Things That'll Keep You Unpublished

Probably the LAST thing I should be doing with my time today is writing a blog post. Nevertheless, I am compelled to share what I'm learning.

See, I'm judging a contest for writers, new and hopeful authors. There's a wonderful set of criteria which guides me. Very helpful. Very insightful. But mainly, I'm calling upon what I've learned over the past five years.

And I'm using up far too much time doing this...except...except...it comes at an important juncture in my own career. I have two novels under my belt, and my third has been accepted but for the final edits. So reading these submissions, I can certainly see how my own skills have improved.

Here's what I'm seeing in these entries, problems that I believe will keep the books from seeing publication unless they are corrected:

1. Lack of specificity. Instead of having your protagonist say, "I went to college with her," tell me which college. MIT is very different from University of Illinois. A tiny specific tells the reader LOTS about your protagonist.

2. Simple grammatical mistakes. Common on, people. Learn to use a comma. All right, I still have trouble with "that" versus "which," but I keep looking up the difference and trying to get it right. And it's a subtle difference, one that may even go the way of "who" versus "whom," because proper usage almost becomes, uh, snotty. BUT...the major rules for comma usage are golden. Check this out, if you are unclear: http://www.eslbee.com/sentences.htm

3. Tighten up. I'm going to wear out my strike-through function. Here's an example of a sentence that needs to go on a diet: "I thought the words to myself." Uh, we only think to ourselves unless we are suffering from multiple personality disorder. Here's another: "Unexpectedly, I threw up my hands because I was startled by the surprise." ARRRGHHH. (I can't even start to fix that one!)

4. Delete the word "was" and write cleaner, clearer sentences. "I was tired, lonely from the long drive, and feeling sleepy as I pulled into town." How about "Tired, lonely, and sleepy from the 13-hour drive, I pulled into town." What I'm discovering is a real need for people to improve their technical ability, their basic repertoire of sentence structures. (Yes, "was" can be used perfectly. When you want to show that the subject was acted upon, then "was" does a brilliant job.)

5. Simple spelling and usage errors. I just looked up the spelling of "repertoire." That's part of my job. I always look up "lay" and "lie" because they are confusing. That's also part of the job. See, it's not just about writing--it's about knowing what my faults are as a writer and working to improve.

Okay, back to the judging.

PS I've re-read this and corrected it twice since originally writing it. That's another problem with beginning writers: They think their job is done once they have a first draft. (Sad to say, I'll probably find other corrections to make once this goes up. Still, the point is that you can't knock it out fast and walk away!)

Craft Room Spots Still Available at Bouchercon!

A SPECIAL EVENT


THE CRAFT ROOM
THU - SAT
55-minute sessions

So many of today’s cozy mysteries involve a craft such as scrapbooking, knitting, candle-making, etc. Register for a session in the craft room (Vision Room, 3rd floor) as authors demonstrate their craft and introduce themselves and their books. You'll have hands-on experience making your own craft, too!

This idea comes from author Joanna Campbell Slan, author of a scrapbooking mystery series.


The Craft Room



Participating Authors and their Crafts:
Maggie Sefton--knit a simple scarf
Cricket McRae--make an oatmeal milk bath salts/fizzing bath salts
Betty Hechtman--crochet a "Molly Pin Dishcloth"
Penny Warner--create a Nancy Drew Sleuth Kit with secret compartments OR make a "Killer Party Pop-Up invitation/memory book/favor"
Beth Groundwater--mystery-oriented designer gift baskets
Camille Minichino (Margaret Grace)--miniature flowers in a vase made from flower soft product
Joanna Campbell Slan--scrapbooking page craft
Sally Goldenbaum--"Knit a Square" Squares will be assembled into quilts and shawls and donated to needy children and mothers in Africa.
Mary Monica Pulver (Monica Ferris)--hand stitched simple bookmark designed in black and orange colors



Schedule:

Thursday
10:30 - 11:25 Monica Ferris - cross stitched bookmark
1:30 - 2:25 Margaret Grace - miniature flowers
3:00 - 3:55 Betty Hechtman - crocheted dishcloth

Friday
9:00 - 9:55 Maggie Sefton - simple scarf
10:30 - 11:25 Penny Warner - Nancy Drew sleuth kit
3:00 - 3:55 Penny Warner - party invitation

Saturday
9:00 - 9:55 Sally Goldenbaum - quilting project
10:30 - 11:25 Beth Groundwater - gift basket
1:00 - 1:55 Joanna Campbell Slan - scrapbooking page
2:30 - 3:25 Cricket McRae - oatmeal silk/bath salts




Location: Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, Vision Room, 3rd Floor

Cost: Free Ticketed Event

How to register:
Go to RegOnline at www.regonline.com/bcon2009. Add the event when you register for Bouchercon. If you've already registered for Bouchercon, select the "Existing" option and type in your e-mail address. RegOnline will ask for your password. If you've forgotten it, click "Forgot your password?" and it will be sent to you in about five minutes.

After keying in your password, under the Registration List, find your name and click on "Agenda (Fees)" and you can add any auxiliary events that are available.

You must be registered for Bouchercon to attend.

I'm So Behind, I Look Like I'm Out Front...

