Murder She Writes

I’m in the middle of completely redesigning my website. Okay, I’m not the one doing the design–I hired someone for that–but I am working on content. I’ve been going through my website and deciding what should stay and what should go.

The first thing I’ve doing is dumping my personal blog. I never really had anything to say there, and rarely post. I post here and at Murderati bi-weekly, and at Romancing the Blog bi-monthly, and that’s enough for me. Probably too much–but right now it’s manageable most of the time.

I’m adding a connecting characters chart or page of some sort. I have something like it on my blog, but I need to rework it to make it more user friendly and understanding. This will also include a booklist, which I have on the site now but it’s kind of hidden! I pretty much know what I’m going to keep and what I’m going to cut–for example, my “about” section is sorely out-of-date, and I need to completely update and rewrite my bio–but there are a couple of things I’m undecided on.

First, the section I currently call FOR WRITERS.

I never–or rarely–update this section. I intended to post articles related to writing here (duh) but the blogs that would make good articles I don’t want to spend the time editing to work. I don’t know if I have the time to create new content for this section, but I remember reading the For Writers area on Lisa Gardner’s website and learning so much, plus a few other authors who posted some great information that helped me understand this or that before I sold.

Yet, I could post some of my motivational emails or even the speech I’m writing for the New Jersey RWA Conference I’m speaking at next month. (Yes, Rocki, I’m actually WRITING A SPEECH. Don’t know if I’ll stick to it, but I’m going to have something in print before I walk up and embarrass myself in front of a couple hundred people . . . )

Is this an area that you visit on author’s websites? What kind of information would you like to see on a For Writers page? Or is this something you never check out or find useful?

My second big unknown is whether to keep the Author Q&A. I’ve been told these are great to have–and I know that my publicist (my first one at Ballantine, Gilly,) loved that I had it–but it doesn’t get a lot of click-throughs, even though the “about” page that’s off of is second only to the books page for click throughs off the main index page. That might be because it’s kind of hidden.

Do you like Author Q&A’s? Why or why not? What kinds of questions to you like to see answered? What would you ask me that you think the answer would be good to post to my website?

Book trailers. I love them. I will probably do one for the Seven Deadly Sins series. But like I did for the FBI trilogy, it’ll be short to give the reader a feeling for the series instead of details about specific titles. I think.

Do you like book trailers? If so, which are your favorites and why? If not, why not?

And finally, excerpts. My excerpts get a good number of click-throughs–not out of this world, but high enough that they’re definitely worth keeping up. Do you read excerpts on author’s websites? What about in the back of books?

Thanks for your input! Because you’re all helping me, I’ll randomly pick three people to win books for yourself or a friend. (I’ll post the winners over the weekend!)

OTHER THINGS . . . .

ORIGINAL SIN is in production! Yeah! I’ll be getting the copyedits in a couple weeks. Now I’ve started writing CARNAL SIN. Why are the beginnings so hard? LOL.

I wrote the brief, very rough synopsis for the first Lucy Kincaid book. The working title is NO WAY OUT. Don’t know if they’ll keep it, but they seem to like it . . . and it fits the book; I love it when that happens.

I’ll be out of town next week with some members of my FBI Citizens Academy Alumni group. We’re going to Washington to tour Quantico and FBI Headquarters. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a year!

And I’m turning 40 next Tuesday. This one is harder than when I turned 30 . . .

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I used to be addicted to television.

From the time I was little, I knew the television line-up seven days a week. As I grew up, I planned my life around my favorite TV shows. Whether it was Little House on the Prairie early Sunday night or, Hills Street Blues Wednesdays at 10 (past my bedtime, but I convinced my mother I HAD to watch it,) or CSI on Thursdays, I had to be there. In fact, I didn’t have a VCR until I was married.

So when I gave up television for three years, it was a huge sacrifice.

If I hadn’t, I would never have finished a book.

I made that realization when, in 2002, I decided I had to get serious about my writing. I had over one hundred beginnings and no endings and I knew that if I didn’t finish a book, I would never be published. I wanted to be an author. It had been my dream since I was little, and I had a lot of misconceptions on how to get there. (For example, I thought that the hardest part to getting published would be FINISHING a book. Pause. Okay, stop laughing. Seriously.)

