Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 171

The Perils of Writing a “Real” Book by Lucy Burdette

Hi. Barb here. Friend of the Blog, Lucy Burdette has a new book out and I was lucky enough to score an advance read. You are going to love Death on the Menu. Here’s Lucy, using her new work as context, asking a timely question that has been much debated on Facebook of late. Plus, she is giving away a copy of Death on the Menu to one lucky commenter below. Take it away, Lucy!

[image error]Last winter, I was struck by one of the questions from the audience at Barbara Ross’s talk for the Friends of the Key West Library: “Are you ever going to write a real book?” We think she meant a novel, but a non-mystery. Barbara answered graciously, explaining that mysteries can tackle big issues, and still remain entertaining (i.e., not boring or slight.) We all know that stakes can hardly be larger than murder, and that sorting through what might make a person go to that extreme is challenging indeed.

But we cozy writers seem to be perched on the horns of a dilemma—how real can we be? A couple weeks ago, I followed a discussion that had been stimulated by a question from Sheila Connolly on Facebook. Would you like a little edginess or real life in your cozies? 50% of the people seem to say no absolutely not, we read to get away from real life and its problems. And 50% agreed they would like a little reality. I remember after publishing the fourth book in my Key West series, Murder with Ganache, that I mentioned to my wonderful editor Sandy Harding that this book seemed a little darker and more realistic than some of the others. She told me it was perfectly normal to experience some fluctuation in level of emotional intensity over the course of the series.

[image error]My new book, Death on the Menu, has a strong theme about the immigration of Cuban refugees to the US, particularly Key West. This is definitely taken from real life, as we frequently have heard about or even have seen refugees washing ashore on the island. And naturally there is a lot of angst associated with the history of Cuba and its politics. I did not try to jam all that into the book, but it does play into the mystery. I am finding that some people appreciate the depth this brings to the story and others are finding it flat, disappointing, and too political. Probably either perspective is fair, depending on what the reader brings to the book.

So that’s my question for today on the Wickeds. Readers and writers: Should cozy and traditional mysteries attempt to tackle real life issues? Do we write real books? Comment below, or just say hi to be entered for a chance to wim.

About the book: Lucy Burdette, Death on the Menu

Food critic Hayley Snow is thrilled to be working at a three-day international conference at the Harry S. Truman Little White House. But things get off to a bad start when Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal (which belongs to Cuba and is on display for this weekend only) disappears. And they only get worse when a body is discovered in the storeroom. Hayley must spring into action before the killer adds another victim to his menu.

“There’s a lot to love about this series—deft plotting, likeable characters, and an ending that always satisfies. But one of the things I love the best is how the author transports her readers to Key West with every page, describing real landmarks and restaurants with such realism that I feel I’m actually there. Magical and delicious fun!”—Suspense Magazine

“Tightly plotted, with plenty of island-style red herrings and mouth-watering food-prep descriptions, DEATH ON THE MENU is also full of friends helping friends, and the sweetness of love.” –Kingdom Books 

Clinical psychologist Lucy Burdette (aka Roberta Isleib) has published 16 mysteries, including the latest in the Key West food critic series, DEATH ON THE MENU (Crooked Lane Books, August 2018.) Her books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and a past president of Sisters in Crime. She blogs at JungleRedWriters.com and shares her love for food with the culinary writers at MysteryLoversKitchen.com. She lives in Madison CT and Key West FL. Read more at www.lucyburdette.com.

Lucy’s links:

Crooked Lane Books: http://www.crookedlanebooks.com/titles/death-on-the-menu/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lucyburdette

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucyburdette

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lucyburdette   @lucyburdette

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib

Website: http://www.lucyburdette.com

Jungle Red Writers: www.jungleredwriters.com

Mystery Lovers Kitchen: www.mysteryloverskitchen.com

Write Like a Mermaid — Guest Shari Randall

By Shari Randall, who is celebrating publication of her new book, Against the Claw.

