I was delighted to moderate a panel discussion at the Malice Domestic 35 conference held in Bethesda, Maryland last week. Our topic was entitled: Not Her First Crime Scene: Older Characters and Classic Tropes.
Left to right: Sally Handley, Nancy G. West, Libby Klein, Gabrielle St. George, Judy Murray
The distinguished panel included four award-winning authors whose sleuths are all women of a certain age who’ve experienced their share of life’s ups and downs: – Nancy G. West, whose Aggie Mundeen, is pushing forty, – Libby Klein, whose Poppy Blossom McAllister is caught in a 40-year old funk, – Gabrielle St. George whose Gina Malone is nearly 50, and – Judy Murray whose Helen Morrisey is in her fifties.
While many mystery lovers got our start reading Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books, at some point, we moved on from those teen-age heroines to become fans of Jane Marple and older, more mature sleuths right on up to the beloved Jessica Fletcher.
In spite of those more mature heroine sleuths, our panel discussed how few series feature older female sleuths. Each of the panelists expressed a desire to show that mature women remain vibrant and have a lot to offer the worlds they inhabit.
The panelists also challenged the negative connotations associated with the word ‘trope’. We concluded that the infinitely imaginative and creative approaches writers bring to common mystery tropes are exactly what make the mystery genre so loved by readers.
In conclusion, I quoted Christina Romeril, author of the Killer Chocolate Mysteries, who says, “Mature sleuths such as Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher have been cozy mystery staples for many generations, and there’s a reason for this. They are likeable and invoke a feeling of connection and community within their cozy settings.”
I was especially pleased to moderate this panel since my sleuths, the Donnelly sisters, are 55 and 53 when we meet them in Second Bloom, the first book in the Holly and Ivy cozy mystery series. And I’m very happy to report that with 40% of the cozy and traditional mystery readership consisting of women 40 and older, it certainly appears that the seasoned citizen sleuth is here to stay!
Move over, Michael Crichton! There’s a new science thriller writer on the scene and her name is L M Whitaker. In her debut novel, The Crucible of Steele, Whitaker proves herself to be a master storyteller and a gifted writer.
Rooted in Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the plot of The Crucible of Steele revolves around a simple premise. If we have the ability to craft a more perfect human through genetic selection and alteration and speed up the natural selection process, why shouldn’t we? The novel deals with the ethical quandaries facing a world struggling to keep up morally with the choices now possible due to technological advances.
Technology consultant Georgia Steele is no computer nerd. This kick-ass protagonist is both brilliant and tough, and perhaps the only one who can stop a secret organization from ridding the world of individuals it deems to be inferior. As she searches to uncover secrets about her past, Georgia finds herself tested beyond her wildest expectations.
Whitaker does a remarkable job of relating scientific information in understandable terms, all the while providing the reader with a roller-coaster action ride. Reader Beware! This techno-thriller will keep you turning the pages long after you planned to turn out the lights.
Lee Smith’s Blue Marlin will make you smile. Jenny, the 13-year old narrator, takes us on a journey, both literal and emotional. She is not the first child to feel responsible for her parents’ marital problems and equally hopeful she can bring about their reconciliation. The precocious aspiring writer, however, does have a unique point of view and an insatiable curiosity.
“I had to see as much as I could see, learn as much as I could learn, feel as much as I could feel. I had to live like crazy all the time, an attitude that would get me into lots of trouble,” she tells us. And, oh, how you will enjoy reading about her many “adventures”.
Set in 1958, Blue Marlin will trigger feelings of nostalgia as the author weaves in details that anyone who grew up in the 50’s will particularly enjoy. Jenny’s and her mother’s fascination with movie stars of the era will evoke memories of what now feel like simpler times.
And as a bonus for writers, Lee Smith provides us a gift in her epilogue entitled “The Geographical Cure”. She describes Blue Marlin as a work of “autobiographical fiction”. This short piece beautifully captures the way authors take their real-life experiences and weave them into a story. As she says, “I have always felt that I can tell the truth better in fiction than non-fiction.” Thank you, Lee Smith.
