My Weblog

Rightsizing

by Donna Andrews of the Femmes Fatales.

I've been reading this really interesting book called Think Small: The Surprisingly Simple Ways to Reach Big Goals, by Owain Service and Rory Gallagher. The authors are members of Great Britain's Nudge Unit—okay, officially the Behavioral Insights Team—which was set up to find ways to apply nudge theory—a combination of behavioral economics and psychology—to improve government policy and services while saving money. I heard about them listening to Freakonomics Radio, and went out and got the book right away because it sounded like something I'd find useful—how to use behavioral science in your own life to accomplish what you want to get done. Especially since the first thing they cover is the importance of taking your dreams and goals and breaking them down into manageable steps.

And I already know the wisdom of that—it's how I write books. There's no way you can sit down to write a book—you write a scene, a chapter, or however many words a day you've committed to write. And then you do it over and over again until you have a book.

The Think Small concept also ties in nicely with one of the key tenets of another book I love: David Allen's Getting Things Done--that you can't do a project. To complete a project successfully, you have to figure out what's the first concrete action you can take on it. Then you do that. On to the next action. Repeat as necessary. Eventually you'll finish the project.

So if I already know how to do this stuff, why am I reading the book?

Because even though I know something about it, I don't always do it as well as I'd like. I figured I could learn a few things to improve my doing skills. And it never hurts to have a refresher course even on something you think you know.

So while reading Think Small on the train my my way up to the Edgars last month, I had a sudden blinding flash of what would pass for insight if it wasn't quite so obvious: that for someone who thought she knew this stuff, I wasn't applying it very well to a project that's on my plate. Specifically, getting ready for what I'm calling a rightsizing sale.

Not really a moving sale or a downsizing sale, because I don't have plans to go anywhere anytime soon. And not an estate sale, because nobody's died recently. But the family's been clearing out the house I grew up in to get it ready for the next stage of its life. We've hauled loads of stuff to donation places. I've put some of the unwanted stuff in yard sales. We've even had a wonderful visitation from 1-800-GOT-JUNK for the stuff that wasn't worth donating. But there's a whole lot of perfectly good stuff that we don't want, and yet can't bring ourselves to donate. And for that matter, I've accumulated my own collection of perfectly good stuff that no longer needs to be in my life. I was bracing myself for an orgy of yard sales and eBaying. Then I realized that there are companies that will take your stuff and run a sale for you. I checked up on a few and decided this was the way to go. They take a percentage as their commission, but they do all the work. I like this idea a lot.

Of course, they have a minimum commission—they don't want to be selling dribs and drabs for you for the next ten years. The whole thing only makes economic sense if you have a lot of stuff. So I realized that the only practical things to do was to go through the whole house, gather together all the stuff I want to get rid off, and have one big sale.

I decided this just before Christmas. I realized it was a massive project, but I figured I'd have it done by now. And I haven't. In fact, it's just been crawling along most of the time, when it hasn't come to a complete standstill. Okay, I did finish a book in that time, and went to Left Coast Crime and the Edgars and Malice but still . . . I wasn't making much progress on something that I knew would really improve my life once I completed it.

And reading the first few chapters of Think Small made me realize why. I was trying to do “Get ready for the big sale!” It was like trying to take a bite out of a beachball—I couldn't even get a nibble. I hadn't broken down the project into small, manageable steps. I pulled out my iPad right there on the train, opened a document, and hammered out a plan. I mentally went though my house, made a list of the places where stuff I should get rid of might be lurking, and then tried to make a reasonable estimate of how much time each area would take.

(If that sounds a lot like something Meg Langslow, my fictional heroine, would do—yeah. My organized side looks a lot like Meg. I also have a feckless side that looks a lot like her brother Rob, but that's another story.)

I've been back from the Edgars and Malice a week now. Have I adhered faithfully to the schedule I set myself? Well, no. In fact, I'm a couple of days behind where I hoped I'd be.

But even being a couple of days behind, I've made more progress in the past week than I did in the past month. Maybe in the past two or three months. And my plan did call for doing a reality check at the end of the first week, to see if it was working out the way I hoped it would. And except for going a little more slowly than I hoped, it is. In another week, I'll take stock of where I am, and if I'm still behind schedule, I'll revise my schedule.

And since another facet of Service and Gallagher's method of achieving your goals is to publicly commit to them . . . I plan to report back regularly on how the project is going.

Just to prove I'm well versed in the literature of decluttering: I'm not planning to use Marie Kondo's famous “does it spark joy?” as my criteria for deciding whether or not to keep something. I prefer the advice William Morris gave in 1880: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Not sure I've ever felt the slightest spark of joy when contemplating my blender, or my dishwasher, but I know them to be useful.

So does anyone have any more words of wisdom to help me through this massive project? Please tell me I'm not the only one slogging away at decluttering this spring!

 

 

 

 

 

Bob and Joe have a birthday

by Kris Neri, at the Femmes Fatales

In May, each year, the most fun thing to do in the Sedona-Verde Valley, AZ area is to attend the annual Bob
Dylan’s Birthday Bash Concert, produced by my husband, Joe Neri.

