And Real Life Returns

by Janis Patterson

If you’re like me, this past month or two has been a fairly dizzying round of parties and dinner parties and cooking and quick meals snatched while shopping and wrapping. Calories have been whizzing around (and sticking more than we would like, darn it) like mosquitoes on a hot, humid day.

Well, it’s all over, and I say thank goodness! Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are over, the parties are finished and we are stuffed to surfeit. All that lies ahead of us in the near future is Valentine’s Day, which is usually awash with chocolate and, if you’re lucky, a nice dinner out.

Real life is back. Now we clean up the drifts of tissue paper and wrapping paper scraps, put away the holiday china for another year, take down the tree and pack away the ornaments. If you had a real tree, you have the joy of vacuuming up the dried needles that seem to be able to hide in your carpet until July.

Oh, and work. I’ll admit my work tends to suffer during this intense holiday season. It’s hard to sit at the computer making up tales and trying to get all my clues in line when a big chunk of my mind is trying to remember how far along I am on gift buying and worrying if we’ve forgotten someone and trying to decide on what dish to take to the family potluck on Christmas Day and… well, you know. So I pretty much quit writing. It is, I delude myself, better not to spend the time screwing up my story with a bunch of stuff that will probably have to be pulled out later in favor of something more rational.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

But now the holiday season is over. New Year’s is never a big deal in our house. We don’t like to go out and celebrate on that night – too many irresponsible revelers out after drinking too much making the streets dangerous. Like last year, like almost every year, we went to eat Mexican food at our favorite neighborhood café in the early evening, then went home and watched television while we split a bottle of champagne at midnight - or earlier. The quiet times with The Husband are the best.

As the cold days of winter set in, though, and the holidays are just a memory, it is time to concentrate on work again. I have two standalones to finish and several completed books to get into the publishing pipeline. The most exciting thing, however, is I have a new series to write. I personally dislike series, or at least most of the series I have read. Just how many times can an amateur sleuth fall over a dead body in a small town, after all? Plus, I’m very tired of the current trend of cutesy and relentlessly perky amateur sleuths (female) who obsess over shoes, who either cook or do some sort of craft, who brainlessly charge into danger and who always manage to avoid being arrested for impeding a police investigation.

My sleuth is Dr. Rachel Petrie (no relation to the famed Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, a fact that is a running gag) a contract archaeologist who works all over the world, giving her a chance to stumble over a body in a different place each time. Hey, if she didn’t find a body it wouldn’t be a mystery series, would it? There does have to be a certain amount of suspension of disbelief.

Currently I’m working on the first book, A KILLING AT TARA TWO, which is set in Alabama on a dig excavating a plantation house burned during the War of Northern Aggression. It’s great fun.

Now I must get to work writing on it. I hope all of you had a very happy holiday season, and wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

Out of Thin Air

Hey, MMM fans. I've been thinking about where our stories come from. Actually, I listened to a lecture Stephen King gave to a Massachusetts University on U-tube. He talked about the kernels that stayed with him. Those were the things he knew he would write, sooner or later.

He started Under the Dome when he was still teaching high school. But, he put the book away, wondering if it was too big for him to write then.

I have one of those books on my desk top. I've been playing with the woman's fiction for a couple of years now, maybe longer. I have the first scene in my head but I haven't felt comfortable enough to dive into the lake and find the lake monster. Not quite yet. Although the book keeps calling to me. I loved hearing King talk about his own process. It made me feel a little less freaky and more like a writer.

Today I hit send on an email to my editor. It's a new cozy proposal that I started playing with last summer during my two week driving trip out west to Idaho. The idea has been marinating for months, with me writing notes about the project. Then last week, I sat down and started making decisions. Who, what, where, when, and how. And one more decision, why. Who were the characters and why were they on the page when they were? My notebook page looked like doodles rather than an outline. But it worked and I'm excited to begin this new adventure.

So where do your stories come from fellow MMM authors? Do they drop down fully cooked as if you dreamed them? Or are you a mad plotter with spreadsheets and pages done before you even start to write the story?

