Author Archives: Murderati

L.A. MIX PROFILE: Librarian and Book Club Organizer Gary Warren Niebuhr

Me2006 NAOMI HIRAHARA

Anyone who attends a Bouchercon mystery convention has seen the rail-thin figure of Gary Warren Niebuhr, usually in the center of a boisterous crowd—the eye of the storm. My girlfriends and I refer to him as Gasa-Gasa Gary because he always seems to be on the move. A career librarian and die-hard mystery fan, Gary has written books about his passion for the genre, the latest being on how to conduct a book club.

Book clubs can be a godsend for midlist mysteries. As an author, I’ve done my share, ranging from a Japanese-themed dinner in Phoenix to a phone conversation with a group in Seattle. Many were arranged by friends and acquaintances, but some resulted from contact through my website. Normally no Angeleno would invite a stranger to her home—no Angeleno would think of going to a gathering of complete strangers in a home, but books serve as a bridge.

Gary’s book is designed for readers and librarians, not authors. But we can learn much from his tips and experience. So, Gasa-Gasa Gary, speak out!

Tell us about the reference book you just released.

READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES A HANDBOOK FOR MYSTERY AND CRIME FICTION BOOK DISCUSSIONS is a guide for people who want to lead a crime fiction book club. The book reveals how to organize your group, get participants, select book club titles, prepare for the meeting, and conduct discussions. The main content of the book is a breakdown of 100 titles that can be used for discussion purposes. For each book, information is provided including biographical information on the author with web sites and reader’s guides, a short plot summary, geographic settings, time period, series information, subject headings, appeal points and read alike suggestions. Then, I provide about a dozen questions that can be used to discuss the selected title.

Did Greenwood approach you or did you approach them?

I have had such good luck falling into the publishing business. My first book (A READER’S GUIDE TO THE PRIVATE EYE NOVEL. G. K. Hall, 1993) came about because I answered a one-inch ad running in Drood Review for someone to do a book in the series G. K. Hall was putting together on various sub-genres in the field. My second book (MAKE MINE A MYSTERY, Libraries Unlimited, 2003) came about because I attended a children’s author lunch at the Public Library Association and decided to sit down next to the acquisition editor from Libraries Unlimited.

This book was offered to Libraries Unlimited after MAKE MINE and they loved the concept. I loved doing this book and by far, it was the easiest to complete.

Can you tell us a little about your background? How long have you worked as a librarian? And tell us about the library you current work at.

I was born, schooled and worked in the city of Milwaukee for my entire life. While attended college and attempting to spend five minutes in every major that they offered, I came to the realization that my part time job as a shelver in the Milwaukee Public Library could be a career path. After earning an M.A. in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I worked two years for an engineering college (like living amongst aliens) and two years as a clerk in a public library (in a building that is now a funeral parlor). Then, for reasons still undetermined, the Greendale Public Library hired me to be its library director and I have been there for 26 years.

When did you begin reading mysteries?

I read all types of books growing up including Freddy the Detective and the Hardy Boys. But I gravitated to science fiction for most of my youth despite still having the complete Sherlock Holmes collection my parents bought me when I was a teen. When I went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I took literature classes as time off from my other classes. Looking back now, I wish I had realized what really appealed to me and just read my way through the university experience.

After exhausting all the science fiction, fantasy and utopian electives in the English Department, I enrolled in a crime fiction survey course that began with THE BIG SLEEP by Raymond Chandler. This set me on a lifetime of reading mystery and crime fiction. Early in my reading of this genre I was able to ground myself in the history including reading everything from Carr, Christie, Sayers, Stout, etc. However, I always found myself drawn to the private eye.

Around 1978, I formed a mystery book discussion group with Beverly DeWeese (1999 Bouchercon Fan Guest of Honor) and some other civilians. The group met at my house. I no longer remember what we read or even how we operated. Eventually we heard that a mystery book discussion group called The Cloak and Clue Society had formed at a brand new mystery bookstore in town. Deciding it was silly to have two groups, we merged the two groups and that is how I met Beth Fedyn (2005 Bouchercon Fan Guest of Honor).

Cloak and Clue has been meeting ever since. While for a time my attendance was spotty (I was too busy doing community theater because I enjoyed wearing makeup for legitimate reasons), I have had a long association with this group and could not have done the new book club book without the experience I gained with this group.

In a conversation I had with Otto Penzler in 1981, who was discouraging me from trying to buy every work of crime fiction ever published like Allen Hubin had, he suggested that I specialize in the type of detective that I enjoyed the most. So, I now have 6,000 private eye novels in my basement. So much for specialization.

Somewhere in the eighties, while selling mystery books out of the basement of my house, I met Ted Hertel (2002 MWA Robert L. Fish Award recipient and current MWA-Midwest President) and we have been steadfast friends ever since. Ted, Bev, Beth and a host of other fans created EYECON’95 to honor the Private Eye Writers of America by having a convention in Milwaukee in 1995. Four years later in 1999, the same crew ran Bouchercon in Milwaukee.

During the Bcon experience, Ted and I met Sandy Balzo (2004 MWA Robert L. Fish Award recipient). After Bouchercon, Ted and Sandy had this crazy idea to form a crime fiction writers group. So The Noirsketeers have been meeting for six years. Ted and Sandy were the first readers for READ ‘EM.

