Even in the Quietest Moments

From the #MyLifeIsAMusical column...

Did you know I almost titled one of my books with this song? Instead, it ended up being Mist on the Meadow. It was inspired by a moment - a deer coming out of the woods at just this time of year, its breath coming out in puffs of steam in the chilly morning air. It was a "moment of grace," when the world around me stopped so I could appreciate something beautiful. Is it just me? Or have those moments become fewer and further between?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a different type of grace. I'm proud to say the band inside me has packed up and gone home, but one of the things I've been practicing is making the world around me "quiet." This is a challenge these days, but a necessary part of my recuperation. Call it meditation if you like.

Because of the season, I've been using Christmas carols (okay, shoot me, but there are several that are quiet and reflective), and as I sit there with my eyes closed trying to quiet my mind and my body, a picture came to mind. 

Years ago, when I was dating the rock star, I'd been triggered by something (my own personal baggage that still creeps up to this day), and went for a walk alone on a dark, winter's night. I went to a place that had always brought me joy - the local tennis courts (fun fact, when I was young, my life's ambition was to become a professional tennis player). As I stood on the corner, fighting my inner demons, it began to snow. The soft, gentle flakes you see in those Hallmark movies. There's something peaceful about snow (which is why Hallmark uses it as a cliche). I turned my face to the sky and absorbed the moment of grace, and that's the moment that has been coming to me now. The silence of the snowflakes. The quiet of the world around me. I don't remember much about the rest of that night - I think I went on to the movie theater and the rock star met me there. I didn't think he would, so it was another happy moment in what started out as a tumultuous night.

I've been taking a hiatus from the writing after the release of DARK SHADOWS. I'd meant to take a hiatus after the previous one, but when the editor prompted me, I figured I had to follow the path she sent me down. Despite having dozens of ideas floating around inside my brain at any given time, I haven't found the motivation to snag one and put it into words. I can't help but wonder if that moment of grace I experienced years ago is asking for its turn considering how often I've thought of it over the past month. Inspiration is everywhere if you're willing to look. But I also need the quiet time right now, the same way I needed it that night lo, those many years ago.

I'm planning a blogcation over the holidays. Taking time out to enjoy the world around me while I still can rather than hide in my office creating alternate realities. Never fear, I'll be back in January, hopefully refreshed and ready to write. Maybe even about the moment of grace that I've been holding onto all these years as a way to quiet my mind. I may be back before the end of the year if sparks ignite. In the meantime, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving next week and if I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays (whichever you celebrate).

 

Focusing your writing

When I first started seriously writing, I had this brilliant idea. I wanted to write a quest for the holy grail, and off I went.

I did research. I took writing classes to sharpen my craft. I read books on writing. In the end, I let the story carry me away, and boy, did it ever.

Research can take you down all sorts of rabbit holes. While I was learning, I learned MORE interesting things, things I wanted to incorporate into the story. As a result, early versions of that novel were quite scattered, even if what I was learning and trying to convey was So Interesting. But it became a runaway horse. The story got too big and got away from me.

I went back to the craft books and learned about theme. Focus. What's this story about? 

Theme

First off, you need to figure out what your story is. Every chapter should move the story forward, one step at a time and not wander off the path. 

A well-known author I've read wrote several books where she liked to show off her research. It dragged the pace way down, and ultimately, I was interested in what she showed, but I would have appreciated her more if it had been presented in a separate book addressing a different theme. There was literally a third of the book that wandered away from the theme to provide the background/history - like "100 years ago..." That deserved its own book. As she wrote it (and it was a voluminous tome) it distracted me from what was happening in THIS book. Theme.

I learned about theme writing my first book. In my "quest for the holy grail," I ran across different interpretations of what the holy grail actually is. Then I discovered different aspects to those interpretations. They are wide and varied, and some are quite interesting, but rather than speculate in my story about all those variations, I needed to focus on one. The history surrounding all the players was fascinating, but is it relevant to what I'm writing? Choose what you want to portray and stick with it. For instance, Knights Templar. I learned so much about them and wanted so badly to use all that I'd learned, but none of it related to my character or her quest. The only thing that mattered was one of the secondary characters (well, two) continued the traditions. It wasn't about them. Avoid things that distract your reader from where you're taking the story. 

Moving the story forward - goals, motivation and conflict

While I was writing, I'd been hoping to write something to rival Indiana Jones. In the end, that's not my area of expertise. I grew up reading romance and horror (odd combination, I know, but it is what it is). My story developed as a romance, with part of the reason being I didn't know what to do with the grail once I found it. Stick it in a storage room, like Indiana Jones? I think not. I suppose I could have written a whole series on a grail keeper and their adventures, but again, that isn't my strong suit. My story turned into a romance, with the grail quest as the theme. My character's goal was to find the grail. Part of the conflict was "does it really exist?" Her motivation was to do something for herself. Chase her dreams. Fulfill her father's wishes for her. Everything she does is in pursuit of that goal, until the romance derails her. More conflict. She has to break rules to pursue her goal. More conflict. The point here is it sticks to the theme. In this case, the grail quest, and not all the possibilities. Even if the goal changes, don't lose sight of the focal point - the theme.

Figure out which details are important and which ones aren't

Again, using my quest for knowledge as the example, my scattershot approach produced lots of avenues that didn't move things forward. They didn't add to the story, but rather distracted from it. With that being said, I was able to include some of those peripheral ideas in my example. My main character is on a quest for the grail. It only makes sense she's not the only one. All the research I did helped me determine which details I could use and forced me to consider which things to cut. Indiana Jones was in competition with the Nazis. My character is in competition with religious zealots - some of those folks that turned up in my peripheral research. I was able to use some of that peripheral research and turn it into important details that all came together to tie my theme up. There are those who pursue the grail for "good" and there are those who pursue the grail for "evil" or greed. Waxing poetic on the details for what powers the grail might originally have possessed are also side quests. What's relevant is whether any of those show up in this story. Speculation detracts. 

Other miscellaneous details. I learned about the region my character was visiting. The vegetation. The population. The culture. Things that are unique to that part of the world. It helps to add "color," although not everything is pertinent to the story. I was able to incorporate certain details that highlight the theme. Some of those details were "oh, that's interesting" but didn't have a place in the story. 

At the end of the day, your story has to have focus. A beginning, a middle, and an end. Set the stage for your story at the beginning. Is there an inciting incident? Something that spurs the character on? As they are spurred on, what obstacles do they encounter along the way? Everything should move toward a climax, when that goal is achieved, or changed, or "all is lost." From there, it should move toward a resolution. All of this should tie into your theme. If I want to explain all about the Knights Templar along the way, even if they're related, those Knights need to have a reason to be in the story. Or if I discovered the grail had magical properties, the divine miracles that happened when it was first "blessed," telling that story probably isn't relative to the present quest. 

Theme is important. It keeps your reader focused and provides a more satisfying reading experience.

Election Day

Surprise. I'm blogging a day early this week. Why? Because I want to emphasize how important it is to vote. 

