Today's Colorado Mystery Author Guest: Rebecca Bates

As promised yesterday, fellow Colorado mystery author Rebecca Bates is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

Above is the cover photo for her most recent book, Murder in the Dojo, which was published in August, 2011 under her pen name of Sue Star. In the book, Nell Letterly’s dream job as a karate instructor involves a few little first-day glitches. She finds the guy she replaced very dead—killed with her martial arts weapons. The police don’t bother to investigate anybody else. Her boss suddenly disappears. The dojo is a dump and the students know nothing. Plus, she faces foreclosure on her house, and her teen-age daughter hates her. What to do about all this? Line the students up and look positive. After work, find the killer before the killer finds her.

Below is Rebecca's guest post about The Mysterious Case of Pen Names. Please leave a comment for Rebecca to let her know what you think, and feel free to ask her any questions you want about the post, her books, or her life as a writer.

The Mysterious Case of Pen Names

Whatever happened to Alice Sheldon, William Anthony Parker White, Frederic Dannay, and Manfred B. Lee? Today we remember their famous pen names better than we remember their real names.

We writers work hard at this writing business, and one small reward is seeing Our Names in Print at long last. That should justify all the hours we’ve spent, locked away in our imaginary garrets, having to answer our mother/spouse/child who calls up to ask, “What are you doing?” and we have to answer except, “Nothing.” And then comes the day when we can finally point to Our Names in Print and prove that we’re not absolute and utter derelicts. Why should we lose out on that sense of achievement with a pen name?

Lots of writers have used pen names for many reasons. Alice Sheldon felt that she needed to hide her gender to break into a male-dominated science fiction world, and so she became James Tiptree, Jr. William Anthony Parker White wrote and edited both science fiction and mystery — he became Anthony Boucher, a name that spawned Bouchercon and the Anthony Award for the mystery field. Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee wanted to collaborate, and they became Ellery Queen.

There are as many reasons for using a pen name as there are writers who’ve used them.

I never expected to use a pen name. I like my name. As Rebecca Bates, I’ve been fortunate to meet lots of folks in the mystery community through my work with Bouchercon and Sisters in Crime. My friends won’t know me as someone else.

But I write in multiple genres. It helps me grow as a writer to explore the variety of structure and style that readers of different genres expect. I want to keep growing, instead of producing the same kind of story over and over. As soon as I finish a project in one genre, I jump to another (but only the genres I like to read!) I wander all across the board. Readers won’t necessarily follow you there unless, for example, your name begins with an “S” and ends in King. So I’ve fallen into using pen names. Pen names are clues for readers. Pen names point readers to the particular type of story they like to read.

My first novel, a romantic suspense, came out under my maiden name, Rebecca Williamson. Since then my science fiction stories have come out under my married name, Rebecca Bates. Now I’ve written an amateur sleuth mystery, which is a more traditional whodunnit, set in today’s funky world, and it’s part of a series. Fans of such cozies don’t always want their heroines to brood about the mysterious men they’re attracted to. They don’t always want to save humanity through science. I need to separate those types of stories, so as not to lead my readers astray. That’s my reason, why I chose to go with a pen name. I just fell into being Sue Star.

Being Sue is no secret. Keeping a secret like that today would be difficult, unless I moved into a cave (no, thanks!) Sue Star is one of the hats I wear. It’s fun, being more or less anonymous, but at the same time anonymity is challenging in introducing pen names to readers. !Caramba! Who knows if this mysterious case of using pen names will ever be satisfactorily resolved? One thing’s for sure: I’m looking forward to the journey.


Thanks, Rebecca! Now, who has a comment or question for her?

Tomorrow's Guest: Rebecca Bates

Tomorrow, fellow Colorado mystery author Rebecca Bates will be a guest on my blog. Rebecca writes both speculative fiction and mystery. She lives in Boulder, Colorado where she raised three daughters, trained in the martial arts with them, and taught Spanish. Now she writes full time under several pen names. As Sue Star, she is the author of Murder in the Dojo, the first of the black belt mystery series and newly released from D.M. Kreg Publishing. Her novel The Signal, under the Rebecca Bates byline, comes out in January 2012. As Rebecca Williamson, she is the author of The Drowning of Chittenden, a romantic suspense novel set in the foothills of Appalachia. Find out more about her exploits at her blog.

