Interview with Cynthia Harrison - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

Who is Cynthia Harrison?

Cynthia Harrison has been publishing her work since she was the star reporter for the Cardinal newspaper at West Jr. High in Taylor, Michigan. She has a twin love of reading and writing, which highlights the various genres her novels represent: romance, mystery, and now a step into her comfort genre: historical romance, which allows the 60-something author short escapes from our ever-changing tech heavy world.

"I have a couple of degrees in English Literature, but read sweet Regencies in my younger years, kept reading them as a treat every Christmas and then I went back to them full-on for the two long years of COVID. This saved my sanity." 

After retiring from a twenty year teaching career, she has relocated with her husband of almost forty years to the Florida Gulf Coast. 

Releasing December 18th: Christmas Courtship

Helena Beaumont’s debut into Regency society has not gone as planned. She wants to marry and rescue her mother from a madhouse for genteel ladies, but her bookish nature saw the ton label her a shy bluestocking. Her father insists she marry well or join her mother in banishment. Her second chance comes at a Christmas house party where she is reunited with Julian, Earl of Harrington after once waltzing with him in London.

Julian also has parents who pressure him to marry for the sake of his estate. As he trades quips with Helena, they form a friendship and agree to a marriage of convenience.

Then Helena's newly returned mother harshly rejects the couple's plans to marry. And Helena learns she needs Julian more than ever.

HOW TO WIN A BOOK

Say "hi" in the comments. That’s it. Introduce yourself here on my friend page and you win the book of your choice. You will need to send me the title you select, your home address for a print copy and your email address for an e-book. The format of the book is your choice from the books below. One book per person. USA addresses only. I will send notification to the winners next Thursday.

Funny story…my new book, releasing December 18, is not a mystery. And it’s only available as an e-book. While I ease into historical romance, I will offer my mystery novel, Blue Lake Christmas Mystery. It concerns a college grad moving north to bring a small town newspaper online. She really wants to be a true crime writer, but she loves the idea of a paycheck so she becomes a journalist. Then someone gets murdered at a holiday party and she becomes an investigative journalist by default. There’s a romance, too.

I also offer the first two of my Florida mystery series, Jane in St. Pete and Body on the Bayou. Jane is a recent widow who decides to retire from her art lecture career and move to Florida. A handsome police detective enlists her aid in the murder of an outsider artist in her neighborhood. Body on the Bayou continues Jane’s art expert partnership with the St. Pete police detective when the lady who owns expensive art and lives the penthouse is killed. Jane stumbles upon her body laid out on the Bayou that winds through the condo property where Jane lives. Yes, these books also have a splash of romance. I’m still at work on the third book in this series, having been side-tracked by historical romance.

The Interview: 

Where do you get your ideas? 

Never the same place twice. I lot of things I write about are relationships. Romantic and otherwise. I’m interested in people and their problems. My senses are always putting out feelers for a good problem that I can make much much worse. I was told by so many people not to write a COVID book because everyone is sick of that reality. I did write COVID in to the book I was working on, but in revision I was able to cut all of it. The book is better because of that. 

What are you working on now? 

Well, it’s funny. In the last interview, I had just written Jane in St Pete and was looking forward to it being published. I’ve written three books since then. Well, two and a half. I am working on the third “Jane” book. I hope it comes out next year. 

I also noticed that at the time I was “reading” a lot of Regencies. Well, I wrote one! It’s due to release December 18. It’s a Christmas novella (about 40 thousand words) so it will be e-book only. It’s up on Amazon and all the internet places for pre-sale and best part, it’s only $2.99.

How did that happen?

It’s one of those synchronic things. The universe stepped in and pointed me in a new direction. In other words, my publisher put out a call for Regency stories which they’d bring out under the name “Christmas in the Castle.” So I contacted my editor and she said I am one of a very few contemporary writers she edits. She usually edits historicals and she encouraged me to write the Regency. The process was so joyful. My editor wondered if I’d write another. Yes, yes I will! But I had to finish my Jane in St Pete trilogy. Because I love Jane and I want her to have her happy ending. 

Is writing always such a messy process?

Yes. Yes it is. But I love it anyway. Because life is messy too!

To learn more about Cynthia, visit: https://atbwriters.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-prolific-cynthia-harrison.html

Socials:

Website:   https://cynthiaharrison.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cindyharrisonwhowrites

Interview with Sarah E. Glenn - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

If it's December 6th, it's my turn.

So, who am I?

Sarah E. Glenn loves mystery and horror stories, often with a sidecar of humor. Several have appeared in mystery and paranormal anthologies, including G.W. Thomas’ Ghostbreakers series, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, and Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. She is the Web Maven for the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and also serves as Editor-in-Chief for Mystery and Horror, LLC.

Sarah developed strong ideals from her parents, a salesman turned missionary and an activist turned social worker. Despite their tutelage and a short stint as a classical languages grad student, she still loves Kolchak, superheroes, geek fandoms, and pop culture.

Her great-great aunt served as a nurse in WWI, and was injured by poison gas during the fighting. After being mustered out, she traveled widely. A hundred years later, “Aunt Dess” would inspire Sarah to write stories she would likely not have approved of.

