You Have the Right to Six Words - We Now Return to Our Regular Schedule

O.k., we had a couple weeks of "special" editions of You Have The Right To Six Words. And while we have more special folks to highlight, we're back on our regular format for Week 19. I decided to make this edition of "You Have the Right to Six Words" brought to you by the letter "R". You will notice that we have a lot of "R" names today, actually everyone has an "R" name. I didn't do that on purpose or else I would have scheduled it last week so that the "R" week could be on Week 18, because "R" is the 18th letter of the alphabet. But, I digress so let's get started before I get off track again.

We'll start off this week with a clinical psychologist from New Jersey. Roberta Isleib is the author of the Golf Lover's Mysteries and the Advice Column Mysteries. She originally took up writing to justify all the time she was spending on the golf course - because it was research, you know! Her Golf Lover's Mysteries earned her nominations for both Agatha and Anthony awards. Then in 2007 she began the Advice Column Mysteries. Roberta has been active in the International Sisters in Crime organization as well as the New England chapter of SIC. According to Roberta, "the work of the detective in a mystery has quite a bit in common with long-term psychotherapy: Start with a problem, follow the threads looking for clues, and gradually fill in the big picture." She lives in Connecticut with her family and says:

My heaven: Eating, reading, writing,
friends.

Our next memoirist this week is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, and now lives in Cape Town. Roger Smith is the author of a highly successful debut thriller novel titled MIXED BLOOD that is slated to be adapted for a film with Samuel L. Jackson. MIXED BLOOD is Roger's first novel, but he's no stranger to writing as he has written, directed and produced for both film and television. His second thriller is due out in February of 2010 and is titled WAKE UP DEAD. When Roger describes how his experiences in Johannesburg and then in Cape Town combined with a news story and his wondering "what if" gave voice to MIXED BLOOD, it's obvious how his memoir would be:

Came to me in a dream.

In April I had the pleasure of attending a panel at the L.A. Times Book Festival with our next author. Critics have compared New York Times bestselling author Robert "Bob" Dugoni's writing to that of both John Grisham and David Baldacci. But he didn't come to the crime fiction world right away. After graduating from Stanford with degrees in communications/journalism and creative writing, Bob spent a short time working as a reporter before he went back to law school. Armed with a law degree from UCLA, Bob began practicing law in San Francisco and on the side he did some acting with the American Conservatory Theater. That same little voice inside him that drove his undergraduate degree choice continued to nag at Bob and one day he confronted his wife to say he didn't want to practice law anymore, he wanted to be a writer. And the crime fiction community is lucky that his wife was supportive of him following his dream. Bob and family moved to Seattle where he began to write and write and write. Since then Bob has published three legal thriller novels and a non-fiction work, THE CYANIDE CANARY. His most recent novel, WRONGFUL DEATH, was published in April of this year and brings back his protagonist, David Sloane, from Bob's debut novel, THE JURY MASTER.

Bob put everything on the line to follow his passion for writing and it has paid off in spades. Is it any wonder his memoir is

Follow DREAMS. The money will come.

Anchoring the memoirs today is a woman who started her career as an architect. Yes indeed, S. J. Rozan was an architect in a firm that specialized in police stations, fire houses and...zoos? But her life's calling simply wasn't there. She went to work as an architect because she believed that writing was a career that the average person just didn't do. But when the urge to write continued to rattle inside her, she decided to give it a shot. Now eleven novels and many short stories later, writing is something she just does! And she does it well. She has earned the Edgar, Anthony, Nero and Macavity awards for doing what she does best. Most recently she has released SHANGHAI MOON, which is the ninth book in her popular Lydia Chin/Bill Smith P.I. series.

Being a Buckeye, and a Northeast Ohio Buckeye at that, I must mention that S.J. Rozan is a graduate of Oberlin College. She earned her Masters in Architecture from SUNY Buffalo. S.J. has served on the national boards of both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She also served as president of the Private Eye Writers of America. But S.J. Rozan has just one question:

I'm old enough for memoirs already?

Well, I suppose if Mylie Cyrus or Serena Williams can write a memoir, so can S.J. Rozan but we're counting on her being around in the crime fiction world for awhile to come! My sincerest thanks to all of our memoirists this week: Roberta, Roger, Bob and S.J. I'm so honored to have you join the project!

I hope everyone has enjoyed these wonderful contributions this week. After 19 weeks, we haven't had a boring or bad week yet. And there's still more fun to come. So definitely check in next week: same time, same place...more fun!

On the Bouchercon front, I have an exciting announcement to make. Well, exciting for me anyway. If you haven't already heard my obnoxious outbursts on Twitter or Facebook, I won a "Hot Ticket" to spend an hour in a small group with Michael Connelly! By small group, I mean 10 people! I am incredibly psyched about this opportunity and it's just one more reason to be elated about 15 days to Bouchercon!!

GALLOWS LANE - Brian McGilloway

Inspector Benedict "Ben" Devlin has a babysitting assignment in GALLOWS LANE. James Kerr has been released from jail and Devlin's superintendent, Costello, wants Kerr to stay in Northern Ireland. Devlin's job is to convince him to do so. However, Kerr has a mission. He needs to see "a man" to get something "off his chest." Then he'll be gone, he assures Devlin. But shortly thereafter people start dying unnaturally. Kerr is the prime suspect until he is crucified on Gallows Lane. Devlin is determined to stop the carnage, especially when his family is in danger.

GALLOWS LANE is a complex police procedural that has equal parts psychological action and physical action. Devlin battles internally with what is right and what is wrong as his wife challenges his loyalty to their family. She believes that he selfishly puts their family in harms way for the glory of his job. While Devlin struggles with this internally, externally he's faced with knowledge of a corrupt colleague vying for promotion as well as his own unlawful act performed in an effort to secure justice.

McGilloway's style is magnetic. His sharp, crisp dialogue flows naturally and often accompanied by dry humor. The development of the characters is superb. Devlin is in many ways the classic crime fiction detective and in other ways uniquely McGilloway's creation. McGilloway also sets the tone of the novel immediately through development of James Kerr:

"James on the straight and narrow right up until the day, just a week shy of his sixteenth birthday, when he discovered that Mary was his half-sister, the product of one of his father's clandestine affairs. Things became further complicated when it transpired that Mary was pregnant with James's child and, in the manner of parochial Irish towns countrywide, the girl was sent to live with an aunt in England and James became the wandering protagonist in his own personal Greek tragedy."

And so with that wandering protagonist walking straight into Devlin's life, the story begins.

GALLOWS LANE doesn't move like a thriller novel, instead the reader moves along more like the convicts who once walked the road: slowly, analyzing each step of their lives and how those steps brought them to this point. As readers experience Devlin's psychological struggles, they will likely find it difficult not to question what their own decisions would be and then realize they would struggle no less than Devlin. Beware of GALLOWS LANE, McGilloway may very well get inside your head and start moving around those "truths" you've held locked inside.

GALLOWS LANE is the second book in the Inspector Devlin series. I look forward to more from McGilloway and his troubled inspector.

GALLOWS LANE will be released in the United States this week from St. Martin's Minotaur in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0312384326).

Monday Mystery Backlist - IN COLD BLOOD

As I mentioned yesterday, this is National Banned Books Week. In honor of this, I decided to highlight a banned book for the Monday Mystery Backlist title. Last year I reviewed TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD for Banned Books Week, which in my opinion is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, crime fiction book. This year, I'm highlighting a book by an author who was actually represented in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. For those that don't know, the character of Dill was inspired by Harper Lee's childhood friend, Truman Capote. Harper Lee also worked with Truman Capote to research the crime that became the basis for IN COLD BLOOD.

IN COLD BLOOD, banned as recently as 2000, is a true crime novel about the 1959 brutal murders of Herbert Clutter, his wife and their two children. The crime takes place in Kansas and the novel chronicles not only the Clutter family but also the lives of the two men convicted of the horror, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, and the effects on the community. IN COLD BLOOD was originally published as a four-part serial in THE NEW YORKER in 1965. It was then published in book form by Random House in 1966.

