InkSpot

CARVED IN DARKNESS Has Been Released Into The Wild!

2013-05-15T11:26:00.002-04:00

By: Maegan Beaumont

Last week was one of those weeks. You know, one of those weeks where you aren't sure if it's real. One of those weeks where you're sure someone, somewhere made a HUGE mistake to your great benefit. One of those weeks that you never want to end. My debut novel was released. I had my very first signing (alongside Matt Coyle and Darrell James) at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, to which my Writer Sisters and our mentor, Les Edgerton flew in from far off places (South Carolina and Colorado are pretty far away...). I received some fabulous reviews... and I contracted salmonella. Food poisoning aside, it was a week dreams are made of.

GREAT panel discussion with Matt Coyle and Darrell James

Matt Coyle, Darrell James and me, getting ready to sign some books!

me, signing a book--for real!

The icing on top of my literary cake were the reviews I received. This one from Jenny Hilborne at NY Journal of books: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/carved-darkness

and this one from Library Journal... http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/books/genre-fiction/mystery/mystery-debut-of-the-month-may-1-2013/

I feel like a kid at Disneyland who just got off the Teacups--giddy, dizzy and kinda nauseous .. but ready to do it all over again!

Maegan Beaumont is the author of CARVED IN DARKNESS, the first book in the Sabrina Vaughn thriller series (Available through Midnight Ink, spring 2013). A native Phoenician, Maegan’s stories are meant to make you wonder what the guy standing in front of you in the Starbucks line has locked in his basement, and feel a strong desire to sleep with the light on. When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.

Details, Details

2013-05-13T00:30:00.000-04:00

by Sheila Webster Boneham

Years ago (at least fifteen), I passed a novel I had enjoyed along to my husband. Roger is a geologist, and the "love interest" in the book is a geologist, and I thought he might enjoy the story and relish meeting one of his own in a romantic lead of sorts. And he did, for the first chapter or so. Then he put it down in disgust.

"Some geologist!" he said.

Turns out the guy in the book had waxed eloquent about the cleavage in a piece of quartz. Problem is, quartz has no cleavage (which means that when it breaks, it has no parallel surfaces). That booboo clattered right by me, but for the reader in the know, it was a book-stopper.

I run into this all the time in books with animals, especially dogs. (I've shown, bred, rescued, written about, trained, and judged dogs for more than two decades, so, yeah, I care that "dog things" are accurate.") I recently read a novel in which the protagonist's dog is identified as a specific rare breed. Exciting! Then the dog is described. She's a color combination that doesn't occur in the breed and she weighs about half what she should. I had enjoyed the first pages of the book, but found it hard to keep reading past such glaring errors.

And then there was the best-selling memoir a few years ago about growing up in southern Indiana, a place of forests, deep ravines, and rolling country that I know well. I perused the book at a conference in Indianapolis, thinking I would buy a copy, but when I read that Indiana is "flat as a pancake," I was finished. Well, almost finished - I did point out the passage to a friend and the two of us snorted and laughed and snarked about pandering to East-Coaster sterotypes about the Midwest. The author's mother was standing right behind us. Ah, well.

I'm sure we've all read things in which some error in our own field of knowledge damaged or destroyed our faith in the author. In fact, almost everyone I've asked about this has produced an example from personal experience. Many of them also express similar reactions. Disappointment ("I was looking forward to this book, and then..."). Loss of trust ("If the author is wrong about the things I know, how can I trust the rest of the information?). Disgust ("It's not that hard to check the facts!").

And really, it's not hard at all. First, of course, we have the Internet. Granted, we have to be judicious about our sources, but as long as we use credible websites, blogs, forums, and other online resources, we can check out almost anything. Or at least get a leg up.

We can also go old school - libraries, books, reference librarians. All good.

We can find people who know. I saved myself from a serious error in Drop Dead on Recall by asking a physician friend read a passage in which a character uses an epinephrin pen on his wife, who seems to be having an allergic reaction. Myfriend's terse response? "Well, he just killed her." Seems my character's technique left a little to be desired. I learned, and he does it properly in the book. In that case, I called on a friend, but it isn't hard to find people in the know, and most people are generous about helping us get things right.

Need the skinny on a location? As my husband, Roger, likes to say, there's nothing like a site visit. Whether its a place or a kind of event or an institutional setting, we can do lots of reading, watch videos and films, peruse photographs, but nothing beats being there. How does the quality of light shift by the minute on the Carolina coast at sunrise? How does the heat dissipate in the high desert as the sun drops behind the Sierras? How does the grooming area at a dog show smell, or the waiting room in a hospital sound? If we can't get there, then once again, finding someone who has been there to read what we write can save us from grievous goofs, and may even give us some telling detail to add.

I'm working on the third Animals in Focus mystery right now, and am planning a couple of site visits of my own. I've already lined up some experts to keep me honest, and I have files upon files of background info. Luckily for me, the research I'm doing for this book isn't tedious at all. I get to interview lots of lovely cats and dogs.

Malice Domestic 2013

2013-05-08T10:38:00.001-04:00

by Shannon Baker
Wow. Malice Domestic.

This pic is from the wonderful panel I shared with our generous and funny and talented Jessie Lourey. (Lea Waits, Jess Lourey, Molly Westin, me, Nora McFarland)

This was my first Malice and what an experience! I’m so excited to be able to now put faces to several of the Inkers. I won’t go into too much detail about what kind of faces they are, but almost without exception they were happy and welcoming and I’m so happy to be part of the tribe.

For those of you attending, you know what a great time it is. For those who sadly had to miss it, I won’t rub it in. But I did want to impart just a few choice tidbits I picked up going to panels. I did attend a few, really. I didn’t spend all my time in the bar.

I loved meeting and hearing Harlan Coben speak. What a class act. He’s successful, brilliant and way nicer than I’d expect a super star to be. He’s also not afraid to admit to insecurity. In his panel, he spoke about how he feels when he finishes a book. He slapped that shiny head of his and said, “I’m sure that’s the last one I’ll ever write. Thanks for the ride. I’ll have to go get a real job now.”

He went on to say that all writers are insecure. “Only bad writers think they’re good.” He did not, however, add that if you think you’re bad, you’re actually good. That kind of message might have really made my day. As it is, I can find comfort in knowing that even the great suffer.

I’d like to attribute this little insight to the right person and it might have been Harlan Coben, as well. It’s scribbled on the back of the same bookmark as these other remarks. But it could have been Sara Henry. So much of last weekend is a Jackson Pollack of thoughts, faces and great ideas in my mind. Anyway, the smart writer spoke about how each reader brings their own experience to every book. A writer might have one thing in mind but every reader experiences the images through their own filter. “Ideas in readers’ heads are like snowflakes, each one is different.”