At the time, I had three kids, a full-time job, and very little time. The only way I’d finish a book was to write in the evenings when the kids went to bed. (ASIDE: I started writing early in the morning because my son, then 10 months old, was a great sleeper, but used to wake up at four-thirty every morning for a bottle, then go back to sleep. I started the habit of making coffee and having two hours of peace and quiet–there’s nothing like the quiet before dawn–and I wrote, even after he stopped waking at four. But when I got pregnant with Brennan #4 that summer, I was too tired and it was easier to tack on an hour in the evenings than it was to get up at four in the morning.)

The only way I could write in the evenings was to give up television. I’ll admit, the only show I still watched was CSI on Thursdays. I know, I know, it’s not accurate but I didn’t watch it for the forensics, I watched it for the stories. It got dumb, but the season with the dollhouse killer was, I think, the best season of all. I watched it on my iPod.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

For three years, I watched a very rare hour or two of television each week during prime time. Most of the tv I watched were true crime shows and re-runs of Law & Order (which I had never seen before) late at night while I was trying to wind down from my evening cups of coffee (and often proofreading contest entries or one of my many WIPs.)

Once I sold, I had deadlines and so using my evening hours to write was even more critical than before. It wasn’t until I quit my job in early 2005 that I considered watching television again.

The problem? I hated it.

I couldn’t stand the commercials. I couldn’t sit still for an hour (this has always been a problem–it is a very, very rare show where I am so riveted that all I’m doing is watching television. I used to read while watching tv, edit, shell pistachios, etc.) I was bored. I contend that there were two reasons for this. First, giving up tv for three years showed me how stupid most of the shows were; and second, the tv shows were, in fact, inferior for several years in the early to mid 2000s.

So while I no longer had a personal ban on television, I didn’t start watching it again. Instead, I bought seasons of shows on DVD to reward myself for meeting certain goals. This was also a nod to my husband who felt that I had neglected him by not watching television while he fell asleep on the couch.

This is how I watched LOST (seasons one and two–yes, I’m behind); DEADWOOD (seasons one and half of two–yes, I’m behind); FIREFLY (great show, a tragedy it was cancelled) and PRISON BREAK (season one–yes, well, you get it.)

In May of 2007 I bought the 5th generation iPod. I don’t know what they call it now, but it was the first you could watch videos on. I got the 80 gb–the biggest at the time. (It was a present to myself for hitting the NYT list–it’s important to reward yourself!) I bought it primarily to watch season two of SUPERNATURAL, but I also bought season one of HEROES and the dollhouse season of CSI, plus whatever the current L&O: SVU was that year. (ASIDE: The reason I wasn’t watching season two of SUPERNATURAL with my daughters was because I still had to write at night–but I’d bought season one on DVD and we watched it together and I was hooked.)

The quality is fantastic, I love earbuds because the story is right there in your head, and because there are no commercials, every episode is 40-48 minutes long. Perfect to watch in bed before drifting off, or while you’re getting a pedicure, or on a plane.

I once again realized how much I despise watching television live when NBC and Apple couldn’t come to an agreement over the price of HEROES Season Two. I had to watch the show when it aired. (Yes, I could tape it . . . but that’s another story.) I hate being chained to my television (remarkable, considering my past); I hated the commercials; I hated that I couldn’t pause; and I hated that I couldn’t bring the show with me.

That was the last time I’ve watched television that wasn’t on my iPod, through my AppleTV, or recorded on my satellite digital system (which we had to get when we moved to the country.)

I was recently looking through the shows I’ve bought on iTunes to decide what to watch next. I’ve hesitated to start Season Three of HEROES because the second season disappointed me. (There were three reasons for this: first, the beginning of season two was convoluted, though after episode four it picked up; second, I HATED Maya. Hate hate hate hate hate. When I head through a spoiler that a hero was going to die, I prayed it would be her. Believe me, I was PISSED OFF that the whiny idiot survived;) and three, I wasn’t confident that they would be able to recapture the magic of season one. I LOVED this show. It’s perfect in virtually every way and every writer on the planet should watch the first season. I will watch season three . . . but it’ll probably be this summer.

L&O SVU–believe it or not, I watched four episodes while wrapping Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. It’s as good as it ever was.