Sigh. Today I slept until 3pm. Yes, 3 in the afternoon. Which I think is some indication of how incredibly tired I've been. The move, my mom's death, all the running around to New York City and to Minneapolis, and back finally caught up with me. Of course, maybe there's also the new trick I've learned. See, I've learned to sleep through the sound of acorns pelting our house. Yeah, at first, David and I thought a neighborhood kid was shooting our house with B-Bs or tossing a softball against our siding. We looked at the house from the front and couldn't see any branches scratching. We looked from the back and nada.

But what we couldn't see was the oak tree at the side of the house, strategically positioned between the windows at the side of the house. That was the problem. Plus, our bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, so the sound in our room versus the other rooms on that side of the house was different.

So, maybe I've just learned on some deep psychological level to ignore the acorns.

Or maybe it was the half-a-pill of Ambien that I finally broke down and took before bed.

Who cares? Whatever it was, it worked.

**

Here's my schedule for Bouchercon in Indianapolis as of today, October 5. If you plan to attend, let's meet up and say, "Howdy!"


Thursday, Oct. 15

9-9:55am
Killer Hobbies Panel—Five crafty authors discuss the hobbies that drove them to murder. Moderator with Sally Goldenbaum, Margaret Grace, Beth Groundwater, and Betty Hechtman.

4:30pm
Librarian’s Tea: SinC into a Great Mystery

**

Friday, Oct. 16

7:30am
SinC breakfast at Hyatt Regency

10:30am
MWA Hot Ticket Author Carolyn Hart
Featured authors: Joanna Campbell Slan and Beverle Graves Myers

5:30-7pm
Indiana Authors Reception
Central Library
40 East St. Clair Street
Indianapolis IN

**

Saturday, Oct. 17

1-1:55pm
Craft Room—“Scrapbook Page”
With gifts, prizes, and a wonderful exclusive customized scrapbook page by EK Success.

**

Sunday, Oct. 18

9-11am
Book Bazaar

Bouchercon 2009 Craft Room Project

Contest on Spotted Canary

It's up! You'll want to learn all about the new Spotted Canary Contest. You could win naming rights for a character in Book #3 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series. Go to...

http://tinyurl.com/lyru9n

And while you're there, check out what a super site this is for crafters. You'll find everything you need to put FUN back into your hobby world. Here's the site: http://www.spottedcanary.com

News and Appearances

MINNEAPOLIS VISIT--Sept. 18-20, 2009

Joanna will be appearing at Scrapfest at Mall of America in Minneapolis to sign copies of PAPER, SCISSORS, DEATH (Book #1) and CUT, CROP & DIE (Book #2). Be sure to stop by the Archivers store at Mall of America, and visit me on Friday (September 18) from 9am to 1pm, and Saturday (September 19) from 9am to 1pm, on Sunday (September 20) from 11am to 3pm. On Friday after 2pm, she'll be signing at the Barnes & Noble store there at MOA. That evening at 6pm, she’ll stop by Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore in Minneapolis to sign books. In the evening on Saturday, she'll stop at a crop at Scrapbooks Too, 10518 France Ave S, Bloomington, Minnesota.

ONLINE AT SPOTTED CANARY--Sept. 17, 2009, and every Monday for six consecutive weeks.

Join Joanna every Monday at 8am EST, starting on September 21, at http://www.spottedcanary.com/ in "The Cat That Ate the Canary" Forum. She'll be dispensing clues that may win you prizes or a chance at IMMORTALITY. Yes, you could win the chance to be a character in Book #3 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series.

FREDRICK, MD--Oct. 3, 2009

On October 3, Joanna will visit "In the Streets" at the Frederick, Maryland city-wide festival--details will be in our blog, but she's planning to team up with Queenie D, who runs Queenie D's Book Club Blog. There will be prizes!

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--Oct. 15-18, 2009

Meet the Killer Hobbies Blog Sisters at Bouchercon, October 15-18 in Indianapolis IN. (Go to http://www.bouchercon2009.com/ for registration details.) On Thursday, Oct. 15 at 9am, Joanna Campbell Slan will moderate a panel featuring Margaret Grace and Betty Hechtman from our blog http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/ ! Then join us and learn the crafts we love so much: Visit the Bouchercon Craft Room on Thurs./Oct. 15 from 10:30am to 11:25am, Monica Ferris will teach "How to Make a Cross Stitched Bookmark"; 1:30pm to 2:25 p.m. Margaret Grace will teach "How to Make Miniature Flowers"; 3pm to 3:55pm Betty Hechtman will teach "How to Make a Crocheted Molly Pink Dishcloth." On Sat./ Oct.17, Joanna Campbell Slan will teach "How to Make a Scrapbook Page." Join us on Sunday, October 18 for the Book Bazaar--Joanna will be giving away copies of one of her Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mysteries.

To Plot or Not to Plot

I'm 10,000+ words into Book #4 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft series. Now's the time to stop and plot.

Groan.

I've already written a synopsis, I know who died, how my victim died, and what's up. But in order to do my best work, this is the point where I drag out trusty pencil and paper and start making charts. Yep. Good old fashioned charts.

I'll chart out what's happening in Kiki's life, in Sheila's life, in Mert's life, in Dodie's life, in Anya's life, in Detweiler's life, in Gracie's life...you get the picture. I see myself as an orchestra conductor trying to get all those instruments playing together in harmony. Of course, Kiki is sitting at the Steinway grand. She's the spotlighted soloist. But all the others have their part to play.

