Edith Maxwell's Blog, page 45

Opening Lines: Graveyard Edition and a #giveaway

Wickeds, give us your opening lines for a story, inspired by the photo below.

As we have done all month, there’s a giveaway for one lucky commenter below.

Edith/Maddie: “Hey, pal!” I yelled at the dude – my brother – trying to make a break for it. “It’s the Day of the Dead, and that means you’re supposed stay dead. Listen, I brought your favorite vodka and cookies. Now be a good corpse and get back into that coffin.”

Barb: “Honestly, I thought the zombie apocalypse would be a lot scarier.”

Liz: “I told my new boyfriend he could invite his friends to the party. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

Sherry: My grandmother’s grave looked terrible. Then I realized the cemetery was working with a skeleton crew.

Julie: Honestly, if it’s not one thing it’s another. We finally get Uncle Fred six feet under now we have to worry about him showing up as one of the undead? I told them we should have cremated the SOB.

Jessie: The fact that her husband always insisted on going overboard with the Halloween decorations had been a serious bone of contention in their marriage. She thought that while it was unlikely he was content that his life had ended so unnaturally, he would have been cheered to know his skeleton contributed so prominently, if anonymously to the holiday display.

Readers: Add your own lines. One lucky commenter will win a Snowden Family Clambake tote bag and a signed copy of The Death of an Ambitious Woman.

Genre Hopping with Nancy Crochiere #giveaway

Edith/Maddie writing today from Cape Cod, closing in on finishing my first draft.

And I’m so very pleased to introduce my longtime north-of-Boston author friend Nancy Crochiere to the Wicked Authors and our great reader community. She has a debut novel for you all!

For some years, Nancy and I were part of a five-author group, the Nevertheless Writers, who went around to local libraries to talk about paths to publication from the viewpoints of authors who write women’s fiction, middle-grade novels, children’s books, memoir essays (Nancy), and mystery (me, obviously).

The Nevertheless Writers at a Halloween event. From left, Nancy Crochiere, Elizabeth Atkinson, Holly Robinson, Edith Maxwell, Susan Paradis

Nancy and I have also been part of the Newburyport Writers’ Group, a cross-genre writers’ support group for many years, so we’ve been crossing the genre fence for a long time.

Nancy’s been really working her craft writing and polishing this humorous, women’s adventure novel for several years, and I couldn’t be happier that Graceland comes out May 30. One lucky commenter will win a copy from Nancy.

And here’s the blurb (I asked Nancy for a short blurb, but the long one is so delicious, I couldn’t resist using it):

People-pleasing Hope Robinson can’t seem to please anyone lately–not her slogan-spewing boss, not her pink-haired teenage daughter, and especially not her mother, the flamboyant soap-star, Olivia Grant. Olivia loves Elvis more than Jesus, and now that she’s on oxygen, she insists Hope take her on a final trip to Graceland. Unfortunately, that’s the one place Hope can’t go. Eighteen years earlier, pregnant and distraught, Hope fled Tennessee with a secret agreement: to never reveal her baby’s father and never return to Memphis.

Olivia, though, has never learned the word no. After she wrangles Hope’s impulsive daughter, Dylan, to drive her from Boston to Memphis with the promise of meeting her mystery father, Hope has no choice but to chase after them. She must stop them before they ambush Dylan’s father, exposing Hope’s lies, breaking the NDA, and igniting a political and media firestorm.

Along the road to Memphis, as the women encounter former soap actors, free-range ferrets, and a trio of Elvis-impersonating frat boys, everyone’s long-held secrets begin to unravel. In order to become the family they long to be, Hope, Olivia, and Dylan must face hard truths about themselves and one another on the bumpy road to acceptance, forgiveness, and ultimately, grace.

Isn’t that fun? I can vouch for Nancy’s funny voice, too. I asked her a few questions so you can get to know her. Don’t forget to read down for her giveaway and details about her launch party.

What genres do you write in?

My debut novel, Graceland, is humorous book-club fiction, similar to Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette? Before I tried my hand at fiction, I wrote a newspaper humor column about family life.

What drew you to the genre you write?

I like to see the humor in things and enjoy making people laugh. There’s a great deal to worry about in our world, but I try—to quote Eric Idle at the end of Monty Python’s Life of Brian—to always look on the bright side of life.

What sets your book apart from what is out there?

Graceland is a road-trip chase from Boston to Memphis with three generations of women—mother, daughter, grandmother—all at odds with one another, each with her own agenda, but each, in her own way, seeking forgiveness and grace. The novel is fast-paced and offers both humor and heart, as well as some meaty issues for book-club discussion.

Do you write a series or standalones? Why?

This is my first novel, and I don’t plan on a sequel. My next book will be completely different.

What are you working on now?

I recently completed a screenplay based on a friend’s memoir, and we’ve entered it in a contest that seeks to elevate women screenwriters over forty. I’m also in the planning and outlining stage for my next novel.

What are you reading right now?

So much! I recently loved Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. On audiobook, I just finished Kirthana Ramisetti’s Advika and the Hollywood Wives, and have begun Amy Poeppel’s The Sweet Spot. The book on my nightstand (which I was reading between 1 and 2 am last night), is Jane Roper’s The Society of Shame, which is hilarious.

Do you have a favorite quote or life motto?

I have two. The first has been attributed to Mother Teresa: We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.

