Why write a mystery featuring martial arts? by Diane Bator

 

I’m excited to share my new release Dead Without Remorse, which is the 5^th book in my Gilda Wright Mystery series! It originally took place before book 3 but I had to wait to get the rights back from a previous publisher.

Here's the blurb:  An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood. When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

 Why did I choose to write a mystery series about martial arts? The Gilda Wright Mystery series was inspired by the karate school I used to work and train at. Our school was in the basement below a hair salon and by the end of the training day, humidity from the sweat of all those people training literally hung a foot thick near the ceiling! The atmosphere and camaraderie of the students was very inspiring and I wondered what would happen if this was a tournament, not a seminar, and the referee never showed up.

 We had a similar sign in our karate school to remind students to remain humble and leave their egos at the door. None of us are perfect! In order to focus, we had that reminder to leave that part of us and our problems outside the training hall.

 My fictional town of Sandstone Cove is based very loosely on a larger town along the shores of Lake Erie called Dunkirk, New York. The shoreline and layout of the town was exactly what I needed for my little town (although I certainly modified the basic map to become Sandstone Cove!)

Dunkirk, New York

 

I’ve had a lot of fun over the years watching my main characters grow and adapt to changes in their lives. My four main characters are:

 

Gilda Wright is the receptionist at Phoenix Martial Arts. She’s an avid karate student, runner and not so sure about yoga. After a disastrous relationship with Jason Thayer, she took a job at the karate school to build up some confidence.

 

Marion Yearly is Gilda’s best friend and a 911 operator. She is has an eye for the men at the karate school and, after a little coaxing, started taking classes with Gilda. She’s enamored by Razi Mauli, one of the instructors.

 

Mick Williams ran the original Yoshida Martial Arts, then built Phoenix Martial Arts with Razi. He is a 3rd degree black belt goju-ryu karate; black belt in jiu jitsu; 1st degree black belt tae kwon do; kickboxing; MMA trainer and coach.

 

Kane Garrick is former MMA fighter and an expert swordsman. He is a 3rd degree black belt goju-ryu karate; black belt jiu jitsu, trained for over 10 years in Japanese sword fighting and Japanese Jiu Jitsu; has a fake Australian accent. Gilda first meets him while he practiced with a sword on the beach near her house. 

 

I was also inspired by a photo I cut from a magazine years ago of a log on the beach that has become Gilda’s “thinking place” and her usual meeting place with Fabio, her police officer friend. 

 

Is there a real Café Beanz? Yes, there is, but with a different spelling. I found it purely by accident in Barrie, Ontario. I haven't been inside yet, but it's on my bucket list! My version of Café Beanz is a little deli-style cafe that serves sandwiches and soups for lunch and several kinds of coffees and teas. It's based on the old 50's style diners but modernized in colors and textures. Along with Happy Harvey's, Beanz is one of the hubs of Sandstone Cove.

Gilda's favorite all time drink is a latte with cinnamon and chocolate curls (and wine in the evenings when the mystery solving gets her down!)

Mick loves a "double-double" as we call them in Canada, coffee with two milk and two sugar.

Marion takes her coffee hot, strong and with a little milk.

Razi and Kane are both tea drinkers. Green preferably.

Thayer and Fabio, the police officers Gilda has often had to deal with, love their coffee. Thayer takes his black. Fabio prefers to mix it up a little bouncing between coffee to lattes.

 

Happy Harvey's Hangover Hut wasn't the place to go if you had a hangover, more like if you were in desperate search of the means of one. A glorified, tiki-infested liquor and convenience store, Happy Harvey's was owned by Happy—no one had ever called him Harvey—a seventy-year-old man who'd become disillusioned with retirement. He was also one of Gilda's good friends.

Happy Harvey’s is my favorite setting in the series. Sometimes ideas will just pop into my head and I have no idea where they came from. Happy Harvey's was one of them. I combined my love of the tropics with a local convenience store run by an older man who wasn't afraid to be a little different. Happy is one of Gilda's main supporters and cheerleaders who lets her know what's on his mind and will happily give her both advice and a bottle of wine from time to time.

