The Ups and Downs of Writing Full-Time by Kait Carson

 

Part-time writer dreaming of full-time

Today I’m riffing on Heather Weidner’s recent blog, Getting Your Writing back on Track. In 2020, the pandemic brought me a massive surprise. After what felt like a zillion years of working sixty-to-eighty-hour weeks for a law firm in Miami, Florida, and carving out time to write, I found myself laid off and ultimately, unemployed.

The writer in me shouted “Yea!” I had visions of cranking out books by the score – well, that’s a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift. For the first time in forty years, my time was my own. Real time. Not time carved out from vacation, or turn the phone off and huddle in for a long weekend time. This was nobody is watching and you have only yourself to report to time. Bliss, luxury, nirvana. Reality check! 

Full-time writer office ready to rock

It's been almost four years. What did I do with all that delicious time? Not nearly as much as I planned. In fact, last night while I was procrastinating, I mean writing, I discovered my writing calendar from 2013. It was eye-opening. I was far more productive while working a full-time job. How was that even remotely possible? Let’s circle back to that ‘my time is my own’ statement above. It is, and then again, it isn’t.

 

I was far more protective of my time when someone else was paying me for my hours. Come to think of it, so was my husband. Well, there was that one time he interrupted a Zoom hearing because he couldn’t find his cell phone, but hey, that happens. And he learned to knock. Now he breezes in and out of my office on a regular basis. And I let him. So, where’s the problem? It looks at me from the mirror every morning. The situation hasn’t changed. I’ve changed. I allow myself to be distracted and interrupted, and seriously, oftentimes I’m my own worst enemy. While I was writing this blog, I took time off to do dinner prep. Take gun, roll cylinder, shoot self in foot.

 

Piper wondering when the magic begins

Finding that ancient calendar was quite the revelation—and a lesson. The luxury of “all that time to write” still exists. The onus is on me to use it properly. Since I opted to self-publish, my day cannot be entirely writing. There’s marketing, social media (for fun and hopefully profit), and volunteer work that keeps me connected to the writing world. All of that takes time, but it’s also writing related. Clearly, I’m one of those writers who needs structure. And possibly a deadline. It’s time to re-think this luxury, make a plan, and stick with it. It also wouldn’t hurt to set a deadline or two and make those happen. It worked before.

 

I’m taking several of Heather’s suggestions and rededicating myself to the writing life. How about you?

 

 

In Which I Encounter an Unexpected Detour by Nancy L. Eady

Fifteen days ago, I sat in the ER waiting room with a CAT Scan report from urgent care that said I had an intestinal blockage due to a tumor. Mark, my husband, was with me. And wait we did. At long last, however, we were called back to our own little partition in the ER.  

The nurse began by starting an IV and then the doctor came to talk to us. Now, in my job, I often have a brief due, and I had something due in the 11th Circuit that coming Friday (it was Wednesday). So when the doctor started talking about surgery, I asked Mark to get my laptop so I could knock it out before surgery. The doctor (strenuously) disagreed with that plan. He said I needed to clear the decks for the next two months. He also said I needed an NG tube inserted. An NG tube is an instrument of torture a medical tube inserted through your nose, then down your throat that suctions stuff out of your stomach and upper intestine when things aren’t moving in the normal directions.  Trust me, you don’t want one.   

I will draw a merciful curtain over the NG insertion tube experience, except to say that I insisted once they got it in they needed to be sure it stayed in because I was not going through that again.  Then we sat in the ER room and waited, again.  

Turned out they were working on getting me a room at one of the hospitals in the area who had a surgeon who could do the type of surgery I needed.  Once they had a room, I had to wait for an available ambulance.  I was curious about the ambulance because I’d never ridden in one.  It wasn’t nearly as thrilling as it looks on TV, which is probably a good thing.  So it was about 4 am on Thursday the 11th before I found myself in a room in a hospital downtown.  They managed to get me into surgery by noon.  

The only thing I remember about the surgery is telling the nurse in the pre-op area that if they had to take the NG tube out to do the surgery, they needed to put it back while I was under anesthesia.  When I get hold of an idea, I tend to hang onto it.  

The next thing I remember is being wheeled back into my room, where my husband and sister were talking to the surgeon.  I don’t remember much about that, either; I was capable of four words:  hurts, Mark, and thank you.  Given what I was going through, it wasn’t a bad set of words to have.  

Somewhere along the way, I acquired more words and decided I needed to use them.  I think there was still some anesthesia or something in my system, because this was the email I sent to my work the day after the surgery:  

Day 3 of my incarceration - uhhh, hospital stay.  Yesterday's schedule included an open laporotomy so some doctor could remove 14 inches (!) of my intestine with carcinoids attached.

Today, the reality of Diet Coke withdrawal set in - and my captors' sad decision not to allow mainlining of caffeine.  I am sitting in a chair right now.  Trust me, that's a big deal.

Carcinoids looked non-cancerous but they are testing them to be sure.  Alas, the NG tube remains, but I have hope of liberation from it in another day or so.  As you probably can tell from this email, they do have me on some righteous pain medicine.

Seriously, everyone here is very nice and putting up with me through caffeine withdrawal.  I HOPE to go home Monday or Tuesday.  Thank you everyone for your kind wishes and prayers and help.

Most people at work thought it was hilarious.  Fortunately, my family kept me off of email for the rest of my stay, and I was allowed to go home on Monday, April 15.  I’m cleared to go back to work this coming Monday.  

The worst part of the experience weren’t things like the surgery and pain from the surgery, but the NG tube, cutting out caffeine cold turkey, and the hospital bed.  A modern hospital bed is a technological marvel, but I, at least, was unable to get comfortable in one. Cutting out Diet Coke was not in my playbook, either.  Cold-turkey caffeine withdrawal is an ugly thing.  Caffeine withdrawal on top of major surgery is personality changing – and in my case, not for the better.  As soon as I could, I started drinking it again.  I became a much nicer person once I did.  Both of our offices are stocking up for my return on Monday.  

