Murder She Writes

Congratulations to this week’s prize winners!

Emmanuelle won a signed copy of Rachael Herron’s new book HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG. contact sophielittlefield@me.com with your mailing address and so that she can make sure you receive your prize.

Catherine who commented on Laura Griffin’s blog about saying goodbye won a signed copy of WHISPER OF WARNING. Please contact laura@lauragriffin.com with a mailing address so that she can get your prize to you.

Congratulations and happy reading!

I finished a book today. Whew! Ninety-five-thousand and some odd words. Four pounds, six ounces of printer paper. A gazillion hours at the computer.

In many ways, it’s like having a baby. Months and months of planning, pondering, and nurturing go into it. There are snack attacks. Missed nights of sleep. A few freakouts and meltdowns along the way.

After typing the last few lines, I got up from my computer–feeling a bit numb–and emerged from the cave I’ve been living in these past few weeks to go tell my husband the news.

“I did it! I’m finished!”

“Great!” he said, his relief palpable. (When I spend a lot of time in the cave, I can be a bear to live with, it’s true.) “So, is it good? Are you happy with  it?”

I blinked at him. “I don’t know.”

“But you’re really done?”

“I think so.” (Wavering now)

“Well, did you write ‘The End’?”

“Um, no.”

See, here’s the thing. I never write that. I think I might have written it on my very first book, but I don’t anymore because it doesn’t feel like The End. Not really. Not enough to type the words down there after the last few lines leave my fingertips. There’s still so much left to do. So much left to change, and shape, and polish. So many revisions, edits, and copyedits.

But that isn’t the only reason I can’t bring myselft to write those two little words.

I thought about explaining to him how a book is like a child, in some ways. And even when you hit those milestones, such as birthdays, and first days of school, and graduations (I’m projecting here, we’ve got some years left before then) you’re never really finished. I don’t see myself dropping my kids off at college and saying, “Well, that’s done. The End!” But I didn’t explain any of that because, well, he’s eaten a lot of frozen pizza lately and been a very good sport about this deadline, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that in my heart, I’m not really done yet.

I suppose I have a hard time letting go. I used to get weepy giving away baby clothes. I hate funerals. (Who doesn’t?) And those curbside scenes at the airport? Forget it. I determinedly avoid them. I’m not good at saying goodbye, so I skip it whenever I can. When it comes to my books, it’s especially tough for me to close the curtain on things. Maybe that’s one reason some of my favorite characters pop into future books for a visit every once in a while. I miss them! It probably sounds crazy, but when you spend months and months conversing with someone in your head, it can be difficult to let them go. It’s hard to write The End.

Can anyone relate to this? Maybe even simply as a reader who hates to close a wonderful book? Yes? No?

I should probably sign off now before soemone starts to worry that I’m hearing voices in my head (which, truthfully, I do on a frequent basis. Occupational hazard…)

Do you have a hard time writing The End? Saying goodbye? Any coping strategies to share? Or maybe you will share a book ending that moved you so much, it stands out in your mind months or even years later. I’m all ears today.

After all, my book is finished! (pretty much) I’ve come out of the cave! And in celebration, I’m giving away a signed copy of WHISPER OF WARNING, which was one of my favorite book endings. For a chance to win, just leave a comment!

I should start by mentioning that I’m not much of an athlete. Never did the swim team thing, or soccer, or basketball. Now, I am an avid runner, but let’s be honest. How much athletic talent does it really take to jog down the street successfully? When I think about my complete lack of athletic ability combined with my severe aversion to cold (I grew up in Houston, capital of the Mosquito Belt), it’s pretty ironic that one of my very favorite television events is the Winter Olympics.

I’m a Winter Olympics junkie. Love to pop the popcorn, throw on the fur-lined moccasins, and curl up on the sofa to watch all those fabulous winter wonderland sports.

Maybe it’s the romantic in me, but my favorite is usually pairs skating. The costumes, the music, the poingnant love stories behind some of the couples. And of course, there’s also the built-in melodrama. (Who doesn’t remember Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding?) With all the rivalries, romance, and conflict, Olympic skating is almost like a good romance novel.

I sat down this year prepared to be swept away by the triple toe loopers, but I quickly realized that this year, women’s downhill skiing is totally where it’s at. Have you been watching?? Do you know what I’m talking about??

First off, how about those stunts? Did anyone see the Swedish skier who rocketed about sixty feet in the air before crashing on the downhill course? This year has been skids, cartwheels, and face-plants all over the place.

