Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 146

A Wicked Welcome to J.M. Griffin!

I was so thrilled to meet J.M. Griffin at the wonderful RJ Julia Bookseller’s last month when we did a book event with Maddie Day, Christin Brecher and Devon Delaney. I loved hearing about her new series, and I’m thrilled she’s agreed to visit the blog today. Take it away J.M.!

My thanks goes out to the Wickeds for extending such a wonderful invitation to blog about my first book in the Bun & Jules cozy mystery series, Left Fur Dead. The series features a young woman, Jules Bridge, who owns a small rabbit farm where she raises domestic rabbits and takes in rescued rabbits who have been treated badly.  

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One of those rabbits, Bun, is capable of using mental telepathy as a means of communication with certain humans. All too soon, Jules learns that not only can Bun speak to her, he also has a lot to say, sometimes too much. She becomes close pals with Bun, allowing him to live in the house rather than in a rabbit hutch in the barn with the other rabbits. As their friendship grows, Jules realizes Bun enjoys solving mysteries, just as much as she does and that their curiosity could lead to their demise.

When they are out walking, they come across a frozen dead body. Bun insists they investigate this death that certainly wasn’t from natural causes. Unwilling to become involved, Jules hadn’t recognized the dead man but soon knows who he was and considers doing as Bun has insisted.

From there on, things get pretty hectic. The sheriff is determined to keep Jules from interfering and warns her off his investigations more than once. Unable to take his warning to heart, Jules and Bun become enmeshed in more than just a murder, something sinister instead. Eventually, they end up in a dire situation that sends them fleeing for their lives.

In my mystery novels, I like to have two story lines going at the same time. Sometimes they are connected at the end and sometimes, well, you’ll have to figure that out for yourself. As I spin a story, I find research enlightening and use as much of what I’ve learned from it to bring interest to my readers. If I can insert humor that’s bound to get a chuckle from you, then I consider my job as the storyteller well done.

Have you ever listened to rabbits talk?

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With her books sold worldwide, J.M. Griffin is one of today’s popular women sleuths authors. J.M. is known best for her Vinnie Esposito series. The series, set in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the USA, is brought to life by a colorful cast of characters. Every novel has a blend of humor, mystery, and romance. J.M.’s upcoming novel in the series, Down Dirty Dead, is the sixth in the Esposito series. Stepping away from Rhode Island’s scenery, J.M. has set the novel Faerie Cake Dead on the coast of Maine. Filled with humor, faeries, sweet cupcakes, murder and a yummy hero, the villain is someone you least expect. J.M.’s latest release, The Cadence Caper, takes place on the west coast of Florida in the Sarasota area. This cozy mystery has a unique cast of characters, a sexy hero, and a psychic heroin and it’s the second book in the Sarah McDougall Series. J.M., her husband, and two wacky cats reside in a countryside village in western Rhode Island, where life is anything but mundane.

My Wicked Excellent Field Trip

By Julie, SO enjoying this wonderful weather here in New England

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This week I went on a wonderful field trip to Duxbury, Massachusetts. I lived in Duxbury until 9th grade, so it is a part of my formative youth. I hadn’t been back in years, but when I was creating Goosebush for the Garden Squad series, I decided to model it on Duxbury. The town was as beautiful as I remembered when I drove through that winter day, and it sparked a dozen ideas for Goosebush.

Now I’ve written the third book in the series, and I decided to take another field trip. I’ve asked by niece to create a map of Goosebush, so I wanted to give she and her sister a tour of the town, but to tell them the story of the series during the tour. “This is where Lilly lives”, “This is where Ernie’s store is”, “This is where Warwick works”, “This is where the Star is”. Those sites interspersed with “that’s where we grew up”, “that’s where your mother had her bike accident”, and “that’s how we got to the beach” made for a wonderful, full day.

The picture above is Hall’s Corner. In my memory there was a Woolworth’s there, on the right. That’s where the Star is in my mind. In the 80’s there was a not great redo of the buildings, but my recent visit shows the charm of the place has been reclaimed, though the building are all one-story now.