And of course SUPERNATURAL–I watch that with my two teen-age daughters. It’s one of the best shows out there, and exactly what I love about suspense. But . . . I could write an entire blog about this show, so I’m going to hold off my reasoning for another blog.

I discovered a new show this year. FRINGE. Thank you (and curse you!) Cherry Adair for telling me I HAD to see it.

Synopsis from FOX:

With Marine Corps experience and an impressive dossier of solved cases, Special Agent Olivia Dunham was a rising star in the FBI. But now, horrified by the tragedy of Flight 627 and stunned by the betrayal of someone she trusted, Olivia can no longer return to the world of traditional criminal investigations. As she delves ever deeper into the dangerous world of fringe science, Olivia comes to realize that science and technology have already advanced beyond our dreams… and nightmares.

Chosen by Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles, Olivia has assembled a task force to investigate The Pattern – a mysterious sequence of unexplained phenomena suggestive of someone or something performing experiments on the world. With the help of mad genius Walter Bishop and his estranged son Peter, she aims to bring high-tech criminals to justice, while defusing previously unimaginable threats to national security.

FRINGE is everything I love in a television series. The premise is essentially the X-Files meets CSI (surprise–two of my favorite shows. The original CSI, not the two spin-offs.) An FBI Agent working for a semi-secret elite FBI group investigating strange events and deaths works with a strange, brilliant scientist fresh out of a mental institution and his son, the GORGEOUS Joshua Jackson, who is brilliant in his own right, gorgeous, and his father’s legal guardian. Where Walter goes, so does Peter. Peter is played by Joshua Jackson. Who’s hot, as my daughter would say. (Actually, she probably wouldn’t say it about him because he’s a bit older than she likes–she thinks Jensen Ackles from SUPERNATURAL is hot. I, personally, am a Sam girl . . . but I digress.)

What appeals to me about FRINGE is that it gives me first and foremost great characters. I wasn’t 100% certain I’d like Anna Torv to carry the role of Agent Olivia Dunham–I’m very, very picky about my female leads. They can make (Kate, LOST; Scully, X-FILES) or break (I hate being critical, so I won’t say anything here) a show. But wow, by episode three I was right there with her. She hasn’t done too many TSTL moves, she’s smart, methodical, passionate, but serious. I love her. And Peter

But the other thing FRINGE has going for it is story. STORY!!! Like the X-Files, and SUPERNATURAL, it has two threads. There is an over-arcing storyline ( What is the Pattern?) about how all these “fringe science” events are connected and why; but there are also distinctly separate episodes which may or may not be connected to the pattern or the continuing story thread.

And, of course, it’s a twist on what’s popular–unique, but the same. (Hmm, the same but different?) It’s original, but blends the elements of what we loved about the X-FILES (the unknown, the truth, the unexplainable) and CSI (science, the explainable) with the #1 requirement of all series: characters we can root for.

There’s another thing I’ve noticed about my favorite television shows. Other than the great characters and the over-arcing plot–along with enough stand-alone episodes that you don’t feel like if you miss something you’re completely lost–is that they have a strong cast. WHO plays the part is as important as the character themselves. The actor becomes the character, which is what–as an author–I try to do when I’m writing. Whether there’s an ensemble cast (FIREFLY, LOST, DEADWOOD, HEROES, CSI) or a strong, smaller core cast (FRINGE, SUPERNATURAL, X-FILES), the most important thing is that I can lose myself in the story because the actors are so in tune with the character they play. And that is the key of a good novel as well: you want your reader to lose themselves in the characters you create on the page. You, the author, are the actor, using the printed page instead of the visual screen.

I’m hooked. I’m also scared. I fear what happened to HEROES in Season Two may happen to my new favorite show (after SUPERNATURAL.) And there’s a limit on how far you can extend a storyline. The creator of SUPERNATURAL said he had a five season story arc. Knowing the show as well as I do, I’d say that’s perfect. Too much, and you kill it (X-FILES, MASH, BUFFY) and too few and you ache for more (FIREFLY, MURDER ONE.) And then, of course, are the shows that start fantastic and get dumb (ALIAS). (I swear, when Sydney slept with her reporter friend, I wanted to shoot her. It killed the show for me. Sark, on the other hand, was a great love-to-hate bad guy. I miss him.)

