Carried Away -- Available Now!

You can preorder my new romantic comedy, Carried Away, right now, just in time for the holiday-crazy-season. Think of it as a little gift for yourself, to take a break from "too much to do and to little money to do it with." It's short (won't take but an evening to read) and only .99 -- and for that you get to laugh, gasp and sigh ... and maybe be glad your life isn't like Thea and Paul's. 

When you're getting married to the same man, what could possibly go wrong?

Struck by guilt after her and Paul Hudson's impulsive Las Vegas wedding, Thea Campbell plans a second, traditional affair while keeping the first secret. The last thing she'd wanted to do was hurt her friends and family by not including them. Too bad she didn't count on her ex-almost-fiance showing up at her door just hours before the ceremony. There's a good chance that at least one person will get a little carried away.

Available from Amazon in e-book format only

Order now!

The Author Next Door

Sunday, November 2 is going to be icky and rainy. Come brighten your day at the Snohomish Library and meet a whole bunch of authors -- including me, Lisa Stowe, Carole Dagg, Aarene Storms, Lish McBride, Valerie Stein, Isle Smit and Dorothy Read. 

We're all part of the kick-off for Sno-Isle Library System's "Author Next Door" series that will be presented during the month of November at various libraries in Snohomish and Island Counties. If you live here, or are planning a visit, check out the Sno-Isle website to see what fun you can have! 

It's a ... BOOK!!

Saving the Queen of Diamonds is launched!

Family: Can't live with them ... but an uneasy alliance might be an option when murder is involved.

Thea and Paul have been married two months and have yet to tell his family. Now his parents have hit town with a vengance and an agenda: give Paul's beautiful ex-wife the opportunity to win him back and be a father to the teenage boy she claims is his son.

Thea panics and Paul is staggered. However, in less time than it takes the single-minded seductress to shed a tear she is arrested for murder.

At her son's insistence, Paul attempts to discover what happened. But all his inquiries are stonewalled. What little information has surfaced causes Paul to suspect a set-up. With or without Thea, he intends to investigate. Gurdgingly, she agrees to help -- with the caveat that every last one of them go back to where they came from. So little to ask, and yet ....

As Thea and Paul dig into the case, they find themselves pitted not only against a devious criminal and law enforcement who do not want their help, but dirty-dealing family members who have fabricated lies and deceptions of their own.

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You can get it in ebook format, for now, at both Amazon and Smashwords. It's in process of being distributed to the other ebook retailers. Print will be available soon.

Another Thea Campbell Mystery!

It's almost here! The sixth Thea Campbell Mystery is on the home stretch and closing in fast on completion. Here's a peek at the cover for Saving the Queen of Diamonds.

Ohhh... I wonder what it's about!

Blog Hop, Hop, Hop

Author Diane Vallere writes the Mad for Mod Mysteries and Style and Error Mystery series. They're as much fun as she is, and so I'm delighted she's asked me to join this Blog Hop! The questions (below) are passed from one blog to another and give the curious an oportunity to see a variety of answers. You can go back to Diane's post by clicking on her name, and next week ... well, why give that away right now? Read my answers to the four questions and you will be rewarded with the name of the next participant!


1. What am I working on?

Except for some final editing, I've finished the sixth Thea Campbell Mystery, Saving the Queen of Diamonds. It's quite a puzzle with a number of brand new characters and a very sticky problem. Look for it very soon!

While my editors have been having their way with STQOD, I've been working on a short story featuring the protagonists from my series, Thea Campbell and Paul Hudson. They get married (again) after book 5 (Shooting to Kill) and before book 6 (Saving the Queen of Diamonds). "Again?" you ask. Yes, it's true. If you've read Shooting to Kill, you know why ... if you haven't, well, like I said to one fan who asked (after book 3) are they ever going to get married? Yes, but it will be a disaster.

2. How does this differ from others in its genre?

It's a romance ... with characters from a mystery series. I wrote it in response to fans who wanted to know what happened at the "other" wedding. Thea and Paul are together at the beginning and at the end, which is an unusual tactic for a romance story since generally the co-protagonists are antagonistic at the beginning and must work through issues in order to get together at the end. Never fear, however. There is plenty of conflict. Mystery writers live for conflict!

3. Why do I write?

I started writing, seriously (by which I mean "to produce a novel") because I needed something to do for a creative outlet. I'd had to step away from a career I loved and to fill the void and keep from feeling terribly sorry for myself I decided to see if I could write a whole mystery. It took me three years to produce my first book, and I still love it. Now I write because I enjoy it. It's challenging and fulfilling. And I've met so many wonderful, intelligent people I never would have met otherwise.

4. How does my writing process work?

My writing process is always being refined. Way back when, I started by just ... starting. However, over the years I've become a big fan of plotting my stories. I like a road map, as do my characters and my muse. I'll often start with a body or a crime, then build the story of the victim and the antagonist before I figure out how my protagonist will interact with them. It's much easier for me to write my protagonists' story if I know what the bad guys want and what they're willing to do to get it.

Next week Lisa Stowe, author of The Mountain Mystery Series (The Memory Keeper, Sparrow's Silence, and coming soon, Ghost Road) answers to these questions will be on her blog The Story River.

The Painful Truth -- or part of it

So, you want to get published, huh?

Well, I’ve never met Elizabeth Peters.

