No Teeth! It's a Crime Scene

By Deborah Sharp
Author of the Mace Bauer Mysteries

Faint sunlight filtered into a cavernous warehouse. The air was stale; the heat stifling. A white chalk outline glowed dimly on the stained concrete floor. Blood splattered a teetering pile of wooden pallets.
''Okay, who wants to hold the butcher knife?''
Four south Florida mystery authors stared across the crime scene tape at Eduardo Schneider. He lifted the knife menacingly, its long blade coated in blood. What did this guy want from us?
Pictures, it turned out. And the propensity to play along. Sanchez had been hired as a photographer by Boca Raton Magazine to illustrate a feature story on local mystery writers. It was his idea to create a crime scene in a spooky warehouse, and cast us as characters for his photos. Driving to the warehouse through a dicey neighborhood near Miami's airport,  I wondered if I'd become the victim of a real crime.
Schneider brought props. New York Times best-selling author James Grippando called dibs on the big knife. He donned real latex gloves, but the ''blood'' was make-believe, a mixture of corn syrup and red food coloring.
James W. Hall, dubbed a ''master of suspense'' by the Times, opted for the evidence bags. Fellow funny writer, Miriam Auerbach, snagged a magnifying glass to examine spent bullet casings.
Apparently, our would-be murderer used both gun and knife to make sure the imaginary victim was really dead.
 Miriam commented that the casings seemed small -- probably because the heroine in her ''Dirty Harriet'' mystery series wields a massive .44 Magnum.
Simply grateful to be included in such esteemed company, I rounded out the foursome. For my prop, I settled for a boring, non-bloody folder of investigative documents. I tried to look like I belonged.
Eduardo cautioned us against huge, toothpaste ad smiles: ''After all, somebody was murdered here.''
I aimed for an expression between diligent and inquisitive, all the while raising my chin to avoid an old-lady double chin in the pictures.
I have to credit him for coming up with a creative way to shoot. . .  er, photograph  . . . us. In my former life as a newspaper reporter, it was a joy to work with a photographer who endeavored to create a killer . . . er, inventive. . .  picture to go with my words.
The story and pictures are set to run in Boca magazine later this summer. I'll keep you posted on the outcome, and on whether my neck wattle showed. What's the most creative picture you've posed for? Have you seen pictures of yourself you wish you hadn't seen?

A Bit of Shameless Self-promotion...

By: Maegan Beaumont

I woke up to the best news today... The very first review of my latest novel, Sacrificial Muse, has been posted! Even better, it's from, the owner of  Bookworms Tri-cities Books ... and she liked it!! Check it out!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19348116-sacrificial-muse

Emphatically Embracing

 by Shannon Baker

Oh, that Gwyneth Paltrow. Bless  her heart. She’s been credited with some interesting quotes. Things like:

"Well, you know, beauty fades! I just turned 29, so I probably don't have that many good years left in me. So there will be a down side eventually."

And this:

"I'd rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a tin.”

And:

"I would rather die than let my kid eat Cup-a-Soup."

One of my favorites:

"I am who I am. I can't pretend to be somebody who makes $25,000 a year."

If I wanted to be fair (and really, what fun is fair?) I’d have to say that if someone followed me around they’d catch some pretty self-absorbed and silly quotes. I think at aged 29, I probably thought my best years were behind me, too. And though I don’t eat squeezy cheese, it was always a staple in the finals week care packages I sent to my daughter. According to Gwyneth, that probably means I ought to kill myself and smoke crack.

However, she did come up with a phrase that resonates with me.

Consciously uncoupling.

Granted, she used this phrase to describe the end of her marriage and I didn’t so much consciously uncouple as I divorced my first husband. I have no intention of uncoupling from my guy now, consciously or subliminally. But there are a few things I’d do well to uncouple from.

I need to uncouple from Facebook. Maybe not entirely, but it would be good to back off from seeing which celebrities have twins or finding out what element I am. (Air, by the way.) I live in relative isolation so, as a writer, it’s good to hang out on FB from time to time to study contemporary culture and to catch up with friends. But I need to uncouple from spending too much time there at the detriment of getting my own words down.

