Townbuilding

~ dzchurch ~ 6 Comments

Everyone goes on about worldbuilding, but what if all you need is a town? Say a small town, population about 2,200, with an immigrant problem and burgeoning industry set at the very edge of the disappearing prairie, circa 1876. Or any town.

Design the Town You Need

It helps, of course, to have a plot line to build your town around, one that maintains historical context and is informed by the design of other small prairie towns. If this town is to be durable, say the focus of a series, you need to design it so that it can grow or shrink. Did the town spring up from a hell town (built during the laying of the railroads) or did it grow out of the land as people migrated west?

Define Its History

For instance, did it exist during the Black Hawk War? What happened when men, left wandering by the Civil War, who needed work, any work, were lured by the stockyards, coal vein, and wagonmakers to your town? Where do these men lodge? Does the town accept them, or must they camp or build somewhere else? Where? What other camp followers arrive?

Check out a Similar Small Town

Research a similar small town. If you’re lucky, you’ll discover an active historical society website. One with archival pictures and a town directory with business listings, goods and services available, and local surnames. Then picture your city center. What do the stores look like? Is there a boardwalk, or are the stores at street level? Are the streets paved? Is there a distinct residential area? A park? Schools? Do you see your town when you close your eyes?

Draw a Map

If so, sit down and draw a map. You’ll need it, whether for a series or a standalone, to maintain consistency across books and chapters as your characters interact in and with its spaces. Maybe the first map is a sketch, with subsequent maps providing more detail as the town grows or shrinks. The butcher shop needs to be in the same place each mention, until it burns to the ground.

Add Flora and Fauna

Now that you have your town, what trees grow there? Shagbark hickory, willow, chestnut, walnut? Check with the state agricultural organization to learn the native trees. Flowers? Bugs? Smells? Then study them until you can describe each accurately. Check the weather, too. Seasonal temperatures. Cycles of rain and drought.

“In a normal year, the creek would be ten feet wide and several feet deep, with water lapping the banks. But this was no normal year. It hadn’t rained in Wanee since early June, leaving the creek narrowed with eddies of blue-green growth where fresh water had once flowed.” From “A Confluence of Enemies”.

Or blanketed in snow.

“The porch of the Presbyterian manse threw light across the glimmering lawn to the walkway, where it bounced off the dancing snowflakes accruing at their feet, enough that they left tracks etched in the thin layer of white as they strolled.” From “One Horse Too Many.”

Define the Town Folk’s Perspective

Finally, how forward-thinking are the citizens? The 1870s were a time of heavy migration and industrial change. As a rule, small rural towns didn’t have city water, central heating, or telephones. But if Lyon and Clinton, Iowa, had a telephone exchange in 1877, why can’t your little town? With the new boiler plant, wouldn’t central heating be available to those willing to pay? And if an artesian water source produced sufficient flow to fill a raised tank, why couldn’t your town have city water despite small-town water systems being rare until the1890s? After all, Chicago had city water in 1842.

Bring It to Life

It’s your town; now do with it as you please. Add characters, the good and the evil and let them roam its streets, finding bodies in trenches for the new water system, floating in the town pond or dead in a dry riverbed. But mostly have fun discovering the mysteries lurking within your town limits.

For more information about my books, check out https://dzchurch.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter and learn some other cool stuff.

SCAR FACE

~ Kimila Kay ~ 3 Comments

Hello, Ladies ~

When you write your characters, do you give them physical scars? Or, like me, do you tend to craft them as cute, pretty, and handsome?

While I do give my characters emotional scars, baggage, and quirks, I never considered creating fictional people with human flaws like the scar I now have on my face near my left eye.

During the 4th of July weekend, I tripped over one of Randy’s tennis shoes and was pitched into the corner of a wall. The fall left me with a cut along the edge of my eye that trails into the lower lid. The incident occurred at our cabin at night, and since it didn’t seem very serious at the time, I decided not to go to urgent care.

It took a few days for the swelling to go down, and when it did, I became the owner of a brand-new scar. The first thing I thought was that my son, Derrick, would have said I was a true pirate now and could wear an eye patch to cover my scar. Aye, matey!

