Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 169

Guest Susan Oleksiw

Edith here, about to depart on a real vacation, but first: Susan Oleksiw is our guest on the blog today with her new series debut, Below the Tree Line.

I owe a special debt to Susan – way back in the mid-nineties I joined a writers’ group she hosted in her home. Susan was my first creative writing teacher – or first since grade school, anyway. In her group I started working on what became (19 years later) the first Local Foods Mystery. I learned a huge amount not only about things like point of view, naming characters, story pacing, and using weather only in the service of the story, but also how to offer kind AND constructive critiques.  Thank you, Susan! I’ve read and loved all her books so far, and I’m delighted she’s joined the Midnight Ink publishing family with this new endeavor.

[image error]Here’s a condensed book blurb:  In the Massachusetts countryside, family secrets run deep . . . but an outside threat could uproot them all. Felicity O’Brien hopes the warning shot fired from her porch is enough to scare off the intruder who’s been snooping around her family’s farm. Days later, when two young women are found dead nearby, Felicity can’t figure out how the deaths are related, and even her inherited healing touch isn’t enough to ease the community’s pain over the tragic loss.

Felicity know someone wants something bad enough to kill for it, but all she has is the neglected property her parents passed down to her. Joining forces with a friend, Felicity tries to uncover the truth and save herself and her land from those who are capable of unthinkable harm.

And Susan is giving away a copy of this intriguing new mystery to one commenter here today (US only)!

Minor Characters

My new series is set in the Pioneer Valley, one of the most beautiful if little-known spots in New England. Felicity O’Brien, who has recently taken over managing Tall Tree Farm from her dad, cobbles together a number of jobs to keep things going, and in doing so she interacts with the larger community. This is the best part about setting a story in a rural area–discovering the minor characters who emerge from the shadows as suspects, villains, victims, or unexpected helpers. They tend to arrive on their own, with little or no effort on my part, and then prove themselves useful. If not, they get folded into another, more important character. But where do they really come from?

Right after college I worked as a case manager in child welfare in a rural area where the size of the farms was measured by the number of cows. The average farmer owned fifty cows. That was true in the 1960s and it’s true today. Not much has changed in that part of the world.

Over the years I moved far away from farms and child welfare, but I never forgot many [image error]of the people I worked with, or the children I served. Some of their life stories stayed with me. You might even say they haunted me. I can still recall my supervisor handing me a file for one child in particular as she said, “We’ve all gone a round with Stevie [not his real name]. Maybe you’ll have better luck. You’ll adore him. We all do. Oh, do you smoke? Don’t take any matches with you when you visit.”

Sometimes the character was one I already knew in a different context and met in a new way. In many parts of the country, people (and I have been one of them) receiving regular visits of Jehovah’s Witnesses on a Sunday morning shut the door politely or impolitely on them. But in West Woodbury, the small town where Felicity lives, the man or woman witnessing is too intricately woven into the fabric of the community to not receive a friendly welcome.

When invited in, he might just as easily fall into a discussion of the upcoming Town Meeting, or voice a concern about funding for certain programs, or offer an opinion on the new coffee shop opening up on the old highway. And the person he might be visiting could easily be a member of a very different church, perhaps Catholic or Spiritualist or even Buddhist. Rural America isn’t always as conservative as urban Americans think.

This character seems especially useful as I think about all the conversations he’s had, all the things he’s seen by arriving unexpectedly on one of his witnessing visits. I imagine all the little details about the community he’s stored away in his memory.

Felicity O’Brien, farmer and healer, manages Tall Tree Farm with the help of her good friend Jeremy Colson and her future mother-in-law, Loretta, who hijacks every scene she appears in. Caustic, sarcastic, and eagle-eyed where Felicity is concerned, Loretta never [image error]gives an inch unless she’s had two six-packs and knows there are more in the fridge. But she provides crucial information at odd moments.

Visitors driving through the area admire the pastoral view, or enjoy a woodland tramp. But those who live there, in the small towns and hamlets, and deep in the woods off dirt tracks, know what kind of real life seethes beneath the bucolic scene.

Readers:  Do you have a favorite minor character in a mystery novel? Are there people in your earlier years who still haunt your thoughts? Remember, Susan is giving away a copy of Below the Tree Line (US only) – and you won’t want to miss out on reading it!