Shaddap already! What's the giveaway?

On December 5th and 6th, the Kindle version of Murder on the Mullet Express will be free. Also, if you comment on my blog post with the word "snowbirds," you will be entered into a drawing for the new audiobook version of Murder on the Mullet Express!

Oh, wait. You won the drawing, but don't want an audiobook? We can negotiate sending you a print copy of MOME, or one of the other books in the series. Write me at sarahglenn 63 @ gmail.com minus the spaces.

And now ... the interview!

1.          What inspired you to start writing? I began reading at a very early age. I loved stories. Loved, loved, loved them. I couldn’t think of anything nobler to do (not sure where humor came into it). My earliest writings were continuations of the stories I loved (aka fan fiction), which I drew as well as wrote. I began with horses (big Black Stallion fan), moved to Betty and Veronica, and eventually to The X-Men, where I introduced my own characters.

In college, I was introduced to fantasy. I shifted to prose inspired by Roger Zelazny’s world of Amber, but developed my own plots and characters. I do enjoy other worlds, whether science fiction, fantasy, or historical.

2.          What did you want to be when you grew up? A witch, an astronaut, an alien, a superhero, a spy, an actress, and an author. The beauty of being an author is that you can be all of these people and more.

3.          What genres do you write? I started with horror and paranormal tales, but my interest in mysteries developed over time. People’s secrets and hidden motivations are fascinating. Zelazny’s first Amber series (the first five novels) starred Corwin, who woke up with amnesia in a private hospital and broke free. His first question was “Who am I?” The hospital’s records led him to his sister, who was not forthcoming. A brother, one of many, shows up. He’s in trouble, and offers to help Corwin take the throne. Turns out Corwin has been missing for longer than their father. The family has been betrayed by one of their own, and Corwin must discover what is going on.

Meeting Gwen sharpened my interest in mysteries as a genre. She is a long-term Agatha Christie fan. I’d read several of my grandmother’s Perry Mason books, but mostly watched my detectives on television. Together, we discovered Anne Perry, Donna Andrews, Catriona McPherson, Janet Evanovich, Louise Penny, and the Elizabeth McPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb.

4.          What advice would you give to a new writer, someone just starting? Write what inspires you. Don’t “write to market.” By the time you finish writing a story in a popular trope, the readers will have moved to something else. Plus, you will have wasted your energy on writing something you didn’t love. Writing is something that comes from the self, like any creative endeavor.

5.          Plotter or pantser? Oh, I pants my way through the beginning of everything I write. I have tried outlining first, but it takes the life out of the process for me. I usually have to write 30,000 words of a book before I figure out what the real story is. Then I outline, usually with the help of a calendar.

I don’t write in chronological order; I write the first scene that appears in my head. Eventually the narrative grows into a scene and sequence pattern, and the plot takes form. At some point, I have to move a block of story because I realize it should have happened earlier in the tale, and then retrofit things so it looks like it was there all along.

6.          Do you listen to music while you write? My co-author can only write in silence. My imagination rides music like a horse. When I’m writing in a specific historical period, I listen to music (with earbuds) from that era. It helps set the mood, and in some cases, the attitude of the culture. The popular music of the 1920s is more rambunctious than the compositions of the French Romantics and Impressionists, even though they aren’t far apart in age. Life has a soundtrack, as far as I’m concerned.

7.          How did you convert your book into an audiobook? Scott Ellis of Scott Ellis Reads spoke to our Sisters in Crime chapter a few years ago. One of our dreams has been having audiobooks, so when we reconnected with him earlier this year, we decided to go ahead with him.

We sent Scott sample material from Murder on the Mullet Express, and he sent us audio from different narrators who work with him. Even though the primary characters were mostly female, we chose him for his facility with the different accents and general tone.

Scott guided us through the process with ACX, which is owned by Amazon (so far, Amazon has provided us the best bang for our buck for the series). I claimed our book on ACX, and extended an offer to his company (we had agreed on the rate by then).

He posted his reading of the first chapter quickly, and we made comments. We also met with Scott via Zoom to provide more information on the characters—their general tone (pleasant, gruff, etc.), backgrounds (some are Southern, others are not). Scott offered his suggestions for how minor characters might sound.

After that, he uploaded recordings of the chapters to ACX for us to listen to and approve. Once we had approved the initial recordings, we then received completed recordings for final approval. It was a last-minute chance to catch problems, which I appreciated.

The projected date of completion at the time of the offer was late January 2025, but the audiobook became available before Thanksgiving. Amazon/ACX runs the book through its own approval process. They say the average time for approval is 10 days, but ours took two weeks. But there were no requests for corrections!

Gwen and I were both pleased with the work Scott Ellis did with the audiobook. He did an excellent job.

On December 5^th and 6^th, the Kindle version of Murder on the Mullet Express will be free on Amazon. If you comment on this post with the word “snowbirds,” I will enter you into a drawing for a free copy of the audiobook. If you don’t want a download of the audiobook, I can send you a print copy of Murder on the Mullet Express or another book in the Three Snowbirds series.