Sometime during the last two weeks, I thought about how we are taught that mystery novels require an inciting incident that leads to instability and then a new normal.  In this case, fortunately, the inciting incident was just a detour that doesn’t require a new normal.  But somewhere in the whole experience a story lurks; I just have to discover what it is.

Diving Into the World of Character Creation by Connie Berry

Do readers read for the plot or for the characters? Writing coach Nathan Bransford says these two elements of a novel are inseparable. Characters make the plot interesting, and the plot creates conflict that forces characters to make choices.

That is certainly true, but I would add that every novel needs at least one character the reader cares about and roots for. That was the problem with Gone Girl in my opinion—brilliant writing, yes; plenty of conflict, yes. But there was no one the reader could get behind and root for. Amy and Nick were two despicable people who, in the end, deserved each other. I felt sorry for their unborn child. I can’t tell you how many people told me they finished the book and threw it across the room.

People may not remember a plot, but they will remember an interesting and vividly presented character. Take Hercule Poirot. I couldn’t give you a plot summary for most of his stories, but I could describe him to you in great detail.

So how do we craft our characters so that readers remember them? I’ve been reading Neil Gaiman recently. Have you heard of his funny hats metaphor?

“When you have a lot of characters wandering around you need to help your reader. And one of the ways that I’ve always liked to do that is what I call ‘funny hats’…You give your character something that makes that character different from every other character in the book…You’re holding the reader’s hand a little bit, and you’re making sure that they’re never confused.” (Neil Gaiman from his Masterclass “The Art of Storytelling.”)

Gaiman’s advice works not only for main characters but even for the characters that appear on stage for a single scene. Why not make them memorable too? I had a lot of fun putting Gaiman’s advice to work in my new novel A Collection of Lies (coming June 2024). My great advantage in creating memorable characters is the fact that my books are set in England where eccentricity is not only tolerated but celebrated. In 1933, Dame Edith Sitwell published a study entitled “The English Eccentrics.” A case-in-point was her own father, who put up a sign at the entrance to his house: “I must ask anyone entering the house never to contradict me or differ from me in any way, as it interferes with the functioning of the gastric juices and prevents my sleeping at night.”

Here's a preview of one of my minor characters in A Collection of Lies. Kate and Tom want to question Lady Helen Merivale, an elderly lady who gives tours of her crumbling family mansion to supplement her income:

The stern facade of Merivale House met us. This was no posh country house in the home counties, but a working farm constructed of stone painstakingly cleared from the land. We rang the bell and waited. And waited. We were beginning to think Lady Helen wasn’t home when we heard the scuttling of a key in a lock. The door opened.

 

“Yes?” A tall, elderly woman eyed us suspiciously. “What do you want?”

 

“We’re here for the tour,” I said. “The brochure said you’re open on Fridays between one and three.”

 

“I know what day it is,” she snapped. “I haven’t gone doolally yet. You’d better come in. I can’t afford to heat the entire outdoors.” She beckoned us into a dank entryway lit by a pair of wall sconces. “Will you keep your jackets?”

 

We nodded. It wasn’t much warmer inside than out.

Lady Helen Merivale must have been in her mid to late seventies. Her spine was straight and her gray eyes clear, but her hands, gnarled and roped with veins, betrayed her age. She wore a baggy tweed skirt and a pale-blue blouse buttoned to her neck, around which hung a single strand of pearls. Over the blouse, she’d layered a battered wax Barbour, and over that what appeared to be a man’s heavy wool jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

 

Tom pulled out his wallet. “Forty pounds—is that right?” The cost of the tour was outrageous.

 

“For the tour. Refreshments are extra, and the chapel is closed today.” Her cut-glass accent was matched by an air of snobbery com­pletely at odds with her grimy fingernails and thrift-store ensemble. She took the bills and shoved them into the pocket of her wool jacket, glaring at us as if daring us to reclaim our money. “Shall we begin?”

 

*   *   *

For authors, how might you give each of your characters a “funny hat?”

Readers, what fictional characters are forever cemented in your mind? 

An Interview with Author James M. Jackson By E. B. Davis

 

What you don’t know can kill you.

 

The Happy Reaper, notorious for his chilling efficiency and “Results Guaranteed” calling card, escapes prison. Instead of killing Seamus McCree on sight, he offers a diabolical bargain with a heart-stopping proviso. To live, Seamus must help the Happy Reaper find and eliminate the upstart impostor who’s trashing the assassin’s reputation.

And Seamus must act quickly. Should the Happy Reaper’s bad heart give out or any harm come to him, the criminal underworld will wreak carnage on Seamus . . . and his loved ones.

Can Seamus outsmart the impostor and appease the Happy Reaper without staining his soul with blood? The only thing Seamus knows for sure is that time is running out for him and his family.

Amazon.com

 

James M. Jackson does not write fluffy books. There is no cozy in Hijacked Legacy, his eighth Seamus McCree novel. My words are not complaints. He packs action into every page and his endings are spectacular to the point of cliffhanger—for which I now will have to wait for the next book to calm myself. Reader beware—binging snacks, drinking wine, or partaking of other substances may be necessary to cope with the tension Jim presents.

 

His mastery of technology (and what is technically possible in his setting—not that I can actually verify it) isn’t a surprise. The setting is a strong character and is one he is familiar with since he owns such a place in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan (U.P.), like his main character, Seamus. Jim’s plots remind me of the adage “torture your characters.” Poor Seamus.

 

Please welcome Jim to the flip-side of WWK.                           E. B. Davis

 

Can you give us a little summary of the last book so that readers understand that Seamus and his sister Colleen are in trouble if the DA wants them to be?

 

In Granite Oath, Seamus McCree’s granddaughter, Megan, employs a “pinky-swear” to get Seamus McCree to learn what happened to Megan’s best friend’s missing mother.

