2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year's Eve celebration.

It is only the 2nd of January, but my anticipation is already growing. After many years of writing romances, this is the year my first cozy mystery will be published. In May, I will be proudly flogging A Deadly Grind, Book 1 of my Vintage Kitchen Mysteries. Before Christmas I did the second round of copyedits on it, and in another week or so, I will have the finished cover to show around. I am in the midst of writing Book 3, Picked for Murder or Picked to Death... not sure of the title yet.

I'm so excited!

Building a Mystery Part 1 - Character and the Cozy

Building a Mystery - Part 1

Character and the Cozy

I've been a professional writer for quite a while, though my career as a published mystery author is just beginning. One thing that writing romance novels does for the writer, is it forces them to focus on character, the heart of any romance worth reading.

So I look at my eleven years writing historical romances as training ground for my career as a mystery author. For some readers, character may not seem an important part of a genre that can coast along nicely on a gripping plot, good action, and a believable murder investigation. But I guarantee this: if you think of the writers you like best, you'll find that they created at least one, and probably more, memorable characters.

Think of a protagonist who stumbled into private investigation when her lone wolf nature got her evicted from the police force of a small California town. As books in the series were published, we learned that she became the way she is because of her background, raised by an aunt who was not a nurterer. Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone is one of the iconic characters in mystery fiction, with every book giving us a little more depth, a little more insight into the quirky character.

But as a writer, how do you do that? How do you create a character that folks will not only like, but remember?

I must admit, I've thought about this a lot over the years, and if you're interested, I'll share, starting with...

What's in a Name?

Do... give your character a memorable, but not overcomplicated or difficult to pronounce in your head, name. If your character's name is pronounced 'Peter' don't spell it 'Peetyre' and expect folks to get it. The exception is if you are setting your mystery in a country where spelling of names is formalized and important to get right. If your character is Welsh, then Dafydd for David is correct, but give your reader a shot at pronouncing it right. Give a pronunciation key in some way, and repeat it in every book in which the character appears. Real-life Canadian singer Damhnait Doyle's Irish name is interesting, but I can never remember that her first name is pronounced 'DAV-net'. Maybe I will, now that I've made a point of it in my head. She's a real person, and the name is cool, but I wouldn't go out of my way to give a character such a complex name. Look at Kinsey Millhone... easy to remember, easy to pronounce.

Don't... give your character a stupid name that distracts from the character. This is somewhat a personal prejudice, but hear me out; I have a reason for disliking cutesy names like Kitty Katz, or Lily Gardener. As tempting as it is, if that character is going to stick around beyond one book, it is a turn-off for me, as a reader, if I'm rolling my eyes every time I read the character name. And it's bad for the eyes. I'm not against unusual names; far from it. After all, I named a central character in my Vintage Kitchen Mystery Series 'Valetta Nibley'. But if you feel a compelling urge to name someone Baby Druel, or something equally horrendous, go on... I dare you!

I have lots more to say, but I figure I have time. Tune in next time for more on Character and the Cozy in Building a Mystery - Part 2    

Real-Time Blogging

For me, reading a new mystery series is often as much about the people as the mystery... I like to follow them from book to book and learn about their lives as well as try to solve mysteries with them.

So, in light of that, I'm experimenting at Killer Characters over the next few months... follow Jaymie Leighton in real time as she lives her life in the months leading up to the launch of my first Vintage Kitchen Mysteries book, A Deadly Grind, in May of 2012.

My characters blog on the 21st of every month... find out what happens next on December 21st! I'm not sure if she'll be blogging, or if someone else will step in and blog for her.
Killer Characters: http://www.killercharacters.com/2011/11/winds-of-november.html

Things I've learned lately...

1 - Back up your files... all off them!

My computer crashed recently, and though I had all of my document files (novels, etc) backed up on a flash drive, there are lots of things I've lost forever, or until my computer guru can try to get them off my old computer. I just hope I haven't lost any irreplaceable photos!

2 - Be careful on FaceBook.

On the weekend some skeez 'tagged' me in a pornish photo, and it showed up in my profile!! Because I rarely go online on Sunday - it is family day! - I didn't catch it until this morning. I have now learned how to use the account settings on FaceBook to keep that from EVER happening again! I am so embarrassed and disgusted by it. I'm afraid I may have lost some FaceBook friends who unfriended me! 

3 - Facebook is still a great place.

Several people messaged me about the photo, warning me that I may have been hacked because they knew it wasn't something I would put on there. I am humbly grateful for the support!

Thanks everyone.

