My Agenda for Writing Mystery Novels by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/illegally-dead

https://www.amazon.ca/Illegally-Dead-Joan-Yarmey/dp/1773626655

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/the-only-shadow-in-the-house

https://www.amazon.ca/Only-Shadow-House-Travelling-Detective-ebook/dp/B075TFC2B1

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/whistlers-murder

https://www.amazon.ca/Whistlers-Murder-Joan-Yarmey/dp/1773627554

Authors have different ways of writing their novels. Some outline each chapter. Others wing it just going where their characters take them. Some start with a plot and add characters and some have characters around whom they build a story. A few take an event or an idea and build on it putting in characters and settings that go with it.

     I have never worked with a solid outline, or arc as it is sometimes called, for my novels, whether they are mystery, historical, or young adult. And this is mainly because I find that my characters seldom end up the way I first pictured them and the plot never takes the route I thought it would. I do start the story with a character in his/her everyday life so the reader can get to know them then I put in the trigger or problem that is out of the control of my main character or that starts the mystery. This puts the main character on his/her quest for a solution.

     I do have scenes pictured where characters are going to have a certain conversation or be at a certain place but unexpected conversations or character twists surface as I am writing the story. Some of these are surprises or mishaps or glitches that get in the way of my character’s quest. I strive not to make these predictable, nor so far out that they don’t make sense to the story. They should leave the reader with the thought that they should have figured that would have happen. Personally, I find that it is no fun to read a book in which you can foresee where the story line is headed and what is going to happen.

     If I get writer’s block or get to the end of an event and not really know what to write next, then I pick up one of the encounters that I know a character is going to have and I write that. Sometimes I will have two or three of them waiting to be put into the manuscript where they are needed.

     For the climax my character goes through the action of resolving the problem or solving the mystery. This has to be fast paced and sometimes at risk to my character. By this time the reader should be rooting for the main character and wanting him/her to succeed without injury. Hopefully, too, this is where the surprise comes in, where the reader goes. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming." or "I never thought it would be that person.”

     I have even been surprised or saddened or happy by the ending of my books. When I was nearing the end of writing one of 'The Only Shadow in the House', I still hadn’t figured out which of two characters had done the killing. Suddenly, a different character put up their hand and said, “I did it and this is why.” I was surprised but realized that it made total sense.

     I believe that if my emotions are rocked by the ending so, too, should those of the readers. When the book was published I had readers tell me that they had also fluctuated between the same two characters as I had and they, too, had been surprised by who was actually guilty. Something a mystery writer is always happy to hear.

The Art of Critiquing by Victoria Chatham

 

AVAILABLE HERE

Oh, that dreaded word, critique. I well remember finishing my first book, His Dark Enchantress, with a sense of doom hovering over my head. This was my baby, my first Regency romance. After carefully nursing it through the process from a barely formed premise to writing The End, I now had to run the gauntlet of another pair of eyes before I could consider submitting it anywhere.

My hesitation to pass it on stemmed from a one-off experience in a critique class – one in which the presenter showed no interest in reining in two women who jumped on everyone’s work and shredded it. One person in the class walked out, and another emailed the organizer to say they would not be back. Stubbornly, I hung on, determined to learn what not to do and to be as supportive as I could to the rest of the class, even to the two naysayers, who thought they had carte blanche to strip another’s work to the bones.

I entrusted my baby to two author friends, one who wrote Regency romance and the other, at the time, who was writing western historical romance. I breathed a sigh of relief when those first critiques came back to me. They both had many comments, and where their comments aligned, I knew I had work to do. One picked me up on some of my Regency accuracy. At the same time, the other asked questions about the era's terminology and customs, quickly eroding my blithe supposition that everyone would understand it. I wanted my readers (if there were any) to enjoy what they were reading without being tripped up by either situation, and I quickly learned that writing The End was, in fact, only the beginning.

Since then, I have worked with a handful of writer friends who critique my work, and I return the favour. The choice of reader depends on the genre I’m writing in. If it’s a historical novel, I ask someone who writes contemporary fiction to critique my work, as well as someone who writes historicals. Thankfully, I have that mix in my close critique group. We know each other well enough that none of us takes umbrage at the results, but some authors are very thin-skinned. Learning to take an honest, fair critique is part of the process.

courtesy img.freepik.com

When I am asked to give a critique, I’m looking for rounded characters and well-thought-out plots. If I come across awkwardly worded sentences, I will suggest an alternative – this is not for the author to use  – more to give them an idea of how to frame that sentence in their own voice. I will pick up on word choice, repetition, misplaced modifiers, and run-on sentences.

That first draft is essential to commit the story to the page in the first place. Subsequent drafts are for improvement all around, and I know I couldn’t do that without input from my ‘Dream Team.’ Personally, I read my manuscript aloud when I think it is finished and still catch problems, usually with syntax, which a text-to-speech program would likely miss. Once that is done, I put it aside for a few days, read it again, and if I’m happy with it, I submit it to my publisher. Having done all that, it still amazes me that when I have my print copy in hand, I will usually find an error or two.