I'll admit, when I was young(er), it was a privilege I didn't always take advantage of because I didn't have a horse in the race. With that being said, if I had strong feelings one way or the other, I made it a point to get to the polls. Now that I'm a "grown up," I make sure to vote, because I no longer feel like "one vote won't count." EVERY vote counts. So if you haven't already done so, get yourself off to the polling place and make your voice heard.

Happy Halloween!

Do you celebrate Halloween? When I walk around the neighborhood, there are several houses that are decorated with skeletons and spiders and all sorts of fun things. While I appreciate everyone's displays, I was never one to do that myself. Part of it is sheer laziness, part of it is conditioning from a previous life where someone went overboard with cheap-looking displays. Oh, who am I fooling. It's a knee-jerk response to someone who overdid everything, which inspired the opposite in me. 

I have nothing against Halloween. I used to trick-or-treat. Heck, I write scary books, for heaven's sake! I love scary movies (not the slasher type, but the ghouls and ghosts and goblins and witches type). I have to say I was surprised when the school I sent my kids to was anti-Halloween. The kids weren't allowed to dress up or celebrate in any way, shape or form. I understood the school's rationale, and it wasn't worth making a fuss over, but I can't say I agreed with them.

There's a lot of that sort of sentiment going around these days - the "my thinking is the right way" kind of thing. Wouldn't it be boring if we all conformed to the same way of thinking?

But I digress. My favorite scary movie is the original THE HAUNTING. (Yes, you'll note that I included a reference in DARK SHADOWS). When the walls breathe? Gets me every time. Or the pounding moving down the hallways. Another favorite is THE UNINVITED. I loved the way Mary Meredith comes strolling down the stairs, and I was inspired to find out what mimosa smelled like after watching that movie. Yes, these are OLD, Black and White movies (quote from the Big Guy, "Who watches black and white movies?") During the advent of the slasher movies, HALLOWEEN got me. Scary stuff, but that was the ONLY slasher movie I ever liked. You know what other movie I really liked? THE SIXTH SENSE. Nice twist.

Then there are scary books. I have to tell you, after reading THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, I couldn't have that book in the same room with me. Only book to ever get to me, and I read a LOT of Stephen King books. Speaking of, I love reading Stephen King. Oh! Oh! When I saw the movie CARRIE in the theater, there was a big, tough jock a couple of seats ahead of me, and in the end? (if you saw it, you know what I'm talking about), he jumped out of his seat and slapped at it with his hands to chase the spooks away. That was as entertaining as the "shock scene." 

Are you a fan of the holiday? Do you have a favorite scary movie? Scary book? Let's compare notes. I'd love to find a new favorite!

Since it's Halloween, I'm sharing the new trailer with you one more time. It IS kinda spooky, after all. Have you read DARK SHADOWS, yet?

A Day in the Life -- "I'm Okay."

This has been a fun (said with deep sarcasm) month and a half.

So here's the thing. Several years ago, I wrote a book called COOKIE THERAPY about a clumsy heroine. It seemed like the thing to do, and because they often say "write what you know," it was easy to draw from experience. I don't think some people fully appreciate how clumsy everyday life can make you. I even added a bit about "tripping on air" in DARK SHADOWS, because I'm not the only one with that skill.

Let me share with you a page out of my life. While I regularly appreciate the world around me, it can be said I'm not always fully attentive. I take pictures of fun little things that catch my eye while I'm out walking "out and about," but then I trip on the uneven sidewalk while taking a picture of the turkey vulture hanging out by the pond. Just call me Grace.

Recently, I've been paying the price for a lifetime of these missteps. I get a required minimum of exercise every day, so I'm not altogether a lump on a log. With that being said, recently, I had some pain that refused to go away. So I checked in with the doctor. I spent more time than I should deciding on which orthopedic guy to visit because I have a history with several that I prefer not to engage again, and they tend to be highly specialized. Ultimately, I popped in to visit one and yes, I have issues. I've had orthopedic issues for years, but they generally don't rear their ugly heads because of said exercise every day. But I digress. Commence x-rays and MRIs and physical therapy and a treatment plan. Things are starting to improve! Just as I'm reaching the "what's your pain level today?" scale of "barely there," I fall a$$ over teakettle down the stairs one morning. Scratch that. I went down on my derriere. Sitting on the bottom step, I realized I've given myself a good scare. Ooops. The Big Guy heard me go down. Now he's scared, too. He tries to help, which isn't helpful (gotta love that guy, though). After an assessment, no bones sticking out where they shouldn't be, everything seems to be straight. Some bruises, some contusions, one nasty cut, and I decide I'm okay. I'm relegated to the recliner for the rest of the day.

Fast forward a couple of days to the weekend. I'm not feeling right. Can't call the doctor. It's the weekend. So off I go to Urgent Care, because who wants to spend Saturday in the ER? Urgent Care takes one look at me and "because of my age and because of the nature of my fall" (can I slap that guy? I mean, I know I'm getting older, but am I REALLY at "that age?") he sends me to the ER. Where I spend my Saturday. Oh well. So here's the thing. I checked out okay. "I'm okay!" Except for one vital sign which has stubbornly decided to throw a party. "Is this normal?" the ER nurse asks me. NO, It's not normal. They check me three times, but the band isn't going home, and the dancing goes on. The ER doc decides they don't need to keep me just for that and they send me home. "But keep an eye on it."

Okey dokey. Keeping an eye on it. Two days later and the rave is still going on. Am I going to fall back into being "that age?" Am I falling apart? Suddenly, everything is going to stop working? So, per my discharge instructions, I call my regular doc. Fill him in on my escapades and the ongoing rave my body has decided to throw. Bless him, he says he can't justify a case for this being a new problem because my history is so "pristine." (I knew I liked this guy) But now it's something I have to keep an eye on. Likely, the "rave" is part of all the other stuff, the pain, the treatment, the stress. Unfortunately, it means monitoring until the band and all the party goers taking up residence inside me go home just to make sure it doesn't BECOME a new problem.

I've learned a whole lot about my body in the last week. MRIs and CTs show you things you'd rather not know about. And as I told the guy in the ER, every day since the fall, I'm finding new bruises and abrasions I missed from that fateful event. The good news is the initial pain is gone. Now it's just the bruises and contusions.

The Big Guy is still following me around and telling me to be careful on the steps, a week later. It was a one-off. I'm a klutz. I told him if he wants to make sure I don't do it again, let's buy a house without so many steps! Fodder for a new book? Guess I've already been there, done that. It does keep me up to date on ER protocol, however! 

Back to our regularly scheduled program next week...

Is gothic romance dead?

Asking the question about gothic romance makes me feel old. 

I grew up reading Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney, among others. These books are written from a single point of view, usually the heroine, and the hero is something of a scoundrel. Can he be trusted? Is the heroine's life in danger?

When I attended my first (or it might have been my second) writers' conference, I met Erica Ridley, who had just released her very first novel - a gothic romance. I spent some time chatting with her, considering my appreciation for the genre. She wrote several books in that first series - Too Wicked, Too Brazen, Too something else. I think I read two of them. While I enjoyed them, and many other of her books, she lost her contract with the publisher. She went indie (not a bad thing!) and started writing more historical romance and less "gothic." When she lost me, however, was when she started writing to an outline. "And then this has to happen, and then that has to happen, and the obligatory XX scene has to be here..." While I don't mind formulaic novels, I do mind them when certain things start to feel forced. Don't get me wrong, she's an excellent author and I would recommend her. What I didn't like was certain things like "Oh, I forgot to include a sex scene, so I'll tack one on at the end." I'm sorry, but if I got all the way through the novel without it, it doesn't need to be there. 