IN COLD BLOOD was banned for a short time in a high school in Savannah, Georgia, when a parent complained about "sex, violence, and profanity" in the book, which was a part of the schools AP English program. Luckily, a community protest resulted in a reversal of the ban.

IN COLD BLOOD has subsequently been adapted into several feature films and a miniseries.

Presently, IN COLD BLOOD is available from Random House in a hardcover edition (ISBN: 978-0375507908) re-released in 2002 as well as a Vintage 1994 trade paper edition (ISBN: 978-0679745587). For the audiophiles among us, there is an unabridged version (ISBN: 978-0739333648) from Random House Audio produced in 2006.

Winners and Other Odds and Ends

I believe my beloved summer has finally bid me its final farewell. Yesterday was dark, dreary, rainy and chilly ALL DAY LONG. The next week's forecast doesn't look much better and I don't think the temps are going to reach 70 any day. So, I'll wave goodbye to summer and begin my yearning for it to come again next year.

In happier news, yesterday I drew three lucky winners for the limited edition copies of Libby Hellmann's short story, "The Murder of Katie Boyle." They included: Lisa from Florida, Charlotte from Georgia, and Kate from Virginia. Congrats to all the winners!!

I also wanted to let you know about a contest that Chris Grabenstein is holding to name a cat and a dog in his upcoming John Ceepak novel, ROLLING THUNDER. The contest will help raise money for the Artemis Project, which is a non-profit animal welfare organization in New York City. For every $10 you donate, you get one entry in the drawing. The directions for the contest can be found here. And you know me, I'm tickled pink about this. One of my most favorite authors is doing something to benefit the animals in need. What more could a girl want?

I haven't mentioned lately the google searches people are doing that lands them at Jen's Book Thoughts, so today I'll share a few of those. First of all, I have to say how big a smile I have every time I check and there are more direct hits than the time before or when people are looking specifically for my blog name. I also want to send out a big thanks to everyone who has a link to my blog somewhere on their site. I have more people coming from links than from search engines. That's cool! But recently, I guess I established official "stalker" status because someone did a search for "Rocky River, Ohio stalker" and ended up here! I got a good chuckle from that one, and secretly prayed that it wasn't the Rocky River Police doing that search (GEORGE!!). I'm still getting folks trying to figure out how to hem leather pants and I'll not even subject you to the searches people do that brings them to my review of Island of the Naked Women. I've been fearful of a few of those searches.

We simply cannot be remiss in congratulating Louise Penny on her Barnes and Noble Main Selection this month. THE BRUTAL TELLING snatched up this honor and it will alert many folks to this phenomenal series. Yay, Louise! I'll be reviewing this wonderful book soon, be on the lookout!

And finally, I must remind everyone that this is National Banned Books Week. I hope you will all exercise your freedom to read this week. I am off now to find a good banned book to highlight for the Monday Mystery backlist.

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday and have a fabulous week!

18 DAYS TO BOUCHERCON!!!

A BAD DAY FOR SORRY - Sophie Littlefield

When Stella Hardesty simply couldn't take the physical abuse her husband doled out anymore, she fought back - with a wrench - and killed him. That left her with an inherited sewing shop and a reputation. She took on her second job to help other woman in abusive situations; in her off-hours, Stella makes sure abusive husbands and boyfriends stay away from her clients and on their best behavior. Since her moonlighting job isn't official, she's able to work outside the letter of the law if a situation demands it. Stella has to do just that when Chrissy Shaw believes her husband Roy Dean ran off with her son, Tucker. And in this particular case, playing outside the law results in a little more than Stella bargained for. If Stella can finagle herself and Chrissy out alive, she may encounter some potential waves, however, with the handsome sheriff, Goat Jones.

Folks, there's a new spitfire in town and her name is Stella Hardesty. And there's a new crime fiction star in town and HER name is Sophie Littlefield. A BAD DAY FOR SORRY is quite simply an amazing debut novel. Littlefield blends creative humor, fast-paced action and stellar characters together, adds just a pinch of romantic spark, and, boy, is the result explosive!

Stella Hardesty is truly a unique character for crime fiction. As she so eloquently enlightens the no-good Roy Dean, "...badass comes in all ages." Stella is in her 50s, spunky, funny and done taking crap from anyone. She tolerated an abusive marriage as long as she was going to and she's not about to let it happen again. And while she covets that "badass" reputation, she also harbors an amazing capacity for compassion. Littlefield illustrates Stella's extremes through independence, too. As a reader I appreciate a strong, smart, independent female protagonist. But even the strongest of any gender needs a little help every once in awhile. Stella doesn't need a "white knight" but she can definitely benefit from a "helping hand" once and again. Stella is a character who is going to surprise readers for years to come. And that is a very good thing.

Littlefield also has a knack with humor. Finding the funny in everyday situations and everyday people: their actions, their conversations. That's a big part of what makes this book come alive. From the crew at BJ's Bar to her teenage neighbor, Todd, to the crotchety old quilters; they are all dynamic and flawed and real; it's the richness of those characters that winds its way into the plot to meld everything together. Littlefield has created a symbiotic relationship between the characters, the setting and the plot; the elements of this novel simply don't exist separately.

A BAD DAY FOR SORRY is a masterpiece, and only the beginning for both new gals in town. If you haven't picked this book up yet, it's time to get your hands on a copy however you can!

A BAD DAY FOR SORRY is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-312-55920-5) from St. Martin's Minotaur Books.

I Stole Libby Fischer Hellmann...

from The Outfit. Well, O.k., I just borrowed her for today. But still she's here with me at Jen's Book Thoughts today and we're just chatting up a storm. So pull up a chair and join me for a little tête-à-tête with one of my favorite crime fiction writers. As you know from my review Tuesday, Libby is preparing to release the second book in her Georgia Davis series, DOUBLEBACK, which teams Georgia up with Libby's long time protagonist, Ellie Foreman. Both DOUBLEBACK and Georgia's first solo novel, EASY INNOCENCE, will be vying for spots on my top reads of 2009 list. Yep! Libby Fischer Hellmann knows how to write crime fiction! So I'm ecstatic to have her here today to talk to us. What do you say we get started?

Q: Published book number five for you is Easy Innocence. Georgia Davis is the main protagonist, but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Georgia. She was a supporting character in An Image of Death (the third book in the Ellie Foreman series). In addition, Georgia was the main protagonist in two books you wrote prior to An Eye for Murder (your first published novel). Whew! Is there a question coming or what? Yes! What made you decide on switching to Ellie Foreman for An Eye for Murder? Then, what made you come full circle back to Georgia in Easy Innocence?

Libby: Once I realized that the three novels I wrote before EYE were never going to be published, I decided to change everything… voice, plots, characters, even agents (although that wasn’t my choice, and yes, it’s another story)… Basically, I wiped the slate clean and started fresh with Ellie. But Georgia wouldn’t leave me alone. She kept telling me we weren’t done. I included her briefly in A PICTURE OF GUILT, expanded her role in IMAGE, and even wrote a couple of short stories with her as the protagonist. So clearly, it was only a matter of time until she took center stage. Which happened in EASY INNOCENCE.

Q: Ellie Foreman is an amateur sleuth, whereas Georgia is a former cop turned P.I. Can you talk a little about the differences involved when writing for these two different types of protagonists? How do you research for each? What kinds of mindset changes do you have to make? Do you find one to be easier to write than the other?

Libby: It’s a different mindset. Which I try to respect by writing them in different voices. Ellie is always first person; Georgia is third. It seems to fit their personalities – Ellie likes to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about her, so an “up close and personal” voice works well for her. But Georgia is cautious and aloof. She doesn’t want you to get to know her. So I keep my distance a bit by writing her in third person.

