The Scrap Heap

Some stories write themselves.  Others are like giving birth.  They are a labor of love.  It's painful during the process, but the end result is beautiful.  Still others are worse than a trip to the dentist for a root canal.  That is when you sometimes come to the realization that the project you were enthralled with a few weeks ago, is ready for the scrap heap.

I have always been interested in travel, especially anything involving Europe.  I love to read books depicting settings in far away places and enjoy blogs along those lines as well.  It's funny considering I was in college before I actually left the tri-state area and flew on an airplane.  I was married when I got a passport and ventured out of the country.  My husband and I spent ten days in London and Paris.  It boggles my mind to this day that I was that close to Ireland and still didn't make it.

Last summer after reading a travel related blog, I got a great idea for a new manuscript.  I even came up with the title, TRAVELS AND TRIBULATIONS.  Now since the plot that I had in mind was way outside of my comfort zone, I knew that I needed to do some research.  I conducted some interviews with travel bloggers, people who worked in the industry, friends who have been abroad, and did a lot of reading on European destinations.  With my middle one entering school full-time, I was all set to get to work when September rolled around.

However, when I sat down to begin, the writing stalled worse than a traffic jam on the Garden State Parkway during a summertime Friday.  No matter how hard I tried, the words just would not flow.  I worried that I had lost it.  In desperation, I shelved it for a few weeks and went back to give SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH another once over. 

When I returned to it and I was still blocked, I begrudgingly had to admit I had bitten off more than I could chew and put it away permanently.  I hated to do it because I put so much time and effort into the research, but the simple fact was the idea didn't work.  It wasn't a total loss though because this was where my new character, Rainer Donovan came from.  She didn't work in TRAVELS AND TRIBULATIONS, but she came into her own in HOLMES AND HANDCUFFS. 

I know there is a novel in Rainer yet.  I just haven't found the right venue for her, but I will.  The moral here is that not every idea you have is going to turn into a hot page-turner.  Some do, but many do not.  Don't hit the delete button.  The research I did may come in handy on another story or perhaps a free-lance article.  You never know and that is one of the joys of writing.  There's always another blank page and the thrill of it is that you never know quite where that journey is going to take you.  So enjoy the ride.

The Name Game

Naming a character is like naming one of your children.  You want to choose carefully and pick something that will make an impression.  However, there is a fine line between unique and just plain bizarre.  My sympathies go out to the Apples and Blues of the world.  At least a book character does not have to endure a lifetime of snickering and eye rolls after an introduction.

When I was pregnant last year, I was on the lookout for names.  I wanted something different, but not completely off the wall, with an Irish flavor.  I found myself checking pretty much everything that had a name written on it.  My quest netted me quite a list, not just for our new addition, but for future characters as well.  It was how my new protagonist, Rainer Donovan, was born.

My husband, of course, hated every name I came up with. His claim was that he had the choice for the third one since the first two were my pick.  Nice thought, but for everything women go through to give birth, they really should have the final say.  Jokingly, he made reference to the surname of an infamous hockey player.  The older ones loved it and after a little research, I found it was actually an English name.  We ended up pairing it with a classic and I got my wish.  Something pretty with an unusual flair.

Generally, I find choosing the first name of a character much easier than the last.  I always keep my ears and eyes open for a good one and file it away in a notebook I keep.  In a pinch, you can let your fingers do the walking through a phone book until those become completely obsolete.

A classmate from an online writing class once pointed out to me that I shouldn't have named two characters in my story Michael and Mark.  His feeling was that you should not have characters with the same beginning letter because it is too similar and can be confusing to the reader.  I don't know if that is necessarily true, but it can be something to be mindful of.

Whatever moniker you decide on, be sure to stay with it throughout the manuscript.  You don't want Claire to turn into Clarice by Chapter ten.

A Cast of Characters

I don't know if it is all writers or just me, but I am definitely an observer of human nature.  Perhaps it is my shyness coming into play again, but I have always been more comfortable sitting back and taking things in than diving in.  However, it is a personality trait which I find comes in quite handy when creating characters and let's face it, who hasn't indulged in a little people watching.  Everyone does it.  It's why many tune into watch the red carpet for the Academy Awards and then turn it off.  The best part is seeing what people are wearing.

