Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 256

Inside The Wacky Mind of a Mystery Writer

By Liz, loving every minute of summer so far and wishing I was at the beach!

I was going through some old to-do lists on my desk the other day when I came across a note on which I’d written the following:

Pay oil bill
Make appt. for car service
Pick up dry cleaning
Write about woman pushing the dead toddler in the swing

You may recall the recent news item about the dead toddler in the swing in Maryland. I apparently heard the soundbite and experienced that “ooooh” moment where I thought Hey, that would be an incredibly creepy cool opening to a book, wrote it down and went about my business. If anyone else had come across the note, they’d surely wonder what on earth was wrong with me.

Fun photo courtesy of Kim Fleck/Brand Fearless!

And such is the life of a crime writer. I don’t think any of my fellow writers would take offense if I said we’re all kind of weird like this. We see or hear stories in the news that horrify normal people and, while we do register that same emotion, it’s often followed up by excitement at the thought of a new plot or scenario or character or…you get the idea.

Like last week when the story circulated about the house in New Jersey with “The Watcher” sending creepy, threatening letters to the owners. My first reaction was Wow, I’d hate to live there. My second thought was, Let’s get this book written, baby!

But it doesn’t always stop there. My fellow Wickeds can testify to all the ways my imagination runs amok. When we were on retreat a couple weeks ago, it was right after the inmates escaped from the prison in upstate New York. Julie and I were out in the bunkhouse for the weekend, and I kept her entertained with my worries about the escaped murderers showing up looking for a place to hide and finding us in our tiny corner of Old Orchard Beach.

Yeah, sometimes it’s hard being in my head.

I’m used to it, though. This has been going on ever since I was a kid and created a whole coven of witches who lived in the woods behind my house. The guy up the street with the motorcycle? Well, he was in a murderous biker gang that went out on the weekends and did dastardly deeds. I was always fascinated when my parents invited him over for dinner. (No, he wasn’t actually part of a murderous biker gang, if you were wondering.) That girl in church every Sunday with her rough-looking ‘family?’ They had to have kidnapped her and forced her to go to church to make things appear normal. (I was on to her because no one else was allowed to wear jeans to church. There had to have been something crazy going on there!)

And so it goes on, to this day. Now, at least, I have plenty of books into which I can channel my runaway thoughts. One of our mentors, Hallie Ephron, talks about devising a premise for a mystery novel using the “Suppose…what if” format in her book, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. I think she trained me too well, since now I do this simply walking down the street.

But it’s a sure bet I’ll never run out of material.

Readers, ‘fess up: How many of you create mysteries wherever you go?

Filed under: Liz's posts Tagged: crime, Hallie ephron, mystery, writing, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel

Wicked Dealing with Deadlines: Short-Term

Two weeks ago we discussed strategies for dealing with deadlines that are far in the

“Double-Bell Alarm Clock” by Anonymous illustrator – Eaton’s Spring and Summer Catalogue, 1917

future. Today we’ll talk about the deadlines that suddenly are on top of us. Do you stay up all night to finish something? Go to bed at ten but set the alarm for three in the morning? Make lists? What about when short-term deadlines stack up like planes waiting to land?

Liz: Oh, boy. This happens to me all the time. I don’t usually stay up all night because I’m way too cranky the next day, but I have been known to have marathon sessions in the evenings or on weekends to get a bunch of things done. I try really hard to be a better planner, but alas, it doesn’t always work!

Jessie: I make lists. I make one at the beginning of the month for projects that require a bit of time and one each day for more immediate tasks. I like seeing what needs doing laid out in black and white. Getting things on paper gets them out of my head and makes room for me to be more creative about how to accomplish what’s on the list.

Julie: I am a big fan of the Franklin Covey system. (Would that it was an app, or a Google plug-in, but I digress.) I have big deadlines (book #2 due to my editor, book #1 proofs need to be read, a grant application for work, etc.), middle sized deadlines (birthdays and other occasions that require attention, social media updates) and small deadlines that require some attention (parking permit updates, bills that need to be paid, subscriptions that need to be updated). I have lists of them all, and am trying to get in the habit of choosing what I can do that day, and prioritizing.

