Dragonfly on the Wall

Today is day 13 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour. Maybe it’s the number (although I don’t believe the number thirteen is bad luck), but I wish I could take back a word I used on Jinx Schwartz’s blog.

When she asked me to describe my writing process I said, “Writing for me is akin to being a fly on the wall.”

A fly? Seriously? What was I thinking? Flies are disgusting creatures. They’re pests that can carry diseases.

What I should have said was, “Writing for me is akin to being a dragonfly on the wall.”

They’re beautiful. They don’t spread disease. Take a look.  

To read the entire interview hop over to Jinx Schwartz’s blog. And when you get to the word 'fly', please substitute 'dragonfly'!

Leave a comment (either here or on her blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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Nicknames Stick Like Glue

Nicknames stick to people, and the most ridiculous are the most adhesive. ~Thomas C. Haliburton

Muriel Reeves would agree with that quote. In high school, thanks to Frankie Salerno, everyone called her ‘Brian’.

This is her take on how it all began….

Imagine my surprise when Frankie Salerno showed up at my front door one cold, December, Monday morning. Displaying a set of dimples that could make a grown woman cry, he gave me a quick once over and let out a long, slow, wolf whistle. “You’re looking good, Brian. Real good.”

Being ogled at is one thing. Being called that ridiculous nickname after a fifteen-year hiatus another. I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach as my thoughts traveled back to Ms. Traynor’s ninth English class when Frankie wrote me a note. I have no idea of its contents. Nor do I care. All I know is the teacher intercepted it. She read it, raised an eyebrow, and zeroed in on me.

“I believe Frankie had you in mind when he wrote this,” she said.

To my horror, she began to read the note aloud. She got as far as the salutation he’d printed on the outside of the folded sheet of three-ring notepaper.

“To the Brian.”

The class erupted into fits of laughter and Ms. Traynor, satisfied we’d suffered enough humiliation for one day, returned the note to Frankie and resumed her lesson. From that day forward, I was the girl named Brian, and Frankie became my sworn enemy.

Today is day 12 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour and if you’re curious why he called her Brian you’ll find the explanation in the excerpt on Mike Orenduff’s blog. Leave a comment (either here or on his blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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A Picture Worth 1000 Words

Do you know where this is? Odds are you do. Which means you also know the setting for Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries.

Where a story takes place is important. Used well, it becomes another character. It helps establish mood. It creates conflict and causes turmoil. It can (and should) move the story forward.

A sleepy English village on a clear, winter’s day is a profoundly different setting from a bustling Asian city of fifteen million battered by a category five typhoon. A story’s location provides distinct conditions that influence the pace, progression and telling of the story, as well as determine a character’s actions and reactions.

Western New York State is the backdrop for Frank, Incense and Muriel. Readers from around the world may not be aware of Lackawanna or Buffalo, but they will likly have heard about and/or recognize Niagara Falls. It is a romantic destination. (My mother and father honeymooned there in the 1940s!) It is also one of the natural seven wonders of the world.

Today is day 11 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour and I’m discussing setting with Marilyn Meredith. To read more of what setting can do, go to Marilyn’s blog. Leave a comment (either here or on her blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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Mirth, Mutts and Mark Twain

"He wa'n't no common dog, he wa'n't no mongrel; he was a composite. A composite dog is a dog that is made up of all the valuable qualities that's in the dog breed—kind of a syndicate; and a mongrel is made up of all riffraff that's left over." ~ Mark Twain

Pets play an important role in storytelling. When I envisioned there would be a big, ugly, but lovable dog in Frank, Incense and Muriel I was certain Big Boy would belong to Val, Muriel's aunt. 

Big Boy may be a mutt she rescued from the pound, but he's so very much more. He’s playful, energetic, yet mindful of his owner. He's a perpetual puppy always looking to discover something new, exciting and tasty. Life with Val is good. He gets fed and groomed and he loves doggy treats. Expensive doggy treats!

Today is day 10 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour and I’m visiting with Jean HenryMead.

I’m also sharing an excerpt from Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries, where Frankie is first introduced to Big Boy.

Here’s a snippet:

..........

(Frankie) He fixed me with a level stare but before he could reply, the outside door, that lead from the kitchen to the backyard, swung open.

“You-hoo, Muriel."

“It’s my Aunt Val,” I explained. “We’re supposed to go to the mall after we drop off her dog at--”

Loud, frantic yowls drowned out the remainder of my sentence. The massive, furry creature galloped toward us. Long legs a blur, its claws scraped the ceramic tile like fingernails on a blackboard. Thick blobs of drool splattered in all directions. I braced myself for the inevitable gooey assault, but the animal bypassed me completely. 

Frankie bolted to his feet. “What the--?” 

..........

To read the entire excerpt click HERE. Leave a comment (either here or on Jean’s blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of Frank, Incense and Muriel, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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Perception is Reality

The difference between a gnome and a gargoyle is funny stuff. At least, it is if you’re a writer.

Today is day 9 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour and I’m visiting with Jackie King. I’m also sharing an excerpt from Frank, Incense and Muriel, book one of the Muriel Reeves Mysteries that includes gnomes, gargoyles and a body.

Curious? I certainly hope so! Jog on over there now to read the excerpt.

Tell me what you think.

Leave a comment (either here or on Jackie’s blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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Pantser or Plotter?

I’m envious of writers who plot their stories. I listen and stare in wonder when they say they have such and such a scene to write, and then provide me with in-depth details of what they foresee.

How do they do that? How can they possibly know these things? I never know from one sentence to the next what will happen!

As you may have already guessed, I’m a pantser.

I doubt most readers are even aware of these two methods, let alone care whether authors are plotters or pantsers. What matters is that we deliver a great story.

Speaking of great stories, today is day 8 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour. I’m visiting with Timothy Hallinan. Leave a comment (either here or on his blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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15 Minutes of Fame is SO One-dimensional

Submitting to an agent or editor can be scary. Especially when (okay, IF) they respond and reject your work because they think your characters are one-dimensional. Ouch. That hurts. How could it not? You love these people. (They're NOT just characters in a book.) You regard them as friends. They have faults and flaws and idiosyncrasies just like real people. You KNOW they do because you created them, right?!

Do these same rules apply to Hollywood? Who tells the creators of reality television programs their characters are flat and one-dimensional?

Believe me when I say I find people fascinating. I’ve always enjoyed reading biographies and watching television shows that delve into the psyche of an individual. I watch people wherever I go. I eavesdrop on their conversations. (Sorry. I can’t help it!) I also watch and analyze their mannerisms and body language.

I try to figure out what makes these people tick.

Understanding why a person acts the way they do helps me to create believable, memorable characters that walk off the page. I love to plunk these individuals in the middle of a story, give them a problem, surround them with friends and relatives, and then sit back and watch the mayhem begin.

That said, I rarely watch reality TV programs. I have a hard time believing these are real people in real situations. To me they’re in the spotlight for one reason: they want their 15 minutes of fame. And that’s SO one-dimensional. If fame and fortune is all that makes these people tick, I want more. I need more. I'll turn the channel until I find a real person or character.

Do you agree or disagree? Am I missing the point of these programs?

Today is day 7 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour. I’m visiting with M.M. Gornell, and we’re talking about this very topic. Leave a comment (either here or on her blog) and you will be eligible to win one of three e-copies of FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL, the first book of my Muriel Reeves Mysteries. The winners will be announced December 9.

Good luck in the draw and happy reading!

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