My favorite line from the weekend’s panels again came from Harlan Coben. (Okay, a little hero worship going on here.) The panel members were talking about how they write, quick first drafts, followed by subsequent edits, or painstaking first drafts nearly perfect when finished. Coben said he’s a quick-first kind of guy, then said that for him first drafts were like illicit affairs. They are new and exciting and all-consuming. You can’t stop thinking about them, you want to be with them every second. There is no downside. He added that later drafts are more like long relationships and take work but have their own rewards.

A huge thank you goes out to the conference organizers. I can’t imagine the level of sacrifice it takes to pull off something so wonderful.

Finally, it would be a crime for me to let this opportunity pass without mentioning Midnight Ink’s own, Catriona McPherson and her big win of the Agatha for Best Historical Novel. Congratulations!

Storytelling in Another Medium

2013-05-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

By Beth Groundwater

My husband and I are both volunteers for the Breckenridge Festival of Film, which will take place this year September 19 - 22. My husband will be a volunteer projectionist, showing films in one of the viewing venues during the festival. I have volunteered to be the Short Drama Category Head. As such I will watch and review ALL of the submitted short drama films and help the Programming Director select the Short Drama films that will be shown at the festival. Good storytelling is good storytelling, regardless of the medium, and I have been a short story judge for many writing contests in the past. So, I'm putting that experience to use in selecting short films.

My husband and I are also reviewing films in other categories, such as Documentary and Long Drama, when we can. As a fiction author, I'm familiar with the structure of story-telling, and as a former Universal Studios guide and techie friend of Pixar programmers, my husband is interested in the technology of cinematography, sound, and special effects. So, we felt like we had something to offer as reviewers, regardless of the category.

So far, I have watched and evaluated over thirty films. I rated each one on a 5 point scale, with 1 being "a horrible film" and 5 being "yes, definitely include it in the festival." I have also provided a paragraph of text explaining each rating. I've used all of the 5 categories so far, so I've watched some brilliant films and some poorly-made or just plain confusing films.

It's been an interesting experience to be on the evaluation side of the review equation, rather than having my own books evaluated by reviewers and readers. I often find that looking at other people's stories with a critical eye helps me hone my skills in ferreting out negative aspects of my own writing that need fixing. My experience in judging writing contests and participating in critique groups has proven this to be true. And, I expect the same from my film reviewing experience.

It's also exposed me to some very interesting projects. My horizons have been expanded, and I know that attending the festival itself will expand them even more, as it did last year when I attended. I admire the risks that these filmmakers are taking, even when those risks don't pan out. If you have the opportunity to attend and/or volunteer for a film festival near you, I suggest you do it. You'll get a lot out of it. Here's a list of outstanding film festivals to get you started. There are many more, and I'm sure you can find one in your area!

Have you ever attended a film festival? If so, which one? What did you think of it? Please share in a comment!

INKSPOT NEWS - May 4, 2013

2013-05-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases from Midnight Ink for May, 2013. They're all astounding reads!

Brush With Death by Karen MacInerney

"A welcome return to Maine's Cranberry Island and its sleuthing innkeeper, Natalie Barnes."     —LIBRARY JOURNAL

"The fifth Gray Whale adventure provides complex characters, stunning scenery and many recipes."     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

Carved In Darkness by Meagan Beaumont

"Pulse-pounding terror, graphic violence and a loathsome killer."     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Beaumont knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat . . . Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime, this one is the roughest rollercoaster you ever had to endure."     —SUSPENSE MAGAZINE

Heard It Through the Grapevine by Lizbeth Lipperman

“Cozy fans will have fun.”     —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Entertaining, wickedly hilarious, and thoroughly addictive . . . a spectacular reading experience.”     —SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Picture Perfect Corpse by Joanna Campbell Slan

“The characters are so well developed that each installment leaves the reader yearning for the next.”     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

“A damn good read . . . Treat yourself to a wonderful traditional-feeling mystery with characters you will love.”     —CRIMESPREE MAGAZINE

BOOK LOVERS' BUFFET BOUQUET OF BOOKS

2013-05-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

by Lois Winston

As you’re reading today’s post, I’m getting ready to attend Malice Domestic, a wonderful yearly convention of mystery authors and fans that will be held in Bethesda, MD May 3rd-5th. I’ll be taking part in Malice-Go-Round, speaking on a panel about how season affects story, and doing a book signing. At the conclusion of Malice Domestic, I’ll be heading to Oakmont, PA for the annual Festival of Mystery on Monday, May 6th.

However, there’s also something else going on over the next three days that I’m very excited about -- the Book Lovers’ Buffet.

A group of authors, many of them bestselling and award-winning authors, have gotten together to offer the Book Lovers’ Buffet, a special “Bouquet of Books” sale running from May 1st through May 3rd. During these three days, more than 175 e-books are reduced in price to just .99 cents. Categories include contemporary romance, young adult, mystery & suspense, historical, paranormal, and more.

I’m taking part in the sale with Hooking Mr. Right, one of my award-winning contemporary romances, written under my Emma Carlyle pen name. Hooking Mr. Right is a story about a guy, a girl, and a matchmaking cat. And because some people believe the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, there are also some mouth-watering recipes included.

If the chance to buy over 175 e-books for only .99 cents each isn’t enticing enough, there are also prizes galore. Visit the Book Lovers’ Buffet website for a chance to win gift cards to your choice of online retailers. $400 in gift cards are up for grabs! A total of twenty-two gift cards will be given away-- one $100, two $50, four $25, five $10, and ten $5 cards.

So click on over to the Book Lovers’ Buffet and fill up your Kindle or Nook full of great summer reading before the sale ends. After May 3rd these books will go back to their regular prices.

The Witch of the South: Spotlight on Mona McGregor

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

by Jennifer Harlow

Under the guise of writing a story about how to run a successful small business, I was granted an interview with Mona McGregor, propritress of Midnight Magic in Goodnight, Virginia. In truth I had gotten her name from Dr. George Black, head of the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad, months before as part of a series of articles for Government Secrets Gazette, which is now defunct thanks to budget cuts. Hoping to blackmail or at least get a viable story, I decided to meet with as many supernaturals as possible before I, you know, got caught. Ms. McGregor was the last to accept the invitation. I met her at her two-story Victorian home in her modest yet comfortable living room. Here is a transcription of the conversation:

Jennifer Harlow (JH): Thanks so much for meeting with me. And the tea.

