ARound and Around
- motownmysteries
- 7 days ago
- 13 min read
Here we go again!
Summer is supposed to be a time to kick back and relax. The clock is should just slow down. The days have more sunshine. The nights are cooler, but still enjoyable. There should be trips to the beach, the amusement parks and carnivals. Visits to the farms to pick blueberries and peaches and so much more!
But this summer seems to be flying by, with plenty of things still to do. Somehow free time has become even more elusive than ever. But we all try to make the most of it.
Time for the latest on writing, a sneak peek at one of the books, an update on events and my latest project, an interview with author Ylva Bunch and music.
Ready?
Let's go!
Writing
Like many authors, I'm an avid reader. Mysteries and thrillers are my favorites, but I'm often drawn to a great fantasy story as well. I've also read a fair share of courtroom dramas, thanks to John Grisham, Michael Connelly and Scott Turow.
Recently, a good friend sent me a book they recommended. I started reading and was slowly being drawn into the story. Until two obvious errors jumped off the page at me.
This particular book was traditionally published. So I expected a thorough job of editing with close attention to detail. There were probably multiple people reading the story, offering suggestions and giving feedback on what worked and what didn't.
But these two significant errors somehow made it past everybody. And these made me pause reading the book.
The errors: a preliminary hearing was being held almost six months after a suspect had been arrested and was being charged with murder. The prosecutor and the defense attorney made opening statements in front of the jury.
According to the U.S. Attorney's website, a preliminary hearing must take place within 14 days of the defendant's first court appearance. 14 days. Not six months.
This type of hearing does allow for witnesses to testify and evidence can be introduce.
But there is no jury present!
Which immediately brought Lee Child's famous character to mind.
One of my favorite lines from Reacher is "Details matter." He uses that with some frequency, especially in the investigation aspect.
That applies to writing as well. I'm a stickler for details in every one of my stories. Granted, I may miss something or give inaccurate information on occasion. It may be a little thing. But details matter. This is also something I encourage the people who attend the writing workshop sponsored by the local library to keep in mind. So I do a lot of research for my stories. One of my projects is historical fiction, set in metro Detroit during 1992.
Libraries are great sources of information. Of course, the internet can be extremely helpful, with anything from popular Detroit restaurants back in the day to the Detroit Tigers record for that summer. But with an internet search, you should confirm the accuracy of the information with a reputable source. As Ronald Reagan used to say:
A good writer has a job to do. They need to create a strong story, perhaps filled with twists and turns, good versus evil. There should be people the readers can cheer for and ones they despise. The story can be a form of entertainment. Or it can be educational. Sometimes, it's a little bit of both.
No matter what you're writing or who your target audience, keep in mind that Details Matter!
The Podcast
I recently joined Julie Navickas on her podcast, Just Write Julie--- a show where writing meets strategy and creativity meets clarity.
In this episode, we talked about building lasting reader relationships through in-person events, including:
How to create a memorable book pitch that captures a reader's attention.
Why communication and conversation remain an author's most powerful marketing tools.
How to choose the right festivals and create an event experience readers won't forget.
If you're interested in the writing life and the business behind it, you can listen to our conversation at any of the links below.
The Sneak Peek
Vanishing Act is this month's feature. It's set in the winter and is the second book in the Jamie Richmond series. The concept: If your best friend disappeared, what would you do?
In this scene Linda has been targeted by a stalker.
Talking quietly, trudging through the clumps of snow and ice, neither one of us heard him at first.
“It’s getting to the point where I just want to stay home,” she said quietly.
“You can’t hide, Linda. If you become a prisoner in your own home, then he wins. And you are much too strong a person to let that happen.”
She gave me a wan smile. “I know, it’s just…”
“Hey!” a gruff voice snapped at us from only a couple of feet away.
Linda let out a shriek of surprise. She lost her footing on the ice and crashed to the pavement. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a blocky shape, hidden in the shadows beyond the reach of the overhead lights, gliding close to the back end of a parked car. He took a menacing step forward, one hand clutching something tightly and extending it towards us.
“Run!” I screamed at Linda for all I was worth.
“Hey,” he snapped again, still reaching for us.
I took a step toward him and planted my left foot on one of the few dry patches of pavement. Then I swung my right foot as hard as I could, as if I was about to nail a fifty-yard field goal to win the Super Bowl. Without realizing it, I braced for the impact. To this day, I’d swear I was aiming for his crotch. But I missed.
Maybe the pavement wasn’t dry after all. Or maybe suddenly shifting my weight to make that kick caused me to lose my balance. Or maybe subconsciously I couldn’t really kick a guy in the balls. Or maybe he sensed what was happening and took a step back. I’ll never really know.
In my peripheral vision, I could see Linda scrambling to her feet, already racing toward her car, clicking the remote control to unlock the doors. My leg continued its arc and just before making contact, my left foot shot out from underneath me.
My right foot slammed into the bulky guy. I caught him square in the chest. With my body going horizontal, it must have looked like some kind of ninja move. Whatever it was, it was enough to take him off his feet. He went down with a thud. I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like his head bounced off the pavement.