In her guest post tomorrow, she talks about The Mysterious Case of Pen Names and why she writes under three pen names herself. I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what she has to say. Then, feel free to ask her some questions of your own about pen names in the comments.

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Jennifer Harlow

As promised yesterday, fellow Midnight Ink mystery author Jennifer Harlow is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

Above is the cover photo for the first book in her F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation mystery series, titled Mind Over Monsters. The sleuth, Beatrice Alexander, is no ordinary schoolteacher—she can move objects with her mind, an embarassing skill she has yet to master or embrace. After nearly killing her brother in an accident, she joins the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad, the Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals. This top secret branch of the FBI combats ghosts, ghouls, and other monsters threatening humanity. With her teammates—among them a handsome fomer-detective werewolf and an annoying vampire hell bent on seducting her—Beatrice investigates her first case. Disgustingly dismembered bodies have turned up, bearing the bite marks of the undead. Someone—or something—is raising a horde of hideous, bloodthirsty zombies. Armed with Bette, her trusty machete, Beatrice takes on the master of the flesh-devouring corpses who’s guarding a horrifying secret…


Shudder! Doesn't this sound like a fascinating read? And there's a lot of humor in it, so it's fun, too. Below is Jennifer's interview with Beatrice. Please leave a comment for either one of them, and if you have a question of your own for either, ask it!

An Interview with Special Agent Beatrice Alexander
By Jennifer Harlow

Through some of my Pentagon contacts (thanks Daddy and Uncle George W.) I was given exclusive access to the clandestine branch of the FBI known as the F.R.E.A.K.S. or Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals. Their newest agent, former schoolteacher and telekinetic Beatrice Alexander, agreed to meet with me under the cover of night at a coffee shop somewhere in the Midwest. (It rhymes with “Ansas”)

So, thanks for agreeing to do this.

BA: It’s okay. Gave me an excuse to get away from a pest. As long as I’m home in time for The World of Henry Orient. I love Peter Sellers.

I understand you just got back from your first case in Colorado. Killing zombies must be a far cry from finger-painting with fourth graders.

BA: Totally. Though about the same amount of biting involved.

What made you decide to make such a drastic career change?

BA: I, uh, almost killed my brother one night. He was saying awful things about me and I snapped. Almost blew out a vessel in his brain. I never had much control over my curs—sorry, gift, they insist we say that, and the F.R.E.A.K.S. offered me a chance to learn about it. Get that control.

Have you always been telekinetic?

BA: Ever since I was a kid. My mom’s boyfriend was about to hit her, so I sent a plate across the room flying right into his head. There were…other incidents too, but I don’t want to talk about them if you don’t mind. (pause) I don’t really like talking about what I can do full stop. Sorry. For years only three people ever knew, my brother, Nana, and friend April. She only found out because my first and only sleepover her stuffed animals were dancing in the air. She thought it was cool.

Most people would love to have your gift.

BA: Then they’re morons. Would they love to wake up and find their bed levitating? Getting angry and almost killing someone without lifting a finger? Knowing that if you tell someone what you can do they’ll run for the hills? Being called a freak, an aberration? (scoff) No, it is nothing to love.

Did you know that there were others out there like you before you joined? Others with gifts?

BA: No. God, no. If you came to me three months ago and told me Dracula and the Wolfman were alive and sharing a house, I’d have called you nuts. Like everyone else I thought they were all made up. Now I have a werewolf living across the hall and a vampire in the basement, among others.

Who else is in the Squad?

BA: There’s Carl, he touches things and knows all about their history. Uh, Andrew is a medium, Irie a pyrokinetic, and Nancy can teleport. She’s not big on privacy and locked doors. (a private smile; turning red) Then there’s Will. He’s the werewolf. Oh, and Oliver.

Was it hard joining such a tight knit group?

BA: Well, I moved around a lot as a kid, so I’m used to being the new girl, but still. Yeah. We had some growing pains, to say the least, but…we stopped the necromancer and all the zombies. Together. I think they’re warming to me. At least I hope they are. Time will tell. (face falling) Oh, crud. Not again.