Mona McGregor (MM): You’re in the south now, hon. You step in this house, I’m duty bound to feed and water you, whether you like it or not.

JH: Well, I have always appreciated the kindness of stra—

Two little girls, one about ten and the other a few years younger, come barreling in from the kitchen. [I later learned their names are Sophie and Cora.]

Cora: Aunt Mona! Aunt Mona! Sophie won’t let me have some soda. Tell her I can.

MM: You’ve had enough sugar today. You’re about a sugar cube away from running to California Water only. And don’t disturb us again, okay?

Sophie: Yes, Aunt Mona.

The elder escorted the younger from the room.

MM: Sorry about that. Everything’s a drama. So, we better make this quick before they find more trouble. Ask your questions.

JH: Fair enough. You run a magic shop, Midnight Magic. How did that come about?

MM: I inherited it from my grandmother about ten years ago. It was opened over a hundred years ago by my Great-Great Grandmother Ramona.

JH: So, when you inherit the coven, you also inherit the shop?

MM: Excuse me? What coven?

JH: The one you’re High Priestess of. According to George Black, you have over a hundred witches under your tutelage. You’re the most powerful witch in America, if not the planet. I’ve even heard you could rule the world with one hand and bake a cake with the other all with a gorgeous smile on your face. Kudos.

The witch stared me down for a few seconds.

MM: You’re not here to talk about my store, are you?

JH: Actually I’m compiling a tome on supernaturals such as yourself. I just left Kansas after talking to a telekinetic F.R.E.A.K. I lied on the off-chance you wouldn’t talk to me. Sorry. But George can vouch for me. I’ve known him for years. I’m practically an honorary F.R.E.A.K. Call him. Or Jason and Vivian Dahl, or Anna West. I’ve met them all. Got their stories, now I want yours. Bet it’s a good one. So…from what George tells me, you can control the elements: earth, air, fire, water.

MM: [a long pause] Yeah, I’m a walking natural disaster.

JH: And you’ve been in charge of the coven since you were, what? Mid-twenties if I recall correctly. Quite a responsibility for someone so young.

MM: I’d been groomed to do it almost since birth.

JH: And you’ve lived in Goodnight all your life? Ever want to leave? Give the job to someone else?

MM: Never. Like I said, I was prepared from birth to do it. It’s why I was put on this earth. To help people, to guide them. It’s hard, yes, and sometimes I want to throttle these people, but I keep calm and carry on.

JH: You’re also one of the people in charge of the annual supernatural summit. I would think werewolves, vampires and witches wouldn’t get along.

MM: That’s why the summit is so important. It provides community. Allies. Support. When your existence is supposedly surrounded in secrecy, it’s hard to find people in the same situation as you. It can be quite lonely.

JH: I can imagine.

MM: I doubt it. [a pause] Anyway, we help each other when needed. Co-oporation. I even attend the pack Christmas party. When I’m brave enough.

JH: Yeah, they are an intense bunch.

MM: To put it mildly.

JH: Seems like you have lot on your plate. Shop, over a hundred witches, kids, taking on other supernaturals problems in the spirit of cooperation. When do you find time to sleep? Or date? [She just stared at me. Obviously a sore subject. I cleared my throat.] So, can all witches manipulate the elements?

MM: Only a High Priestess. All witches can perform spells, create potions and charms though.

JH: What does it feel like when you perform a spell?

MM: Your body goes warm and it’s like your battery is being filled. Then when you release it, it’s like releasing static electricity. That’s all magic is really. Energy.

JH: Ever have any problems with people doing black magic? Raising demons and such?

MM: Not really. Most witches are pacifists. We’re about nature and balance. Violence upsets that natural balance. Goodnight hasn’t had a death by supernatural means in decades. [scoff] We’re not werewolves.

Cora: [in other room] Aunt Mona! I need help with my homework, and Sophie’s being mean!

MM: [rolling eyes] I’m sorry, I’m going to have to cut this short. We have homework, and dinner, and I have a ton of potions still to make not to mention my sister just got engaged so…

JH: No rest for the wicked, right?

MM: [standing] Something like that. I hope you got everything you need.

I stood and was escorted to the door.

JH: Thanks for your time. And the sweet tea.

MM: Just…out of curiosity. Who said that about me? The gorgeous smile and ruling the world thing?

JH: A good reporter never reveals a source, Miss McGregor. But I will say you may not think highly of werewolves, but one sure does think highly of you.

With a wink, I walked off her painted porch.

To find out more about Ms. McGregor and the town of Goodnight, check out What's A Witch To Do available now.

Guest Blog: Adult Truths

2013-04-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

Today, let's give a big Inkspot welcome to Stephen L. Brayton.

“I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any change to.”

Yeah...I get this a lot on my documents. I'm tempted to hit Control-Z so it will erase any change I supposedly had made, but that scares me even more.

This truth made me think of note taking and how I change not only documents, but outlines and entire stories.

I'll detail outlining in a future Truth, but one of the rules to keep in mind if you are scared of outlining is: don't be governed by your outline. Unless you're Jeffrey Deaver and produce a 200 page outline knowing every single detail, your story is going to change. In fact, I'll wager that Deaver's changes as he moves through the story, if even minutely.

I am constantly making notations on my outline. Questions about certain locations or other information pop up so I jot a note to find time for research. I think of additional scenes or things to add to a scene. Recently while jogging, I thought out all of the details regarding a future fight scene my heroine Mallory will have. When I finished my run, I immediately wrote the choreography of the fight. Sometimes I run into problems, usually time related and I'll make a note to review the day's activities within the story and either change a few things around or create new scenes to add. I don't like lag time. I don't like hours passing without knowing what is happening, even if my character is sleeping. I remember a particular book I read for review. I don't recall the title, but I thought the story flawed because literally days would pass within the story where nothing happened. However, the plot was such that-since it was a murder mystery with a killer on the loose-SOMETHING needed to be occurring. The detectives just didn't sit around all day. The author thought he could jump ahead to the action scenes but threw off the reader because nothing happened. I would have loved to have seen this guy's outline if it existed.

Ideas can occur anytime, anywhere. In the shower, while dreaming, while sitting at a bar slugging back martinis. (Uh, I've never done the latter, mom, so you don't have to worry. Besides, I don't like martinis.) You hear about authors writing notes on napkins and paper menus. Even on their own hand. I don't get that exotic. Scrap paper usually does the trick. The challenge is putting those scraps in a place where I won't forget about them. Yes, I have forgotten some notes, discovered them later and was unable to either remember why I wrote the note at the time or couldn't understand to what I wanted to refer.

