Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 213

Wicked Wednesday: Wicked Goals for 2017

Wickeds, any big goals for the year? Any big happenings? Any “maybe this is the year” dreams?

Edith: Nope. As far as I know there are no family weddings coming up (although possibly stay tuned for news on that front…), no dream vacation scheduled, no grandbabies due. I have three books releasing this spring, and I do look forward to the year’s conferences: Malice in April, Bouchercon in October, Crime Bake in November. My only personal big happening is going under the knife for a new knee eight days from today. I think that’s enough!

Liz: My biggest happening is selling my house and moving. Although I’m staying in [image error]Connecticut for now, I’m looking forward to living in a more urban area. Mostly looking forward to NOT being a homeowner…

Barb: I have no idea what is going on this year. I have no book contract after March. I’m not co-editing the Level Best Books series anymore. There are a number of things brewing in my personal life that could lead to big changes, not all of them good. When I managed a lot of people, I generally found that planners are not good reactors, and reactors are not good planners. The people in our support organization thrived on coming into work without having an inkling of what the day would bring. The programmers hated a change made to the schedule six months down the road. I am a planner, so I keep telling myself the uncertainty is good for me. Roll with it, I tell myself. So far, myself doesn’t seem convinced.

Julie: I’m really trying to get into a yoga practice. So far I’ve started a Beachbody 21 day yoga retreat twice. Best of intentions, but it isn’t working out too well so far. Healthier is a definite goal over all. Two books to write, so that includes trying a standing desk.

Sherry: Barb, I love your planner/reactor thought. I’m a reactor. That said, I’m looking forward to A Good Day To Buy coming out in April, a couple of visits to Boston with the Wickeds, Malice, and Bouchercon in Toronto — I’ve only been to Canada once and that was in 5th grade. And I’m going to write a Hallmark movie and sell it — right?! If I say it enough times maybe it will happen.

Readers, same questions for you. Any big goals for the year? Any big happenings?Any “maybe this is the year” dreams?

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Filed under: Bouchercon, Wicked Wednesday Tagged: bouchercon 2017, goals, knee replacement surgery, Malice Domestic 2017, New England Crime Bake, planners, reactors, yoga

I’ll do it later…

By Liz, pondering life instead of working on book six.

I’m sure you’ve seen the meme on Facebook depicting the long timeline meant to capture a creative project. Basically, the beginning of the timeline is where the work begins. Then most of the rest of the timeline is colored in red with the words “F*** off” underneath. Then a small spot of yellow labeled “Panic.” Finally, a tiny patch of green labeled “All the work while crying,” until we reach the deadline.

Folks, this is often me. I kick myself for it every time, and swear I’ll never do it again. Sometimes I have what I think is a good reason to put off a big project, like my latest book (the day job, personal drama, moving, sick pets, fill-in-the-blank). Other times, my only good reason is that I’ve been watching too many Gilmore Girls reruns. Either way, good reason or bad, I’m stressing myself out for no reason.

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I’ve always been this way. I remember the time in high school that I put off studying for my geometry final until 9 p.m. the night before – then asked my dad (a math teacher) to help me study.

“Sure,” he said. “What chapter?”

I looked at him with a puzzled frown. “Well, all of them,” I said, as if it were a perfectly reasonable request. He almost passed out.

Another time I waited until the day before a big paper was due to write it. And by write it, I mean sit at the computer and bang out the first and last draft. It was going well – until the computer had some malfunction (these were the VERY early Apple days) and the document disappeared. After a minor heart attack I figured out how to restore it, but it was stressful. Still, I finished the paper, turned it in and got an “A.” At least in this area, I’m fortunate that I’m good enough at it that I can operate this way. But it’s still not optimal for mental health.

As a reporter, I got used to writing under the gun. After all, most of the time stories came in at the eleventh hour and you had to run out, get the interviews, then run back, write, and file—usually within an hour or two. And usually with a scanner blaring next to your ear and an editor breathing down your neck. I know there’s a big difference between a 15- or 17-inch story and a 70,000 word story, but the goal is the same: To write something that informs/entertains/keeps the readers’ interest. And write it in the timeframe you’ve agreed to, whether that’s two hours or nine months.

