“The victim is Ashley Young,” the responding officer, Sampson, told me as I approached. It was officially Tuesday morning: 12:02 a.m.

I recognized Sampson from the station, but hadn’t worked a case with him. “We found her purse over there.” He gestured toward the Dumpster near where the alley and walkway intersected. He handed me her California driver’s license. Ashley was twenty-four, five feet five inches tall, one hundred ten pounds, blonde hair and blue eyes.

Pretty and blonde, just the way Greg Keller—aka “the River City Rapist”—liked his prey.

I stuffed my hands back into the pockets of my wool coat. The fog had thickened after the sunset, penetrating my bones. The fog layer was supposed to keep the rain away, but the ground had been wet after a week of this unending dreariness. Usually I liked the gray; tonight it was simply depressing.

“Why are we still in the alley?”

“Ms. Young started to panic when I suggested we go to the car. My partner fetched the blanket for her.” His tone was a bit defensive. My reputation preceded me once again.

“Good,” I said, hoping to smooth the relationship. I was known as the stereotypical bitch cop. The reputation wasn’t wholly warranted; it stemmed from a couple cases early in my career. But like the game of telephone, truth became distorted in the repeated telling.

I said, “Check on the ambulance, would you please? The paramedics should be here by now.”

Sampson stepped aside and got on his radio.

Ashley watched me as I approached. I showed her my badge. “I’m Detective Selena Black with Sac P.D. It’s my job to find the guy who did this.”

From Above Reproach by Allison Brennan

People have told me time and again that writing short is “easy;” I’ve also heard the advice given that writers should start “short” before starting a full-length novel.

For me, writing short is as hard—or harder—than writing a 100,000 word book.

In my high school American History class—one of my all-time favorite classes taught by one of my all-time favorite teachers—Mr. Perkins gave me an ‘A-minus’ on my final essay and wrote, “You so eloquently said in ten pages what could easily have been said in five.”

For me, writing short is damn hard.

I learned the hard way that a short story is not a short novel. There isn’t room for multiple viewpoints or sub-plots; get to the meat of the story as fast as possible. Avoid unnecessary detail and description, but give enough so the reader is grounded in the story and satisfied with the resolution. The best short stories will make you think about the story or the characters long after you finish reading.

Much easier to talk about than to actually write. But I love a challenge, and writing short stories has improved my writing across the board–chiefly, tightening my prose and avoiding over-explanation.

In the excerpt above, I started as close to the end of the story as possible—my detective is at a crime scene, we know who the victim is, and we know who the rapist is.

My detective can’t prove Keller is the rapist, he’s a high-profile government attorney who quashed a subpoena for his DNA—which was left on the first victim. Selena is frustrated and her hands are tied—unless she can get Ashley Young to positively ID her attacker.

There’s a whole story before this opening scene – four victims, investigative grunt work, legal maneuvers, Selena figuring out how Keller is targeting his victims and why he cuts their face. But the core story in “Above Reproach” is how this case is resolved, and the obstacles Selena faces. And the first huge obstacle is what happens to Ashley Young. It’s more a hard-boiled detective story with a bit of romance between Selena and the handsome surgeon who she met while working the case.

“Above Reproach” is nearly 17,000 words. Longer than most short stories, but shorter than a novella. I’ve written three novellas – that ranged from 24K to 39K, and five short stories between 4K and 11K. Believe me – the shorter the story, the harder it was to write.

Some people don’t like short stories, but I’d argue that short stories have shaped readers from the time we were kids. Stephen King is the master of the short story, and single-handedly resurrected this dying art form.

Short stories are not only entertaining, they usually share a universal truth that we tap into. And the best stories stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Some of my favorite short stories—the tales that I have recalled, pondered, re-read—had an emotional impact on me. Many have twists at the end, and because they’re short, the author doesn’t find it necessary to over-explain (the kiss of death for short stories.)

“Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” was a Stephen King short story that I loved, and became one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve always liked his short works as much as most of his novels. I’ll never forget “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” or “The Langoliers” or “Word Processor of the Gods.”

Other stories that had a huge impact on me, both in shaping my reading and my philosophy, include “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson; “The Sound of Thunder” and “And He Built a Crooked House” by Ray Bradbury; “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allan Poe; and “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. I’m sure if I thought about it longer and pulled out some books from my shelves I could come up with a substantially longer list of stories that impacted me in multiple ways.

