Seeing the Pictures of a Story vs. Reading the Words

Seeing the Pictures of a Story vs. Reading the Words by Debra H. Goldstein

I Am Alfred Hitchcock is a 2021 documentary that I recently saw at Birmingham’s Sidewalk Film Festival. It followed Hitchcock’s career, interpersonal relationships, and the mastery of his art of making the viewer feel a part of each story. The documentary was divided into several thematic topics including escape, desire, and height that can be related as much to filmmaking as to writing.

For example, depending upon the film, Hitchcock provided escape for the viewer from the reality of the world around them, escape for the characters from danger, or escape from a mental state. If an author succeeds with a book, a reader is captivated away from their everyday existence for as long as they are immersed in reading. Part of the reader’s escape comes from seeing if the characters will escape external threats that put them in peril or danger. If the conflict arises from something internal, the reader waits to see if the character can overcome the mental fears or confusion blocking them from acting.

He believed desire might be attainment of a goal, such as murdering a wife (Dial M for Murder), obtaining a valuable piece of jewelry (To Catch a Thief), successfully fleeing with stolen money for one character or committing a brutal act for another (Psycho). Hitchcock also often used the camera to highlight romantic desire as it built between characters by filming a kiss directly or using circling camera angles or the filming of circling characters to build the implied sexual tension. Similarly, writers may start with characters hating each other who warily circle each other until their lust can’t be contained. Of course, how much of this plays out is either described in detail or, as in a cozy, happening behind closed doors.

Hitchcock used height through high/wide camera angles or close-ups to show scenery, isolation (loneliness), and to build tension (North by Northwest). Coupled with common sound effects, such as street noises, Hitchcock engaged the viewer. Although the visuals don’t exist in a book per se, authors use words to create the same effects. When a book works, the reader becomes so immersed that a subliminal translation is made from personal visuals to what is happening on the page.

The point of the documentary, besides illustrating the complexity of Hitchcock himself, was to demonstrate how framing the various shots, enhanced by sound, costumes, and actor gestures, created a whole product for the viewer. Authors do the same thing with words. 

Do you prefer to have the storyline run through your head by viewing pictures or reading worded descriptions?

Website Rehab by Sarah E. Burr

It’s incredible how many subject matter experts (SMEs) are required to publish and promote a book. The scary part is they’re all usually the same person. Especially if you’re like me, a hybrid author living most of her life in the indie space. Since I began writing in 2017, I’ve had to become an SME in editing, proofreading, book formatting, copywriting, tech systems, cover design, social media, website design, marketing…the list goes on. As authors, we’re responsible for so much beyond just writing an engaging story with relatable characters and a twisted mystery. For me, all these things I’ve had to learn over the years, I’ve figured out by doing and googling the heck out of how-to videos. In this profession, you learn something new every day, or you’re forever playing catch up.

So, when I learn something, I try to share it with others. I do this mostly through the tutorial videos on my YouTube channel, which highlight how to use programs like Canva to make eye-catching book promotional materials. But today, I want to share some tips and suggestions when it comes to managing your author website.

I will be very honest; managing my website is one of my least favorite things. I try to remind myself that a website is often the first impression someone gets when looking an author up online. As the host of A Bookish Moment and The Bookish Hour, I use author websites all the time to get information about my guests. It’s the first window we get into who an author is and what they’re all about.

The checklist below is a compilation of things I am looking for when I’m visiting an author’s website or working on my own:

 

·         An up-to-date “About” section

o   This is meant to introduce yourself to your readers and charm them. Share a bit of your journey through this section, but keep it professional enough that interviewers and bloggers can use this information to write an introduction or biography for your feature.

o   First person versus third person: Writing an “About” in the first person often feels like you’re communicating directly with the reader, which is lovely. However, if you don’t provide a media kit on your website (see bonus point), a first-person write-up can be a royal pain for interviewers and bloggers. I often use the “About” section to craft a bio for my podcast or blog guests; third-person write-ups make this much more manageable.

·         A high-quality, professional-looking headshot

o   What do you want your first impression with a reader, interviewer, or conference host to be? When I come across a blurry or unfocused photo on a website, I am forced to question the competence of the individual. These are our jobs, our careers. We should be professionally presenting ourselves. This doesn’t mean your photo can’t be fun. Showcase your personality; just make sure you're wearing business casual clothing and have a high-resolution image (1080x1080 pixels or more).