So why do I continue this bad habit? I’m really not sure. I used to beat myself up about it, until I saw this quote by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way:

“Procrastination is not laziness. It is fear. Call it by its right name, and forgive yourself.”

If I really stop and think about it, she’s right. It’s fear of not being good enough, not doing it right, not living up to reader’s expectations, not being able to figure out the plot, you name it. In this case, it could also be fear of the end of a contract, without knowing if it will be continued. If I finish the book, will I have to say goodbye to my friends in Frog Ledge?

But part of this job—this life—is uncertainty, and learning how to live with it. It’s not easy, but it’s doable. So with that in mind, I’m going to stop putting off that next scene, and get back to writing.

Readers, what chore/hobby/job do you procrastinate?

Filed under: Liz's posts Tagged: creativity, inspiration, procrastinating, writing

Making a Writing Retreat: Part I

From Edith, in the only-partially frozen reaches north of Boston.

Many of you know I am fond of going away on writing retreats. Addicted, one might even [image error]say! Even if all I do is occupy a friend’s empty house in the next town, I love getting away from home (and all the obligations and joys thereof) to focus on nothing but writing. A couple of weeks ago I had a hugely productive solo five days at a friend’s empty beach house not far from my town. And I have my routine down by now: what I bring, what I wear, how I work.

Of course the Wicked Cozys also go on an awesome group retreat every year, but we’ve covered that here several times, here and here and here, among other posts.

So I thought I’d poll some other authors pals who also like to go on retreat – some of whom I have been on retreat with, but not all – to see how their experiences compare with mine.  Here are answers to my questions from Tiger Wiseman, Ramona DeFelice Long, Liz Milliron, and Holly Robinson. Thanks for sharing, ladies (mind you, none of them saw the other’s answers).

Caveat One: I have edited down the responses a bit in the interest of space and reading time. Caveat Two: Everyone had such interesting and useful things to say (well, they’re writers, after all!), the post was getting really long. So I’ve split it into two parts. We’ll have the second part a month from now. This part has more to do with the purpose and feel of a retreat, while Part II will get into some of the practical side.

What’s your favorite part of getting away from home with a focus on writing?

T: Knowing I won’t have to worry about anything except being creative and productive –

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Tiger at her very own Vermont retreat house

things that normally fall second to mundane necessities of cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.

 R: Leaving behind all duties, from writing to meetings to housework, that interfere with creativity.
L: The removal of the distractions. With two teenagers, someone always has to go somewhere and someone almost always wants something. And then I have a husband to pay attention to. And the laundry. And the dishwasher. And, and, and… It’s always nice to get away for a day or a weekend where the only thing I have to worry about is feeding myself and writing.
H: Just that: the ability to focus! Even though my children are now out of the house, I find that between household chores, work deadlines, husband, dog, etc., it’s very tough to find the mental space to focus on fiction writing, especially when I’m starting a new project. [image error]It’s so wonderful to be able to go to bed thinking about whatever you’re writing, and to get up in the morning and sit down to it first thing, with your papers scattered around just the way you left them.
E: I’m seeing a theme, here! All those comments apply to me, too.

Do you prefer to go away by yourself for concentrated writing, or with others? Why?

T: I prefer being with others in a structured environment. I like the company of others after the writing day is over, but during writing hours I want total silence.

 R: This is a tough one, because I love both. I like being with other writers, but I need a private space to write, sleep, and think. A small retreat with private bedrooms and studios is ideal.

L: I like going with others as long as there are solitary writing times built in to the schedule. I’m fairly good at shutting out the world, but knowing that this is my time and I’m relieved of the burden of being social lets me really concentrate. But all writers get stumped, so having a group to brainstorm with is always

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Liz in pink shirt on right. Photo credit Paula Smith.

nice. And of course, after the writing is over, hanging with friends for snacks and wine is a great way to recharge for the next day’s writing.

