Tag: bloggers

Storytelling with Steven James & Lynn Constantine

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Podcast mic dark background.jpeg

 

 

 

Bestselling author Steven James hosts Lynn Constantine on the Story Blender Podcast

 

 

Lynn Constantine image

 

 

This podcast originally appears on thestoryblender.com Feb. 19, 2019. Duration: 55 min.

 

Lynne Constantine is a coffee-drinking, Twitter-addicted fiction author always working on her next book. She is the international bestselling co-author of THE LAST MRS. PARRISH written under the pen name Liv Constantine. Her next book, THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, comes out on May 7th.

 

 

 

The Last Time I Saw you image

 

 

 

The internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrishfollows that success with an addictive novel filled with shocking twists about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder.

Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy.

But all that changes the night Kate’s mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral, where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment.

That evening, Kate’s grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you’re sad now, just wait. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend’s help.

Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate’s friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily’s killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it’s clear that Kate is next on their list. . .

In The Last Time I Saw You, Liv Constantine takes the lightning pace of The Last Mrs. Parrish and raises the stakes, creating an exquisitely tension-filled and absorbing tale of psychological suspense in which innocent lives—and one woman’s sanity—hang in the balance.

 

Amazon | Goodreads | Website

 

 

 

Liv Constantine authors

 

Liv Constantine is the pen name of USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and international bestselling authors and sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine, co-authors of the Reese Witherspoon book club pick, THE LAST MRS. PARRISH. Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via FaceTime and burning up each other’s emails. They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. Their next book, THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, will be released on May 7, 2019.

 

 

livconstantine.com

 

stevenjames.net

 

thestoryblender.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

William L. Myers Jr. Discusses the Killer’s Alibi

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

A Killers Alibi image

 

 

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her sexually abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters–some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

 

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Audible

 

 

 

 

Got an alibit image dark background.jpeg

 

 

 

William L. Myers Jr. discusses the third installment of the Philadelphia Legal series, A Killer’s Alibi.

 

 

*What kind of person is attorney Mick McFarland that made him your protagonist?

            In crafting Mick, I set out to build a character who is basically a good guy, who wants right to prevail over wrong, but who, in the pursuit of right, will do whatever is necessary, including things that are wrong. As an attorney, Mick is a thinker, a planner, and very Machiavellian. He enjoys the “game” and excels at it.

 

 

*What can you tell us about the kind of case Mick is undertaking?

            Mick is in an interesting situation. His client is Philly crime lord Jimmy Nunzio—a man used to calling the shots. A Machiavellian manipulator. A man like Mick himself in many ways. What this means for Mick is that he isn’t the alpha dog as he is with most of his clients, and he finds himself having to dance with Jimmy Nunzio, for control of the case.

 

 

 

Lawyer with justice sign in background.jpeg

 

 

 

*What is your method of creating characters and how do you bring out their flaws?

            I create characters by outlining them only in very general terms and then placing them into the story—putting them under stress–and watching how their flaws appear. I remember reading once that stress and conflict reveal character; you only find out core character by putting someone to the test. So, I make sure that my protagonists, and my antagonists, too, are under real threat.

 

 

 

*Tell us about Mick’s wife, Piper.

            Piper’s evolution is an interesting one. When I wrote, “A Criminal Defense,” the first book in “The Philadelphia Legal Series,” I started out with the plan simply to make a two-dimensional “wife” character for the main protagonist, Mick. But whenever I wrote Piper into a scene, she asked for more, she told me “I have more to contribute here.” By the end of the book, Piper was a fully-formed character with her own agenda, secrets and fears. In “A Killer’s Alibi,” Piper plays an even more important role—as a driving force behind one of the two main plot lines. She really comes into her own. (And, spoiler alert, in the fourth book, which I’m finishing now (in which Mick is imprisoned on charges or murder), Piper becomes THE driving force in Mick’s defense team.