I believe we all take things from our lives and weave them into our stories. For instance, I was young and cute once. And I fell in love (more than once) with a handsome boy. And along the way, I unfortunately came across an ugly villain or two.

With my newly acquired scar, I’m seeing my character development through a different lens. In my next Stoneybrook novel, “Chasing Crazy,” my heroine, Harley Harper, goes missing. While she’s held captive by a villainess who’s slowly losing her grip on reality, Harley suffers events that will leave her with emotional scars. But now I’m considering what physical scars might occur before she rescues herself.

Over the years, I’ve learned to unpack baggage and leave behind what no longer serves me well. Still, I’m all too familiar with emotional scars and the damage carrying baggage can cause, so at first, I was reluctant to add them to Harley’s story. One thing I’ve learned, though, is that my characters tend to take my ideas and run with them. I guess I’ll just have to trust Harley and see how she writes her story!

In my new mystery series set in Mesa, Arizona, I’m in the early stages of creating my young heroine, Sapphire Stone. In “Murder on Superstition Mountain,” Sapphire is a private investigator who also works for an autistic pot store owner to make ends meet. My pirate scar is encouraging me to depict Sapphire as a tomboy, reckless in her pursuit of answers and reluctant to be a girly girl. Think of the scars she might encounter while searching for clues on Superstition Mountain or warding off a sky-high thief trying to rob the pot store.

Back when I had time to read, I loved Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. It was always a treat to see what mess Stephanie might find herself in. What shenanigans her Grandma Mazur was up to! And, of course, what outrageous outfit Lula would be wearing. I also loved the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton featuring Kinsey Millhone. Kinsey’s one-woman approach to solving a mystery was inspiring. And who could forget that she cut her hair with toenail scissors or her all-purpose little black dress. I’m excited to see what quirks and extra fun eccentricities I can create for Sapphire and her supporting cast.

My most exciting project, though, is the current book I’m writing as DJ Henson to honor my son, Derrick. “Midnight Sail” is a middle-grade novel about three kids who start out looking for treasure on a mysterious island located on the southern Oregon Coast and end up sailing the Pacific Ocean on a 1757 pirate ship. I have decided I want the trio, Cyrus, Jaxyn, and Alex, to share some type of scar from their experience.

One idea that would be perfect for “Midnight Sail” is an octopus bite on their hands from holding a baby octopus. My husband, Randy, suffered a bite like this and has a unique scar on his hand between his thumb and forefinger. This is the first book in the Cyrus Cormack Adventure Series that I have planned for these three friends. My thought was to have them incur a mark of some kind to confirm the experience they survived was real. I have a few ideas and can’t wait to see which one works best for each book.

So, I can’t wait to sail away with my new pirate tattoo on a wave of imagination, creating stories with interesting characters … scars, baggage and all … for as long as I can!

Happy Writing ~ Kimila

Writing – A Love Story

~ lanamfox ~ 8 Comments

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not sure if I love to write, or if I love to have written. There are aspects to both that I love. I really love to brainstorm a story. (It’s like a new romance.) I’m very attracted to my idea and can’t wait to learn more about it. (Sort of like the first attraction to someone new.) Then I start to write and it’s so fun to see it start to come together. (Just like beginning to date and you can’t wait to spend time with the new person.) Then I’m in the middle of it and don’t think it will ever come together. (You’ve been dating for a while and wonder if this will last or if you should move on.) Then I get to the end, and I’m always surprised that it’s an actual story instead of the mess that has been living in my head for the last few months. (If you’re lucky the relationship is a good one and will last.)

It has been a long time since I’ve experienced a new love, but I do love a good romance and writing a book is sort of the same, don’t you think?

It takes me several months to write a book. I just finished my 6th book, the 4th in my Hood River Valley Series. This book was difficult. I had two stories and had to find a way to bring them together by the end of the book. I hope I did it justice. The title is Her Silent Tears and I’m hoping it will be out mid-October.