E: I like both, but as Ramona says, only if I have a private space for work, sleep, and thinking.

Where is your favorite place to retreat to?
T: Vermont, LOL. Lake, forest or mountains. Actually for me a retreat needs to be quiet (no traffic, planes, kids); provide space for long walks; not have TV or too many sites of interest which I’ll want to visit; good restaurant in case I’m too lazy to cook.
R: For overall enjoyment, the beach. For productivity, a quiet country setting. Specifically, Rehoboth Beach for a solo retreat for a few days. Long term, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA).
L: I love the woods. My chapter does an annual retreat and we have frequently gone to the Laurel Highlands, about an hour outside Pittsburgh. If I could hole up there every few months for a weekend, I’d be a happy girl. Little wonder my series-in-progress is set there.

H: I usually go to mid-coast Maine in winter, because it’s so quiet and it’s very cheap to

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Split Rock Cove

rent condos on the beach then. I occasionally go to a writer’s residence in the Berkshires (Wellspring House). I also like Split Rock Cove up in Maine—very cheap off season, and the woman artist who runs it is fun to get to get together with in the evenings. Mostly, it’s important for me to be in a place where I can take long walks or runs, and there can’t be too many shops or restaurants.

E: I’ve been to Wellspring House a couple of times. I also head down to a Quaker retreat house in West Falmouth on the Cape, but only when I can have the house to myself. Otherwise house-sitting or group retreats are my usual places.
My guests:


Tiger Wiseman is an aspiring mystery writer & confirmed foodie.
Ramona DeFelice Long writes every morning at 7:00 a.m. in her home in Delaware. She is an independent editor specializing in crime fiction. Twitter: @ramonadef.
Liz Milliron writes The Laurel Highlands Mysteries. Her short fiction appears in Blood on the Bayou, Fish Out of Water, and Mystery Most Historical.
Holly Robinson is a novelist, journalist, and celebrity ghost writer whose newest novel is Folly Cove. Visit her at her web site and on twitter @hollyrob1.


Readers: Do you ever go on retreat, whether writing or otherwise? Share your experiences!



Filed under: Craft, Edith's posts, Uncategorized Tagged: Edith Maxwell, holly robinson, Liz Millron, Maddie Day, Mary Lederman Sutton, Ramona DeFelice Long, Tiger Wiseman, VCCA, writing retreats

Guest Gigi Pandian

From Edith, north of Boston, where winter isn’t quite sure what it’s doing despite being January.

I’m so pleased to have Gigi Pandian as our guest today. We’ve been Guppies and Sisters in [image error]

Crime together for some years, and have watched each of our careers take off in wonderful ways. We also share Midnight Ink as a publisher for one of our series. Gigi has a new Accidental Alchemist Mystery book out – which is one of my favorite series. I’m halfway through The Elusive Elixir – and loving it.

Gigi writes the Accidental Alchemist Mysteries as well as the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries. This month, she’s celebrating the release of her new Accidental Alchemist mystery, The Elusive Elixir. The paranormal cozy series features a unique vegan chef (he’s a Parisian gargoyle) so Gigi is sharing a recipe today—and also giving away a set of 7 book-themed recipe cards to one commenter!

How a Cozy Kitchen Plus a Cancer Diagnosis Led to an Accidental Mystery Series

For my whole life up until five years ago, I considered myself an adventurous eater. I prided myself on trying any delicacy, wherever in the world I was. But cook? Aside from the occasional dinner party, I’d leave that to others.

Then five years ago, right after my 36th birthday, a cancer diagnosis left me with a range of food restrictions. I wasn’t about to give up eating great food. What was I to do?