 

Seamus uncovers a tangled web of drugs, prostitution, and dummy corporations, and soon finds himself the target of killers. Anyone sane would wash his hands of the mess or turn it over to the police. But Seamus has given his word, his granite oath, to learn the truth . . . even if it kills him.

 

Well, it didn’t kill him or Colleen Carpetti, his half-sister, who was also involved in learning what happened. At least one bad guy was not so fortunate, leading the Iron County police to arrest Seamus and Colleen. The county prosecutor brought charges because of that death.

 

Your story is shown via six POVs. Do you map out your plot in detail before you write? Prior to this time, you’ve said you were a pantser—in this book though, how can that be possible?

 

I am 100% pantser. I start writing with an idea of what the story is about. The first draft allows me to discover what the story was really about. I rewrite until I have the story exactly as I think it should be (after input from others, of course.) If I recall correctly, in the first draft, I think I also had six POV characters, but in the third draft, one of them lost their POV, and another character gained their POV. I made those choices to make the story stronger.

 

This is a story with three sides: Seamus and his people, the Happy Reaper, and a group of Happy Reaper Imposters. There are two POVs from Seamus’s camp. Three POVs from the Imposters, and one—the Happy Reaper’s representing himself. What is significant about the numbers?

 

Mathematicians know six is a perfect number. Its factors 1,2, and 3 add up to itself. The next perfect number is twenty-eight (with factors 1,2,4,7, and 14). Twenty-eight were too many POVs.

 

Okay, so the real answer is I choose the minimum number of POVs possible for me to tell the story as best I can. This story required six; Granite Oath used only one, Seamus.

 

The Happy Reaper Imposters was started by a cop named Charlene with two buddies who are not cops—Zach has the computer skills of an IT professional. The other, Tyler, was a former military sniper, who was dishonorably discharged. Why would Charlene start such an assassin’s group?

 

Charlene is frustrated by the ability of rich and/or powerful people to get away with crimes that others cannot. She had an opportunity to correct one such wrong and, with her friends, took it.

 

Why do the Imposters have Seamus on their hit list? Why not Colleen, also?

 

In his memoir, the Happy Reaper holds Seamus responsible for his capture and life imprisonment, and states that he wants revenge. The Imposters decided since the Happy Reaper couldn’t do it, they would.

 

How does the Happy Reaper find out about the Imposters?

 

Even in prison, the Happy Reaper has wealth and contacts. His underworld friends let him know.

 

Seamus observes a trumpeter swan on his property. Wouldn’t they have already flown south for the winter? It’s October.

 

Our trumpeter swans wait until just before the lake freezes up to leave. That’s usually late October. One year during a sudden cold snap, we were afraid a pair would become iced in because they need a lot of open water to take off. They swam around to keep the water open and took off at first light. Even with that effort they had to break through some skim ice.

 

What does Squirrel! mean?

 

Squirrel! means a distraction. I had to look up its origin for this interview. Apparently, it comes from the 2009 movie Up, in which Dug, a dog, is easily distracted by a squirrel.

 

What is the KP index for the northern lights?

 

The KP index is a measure from 0 to 9 that describes the brightness and range of the aurora borealis (northern lights). The higher the number, the farther the aurora moves from the poles. Where Seamus and I live in the U.P., we can sometimes see northern lights with indices as low as 4, provided you have a clear view of the northern sky.

 

Seamus says he feels like the character Tommy, the deaf, dumb, and blind kid, from The Who’s rock opera? Why?

 

Seamus often has a jukebox playing in his brain. Sometimes he sings along. It’s never purely random and often provides psychological clues to his feelings. In the situation in which he channels The Who, he’s wandering around in the dark of night in a perilous situation with no clue what is happening.

 

Please remind us who Owen is? Why is he so protective?

Readers first met Owen in Cabin Fever (Seamus McCree #3) and again in Empty Promises (Seamus McCree #5). He’s a hardscrabble ancient Yooper (someone from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, da U.P., eh?) In Cabin Fever, he delivered weekly supplies to Seamus, became a friend, and has looked after Seamus ever since.

 

Niki is so far deep undercover only one man in the NSA knows how deep her cover is. Who authorized her position and her in it?

 

The backstory on that will have to wait until you can read Niki Undercover. I’m hopeful we’ll publish that novel later this year. It just went through a beta reader process and needs a few tweaks yet. Suffice it to say, Niki takes assignments for the US government no one else can. Her current cover is as a US Marshal, for which she has bona fide credentials. However, that causes real problems when traditional marshals come sniffing around to recapture the Happy Reaper.

 

Clem is the Happy Reaper’s insurance to get Seamus to work with him to get rid of the Imposters. But at some point “Clem” disappears. Why?

 

Dancing around plot points here: The Happy Reaper holds Clem over Seamus’s head to make sure Seamus doesn’t turn him back in to the authorities. While that threat remains throughout the story, it becomes less critical as other, more immediate, threats loom.

 

Patrick, Seamus’s techno-savvy son, and his former business partner, Lisa, come to Seamus’s camp to help ferret out who has infiltrated the Happy Reaper’s websites and Clem’s identity. Lisa is a pregnant General in the Army, CyberOps. Is there such a thing? What is a brevetted rank? How did Lisa end up in the Army?

 

The US Army Cyber Command is real. Here’s their website. To stay out of jail for youthful hacking exploits, Lisa agreed to join the Army as an officer and remain for six-years. She likes the work and re-upped her service. She’s done rather well for them, so they keep promoting her to more senior positions. To do that, however, requires leapfrogging the traditional promotion system, which requires minimum times in rank before being eligible for the next promotion.

 

That’s where brevet promotions apply. Brevet ranks give the individual temporary rank and pay, while keeping intact the permanent ranks that follow the more stringent time-in-service requirements for promotion. Currently, the US Army does not brevet officers to brigadier general or higher levels, so fictional Lisa is leading the way.

 

What kinds of tools do Lisa and Patrick use to help Seamus?

 

They use standard hacking tools, including taking over a botnet (internet-connected devices from around the world that you have infected and can control) to attack the Imposters’ websites to learn who they are.

