Killer Recipes Coming Soon!

The deadline has passed for submitting recipes for the mystery writers' cookbook. Thanks to nearly one-hundred mystery writers for sending in favorite family recipes to benefit cancer research. I have signed a contract with L&L Dreamspell and will get the word out when the book has a release date. Readers, this recipe book is chocked full of delicious recipes from cornbread to truffles. Purchasing information will be available soon.

Joan Hall Hovey: Nowhere To Hide

My guest today is Joan Hall Hovey. As well as penning suspense novels like Nowhere To Hide, Joan Hall Hovey's articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Reader, Atlantic Advocate, The Toronto Star, Mystery Scene, True Confessions, Home Life magazine, Seek and various other magazines and newspapers. Her short story, “Dark Reunion” was selected for the Anthology, Investigating Women, published by Simon & Pierre, edited by David Skene-Melvin.
Joan also tutors with Winghill Writing School and is a Voice Over pro, narrating books and scripts. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada.

Welcome, Joan.
When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
In early childhood. Of course, like most writers, I started out as a story listener. Both my mom and dad were great storytellers, and I needed only to hear the words: 'I remember the time when ...' to feel that rare and exquisite pleasure in the anticipation of a new story.
The dark, scary ones were best -- my father told of a man with the cloven foot who showed up at a card game...a young girl's body found in the woods behind the school... (murder was not so common then) the town drunk found dead in the cemetery, his face as granite-white with frost as the tombstones surrounding him. Word was that something had scared him to death.

My mother had a ouija board she and her friends took quite seriously. And we had a neighbor who visited us¾a fortune teller name Mrs. Fortune. It's true. Everyone was poor in money, but not in the abundance of inner life. Not so surprising then that my background should influence the kind of stuff I find delicious to write about.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
I don't think I had any goal in mind except to write a publishable novel, and the drive to do that was all-powerful. And I achieved it, three times, twice with a New York major publishing company once with another press, less prestigious. The truth is, I'm not all that ambitious in terms of career. But I do love to write and I love my readers and my goal is to entertain, while at the same time having my words make some comment on the human condition. A truth to resonate when the last page is turned.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone?
My books are stand-alones.

What’s the hook for your latest book?
I don't think in terms of hooks but of course you do need one. The Plan, my suspense novel-in-progress is an entry at textnovel.com Here is the blurb, which will give a better sense of the novel:

After nine years in Bayshore Mental Institution, once called The Lunatic Asylum, Caroline Hill is finally being released. There will be no one to meet her. Her parents, who brought her here, are dead.
They have found her a room in a rooming house, a job washing dishes in a restaurant. She will do fine, they said.
But no one told her that women in St. Simeon are already dying at the hands of a vicious predator. One, an actress who previouly lived in her building. Others.
And now, as Caroline struggles to survive on the outside, she realizes she is being stalked. But who will believe her. She's a crazy woman, after all.
Then one cold winter’s night on her way home from her job, a man follows her and is about to assault her when a stranger intercedes?
A stranger who hides his face. And whispers her name.


Compelling.
How do you develop characters? Setting?
I think about my characters, especially my main character, for a long time before I put words to page. I try to imagine her in various settings, depending on the story I want to tell. In The Plan I saw Caroline Hill standing at the window of Bayshore Mental Institution, looking out the barred window. I also listen to what she is telling me until she is so real to me I would recognize her voice on the phone, and I hope my readers feel the same.

I set my novels in a similar place to where I live, in New Brunswick, Canada as this is the place I'm most familiar with: the mind set, the flora and the fauna. But I might call it Maine or New Hampshire. I was an extra in Children of a Lesser God, filmed a couple of miles from my home, and pretending to be in the U.S. I do that, too. -J On the other hand, in my novel ,Nowhere To Hide, part of the story was set in New York, so I did a good bit of researching to get it right. In Listen to the Shadows one of the characters had flashbacks to his time in Vietnam, and that required some research, which I always do on a need to know basis. But be wary; you can really side sidetracked on the web, so many things to take your attention.