Lightning round – Just for fun:

Tea or coffee? Yes, with sugar. Lots of sugar.

Morning person or night owl? Whooo, me?

City or country? The ‘burbs suit me best.

Thanksgiving or Christmas? Halloween.

Extrovert or introvert? Introvert in person, extrovert online.

Print, ebook, or audiobook? Ebooks for nonfiction, audiobooks for fiction.

Pizza, burgers, or pasta? Pizza. See, I can give a straight answer!

Other books by Sarah E. Glenn

Murder at the Million Dollar Pier - co-written with Gwen Mayo.

Ybor City Blues - co-written with Gwen Mayo.

Short Stories:

"Bolita and Blues" - Paradise is Deadly: Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast

"Hornswoggled" - Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon

"Two Old Crows" - co-written with Gwen Mayo for Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon

"The Odds Are Always Uneven" - co-written with Gwen Mayo for Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks

"New Age Old Story" - Fish Tales: the Guppy Anthology

Okay, that's about all the fun I can stand. I got wordy.

I hope you have a great end to this year, whichever holiday you do or do not celebrate. Drop me a line below--I'm eager for other people to hear our first audiobook!

Want to follow me? Thanks!

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SarahGlennAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahelleniglenn/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sarahglenn.bsky.social

Interview with Cheryl Hollon - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

Who is Cheryl Hollon?

Cheryl Hollon writes full-time after leaving an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. She combines a love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Cheryl is a Past President of the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime, a member of Florida Mystery Writers of America, a member of International Thriller Writers, and co-chair of SleuthFest 2024. She regularly attends SleuthFest in Florida, Malice Domestic in DC, and ThrillerFest in NYC. You will also find her at Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon, wherever they are being held.

The Giveaway:

In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder.

To celebrate, I’m giving away my latest paperback, "Death a Sketch," a Paint and Shine Mystery. 

For a chance to win (US Addresses only) sign up for my newsletter at my website during this promotion. www.cherylhollon.com 

I'll select a winner on December 13th and email you to ask for your postal address. Have a wonderful holiday season!

The Interview:

What genre do you write and what drew you to that genre? I write in the Cozy Mystery genre because I wanted both my mother and granddaughter to be able to enjoy my books.

Do you aspire to write in another genre? If so, which ones? I’m polishing a new manuscript in the Historical Mystery genre based on my early engineering career.

What time of the day do you write and where is your favorite place to write? I am an early morning writer and am usually at my laptop by 7:30 in the morning. I have a small desk in our second bedroom with a view.

How many books have you written? I have nine books that have been traditionally published and two more that are out on submission.

What comes first—story or character? For me, the protagonist always comes first, and then I put her in difficult situations.

What famous author do you wish would be your mentor? Louise Penny has had an exciting career and seems such a gentle caring person.

What are your favorite holiday foods? Roast Turkey, Dressing, Buttery Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce (freshly made not from the can) and pecan pie with vanilla ice cream

Lightning Round - Just for fun:

Tea or Coffee: Coffee

Morning person or Night owl: Morning lark with occasional insomnia.

Beach or Mountains: Mountains

City or Country: I love both since I am from Eastern Kentucky but love my apartment in downtown Saint Petersburg, Florida

Ice Cream: Ben and Jerry’s Vanilla!

Cake or Pie: Pecan Pie

Last Book Read: The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Cheryl Hollon's Books:

Webb's Glass Shop mysteries - 6 books

Paint and Shine mysteries - 3 books

Social Media:

Website * BookBub * Facebook * X/Twitter * Instagram * Bluesky

Interview with Teresa Michael - 12 Days of SinC Christmas

 

Who is Teresa Michael?

Teresa Michael, an award-winning author for her Mariposa Café Mystery Series, with Murder in Mariposa Beach earning the Firebird Book Award. A lover of reading, writing, and travel, Teresa has explored 49 states and managed the US Archery Team in two Olympic Games. She's a past president of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America. Teresa lives in Sarasota, FL, with her husband. Murder with a Terrace View – A Harrington House Mystery, the first book in her new series, was recently released. Someday, she’ll visit that 50^th state.  Connect with her on Facebook at TeresaMichael- Author or visit her website at https://teresamichaelwrites.pubsitepro.com.

What's her newest book?

MURDER WITH A TERRACE VIEW

In Murder with a Terrace View, Molly Harrington's peaceful life running a B&B is shattered when a local author is found dead. As she delves into the mystery, she uncovers a web of secrets tied to her family's past. With a spectral ally and a budding romance with the detective, Molly navigates a world of intrigue and danger. This gripping tale blends mystery, romance, and the paranormal, promising a cozy whodunit that keeps you guessing till the end.

·       Amazon Amazon.com : Murder with a Terrace View

·       Barnes and Noble - Murder with a Terrace View: A Harrington House Mystery by Teresa Michael, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 

I heard there was going to be a giveaway.

-- You're right!

Free book:  Mistletoe and Missing Persons is free on Amazon Kindle on December 1^st & 2^nd

Free Short Stories:  Sign up for my newsletter and get the first two short stories in the Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories collection. Sign up here. Contact Us - Teresa Michael.

And now ... the interview!

