Not Your Usual Suspects

About That Contest

2012-03-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

Are writing contests relevant? Worth the money?

Those questions surface periodically on loops and blogs, but I’ve heard from other contest coordinators that entries are down, perhaps in response to the lingering effects of a crummy economy, but maybe because people aren’t sure it’s something they should do.

Whether a contest is relevant or worth the money depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish. If you expect to get an agent or a book contract from them, you’re probably going to be disappointed. It does happen. Final judges often request full or partial manuscripts. Some people do sign with an agent or sell to an editor based upon a contest.

If you’re entering for feedback on your manuscript, then you may feel you’ve won something, regardless of your entry’s final placement. Even if you aren’t a finalist, you may receive enough positive responses to keep you encouraged.

What if your comments are less than stellar? Do the judges mention the same things? These strangers, who haven’t seen ten versions of your story like your critique partners, can tell you if what’s in your head is hitting the page. Allow for different tastes and perspectives, but if there are consistent references to… whatever, try to find a class or online workshop that can help you in those areas. Good critique partners or a good writers’ workshop can also help as you learn the craft of writing.

But let’s do the happy dance because maybe the contest coordinator just called and said your entry reached the finals. Does it really have an impact on your writing career?

Possibly.

Several years ago, one of my critique partners encouraged me to enter The Professor in an RWA contest. The first round judges pointed out spots to polish and I’m sure that helped my manuscript final in the Golden Heart. Of course the contest wins don’t guarantee a sale, but I suspect having those contest credentials in my query letter helped move the manuscript over the first set of hurdles when I sought publication. I’m happy to say Carina Press acquired The
Professor (it released in January!)

For me, those early contest finals were an affirmation by other professional and a much needed ego-boost when I wondered if I was beating my head against the proverbial brick wall. People liked the characters, the story, my voice – the encouragement I needed.

So what if things don’t go as you’d hoped? We’ve all heard the story of “that judge,” the grammar police who treat your paper as if it were part of English 101 (Side bar, I use sentence fragments. A lot. It’s fiction. Deal with it.), or the one who wants to rewrite your story the way they would write it.

They happen. Just like the rest of your life, chance is an element in contests. As the coordinator for the Daphne du Maurier mainstream category (deadline is March 15, get your entry turned in!) I can tell you most judges are trying to give back to the writing community, taking time away from their writing, family, the rest of their life, in an attempt to nurture other authors. I can also share that the overwhelming majority of our contest judges offer constructive feedback. (As the coordinator, I see all the entries) Any judge who isn’t doing so will not be invited back the next year. On the very positive side, our rate of returning judges is incredibly high.

There are numerous contests in addition to the Romance Writers of America ones I’ve mentioned. If you enter a contest, make sure you know who is actually sponsoring it, read the fine print and watch out for the scams.

With the explosive growth of self-publishing, I’ve heard people question whether contests add any value. Why try to attract an editor or agent if you plan to ‘do it yourself?’

Feedback.

Is your material ready for the harsh reality of publication? Are there still holes you need to patch in the all-important opening?

One last point. I’ve seen some concern on the loops about someone ‘stealing’ your contest material. An important thing to remember is your voice, the way you tell a story, is as unique as you are. Generally contests only cover the first 15 -25 pages. Even with a synopsis, no one is going to tell the story the same way you would. So put that worry aside and concentrate on writing the
story of your heart.

I polled a number of friends about this topic and this is the summary of their advice:

Benefits:
1) Inexpensive way to get impartial feedback
2) Learn how to work with negative feedback – protect your voice but stay open to constructive criticism
3) Compare your work/skill level to your peers

Potential drawbacks:
1) Subjective comments may not be consistent – learn to trust your voice after you acquire sufficient skills
2) Feedback can be overwhelming – and confidence shaking – to a new writer; make sure you and your manuscript are ready before entering a contest
3) Don’t turn into a contest junky – don’t endlessly polish the beginning and neglect the rest of the manuscript. You need the whole book to sell it.

What has your contest experience – as a judge, contestant or coordinator – been?

Can you add to the benefits or offer another caution?

That is the long and short of it ...

2012-03-09T12:54:00.003-08:00

Calling all original authors!

So how often have our heroes “played fast and loose”? Or been “hoodwinked”? Or proved to be a “tower of strength” to their partners? How often have we written a “stony-hearted villain”, or “star-crossed lovers”, or had a character “laugh themselves into stitches”?

We authors are all individuals and proud of our original work. But if the truth were known, and as I have a tongue in my head – we’ve all been quoting Shakespeare!

I was recently given a wall poster from the Globe Theatre gift shop in London, showing a selection of some of the phrases he’s contributed to our language. Of course, Shakespeare himself borrowed inspiration - from other plays, from popular history, and from classical tales. But his work has caught the public imagination over the centuries, and stays in our mind, with its wonderful blend of irony and ire, drama and danger, passion, humour and happy-ever-after.

Isn’t that just perfect for romantic suspense plots?!

I love Shakespeare’s plays – at least, most of them, though only my son’s (abridged) school version of Hamlet managed to keep me awake until the end :). My favourite is Twelfth Night, a delicious blend of romance, mystery, angst, humour and passion. Oh, and some cross-dressing :).

So Barry Manilow may claim to write the songs, but it was William Shakespeare who coined the phrases - he contributed more phrases and sayings to the English language than any other individual, and most of them are still in daily use.

And if you think you’ll try to track back the source of some of our most favourite phrases …?

Oh that way madness lies!

Just for fun, try this link to the BBCwebsite, where there are some very witty 60-second plot summaries of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, in tabloid-style :).

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Clare London

Writing ... Man to Man

www.clarelondon.co.uk

A Suspect is a Suspect is a Suspect...

2012-03-06T23:50:00.001-08:00

I wouldn’tsay that I’m indecisive exactly, it’sjust that I’ve got a lot of things to sayabout a lot of different subjects so can’t seem to confine myself to just onegenre. That’s why my name can be found on the covers of marine crime mysteries,romantic suspense and, my first love, historical romance. One thing all of mybooks do have in common is a strong ‘who-dun-it’ element, albeit murder, fraud,thieving or just general skulduggery.

Take The Perfect Impostor for instance, mythird Regency romance with Carina Press which will be released on April 2^nd.Carina artists do awesome work on their covers, don’t you think, and I haven’thad one yet that doesn’t beautifully encapsulate the mood of the entire book.If readers do actually judge a book by its cover then I have high hopes for myimpostor.

However, Idigress. In regency times there wasn’t a red-hot squad of detectives standingby to keep the populace in order, so when valuable jewels start to go missingfrom society house parties and finish up funding Napoleon’s cause, the powersthat be cry foul and despatch Lord Leo Kincade to the latest party to sort outthe mess.

Threeladies are suspected of being involved in the scam, one of whom is JuliaDupont, now a marchioness, formerly engaged to Leo. Bit awkward that!

KatrinaSinclair, recently widowed, is struggling to make a name for herself as amodiste. Her childhood friend Julia Dupont could make that happen when she asksKatrina to design her wardrobe for an upcoming society house party. One smallsnag, though, Julia wants Katrina to swap places with her for the duration ofthat party. They did it often enough as children. No one could tell them apartthen and can’t now.

Against herbetter judgement, Katrina agrees. What harm can come of it? Only problem is,Julia’s husband, equerry to the prince regent, puts in a surprise appearance,expecting to spend the night with his wife. Katrina will do much to protectJulia, but sleeping with her husband is several steps above and beyond the callof friendship. How will she get out of that one?

Leo knowsalmost at once that the woman he meets at Lady Marshall’s isn’t Julia Dupont.But who is she? Why is she pretending to be Julia and why is he drawn to her ina way that he never was to Julia? More to the point, what does she have to dowith the thefts?

It doesn’tlook too good for Katrina!

The Perfect Impostor by Wendy Soliman available fromCarina Press and all good ebook stores from April 2^nd 2012.

Wendy

Write about what you know?

2012-03-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

When I hear experts telling aspiring authors to write about what they know, I think “Yeah, right, and how many serial killers do you know?”.

Having said that…

It’s a well-known fact that I hate research. Hate it. I’m glad that, if I need to visit foreign shores, I can jump onto Google Earth and fly straight to the street, cathedral, house, park or whatever it is I’m describing. It’s not as good as actually being there, but it does help. On the whole though, I like to set my books locally so that if I need to describe a special place, I can whistle the dogs and set off with them to have a good look at it.

One advantage of this is that when I’m asked if there are any visual elements to the book that might help a cover artist, I can say “Why, yes…” and send a photo I’ve taken.

In Silent Witness for example, one scene takes place on a bleak hillside where the only signs of life are a few sheep and the Singing Ringing Tree. This a musical sculpture, designed to resemble a tree bending in the wind, that hums through specially designed pipes. For the story, I needed to hear it ‘sing‘ so I took the dogs for a walk and we had a good listen. I then needed to convey the impression of the sculpture to the cover artist so I sent her this:

The result was this - a fabulous cover showing one of my favourite places.

This is from the back cover:

After his ex-wife bled to death in a bathtub covered in his fingerprints, the case against Aleksander Kaminski seemed open and shut. Though sentenced to life in prison, he swears he's innocent, a claim supported by his current wife.

Private investigator Dylan Scott finds himself drawn back to dreary Lancashire in a search for justice. The evidence against Kaminski is damning, but having been unjustly jailed himself, Dylan is compelled to pursue the case; if there's even a small chance the man is innocent, he has to help. The other obvious suspect--the victim's second husband--has a watertight alibi. But Dylan has a strong hunch that as usual, there's more going on than meets the eye in Dawson's Clough.

The deeper Dylan digs, the more secrets he unearths. The question remains: If Kaminski didn't murder his childhood sweetheart, who did?

Silent Witness releases today - yes, today! - and I'm busy celebrating. (Help yourself to virtual chocolates and champagne!)

So while I’ve never had dinner with a killer (to my knowledge), perhaps being told to write about what you know isn’t quite as stupid as it sounds. What do you think?

WHAT MAKES YOU BUY A BOOK? By Kathy Ivan

2012-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of a book buying binge courtesy of a generous gift card my sister gave me, so I'm loading up my Kindle Fire with new books. As I've been browsing various sites, the choices and variety of books is mind-boggling. Which in turn got me thinking—what attracts me to certain books?

1. Cover. A striking cover on a book will definitely get me to take a second look. Whether I'm in a physical brick and mortar store or cruising the internet, an eye-catching cover will make me pause, just to find out what the story is all about.

2. Author name. Of course, we all have our favorites, right? Some are auto-buys. Some have certain series that we read every single book therein. Others are authors recommended by a friend or colleague or somebody that we know, a fellow reader who passes along his/her favorite writers.

3. Back cover. How many times have you picked a book for whatever reason, turned it over and the back cover blurb just riveted your attention from the first word? You immediately turn that book into your basket, knowing you have to have it. Other times you will read the back and right back onto the shelf it goes. A good, well-define and thought-provoking back cover is an important component when choosing a book.

4. Reading the first few pages. Okay, admit it, some of you (me included) will open the book right there in the bookstore and read the first couple of pages to get a feel for whether it is a good fit, something you would read. Does it hold your interest? Is the author's voice one you want to continue reading? On-line sites sometimes offer the first portion of a book as a "sample" which really does help because as a reader, I really like to check out what I'm buying before shelling out my hard-earned dollars on something that I might not finish.

5. Reviews by readers/review sites. While not my highest criteria, I do tend to look at some of the reviews, especially if I'm buying books on-line. Just saying . . .

How do you choose your books? Do you do the same things I've listed above, or do you have another way of findings books—I want to know.

I-Spy: How to...Research

2012-03-01T05:35:00.008-08:00

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No matter how diligent you are, the likelihood is, you WILL make mistakes. I’ve made errors that make me want to kick myself. My advice is this—let it go and move on. More advice—don’t advertise your mistakes unless you can fix them :) (why give someone ammunition with which to shoot you?).

Most of the information below is pretty simple. I find the best advice often is :). As my stories often involve crime/murder/death the emphasis is on more law-enforcement based resources, however, the underlying principles remain the same whatever the genre.

So, how do you research a novel? First, decide what you need to know.

There’s always a lot to think about when writing a book: setting—including flora and fauna, culture, jobs/occupations, life experience, medical conditions (psychological and physical) and often in RS/Mystery stories, some sort of police or military procedure to grapple with that involves everything from weapons to law.

Figure out what details you need to know. Don’t go off on too many tangents or you’ll never get started on your novel.

There are so many resources available today that weren’t available when I finished my first novel, Her Sanctuary. Back then (not that long ago) the FBI hadn’t admitted to having a section dedicated to art fraud. So I made it up. Nowadays they have a fantastic website (FBI), so be sure to Google <insert search engine of your choice> the obvious. Most of the big organizations have great websites, FBI, CIA, even GCHQ :)

This leads me to the primary method of research in today’s technological world. The Internet.

After Google, Wikipedia is the next obvious step. My advice is don’t assume all the information here is gospel. Check the facts. What I find most useful about Wikipedia is the External Links citation section, and also finding alternative search terms (i.e. when researching the SAS, I was reminded by Wikipedia to also search ‘The Regiment’ which is another nickname for the British Special Air Service).

For settings I spend a lot of time looking at images and watching videos on Youtube. I’m lucky, I’ve traveled a lot and, when possible, I use personal experience in my writing. But my last story was set in the Wakhan Corridor and, no matter how much I might want to, there’s no way I can leave my kids while I trek around Afghanistan on a yak. But YouTube has allowed me to visit this fascinating spit of land.

I also borrow travel guides from the public library—my favourites are The Lonely Planet Guides. And I read autobiographies/essays set in places where I want to set my stories. Once, I remember dripping sweat in the heat of a Queensland summer and shivering as Rick Bass took me on a haunting journey through the wilderness of Montana.

And, for a literal look at the place you want to set your story, try GoogleEarth and get a 360° view.

Blogs.
Blogs might have gone a little out of fashion, but if you want details about a particular way of life they are worth spending time reading through. I found blogs especially helpful when writing a character who has type-1 diabetes (Cameran Young in EDGE OF SURVIVAL). People talk about everything from their deepest fears to their most mundane routines. Every detail is important when creating realistic 3-D characters. A lot of front-line soldiers blog. Another fascinating blog I found when writing my snow leopard biologist heroine was this. I found it an invaluable insight into the biologists’ daily routines and common frustrations.

Books (More books. I love books).
I also scour the local library search engine and Amazon (Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk because they list different books). If I find a suitable book I add it to my wishlist and go back and search for it in the library. I do the same with DVDs. Some of my wishlist books have been there for years—they are so expensive I just can’t justify getting them, but every time I see them I remember a story idea. Kids books can be really useful too. I have way too many books, but it will never be enough.

Writers groups.

In terms of delving for facts on anything from death to taxes, writers groups are an invaluable resource. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) mainly because I wanted to join their Kiss of Death Chapter (KOD). RWA and KOD give me access to several writing loops where I can ask my questions. I also belong to Crimescenewriters which is a similar resource but free and with more law-enforcement personnel involved. Through these organizations and loops I’ve attended some phenomenal field-trips. Prior to RWA’s yearly national conference, KOD always arrange a tour. I’ve visited a Sheriff’s Department in Reno, the State Department, the US Postal Inspection Service, and other writers visited the Pentagon, Quantico and the Coastguard. Through Crimescenewriters I heard about the Writers’ Police Academy run by Lee Loftland. It’s offered down in North Carolina and offers a packed schedule of hands on experience for wannabe crime writers. This year the keynote speaker is Lee Child, when I went it was Jeffery Deaver :)

Experts.
If you can’t get to a workshop then see if you can find experts in the field you are interested in who will talk to you. I have friends in the secret echelons of the Ministry of Defence and, despite all the dirt I have on them, they won’t tell me a damn thing. I’ve actually found people who I don’t know personally to be more helpful than friends or relatives (I’m not sure what that says about me but what I’m hoping to encourage is the confidence to reach out). I did have a rather hilarious incident recently when I’d contacted a RCMP officer who wrote a newsletter. I then managed to get the email address of the media relations person. I received two replies pretty much on the same day. The former said, “We can’t tell you that sort of information. We don’t want the bad guys getting hold of it and, you’re writing fiction, so you can make it up.” I chuckled so hard I also gave myself a hernia. The second reply had all the details I needed for my story and he was happy with follow-up questions too. So, where possible, reach out to the media relations people from whatever organization you’re interested in. They will help you.

As a former scientist I want to say don’t be afraid of science/medical journals. The Introduction and Discussion sections often contain easy-to-understand information and might just summarize exactly what you want to know.

I’m way over my word count for this post. I’m going to leave you with one more piece of advice. When you’re writing, your book you should only include the tip of the iceberg in terms of the information you have gleaned. The depth of your knowledge will shine through in the veracity of your writing, not in a dull list of facts.

I hope this helps.

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Toni Anderson, Ph.D., is a former Marine Biologist and Research Scientist turned Romantic Suspense writer who now lives in the Canadian prairies with her husband and two children. Her stories are set in the stunning locations where she’s been lucky enough to live and work—the blustery east coast of Scotland, the remote isolated mining communities of Northern Labrador, the rugged landscapes of the U.S. and Australia. You can learn more on her website. LIKE her on facebook :)

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FUTURE POSTS will cover:
Kindlegraph / the art of research / writing male/male romance / rejection and writer's block / building suspense / writing love scenes / anti-piracy strategies / audio books / interviews with editors and agents / using Calibre.
We welcome everyone's constructive comments and suggestions!

Fantasy and Shadows

2012-02-29T05:47:00.002-08:00

Where does a book come from? Who knows? To write a book takes a combination of hard work, heavy thought, ruthless determination and a little magic. To sell a book takes all of the above and a healthy serving of luck, which is why when we writers do sell one we crow as proudly as new parents.

When said book is a bit of a stretch and takes you in directions you never dreamed, that just makes it the sweeter.

My Gothic hommage INHERITANCE OF SHADOWS is being released by Carina on 12 March. Frankly, I doubted I would ever finish it, and seriously never believed it would sell. It’s set in the indefinite present, may or may not have paranormal elements and the hero and heroine… oh, but I’m telling you too much.

It’s funny – I have loved traditional Gothic romances all my life, but have never cared much for high fantasy. I certainly never intended to write any, but… In INHERITANCE OF SHADOWS the heroine Aurora has come to Merrywood, the estate of her late father’s friend, to attend a convention honoring her late father’s books. She never knew her father and was raised with little or no knowledge of him. He wrote a series of high fantasy novels that have spawned a rabid fandom, intellectual debate and a series of fan-based conventions. He also committed suicide in front of her when she was barely three years old. Or did he? That is another mystery she must solve.

Things at the convention go wildly awry; first of all, Aurora’s former love shows up, intending to write a book about her father – the very thing that broke them up in the first place. Aurora begins having strange dreams where she is taking part in ceremonies her father wrote about. His friend, her host, and his colleagues are annoyingly possessive of her. The conventioneers regard her as a-not-quite-human icon, the essence of the books come to life. And she is not the only being from the books seemingly come to life; creatures from the books begin to materialize, creatures that appear to be real and not just costumed conventioneers. Aurora realizes that not only her sanity, but her very life may be in danger… but by then it is too late to leave. She must find out if the fantastic world her father created is totally and truly imaginary.

During editorial conferences (some call them editorial combat) with my wonderful editor Mallory Braus we both found that the idea of a snippet of one of Aurora’s father’s books at the beginning of each chapter would set the mood of that chapter wonderfully. I had wanted to do this from the beginning, but had not mentioned it because (1) I didn’t think it would sell and (2) I had no idea of or inclination towards writing high fantasy. However, with Mallory’s enthusiastic urging I tried, and was astonished when the varied stories of the non-human creatures of my imaginary world flowed easily from my fingertips. So easily, in fact, that some of these chapter head ‘snippets’ were two and three pages long!

After a lot of internal debate – and urging from both Mallory and my trusted beta readers to go ahead and write the seven book series – I agreed to rein in the snippets to a reasonable length instead of completely eliminating them. However, the idea of taking on the series – seven books in an unfamiliar genre!!! – is a bit daunting. I am much more comfortable with my good old-fashioned Gothics, cozy mysteries and a romance every now and then. As I should be. After all, one most intelligent and perspicacious reviewer said I was the obvious successor to Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt!

I’d like to know your opinion. INHERITANCE OF SHADOWS is being released by Carina Press on March 12, so let me hear what you think.

Janis Susan May

The English language - hilarious or brilliant?!

2012-02-27T01:31:00.007-08:00

Ever thought learning a foreign language was too much of a challenge for you? Let's take a quick, fun look at our very own... :)

English - absolutely hilarious/brilliant!

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,

But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and there would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
Neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
We find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing,
Grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them,
What do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
Should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

We ship by truck but send cargo by ship...
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
While a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
In which your house can burn up as it burns down,
In which you fill in a form by filling it out,
And in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And in closing..........

If Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop???

From Clare and all at Not Your Usual Suspects - HAPPY MONDAY! And isn't *that* a confusion in itself? :)

I Need a Hero

2012-02-24T00:01:00.002-08:00

Actually, I need some help—and not just the kind a hero can provide. I’m looking to you, the NYUS readers, for a little assistance.

I write the Mindhunters series for Carina Press. I’m hoping it’ll become several books (currently, it’s two, with a third in the works). I have no shortage of heroes and heroines in my head that are screaming for their story to be told. But there's one character in particular who longs to be a hero...

Which leads me to my question: When creating or relating to a hero, does age matter?

As a parallel, I started thinking about the movies. Many actors are sixty-something (or more), and they can still make females swoon...

But does that work in books, too?

You see, Damian Manchester, head of the organization that is the backbone of my series, the group that hunts repeat violent offenders, was a victim himself twenty years ago, which is what motivated him to create the Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (a.k.a., SSAM). Now in his early sixties, he’s strong, fit, and takes on the criminal underbelly through his agency's resources. He sometimes works in the field, but is mostly a source of support and advice for his team.

I’d originally planned to explore Damian’s story as a substory that arcs across all of the books, so we get a little clearer picture of him and how he finds justice as each book progresses. But a reader recently approached me with the idea of giving him his own book. Though he’s fit and sexy at sixty, his age gave me pause. I want readers to see his happy ending, but would they read a book with a sixty-something hero as a main character? Or would it be better to keep his resolution as part of a substory?

So I thought I’d ask your opinion: As a romantic suspense reader (and/or writer), what makes a satisfying hero? How do you like to see them change? And does age matter when you’re reading a book?

Theme Braiding

2012-02-22T04:14:00.001-08:00

When the idea for Her Dark Protector was a glimmer, I watched an interview of J.K. Rowling. She commented along the lines that at the core of the Harry Potter stories were the various characters' reactions to death.

Can we say writing lightbulb moment?

With Her Dark Protector's central concept of an international secret justice society with unlimted resources stepping in to help the legal system, the core theme is obviously justice.

For the heroine state attorney, her belief system is justice is society's glue. For the hero who joined the Justice Alliance after his wife is murdered, justice has failed.

Add a character who believes he is the law, a bad guy who follows the law of the jungle and a second bad guy who is above the law, I had five different character threads to braid action => reaction. If heroine acted in accordance with justice is society's glue then what would jungle law bad guy do? How would 'I'm above the law' react to jungle law's action? Would the ensuing crisis reinforce the hero's conviction?

I used a sketch pad with columns representing each representation of justice and drew zigzagging lines from viewpoint to viewpoint. I now use this approach on every book, current one in process.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling!

Have you ever had a writing light bulb moment from something another person said?

:) Carol Stephenson
Her Dark Protector,
A Carina Press March 26, 2012 release and Audible.com
Website; Facebook Fan Page

Carol's Amazon Author Page

March

Can TV and Movies Help Your Writing?

2012-02-20T01:01:00.002-08:00

Have you been following the brilliant BBC/PBS series Downton Abby? Those of you who don't know – and where have you been? –DA is about an aristocratic British family during the World War I era with an amazing ensemble cast. It has completely hooked me and millions of others. How can a story that takes place almost 100 years ago, about some rather stuffy people in ordinary situations, and okay, some are not so ordinary, sucker me in so completely? Last week I was yelling indignantly at Earl Robert Crawley. Yes, speaking out loud to the TV. Telling him (warning spoiler alert) to get his hands off the maid. Really? What the bloody hell did he think he was doing?
How are the writers of this show making it new and fresh to keep me interested?
Saturday Night Live depicts Downton Abby as a story about rich people living in either a church or a museum that don’t have Wi-Fi. The family has three daughters their names are: hot, way hot, and the other one. There's an old lady who looks like a chicken and you don't want to piss her off. There's also a bunch of tuxedo people who live in the basement and take care of the place.
Why am I watching each week? am I waiting for them to get Wi-Fi? Waiting to see just how messed up the love lives of the three sisters can get? Who will chicken lady go after next? Will the tuxedo people revolt and take over the museum? Whatever it is I'm waiting for I will be sitting in front of the TV at the appropriate time and watching the last episode. Then I'm going to watch all the episodes together on the Internet and take notes. Yes, take notes on foreshadowing, conflict, tension building, romance, ending hooks, and scene setting. It's all there and brilliantly done.
I began thinking about what other successful series and/or movies do to keep me coming back for more.
The Sopranos. Every time I thought things could not get worse- they did. Each time Tony did some rotten lowdown thing and you just wanted to see the authorities handcuff him and throw him into a jail cell he'd act human.
Same thing on Boardwalk Empire. Mr. Thompson can be a dirty bat rastard making you want the same thing for him that you wanted for Tony Soprano. Then he goes and does something nice. Dang. There is so much conniving on that show I don't know why it surprised me when somebody pulled out a gun or knife. The next thing you know there is blood everywhere and a hole is being dug to bury the body. Then you can’t miss next week cause you have to see what the consequences are.
Showtime's Dexter is a serial killer. Yawn, another serial killer you say. The catch is he only kills bad guys. People who are known to be guilty but have escaped the law. Here’s another just to make it interesting twist. He works for Miami-Dade Police Department and his sister is a detective. He comes close to getting caught and you have to watch nest week to see if he gets out of it or if he gets handcuffed and taken away.
Then there's Homeland. The lines are so blurred between who the bad and the good guys are I gave up trying to figure it out. I just watch and let it unfold in front of me. Well, that isn't exactly true. A friend and I have watched all the episodes twice and taken notes looking for clues. I got a headache.
What about taking historical events and adding a twist like Forrest Gump? Did any of you catch the HBO series Rome? It was the Forrest Gump story of the ancient world. The writers took stories that we already knew and inserted two men into them. These two guys interacted with everybody from Cleopatra to Caesar to Mark Anthony. Zowie! I loved it.
Then we have Titanic. Hey, everybody knows how that story came out. The ship sunk thousands of people died. Yet, we were all captivated by a beautiful love story and the many, many levels of conflict. And while I'm on James Cameron movies, what about Avatar? Break that down to greed and bigotry. It's a story that has been repeated around our globe many times. A more technologically advanced group moves in on an indigenous people to take resources from them. But Cameron took it and put it on another planet with blue people. Of course you could argue that War of the Worlds and Transformers is basically the same thing.
Anyhow, does anyone else deconstruct movies like this to help with their own writing? If so what movies have helped you?

Speak Your Piece

2012-02-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

Wondering why I’ve been off the radar lately, barely able to keep up with packing lunch boxes, putting gas in the car or replying to the messages stacking up in my in-box? (Ok --who said that’s nothing new? Wise-guy.)

I coach High School forensics. This does not involve the dissection of bodies. My forensics is public speaking. There are acting and oratory type events. Some events are funny, some sad and some are seriously nerdly.

Working with the team reflects lessons for my writing, every time I coach.

Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You need a judge’s response to improve and grow. You need teammates too.

There are rules. Some are absolute. Some can be pushed. Beware the ones you push, you need both skill and absolute confidence to walk that dog.

You can’t control the judges’ response. All you can control is how hard you work.

Sometimes, feedback helps. Sometimes, it doesn’t.

Every week, I try to help the kids process these lessons. Every week, I help myself with the same lessons.

The speech competition season runs from November to February. The last three weeks of the season are reserved for the state series: regionals, sectionals and (drum roll) state.

I’ve been working with the team for four years. This is my first year coaching Radio Speaking, which some consider the red-headed step-child of forensics. No one knows how to judge it (so the scores can be wildly different.) It’s hard to do (you need kids who are smart and culturally literate. You try pronouncing all the names of the leaders of the world & all the foreign cities in the news from their spelling on paper!) and it’s weird to coach, because it’s both oddly physical and yet, all about voice technique. All my experience came from the news broadcast I did in college, back when dinosaurs roamed the land. Which meant my teaching motto was: That’s a good question, I’ll find out.

I trot over to the school several days a week, as well as most Saturdays, to practice or compete. Over the course of the season, five out of eight of my kids finaled or placed 1st , 2nd or 3rd. The remaining kids were getting solid scores by the end of the year. Considering the fact that most were underclassmen or new to Radio Speaking, I’m really proud of how well they’ve done.

For the state series, we’re allowed to enter one student per event. I chose a sophomore girl who has been gradually improving all year. She squeaked through the regional competition, just making the cut, (whew,) which left Sectionals looming in front of us.

Some coaches consider our sectional tougher than the state meet—because at sectionals we compete against the best kids from the old speech powerhouse schools, mostly wealthy, citified parts of our state. At the state competition, the students face sectional winners from many rural areas with smaller schools. There are always wildcard, great performers in the mix, but kids from smaller schools don’t always have the stamina of the kids from big schools with the money and the coaching staff to go out and compete every Saturday for months. Stamina matters when you get up at 5am, drive for an hour (or three) and then perform three or four times in a day.

There’s another lesson: if you want to do your best, working consistently matters. Stamina matters.

Our Sectional was last weekend. Never mind the kids, I was so sweaty with nerves by the time the finals started, I couldn’t take my coat off.

My high school sophomore, who’d only competed as a novice at three tournaments last year, who couldn’t get through three rounds without cracking at the start of the season, well…she won. The announcer called: “And your Sectional Grand Champion in Radio Speaking is….” And “Shut the f*#! up,” was my wordsmith response.

Coaching has taught me so much. I tell the kids: you can do this. You’re good at this! I tell them: you are not the best judge of your performance. Let it go. Try again. I tell them: have fun today!

How many times have I heard these lessons echoing in my own old brain and come home energized for my work?

So forgive me, if I’m slow responding to messages today. I’ll be traveling downstate, through cornfields full of no satellite service, to join my team at the state competition.

Feeling pretty lucky today.

I-Spy: Writing the Gay Mystery (Intro)

2012-02-15T01:06:00.004-08:00

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet; hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.

TODAY'S POST: I-Spy Writing the Gay Mystery ... with Josh Lanyon

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The gay sleuth symbolically confronts the ultimate mystery every gay man must face at some point in his life: his difference from his family and the general society into which he has been born.

The Gay Male Sleuth in Print and Film, Drewey Wayne Gunn

One of the hottest genres to come out of the ebook revolution is that of male-male fiction, and one of the noticeably bestselling sub-genres of m/m fiction is that of the “gay mystery.”

Gay mystery is something of a misnomer since every conceivable subset of crime fiction including thriller, romantic-suspense, action-adventure and mystery are all lumped under the same bent umbrella. To complicate matters, there exists a legitimate challenge as to whether m/m romance, which currently dominates the gay fiction market, is in fact, the same thing as gay fiction.

I expect we could argue that last all day. My interest here at NYUS is primarily one of craft, and my focus in coming months will be to demonstrate how to write a top-notch gay (or m/m) mystery novel.

To that end we’ll be covering the following:

Characterization in the Gay Mystery Novel - March 15

Setting in the Gay Mystery Novel - April 15

Plotting the Gay Mystery Novel - May 15

Theme in the Gay Mystery Novel - June 15

Clues and Red Herrings - July 15

Dialog in the Gay Mystery Novel - August 15

Sex and the Gay Mystery Novel - September 15

Writing a Gay Mystery Series - October 15

Pulling it all together - Final Question & Answer Session - November 15

In addition, each month I’ll be listing several books that I consider essential reading for those truly interested in understanding the antecedents of the gay mystery novel -- and honing their own craft.

But before we go any further, let’s consider what the gay mystery or crime novel actually is and how it contrasts with its mainstream counterpart.

A common misconception is that a gay mystery is merely a mystery featuring a gay protagonist. Yes, the protagonist of a gay mystery must himself be gay. Drewey Wayne Gunn writes, “A gay mystery must feature a gay protagonist: one who is out at least to himself, perhaps to his friends and others, and absolutely to readers.”*

Remember that in early gay mystery, the protagonist was himself an outlaw -- a sexual outlaw -- and an outsider. To some extent, that outsider POV continues to this day. It’s a distinctly different mindset than that of a mainstream sleuth.

Sexuality is never incidental in the gay mystery. The same exact story could not be told just as easily from the viewpoint of a heterosexual character. Through the course of solving the case at hand, the gay protagonist will explore and come to a greater understanding of his own sexuality -- and thus his identity as a gay man. His investigation is as much one of self-actualization as it is crime-solving. Through his new understanding, his awakening, the gay protagonist comes to unlock the secrets of his own heart.

Romance is not so much a subplot in gay mystery as it is a theme. To paraphrase Gunn (because I agree with him), unlike his straight counterpart who often swings from promiscuity to celibacy, the romantic quest in a gay mystery novel is both more romantic (in the classic sense) and idealistic than we typically see in mainstream mystery. The gay sleuth is not merely seeking sex, but love and mutual commitment.

It’s important to note here that this quest does not always end successfully. This is the crux of the difference between gay mystery and m/m mystery. All m/m fiction is romantic fiction and there is a genre expectation for romantic fiction. In m/m mystery, the romance plot will share equal page time with the mystery plot. In the gay mystery, the romantic quest is a subplot and that quest may just as easily be ongoing or even end badly.

Other than that crucial difference, all that we discuss in the coming weeks can be applied as easily to penning the m/m mystery as the gay mystery. And in fact, later on in the series, we’ll discuss handling eroticism and romance.

The other important point to remember is that gay mysteries do not get a pass from readers merely because they feature gay protaganists. The standards for the gay mystery are every bit as strict as for any other and crime fiction sub-genre. Today's readers are far too sophisticated and too spoiled for choice to be satisfied with mediocre plotting, pacing, and characterization out of gratitude to find gay characters. Gay characters are a dime a dozen now days. Your mystery fiction has to be top shelf in every respect.

Anyway, that’s enough to start with. I hope you’re looking forward to the months and the discussions ahead as much as I am!

I’ll leave you with this month’s recommended reading.

Classic Gay Mystery Must Read list:

The Heart in Exile by Rodney Garland

Goodbye, My Lover by Victor J. Banis

The Butterscotch Prince by Richard Hall

Pretty Boy Dead by Joseph Hansen

The Night G.A.A. Died by Jack Ricardo

*Drewey Wayne Gunn, "Down These Queer Streets a Man Must Go," The Golden Age of Gay Fiction (New York: MLR Press, 2009), 197

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A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author JOSH LANYON has been writing gay mystery, adventure and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist.

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Wearing My Writer’s Hat: Writing Effective Dialogue

2012-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Whenever I teach a workshop on writing, the two most common questions I’m asked are, “How do you write interesting and effective narrative” and “How do you get your characters to use dialogue that sounds normal and yet moves the story forward?” I’m going to address the second question in this blog by sharing my top ten dialogue tips that I believe will help strengthen your story.

1. Use dialogue to break up long narrative passages.

2. Incorporate dialogue so that it creates, and then heightens the drama/conflict.

3. Use dialogue to make your characters more human, more realistic. Remember narrative writing can describe a character, but dialogue makes them real.

4. Remember that dialogue is not conversation. Conversation can be meaningless, full of redundancies and irrelevant information. Dialogue is important and must move your story forward.

5. If the pacing seems slow, use dialogue to jump-start your scene. Dialogue moves the plot forward.

6. Use tags to help the reader identify who is speaking. Remember, however, to use them sparingly and effectively.

7. If your character is a policeman, a cowboy, an English aristocrat – make certain they speak in the appropriate manner. Police have specific terms for actions and items, so do cowboys, and so do aristocrats. Make certain you know them.

8. Use dialect sparingly. A little goes a long way.

9. Be careful in your choice of words. Don’t try to impress the reader – they will only feel intimidated and jerked from the story if they have to continually consult the dictionary.

10. Avoid dialogue that is too stiff or too formal. Most people use contractions in their speech, your characters should, too.

For those of you who are writers, do you use any of these more than others? Are there any I forgot? As readers, are there any books you feel have outstanding examples of dialogue?

What’s In Your TBR Pile?

2012-02-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

I don’t have as much time for leisure reading as I used to. I have a 9 to 5 job and I always have multiple writing projects going. There just aren't enough hours in the day. But I’m currently between projects so guess what? Time to dig into the old TBR pile, which is actually multiple piles in my office at work and my bedroom. So what’s in my TBR pile? I’m so glad you asked! Here’s a sample of some of the books I can't wait to dive into:

The Lantern By Deborah Lawrenson-A modern gothic novel of love, secrets, and murder—set against the lush backdrop of Provence.

The Watchtower By Lee Carroll-Jewelry designer Garet James is still coming to terms with the astounding revelation in BLACK SWAN RISING that she is the last in a long line of women sworn to protect the world from evil.

The Long Fall By Walter Mosley-Introduces Walter Mosley’s new PI bad-guy-turned-good Leonid McGill.

Murder in Passy By Cara Black-The village-like neighborhood of Passy, home to many of Paris’s wealthiest residents, is the last place one would expect a murder. But when Aimée Leduc’s godfather, Morbier, a police commissaire, asks her to check on his girlfriend at her home there, that’s exactly what Aimée finds.

Silver Sparrow By Tayari Jones-With the opening line of Silver Sparrow, “My father, James Witherspoon, is a bigamist,” author Tayari Jones unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and two teenage girls caught in the middle.

The Shirt On His Back By Barbara Hambly-The new 'Benjamin January' novel from the best-selling author - Abishag Shaw is seeking vengeance for his brother’s murder – and Benjamin January is seeking money after his bank crashes.

Ready Player One By Ernest Cline-Part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.

Okay, it’s your turn! What’s on your TBR pile?

Angela ; )

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

WHO IS YOUR CHARACTER CHANNELLING?

Confession time. I once wrote a whole novel just so I could kill a character. She was based on a woman who had stolen my boyfriend. It was cathartic, and fun (oh, so much fun). I was young and inexperienced and didn’t realize you could get into Serious Trouble doing that. Fortunately, it was a lousy novel and never saw the light of day. :-)

Since then, I’ve learned discretion. Now, I borrow traits from people I know, not the entire person. People I don’t know, too. That woman with the oversized black sweater and the skinny legs? Looks like a raven when she walks? Great look for the mother of my main character. The boss who does that weird clicking thing with his tongue when he’s concentrating? Would fit perfectly on my teenage character.

It’s seductive, really. I keep a notebook to jot down the quirks I spot. Sometimes a total stranger will inspire a whole new character thanks to an odd habit. I once had a neighbor who would always wait a beat too long before answering a question. It was disconcerting. Off-putting. But boy, it made a great character trait for a police interrogator.

Nowadays, I rarely remember the origins of my characters. My subconscious does all the heavy lifting and my “people” only emerge when they’re ready. For instance, I’m not really sure where Kate Williams, the chief of police in my latest mystery release, The Tuxedoed Man (the follow up to The Shoeless Kid), came from. She’s tough and rational, but is riddled with insecurities and is a soft touch for the vulnerable ones.

I catch a glimpse of my aunt in the way Kate always wants her hair out of the way; of a man I once worked with in her impatience for people who waste her time; and of my sister in the way she raises an eyebrow oh-so-sardonically.

Who knows who else is hiding in Kate? Me, maybe? Do you have origin stories for your characters?

GIVEAWAY: In honour of The Shoeless Kid becoming available as a pocket book from World Wide Mysteries, I will give away a copy to one person who comments on this blog today. I'll post the name of the winner here tomorrow.

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Supernatural Stakes

2012-02-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

I've just started adding something extra to my romantic suspense work-in-progress. I set the book in the world of witchcraft. The addition of the occult setting is a game changer, both for the reader and for the author.

As readers, as soon as we learn that a story contains elements of anything supernatural, we know all the rules have changed and we can't possibly know what the new rules are. Best of all, neither do the characters! The rug can be pulled out from under any character at any time, and thus, it can shake up the reader and add dimension to the experience of the book.

As a writer, giving my story an occult spin makes me an all-powerful god of sorts. Not only can I manipulate the characters and the situation, but I can manipulate their total reality. I can turn up the evil in villains and the heroism in the protagonists.

I'm having fun with my heroine, the witch character. After a hard bump on her head, suddenly her powers have increased and her magic is now on overdrive. And the villain? She's even more fun with a dash of black magic.

What about you? Do you enjoy reading books with paranormal elements? Do you love it or hate it when the author pulls the rug out from under you?

What’s a Writer’s Biggest Challenge?

2012-02-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Above all else, writing calls on an author to be an “imagineer.” To repeat the same old, same old, or to structure each new project on the tried and true, means an author’s not being true to himself. He’s holding fast to somebody else’s rules of writing’s right and wrongs. He’s playing in the shallow end of the pool, afraid to take chances, to color outside the lines.

Say you’re baking sugar cookies. You measure the ingredients carefully, mix them well, and time the baking perfectly. The result is round, bland and predictable cookies. Instead, consider taking a muffin pan, turning it upside down and baking the sugar cookie dough over the bottom of the muffin wells. What you end up with are sugar cook cups. Fill them with ice cream, sorbet, pudding, fruit, top them with whipped cream, strawberries, sprinkles, butterscotch sauce or the queen of flavors, chocolate. Now you’ve taken the boring and predictable and morphed it into a glam dessert.

Why not do the same with your writing? Why not experiment with breaking the “rules” all writers are advised to obey if they ever wish to be published? I don’t mean all the rules of course, ala James Joyce or Samuel Beckett, but some.

A case in point: I recently wrote a blog on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None in which she does exactly that, breaks some of the rules. In the first 20 pages of the book she introduces 11 major characters. Count ‘em, eleven. And for 10 of them, she piles on backstory. Pages of backstory right at the book’s beginning. Imagine. Haven’t you been told to avoid doing so, that it’s tantamount to an authorial crime?

Best of all, she gets away with it. The book is a literary icon.

The truth is some rules deserve to be broken. The antihero can act heroically, the heroine can have mousey brown hair, the cozy mystery can have—gasp--sex and a guitar player as the protag. For me, being able to make unexpected changes like this is what makes the writing game worthwhile.

That said, some rules remain virtually inviolate especially in the mystery form. Justice prevails. The culprit is caught. The good guys win. In And Then There Were None, all 10 victims are killed because they had committed crimes. So Christie retained a vital rule. She served justice while breaking enough other rules to give her book an interesting edge. I’ve tried to emulate her example. In Designed for Death I had my heroine work in an arty business, made her a grieving widow with sexy, showgirl legs, and tossed in a few wild characters of a type not usually found in cozy mysteries But . . . and we all know nothing matters till we reach the but . . . the good guys do win in the end.

So a lot of innovation can take place within the boundaries of a form. I’m learning to keep what has been proven to work but to put a fresh spin on it. Sometimes you want a round sugar cookie to dunk in your milk. Other times, you transform that raw dough into a little vessel that will hold all manner of surprises. The chance to choose between the two, not to have to follow the well-trodden path, is what makes writing such an exciting journey.

Now I’m off to find the kitchen.

Check out DESIGNED FOR DEATH by Jean Harrington

The Professor Winner!

2012-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

And the winner is -

Jane!

Please contact me through my website www.cperkinswrites.com for your copy

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and helped celebrate The Professor's release!

Cathy Perkins

Guest Author: Alanna Coca and Giveaway!

2012-02-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hello! Thanks for having me today. My name is Alanna Coca, and although I've only published one romantic suspense so far, it is certainly my favorite genre to read, and I'd love to write more. My idol is Sandra Brown, who started out writing genre romance, and now has these twisty and engrossing books that make me want to grovel at her feet and beg for paper scraps.

I won't do that though. I have some pride.

My stumbling block is the fact that I'm a pantser. Now, flying by the seat of my pants works fine when I write contemporary romance, and it's very easy when I write erotic romance under my alter ego Olivia Brynn. Those characters have no problem talking me through their plot as I'm typing away. I like to add a little bit of mystery and a few twists to those books as well, but a romantic suspense needs a little (okay, a lot) more thought beforehand.

For example, I wrote PreView back in 2008. In my mind it was going to be a straight up mystery. I thought I'd write a series of books starring this heroine as she goes through her everyday life solving crimes that have yet to occur using her prophetic dreams.

This is the first book where I started with chapter one, because that's what woke me from a sound sleep one autumn morning.

Before the "new wip glow" wore off, I immediately wrote the last chapter, because I knew just how I wanted the whole conflict resolved. Back to chapter two, where the heroine informed me that she's got a love interest.

Oh, okay. So it's a romance. Got it.

*Tweak the final chapter*

This is when I see that Trevor, the love interest, is a difficult guy to like. (One reviewer describes him as dark chocolate, "a bitter treat") So I tried to talk Ryann, the heroine, out of a happily ever after with this guy, but she's got her sights set. So I bounced from beginning to end, and worked my way to the middle. This involved a lot of tweaking, a little hero-slapping, and several scene rewrites.

Sigh.

If only I could plot!

But finally, I finished the book, and ended up falling for the hero right along with Ryann. and couldn't have been happier when Carina Press took it. To have PreView sitting on the virtual shelves with the amazing authors and books you'll find at Carina was a thrill. I'll admit to a little bit of happy dancing, and maybe more than a little bit of liquid-spirit-lifting.

For more of a taste of PreView, you can visit my website where I have a trailer and excerpt set up.

To thank the lovely Not Your Usual Suspects authors for letting me crash their blog, I'd like to give a copy of PreView away to a NYUS reader. Just comment here with a snippet of the last dream you remember having. Now, if it's a sex dream, I probably don't want details, but the weirder the better. I'll choose one random commenter to win a digital copy of PreView.

I'll start: The last dream I remember involved my friend's tiny baby who for some reason was no bigger than a mouse. I had to change her poopy diaper.

Sometimes I wonder about me.

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How Strong Are You?

2012-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Hi all! It’s my first time here at Not Your Usual Suspects and I’m thrilled to be part of the fun. Right now I’m gearing up for the release of my second book Danger Zone. I can’t tell you how excited I am for the book to come out because so much has happened since the release of Dangerous Race, the first book in the Adrenaline Highs Series.

I wasn’t sure what to talk about today, then I thought about how we live life and work at the things that help make our dreams come true. How often do we go outside our comfort zone to do the thing we love? Is it a downside or is it something that enriches our lives and makes us stronger humans? It’s probably a combination of all those things, but I’ll get right to the point.

I had the awesome opportunity to narrate Danger Zone for Audible. Although I’d been in a recording studio before (my background is in television, commercials and voice overs) it had been years and narrating a full book was definitely new territory for me. I came out of the experience definitely stronger, but I was sure nervous while I was in the middle of it.

So, my question is… have you done anything out of your comfort zone that made you a stronger person or gave you confidence that you didn’t feel you had previously?
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Apologies to those who commented yesterday. We had to repost due to technical difficulties and lost those comments.

Smile - You're In A Romantic Suspense Book

2012-01-27T02:05:00.000-08:00

Someone posted a comment in a blog that simply said, “There’s no smiling in romantic suspense.”

NOT a Romantic Suspense cover!
The context of the comment was actually that there is no smiling on Romantic Suspense book covers, which is true. You're not usually seen fleeing from a psycopath with a big ole grin on your face.

Is there smiling in romantic suspense? The hero and heroine are chin deep in woes. They are battling a grandiose foe. They each carry emotional baggage, and are consumed with the reasons they shouldn't be together. There's pretty much nothing for them to smile about. And yet, in the midst of all this misery, there's that rare moment when they share an unexpected joke...that brief glimmer that a force greater than all these tribulations is at hand.

Definitely a Romantic Suspense cover!
I generally write what I would call dark romantic suspense. That doesn't mean that I write something with a paranormal twist to it. It’s dark because my books take place either in the middle of a squall, or most of the dramatic scenes are at night. Basically, there’s no sun. LOL! Even when I finally decided to write a book in the hot, humid jungle, you all thought…finally! Finally, Maureen is going to let us bask in the sunshine…alas, most of the story ended up taking place underground.

So my poor characters don't have much to smile about either...until that kiss. Funny enough, no matter how desperate the situation, that kiss just makes the planets fall into alignment for one brief moment.

And heck, even the author smiles at that point. :)

Release Day Giveaway!

2012-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Release day is always exciting, but when it's your debut, nerves compete with anticipation. Your baby is going out into the big bad wide world.

Publishing can be a long drawn out adventure. The sale, edits, all the work to make the story happen; the thrill of your cover (isn't it great?) and finally a publication date; all of it led up to this day.

Carina posted the novel on NetGalley. Reviews start showing up and Yay! Some people 'got it' and loved it but others were disappointed by the lack of sex. I'll go ahead and state for the record, The Professor is a suspense with a romance sub-plot.

To all the people who've read it - I'm glad you enjoyed the story. It's my ultimate goal: to invite the reader into my world and carry them along for the ride.

And to all of you who haven't, I'm giving away a copy to a commenter!

THE PROFESSOR by Cathy Perkins

Someone is murdering women on South Carolina's college campuses: three women, three different schools. The Governor's order to State Law Enforcement Agent Mick O'Shaughnessy is simple: make it stop. More political maneuvering diverts Mick to nearby Douglass College. There, instead of another dead body, he finds Meg Connelly, grad student and faculty advisor for the latest victim.

Determined to finish her master's degree, Meg doesn't need anybody's help - including her estranged family - to succeed.

There's something irresistible about Mick, but the last time she let someone get close to her, she lost everything except her self-respect.

As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship. But Mick's interest in Meg doesn't just endanger her heart—it puts her in the sights of the killer.

Available now from Carina Press at Amazon http://amzn.to/tm7uf6, Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/rQKCHp and other online e-bookstores.

Everyone Will Hate This Book

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

I don't know if other authors ever feel the same way, but I'm always convinced everyone is going to hate my book.

Sure, my critique partners, friends, and family don't hate it, but they know me. They like me (most of the time). They get me.

My agent loves my book, but that could be a fluke. My editor loves my book, but again, maybe that's just a piece of dumb luck. Even though the first few reviews I've seen all gave it five stars, I'm still worried. Despite the fact that those reviewers took the time to write to me to ask when the NEXT book will be out, I'm still hesitant to believe that others could love these characters as much as I do. (If you'd like to meet a few, the first chapter is available here.)

I think it takes a certain degree of hubris to expose your writing to the world. You have to believe that the story you've written is good enough to keep the masses entertained. Otherwise you'd just keep it tucked away at the bottom of a drawer, or hidden in a folder on your computer.

So at some point, I believed that this story was good enough. Hell, I'll be honest, I thought it was fan-freaking-tastic. I still do.

But I'm also worried everyone will hate it.

As a reader, which characters do you absolutely love. If you're a writer, do you worry that everyone will hate your book?

My latest book CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN releases tomorrow in ebook form and next month as a paperback. Evidence that it's not hated can be found here, here, and here.

CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN

Maggie Lee is not your average hit woman. For one thing, she’s never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard--a picky eater obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, who only Maggie can hear.
Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible, so she reluctantly accepts a mobster’s lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.
Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh, and let’s not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she’s up to.
Training has never been this complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn’t – she’s the mob’s next target.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers.

Just Shoot Me

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Firearms and Other Mistakes in Books
or Why Watching Movies Is Not Research

Number 1
Revolvers don’t have safeties.

Number 2
And neither do the latest Glock semi-automatics.

Number 3
Revolvers cannot be silenced.

Number 4
A silenced gun still makes a sound.

Number 5
Revolvers don’t use clips.

Number 6
Clips and magazines are not interchangeable.

Number 7
Law enforcement officers do not actually rack the slide before going after a perp. If they have to rack the slide, that means the chamber is empty and they should be replaced with someone who knows how to be prepared.

Number 8
Shooting locks off of doors is a bad idea. One word: ricochet.

Number 9
Dead bodies don’t bleed.

Number 10
Chloroform does not knock people out, and especially not instantly and quietly. It’s more likely to cause brain damage or cardiac arrest before the victim loses consciousness.

Number 11
Chalk outlines are a thing of the past…and Hollywood.

Number 12
Police detectives do not investigate crimes where the victim is related to them. (You’d think this one would be obvious.)

Number 13
Law enforcement agencies do not allow private citizens to direct an investigation. (I really did come across a book where the CIA and FBI allowed a twenty-four-year-old artist to tell them how to run a criminal investigation. Naturally, it was a best-seller.)

The Color of Nostaglia: Favorite Mystery Films

2012-01-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

I was watching a little indie film last night. It's called Cold Weather. It sounded vaguely mystery-like as I was scrolling for something to watch before bed, something that would put me to sleep or that I wouldn't mind clicking off when the witching hour arrived:

A guy who moves back to Portland, Oregon becomes involved in the mystery of his ex-girlfriend's disappearance.

Ah. Perfect.

So I began watching and before long I was utterly engrossed. In fact, they had me from the opening shot of a rainy apartment court in Portland. Something about this quirky, off-beat little film really got to me.

Before long it was way past the witching hour and I was quietly laughing to myself -- trying not to disturb anyone else who was sleeping comfortably -- and the movie ended. Is the mystery solved? Unsolved? Does it matter?

I'm still not entirely sure what I saw or what Cold Weather was about. Is it about family? Siblings? The point of life? The influence of detective novels? The effect of prolonged rain on the fragile human mind?

I don't know, but I loved it so much that I went online to buy it today. Although I've never lived in Portland and my life bears no resemblance to the characters, something about this movie made me homesick and nostalgic.

So what's your favorite mystery or crime film?

Suspense Vs. Thrillers

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, everyone! This is my first blog post here at Not Your Usual Suspects, so I figured I’d start off by introducing myself.

I am a mother, wife, cancer survivor, musician, movie lover, eternal optimist, keeper of the cookie jar (a full time job on its own when you have a midnight snacker for a husband!), student of the chemical sciences, and, of course, an author of romantic suspense.

My first book, EDGE OF LIGHT, a dark romantic thriller, will be released from Carina in May. So what makes a book a thriller rather than a suspense? I’m glad you asked!

Here’s how I define the two:

Suspense: A book with an element of danger. Readers may or may not know who the villain is and the plot focus on a problem or puzzle that needs to be solved. Whether that is unmasking the villain and stopping him from killing again, or a quest to clear the hero or heroine’s name, something keeps readers on the edge of their seat, flipping through the pages to uncover the truth.

However, in a thriller, readers usually know who the bad guy is up front and why the hero has to stop him. The stakes are life or death (often world changing), and the plot has a “ticking time bomb” element to it. The action happens on the page, as it unfolds, and it is that action that keeps the readers flipping those pages.

The movie UNKNOWN with Liam Neeson is about an American in Berlin who awakens from a coma to discover someone has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is. I would define UNKNOWN as a suspense.

EAGLE EYE, starring Shia LaBeouf revolves around two strangers thrown together to thwart a diabolical plot to take over the world. With its ticking time bomb plot and its world changing stakes, I’d classify EAGLE EYE as a thriller.

Of course, the point could be made that there’s a lot of cross-over between the genres, which makes classifying them difficult. But just as a fun exercise, think about some books you’ve read lately (or even movies you’ve watched) and tell me whether you’d consider them a suspense or a thriller.

To learn more about Cynthia and her books, visit her website at http://www.cynthiajustlin.com, follower her on twitter (http://www.twitter.com/cynthiajustlin) or find her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaJustlinAuthor)

SUB-TEXT

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sub-text, not just when we write but in daily life. A limp handshake when we greet someone we don’t like, the turn of a cheek to avoid a kiss or the lowering of a voice to avoid being overheard.
According to the Russian teacher and theatre director, Konstantin Stanislavsky, who revolutionized acting technique, defines sub-text as the thoughts and problems behind the dialogue. In both theatre and writing, the power of words in our text is enhanced by words left unspoken. The unwritten past, and the drive toward the future influence the character that brings a novel to life. A reaction that shows in a facial expression—a mouth that twists, a tear unshed, an unexpected smile, the tap of a finger. A cry ignored, a pale complexion, laughter or screams when unexplained phenomena “go bump in the night.”
Subtext is a story within a story that illustrates the underlying personality of the character. In theatre, the actor contributes to the sub-text with his interpretation, in a book, a reader’s imagination will add to the author’s and, the writer’s knowledge of the character she works with, thinks and dreams about, adds the sub-text that makes the human beings that inhabit the pages of her book surprise, delight, and sometimes change the plot and/or premise of the story.
The body language—the way each character walks, their background, their attitude toward someone they love or hate or ignore. It may be a facial tic, a hand over a mouth, a constant smile—that provides an unspoken thought and motive that’s understood by the observer and reader.
We—as writers—make mental notes when we people watch or eavesdrop on a private conversation and—perhaps—there is another writer watching and listening to us.

How to Succeed at Writing Romantic Suspense ... Maybe

2012-01-11T14:54:00.000-08:00

How to Succeed at Writing Romantic Suspense

(....or maybe not...)

Clare London: This article is from eHow and How to Succeed in Writing Romantic Suspense... but the frivolous scarlet commentary is mine own :).

Step 1: Successful romantic suspense author Lisa Gardner's article "The Seven Secrets of Romantic Success" suggests starting in the library. Research your subject matter. You must understand the kind of background that goes into criminal suspense novels and mystery thrillers. You need to demonstrate that you understand the way firearms are fired and that you know how medical procedures and postmortem examinations are handled. You should have a solid knowledge of how the organizations and institutions that appear in your fiction operate in order to write about them convincingly. Some of this research can be academic, some of it you may want to experience first hand. You also need to understand what makes a compelling villain. You may want to research the criminal mind and how people are murdered.

-Mum, did you make my sandwiches for lunch?
-Mum, why are you making that weird noise in the back of your throat?
-Mum, why are you clutching the bread knife so tightly?

Step 2: Create compelling characters. In order for your readers to care about (and buy) your writing, you need to craft heroes and villains that are more than just interesting: they need to compel your readers to pick the book up again and again until they finish it.

As for the bad guys, writes successful author Deidre Savoy in her article "Writing Romantic Suspense," "Gone are the days where a writer could describe her villain as just plain crazy." Your antagonist has to have compelling and understandable motives, needs a connection to one or the other of your romantic leads, and has to represent a significant challenge for them to overcome.

Your protagonists, on the other hand, need more than just some sparkling chemistry. Both romantic leads need a stake in the events of the plot, and should learn something about themselves through the course of the story and their interactions with one another.

-Until we faced this terrible danger together, I never realised...
-What?
-The irritation I always felt for you was really a manifestation of something far more tender...
-Yes?
-It was marvellous, the way you dealt with my murderous great-uncle by returning the puppy that had been stolen from him as a child...
-And?
-And I just hope that one day in the future, working together, maybe, just maybe...
-Huh?
-We'll beat this awful dependency you have on monosyllables.

Step 3: Craft a tense and suspenseful tone. Focus on more than just the scary abandoned buildings or creepy old mansions. Characters reflect tone by how they react to events are they unfold: if the characters are convincingly tense and uncertain of what's around the next corner, chances are your readers will be as well. Throw some twists and turns into your story, surprises that your readers will not see coming.

-You first.
-What?
-You go first. You've got the torch.
-No way. You've got the golf club. You go first. Just in case...
-In case...?
-Oh my God! Look, there! It's coming right for us!
-...
-Can you hear me? Where are you? My God, are you okay? Everything's so dark. I can hear a terrible, pained whimpering...
-You're standing on my foot. Turn the torch back on and give me that golf club.
-For the ravening ghostly beast...?
-Oh no, I need it for something much closer to home. Now you're standing on my other foot.

Step 4: Connect the growing sexual tension between your romantic leads with the evolving suspense storyline. As your characters discover new hints and clues that unravel the mystery behind the story, your characters should be feeling the tension between them rise accordingly. As things get more dangerous for your heroes, it should get steamier for them as well. Gardner writes that this practice "ratchets up the tension, keeping the reader flipping pages until the late hours of the night."

-You know, now we're facing such terrible danger with no way of calling for help, it gives me the chance to ...
-What?
-All these years. You and me...
-Hurry up, you've chosen a hell of a time to start declaring ... what?
-Don't rush me.
-With seconds of air left in the room? With wolves baying in the woods outside? With the scythe on a flimsy thread, straining above our heads? You think there's time for this?
-Why are you being so defensive?
-Why are you being so obtuse?
-You must know how I feel about you...
-Well, no I don't. And you know why?
-No need to get tetchy...
-Because you never damn well said.
-Fine.
-Fine.
-...
-Pass me the mobile phone, I'll call your mother to come and get us.

Step 5: Give your readers a conclusive and satisfying ending that will leave them feeling good about what they've just read. Provide a satisfying ending for the love story: "happily ever after" is considered the standard. And put the bad guys away; whether you put them in the ground or behind bars, you need to leave your readers with the impression that the heroes defeated them.

-So when did you suspect the man in the dark suit?
-Don't worry your pretty little head about it. You're safe now.
-No, actually, I'd like to know.
-Um... that's for me to know...
-You mean, it was just a guess, wasn't it?
-Please. I'm a professional.
-You're a man 8 years older than me, 6 inches taller, and with brooding good looks. Your qualifications are for a romantic suspense trope, not police work.
-Where are you going?
-To fill in the paperwork. See justice done. Tie up the loose ends in the plot.
-But wait!
-What?
-Will you still marry me?
-Read the last chapter. I'll get back to you on that.

Thanks to eHow and How to Succeed in Writing Romantic Suspense...

but I think I need a little more more work :).

picture credits: Gone With the Wind, On the Run in NYC photo by Norman Parkinson.

What do you mean there's no magic?

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

SEX, LIES & SURVEILLANCE is my first Carina Press release and it's also my first straight contemporary romantic suspense.

For me, that meant no shapeshifters, no witches, no MAGIC!!

I was writing in the "real" world and that meant I had to follow normal laws of reality. But who says normal can't mean extraordinary?

Janey DeMarco is the youngest child of Frank and Grace DeMarco, decorated spies now living a quiet life running a private investigation business with their three children.

While Janey longs for an exciting life outside the office, she's also worried that her brother Nic will forget to eat if she's not around and her brother Jimmy will blow up the office from his underground lab. She's terrified her father will work himself into an early grave and her mother...well, her mother might just drive Janey to drink with her matchmaking.

Of course Janey has her eye on the new guy in the office. Brainy Mal Laughlin is everything a smart girl dreams about. He can hack a firewall in five seconds and and still manage to have a conversation about hockey. He's perfect, so of course there has to be something wrong with him.

Janey is about to find out how extraordinarily right she is...

SEX, LIES & SURVEILLANCE releases Monday, January 16.

Janey DeMarco would love to have a sex life—and she has a serious crush on the new guy in her office. As manager for her family's P.I. firm, she knows an office romance would end in disaster. Not only are her parents former spies, but her older brothers are tall, dark and overly protective. Still, a little sex would go a long way to reducing her stress levels, and the man is hot...

NSA operative Mal Laughlin has been sent undercover to find a link between the DeMarcos and the gun smugglers who killed his partner. Unfortunately, the only evidence points to the woman who's making him hot, hard and ready—Janey.

Convinced Mal is hiding something, Janey's determined to find out what. Can she do that while keeping her own secrets? Janey and Mal plot a course of seduction to uncover the truth about each other but when they're thrown together on a dangerous assignment, sensual meltdown is imminent and secrets are about to be revealed.

Is romantic suspense different?

2012-01-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Although I’m officially new to the romantic suspense genre with “Learning To Trust,” all my books seem to have an element of suspense or thriller. I just don’t seem to be able to help myself. I find the element of danger heightens and intensifies the romance.

When I started to write my historical “Richard and Rose” series, I originally meant to write a series of books set in a pre-police era (the police force in the UK was set up in 1832 in London). I wanted my hero to be a quiet, self effacing minor aristocrat, perhaps a baron, and the heroine equally self effacing. What I ended up with was a rip-roaring tour through mid eighteenth century English high society, with a hero who wouldn’t know self-effacing if it slapped him in the face, and a heroine who had to learn how to keep up with him, because he needed her more than life, and it frightened her to death. I still have hopes of writing the other series.

Then I started to write Pure Wildfire, about a rock band who happen to be shape-shifting firebirds. And a villain popped up who I couldn’t resist, a man who wanted it all, and would give the world to get it.

I can’t get away from it. I even won a major romantic suspense award for a Richard and Rose book.

But the first romantic suspense I set out to write, “Learning to Trust,” slipped under my radar. I had no idea it would turn out like that, but as I did more research, it became obvious to me where the book had to go. I just completed the second book, and now I have to wait and see. Keeping tabs on the plot proved a major challenge, and as a result, I’ve changed the way I write.

I’ve always written a plan for my books, but usually, they are one or two pages long, and outline the main events, internal (the emotional journey) and the external (all the stuff that happens to the hero and heroine along the way). Now I’m starting to do a more detailed plan, so that everything that happens works in order, and I don’t leave myself with plot holes I have to go back later to fill.

But what I really want to write is romance. Everything I write is about a developing relationship, how it starts, goes along and finishes, and since I write romances, the happy ending is guaranteed. It’s the journey that counts. And the romance is the centre of the story, always. It took me a few attempts to realise that the romance of the thing. So many delicious variations to write about, it’s so easy to let the setting and the situation overwhelm the romance. And I did, until I learned that when you write romance, it’s the romance the readers want, and not some rush around a wonderful city or a mysterious dungeon with a bit of sex thrown in for good measure.

And the Winner is ....

2012-01-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

The WINNER of the huge pile of Christmas book goodies is...

books4me67

Congratulations, and please email me as soon as possible on
clarelondon11@yahoo.co.uk to claim your prize.

Then the authors will contact you directly,
though please give us a few days to get organised after the festivities :)

MANY THANKS to all the authors who took part in our December Celebrations, and especial thanks to everyone who joined in. We're glad you enjoyed the posts and look forward to sharing 2012 with you all.

The Book That Started Me on the Path to Murder & Mayhem

2012-01-02T03:47:00.000-08:00

When I was about eight or nine years old I remember getting up early on Christmas morning to check out the contents of my Christmas pillow case. That would be stocking to everyone else. As usual, Santa had left a book, a bag of salted peanuts and a few other things I don’t recall—no doubt a pair of socks or undies. The book Santa left this particular year was one called Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton.

Since it was still early I went back to bed, taking my book and my bag of peanuts with me. I opened my new book and started reading, thus beginning my love of mysteries and suspense.

Enid Blyton was a prolific English author who wrote hundreds of children’s books, although most Americans won’t recognize her work. Five on a Treasure Island, written way back in 1942 was the first of 21 Famous Five books. In 2010 Hodder Children’s Books released updated versions of these books, modifying language so the books resonated better with children of the 21st century. Audio and e-versions are now available too. When I saw Five on a Treasure Island on Kindle, nostalgia struck and I had to purchase a copy.

Here is my review:

FIVE ON A TREASURE ISLAND by Enid Blyton

Siblings Julian, Dick and Anne go to Kirrin Bay to stay with their Aunt Fanny, Uncle Quentin and cousin Georgina. They’re looking forward to their holiday at the beach and to meeting their cousin. But they’re in for a surprise. Georgina is rude and refuses to speak with them until they call her George. Gradually the children settle in and get to know each other. The days pass, and they go swimming and explore the small private island in the bay, which belongs to the family. One day there’s a huge storm and that’s where the real adventure begins…

The first thing I noticed when I started reading was the large amount of telling and the head hopping. Cripes! The writer in me drew up with horror. Most stories these days are heavy on dialogue, while this story didn’t have much in the way of dialogue at all. And on top of that, the characters seemed to eat all the time.

That said, you’re probably wondering if I liked anything about this book. Why, yes I did!

Five on a Treasure Island was very easy to read. Despite all the telling and the constantly hungry characters, I didn’t suffer any reluctance to continue reading. Ms. Blyton has written enduring characters that rang true for me. There’s Julian, the oldest, who is the voice of reason and the peacemaker. There’s George, the lonely tomboy, Dick, the brave one who is always hungry, and Anne, the youngest who blurts out secrets when she gets nervous.

A fun trip down memory lane. I enjoyed reacquainting myself with Five on Treasure Island, and I think young readers will enjoy reading this book too.

Purchase Five on a Treasure Island

Can you remember reading your first mystery? What books have influenced you and put you on the trail of murder and mayhem?

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand with her husband and a naughty puppy. She writes romance for Carina Press, Ellora's Cave and Samhain Publishing and just can't help adding dead bodies to her stories. To learn more about Shelley and her books visit her website at http://www.shelleymunro.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-01T01:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year
from everyone at Not Your Usual Suspects, and we wish you all the very best for 2012.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson. (1849 --> 50)

Wise Words to Start the New Year
* The early worm gets eaten!
* There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it.
* Never argue with a fool, people may not know the difference.
* Lead me not into temptation (I can find the way myself).
* You can't skip and be unhappy at the same time.
* I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

THE FINAL FOURTEEN BOOKS!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Only Fear - Anne Marie Becker
Scene Stealer - Elise Warner

Fun, film and fond farewell to 2011...

2011-12-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

IT'S FRIDAY FUN! and the Not Your Usual Suspects authors share some jokes and cheeky fun with you all through the Holiday season :)

A BUMPER post today to mark the end of our blog month :).
Take your time to read and browse and - hopefully - smile!

Thanks so much for visiting and chatting this month, we've had a great time and hope you have too.

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: THIRTEEN BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

Here are some jokes for your New Year:

Resolutions I'm more likely to KEEP?
10. Read less.
9. Put on at least 30 pounds.
8. Stop exercising. Waste of time.
7. Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
6. Procrastinate more.
5. Drink. Drink some more.
4. Start being superstitious.
3. Spend more time at work.
2. Stop bringing lunch from home: I should eat out more.
and last but not least...
1. Take up a new habit: maybe drinking!

A New Year's Wish
On New Year's Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local pub and said that it was time to get ready. At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every husband to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living.

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. As the clock struck - the bartender was almost crushed to death.

Lecture Tour with A Difference
On New Year's Eve, Daniel was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the car park and walked home. As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman. 'What are you doing out here at four o'clock in the morning?' asked the police officer.

'I'm on my way to a lecture,' answered Roger.

'And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time on New Year's Eve?' enquired the constable sarcastically.

'My wife,' slurred Daniel grimly.

Politician in Action
A Senator in the USA was once asked about his attitude toward whisky.
'If you mean the demon drink that poisons the mind, pollutes the body, desecrates family life, and inflames sinners, then I'm against it. But if you mean the elixir of a New Year toast, the shield against winter chill, the taxable potion that puts needed funds into public coffers to comfort little crippled children, then I'm for it. This is my position, and I will not compromise.'

Ten Indications of a New Year Hangover
* You get it into your head that chirping birds are the Devil's pets.
* Trying to gain control of the situation, you continue to tell your room to "Stay still."
* Looking at yourself in the mirror induces the same reaction as drinking a glass of fresh paint.
* The bathroom reminds you of the fairground cry, "Step right up and give it whirl!"
* You'd rather chew tacks than be exposed to sunlight.
* You set aside an entire afternoon to spend some quality time with your toilet.
* You replace the traditional praying on your knees with the more feasible praying in a fetal position.
* Your catch phrase is, "Never again."
* You could purchase a new fridge on the proceeds from recycling the bottles around your bed.
* Your new response to "Good morning," is "Be quiet!"

New Year Quotes - inspirational or not?!

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty. John Selden

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits. Unknown

It wouldn't be New Year if I didn't have regrets. William Thomas

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. Oprah Winfrey

The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul. G.K. Chesterton

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser, a little bit rounder, but still none the wiser. Robert Paul

New Year's Eve: Where auld acquaintance be forgot...Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. Jay Leno

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. Mark Twain

Every new year is the direct descendant, isn't it, of a long line of proven criminals? Ogden Nash

Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. John Burroughs

Here's a YouTube clip made by the ship's personnel of HMS Ocean on learning they'd be home for Christmas 2011 (posted by Clare London, who married a sailor :)).

Back 9 Dec after 7½ months away - 225 days with 176 at sea.
400 people onboard (at peak during the amphibious exercises just under 900 onboard but approx 650 during Op Ellamy).
Steamed just over 40,000 miles.
Burned approx 6,000 tonnes of fuel.
Operated 16 different type of aircraft off the deck.

Realities of deploying:
15 babies born while the ship has been away (fathers did get home to see mum and baby)
5 people were sent home so they didn't miss their own weddings.
1 sailor whose son's third birthday is on homecoming. Family meeting ship

Ships company have missed:
Summer holidays.
Children's exam results
Children finishing school and starting university
The Padre missed his daughter's graduation.

Link - HMS Ocean

The marvellous a capella group Straight No Chaser and "The Twelve Days of Christmas", recommended by our visitor Frank:

Link - Straight No Chaser

And the inimitable Eartha Kitt who sadly died on Christmas Day 2008, here with her wonderfully cheeky Christmas song, Santa Baby.

Link - Eartha Kitt

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

THIRTEEN BOOKS ALREADY!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Only Fear - Anne Marie Becker
First Victim - JB Lynn

Of course you haven't eaten too much already ...

2011-12-28T01:33:00.000-08:00

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

(and look out for some extra fun from Rita's recipe ... LOL)

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: TWELVE BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

ELISE WARNER shares DATE AND NUT LOAF

This recipe is from my mother-in-law Kate

1 Egg

1 Cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Butter

CREAM WELL AND ADD

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

10 oz. Pkg. of Dates cut up

1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

1 ¾ Cups of Flour

Slowly add 1 Cup of Boiling Water

Butter a loaf tin

Pour in batter and bake in a slow oven for 1 hour (350 degrees).

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BRANDY-SPIKED CHOCOLATE EGGNOG CAKE
from The Pescetarian and the Pig

Ingredients:
For Cake:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 3/4 Cups White Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 Cups Whole Milk
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
6 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Eggnog Filling
4 Cups Regular Non-alcoholic Eggnog
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Brandy Glaze
1/2 Cup Hot Water
2 Tbsp Brandy
1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

Brandy Buttercream Frosting
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Brandy
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 9-inch cake rounds. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Slowly pour flour mixture into butter mixture and blend, alternating with the whole milk. Add chocolate chips. Pour the cake batter equally between the 3 cake rounds. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, pat the cakes down to make the tops flat. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and remove from pans. Set aside.

Eggnog Custard and Brandy Glaze: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together eggnog, sugar, butter, and whisk in flour. Continue to heat and stir constantly. When mixture comes to a boil, continue to stir until reduced, about 15 minutes. A good test is to take a teaspoon full of the mixture and put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes. If it thickens in the fridge, it is finished. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg. Continue to stir occasionally as custard cools.

Place one layer of cake onto a cake plate and spoon 1/2 custard mixture on top. Using a knife, spread the custard out leaving about a half in rim all around. Place in fridge for 10 minutes. Put 2nd layer on top and create the Brandy glaze by mixing the hot water, powdered sugar, and Brandy. Use 1/4-1/2 cup of the mixture and slowly pour onto the 2nd layer of cake allowing it to soak in. Repeat the custard step, place in fridge for 10 minutes, then place the final layer on top.

Brandy Buttercream Frosting: In a large bowl, blend butter until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, then Brandy. Very slowly add milk until it reaches the right consistency. You may not need all of the milk. To thicken, add more powdered sugar. Spread on cake with a cake knife or spatula. Reserve some to color if you want to decorate the cake. Place in fridge to set.

This cake is very rich, so small slices are best. But man, is it a good! Something great about it, if you’re lacking time like I was the last time I made it, is that you can make the layers of cake, wrap them individually in foil, and keep them in the freezer until you need them. Then you can make the custard the night before you’re going to serve the cake, create the layers and put it covered in the fridge. Then, you can make the buttercream the day of and just allow it to set up in the fridge for 15 minutes. I like it when I don’t have to make the cake all at once!

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RITA HENUBER shares PATRON CHRISTMAS COOKIES

As Rita says: I always make my favorite thing - Reservations :)

I love it when a man cooks ---------------------------->

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Patron

Sample the Patron to check quality.
Check the Patron again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the Patron is still ok, try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cupof dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Patron to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves a sheet.

Check the Patron. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Patron and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas !

**********************************************

Elise Warner

Scene Stealer

Website | Blog

Rita Henuber

Website

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And just for fun and maybe inspiration, look at these adorable superhero cookies, courtesy of sugarswings blog:

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

TWELVE BOOKS SO FAR!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen
Only Fear - Anne Marie Becker

Decorations and Divas ...

2011-12-26T01:30:00.000-08:00

IT'S MISTLETOE MONDAY - The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their personal Holiday season decorations and delights with you.

Tell us about your favourite decorations and traditions at this time of year - we'd love to hear them!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: ELEVEN BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

We love to decorate! Here are some of the beautiful displays on view by our authors:

Toni says: These balls hung for years in my mom and dad's house--the house I grew up in. Then my parents decide to move, doing some serious downsizing . When I was there two summers ago I had admired the balls, but there was no way I could get them in my luggage. Imagine my surprise and joy when this massive cardboard box arrived just before Christmas last year, full of peanuts and bubblewrap and these three antique glass baubles. There are the size of ostrich eggs and I LOVE them :)

Toni Anderson

Atmospheric Tales of Love & Murder

Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Clare says: A dear friend in the US whom I haven't seen now for 5 years sent me a precious tree ornament that says it all: DIVA. It makes the family laugh - always the first to make sure I don't grow too big-headed! - though I know she meant it in the best possible way, and it is connected to the ID I used in my fanfiction days.

The other precious sight is of me and my sister as children ------>

One or other of us always seemed to be ill at Christmas! and wrapped up on the sofa (it's ME in this pic). What's special is that this picture was taken my Grandmother's front room - and that's now MY front room as well, because we bought the house off her when she went into a home and subsequently passed away. It gives me a wonderful sense of family continuity, and I'm glad to say my Sons are just as fond of the house as we all are - though they seem to be in better health at Christmas when there's chocolate to eat and Xbox games to play LOL.

Clare London

Writing … Man to Man

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

ELEVEN BOOKS SO FAR!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody by Wynter Daniels
Her Dark Knight - Sharon Cullen

Happy Holidays to you all

2011-12-25T03:12:00.000-08:00

From all of us at Not Your Usual Suspects.

We wish you all a happy, peaceful and enjoyable season.

Get your Laughing Gear ready for Christmas :)

2011-12-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

IT'S FRIDAY FUN! and the Not Your Usual Suspects authors share some jokes and cheeky fun with you all through the Holiday season :)

Feel free to share YOUR jokes in the comments - maybe we'll include some of them in later blog posts!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: TEN BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

Why would you invite a mushroom to a Christmas party?
He's a fun guy to be with.
Why was Santa's little helper feeling depressed?
He had low elf-esteem.
Why should husbands make the early morning tea for their wives?
Because the Bible says He Brews
What's the longest word in the English language?
Smiles, because there is a "mile" between the first and the last letters.

*

The 10 WORST Christmas cracker jokes from a recent survey:
1. What is Santa's favourite pizza?
One that's deep pan, crisp and even.
2. On which side do chickens have the most feathers?
The outside.
3. What kind of paper likes music?
(W)rapping paper.
4. What's white and goes up?
A confused snowflake.
5. What do you call a woman who stands between two goal posts?
Annette.
6. Did you hear about the man who bought a paper shop?
It blew away.
7. What's furry and minty?
A polo bear.
8. How do snowmen get around?
They ride an icicle.
9. Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?
A mince spy.
10. What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert?
Lost.

*

Some jokes from our readers:

Anne

Q) What disease can you catch from putting up too many Christmas decorations?
A) Tinsilitis

Vanessa

What do elves learn in school?
ANSWER: The Elf-abet

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
ANSWER: Frostbite

flchen1

What do Christmas and a cat in the desert have in common?
Both have Sandy Claws

If athletes get athletes foot, what do astronauts get?
Mistletoe!!

Knock Knock...

Who's there?
Mary
Mary who?
Mary Christmas

Who's there?
Wenceslas
Wenceslas who?
Wenceslas train home?

Who's there?
Snow
Snow who?
Snow business like show business

Who's there?
Wayne
Wayne who?
Wayne in a manger

Who's there?
Oakham
Oakham who?
Oakham all ye faithful

Who's there?
Holly
Holly who?
Holly-days are here again

Share some Christmas music - How many of them are your favourites as well? recommended by Clare London:

Link: http://youtu.be/8sB7_zCneG8

A clip from Love Actually, one of Toni Anderson's favourite Christmas movies:

Follow the link: http://youtu.be/XVSmT4nNEkQ

(embedding disabled, I'm afraid)

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

TEN BOOKS ALREADY!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson
Under Fire by Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan
Protective Custody - Wynter Daniels

Kindlegraph - perfect for a reader's Christmas!

