Author: patyjag

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 50 + novels, novellas, and short stories of murder mystery, western romance, and action adventure. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Guest Blogger ~ M. E. Proctor

~ patyjag ~ 2 Comments

The Long and Short of It

If writing a novel is a long-lasting love affair—and it better be passionate because there’ll be a lot of time spent in close quarters—what are short stories? A brief encounter burning bright, a summer romance, a little walk on the wild side … It sure feels like that for me at times. Short fiction is a gulp of fresh air after completing a book draft, a welcome reprieve from obsession, and a new way to look at writing when the work-in-progress leaves me so cross-eyed I don’t see anything anymore.

Short stories are like stretching exercises. Tension is released, relaxation ensues.

A character pops into my head, a place triggers an image, a memory surfaces, a sentence rings true, and an idea is born. Could it turn into a book? Maybe, and some have grown wings and gone the distance, but not all stories deserve a 300-page treatment. Often their strength is in the instant. Their intensity cannot be sustained without dilution in a full-length narrative.

“Rabbits”, one of my favorite stories in the Family and Other Ailments collection, is a good example. It is told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy who blanked out a dramatic event. We meet him when he starts remembering. There’s fear and confusion, and a growing sense of panic that is more acute and more immediate for being at the core of the story instead of distributed over book chapters.

I love the spontaneity of short stories, and the best ones are written in a feverish rush with very little rework. They scream to get on the page. I often go back for inspiration to Ray Bradbury, who knew quite a bit about short fiction. One of his quotes is printed in my brain: In quickness is truth. The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you write, the more honest you are.

I can ponder a scene in a book for days, finetune and rewrite it endlessly. That kind of needlepoint doesn’t work for my short stories. The struggle doesn’t improve them, it tends to suck all the life out of them. My files are full of false starts and abandoned fragments. No regrets, they just didn’t make the cut.

Then there’s the guilty pleasure of genre-hopping. I write mostly crime, both in short and long form. The rules of the genre are infinitely flexible and accommodate pretty much everything. Yet, sometimes I feel myself slipping into horror or science fiction. I have a soft spot for cool vampires and conflicted androids. They would not fit in my contemporary detective series. Or I may decide to take a stroll in the 1950s because I’m a sucker for fedoras and hardboiled dialogue. Short fiction is like a pastry shop. All these colorful macarons. And there’s no sin in wanting to sample them all.

There are twenty-six tasty treats in my short story collection, Family and Other Ailments. Have a bite and tell me which one makes you want to come back for seconds. The main character of the book’s title story has already earned a return engagement. In a book.

Family and Other Ailments – Crime Stories Close to Home

Blood ties. The family we’ve been given, the friends we make, the loves we keep, and those we lost. The twenty-six stories in Family and Other Ailments (Wordwooze Publishing) teeter on the brink, hover at the periphery or even the possibility of crime.
The collection opens with “Spy Head,” a tale of friendship after a crushing trauma. In “Texas Two-Step,” brotherhood leads to a wicked double-cross. “Razorbills” shows a young woman seeking freedom from the prison-like caring of her sibling. “Black and Tan” slips into domestic horror, as does “Mutti,” with a hint of the fantastic. “Hour of the Bat” and “Bag Limit” are deep woods Texas noir, while “A Head for Numbers” and “No Recoil” go west, to the stark unforgiving beauty of the desert.

Buy Links:

Family and Other Ailments is available in eBook, paperback, and audiobook.

All links are accessible here: https://books2read.com/u/3Lx0v5

From reviews:

“Channelling distinct voices, subtle humor, and endings that plant a fist in your gut, Proctor’s Family and Other Ailments is a terrific collection of crime, suspense, and fear. The tales are carefully calculated, with each scene, each piece of dialogue building to that oh so important final strike: a crescendo point that leaves the reader jarred.”

M.E. Proctor was born in Brussels and lives in Texas. Her short story collection Family and Other Ailments is available in all the usual places. She’s currently working on a contemporary detective series. The first book comes out in August 2024 from Shotgun Honey. Her short fiction has appeared in Vautrin, Bristol Noir, Pulp Modern, Mystery Tribune, Reckon Review, Black Cat Weekly, and Thriller Magazine among others. She’s a Derringer nominee.

Author Website: www.shawmystery.com

On Substack: https://meproctor.substack.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martine.proctor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEProctor3

Age or Too Much Juggling?

~ patyjag ~ 6 Comments

It’s only the first month of the new year and this is the second group blog I’m on that my Google calendar told me I had a blog today. Yeesh! I have never in twelve years not had a blog already scheduled to go.