I need to uncouple from comparing myself to others. For those of us who know what the term “flower child” means, you might remember the Desiderata being a very popular poem. I would do well to keep this gem in my head:

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

I’m not a NY Times Bestseller and I’m not the person who will write her novel as soon as she has the time. It does me no good to stress or gloat about where I am in comparison to others. Maybe this is what Gwyneth meant when she said she couldn’t pretend to be someone who makes $25K a year.

I need to uncouple from my negativity. Again, from the Desiderata (I like these quotes better than Gwyneth’s words of wisdom.)

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Instead of wasting my time worrying about the next book or the next series and what will happen if I never score another book contract or sell another copy, I need to feel good about what I’ve done. And get excited about what I’m writing now.

Even though consciously uncoupling is meant to be a positive thing, it’s couched in negative verbiage. So, with due respect to Gwyneth, I’m going to turn it around. Instead of consciously uncoupling, I’m going to Emphatically Embrace.

I’ll embrace focused writing time, embrace my own journey, embrace the feeling of accomplishment and working toward the next goal.

How about you? What do you Emphatically Embrace?

Ideas and The Creative Process

by Linda O. Johnston

I enjoy blogging.  I also enjoy reading blogs with topics of interest to me.

That's one reason I'm having fun here at InkSpot. 

The author bloggers here have been hitting a lot on a subject that's dear to me: the creative process.  Those of us who write fiction find ideas everywhere.  Maybe too many ideas.  Maybe ideas that need to be fleshed out to turn into engaging stories.

I post at other blog spots, too, including weekly at Killer Hobbies.  I just happen to have focused last week on one of my favorite quotations.  If anyone knows where it originated, please let me know.  I'm only sorry that I didn't think of it first. 

What is it?  "Reality is only for those who lack imagination."

Oh, yes, we all live with reality.  We've got to deal with it daily.  Hourly.  Even minute by minute.  But we fiction writers can also find ways to use it in what we write.

Something fun?  By all means, find a way to work it into a story we're writing.

Something sad?  We can help ourselves deal with it by also working it into a story, but using it in a way that can help not only us get through it, but, hopefully, our readers in similar situations, too.

Something inspirational?  That's definitely something to try to include somewhere, in our fiction and even our blogs!

No matter what, those of us who write realize that our minds are always at work searching for, or fleshing out, ideas that expand our writing. 

Now, please excuse me.  Writing this gave me another idea that I need to jot down...!

 

 

 

 

 

Coming October 2014 - The first Superstition Mystery!

INK SPOT NEWS- April 5, 2014

Here are the Midnight ink release for April, 2014... and they're all wonderful!

Deal Killer -
Vicki Doudera
A Darby Farr Mystery #5

"[W]ell-crafted ... the reader will feel compelled to keep turning the pages before reaching the final revelations." —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Deadliest of Sins -
 Sallie Bissell

A Mary Crow Novel #6

"[A] smart and well-paced mystery with a gutsy protagonist and a touch of romance."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Critical Damage - Robert K. Lewis

A Mark Mallen
 Novel #2

"Not for the faint of heart, this chilling tale of sexual depravity is perfect for conspiracy aficionados."
—BOOK VERDICT

Montecito Heights -

 Colin Campbell

A Resurrection Man Novel #2
". . .wry maverick Grant never fails to entertain."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Final Train

By Deborah Sharp

The electronic information board inside the Washington, D.C., Metro station flashed a brief message:

Green Line trains delayed due to accident at Columbia Heights station.

No need for me to worry. Playing tourist for a few days in the nation's capital, I was on my way to the Smithsonian. I was riding the Orange Line.

The next morning, as I enjoyed the free breakfast at my hotel, I spotted a small-font headline, deep inside The Washington Post:

Person fatally struck by Metro train. 

It was the briefest of stories, buried in the local news digest on page C3. In five short sentences, the Post conveyed the critical details: It happened about 3 pm. Trains were delayed by 20 to 30 minutes. And, said the spokeswoman for the Metro, ''it is believed that the person was intentionally in front of the train.''

As a former journalist, I realized the Post was abiding by standard newsroom rules regarding suicides. Because no one wants to encourage copycats seeking notoriety, suicides generally don't merit banner headlines or breathless coverage. At least they don't unless the person is a famous public figure, the manner of death is spectacular, or the suicide itself presents a broad risk to public safety. A run-of-the-mill train jumper doesn't meet any of those criteria. I get that as a one-time reporter.