Here’s a video I did showing where Goosebush and Duxbury meet:

Now, Goosebush is inspired by, not a replica of, Duxbury. I’ve changed the coastline a bit, added rotaries, changed some of the architecture. But I’m fortunate to be able to visit my inspiration, and will do it more often. Tilling the Truth will be released in August (and is available for pre-order now) so I’ll be showing more pictures of my excellent field trip on social media in the coming weeks.

Readers, what do you think of my map idea? Do you enjoy tours of the places that inspire our series?

The Independent Sleuth

Wickeds, our sleuths need to be independent in order to solve crimes. What characteristics have you given your sleuth that shows their independence? What circumstances show it?

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Edith: In my Country Store Mysteries, Robbie Jordan is an only child of a single mother, who raised her to think for herself – and learn carpentry too – but her mom passes away before the series starts. Robbie has her Aunt Adele nearby, but she makes her way in the world on her own merits. In the Quaker Midwife Mysteries, Rose is an independent midwife in business for herself and doesn’t let some of society’s critics stop her from seeking justice.

Barb: I’m laughing because I feel like I’ve done nothing but heap family, relationship, and business responsibilities onto my poor sleuth Julia Snowden since she moved back to Busman’s Harbor at the start of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. Julia left home for boarding school and, though she worked during her school and college summers at the Snowden Family Clambake, she really never returned. Her post-MBA job at a venture capital company required long hours and lots of business travel, discouraging both friendships and romantic entanglements. But in Busman’s Harbor, she works with family, and initially lives with her mom. Then, she moves in with her boyfriend, and runs a winter restaurant with him in the space right under her studio apartment. It can get claustrophobic, and her friends occasionally tease her about it, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t trade it.

Liz: My Cat Cafe sleuth, Maddie James, puts a lot of responsibility on herself – she’s an entrepreneur, and she prides herself on running successful businesses, and as the oldest child she also puts a lot of responsibility on herself when it comes to family. She ends up staying in Daybreak Harbor after her grandmother’s death because she’s so concerned about what will happen to Grandpa Leo, and she’s always been the grandchild he’s favored. She also feels responsible for her business partner, Ethan, who moved to the island with her. But she’s a bit of a control freak, and meeting these responsibilities make her feel like she’s got her world in order.

Julie: Interesting that both Barb and Cate/Liz have sleuths that have lost some independence, but that’s what makes them better at their sleuthing.

Sherry: I love how Edith made Robbi a carpenter who can do her own renovations, how Barb sent the very independent Julia off into the world and then back home to deal with her family and roots, and how Maddie is very independent but also feels so responsible for everyone around her. Sarah shows her independent streak by staying in Ellington, Massachusetts after divorcing instead of heading home to California. And then she builds a business from nothing just her love of garage sales.

Julie: Independence can be defined in a number of different ways, can’t it? Most of our sleuths come to care about folks, which raises the stakes and makes them care about the outcome. But they’re also independent thinkers, otherwise they’d let the police solve the crimes. Which wouldn’t work in our books. What I love about Lilly Jayne from the Garden Squad mysteries is that she’s very independent. But she’s also fiercely loyal, loves her friends and is proud of her town. It isn’t that she wants to take over the investigations. It’s that she wants to make sure Bash Haywood doesn’t screw it up, because she cares a lot about him.

Readers, do you like your sleuths to be independent? Fellow writers, how do you show your characters independence?

Welcome Back Dianne Freeman

I’m so excited to welcome back Diane Freeman to the blog. I loved the first book in her The Countess of Harleigh Mysteries and am reading the second A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder.  Here’s a bit about the book — look for a chance to win a hardback copy (US only) at the end of the blog!

[image error]Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.

Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?

Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself…

Dianne: One question I’m asked frequently is “Are your characters based on real people?”

Well, yes and no. Kind of?