And when did you decide to have a mystery book club at your library?

In 1992 I began the Greendale Park and Recreation Crime Fiction Book Discussion Group. People who want to be a part of the group sign up through Park and Recreation and pay a small fee. We meet in the Community Room of the Greendale Library from September to May (skipping December). We read one book for each session. There is no food.

Explain how you set up your book club. Is it different every year? How do you select your books?

Every year in May I create a list of about fifty books I think would make a great book discussion title. I pass the list out to the current members and let them vote on which title they would like to read. After gathering the ballots, I try to see a pattern in the top vote getters so that I can establish a theme for the next year. Here are some examples of the last few years’ lists:

2006-2007 THE SINS OF THE FATHERS AND SOME BAD MOTHERS TOO

9/26/06: Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s THE SHADOW OF THE WIND

10/26/06: Carol Goodman’s THE SEDUCTION OF WATER

11/16/06: Donna Tratt’s THE LITTLE FRIEND

01/25/07: Anita Shreve’s THE WEIGHT OF WATER

02/22/07: Jonathan Lethem’s MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN

03/22/07: Jodi Picoult’s THE PLAIN TRUTH

04/26/07: T. Jefferson Parker’s SILENT JOE

05/24/07: Minette Walters’ ACID ROW

2005-2006 THE SUN NEVER SETS ON YOUR BODY IF YOU DIE IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Minette Walters’ THE SHAPE OF SNAKES

Mark Haddon’s THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT with Michael Chabon’s THE FINAL SOLUTION: A STORY OF DETECTION

Jacqueline Winspear’s MAISIE DOBBS

Ian Pears’ AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST

Erin Hart’s HAUNTED GROUND

Rhys Bowen’s MURPHY’S LAW

Michelle DeKrester’s THE HAMILTON CASE

Darren Williams’ ANGEL ROCK

2004-2005 MURDER THEY WROTE, MURDER WE READ

Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCI CODE (2003)

Alice Blanchard’s THE BREATHTAKER (2003)

Thomas Cook’s THE CHATHAM SCHOOL AFFAIR (1996)

Minette Walters’s THE BREAKER (1998)

Matthew Pearl’s THE DANTE CLUB (2003)

Alexander McCall Smith’s THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY (1998)

Carolyn G. Hart’s LETTER FROM HOME (2003)

Donna Andrews’s YOU’VE GOT MURDER (2002)

2003-2004 OVER THERE: MYSTERIES IN INTERESTING PLACES

Giles Blunt’s FORTY WORDS FOR SORROW (2001)

Robert Wilson’s A SMALL DEATH IN LISBON (2003)

Elizabeth George’s A TRAITOR TO MURDER (2001)

Anthony Piper’s LOST GIRLS (2001)

Larry Watson’s MONTANA 1948 (1993)

Minette Walter’s THE ECHO (1997)

Ken Breun’s THE GUARDS (2003)

Elizabeth Inness-Brown’s BURNING MARGUERITE (2002)

What makes a mystery a good book club selection?

I talk a lot about this in the book but let’s cut to the chase. The best titles for book discussions are ones that have a strong theme and along the way do something to piss people off. With varying degrees of strength, all novels have plot, character, setting, subject matters and style. While you can hook a discussion on any of these elements, it is my contention that it is theme that will anger people the most and make them really want to discuss a title with someone.

I wrote READ ‘EM because I got so tired of people asking me how we could discuss crime fiction for 15 years when the only thing to discuss is "who did it." If they only discussable element of the book is the plot, you have picked the wrong crime fiction book to discuss.

How can an author help book clubs?

Authors need to understand the difference between books that are great entertainment and books that are great book discussion titles. Some books are never going to work as a book discussion title. Be kind to those who do not feel confident in discussing your title.

However, to help, an author could put a readers’ guide on your website with some suggested discussion questions.

What makes a good book discussion question?

We cover this extensively in the book, but the first rule is never write a question that can be answered yes or no.

Do you network with many other libraries or book clubs?

I do connect with other book discussion leaders. We all have the same problems and the same joys. Some ambitious book discussion leaders have started one city one book discussions (a concept invented by Nancy Pearl in Seattle) where an entire community (libraries, schools, private groups) all read the same book. Some libraries have book discussion kits. There is a lot of cooperation.

If a group is planning to launch a book club for the first time, what tips do you suggest?

Believe in the book and stay focused on a discussion about it. It is a great way to express yourself, learn about others, and feel the joy of sharing stories.

***

Thank you, Gary. And looking forward to seeing you at Left Coast Crime! Here’s more info on his book:

READ ‘EM THEIR WRITES A HANDBOOK FOR MYSTERY AND CRIME FICTION BOOK DISCUSSIONS

ISBN: 1-59158-303-9

ISBN-13: 978-1-59158-303-5

Libraries Unlimited; $35.00
Ordering information for the book can be found at http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/LU3039.aspx.

***

BIG BIG BACHI AVAILABLE IN JANUARY: Yes, it’s SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI in large print. Happy New Year from Crown City, Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Central!