The second, from Walter Swan, has been tacked to my office door for thirty years, since my daughter brought it home from first grade: Always be kind. Have a good attitude. Never give up.

Favorite writing space?

On my back deck, as long as the wasps don’t start dive-bombing me.

Favorite deadline snack?

I have a special fondness for popcorn. I maintain it counts as a vegetable.

What do you see when you look up from writing?

Photos of my two grandsons and a miniature whiskey flask a friend gave me. Family life and writing life.

Where and how did you hone your fiction writing?

My second home is GrubStreet in Boston, the writing center where I’ve taken many courses, attended conferences, and graduated from their year-long Novel Incubator program. I strongly believe that workshopping is the best way to improve one’s storytelling.

Speed quiz: Coffee or wine? Oh my God, that’s like Sophie’s Choice. Can’t even think about it. Hiking or swimming? Hiking if it’s Iceland; swimming if it’s the Caribbean. Takeout or home-cooked? Take-out. Every time. Chocolate or pizza? Chocolate. Dark. Rich. Mmmm. (Darn it–now I need some!) Beach or mountains? Beach. It’s where I feel one with the universe.

What else should we know? You already know too much. I’m going to have to kill you. 

Readers: What road trip have you taken with one or more family members? I’ll send one randomly selected US resident a copy of Graceland.

And if you’re in New England…

SPECIAL NOTE: ELVIS WILL BE IN THE BUILDING! Nancy’s launch party for Graceland will take place on June 2nd at 7 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, Mass. The event will feature a special guest appearance by Elvis, who will sing a few songs and take photos with attendees. Jabberwocky Bookshop will sell books. All are welcome.

Photo by Allegra Boverman.

Nancy Crochiere chronicled the ups and downs of family life—including her obsession with George Clooney—in her humorous newspaper column, “The Mother Load.” Her essays have appeared in the Boston Globe  Writer’s Digest, and WBUR’s Cognoscenti blog. In her free time, she acts as an extra in feature films and TV shows.

Instagram: @ncrochiere Facebook: @NancyCrochiereWriter · Twitter: @ncrochiere

Buy the book.

Wicked Wednesday–The Retreats and a #giveaway

by Barb, excited to head to Cape Cod for the Wickeds retreat this weekend.

While we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary month, we have to talk about our retreats. The retreats predate the blog. The first one was in 2012, when Jessie invited Liz, Edith, and me to her place in Old Orchard Beach for a weekend of writing. Sherry and Julie joined us the next year, and the rest is history.

This Wicked Wednesday Sherry is doing the giveaway to one lucky commenter. See the info at the end of the post.

In June 2019, we were back in Old Orchard Beach. To spread out, we rented a house from a friend of Julie’s right around the block from Jessie’s house.Our usual first night dinner, delicious cheese fondue supplied by Jessie. This photo was taken outside at Jessie’s place in 2015.The first retreat with all six of us, at Jessie’s house in Old Orchard Beach, 2013.Working hard on the porch on the porch of the Seafarer Inn (which Barb’s mother-in-law used to own) in Boothbay Harbor, Maine in 2018.Not working hard on the porch in Boothbay Harbor, Maine 2018.Doing vision boards in the dining room, Boothbay Harbor, 2017.Okay, not working at all in Boothbay Harbor, 2018Dinner in Boothbay Harbor, 2018.Liz, hard at work on Jessie’s couch, in 2014.Breaking bread for the fondue in Jessie’s kitchen, 2015.We had our photos taken in Old Orchard Beach in 2014.Jessie at the Quaker House in the fall of 2021. (Remember that little oasis before Omicron. Good times.) Julie at the Quaker House in West Falmouth on Cape Cod. This is where Edith does her solo retreats and she hosted.

We haven’t been quite as consistent with the retreats as we have with the blog, but, over many years, we’ve been to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and West Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. And it’s been wonderful.

The focus of the retreats has changed depending on our needs and interests as the years have rolled by. In the beginning, as we worked on our first in series, our focus was definitely about the craft of writing. Later as those books got out into the world, it was on promotion. Sometimes, we’ve focused on our writing careers in the long term. Other times, we’ve done some plot brainstorming on books due all too soon. We always eat well, and drink well, and sometimes get get some work done.

Wickeds, give us a memory from one of our retreats.

Julie: First of all, a picture of me without makeup is something not often seen in a public forum, so that speaks to my love of the Wickeds and wanting to share wonderful memories. Since I’m the first to post, I’ll share the memory of our photo shoot in Old Orchard Beach. Edith had worked with Meg Manion, and invited her up for a few hours. I still use my headshot from that day, and the group shot is our blog heading. Another thing I remember from that weekend was being very stressed from work, and letting down with my friends.

Liz: Wasn’t this the year we coined the term “book jail,” all thanks to me being almost late to turn in a book? Yep, this was one of the most memorable moments for me…I remember being banished to the living room while you all sat in the kitchen having a blast! Every now and then someone would peek in to make sure I was still working LOL. The term stuck and we all rotated having turns in book jail, but I think I was the only one who had to miss out on some retreating because of my procrastinating.