My point is that I don't run across many gothic authors these days. I read an article that says they've rebranded the genre as something else (romantic suspense, perhaps? I don't recall). Sort of like those romance authors who don't write category romance are now said to write women's fiction. Same animal, different nameplate on the pen.

Circling back around... I used Victoria Holt as a model when I wrote my first novel. I won't bore you with how many incarnations that poor book went through as first a quest novel, then an inspirational novel, then a romance novel (sweet, not spicy). In the end, it turned into a gothic romance. As I've been giving it another look, I realized something important. It has multiple points of view: the heroine, the hero, and the bad guy. FIRST, let me point out this was my first foray into "serious" writing, so it had MANY rookie mistakes. As a gothic romance, I should have stuck with one point of view. Okay, so even if I wanted to categorize it as "regular" romance, the multiple points of view I wrote were irregular. What the heck does that mean? 

In a romance novel, you generally do alternating points of view. He says, she says, he says, she says, and so on. In my poor excuse for a novel, the hero has something like five half-page scenes in 30 chapters. Ummm..... Just no. How did it take me twenty years to notice that? Easy, I haven't read it in more than ten years, and I've learned a heck of a lot in ten--twenty--years. 

Book #1
The original title/
cover
2002

Why does this matter? I've remaindered the book, so no one has to read my goofy mistakes anymore. Except a friend asked me recently what ever happened to...? And so I had to look and see if it was worth reviving this book. Hence, Exhibit A. Poorly written. But you know what? The story is still there. It's still good. So can I salvage the story using the tools I've learned lo, these many years? And this brings me to gothic romance.

Book #1
The updated cover/title

It makes the most sense to rewrite the "he says" scenes from her point of view. She sees something. She overhears something. That removes the clumsily inserted "he says" scenes. OR I can write it as straight romance and expand on the he says scenes. Option one is the most appealing to me at the moment. There's really only one chapter where his point of view directly impacts the story. That also means giving him redeeming qualities for the heroine to notice that might not be obvious from the way he treats her (he's deep into grief and acting out rather than dealing with his emotions). Going deep into a character's motivation is one of the lessons I've learned through the years. I've had several unlikeable characters that I've had to redeem (and some that weren't redeemable!). I can handle that. 

Which brings me back to the theme of this post. Is gothic romance dead? Are today's women interested in a slightly unnerving man (who can be redeemed) or have we lived this story too many times in real life and he isn't worth the energy? "Walk away. Walk away." What say you, people of my blog?

Audio Characterizations

DARK SHADOWS releases next week in all but the audio. 💀 Woo hoo! 

My editor was very kind to me this go round. Was it perfect? Heck, no. If it was, what would I need her for? (I need her!) After cleaning things up and doing my "listening proof," the book is on track for release next week. Now I have to concentrate on the audio.

I've used the same narrator for all the Elspeth Barclay novels, and one of her questions up front is always "do you have someone in mind for these characters?" I know there are authors who do idea boards with celebrities they draw from for their characters. I'm not one of those people. I have used an occasional photo, and that's not to say there haven't been celebrities I've thought about when writing certain characters. Case in point, I pictured Jackson Browne (in his MUCH younger days) when I wrote Matt for COOKIE THERAPY. But here's the thing. I know all these characters. They live in my head. How to I convey them to my narrator? I tend to let my narrators do their own interpretations, but that doesn't always work out so good.

When Jude Erin did Horned Owl Hollow, one of the celebrity models I gave her was Lily Tomlin for Abigail Barclay, Elle's mom. A little offbeat. She performed that character beautifully. Fast forward to now. When I told her the next book was on its way, she asked about new characters. I had to consider who she could associate the characters with. Not as easy as you might think when you consider these people are often bits and pieces of people I've met over the course of my life, or completely fabricated. I sent her the list of new characters, and then provided a clue about how they sound in my head. I'm sure she'll do a great job - she always does. 

While you're waiting, I thought I'd share the book trailer with you! What do you think?

Growing as a writer

Way back in 2002, I published my first book. I'd taken the classes. I'd learned everything I thought I needed to know. "Don't tell, show." So many things. I was so proud of myself for applying all the rules, learning all the lessons. I dived right into writing my second book all pumped up and ready to go.

Except I was a rookie. I got so many things wrong. 

Recently, I had a friend ask me what happened to my first book. It's no longer on my website, no longer available for sale. This is a process known as remaindering. The second book was also remaindered as hopelessly outdated and probably filled with more of those rookie mistakes. I don't think that book is redeemable. I didn't get a "good" editor until my third book. She took me the next step in my writing (shoutout to Kelly!). 

However, with the question about THE TREASURE OF ST. PAUL, I went back to review that first book and cringed with nearly every word. First off, it was written 22 years ago, at a time when the world was a different place. It was written over a period of years (first books are like that) when I was a different person. I tried to update it about 10 or so years ago, but it was still outdated and the problem was I tried to edit it rather than rewrite it. MISTAKE.

I'm between books now, and have been considering my next step, but with my friend asking about that first book, I decided to take one more look at it. The decision: Rewrite. Not just edit. It's an exercise more than anything else, but I have always loved the story, just not the rookie mistakes and the outdated thinking. I have time before I get edits back, and I'm not inclined to start a new project, so it fits nicely into the "in between" space. Will I republish it for reader consumption? Maybe. As I said, I've always loved the story. I have a much more critical eye now that I know what to look for, now that I've trained to do this job for 22 years. I have better tools to work with. 

With that being said, some books should be allowed to fade into the past. We live in a world where books are available forever. That's a long time, and a lot of cultural change to overcome. How many books withstand the test of time? I grew up reading Victoria Holt. Pretty sure I've read every one of her books, and often when I feel the need for a comfort read, I'll pull one off the shelf. Guess what? Her books have NOT withstood the test of time. The last time I selected one of her titles, it was an eye opener. The premise would NOT fly in today's world. Reading that book was also helpful in highlighting the issues with THE TREASURE OF ST. PAUL (my first book). Looking in the face of Ms. Holt's time capsule, I'm hoping I can overcome my own societal changes. If the story can't be redeemed, well, at least I'll have stayed in practice writing while I wait for my edits to come back. I should know whether it's worth pursuing by the time my editor is done with the latest Elspeth Barclay novel.

This is where I tell you DARK SHADOWS will be coming out next month. Who else is looking forward to reading it?

Anticipating an October release

While I wait for final comments on DARK SHADOWS, I'm preparing for its launch. Trailers. Graphics. Blurbs. Things like:

While I'm waiting, I'm attempting to get out into the world and addressing all those things that fall by the wayside when I'm hunkered down writing. 