Shari is giving away a copy of Against the Claw to someone who leaves a comment! Here’s a little about the book:

[image error]Welcome back to the seaside village of Mystic Bay, where someone’s been found sleeping with the fishes. . .Ballerina Allie Larkin is still back home, healing up from a broken ankle and lending a hand at her aunt’s Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack. But now that the famed restaurant is branching out into the world of catering, Allie’s help is needed more than ever―even on the lobster boat. The last thing she expects to find once she’s out on the bay, however, is the dead body of a beautiful young woman.

When days pass and not even the police can ID the corpse, Allie takes it upon herself to learn the truth about what happened. Her investigation leads her all the way from the local piers to the secluded estates of Mystic Bay’s posh elite. But how can she crack this case when everyone seems dead-set on keeping their secrets beneath the surface?

“If you can be anything, be a mermaid.” This is one of my favorite sayings.

I named the shack in my Lobster Shack mystery series The Lazy Mermaid because I love mermaids. One of my characters collects “mermaidabilia.” I have an Instagram account where I post mermaid photos on #Mermaid Mondays. It’s fun to see who else has a mermaid obsession.

It’s also fun to see how mermaids can help plot a book.

[image error]I was shopping for swag for a Facebook party when I came across this great pen. It’s the Mermazing What Would a Mermaid Do? Predict-a-Pen. It’s a much sparklier version of a Magic Eight Ball, but instead of answering questions it offers advice.

The pen has been helpful as I write. Not only are the predictions good life advice (well, maybe “crash a ship” isn’t a good idea in real life) they’re great suggestions for a writer.

Here’s some writing advice from the Predict-A-Pen:

Pose on a Rock – I translated this into “showcase your character” – let the characters show the reader who they truly are – good and bad, fins and scales.

Make Friends with a Crab – Good advice. Every protagonist needs a friend, a sidekick to share the adventure and watch her back while swimming with sharks.

Brush Hair with a Fork – Okay, I had to give this one some thought. It’s a pretty funny image. Perhaps the magic pen is telling me to add some humor?

Grow Legs – As we all remember from The Little Mermaid, this was a turning point that changed the trajectory of Ariel’s life. For my writing purposes, it means take a chance, do something bold – even if it turns out to have life altering repercussions for my characters. We all like to see characters grow and change, especially if that growth comes from lessons learned by making mistakes and owning up to them.

Fall in Love with a Pirate – A little romance, especially with a dashing partner will add spice to a story.

Crash a Ship – Okay, very bad nautical advice, but great writing advice. Big conflict, disaster, and drama keep readers turning the pages.

Readers: Anyone else love mermaids? Or have a slightly embarrassing obsession?

Shari Randall lives in a mid-century money pit on the Connecticut shore. When she’s not committing murder (on the page, of course) she enjoys dancing, reading, and volunteering at her local library. You can see what’s new with her at https://us.macmillan.com/author/sharirandall/.

Welcome Back Guest Aimee Hix

Here’s the thing about the writing community — they are generous, generous people. As you read this I’m flying to Green Bay for Writers Police Academy. On Monday, I was talking to Aimee and telling her how overwhelmed I felt with my schedule this week. I mentioned needing to write a blog and not having an idea for one. Aimee immediately said, “I’ll do it for you.” So here is Aimee. Go buy her books — she’s a wonderful writer and fantastic person.

[image error]SMAF. It sounds like a particularly sweet sneeze. Something that would issue forth from a bunny or another wee animal. It’s actually the Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival, a fantastic event in the town of Suffolk in Southeastern Virginia.

The town of Suffolk has a small town feel with historic buildings, wonderful places to eat, and so many wonderful residents – everyone was smiling, all the time.

There’s also the beautiful Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts that hosts the all-day mystery author festival takes place. Aside from the VIP Meet and Greet (which is a ticketed event) and, of course, the cost of any books you choose to purchase – all the events are free.

This was my first year and let me tell you, if they’ll have me again it won’t be my last. Thanks to the amazing, LynDee Walker, who wrangled an invite for me, I was able to attend this amazing event run by the most amazing people. The Suffolk Tourism team did everything they could to make all of the authors feel as special and famous as the headliners – Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner.

You want to talk about making a baby author feel special? I have a poster with my face on it … like I’m a movie star.