Bringing a character to life is an integral part of any novel.  Reading a great novel is like taking a journey.  You want to grab your readers and keep them hooked and in order to do that a writer needs two things, a intriguing plot and compelling characters.  One of my favorite professors in college once said that to be a good writer, you need to experience life.  I think that is true to a certain extent.  If you want your readers to truly experience what if feels like to take a walk along the Jersey Shore, it helps if you have actually done it yourself.

That is one of the reasons I have never set one of my stories in Ireland.  I love Ireland with its beautiful landscapes, culture, and mystery.  Yet, I have never written about it.  The idea intimidates me because I am not sure I can grasp the essence since I have not been there.  I will someday.  Even if I am a senior citizen when I do it.

In the meantime, I will stick to settings I am comfortable with.  My time in education, vacations, and especially my adventures in youth sports have given me quite a cast to work with.  New Jersey is the home of many diverse locales.  It is one of the few states where you can find a little bit of everything from a hike in the mountains to a stroll on a sandy beach and finally to dinner and dancing in a happening city.  As the cities and towns differ, so do the people.

I live not far from where I grew up and for some reason, I never attended our town's church fair.  We always meant to go, but for one reason or another, never got there.  This year we made it and boy was I glad that I did.  The money we brought was gone in about twenty minutes since the prices were beyond outrageous.  This left the little one and I influx because the big one had gone off with his friends.  He turned to me after the ride tickets were used up and asked, "What do we do now?"

I smiled and took him over to the playground.  He had fun playing(for free I might add) and I found the perfect spot to sit back and watch.  The people enjoying the warm summer evening were as different as night and day and for a writer, a bonanza of story lines and potential characters.  On the walk home, listening to my boys talk about their adventures, my mind was whirling with ideas I couldn't wait to bring to life.  A great night was certainly had by all.



Next Up-What's in a Name?

The Write Time

As the school year draws to a close today, it presents an interesting problem for me.  With all three of my children home and the daily schedule in flux, when will I find the time to write?  I spent fifteen years teaching in the trenches and I was still able to find time to crank out two novels and a few short stories.  I was even able to take an online creative writing class as well.  Of course, I didn't have my oldest until I was near the end of my tenure as an educator.  Putting children into the equation changes everything.

Being a mom is a twenty/four seven job.  I've been a working mom and a stay-at-home mom and while both are incredibly difficult and rewarding, I have to say that the later is more challenging, especially when you are trying to incorporate work.  Perhaps it is because when you are at home, the general consensus is that you do not work.  That observation could not be farther from the truth.  I work more now than I ever did when I was in the classroom and there really isn't any down time.  I am literally always on the go.

My middle one made a comment a couple of months ago that when he was older, he wanted my job.  I said, "Oh, that's great!  You want to be a writer?"  He responded, "No, I want to stay home like you."  I bit my tongue and reminded myself several times that he was only a kindergartener.  It was only recently that I began to think of myself as a writer.  Before I always thought of myself as a teacher.  The school district where I taught forced my hand in a sense, giving me the ultimatum of returning to the classroom or resigning after I gave birth to my second child during a leave of absence.

My last principal asked me the question, "Where do I want to be school or at home?"  The answer was simple, at home which is why my husband and I decided to bite the bullet financially.  In my heart, I always knew writing was my true passion.  It just took a while for me to take the plunge.  I have done more writing in the past two months than I have in the past two years and I want to keep it going.

The predictable nature of the daily school schedule and the baby's nap time gave me a nice block of time to devote to my creative pursuits.  Summertime changes everything, but I am determined to keep my goal in sight even if it means becoming an owl because the write time is going to be the nighttime.  

The Waiting Game

Writing and waiting go hand in hand.  You carefully choose a publisher to submit your work to and then you wait, wait, and wait some more.  Most publishers give you a general idea of when to expect a response.  However, the simple truth of the matter is, it takes forever or it just seems like that.  Your manuscript is like a child in some ways.  It is a piece of yourself and when it is sent out, you want to hear from it.  How is it doing?  Does the editor like it or has it been placed on a slush pile where it will be left to starve?

This waiting game puts an author in an awkward position.  It begs the question, "What do you do in the meantime?"  The quick answer is work on another piece.  I always have ideas on the back burner.  So, when one manuscript is out, it would seem to be the perfect time to start working on a new project or editing an old one.  Submitting is in itself a full-time commitment.  It is sometimes helpful to divide the week into sections where you either work on a manuscript or concentrate on finding a home for one.  If the creative juices are stumped on a particular day, then it is probably a good idea to research publishers or send out a submission.