Of course, action sequences are fun, but what really makes a great story is the characters, and there is no shortage of interesting ones here. Start with the stunningly beautiful Lindsey Vonn, dubbed by the media as the Olympic Cover Girl after appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated. (Some people protested that the magazine ’sexualized’ her by showing her crouched down on skis and heading down a mountain with her bum in the air, but she’s a skier and that’s what they do, so I don’t really get all the fuss.) At any rate, she captivated audiences all over the world the other night when she beat out childhood rival and fellow American Julia Mancuso as well as her best friend, Maria Riesch of Germany, for a gold medal.

And on the subject of Julia Mancuso, what’s with the tiara? Not that I mind, really. I mean, every good fairy tale needs a tiara. It’s just that it looked a bit weird up there twinkling atop her head while she was standing around after the race. It wasn’t until I Googled her that I discovered why Mancuso (as opposed to Vonn) might be the real face of the New Olympics. Turns out, she has a line of lingerie called “Kiss My Tiara.” (Men across America are discovering a new enthusiasm for women’s skiing.)

Athletic and business savvy, this woman. Her products include thongs and boy shorts. Only problem is, you have to have an Olympic athlete’s body to wear them. Yes, I checked them out. Sizes range from Small to Medium (the thong) and One Size Fits Most (the boy short). Hmm…. Clearly this girl is landlocked and hasn’t been to a public beach in a while. But as she’s tied with Bode Miller for most career Olympic Alpine medals by a U.S. skier, I’m going to let it slide.

What Olympic moments have you loved or hated lately? Please share. And since I always enjoy a good contest, I’m going to give a prize to one lucky commenter. (Don’t worry, it’s not a thong.) I was thinking more along the lines of a signed copy of my latest romantic suspense novel, UNTRACEABLE. Good luck and happy Olympic viewing!

Like many writers I know, I constantly find myself surrounded by book people. It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to books, and I gravitate toward others like me. My TBR pile is a wobbly tower (several towers, actually, in various rooms of my house). I consider it a special treat to spend an hour alone perusing a book store. And one of my favorite conversations starts something like this: “So, I read the most amazing book recently…”

When you’re talking to other book people, and someone tells you something is their favorite book ever, you sit up and take notice, right? I do. Your favorite? Out of hundreds and hundreds of books you’ve read? Whenever anyone tells me something is their favorite book, that title goes straight to the top of my TBR pile, because even if it doesn’t turn out to be my favorite, I know I’m likely in for a very good read.

Because it’s the first week of February, I want to talk about favorite love stories. Favorites. Of all time. You know, those stories that pluck your emotions like guitar strings and make you feel like you’re falling in love again. I’m going to share some of my favorites from various categories, and I really hope you’ll drop a line and add yours, too! (And one lucky commenter will win a Borders gift card that can be used to buy some of these great titles.)

Favorite Romantic Suspense: Cry No More by Linda Howard. Note: Do not read the last scene of this book without a box of Kleenex nearby.

Favorite Contemporary Romance: This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I had never read SEP until she was the keynote speaker at Nationals one year and I was laughing through her speech. The woman sitting beside me said, “You’ve never read Susan?? You have to read This Heart of Mine. It’s my favorite book.” Because the woman was not only a romance reader, but an aspiring author too, I put a lot of stock in her opinion and bought the book that same day.

Favorite Romantic Comedy: (Notice I created a category so I could squeeze Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jenny Crusie into the same list?) How about Jennifer Crusie’s Tell Me Lies.

Favorite Paranormal Romance: Now, some might argue that this book isn’t a full-fledged paranormal, but it has the time travel element, and it’s a fabulous book, so I’m going to go with it. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

Favorite Historical Romance: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale. Fellow Austin romance author Emily McKay once pulled me aside at a party and told me, “You must read this book!” Some people say it’s the best romance ever written. Read it. You won’t be sorry.

Favorite Classic Romance: I will have to go with Jane Austen here, Pride and Prejudice, although Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is a close second for me.

What about you? Add your favorite love story to the list! And anyone who leaves a comment will get a chance to win a copy of my romantic suspense, Whisper of Warning and a $2o GIFT CARD TO BORDERS just in time for your Valentine’s Day shopping. Let’s hear it for love stories!

I have to share what happened to me this week!

Now, in order to appreciate how cool this is, you must know that a) I got my start as a newspaper reporter and love, love, love to interview people, and b) On the keeper shelf in my office is a hardback copy of Presumed Innocent, one of the first suspense novels I ever read.

So when the editor of RT Book Reviews asked me if I’d like to interview Scott Turow about his upcoming sequel to Presumed Innocent, you could say I was excited. Actually, dancing around the living room in front of my startled family would be more accurate.

You mean there’s a sequel to one of my all-time favorite books? And I get to talk to Scott Turow, who helped inspire me to become a writer in the first place?

The answer is YES!