2011-12-22T00:34:00.000-08:00

Kindlegraph

lets authors send personalized inscriptions and signatures ("kindlegraphs") directly to the electronic reading devices of their fans.

Readers - contact your favourite authors and collect e-autographs!

Authors - reach your readers in an even more personalised way!

There's a very useful mini-video on how it works on the site, but here is a brief, additional run-down.

I'm an Author, what do I do?
* Sign up for Twitter, if you haven't already. You DON'T have to use Twitter after that, although you may learn to love it :). Either way, you only need a Twitter ID at the moment for Kindlegraph.
* Go to Kindlegraph and use your Twitter ID to register you as an author. You'll be asked to add a contact email address. Now readers can find you there!
* Add your book(s). All you need is the Amazon ASIN reference, it's listed on the Amazon book page. Copy or type that in, then the book will appear on your Author page with a "Request Kindlegraph" button underneath for a reader to use.

* When a reader requests a Kindlegraph, you'll get an email letting you know. You sign into Kindlegraph, find "Requests" at the top right of your screen, follow that link to the request and write something to them. Kindlegraph offers an automated signature for your message, but you can add your own. Press "Send Kindlegraph" and off it goes!

I'm a reader, what do I do?

You don't need to own or buy the book in order to receive a Kindlegraph, nor do you need to own a Kindle. The Kindlegraph is not inserted into the e-book. It arrives as a separate document. This allows a reader to create a "collection" on their reading device and keep all of their Kindlegraphs together.

* Sign on to Twitter as above.
* Go to Kindlegraph, search for your favourite author(s), click on any of their books and send a request. You can add a personal message to them if you want.
* When they've completed a Kindlegraph back to you, you'll get an email notification. You can then access it on your Kindle, on your iBooks, or directly from the Kindlegraph site. Log in, look for "My Collection" at the top right of the screen, and your Kindlegraphs are accessible as PDFs, attached to a copy of the cover art.

Authors, want to check how it works?
Request a Kindlegraph for yourself, from your own book! Or buddy up with another author and request from each other. Then you can follow through the process and see what it looks like.

To request a personalized signature go to http://kindlegraph.com/books or click on the authors link:

Participating Carina Press Suspense and Not Your Usual Suspects authors:

Toni Anderson http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/toniannanderson

Anne Marie Becker http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/annemariebecker

Wynter Daniels http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/WynterDaniels

Marcelle Dubé http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/MarcelleDube

Rita Henuber http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/ritahenuber

Kathy Ivan http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/KathyIvan

Clare London http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/clare_london

Maureen Miller http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/MaureenAMiller

Julie Moffett http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/JMoffettAuthor

Wendy Soliman http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/wendyswriter

Carol Stephenson http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/CStephensonFL

Shirley Wells                http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/Shirley_Wells
Julie Wachowski          http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/JulieWachowski
Josh Lanyon                 http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/JoshLanyon
Sharon Cullen               http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/SharonCullen
Shelley Munro              http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/ShelleyMunro
Angela Henry               http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/MystNoir
Melinda Leigh              http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/MelindaLeigh1

Come and support these great authors. It's a chance to say "HI", and enjoy a personalised souvenir for books you've enjoyed - or are looking forward to!

Yes, you CAN be even sweeter!

2011-12-21T01:13:00.000-08:00

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: NINE BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

CLARE LONDON shares TIFFIN

Ingredients (Serves: 20)

110g (4 oz) butter

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

4 teaspoons cocoa

225g (8 oz) Digestive / sweetmeal biscuits, crushed

1 handful of raisins (optional)

225g (8 oz) cooking chocolate - half milk & half dark

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 5 mins | Extra time: 1 hour, setting

In a saucepan, melt the butter, sugar, syrup and cocoa. Add the biscuits and raisins when melted. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a swiss roll size tin and press down. Melt the cooking chocolate and pour over the mixture in the tin. Pop the tin into the fridge and leave for about 1 hour to set. To serve, cut into about 20 pieces.

Tip : Melt the chocolate by microwaving at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, till melted. But be careful not to scorch the chocolate! Otherwise, melt in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water.

MARCELLE DUBE shares CANDY CANE COOKIES

2 cups Butter, softened

1 cup Granulated sugar

½ tsp Peppermint extract

4 cups All-purpose flour

⅓ cup Crushed candy canes

In bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract. Stir in flour, ½ cup at a time, until combined. Shape dough into four logs, each about four inches long and two inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or for up to three days (Can be frozen in airtight container for up to three weeks.)

Using a serrated knife, cut logs into ¼–inch thick slices; place about two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake in center of 350˚F oven for 10 minutes; remove and sprinkle ¼-tsp crushed candy in center of each. Return to oven; bake for two minutes or until firm to the touch, bottoms are golden and candies are melted. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; transfer to rack and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three weeks.) Makes about 60 cookies, 100 calories each.

ANNE MARIE BECKER shares SNOWBALL COOKIES

1/2 lb. butter

2 1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

2 tsp. vanilla

approx. 2 c. powdered sugar and/or sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream the butter with the sugar and vanilla. Add the flour (gradually) and then the nuts. Roll spoonfuls of dough in hands to form into balls (about 1-2 inches in diameter). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until a pale golden brown. While baked cookies are still hot, roll in powdered sugar (and sprinkles if desired). Roll in powdered sugar again when cool.

**********************************************

Clare London

Writing … Man to Man

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Marcelle Dube

Website

Anne Marie Becker

Thrilling Romantic Suspense

Website

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Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

NINE BOOKS TO DATE!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro
Desperate Choices - Kathy Ivan

Our favourite things

2011-12-18T23:58:00.000-08:00

IT'S MISTLETOE MONDAY - The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their personal Holiday season decorations and delights with you.

Tell us about your favourite decorations and traditions at this time of year - we'd love to hear them!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: EIGHT BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

We love to decorate! Here are some of the beautiful displays on view by our authors:

Rita says: I grew up in Florida. Christmas never included snow. We made our own wreaths from cedar boughs or magnolia leaves, decorated with holly and humongous pinecones. Garlands were made of the same material all of which we gathered ourselves. Table decorations could be palm fronds, magnolia leaves, holly and citrus fruit punctured with cloves. It was the job of the cousins to decorate the citrus with whole cloves. I associate the smell of cedar, drying citrus and cloves with Christmas. Our big family tradition was to celebrate Christmas Eve at my aunt’s century old home. Many times all the doors and windows were open because it was so warm. There were a few times we had a fire in the fireplace. But I remember the room as being so toasty we didn't spend much time in there. I’ve spent Christmas in many places from Hawaii to the Midwest and back to Florida. I loved being immersed in the local traditions wherever I was and decorated accordingly. Back in Florida now my decorations reflect where I live, the beach. My Santas are in floral print shirts and/or shorts. I love decorating the palm trees with lights. My wreaths have shells and holly. My tree has a giant starfish at the top, mermaids, flamingo and starfish lights while my neighbors, who are all from the North, still decorate the way they did up there. Don't tell anyone but, I think I like my decorations a lot more.

Rita Henuber

Website

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Carol says:
Left: my family called this ornament "Big Red", and it's well over 50 years old. Every year I continue the tradition of picking a special spot on the tree to showcase 'Red'.

Middle: my office held a Xmas wreath competition, and I created a Shih Tzu wreath, including rawhide candy canes. I didn't win, but I love putting it out every year.

Right: My Shih Tzu Maddie as she's my most treasured Xmas decoration.

Carol Stephenson

Escape to Compelling, Heart-Racing Stories
Website; Facebook; Twitter; Not Your Usual Suspects

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Julie says: This is a picture of my Christmas tree. The other is of a favorite ornament (a girl cheerleading that looks a bit like me!) that I got shortly after high school. I went to school in Okinawa, Japan and our team colors were red and white.

Julie Moffett

Website

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

EIGHT BOOKS TO DATE!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Under Fire by Rita Henuber

The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Choice of backlist - Shelley Munro

Celebration and Chuckles

2011-12-16T00:43:00.000-08:00

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: SEVEN BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

Why did the lobster cross the road?
To get to the other tide.

Question: If Santa Claus is crossed with a detective then what would you get?

Answer: Santa Clues!

What's for lunch on Christmas Day for snowmen?
Answer: Icebergers!

How do snowmen travel around?
Answer: By icicle!

How does one snowman greet another?
Answer: Ice to meet you.

What's the popular name of a snowman in summer?
Answer: A puddle.

What's a snowman's favorite Mexican food?
Answer: Brrrr- itos.

What kind of money do snowmen use at the North Pole?
Answer: Cold cash!

How do you get to know if the snowman's in your bed?
Answer: You wake up wet!

What does a snowman likes to eat on Christmas Eve?
Answer: Turkey with snow topping.

What kind of money does a snowman use?
Answer: Cold cash!

*

Some jokes from one of our readers, flchen1:

Where do Santa's reindeers like to stop for lunch?
Deery Queen

What do you call a bunch of grandmasters of chess bragging about their games in a hotel lobby?
Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

Share a lovely clip of a Hallelujah Chorus by the people of Quinhagak in Alaska:

Link: http://youtu.be/LyviyF-N23A

And OHHHH this made me wince! From A Christmas Story - Tongue Stuck to Pole ...

Only available on Link: http://youtu.be/_RgCbcT8eEU

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

SEVEN BOOKS TO DATE!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson
Under Fire by Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube
No One to Trust - Julie Moffett
Icescapade - Josh Lanyon

Saucy, sweet and simply divine

2011-12-14T01:18:00.000-08:00

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

**Comment on any post this month & be entered to win FREE BOOKS!**
***Countdown today: SIX BOOKS under the Christmas tree, see below***

JULIE WACHOWSKI shares PIRANHA ARTICHOKE DIP

1 can of Artichokes
1 can of chopped green chilis
½ cup mayo
½ cup parmesan cheese (+ some for sprinkling.)
1 teaspoon (or more if you like) Dill
Pinch of pepper

Drain and rough chop the artichokes. Mix the artichokes with the chilis, mayo, dill & cheese.
Add a pinch of black pepper. Pile everything into a small shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with a little more cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until it’s brown & bubbly.
Serve with sturdy crackers or sliced baguette.
Stand back after serving. (A piranha like feeding frenzy has been known to ensue, hence the name.)
(Makes a great spread for a leftover turkey or ham sandwich too!)

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J. B. LYNN shares KITCHEN SINK CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 small can mandarin oranges (drained and chopped)

1 apple & 1 pear - peeled, cored and diced

1 cup chopped nuts (walnut/pecan mixture)

1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup water

Boil water and stir in sugar until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to simmer, and add cranberries, orange, apple, pear, dried fruit, nuts and spices. Stir. Cover, and simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat, and let cool.

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CLARE LONDON shares MINCE PIES(because people keep asking what these UK pies are all about!)

225g cold butter, diced
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
280g mincemeat
1 small egg, beaten
icing sugar, to dust

(1) To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball - don't add liquid - and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

(2) Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon the mincemeat into the pies.

(3) Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don't need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies may now be frozen for up to 1 month).

(4) Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

**********************************************

JB Lynn

Website

Julie Wachowski

Website

Clare London

Writing … Man to Man

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

**********************************************

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

SIX BOOKS TO DATE!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion - Toni Anderson
Under Fire - Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube
No One to Trust - Julie Moffett

The stories behind the decorations

2011-12-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

IT'S MISTLETOE MONDAY - The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their personal Holiday season decorations and delights with you.

Tell us about your favourite decorations and traditions at this time of year - we'd love to hear them!

We love to decorate! Here are some of the beautiful displays on view by our authors:

Shirley says: I love tinsels and baubles, the tree and my scarf-wearing reindeer, but my favourite Christmas decoration is snow. I'm like a kid when the first flake appears and our traditional Boxing Day walk and/or football match isn't the same without the lovely white stuff.

Shirley Wells

Dark Crimes, Deep Secrets, Powerful Stories...

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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Shelley says: During the run-up to Christmas, I like to make small gifts rather than buy them. Not only is it satisfying, but it’s cost effective too. I enjoy cooking and I have several recipes that make perfect gifts, but I only make them at Christmas. Why? Confession time…

I have a terrible sweet tooth. I blame my father. He's always liked anything sweet ranging from dessert to cakes and sweets. It would be much easier if I hadn't inherited this gene, but I try to control myself as much as possible.

My father is a farmer. He has worked hard all his life and has never suffered a weight problem. My sister thinks, and I agree, a little indulgence of his sweet tooth isn’t bad. After all, he can't hurt his teeth since he has false ones. :grin:

He has a lolly jar that my sister fills periodically. There used to be a running joke. My sister would fill the jar and before she knew it, the lolly jar would be empty again. My father always denied everything and said that Joe ate them. (Joe was my sister's big foot cat. He was a real character but he died earlier this year) This is how the conversation would go:

"My lolly jar is empty."

"But I filled it a few days ago," my sister would say.

"Joe has been in the lolly jar again," my father would say. "I told him off but he keeps eating the lollies when I’m not looking."

After Joe died, my father forgot for a minute. He started the lolly jar is empty and Joe ate them spiel.

"Ah-ha!" said my sister. "You can't blame Joe. He isn't here."

My father is still trying to come up with a good excuse.

Shelley Munro
Provocative, Adventurous, Romance.

Website

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Elise says: here's my toy poodle Jackie Warner Bernard at her first Christmas Party, complete with special decorations!

Elise Warner

Scene Stealer

Website | Blog

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

FIVE BOOKS TO DATE!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion - Toni Anderson
Under Fire - Rita Henuber
The Shoeless Kid - Marcelle Dube

Festive Fun and Music

2011-12-09T00:50:00.000-08:00

What did the green grape say to the purple grape? "Breathe, moron. Breathe!"