 

Writing a martial arts-based series was in the making, ever since my family started karate and Brazilian jiu jitsu classes. I was actually a Karate Mom for about 6 years before I started working at the martial arts school and began my own training. Due to my health and life getting in the way, I stopped training at blue belt in Goju-Ryu karate, but the Gilda series lives on. 

One part of training I enjoy, was helping our instructors at self-defence courses we did at local schools. At one high school, we were in lock down after a teenager from another school came in and stabbed a student. It was very sad to see the kids so calm because this happens at least once per semester. Most students were very grateful for us coming in to give them an option to deal with the bullies. One day, that incident may become a whole new Gilda mystery.

Aside from training and self-defence courses, I helped to run the school and rewrote the school's karate manual and Black Belt grading information packages.

 

One question that comes up from fans is “Who will Gilda choose:  Kane or Mick?”

Gilda started to work for Mick after breaking up with her former boyfriend Jason Thayer in spectacular fashion - she threw him into a large bag of coffee beans after catching him with his latest fling and split his head open! Karate and learning how to defend herself in a more empowered way seemed like a logical next step.

Just when she and Mick take the next step and start to develop a romantic relationship, along comes Mick's long time friend and colleague, Kane Garrick. Kane has eyes for Gilda, but is it because she's Mick's new girlfriend or do his flirtations run much deeper?

Okay, readers, who would you choose and why?

You can find ALL of my books at BWL Publishing Inc!

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

 

Book Coaching 101 by Diane Bator

 

NEW RELEASE!! An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood. When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

 

In today’s world, anyone can write and publish a book, but few of us get the help we need. Sometimes we’re stopped by external forces such as lack of money, lack of tools, and lack of support, which is a big one. Sometimes, we’re stopped by internal forces like fear, Imposter Syndrome, and a perceived lack of knowledge.

Imposter Syndrome is that voice in your head that tells you, “I am not talented enough to make this happen,” or “I’m afraid of messing up,” or “Why bother? People will hate my work.” If you’ve ever read Brené Brown, then you recognize that is vulnerability at it’s finest.

We’ve all dealt with it no matter who we are and what we’ve achieved. I have a friend who’s a comedian and author. He’s been fortunate to meet some amazingly accomplished people who will say, “I don’t know why I’m at this event. I’m just a writer/astronaut/musician.” Meanwhile, he’s trying hard not to beg for autographs, but he does have some great photos!

One of my biggest reasons for starting my Escape with a Writer blog, was to help promote other writers brave enough to launch their books. To be honest, when I first started my blog in 2019, I never expected to have authors sign up to do an interview with me. After all, “Who am I to think I can do this?” But I did. In no time, I had my calendar full 4-6 months ahead and now work alongside a publicity firm in Saskatchewan.

Then I learned there was such a thing as a Book Coach. That was my AHA moment!

It took me ten minutes to sign up and I’ve loved every minute of the training as well as working with writers and a great accountability partner. The funny part is, I wrote an entire series of blogs for BWL Publishing about the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Writing two years before I’d ever heard of book coaching. That’s how naturally the role comes.

So, what is a Book Coach and what do they do? A Book Coach is someone who assists with the book writing process. We help writers improve their work, their writing, and give moral support along the way. Whether you plan to self-publish, reach out to agents or traditional publishers, or use a hybrid publisher, a Book Coach can help you smooth out plot problems and improve your book. We can help you smooth out your entire book or clean up a pitch to send to agents or publishers.

How can a Book Coach help me? That varies from coach to coach. Some do strictly Developmental Editing to help make sure your book flows without any flaws in timeline or storyline. They can also help prepare your book to be line edited before you submit. Others will help you get from the basic story idea right up to preparing your manuscript to be submitted to an agent or publisher, which we’re happy to help you find. We cheer you on throughout the process and celebrate with you once your book is in print!

