Could that have infected my reading, like when the fly gets in the transformer in The Fly? Barbara? Help me.
And my fantastic friend Berns wanted me to post this link, so if you want to share or ask an opinion, go check it out!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
What's in Your Cards?
Llewellyn, the mother of my publisher, Midnight Ink, has a free online Tarot card-reading service. Find out what's in your future, but I warn you: it may be bleak. Apparently, my move to St. Paul is going to be ruinous and awful. I think the exact forecast, when I was focusing on my future as a writer, was, "Be prepared to gain the world and sell your soul." Super. I need to get my chakras realigned. Or maybe I just wasn't focusing hard enough. I may have been thinking about the peanut M & Ms I wanted to eat. 
Could that have infected my reading, like when the fly gets in the transformer in The Fly? Barbara? Help me.
And my fantastic friend Berns wanted me to post this link, so if you want to share or ask an opinion, go check it out!
Could that have infected my reading, like when the fly gets in the transformer in The Fly? Barbara? Help me.
And my fantastic friend Berns wanted me to post this link, so if you want to share or ask an opinion, go check it out!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Behind the Scenes: Thongs, Gordon Lightfoot, and Trumpets with Julia Buckley
Julia Buckley, author of The Dark Backward (Eht Krad?) has kindly agreed to share her insight on writing, publishing, and promoting mysteries. Read on, you crazy diamond!
Tee-hee. A thong. Now there’s an idea—but not for me to wear. And it’s not practical, because not enough people would see it, so it wouldn’t necessarily promote the book. The items make me no money, anyway, it’s just a link to Café Press, but it’s always an option for promotion, since the cover is so cool (not my doing, but Kevin R. Brown’s).
My favorite activity, aside from writing the books, has been doing the interviews, because they’re very fun and I really feel that I’ve “met” a lot of people, who I now look forward to meeting in person at conferences. Jess Lourey, for example.
The Dark Backward begins with the death of its protagonist, Lily Caldwell. How did you come up with such a compelling and original opening?
It was actually done out of spite. I had written the Madeline Mann mysteries FIRST, you see, and they made the rounds with my agent, and people said they loved Madeline and liked the books, but they didn’t buy them. My agent suggested that perhaps things didn’t get moving fast enough in the plot, which is of course the big debate in mystery fiction: can a writer have some exposition, or must one thrust a knife into someone’s chest on page one?
(The author of this blog completely endorses using writing as a vehicle for spite.)
So in rebellion I began a chapter with the death of my main character—a violent shooting death—in the first line. And then I brought her back to life. At first I was just channeling my disappointment, but then I really got into my own story. So I must be a consummate storyteller. (As the Adam West Batman would say, “The only possible conclusion.”)
How’s that for a literary allusion? Batman.
When I see the picture of you on your blog, I think you are holding a trumpet that you are just about to play. Is it a trumpet in the picture, and if so, how good are you?
That is hilarious! I never noticed that before. Sure, let’s say I play the trumpet really well, and I travel with a jazz band when I’m not promoting books or teaching English. But alas, it wouldn’t be true. That “trumpet” is just the back of a chair; the photo was taken at The Rainforest Café in Chicago, where we had taken our boys for a treat. I chose it because I didn’t look tired or old.
However, I do have a notable jazz connection: my father-in-law, Dick Buckley, is a Chicago legend for his jazz show on WBEZ. No one knows more about jazz than this man does. Feel free to challenge me. And the sad thing is, BEZ has decided to change its programming, so Dick’s show, after many years on the air in Chicago, will be eliminated in the coming months. He has a huge cult following who are circulating a petition. Any Chicagoans can still hear his show—for the time being—on Sundays at noon.
Your first Madeline Mann mystery hits bookstores in 2007. How is she different from Lily, and how many books do you envision in the series?
Lily Caldwell is a loveable young woman, but she has a very serious mission and an unhappy past, and so the book is not really lighthearted (although it does contain humor). Madeline is much more a product of the fun me; she is independent and intelligent, but she tends to be rather unpredictable in her behavior, which she attributes totally to the “vibes” she has at any given moment. For this reason, her brothers have nicknamed her “Madman,” and so far she has not been able to prove them wrong.