[image error]And there was a gift bag full of mystery- and Suffolk-themed gear. They even packed water and snacks in the bag so we wouldn’t get hungry. Unlikely, since there was a lunch just for us before the VIP Meet and Greet, also with food. And a hospitality room with infused waters, coffee and tea. AND, finally, a closing reception for the authors, their guests, and the Suffolk Tourism team. Did I mention there was a Welcome Reception and a ‘Haunted’ Cemetery tour with costumed-guide on Friday night?

You’re jealous now, aren’t you? You should be. Not only was the team so welcoming, warm, and generous but the attendees were too. Every person who came to the table to talk to us (LynDee and I shared a table, thank goodness, or I’d have been way too nervous) kept thanking me for offering them bookmarks or personalizing their books. Thanking me!!! Isn’t that crazy? I made sure I told every single one of them that we, the authors, we were grateful for them. That it was because of them that we were there. All readers need to remember that. You’re never “just a reader.” You’re the reason we get to do this job.

It wasn’t all just meeting people and selling books. The Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival also has panels and workshops. The panel I was on was called Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend: Crafting a Successful Thriller. Before SMAF, I wasn’t sure what qualified me to be on a panel about anything successful book-wise. I figured it out though. Success means something different to different people – sales, awards, bestsellers lists, college courses about your work – but for me, it’s being happy with what I’ve created and all that I’ve been privileged to enjoy because of my hard work.

Writing books is hard work. No, not like manual labor is hard work but quieting your inner critic and letting your imagination take hold. Creative work is not as valued as other jobs but just try to imagine the world without paintings, music, film, poetry, or books. It would be a world empty of all the things that make life worth living.

[image error]Writing the Willa Pennington PI series has fulfilled me in a way I knew was missing but didn’t know how to find, at first. The second book DARK STREETS COLD SUBURBS carried me through a six-month bout of vertigo and, my sweet puppy girl, Karma’s terminal cancer diagnosis and palliative care. She died three weeks after the release date of my first book, WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU last January. Writing the series allows me to release some of the darker thoughts and feelings I have. It’s cheap therapy.

Meeting people who are interested in the world I’ve created, like the people who visited the Suffolk Mystery Author Festival, are a part of the therapy, the healing too. There’s something special about Suffolk and this festival. I know the biggest part of the wonderfulness of SMAF is Kathleen, Theresa, and the rest of the Suffolk Tourism Board team. I hope you’ll join me next summer so you can enjoy the festival, the people who run it, and the whole town of Suffolk. And don’t forget to try the giant cupcakes at the Plaid Turnip.

Readers: Have you attended a book festival? Do you have a favorite one?

Bio: An inability to pass the sight requirements, and a deep aversion to federal prison [image error]prevented Aimee from lying on her FBI application, so she set her deficient eyes on what most Northern Virginians do for work – the non-law enforcement side of the federal government.

After twenty years as a federal contractor, she retired and turned to murder. Fictionally, of course. She began writing the Willa Pennington PI mystery series in 2014 and decided to set it in her “hometown” of Fairfax County because of the rich diversity and opportunities for a private investigator to become entangled in with interesting people.

Aimee lives in Virginia enjoying LASIK-corrected eyesight with her family, three dogs, and all her killer thoughts. You can visit her at www.aimeehix.com.

Wicked Wednesday – Character Surprises, Part I

Hey, readers! It’s August, and we’re talking characters this month. Getting into other people’s heads is our job, and it can be an unpredictable one. Some writers say their characters completely surprise them in the course of writing a book. Others say it’s their world, and their characters know to fall in line. So Wickeds, what do you think? Can characters surprise you? And if the answer is yes, next week we’ll talk about some of those surprises….