How do I find the right coach? When writers reach out to a Book Coach for help, we have a list of intake questions we ask to see if coach and client will be a good fit. Not all coaches are comfortable working with all writers—and vice versa, just like any other sort of coaching. The best way to see if a coach (or even an editor, for that matter!) is a good fit, is to ask if they will edit the first ten pages of your manuscript. If you like they way they edit or give suggestions for your work, chances are you may work well together.

Won’t a good agent or publisher do all that? Not as many publishing houses have the staff or capacity to do all those things. The cleaner, better, and stronger you can submit your book, the less time and energy they need to spend to get it prepared for publishing. Agents and publishers love it when writers do their homework and send them solid stories they don’t have to spend days editing.

Where do I find a Book Coach to learn more? Right now, there are some fabulous coaches out there! You simply have to Google to find us! We’re always seeking new clients who are eager and willing to work with us to develop their manuscripts into things they’re proud to publish. Be sure to read the fine print, check out what genres they prefer to deal with – please don’t send a romance coach a sci-fi novel! –  study their packages as to what they offer and what they’re fees are, then find out how they prefer to be contacted. Most have an intake form attached to their contact page and may ask you to attach the first 10 pages of your manuscript so they can get a feel for your work.

What if the coach I contact doesn’t accept me? There could me many reasons. Some will contact you to let you know if you’re not a good fit. Others may say they are already overwhelmed and refer you to another coach. Either way, there’s always another coach, just like there are more than three agents and publishers. The right fit is out there.

Does having a coach assure that I’ll get an agent or publisher? Nope. But, we can definitely help you to submit a great query and synopsis that will give you a solid chance at getting their attention.

If you’re interested in learning more, please check out my brand new website at www.dianebator.ca.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Diane

 

Writing a Series - or a Series of Series by Diane Bator

I wrote this article for the June Sisters in Crime Newsletter and thought I'd expand on it a little and share!

I didn’t start off with a plan to write one series, let alone four so far. My first novel, The Bookstore Lady, began as a stand alone book, but when I pitched it to my agent at the time, she asked me to give her some ideas for two to three other books that she could submit to publishers. Just in case. I had to think fast and write some blurbs for what later became my four book Wild Blue Mystery series.

What I love about writing a mystery series is that I am able to push characters further in each novel and give them even more depth, including the minor characters. As they go through mystery after mystery, they grow as they move forward while they reveal a bit more backstory. I’ve written books where I’ve had readers ask what happens to their favourite characters next, writing a series gives them the opportunity to find out. If they don’t like what happens, they don’t hesitate to give feedback.

I have learned a few tricks to help me keep things straight, which evolve as I go. Since I’m a tactile person who prefers paper to e-book, I keep a binder as well as a file in my computer where I keep specific information about my series.

·       A series summary that includes titles and blurbs for each book. Once they’re published, I also keep ISBN numbers, images of the cover, and any other information I will need.

·       A list of all characters including the protagonist, villain, secondary characters, and suspects. I make a new, updated one for each book. These include name, age, hair colour, eye colour, occupation, height, weight, birthdates—all of those little things that we can easily forget, particularly for minor characters.

·      A list of settings that includes descriptions and names of locations, character homes and places they hang out like coffee shops, restaurants, and police stations for mysteries.

·       Images from websites of characters, settings, paint colours, news stories, and links that I find interesting or important to my story or research.

As far as having one main protagonist for an entire series, I end up following my character's lead. In my Wild Blue Mysteries, it seems to be couples that take front and center. Katie and Danny, Christina and Leo, and so on. For my Gilda Wright Mysteries, every book is in Gilda's POV. It's her life story and she gains more strength book by book. My newest series, Sugarwood Mysteries, will be Audra Clemmings' perspective. Unless I get overtaken by another character.
My Glitter Bay mysteries have taken me by surprise. Where my plan was for the books to be in Laken's POV, her sister Sage has shanghaied the second book and wants to tell her own story. Since she's been keeping me awake at nights to do so, I'll go with it. I kind of like where it's going.
 When it comes to ending a series, I’m not so sure I can follow in Janet Evanovich or Sue Grafton’s footsteps and write over twenty books in one series. I think at some point I’ll need to end one series to focus on others or I'm worried I'll get tired of one set of characters and feel the need to find a happy ending for them.
How am I going to do that?
I’ll have to get back to you when I figure it out!