Sherry: I put reminders in my phone for short term deadlines and set alarms to help remind me when something is due. My husband and I also share a calendar which helps keep track of events we are both involved in.

Barb: I have a to-do list that I update frequently, sometimes weekly, sometimes every few days, sometimes every few weeks. My to-do list has categories –MCM (Maine Clambake Mysteries), LBB (Level Best Books), WCA (Wicked Cozy Authors), MCW (Maine Crime Writers), CB (Crime Bake) and personal. All the to-dos get divided up among them. I would say it helps me keep balanced, but that’s not my nature. I usually dive deep into stuff. So mostly, it reminds me what hanging out there while I’m on one of my deep dives. The to-dos in my running chronological notes in my Levenger Junior Notebook, which also contains my calendar and is never far from my side.

Edith: I love all these different strategies! I keep a daily short-term to-do list next to my laptop. After Ramona DeFelice Long posted about the ten-item to-do list last week, I went back and counted up how many items I normally have on the list, and it turns out to be about ten. I have two priority items on the top every day, and I cross them off every day: Write (or Edits/Revise, depending), and Walk. The day after we got back from our Old Orchard retreat, I had twenty things on the list, but seven didn’t get done, and some were very tiny…like “shower.” Think I needed a boost of confidence that day or what?

Readers: How do you deal with things that have to get done right now, pretty soon, all at once?

Filed under: Craft, Group posts, Writing Tips Tagged: deadlines, Ramona DeFelice Long, to do lists

It’s Too Soon To Tell

by Barbara, on her porch in Boothbay Harbor, looking at the majestic windjammers and waiting for fireworks later

I rarely, rarely write poetry, but I recently came across this poem I wrote in a writing class in 2007. The writing prompt was, “Finish the phrase, ‘It’s too soon to tell.'” I wrote it before the thought of grandchildren had even occurred to me. (Or to either of my kids, thank goodness.) Anyway, it tickled me and I decided to share it.

It’s Too Soon To Tell

It’s too soon to tell

Will he have his mother’s fine skin,

His father’s auburn hair,

His Uncle Charlie’s protuberant ears?

It’s too soon to tell

Will he have his grandmother’s gift for music,

His grandfather’s way with words,

Cousin Violet’s wonderful laugh?

Will he run races like his Uncle Pearce?

Build great cities like his Cousin Neville?

Or write software like Rita’s daughter Lil?

It’s too soon to tell

Will he have Aunt Clea’s love of the bottle,

Uncle Henry’s black depressions,

Cousin Mortimer’s passion for unsuitable women,

Or Cousin Jasper’s for unsuitable men?

Will he know great love?

Will he go to war?

Will he know want, or will his pockets always be full?

This much we do know

He smells like heaven

His smile lights up the sky

His cry breaks your heart

And he holds each of us in the palm of his hand

Because we can’t wait to discover

The oh, so many things

It’s just too soon to tell

Filed under: Barb's posts Tagged: barbara ross poetry

Wicked Wednesday: Dream Summer Vacation

Summer is finally, officially here. Wickeds and readers: if you had the time and the funds, what would your dream summer vacation be? Where would you go? What would you do? Who would you bring, or not bring? Let’s dream big, here.

Sherry: I would tour the British Isles. First to Ireland, then Scotland, and back through England. I’d love to stay in a cottage in a small village for a couple of weeks in each place and take day trips from there. I’d take my husband Bob and spend quiet afternoons in pubs on the days we were tired of wandering. We’d visit the Trinity College Library, look for the Loch Ness monster, and visit the lake district of England. Clothes and lots of comfortable shoes is all I’d need to take. I’d wrap up the trip in London and go to a couple of plays.

Jessie: I’d love to go on a knitting vacation with one of my beloved sisters. There are any number of places to visit, from Iceland to and all sorts of places in between.There’s even a schooner offering knitting cruises off the coast of Maine. Most of these trips offer beautiful sights as well as behind the scenes peeks at some part of the knitting process like sheep shearing or wool dyeing.  And of course they offer a chance to improve your craft through classes and seminars taught by experts. For an avid knitter, it sounds like a perfect blend of fun and relaxation.