·         An up-to-date “Book(s)” section

o   Make sure your books are displayed somewhere on your website. This might seem like a given, but I’m amazed at how often I have to scour a website to see the books an individual has written. And when I find their book listing, they only have their first or latest book posted. ALL your books should be somewhere on your website. If you’ve written a lot, it’s a pain, I know, but it’s a necessity. You want readers to be able to see and access everything you’ve done because who knows which book will resonate with them. You don’t have to have long-winded descriptions of each. For my fourteen-book Court of Mystery series, I highlight the latest release and then have thumbnails of all the other books in the series.

o   Make sure the book covers are formatted so interviewers can download the images for any promotional materials they need.

·         A form or pop-up for newsletter sign-ups

o   We all have heard about the importance of a newsletter in marketing. It is the one contact list we own as authors. If social media ever vanishes, we could still communicate with readers through our newsletters. So, it’s vital that signing up for such a list be made accessible. Most platforms allow integration between your newsletter and website (some companies even offer both services). Make sure your newsletter sign-up is prominently displayed or called out on your website. This way, you can direct readers to your webpage instead of a newsletter sign-up URL.

·         Bonus: An online media kit

o   As an interviewer, when I come across an author webpage with an online media kit, I’ve hit the jackpot. It’s a one-stop shop for everything I need when crafting a feature about the author. A media kit includes:

§  A third-person biography

·         I like to provide bios with different word counts to make sure I cover any situation (fifty words or less, a hundred or less, and two paragraphs are my recommendation)

§  A professional-looking, high-resolution headshot

·         With the quality of cell phone cameras these days, you don’t need to break the bank by hiring a photographer. The photos in my media kit were taken by my husband and a small $10 tripod I bought on Amazon.

§  High-resolution images of your latest book covers

§  Shareable links

·         These include (but are not limited to) your website, newsletter sign-up, book product pages, book listings on preferred retailers, and writing extracurriculars (such as a blog or podcast).

 

If I find all this information on an author’s website, I’m happy. This means that, as an interviewer or blogger, I can get everything I need in one place if/when my guest doesn’t send the materials to me.

You don’t need tabs and tabs of information on a website, either. I’m guilty of having too many tabs because I have too much going on in my author and author-adjacent worlds. A simple one or two-page website can get the job done, and it becomes much more manageable in the long run.

I also recommend dedicating time every month to sit down and visit each page of your website to ensure that they are functioning as expected. You’d be amazed how often a broken URL can occur, and by scheduling time to check out your website, you can keep the content up to date. I used to do this only when I had a new release rolling out, and the number of items I had to address beyond incorporating my latest book was overwhelming. Websites, unfortunately, aren’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” type marketing tool. They need to be maintained to be valuable.

What do you like to see when visiting an author's website?

MARKETING STRATEGIES TO CONNECT WITH READERS AT BOUCHERCON: A Debut Author Perspective

 

By Lisa Malice

Wow! That pretty much sums up my Bouchercon experience this year in Nashville. The five-day conference that brings together readers and writers passionate about mystery, thrills, and suspense was more exhilarating than I could have hoped for. And for good reason. It was my first conference engaging directly with readers as a published author. It truly was an unforgettable four days.

Going into Bouchercon, I had a game plan for getting LEST SHE FORGET in front of readers and enticing them to buy my book in whatever format they might prefer. Some strategies worked well to move the 19 hardcover copies of my novel in the conference bookstore, while others may have boosted online sales of e-books and audiobooks.

My first outreach to readers was my silent auction donation—a box designed with a skeleton-theme to highlight the closing scene of act two in LEST SHE FORGET that sets up the story’s thrilling climax. I surrounded the box with promotional signage highlighting my IBPA Award (“Best New Voice in Fiction”), marketing materials, and notice of a “Second Chance” raffle for all bidders for five chocolate skeletons. Visually, the display was unlike any other auction item, one that invited people to check it out closely, bid to win it or a raffle prize, and take a brochure or bookmark.