My husband and I had recently bought a tiny house with a wonderful little kitchen. We hadn’t yet used the kitchen, but after my diagnosis, all that changed. Once I was done with chemotherapy and radiation, I took cooking classes to learn how to cook foods from scratch that were both healthy and delicious. I threw myself into living life to the fullest, which included prioritizing my writing and enjoying delectable healing foods.

[image error]That’s how the characters in my Accidental Alchemist mysteries emerged. The series is about Zoe Faust, a centuries-old alchemist who’s also a vegan and herbalist, and Dorian Robert-Houdin, a French gargoyle chef who was once stone before being accidentally brought to life through alchemy. Zoe only discovered the Elixir of Life by accident when trying to save the life of her brother, and Dorian never meant to abandon bacon and cheese. The theme of the series is transformation, since I was going through the biggest transformation of my life when I began writing the series.

Much like how I was learning to cook a plant-based diet free of processed foods because of my new knowledge of my body’s quirks, Dorian is forced to learn how to cook his favorite French delicacies with only vegan ingredients because Zoe had been eating that way for centuries to take care of herself. Dorian was as surprised as I was that this new way of eating could be amazing!

Recipes are included in the back of each book (available as a PDF download for Audible listeners). I’m having such fun experimenting in the kitchen and adapting recipes so I can eat them. I’m now feeling the healthiest I’ve ever been—nearly five years cancer-free!—while eating the tastiest foods to snack on while I write.

The recipe I’m sharing below is one such recipe, that I think of as “accidental” oatmeal pumpkin[image error] muffins. Why “accidental”? I had a recipe for a pumpkin loaf, but not enough flour and not the right size loaf pan. So I stepped into my cozy kitchen and took a risk… and it’s now the treat my husband requests most frequently.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

DRY INGREDIENTS

1 cup oat flour
1 cup oats (regular or thick, but not instant)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg

WET INGREDIENTS

1 15oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs or 2 “flax eggs” (What’s a flax egg? To make this vegan egg-replacer from scratch, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water, let set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup or brown sugar (or up to ½ cup if you’d like sweeter muffins)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a small bowl, and mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into dry bowl. Scoop into a muffin tray with 12 muffin cups. Bake for approx. 20 minutes.

Readers: Do you have a favorite recipe you discovered by accident? Or a favorite story about an unexpected twist in your own life that turned out differently than you imagined?

One commenter will win a set of 7 book-themed recipe cards related to each of my 7 novels!

[image error]Gigi Pandian is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. A cancer diagnosis in her 30s taught her two important life lessons: healing foods can taste amazing, and life’s too short to waste a single moment. Gigi spent her childhood being dragged around the world by her cultural anthropologist parents, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard garden. Gigi’s fiction has been awarded the Malice Domestic Grant and Lefty Awards, been nominated for Macavity and Agatha Awards, and her most recent novel, Michelangelo’s Ghost, was recently named a “Best of 2016” cozy mystery by Suspense Magazine.

Gigi’s website: gigipandian.com. Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/GigiPandian. Stay up to date with her email newsletter: http://gigipandian.com/newsletter/. More about The Elusive Elixir: http://gigipandian.com/books/the-accidental-alchemist-mysteries/

Filed under: Guest posts, Uncategorized Tagged: Accidental Alchemist, gargoyle, Gigi Pandian, Midnight Ink, paranormal mystery, Pumpkin Muffins, Vegan baking

A Wicked Welcome to Amanda Flower

By Julie, grateful for the balmy 40 degree days this week.

Friends, I’m thrilled to welcome Amanda Flower to the blog today! Amanda is a wonderful writer, and a really lovely person. She is also very prolific–tis the season for that! Thanks for visiting the blog Amanda!