 

But they also want to know what the Happy Reaper is up to and find out who Clem is. For that, they segregate the Happy Reaper’s computer onto a separate network, allowing them to monitor everything he does. They also erect a fake cell tower that monitors all cellular communications coming into or out of Seamus’s property.

 

But Seamus has a few tricks up his sleeve as well. He employs multiple trail cameras around his property to spot wildlife. He strategically relocates them to keep watch on roads and paths for unexpected visitors. Some of the cameras upload pictures to the cloud and alert his phone in real time. Others require him to pull the memory card and view the pictures with a card reader.

 

What is Telephone Time?

 

TT, as Telephone Time is locally known, is a talk show on WIKB in Iron River (you can stream it) that allows individuals to buy, sell or trade their items or look for stuff or services they need. Go into any store in the greater area while it’s on air, and that’s what you’ll hear. Seamus uses TT with unexpected consequences. I’ve never called the show, but I was the subject of a call. It’s a funny story at my expense. If someone wants to hear it, I can tell it in the comments.

What does a sandboxed browser mean?

 

Think of a sandbox you played in as a kid: four walls low enough to climb in with your pail and shovel, but high enough to keep the sand from killing the grass outside the sandbox.

 

The same concept applies to your browser: you bring an application or file into the sandbox to test it. If it is infected or has other malicious properties, the sandbox contains the damage, (which you can sanitize), not allowing it to cause mischief with the rest of your computer/network.

 

So, what is the story on Kingsford Charcoal?

 

Kingsford Charcoal was the go-to brand for grilling when I was growing up. Seamus is waiting for Colleen at the Ford Airport in Kingsford, Michigan and looks up its history.

 

I looked up the history of Kingsford charcoal on Wikipedia. I had recalled Henry Ford had come up with the charcoal idea to deal with the voluminous scrap generated by the sawmill he owned that produced wood products for Ford cars and trucks. Kingsford was the real estate guy (his wife was a Ford cousin) who bought the land and managed the manufacturing process. Got the city named after him. Now I knew.

 

What’s next for Seamus? Yes, this is a pointed question!

 

Um, did I mention I’m a pantser?

Write Your Books by Martha Reed

A writer friend of mine unexpectedly died this month. Her Celebration of Life was well organized and very well attended. While listening to the many heartfelt songs, poems, and tributes, I was overwhelmed by the volume of non-writerly activities she had supported in her daily hours.

She was a driving and volcanic force behind a spiraling galaxy of vital community, social and political activism, and grant-writing and fund-raising efforts. She was a professional mediator who helped troubled teens. She was a powerful advocate for women and families in need. Her friendships were true blue, deeply felt, long-standing, all-encompassing, and diverse. She took advantage of every opportunity to travel to distant shores and exotic lands. She founded the first writer’s group I joined, ushering newbie me into a community of creative fiction writers that sustains me to this day.

I left her celebration dazed, wondering where I had parked my car and thinking: “Holy heck, when did she sleep?” Sliding into my car, I reviewed my life feeling like a slacker until it dawned on me that she had never completed the manuscript of her debut novel. Now we will never know what could have been written. Death has taken her pen.

This end result raised a few questions in my mind: Gabriel Garcia Marquez told his sons to destroy his final unfinished novel. The manuscript was too rambling; it had too many pieces; it was too scattered. He had run out of creative editing lifetime. Despite his direction, his sons are readying it for publication. What are your thoughts on this posthumous publication?

After author Robert Ludlum died, author Brian Freeman was approached by the Ludlum estate to continue writing the Jason Bourne series. How do you feel about an author completing or extending another author’s series post-mortem?

How about taking a dead author’s characters and using them for entirely new creative fiction? Is that a respectful acquisition, or an aggressive hijacking?

This reflection on an author’s unfinished work isn’t a judgment or a justification. We all write on borrowed time. The clock is ticking. I get it. Sue Grafton never finished writing her murder mystery alphabet by publishing “Z.”

Writing a full-length novel is a daunting task. It daunts me every time I start drafting a new one. The spur in my giddy-up is that I simply can’t fathom doing anything else with my earthly time. Every time I begin, I stop and wonder: Is it time to hang it up, to find something else to do to fill my Book of Hours, to quit doing this? Then, as I meditate on the joy the act of stretching my human imagination to its outermost limits and finding exactly the right words to add to my latest story brings me, I open my laptop and begin.

When it comes time for my celebration of life, I want my family to hand out cupcakes and bookmarks, and perhaps in some future time some reader will open one of my books and from the other side, I’ll speak again.

Still not convinced that our books are our timeless legacy? Click this link to hear Dame Judy Dench recite a Shakespearean sonnet and enjoy hearing The Bard’s voice speak to us with modern relevance from roughly four hundred and thirty years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_X1dbO-quI

New and Old Favorites by Nancy L. Eady

I have a lot of “favorite” books. My husband swears he can tell my state of mind by the books I am reading. In his opinion, if I am cuddling up with some of my “old” favorites, then I am suffering from insecurity over something. I’m not sure that is always true, but I do have many books I like to re-read. My oldest favorites, as I mentioned in a post in October 2018, are Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I also love to periodically revisit Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield.

In the mystery realm, I have mentioned before that I am a Nero Wolfe fan. The series was started by Rex Stout, then continued after a couple of decades by Robert Goldsborough. Nero Wolfe is not a cozy series, but many of my mystery favorites are. Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series is that rare series which have scenes that make me laugh out loud. Other favorites include the Haunting Danielle series by Bobbi Holmes, Debra Goldstein’s Sarah Blair Mystery series, Allison Brook’s Haunted Library series, Carol Perry’s Witch City series and her Haunted Haven series. A new favorite is Julie Mulhern’s Country Club Mystery series. I discovered it sometime in January after E.B. Davis mentioned it in one of her posts and have read all thirteen books twice already. In the interest of fair disclosure, Allison Brooks, who is Marilyn Levinson, Debra Goldstein and Carol Perry are my blog mates; the only reason the rest of my blog mate’s series haven’t made the list is that I just haven’t made it to their books yet. If I didn’t insist on re-reading an entire series when a new book comes out, I might squeeze some more books in, but so far, I haven’t wavered.