This book is about a woman detective who is trying to work under an acting sheriff who makes her life miserable. When a van full of young women who are being trafficked are in a wreck, and the man who abducted them is killed, his driver and one of the girls goes missing. Detective Liz Ellisen must find the driver and the young woman before she is sold into another country. And she has to figure out who in the small town of Hood River is buying and trafficking women. Several prominent people in the town could be part of the trafficking ring. While Liz tries to find out who is involved, a judge’s wife is murdered, an Oregon Senator is shot, her partner is shot, and someone is coming after her.

I spent the last two days by myself at the beach going through every chapter and writing down the POV character and a couple of sentences noting the most important things going on. It was a lot of work, but I’m proud of myself for doing it. It showed me that the story does work, it needs lots of editing, but there is something there to work with.

Tomorrow, while I wait for the laundry to get clean so I can head home, I hope to begin the arduous job of editing this book. I’m really looking forward to it. Editing is my favorite part of writing. (Is that like trying to work out the kinks in a relationship?) When I feel it is as good as I can get it, my first readers will get a copy.

While I wait for them to read the book, I should be writing the next one. Instead, I wring my hands and worry that they won’t like it. When they finish, I make the changes I need to, then go through it a zillion more times before it finally goes to my editors.

It’s a long, tough process. Some days I feel like my brain will explode. Other days I feel like there is nothing up there but sand. But as soon as it’s published, I’m doing it again. I can’t imagine not writing. Even if I never published anything, I’d still write. It’s such an integral part of me.

But I do finally leave the book and move on. Now I’m excited about a Christmas Mystery I’ve already started. It came to me almost fully realized. I just have to figure out how to write it down. I think it will be a fun book to write. I hope it will work out well and we will not have a bad break up. (ie. A book that I never finish.)

And after that is the next Hood River Valley Mystery/Thriller. I thought I knew what the premise was of the next book. But as it turns out, the muse had it’s own idea, and now I’m thinking about something totally different. Or will I try both story lines and have to find a way to tie them together like I did in Book 4? We’ll see what happens. The thing I do know is that my love story of writing will go on as long as I do. Maybe longer.

In summary

~ donaleeMoulton ~ 6 Comments

by donalee Moulton

When I completed my first mystery novel, Hung Out to Die, I quickly discovered that the novel would not stand alone. A synopsis was required. As a freelance journalist and communications specialist, I’ve put together a lifetime of pitches and proposals. Still, I spent some time reading up on what makes a successful synopsis. Then I wrote my own.

My synopsis did not follow the traditional pattern, but most of the required elements were there. I wondered if it would pass muster. Overall, the people I shared the synopsis with liked it. One person didn’t like it at all and said neither would publishers. I took a long hard look and, respectfully, disagreed.

This was nerve-wracking. I knew it would be easier to simply follow the path well taken, but I felt I needed to branch out. I entered a shorter version of my synopsis in the Synopsis Skirmish contest – and won. The judge (one of my favorite people) had this to say: The author’s handling of voice in this synopsis is so powerful, it made me want to read the novel right away. The synopsis is unusual and intriguing—a winning combination. When the acquisitions editor at BWL Publishing (another of my favorite people) reached out to me requesting a full copy of my manuscript, she noted, “We were quite taken with your synopsis.”

The synopsis issue has driven home to me the need to listen to yourself, that inner voice that knows you better than anyone. At the same time, it has taught me more about flexibility and being open to feedback. There is nothing as helpful as constructive criticism (whether accepted or not) and editors are worth their weight in gold.

I thought I’d share my synopsis – my very first – with you. I’d love to know what you think.

book cover from Hung Out To Die

Synopsis
Hung Out to Die: A Riel Brava Mystery
By donalee Moulton

Let’s start with the obvious.
Meet Riel Brava. Attractive. Razor-sharp. Ambitious.
Riel, born and bred in Santa Barbara, California, has been transplanted to Nova Scotia where he is CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation (CCC). It’s business as usual until Riel finds the company’s comptroller hanging by a thread. Actually, several threads. It doesn’t take the police long to determine all is not as it appears.