1. What genre do you write in, and what drew you to that genre? Do you aspire to write in another genre? If so, which one(s)?

I write in the mystery genre because I like to read mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. My favorite TV shows and movies are nearly always mysteries or suspense with some romance thrown in. I love the puzzle, figuring out who did it and why. I want to try writing a thriller, maybe a heart-throbbing romance, or maybe combine the two. 

2. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

My current release, Murder with a Terrace View, is the first book in the Harrington House Mysteries. I’ve written four books in the Mariposa Café Mystery series. I have a small volume of short stories that are a prequel to that series. These stories were originally my senior thesis, which required me to write three interconnected short stories. During the pandemic, I pulled them out, updated them, and published them as the Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories. They are great giveaways at events. In addition, I wrote a novelette titled Indian Rock, set in Eastern Kentucky, where I spent summers with my grandmother and aunt. I also have a story in the anthology, Paradise is Deadly – Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast. 

It's hard to choose a favorite book because each one has a special significance in its own way. For example, Murder in Mariposa Beach is special because it was the first novel-length book I wrote and published. Indian Rock is special because it is the one most closely based on truth—except for the dead body. I did not find a dead body when I was 12 years old. 

3. What's your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or do you let your story unfold and the characters present themselves (Pantser)?

I’m sort of a hybrid.  I’ve tried outlining, but it doesn’t really work for me.  I’m a pantser in that I let the characters take me where they want to go, but I go into the project after thinking about the characters and the situation, researching, and writing down scene notes. In writing mysteries, I need to keep track of timelines, clues, red herrings, and where I’ve left those little breadcrumbs that lead up to the resolution. I can’t keep them all in my head. There’s too much rattling around up there already.  In 2020, I wrote a blog post about plotters and pantsers. You can read it here: Are you a plotter, pantser, or something else - Teresa Michael

4. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

Invisibility. I could be the proverbial fly on the wall if I were invisible. I get some of the best ideas and one-liners from overheard conversations. Can you imagine what you could learn if you were invisible? Think about it.

5. Since it’s the holidays, what’s your favorite holiday food?

The holidays are all about food! For Thanksgiving, it’s the turkey. We’ve gone to my son’s house the last few years, where he and his brother-in-law have a turkey cook-off. One turkey is traditionally roasted in the oven, and the second is cooked another way, for example, on the grill. Then we have a taste test!

Our most recent tradition for Christmas has been my husband’s prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. 

6. Tell us about your current work in progress.

I am working on book 2 in the Harrington House Mystery series. I am about three-quarters of the way through and coming down to the big reveal.  In this one, Molly and her friend, Rick Owens, the death investigator, find a dead wedding planner while at a country club event. The working title is Murder in the Rose Garden, but I’m not sure if that will remain the title. I’m taking title ideas if you have one. If I choose your idea, you’ll get a prize.

Lightning Round – Just for fun

1. Holiday pies --- apple or pumpkin: Pumpkin

2. Morning person or night owl: Night Owl

3. Beach or Mountains: Beach but I like the mountains too

4. City or Country: Suburbs – close to the city but not too far out

5. Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream: Vanilla with chocolate syrup

6. Favorite Movie: Casablanca

7. Last book Read: The Waiting by Michael Connelly

8. Print, audio, or ebook: All three – I usually have 1 of each going all the time

Other Books by Teresa Michael

The Mariposa Café Mystery Series

·      Murder in Mariposa Beach  https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Mariposa-Beach-Cafe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07KPKYVTG

·      Mistletoe and Missing Persons https://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Missing-Persons-Mariposa-Holiday-ebook/dp/B081Y2FHYN

·      Deception in Mariposa Beach  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HNJW3YH

·      Redemption in Mariposa Beach https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Mariposa-Beach-Cafe-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B35DNX3L/

·      Mariposa Café and Bakery Origin Stories https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RC55PQW/

Other Works:

·      Indian Rock   https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Rock-Teresa-Michael-ebook/dp/B07T3FHLRY

·      Paradise is Deadly – Gripping Tales from Florida’s Gulf Coast – an anthology from the Florida Gulf Coast Sisters in Crime - Paradise is Deadly Gripping Tales from Florida's Gulf Coast: Dingwall, Wendy, Reed, Martha, Ryan, Barbara: 9781949281248: Amazon.com: Books

Want to follow Teresa?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresamichaelauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresamichael1/

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18633273.Teresa_Michael

Or, you can follow #patioreading on Instagram and Facebook to see what and who she's reading.

Book launch: Formula Murder by Ross Carley, Mister in Crime

Formula Murder Book Launch Party and Signing
Free goodies! Meet Ross Carley.
Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Porter Books and Bread
5719 Lawton Loop E Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46216
www.porterbread.com/

Formula Murder is the second Wolf Ruger mystery by Ross Carley. Private Investigator Wolf Ruger, returning Iraq vet with PTSD, tackles high-stakes high-tech crime and elusive murderers in the fast-paced world of Formula racing, undeterred by beautiful women and organized crime. Indianapolis-based HH Racing has a high-stakes technical problem the week before the last big race of the season. The race car’s telemetry malfunctions, baffling the racing team’s experts.