Barb: Stephen King says characters reveal themselves like photographs in developing solution–they get sharper, clearer, show depth and contrast, as you write. Certainly I know more about all my characters at the end of a first draft than I do at the beginning. Often I am learning during subsequent drafts as well. These aren’t surprises per se, because they’re organic to the character, but I often say to myself, “Oh, that’s why you behave that way,” or think that, or feel that. With series characters I think of it as finding out new things about old friends. The example I always use is a friend you’ve known for years who one day, out of blue says, “It was like that time I went on a date with Paul McCartney.” And you’re screaming, “Oh my gosh, HOW COULD I NOT KNOW THAT ABOUT YOU?” And your friend is all, “What? Nothing ever came of it. It’s never come up. You mean I never mentioned it?” That happens with series characters a lot.

Edith: I love being surprised by any aspect of my writing, and especially by my characters.  I’m working on a synopsis for a new piece and I thought I knew a new character – possibly the murderer – until she showed me a bruise on her arm and I realized her husband has been abusing her. Whoa! Puts a whole different slant on the story. Working twenty years ago on what ended up being A Tine to Live, a Tine to Die, my protag was at a dinner party. All of a sudden a woman fell off her chair unconscious onto the floor. I stared at her and wondered why. Heart attack? Stroke? Poison dart to the neck? Poison in her martini? I had to keep writing to find out.

Jessie: I am frequently surprised by the characters in my books and am always tickled pink when I look at the screen in front of me in astonishment. I think it may be a byproduct of flow state where creation feels effortless and thus surprisingly outside oneself but I’m happy to experience it whatever the cause. I outline my books, scene by scene and you would think that would eliminate such surprises but it doesn’t in the least. I may have planned to put Beryl and Edwina in a motorcar chatting about a suspect but I hadn’t planned on Beryl suddenly mentioning that she spent considerable time before the war in Russia or that Edwina has a penchant for western novels.

Sherry: I can’t imagine not being surprised by my characters. I know them, but I continue to discover more about them even as I’m writing the eighth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries. I’ve read about people who do detailed bios or interviews with their characters before they start writing. The concept intrigues me, but I’ve yet to do it.

Julie: When I first started writing, I kept getting the advice to do deep research on your character before you start, so I tried that. And then I’d get upset when they surprised me. Part of the magic of writing are the surprises, and for me they are usually character driven. I’m also finding characters surprise me from book to book, but I’ll save that story for next week.

Readers: Have you been surprised by any characters in your favorite series? Who and why? Leave us a comment below.

A Giveaway–Advance Reader Copies of Yule Log Murder

by Barb, rushing to go on vacation next week

[image error]Yes, it’s that time of year–advance reader copies of Yule Log Murder are here, and I’m giving away two copies, one each to a lucky commenter below.

Yule Log Murder is a holiday novella collection with stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and me, each one centering around a Bûche de Noël, the traditional Christmas Yule log cake. I had a blast writing mine, which focuses on an eccentric neighbor, a glorious, light-filled Christmas display at the Botanical Garden, and an incredibly complicated recipe.

Here’s the full description:

Fresh-baked cookies, pies, and cakes can warm even the frostiest Christmases in coastal Maine. But there’s little room for holiday cheer when murder is the new seasonal tradition . . . 

YULE LOG MURDER by LESLIE MEIER

Lucy Stone is thrilled to be cast as an extra in a festive period film—until the set becomes a murder scene decorated in blood and buttercream icing. Returning to her role as sleuth, Lucy dashes to restore peace to Tinker’s Cove, unwrap a cold-hearted criminal’s MO, and reveal how one ornate Yule log cake could possibly cause so much drama.

DEATH BY YULE LOG by LEE HOLLIS

Hayley Powell’s holidays aren’t off to a very merry start. Not only has her daughter brought Conner—an infuriatingly perfect new beau—home to Bar Harbor, but a local troublemaker has been found dead with traces of her signature Yule log cake on his body. As Conner becomes the prime murder suspect, Hayley must put aside her mixed feelings to identify the real killjoy.

LOGGED ON by BARBARA ROSS

Realizing she can’t make a decent Bûche de Noël to save her life, Julia Snowden enlists the help of her eccentric neighbor, Mrs. St. Onge, in hopes of mastering the dessert for Christmas. With everyone in the old woman’s circle missing or deceased, however, it’s up to Julia to stop the deadly tidings before she’s the next Busman’s Harbor resident to meet a not-so-jolly fate.