Or are you like me, someone who takes an idea and plays with it for a while in my head before it turns into a story?

Lynn

By the way, GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER, the book that hit the NYT's list last summer is on sale through January. Amazon/Nook/Kobo - it's $1.99. It's a great time to take a chance on a new series.

Desperately seeking a new hobby – interested crafts may apply below…

Back in my high school days, I took a class called Home Arts. We learned to knit, crochet, embroidery, and quilt. All in the span of nine weeks.

Since that time, I took up cross-stitch for a while. Eventually, I got bored and put it away for decoupaging ceramic geese and woven baskets.  I still have tons of colorful, patterned napkins, just waiting for me to find the right basket. And the time.

My cube mate is always bringing in things she’s thrown together over the weekend. Including boot toppers and knitted socks. And she works full time.

This summer, I’m serious about spending some time playing. We bought ATV’s and have taken them out a few times. I could crochet while we drove to the park. (I do have a half-finished baby blanket to complete.)

Or, I could make something out of that pile of antique fabric I bought at the flea market a few months ago.

Or, I could make Christmas baskets for my out of town relatives to fill with homemade candy and treats when the season approached.

I’m full of ideas.

Yet, I haven’t settled on one project, yet.  So chime in.

What craft do you think Lynn should take up this summer?  Doesn’t have to be one of the items listed above, I do love a bright and shiny new idea.

Do you craft? 

Lynn

5 reasons you shouldn’t be blogging.

I'm addressing the writers or wanna be writers in the group today.  I've seen a lot of posts about blogging to get your name, and your book out, into the world of social media.  I've been on a blog tour for two new releases since mid-April.  I may be grumpy as I write this.  Usually I love blogging. Maybe a bit too much.  So bear with me as I list out the top five reasons you shouldn't be blogging.

Reason #1- Blogging is Facebook or Twitter on Crack.  If you can say something in 140 characters or a short Facebook post, why spend 350 words or more waxing nostalgic about your high school prom memories? 

Reason #2 – Blogging is not writing your manuscript.  On deadline? You’re better off using that time to slough you way out of the dreaded middle of a book where you’re certain you totally suck as an author.  (Breathe, you don’t really suck.)

Reason #3 – Blogging in a group isn't going to earn you more readers. Well, it might. If you have a quality book out there for people to buy. Blogging gives news readers a chance to see you in action.  Remember that when you decide to blow off your scheduled blog day. Your actions are speaking volumes.

Reason #4 – Blogging is fun. It’s easy. Blogging is spending your Saturday at a local food festival. It doesn't seem like work. Writing is work. And writing is the work you need to be doing.

Reasons #5 – Blogging is not a one way conversation or a lecture. If you’re blogging, you should watch your comments and respond. The commenter’s took the time to write to you, it’s only polite to write back. Think of it as having a lot of mini-pen pals. I work a day job where I may or may not be able to drop into a blog to comment. I’m not ignoring you, but you may have reached me during a time when I had my imaginary do not disturb sign posted on my door.

Michael Hauge - responds to comments at a St. Louis event.

So, to blog or not to blog, that is the question.  For me, the answer always comes down to my WIP. If words are flowing there, then I can give myself permission to blog. Many of my blog posts are written during my lunch hour. That way, I feel like I've moved forward without trying to get into a story only to have to quit a few minutes later.

Do you blog? Are you a faithful blog reader?

Lynn

Keeping the important on the to do list...

So, you all know, I released two books last month.  GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER – BOOK #1 OF THE TOURIST TRAP MYSTERIES and THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER –BOOK #3 OF The Bull Rider Series came into the book world with a bang.

At least in my world. And anyone who reads my posts, my blogs, my tweets, my emails… well you get the point. Promotion is part of the author’s world now and since I’m not on a five city book tour like Richard Castle, I have to be creative in other ways. (Thanks Wikipedia.) 