I said at the beginning, I used to be addicted to television. In all honesty, I’m addicted to stories. Stories connect us, they fuel our imaginations–even those of us who aren’t creative or storytellers–they speak to common joys and fears. Great stories are universal. And, after thousands of years, they are never going away. They may change mediums–oral, written, visual–but stories are the foundation of human existence. Without stories, society would wither. Fortunately, we crave stories, and as long as we crave them, they’ll be created.

So I have lots of questions today! First, what’s your new greatest find on television? Sell me on why I should buy it on iTunes or DVD.

And who below would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with? (Yes, I know, these aren’t all the hot guys on television today, but sometimes, you just have to limit yourself searching for pics on the Internet when you’re on deadline . . . )

In order: Nathan Fillion (FIREFLY); Jared Padalecki (SUPERNATURAL); Jensen Ackles (SUPERNATURAL; David Anders (ALIAS; HEROES); Milo Ventimiglia (HEROES); Joshua Jackson (FRINGE, DAWSON’S CREEK); David Duchovny (X-FILES)

And take a peak at my new book trailer, if you’re so inclined . . .

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Sunday night–late–I returned from the Levy Home Entertainment Read This! Author Bus Tour. That’s a mouthful. This was my second time on “the bus” and I can’t decide which trip I liked more! Both the 2006 Kmart tour and the 2008 Meijer tour had great authors and I’ve made good friends on each. This year, I had more people bringing in my backlist to sign, which always makes me happy.

Oh–so I’m really sorry I missed Thursday. I really thought I could get a blog posted Wednesday night, but as it was I went to bed at 1 am and had to wake up at 3 am to leave at 4 am for my 6 am flight. Then, I thought okay, I’ll write a quick blog at the airport but there was a HUGE line, and I barely had time to pick up Starbucks and board my flight. I arrived at 2:30 east coast time . . . but then Brenda Novak and I learned that our baggage was still in Denver and we were in Detroit. Needless to say, blogging was the furthest thing from my mind . . .

And after the orientation and welcome dinner I retired early . . . not to sleep (though the Westin Hotel beds are TOO DIE FOR) . . . but to finish the revisions of SUDDEN DEATH and get them to my editor so they weren’t hanging over my head for the entire bus tour. I was already nearly a week late from when I said I’d have them, and I wanted them DONE. So . . . I wrote until 2 am.

I know I’m going to miss some authors in this post, but that’s not on purpose. I can honestly say that I genuinely liked everyone on the bus. I regret not getting pictures of everyone, so I’m stealing from Roxanne St. Claire and any other blogs I come across . . .

So first, why a bus tour?

Levy is a major distributor of books, primarily mass market, to mass merchandisers and groceries like Walmart, Target and Meijer (which is like Target but bigger with an extensive grocery section.) They do stores big and small and are the primary book distributor in the midwest, though they have many accounts in the west as well. They’re not as big in the NE and the south (the south is pretty dominated by Andersen, which is the big Walmart distributor.) But Levy has about a third of all Walmarts, which as you know is a major venue for mass market books. Many mass market authors will see a huge percentage of their initial print run (like 25-30%) sent to Walmart. So the first reason to participate in the bus tour is to get to know the Levy people (all fabulous) and understand their part of the business. What they do, how they do it, and what unique challenges they face.

One thing I learned–well, I sort of KNEW it, but I didn’t quite understand how it worked practically–was the Plan-o-gram. This is the master list of books that are shelved for an extended period of time. One of the Levy staff who handles some of the Meijer stores explained that when you’re on the Plan-o-gram, your book is replenished when it is sold. So, you sell a copy, they order a copy. This is similar to how traditional bookstores operate as well–some authors are reordered only in their first month or two of release, then the books “sell out.” Others they shelve 1-2 copies at all times, so when one sells, it’s an automatic re-order.

You can see how this is important for authors! The longer you stay on the shelf, the more copies you sell. But to get there, you have to hit a certain sales level. No, I don’t know what it is. Yes, some of my books are on the Plan-o-gram. Remember, though that the books on the Plan-o-gram are dependent on the size of the book displays. I was truly impressed with the large Meijer book section. Twice the size of any Target I’ve been in, and 3-4 times bigger than any Walmart–though I’ve heard that many Walmarts are expanding their book sections. Can’t confirm it, but it would be very nice if it’s in fact true!