Susan Oleksiw is the author of twelve mysteries in three series. Below the Tree Line is the first in the Pioneer Valley series. The Anita Ray series features an Indian-American photographer living in South India at her aunt’s tourist hotel. In four books, beginning with Under the Eye of Kali (2010), Anita solves crimes among her extended family, taking the reader into little-known corners of traditional India. The Mellingham series features Chief Joe Silva in seven books. In Murder in Mellingham (1993), Chief Silva solves the murder of a prominent visitor. In Come About for Murder (2016), Joe teaches his stepson to sail, never suspecting the boy will soon be sailing to save his life.

Susan’s short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and numerous anthologies. She published A Reader’s Guide to the Classic British Mystery (G.K. Hall, 1988), and served as co-editor for The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing (1999). She was a co-founder of Level Best Books, publishers of an annual crime fiction anthology by New England writers, and The Larcom Review (1998-2003). Susan lives and writes outside Boston, MA. Find her at her web site and elsewhere.

One Day, Two Big Events

By Sherry reporting in from Bouchercon

Tomorrow, September 7, 2018, is a big day in my life. First and foremost it’s my twenty-eighth anniversary. I met my husband when I’d sworn off men forever, didn’t expect to fall in love, and definitely didn’t have wedding plans. But he changed all that when he asked me to dance one night. (I said no, but the man is stubborn.) Bob is my biggest cheerleader, supporter, and will tell anyone (watch out if you are ever in an elevator with him) about my books. I’m so lucky to have him in my life.

The second big event is becoming president of Sisters in Crime. I’m overcome with emotion just thinking about it. Julie Hennrikus was the first person to tell me about Sisters in Crime. At the time we were both dewy-eyed (okay, slight exaggeration) women with dreams of being published. I followed Julie’s advice and here we are both published with multiple books out.

Sisters in Crime is a big organization but for me it’s all about the personal relationships. I’m a member of two chapters – the New England Chapter, which is the first one I joined, and the Chesapeake Chapter which I joined when we moved to Northern Virginia. I became president of the Chesapeake Chapter and it was a fantastic experience. So I volunteered for a position with National, never dreaming that I’d be asked to serve the three year term of vice president, president, and immediate past president.

Kendel Lynn broached the subject and told me to think about it. But I knew in that moment that I would say yes. I saw a line zing from Sarah Paretsky through all the smart, talented women who have led this organization to me. How could I do anything else?

The first thing I did after talking with Kendel was to call Bob. I knew it would take time away from our family and I’m already busy with writing and promoting. He said, “Go for it. You’ll be great.” To tell you the truth I was scared – what if I wasn’t good enough? What did I have to offer the organization?

I’ve spent the last year learning, learning, learning. Kendel and Diane Vallere have patiently answered all of my questions. Both are amazing examples of what a good leader should be. The women who serve on the board are an inspiration, smart, and talented. Beth Wasson, SinC’s executive director, has also answered the gazillion questions I’ve asked. Beth is our keeper of knowledge and history dispensing bits of wisdom while doing a hundred different tasks.  Then there’s Sarah Glass who does so much for so many of us all behind the scenes. And Molly who works tirelessly to bring us the inSinC quarterly. I’ve also talked to past presidents who have been so generous with their information and guidance.

So, as I said at the beginning, tomorrow is a big day for two very different and wonderful reasons.

Readers: Have you ever had two very different events happen on the same day? I’m going to be in a Sisters in Crime board meeting as you read this, but will check in as I can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wicked Wednesday-Back to School

Jessie: Back in New Hampshire after a lovely summer spent by the sea.

[image error]September always feels like a fresh start to me. The slightly cooler days and noticeably cooler nights, the wave of activities starting back up after the summer hiatus and, of course, the return of so many to school. So, what I am wondering this week is there something you would like to learn about this autumn? A new skill or hobby? A new recipe or even a new route to drive to a familiar destination?

Sherry:  As soon as I get back from Bouchercon, I will start writing the first book in the Chloe Jackson Redneck Riviera series. It’s exciting and scary all at once. So I guess I will be learning a lot about a bunch of new characters.

Edith: I want to work on my suspense game. I have a glimmer of an idea for a dark and suspenseful short story involving a hyperpolyglot. I took a suspense class from Hallie Ephron years ago and I plan to go back to what I learned and practice the art of keeping readers on the edges of their seats. Wish me luck!