There’s also the issue of professional vs. amateur. After four Ellie novels, it was getting difficult to find a credible reason for Ellie to keep getting involved in murder investigations. Let’s face it, a video producer just doesn’t bump into dead bodies as a matter of course, and I was turning backflips trying to find persuasive motivations. For Georgia, it doesn’t matter. This is her JOB! She’s paid to investigate murders. It’s a tremendous relief.

As for easier, in a way, it’s probably easier to write Ellie, because she shares my sensibility more than Georgia. But Georgia keeps surprising me, so I love writing her as well. In both cases, though, I do a lot of research on the latest video techniques, Investigations, and police procedure. In fact, I regularly call PIs I know to make sure I get it right.

Q: Libby, you have created two strong, realistic, female protagonists. Where did your ideas stem from for their creations? Was there anyone who you say you modeled either character after? How about yourself? Do you share traits with either Ellie or Georgia?

Libby: As I said, I probably lean a little more toward Ellie, but there’s a part of me that’s Georgia, too. So I draw on different aspects of my personality when I’m writing each woman. Their “births” were not calculated; I just started writing, and both of them emerged (at different times, of course). That’s probably the best part of the writing process… when a character surprises you by appearing on the page, and in their cases, takes over.

Q: Both ladies will be starring in the next book, Doubleback due out in October. Can you tell us a little about this new book? Are both women going to have equal billing in this novel or is one a little more prominent then the other?

Libby: I started with the idea that they would be equal, but I also knew that Georgia would be doing most of the “heavy lifting.” So Georgia is slightly more prominent than Ellie.

Q: You give your readers access to some anecdotal research you used when writing Easy Innocence and you acknowledged a segment from the Oprah Winfrey show. Is there an event or specific story that ignited the idea for Doubleback? What kind of research was involved for you in this new book?

Libby: Like many others, I was curious – and alarmed – at the role companies like Blackwater are and were playing in conjunction with our military. The fact that Blackwater considered itself exempt from military as well as civilian oversight was quite dangerous, I thought. So I began to read more about the company… LICENSED TO KILL, and BLACKWATER are two very good books on the subject. After reading those, I knew I wanted to explore the possibilities of a fictitious security company. Around the same time, I got the idea for the first chapter (the elevator scene). I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I had no idea what it meant, or how I would use it, but I knew it had to be in the book. So my challenge was to link the two ideas. Ultimately, what evolved was DOUBLEBACK.

Q: While Ellie and Georgia are both strong female protagonists, they are also quite different. Their co-existence in Doubleback had a strong effect on the novel, do you have plans to continue writing with both of them or will you return to focus on one or the other? What is in store for your heroines after Doubleback? Any new characters from Doubleback going to make appearances in the future? (There’s one I kinda wondered about.)

Libby: I’m not sure whether I’ll continue the “partnership” – it all depends on the story. I’d like to, but, again, I don’t want to strain credibility. If it works, I will. If not, it will be a Georgia Davis book.

Funny you should mention new characters. I have plans for one of the characters who surfaces in DOUBLEBACK in the next book, although he isn’t really new. He was in A SHOT TO DIE FOR. Can you guess who it is?

Q: In some previous interviews you mentioned a stand-alone novel, Set the Night on Fire. Can you share a little about it?

Libby: This was a book I had to write. The first and third parts take place in the present. The second part goes back to the late ‘60s in Chicago. (The Democratic Convention through Kent State). The premise is that a young woman is being stalked… she doesn’t know who, and she doesn’t know why. She finds out in the course of the book. In a way, this book was a catharsis for me. I loved writing about the ‘60s (I actually do remember them), but I loved finishing that part even more. It was as if I’d finally put the ‘60s behind me.

Q: In addition to all this novel writing, you also are quite prolific when it comes to the short story format. You’ve published over a dozen short stories! When you start to formulate an idea, how do you decide which format you’re going to use? Do you prefer one over the other?

Libby: I pretty much know before I start whether I’m writing a short story or novel. The concept of a short story has to be more contained, more limited. The language, too, needs to be more concise. I like writing both formats… I usually say a short story is like an affair: hot and passionate, while a novel is like a marriage: it takes patience but can be immensely satisfying.

Q: What is the greatest challenge or struggle for you when writing a novel? When writing a short story?

Libby: It’s the same for both – narrative. I’m pretty good at dialogue, and my film editor instincts tell me when and how to start and end a scene, but I’m totally insecure about language. I’m always trying to elevate my prose from “workmanlike” to something beautiful. Sometimes I succeed; often I don’t. So that’s the biggest challenge for me.

Q: I love character, so I’m always intrigued by the role characters play in the writing process. Have you ever had a character surprise you or change your “planned direction” while writing?

Libby: All the time. It’s usually characters that I’ve only conceptualized as two-dimensional. When it’s time to give them their time in the spotlight, they end up doing and saying things I had no idea were in their brains. They turn into real people with complex motivations and behavior. As I said before, I love when that happens. It’s happened in almost every book I’ve written, and I hope it keeps up.

Q: In the past you’ve commented that you often visualize a lot of what is going on with the characters and plot due to your background in television production. If that’s the case, who – if anyone - would you visualize playing the role of Ellie and who would play the role of Georgia in a television series or movie?

Libby: In a perfect world, I see Marisa Tomei as Ellie. Or Sandra Bullock. Kate Winslet wouldn’t be half bad either. Or Kathryn Keenan. I think Scarlet Johannsen would make a great Georgia. Or Gwyneth Paltrow.

Q: Your Chicago setting plays quite a significant role in your books, and you’re not a native of Chicago. But you have been living in Chicago for thirty years. Do you think there are advantages you have over a native Chicagoian (is that what folks from Chicago are?) when you write? Disadvantages?

Libby: I think people who have always lived in one place do have an advantage over “transplants,” simply because of osmosis. They’ve absorbed the culture, the patois, the mannerisms for a lot longer. But I think being an “outsider” has benefits too. The detachment from the setting, the ability to see a place, warts and all, can only help a writer. And I still am learning about my “new” hometown…the neighborhoods, the history, the places to go or never to show one’s face… I love discovering it all.

And obviously, Chicago has a rich crime history to enhance it as a great city to set crime novels. What are some of the ways Chicago is different from other cities that you’ve discovered you need to be acutely aware of as you write?

I grew up in Washington, DC, and when you were talking about the neighbors at the dinner table, you were talking politics. DC is basically a one-industry town, and it’s hard when you’re not involved in that industry. Chicago, on the other hand, is so diverse: in its industries, its class structure, its customs, its sports teams. It’s a real city, with real corruption, real politics, real graft. I love its parochialism... the fact that everything is local. Tip O’Neill (a former Speaker of the House) said “all politics is local.” I now know what he meant.

Q: Libby, you have a graduate degree from New York University in Film Production, and you did work in television for awhile. Was writing always an ambition for you or did it evolve from the film work? When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? And why crime fiction; what drew you to the genre?

Libby: Writing was an accident. It was never in my master plan. I was going to be a film-maker in the style of Lina Wertmuller – Ingmar Bergman and I were going to ride into the sunset together. Of course, that didn’t happen. I only worked on a couple of feature films as a production assistant before I realized that type of career just wasn’t very stable. So I moved into TV news, (politics and current events have always been one of my passions too)… which of course was just as unstable. I think I had 6 jobs in 8 years. I ultimately left TV news, joined a PR firm, which brought me to Chicago. I stayed there for 8 years, just to prove to myself I could stay in one job. During all of this I was-- and continue to be -- a voracious reader. I started with thrillers, moved to mysteries, and after a while, decided I should give it a try. That was about 13 years ago.

Q: Are there any writers that you feel influenced your style?

Libby: I’m influenced by everyone, good and bad. Sometimes I think to myself, “if I could write a paragraph as beautifully as James Lee Burke, I’ll die happy.” Other times, I throw a book across the room, thinking “I can do better than that.”

Q: So between your novel writing, short story writing, blogging with The Outfit, involvement in professional organizations and your freelance work, do you have any time for additional hobbies? What do you like to do in your spare time?

