer to it as the rabbit hole of research, because you can get stuck following different paths. What is really interesting is how little of the work ends up in the book. Most of it goes into the writer’s brain and gets churned around so that authenticity showsn on the page without being technical. I loved learning about clock making for my clock shop series, but I didn’t explain things in the book. Instead the research made Ruth look like she knew what she was doing, and loved it.

Creating new worlds. This is one of the great things about writing any sort of fiction. Making up a new world is a blast. I get to decide who lives where, what the businesses are, how the local government works, and who does what when. Writing a series is a particular joy, because the world keeps expanding. There’s a lot to keep track of, but it’s so much fun.

Heightened reality. I love theater for the same reason that I like mystery writing, at least the kind of writing I do. My books have enough to do with real life that it connects with people, but reality is much bigger than real life. The houses, the hobbies, the characters, the coincidences. They are all extra.

Puzzling plots. I love this part of writing mysteries, probably because the Golden Age of detective fiction is how I fell in love with the genre, and puzzles were so important to Agatha, Dorothy L, Ngaio and the rest. This part isn’t easy, because it involves tricking the reader until the end, but providing a solution that makes sense. In my current work in progress, the story is great but I’m having trouble with the puzzle, so it’s taking me a bit longer to get the book moving. I’ll fix it, but this is the hardest part. In my opinion, Agatha was particularly good at this, so rereading her books as a writer has been wonderful.

Justice prevails. Writing a book where justice prevails and order is restored is a tonic for my soul. I am a relentlessly optimistic person, and that can be challenging. Real life is isn’t always fair, or just. I like that my books help folks escape that for a bit of time. Writing them affords me the same escape.

The community–readers and writers both. This may sound pandering, but I mean it. One of the best parts of being a mystery writer is the crowd I run with. The Wickeds, and all of you who read and follow the blog. The people I meet at conferences and events. The writers who I look forward to seeing a few times a year, or online more often. This is a wonderful community, and I am so blessed to be part of it.

So, these are seven of the reasons I love being a mystery writer. Fellow writers, what would you add? Readers, why do you love this genre?

Seven Year Itch

As we continue to celebrate our seven years of blogging is there anything you are itching to write about? Is there a theme you want to explore in your current series or an idea that’s been niggling that you just haven’t had time to [image error]get to?

Jessie: I would love to add paranormal elements to a book again. I wrote two books as Jessica Estevao featuring a clairaudient tarot card reader and had a great deal of pleasure doing it. There is so much there that I think adds to a mystery since there is potential fraud and trickery of all kinds as well as the possibility of the supernatural.

Julie: Jessie, I love that idea. I’ve been using a new Tarot deck and the possibilities are endless in so many directions. I wrote a short story that I think may be a book instead. I love the idea of women of a certain age as spies. That’s all I’ll say right now.

Welcome Guest Catherine Bruns

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RESPECT, ITALIAN STYLE

People often ask me if my characters are based on real people. For the most part, no. One exception is Domenic Muccio in my Cookies & Chance series. Book #9, Icing on the Casket, released last week and features his daughter, protagonist Sally (Sal) Muccio Donovan, who owns a novelty cookie shop in Western New York. Sally’s Samples gives out free, homemade fortune cookies with every purchase. The ominous messages inside often forewarn of a disaster or murder in the making that she will eventually stumble upon.

In Icing on the Casket, Dom asks his daughter for help when he finds his friend, a local mortician, dead in one of his caskets. Dom is loosely based on my own father who passed away 20 years ago. Both men were born in Sicily, loved their families and were blue collar workers. Dom is retired from the railroad while my father started his own auto body repair shop in Albany back in 1939, and I’m proud to say that it’s still going strong to this day.  

Dom, however, is a bit of an odd duck. He keeps a coffin in his house for naps, goes to wakes for fun and writes a daily post on the subject of death. His blog even has followers. Okay, not as many as The Wickeds, but he can dream, right?