Let’s dive beneath the surface.
Meet Riel Brava. Observant. Cautious. Psychopathic.
Not the Dexter-Hannibal Lecter-Norman Bates kind of psychopath. The kind who live and work among us, mostly unnoticed, often successful, always on full alert their differences will be uncovered. Riel is personable, even charming. He’s keen to understand how the human mind works, so he’ll blend in. After all, his goal is to be president of the United States. (An aspiration that will feature in future books.)

Let’s talk plot.
So Norm Bedwell has apparently hanged himself in his office at CCC. Emphasis on apparently. It takes Detective Lin Raynes mere minutes to suspect the obvious is deceiving and what appears to be death by suicide is actually a murder. Over the course of 13 chapters (there is also an introductory chapter), he works to uncover and discover who would want Bedwell dead and how they could have pulled the murder off.

He’s not alone. In an unusual pairing, Raynes and Riel work together to chase down leads – the bully who tortured Bedwell’s son at school, the mysterious orange truck that belongs to no CCC employee but was parked in the company lot the night Bedwell was murdered, the employee, who despite stringent security measures, has managed to steal weed from CCC and start a healthy little illegal business.

Raynes manages to engage Riel, albeit reluctantly, in the hunt for Bedwell’s killer, and in the process, the seeds of an unexpected and unusual friendship are sown. (These seeds will blossom in subsequent books.)

Various motives are explored through a number of suspects – revenge, fear, greed – but ultimately, it’s love that becomes the reason Norm Bedwell no longer lives. Unfortunately, the evidence is circumstantial. Raynes and Riel concoct a scheme to draw a confession out of the killer, but that plan is never put into place. Instead, Riel finds himself on the receiving end of a rifle in the ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.

Let’s look at the core cast of returning characters. You’ll like them all.

Tiffany Brava. Riel’s wife and loyal supporter. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Tiffany knows Riel is not quite like everyone else – and why. For now, that door is closed. What’s openly obvious is her affection for her husband, her loyalty, and her acumen. Don’t count Tiffany out as the dumb blonde. Oh yes, she’s vegan.

Franklin Raynes. The Halifax Police Department’s lead detective on this case is Black, quintessentially Nova Scotian, and a consummate charmer. He can read the room and respond accordingly. He takes a shine to Riel, and also realizes how helpful the psychopath can be in solving this case. (Yes, Lin Raynes is privy to Riel’s deepest secret, but he doesn’t admit it to his new friend – just yet.) Oh yeah, Raynes also does this thing with his left eyebrow.

Senator John Williams. Tiffany’s dad | Riel’s father-in-law is the Democratic Senator for District 19. A seasoned and senior politician, Williams is a co-owner of CCC, although it’s not an asset he talks about with constituents. He’s brusque, except where his daughter is concerned, and well connected, even in Canada.

Zahra Bashir. A practising Muslim and savvy TV reporter who’s always on the lookout for the inside scoop. Bashir makes many of the other characters very nervous despite her friendly demeanor.

David Clements. The recreational cannabis sector in Canada is heavily regulated. Clements is the federal DOJ’s contact for Riel. Their relationship is one of power and powerful expectations. Clements holds that power. A minor character, Clements plays an important role. He’s the first person to use a special word.

There are other characters introduced in this book who will also return but play a smaller role in this mystery.

Let’s look at the cast of characters in the book. You won’t like them all.
* Faye Bedwell, distraught and disrespected wife of Norm Bedwell.
* Bran Bedwell, the Bedwell’s 12-year-old son who takes a liking to Riel. Good grief.
* Thorne, media consultant and very protective of Riel
* The bully and his parents.
* The poor sod who owns the orange truck.
* The killer.

What’s familiar about Hung Out to Die to make mystery fans feel at home
It’s fast-paced. It lays out a path of breadcrumbs that lead, ultimately, to the killer. First, of course, it branches off in several misdirections. It creates suspense. It builds understanding and affection for key characters. It leaves readers wanting more.

What’s novel about the book to make the mystery stand apart and readers turning pages
It introduces a unique character that, ironically, we empathize with. It’s funny as hell. It’s written by an award-winning journalist who knows how to tell a story and how to use words to maximum effect.