Diane Bator

https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

The Who, WHAT, Where, Why and When of Writing - Part 2

In Part One, we reflected about who we are and how much we wanted to write. In short:

A lot of writers just dive in when the muse strikes and we reach for laptops, paper, receipts, napkins...whatever is as hand to put our thoughts into written form. Some writers practice writing every day, using morning pages to empty their minds of doubt and rambling thoughts before they get to the task of creating. Yet others, ponder the universe and wait for divine inspiration before they are able to sit down to write. Personally, I've been known to scribble ideas into a notebook while cooking dinner. Sticks of spaghetti do not make good pens.

In Part Two, we're moving on to WHAT??? We've identified the urge to write and create, now it's time to take it a step further and discover what you want to write?

What do you like to read?
A lot of writers tend to read all sorts of genres before they settle into an area - loosely defined at times - that they enjoy reading and eventually writing. I worked my way up though the Dick and Jane series back in elementary, then graduated to Wind in the Willows before I discovered The Hardy Boys alongside Nancy Drew, UFO books, and anything else that made my creativity soar. I dug into Sidney Sheldon novels before I'd even hit high school.

What if I like more than one genre?
Chances are you like more than one type of fruit or candy. Just like in the food world, there are no rules that say you can only read or even write only one genre. Writers mix them up all the time.
Romantic suspense, Erotic fantasy, Paranormal mysteries, the combinations are limited only by your own imagination.

What if I have no idea what to write?
At very basic, write about your life. Start with a childhood memory and exaggerate it. Write about the brother you wished you'd had. About the house you wished you'd lived in. About how your grandfather smoked a pipe after dinner every night and you would sit close to him and watch the smoke swirl around his head while the sweet scent of his tobacco tickled your nose.
Then take it up a notch and create a story around it.

How do you come up with ideas?
Writing prompts are a great starting point. You can find them on web sites, at writing group meetings, and in any endless number of books on the subject. (Oh look, something to write about!) One method we use in our writing group is to choose a book then turn to a random page, find a sentence, and GO!

Conversations are you may have or overhear during your day are great sources of inspiration as well. I've had ideas come from lines on television shows or even whole shows may spark a fresh novel. The whole idea isn't to copy someone else's work. Plagarism is a no-no. It's completely allowable to use a line, an image or a phrase as a starting point to grow your own work.

What if I don't like what I wrote?
Then congratulations. You're just as insecure as the rest of us!
Seriously, though. Once you start a poem, short story, or even a novel, you don't have to live with it if you don't like it. Sometimes it helps to put it away for a while and take another look at it weeks, months, or even years down the road. If you still don't like it then, shred it and start over. In the meantime, don't sit idle. More ideas and inspirations will strike. Eventually, you will write something you will love and turn it into something you want to share with the entire world.

What if my mother doesn't like what I wrote?
Once more we go back to a Who question. Who are you writing for? You? Your mother? Your grandpa? When I was starting out writing as a kid, my mom would say my stories were good, BUT.... I'd go back to my room and vow never to show her my stories again. It didn't take me long to realize I wrote my stories for me. Not for anyone else. Now that I have books published, that doesn't change. Yes, I want to entertain people and have them read my stories, but if I don't like what I write, I'm very sure they won't either.

How do I get published?
First you write. Then we'll talk...

Diane Bator
Author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries and Glitter Bay Mysteries
Mom of 3 boys and 2 cats and a mouse we can't find...

The WHO, What, Where, Why and When of Writing - Part 1

April 3, 2019

Walking tends to make my creative brain ramble with ideas I generally forget fifteen minutes later, especially when I get caught in the rain and have to hustle. But this concept for a series of blogs stuck. When we think of the five Ws, we immediately think journalism. In this case, however, I’m applying it to writing.