Dear Husband and I went to a festival this past weekend with the intent of sampling a barbecue vendor he has had his eye on for some time. The vendor is in high demand, as evidenced by the fact he was the last booth to open for business (by at least 45 minutes) and still had a very long line. Yes, it was worth the wait. While we were cooling our heels, a chiropractor took the main stage beside the picnic tent and serenaded (maybe I should say "Longfellow Serenaded") us with Neil Diamond songs. Karaoke style. He had the right tone, a decent copycat. We also meandered the Riverwalk where they had craft booths set up for several blocks. Lots of interesting arts and crafts. I passed one booth hawking bookish t-shirts - I was wearing one my daughter made for me, so they figured I might be an easy sale. (I didn't buy any.) There were dog treats and baked goods and farm fresh produce and several Etsy booths selling silver jewelry and monogramed dish towels - free association moment: my mother used to make me dishtowels with crocheted tops to hang from the drawer pulls/oven handles.  I almost bought a couple of those, but knowing I already have more than I will use in the next ten years, I passed. It was a beautiful day to walk along the river with lots of fun things to admire. 

When I came home, I did more research for orthopedic doctors. After years of misdiagnoses and frustration, when I asked my PCP for a recommendation for a chronic condition that is flaring again, he gave me a name that I have zero confidence in based on my past experiences. For that reason, I've been delaying seeking care. I'm happy to report I stumbled upon a doc from the beginning of my orthopedic journey that I would revisit, so that is this week's task - making an appointment/seeing him. Fingers crossed.

Hoping to have copies of the new Elspeth Barclay book, DARK SHADOWS (even as ARCs) for my next in-person appearance on October 6 in Elgin, Illinois at the Gail Borden Public Library. If you're in the area, stop in to say hello!

The new book

Here's the cover! What's it about? Read on...

Elspeth Barclay is drawn into a web of haunted histories, mischievous shadows, and a ghost-hunting team that needs her skills. As she unravels family rifts echoing through time, Elle must confront both playful spirits and her own fears. Can Elle and the team find the relic that will help the spirits move on?

Coming next month!

I wrote what, now?

I'm busily going over the next Elspeth Barclay book, making sure it follows. Trying to rip out any errors/typos/mistakes--you know. I got through a pass of overused and filler words and started reading for continuity, making sure all the puzzle pieces fit together the way they were supposed to. Everything was going great. Until...

I wrote what, now?? (I wrote this:)

I laughed. “I never made that connection. Somehow, this is sticking out for me. He said he bought that player piano because it played Country Gardens, which was the tune her favorite music box used to play.”

“Why is that sticking out?”

I thought about it for a moment. Mr. Flanders said the antique music boxes on display were contributed by George’s children. In honor of their mother? I didn’t remember hearing any of the music boxes play, but if they were the children’s contributions to the Opera House, where was Sophia’s music box? “It’s probably no big deal. Her music box is probably in the family home, right? Or one of the kids has it. For some reason, it feels important to know.” I jotted it down as something to pursue.

Now, without reading the rest of the book, you're probably wondering why this is a problem. Let me help.

This is the only place in the book that talks about "Sophia's music box(es)." The old "I jotted it down as something to pursue?" Yeah. I never pursued that. Never explained it. It's a random reference to a random thing that never pops up again. More like the AUTHOR jotted it down as something to pursue and then completely forgot about it. A thread that never got pulled tight--frayed and ragged. So what do I do? Add in more music boxes? Show the one in question? It ties to the song, so how do I incorporate the relationship to the player piano? Do I cut it out altogether? I still have to account for the player piano, which was the tie-in to the missing music box. Oh, heavens. What was I thinking?

In the end, I rewrote that section without the music box. On the plus side, the rest of the book seems on track. I accounted for a couple other references I'd made a note to strengthen and am on to the proofreading stage. 

Newsletter subscribers will get an exclusive cover reveal, going out tomorrow (if you aren't signed up, you can sign up now and get the sneak peek!). I will share it with the rest of the world next week.

Back to work! Can't wait to share the new book with you!

Get that First Draft down

Every book I write I wonder if I've lost something along the way. Will this be as good as the last book? Have I covered all the bases? What am I missing? This doesn't feel right.

"A funny thing happened on the way to the forum." Well, that's the line that comes to me, at any rate. As I finished my first draft, I muddled over all the details. The story line. The back stories. Something wasn't quite adding up. 

That's what first drafts are for. In my mind, they're like a very detailed outline. Get the story down. It can take a whole book before you know your characters well enough to known what triggers them--both good and bad. 

Just when I was ready to believe this next book was going to be a clunker, I started going over some of the backstory in my head (not advisable to do this when you go to bed--makes it hard to sleep). I had the basics, sure. You can't write a story without them. But then more came through. I started to understand my characters. Why did they do that? What caused this to happen? And as is often the case with me, I went the long way around the block. Added way too many detours when the direct route was a much better option. Suddenly, the stakes were raised. The conflict was more intense. The resolution was more achievable. It made a whole lot more sense. 

Yes, I tend to research things that have no place in my book, or over research things that can be handled simply. It might make me crazy, but it also adds more dimension when I finally "see the light." I can cut out all the extra nonsense, but I have a deeper, more rounded sense of how I got there. 

So yes. Even Stephen King tells you to get the first draft done. You can fix it later. But until you get that first draft done, you haven't really gotten to know your characters. You don't really understand why they're responding the way they do. Instinct and intuition will guide you a long way, and you can lean into that later when you need to clean things up. Many times I find that I've laid groundwork I wasn't even aware of and everything comes together once things make more sense--once you've gotten "all the words" out. Yes, sometimes that leaves a mess to clean up, but at lease you've cleared the path to follow.

The Awkwardness of Divorce

Not my usual blog post today...

Something they don't tell you when you get divorced is that you don't just divorce your spouse, you divorce the whole family. That can be a good thing, but it also becomes awkward if you've been married for any length of time and have forged family friendships, and especially if you share children.

I've been divorced from Husband #1 for 25 years. We share two children. For all intents and purposes, it was amicable, for the sake of said children. After the divorce, the ex invited me to a "family pizza party" at a local restaurant when his sister came to town because I was close to one of his sisters. I went, because - well, we were close. Unfortunately, the ex's new girlfriend wasn't happy about that. She spent the evening throwing peanuts at the ex because she felt I was invading her territory. Okay. Lesson learned. This was no longer my place. 

His family pretty much divorced all of us, including cousin relationships for my children. Years passed, and one of my kids' cousins had a traumatic accident. Again, I had trouble distinguishing between family/not family, and reached out to offer help and sympathy. My efforts were rebuffed. I was no longer family. 

More years passed. My ex's cousin lived in the same city we did, and I'd often run into him at the stores/restaurants. Nice guy. Friendly. He did odd jobs and we hired him from time to time. We had a good relationship. Until he died. I went to his funeral, only to get more of the awkward, evil glances and comments from the ex-family. The ex's other cousins asked, not quite out of earshot, what I was doing there. Ex or not, I still had a friendly relationship with the cousin who passed. If they didn't want my sympathy, that's fine, but I wanted to pay my respects, either way.

Family. Not family. It's awkward. 

