You're Going to Love 'Beachcomber Art'

Being an author means, you constantly question yourself. "Is this the right idea? Or should I have chosen another topic?" There's no way to tell if you are working on something really cool...or if you picked a lemon. And your confidence suffers accordingly.

I'd had a bad, sad couple of days where my doubts got the better of me, when the Universe decided to send me a sign. A detour on the highway took me right past Debbie Brookes' charming shop
 "Beachcomber Art,"

http://beachcomberart.com/

I walked through the front door, took one look at the kitchsy mermaid with her shell bodice, and told Debbie, "I'm in love!"

Debbie's art is EXACTLY the sort of work that I had envisioned for my new heroine.

"I use nature's timeless elements to create art that reaffirms beauty and individuality," she says. Here she is next to an old screen door that she re-purposed by adding a mirror and a cross-section of seashells.

She started with decorative boxes for her friends. See the two above? Note the amazing cluster of shells on top.

And moved to a variety of home decor items, such as this chest, mirror and the candlesticks.

Along the way, her sense of whimsy played into her pieces, as with her fish. (Be sure to click on the photos so you can see them as larger images.)

Her light fixtures are simply divine, especially this one with seaglass.

Now my heroine will also do work that's much more simple. I plan for her to share projects that anyone can tackle at home. In addition, she'll be an avid DIY (Do It Yourself) type that loves to hunt for flea market bargains and turn them into treasures. In fact, that's the name of my new series: The Trash to Treasure Mystery Series. It's about a woman whose life is trashed, but who turns "lemons into lemonade" and winds up creating treasures.

I'd love to hear your feedback!

How to Judge Whether Criticism Is Fair or Not

"Kaizen" is a wonderful Japanese word that means constant and neverending improvement. I've taken that idea to heart. I want every book I write to be better than the last. One way I can improve is by paying attention to criticism. But not all criticism is equally valuable. And some criticism should be promptly forgotten. How can you tell what's what?

By considering the intent of your critic.

People share their criticisms for a myriad of reasons:

1. Because they really care. Yesterday I went to the website of my favorite local restaurant. There I discovered that they had misspelled "romantic." I called them, made my reservation, and mentioned the misspelling. I said, "I love your place so much that I don't want anyone to misjudge how perfect you are! Your place is awesome! And your food and service are superb!" Yes, I really, really love that place, so I told them what I noticed in the hopes that I might contribute to their wonderfulness.

2. Because they are jealous. This is the saddest form of criticism because it comes from a nasty place. How can you tell jealous criticism? By the level of emotion. When the criticism springs from a jealous place, it is almost always full of hyperbole. The tone is overwrought. Frantic. Excessive. Therefore, I am suspect of any review that's full of clever stinging remarks, but no substance. The reviewer is saying, "See? I am smarter than the author whose work I'm reviewing. Look at me! Aren't I clever?"

3. Because they are disappointed. That's what happened to me the other day. The person reviewing my work expected me to take a certain approach. But I didn't. So my reviewer was disappointed--and his criticism was colored accordingly. After nursing some bruised feelings, I tried to sort out which portions of his criticism were valid. Among the lumps of coal there were a few diamonds. Now I'm more excited than ever about my project.

4. Because they have experience and knowledge that leads them to believe you've gone astray. This is a variation of "they care," but in this case, there's a professional bias that underlines their suggestions. The reader has expertise to drawn on. However, the reader can still be wrong. For example, I approached another author about a pre-publication blurb (an endorsement) for Paper, Scissors, Death. She had some publication experience, but not a lot, and she was very confident in her work. So she read Paper, Scissors, Death and promptly called me to say it should never be published. Ever. Fortunately, my publisher did not agree. After Paper, Scissors, Death was nominated for an Agatha Award, the author sent me a lovely apology along the lines of "gee, maybe I didn't know what I was talking about!" I don't think she was being malicious. I think she honestly thought I was making a mistake.

5. Because they're having a bad day. Or a bad month. Or a bad life. Let's face it: On any given day, some readers would have told Will Shakespeare to chuck his work into the fire. Call it the "bad hair day" syndrome. You know how it goes. Everything looks awful when you're having a bad hair day. And so, dear author, when a "bad hair day" reader reviews your work, you are sunk. They can't see the true merit of your project because misery has colored their lenses.

Once you realize that criticism can be leveled for a myriad of reasons, you can sift through the suggestions of your readers and decide whether these points are valid. More often than not, you'll be left holding a mixed bag. It certainly is tempting to toss out the whole mess. But if you do, you'll cheat yourself.

Here's my thinking... If there's even ONE helpful idea in a critique, I am eager to put that idea to good use. Never mind that my feelings are hurt. Never mind the reviewer's intention. Those are transitory things. My work is what matters.

Okay, your turn. Why do you think people offer criticism? How can you tell if the critic is being fair or not? Have you ever had to apologize because you misjudged something?

Why Writers Need to Protect Fragile Beginnings...

It happened like this...

I shared three chapters of new work to someone I trust. That person finished reading my words, and said...nothing. NOTHING! Finally, I prompted my reader for a response.

"I want to think about this..." was all I got.

The next day the reader told me how disappointing my ideas were. The reader went on with a laundry list of "I thought you were going to...and I had envisioned." Yes, I could see a few valid criticisms, and a few ways that my work might improve, but somehow, sadly, all the joy had gone from my project.

I walked the beach and tried to re-kindle my enthusiasm. I ate a lot of carbs not on my diet. I tried to read a book. I tried to nap. No luck.