Like Dom, my father was old school and proud of it. He also attended several wakes, sometimes one or two a week. As a child, I didn’t understand why he went to so many and thought they were creepy. I remember overhearing my mother once tell him, “You didn’t even know that man.” To which my father replied, “It’s a matter of respect.”

Respect is a big deal in most, if not all Italian families. Growing up, some of my father’s favorite sayings included, “Respect your elders,” “Respect the dead,” and “Respect is key.” Then there’s my all-time favorite, “Show some respect.”

My mother had her own share of preferred clichés such as, “If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you?” or, “One day your face is going to freeze that way.” I used to roll my eyes at those phrases…when she couldn’t see me, of course. But last week, one of my sons told me that he was staying up all night to finish a paper for his college course. My response? “Don’t burn the candle at both ends.”

Yes, he gave me a funny look. I too was amazed when the words tumbled out of my mouth. That was the moment when I realized that I had officially become my parents.

Readers: What were some of your parents’ or grandparents’ favorite sayings? Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed copy of any book in the Cookies & Chance series. U.S. delivery only.

About Icing on the Casket:

Full-time baker and sometime sleuth Sally Muccio finally has everything she’s always wanted—a beautiful baby, loving husband, and a thriving business. Now that she’s a mother, Sal has vowed she’ll stay out of future murder investigations. But when her eccentric father’s friend, mortician Eddie Phibbins, is found dead in one of his own caskets, Sal’s father begs her to help find the killer.

With their famous coffins cookies in hand, Sal and her best friend Josie “undertake” the process of questioning mourners and employees at the funeral home, hoping for a lead to Eddie’s killer. Between a recently fired hearse driver, resentful family members and a wacky, love-struck makeup artist there’s no shortage of suspects. Once again, Sal’s snooping has attracted the attention of a killer, and her good intentions may have only succeeded in digging herself an early grave…

*Recipes Included!* https://amzn.to/39OCNd3

[image error]The first book in the Cookies & Chance series, Tastes Like Murder, is on sale for only 99 cents this week! http://amzn.to/2zVeQyq

[image error]Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns lives in Upstate New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer.  She currently writes four cozy series: the Italian Chef, Cindy York, Cookies & Chance and Aloha Lagoon mysteries. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the 2019 Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense. Please visit her website at catherinebruns.net.

A Cover Reveal and a #giveaway

by Barb, out of book jail at last!

Here’s the cover for the second Jane Darrowfield Mystery due out October 27th. To celebrate the cover reveal, I’m giving away a copy of the first book in the series, Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody, to one lucky commenter on the blog.

The title of the new book is Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door.

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Here’s the blurb.

Jane Darrowfield is using her retirement years to work as a professional busybody, with most of her business coming from her West Cambridge, Massachusetts, community. This time her client is right next door…

Megan, who’s purchased the house next to Jane’s, needs some help from her snooping neighbor. Megan’s been having blackouts, hearing voices—and feeling like someone’s following her. Are these symptoms of an illness—or signs that she’s in danger?

Considering the extensive security system in Megan’s house, it seems like she should be safe—yet she soon vanishes into thin air. Some think she’s run away, but would this ambitious young lawyer on the partner track really miss a meeting with an important client? And where’s Megan’s cat?

The mystery is about to deepen when the cat is finally located in a hidden panic room—and as Jane and the police look into Megan’s friends, family, and past, it may be time to sound the alarm…

***

My editor warned me that the title was a long one. At the time, he was worried about the design of the cover and fitting all those words on it. In one way, Darrowfield is a terrific surname for Jane, because apparently it isn’t really a name. Which makes it highly Googleable if someone is looking for the books. On the other hand, it is l-o-o-n-n-ng.

I really wanted the title and I prevailed. I didn’t think about how, by the end of this fall, I would be so tired of typing it and so tired of trying to remember if madwoman was one word and next door was two, or if it was the other way around.

Like Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody, JDMND (see how I did that) is a Barnes and Noble exclusive for one year. That means it is only in print, not electronic, and only available at barnesandnoble.com or if you go to an actual Barnes & Noble (assuming that is even possible in the end of October, 2020.)