Edith: I think I’ll go to Italy. I’ll go a week early by myself and check into a Tuscany cooking school. Mmmm… Then Hugh will arrive and we’ll go north to Lake Como where we’ll visit Livie, the Italian exchange student at my California high school whom I became good friends with (and haven’t seen since), as well as two of the sisters in my Brazilian exchange family who ended up in Italy. We’ll go back to Tuscany for more

Piazza Venezia. Photo by Markus Bernet, 07/13/2004

good food and wine. Then we’ll visit Rome for a week, and end up in a village on the Mediterranean in the south. Could do worse, right?

Julie: I am actually going on one of my dream vacations this summer–a trip down the Danube. Italy is definitely on my list, as are Greece and Spain. Summer vacation dreams are so much more mobile than winter vacation dreams. In the winter, all I want is warmth and water. In the summer, I like to explore, to learn, to visit. And to rest.

Barb: So many places, so little time. Bill and I have a big anniversary next year and we’ve been talking about a trip to Scotland. I love Edinburgh, so we’ll definitely spend time there, and then maybe a second week driving. Up to the ancestral home in the Highlands? Don’t know yet. Half the fun is in the planning.

Readers: What’s your dream vacation? Staying home and reading? Trekking in Nepal? Finally hitting that beach in Fuji? Or spending quality AND quantity time with the grandkids?

Filed under: Wicked Wednesday Tagged: Baltic, British Isles, Danube cruise, dream summer vacation, Iceland, Ireland, knitting, knitting cruises, Lake Como, Loch Ness, London, maine, Piazza Venezia, pubs, Rome, Scotland, Trinity College Library

The Detective’s Daughter – A Baltimore Starr

By Kim in Baltimore enjoying the summer weather.

A little more of the old Baltimore I knew faded away last week with the death of burlesque queen Blaze Starr. I met her once in Atlantic City when I was about six years old. Pop-Pop brought me to a restaurant that had a cabaret nearly every afternoon and we would watch the acts as I drank my soda and ate peanuts or pretzels. He knew many of the performers in the show from his days on the radio when he had played in a quartet with his brother and brothers -in -law.

I didn’t pay much attention to the woman who sat down to talk to him. She smiled at me when Pop-Pop introduced her, but I turned back towards the show never giving her another glance. They chatted for a few minutes then she patted me on the head before leaving. The lady was a very famous dancer, Pop-Pop told me on our walk back to where we were staying. He said she had a nightclub not far from our house. I wanted very much to see her dance when our vacation was over, but I was told she only danced for adults. It seemed to me everything was for adults.

Al and a few band members.

I longed to be older and able to go out in the evening like my grandparents. Nana belonged to a club with some other women she had known nearly all her life. They called themselves The Glamour Girls. I wanted to ask Nana if the famous dancer was one of her “glamour girls”, but Pop-Pop said I shouldn’t. He told me they knew Blaze Starr because of her connection with a singer named Marian Dawn. The story was that Nana’s brother Al, who was a bandleader, fell in love with a young woman who sang with his band. This woman was Marian. They had an affair, of course Pop-Pop said they dated. Things did not work out between them and Marian left the band and went on to perform with Blaze Starr. Al, broken-hearted, died a short time later. Nana held this Marian woman responsible for Al’s death and it was not until many years later I realized that Uncle Al had taken his life over his broken engagement to Marian.

Blaze Starr owned and performed in The Two O’Clock Club on Baltimore Street, or The Block as it’s called around here. We would drive by every night on our way to pick up Dad from work. Headquarters was around the corner, a prime spot for the police. In the winter when darkness fell early, I loved to see all the flashing neon lights as we drove past. My mother would instruct us to keep our eyes down. Each time we went by I hoped I would see the dancer but I never did.

After Pop-Pop died, Nana didn’t go out at night much. She traded in the glamour girls for the golden -agers and spent her time going on bus trips with new friends. I never met or saw Blaze Starr again, but learning of her death brought back to me all things I missed about my grandparents and an age that has long passed.

Filed under: The Detective's Daughter Tagged: Blaze Starr, The Block, The Detective's Daughter, The Two O'Clock Club

Where Are They Now?