Who – as in Who are YOU as a writer?

What – for What do you want to write?

Where – location, location, location.

Why – what drives you?

When – what the best time to write?

Over the next few months, I’d like to expand on those ideas because those are the questions I see a great deal on social media questions and answer pages for writers, new and experienced. We all have this curiosity about other writers as well as our own creativity and what makes us tick.

So let’s start with the WHO.

Who am I?

When I was a kid, my dream was to be on the Oprah show. To get there, I planned to become one of two things:  An actor or a writer. Fast forward a few years later (Ha!). Oprah’s show is over. I am not an actor, but I work for a live-stage theatre.

And I am a writer.

I’m not famous. I may never be, but I’m doing what I love to do even if I’m not able to do it full time just yet.

How long have you been a writer?

This question comes up a lot on forums. For me, I started storytelling when I was little, before I could write. Then learned how to put those stories onto paper so others could read them.

I’ve stuck my passion in a drawer for years to satisfy someone who called it a waste of time, then dragged it back out when I had kids and never looked back.

Are you one of those people who has always loved books and capable of survival if locked in alone in a library for a long weekend?

With a stash of water and food, I’d be in Heaven! Not that all writers would survive without full access to computers or paper to work on!

Have you always had an itch to write the next great novel or do you dream of being wealthy and famous beyond words?

In all honesty, it’s not easy. Those writers like J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and the like, they’ve had their share of rejections and have had to work hard to get to where they are. All writers do.

Most will never get that kind of attention or notoriety...

Can you type?

That one may seem silly on the surface, but these days all books are submitted via email to agents and publishers. No one will accept a handwritten stack of loose leaf papers.

Do you LOVE to write?

I’ve been told to get a real job many times. That’s never stopped me from writing. Even John Grisham wrote between court cases.

I write between my full time job, raising my kids, and trying to lead a normal life. I write because I have a passion for words, books, for creating stories that no one has ever heard before.

Writing, for some of us, is like a disease that wakes us in the wee hours of the morning. Or distracts us in a board meeting or while on long walks.

We can’t live our lives without a pen in hand or a computer screen beckoning.

Do you have a thick skin?

People can be mean. They criticize and condemn even if they’ve never actually read a word we’ve written. They tell us our dreams are silly and not worth the paper they’re written on.

If you are open to constructive criticism, there are many people out there who will genuinely be able to help you improve your skills.

Listening and learning only help us grow.

Do you have a sense of curiosity in how you see the world around you?

Perhaps another silly question, but it’s how we see the world that makes us writers. We question. We experiment. We have a curiosity about “What if” which is what compels us to create.

Our stories may be based on world events, life events, anything that strikes a chord deep within and makes us wonder what might have been.

Are you addicted to collecting pens, paper, and sticky notes?

Yes, some people prefer paperless, but a lot of writers I know live for the smell of freshly printed books, colorful notebooks, and multi-colour pens which we carry in every pocket and bag we own.

A writer without a pen is like a smoker without a lighter.

One last question for you before I’m off to work on my own book… Are you willing to put in the work?

Writing is indeed work. You need to do research, create a rough draft, edit that rough draft, submit to editors, agents and publishers, do more edits, cry a little, do even more edits.

Then the work begins. No one will market your book for you. You must spend time telling the world what a brilliant person you are and how you’ve written a great story.

You have to organize and do book signings, attend writing events, take workshops to develop your skills, attend more events, do interviews both online and in your community, join writing groups and online groups…

The list never ends. There are so many ways to reach your audience.

The short of it is, you cannot just write a book then sit back and let it take on the world.

The world will never know it exists without a little help from its creator.

Diane Bator

Author of Wild Blue Mysteries; Gilda Wright Mysteries and Glitter Bay Mysteries

Mom of 3 boys and 2 cats

A Little Self Love for a Writer

Recently I edited a book written by an 82 year old man who has lived an incredible life. I can't wait to attend his book launch in April. One of the underlying themes of his story - his life story - was how he lived with the fear he was never good enough. This from a man who has amazing insights and has done amazing things in the world of Canadian dance and choreography.