My problem has always been determining when is too long.  When should you contact a publisher and ask if your manuscript has a chance?  When I first started sending out MURDEROUS DESCENT, I sent it off to Avalon Books.  I was beyond thrilled to get a response in a month requesting to read the entire manuscript.  Carefully, I followed their instructions to the letter and sent back an outline, summary, and the whole book.  Then, I waited for months without a response.  I even contacted them by mail for an update after six and still heard nothing.  I kid you not when I say that a year later an envelope shows up with a rejection letter addressed to me with another person's manuscript.  When my follow-up letter went without a response, I had pretty much given up hope.  However, it was difficult to fathom that they couldn't even be bothered to return the correct manuscript.  I mean really, how hard is it?

Now, being the considerate person that I am, I contacted the author whose manuscript I had gotten using her e-mail address, explained the situation, and offered to send it to her.  I was also hoping that she had mine.  Instead, of answering me, she must have called Avalon screaming because a short time later, I got an e-mail from an editor apologizing for the confusion and asking me to send the woman her book.  Well, isn't that what I offered to do in the first place?

Eventually, I got my manuscript back and in that long time frame, I had done some more revisions on it and started submitting the book elsewhere and crossed Avalon off my list for future projects.  I know it was probably an intern who made the mistake and I'm not Mary Higgins Clark, but even the little guy deserves the courtesy of a prompt and professional response.

The First Line

THE FIRST LINE is a quarterly magazine which was founded on the premise of providing authors with an opening.  It is based on the theory that the stories are all beginning in the same manner yet take off in innumerable directions.  I first came across the publication a few years ago when I was browsing through WRITER'S MARKET.  I loved the idea because it was one which I used when teaching writing to my third grade students.  I decided to give it a try and failed.  Not that I didn't come up with a good story.  I thought it was great and eventually THE SILVER SWAN found a home in CRIME SCENE NEW JERSEY which is an anthology featuring mystery stories that are all set in the Garden State.  The editors of THE FIRST LINE just did not share my opinion which is of course their prerogative and par for the course when writing. 

The rejection stung, but I nevertheless vowed to keep submitting until I finally hit one.  I've yet to reach my goal.  However, I did come close once and appreciated the editor's comment on my rejection letter that I'd just missed.  I couldn't help but wonder what it was that kept it out of that issue.  However, I've read that you should just accept your rejection and move on.  In the end, my quest netted quite a few short stories.  Four of which found homes in other publications.  Moral?  What one editor doesn't like, another might.  Do not give up.

Eventually, I became frustrated and stopped submitting.  Recently, I decided to take up my quest.  I tell my children not to quit and it's always best to try and set a good example.  So I made a pitch for the summer issue.  The opener wasn't a great one.  "Rachel's first trip to England didn't go as planned."  However, I am a closet traveler and someday hope to backpack around Europe, even if I'm a senior citizen when I do it.  So, I gave it a shot and came up with HOLMES AND HANDCUFFS which is a mystery set in my favorite spot, Spring Lake.  It also introduces my newest protagonist, Rainer Donovan, who is a journalist who yearns to escape her life to explore the great unknown.  Instead, Rainer finds herself investigating Rachel's apparent suicide when she turns up dead on the night before her trip to England.  THE FIRST LINE didn't like it and I have since set it off to another magazine called ONE STORY which is a publication that features simply one short story.  I've yet to hear, but am hopeful.

 I've learned that there are three things that are essential to writing.  The first is of course a thick skin.  You have to shake off the rejection and move on.  The second is patience.  You submit a story and then you wait, wait, and wait some more.  The third is hope.  As with everything in life, you have to have hope.  Without that, what do you have?

The Ghosts of Cape May

Nestled on the tip of its peninsula is by far one of the Garden State's best kept secrets.  Way, way back in the day, Cape May, New Jersey was a playground for English royalty and early American politicians with its breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and quaint inns.  Today this Victorian, sea-side hamlet is the quintessential vacation spot, offering something for everyone.  It is also a mystery writer's paradise.

Cape May is rich in history dating back to before the Revolutionary War.  A Japanese ship even surrendered just off the shore near the end of World War II and the prisoners were detained nearby.  Fires have destroyed large sections of the Cape on several occasions, including a major one during the Victorian era which nearly decimated it completely.  Each time Cape May rebuilt.  All of this history and tragedy begs the question, is Cape May haunted?