Libby: I read in my spare time. I also work out, listen to Blues, am an “irregular” gardener, love to go to films, and spend altogether too much time playing online Scrabble.

I feel like that's such an abrupt end. I'm thinking I need to come up with a new signature end question now that I've used my six-word memoir question in the series project. But regardless, I'm so happy that Libby could be so generous with her time and share some insider details with us! ;) You can also find out more about Libby at her website and you can follow her blogging over at The Outfit with the rest of the Chicago gang.

Remember that today is the last day to enter the contest to win a limited edition copy of Libby's short story "The Murder of Katie Boyle" which was written to celebrate the release of DOUBLEBACK and the re-release of AN IMAGE OF DEATH. The details for entry are here. I'll be drawing three lucky winners tomorrow for copy numbers 56 through 58. And also, DOUBLEBACK will be available in bookstores next month!

Many, many thanks to Libby. I'm looking forward to meeting Libby in person next month, as can any of you who are headed out to Indianapolis for Bouchercon. And given my love of this talented lady's writing, I'm certainly hoping this isn't the last time we will see Libby here. But I better let her return to The Outfit before they come hunting me down!

Happy Reading everyone!

You Have the Right to Six Words - Reed Farrel Coleman

I mentioned several weeks back when I highlighted Hank Phillipi Ryan that the enthusiasm of the writers for this project has been a strong motivator for me. When I receive the e-mails with excited memoirs or the beautiful thank you notes, I am so energized I think I could do this forever. Well, maybe not forever, but you know what I mean.

One of the people who really made me excited about this project is Reed Farrel Coleman. Leave it to the poet to bring this memoir thing to life. I'm devoting this whole post this week to Reed for two reasons. First, it's a tribute to the release of his collaborative work with Ken Bruen. Their novel, THE TOWER, is released this week by Busted Flush Press and should show up in stores by the end of next week. And secondly because when I e-mailed Reed to ask him to participate, he responded and said, "sure, I'll try anything." And he came back with this memoir:

Dad, standing at the hospital window.

He asked me if I wanted an explanation. So, me being me, I asked him if maybe he would do an interview with me and he can explain it then. He said "yes"! So look for that in the future; he's kind of busy with the whole TOWER book tour and all, but I'll check back with him later.

Not long after, I received another e-mail from Reed who said, "here's three more to keep in reserve:"

My mom, at the mirror, empty.

Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach, Coney Island.

Saturday morning, my brothers, we're happy.

So, of course I'm deliriously happy. The award-winning author of the Moe Prager series and the Dylan Klein series is getting into my project! How cool is that? And while I'm still reeling with excitement, I receive another e-mail that says, "When you’re ready to post, let me know and I’ll give you two more so you can have 6 of 6." Six 6-word memoirs! He's a clever guy that Reed is! So, I knocked on his e-mail door once more on Sunday, not real sure if he'd have time to come up with two more since he is preparing for the tour and all. But sure enough, he sent two more:

My children. My wife. Our life.

Ken, Reed, Tower, movie rights sold.

I absolutely love this six-pack look at Reed Farrel Coleman. As I was preparing for his post, I learned that Reed and I are both Aries and we both come from families with three children. I'm the oldest of three girls; Reed is the youngest of three boys. But the similarities come to a screeching halt there. Reed grew up in New York and discovered his love of writing in high school where he served as editor and chief of his school literary magazine.

After college, Reed worked in the cargo area at Kennedy International Airport and met many of the people who would go on to inspire the characters in his writing. Also during this time Reed took a night class in detective fiction, which thankfully brought him to this genre. Besides his distinct style of writing, Reed thinks he may perhaps have another characteristic that sets him apart from any other writer in the crime fiction genre: he is licensed to drive hazardous materials!

Reed served as an Executive Vice President of the Mystery Writers of America. He has published ten novels, poetry, short stories and essays under his own name and his pen name, Tony Spinosa. And on his resume he can claim a Barry award, an Anthony award, a Shamus award as well as nominations for the Edgar, Macavity and Gumshoe awards. As I mentioned earlier in this post he is now adding to that distinguished list his collaborative work with Ken Bruen, THE TOWER.

I hope that you all have enjoyed Reed's "6 of 6" today as much as I have. Let me know in the comments what you think your favorite is. I like them all, but I think I may be leaning toward the first one because there's just such mystery to it.

Many, many thanks to Reed for having so much fun with this and inspiring me. I'm still smiling as I type this. Happy Reading everyone!

DOUBLEBACK by Libby Fischer Hellmann & A Very Special Giveaway

Ellie Foreman's friend calls one day with a plea for help. Her neighbor's daughter, Molly, has been kidnapped. This isn't the type of thing Ellie has any experience with or knowledge of, but she has a friend who might just be able to help - PI Georgia Davis. Despite the kidnappers' insistence that no police be involved, Davis says that is the only option for Molly's mother, Christine. When Davis turns the ordeal over to the cops and Molly is amazingly returned unscathed, Davis believes the issue is behind her - close the books on that case. Until a few days later when Christine dies in a suspicious car accident and her ex-husband hires Davis to investigate what really happened to his ex-wife for fear Molly may still be in danger.

Foreman and Davis team up to investigate Christine's "accident" and find themselves investigating something much larger as they follow the trail from Wisconsin to Arizona and into the ugly depths of a government-contracted security company, illegal immigration, and drug smuggling.

Simply put, DOUBLEBACK is a book that moves. No one told Libby Fischer Hellman that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line because Davis' trip to Arizona is brimming with twists and turns. Yet, I'm certain most readers will arrive in record time. As with EASY INNOCENCE, Hellmann's plot is multi-layered and peppered with heavy social issues, which ultimately draw the reader deeper into the plot line.

Hellmann has filled DOUBLEBACK with a series of insightful juxtapositions, the most obvious being the two main characters, Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis. Davis even notices the oddity of their friendship, one she wouldn't have expected to develop. And in every one of those juxtapositions Hellmann reveals an unstated message essential to the themes of the novel and the development of the characters.

In EASY INNOCENCE and now again in DOUBLEBACK, Davis is affected by the circumstances of a young girl, but in DOUBLEBACK we see the circumstances of a young boy also take their toll on this strong, independent female PI. Again, another example of the juxtapositions used in this case to develop the depth of Davis' character. There is nothing simple about Georgia Davis.

While Georgia Davis may have needed to, Libby Fischer Hellman doesn't need to "doubleback." She's indisputably crossed the line into the realm of great crime fiction writers. There's no going back now.

DOUBLEBACK will be available from Bleak House Books in October as hardcover (ISBN: 978-1606480526) and trade paper (ISBN: 978-1606480533).

In honor of this release, I have 3 limited edition chapbooks of the short story "The Murder of Katie Boyle" written by Libby in honor of the release of DOUBLEBACK and the re-release of AN IMAGE OF DEATH. The limited edition numbers I have to give away are #56 - #58. If you would like to win one of these beauties, e-mail me (forbyone -at- yahoo -dot- com) your snail mail address. Put "Katie Boyle" in the subject line. I wish I could have this open to anyone, but postage confines me to folks with a U.S. snail mail address only. I will take entries through Friday when we talk to Libby in a special interview. Don't delay! Get your entries in today!!

And for your viewing pleasure, here is the trailer for DOUBLEBACK:

Monday Mystery Backlist - AN IMAGE OF DEATH

This week I'm excited to have a mini "Libby Hellman week." Libby is preparing to release her new novel DOUBLEBACK, which I will be reviewing tomorrow. We will also be talking with Libby in an interview on Friday. So in honor of both of those events this week, I'm highlighting a book that's recently been re-released from Libby's Ellie Foreman series for this Monday Mystery Backlist.

AN IMAGE OF DEATH is Libby Hellmann's third book in her series focused on Chicago filmmaker Ellie Foreman. In this installment, Ellie is filming a documentary on foster children for the very wealthy real estate developer Ricki Feldman when she receives a hand-delivered, unmarked package. Ellie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when that package reveals a surveillance videotape showing the murder of a young woman, a young woman who Ellie discovers happens to have a background in Eastern Europe as a diamond cutter during the fall of the Soviet Union.