[image error]Meanwhile, Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody goes into wide distribution on June 30th, in print, ebook, and audiobook formats in all English-language markets. The ebook is up on Netgalley right now for those of you who are reviewers and there is a 100 ebook giveaway running on Goodreads.

P.S. On Thursday evening, Edith and I will be reading at a Noir at the Bar New England online event. Here’s the link for more information and to register if you wish. We’d love to see you there!

Readers: What do you think of the cover, title and blurb for Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door? Too long? Cozy/not cozy? Can’t wait/can wait? Don’t worry, you won’t hurt my feelings. It’s done and dusted. And one lucky commenter will receive a mass market paperback of Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody.

Buy links

Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door

Barnes & Noble

Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Chapters Indigo
Your local, independent bookstore

Welcome Back Guest Grace Topping

Grace and I met through the Chessie Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I read the beginning of an early version of Staging is Murder. Grace is a great example of never giving up on your writing. And I’m so glad she didn’t! Look for a giveaway at the end of the post!

Here’s a bit about her second book Staging Wars:

[image error]Laura Bishop’s new home staging business is growing in popularity, though not with her nemesis. Laura has long suspected established interior designer Monica Heller of sabotaging her fledgling company—and having an affair with her late husband.

When the ultra-chic Monica is caught at the scene of a murder, Laura is plenty happy to imagine her languishing in a prison cell with bedsheets far from her normal 600-thread Egyptian cotton. But her delight is short-lived.

When Laura’s friends land on the police’s radar, Laura must overcome her dislike of Monica to help solve the crime. Not an easy task since Laura and Monica have been at war since the second grade.

During the 1980s, TV viewers were enthralled by the program Cheers, noted for its setting in a Boston bar, where based on the theme song for the program, everyone knows your name. It featured a cast of characters who were either employees of the bar or regular customers. Week after week, viewers definitely came to know their names and could identify with them as they talked about their jobs, their woes, their families, and their latest love interest—or lack of.

Viewers seemed to like the idea of a place where people could go where they felt welcome, comfortable, and connected—connected being the key word. It’s what has been called peoples’ third place.

A thirdplace, a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, refers to places where people spend time between their home (their first place) and work (their second place). Floyd’s Barber Shop in the old Andy Griffith Show served as a third place for the men of Mayberry to gather, even when they weren’t getting a haircut. Another third place was Ivy’s Teashop in the Last of the Summer Wine BBC series, where the aging men of the town gathered when they weren’t getting into trouble.

In the British Isles, the local pub frequently serves as peoples’ thirdplace. When I lived in England, my husband and I would join family members at their localpub on Friday nights. I can’t say that everyone knew our names, but we did feel welcome, comfortable, and somewhat connected. My father-in-law took great delight that when he walked in, the barman would take down his personal mug that hung over the bar with dozens of others and pour him a Guinness. It was definitely his third place.

Many cozy mystery writers use the device of a third place, such as a bookshop, bakery, or craft store, in their books. When I created my Laura Bishop Mystery Series, which is about a home stager, the first scene I wrote was set in a coffee bar, which my characters visit frequently throughout the book.

But why a coffee bar when my main character was a professional home stager and not involved with dispensing coffee? Having a third place like a coffee bar provides my characters with the perfect place to connect and discuss investigations and cross paths with other characters (possible suspects) they might not see otherwise. It enables them to pick up gossip about what is happening in the community. I went one step further and made one of my key characters an employee of the coffee bar. People share information with him that sometimes provides vital clues to solving a murder. He knows more about what is going on in town than the mayor and shares that information with Laura.

I also use a local teashop Laura visits frequently. She doesn’t ply sources with liquor to loosen their lips. Instead, she knows the value of questioning them in a place conducive to sharing secrets—a cozy English-style teashop with lots of regulars. Who wouldn’t open up while enjoying sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and fruit tarts, all washed down with fragrant tea? It works for Laura, and she’s been able to get good leads that help her unmask murderers.

Next time you want to coerce someone into spilling their secrets, discover where their third place is or take them to an English-style teashop.

Readers: Do you have a favorite third place?

Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a digital copy of Staging is Murder (Book 1) or Staging Wars (Book 2). (U.S. commenters only).

Webpage: www.gracetopping.com

[image error]Bio: Grace Topping is a recovering technical writer and IT project manager, accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Fictional revenge is sweet. She’s using her experience helping friends stage their homes for sale as inspiration for her Laura Bishop mystery series. The series is about a woman starting a new career midlife as a home stager. The first book in the series, Staging is Murder, is a 2019 Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. Grace is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the SINC Guppies and Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia.

Trying to Keep My Spirits Up

If today was a normal day I’d be flying up to Boston to spend the weekend with the Wickeds on a retreat. We were going to a new place this year on Cape Cod. I haven’t spent much time there and was looking forward to it. But not spending time with the Wickeds – now that is a loss. We talk, cook, eat, catch up on industry news, write, plot, and stay up way too late. And yes, while in the big picture this is a small thing to give up, I think we all have to acknowledge the things we miss too.

But I’ve been trying (not always succeeding) to concentrate on things that make me happy. Here’s a few of my thoughts:

Edith and I both had short stories in an anthology that came out on April 7th – the Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction inspired by the songs of Joni Mitchell. My story was based on Joni’s song Last Chance Lost. Here are a bit of the lyrics:

[image error]Last chance lost
In the tyranny of a long good-bye
Last chance lost
We talk of us with deadly earnest eyes

You can read the rest of the lyrics here.

Writing this story gave me a chance to explore something a bit darker than I normally write. I set the story in southeast Wyoming where I once lived. You can buy it here. It comes in several different formats and is filled with stories by award winning authors.

At least it’s spring! This is a picture from several weeks ago. The azaleas are blooming now.

My sweet, sweet Lily.

My daughter learned to make scones because I asked her to!

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I’ve enjoyed sending unexpected notes and gifts to people.

Reading!

[image error]And as many of you know, I have a book coming out on July 28 — From Beer to Eternity, the first book in the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mystery series. I thought waiting for the first book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sales movies was hard. But wow – this seems even harder in some ways. What if everyone hates it? What if it’s terrible? Fortunately, the early reviews on Goodreads have been positive. You can find buy links here.

Here’s a review from NetGalley: The first Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery, From Beer to Eternity, was such a page turner I started it at breakfast, read straight through, and finished just after lunch! Chloe Jackson of Chicago is temporarily residing in sunny Emerald Cove, Florida after the death of her best friend, Boone, as he requested she take care of his grandmother if anything ever happened to him. Unfortunately for Chloe, Vivi, Boone’s grandmother, is fiercely independent and doesn’t want her help – that is until a man is found murdered behind the bar and Vivi seems to be the chief suspect. A fantastic cozy with wonderful characters, beautiful scenery, and a great mystery – I loved it! A+++

A good review always makes me happy!

Readers: I know we’ve asked this before, but what is making you happy this week?

 

 

 

 

Seven Up

[image error]We are celebrating seven years of blogging this month. Wickeds what are you doing to keep your spirits up? Is it anything different than you’ve done in the past?

Jessie: I’ve been working on a 100 Day Project of learning to sketch with pen and watercolors. It has been tremendous fun and I have derived so much joy from learning something new !

Edith/Maddie: I think I need to take up watercoloring. I’m not doing anything new, but I am watching more shows with Hugh and reading more, which is kind of a treat. And we played Farkle with our young friends (now 11 and 14) via Zoom last week, which was almost as fun as it is in person.

Liz: I wish I had time to take up something new! Trying to keep my head above water with the day job and my deadlines. I am taking more walks with the dogs as the weather gets nicer, which is lovely.

Julie: I’ve been busy teaching and helping folks learn Zoom and figure things out. I’ve also launched a new program to help people write their books, called Muse Mapping for Writers. Plus trying to learn my ukulele. Fascinated by Jessie’s lessons. I’d love to learn more.

Barb: I’ve been in book jail with Maine Clambake #9, Shucked Apart, so life hasn’t been too different from normal book jail. Our two “roommates,” my niece and her best friend, have been taking their college courses online. I’ve handed in the book and they’re just about finished with school, so I think change is in the air. I hope it coincides with the arrival of a late New England spring so we can all get outside more.

