Let Me Tell You A Story

   In the past weeks there have been posts on the Not Your Usual Suspect blog about bucket lists, finding the joy in writing again, fears and business plans. All of these resonated deeply with me because they have been my struggles. This past year I found my writing joy, enthusiastically attacked my writing bucket list and OMG, made a business plan. Overcoming, I can’t count how many, fears. The greatest being to get over my doubts and gather the courage to publish this book of short stories.

  I can tell you fear and self-doubt are like an unhappy skunk trapped in your house. Not good. Chasing that skunk away isn’t easy and sometimes, even after you’ve thrown it out the door, you catch the odor.

  That all said, the skunk has been evicted and fears overcome, the book is done and will be live next week.  I LOVE the stories in this book. I hope everyone loves reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

  And here is the cover.  

  My newsletter subscribers will get a free read of one of the stories and be eligible for a portable cell phone charger. To sign up go to my web page  Rita Henuber

             Thanks, 

                           Rita

Serial Killer: On Ending a Series

 

It’s been a long time since I wrapped up a series--2011’s The Dark Tide, to be precise--but I’m currently writing the final book in the All’s Fair series and I’m daily reminded of just how tricky it is to pen that final chapter.

Part of the challenge in writing a series is remembering everything that came before. Not just the obvious stuff like the protagonist’s age and eye color and job title and best friend’s name (I think most writers remember to note that stuff down). Not only the more complicated stuff like every single character dynamic, every single character’s evolving relationship with the main character. Oh, and all the legal stuff (wait, how long did I sentence him to prison for…?!) No, the real challenge is keeping track of the main character’s arc through each part of the series, making sure that the growth of the previous books is not lost or forgotten in the next episode. Making sure that when the final chapter comes, the reader feels satisfied and content to arrive at journey’s end.

Of course, some readers don’t care about the character arc--they don’t want the adventure to ever end, period. And, as much as we love those readers, we have to ignore them because every story ultimately comes to an end. It’s better to end on a high note than a death bed (be it ours or the characters’).

But delivering that emotional payoff depends on the particular character and their unique journey.

In Fair Game, the first book of the trilogy, Elliot Mills is a former FBI agent who has been sidelined by a serious injury.

A crippling knee injury forced Elliot Mills to trade in his FBI badge for dusty chalkboards and bored college students. Now a history professor at Puget Sound University, the former agent has put his old life behind him -- but it seems his old life isn't finished with him.

A young man has gone missing from campus -- and as a favor to a family friend, Elliot agrees to do a little sniffing around. His investigations bring him face-to-face with his former lover, Tucker Lance, the special agent handling the case.  

At the end of the book, Elliot has made peace with his choices and settled down to a life in academia and a new relationship with Tucker. That should not come as a surprise to anyone, this being genre fiction.

However, it’s a series so…Elliot has to believably get involved in another investigation without reversing the progress achieved in the first book. And because these books are M/M romance, there has to be believable conflict and strain between Elliot and Tucker--again without manufacturing some artificial drama that will only irritate readers.

This is where that extended cast of characters every series needs becomes invaluable.

Setting up house with his new lover was tricky before arson landed his former radical father in the guest bedroom. Now ex-FBI agent Elliot Mills has to figure out who is willing to kill to keep Roland's memoirs from being published.

All’s well that ends well in Fair Play. Or close enough. Elliot and Tucker are still alive and still in love.

But now we come to the third and final installment and all the loose threads of the first two books have to be woven into this final tapestry. The story needs to come full circle--without actually going in circles. That means shaking up some expectations. Maybe even my own!

The basic premise of Fair Chance:

In an effort to bring closure to grieving families and loved ones, former FBI agent Elliot Mills allows himself to be drawn into a final game of cat and mouse with the dangerous psychopath known as the Sculptor. But when the lead agent on the case, Elliot’s partner Tucker, suddenly disappears without a trace, the only person with the answers is Elliot’s most dangerous enemy.