So who am I compared to this extraordinary man?
First of all, I've stopped comparing myself to other people. Other writers.
I will never be like them.
I am me.

I have written many books.
I have published seven novels and submitted one more for publication.
I was a part of several anthologies.
I have published short stories in magazines.
All along, I knew all this in the back of my mind, but I've never let myself ENJOY my successes. I've always completed one project then bounced onto the next one with the drive to do more. To PROVE myself.

Prove myself to who?
To everyone in my life who ever said, "That's nice, but you should be a..."
To the guy who told me to give up and get a real job.
To the voices deep inside of me that's always told me, "You're not good enough," "You'll never get published," "You'll never be able to write full time."
Fear tells me all those things are true.
Logic dictates I keep the full-time job but write for the joy of it.

The writer in me says:

1. write
2. publish
3. take editing jobs
4. do a bit of freelance writing
5. marketing, marketing, marketing
6. surround myself with the positive - both people and inspiration

So what does a writer do to stay positive and not let the voices get her down?

1. Join a writing group. I've been a part of one for twelve years.
2. Join groups that will help with book exposure, events, information and recognition. I've joined the Crime Writers of Canada as well as Writers Community of York Region.
3. Send books to local libraries to get my name out and offer to do events.
4. Have books available in local bookstores.
5. Have an online presence.
6. Find people to review your books and host you on blogs.

So where to start? Take a deep breath, make a list, and take one baby step at a time.

Keep on reading and post a review for the books you love!

Diane Bator

Author of Wild Blue Mysteries & Gilda Wright Mysteries

Introducing:   Book4: The Painted Lady

The pieces of Christina Davidson's life have built up into place over the past few months, despite the one last secret she's trying hard to hide. When Leo Blue returns to town, then people from her past turn up, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble and the only people who can help her now are the men of the Wild Blue Detective Agency.

Leo Blue can't escape Packham nor the life of a private detective no matter how hard he tries. Six months after the murder of artist DJ Gage, the prices of Gage's paintings soar. When a woman winds up dead and a forgery is discovered in the local art gallery, Leo has to find a murderer and a forger.

Enough Thinking Already!!

My boss, a fourth degree black belt and my Sensei, is always coming up with new ideas and new projects to work on - for both of us. The other day he told me a story about someone shaking their head at him and asking him how all his ideas came to him. His reply was, "That's easy. I don't think about them. Whenever I stop thinking, that's when the ideas come." That struck a chord with me.

I've had so many friends carry on about being "stuck" and having "writer's block." Then there's me. I'm not one of those people who has to force books to appear. In fact, ideas seem to lurk around corners and attack me when I'm not looking for them. My first series, Wild Blue Mysteries, came from a dream one night about a cat. Literally! The entire series developed from there while I walked around town and sat in coffee shops.

As I type this, I have two series in various phases of publication and one more I'm plotting when I get free time (a rare commodity with three kids and a job!!) My second series, Gilda Wright Mysteries, came from my karate training and current job. Lots of ideas stem from learning how to protect yourself from the "what ifs." Isn't that how most writers get their great ideas? From an attack of the "what ifs"?

One of the best things I have learned from is the dreaded deadline. No time for writer's block when you have an agent or publisher waiting for your work. You have to sit and let the thoughts flow.

A writer friend of mine told me she has problems finishing a book. She has great ideas, but has problems finishing writing an entire book. My number one advice to her was to get a glass of wine (or tea or coffee...) and to stop thinking and let the story flow. The ideas WILL come. Stop trying to change things as you go along, there will be plenty of time for that during the editing phase when being stuck will be the farthest from your mind!

Speaking of which, I'm off to my editing cave! Have a wonderful Easter!

Diane Bator

You can find me at:  http://bookswelove.net/authors/bator-diane/