Sherry: I remember that, Liz! It must have been awful for you. One of my favorite memories is when I was writing the third book in my garage sale mysteries — All Murders Final. We were in Jessie’s living room in Old Orchard Beach. Julie asked me where I was in the book. I said I was writing the end. Julie said, “That’s great.” Then I told her I had to go back and write the middle. I so wish I had a photo of Julie’s look of horror. She’s a plotter and I’m usually not. My other favorite memories are of us staying up in the wee hours talking and laughing.

Edith: The wee hours are my downfall! I get up earlier and have less late-night tolerance than the rest. I find myself falling asleep during the late night chats (and laughs), but I don’t want to miss anything Wicked. Finally I simply have to go to bed. It was such a treat last year to have everyone join me at the end of my solo week at my beloved Quaker retreat cottage for the first time. I loved showing my best author buds where I’ve been so productive, the view of the yard and the marshes where I write, my head-clearing plotting walk to the beach. In fact, I am there right now, and guess which five authors will be filling up the rest of the house on Friday for a Wickeds birthday weekend?

Barb: I love the retreats. There’s always too much of everything–snacks, coffee, wine, and talking, talking, talking. For all of us work-from-home types, there’s no daily meetup at the water cooler, so talking to supportive friends who understand our challenges and triumphs is the best thing of all.

Jessie: My most vivid memory of the retreats is when we had the photo session that produced the photograph we use as a header on the blog. It was such fun to be silly as a group. It was all tremendous fun and the header has served as a visual representation of the group spirit!

Sherry: For this week’s giveaway I’m happy to give away a copy of All Murders Final. If you’ve read it I’m happy to send it to a friend or relative. I’ll also give away one Chloe Jackson book — your choice!

Readers: Where do you find support? Have you been able to connect in person again?

Guest Post by Alex Erickson and a #giveaway

Author Alex Erickson is here today in support of his latest release, Death by Iced Coffee, the eleventh book in his Bookstore Cafe Mystery series, which was just published on April 25th. And he’s giving away a signed copy to one lucky commenter below.

A charming, relatable sleuth and quirky cast of characters sets Alex Erickson’s Bookstore Cafe Mystery series apart from the cozy pack–and this time, bookstore owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter and lacing up her sneakers to participate in her hometown’s first-ever marathon, only to find herself racing to solve a murder instead.

Take it away, Alex!

The Doubt Monster

Some things never change. When I sat down to work on this post, I struggled to come up with a topic. Do I write something about cats? Again. Something about coffee or bookstores or . . . what? I was flummoxed. I had nothing to say. I’m rather boring when you get right down to it. Just check my Twitter and Facebook. The posts are few and far between. My author photo is nearly a decade old. I always feel as if I have nothing to contribute. And even if I did, who would care anyway?

I don’t do events all that often, in person or otherwise. My social anxiety rears up and kicks me in the stomach every time I try. It doesn’t matter how big or small the event might be. It could be a book signing with fifty other authors, or just me at a library. Or it could be an online interview. Or maybe it’s something as simple as a post such as this. My brain goes into hyperdrive, screaming at me that I’m DOING IT ALL WRONG!

Krissy, from my Bookstore Café series, goes through a magnified version of what I experience. She’s indecisive. She struggles with any sort of contact with others, whether it is relationship related or something as simple as asking a question of someone. While I tend to avoid the situations entirely, she does the opposite and ends up blurting out the first thing that pops into her head, with no real idea how it will be taken or if there will be major consequences. If I do have to talk to someone, I tend to mutter something basic and then lose all track of where I wanted the conversation to go.

It’s two sides of the same coin. It all about the Doubt Monster and how we deal with it.

I recently went to Malice. My nerves were all over the place, but I managed to fight through them and sit on a panel. I don’t know how I survived. Maybe it was because the crowd was small. Maybe it was how my panel mates kept me grounded. They were friendly and understood my overactive brain. I’m sure I had moments where my mouth opened and words came out that may or may not have made sense, but I didn’t feel as if I totally bombed it. My brain wanted me to believe I would. It always does.

And that’s the thing about anxiety. It will always be there. It will always tell me I’m wrong, that I’m invading other people’s space. It’ll insist that if I were to go up to someone and say “Hello,” they’d turn their noses up at me and walk away. It’ll say I don’t look the part. I don’t act the part. I don’t belong.

Even online, I struggle. That’s why there are hardly any social media posts or blogs. As soon as I think I might put myself out there and say something, my brain kicks in and asks, “Who would care?” And, of course, that little evil voice answers, “No one.”

So, when I sit down to write posts such as these, I have a hard time coming up with something to say that I feel would be interesting to others. The Doubt Monster has a permanent residence in the back of my mind. It will never shut up and let me go about my merry way.

Maybe I’ll feel more confident as time goes on. I could post more about my cats (and the two new additions to the family.) I could talk about my hobbies, which might not be of great interest to all my readers, but some might find my gaming and music stuff fascinating. I could talk about my favorite Sci-fi shows. The dark crime shows from other countries that I watch with the subtitles on. It’s like reading a book, but with moving pictures!

But I’m not ready for that quite yet. For now, I’ll continue to keep mostly to myself and let bits and pieces slip free in little posts like this. It’s the only way I’ll keep myself sane and keep from becoming overwhelmed by my good old friend, Anxiety (with a capital ‘A.’)

Readers: Who else fights with the Doubt Monster? And has anyone ever defeated it? If so, let me know how so I can do the same! One lucky commenter below will win a signed copy of Death by Iced Coffee. U.S. and Canada only, please.