2006 IN REVIEW–Swings and Roundabouts

It’s been a strange year. There’s been no middle ground. It’s either been amazing or disappointing. A lot of things fell through this year. A small press publisher collapsed literally days after receiving a contract offer for my novel, We All Fall Down. A number of my regular markets closed their doors this year and I’m sorry to see them go as they’ve been greater supporters of mine. A lot of plans were canceled, whether it be book projects, speaking engagements or other writing related projects that took left turns at the 11th hour. Also I had a tendency to miss the boat in ’06. I’d find out about a writing opportunity the day after it closed. I really took it on the chin short story-wise this year. The short story market is tight but there have been quite a few high profile anthologies out there this year. Unfortunately, I didn’t make the cut for any of them. Definitely, my poor showing in the short story world has been my biggest disappointment of ’06.

Of course, with every disappointment comes a pleasant surprise. Working Stiffs came out. It looked great and it picked up really nice reviews. I’m really proud of the book. But the year’s highest points came out of nowhere. I couldn’t have predicted Dorchester Publishing would jump on Accidents Waiting To Happen, giving me my break in New York publishing. Another novel deal has also been agreed to, but I can’t discuss details at the moment. So my novel writing career seems set for the foreseeable future, which is a big boost.

2006 is the year where I really overextended myself. I took on too many things, which left me working every spare minute of the day on writing in some shape or form. That will have to stop in 2007. I’m going to be much more selective about what I do in the future. A couple of little things woke me up to the fact that I need to do a little bit of stopping to smell the roses from time to time.

On a private level, the year has just been as unpredictable. Julie’s family took some hard knocks, some things I’ve mentioned and some I’m not going to mention. Our house keeps telling us it’s 50 years old and wants attention. And every time we find a penny, we drop a dollar. All I can say is that we made it out the other side and we’re doing fine, but we’d really like not to have a repeat in ’07.

On the whole, 2006 has been a mixed year. I’m very critical about everything I do. I have a lot to be thankful for, but the disappointments have dampened my successes resulting in the lows canceling out the highs. This is going to make me more determined next year.

So I go into 2007 in good shape. There’ll be two novels out in the calendar year and who knows where they will lead? Hopefully, those will provide a stable platform for more novel sales. There’s a lot of ricochet in writing. Events bounce off other events and novels create the biggest bounces, so I’m hoping the raised profile from the novel releases will create some new opportunities. Definitely, I need to assess my short story work and look where I can do better than I did this year.

This makes me sound a little grumpy and snarly. I’m not–not really. I’m annoyed and I’m going to do something about it. Look out 2007. You’re coming with me.

Simon Wood

L.A. MIX PROFILE: Librarian Padmini Prabhakar

NAOMI HIRAHARA

Oh, what would authors do without librarians and libraries? Most of us devoured books in our youth in libraries. My local library was nestled among deodar cedar trees in Altadena. At the time it was brand spanking new, but now it is decidedly retro-Seventies; the architecture has held up well over time.

Most librarians love mysteries because they are among the most popular books in their libraries. In metropolitan Southern California, libraries frequently hold author talks and some even offer a token honorarium.

A couple of years ago, I was invited to Cerritos Library’s inaugural Mystery on the Menu luncheon event. Cerritos is on the eastern edge of Los Angeles County, right next to the Orange Curtain (OC). Known for its excellent school system and large automobile dealership center, Cerritos has definitely been on the fast-track of development, both economic and cultural. I myself was blown away with its state-of-the art library. When I returned home from the event, I told my husband that I would want to move to Cerritos just for the library. Of course, as usual, he thought I was crazy.

Behind the scenes of the spectacular author events at Cerritos Library is Padmini Prabhakar, one of the most thorough and professional librarians I’ve ever encountered. If you are ever in Los Angeles for a book tour, definitely have your publicist or publisher contact Padmini to see if she might be interested in hosting you for an event.

Tell us a little bit about your background. When did you decide that you wanted to become a librarian? Where did you study library science? What other libraries have you worked at and when did you join the Cerritos Library?

I originally come from Chennai, (formerly known as Madras) India. I have lived in Cerritos since 1979. I used to bring my two children to the original Cerritos Library to Storytimes and to check out books. A new wing was added to the Library in 1985. I thought it would be exciting to get a part-time job as my kids were growing up. I applied for the part-time Library Assistant job and was surprised to be hired as I was then a housewife with a Bachelor’s degree in Botany. I was also an Art Consultant at a local elementary school and it was a real challenge working two part-time jobs and taking care of the family. In 1991 I was promoted to the full-time position of Young Adult Librarian to serve the needs of the teens in the community.

When I realized we were remodeling the Cerritos Library, I wanted to be worthy of working in this fabulous building. That’s when I decided to get my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. I graduated from San Jose State University in 2003.

I heard that the Cerritos Library building was made out of titanium? Is that true? Any other nifty trivia about the building? When was it constructed?

The outside of the Cerritos Library is clad in titanium tiles. The Library was the first titanium-clad structure in the United States. Titanium expresses the concept of change as it has subtle color shifts from reflecting the angle of the sun and atmospheric conditions. Titanium also allowed for a fluid design with compound curves. The material suggests the Library’s "Save the Planet" theme as it does not have a negative impact on the environment and is maintenance free.