Barb: I’m off today (!) to the Sinc into Great Writing class sponsored by Sisters in Crime at Bouchercon, so I am literally going back to school. This year the topic is Your Most Successful Book Launch taught by Dana Kaye. I’m hoping to learn some things for myself, and also to inform the talk I give called, “Four Lies People Will Tell You about Promoting Your Novel.”

Liz: I miss the whole back-to-school experience! Like Sherry, I’m going to be writing a brand-new book (as soon as I finish the current book I’m writing) so that will be a new learning experience. I’m also planning to do some classes on essential oils. It’s something I’ve dabbled in for years and want to take to the next level. So I found some local peeps and am looking forward to joining a new community and learning about a new healing modality.

Julie: I am opening my online arts administration school for artists on September 20, and I have already learned a ton. And I’m gearing up for two releases in 2019, so I plan on learning a lot about marketing in the next few weeks. I’ve also decided I need to learn Tarot. We’ll see how that goes.

Jessie: It sounds like a busy autumn for everyone! So inspiring! I am learning all about the fight for Irish Independance for the next BEryl and Edwina book that I am writing. And I have just started a Couch to 5K program that seems like a good way to add more steps to my day.

Readers, do you have plans to return to school this fall? Do you have a new skill you would like to learn? Tell us about it!

Welcome Back Jess Lourey and Shannon Baker!

Liz here, excited to welcome Jess Lourey and Shannon Baker back to the blog today on their Double Booked Tour! Take it away, ladies! 

Another “Where Do You Get Your Ideas” Blog

[image error]We’re back! And so happy to be here. This is Jess and Shannon returning for the Third Annual Double Booked Blog Tour (woot!). Thanks so much to Liz Mugavero and the rest of the Wicked Cozies for having us. We love it here, especially because you let us bring the pretzels and beer.

Mercy’s Chase, the latest in Jess’ feminist thriller series that Lee Child calls “highly-[image error]recommended,” will be released in FOUR days! Shannon’s newest page-turner in the Kate Fox mysteries, Bitter Rain, is only a week old. Get it while it’s hot!

Make sure to read to the end of this blog post for a chance to win a signed copy of both.

Shannon: I loved Salem’s Cipher, the first in this series that was released in 2016. The premise of that book was, as they say, ripped from the headlines and involved a female presidential candidate. I guess it’s no secret where that inspiration came from. Tell us a little about Mercy’s Chase and how you came up with the idea for that plot.

Jess: Thanks, Shannon! I loved Salem’s Cipher, too, and so when my publisher asked for the sequel, I was thrilled to leap back into that world of intrigue, conspiracy, and puzzles. The premise of the series is that Salem Wiley, a world-famous cryptanalyst, discovers that women throughout history have been hiding secrets and treasures in coded scavenger hunts to protect them from The Order, a group of men hellbent on keeping women down.

To decide which secrets to write about in Mercy’s Chase, I looked at a globe and decided where I wanted to research. (Seriously. Sometimes this job is the best.) I decided I wanted to head to Ireland, England, and Scotland, and so I booked the trip (to coincide with my honeymoon; hello tax write-off) and began researching ancient feminine mysteries in those regions. I booked tours around them, and eventually built the book around the possibility that Stonehenge was built by women thousands of years ago to pass a message to us today, through time.

Below is a photo of my husband (he still had that fresh husband smell) inside of Stonehenge:

Shannon, please tell us where you got the idea for the latest Kate. I can’t wait to hang out with her again!

[image error]Shannon: (I love the pic, Jess. It’s during that bangs phase you went through!) While the Kate Fox books have a fair amount of humor (at least I hope so) the plot for Bitter Rain is, well, a little more bitter. Not far from where I lived in the Nebraska Sandhills, the Pine Ridge Reservation straddles the NE/South Dakota state line. The horrendous problems of poverty, alcoholism, and gang violence are largely ignored by the ranchers going about their daily business. I was compelled to send Kate up there. Against the wishes of the other sheriffs in her four-county co-op, Kate hires a Lakota Sioux man as their shared deputy. When his sister goes missing, Kate investigates.