If you are a fan of Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, you must read William Kent Krueger’s latest novel, This Tender Land. In this compelling story, four orphans set out on a river journey to escape the bleak and merciless Lincoln Indian Training School in the summer of 1932. Your heart will be with them every oar stroke of their journey.
The story is told from the point of view of Odie (Odysseus) O’Banion. When accused of being a liar, Odie says, he’s not a liar – just a storyteller. “Stories are the sweet fruit of my existence and I share them gladly,” he says in the prologue.
As Odie spins the tale, you cannot miss his resemblance to Huckleberry Finn, the boy with a heart who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. You’ll also hear echoes of David Copperfield and Oliver Twist as Odie and his brother Albert navigate, not just the Gilead River, but a grim world, uncaring and unkind to its most vulnerable — orphaned children.
If that sounds just a tad too depressing to read during this time of illness, uncertainty and social distancing, please don’t be put off. There is much love, humor and magic in this mythic tale. It is a story of profound triumph and the resilience of the human spirit. In a time of limited travel, This Tender Land is a journey well worth taking. Feast on the sweet fruit William Kent Krueger provides.
I admittedly am the worst blogger in cyberspace. When I started blogging in 2015, I was so enthusiastic. I set myself a goal of writing a blog weekly. Well, that lasted about a month and a half, when I realized I was spending more time on writing, formatting and publicizing my blog than I was writing Second Bloom, my first Holly and Ivy mystery. I knew if I ever wanted to finish the book, I had to spend less time blogging, so I went to a once-a-month schedule.
That was working fine for a year or so, but somehow last year, the wheels seemed to have completely come off the cart, and I found myself blogging sporadically. I posted a lame blog on Thesaurus Day in January, honestly believing I was off to a great start. Here it is April and I haven’t blogged since that first post in spite of all the free time resulting from the Covid-19 quarantine.
So, what? Am I now just a quarterly blogger? I understand from all those blogging advice articles that’s the kiss of death. I might not be blogging even now if my friend, Lois, hadn’t emailed me recently. She said she’d been checking the blog and was worried about me since I hadn’t written in so long. Very sad.
Margaret Hamilton, 1958
And it’s not for lack of things to write about. I have lists of blog topics. I’m very good about jotting ideas down based on things I read or see on TV, or even ideas that just pop into my head when I’m walking the dog. Pathetic really. That Catholic school discipline that pushed me through the most difficult challenges my entire life seems to be completely depleted.
Which brings me to my secondary topic today – wicked witches. Last week I came across an article about Margaret Hamilton, the actress who played the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. The poor woman was relegated to playing witches and spinsters forever after that movie. She had a guest appearance on The Muppet show that had to never be shown after the first airing because parents wrote that it was just too scary for their children.
I totally get that. I was terrified of witches after seeing that movie. The fact you could dissolve her with water didn’t comfort me. I mean what if a bucket of water wasn’t handy when you just happened to run into a witch?
Ah, but what’s the connection to Catholic school discipline, you ask. Well, I attended St. Hedwig’s Grade School in Kingston, Pennsylvania run by the Bernardine nuns. I vaguely remember my first grade teacher, Sister Tolentine. She was quite nice. But in second and third grade I had two much older nuns, Sister Eugene and Sister Timothy. Sister Timothy so terrified me that I had a nightmare one night that I have never forgotten.
Sister Mary Leonelle. Another Bernardine nun who scared me senseless.
I was in my grandfather’s bedroom, arguing with my sister, Jane, as we often did. Sister Timothy appeared in the closet. The flattened headpiece of her Bernardine habit was transformed into a witch’s hat. She warned me I’d pay. As in all good nightmares, the dream sequence shifted and I found myself swinging on a child’s swing we had in the backyard – one that had a little bar to rest your feet on. I was soaring up into the clouds when suddenly, Sister Timothy, in full witchy regalia, was standing on the swing footrest and she began stabbing me. I never went into my grandfather’s closet again .
And then there was the lunchroom lady, Mrs. Marshall – Leocadia Marshall. Just saying her name still gives me the shivers. She wouldn’t even let us talk during lunch. Now there was a bonafide wicked witch.