Mainly, all I want to do is cry.

My reader said, "I think you're putting too much on me. YOU are being unfair." 

And then I found this quotation from Apple's CEO Tim Cook, talking about Steve Jobs:

And just as Steve loved ideas, and loved making stuff, he treated the process of creativity with a rare and a wonderful reverence. You see, I think he better than anyone understood that while ideas ultimately can be so powerful, they begin as fragile, barely formed thoughts, so easily missed, so easily compromised, so easily just squished.

Yep. Squished. That's what I'm feeling. Squished. Squashed flatter than a bug. Like all the wind has gone out of my sails.

So what have I learned from this? (And yes, I know I'm jumping from one POV to another in my list below. Sorry!)

1. Be very, very careful about sharing ideas with other people. Unfortunately, they can become too invested--and this leads other people to have a false sense of ownership. There's a huge gap between sharing an idea for a book or story and writing the thing. Trust me on this. When you share with other people, it's very easy for them to "think" they are co-creators. Unless that's part of the agreement up front, it's only wishful thinking on their part. I am the artist. I am the creator. They just offered a bit of inspiration. I'm doing the heavy lifting. They aren't. (This is exactly why so many people WANT to write a book and so few do. A book is more than a couple of ideas. A lot more. Most people can't handle the long haul.)

2. Do NOT hand your work over to people who have no respect for the creative process. You know who they are. Although my reader's comments had merit, the delivery system was flawed. Toxic even. I once had a boss who was wonderful with creative folks. He knew that we had to be given a wide berth when we were in the incubation period. He knew that we needed guidance rather than criticism. He came to our presentations with an open mind and no preconceptions. If our work didn't match what he might have expected, he would say, "Explain to me why you're taking this tack." When we strayed, he'd say, "I think the piece could benefit from a bit more blah-blah-blah.'" He was very, very good at getting the best out of us.

3. Learn to say, "Next!" and move on. I'm not going to let this ruin a perfectly joyful experience. So I picked the wrong person to let read my work. That doesn't mean I picked the wrong project. That doesn't mean my ideas stink. 

Which leads me to...

4. Realize that you are stronger than this. I need to remind myself that few people have the courage and the drive to see things through from idea to creation. I do. I will. That's part of my gift. No one can take that from me. 

And so I'll take a shower, rinse off the nega-cooties and get back to my writing. Boo-ya!

I'm curious. Have you had a similar experience? How did you cope?

And the Winner Is...

Charlotte!

Please send me (Joanna) an email at JCSlan@JoannaSlan.com and I'll get you in touch with Kaye.

Thanks to everyone for commenting!

You Might Win a Touch of WHIMSEY!

My thanks to Joanna Campbell Slan for inviting me here to tell you about my new book.

Kaye Wilkinson Barley

My new book.

Wow.

Never in a million years did I think I would say those words.

But after having gotten my toes wet writing a blog and then having two memoir pieces accepted for publication in two regional anthologies, my writing urges went crazy.

The result is a book I love.  It’s full of things I love, and while I know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s my heart. There's a quote attributed to Toni Morrison that many of you have probably seen--"If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."

I guess that’s what I did.

I've written the novel I wanted to write. It has magic and best girlfriends. There's pretty clothes and great food. There's laughter and love and music. Art and a perfect little gallery on a lovely little idyllic island in the Lowcountry. There's a ghost or two and a pixie named Earlene who happens to be partial to Christian Louboutins. It's impossible to put a tag on - kinda like the most interesting people I know who refuse to be placed in a single category. Eccentric and flawed. and fun.

And now, I hope to get the word out there in hopes that others with discover the joy of Whimsey.  ‘Cause, guess what – I’ve started Whimsey Book Two.   I guess I’m hooked after all.

**

How to Win Your Copy of WHIMSEY...

 I'd like to give one commenter a copy of WHIMSEY: A NOVEL. All you have to do is leave a comment and we'll draw a name. The winner can choose a print version or a Kindle version. We'll come back Friday morning to announce the winner, so be sure and check back then.

Thanks, everyone!  Very much.  I hope you'll all give WHIMSEY  a try and hope you love it.

My thanks to Joanna for having me!

**

WHIMSEY is Kaye Wilkinson Barley's first novel. She lives with her husband, Don, in the North Carolina mountains along with Harley Doodle Barley, the Wonder Corgi.

You can follow news about WHIMSEY here - http://kayewilkinsonbarley.blogspot.com/

Kaye is Blog Mistress of Meanderings and Muses, which you can follow here -http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/

She also steps in as "Oh, Kaye!" once a month at Jungle Red Writers - http://www.jungleredwriters.com/

** 

Here's what people are saying about WHIMSEY - - 

"Delightful!"

- Margaret Maron, New York Times Best-Selling Author. Winner of the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Awards, and 2013 Mystery Writers of America Grand Master

"Kaye Barley is a treasure and a delight. Her wit, wisdom, imagination--and yes, whimsy!--shine from every page."

- Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-Winning Author

**

WHIMSEY is a novel of southern fiction with a splash of magic and a touch of fantasy, topped with a sprinkling of humor.


The magic was already there when cigar-smoking matriarch Elizabeth Calhoun established an artist’s colony on an island off the coast of Georgia and named it Whimsey.

Elizabeth’s ghost still drops in from time to time to make sure things are going as she planned.

There’s also a wicked pixie named Earlene who fancies tight-fitting designer clothes and Louboutin stilettos.