The library has a series of themed spaces designed to make you feel as if you are journeying through time, from an old world reading room, to a Craftsman style great room, to an art deco area inspired by the old Pan Pacific Auditorium, to the "21st Century" level designed to feel like a library of the future. The children’s area is probably the most impressive. A 15,000-gallon salt water aquarium, complete with sharks, a moray eel, and hundreds of colorful tropical fish is located in the lobby area. Stan, a full scale T-Rex skeleton from the Black Hills Institute in South Dakota, a space shuttle and a rainforest tree are a few special features in the Children’s area. I would like to invite everyone to come visit the Cerritos Library, the world’s first "experience library" and enjoy several commissioned art pieces, including a Chihuly glass sculpture.

When will this year’s Mystery on the Menu be held? What authors will be participating? Why did you decide to launch Mystery on the Menu and who helped you?

The third annual Mystery on the Menu will be held on Saturday, January 27 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. I have confirmed the following authors so far: Sheryl Anderson, Brett Ellen Block, Stephen Cannell, Joanne Fluke, Lee Goldberg, Tod Goldberg, Gar Anthony Haywood, Susan Kandel, Kelly Lange, Robert Levinson, Barbara Seranella and Walter Satterthwait. It is a fun event. I would encourage all mystery buffs to attend.

Couple of years ago, I attended a panel discussion with three mystery authors and I heard about the annual Men of Mystery event with 50 authors. I thought I would invite 10 mystery authors and request the Friends of the Cerritos Library to sponsor the luncheon. President Janice Dawson and other boardmembers were willing to give it a try and because of its success, our second luncheon had 12 authors and I am working on inviting 14 authors for Mystery on the Menu III. The all-day event will start off with the first panel of authors discussing their careers and books followed by a delicious lunch. Next the second panel of authors will address the audience and all the authors will sign their book provided for purchase by Linda Bivens of Crime Time Books.

What suggestions do you have for libraries that may be thinking of integrating mysteries into their programming? How popular are mysteries among your library constituency?

I am finding that most of the authors we host are mystery ones. That tells you that this is the most popular genre in Cerritos. I may also be partial to mystery as I grew up reading Agatha Christie and Erle Stanley Gardner.

Librarians who are interested in getting in touch with local mystery authors should contact local bookstores and see who is signing books there. Los Angeles Times Sunday edition’s Book Review section lists author events every week. It is always good to attend some of these events and make contact with the authors or their publicists and let them know that their libraries are interested in hosting them. There is a lot of talent in Southern California and all these authors love to visit libraries.

What advice would you give authors who want to approach libraries about author talks?

I would request all authors to update their websites and keep their contact information and calendar of events current. I am sure your fans would like to come to your programs and meet you in person and discuss what you are planning to write. American Library Association offers a program to its members called authors@your library. Publishers can get in touch with ALA at http://www.authorsatyourlibrary.org/ and register to be part of this program. Very often the Friends of the Library would sponsor author events. This is a great group to get in touch with to schedule visits to libraries. Many of your authors may already be aware of these resources.

***

Thank you very much, Padmini!

If you ever have time while you are in Southern California, please visit this magnificent library:

Cerritos Library

18025 Bloomfield Avenue
Cerritos, California 90703
Phone: (562) 916-1350

If you have ever worked with Padmini and want to sing her praises, please do so in the comments section. And if you have any other fabulous librarians, library events, or plain library memories you want to mention, add them as well. I’ll be continuing this theme of librarians with another profile on Friday. Who will it be? I’ll give you a clue: he’s very gasa-gasa.

Holy Tortilla!

by Pari Noskin Taichert

New Mexico is the land of holy tortillas and terrorist burritos. It makes me proud.

The tortilla story gained international status in the 1970s when Maria Rubio, a woman living in Lake Arthur, NM, was making the flour concoctions in a nice hot skillet. Lo and behold! unto this cast iron an image of the face of Jesus appeared in the seared markings on the lard-filled canvas. News of the miracle spread from person to person until television camera crews and reporters abetted the story’s rise into the national consciousness. Thousands of devoted believers queued around street corners to get a glimpse of this wonder. I bet they’re still coming today. Maria is credited with spawning holy food sightings around the world.

These incidents continue to happen in New Mexico — Jesus on toast, the Virgin Mary outlined in the creases on a pumpkin’s side. We all squint to make out the images on our big-screen televisions (or mine, which is the size of a thumbnail). Though some may scoff, many of us find solace in mystical possibilities.

I’ve always wondered what happens to the holy foods later, like, in six months. It’d probably be disrespectful to tell people about that moldy image of Buddha I found the other day on my tofu.

Now for another international tortilla story. This one descends from the heady realm of spirit to the base reality of paranoia. Still, you’ve gotta laugh.

A few years ago, a kid at Marshall Middle School in Clovis, NM, took a class in marketing. For his final project, he decided to make a giant burrito (don’t ask). He got a 30-inch tortilla to house the filling of meat, cheese, lettuce and jalapenos. Well, have you ever tried to keep something this big warm? After much deliberation, he opted to wrap it in tin foil.

On his way to school, he passed many people. Only one was sufficiently flippy about the world and violence in schools to call the police when she saw the large, oblong silver object in the kid’s arms.

Flash forward to a school in total lockdown, all the students gathered in the gymnasium. Anguished parents form a tight circle of fear at the perimeter of the grounds. The principal addresses her charges — trying to stay calm, to instill courage — but her voice trembles in spite of her efforts.