I'll also consider all the comments I've collected about the series. What readers like. What they want more of. What they THINK will happen. What they WANT to happen. How they'd like to see my characters evolve. Of course, it' s my job to keep throwing curve balls. And I will. Still, I really appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm not so hidebound or so egotistical that I think I have to come up with all the answers myself. I'll very willing to listen.

In the end, it has to be my creation. But along the way, only a fool would ignore what other invested people have to say about characters they love.

So...goodbye whizzing along and typing on the computer. Hello, eraser and pencil. Odd to think that sometimes by slowing down, you can actually go faster, but it's true!

Queenie D's Review of Cut, Crop & Die

It's not often you get reviewed by royalty. Queenie D gives her take on Cut, Crop & Die here http://www.book-club-queen.com/cut.html

Here's an interview we did together: http://www.book-club-queen.com/cut.html

I must admit, I shared a lot more about my characters with Queenie than I have in the past. I'm curious to hear what my fans think about my future plans.

After we corresponded by email, I learned she and I are almost neighbors! So I'm planning to visit with her and her friends at the "In the Streets" celebration in Frederick MD on September 26. Stay tuned for details.

On Thursday at 8 a.m. EST, check out the forum at http://www.spottedcanary.com/ I'll be announcing details of a new contest where the winner gets to name a character in Book #4 of the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft Mystery series.

I'm heading out this Thursday for Scrapfest at Mall of America, Minneapolis. I'll be signing up at the Archivers store on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, on Friday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I'll also be stopping in at Scrapbooks Too for the evening crop Saturday night, as well as dropping by Uncle Edgar's to sign books. For details, visit http://www.booktour.com/ and put in my name.

Meanwhile, I'll try to get my Fall 2009 newsletter out to all of you. Be sure to sign up at my website http://www.joannaslan.com/Have a great fall!

Robert Redford...or Better Than Sex Desert

Thanks to Sue Ellen Harrell for sharing.

Now ladies, we can lick Robert Redford off a spoon!

**

Jone’s Chocolate Delight
(Or Robert Redford or Better than Sex )

1 stick of melted butter
1 ¼ c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1 9 oz. container of Cool Whip
2 pkgs. of chocolate instant pudding
3 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; blend together butter and flour with a fork, mix in nuts and spread evenly in 9 X 13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar and ½ of Cool Whip. Spread on cooled crust. Chill in refrigerator.

Prepare two packages of instant pudding; reducing milk to 3 cups. Spread on top of cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate ½ hour. Top with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

The Monroe City Book Club

I asked Marlis Day to tell all of you about her extra-ordinary bookclub. I visited, and it was quite a treat! That's me with Marlis at the Blue Jean Center.

In 2003 we started a book club in our little town of Monroe City, Indiana. Women from all over the area came to join. We joined the greater "Oprah Book Club" and ordered T-shirts. In the beginning we read the books Oprah picked and made the online connections for discussion questions. She even pictured our group on her web site for a while. We were so proud. Then Oprah's book choices became less frequent and we wanted to read a book every month, so we veered off on our own and began choosing titles. We read local authors, classics, and best-sellers.

We meet in the Blue Jean Center, the old school turned community center, on the first Thursday of each month at seven. We take turns choosing titles, leading discussions, and bringing snacks. It's a women's book club and a few men have inquired, but we tell them they wouldn't want to read the books we choose. We like books about strong women and prefer women authors.

Every year we have an author night. When we host an author, we send press releases to the local paper, order a box of his/her books and read. We invite the author for dinner, prepare a wonderful home-cooked meal, and everyone brings a friend to meet the author. Our group of twenty usually ends up hosting a dinner for fifty or more. After the dinner, the author has an hour to discuss her book. This is followed by a Q&A time and book signing.

Last month we hosted Agatha Nominee for Best First Novel, Joanna Campbell Slan. We read her first mystery, Paper, Scissors, Death, and loved it. Everyone agreed she was a wonderful speaker, making us laugh all evening. Many members bought her second mystery, Cut, Crop, and Die. Our member are anxious to discuss it at our August meeting. If you need a good speaker, contact Joanna. Her books are intriguing and she is delightful!

-Marlis Day
Author of the Margo Brown Mysteries
and The Secret of Bailey's Chase, a tween novel.
http://www.marlisday.com/

Joanna responds: I just want to say that I'd drive all the way back to Monroe City just for the food! They have this dessert called Robert Redford. Believe me, you'll want to lick Robert off your spoon.

Accepting (and Giving) Criticism--Some Great Guidelines

Criticism is part of being an author. In fact, we even have a special name for one type of it: editing. I mean, think about it. Editing is, in its broadest form, a type of criticism. However, the best editors manage to share their suggestions in such a way that they don't seem like criticism at all! And those are the types of editors we all hope to work with--compassionate to our self-esteem yet focused on helping us create a better product.

But some criticism comes out of the blue. From readers, from other authors, and from reviewers. Some is valid and useful. Some criticism, however, is downright destructive.

Recently, a site for motivational speakers fielded a question. Seems this particular speaker finished a presentation and someone unknown to her offered a on-the-spot critique. She wondered how she should have responded.

