Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Some Thoughts on Setting

Whenever I go anywhere I always pay attention to everything that's around. Who knows, someday I might write about a place like that.

My Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novels are set in a fictional small beach town between Santa Barbara and Ventura. There is such a place and it's called Carpenteria. It is too large for the community I write about and I prefer not to use a real place so I don't use a business that goes belly-up or have a problem with new city ordinances or changes in streets.



However, Rocky Bluff has similarities to Carpenteria when it comes to weather and what it's like to live near the beach in that part of Southern California. Whenever I spend time in the area I like to soak up the flavor and spend time seeing what people are doing, what the houses look like, what kind of plants thrive. Recently when I attended a wedding in my grandson's uncle's huge and elegant backyard, which I soon learned I should have called it a private estate in Santa Barbara, I  realized that one day I could have my characters do something in a "private estate" which would give me a while new setting. It's a whole new lifestyle than what I'm used to and been writing about though I've known the uncle since he was barely out of high school, and he graduated with my middle daughter.

But, I digress. The whole point is that though I'm writing about a fictional town I want it to seem real and represent the area that I am writing about.

My Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries are set in a place much like where I live except that I moved it up in the mountains another 1000 feet. The other wedding I went to was at a hidden away resort with a gorgeous lodge and many cabins tucked away among the pines, cedars and Sequoias along with with waterfalls and ponds. It occurred to me that it was much like my imaginary Bear Creek. So again, I took in all the smells, the beauty of the place.


My made-up town of Bear Creek has a strong resemblance to Springville where I live. I chose not to call it by it's real name, not just because I moved it, but because the businesses don't last long and then new ones come in. I wanted a more permanent look to my main street. We are very near an Indian reservation so I also have one in some of my mysteries. In fact, Deputy Crabtree herself was inspired by a young Native woman I met quite a few years ago. We chatted and she told me a bit about growing up on the reservation. Tempe looks like this woman. I saw her once again when she had art on display at the Springville Inn (yes, it plays a prominent role in many books) and my first Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery had just been published and I gave her a copy.

Many of that series have been published since then. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my model for Tempe again--like Tempe she has aged a bit, but still looks like who I see in my mind's eye as I'm writing. She doesn't live on the reservation anymore, but close by and has been lately engaged in decorating the school bus stops with native designs--she draws them and supervises children and adults in filling in the colors. H'mmm, maybe I can write something about that in one of my mysteries.




With either series, fictional or not, I want the settings to see real when someone is reading one of the books.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith



Monday, June 17, 2013

Green Trash Bins


The saying goes that the devil is in the details. And sometimes the details bring out the devil in otherwise normal human beings.

The question I bring to the loyal Stiletto Gang readers is how much truth do readers of fiction expect? How much do they deserve?

Recently my coauthor and I received a review at Amazon from a reader who protested that we had failed to do adequate research for our latest mystery MURDER DOUBLES BACK. She complained that we used the wrong color trash bins in a scene set in a particular city. In great detail she explained that she had lived in Arlington, Virginia for many decades and not once had "green" trash bins been used in the area. Apparently had we chosen just about any other color, the story might have passed muster with her as the bin color had varied over time. But never green!

Honestly, when I read the review I was hard pressed to remember any trash bins in the mystery. I knew it wasn't a significant plot point.  So doing what any mystery writer would do in this situation , I opened the Word file of MURDER DOUBLES BACK and did a search for the word "green."

The software program brought up a list of sentences with "green" in them. Whiskey, the Irish wolfhound in our Sullivan Investigations Mysteries, sleeps on a "green futon" in Mac's office. I think we are safe there, although I confess I did not research futons to see if any manufacturer produced "green" futons. If we get challenged on it, I plan to say JJ, Mac's assistant, reupholstered the futon in the green fabric. JJ does a lot of things besides being a computer wiz and detective-in-training. In MURDER OFF THE BOOKS, the first mystery in the series, she renovated the Sullivan Investigations Inc. office by painting walls, refinishing furniture, etc. I'm sure she could recover a futon if push came to shove.

The next time "green" came up in my search was in relationship to vegetables – green beans, green peas, green bean casseroles. Yes, I'm making a note that for future books we should branch out – maybe add some yellow squash, white hominy, and orange carrots. Although we probably wouldn't need to describe carrots.

Finally I found the object of our reader's ire.   