Sherry: I love the new things people are trying. I haven’t tried to learn anything new as yet. I have been doing more crossword puzzles. We’ve also been watching more documentaries than normal. There’s a series called Aerial America that is interesting. The one on Idaho was stunning! We also have Aerial Africa recorded to watch. They are on the Smithsonian Chanel — https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/aerial-america/701. We also watched a show about super volcanoes that featured Yellowstone. Reading continues to be my escape.

Readers: What have you done that’s new to you or what do you continue to do?

Welcome Guest Esme Addison

I’m so delighted to welcome Esme Addison to The Wickeds. Esme and I have been trying to sync our schedules so we could do an event together to no avail. And then of course the pandemic hit. Look for a giveaway at the end of the post! Her first cozy is A Spell for Trouble An Enchanted Bay mystery. It releases on May 12th. Enjoy getting to know Esme.

[image error]I’ve always loved the power of flowers, plants and herbs. Don’t they seem magical, the way they perfume the air with such lovely scents? The way they enhance any space with color and shapes? But wait – they do so much more… they can actually heal, too!  Flowers, plants and herbs have always enchanted me – and when I decided to write my first cozy mystery, I knew it had to be set in an herbal apothecary. And I knew I wanted to use my stories to share some of my favorite herbal remedies and educate and inform my readers about the many uses of the flowers, plants and herbs growing all around us.

The main characters in A Spell For Trouble use flowers, plants and herbs in soaps, candles, teas and medicines just like I do. I don’t regularly make my own soaps and candles, but I do create my own herbal tea blends and herbal remedies for therapeutic purposes: ashwaganda and kava kava for stress relief, essential oil of cinnamon and unrefined coconut oil for inflamed gums and tooth aches.

I think that herbal remedies can be used to compliment modern medicine, while using best judgement and guidance from your family doctor of course. And it’s my hope that my Enchanted Bay Series will encourage readers to explore herbal options when they have mild medical issues. For example, I used tea tree oil on my teenaged son’s acne prone-skin when he was in high school, I made my own rash ointment with unrefined coconut oil, and essential oils of chamomile and tea tree when my middle son had eczema brought on by dairy allergies as a baby, I created my own drops for ear infection by mixing olive oil, lavender, tea tree oil and oregano for my youngest when he had ear infections monthly as a toddler and I didn’t want to give him anymore antibiotics or put tubes in his ears.

One of my favorite essential oils, lavender is gentle enough to create a bath and body oil for fussy babies – this one helped me out as a new mother more times than I can count.

Of course, a lot of reading, researching and trial and error has to occur if you’re going to create your own blends. You also have to cross check herbal ingredients against any health conditions you may have or any other medicines you may be taking. Even though herbal ingredients are from the earth, it doesn’t mean they’re not potent or can cause serious side effects. You’ll have to do your due diligence!

There are plenty of recipes online and in books if you just want to follow something tried and true. But I wanted the satisfaction and creativity of crafting my own blends. It’s so rewarding when you can create something from natural ingredients to help your family, whether it’s itchy skin, an earache or a sore throat. But when time is of the essence, there’s nothing wrong with going to a trusted source for an herbal remedy recipe.

One of my remedies for a sore throat and dry cough includes Manuka honey, and essential oils of oregano oil (the strongest antibiotic and antifungal found in nature), orange oil and peppermint is so popular in my family that I bottle up several jars during cold and flu season and hand them out!

The characters in A Spell For Trouble are water witches, with the ability to command water and enchant herbal remedies for amplified benefits, but you don’t have to practice magic to unlock the power of plants, flowers and herbs! You can get started simply by going to your local grocery store and purchasing a few herbal tea blends for therapeutic benefits. Or stop by Whole Foods or your local natural foods store or market and try a natural honey-based cough medicine. Herbal remedies work gently with your body, work best at the onset of the ailment but should be discontinued if symptoms get worse.