Elizabeth’s grandniece, Emma Hamilton Foley, a once-promising jewelry designer who moved away from the island, now fears her talent has deserted her.

Along with her four best childhood friends, she has been invited to be a resident artist at Whimsey’s new upscale gallery, Les étoiles. To join them, she’ll need to regain her talent, face the demons from her past and her feelings about Eli Tatnall, whom she loved as a girl.

Will moving back to Whimsey bring the magic back?

WHIMSEY is a story of hope and affirmation, about families and best girlfriends, connections and feelings. It’s about the things in life that make us happy and the things that scare us to death. And the people who walk through life with us.

Online Valentine's Day Party Features These Special Author Guests

You're invited to my online Valentine's Day Party on February 14, at 7 p.m. EST. Just go to www.Lila-Dare.com and click on "Chat Room" in the lower left hand column. That'll take you into the Chat Room where you can join us for the party!

Guests at this special online Valentine’s Day Party will include: Shelly Arkon, author of
Secondhand Shoes; Mollie Cox Bryan, author of Scrapped; Nancy J. Cohen, author of Permed to Death; Chrystle Fiedler, author of Scent to Kill—and me! Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Kiki Lowenstein Anthology, Volume 1, as well as Wave Good-Bye (written under the pen name “Lila Dare”).

Secondhand Shoes—by Shelly Arkon—The shoes didn’t fit. It was an omen. Eighteen year old psychic-medium-germ-a-phobe Lila should have listened to her ghostly Gram’s advice the morning of her wedding, “Take off that dress and those shoes. And run.” En route to the honeymoon, she decides to listen after too many disagreements with her groom. It doesn’t pay to go along to make everyone happy. Still in her wedding dress and shoes, she escapes out a diner’s bathroom window into the Florida woods despite her fear of snakes and germs with her dead Gram’s direction. So she begins a journey of finding her inner strength, putting her on a deadly run from her psychotic groom and his deranged friends. Will she ever get past her fear of germs and snakes? Will she survive her honeymoon?

**

Scrapped—by Mollie Cox Bryan—The ladies of the Cumberland Scrapbook Crop are welcoming an eccentric newbie into their fold. A self-proclaimed witch, Cookie Crandall can whip up a sumptuous vegan meal and rhapsodize about runes and moon phases with equal aplomb. She becomes fast friends with her fellow scrapbookers, including freelance reporter Annie, with whom she shares shallow roots in a community of established family trees. So when Cookie becomes the prime suspect in a series of bizarre murders, the croppers get scrappy and set out to clear her name. Annie starts digging and discovers that the victims each had strange runic patterns carved on their bodies--a piece of evidence that points the police in Cookie's direction. Even her friends begin to doubt her innocence when they find an ornate, spiritual scrapbook that an alleged beginner like Cookie could never have crafted. As Annie and the croppers search for answers, they'll uncover a shockingly wicked side of their once quiet town—and a killer on the prowl for another victim.

**

Permed to Death—by Nancy J. Cohen-- Hairstylist Marla Shore is giving grumpy Mrs. Kravitz a perm when her client croaks in the shampoo chair. If that isn’t enough to give her a bad hair day, handsome Detective Vail suspects Marla of poisoning the woman’s coffee creamer. 

**

Scent to Kill—by Chrystle Fiedler— When naturopathic doctor and shop owner Willow McQuade’s ex-boyfriend Simon Lewis invites her to a party for the cast and crew of a new television show at Long Island’s scenic Bixby Estate, she’s most excited to visit the property’s exclusive lavender farm. But a whole field of her favorite stress-reducing herb can’t provide enough soothing support to calm the effects of a murder!

Even the show’s psychic star didn’t predict the demise of Roger Bixby, the estate’s owner and estranged husband of Simon’s new girlfriend. Now Simon, who’s been collared by police, needs Willow’s help to remedy the situation. As Willow snoops about the mansion, offering natural cures to ease the mounting tension, a strange energy—and the discovery of an eerily similar unsolved murder decades earlier—makes her wonder whether the alternative source of the crime might actually be . . . supernatural. Can she find harmony between mind, body, and possibly even spirits before somebody else goes up in smoke?

**

Wave Good-Bye—by Joanna Campbell Slan writing as “Lila Dare”— St. Elizabeth, Georgia, offers charm, Southern hospitality—and the occasional murder. This time, when a new hair salon tries to steal business, it’s someone’s life that gets cut short…

Violetta’s salon is up in arms. Business is dead. Snippets, a big box haircutting chain, has opened in St. Elizabeth, undercutting prices and luring away loyal customers. Violetta’s daughter, hairdresser Grace Terhune, is shocked to discover that it’s her old high school rival Lisa Butterworth who’s behind the big sweep—and Grace isn’t going to take this sitting down. Snippets’ cold-blooded prized employee is doing wonders with Violetta’s client list. According to Lisa, it’s just business—until a bitter confrontation leaves Grace more than frustrated, and Lisa less than alive. Now Grace is the prime suspect in her rival’s murder. And only her friends at Violetta’s can save her—before the charge proves permanent.

My Rules to Live By...

A dear friend is going through a difficult time with the man in her life, a high-powered guy who seems to relish  making her feel unimportant. Frankly, that's just pitiful because anyone who specializes in making you feel "less than" is a loser--and isn't worth your time. But sometimes we all get into situations where extricating ourselves takes time and planning. 

