Guess Who's A Pantser by Connie Berry

 

Recently I read an interview with the wonderful British crime writer Ann Cleeves. I’ve read every one of Ann’s Shetland and Vera series, and I’ve watched every episode of the wonderful television shows. I read her books, not only for the amazing plots, fascinating settings, and fully realized characters but also for her craft. That’s why I was so surprised to learn that Ann Cleeves is a pantser. If you don’t know what that is, see below. Here’s a part of that interview by Deborah Crombie, asking Ann Cleeves about her new series starring Matthew Ven:

 Debs: This book has such a twisty-turny complicated plot.  I wondered how much you plan ahead. 

 Ann: Not at all! I don’t know anything about the book, except the setting, when I start.  Very quickly I decided that this would be more of an adventure story than anything else I've written.... But I still didn't know the plot details.                

Really? Now that caught my attention. And raised questions. But first, what are plotters and pantsers? Plotters plot in advance, sometimes in great detail. Pantsers let the story evolve naturally. They “fly by the seat of their pants.” I always think of the two approaches to writing in terms of travel.

A TRUE PLOTTER would plan out every day’s route in detail and make hotel reservations in advance. They might even locate gas stations and restaurants along the way. All this would be programmed into their GPS, of course, for mile-by-mile guidance, complete with speed traps and traffic congestion.

A TRUE PANTSER would just get in the car and head west. The trip might take a few days longer. Some roads might turn out to be dead-ends, and there would probably be a lot of necessary course corrections. But think of the surprising adventures the pantser might have along the way! In our real travels, some of the most memorable experiences have happened when we ended up someplace we hadn’t planned.

Why am I so interested in Ann Cleeve’s writing process? It’s because the more books I write, the more of a pantser I’ve become. The manuscript I’m about to turn in, A Grave Deception, Book 6 in the Kate Hamilton Mysteries (coming Fall 2025) was written with less plotting and more pantsing than I’ve ever done. The result was both exciting and terrifying. And required a lot more revision.

Could I ever really cut myself off from all pre-planning and just go with the flow? I honestly don’t know. I think I’d need more than a year for that book, but I may be wrong.

So here are my questions—and I really am curious:

If you’re a pantser, do you really, really not plan ahead at all? Do you just put down ideas as they occur to you? What if those ideas turn out to be dead ends?
For you plotters, what would it take to persuade you to write a book with no planning ahead whatsoever?

Jennifer Chow Interview by E. B. Davis

Felicity Jin returns in the second book in the heart-warming and deliciously mysterious Magical Fortune Cookie series from Lilian Jackson Braun Award-nominee Jennifer J. Chow.

Jin Bakery has been asked to cater the Lum-Wu outdoor wedding at Pixie Park. The day of the ceremony, Felicity is finishing the “cake” of tiered egg tarts as the wedding party arrives for the ceremony. When one of the groomsmen, Miles Wu, doesn’t arrive, Felicity’s best friend and local florist Kelvin generously steps in for him and the wedding goes smoothly—until cake cutting time.

That’s when Felicity finds Miles’ dead body beneath the table with her egg tarts display, stabbed by Kelvin’s gardening shears. With the detective’s sights on Kelvin, Felicity starts sleuthing away to prove his innocence, revealing dark secrets about all the wedding's attendants. They each had something to hide—and a reason to quiet Miles forever. To make matters worse, Felicity’s powers of prediction are on the fritz thanks to the emotional turmoil of a surprise visit from her estranged father.

When the groom gets poisoned at the send-off party and winds up in a coma, the stakes are even higher, not to mention Felicity’s feelings for Kelvin are beginning to feel more than friendly. Will Felicity’s magic return in time to catch the true culprit and rescue her budding relationship with Kelvin?

Amazon.com

 

I was disappointed when I missed the first book in Jennifer Chow’s new Magical Fortune Cookie series. Star-Crossed Egg Tarts, the second book in the series releases on January 21. As most of you know, Jennifer used to blog with WWK, but other responsibilities pulled her away from us. I’m glad for this opportunity to catch up with Jennifer.

 

Jennifer’s protagonist, Felicity Jin, is twenty-eight and a third-generation Asian American living in Pixie, CA. Her family, consisting of her mother and herself, owns a bakery, which is handed down via the family’s females. There’s special magic imbued in the baked goods and sometimes that magic helps Felicity and her best friend and florist Kelvin Love, solve mysteries.

 

Please welcome Jennifer Chow back to WWK.            E. B. Davis  

 

  You’ve been keeping busy, Jennifer. Where did the idea for this series come from? Doing more baking or making magic at home? I always loved baking, even as a kid. I was the first in my family to try my hand at making cookies. But I fell in love with the delicious magic of fortune cookies on a school field trip to San Francisco’s Chinatown—guess the idea has been percolating in me ever since!

 

The novel is mostly set in Pixie, CA, which is close to Fresno. Did you create Pixie? Is it based on another town? I did create Pixie. It’s a word play on Pixley, which is close to Fresno. And I wanted to call my place “pixie” because it’s got a small-town vibe. 

I’m having trouble using the word “Asian” because it seems to be too broad. Can we ask about the Chinese culture specifically without it being politically incorrect? Sure, that’s probably more accurate. Felicity is third-generation Chinese American.

 

What is the significance of the color red in the Asian (Chinese) community? Red is a very lucky color. I have friends and family who’ve deliberately painted their front doors red!

 

Felicity is catering the wedding cake. But the cake is really a tiered arrangement of Hong Kong style egg tarts. Are the tarts popular? Yes, they’re quite popular. Originally, they’re a spin-off from British egg tarts, but they’re well-loved in dim sum eateries.

 

Do people actually get full body scans for bespoke wedding cake toppers? You know, since the advent of 3D printing, it’s been a thing for couples to get detailed, unique toppers. That was a fun research rabbit hole to fall into! 