Even some of my favorite books were very short – hardly longer than a novella. Animal Farm by George Orwell; The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Fahrenheit-451 by Ray Bradbury.

Yesterday, Lori asked what your favorite short story was … but what I want to know, what short story did you read as a kid or young adult that had a lasting effect on you? Why?

Remember … we’re giving away five digital copies of GUNS AND ROSES this week. And, for today’s commenters, I’ll also be giving away a copy of TWO OF THE DEADLIEST, edited by Elizabeth George, which includes my short story “A Capitol Obsession.” Just comment and you’re entered in both drawings!

On Tuesday, I got an email that many writer’s dread.

The copy department wants a synopsis.

This is particularly dire when you, the author, DID actually send in a (very) brief synopsis weeks ago. They want more.

This doesn’t surprise me because I only sent them one long paragraph that I wrote as if it were back cover copy, with a few more details. I know there are formulas that people use, and I can write a log line, and I can put together the premise and backstory very easily, but I have no idea until I’m in my character’s shoes what they are actually going to do.

From this synopsis the copy department will be writing the back cover copy. And while the author (usually) gets to review and edit the cover copy, if there are errors of story they sometimes end up being released. Sure, they’ll be fixed for print, but it can take weeks to have the correct cover copy replicate to all the online sites. Sometimes they never do. Some on-line e-tailers have the never approved, mistakening released cover for KILLING FEAR … or the original cover for THE PREY that was pulled six months before release date because booksellers wanted more movement on the cover.

While the cover issues weren’t really anyone’s fault–the covers needed to be changed for a variety of reasons–back cover copy seems to stay longer in cyberspace and is harder to change. Don’t ask me why!

So I REALLY need to get my synopsis in order because I only have a few dozen very rough pages for STALKED that I know aren’t going to make it past the next two weeks. The deeper I get into the story, the more I realize the opening is all wrong.

I put that aside to work on the synopsis and thinking about where the story was going, or rather, where I THINK the story is going.

To be honest, my rough drafts and my final drafts have little to no resemblance.

In the first draft of THE PREY–the one that Ballantine bought and my editor gave me notes on–FBI Agent Quinn Peterson dies in an explosion near the end of the book. After reading the notes, I resurrected him. Good thing, because he ended up being the hero of THE HUNT. And while the first 300 pages didn’t drastically change in that first book, the last 150 pages were totally rewritten. The ending was completely different.

SILENCED will be my 18th book. Instead of the ending changing–that, more or less, stayed the same–the first half of the book was drastically rewritten. The premise changed (somewhat.) In my editorial letter, my editor wisely pointed out that the story started in the wrong place. I kept referring back to a pivotal event that had happened one week before. Why not write that scene?

I did. It’s now chapter two.

That’s why I was terrified about writing the synopsis for STALKED. I know my first 100 pages are going to be rewritten. They may even be completely deleted. I’ve rewritten the openings of all my books multiple times, both in my drafts and after editorial notes. (I’m sure there’s some deep psychological reason for this, but for me, the first act is just damn hard to write. It takes me twice as long to write the first 150 pages as it does to write the last 300.)

But I wrote the expanded synopsis. It went from roughly 250 words to 1300. And when I got to the end, I realized that I had a little problem. While I didn’t know how the story unfolded, I THOUGHT I knew who the killer was.

I don’t. As I thought about the killer as I envisioned him, I “tracked” him down as Lucy would. And I realized … he’s innocent. Yes, the murder has everything–and nothing–to do with him, but he’s not a killer.

In the synopsis, I wrote:

Lucy pulls the files of the people she thinks are most likely to have a connection to this case, and the answer is immediately clear.

I really, really hope that when (if) this scene actually happens, that the answer is clear to Lucy, because I have no effing idea.

The synopsis for STALKED is truly dreadful. But one good thing came out of writing it: excitement. I’m truly excited to find out what happens after Lucy finds the dead body of her favorite instructor at Quantico.

I just ordered a case of LOVE ME TO DEATH to give away at an event. But I’m going to give away FIVE copies here. BETTER, I’m going to let YOU give the copies away. If you comment and win, you get to choose any book from my backlist for YOU, and I’ll also send a friend a copy of Lucy’s first book, LOVE ME TO DEATH–signed, giving you credit for the gift. AND if more than 100 people comment, I’ll give away TEN packages. (Yes, you can see that I’m being very competitive with Rocki and Lori who always get over 100 comments, so just once I’d love to beat them. Hahahaha.)