So I shared with her my rules for living. Maybe they'll make a difference to you, too.

1. Live your own life. No matter how busy or important the man is in your life, you need to have your own "world." It makes you more interesting, less available, and stronger. Don't do this out of spite. Do it because you only get one life, and waiting for another person to fulfill your dreams won't cut it.

2. Don't cancel things to make someone else happy. You'll feel miserable and resentful. The person you cancel for will get an inflated sense of his own power. It's a no win situation.

3. Have your own space. Virginia Wolfe was right: Every woman needs a room of her own. You need a bit of space. Everyone does.

4. Limit your exposure to toxic people. Sometimes that means driving yourself places or having money in your pocket to grab a cab and leave, if necessary. This is especially important if the guy in your life has family that you can't stand--or who can't stand you. If you are stuck in a place, with yucky people, they will sense their power and you'll be at their mercy. Always have an exit plan. Always.

5. Increase your exposure to loving people. Work to maintain and keep relationships with those who value you! (My sister Jane is great at this.) 

6. Don't take things personally. Other people have their own problems, and if you look for a personal slant, you only hurt yourself. Think like Forrest Gump. When someone was mean to him, he said, "Gee, that person is having a bad day." He never turned the other person's negativity into a personal insult.

7. Forget logic. People aren't logical. Even if they are very cerebral, they act out of emotions. Most importantly, when people feel threatened or small, they revert to their lowest selves. They act like children. Recognize this and you'll be able to discount their bad behavior, knowing that it's coming from a place of fear and loss.

8. Savor the good. Anticipate good things. Always have events on your calendar to look forward to. Daydream about those coming events. Take photos when you're there--and review the happy moments. Too often we spend more time and effort rehashing the negative than anticipating and remembering the good.

9. Dump the bad. Our minds are like a big pan of Jell-o. When you constantly revisit the bad and ugly, you pour a measuring cup of hot water into the pan. You dig a deep channel. The more you revisit that bad memory, the deeper you engrave it into your brain. Is that really what you want to do? No! So don't keep repeating all of life's hurts and bad memories. You're only making yourself miserable. (If you doubt this, think about how you feel AFTER you've shared that bad memory. Yucky, right? That's your body saying, "Don't revisit this.")

10. Don't let someone else's bad day become your bad day. (If they were covered with dog poop, would you invite them into your house to sit on your sofa? No...well. It's like that!) 

11. Have a lot of balls in the air. That way when one drops, you have more up there to look forward to! When something doesn't pan out, holler, "NEXT!" and move on.

12. Hang in there. It's only over when you quit. Or give up. Until then, a new success is just around the corner. If you throw in the towel too soon, you'll certainly lose.

12. That said, any relationship that gives you more grief than joy is not worth maintaining. So either change the dynamic or move on.

Introducing Shelly Arkon...

Note: Mark your calendars to join me at 7 p.m. EST at http://www.Lila-Dare.com for an online Valentine's Day party! Just go to the words "chat room" in the lower left hand column, click and enter my Chat Room! There will be fun, surprises and prizes!

Introducing Shelly Arkon...

I met Shelly when I visited the Florida Writer's Association chapter in Tampa. What a doll she is! Her personality is as big as the sun in the Florida sky. So I asked her to join us at my online Valentine's Day party to tell us more about her paranormal romance, Secondhand Shoes.

When Shelly isn’t doing the laundry, cleaning, cooking, chasing grandkids, listening to daughter drama (five of them), or lopping heads of hair at the salon, she’s writing beside her two fur-peeps, Sir Poops and Hair Ball, popping an occasional chocolate while her hubby is flipping through TV channels.

She lives in New Port Richey with her husband and two dogs. She’s also a member of Florida Writer’s Association and Writer's of Mass Distraction.

Shelly will be giving away a copy of Secondhand Shoes.

Come to My Online Valentine's Day Party!

A pretty pink notebook by Vera Wang, a pink reading light and a pink  satchel  that comes in its own storage bag. (That's the rolled up item that says, "Happy Go Lucky." It's courtesy of K & Co.)

Join me and a quartet of my author friends as we celebrate Valentine's Day in style...with you! The party will begin at 7 p.m. EST on February 14, Thursday. I'll be giving away all sorts of cool loot--a pretty pink notebook by Vera Wang, a pink reading light, and a pink satchel that comes in its own storage bag. PLUS...a copy of my newest book Wave Good-Bye, the fourth book in the Southern Beauty Shop mystery series. I wrote it under the pen name of "Lila Dare." (Release date March 5, 2013)

I'll also give away a copy of the newest collection of Kiki Lowenstein Short Stories, the Kiki Lowenstein Anthology, Volume 1.

To attend, all you need to do is visit http://www.Lila-Dare.com and click on the words "Chat Room" in the lower left hand column. Ta-da!

Now let me introduce my special guests:

* Shelly Arkon, author of Second-Hand Shoes
* Mollie Cox Bryan, author of Scrapped
* Nancy J. Cohen, author of the Bad Hair Day Mysteries
* Chrystle Fiedler, author of Scent to Kill

Over the next few days, I'll share more about each of my guests, so stay tuned!

How to be a TERRIFIC Moderator

One of my author friends just emailed me with this compliment: "Last year I saw you moderate a panel (I think it was at Malice), and your panelists were very intelligent, famous, witty women. You did an incredible job moderating. You were articulate, funny, and you have each one of them an opportunity to shine." She went on to ask me for any advice I could give her, since she's been tapped to moderate a panel at a writers' conference.

