Stretching for a Good Cause

by Vicki Doudera

I'm honored to announce that the just released e-book on the left, SHAKEN: Stories for Japan, includes a short story I wrote entitled Gift of the Sea. It's a prequel to my Darby Farr Mystery series, explaining part of how Darby's Japanese mother, Jada, came to be on an island in Maine.

The collection includes twenty stories from twenty writers, all of whom pitched in to aid relief efforts for northern Japan, and it's available on Amazon for $3.99. The book is the brainchild of crime writer Tim Hallinan, a great guy, and one of those people to whom it is very difficult to say "no." Even though I've hadn't written a short story in decades, when Tim Hallinan asked for a commitment shortly after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, I immediately agreed.

The experience has been very meaningful in so many ways. I'm a huge believer in the power of service, for one, and volunteering is a big part of my life. One of the reasons I started writing my mysteries in the first place is so that eventually I can contribute more financially to the causes I believe in. So donating my time and talent for this project was a very natural fit.

Collaborating with other writers -- nineteen to be exact -- is a new thing for me. I've always been kind of a lone wolf when it comes to writing, so working with so many others to put a book together was fun and different. Everyone stayed respectful and cooperative through all of the decisions that had to be made, from the design of the cover to the placement of author biographies.

My biggest discovery throughout this process came when I actually sat down to write Gift of the Sea. Writing a short story is very different than writing a novel, and I have to admit, it wasn't easy. There certainly were times when I questioned why I had agreed to write the darn thing in the first place, especially when I've got so many other commitments on my plate.

But sometimes, stretching to do a new thing is exactly what we writers need to do. Whether it's poetry, prose, or, in my case, a short story, writing in a new way can reap benefits. I found myself paying much more attention to the little details that make a short story sparkle. Focusing on only a few characters means they are drawn in even greater depth.

In what ways have you stretched in your writing life? While you're mullling that over, go to the link at Amazon and download SHAKEN. The stories are great and it's for a very good cause. Thanks!

So...What Are You Reading These Days?

-- Beth Groundwater

Writers, good writers at least, must first of all be readers. Of course, we need to read widely in our genre, to see what kinds of voices, plots, characters, and settings are selling these days, and to see where our own work fits within the genre. We read to study the craft, to understand better what works--and what doesn't work. But, we also read for pure pleasure, and that reading may or may not occur within our own writing genre.

I write mystery novels, so of course I read a lot of mystery novels. In fact, of the 360 books that are on my Goodreads shelves right now, half (180) are mysteries. But the other half range across a variety of genres. For instance, I've recently read two romances by two heavy-weight bestselling authors, Moon Over Water by Debbie Macomber and The Burning Point by Mary Jo Putney. Both are the type of romance I prefer, concentrating on the relationship between the hero and heroine and the forces that conspire to keep them apart versus what I call "plumbing details." I often include a romantic subplot in my mysteries, and it's good for me to learn from masters of the craft like these two.

I'm in a book club that reads and discusses literary, mainstream, women's fiction, memoir, and nonfiction books monthly. I'm in this group precisely because it pushes me to read books I otherwise might never have selected. Our book this month is Room by Emma Donoghue. I describe it as a cross between The Lovely Bones and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, both books that blew me away. For the same reason, I was enthralled by Room--the voice of the narrating character. Room is well worth the read. The book we read last month was Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home by Laura and Lisa Ling. Another fascinating read, primarily because of the complex machinations of all the behind-the-scenes international politics.


I also stepped out of my comfort zone in the mystery genre into the gritter thriller genre to finally read the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, which I received as a Christmas gift. The violence wasn't as graphic as I was dreading it would be, and all three books were fascinating reads, though I enjoyed the second one the most. Back in my comfort zone, I'm starting to read the books by other Midnight Ink authors that I acquired at this year's Malice Domestic conference. The first one I finished, Bingo Barge Murder by Jessie Chandler was a fun, comedic caper and a delightful read. I've learned to trust acquisition editor Terri Bischoff's judgment in picking Midnight Ink's stable of quality authors and books, so I'm sure I'll enjoy the other MI books on my TBR (to be read) pile.