It began twelve years ago at our former bookstore, The Well Red Coyote, in Sedona. Since Joe and Bob share the same birthday — May 24th — he came up with the idea of presenting a concert of Dylan songs on their shared birthday. Like most bookstores, The Well Red Coyote primarily offered author signings, but we also hosted live music events featuring local and traveling musicians. That first year it was a hastily tossed together event, with Joe inviting a few other musician friends to come together to sing Dylan songs. We ordered a half sheet cake that read, “Happy Birthday, Bob & Joe.” It really felt like some friends jamming together. The biggest surprise was that it proved to be more of a hit than expected, with people who attended continuing to talk about it for weeks afterward, and for those who missed it, always asking whether we would do it again.

Naturally, given how popular it was, when the next year rolled around, we planned to repeat it. That year, Joe probably put a little more thought into who would appear, but it was still very much just an informal affair. One harmonica player from out of town, who happened to be vacationing in Sedona at the time, Debra Windsong, heard about it and dropped by the bookstore to ask if she could appear. Joe was reluctant to allow a stranger whose work he was unfamiliar with appear, but in the end he relented. The biggest surprise that year was that Debra was outstanding. For several years after that, Debra always arranged to be in Sedona at the time of the Bob Dylan Birthday Bash Concert.

That year we ordered a full sheet cake with the same birthday message, and everyone there enjoyed a decent-sized piece.

In the third year, the biggest surprise was that so many people showed up that if the fire inspector had been one of them, we would
have been shut down for allowing the store to become too crowded. There wasn’t an extra inch anywhere. But the crowds seemed to make extra fun. It was definitely the thing to do that night.

We ordered the same full-sized sheet cake that year, but I worried how I would ever stretch it enough to feed everyone there. I remember being bent over the table where it rested for the longest time, cutting tiny inch-sized pieces. I don’t think everyone had a piece. I know I didn’t.

Fourth year, we knew we couldn’t contain it in the store anymore. That year we decided to move it to the new Old Town Center for the Arts in Cottonwood, which is owned by grammy-nominated World musician, William Eaton, and his wife, Christie. The production became more formal that year — after all, they had a stage, a green room, and lighting — none of which we had in the bookstore. But it was still a fun gather of friends performing well-loved songs.

That year, instead of a birthday cake, we ordered cupcakes. Hundreds of them, because it was a sell-out.

Once he moved to Old Town Center for the Arts, Joe got the idea of including audience participation. The number before the intermission is usually “Desolation Row,” and audience members volunteer to each sing a verse. That’s a tough song to sing, but people beg to do it. Some actually do a great job, while you have to give others credit for giving it a great try.

In all the years since, the show has never failed to be a huge hit, always a sell-out, always commanding standing ovations at the end. The musicians love Bob Dylan’s Birthday Bash Concert because they don’t get to see each other normally, since they’re all always performing at the same times, but they do get to catch up each year. Over the years, there have been too many performers to list.

This year’s “Bob Bash” features Larry & Leslie Latour, Tyler Barrett, William Eaton, Tim Young, Gary Simpkins, and Mike McReynolds, all performing acoustically. Local poet, Gary Every, will speak about the Nobel Prize. And, of course, the popular Mystery Tramps, Joe’s the electric band of consisting of Gregg Gould, Erika Wsulkowski, Hutch Hutchinson, and Matt Fabritz, will rock the house.

If you’re in the Verde Valley, stop by on Saturday, May 20, at 7 pm. But make sure you pre-order your ticket because every seat will be taken. If you can’t be there, Google for Bob Dylan concerts in your area. Bob’s birthday is celebrated in musical tributes all over the world.

Have you ever attended one?

Femmes Malicious!

Like many of the Femmes, and Femmes Emeritus, I spent this past weekend at Malice Domestic, which is THE convention for fans of traditional mysteries. Though I've gone to Malice twenty-seven times, every edition is different, and this year was special because so many of the Femmes Fatales really shone.

• The Toastmaster was our own Marcia Talley, who is grace personified. She introduced the festivities with charm and wit, and kept the focus on the other honorees, despite her own accomplishments. (Which are many!) Speaking of shining, check out Marcia's banquet attire.
  
• The Guest of Honor was another Femme, Elaine Viets, and she was smiling the whole weekend long. Elaine is an inspiration to anybody in the writing biz. She had a good series going, but it got cancelled. So she started another one, and it did even better. Not satisfied with that, she started a third, and kept two series going for several years. When she felt she wasn’t doing one of the series justice, she bought out her own contract and started something totally different. And did I mention all the award-winning short stories tucked into the cracks? So here you’ve got talent, perseverance, and courage, all in one charming package.
  
• The Lifetime Achievement winner is our newest Femme Emeritus, Charlaine Harris, and I cannot think of anybody more worthy. Like Elaine, she has never given up and she can’t resist a challenge. She’s also generous to other writers, with recommendations, blurbs, and hugs for success.
  
• The Agatha Banquet is always a high point, and this year was a great one for the Femmes. Both Hank and Catriona were nominated for Best Contemporary Novel, while Catriona was also nominated for Best Historical Novel—and won!
  
• There were plenty of other Femmes—past and present—in attendance. There was our newest Femme—Joanna; our longest running Femme—me; and our most energetic Femme—Donna. As a bonus there were several former Femmes around: Dana Cameron, Mary Saums, Julie Wray Herman, and Sujata Massey.

So the 2017 edition of Malice was particularly sweet for the Femmes. But know what? Next year is shaping up to be another Femme-centric weekend. The Toastmaster is going to be Catriona!