My second outreach to readers involved making my marketing brochure available for anyone to take a copy. This 4-page, folded booklet offers readers a wealth of information about me and my book: awards, author blurbs, reader reviews, book formats, author bio and contact info, and the first chapter of LEST SHE FORGET. I set a stack with signage in an alcove where other authors had left their bookmarks and left six on every table for the Debut Authors Breakfast. 

My first face-to-face encounters with readers were two back-to-back panel appearances with follow-up book signings. As I offered my thoughts, I felt a keen sense of belonging with my fellow panelists and connection with the audience. There I was, up on the stage, microphone in my face, discussing titles (session 1) and genres (session 2) with a line-up of well-established authors and speaking to readers and authors who seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say.

At the conclusion of the first panel, a reader approached me. “I read your book,” she said with a big smile on her face. “I loved it!” She then revealed she was one of the IBPA judges who honored “Lest She Forget” with the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal for “BEST NEW VOICE IN FICTION.”  I couldn’t have been more surprised and delighted!

I didn’t really expect to sell any books during the follow-up signings—Bouchercon had just started. But as it turns out, I impressed four readers with my thoughts about each panel topic enough for them to hand over $20 of their Bouchercon budget for a signed copy of my book. I felt a compulsion to check my stack of books regularly to see if LEST SHE FORGET was selling, but it wasn’t. I stood nearby observing the shoppers and noticed people walk by my stack of books without a second look. I approached one reader as she picked up my book and started to read the back cover. It only took a minute chatting for her to decide to buy LEST SHE FORGET and get it signed.

The encounter made me realize that sales depended on me meeting readers, so I made it a point to spend more time in the communal areas, especially the hospitality room, where I could sit down and talk with folks as they relaxed with a drink and something to eat. My encounters always started with me showing interest in them, their Bouchercon experience, what genres they liked to read. If they happen to mention thrillers, then I pitched my book, and gave them brochures. I always asked about book clubs and encouraged people to let me know their thoughts on my book by contacting me through my website. This strategy worked particularly well with the winners of my second chance raffle—four of the five dashed off to the book room to buy a copy of LEST SHE FORGET and returned for me to sign the books (the fifth winner was an author).

Readers weren’t the only people I encountered with this strategy. I also met two librarians and two book bloggers – “bookstagrammers” – connections which may lead to exponential growth in sales and readership. (I’ll write about my experience with libraries and book influencers soon.)

All told, I sold twelve of my twenty hardcover copies of LEST SHE FORGET I brought to Bouchercon. With so many books and authors to choose from at a book conference, I consider that a good showing. Moreover, my Amazon sales rankings for the e-book version of LEST SHE FORGET jumped more than 1000 points—from 1,956 to 873 (my audiobook ranking is inaccessible), suggesting that my marketing strategies were effective sales tools. During this past week, the rankings have held strongly in the low 1,000s. I’ll follow-up over the next two weeks with those I met – newsletters for readers and authors, emails for librarians and book bloggers to further our collaboration. I hope to see continued growth in sales and readership. 

NEWSFLASH! One of those online sales just blossomed. I received a website inquiry from a Broward County, Florida, library volunteer who attended Bouchercon. He was "enthralled" with LEST SHE FORGET and how I used my psychological background so deftly to tell my story. As a result, I have been invited to schedule an author talk! With Florida MWA's Sleuthfest days away, the conference is a perfect opportunity to coordinate a book tour with Florida east coast authors.   

If you are an author, what marketing strategies helped you grow readership after your debut? If you are a reader, what draws you to learn more about a debut author and their book?

 

It’s All about Balance by Heather Weidner

Before I started writing novels, I was involved in some group anthology projects. For one series, we did almost one hundred in-person and virtual events in about a year and a half to promote the books. I enjoyed meeting people and talking about mysteries, but I soon realized a writing life needs balance. With so much travel, there was hardly enough time to write my novel.

Here are some tips that work for me to help me organize my time.

Make a schedule. I still have a day gig, so I have to schedule everything. I keep a calendar of key writing events and due dates. I have to stay organized, or chaos takes over.

