Another mystery author gone - Dick Francis by Vivian Zabel

According to the Telegraph, mystery/thriller author Dick Francis, 89, passed away at his home in Grand Cayman today, February 14, 2010.

Francis not only had a successful career at a National Hunt jockey, but he became a best selling author, drawing on his experience and expertise as a jockey. I remember reading one of his books that had a jockey crashed beneath him and thinking, "That sounds so realistic." His descriptions and details were believable because he had lived them.

He wrote 42 thrillers over 40 years and had worldwide sales of over 60 million, according his his obituary.

Quoting from the obituary in the Telegraph: Where other thriller writers probed the darker crannies of the soul, Francis reaffirmed the values of human decency and the struggle between the man of good against the forces of lust for power, dishonesty and greed. Heroes can expect to be chained, beaten, burned or flayed two or three times per book – but good always triumphs in the end.

Dick's beloved wife, Mary, died in 2000, and many rumors have her actually writing the books with his name on the covers. He said he could never have written without her, and that he wished she would allow him to have "by Dick and Mary Francis" on the books. Again from the obituary: "It is not the case that Mary writes the books," claimed her husband. "I do all the stories. I write them out in longhand. She then reads and edits them, because she can manage my handwriting, and I put them into the computer."

Dick Francis is survived by two sons, Merrick and Felix. Felix helped write his father's last four novels. Even Money came out in September and Crossfire is due to be released this autumn.

Good bye, Dick. I, for one, will miss your novels. You gave me a glimpse into another world and allowed me to enjoy it.


Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap

In the bleak midwinter by Mark Troy

Ah February. What better month for a mystery writer? The middle of winter is the time to get some writing done with fewer distractions than other times of the year. It’s too cold to work in the yard in most parts of the country, too severe to even go outside in some places. Football has ended. Baseball hasn’t begun. Basketball is in the boring middle part of the season. The Academy Awards are still weeks away.

This February we have the Winter Olympics, an event that can be as much inspiration as distraction. The writer who knows where to look will find plenty of fertile ground for a story. Probably no other event, except perhaps a bullfight, combines artistry, grace, courage, and the threat of serious injury or death. In ski cross and snowboard cross, athletes chase each other at high speed down snow covered mountains. It's like watching two weeks of James Bond. The spin outs and tumbles are just as horrific. What about those people skiing through the forests with rifles on their backs, stopping every so often to shoot? An Alistair MacLean story? No, it's the biathlon.

We already have a tragic death in the Olympics with the accident suffered by a Georgian luger when he slammed into a trackside pole at 90 miles an hour. The sad event was made worse by the actions of authorities who denied the track was unsafe and attempted to shift the blame to the victim while covering their own asses.

If I want inspiration for characters, I need look only to Bode Miller and Lindsay Vonn. Miller is the flawed hero. Need a model for a screw-up cop or detective with a checkered past? Miller's your man. His story is one of redemption. He’s a talented athlete trying to atone for letting the country down in 2006 with his disappointing performance and his bad behavior. He wraps the package in a zen attitude that would drive superiors crazy. What does Bode think about winning medals?

"You don't want to go the Tonya Harding route of winning medals," Miller said. "If you wanted just strictly to win medals, you could go through a whole long start list of racers and just go to their house in the offseason — break a leg..."

If Miller is a flawed hero, Vonn is the perfect action heroine. She’s skilled, courageous, and beautiful. She doesn’t hesitate to hurl herself down mountains at high speed, risking serious injury, to be best of the best. Injuries? You name it, she’s had it. The pain from a shin injury was so bad she couldn’t even put on her ski boots to practice. When asked how she’ll handle the pain in the Alpine events, she said, “I’ll just have to grit my teeth and push through it.” That's the kind of fighter I want on my side. I want her in my stories

Vonn appears in a sexy picture on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Olympic Preview issue. She appears in equally sexy photos inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue (pages 84, 87, and 98). S.I. Swimsuit definitely counts as a February distraction. But wait, there’s also the germ of a mystery story in those pages.

The Olympics have already given us the elements of a potboiler: setting, action, likable heroes and a cover-up by people in high places. What else do we need? We need a macguffin. A macguffin is something that gets the plot moving. It could be the object of a heist like the jeweled dagger in Topkapi. It could be the briefcase with unidentified, but glowing contents in Pulp Fiction. Whatever it is, it's worth stealing, worth killing for. What could be so valuable? Gold? Yes. Olympic gold? No. The honor and prestige aside, an Olympic gold medal is worth between $200 and $250 dollars. So what is this object? I already gave you a hint. It can be found on page 164 of the S.I. Swimsuit issue. It’s a bikini. Not just any bikini. This one is worth a million dollars. It’s made out of 24 karat gold.