AN IMAGE OF DEATH was originally released as a hardcover (ISBN: 1-59058-1016) by Poisoned Pen Press in January of 2004. This fall Poisoned Pen Press has re-released AN IMAGE OF DEATH in trade paper (ISBN: 978-1590586754).

Someone's Having a Birthday!

Happy Sunday everyone! I need to start off this post by letting everyone know that today is Michael Koryta's birthday!! So, send a little birthday love his way today. Best wishes for a fabulous year 27, Michael. Not that you haven't had tremendous success already, but may this year bring you much more.

A few other odds and ends to mention, since I've been focuses on Book Blogger Appreciation Week this past week. It was a wonderful week and my warmest thanks go out to everyone who voted for Jen's Book Thoughts in the awards. We didn't take the whole shebang, but the nomination means the world to me. Thank you! I'm so thrilled to have you all to share fun crime fiction book stuff with.

I received an email the other day that this onlinecollege.org group listed Jen's Book Thoughts on their 100 Best Blogs for Book Reviews. So, thank you very much to them for that recognition.

I am continuing to update the Twitter Crime Fiction Directory. I am planning to put a link to it over in my sidebar so you can easily access it any time. I have a lot that needs to be updated over there. I apologize. I've fallen a bit behind, but I intend to catch up. I have several reviews I'm excited to share with you as well.

This Wednesday at 6:00p.m. is Tim Hallinan's event at the Foul Play bookstore in Westerville. I'm very excited about heading out there to see him. I hope you will join us if you're in the area!
Tim has been receiving absolutely RAVE reviews for BREATHING WATER. Of course, mine were among them. The Poke Rafferty series is outstanding. So, snag this chance to meet Tim if you can!

The final topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week was:

"Write in 50 words or less…what do you like best about your blog right now and where would you like your blog to be a year from now?"

I didn't respond to this one on Friday since I was hosting that deliriously fun interview with Kelli Stanley. But I did want to respond to it because it gives me a chance to reflect and to look forward. Sometimes I get so caught up in the "right this minute" - because there is a ton to do right this minute - that I forget to look forward or back. I may have to cheat a little on the 50 words, though. So, here goes:

I love the sense of community here and my hope is to build that even more. I'd like Jen's Book Thoughts to really be a meeting place for lovers of crime fiction to share and discuss. So, my hope is to continue increasing the traffic and the comments. I'm definitely going to continue to work on new ideas and projects and recruiting special visitors in interviews and guest spots. But, on that same note, I have to work on saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm just overbooked right now." I need to be better about staying on top of my reviews and not getting so far behind. That's when the quality starts to diminish. I wish I could read EVERYONE'S book, but this is not my full-time job, it's my hobby. And as much as I hate the fact, I have to remind myself of that. So, I'm also working on building in parameters. That means I'll have to work on staying within those parameters as best I can.

This was a wonderful Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I have to send out special thanks to Amy from My Friend Amy and her whole crew of helpers who made this week happen so spectacularly. And now it's time to look forward. I have another rather exciting week coming up on the blog. A very special give-away, some new reviews, and another special interview. We will also have another special 6-word memoir post on Wednesday. So, I hope you'll be back to enjoy all the fun.

And of course, we need to know the Bouchercon countdown: 25 DAYS!!

Kickin' My Feet Up With Kelli Stanley - Part 2

I'm so glad you're back. Can't ya just see us in Barbara Walter's cozy little living room set that she uses? Ha! She probably wouldn't let us put our feet up on the furniture, though, would she?

Anyway, we started getting to know Kelli Stanley yesterday. We heard a lot about her background and her research and her influences. We talked about the noir genre a bit. Fun stuff. So let's check out what she has to share with us today. Welcome back, Kel!


Q: You also studied drama in school and love acting. How do you think that influences your writing?

Kelli: Acting influences my writing big time. The writing itself is heavily influenced by film—some of the best writing of the twentieth century was in movies, and by some of the best writers, too. Poetry has always been a principal influence, because I grew up reading and writing it, everything from Poe to Chaucer to Kipling.

But my performance background really comes up in how I approach the act of writing… from the inside out. I get in my character’s heads—one reason I’ve only written first person or a very close POV in the third person. I literally wear a beat up old fedora when I’m in the “zone”—it’s a signal to my family not to talk to me—and I let my subconscious go and get into character, experience what happens, feel what they feel…

The process isn’t easy on me, but it also gives me the same kind of euphoric high you get when you’re acting. And of course, just as when I was performing in plays, I get a kind of post-partum depression when I finish a book or a story. I know it probably sounds nutty, but it’s just the way I work.

Q: Despite the fact that NOX DORMIENDA is an award-winning book; you’re working on the next in the series; CITY OF DRAGONS is coming out in February; and you’re going to continue that as a series, writing is not your day job. Not yet anyway. So when do you do your writing? When are you most inspired to channel your characters (for those who are devoted readers of the 7 Criminal Minds blog, you know what I’m talking about…if you’re not, start reading it!)?

Kelli: Well, I’m actually done with MALEDICTUS, the sequel to NOX, and we’re hoping to have good news about it soon. I’m working on the sequel to CITY OF DRAGONS, which I’m calling COUNTRY OF SPIDERS—we’ll see if the title sticks. My goal is to leave my half-time day job, so that I can actually, conceivably write two series a year, plus a stand-alone thriller set in Humboldt county (northern California where I grew up), plus do a graphic novel … you get the idea! :)

Given economic realities, I write when I can. That means when I come home from the day job—and before I respond to email or work on marketing projects, which are many!—I will sit down for the time I have—one to three hours, usually—and write. Then I’ll finish up with marketing stuff, or website work, or blogging, or writing articles, or emails. On Fridays I’m off, so I try to spend all day writing.

Now, that said, I’m not on this schedule yet, because I’m not quite done with my research. Then I loosely plot out the arcs of the story, sort of like a road map … it helps free up my subconscious. I’ll be on this schedule in a couple of weeks, though. First I have to schedule my book tour. The biggest challenge is fitting in all the stuff I’m trying to do for CITY OF DRAGONS—videos, podcasts, an interactive website—with writing and working—and occasionally seeing my family! :)

Q: As I know from reading your tweets on Twitter, you also love comic books. And you ran a comic book store. So what was the catalyst for this passion and how, if at all, does it influence you in your novel writing?

Kelli: I love comic books. I grew up reading them—Batman was, and is, my favorite superhero. I’ve got a gigantic collection, spanning seventy years. I’m not sure why; like the noir gene, I guess I was born with it. But I’ve always had a passion for the written and the visual. Like film, like comic books, which are basically story boards. One of my undergraduate degrees is in Art History—and at one time, I wanted to be a film director. When I write, I sort of see a film unrolling … and I think growing up on comic books—and reading great graphic novels like anything by Will Eisner—probably helped hone that ability. I also wrote a few screenplays while owning the comic books shop—and that was a great tutorial, both for character and dialog.

Q: You are planning to do something very cool and rather unique with your upcoming book tour for CITY OF DRAGONS. Tell us a bit about that.

Kelli: As of this writing, I’m probably going to have to scale back my original “whistle-stop” tour plan for the book tour—I originally wanted to take the train everywhere, but I can’t afford to leave the day job behind and be gone an entire month! So it will be a combination of planes, train and automobiles … with at least one long distance train ride. I’m planning to blog from Amtrak, maybe do a video on the trip! J It should be a lot of fun. I love trains, I love book stores, I love readers. I’m really excited about the tour!

And of course I'll be updating everyone when her schedule is final so you can see if she'll be near you on the tour.

Q: I’m intrigued by your love of fedoras. I love hats, but it just seems God didn’t bless me with a head that works well with them. When did your love of fedoras begin? Was there a specific person/event/character that triggered this love? You’re a big fan of old movies; did you see one in a movie that really sparked your interest?