Wolf’s experience and instincts kick into high gear to determine if the telemetry failure and a mysterious fatality are related. Simultaneously, murders strike a mob operation involving espionage and the FBI. Wolf’s best friend Tito Rodriguez provides PTSD support, and his retired mentor Max advises him through the twists and turns of the case.

Wolf must untangle the turmoil before he becomes a victim. While juggling passionate relationships in his personal life, he remains undeterred in pursuit of answers.

"Wolf Ruger of Dead Drive is back! Once again, Carley weaves a tight tale of murder, money, and sex while giving readers an up-close, behind-the-scenes look into the rarefied world of Formula racing. Speed counts in this taut investigation!" 
    - Michele Drier, award-winning author of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles and The Amy Hobbes Mysteries

Formula Murder is available on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.
Visit www.RossCarleyBooks.com  and  www.Facebook.com/RossCarleyBooks for more information.

Book Fair in Ft. Myers

Our second major book fair, the Southwest Florida reading festival, took place in a beautiful location. The view of the river was inspiring, especially when we were coming over the bridge. Later that day, I would dream of jumping in those dark blue ripples.

The Sisters in Crime booth had a steady rotation of authors, with our president, Wendy Dingwall, staying all day. She gave Gwen and me plenty of useful information for future affairs. We also had the pleasure of meeting Kate Carson for the first time.


We had a steady flow of people come by our booth in the morning, but it did slow down at lunch. In the afternoon, the crowd thinned. Florida gets warm a lot sooner in the year than Kentucky. We still had a good time sharing information and getting to know one another better.

It's been a long time since Gwen and I did so much standing and walking, especially in the heat. We drank a lot of soda and shared shaved ice, which seemed to evaporate from our bodies as quickly as we consumed them. When we got back to Safety Harbor, we ate, drink more fluids, and collapsed. Two days later, I'm still tired.

This coming weekend is the Venice Book Fair. We'll remember the cooler this time.

Love those Libraries!

We were treated very well by the people at Gulf Gate. They had the rooms set up with chairs and tables, plus they had fruit and bottled water available in a nearby room. The Friends of the Library provided us with lunch, which was generous and much appreciated.

Adult Services Coordinator Ellen India was in charge of the event, and she introduced us as the newest Sisters in Crime chapter in Florida.

Ellen wore the Headdress of Power, which was subsequently passed on to me.

I did a short talk about using dialogue as a tool in writing - how it could provide useful information in a "showing" rather than a "telling" way (which sounds counterintuitive), but could also be used to reveal character.

Naturally, I gave examples. I chose from the best: Agatha Christie, Alexander McCall Smith, Len Deighton, Robert B. Parker, and Sarasota's favorite son John D. MacDonald.

I fear my serious manner may have suffered slightly while I wore The Headdress of Power.

Louise Titchener followed up with a writing workshop on the practical aspects of dialogue - tags, surrounding narrative, adding action, etc. The fun part was the 'pencils on' section.

First, we read a passage of dialogue that was turgid with excess narration and adverbs. We were invited to edit the passage and present the new (and improved) version to the group.

Then, we took a passage from John D. MacDonald that had been stripped down to only what was spoken, and asked to fill in the blank spaces between the lines. After we'd finished, Titchener read what MacDonald had written.


The Suncoast News Network was there to interview Ellen India about the Sisters in Crime program, and we were later especially gratified to see Gwen's book covers featured in the footage.

Naturally, Gwen Mayo and I had a table set up in the authors' room. We had some sales, and I got to try out Square on the new phone.

I'm afraid we were out of copies of History and Mystery, Oh My!, which contained the stories that were finalists for the Agatha Awards. Time to reorder!

In the afternoon, we had a panel discussion on unraveling the mysteries of publishing. The panelists were Gwen, representing Mystery and Horror, LLC, Brenda Spaulding, who had started by self-publishing, and Janet Heijens, a traditionally published author. The moderator was Yours Truly, who probably gave too many asides.

The panel was followed by a Q and A session that was pleasingly active.

Unfortunately, everyone who shared pictures with me was on the panel. So, I will end here with another pic of me wearing The Headdress.

Sarasota, June 18: Sisters Sizzle in Sarasota

Gwen Mayo and I will be at the Gulf Gate Library in Sarasota this coming Saturday as part of a double event - one held at the Barnes & Noble in Sarasota, the other at the library. Please, please come to see us if you're in the Sarasota area.

Address for the library:
7112 Curtiss Ave
Sarasota FL 34231

Itinerary:
Author Signings from 10:30am until 4:00pm

10:30am – 11:30am
Workshop: Dazzling Dialogue – Creating Voice
Instructors; Sarah Glenn and Louise Titchner
11:30am – 11:45am Q&A

1:15pm – 2:15pm
Panel Discussion: Solving the Mysteries of Publishing
Moderator: Sarah Glenn
Panelists: Janet Heijens, Gwen Mayo, Brenda Spalding
2:15pm – 2:30pm Q&A

I hope you can come!

Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks Interview: Andrea Smith

Published by Blue River Press.

