Today's Mystery Author Guest: Donnell Ann Bell

As promised yesterday, fellow Colorado mystery author Donnell Ann Bell is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post. The photo above is the cover for Donnell's most recent release, Deadly Recall. It is her second novel. Seventeen years prior to when the book begins, Eden Moran blocked out a murder. Heaven help her, she’s about to remember. Nine-year-old Eden Moran thought she was saying good-bye to her mentor that fateful day in St. Patrick’s. She had no idea she’d witness the nun’s demise, or that her child’s mind would compensate. Now seventeen years later, Albuquerque cops have unearthed human remains, and the evidence points to Eden as being the key to solving Sister Beatrice’s murder. When a hell-bent cop applies pressure, Eden stands firm. She doesn’t remember the woman. Unfortunately for Eden, Sister Beatrice’s killer will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

Scary stuff!  Below is Donnell's guest article. Please leave a comment for her, and if you have a question for her, ask it!

Listen to your Mother. . .and Donald Maass

Hi, Beth:  Thanks so much for inviting me to your wonderful blog. I’m particularly excited to be here because, unlike my debut book, The Past Came Hunting, which is romantic suspense, Deadly Recall is a full-blown mystery. I had so much fun writing Deadly Recall, with the exception of one little burr in the keyboard. Let’s call him Donald Maass.

Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘listen to your mother?’ or watched the old sitcom, ‘Father Knows Best?’ If you’re a writer, somewhere in there you need to throw in, ‘Listen to Donald Maass.’

For you readers out there, Donald Maass is a veteran literary agent and speaker who has written bestselling nonfiction books for writers, including Writing the Break Out Novel, The Fire in Fiction, and most recently, The Breakout Novelist: Craft and Strategies for Career Fiction Writers. Most might call him an expert in guiding authors to writing the best book that’s in them.

I’m no exception. I’ve bought Mr. Maass’s books. I even attended a two-day workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico (incidentally, where Deadly Recall is set). I agreed wholeheartedly with his statements:  Eliminate needless backstory; every passage, every word you write must belong in that book—or get rid of it; and you must have tension on every page.

Yes, I was fully in his camp of devoted followers until he made a comment that sent my tightly plotted novel into a tailspin. He said if you’re writing a mystery, and you know who your killer is from the start chances are your reader will, too. His advice to attendees in the room—when you reach the end of your novel, turn your killer. Make your antagonist someone your reader will never see coming.

I sat with my head in my hands thinking this guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’ve plotted my book; it works. I KNOW who the killer is. It HAS to be this person. Like a stubborn teenager unwilling to listen to her parents, I went home and went about my business and the way I wanted to write Deadly Recall. The killer who I envisioned in my synopsis stayed my killer.

But darned if Donald Maass hadn’t planted the seeds of uncertainty, and as I proofed that document and prepared to submit to agents and to enter the Golden Heart®, his words led to many a sleepless night. If you know who your killer is from the start, chances are your reader will, too. He taunted me like a construction worker walking into a two by four.

So I went back to my already perfect manuscript and got back to work. I sulked all the way as I took Mr. Maass’s stupid advice and I made my killer somebody else. Then, to my surprise, something magical happened. If I didn’t know who the killer was from the start, maybe my readers wouldn’t know, either.  (Okay, so I’m a slow learner.)

I sent my work through critique, and as my very discerning critique partners read through the numerous red herrings I’d set up, I relished their comments: “Who on earth is the killer?” “I have no idea.” Finally when they were getting toward the end of the book, they took out an envelope and wrote who they suspected. When we opened the envelope upon reading the ending, only one critique partner out of six had gotten it right.

I jumped up and down with glee, particularly when Deadly Recall became a 2010 Golden Heart® finalist and Bell Bridge Books made an offer to buy it. So who does that Donald Maass think he is, anyway? In my mind, and countless others, he’s somebody brilliant and worth listening to.



Thanks, Donnell! Now, readers, have you ever tried to ignore advice that proved to be the best thing you ever heard? Tell us! Also, if anyone else has had an experience with Donald Maass, Donnell and I would love to hear about it. And, if you have a question for Donnell, ask away!