So here's my best stuff...

               1. Drink warm or room temp water. Cold water strains your voice and makes you screech. Sounds petty, but it helps.

               2. I introduced my panelists myself--and sometimes edited the intros they gave me. Usually if you let them do their own intros, they hurry through the good parts, mumble, and/or act like a mic hog. Also, you can spice up their intros and really emphasize their accomplishments while separating out the dreck. But DO make sure you know how to pronounce their names. ALWAYS speak the intro out loud a couple of times before your panel. Mouth memory is different from sight memory.

               3. Get lucky. Good panels have fun ideas to contribute...but I suggest you prod the authors and ask them for any help/thoughts/ideas they might offer.

               4. I told the panelists, "The point of this is to entertain. It's not for me to be in charge. So if you have a question for each other, or whatever, go for it."

               5. Google them. Look at their websites. The books are only part of the story. Listen to any previous interviews.

               6. Relax. Remember, the audience sincerely WANTS you to succeed. They don't want or care if you are perfect. They just want to have fun.

               7. Find out if the panelists know each other and try to get them to tell stories on each other. Interaction among them helps.

               8. Don't be afraid to get involved. People are curious about you, too. As long as you don't hog the mic, you can add your insights. The trick is...can you amplify something the

they've said? Can you expand on it? If so, the crowd will usually be okay with your interjection.

               9. If you are worried about Q and A afterwards, write up questions on index cards and sprinkle them through the audience. People love to help.

               10. Every author has an "oh, crap" moment. A time when he/she thought, "I'm going nowhere." That usually makes for a great session commentary.

               11. Have fun. Yup. If you are having fun, everyone else will have fun, too. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? You could puke. (George Bush senior did that at dinner with the Chinese.) You could faint. (Elizabeth Lyons did that at SinC into Great Writing.) You could screw up someone's name or a book title. (An announcer at Barnes and Noble said I was there to sign copies of the "Scrap and CRAP" mystery series.) You'll live through it. Besides, you're a writer (or a fan), for goodness sake. You aren't auditioning for late night TV!

               12. Immediately before the panel, go through the audience and introduce yourself to the members. They'll love you for it. It's hard, so hand out bookmarks as a "crutch," but it pays HUGE dividends.

Did any of you see my panel at Malice? What do you think about my list?

'Just Go for It!'--An Interview with Michael Harvey

Note: Michael Harvey is a writer, journalist, and documentary producer, as well as the co-creator, writer and executive producer of the Prime Time Emmy-nominated television series Cold Case Files™ and a former investigative producer for CBS in Chicago. He will be a featured guest at Love Is Murder, Feb. 1-3. 2013 in Chicago. Go to http://www.loveismurder.net/ for details. Visit Michael at http://michaelharveybooks.com/

1.      You’ve talked about shoving 50 pages of a manuscript into a drawer and leaving them there until you were encouraged to finish your first crime novel. What would you say to all the other would-be authors who have 50 pages lying in wait? What did you learn from that experience? What challenges did you overcome to write your first book?

I’d tell them to go for it...but only when they’re ready. I think all writers, especially with a first novel, have an internal clock that goes off when it’s time. They’ve thought about the story, maybe written a few chapters, and thought about it some more. Then one day it’s just time. The idea has ripened and is ready to be plucked. All the writer has to do is open the drawer, pull out those fifty pages and go for it. Once one does that, there’s no looking back. Don’t worry about what other people say. Don’t worry about how crowded the bookshelves might already be. Your voice is your voice. And it’s important. But only if you believe.

2.      Your work on Cold Case Files has informed your writing by giving you a lot of material and ideas. How is your work on that documentary significantly different from the work you do when writing? What skills from your TV work help you write better—and what holds you back?

Television is, by its nature, collaborative. You’re working closely with a group of people, each of whom has a part to play in telling the story. As a novelist, it’s just you and you’re responsible for everything. A huge amount of creative energy goes into creating plot, dialogue, character development, etc. Even simple things like getting a character from Point A to Point B.  The  novelist has to make it all happen and make it seem natural... almost inevitable.

I think my work in television has allowed me to write in a very tight, cinematic style. In TV, we’re always fighting the remote, trying to make sure our audience doesn’t click over to one of the 800 other shows on at any given time. There is a premium on grabbing the audience by the throat in the first minute of the show. It doesn’t have to be action per se, but that first minute or two has to be intriguing... something that will force your viewers to hang around. My books probably reflect that sort of thinking. I try to make the novels accessible and engage readers early on so they hang on for the ride. Also, when you write for TV, you’re working with pictures so your language tends to be tight, concrete and physical. I think I’ve probably adapted that sort of writing style in my books as well. As for drawbacks...probably too much of a good thing. Sometimes, I need to slow down the pacing.. and allow the story to draw a breath.

3.      Your first book was about vigilante justice. The NRA has just called for more guns in more places, and more armed citizens. What’s your take on this? Do you think the result will be safer communities or will we have more  George Zimmermans prowling our neighborhoods?

I don’t think arming our citizens is a good idea. I’ve seen a lot of violence and interviewed a lot of bad guys. Most of them will tell you one simple truth. Upon encountering an armed citizen, the criminal fully expects...and often does....disarm the citizen. The bad guy then either uses the gun on the citizen or just put it in his pocket and walks away. Leave the guns, especially handguns, in the hands of law enforcement professionals who are trained in using them and in apprehending criminals.