By Sherry from Hotsville aka Northern Virginia

In March 2014 I was on my first panel as an author, Deadly New Voices, at Left Coast Crime with four fabulous debut authors: Martha (M.P. Cooley), Carlene O’Neil, Lori Rader-Day, and Holly West. At the time only Holly had a book out so I thought it would be fun to catch up with everyone and see what had happened since the panel. Each of us (except for Carlene whose book just came out May 2015) have been nominated for a best first novel award and some for multiple awards!

Martha Cooley: Our debut panel at Left Coast kicked off what was an amazing year!  Well, not quite a year–Ice Shear came out last July.  Everything between May and September  was a hazy blur of promotion, but when I emerged on the other side I found myself with a BEAUTIFUL book in my hand and part of a fantastic community of writers. Ice Shear had a nice reception when it came out–Oprah had it on her list of best thrillers of summer 2014, it received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly, and was named one of the best books of the year by the Sun Sentinel.  The book has picked up some awards nominations, including the Barry Award, The Left Coast Crime Rosebud Award, the Anthony, and the Strand Magazine Critics Award.

In the last few months, I’ve published a prequel and sequel to Ice Shear. FAINT TRACE is an e-book novella that shows what June lost before Ice Shear began–a home, her husband, a career, California.  FLAME OUT is a sequel that investigates past crimes. June is working to solve an attempted murder in abandoned factory that had been set on fire and digs up secrets that hit close to home for June and her family.  Currently, I’m hard at work on Savage Gods, my next book with William Morrow.

Carlene O’Neil: Thank you Sherry for inviting us to spend time with the Wickeds. All of you are such fantastic writers and I feel like an honorary Wicked; I was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, so, although I grew up in California, I come from “good Yankee stock,” as my grandmother was fond of saying.

It’s been such an amazing year since Left Coast Crime. My first book, One Foot in the Grape, was published by Berkley and came out on May 5th. This was the culmination of a life-long dream, and I’ve been having a lot of fun, even when standing in the middle of a Barnes and Noble crying my eyes out.  It’s there (sob), on the shelves (hiccup.) Since Left Coast Crime, I’ve also been on panels at Bouchercon and the San Diego Writers Conference. I’m kind of a ham. Who knew.

In addition to writing and the Dreaded Day Job, I’ve managed to clear some free time to devote to research. I need to make sure the wine tasting, growing, tasting, bottling, and tasting details in the book are accurate. In fact, I’m so excited to be in Paris as you read this, getting a combined vacation/research trip in. Also, last month I had a chance to spend the weekend in Temecula, California, a wine growing region a short drive from San Diego, and I’m hoping to revisit Monterey and Carmel, a beautiful part of the state. If you are familiar with the town of Carmel, my fictional town of Cypress Cove may sound familiar.  Just saying.

What’s next? I just got word from my editor that the next book in the series, Ripe for Murder, will be out March 2016. This time my protagonist, Penny Lively, gets to travel to the Napa Valley where she manages to get involved in a murder on the Wine Train.



Lori Rader-Day: What l remember from our panel was laughing. We had so much fun — so much has happened since that day! The Black Hour launched on July 8, 2014, and I spent the rest of the year going wherever my Google Calendar said to go. I had a launch party in Chicago with about 80 of my nearest and dearest friends, and then another launch party in my hometown, at the library where I first learned to be a voracious reader. In all, I did about 30 events.

The Black Hour had an embarrassingly good year, getting some good reviews and earning nominations for the Mary Higgins Clark Award (I got to go to the Edgars! Stephen King was there!), the Left Coast Crime Rosebud Award for Best First Novel, the Barry Award for Best Paperback Original, and the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. The Black Hour even managed a couple of wins: the Lovey Award for Best First Novel and the Illinois Woman’s Press Association Mate E. Palmer Award in Communications for Fiction.

The biggest news is that The Black Hour has a little sister! Little Pretty Things will be released on July 7. I’ve also already sold my third book, still in progress, for next July. So here we go. I’m just really glad to have had that deadly first panel with you ladies. We had so much fun—and we’re just getting started.