• Try to write (or revise your work) every day. If you leave your project for a few days, it takes time to get back to the place where you left off. (I write from 5:00 - 7:30 every morning and then on my lunch hour. If I hit my word goal, then I’m done for the day.)
• Set your writing goals. To finish a first draft in a reasonable amount of time, I need a daily writing goal. I know if I stick to my schedule, I can have a completed first draft in about two and a half months. I have a running tally on a sticky note to keep me motivated and to see my progress.
• Sit down and write. When you are writing your first draft, just write it. Don’t stop to revise chapters or paragraphs. Make notes and keep going. If you fall into the rewriting trap, it’ll delay your writing process for months (or years).
• Plan your marketing. When I have a new book release, I create a spreadsheet (three months before and three months after). I track all of my online and in-person events, and I make sure I have plenty of time to complete guest blog posts and interviews. Make sure you track all your due dates.
• Organize your contacts. I hate spending time searching for something I know I have, so for things I want to remember, I make spreadsheets. One has all the blogs, podcasters, book reviewers, and other contacts that I like to follow. I add to this throughout the year, and it helps when I start planning my promotions.
• Organize your research notes. I also have a spreadsheet of ideas. I used to keep file folders of newspaper and magazine clippings. Now, I keep cool names, interesting locations, weird true crime stories, and names of resources in one document. It makes it so much easier when I’m looking for story ideas.
• Make sure that you’re also reading. It’s important to keep up with what’s being published and what’s new in your genre.
• And take a break for some relaxation or fun!

How do you balance your writing with the myriad of other things in your life? Let me know what you would add to my list.

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio

 

 

By Margaret S. Hamilton

 

With favorite melodies like “Yesterday” and “Hey, Jude” running through my head, I ordered tickets for the Cincinnati Opera stage production of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio. McCartney wrote the oratorio—a large scale orchestral and choral work with no costumes, scenery, or action—for the one hundred-fiftieth anniversary of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. It was performed in Liverpool Cathedral in 1991 and later performed throughout the world.

 

Music Hall, Cincinnati

In 2022, the Cincinnati Opera started to organize the first opera performance of Liverpool Oratorio—with soloists, chorus, orchestra, costumes, staged with sets—as part of the 2024 Cincinnati Opera’s Summer Festival. Artistic Director Evans Mirageas traveled to Liverpool with the opera set and lighting designers to plan the production. With the four soloists, six members of the Cincinnati Ballet, eighteen members of the Cincinnati Boychoir, and forty-plus members of the Cincinnati Opera chorus, it was a packed stage. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, in full “Verdi” mode with lots of brass, performed in the orchestra pit beneath the stage.

 

McCartney collaborated with TV, film, and ballet composer Carl Davis to orchestrate his oratorio. The work is comprised of eight movements from the life of Shanty, born in 1942 Liverpool during the German bombings. It is an autobiographical piece, mirroring McCartney’s own childhood and teenage years in Liverpool. He pays homage to his grammar school teacher, Miss Inkley, the only female teacher in a school with a thousand male students: “As the lone female in this establishment, you may call me ‘Sir’.”

Stage set

The stage set was a large street map of Liverpool, placed at an angle on the stage floor. The action was relatively fast (unlike some operas with the climax scene—usually a death—lasting up to an hour). The transitions between the movements flowed smoothly. The ending with the combined soloists and choruses reminded me of the final movement of Handel’s Messiah, peace, and joy forever and ever and evermore.

 

The orchestral music was lush and full-bodied. The aria lyrics and melodies were pleasant, evoking many Beatles songs. The solo singers were excellent, veterans of the international opera stage. The ballet dancers seamlessly integrated their choreography into the musical numbers. And not to forget the eighteen members of the Cincinnati Boychoir, running around the stage in their schoolboy blazers, shorts, and knee socks, who stole the show.

Music Hall

 

The Cincinnati Opera is actively engaged in making opera performances accessible to the local community, with recitals and outdoor performances in public venues, including the zoo. By staging McCartney’s oratorio, it has moved summer opera in a new direction, appealing to a wider audience.

 

Readers and writers, have you attended an opera production?

 

 

 

 

 

Killer Questions – Killed Anyone Real in One of Your books? 

People often ask writers if their characters are based upon real people. Authors usually answer that their characters are a combination of imagination and composite characteristics of people they have met. We decided to be a little more honest today by discussing how many real people we have figuratively killed off in our books and telling you the best story about one of them.

E.B. Davis - Two—and I disguised them in books because their stories shouldn’t be known. They are toxic people.