In fact, yesterday, Sunday, the day I plan out my week, I wrote down to write my Ladies of Mystery blog post on Tuesday, because, when I looked at January in my date book, which is my bible to keep things straight, I had written down my post was the third Monday of the month instead of the second.

How I managed to do that FOR THE WHOLE year when I received my new datebook in July, I don’t know. All I had to do was look to my left and on a corkboard there is a list of when each Ladies of Mystery author blogs during the month. Now, I have to go back through my datebook and cross out the LOM on the third Monday and put it on the second. And yes, cross out. I use different colored ink pens for different things that are happening.

Orange for the days I post on my Writing into the Sunset blog, Purple for the days I post on here and the other group blog. Bright pink for book specials and events, Blue for when my6 newsletter goes out. And black for personal appointments and events.

I use pencil for guest bloggers on Ladies of Mystery and to keep track of how many words I’ve written.

I also have a whiteboard with three columns where I write the months in one column in purple, the next column is in green and it is the title or number of the book in which series I’m writing, and a column in pink with the title of the book releasing that month.

Then below that, I have a new keeping track project that a very successful Indie author uses to keep track of her specials and events. I decided to use it this year and see if it can help me do a better job of staying on top of promoting my books. It is a 2′ by 3′ write on calendar of the whole year. It is to help me keep track of what book, where, and when I promote it and to keep the promotion flowing all the time. That has been my biggest problem. I start out promoting and then I get caught up in the other sides of being an Indie author and forget to keep promoting. This calendar with everything scheduled is a visual of what I need to do and what is happening. I hope it works.

And again, it is color coordinated. Blue for audiobook promo, green for ebook promo, and pink for special events.

And yet, with all of these reminders, I forgot my group blog post last Monday and today’s for this blog. I’m wondering if I need yet another calendar or whiteboard to keep me in line. What do you think? I’m off to change the purple LOM in my datebook to the second Monday. Have a great day!

Guest Blogger ~ Erica Miner

~ patyjag ~ 3 Comments

Prelude to Murder: Bringing Murder and Music Together

Everything about my journey to the mystery genre was connected to my love for writing and my life as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Though I had played the violin most of my life, I had started writing before I began studying the instrument. In grade school, at the age of 7 or 8, I was placed in an afterschool program for Creative Writing. I don’t remember much of what I wrote (it was about 100 years ago!). But I do remember loving the entire process: creating characters and plot lines and weaving them all together to tell stories. Then I discovered I also had a talent for the violin. That fiendishly difficult instrument monopolized my creativity, though my passion for writing never left me.

Eventually I ended up in the orchestra of the most prestigious opera company in the world, where I was part of a uniquely exciting, glamorous subculture. What I hadn’t anticipated was the hotbed of intrigue behind that famous “Golden Curtain”—an operatic Tower of Babel with clashing egos, rampant jealousies, and nefarious happenings. I then realized an opera house was the perfect place for mischief and mayhem. Why not bring murder and music together in that milieu? My Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series was born.

When it comes to the old adage “Write what you know,” I was not immune. My main character, Julia, is a young violinist much like me when I first started out at the Met: a starry-eyed neophyte who knows nothing about the backstage conflicts that take place between the fascinating but maddening characters who work there. In the first book of the series, Aria for Murder, on the night of Julia’s debut performance at the Met, an unthinkable tragedy occurs, and suddenly she becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Julia’s sleuthing makes her the target of the killer, and she uses her own ingenuity to survive.

There was little research involved in my Met Opera mystery, since I had been there for 21 years; but Prelude to Murder, the recently released sequel, takes place in a totally different atmosphere: Julia goes off to the desert to perform with the Santa Fe Opera. I had never been to Santa Fe, so I visited the area to do copious amounts of research on its history and culture. It was a revelatory experience, and the book is infused with rich details. Of course, no sooner does Julia arrive in Santa Fe than operatic chaos ensues, and she finds herself involved in yet another murder investigation, this time with the added element of Santa Fe’s ghostly activity. Her wits carry her through, and in Book #3 she goes to San Francisco for more operatic mayhem.

Though I find the mystery genre the most difficult to write, it also is the most challenging. The potential for murderous intrigue against the background of a theatre, where the turmoil behind the scenes is often more dramatic than what occurs onstage, is limited only to the number of opera houses in the world—and to my wicked imagination.