Imagine the moment when the kid, a normal middle schooler — the kind that goes to church with his parents and drinks too much soda pop — realizes that his principal is talking about his burrito. It’s a marvelous image. I can see his pimply face redden, his shocked eyes widen, and his mouth open the smallest bit. Just lovely.

I wish I could’ve made this up.

Both of these stories make me happy for different reasons. I share them with you today as a kind of cheerful present that honors food. After all, most of us will be eating more than usual as we sit down with family and friends. I’ll be at my in-laws’ house; they celebrate Christmas and we celebrate them. Our feast will include tamales (yes, Mike, I love ’em too!), roasted pheasant (personally, shot by my FIL), German stollen and French bread. I hope there isn’t too much buckshot in the birds; last year, I nearly lost a tooth eating the quail . . .

Whatever you do this Christmas — go to church, open presents, dine at a good Chinese restaurant — I hope it’s filled with pleasure.

My best wishes to you all.

Ahhhh, Memories

After days of savage hand-to-hand combat in the malls and department stores of America, we should all take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

To me, Christmas is a time for friends and family. It is a time of traditions and memories. And what better way to explore the Christmas spirit than in tightly constructed, yet sincere bullet points.

So here is a list of fond recollections and holiday traditions that have touched my heart.

Trying to get my older siblings out of bed on Christmas morning so I could open up presents, damn it!
Tamales for breakfast!!! God bless our neighbors to the south.
Drinking beer and watching John Woo’s bullet-fest The Killer one Christmas afternoon. Mom was a little perturbed at all the machinegun fire on the savior’s birthday.
Seven-layer bars!!! These things are like CRACK in a pan.
Being so hung over one Christmas Eve that I barely left my bedroom. When I did, my grandmother gave me a look so severe, so dripping with disappointment that it haunts my nightmares to this day. I will take that image to my grave.
Millennium Falcon: Best gift ever!
Mom reading “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” to all us kids and pulling it off with out sounding cheesy.
Nog with the in-laws.
Catching grandma jamming a tangelo into my stocking. That fact that Grandma stuffed my stocking instead of Santa didn’t bother me. What did bother me was that she took up valuable candy space with a frickin’ tangelo.
Feeling the cool, free air on my face after being stuck in a stuffy church for Christmas Eve mass.
Putting up the lights on the house with Dad. Every third light was out. Every fifth light was a blinker.
Did I mention Seven-layer-bars!!!
Having the whole MacLean/Leonard/Haydukovitch clan over for Christmas dinner.
Proposing to my wife in the soft glow of the Christmas tree.

So Murderati readers, what are your favorite Christmas memories?

I’d like to wish happy holidays to Pari, Louise, Paul, Elaine, Simon, Alex, J.T. and to all the other great writers I’ve met this past year.

Thanks Aren’t Enough…

A big Thank You to Graham Powell, for all the incredible work you do with CrimeSpot.

We appreciate your dedication and support. Happy Holidays!

——————–

And from the terrible news department, Flashing In The Gutters, the coolest site on the web, has shut its esteemed doors.

On behalf on myself and all the flashers here at Murderati, let me extend another huge THANK YOU to my buddy Tribe, for giving me a chance to share my dreams and nightmares. You taught me what short fiction was meant to be, and I’ll be forever grateful.

We’re gonna miss ya!

All best,
Murderati

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

JT Ellison

I have a new nickname around the house. Crank. Miss Crankypants, to be exact.

I have better words for it, considering the season. Grinch. Scrooge. Bah-Humbug.

Yes, that’s right. I am NOT in the Christmas spirit. I haven’t seen Rudolph, Charlie Brown or any of my other staples. I’ve barely done any shopping. Hubby had to practically force me to put up the tree, which after half an hour became the "Less is More" tree and is missing an entire bag of tiny ornaments, just because I couldn’t face dealing with them.

What is wrong with me??? Could it be the specter of 2007 roaming around my house like a pre-Christmas dinner Roast Beast?

I finally had a moment putting together the Christmas cards. Every year we send out a ton of cards to folks far and near. Up until three years ago, we always included a letter. Lately, people have complained that they aren’t getting the letter updating them on the nothingness that’s happening in our lives during the year. We don’t have kids, haven’t bought a new car, haven’t been the recipients of a lottery check, haven’t survived a tragedy. Things have been rather nominal in the Ellison household of late. And if there’s nothing to say, I’m not going to send a letter — Dear friends and family — NOTHING EXCITING HAPPENED THIS YEAR.

But this year it’s all different. We have tons to share. Self-serving, obviously, but a lot of news. Hubby has a new job since the last letter, I have the book coming out, all that is fodder for the ubiquitous yearly correspondence. At last — we have news.

So I put together the letter. Updated the address database. Printed out the labels, which is a new thing for me. I usually handwrite, but the list has gotten a little long, and I copped out. Printed the return labels. Printed the letter. Bought the cards. Set up in the dining room where I could spread out my happy little stacks and work the system — write personal note in card, fold letter, insert letter into card, insert card in envelope, lick envelope and seal, stick on address label. Seemed like a perfect setup.

Until I opened the box of cards. Boxes, I should say. And realized I was a complete idiot. I try to buy the boxes that have two greetings, one Merry Christmas, one Season’s Greetings. That way I can send cards to everyone and not offend anyone. The boxes I bought this year had 2 messages alright. They were just disbursed among 15 different designs. 2 cards of each design. 4 boxes. Which meant I had to break open all the boxes and separate the cards into stacks, matching the designs from box to box. Grrr….