Many will answer yes without hesitation.  Craig McManus and Charles Adams have filed at least three books with ghostly tales of Cape May.  Even the SciFi channel's show Ghost Hunters has visited and determined that the beautifully historic Victorian Southern Mansion is inhabited by a ghost who interestingly enough has a hair fetish.  Many who have visited the highest portion of the stately inn have reported the sensation of someone or something running fingers through their hair.

My family and I have been making an annual trek down the Parkway for a summertime respite since the oldest was three.  We've stayed in a few different places during that time and I have always wanted to write a story set here.  I'm not a horror writer because I am a self-confessed chicken.  I do not watch horror movies or read scary books, but I found it almost impossible to set a story in Cape May without adding a little paranormal because it is such a central part of the town's identity.  The locals speak about spirits casually as if everyone has one inhabiting their house.

When I first started writing WAVES OF DECEIT, I began doing some research into the a fore mentioned ghosts by reading a few books on the subject.  A process I abandoned after some sleepless nights.  My husband refuses to sleep with the light on and that really doesn't set the best example for the children.  On the one hand I'm telling them there aren't any monsters in the closet, but am afraid to turn the light off because I read a book that freaked me out.

Our family had stayed for two summers at the Harvard Apartments which is where Russell and company decided to vacation in my novel.  Unfortunately for us, the lovely place played havoc with every one's allergies and we had to look for a new place.  My husband found this one which was situated right across from the beach.  We soon found out why this highly sought after address was still available so late it the season.  It was the filthiest place I have ever seen.  If we had had the baby that summer, I would have taken her and driven home.  However, in the spirit of marital harmony, I cleaned it, refused to cook anything, and made the best of it.  We still refer to it as the 'Ant House.'  In addition to giving me a sinus infection, it also gave me my own Cape May ghostly encounter, though my husband will swear it was all in my imagination.

I never sleep well when not at home and especially with ants creeping everywhere, but our first night in the house, I couldn't fall asleep because I kept hearing doors slam.  When I complained about it the next morning, my husband's response was that we were above a hot dog shop and a store.  Of course, I was going to hear sounds.  He could not explain why I was the only one to hear them however.  The next day I did a little looking around and discovered that the hot dog shop closed at five and the clothing store did not have a back entrance.  The kids' rooms were at the front of the apartment.  Ours was at the back.  The doors underneath us would not be slamming in the middle of the night.  The next evening, after several door slams, I woke my husband.  I won't repeat what he said, but needless to say, he was annoyed and never heard a door slam.

Cape May has several ghost tours, but the original was a walking tour(it has sadly closed due to the recession).  As a part of my research, I wanted to take the tour so my niece and I embarked on the Ghosts of Cape May Tour, which took you to several parts of the town where the guide related ghostly tales.  A couple I knew from my research, but several were new.  Door slams seemed to be quite popular, especially at the Hotel Mawcomber a few blocks over.  At the end of the tour, we were walking down Jackson Street which is where we were staying.  My niece and I looked at each other when the guide stopped directly below our apartment.  She proceeded to depict how Jackson Street was the most haunted on the Cape and relayed a couple of tales.  I was tempted to raise my hand, but decided to save it for my book. 

Last summer with the baby just a couple of months old, we decided to skip a vacation, but gave in to the boys' pleadings with a couple of nights near the end of the summer.  This time I found the place which was thankfully immaculate, though I was a little concerned when my husband pulled into the narrow driveway at the back of the house.  I was ready to cry, but decided to wait until I saw the place in its entirety.  It paid off. The problem with our little stay was that my husband was called into work.  Instead of canceling, we decided that the kids and I would stay the first night without him.

I wasn't too concerned about being on my own with the two boys and a newborn until the oldest asked the innkeeper if the house was haunted to which she replied yes.  When the three of us stared at her, she added that the ghost was friendly and loved babies and didn't we have a cute one.  I can't say that made me feel a whole lot better.  I was petrified I was going to wake up in the middle of the night and see a ghost standing over the baby which is why I left every light on in the house.  So much for setting a good example for my sons.

I'm still deciding what ghostly twist my tale will take.  WAVES OF DECEIT is currently under consideration by JUKEPOP which publishes your work chapter by chapter like old-fashioned serials.  Mine will have enough hooks to keep a reader coming back.  I just hope they feel the same way.