I found it difficult to write about such bleak conditions and not drown the reader in sadness. I think Anne Hillerman does a deft job balancing the realities of rez life with humanity of her characters. To add a bit of levity, I added another element. About the time I started thinking of Kate’s third adventure, my husband was busy installing a 3000 gallon water storage tank and a big-ass generator in our backyard. Although he wasn’t constructing tin hats and digging a fall-out shelter, he was making preparations for an EMP. He’d just read Ted Koppel’s book, Lights Out. I have only myself to blame since I bought it for him.

Anyway, all of that gave me the idea to include end-of-world preppers in my story. The Sandhills would be the perfect place to build your safe compound. And then, of course, there’s always Kate’s family to meddle in her affairs. This time, they’re set on pairing her up and taking bets on their favorite eligible bachelor.

Jess, are you one of those writers who has so many ideas flying at you you’d never have time to write them all?

Jess: Ohmygoshyes! I once had a gentleman come up to me at a signing, not to buy a book but to tell me he had a great concept for one. He’d tell me this jewel of an idea, he said, then I’d write the book, and we’d split the profits. Once I stopped laughing, I assured him I had enough of my own ideas to last me three lifetimes. I keep them in a gorgeous, gilded accordion folder because I think they deserve to be honored, even if (especially if) I never get time to write them.

Also, when a new great idea comes to me, I put out a big glass marble in my flower garden as a thank you to the story fairies. I’m not kidding!

Shannon: I’m trying not to be bitter and jealous. I’m not an idea factory. They generally come at me one at a time and then, only when I specifically ask my recalcitrant brain. I tend to work on one project at a time, too, and only when that’s done, can my brain release itself for another idea.

My latest big idea came when I read your book, Rewrite Your Life. In that, you challenged us to write about our biggest fear. For me, that is the death of one of my children. Because I wanted to write something completely different from Kate, I wrote a disturbing and dark suspense. So far, it hasn’t found a home. But the effort was worth stretching my writing wings.

I’m actually casting about for a really great idea. I cut out an article in the paper about roaming gangs of Disney fans staking turf in Disneyland and waging wars on competing gangs. Seems perfect for a cozy, but I haven’t quite embraced it, yet. I’m biding my time by writing some quick (and dirty) romances under a pen name. But if any of you have a great idea to spare, pass it my way!

Jess: Shannon, I’m honored you read that book, and I loved your dark suspense. Really, it’s a crime it hasn’t found its home YET. I know it will. It’s powerful with ache and insight. As far as great ideas, I’ll read anything you write.

My latest project, The Devil in the Dirt Basement, is out on submission (six rejections and counting). Like you, I chose to write about my deepest fear, which is having my stories taken away from me. The main character is named Cassandra, after the tragic Greek heroine who always told the truth and was never believed. After that, it’s on to something lighter for me–the final book in the funny Mira James Mysteries! Woot!

Dear reader, what would you like to see Shannon and Jess write next? Tell us in the comments below. 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

We are each giving away three signed book s on the Lourey/Baker Double-Booked Tour. To enter to win, sign up for our newsletter!

Jess Lourey newsletter sign-up (when you sign up, you’ll automatically receive a free copy of May Day, the first in Jess’ comic caper mysteries): BookHip.com/KJNSXH
Shannon Baker newsletter sign-up (when you sign up you’ll receive a free Kate short story): https://mailchi.mp/d5ccfe1840ea/shannonsbooknews

For every comment you make along our tour stop, you’ll get another entry in the contest. Don’t be shy; we love talking to you.

DOUBLE-BOOKED BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

August 23: “Two Middle-aged Introverts Write a Sex Scene” on Criminal Minds

August 26: “Write What You Fear” on Writer Unboxed

August 27: “The Five Stages of Author Grief” on BOLO Books

August 29: “Tools and Tricks that Changed the Game” on Femmes Fatales

August 31: “Write a Great Scene” on Fiction University

September 2: “Author Interview” on Jess Lourey

September 4: “The Unexpected Places Authors Get Their Ideas” on Wicked Cozy Authors

September 8: “A Day in the Life of Our Characters” on Dru’s Book Musings

September 13: “Most Embarrassing Author Moment” on Jungle Red Writers

September 26: “Create an Author Persona” on The Creative Penn

TBA: “More than the Sum of Our Parts” on Career Authors

ABOUT SHANNON AND JESS

[image error]Shannon Baker is author of the Kate Fox mystery series set in rural Nebraska cattle country, and the Nora Abbott mystery series, fast-paced mix of Hopi Indian mysticism, environmental issues, and murder. Now a resident of Tucson, Baker spent 20 years in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1. She is proud to have been chosen Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2014 and 2017 Writer of the Year.