My ex passed away recently. The kids were left taking care of the details because of the divorce, which I felt wasn't fair to them, and yet who else? I wanted to help. When it came time to sit vigil with him, I went with my daughter so she wouldn't have to sit alone. (And yes, for the record, if the kids couldn’t have come, I would have walked him home. No one should have to die alone.) When my son showed up to sit with her, they told me it was okay for me to go. But was it? More of this awkward divorce thing. I was in that awkward limbo where I wasn't sure what my place was. Again. 

I am there to support my children, if nothing else. That's not awkward. I hate that they have to handle everything because there is no one else, because... we were divorced. Then I wonder what would have happened to him in his final days if we didn't have children? I wouldn't be there because I wouldn't know. So following that logic, I don't have a place there now. But we do have children. And more than anything else, I'm struggling with wanting to save them from having to deal with all of this. They have grown into exceptional adults, and they've managed everything admirably. They keep telling me this isn't mine to deal with anymore, and they're right, but I hate that it falls to them because of divorce.

Awkward. 

But my kids? So darn proud of them.

How Many Books is Enough? Too Many? Not Enough?

As an author, one thing that is drilled into your head is how the best marketing is writing the next book. So how many books is enough?

One of the first questions people ask when I tell them I'm an author is how many books have I written. I am currently working on book #33. That number includes three omnibus versions -- The Mist Trilogy, two for The Epitaph Series, and one novella. I've done my part in "writing the next book." I like to consider myself a midlist author. People buy my books, but I have yet to crack a best seller list. With that being said, I have won awards for some of my books, so I must be doing something right. 

Here's the thing. I have ALWAYS loved writing. From the time I was just a little kid. For many years, it was a way to release the random thoughts buzzing around inside my head, let the characters who had taken up residence live out their imagined lives. Yes, I wanted to be a "real author," but I didn't really devote the necessary time and energy to it until a little more than twenty years ago, when THE BIG IDEA took shape, and I buckled down to "really" write. Even as I started that first novel, I worried about market. Would a publisher take a chance on a one-book author? Not likely. I knew right then there would have to be a book two. But you know what? I had a million ideas. A million characters living in my head that all raised their hands for a chance to be heard.

So here I am, more than 20 years later and 33 books in. I love hearing from my readers, and every time I get a glowing review or a random email, it sparks me to keep going. When I finished my last book, my editor told me she's loving this Elspeth Barclay series and can't wait to see the next one. Prior to that moment, I hadn't been sure there would BE a next one. Writing is hard work, and sitting in the midlist can be discouraging. "Karla Who Now?" It's hard to stay motivated. 

Oftentimes, writing a book is compared to childbirth. Sticking with that analogy, I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy with the current book. I'm excited to see it born. After months of growing and developing, it's ready to enter the world. This is also where you start to worry if it will "be okay." Will it be healthy? And then, once it's born, there's exhaustion. Why would I do this to myself over and over again? Will there be another one? So far, the answer has been overwhelmingly, "Yes." 

For some of the books, I immediately started on the next one when "this" book went to the editor. And then there are the other times when "this book" was a hard labor. I've had moments where I swore "this is going to be the last book." I've gone as long as a month swearing I was done. "That's enough books." And then I get antsy. My dreams get more vivid. I don't know what to do with myself. Writing is a part of who I am. 

I question every book I write, wondering if it's any good or if people will respond to it. You'd think, after recently reviewing my Epitaph series as it was produced in audio that I'd learn that yes, I do know how to write. I had so much fun revisiting those books, marveling that "I did that." They were well plotted and well written. "I'd buy that book." As the saying goes, we're always our own worst critic. Not every book is going to resonate with every person, but man. I'll never be sorry I wrote those. Time and distance have a way of showing you what you can't see when you're in the moment. 

So here I go. About to birth another book. Calling on "Aunt Kelly" to help me bring it into the world. Will it be "the one?" Will people like it? In the end, it's a labor of love. 

This is what I was meant to do.

Oh. Speaking of Epitaph. THE ARCHITECT is currently at a special price in audio for a limited time. Part of that "marketing" thing that doesn't include writing the next one. Get it while its hot!

The Home Stretch

For those of you wondering, the next book in the Elspeth Barclay novels is in the home stretch. I'm on schedule to finish on time. The weather has been conducive to sitting inside at my computer, so no distractions - well, at least not of the "what a beautiful day" variety. And if one of those beautiful days should come along in the next week or two, I can write outside. I've straightened out all the "where does this chapter go?" questions (or at least I think so), and its full speed ahead to The End.

With that in mind, I'm keeping this blog post brief in order to focus on finishing.

Because I also have to chase the audio links squirrel, which is making me a little nuts (see what I did there?). Audible is STILL not publishing Jane Doe for reasons undisclosed (the 4-6 weeks expectation has surpassed 8) and The Garden is taking its sweet time hitting some of the outlets, too. With that being said, Jane Doe is everywhere else, and The Garden is popping up - slow but sure. Hope you'll give them a listen!

As for me? Back to work. See you next week.

Finishing a book

So here's the deal. I don't normally write to a deadline. I get to a certain point in my work and I reach out to my editor and say, "okay, I need a date on your schedule." She comes back with a date and "Voila!" now I have a deadline. The thing is, I don't reach out until I feel confident I'm closing in on the end and I'll have time to do all my preliminary passes.

I have plenty of time before the next Elspeth Barclay is due to her. Or at least I thought I did. As an author, I'm constantly second-guessing myself. While I was writing, I suddenly had a moment of "Wait a minute, this scene should come much sooner." Convinced I needed to do more jigsaw puzzling with the book to make the pieces fit, I set it aside and went to visit family for a day. I took a mental break (one less day to work toward the deadline, but I don't want to think about that yet). 

The next day I buckled in to address the rearranging/puzzling and discovered I don't need to do as much as I thought (but there is some that needs to be done). In the meantime, I haven't officially written "The End" yet. However, I do feel the need to have things straight and pieced together before I get there. But wait, I have another family day in the other direction. (One more day I won't be working toward the deadline, but some things are more important, no?)

Yes. I'm in a half-panic. No, I don't need to be. As I'm working through the broken parts of the story, I know it will all come together, and I know what the end looks like, even if it isn't written yet. I still have time to address everything AND finish writing before my deadline, and I should even have the chance to do my self-editing passes before I send it on. 

Tell that to my angsty author, second-guessing, imposter syndrome. 

I'm pretty sure every author goes through something like this during the process, which doesn't make it better or easier to deal with. However, experience reminds me to relax. I haven't missed a deadline yet, and my fabulous editor has seen some ugly things from me before when I ran close, or when I "knew" something was wrong. We work together well. While the deadline is hard and fast, I remind myself I still have LOTS of time to finish. (Lots being subjective here.) 

So off I go. DARK SHADOWS is coming together nicely, even if I am starting to panic in the process (which, yes, is fairly normal for me). 