In addition to the career benefit of participating on the tour, there’s also the networking benefit. I hesitate to use the word “networking” because it sounds like it’s all business, which it sure ain’t! Being able to sit down and talk to other authors in a business AND social setting–everything from books, covers, kids, careers, past careers, family, future books, and basically anything you can think of . . . well, it’s like being a grown-up. So often, the only time we authors have to be with other authors is at conferences, which we attend once or twice a year, if that. Many authors never attend conference. Or they’re so busy they don’t have time to socialize. Flat out, there’s no one who understands writers except fellow writers. The challenges we face raising family while trying to grow our career. Most of us are women on the tour and in RWA, and professional female writers have unique challenges that only other professional female writers can truly understand. It’s not that it’s a sisterhood and boo! down with men, it’s more knowing that there are people out there with the same fears and struggles you have. Since writing is a very private and isolated occupation–except for Cie and Cat, of course, who write together (and I’ll admit I was getting them confused not so much because they look alike but because their mannerisms are so much alike . . . I marvel at collaborators. My husband once suggested we write a book together. I’d kill him. I know it. I don’t want to go to prison and leave my children without a father and a mother. So it’s best that I write alone.) Anyway, I digress . . .

Private and isolated . . . right! Writers write alone. We live in our heads so much of the time that to come out and play is a joy, even when it involves hard work, getting up to an alarm clock instead of a 4 year old, working long days riding the bus and signing for 1.5 hours in three stores a day. The Levy people fed us well, both box lunches for the bus and nice dinners after our work was done.

THE MELTING POT

Though Kathleen and Renee and Sarah were ALL fabulous and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, I missed Pam Nelson who retired. If only because she’s been in the business for a long, long time (hence, the retirement thing) and always a wealth of knowledge couched in wisdom. Pam if you’re around, we’re all thinking and praying for you and your family!

So now, what you REALLY want to know . . . gossip.

Okay, I’m not a big gossip person. You’d have to get me really drunk and in one of “those moods” to get me talking shit (whoops, can I say potty words on Murder She Writes?) about anyone. Honestly, I don’t remember the bad stuff, an instead focus on the positives. There were a lot of positives on this trip–and not just selling books.

THE GUYS

Yep, there were three MEN on this bus tour. Last time? The only man was our driver DeVar who had a hand clapper and referred to us as, “Oh, Ladies!”

Tom Grace writes thrillers, lives in Michigan, and is an architect by day. Reminding me that if I still had a day job, I wouldn’t be able to write three books a year. Tom is one smart guy–much smarter than me–and I was really lucky to get to know him. Ok, he’s Irish. And he speaks Gaelic. What’s not to like?

Robert Liparulo. He’s everything I expect in a thriller writer. Laid back, smart, funny. I read his 2006 (or 2007, I can’t remember now) novel GERM and he’s fantastic. He has strong characters and great pacing. I was tickled to meet him, especially now that he was a YA series out! Yeah, more books for my kids.

And then there’s Chip St. Clair. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of one of the two non-fiction writers on the bus. Why? Because instantly I felt guilty. Why, you might ask. Because I write crime fiction and he lived through crime. At the age of 22 he learned that his dad was one of America’s Most Wanted. And he turned him in. Chip lived a live on the run and now, settled in Michigan, is a motivational and inspirational speaker on not living the life your parents lived, but making your own path. He relates it to a butterfly, and the metaphor is profound and simple at the same time. I’ve been reading his book and I’m humbled by what he lived through and what he has become. And, on top of it all, he’s a nice guy who’s writing a historical thriller! What’s not to love?

THE GALS

Okay, this post is way too long . . . you don’t need to know anything about the girls. You don’t need to know how we almost crossed the border on a research trip. Or how incredibly smart and surprisingly risque the not-as-demur-as-I-thought Sherry Thomas is! Don’t let her sweet demeanor fool you–you, too, will want to go drinking with Sherry! And really, why Gena Showalter is dressed as Little Red Riding Hood is simply not important . . .

And no one needs to know that Cherry Adair is not only a terrific storyteller, compassionate (which she’ll probably deny, but don’t listen), beautiful, and poised, but studious as well . . . here she is reading Chip’s memoir.

