Award Winning Author, Maryann Miller, Previews Newest Book Release: The Wisdom of the Ages

Maryann is a diverse writer of columns, feature stories, short fiction, novels, screenplays, and stage plays, Maryann Miller has won numerous awards for her fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays including being a semi-finalist at the Sundance Institute for her screenplay, A Question of Honor.  She has won the Page Edward's Short Story Award, and her nonfiction books have been chosen as Best Books for Teens by the New York Public Library System. She lives and works in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas on a little bit of acreage she shares with her husband, one horse, two goats, two dogs, four cats and the occasional armadillo that wanders through.

Her publishing credits include work for regional and national newspapers and magazines: Lady's Circle, Woman's World, Marriage and Family Living, Plano Magazine, The Children's World, Byline, The Texas Catholic Newspaper. She has published nine non-fiction books for teens, including the award-winning Coping With Weapons and Violence : In Your School and on Your Streets released by The Rosen Publishing Group in New York.

She, also, does book reviews for ForeWord Magazine and two online review sites, BloggerNews.net and Curled Up With a Good Book. She also does freelance editing. Other experience includes extensive work as a PR consultant, a script doctor, and a freelance editor. She has been writing all her life and plans to die at her computer.

Tell us about the genre of your work.

I write in several genres, with a strong focus on mystery and suspense. I have been told it is better to stick to one genre so you can brand yourself, but stories come to me and sometimes they are a mystery, other times a short story or a woman's story. I cannot help it and I sure do not want the stories to ever stop coming.

Why did you choose this genre?

I especially like mysteries and suspense novels to read, and I have always had a strong interest in law enforcement, so writing about those subjects is a natural for me.  

What are some of your books, stories that have been published?

I have had 19 books published, some nonfiction and the rest fiction. I have also had numerous short stories and feature articles published in national and regional magazines and newspaper.   The latest release is a short story collection as an e-book, The Wisdom of Ages. It has three stories that feature four men whose lives take unexpected turns, which makes them realize that growing old is not for the faint of heart. One of the stories featured won the Page Edwards Short Story award.  

(Link for short story collection)   http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Ages-Short-Collection-ebook/dp/B004X75P4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1304104491&sr=1-1

The paperback version of One Small Victory came out this past February, and in December, my mystery, Open Season was released in hardback from Five Star Cengage/Gale.

One Small Victory was published in hardcover in 2008 by Five Star, and I published the e-book last year myself. It is currently a top seller in the mystery & suspense bestseller list for Kindle. This is a story of one woman's courage as she works with a drug task force to help bring down a major drug distributor in her small Texas town. It was inspired by a news report of a woman who did this in a small town in the Midwest, and I was always intrigued by what she did and all that she risked to do it.  

(Link for One Small Victory) http://www.amazon.com/ONE-SMALL-VICTORY-ebook/dp/B0040GJI3K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Open Season is the first book in a mystery series featuring two women homicide detectives in Dallas. Think "Lethal Weapon" with female leads. It has received great reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal, and numerous readers have contacted me to say how much they are enjoying it.  One woman compared it favorably to the work of Lee Child, and I almost fainted when I read her e-mail message.  Lee, I guess I can call him by his first name now (smile), is a favorite author of mine and I never imagined getting put in his league. The second book in the series, Stalking Season, has just gone to contract and will be out Nov of 2012. I could have two babies while I am waiting, if I was still young enough to have babies.   

(Link for Open Season) http://www.amazon.com/Open-Season-Five-Star-Mystery/dp/1594149151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304105558&sr=1-1

How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?

I like to set my stories in real places. I have a hard time making up a location, so it is a good thing I do not write fantasy. (Smile) For each of my novels I set the story in a real town and often used real places for scenes. When I was doing the research for Open Season, I visited the Dallas police department main headquarters, as well as other specific places where a scene could take place. The mystery centers on people who are being killed at area shopping malls, and I did come up with fictitious names for those so the mall owners would not send their legal team after me.

How did you develop the character of your protagonist in this book?

For Open Season I interviewed a number of police officers and rode patrol several times to get a feel for how officers think and act. Some friends who were in law enforcement were also very helpful in sharing their experiences. When I decided on the two lead detectives, one white and one black, I patterned them after some of the women I had interviewed, adding a bit of Martin Riggs from "Lethal Weapon" to Sarah's character.

The protagonist in One Small Victory came to me fully developed when I read the news story about what that woman did in the Midwest. I think I could relate to her as a mother, and as someone who does not like to back down from a challenge, so when I started plotting the story, the character was there actually helping me with the story line. Don't you just love when that happens?

Why and when did you begin writing?