There are serious themes in the Madman books, but I think I get to them through more humorous paths. Maddy isn’t meant to depress people, nor are her mysteries. They’re supposed to lift the spirits and even make readers laugh. An assortment of odd characters, including her family, sort of heighten the humorous tension.
On your website, you refer to your writing group. How did the group begin, how many of you are in it, and how often do you meet?
My town used to have an arts organization called River Oak Arts, and it sponsored evening classes for adults in things like poetry writing, short story writing, and the one I took—novel writing. All of the classes were taught by professional writers, and mine was taught by the novelist Karen Lee Osborne. The class lasted eight weeks and taught me a lot about what should and shouldn’t go into a novel. I signed up for another, more advanced class a few months later—also taught by Karen—and then some of the group members who were really serious about their writing asked if we couldn’t just meet every month even after the class was over. That was about six years ago, and we still meet.
The advantage of the writing group, for me, is that after a while, when you’re composing, you can almost hear the voices of your group members in your head, telling you to cut out that adjective or eliminate this repetitive dialogue, and it becomes a sort of writer’s conscience. It’s helped me a great deal. I think my writing is much better now than it was before I joined the group.
What do your husband and children think of your writing?
They’re supportive in that they don’t stop me from doing it. And my husband is good about reading manuscripts. He doesn’t comment very heavily, but he’s great at spotting inconsistencies and giving me honest feedback. He gives me a little smiley face in the margin for everything that amuses him, so if I get something back and it doesn’t have a smiley at a spot I thought was funny, I’ll say, “Hey, that was funny!” And he’ll just shake his head. The smileys are not given randomly.
Other than that, they (the family) just sort of go about their business. My husband’s wine store did host a signing for me, which was nice. But my children attended one signing only, where I learned that they are not old enough to go to book signings. My seven year old told me that the word “the” on my cover was not properly capitalized, and my eleven-year old raised his hand and asked why there was profanity in the book. I turned about five shades of red. Naturally he hasn’t read it, but he was told he couldn’t because it had adult language and situations. So he managed to embarrass me at my very first book signing, and since then the boys have been relegated to the home with only a bowl of water.
(Blog author's note: I find if you crush up some Valium in the water, it goes a lot farther.)
How's the Master's in Literature coming?
Slowly but surely. It’s starting to feel like I’m on the ten-year plan, but it’s actually only been two years, and I’ll have earned half of my required credits by the end of this year. I had to take a little hiatus last year for financial reasons—after we pay my sons’ school tuition and the mortgage, there’s not much left for my tuition, and my employer only gives me a small percentage of the cost. So sometimes I have to stop, cry broke, and wait until I accumulate some savings again. I’m sure it’s character-building, this living in genteel poverty while I am immersed in the language of academia.
What three pieces of advice would you offer to an author whose first book is just about to hit the bookshelves?
Tee-hee. A thong. Now there’s an idea—but not for me to wear. And it’s not practical, because not enough people would see it, so it wouldn’t necessarily promote the book. The items make me no money, anyway, it’s just a link to Café Press, but it’s always an option for promotion, since the cover is so cool (not my doing, but Kevin R. Brown’s).
My favorite activity, aside from writing the books, has been doing the interviews, because they’re very fun and I really feel that I’ve “met” a lot of people, who I now look forward to meeting in person at conferences. Jess Lourey, for example.
The Dark Backward begins with the death of its protagonist, Lily Caldwell. How did you come up with such a compelling and original opening?
It was actually done out of spite. I had written the Madeline Mann mysteries FIRST, you see, and they made the rounds with my agent, and people said they loved Madeline and liked the books, but they didn’t buy them. My agent suggested that perhaps things didn’t get moving fast enough in the plot, which is of course the big debate in mystery fiction: can a writer have some exposition, or must one thrust a knife into someone’s chest on page one?
(The author of this blog completely endorses using writing as a vehicle for spite.)
So in rebellion I began a chapter with the death of my main character—a violent shooting death—in the first line. And then I brought her back to life. At first I was just channeling my disappointment, but then I really got into my own story. So I must be a consummate storyteller. (As the Adam West Batman would say, “The only possible conclusion.”)