Paula G. Benson - Actually, not any. I know writer friends who have used fiction as an effective therapist. I need to think more seriously about this approach.

Debra H. Goldstein – One. She shall remain nameless, but let’s just say her behavior was such that I held a memory and a grudge for many many years – only to let it go when I killed her when I first started writing.

James M. Jackson - Sad to disappoint, but that number is zero.

Grace Topping - I haven’t figuratively killed off anyone real yet. However, I used a real person as the model for my villain in Staging is Murder.  He/she dropped the victim’s body down a laundry chute—where it landed at Laura’s feet.  

Annette Dashofy - Now this question could get me into a lot of trouble. I think I’ve killed three real people in books but I’ve killed those same three multiple times. One person had made me extremely angry by treating someone I care about very badly. I killed them in a book and then happened to run into them. For the first time in a long while, I felt no ill will toward them. It was like “you’re dead to me now.” Murder (fictional, of course) is very therapeutic.

Heather Weidner - My body count is up to 36 now. Wow. I’m deadlier than I thought. My sleuths are amateurs, so they have to use whatever weapon they happen to have nearby. I have two favorites. Jules Keene in VINTAGE TRAILERS AND BLACKMAILERS subdues the killer by knocking him out with a large, iron skillet that her campers use to make s’mores on the firepit. And Emory the prickly bookstore owner in STICKS AND STONES AND A BAG OF BONES was strangled to death by a string of Christmas lights. 

Margaret S. Hamilton - I almost killed a member of the neighborhood yard police by putting her in a screaming coffin filled with dry ice (carbon dioxide) and suffocating her. I am reported by the yard police on a yearly basis.

Marilyn Levinson - Just one, and I'd best not reveal anything about it.

Mary Dutta - My first published story had a character who was the fair-haired boy of his MFA program, who was most definitely based on the fair-haired boy of my graduate program. I didn't kill him off, but he didn't emerge unscathed.

Susan Van Kirk - If I might turn this around a bit…I helped raise money for our local art center by auctioning off character names in my Endurance series. A junior high teacher, who was also the Christian Education person at our church, won the auction. She chose a character in the 19th century who poisoned her abusive husband with mushroom gravy. Made me wonder…

Martha Reed - I’ve only figuratively killed off one real person – a jerk of a boss. It turns out that I’m grateful to have known them because that anger made me mad enough to finish writing my first book, and once I finished the first one, I knew I could write and finish more. Ha-ha. I won. 

Lisa Malice - When I first started writing mysteries, I planned to kill off my husband’s business partners. They had teamed up to steal the business he built for them and needed to die (figuratively).

Kait Carson - Sorry, no can do. That’s why I use a pen name 😊

Nancy Eady - I didn't kill off someone, but I sent them to jail.  A few years ago, there was a state attorney general I really did not like and the antagonist in my book is a state attorney general gone wrong who gets caught. and will have to go to prison. 

Shari Randall - I have tended to stay away from real people in my books, but I will say that if a character is dealing drugs, they might want to hurry up and get their affairs in order.

K.M. Rockwood - My characters are very real to me, and some of my protagonists are based on people I know (with their knowledge & permission) but I can’t think of anyone I’ve killed off. I can tell a few stories, though. The “model” for my Jesse Damon character was very gifted mechanically, and liked to keep busy. He was a hard worker. He was often assigned to maintenance details. At one point, he was working on an old boiler of a heating system, and it became necessary to call in an outside contractor. He was showing the contractor around, pointing out what the problems were and what he’d done to try to fix it. The contractor was a bit uneasy and glancing around. He finally said, “Doesn’t it make you nervous to be working in this prison, with all these murders and things all over?” My Jesse character shook his head. “Since I’m one of the murderers, it really doesn’t bother me all that much.

Korina Moss - My characters aren’t based on real people. The characters I kill off have the negative characteristics cumulated from several people.

Teresa Inge - I kill one to two people per story. My favorite method of murder is my protagonist lassoing a lanyard around the killer’s neck to strangle him.  

Sarah Burr - I plead the fifth on this one.

Lori Roberts Herbst - I could tell you, but then I'd have to...well, you know...

Connie Berry - None. And I hope I never do. To hate someone so much you wish them dead is deadly to your own soul.