 

 

 

Lawyer woman image.jpeg

 

 

 

 

*Is the innocence project she’s involved with commonplace in law firms today? Would her official position be an investigative attorney?

            Most law firms which do innocence project work do so under the auspices of, for example, the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. Larger law firms do have pro bono practices and some have attorneys devoted solely to pro bono work.

 

 

 

*What can you tell us about the kind of case Piper is taking?

            Piper is leading the charge on behalf of Darlene Dowd, a young woman who was convicted of killing her sexually abusive father fifteen years earlier. Piper learns there is exculpatory evidence the jury never heard and she has to go on a hunting expedition to find the woman who has that evidence. But the woman has secrets of her own, and has been in hiding for years. It takes all of Piper’s will and resourcefulness to win the woman over and see that Darlene gets a fair hearing in court. But nothing is black and white in my books and Piper has to pay a price.

 

 

 

lawyer files image with glasses.jpeg

 

 

 

 

*Now for one of my favorite questions. What is justice?

            Justice is like pornography: difficult to define but you know it when you see it.  When something happens to a character (good or bad) and it feels right to you, that’s justice.  The character, of course, may disagree with you— fictional characters, like real people, believe they are good guys, whether they are or aren’t. Along these lines, a word to the wise: if someday you find yourself standing before St. Peter, the one thing you should never say is I want what’s coming to me.

 

 

 

Justice lady statue at sunrise image.jpeg

 

 

 

 

William L. Myers Jr image

 

 

William L. Myers, Jr. is the No. 6 best-selling author for Amazon Kindle in 2017 for his debut novel, A Criminal Defense. That was the first in what has become the Philadelphia Legal Series. The third book in that series, A Killers Alibi debuts February 19, 2019.
A Killer’s Alibi has had rave early reviews including New York Times Bestselling author, Bill Lasher—

“William Myers’ riveting new novel is not just a crackerjack legal thriller, it is a wrenching portrayal of a whole range of farther-daughter relations, showing how they can damage, how they can nourish, how they go dangerously off track. A story not to be missed.”

Born in 1958 into a blue-collar family, Mr. Myers inherited a work-ethic that propelled him through college and into the Ivy League at The University of Pennsylvania School of Law. From there, Mr. Myers started his legal career in a Philadelphia-based mega defense firm. After ten years defending corporate America, he realized his heart wasn’t in it. So, with his career on the fast track to success–he gave it all up and started his own firm. It was time to start fighting for the common guy.

That was twenty-five years ago and since then, he has focused on representing railroad employees and other honest, hard-working people who have been injured by others. He has represented thousands of clients in his tenure and has become a highly-regarded litigation attorney up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

 

 

Amazon | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Interview with Scott Bell Author of the Abel Yeager Thrillers

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Yeagers Getaway image

 

 

Abel Yeager has settled into a life of domestic bliss with his lovely wife, Charlotte. He’s left the violence and bloodshed behind to concentrate on being a good father and husband. For their long-delayed honeymoon, Abel and Charlie take a Hawaiian cruise. They’re looking forward to hiking volcanoes and sightseeing, once they meet up with Victor “Por Que” Ruiz and his new love, Dr. Alexandra Lopez.

Their idyllic vacation explodes in violence when a group of Hawaiian separatists, incited by a foreign power, rip through the islands, leaving blood and destruction in their wake. When Charlie is caught up with a group of hostages held by the terrorists as human shields, Abel is forced back into warrior mode.

The Hawaiians are supported by a few dozen foreign special forces soldiers, modern gear, and plenty of munitions. Abel has the help of three septuagenarian Vietnam veteran Marines and his pal Victor. Outnumbered and outgunned, Abel will stop at nothing to rescue his wife.

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

 

 

Scott Bell image

 

 

*How do you introduce your story to readers in the first chapter?