How’s that for a literary allusion? Batman.When I see the picture of you on your blog, I think you are holding a trumpet that you are just about to play. Is it a trumpet in the picture, and if so, how good are you?
That is hilarious! I never noticed that before. Sure, let’s say I play the trumpet really well, and I travel with a jazz band when I’m not promoting books or teaching English. But alas, it wouldn’t be true. That “trumpet” is just the back of a chair; the photo was taken at The Rainforest Café in Chicago, where we had taken our boys for a treat. I chose it because I didn’t look tired or old.
However, I do have a notable jazz connection: my father-in-law, Dick Buckley, is a Chicago legend for his jazz show on WBEZ. No one knows more about jazz than this man does. Feel free to challenge me. And the sad thing is, BEZ has decided to change its programming, so Dick’s show, after many years on the air in Chicago, will be eliminated in the coming months. He has a huge cult following who are circulating a petition. Any Chicagoans can still hear his show—for the time being—on Sundays at noon.
Your first Madeline Mann mystery hits bookstores in 2007. How is she different from Lily, and how many books do you envision in the series?
Lily Caldwell is a loveable young woman, but she has a very serious mission and an unhappy past, and so the book is not really lighthearted (although it does contain humor). Madeline is much more a product of the fun me; she is independent and intelligent, but she tends to be rather unpredictable in her behavior, which she attributes totally to the “vibes” she has at any given moment. For this reason, her brothers have nicknamed her “Madman,” and so far she has not been able to prove them wrong.
There are serious themes in the Madman books, but I think I get to them through more humorous paths. Maddy isn’t meant to depress people, nor are her mysteries. They’re supposed to lift the spirits and even make readers laugh. An assortment of odd characters, including her family, sort of heighten the humorous tension.
On your website, you refer to your writing group. How did the group begin, how many of you are in it, and how often do you meet?
My town used to have an arts organization called River Oak Arts, and it sponsored evening classes for adults in things like poetry writing, short story writing, and the one I took—novel writing. All of the classes were taught by professional writers, and mine was taught by the novelist Karen Lee Osborne. The class lasted eight weeks and taught me a lot about what should and shouldn’t go into a novel. I signed up for another, more advanced class a few months later—also taught by Karen—and then some of the group members who were really serious about their writing asked if we couldn’t just meet every month even after the class was over. That was about six years ago, and we still meet.
The advantage of the writing group, for me, is that after a while, when you’re composing, you can almost hear the voices of your group members in your head, telling you to cut out that adjective or eliminate this repetitive dialogue, and it becomes a sort of writer’s conscience. It’s helped me a great deal. I think my writing is much better now than it was before I joined the group.
What do your husband and children think of your writing?
They’re supportive in that they don’t stop me from doing it. And my husband is good about reading manuscripts. He doesn’t comment very heavily, but he’s great at spotting inconsistencies and giving me honest feedback. He gives me a little smiley face in the margin for everything that amuses him, so if I get something back and it doesn’t have a smiley at a spot I thought was funny, I’ll say, “Hey, that was funny!” And he’ll just shake his head. The smileys are not given randomly.
Other than that, they (the family) just sort of go about their business. My husband’s wine store did host a signing for me, which was nice. But my children attended one signing only, where I learned that they are not old enough to go to book signings. My seven year old told me that the word “the” on my cover was not properly capitalized, and my eleven-year old raised his hand and asked why there was profanity in the book. I turned about five shades of red. Naturally he hasn’t read it, but he was told he couldn’t because it had adult language and situations. So he managed to embarrass me at my very first book signing, and since then the boys have been relegated to the home with only a bowl of water.
(Blog author's note: I find if you crush up some Valium in the water, it goes a lot farther.)
How's the Master's in Literature coming?
Slowly but surely. It’s starting to feel like I’m on the ten-year plan, but it’s actually only been two years, and I’ll have earned half of my required credits by the end of this year. I had to take a little hiatus last year for financial reasons—after we pay my sons’ school tuition and the mortgage, there’s not much left for my tuition, and my employer only gives me a small percentage of the cost. So sometimes I have to stop, cry broke, and wait until I accumulate some savings again. I’m sure it’s character-building, this living in genteel poverty while I am immersed in the language of academia.
