June Shaw's Blog, page 14
March 3, 2015
20 years, 25 mysteries
by Carola
I had been writing Regencies for 15 years when my first mystery came out, in 1994. The 25th comes out in June. I've been working with the same editor at St Martin's Minotaur for TWENTY years, the longest of any of his authors!
Just in time for that anniversary, the first of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries is being reissued in trade paperback with a brand-new cover, by the artist who has been doing the art for the series since the 12th, Die Laughing.
In comparison, here is the...
I had been writing Regencies for 15 years when my first mystery came out, in 1994. The 25th comes out in June. I've been working with the same editor at St Martin's Minotaur for TWENTY years, the longest of any of his authors!
Just in time for that anniversary, the first of the Daisy Dalrymple mysteries is being reissued in trade paperback with a brand-new cover, by the artist who has been doing the art for the series since the 12th, Die Laughing.
In comparison, here is the...
March 2, 2015
Putting Yourself in Your Book
By Chester Campbell
I'm often asked how much of myself gets into my books. Obviously an author's ideas fill his or her work, but not much of the writer's personal life winds up in the fictional world. My new book out shortly turns all of that around.
Hellbound is a suspense story that, except for the ending, takes place over a five-day period. The action during that time occurs in settings that mirror almost exactly a similar five days of my life back around 1995. The book's plot involves a bus...
I'm often asked how much of myself gets into my books. Obviously an author's ideas fill his or her work, but not much of the writer's personal life winds up in the fictional world. My new book out shortly turns all of that around.
Hellbound is a suspense story that, except for the ending, takes place over a five-day period. The action during that time occurs in settings that mirror almost exactly a similar five days of my life back around 1995. The book's plot involves a bus...
February 27, 2015
WHAT STORY TO WRITE NEXT?
by June Shaw
After you finish writing a book, do you always know what you'll write next?
If you're writing a series, you'll know who your main character are, and you might have an idea of where your plot will go. In fact, if you're like me, while creating one book in the series, you're getting plot points or new characters for the next one. I love when that happens.
But suppose you're done with that series and you want to start another. Or you're ready to write a single title. Do you know where...
After you finish writing a book, do you always know what you'll write next?
If you're writing a series, you'll know who your main character are, and you might have an idea of where your plot will go. In fact, if you're like me, while creating one book in the series, you're getting plot points or new characters for the next one. I love when that happens.
But suppose you're done with that series and you want to start another. Or you're ready to write a single title. Do you know where...
February 25, 2015
Falling in Love with Revision
by Jackie King
Do you love or hate revision? When I first started writing I hated what seemed to me a tedious and mostly unnecessary exercise. What could need correcting except perhaps, punctuation and spelling? I had stories to tell and a passion to write these tales from the depth of my heart. I did a fair job of it, too, I thought. I even managed to sell a couple of short stories. (This was some time ago and the short story market was good.)
My mother, an English teacher, also wrote and hung...
Do you love or hate revision? When I first started writing I hated what seemed to me a tedious and mostly unnecessary exercise. What could need correcting except perhaps, punctuation and spelling? I had stories to tell and a passion to write these tales from the depth of my heart. I did a fair job of it, too, I thought. I even managed to sell a couple of short stories. (This was some time ago and the short story market was good.)
My mother, an English teacher, also wrote and hung...
February 23, 2015
Son (or probably Daughter) of The Figurehead
by Bill Kirton
The originalThis blog’s intended to embarrass me. I only say that because it seems I’ve been mentioning the present Work In Progress for ages, maybe even years. Usually, once I start the actual writing of it, the first draft of a novel takes me about six months. This one is resisting me and it’s embarrassing that it’s taking so long. This is the story so far.
Way back, a friend, out of the blue, said ‘You should write a book about a figurehead carver’. At that point, I’d publishe...