Okay, this is doable. I start breaking everything into their individual piles. There’s only one problem. Half of the cards are covered in some sort of fine, industrial grade glitter. Whomever decided that glitter on a Christmas card was a good idea should be taken behind the woodshed and summarily shot.

So here I am, stacks of cards abounding, each with designs that range from lovely to cheesy, and the cat decides to join the party. I’m covered head to toe in glitter, there’s no more fizz in my Diet Coke, I have a crick in my back, and the cat comes and lays smack dab on the piles. I nudge her off; she just slides down the table a few inches. I give her a push accompanied by a semi-curse (because who can swear at a cat who wants to share Christmas joy with her mother?) and she took shelter under the table runner. That’s when I decided I needed to A) take pictures and B) blog the hell out of this story.

Cat out of the way and pictures taken, I settled in and made some progress. I had about twenty cards complete when I realized… I was having a good time. Yes, there were a million designs. Which meant I was picking the cards individually for the recipient. Oh, they have kids, they’ll like the glittery Santa Claus. Oh, she likes animals, I’ll do the Snowman surrounded by bunnies. I want to impress so and so, I’ll send the elegant ornaments. On and on I went, decimating my stack, signing and folding and licking, until I finally, finally felt the spirit of Christmas.

People say be careful what you wish for. 2007 will bring many changes to my life. I just finished book 2 this week. I have a proposal due for book 3 on January 1. Killer Year is humming along. Murderati is populated with the coolest writers on the planet. But I’m going to try and forget about that for now, and live in this moment. Treasure this Christmas, my family, my friends. Stop being such a grinch. Remember that there are people in this world who have a lot less that I do, and be thankful that I have this life.

And be thankful for all of you, who help make this happen. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

This doesn’t mean I’m completely abandoning my grinchiness. Just watch this… (not with the kids around, though!)

Wine of the Week — Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon S2 McLaren Vale

A Method To The Madness

The more I read with a writer’s eye the more I see things from a writer’s perspective. I was on a panel a few years back and an audience member asked what kind of writers we were. Struggling was the first thing that sprung to my mind, but that wasn’t the answer the questioner was looking for. At the time I was just writing. As soon as story idea struck, I wrote it. I never felt that I had an agenda or a platform to perch my work upon. But when I examined my stories, I saw a common theme running through them all. Predicaments seemed to play a central role in my stories. Usually an unsuspecting person, an average Joe by every definition, is put on the spot. A situation arises that my protagonist can’t walk away. The reason they are there is usually their own fault. Sometimes it falls into the no good deed variety, but usually, the story’s hero has done something to get them ensnared. A tryst. An indiscretion. A little white with a black edge. A past mistake. These factors are subject to Newtonian psychics. For every action there’s an equal and opposition reaction. It doesn’t matter how minor the mistake my characters have committed, there’s a price to be paid. Things come back to trip my protagonists up. This means my heroes are starting off on the back foot. They are struggling with desperate times where failure means the destruction of their comfortable way of life. So my stories are told from a nightmarish stance. My protagonists are desperate when the reader meets them.

Where do these characters come from? Why have I chosen storylines like this? I think it’s because I can identify with these people. I live a pretty ordinary life, but I can see how fine a line I walk. One bad decision and my life could change forever. There have been several instances in my life where something I’ve done has come back to bite me. Some instances have been caused by some very innocuous actions. So when my what-if synapses kick in, it usually centers on a minor action that will snowball into something large. My short novel, The Fall Guy, demonstrates this. A guy gets involved in a fender bender, does a runner and ends up indebted to organized crime. Life has a funny way of turning mean when you’ve done something wrong. Ask Michael Richards.

I see other writers express themselves in similar ways. I love Ruth Rendell when she writes under her Barbara Vane pseudonym. Guilt raises its ugly head in virtually all of her Vane novels. For those that have read her, just look at A Fatal Inversion, Gallowglass, The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy, No Night Is Too Long and The Brimstone Wedding, to name a few. The characters have done something wholly terrible and they want it kept quiet, but no matter how depth the truth is buried, it finds a way of rising to the surface. At times, it’s hard to like these people but I can empathize with them. Luck sometimes keeps us from falling down a crevice of bad decision-making. I’ve noticed that Peter Straub often deals with a past injustice that only come to light generations later. When I notice a common thread, I wonder what the root cause is for the theme. What’s the source of the muse that created all these great books? What locked boxes do these authors have? Maybe none. Maybe I’m transferring too much of myself into the situation and reading things that aren’t there. But I hope not. 🙂

The reason for this blog is Lee Child. I’m reading Killing Floor at the moment. Child’s hero is rough, tough Jack Reacher. He kicks butts and takes names. He’s a force to be reckoned with. Bad guys watch out, Jack’s in town. My leading characters aren’t like this. None of my characters come from a comfortable place. They aren’t masters of the situation. They’re vulnerable and it shows. But that’s because I’m a not a very self-confident or self-assured person. After reading page after page of Jack’s kickassedness, I thought, wouldn’t it be neat to write a character like this—mad, bad and dangerous to know. Although I enjoy writing about vulnerable protagonists, I’m wondering if I should break my own mold now and again. I hanker to write about a tough guy with a bulletproof personality. As they say, a change is as good as an arrest.