In the “guilty pleasures” category, another favorite is a paranormal romance series called the “Leveling Up” series by K. F. Breene, where a 40 year old divorcee discovers that she is the heir to a magical house, the acceptance of which gives her an enormous fund of magic of her own, and enormous problems that go along with it. This series also has a large streak of humor running through it.

I could keep going; I have many favorites I like to re-read. The thread that ties them all together is the element of immersion. When I read these books, I lose myself and become totally submerged in the events I am reading about. Most of the time, there are characters in the book that I would love to be friends with if they existed in real life. Sometimes, there is an element of escapism; for example, in both the Haunting Danielle and the Country Club Murder series, neither heroine worries about where next month’s rent comes from. It’s nice to be submerged in a world where the main character, at least, doesn’t have to worry about where their next paycheck or meal is coming from. And the writing in my favorites is always good writing. Don’t ask me to define what good writing is; I know it when I see it and feel it resonate within me. “Good writing” isn’t simply a matter of style, either, as vastly different styles still constitute “good writing.” My “good writing” favorites have gotten me through many of life’s toils and troubles.

“They” often say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. I think I’ll amend that to say when the going gets tough, the survivors start reading. It fits me, anyhow.

Do you have a definition of "good writing"? What are your favorite books to escape to when you need a break from regular life? 

They Have to Keep Showing Up by Sarah E. Burr

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

 

It’s no secret that I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts. These shows tend to cover one case every episode, giving their audiences a high-level understanding of the featured investigation. However, once in a blue moon (or solar eclipse), I come across a podcast dedicated exclusively to one crime, one victim, and one quest for justice. My latest find is NBC’s Murder in the Hollywood Hills, hosted by the legendary Keith Morrison. Like every case I listen to, the crime made me mad over its senselessness, but there was also a deeper level of anger that accompanied this one due to how “justice” continues to play out to this very day.

Kristi Johnson, age twenty-one, was living and working in Los Angeles, pursuing her dreams of acting, hoping to be discovered. One day in February 2003, she arrived home at her apartment brimming with good news to share with her roommate. A man had approached her at the local Century City Mall, telling her she had the “perfect look” for an upcoming Bond film that was in the works. He requested she show up at a house in the Hollywood Hills, dressed in a white button-down shirt, high heels, nylons, and a miniskirt to audition for the role. Kristi, excited to seize the opportunity and get her big break, dressed as instructed, told her roommate to wish her luck, and jetted off toward fame and fortune in her Mazda Miata. Along the way, she stopped to ask a couple for directions to this Hollywood Hills home, and that was the last time she was ever seen alive.

By someone other than her killer.

When Kristi didn’t return from this seemingly too-good-to-be-true audition, her friends and family immediately sprang into action to find her. The search for Kristi became a catalyst that ultimately resulted in the apprehension of Victor Lawrence Paleologus, a dangerous predator who had been on the prowl for years.

Now, as a dedicated consumer of true crime (I hate using the word “fan” because it glorifies these horrible events), I’ve heard Kristi Johnson’s story many times before. Each podcast featuring this crime does its best to respectfully convey Kristi’s life and the search for justice. Yet, Murder in the Hollywood Hills took this case to new heights by emphasizing the incredible power of the inspiring, brave women who survived Paleologus’s previous (and numerous) assault attempts, which each began by him luring women with promises of fame and fortune as a Bond girl. The podcast mainly features the harrowing experiences of Christine Kludjian, Cathy DeBuono, and Susan Murphy, but there are—unfortunately—many more. Their stories show how Paleologus skated under the radar of our justice system for decades. Yes, this podcast explores Kristi Johnson’s murder and the hunt for her killer, but it also sheds valuable light on the failings of our justice system and how victims who survive these types of attacks are forced to spend their entire lives fighting to protect themselves from their attackers due to the red-tape involved with parole and early-release programs.

Up until Kristi’s murder, Paleologus had skirted justice for decades, striking deals with DAs to avoid serious jail time. The gut punch of this whole thing is that Paleologus was released from prison in 2003, and within three weeks, Kristi Johnson was dead. “Rehabilitated,” my a**. Even more disturbing, part of Paleologus’s plea deal for Kristi’s murder is that he will be granted the ability to apply for parole after serving twenty-five years. Where is the justice in a man, who has confessed to luring an innocent young woman to her death, being allowed to potentially walk out of prison? One who has proven time and time again he will reoffend?

And to think, Kristi didn’t even get to spend twenty-five years on this earth.

In the wake of Kristi’s death and Paleologus’s conviction, Cathy DeBuono spearheaded an unaired documentary on the man’s predatory nature, and inadvertently formed a sisterhood with the other survivors. Through this experience, they’ve had to accept and understand that Paleologus will forever be at risk of being paroled, and they are continually working to ensure what happened to Kristi never happens to another person at Paleologus’s hands. You can learn more about their advocacy work at https://www.justiceforkristi.org/ where they post regular updates about their quest to keep this man in prison. Part of their mission is making sure Kristi’s story stays in the news, and that’s why programs like Murder in the Hollywood Hills exist. They are forever reliving these terrifying moments by sharing their stories to serve as a warning to others that demons walk among us.

Cathy and her sisters have seemingly scared Paleologus to his core. In the years since he became eligible, the inmate has waived his right to a hearing because warriors like Cathy, Christine, Susan, and more keep showing up to protect the world from predators like him.

Paleologus last voluntarily waived his right to hold a parole hearing in 2023, but due to his deal with our justice system, he will have the opportunity to do so again in 2025.

And you can bet this sisterhood will show up.

But it’s simply heartbreaking that they must keep doing so.

Listen to Murder in the Hollywood Hills wherever you get your podcasts.