Well, I’m not entirely sure if those early experiences scared me straight and kept me dutifully fulfilling all my responsibilities my whole life. But I do find it telling that after the memories triggered by that article about Margaret Hamilton I actually sat down and wrote this blog. How about you? Any wicked witch remembrances in your memory bank?
Until next time – hope it’s not a year from now – I wish you sweet, witch-free, dreams!
Thanks to Sandra Beckwith (BuildBookBuzz.com) for sharing her 2020 Literary Calendar. That’s how I learned that January 18th is Thesaurus Day.
According to Wikipedia:
The first modern thesaurus was Roget’s Thesaurus, first compiled in 1805 by Peter Mark Roget, and last published in 1852. Since its publication, it has never been out of print and is still a widely used work across the English-speaking world.
Admittedly, I don’t go to my paperback copy of Roget’s thesaurus much anymore. It’s just so easy to right click on my computer, choose “Synonyms” and then just pick from the drop-down choices. Although, on occasion, I do go to thesaurus.com for more choices.
The method I choose doesn’t really matter. I just know that as a writer, I’d be lost — adrift — at sea without my thesaurus. How about you?
I turned 60 this year and promptly retired. I’ve always loved to
write, and for the last 20 years focused on writing for a practical niche area–-education
and Internet marketing—where I could do what I loved and still pay the bills.
Prior to retiring and taking up writing , author Daisy Pettles was a therapist and Internet entrepreneur.
Retirement put me back in that great and rare place where I suddenly
had endless days without responsibilities. Everything was possible again—a
luxurious feeling that I’d not had for a few decades. Better still, I had the amazing trio of
treasures—time, money, and experience—required to launch into riskier passion
projects, like fiction writing.
I’ve devoured books my entire life, but fiction writing was a new
adventure and a huge challenge. I love mysteries, romance, and humor so I
decided to try my hand at humorous mysteries that harked back to my rural origins
in southern Indiana.
Because I love to laugh, and am a bit quirky myself, I knew humor would under gird my first fiction project. I’d write what I wanted to read and see if I could pick up a readership from there.
That’s how my small-town Indiana setting,
Pawpaw County, came into being for my award-winning “Shady Hoosier Detective
Agency” series. I grew up in a tiny river town full of nosy neighbors, quirky
characters, and kind-hearted souls.
Like many Baby Boomers born in rural America in the 60’s I found
myself growing nostalgic for an America that never did exist, but that many
still hope for. I wanted to write something light-hearted that celebrated small
town living.
I deliberately set out to replicate the “feel good” mood of vintage Hillbilly
TV sit-coms, those set in rural America. My childhood was awash in the
silliness of great comic series like The
Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat
Junction, Gomer Pyle, and Green Acres.
When it came to creating leading ladies I decided to abandon the
safe cozy mystery formula of the thirty-something, college-educated woman
escaping to a simpler life in the country.
I created instead aging and somewhat cranky heroines who would love to retire but lack the resources to do so. They are very street smart, but lack the varnish and subdued manners that often accompany college and urban living. I love them to death.
My leading lady detectives, Ruby Jane Waskom and Veenie Goens, are working class, high-school educated, both with a prior chain of everyday jobs as factory and farm workers. They share a house, overdue bills, and laughter. They co-exist on social security, taking jobs as detectives in-training hoping to scrape up a little “Twinkie money” on the side.
They are much older than the genre usually allows: 68 and 71, to be
exact. (Every literary agent I talked to loved the series and the writing but
were horrified by the age of the women.) My leading ladies are unusual—and
therefore very risky—for the cozy mystery niche today.
While the books are labeled cozy mysteries, their strongest element
is humor. They are true crime comedies. One critic called Daisy Pettles the
“hillbilly Janet Evanovich.” Another, in “Shelf Discovery” tagged them “a
wildly entertaining (detective) team—like an elderly Stephanie Plum and Lula.”
My senior crime fighting duo, Ruby Jane and Veenie, are very much a silly
Lucy-Ethel gal pal team.