As much as writing is a skill, so is critiquing. It is not helpful to a budding or a seasoned author to give their work to a family member or friend who will probably say they love it and haven’t you done well to write a whole book! An author needs another author, or a very perceptive reader’s critical eye, to see a problem, address it constructively, and together build a better book.

Victoria Chatham

AT BWL PUBLISHING INC

 ON FACEBOOK

 MY WEBSITE

 

an author asked a Facebook group why his book wasn't selling

 

I'm intrigued by questions like the one posed on a Facebook author forum. A gentleman had self-published a book on Kindle Direct Publishing, then sat back, awaiting the book's arrival on the best seller list. After three weeks, not a single copy had sold. He posted the cover on his Facebook page and expected all of his Facebook friends to rush out and buy a copy and then tell all of their friends how great it was. They didn't.

He turned to the author forum to ask why? The responses to his question were frank, maybe painful answers provided by people who'd written, then actively marketed their books.

The most in-depth response was the person who explained, and I paraphrase: Think of Amazon as a big warehouse superstore and you just put a book on the shelf. It's sitting there with TWO MILLION other books. All of them are equally accessible to any customer. Without a dazzling cover, a wonderful blurb, and promotion, what differentiates your book from the others?

The most down-to-earth advice was: Close your laptop, get your butt out of your chair, and sell the book. Call libraries and bookstores and TALK TO REAL PEOPLE. Tell someone what your book is about and let them hold it while they read the blurb.

In a follow-up, the man posted his book cover and got barraged with comments about his tacky A/I designed cover art and terrible blurb. The author was convinced the cover and blurb represented the essence of his book and he didn't want to hear it was obviously A/I generated and unattractive. The blurb was poorly written and did nothing to draw in a reader.

Sadly, the author's final response was: "I like my cover. I don't like doing promotions. I want to write books, not SELL books." The responses to that were equally sad: "Lower your sales expectations unless you're going to actually market your books."

With 26 years of "selling" books behind me, I've learned the value of talking to people and building a readership. I've done that by signing in bookstores, flower shops, gift shops, and libraries. I've gone to bookstores and sold ONE book in two hours but know I've connected with dozens of people who may have been intrigued and picked up the book later. Two of my most unusual, and successful signing venues have been a bakery and a grocery store. One writer told me he'd sold out his entire stock of books signing outside of a liquor store on New Year's Eve.

The other reality is, very few authors make the New York Times bestsellers list. There are literary millionaires like J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and John Sandford. Amazon having two million titles available, means there are thousands of us who have day jobs while enjoying an incredibly satisfying life as published authors.

I considered my early books successful if a quarterly royalty check paid for a trip to the Dairy Queen. 

Please check out my most recent release "Anchor Murder" on the BWL Publishing website and help subsidize a trip to Dairy Queen, or help pay for a doughnut and cup of Tim Hortons coffee.

Anchor Murder: Book 18 of Doug Fletcher Mysteries, by Dean L. Hovey — Books We Love Publishing Inc.

Norah resists her forbidden attraction to the German Major in war-torn France, by Diane Scott Lewis

 

To purchase, click HERE

I wrote this novel after watching a tv show about the German occupation during WWII. What if a young Englishwoman is trapped in France after the Germans invade and she must ask for help from the Commandant. She finds he's not at all who she thought he was, and a dangerous attraction develops. I hope you enjoy reading an excerpt.

Norah walked stiffly in, her courage waning, but her resolve anchored. She’d never been in this office before. And now with the Germans in charge, changing everything—and a child’s fate in her hands.

Major von Gottlieb stood behind his desk, tall and imposing, his expression curious. “What can I do for you, Fräulein Cooper?”

“My young cousin did something foolish, but he’s only a child.” She rubbed her knuckle along her collarbone and explained what happened in barely controlled words. “Please, don’t let anyone hurt him. He’s ten years old, and impulsive.” Tears dampened her eyes, despite her effort to appear tenacious. “Release him to his mother. It’s all a mistake.”

She saw the Major’s gaze change from surprised to concerned.

“Extraordinary. I will investigate at once. Wait here, Fräulein.” The Major thrust on his hat and indicated the chair in front of the desk. He marched from the room and shut the door. She heard strong words exchanged in German, the shuffle of feet.

Norah sank into the leather seat, unsure what to do. Her heart beat so fast, her chest ached. She glanced about the office. A picture of Hitler on the wall made her cringe. On a glass-fronted bookcase full of books was a smaller picture of a woman. Broad-faced but attractive. The Major’s wife?

Mahogany furniture filled the cramped room. The desk was neat, with a tan leather inlay. The room smelled pleasant, of lemon oil. She tried to balance herself as her mind spun.

A small table held a partially finished jigsaw puzzle. She stood to see what it was, to distract her upset.

The door opened behind her. She nearly jumped.

The Major strode in, his gaze fixed on her. He removed his hat. “Fräulein, it’s been taken care of. The child is being escorted to his mother as we speak.”