I’m giving away one ARC (advanced readers copy) of A Spell For Trouble! Leave a comment below about your favorite herbal remedy or one you’ve heard about in your family. And then then let me know you’ve subscribed to my newsletter at this link. Contest runs from May 5th to May 10th. Winner announced on May 11th!

Readers: If you have a tried and true natural remedy, whether it’s your own, or something your mother or grandmother used, I’d love to hear about it in the comments sections. 

Bio

[image error]Ever since Esme discovered Nancy Drew, she’s wanted to solve mysteries. As a mystery author, she’s finally found a way to make that dream come true. A former military spouse, Esme lives in Raleigh, NC with her family. When she’s not writing or dreaming up new mysteries for her sleuths to stumble upon, you can find her dancing her calories away in Zumba, patronizing her local bookstores or visiting the beach, the mountains and all historical sites in between. Learn more about Esme at esmeaddison.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @EsmeAddison.

Book Blurb

Aleksandra Daniels hasn’t set foot in the quiet seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina in over twenty years. Ever since her mother’s tragic death, her father has mysteriously forbidden her from visiting her aunt and cousins. But on a whim, Alex accepts an invitation to visit her estranged relatives and to help them in their family business: an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.

Bellamy Bay doesn’t look like trouble, but this is a town that harbors dark secrets. Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of salacious town gossip, and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She brushes this off as nonsense until a local is poisoned and her aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is certain Lidia is being framed, and she resolves to find out why.

Alex’s investigation unearths stories that some have gone to desperate lengths to conceal: forbidden affairs, family rivalries, and the truth about Alex’s own ancestry. And when the case turns deadly, Alex learns that not only are these secrets worth hiding, but they may even be worth killing for.

You can add A Spell For Trouble to your Goodreads shelf here. Follow me on BookBub and or purchase at Amazon.

 

Congrats to Agatha Winners!

Edith here, still north of Boston, pining away for her friends.

This is Sherry butting into Edith’s post to celebrate Edith’s winning the Agatha Award for Best Historical novel for Charity’s Burden! Way to go Edith — I’m so thrilled for you!

Liz: Ditto! Super congrats, Edith – the first of the Wickeds to actually WIN!

Jessie: This is such a bright spot of news! Super congratulations, Edith! I am so pleased for you!

Barb: About effing time! Note to readers: This is a Wickeds inside joke. Oh sure, Edith is gracious and grateful. But we have been bridesmaids at someone else’s wedding 13 times between us! (See below. I counted.) So we’re allowed a little crazy dancing and shouting. Go, Edith, go.

Julie: Edith, I screamed and clapped when your name was mentioned. Huge congratulations, my friend. Can’t wait till we can celebrate in person!

The Agatha Awards were announced virtually on Saturday night by the Malice Domestic committee. The in-person conference in North Bethesda – a favorite of the Wickeds – of course had to be canceled, but the voting took place regardless. Anyone registered for this year’s conference received a digital ballot.

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All of the Wickeds have received an Agatha nomination over the years:

2014: Liz for Best First Novel; Barb for Best Contemporary Novel; Barb for Best Short Story

2015: Sherry for Best First Novel; Edith for Best Short Story

2016: Julie (as Julianne Holmes) for for Best First Novel; Edith for Best Short Story

2017: Barb for Best Contemporary Novel; Jessie and Edith for Best Historical Novel; Edith for Best Short Story

[image error]The Wicked nominees in 2017

2018: Jessie and Edith for Best Historical Novel

2019: Edith for Best Historical Novel

Alas, none of us won. This year my Charity’s Burden was nominated for Best Historical Novel, my seventh nomination and fourth in the Quaker Midwife Mysteries series.

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And…I won! I am still so very stunned and delighted and grateful. It was very strange to be home with only one other person (who congratulated me and then returned to his den) instead of at the Malice banquet and at the bar afterward. I’ll get my teapot – and all the hugs – next year, and you can believe that baby’s going to get place of honor in my office.