Much of what is good in the Shady
Hoosier Detective Agency character-driven series is the way the two senior
sleuths slide along together through life, and their cases. Their get-it-done
“gal pal” energy enlivens the series.
My one goal as a writer is
to entertain. I love it when people laugh, and feel even better when I might be
cause of that laughter.
I have found enough of an
audience with the Shady Hoosiers that Book 3, “Chickenlandia,” is coming out as
I write this. Book 4,”Catfish Cooties,” is now steeping in the stew pot of my
imagination.
Writing humorous fiction
with mysterious twists is truly my retirement heaven.
AUTHOR BIO: Daisy Pettles’ debut humorous cozy series, the Shady Hoosier Detective Agency, set in fictional Pawpaw County, Indiana, won the 2019 Gold Medal as Best Humor Book from the Indie Reader, The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the American Fiction Awards. Prior to retiring and taking up writing she was a therapist and an Internet entrepreneur. The Chickenlandia Mystery is Book 3 in Daisy Pettles’ Shady Hoosier Detective Agency cozy humor series, which the Indie Reader describes as “Murder She Wrote meets the Golden Girls … where the fun is infectious.”
PLOT: Pawpaw County, Indiana, is all atwitter about Ma and Peepaw
Horton’s annual Chickenlandia Festival. The mood turns dark though when the
Horton’s prize-winning rooster, Dewey, and his best laying hen, Ginger, vanish,
leaving behind only a ragged trail of tail feathers. Also missing: Gertie
Wineagar, local sourpuss, and BBQ chicken cook-off queen. Senior sleuths, Ruby
Jane (RJ) Waskom and Veenie Goens, suspect Hiram Krupsky, Pawpaw County’s
self-proclaimed Chicken Wing King, of master-minding the crime spree in an
attempt to sabotage the Horton’s free-range chicken ranch. The sleuths get an
unexpected “in” when Hiram commences to court a reluctant RJ. Follow the
Hoosier senior snoops as they attempt to sort the good eggs from the bad in
this hilarious, small-town crime comedy.
Shady Hoosier Detective Agency – AMAZON BUY LINKS
Ghost Busting Mystery (Book 1)
Baby Daddy Mystery (Book 2)
Chickenlandia Mystery (Book 3) – Due out
9/15/19 check link before posting
Here in South Carolina, the kids are already back in school. Personally, I think going back to school before Labor Day is an abomination and simply un-American. That may be why I simply can’t get myself motivated to sit down and finish the book I’m writing, even though I’m within spitting distance of the finale.
I get up every day with the intention of writing at least two hundred words — my bare minimum goal as per John Grisham’s advice — but I just don’t feel like it. Yesterday I received my weekly Inspiration for the Week from Cathleen O’Connor (cathleenoconnor.com). If you don’t subscribe to her emails, I highly recommend you do. This week’s message was entitled “You Deserve a Break Today”. I felt as if she wrote it just for me. Thank you, Cathleen.
She began with a quote from writer Anne Lamott:
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes…including you.”
I love that. Of course, I’ve been pretty much unplugged since I got back from my vacation at the end of July. You think I’d be re-booted by now.
I do have at least one legitimate reason for not writing the last two weeks. Each Monday when I sat down to type, my computer ground down to the slowest speed imaginable. On my own I was able to go to the settings and determine that my 465 GB’s of storage were completely filled up. I knew that was impossible. I managed to clear out the inordinate amount of temporary files that somehow downloaded themselves to my computer, not once, but twice.
When these phantom files were back again last week, I decided I needed professional help, so I called my trusty IT guy, Peter Manse, out in Colorado. Guess what? He was in California for a brief vacation. Nevertheless, he managed to get me back up Wednesday. Somehow, starting something on a Wednesday just never feels right to me. Still, I managed to get one chapter completed last week.
And then there’s the new puppy. If you’re friends with me on Facebook, you already know I’ve adopted a new dog — Trixie. She’s a sweetheart, but she’s only about six months old, so she needs lots of attention and exercise. I still miss Lucky, my dog of 12 years, whom I lost in February, but I confess it’s so nice to have a little buddy once again. I mean, really. Is there anything more endearing than seeing that little tail wag when you walk in the room? Second only to a baby smiling at you. Really.