So let me ask you a question: which is more important, the cover or cover copy? Can you see why I begged to have the KILLING FEAR cover tweaked?

SILENCED is now up for pre-order! Visit my website for all the links, cover copy, and an excerpt.

Once upon a time, genre writers wrote books.  Today, we write series.  We build worlds, connect characters, cliffhang endings, seed a setting for future growth, and stretch our story arcs like rainbows over quadrilogies.  When was the last time you read a stand-alone romance novel that had no tendrils reaching out to a sequel, prequel, or multi-story series?

My name is Roxanne St. Claire and I confess that I not only love a stand-alone book, I’ve written a few.  I will read and write more.  I believe there is something incredibly special about a cast of characters on an unforgettable adventure that starts, grows, and ends in the span of a single four hundred page book.

However, I recognize that I stand (nearly) alone in my love of a stand-alone.

When I started writing romance ten years ago, there were few, if any, series. In fact, category novels were called “series” back then (because they are numbered serially) and there was a time when the use of the word “series” in our industry caused some confusion: was the speaker referring to category-length books or a series from one author?   We’ve essentially dropped the use of the word “series” as a descriptor of category-length novels because of that confusion.

As a reader, I cut my romance teeth on Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, graduating to Sandra Brown and LaVyrle Spencer, then Nora Roberts and Linda Howard. Back then, novels were rarely related…just a single story that transported you to a unique world with characters who lived and breathed and changed…once.  You met them, loved them, ached with them, cheered them, and left them.  You didn’t read about their brothers or sisters or best friends or all their single neighbors who also found love.

After Mr. Perfect’s huge success, we didn’t need to have the heroine’s (remaining) BFF’s stories, did we?  Has anyone pined for a sequel set in the same town as LaVyrle Spencer’s Morning Glory?  The continuing adventures of Jane and Edward Rochester?

The appeal of the series eluded me in my early writing days.  I wrote and sold stand-alones:  Tropical Getaway, French Twist, Hit Reply, and Killer Curves — my first four books — were stand-alones.  Until that fateful day at a booksigning when a reader picked up French Twist and Killer Curves and asked if they were part of a series.  (Both titles “curl” somehow, right?) Why, no, I told her.  One is about an art thief on the run in France, the other about a NASCAR driver in Daytona.  She put them down and walked away after telling me she only read connected books.

Well, I might be blond (well, I might not really be blond…) but I’m not dumb.  I launched the Bullet Catchers shortly after that, and to be completely honest, the series was a game-changer for my career.  Now I write series and connected books — I enjoy them, and I want to survive and thrive in this industry.  I acknowledge that series and connected books are far preferred by readers.

But I still love the occasional outcast standing all alone on my bookshelf.

This past weekend, at my local RWA meeting, I shared the amazing success I’ve had with Space In His Heart, my first self-published novel.  I acknowledged that the book would be even more successful if it was tied to a series; it is not.  One of our new members grabbed my arm and pointed to the book.  “Can’t the hero have a brother?  Doesn’t the heroine have a best friend?”  In other words, just “make” it a series.  Um, no.  That story is told, those characters had their day in the sun, and the world I created in that book is over now.  If a reader wants more, I’ve got a substantial backlist — with lots of connected books.

Moreover, I don’t think a great series is just “an add-on” to another book.  I feel like a memorable series doesn’t happen by accident or out of desperation to parlay a strong-seller into a best-seller.  A series is born as a living, breathing entity, with an arc, a voice, a cast, and a purpose.

Because I love a good stand-alone (and utterly despise feeling like I missed something when I read a book), I promise my series readers that each story will stand entirely on its own, even if it shows up dead in the middle of the series. When I get a review praising that fact, it thrills me.  That’s the case with the Bullet Catchers, the Guardian Angelinos, and with the Barefoot Bay novels that launch in April, a quadrilogy peppered with potential new heroes and heroines.

But there will be no Additional Space In His Heart, no Hit Reply Again.  Those books, like my upcoming YA, Don’t You Wish, stand alone and stand tall, hopefully to be read and, if the reader has to have more, re-read.