Katherine, an author friend I've mentioned in previous blogs, saves everything. She has emails she's never opened dating back almost a year. I know this because I once sent her an email regarding a marketing plan and I subsequently lost mine. A year later, she found the email. She also saves each rewrite of her manuscripts. This is not a bad idea for some people. If you remember what changes you made the previous times, you can retrieve the information if needed in future rewrites.

The key to note taking, I think, is to not let the idea sit in your head until you can find time or material to write it down. Don't wait. Have a notebook with you constantly or have access to something at all times. If you wait even an hour until you have paper/time, you may risk losing the completeness of the thought. I know this from experience. Get it down on paper fast because to wait means other distractions intruding and designating that awesome idea to the background where it may become watered down or, heaven forbid, forgotten.

Whether it's a story idea, the germ of an idea, a news article that strikes your fancy, a scene change, a chapter addition/deletion, or a complete rewrite plan, get it down.

Save it. Save it again just to be sure you have it.

Then save it again.

Stephen L. Brayton owns and operates Brayton’s Black Belt Academy in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He is a Fifth Degree Black Belt and certified instructor in The American Taekwondo Association. He began writing as a child; his first short story concerned a true incident about his reactions to discipline. During high school, he wrote for the school newspaper and was a photographer for the yearbook. For a Mass Media class, he wrote and edited a video project. In college, he began a personal journal for a writing class; said journal is ongoing. He was also a reporter for the college newspaper.During his early twenties, while working for a Kewanee, Illinois radio station, he wrote a fantasy based story and a trilogy for a comic book. He has written numerous short stories both horror and mystery. His first novel, Night Shadows (Feb. 2011), concerns a Des Moines homicide investigator teaming up with a federal agent to battle creatures from another dimension. His second book, Beta (Oct. 2011) was the debut of Mallory Petersen and her search for a kidnapped girl. In August 2012, the second Mallory Petersen book, Alpha, was published. This time she investigates the murder of her boyfriend.

www.stephenbrayton.com

www.stephenbrayton.wordpress.com

www.braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com

One Extraordinary Librarian

2013-04-24T00:30:00.000-04:00

by Kathleen Ernst

Like all writers and readers, I owe a huge debt of thanks to librarians. As a history junkie, I’m particularly interested in the pioneers in that profession.

I recently attended a special event called “The Women of Mill City” at The Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, MN. Actors portrayed several remarkable women.

In belated honor of National Library Week, I'd like to share a bit of what I learned about Gratia Alta Countryman--who once wrote in a letter to her father, "I do so long to be more than an ordinary woman."

The daughter of immigrant farmers, Gratia Countryman (1866-1954) grew up in a time when libraries were often accessible only to those who could pay a membership fee. She attended college and became a librarian in 1889.

In 1904, she became head of the Minneapolis Public Library—the first woman to lead a metropolitan library system. In 1934 she became the first woman president of the American Library Association.

(Minnesota Historical Society/Creative Commons)

She is perhaps best remembered for her philosophy of outreach. She wanted all residents to have access to books, regardless of their income level or social status.

In her 1905 Annual Report she wrote, “How to reach the busy men and women, how to carry wholesome and enjoyable books to the far-away corners of the city, how to enlist the tired factory girls...these are some of the things which I conceive to be my duty.”

During her 32 years as head librarian, she was responsible for the construction of 12 new branch libraries and the addition of over 500,000 volumes to the city collection. She established a book wagon. She created satellite libraries in factories, hospitals, prisons, community centers for new immigrants, parks, the Salvation Army, and many other locations. She started the first children's department in the country.

(Wikipedia)

When Gratia Countryman died, her eulogy captured her passion for libraries and literacy: “In her youth a library was a sacred precinct for guarding the treasures of thought, to be entered only by the scholar and the student... Her crusading zeal carried the book to every part of her city and county, to the little child, the factory worker, the farmer, the businessman, the hospital patient, the blind and the old.”

After the performance at the museum, I spoke with the Living History Player who portrayed Gratia. We lamented the fact that instead of continuing to build upon Countryman’s accomplishments, recent years have brought a reduction in library services.

I hope that pendulum swings back again. As Gratia Countryman knew, libraries are not luxuries.

Fun with Anthropomorphism

2013-04-22T03:00:00.000-04:00

By Deborah Sharp

An osprey flew overhead the other day as I sat on the backyard dock. The big bird clutched a mullet in its talons. Sometimes, I watch as a fish flops and wriggles, trying to escape. Once I saw one break free, splashing into the New River and darting away in a streak of silver.
But not this fish. He didn't wiggle. He didn't struggle.
''Check out that mullet's face,'' I said to my husband. "He looks completely resigned to his fate.''
"Oh, great. Now you're reading the fish's mind.''
Now, I know that many scientists -- along with my husband -- scoff at ascribing human emotions to finned, furred and feathered creatures. We're just projecting our own feelings and interpretations unto them, the scientists say. Still, in the proud tradition of many a mystery author, I'm not above a bit of anthropomorphism now and then. In my Mace Bauer Mysteries, a gator may look accusingly at the main character -- who has a sideline as a trapper. Sometimes, a cat that Mace inherited seems to listen sympathetically to her problems.
In my life outside fiction, I frequently imagine I know how an animal ''feels'' by the expression on its face.
A squirrel scurrying across an oak branch took a tumble and hit the ground, right at my feet. He wasn't hurt, but before he scrambled away, he shot me a look of sheer embarrassment. Recovering quickly, he replaced it with what looked more like cockiness.
"Uh, yeah, I intended to do that,'' said the look on his pointed little face.
I've also seen proud horses, regal birds, and confident cats. They reveal so much in the way they hold their heads, along with the look in their eyes.
I thought I was alone in this little quirk until I stumbled across thousands of hits for ''Guilty Dogs'' on the Internet. (Honestly, you can get lost, but here's one fun site: http://thefw.com/guilty-dogs-in-act/ )
Not only do all these jillions of people believe their dogs feel guilt, they catch them conveying that very emotion through adorable expressions. Here's one picture of such a dog:

And another:

Cat lovers have also jumped on the bandwagon. As far as I'm concerned, the feline pictures don't measure up. The cats don't appear remorseful to me. They look brazen. Defiant. But maybe I'm just projecting my own feelings onto them. You be the judge as to whether this kitty feels bad:

Right. I didn't think so.

How about you? Do you use (or like to read about) animals in your mysteries? Do they express human emotions?

