Oct 17, 2024 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
Former Metropolitan Opera violinist Erica Miner is now an award-winning author, screenwriter, arts journalist, and lecturer based in the Pacific Northwest. Her debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards. In her current Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, Erica’s fanciful plot fabrications reveal the dark side of the fascinating world of opera.
Erica has given workshops for Sisters in Crime, the Los Angeles Creative Writing Conference, EPIC Group Writers, Write on the Sound, Fields End Writer’s Community, Savvy Authors, and numerous libraries on the West Coast.
OVERTURE TO MURDER: Young violinist Julia places her own life
in jeopardy when she investigates a gruesome murder at the San Francisco Opera. However, a person near and dear to Julia is in grave danger when the killer seeks revenge for Julia’s sleuthing.
What brought you to writing? I started writing when I was 7 or 8. In my Detroit grade school, there were a number of outstanding after-school programs. I was placed in one for Creative Writing. I fell in love with the process of creating characters and plots and weaving them together to tell stories. Even when I started studying the violin, then in my professional career as a musician, I kept writing. I still love telling stories, and I’m still at it.
How do you come up with character names? Coming up with names is one of my favorite parts of writing fiction. I worked in the Met Opera Orchestra for 21 years. I have a wealth of musical names to draw from, including solo artists, composers past and present, their colleagues, and more. Panoplies of names to choose from among the 100 or so other musicians and people from all realms in the opera house, from opera superstars to stagehands. Sometimes, I use a foreign name in a different language for fun. I named the protagonist of my series after the daughter of my closest friend in the Met chorus. In the process, I get to kill off lots of people who made my life miserable. What could be better?
Do you base any of your characters on real people? My stories revolve around my experiences with the colorful, fascinating, quirky, maddening characters who populate the opera world, a world of volatile individuals who somehow have to work together: wannabe stars, detestable divas, snarky stagehands. There’s no love lost between them. They’re a gold mine of resources for my characters.
Do you outline, or are you a pantser? I’m an obsessive outliner. I must have a blueprint to guide me in the process. The mystery genre is the most difficult to write: a jigsaw puzzle in which every plot point must fit perfectly with the one that came before and the one that comes after. The puzzle falls apart if one piece is out of place or the wrong size. I can take as long as six months to sweat over an outline and make it as seamless as possible before I write one word of the story. I make appropriate modifications as I go along, but I wouldn’t dream of putting together my murder mystery puzzle without that framework.
What kind of research do you do? Sometimes, I end up down a rabbit hole when I do my research. But I absolutely love it. The histories and cultural backgrounds of these opera companies and their cities are fascinating and enlightening. The Met and New York (Aria for Murder) are endlessly alluring. Santa Fe (Prelude to Murder) is the second oldest city in the US; its opera company performs in an outdoor theatre in the middle of the desert. In San Francisco (Overture to Murder), one of the world’s most beloved and sophisticated cities, opera started as a diversion for miners during the gold rush. They developed into high-brow entertainment by the French and Italians who descended upon the city. And it goes from there. While playing in the Met Orchestra, I focused on performing operas to the highest standards of the most prestigious opera house in the world. Now I get to explore why the composers wrote the operas and who the historical figures involved were.
Where do you place your settings—real or fictional locations? Despite my protagonist being an amateur sleuth, my opera mysteries are traditional by definition, as they take place in real locations at major venues in large cities: the Metropolitan Opera (New York), the Santa Fe Opera, and the San Francisco Opera. In some scenes, there could be 1000 people or more. I feel palpable excitement in these places, where I can find almost limitless locations and situations around which I can create my fanciful plot fabrications, revealing the dark side of the fascinating world of opera. There are so many opera houses, so little time!
Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and your books? I’m gratified that my mysteries have found a niche among book lovers in general, mystery lovers specifically, and opera aficionados—especially those who also love reading mysteries! My readers, who know a lot about opera, tell me they always find something to relate to in the real operas that I weave into the mystery plots. My readers who start out knowing little or nothing about opera tell me they delight in learning about this unique art form for the first time. Many of them have been inspired to see their first opera, and some have described this as a “religious experience.” I couldn’t ask for a more meaningful response.