Holly West: It’s been a great year and a half since our panel at Left Coast Crime in 2014. The second book in my Mistress of Fortune series, Mistress of Lies, came out in September 2014 and in 2015, the first in the series, Mistress of Fortune, was nominated for a Left Coast Crime Rosebud Award for Best First Novel. Now, after a whirlwind debut year, I’m back at my writing desk, working on a new book set in modern day Venice, California, featuring amateur sleuth Mia Bartlett, a bartender who works at the oldest bar in Los Angeles. It turns out that walls can talk when a renovation turns up a mysterious case of champagne set aside by the bar’s gangster owner during Prohibition. It’s a discovery someone will die for. In the meantime, look for short stories from me in a few upcoming anthologies–publishing dates to TBD.

Sherry: Thanks for stopping by ladies. It was so great to hear about all of your achievements. I think you all must be good luck! My first book Tagged for Death came out in December 2014 and was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The Longest Yard Sale comes out June 30th. And I’ve turned in All Murders Final which comes out in May 2016.

Readers: I hope you add these books to your summer reading piles! What else are you looking forward to reading this summer?

 

Filed under: Sherry's posts Tagged: All Murders Final, Anthony Award, Barry Award, Carlene O'Neil, Faint Trace, Holly West, Ice Shear, Left Coast Crime, Little Pretty Things, Lori Rader-Day, M. P. Cooley, Martha Cooley, Mistress of Fortune, Mistress of Lies, One Foot in the Grape, Ripe for Murder, Rosebud Award, Sherry Harris, Strand Magazine Critics Award, Tagged for Death, The Black Hour, The Longest Yard Sale

Ask the Expert: Skye Wentworth, Publicist

Edith here, writing furiously north of Boston.

I’m happy to welcome Skye Wentworth to our occasional Ask the Expert series. She’s a friend and fellow member of the Newburyport Writers Group, and a much-sought-after North Shore public relations expert and book publicist. Take it away, Skye!

Area of Expertise: My services include: public relations and social media strategy, social media marketing, publicity and media relations, media training, public image management, and award research and submission.

Edith: And don’t we all need help with that!

How did you get started in this business?

I took the long route – from librarian to advertising to publishing. I was a librarian at Boston University in the 80s. At that time courses were free to faculty members and I began to take some courses in public relations and communications. One course led to another and I ended up with a Master’s Degree in Media & Technology. When my family moved to Maine, I got a job as Director of Public Relations at an advertising company. An author came to us with her book and I had an epiphany. That’s what I wanted to do in life — promote books!

I later worked for several publishing houses as Senior Publicist before starting my own business, Skye Wentworth Public Relations.

Edith: It sounds like your winding path had a purpose.

What are three things we should know about your area of expertise?

Every book campaign is different. No two books or two authors are alike. I explain to my clients that each campaign is like going down a raft on a river. We aren’t certain of what might happen around the next bend – but it’s sure to be something exciting.


Publicists need to be creative. Even if it’s just the subject line. I once had a Navy Seal that dearly wanted to be on a popular religious TV show. My subject line read: Navy Seal Author: A Bible Under Every Beret. We booked the show within 5 minutes.


It’s important to go the extra mile. I do an interview with each author ahead of time and offer it to editors. I write up “cheat sheets” for producers, which has an introduction for the author/guest and sample questions. The idea is to make it very easy for the media to take your material and run with it. You’ll reap rewards.

Is there a general characteristic that experts in this field all share?

It’s always great fun getting together with fellow publicists and sharing stories about: What works? What doesn’t? What’s brand new to the scene? We might discuss a book that scored, a radio show that took a nosedive, or possibly an author who went on to great fame. For instance, I previously worked for a firm in New Orleans who helped Dr. Michael Roizen, author of Real Age: Are You as Young as You Can Be?, get on Oprah. His life suddenly changed. You may not have heard of Dr. Roizen (who was quite shy) but you have heard of his partner, Dr. Oz.

What do people usually get wrong when writing about your field?

People often ask me what a publicist does and a common response is, “I can do that.”

Photo by Will Ryan.

He/she thinks it’s the easiest job in the world. Anyone can pick up the phone, ask for Terry Gross and book a radio spot on NPR’s Fresh Air, right? Or why not just send an email?