Cape May on Dwellable

Prologue of SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH

The quick-moving thunderstorm did little to ease the thick blanket of heat and humidity which had gripped Central Jersey for what seemed like weeks.  It gave new meaning to the phrase, 'dog days of summer."  The air was almost too heavy to breathe.  Patrick McNeill felt the sweat dripping down his armpits and soaking into his t-shirt as he struggled to drag the overloaded garbage cans to the curb.  He paused for a moment at the end of the winding driveway to wipe the river of perspiration flowing from his brow and to calm his labored breathing.  It had been a long night and his recent lack of gym time was starting to catch up.  The street lamps on this side of the cul-de-sac were still out.  That along with the moonless night gave him the benefit of additional darkness.  A slight smile crossed his lips as he turned and made his way back up the drive to the suitcases which stood on the front porch.  The timing had been perfect.  Now all he had to do was wait.

***

This is just the start to a real-page turning mystery set in the Garden State.  It's hoping to find a home.

The Journey of SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH

SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH was my first novel with working-class protagonist, Russell Waverly.  The character of Russell was inspired by my then four-year-old son's fascination with the garbage truck.  Whenever he would hear the truck from the time he could walk, he would sprint to the window and watch.  When he was a pre-schooler, one of the sanitation workers would let him throw small bags into the truck which he of course loved.  Eventually, he grew out of this and the younger one never really had the love of trucks that his big brother did.  However, his acute interest in the garbage truck and our town's nearby recycling center gave me a wonderful character and an intriguing storyline as well as the opportunity to set a novel in our hometown.

Russell was a lot of fun to write and he and the other cast of characters I created embarked on a new mystery to solve in my second favorite New Jersey hot spot, Cape May.  It is called WAVES OF DECEIT.  I was about half way through it when I took a self-imposed hiatus from writing which was mostly out of frustration with the publishing process.

My first two novels were published by PublishAmerica which ended up being like self-publishing except I did not have to put up any money for the publishing costs.  Naively, I thought that I could market the print on demand books myself.  Sadly, I never had that thing you do moment.  (My favorite part in the tom Hanks movie, THAT THING YOU DO, is when the group hears their record for the first time on the radio and the excitement that ensues.)  I suppose that is what I was looking for.  The thrill of seeing my book on the shelf in a bookstore. 

Unfortunately, it never happened.  The books are available online and I did sell a few copies.  I even managed to have them featured in the "New Jersey Ink" section of the Newark Star Ledger which used to be a column that focused on NJ authors.  Due to budget cutbacks it is not a part of the paper any longer.  However, my two little mysteries got some positive press.  I even did a book signing at my Alma Mater Douglass College/Rutgers University because of the write up as well as an additional review in their alumni magazine.

I decided with SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH that I wanted a more traditional publisher.  I had also learned my lesson and when I got a couple of bites, I did research instead of jumping in head first.  One bite was from a Southern based publisher who was in the process of being sued several times over for fraud.  I said, "No, thank you" and got quite a nasty response in return.  The second was from a publisher who wanted to publish it, but wanted help subsidizing the costs.  A no-no I had read about many times over in my research.  In the end, I sat on it and shelved it.  After the birth of my daughter, I decided to dust it off, give it yet another revision, and start submitting it.

It is currently being reviewed by Bang Publishing which is a British based publisher who said they were looking for novels with series potential which is what I had in mind when I created Russell and friends.  Their website said six to eight weeks and it is almost eight weeks.  My fingers are crossed and hopefully they will see the potential, but if not.  I'll keep submitting until I do.  I keep reminding myself that THE FIRM was rejected a bunch of times and look at John Grisham now.  I don't need to see my book on the New York Times Best Sellers list though it would be nice.  I just want to see it on a bookshelf in an actual store!  Everyone should have that thing you do moment, at least once in their lives.

PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE PROLOUGE

As beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, twenty-six-year-old Rebecca Rollman grabbed the top of her chair in a vain attempt to steady herself.  A sudden wave of extreme nausea gripped her abdomen with such ferocious vigor that Rebecca doubled over to try and alleviate some of the terrible discomfort.

The classroom began to spin.  Spasms of pain exploded throughout her body.  She could feel her chest tightening with each labored breath she she struggled to inhale the much-needed oxygen.  Rebecca was vaguely aware of her second-grade students working diligently at their desks as she collapsed in a heap and closed her eyes forever.


PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE was published by PublishAmerica and is available on PublishAmerica.com and Amazon.com.