She pressed her hand to her breast, almost swaying. “Thank you. I’m so relieved.”

“Warn him he should not be so impulsive. It’s dangerous.” Without his hat, she saw the Commandant’s hair was sandy-colored, almost golden, a wave over his high forehead. He had a strong cleft chin.

“I will, I promise.” Her words came out too breathy. She still believed it unfair the villagers hadn’t access to their own coast, but she couldn’t allow her resentment to show.

“It seems a problem in your family, this impulsiveness. You should not have been dancing before the cottage the other night either.” He raised an eyebrow, but the glint in his eyes was somehow a challenge. “The soldiers notice these things.”

Her cheeks burned. Had he watched her dance? “You’re right. It won’t happen again. I’ll restrict my dances to the rear garden.”

“Good. See that you do. I’m only trying to keep you out of mischief, if that is possible.” His tone wasn’t harsh, his glance almost teasing.

“I must go and see how my cousins are.” Norah inched toward the door. She should have asked about Mr. Kerguelen, what happened to him? But wouldn’t push her luck. “Thank you, again. I’ll try not to be such a problem.”

“You’re welcome. Be warned to follow the rules no matter how you might object. Guten tag, Fräulein.” He bowed his head for an instant, like an aristocrat in a play. He smiled wryly. “Yet I imagine this won’t be our last meeting.”

Norah blinked then left the office and hurried across the square.

Was Jean home already? Surely the Major hadn’t lied to her. He seemed a gentleman. She gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. What a bizarre thing to think about a Nazi commandant. What sort of man would follow the dictates of a tyrant like Hitler?

Find out more about me and my books

                              

Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her naughty dachshund.

They're sinking the Big U...by Sheila Claydon

 

Find my books here

An article about the cultural heritage of transatlantic liners has triggered a childhood memory. Exciting though it was at the time, I had long forgotten the day I ate lunch aboard the SS United States until I read about its imminent demise. Known affectionately as the Big U, it was the last word in transatlantic liner design. The biggest and the sleekest, it broke the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage from New York to Southampton (UK) in July 1952, a record it still holds to this day.

More than 40,000 people greeted its arrival in Southampton.  It then provided a regular service between New York, Le Havre (France) and Southampton until it was suddenly retired in 1969.  Since then its chequered ownership has included the US Maritime Administration, several individual owners and the Norwegian Cruise Line, all of whom attempted to make the ship profitable, but to no avail. Eventually her interior furnishings were sold and her interiors stripped to the bulkhead. Then, unloved and poorly maintained, she was towed to Philadelphia where she remained for many years while the United States Conservancy unsuccessfully attempted to raise funds to save her from being scrapped. 

Now she is owned by Okaloosa County in Florida and the plan is to sink her this year near Destin, where she will become the world's largest artificial reef. Artificial reefs have been created since Roman times, so this is nothing new even if it seems a sad end for such an elegant and famous liner. I don't know whether the plan is to promote marine life, control erosion, block ship passage or block the use of trawling nets. It might even be to enhance scuba diving and surfing.  Because Destin is a popular tourist destination I would guess it's for the latter. Sinking such a beautiful ship is sad but the good news is that at least the Big U will continue to be useful.

So where do my childhood memories come in? Well I was born and raised in Southampton and can just about remember the excitement of that maiden voyage because, as my grandfather was a merchant seaman for fifty years, ships were very much part of our family history. So I can remember being taken to see it as a tiny girl, not realising then that it was special or that I would be eating aboard it a decade later.

That's where my mother comes in. She was a florist, and in those heady days when a five day voyage from Southampton to New York meant that the ship's public areas had to be decorated with fresh flowers and foliage, and bouquet after bouquet had to be carried aboard and delivered to the cabins of departing passengers, she was very busy. As a young teenager I was sometimes conscripted to help during my school holidays and that is how I ended up eating with the crew on board the SS United States. The meals were large, hot and delicious, and I can see them in my mind's eye to this day.

Those experiences, together with my own journey through life, inform my books Cabin Fever and Bouquet of Thorns.

First of all Cabin Fever. This is the story of a cruise director and the lead dancer of the onboard entertainment troupe as the fictional liner, Oceana, sails from Aukland, New Zealand to Sydney in Australia. I have been on  that cruise but as as a passenger, not a crew member, and it was wonderful, not least because we have friends and family in both countries, all of whom we were able to see at the different stops along the way. The information about the life of the crew is, however, linked to what I learned from my grandfather, and to what I saw on board the SS United States. Times change of course and Oceana is a very different ship from the liners of the nineteen fifties and sixties. These were designed to deliver a fast and efficient intercontinental service in all seasons and all weather whereas the cruise liners of today are more like floating holiday resorts whose job is to convey tourists between ports. They are, however, still things of elegance and efficiency even if they are not looking to break any speed records. 

Bouquet of Thorns, while not set anywhere near the sea or a passenger terminal, contains much of the knowledge I learned about hotel floral displays, weddings, parties, in fact anything that can be enhanced by flowers, including, staying true to my writing genre, romance!