How do you determine voice in your writing?
I don't really do it consciously. The voice emerges in the process of writing, of getting to know my character. It comes out of my subconscious. That which Stephen King calls 'The boys in the basement' in his wonderful book for writers titled On Writing. It's one of the best books around, in my opinion. Voice comes out of character.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
I don't outline as many authors do, but I do make copious notes, and I do a lot of rewriting. Novel-writing is a process of trial and error, and I do at least two drafts before I let anyone see it. However, I do often read passages to my husband as I progress. He's really my first reader, and is quick to point out if I've got the doorknob on the wrong side of the door, that sort of thing. It's very helpful and I'm sure keeps me from making a fool of myself.

My advice to new writers is to boldly barrel through that first draft and then you have something to work with. You're also a better writer now then you were when you began.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
We writers are never sure exactly what part our environment and background color our writing, but of course they do. We perceive the world as we have experienced it. It's a part of who you are and you can't escape it. For example, a blue porcelain pot, a cracked medicine cabinet mirror or buckled sidewalks from my childhood will inevitably show up in my stories. They are there for the picking. To paraphrase Stephen King, (you can see I'm a fan) it's like having a whole circus inside your head. And I'm always eager for the next ride.

What are your current projects?
Aside from The Plan , my entry at textnovel.com I have completed another suspense novel titled The Abduction of Mary Rose and it's doing the rounds now right. Keep your fingers crossed for me. And check out my website for a release date.

Fingers crossed.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
My website: http://www.joanhallhovey.com/you can read more about my books, including excerpts and reviews. My book are all available as ebooks on www.smashwords.com in most formats, including for your Kindle, Sony and more.
Love to hear from readers and writers both, so don't hesitate to drop me a line at jhhovey@nb.sympatico.

Thanks for the opportunity to talk to you. I've enjoyed it.

 So have I. Continued success, Joan.

Joselyn Vaughn's CEOs Don't Cry

Joselyn, welcome to the blog. Please give us a brief bio.

I grew up on a family farm in West Michigan and have always loved the charm and closeness of small towns. After getting married, my husband and I tried out the big city for a while and decided the pace just wasn’t for us. We moved to a small town and live there with our children and two beagles.
Before I became a stay at home mom, I worked as a librarian which kept me in close proximity to books. My favorite part of my job was buying books for the library. I got to read about all these great books coming out and pick ones that I knew our patrons would like. I miss having other people’s money to spend on books. The library’s budget was much bigger than mine.

I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I would check out stacks of books from my local library and finish them way before my mother was ready to make a return trip. I like that magic that reading brings to you. A whole other world that you can explore without having to go anywhere.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
I’ve always wanted to write, but didn’t know exactly what length or genre. A couple years ago, a friend and I were talking and the idea for the Ladies Night Out in CEOs Don’t Cry came to me. I went home for lunch (benefit of being in a small town) and wrote the first chapter. At that point I knew the story would be a romance, but it languished until I ran into W.S. Gager and we became critique partners. She helped me get the story moving and has kept my feet to the fire ever since.
Currently, I am inspired to write romance. I have several romances in my mind for future novels. When that runs out, who knows what I will try to tackle.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
My first goal was to finish a novel length project. Then my characters started talking to me. The main characters are people who need to find their own destiny. They’ve been locked by preconceptions or outside pressures into roles or paths that won’t get them to the place where their dreams come true. Through the story they will discover how they can make their dreams come true. In CEOs Don’t Cry, the Ladies Night Out are manipulative, but Leslie ultimately makes the decisions for her future.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone?
CEOs Don’t Cry is the latest published book. It came out from Avalon Books in April of 2009. Courting Sparks has been contracted, but does not have a firm release date yet. They are both stand alone novels, but take place in the same community.