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Winter Writing

By Amanda Flower

Growing up in Ohio, I loved winter as a child. I loved it because of sledding, snowmen, hot chocolate, and snow days. Who doesn’t love snow days? However as I got older, winter lost some of its appeal. I still love sledding, snowmen, hot chocolate, and snow days, but I don’t have the time for them like I did when I was a kid. To make matters worse, the library where I work only closes in case of a snowpocalypse. Snowpocalypses are a lot rarer than the Weather Channel would have you believe.[image error]

However even though winter doesn’t bring me the same level of joy as it had when I was a child, it still has some perks. Namely, it gives me some time, and time is something I desperately need. It’s usually in the winter that I write the most and am the most prolific. That’s because I’m stuck inside. Trust me, my preference is to be outside. Always. But blustery winter forces me indoors where I can concentrate on my writing with fewer distractions. My books are my escape where I can write stories away from the cold and darkness. Stories that are set in faraway places or places just down the road.

This year, the time the winter season allows me is a very good thing because I’m under contract to write four novels in 2017. Two of which are due in early spring, which translates into writing two novels start to finish by the end of March. No, neither or done yet. One is started, the other is just a blurb the publisher bought. One is for Kensington as [image error]part of The Amish Candy Mystery Series, and one is for Crooked Lane in the Forgotten Garden Mystery Series. The Amish Candy Mysteries are set in an Amish community in my home state of Ohio. The Forgotten Garden Mysteries are set in a magical garden in Scotland. Both are cozies but on opposite ends of the subgenre, and that’s how I like it. I’ve discovered that I like writing series that are worlds apart from each other. I told my agent once, “I’ll write whatever you want, set where you want, starring whoever you want, but let it be a mystery. That’s all I ask.” So far, she’s been able to do that for me.

Thankfully, through all the writing, rewriting, and rewriting some more, I have my trusty editors Cheeps and Tummy at my side. My two feline friends are my go-to guys for comic relief and snuggles when I feel like the deadlines are closing in, which happens about once a week. I’m going to need their support to get through this year. That’s for certain.

[image error]So it’s time to break out the yoga pants and the hoodie (AKA author uniform), the chocolate, enough coffee to sink and ocean liner, and get to work. These books aren’t going to write themselves. May you have a productive winter too. Spring will be here before you know it.

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Amanda Flower, a national bestselling and Agatha Award winning mystery author. She also writes mysteries as USA Today bestselling author Isabella Alan. In addition to being an author, Amanda is librarian in Northeast Ohio. Her latest novel is PROSE AND CONS. Follow Amanda on Social Media at: Facebook Twitter Instagram

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Amanda Flower, Isabella Alan, Prose and Cons, Wicked Welcome

Wicked Wednesday: Reading Goals for 2017

(Julie here) Personally, I’ve decided that I need to read more for pleasure in 2017. I’m working on a reading list now. Any suggestions Wickeds? Any specific goals for the year?

Edith: Since I’m heading into knee-replacement recuperation at the start of February, I’m[image error]

looking forward to doing some series binge reading in between PT and naps. I want to read the Cara Black mysteries set in Paris. Alyssa Maxwell’s new historicals. All of Kathy Lynn Emerson’s (and her alter ego Caitlin Dunnett) that I’ve missed. Plus new books by friends like Susan Bickford, Bruce Coffin, Deb Crombie, and Brenda Buchanan,and the new Jungle Red blogger Ingrid Thoft. So many books, so little time!

Liz: I’ve got so many books on my TBR list I don’t even know where to start. And I’ve been remiss in my reading over the past few months, so I feel really behind! I’m looking forward to reading William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series, and catching up on my Lee Child and Longmire books. Also want to read Wally Lamb’s new one, I’ll Take You There. And, as many of you know, I’m a self-help junkie – so in that vein, I’m reading all of Gabrielle Bernstein‘s books to try and sharpen my meditation skills. That should keep me busy for a bit!

[image error]Barb: Like Julie, I have a goal this year to do a lot more pleasure reading. That means less time allowing myself to be distracted by the various screens in my life. I’ll keep up with my favorite series: Deb Crombie, Louise Penny, Paul Doiron, Craig Johnson and William Kent Krueger. I also want to finally get to read some of the non-mysteries everyone is talking about. The Light Between the Oceans and The Nightingale are two. (I know, I know.)