Tomorrow's Guest: Donnell Ann Bell

Tomorrow, fellow Colorado mystery author Donnell Ann Bell will be a guest on my blog. Donnell Ann Bell is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist. Her debut novel The Past Came Hunting became an Amazon bestseller, reaching as high as #6 on the paid overall list and finaling in 2012 Gayle Wilson Award for Excellence, RWA’s® Great Detroit Bookseller’s Best, and the 2012 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Deadly Recall, brought to you by Bell Bridge Books, is her second published novel.

In her guest post tomorrow, Donnell talks about "Listen to Your Mother ... and Donald Maass." I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what she has to say. Please stop by to ask Donnell a question or respond to her article in the comments!

Snowshoeing on the Ptarmigan Trail

On Monday this week, I went snowshoeing with the "Snowshoe Hares" group from the Summit County Senior Center on the Ptarmigan Trail near Silverthorne, Colorado. We hiked to the lookout that provides a breathtaking view of Lake Dillon, the Gore Range and the valley below. We made our way through aspen and pine forests, over frozen creeks and fallen logs, and past animal tracks and evidence of elk bedding down overnight near the trail. The total distance was just over 4 miles, with an almost 1000' altitude gain. Quite a workout!

The photos below were taken by my husband, starting with one of me, then of me with the rest of the group.

The photos below were taken at the overlook, starting with three scenic shots, then one of three of us sitting on a log and eating lunch, then one of my husband and me before we started the trek back to the parking lot. As you can see, it was gorgeous day!

Today's Mystery/Thriller Author Guest: J. L. Abramo

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery/thriller author J. L. Abramo is visiting my blog today. To read his bio and see his photo, please page down to yesterday's post. The photo above is the cover for his latest release, Gravesend, about which Crimespree Magazine said:

"In our top five for best of 2012 is J. L. Abramo's Gravesend. The discovery of a boy's body on the roof of an apartment building sets off a chain of events that will tie together a group of people in profound ways. Homicide Detectives Samson, Vota and Murphy of Brooklyn's 61st Precinct link the body to that of another boy, with no solid clues. As each detective works the case, each is also torn by other cases and other traumas, some very close to home. This is a remarkable book that will tie you in knots as you wait to see how it all plays out. A truly exceptional novel."

Gravesend is a stand-alone crime thriller set in the Brooklyn neighborhood of the same name where the author was born and raised. A crime novel on the surface, the book evolved into its present incarnation when Abramo finally understood what he was humbly attempting to explore...namely how the manner in which human beings handle adversity will ultimately define them as persons...good or evil...weak or strong...fair or unjust...loved or despised...admired or feared.

Sounds like a great read to me! Below is J. L. Abramo's guest article. He is running a free book contest for those who comment with a question or remark for him. A randomly selected commenter will win a free autographed copy of the trade paperback version of Gravesend. So fire away and good luck!

 Like Trying to Catch Water In a Net

My simple answer to the question, “What inspired you to start writing?” is reading.

Reading books, whether fiction or non-fiction, has always offered me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and my sensitivity while doubling as a terrific source of entertainment.  I have always found writing to be my preferred tool of expression and creativity, the instrument I wished to master.  I delved into poetry, song writing, journalism, short stories, and ultimately book length fiction.

The summer of 2000 found this Italian-Russian Brooklyn boy working in an office in Columbia, South Carolina.  A fish out of water.  In the evenings I would write, working on my first full length novel.  And then one day it was complete.  Now what?

It was literally impossible to get a publisher to look at the work unsolicited.  So I was forced to go the prescribed route, attempting to find a Literary Agent who would champion my novel.  All of the agencies I researched would only accept query letters; they would not even take a peek at a chapter or two.  If I imagined I could write a good book, I learned quickly that I could not write a convincing query letter.  The responses were short form letters which all said basically the same thing.  Thanks but no thanks.