Frances, the Countess of Harleigh and my amateur sleuth, was originally a conglomerate of various real American Heiresses of the day. In my mind, she looks a great deal like Consuelo Vanderbilt, who later became the 9th Duchess of Marlborough. Her mother was every bit as pushy as Alva, Consuelo’s mother. Frances’ family came from Ohio, like Helena Zimmerman. Her wit and confidence were much like that of Jennie Jerome, though that confidence took a beating while Frances was trapped in a loveless marriage.

I knew once her mourning period for her late husband was over, Frances would want to move away from her grasping in-laws and create a life for herself and her daughter. As this was 1899, she could not simply pack up and leave. She had to win at least one member of the family over to her way of thinking with a little misdirection; make them think it was their idea. As the youngest of four siblings, I learned to employ these tactics at an early age. So, Frances is even a little bit me.

While I was inventing Frances, I started working out, sometimes with a fitness trainer named Fran. Perhaps you can see where I’m going with this. Frances would be bringing her little sister, Lily, out to Society. Lily was not as good a student of the social graces as Frances had been. She’d require some coaching, a guiding hand, and gentle, but firm, correction—all for her own good, of course—much in the way Fran worked with her clients. Not tough, but firm and insistent—you are going to do those crunches.

By the end of the first draft, Frances, and all her friends and relatives, were fully formed, well-rounded characters. None of them were based on one person, but they were all influenced by real people.

For a chance to win a copy of A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder answer the question below or just say hi!

Readers: Do you know anyone who should be a character in a book? What kind of book and what would be their role?

[image error]Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award winner for best debut novel, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award from Mystery Writers of America. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full-time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at www.DiFreeman.com.

Buy link:  https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/37607

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/DianneFreemanAuthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Difreeman001

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/diannefreemanwrites/

Alonzo stepped forward and offered his hand. “Good to meet you, Hazelton. And good of you to have us all. I understand in addition to a wedding, we are to hunt.” He raised his hand with a flourish and threw back his head. “Tally-ho!”

He glanced around at our astonished faces and grinned. “I’ve been practicing.”

“He has been practicing a great deal.” Hetty’s fingers dug into my arm as she muttered the words close to my ear. “At home, at the station, on the train.”

“The gentlemen are shooting, Lon, this is not a fox hunt,” I said. “There will be no cries of tally-ho.”

“No?” His shoulders slumped as he turned to George. “We don’t ride through the woods, blowing a horn, and shouting tally-ho?”

To his credit, George didn’t laugh. “Not while we’re shooting, I’m afraid. You’d surely frighten off the birds. But there’s no general prohibition on the phrase if you choose to use it at other times.”

Lovely, now I could expect him to be shouting tally-ho throughout the house.

 

Why I Agreed to a B&N Exclusive

by Barb who just had the best 4th of July week in Boothbay Harbor, Maine with my husband, my kids and their spouses, and the grandkids

You may have noticed from all the hullabaloo here that I had a new book released last week. And that the book, Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody, is exclusively in paper and exclusively available from Barnes & Noble, in store and online, for the first year.

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The book, which begins a new series for me, has been mostly well-received. The reviews have been strong, and sales, at least initially, have been brisk.

[image error]Jane Darrowfield, along with Maddie Day’s Strangled Eggs and Ham, on the B&N instore bestseller list week of 6-29-19

But the response hasn’t been entirely positive. And when the response is negative it has been 95% not about the exclusive vendor, but about the exclusive format–i.e. that the book exists only in a mass market paperback edition. (The other 5% negative responses were from Canadian and Australian fans who don’t have access to B&N.)

I am actually quite sympathetic to these complaints, particularly to arguments about accessibility. Not having an ebook, a large print edition, or an audiobook does make the book inaccessible to people with low or no vision or other physical challenges.

When these objections come up on social media, I never apologize. Nor do I try to pass the buck to my agent, my publisher, or Barnes & Noble. The fact is, all of us participated in this decision and I had as much power to say no as any of the others. Social media is a terrible place to have these conversations, so I thought I would explain here what my thinking was, and still is, and see where the conversation goes from here.