Riel Brava: Vital Statistics
Height: 6’1
Weight: 165 pounds
Waist: 35 inches
Age: 37
Spouse: Tiffany, the vegan
Job: CEO, Canadian Cannabis Corp.
Location: Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ambition: President of the United States of America
Favorite food: Donairs (definitely not vegan)
Top personality trait: Psychopath
Burning question: What the hell’s a chunderf**k

Guest Blogger ~ T.L. Bequette

~ patyjag ~ 2 Comments

Venturing Out

I am the author of the five mysteries that comprise the Joe Turner Mystery series. Like Joe, I am a criminal defense attorney practicing in Oakland, and my thirty years in the courtroom have provided a trove of stories. Write what you know, I suppose.

Joe is a more interesting version of me—younger, better looking, drinks more, quicker on his feet, and more daring in the courtroom. Most of my stories find Joe Turner defending young black men in Oakland. They resonate, in part, because of their authenticity, as my real-world experiences make their way into the courtroom. Sometimes, the inspiration for my characters is even recognizable to my colleagues. This became a problem once when fellow attorneys began placing bets on the inspiration for a particularly incompetent judge.

However, in my latest book, Holler Whispers, I decided that it was time for Joe to get out of town. He ventured to a small town in Georgia to defend an autistic teenager accused of murdering the local high school football hero. I knew there would be research but mainly thought of the project as an enjoyable adventure. When writing about a particular jail or courtroom, I’d felt constrained by their reality. Now, I would be free to let my imagination create its own reality. While this did come to pass, the greater benefit came from researching two vital aspects of the story—autism and the Deep South—and from considering how inadequately the criminal justice system serves those in the neurodivergent community.

In many ways, writing Holler Whispers was a lesson in its own subject matter, a story of education, inclusivity, and acceptance. While someone close to me is autistic, to be fair to the neurodivergent community, I researched the autism spectrum and did my best to put myself in the shoes of one of the story’s main characters and his family members. Writing in Carl’s voice helped me to appreciate his profound daily challenges, and I strove to do so with respect and dignity.

Likewise, while my father grew up in the South and I’ve enjoyed my time there, I am not a Southerner. I enjoyed researching the area of my fictitious small town of Barton, Georgia, on the edge of the Oconee National Forest. With the help of my father’s memories of childhood adventures, I hope I accurately described not only the native plants of the region but also the hollers’ unique feel.

I hope I did justice to those who inhabit both places—the autism spectrum and the South.

Writing the story also brought into focus a problem I knew existed. As a criminal defense attorney, I have seen firsthand how poorly our criminal justice systems deal with people along the mental health continuum. Almost by definition, the rigidity of the law prevents it from considering the nuances necessary to ascribe culpability to those in the neurodivergent community accused of crime.

Writing Hollers Whispers was both cathartic and educational in this regard. If you read the book, I hope you enjoy some of these same lessons.

Holler Whispers

Oakland defense attorney Joe Turner ventures to a small town in the deep south to defend an autistic teenager accused of murdering the local high school football hero. Joe must overcome a biased jury pool, an ornery judge, and a seemingly airtight case. The roller-coaster trial is seen through the eyes of the jury—a diverse group that struggles with their own preconceptions about autism and nearly crumble under the weight of their decision. But is there a plant on the jury and whose side are they on?

Desperate to shield his vulnerable and endearing client from prison, Joe is assisted by his girlfriend, Eddy, and Chuck, his colorful investigator. Together, the three urbanites navigate a world of southern charm and hillbilly legend where secrets whisper through the hollers, just out of reach.  

Written by a trial attorney, Holler Whispers captures the raw emotion of the courtroom and depicts a criminal justice system fraught with human frailty. Enjoy unravelling this twisty whodunit that tugs at your heartstrings.

Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Holler-Whispers-Turner-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0G5L3D6VK

Todd Lewis Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His latest Joe Turner Mystery, Good Lookin’, was just named a Kirkus Indie Award Finalist. Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder, so his day job provides a trove of plotlines waiting to be written. A Georgetown Law Graduate, he serves on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic. He enjoys playing with a tireless border Collie mix, Russet, and will remain a lifelong fan of the Oakland A’s.

https://www.instagram.com/tlbequette