tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post7027639949110660836..comments2023-10-31T10:59:03.023-04:00Comments on INKSPOT Crime Fiction Blog | A Place for Mystery, Mayhem, Writing and Life: A Writer's Moment of TruthLinda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-64602821788891438222007-04-09T17:48:00.000-04:002007-04-09T17:48:00.000-04:00What a great story, Julia.Definitely a moment to r...What a great story, Julia.<BR/><BR/>Definitely a moment to remember.<BR/><BR/>And even though whenever I've got a proposal out I'm always glued to my cell phone (just ask my walking/running buddies, who have watched me fumble for mid-run about four thousand times), "The Call" invariably comes the one time I've left the darned thing in the car. <BR/><BR/>Why is that?Karen MacInerneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195077484544376761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-2751163487988583412007-04-05T17:32:00.000-04:002007-04-05T17:32:00.000-04:00Well, yes, they are great covers, all of 'em. But ...Well, yes, they are great covers, all of 'em. But I just hafta offer a shoutout to Lisa Novak! Woot, Lisa!Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04796321136771189464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-63845124408404896092007-04-04T14:00:00.000-04:002007-04-04T14:00:00.000-04:00Thanks, everyone. It is a great cover.And Jess an...Thanks, everyone. It is a great cover.<BR/><BR/>And Jess and Tom, thanks for your praise of my storytelling. I suppose we all share that trait, but still, one never hears enough praise, does one? :)<BR/><BR/>Hi, Barbara! You'll have to tell Kevin to stop by the blog and see how much his name gets bandied about.<BR/><BR/>GM, you're right--it's pretty special. And Mark, that's a fantastic goal. If I had money and no plane phobia, I'd make a similar one (although not EVERY city. There are some I wouldn't mind missing).<BR/><BR/>And Joanna, sadly, I will not be at Malice, so here's a tiny champagne glass for you: Y<BR/><BR/>JuliaJulia Buckleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10270211923343731659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-26572611719412488362007-04-04T13:37:00.000-04:002007-04-04T13:37:00.000-04:00Julia,I absolutely loved your story!I might've kil...Julia,<BR/><BR/>I absolutely loved your story!<BR/><BR/>I might've killed your husband for bing coy though.<BR/><BR/>As for covers us Inkspotters are very lucky--just go to a bookstore.<BR/><BR/>TomTom Schreckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01050914130524851863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-32846849029190426132007-04-04T12:52:00.000-04:002007-04-04T12:52:00.000-04:00You're a great storyteller, Julia! However, I don'...You're a great storyteller, Julia! However, I don't think you can write about The Dark Backward without mentioning that it has one of the most original and kick-assingest first chapters EVER!Jessica Loureyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11157662092822156124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-21872930853541207282007-04-04T12:30:00.000-04:002007-04-04T12:30:00.000-04:00I was pretty sure it was a Kevin Brown cover. He s...I was pretty sure it was a Kevin Brown cover. He seems to focus on a central motif (if you will), like the clock on Serpent's Kiss or the biohazard sign on The Devil's Pitchfork. Joe and Lynn's books have similar organization. I will admit, however, to being uncertain with Tim's Stealing the Dragon, which was not designed by Kevin.<BR/><BR/>I think MI's covers are fabulous, in general.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-53553579603533836232007-04-04T12:15:00.000-04:002007-04-04T12:15:00.000-04:00Guys, I'm feeling very sorry for myself. I found o...Guys, <BR/>I'm feeling very sorry for myself. I found out about my Midnight Ink contract, and well, domestic problems precluded a celebration.<BR/><BR/>Sigh.<BR/><BR/>But here's the deal. How about if I get a bottle of champagne and bring it to Malice--and PRETEND I'm hearing about my MI contract for the first time? You can all PRETEND the same thing is happening for you, and we can toast!<BR/><BR/>After all, we're very, very good at PRETENDING...<BR/><BR/>JoannaJoanna Campbell Slanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01951637123269159053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-33464857946360283582007-04-04T11:26:00.000-04:002007-04-04T11:26:00.000-04:00Julia: It is a memorable cover. Midnight Ink has t...Julia: It is a memorable cover. Midnight Ink has terrific artists.<BR/><BR/>I celebrated with champagne, too: a tres expensive bottle a friend had given us for a house-warming present, and which we had set aside for some unspecified special occasion. <BR/><BR/>I don't think it gets much more special than selling a book. It still seems unreal to me.