The first I heard about this opportunity was a call from my agent, John Talbot, two summers ago. He told me that my publisher, Kensington, had worked out a deal with Barnes & Noble to offer mass market paperback cozy mysteries exclusively for one year. In exchange, B&N would place a large print order and would promote the books heavily. “Heavily” was undefined, at least as far as I, the author, knew. But it was clear John was excited about the opportunity, and he told me one of the reasons he was excited was because Kensington, as personified by my editor John Scognamiglio, was also excited.

“Barnes & Noble wants to put your book in the front of the store,” John Talbot said. The “comma–you idiot” was unspoken, but I heard it. Clearly this was an opportunity to get my work in front of more people.

[image error]Maddie Day’s new book Strangled Eggs and Ham, and Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody on the ladder in the front of the store at B&N

To participate in the program, I needed a non-Maine Clambake Mystery series book. I never would have agreed, and Kensington never would have suggested, that we take an existing series and make loyal readers who happen to prefer a different vendor or, more likely it seems, a different format wait a year for the next book. Did I have an idea for another series?

[image error] Jane Darrowfield with the B&N exclusive sticker on the cover

As it happened, I did. An idea about a woman, who in her retirement, becomes a sort of fix-it person for vexing personal problems for her friends and neighbors. The character was intended to be my homage to Jane Marple.

But even though I had an idea, I did take the time to think about whether I wanted to participate in the program. The enthusiasm of my agent and editor were persuasive. As was the idea of promotion by the largest U.S. chain of physical bookstores. I’m not going to lie. Finding more readers and selling more books was an extremely attractive idea to me.

I also thought about this:

The book would be available everywhere, in mass market paperback and ebook editions, a year after release. Much as I’d love to think of myself like Charles Dickens with readers storming the docks of New York harbor to find out what happened to little Nell, I am aware enough of my status as an author to understand that no one is really going to suffer waiting a year for my next book.While I’ve been lucky enough to have large print and audiobook editions of all my Clambake books, there is no guarantee this will happen every time. Kensington holds my English-language rights. They publish the mass market paperback and various ebook versions, and then they sell the large print and audiobook rights. Or sometimes they don’t. Or it’s a long wait. Musseled Out was released in 2015. The large print edition didn’t come out until 2018. So much as I’d like to offer accessible editions to every reader, I am never in a position to guarantee it.Though Barnes & Noble was at one time the Big, Bad, Big Box Store, endangering independent bookstores, (Nora Ephron even made a movie about it) now like all brick and mortar retailers, it is struggling. Since it is the last chain standing, my publisher, and many others, depend on its relatively larger print order to bring down the per-book cost of the entire print run. Without Barnes & Noble’s order, there might not be print editions of any of my books, or many other authors’ books, for that matter.

Will it work out? I went into it pretty blind. I worried what “promoted heavily” might mean. And about whether Barnes & Noble would even be there by the time I delivered the book and it was published. Indeed, B&N was sold to a hedge fund the very month Jane Darrowfield was released.

Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day’s book, Murder on Cape Cod, the first book in the program, was a huge hit. It went into multiple printings, and the success of that book had a tremendously positive impact on her other Maddie Day series, the Country Store Mysteries.

The jury is still out for Mrs. Darrowfield. But I’m hoping. I’m hoping the book will be successful enough that it will sell to large print and audiobook publishers and all my readers will be able to access it.

Only time will tell.

Readers: How do you react to these exclusive offers? Yay? Nay? Buy it now? I can wait? I could care?

Proceed With Caution

By Sherry who may be melting but it is July!

It took me a long time to get published – a long time. During that time I met all kinds of people and fortunately for me they were lovely. Unfortunately, not everyone has such a great experience. I was anxious to get my first book (still unpublished) into the hands of agents and editors. But I’d also heard there were predators and was cautious. So today I’m going to share a few stories as examples of what can go horribly wrong. Followed by a quick bit of advice.

This is a stack of some of the many rejection letters I received back in the day when we still used snail mail for queries. And yes, that tiny piece of paper is a rejection letter as is the index card. They came in all shapes and sizes. I can’t find my favorite one which was a torn in half, mimeographed piece of paper with a footprint on it.