About Alex Erickson

Alex Erickson is the author of the Bookstore Café mystery series. He hides away in his home in Ohio with his family and their gaggle of cats. You can find him online at https://alexericksonbooks.com/ and on his rarely used social media at https://www.facebook.com/alexericksonbooks and https://twitter.com/author138

Who is Jessie Crockett Ten Years Later-and a Giveaway

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of a book of your choosing written by Jessie!

By J.A. (Julie) Hennrikus
Today I write to you from my Somerville apartment

Of my five fellow bloggers, I feel like I know Jessie the least. We have crossed paths at the last few New England Crime Bakes, and had some great conversations there. But this was a great chance for me to get to know her a little better, and to introduce her to you.

Julie: When did you start writing?

Jessie: I feel like I was a writer before I could read. As a child I kept nearly constant company with a vast cast of imaginary friends. Their lives were fraught with difficulties which I enjoyed complicating. When I played make believe games with my younger sister she wanted for us to be princesses or rich people. I insisted we be utterly destitute because it would increase the drama in our story line. As soon as I could read I started writing stories. I wrote a short story in second grade inspired the Marlborough Man. I turned him into an armed bandit, which I guess was my first crime story.

Julie: OK, now you have to post the story about the Marlborough Man. Who are your writing influences?

Jessie: For mysteries, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Cannell and Charlotte MacLeod. I also love Scandinavian crime writers, especially Arnaldur Indridason and Jo Nesbo.

I have added a few influences since this post was written. I would have to add E.F. Benson and P.G. Wodehouse along with Margaret York and Kate Morton.

Julie: I haven’t read any Scandinavian crime writers. I will need to add those authors to my list! By way of introduction, would you tell us what you are working on right now?

Jessie: For my Granite State Mysteries series, I am finishing up Body of Water, which involves flooding and secrets unearthed by the rising waters. In untitled book 2 of my Sugar Grove series the main character, Dani Greene is trying to start an agricultural cooperative but members are experiencing sabotage at their farms.

[Julie note: Jessie has two series. Her debut novel, Live Free or Die, was published by Mainly Murder Press in 2010, and won the 2011 Daphne du Maurier Award, Mainstream Division.

Drizzled with Death, the first in her Sugar Grove Mysteries, will be released from Berkley Prime Crime, a division of Penguin Publishing, October 1, 2013.]

So this has updated quite a lot! I’ve written 16 books since this post! I am currently at work on a stand-alone historical set in Maine.

Julie: Why cozies? Do you write anything in other forms?

Jessie: I love cozies because they provide a puzzle without being grim. I like grim but I am not always in the mood for it. You have to be willing to experience the emotions of your story world for large portions of your waking life. I am someone who tries to find the positive in most situations. Writing cozies allows me to enjoy the structure and challenge presented by the construction of a mystery while still usually killing off people that everyone would prefer to see dead. I do have a couple of less light-hearted projects under construction but they are not currently on the front burner.

This is quite different for me too! I have written four novels that are decidedly not cozy. And I have moved away from contemporary novels to historical ones instead even when the tone remains lighthearted. I think as time has gone by my life has changed enough that I feel as if I have the emotional bandwidth to explore more tones. When my children were small there were so very many worries and I wanted to be able to escape into something that felt like all would be okay in the end. I still like to do that, but I have room for a bit more darkness at this point in my life. That may not always be the case, but I am enjoying it for now.

Julie: With two series, that isn’t surprising! What’s your connection to New England?

Jessie: I have lived in New Hampshire since I was eight. With very few exceptions, all of my family lives in Maine. My family can be traced back to the Mayflower and a relative hanged at Salem for witchcraft.

This remains the same. I still live in New England, but have started spending part of the year in Maine since this post first published.

Julie: OK, I am going to let you save the relative story for another blog entry. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jessie: I adore Martha Grimes, Margaret Yorke, Lloyd Alexander, P.G. Wodehouse, E.F. Benson, E. Annie Proulx, Billie Letts, Fannie Flagg and John Irving.

I’d like to add Elly Griffiths, Kate Morton, Hilary Mantel, Vaseem Kahn, Diane Setterfield, Alice Hoffman, Charles Lovett, Lyndsay Faye,Tracy Chevalier, Kate Summerscale, Susanna Kearsley and Kate Atkinson to the list. I also tend to read more nonfiction than I did ten years ago. I particularly love Cal Newport’s work.

Julie: What a great list! What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Jessie: I think most people that meet me now are surprised to learn how shy I was as a child. I couldn’t even order a pizza by phone. Eventually, I decided shyness was preventing me from doing what I wanted in life and I pushed myself to overcome it. I got a job as a salesperson in a clothing store when I was sixteen. The first day of work my boss told me to greet customers. I realized getting fired for not doing my job would be worse than speaking to strangers. I started out by smiling at people and eventually worked up to actually speaking to them. Slowly, I developed a more outgoing attitude in other aspects of life. I still hate to use the phone but I can order pizza.

One thing that has changed that seems to surprise people is that I hav become an utterly smitten and entirely devoted dog person albeit for just one dog, my poodle Sam. I have had dogs in the past, but didn’t for many years. Sam appeared it seems just as I needed him. I think my infatuation with him does tend to surprise people.

Julie: Thanks for a great interview Jessie. She is going to be checking back in today, so any questions for her?