INKSPOT NEWS - April 20, 2013

2013-04-20T03:00:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, April 28, 2013, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM, Midnight Ink author Beth Groundwater will sign books at the "2013 Meet the Faces – Colorado Author Open House" at the Englewood Public Library, 1000 Englewood Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80110-2373.

Our Guest Velda Brotherton's Take on Sympathetic Characters

2013-04-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today visiting our blog is Velda Brotherton, author of the recent Wilda's Outlaw: The Victorians. Thank you, for being here today.

Sympathetic Characters Make Your Story

Several reviews of my books claim my strongest point is creating characters, and sometimes I'm not sure how that came about. People fascinate me, especially those who are slightly off kilter. Who walk the edge and often topple off it. One thing's clear, in all the years I've spent writing and observing people, they do change and often. If everyone remained the same from young adulthood to old age, how boring they would be. Both to others and themselves. And one thing's for sure, even the best plot will fall flat without interesting characters.

As I create characters, they change over the course of the story. They adapt to the world around them, wherever they may go. They grow stronger and wiser while they struggle to survive whatever I throw at them.

No two are alike either. Each has some flaw that defines them, just as their strengths define them. Their fears are useful too. If a character fears dark places, then put her there sooner or later so she will have to overcome that fear. Challenge each one with the toughest conditions you can come up with. Don't feel sorry for them, don't let up. Once they conquer one challenge, hit them with another. They will develop their own strengths and weaknesses.

Not only is it important to create different characters for your novel, it is important they don't all speak alike. Perfection is boring, as is perfect English as the spoken word. So working on the dialog of each character is so essential. In today's world, though, dialect is a no-no. That was popular when Mark Twain was writing his wonderful books. It no longer is. A word or two, sprinkled sparsely is enough. It's sufficient to say he spoke with a Western twang and dropped his gs, or she spoke with a southern drawl as sweet as honey, than it is to try and write their speeches phonetically.

Some writers make charts for their characters. I don't. Mine develop their own lives as I write the first two or three chapters. It's fun to discover from my heroine that she is afraid of rats and not snakes, or that she is tolerant of the behavior of the hero because she has three brothers, and then realize three or four chapters later that this is going to work fine with a scene. Of course, this means a lot of scribbling as I write to make sure I don't forget anything. I'm a firm believer that our brains allow certain things to happen for a reason when we write. We should go with our "gut" so to speak. However, some people cannot write that way, and that's fine. Make charts, do outlines, write synopsis if you want.

Create characters that readers can relate to, sympathize with, laugh and cry with, and you'll have a good book.

Velda Brotherton is the author of 15 historical books, both fiction and nonfiction. She writes of romance in the old West with an authenticity that makes her many historical characters ring true. A knowledge of the rich history of our country comes through in both her fiction and nonfiction books, as well as in her writing workshops and speaking engagements. She just as easily steps out of the past into contemporary settings to create novels about women with the ability to conquer life’s difficult challenges. Tough heroines, strong and gentle heroes, villains to die for, all live in the pages of her novels and books.

You can visit her at:

Website: http://www.veldabrotherton.com

Blog: http://www.veldabrotherton.wordpress.com

FB: http://www.facebook.com/authorveldabrotherton

Twitter: @veldabrotherton

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Y89PXW Wilda's Outlaw

Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/veldabrotherton

Kindle Books: http://www.tinyurl.com/7dr9mbn

Carved in Darkness... Synopsis and Reviews

2013-04-17T11:40:00.000-04:00

By: Maegan Beaumont

It's almost here! The debut of my first novel, Carved in Darkness, is upon us (May 8th!). In anticipation, I thought I'd share a short synopsis along with a few reviews....

Past horrors bleed into a present-day nightmare

Fifteen years ago, a psychotic killer abducted seventeen-year-old Melissa Walker. For 83 days she was raped, tortured, and then left for dead in a deserted churchyard . . . but she was still alive.

Melissa begins a new life as homicide inspector Sabrina Vaughn. With a new face and a new name, it’s her job to hunt down murderers—a job she does very well.

But when Michael O’Shea, a childhood acquaintance with a suspicious past, suddenly finds her, he brings to life the nightmare Sabrina has long since buried.

Believing his sister was recently murdered by the same monster who attacked Sabrina, Michael is dead set on getting his revenge—using Sabrina as bait.

Praise for Carved in Darkness:

“Beaumont knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat . . . Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime, this one is the roughest rollercoaster you ever had to endure.”—Suspense Magazine

“Pulse-pounding terror, graphic violence and a loathsome killer.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Beaumont knows how to cook up and serve a dish called revenge, but she doesn't serve it cold. She serves it sizzling hot."—Vincent Zandri, bestselling author of The Remains and Murder by Moonlight

INKSPOT NEWS - April 13, 2013

2013-04-13T03:00:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, April 20th, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM, Midnight Ink author Beth Groundwater will sign books at the 2013 Longmont Library Festival's Colorado Author Open House in the Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Ave., Longmont, CO 80501.

Also on Saturday, April 20th, Deborah Sharp will be among dozens of authors scheduled to take part in the 15th Annual Southern Kentucky Bookfest in Bowling Green. Deborah's mystery panel is slotted for 1:45 pm in the Carroll Knicely Conference Center, 654 Campbell Lane, Bowling Green, KY 42101. The event is a fundraiser to promote literacy in the region.

Idea Fairy

2013-04-10T01:30:00.000-04:00

by Shannon Baker

Where do you get your ideas?

Writers get asked that all the time. Sit in on writers’ panels and workshops and it’s bound to come up 85.6% of the time. (Yes, I made up the statistic.) Most writers are polite but the overwhelming responses I’ve heard all come down to this: they have so many ideas coming at them so frequently they’re like Minnesota mosquitoes in June.

I want to shout, “ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”

My measly excuse for a lazy-assed brain churns out ideas at about the same the rate as ice freezing in Tucson.

I worked on the same novel for nine years because I thought it might be the only good idea I’d ever come up with. Ever. And really, that one didn’t come from me, either. After I told some writer friends about a random news story I found interesting, one of them asked, “When are you going to write the book?”

If I’d been one of those writers who have too many good ideas to use, I’d have figured that out all on my own. But I’m much too dense to see the obvious. Ideas are doing a kamikaze dive into my brain and I’m wondering if we should have meatloaf for dinner or if I ought to paint the living room red.

But then we moved to Flagstaff a while back. I started reading the paper to acquaint myself with the goings on around town. And there it was--the idea I’d been afraid would never arrive.