Merry Christmas to one and all,
Simon Wood

Crime Writers Discuss the Death of the Mystery Series

“You’ve got to start out with a hit, right off the bat."

An agent told me this once after reading part of a novel I’d written. The book, he said, showed promise but wasn’t big enough in scope to snag a major publisher. Being a fan of Ugly Town Books and Point Blank Press, I asked him what were the novel’s chances at one of the smaller houses. He dismissed the idea.

“Years ago, you could slowly build an audience,” he said. “But these days you have to start out with a hit.” He went on to say if your first novel only manages meager sales, it’s unlikely the bigger houses will take a chance on you.

This is not what I wanted to hear. I’ve always had a deep admiration for small press authors, those who write not for the money or acknowledgement but for the sheer love of writing. And truth be told, I’d harbored the romantic dream of becoming a hard-boiled novelist who languished in obscurity, yet created an underground cult of rabid fans. Then, only after growing bitter and despondent at the literary world, turning to the sweet, sweet bliss of alcoholic darkness, would my work find a much wider audience. (Hey, we’ve all gotta have that distant star to stretch for).

As disappointed as I was by the agent’s remarks, I wondered if they had a ring of truth to them. Sure, there have been those who’ve made their mark in a small press then gone on to bigger publishing companies. But how often does it happen? And when it does happen, is the event the exception that proves the rule?

My goal is to someday make a living as a writer. I want to enjoy the work I do, (what’s the point otherwise) but at the same time, I want to reach the biggest audience possible. I know to achieve this goal I must believe in myself and have dogged persistence. I also know I must be flexible in my notions of success. Being a writer isn’t an easy road, and having a publishing company (big or small) take a chance on you should be considered an honor.

I’m an infant in this industry—maybe even an embryo considering I don’t have my name on a cover yet. As such, I have more questions than answers. And today I have one for you.

Is there a stigma associated with being a small press author, one that closes the door to the bigger publishing companies?

ON THE BUBBLE – PERSONS OF INTEREST

It’s gonna be a good interview day today. I can feel it in my bones. I know I’m getting closer every minute to solving this case. I can see that ‘ole light at the end of the tunnel – and I’ve got a pot of fresh coffee and a box of lucky doughnuts at my elbow (three apple fritters and three plain). That’s always a good sign. Yeah, this group will break things open for me. I’m employing my secret weapon -I’ve got second sight – did you know that? Hey, they don’t call me Evil for nuttin’.

SCENE OF THE CRIME: ON THE BUBBLE – DAY FOUR – 2006

THE CRIMES: Writing some of the best damn fiction out there.

THE SUSPECTS:

IAN RANKIN http://www.ianrankin.net

One does not introduce Ian Rankin. His name says it all.

Well, I could tell you that he’s wonderfully witty, charming and erudite – but you know that. I could also mention that he’s broodingly handsome – and that his dangerously mysterious eyes just drive me nuts (yes, even old broads like me can still feel the heat in eyes like his) – but you know all of that too. So before I melt away – here are a few things we chatted about last July.

EE: We’ve all got a bad habit or two, what are yours?

IR: I have plenty of bad habits. I am an irascible drunk. I bite my fingernails. I listen to progressive rock. My diet is a distaste – I am a chocolate junkie.

Ohhhh…my kinda guy…wish we lived closer.

EE: Is it true ‘The Belles of St. Trinian’s’ with Alastair Sim is your favorite movie? Or, is it really ‘Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla?

IR: My favorite movies include: ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Godfather’, ‘The Big Chill’, ‘Clerks’, ‘Gregory’s Girl’…I do like those St. Trinian films though…all of those skirts and stockings…are those films still legal?

Goodfellas? The Godfather? Oh, yes – you are truly a man after my own heart. Sorry to say – the St. Trinian films have been banned now, but-uh-I know a guy who can get them for you. 🙂

LOUISE URE http://www.louiseure.com

I adore Louise -but damn, it’s just not fair to be this talented. Her prose is entrancing – and her imagery of Arizona is so exacting you can feel the blistering heat bounce off the page. Oh, here’s more to feel under accomplished when you’re around this gal – she speaks seven languages, races Shelby’s and has a pilot license. But don’t hold this against her -she has her good points. Hell, she’d have to to put up with me.

EE: Since I’ve let the cat out of the bag about your flying skills – how about explaining why Pari hired you to take her over the desert in New Mexico? Was it to check out those new circles allegedly made by UFO’s?

LU: Oh, I’m not trying to hide the pilot part; I’ve been flying for about thirty years now. But I have few takers for passengers these days, ever since I ran out of gas and had to land on 1-10 near Picacho Peak. And then there was the time I forgot to tighten the lug nuts on the engine cowling. I think Pari was very brave to have asked for that New Mexico flight.

Brave? I’ll say she was brave! Bet she won’t go up again with you after reading this!

EE: Driving race cars is – well – a pretty tough hobby. How hard has it been for you to show up all those macho race car divers when you take to the speedway in your 1966 Shelby 350 GT? I mean, they must really have a few testosterone fits.