One way to get world of my new releases is to send the book out to blog review sites. For GUIDEBOOK, my publisher handled that process and put up a copy on Netgalley. I was so excited the first day I got an email from a stranger telling me they liked the book. Branching out into a new genre (cozy mystery) was exciting but scary. I knew I loved the book. My editor loved the book. Even my copy editor loved the book. But when a stranger says she loves the book, well, that made it real.

I've been slacking on getting THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER out into the review world, not for lack of wanting to, but instead, my to do list and my brain has been filled with must do today items.

When that happens, your need to do items (those that are important but not urgent) can fall by the wayside.

This week I’m returning to my focus on the important, not just the urgent. And trying to weed out the unimportant/un-urgent time wasters. Like watching almost an entire season of Castle to clean out space on my DVR for 24. Maybe that was urgent though?

How do you juggle everything into your day? Are you a list maker like me? Or do you have a different time management style? 

Guidebook to Murder Release Blog Tour

It's here, it's here. Officially, I am a cozy mystery writer.

I always say I love the books I write, love the quirky characters, but The Tourist Trap Mysteries, starting with Guidebook to Murder holds a special place in my heart.

I'm a lot like the spunky Jill Gardner who is the amateur sleuth for South Cove. And where I'm not, she has characteristics I wish I had. Like taking a risk and re inventing herself when she realizes the job she has isn't who she is, not on the inside.

So have some virtual champagne and canape's, hell, let's have virtual cake. And help me celebrate. Thanks for being part of my world.

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store--Coffee, Books, and More--open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?

When Jill's elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill--along with all of her problems. . .and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit--especially if it gets her closer to South Cove's finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she's on the case--and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently. . .

Available at Amazon, Nook, and everywhere fine digital stories are sold. 

April Showers

As I write this, I'm listening to the cars splashing through the rain running down the sides of our streets. Alby River, my husband calls it. I'm drawn to stories that depict weather. Maybe not as another character, like Twister or The Day After Tomorrow, but as a part of the feel of the story.

Torrential rain isn't just for the tropics. The rain here in the Midwest sometimes comes down so hard, it's impossible to see the roads. Driving on days like that, I just stay in what I believe to be the middle of the road. And hope the storm passes soon. I always scoffed at the history stories about the mud the wagon trains had to deal with after a rain storm. I was wrong.

Life's a little like those torrential rain storms. In your face destructive. Then, once it's calmed down, the apologies come. I didn't realize you were scared, or on deadline, or really trying to put your own spin on things.

And yet, sometimes, a gentle rain is a blessing. Farmers bless the powers that be for giving the crops a much needed soaking. The rain clears out the pollen and pollutants, giving us sweet, clean air to breath. A little rain in your life can make you focus on the things that are really important, or see things clearer.

"It was a dark and stormy night" sets the reader up for a certain type of story, just like the bright sunny day, gives the impression of a different type. But what if you switch the mood?

In Shawnee Holiday, A Bull Rider Novella, the storm that hits town early causes all kinds of havoc. But it's where we find ourselves after the storm that makes the difference to us, and our characters.

Cash Dillon, former pro-football player and owner of The Pancake House, is hours away from paradise. A week on a Mexican beach–no responsibility, no worries, and no schedule. When his delivery driver is stuck on another run, Cash takes one last delivery up the mountain.

June Palmer is home visiting her grandmother, but when her high school crush delivers their meal, it feels more like a Shawnee reunion. When Cash crashes his truck minutes after leaving her cabin, she has to figure out a way to get him down the mountain and to safety without revealing her hidden feelings.

Exclusively available at Amazon

When the Air is Soft

So when does spring arrive at your neck of the world? 

Back when I worked at the Department of Health and Welfare, Region IV, our manager, Tresa, planned an annual half day off at a local bar.  Years before, they’d take a weekend and camp in the Idaho mountains, but over the years, they moved the party from the campgrounds down the road to this remote watering hole.

The bar’s claim to fame, besides being on the way to the national forest above Boise, was their bucket of clams.

Which were pretty amazing.

When we’d ask about the outing, Tresa would shake her head. “Not time yet. We’ll go when the air is soft.”

I knew what she meant.  Sitting outside on a picnic table on a warm, but not too warm, day, the air tends to welcome you back from the harsh winter indoors.