But as a fiction writer, I wanted to know so much more. What was going through that desperate soul's mind? As I was blithely consulting my subway map so I wouldn't overshoot my stop, some tortured individual was contemplating his -- or her -- final seconds of life. Was there a last-minute regret? Resignation? Acceptance? And what about the driver, who could see -- but not avoid -- what was about to happen? What of the other riders waiting on the platform? Did someone reach out, and just miss saving a life?

I checked the Post for the next two mornings. I couldn't find anything further on the fatality. No name. No age. Not even the gender of this person whose final act disrupted Metro service for ''20 to 30 minutes.''

When I teach seminars, I often use short newspaper stories -- sometimes just a headline --  as a creative writing prompt.

Ask yourself the question, What If? I always say to students.

What if I'd taken the Green Line that day instead of the Orange? What if I'd struck up a conversation on the platform with a person whose eyes seemed so sad? What if...

Kid in a Candy Store

By Maegan Beaumont

When a writer lands on a story idea, it usually happens one of two ways. It's either like being hit by lightening or like watching a seed germinate. Either way, once the story takes root, your head starts to swim in The Sea of Possibilities...

This is good--possibilities always are, but if you're not careful, you start to look like this:

or like this:

and then, eventually... like this:

Having a fiction writer's imagination can be both a blessing and a curse. We can spin straw into gold but sometimes, we get carried away. Every idea we have is a good one, every plot twist we come up with is absolutely vital to the outcome of the story (or so we fool ourselves into believing) so, we pile it on. We're gluttonous. Greedy. We have what I call Kid-in-a-candy-store-itis.

Before we know it, we're working plot points for a paranormal, dystopian, sci-fi,western about a half-vampire, half-werewolf who falls in love with a time-traveling mermaid... which, by the way, has absolutely nothing to do with our initial story idea.

Just remember to keep it simple. With roughly 1,100 years between us and the first printed page, an original plot is damn near impossible. Originality comes from our voice. Don't let it become cluttered and bogged down by an over active imagination or you'll end up like this guy:

And remember: friends don't let friends write paranormal, dystopian, sci-fi westerns about a half-vampire, half-werewolf who falls in love with a time-traveling mermaid.

Maegan Beaumont is the author of SACRIFICIAL MUSE, the second book in the Sabrina Vaughn series (Available through Midnight Ink, summer, 2014). A native Phoenician, Maegan’s stories are meant to make you wonder what the guy standing in front of you in the Starbucks line has locked in his basement, and feel a strong desire to sleep with the light on. When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.
She also writes a blog dedicated to helping writers with plot woes and answering writing questions. Check her out – http://maeganbeaumont.blogspot.com/ 

Guest Post: Emily Kimmelman

Thanks to Inkspot for having me on her blog today to talk to you about a contest I’m running in order to find a narrator for my Sydney Rye series of audiobooks. When I was driving cross country last year I listened to a lot of audiobooks. What I learned quickly is that the story didn’t matter as much as the voice. As a writer I hate to admit it but the truth is that no matter how compelling a tale if the voice doesn’t work then neither does the audiobook.

This realization was at the forefront of my mind when I decided to turn my own series into audiobooks. So I’m asking for your help. After narrowing the finalist down to four voice artist I’m going around the web begging for you to tell me what you think.

If you Haven’t read Sydney Rye yet don’t worry. You can download the first book, UNLEASHED, for free on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, or Kobo and see how she sounds in your head then vote for the best narrator.

Since I’m asking for your help I figured I should give something back. Voting enters you to win all sorts of great prizes including Amazon gift cards, signed books, and the finished Audio book!
I hope you’ll take the time to help me out by letting me know what you think. Thanks!