I thought Paul Radde's comments about how to handle that situation were worth re-posting here--yes, they were intended for a speaker, but every writer can benefit from this as well:

***

If the feedback has begun and you are momentarily blind-sided, and they (the persons offering feedback) are adamantly continuing with the feedback, you can deflect what they are saying by referring to the rules of feedback: coming from a contractual source, e.g. a supervisor when requested, or when in a position to receive it, in private. With presence of mind, you could request that you would be much more able to receive what they had to offer when you could concentrate on their comments completely.

Should they persist anyway, you could ask that colleague what his/her intention is in providing the feedback right now.

Even so, there are only two kinds of legitimate feedback:

* confirming: specific and detailed description of what the recipient did right in recognition of their accomplishment, or to recommend that they continue.

* corrective, re-directive, focusing: specific and detailed description of a better direction, practice, or how to get back on track.

The other kinds of feedback are not appropriate:

* demanding: stated regarding something that the recipient cannot correct or change, and so constituting a denial of reality...

*denouncing: stated with the intention of belittling, demeaning, or putting down the recipient.
It’s the intention, tone, and content.

* general: so lacking in specificity and precision as to leave the recipient lacking in any direction, correction, or value to take from the statement. General feedback is worthless.

***

Here are a few ideas of my own:

What is the person's intention? Is the person offering feedback because he/she really has something to share that he/she thinks you can use? Or does the person have an agenda?

What is the person's background/training? Okay, you don't have to be an expert to offer an opinion, but someone with a very narrow scope of experience might not have the best platform from which to offer a thoughtful opinion. I especially shudder when someone starts a criticism with "I do a little blah-blah-blah and I wanted to offer you some feedback." Usually, it's a veiled attempt to play "I can one-up you."

How does the person support the criticism? Can he/she point to an example? Can you confirm what he/she is saying or give it accurate consideration?

How emotionally charged is the criticism? Is it a rambling attempt to put you down? Look for emotionally worded critiques. An example might be, "That book will NEVER..." or "You don't EVER..." or "I can't BELIEVE that..." Those capitalized words are all clues that the speaker/giver of criticism is responding to an emotional issue and not to your work.

How willing is the speaker/critic to defer criticism to another time? In my opinion, anyone who keeps hammering home a complaint or who doesn't take timing into consideration, is probably someone with an ulterior motive. I've noticed that if the person just can't stop criticizing or can't wait to tell you his/her opinion, it has more to do with that person that with the project.

What's the language the criticism is couched in? For example, if you tell me, "I think I'd feel more emphathetic to your protagonist if you did such-and-such," that's a lot different from "I hated your protagonist because..." In one case, the critic is offering me a way to improve. In the other, he/she is leading with a strong emotional response.

Our work is out there for all to see and remark upon. But some remarks are worth hearing and some are meant to be daggers in the heart. You can't give both sets of information equal attention. If you do, it will seriously hamper your ability to keep writing!
**

Paul Radde is the author of the definitive book on meeting environment, available at www.Thrival.com Once there click on "Products," scroll down to "Books" click on SEATING MATTERS.Want a preview? Click on "Articles" and read "How to Get YourAudience the Best Seats in the House," from Professional Speaker Magazine.Workshop advised for meeting professionals, CPE, affiliates, chapters.

70 Library Holds on Cut, Crop & Die

That's me and Marsha Ramey, from Sachs Library here in Chesterfield. Marsha was kind enough to set up a meeting with her book club, a lovely group of ladies.

Here's an email from an attendee:

> Joanna,
> Thank you for your lively and informative talk with all of us at
> Sach's Library on Wednesday,the 15th of July.
> It was so interesting to hear about the publishing industry and your
> own personal experiences as an author.
> And what fun your Kiki books are! I am patiently waiting for the Cut,
> Crop and Die which is on hold at the library- I am 40 of 70 holds!!
> Thank you again and I wish you and your family all the best in your
> new adventure to Washington, DC.
> You will love it there, too.
> Nancy Stratte

I wish there were more copies of my book, but...

An author friend told me, "Joanna, you don't WANT them to have a lot of copies. That way people will be forced to buy them."

Maybe.

But I see it a bit differently. The more people who get "hooked" on my series, the better the sales of each successive book will become. And that's my focus...future sales and fans.

Report on the Digital State of the Book Nation

Gordon Burgett is a publishing industry sage. Here's a link to his discussion of a report on the future of digital publishing.

http://www.gordonburgett.com/digitalfuture.htm

An important point--the report notes that any digital product will be able to stay current, because it can be updated quickly and easily. But, a print product will become dated.

This is very important. If you are writing a book with a lot of links, or even with an addendum with references, these can quickly become obsolete. Even product references can become antiquated. I've experience this as people who own copies of Scrapbook Storytelling have emailed me trying to find various suppliers who, alas, are no longer in business.

Now that doesn't stop me from adding product references in my books, but it does mean that the public's ability to contact you or to visit you on your website takes on new importance. People do know how to contact you, right? Make it as easy as possible, is my mantra. Even when I email people back to to say, "Sorry, those suppliers are no longer in business," I've taken the time to further my relationship with the person writing the email. Usually people will tell me how surprised they are that I personally have responded.