So get this: In Flagstaff, just an hour or so from the desert, there is a ski resort, Snowbowl. It’s one of the oldest in the country, dating back to 1938. Did I mention the proximity to the desert, which would hint at lack of water, and, hey, we’re in a drought!

American’s are nothing if not determined. Instead of giving in to logic, Snowbowl’s owners decided to make snow. Still, lack of water and all that. So they are using reclaimed waste water. Grey water. Pretty ingenious, right?

Turns out, not one, not two, but thirteen Native American tribes consider that mountain sacred. It features heavily into their creation stories. Are they happy about the ski resort? Naw. Does treated wastewater tickle them? Not at all.

That’s one big conflict. Perfect for a murder mystery. And I didn’t even need my writer friends, who have ideas to spare, point it out to me.

I started researching tribes in the area and found out, Hopi, one of the smallest tribes in the world lives on isolated mesas and one of their villages is the oldest constantly inhabited village in North America. This small tribe believes they are responsible for the survival of the world. The Whole World.

Then I got a job working for The Grand Canyon Trust, an environmental non-profit whose mission is protection and restoration of landscapes on the Colorado Plateau. (If you don’t know, and I didn’t before I got the job, the Colorado Plateau covers northern Arizona to southern Utah.) For twenty years I’d lived in the Nebraska Sandhills, where environmentalists are shot on sight. More conflict.

So my writer’s “What if” bone kicked in and I ended up with all these ideas. When Tainted Mountain opens, Nora Abbott is the owner of ski resort in Flagstaff on a sacred mountain and she’s just won a court victory allowing her to make snow. She’s got environmentalist tendencies which clash with mining interests and big business. The kachinas, Hopi spirits of the mountain, are not pleased. And let’s not even get into the issues with her annoying mother.

The what ifs kept coming and pretty soon I had a bunch of ideas. In fact, I had so many that I ended up with a series.

So now I’m feeling cocky. Look at me, the writer with enough ideas for the next few books.

Then a very successful writer friend of mine brought me back down to where I live. She was talking about her multi-book series and said, “I need to get this book finished so I can work on all these other books I really want to write.”

You mean one mystery series isn’t enough? I should be working on something else? She has so many ideas she doesn’t know where to start. Me? Not so much.

Where will I ever get another idea?

What about you, where do you get your ideas, and do you have any to spare?

Celebrating Libraries

2013-04-08T03:00:00.000-04:00

I'm jumping the gun a bit in celebrating libraries, because next week, April 14 - 20, is National Library Week, a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It was first celebrated in 1958. The theme this year is "Communities Matter @ Your Library" and the Honorary Chair is Caroline Kennedy. The purpose of the observance is to honor the contributions libraries and librarians make to our communities and to encourage library support and use.

Many libraries hold author festivals during and around National Library Week, inviting local authors to attend and give presentations, talk to patrons, sell and sign books, etc. I am participating in THREE library author festivals in Colorado in April:

Saturday, April 13, 2013, 12:30 - 6:00 PM
Mountain of Authors
East Library Branch of Pikes Peak Library District
5550 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Saturday, April 20, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
2013 Longmont Library Festival's Colorado Author Open House
(part of their 2-week You Belong Longmont Library Festival)
Longmont Public Library
409 4th Ave., Longmont, CO 80501

Sunday, April 28, 2013, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
2013 Meet the Faces – Colorado Author Open House
Englewood Public Library
1000 Englewood Pkwy, Englewood, CO 80110-2373

Is YOUR local library planning an event or events for National Library Week? What are they? Do you plan to attend?

While a child, I made weekly trips to the library with my mother and siblings and checked out the maximum number of books I was allowed each week. I devoured them during the week and looked forward to the next visit, when I could check out more books. Those trips fostered my lifelong love of reading, and my love of writing that developed as a result. My wish is that EVERY child has access to books in their own language to encourage them to develop a love of reading and a lifelong thirst for knowledge. Do YOU have special memories of visiting a library as a child? Share them!

Whether your libary is large ...

... or medium-sized or small,

I hope you will visit it this week or next. Check out a book or audiobook or movie, use the computer, ask a reference question, attend a program, thank a librarian for what they do, make a donation. And take a child with you!

INKSPOT NEWS - April 6, 2013

2013-04-06T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here are the new releases from Midnight Ink for April, 2013. They're all excellent reads!

Final Settlement by Vicki Doudera

"Credible characters and evocative descriptions of smalltown Maine in winter complement the fast-paced plot."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"A twisty fourth case that strikes close to the bone for a complex, likeable sleuth."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Jamaica Plain by Colin Campbell

"Grim and gritty and packed with action and crackling dialogue."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

Music of Ghosts by Sallie Bissell

"A top-notch thriller."
—PEOPLE
"A grim but well-written adventure that skillfully interweaves Cherokee lore and human nature at its best and worst."
—BOOKLIST

Untold Damage by Robert K. Lewis

"Equally rooted in the struggle for justice and the struggle for sobriety, Lewis' debut makes it clear that there may be no clear right or wrong."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

In other news, Midnight Ink author Beth Groundwater will appear at the Pikes Peak Library District's "Mountain of Authors" program on April 13th, 11 AM - 6 PM, East Library Branch, 5550 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918.

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

2013-04-03T00:30:00.000-04:00

by Lois Winston

One of the most common questions authors are asked is, “Where do you get the ideas for your books?” My ideas for characters, scenes, and plots often bloom from actual people and events. Often something will happen in my own life, or an event will occur that I read about in the newspaper or see on the news, and I store it away for future reference, knowing it’s too good not to use in a book.

Case in point: March 6, 2011. My husband and I are watching “Sunday Morning” on CBS. Bill Geist is interviewing a woman by the name of Laura Bell who creates paintings out of dryer lint. Her masterpiece is a 14-foot x 4-foot replica of Leonardo daVinci’s “The Last Supper,” which took her 7 months of lint collecting and 200 hours to create. “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” bought the piece for $12,000. Really. I’m not making this up. You can see a video of the interview here.

Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, had debuted two months prior to this interview appearing on television. I had already turned in Death by Killer Mop Doll, the second book in the series and had begun work on Revenge of the Crafty Corpse.

In Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, Lyndella Wegner, a 98-year-old resident of an assisted living facility is a consummate crafter with a penchant for anything X-rated. The moment I saw Bill Geist’s interview of Laura Bell, I knew Lyndella had to create lint paintings. Her piece de resistance is a three-foot tall, two-dimensional reproduction of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, “David,” down to every anatomical detail, minus any censoring of a certain body part.