My mother always said you couldn't plant your potatoes until after the snow left Shaffer Butte.  Even if we’d had weeks of warm weather in the valley, she’d hold off transplanting her garden plants from her sunny kitchen table to the warm soil of the garden. It seemed to work for her, she never had to cover the garden because of a late frost. Or buy the wall of water forms for the tomato plants to safeguard them from the freeze.

That's my mom and big brother celebrating her birthday.

Some people mark the start of spring with a calendar or the Easter holiday. For me, it’s all about the feel of the air.  We don’t have a mountain like Shaffer Butte where I live by the mighty Mississippi, so I leave the garden schedule up to my husband. You’ll find me on the deck with a long neck and a book.

What are your signs of spring?

Lynn

Oh, and just because, let's do a cover reveal - Here's Mission to Murder - available now for Pre-order -Releasing July 31st. 

Talent or Determination?

As I’m writing this, the weather outside is in the single digits and I’m stuck at home due to snow covered roads. Bad news is I have a lot of work to do at the day job that’s not getting done. Good news is I have heat, food, and a lot to do in my other life as a writer. 

Like this blog.

I’m not sure I ever loved the snow. When I lived in Idaho after my divorce, I took time to learn to cross country ski. Thirty minutes out of Boise, there was a small ski lodge with both downhill and cross-country trails. I loved spending Saturday mornings on the mountain, lost in my own world fighting through the fear. All I could hear was my own heavy breathing as I trudged the trail, going a little farther with each trip.

Was I an expert? No. In fact, going down little hills on the trail scared me. Most times when I felt out of control, I forced myself to fall over, stopping my descent. You’d be surprised how hard snow can be after a few warm days of sun and a few nights of freeze. It might look soft, instead, it was rock hard.

However, I got up each time I fell and then I kept going. With each trip, I gained confidence and strength. I started to believe in my ability not only to ski, but to succeed in other areas of my life. 

I wasn't an athlete in school. I dabbled in junior high but never had the confidence to try out for a team after that thinking I wasn't good enough. I was right, I wasn't. Not because I didn't have the ability, but because I didn't try.

Work, persistence, and determination three things anyone needs to succeed. Probably even more than talent.  

Speaking of persistence, how are your goals progressing?

Lynn

The 3 in 100 plan. Or how to be part of the 8 percent.

It’s January 14^th – Do you know where your New Year’s resolutions are? 

Most people give up on their resolutions within six months.  And worse, only eight percent of those who make resolutions reach their goal by the end of the year.

Eight percent.

I love resolutions, I call them goals.  One trick I learned to keep them in my sights is what I call 3 in 100.

Take a new notebook. Write out three of your resolution. (If you have more, put them aside for a while.)

The first page of my notebook looks like this.

• Goal #1 – Lose 20 pounds in 2014
• Goal #2 – Write Tourist Trap #4 Or at least three chapters and a synopsis
• Goal #3-Workout 5 times a week

Except #1 and #3 are kind of the same and hopefully #3 makes #1 happen.  But we’ll change #1 to stay within my calorie count.

• Goal #1 – Lose 20 pounds in 2014 Stay within my calorie count to lose weight.
• Goal #2 – Write Tourist Trap #4 Or at least three chapters and a synopsis.
• Goal #3-Workout 5 times a week.

Better ?Now the fun begins.

Day one – turn the page.  

• Write the date on the top of the page.
• I’m also going to add my ‘measurements’ so I can see if I’m progressing on my ultimate goal – to lose twenty pounds.
• Then I’m writing down one thing for each goal that I did to make progress.

For #1 it could be – packed my lunch and snacks for work. (Today it was carrots, celery and a shrimp salad.)

#2 – Write down all the ideas I have for a fourth book. Or what I call loose leaf plotting.

Finally #3 – worked out on Xbox game and rode bike for 30 minutes.  That may not happen as the snow hit pretty hard today so I didn't get my morning workout before I had to brave the commute. 

Day two – rinse and repeat.