Where Would You Travel In Time?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: So Malice Domestic is over, and the fabulous Catriona won the Agatha for Best Historical Novel! YAY! She was a complete rock star, and wins not only for best book but for best lucky boots. And I lost for Best Contemporary Novel to Louise Penny, which if you think about it, (and believe me I have), is pretty darn fabulous.

It was quite the Femmes event! Not only Catriona's win, but Marcia Talley was a brilliant Toastmaster, Elaine Viets literally glittered (wow, what a dress!) as guest of Honor, and Charlaine Harris was witty and wonderful and fabulous getting the lifetime achievement award. Dana Cameron and I raided a huge bunch of money as auctioneers at the Malice auction(where Toni Kelner's character naming went for a fabulous amount), Joanna Slan wowed them at her panel, it was such a joy to see Mary Saums, and Donna Andrews , fresh off of her Busby Berkely moment at the Edgars, got to take two seconds to bask in her glory. 

What a weekend! And one of the joys of Malice is seeing the terrific authors with their first novels! Coming up,
I'll introduce you to whole list of wonderfuls--but we are lucky today to hear from the talented Carol Pouliot, who knocked their socks off at the high-energy and way-too-early-in-the-morning new authors' breakfast!

Time−What if you had a do-over?

By Carol Pouliot

First of all let me say how thrilled I am to be here with the fabulous Femmes Fatales. My heartfelt thanks to Hank Phillippi Ryan for inviting me to stop by today.

HANK: Aw..my pleasure!

CAROL: Because Doorway to Murder is a time-travel mystery, I’ve had quite a few conversations about time. The question that arises most often is: What would you do if you could go back in time? Would you relive a happy moment? Try to change something? Talk with someone now deceased–a relative, friend, famous person?

 

My mother once told me the secret to being happy is to recognize that moment when you finally have what you’ve been working or looking for. She said I should stop there and enjoy it. I have been blessed with many happy times in my life. The first time my great-nephew said my name in that tentative baby whisper, I was thrilled to my toes. The day I stood on the steps of the Palais de Chaillot gazing out on the Eiffel Tower, I got chills. When I held my first published article, joy surged through me and I danced around my kitchen, the magazine in hand.

 I don’t think that reliving those moments would make me any happier than I was at the time or than I am right now. I’ll pass on that option.

 

So, what about trying to change something? I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. If I’m meant to arrive at Point C, I can take Path A, Road B, or Route X, Y or Z and I will still end up at Point C. Personally, I wouldn’t mess around with what has already happened. What if I screwed up and made something worse? Egads! The pressure! No, thank you. I would choose to be an observer or a gatherer of information.

 That takes us to that often imagined conversation with someone who has left this world. I am reminded of an old Twilight Zone episode where the grandmother of a young boy gives him a telephone. They spend many hours behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of his parents, talking on this phone. After she dies, the conversations continue−it was a very special phone.

 

There are two people I would love to sit down with for a good long chat–Hatshepsut, who became the first female pharaoh of Egypt around 1473 BC, and my maternal grandfather, lovingly known as Pa. Hatshepsut is one of my female heroes. At a time when men ruled the world (Hmm, I’m totally re-thinking this sentence. sigh), she seized power and refused to let go. She was smart, clever, and driven to improve the lives of the Egyptians and maintain peace with their neighbors. I’d sit for hours listening to her talk about how she managed it all.

 My grandfather died when I was still a teenager. My memories of him are largely those of a child. He was born in 1900, fought in WWI, survived the Depression, and made a success of his life. I borrowed certain traits and interests from him for my main character Detective Sergeant Steven Blackwell, who solves crime in 1934. Like Steven, Pa loved baseball and Chevy cars. I’d be overjoyed to talk with him now that I’m an adult. I’d like to know about his life and life in the early 1900s. I have so many questions.

 

 What about you, Jungle Reds, what would you do with the gift of time travel? Let’s do a give-away. Every comment is entered to win a copy of Doorway to Murder, A Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery. Dear Readers, what would you do if you could go back in time? Is there a wrong you would right or a happy moment you wish to relive? Is there someone you want to talk to? I’m looking forward to “chatting” with you.

 

HANK: OOH. I'd love to see where my grandmother grew up (Was it Russia? Or Austria?), and go to art school with my college-age mom, and see West Side Story in previews with my music critic father. I'd hang around Shakespeare, and shadow Nellie Bly. SO many possibilities! How about you?

 

 

DOORWAY TO MURDER, A Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mystery

In a small New York town, secrets lurk and betrayal is just around the corner. The morning after the worst blizzard of 1934, Detective Steven Blackwell takes on a highly charged murder case. The investigation starts badly: one clue, lots of lies and alibis. To make things worse, Steven is seeing visions of a woman in his house. One night, she speaks. Her name is Olivia Watson and she lives in 2014. She believes time has folded over in the house they share. As their relationship deepens, Steven’s investigation intensifies. Soon he can no longer trust anyone in his own time. Can Olivia help crack the case—and catch a killer?

The past collides with the present in an exciting new mystery by debut author Carol Pouliot.

 

Carol Pouliot (www.carolpouliot.com) is a former French and Spanish teacher and business owner. She lives in upstate New York, where the lake-effect snow reaches over ten feet every winter. Passionate about travel, her passport and suitcase are always ready for the next adventure.

 

"There's nothing I like more than a time-travel tale, but how much better to get a crisp, fair-play police procedural, too. The atmosphere grabbed me. The ending surprised me. I'm already looking forward to Steven and Olivia's next adventure."       

      −Catriona McPherson, award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver series and

        quiet neighbors

 

 

My, That's a Bold Choice! (Why I'll Be Attending Malice)

Tomorrow I’m going to Malice Domestic, the annual gathering for those of us who love the traditional mystery. Although it’s billed as a fan conference, Malice is more of a yearly party where readers, writers, and lovers of traditional mysteries renew their relationships. This year Malice will be particularly spectacular because it’s like a special gathering of the Femmes Fatales! Elaine Viets will be honored as Guest of Honor, Marcia Talley will be our Toastmaster, and our own Charlaine Harris will be recognized for her Lifetime Achievement. (Although I’m not too keen on that title because it sounds like she’ll be honored and immediately kick the bucket. Charlaine, do NOT take this title literally, okay?)

At my first Malice—which I attended even before I had a contract--I heard an interview with Charlaine. She was witty, charming, and funny. Most importantly, she did not talk too much about her book, but I couldn’t wait to buy a copy because I liked her so much. That was a huge lesson. Since then, I’ve been to many author events where the writer bores the audience to tears with a recitation that goes like this: “So my story’s about this person who does this, and then this happens, and then that happens, but first she does this, and oh, I forgot to tell you about…” Somewhere along the line, the faces in the audience glaze over, like freezer burn on a pound of hamburger.

At my next Malice, I learned the importance of being enthusiastic. My first book – Paper, Scissors, Death – had just been published. I sat on a panel with other first time authors. The moderator asked, “How did it feel when you sold your book?” One woman said (in a totally deadpan voice), “Uh, well, I’d forgotten all about it. See, I just put it in the mail and didn’t think about it anymore. So, it kinda came as a surprise.”

Whoa, Nellie! And boy, didn’t we all want to run out and buy a copy?

Not.

I skipped a few Malice conferences in between. The trip from Florida seemed like such a hassle, and I always have tons of stuff I need to do. But last year, a reader sent me an email. “I missed you at Malice. Aren’t you writing anymore?” Yet another lesson learned. If you’re going to be part of an industry, you better show up where people expect to see you.

So yeah, tomorrow I’ll attend with Malice Aforethought, an Afterthought, and a Happy Thought. Tomorrow I’ll party with my fellow Femmes, and I’ll beam with gratitude for the many lessons they’ve taught me. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Malice suits me just fine.

 

PS I read this to my friend, Linda Gordon Hengerer, and I asked, “Does this sound too fan-girlie about Charlaine?” and she said, “Is there such a thing as too fan-girlie about Charlaine.” Nope. I guess not.

Meet the Femmes!

By Elaine Viets

The Femmes are on the move. We'll be at conferences New York, Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Colorado. Our novels have been praised in the New York Times, and appearing on TV. We're on panels and up for awards. Here's an update.

Miranda (James) Dean: The eighth Cat in the Stacks mystery, Twelve Angry Librarians, debuted on February 21st. Marilyn Stasio reviewed it favorably in her March Crime Fiction column for the New York Times Book Review.

The seventh Cat in the Stacks mystery, No Cats Allowed, recently spent four weeks on the in-store bestseller list at Barnes & Noble.

The fourth Southern Ladies mystery, Fixing to Die, will be out on October 3rd.

Miranda will be attending Storycon 2017 in New Orleans in September.

Laura DiSilverio: Laura's latest novel, Close Call, was named one of the top five mysteries of 2016 by Library Journal.

Fans can next see Laura at the following conferences where she will be on faculty:

April 28-30 – Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Colorado Springs Marriott, Colorado Springs, Colorado https://www.pikespeakwriters.com/ppwc/

July 22 – Steamboat Springs Writers Conference, Old Train Depot, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

August 18-20 – Writer's Digest Conference, August18-20, Hilton New York Midtown, New York, New York http://www.writersdigestconference.com/index.php

You'll find more Femmes this weekend at Malice Domestic 29, April 28-30

Charlaine Harris will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at Malice Domestic, and she’s greatly honored by this recognition. On July 24, NBC will air the pilot of "Midnight, Texas," based on her books. She’s also working on a new series for Simon and Schuster.

Friday, 4/28

12:00 – 12:50 – You’ve Got Fan Mail panel with Elaine Viets, Marcia Talley, Martin Edwards, moderated by Verena Rose.

9:15 – 10:00 – "Murder Most Historical" signing.

Saturday, 4/29

11:00 – Chopped, the humor panel with Margaret Maron, Parnell Hall, Joan Hess, Vicky Bijur and Kate Stine. Moderated by Dorothy Cannell.

1:00 p.m. Margaret Maron interviews Charlaine on the "Interview of the Lifetime."

Sunday, 4/30

11:00 a.m. Book signing

Catriona McPherson is dashing down from New York, post-Edgars, to arrive in time for Malice.

Friday, 4/28

Simply the Best: The Agatha best contemporary nominee panel at 1pm Friday, with Ellen Byron, Barbara Ross and our very own Hank. Shawn Reilly Simmons - talk about a safe pair of hands - is moderating.

Then a quick Starbucks-run, fresh lipstick and another panel

Making History: the Agatha best historical nominee panel, 3pm Friday, with D.E. Ireland (Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta), Edith Maxwell and Victoria Thompson. Harriette Sackler - more safe hands! is moderating.

Catriona will be at the Opening Ceremonies at 5.30 p.m. Friday, with our very own Marcia presiding as toastmaster.

There's a signing for the new anthology Murder Most Historical at 9 p. m. Catriona has a story – "A Butler is Born" – in it, and I can honestly say writing about the early life of Dandy Gilver's snooty butler is some of the best fun I've ever had.

Saturday 4/29

Catriona's main signing is 11:00 a.m.

7:00- 10:00 p.m. "Finally, I'm hosting a table at the Agatha dinner on Saturday night. How does one eat peppered sirloin with all fingers crossed?" Good luck on your nominations, Catriona. (Yes, there are two!)

Sunday, 4/30

On Sunday morning, you'll find Catriona "in the long queue at the UPS pop-up, mailing all the books I'm not even pretending I won't buy! Hope to see lots of you there."

Hank Phillippi Ryan will be training in to Malice at the crack of dawn Friday, April 28 after attending the Edgar banquet in New York the night before, where her Say No More is a Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee. (She'll also be presenting the Edgar for Best Juvenile mystery to...shhhh.)

Friday, April 28

Since Say No More is also an Agatha Nominee for Best Contemporary Novel (hurray!) Hank will be participating in the Simply the Best panel Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

Friday evening Hank is an auctioneer for the Malice Domestic charity auction, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., so get out your wallets.

Saturday, April 29

Saturday evening is the Agatha banquet from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Hank will be wearing a new skirt and crossed fingers.

Joanna Campbell Slan is repackaging all her novels and short stories in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, plus editing the next mystery anthology, Happy Homicides 5: The Purr-fect Crime. She'll be attending Malice, too.

Sunday, April 30, from 10-10:50 a.m. Joanna moderates "Entrepreneurial Sleuths." Panelists will be Sheila Connolly, Leslie Karst, Camille Minichino, Lea Wait and Angela M. Sanders a.k.a. Clover Tate.

11 a.m. Book signing. Femme Charlaine Harris will also sign at that time.

Marcia Talley: Malice Domestic is a regular Convocation of Femmes this year. Marcia Talley is the Toastmaster, honoring Elaine Viets as guest of honor and Charlaine Harris for Lifetime Achievement.

Here's where you can meet Marcia at Malice Domestic:

Friday, 4/28

12:00 – 12:50 – You’ve Got Fan Mail panel with Elaine Viets, Charlaine Harris, Martin Edwards, moderated by Verena Rose.

5:00 – 5:45 – Opening Ceremonies

9:15 – 10:00 – Murder Most Historical signing

Saturday, 4/29

11:00 – Book signing

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Agatha Awards banquet

Sunday, 4/30

12:30 – 1:20 – A Toast to Marcia Talley, interviewed by friend, colleague and fellow Cleveland native, Dan Stashower

1:30 – 2:30 – Closing Agatha Tea

Elaine Viets is honored to be the Malice Guest of Honor, and thrilled to be interviewed by Ann Cleeves, an author she admires personally and professionally, at Malice. Here's Elaine's schedule:

Friday, 4/28

12:00 – 12:50 – You’ve Got Fan Mail panel with Marcia Talley, Charlaine Harris, Martin Edwards, moderated by Verena Rose.

5:00 – 5:45 – Opening Ceremonies

7:30 to 9:00 – Elaine is one of the auctioneers for the Malice Domestic charity auction. It benefits KEEN – please be generous.

9:15 – 10:00 – "Murder Most Historical" signing. My short story is called "The Seven."

Saturday, 4/29

11:00 – Book signing

4:00– 4:50 p.m. "It's an Honor: Guest of Honor interview by Ann Cleeves

7 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Agatha Awards banquet. I promise to keep my remarks short!

Sunday, 4/30

1:30 – 2:30 – Closing Agatha Tea, then home, where I turn into a pumpkin.

 

 

Donna Andrews will also be dashing down from New York--where, in her role as the Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America she will be helping host the Edgar Awards banquet to attend Malice.  Her Malice schedule:

Friday

5:00 – 5:45 – Opening Ceremonies

Saturday

10:00 - 10:50 Just Die Laughing: Humor in Mysteries

11:00 – Book signing

7 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Agatha Awards banquet.

Sunday

 1:30 – 2:30 – Closing Agatha Tea

And after the tea, she'll head home to start making plans for the August 1 release of Gone Gull - to be followed October 24 by How the Finch Stole Christmas!

 

    

Book Festivals and Duels

This past weekend I attended the Alabama Book Festival in the state capitol, Montgomery. Carolyn Haines and I did a panel together on cozy mysteries, moderated by our friend Tammy Lynn. This was only the second state book festival that I've attended. The first one was the Southern Festival of Books, held in Nashville, Tennessee. That was back in 2000, the fall after my first novel was published. I did a panel on cozy mysteries at the festival too, and I remember that the late, great Anne George was there as well. Also on hand were luminaries like Lee Smith (whom I met briefly), Margaret Maron, and Sharyn McCrumb, along with my good friend Julie Wray Herman (whose first novel was also out then).

These state and regional book festivals are wonderful celebrations of the written word, and I was lucky to be invited to participate in these two. At the panel this past weekend, Carolyn and I answered questions from Tammy and from the audience. Though Carolyn and I both write what are usually termed "cozy" mysteries, our styles are naturally quite different. Carolyn's books have a darker edge, with a strong vein of humor running through them. Mine are on the lighter side, also with humor (at least, I think there's humor in them, although some might not agree). Carolyn and I have done a number of events together, and I never fail to have fun. Carolyn is always an entertaining raconteur, and I could listen to her stories for hours. Her life has been far more eventful than mine, but when we're together, my life becomes eventful as well.

This panel was no exception. It ended in a duel. How often has that happened with panels you've attended? Water pistols at five paces -- except that I cheated and turned on the second pace. Yes, I know, dastardly of me, but I never can resist a twist, can you? And I knew Carolyn wasn't expecting it. We both got soaked, as did our seconds, Tammy Lynn (my second) and Hope Harrington Oakes (Carolyn's second).

This was all done in fun, and Carolyn and I were probably laughing the hardest. The audience who adjourned from the building to the alley outside with us seemed to get a kick out of it, too. Mysteriously, most of them seemed to have already been aware that a duel was in the offing.

Carolyn and I are both native Southerners -- native Mississippians, actually -- and what is more Southern than an old-fashioned duel? Alas, I have no photos of this memorable occasion... but there are probably some out there on social media!

Moral of this story -- if you have a chance to attend a book festival, do so. You never know what talking about books can lead to!

The 2017 Mary Higgins Clark Nominees!

Catriona writes: I’ve never been upgraded on a flight and found myself sitting between Keanu Reeves and Noam Chomsky. (You can tell I’ve never been upgraded because I think aeroplane seats come in sets of three.)

But for the last couple of months, I’ve found myself in some pretty distinguished company, on the Mary Higgins Clark Award shortlist, with Dianne Dixon, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Wendy Corsi Staub and Charles Todd. And today – to celebrate Edgar week – they’re all over here at Femmes Fatales for a chinwag.

[outside atmos: porch swing creaks, ice clinks in lemonade glasses.]

Catriona: What I love about Mary Higgins Clark's books is that you could read one stripped of its jacket with her name blacked out and you'd still know it was her. (Note: I’d put jam behind the knees of anyone who did that to a book.)

Charles and Caroline: Mary Higgins Clark is a master of surprise. You finish a chapter knowing exactly where the story will go next. But it doesn’t! The plot is turned on its head, and you find yourself completely taken in by the turn of events. This is her trademark, and we’d recognize it anywhere.

Catriona: Right? And I was wondering: what is it about your books that makes them *your* books? Did you work it out for yourself or did feedback from fans reveal it?

Hank: What I thought was going to happen was that people would say (and forgive me, but this is just us) : Oh I love how your weave together the points of view--it's so suspenseful that we know more than the characters do. And your plots are so clever and satisfying. That's what I thought people would say. But IRL, what they say is: We love Jane! We love Jane! When will there be more Jane and Jake investigations? (So funny that though their relationship does not take up much room on the page, that's another thing people are very devoted to.) But if it is true that characters create the plot, it's funny to think that even though I thought I was a plot person, my books come out character books. I will have to mull that over.

Wendy: “How far would you go to protect someone or something you love?” That’s the underlying theme in all my domestic psychological suspense novels. They’re about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, going about their mundane daily business when danger threatens a safe haven—a bucolic town, a dream house, a tranquil getaway, a perfect marriage. I write in present tense and include little graphic violence, language, and sex. I always use multiple, multi-generational viewpoints, including the villain’s, and lots of twists and blindsides. My goal is to mask the villain behind a familiar face. There’s nothing more satisfying than a longtime reader who says, “I never saw that ending coming!”

Dianne: At a recent book signing, a mother/daughter duo told me what I hear from a lot of readers: “Your stories always start with something totally weird…(PAUSE)” That pause used to terrify me. I’d wait, stomach clenched, braced for some soul-bruising follow-up like: “…and that’s why I’d rather read a snowblower manual than one of your books.” Now, I’ve learned to expect the comments about the touch of “weird” in my novels, and I’ve learned to love the pause that follows—because, almost always, what comes after the pause is: “…and I that’s why I like reading your books.”

Catriona: And when you say weird, Dianne . . .

Dianne: It’s things like my first book beginning with a young man returning to his hometown and finding his own gravestone. The stone says he died at the age of three. Weird. How did that thing get into the cemetery? Who put it there, and why?

And my third book is about a crime victim, moving into a house she didn’t live in when the crime occurred, and then discovering her attacker’s clothes neatly packed in a little brown suitcase hidden in the attic of her brand new home.

(Maybe in the interest of full disclosure I should start explaining to readers that the weirdness in my books is one hundred percent locally sourced, small batch literary craziness. I was born with it.)

Catriona: For me, I think it’s a combination of a cast of characters that band together as the book progresses – producing what my agent calls the Dinnerladies moments, after the ensemble sitcom of that name – and a combination of darkish events and humour. I’d love to think it’s amazing twists and drop-your-scone denouements, but the characters and the laugh/shudder combos are what people talk about at signings.

Charles and Caroline: Earlier on, we’d written a stand-alone, THE MURDER STONE, about a woman suddenly thrust into dealing with her family’s affairs, when her cousins were killed in the trenches of France. This was fairly common during the Great War, when so many men didn’t come home. It made us wonder how we could capture the way women’s roles changed and how these new roles changed women. Before we knew it, Bess Crawford stepped out of the shadows of the past and onto the page.

And the more we’ve worked with her, the more we’ve seen in her and in her time. THE SHATTERED TREE is a particularly good example of how history and mystery work hand in hand, a perilous time that brings out the best—and the worst—in people.

Catriona: I’m glad I asked! That’s quite a range of answers. So here’s another question I’ve been dying to put to you: What other writers, besides Her Maryness of Higgins and Clark, could you identify like a sommelier at a blind tasting?

Dianne: Hand me a coverless Harlan Coben novel and I could identify it immediately. There’s a writing style that’s tough and full of humor. An intelligent male protagonist who’s a world-class wise-ass yet capable of loving a woman with all his heart and soul. There’s a cast of funny (sometimes outrageous) supporting characters, a nod to New Jersey roots, and a solid, well-structured mystery. Like fine wine, Harlan Coben’s books are absolutely delicious!

Charles and Caroline: The same is true of Tony Hillerman, Hemingway, and Poe in different ways. Hillerman’s spare prose, Hemingway’s clipped dialog, and Poe’s lyric voice.

Catriona: Hemingway, absolutely! I always think it should be easy to imitate him or even parody him, but it’s not. And that goes for P.G. Wodehouse too. He’s so mannered and so instantly recognisable, and yet attempts to write in his style don’t often go well. I’d put down a good wedge of my own money on being able to spot Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates too, by anything from the way they put those big, generous, confiding sentences together to the way some characters get their come-uppances in each novel, and some characters manage to slink away.

Hank: When I want to be inspired, I pick up a Sue Grafton book, any one of them. And let myself be mesmerized by her seamless merging of character and story. She manages to reveal emotion and philosophy, somehow, as the plot builds. We all know Kinsey, how amazing is that? Quite a tour de force. I also recognize the Todd's writing, certainly. And yours, Catriona. (Awww – CMcP) And thinking about this more now--what a good question, I can recognize more than I ever thought of. Lee Child, and Janet Evanovich, and John Lescroart. So revealing! I'm writing a new book now, (this just in), a standalone. And I showed it to an early reader and said --this does not sound like Jake and Jane, remember. And she read it, and said no, it's not Jake and Jane. But it still sounds like you. That's good, right?

Catriona: So, we all love the tug of the familiar? Wait, no!

Wendy: Okay, I’m a wino, I’ll admit it. In this crowd, if I didn’t, I’m sure one of my Bouchercon Bar Buddies would call me out on a lie. But I’m lousy at blind tastings in libation and literature. I have eclectic taste, and I love surprises—take me someplace I wouldn’t expect to go, and I’ll follow you forever. Take me someplace twice, via the same route, and I’m probably going to lose interest. My favorite thing about the writers I love to read—even those with continuing series characters--is that they’re keeping things fresh.

Catriona: Vive la difference! It’s been wonderful to hang out with you all today, revelling in books and calling it work. Good luck, everyone, and see you in New York.

Hank: How about you, readers of Femmes Fatales? What writers can you ID instantly? And do you admire that about them?

 

The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark award will be announced at the Edgars Banquet on Thursday 27 April. Find out more about this years' finalists at:

www.diannedixon.com

www.catrionamcpherson.com

www.hankphillippiryan.com

www.wendycorsistaub.com

www.charlestodd.com

Flamingo Road

by Sasscer Hill, guest blogger at the Femmes Fatales.

Okay, so I’m thrilled to have FLAMINGO ROAD coming out on April 18, especially as it’s my first novel with a “Big Five” New York publisher. But the thing about being a writer is you always have to think ahead, look to the future, and sometimes . . . worry.

I love my new series about Fia McKee, an agent for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau. When I finish with the second in this series, I can hardly wait to race into the third, but hold that horse. There is no St. Martins contract for a third, the publisher owns "Fia,” and my agent can’t sell something we don’t own.

Yet St. Martins is wonderful. I enjoy a terrific lunch in New York with my editor, publicist, and marketing gal, and I love all the people I’m working with. The art department puts a fabulous cover on FLAMINGO ROAD, and Kirkus gives the book a stellar review.

Then Publishers Weekly drops a tepid review and fear creeps in. What if the novel doesn’t sell? But I can’t wallow in that swamp, so with a mental whiplash, I write and self-publish a new Nikki Latrelle novella, and make some cash. Still worried, I start a just-in-case novel about an American Irish Traveler in South Carolina.

We have a lot of Travelers down here and they are a fascinating culture of flamboyant scam artists. They're an extremely insular society whose children rarely stay in school past the eighth grade. Many youngsters are bound by signed marriage contracts, and some girls marry as early as eleven. Since the nation’s largest group of Travelers lives in Murphy Village, about 40 minutes from my home in Aiken, I drive to their compound and take a look around. Large McMansions being built with money from their cash-only endeavors of driveway paving, tree trimming, house painting and other odd jobs.

The Traveler men drive out of state, and are famous for charging a lower price for your driveway because they “happen” to have a load of tar from another job. They lay down a new driveway, take your money and are gone. Since the only paper ID you saw was false, along with fake MVA tags, good luck getting a refund when your substandard driveway crumbles and cracks a month later. What a fabulous background these people will make for a murder mystery!         

So I begin, and while plugging away on this novel, I realize again that a writer’s life is an amazing journey. I believe most of us write because it is something we love to do. It’s an incredible way to earn an income, except it’s scary as heck. Will the novel sell to a publisher? If it does, will the general population read the book? Will the comments from trade reviewers like Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal be favorable enough to spur the library market? It’s truly a wait and see game—wild as a roller coaster ride, as unpredictable as the stock market.

