Hold Nothing Back-The Well Never Goes Dry by Barbara Ross

Several years ago, I had the chance to take a class sponsored by Sisters in Crime New England with Donald Maass based on his book Writing the Breakout Novel. The students were intelligent and enthusiastic and had great questions. One person asked, "As an unpublished novelist, if you know you're writing a series and you have a great idea, should you hold it back for the second, third or later books?"

Maass's answer was to hold nothing back. Leave it all out on the page. You need to give it your all to get published. Trust in your imagination that something even greater will be there when you get to later books.

At least that's how I internalized what he said.

So in 2016, when I got the chance to write a Christmas novella as a part of my Maine Clambake Mystery series for the collection Eggnog Murder, I went for it. I included every tradition from my little Maine seacoast town: the parade of lighted boats, the day everyone shops in their pajamas, the festival of trees, Men's Night when the shops are open late and provide free gift-wrapping. After all, who knew if I'd ever get the chance to use all that good stuff again.

But then my publisher Kensington asked Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and me to create a second Christmas novella collection. I’d already written one holiday story where I’d thrown in everything but the kitchen sink. Now what was I going to do?

Luckily, the Boothbay peninsula, which roughly serves as the inspiration for my fictional town of Busman’s Harbor, had added a new holiday tradition. For the past four years, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens have offered Gardens Aglow. The gardens are dressed with over 500,000 LED lights.

Of course, I had to visit. The things we writers have to do in the name of “research.” The night we went was crisp and clear, cold but not too cold. My husband and I had an absolutely delightful time at this spectacular display. Gardens Aglow got me into the most Christmasy mood. Perfect for writing a holiday novella.

I changed the name of the place to the Maine Coast Botanical Garden and the event to Illuminations, because there’s a little unpleasantness when my protagonist Julia Snowden and her family visit. The family visit to the garden became the mid-point scene, the fulcrum that ratchets up the stakes and moves us from one part of the story to the next.

Donald Maass said you should trust your imagination to deliver something for the next book, but this was a case of the universe supplying what I needed.

***

Barbara Ross is the author of six Maine Clambake Mysteries. The seventh, Steamed Open, was released December 18, 2018. Barbara’s novellas featuring Julia Snowden are included along with stories by Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis in Eggnog Murder and Yule Log Murder. Barbara and her husband live in Portland, Maine. Visit her website at http://www.maineclambakemysteries.com

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

“Yule Log Murder” by Leslie Meier
Lucy Stone is thrilled to be cast as an extra in a festive period film—until the set becomes a murder scene decorated in blood and buttercream icing. Returning to her role as sleuth, Lucy dashes to restore peace to Tinker’s Cove, unwrap a cold-hearted criminal’s MO, and reveal how one ornate Yule log cake could possibly cause so much drama.
 
“Death By Yule Log” by Lee Hollis
Hayley Powell’s holidays aren’t off to a very merry start. Not only has her daughter brought Conner—an infuriatingly perfect new beau—home to Bar Harbor, but a local troublemaker has been found dead with traces of her signature Yule log cake on his body. As Conner becomes the prime murder suspect, Hayley must put aside her mixed feelings to identify the real killjoy.

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

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

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

IndieBound