LU: At first, they were a little unnerved when I suggested we repaint the car from it’s original black and gold to match my new driver’s suit. They finally came around when I offered to file my fingernails into the shape of Phillip head and regular screwdriver shapes to help with their repairs.

You did what?? Oh, how utterly brilliant of you!

SARAH WEINMAN http://www.sarahweinman.com

Sarah’s Confessions of An Idiosyncratic Mind is a one-stop snoop for what’s going on in BookBizVille. Razor sharp observations, delectable books featured and an international readership.

EE: Word around Manhattan is that you turned down a dinner date with Mel Brooks to discuss the intricacies of short story writing. This can’t be true, can it?

SW: He wanted to go to Elaine’s. I wanted to go to Michael’s. We had to agree to disagree, unfortunately.

Well, hell – I don’t blame you. Too bad Mel didn’t know Michael’s was THE place for the literati. But then, what do movie people know, huh? Listen chickie – you’re better off without him.

EE: Whispers are rampant that a certain hunky new writer is sending you roses and chocolates so he can become a Cabana boy. What say you about that?

SW: Rose, yes. Chocolates, no. I can be bribed, people, so please, make it chocolate, preferably 70% dark and up.

Hey guys? Are you listening out there? Forget Godiva, okay? zChocolate.com is the place to go. Try that nifty mahogany box from Pascal Caffet. It’s a bargain at $171.40. What price to be immortalized as a Cabana Boy?

RAYMOND BENSON http://www.raymondbenson.com

aka JAMES BOND. And he’s dressed for the role. Imagine wearing a tux all the way through the many (Nine!-six original and three movie novelizations!) James Bond books under his belt. Er, cummerbund. But there is much more to Raymond’s writing career than Bond – and it would take an hour just to type his credits. His new book – SWEETIE’S DIAMONDS is living proof there is life after 007!

EE: So, Raymond – I imagine having to don a tux while writing those Bond books became annoying after a time. I’ll bet your neighbors did a double-take when you took out the garbage.

RB: Ha! Most of the time I write wearing only underwear or (gasp) less. That’s the luxury of working out of one’s home. My commute from the bedroom is ten feet. I must admit, though, that when I do interviews like this, I dress a bit more formally. I have on a white shirt, but no pants.

Ahem. I do hope the shirt is at least buttoned.

EE: Is it really true you were bored to tears while doing research for your latest – SWEETIE’S DIAMONDS? Gosh, I’d think checking out the adult porn industry would have been rather exciting, er…illuminating.

RB: Research? Who needed research? Seriously, folks, I do take pride in the amount of research I do for all of my books. For Bond, I had to get the weaponry and technical and British-ness right. For TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL, I had to get the military jargon right. For SWEETIE’S DIAMONDS I had to…you know.

Uh, yes – well – uh, we’ll just have to use our imagination I suppose.

P. J. PARRISH http://www.pjparrish.com

Double trouble! And don’t laugh – these two sisters: Kris & Kelly are so full of life and mischief-they’re addictive. Mega-nominated for their great Louis Kincaid series-they are never still – always on the move – deeply involved in the mystery community-and always ready to help a newbie. And their latest – AN UNQUIET GRAVE – is -naturally – superb!

EE: Here’s a chance to squash a rumor – word is – Louis Kincaid is a real person under the witness protection program and he feeds you two all of his real life stories.

PP: Damn, another truth exposed. Louis is really Kelly’s four husband Karry, and an old white dude who was a delivery guy with UPS until his looks went and he caught on with FedEx as a lost package tracer. He lives in a double-wide near the Memphis airport and emails Kelly about his adventures. "Larry is currently at work on his own novel, "The UPS Man Always Comes Twice." Larry says it’s a thriller, but Kelly says it’s strictly fantasy.

Aha! Finally! I’ve got some spy’s who are on the ball! But gosh, the poor guy is delusional, huh? Good thing Kelly dumped him.

EE: My best spy tells me that both of you have been approached by the producers of "Housewives" to be regulars next season. – and you’ll be portraying your real life roles as best selling authors. Are your husbands good with this?

PP: You know, Lee Goldberg got us a reading but we were rejected for not being desperate enough. Or maybe it had to do with how we looked in the stilettos and thongs.

My insider source tells me it wasn’t the stilettos or thongs – it was because your parts were on the table to be expanded as co-leads and it caused a major hissy fit. Expect a call any day now…but you didn’t hear this from me, okay?

Okay,okay – so I didn’t break the case today. I’ve still got five more to go after this crazy bunch. So my lucky doughnuts didn’t work. It happens. But hey – I’m an old pro, remember? I always get my man or woman…or whatever. But these nuts today? Whew. A Scottie who bites his nails and whose diet is a shambles? A lady race car driver who flys a plane and runs out of gas? What about the dame who wouldn’t break bread at Elaine’s and has Cabana Boys? And how about those two sisters who wear stilettos and thongs? And then I get a guy who thinks he’s James Bond! I tell you – some of these people are two paragraphs short of a full page. But never fear – I’m on to them and their games. And I know I’m getting closer and closer. We’ll see who has the last laugh. I’ll have this case broken on December 27th if it’s the last thing I do.

I’m taking off next week to see my therapist…it’s not headaches this time – it’s the eye twitching this group has reawakened. But stop by anyway. Naomi Hirahara will be dropping in.

Until December 27th – MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HANUKKAH!