I landed on my side and scrambled immediately to my feet. I was crouched in a fighting stance, anger and adrenalin churning in my gut. The guy let out a low groan. He made no move to get up.
Suddenly lights flared around us. Linda managed to start her car and pull it into the aisle. She lay on the horn, a long deep-throated wail that cut through the night. A few people who had been moving across the parking lot came running over.
Illuminated by the headlights, I looked down at the attacker. He was an older man. His left hand was pressed against his chest, roughly in the spot in which I’d kicked him. Slowly he raised his right hand in my direction as our eyes locked. His voice made a throaty rasping noise as he spoke.
“She dropped her glove.”
***
Malone was not happy. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know. I’d stepped over some kind of line.
“Jamie, I told you I’d take care of this. You can’t be taking matters into your own hands.” His voice was tense. There was none of the tenderness, the humor or the calm that I usually associated with Malone.
“But I can’t leave it alone. We’re talking about my best friend.”
“I know who we’re talking about! But you can’t go running around like some renegade in a movie, trying to see that justice is done. This whole thing could have blown up in your face.”
“But I…”
“No buts, Jamie.” He leaned forward, looming over me. “You put an innocent old man in the hospital, attacking him like that.”
“But Malone…”
He threw up his hands in disgust. “You just don’t get it! You have this notion that you’re right and to hell with everyone else.” I couldn’t remember Malone ever swearing before.
“I’m sorry, Malone.” My voice was little more than a whisper.
“Sorry might not be enough, Jamie. You could have killed that guy. And what if he’d really been after Linda? What if he was armed? Instead of just getting in your car, and calling for help, you could have been putting yourself in harm’s way.”
It was hours after the incident, yet he was still pissed. I leaned against the desk in the small office he shared with the other duty sergeants, waiting for my punishment.
“Is he still in the hospital?” Malone asked quietly.
I nodded. “It’s just a precaution. Apparently he has a history of heart problems. I swear to God, Malone, I really thought he was the guy who has been stalking Linda.”
Malone came over and leaned against the desk beside me. “So when a stranger approaches, your first reaction is to kick the guy in the chest?”
“Actually, I was aiming lower, but I slipped on the ice. I really am sorry, Malone. I told the hospital that I’ll pay for whatever charges there are for the poor guy.”
“What happened to the precautions I told you both to take? Staying together, being observant of your surroundings, understanding that it’s all right to call for help. What about all that?”
I kept my eyes on the floor. There was no way I could look at him. It was all I could do to shrug my shoulders.
“No more heroic moves, Jamie. I’ll get you each a canister of pepper spray. But until this thing is settled, I expect you to behave. And keep your cell phone in your hand.”
“I promise to never kick you like that.”
Work in Progress
There are occasions where I'm not able to grab the computer and write. But the ideas for scenes keep coming as I consider new angles and subplots to include in the story. Then when I am able to sit down and get back to actually writing, it can be magical.
It's almost as if Chene and the characters from the book have been gathered around a bar, drinks in hand, everyone looking a little anxious, a little uncomfortable. Then they all start talking at once.
"Where you been?" Chene asks.
"Bout damn time y'all got back to work," Pappy Cantrell mutters.
"We've been waiting," Kozlowski scowls.
And that's when the magic really kicks in. Dialogue between my players, actions and interactions all fall into place. Yes, these are all fictional characters. But to me they are as real as I am. Which can make the story realistic.
I've passed 40,000 words yesterday on the first draft. That's halfway to my target. My goal is to finish the first draft by the end of September. We'll have to see how that goes.
Events
There's no slowing down in September.
Allegan Book Festival
Riverfront Plaza
Saturday, September 5
11 to 5
Wine & Harvest Festival
Arts & Craft Fair
Paw Paw, MI
Saturday, September 12 Sunday, September 13
9 to 5 9 to 4
Muddy Maumee Book & Art Festival
Toledo, OH
Saturday, September 19 Sunday, September 20
10 to 6 10 to 5
The Crooked Nook
Backyard Bookfest
Kalamazoo, MI
September 26
12 to 5
Author Profile
It's always interesting to meet other authors. Back in April, the Portage District Library hosted an event with twenty authors who wrote in a number of genres.
That's where I met Ylva Bunch. While we didn't have the opportunity to talk for long, I thought she would be a good candidate to share the spotlight.
Everyone takes a different path to becoming a published author. What was your journey like?
Like many authors, I began writing at a very young age and always knew I wanted to create stories of my own. I worked on my first book & drew up the trilogy—Queensdaughter—for many years and began querying agents to seek publication around my college years. After about a year or two of working towards gaining traditional publishing, and after doing a lot of research about the path, I decided that pursuing an independent route was what I needed for this series. That was right around March/April 2020, and the COVID lockdown gave me the perfect opportunity to really sit with Queensdaughter and get it ready to send out into the world.
Publishing independently is a lot of hard work, but I’ve found it incredibly rewarding! I’ve been able to work at my own pace and have the book be exactly what I want it to, and I’m really excited to put the rest of the series out into the world. Because of this, I’ve also been able to hire close friends to help me out with the cover art and maps, which I am so grateful for—lots of poster and sticker ideas are in the works!
I also have a couple of other stories that I’m looking forward to working on, and I might try traditional publishing with one of those someday; but for now, I’m happy enough to be my own boss!
Are there any requirements you need when you’re working on a story?
Ambience is forever my number 1! So much of my work is inspired by the world around me, and I must always have a window looking outside and low lighting. My workspaces are decorated to reflect the world I’m writing in so I can really dive deep into it. There’s always a soundtrack playlist on in the background too.
Do you prepare an outline before you start writing a story?
Yes! If I’m starting in a fresh world with new characters, I usually find that the characters and world come to me first, and the plot comes last. I begin with in-depth notes on the setting and the people within it and then work on the plot.
I remember hearing when I was younger that there are three types of writers: the architect (who takes very detailed specific notes), the gardener (who takes more broad notes but lets the story organically grow), and the alligator wrestler (who takes no notes but forces the plot to bend to their will). I found that the gardener fits me best even if my outline is very detailed, I find that the plot and my characters twist and curve in areas and I have to adjust accordingly. But that’s part of the fun—seeing where the story takes you! Sometimes a seed sprouts where you least expect it.
Tell us about your latest book.
My next book—my second ever book—is called Stone and Leaf, the second in the Queensdaughter Trilogy! It’s coming out this August, and here is the back cover detail
Navette Queensdaughter has made her way to the capital of Varyn, battled creatures from her darkest nightmares, and survived until dawn—and now, she must contend with the shadows inside of herself, and seek a cure before they claim her for their own.
With Gwynnestri and Ivy by her side, Navette travels to the Heartlands, the mysterious and lush center of Varyn to seek a cure. But what they find within the stones and the leaves of the hidden realm may prove to be more than they ever imagined.
As their winding paths bring them deeper into the heart of Varyn than they could have dreamed, they must face the shadows that threaten their futures…and reignite their past.
Here’s an excerpt.
The water of the spring flowed cool around Navette’s bare skin as the morning light drifted through the boughs of the oaks around her. A small waterfall rolled off to her left and flowed into the spring, offering a meditative trickle to the backdrop of the forest before the water overflowed and pushed off through a smaller creek to her right.
Navette looked up to the leaves and sighed. She could have been in Osala for all she knew, but too much time had passed since those days of ease. Too much had already happened—the scars across her ribs, stomach, and arm reminded her of that fact every time she caught her own reflection. Even the shades of green above and around her were different—deeper, more widely varied, more webbed with life. Osala felt like an entire lifetime ago, and even her very flesh and bones now felt re-forged from the fires of Varyn’s heart.
Maybe it really was a lifetime ago. Everything goes on, if I am ready or not. The sun will still rise and set without my asking. Every summer is a different sort of green, and every forest is a different life. This one is no exception. Even if I miss the old ones.
Dewdrops glistened on the blades of grass and fallen leaves, waiting to be harvested by the faeries and spun into honey. The Heartlands carried on around Navette in the dawn’s splendor, a world seemingly an eternity away from the rest of Varyn, and now, somehow, so impossibly close to her.
Navette shifted through the water, feeling the coolness flow fresh around her as it drew goosebumps to the surface of her skin. The wraps she wore beneath the water matched the color of the sunlight through the leaves, almost appearing as if she wore nothing at all. Her body still ached and threatened to collapse under her at times, as if she had truly been dug up from the dirt below, but she refused to put words to her pain and frustration. The pitying look on Gwynnestri’s face was enough guilt for her to deal with.
What’s next?
Once Stone and Leaf is published, I have a couple of other projects on my mind; book 3 of the Queensdaughter Trilogy of course, but I’m also currently detailing a prequel trilogy that takes place long, long before Queensdaughter—its going to be a lot darker, and a lot more viking-inspired.
Any upcoming events where readers can meet you and get a copy of your books?
I do a lot of craft shows around the area—I’m usually at the Kalamazoo Expo Center for every year’s Harvest Market, and I also do a lot of popup events, such as Earth Day & the Buy Local Art Fair at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. This year, I have also partnered with Crooked Nook—the pop-up adult traveling book fair—and will be at the Backyard of Kalamazoo in October with them! I try to stay busy around Kalamazoo and always have an event to look forward to.
Here are some links where you can learn more about Ylva:
MUSIC
I have been a fan of the Rolling Stones for longer than I can remember. Their songs were impactful back in the 70s and they still ring true today. This band started playing in the early sixties and they are still active today, more than six decades later!
They have won multiple Grammy awards, have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. Mainstays include Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts.
Here are my top five favorites:
Can't Always Get What You Want: https://youtu.be/ZUqSNbJuGOw?si=eWTtcST3zHlJZwXo
Jumping Jack Flash: https://youtu.be/qGd7SkdETro?si=d2gjDjAWFrO9Jnao
Sympathy For the Devil: https://youtu.be/Jwtyn-L-2gQ?si=E5Vv0aCzHTVWgrno
Can't You Hear Me Knockin': https://youtu.be/nkQ0LhcTNsY?si=ymXOJ7mmqgA4E07I
Satisfaction: https://youtu.be/C2sYxg8-PvE?si=u_-eX8FWKYDaibst
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