A lover of the outdoors, she can be found backpacking in the Rockies, traipsing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, skiing mountains and plains, kayaking lakes, hiking, cycling, and scuba diving whenever she gets the chance. Arizona sunsets notwithstanding, Baker is, and always will be, a Nebraska Husker. Go Big Red. Visit Shannon at www.Shannon-Baker.com.

[image error]Jess Lourey (rhymes with “dowry”) is an Anthony, Lefty, and Agatha-nominated author best known for her critically-acclaimed Mira James Mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing “a splendid mix of humor and suspense.” She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a regular Psychology Today blogger, and a sought-after workshop leader and keynote speaker who delivered the 2016 “Rewrite Your Life” TEDx Talk. Mercy’s Chase, the second in the feminist thriller series Lee Child calls “highly recommended,” releases September 8. You can find out more at www.jessicalourey.com.

Reinventing Yourself

[image error]I’m at my cottage in Ireland at the moment, just chilling out after a rather challenging first half of 2018. I have to say that the country (the place and its people) is doing its job, and I’m feeling much less stressed that when I arrived.

I’ve been visiting West Cork since 1998—with my husband, my daughter, or by myself. I fell in love with it a long time ago, finally bought a house two years ago. But only recently have I realized that I’m a different person here.

We as writers create characters, sometimes based on people we know or have seen, sometimes made up from scratch. We should know how it’s done. But Ireland kind of sneaked up on me. I’m not exactly young, I’m educated, I’ve been working most of my life in professional jobs, I have a husband and a child. You’d think I’d know who I am by now, wouldn’t you?

But what I hadn’t realized was that in Ireland I could choose who I wanted to be when I’m here. People in this area don’t know me, although they leap to some conclusions when I tell them my name is Connolly. But usually that’s a good thing: they recognize me as one of their own on some level.

One of the things I like best about talking to people around rural Cork is that I can ask stupid questions. Nobody assumes I know everything; nobody even assumes I’m smart. I don’t have to impress anyone, and I do want to find out more about a different way of life here. It’s not that I’m playing dumb and trying to fool anyone. It’s more that I can admit I’m ignorant, and I’m sincerely asking for their help so I can listen and learn.

And I love this. There is something about dropping yourself into a totally new and unfamiliar situation that is invigorating. Learning is always exciting (and you don’t know everything already, do you?). It keeps your mind working. It’s great for writers, because you have to look at new things in a new way, and that feeds into your writing.

I feel extraordinarily lucky to have found a small place in a part of the world that I have loved for years, where I have deep roots, and made a nest from which I can explore and learn. Or just sit in front of the fire and enjoy. I heartily recommend it.

 

I’m A Little Shattered — Guest Cheryl Hollon

Welcome back, Cheryl Hollon! Cheryl writes the wonderful Webb’s Glass Shop mystery series from Kensington Publishing. Cheryl is giving away a copy of one of her books to someone who leaves a comment!

Here’s a bit about Shattered at Sea: A Mediterranean cruise gives glass shop owner Savannah Webb a chance to demonstrate her expertise—and fire up her skills when it comes to foul play . . .

 

When Savannah signs on to perform glassblowing on a ship, part of the appeal is that she’ll get a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Edward’s family. An added bonus is that Edward’s cousin, Ian, will be joining them on board. But when Ian disappears at the beginning of the cruise, the ship’s authorities initially consider it suicide.

 

Savannah tries to balance her growing suspicions with work on her shows, but her relationship with the other glass artists begins to crack. And she can’t let love color her judgment when Edward suddenly jumps to the top of the suspect list. His fate is in Savannah’s hands, and she’ll do everything she can—on land and sea—to clear his name

Thank you, Wicked Cozy Author Sherry, for letting me guest post on your wonderful blog.

[image error]I’m shattered! Yes, I know that’s the title of my next release, but it applies to me right now. The inspiration for my books is a real-life glass shop run by owners Eloyne and Bradley Erickson. Because Central Avenue property in St. Petersburg has become so valuable, their landlord doubled their rent. So, they’re moving their business to a rental house in Pasadena — which is about five miles away.