Afternoons in late December got dark early. Mac was glad he found the group home while there was still light. It looked like most of the others on a block of tract homes built in the 1950s. The house numbers were hidden by a large Christmas wreath on the front door. There was a well-used basketball hoop attached to the garage. Three garbage cans sat at the curb waiting for trash collection the next day. Next to them was a green plastic container marked recyclables.

Busted. We never checked the color of the recyclables bin in Arlington, Virginia. All I can say is that we profusely apologize for offending the citizens of Arlington. And thank heavens we sent Mac back home to D.C. right away without further ado or more erroneous color choices.

(Note to self – Mac was the character who saw "green" while visiting a group home residence. Is it too late to make Mac color-blind? According to the reviewer "blue" would have been an acceptable trash bin color for that town. No, maybe not. Surely that handicap would have come up before in earlier books and after all, let's get "real" here for a minute, the mention of the trash bins was just made in passing. The bins, green or otherwise, were of no significance to the plot.)

Of course Mac also visited West Virginia in this book while chasing after a kidnapper. I'll do another Word search, but I'm positive we didn't involve any trash bins in those scenes. Seriously, what do you think? Should every detail in a work of fiction be researched by the author? What is the reader owed?
 
Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David
______________________




Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
 





Brianna Sullivan Mysteries - e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah - trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 - I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 - A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Zoned for Murder - stand-alone mystery
Romances
Love Lessons - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords


Friday, June 14, 2013

Smile, You're On!

By Laura Spinella 

My first public reading was nothing short of a disaster. Trust me; there was nothing beautiful about it.  The moment was so bad I couldn’t even articulate the aforementioned pun at my own expense. (See Beautiful Disaster, Penguin, 2011) It was a packed library, which I wasn’t expecting. The sight of the room was promptly followed by a panic attack, which I definitely wasn’t expecting. In an aftermath of humiliation, I was left to wonder why such a thing would happen to me. Theater was my passion in high school. I had no problem getting up in front of a packed auditorium to belt out scenes and songs from some of Broadway’s best shows. It’s particularly puzzling when you consider that I am a far better writer than I am a singer. (Should you disagree, no need to email) Yet that awful library moment ties with my five worst publication experiences—thus far. A woman who came to a book club meeting, just to make sure I understood her loathing of romantic Southern set novels, is a close second.
            I would like to file these experiences under live and learn. But with PERFECT TIMING out this fall, my chances of avoiding public speaking and the occasional bitter book club member are a moot point. In fact, I'd probably be wise to garner what I can and make an attempt to learn from it. So, what's up with the public library debacle? A freak incident? Maybe. Was it the awkwardly timed realization that my words were suddenly out there for the world to comment on at large? Could be. Or it might have been this: A character that appears on stage comes with a predetermined script. While I could certainly script my speech, there was no character involved. It was just me… behind a podium…. a very undersized podium from what I recall.
            Many writers wear public speaking like a second skin. They read fluidly from their books, conveying a story as though the audience were a mesmerized group of kindergarteners. Speeches are effortless, drawing in listeners and making them feel comfortable. These authors segue from the written word to spoken the one as if public speaking were their native tongue. To me, it’s a foreign dialect for which I don’t have much natural talent. However, I do excel in group-specific public arenas. I’m great at book clubs, almost entertaining—even if you don’t love romantic Southern fiction. There’s something easy about sitting around with a group of women, even if you don’t know a single one personally, and just chatting. On the other hand, I’m stunned by the idea of getting up in front of that same group and being the targeted center of attention. Targeted center of attention… perhaps therein lies a clue.
            Interestingly, I do have a middle-of-the-road experience when it comes to public gatherings. More than once, I’ve been asked to speak to my college alumni. I wasn’t flawless in these instances, but I was certainly more comfortable than a generic public setting. I suppose it has to do with camaraderie. While the alumni I spoke to were individual strangers, we shared a common bond in having attended the same university. My mind translated this as friendly territory, trickling down to my nerves, which, in turn, did not fray. Had I sought professional help, I’m sure this would have been the diagnosis.
            So tell me Gang members and readers alike, how do you handle these situations? Are some of us just naturally gifted when it comes to public gab? Or is it a skill that evolves over time—like most things. You have captive audience here, please drop me comment on public speaking 101.      