The beginning of a novel involves three aspects: A character, in a setting, with a problem. (Credit to Monalisa Foster, who came up with the easy definition.) A character means someone with whom the reader can identify. (It doesn’t mean an entire backstory infodump.) A setting is an identifiable place, usually created with minimal brushstrokes, though sometimes more. A problem can be anything from a ticking bomb to a hangnail, and it is rarely the main story problem, though it can be.  I never want to drop an unknown actor into a blank screen and hope the reader will engage–even when starting with an action scene, that’s a recipe for a weak opener.

 

 

Endless Road under a dramatic sky

 

 

 

*What comes first before you write a book? An idea, character, specific crime?

Characters are always first. They may not be fully fleshed out, and I may not have everyone’s foibles identified, but I have a general idea of who’s who in the zoo. Next comes the “what if”. What if a truck driving Marine veteran unknowingly picks up a load of cartel cash, which is diverted for delivery to a bookstore? And what if the bookstore is run by a spunky woman who carries a big pistol for protection? What might happen to these two folks if they were jammed together?

 

 

*How do you navigate writing a story without an outline?

Rewrites. Lots of rewrites. Diving into any store without an outline sometimes means I write myself into a corner, but I can’t write to outline. A story is too organic for me to follow a cookbook. Things change. Ideas occur. Characters may go sideways on me. Writing to an outline would be more efficient, but I would get bored and quit.

 

 

The Internet Navigator

 

 

 

*How do you create your characters?

I look for stereotypes, then I try to twist them up a little. Or I take real life people and exaggerate something in their nature I like, or dislike. The Male Main Character in my Sam Cable mystery series is a big guy with a Boy Scout complex, not always the brightest guy in the room, but a stalwart, straightforward, action-oriented kind of guy, and I juxtapose him with my FMC who’s a small woman with a high IQ and a smartass view of the world. I like to take these different dynamics and throw them in the blender and see what happens.

 

*What’s your experience like writing in first person?

It’s limiting in a lot of ways.  Everyone starts out with 1st person, as it seems natural to tell a story from the “I” perspective, then you quickly realize you’re limited to only the things your POV can sense. I switch POVs from first to third in some novels, which I find helps me jump out of the track and tell a broader, richer story. “They” say don’t do this, but hey. Sue me.

 

 

Point of view through object.jpeg

 

 

 

*Who is Abel Yeager?

At the DNA-level, Abel is modeled on my paternal grandfather, an uneducated man who was brilliant with mechanical devices and worked with his hands. He was also rumored to have the “hardest fists in the county.” Abel is a sheepdog among the sheep. A protector and a warrior who is fiercely protective of his friends, and bad news to his enemies.

 

 

*Do your books have any thematic elements?

I’m big on the Average Joe theme. None of my characters are James Bond or Jack Reacher types, and they all struggle with day-to-day things like paying the bills. Typically you’ll find my Everyman and Everywoman people thrown into combustible situations and forced to do their best. They make mistakes. They struggle to do the right thing. Sometimes they have to grow to reach their potential.

 

 

Challenge quote image.jpeg

 

 

 

*Name three of the hardest aspects of writing.

1.) The middle. Beginnings are easy, endings are fun. Bridging the gap from the endorphin rush of a good beginning to the pulse-pounding climax takes discipline and work ethic.

 

2.) Plotting. Writing organically (not by outline) can mean scrapping whole sections of a novel. Figuring out how to get my character out of the corner I just wrote him into and keep the plot on track can be a challenge.

 

3.) Waiting. If you trad publish like me, there’s a cycle of waiting that happens with every book and every short story. Query, wait, submit, wait, lather, rinse, repeat.

 

And, just for fun…

 

4.) Reviews. Getting reviews, querying bloggers for reviews, reading reviews and not responding to, or slitting your wrists over, the bad ones…the whole review process is a pain. I typically get good reviews, and I stay in the 4-plus range on average for both Goodreads and Amazon, and yet a single bad review can rub a blister on my ass for days at a time.