Prelude to Murder

Young, prodigious Metropolitan Opera violinist Julia Kogan, having survived her entanglement in an investigation of her mentor’s murder on the podium, and a subsequent violent, life-threatening attack of a ruthless killer, is called upon for a key musical leadership position at the Santa Fe Opera. But at the spectacular outdoor theatre in the shadows of the mysterious New Mexican Sangre de Cristo Mountains, she witnesses yet other operatic murders, both onstage and off. Dark and painful secrets emerge as, ignoring warnings from her colleagues and from Larry, her significant other, Julia plunges into her own investigation of the killing. Ghostly apparitions combine with some of the most bloody and violent operas in the repertoire to make Julia question her own motives for searching for the killer. But this time the threat to her life originates from a source she never would have imagined.

Buy links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Prelude-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685124429/ref=monarch_sidesheet

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/prelude-to-murder-erica-miner/1144067662?ean=9781685124427

https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/book/9781685124427

After 21 years as a violinist with the Metropolitan Opera, Erica Miner is now an award-wining author, screenwriter, arts journalist, and lecturer based in the Pacific Northwest. Her debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards. Erica’s fanciful plot fabrications reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera in her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series. Aria for Murder, published by Level Best Books in 2022, was a finalist in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Awards. The second in the series, Prelude to Murder, published in 2023, glowingly reviewed by Kirkus Reviews (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/erica-miner/prelude-to-murder/), finds the violinist in heaps of trouble in the desert at the Santa Fe Opera. The next murderous sequel takes place at San Francisco Opera. As a writer-lecturer, Erica has given workshops for Sisters in Crime; Los Angeles Creative Writing Conference; EPIC Group Writers; Write on the Sound; Fields End Writer’s Community; Savvy Authors; and numerous libraries on the west coast.

https://www.facebook.com/erica.miner1

https://twitter.com/EmwrtrErica

https://www.instagram.com/emwriter3/

AUTHOR WEBSITE:

https://www.ericaminer.com

Guest Blogger ~ Eve Marie

~ patyjag ~ 5 Comments

 I write mysteries/thrillers because this is my book to go to as an escape. I will retreat to a book searching for a mystery or thriller with a protagonist who solves the crime and perseveres despite setbacks. This character motivates me. One of my favorite protagonists was introduced to me by my husband through the character of Jack Reacher developed by Lee Childs. I enjoy how the author develops a mysterious character that needs no personal belongings and just tends to show up when needed. I began my novel “The Bayou Heist” with two characters in mind and familiar settings including Florida and Bon Secour, Alabama. The two characters I developed were struggling with a business and needed a serendipity to happen. It did and this starts my novel of odd coincidences. It is also why I penned this phrase I heard while working as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates “Every man has two eyes but no one sees the same. “ I thought wouldn’t it be interesting if many threads in the novel are connected and these similarities lead the reader to discover more quirks and more coincidences ‘kind of like going down a rabbit hole’ one reader mentioned as you keep finding more rabbit holes leading the reader to discover more links between the characters. My favorite character is the detective from the Bayous using his eyes and senses and the Italian attorney to try to discover who left the money in the Bayous.

Along the way, I had to research various ideas to insert into my novel including the idea of finding a ‘cache’ which came from another blogger when she wrote about following clues to find a cache. For some of my characters, I  developed them by remembering people and stories  I heard along my journeys overseas as a teacher and as a student studying at the Sorbonne. Having the opportunity to meet some interesting people and live in some unusual places, I used the settings I was familiar with. The best advice I can give to anyone trying to write a novel is to write what you know about. The characters Faith and her husband, Timothy, own a cupcakerie. Another character owns a nursery. I am familiar with the ups and downs of owning a small business and also very familiar with nurseries in Florida. Then, don’t give up trying to get it published. Keep sending it away and keep good notes, be prepared to help with the editing process and realize it is not a sprint but a marathon.

Writing a novel, seeing it published, and then listening to your readers is very rewarding because it is an accomplishment that not everyone finishes. I am very grateful to my husband for putting up with me during this time and to a few bloggers who motivated me.

For a follow up, I am interested in continuing as a series with the protagonist, Faith, the Bayou Detective, Andre and the Italian attorney, Giorgio inhabiting a place in my series. The second novel will focus more on the small town background of Faith and a secret she discovers.