We want to congratulate all the other winners:

Best Contemporary Novel: The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

Best First Novel: One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski

Best Nonfiction: The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women by Mo Moulton 

Best Children/Young Adult: The Last Crystal by Frances Schoonmaker

And all the other nominees who wrote such wonderful books and stories.

Best Short Story: “The Last Word” by Shawn Reilly Simmons, Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible

Readers: How did you feel about not being able to go to Malice this year, if you were registered? Do you have another favorite conference or convention?

Lucky Number Seven

Today we are celebrating the seventh anniversary of our blog. Can you believe it Wickeds? I can’t! Here’s a link you can click on to read our very first post and our very first Wicked Wednesday: https://wickedauthors.com/2013/05/01/wicked-wednesday-how-did-we-meet/  We slated our start for May first because Liz’s first book Kneading to Die was coming out on May seventh and we wanted to celebrate. Since that very first post we’ve shared joys, tears, laughter, and frustrations. The birth of new series and the end of others. We’ve been on retreats, to conferences, and talked via Zoom. We’ve met wonderful readers, bloggers, and loved the stories left in our comments. So many guest bloggers have joined us sharing their books and adventures with us. Thanks for being part of The Wickeds!

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The picture above is the very first Wicked retreat in June of 2013. Jessie generously opened her house in Old Orchard Beach, Maine to us.

Since it’s been seven years, I have seven questions to ask you Wickeds.

When we started the blog did you have any books or short stories published and what was/were the titles?

Julie: First of all, that picture! A lifetime ago. I had one short stories published, by Level Best books. “Her Wish” was in Dead Calm.

Barb: I had one book published, The Death of an Ambitious Woman, and maybe a half a dozen short stories.

Sherry: I didn’t have anything published! And Julie, I agree the picture seems like ions ago!

Jessie: My first book, Live Free or Die had released but I felt like a real newbie still!

Edith/Maddie: My first mystery, Speaking of Murder, was out, published under the name Tace Baker by a micro press, and A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die, my first Local Foods Mystery, was about to be released in at the end of June. Like Barb, I also had six short stories in print.

Liz: I had a short story published – Headaches and Mad Cows.

Did you have any books under contract?

Julie: I didn’t have a contract!

Barb: The first three Maine Clambake Mysteries were under contract. Clammed Up was turned in and I was working on Boiled Over.

Edith/Maddie: I had a three-book contract for the Local Foods Mysteries. I was about to turn in ‘Til Dirt Do Us Part, the second book.

Sherry: I had a contract for the first three Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries. I was writing Tagged for Death. https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30487

Liz: I had a contract for the first three books in my Pawsitively Organic series. I think I’d just turned in Kneading to Die.

Jessie: I had my first three book contract for the Sugar Grove Mysteries. I cannot remember which book I was working on at the time but I think it was the second one, Maple Mayhem.

How many books do you have out now?

Julie: Digging Up the Remains will be out in August. It’s my eighth book and my third series. Hard to believe!

Barb: I have eight Maine Clambake books, and one Jane Darrowfield book and The Death of an Ambitious Woman, though arguably it’s not out, since the ebook is no longer available and you can only get used copies of the print book. So, nine or ten, depending on how you count, plus contributions to three novella collections.

Edith/Maddie: Rather unbelievably, Murder at the Taffy Shop was my twentieth – plus a novella in a three-novella collection (following in Barb’s big footsteps!).

Sherry: I have eight books out in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries.

Liz: I have seven Pawsitively Organics, three Cat Cafes (as Cate Conte), and my first Full Moon Mystery (also as Cate) is out soon!

Jessie: So far, I have released nine books under three different names. Lucky number ten, Murder Comes to Call will release this October.

How did you feel before your first book came out?

Julie: Excited, thrilled, grateful, nervous. I also felt like “finally!” since I was the last Wicked to be published.

Barb: So nervous. I had done a lot of things in my life, but I had never put myself out there to be judged in quite that way. On the other hand, it truly was a dream come true.

Edith/Maddie: I was excited and nervous and elated! I’d wanted to have a published novel for eighteen years, and I was finally there.