Oh, and did I mention the last of the Epitaph audiobooks is scheduled for release tomorrow? I have really loved revisiting that series (shout out to Karen Frantz for narrating them!). At last check, the links were starting to show up, but the audiobook distributors DO NOT commit to deadlines, so I can't promise it will be released as promised - but it's coming! Here's a link to what I have:

I never wanted to be a “romance novelist”

When I first started writing "for real," I wanted to write something with depth. While I grew up reading romance novels, they weren't the category romances. They were mysteries, or gothic romance. Stories with romance, yes, but more depth. Back then, Harlequin category romances were pretty silly. No substance. So I set to writing a story, and discovered my romantic soul wouldn't be happy if I didn't also include a romance.

I popped into a writing forum and found some Harlequin authors. Instead of being supportive and encouraging, they wanted me to write -- how do I put this nicely? -- "down" to their level. Heaps of adverbs. Over the top responses. Sighs and gasps and beautiful people. And they were mean about it. Clearly, I was in the wrong place. 

Fast forward. Romance novels have come a long way. Harlequin is no longer the imprint with all the typos and the "bodice ripping" and the silliness. They've developed several subgenres and are more "serious" (I don't know how else to describe the step up into better editing and better writing) books. They are still different from the other houses, but this highlights another trend I've noticed in the past several years. The other publishing houses have tried to distance themselves from romance novels once again by calling them "women's fiction." 

Women's fiction used to be stories about a woman's journey of self-discovery. Becoming who she was meant to be. In this denigration of romance novels, two of my favorite romance novelists have been forced to write women's fiction, which became "romances with more depth." (Isn't that what I wanted to write from the get-go?) One of those authors has gone from writing fun, quirky stories to "stories that make you cry." WHY?? If I wanted to cry, I'd read Nicholas Sparks (no offense to Mr. Sparks, but I DON'T like to cry when I read a book). As a result, I'm afraid to read one of her books anymore because the woman's journey is too tear-inducing. "This book made me ugly cry all through it. I loved it." NO. I don't want to cry. I want books to entertain me. To make me feel better. 

I found my groove writing romantic suspense, or “romances with depth.” I also read them to "feel good." When I finished writing my Epitaph series, I was inspired to write a different kind of novel based on a place I'd visited, and the Hillendale novels were born. I still missed my romances (the Hillendales are about a reluctant witch), so I took a break during the course of writing those to return to my romance series (Hoffman Grove). 

And then, it hit (shades of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for dramatic effect). During the pandemic, I didn't get as much exposure to the outside world as I had before, and while I was reading (and in some cases re-reading) gothic romance, I got the idea to write about haunted houses. Many mansions in the area were still open for tours (a chance to get out and about!), so off I went, and the Elspeth Barclay Novels were born. I always love a good ghost story, after all.

Coming back full circle, while I was "out and about" this past weekend, I was working on a plot point for the fourth Elspeth Barclay novel. My mind kept wandering to something my husband said last night. My husband, who never talks about what's in his head (he's a very logical, Sheldon Cooper, kind of thinker) opened up and said, "this election cycle is really getting to me." Me, too, pal. Instead of head-writing, the way I'd planned, I started spinning out of control over the nasty news reports, from the "murder reports" every night that I refuse to watch, to the election coverage, which is so out of control. I stopped. Told myself, "This is why I like to read. To escape all this nastiness." And this is why I like romance novels. You're guaranteed a happy ending, even after all the conflict that gets in the way.

I'm about halfway through Elspeth Barclay #4 (tentatively titled DARK SHADOWS). There are days my neurotic heroine activates my own neuroses and the two get intertwined (thank heaven for the delete key). In this book, however, she is less neurotic after incidents that occurred in the third book, THE JANE DOE GHOST. That helps, but these are not romance novels first and foremost. The romances in these books are VERY understated. Subplots that are more "by the way." 

I do get tired of reading romances sometimes, and I still look for more depth when reading a romance novel. If they want to call that women's fiction, all right, but let's not forget why I'm here. I want that happily ever after, and I want all the feels (without the trail of tears). Is my next book going to be a romance again? If my recent walk out and about is any indication, I'd say it's a good bet. I REALLY enjoyed revisiting my EPITAPH series while my narrator was doing the audiobooks, and if I could recreate that magic, I wouldn't hesitate. Can I?

Worldbuilding - inside an author's head

Have you ever lost yourself inside a book? Found you wanted to live "there?"

At my first writers' conference I sat in on a seminar with a woman who's pen name is Ann Macela. The seminar was on world building, something I had (up to that point) not even thought about. Sure, while I was writing my first novel, I had to construct my world, but I hadn't thought of it that way until I took her class. Ann wrote about magic, and with magic there are rules, so her class was making sure the rules of magic are consistent. There are consequences for using the magic and there are conditions where it doesn't work. I wasn't writing magic, so I wasn't sure it applied. Until I realized it did.

With every book we write, there are settings and people and rules to follow. You have to build the world your characters live in, whether its magical or not. Jill Shalvis created Lucky Harbor (the first series of hers that I read), where you know every shop in the small town. There are recurring characters in every book to provide "color." The quirky little old lady with the blue hair who puts everything she sees on social media, much to the chagrin of those people who don't want everyone to know their business. Then you have vampire books, where the monster can't come out during the day. When I wrote my first book, my father (my biggest fan and my first beta reader) pointed out that he needed to "see" my settings. While I pictured everything in great detail inside my head, I hadn't described any of it on the page. I didn't know it then, but that was my first experience worldbuilding. 

After my class with Ann, I was conscious of building a world when I dipped into the mystical side of my books. I needed to have rules when I wrote the Mist series. I did pretty well for a first attempt with my trilogy. While I thought I stuck to the world I'd built, attentive readers pointed out places to me where I'd wandered ever so slightly out of the realm. (I'm much more structured with my worlds now.)

Whatever genre you write, you need a setting for your characters, the beginning of their world. If it's a small town, you need to know where "Main Street" is and what stores/businesses you'll find there, and who runs those businesses. If you're delving into magic, or mysticism, or ghosts, you need to have rules for that, as well. As Ann said, if your characters practice magic, there needs to be boundaries. What are their limits? Are there consequences for practicing black magic? Does practicing "good" magic come with side effects? What about the community they live in? Is it a magical community, or do the main "magical" characters need to hide their skills? What are the consequences of being caught practicing magic? These are all part of worldbuilding. Once you have the parameters, you need to keep "the laws" in front of you as you write in case your characters go rogue. If you're writing a business district in town, you can't suddenly insert a shoe store because your character needs new gym shoes. It's either already there or it's not. 

For fantasy authors, they have to start from the ground up. Not only do they have to invent the world their characters live in, sometimes they reinvent conventions of time, currency, and communication. 

While writing my ghost stories, I had to implement rules for ghosts. Trust me, I've struggled with these rules more often than I care to admit. In the Epitaph series, my ghosts had a little more leeway. The question was always if she (Amy) can hear the ghosts, can't she talk to them? Nope. It was a one-way conversation, like listening to a radio for Amy. As I continued the series, the ghosts became more interactive. Different people respond to the ghosts differently. One of the ghosts was actually mistaken for a living person. Still, they followed some basic rules. Ghosts need the living to provide them with help for things they can no longer do.