Kick back with something sweet and indulge in three bite-sized Yuletide tales too good to resist!

Readers: Do you have a holiday recipe you particularly treasure? Comment below for a chance to win.

Happy or Sad

A week or so ago on Facebook I posed a question to cozy readers about how much of real-world issues they wanted to see in cozy books or series.  Cozy mysteries a usually centered on a crime, most often murder—that much is real world—but often it’s the only cloud to mar a cozy’s sky. But what about real-world social issues, like human trafficking or drug dealing? Do they fit?

The responses to that post covered a broad spectrum, from both authors and readers, and they made interesting reading. Many people read cozies for escape: they want a good story about solving a crime, with a satisfying ending. If they want blood and terror, they look to another genre.

I tend to lean in that direction myself. Sometimes I want to read a book for entertainment, not enlightenment or social commentary. Tell me a story! Make me care about the characters (and want to see them again). That’s enough.

But a couple of days later I started thinking about children’s books and what their authors chose to include. No doubt many of us read the same ones when we were growing up, and maybe even read them to our children (or grandchildren?). They were and are beloved (and many are still in print). But they are not always happy.

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Several came to mind immediately: Charlotte’s Web, written by E. B. White with the wonderful illustrations by Garth Williams; Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson; and Bambi, from the Walt Disney group. Of course there are more, but these are the ones I remember best. And guess what: they each involve a significant death, which makes painful reading. I might add Peter Pan, written by J. M. Barrie. No, Peter doesn’t die in the end, but he is left behind while his friends grow up and move on while he doesn’t. Again, it’s sad.

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The one that I recall most often is Charlotte’s Web (and I think it was the answer to a recent Jeopardy question), because I blieve the author teaches a life-lesson without being heavy handed. (If you haven’t read it, skip ahead, because this is a spoiler.) Charlotte is a spider who befriends a pig, Wilbur. They can communicate to each other, and when Wilbur is headed for the slaughterhouse, Charlotte mounts a campaign to save him by weaving written messages into her web (if I remember right, one was “Some Pig”). And she succeeds.

But Charlotte is a spider, and spiders don’t usually live very long. Yes, Charlotte dies in the end. Wilbur’s sense of loss is balanced only when he finds that Charlotte’s spider offspring have hatched and can also speak with him, and they’re all around him. It is a bittersweet ending–and memorable.

What books did you read early in your life that you still remember well? And did they include any sad parts?

A Summer of Surprises – Guest LynDee Walker

Liz here, and I’m so excited to have our friend LynDee Walker back on the blog! I’m even more excited for the new Nichelle book! Not to mention the relaunch of the rest of the series. But I’ll let LynDee tell you all about that. Take it away, LynDee!

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Figuring out the theme of a novel can be nail-biting for those of us who don’t plot out our whole story in advance. I’ve written books where I had that part firm from the first glance at the blank page, and books where I wrestled it from a pile of words labeled a first draft—and I honestly couldn’t tell you which book was better.

This time around, the often-elusive theme came from the literal last place I would’ve ever thought to look: my bickering offspring.

I love being a mom, and I love these three little humans (well. Two little humans. The oldest one has about three and a half inches on me these days) with the fire of ten thousand suns. Summer is my favorite time of year, because they’re all home with me: I count remaining school days starting at Mother’s Day, looking forward to long days at the pool and the park and evenings out on the deck.

Five weeks into summer 2018, we’ve had loads of fun and laughs and late nights of family corn hole games on the back porch—but boy, they have tried my patience with petty arguments like never before.

Surprisingly, that’s been good for my writing in ways I expected, and ways I never would’ve. I try to write a lot during the school year so that I can take their summer breaks to be a full-time mom, catch up on my ever-growing reading pile, and relax with friends and family. This year, I signed a new contract in June (my entire Nichelle Clarke series was picked up by Severn River Publishing, with the first six books re-issued last month with beautiful new cover art and new branding, which is all very exciting). It also meant I started summer with a book that hasn’t been written yet due in October—cue slight panic amid the new-book-deal elation.