Readers, which authors have you started to read in the last ten years? Leave a comment to be entered for a chance to win the giveaway today!

Easter Basket Murder Cover Reveal and a #giveaway

by Barb in enjoying a beautiful May day in Maine

This is a bit of a sideways cover reveal, as some of you may have seen the cover in graphics promoting Barnes & Noble’s recent pre-order promotion. Anyway, this is the official announcement.

Easter Bunny Murder is the latest holiday novella collection by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and me, coming January 24, 2024.

As we’ve been doing all month, there is a giveaway at the end of this post.

What do you think? I find it hilarious. Kensington has really been on a roll with the covers for my mysteries and the mystery novella collections I’ve been included in lately.

Here’s the description.

Put on your Sunday best and grab a basket, because Easter egg hunting in these quaint Maine towns is to dye for!

EASTER BASKET MURDER by LESLIE MEIER
Tinker’s Cove businesses are clashing over a new Easter Basket-themed promotion to boost in-store sales, with tensions boiling over the grand prize—a mysterious golden egg crafted by a reclusive Maine artist. When the one-of-a-kind art piece is stolen, it’s up to part-time reporter Lucy Stone to investigate three struggling entrepreneurs who stick out in the local scene. But a huge town scandal comes into focus when a harmless shopping spree turns deadly, leaving Lucy to stop a murderer from springing back into action . . .

DEATH BY EASTER EGG by LEE HOLLIS
As Bar Harbor’s annual egg hunt approaches, Food & Cocktails columnist and restauranteur Hayley Powell is thrilled to introduce her grandson, Eli, to local springtime traditions. Turns out, keeping up with a rambunctious toddler isn’t always sunshine and rainbows—especially when a decadent peanut butter treat kills the Easter bunny himself during the festivities! Now, with a clear-as-cellophane case of murder on her hands, it’s up to Hayley to crack the clues and scramble deadly plans before it’s too late . . .

HOPPED ALONG by BARBARA ROSS
Julia Snowden’s Easter Sunday at Windsholme, a sprawling mansion tucked away on a remote Maine island, looks like it’s been borrowed from the pages of a lifestyle magazine. But when a dead body is discovered in the garden—then vanishes soon after without any explanation—an innocent hunt for eggs becomes a dangerous hunt for answers. With no clues beyond a copy of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, Julia must find out if April Fool’s Day came early or if she’s caught in a killer’s twisted game . . .

Readers: What do you think? Of the cover? The theme? The story descriptions? One lucky commenter below will win a hardcopy edition of my first book, The Death of an Ambitious Woman and a Snowden Family Clambake tote bag.

Ten Years Later with Julianne/J.A./Julia ##giveaway##

by Julie, summering early in Somerville

I love revisiting these interviews! Ten years ago Sherry Harris interviewed me when we launched the blog. We were friends then, we’re even better friends now. Back then I didn’t have an agent or a book contract. Now I have three names, and I’ve published ten novels. What a journey!

Let’s look at then and now! Now will be in italics after the original answer.

I think almost all of us started writing about the time we could grasp a pencil but was there some specific point where you thought I have to do this?

For me it was less of a “I have to” and more of a “I can? Really”. I always wanted to be a writer, but in college my writing classes were always very literary, and focused on writing the great American novel, or being a serious poet. I was taking a class about twenty years ago, and one of my fellow students asked why I wasn’t writing mysteries. The light bulb went off, and I started to take more classes, joined Sisters in Crime, and started down the path of considering myself a writer.

I love this answer, and stand by it. Being a published author, which was still a dream when we started the blog, is different than being a writer. Being a writer means taking it seriously, and writing.

Who influences your writing? And does your writing reflect their style?

I have so many influences. In the mystery world, I admire Dame Agatha and many of the other writers from the Golden Age. I love the “fair play” traditional mystery novel. I read many other mystery authors, and look for inspiration and models of how it is done well. I would love to create the wit of Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody series, the world of Sue Grafton, the characters of Linda Barnes. The list goes on.

I also work in theater, and find the dramatic structure of plays and of mysteries to be identical. Which is a great opportunity to observe how other writers do it in another medium.

I have so many other people to add to this list ten years on. Ten years in I’m reading more widely, and more diversely.

How has your career influenced your writing?

A great deal. First of all, a lot of my work takes place in the theater. I know the world well, and love it. Making a career in the arts has also allowed me to meet a lot of passionate, dedicated people who think differently. Is there a greater gift for a writer?

Secondly, the challenges of a theater maker are very similar to the challenges of a writer. Changing production models, challenges in making a living, the opportunities presented by social media. I don’t have any blinders on about the challenges, but am thrilled by the opportunities.

Ten years ago I never would have imagined I’d be running Sisters in Crime, the organization that has meant so much to me over the years. Mixing my arts administration career with my writing career has been an amazing opportunity.

What’s your favorite thing about New England?

I love that there is everything here—lakes, ocean, mountains. I love that it is compact (except for Maine, which is HUGE) and you can go to a very different place in a couple of hours. I love the vibrant arts community. I love the food. I love the Red Sox. But most of all? I love the sense of humor. It is dry, and smart, and really wonderful.

Still a New Englander through and through.

What deep, dark secrets do you have – that you are willing to share – that would surprise me?

