Write of Spring

Every year since 2002, on the first Saturday of spring, Minnesota's premier mystery bookstore, Once Upon a Crime, holds its annual Write of Spring. Pat and Gary, the owners of Once Upon a Crime, bill their store as "informal, low-tech, and happy to provide the best customer service around." The Write of Spring epitomizes this attitude.

Over 60 authors were present, hanging out in one-hour shifts to talk to, meet with, and sign books for fans and aspiring writers. Many of us blur the line between fan and author when we find ourselves standing between the likes of William Kent Krueger and Laura Childs while chatting with Ruth Jordan about the future of the mystery genre. All this in a tiny store no larger than my dining room and kitchen combined, no cover charge, no pretension.

For me, this is what independent bookstores are all about. You have camaraderie, connecting, employees who can give you an exhaustive answer to the question, "If I like this book, what other books would I like?" Once Upon a Crime, whose motto is, "For a Good Crime, Call," also hosts book groups and writing groups as well as putting on weekly signings.

Pat and Gary, who incidentally got married in their store two years as Gary battled leukemia, put as much effort into supporting emerging authors as the bestsellers. I remember setting up my first signing at the store, for May Day, which came out in 2006. My ego was bruised from trying to set up events at larger stores. I expected more of the same from Once Upon a Crime, but Pat's email response to my request read something like this: "May Day was a hoot! You let us know what day and time you want to set up a signing, and we'll make it happen. In the meanwhile, I ordered 40 copies of your book, so stop by and sign stock. Looking forward to meeting you!"

Hunh? She'd not only read my book but had ordered copies of it? If you've dealt with Once Upon a Crime, I know you've had a similar experience. They're champs in the mystery field, the unsung underdogs who connect readers directly with writers, and vice versa. And I bet they're not the only ones out there. What's your favorite indie, and why?

(The photos are, starting with the top one and working down: Pat, co-owner of the store, along with a children's book author; a writer of books, Lori L. Lake, and William Kent Krueger--one of the best mystery writers out there; Ellen Hart and Michael Allen Mallory. I apologize for not knowing the names of two of the authors pictured. I'm lame that way.)

Sorry I ruined your favorite place on earth

My latest quilting mystery, OCEAN WAVES, has been released. The official pub date is April 1st, but Amazon started shipping and MI sent me a shipment, so I began selling books. Saturday, I spoke at the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts Literary Luncheon to a wonderful audience and received the first complaint.

I set the book at a real place, Asilomar, which is a lovely California state park that is popular for retreats and conferences. It's a fabulous piece of real estate along the Pacific Ocean just north of Pebble Beach. Designed as a women's retreat house for the YWCA nearly a hundred years ago, the buildings were designed by Julia Morgan. Many of the original Craftsman style buildings are still being used and their timeless grace and beauty enhance the experience.



California State Rangers give nature tours and everything is done to ensure the ecosystem remains viable. The price of a stay there is reasonable and the food is pretty good. It is, in short, heaven on earth.



Now, my fan says, she's afraid to stay there. I've been on quilting retreats with her. We always have a wonderful time. And she's scared now. Just because of a little ole murder or two? What can I say? Natural and beautiful has its dark side.

Has an author ever scared you? Have you ruined a wonderful sanctuary by setting a murder there?

I've been thinking about setting a book on Alcatraz. That might be the way to go.

And you thought mystery writers were strange...

Only in the world of anime could cuddly animals put the geopolitics of war into perspective. Check out Wikipedia's reference to Apocalypse Meow, which provides the backstory to this unlikely epic and a handy guide to the nationality represented by each species of animal featured in the anime. Maybe the Senate Foreign Relations Committee should start watching cartoons...

A Mystery for the Ages

By Deborah Sharp

What's up with Amazon? In a riddle to rival the Great Sphinx of Egypt, my mystery keeps getting paired with books that don't appear to have much in common with Mama Does Time.

I'll admit it: I click on my own book pages at Amazon to see what's shaking. Usually, it's nothing much. New customer reviews? A star from Publishers Weekly? Rankings rocketing into the single digits, biting at the nape of Ms. Stephenie Meyer?

Nope. Nope. And, You've got to be kidding. And, yes, I do check out my Amazon rankings. I know, I know .... they're not supposed to mean anything; it's some arcane formula that has to do with movement of your book and not actual sales figures, yada yada yada. Everybody checks out their numbers. Authors who say they don't are like those Hollywood stars who claim, ''I never read reviews.''

Right. And you don't Google yourself, either.

Anyway ... The Telltale Turtle: A Pet Psychic Mystery by Joyce and Jim Lavene? There's nary a turtle nor a psychic of any sort in Mama Does Time.
A. K. Azern's The Case of the Bouncing Grandma? Ditto and ditto. Negatory on the bouncing. Not a single grandmother.