Let’s pretend you do get Terry Gross on the phone. What do you say when she asks you why her listeners would be interested in your book? Or asks what’s the print run of your new novel? She may ask you to send a press kit, including a press release, one-page, sample questions, clips from reviews and audios from previous shows. Are you prepared?

One of the jobs that publicists do on an ongoing basis is to think like a journalist or a producer. It means that we do a little digging to find out who their audience is and what their interests are. From there we develop a strategy/pitch that matches the targeted media we’ll be pitching. Generally it’s not just the book, it could be something happening in current events that dovetails with the author’s novel or perhaps the book is about a renowned jewelry theft and the author is an expert in gems. The idea is to setup the whole scenario and make sure that your pitch is compelling!

Is there a great idea you’d love to share?

It’s an old idea but an important one. Put the relationship back in Public Relations. Be kind. Be personal. Don’t do all the talking. Take time to listen. Once you start getting media, remember to stay in touch with each person who interviewed you. Thank them for the story they did on you and later send quick updates on your other triumphs or comment on other stories they’ve crafted.

Edith: These sound like lessons for life! Create relationships. Be kind, be a good listener, say thank you. Yes.

What are you working on now?

Thanks for asking! I’m writing a book about publicity. The working title is called Zen and the Art of PR. It’s basis is about becoming more mindful in the world of Public Relations and Communications where active and effective listening is huge.

In our pursuit to promote books we need to be aware of the impact that multitasking and technology-based interactions have on our work. When we take the time to slow down and meditate we become more creative, more solution-focused, more productive, much happier – and in turn – get more hits!

And of course I’m still working with clients. My clients are not just on the north shore. I’m presently working with client/authors in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Ontario Canada, Wilton, CT, Newburyport and I just finished a campaign with an author from Mumbai, India.

You can find Skye Wentworth, Book Publicist on her web site, on Facebook, at skyewentworth@gmail.com, and at 978-462-4453.

Edith: Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today, Skye! You come very highly recommended by several successful authors I know.

Readers: Questions about public relations, book publicizing, or Skye’s new book? (How to get on Fresh Air? That’s the gig I want!) Ask away.

Filed under: Ask the Expert Tagged: Book publicist, Dr. Oz, fresh air, NPR, Oprah, Public relations, Skye Wentworth, Terry Gross

Hook? If you don’t cross that line, it’ll sink ya (or, what’s the deal with the ADHD?)

Posted by Barb, who is finally in Maine

I met Maureen Milliken through Sisters in Crime New England–I’m not quite sure when. It was awhile ago. I’m pretty sure it was before she moved back to Maine and before I started writing about Maine. We saw each other at the Maine Crime Wave this spring, and I was delighted when Maureen offered me an Advance Reader Copy of her debut novel, Cold Hard News .

Here’s what I said about it:

“In Bernie O’Dea, Maureen Milliken has created a one of the most complicated, compelling heroines I’ve read in ages. Deeply flawed, but strong in both heart and nerve, I’d follow Bernie anywhere. More, please!”

Truly, it was one of the most sure-footed debuts I’ve read in ages. Plus, creating a protagonist who can carry a book and a series is so challenging. I loved this one. Now Maureen is here to tell us the courageous story of how Bernie O’Dea came to be.

It was one of my many epiphanies as a first-time novel writer. If you’re ever been one, you know the epiphanies can come fast and furious. I was at one of those soul-destroying agent pitch sessions when the agent interrupted my tortured elevator pitch.

“What’s the hook?”

Um. Wait. What? I stumbled on for a couple minutes as she looked at me with undisguised disgust. I slunk away before the five-minute session was done. At least that’s how I remember it.

The problem was, my mystery novel, Cold Hard News, DID have a hook. I was just too chicken to use it.

The same week my book was “finished” five years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD. The doctor, who specialized in it, even told me my case was “the most severe he’d seen in some time.” Yay! I win again.

While it was a relief to know that my “wackiness” had a name other than “You are so (impatient, annoying, loud, interrupting, disobedient, messy, difficult, anti-social, etc.),” it wasn’t really something I was anxious to share with the world. But – epiphany No. 1 – it explained a lot about the main character, Bernie O’Dea, and her behavior.