Now, some might read Revenge of the Crafty Corpse and scoff at the idea of anyone painting with lint. Some readers might think Lyndella is a totally unrealistic character. Painting with dryer lint does sound kind of absurd, doesn’t it? But go back and look at the title of this blog post: Truth is Stranger than Fiction. Laura Bell and her $12,000 check from Ripley’s certainly proves that.

Award-winning author Lois Winston writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series. She's also published in women's fiction, romance, romantic suspense, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Visit Lois at her website or Emma's website, and visit Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog.

A Little Southern Witchcraft to Make You Foolish

2013-04-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

by Jennifer Harlow

I recently, like today, just ended a fifty stop blog tour. During it I was asked to come up with a cocktail for this blog in honor of my latest release, What’s A Witch To DO? I thought, “Oh, that’ll be easy.” I come from a long line of drinkers, though that gene sadly passed me by, so since I was a child I’ve been mixing martinis and many varieties of rum punches. I even took a bartending class in college. But when it came time to become a chef, not just a cook, I was at a loss. What drink would best represent my main character, Mona McGregor and the sleepy Southern town Goodnight she calls home? What would she drink after a long day of crossing items off her endless “To Do” list? Like mixing a good magic potion, mixing a drink is all about balance and finding the correct ingredients that compliment one another. Much like finding the right man, huh?

Today, in honor of April Fool's Day, I'll share my creation. What I came up with is a variation on a Long Island Ice Tea that I’ll call, A Little Southern Witchcraft. One of the things to me that immediately brings to mind the good Ole’ South, besides painted porches and Spanish moss, is sweet tea. So I came up with a Long Island Ice Tea that could be transported to those painted porches. Here it is:

A Little Southern Witchcraft

½ oz Triple Sec

½ oz light rum

½ oz gin

½ oz Apeach Absolt Vodka

½ oz peach schnapps

1 oz Sweet and Sour Mix

A dash of cola

1 tablespoon Karo syrup

Rim a Tom Collins glass with sugar, stir, and serve over ice

Serves one

Happy drinking! And happy April Fool's Day! May the booze make you silly on the one day it's expected.

INKSPOT NEWS - March 30, 2013

2013-03-30T03:00:00.000-04:00

On Friday, April 5th, 2013, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM during the Breckenridge Lady's First Friday event, Midnight Ink author Beth Groundwater will sign copies of her Claire Hanover gift basket designer titles at The French Kiss, 226 South Main Street, Breckenridge, CO 80424.

Guest Post- Names Are Important

2013-03-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today we are happy to have guest poster James R. Callan, author of A Ton of Gold here to talk about the importance of naming characters. Welcome James!

Names Are Important by James R. Callan

Is selecting a name for you characters important? Have you ever just picked up the telephone directory, opened it at random and grabbed a name?

Suppose Margaret Mitchell had named her protagonist Jane. Would she have started the reader with a different impression than she did when she selected Scarlett? Before we even meet Scarlett we have a feeling about her. Scarlett reminds us of heat, emotion, energy, fire. We expect a fiery, energetic, volatile woman.

Do we start out with a different impression if the man guy is named Winston or Joe?

J.K. Rowling is one of the most successful writers of our time. Do you think she spent time on her characters’ names – and not just the major characters? And did they start us out with an impression? Draco Malfoy? Nymphadora Tonks? Ron Wesley? Servius Snape? Those names did not just trip off her tongue; she worked to come up with them. Why, with all those great names, did she name the protagonist a rather plain name – Harry Potter? Perhaps she wanted to give us the impression that he was an ordinary person, a reluctant hero.

The name is part of the character. Why do people change their name in real life? Because they want a different persona, a different outward expression that better reflects how they feel about themselves, how they want to be viewed. So you, the writer who is creating this character, need to decide how the character views herself.

In Deadly Additive, Donn Taylor named a secondary character who always operated on the edge, Brinkman. An accident? I don’t think so. Ian Fleming gave us some insight into the character of his antagonist in The Richest Man in the World when he named him Auric Goldfinger.

Can the name mislead us? Certainly, if you want it to. Just don’t let it happen by mistake. Tiffany can be a person who spends her life helping the homeless, living and eating with them, and then returning to her one room under the Elevated. Maybe her parents are rich and she was to be a debutant. But the girl wanted to do something more important.

You can use the name to help make the case for who this person is, or who the parents imagined she might be. Holly Golightly was a happy, carefree woman. Sam Spade was a straight forward, no frills, hard working person who dug for clues.

Suppose your heroine is named Catherine. If she calls herself Cat, that tells us how she sees herself, and how the reader should view her.

Select the names of your characters carefully. Do not use the name as simply a way to distinguish one character from another. Make a conscious effort to select a name that helps build your character.

You work hard to give your book a name that will entice the reader to pick it up and read. Select your character name to make your book memorable.

A Ton of Gold

A contemporary mystery / suspense novel

Can long forgotten, old folk tales affect the lives of people today? In A Ton of Gold, one certainly affected young, brilliant Crystal Moore. She stands on the brink of losing everything – her only family, her self-esteem, her career and quite possibly her life. Two people are killed, others threatened, a house burned and an office fire-bombed – all because of an old folk tale, greed and ignorance.

On top of that, the man who nearly destroyed Crystal emotionally is coming back. This time he can destroy her career. She’ll need all the help she can get from a former bull rider, her streetwise housemate and her feisty 76 year-old grandmother.

About James Callen

After a successful career in mathematics and computer science, receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA, and being listed in Who’s Who in Computer Science and Two Thousand Notable Americans, James R. Callan turned to his first love—writing. He wrote a monthly column for a national magazine for two years, and published several non-fiction books. He now concentrates on his favorite genre, mystery/suspense, with his fourth book, A Ton of Gold, released in February, 2013.

Website: www.jamesrcallan.com

Blog site: www.jamesrcallan.com/blog

Facebook: James Callan

Twitter: @jamesrcallan

On Amazon, in paperback, at: http://amzn.to/UQrqsZ

Or the Kindle edition at: http://amzn.to/12PeHJb

Or from Oak Tree Press at: http://bit.ly/WJXcWl

Historical Fiction?

2013-03-27T01:09:00.002-04:00

by Kathleen Ernst

Recently, a reader asked if my Chloe Ellefson Historic Sites Mysteries are historical fiction.

The first three books in the series are set in 1982. I was in my early twenties then, so for much of the cultural context, I simply tap my own memories. For me, and for some of my readers, the '80s were the good old days.