As an established business with a dedicated following, their new location will not be a problem. They won’t have the walk-in traffic that their storefront building enjoyed. But they have reshaped their business model to focus on their loyal students who need little instruction but will benefit from personal tutoring and consultation.

The graphics capabilities will continue to provide services to established and new clientele without missing a beat. The main target for their stained-glass creations will be providing custom installations to construction contractors and architects. They will also continue to build on their renowned repair and restoration skills.

Sadly, for the community, they’re not going to teach beginner classes or offer retail inventory of stained glass materials and equipment. Quite a change.

Regardless of what happens in real life, the location of Webb’s Glass Shop that appears in my books will always be exactly where I want it – on Central Avenue right next to Queen’s Head Pub.

Readers: What unexpected change has you shattered?

Each book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery Series highlights a particular skill within the broad category of glass art. Savannah Webb will teach and participate in each skill area exploring and expanding her knowledge of the craft, along with her assistant, Amanda Blake. As a subject matter expert consulting with the St. Petersburg Police Department, her close associations within the art community and the unusually keen observation skills of her apprentice, Jacob Underwood, combine to solve crimes. Edward Morris, boyfriend and the British owner of the pub next door, fills out the investigation posse with more than moral support accompanied by coffee and scones. The craft topics for the third book in the series are etching glass and slumping glass to make dishware.

My husband, George and I have a glass studio in a freestanding cottage behind our house and we enjoy making promotional gifts for my blog tours. For this book, I will be giving away all sorts of vases, pendants, and earrings.

You can read more about Savannah in Shattered at Sea, the fifth book in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries, published by Kensington Books. Available at your favorite book vendor. It releases on August 28, 2018.

[image error]Bio: Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art.

You can visit Cheryl and her books at:

http://www.cherylhollon.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheryl-Hollon-Writer/357992230995844

http://www.twitter.com/cherylhollon

 

 

Why A Writing Career Is Like Vermont

Jane/Susannah/Sadie here, wishing you all cool breezes and pumpkin spice dreams …(Yeah, it’s HOT in New England!

Hey, Wicked People! Has it really been another month already? It’s nice to be back.

[image error]This picture has nothing to do with the blog post. I just like pink zinnias so I thought I’d share.

Did you go on vacation this summer? Yeah, I didn’t, at least not a full week or *gaspistherereallysuchathing* two weeks anywhere. My husband is self-employed and his business is tied to the real estate market, so his busiest season is during the summer. And I have limited vacation time at, as our friend Dru Ann Love would say, the daytime situation. However, we did take a few days here and there, most recently at a lovely little lakeside cabin in the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont. For any non-New Englanders, that means La Boondocks.

[image error]Pay no attention to the lady at the bar…

We came across a pretty magical place when we went to town for supplies. Harry’s Hardware is located in a nineteenth-century store in Cabot, Vermont (yes, the home of Cabot cheese). When you walk in, you know you’re somewhere special. Sure, it’s a hardware/sporting goods/feed store. But in the back is a full-service diner. In the front is a bar, serving craft beers and hard ciders. Behind the bar, there is a tap and you can pour your own maple syrup into a mason jar–no lie. And on the weekends, they clear out some tables and have live music and dancing. If there was also a bookstore section, I’d know exactly where I want to barricade myself in when the Zombie Apocalypse comes.

So what does this have to do with writing? Well, Cabot is a town with 1,440 people. In order to stay viable, businesses in such tiny places quite often have to do double, or, in the case of Harry’s, exponential  duty. And a writing career can be like that, depending on what you need or want from it.  It can take a very long time, if ever, for a writer to make a living wage from her books, which is why most of us still have those pesky daytime situations. So sometimes we have to get creative (a thing we’re really good at, right?) in order to do the thing we love and still put food on the table and ink in the printer and books on the Kindle.

I’ve come to accept that, for me, the peace of mind I get from having a steady paycheck and health insurance for my family is worth compartmentalizing my dream of being a full-time writer. Granted, my day job is in the book business–which is not as glamorous as it seems but is still a pretty sweet deal. I also do occasional freelance editing, coaching, and a few paid speaking gigs–oh, and I still write too, though my output is not as great as it used to be, for obvious reasons. The point is, it’s okay to do more than one thing, as long as you don’t lose sight of the original goal–and sometimes doing more than one thing, cobbling together a career, is the only way to get yourself there.

Not only that, the more experiences you have, the more people you interact with, the more places you go, the more creative you become.