This is the book where every choice Elliot has previously made comes up for reevaluation and where everything he holds dears is on the line. This book has to be the payoff book for fans of the series--while still being involving and interesting to those readers coming in on the final installment (it’s surprising how many readers jump in any old where in a series).

While I know what I think readers will be looking for in this final book, I’m always surprised to hear the little things readers are hoping to find. That’s where the pressure comes in. This is it. If I fail to deliver, there’s no do-over in the next book. Elliot’s life will go on (OR WILL IT??!!) but we will not be peeking through that particular keyhole anymore.

So while I'd love to hear from my fellow writers on the challenges of winding up a series, I think I’ll throw this post open to readers of the series as well.

If you’re a reader of the All’s Fair series, what are you hoping to find in this final book?

What About A Book Signing?

Do you remember the good old days when a famous author came to town and people lined the street to get their book(s) signed? Now, I realize that in some cases that still holds true, because of course, mega famous authors are going to be a huge draw.

I look at the RWA literacy signing and think about the excitement all the readers have at not just seeing one favorite author, but potentially a dozen of them. It doesn't get much better than that. But what about smaller conferences or library events? Do authors sell as many books at smaller events?

It seems as if a new trend is happening. Book signings are giving way to author events. What's the difference? Well, apparently the competition is so stiff these days, that authors are being put in the position of buying their readers. And surprisingly or not surprisingly, many are lining up at the chance to participate... Authors and readers alike.

It's almost not enough to write a good book. I mean, sure, it's great to write a good book, but getting it into readers' hands is the tricky part. I guess it always has been. But now, authors are wining and dining their readers, plying them with gifts in hopes of keeping them and attracting new readers in the process. Sure, authors have done contests and giveaways and I'm sure those will always be around, but this next level of seducing readers is... I don't know... I'll let you supply the adjective.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not condemning these events. I'm just wondering how far an author has to go these days. Is this going to be the new thing? Is the book we slave over not enough any more?

So where else can authors go to sell books? I guess it depends on their target audience. I'm going to the San Diego Women's Expo September 17 & 18. I figure if my target audience is women from 18-118 then I may as well give it a shot. I'll be there with my friend and designer, Grace Grant, who's started up her own clothing line called Fill4Style. Since I love her designs and she loves my books, we decided to combine forces. Women's Expos are held all over the country, so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

What about you? What are your thoughts on book signings vs. author events? Have you been to any out of the box places where you've either had a book signed or signed one yourself? 

Phobias

I’m always fascinated to hear writers talking about their craft. Of course, what works for one writer won’t work for another but I firmly believe we’re always learning and any tips are gratefully received.

What caught my interest this time was a writer discussing characterisation and, in particular, characters’ phobias. This particular writer insisted that every person has a phobia of some sort. My first reaction was: “Actually, I don’t have any phobias…” I don’t. Truly. 

Unless you count…

Birds!

My office looks out at the tree in the garden when the bird feeders hang and I spend hours watching sparrows, starlings, blue tits, pigeons, magpies, and even a spotted woodpecker now and again. Birds give me great pleasure - so long as they’re in their space and I’m in mine. The problems start when they invade my space.  A couple of weeks ago, a swallow flew into the house. I raced outside in a blind panic and we ended up with a stand off. The swallow was sitting on the kitchen window sill looking out at me and I was outside looking at him. I did the only thing I could and phoned hubby who was in a meeting 20 miles away. I had to wait for his meeting to finish and him to drive home and rescue me. He calmly walked into the bathroom where said swallow had taken up residence and opened the window. It took him about 10 seconds to release the bird and it took me days to recover from the trauma of it all.

The genius that was Alfred Hitchcock might have made a certain film for me. Birds taking over the planet is my nightmare come true.

As for peacocks, the thought of them brings me out in a cold sweat.

Ambulances!

The rational part of me knows that an ambulance is merely a vehicle that takes someone to hospital if a taxi isn’t viable but the sight of them banishes all rational thought. I think this stems from walking down our street with my mother when I was three or four years old and seeing an elderly neighbour being carried on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. My mother, naturally enough, told me that he was being taken to hospital to be made better. Hmm. I never saw the neighbour again and decided that, if you ventured inside an ambulance, you vanished into thin air. 