On the other hand, some of my readers weren't born until well after 1982. I occasionally get emails from people wondering about details like coiled telephone cords.

So, are the Chloe books historical fiction? Depends on who you ask. Some writers' organizations set an arbitrary date---if a book is set before 1960, for example, it is indeed "historical."

The Historical Novel Society takes a different approach. That group considers any novel historical if it takes place before the author was born. That means an author approaches the setting through research, not memory. I like that definition because it focuses on process. It does set a sliding scale, though. A book set in 1990 might be classified as historical fiction, while a book set in 1943 might not.

When I'm writing for kids, the whole notion of historical fiction presents a different challenge. My latest children's mystery is set during the War of 1812. It's hard for an eight-year-old to get a handle on "two hundred years ago."

I sometimes get letters from kids who seem to think I lived through the War of 1812.

I cherish the curiosity evident in that letter. How cool that the young letter-writer finished a book and felt compelled to write to the author! The literal meaning of "two centuries ago" doesn't matter.

Bottom line: I don't really care how my books are classified. I hope they tell good stories and touch readers' hearts. If they foster an interest in history... that's frosting on the proverbial cake.

Speaking of cake, I'm celebrating the publication of my 25th book--Traitor in the Shipyard--with 25 weeks of book giveaways. Interested? You can find all the details on my own blog, or on my Facebook Author Page. Readers make everything possible, and I'm grateful!

Thank you? How Rude!

2013-03-25T03:06:00.000-04:00

By Deborah Sharp

A New York Times columnist sparked an online skirmish about etiquette this month with a grumpy tirade against what he sees as digital time-wasters:

Some people are so rude, wrote the Times' Nick Bilton. Really, who sends an e-mail or text message that just says 'Thank you?' Who leaves a voice mail when you don't answer, rather than texting you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google?

Don't these people realize that they're wasting your time?

The column generated upwards of 600 comments, with the most negative reserved for how Bilton's apparently harried life plays out in his communication mandates to Mom and Dad:

My father learned this lesson last year after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to, Bilton wrote. Exasperated, he called my sister to complain that I never returned his calls. 'Why are you leaving him voice mails?' my sister asked. 'No one listens to voice mail anymore. Just text him.'

My mother realized this long ago. Now we communicate mostly through Twitter. . .

Wow!

One comment summed up what many readers seemed to be feeling: ''My heart breaks for this man's father.''

Count me as squarely in that commenter's camp.

Even so, Bilton did make some good points about the perils of trying to communicate in our over-connected, over-wired world. I think there's a special place in hell for people who insist on texting me, even after I've repeatedly said I'd rather get an old-fashioned phone call or the dreaded email. My nieces and nephews, though, are about as likely to pick up a telephone as they are to motor down to the Western Union office in a Model T and send me a telegram. So I text.

Loved U on Utube. LOL

Bilton is also irritated by people who ask questions easily answered on the Internet. The weather. Directions. If his column portends the end of a civil society. (Just kidding on that last one).

He interviewed another curmudgeon for the article, a man who happened to be an author. This guy carped about people who ask him via social media where they can buy his book, rather than simply turning to Google for that information. I don't know about you, but I'm HAPPY when somebody asks how to buy my book. No way would I snarkily reply with the link lmgtfy.com, which stands for Let Me Google That For You.

How about you? What's your preferred communication mode? Do you send thank-you emails, or consider them time-wasters? Do you make your mother reach out and touch you through Twitter?

INKSPOT NEWS - March 23, 2013

2013-03-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, a plethora of Midnight Ink authors have descended on Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the Left Coast Crime 2013 conference. Three Midnight Ink books have been nominated for awards at the conference, as shown below:

The Lefty has been awarded for the best humorous mystery novel since 1996, and Midnight Ink author Jess Lourey's December Dread mystery is one of six nominees.

The Rocky, for the best mystery novel set in the Left Coast Crime Geographical Region, was first awarded in 2004 and two Midnight Ink authors have nominated books: Beth Groundwater's Wicked Eddies and Darrell James' Sonora Crossing.

The Bruce Alexander Memorial Award for best historical mystery began in 2004. New Midnight Ink author, Catriona McPherson is nominated for her Minotaur release Dandy Gilver and An Unsuitable Day for a Murder.

Midnight Ink authors are appearing on panels and at other special events throughout the conference. If you are attending, please stop by the following events today and tomorrow:

Saturday 7:30–9:00 AM - Meet the Established Authors Breakfast, Beth Groundwater, G.M. Malliet, Catriona McPherson

Saturday 9:00–9:45 AM - Traditional Mysteries: Murder by the Book, G. M. Malliet

Saturday 9:00–9:45 AM - You Say Teepee, I Say Hogan: Writing Other Cultures, Shannon Baker

Saturday 11:00–11:45 AM - Sex! Now That We Have Your Attention, Do You Write for One Sex, or Both?, Darrell James

Saturday 2:15 - 3:00 PM: The Sporting Side of Murder, Beth Groundwater

Saturday 2:15–3:00 PM: Foreign Affairs: Thrills from Other Countries, G. M. Malliet, Catriona McPherson

Saturday 3:15 - 4:00 PM: Writing the West: The Rocky Nominees, Beth Groundwater, Darrell James

Sunday 9:00–9:45 AM - Breaking and Entering: Tales of the First Sale, Linda Joffee Hull, Catriona McPherson

Greetings from Left Coast Crime!

2013-03-22T00:30:00.000-04:00

I'm making no apologies for using this blogspot to showcase the many minkers and honorary minkers who're here at Left Coast Crime in Colorado Springs, hanging out, getting nominated for things, having the odd cocktail or two.

Here, in the nominee line-up for the Rocky - best mystery novel set in the LCC region (half the country, if anyone's asking me), are not one but two minkers, Darrell James and Beth Groundwater, along with Craig Johnson, Chuck Greaves and Margaret Coel.

One thing I love about LCC is their award categories. Here are some of the nominees for the Lefty - the funniest mystery novel: Nancy West, Brad Parks, Laura Disilverio and known geezer Mike Befeler

And since her smile could light up the Rockies at night, here's Laura again:

There is an minker nominated in this category - Jess Lourey. Here she is doing her fabled Terri Bischoff impersonation:

Another original category - my favourite, I think - is the Watson award, for best sidekick. And here's LC Haydn, sidekickless as it happens, but unbowed.

Finally the nominees for the Bruce Alexander award for historical mysteries about the 1920s and 30s, set overseas and written by blonde Brits living in Northern California:

Niche? We don't think so, Rhys Bowen and me.