I don't know how this story will end, yet, but I have five more weeks of winter to work it out. Me and my itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie, million dollar macguffin.

I love February.

Mark Troy
http://www.marktroy.net
http://hawaiian-eye.blogspot.com

About to Launch a New Book

In a couple of weeks I should have copies of the latest in my Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, An Axe to Grind.

As yet, I haven't planned the exact dates for my book launches, but have talked to the two places where they'll be held--a fairly new deli/bakery in my little town and in a used bookstore in the nearest city. I don't like to set actual dates until I know the books are really going to arrive on time.

I've been busily writing blogs for my blog tour that will go on during the month of March. I've written on topics like why I write about a fictional town, Rocky Bluff is on the Southern California coast between Santa Barbara and Ventura. I've interviewed one of my characters, told where my ideas come from, espcially for the Axe to Grind, among other subjects.

Of course I'll be posting to Facebook and Twitter and all the lists that I'm on.

I'm going to several conferences: Epic, Mayhem in the Midlands, PSWA and Bouchercon. I've been asked to speak at a couple of libraries and I'm doing several craft shows including a Jane Austen Festival. Though my books have nothing to do with Jane Austen, the organizers thought it would be fun to have a local author and I'm happy to oblige. I'm going to speak to a couple of writers groups too.

As the year progresses, I'm sure I'll find other places to promote An Axe to Grind.

I must admit I had fun writing the book and I suspect I'll have even more fun promoting it.

Anyone who is interested can pre-order it from my website: http://fictionforyou.com

The book that came before this one No Sanctuary is a finalist for best e-book from Epic in the mystery/suspense category. Unfortunately, it's up against three other very excellent books--but I'm thrilled to be a finalist.

Marilyn, who wrote the Rocky Bluff P.D. series as F.M. Meredith

Local Flavor by Morgan Mandel

While listening to Mark Everett this morning on WJJQ 92.5 FM Northwoods Radio streaming audio on the computer, I couldn't help but enjoy the station's local flavor. Although national and world news are mentioned, the emphasis is on what's happening near the station. That means I hear about births, deaths, accidents, fires, area events, grammar and high school sports, all as they relate to Tomahawk, WI. Snow is welcome in that area, where snowmobilers congregate and lake levels depend on it.

Here I am with Mark Everett last October, when the DH and I visited the statuion. Since we own a cottage in Arbor Vitae, not far from Tomahawk, I'm considered a local author. Mark will be interviewing me about Killer Career on WJJQ on May 6, at 9:35 am. You'll hear more about that later.

I was also listening to Don Wade and Roma this morning on WLS 890 AM. There, along with national and world news, I heard about Chicago area politics, a fire in Chicago where building codes are being investigated, labor disputes, murders, the debate about whether or not the Illinois Lieutenant Governor position should be eliminated because Illinois is way in debt, the CTA money crisis, and the Chicago Blackhawks, the professional hocky team. I didn't hear anything about grammar or high school sports teams.

I'm much more apt to hear about a deer accident on WJJQ than on WLS, but on WLS I'm more likely to hear about a protest march. Below zero in the winter is more likely to be reported as normal on WJJQ than on WLS, although the weather can hover near zero in the Chicago area. Both stations are mentioning the Olympics today, but on WJJQ they're asking people to register for a bus to go to a regional wrestling match. That's something I didn't hear and doubt if I'd ever hear on WLS.

Like the radio stations do, when writing, be sure to include local flavor so the reader can tell what part of the country or world your novel takes place. Do this by inserting references to items and events unique to that area so you can pull the reader into the setting.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/
http://ourlittlerascal.blogspot.com/

Inspired or Driven?

Since my dad passed away over the holidays I've been doing a lot of thinking and processing about various issues. I've also been doing a ton of walking, during which I do my best thinking/processing. One of the issues I've spent a lot of time on over the last month and a half is my writing and, quite specifically, how my relationship with my father affected my attitude towards my writing achievements and my ability to enjoy each step along the way.

I go into this at length here if you're interested in the details. For this post, however, I want to focus on what makes writers write. Is it inspiration from the muse? Is it fun and joyful? Do they feel driven by external or internal forces? Does it hurt like swallowing broken glass?