I vaguely thought about giving her an ADHD diagnosis, too, since she obviously had it. But it seemed too personal, too revealing. Too embarrassing.

Flash forward to the agent pitch session later that year. I knew what a hook was. I knew I had one. I also knew it wasn’t in the book.

I hemmed and hawed about doing the revision. I thought it would be quick and easy writing-wise (I turned out to be wrong), but I didn’t want to “out” myself. It’s not a sexy disorder to have, and, as I point out in the book, people really don’t want to hear about it.

But – epiphany No. 2 — a writing acquaintance set me straight. “If you’re going to write from the heart,” he said, “you have to write from the heart. That means digging deep. Or you book won’t be as good as it ought to.”

He was right, of course, so Bernie O’Dea – and I – were both outed as having adult ADHD.

A hook is important – it’s what sets a book or series apart from the others. It’s part of what makes a book unique and interesting, and part of what makes people want to read it.

I didn’t set out to write a character with ADHD, but she definitely has it. And that’s a big part of her and what happens in the book. So it was a natural, correct fit, and acknowledging in print that she has it made the book a lot better.

The funny thing, though, is not one person who’s read the book has asked me about it. The nervous, hyper-aware part of me says it’s because they’re embarrassed, too.

But the more rational part of me says that maybe it just wasn’t that big a deal, all the hemming and hawing was for nothing.

In any case, if anyone ever asks me again what my hook is, I have one. And I’m not afraid to say so.

Barb again. So I loved that Bernie had ADHD. It’s a great flaw for an amateur sleuth. But more than anything, I loved how Bernie handled it. She is an adult person who struggles to manage a chronic condition. She has the self-awareness to know what she has to do, even if she can’t always get it quite right. (And how many of us always get it right?) Every adult I know struggles to manage something, be it a recalcitrant pancreas, a problematic brain chemistry or a tendency toward addictive behavior. Bernie’s ADHD is unique, but her struggle is universal.

Readers, what about you? Do you like your protagonists to have flaws? What do you think about one with ADHD?

Maureen Milliken is a columnist and news editor of the daily newspapers in Augusta and Waterville, Maine. She grew up in Augusta and worked for a variety of newspapers in New England before returning to Maine in 2011. Her The Bernie O’Dea mystery series debut novel Cold Hard News reflects not only her love for all that is Maine, but also her lifelong affection for the newspaper industry and fascination, of course, with the darker side of life. She lives in small central Maine town, where she keeps a wary eye on the snowbanks.

Filed under: Guest posts Tagged: Adult ADHD, Bernie O'Dea, Cold Hard News, Maine Mysteries, Maureen Milliken

The Wickeds Retreat to Maine – Again!

The Wickeds adjourned to Old Orchard Beach again for three days of powow – schmoozing, discussing the publishing industry and the blog, and ignoring each other to churn out word count. This is the fourth Wicked Cozy retreat for some of us, the third for others. Here’s how the weekend shaped up!

Edith: I didn’t have a super productive word count weekend, but I made steady progress on the book and mapped out a number of future scenes. I loved hanging with the other Wickeds, though. And our wide-ranging discussions of how to  manage our blog, where to take our careers, and new trends in the industry were really valuable. Liz and I squeezed in a long walk on the beach, too, and used part of it to talk through our plots. So many thanks to Jessie for hosting us year after year.

Barb: Excuse the gushing, but our annual retreat has become one of the highlights of my year. Jessie pointed out how much things have changed since that first one. There were only four of us, for one thing, and the big problem on all our minds was–can I complete a commercial-quality, novel-length piece of fiction on a deadline? Since then we’ve all learned so much about writing and about this crazy business. It never ceases to amaze me how we’re all writing in the same genre and the same length, but our processes are so different, and yet we all support one another. I was proofing, not writing, but got plenty of that done, plus help with the plot for my forthcoming holiday novella, the next writing task on my plate.