4.      You’re a guy with a Boston accent writing about Chicago. Why? And yes, you’re now writing about Boston, but why did you choose Chicago as the first setting for your first book?

I’ve spent most of my adult life in Chicago. As an investigative reporter, I covered Chicago, from the west side ghettos to city hall. The Kelly books are about this world – a grown-up place where nothing is as it seems, the waters run deep and there are sharks everywhere. My childhood was spent in Boston. That book will reflect the neighborhoods of my youth. There will still be a lot of danger and a lot of bad guys... but it’s seen through a dramatically different lens.

5.      You’ve made a conscious decision to include social issues in your work. But you’re careful not to let them slow down your storytelling. Can you give us some tips about including social issues without sounding preachy or slowing down the pace of a book?

I try to let the social issues bubble just below the surface. What I want to avoid is stopping the story in its tracks so I can hop up on a soapbox and pop off for a page and a half about some issue. It’s annoying to the reader and bad writing. Not sure how well I succeed, but I’m trying.

6.      The process of writing your first book sounded very “seat-of-the-pants.” Since then, have you stuck with that process or have you done more advance planning?

Not much advance planning. I just start somewhere and see where the characters and the story takes me. I’ve tried to some “planning”, but I always wind up writing chapter instead of outlines!!

7.      You mentioned the backlog of rape kits found in Boston. A similar situation happened in St. Louis, but the police made a conscious decision NOT to process kits collected from women they deemed to be prostitutes. Can you explain why this is such a bad idea? Have you seen similar examples of prejudiced decisions by law enforcement officers? What can we do as a society to help keep our law enforcement officers from becoming jaded or letting their personal prejudices determine their commitment to justice?

It’s an absurd decision... unless as a society we somehow believe that a case where a prostitute has been raped is not as important as others in the system. I don’t believe that. As a practical matter, however, that is the de facto decision made by a lot of communities. And it’s not just prostitutes.  Chicago is in the middle of a horrific run of murders, but do we see a lot of outrage? In the newspapers? From the mayor? City council? We see some gestures of concern, but little in the way of concrete action. Why? Because most of the victims are black, poor and live in areas that barely exist in the minds of most affluent or even middle-class Chicagoans. Is this attitude unusual or unique to Chicago? No. It just is what it is.

8.      Please tell us about your newest work and any work in progress.

My next novel, THE INNOCENCE GAME, will be released this May. It’s about three Northwestern students who get involved in a death penalty case the Chicago PD would prefer be left alone. It’s not a Kelly book...but he might make a cameo!

The next Kelly book, THE GOVERNOR’S WIFE, is written as well. No release date yet, but we’re thinking either the end of 2013 or early 2014. The book is about an Illinois governor who’s sentenced to thirty years in jail for corruption (can you believe it!!). He disappears from the Dirksen building on the day of his sentencing. A manhunt ensues, but this guy is just gone... a la Whitey Bulger. The book opens three years later. Kelly gets an anonymous email hiring him to find the guy. Kelly starts off by talking to the governor’s bitter, angry and generally pissed-off wife. This is probably my favorite Kelly novel. A lot of fun to write.

I am currently writing a book set in Boston. Also playing around with another Chicago book set inside 26^th and Cal... as well as a screenplay that has nothing to do with crime!!

When My Grandmother Shot My Grandfather

Yep. It happened like this...

Granddaddy had served in WWII, and like many servicemen, he brought home his pistol. He must have kept it loaded and lying around the house, because one night when my mother came home from a date, she found the police there...

Seems that my grandmother had accused my grandfather of cheating on her.

The argument grew heated.

She picked up the gun and shot him.

I think her aim was off, because she got him in the leg. Knowing her, she probably aimed higher. Oh, about 24 inches higher.

True story.

Granddaddy and "Gar gar" (my grandmother) on their honeymoon.

Keep it in mind the next time someone tries to tell you that we're all safer with guns in our home. Some of us might be, but not all of us are.

The Nine of Wands: Safeguarding My Energy

Every year my sister and I host a New Year's Day party at my house. We invite Karen, a local psychic, to come and tell people's fortunes. Karen is completing her dissertation in biology. She's whip-smart and very, very talented. Although she has many psychic talents, Karen prefers to use Tarot cards when working with clients.

This year, while Karen was doing my reading, the Nine of Wands showed up.

At first glance, it's easy to misunderstand what the card means, because it looks like the man is imprisoned by the wands. But on closer inspection, you can see that he's built a fortress of them. They safeguard him. He is not a prisoner.

Karen told me, "You need to protect your energy. Too many demands on it are sapping you. For you to continue the success you've got going with your career, you need to do a better job of keeping people at bay--and saying no."


I knew that. I felt that. The run-up to the holidays was very busy for me. I've had a house full of people, people I love. But I've also felt drained and been unable to concentrate on my work. I do my best thinking when I'm alone in my house. I also need to refuse to answer the phone. Well-meaning people say, "Oh, I'll only talk a minute," but that minute has cost me an hour of momentum or more.

It's difficult for others to understand, but my job is not nine-to-five. I don't start and stop at obvious times. When I'm on a roll, I work around the clock. Even if it looks like I'm doing laundry, I'm thinking. I'm plotting. I'm planning. A phone call seems innocent enough, but it's like being dragged through one of those black holes they had on Star Trek. I'm yanked out of my reality and into the real world.

I told Karen that I understood what she was saying. She continued the reading, but as she did, I had this urge to get up and pull out my own set of Tarot cards. I mean, I could NOT sit still. Since we were in my office, it wasn't hard for me to locate my deck.