And we certainly can’t talk about Gena and Kresley and how jealous we all were of their love affair. (Okay, I’ll admit, I was jealous of their single digits, and no, there’s nothing dirty about that so get your mind out of the gutter Karin. Geez.) But I’ll spill the beans on something the way-too-savvy and far-too-busy Brenda Novak said, “Wow, Kresley looked so sweet and innocent, like the girl next door . . . ”

Just saying, looks can be deceiving . . . Of course, I’d met the infamous, fabulous, Rita Award winning author before. We wore the same nail polish to the 2007 Ritas (Not Really A Waitress Red.) And I want her computer. Except it’s not a Mac. And no matter what threats she imparted with her eyes, Mac will do it better. Just saying . . . (Yes, I stole this photo from Roxanne St. Claire, who kicks ass and if you haven’t read her latest Bullet Catcher, why not?)

There were 27 authors on this tour, and I can’t do them all justice. Kathryn Caskie is a class act and Sophia Nash is elegant and really does drink tea. I don’t normally read historicals, but I started Sophia’s A DANGEROUS BEAUTY while sitting with her and Chip at one of the Meijers (the one where Mrs. Frushour sent all her students to buy it and read it for extra credit, so Sophia and I were relegated to the proverbial “back of the bus”) and I had to buy it because I had to find out what happened . . . talk about a great opening chapter! (Damn her. Just what I need, to add historicals to my TBR pile . . . ) And Deeanne Gist is a gracious and smart woman who writes American-set historicals. Turn of the century, I believe . . . I bought them for my daughter who loves historicals . . . here Deeanne is with Tom . . .

And Jade Lee brought her masseuse with her. Wow, Beth has hands . . . okay, I wish she were here right now! I’ve been in pain for months. Okay, just for one store . . . but still . . . and Jade/Kathy is down-to-earth and genuine.

I can’t pick a favorite, and I didn’t mention everyone . . . but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them. (Angela Knight–sincere and kind; Jessica Anderson–funny and down to earth; Monica McInenery — all the way from Dublin!!!–gorgeous and sweet and well-dressed; Colleen Coble–sweet and generous and gorgeous in blue; Elizabeth Hoyt–funny and honest and check her out on her featured Romantic Times Q&A this month!; and Leslie Langtry — OMG, I love Leslie and had to buy all her books because if she’s half as witty in print as she is in person. AND she knows how to shoot a gun. No wonder she writes about a family of assassins . . . and Susan Mallery–poised and professional, don’t let her shy demeanor detour you . . . and of course Deborah Raleigh, can’t forget her! Polite, kind, generous. And Jordan Dane! Jordan knows I love her . . . and Jordan is one of a kind. A fantastic writer and a kind heart. I adore her Victoria Rowell was our literary extraordinaire–you know, the writer most likely to get on Oprah. This woman kicks butt, knows how to communicate, and is a natural born leader. Amazing.

But sometimes you meet someone you hope is who you think they are, but fear they might be a bitch. I’m so glad that Kristan Higgins was as funny and genuine and sweet as I pictured her and I’m so happy I got to know her on the bus. And happy she won the Rita (pat myself on the back) . . . And she saved my butt and future career . . . honestly . . . but that’s another story . . .

All in all, I was lucky and humbled to be with such an award winning cast of authors. All that creative talent together reminds me that storytellers will never die, it’s a much needed escape no matter how good–or bad–things are.

THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED ROXANNE ST. CLAIRE . . .

Robert Liparulo and Susan Mallery at their respective corners . . .

CROWDS!!!!

And ME between the gorgeous duo of GENA SHOWALTER and CHERRY ADAIR:

AND, last but not least . . . the PLAYING DEAD book trailer. In case you haven’t seen it . . . if you weren’t already planning on buying this book, would this trailer push you to seek it out? Just curious . . . And remember, it goes on sale Tuesday, September 30th. If you see it before Sunday the 28th (the first day that counts toward the NYT list week), don’t buy it. Ha ha. What do you think? I think my designer did a great job. And I would love if anyone wants to put it on their blog or spread the word . . . R-Day is coming (Release Day) and I’m getting very, very nervous . . .

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