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When I was at the American Library Association (ALA) Conference two weeks ago I had time to chat with Darla, Kensington’s Director of Sales. Our conversation turned to publishing (big surprise). Darla told me a story that needs to be shared and is the reason I wrote this post.

A few years ago Darla was working the Kensington booth at ALA. A woman came by and tried to give Darla her manuscript. Darla explained to her that she shouldn’t do that and that anyone who was willing to take her manuscript under such circumstances probably wasn’t a good person. Darla suggested the woman look for an agent before she did anything else.

Fast forward a year and Darla is back at ALA. The same woman swings by and now has a tale of woe. The year before she’d handed someone her manuscript and never heard from them again. Then one day she stumbles across a copy of a book that sounds almost identical to hers – someone stole her story. Of course the woman was upset, but that isn’t the end of this story. She tried to give Darla her new manuscript! Darla, again said, “Don’t do that. That’s not how the business works.”  Darla tried to convince her to protect her work, but she wasn’t sure the woman heard what she was saying.

A few years ago at a writers conference I met a woman who’d fallen prey to an unsavory publisher. She’d paid them $15,000 to publish her book. When she got the book it was full of errors and missing pages. They did nothing to help her when she protested. She was so surprised when a few of us explained how the publishing world should work, that we hadn’t paid the publisher, they had paid us.

Barb Goffman and I did an event together. After the event a woman talked to us about her publisher. She’d paid them $10,000 and she got her books, but they weren’t selling well. The publisher kept contacting her and telling her if you send us another $1000 we can place you on this list or in that review. She’d kept sending them money but her sales weren’t increasing. Barb told her not to send them another dime because they were scamming her.

It’s hard to be patient when you want to get your book published and the odds mean it isn’t easy.  It was easy to get scammed when I first started querying,  but is even easier now.

So what’s an author to do?

Do your homework and learn about the business side of publishing. Arm yourself with knowledge before you send out your manuscript.
Join an organization where the members understand what the business side of the publishing industry is like. If you write crime fiction join Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, or Crime Writers of Color. It will give you an opportunity to meet people who understand what you are going through, people who can help you through the process. If you write something other than crime fiction search out organizations for the type of fiction your write.
Study the publisher. Talk to other authors who have worked with that publisher to find out what their experience was like. Order and read books by the publisher to check the quality of the books.

Take care of your precious words you worked so hard to write and don’t give up.

Here is a side view of my rejection letters.

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Readers: Are you patient or impatient?

 

 

 

 

 

Have a Wicked Happy 4th!

Wishing you all a very happy 4th of July!

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I love the 4th of July. It is a holiday that is about celebrating that is full of friends & family, food, and fun. Here in Boston the Boston Pops do a concert on the Esplanade (one of the stretches of green that surround the city), and there are fireworks at the end. Seven years ago my friend Mary Callanan performed with the Pops (she was on the road with Mama Mia), so I got to sit close, watch my friend, and be on the front line of the fireworks. There was a rainstorm in the middle, but it was all good. A perfect way to celebrate.

Here’s their performance.

What are other great ways to celebrate, besides going to a cookout? Here are some ideas.

Watch the movie 1776. It’s a big old musical, fair warning for some of you who don’t like musicals. I love the movie for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that the Broadway cast is in it. That doesn’t happen often, and I do love seeing the stage actors reprising their roles. A few years ago I saw it on Broadway with Brent Spiner as John Adams, which was such fun. Here’s a example of the movie:

You could also listen to Hamilton, another favorite of mine.

Make something that is joyful to eat, and out of the norm. Here’s what I mean. A jello mold. (There are some good ones, so I don’t want to hear it.) A lemon/lime poke cake. A three-bean salad. (Do you know how much sugar goes into my grandmother’s recipe? 3/4 of a cup! Not everyday food.) Rice Crispie squares, with red white and blue Rice Crispies. This holiday is about fun, so now is the time to make that recipe you’ve wanted to try but you couldn’t justify a pound of butter in a pan of brownies. You could also bring S’More makings to the cookout, but shake it up a bit. Bring Ritz Crackers as well, or vanilla wafers. Have fun with the food.