What Nancy Drew Taught Caitlin Clark by Judy L Murray

I admit, I am obsessed with Nancy Drew. Then again, I’m obsessed with most famous women sleuths, from young to old. Trixie Belden, Jane Marple, Nora Charles, Jessica Fletcher, Agatha Raisin, Precious Ramotswe - you name them and I’m likely a huge fan.

Then there’s Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking sports phenom. Caitlin is described as a singular force in women’s college basketball like no other. The final game, between South Carolina's Gamecocks and the University of Iowa's Hawkeyes, peaked at a whopping 24 million viewers combined on ESPN and ABC, making it the first time in history that a women's final in any sport draw a larger TV audience than the men's, according to ESPN. Her talent, drive, and focus have brought women’s basketball into the hearts and minds of many, even those who before Caitlin had little interest in women’s sports.

Remind you of another female phenom? Nancy Drew was introduced in April 1930, an extremely tough time for our country and the world. The Secret of the Old Clock, Nancy’s first case, was on the New York Times Best Seller list for almost two years. It was unprecedented, especially for a sixteen-year-old female character only ten years after women won the right to vote. Four more of her adventures were released that same year. To date, 175 mysteries, over 80 million copies, have been sold. The world embraced Nancy Drew and the concept that women could be smart, seek adventure, and persevere under pressure. She encouraged a love of reading when a generation was swamped by sadness, shoes lined with cardboard, and absent fathers.

In the midst of the Great Depression when books were a luxury, soup kitchens were common, and families often divided to find jobs, people scrounged up the money to purchase Nancy’s adventures. Nancy Drew became a popular role model impacting generations to come, including young women like Caitlin Clark. I remember in the 1960’s, my fervent hope was to talk my father into buying me her latest adventure. He’d take me to the local pharmacist on Sunday afternoons where I’d spin the display wheel of books with longing eyes.

So, what does the icon Nancy Drew teach Caitlin Clark and any young woman who wants to excel in sports, art, science, or raising strong and stable children?

Caitlin Clark Instagram

1.     Self-discipline. Nancy is prepared. She’s aware of her surroundings. She doesn’t sleep in. She keeps an overnight bag for emergencies in her trunk. When she’s on the case, she’s tireless.

2.      Determination. Nancy is not side-tracked by naysayers who attempt to discourage her or Friday night partiers. She stands up for herself even in the face of criticism, determined to excel, to build on her own talents. She’s indefatigable.

3.     Courage – Nancy is fearless. Nancy searches in musty basements, spooky attics, caves, and under crumbling walls. She travels the world outside her safe Midwestern community. Nothing holds her back from fulfilling what she believes is her destiny.

4.     Respect with self-respect. She’s a young woman who respects her seniors but never caves. She’s committed to her objective. She’s not intimidated. She believes in herself.

5.     Can work under pressure. She taps Morse Code while tied to a chair. To think is to act.

6.     She values loyalty to family and friends. Nancy’s acquaintances often face difficult odds, but they know they can depend on her. She steps forward to seek justice and close the case, time after time.

Nancy Drew and Caitlin Clark are exceptional at their craft. They inspire. They leave me with much to emulate.

Who provides you with inspiration when you stare at a blank page, feel the self-doubt of a muddling middle, or face a fourth revision? Try to picture Nancy and Caitlin. Nancy would be on the case, chin up and flashlight in hand. Caitlin would stand mid-court, call up her confidence, and take that three-point shot. 

Bibliophilic Friday: The Ghost of Marlow House by Bobbi Holmes (Review by Nancy L. Eady)

Published in 2014, The Ghost of Marlow House is the first of the Haunting Danielle series by Bobbi Holmes.  The latest installment in the series, The Ghost and the Poltergeist, will be released around April 30. 

Danielle Boatman arrives in Fredericksport, a fictional small town on the Oregon coast, to take possession of a three-story, turn-of-the-century mansion, left to her by her great-aunt, which she intends to turn into a bed and breakfast.  Her friend Lily has come with her to help for the summer.  However, when Danielle goes into Marlow House for the first time, she discovers it already is occupied – by the ghost of Walt Marlow.  Danielle has a gift that allows her to see spirits other people normally can’t.  So, Danielle can see Walt, and Lily can’t.  While Walt is not aware that he is dead when he first meets Danielle, she quickly helps him adjust to his “new” reality.  Walt can’t remember how he died, so he asks her for help to find out.  After Danielle discovers that the town believes Walt Marlow committed suicide in 1925, he begs her to help him discover the truth about his death so he can “move on.”  He is adamant that he did not commit suicide.  Intertwined with the mystery of Walt’s death is the mystery of the “missing Thorndike,” a priceless necklace that also vanished in the 1920”s. 

The fun in this series is not just solving the mysteries but getting to know the characters and the town of Fredericksport.  Danielle, Lily, and Walt are fun people to get to know and the complications Danielle encounters as the only person able to hear Walt add humor to the novel. The ingenuity, doggedness and determination Danielle uses to solve both mysteries are the mechanism giving the reader their introduction to many of the characters that populate the series.  

The Ghost of Marlow House is a fun, cozy mystery that will invite you back to the town and its residents again and again.  If you like cozies, and are looking for a new book, and/or a new series, I recommend The Ghost of Marlow House and its sequels. 

Why Ghosts Often Appear in My Novels by Marilyn Levinson

 Though I’ve never met a ghost, I’ve read enough about ghost sightings and hauntings to believe they exist. Experts in the field say some spirits remain earthbound because they’ve experienced a brutal or sudden death and don’t realize they’re dead. Others remain here because they have unfinished business or issues they need to resolve before passing on.

Ghosts, whether you believe in them or not, have a permanent place in our literary lore. Readers find their manifestations unnerving, thrilling and intriguing. George and Marion Kerby in Topper and the sea captain in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir are three of my favorite literary spirits.