I decided when I was about ten that I wanted to be a writer. I started writing short stories and one of my teachers entered my story in the Scholastic Writing Awards contest. I won an award and got to go to this fabulous old theatre in downtown Detroit to participate in the awards ceremony with other students who were being honored. Of course, I felt like I was the only one when I walked up to the stage to get my award.

What is your writing schedule?

 I work every day in my office from about 9 until 5. Some of that time is spent working on a new book; the rest is spent on editing for clients, promoting and taking care of the myriad of tasks associated with the business of writing. That seems to never end.

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future?

I will start researching for the third book in the mystery series in the next month or so, but first I want to put an original mystery up on Kindle. A number of authors are doing that, and I thought I would experiment to see how that would work for me. I have a stand-alone mystery, Boxes For Beds that I started years ago and never finished, so I will work on getting that finished over the summer. That book is set in Hot Springs, Arkansas, so of course I will have to go there for a weekend to do some research.  Test out all the bathhouses to see which one my protagonist will like best. LOL  

Are there any other comments, advice or tips that you would give to beginning writers?

The only thing I like to tell beginning writers is to read, read, read, and then write, write, write. In addition, when it comes time to start marketing, do not ever quit. The difference between success and failure is often a matter of tenacity.

What do you do when you are not writing?

  When I am not writing, I love to work out on my property. I "play farmer" on about five acres and really enjoy gardening and taking care of my critters. My childhood dream was always to live on a farm, so now I am living that dream.  I go out in the morning with my first cup of coffee and my horse comes to greet me at the fence with a whinny. Of course, I think it is because he loves me, and he thinks I am going to the barn to get some hay.

I also love live theatre and have gotten very involved in acting and directing at some community theatres in the area. I have found that exploring story as an actor is not so different from exploring story as a writer, and the two creative endeavors feed each other.

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life?

One of my most treasured "made it" moments is when I directed a play I had written at a local community theatre. On opening night, I stood in the back and watched the story come to life on stage and tears streamed down my face. That was ten years ago and the memory stirs a strong emotion even today.  Recent successes like the popularity of One Small Victory among mystery readers and the great reviews of Open Season have been very exciting, and sometimes I dare to think that I might even be successful in terms of book sales. However, I am not sure that any of that will touch the magic of that moment in the theatre ten years ago.

You can find out more about Maryann and her work at: http://www.maryannwrites.com.

P.S. Don’t forget to leave a comment for Maryann!

Prolific Published Author,Judy Alter, Announces the Release of a New Book, First in a Series

Prolific writer and published author, Judy Alter, was kind enough to share with us a preview of her book that is to be released the end of August.  I was very impressed by the volume and variety of her work. If you want to see how many books, check out her Author page on Amazon.  I am sure everyone will enjoy learning more about the author behind the books.

My current work is a cozy mystery, Skeleton in a Dead Space, and I plan to keep writing in that genre, but I suffer from a confused background. For years, I published fiction and nonfiction about women of the Old West for both adults and young adults. In some readers’ minds, I am forever pigeonholed as a young adult writer. In addition, I have done some food writing. Therefore, I have a record of accomplishment, but not in writing mysteries, which is where my career is headed these days.

I have always wanted to write mysteries because I have been a lifelong reader of them. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good story. I particularly like Julie Hyzy, Hank Phllippi Ryan, Carolyn Hart, Diana Mott Davidson, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and many others.

What are some of your books, stories that have been published?

My newest book, Skeleton in a Dead Space is scheduled for release on August 29. by Turquoise Morning Press. It is the first in a planned series.

Some of my other books that have been published are, Libbie, Jessie, and Cherokee Rose are biographical fiction about Elizabeth Custer, Jessie Benton Frémont, and Lucille Mulhall. These three books are out of print, but used copies can still be found on some used book sites, including Amazon.com.

Luke and the Van Zandt War (ISBN0-912-646-88-8) is available from University Publishing (ISBN: 1.800.826.8911), or Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Luke-Zandt-County-Chaparral-Books/).  Luke and the Van Zandt War is an award-winning young adult novel set in East Texas during Reconstruction.

Mattie, the story of a pioneer woman physician on the late nineteenth-century Nebraska prairie, won a Spur Award from Western Writers of America and is available at

 http://www.amazon.com/Mattie-ebook/). 

Two of my more recently published books are first,  Cooking My Way Through Life with Kids and Books (ISBN 978-1-933337-33-3).  It is available from University Publishing (ISBN: 1.800.826.8911), or on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-through-Books-Stars-Texas/).  It is a cookbook/memoir.

The second book is Great Texas Chefs, part of the Texas Small Books Series from TCU Pres (ISBN 978-0-87565-377-8) is available from University Publishing (ISBN: 1.800.826.8911), or Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Great-Texas-Chefs-Small-Books/.

How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?