When I turned to see what had gotten her so annoyed, my jaw dropped. Sauntering into the shop was the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. The picture I viewed did not do him justice. I recognized him from my dossier as Oliver Montrose, another F.R.E.A.K. A vampire one. He slid into the booth right next to Beatrice but flashed me a smile that scrambled my brain. Thank God I had the tape recorder still running.

OM: Well, well, well, what do we have here? Who is your new, delectable friend here, Trixie?

BA: (shooting daggers with her eyes) None of your business. What are you doing here? Are you following me? Again? Because this is getting close to stalkerish. I’m beginning to feel like I’m in a Lifetime movie. (to me) He does this. All the time! I turn around, and there he is with that stupid grin on his face!

OM: My grin is not stupid. (to me; grinning to show fangs) Do you find my grin stupid, my dear?

BA: Oh, leave her alone! Now you’re just being childish. We’re trying to do an interview here. Go away.

OM: (cocking an eyebrow) An interview, you say? Fantastic. I do not mind answering a few questions about fair Trixie here. Perhaps your readers would be interested to know some nights she sleeps in nothing but a towel.

BA: (mouth dropping open) I do not…we have not…will you shut up? Get out of here or I’ll…

OM: What, tell Will? (to me) Our team leader has such a soft spot for Trixie here. If she asked him, he would stake me without a second thought. He almost did in Colorado. But my darling Trixie would not let him. (growing serious) She saved my life, you know. She saved us all.

BA: He’s exaggerating.

OM: No…I am not. She was magnificent. Truly.

Their eyes met, almost cooling her anger, replacing it with nervousness. She looked away.

BA: Just go away, okay. Please?

He stared at her face for a moment, almost sad to see she was serious. He rose.

OM: As you wish, my dear. See you at home.

He walked out of the café, and she shook her head.

BA: I am so sorry about that. Sometimes he’s really great and sometimes he’s…that.

It’s alright. So, how did you save his life?

BA: He’s exaggerating. He, um, the necromancer did something to him and he attacked me. Will wanted to stake him, but I wouldn’t let him. It wasn’t his fault. And as you can see he’s fine now. Relatively speaking.

Did this cause a problem with you and your team leader?

BA: Um, no, We’re fine now. Great. He’s actually, um, teaching me some more martial arts. (turning red again) Among other things. He used to be a police officer in D.C. so he knows a lot. He’s just…wonderful.

So far what do you like best about the job? Besides your team leader.

BA: Well, I really liked the whole investigation part of it. Interviewing people, finding clues, getting to the truth. I love mystery novels and now it’s like my life has become one. (sweet smile) Though I felt more like bumbling Stephanie Plum than Sherlock Holmes.

So all in all are you happy with your choice to join the F.R.E.A.K.S.? No regrets?

BA: (laughing) Of course I have regrets. What happened in Colorado was horrible. People died. I had to chop up two zombie hordes with a machete. I have literal scars from the whole ordeal. And it was my first case. But...a large part of me loved it. I’ve faced monsters and won. I can be myself here, warts and all. I need that. I never realized how much until I got here. I’m not alone anymore. That…makes it worth it.

Her cell phone rang. As she listened to the other end, she grew grave before standing up.

BA: I’m so sorry. There’s a golem on the loose in New Jersey, I have to go. Nice meeting you.

She ran out the door off to face another monster. I for one feel safer knowing she’s out there.


Thanks, Jennifer! Please visit Jennifer Harlow's website to read her blog “Tales From the Darkside” and to get the soundtrack to the book. You can also friend her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter at jenharlowbooks. Now, who has a comment or question for Jennifer or Beatrice?

Today's Colorado Mystery Author Guest: Mark W. Danielson

As promised yesterday, fellow Colorado mystery author Mark W. Danielson is visiting my blog today. To read his bio and see his photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

Above is the cover photo for his most recent book, Writer's Block, A Maxx Watts Mystery, which is being released this month. Maxx Watts is no stranger to murder. As a Fort Worth homicide
detective, he has smelled death often. But this murder was twisted. A dead publisher lying face-down on a bloodied manuscript, the marble paperweight beside him labeled Writer’s Block. All evidence points to The Guillotine Press authors, but determining which one is only the beginning for Watts.