Do this for 100 days in a row.  No stopping. If you miss doing anything toward your goals that day, write down your reason.  Is it really a good one?  Then do better tomorrow.

The nice thing is a new day gives you a blank slate to start all over and better. 

Questions? Do you use a goal plan like this? Or how do you make sure you’re one of the 8 percent come December? 

Cover Reveal Time - Guidebook to Murder

It's finally becoming real. After selling my cozy series in April of this year, I have a cover to show for the first release April 17th - 2014.

And since I'm still on deadline for book three - I'll leave you to enjoy.

Lynn

Guidebook to Murder: A Tourist Trap Mystery

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store--Coffee, Books, and More--open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?

When Jill's elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill--along with all of her problems. . .and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit--especially if it gets her closer to South Cove's finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she's on the case--and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently. . .

http://www.amazon.com/Guidebook-Murder-Tourist-Trap-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00FY54N72

Working on deadline

I've had an interesting month.  I'm working on edits that make me feel like I'm a new writer all over again. Is it just me, or do edits make everyone want to throw up their hands and walk away? The magic's in the work. I tell myself this over and over.  And yet, I still feel nervous opening the word document, adding and cutting.  Hoping my changes will make the story better. Deadline? October 1st.

I'm also writing a new story. Typically, I fly through the first 30K.  Not this time.  I've gotten a chapter done and I'm pretty happy with it. One chapter.  I need to write faster. This book actually has a deadline. October 31st. One that I plan on not missing.

I signed a contract for a short Christmas romance last weekend. Deadline October 15th.

See a pattern here?

So am I staying home writing? Deep into the edit cave?  No.

At work, I learned this last month how to present a new database training using computer webinars. On top of my normal duties.  :) Overtime was my friend.

Then The Cowboy and I went to Bristol this last weekend for the NASCAR race.

So back to the routine tomorrow.  Working out, writing 1000 words a day, working on my short during lunch, and editing an hour a day. At work, I'll be catching up from my days off.  For three days. Then I'm off again for four.

I could get used to this schedule.

How do you juggle multiple projects?

Lynn

Adding a little spirit to your mystery...

And I don’t mean drinks.

So who writes mysteries with a touch of the other world?  I’m playing with a cozy that has a paranormal twist.

 

I have to say, I love a good dark gothic romance.  Give me an old house with creaks and groans, a flicker of light that may or may not be a ghost, and a tortured hero, and I’m in heaven.  I grew up watching Dark Shadows and always felt a little sad for the lonely, unloved vampire. 

Zombies, not so much. Zombies remind me of the slasher films, Halloween, Friday the 13^th, those types, where evil is going to win. Every time.  Even in Final Destination, death won.  Maybe not in movie number one but eventually.

I've got books of spells around the house for research purposes. Which brings up a side note, does it bother anyone that spell books so easy to obtain?  I didn't have to go to the Voodoo R Us store in the bad section of town, just down to my favorite paper bookstore.  I’m sure I could have found tons more books on line.  Is it because more people believe? 

Now, I’m researching rune stones and the ancient gods they represented.

I brought home a voodoo zombie doll from my last trip to Nashville.  She’s dressed in a ballerina outfit over her mummy wrap.  The doll is supposed to help me bring out my natural talents.  She does make me smile every time I see her pink tutu so out of place on the bandages.

Oh, and I live in one of the most haunted towns in America. The picture above is the remnants of the first prison in Illinois- after 1860 when prisoners were transferred to Joliet, then the site was used to incarcerate captured confederate soldiers.  Being on the Mississippi, the prison often flooded and the daily death rate was 6-8 men. The site is said to be haunted by the ghosts of these men.

So what books or movies do you love that brings in a touch of the woo woo? Or are you a realist in your reading and writing?  

Lynn

News, News, and More News

Okay, maybe just news. 

In April, I signed a three book contract with Kensington for my Tourist Trap Cozy mystery series.

The query read like this –

The tourist business can be murder.