What’s the synopsis for the book?
After being passed over for a junior partnership and getting relegated to a branch office in the middle of nowhere, Leslie Knotts vows that she won’t let budget cuts, corporate upheaval or meddlesome ladies distract her from turning the branch around and showing she has the savvy for the upper echelons of the company.

Organizing and advertising his new construction business has been harder than Mark Schultz expected. Having his Aunt Minnie and her friends from the Ladies Night Out group throwing women in his path isn’t helping matters.

When his aunt's outrageous schemes spell trouble, Leslie and Mark team up to outsmart the Ladies. Mark introduces Leslie to his friends and she discovers genuine friendships as well as a love with Mark like she has never known. When a competing company offers her the big city partnership she has always dreamed of, will Leslie risk her future as a top executive to stay where her heart has found a home?

How do you develop characters? Setting? Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
I usually try to write my first draft as quickly as possible. So far, all of my novels have been romances, so I use this draft to get the hero and heroine together. Subsequent drafts add complexity to the story, like more emotional content and other subplots. My critique group is fantastic at finding ways for me add more layers to each story and character. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming, but it definitely helps add to the story. About midway through my second draft, I will do some kind of outline to keep track of some of the plot lines or setting characteristics. For my WIP, I plotted the events on a calendar because I had a character with poison ivy. Once the events were on the calendar, I realized the character had the rash for two months! Ooops! I had to rearrange some events to shorten his illness. I hope he appreciates that.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
Definitely. I grew up in a small town and I like to include that flavor in my novels. Everyone knows and cares about everyone – in good ways and not-so-good ways – but there is pride in the local community. Another thing about small towns that I like is how people refer to places – the Smith house, five-mile-corner – Everyone in town knows what these are.

What are your current projects?
I am currently working on another novel involving the origination of the Ladies Night Out. It takes place about seven years before CEOs Don’t Cry, so it’s been interesting working with some of the characters at a different time in their lives. In the WIP, several characters aren’t quite the people they grow into in CEOs Don’t Cry. It is hard to show the glimmers of the confidence they have in the later book in the less mature characters in the WIP.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
I love to have people visit my website: http://joselynvaughn.com/. They can sign up for my newsletter there. They can also friend me on Facebook. I also try to pop into the chats on Writerschatroom.com when I can.

Thanks for the interview, Joselyn, and have great success with your writing endeavors.

Linton Robinson's Sweet Spot

Linton Robinson is here to discuss his latest book, Sweet Spot.

Lin, when did you start writing?
I’ve been a writer since I can remember, scribbling little stories and weirdo comics. I’ve published my own work since grade school: little hand-written, hand-distributed neighborhood newspapers…I went nuts when I got a little plastic print set with rubber type in fifth grade. I owned several publications during my twenties and publishing always came natural to me. I like working with printers, screwing around to get copy and graphics ready. I’ve had at least three skill sets extinguished by technological progress. I had a line of poetry books in Seattle in the Eighties, and for the last twenty years have self-published (often self-printed and self-stapled and self-flogged to tourists on the beach) book on Mexican slang that pays my rent and is sometimes my sole means of support. I don’t see the whole “traditional” vs. “self-publishing” dichotomy that people waste hours arguing about. I see a spectrum with true, total self-publishing on one end and J.K Rowling on the other end. Anybody interested in self-publishing, by the way, I would advise to make an early stop by a series of blog posts I wrote, read the info in the many links and definitely check “The Chart” mentioned in the first one to see what I mean about a spectrum.

I’m currently published by a couple of presses, including Adoro, which is a sort of experimental outfit that’s kind of like “being self-published by somebody else”. They are exploring ways to use POD and other means of publishing, and I’m sort of their Guinea Pig In Chief.

What kind of writing have you done?
I have written just about anything you can think of: newspaper articles, magazines, mail-order catalogs, poetry, songs, novels, ad copy, PR flack, screenplays, T-shirt slogans, billboards, short fiction, html code, online serials. I haven’t done fortune cookies yet, but would in a heartbeat if the money was right: a literary soldier of fortune should certainly do fortune cookies. I’ve gotten money for all of those types of writing and don’t really see any big distinction, like a pianist switching from classical to jazz to blues doesn’t have to go back to school or change costumes or anything.