Truthfully, I’m not good with anything medical - needles, drips, blood. The whole medical thing gives me the creeps but ambulances really freak me out.

Thunderstorms!

Easy. If there’s a hint of thunder, I don’t go outside. I close blinds so I can’t see those awful flashes of lightning. 

As for everything else, I’m fine. If you need a spider removing, I’m your woman. I don’t like them, but I’m happy to deal with them. 

I’m not keen on snakes, but there aren’t any to worry about in Lancashire, thank goodness.

I’m okay with heights, open spaces, enclosed spaces, flying… Really, I’m perfectly normal. ;o)

What about you? Do you have any irrational fears? (If so, I may have put them in my next book!)

Wild Florida

September is hot in north Florida, but at least there's the promise of cooler weather around the corner. Today's high was a mere 87 °F and last night the temp actually dipped below 70! Soon, it will be hiking weather and one of my favorite spots in Gainesville is Sweetwater Wetlands Park.

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

SWP borders Paynes Prairie. In the 1930s ranchers drained part of the expansive Prairie to expand grazing areas. Along with the  dehydration of more than 1,300 acres of prairie wetlands, the Alachua Sink filled with an excess of nitrogen and was eventually put on a list of impaired bodies of water. In 2009, the Paynes Prairie Sheetflow Restoration Project began as a way to reduce pollution to the Alachua Sink by restoring the prairie's natural sheetflow and creating a wetland habitat. The final goal was to create an environmentally friendly park, filled with plants and animals.

I think they succeeded.

On the day I visited, this fine specimen of Alligator mississippiensis was taking in some rays--isn't he beautiful?

Are you lookin' at me?

There is much to admire in the alligator.
Females are devoted mothers. She remains near the nest, protecting her unborn throughout the 65-day incubation period. Prior to hatching, the baby gators make high-pitched noises from inside their eggs, causing Mom to start digging them out of the nest and carrying them down to the water in her jaws.

Did you know that gators have two kinds of walk?   They have a “high walk” and a “low walk.” The low walk is sprawling, while in the high walk the alligator lifts its belly off the ground. This little guy below is high-stepping it across the road.

So why does the gator the road?

Alligator courtship resembles middle-school romances. During the spring breeding season, males bellow to attract females. Other rituals include head-slapping, snout and back rubbing, and blowing bubbles.

Can I get an amen from the congregation?

Did you know that a group of alligators is called a congregation? 

The park is also a paradise for birds. If hope is the thing with feathers, than SWP is a very hopeful place.

On my last visit, one of the first birds I sighted was the noble osprey. These raptors mate for life, returning to the same nest over the generations. In a mating pair's first season, the nest is relatively small, but in time, a nest might be large enough for a person to sit in. SWP is home to several nesting pairs.

"I think he'll be to Rome as is the osprey to the fish,
who takes it by sovereignty of nature"  Shakespeare

Sushi!

I'm not sure what kind of ducks these are, but they're an orderly sort.

At last, I've got all my ducks in a row!

The shadow of the anhinga.

The graceful anhinga is easily identified by its habit of stretching its wings to dry.

It's sometimes called the snake bird for its habit of swimming with its long head and neck sticking out, as you see here.

There's definitely a reptilian vibe going on, don't you think? If  you squint, there's a definite resemblance to Nessie of Loch Ness!

Along with the sights, the park is a symphony of bird song. This limpet has a piercing cry that's hard to forget. 

After eating, the wood stork likes to stand around, as if in deep contemplation, which is why it's sometimes called a preacher bird. 

I fish,therefore I am.

Somewhat ungainly on land, in the air, the wood stork soars and glides, riding the thermal air currents as a surfer rides the big waves at Banzai Pipeline.

I hope you enjoyed this look at a small piece of wild Florida that's been reclaimed through science and planning. Jules Reynard wrote: 

On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it. 

Sweetwater Wetlands Park is my piece of heaven here in Gainesville.

What's yours?

.

Strictly Come Murder!

Strictly Come Dancing is back!

