Guest Blogger ~ Helen Hynson Vettori

~ patyjag ~ 4 Comments

  Helen Hynson Vettori wrote the sci-fi political thriller, Black Swan Impact, because of her utter dismay regarding the U.S. Federal Government’s response to SARS COVID-19. When COVID-19 emerged, she had already retired from the Department of Homeland Security workforce. During her years of service, she helped plan and prepare for biological threats, to include pandemics. She rose to a position as an emergency management fellow and even won an award for outstanding emergency management achievements related to her efforts for planning and preparing for biothreats. As the COVID outbreak gripped the world, she became increasingly appalled by official actions or lack thereof compounded by confusing messaging.
     During lockdown family phone calls or Zoom meetings, Vettori would ask questions like, “How can this be?” or “Why aren’t they using the pandemic plan with the strategies and messaging that have been in place for years?” In response, her sister turned those questions toward an idea. She challenged Vettori by saying it sounded like she had a story bottled up inside. That observant sister was right. Vettori wrote the first draft of Black Swan Impact, first titled Black Swan Catastrophe, in two weeks. Then both her brother and her sister helped the author to focus on certain aspects of the plot and characters, expanding and enhancing them until Vettori ultimately brought the sci-fi political novel to fruition.
     One can argue that Black Swan Impact is fiction and improbable. Yet there are truths woven throughout the novel, including the fact that some people will or won’t follow orders and strategies, particularly when they are politically motivated and garbled in messaging. The truths embedded in Vettori’s novel stem from her vocational subject matter expertise and life experiences. Helen Vettori NEMAA, NSFP-EM appeared in her signature block when she was a member of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workforce. The professional acronyms signified her subject matter expertise in emergency management. She earned noted knowledge and skills over the course of years through education, valuable mentoring from those immersed in the field, applied applications, and leadership initiatives. She even received affirmation of her contributions by being awarded employee of the year award in 2013. However, her career in DHS as an emergency manager did not solely influence her as she wrote Black Swan Impact. Indeed, there were other elements that enabled her to create a plausible world facing an unimaginable threat from a novel, virulent pathogen. Her eclectic background afforded her unique, first-hand knowledge that she wove into the plot. Those other career paths were serving the National Capital Region as an EMT paramedic by joining the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, acting as a senior medical intelligence analyst at the Protective Medicine Branch, earning a master’s degree in strategic intelligence, and becoming a staff member of Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support.
     When it was time for her to retire from the federal government, she devoted her full attention to endeavors like travel until the 2020 pandemic lockdown barred that. Like everyone, she fell captive to the situation. Her frustrations regarding the muddled response led her to write, which became cathartic. Vettori credits that process for her to be able to move away from anguish and disbelief by channeling those emotions into the sci-fi political thriller, Black Swan Impact. They allowed her to craft a plot laced with credibility and striking scenes garnered from some of her amazing life journeys. Further, she hopes the story will enable readers to learn from the dystopian tale. “If readers think COVID ruined 2020,” she said, “then they can leap to 2113, to see how PYV more than challenges humanity in my sci-fi political thriller Black Swan Impact. Then readers can take away the implied warnings and combine them with our memories of COVID pandemic issues to help us to avoid repeating mistakes during future crises.”

BLACK SWAN IMPACT

In 2113, people inhabiting the Earth believe that peace and prosperity will forevermore be their way of life on the third planet in the Sol System and elsewhere as they move further into space. That optimism bursts, when Dr. Syia Case, Director of Epidemiology from the National Institutes of Health and wife to the White House Chief of Staff, raises the alarm that Earth is facing an emerging pandemic crisis the likes of which had not been seen before. Initially, President Daniel Piper looks to Dr. Case as his favored subject matter expert to assist him and the White House Crisis Action Team plan and prepare for and respond to the novel pathogen. However, when Piper steers the United States toward questionable courses, Dr. Case and the strident voices on the task force find there is more than a virulent virus to fight.

 Austin Macauley Publishers – https://www.austinmacauley.com/us/book/black-swan-impact 

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Black-Impact-Helen-Hynson-Vettori/dp/B0CVLHG3TY

Barnes And Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-swan-impact-helen-hynson-vettori/1144944171?ean=9798889100911 

A seventh generation Washingtonian Helen Hynson Vettori served the National Capital Region first by joining the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad as an EMT/Paramedic. Then she taught at a private school in Rockville, Maryland until 2001. Post 9/11, she joined the Department of Homeland Security workforce as the Senior Medical Intelligence Analyst at the Protective Medicine Branch. When that branch was defunded, she transferred to a new position at the National Incident Response Unit. There she performed all aspects of emergency management duties but specialized in planning and preparing for biological incidents to include pandemics. After retiring from the federal government, she followed passions like reading, traveling, and painting. Currently, she lives in Leesburg, VA with her husband. Vettori and her husband have two grown children both of whom are married and one grandchild. 

https://helenhvettori.substack.com

Instagram (@HelenHVettori), and Facebook (@ Black Swan Impact)

Painting by the author and photographed by Megan Genova

MARKET MUSINGS

~ Kimila Kay ~ 6 Comments

Unless you’re living on an island, sipping margaritas, you know the holiday season is upon us. Only 58 shopping days until Christmas!