Please allow me to introduce you to yet another author from Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks. The tales in Hoosier Hoops, the current anthology from the Speed City Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime, all involve one of Indiana's greatest obsessions: basketball.

Today's guest is Andrea Smith, the president of the Speed City chapter. She began writing mysteries and romantic suspense because there were few positive African-American female protagonists in her favorite genre. Smith has published three short stories featuring her Chicago police detective Ariel Lawrence. Her story in this anthology, "Fallen Idols", introduces a new character: Lenora Wise.

Q. What gave you the idea for "Fallen Idols"?

I actually sort of ripped it from the headlines. When we chose a basketball theme for our chapter’s third anthology, I thought about all the sports figures who were in the news for behaving badly. Indianapolis really loves its basketball, so I wondered what if there are some heroes on the city’s beloved team who aren’t what they seem and don’t deserve the pedestal they’ve been put on.

Q. You're using a new heroine in this anthology: Lenora Wise. Tell us a little more about her.

Like many who go into law enforcement, Lenora Wise became a cop after losing a loved one to crime. Her mother was shot and killed in a carjacking, and the killer was never found. Every time Lenora catches a murderer, she feels she’s getting justice for her mother. I developed Lenora for this story because I wanted to explore what it’s like for a detective to move to a new city and have to fit into a new police structure. Lenora had been with the St. Louis police department and became disillusioned because her superiors were more concerned about boosting their careers than getting criminals off the street. She hoped the Indianapolis police department would be different.

Q. Will there be more stories with Ariel Lawrence?

Absolutely. I have an Ariel Lawrence novel under revision. She has to catch a serial killer while working with a partner she loathes. There are ideas for three other stories in the Ariel Lawrence detective series. Ariel’s a fierce defender of justice for the everyday person who can’t defend themselves. And she believes neither money nor prominence should make a person immune from the law. Often her cases involve white-collar criminals who believe their position and their millions mean they don’t have to play by the same rules as others.

Q. Who is your favorite author (or current fave) and what really strikes you about their work?

Walter Mosley who writes the Easy Rawlins Mysteries is one of my faves. His writing is lyrical to me, and he’s created an iconic character who will forever live in readers’ minds. That’s something I’d like to achieve.

I also enjoyed Lisa Scottoline’s legal thriller series and like her stand-alone novels. She draws strong women characters and mixes thrilling plots with humor.

Q. What's your current (or next) project?

In addition to the Ariel Lawrence novel, I’m finishing a historical mystery short story for our chapter’s next anthology. It’s set in 1930s Indianapolis, and features a husband and wife who find themselves hunted by police for a murder they didn’t commit. I also plan to turn a short story I wrote featuring an amateur sleuth into a novel. The character, Lela Ames, is a feisty, middle-aged beauty salon owner/entrepreneur who everyone brings their troubles to. Usually those troubles result in Lela having to solve a murder.

Thanks for visiting us today!

Check out Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks on Amazon. You can learn more about Andrea Smith at the Speed City chapter's website.

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Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks: Brandt Dodson

Please allow me to introduce you to another author from Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks. The tales in Hoosier Hoops, the newest anthology from the Speed City Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime, all involve one of Indiana's greatest obsessions: basketball.

Today, we're meeting Brandt Dodson, author of "Requiem in Crimson". Brandt is a man of many talents. Among his previous jobs: working for the Indianapolis office of the FBI, serving as a Naval Officer in the United States Naval Reserve, and even getting a doctorate in Podiatric Medicine. His passion, however, is for his writing.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for "Requiem in Crimson"?

A: Like most things in my life, it was happenstance. I stumbled into it.
I was in the process of beginning a new Colton Parker novel.  I did not have a title, but I knew the story would have to involve Colton doing a personal favor for Mary Christopher, his former FBI colleague and developing love interest.  Like most of the time when I write, I tend to put the piece down so that I can come back to it at a later time and see it with fresh eyes. While I was waiting for this novel to brew a little, I was approached by a member of the Indianapolis chapter of Sisters in Crime about doing a short story for the Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks anthology.  I was honored to be asked, so I dusted off the first chapter of the new Colton Parker novel and developed it into a shorter piece. I've never been a greater outliner when writing, preferring the 'seat-of-the-pants' approach.  I adopted that approach here, too.

Q: On your Web page, you say that your English teacher encouraged you to write. Tell us more about that.

A: I've been fortunate in that I've had a lot of encouragement in life. My parents were the kind that revered education and reading and read to me when I was a child. Their encouragement led me to the world of books. I'm convinced that my love of reading led me to writing.
At several points along my early school career, I had a succession of teachers who saw in me something that I didn't see in myself. Consequently, whenever we wrote short stories or essays in English class, the teacher would invariably pull me aside and encourage me to pursue writing. This happened in grade school, high school, and in college. In the latter case, my writing instructor knew I was looking at medical school but took the time to tell me: "If you don't write, you'll live to regret it." I didn't listen as well as I should have, but it's never too late. I'm writing now and have been blessed with the opportunity to traditionally publish several novels and short stories and to see a play adapted by a dinner theatre. I continue to write because I don't know how I could stop. It's part of my DNA.