Sherry: I was so nervous! I was afraid everyone would hate it and write terrible reviews. It felt like taking my baby out in public and then having someone criticize the size of its nose. But whew — it was actually lovely.

Liz: I was totally nervous too, but so excited. It had been my dream since I was a little kid.

Jessie: I felt like it was such a line to be crossing, as though there was no turning back. I agree with Barb about the tredidation of public scrutiny! I think the jumble of emotions was a bit of a surprise since I had expected to only feel delight.

How do you feel now before a book comes out?

Julie: I still weep when I get my box of books. I’m mostly grateful that I’m on this journey, and thrilled that readers enjoy my work.

Barb: My books have been coming out between Christmas and New Year’s for the last three years, so mostly I’m too busy to feel anything, except grateful that the timing means I don’t have to do any in person events.

Edith/Maddie: I also still squeal and clap when I get a box filled with copies of a book I wrote, one I agonized over, one where the story surprised me (that is, all of them), one I put my all into. There’s nothing like it.

Sherry: I’m still nervous when a new book comes out. I still think people are going to write terrible reviews or say “Well, she had a good run.” I’m always trying to challenge myself to try something new in my books. But there is no better feeling than holding your next book in your hands.

Liz: Usually I’m busy trying to finish the next one so I don’t have time to be nervous anymore! But I always make a trip to the bookstore to see it on the shelf – that never gets old.

Jessie: I still feel amazed at every stage of the process. I can never believe I have managed to write a whole book. I get caught up in the cover art. I am thrilled to receive the galleys when my manuscript looks like a book. I always take a deep breath and let the joy of it wash over me when my box of author copies arrives on my front porch.

What has surprised you in the past seven years?

Julie: There have been ebbs and flows for sure, but I’ve worked in the arts for years, so I felt prepared for that. I think the thing that surprises me the most is how much I love it. Publishing was a dream, for sure. But I had no idea how much I’d love it.

Barb: It has surprised me that the community of readers and writers I have become a part of has come to mean so much in my life.

Edith/Maddie: Seriously, what Julie and Barb both said. Also, it surprises me that characters continue to surprise me. It’s like channeling. Yesterday my character Robbie Jordan was about to open her restaurant’s service door to a food delivery person. Instead a suspect stood there glaring at her. Whoa! And I typed it…

Sherry: When we started the blog I had no idea how close we would all become. Or how much I would enjoy reading everyone’s comments day after day. I love how our readers share their stories with us. They feel like part of my family.

Liz: All the connections I’ve made with readers and how lovely people are, and how interested they are in my writing and my life! It’s been amazing.

Jessie: I am shocked at how easy it has been to do author events. I really struggled as a child with crippling shyness but it never rears its head when I am interacting with readers or other writers. I am still amazed and delighted by how calm I feel every time I head out for a signing or a panel.

What writing tip do you have?

Julie: That it’s a journey, and you have to keep moving to stay on it. Progress over perfection. Oh, and that writing mysteries is great for stress relief because you dispose of real life difficulties in your work. Keeps you calm.

Barb: If you are a new writing, get to know your peers. Go to SinC or MWA meetings and conferences. Turn to the person next to you at lunch and ask, “What are you working on?” That little question may result in some of the most significant relationships in your life.

Edith/Maddie: Again, what they said, wise ladies both! Plus, if you want to write the best book you can, you will. No excuses. Butt in the chair, fingers on the keyboard. It’s the only way. I’ve done it twenty-five times, and no job has ever made me happier.

Sherry: Don’t give up. I have two and a half books written that haven’t ever been published and stacks of rejection letters. Work at the craft of writing — take classes, and read writing books.

Liz: Write what’s calling to you! Don’t worry about other people’s opinions or “trends.”

Jessie: I agree with everything the other Wickeds have said. My own work motto is “follow the fun”. The work asks a lot and there are no guarantees about the way things will turn out. If you enjoy the process of creation along the way then no matter what happens you will hav e spent time doing a thing that brought you joy. What could be better than that?

Readers: If you are a writer answer the questions. If you are a reader, what has surprised you about the past seven years?