Adventures in Bedlam

Where I Work

2012-02-09T18:00:33-08:00

On Tuesday we celebrate the one year anniversary of living in our house. To celebrate, I thought I'd post pictures of my office space.

John Hornor Jacobs started this "trend" of writers showing their office a couple of months ago. It took me that long to clean up and rearrange my office, but over the weekend I finally got it in some kind of working order.

Here is the wide shot:

The room is pretty big, but since it's got to function as both my office, my gym, and our guest room, space must be used wisely.

Well, maybe not so wisely, because my desk is huge, and I love it. I got it from a Craigslist ad about four months ago.

There are actually no bookcases in the room since I've got a big one in the hallway right outside the door. But these are the books I use on a regular basis or that inspire me so I keep them close.

I know three monitors seems excessive but really, they are very useful.

The picture below is my treadmill desk. It's really not very high tech--Mick just built me a little wooden platform I can rest my laptop on. I try to go 10,000 steps a day, and most days, that means I have to spend a little quality time on the treadmill.

I was going for a Mad Men vibe with my furnishings. Didn't quite acheive it, but I'm very happy with it just the same. I got this chandelier for less than $100 on Overstock.com.

Another Craigslist find. This dresser is actually one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the house.

So I mentioned my office is also the guest room. This is actually a trundle bed that pulls out to make a king-size bed. Buying this was one of the best decisions we ever made because it saves so much space but allows our guests to be comfy.

Finally, this chair (another Craigslist item) doesn't serve much of a purpose other than to be awesome (it's partner is in the living room).

I still need to paint since the mint green doesn't quite do it for me, but that might not happen for awhile.

So this is where I work most days. If I'm writing a first draft I use a yellow legal pad and write all over the house. Sometimes I sit at the dining room table too because for some reason I find it hard to sit in the same spot all the time.

Wanna see more writers' offices?

John Hornor Jacobs
Daniel B. O'Shea (He inspired the treadmill desk)
Keith Rawson

Confessions of a Terrible Dog Mom

2012-02-03T09:50:59-08:00

This is an admittedly self-indulgent post, but really, aren't they all? Still, I feel required to begin with that disclaimer because I'm feeling rather traumatized at the moment when I really have no right to be, as you shall soon see. On with the post then.

There's nothing quite like watching your twelve year-old, arthritic dog fall head first down ten stairs to ruin your day.

Much to my surprise, he's fine. He got up, shook himself off, and waited for Mick to come down and carry him down the remaining stairs. He went for his usual morning walk and everything seems to be in the semi-working order it was in before the fall.

But if there was any doubt I'd make a terrible mother, let it be dispelled now, because the whole incident was my fault. Allow me to explain:

Our little family has a routine. Somewhere between 4:30 and 6:30am, the dogs decide it's time to get up. Some days are more urgent than others--if we don't act quick enough, there might be an accident. Or in Stella's case, an "accidentally on purpose." This morning things didn't seem too frantic and we all took our time.

One of the reasons we bought this house was so that we wouldn't have to take our aging dog Stuart down to the street four times a day in the condo elevator. We went through that with Kramer and cute as he was in his little red wagon, it was really no fun for anyone. Now that Stuart had reached seniorhood, it seemed a nice little backyard was just the thing.

But damned if we didn't choose a house with stairs leading to the master bedroom. Stuart's had trouble with those stairs pretty much since the first moment we moved in, and most days/nights, Mick hauls him up and down. I don't do it because frankly, I'm afraid of falling down them myself, and carrying Stuart only increases the liklihood I'll end up at the bottom of the landing in a heap.

This brings me to Stella. Being the untrustworthy sort, her feet are forbidden to touch the floor in the morning until after she's been outside. I carry her downstairs every morning (at nine pounds vs. Stuart's thirty, she's a much safer option for me).

This morning Mick must've took a little too long to get ready because Stuart followed me to the stairs instead of waiting for Mick to carry him down. It happens occasionally and I didn't think much of it. But this time, when he stepped onto the first stair, his back legs collapsed. He wouldn't, or couldn't get up, even with some gentle prodding. I was still holding Stella and didn't want to risk putting her down, so I propped up Stuart's hind legs to see if they were still working. Sounds perfectly reasonable, right?

Except I propped him up ON THE STAIRS. With his front legs on a bottom step and his back legs on the step behind it. Truly, I might as well have shoved him down the stairs myself, because pretty much as soon as I let go of him, he tumbled helplessly down to the bottom of the landing. HEAD FIRST. I could only watch in horror. I didn't move, I didn't even let go of Stella. I JUST WATCHED (and screamed for Mick).

Hell, I think even Stella was traumatized because she was strangely subdued as I attached her leash. Usually she's scratching at the door, desperate to get out and bark at the world.