A writerly mystery! Below are Mark's answers to my interview questions. Please leave a comment for Mark, and if you have a question of your own for him, ask it!

1. Who or what inspired you to start writing and when did you start?

Like many novelists, my writing career began with writing non-fiction freelance articles in 1977. Most of my early work involved subjects on flying because it was a way to share valuable information. Since then, over one hundred of my articles have been published in various periodicals and I still contribute an occasional article.

2. What tools and process do you use to “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

No doubt many of my characters evolve from my own investigative experience and/or encounters with others. Many of my friends and relatives have worked for police departments so it is easy to draw from them. My former position as an aircraft mishap investigator has certainly aided in creating believable situations and characters in my mysteries. Before beginning a new story, I have a good idea about what the main characters are like, but everyone in between is usually a surprise. I never know until the end who lives, who dies, who gets lucky, and whose luck runs out.

3. How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

For fiction, I’m a “seat of the pants” guy. For non-fiction, everything must first be outlined. It’s a lot more fun giving my characters liberty to walk me through their stories. Since everything is told through their eyes, I often feel as if I’m watching from afar.

4. In the age-old question of character versus plot, which one do you think is most important in a murder mystery and which one do you emphasize in your writing? Why?

We’ve all seen movies with Oscar-winning casts that could not save the ghastly plot. Conversely, an unknown cast can be magnificent if the plot is masterful. Whether cinema or a novel, the plot must be sound or it will fail. In both mediums, the audience must connect with the characters. Even the antagonist must have a reason for being the way he or she is. Evil for evil’s sake never works. But to answer the question, I’m not sure you can separate the importance of plot versus character.

5. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

Everything in life involves risk. We think nothing about car-jousting with opponents closing at two miles a minute because we’re certain we will pass shoulder to shoulder with inches to spare, but as we walk dark alleys and parking lots, our level of fear skyrockets because of the unknown. Mystery authors risk everything by opening their souls to strangers and choosing topics that publishers may not want. At the same time, mystery writers capitalize on their readers’ deepest fears. Go overboard and you either cross into horror or lose your audience. Although I take my writing very seriously, I am not overly concerned about the topics I write about. My main concern is to have fun and craft an entertaining story. There are endless tales yet to write, but I doubt I’ll live long enough to complete them all.

6. What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

As an airline pilot, my workdays are quite atypical. When I’m home, I spend much of my time on outings with my wife or getting things done around the house. When I’m on the road, I devote as much time as possible to writing. If my layover is long enough, I may write continuously for ten to fourteen hours whereas at home it may only be an hour or two. Given enough uninterrupted time, I can complete a first draft in thirty days, but most often it takes roughly three months.

7. What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

I’m no different from anyone else when I say, “Read and write.” Reading other authors, particularly those in your genre, offers perspectives on what topics and styles are publishable. Writing is mostly a matter of persistence and dedication. Given the right mentoring, anyone can learn to write well. The most important thing is to have fun and never give up.

8. Now here’s a zinger. Tell us something about yourself that you have not revealed in another interview yet. Something as simple as your favorite TV show or food will do.

For me, writing has been an extension of painting. I’ve been painting my entire life, but it’s much easier to carry a laptop on a trip than an easel, brushes, and paint. For some reason, the TSA prefers it that way, too.

9. What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

Writer’s Block, a Maxx Watts murder mystery, was just released, and I am currently working on two sequels. The first one concerns a haunting in Fort Worth’s Scott Theater. Did this young man hang himself as legend says, or was he murdered? Maxx and his team are determined to find out. It’s been fun researching the paranormal for this story. The next story is a moving hostage situation where everyone, good and bad, has lost track of them. Both stories are a lot of fun.

10. Is there anything else you would like to tell my blog readers?

On November 19th, I’m making my tenth consecutive appearance at the Men of Mystery event in Irvine, California. Some of the biggest novelists in mystery have attended this event, and I am honored to be included. I am also among a group of talented authors who write for the Murderous Musings blog. My personal website shares my travels, pertinent articles, chapter previews for my books, and also some miscellaneous stuff just for fun. Please drop in!

