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What lurks in the basement

by Dana

One of my favorite books about writing is the one by Stephen King, On Writing:  A Memoir of the Craft.  The cover is also one of my favorites:  a close-up of the exterior of a nice-looking suburban house, with a bulkhead that looks subtly overbuilt and grubby.  It takes a while to understand that the bulkhead will lead you to the basement, which is probably not as nice as the exterior of the house.

We all have to go into the dark places to write, is what eventually sinks in.  It's very Stephen King, that cover:  the horror that lurks behind a pleasant facade, the horror that takes a moment to reveal itself. 

Recently, in the wake of a Very Unpleasant Plumbing Situation, we had professionals in to help make  sure we never have one of those VUPS again.  Mr. G and I had to clear out our basement.  The work was hot and dirty.  It wasn't exactly twenty years of accumulation, but almost.  I thought it was going to be mostly tax records and the like, but I'd forgotten just how many of the boxes held my old papers.  (To give you an idea of the scale of the project:  I'm recycling seventeen boxes of stuff).

My trepidation grew as we progressed.  I was delving into twenty years of a professional life before I started writing fiction, doing an archaeology of myself.  Not that any of the things I found were scary or bad--far from it.  It was just strange to see this snapshot of myself from 10-20 years ago.  There was so much I now don't remember doing, which had been so important to me then. 

There were loads of conference papers (I'd forgotten how many); drafts of professional writing projects (I'd forgotten how many); copies of theses and dissertations I'd read (I'd forgotten how many); research notes and old lectures (I'd forgotten how many).  Weird, to see my neat handwriting, when now it's a scrawl.  Weird to see so early drafts of Site Unseen* tucked in amongst the academic papers.  No hint of the Fangborn or my covert op, a/k/a Jayne.  Whispers, perhaps, of Anna Hoyt. 

There was a bit of personal life, too, a snapshot of the mid-1980s in the form of three boxes of comic books that were hidden last time we did a comic cull.  What still works for me:  Lone Wolf and Cub, Tank Girl, She-Hulk, Wolverine (limited series).  What disappointed on revisiting:  Halo Jones, Ninja High School.  Interesting to see what young Mr. G was collecting when he was very young; interesting to see what I demand in a comic/graphic novel now. 

Here are some of the things I learned:

Wear disposable gloves when handling documents and files.  No, it's not to protect the documents (in this case), but to protect your hands.  Your hands will be sweaty, but they won't be sweaty AND dirty and covered in paper cuts.

Bring the trash bags, markers, box-cutters, paper towels, cleaning materials, etc., and lots of cold water with you before you get started, so you don't have to run up and down stairs and track dirt.

Why it's hard to discard old papers.  They're neat, they're clearly labeled and filed, and it took a hell of a lot of work to collect or create them all in the first place.  What I figured out was that either the notes led to a work that is available elsewhere, or scholarship should have seriously advanced by now.  Shred and recycle.

Here's the thing:  yes, by "going into the basement," you dig out what is personal and emotional, what other people might respond to in your writing.  You get a good view of your foundations, too.

So, writers:  What have you found from your past that influenced your work?  Readers, what is your favorite cleaning tip or...horror story? 

*A new Emma Fielding story, “Mischief in Mesopotamia,” will appear in EQMM's November issue!

Femmes Go For Gold In Long Stretch Relay

from Mary Saums

What a summer we're having this year. Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee celebrations, and now the London Summer Olympics. Absolutely brilliant!

Don't you love the stories about the athletes, where they come from, what they've been through to make it this far. And to see them push themselves so hard in an event. They're so inspiring they make me want to go outside and run full out down the street all the way down over the railroad tracks, across the highway around the big pond up onto the trail through the woods and ... see, this is why I'm not an athlete. They do that kind of thing all the time. Like, ALL the time. All year, every year. Practice, keep going, hurt yourself, keep pushing. No thank you, sir. I'd rather do what I do in my spare time.

Which brings us to the no-sweat, no-pressure, laid back and incredibly lucrative world of being a writer.*

* if living in an alternate space/time continuum

Seriously, the more Olympics coverage I see, the more I find in common between athletes and writers. We both train constantly. Our minds are always at work on kinds of blocks or hurdles in the way of our progress. The road never ends. We have to keep going, no matter what. It's like an extra long combination relay race, going in circles, reaching back, run straight like crazy for a while, reaching forward, more running. Not much rest time in between for reflection.

We've past the mid-point of the year now, so let's do a check-in on the Femmes' latest. What with spring releases and fall releases and re-releases, plus the speedy pens of this bunch, it's not a bad idea to stop a minute to see what's finished and what's coming up.

Really, they're amazing. That is why today I want to award my fellow Femmes and Fellow Fatalie-mon Honorary Gold Medals for their Awesome Bodies of Work and Olympic Sense of Humor. Thanks so much!  Love you all and always look forward to your next book! No, don't stop, keep moving, you've got several laps to go. I'll just throw 'em at you as you go by, okay, and we'll catch up sometime soon....

 

Donna Andrews

 The new one - #14 in the series!

 

A gaggle of praise for Donna Andrews and the Meg Langslow Mystery Series:

“A long-running series that gets better all the time. A fine blend of academic satire, screwball comedy, and murder.” —Booklist

 “If you long for more fun mysteries, a la Janet Evanovich, you’ll love Donna Andrews’s Meg Langslow series.” —Charlotte Observer

 

Dana Cameron

"Disarming" (EQMM) wins Agatha Award and is nominated for the Anthony and the Macavity Awards! This second Anna Hoyt adventure follows "Femmes Sole" which was nominated for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards.