The Bayou Heist

“Everyone has two eyes but no one sees the same.” There is André, a detective from the bayous, trying to solve the Armored Truck robbery along with his trusty sidekick. On the other side are Faith and Eva, dropped into a situation which they didn’t see coming. After finding a stash of money hidden in North Georgia by robbers, the twists, turns, and coincidences caused by bumping into one another create an ironic ‘cat and mouse situation.’ Two innocents in over their head, two detectives chasing clues, and we have one bayou mystery that might just be unsolvable!

https://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Heist-Eve-Marie-ebook/dp/B0C44Q9QFM

Eve Marie was born in New York City and raised in a small town located in the Catskill Mountains where everyone knew your name. After graduating from Stony Brook University with an English degree, she spent several years working in Manhattan in the garment industry; as a real estate property appraiser with the city of New York and a girl Friday for local radio talk show host, Barry Farber, as well as a stint in the United States Navy. With a Masters Degree in TESOL (Teaching English to speakers of other languages) she has taught in the United States, France, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. “For four years, my husband and I were the proud owners of Cupcake Cache (a small bakery). When writing, I like to reflect upon some of the people I knew and the places I have lived. When not writing, I can be found experimenting in the kitchen, walking my dog (Iago), or creating a ‘what if’ scenario for my next creative endeavor. Writers who inspire me include Stephen King, Edna Buchanan, Lee Child, Lisa Unger, and Ann Rule.  My favorite quote for inspiration is “Everyone has two eyes but no one has the same view” (Wael Harakeh).

http://cupcakecacheblog.wordpress.com

https://anoveltowrite.com/

Guest Blogger ~ donalee Moulton

~ patyjag ~ 4 Comments

In the right place

Céad míle fáilte. This Gaelic expression means “a hundred thousand welcomes.” If you live in Nova Scotia, as I do, this is an expression you will have seen for much of your life. (Pronouncing it is a different issue altogether.) A hundred thousand welcomes in any language speaks to the type of people you are likely to encounter when you come here and the values they place on such encounters.

Riel Brava – attractive, razor-sharp, ambitious, and something much more –

is the lead character in my new mystery, Hung Out to Die. He lives in Elmsdale, Nova Scotia, about a 40-minute drive from Halifax, the province’s capital. In East Coast parlance, Riel is a come from away.

Raised in Santa Barbara, California, Riel has been transplanted to Nova Scotia where he is CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation – one of the estimated four to twelve percent of CEO’s who are psychopath. It’s business as usual until Riel finds his world hanging by a thread.

Riel resists the hunt to catch a killer. Detective Lin Raynes draws the reluctant CEO into the investigation, and the seeds of an unexpected and unusual friendship are sown. Ultimately, Riel finds himself on the butt end of a rifle in the ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.

Fact is, I could have placed Riel in the middle of anywhere. The murder is not location specific. The victim does not fall from the Brooklyn Bridge or mysteriously appear atop Old Faithful, places that are singular. Nova Scotia made sense for me as a writer, and it made sense for Riel as a character. I live here; I know this province better than any other place. I can write about it with ease, and with a personal perspective.

For Riel, who lives uncomfortably in a world where people hug each other because they care and share the pain of others because their brain is wired that way, being in a place where he does not have roots, where he is an outsider, mirrors what goes on within Riel. It’s the right place for him.

Because I am from Nova Scotia, I can also authentically and naturally insert elements of life here. Take the language, for instance. You may discover some new words such as bejesus and tinchlet. There will be expressions common to the area. “Bless your heart” is one you’ll hear a lot in Nova Scotia, and Riel hears it as well.

There is also food that has Nova Scotia marinated into it, as Riel discovers. Turns out Riel is now a donair aficionado. (I am not.)

One of the things I have learned as a writer is that I am in control, and I am not in control. I can decide to situate a character in a particular place, and the character will let me know if that is the right place as the writing unfolds. In the case of Riel, he ends up in the dark of winter at a deserted row of cottages called, what else, Céad míle fáilte.

I did not see that coming. I have a feeling Riel did.

Hung Out to Die

Riel Brava, CEO of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation, just wants to be left alone to do his job and one day run for president of the United States. He has a plan. Murder gets in his way. It isn’t easy being a psychopath.

paperback

ebook

donalee Moulton is an award-winning freelance journalist. She has written articles for print and online publications across North America including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Lawyer’s Daily, National Post, and Canadian Business.

Her first mystery book Hung out to Die was published this spring. Her second mystery, Conflagration, will be published in February. donalee’s short story “Swan Song” was one of 21 selected for publication in Cold Canadian Crime, and was shortlisted for an Award of Excellence. A second short story, also featuring the Iqaluit-based chief of police Doug Brumal, was published this spring in Black Cat Weekly. Her literary short story “Moist” was published recently in After Dinner Conversation and The Antigonish Review.  As well, donalee is the author of The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say and co-author of, Celebrity Court Cases: Trials of the Rich and Famous.

CONTACTS:

Website: donaleemoulton.com 

Amazon Author URL: amazon.com/author/donaleemoulton

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

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/donaleemoulton

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaleemoulton/

Twitter: @donaleeMoulton

Instagram: donaleemoulton