Now, I'm sure those books are fun reads, and their authors are probably asking, "Who the heck is this Mama, and what does she have to do with my title?'' I am by no means complaining. I'm thrilled that anyone is buying the book, no matter what they choose to buy it with. I'd get a kick, though, to see the PG-rated Mama partnered up on Amazon with some dark, erotic thriller. Or, maybe a couple of physicists, needing a break from reading Quantum Enigma, could mosey on over and become ''Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought'' . . . Mama.

Hey, it could happen. If there's a distortion in the time-space continuum.

I am pleased to report that in Amazon's Inappropriately Capitalized category of What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item, fully 91 percent buy Mama Does Time. (Ninety-one percent of how many? Who knows.)
Of course, I immediately began to worry about the fate of my upcoming Mama Rides Shotgun
Just 48 percent of customers buy this one after viewing. It's not out until July. Are they reluctant to pre-order? Perhaps the anti-gun lobby disapproves of the title? The cover shows a saddle on a horse. Is it equinophobia? Perhaps Amazon's customers don't like Cow Hunter chili.

What does it mean??? Who knows. It's a mystery for the ages.

How about you? What mystifies you about the Great and Powerful Amazon?

Lucky Me

Cricket McRae

The third Sophie Mae Reynolds Home Crafting Mystery, Spin a Wicked Web, came out this month. I feel both thrilled and extraordinarily lucky.

First off, look at that cover. Once again Lisa Novak in the Midnight Ink art department outdid herself. Oh, I know I’m a proud mama and bound to be biased, but so many people comment on all the MI covers that I know I’m not making this stuff up. Other MI authors know what I mean: There’s something almost tactile about the designs, inviting folks to pick them up, handle them.

Then there are the mystery authors who provided cover blurbs. I’m grateful to them for taking the time and for saying such nice things. Just another reminder of what a generous group writers are.

Early reviews are good. Nope, still nothing starred from Kirkus, but they continue to review my books. That’s something! And Booklist and Library Journal continue to recommend the series, which I hope will result in even more library sales.

Reader feedback has been good, too. More email is hitting my inbox than ever, and more people are picking up the first two books, too.

So, of course it’s vital to promote the heck out of Spin. It doesn’t matter that I’m up against a tight deadline on the next Sophie Mae mystery. I mean, what a problem to have, eh?

I’ve scheduled the first dozen signings and more are in the works. My uber-targeted mailing list is receiving postcards. Spinning guilds and book clubs are showing interest. Book trailers populate the web. The list of promotional activities is long, but I’m glad to have it. Much of that list is due to the combined marketing prowess of the authors here on Inkspot. I’ve learned so much from this crew about creative -- and efficient -- book promotion.

Thank you. Seriously, knowledge = sanity. If it weren’t for you, I’d be in a constant state of semi-panic.

I’m really looking forward to Spin a Wicked Web’s virgin reading and signing. It’ll be at The Readers Cove in Fort Collins, Colorado tomorrow, Thursday the 26th, at 6:30 p.m. No booze, but a great deli and terrific coffee shop. Those people at The Readers Cove know what they’re doing.

My full signing schedule, including the Seattle venues, is here.

And this is the book trailer. As predicted, I found animoto to be totally addictive!

Column A

After Beth Groundwater's wonderful post yesterday, I give you a short, simple, writerly tip of the day:

What goes in Column A comes out in Column B.

Several years ago I was cramming to meet a deadline. I had been holed up in my attic writing lair for about three weeks solid when a social obligation arrived out of which I could not wiggle:a long planned dinner with friends. Oddly, they called my significant other the night before and told us to wear sweats. They said they had a surprise.

Oka-a-a-ay. I know these folks, I'm not worried. Maybe a little. But we wore sweats. When we arrived, they served wine, light appetizers and bottled water, and in the other room they had booked a masterful masseuse (pardon my alliteration), and we each took turns for a forty-five minute session. The outcome was that I turned to jelly, went home invigorated, and wrote like the wind for the next two weeks. I finished my deadline on time, and I believe my writing (Column B) improved greatly from stepping away for that massage evening with my friends (Column A).

From The Writer's Life, Insights from The Right to Write by Julia Cameron: One of the mysteries of the writing life is the fact that an investment of interest in column A—say listening to a great piece of music—will pay off obliquely when we set pen to paper on an entirely different topic. Writing is what we make from the broth of our experience. If we lead a rich and varied life, we will have a rich and varied stock of ingredients from which to draw on. If we lead a life that is too narrow, too focused, too oriented toward our goals, we will find our writing lacks flavor, is thin on the nutrients that make it both savory and sustaining. Although we tend to think of it as a linear, writing is a profoundly visual art. Even if we are writing about internal experience, we use images to do it. For this reason, we must consciously and constantly restock our store of images. We do this by focusing on what is around us.