How do our readers contact you?
Via email: eminer5472@gmail.com
Website: https://www.ericaminer.com
ISBNS:
978-1-68512-781-7 (pb)
978-1-68512-782-4 (eb)
BUY LINKS: Overture to Murder
Also, by Erica Miner:
ARIA FOR MURDER
PRELUDE TO MURDER
GROUPS I BELONG TO:
Mystery Writers of America,
Sisters in Crime,
International Thriller Writers,
Pacific Northwest Writers Association,
Level Best Books Authors
Feb 8, 2024 | Uncategorized |
Joan Long is the author of the locked-room-style mystery THE FINALIST, which was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. She is a third-generation Floridian who earned a degree in English/Creative Writing from Florida State University and a graduate degree in Journalism and Communications from The University of Florida. She has written for universities, public television, healthcare corporations, a magazine, and more.
Joan was a finalist in a Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Mystery Novel Competition and was a short-listed finalist for a William Faulkner-William Wisdom Award for Best Novel-in-Progress. Her short story “The Extra Ingredient” is published in the Anthony Award-winning anthology Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible.
Has an association membership helped you with your writing? Absolutely! Joining writing associations is probably the best thing I’ve done for my writing career. I’m a member of Sisters in Crime and its Guppy chapter, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and the Authors Guild. Through these organizations, I continually learn the craft and business of writing. They also help me make connections with other authors. I’ve met some of my best friends through these groups.
How do you come up with character names? I use multiple sources—baby registries, online name generators, old phone books, and church directories. I try to begin each name with a different letter and vary the syllable lengths. As a reader, I find it confusing when character names are too similar. And because I want to be nice to audiobook narrators, my main characters’ names don’t end in s or th.
Do you outline, or are you a pantser? Outlining works best for me. I begin with a logline, followed by a brief synopsis and the outline. However, my outlines constantly change. They evolve as the story grows.
What kind of research do you do? Setting is an important element in my debut novel, The Finalist. Because the story takes place on a tropical island, I researched plants, flowers, local foods, charter boats, satellite radios, and—ahem!—how long it takes a person to dig a grave in sand.
Where do you place your settings—real or fictional locations? I prefer fictional settings
that are loosely based on real locations. Key Island—the fictional location of The Finalist—takes place on a private island in the Caribbean. My work-in-progress is set in Florida in a fictional community near the Gulf of Mexico. Obviously, I like to write about warm-weather places!
Do you have any advice for new writers? I recommend learning the craft and becoming active in a writing community. I also suggest keeping a “Happiness Journal” or something similar. Remembering the great things that happen can help on days when writing is a challenge. Did you receive a wonderful blurb or a five-star review? Did you find your book in a library? Has your word count increased? Whatever it is that made your day, write it down. One of my favorite moments happened when I was going up an escalator. A woman riding the down escalator recognized me and shouted, “I’m reading your book!” I smile every time I think about it.
Many thanks to George Cramer for inviting me to post on his blog.
My website is https://joanlongbooks.com.
Here is my buy info:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MSRF932
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-finalist-joan-long/1141005243
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=joan+long
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781685120597
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Finalist/Joan-Long/9781685120597
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/the-finalist/9781685120597
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-finalist/id1610738358
Walmart: https://walmart.com/ip/The-Finalist-Paperback-9781685
Jan 29, 2024 | Cozy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
G.M. Malliet is an American award-winning author of mystery and cozy mystery novels. She is best known for writing the Agatha Award-winning Death of a Cozy Writer (2008), the first installment of the St. Just Mystery Series, named among the Best Books of 2008 by Kirkus Reviews.
The holder of degrees from Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, G.M. Malliet has wide experience in journalism and copywriting. Before switching to fiction writing, she wrote for national and international news publications (Thomson Reuters) and public broadcasters (PBS). She currently resides in the U.S.