Q: What do you know now that you are published that you wish you'd known before?

A: Oh, my. Where do I begin?
I wish I knew that marketing is as important as writing a good book. In my early years I was writing under the delusion that my publisher would produce the book I'd written and get it to the stores and libraries and organize publicity tours and all the rest.  They didn't. If I had known that, I would have started marketing the book while I was writing it. Nevertheless, it still did pretty well and has led to several others.
I wish I'd known that publishing was going to change as radically as it has.
I wish I'd known that editors and agents want to find writers as badly as writers want to find them. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

Q:  If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?

A: What kind of story would you like to read, but can't seem to find?

Q: Okay, so you're an author. What do you enjoy reading?

Published by Blue River Press.

A: I read a great deal of non-fiction, particularly biographies. I'm reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, No Ordinary Time. But I also read a great deal of fiction. I just finished reading Michael Connelly's The Brass verdict (great book) and I am reading two other novels simultaneously: Black List by Brad Thor and Silent Night by the late Robert B. Parker and his agent, Helen Brann. I've even just started Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's outside the genre I normally read, but so what? It's good.

Q: What is your current project and can you share a little of it with us?

A: I am writing Chicago Knights, the second in the Sons of Jude series. The series debuted last year with the first novel, The Sons of Jude, for which the series is titled.  The novels feature a rotating cast of characters in the Chicago Police department. Chicago Knights is a character-driven story that tells a tale of sacrifice and redemption.

Brandt Dodson is the creator of the Indianapolis-based Colton Parker mystery series and is the author of several crime novels and short stories as well as play he developed for the Great Smoky Mountain Murder Mystery Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The play - The Bradley Bunch - opens on March 23rd and runs through the end of the year.
Brandt comes from a long line of police officers spanning several decades and was previously employed by the Indianapolis office of the FBI.
The Sons of Jude is his most recent novel and was published in September 2012.
You can find Brandt at: www.brandtdodson.com

Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks

Today, we're meeting Diana Catt, author of "The Art of the Game", the opening story in Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks. Hoosier Hoops is the newest anthology to be published by the Speed City Indiana chapter of Sisters in Crime, and focuses on one of Indiana's most popular pastimes: basketball. I asked her about her story, writing, and reading habits.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for "The Art of the Game"?

Published by Blue River Press.

A: When I sat down to write a story with a basketball theme, I knew I was competing with many talented Indiana authors who were also writing to the basketball theme and I wanted a story line that would be unique.  I decided I would try focusing on a basketball fan. But a normal fan wouldn’t do, I needed a creepy, obsessed fan, right?  And I wanted to illustrate how the player was happily going along with her life and had no idea this fan had focused on her.  That’s the creepy part to me - that someone could be out there with a distorted view of reality and no one knows.  Of course, problems come when the two cross paths.
I set the story at Purdue because when I was my daughter’s little league coach I took the girls to a women’s game at Mackey Arena for some exciting and intense basketball.
The art portion of the story?  That just popped into my head.

Q: When did you know you wanted to become a writer?
A: I’ve been an avid mystery and sci-fi reader since 3rd grade when I discovered Nancy Drew and later Isaac Asimov.  But at that time I didn’t want to write mysteries, I wanted to be Nancy Drew.  Ultimately, I discovered I’m not nearly brave enough.  So I became a scientist.  About twenty years ago, I attended a seminar where the speaker described the first successful cloning of mice and I was inspired to write a sci-fi novel.  I had so much fun with it and I’ve been writing in my spare time ever since.

Q: Who is your favorite author (or current fave) and what really strikes you about their work?
A:  I like a wide variety of authors and genres.  There’s no one favorite, but some authors I’m always sure I’ll enjoy include: Tami Hoag’s thriller/suspense, Tony Hillerman’s Navajo mysteries, Dean Koontz’s scary stuff, Zoe Sharp’s mystery/thriller and J.A. Jance’s mystery/horror.  Right now, I have new releases by other favorite authors in a pile waiting to be read: William Kent Krueger, Terence Faherty, Hank Phillippi Ryan, just to name a few.   I want good character development, an interesting setting, and suspense that keeps me turning the page late into the night.

Diana Catt has the following short story publications: “Photo Finish” in Racing Can Be Murder, Blue River Press (2007); “Evil Comes” in Medium of Murder, Red Coyote Press (2008); “Slightly Mummified” in A Whodunit Halloween, Pill Hill Press (2010); “Boneyard Busted” in Bedlam at the Brickyard, Blue River Press (2010); “Au Naturel” in Patented DNA, Pill Hill Press (2010); “And Through the Woods” in Back to the Middle of Nowhere, Pill Hill Press (2010); “Salome’s Gift” in Murder to Mil-Spec, Wolfmont Press (2010); “The Art of the Game” in Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks, Blue River Press (2013). Diana is married with three kids.  She enjoys her laid-back cat and accepts the challenge of her stubborn dog.  Diana is an environmental microbiologist who mainly hunts for mold in homes but she is also an adjunct professor teaching microbiology at a university in Indiana.

This Friday: North Carolina!