Read a 4th of July themed mystery. There are a lot of them–here’s a list.

Watch a concert and fireworks on television. In person is wonderful, but I know that fireworks can be a lot for some folks, and for pets. But on television can be a decent substitute.

Watch Captain America movies. Okay, that’s my idea of a fun 4th. But seriously, the Cap is all about patriotism, integrity, and American values.

Friends, do you do anything special for the 4th of July? Let me know! Also, if you have a good jello mold recipe, pass it on. Happy 4th!

Wicked Independent

It’s Wednesday, and time for the Wickeds to have a conversation. Since tomorrow is July 4, let’s talk about independence–yours. Wickeds, when did you stop following the pack, and follow your own path?

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Barb: I’m a pretty conventional person and I’ve led a pretty conventional life. I think my life branched off the main path when I spent almost my entire career working for start-ups. I loved that what I did mattered. I can’t imagine working at a place where it didn’t matter if I came into work or not. And I loved the opportunities little companies gave me as they grew. If I wasn’t always sure there would be a paycheck, it was a price I was willing to pay for the excitement of coming to work everyday and the possible upside.

Edith: Oh, man. I love what Barb says about the excitement of doing work that mattered, but that’s not what drove me. As the youngest and shortest in my class, a double Scorpio, and third child in a family of four, I’m not sure I’ve ever followed the pack. I followed my passions into auto mechanics (a girl in the early seventies), living abroad, a PhD in a largely impractical field, organic farming, childbirth education, tech writing, and finally my best, last, and favorite career: writing crime novels.

Jessie: What an interesting question. I love picturing Edith sliding out from under a car on one of those wheely boards! A couple of answers come to mind for me. The first is that I married a man from abroad and have experienced some things about life differently than other members of my family or my group of friends. The second is that I chose to have a home birth with my youngest child. It was certainly not the norm by the standards of today.

Edith: I planned home births with both my sons, Jessie. Have we ever we ever talked about yours? We should!

Sherry: Like Barb I think of myself as pretty conventional — well, maybe not during college. But even then my non-conformity was within the bounds of  sorority life. I’m not much of one for doing things that are out of character for me. Wickeds, if you can think of any examples share them! I did earn my independence and learned to stand on my own two feet after a divorce when I was young. I worked for a small financial planning company and started as an administrative assistant. As the company grew so did I to Director of Marketing and Assistant Vice President. And like Jessie I married a man who had an unconventional background.

Julie: Sherry, you are the president of Sisters in Crime, and doing a lot of work to support women crime writers in addition to driving change. That feels like it defines independent to me! While I have outwardly appeared conventional for a lot of my life, I’ve developed an independent streak a mile wide. I stayed in Boston after my sophomore year of college, pursued a life in the arts, and found my path in writing and teaching. As I get older my independence morphs into stubbornness, but that’s another blog post.

Welcome Back, Cheryl Hollon!

Cheryl Hollon has been a friend of the Wickeds since the publication of Pane and Suffering, the first book in her Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery series. Now she’s here with book six, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Take it away, Cheryl!

[image error]I’m pleased to launch Down in Flames, the sixth book in the Webb’s Glass Shop. As I have done in all the books, it features a glass art that protagonist Savannah Webb will teach while, of course, she is involved in an investigation.

For this book, the craft is bead making and I signed up for a private professional workshop guided by Josh Poll, the owner of Zen Studio and Gallery (https://zenglass.com/). His shop is a mere five-minute drive away and I was looking forward to my personalized instruction.

After running through a safety lecture and learning how to use the specialized tools, I fired up the torch for my first lesson. Well, the torch is big, loud, scary and screams heat right in front of your face.

I’ve never been so uncomfortable in a hot shop, not even when blowing glass using a nine-foot blowpipe. It seems that scale is the problem for me – the flame was too close and even though I took three three-hour sessions, I never got over the fear of the torch.