Thanks, Mark! Now, who has a comment or question for him?

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Dorothy St. James

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author Dorothy St. James is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post. Above is the cover photo for her May 3rd release from Berkley Prime Crime, Flowerbed of State.

In the book, Cassandra "Casey" Calhoun's passion for gardening has carried her to President's Park on which sits the White House. But when she finds a dead body in a trash can, Casey has to root out a killer before she ends up planted herself.

Below is Dorothy's guest article:

Thank you, Beth, for inviting me to your blog. I’m excited to be here. Writing a book is a long process and, amazingly it’s not over even after the book has been published. Some may even say that that’s when the real work starts. Promotion.

Why, oh, why isn’t “promotion” a four-letter word? It leaves a foul taste in my mouth. I’d much rather get a root canal—another should-be four-letter word—than try to convince someone to buy my book.

The only job I’d ever been fired from was a telemarketing position. I didn’t even last a full day before being asked to leave.

Writers spend most of their lives tucked away in front of a computer screen, listening only to the whispering voices in our heads. And then we’re expected to burst from that safe, comfortable cocoon as an experienced marketing maven fluttering around like social butterflies.

Not fair. Not fair.


I’ve never longed to be a butterfly. Their lives, while beautiful, are too dang short.

But I digress. I DO have a book out this month, a book that I’m mighty proud of. So I’m not even going to blush (much) as I tell you a little bit about it.

Flowerbed of State (Berkley Prime Crime), a lighthearted adventure at the White House, is the first book in the White House Gardener Mysteries. Casey Calhoun’s passion for organic gardening and an eye for detail have carried her into the most important patch of land in America—the President's Park, on which sits the most important home in America: the White House where she stumbles into a plot that has nothing to do with gardening and everything to do with murder.

I promise you, it’s more fun to read than a tax bill. The book’s even garnered some blush-inducing reviews (see my bio below).

Now, it’s time for me to beat the drum and stand on the highest mountain, shouting into the wind that “Flowerbed of State came out this month!” To that end, I’ve been visiting every blog where I can inveigle an invitation. In addition, I have a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter presence. But that’s not enough.

I’ve also:
1. Placed ads on reader-oriented websites, such as The Romance Reviews.
2. Talked about my book with newspaper editors/reviewers.
3. Mailed out bookmarks.
4. Visited online book chats.

But is that enough?

If you’re a writer, what do you do to get the word out about your books? If you’re a reader, how do you find out about new books?


Okay, everyone, please chime in with your answers. And, if you have a question for Dorothy, please ask it. Lastly, if you've read her book and want to lavish praise on her about it, I'm sure she'd appreciate it!

Giving away Sisters in Crime money

On Wednesday, May 12th, I had the HUGE pleasure of handing over a $1,000 check from Sisters in Crime to the Kraemer Family Library of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Why and how did this come about? The Kraemer Family Library was the February winner in the Sisters in Crime “We Love Libraries” program. Under this program, monthly grants of $1,000 will be awarded to libraries from January through December 2010. Grants must be used to purchase books. The book purchases are not restricted to the mystery genre, but the hope is that winning libraries will use some of the funds to purchase books written by Sisters in Crime members (like me! ;) ). Libraries enter by sending in a photo of staff holding books written by Sisters in Crime authors. The library staff told me they had a fun time gathering and posing for the photo.

I was very excited when the national office contacted me and asked me to organize an event to present the grant. I invited local Sisters in Crime members, and mystery author Laura DiSilverio (aka Lila Dare) was able to join me in the ceremony followed by lunch with the staff. We talked about our own work and the writing of Sisters in Crime’s many other talented authors, and I gave them a list of Colorado Sisters in Crime authors. Teri Switzer, the Professor and Dean of the Library, said the group had so much fun with us that they asked if they could institute a monthly author lunch presentation. I told her that if they do start such a program, I'd be glad to suggest some local authors to invite. The photos below are from the event. Don't we look like we're having fun?