I wish I could dance. I would love to tap dance, more than anything. I tried to learn when I turned 40, but never got the knack. I should try again, but I worry that my knees would let go. I would love to learn ballroom dancing. Fred Astaire was my first movie idol, and I aspire to be Cyd Charisse in Band Wagon.

Still wish I could dance like that. Add singing to the list.

What are you working on right now? And how the heck do you ever find time to write?

I am noodling with a new idea, which I really like. And finding time isn’t easy, but writing makes me happy, even when it is hard. So I try to find the time. I do need to get much better about finding balance. I took a great class about time management, and the premise was that there are only 168 hours a week, so you need to chose what you do carefully. Summer time is a great opportunity to rethink how I spend those 168 hours.

Remember, I didn’t have a contract back then. I was working on a cozy paranormal about a haunted theater that never found a home. I still dust if off. Nowadays finding time to write is even more of a challenge.

Why cozies? Are you writing anything else?

I love reading them, so it makes sense to write them. I love creating a world that people like to visit, characters they care about, and stories that keep them guessing. I wrote my master’s thesis on Agatha Christie, and spent a lot of time researching the genre. One of the reasons people like traditional mysteries is that there is justice. That resonates with me. We live in a tough time, I like creating places where good triumphs.

As for other things—I write a lot of blog posts for my various lives, and grant proposals. I also write short stories which are a little darker than cozies.

I still love the crime fiction genre, and especially cozies and traditional mysteries. I’m working on something now that could be considered women’s fiction, but it still has a mystery element. Not sure I’ll ever write dark.

If you were stranded on a desert island name 5-10 literary figures you would want there with you? What meal would you feed them – assuming you could feed them anything you wanted to?

Wow, is that a tough question. During the Golden Age of Fiction there was a group called the Detection Club. Agatha Christie, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, they were all members. It would be fun to have a meeting on the island with all of them. I would serve them bar food—sliders, fries, dips. But make it all look like an English tea, American style.

I would love to have Jane Austen, Dorothy Parker, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and Mark Twain come over for dinner. And maybe add F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Sayers, and Arthur Conan Doyle, though they might be challenging guests. But stranded on an island? Yikes—is it wrong to just want to have my Kindle with me, and a way to charge it?

Stranded on a desert island these days the only literary folks I’d want with me are the Wickeds. These days I’d serve charcuterie boards and fun beverages. My dream writing invite list has changed as well. Agatha, Jane, Dorothy Parker. I’d add Elizabeth Peters to the list. And then I’d mix it up with some of the current writers I know and love.

What’s on your nightstand to read?

Hank Phillippi Ryan’s book The Other Woman and Sheila Connelly’s Buried in a Bog.

One sad note to this celebration is the reminder that the wonderful Sheila Connelly isn’t here to celebrate with us. My current TBR pile is huge, and includes Kelly Oliver’s Fiona Figg series, Kim Giarratano’s Dancing Queen, Vaseem Khan’s Midnight at Malabar House, and Sonali Dev’s Raje series. I’m also listening to Chris Graberstein’s John Ceepak series.

Readers, this celebration is reminding me that dreams really do come true. What a wonderful journey these ten years have been. Hard work, highs and lows, but such joy.

In celebration of my getting back into Sully Sullivan’s world, I’ll give two commenters copies of the Theater Cop books! Please comment below.

Wicked Wednesday–In the Beginning and a #giveaway

by Barb, celebrating the lusty month of May

We’re celebrating the blog’s 10th anniversary all month, so I want to ask: Wickeds, how did you feel in the beginning, when you did that very first post? Did you have confidence you had something to say? Did you think the blog would last? What was going through your head? What did it feel like?

As on most days this month, we have a giveaway for a lucky commenter. This time from Liz Mugavero/Cate Conte. See below for details.

Liz: I don’t think I ever had confidence I had something to say, LOL! Even to this day I struggle with that. But I think in the beginning I was just so excited to be on this blog with all of you, to be celebrating my first book coming out, and to feel like I had a community to share it all with. It was so special – and 10 years later, it still feels that way. It’s my week to do a giveaway, so make sure you read to the bottom to enter!

Sherry: I was terrified! I tend to be someone who will throw out the idea and then get whiplash when everyone says, yes, and makes it happen. I asked Edith to read the first several posts that I wrote because I was sure they were stupid. It didn’t take long to gain a little confidence thanks to all of you and our lovely readers.

Edith: And they weren’t a bit stupid, Sherry! I’d had a solo blog for a year or two before this one started up, so I was used to coming up with ideas for posts and writing them. I was relieved to have a group with whom I could share the responsibility of blogging, because I’d read that to be a successful blog, one had to post regularly. And it felt great to be part of this gang of women authors. I hoped it would last, and it has – the blog and the group.

Julie: I was so grateful to be part of this endeavor, and I knew that the blog would work. We all knew each other to varying degrees, and we respected each other. We were also at the same place on the journey, though I didn’t have a contract yet. What I couldn’t know was that ten years on I’d be blogging with five dear friends who add so much to my life.

Jessie: I think I was intimidated by the technological aspects of the blog. It seemed at the time that there was so much to remember in order to write the posts, save them, tag them, and to schedule them to go live on time. It took quite a while to feel like I knew what I was doing when it came to all that. After ten years it now feels like old hat! As for the longevity of the blog and the group, that never gets old hat to me in the least! It has been a fun ride and a meaningful one at that!

