Category: mystery

SUCCESSES AND PROBLEMS by Marilyn Meredith

~ marilynm ~ 3 Comments

Lately, that’s been my writing life, good stuff and not so good.

My long-time publisher for my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series has closed its doors. I asked for and received my rights back for the series and the covers. Because the cover had been designed for the latest book and new designs done for some of the older books, I was pleased.

So what to do next? I decided the best route to take with the series was self-publishing, though I didn’t really feel up to the task. One of my friends, an expert at self-publishing, is taking on this huge job. I say huge because there are 17 books in this series.

The latest book, Spirit Wind, is now published and available in print and on Kindle.

The first batch of the printed books didn’t have the appropriate headers—so I’ve used most of them as review copies—and sold some at a big discount.

A few of the other books in the series have been done, but the old publisher’s copies are still the ones upfront and available. So far, we’ve been unsuccessful at getting them taken down or at least the latest ones the first to show up.

I’d like to do a .99 cent deal for one of the series, but that will have to wait until some of the problems are fixed.

How am I feeling about all this? I’m happy the latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery is now available. Though a bit frustrated about some of the other problems, I’m not going to lose sleep over them. One thing I’ve learned over the years, the author’s path is never smooth. I’ve had crooked publishers, and publishers who were friends die. This happened with the first publisher of this series.

I’m going to book fairs (I have plenty of books to sell) and giving talks to writers groups and others. The promotion goes on. And I’m working on a book in my other series.

One thing I can assure you, I’m never bored. I can’t even imagine what that would be like.

The official blurb for Spirit Wind: A call from a ghost hunter changes Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s vacation plans. Instead of going to the coast, she and her husband are headed to Tehachapi to  investigate a haunted house and are confronted by voices on the wind, a murder, and someone out to get them.

Marilyn

What Do Animals and Children Reveal? by Paty Jager

~ patyjag

It’s funny how having a reader comment about how having a child’s interaction with my main character shows a different side to him–a side she liked–reminded me why I put animals, and in the case of the Gabriel Hawke series children, in my books.

When I started brewing up my character Shandra Higheagle, I knew she would have a big dog, because she was going to live alone on a mountain. But then I turned that big dog into a coward, and there went her protection. Along came a curmudgeon of a woman, Crazy Lil, who came with the ranch Shandra bought. And with Lil came Lewis, the cat, who hangs around her neck like a fur necklace.

The reason for the dog for Shandra was protection, but Lewis for Lil was to show she had a soft caring side that she doesn’t show. Or want anyone to know about. As is with most women, they both have a soft spot for horses. The way Lil cares for the cat, the horses, and Shandra, shows more of her character than one would guess from her interactions with other characters.

Gabriel Hawke, the main character in my new series, is a by the book Fish and Wildlife State Trooper. His marriage failed because of his job, so he doesn’t have plans to marry again. He is a bit standoffish to people he’s never met because of his Native American heritage and the put downs he’s suffered over the years. He likes to remain aloof until he sees which way the other person will treat him.

In walks his dog, Dog. Yes, he named his dog, Dog because he doesn’t want to get too attached, but guess what? The dog is by his side whenever Hawke isn’t in uniform. He shares food with the animal and allows it to sleep next to him in his sleeping bag when on patrol in the mountains. Then there’s Jack, his horse, and Horse, his mule. Hawke believes if you name an animal what it should be, just as it has it’s animal name, it will behave as such. Hence, a mule is called Horse to keep it from having the nasty mule tendencies. Guess what? It doesn’t always work. 😉

As Hawke works to keep his relationships with two women whose company he enjoys platonic, along comes a child who steals his heart with her interest in plants and all things that deal with his beloved Eagle Cap Wilderness. His heart softening and letting the child in has also lowered his resistance to the two women. All this interaction with animals and the child is bringing him out of his grumpy, stoic trance and having him see the world in a whole new way.

When a main character’s true self can be shown through animals or children, you can bet the reader is going to become more engaged with that character and care just a little bit more about them and what happens to them.

Rattlesnake Brother, book 3 in the Gabriel Hawke series is now available in ebook and print.

Corrupt officials.

Illegal hunters.

Death to those who dare complain.

Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke encounters a hunter with an illegal tag. The name on the tag belongs to the Wallowa County District Attorney and the man holding the tag isn’t the public defender. 

As Hawke digs to find out if the DA is corrupt, the hunter’s body is found. Zeroing in on the DA, Hawke finds he has more suspects than the DA and more deaths than the hunter.

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/3JyooJ

Dream or Reality? By Patricia Smith Wood

~ Patricia Smith Wood ~ 1 Comment

I assume most folks reading this blog are either writers, want-to-be writers, mystery fans, fans of writers in general, or someone who might be looking for a life.

The dream of becoming a published writer can be a fun thing to entertain–especially if you don’t know any actual writers. Your imagination can go anywhere, picturing the wonderful life you would lead as a published writer.  Everyone daydreams as they go through life. I certainly did. As a kid, I daydreamed of all sorts of careers I might one day pursue. The younger you are, the more unrealistic your ambitions will seem to your older self.

When I was 6 years old, I saw Margaret O’Brien in a movie. She was a kid my age, didn’t look all that different from me, and she got to do “pretend” stuff. I was big into “pretend” stuff. Then when I was 8 years old, I saw Miracle on 34th Street. Nine-year-old Natalie Wood played the part of Maureen O’Hara’s daughter. I adored Maureen O’Hara. She very closely resembled my own mother, and I daydreamed endlessly about playing the part of her daughter in movies.