Just when uncertainty drains my forward momentum, a letter arrives from a reader telling me my book helped them get through a rough patch in their life. Wow, that’s exactly what Robert Parker and Dick Francis did for me. This letter is a terrific shot in the arm, so I bet on myself, climb back into that roller coaster car, and pray for a soft landing.

Learn more about Sasscer and her books at SasscerHill.com.

SASSCER HILL was an amateur steeplechase jockey, as well as a horse owner who bred, raised, and rode race horses for thirty years in Maryland. Her first published novel, Full Mortality, was nominated for both the Agatha and Macavity Best First Mystery Awards. Born in Washington, D.C., Hill earned a BA in English Literature from Franklin and Marshall College. She now lives with her husband, dog, and cat, in Aiken, SC., where she still enjoys horseback riding.

Life on a Small Island -- The Cruisers' Net

Today, I welcome my friend Nancy Schiffer to the Femmes Fatales.  Not only are we fellow Annapolitans, but we're sailing buddies and writing pals who hang out in Hope Town on Elbow Cay for most of the winter.

In this space, I've often mused about life on a small island.  At the Hope Town Writers Circle meeting last week, Nancy read a wonderful piece that so beautifully encapsulates an important facet of island living that I asked her permission to share it with you.

Welcome, Nancy!

If you’re on a boat in the Bahamas, you have a VHF radio.

And you use it to communicate with other boaters.  Lots of the cottagers are former boaters and have VHF radios as well.  Here in Abaco, every day promptly at 8:15 a.m., we all listen in on channel 68 to the morning net, our local radio show, emceed by a volunteer “net anchor.”  Dedicated to safety, friendship and message handling, it showcases the diversity of our community through its topics, announcements and accents.

Weather is always the first act, presenting detailed information about stationary fronts from 28N 60W to 28N 70W to near 26N 76W, and low pressure near 26N 65W drifting W to NW and moving NE before exiting, with a cold front building S across our waters.   As we struggle to process this complicated weather picture, the helpful net anchor translates:  “It will be windy.”  The weather report includes tides, passage conditions through the cuts and over the Gulf Stream to Florida, barometer readings and the best time to go fishing “whilst” in the Abacos.

Community announcements alert us to public service information vital to our stay here, such as Derby Day, the Christmas play, an art exhibit and when the library is open.

Especially important are the dates and times of fundraisers for:  the lighthouse, the museum, local schools, the environment, Hope Town Fire and Rescue, the Abaco Rage, local animals and our new Community Center.

We are advised that the Post Office did not open as planned – although the Post Office might be open tomorrow from 10-2.  And we discover that bags and bags of inbound mail has accumulated during the recent closings.

We learn that a Council meeting to review planned infrastructure improvements has been cancelled.  Although we don’t know whether the cancellation refers to the meeting or the improvements or both.

We are admonished to deposit our trash next to the freight dock but only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and only between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.   And to limit our speed to 3 mph and not dump our poop in the harbor.

We are encouraged to help flip Abaco dinghies, watch boat races and enjoy Sunday softball in the park.

Next are invitations – what we might call commercials:  local restaurants, farmers' markets, and dive shops solicit our business.  We are challenged:  “Why walk when you can crawl;” urged to “eat in your bare feet;” and “enjoy the Bahamas from the bottom up.”

Each restaurant has its own unique pitch:  “Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye,” calls out Pete’s Pub in Little Harbor.  Cracker P’s entreats us to overlook “Tilloo Cut, T’’iti Beach (I swear he pronounces Tahiti Beach exactly like this) and the bea – U – tiful Sea of Abaco” while imbibing at its full moon party.

On trivia night, we can “think and drink” at Cap’n Jack’s.  And Snappa’s distributes free hot dogs to patrons who drink enough beer.

With the “open mike” session, the net becomes interactive.  Call in to say you are arriving; you are leaving; you have guests; your guests are leaving; you need parts for a water pump because your boat is temporarily headless (without a toilet); the internet is out; are there moorings available?; you’ve lost your dinghy; you’ve found a dinghy drifting by your boat and could the owner please come and claim it; where can you do your laundry; and you would like to go to Eleuthera and could someone please tell you how to get there.

Birthdays are special – celebrated with mike clicks.  “Click, click, click, click.”  Our own version of applause – over the radio.

The net anchor is aided by a script, but sometimes all does not go as planned:  A young voice interrupts with:  “Hello, who’s out there?”  The net anchor ignores the intrusion.  Then:  “Is it windy where you are?”  This time the net anchor responds with a quick explanation that the net is in progress and will be finished shortly.  Finally:  “How do you use this radio?”  Louder now, stern and terse:  “You.  Turn.  It.  OFF!”

At the end of the net, the anchor instructs us as to which radio channels to use and which to avoid and closes with:  “You are now free to wander aimlessly about the Abacos.”  Which we all do.

Beautiful.

Peaceful.

 

 

 

Nancy Schiffer and her husband Goldwin Smith live in Annapolis, Maryland, when not in Hopetown or visiting their new grandson in California. She retired after 40 years as a labor lawyer in Detroit and Washington, D.C. She blogs about their adventures aboard Motu Iti at SailMotuIti.com   I'm particularly fond of the video she posted when Randy, the manatee, fell hopelessly in love with her Avon dinghy.