Like I said, Stuart's okay, sleeping peacefully as if the whole thing never happened. But I remain sad and troubled, because what I did was not only thoughtless, it was lazy. It was clear Stuart's legs were not working properly this morning--how hard would it have been for me to stand there and wait for Mick? Or, God forbid, let Stella run down the stairs herself so I could help Stuart?

What if he would've hurt himself?

Oh, the shame.

I'll get over it. But right now I'm feeling pretty damned guilty.

Mini Review: Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

2012-01-16T11:14:09-08:00

From the book's website:

Christine wakes up every morning in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle- aged face. And every morning, the man she has woken up with must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, she is forty-seven years old, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it’s the phone call from a Dr. Nash, a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine without her husband’s knowledge, that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband she is completely dependent upon.

Every day, Christine must begin again the reconstruction of her past. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more un- believable it seems.

What happens when you've lost your memory and must begin every day without remembering the day before it? This is what's happened to Christine Lucas. The prospect seems disturbing, even horrible, at first, but as the book goes on you realize that it's truly terrifying.

If I had one criticism of this book, I'd say it wasn't fast paced enough, but then I generally read novels so fast paced I find myself gasping for breath. By comparison, this one moves relatively slow. However, it is full of suspense, and I quickly became completely invested in Christine, rooting for her to regain her memory, or at least understand what had happened to her. Ultimately, it's a thoroughly satisfying read.

I gave Before I Go to Sleep 5 stars on GoodReads.

Mini Review: V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

2012-01-06T09:44:51-08:00

Happy New Year!

I love the start of a new year. Everything feels all fresh and full of potential. Actually, I love smaller starts too: Mondays, Birthdays, whatever. I don't need much to motivate me to start something new or act on a plan.

That said, I do have a few goals for 2012. One of them is to read more books and another is to review more of those books. I'm not much of a reviewer though--I leave that to my friends like Jen Forbus, Elizabeth A. White, and Pop Culture Nerd.

Still, I do like to record my thoughts about books on websites like GoodReads, and occasionally, Amazon (though I would encourage you to purchase the book at your local independent bookstore, such as Mysterious Galaxy or Murder by the Book). Just a quick blurb about what I liked and/or didn't like about a novel. Starting this year, I'm also going to post these "mini reviews" here on my blog.

So, without further delay, here's my first review of 2012:

Overall, I loved this book, as I do all the Kinsey Millhone novels. Reading one is like visiting an old friend, and I always feel a tiny bit lonely when I'm finished, knowing it'll be two years before I get to see her again. With that said, V's plot was a little too convoluted and tied up a little too neatly at the end. It starts out strong, then sags a bit toward the end of the middle, without picking up again until nearly the very end. It's still a good book, and worthy of Kinsey, it's just not the best of Grafton's series.

Top 10 in '11

2011-12-12T10:14:49-08:00

This year I kept track of the books I read using Good Reads. I set an initial goal of reading 25 books, but upped it to 35 sometime mid-year when I realized I was way ahead of schedule. I'm at 33 now with three weeks to go until we ring in the new year.

Here are my top ten picks for 2011, in no particular order:

1) A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF by Lawrence Block

What can I say? This book was a treat. I thought we'd seen the last of Matthew Scudder, one of my all-time favorite private eyes in fiction, but thankfully, Mr. Block decided he had another story to tell about Matt Scudder and the result is one of the strongest Scudder novels yet.

2) SUNSET AND SAW DUST by Joe R. Lansdale

2011 was a great year for discovering "new-to-me" authors. I'm almost ashamed to admit I'd never read Lansdale until Ruth Jordan sent me this book. It's a pretty brutal story, set in depression era Texas, about Sunset Jones, who kills her abusive husband and ends up taking over his job as constable. The story itself is notable, but Lansdale's prose and characterizations are what really make the novel shine.

3) THE COLD KISS by John Rector

I swear, I couldn't read this book fast enough. The setting is familiar, almost has a Bates Motel feel to it. But the characters are as unique and creepy as they come. I actually read two of Rector's novels this year (the other one being ALREADY GONE) and you can officially count me as a huge John Rector fan.

4) THE LOCK ARTIST by Steve Hamilton

Michael might be mute, but he is also a genius--at safe-cracking. This novel intertwines his tragic history and his evolution as a lock artist, able to open even the toughest safe. Sure, he can't talk, but Michael is one of the most compelling voices I've read in a long time, and his story is even more compelling.

5) A FIELD OF DARKNESS by Cornelia Read

Talk about compelling voices. I can't get enough of Madeleine Dare, Cornelia Read's protagonist. Her take on life is unique, given her family history. As Madeleine says, "our money is so old it ran out." In this novel, Madeleine learns a chilling family secret and sets out to find the truth.