Why shouldn't I? Oh, sure, it takes time, but I figure it's the least I can do. They spent money and time with my product. I owe them a response.

Also note that POD (print on demand) technology continues to improve. Many years ago, a Japanese concept call JIT (Just In Time) sourcing revolutionized the auto industry. With JIT, a car manufacturer such as Toyota could order parts and know they'd arrive "just in time." This saved the cost of warehousing. Now, you might think, "So what?" But let's use a little imagination, shall we? Suppose are an American manufacturer who has ordered all the parts to build a month's worth of cars. You have to unload those parts from a carrier (+ labor/workman's comp for a job prone to injuries), warehouse them (+ labor, + insurance on the building, + inventorying supplies, + knowing where the supplies are, + rent), store them until used (+ cost of overhead and any damages if there's a leak in your roof, insurance), then ship them to your factory floor. Compare this to: the parts arrive and are taken directly to the factory. Hello!

It's the same with books. If you print them all in advance, they must be boxed and shipped to your warehouse. If the warehouse is damp, if the books get rained on during shipment, if the number of books in the book isn't the correct amount to send out in any one order (and they need to be repacked), you have incurred costs in addition to publishing your books.

Oh, don't look for everything to change overnight. Some time ago, the music industry introduced kiosks where folks could order sheet music and have it printed as they waited. The prediction was that there'd be a kiosk in every music instrument store. It hasn't quite happened. But on the other hand, more and more scrapbookers are storing their photos digitally and printing them out as they need them, either at home or through vendors.

There's a change coming to this industry. It bodes well for all of us...but as to who will be the big winners and losers, well, we'll just have to wait and see.

Guest Blogger Neil Plakcy

Please welcome my friend, Neil Plakcy--

1. Tell us about yourself. I know you teach, Neil. What do you teach and where? How does that work with your career as an author? What sort of impact has this had on your writing schedule? What have you learned through teaching that you apply to your work?

Though back in 1988 I signed up for the new Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at Florida International University just to learn to write better, I can see that my classes also taught me how to teach writing. Taking workshops with great writers like Les Standiford, James W. Hall and Lynne Barrett forced me to write and rewrite. I also learned how to take a more analytical approach to writing as I came to understand the basics of character, dialogue, scene, plotting and so on.

Today I teach writing at Broward College, #3 in the country in the number of associate’s degrees granted. (My campus is halfway between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, with a very multi-cultural student body that ranges in age from teenagers to mid-life career changers.) Over 60% of our students enter lacking basic writing skills, so I teach two levels of developmental writing—sentence to paragraph and paragraph to essay. I created my own approach to freshman composition, using writing about food to build skills in narration, description, and research. I’ve also taught writing about literature and creative writing.

My favorite is a literature course on mystery fiction, where we read academic essays about the mystery as well as short stories and novels in three genres: amateur sleuth, private eye, and police procedural. The students love the chance to read great contemporary stories, and I enjoy exposing them to the mystery and hearing what they have to say about it.
Teaching is a great gig for a writer. Three of my courses are fully online, so my schedule is very flexible, and I can carve out writing time every day. And guiding students to write better has impacted my own writing—I hear that “teacher voice” in my head saying things like “Wait—you’re changing point of view!” or “This paragraph is awful long.”

2. Tell us about your new book--the characters, the setting and a bit about the plot. How does it fit in with your other works?

The elevator pitch for my first mystery, Mahu, was “gay cop gets dragged out of the closet while investigating a dangerous case.” Once I’d finished that book, though, my hero, Honolulu homicide detective Kimo Kanapa’aka, told me that his journey had just begun. I came to see “coming out” as a process, rather than a single event, and looked for cases Kimo could investigate that would challenge him and move him forward.

In subsequent books, Kimo has traveled paths common to many gay men, particularly those who come out in their 30s, as he does. In Mahu Surfer, when he went undercover to discover who had been killing surfers, he began by making gay friends and getting more comfortable with himself. In Mahu Fire, he met fire inspector Mike Riccardi while investigating a bombing, and fell in love.

In Mahu Vice, the newest in the series, he’s discovering that the path to true love has more than a few twists and turns. Called to an arson homicide at a shopping center built by his father, he is forced to work with Mike again, nearly a year after they broke up. Tension rises as the case gets more complex and he and Mike rekindle their attraction.

But will the same things that drove them apart a year before doom this renewed relationship? What was going on at the acupuncture clinic where the victim, a teenaged Chinese illegal immigrant, was working?

Prostitution, gambling and immigration are all hot-button issues in Hawaii, as in many places, but the isolation, multicultural community, and tropical heat in Hawaii conspire to raise the tension level for Kimo and Mike as they figure out not only whodunit, but where their relationship can go.

3. Your books feature gay characters. In the beginning, did this make it harder to get a publisher? Or was it easier because you had a niche market? Has this influenced your marketing attempts, and if so, how? Does this ever pose any challenges at signings?

I didn’t realize I was writing for a niche when I started. I didn’t even know that the niche existed! Like many beginning writers, I was woefully undereducated about the business side of publishing. But I learned. When I approached agents at first, many thought that the idea of a gay detective was too radical. So I had to do my research, and discovered a thriving niche. (There were 18 nominations last year for the Lambda Literary Award for best gay men’s mystery, for example. Mahu Fire was a top-five finalist for that award.)