In fact, now is YOUR chance to plunge into the Midnight Ink catalogue for a minimal investment and read some of my fellow MI authors' books. For the month of June, Midnight Ink is discounting or giving away the first book in some of their authors' series in ebook form. June Bug by Jess Lourey is free. Death of a Cozy Writer by G. M. Malliet and Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney are $1.99 each. And Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan is only 99 cents.

I've read most of these books, and I can tell you that you won't be disappointed! Give them all a try. For the price of a fancy coffee drink, you'll have five great mysteries on your e-reader. Hopefully one or more of these mysteries will hook you enough that you'll read the rest of the series--and check out the rest of Midnight Ink's catalog, including my own Deadly Currents. :)


Okay, enough about me and what I've been reading. Let's go back to the title of this post. So, what are YOU reading these days? Got any great suggestions for me or our blog readers?

Officially Summer??

My family spent Memorial Day weekend at our cottage in the Finger Lakes, vacuuming, dusting, mowing, raking, picking up acorns, planting, observing the feral cat’s kittens under our house, and eventually getting out on the boat, at which point I said, “It’s officially ‘summer’.”

My son said, “No, it’s not. It’s not summer until school is over.” I could understand his feeling. After all, we did have to come home early so he could spend six hours of the holiday weekend on his homework. Some holiday, eh?!

Of course, some would say it’s not official until we reach the summer solstice, June 21st. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is in the zenith at the tropic of Cancer, creating the longest day of the year.

But on June 1st when our city reached a record high of ninety-one degrees and even the air conditioning couldn’t keep the humidity at bay, I said, “No, it’s definitely summer.”

So, is it a date, a time, a temperature, or an event that makes it “officially summer” in your mind? When does it feel like “summertime” to you?

WE ARE WHAT WE WRITE… REALLY?!!

Darrell James

A neighbor of mine recently read my collection of short stories, Body Count: A Killer Collection. When I saw her some days later she commented that she liked the stories but that they made her wonder about me (the author)—the inference being that because I write about murder (sometimes from a somewhat dark perspective) that I must somehow be as secretly deranged as the characters I create.

Moi? I’m a guy who walks around ants on the sidewalk so as not to spoil their day.

In my introduction to the book, I did offer this defense: “I am less intrigued by murder itself, than I am with the premeditation that leads to it. In other words, at what point in the course of human conflict does murder become the solution of choice.”

Ahhh, but, then, perhaps, it was no defense at all, but yet another clever attempt by the author to conceal his darker, more devious, intent.

I know I’m not the first writer to be held in suspicion of his work. In Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft, he indicates that the he is often ask why he chooses to write horror (given such obvious talent for writing). His answer is: “What makes you think I can write anything else?”

Perhaps, good Stephen has looked inside himself and glimpsed the demon that conjures the work.

But I doubt it.

In real life, I abhor violence of any kind. And find it uncomfortable to even be in the presence of an argument.

And, if it were so, one of us (Stephen or I) would have already been caught skulking through some dark alley or climbing through some unlocked bedroom window.

So, what’s behind the fascination for writing stories of murder? And what does it say about the readers who love to read them?

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. (I’d truly like to know who among you to be on the lookout for.)

Inkspot News - June 4

Three events this week for Robin Allen to promote If You Can't Stand the Heat, the first book in the clean, humorous Poppy Markham: Culinary Cop mystery series.






June 4th | Saturday | 3:30-4:00 PM
Radio interview with Diana Ivy
Call Me Ivy show on Corpus Christi's 1440 KEYS
Click the Listen Live link to stream.


* * *

June 10th | Friday | 4:30-5:00 PM
Live radio interview with Harold Koclanes
Corpus Christi Business Advocate show on Corpus Christi's 1440 KEYS
Click the Listen Live link to stream.

* * *

June 10th | Friday | 6:30 PM
Reading & Signing
Barnes & Noble Corpus Christi
5129 Blanche D Moore Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78411

E-xcited? by Jess Lourey

I never owned a security blanket as a child, but a book serves the same purpose for me as an adult. I love the feel, smell, and potential of a book in my hands. Would holding an ebook give me that same sense of comfort and safety? Maybe. It’s possible I’ll never know, though, because I am an o-reader: old-fashioned.

I no longer use paper to pay my bills, do most of my clothes shopping over a computer, and as a college professor, I teach 80% of my classes online. However, I prefer my eating, sleeping, and my reading to be tangible.