What three pieces of advice would you offer to an author whose first book is just about to hit the bookshelves?
- Be proud of yourself. I tend to forget this one, either because I always set a higher goal and then forget to celebrate the one I met, or because I’ll find some negative aspect of my success. My family always says this is the Hungarian soul in me, because as my father has pointed out, “We’re a very sad people.” So I have to remind myself—hey, this is an accomplishment!
- My Dad’s classic advice: “You don’t ask, you don’t get.” Profound, yet practical, isn’t it? This was always his advice to me when he noticed my natural reluctance in all things. So I have to sort of make myself go up to a bookstore counter and ask if they might carry my book, and how well is it selling, and have they lost weight? or whatever schmoozing thing I’m supposed to say in order to make them love me. (But I still don’t really do it. Number of bookstores visited: two).
- Put things in perspective. This book is not going to have the impact, or the staying power, of something like Gone With The Wind, but a year ago I had no book on store shelves, and now I can stroll into a store and see a beautiful acknowledgement of my work, and can enjoy the occasional e-mail that I get from strangers telling me that they liked the book. Which I guess can be called fan mail.
How do I get my hands on the next Julia Buckley opus?
Hey, Jess, just say the word and I’ll send you the whole fat manuscript in hopes that you’ll eventually write a blurb like “Julia Buckley is a revelation!” or “If you read only one book this summer, read this one!”
(I can't promise a blurb, but I'd love a galley copy when they're available!)
Otherwise, you have to wait until August of 2007, which I believe is the release date for Pity Him Afterwards (although I just found out that will not be the title.)
And finally, on your blog, you claim to enjoy Gordon Lightfoot, Abba, and the Monkees. If you had to sing one of the following songs at a karaoke bar filled with English professors, ex-boyfriends, mystery reviewers, and Hollywood producers, which would it be? "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," "Dancin' Queen," or "Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees."
Wow, that’s a toughie. The first two are great songs, but they’re totally out of my range. Gord tends to span a couple octaves rather effortlessly, while I end up hunting all over the place for the note an octave higher or lower. Not that it stops me from singing along. “Gord’s Gold” is my number one sing-along cd for chore doing or checkbook balancing. Abba, however, has been a favorite since childhood. My sister Linda and I would learn the melody and the harmony, so one of us could be Annifrida and one Agnetha and we could sing in the car and such. We are a singing family—very Von Trapp Family, if you want to know the truth. It’s because my German mother taught us to sing on family car trips, and she literally had a little choir in the back seat. My brothers sang bass and baritone, my sister and I were soprano or alto, my mom was alto. And my dad listened.
So back to your question: The Monkee’s Theme is the easiest to sing (although not my favorite song by them). So I would sing that, but I would have to ask you to sing it with me, along with two other people, so that we could link arms and do that special Monkees walk, leg over leg. It’s more difficult than it looks. We can practice at Bouchercon. 
In any case, I doubt the mystery reviewers or the Hollywood producers would find much to write home about.
At karaoke, I'm the back-up dancer only, but I'll bring my go-go boots! Thanks for your time, Ms. Buckley. :) (I'm a whore with my smiley faces.)
Monday, August 28, 2006
Don't Forget Your Angry Eyes
Cool Nancy Chick just sent me this article, which is provocative in an angrifying way. It's a rehash of the "don't get too smart, ladies, or you'll never land yourselves a man" argument. I imagine it's as insulting to intelligent men as it is to intelligent women, so I'm sharing it with you all. Don't forget your angry eyes.
On to happier (and possibly even scarier) items. I put my house up for sale last week. Next summer, I'm going to pack up my kids and cat and move us to Madison, Wisconsin, or St. Paul, Minnesota, where I will pursue an MFA and a full-time writing career (you don't need one to have the other, but I love writing, teaching, and being in school, so I'm going to smush all three into the next three years). Join me as I make magic or fall flat on my ass.