At this point, I pretty much consider my life wasted, literarily. I spent my youth doing magazine work and short fiction too berserk to get published, writing poetry and bizarre stuff like creating an I-Ching driven poetics using valenced “molecules” of words and syllables…which made even less sense back then when there weren’t computers for it.

Now, in my sixties, I find myself finally writing novels like I always figured I would do when and if I grew up and ironically find that it’s the worst time ever to sell new novels and people don’t like signing older writers who don’t have a long self-life to cash in on. But I’ve always, my whole life as a writer, been able to come into new fields and prevail or even dominate so I’m just figuring out how to break and enter. Stay tuned.

Which project are you most interesting in having people see at the moment?
All of them. But seriously, Sweet Spot has a sweet little spot in the heart of my drum-beating right now. It’s a kind of unusual situation because the book has been out since spring of 2009, but hasn’t really gotten a big publicity/marketing push because it’s set in Mazatlán, Mexico and most English-readers don’t show up there to read the paper until winter. So the reviews and such are just starting, really. See samples and video and all that jazz on the Adoro Books site: http://adorobooks.com/booksweet.php

So is it a book about Mexico like your “Imaginary Lines”?
Yes and no. It’s set in “The Land of Maz” as we used to say, but it’s really a fairly typical crime/politics thriller. Or something. The main character, Mundo Carrasco, is a local baseball hero turned journalist who gets sucked into the corrupt city government because of a gorgeous, amoral “femme fatale”. So it’s really a story about what’s going there, though foreigners reading it would be seeing a lot of travelogue about Mexican scenery, Carnival, politics, and such. Somewhat like “Gorky Park”--if I can commit the sin of mentioning my work in the same breath as the amazing Martin Cruz Smith--in that it’s a local story, but most readers would find it informative about Mexico and the remarkable city of Mazatlán in particular. I guess I play up to that a bit: every chapter has a lead-in quote from “Mundo’s writing” that explains or expounds or possibly confuses issues in the chapter.

So your protagonist is a Mazatlán newspaper writer, like you were?
No, I wrote mostly for tourists, except for articles in cultural journals and A&E pages explaining American culture to Mexicans. “It’s interesting that all of these words--jazz, boogie, and rock&roll--all originally meant “sex” in the American negro dialect…” Most people, especially young people, in the world are fascinated by American music and film.

Mundo, on the other hand, is a hard-core investigative reporter who covers the most notorious beat in that area: the narcotics industry. But he’s not really a writer type, certainly not an intellectual. And not a tough guy, though he experiences some very rough treatment in Sweet Spot. He’s basically a good-natured jock with a fondness the ladies that is reciprocated. Both men and women seem to like Mundo.

Is Mundo based on you or people you know?
Well, I’ve been a journalist and a baseball player, but no: no resemblance whatsoever. There are other characters in the book who have some resemblance to those living and/or dead, however. Anybody who’s lived in Mazatlán over five years will recognize the Mayor immediately, although the real-life Mayor was impeached, not murdered in a grisly fashion. A bigwig who “owns the town” will ring bells with residents, though my portrayal of him is pretty generous compared to the reality. Anybody in downtown Maz who reads about the bayview rooftop perch Mundo calls home would immediately know where it is and who lived there. One glaring “steal from real” is Mundo’s downstairs neighbor, whose inspiration for the character would be instantly recognized. He’s a colleague and friend, but not too happy about being immortalized. I toss friends into my work, thinking they’ll be pleased, but they usually aren’t. Go figure.
Next time I’m just going to toss in all my enemies for revenge.