Needless to say, I accepted the assignment. And then like magic, a manuscript of the new book, Innocent, landed on my doorstep so that I could read it before the interview. I’ve never been so eager to put on my slippers and curl up with 500-plus pages of copy paper. With just forty-eight hours until the interview, I didn’t quite get the book finished, but I still had plenty of questions to ask the talented Mr. Turow. Here is a glimpse of my notes:

“How did you decide to write a sequel?”

“Is there talk of a film?”

“If there is a film, will Harrison Ford play Rusty Sabich again?”

“How do you juggle your writing career with your law practice?”

“If there’s a film, will it feature Harrison Ford?”

“And about Harrison Ford…???”

You may have noticed I’m a bit of a Harrison Ford fan. What can I say? I grew up in the Star Wars era, and as far as I’m concerned Han Solo is the original alpha hero. (Luke was always just a little too prissy for me.)

Sorry, I digress. Back to the interview, which was fascinating.  I was impressed with Scott Turow before this, but once I had a chance to research him.. wow! Aside from pioneering an entire genre (the legal thriller) and writing non-fiction, this man also manages to practice law, head ethics committees, serve as president of the Authors Guild, do pro bono work (such as the 1995 case in which he got a wrongfully convicted man who had spent eleven years in prison released from death row)… And that is not even a full list of his accomplishments.

Going into this interview, I was a little intimidated.

But it turns out, along with all his achievements, Scott Turow also happens to be a nice, easy-to-talk-to guy. We had a great conversation about writing, law, film, and yes, the latest adventures of the fictional Rusty Sabich. (Remember the prosecutor framed for murdering his mistress? Remember his diabolical wife?) Well, Rusty is back, and IMHO the sequel is just as enthralling as the original book.

I won’t spoil Innocent for you, but let me leave you with this, the opening scene: Rusty Sabich, now chief judge on an appellate court, sits on a bed with the body of his dead wife, Barbara. She has died under suspicious circumstances….

To see interview, check out the the April issue of RT Book Reviews. (Innocent comes out in May, from Grand Central Publishing). And I don’t always say this about sequels, but in this case, the second book lives up to its predecessor. Innocent is riveting from the very first page.

Are you a Scott Turow fan, too? Have you enjoyed a sequel recently? Leave a comment and get a chance to win a signed copy of my latest release, Untraceable. And thanks for sharing my fun week!

My first blog with Murder She Writes! I spent an absurd amount of time thinking up the perfect topic (and I’m measuring time in snacks here, so that’s two Ghirardelli chocolates, five leftover Dunkin’ Donut holes, and a 100-calorie pack of Goldfish as my token health food) and finally, I decided to go with my husband’s suggestion: “Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Hmm… Sometimes simplicity is the best option. And I don’t have time to run off any more junk food tomorrow, so here goes:

I’m Laura Griffin, and the only thing I love more than writing romantic suspense is reading it. I’ve been hooked since my first Linda Howard novel. Writing is my passion, and I feel very privileged to get to do it for a living. I feel even more privileged to be in the company of the nine amazing ladies here at MSW. Thanks for inviting me to join you!

How did I end up in this business? I blame destiny and also a short attention span. If I had loved newspaper reporting a teensy bit more and been willing to cover education news in the Chicago suburbs just a few years longer, I might never have tried my hand at fiction writing. But I did, and here I am, writing stories for a living and being really, really grateful to have a job that I enjoy, although it can get stressful at times. I no longer live in Chicago, but Austin, where I am working on my latest project, and romantic suspense series for Pocket Books. I’m looking forward to getting to know the Murder She Writes authors and fans as the year gets underway. In the meantime, since it is the first week of January (well, not really, but it’s the first school week and as a mom, I live and breathe the school calendar) I thought I’d at least try to touch on something topical. So here it is:

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. Do you have one? Let’s hear it, especially if it’s interesting or impressive. (Like quitting smoking! Go, Debra!) Here is mine: This year I resolve to do at least ONE THING way outside my comfort zone.

For me, this means anything that strikes fear in my heart and causes great anxiety or makes me call my sister for therapy or reach for an emergency bag of M & Ms. Last year, the thing I did outside my comfort zone was give a speech for the first time. If you’re a public speaking diva, this probably seems like no big deal, but for me it was terrifying. What is it with public speaking?? I won’t tell you how many nights of sleep I lost over it. But in the end, guess what? It was an amazing learning experience and (forgive the cliche) a character-building one, too.

So for this year… I’m not sure what the Something Way Outside My Comfort Zone will be, but I resolve to do it! And I’ll let you know when it happens. Probably.

My second New Year’s resolution is to read more books for pleasure, and in honor of this fabulous goal, I’m giving away a $20 gift card to Borders (it can be used online!) along with a signed copy of my latest book, UNTRACEABLE. If you’d like a chance to win, just leave a comment. Happy New Year and happy reading to everyone!