 

 

 

Scott Bell image

 

 

Scott Bell writes because that way he can daydream and claim it on his taxes. A Certified Fraud Examiner and professional Suburban Man, Scott has a wife, two grown kids, and at least one cat sleeping on his keyboard. (The cat, not the wife and kids. They have their own keyboards to sleep on.)

His works include the mystery/thrillers Yeager’s Law, Yeager’s Mission, and April’s Fool, along with the forthcoming Yeager’s Getaway and May Day. He has a Science Fiction novel out called Working Stiffs, and his short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and online publications.

 

 

Mysteries, thrillers, authors, readers, true crime. Bring your voice. Make some noise in this year’s MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK May 13-24 2019.  #MTW2019 Spread the word.  Sign up to participate:  Participate in MTW 2019

 

 

MTW 2019 Facebook Event Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Interview with Morgan Summer Author of the Jean Stone Crime Series

Posted on Posted in UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Jean Crime mysteries image

 

 

 

*What do you love most about mysteries and thrillers?

The edge of your seat feeling you get while reading through the pages to discover who done it.

 

*What’s it like writing your own?

Nerve wracking, but fun all at the same time using my imagination to bring my stories to life.

 

*How did you come up with the name Jean Stone for your story?

It came to me a few days after I began writing the book. Jean is my grandmother’s name, my mom’s middle name, and my mother in law’s name. I found out later that my grandmother’s last name, Raulston is derived from the ancestral version of Raulstone. It was meant to be.

 

 

light bulb cable idea

 

 

 

*Can you tell us a little more about the setting?

A small rural town in Texas at a local high school nestled in the piney woods. It has aspects of my hometown and many other places I lived around the state of Texas. Jean is a new high school science teacher who has found herself stuck in the middle of a mystery at Harmony High School.

 

 

 

Texas Patriotic Map in White Wood Board Textured

 

 

 

*Why did you choose an amateur sleuth?

Jean finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Utilizing her educational background in forensics, she is able to put her skills to use. It is a way for self-discovery, here she sharpens her skills and learns as she goes.

 

 

虫眼鏡を持った男性,たくさんの本

 

 

*What makes her a good one?

Her passion, her desire for the truth and to save a student of hers from harm.

 

*What separates a decent mystery from a great one?

A decent mystery is either too slow in the story or not building enough anticipation to where it falls flat while a great one moves at a decent pace building up the momentum to knock your socks off!

 

*Who are your favorite mystery, crime writers?

Peter James, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson

 

*What’s up next for you?

I have about 20 books outlined for the Jean Stone Crime Series, Book 2 is in storyboarding and Book 3 is in pre-production plus I am working on a young adult unnamed mystery series inspired by my daughter.

 

Thanks Morgan!

 

Mysteries, thrillers, authors, readers, true crime. Bring your voice. Make some noise in this year’s MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK May 13-24 2019.  #MTW2019 Spread the word.  Sign up to participate:  Participate in MTW 2019

 

 

MTW 2019 Facebook Event Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Recommendations with Crime Fiction Blogger Sheila Howes

Posted on Posted in authors, Book recommendations, Crime fiction, Mystery, ThrillersTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Recommended icon

 

 

 

“Drink good coffee and read good books.”

 

 

 

Coffee cup on trum stump image

 

 

I love good book recommendations don’t you? Today we have more from Sheila Howes  (a.k.a. @thequietgeordie) crime fiction book blogger.

 

 

Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

 

 

 

Killed Thomas Enger

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

Henning Juul sits in a boat on a dark lake. A man with a gun sits opposite him. At the man’s feet is a body that will be soon be dumped into the water. Henning knows that the same fate awaits him. And he knows that it’s his own fault. Who started the fire that killed Henning’s young son? How is his sister, Trine, involved? Most importantly, who can be trusted? Packed with tension and unexpected twists, Killed is the long-waited finale of the internationally renowned series featuring conflicted, disillusioned but always dogged crime reporter Henning Juul, and one of the most chilling, dark and moving crime thrillers you may ever read.