Kelli: You’ll laugh, Jen, but you know that third grade play I mentioned? I was wearing a fedora. I don’t know where I got it—I don’t remember how—but my fedora-love, like the noir gene, is clearly something I was born with! I’ve always collected hats—my grandmother gave me hers, and I was fascinated with them. And I grew up watching old movies—even when I was eight, I could do a Jimmy Cagney impression. But there was just something about the fedora … I love ‘em. And I own quite a few. Straw fedoras, short, snappy brims for less formal wear, longer brims for more formal occasions … I decided to take my first author photos with a hat, for fun, in the noir style. Then at my first conferences, friends I’d met on the Internet would find me because of the hat … so now it’s a keeper! :)

Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re also a fan of jazz, specifically big band, correct? So what plays most often on your iPod or stereo?

Kelli: I love standards and all kinds of jazz, particularly big band and cool and pretty much all the great vocalists—Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Dakota Staton, Billy Eckstine … one of my favorite vocalists is Nancy Wilson. For the bands, I like Goodman, Miller, James, Artie Shaw … I listen to a lot of period blues, jazz and swing for the books. Music plays a really big role in CITY OF DRAGONS. I listen to other stuff, too—I graduated in ’82, so I’m partial to 80s New Wave—loved girl groups like The Go-Gos and The Bangles and am a big Blondie fan. And Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. I grew up with music—my dad always sang—he’s from Kentucky, so these were folk and country songs—and my mom still sings in a choir. Music of all kinds is a big part of my environment.

Q: And I simply won’t let you get out of this interview without telling us about Bertie!

Kelli: Bertie was a birthday present … we’d lost our Springer Spaniel to cancer a few years earlier, and hadn’t adopted another dog. Then on a trip up to see my parents, my mom found a listing about Bertie. He’d been through several owners already, at the tender age of one. What can I say? It was love at first sight. :) Springer Spaniels are very emotional, and we had to crate him for a year before we could safely leave him by himself … they suffer big time from separation anxiety. And as a rescue dog, it was particularly hard for him. But now he’s a big boy, and all grown up (mostly) and we love him very dearly. Even the cat loves him, which is saying a lot!

Q: And to wrap this all up, give us some tidbits about CITY OF DRAGONS that didn’t already come out in any of the previous questions.

Kelli: Well, I think sometimes you write a book or a story, and you just know, as a writer, that there’s something there you can be proud of. It’s as if—at least for me—as if someone else wrote it. I feel that way about CITY OF DRAGONS. I’m proud of the book. I would like to write about Miranda for the rest of my life … she’s an enormously complex person, and I can envision her growing older, working through the war, and then dealing with the McCarthy era.

Racism – both racism you might expect and racism you might not—is a prevalent, underlying theme to the novel. If I’m true to my era, it would have to be.

But beyond my literary hopes, beyond any wisdom offered or gleaned, I want to give people a chance to escape, to hope, to think, to feel, to wonder, to, in the biggest and broadest sense of the word, be entertained. That’s my job, and I take it seriously. I want you to enjoy CITY OF DRAGONS on as many levels as possible—not just the thrills, though it’s full of action. Not just the underlying themes, though they’re there, too. Not just the way the words are put together, though I think about every punctuation mark. I want you to be taken away, to be transported, to feel like you’re in 1940 San Francisco, in the middle of it all. And I want you to care about Miranda. If I can accomplish that, I’ll have fulfilled my goal. :)

And to cap off this fabulous interview, I have one last treat: the trailer for Kelli's upcoming CITY OF DRAGONS. I, for one, am looking so forward to this release. Before I set you to it, please let me thank Kelli ever so much for really getting into this interview with me and making the whole thing so much fun. I do hope all you readers enjoy it as much as Kelli and I did. You can learn more about Kelli, CITY OF DRAGONS, and NOX DORMIENDA at Kelli's website.

O.k., here you go, enjoy all!

Kickin' My Feet Up With Kelli Stanley!

I'm forever talking about the authors blogging over at 7 Criminal Minds, and many of those folks have contributed to the 6-Word Memoir project. One of those contributors is my interview guest today, Kelli Stanley. As a matter of fact, Kelli and I had such a blast talking that we need to take two days to share this interview with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed talking with Kelli. I think you'll find, she's absolutely fascinating and just a lot of fun to be around. Kelli is the author of the award-winning novel NOX DORMIENDA and the upcoming CITY OF DRAGONS. I won't tell you about them because Kelli will do that herself. She was extremely generous to make time to chat with me so we could have this interview to share with you in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. So, golly, let me quit blabbin' because you can hear me blab whenever. Let's talk to Kelli!!



Q: Your first two books are both historical fiction mysteries. And writing a historical fiction novel involves a whole different layer of research. How do you go about that research and how far do you go with it? For example, I once heard an author say he (I think it was a he) was criticized for saying it was raining at a point in his book and a reader wrote to tell him that it wasn’t raining in that geographic location on that day in history. So at what point do you say, “I’m writing fiction, it’s o.k. for me to use creative license here”?

Kelli: Well, before I respond, Jen, let me just say “thank you, thank you, thank you!” for hosting me on your wonderful blog! I feel completely at home, like we’re just putting up our feet (complete with slippers) on a stool and talking about books. That’s how comfortable and positive and just plain fabulous you’ve made your home away from home! :) I’m very honored – and happy – to be here!

Now, as to the answer … it all depends on the book. Given the huge pile of student debt I worked up while earning my Master’s Degree, I wanted to put that education to work—and I thought Roman Britain [for NOX DORMIENDA] was a good place to start, as it’s not a terribly common locale. My accuracy mantra was “go for the probable, but if it’s possible—and it works—then use it.”

And there is a lot of wiggle room in archaeological reports, plus outright contradictory testimony between different kinds of data—physical versus the literature of the period, for example. So for the Arcturus Series, it becomes a very selective process … which of the historians do I believe? Does Archaeology Site X really represent a commonality in the culture? That kind of thing.

I rely on the many years I invested as a Classics scholar to help me make these determinations, but ultimately—as long as, say, the existence of a temple or tavern is a possibility—I’ll use it, if it helps the story. That said, I am very careful to make everything as accurate as possible, and paint as complete a picture of first century Roman Britain as is necessary for the story to move ahead. I also use actual historic personages when I can—Arcturus’ father and step-father, for example, were both real, and their graves are displayed in two English museums. But I’m not writing
historical travelogue or even a historical novel—first and foremost, crime fiction has to move. So the detail is there, but still a backdrop.

With CITY OF DRAGONS, it’s much the same—layer, layer, layer of historical detail, make the setting come alive, as vividly as possible. But now we’re dealing with February, 1940—and the issue is too much data! Film, radio, newspapers, ads, there’s a great deal known about every given day of most of the twentieth century. And I try to be true to all of it. Locales, businesses, personalities … even the phone numbers in the novel were the actual phone numbers used by, say, the Oceanic Hotel in 1940. Prices of liquor? Real. Menu prices? Real. Routes of the streetcars? Real. Headlines in newspapers? Real. And yes, I actually rewrote a scene early on when I realized that the weather was wrong. That’s not to say that everything is right—but I’ve tried damn hard to make it as actual, real, and consistent as I possibly could.
I use a lot of ephemera to inspire me—stuff I find at flea markets or on ebay.

Why? For one, because I think I owe it to people. It’s my job to divert you, to take you to another place and time, and by concentrating on details—by knowing in my heart that this was real, these places did exist—I think it adds to the authenticity of my writing and makes it more entertaining for the reader. It’s a huge challenge, but it’s also very rewarding.

Q: With your first novel, NOX DORMIENDA, you created a new subgenre of hardboiled crime fiction and you called it “Roman noir.” So let’s talk about that for a minute. How does “Roman noir” fit into the hardboiled crime fiction genre, and on the other hand, how does it differ so that it establishes its own subgenre?