I decided to try something new this year and signed up to have a table at the Red Mitten Market, which is held every year at the Canby Grange from October through December. Excited to showcase my books for the first time at this event, I decorated my table with other vendors’ holiday craft items. Currently, I’m displaying Halloween décor.

I’m not required to “man” my table daily, but I love meeting potential readers and talking to people in general. And don’t tell my husband, but I’m not driven by money. However, I enjoy telling shoppers about my writing journey and how my two book series originated.

On my first day at the market, several readers stopped by to visit, and as an added bonus, I sold books and book bundles. Of course, I’m thrilled to have new readers, but I’ve also kept notes about the benefits of participating in the Red Mitten Market.

First, and I know you Ladies already know this, but I’m thankful I’ve taken the time to publish in all formats: Paperbacks, eBooks, and Audible.

The bonus to selling paperbacks is knowing someone is holding my “work of art” in their hands, turning pages, and enjoying the journey from beginning to end. I like to imagine their reaction to learning whether Clara gets justice or revenge against Damian. And did they laugh aloud when Busy asks Sheriff Wyatt Stone, “What’s a girl gotta do to spend the night—” I wonder, too, if they fall asleep with the book open on their chest.

I’m probably most grateful for ensuring my books are available for Kindles and eReaders. The best response to potential readers who say, “I only read on my Kindle.”—is—“Oh, perfect, because all my books are available as eBooks.” Then, I send them off with a handful of bookmarks so they remember to buy the eBooks. As a former “book collector,” I respect the need to downsize and love that I might still get my books in the hands of an electronics-only customer.

It was a difficult journey, but I managed to get the first book in each of my series published as an audiobook. Since I’ve had to return to square one on this project, I’m now struggling with whether to narrate my books or tackle the daunting task of finding a new narrator. In an effort to see the bright side, I enjoy being able to say that I now have these books in audiobook format.

Each time I “man” my table, I’ve had an opportunity to speak with someone who has enriched me beyond monetary compensation. One woman who loved the premise of my Stoneybrook Mystery Series and bought “Redneck Ranch” shared with me that her niece narrates audiobooks. I jotted down the niece’s name, and as an added bonus, she lives near me in Salem, Oregon.

Another woman asked how I liked participating in the Red Mitten Market. I explained it was my first time, but so far, so good. The woman then informed me that she is a six-figure author, so she doesn’t need to have her books at a market. I bristled at her remark but smiled and congratulated her. Did I mention I’m not driven by money? She continued sharing about her success, and I continued to smile and nod. Then she asked if I’d ever heard of Matthew J Holmes and his Facebook Marketing Program. Needless to say, I had not heard of this platform, but I did some research and plan to put Mr. Holmes’s marketing strategy to work next year.

You may recall my blog, “Scritch, Scratch, Feedback,” from a few months ago, which was inspired by my love of country music. I couldn’t let go of a song idea I had, and I finally finished the lyrics. One problem, though, is that I can’t sing or play any music. Undaunted, I considered teaching myself how to play guitar. Because who needs sleep? Today, I had a young lady ask about my books, and after my usual spiel, she said she understood the creative process because she likes to write songs. What?!? After I told her I’d written a song, she said, “Send me the lyrics, and I’ll put music to them.”

As you all know, I lost my son Derrick seven and a half years ago … Being the parent of a deceased child is a difficult burden to bear, and I’m sorry to share that I’ve met many parents who belong to this club. I wanted to make their tragedy more bearable by offering comfort to these moms and dads. When I discovered a pair of white metal wings on an Amazon shopping spree, they brought me a sense of peace. Now, I give these wings to other parents with a poem about not judging a grieving parent.

One of the women who stopped to ask about my books had recently lost her granddaughter to suicide. She said that she was heartbroken and felt her burden doubly because her son was also grieving the loss of his daughter. I shared my story with her, and we plan to have coffee soon so I can give her a set of White Wings and the poem for her son.

As I write this blog post, I’m saddened by the news that my younger sister, Lori, is dying. She has pulmonary fibrosis, and her pulmonologist says she has three to six months. Dying is a messy business, and I’m trying to be there for my sister and distract her from the inevitable. I didn’t know that when I wrote a scene about my villain in “Willow’s Woods,” accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior, I would be helping Lori do the same. We were raised in a Christian family, but she lost her way through the years.

So, participating in the Red Mitten Market for the first time has been a gratifying experience so far. Though I’ve sold books and made some money, the real reward has been the people I’ve interacted with, the real-life stories we’ve shared, and the tidbits I’ve gleaned from these fabulously casual conversations.

Happy Holiday Season, Ladies of Mystery!

The Secret

~ susanoleksiw ~ 5 Comments

Many of us in the writing community have a secret, and it’s not exactly the same secret. We write our books, talk about our characters, whom we love, and gnash our teeth over the plot holes, the ever-jiggling middle that refuses to settle down and dash forward, and the ending that leaves us dissatisfied, rewritten three or thirty-three times. You know this because you read us here. None of this is kept secret from anyone who reads a writer’s blog. And then we have to edit the soggy mess, find beta readers, edit it again, and then pop over to our editor, if we have one, or switch hats and become our own publisher.

Somewhere in this scenario is one step that every writer loves. We each have our own. Which one is mine? Those who know me can probably guess.

When I was in college I was the editor of the student humor magazine, which meant handling proofs and working with the printer. I loved working with the printer, seeing those strips of paper with types-set pages on them with little red pencil marks and handing them over to the printer. For some reason I prefer to forget, I always seemed to get him at dinner time. Yes, I love the publishing/printing process. And that brings me to the topic of today—Crime Spell Books.

CSB is the third publishing venture I’ve undertaken with friends or colleagues. What may seem daunting to others has an irresistible pull for me. Two other writers and I began Crime Spell Books after the new editors/owners of Level Best Books, another venture I began with another two friends, dropped the anthology for New England mysteries. They lived in the DC area, so it was understandable. But New England needed its own anthology, so Ang Pompano and Leslie Wheeler and I grabbed the opportunity, and published our first in 2021.

Devil’s Snare: Best New England Crime Stories 2024, now availables is our latest offering, with twenty-four stories, in every sub-genre. We post a call for stories in January, and we read every one that comes in over the next several months (to end of April). We rank the stories 1, 2, or 3 on our own lists, and then we share them to see what we have. It’s always gratifying to see how close we are on most of them. When we decide how many stories we want, we begin discussing the remaining stories that came close, and work for agreement.

Anthologies are among the best works we in the writing community can produce. They show a variety of writers and interests. They require strong collaboration. Each editor loves certain stories and not others, and here we rely on a deep respect for each other’s experience and taste so we can come to agreement. Not every story I love gets into the anthology, and the other two editors probably feel the same. But the result—a list of excellent mysteries and crime stories by known and unknown writers—is something we’re all proud of. And then we come to my special love/hate experience—formatting. I do this because I think there is something wonderful about holding in our hands a finished book that we made, with the chapters and lines of text laid out properly—no unruly paragraphs or rebellious headers or recalcitrant page numbers. Everything is in order and proper and beautiful.

So that’s my favorite part, as much as anyone might question that statement while I’m working on it. The end is worth the frustration, gnashing of teeth, moments of panic, and sheer terror that one wrong punch of a button will send the whole thing to oblivion. And then it’s done. The proof comes in the mail, and then the final copy. And I look up from my desk and there it is. Beautiful. Finished. I can rest of my masses of edited copy and have another cup of tea.

The Company You Keep

~ dzchurch ~ 3 Comments

Those of us of a certain age were often reminded while growing up, wearing skirts to school, and forced into home economics classes that our reputation was favorably or unfavorably based on the company we kept. If that is the case, then I am one lucky lady.

Recently, I embarked on a project for Ladies of Mystery … its first-ever catalog. The Ladies of Mystery Cavalcade of Books will be online from November 15 to December 31 and feature hand selected offerings from all ten of the Ladies of Mystery bloggers. But that’s not the point. Well, it is, sort of …

In gathering the information for the catalog, I discovered how truly talented the Ladies are. Boy, am I in good company! Did you know there is a Lady in Nova Scotia, one in Texas, and our Lead Lady lives in Oregon? The Ladies live in big cities, in the mountains, and on alfalfa farms. They write about animals, runners, Native Americans, women sleuths, private investigators, families of investigators, small towns, historical fiction and mysteries, romantic suspense and cozies. The gamut of mystery writing – well, not hardcore or noir, but a few that brush the edge.

In her introduction to the Cavalcade, Paty Jager, Lead Lady, writes that she founded the site “to bring mystery writers and readers together to learn about new authors and to get an idea of what it is like to write a mystery book.”