Elevator Pitch: Max Tudor thought he’d left the world of deceit when he resigned from MI5 to become an Anglican priest. Then his bishop asks him to return to his Oxford college, St Luke’s, to investigate the death of its chaplain, and Max realizes there’s no leaving the past behind.
What brought you to writing? Writing was always just there. It’s the kind of thing you are compelled to do rather than take up idly on a whim. The longer I live, the more I wish I could cut back on the writing, but that compulsion is still there.
Where do you write? What, if any, distractions do you allow? My office is right in the middle of a several-story house, so it’s Grand Central Station. I think that might just be what I’m comfortable with. If I have too much quiet, I can’t really work.
Tell us about your writing process: The early stages of writing are always the fun part when you’re not committed to anything. That’s where the joy comes in.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process? What are you currently working on? Book 6 in the St. Just series. It is called Death and the Old Master.
Has an association membership helped you with your writing? Both SinC and MWA have provided friendships with seasoned experts willing to share their expertise.
How do you come up with character names? Like most authors, I use a baby naming site or the Census records.
Do you ever kill a popular character? I wanted to kill an early Max Tudor character. St. Martin’s wouldn’t allow it. I still regret caving.
G.M. Malliet is a member of:
Crime Writers’ Association (U.K.),
International Thriller Writers,
Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance,
Mystery Writers of America,
Sisters in Crime (former National Board member).
Contact me:
Website: Gmmalliet.com
Email me at gm at gmmalliet dot com.
I can’t always answer, but I love fan mail 😉
Dec 4, 2023 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about Washington DC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brien international adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel Beyond Blue. His short stories have been featured in several anthologies, and he is featured in the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the Maryland Writers Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and one of the directors of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference – now in its 10th year.
Subtle Felonies – Is retired basketball star Xander Brown missing or
kidnapped? His crazy family and dangerous friends draw DC detective Hannibal Jones into a deadly chase to find – or rescue – a complex man. In public, Xander is a husband, father, partner, and friend, but who is he in private? Which role took him away?
Do you write in more than one genre? Yes. My primary work is detective fiction – The Hannibal Jones mystery series. I love writing about a private eye’s adventures. My mysteries have complex plots and tend to be deep character studies. But writing about a PI walking the mean streets of Washington, DC, I’ve noticed the stories getting darker and grittier because I strive for realism. But I also write straight-up thrillers. The Stark & O’Brien novels feature a mercenary soldier and a jewel thief who have formed a personal protection company and do odd jobs for the CIA. It’s great fun and not as dark as the noir style of my mysteries. I’m told the action in my thrillers feels more like the Indiana Jones movies.
Who’s your favorite author? There are too many to name, but if I have to choose one, it would be Raymond Chandler. His prose is near poetry, and let’s face it, Phillip Marlowe is the detective we all chase in our writing. But Ross McDonald wrote the best plots of any mystery writer I’ve read. And Elmore Leonard created the best characters, bar none.
Do you base any of your characters on real people? I have never based a character on a real person. However, some of my characters are an amalgam of people I’ve known or read about. Some real life people are almost archetypes – Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk are examples. Oddly, several people I know personally have accused me of using them as the model for one of my characters. I guess my fictional people are real enough that they see themselves in them.
Do you outline, or are you a pantser? I have to outline and don’t understand how anyone can write otherwise. In order to build a puzzle that is a good mystery, I have to plant clues at the right times, and pacing is important in mystery AND thriller fiction. And I have to know where the story is going in order to cut unnecessary stuff. How do you do that without an outline? Of course, during the writing, things change, and the story will veer away from the original outline, but I always know where I’m going, so I never get lost in the story and never feel writer’s block.
Looking to the future, what’s in store for you? As soon as I finish a Hannibal Jones novel, ideas appear for another. But I’m also starting a new series about a Black female professional assassin named Skye. It is being so much fun to write.
Do you have any advice for new writers? Stick with the basics. Write every day. Write to the end of your story before you begin to rewrite. Accept that your first draft is just piling sand into your sandbox. You build your castle in the rewrites, and you can expect to do that three or four times. And join a strong critique group. Others will always see things in your writing that you miss.