Barb: In the beginning, I was confident I’d have things to write about. So much was going on in my career. And, I had been on the group blog Maine Crime Writers for three years by then. As time has moved on, I have occasionally run dry, in the spaces between new books and so on. I think I’ve told everyone everything about my life. When that happens, I have to reach out to my fellow Wickeds with the question: What do I write about this month? What I wasn’t confident about in the beginning was whether anyone would read this blog. We were six unknowns at the time debuting our first in series books. What would the audience’s motivation to read be and how would they find us? It’s all worked out, as things so often do, when we don’t worry too much about a future we can’t control.

For this week’s giveaway, comment for a chance to win all three books in the Full Moon Mysteries: Witch Hunt, Witch Trial and the new release, Witch Way Out!

Readers: Do you remember when/how you discovered this blog?

The Perfect Storm from Guest Annette Dashofy #giveaway

Edith/Maddie writing from north of Boston, delighted to have my post-Malice COVID case now testing negative.

Even if I were still positive, it wouldn’t stop me from welcoming my good friend Annette Dashofy, with a new book (yay!), a tale of a perfect storm, and a generous giveaway!

But first the next in the Zoe Chambers Mysteries, one of my favorite series. Lucky for all of you – it releases today – and she’s giving away three Kindle version.

Doesn’t that cover spell Danger?

Here’s the blurb: As a massive weather system barrels toward them, Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams and his wife, County Coroner Zoe Chambers-Adams, soon learn how unprepared they really are. A 911 call reports a dead young mother, her critically injured husband, and their missing seven-year-old daughter. Pete and Zoe realize that as the storm moved north from Louisiana, a mysterious killer came with it.  

Pursuing the murderer and the kidnapped child, Pete and his officers battle downed trees, massive flooding, and a widespread loss of communications. They’re isolated with no backup, while facing rising water and impassable roads. As two lives hang in the balance, can Pete win the race against time and weather to stop a savage and cunning predator? And will he and Zoe be able to reunite a family before it’s too late? 

I was privileged to read an advance copy of this suspenseful mystery. Here’s my endorsement:

Annette Dashofy exceeds her already high bar for fast-paced suspense and emotionally rich storytelling. You’ll be both breathless and helpless to stop reading this taut tale of deceit and rescue, of desperation and love. Zoe and Pete bring all their investigatory skills to bear as the clock ticks down on an abducted child and her dying father in another must-read page turner from a master.

The Perfect Storm (for a story)

The initial seed of an idea for Helpless settled into my brain back in 2004. Hurricane Ivan roared through the Gulf of Mexico, slammed ashore, and continued inland. At the same time, here in southwestern Pennsylvania, we’d received days of rain from another system. When Ivan, downgraded to a tropical storm, arrived here, we were already soaked to the core. From my house at the edge of a flood plain, I watched the creeks rise and crawl closer to my barn, my husband’s work shed, our yard, and our back door. It was one of the scariest days of my life, especially when our road flooded both north and south of us. I contemplated loading my cats in carriers, sticking them in my car, and driving up the old farm lane to wait it out on top of the hill.

Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. But what if the rain had continued for a few more hours?

As writers, we tend to mine the emotional moments in our lives for story fodder. Such was the case when a few years later, I needed a plot for a new book. I recalled that day, added the “what if” question mentioned above, and threw in a few more. What if someone like me, living in the lowlands, was hopelessly trapped with the water rising around him? What if a crazed killer had come to town and was likewise trapped by the closed roads? What if that same crazed killer kidnapped an innocent child?

The possibilities got my heart to racing, which seemed like a good sign.

Writing the book was hard. I mean, seriously hard. I had no choice but to make the entire story take place within one day.

Note: never write a novel that has to take place in one day.

Then, as if my memory of the storm wasn’t enough to satisfy the research gods, in the midst of drafting the novel, along came Hurricane Ida in September 2021.

The weather pattern here was eerily similar. Heavy rain from another system had already saturated the ground as Ida hit Louisiana and followed a similar route north, up the Mississippi River to the Ohio River Valley. I remember we had new neighbors who hadn’t been around in 2004 and who parked a tagalong trailer well behind their house. I texted them and recommended they move it to higher ground unless they wanted to see it floating downstream.

Thankfully, they took me at my word.

Once again, I watched out my back window as the water rose and crept closer. And closer. I wandered outside and stood near the river where my pasture used to be and listened to the fury of the flood.

I figured if the Universe was going to send me research, I should take advantage.

It’s no coincidence that after Hurricane’s Ivan and Ida, I named my fictional storm Iona. As Sylvia Bassi says in Helpless, “What is it with Hurricanes and the initial I?”

Writers, do you use weather in your stories? Readers, have you ever lived through a scary storm and continue to be affected by the memory? I’ll send a Kindle version of the new book to three commenters.

USA Today bestseller Annette Dashofy is the author of over a dozen novels including the six-time Agatha Award nominated Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic-turned-coroner in rural Pennsylvania as well as the Detective Honeywell series set along Lake Erie. Her standalone novel, Death By Equine is the 2021 winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for excellence in thoroughbred racing literature. In addition, she is an active member of Sisters in Crime and Pennwriters. Annette and her husband live on ten acres of what was her grandfather’s dairy farm with one very spoiled cat.