Jill Gardner traded in her big city condo, high stress job, and low potential boyfriend to run South Cove’s Chamber of Business chapter.  South Cove’s a tourist town steeped in California history, known for artisan craft houses and keeping the secrets of its residents. She'd be living the dream, but when one friend winds up dead and another disappears, Jill finds the big city isn't the only place where murderers hide. And she’s up next on the killer’s to do list.

ALL THAT GLITTERS Now called book #1 weaves quirky characters in a small town cozy with series potential.  History and tourist lore bring a unique twist to life in this coastal California town. South Cove, just like other tourist towns, has one primary goal—keep up the image.  Even when that means murder.

I loved this series and had a second book started, when someone told me I may not want to write book two if I hadn't sold the first book in the series.  I stopped at chapter four and wrote a new cozy series set near the ski capital of Idaho, Sun Valley which I’m currently shopping to agents.  But now I've returned to writing book two and enjoying coming home to South Cove, my fictional central coastal California setting.

And the house in the picture?  That was the image that started the story. 

That’s my big news.  I’m excited to have a cozy mystery under my author belt but nervous at the same time. 

So MMM bloggers and readers, what should I know as I wander my way through this new landscape? What advice would you give a new author in Mystery Land? And what conferences do I need to attend? 

Confessions of a Pantser.

I’m relatively new to this writing gig.  After starting classes in 2000, I took a break, writing when the muse hit. (Which as all of us knows is every other day with an ‘r’ in July.)

In 2007, life slapped me up against the back of my head.  I had breast cancer.  (Some of you know this story, so feel free to skim.) And I realized that my ‘dream’ of writing someday, could be in trouble.  What if someday never came? Was I building a bridge to nowhere?

So I got serious.  I sold two essays that I’d had floating through my head for years. And then I started a novel.  I wrote about four chapters and determined I wasn't a thriller writer.  So I started what I thought was a young adult story. Four chapters in, I decided I wasn't a YA author.  So I started a romance. 

You’re sensing a pattern, right? 

I didn't know what kind of writer I was because I never finished anything.

Then a friend stepped in and said – finish a book.  Any book. That was the magic push I’d needed.  Once I slogged through the murky middle once and wrote THE END, I knew I could do it again.  And again.

Then my critique group asked me to do a plotting brainstorming on another author’s book.  She gave us the set up, then we brainstormed plot points.

I was clueless.  Lost without direction. And I’m afraid, not much help.

And now, looking back, I know why.  I didn't know these characters, so I didn't know what they would do.  Now, I’m not so woo-woo that I think my characters live in my head, but until I've played with them a while, I have no idea what the next scene is because I haven’t written them there yet.  And every writer knows if you change something that happens to a character midstream (like a new job or an emotional loss) it changes everything.  Because just like in real life, the events of a character’s life mold them into the person they could be.  Their essence.

I need to know my characters before I can throw out scene ideas.

What’s your take on brainstorming?  Can you play plot monkey for your friends?  Or are you more like me and need to let the story flow? 

Lynn

Procrastination? Or Promotion?

I'm working on a cozy mystery.  I started this story from what I can see from the file, in February 2012.  Since that time, I've finished a romance, wrote two novellas, and a full length contemporary romance.  

And I still have 29,000 words left on this cozy. 

I've released three books this year.  I spend a lot of time blogging, posting on Facebook, social networking, and, not, writing. Finishing this book has been on my to do list for three months.  And I'm making progress, just not finished. 

I'm good at time management, really.  So what's the problem? I'm not sure, but my goal for this December is to finish the darn book. 

I still have edits to finish before December 15th, my edits for Return of the Fae could arrive any day, and I'm doing a signing one weekend at the beginning of the month.  And of course, I have the day job. (I am taking off days around Christmas that should help.)

Wish me luck.

Anyone got some helpful hints? Ways to stay off the internet? What are your goals for the last month of the year?

Making the Most of Your Setting

by Kathleen Kaska

            I’ve never been given the keys to a city, but almost.