I am an active member of:
Mystery Writers of America (Mid-Atlantic Chapter),
International Thriller Writers,
Sisters in Crime,
Virginia Writers Club,
Maryland Writers Association.
Public Safety Writers Association
Reach me on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/austin.camacho.author/
Twitter at @ascamacho
website – https://ascamacho.com/
Buy my latest, Subtle Felonies, at https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Felonies-Hannibal-Jones-Mystery/dp/B0CBWN5V1X/
Or see all my novels at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Austin+S.+Camacho&i=stripbooks&s=review-count-rank&crid=27N759Y4XYN1R&qid=1653645317&sprefix=austin+s.+camacho%2Cstripbooks%2C70&ref=sr_st_review-count-rank
Oct 12, 2023 | Police Procedural / Crime, Thriller |
Galveston Author Saralyn Richard
Saralyn Richard is the author of award-winning mysteries that pull back the curtain on people in settings as diverse as elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools. An active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Saralyn teaches creative writing and literature.
Her favorite thing about being an author is connecting with readers like you.
Detective fiction, also known as police procedurals or crime fiction, began in the English-language literature in the mid-nineteenth century with Edgar Allan Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin, a brilliant thinker who used “rationcination” to solve crimes. (The word detective hadn’t been invented yet, but Dupin’s name has its roots in “duping” or “deception.”) The enormously popular Dupin was followed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.
All three of these fictional detectives became larger-than-life and inspired generations of mystery authors. Thus, a subgenre of mystery fiction was born and has grown into one of the most preferred types of novels today. I’ve enjoyed detective fiction since I was a young girl (Nancy Drew), so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to analyze what makes it so engaging.
1. First, we have the age-old concept of good vs. evil. The detective is the force for good, seeking truth, determined to restore order by bringing evildoers to justice. How can the reader help rooting for that kind of hero?
2. A well-written detective novel invites the reader to follow the clues to join in solving the intellectual and emotional puzzle of the mystery. This participatory involvement brings readers close to writers who have laid out the puzzle for them. Whether I’m able to figure out the puzzle before the big reveal at the end or not, I’m thoroughly in sync with the author as I read along.
3. Detective novels reaffirm certain principles of culture and life. They underscore that bad things happen; that sometimes people fall prey to sin, corruption, and inhumanity; but also that when injustices occur, there are those who will work hard to right the wrongs. Crime doesn’t pay.
Detective Oliver Parrott, the righter of wrongs in my Detective Parrott Mystery Series, (whose last name is a nod to Poirot), carries all the charm of a good guy up against extremely difficult odds. Young, African American, and raised by a single mother in an impoverished neighborhood, Parrott is an outsider in the opulent Brandywine Valley, where many of America’s wealthiest and most powerful live. Parrott’s intelligence, ambition, and strong moral compass give him the power to see beyond the glitz and secrecy and dare to challenge it.
Unlike Poirot and the traditional detectives, Parrott shares much of his life’s experience as he goes after criminals. His fiancée is doing a tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Navy. His cousin has recently been killed as an innocent bystander by police fire. Parrott’s struggles are woven into the mystery in a way that makes him authentic and relatable. In each of the three books in the series (and a fourth coming before year’s end), the reader comes to know Parrott in a deeper way—he becomes as close as a neighbor, a relative, a friend. Like many other readers, I can’t wait to go along on Parrott’s next adventure. How about you?
Follow Saralyn and subscribe to her monthly newsletter at http://saralynrichard.com.
Lovely combo, music and murder. Intriguing.
This was a fun post, and I enjoyed getting to know Erica better. Write what you know…? Well, Erica takes that to a whole other level with this thought: “I get to kill off lots of people who made my life miserable.” I love it. Best of luck bringing your world to light for so many of us, Erica.
It doesn’t surprise me that with your musical background you’re an outliner Erica. Your books sound fascinating. Best of luck to you and I hope you never strike any sour notes.