 

The bride and groom are a mix of tradition (the tea ceremony as part of the wedding) mixed with unconventional (the groom had a best woman, and the bride had a best man), which surprised me. You mentioned that Felicity is a third-generation Chinese American. Are the bride and groom a few generations away from the old country, too? They’re second-generation and beyond. But it’s definitely a contemporary trend to have whomever you want to be part of your wedding party.

 

Each Jin baker has a specialty. Felicity’s mom’s specialty are pineapple buns. But Felicity makes egg tarts and fortune cookies. Which is her specialty? Felicity’s recipe is fortune cookies. Her mom, Angela, makes pineapple buns and also egg tarts (which was Felicity’s late grandmother’s specialty and magically passed down to Angela).

 

We learn that the Jin Bakery is grouped among two other shops. Jin Bakery’s products are infused with magical joy. Felicity’s godmother, Alma Paz owns Paz Illuminations, which has “wish candles.” Felicity’s best friend Kelvin Love owns the other shop, Love Blooms. He’s a florist and provides flowers for the wedding. Does he have magic in his flowers and arrangements? Only the magical artistry of flower design, but stay tuned…

 

Pet rabbit Whiskers appeared to Felicity after making a wish on one of Alma’s candles. Does Whiskers now give Felicity guidance? Yes, Whiskers is a magical companion and lovable pet. She’s able to give visions to Felicity (after the requisite cuddles) and help Felicity with her questions regarding supernatural elements.

 

Felicity’s father appears as a wedding guest. Although she hasn’t seen him most of her life, she recognizes him and wants to forgive his abandonment, but his story doesn’t quite add up. Why is Kelvin so suspicious? First off, Kelvin will always be protective of Felicity. Second, who shows up out of the blue after decades of no contact for a good reason?

 

Felicity was told that the family’s recipes were handed down verbally. But it turns out that there is a recipe book. Why didn’t Felicity know that? Why didn’t her mother explain what happened? The book was deemed lost, and Angela didn’t want to let Felicity know that. Plus, it would open up painful memories from Angela’s past. 

 

Detective Rylan Sun was the detective in the first book, Ill-Fated Fortune, when a murder took place at the Jin Bakery. When she moves to Pixie, Felicity’s mom brings her oranges. What is the significance of oranges as a home welcoming gift? Oranges are considered delicious gifts bringing brightness and luck. Plus, the Chinese word for mandarin oranges is similar sounding to their last name, so the Jins use oranges as sort of an edible calling card for their family.

 

At first, I thought when Felicity called Kelvin’s father Mr. Love, she was being disrespectful since Kelvin’s father is a doctor/surgeon. But there was a reason she did so, isn’t there? Kelvin’s dad doesn’t stand on formality. Plus, he’s always preferred “Mr.” as a title since he doesn’t want to be misrepresented as a professional romance expert.

 

What is dàn tà? That’s the Mandarin word for egg tarts.

 

What is Foo? Foo Lions? Foo can be a surname, and it’s part of the name of a local restaurant near Pixie. Foo lions are the stone guardian statues in front of businesses (or palaces). They can be erroneously called “lion dogs” or “Foo dogs,” but they’re not actually canines.

 

Do you know how fortune cookies are made? Is it a fried batter or is it dough that is shaped and baked? It’s baked! I even visited a fortune cookie factory to watch it being done first-hand. And I just might’ve purchased some to make sure I got the flavoring right! 😉

 

After the murder, the bride and groom don’t immediately go on their honeymoon. The entire wedding party stays at the local bed and breakfast. Why didn’t they return to their homes? The wedding party stays to give support to the bride and groom. Plus, the Pixie police are interested in keeping them around for questioning for as long as possible…

 

Felicity seems to be honing her magical powers. When someone eats one of her magical fortunes in her presence, she can see colors. What do the colors reveal? The colors indicate different areas in a person’s life that Felicity can make predictions for…

 

What’s next for Felicity and Kelvin? They’re off to partner up in another mystery—with even more magic throw in! The third book in the Magical Fortune Cookie series is slated to come out in 2026

The Wise Men’s Gifts

by Paula Gail Benson

 

Each year, I delight to work with my St. Paul’s Players drama ministry (at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, S.C.) to create a dinner theater event to celebrate the holiday season. Our effort this year was called THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE, based on a short story by Judge Bert Goolsby, “The Gift House.” A family’s summer ritual, during the hottest days to keep cooler, is pondering what might have happened to the three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) the wise men or kings brought to the baby Jesus in the cold of winter at his birth in Bethlehem.

In his story, Judge Goolsby tells the tale as a remembrance. For our production, I had a Pastor give the account as part of his Christmas Eve sermon. He stood at a podium and behind him, our actors first played out a summer’s evening on the porch, discussing as family members what might have happened to the gifts. Then, they took on separate roles as historical characters as the Pastor gave that narrative.

While over time, the gifts have taken on symbolic meanings (gold for kingship, frankincense for priesthood, and myrrh for burial), according to the story, there is no clear record of what happened to those gifts and whether the Holy Family had time to take them along when they traveled to Egypt to avoid Herod’s slaughter of the innocents (to eliminate a potential rival king). Over the years, people speculated about the house where the Holy Family had been living and whether the gifts might have been hidden there. When an Arab named Abdullah acquired the house, he received money to let people search the house. No gifts were ever found.

Then, during the crusades, a Knight, Sir Robert, arrived in Bethlehem. He always questioned if he had fulfilled his destiny. When he discovered he had become a leper, he was encouraged to go the house where the Holy Family had lived to see if he could find the gifts. Like those who had searched before him, he found nothing. However, when the owner Abdullah saw Sir Robert’s leprosy, he offered to help. Abdullah brought out a container of ointment that had been hidden away in the house (and perhaps was the wise men’s gift of myrrh). The ointment cured Sir Robert’s leprosy.