My first agent targeted all the publishers she thought would be interested, and every one of them turned me down. When I’d just about given up, I met an editor at the Miami Book Fair who told me his press was expanding their gay genre fiction line (mystery, romance, horror, etc.) and encouraged me to send the manuscript to him directly. That’s why I say my career has benefited from both hard work and luck. And of course, the harder I work, the luckier I get!

Booksellers tend to have an idea, even if it’s narrow, of the audience they can bring in for signings. For example, I’ve tried without success to convince a chain bookstore that I know a lot of older gay men who read who live in a neighborhood south of Miami. But they say gay books don’t sell at that store, so they won’t offer me a reading.

Maybe the books aren’t selling because they aren’t bringing in authors and marketing to that community. Or maybe they’re right, and I’m wrong.

It was much harder to set readings up with my first publisher, a small press; one independent bookstore owner told me “You’re one step above self-published,” even though that press published 200 books a year, had a big marketing department, and offered co-op advertising. Now that I am lucky enough to be published by the biggest GLBT press in the country, Alyson Books, I get great distribution and booksellers know my titles.

Interestingly enough, I got much more negative reaction when I was in graduate school writing about Jewish characters than I’ve ever gotten writing about gay ones. When I wrote humorous stories about dumb Jews (I have a lot in my own family, so I’ve got lots of material) people were really offended.

4. You have a robust online presence. Tell us about that. How do you compare the online community with other writing communities?

I started coming out myself just as the Internet began to boom, so the ability to seek out GLBT people, news, and online communities has been important to me for years. While I love volunteering with the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and attending mystery conferences like Bouchercon, Sleuthfest, and Left Coast Crime, the ability to stay in contact with other writers more than once or twice a year, or even once a month, is very important. I belong to a local critique group, but I also email stories and chapters to more far-flung colleagues, and I enjoy being part of their lives through Twitter and Facebook, too.

I think there’s also a degree of intimacy you can develop with an online friend that harder to duplicate face to face. Even with my closest writing friends in Florida, we might meet only at events or exchange the occasional email or phone call, because we all have busy lives. I can spill my heart out over a rejection to an online friend, though, and get commiseration back right away, as well as suggestions on where to market next.

5. You recently won a "Lefty." Tell us what that's meant to you and your career.

I was absolutely thrilled to win the Hawaii Five-O award for best police procedural at the 2009 Left Coast Crime festival. I grew up watching that show, and it still influences my writing. It was fun to receive the award in Hawaii, because my books are set there, but the best part was that the voters were fans rather than critics. My publisher donated copies for the book bags, and throughout the conference I had people come up to me and say, “I just started reading your book and I love it!”

As far as my career goes, I don’t think it means much. If it had been an Edgar…. though now I can be introduced as “Award-Winning Author Neil Plakcy!”

6. You've been very involved with SleuthFest. How has that benefited you? What would you say to someone considering coming to the conference?

Any writer’s conference is a great chance to network, learn, and be energized, and I think Sleuthfest does a great job on all those fronts. Inspiration is a funny thing; it often comes when you’re not expecting it. I’ve gone to seminars and workshops just out of a sense of duty or obligation, and walked out with fresh ideas and a desire to get back to my computer as fast as possible. I’ve also loved meeting the writers, published and unpublished, who attend, and swapping stories about writing. So personally and professionally, Sleuthfest has been a great event for me.

Sleuthfest has a terrific core of volunteers, so just walking in the door you know you’re going to be welcomed into a wonderful group of writers. And how can you beat South Florida in February?

**

About Neil Plakcy...

Neil Plakcy is the author of Mahu, Mahu Surfer, Mahu Fire and Mahu Vice, mystery novels set in Hawaii, as well as the romance novel GayLife.com. He edited Paws & Reflect: A Special Bond Between Man and Dog and the gay erotic anthologies Hard Hats and Surfer Boys. Plakcy is a journalist and book reviewer as well as an assistant professorof English at Broward College's south campus in Pembroke Pines. He is vice president of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and afrequent contributor to gay anthologies.

Writing Scenes that Create an Emotional Body Blow

Note: I was so impressed with this that I asked Christine if I could share it with all of you. Okay, even if you are writing mysteries, you still need to move your readers.

Is your pencil ready to take notes? Should be, because this, my friends, is a master class in the art of writing well. joanna

by Christine Wells

I think all of us writing romance have heard of emotional punch, haven’t we? One of the most important tasks of any romance writer is to evoke emotion in the reader. Today, I’m going to talk about the mother of all techniques for evoking emotion–the emotional body blow.
This is a crucial moment in your story where an event floors your hero or heroine emotionally. There are many ways to set up an emotional body blow.

WARNING some of the examples below might be SPOILERS:

The character longs desperately for something they can’t have and then has to stand by and watch someone else get it.

Examples:

In WICKED LITTLE GAME, my heroine, Lady Sarah, desperately wants a baby and can’t have one, then finds out her blackguard husband has fathered a child with another woman.

In SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Elinor is in love with Edward, then not only does Lucy Steele tell her she is engaged to him but she treats Eleanor as a confidante.

The character has a secret fear about themselves confirmed by someone else.

Examples:

In Georgette Heyer’s DEVIL’S CUB, Mary, who believes she is not good enough by birth and breeding for the Marquis of Vidal, hears Vidal’s mother say exactly that.

In Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s LADY BE GOOD, Kenny Traveler lets everyone thing he is lazy and irresponsible, but when Emma jumps to the wrong conclusion about him abandoning his own child, it cuts him to the core.

Something the character fears and anticipates actually comes to pass.

This often precipitates the ‘black moment’, where it seems that all is lost.

Examples:

In PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, while Lizzie defends her family against Mr. Darcy, she is secretly afraid he’s right about their vulgarity. Her fear is realized when Lydia runs away with Wickham.

Someone they love sees them as they truly are.

When a love interest zeroes in on the truth of a hero’s character–what Michael Hauge calls their “essence” as opposed to the “identity” they’ve built for themselves, this can come as a severe blow. You would think it would be a good thing, but for a character who has repressed his or her essence for so long out of a need to protect themselves, it can be terrifying.

Example:

Dain in Loretta Chase’s LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. When Jessica tells him she loves him despite every effort he makes to push her away, Dain cracks open inside. It’s a very powerful scene because it leaves this big, hard man totally vulnerable.

In Georgette Heyer’s VENETIA, when Damerel tells Venetia the story of his disgrace, she strikes at his heart when she takes his side.

The hero or heroine reverts to their identity when the going gets tough, dealing their love interest a body blow.

Example:

In VENETIA, Damerel has shown Venetia in a thousand ways that he’s a rake and not to be trusted but she has seen beneath that exterior and falls in love with him. When the outside world closes in and tells him it would be a disgrace for her to marry him, he pushes her away, resuming the persona of the heartless rake. The devastation Venetia feels is underscored by a sense of unreality. She knows the real Damerel. Why is he behaving like this?

A great technique to use when delivering the body blow to your character is to do it when it seems the character is making progress toward their internal or external goal.

In the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE example, the blow comes at the point where Darcy and Lizzie begin to understand one another during her visit to Pemberley. It’s like that technique actors use when they answer a phone on television. If the news on the phone is bad, they are smiling when they answer it, so the viewer can experience that powerful change in emotion when suddenly, the smile slips from the actor’s face.

As an exercise, try writing a scene where your character is dealt an emotional body blow. Ask yourself what they want most and show someone else receiving it. Ask who they want to be inside and have another character confirm to them that they can never be that way. Give them a disaster that strikes at the heart of who they are. This will often be a turning point in the story, the time when your character decides to be brave and take a step toward their goal, or thinks that it has all become too much to deal with, and retreats.

This isn’t an easy technique to do well, but it is enormously satisfying when you do!

Christine Wells is the author of Wicked Little Game. You can learn more about her at http://www.christine-wells.com/

About Rejection...

I've had two people within the past week ask me how I handle rejection. One said, "Joanna, have you ever had anything rejected by your publisher?"

Well, yeah.

And I'll tell you how I've come to think about this...

See you can't get to the east coast or the west coast without crossing mountains. You can fly over them, or you can drive over them, but one way or the other, you've got to pass through them.

Rejection in this business is like mountains. It's just a hard spot between me and my goals. I can choose to whine and moan. I can avoid them. Or I can pull up my big girl panties (thanks, Linda H.!) and just keep on trucking. It doesn't mean I have to LIKE the mountains, and once in a while, I get turned back at the pass, but as long as I keep my goal in mind, I'll pick myself up and hurl myself in that general direction once again.

Here's a secret: It's not always the best books or the best articles that get published. Sometimes what an author offers is just what the publisher needed to round out a catalog. Or, your work didn't fit that publisher's immediate needs. It can be something entirely out of your control, and something not at all connected with the quality of your work.

Years ago, an acquiring editor told me he was going to publish I'm Too Blessed to be Depressed. He even set the release date. He was going to bring it out around Mother's Day. Boy, was I ever happy.

All he had to do was take it to the marketing committee. No sweat. Just a formality.

Then he called me back. The publisher had visited the marketing committee. The publisher had decided to take the company in a new direction. From that meeting on, all HCI Communications would publish was Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Now had my book been presented the week before, I would have had a contract. As it was...I self-published.

See? None of that had anything to do with the quality of my work.

So...if you want to write, you better have a strong stomach for rejection. Sure, I've cried about it. I've stomped around my office and called folks names. I've had a bad week interrupted only by lots of cookies and sweets. But I'm not going to let it stop me. I suggest you don't let it stop you either.

Upcoming and Incoming--Stuff I'm Doing and Thinking

* Listen in, please! I'll be Sylvia Dicky Smith's featured guest on Murder She Writes today at 5 p.m. CDT. You can listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com I hope to talk some about promotions as well as my new book.

* Welcome new subscribers! My Constant Contact list grew by 62 names this month. Why? I think that reminding people they can sign up for my newsletter as I sell my book has helped. Now the challenge will continue to be providing value in that newsletter.

* Old friends and familiar faces. I continue to be amazed by the people I run into who own one of my "older" books. This weekend, I met a woman who owns 3 copies of I'm Too Blessed to be Depressed, a book I self-published and then sold to Adams Media. I've since gotten the rights back, and golly, maybe I should reprint that title because it was incredibly popular! Meeting "old" fans is such a good reminder that every public opportunity is another chance to turn folks into "raving fans," the kind of people who talk you up at every turn.