Ghosts appear in my Haunted Library mystery series; my mystery, Giving Up the Ghost; and in my juvenile novel, Getting Back to Normal. They are fully-developed characters who have remained on the Earthly plane to be of assistance or to settle accounts. In Death Overdue, the first book in my Haunted Library series, Evelyn Havers is the sixty-something ghost that haunts the Clover Ridge Library, where she worked as an aide for many years. While invisible, she urges my sleuth Carrie Singleton not to turn down the position of Head of Programs and Events she is being offered. Carrie takes Evelyn’s advice and soon discovers she has made the right decision. When her first program presenter dies before her eyes and those of a roomful of library patrons, Carrie goes on to investigate his murder and that of the cold case he claimed to have solved. Evelyn helps Carrie in her investigation, but also holds back information for personal reasons. It isn’t until Buried in the Stacks, the third book in the series, that Carrie discovers Evelyn’s death was no accident. 

Cameron Leeds, the ghost in Giving Up the Ghost, is a charismatic scoundrel. In life he was a good-looking man with a generous heart, except when he was wheeling and dealing, often at his friends’ expense; a Romeo who flirted with every woman who crossed his path. Though his best friend, the town’s police chief, has declared his death an accident, Cam knows he was murdered. Trouble is, he doesn’t know who did it, and he can’t move on until he does. When Gabbie Meyerson rents his family’s cottage—the only place where he can manifest—Cam nags and cajoles until she agrees to investigate. Gabbie starts asking questions, and to her dismay discovers that several of Cam’s so-called friends and neighbors are glad he’s dead and are possible suspects. 

Twelve-year-old Vannie Taylor, the protagonist in Getting Back to Normal, has just lost her mother and her father is a basket case without her. Vannie meets Archie the ghost, hours after her father has moved her and her brother to live in a dingy cottage on the estate where he manages events. Archie appears to be carefree and funny. Dressed in a tuxedo, he performs cartwheels and handstands. He has overheard Vannie wondering aloud what to give her brother for dinner, and provides her with a simple recipe. He even tells her she can find the necessary ingredients in the mansion’s kitchen.

But Archie is far from carefree, as Vannie and her best friend discover when they research his life. He was twenty-five when he died chasing the thief who stole his wife’s necklace. Archie tells Vannie that before he can go to his rest, he must atone for having left his wife and their one-year-old son. She is astonished to learn that Mayda, her parents’ close friend and the last of the family athat once owned the estate, is Archie’s granddaughter. Archie implores Vannie to encourage the budding relationship between her father and Mayda—the one thing Vannie doesn’t want to happen. But it may be the only way her life can get back to normal.

Is it any wonder that I've included a ghost in my new Dickens Island series? Helena is my sleuth's grandmother. Like Evelyn Havers, she reappears to offer information about past events and to help restore peace and order in the town where she used to live.

Ghosts, real or imagined, always add a dimension to a novel.

 

Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Split or Chocolate Cake and Why

Strawberry Cheesecake, Banana Split or Chocolate Cake and Why?

Eating preferences can tell you a lot about an individual’s personality. Here’s a little insight into each of the Writers Who Kill bloggers.

Connie Berry - Cheesecake, please—but hold the strawberries.

Lori Roberts Herbst - Strawberry cheesecake. I'm not a huge ice cream eater. I love chocolate (too much), but there's just something about cheesecake that tingles my tastebuds.

Debra H. Goldstein – Chocolate Cake – especially a multi-layer one with raspberry filling between the layers puts me into a sugar high frenzy.

James M. Jackson - Ice cream stands on its own as a great dessert, so diluting it with a banana doesn't make sense to me. I enjoy chocolate cake (& chocolate frosting), but I love the dense richness of cheesecake. And when you combine that with the sweet strawberry glaze, YUM!

E.B. Davis - Hard choice. A banana split because of the variety within, different flavors of ice cream and toppings, but hold the whip cream (it’s much ado about nothing).

Korina Moss - Strawberry cheesecake, as long as it’s from Junior’s (NYC). 

K.M. Rockwood - Chocolate cake! Dark chocolate, with three-minute boiled fluffy frosting. And a big glass of cold milk. My mother made wonderful chocolate cake every time my Aunt Mary came to visit. I loved it. I always tried to save my milk to drink with it (we were limited to one glassful per meal) but I seldom managed to save more than a mouthful.

Shari Randall - I have to choose? Drat! Then it's strawberry cheesecake all the way - I love strawberries and cheesecake is so wonderfully indulgent.

Nancy Eady - Chocolate cake.  With white buttercream icing.  Because I'm a purist at heart and the banana split mixes too many flavors, while I just plain don't like cheesecake. 

Kait Carson - Chocolate cake. Especially my Chocolate Church Cake – it’s a chocolatepoloza. Is there anything better?

Lisa Malice - Cheesecake and chocolate cake are everyday desserts. But a banana split is a real treat, an indulgence in flavors and calories. Haven’t had one is years!

Martha Reed - Strawberry (or any type of) cheesecake because ice cream and icing are too sweet. 

Mary Dutta - Chocolate cake, because chocolate!

Susan Van Kirk - I’d pick strawberry cheesecake. Cheesecake in any possible configuration would be at the top of my list. I love chocolate, but chocolate cake is too much chocolate.

Margaret S. Hamilton - Chocolate ganache cake lush with dark chocolate goodness.

Marilyn Levinson - Strawberry cheesecake--because it's the healthiest. 

Heather Weidner - Chocolate anything is always my go-to dessert. I survived college and grad school on chocolate and caffeine. 

Annette Dashofy - Although most people know I’m a chocoholic, I would choose Strawberry cheesecake. (Chocolate cheesecake would be my ultimate decadent choice, though.)

Grace Topping - Chocolate cake is at the top of my list of dessert favorites. I love chocolate. Cheesecake is usually at the bottom. Since I don’t like bananas, a banana split isn’t even on the list.

Sarah Burr - I can’t say no to a multi-layered chocolate cake. I love desserts that take a long time to eat (so you can enjoy it more), and eating a cake piece-by-piece without fear of anything melting is the best!