MURDEROUS DESCENT PROLOGUE

Susan Reed sat curled up on the lounge chair watching the snow fall.  It cascaded serenely down the sides of the glass enclosure which separated her from winter's cold embrace.  With her robe wrapped tightly around her and the heat steaming up from the pool, winter seemed a million miles away.  She laughingly dismissed Dylan's idea on an evening swim as ludicrous, but he quickly changed her mind with a sudden burst of warmth and exuberance that had long been absent from their relationship.  The explosion had been short-lived, however.  Here she was waiting for him, again.

Susan sighed.  Since they'd married, two and a half years ago, that was all she seemed to do.  She was forever waiting for him.  Actors.  It was one of the main resons she's asked for the divorce in the first place.  The thrill of being married to television's treasured space avenger had evaporated after about six months.  Enough was enough.  Susan was tired of being the trophy wife and yearned to be back in the spotlight on her own instead of in the shadow of the icon Dylan Reed.

Dylan had suggested the move to his native New Jersey.  He thought being away fro the lure and glitz of Hollywood would help them get their marriage back on solid ground.  Guilty about he an affair with an up and coming stud she had reluctantly agreed.  The change in scenery worked for a while, but things soon slipped back into the same old pattern. 

When the telephone rang again, Susan rose from the chair.  Judging from the tone of his voice, Susan guessed the caller to be Dylan's agent.  Romantic supper indeed!  All she's done since their candlelight supper was sit out here and wait for him.

As the snow floated down, Susan slipped the pink terrycloth robe from her slim, muscular arms.  She could feel her long blond hair cascade down her back.  A slight chill ran through her.  She walked slowly toward the pool, glancing uneasily around.  For a moment, she felt as though she was being watched.  Susan shrugged off the eerie feeling and stopped at the pool's edge.  The tall shrubs which surrounded the backyard concealed the house from curiosity seekers and photographers.  From the distance she could hear Dylan's voice bidding the caller good-bye.

Once again Susan cast a hasty look toward the door which separated the inside oasis from the rest of the stately yard.  For a moment, she thought her eye picked up a shadowy figure caught in the glow of the angelic snowfall.  Laughing quietly to herself, she dismissed the sensation as wishful thinking.  As usual she was alone.

"Oh well, his loss," she muttered out loud as she slid her naked body into the tepid water.  Finding the soothing water strangely sensual, she closed her eyes to drink in the sensation.

With a quick flip, she dove under the water and pushed off the side.  A strong swimmer, she's made it across the long pool in a few strokes.  As she felt her hand touch the side, her head came up for air only to find it forced back under the water.

Panicked, she tried to push the firm grip away.  In an instant, her head was thrust forward and smashed into the side of the pool.  As the hand let go, the crystal clear water took on a red haze around the head of thirty-five-year-old Susan Reed.

Overhead, the once peaceful snowfall took on a frenzied pace as the wind turned violent.  Its painful howl became the cry Susan Reed could no longer utter.

***

MURDEROUS DESCENT was published by PublishAmerica and is available on Amazon.com as well as
PublishAmerica.com.

Stand Alone Versus Series Mysteries

In my opinion, Mary Higgins Clark is the reigning queen of the stand alone mystery.  Her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, on the other hand began her writing career with a series featuring her private detective protagonist, Regan Reilly.  I admit to being an instant fan of Mary Higgins Clark after reading her first published endeavor, WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN.  It took me a while to warm to her daughter though.  I felt as though she was trying too hard to imitate her mother's style instead of developing her own.  That is not to say her mysteries were not enjoyable, just not as gripping as her mother's early ones. 

The stand alone mystery has its advantages.  The author introduces  a cast of characters who embark on a journey to solve a crime, right a wrong, or save a helpless victim.  Mary Higgins Clark has built a remarkable career introducing readers to a wide variety of characters who find themselves either in the middle of a murder or the target of one.  They are great fun to read, the plot is fast-moving, and the ending is always happy. 

The trouble with this is that you sometimes create a character who begs for his or her moment at center stage and this is when you know you have the makings of a great series.  Anne Perry has done an amazing job of this with her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Victorian mystery series.  THE CATER STREET HANGMAN us to Thomas who meets Charlotte when her oldest sister is the victim of a gruesome murder.  He, of course solves the crime, with her help and wins her hand in the process.  Interestingly, she leaves her aristocratic station for love to marry beneath her.  In the novels that follow, Perry takes you on a journey where in the midst of solving some intriguing crimes, you find out what happens to Charlotte, Thomas, and company.  What Perry created is a terrific hook which keeps readers coming back.  You really what to know how their lives have changed and moved forward in the next novel.  I always thought Perry could have kicked off another series with the Pitt's spunky maid Gracie.  I was happy when she married her off to one of Thomas' detectives, but would have liked to see her with her own story.