How do you determine voice in your writing?
Glad you asked this one. I’d say it’s the other way around. I’m a strident online critic of people I call “POV nazis” who yap about different brand names for point of view and tsk-tsk about “head-hopping” and such. One of the only workable tips I ever picked up in college was the concept of “narrative voice”. Which is the main thing writers should be aware of in this respect. Even though it’s kind of like “unconditional love” or something: hard to chase down and own; but once you hear the phrase, you’ve learned something important to keep an eye out for in relationships.

I would say that a story has a way it “wants to tell itself”. Once you find that “voice” it starts writing itself, to a degree. Without it, you bungle around in vain. Some of these are odd enough that we’re aware of them: story dictated by somebody deceased, told from the perspective of a child or deaf-mute, story told three times by three different people (“Leaving Cheyenne” by McMurtry does that in one way, “The Embezzler” by Louis Auchincloss in a different way: both masterful and highly recommended reads for anybody struggling with narrative voice of POV issues.)

On a practical level, what I’d say that means is that the writer is not using “techniques” or “tools” to “construct” that voice, but is more like a lover searching for it, open to possibilities, listening for the beat below the melody.

To give one example of this train of thought, I was talking with Ken Kesey in Seattle (and yes, NorWesterners, in the Blue Moon: where else?) and he mentioned the character of The Chief in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Perhaps you recall the huge, silent, catatonic Indian who is witness to the whole thing without speaking. He said, “It was making me crazy, trying to get the perspective and viewpoints for this thing, and the tone of the narrative. Then The Chief popped into my mind and as soon as he was on the scene, everything just fell into place and moved forward with a sure step.”

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
I’ve lived in Latin America most of the last twenty years, most of it in Mexico. But beyond that, I was born an expatriate and peripatetic Army brat. The only place I ever got homesick for was Taiwan, my junior high years, and a great time for me. I like the Third World. I like being a minority. I like dealing in more than one language at a time. The first time I stepped off a ferryboat and was really in Mexico (Juarez and The Baja don’t count) something just hit me, a feeling like being home. It felt odd and I finally realized it was like Taipei: sidewalks clogged with little shops, peoples selling food cooked right there in the street, lots of human and animal labor instead of machines, just a different feeling that I recognized and responded to. As opposed to stepping off a boat in Havana for the first time and feeling like I was on a different planet, even though I spoke the language. I’d love to do a novel in Cuba.

What is your marketing strategy for your work?
My short term plan has been to tick people off on writer’s forums and get kicked off. My long term plan involves being a best-selling idol and making those kickers-off lick my huaraches.

Seriously, Adoro and I have been concentrating heavily on getting into libraries--which has been pretty successful--into bookstores--some success there, requiring a lot of explaining that they are available from distributors and returnable--and direct internet sales from the Adoro site as well as online retailers like Barnes and Noble.

A big factor in getting eyeballs to purchase points is the use of video “trailers”. Used aggressively: doing a video and leaving lying around on YouTube doesn’t help. I try to create videos that reflect my writer creativity, are interesting enough to be passed around and reposted: then I go put them where people will see them.

You produce your own videos?
Oh, yeah. For awhile there I was viewing writing as a distraction from my video craze. But the “bug” is in remission now. I’ve won some awards for videos, which helps spread the word. Most of them can be seen on my page: I’m particularly proud of the “Engines of Desire” and “Flesh Wounds” vids, which go beyond promotion into being artistic works in their own right. I’d strongly advise people to have a go at making their own video trailers, instead of paying somebody else to punch one out that looks just like all the rest of them. It’s not rocket science and even if you have no experience, you just might do something that gets more attention that the “cookie cutter” vids.

Can you give an example of how a writer can make a better video than a video pro?
One that comes to mind is a woman with a book she wrote for kids. She bought my manual, then wrote to me that she couldn’t afford to pay her cover artist to do more work for the video and couldn’t find any children-type artwork. I said, “What’s on your refrigerator?” She ended up scanning a bunch of crayon illustrations done by her kids, editing them together using tips from my manual, and created a very popular video. The soundtrack, made using a free program I recommended and a $20 Radio Shack microphone, was a bunch of kids singing a song from the book.