Names of characters are hard for me. Sometimes a name just sounds right—I tend to like unusual names, like Ellsbeth or Theo for a girl, but my current mystery heroine was Kelly Jones and my mentor complained persistently that it was too plain, had no zing to it. So now, she is Kelly O’Connor and her ex-husband, instead of Tim Smith, is Tim Spencer. I gave him a chance, being of proper English descent, to be a bit demeaning about her Irish background. Places are easier. They are either historical or, in the forthcoming book, set in an area that I know well.

Judy, can you tell us more about your new book, Skeleton in a Dead Space, that is to be released soon?

I guess my favorite thing about my forthcoming book is the world created in it—I am delighted that I find myself lost in it, just as I do in the world of a good book by another author. I hope others feel the same way. Kelly and her girls seem so real to me.

The protagonist in Skeleton in a Dead Space is a single mother of two, so a large part of her experience is based on my own life as a single mother of four. I tried to give her distinguishing characteristics— she has a tendency to rush into things before thinking them through, a touch of self-deprecating humor, and a certain shyness about getting into the dating game again—although that police officer sure is attractive. I think her strong relationship with her daughters is one important characteristic.

There is no single recurring antagonist in this book, and Kelly does not find out who threatens her until almost the end of the book. She does tangle with some gang members who vandalize her property for reasons she does not understand until closing stages of the book, but she is more threatened by circumstances than any individual. That will change in the second book, which revolves around a serial killer targeting elderly women.

How do the different genres in which you write differ one from another?

Writing mystery differs from historical fiction is the need for a plot—history gives you the plot but in a mystery you have to think of the twists and turns, even though character carries the book.  I have heard that old saying that you should write a mystery backward—start with the end and plot how it happened. However, that approach would not work for me. One of my sons once said, “The reason Mom writes historical novels is that she’s so poor at plotting.” But this time I found the plot working itself out as I went along, and I think it’s pretty good—not brilliant, but solid craftsmanship. I guess I am a pantser.

Why and when did you begin writing?

I began writing short stories when I was ten or twelve, submitted to Seventeen in high school and actually published some health articles for the layperson while in graduate school. My first novel, After Pa Was Shot, a y/a, was published in 1978 by William Morrow & Co.

What is your writing schedule?

I try to work in the mornings, early afternoons, and evenings. I often take time out for lunch or supper with friends, and sometimes errands, meetings, and appointments intervene so I would not say it is a very regular writing schedule.

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future?

I am currently writing a book on Texas Chili for Texas Tech University Press and hoping to get back to my second mystery, No Neighborhood for Old Women, which is in its second draft; thanks to a critique partner, I have some definite ideas about revision.

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life? 

Those who want to write mysteries should definitely join Sisters-in-Crime and the Guppies subgroup. I have learned so much from those groups. In addition, an aspiring writer should read lots of books similar to the kind you want to write. Get active on Facebook and Twitter—the latter has links to really helpful sites.

When I am not writing, I read, cook, visit with friends, and take care of my local grandson. I love visits from the faraway grandchildren, and I see them as often as I can.

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life? 

“Made it” moments in my personal life have been many and rewarding—vacations with all the family, weddings, etc. However, my biggest professional “Made It” moment came when I was presented the Western Writers of America’s Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Other “Made it” moments include winning the Spur Award from WWA, the Western Heritage (Wrangler) Award from the National Cowboy Museum, and having my mystery accepted enthusiastically by Turquoise Morning Press.

Cozy Mystery Writer, Nancy Lynn Jarvis, Announces Upcoming Debut of Her New Book

This was a very interesting chat with Nancy, and I am delighted that she gave me the priviledge of interviewing her. 

The Lady behind the Mystery

Nancy Lynn Jarvis has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News.  A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure.  Details and ideas for Nancy’s Regan McHenry Mysteries come from Nancy’s own experiences.

Tell us about the genre of your work. How is writing in the genre you write, different than other genre?

 I write cozy style mysteries which mean there is a body in the first chapter, no graphic sex or violence, no bad language, and a good resolution. The protagonist is female of a “certain age” and an amateur sleuth, who picks up information the police miss. Often cozies are set in a small community. In my case, the books are set in Santa Cruz in the world of real estate.

Why did you choose this genre? Why and when did you begin writing?

I started writing as a mind game, kind of like doing a giant Sudoku and mystery worked: solving the crime equals solving the Sudoku. Maybe I better back up a bit. My husband and I were, technically still are, Realtors who own a small company in Santa Cruz, California. I have been in the business since 1989 and had seen down markets with all their cruelty before, so when the real estate market tanked in 2008, we decided to hang up our for sale signs, take a time out, and pretend we were retired. I got bored within a couple of weeks and decided, strictly as an entertaining thing to do, I would write a mystery.