Ten Years Later with Barbara Ross #giveaway

Here’s my first post on the Wickeds blog ten years ago. It was titled So Who Is Barbara Ross. The interview was done by Liz Mugavero/Cate Conte. New info is in italics for those who want to skim.

To continue our month-long anniversary celebration, I’m giving away a hardcopy of Irish Coffee Murder and an Advance Reader Copy of Hidden Beneath to one lucky commenter below.

Liz: I love to chat with my wicked cozy sisters – they’re such interesting people, and I find out new nuggets of information every time! Today I’m talking to Barbara Ross, author of Clammed Up, to get an idea of what makes her tick.

I’m not doing the photo comparison thing like Sherry.

Barb, how long have you been writing? What did you start out writing?

I always wrote. My mother has an embarrassing illustrated story about a wild horse circa second grade that she’s saving to blackmail me with some day.

My mother has died since the original post, so I am now in possession of the incriminating wild horse tale. I swear I wrote about it on the blog here once, but I can’t find the post. Maybe that’s just as well.

Who has influenced you?

So many people! Like a lot of girls, I graduated from Nancy Drew to Agatha Christie to Dorothy Sayers. Then I wandered in the desert of contemporary American literature for awhile and found my way back to mystery via P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and Colin Dexter.

This one is still true. P.D. James, Ruth Rendell, and Colin Dexter taught me everything about mysteries and series and writing and reading. I am forever grateful.

Who do I buy as soon as the books hit the stores? In mystery, Louise Penny, Deborah Crombie, Julia Spencer-Fleming.

Also Tana French, Ann Cleeves, and Kate Atkinson

Who would I say has most influenced my series? Cleo Coyle, Sheila Connolly, Kaitlyn Dunnett, Sarah Graves, Leslie Meier, Lucy Burdette, Lea Wait.

This one is still true, too. These are the authors who convinced me I could write a cozy mystery.

Who would I trade my soul to write like? Alice Munro.

Still true. Also, Diana Gabaldon. I know, economy versus expansiveness, but I love them both.

Talk about your past life in the business world. How has that influenced your fiction?

Julia Snowden, the protagonist of Clammed Up worked at a venture capital firm and I knew quite a few people like that when I was a tech entrepreneur. One scene in the book is a direct lift from the life of a young investment banker I knew.

I always worked in start-ups, and starting your own little author business turns out to have a lot of similarities. And a lot of differences, but the similarities do help.

What’s your connection to New England?

I was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, but my family left when I was just a few months old. It tool me 22 years to get back, but the instant I moved to New England, it felt like home. Currently, I live with my husband in Somerville, MA and we have a summer place in Boothbay Harbor, ME which I’ve highly fictionalized for the Busman’s Harbor in my Clambake mysteries.

In 2017, after my mother-in-law who was living downstairs died, we sold the Somerville house and moved to Portland, Maine and haven’t looked back. We sold the Boothbay Harbor house in 2019 and have consolidated our lives in Portland. We love it there.

What’s your favorite thing about New England?

The people. Hands down. And the variety. City, country, ocean, lakes, mountains, rivers, winter, spring, summer, fall, history, contemporary. You never get bored or run out of things to do.

Still the same.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

People are always surprised to learn that I’m a scrapbooker. I think it doesn’t fit with my personality, but it’s a hobby I enjoy.

The fiction writing has pretty much killed the scrapbooking. I still have all the supplies and very soon I either need to pick it up again or admit that it’s not happening and get rid of all the stuff.

What are you working on right now?

Book two in the Maine Clambake Mystery series, Boiled Over. Reading all the submissions for Level Best Books where I’m a co-editor. Getting ready to open registration for the New England Crime Bake, where I’m co-chair.

Seven years ago, my group of editors turned publishing the Best New England Crime Stories annual collection over to new group of editors. The franchise has since changed editors again and is now Crime Spell Books. I spoke to one of the current editors at Malice Domestic and they are busily reading this year’s submissions. As for me, I’m writing Book 12 in the Maine Clambake Mystery series due (ulp) July 1. I’m no longer involved with the New England Crime Bake, except as a happy attendee. I am now happily involved with the Maine Crime Wave.

Why cozies? Do you write anything else additionally?

Cozies because I love a good mystery. I also write short stories.

I would add cozies because I love writing a series. I also write novellas. I haven’t written a short story in years. I’m always distracted by my book and novella deadlines (and I’m always behind).

Which are the top five books are in your to-be-read pile?

There Was an Old Woman–Hallie Ephron

The Clover House–Henriette Lazaridis Powers

Zinsky the Obscure–Ilan Mochari

Together Tea–Marjan Kamali

Kneading to Die–Liz Mugavero

Okay now it’s…

Murder on the Homefront –Jessica Ellicott

Final Cut –Marjorie McCown

The Ingredients of Happiness –Lucy Burdette

Dead Man’s Wake –Paul Doiron

And one book for a blurb that I’ll keep to myself for now.

Liz: Thanks for sharing, Barb! Can’t wait to read Clammed Up – and I love the title Boiled Over too. Looking forward to your book.

Readers: I found reading over my answers from ten years ago to be quite satisfying. A lot has happened and been accomplished, but I’m still me. Do you ever reflect on your life five or ten years ago? Comment for a chance to win Irish Coffee Murder and an ARC of Hidden Beneath.