Did you write the manual you mention?
Thought you’d never ask. Yes, I have a six dollar pdf manual that helps writers with no experience make book trailers for free, using simple programs and free resources. Having an e-Book to work from is great because you can just toggle between your on-screen work and the manual. You can see the page for the “eManual” at http://adoroworks.mexipost.com/tutvideo.php

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?
Same as any other writer: drugs, rock and roll, mindless violence, weird sex. Oh, that and free-diving in Caribbean caves and tunnels, pursuing my unspoken personal goal to become lobster chow.

What are your current projects?
I think it’s about time to do a screenplay. And I’m thinking of one about a single mother. Sort of.
Actually, what is exciting me right now is not individual books, of which I have several in the fire, but formats and venues and methods. I’m working on online serials and have done some e-books in different forms, and looking into a podcast, and am very excited about books for iPhone and other phone apps. This is where things are heading (NOT the evil, monopolistic Kindle) and I see a lot of areas I’d like to mix it up with.
I wish this stuff had come around when I was twenty and wasting my time doing magazine articles and girly photography and felonies. It’s like there’s all this COOL STUFF coming out and I have limited energy to crawl all over it like I’d want to.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
I’d like to invite people to my website at http://linrobinson.com/
Check out my video poetry. I have a page on the Adoro site: http://adorobooks.com/author1.php

Lin, thanks for letting us take a closer look at you and your world. Best wishes on all future endeavors, and please don't become lobster chow!

J.A. Fulkerson Discusses Love of Teddy

My guest today is J.A. Fulkerson.  Thank you for letting us get acquainted with you and your writing.

 When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)? Started in 6th grade. Began in earnest 1984 when I was laid up after a car accident.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp? At first I just wanted to create a novel. With my second novel, FOR LOVE OF TEDDY, I became passionate about writing novels dealing with young people and the problems they face.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone? It is a stand-alone, although the premise of writing about young people will be carried out in later books.

What’s the hook for the book? A teenage boy takes on drug dealers in order to save his mentally challenged brother from being taken in.

How do you develop characters? Setting? I have drawn on young people I know or have known, or those I read about in newspapers. Settings are in New Mexico, where I live, and I draw on my knowledge of those places, even if they are actually fictional.

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track? Actually I kind of write as things happen, as in real life. I don’t really set out with a “from a to z” formula, even if I end up changing things as the story progresses.

What are your current projects? I am beginning a novel about a young girl in foster care because of parental abuse.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events? My website – www.freewebs.com/thedesertwriter

Continued success, Jo, and thanks again for letting us know about this book.

Interview with Shannon Baker

Shannon Baker is my guest today. Shannon, give us a brief bio.
Since I’m an accountant by day, and not likely to encounter much in the way of thrills, I concoct thrillers in my spare time. I spent 20 years living in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1, which inspired this novel. After escaping from Nebraska, I spent a few wonderful years on Colorado’s front range. Now I’m in Flagstaff, loving that Sedona’s red cliffs and the Grand Canyon are my new playground.
Tell us about your new book, Ashes of the Red Heifer.

Ashes of the Red Heifer is a thriller based on ancient Hebrew prophecy. From an the hills of Israel and the sweeping prairies of Nebraska to Jerusalem’s famed Dome of the Rock, it throws a young veterinarian into the middle of a deadly struggle between Jews, Muslims, and Christians, all desperate to force God’s hand.

What inspired you to write on this topic?

I read an article in the New Yorker about the Red Heifer prophecy and a rancher in Mississippi who decided God called him to provide Israel with the sacred beast. I’ve always been fascinated by religion and what it drives people to do.

What readers will enjoy this book?

Thriller readers will enjoy the danger and intrigue. Women’s fiction readers will appreciate Annie’s struggles to make sense out of her life and loves. Those interested in history and how it twists and curls into the present and future will find surprises. People who liked the Da Vinci Code and books by James Rollins will like the interplay of religion and real spirituality versus man’s ambition and distortions.