I had the beginning and the end, and lots of stories I could use as background if I made the protagonist a real estate agent. I set the books in Santa Cruz since I knew the community so well. The protagonist, Regan McHenry began her life as me, only younger, thinner, and more successful than I was. She became her own person about the time she found a body.

What are some of your books, stories that have been published?

I have three books published: The Death Contingency, Backyard Bones, and Buying Murder. People can read the first chapters of all the books at my website: http://www.goodreadmysteries.com/ if they like.

The books are available on Amazon in both standard size print and large print (large print follows the National Association for the Visually Handicapped standards) and for e-readers like Kindle with apps for other e-readers and smart phones and on Barnes and Noble Pubit! 

There is also a Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries page on Facebook if anyone wants to take a look. http://www.facebook.com/ReganMcHenryRealEstateMysteries?ref=ts Sometimes there are contest and free books…

The next book in the series should be out in July, just in time to get a copy for a fun summer read. The title is The Widow’s Walk League. All the books have something in their titles that relates to real estate or houses, but in this instance, a widow’s walk takes on a more sinister aspect than being a house feature.

How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?

Coming up with places is simple. Although there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the books that says all people and places are fictitious, many of the places are well known Santa Cruz haunts. The houses, especially if they have a body in them as in Buying Murder, are real houses I’ve been in, but the addresses are manufactured.

I had great fun with a woman who bought The Death Contingency and called me to say she thought the big climactic scene seemed like it took place in her house. I confessed it did. She ordered books for all her family and friends.

Except for the murder victim and the killer, most of the characters in the books start out as people I know and I begin writing using their names. At some point they get renamed; often as I write the character suggests what their name should be. I occasionally have fun playing name games, too. Characters may keep their initials, for example, a termite inspector named Jay Boyd became Jessie Bolton. A real estate company may keep their office location but get a different name. The idea is, for people who are familiar with Santa Cruz, they may be able to figure out where and who: it’s an added mystery for them to solve if they care to try.

How did you develop the character of your protagonist in this book?

There are three characters carried forward in the books: Regan McHenry, her husband Tom Kiley, and their friend Dave Everett who is a police ombudsman forced into that semi-retired position after losing an eye in a shootout. The characters began as me, my husband, and our friend Dave, whose background I stole although he does not live in Santa Cruz and is no longer a police officer in any capacity.

I am a method writer which means I act out what happens in the books, or at least watch my characters as they act out what happens. As I said earlier, me being me worked until “I” had to find a body. The morning I wrote that scene, my husband found me in my office curled up in a ball crying. At that point, I knew the characters could not be real any more.

A curious thing happened once they got renamed: they took on a life of their own. In many ways they write the books for me now.

What about an antagonist…is there a unique “bad guy” or a recurring nemesis of any kind?

No recurring nemesis because cozies are not like that as a rule. There is a character in Buying Murder who is very like Regan, though and the closest thing she has to a nemesis. Think Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty; they are very much alike in many ways.

What’s your favorite thing about your books?

What I enjoy most is the interaction between Regan and Dave. They are close friends but they constantly annoy one another, often on purpose. Regan is not always as clever as she thinks she is, and Dave is smarter than he may seem, which helps.

I enjoy Tom, as well. He is Regan’s logical husband. Regan is logical, but she’s also intuitive, an observer who remembers and puts things together. Their interplay is fun for me to write, as well. Even though Tom is no longer my real husband he still retains many of his traits and it is his blue eyes I see when I mention Tom’s eyes, but I get to make him perfect. Tom doesn’t interrupt or argue and he is always supportive. I tell my husband to read the Tom parts of the books with that in mind.

What is your writing schedule?

 I usually write at about the time the events in the books are happening. The Widow’s Walk League has been challenging in that regard because it opens on Halloween night and runs through the following August. Buying Murder is set during the winter but I began it in July. I wrote as much as I could and then had to wait for rainy weather and winter to finish it. I just could not relate to a stormy night when it was 96 degrees outside.

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future?

I do not know what will happen after The Widow’s Walk League. I had the first four books in mind when I began writing but I do not have a fifth. We will have to see. I also have a completely different book in mind which I may play with while Regan and Tom take a vacation.

What kind of advice or tips to you have for someone who wants to write (especially mystery)?

 Do it. That may seem like silly advice but any time I give a book talk I open by asking, “How many of you would like to write a book?” Most hands go up. When I follow up with, “How many of you have?” most, if not all, hands go down. I never intended to do anything with The Death Contingency. It was just a game to see if I could do it, but I have had the most amazing adventures since it came out — things have happened I would never have experienced otherwise, and I have met people I would never have met if not for the books. Do it.

What do you do when you are not writing? 

I write under a pseudonym. When I am not Nancy Lynn Jarvis, I am a completely different person who is busy with a different life.

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life?

Life is full of “made it’ moments. The most important thing is to keep your eyes open to see them.