That might not have much to do with suspense, but I’m working on a murder committed during a TV reality show, so I’ve been watching more than a few. However, I’ve always watched Strictly. In the US, it’s Dancing With The Stars. I’ve seen both, and while DWTS is enjoyable, Strictly is my jam.

It has two of the same judges, who commute between continents when the program is on. Len and Bruno are common to both, which makes comparisons even more interesting.

Finally, I worked out why. Yesterday’s opening episode of Strictly started with a totally ridiculous and over-the-top video, then a pro dance. It’s much cleverer than it seems.

DWTS probably has a larger budget, and it’s as flashy as a program about ballroom dancing should be. Strictly must have a pretty lavish budget, too, but there is an edge of tackiness too, of make-do and throwing things together. They could easily get rid of that, but they’re clever not to.

Strictly Come Dancing, the title, is a combination of Come Dancing, the venerable ballroom dance competition that ran for decades, very staid and proper, and Strictly Ballroom, the deliciously irreverent comedy by Baz Luhrmann, which showed how ballroom dancing could change lives if it was a living entity instead of frozen in time.

Strictly Come Dancing is a good mixture of the two. The contestants and professionals take their dances seriously, but it’s something else that makes it such a great hit, something its American counterpart lacks.

While DWTS has fun, it is primarily a show about dancing and people striving for it. It takes itself seriously. Whereas, with the more tongue-in-cheek Strictly, there’s a huge dollop of irony.

From the video last night to the end of the show, it was even more prominent than it used to be in the days of Brucie. He had that corny humour, and that wink that gave you the show’s message.

That message?

The show is saying, “You know you’re better than this, but admit it, you love it. And we love it too. Let’s mutually let out our inner tackiness and admit that bad taste is fun.” It’s the kitsch show, but we all know it is, so that’s okay. Irony. Brucie (Bruce Forsyth) made a living out of live TV shows. He could handle anything, could Brucie, and he has exactly the right mixture of knowingness and don’t-care to push the show past the X-Factor and into National Treasure territory.

X-Factor takes itself seriously. It promises fame and fortune, and sometimes delivers. But the whole process is so damned dreary, and downright cruel. It’s okay if there’s nothing else on, but when Strictly starts, X-Factor loses, because Strictly is sheer Saturday night fun. There’s no pressure, no anxiety, except wondering if your favourite has survived another week. But even if they haven’t, they’ll be okay. That’s why they can hook celebrities.

And talking of celebrities, they are strictly not A list. A-listers don’t have 6 weeks or more to devote to one project, and Strictly demands constant practice until you’re voted out. It’s also why the can’t-dance candidates succeed for so long. It’s the boring ones that get eliminated first.

So what if that frothy, sequinned bundle of fun that is Strictly is disrupted by a murder?

It would burst the bubble, spoil the fun. It would have to be handled carefully, maybe treated with the same tongue-in-cheek as the program, or maybe the opposite, a black, horrible crime that tears the premise of the program wide open. A murder in the X-Factor would be more straightforward to write about. The jealousy and life-or-death stakes they promote would work for that. In the Big Brother house? A country house mystery brought up to date.

Can I get that across in a story? I don’t know, but I’m going to have fun trying!

What reality show would you pick?

LITERARY ESTATE MANAGEMENT

The following information concerning intellectual property was originally posted by mystery author Nancy Cohen to my local RWA chapter. As Nancy states below in her introductory remarks, it deals with an aspect of writing most authors pay scant attention to—our literary legacy:

LITERARY ESTATE MANAGEMENT

If you’re a writer, have you given thought to creating a literary estate? What does this mean exactly? Or maybe you’ve only written a few books and you feel you’re a nobody, so why should you care?

What will happen when someone wants to option one of your books for film rights after you’re dead? Or what if a publisher would like to reissue your entire series? Dream on, right? But have you made provisions for these instances? Who will control your copyrights, collect your royalties, and distribute your physical materials after you die? Do you really want your kids or heirs to throw your research notes and printed manuscripts in the trash?