And what a group she lassoed– award winners to newcomers. Am I humbled, yes. Writers tend to be a solitary lot, well, at least, in my case. Yes, we meet at conferences and share our victories and conundrums with each other. Sometimes we do this during online calls, in small groups. We read each other’s books to support our fellow authors, leave reviews, and sharpen our skills.

But, in the end, we sit in a room, at a computer or a typewriter and write, poking our heads out of our holes to take care of the mundanities of life, like bills, food, husbands, cat and dogs, and children.  Not necessarily in that order. Sometimes, we just stare into space or tap our toes at the breakfast table, our brains on the single-minded railroad pulling into Plot-town.

There is always a challenge. Are the clues just so? Are the characters behaving as they should? Are they true to themselves, or have they taken off on some wild bent, dragging the plot behind them like a used tissue? It happens.

So, it was while mulling a rather horrifying historical error in a book I was writing that the idea for the Cavalcade of Books was born. Because, sometimes, the only way out of a hole as deep as the one I dug myself is to redirect your creative energies. Now, I admit, I had no idea how much fun the project would be. And I thank all the other Ladies for their advice, help, and wonderful books chosen for the first-ever Cavalcade of Books.

When the Ladies of Mystery Cavalcade of Books goes live on November 15, you’ll find a bit about each Lady, followed by books categorized by genre. I admit to having fun naming the categories, with able help from another Lady whose fantasy helped me break loose from the humdrum genres. The categories are:

  • The Ladies Save the Day – Mysteries featuring a woman or amateur sleuth
  • Past Perfect (Way back when) – Historical, psychic and ghost-filled mysteries.
  • Cozy by the Fire – For lovers of cozy mysteries
  • Thrills, Chills & Skills – Detectives, private investigators, people caught in webs of lies, deceit and thrills.
  • Made for Each Other (Romance and Mystery) – romantic suspense
  • Written Communications – advice on communications resides here.

The Ladies of Mystery Cavalcade of Books is the perfect opportunity to discover a new favorite author, or new genre, or a new book by an old favorite. As I did. And they are gems.

In the meantime, if you haven’t checked out all the Ladies’ blogs, you should. Talent, diversity, and wonderful tales await you. Like they did me.

Find me at https://dzchurch.com or on Amazon

Justice in New France, 1734

~ donaleeMoulton ~ 5 Comments

My latest mystery book took me back in time and out of my comfort zone. Conflagration!, a historical mystery set in Montreal in 1734, raises issues about slavery in Canada and introduces us to a justice system that is distinctly different from 2024.

I posed 10 questions to the book’s main character Philippe Archambeau, a court clerk assigned specifically to document the case of Marie-Joseph Angélique almost three centuries ago.

His answers are below. (Hint: You can also find them in the book.)

  1. Are lawyers a cornerstone of the justice system in New France?
    Witnesses are a cornerstone of the French judicial system. We do this without lawyers. We do not allow lawyers to practice in New France. We are not English.
  1. Is evidence critical to a conviction?
    I turned to the Criminal Ordinance of 1670 and other legal documents for this question. It does not take me long to find what I am looking for. Rumor alone constitutes legal grounds for accusing, arresting, and convicting an individual.
  1. Does the accused get to face their accusers?
    Confrontation is part of the judicial process. It enables the accused to deny accusations directly. It gives witnesses the opportunity to rethink, perhaps to revise, their earlier testimony.
  2. Is torture an acceptable punishment?
    The Criminal Ordinance permits torture for serious crimes. There are reasons for this. Torture can help extract a confession. This is important to get to the truth of a matter. There is also the issue of accomplices. Torture can help to draw out names that would otherwise die on an accused’s lips.
  3. What are brodequins?
    The brodequins are very effective. Misleadingly and accurately called laced boots or tight boots, this particular form of torture involves packing a person’s legs between narrow boards tightly bound. Wooden wedges are then pounded between board and human flesh. Bone breaks. Boards do not.
  4. Are individuals presumed innocent until proven guilty?
    French law says all accused are presumed guilty. The accused must prove their innocence.
  5. What is the punishment for a capital crime like arson?
    The punishment: death, torture, or banishment. Or some combination of those. Being found guilty will mean an end to the life someone knows regardless of the punishment.
  6. What is the Code Noir?
    The Code Noir explicitly states how slaves are to be treated in New France. It discusses punishment and freedom of movement, or more accurately, lack of movement. The Code also requires that all slaves convert to Catholicism. It is an owner’s responsibility to ensure this happens. Sooner rather than later.
  7. Is there an appeal process?
    Mais oui! The appeal judgment would be rendered by the Conseil Supérieur in Québec. It is the foremost judicial body in New France. Their decision will be final.
  8. Does Montreal have its own prison? Is there a jailer?
    There is a prison, of course. It is attached to the courthouse – and it is where the jailer lives.

https://donaleemoulton.com/

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