*

On Christmas morning a woman told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a beautiful diamond necklace. What do you think it means?”
“You’ll know tonight,” he said.
That evening just before opening presents, the husband came home with a small package and gave it to his wife.
Delighted, she opened it only to find a book entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”

*

Why is getting Christmas presents for your kids just like a day at the office?
You do all the work and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

*

Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by St. Peter at the pearly gates.

“In honor of this holy season,” St. Peter said, 'You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas in order to get into heaven.”

The man from Nova Scotia fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. “It represents a candle,” he said.
“You may pass through the pearly gates,” St. Peter said.

The man from Saskatchewan reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, “They're bells.”

Saint Peter said, “You may pass through the pearly gates.”

The Newfoundlander started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women's panties.

St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, “And just what do those symbolize?”

The Newfie replied, “These are Carols.”

*

A man is walking through the Olympic village and stops to talk to an athlete who is carrying a really long pole. He asks “are you a pole vaulter” the athlete replies, “No I am German but how did you know my name was Walter?”

A man in Scotland calls his son in London the day before Christmas Eve and says,

"I hate to ruin your day but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough".

"Dad, what are you talking about?'" the son screams.

"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer", the Father says. "We're sick of each other and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Leeds and tell her".

Frantically, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone, "Like hell they're getting divorced", she shouts, "I'll take care of this".

She calls Scotland immediately and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Done! They're coming for Christmas - and they're paying their own way."

Share some Christmas music with Bruce Springsteen, recommended by Toni Anderson:

Link: http://youtu.be/T5yj8ARVV3M

A clip from A Christmas Story, courtest of Rita Henuber:

http://youtu.be/MR-tKkWWtXo

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

FOUR BOOKS ALREADY!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson
Under Fire by Rita Henuber

No, of course your bum doesn't look big in this ...

2011-12-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

IT'S WEDNESDAY WARMERS: The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their seasonal recipes ... mmmmmm!

SHELLEY MUNRO shares COCONUT ICE

Those of you who share my sweet tooth flaw will probably curse me in a moment. I found this recipe for Coconut Ice in my favorite food magazine - Taste. It's incredibly easy and uses the microwave rather than a saucepan on the stove top. It would be great for those times when you need to make something for a fete or school fair, and as I mentioned above, it makes a good Christmas treat.

1 kg icing sugar or 2.2 pounds(confectioner's sugar in US)
1/2 cup milk
200 g butter or 1.76 sticks of butter
4 cups long coconut threads
2 - 3 drops red food coloring

Mix the icing sugar, milk and butter in a large microwaveable bowl and microwave for 2 minutes or until the butter has melted. Stir in the coconut.
Spread half the mixture into a baking paper-lined slice tin. Smooth until flat. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring to the remaining half and mix well. Spread on top of the white layer and carefully smooth until flat. Refrigerate the coconut ice until firm then cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

Notes: If I'm making it for myself, I make half the recipe. I couldn't purchase the long coconut threads and use normal desiccated coconut. I've given the conversions NZ to US.
This is really yummy stuff. :grin:

TONI ANDERSON shares EASY 7 LAYER CAKE

Easy recipe and all the men who've tried it love it. I picked this recipe up in a very ritzy shop in Key Biscayne a few years ago.

#1 Melt stick of butter in a 9X12 inch pan

#2 Sprinkle Graham cracker crumbs to soak butter (1-1.5 cups).
#3 Spread choc chips all over (1 bag 8 oz)
#4 Spread butterscotch chips all over (1 bag 8 oz)
#5 Spread crushed walnuts all over (1 bag) We leave this out so I guess ours is a 6 layer cake :)
#6 Sprinkle shredded coconut all over (1 bag)
#7 Pour over evenly 1 small can of condensed milk.

Pop in oven at 350 for 20-25 mins until top browns. Take out. Cool and cut into squares.

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Shelley Munro
Provocative, Adventurous, Romance.

Website

Toni Anderson

Atmospheric Tales of Love & Murder

Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

THREE BOOKS ALREADY!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London
Dead Silent - Shirley Wells
Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

With the compliments of the season

2011-12-05T01:19:00.000-08:00

IT'S MISTLETOE MONDAY - The Not Your Usual Suspects authors share their personal Holiday season decorations and delights with you.

Tell us about your favourite decorations and traditions at this time of year - we'd love to hear them!

Maureen's favorite decoration:

We used to have these blue lights for the Christmas tree. Two strands of them. And before we put them up on the tree my Dad would lay them out on the carpet in straight rows and I would pretend I was an airplane and land between them.

Maureen's favorite seasonal recipe:

My family makes Ukrainian food for Christmas. I confess that I am the only one in the family that doesn't like Ukrainian food, so my favorite Christmas recipe would be the 'special plate' of real food that Grandma slips me!

Maureen Miller

Website

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Sharon's favorite ornament:
Since my husband and I were married we give each other an ornament for Christmas. As our kids were born, we added them to the ornament giving tradition. Now, three kids and twenty-one years later we have trees (yes, plural) full of special ornaments. Every year we break out the boxes and as we hang them on the tree we reminisce and remember good times. Each ornament represents what our children were involved in that particular year. So I don't have one ornament but rather boxes and boxes of ornaments that represent our family. Its something I will cherish forever and someday my kids will get to take their ornaments with them to decorate their own trees.

Sharon Cullen

Website | Blog

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Marcelle's favourite decorations: Rosemary and Owl

Marcelle Dube

Website

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

Blinded by Our Eyes by Clare London

Dead Silent - Shirley Wells

It's Friday, and here's to the Weekend!

2011-12-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

What do you call Frosty the Snowman's lesser known brother, the baker?

Frosty the Doughman.

What is Kris Kringle's favorite part of the sentence?

The clause.

Which Christmas carol is about an old suit of armor?

Oh, Holey Knight.

What's a female sheep's favorite time of the year?

Ewe Near's Eve.

If Frosty the Snowman married a vampire what would they name their child?

Frostbite.

What is the army's favorite Christmas plant?

Missle toe.

What do you call a reindeer wearing ear muffs?
Anything you want. He can't hear you!

And to finish, here's a UK advert for the winter season for Boots the chemist (drugstore, to my US cousins) which never ceases to make me laugh. In fact, it was from last year, and they've resurrected it this year, so it must have struck a nerve with more people than just me LOL.

Here's the link if you can't pick it up from the blog post: http://youtu.be/9C4UVs3JD-g

Update on the BOOK GIVEAWAY:
Follow this on each post during Dec as the books mount up. Comment on any post to to be entered in the draw. Final prize giveaway on Jan 2!

First book under the tree: my Carina title "Blinded by Our Eyes"

HAPPY DECEMBER from us to you ...

2011-12-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

Welcome to December with the Not Your Usual Suspects blog crowd!

During the month, we're running a Seasonal Celebration, and we hope you'll all join in :).

Look out for these special features:

MONDAY MISTLETOE - take a peek into the seasonal celebrations of our authors.
WEDNESDAY WARMERS - share our special recipes, make sure to try some out and tell us how it went :).
FRIDAY FUN - jokes, movie chat, drinks, whatever else takes our fancy!

Come on over, and let us know YOUR favourite things from this time of year.

It's been great to share the last year with you, and this month is a treat for us all, bloggers and readers alike. THANK YOU for being with us, sharing the news, and chatting about your life and fiction loves.

GIFTS FOR YOU

All through Dec we'll be building up to a wonderful gift - a parcel of FREE BOOKS, to be given out to one lucky commenter, as soon as December is over.

Watch the books being added under the (virtual) tree, each post in December :).

Build up the anticipation, knowing that every comment of yours enters you for the draw, to win them ALL.

SEE YOU TOMORROW! ♥

The Secret Formula to Success

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I started a running class. To distract myself from my heavy breathing (imagine a beached wheel gasping desperately for breath)and pounding heart (think war drums being beaten at a frenzied pace) I eavesdropped on the conversations of my fellow classmates.

I was amused by the way one woman was grilling the instructor. She asked him a dozen questions about how he'd become a runner and lost a significant amount of weight. How long had it taken him...how many miles did he run each week...what were his diet secrets...etc. etc.

What she really wanted to know was, "What's the secret formula to success?"

I think most of us would like to know the secret forumula for succeeding at something in our lives, whether it's writing a novel, losing weight, being a better spouse/parent/child/friend, entertaining effortlessly, moving up the corporate ladder, wrapping gifts, keeping house, helping the environment, achieving inner peace, etc.

Personally, I feel like I fail a lot more than I succed. I don't have a secret formula for anything, except "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." (But don't try the same thing again and again, because as they say, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results"".)

I'm taking this running class because I've tried (and failed numerous times) to learn to become a runner on my own. I've completed two half marathons as a solitary walker, but I'd like to improve my time, so I'm hoping this class will be my "secret formula".

In January, my next novel, CONFESSIONS OF A SLIGHTLY NEUROTIC HITWOMAN will be released by Avon Impulse. The secret formula I used for writing this book was a combination of 1) writing the book I wanted to write, not the one my former agent approved of 2) breaking the novel down to a four act structure instead of three 3) Using WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass BEFORE starting the manuscript.

What do YOU wish you had the secret formula for? Even if you don't have the formula, what tricks/tips have you found through trial and error that work for you?

My tips are:

-- I was not born with the housekeeping gene, but I've found FlyLady to be very helpful as a system to keep my home running smoothly.

-- I find that using Jennifer Louden's THE LIFE ORGANIZER helps me to get back on track when I feel as though I've gone off the rails.

How much is enough?

2011-11-28T06:29:00.000-08:00

They say write about what you know, and I’m all for that. Anything to save time on research. Besides, if you know your subject well then you’re unlikely to make mistakes that turn readers off. That’s why I made Charlie Hunter, my retired detective, live aboard his boat. I know a lot about boats. Not content with that, I plonked his boat in Brighton marina in southern England, where we used to keep our old tub. That was some years ago so I popped back when in England, just to make sure it hadn’t changed too much. I even checked, (er, make that re-checked), the Wetherspoon’s pub, all in the name of research, naturally. Cheers!

Charlie usually goes to Cowes in his boat at some point during each book in the series, simply because it’s close to Brighton and because it’s my home town. No research necessary. I even had him and his dog walking through a park next to a school. It was my school, back in the day. I wish I could have found a reason for him to go into the school and run, (sharp intake of breath), yes run, down the corridors. I can still hear an imperious teacher’s voice to this day,

“No running in the corridors, Wendy Wood. Report for detention!”

“Oh no, not again, sir.”

Sorry, some memories kind of haunt you forever, don't you find?

Here’s a picture of Cowes High Street. Quaint, isn’t it, and it’s changed little over the years I’ve known it. No, you’re not supposed to ask how many years that is. Anyway, I’m not telling! Local businesses have had to make way for Indian restaurants, estate agents and gastro pubs, and locals have been priced out of the housing market. That’s progress for you.

Still, there comes a point in every book when I can no longer rely on personal knowledge. Thank goodness for the internet! Even so, how much information is enough? Personally, if someone’s being threatened by a gun, I don’t really care what sort of gun it is, how loud the bang will be, how many bullets it holds, whether it’s silenced, how long the bullet will take to reach its target, (unless those points are important to the particular situation). It’s a gun. Okay, I get that. Now, will the person being threatened find a clever way to escape, or should the unfortunate victim prepare for the next life? That’s all that matters. Don’t burden me with too much detail, my poor brain cell is on overload as it is.

What about you? Do you like to know all the technical nitty-gritty, or are you more concerned with the story moving on? My second book in the Charlie Hunter series, Risky Business, due to be published by Carina next summer, finds Charlie in the middle of a race fixing scam, and up to his neck in a drugs ring. And before you ask, I didn’t get those facts from my personal memory banks. It’s amazing what you can find out through a little diligent googling, though.

Have a great festive season, everyone!

Wendy

Not Your Usual Suspects

About That Contest

That is the long and short of it ...

A Suspect is a Suspect is a Suspect...

Write about what you know?

WHAT MAKES YOU BUY A BOOK? By Kathy Ivan

I-Spy: How to...Research

Fantasy and Shadows

The English language - hilarious or brilliant?!

I Need a Hero

Theme Braiding

Can TV and Movies Help Your Writing?

Speak Your Piece

I-Spy: Writing the Gay Mystery (Intro)

Wearing My Writer’s Hat: Writing Effective Dialogue

What’s In Your TBR Pile?

Supernatural Stakes

What’s a Writer’s Biggest Challenge?

The Professor Winner!

Guest Author: Alanna Coca and Giveaway!

How Strong Are You?

Smile - You're In A Romantic Suspense Book

Release Day Giveaway!

Everyone Will Hate This Book

Just Shoot Me

Firearms and Other Mistakes in Booksor Why Watching Movies Is Not Research

The Color of Nostaglia: Favorite Mystery Films

Suspense Vs. Thrillers

SUB-TEXT

How to Succeed at Writing Romantic Suspense ... Maybe

What do you mean there's no magic?

Is romantic suspense different?

And the Winner is ....

The Book That Started Me on the Path to Murder & Mayhem

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fun, film and fond farewell to 2011...

Of course you haven't eaten too much already ...

Decorations and Divas ...

Happy Holidays to you all

Get your Laughing Gear ready for Christmas :)

Kindlegraph - perfect for a reader's Christmas!

Yes, you CAN be even sweeter!

Our favourite things

Celebration and Chuckles

Saucy, sweet and simply divine

The stories behind the decorations

Festive Fun and Music

No, of course your bum doesn't look big in this ...

With the compliments of the season

It's Friday, and here's to the Weekend!

HAPPY DECEMBER from us to you ...

The Secret Formula to Success

How much is enough?

Firearms and Other Mistakes in Books
or Why Watching Movies Is Not Research