 

 

Down the Research Rabbit Hole by KM Rockwood

I love reading stories that transport me to another time and place. If a historical mystery is good, I’m either reading it or hurrying with necessary tasks to get back to it.

These are such fun to read. All writing takes a lot of hard work, but would writing historical be fun? So many authors offer polished, enthralling stories. They manage to incorporate vivid details, outdated mores, and characters who would not make it in the modern world even if they were to exist.

Could I write a story like that? Would I enjoy it?

Uh, not likely.

I should have learned my lesson a few years ago when I wrote a story about the Catoctin Iron Furnace just after the Civil War. The hours I spent reading old newspapers, some of them still on microfiche (remember that?) Visits to the ruins of the Catoctin furnace and museum. Then on to the Cornwall Furnace, another iron furnace that had been restored as historic site. Delving into the internet, only to realize hours later that I had wandered off my immediate research path. I didn’t really have to know what kinds of trees make the best charcoal to use in the furnace.

I spent a good month on the research, and even then wasn’t quite sure I had enough of a handle on the people and the times. I wrote the story, but never got over the queasy feeling that I’d made glaring omissions and errors.

Won’t do that again, I decided. People who write historical fiction obviously have an ability to absorb the feel for a different time and place. They have acquired specialized knowledge, which they put to good use to create believable characters, locations, and plots. I admire their talents. But they aren’t my talents.

Then I ran across a submission call for crimes in antiquity. Stories set in ancient times. Sounded like a great idea. I often use anthology calls for inspiration.

Intriguing. I took Latin in high school, and the instruction of the language was interspersed with culture. I also excelled in my world history classes (really, I now know, European, not world, history.) Besides, I saw movies like Ben Hur. Surely I knew enough about the ancient Roman Empire to write a short story. And with the internet, I could do most of the research without traipsing around to other locales.

I just have to have enough self-discipline to stick to information I need.

The main character will be a slave stableboy in a Roman outpost on the eastern edges of the empire.

Okay. What did slaves wear? Tunics? I guess I’ll have to look it up.

Did they have shoes? Slaves did not wear shoes. Not even slaves who worked with horses, with their stomping hooves and the piles of manure they produced.

I’m envisioning a scene in the rough wilderness adjacent to the steppes where a wheel comes off a chariot.

Wait a minute. We all know the Romans raced chariots, but did they use them for reconnaissance and fighting? No. Chariots didn’t hold up well to off-road use. Their wheels might come off.

But they did use chariots for parades and other ceremonial purposes.

Okay, we’re dealing with a ceremonial chariot. Who kept it in good repair? Probably an enslaved wheelwright.

And if the wheel comes off, how was it attached in the first place? They didn’t use any suspension system. Just a straight axle with decorative hubs on the wheels slotted into naves and held in place by pins.

Now the horses. The favored chariot horses were Berbers from North Africa. That brings up references to Carthage.

Numerous records report that the Carthaginians, or the Poeni as the Romans called them, sacrificed children to the goddess Tantit by burning them alive. Did that regularly happen on a ritual basis? We know that history is recorded by the victors, who often show the people conquered in the worst possible light, often highly exaggerated. I ran across a study trying to extract DNA from burials of children in sacred cemeteries. What would that show?

Wait a minute. I’m placing this story on the Eastern fringes of the Roman Empire, not North Africa. Let’s not dive down that irrelevant rabbit hole, no matter how interesting.

What’s beyond the outpost to the east? The steppes? Who inhabits them?

I’ve heard of Scythians. I’ve even been to a museum exhibit on them. Fascinating, warlike nomads. Skilled horsemen and horsewomen.

Possibly one source of the Amazon myth. Excavated burials showed finely-crafted artifacts, often of gold. They were reported to have red hair and blue eyes. Would they have approached and possibly raided my Roman outpost?

No. By the time of my story, the Sarmatians had replaced the Scythians. Darker complexions, possibly from farther east in Asia. But many similarities. Women were not permitted to marry until they had killed someone in battle. Their possessions were not nearly so finely crafted as the those possessed by the Scythians.

Maybe I have enough background to at least start my story, although I know I will be looking up one detail after another as I write. Thank goodness for the internet.