 

Let’s talk about the poor misunderstood stand-alone novel.  Do you read or write them?  Miss them?  Wish there were more or never want to be bothered? Can you recommend a great one?  I am going to gift one commenter with three books:  Space in His Heart, Killer Curves,  and Hit Reply (out of print unless you want to part with $22, but I’m giving away one of my last copies!)

Just a warning, though: these books don’t connect to anything except, I hope, the reader’s heart.

 

 

I love Thanksgiving, not just because calories don’t count this one day of the year, but because it’s the day we reflect on how we’re blessed. Sometimes, it’s so easy to complain about the bad things that happen to us, or mourn losses both devastating and small, but on Thanksgiving we can focus on the positive.

I have always been an optimist. I was the kid who always looked at the silver lining, the person who focused on whatever good was happening and ignored the rest. I have tried very hard never to regret my decisions, even if I’ve come to realize the decision I made was wrong. Learn, move on. I’ve made many mistakes and hope that I don’t repeat them, but I try hard not to dwell on them. I can’t live in the past. Living in the past means regression, not growth, and I don’t want to live that way.

Sometimes, it’s hard not to get frustrated by some things in this business that are completely out of our control. Without the gals here at Murder She Writes, I would have been stuck in the “past,” frustrated with mistakes that are not my fault, or lamenting decisions I’ve made that were not smart, even if they seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

I am so thankful for all nine of them for listening, commiserating, sharing, and supporting me all these years. And I even appreciate the tough love that’s needed at times (cough Karin cough) when I get stuck in the “but it’s not fair!” mantra.

Life isn’t fair. We all know that. Friends listen, support, and help us move on so that we can live in the present and work toward a better future, and stop us from spiraling into self-pity.

Jen, Sylvia, Deb, Rocki, Sophie, Lori, Toni, Karin & Laura have blessed me just by being who they are, and by loving me, warts and all.

Okay. Just had to say that, even though I’m about to cry!

Now for the fun stuff.

I have a book out! Lucy Kincaid #3, IF I SHOULD DIE, is on sale now. I’ve had some reports that stores are slow getting it out, but if you go into a store and don’t see it, ASK. Hopefully that’ll help them open up the boxes in the storeroom and put those books on the shelf!

Some reviews:

“Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan books are not only excellent procedural thrillers, but also chart the evolution of an intriguing relationship. The peeks into the mind of this heinous killer are all too chilling, making the threat level palpable and the story riveting. Brennan is on a major roll!” – RT Book Reviews 4.5 stars!

“Non-stop action, spine-tingling suspense … a wonderful addition to a great series.” – Fresh Fiction

“If I Should Die is a spine-tingling chiller that will wrap you up in its mystery and take you on a heart-pounding race to the breathtaking finale!” – Joyfully Reviewed, Recommended Read

“[A] thrilling ride full of danger and suspense with its complex plot and well-drawn characters. … a terrific series.” – Romance Reviews Today


I’ve also updated my webpage! It’s now streamlined and can be viewed on mobile devices. I’m still updating content, but that’ll have to wait until after I finish revisions for SILENCED. Check it out and read an excerpt for each of the Lucy books, my revised bio, and upcoming events.

And yesterday I was on the Happily-Ever-After blog at USA Today with author Joyce Lamb. Check it out! Or read about some of my favorite books over at Romance @ Random (and every week R@R gives away books to five lucky winners, so it’s worth it to visit and comment regularly!).

Holidays are slow here at MSW, as it should be since most of us are spending time with our family or friends. Some of us have to work, however. And many in the military don’t get to come home for any holiday, protecting our ability to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the others days of the year. Tomorrow please come back for our own favorite military commander, Jessica Scott, who will be talking about her new book, BECAUSE OF YOU, an edgy and emotional military romance. And Jessica is giving away a totally cool prize!

The Brennan Family menu for Thanksgiving:

Turkey (I know, I swore I’d never make another turkey, but I caved)
Mashed potatoes (my mom makes the BEST)
Stuffing (my grandma’s recipe)
Broccoli (my three youngest kids love it)
Caesar salad
Rolls (from Costco, not homemade)
Olives, cranberry sauce, applesauce
Bread pudding (Kelly promised she’d make it for me)
Pumpkin something (Kelly hasn’t decided yet)
Apple pie (maybe, if Kelly doesn’t make pumpkin pie)

For the adult beverages, I got some champagne to make mimosas while I’m cooking … and wine for dinner.