Is your main character and story, in any way, a reflection of you? Your own relationships?

Because the goal in writing is always to get to the truth of a character, dig inside and find out what drives them and how they feel, I think there is a part of me in every character I write. But there is a part of what I imagine, what I aspire to, what I dread. I’m not nearly as smart or determined as Annie. I hope I’m not as stubborn or prickly. But since I wrote and rewrote (and rewrote again) this book so many times, it’s interesting to see how Annie changed as my life changed. Coincidently, her relationships became more complicated as my life took some unexpected turns.
You’ve written fiction and nonfiction, received honors and awards for each. Which do you prefer? And why?

I love fiction. Since my first picture books and Winnie-the-Pooh, I’ve always loved stories. As early as I can remember I have made up stories to put me to sleep at night. I’ve been the heroine of countless adventures, saving the day, being brave and smart and looking fabulous. I always fell asleep before I had to come up with an ending.
What are the three toughest things about writing?

For me, the first and foremost challenge is plotting. How can I take all these really cool facts and other things I learn in research and fit them all together and add danger and intrigue and make it all keep building to a heart-stopping conclusion? After that is the sometimes plodding drudgery of getting it out of my head and onto paper (or screen). Now, I’m finding the push of marketing to be a challenge. So to sum this up: Plotting, Plodding, and Pushing.

What are you working on now?

I’ve finished a draft of Sacred Balance, another thriller. This one set in Flagstaff on the San Francisco peaks, a sacred landscape featuring into the religions of twelve separate tribes. A young ski area owner is determined to use man made snow, an energy tycoon has his own reasons for promoting it, but the enviros, tribes, and kachinas may use any means to stop it.

For more information on the red heifer prophecy, this book, or heaven-forbid, me, go to Shannon-Baker.com

Helen Macie Osterman's Notes in a Mirror

Helen Macie Osterman lives in Homer Glen, a suburb of Chicago. She has five children and nine grandchildren. Osterman received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Mercy Hospital-St. Xavier College and later earned a Master’s Degree from Northern Illinois University. Throughout her forty-five year nursing career, she wrote articles for both nursing and medical journals. Helen is the author of The Emma Winberry Mystery Series: The Accidental Sleuth, The Stranger in the Opera House, and Notes in a Mirror.  She is a member of American Association of University Women, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

Helen, welcome to the blog.When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
When I had children and began telling them stories. I wrote them down and decided to do my own illustrations. Nothing came of this endeavor.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
Stories and plots simply found their way into my consciousness. I did it for fun. But, when I began the Emma Winberry cozy mystery series, I decided to instill a social problem into each book. Of course, Emma addresses these problems as well as solving the mystery.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone? If you have written both, which one do you prefer?
My latest book is Notes in a Mirror, a story of two student nurses during their three- month psychiatric rotation at a state mental hospital in 1950. This is approximately the time I did mine as a student and it was pre-tranquilizer days. Though the work is fiction, it actually portrays the care of the mentally ill at that time. I enjoy the series because my characters become like part of my family and I’m eager to know what their next adventure will be. They always tell me.

What’s the hook for the book?
The hook for Notes in a Mirror is mirror image writing. The ghost contacts my protagonist by this means.

How do you develop characters? Setting?
In Notes in a Mirror the character of Mary Lou Hammond is somewhat like I was a young girl. I accentuated her fears to increase the tension in the book. The setting is real, just as I remember it.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?
Mary Lou grows through the three-month experience. She begins as a timid, easily influenced, young girl and becomes strong and independent at the end of the story.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
I began my life as a protected member of a close-knit family. Through years of nursing, marriage, child-rearing and divorce, I experienced many of the situations that appear in my stories.

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?
I unwind by attending water aerobics classes three times a week, tending to my many houseplants, playing the piano, and reading.

What are your current projects?
I am writing about a new character, an older woman living in a retirement community. Haven’t decided yet if it will become a series.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

On my web site: http://www.helenosterman.com/

Helen, continued success.