Are you a multitasker? What does your finish line look like? Is there only one way–or a combination of ways–to get there?

 

 

 

Wicked Wednesday – Secondary Characters

Welcome! It’s our final August Wednesday, and we’re wrapping up our character discussion. Today we’re talking secondary characters – the people we create to surround our main character. Often we spend so much time focused on our protagonist that our secondaries are afterthoughts – they’re here to advance a subplot, or be a foil of some sort. Other times, our secondary characters step up in a big way and demand attention and sometimes, their own storyline! So Wickeds, has this happened to you? Which secondary character has really surprised you and come alive in a way you never planned?

[image error]Edith: Lieutenant Buck Bird in my Country Store Mysteries started off as a bit of a bumbling bumpkin kind of cop – not quite Barney Fife, but close. I hadn’t predicted he would have much depth. Turns out not only does he have a legendary appetite and a colorful phrase for everything (“It’s colder than a polar bear’s toenails,” “I’m so hungry I could eat a cow between bread vans,” and much more), he’s also smart. He cares about protagonist Robbie Jordan. He’s happily married and raised several children, now successful adults. And he’s not bad at solving crimes. I feel like I DO know him, even though I invented him nearly out of whole cloth.

Julie: In my Clock Shop Series, Aunt Flo, Ben’s Aunt, came out of no where and was a fun character to write. Everyone else felt so staid, and she wasn’t. I also loved writing about her friendship with Caroline. In my new series (Pruning the Dead is the first book, out in January), explores the friendship of two women in their 60’s, and Caroline and Flo are part of the reason I wanted to explore that. In the Theater Cop series, I love Dimitri. When I first started writing those books, many years ago, he was a much flatter character. Now he’s a wonderful foil for Sully, and has more of a role in With A Kiss I Die, the next book in the series.

Liz: Frog Ledge, the town in my Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, has a whole slew of characters who tried to steal the show. Resident State Trooper Jessie Pasquale, though, was someone who really took on a bigger role than I expected. I knew she’d be a part of every book as the local cop, but her relationship with Stan developed into a whole storyline of its own. Of course, it helped that she’s the sister of Stan’s love interest, which also added conflict. But aside from that, Jessie ended taking way more space on the page than I ever planned.

[image error]Barb: I once heard Tess Gerritsen say that since secondary characters don’t have to carry so much weight in the story, authors can relax with them, going more with what comes from the subconscious, instead of over-thinking. She pointed out that both Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles began life as minor characters. In my work, recently, I had a lot of fun with Mrs. St. Onge, Julia’s mother’s long-time next door neighbor. In Yule Log Murder she teaches Julia to make the titular cake. I could definitely see her turning up in another story.

Jessie: Liz, those women named Jessie can be such a handful! I love secondary characters and the way they add to the story like a dollop of grainy mustard on a roast beef and cheddar sandwich. Without them even favorites feel a bit flat. I first experienced the joy of secondary characters in my first novel, Live Free or Die. The protagonist’s sister blew onto the page fully constructed and utterly unexpected. In my Beryl and Edwina series I have a very soft spot for Simpkins, an elderly jobbing gardener. He needles Edwina and colludes with Beryl and provides me with endless fun as I write about him!

Liz: They sure can, Jessie! LOL!

Sherry: Seth Anderson was never supposed to be more than a nameless mentioned once character. Then he sent Sarah a text, and called her, and became Massachusetts Most Eligible Bachelor… I wrote an entire post about him on Jungle Red Writers. You can read it here.

Readers, do you have a favorite supporting character in any of your favorite series? Leave a comment below!

The Magic is Real, Part II

Hi all. Liz here, sad to see the end of summer approaching. I love the fall, but I think everyone knows that what comes after that isn’t my favorite part of New England.

Julie wrote a great post recently about the magic of the work we do – the writing and the creativity itself, but also about how we, as creatives who’ve found our paths, have a duty to help others who are struggling to either get or stay on their paths. She’s is going deeper down that path by creating a online arts administration school for artists, which is going to be awesome.

As Julie mentioned, we took the same online courses with the same goal in mind – to create online communities that nurture creatives. For me, it’s about helping people regain – or find – their creative voices. I remember as a kid turning everything into a story. I used to collect notebooks and carry them around with me, alternating between writing a new poem or story and creating mysteries I could then solve – of course, using the notes I so painstakingly took throughout the day. At age 11 I even outlined a proposal for a soap opera, creating a whole cast of characters and a town and some cheesy storylines. I dreamt of writing my books.