Our cast featured: Sid Ballentine (Uncle Ned/Abdullah), Brenda Byrd (Mother/Miriam), Janie Fulmer (Aunt Dora/Naomi), Olin Jenkins (Pastor), Randy Nolff (Uncle Jed/Sir Geoffrey), and Mark Wade (Uncle Fred/Sir Robert). Lights and sound were managed by Billy Itter. Carol Rabon Itter assisted with box office. Pat Itter prepared our programs. Our church secretary, Alice Richardson, cooked a wonderful meal of lasagna (meat or vegetable), salad, garlic bread, desserts, and beverages. All were delicious!

For each production, we select a cast project or local entity or charity for which to collect funds. This year, the program was Linda’s Love, operated by Lexington Medical Center Foundation and providing holistic emotional and psychological support for patients and their families. The fund was established by Jeffrey Angstadt in memory of his late wife Linda, a breast cancer survivor with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a unique understanding of the value of compassionate care. Contributions provided for programs to assist suicide prevention, behavioral health collaborations, cancer transitions, perinatal loss, and caregivers. We were incredibly pleased to raise over $500 for Linda’s Love.

 

Photo of Cast and Crew by Heather Coats

Do you look forward to a special event to celebrate the holidays? 

California Fires and Storytelling

 California Fires and Storytelling by Debra H. Goldstein

I wasn’t going to write a January Writers Who Kill blog because, somehow, I believed the short stories extended through my day – Wrong! Realizing my mistake, I thought about addressing the fact that Birmingham, Alabama had a fifteen-minute snowstorm on Monday, January 6, and a real one on Friday, January 10th. It had amused me when I noticed the blizzard like snow falling on Monday, but my weather app said it would be over in six minutes – and it was.

Then, the fires came in California. Horrific. Pictures can’t begin to convey the misery, fear, devastation, and tragedy. There were numerous deaths (even one was too many), but I can’t begin to comprehend the mental impact. Homes and memories lost. Hopefully, many of us in the writing and reading community have already reached out to help.

Having been evacuated from a spa in Baja California, Mexico during the San Diego fires, I have some idea of the fear of seeing the smoke coming one’s way, of embers stinging one’s skin, of the sky darkening, of grabbing what one needs versus everything one could take, and of surviving. I never wrote about it. At the time, it was too raw. And yet, looking back at the situation I was in, I realize there were high adrenaline moments as well as comedic things that occurred that would make for good storytelling.

I fear, eventually, the same will be true from this disaster. There will be stories from the perspective of survivors, from the viewpoint of destroyed buildings, of being on a road clogged with abandoned cars as flames come from behind, inside the mind of first responders as well as looters, and of occurrences while being sheltered.

Will they be told for profit? Or, simply by the people who lived them to save their sanity? Do you have a story to tell?

“Off the Page” with Bobbie Brooks by The Wren (Sarah E. Burr)

 

A Note from Sarah Burr: I’m handing the blogging reins to Winnie Lark, the main character in my Book Blogger Mysteries. Winnie runs a popular bookish website called What Spine is Yours (think Metacritic for the literary world). However, she manages it anonymously, and the online community only knows her as “The Wren.” She often interviews guest authors through their characters, and that’s the focus of today’s feature. Enjoy!

Greetings, bookish friends! The Wren, here. Bobbie Brooks from Kara Lacey’s Camera Club Mysteries is coming off the page with me this month. Bobbie, thanks so much for being here. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your new series. You’re my first photographer-turned-amateur sleuth! How did you become interested in photography?

First—thanks so much for having me on What Spine is Yours! I’m a huge, huge fan, and I can’t even begin to tell you how honored I am to be interviewed by The Wren!

Bookmarks, you’re going to make me blush.

Oh gosh, am I gushing? Well, it’s all true.

Photography… I guess I’d say I kind of fell into it. I’ve always been an expressive person, and I love art in all its forms. Growing up in the city, I spent loads of time in museums, art galleries, concert halls, and theaters. When I was younger, my first passion was dancing. Then, in my late teens, when digital cameras became a thing, my parents bought me one for my birthday. I took pictures of anything and everything. Boston provides so much fodder for the eye. But it wasn’t until my daughter Emma was born that I really started caring about the quality of my photos. I wanted them to be… well… more. I have a good friend who’s a photographer, and I always loved hanging out in her studio. She got me involved with a photography club in Boston. One thing led to another, and my desire to improve grew from there.

Boston! How cool. I, uh, well, I know someone who lives in that area. What led you to Stonebridge, Vermont, and why did you join the Keep it Snappy Shutter Club?

The short answer—my sister, Alicia. I’m a born and bred Bostonian and never expected that to change. I mean, seriously, I’m a city girl at heart, and Vermont is so… rural. But, about a year and a half ago, my husband died unexpectedly. I’ll admit I wallowed a bit. Okay, a lot. Then, a house in Stonebridge—that’s where Alicia lives—came on the market. She thought it would be the perfect place for me to open a photography studio. Crazy idea, right? But you have to know Alicia. She can be extremely persuasive. And she’s usually right—annoyingly so. The house really is perfect for me, and the little barn out back makes a lovely studio. I just really, really needed a fresh start of sorts. So, here I am.

When I moved, I was most worried about two things: One—I knew I’d miss being part of my photography club in Boston. And two—I desperately wanted to feel like a part of my new community. So, with the help of Alicia and my friend Rose, I started a new club in Stonebridge. Its name—The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club—was Alicia’s suggestion. I’m pretty sure she was being facetious.

Facetious or not, I love a good pun. And it’s so inspiring that you decided to follow your passion after your world turned upside down. Can you tell us a bit more about Stonebridge? What makes it the perfect place for a cozy mystery?

Honestly, Stonebridge is the last place you’d ever expect anyone to be murdered. It’s a tiny little village—ridiculously quaint—nestled in the Green Mountains. We even have our own covered bridge!

I live on Main Street, across from the village green. That’s where our farmer’s market and annual festivals take place. Next door to me is my second home—Rose’s coffee shop, The Rosebud Café. Stonebridge also has a bookstore, a tavern, and—oh yeah—a yoga studio. No Vermont town would be complete without a yoga studio.

But truly, the heart of any Vermont village is its local market. The Stonebridge Village Market is owned and managed by my sister. If you’ve never experienced a Vermont country store, you need to. They pretty much exist to fill your every need. Bakery, deli, canned and boxed goods, clothing, hardware, fishing lures, snow boots… Seriously. If they don’t have it, you don’t need it. Not really, anyway. And, if there’s anyone you’re hoping to run into, the village market is the place to hang out.

It sounds like a little slice of New England paradise. But, of course, murder is lurking in the shadows. What was your initial reaction when you stumbled upon the mystery in Caught on Camera?

I couldn’t believe it! I mean, yeah, Tiffanee wasn’t the nicest person, and I had a bad feeling when she didn’t show up for our club’s photo shoot, but murder?

When I found her lying beneath the covered bridge, I just knew something was off. Even so, I managed to convince myself she’d fallen and hit her head. You know, a tragic accident. It had to be. Well, it was, until the police detective showed up on my front porch. Turns out, they found my missing scarf wrapped around Tiffanee’s neck, hidden beneath the collar of her jacket.

Oh, wow. No wonder they came calling! So, who in town has been the most interesting or unexpected person you've met through your investigations?

Hmm, good question. Stonebridge is full of interesting people. I guess the person who surprises me the most is my curmudgeonly next-door neighbor, Lester Miller. I mean, no matter how I try, I can’t get more than a humph out of him whenever I say hello. He’s what Vermonters call a “woodchuck.” He was born and raised in Vermont, as were his parents and grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents and… you get the idea. I think the general rule is that you need seven generations of ancestors to be considered a Vermonter. Don’t quote me on that. Anyway, Lester is as crusty as they come, and I just can’t believe he won’t even offer a friendly hello. But, as it turns out, he’s a really good guy.

Without giving away too many spoilers from Caught on Camera, could you share one heart-stopping moment that eventually ended in a fit of laughter?

You’ve got to love a good laugh. With this one, the laughter actually came a bit later, but there’s one instance in particular that comes to mind. Alicia had the bright idea that we needed to learn more about Tiffanee—by breaking into her house. So, Alicia, Rose, Jackson, and I donned our black clothes (so professional) and were all snooping around in the dark house when we heard a key scraping in the front door’s lock. If you’re familiar with the Keystone Cops, you’ll be able to picture what our frantic escape looked like. Then, just when we thought we were in the clear, my phone rang — because, of course, it did.

With a great teaser like that, readers will be keen to check out what happens next! Bobbie, what advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps as a photographer and/or amateur detective?

To anyone who wants to be a photographer, I’d say, follow your dream. Get out there. Take your camera with you everywhere you go and snap photos—lots and lots of them. Connect with other photographers, and always keep learning.

For anyone who wants to be an amateur detective… Are you serious right now? Do as I say and not as I do, and let the police do the investigating! I mean, I nearly got myself killed!

But you make it sound so fun! Will there be more adventures for you and your author, Kara Lacey?

Yes, definitely. Our next adventure takes place in the fall. Picture Vermont in October when the mountains are ablaze with the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of autumn. Villages across the state are teeming with leaf-peepers, and Stonebridge is holding its annual harvest festival. The Stonebridge Keep it Snappy Shutter Club is busy chronicling the events. Unfortunately, a much-loved citizen is found dead at the festival’s masquerade party, and all evidence points towards the “commune” where our new member Harmony lives.

I’ve also been hired as the photographer for a December wedding, which will take place as the village prepares for its winter holiday festival. Call me a doomsayer, but I’m pretty sure something will go terribly wrong.

Yikes! It looks like murder is “developing” into a trend in Stonebridge, Vermont—the picture-perfect place to be for mystery lovers. Check out Bobbie Brooks and the Camera Club Mysteries in Caught on Camera, available at your favorite bookish retailer.

To stay connected with Bobbie’s author, Kara Lacey, visit https://karalaceyauthor.com or follow her at @karalaceyauthor.

Learn more about The Wren, Winnie, and the Book Blogger Mysteries at www.saraheburr.com.

Rethinking Your 'Back of the Book' Blurb by Judy L Murray

Ever wonder how different authors tackle writing their back of the book blurbs? I consider the book blurb a critical component to my overall marketing effort, and I like nailing down my descriptions long before I begin writing the manuscript. They serve as a neat synopsis for me. Then I tweak the blurb right down to the final edit stage.

This time I handled my blurb for my fourth in the Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series differently. I couldn’t get the words out, so I set it aside until the manuscript was complete. I also did some research on how other authors handle blurbs. It led me to a book entitled Fiction Blurbs – The Step-by Step Guide by Phoebe J. Ravencraft and Bryan Cohen.

Let me say upfront that my bookshelves hold plenty of writing guides collected over the years. I’m sure you have them too. More often than not, I’m disappointed. They frequently ramble, focus on the author, or are far too basic.

Fiction Blurbs gets five stars from me. My copy of the book is riddled with highlighted phrases and caused me to reconsider my approach. It also served as a resource for evaluating my overall storyline. I think many book blurbs, even written for/by extremely well-known authors, could use a few of these pointers.

Here are brief recaps of some of Fiction Blurbs’ lessons:
• Book blurbs have one job – to get the reader involved.
• A book description is not a summary. I’ve fallen into this trap as have many authors.
• Evoke images.
• Ramp up the story’s tension with each sentence or phrase.
• Your main character is the focus of your blurb. Don’t use names of any other character to distract. Big mistake on my part.
• The plot doesn’t matter. It only provides the protagonist’s challenge. Readers care most about characters. Show them why they should root for your main character.
• Use active, powerful verbs.
• Show, don’t tell. The Golden Rule when we’re writing our manuscripts. Do we forget this when we write book blurbs?

Below is my blurb ‘headline’ for Villian in the Vineyard scheduled for spring release and the second paragraph using much of Fiction Blurb’s advice.

Chesapeake Bay’s favorite sleuth unearths a vineyard’s poisonous secrets
Her phone rings. Her heart sinks. A local business leader and friend is dead. Last to see him alive, Helen convinces police her friend’s death is no accident. It’s murder. Days later, she discovers an eccentric vineyard owner slashed with a bottle of his prized wine. Two distinctly different backgrounds. How can these two crimes be related? Or are they?

Best of luck with your descriptions! Who else has advice or books you might suggest?

Judy L Murray
Learn more at https://www.judymurraymysteries.com

In Which 2024 Refuses to Leave by Nancy L. Eady

By most measures, 2024 was not an easy year for me and mine. Just from the health challenges, such as my cancer/bowel obstruction surgery and major depression, I was looking forward to closing the page on 2024 and starting fresh in 2025.  We had only one health challenge left to navigate as 2024 drew to a close – my husband’s total left knee replacement on December 16.  

We sailed into the surgery with the wind at our backs and no holds barred.  And, by December 31, 2024, we hoped we had survived the headwinds of 2024 and were entering smoother sailing in 2025.  

Until January 4, when my husband’s leg started spontaneously draining again.  He immediately returned to the orthopedist, and was informed his leg is now infected.  But, I thought, that can’t be too bad, since we caught it early.   

So, I rocked along hopefully until last Friday, when the entire family (me, Mark, our daughter and the three dogs) were snow bound – SNOW BOUND! – in Birmingham, Alabama.  Then Mark started feeling worse Friday and by Friday night, I had joined him.  I was absolutely miserable on Saturday, so I gingerly eased the car out of the garage over the unfortunately not completely clear roads to find an urgent care that was open.  Driving in Alabama after a snow/ice storm is not for the faint of heart.  Too many people assume that you should drive normally and only discover how wrong they are after they are completely and hopelessly stuck somewhere.  

The only urgent care facility I found available opened at 11, so I hung around the parking lot for about an hour.  Once I got seen, I learned I was positive for Flu A.  I asked how that differed from Flu B and got a non-committal shrug.  Essentially, I was given a prescription for cough medicine, five days’ worth of Tamiflu and wished the best of luck going forward.  (Mark used Telehealth, which was safer, but basically had the same result).  My fever finally broke Sunday night, so I worked from home Monday to avoid infecting anyone else and figured we were back on track for normal Tuesday. 

Monday night, unbeknownst to me, while I was asleep, my daughter had a severe nausea attack and my (still recovering from knee surgery and the flu himself) husband dragged her to the ER at midnight.  They didn’t wake me up.  

The alarm went off on Tuesday, and I looked at my phone like I always do first thing and saw a text from Kayla’s boyfriend telling me he knew she was at the hospital and asking if she was okay.  My first thought was, “Of course she’s not at the hospital; I would know.”  But then I saw the other five texts my husband had sent me throughout the night.  Not only had they gone without telling me, but they had also come back at 5:30 a.m. without waking me up.  

My husband went back to the doctor to check his leg Tuesday afternoon, where we were told that if the darn thing doesn’t stop draining by Friday, the doctor will have to re-open the wound and do more surgery.

So now, on Thursday, I am flu-free, although my voice sounds like a cross between a bullfrog and Darth Vader, Kayla is better, and we are waiting to see if Mark’s leg will miraculously stop draining tonight to avoid an extra surgery.  

2024 seems to have inserted itself into 2025 against my express wishes.  Maybe that means when we finally turn the corner into what I wanted 2025 to be, it will stick around that much longer.  

How is your 2025 going so far?  I hope it is better than mine. 

P.S.  My small problems pale in comparison to what is going on in California right now; my heart and prayers are with the people going through those terrible fires.  Please consider donating to the American Red Cross to help them if you can.

My Almost Vacation by Marilyn Levinson

As December of 2024 drew to a close, I found myself looking forward to a vacation. A staycation, actually, but time off from writing. 2024 was a busy, often stressful time for me. I'd written two novels, one of which was the first book in a new series, as well as a short story for an anthology. I'd done edits for four novels--the first book I'd ever written and three books that were republished--along with the edits for two of the four books scheduled to be republished in 2025. As I emailed DEATH ON DICKENS ISLAND to my editor, I drew a deep sigh of relief. Ahead was January 2025--a month of free time, rest and relaxation.

Of course I had some writing-related chores to attend to. Aside from my monthly blog and newsletter, I wanted to master BookBrush and Canva to some degree and venture into BookTok. I needed to arrange promotion for my mystery scheduled to come out in the fall, and I had to start plotting the two books due in 2025. But no writing.

I started arranging lunch dates with friends and playing with my kitties. I'd go shopping; stay up late reading and streaming show after show into the early morning. I'd be on vacation, sort of, and have time to unwind and give the creative workings a sorely needed rest.

And then they arrived--the edits for my middle-grade novel. On one level, I knew they'd be coming eventually, but did they have to come so soon? My editor was very pleased with the manuscript, but like all editors she had a few suggestions, suggestions that I agreed would enhance the book. And so, after a few days that I granted myself free of work, I set about rereading my manuscript and incorporating some of these suggestions. Alas, adding scenes to a completed manuscript is always more time consuming than writing daily pages.

What have I learned from my failed plans for an almost vacation? Often edits will arrive when you least expect them, along with other writerly obligations. And so I've decided to take vacation days here and there, whenever I need a break. And if things should get too crazy and I need more time to myself, I'll make use of the Out of Office card so many of us have received.

An Interview with Heather Weidner by E. B. Davis

 

Excitement is in the air as everyone in Mermaid Bay is preparing for the Christmas season. This year promises to be more dazzling than ever when the business council sponsors a competition for the town’s lucrative summer fireworks contract. The quaint little beach town is ready to be wowed with choreographed shows and drone action that light up the night sky.

Instead of goodwill and sparkles, two of the teams take the competition to new lows with corporate espionage, feuds, and sabotage, and Jade and her team at ‘Tis the Season are ground zero for all the explosive action. When one of the competitors turns up murdered near Jade’s shop, she has to solve the mystery before the holidays are ruined.

Amazon.com

 

A Tisket A Tasket Not Another Casket is the third book in Heather Weidner’s Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe mystery series. There’s an Amazon limited-time deal on audio memberships. If you join, the audio version of this book is available for 99 cents. The book’s release date is January 14.

 

The action takes place in the last few weeks before Christmas. Big sales days for main character Jade Hicks’s ‘Tis the Season Christmas shop. To enhance the holiday sales, Mermaid Bay offers competitions to three fireworks companies on the weekends in December to vie for Memorial Day and Fourth of July contracts. Lighting display enthusiasts and bus tours bring shoppers, adding to the selling season. But in amongst the sales, murder and mayhem plague the town. The characters carry the stress. Readers enjoy the cozy elements of lit fireplaces, good food, and warm relationships.

 

Please stop by and give WWK blogger Heather Weidner a wave!             E. B. Davis   

 

At what age did Jade move to Mermaid Bay? Did she go to high school there? She was in middle school when her parents were killed in a tragic car wreck, and she moved in with her grandmother. She left for college and a job in Richmond but returned when her grandmother was ill.

 

She took over her grandmother’s Christmas Shop, ‘Tis the Season three years ago. The shop is in a converted beach cottage, which implies a small venue. But she fits over three-hundred decorated Christmas trees in the shop and has a multipurpose room used for special events like local craft vendors sales.

·      Did she add on to the cottage? She did. She expanded the original store and added more space for Christmas tree displays and holiday events.

·      Did she also inherit her house? Jade was fortunate to inherit the store and the empty lot next door and her beach bungalow. When she took over, she did some renovations, and she added the online sales to help her bottom line during months when there are fewer tourists.

 

Two of the three fireworks companies are run by families that are competitive and contemptuous rivals. The younger male family members spy and goad trying to top the other. Is the pyrotechnics industry small and competitive? Is it highly regulated by state? The industry is heavily regulated (along with the drone use). I took some liberties to give me some characters who might not always follow the rules.

 

Do the companies develop their own ways to set off fireworks? Wouldn’t they patent their gadgets to protect their proprietary rights so no one else can use them or have to pay to do so? The industry has changed over the years and involves a lot of science and technology. I took some liberties with some smaller companies that might still use some of the ways of the past.

 

Chloe, Jade’s French bulldog, often spars with a stray cat she took in named Neville, the Devil Cat, now Aunt Lorelei’s companion.

·      How did the animals come by their names? I’ve always liked the name Chloe, and I seemed perfect for a prima donna French bulldog. During the pandemic, I followed the antics of a lot of cute animals on Instagram, and one was an adorable Schnauzer who was tormented by the live-in cat, Neville the Devil. It sounded like the perfect name for my spunky tuxedo cat.

·      Don’t they knock over trees or mess with the ornaments when they chase each other? They have been known to cause a ruckus in the store. Jade tries to keep Chloe corralled when Neville is there, so she doesn’t instigate him. Jade was also grateful that her aunt asked to adopt Neville, and now he’s living his best life in her condo.

·      Does Neville climb the trees? He hasn’t so far as Jade knows. He’s well-behaved and likes to pop out among the trees to startle the shoppers.

 

Jade’s Aunt Lorelei helps in the shop. Are the Mermaid Bay family from her mother or father’s side? Why does she work in the shop when she financially doesn’t have to do so? Lorelei is Jade’s father’s sister. She’s retired and doesn’t have to work, but she does to keep an eye on Jade. Plus, it helps Lorelei stay in the thick of Mermaid Bay’s gossip grapevine, and she finds that hard to resist.

 

Are electrical matches called ignitors in the industry? They are. During my research, I found that the terms seem to be used interchangeably even though how the devices function can be different.

 

When a Mermaid Bay gossip blog appears, the author is anonymous. To find out where the blogger is located, Jade goes to Domain.com and WhoIsThis.com. I went to those sites to find WWK. Evidently, if you set up on a large blogging domain like Blogspot.com, individual blogs hosted by this site aren’t listed. Is there a trick to finding out where a blogger is located? I took some liberties with the search sites. I needed a way for Jade to uncover that someone in Mermaid Bay had registered the site.

 

Jade is dating the sheriff, Nick. Unlike in many other cozies, Nick doesn’t seem to have any problems with Jade investigating. Why not? Nick grew up with Jade, and he’s known her for a long time. He also knows that she’s spunky and strong-willed and would still poke her nose in his investigations. They seem to have developed a rhythm where he shares scraps of information, and she is also able to help him since she interacts with so many of the townies and tourists.

Jade’s best friend Amy owns the town’s bookstore. She’s from Massachusetts. How did she get to Mermaid Bay? Amy’s prickly aunt Emory Jessup owned Mermaid Books, but she was brutally murdered in Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones. Instead of closing the store when she inherited it, Amy decided to move south and try her hand as a bookstore owner.

 

Jade ends up getting a confession from the killer and discovers the identity of the gossip blogger. But the killer tried to attack her after realizing she taped his confession. How did the sheriff get the confession? How did Jade defend herself? Jade always shares any information that she finds with Nick. By the end of the story, the killer is paranoid and fearful that Jade has leaked the information to the sheriff. The killer has an associate, and there’s a fear that the police know the secrets. Jade was at the store at the time of the attack, and she had to use what was handy in the office to thwart the killer.

 

Jade also solves the mystery of the local gossip blogger that has everyone in town intrigued. And this time she found out that the secret was hiding in plain sight.

 

What’s next for Jade, Nick, and Mermaid Bay? In Life is But a Scream (Book 4), a team of paranormal researchers come to town to document some sightings in and around the historic triangle (Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown). While Jade and Amy are observing the researchers in action, they encounter a very real body and a very real murder.

 

How do you balance writing two mystery series? Are they both with the same publisher? I have two series with Level Best Books, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries and the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. I also have another series, The Pearly Girls Mysteries that launches this March with Keylight Books, an imprint of Turner Publishing. I only work on one book at a time.  I also keep a detailed character list for each series, so that I keep the details organized.

 

Characters and Stories by KM Rockwood

Most of us write because we love creating stories. Sometimes we say we almost can’t help it. Our lives without our writing would be drab indeed.

I enjoy experimenting with my stories. Although there are some characters and circumstances I have used extensively, I am always on the lookout for expanding my horizons.

Sometimes my experiments are successful. Sometimes they result in a work that will justifiably remain abandoned in my files, never to see the light of day. And sometimes they result in stories that seem to me to have fulfilled my intent but are torn to pieces by an editor.

I have to admit I have trouble judging my own work. I have tried to cultivate a circle of critique partners, both online and in person, who give me wonderful guidance. I listen to them, especially when I am writing something outside my usual milieu.

Last winter, I was writing from a dark place. While I don’t feel I am capable of writing doom and despair (which some authors do astoundingly well) my idea of a “positive” ending strikes some readers as bleak. My Christmas story last year for this blog was an example of that. One of my best critique partners (she was an editor for a newspaper! Talk about finding all my silly errors) found it so depressing she didn’t want to finish reading it.

This year I’ve done a complete turnaround. My Christmas story was more cheerful, and I’ve moved onto even lighter, happy-ever-after projects. Ones that are so determinedly positive their endings are really quite predictable. They are fun, though, both to read and to write.

Over the years, I’ve tried several different characters and tactics.

Werewolves. I love werewolves. I can’t explain exactly why (and I don’t feel any desire whatsoever to explore vampires) but werewolves fascinate me. Some of my first published stories were about werewolves.

Robots. My next stories included robots. Several short stories have been published, and I keep returning to a longer unfinished manuscript of a novel where the protagonist discovers that his wealthy “father” indulged his trophy wife’s desire for a baby by purchasing a robot who mimics a growing human child. When in his late teens, our protagonist discovers that he is, in fact, that robot, and he is programmed to self-destruct in several months.

Many of my stories feature characters living on the edge of society, trying to survive and even improve their lives and the lives of those they encounter.

I’ve created an entire fictional world of Santa’s Village at the North Pole, and I’ve enjoyed writing about the elfin community that has evolved in it.

Miss Grayling is a reclusive elderly lady who has discovered a way to deal definitively with those who cross her. She murders them. Lately I’ve been also toying with unreliable narrators, characters who mental or emotional health is such that their interaction with the world at large is problematic.

Do you work to master one type of character and story, or, like me, do you enjoy experimenting with an ever-increasing variety?

COZY MYSTERY WRITING TIPS: THE BODY by Korina Moss

Let’s talk murder. Every cozy mystery has one, but the question of when the body should be discovered is arguable. 

By and large, readers of cozy mysteries like to try to figure out the mystery along with your protagonist. If a murder doesn’t happen by page 50 in your manuscript, readers can get impatient. For this reason, some writers open with their protagonist finding the victim’s body. This gets the reader immediately curious as to what’s happened, so it seems like the perfect solution. I’m going to tell you why I advocate for holding off for a few chapters. 

Although the mystery is extremely important to a cozy mystery book, the coziness and the characters are just as important. For a sustainable series, they may actually be more important to readers. So, let’s take the time to set your scene first. Let’s start getting to know at least your main character (MC). This doesn’t mean you should start with a slew of backstory. (You can drop backstory like breadcrumbs throughout the book.) Rather, the best way to get to know your MC is through her interactions with other characters, especially your core secondary characters. This will demonstrate your MC’s personality, your cozy theme (her place of business or hobby), and the initial stakes. 

Initial stakes? Yes, it helps the tension to have something extra at stake beside solving the murder. Is there an event your MC wants to carry off without a hitch? Is there a person she’s trying to impress? Perhaps something your MC has been working toward that MUST go right… and then a wrench is thrown in when a body is found. Having more at stake is always a good thing. 

But let’s get back to the body. 

If you take one to three chapters to introduce your setting, what is initially at stake, and your most important characters, readers are immediately invested when your MC discovers the body, and the finger of suspicion is pointed at her or someone close to her. By waiting until the end of chapter three to discover the body, readers know and (hopefully) already like your protagonist and her friends. They might even love her cozy business and see themselves living in her town. They know something personal to her is at stake that now will be more difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish. All this happens the moment she finds the body and it allows your readers to instantly root for her. Readers connect to your book more strongly if they are rooting for your main character rather than merely being curious about the body she’s discovered.

The initial stakes help to keep your readers interested before the murder takes place, but you should also use these chapters to “set up” the murder, which means introducing the victim while they’re alive and one or more of your suspects. Therefore, when the body is discovered, your MC may already have a theory about motive and some possible suspects. The stakes are now raised, and no time is lost in beginning the investigation! It’s a slower build with a bigger payoff. 

Author’s Note: 

It’s always a slippery slope to tell writers what they “should” do, because books can successfully tell a story in lots of different ways. Most writing rules are merely suggestions and the tips I offer are no different. My editorial tips are based on the expectations—in my experience—of my publishing editor at Macmillan, my literary agent, and readers of cozy mysteries. My goal is to help writers make their cozy mystery the best it can be, but it’s okay that not every tip resonates with every writer. 