When I wrote the Hillendale Novels, I created a world based on a small town I'd visited (it always makes things easier when you have a real-life model to draw from). Then, I had to build rules around how my characters used their magic. When you read the books, you'll find the rules clearly stated for Brynn.

Now, as I work through my Elspeth Barclay Novels, I have different ghosts with different rules. The dead aren't permitted to speak to the living. Elspeth has a special channel open to communication, but even when she can "hear" them, there are things they can't tell her, and yet they expect her to help them with their unfinished business.

The bottom line: every story has its own world. Whether it's the setting or the unique abilities your characters possess, it has to be consistent. As an author, we need to show our readers every facet of these worlds to draw them in, like welcoming them into the home of our imagination--and showing is the key here. You can tell people about the diner on Main Street, but you need to walk them inside. Look at the menu. Gossip with the waitress. Create a world readers can participate in. If your characters are "special," you need to put parameters around "special" along with what happens when special isn't special anymore, or special is abused. 

At any rate, back to my little world. Elspeth has ghosts to tangle with!

The trouble with research

As Scully and Muldaur used to say, "The truth is out there," and that's one of the downsides of research: You learn the truth.

I'm going to skip right over the political implications of this - and yet those are the BIGGEST reasons to do the research. But moving right along...

I've learned a lot of things during my writing career. I've interviewed firemen. I've interviewed policemen. I've interviewed my doctor. All in the interest of "getting it right." But how do you do the research when the subject matter is gray to start with (this question from my buddy, Sarah). The answer? I interview people who have had "close encounters," and I watch television programs and YouTube videos claiming to show ghostly encounters. I traveled to Savannah in search of ghost stories/encounters. Maybe its something to do with being paid to tell you ghost stories (or the tour guide just lacked the ability to spin a good yarn) versus someone relating their experiences, but I only heard one "interesting" ghost story in Savannah, and that was on my historical tour rather than my ghost tour. 

While writing Horned Owl Hollow, I reached out to a local Paranormal Investigator (PI), but we kept missing connections. So I did research into his business to get his credentials while I was waiting to speak with him. I was a little leery when I found a YouTube video of him in his car OUTSIDE the mansion I toured that inspired Horned Owl Hollow. His comment? "I'd love to get inside this house. I bet its haunted." Welp, I DID get inside that house, and if I can, so can he. So much for his credentials. So when we couldn't make connections, I "noped" pursuing that interview. Instead, I interviewed someone with "Elspeth's" job and got a bunch of good, first-hand ghost stories. 

When I got to The Jane Doe Ghost, I interviewed a more "reputable" ghost hunter, Noah at Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee. The reputable label indicates he applies science. Does the research. We had a very interesting conversation during which I asked him to explain away the ghost stories I'd heard/seen. Unfortunately (the trouble with research, after all), he did pop my bubble on several spooky things I'd personally witnessed, and explained away many of the things I'd found in videos or on tv shows. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic, even after twenty years in the business, that he will encounter the real thing. He said he's been close enough to hold onto his belief that we are not alone. 

As I continue with my ghostly series, I searched out more ghost stories, and found a new video uploaded from the guy I noped on. He did a ghost stake-out that he (and his team) did. It was mildly interesting. I didn't think too much of it - it reminded me of the guy he told me he hoped to emulate, Zak Bagans. For the record, I've watched several of Zak Bagans' shows, and he has grown increasingly over the top. The movie he made was creepy - props to him for that, but his shows? Overacting. Leading his interviewees. Emphasizing what he wants his audience to take note of rather than subtly leading them to draw their conclusions. 

Maybe I'm oversaturated.

Getting back to my point here. Noah at PI of Milwaukee posted a video the other day from a ghost debunker. I love these guys, even if they burst my bubble. 😉 The funny part was he directly addressed one of the techniques the Nope Guy used in his stake-out - a flashlight that turns on and off (which was the mildly interesting part of that investigation). The debunker is Mythos Paranormal, and if you want to watch (or just listen to his delicious Scots accent for twenty minutes), you can check him out here. 

Has all the research spoiled me for ghost stories? No. Like my buddy, Noah, I've had some experiences that defy explanation and can't be debunked (at least so far). I've talked to people with first-hand encounters that send shivers up your spine. I enjoy a good ghost story, even if it's for entertainment purposes only. For those reasons, I'll likely keep writing ghost stories because, true or not, I like a good chill up my spine!

Socializing an author

I know I'm not the only introvert author. However, putting oneself out there is the best way to "find that story."

Many times, people ask "where do you come up with your ideas?" As The Sculptor enters the audiobook world, I've enjoyed revisiting another of my favorite "children." I sat in a training session at the day job with a man who stuttered. I was so impressed with him and his confidence that I gave my main character a stutter. It helps that I had other resources to draw from (thank you Dr. Ruth). These are the things that inspire novels, and things you can only find if you are out in the world among people.

I've since retired from the day job. I don't interact with as many people on a daily basis. During the pandemic when people weren't going out, my pool of inspiration grew shallow. I started visiting places for inspiration, making haunted houses the main characters in my stories. In addition to visiting the houses and researching their history, I interviewed people to flesh out the stories that presented themselves. 

With the pandemic retreating, I made a point to start traveling again. To see people. To talk to strangers. To find stories that inspire me and refill my inspiration pool. I recently read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and I was impressed at how easily the author integrated into a society of interesting characters. He hit the jackpot in Savannah. The book is much more about the people and the society, with the crime as more of a subplot - go figure when it's a nonfiction book about the trials, but hey.

Listening to The Sculptor was a reminder to me that I need to get out more. To meet people. To be inspired by them. Yes, settings will continue to inspire me, but the real story lies with the characters you put into those settings. 

As we celebrate this Independence Day, let's never forget how hard our ancestors fought for our freedoms, something we shouldn't take for granted.

The effectiveness of routine

My routine has been upended this year. Lots of interruptions between travel and other commitments. As with anything, being good at something requires practice. LOTS of practice. Want to play the piano well? Practice. Want to play a sport well? Practice. Want to write well? You got it. Practice.

Writing is hard enough without juggling several different things at one time. Producing the backlist in audiobook for EPITAPH was one of my goals for this year, and my narrator is doing a bang-up job. In addition, keeping up with the audio for the Elspeth Barclay series. Audiobooks require a "listening proof" to make sure the narrator hasn't missed something or missed my intentions in their interpretation. This is time away from writing.

I'm trying to write the next Elspeth Barclay novel (tentatively titled DARK SHADOWS), and I won't lie. I'm not very good at "multi-booking." I write a chapter. Listen to a chapter. The good news is I'm getting caught up in those Epitaph books all over again (which means I did something right while I was writing those!). The bad news is it distracts my train of thought on the current work in progress. I'm out of routine. 

Recently, my niece (shout out to Ashley!) went on a solo writing retreat. She's juggling the day job, multiple pet family, and friends and family on a regular basis, so I suspect she doesn't always get the writing time she craves. The good news is she wrote thousands of words while she was gone (congratulations, Ashley!). When routine lets you down, drastic measures must be taken. 

The good news for me - the penultimate audiobook for Epitaph is completed. I celebrated by writing thousands of words in the new book, and I told my narrator I need a couple of weeks to get back into routine before she does the final installment. Happily, I've been able to slip back into that routine, despite it being disrupted with distractions. 