Jessie: I have quite a bit of non-fiction reading planned. My Beryl and Edwina series is set in England in the 1920s and there are so many interesting resources written about that time! I am currently reading The Long Week-End: A Social History of Great Britain 1918-1939 by Robert R. Graves and Alan Hodge. Next up are Borrowed Time: The Story of Britain Between the Wars by Roy Hattersley and Independent Women: Work and Community for SOngle Women i1850-1920  by Martha Vicinus. For some fiction I am looking forward to The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths and Thrice the Binded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley.

[image error]Sherry: I just started reading Ingrid Thoft’s book first book Loyalty. Her protagonist, Fina Ludlow, is a private investigator for her dysfunctional family’s law firm in Boston. Like Edith, she hit my radar when she joined Jungle Red Writers. I’m only a few chapters in, but it’s hard to put down. For Christmas my mom gave me a copy of my favorite Phyllis A. Whitney book from when I was young. I’m really looking forward to reading it and wonder if I will still love it. I should branch out more from mysteries and thrillers but I love them.

Julie: Hamilton by Ron Chernow has been put on the bedside table along side Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. I also got some non-fiction books at Bouchercon that I am looking forward . Thinking a lot about the Golden Age of mysteries, wondering if we’re in another one.

Readers: What’s on your reading list this year?

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Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: Alan Bradley, Alan Hodge, brendabuchanan, Bruce Coffin, Cara Black, Elly Griffiths, Hunter's Green, Ingrid Thoft, Kathy Lynn Emerson, Loyalty, Martha Vicinus, Phyllis A. Whitney, Robert R. Graves, Roy HAttersley, susanalicebickford

The Detective’s Daughter — Walking the Bridge

Kim in Baltimore still packing away Christmas decorations.

[image error]January is usually a month we spend making resolutions then breaking them. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I put enough pressure on myself daily. It would be overwhelming if I saved it all up for only once a year! Anyway, isn’t each new day, week or month another opportunity to try again?

Some people see the holidays as a bridge that helps them cross over from their past to what awaits them in the future. I’ve had that feeling myself, only in my case it happened before sunrise in the middle of an ordinary week in October.

I had an extremely sheltered childhood. As you may know, I was born with a birth defect that is most commonly called a strangled limb. This stunted the growth of my right arm. I spent a great deal of time in the Children’s Hospital under the care of the brilliant Dr. Raymond Curtis who performed numerous surgeries on me and with the help of braces was able to coax my arm to grow to near normal length.

Needless to say, this caused my family a great deal of stress. My parents and my grandparents, especially my Pop-Pop, fluttered around me constantly trying to anticipate my every move in fear that I would injure myself. Truth be told, I was a bit clumsy. It was difficult to maneuver around with one side of my body being smaller and heavier (with a brace) than the other side of me. For this reason my Nana set up an entire list of things I was not allowed to do. It included no hopping, jumping, skipping and, most importantly, absolutely no running. This meant I grew up never learning basic childhood skills such as riding a bike, roller skating or jumping rope. However, one Christmas my father bought me a tricycle that I was allowed to ride in the living room under close supervision. Once they even let me out on the sidewalk to snap a photo of the event.

All the supervision in the world could not save me from calamity. I managed to break my arm three times before the age of seven. Once from falling off the bottom step (Rule #100 – no sitting unattended on stairs!), again when a folding chair collapsed with me in it (Rule #101 – no sitting in folding chairs!), and finally, even my doll’s stroller was found to be a hazard. I blame Miss Ag, though. How could I have known during a brief time when I was not being watched, and my neighbor Dianne suggested we should race our doll’s strollers, that Miss Ag would choose that particular moment to step outside? Dianne won and I ended up in the gutter with the stroller on top of me and my favorite doll in the middle of Fort Avenue.[image error]

I never let any of this hinder other things I wanted to do. As an adult I learned to knit, type, and work a pottery wheel. It wasn’t until this past fall I was able to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to do a task I never dreamed imaginable.