So, today, I’ve decided to take Cathleen’s advice and embrace Anne LaMott’s message and heed Cathleen’s own words:
“Just take some deep breaths. Ask yourself what you need to feel rested and restored . . . and then give that to yourself. “
Maybe next week — after Labor Day — I’ll start writing again in earnest. In the meantime, it’s a rainy day here in Mauldin this morning, so it won’t be at all difficult to go over to the couch, curl up with Trixie and finish that cozy mystery I’m reading — One Taste Too Many by Debra Goldstein.
Ah, yes. I think I’ll just release all guilt and totally indulge in what’s left of the remaining dog days of summer! Happy Labor Day, Y’all.
When the company I’d been working for decided to close their
doors, I made the leap to early retirement. Until then, I was a weekend writing
warrior. I completed my first novel, Post-War Dreams, writing on the
weekends and in fifteen-minute increments before I left for the day job. It
took me a couple of years to get the book to publication. The first book I
published and second book I wrote, Sleeping with the Lights On, was
written within the same time constraints.
Guest Blogger: Brenda Whiteside
After I “retired,” my time became my own, and writing became
my full-time endeavor. That was several years ago, and since then when people
ask if I’m retired, I don’t know how to answer. If I say no, I’m an author, the
verbal reactions run the gamut from oh wow to a flat oh. If I say
I’m retired but I write, well, it sounds the way I’m sure they hear it…a nice
hobby.
The thing is, if I’m retired, why am I so busy? Writing
full-time as a published author ends up taking up way more time than working a
day job and writing when I found a few minutes. Getting published and taking
writing to the next level added all the business tasks to my plate…social
media, promotion, goal planning, networking, and on and on.
I will say, reaching the age of retirement has enriched my
creativity. My heroines benefit from my life experience, which is why I enjoy
writing heroines over forty. All that baggage makes for more conflict and plot
paths.
This month, I’m celebrating ten years since I signed my first
writing contract for Sleeping with the Lights On. AND it is now
available on audio in addition to eBook and print. Sandra Holiday is fifty and
still searching for the perfect hero and career in her life. She does it with
humor and sassiness. But there’s suspense brewing to keep her on her toes.
RT Book Reviews says ” Cheers to Whiteside for writing a heroine who exists outside of conventional romance novels in terms of age and marital status…novel is written with a pleasantly light sense of humor…
What’s Sleeping with the Lights On About?
A secret admirer, a redheaded stalker, and an eccentric millionaire have thrown Sandra Holiday on a dangerous path.
After two failed marriages and countless relationships, Sandra thinks she’s met the man to end her years of less than perfect choices; choices that not only derailed her travel-related career plans, but also left her single and broke.
Carson Holiday, a Las Vegas country crooner with
swoon-inducing good looks, spent his adult life pursuing a recording contract
and love, never holding on to either. After eighteen years, he drops back into
Sandra’s life, reigniting an attraction he can’t deny.
Can this handsome, country crooner save the day, or
will Sandra forever be Sleeping With The
Lights On?
Brenda Whiteside
is the author of suspenseful, action-adventure romance. Mostly. After living in
six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have decided they are
gypsies at heart. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo while
splitting their time between Northern Arizona and the RV life.
This morning I worked the crossword puzzle in the daily paper as I do everyday. One of the clues was “A Hoagy Carmichael Song”. The answer, of course, was Stardust. The word captivated me, so I googled the song and found it on Youtube.
I had heard that song many times in the past, but I never really paid attention to the words until I played that Youtube clip. As I listened to Hoagy croon his creation, I found myself entranced by the beautiful images he painted with words and marveled at his ability to create such beautiful poetry out of heartache.
Just felt I had to share that with you today. To all my writer/reader friends out there, may the power of words be with you. If you have a moment, take a listen.( I’ve included the lyrics below the video.)
Stardust Lyrics
Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
Now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a songBeside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale
A paradise where roses bloom
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrain