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, and Writer’s Digest. To learn more about her books and editing services, or to subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Virtual Book Club Alert! My second Cheese Shop Mystery, Gone For Gouda, is the January book for Little Bites Book Club. This takes place on Instagram Live and everyone is invited. Go to allison_vic on Monday, January 27th at 8PM EST/7PM CST. Click on her IG Live profile to watch and/or comment during the discussion. Keep up with her Little Bites Book Club on Instagram.

THE HIGHS & LOWS, TWISTS & TURNS OF MY DEBUT AUTHOR JOURNEY

 

By Lisa Malice, Ph.D. 

Hooray! Today, as I finish up this blog post, I’m celebrating the first birthday of my debut novel, LEST SHE FORGET, and the release of its paperback edition. This post, therefore, is a brief reflection on my debut journey, more than a year and half of both highs and lows, twists and turns, a ride I for which I was not really prepared.

For me, the rollercoaster pulled out of the station in May 2023, when the editing process for LEST SHE FORGET was finished and ARC-ready for review. I was on pins and needles awaiting the verdict on my book from authors whose work I admired, including NY Times and internationally bestselling writers, award-winning writing instructors, and good friends I’d met along the way in my writing journey.

The first high hit with those blurbs, words and phrases of praise that I’d only dreamed of – tense and twisty debut, gripping thriller, unique tale of intrigue, a chilling novel of psychological suspense. I started to think that maybe my book could really sell, maybe make the big time despite my publisher and I being unknown to the reading public.

Encouraged, I posted my ARC to GoodReads and plopped down some money for reviews thinking surely readers would love LEST SHE FORGET, too. And while most of the reviews were positive, earning 4 or 5 stars, I also received my first 1 and 2-star reviews, sending my spirits plummeting. Friends reassured me that poor reviews are par for the course with GoodReads, that even the biggest names in the business got their share of awful reviews, so I simply stopped paying for reviews and waited for readers to find me.

Over the course of the next eight months, with my December 12 launch date always in my sights, I was caught up in a whirlwind of marketing and promotional activity that had me enjoying the ride, others not so much. My spirits soared with starred reviews from Library Journal, another from an award-winning crime fiction critic, along with numerous Bookstagrammers and audiobook influencers. Even with so much praise, CamCat’s editor-in-chief had to pump me up after a Publishers Weekly review panned my tale. She said I can’t please everyone, so I put the review behind me and pressed on.

I enjoyed my first appearances as a soon-to-be published author via podcast interviews, panel discussions, and webinars. I penned guest blog posts and written interviews. I signed ARCs for eager readers attending a national conference for school librarians. A chance meetup at a YA conference with Fox TV anchor Linda Hurtado Bond, an author I covered for ITW’s THE BIG THRILL magazine, led to an offer to appear on her local interest segment, Tampa Bay Reads, on my launch day.

Even so, there were frustrations. I struggled to line up bookstores to handle book sales during my neighborhood launch party and host me for post-release signings. Store managers claimed it was too difficult to host events during the December holiday rush or left me hanging. I thought another issue was at play—perhaps an unwillingness to order books from an unknown author with an equally unknown publisher. How was I to sell books if I couldn’t meet the reading public in person where they shopped? I found two small independent bookstores willing to give me a chance, but only if I placed the books on consignment—suggesting that the issue at play was, indeed, managers’ risk aversion to plunk down money and shelf space for an author with no track record of sales.

This twist required me to turn and focus on internet sales. When LEST SHE FORGET released on December 12, I was ready with a social media advertising blitz. My friends, family, and writers network posted ads I created to promote my debut novel drawing on blurbs extolling the brilliance of my work, leaving me hopeful my book would rocket up the rankings. My TV appearance on Tampa Bay Reads that day was exciting, but I was too nervous to enjoy it. By the end of the day, I saw the fruit of my efforts—LEST SHE FORGET hit the Amazon “Bestselling New Psychological Thrillers” list at 97! It remained on the Top 100 list for that first month, topping out at 37 as a new domestic thriller.

My first quarter royalty report was exciting, showing strong sales with eBook and audiobook, but disappointing to see so many hard copy books returned from the stores. This latter result would seem to affirm my theory about bookstores being risk averse to unknown debut authors.

Over the course of the next year, I had ups and downs, which I know now is par for the course. The biggest thrill was being honored by the Independent Book Publishers as the BEST NEW VOICE in fiction. Being left out of the nominees for more prestigious awards was a bummer. (I learned too late that my novel wasn’t even considered for the Edgars as I hadn’t properly updated my MWA membership status as an author published by an MWA-approved publisher. Meeting up with author friends both old and new as part of a podcast or a conference panel was fun and engrossing, even if the online or live audience was limited.

My first conferences as a published author a big deal for me this year, owing to the celebratory atmosphere, the opportunities to share the stage with my cohort of debut authors, and fun panel topics. The biggest kick was meeting readers at Bouchercon and signing copies of their books.

My road map for the last three months of the year included international travel, book events, and finishing the first draft of my second thriller, but that plan hit a bad curve named Hurricane Helene. My house was flooded, requiring extensive demolition and reconstruction. (We’ve made great progress owing to a quick insurance settlement, a top-notch general contractor, and a husband who is very handy—all that’s left is kitchen cabinets and some finishing work.) On the bright side, I get the remodeled kitchen that I always wanted, and a few other home improvements.

Putting it all into perspective, I have much to be thankful for with my debut experiences, both the highs and the lows. I’ve learned over the course of my journey that we should celebrate the thrills and not let the lows discourage us from continuing on our journey. Instead, the trick is to see what we might perceive as a failure as an opportunity to learn and do better next time.

What about you? What were some of the highs of your debut author experience? What were some of the lows, and what did you learn from it? What twists and turns did you make to deal with difficulties and unexpected events?