When I decided to write my own mysteries, I suppose I was looking to create a combination of the two.  You want to create a gripping story which can stand on its own but with characters who are engaging enough that your readers will want to keep coming back for more.  My first three novels(the first wasn't really fit for publication) featured Jamie Hamilton an elementary school teacher who becomes an amateur sleuth when her best friend is murdered by her husband.  Jamie a testament to my favorite television show growing up, MURDER SHE WROTE. 

In MURDEROUS DESCENT, Jamie sets out to prove a down and out sixties television star murdered his wife, much to the embarrassment of her Prosecutor husband.  PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE has her solving the murder of  a fellow teacher who dies in front of her second grade class after she is poisoned.  All the evidence points to her husband, but did he do it or was he the victim of an elaborate frame?

I wrote several short stories with Jamie and her husband at the center before deciding to let them live happily and peacefully to enjoy their baby.  I then created working-class protagonist, Russell Waverly, who is the central character of SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH.  I'm still hard at work looking for a publisher for this one and am in the middle of the next installment.

In the posts to follow, I will have the prologues to MURDEROUS DESCENT and PORTRAIT OF VENGEANCE.  I hope you will read them and decide to check out the books.  They are available on Amazon.com.

Why Mysteries?

I have always been a huge fan of the mystery genre, even as a little girl.  I probably read every Nancy Drew book my hometown of South River, New Jersey had in its library.  Eventually, I graduated to my all-time favorite Agatha Christie and you can't be a mystery buff without sampling the great adventures of Sherlocke Holmes.  For some reason, I have always been attracted to British mysteries in print and on television.  Apparently there is a name for that.  One of my former teaching co-workers told me, but the name escapes me now.  She took the British obsession a bit farther.  She came home from the UK with an English husband.  I've just found a great many wonderful books to read which originated from across the pond.

My favorite one being Anne Perry.  She is a perfect example of how writing can transport you to different places and times.  Her books are set in Victorian England and her descriptions make you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action with her characters.  I also love the history of that period which she touches on as well.  The Arts and Entertainment Network did a movie of one of Perry's early novels, THE CATER STREET HANGMAN.  The movie was fantastic and the ending was a total surprise which I love.  I hate it when you figure it out before the opening credits are done.  After seeing the movie, I got the book and even though I knew who the killer was, the ending still blew me away.  Incredible writing.  I have been a fan of her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series ever since and have devoured every single one of those stories.  I recently finished her latest installment.

I enjoy reading books from all walks of life, but mysteries remain my favorite by far.  I think it is the puzzle part.  I enjoy embarking on a journey and picking up the clues along the way to find the conclusion.  The better ones keep you on edge until the end and unfortunately sometimes you get disappointed and figure it out early on, but sometimes picking out a book is like buying fruit.  Sometimes you get the sweet one and sometimes you get disappointed.

When I decided to write my first novel, I knew there was only one genre-mystery.  I also prefer the more plot driven stories.  As much as I love Patricia Cornwell, I would often skip through a lot of the autopsy stuff to get to the story part.  So that was one thing I wanted to do with my writing.  Keep the story moving so the reader stays engaged.  I don't know if I accomplished that, but I hope so.  The few non-related to me readers I have spoken to, have told me they have enjoyed my two novels, but then who is going to go up to an author and tell them that the book was awful?



Next up:  Stand alone stories verses series

The Flow of Ideas

My first creative writing teacher in college suggested keeping a file of interesting news stories in case you ever became strapped for story ideas.  He said it would come in handy in defusing writers block.  I took him to heart, but somewhere between our townhouse and house, I misplaced the file.  It's a good thing I have yet to miss place my mind though my husband will say that I lost that a long time ago.  I still remember some of the items I cut out.  One of which led to the creation of my mystery novel, MURDEROUS DESCENT.

A famous Hollywood star, whose first wife had met an untimely death, lost his second wife.  She drowned in a backyard swimming pool.  The death was ruled accidental.  However, the writer in me thought it would make a juicy story.  So a sinister plot was born.  The opening scene has the unsuspecting wife having her head smashed against the side of the pool while a blizzard rages outside the enclosure and her husband sits crouched in their bedroom.  Did the husband have a hand in her death?  Well, you'll have to check out my book to have the answer to that one.  I hate it when someone gives away the ending.  It's available on amazon.com. 