Julie: I do not take these five women for granted, at all. They are my cheerleaders, my teachers, my shoulders to cry on, and my kicks in the ass when needed. I had a good word count weekend–book #2 is due July 15, so I am in the home stretch. But I also had naps, talked through launch strategies, and helped brainstorm a few ideas. I also ate well, drank a lot of coffee, and laughed. A lot. We are all in different places in our careers, but all there for one another. Plus, the location is great, and the host could write a book.

Sherry: The weekend started on Thursday night doing a panel with the Wickeds (we missed you Jessie) and Ray Daniel at the New England Mobile Book Fair, dinner after (we have a funny story about following the wrong car — thankfully they didn’t call the police on us), a night at Barb’s house, and then on to Jessie’s lovely home in Old Orchard Beach. I got help with plot ideas for my proposal. I started reading Plot Perfect by Paula Munier. But the best part was staying up until 2 am two nights in a row, talking about everything. And the food — it was delicious! I always cry when it’s over — maybe I’m overly emotional from lack of sleep or maybe it’s the large number of carbohydrates that I consumed — no it’s just that I love these women and live too far away.

Edith’s fish enchiladas – yum!

Jessie: The weather was utterly delightful which meant we spent a great deal of time gathered around the patio table talking. I’m not entirely sure the neighbors will ever recover if they overheard any of our conversations, especially those concerning plotting.  Most people within earshot would have thought us completely nuts.  But that’s one of the benefits the retreat bestows, the gift of complete understanding. I hope all of our blog  readers have places and groups where they feel as connected and as understood.

Is Liz showing us her latest dance moves?

Liz: Just for the record, I don’t dance! But I did, like everyone else, have a fabulous time. This retreat really rejuvenates me every year – the food, the writing, but especially, the friendship. Love all of these ladies so much.

Readers, do you have people with whom you like to close the door on the world and just get away for awhile? Do you have creative work you find a way to carve out time to pursue?

Filed under: Retreat Tagged: food, fresh air, New England Mobile Book Fair, old orchard beach, Paula Munier, Plot Perfect, Ray Daniel, writing retreat

A Julie By Any Other Name, or Beware the Power of Vision Boards

By Julie aka J.A. aka Julianne, bundled up in Somerville

Some of you may have noticed our masthead keeps gaining names, but not faces. That’s because a few of us have multiple personalities. I, for example, have three short stories published under the name J.A. Hennrikus. In my arts admin and teaching worlds, I am Julie or Julie A. Hennrikus. But the Clock Shop Mystery series, which debuts in October, is being written my Julianne Holmes. They are all me.

When I was offered the opportunity to write the Clock Shop series, it came with the caveat that I needed to pick a pseudonym as part of the contract. I wasn’t surprised, since it was sort of my own fault. Let me explain.

Dad and I at my graduation from the Harvard Extension School.

Back in early 2008, I did a vision board of what I wanted to achieve in the next five years. The board had two sections. On one side, I cut out a picture of someone wearing a cap and gown, and wrote “Harvard Extension School” and “Finish”. I had proposed a thesis on the use of POV by Agatha Christie and its impact on the genre, and I was having trouble getting a thesis advisor. It took several months, but I did get an advisor, and I graduated in 2009.

The other item I put on my vision board were pictures of several mysteries. I wrote “a Berkley Prime Crime mystery by Julianne Holmes”. I’m not sure why I was thinking about a pseudonym in 2008. Maybe it was to differentiate my academic and creative writing lives. Whatever the reason, Just Killing Time by Julianne Holmes will be published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Why Julianne Holmes? I am the first of three daughters, and my parents were going to name me Julianne Holmes Hennrikus. Julie, Julia and Anne were all family names. Holmes was my paternal grandmother’s maiden name, and she was quite ill when I was born. My maternal grandmother thought that was an awfully long name for a baby, so it was shortened to Julie Anne. A perfectly fine name, but when I started writing short stories, I thought that J.A. sounded more literary. When I needed to chose another name, Julianne Holmes seemed right.

Now, do I believe all of this happened as a result of a vision board? Yes, yes I do. Even if you are skeptical, it is a fun activity. If nothing else, mine is a story about dreams coming true. And the need for two or three extra names.

Filed under: Julie's posts Tagged: agatha christie, Julianne Holmes, julie hennrikus, Just Killing Time