6) THE END OF EVERYTHING by Megan Abbott

This novel has received numerous accolades this year, and deservedly so. When 13 year-old Lizzie's best friend Evie disappears without a trace, Lizzie begins a furtive search of her own and uncovers secrets about her closest friend she never imagined existed. Parts of this book literally took my breath away.

7) DOPE by Sara Gran

Hell's Kitchen, 1950s. Josephine, a former addict, is offered a thousand dollars to find a suburban couple's missing daughter. It seems easy enough, but Josephine soon finds herself entrenched in the gritty NYC drug culture she thought she'd escaped from. I loved it for the story and the atmosphere, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Gran's work.

8) SOUTHERN GODS by John Hornor Jacobs

Recent World War II veteran Bull Ingram is working as muscle when a Memphis DJ hires him to find blues man Ramblin' John Hastur. Part mystery, part horror, and part southern gothic, I've never read anything like it. But its true strength is its lovely prose, its rich atmosphere, and its vivid characters.

9) A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE by R.J. Ellory

What begins as a fairly straightforward investigation into a group of Washington DC killings, evolves into a story about CIA activities in Nicaragua, government conspiracy, and the corruption caused by power. In less competent hands, this multi-layered plot could become convoluted, but Ellory expertly weaves the elements together by carefully doling out information, slowly, even exquisitely. Part police procedural, part murder mystery, and part conspiracy thriller, A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE is so well-done it marvels the writer in me and delights the reader in me.

10) CALIFORNIA GIRL by T. Jefferson Parker

Orange County, California, 1950s. When the body of lovely Janelle Vonn, who disappeared years before, is discovered in an abandoned orange packing plant, the Becker brothers set out to uncover the truth about Janelle's death. The plot is multi-layered and nicely woven together, which as I noted above is not an easy thing to do, but Parker makes it seems effortless.

Guest Review: POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

2011-11-28T09:37:47-08:00

My friend Kate Carruth is a 13-year-old avid reader who was kind enough to stop by my blog today and give her thoughts about Gretchen McNeil's debut novel, POSSESS. Thanks, Kate!

The novel Possess by Gretchen McNeil is a unique and equally thrilling story. With a tough and rebellious heroine and a mysterious cast, the whole plot makes a great story that you just do not want to put down. McNeil does a skillful and artistic job of piecing everything together in her very first novel.

Possess starts off with a bang and no lag at all. The main character, Bridget, comes off as any other good Catholic girl who cares next to nothing about what people think about her. And then you realize, after you learn of her father’s murder and a demonic experience of banishment, she as far from your typical teenage girl as one can get. After hearing cold, monstrous voices in the walls and feeling the atmosphere around her change, she seeks out help from the exorcist Monsignor Renault, who teaches her how to use her newfound power. Everything changes when a suspicious character turns up, Father Santos. He warns Bridget of what she is and is surprised to hear that she doesn’t already know. Once a close friend of hers is murdered at her church, the only person she can trust is luscious, but annoyingly overprotective, Matt Quinn. That’s when the story really begins to take off and the mysteries unravel.

I’ve been super excited to start reading Possess over my Thanksgiving break. I am pleased to say that the story was simply astounding. The main character, Bridget, is loveable and somebody you can totally relate to (except for her exorcism powers, that is). The humor in this book is much like the humor Rick Riordan shows in his Percy Jackson series to ease the darkness and tension of some parts. Also, the right information is given to you at the right time, unlike some books that throw a boatload of knowledge at you out of the blue. Another one of my favorite aspects of this book is the romance. You really feel how the character feels for another character, and the love isn’t excessive’ cheesy, or sappy. This is finally a book that fits that criteria. If you liked Banished by Sophie Littlefield or the fantasy bits of the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Myers, I highly suggest this book. Possess is aimed toward people who love thrillers with dark humor. It is most definitely a book that will please everyone.

This novel is surely one that will please all who read it. Possess is an incredible story, the first book written by Gretchen McNeil. I am very impressed with her ability to write for she has a really special gift. If you’re searching for an exciting, captivating read that never skips a beat, look no further than Possess. Trust me, it’s seriously awesome and worth your time.

I'm Just Drawn That Way

2011-11-16T20:03:57-08:00

I'm sitting here listening to Levon Helm sing The Mountain. It's a song about coal mining that's touches me so deeply that it makes me want to weep. It also makes me want to write beautifully tragic stories.

It got me thinking about things and places I'm drawn to, that I've always been drawn to. I don't know, maybe my viewing of COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER at the tender age of twelve influenced me (and coincidentally, Levon Helm played Loretta Lynn's father in the film), but I do have an attraction to the culture of coal mining, West Virginia, and Appalachia. Mind you, it's a romanticized version (like if Disneyland had a "Coal Mining Land"), but an attraction just the same. And I don't mean to make light of coal mining--I know it's a tough, dangerous life.

Someday I'd like to write a story set in this world, but my greatest fear is not doing it justice. It deserves to have justice done.

But that said, I felt the same way about London, specifically 17th century London. I honestly don't know why I thought I could write a novel set during this time (especially my first novel), but somehow I managed to do it. I'm still working on doing it justice, but I have no doubt I will.

So there's hope for my Appalachian mystery yet.

Other things I'm drawn to:

-- Voodoo and other African religions and how they adapted themselves to Christianity
-- Storyville in New Orleans
-- California Gold Rush country (I grew up there)

Will I ever write stories or novels about these places/things? I probably will. But one thing just struck me--everything I'm compelled to write about starts with a place or a time in history, or a theme. The characters come second. I don't mean to say they come second in the actual writing, but the thing that forms first for me is the setting, and then I mold the characters to fit into it. I wonder if that will change as I continue writing?

What about you? What are you drawn to?

Two Bits of Advice

2011-10-19T16:37:38-07:00

1. Read your work aloud

2. Write flash fiction (generally stories 1000 words or less).

An Ode (of sorts) to NEEDLE Magazine

2011-10-11T11:19:57-07:00

Don't know why, but the more I look at this cover, the more enthralled I am by it:

Sure, part of the reason is because my name's on it, I ain't gonna lie. It could also be the nipples. But John Hornor Jacobs, the Creative Director at NEEDLE: a Magazine of Noir, designs some kick ass covers. I've been a fan for a long time.

The bastard can write, too. Seriously, SOUTHERN GODS might be my favorite novel of 2011. All that talent in one person doesn't seem quite fair.

But with NEEDLE, the hits don't stop there. Senior Editor Steve Weddle is kind of one of my heroes. Besides being an extraordinary writer himself, he's been the single most generous person I've encountered regarding my own writing (and believe me, I've benefitted from a lot of generous writers). I don't want to get all gooey and sentimental, but dang I owe this guy a lot of thanks.

Editors Stephen Blackmore, Daniel B. O'Shea, Matthew C. Funk, and Naomi Johnson have been simililarly generous, even if they might not know I think so. More than anything their writing and commitment to crime fiction challenges me to be a better writer. They're just that good.

The Fall 2011 issue of NEEDLE includes stories by: Michael Sheedy, Peter Morin, Michael Moreci, Alan Leverone, Nolan Knight, David James Keaton, Andrew Hook, Daniel Davis, Michael Oliveri, Stephen D. Rodgers, Keith Rawson, and Art Taylor.

If that weren't enough, NEEDLE Fall '11 features Part 3 of Ray Banks's novel, WOLF TICKETS (you can read Parts 1 & 2 in previous issues of NEEDLE). The icing on the cake is a never-before-published story by the late Gil Brewer called SWEET AMY.

My own story, ONCE A LOSER, is set in 1967 Philadelphia:

When Lenny Marston's gangster uncle dies and leaves him with nothing but a dying wish, will he fulfill it or take the money and run?

The Fall issue of NEEDLE is available for purchase here. Stop by and pick yourself up a few dozen copies. And don't forget the previous issues--every one of them is great.

But wait! Visit this link for Lulu coupon codes so you can buy even more copies of NEEDLE.

Diary of Bedlam

2011-10-06T09:25:00-07:00

Update 10/6/11: DIARY OF BEDLAM is currently being revised.

I am seeking representation for my historical mystery, Diary of Bedlam, a standalone novel set in 1678 London with series potential:

Lady Isabel Wilde, a former English spy and occasional favorite in King Charles II's bedchamber, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortuneteller who caters to London's elite. Charlatans, rogues, villains, and swindlers lurk in every corner of the city, and Isabel concedes she is one of them. But hard experience has taught her that women have few enough advantages in this world, and her conscience does not often bother her.

Everything changes when Sir Edmund Godfrey, a popular London magistrate, seeks Mistress Ruby's counsel and reveals his accidental involvement in a covert plot to murder the King. Shortly after his visit, her diary, the sole record of her illicit activities as a soothsayer, is stolen, and Isabel must locate it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. When Sir Edmund's corpse is discovered a few days later, Isabel suspects whoever committed the murder also has her diary.

Unwilling to trust the investigation to a royal court infamous for its schemes and intrigues, she begins her own inquiry and learns that Sir Edmund's murder is only a small part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. A series of increasingly violent threats against her and her loved ones convince Isabel that her business is not the only thing at stake and that she must find Sir Edmund Godfrey's killer before she becomes the next victim.

I am a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Private Eye Writers of America.