Let me start with those chariot horses imported from North Africa. See if they were transported on ships or what. Did the cursus publicus, the Roman postal system of roads, extend to North Africa? It was used for general transport as well as sending messengers. Would horses be driven along those roads?

Back to North Africa. There’s something on that study of DNA from infant burials in Carthage. Maybe I could take just a quick look at what they’re finding. It should only take a minute…

A Visit to the Emily Dickinson House

 by Shari Randall

When a friend invited me to visit in Amherst, Massachusetts, I didn't hesitate to say yes. I adore visiting author homes and high on my list is the The Homestead, the birthplace and home of Emily Dickinson. 

Most of us are familiar with the poetry of Dickinson, AKA the Belle of Amherst. Her approximately 1,775 poems comprise some of the most popular works in the world. Come along and visit with me, and I'll share some surprising facts about the home and poet.

This portrait of siblings Austin, Lavinia, and Emily (left, with the knowing expression) as a child offered the first surprise - her red hair.

The Victorians really liked pattern and color. The Homestead is full of brightly colored wallpaper and rugs (The docents are sure to mention that most of the furnishings are not original and are recreations.) Look at that rug in the living room!

Right next door is Emily's brother and sister-in-law's home, Evergreens. The surprise here was art-stuffed rooms, soot blackened walls, and overall haunted-manor vibe. The Evergreens was built for Austin, and his wife, Susan, at the time of their marriage in 1856. After their deaths, the home remained inhabited and kept intact by their daughter, Martha, until 1943. The furnishings are original and the home is undergoing a restoration process. Evergreens is a time capsule for those who want to see how it was when the Dickinsons lived there and Emily spent time there.

The dress on display in Emily's bedroom is a replica; the original is held by the Amherst Historical Society. Biggest surprise: You can spend a hour or two writing in Emily's bedroom! The Museum offers studio sessions here on their website: https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/studio-sessions/

One surprise was utterly mind-blowing to this writer. Many writers cringe at the thought of an editor changing their prose, but Emily took a different approach. One room is set aside for visitors to engage with her poetry and play editor. When writing her poems, Dickinson would place a plus (+) symbol next to select words and in the margins she would list suggested replacements. The museum has built a poem "slider" where visitors can change the text of her poems by replacing words and phrases with Emily's suggestions. 

No surprise here. Amherst cherishes Emily's legacy, as shown in this mural that looks over West Cemetery where she is buried. Fans and aspiring writers visit and leave tokens of their esteem and their own poetry.

Are you a fan of Emily Dickinson's poetry? Do you have a favorite?

FAIR DAYS

 by Korina Moss

September always puts me in the mood for a fair. I’ve been going to the Eastern States Exposition, better known as The Big E, in Massachusetts for 20 years. It’s an agricultural fair and then some, celebrating all things New England and takes place for 17 days in mid-September. 

I love the vibe of a fair: Watching happy people carrying large stuffed animal prizes on their shoulders, eating anything on a stick, and buying items that seem like “must buys” in the moment; the rhythm of the crowd noise punctuated by screams of teenagers on thrill rides and the bells and whistles of midway games; the quieter stalls of farm animals, giant pumpkins, and ribbon-winning pies, produce, and quilts; and the comingling aromas of cotton candy, kettle corn, smoked meats, and fried foods. Together, they create the cozy comforts of a fair—a perfect locale for a cozy mystery. 

Thus, it’s no surprise that I took a lot of inspiration from my love of the fair for my fifth Cheese Shop Mystery, Fondue or Die, which takes place at the Dairy Days festival. I pulled some of the dairy aspects of The Big E and incorporated them into my festival— the butter sculpture and the cows, goats, and sheep, as well as foods like milkshakes, poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and mac and cheese in a bread cone. The Big E’s dairy judging turned into a cow parade for my fictional festival, and I added games like cow chip bingo and a musical udders contest (fake udders, of course). The festival’s Miss Dairy pageant was also my own idea. I think the chaos and slightly farcical nature of an outdated competition like this with, nonetheless, high stakes, make for a good mystery setting. 

Butter sculpture in progress

The best part of writing Fondue or Die was getting to spend so much time in my imagination at the fair. The worst part was no access to fair foods. My imagination apparently cannot adequately satisfy my craving for fried Oreos. 