* Good works and good reads. Just finished 35 or so bookplates for the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. I'm tickled pink they are selling so many books to benefit homeless dogs.

* Book clubs are terrific. Marlis Day told me they've sold at least 18 copies of Paper, Scissors, Death to the book club there in Monroe City, IN. At the Barnes & Noble in Fenton MO, the manager introduced me to a customer who was an avid reader. "By the way, are you part of a book club?" I asked. I proceeded to give the woman enough bookmarks for all her book club members. I can visit any book club any where via Skype and I'm excited about trying that.

* Bookmarks with ribbons. I have to say that despite all the pain in the bottom work that goes into adding the ribbons to my bookmarks, it surely makes a difference. I've had readers linger over deciding which color ribbon to choose. It's so hard to know which of your marketing efforts is worthwhile, but I'm going to keep tying on ribbons as long as my achy-crampy hand will allow it.

* Signings this weekend:
** Friday, June 19, 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Ladue
** Saturday, June 20, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., at Barnes & Noble in MidRivers
** Sunday, June 21 (My birthday!), 1 to 3 p.m. at Borders on Manchester

How can I sign on my birthday? It's easy. There's nothing I'd rather do than make a new fan. Okay, nothing except write. So it's my present to myself.

* Online chat:
** Thursday, June 18, at 7 PST with the Fiskateers

* Class:
** Tuesday, June 16, 6:30 p.m., Edwardsville campus of Lewis & Clark Community College, I'll be teaching "How to Get Published"

* Blog appearances:
** I'll be on Amy Alessio's Vintage Cookbooks blog on Tuesday, June 16http://vintagecookbooks.blogspot.com/
** Pop Syndicate blog on Wednesday, June 17 http://www.popsyndicate.com/

NOTE TO SELF: Joanna, you simply must wear comfortable shoes to signings. This wincing with pain is not good!

The Rising Tide of Cozies, Part 1

I just completed a four-part article about 'craft cozies," mysteries that center around a craft or a person involved in crafts. The first installment is now up at ForeWord Magazine, and you can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/puxwyk

Why should you care? Well, maybe you'll come up with a couple new marketing ideas or an idea for a mystery series of your own!

Tools for Overcoming Writer's Block

Last night I posted 15 essays on writing at www.youpublish.com/joannaslan

These were originally monthly columns for an online magazine called "Graceful Bee," but I'm now making them available for a short time for anyone who needs a gentle boost to get writing.

Although written for scrapbookers, the ideas and concepts could inspire any writer. Often, when I'm working on a book, I dig through my personal bag of experiences to find raw materials. I then take a situation that I observed or participated in and RESHAPE that situation as a scene in my books.

For example, in Cut, Crop & Die, Kiki Lowenstein has a nearly disasterous visit to a spa. She's covered with a mud paste, wrapped in plastic, and left for the goo to do its work. As she lies there on a table, newly cut grass from an open window drifts in and sets off an allergic reaction. But, because she's wrapped tighter than an Egyptian mummy, Kiki can't move. She can't get up and close the window. In fact, the more she wriggles, the more she slides on the table. Eventually she's headed for scooting off the table and out the open window.

It happened to me.

I kid you not.

I was at the Heartland Spa in Illinois. I'd been "exfoliated" by a woman who must have had a second career polishing furniture. I was slathered in a mud skin product. The woman left me there to complete the skin treatment, and outside a man started mowing the lawn. I cried for help but no one came. I started a slow slide--the table was slanted with my feet lower than my head--and I was aiming for that open window.

I won't tell you how the situation resolved itself, but I will reiterate my point: recycle your life experiences. If you don't have enough of them, well, maybe you are too busy playing it safe to have a cool life!

Living a Deeply Satisfying Life

Took a quiz on BlogThings, and "discovered" this:

Your Life is Deeply Satisfying

You live a satisfying life even when it's not easy. You are dedicated to being happy.You make sure to what you're passionate about. You don't waste any moments.You surround yourself with people you cherish. There is a lot of love in your life.You are thankful for everything you have. You don't take anything for granted.

It's really true. Going through all my old journals, I discovered how often I tried to start writing a book and didn't get very far. Now I'm working on something new, something challenging, and each time I hit a really, really painful point in my life, I just turn my mind to the story I'm working on.

So last night when I found out my mother's cancer has spread to her lymph nodes, I thought about plotting.

Over the weekend, when a couple came to view our house (which is for sale), I thought about my characters.

This morning when I learned another wrinkle in our ongoing plans to move, I hurried downstairs to move ahead on dialogue.

Writing is my therapy and my solace. I live in the here and now, but my books provide me with a welcome escape. I work hard so they do the same for others.

I remember Tess Gerritsen saying how important it is for writers to put emotion in their work. I think of things I've read, like a book I'm struggling through now. Very erudite. Very witty. Not a smidge of emotion. I mean, I could really give a rat's whiskers about the characters. Okay, I'm impressed by the author, but I put the book down each night without any sense of loss. I'm fine with breaking that emotional connection with the characters. They just don't mean anything to me. I know I'm supposed to be "wowed" by the author's credentials, and they are jaw-dropping. But what I really, really want to know is...does he care about anything other than proving to me how darn smart he is?