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-35073094746800796472007-04-04T11:16:00.000-04:002007-04-04T11:16:00.000-04:00My goal - and it's a lofty one - is to spend one w...My goal - and it's a lofty one - is to spend one week in every country on the globe before I die. I figure you gotta aim high or you've got nothing to strive for! But this one might be a wee bit out of reach....<BR/><BR/>And I wish my wife was as excited about me being published as your husband Julia. Her comment: "Don't get a big head about this now." She knows me too well....Mark Combeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01270361794228887282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-1126956781452325382007-04-04T10:33:00.000-04:002007-04-04T10:33:00.000-04:00Barbara, our Barbara, is that you?Barbara, our Barbara, is that you?Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-86971121386072000002007-04-04T10:24:00.000-04:002007-04-04T10:24:00.000-04:00Hey all,I was going to make a comment about how yo...Hey all,<BR/><BR/>I was going to make a comment about how you can totally tell a "Kevin cover" (he did Mark's, Lynne & Joe's, and Julia's). He has a definite style that comes naturally to him and is a genius with layers. But he's a professional and can do any style with, well, style. For example, he does Candy's. You can't get much more girly and sparkly than those!<BR/><BR/>BarbaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-66000161231620709662007-04-04T10:01:00.000-04:002007-04-04T10:01:00.000-04:00Mark and Sue Ann, Kevin Brown designed the cover, ...Mark and Sue Ann, Kevin Brown designed the cover, and Wade Ostrowski was my editor.<BR/><BR/>Yes, Candy, there are definitely labor pains, now that you point it out!<BR/><BR/>Good to see that you all have similar milestones. But champagne, Joe? I thought times like these were made for Taster's Choice. (Just kidding. I don't even drink coffee--I just watch commercials).Julia Buckleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10270211923343731659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-44791425939360004652007-04-04T09:55:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:55:00.000-04:00I agree, Mark, The Dark Backward has a fabulous co...I agree, Mark, The Dark Backward has a fabulous cover!<BR/><BR/>And you're right about being flexible. I set a goal to be published by the time I was 45. Didn't happen, but I did have 2 finished novels and an agent, so I definitely had progress I could track. And I was published before I was 50.<BR/><BR/>I celebrate the release of each new book with a special purchase. The Curse of the Holy Pail was memorialized with a red leather Dooney Burke tote. I know, it's such a girly thing to do, but oh so fun!Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-10985639399383537762007-04-04T09:44:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:44:00.000-04:00Julia, great post. I agree, getting “the call” on...Julia, great post. I agree, getting “the call” on your first book is monumental. Because I co-write with Lynn Sholes, I didn’t get the call, she did. It was from our agent. So how did I find out? Lynn and her husband are avid fishermen. Quite often, they call us and say they are coming by to bring us freshly caught red snapper or grouper. They called one afternoon in the fall of 2004 saying they were coming back from the Keys and had a red snapper for us. When they arrived, they walked in with a small ice chest. Setting it on the kitchen counter, they said to open it and see what’s inside. It was a bottle of Champagne. Midnight Ink had bought THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY. We quickly forgot about eating fish as we popped the cork and celebrated.Joe Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00028401465567502250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-87873811818112402142007-04-04T09:18:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:18:00.000-04:00What a fabulous story, Julia! And you're SO right,...What a fabulous story, Julia! And you're SO right, receiving "The Call," about having your first book published is right up there with the birth of a baby--without the labor pains and exhaustion. Wait . . . revisions, submissions, rejections, critiques, long hours at the keyboard, tendonitis . . . there IS pain and exhaustion. Maybe "The Call" should be celebrated with cigars instead of champagne? Cubans all around!Candy Calverthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07991835886974318472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-87801555632129445022007-04-04T09:15:00.000-04:002007-04-04T09:15:00.000-04:00I always said I was going to make a living writing...I always said I was going to make a living writing by the time I hit 30. Didn't happen. But it did happen around 40. I guess you just need to be flexible about these sorts of things.<BR/><BR/>Great cover. Who did it?Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.com