On to happier (and possibly even scarier) items. I put my house up for sale last week. Next summer, I'm going to pack up my kids and cat and move us to Madison, Wisconsin, or St. Paul, Minnesota, where I will pursue an MFA and a full-time writing career (you don't need one to have the other, but I love writing, teaching, and being in school, so I'm going to smush all three into the next three years). Join me as I make magic or fall flat on my ass.
Friday, August 25, 2006
VH1 Behind the Scenes: Jess Lourey
Julia Buckley, author of Dark Backward and consummate interviewer, has probed the heck out of me in an insightful interview. I'll be returning the favor next week. And I love the title of Julia's blog--"Mysterious Musings"--but I think "Mysterious Muffins" would be more provocative. People would look for all sorts of meaning that wasn't there.
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Original Book Tour
Before I published May Day, when I thought of authors, I thought of people who had it made, writing away in their sun rooms, a cup of tea by their side, shielded from the world as they created literary art and cashed royalty checks.
I had it part right. I do often have tea while writing. Otherwise, the money for beginning authors is not great. I've heard that publishers are happy to sell 5,000 copies of a debut novel, and the author makes about 50 cents a copy. My experience supports that.
As for time, a lot of it is taken in promoting the book. With 100s of thousands of books out there, it takes a lot of leg work to separate yours from the pack. This involves book signings, media interviews, blogging, submitting shorter works to magazines and anthologies, and sending out review copies of your novel. I enjoy a lot of it, but it's not writing novels, which is what I love to do.
That's why I thought the following information was so interesting. It seems writers have NEVER been in their ivory tower, creating literary art, and that writing has always been a cutthroat business. Not as romantic as the vision most of us have of authors, but interesting nonetheless. (The information below was posted on a writing listserv, but I'm afraid I can't find the name of the original poster.):
"There has never been an ivory tower for writers. Dickens went on long book tours, reading extracts of his books to audiences. George Eliot, Thackeray and others also did public readings, and went to the various social events arranged by their publishers. Defoe, Swift and company contributed to magazines and satirical publications and also went to social gatherings, like the literary salons arranged by the likes of Elizabeth Montagu.
Childrens' writers contributed to comics and magazines, went to schools and libraries to do readings. Shakespeare appeared in his own plays. Marlowe worked for the government on the side, to make a few pennies. Or were the plays his sideline? The ones who did no promotion of any kind are as rare as hen's teeth. Chaucer worked for the Crown and no doubt pushed his books at his work colleagues and at Court. So I can't think of a time when writers haven't promoted. More's the pity. The ivory tower looks beautiful from here."
It's work, but it's great work. :)
I had it part right. I do often have tea while writing. Otherwise, the money for beginning authors is not great. I've heard that publishers are happy to sell 5,000 copies of a debut novel, and the author makes about 50 cents a copy. My experience supports that.
As for time, a lot of it is taken in promoting the book. With 100s of thousands of books out there, it takes a lot of leg work to separate yours from the pack. This involves book signings, media interviews, blogging, submitting shorter works to magazines and anthologies, and sending out review copies of your novel. I enjoy a lot of it, but it's not writing novels, which is what I love to do.
That's why I thought the following information was so interesting. It seems writers have NEVER been in their ivory tower, creating literary art, and that writing has always been a cutthroat business. Not as romantic as the vision most of us have of authors, but interesting nonetheless. (The information below was posted on a writing listserv, but I'm afraid I can't find the name of the original poster.):
"There has never been an ivory tower for writers. Dickens went on long book tours, reading extracts of his books to audiences. George Eliot, Thackeray and others also did public readings, and went to the various social events arranged by their publishers. Defoe, Swift and company contributed to magazines and satirical publications and also went to social gatherings, like the literary salons arranged by the likes of Elizabeth Montagu.
Childrens' writers contributed to comics and magazines, went to schools and libraries to do readings. Shakespeare appeared in his own plays. Marlowe worked for the government on the side, to make a few pennies. Or were the plays his sideline? The ones who did no promotion of any kind are as rare as hen's teeth. Chaucer worked for the Crown and no doubt pushed his books at his work colleagues and at Court. So I can't think of a time when writers haven't promoted. More's the pity. The ivory tower looks beautiful from here."
It's work, but it's great work. :)
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Beyond the Mystery: Secret Stories--the Truth Behind the Fiction
Bouchercon is THE conference for mystery readers, writers, editors, publishers, fans, and creative writing instructors. This year, I'm going to my first Bouchercon, and it's in the beautiful city of Madison, home of progressives, the farmers market to beat all farmers markets, and a great bookstore.
That's the good news. The more good news is that I will also be presenting, along with Gail Lukaskic, Julie Hyzy, Gammy Singer, and Susan Slater. The five of us were given the panel heading of "Beyond the Mystery," and told to narrow it down. We came up with "Beyond the Mystery: Secret Stories--the Truth Behind the Fiction." Here's the description:
"Five diverse authors tell all—sharing true stories that brought their scenes to life. Covering everything from social issues to recent events—whether to use a novel as a soapbox—and revelations of embarrassing moments, this will be a fast, funny and insightful discussion of what lies Beyond the Mystery."
All good, except our panel time. We are scheduled for 10:30 on Sunday, the very last day of the conference, when most people are on their way home. It's okay. We're paying our dues, and presenting on a Sunday means I won't miss any of the other great presentations on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing.
What's that? You want to know what I did yesterday? I canned like a beaver
(??) with my mom and aunt. I left with exactly 50 jars--horseradish dill pickles, regular dill pickles, whole tomatoes, crabapple jelly (and two accidental crabapple syrups), salsa, pickled peppers (I accidentally first typed "pickled peckers," as in shorthand for "a peck of pickled peppers"), and jalabeanos. Yum!
I start back at work full-time Monday, and my fall semester goal is to write seven pages a day, five days a week. If I can stick to that, August Moon, the fourth novel in the Murder by Month series, will be in hand by December. My fortune cookie today (I don't have daily ones; I happened to have Vietnamese for lunch) said, "The dream that keeps returning is your Destiny." Ah. I'm grabbin' it.
That's the good news. The more good news is that I will also be presenting, along with Gail Lukaskic, Julie Hyzy, Gammy Singer, and Susan Slater. The five of us were given the panel heading of "Beyond the Mystery," and told to narrow it down. We came up with "Beyond the Mystery: Secret Stories--the Truth Behind the Fiction." Here's the description:
"Five diverse authors tell all—sharing true stories that brought their scenes to life. Covering everything from social issues to recent events—whether to use a novel as a soapbox—and revelations of embarrassing moments, this will be a fast, funny and insightful discussion of what lies Beyond the Mystery."
All good, except our panel time. We are scheduled for 10:30 on Sunday, the very last day of the conference, when most people are on their way home. It's okay. We're paying our dues, and presenting on a Sunday means I won't miss any of the other great presentations on writing, editing, publishing, and marketing.
What's that? You want to know what I did yesterday? I canned like a beaver
(??) with my mom and aunt. I left with exactly 50 jars--horseradish dill pickles, regular dill pickles, whole tomatoes, crabapple jelly (and two accidental crabapple syrups), salsa, pickled peppers (I accidentally first typed "pickled peckers," as in shorthand for "a peck of pickled peppers"), and jalabeanos. Yum!I start back at work full-time Monday, and my fall semester goal is to write seven pages a day, five days a week. If I can stick to that, August Moon, the fourth novel in the Murder by Month series, will be in hand by December. My fortune cookie today (I don't have daily ones; I happened to have Vietnamese for lunch) said, "The dream that keeps returning is your Destiny." Ah. I'm grabbin' it.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Paynes-ville Booksigning
Hello! I'm back. The Paynesville booksigning went well. It's my hometown, the one I explored big hair, lime vodka sours, and pinned Guess jeans in during the 80s. My parents still live there, and my sister lives close by in Cold Spring (she's a kick-ass chiropractor, literally--second degree black belt). I was invited to sign books at Ben Around Books, owned by Kay and Bob McDaniel.
Bob and Kay are fantastic--graphic designers from the Dakotas--who are taking it as their personal mission to bring culture to a small town. They're doing a fantastic job and are warm and wonderful people. They did a great job advertising my book signing by making bookmarks, buying ad space in the Paynesville Press (we'll get to that), putting up posters everywhere, and spreading the word.
Long story short, 18 copies of May Day were sold at the signing, I signed a pile of the 12 that were sold before that, and I saw a significant jump in my amazon.com sales afterward.
I met some wonderful people at the signing, and it's hard to pick favorites, but I really enjoyed Karla from Grove City (she's my kind of gal), Marion from Paynesville (ladies over 70 are funny and strong like beef jerky), Lucy who prefers ice cream to fruit, and the daughter of the mayor of Battle Lake ("He really didn't like your book, you know.").
Good stuff. More next week.
Bob and Kay are fantastic--graphic designers from the Dakotas--who are taking it as their personal mission to bring culture to a small town. They're doing a fantastic job and are warm and wonderful people. They did a great job advertising my book signing by making bookmarks, buying ad space in the Paynesville Press (we'll get to that), putting up posters everywhere, and spreading the word.
Long story short, 18 copies of May Day were sold at the signing, I signed a pile of the 12 that were sold before that, and I saw a significant jump in my amazon.com sales afterward.
I met some wonderful people at the signing, and it's hard to pick favorites, but I really enjoyed Karla from Grove City (she's my kind of gal), Marion from Paynesville (ladies over 70 are funny and strong like beef jerky), Lucy who prefers ice cream to fruit, and the daughter of the mayor of Battle Lake ("He really didn't like your book, you know.").
Good stuff. More next week.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Short Stories, Shmort Stories
Yesterday, I finished the second draft of my short story. It was original titled "The Wedding Dance," because that is the central event (oh, and the murder), but the dead body is found alone in a tiny fish cleaning house, locked from the inside. It's the Minnesota version of the locked room mystery.
So, the new title is, "The Locked Fish House Mystery." See how that works? Hopefully, the Minnesota Crime Wave will find it entertaining enough to print in their next anthology, though it's going through at least one more revision before I send it off.
Writing short stories is hard and not particularly rewarding, but I have to say I did enjoy making a secondary character from May Day into a main character in the short story. She's a real hoot to write.
I'm out of town for all of next week, so I'm going to write a lot of short paragraphs today so you feel full until then.
This Thursday, I'm returning to my hometown of Paynesville for a booksigning at Been Around Books from 4-7. Refreshments will be served. The bookstore is attached to an art gallery, and it should be a fun, cultural sort of event, so join me!
Also, in breaking news, a Phoenix, Arizona, mystery group is discussing May Day on Monday. I'm afraid I can't physically make it there, but I am available for online chats or phone conferences with out-of-state book groups, and I am available face-to-face for book groups meeting within two hours of Alexandria.
A friend sent me the secret life of the President video clip (see following post), and it's very clever. I bet it was more fun to be Clinton's pilot, though. And be sure to check out these hilarious videos (unless you have dial-up) recommended by Jeff on the First Offenders blog. Bye for now!
So, the new title is, "The Locked Fish House Mystery." See how that works? Hopefully, the Minnesota Crime Wave will find it entertaining enough to print in their next anthology, though it's going through at least one more revision before I send it off.
Writing short stories is hard and not particularly rewarding, but I have to say I did enjoy making a secondary character from May Day into a main character in the short story. She's a real hoot to write.
I'm out of town for all of next week, so I'm going to write a lot of short paragraphs today so you feel full until then.
This Thursday, I'm returning to my hometown of Paynesville for a booksigning at Been Around Books from 4-7. Refreshments will be served. The bookstore is attached to an art gallery, and it should be a fun, cultural sort of event, so join me!
Also, in breaking news, a Phoenix, Arizona, mystery group is discussing May Day on Monday. I'm afraid I can't physically make it there, but I am available for online chats or phone conferences with out-of-state book groups, and I am available face-to-face for book groups meeting within two hours of Alexandria.
A friend sent me the secret life of the President video clip (see following post), and it's very clever. I bet it was more fun to be Clinton's pilot, though. And be sure to check out these hilarious videos (unless you have dial-up) recommended by Jeff on the First Offenders blog. Bye for now!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Help Me!
I just got assigned a section of Composition for the fall, and I'm going to use Zinn's, A People's History, as the textbook (in addition to a writing handbook). It would be great fun to present the idea that history is not static--the exercise would hone student's critical thinking skills as well as present a unique opportunity to learn how to dig for research. The Zinn book would be the catalyst for discussion of this concept, but I need to come up with topics for students to independently research. What are some common historical "facts" your average 18-year-old takes as the gospel? You know, like Abraham Lincoln was in it for the slaves, or there has never been a female Pope. Help me.
In return for your services, I will entertain you. First, the poison (a taste: "Dress Beautifully. You’ve heard the old adage 'If you look good, you feel good.' It’s true. I try to dress up in skirts and special jewelry everyday. I wear fancy aprons when I cook. Not only is it fun to dress up; it helps to elevate your mood. I call it the 'Donna Reed Syndrome.' You feel you can get more done while wearing skirts and pearls!"). Then, the antidote.
Bon appetit.
In return for your services, I will entertain you. First, the poison (a taste: "Dress Beautifully. You’ve heard the old adage 'If you look good, you feel good.' It’s true. I try to dress up in skirts and special jewelry everyday. I wear fancy aprons when I cook. Not only is it fun to dress up; it helps to elevate your mood. I call it the 'Donna Reed Syndrome.' You feel you can get more done while wearing skirts and pearls!"). Then, the antidote.
Bon appetit.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
How to Write
I just finished Stephen King's writing manual/memoir, On Writing, and it was excellent. I've always been a fan of King's writing, if not his subject matter, and in this book, he gives practical and accessible (and entertaining) instruction. Basically, he says writers have to read and understand Strunk and White, eliminate adverbs, and write honestly. That last one is a vague and elusive concept, but King is right that it's the key and he gives great instruction on how to do it. His publishing suggestions are weak and a little out of touch with the current climate, but he does well by directing aspiring authors to the Literary Marketplace and The Writer's Market (both available in most libraries). And don't tell me you don't like reading horror. This book isn't about horror. It's about how to write, and it's written by a man who is very successful in the field.
On a good note, May Day hasn't fallen off the amazon earth, June Bug preorders are outselling the work of that other Lourey on amazon, I've been invited to speak at another local book club, and my kids are happy and healthy. Zoe turns eight today! She had her party yesterday, and today, we're going to hit Crazy Days at the Library.
First, though, let me tell you that I just finished Monkeewrench, by the mother-daughter team of PJ Tracey. I usually like their stuff, but found Monkeewrench to be just a good thriller as opposed to a great one, like Live Bait. The two major issues--too many characters and a loud and fumbling deux ex machina--can be attributed to this being their first novel in the series. This is called first book disorder (FBD: see, phonetically spelling out Kennie Rogers' Southern accent in May Day). The book was still a good read, and I'm excited to check out Snow Blind when it comes out. The authors will be at Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis on Monday, August 7, and if you're close, I encourage you to go. The bookstore is fantastic, and it'd be interesting to hear how the two of them collaboratively write these complex thrillers.
Okay, off to Crazy Days!!! Happy week.
On a good note, May Day hasn't fallen off the amazon earth, June Bug preorders are outselling the work of that other Lourey on amazon, I've been invited to speak at another local book club, and my kids are happy and healthy. Zoe turns eight today! She had her party yesterday, and today, we're going to hit Crazy Days at the Library.
First, though, let me tell you that I just finished Monkeewrench, by the mother-daughter team of PJ Tracey. I usually like their stuff, but found Monkeewrench to be just a good thriller as opposed to a great one, like Live Bait. The two major issues--too many characters and a loud and fumbling deux ex machina--can be attributed to this being their first novel in the series. This is called first book disorder (FBD: see, phonetically spelling out Kennie Rogers' Southern accent in May Day). The book was still a good read, and I'm excited to check out Snow Blind when it comes out. The authors will be at Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis on Monday, August 7, and if you're close, I encourage you to go. The bookstore is fantastic, and it'd be interesting to hear how the two of them collaboratively write these complex thrillers.
Okay, off to Crazy Days!!! Happy week.
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