I handed the case over to Karen, and as I did, all my cards fell out. Face down. She helped me retrieve them.

"One of them is vibrating," she said calmly, as she plucked it from the pile.

It was this card, the Nine of Wands.

Okay! I get the message!

Unplanned and Perfect

Nothing ever goes as expected. You can take that to the bank! But if we allow things to evolve naturally, sometimes the end result is better than we planned for.

I've been saving this wire grid for months. I found it on the beach, and the sturdy construction intrigued me. So did the dark green color and the hint of barnacles. With those qualities in mind, I started collecting seashells with naturally drilled holes. I also picked up pieces of driftwood.

Over Christmas, I began my project. I threaded fishing line up and through the holes in the grid. I strung shells on the piece. But I wasn't really happy with the outcome. My friend Lynn Butler encouraged me to keep at it. My sister Jane liked how organic the piece was becoming.

I guess I'd featured something more structured and formal. However, as I worked, I started to run out of the same-old, same-old shells. I became more and more interested in adding unusual shells--and thinking through how to string up shells with more complicated holes. You see, the conchs don't have holes that are drilled straight through!

Yesterday, I hung up the finished product. My friends helped me--and Rodney Butler took this photo. What I love most about this wind-chime/whatever is that it will always remind me that the best result isn't necessarily the one I planned for!

Killer Characters: Searching for Baby Jesus

Killer Characters: Searching for Baby Jesus: By Grace Ann Terhune of the Southern Beauty Shop Mystery series as dictated to Joanna Campbell Slan (who likes to think of herself as an author, bless her heart).

Read a short, short story detailing what happens when a Baby Jesus goes missing from a creche scene in St. Elizabeth, Georgia.

It's Hump Day!

When I worked in a cubicle, this was my favorite day of the week! (Next to Friday, that is.) I also breathed a little easier knowing the majority of the week, and nasty Monday, was behind me. Back then, I worked faster than my boss did, so I often found myself with nothing to do. It wasn't like I didn't ask for chores. I did. But often, I sat at my desk and twiddled my thumbs.

When I got REALLY bored, inevitably, I also became sleepy. I would wait as long as possible to go to the ladies room. There I would fall asleep on the toilet with my head resting on the toilet paper roll. I never slept very long, because as I relaxed I would sink a little. And a little more. And when my tushy hit the water, I'd wake up with a start--and go back to work.

The other day my sister complained that I was working around the clock. I explained that when you are an author, you are essentially self-employed, and you work the hours you need to work, regardless of the day or the week or the length or your workday. That's fine by me. I'd rather be busy. But it can be frustrating to work from home because your neighbors and family rely on nine-to-five hours. My work life is anything but nine-to-five.

So here's to HUMP Day. I'm wishing you flowers, happiness, and fulfilling work--because that's what really makes the hours fly by!

Behind That Door...

For months I've been driving past a sign that says, "Sunshine State Carnations." Today I decided to drop in. The kind lady who greeted me laughed. "We don't have carnations. Haven't for fifteen years."

"Oh."

I was really disappointed. But I wasn't about to give up. I'd seen the small riding tractors. The greenhouse webbing. And I wasn't ready to go home. So I said, "What do you have?"

She laughed softly. "Come see," she said as she led me to a huge steel door.

"I'm not going in," said my husband. "That looks like a morgue.

The woman laughed again. But I was game. Then she opened the door.

When they opened King Tut's grave, and Lord Carnervon asked Howard Carter, "What do you see?"

And Carter said, "Wonderful things."

That's what I saw, too. Aren't these flowers beautiful?

 I bought an armful! They had been cut fresh from the growing fields just that morning. See that smile on my face? Oh, boy. I filled three vases with my haul.

I encourage you to open that door...the one that looks frightening and forbidding...because behind it you might find FLOWERS!

Take a virtual tour of "Sunshine Carnations" aka Sunshine Tropical Foliage. 

Lots of love,

Joanna

'The Best Promotion is a Good Book': An Interview with Bob Mayer

1.       In your book The Shelfless Book, you mention that your goal was a breakout book. What made you think you have a breakout book that was e-published? (Since most people think of traditional publishing as the way to breakout.) What was your strategy? You weren’t entirely confident that e-publishing would work, but it did. What convinced you to give it a try?

The concept of a breakout book has changed. In e-publishing break out can happen many different ways.  You can go viral, aka 50 Shades of Gray. But it's more likely you build a fan base gradually over time. So the need to have that immediate splash isn’t as pressing any more.

I’m in this for the long haul. My mantra is “the best promotion is a good book. Better promotion is more good books.”

I wasn’t confident e-publishing would work back when it was only 3% of the market place. But after committing to it, I grew more and more confident. It’s now at least 30% of the market in just three years.  And it’s spreading all over the world.

We’ve actually changed the title of ShelfLess to How We Made Our First Million On Kindle: The Shelfless Book. We did that because title is metadata and that title gets more attention.

2.       Most authors don’t seem to set goals beyond “get published” or “become a bestseller,” but you have carefully delineated and broken down goals. Could you tell us about goal setting for authors? Since the number of sales isn’t in our control, how can we effectively set goals for ourselves?

Most authors’ goals are:

                1.  Get published

                2.  Get the next book deal.

With goals like that, the vast majority (over 90%) end up failing. The number one definition of success is:  set a specific long-term goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Just getting published is the first step, and in this digital age, relatively easy.