What’s your favorite part of the fair? Give a shout-out to your favorite fair or festival. 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. Her 5th book, Fondue or Die, releases on October 22nd. To learn more and preorder, visit her website korinamossauthor.com. 

Big News from Bouchercon by Mary Dutta

Last week I headed to Nashville to attend Bouchercon, the world mystery convention for writers and fans. The conference is named for Anthony Boucher, a mystery author, critic and editor, and 2024 marks its fifty-fifth year.

Bouchercon is big. Really big.

The crowds are big. Attendance tops fifteen hundred people.

This year’s venue was beyond big—it was huge. The resort and conference center sprawled over three million square feet, and boasted indoor waterfalls and gardens. One late-arriving panelist explained that he couldn’t figure out how to get to the meeting room from the opposite side of the hotel.

The conference had some big-name authors, like Harlan Coben and international guest of honor Mick Herron. The streaming adaptation of Herron’s Slow Horses spy series launched its third season this week.

The Anthony Awards, voted on by conference attendees, can put authors in the big leagues, as can the other honors given out at the conference like the Barry, Derringer, and Shamus awards.

My story “The Boyz in the Band” was chosen for inclusion in the Bouchercon anthology Tales of Music, Murder, and Mayhem, which was a very big deal for me!

I came up with some big story ideas while there, inspired by both the child beauty pageant and the clogger competition happening in other parts of the hotel.

I brought home a big haul of books, promising many happy hours of reading.

And in a big coincidence, a random woman who joined me at a table in the lobby turned out to be from the Sisters-in-Crime Central Virginia chapter, the first mystery writing group I joined. I had met members of the group at the very first mystery conference I ever attended—Bouchercon 2015.

I had gone to Raleigh, North Carolina that October as an aspiring writer with big dreams, some of which have come true. There’s more I want to achieve, though, so I’ve already got big plans for next year’s conference in New Orleans.

Are you a fan of mystery writing conferences, as a writer or a reader?

Believe it or Not, by Lori Roberts Herbst

 I recently finished reading a book (which shall remain nameless) that left me feeling frustrated. It wasn’t the writing, which was good. Nor was it the editing — the book was clean and almost error free. The characters were admittedly a little shallow, but not enough to cause my vexation.

 

So, what had me shaking my head as I turned the last page? It was the inherent unbelievability of several major plot points.

 

Less than a quarter of the way in, an event occurred that I found far-fetched. Okay, I said to myself, maybe it’s just me. After all, I’ve been told on occasion that I can be overly analytical.
I’ve walked out of many a movie mumbling, “It was good, except these three things I couldn’t wrap my mind around…” Knowing this about myself, I sucked it up and kept reading.

 

About halfway through the book, another major “plot twist” defied plausibility. After that, the hits just kept on coming.

 

At this point, you might be wondering why I bothered to finish the book. I attribute it to yet another of my personality quirks. Unlike my friend, author Nicki Huntsman Smith, who argues rather persuasively that life is too short to stick with a bad book, my reading (and movie-going) life is one of full-on commitment. When I start a book, I battle on to the end. For better or for worse, it takes a lot for me to abandon all hope.

 

I should add that I’m perfectly willing to suspend disbelief if a book or movie can convince me a plot point is possible. I love science fiction, for example, and can be sucked into time-space continuums that have no basis in present-day reality. But the circumstances must present as feasible in my earlier mentioned analytical mind. (Here, I must interject my struggles with my own series…how many murders can one small, mountainside village sustain before the remaining residents simply flee for greener pastures? But as someone who enjoyed many episodes of Murder, She Wrote, I simply steel myself and concoct yet another fictional death.)

 

As noted, I can get past scientific incongruities and even numerous homicides occurring in one unfortunate locale, but multiple plot points that make little sense, defy logic, and cause me to roll my eyes — that’s a deal breaker. If I’m spending more time trying to rationalize an event—or two, or three — than I am transported into the story, the book has not succeeded. At least, not for me.

 

Books can be magical and still believable.

 

What about you? As a reader or writer, how important is believability to you?

 

The Callie Cassidy Mystery series is available on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.

 

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Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in Rock Creek Village, Colorado, and the soon-to-be-released Seahorse Bay Mysteries, set in a Texas cruise port town. To find out more and to sign up for her newsletter, go to www.lorirobertsherbst.com