[image error]I am having an absolute blast, back in Nichelle’s world. I missed my old friends in the Richmond Telegraph newsroom, and I think they missed me, too, because this story is flat pouring out. I’m already deeper into the draft than I originally hoped I’d be by Labor Day, and all the usual hard parts haven’t been so hard this time. Which brings me back to the theme.

This summer, the everyday trips to the pool have been broken up by afternoons at the trampoline park. My three basketball players have discovered trampoline dodgeball—but they’re all athletes and all competitive, so that’s led to arguing over who was out and why and whether they hit each other on purpose, and more often than not, someone getting hurt feelings and fuming. As a mom, it’s a frustrating place to be: I love them all, I want them all to be happy, and I want to protect them all. But above all that, I know my job is to stay objective (thank you, journalism career) and take my teachable moments where I get them. But it’s a pretty cool bonus when I can manage all that and figure out that the thing my littles needed to learn is also the big thing Nichelle has to wrestle with and figure out this time around.

As this story opens, Nichelle is finally getting a taste of her dream job, invited to cover a speech the President is giving in Richmond, thanks to a scheduling conflict for the paper’s political desk chief. The White House has received death threats in advance of the appearance, but nobody is too worried—those are everyday wastebasket filler in twenty-first century politics. But when a dead body turns up in a high-profile (and politically volatile) setting days before the speech, the credibility of the threats rises, and a race to see which big story Nichelle can break first becomes a possible mission to save the leader of the free world. If Nichelle can save herself first. And figure out whose truth she can trust.

My working title is DEADLY POLITICS, and the book will be out this winter from Severn River Publishing. In the meantime, you can can catch up on the series for free with your kindle unlimited subscription, or find the first six books on amazon in ebook and print.

Readers, tell us about a fun surprise in your life in the comments to be entered to win a kindle book box set of the first three Nichelle Clarke books!

Guest- J.D. Griffo

Jessie: On the coast of Maine, powerless to resist the call of the beach!

I am delighted to welcome J.D. Griffo to the Wickeds blog. I met J.D. at a Kensington publishing event hosted in partnership with the delightedful folks at Print: a bookstore up in Portland, ME  in April. He is witty and warm and an absolute delight. 

J. D. is giving away two copies of Murder on Memory Lake to two readers who leave a comment on the blog.[image error]  

Here’s a bit about Murder on Memory Lake – the first book in this brand new cozy series:

Recently widowed and about to turn sixty-five, Alberta Ferrara Scaglione thought she’d spend her golden years reconnecting with her granddaughter, Jinx, and living quietly with her cat, Lola, in the idyllic lakeside community of Tranquility, New Jersey.  She could not have been more wrong.

When she discovers the dead body of her long-time nemesis – the one and only Lucy Agostino – floating in Memory Lake, which is right in her own backyard, Alberta says arrivederci to her peaceful existence.  In no time flat, she and Jinx – a would-be crime reporter – team up with Alberta’s older sister, Helen, a former nun, and their sister-in-law, Joyce, a retired Wall Street wizard, to solve the mystery of who killed Lucy.

It’s The Golden Girls meets Nancy Drew with an abbondanza of Italian flavor thrown in to spice things up as the Ferrara Family goes undercover to become Tranquility’s first family of detectives. 

 

About a year ago my editor said two words to me that have come to change my life – cozy mystery.  My first response was, “Me?  I can’t write a cozy mystery!  Who do you think I am? Jessica Fletcher??”  Turns out I kind of am Jessica or at least I’m much more Jessica than I ever thought I could be and I’m thrilled by the revelation.

[image error]For some reason I imagined cozies as difficult to write because of the intricate plot, the red herrings, and the consistency of character and storylines from book to book within a series.  And I was correct, it is a daunting task! But what I didn’t realize is how incredibly fulfilling and fun it is to weave a story about murder and a little dash of mayhem set in cozy surroundings with cozy characters.  And for me, cozy means familiar. Regular, everyday, ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Once I made that mental shift, I was able to embrace the idea and have come to fully embrace all the characters in my series.