I disagree with your second premise. The number of sales is, to an extent, in our control. By the quality of the book. The professionalism that goes into cover, editing, formatting, etc. I think authors surrender too much control emotionally.  If the author doesn’t control the book, who does? Actually, with e-publishing, we control many times more than we used in traditional publishing.

There are other things authors control and need to put time and effort into. A big one is networking. I go to a lot of conferences and conventions. I schedule meetings with reps from Amazon, PubIt, etc. I just visited Kobo headquarters in Toronto last month. That puts a face on the books. Even though our work is done electronically, it’s still a people business.

I also think it’s key to be innovative. To try to think ahead of the technology and not chase it. As I write my replies here, Jen Talty and I are emailing back and forth about the possibility of producing a pocket size version of my next book: The Green Beret Survival Guide for the Apocalypse, Zombies & More. We plan to publish that in the next couple of weeks and it occurred to me a small version that can be easily carried would be a good idea. So Jen is checking into the various options out there. We went to Barnes & Noble with the Nook First concept in 2011 and ended up with a #2 national bestseller with The Jefferson Allegiance as the first title in that program. We’re always searching for ways to innovate.

3.       You teamed up with Jen Talty to produce and market e-books, but you weren’t entirely sure you wanted to be an e-book publisher when you started. What have you learned about e-books since you began your venture? Could you tell us about being a “hybrid author”? Can you tell us about the advantages of being a hybrid author versus a traditional print author?

I was still thinking about taking my next manuscript to my agent back in 2010. But I studied the business and considered not where traditional publishing currently was, but rather where it would be in three years.  And I felt it would be in bad shape. I’d played the NY game for 20 years and 42 books. I decided to take a risk and go it on my own. But not on my own since I had Jen working the technical side of things. I think the term “self-publishing” is wrong. You can do it for one or two titles, but to be in this for the long haul you need a team.

What have I learned about e-books? One of the reasons you need a team is that an e-book is organic. It’s not static like a print book. We’re constantly updating, reformatting, doing new covers, etc. There are so many things you have to do and can be done, that it’s a full time job for Jen to keep track of it all. In fact, we’ve expanded and hired someone to work with her, since we’ve got around 100 titles now at Cool Gus Publishing.

4.       In Bodyguard of Lies, you often write from the perspective of two women. Hannah and Neeley. Hannah seems like a stereotype, but she quickly proves that she is anything but. You find all sorts of talents and resources in this woman. Is that your take on modern women? That they have talents and skills often forgotten and under-utilized? Was it hard for you to write from a woman’s POV?

It wasn’t hard, but I have an ace in the hole. My wife is a story-streamer. In TV they call someone like her a story-pusher. The author gives her an idea of where she wants the book to go and my wife writes a stream of consciousness laying out the scene. The author than can pick and choose what they want to use. It's a pretty unique talent. Hannah and Neeley were constructs we did together. Men and women do think differently. Which is why a man would have a hard time writing a romance. I wrote some with Jennifer Crusie, but I wrote the male point of view. My wife has worked with a #1 NY Times bestselling author with her streams and now she works full time with me. 

I believe a good writer can do the POV of the opposite sex if they are capable of getting out of themselves.  It’s all about mastering point of view.

5.       If you were going to counsel someone who was interested in e-publishing, what might you say to him or her? What are the pitfalls? What assumptions should be challenged?

That it’s easy. It’s not. You have a lot more control, which also means a lot more responsibility. You have to be in it for the long haul. You can’t keep checking sales every day.

A big pitfall is that many people seem to be forgetting about craft and focusing too much on promotion and marketing. Again, the best promotion is a good book. You can tweet and Facebook and all that constantly, but it really doesn’t sell books. Good writing sells books.

6.       Many self-pubbed e-authors don’t generate a lot in terms of sales. Can you address that? What’s the greatest misconception they have about the market? Can you tell us what you’ve learned about promoting e-books?

They aren’t thinking long term. Someone asked me that when I was on a panel at the Self-Pub Book Expo:  he had one book and had great reviews but it just wasn’t generating a lot of sales. He wanted to know what to do. I said: “Write the next book.”

Become better writers. I’ve worked on my craft constantly. I know I’m much better now than I was just a year ago. Learning how to really work with my wife has been very hard, but we’ve hammered out a working system. Even then, though, it’s difficult.

More product on more platforms equals more sales. I’ve invested around $50,000 in ACX audiobooks in 2012. I view that as a long term investment.

A big key is series. The biggest mistake I made the last couple of years was writing a bunch of stand alone books rather than pushing series forward. The most successful indie authors have series.  I’m correcting that mistake with Area 51 Nightstalkers coming out on 11 December. It’s a spin off of my best selling Area 51 series and starts a new series, basically pitched as: The Unit meets Warehouse 13.

7.       You are obviously incredibly prolific. Please tell us about your work habits and your process.

I work seven days a week. The mornings are my creative time. I literally have to turn off the wireless on my computer and set a timer on my iPhone to keep myself from getting distracted. 

There is no substitute for success in this business that’s more basic than actually planting your butt in chair and writing.

**

Bob Mayer will be a featured guest at the Love Is Murder Mystery Conference, Feb. 1-3, 2013, in Chicago. For more information, go to http://www.loveismurder.net/  He'll also be speaking to the First Coast Chapter of RWA in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, March 16, 2013. Keep checking this website for details:  www.firstcoastromancewriters.com