Honestly, if it was as painful as the writer makes out in the above link, I would buy myself a couple of whips and just scourge myself if I was into that kind of masochism. Of course, he may be being facetious in the post. But even still, some writers contend that the creative process is painful for them. We're not just talking writer's block (and boy, if you want to start a debate, ask a group of authors what they think of the concept of writer's block) or a bad writing day; we're talking gut-wrenching, soul-crushing pain to get the words out.


Other writers I know talk happily about inspiration found in other books, movies, dreams, nature, random snippets of overheard conversation. No pain, just the pure pleasure of creation. On a good day, this is what it's like for me. I'm inspired by my story or my characters, or both, and the process is is fun.

I used to lie in bed and daydream my way into stories. It was a cross between dreaming and watching a movie; I could conjure characters and the worlds they inhabited in 3D, surround sound, and scratch-and-sniff smell-o-vision. The worlds in my head were as real as my every day life and I could not wait to write down the adventures of my characters (sometimes my alter-egos) when I drifted back to reality.

I'm working to get back to that mindset. When I wake up stressed in the middle of the night, I try and dream walk into my current WIP and capture that sense of magic I used to have. Dealing with the issues concerning writing/my father has definitely helped. But I still wonder what drives or inspires you all to spend your spare time on your books or stories. Are you inspired or driven? Is there really a difference? Inquiring minds still working out their own issues really want to know...

Meet Our New Every Other Saturday Blogger, Robert W. Walker

We're happy to welcome a terrific mystery author and teacher here at Make Mine Mystery. Every other Saturday Rob Walker will offer advice and observations from his years of experience as an author, along with brand new insights on the latest marketing ideas. Here's a brief introduction of our new blogger:

 Award-winning author, ROBERT W. WALKER created his highly acclaimed INSTINCT and EDGE SERIES between 1982 and 2005. Rob has since written his award-winning historical series featuring Inspector Alastair Ransom with CITY FOR RANSOM (2006), SHADOWS IN THE WHITE CITY (2007), and CITY OF THE ABSENT (2008). This history-mystery hybrid straddles the Chicago World’s Fair circa 1893, and has had enthusiastic reviews from Chicago historians and the Chicago Tribune, which likened “the witticism to Mark Twain, the social consciousness to Dickens, and the ghoulish atmosphere to Poe!” Rob’s current work in progress is THE DIRTY OLD HARRY SQUAD, a Cold Case concept meshed with an aging police force. His next historical fiction, CHILDREN of SALEM, while an historical romance and suspense novel exposes the many sad truths surrounding Salem Witchcraft, 1692.

See http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com/,

http://www.harpercollins.com/,

http://www.acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/, and

http://www.myspace.com/robertwwalkerbooks,

also on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.

Don't miss Rob's Journal where he shares the writing of his new book at his own blogspot called Dirty Deeds. You can travel through the process with him at nb@cbltd.com. 

Welcome Aboard, Rob!

Blogging by Christine Duncan

A while back I took an internet course on blogging. The gist of the course seemed to be how to network with your blog. I liked that idea as I had been on the net a relatively long while and was used to discussion group lists and bulletin boards where I got to know the participants. I have been thinking about the course lately due a question posed by Julie Lamoe on Crimespace.

Julie had a question about guest bloggers. Do you just invite anyone? What if you don't like their books?

First let me state that I am in awe of anyone organized enough to read the books of all the people who guest blog for them. Although I do the job of requesting (begging for) guest bloggers for my other blog with a very few exceptions, I neither request nor receive copies of the guest's books. I do check out their blogs and am a little tough on their guest posts. Any guest post that smacks too hard of self-promo is declined. But generally speaking, I've looked on it as a chance to get to "know" other writers. And I've learned one heck of a lot from them.

I know the idea is to network to some "better" publishing position.

But the concept offends me.

I like to blog because I'm so...well I prefer the word opinionated, but feel free to insert whatever came to your mind. I like reading the blogs of other folks to see their opinions. Some of the people whose blogs I enjoy reading aren't even mystery writers. But I know that if I tune into their blogs, they will have a post there that will make me think, or laugh, or comment.

Why do you blog? Seriously, if you are an author, it is expected that you blog or at least guest blog. But because something is expected of us has never been a reason to really want to do it.

Christine Duncan is the author of the Kaye Berreano mystery series.