 

 

 

Friend Request

 

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

Maria Weston wants to be friends. But Maria Weston is dead. Isn’t she?

1989. When Louise first notices the new girl who has mysteriously transferred late into their senior year, Maria seems to be everything the girls Louise hangs out with aren’t. Authentic. Funny. Brash. Within just a few days, Maria and Louise are on their way to becoming fast friends.

2016. Louise receives a heart-stopping email: Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. Long-buried memories quickly rise to the surface: those first days of their budding friendship; cruel decisions made and dark secrets kept; the night that would change all their lives forever.

Louise has always known that if the truth ever came out, she could stand to lose everything. Her job. Her son. Her freedom. Maria’s sudden reappearance threatens it all, and forces Louise to reconnect with everyone she’d severed ties with to escape the past. But as she tries to piece together exactly what happened that night, Louise discovers there’s more to the story than she ever knew. To keep her secret, Louise must first uncover the whole truth, before what’s known to Maria–or whoever’s pretending to be her–is known to all.

 

 

The Perfect Girlfriend US image

 

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

Karen Hamilton’s The Perfect Girlfriend is a frightening depiction of unbridled obsession, where love and pure hatred grapple on a knife edge. The perfect new psychological thriller for fans of Friend Request and The Girl Before.

 

Juliette loves Nate.
She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight
attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.
The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing.
Because Juliette has a plan to win him back.

She is the perfect girlfriend.
And she’ll make sure no one stops her from
getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain…

 

‘Brilliant and terrifying’ Fiona Cummins, author of RATTLE

‘So addictive it should come with a warning’ Alice Feeney, author of SOMETIMES I LIE

‘One of the best twisted narrators I’ve ever read’ C.J. Tudor, author of THE CHALK MAN

‘Thrillingly different and totally gripping. I loved it!’ Laura Marshall, author of FRIEND REQUEST

 

 

 

The Lying Game ruth ware

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 comes Ruth Ware’s chilling new novel.

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister…

The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).

Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill that will keep you wrong-footed—which has now become Ruth Ware’s signature style—The Lying Game is sure to be her next big bestseller. Another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

 

 

 

The Escape US image

 

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

The new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Accident, The Lie and The Missing.

“Look after your daughter’s things. And your daughter…”

When a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn’t.

The stranger knows Jo’s name, she knows her husband Max and she’s got a glove belonging to Jo’s two year old daughter Elise.

What begins with a subtle threat swiftly turns into a nightmare as the police, social services and even Jo’s own husband turn against her.

No one believes that Elise is in danger. But Jo knows there’s only one way to keep her child safe – RUN.

 

 

 

“Be awesome! Be a book nut!”- Dr. Seuss 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking Mystery with Author Jill Orr

Posted on Posted in authors, Interview, MysteryTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

GoodByline_cover

 

 

 

~If you love a mystery with a smart, quirky protagonist who can solve crimes, then don’t miss this series~

 

 

 

 

Introducing Jill Orr

 

Color bio photo2017

 

 

Jill Orr is the author of The Good Byline, the first in the Riley Ellison mystery series. The second book in the series, The Bad Break, is due out in April of 2018. Orr lives in Columbia, Missouri with her husband and two children. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers and serves on the board of the Unbound Book Festival.

 

 

Take it away Jill….

 

 

What led you into writing books?

In school, writing was the only bright spot on an otherwise stunningly average transcript, so it seemed as good an idea as any for a career. I decided to major in Journalism because I thought “Journalist” sounded better than “Unemployed English Major.” I got my undergraduate degree and then three jobs, one master’s degree, and two kids later, I decided to try writing fiction.




Why write mysteries?