And best, we have lots of games to play. Growing up, we always played card games (Chinese Rummy was my favorite.) Today I hope to get in a game or two! Do you have any favorite family games? If you check out my website, let me know what you think and what information you’d like to see up there. (I know some of the pdf files are outdated! I’m getting to them!) Or, let me know where you plan to buy IF I SHOULD DIE (I’m just curious! Digital or print? Order online or go into a store?) I’m really sad about Borders this week because they have always treated me so well, and the Elk Grove staff was amazing. My prayer today is for all Borders staff who love books like we do, to find jobs doing what they love. Or, if you want to share a favorite recipe, please do! I might just make it next year! Comment for a chance to win A BOX OF BOOKS. I’ve been cleaning out my bookshelves and have some duplicate copies of some great books by JT Ellison, Mariah Stewart, and others! Plus, I’ll toss in whatever book in my backlist you want

Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving.

If you follow me regularly on Twitter or Facebook, you probably know I’ve left the fabulous mystery blog Murderati. You can read all about it here. In a nutshell: if I’m going to write three books a year and raise five kids, something had to give.

I’ve talked about social media in the past, the pros and cons (and there are pros and cons, don’t let anyone tell you it’s all good or it’s all bad.) Blogging is part of “social media” but I think it goes a step beyond. It’s easy to Tweet a comment or retweet a link or great writing quote; it doesn’t take a lot of time to post every morning on Facebook and scan the News Feed for updates from friends. Blogging, on the other hand, takes a bit more thought and time. Not just the hour or two to write and edit my bi-weekly post, but to participate in the community. And I feel a blog IS a community of like-minded readers who like to talk about books, entertainment, and the writer’s life.

Six years ago, a five of us founded this blog. Jennifer, Karin and I are still here. Over time, some of our bloggers left, we brought more in, and a couple years back we were all overwhelmed and thinking of shutting down Murder She Writes. That’s when we shook things up and added more bloggers to free up our time to write and be with family. It was that or disband, and none of us truly wanted to shut down the blog.

Change can be a very good thing.

Six years ago, my first book was published by Ballantine. December 27th, 2005 THE PREY hit the shelves. My 17th Ballantine book, IF I SHOULD DIE, will be released on November 22. The book marks the last with that publisher, and I’m moving to Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press.

Change can be a very good thing, but it’s also scary.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I wrote six years ago and how I write now. I’ve always been a fast writer, but I’ve slowed down over the last few books and I haven’t been able to pinpoint why. I still write fast, but I rewrite more. I used to write 4-6 hours a day; now I write 8-10 hours a day but end up with fewer net words when I shut off for the night. And often, I delete everything I wrote the day before.

Mariah Stewart once told me that not only does writing not get easier, but we are constantly striving to write a better book than the last, yet fear the last was the best we had to give.

She is a wise, wise woman.

Six years seems like a long time, but then I look at my seven year old son and realize that it’s not long at all. I was pregnant with Mark with I got the call in March of 2004 that Ballantine wanted to buy my book. He was 18 months old when THE PREY came out. I’ll never forget jumping up and down and crying when my editor overnighted the first finished copy of my first book.

And today, when the UPS driver walked down my driveway with a large box from Random House, I met him halfway. I didn’t jump up and down or cry–but my heart skipped a beat and I had to open the box and take out a copy of IF I SHOULD DIE.

Though this book is an ending with on publisher, I’ll be continuing the Lucy Kincaid series with my new publisher. I’m revising SILENCED now, which will be out on April 24, 2012. It’s slow going. I like where I’m taking the story in revisions, aided by fantastic editorial notes, but it’s not easy. I used to whip out extensive revisions in two weeks. I suspect these will take longer.

I used to think writing would get easier the more books I had under my belt. But Marti was right. Each book is harder than the last.

Last year, the girls and I had some big plans to celebrate Murder She Writes fifth anniversary, but we were all on tight deadlines … and it seems this year, nothing has changed.

But today, in celebration of getting my author copies and my revision notes, I’m giving away an EARLY COPY of IF I SHOULD DIE to one lucky commenter. Do you want it? If so, just comment — say hi, say congrats, say happy anniversary, or tell me what you’d like us gals at Murder She Writes to blog about this coming year. Anything we haven’t tackled? Anything you particularly liked and want more of? Just let us know.

I posted an exclusive excerpt here at Murder She Writes, just for you

Thank you for helping make the Murder She Writes community a great place to be — for our readers, and for all of us.