Kelli: Well, “Roman noir” was intended to help differentiate my book, and it’s also a playful and accurate description of the genre, since it’s a pun on the French term roman noir, or detective novel. I have a lot of diverse and, I guess, surprising interests—an MA in Classics, I’m a former comic book retailer and industry expert—a 30s and 40s pop culture fanatic. I wanted to write about Roman culture in a way that would deemphasize the strangeness of it and reinforce the common thread of human behavior through time. We haven’t changed that much in two thousand years. And my love of the hardboiled and noir crime fiction genres seemed to be the natural medium.

At the time I wrote NOX—and even after it was published—there wasn’t another mystery novel, to my knowledge, with a Roman doctor (though Arcturus is half-Roman, half British) as a protagonist. Then I found out about Ruth Downie’s MEDICUS … which was set in Roman Britain … had a Latin title … and starred a doctor as the hero! I was afraid my career was over before it started! So I thought hard about what really distinguishes NOX—and I’d say it’s the very conscious homage to Chandler, Hammett, and other classic hardboiled writers, both fiction and film. And we decided to call it Roman noir, because it was really the sensibility of THE BIG SLEEP transferred to first century Londinium. Even the title is a tribute to
Chandler’s first book—he took that metaphor, “the big sleep”, from the same source. Chandler was a classicist—and he was always proud of his knowledge of Latin and Greek.

Q: The Roman noir angle doesn’t come as much of surprise given you studied in Italy, majored in the Classics, etc. But what triggered your initial interest in this element of time and literature?

Kelli: I was born with a noir gene, I think. Not that I’m at all not a happy, positive person—I am!—and most noir people are, I think. But there’s something about the overall genre of hardboiled that is so evocative, so beautiful. And irresistible to me as a writer. I wrote my first play when I was eight, starred and directed, and it was a noir set in the 1930s. So there you go! :) Even when I was a kid, it was as if I were nostalgic for an era I never knew.

Q: Your new book coming out, CITY OF DRAGONS, changes geographic location and moves a tad bit closer to the present. What are some of the changes you have to make as a writer to allow the shift in your books to occur as seamlessly as possible? Do you find one era easier to write about than the other?

Kelli: I’m not sure if easy is the word to use … maybe fluent. I find that the Miranda Corbie books tend to flow more powerfully—maybe because I don’t have to withhold so much. Arcturus and company are wonderful to write—they’re a lighter break from the other books, and right this minute I’m crossing my fingers and toes and waiting to hear news on where MALEDICTUS, the sequel, will be going—but Miranda reaches into the depths of my soul and doesn’t let go. I originally studied drama, and as an actress, I always preferred to play darker parts—Greek tragedy, or Lady Macbeth. Comedy is tougher—you need to have more of yourself outside the character, watching the timing. And while the Arcturus Series is not comic, it has a lighter touch, and a good deal of humor. In some ways, that’s harder for me to do. So I find them strangely complementary. I’m probably harder to live with when writing Miranda, however, because the books are psychologically darker.

Q: What are some of the distinct challenges of writing in each time period?

Kelli: With Rome, it’s what information to privilege, and what to omit. There were so many concepts in the culture that are, to modern sensibilities, completely barbaric, that I have to be careful … my goal, remember, is to maintain a continuum of human behavior across time. I think that’s an important goal for an author, one of the messages, if you will, of the series. Not that I try to deny anything … it’s a matter of selection, of emphasis.

For 1940—well, as I said, we have an opposite situation. It’s an era that falls within living memory, and was fully documented. But the biggest challenge for me is to make sure that I capture both the beauty of the period—the slower pace, the clean streets, the kids playing on the corner, Art Deco makeup compacts and Glenn Miller swing—and the ugly realities. The Great Depression. Racism and segregation. Corruption. The narrow definitions of what was acceptable for a woman to do, to wear, to be. There was a breathtaking beauty about 1940. There was also a sort of casual brutality, a conspiratorial acceptance of the ugliness behind Jim Crow and back alley rapes. Giving both sides their due is a challenge.

Q: Alright Kel, let’s be a little philosophical here. We know that Raymond Chandler is a major influence on you as a writer. You’ve also credited some other heavy hitters from literature: Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Hardy…And your true love in writing is, of course, noir. How do you think the genre has changed (as any living entity is going to do)? What changes do you think have improved the genre? What changes do you think it may have been better off without? And finally, are there changes that you’d still like to see happen, maybe even through your own influence?

Kelli: Jen, you ask the most fascinating questions! I think the biggest change is more to choose from … more subgenres, more styles, more fusion than ever before. Entertainment, in general, has moved toward personalization since the 80s and the Sony Walkman. Books are the same way. You can really fine tune your likes and dislikes. I think we need to encourage smaller presses, because they take chances, and that diversity of choice helps keep the crime fiction genre fresh and moving ahead.

Within noir, I think fusion is a good thing, obviously, because it can introduce a new audience to the genre—and that’s what really propels growth. One change I’m not happy with is that I feel we’ve become a very desensitized society, and I’d like to see books back away from the trend toward the grotesquely violent—you know what I mean, if serial killers sell, then cannibal serial killers will sell more. But really, sensationalism has always been there. Mickey Spillane outsold Chandler big-time in the ‘50s, because of the sex and violence. So in a sense, that’s a chicken and egg question.

I think a really fabulous change is more women in the writer’s seat … Megan Abbott and Vicki Hendricks and Christa Faust, to name three. There’s a lot of misogyny in classic noir, and because of the stature of the writer—Jim Thompson or Cain, for example—it has become accepted over the years, and then emulated. And I’d like to see that change. One of my goals with CITY OF DRAGONS—one of the ideas that propelled the novel—was to take a female character with all the attributes of a femme fatale—the beauty, the toughness, the ability to use her sexuality as a weapon or survival tool—and instead, make her the hero. Put her in the shamus suit, and let her tell the story. If I could ever even imagine wielding any influence—and I think a legacy is what every writer dreams of—I’d be very proud if Miranda contributed to a reinterpretation of the femme fatale … and maybe female protagonists in general.

Do you guys see why I adore this woman? Huh?

Q: Who is writing now that you think will ultimately turn into major influences for noir’s future writers? – And you don’t have to say yourself because we’ll just take that as a given.

Kelli: Most certainly Megan Abbott. She’s enormously, enormously talented and an instant classic—one for the ages. There’s so much good stuff out there right now that I’m afraid I’ll forget someone. Christa Faust. The books coming out of Charles Ardai’s Hardcase Crime. George Pelecanos is already a legend—so is Ken Bruen, the dark poet of Ireland—Dennis Lehane, James Ellroy. Joe Gores’ Spade and Archer was just incredible. I think Declan Burke is going to have a big impact, once his books are more widely available here. Reed Farrell Coleman, a writer’s writer. David Corbett, another stellar example. Michael Koryta is so young and absolutely terrific. And I can’t not mention two of my supremely talented grog mates who also write on the noir side, Rebecca Cantrell and Sophie Littlefield. Watch these women soar!

As for me, thank you immensely for the vote of confidence, Jen! I have to tell you—I’ve been very, very lucky. The fact that some of the people I most admire—Pelecanos, Bruen, Koryta—blurbed CITY OF DRAGONS—well, sometimes it makes me dizzy.

Aren't you totally intrigued now? Well, you have to come back tomorrow to check out the rest of our chat. There's a lot more fun to share, so I will see you then! And I'll see you then, too, Kel!

Happy Reading and Happy Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Bouchercon Countdown (Kelli's going to be there!): 27 Days!

I Have a Dream (and a lot of work to do)

This summer when I read DOUBLE EXPOSURE, I was so taken with the book that I asked Michael Lister if he would be interested in writing a little about it for us here at the blog. Blogging is about bringing books to the attention of others, so I thought that this week would be the perfect time to have Michael visit.