This Friday, I will be joining four Sisters in Crime in North Carolina to promote Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology. Karen Pullen, Patricia Winton, Heidi Saunders and I will team up with the legendary Chris Roerden (author of the classic Don't Murder Your Mystery) to do readings and sign the anthology.

We will be at McIntyre's Books at 2 PM. The store is located at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro.

At 7:30, we will be signing at Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh.

Heidi Saunders and I will be driving down together, since we are both from Kentucky and belong to the same chapter of Sisters in Crime. Considering how many submissions Fish Tales had, I consider it a coup for our group that two of us were selected.

If you're in the Raleigh area, we'd love to have you drop by!

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Giveaway: Fish Tales

Looking to win a free copy of Fish Tales? Check out the giveaway on Goodreads! Hurry, though: the giveaway ends on August 14th.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Fish Tales

by Ramona DeFelice Long

Giveaway ends August 14, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology

I've spent so much time talking about State of Horror: Louisiana and my upcoming novel, I neglected to mention a side project I was involved in with the SinC Guppies. The Guppies sent out a call to its ranks a while back: send us your best stories with a fish theme for inclusion in our first anthology. The stories were blind-judged by the members, and I was flattered to make the final cut against very tough competition.

Wildside Press accepted the collection of stories earlier this year, and Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology will be out in print before Malice Domestic. It's already available on Kindle, Mobipocket, Diesel e-Books, and should soon be on sale in print.

My tale, "New Age Old Story", takes place in Asheville, North Carolina - the city of my birth. It involves a lovelorn lesbian detective, an aquarium owner who paints auras, a dead councilman, and a lavender fedora. I hope you'll consider picking up this collection.

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I May Have Super Powers! So May You!

Unfortunately, they only work on flu. According to 'recent research', some people (okay, nine people) who got swine flu in 2009 developed super-powerful immune systems that are hell on wheels as far as the flu is concerned.

The power of the H1N1 immune response is extraordinary. According to the researchers, five of the types of antibodies isolated in their research would be enough to fight off all seasonal flu variations, the Spanish flu virus that killed as many as 50 million people in the pandemic of 1918, and a potentially deadly bird flu strain known as H5N1.

Guess who came back from Bouchercon 2009 with swine flu? You guessed it! I may have a super-duper immune system now, rendering me immune from all major flu strains plus the scary avian flu, too! Not only that, my wife was with me and caught swine flu also! What a relief to her supervisors, who now know they can call "bullshit' on her if she ever takes off work for 'the flu' again. Her employability just went up.

The best part? We caught it at Bouchercon, which had over a thousand attendees. This means that many mystery writers and their fans were exposed to super powers, too! Since Sisters in Crime held a workshop the day before, perhaps we should rename ourselves "The Wonder Women".

The now-super-powered Ohio River Valley Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

It's nice to know that my favorite mystery writers are safe from the flu forever. It's also nice to know that there will be plenty of bookbuying fans to come back year after year after year.

I only have one burning question...

Will it protect me from the common cold as well?

Acting on the Intent to Sell

Jeffrey Marks and Carolyn Melvin

Gwen Mayo and I drove up to Columbus this past weekend to see Jeffrey Marks' presentation based on his third edition of Intent to Sell. The presentation and subsequent book signing were hosted by the Columbus chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Many authors dream of the day when a publisher will accept their novel for publication. Once that Big Day comes, though, their work is not over. Instead, they find themselves taking on a new job: promoter. J.B. Fletcher may have had publicists and handlers, but in the real world authors are their own first advocates.

Jeff touched on several aspects of promotion, including the necessity for the author to have a web site, and began enumerating its contents. Naturally, I thought of the site I've been working on for Gwen.

• Good photo on the site? Check.

• Pic of book cover? Check.

• Three versions of what the book is about? Er... three? Where do I fit them?

• Two versions of the bio, one short, one long. What about one that's in between? Hmm. I might have to get back to him on that.

Obviously, Gwen and I still have some work to do.

As one of our exercises, Jeff asked us to sit down and write a bio for ourselves, choosing which length we wanted to try. I have a few short snappy ones, so I decided to try for a longer one for myself. It certainly wasn't as impressive as Marks': books published, awards awarded, etc. Humble as it is, however, I present it here:

Sarah E. Glenn wanted to grow up to be Kolchak. As an adult, she got a B.S. in Journalism, which is redundant if you think about it. She specializes in weird stories of all sorts. They’ve appeared in G.W. Thomas’ Ghostbreakers series, Mystery in Mind, an anthology from the Rhine Institute, and two will soon appear in Daily Flash 2011, a flash fiction anthology from Pill Hill Press.

Sarah is also a member of Sisters in Crime and belongs to the Ohio River Valley chapter. Her story “Party to a Fall” appears in the chapter’s Low Down and Derby anthology, and she’s also had stories published in Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine. "Patch Test", a medical mystery, was a finalist in Crossed Genres' 2010 "Science in my Fiction" competition.

Sarah E. Glenn’s novel, All This and Family, Too, has very little to do with the above except for Kolchak, because it has vampires in it. Please don’t cringe.

If only I had the book contract to go with the bio... At least I'm getting a head start on the publicity.