One of the main reasons I love my characters is because I based them on real people in my life.  I tweaked them a bit of course, but their personalities, their dialogue, the way they speak to each other, the way they react to the world around them and especially their values and beliefs are all familiar to me because I grew up with them.

I come from northern New Jersey and grew up in a large Sicilian family.  Sunday dinners at Grandma’s house; sneaking a fried meatball – still warm! – out of the oven; knowing that red sauce is called gravy and brown gravy is called . . . brown gravy; the inability to speak without our hands; the inability to speak without talking really, really loud; cousins who are not only relatives, but friends; and understanding that family is forever and unconditional and is the most important thing in the world.  

Using these traits it was easy for me to breathe life into Alberta Ferrara Scaglione, someone who lives in my heart and although she is far from perfect, I consider her a wonderful woman and someone I’m grateful to have gotten to know.  Thinking of how my female cousins looked, acted, and sounded while we were growing up helped me shape the character of Jinx Maldonado, Alberta’s headstrong granddaughter. And I didn’t have to look very far to steal some characteristics to create Helen Ferrara and Joyce Perkins Ferrara, Alberta’s sister and sister-in-law who round out the amateur detective team.  

Together, these four women represent the many intelligent, confident, resilient, loving, and hysterically funny women that are members of my family and my circle of friends.[image error]  The best part is that since I know these women so completely it’s made writing Murder on Memory Lake as well as the two follow-up books in the series – Murder in Tranquility Park and Murder at Icicle Lodge – such an enjoyable endeavor.  My hope is that readers will feel the same way about the Ferrara’s.

I hope that they’ll share in Alberta’s joy reconnecting with her estranged granddaughter Jinx.  I hope that they’ll sense the feeling of family devotion and unity that is the undercurrent of each book.  And I hope that they’ll come along for the ride as Alberta, Jinx, Helen, and Joyce solve murder after murder after murder.

Because readers can trust me on this – there is nothing more enjoyable and exciting than being a part of one big, crazy Italian family.

Readers,  if you could team up with one member of your family – someone who is living or has passed on – to solve a crime, who would it be and why?

 

[image error]Bio – Italian by birth, Jersey by upbringing, J. D. Griffo is an award winning playwright and author who has written ten novels, over twenty plays, and a handful of screenplays that have yet to see the light of day.  

Griffo studied Journalism and Marketing at New York University, graduating magna cum laude many, many years ago, as well as Creative Writing at the New School and Gotham Writer’s Workshop.  

And the J. D. stands for the author’s mother – Jean Dolores – who absolutely loved to read and tell stories.

 For more information, visit:

https://michaelgriffo.com/

https://twitter.com/Michael2264

https://www.instagram.com/j.d.griffo/

Wicked Wednesday: Happy Double Book Birthday!

We’re so excited about the dual release of Maddie Day’s Death Over Easy and Cate Conte’s Purrder She Wrote! Here’s a little about both books:

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Restaurateur Robbie Jordan is ready for the boost in business a local music festival brings to South Lick, Indiana, but the beloved event strikes a sour note when one of the musicians is murdered . . .

 

June’s annual Brown County Bluegrass Festival at the Bill Monroe Music Park in neighboring Beanblossom is always a hit for Robbie’s country store and café, Pans ‘N Pancakes. This year, Robbie is even more excited, because she’s launching a new bed and breakfast above her shop. A few festival musicians will be among Robbie’s first guests, along with her father, Roberto, and his wife, Maria. But the celebration is cut short when a performer is found choked to death by a banjo string. Now all the banjo players are featured in a different kind of lineup. To clear their names, Robbie must pair up with an unexpected partner to pick at the clues and find the plucky killer before he can conduct an encore performance . . .

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Purrder She Wrote is second in the  paws itively charming new feline mystery series set off the New England coast, where curiosity leads to some killer small-town secrets….

It’s the grand opening of Daybreak Island’s cat café, where customers can get cozy with an assortment of friendly felines―and maybe even take one or a few home. Co-owner Maddie James is purring with excitement over her new warm-and-fuzzy venture. . .until she becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers, an ardent animal-rights activist, and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty―right this instant. The catfight that ensues is bad enough for business. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead with a tell-tale catnip toy on the scene, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie’s staffer. Now, with her reputation and her career prospects on the line (to say nothing of her budding romance with a handsome pet groomer) Maddie must do whatever it takes to solve the crime―before her nine lives are up.