If you are blocked or frustrated today take a minute or twenty for yourself to take a walk, look around. Shut your eyes and listen to music from the viewpoint of one of your characters. Leaf through a magazine and clip items that remind you of your story and your characters. Go to the dollar store and buy one item representative of your protagonist, another representative of your antagonist. Put them on your desk or carry them in your pocket as talismans. Or, get a massage!

Happy writing.

Susan Goodwill

author of The Kate London Mystery Series

Brigadoom:2007

Little Shop of Murders: 2008

Planning a Blog Book Tour

Our guest blogger today is Beth Groundwater, author of the 2007 Agatha-nominee for Best First Novel, A Basket Case. Beth is a refreshing voice, a person whose candor shows through in all she does.

I’m in the throes of planning my first blog book tour, and I thought I’d share the process with Inkspot readers for two reasons. First, if you’re a reader, I’ll show you how much effort authors expend putting on an interesting tour and encourage you to participate in your favorite authors’ tours by reading and commenting on their guest blog posts. Secondly, if you’re an author who is curious about blog book tours and considering your own, I hope to give you enough information to decide whether or not to do one and to get you started.

So what is a blog book tour? Instead of traveling hither and yon making personal appearances to promote a new book release, instead an author visits online web logs, or blogs, from the comfort of his or her personal computer at home and posts articles as a guest on those blogs. The Blog Book Tours website at http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/ has an excellent article from mystery author Liz Zelvin about using cyberschmoozing to plan your tour. Also there is a February 22 post from me about using the Goodreads social networking site for book promotion. Lastly, a helpful guide on planning a blog book tour can be found at: http://quickest.blogbooktourguide.ever.com/.

On that same Blog Book Tours website is a link to join the yahoogroup called blogbooktours, a classroom-type email list hosted by Dani Greer. The class cycles every four months through the topics of setting up your own blog and/or website, being a good tour host, social networking, planning your own tour and more. It’s best to join the group 4-6 months before you need to conduct your own blog book tour. Active participation is a must, so plan on dedicating some time to the group to get the most out of the training.

What can I add to this wealth of information? My own personal experience. I started collecting a list of potential host blogs over a year before planning my own tour. I got this information by noting what blogs posted information about author visits in the mystery fan email and social network communities where I hung out. I also searched for blogs related to my winter sports setting in Breckenridge, Colorado, and to my sleuth’s occupation, gift basket designing. Broadening your search beyond book review, author interview, and book genre blogs is important to capture a wider reader base.

It’s important to be organized and keep a spreadsheet or table of tour dates, links to blog websites, point of contact information for hosts, topic of each visit, and due dates for articles, photos, interview answers or whatever will be posted on each blog. Also, plan far enough ahead so you have time to write your articles. I started requesting guest appearance dates in February so I could spend March and April writing my articles. Most blogs request articles between 500-1000 words, and I am writing sixteen articles and answering two sets of interview questions. I plan to spend the whole month of May promoting the tour and responding to comments.
Promoting the tour is crucial. There’s no reason to go through all the work of writing the articles if you aren’t going to tell people about them. Sure, your hosts will promote your visits, but you also need to list the tour dates on your own website and/or blog, create event notices and update your daily status on your social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, or Goodreads, and send notices to your email groups. And lastly, to keep things fun and interesting, run a contest to give away something to one or more of your tour participants, such as autographed copies of your books, as I’m doing.

Will my blog book tour result in increased sales for my new mystery release, To Hell in a Handbasket? I sure hope so! I don’t know exactly how I will measure the response, but if I can come up with any analysis or lessons learned, Joanna Campbell Slan and I have talked about having me return to her personal blog, http://joannaslan.blogspot.com/ , with a report in July or August. So, stay tuned!

To see the planned stops on my May blog book tour, go to: http://bethgroundwater.com/Book_Blog_Tour.html . Every comment made on every one of my posts to the blogs included on the tour and on my own blog during the month of May at http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/ will qualify as an entry in a contest to win autographed copies of both books in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series: A Real Basket Case and To Hell in a Handbasket. Good luck and let’s have some fun!

Bio:

Beth Groundwater’s first amateur sleuth novel, A Real Basket Case, was published in hardcover in March, 2007 and was nominated for a Best First Novel Agatha Award. The second in the gift basket designer mystery series, To Hell in a Handbasket, will be released in May, 2009. Beth lives in Colorado Springs and enjoys gardening, skiing and traveling with her family. Please visit her website at http://bethgroundwater.com/ and her blog at http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/ .

Inkspot News - March 20, 2009

G.M. Malliet will appear today on a panel at 2 p.m. at the Virginia Festival of the Book, discussing The Scenes of the Crimes. She will also participate in the Crime Waves luncheon at noon.

Joanna Campbell Slan will be teaching a class called "Getting Published" from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Lewis and Clark Community College, Edwardsville, IL campus. For more information, call the office of Continuing Education at 618-468-2826.