There was a Mindful Writers Retreat in Pennsylvania that I attended with my good friend Ramona. We stayed in a lovely lodge and part of the agenda was to rise early each morning to go on a meditative hike. So, being the good rule-follower that I am, I arose before the birds and donned my boots to join the others. We walked silently through the woods waiting for the sun to make its appearance. After awhile everyone stopped and I looked around, but saw nothing that would hinder our path. I asked one of the women with us what we were waiting for. She answered that there was a rope bridge that could only be crossed one person at a time. I tried to see the bridge through the trees and early morning shadows, but saw nothing. Gradually we made our way, chatting a bit amongst ourselves. And then it came into view. One piece of rope strung across a stream. One rope does not equal a bridge. I became panicked. I couldn’t do this, I would surely break something! I was positive there was a rule against this somewhere.

[image error]Soon it was my turn, and with beating heart and sweaty palms I took my first step clinging desperately to the tension ropes to keep my balance. With each shaking step, the women around me cheered and encouraged me until finally I made it unscathed to the other side.

Women on both side of the stream were clapping and cheering for me and I felt as though my heart would burst with pride and gratitude. I looked back over the bridge and thought of all the things I had not done out of fear of being hurt. That was all behind me now.

I have a photo of me crossing that bridge on my phone that I look at each day to remind myself that I am capable. No more rules. I am fearless.

Dear readers: What hurdles in your life have you overcome?

Filed under: The Detective's Daughter

Something New

Jessie: in New Hampshire hunkering down for the long winter slog.

One of the best things about being a writer is the built in necessity of trying new things. You expect to be asked to create new books, imagine new characters, describe new settings. There are new themes to explore, new voices to use, even new publishers to partner with. But some parts of the process seem set in stone . They appear inflexible and unlikely to invite new methods or ways of doing things. Which is why outside influence is so important.

I’ve noticed from my friendships with other writers artistic types often find life partners who are tech savvy. It’s a pattern I’ve followed. My beloved husband is one such man and he is always delighted when I show the slightest inclination to be interested in technology. I should’ve known that when I mentioned I had read an article on dictating novels he would pounce on the notion.

I should’ve realized when I was handed a light weight box from under our Christmas tree that my life was about to change. On Christmas morning I slipped the wrapping from a beautifully packaged gift to reveal my very own copy of dictation software. Truth be told, I felt as though I’d been offered a dare and I wasn’t sure I was up to it.

I kept the box, unopened, in a credenza next to my desk, until today. I had put it off for  long enough, I told myself. It wasn’t as though I had no idea how to speak. It wasn’t as though I was a particularly good typist. I’m still not sure what made me wait so long.

I think I felt as though my stories came out my fingers, as if they couldn’t find their way past my lips. But it turns out they could. This afternoon I wrote an entire outline for my next Beryl and Edwina novel. I at least doubled my word count per hour compared with my typing speed on the first try. I can’t imagine what it will be like when I’ve mastered the technology! I feel like a whole world has opened up in front of me.

As a matter of fact, I dictated this entire blog post. I may never type anything again!

Readers, which things have you tried lately that have surprised you? Writers, have you ever tried dictation software?

 

Filed under: Jessie's posts, Uncategorized Tagged: dictation software, dragon dictation, new things, outlining, Typing

Are You A Winter Person by guest Susan O’Brien

Welcome Susan O’Brien! I met Susan when we moved back to Northern Virginia. She writes the Nicki Valentine mystery series where single mom Nicki becomes a private investigator. Here’s a little about Sky Dive:

[image error]Life is finally settling down for private investigator Nicki Valentine, her kids, and her boyfriend Dean. But when a jailed mom seeks help for her endangered biological daughter, who just “aged out” of foster care, Nicki can’t say no. With Dean by her side and her free-wheeling BFF eager to investigate too, Nicki braves back alleys, drug dens, and the strip-club scene, all while wondering if any risk is too great when it comes to finding a teen in trouble. As if navigating the mean streets of King County, Virginia, isn’t enough, Nicki also faces the realities of dating as a single mom, including “sleepover” requests she never anticipated. Ultimately—in both relationships and work—Nicki must decide, “How much am I willing to risk for love?”