For that matter, I’ve never even glimpsed Agatha Christie, Rex Stout or a myriad of other authors whose work I enjoy. Do I wish I had? Maybe. Would it have been fun, or disappointing? I don’t know. However, I’m okay with just reading their books.

Pardon the literary equivalent of whip-lash. If you’ve made it this far into my column, you’re undoubtedly wondering if I have a point. Well, of course I do. Here it is: It’s expected these days – meeting people, that is. In person, in social media, in newsletters and especially in large, impersonal quantities. It’s a part of selling books. Does it work? That’s hard to say. Anybody who knows anything about marketing also knows “presence” is required if your “target audience” is to know you exist so they can throw money in your direction.

Does that make you cringe? Yeah, me too. In fact, I don’t know too many authors who are chomping at the bit to go out and self-promote. The “large quantities” are an elusive, daunting goal. Especially for us introverts (read “writers”).

Joyce Yarrow, Jeanne Matthews and me at a recent event.
You should read their books ... and mine. 

Why do we persist in doing this thing that so many of us hate and feel so inadequate in doing? Why force ourselves to think of new, attention-getting activities, and a lot of old ones that publishers used to do to promote their authors? Because we’re trying to reach those people who will smack themselves in the head and declare to their friends and acquaintances, "I've just finished a book that you have to read!”

Word of mouth. It’s the best marketing tool there is, and tapping into it is a bitch. 

Yup. That's THE reason I’ve read all of Elizabeth Peters’ books (including those under her other names), Agatha Christie, Rex Stout et al. It's because someone suggested them to me in the first place, and I took it from there.

That’s what we all try to do, write the best book we can and then pray to the god of mystery readers that people like it – especially that person who will tell their friends. Have you told a friend about a book you’ve read and enjoyed? Go ahead and do it. You’ll be doing the author a favor that costs you nothing, and chances are that initial book you bought cost less than the Thigh Master® sitting in the back of your closet you don’t want anyone to know you have. 

So, those of you who long to publish (indie or otherwise), do you still want to do it?

Clues & Red Herrings -- Part IV

We've arrived, at last, to my final post on Clues and Red Herrings. It's quite a list, and surely not exhaustive -- although if you've been following this from Part I there's a good chance you're exhausted by now. So, without further ado, here's the last four;

The use of “sympathetic traits” to characterize the “bad guy” – the reader will assume innocent motive. You could probably have him confess to the murder and if you play it right, only a fraction of your readers will believe it. But do be careful that the clue that he’s capable is also provided – otherwise your reader will toss your baby across the room.

For example: 

The arrogant womanizer who, although divorced, spends four nights a week of quality time and every Saturday with his eight-year-old daughter, never misses a school function and remembers birthdays and special occasions. He’d never have killed that librarian!

Body language that speaks of a lie, anxiety, or discomfort to a degree that is inappropriate … and then omitting the reason for it until a later time. Reader and characters alike will be suspicious!

**This is a whole course in itself, but it helps to put yourself in the character’s head. What are they trying to hide? It may or may not be related to the crime, but it should show in their body language.

For example:

True story. I watched, on TV and several years ago, the trial of a woman accused of plotting the murder of her daughter. What mother would do that? It couldn’t be true! The woman denied the accusations, swore she had nothing to do with the attack on her daughter. Then the prosecutor asked her directly if she tried to kill her daughter. She said no. And nodded her head repeatedly. 

Yikes.

You try this. Have someone ask you a question, “Did you ___?” Answer it knowing the truth is “yes”, but try to say “no.” If you’ve been raised in a culture where head nodding is “yes” then this will be very hard to do.

Just in case you were wondering, the woman was convicted. Phew.

The “Lie Sandwich” aka The “Truth Sandwich”: To make a lie appear more believable, insert it between things known to be true. The same can be said for having a truth dismissed as inconsequential or an outright lie – hide it within other falsehoods, or among things the reader will discover are untrue.

For example: 

A conniving little witch pouts as her husband grows angry over how much money she’s just spent. She interrupts his lecture, saying, “I love you and I think of you every moment of the day. I’m sorry I spent your Christmas bonus on these shoes, but I saw how you couldn’t take your eyes off Mary when she had on those red Jimmy Choos with the three inch heels and I wanted you to look at me like that, too.”

Sorry? Right. One of them is going to end up dead – do you think?

The sub plot: Another case of Know Your Characters and Your Story. Sub plots have their own arcs. This can be especially effective if there is ongoing suspense to divert reader attention from the subplot. that subplot will come across as a “break” for the reader in the tension when it is actually the villain in action.

As examples, I'll use two of my own mysteries. If you've read them, you'll know if they're red herrings or clues. If you haven't, well ... who can blame me for enticing you?

In An Error in Judgment, is the disarray in Sig's private fossil collection that co-protagonist Paul is helping to straighten out related to the murder or is it simply a device to showcase a character’s personality and abilities? 

In Shooting to Kill, is Andrea's wealth related to Don's death? What about Thea's secret? 

Not every subplot has to be related to the crime -- nor should they be. It's fun for the reader to figure out if there's a connection.

How'd You Do?

To find out if you've succeeded, get beta readers lined up and ask their opinions. Specifically, at what point did they figure out who committed the crime. And while they're at it, have them point out the clues and red herrings they notice along the way. 

I hope you've enjoyed this rather lengthy series of posts and gained some tools to add to your writing (and reading!) arsenal. Did I miss something? Add your thoughts in the comment section!