If you haven't read my review, you may not know that DOUBLE EXPOSURE has a very unique style and is strikingly different from Michael's previous novels. It's also a fabulous thriller. But above all that, this novel was written with an express purpose that is very near and dear to Michael's heart. So, here he is to talk about how this novel came to be.

I Have a Dream (and a lot of work to do)!

You may say I’m a dreamer—but, obviously, I’m not the only one.

The world may not be filled with idealists like me, we may not have a strong lobby, but we’re here, in the shadows, dreaming, hoping, praying, working—that last one is key. It’s not enough to hope, to believe, to wish, we have to work, to strive, to fight.

I truly believe we have to be the change we want to see in the world. It’s not enough to dream, to be optimistic. We must take action.

I’m not just a dreamer and an optimist, I’m ambitious—not for bank or props, but for art and ideals, for the exploration and expression of truth, of what it means to be human.

I want my books to be extremely entertaining, to cause wrist injury from rapid page turning and loss of sleep because readers are compelled to finish the story before sunrise, but I also want them to inspire to impact to provoke thoughts and feelings and questions. I don’t think that’s too much to aspire to—and I think it’s what readers really want.

I’m not saying there’s not a place for diversion, for escapism, but it should be a small place, and that art or even just entertainment can enlighten even as it excites.

This is my attempt with all my novels, but even if I were to succeed in some small way, it’s not enough.

In order to be far more than just a dreamer, but to actually be a doer, I’m donating all the profits from my new novel, “Double Exposure,” to environmental protection of conservation in the Apalachicola River basin where it’s set.

“Double Exposure” takes place deep in the dangerous river swamps and is tale of life and death survival that includes reflections on art and meaning and the environment.

In the novel, wildlife photographer, Remington James, is struggling to survive and the odds are against him. I see the river system the same way—fighting to survive, and I’m trying to do my small part to make sure it does.

I’ve lived in North Florida all but four years of my life. It’s my physical and spiritual home. This land is sacred to me, its rivers flow through my veins. My home is being threatened, the fragile eco system is being destroyed by greed and corruption—poisoned, polluted, overdeveloped to the brink. How could I not use my art and the proceeds from it to do my small part to help save it?

In “Double Exposure,” one fateful fall evening, as the sun sinks and the darkness expands, wildlife photographer, Remington James, ventures deep into the river swamp to try out some new photography equipment.

While checking his camera traps, scanning the eerie images of overexposed deer and bats and foxes, Remington comes across the most haunting images of his life—the frame-by-frame capture of a shocking crime.

By exposing the criminal, Remington has exposed himself to danger, even possible extinction. Hunted like an animal, by a predator and his psychotic friends, Remington must do two things: make it through the night and make it to the river—and the odds of doing either are slim to none.

I’m so pleased with how this book turned out. It feels so good to bring some attention to the river and the swamps and the endangered species of vanishing Florida. Nothing feels better than giving—and to give my very best in this novel, then give the profits from it to help protect the land and animals it honors is indescribable.

We live in cynical times (not without justification), but I refuse to give in, to be too cool to care, to expect and accept corruption and destruction. I’m a dreamer. I aspire to art, to embodying my ideals, to doing some small part to make my little corner of the cosmos a marginally better place. You can laugh or scoff or you can join me.

“Double Exposure,” which “Booklist” calls “a spell-binding
page-turner,” is available online and at local bookstores and libraries. For
more information, go to http://www.michaellister.com/

A Very Special "You Have the Right to Six Words"

This week we are recognizing book bloggers for their tireless efforts in promoting and sharing their love of reading. So, this week's "You Have the Right to Six Words" is going to mirror that appreciation. I had planned initially to wrap the whole series up with these memoirs, but when the series continued on this long, I thought this would be the perfect week to celebrate these folks because they too do what they do because they love to promote and share books. So, please help me recognize them today.

First up is a lady you hear me mention regularly here on Jen's Book Thoughts. Most of us know Lesa Holstine as the wonderful blogger at Lesa's Book Critiques. But there's a blessed community of folks who know her as their Library Manager. She's forever organizing wonderful activities and events that celebrate the joys of reading, especially reading mystery books. And when she's not organizing them herself, she's off attending other ones or writing book reviews for mystery publications and websites. I find it especially fitting that Lesa even met her husband, Jim, at the library! These days Lesa and Jim call Arizona home, but Lesa's shared her love of books and the library with folks in both Florida and Ohio as well as the blog-o-sphere. In addition to her love of books, Lesa enjoys many sports and can often be found cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes! Lesa is an integral part of the book community and especially the crime fiction community. It's a wonderful thing that she

Found life's passion in sharing books.

Lesa helps to spread the word about great crime fiction through her work in the library and on her blog. Jon Jordan and his wife Ruth help spread the word through CRIMESPREE Magazine. As co-publishers and authors of the magazine, they work to bring mystery lovers around the globe together. Jon also published an Anthony Award-nominated book called INTERROGATIONS. INTERROGATIONS is a collection of 25 interviews of people in the crime fiction community. Music, comic books, movies, and good tv are also on Jon's list of "good things in life." Jon says that sleep is optional but caffeine is not. That explains how he just keeps going and going and all because

I want everyone to read more.

Linda Brown, the assistant manager at The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles, helps us all do just that. Where would the crime fiction world be without enthusiastic book sellers like Linda? Not only is she a book seller, she's also a crime fiction fan. I know I feel reassured to know that I'm not the only one out doing the wide-eyed adoring fan bit. Need book recommendations? Linda's got plenty for you. Want to attend an event in L.A. but live in NYC? Linda will Tweet it for you. Gonna be in the L.A. area? I assure you that she and the entire staff of The Mystery Bookstore will make you feel right at home. Linda tells me that she's the mean one at home, but somehow I think her two cats, Lulu and Betty, may have Linda wrapped around their little paws.

Linda grew up moving from place to place since her father was in the military. After college she did some non-profit work and then about 15 years in the film industry before she discovered her calling in the mystery book world. Now she's firmly rooted in the crime fiction community, and I for one am glad to have her stability:

Took a while. Found my place.

In case you were unaware, this picture shows Linda moonlighting. When she isn't recommending books to customers and helping them feed their crime fiction addictions, she's Detective Linda in Robert Crais' CHASING DARKNESS! Get those bad guys, Detective Linda!

Most everyone who visits Jen's Book Thoughts regularly knows that I am a big fan of the audiobook as well as the printed book. I have now established some fairly regular narrators as my "favorites" much like I have the authors who are my favorites. So those audiobook narrators are essential to this industry for folks like me. And that is why I am absolutely over-the-mood giddy to introduce to you the man I would rate the greatest living audiobook narrator. He has recorded over 850 unabridged novels over the last 20 years and won 2 consecutive Audie Awards. George Guidall also spent 40 years in the theater and has appeared on television shows such as Law and Order and Spenser for Hire! George's narrations include the likes of CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR, and I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE. He has also narrated the novels of Tony Hillerman, John Grisham, and Lillian Jackson Braun. But probably his most endearing works for me are his narrations of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series. Bringing together my favorite narrator and one of my favorite authors and series created an explosive result. And while George's memoir is

So many books, so little time

I'm especially glad he made time for the Walt Longmire series! I'm also humbled that he made time to share a memoir with us today. I hope that you will join me in acknowledging all of the contributions each of these individuals make not only to the crime fiction community but to the entire book community. Thank you Lesa, John, Linda and George for being a part of this project and representing the folks that we maybe have a tendency to forget play such a vital role in this world we all love.

See, I told you this week was extra-special! And I still have more! So hang in with me and check back here same time next week for more fun with memoirs! And make sure you take some time this week - if you haven't already - to visit your favorite book bloggers and show them your appreciation! Happy Book Blogger Appreciation Week, everyone!

P.S. - As a little side note, I forwarded a flyer about an event that George Guidall does for libraries, if any of the libraries in my area host George, can you be sure to let me know? I'll promote here, but mostly I want to come myself!!! And if you would like the flyer but I didn't send it to you, let me know and I'll forward you a copy.