Fast forward to reality and the adult years.  A “movie star” career was not in the cards. But the idea of becoming a writer wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. So during boring tasks like washing dishes and folding laundry, I’d dream about my fabulous career as a writer. Rich, famous, toast of the town (which town I never gave thought to) and hiring people to do what I was currently engaged in doing. Yes, that was the life for me. Just become a famous writer.

Those dreams were so far behind me when I actually became a published writer. By that time, I knew a thing or two about how this journey would likely play out. Number one, rich and famous wasn’t even on the list anymore. When you consider the number of writers in this world who are actually able to completely live on their earnings as a writer, you realize the daunting challenge of it all.

Getting people interested in reading what I wrote was the thing for me. If everybody in the country each bought one copy of my first book but never read it, would that be a good thing or a bad thing? I’d make a one-time killing in sales, but nothing else.

I realized years ago the important thing is to pursue your dreams. The best way to do that is visualize what you actually want, and get busy doing it. And strangely enough, even a very low list writer like me (meaning not well known at all) can be admired by the people who read their work. On more than one occasion I’ve been asked to pose for a photo with someone who just bought one of my books. They are so impressed that I’ve written and been published. They think I’m the “somebody” I always wanted to be.

It’s a pretty terrific feeling to encounter a fan like that. It bolsters my confidence and does wonders for the ego.

Whatever your dream is, make a plan and see what happens. You never know how it’ll play out.

Acquired tastes

~ sandyfairfax ~ 2 Comments

By Sally Carpenter

Why do people like different types of literature?

Writers have been wrestling with that question since the first authors tried to earn a living with their work. Why are some books best sellers and other titles flounder? If I knew the answer to that, I’d have some moneymaking books on the shelves myself.

Some books managed to stand the test of time, such as the Sherlock olmes tales that were a rave hit when Arthur Conan Doyle penned them—people went into mourning when he tried to kill off his character. The stories, set in a distant time and written in a rather cumbersome style, are still popular today. Yet the sensational private eye stories from the American pulp magazine era are dismissed as period pieces. Why is that?

I read that our tastes are “imprinted” at an early age. Often the music, books and pop culture we grew up with are the preferences we keep our whole lives. This can change, of course. As we mature we stop reading children’s books and move on to adult literature. Young adults—in conscious rebellion or unconsciously—want a culture distinct from their parents’. Often people raised in a small, closed community find their tastes broaden when exposed to other cultures.

But I think the imprinted theory is mostly true. Devout fans read a certain author in their youth, and they kept that taste their entire life. Just for fun, I’m on a Facebook closed group for fans of the Columbo TV show. Someone asked why we love the program. Many said it reminded them of growing up in a home where the family gathered at the TV to watch the show together on Sunday night. Others like the ‘70s culture of the show—the music, clothes, and mannerisms. Columbo brings back fond memories of past times. Reading a favorite author takes us to a time and location that brings us joy.

I know of authors who are noir fans. They love watching the old noir movies and their writing is a tribute to that genre. I wonder how writers find joy in writing such dark, gritty work. It’s a fascinating world of dark alleys, hideaways, shady deals, colorful characters, beautiful seductive female and a good guy who often behaves in a bad way to get the job done. The noir authors I know are nice, quiet, law-biding people. Maybe the noir world provides “nice” people a safe outlet to imagine themselves as a fist-punching, hard-drinking, womanizing private dick with a seedy office and seedier clientele.

I know an author who hates cozies because of the murder of a close family member—she “finds nothing funny in murder.” So her books are dark and grim. Fans of such stories perhaps like finding justice in the darkness.

When cozy readers are asked about their faves, they often say they enjoy the sense of family found in such books and watching how the characters change and interrelate over the course of a series. Cozy fans also like the escapism of spending time in a fantasy, small-town setting.

I recently decided to challenge my tastes a little. One of my cozy series is a 1960s spy caper. I joined a Facebook group for fans of spy books and films. I asked what books I should read as a newbie and received over 10 responses. Fans love to share their knowledge! From what I‘ve seen of the group so far, they mostly prefer the Cold War, harder-edged tales. My books may be too “cozy” for them, but hey, maybe I’ll broaden their tastes a little.

What are you tastes in reading and how did it come about?

The Good and Bad by Marilyn Meredith

~ patyjag ~ 4 Comments

Poppies by the dumpTraveling the road of life is never smooth. It seems just when everything is going well, a huge boulder crops up to make the way difficult.

First off, my post is late because when I was writing it on Sunday, the power went out and when it came back on I had to be somewhere else.

Health wise, I’d done really well, until I took too bad tumbles—one that required a trip to the ER, and another when I decided to stay home. After a couple of weeks I still have very sore knees and following the doc’s advice to use a cane. (Would be okay except I keep misplacing it.)

My writing career has also taken a tumble in that one of my publishers seems to have problems. Lack of communication and royalty payments has made me come to the sad decision to ask for my rights back. Which means I’ll be self-publishing one of my series, hopefully.

One of my great-granddaughters (17) had back surgery—scary, but she’s already walking and climbing stairs. (She’s a super active young woman, a mountain bike racer—that’s how she got injured, works part-time while going to school, heads up a couple of clubs, planning on college.)

One of the great-greats who lives with us (4 year-old Priscilla) has a new pet—a worm named Sylvia. How can you be upset with life, when such fun stuff is happening?

Plus after years of drought here in California we’ve had lots of rain, and now the hills are covered with wild flowers—yellow, white, and most wonderful of all, poppies and lupine are sprouting all over the hillsides.

Back to writing—I’m moving ahead with the latest book in my other series and in April I’ll be presenting at a wonderful writer’s conference in San Luis Obispo about settings and characters, and sitting on a panel about research. I’m also going to have my books for sale at a big book fair in Visalia.

Being around other writers and talking to readers about books is a great way to lift my spirits.

Happy spring everyone!

Marilyn