Susan: I’ve never been a “winter person,” so by early December, I’m already thinking spring. This carries into my writing and even onto my book covers. I set each Nicki Valentine mystery in a different season, and it’s no surprise that she hasn’t battled snow or ice yet. I was thrilled to see spring flowers on the cover of Skydive, which released in November. And the fall leaves on Sky High are my favorite part of its design. Finding Sky’s cover features a clothesline on a breezy summer day.

I wonder how many authors and readers consider seasons when writing or choosing books. As a reader, I’m especially drawn to covers and plots featuring beaches. I can almost feel the sun’s heat and the soft sand between my toes. I’ll read books with winter themes, too, but usually under a cozy blanket with hot chocolate or coffee in hand.

Seasons provide countless opportunities to define characters as well. Does the protagonist break out the skis when it’s snowing, or does she huddle inside? Does she sow seeds in the spring or admire gardens from afar? Does she go bikini shopping in the summer or avoid swimming altogether? Does she enjoy falling leaves or find them depressing? Or does she fit somewhere in the middle? (My protagonist hits the beach [image error]during one investigation—with her crush, no less—and confidence is an issue for her.)

As much as I dread winter, I admit that cold days are nice for reading and writing…assuming there’s a warm mug and a crackling fire nearby. (Unfortunately, I don’t have a fireplace, so I use a space heater that looks like one.) If it’s snowing, I even have an excuse to skip errands and write for hours, only taking breaks for household responsibilities.

So tell me, what is your favorite season for writing, reading, or simply enjoying life? And do the seasons on book covers affect a story’s appeal? And are any of you reading this from a warm climate? Lucky you!

[image error]Susan O’Brien is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Nicki Valentine mystery series. She lives with her family in Northern Virginia and donates part of her earnings to missing children’s causes. Visit Susan online at  www.SkywritingSusan.com .

 

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: beach reading, Henery Press, Sky Dive, Susan O'Brien, winter reading

Endless Possibilities

by Julie, confused by 50 degree weather in Somerville

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The Cover for CHIME AND PUNISHMENT–isn’t it great?

At the beginning of the year I had two packs of 3×5 index cards, wrapped in plastic. Both have been opened, and are spread out on my dining room table. Each pack of cards will be a book by the end of the year. January is my plotting month for both projects.

As we’ve mentioned before, and Hallie discussed on Tuesday, there are different ways to start a book. Some of us are pantsers–write by the seat of your pants. I am a plotter. I plan the entire book, figure out the dramatic structure, add subplots, figure out twists and turns, and then I start writing. (For a great method of plotting, read Paula Munier’s PLOT PERFECT.)

My index cards become my roadmap. After I rough out a plot, I make notes about who is in each scene, where it takes place. I shuffle the cards–should the body be found that early? Should I make him a suspect? How does she get from here to there so quickly–let’s add another scene. How can I add to the drama? Should I have a subplot about the blue shoe? All of these ideas swirl around, and are possibilities. I think, shuffle, add, combine, separate, shuffle again until it all makes sense.

I love the blank card phase of my book. The possibilities are endless, and the plotting is intense. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be changes–but it does mean that I’ve thought it through enough that I’ve worked out the places where I might get stuck later on. This is the way I think, and create. For some it is torture–for me it is bliss. Anything is possible at this phase of the project. I just have to make it all work.

This year will be a busy one for me. January is for plotting, and filling up index cards with ideas. I couldn’t be happier.

Writer friends, how do you plot? Do you love that phase, or dread it? Does the muse visit as you write, or does she front load you with ideas?

Filed under: Julie's posts Tagged: CHIME AND PUNISHMENT, Julianne Holmes, pantster, plotter, plotting