My problem is not necessarily the flow of ideas.  It is the lack of time to put all of them down on paper or in today's tech savy world on a disk.  My mind is always active with story possible story ideas or settings and the ideas come from a wide variety of settings.  My sixteen years teaching in the public school system introduced me to a colorful class of characters who often find their way into many of my pieces as well as my time as a stay at home mom.  I cannot say that I have based any characters on one particular person.  They are more of a blend of people from my life that I have met and observed.

I can't say it's the same for all writers, but for me I have always been more of an observer.  Perhaps it is my shyness again coming to the forefront or a characteristic that helps to make a writer.  In the classroom, I always taught my students that writers observe.  It is that acute skill of observation that helps get the details in a story just right.  As a writer, it is your job to transport the reader into another world.  You want your reader to be able to smell the sea air or experience the dirt kicking up onto the legs of a runner or feel the terror of the helpless victim as she takes her last breath.  It is a skill that you develop and then continue to refine with each piece you write. 

Two ideas in particular have been begging for attention.  One came from my recent experience in the Spring Lake Five Mile Race.  I love Spring Lake as a backdrop anyway, but this race is the perfect place for a well-planned murder.  I've been carefully working out the details to this one on my morning runs.  The second came from my time spent around the hockey rink.  I bristle at the term 'hockey mom' and would never want to be identified as one.  However, I do have a terrific page-turner in mind with one at the center of the plot.  Now all I need is more time in the day to write.

Next up:  Why mysteries?

Where Writers Come From

Over the weekend, my oldest son had a poem to write and he sat for quite a long time staring at the blank page.  As a writer and a former elementary school teacher, it is often difficult for me to remain silent on the homework front, but I try.  The work is his and much to his dismay, I stay out of it as much as possible.  He would have been thrilled had I sat down and began 'helping' him compose a poem.  Instead, I pointed out to him that there are ideas all around him.  All he has to do is settle on one and run with it.  He is big into sports so those euphemisms are usually appreciated, but not when writing is the assignment which leads me to the question of whether writers are born or made?

In my case, the written word has always been easier than the spoken.  I was incredibly shy as a child and it was very difficult for me to express myself verbally.  However, give me a piece of paper and I was off and running. I also loved to read and would easily become enamored in a book, completely losing track of time.  Experience and research has shown that writing and reading go hand in hand. 

Two of my three children are quite verbal and bright.  The third is just learning to speak so we'll have to wait and see how the coin turns for her.  However, the teacher in me sees that one has the writing gene and the other does not.  They both enjoy reading, but for one it is a passion.  I have actually needed to tell him on more than one occasion that he needed to put the book away and go outside.  My husband will usually look at me and laugh, "Did you really just say that?"

Eventually, the poem got written, but not without a great deal of tween drama.  I am definitely not looking forward to the middle school years.  I know that this will certainly not be the last writing assignment he will struggle through.  He simply does not enjoy writing.  Ask him to tell a story and he will blow you away.  He can talk circles around most people.  Ask him to write that same story on a piece of paper and he will say later.  The other one, however, often composes his own stories and poems without prompting.  Interesting. 

A college professor of mine once said that there is one novel in every person just waiting to be written.  In my case, I know without a doubt that there are many.  Whether or not anyone besides me gets to read them is another blog post.  However, I am not sure that is true for everyone else.  Personally, I think that some people are just born to write.  Even when I shelved writing to concentrate on teaching, it was always there in the back of my mind calling to me.

Neither one of my parents were big readers or writers and neither one went to college.  I cannot remember one teacher encouraging my desire to write until college.  So where did mine come from?  During my years in the classroom, writing was a big part of the day.  It was my forte and what I enjoyed.  I cannot say the same for most of my students.  However, when I did come across one that had the passion, I made it a point to encourage it. 

I often wonder what happened to that little girl in my third grade class.  She was certainly familiar, shy with her nose always in a book or scribbling in a journal.  One day during free-writing, she handed in a poem that completely blew me away.  I actually stopped and took out her reading book to see if she had copied one.  She hadn't.  With her parents permission, I helped her submit the poem to a children's magazine.

When I asked her the following years if she was still writing poems, she looked down and told me her mother said writing was a waste of time and she had better things to do.  I told her she had talent and should keep writing.  I hope she listened.