The Most Haunted City...?

Let me start by saying I love Savannah. What a charming city. Spanish moss hangs from the trees like tinsel. The brick sidewalks are often uneven and treacherous, but they're beautiful. Gaslights welcome visitors to doorways, and the "haint blue" ceilings on the porches are meant to keep the spirits away. They have town squares every couple of blocks, for a total of 22 remaining out of the original 24, squares where the townspeople could muster if invaders threatened their peaceful lifestyle. Savannah is rich in history.

We did several tours, and I have to say we heard much of the same information on almost every tour. This isn't a bad thing for those of us who might not have been paying full attention, and it's interesting to hear the varying takes on certain aspects, like the Forrest Gump bench at Chippewa Square. It isn't there. Why not? Well, one tour guide told us because it was being defaced, so they moved it to the historical society. Two other tour guides told us it was a Hollywood prop and went back to California when production ended. They did note that because of the interest, the historical society had one to commemorate the movie. 

We walked through Colonial Park Cemetery, colonial because it dates back to civil war days when soldiers encamped there - soldiers who defaced some of the tombstones when they were bored. One of my favorite stories, a stone was altered to honor the mother of ... 117 children. Many of the stones were displaced and are now along an "orphan" wall because they don't know where the graves are. Oh, the graves are there, but with the stones moved, they aren't sure which one is which. That, and the tombstones are so weathered as to be almost illegible. The thing about the cemeteries in Savannah, though, is that they are parks. Families would go to the cemetery and have picnics with their dear departed. The green space is beautiful. Then, there's the dark side of the cemeteries. Some of the land was reclaimed to be built over - without moving the bodies buried underneath. This is where the haunted histories come from. Bodies buried under streets, under houses that were built when the boundaries of the cemetery parks were pushed back. 

One of my favorite ghost stories was about a young Irish immigrant named Mary Reilly. The Irish were sent to America to work off their debts as indentured servants. Mary had a very nasty master, and one day she and her boyfriend schemed to kill the old guy off. As she was giving him his morning bath, she held his head under water and killed him. She was the first person in Savannah tried for murder, along with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was sentenced to hanging, but Mary got a reprieve due to the fact she was pregnant. When the child was born, they took the child from her and strung her up, too. Now they say Mary wanders the square looking for the child they took from her. 

Then we visited Bonaventure Cemetery, famous from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Our guide was very knowledgeable about its history, and relayed many stories, including the ghost stories, but he was also very fact based, i.e., he'd tell us "people say" and give us the alternate facts, but he had "true facts" to back up what really happened, and sources to check. The statuary and symbolism in the cemetery are things that always interest me (making me a taphophile of sorts, if you've read EPITAPH), and while they had a lot of interesting things to see, one of the statues most people come looking for (which was used on the cover of the aforementioned book) has also been relocated to the history museum on account of strangers traipsing over the graves the statue marked. The family wasn't happy about people trespassing on their family plot. Regardless, there are plenty of other interesting things to see, and a reminder that the plots - which are all clearly sectioned off - should be respected as private property. 

I have to say, for all the things we saw, I never had a sense of anything otherworldly lingering about. The Savannahians, however, are happy to exploit the tourism the two famous movies (and others) have brought to the fair city. Of all the tours we took, I was most disappointed by the "Ghost" tour, almost as if our guide was bored with it all. Her storytelling skills were lackluster, and she rushed through the tales she passed along. That particular tour also employs some theatrics, which were over the top for me and annoyed me more than they added to the experience. We stopped at one of the "haunted" locations, where they took us to a room, turned the lights off, and an actress came on a small stage to "frighten" us with more tales and special effects. Nope. Not what I was looking for, but probably fun for some people. Maybe I should incorporate something like that in one of my stories and have the actors "visited" during their performances. What do you think?

I enjoyed my trip immensely (did I mention the delicious food?), and while I learned many interesting things (Keeping Up With The Joneses, for instance, refers to the "fancy" houses on Jones Street and not a neighbor named Jones), the haunted history didn't do much to inspire me - which isn't to say some of what I learned won't end up in one of my books. 😉 

Low Country Boil

Tripping on air, and other talents

When I went on my writer’s retreat, one of the questions I continued to struggle with was what purpose do the MMs have in the current book? Do they have a purpose? Or am I forcing them where they don’t fit?

Without giving too much away, my editor asked about something in THE JANE DOE GHOST that wasn't neatly tied up. She suggested maybe it would be addressed in the next book in the series. This is one of those moments where I thought (at least in my mind - would have been nice if I shared that with readers) it was self-explanatory. So I've gone into this next in series with an eye toward explaining what was left dangling (what I'm coyly referring to as the MMs). I could easily have explained them away in Chapter 1, saying "well, that mystery is over, and the MMs went with it." But what fun is that? However, without a reason for them to appear in THIS book, I wasn't inclined to give them a storyline. 

Until I was.

I am NOT A FAN of books that don't finish a story line in one book. Where dangling threads remain, this reader's attention is lost. Don't play with me that way! Is that what I'm doing? No. Jane Doe's story is well and truly finished, but there are other things afoot in the universe that remain. Sort of like when a character is injured (no spoilers!) and the end of the book is the beginning of their recovery journey. You have to assume that will be continued in the next book, but it isn't a dangling thread, per se. Likewise, the MMs are more of something that wasn't front and center in the last book but are jumping into the spotlight in THIS book. Well, maybe not the spotlight, but definitely interwoven into the plot, whereas in the last book they were mysterious "what is that?" background characters. 

Now. Allow me to take a detour for a moment. Has anyone ever read a Jennifer Cruisie book? This woman is funny. I first read one of her books when my buddy Jennifer (no relation) sent me a box of books for market research. I rolled my eyes and said, "this isn't what I want to write, though." Until I read it. That market still isn't one I'd write for, or CAN write for, but some authors transcend genre. Fast forward about 20+ years. Jennifer Crusie is still writing books, and now she's collaborating with Bob Mayer. Has been for several years. In fact (completely irrelevant to this post, but I'm detouring, after all), I met them both at my first writers conference when they'd first started collab-ing. She's been posting regular updates on the progress of the series they're currently working on, and I'm in awe of the way she is so meticulous about plotting and planning the series. She leaves room for surprises, as one must, but I tend to fly by the seat of my pants and am always amazed when I find threads to pull through my series books. Almost as if I'd planned it that way! So why are we on this detour? Because I'm having one of those moments now with my MMs. An afterthought becomes a thread that moves this series forward. Flashes of unexpected brilliance.

But you're wondering about the subject line of this post, aren't you? I'm going to avoid another detour, but I'll ask a simple question. Do you ever have moments where you "trip on air?" Stumble for no apparent reason? What if there was a reason all this time and you just never realized it? Me? I'd like to blame my lack of grace on something other than myself from time to time, and my MMs have provided me that opportunity. "It isn't my fault, the MM tripped me!" But even mischief makers have a helpful side. And that's where I'm taking the question of "but what about..." from my editor. 

Stay tuned.