Molly MacRae - Really dark, moist chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting. Why? Because why bother with the others if you can have really dark, moist chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting?

 

Celebrating with the Agatha Nominees

By Paula Gail Benson

Each year, I look forward to interviewing Agatha nominees prior to the Malice Domestic Conference. Unfortunately, my work schedule did not allow me to ask questions this year, but it has not stopped me from enjoying the diversity, uniqueness, talent, and skill of the nominees’ work.

In this message, I wanted to showcase the best contemporary novel and best short story nominees. They all are people I respect greatly and many of them have become dear and cherished friends.

The best contemporary novels show the amazing scope and range mystery novels can explore.

Malice Domestic’s Agatha nominated Contemporary Novels:

§  Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron

§  Helpless by Annette Dashofy

§  The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski

§  A Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss

§  The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian

Particularly, I must give a shout out to two of our Writers Who Kill partners, Annette Dashofy and Korina Moss.

Annette and I began our association in an online writing class taught by Susan McBride. After seeing the movie Ambulance Girl, I understand how Annette could work and write so convincingly about EMTs. With multiple series and stand-alone novels, she is a seven-times Agatha nominee. Here’s a link to her website: HOME | annettedashofy

Korina’s Cheddar off Dead won an Agatha for Best First Novel. Her recipes are as delightful as her quirky, small-town characters. Her novels allow readers to take virtual trips to the Sonoma Valley. She now has five books in her series. Here’s a link to her website: Korina Moss | Cozy Mystery Author (korinamossauthor.com)

Agatha and Lefty award winner Ellen Byron writes multiple series, under her name and as Maria DiRico. Before venturing into writing novels, she had a career as a playwright and screenwriter. Her humor, her knowledge of the TV world, her depictions of New Orleans, and her lovely devotion to good food makes her books wonderful excursions. Here’s a link to her website: Cozy Mysteries | Ellen Byron | Author

I met Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity award winner Tara Laskowski through her very talented husband Art Taylor. She gave me an opportunity to serve as a guest editor for the online journal SmokeLong Quarterly. Now, I’m a fan of her suspenseful novels and “What Scares You” blog posts (appropriate for someone born on Halloween), and a great admirer of her son Dash, who is a fantastic artist. Here’s a link to her website: Tara Laskowski - Tara Laskowski

Each step of Gigi Pandian’s writing journey has brought me new concepts to appreciate. Whether she’s writing intricate locked room stories, Jaya Jones adventure novels, or the exploits of a living gargoyle, her work is magical. Oh, and she writes about a magician, too! She’s an Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Lefty award winner. Here’s a link to her website: Gigi Pandian: USA Today Bestselling Author

The short story nominations show the great number of opportunities for publication: respected periodicals, convention anthologies, and a collection based on a group’s music. [Note: clicking on the story title links will allow you to read the nominated short stories.]

Malice Domestic’s Agatha nominated Short Stories:

§  Shelley Costa, “The Knife Sharpener” in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jul/Aug 2023

§  Tina deBellegarde. “A Good Judge of Character” in Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Traditional

§  Barb Goffman. “Real Courage” in Black Cat Mystery Magazine issue 14

§  Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski. “Ticket to Ride” in Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Beatles

§  Richie Narvaez. “Shamu, World’s Greatest Detective” in Killin’ Time in San Diego: Bouchercon 2023

Shelley Costa’s work has been nominated for both the Edgar and Agatha Awards, and has received a Special Mention for The Pushcart Prize. Shelley explains after initially being captivated by the only female civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg, how it took five years of mulling over the idea for it to culminate into “The Knife Sharpener,” which she wrote in a week. Here’s the link to her process: Sharpening Knives Takes a Very Long Time (by Shelley Costa) | Trace Evidence (trace-evidence.net) Here is a link to her website: Shelley Costa Mysteries | Women Sleuths

A former middle school teacher, paralegal, and exporter, Tina deBellegarde now writes full time when she is not (1) helping her husband tend bees, harvest shitake mushrooms, or create jewelry designs, or (2) visiting her son in Japan. She writes the Batavia-on-Hudson novels for Level Best Books in addition to short and flash fiction. Her nominated story shows how a feline’s change in habit can provide clues to a murder. Here is a link to her website: Home | tdb writes (tinadebellegarde.com)

Barb Goffman is a well-known and respected mystery short-story writer and editor, having won three Agatha Awards, two Macavity Awards, and the Anthony, Silver Falchion, and Ellery Queen Readers Award. She has been a finalist for national crime-writing awards forty-one times. Her collection DON’T GET MAD, GET EVEN won the Silver Falchion in 2013. Her nominated story shows her adeptness at using different points of view in a single story. Here is a link to her website: Home - Barb Goffman Mystery Writer

I am incredibly grateful to Dru Ann Love and Kristopher Zgorski, both Raven award winners, for their excellent reading recommendations as well as their devotion to and promotion of mystery fiction. Their collaboration on this gentle and powerful story of how an action from years before can continue to have ramifications is a terrific way for them to enter the field themselves. I hope the collaboration will continue. Here’s a link to Dru’s website: http://drusbookmusing.com.

Here’s a link to Kristopher’s website: BOLO BOOKS | Be On the Look Out for These Books

Born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Richie Narvaez has worked as a writer for most of his career, in all kinds of publishing, in print and online. He’s the recipient of the Spinetingler Award for Best Collection and an Agatha and Anthony for Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco.

Here is how he describes his unique protagonist: “In my story, “Shamu: World’s Greatest Detective,” the killer whale has been outfitted with a device that lets AI translate and transcribe her thoughts. With the aid of land-based assistant, Angie Gomez, Shamu investigates crimes professionally in order to save up enough money to buy her freedom from SeaWorld. In this story, a San Diego Padre has been murdered, and it’s up to the world’s greatest detective to uncover the culprit.”

Here’s a link to Richie’s website: About | Richie Narvaez

If you haven’t already, why not include some of these authors on your to be read list?