I was so disappointed! I had huge plans to make custom beads for my friends and family. All came to nothing as it was clear I could never practice long enough to overcome my dislike of the torch.  

As much as I wanted to leave, I stuck it out so I could describe the process well enough to add believability to the manuscript. Talk about sacrificing for your art – I certainly suffered. Josh was magnificent and understood what I was trying to gain from the experience.

Readers: Have you ever looked forward to an activity and discovered that it wasn’t for you?

Down in Flames released on June 25, 2019 and is available for you to order at Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and in your favorite bookstores. It is published by Kensington Books.  If your budget is tight, please ask your library to order it.

About Down in Flames: A fatal hit-and-run in front of Savannah Webb’s glass shop proves to be no accident. . .

A highlight of Savannah’s new glass bead workshop is a technique called flame-working, which requires the careful wielding of acetylene torches. Understandably, safety is a top priority. But as Savannah is ensuring her students’ safety inside, a hit-and-run driver strikes down a pedestrian outside her shop.

The victim is Nicole Borawski, the bartender/manager at the Queen’s Head Pub, owned by Savannah’s boyfriend Edward. It quickly becomes clear that this was no random act of vehicular manslaughter. Now the glass shop owner is all fired up to get a bead on the driver–before someone else meets a dead end . . . 

[image error]About the author: Cheryl Hollon is the author of the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries. She writes full-time after an engineering career designing and installing military flight simulators in England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Living the dream, she combines a love of writing with a passion for creating glass art with her husband in St. Petersburg, Florida. Cheryl is Past President of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, a member of Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

Visit Cheryl and her books at her Website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

Glad to See You Here

***Breaking News***

Judy is the winner of the Tell Tail Heart giveaway from Thursday! Judy, drop your address to liz@spiritwriters.com. 

The Washington Post reported last year that the number of American people who read for pleasure had fallen by more than 30 percent since 2004 (per a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics). In that year about 28 percent of Americans 15 or older read for pleasure on any given day; in 2018 it had fallen to about 19 percent. More women read than men, although levels for both have fallen. And the number of adults who have not read any book in a year nearly tripled between 1978 and 2014, say the Pew Research Center and Gallup.

Where have all the readers gone?

For one thing, there are more choices open to people these days. Remember a world with no computers? When your music came on large flat plastic things and you had to have a special mechanical machine to hear the music? When television had only three or four channels, and those only if you lived in a major metropolitan area and got reception? (And your parents told you to stop sitting inside and reading a book and go out and play with friends?)

I learned to read earlier than I can remember. Now we Old Folk need glasses or cataract surgery to read a book. Thank goodness books have survived, although now sometimes they’re on a screen or plugged into your ears.

My family always read. My mother and grandmother leaned toward historical fiction, preferably with royalty (but not romance). My father stuck mainly to magazines (back in the day when there were many of them, like Look and Life), but there was always something to read at his house. When we used to rent a summer cottage at the Jersey Shore, there was usually a musty-smelling library tucked in a corner somewhere, I read some pretty odd things, along with the Nancy Drews I purchased with my allowance.

As a dinosaur, I hold on to the belief that reading (running your eyes over words and processing them in your brain) is not like all other “story-telling” functions. Listening to an audio book is not the same as reading the words.

But the fundamental principle holds: writers are still stringing together words meant to amuse or entertain or inform you—and to give you pleasure. It’s a fundamental communication, no matter what the format is. If you are reading this post, you are a friend. You are one of us. We’re glad to have you here, and we’re happy to share the stories we make up.

We write not to get rich or famous (that rarely happens), but because we enjoy creating worlds and characters in our imagination, and sharing those worlds with other people. In a world that is increasingly busy and complicated, we still seek to reach out and communicate with others, to share our vision.

Thank you for being here! And what is it that keeps you reading? Which format do you prefer?

Okay, just a small dose of shameless self promotion:

[image error]Digging up History, the eighth Museum Mystery, was released on June 25th, and . . .
[image error]Killer in the Carriage House, the second Victorian Village Mystery, will be released on July 9th Enjoy!