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.

It’s 11 a.m. on the East Coast as I write this blog — I’m late. (It’s 8 a.m. in California, where I live, but here at MSW we endeavor to schedule our blog to post between midnight and 6 a.m. ET, so I’m late.)

Being late is the story of my life. My kids lament that I’m late to everything. Usually it’s only a couple minutes. Last year, when I was responsible for driving the kids to school, they were late 2 out of 5 days in the week. The tardies were so bad, I had to have a meeting with the principal. (I was contrite.) Now that my husband or daughter are responsible for getting the non-driving kids to school, they’ve only been tardy ONE DAY in the first half of the year.

For the last two days, I’ve been fighting a cold. Nothing serious, just a running nose/headache. Drugs and homeopathic remedies (essentially Sudafed for the nose so it’s not leaking 24/7 and Emergen-C + zinc to help the cold go away faster) have worked to keep it from getting worse, but it’s just lingering there so … I went to bed early last night. And totally forgot about the blog, which I usually write the night before. SO I wake up at 7:45 and my first thought? “Oh, shit, it’s Thursday!”

It’s been a busy couple weeks in the Brennan house. We’ve had a Christmas Choir performance, my youngest’s Christmas play, Christmas shopping, mid-terms (which also means mid-term projects), and parent-teacher conferences. I’m very proud of my two teen-agers who have worked hard this semester, both landing a 3.3 this semester. My youngest doesn’t get letter grades, but my other two have straight-As. (Well, my brilliant 5th grader had a B+ in language arts, but swore he to secrecy so don’t tell anyone.)

And then there was my book.

SILENCED is the fourth Lucy Kincaid book, and the first for a new publisher. I’m working on a blog about the psychological challenges I faced writing this book, but that’s something I don’t want to rush. I’m elated that it’s DONE. Writing, revising, and copyedits. I went through the copyedits TWICE — something I never do — because the story needed tweaking. I made all the copyedited changes in my electronic version and sent that to my editor to be distributed (it’s this stage that the proofs for review and in-house reading are made–I wanted the manuscript in the best possible shape.) I’m happier with it now, but won’t really know if it works until I get the proofs and sit down to read it in one long sitting. I read proofs first for story, quickly flagging pages for errors, then again to fix the mistakes.

Because my revisions were late (I rewrote the entire second half of the books) I only had a few days for the copyedits, but those were on time. Whew. Sometimes, it’s not good being late. But they’re done and that’s a huge weight off my shoulders. I can enjoy Christmas, write a short story, and await the page proofs while researching the next Lucy Kincaid book, STALKED.

If you haven’t checked out my new website, please do. My web guy has updated the site to be more user-friendly–and mobile friendly. It works on tablets and phones. I think it looks great. But the content, which is my responsibility, is lacking.

What information would you like to see on my website? Do you find it easy to navigate and find the information you want? Let me know! There’s a box of books in it for one of you — YA and thrillers. My daughter cleaned out her bedroom, which is good for everyone.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Holiday Season, and a safe New Year.

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.

On Monday my kids start school. I’ve already had two orientations (on Tuesday for my second grader and on Wednesday for my third and fifth graders.) On Friday it’s the high school orientation, with a special meeting with just the seniors. Yes, I have a senior. I don’t feel old enough to have a daughter who will be 18 in a few months. :/

I’m VERY excited about the start of school because I get my regular schedule back. Having the kids around is one thing, but summer is also full of playtime, sports practice, summer day camp, shopping, and (of course) boredom. They want mommy time, but mommy has deadlines! So balancing it all is a chore because no two days are the same. Worse, because it’s summer, the kids stay up later so I can’t get back to the computer until later. When school starts I know that I have my 9-3 writing time and my 9 pm – midnight writing time. While I am not an organized person in most of my life, I need a set writing schedule. When I see something on my calendar for, say, 1:30 in the afternoon, it’s much harder to focus because I know I have this obligation. During the school year, I rarely schedule anything during my writing time.

The other night we had a scare–my boys came back from football practice and my youngest ran around the side of the house to tell me he was home, and came across a rattlesnake. Dan decapitated it and it continued to slither around, which is downright creepy.

I know there are snake lovers out there, but I’m not one of them. I can handle small snakes (King snakes, garter snakes) if they don’t surprise me, but rattlers terrify me. And terrified my son. He turned and ran and was crying so hard he couldn’t talk–it took several minutes for my husband to get out of him that he saw a rattle snake that hissed at him. When Dan found the snake, it was coiled. Snakes don’t generally attack unless they’re cornered, and this one was definitely cornered.

Here’s the video my daughter took of the snake 30 minutes after it’s demise:

We didn’t take a vacation this year. Next year, because RWA is in Anaheim, I’m planning on taking the family to Disneyland before the conference. Then maybe they can stop by the literacy signing so they can see what mom does when she leaves for a couple weeks every summer.

I also have two exciting projects. I’m dipping my toe into digital self-publishing. This won’t replace my traditionally published books–but hopefully help me find new readers and also give my current fans some fun, inexpensive stories to read!

The first is an amazing paranormal/urban fantasy anthology called ENTANGLED. All the proceeds are benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The stories have been donated, as well as the cover art, the formatting, and the press. I wrote a Seven Deadly Sins novella, which will hopefully tide my paranormal fans over until I know what’s going on with the third book in the series, Mortal Sin. It’s a meaty story, nearly 30,000 words. And the cover is absolutely gorgeous. ENTANGLED will be available wherever digital books are sold on September 12.

Demon hunters Moira O’Donnell and Rafe Cooper are dragged into the dangerous world of nocturnal predators to find “Ghostly Justice” for a virgin sacrificed to an ancient blood demon in Allison Brennan’s all-new Seven Deadly Sins novella.

The other project is four short stories in a single-author anthology. Two of the stories were previously published in anthologies, but many of my fans haven’t read them. And two are completely new and original, including a novella I’d originally “almost” sold to Arabella Magazine as a serialized story before the mag went under. I just got the cover that I hired Hot Damn Designs to design and am SO thrilled with it. I don’t know when it’ll be out–but I hope later this fall.

Now, I’m in the middle of writing SILENCED (Lucy Kincaid #4.) I put it aside this week to read the page proofs of IF I SHOULD DIE (Lucy Kincaid #3) and can’t wait to get back to it. I’ll admit, it’s a little scary having a new publisher and a new editor after 17 books with the same people. Scary and exciting and nerve-wracking!

This year is full of beginnings and endings. And now that the end of summer is here, I’m eager to dive into all my projects with 110%.

I’ve been reading some YA mysteries. I read ALL UNQUIET THINGS by Anna Jabaz coming back from Thrillerfest, and now I’m in the middle of THE CHRISTOPHER KILLERS by Alane Ferguson. You can draw your own conclusions

What are you reading right now? Let me know and I’ll several people will be getting some free books! That’s right, my daughter Kelly and I are purging our bookshelves. We’re putting together 3-4 boxes of books–whatever can fit into the flat rate postal box. A mix of YA, thrillers, mysteries and romance. If you win, you can read the books or pass them onto a friend! I’d much rather give my books to the loyal readers of MSW than strangers in the library And every box will also have one of my backlist titles as I go through my shelves and re-organize.

And finally, for those of you who have been frustrated by our Murder She Writes site going up and down for no apparent reason … our wonderful hosting company is moving our site to a new server this weekend, so we hope that the problems will be over next week.

Have a great end of summer!