Here are your choices for narrator:

https://soundcloud.com/emily-kimelman-gilvey/tracks

Emily Strong

Emily Strong is an actor, voiceover talent, and first time filmmaker.  As a native of Michigan, she is a nature-lover at heart but has the mind of a city girl and moved to Chicago nearly three years ago because she wasn't smart enough to go somewhere warmer.  She takes full advantage of what the city has to offer by training at legendary places like The Second City and eating lots and lots of ethnic food (will travel all the way across the city to Pilsen for the best tacos!).  Her love of reading was the catalyst for her adventurous spirit and the reason why she is always stoked to tell stories in their many different forms. You can visit her at www.emilystrong.net

Erin Jones

Erin has narrated over 500 audio books including "The Hunger Games" trilogy for The National Library Services/Library Of Congress,  "A State Of Wonder," The Garden Of The Beasts," "Anna Karenina," "Ferdinand The Bull, and "Madeline."

Sonja Field
 
Sonja has two loves: acting and reading. Narrating audiobooks is her absolute passion. She has logged over 600 hours recording textbooks with an organization called Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, and is currently in the process of recording a kids' action-fantasy-adventure novel, a steamy and mysterious paranormal romance, and a non-fiction about writing. She loves nothing more than bringing vivid worlds and unique characters to life. When she's not recording, Sonja can be found onstage, traipsing around Brooklyn, or entertaining children with a variety of dubious accents.


Erica Newhouse

Erica Newhouse is a film, televesion and theater actor living in New York City. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

Voting enters you to win all sorts of great prizes including Amazon gift cards, signed books, and the finished Audio book! Add to your chances of winning by joining Emily's email list, liking her Facebook page, or telling your friends about the contest.

Prize Details
Every vote, like, share, or sign up is an entry for the "grand prizes"
                        One person will win Signed copies of all 5 books
                        One person will win a $30 Amazon or B&N gift card
                        Four other winners will win paperback copies of UNLEASHED
                     
Anyone who votes +  signs up for Emily’s email list + likes Emily’s FaceBook page gets a copy of the audio book when it's completed!

Enter HERE for the Raffle Copter giveaway FIND THE VOICE OF SYDNEY RYE AUDIO BOOK CONTEST LINKS

Code:

<a id="rc-dc5f661" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc5f661/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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More about UNLEASHED:

UNLEASHED is the first book in Emily Kimelman's best selling Sydney Rye series of mysteries.
When the series begins Sydney Rye is named Joy Humbolt. She does not like people telling her what to do, so it comes as no surprise that she was just fired from her last job. When she buys Charlene Miller's dog-walking business on Manhattan's exclusive upper east side, it seems like the perfect fit: Quiet environment, minimal contact with people.

But then one of her clients turns up dead, and Charlene disappears. Rumors say Charlene was having an affair with the victim--and of course, everyone assumes Joy must know where she is. Joy begins to look into the crime, first out of curiosity then out of anger when there is another murder and threats start to come her way.

When police detective Mulberry is assigned to the case, Joy finds a kindred spirit--cynical and none-too-fond of the human race. As they dig deep into the secrets of Manhattan's elite, they not only get closer to the killer but also to a point of no return. One last murder sends Joy Humbolt hurtling over the edge. Her only chance of survival is to become Sydney Rye.

The Rest of The Sydney Rye Series:

DEATH IN THE DARK (A Sydney Rye Novella, #2)
INSATIABLE (A Sydney Rye Novel, #3)
STRINGS OF GLASS (A Sydney Rye Novel, #4)
THE DEVIL’S BREATH (A Sydney Rye Novel, #5) Coming April 2014

Emily Kimelman Biography 

Emily Kimelman is the author of the best selling “Sydney Rye” series of mystery novels including UNLEASHED, DEATH IN THE DARK, INSATIABLE, STRINGS OF GLASS and the forthcoming THE DEVIL’S BREATH. Emily lives with her husband, Sean Gilvey, and their dog, Kinsey Millhone “Pup Detective”, on a trawler docked in the Hudson Valley during the summer. She spends her winters traveling to where ever the next Sydney Rye Novel takes place. Right now she is in Costa Rica working on Sydney Rye #6.

If you’ve read Emily’s work and liked it please contact her. She loves hearing from readers. You can reach Emily via email ejkimelman@gmail.com or on  twitter @ejkimelman. Follow her on Instagram to see pictures from Emily’s latest adventures. Visit www.emilykimelman.com to learn more about Emily and the Sydney Rye series.

Thanks for visiting, Emily.