With a brand new powerful, lightning fast computer, I will be back with new posts, as I move inexorably toward the May 2012 arrival of A Deadly Grind! I've seen the cover, and it is adorable!! As soon as I can share it, I will.

The Soup Pot

Is there anything more satisfying than a good bowl of soup? That is especially true on these getting-colder days.

I started to think about it, and realized my approach to soup and writing is in some ways the same. Here are some of my rules of thumb:

1 - Preparation is important. There is nothing worse, when about to make soup, than finding out you are missing some key ingredients. And so it is with writing. You must be prepared, so if you're not sure of your spelling or grammar or other skills, do your homework!

2 - Take your time. Soup stock needs to simmer. I always take at least two days to make the stock for turkey or chicken soup, because nothing can replace the flavor you get from long, low simmering. Writing is the same. Don't rush your ideas; let them simmer and develop that full-bodied flavor that only comes from time.

3 - Skim the fat! I let my broth chill, and skim most, but not all of the fat off the top, or the broth will be too greasy. But fat is flavor, so leave in some! With writing, trimming the fat is just as important. Long passages of description need to be skimmed, but some description enhances the reader's experience, so don't take it all out, or you risk losing the flavor.

4 - Choose your ingredients wisely. I know some folks who just throw anything into their soup and generally... well, it can end up looking and tasting like dishwater. A good broth, long simmered and reduced, with bits of the meat and what the cooks call 'mirepoix' (onions, celery and carrots, diced) makes a wonderful soup in which the broth is the star. Throw in some pasta (noodles, broken spaghetti, elbow macaroni, or whatever you fancy) if you like, but it is not necessary. Writing is the same; do not try to throw everything at your story, or you'll end up with a dishwater book in which no one ingredient is dominant. Choose wisely, and limit your characters, plot devices, themes and conflicts.

5 - Learn from your mistakes. Over the years I've learned what doesn't work, with soup. One important tip: don't add salt or seasoning until AFTER the broth has reduced, or it will be too salty! And in your writing, pay attention to what others say, and take it in. Don't put up walls, but listen and decide if they have a different take on the 'flavor' of your writing than you do! Yes, you are the boss, but what good is that if no one enjoys the end product but you?

There is nothing more honest than a homely bowl of soup, or a good book, well written. So enjoy, both the process of making soup, and writing your book!

The Climb...

 

 The climb is worth it...

When at the top, is something this lovely to behold...

A place that has flowers this beautiful...

I may never own a property this gorgeous, but looking and photographing is free, right? 

And I can go to this little hole-in-the-wall antique shop!

And I can walk past here and look at the gorgeous colors of fall.

These are some of the things I was thankful for this past weekend, Canada's Thanksgiving. And now I have over a month to find more to be thankful for for America's Thanksgiving!!

The Good, the Bad and the Fugly

Okay, hands up, anyone who is keeping something really ugly in their closet.

Okay, that didn't come out right.

The topic for today, boys and girls, is, why do we often keep things that have no real purpose, and that we don't even really like? I'm talking about the knick knack so ugly babies cry when they see it.

I know... I know the answer!!

1 - My favorite auntie made that for me in pottery class and... I can't get rid of it!
2 - I've had it since I was a wee little baby and... I can't get rid of it!
3 - I bought that in Rome (Venice, London, Istanbul, Kalamazoo, Timbuktu) while on my (honeymoon, vacation, year abroad, lost weekend) and... I can't get rid of it!
4 - I bought that with so-and-so, and now they're gone to (heaven, rehab, the opera, the dark side of the moon) and... I can't get rid of it!

Well, that's me in a nutshell. I think I got in this fix because when I was young and moving house a lot, (four times in one year, once!) I got rid of some things that still, to this day haunt me. Among those things are: Most of my grandmother's set of everyday dishes... I'm talking about a complete placesetting for twelve, Johnson Brothers, I think, Jonquil pattern. They weren't practical, and they were really heavy and took up a lot of space, and I did give them to family but... well, marriages break up, and those dishes are gone forever. Sigh. I have the veg dishes and gravy boat, at least. And on the gone but not forgotten list? My pajama puppy!! I had, when I was a kid, a pink and white stuffed pooch that I loved. Somewhere along the way I got rid of him and... I miss pajama puppy!

And lots of other stuff. If I still had everything I regret getting rid of, though, I'd probably have to move and surrender the house to the junk. But still... now I'm afraid to get rid of some things, family things, especially, with sentimental value.