Wickeds: Both these books are set in eating establishments. What’s your favorite café or breakfast and lunch restaurant? What do you like to order?

Jessie: Because I live in such a small community I don’t really have a local breakfast place or even a cafe. I do love to visit cafes whenever I travel, especially if there is a view of the street or outside tables to enjoy a spot of people-watching! I order a double espresso and enjoy taking my time sipping it and watching the world go by.

Sherry: Congratulations on the new books! We have a locally owned restaurant called Spartans. They have everything from great Greek food, to pizza, to all kinds of sandwiches, and beyond. I love their chicken souvlaki which comes on pita.They only serve breakfast on Saturday and Sunday but you can’t go wrong.

Barb: I am in book jail and have been pining to go out and explore more establishments in our new city of Portland, Maine. So far, I have lots of favorites. The Blue Spoon is a place where we’ve taken lots of visitors. My favorite dish there is chicken-under-a-brick.

Edith: Thanks dear Wickeds! Of course, I’d prefer to eat at Pans ‘N Pancakes, Robbie Jordan’s place. But since it’s fictional, I’ll opt for Market Square Bakehouse a block from my house in one of the former mill buildings. You can sit outside and people watch, enjoy a good coffee and pastry, and even do some work. I also love any breakfast joint that makes really good crispy shredded hash browns.

Congrats, Maddie and Cate!

Readers, join our celebration and tells what your favorite café or breakfast and lunch restaurant is.

It’s Twins!

Edith here, delighted to share a book birthday with Liz!

When Liz and I learned our new books were coming out on the same day, we started plotting, of course. What could we do to celebrate the release of Purrder She Wrote, the second Cat Cafe Mystery, and Death Over Easy, the fifth Country Store Mystery? She and I live three hours apart, so bubbly for lunch was out. And we hadn’t planned far enough ahead (Liz is now rolling on the floor laughing) to arrange a joint bookstore event.

So I said, “How about a Facebook party?” Lots of folks are doing them. Everybody gets to sit at home in their comfy clothes, have fast and furious chatting via their fingertips, meet some new authors, and win fun prizes. Liz said, “Sure!” We’re both writing under pen names for these two books, but we don’t mind sharing our real identities.

We hope you’ll join us tonight from 7-9 Eastern (uh, daylight, not standard) time over on the party page.

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We’re delighted that most of the Wickeds are going to join us, plus friends of the Wickeds Lucy Burdette, Shari Randall, and Maia Corrigan. You’ll be able to ask questions of these two as well as of Jessie, Sherry, and Julie – and Liz and me, of course – and enter to win a different giveaway every fifteen minutes.

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Edith and Liz wearing their official Writer PD shirts!

The cake will be virtual, I’m afraid, and you’ll have to supply your own celebratory drink. But I promise it will be a lot of fun (like the fun Liz and I had at the Writers Police Academy nine years ago). You know you’re going to want to help us party tonight!

In Purrder She Wrote, Co-owner  of the Cat Cafe Maddie James becomes entangled in a petty drama between one of her volunteers, an ardent animal-rights activist, and a wealthy woman who insists on adopting a calico kitty-right this instant. But when the snubbed socialite is found dead, suspicion lands squarely on Maddie’s staffer, and Maddie must do whatever it takes to solve the crime-before her nine lives are up.

Death Over Easy gives us an annual  bluegrass festival at the Bill Monroe Music Park in neighboring Beanblossom. A few festival musicians are among Robbie’s first guests at her B&B, along with her father, Roberto, and his wife, Maria. When a performer is found choked to death by a banjo string, the musicians on stage are featured in a different kind of lineup. To clear their names, Robbie pairs up with an unexpected partner to pick at the clues and find the plucky killer before there’s an encore performance.

Readers: Have you been to other virtual parties? What works and what doesn’t? Will you be joining us tonight?