tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post5919537343591624382..comments2024-03-28T18:40:05.789-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: An Interview with Dorothy St. JamesJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-29457330607630077422012-03-07T13:48:20.699-05:002012-03-07T13:48:20.699-05:00Hi Gloria,
Thanks for the welcome! I definitely u...Hi Gloria,<br /><br />Thanks for the welcome! I definitely used Michelle Obama's Kitchen Gardening experiences as an inspiration for my April release, THE SCARLET PEPPER. As you might have guessed in the political world, you can never make everyone happy.<br /><br />People have said the garden is too organic. Others have complained that it's not organic. (The truth lays in the middle. The White House Kitchen Garden is not an organic garden, but it uses organic practices. The distinction confuses some reporters and has caused controversy where none exists.) I used that idea and twisted it to fit my murder mystery where a reporter is killed.<br /><br />The great thing about this series is that there's never any shortage of great news items that I can use as inspiration.Dorothy St. James/Dorothy McFallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07887218723787623545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-26683164257794712022012-03-07T11:34:45.990-05:002012-03-07T11:34:45.990-05:00Another welcome to WWK. Your books sound like book...Another welcome to WWK. Your books sound like books I'd love to read since gardening is a passion of mine, too.<br /><br />How much did Michelle Obama with her White House vegetable garden influence you?Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-50356345377464431872012-03-07T10:51:01.701-05:002012-03-07T10:51:01.701-05:00Hi Tina,
Casey's gardening skills comes into ...Hi Tina,<br /><br />Casey's gardening skills comes into play in a big way in THE SCARLET PEPPER when a journalist is poisoned and Casey knows all about the yew that killed him. It makes the detective investigating the murder sit up and take notice.<br /><br />As you know from your own gardening experiences, it involves a lot of detective work and attention to detail. Why are the leaves wilting? Why is the grass turning yellow? I've learned from working in my local Master Gardener office that I need to ask probing questions to get to the root of the plant problem. It's often not the obvious answer.<br /><br />I've taken that experience and translated it into Casey's life as organic gardener at the White House.Dorothy St. James/Dorothy McFallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07887218723787623545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-85473884737885658282012-03-07T10:40:57.049-05:002012-03-07T10:40:57.049-05:00My sale to Berkley didn't follow any of the no...My sale to Berkley didn't follow any of the normal pathways. There was an agent involved in the sale, but he wasn't my agent.<br /><br />I don't currently have an agent.<br /><br />I had sold a Regency romance, THE NUDE, to Five Star/Gale. They are a small press that produces lovely hardcover editions. At the time, the editorial staff at Five Star were contract employees through Tekno Books, which is a book packager.<br /><br />Book packagers employ writers to develop series ideas and then write the novels, which they then sell to major publishers. There used to be more of them around.<br /><br />My editor for THE NUDE invited me to put together a proposal for the White House Gardener Mystery series. I was given very general guidelines and told to have fun with it. And I did! She liked what I sent and Tekno then took it out through their agent to be sold. Berkley Prime Crime, who was already publishing Julie Hyzy's White House Chef Mysteries (a fantastic series that was also developed by Tekno books) bought this series as well.<br /><br />What I've learned through this is that there is no straight path and no "right" path to publication.<br /><br />My new motto is, "Just keep yourself in the game. You never know what will happen."Dorothy St. James/Dorothy McFallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07887218723787623545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-7786027287480573332012-03-07T10:31:29.256-05:002012-03-07T10:31:29.256-05:00*my should be me (Rolls eyes)*my should be me (Rolls eyes)Dorothy St. James/Dorothy McFallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07887218723787623545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-4794152247457736052012-03-07T10:30:42.208-05:002012-03-07T10:30:42.208-05:00Hi Warren,
I'm so happy to be spending the da...Hi Warren,<br /><br />I'm so happy to be spending the day with y'all today. I am currently working on the third book in the White House Gardener Mysteries. It's working title, which I hope will be kept, is OAK AND DAGGER. And the deadline will come crashing down on my very, very soon. Oh my!<br /><br />Casey, my mild-mannered organic gardener, gets buried up to her neck in the world of seed saving and espionage.Dorothy St. James/Dorothy McFallshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07887218723787623545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-22319676114917580902012-03-07T09:56:25.227-05:002012-03-07T09:56:25.227-05:00Your protagonist sounds fascinating -- what skills...Your protagonist sounds fascinating -- what skills does working with plants provide that come in handy for facing down murderers?Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05843235860651070479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-7026461714527255812012-03-07T09:51:02.441-05:002012-03-07T09:51:02.441-05:00How was your book sold to Berkley? Do you have an ...How was your book sold to Berkley? Do you have an agent?E. B. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16746747050278597888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-10423742286308872262012-03-07T09:03:04.522-05:002012-03-07T09:03:04.522-05:00Welcome to WWK. It sounds like you have two books ...Welcome to WWK. It sounds like you have two books completed. Are you working on a third for the series now?Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.com