Laura Spinella is the award-winning author of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER and the upcoming novel, PERFECT TIMING. Visit her at lauraspinella.net  
           


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Pondering the Ctrl Alt Delete

By Bethany Maines

Date night this weekend involved going to see Star Trek: Into Darkness.  For those who have managed to enjoy the inundation of movie previews, the original Jim Kirk era of Star Trek was given a “reboot” a few years ago, and Into Darkness was the sequel. I’m enjoying this iteration of Star Trek, but it got me to thinking about the entire concept of reboots.

The current reboot fad seems to have come mostly from the comic book world, where characters must evolve with changing times and changing teams of writers and artists and no one person “owns” the character the way a novelist owns their inventions. However, anytime the words “comic book” get uttered, people seem to become dismissive of whatever information surrounds the words in that sentence, so let’s look at the example of Sherlock Holmes. It’s been estimated that he’s the most prolific character in the history of cinema. He’s been old, he’s been young, he’s been a cucumber. (Yes, a cucumber – InVeggieTales of course.)  The character of Sherlock endures across the iterations and seeps into our collective consciousness.  But how does it work?  How can we, the audience, accept a new Sherlock, or a new Spock? 

I think the number one reason audiences will accept a new version of our favorite characters is that we love them.  It’s just that the original series of Star Trek only lasted 3 years, and Sir Doyle only wrote four novels and a handful of short stories about Sherlock. I think we all would like more about our favorites, but “more” literally doesn’t exist.  Of course, if you screw up the reboot we will hate you forever for messing with our favorite characters. (Yes, I’m looking at you, Halle Berry, worst Catwoman of all time.) At the end of the day, a reboot is only successful if it stays true enough to the character to feel right to the audience.


Now here’s the question I’ve been pondering: Can reboots work in literature?  Novels based on the work of other authors has been not just panned, but hated.  Nancy Drew, our favorite Titian-haired heroine, with her rotating cast of Carolyn Keene’s has been rebooted a few times, but I would say that she is the exception rather than the rule. Perhaps reboots only work when a character belongs to a corporation or is transferred to a new medium. Are there any novelists who have rebooted their own characters?  What character from literature would you like to see rebooted?

Monday, June 10, 2013

My Dad, My Hero


By Evelyn David
 
Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.

I've always adored that quote from Bill Cosby. Over the years I gave my father enough soap-on-a-rope to cleanse half the city of Baltimore. And every single year, bless him, he acted like I had given him the winning ticket to the Florida Powerball.

It's Father's Day on Sunday. But of course, we don't need a Hallmark holiday to celebrate the Dads in our lives. Both halves of Evelyn David have been blessed with exceptional fathers. They were men who adored us, encouraged us, taught us, supported us, cheered for us, laughed with us, comforted us, and made us feel like our dreams were always within reach. I married a man like my father and feel like the best gift I ever gave my kids was to give them the best Dad in the world.

A DNA-connection is the least of the components of being a good parent. It's someone willing to put in the hard, often messy, work of raising kids to be responsible, caring, loving individuals. My Dad traveled for his job, gone probably three weeks of every month, leaving on Monday morning, arriving home late Friday night. Yet, I don’t remember him being gone, his presence in my life so very strong. What I remember are the weekly trips to the library (no surprise, he loved mysteries!); the visits to the Baltimore Zoo (a bag of peanuts for the elephants, mostly eaten by us!); and the birthday cakes he ordered from Silber's Bakery each year (my mother organized the parties, he was responsible for the cakes!). I remember his "zingers" as he called them – fast quips that were smart, never hurtful, and made you laugh out loud. I remember that as a product of the Depression, he never spent money on himself, but when he came with Mom and me to pick out my wedding gown, he insisted that I buy the one I liked, even if it was the most expensive. He made a pact with my fiancé on my wedding day – that they were both on the same team, loving and supporting Marian. And when a short three years later, when unbelievably he died way too young, I knew that the love he gave me, unstintingly and without reservation, would be with me the rest of my life – as it has.

So to all the wonderful Dads out there – regardless of how you are connected to the children in your lives – we salute you, we thank you. And we know that Dads stay in our hearts forever.

Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

--------------------



$0.99 SALE! - Ending June 16
The Ghosts of Lottawatah – a boxed set of E-books of the first four in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series




Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback 
Murder Doubles Back Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
 





Brianna Sullivan Mysteries - e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah - trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 - I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 - A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Zoned for Murder - stand-alone mystery
Romances
Love Lessons - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords

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