         When I decided to set my Sydney Lockhart mystery series at historic hotels, I began with my favorite ones, since the research would require a multi-night stay at some of the finest old hotels in the country. What I didn’t realize was that viable outlets for promotion would be created. Elated that my first mystery had been accepted for publication, I envisioned book signings and e-mail announcements as promotions, and not much more. But that was a little more than three years ago, and my how things have changed.

         That first mystery, Murder at the Arlington, takes place in the historic Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The town has a large chain bookstore, which I was certain would stock the book. So a few weeks before it’s release, I sent a press release to the local newspaper. There was a nice review, but not much else happened locally to sell the book. My second Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Luther, was almost finished. It is set in the coastal town of Palacios, Texas. The 1936 Luther Hotel had become a second home to my husband and I whenever we visited the coast. But Palacios was just a spot on the map, much smaller than Hot Springs; and I wondered if I’d made the right decision when I chose this remote location.         

         In the meantime, I’d spiffed up my webpage, connected with Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, started a blog, and learned the value of self-promotion. Then we hit the road on a lengthy retirement trip (from teaching), which also included a month-long stay at the Arlington Hotel. As soon as we pulled into town, we stopped at the bookstore, expecting to see several copies of my book on a front table. There was no table, no book, and not much interest in Murder at the Arlington. So I decided to promote it myself. The hotel’s executive secretary had already read it and was delighted when I suggested a book signing in the lobby. The first night at the hotel, there was a Halloween celebration in town. Tons of people were imbibing on the hotel’s verandah and milling around the nearby shops on Bathhouse Row. I grabbed a stack of promo cards and spent the evening inviting them to the signing. The next say, I visited the chamber of commerce and they agreed to announced the signing in their weakly publication, website, and on their tourist kiosks. Local shops posted the announcement in their windows. Three shops actually stocked the book. And Maxwell Blade, the famous local magician who entertained the Clintons at the White House, gave us tickets to his show and introduced me to his audience. Later on, a local book group read my book and invited me to their meeting—a luncheon at the hotel. By the end of our stay, I had two successful signings at the hotel and one at a gift shop. More than 200 books were sold that month and I made dozens of connections.

         Would I have the same success in Palacios? When our travels brought us to the Luther Hotel right before Christmas, I contacted Old Main Bookstore (the local bookstore/coffee shop), the newspaper, and of course, the Luther Hotel. I had my doubts about how successful a book signing in Palacois would be. Me of little faith. The bookstore sold out in the first ten minutes and we took orders for two more hours. Folks staying at the hotel ordered multiple copies (one woman ordered 20); Jack Findley, the owner, now stocks the book, ordering several every few weeks.

         If you ever visit the Luther Hotel, ask Jack (original owner Charles Luther’s son-in-law) to give you the Murder at the Luther tour. Be sure and note the plaque on the door of the La Salle Suite. It reads, “Sydney Lockhart Slept Here.”

         On my next visit, Jack had a wine and cheese reception for me at the hotel. It seemed entire town turned out; more books were sold; the school superintendent offered me a teaching job and the local real-estate agent offered a good deal on a beach house. I deeply appreciate all the kindness shown. No offense, Tony, but I left my heart in Palacios.

         Murder at the Galvez (LL-Publications)  will be released on December 7. Where to spend a few days in December? My favorite place in Galveston—the historic Hotel Galvez. 

Kathleen Kaska is the author the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book, The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book, and The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book. All three have just been reissued in by LL-Publications. Kathleen also writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart mystery series set in the 1950s. Her first two mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queens Book Group, the largest book group in the country. Her nonfiction book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story, (University Press of Florida) was released on September 16. 

www.kathleenkaskawrites@blogspot.com

Setting as Character

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about where my stories take place.

I've written about small farms and mountain communities in Idaho. I have a cozy set in a fictional coastal California town. Mostly, I like writing about places that touch me.  Places that call to me.

My cozy started with a picture of a run down, boarded up house, perched on the edge of a charming tourist town.  I shot a picture of the house, and the story just kept calling to me.  I imagined the town fathers trying to buy that house for years, probably to bull doze the house and build something new.  Something pretty.  But the owner won't sell.  Why? Because she raised her child in that house, the child that didn't come home from Vietnam.  She lost her husband in that house, his life slipping away while she slept next to him, unaware.  She wants to die in that house.