I’d collected information on this topic from Ninc and the Author’s Guild and perhaps other sources and used them (with credit given, if I could remember the particular source) to create the following template. Consider whether to add in provisions for new or upcoming technologies if you don’t feel they’re covered here. And kindly let me know if I am missing anything or if you would word something here differently.

This is such an important topic for published authors but one that’s not often discussed. So take yourself seriously for a change and make arrangements while you can.

Literary Estate of [insert name]

(As per Revocable Trust Agreement executed [date])

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust, the Trustee shall not distribute any part of Settlor’s literary estate, but instead shall transfer all of the creative property into a “Creative Property Trust”. The special trustees named in this Trust shall hold this trust in perpetuity. The creative property includes, but is not limited to:

1. Books, manuscripts, novels, scripts, treatments, stories, book videos, blogs, poetry, dramas, journals, characters and plot lines, series ideas, or any other fiction or nonfiction, whether published or unpublished, created in whole or in part by the Settlor (collectively “Writings”),

2. Copyrights,

3. Rights to collect the proceeds from any Writings,

4. Contracts for the publication, exploitation, licensing, or sale of any Writings, and any derivative or secondary rights in or to the Writings or derived from the Writings,

5. Rights to any performances, recordings, readings, interviews, or dramatizations by Settlor,

6. Use of Settlor’s name and likeness,

7. Rights of publicity, including use and maintenance of Settlor’s website(s), blogs, other Internet activities, and technologies not currently in use, for the purpose of author promotion.

B. Notwithstanding any other designation of the trustee or trustees in this Trust, after Settlor’s death, [insert names] shall serve as special trustees of the Creative Property Trust. If any of them fails to qualify or ceases to act as a special trustee, the remaining trustees shall continue to serve in his or her place. The last remaining trustee shall appoint a successor trustee. These special trustees shall serve without remuneration.

C. The special trustees shall, in addition to those powers now or hereafter conferred by law or by

the other terms of this Trust, solely and exclusively have the following powers with respect to the Creative Property:

1. To negotiate contracts and to publish, exploit, license, and sell, in the special trustees' sole discretion, any Writings;

2. To refrain from publishing, exploiting, licensing, or selling any Writings for as long as the special trustees deem appropriate, at the risk of the trust estate, at the special trustees' discretion;

3. To exploit, license, and sell, in the special trustees' sole discretion, any secondary or subrights to the Writings;

4. To secure reversion of rights for published works;

5. To register and renew copyrights (Note that copyrights are currently for the life of the author plus 70 years.);

6. To collect proceeds, i.e. advances and royalties, and any other revenue resulting from Settlor’s literary estate;

7. To pay the appropriate taxes for the trust;

8. To hire an accountant, literary agent, or literary attorney when deemed necessary for the benefit of the trust.

D. All income and principal of the Creative Property Trust shall be distributed immediately upon receipt to [insert beneficiary]. If [beneficiary name] is not then living, then the proceeds shall be distributed in equal portions to [secondary beneficiaries]. If either [insert name] or [insert name] is not then living, then such deceased child’s share shall pass in equal portions to his or her then living descendants, per stirpes.

E. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust, the trustee shall not distribute any part of Settlor’s literary estate that consists of physical materials, but instead shall transfer these materials to the special trustees of the Creative Property Trust.

F. Physical Materials shall consist of, but are not limited to, the following:

Manuscripts: originals, revised drafts, copy edits, and page proofs; copies of published books and articles, notebooks, files, computer disks, research materials, professional correspondence, book related photographs, fan mail, reviews, news profiles, interviews, promotional materials, souvenirs, and awards.

G. The special trustees shall donate any Physical Materials belonging to the Creative Property Trust, that Settlor’s heirs do not wish to keep for personal reasons, to the [insert library fiction collection of your choice].

1. Items should be labeled with [Manuscript Collection Number xxx or however your site labels their collections].

2. Contact info:

3. Mail to: [insert address]

Executed at ________________________, on __________________.

SIGNED:

WITNESSED:

How many of you published authors out there have already addressed this issue? Would you change or add anything in the above provisions?