"One Soul At A Time" (EQMM/June 2012) features a "recovering" covert operative on a mission of revenge.

 

         

Dana has more new shorts coming out soon. Look for "Mischief in Mesopotamia," an Emma Fielding story, in the November 2012 ELLERY QUEEN, and "Finals," a new FANGBORN story soon in ALFRED HITCHCOCK.  

REALLY BIG NEWS:  

Dana's new book, SEVEN KINDS OF HELL, featuring archaeologist Zoe Miller and set in the Fangborn 'verse, will be published in March 2013 by 47North.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Charlaine Harris

 

"Usually outspoken and witty, Aurora Teagarden is nearly struck dumb when a body falls from a circling plane and lands in her backyard, barely missing her bodyguard and buddy, Angel. The body belongs to a local policemanno great friendbut strange events follow: government agents appear; someone clobbers Angel's husband; and a co-worker at the library is murdered after a showdown with Aurora. In her likable, indomitable fashion, Aurora sleuths in self-defense. Infectious prose, engaging characters, crafty plotting; recommended."

Library Journal

Dean James/Miranda James

 

A beautiful cuddly cat, books, a library ... heaven! 

 

"Athena College's new writer in residence is native son and playwright Connor Lawton, known for his sharp writing-and sharper tongue. After an unpleasant encounter, librarian Charlie Harris heads home to a nice surprise: his daughter Laura is subbing for another Athena professor. Unfortunately her old flame Connor Lawton got her the job.

But before Connor finishes his newest play, he's murdered-and Laura is the prime suspect. Charlie and his faithful cat, Diesel, follow Connor's cluttered trail to find the true killer before his daughter is forever catalogued under M...for murderer."

This is the 3rd in the series, and the 4th comes out in January 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toni L.P. Kelner

 

Toni and Charlaine are at it again. And they look so sweet, don't they? Their new anthology comes out September 4, 2012.

What could be scarier than the first day of school? How about a crash course in the paranormal from Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, editors of Home Improvement: Undead Edition? Your worst school nightmares—taking that math test you never studied for, finding yourself naked in school assembly, not knowing which door to enter—will pale in comparison to these thirteen original stories that take academic anxiety to whole new realms.

 

Kris Neri

MAGICAL ALIENATION takes the urban fantasy-mystery trend into brand new territory - beyond vampires and werewolves - to creatures that are both wacky and wonderful. MAGICAL ALIENATION is in turns enchanting, suspenseful, funny, sexy and touching. It will appeal to readers in the  mystery, fantasy and romance genres as well as to metapphysical and New Age readers.

 

 

"The best way I an describe this book is if you could take Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS, and somehow inject it with laughing gas. MAGICAL ALIENATION is a fun read speculative fiction fans will have no problem enjoying."
-- Tales of the Talisman

“What a fresh, fun read! Magical Alienation tugs at all the sensitive spots. It's intriguing and IMPOSSIBLE to put down! Get this book. You will not be disappointed!”
— Darynda Jones, author of SECOND GRAVE TO THE LEFT

“What fun! MAGICAL ALIENATION is a sparkling, woo-woo romp.” 
— Barbara D’Amato, author of OTHER EYES

 

Hank Phillippi Ryan

NEW SERIES! Coming September 4th!

Hank's new thriller series is coming in hardcover from Forge! It's already gotten a starred review from Library Journal--saying "Readers who crave mystery and political intrigue will be mesmerized by this!" THE OTHER WOMAN is also an Indie Next GREAT READ for September.  You can read all about it here --and also see how to enter a contest for a Kindle, Nook, or gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice -  - http://hankphillippiryan.com/newsletter-7-12.html

 

 

Marcia Talley

Has Hannah Ives made the right decision joining the cast of Patriot House, 1774, a reality show recreating eighteen-century colonial life? There’s no electricity, no running water, and the cast are at the mercy of the show’s ‘Founding Father.’ Even more worrying, Amy Cornell, Hannah’s lady’s maid on set, receives a text message from Drew, her Navy SEAL husband presumed dead after a botched mission ten months ago.

(That is one scary book cover!!!)

 

But while Amy dismisses it as a hoax, she hasn’t bargained on Drew turning up at Patriot House, carefully avoiding the cameras and scaring Hannah to death. He has a sinister plan – and he’s not going anywhere without Amy. When dancing master Alex Mueller, Amy’s new flame, is discovered dead, Hannah must think quickly if she is to trap a dangerous killer determined not to let anything, or anyone, stand in his way . . . 

"Plenty of suspense . . . rich in the details of daily life in colonial times as well as at the present-day Naval Academy" -- Booklist.

"Talley makes the most of a large supporting cast, all of whom come across as distinct individuals . . . [A] clever setup and appealing lead . . ." -- Publishers Weekly.

 

Elaine Viets

"One way for a fugitive to hide in plain sight is to work at low-wage jobs, which is what Helen Hawthorne has been doing in Elaine Viets’s quick-witted mysteries." Marilyn Stasio, New York Times

PI power couple Helen Hawthorne and her husband Phil Sagemont both have their hands full in this adventure. Helen has to catch an emerald smuggler while serving snobs, scrubbing floors, and cleaning up after a pampered poodle. She’s undercover as a stewardess on a luxury yacht, and one crew member disappears during the trip. Was she lost without her boyfriend – or lost at sea?

 

While Helen cruises to the Bahamas, Phil has to catch a sexy gold digger who may have murdered her rich old husband. Phil’s working undercover as the new widow’s estate manager – and she wants Helen’s hunky husband to go really undercover. 

 

And coming out November 6th -

Josie gets married in MURDER IS A PIECE OF CAKE!