And besides, she likes making the Mayor see red.

All from a picture.

Last month I took a walk back in time over the Mississippi river.  The Chain of Rocks bridge once was a thriving crossroads from Missouri to Illinois.  But time and a new, improved freeway system, made the bridge unusable. Luck and lack of funds kept it intact until the trail system was able to re-purpose the bridge into a wonderful walking path.

As I walked over the water, I realized two things.  Yes, I am afraid of heights.  My stomach flip flopped any time I got near the edge.  And the second, this would be an awesome place for a murder to take place.  Maybe one of those politicians who fought the use of tax payer money to support the refurbishing. And maybe...

Settings, they get my wheels turning.

How about you?  What causes you to start imagining a new book? Is it place, character, or plot?

Lynn Cahoon, Woman of Mystery

Standing on a street corner, leaning against the light pole, dressed in a London Fog trench coat, my fedora pitched forward, hiding my face, I’m entering the ‘Make Mine Mystery’ blog world.

Okay, that’s what I think I look like.  I’m probably really look more like my amateur sleuth heroines –frazzled and frumpy.  A woman just trying to get through the day with work and relatives and all the day-to-day crap.  Then she stumbles over a dead body.  Of course, my heroine is the prime suspect for oh, so many reasons.

I've found some success in writing romance.  My debut (THE BULL RIDER'S BROTHER) came out this June, with next in the series releasing in November.  And I have a paranormal romantic novella (A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL) releasing in November as well.  Not a dead body in either.  But my paranormal does have a homicidal cousin – who will in a future episode, will at least try to kill my heroine. 

I’ve also sold essays to Chicken Soup and short fiction to the confessional magazines.  Yeah, I’m sounding more and more like Mary Poppins as I write this introduction. 

I assure you, I have a dark side.  I’m the writer who stops at a roadside rest stop during a car trip, checks out the woods surrounding the parking lot, and thinks, what a great place to hide a body.  So I write mysteries.

I’m currently shopping a cozy set in a coastal California town known for its love of tourists.  And while that series looks for a home, I’ve started a new cozy set in a small fictional town near Sun Valley, Idaho.

So if you see me leaning around street lamps on a dark and foggy night-- stop by and talk.  But watch out! You know I’m up to no good.

What's Your Forecast?

It’s the time of year when I hate -- having to face the cold. I’m not one of those snow bunnies who can hardly wait for the snow…except for the extra, guilt-free reading time it gives me! Really, who can feel too bad about curling up inside when the temp dips below freezing and the wind is blowing? It’s the perfect time to try out some new authors. And I’m actively looking for some writers I’d like to spend time with this winter. A friend has recommended David Rosenfelt – I like dog mysteries, so will give him a read.

I’m also looking at some horse mysteries. I love the Carolyn Banks’ dressage-themed horse mysteries and have read Sara Gruen’s Riding Lessons and enjoyed it as well. So I’m picking up more Sara Gruen, along with Horseplay: A Novel by Judy Reene Singer.

I’m going to explore some more cozy mysteries – I’ve been finding I really like them, too…and for some reason the cooking and tea ones are the ones I’m drawn to. So, I’m looking for authors in that genre as well. Joanne Fluke is one writer I’ve enjoyed trying – she writes very visually and you can almost smell the cookies baking. Laura Childs is another must-read and I love how she makes her characters really feel like friends. Can hardly wait for a new title to come out.

My Kindle has titles by authors I’ve always enjoyed reading and I know I can count on for a good story! I know I’ll enjoy a cold, rainy afternoon defeating the bad guys and finding the guilty parties with these titles, and that’s always fun.

But it’s also very rewarding to find a favorite new author…so, go ahead, load up your ereader or your shopping cart with some “sure-to-please” or some “new-to-me” authors. That way, you don’t have to dread the weather forecast.


Libby McKinmer
Romance with an edge
www.libbymckinmer.com
libby@libbymckinmer.com
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