The first two novels I wrote were actually women’s fiction and they both live in the depths of my hard drive, never to be seen by human eyes again. (They were not good.) But having always been a big reader of mysteries, I eventually decided to try to write one. I think there was something in the structure of a mystery novel that helped me get to that next level. After all, in a mystery you have certain pegs on which you can hang your story, right? You have a crime, clues, suspects, red herrings– and those things provide an internal structure that helped move the story along.



 

pieces-of-the-puzzle-592798_960_720

 

 


Who do you look up to as a writer?

I read widely so it depends on the genre, but I am particularly drawn to writers who do humor well like Maria Semple, Rainbow Rowell, Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, Janet Evanovich and essayist Colin NIssan. 




How long did it take you to write The Good Byline?

All in, about one year. Nine months to get a workable draft and three months to revise it.




How was it writing your first book?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, THE GOOD BYLINE isn’t actually the first book I wrote – it’s the third. I’ve now written 4.5 books and I always find the process of writing books fun and frustrating, in near equal parts, depending on the day!




Name some resources that helped you in your writing.

Since THE GOOD BYLINE features a character who is obsessed with obituaries, I did a lot of research on obituary readers and writers. There’s a fabulous book called THE DEAD BEAT: LOST SOULS, LUCKY STIFFS, AND THE PERVERSE PLEASURE OF THE OBITUARY by Marilyn Johnson which I just loved. I also read OBIT by famed obituarist Jim Sheeler and countless interviews with some of the other great obituary writers of our time like Margalit Fox, Bruce Weber, and Ann Wroe. Of course, like most writers, I keep a copy of Strunk & White’s THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by my desk and I love, love, love Lisa Cron’s writing guides WIRED FOR STORY and STORY GENIUS.



 

Storytelling , word cloud concept 6

 

 

 


Take us through the creative process of developing Riley Ellison.

It started for me when I stumbled upon the website Legacy.com and realized there’s an entire subculture of people who read the obits as a hobby! I thought, “What a great quirk for a protagonist!” And since in the obit section there are plenty of dead bodies to choose from, it was perfect: all you have to do is make one of those into a murder and your off to the races!




What’s her motivation? What makes her tick?

Riley, like many twenty-four year-olds, is trying to figure out her place in the world. She had a plan for herself that fell through and now she feels adrift and is searching to find her purpose. She’s incredibly compassionate, but guarded, and yearns for human connection even though circumstances in her life have led her a place where she really has no good friends left. That’s where she is when the story begins. I like to think that through the action of the plot, we see Riley grow and develop and make some progress towards some of those goals.



 

sport-1014015_960_720

 

 

 


What’s was your method for writing the plot?

Method? What is this “method” you speak of? Ha! I wish I had a method, but the truth is that I didn’t know what was going to happen from one page to the next. I never do. I am incapable of outlining no matter how hard I try, so really what I do is wait for the characters to reveal themselves to me page by page. It’s terribly inefficient. The only good thing is I haven’t had very many readers tell me they figured out who the “bad guy” was until the end, and I always think that’s because as the writer, I didn’t even know!



 

 

Organic Agriculture or Farming

 

 

 


 

How’s the writing going for The Bad Break?

THE BAD BREAK is done and about to go to the printers! It will release on April 3, 2018. It was so much fun to write and I hope readers enjoy visiting with Riley and her friends again. I’m now working on the third book in the series, untitled as of yet, and that one is due out April 2019.



 

 

Bad Break cover

 

 

 

 


Can you give us a little sneak preview?

Sure! Here’s what’s on the back of the book:

Obituary-obsessed Riley Ellison’s life is going pretty well at the moment. She has an exciting new career as a reporter, a hot new boyfriend, and is even learning to co-exist with her ex and his “practically perfect in every way” baby mama in their small town of Tuttle Corner. But all of that changes when Riley’s former co-worker Tabitha finds her soon to be father-in-law dead and Riley is asked to write his obituary. And when the police discover Tabitha’s fiancé’s knife sticking out of his father’s chest, Riley finds herself with a murder investigation to cover as well.