But somewhere along the way, I let people tell me that writing wasn’t a viable way to make a living. That teaching, or some other career, would be my real way of life and I could do my writing in my “spare time.” It never felt right to me, but then life took over and I let “reality” set in. On top of that, for a long time I had trouble putting words on the page. I’d lost my voice and was floundering to find it.

I found my way past that to become a successful author. It’s true that I’m not yet making my living just from my writing, but I don’t see that as an unrealistic achievement like I did 15 or 20 years ago, when I was listening to everyone but myself. In fact, my goal with my own online business is, like Julie, to make more space to write more things so I can achieve that goal.

But the point is, it wouldn’t have taken me so long to find my way back to my voice if I’d had some help.

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If I’d had a tribe, like I have now.

If I’d been introduced to The Artist’s Way a long time before I was.

If I’d had someone to listen, and help my analyze my blocks so I could find my way through them.

If I’d left behind my need for perfection and let myself write in a journal – really write, about everything and nothing – way before I did.

If I’d had someone to keep me accountable with realistic goals and action steps.

If I’d understood that meditating, and an overall spiritual practice, could’ve done for me in a short amount of time what I’d struggled and suffered to figure out on my own for years.

If I’d had someone to help me see my creative worth, when I’d lost sight of it myself.

If I’d had someone to tell me they believed in me.

All of those things are what I hope to provide others struggling to get their creativity back. I want to create a tribe of spirit writers – people who look inside of themselves to find out why their voices were silenced, and do everything to get them working again.

I’m still working the day job and still writing the books, but I’ll also be working to get this new venture up and running, with the goal of being in service to my fellow creatives.

I can’t wait to share it with all of you as it develops. And in the meantime, we’ll be working on that Crime Bake masterclass.

The Wickeds Get a Makeover!

Hi All–

You may have noticed a difference in the Wickeds’ blog post today. We’re rolling out a new look and feel, along with some new branding.

At the Wickeds’ retreat this spring, we decided it was time to refresh the blog site. It’s been more than five years since we put the original site together–thirty-five years in Internet years, which everyone knows are equivalent to dog years. We wanted to clean up, paint up, fix up. To update and renew.

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At the same time, we wanted to slightly change our branding. In the beginning, we chose Wicked Cozy Authors because we were all writing cozy mysteries set in New England.  Since then, here at Wicked Authors Partners, Ltd, LLC, New England, United States, Earth, the Universe, etc., we’ve continued to grow and expand. We’re writing books set in southern Indiana, England between the wars, and (soon to come) the Emerald Coast of Florida. We’ve authored historical mysteries, paranormal historical mysteries, and mysteries that edge toward traditional. Three upcoming series have been announced, (by Edith here, Sherry here, and Julie here) and there are more announcements in the offing.

We believe all our books, published and in the pipeline, are comfortable reads for ninety-nine percent of people who read cozy mysteries. Nonetheless, our branding had begun to chafe a little, like a much-loved and much-worn pair of shoes that begins to pinch.

So now we are “The Wickeds.” We kept that part of the name because that’s what everyone calls us and it’s how we refer to ourselves–and because it’s such a wicked awesome New England term for “really great.” We’ve updated our tagline to “Wicked Good Mysteries,” to describe who we are and what we do.

We kept the purple color that has been a part of our branding from the beginning, but updated it. Did you know Pantone Ultra Violet is the color of the year for 2018? We didn’t either, but let’s face it, we are so trendy. We’ve added a couple of other highlighting colors because in the past we’ve often wished we had more options for designing things. We kept the photo of the six of us, clowning around, because it makes us happy.

You can still see our sidebar by clicking the three dots at the top right. And you can get to our About page through the menu at the top left.

We decided we wanted to roll our updated look out in time to have newly branded swag for Bouchercon, the big mystery convention where Sherry, Julie, and Barb will be hanging out next week.

[image error]Swag, ready for Bouchercon.

So that’s what’s up with us. We hope you like the new design and find it easy to navigate.

Readers: Let us know what you think! The good thing about digital stuff is we can still tweak even though it’s been rolled out.  We’re happy to get feedback from the most important part of the blog–all of you.