Now, this little item in the photo is something my mom made... the rotten picture doesn't do it justice (!), but it is a pomander made from a tea ball and glammed up with lots of beads. I know, right? Whoa, kinda.... weird!! Why have I kept it? I suppose I know no one else in the world will look upon the poor ugly little thing with any affection, and so, like the runt of the litter, the plain child, I will clutch it to my bosom and keep it. Forever. When I'm gone, someone else will have to deal with it. I may put a note in it, like a message in a bottle: To Whom It May Concern; "I may be ugly, but I was made with love and enthusiasm. Think of that before pitching me!"

So, kids, is there anything at all that you regret getting rid of? And part two of this question is, are you now holding onto some things that are just plain fugly (freakin' ugly), but you can't let go?

Share!! 

Autumn

It really feels like autumn this morning. I thought that, as I stood outside in my nightgown and a windbreaker, watching firefighters work on the second local housefire in two weeks.

Oh, yeah, and I thought, 'I need to get a new battery for my smoke detector.'

I'm always of two distinct feelings as autumn closes in, days getting shorter and nights getting longer and colder. On the one hand, I hate to see nice weather leave because I love sitting out in the garden with a cup of tea or glass of wine. 

On the other hand, autumn and winter bring their own joys. I like 'autumn' foods, heartier fare and yummy holiday treats. Oh, and roast turkey... yum! I also get back to crafting: crocheting, painting, needlework, etc. But most of all, autumn brings with it a 'back to work' mentality that really helps me get a lot done. I don't feel like I'm missing out on outdoor activities when the weather is as cold, windy and rainy as it has been the last few days.

What do you like about autumn?

(By the way... no one was hurt in the fire, the second in our neighborhood in two weeks, but what an eye-opener at five in the morning... standing outside in 6 Degrees Celsius... brrrrr!)

Building a Mystery

I have been thinking a lot, lately, about what goes into a successful mystery series. Some of the questions I've asked myself have to do with character, plots, setting, complications, conflict, etc. As the title of this entry says, ultimately, I've been considering what goes into building a mystery. (That's also the title of a Sarah McLachlan song, FYI!)

So I thought I'd do a 'miniseries' of blog entries on my own particular approach to planning and writing a mystery series. This is as much for my own benefit, as for anyone else's. I think it helps to pause every once and a while to look at how you do things and figure out if the approach is working for you.

I'll say right up front, for real advice on how to write a mystery, go to one of the fabulous books or sites for help. I'll do a little research and come up with a list for you. This is more my own, weird, eclectic, peripatetic, wandering, willful way of going about building a mystery series.

Some topics will be:
1 - Where Do I Begin? How I start when I'm planning a series.
2 - Character. How do I decide who my protagonist will be, as well as peopling the world.
3 - Place. Where to set the series?
4 - Will It Fit? Do all of the aforementioned things work for the kind of mystery I'm planning?

And anything else I think of as I'm going along.

If you have any questions, chime in!!

The Companion Pieces

I've enthused on and on about my perfect teapot, and I'm still getting a kick out of it, and the 'sweater' (cozy) I crocheted for it. But this summer I also was on the hunt for a nice sugar and cream to go with it. I've been using a melamine sugar bowl that just felt too 'summery' and picnicky, if you know what I mean.

I had some guidelines: the sugar was most important, so it had to be perfect. The creamer, not so much, since I rarely use it; unless I have company, I usually use milk out of the fridge for my tea. I don't care for matchy-matchy, so I didn't really care about a set. Vintage was preferable, but I had to love them both. I'm cheap, so I didn't want to pay a lot.

That last bit is why I didn't end up buying the cream and sugar I really love, which is a vintage Pyrex Snowflake set, hard to find, even online, and horribly expensive if it comes complete with the sugar lid. By horribly expensive I mean twenty plus dollars, plus shipping. That's pricey, to my cheap li'l ole heart. 

 Anyway, I found both a cream and sugar at an antique mall, the sugar is vintage (I believe) but the cream isn't... not really. They are not a set, but I think it all looks kinda pretty 'shabby chic-ish' together.

So, the sugar is a vintage piece with no markings... I just love the colors and the shape. It was five dollars, cheap at twice the price! Not! I like it, but I wouldn't have paid more than that fiver.

If you look in the photo, you can see one of my cats peering over the edge of the picnic table at it, wondering why I'm not letting him up on the table! LOL.

The creamer I got was only two dollars, and it is Wedgwood Tigerlily! Amazing... this piece is worth ten times more than I paid, and that's the kind of math I love.

So... do you prefer 'sets'... things that match? Or do you, like me, have kind of oddball tastes and like variety?

   

This last photo is just because she's cute... my friend's cat, and I call the photo 'Reba Wants Cheese' because that's what she's beggin for!!

Happy September, everyone!!