With her quirky mentor Holman out on leave and mounting pressure from her editor, the mayor, and a bridezilla facing the possibility of a conjugal visit honeymoon, Riley is desperate to prove that she can handle the increasing demands of her new job. Despite warnings from those closest to her, Riley blurs the line between reporter and investigator. Will Riley’s rookie mistakes lead to more than just her byline ending up on the obituary page?

 

 

 

obituary newspaper section illustration design

 

 

 

Have any favorite quotes?

Funny you should ask! I love quotes and am a sucker for those quote websites on which you can search by theme. One of the characters in THE BAD BREAK, Jenna B, Riley’s millennial life coach, is chock-full of pop culture/fortune cookie/Pinterest-meme wisdom and it was so much fun searching for “inspirational” quotes through her eyes. But I’d say one of my favorite quotes from a writer is from Meg Cabot: 

 

 

“You’re not a one hundred dollar bill, not everyone is going to like you.” I find that advice very comforting in an odd sort of way!




Words of encouragement for new writers?

The only difference between a person who becomes a published author and one who doesn’t is stick-to-it-ness. There’s no magical talent threshold, you don’t have to have any special connections, and you don’t have to have a crazy BIG idea. All you have to do is keep writing and keep feeding what can sometimes feel like a delusional belief that you will get there one day, no matter how much evidence it seems like there is to the contrary!

Connect with Jill Orr

Amazon | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Color bio photo2017

Author Mary Angela Introduces Passport to Murder

Jon Land and the Caitlin Strong Series

Scottish Crime Fiction Blogger Discusses the Huntress Moon Series by Alexandra Sokoloff

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

www.thewritingtrain.com

Get ready for Mystery Thriller Week 2018! Sign up now:

Authors | Reader/Blogger/Reviewer | About MTW

MTW 2018 Banner 1

BECOME A “SUPER FAN” OF MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK

Posted on Posted in Facebook Chat, Mystery, ThrillersTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

super-fanIf you are already a fan of the Mystery Thriller genres, then you are in for a FAN-tastic surprise. Mystery Thriller Week is rolling out eleven fun-filled mysteriously thrilling days just for you! That’s one whole week and then some. We just couldn’t pack all the excitement into seven days. Beginning February 12th and running through February 22nd, 2017, MTW will engage you with online events around the clock 24/7. No matter what continent you hail from or which country you call home, rest assured that MTW plans to delight and thrill you with events, contests, book reviews, interviews, book excerpts, informative criminal and historical columns, book video trailers, blog tours, and live Facebook chat sessions with international best-selling authors. There will be mystery that thrills even the most selective palate. Continue reading “BECOME A “SUPER FAN” OF MYSTERY THRILLER WEEK” →

Thriller Thirteen: 13 Bestselling Thriller Novellas for $0.99

Posted on Posted in Book Marketing, ThrillersTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

 

Breaking News

 

Deal alert!

Continue reading “Thriller Thirteen: 13 Bestselling Thriller Novellas for $0.99” →

#MysteryThrillerWeek Congratulates #NanoWriMo2016 Participants

Posted on Posted in KickoffTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments
nanowrimoYour accomplishment as a writer cannot be denied! Whether your #NaNoWriMo Work In Progress culminated in 5,000 action words or a shiny new 50,000 word novel, Mystery Thriller Week applauds your hard work and efforts with a resounding CONGRATULATIONS! 
You embody the exact person we are seeking to participate in the 2017 Mystery Thriller Week being held February 12-22 next year. Over 100 Authors, 50 Bloggers, multiple specialists ranging from Publicists, Publishers, Editors, to Film Makers, Cover Artists, Book Reviewers, and FANS have already signed up and committed to the MTW event to make it the greatest Mystery Thriller genre event to ever be held online.

Continue reading “#MysteryThrillerWeek Congratulates #NanoWriMo2016 Participants” →