But as an author, I’m not blind to the future. On May 19, Amazon.com announced that their ebooks are now outselling print. According to this article, ebooks may not be ecologically sound, but they are convenient and appeal to the tool-loving monkey in most of us. Soon, photos with and personal messages from your favorite author will become part and parcel with your e-version of their book—consider it Author Signature 2.0. This writer even sees a future for professional editors to make the jump to ebook publishing with little or no start-up costs. Writing organizations are paying attention as well. On June 1, the Mystery Writers of America approved ebooks as valid for active status membership and is now examining the possibility of incorporating ebooks into the prestigious Edgar awards.

Anyone who tells you what the future of books looks like is guessing and hoping, but we know it’s changing. That is why I’m grateful to have a publisher who continues to position themselves in the future. I recently found out that June Bug is going to be a free Nook download and free Kindle download for the month of June! To those of you who have taken the technological leap to ebooks, cheers. If you have not yet checked out the series, now is a safe time to start. Please spread the word, and have a happy June.

*UPDATE: The Kindle version of June Bug should be available free within the next few hours; there seems to be a glitch in processing the update. The free Nook download of June Bug has jumped in sales rank from 360,801 to 1,571 in the last 24 hours! Turns out you can give this stuff away. :)

See Ya...

Hey, this is my last post for the Midnight Ink writers blog.

I haven't been writing for MI for a couple of years now and this summer I'll have more books with other publishers than with MI so it seemed like a fitting time to move on.

My fourth Duffy book "The Vegas Knockout" is done and I 'm getting ready to get it out on Kindle and in soft cover. I've also written a stand alone about a veteran who lost her fiance to a military suicide. Now she's drifting, working as a stripper, going to therapy and volunteering on a suicide hotline. When she starts getting calls about military murders being covered up as suicides to protect an evil general things get heated. She also starts dating a guy named Duffy.

I hope if you've read my Duffy books you'll continue to follow me. Look me up on Facebook or check into my blog on tomschreck.com, Goodreads or Amazon.

So as Elvis used to say at the end of show...Until we meet you again, may God bless you, adios...

TS

I’ve Got Mail

by Kathleen Ernst

Last week I got my first hate letter, from a reader who so disliked Old World Murder that she felt compelled to track me down and tell me so. Angry Reader criticized my “agenda” which, she said, included racism, feminism, and recycling. She concluded by saying that the only thing she liked was the cover, and that she’d never again buy another book of mine. Ever.

The plot of Old World Murder does celebrate women’s history, and protagonist Chloe does makes a negative comment about someone who is a racist. So yes, I guess you can tar me with those brushes.

The recycling thing was a bit more bewildering. Perplexed, I returned to the manuscript, and found this line: “When Chloe spotted a recycling bin on one of the landings, she stopped long enough to discard the photocopies she’d made for her intern.” That was it.

I always respond to letters and email from readers. In this case I wanted to say something along the lines of “I’m sorry you were disappointed. No one book is a good fit for every reader, and I hope the next one you try is much more to your liking,” and leave it at that. Since I suspect this reader’s ire had to do with issues a whole lot bigger than one mystery novel, though, I broke my own rule and hit the delete key.

The next day I got another email with Old World Murder in the subject line. I will admit that for 2 seconds I wondered if Angry Reader had asked a friend to hit me with another blast. This letter, though, was from a reader who loved the book. She loved the story. She loved the writing. She wants to spend more time with the characters.

She concluded with this: “Old World Murder was a reminder to me that stories are powerful and they make us better, ordinary people live extraordinary lives, and everyone who lives is a part of history.”

I write stories to entertain, but I do focus on things that matter to me—things I am passionate about. In this case, Nice Reader didn’t just like my book (which would have been plenty!), she understood what I was hoping to do. And she took the time to tell me so. Since I couldn’t reach through cyberspace and give her a hug, I sent a response that I can only hope means as much to her as her note did to me.

These two letters reminded me that when we choose to put our work out there, we can’t predict where it will land. When we choose to become professional writers, we have to accept the whole notion of public censure or approval. All I know to do is roll with the negatives, and take time to celebrate every upbeat moment you can.

PS – On the day this post goes live, I’ll be in the middle of a week spent as a volunteer docent, living in and providing tours of an old lighthouse on an island in Lake Michigan. I promise to respond to all communications—well, almost all—as soon as I return.