The originalThis blog’s intended to embarrass me. I only say that because it seems I’ve been mentioning the present Work In Progress for ages, maybe even years. Usually, once I start the actual writing of it, the first draft of a novel takes me about six months. This one is resisting me and it’s embarrassing that it’s taking so long. This is the story so far.Way back, a friend, out of the blue, said ‘You should write a book about a figurehead carver’. At that point, I’d publishe...
February 19, 2015
Action is the Heartbeat of Ficion
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by Jean Henry Mead
I once read a magazine article titled, “Action, the Heartbeat of Fiction” by Jordan E. Rosenfeld, which I thought was worth discussing. Rosenfeld said, “Action is a dynamic word that calls to mind a director hooting into a megaphone at his actors. It's also the heartbeat of good fiction that keeps readers riveted to the page. Action is comprised of all the elements a reader can 'witness' taking place. From physical movement to spoken dialogue, action transports your readers...
February 17, 2015
Online interview: Superfluous Women
by Carola
Here's a link to an interview I did with mystery blogger Terry Ambrose: http://terryambrose.com/2015/02/carola-dunn/
It's about my next Daisy Dalrymple mystery, Superfluous Women, which deals with a rarely considered consequence of the First World War: Hundreds of thousands of men killed meant hundreds of thousands of women with no hope of the life they'd been brought up to expect, marriage and a family.
And here is a link to a poignant poem by one of the women who found herself...
Here's a link to an interview I did with mystery blogger Terry Ambrose: http://terryambrose.com/2015/02/carola-dunn/
It's about my next Daisy Dalrymple mystery, Superfluous Women, which deals with a rarely considered consequence of the First World War: Hundreds of thousands of men killed meant hundreds of thousands of women with no hope of the life they'd been brought up to expect, marriage and a family.
And here is a link to a poignant poem by one of the women who found herself...
February 14, 2015
MARDI GRAS
by June Shaw
Sure wish I could take time to write more--but it's Valentine and Mardi Gras, and I live near New Orleans.
Need I say more?
Have a terrific time!
Sure wish I could take time to write more--but it's Valentine and Mardi Gras, and I live near New Orleans.
Need I say more?
Have a terrific time!
February 11, 2015
Murder and Valentines
by Jackie King
The thought of Valentine’s Day always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I can’t help myself. This all started back in grade school when we were allowed to decorate a special box or paper sack in anticipation of the valentines we would receive.
And in appreciation of Valentine's Day, I'd like to say that I can’t seem to spin a romantic yarn without weaving “Murder Most Foul” in with “Happily Ever After.” When my fingers hit the keyboard I’m immediately seized by the urge to murde...
The thought of Valentine’s Day always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I can’t help myself. This all started back in grade school when we were allowed to decorate a special box or paper sack in anticipation of the valentines we would receive.
And in appreciation of Valentine's Day, I'd like to say that I can’t seem to spin a romantic yarn without weaving “Murder Most Foul” in with “Happily Ever After.” When my fingers hit the keyboard I’m immediately seized by the urge to murde...
February 9, 2015
Can I help you? Obviously not.
by Bill Kirton
The charming but useless MatildaA recent attempt to get an online answer to a very simple question saw me directed to one of those ‘Ask Penelope’- type pages, where you’re confronted by a photo or a ‘cute’ cartoon of a pretty, smiling woman, with a speech bubble saying ‘Hi. Let me help you.’ Fifteen minutes and an avalanche of oaths later, I gave up and wrote and sent the company a letter (yes, on paper, in an envelope, with a stamp). I wasn’t asking a bank about my account but,...
The charming but useless MatildaA recent attempt to get an online answer to a very simple question saw me directed to one of those ‘Ask Penelope’- type pages, where you’re confronted by a photo or a ‘cute’ cartoon of a pretty, smiling woman, with a speech bubble saying ‘Hi. Let me help you.’ Fifteen minutes and an avalanche of oaths later, I gave up and wrote and sent the company a letter (yes, on paper, in an envelope, with a stamp). I wasn’t asking a bank about my account but,...