When Van Morrison was asked what would you do if you never sold a song or a record he answered without hesitation that he would not stop working at it because, he confessed, “I can’t not write.” Vincent van Gogh said “If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

Determined to thwart discouragement, I did the only thing I could think to do.  I sat in front of an archaic Dell desktop PC and began to fill in a blank page.  I wanted to write something unlike what I had written before.  I wished to take my mind off rejection.  Without much premeditation it began as a first-person narrative set in the office of a San Francisco private eye and displayed humor that had been absent from my earlier efforts.  I wrote ten pages.

How a new work of fiction begins is as important to the writer as to the reader. For the writer, the opening pages are the seeds that will hopefully grow into a personally satisfying and coherent literary journey.  They are the cornerstone. For the reader, the opening pages are the hook that will hopefully inspire the fellow traveler to continue on that journey.  When I face the blank first page I approach it as a quest (often not yet fully realized) and try in time to reach some hidden treasure by the end of the excursion; with many detours and side-steps along the way.

I do not know the final destination when I begin. The characters are created and developed as composites of people I have known, including myself, and by human reactions to events.  The plot develops as a consequence of how these characters react and interact and is secondary to the characters, since it is the people in a story that have always interested me most as a reader. And, I get to know these characters more and more clearly as they move through the story.  In a series, such as the Jake Diamond books, there is the opportunity for the writer, as well as for the reader, to learn more about repeating characters in subsequent installments.  Getting to know my characters is far less challenging than discovering the need, when the plot demands, to end the life of a character I have come to know and have grown truly fond of, an episode which is often as surprising to me as to the reader, and one which may not please all readers.

Plotting is extremely challenging, but when the theme of the work finally dawns on me, when at last I understand what it is that I am really writing about, it provides direction. When I finally discover where the story is headed, I often find it necessary to backtrack in order to locate the path I need to be on to get there.  But at the start, when I begin, my books have always begun with a scene, one that will hopefully be recalled throughout the book, by myself and by the reader, as the circumstance that launched the expedition.

A few days after the barrage of rejection letters, I was surfing the Internet (more like rowing back in the days of dial-up) when I stumbled across the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America contest for Best First Private Eye Novel. Interesting coincidence. I decided immediately that I would finish a private eye novel and submit it before the deadline, which was less than a month away.  Apparently for the characters and the dialogue, and certainly not for the convoluted plot, Catching Water in a Net was chosen for the award.  The prize was publication by St. Martin’s Minotaur (after a considerable amount of editing) and an advance against royalties.  Holy smoke!

Exactly one year later I received a final hardback copy in the mail.  It was a wonder to behold and a thrill to hold.  The novel was released on the first of October in 2001, less than a month after 9/11, making my first Bouchercon World Mystery Convention both an exhilarating and sober occasion.  St. Martin’s Minotaur gave me two more shots before deciding that the Jake Diamond series, though well received by critics and readers alike, was not what they considered a cash cow.  I continued to write, of course. What other choice did I have? But the work seemed destined to remain out of the public realm.  And then, the net held water once again when Down and Out Books reached out to me and gave Jake Diamond and J. L. Abramo a second shot.

Over the course of eighteen months, Down and Out Books re-issued Catching Water in a Net, Clutching at Straws and Counting to Infinity as eBooks and published the stand-alone crime thriller Gravesend in eBook and trade paperback.  A prequel to the Jake Diamond series will be released in early 2013, and I am currently putting the finishing touches on a fourth Jake Diamond novel.

We write, we paint, we sing because we need to.  And if we are persistent, and honest, and lucky, perhaps we can catch water in a net and reach an audience. We keep clutching and counting.  And we keep writing.


How inspiring! Okay, readers, fire away and good luck in the free book contest.

Tomorrow's Guest: J. L. Abramo

Tomorrow, fellow mystery/thriller author J. L. Abramo will be a guest on my blog. J. L. Abramo was born in Brooklyn, New York on Raymond Chandler’s fifty-ninth birthday. He earned a BA in Sociology at the City College of New York and a Masters in Social Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. Abramo is the author of Catching Water in a Net (2001), winner of the PWA/SMP prize for Best First Private Eye Novel; and author of the subsequent Jake Diamond mysteries Clutching at Straws and Counting to Infinity. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and the Screen Actors Guild. His latest crime thriller, Gravesend, has recently been released by Down and Out Books.

In his guest post tomorrow, J. L. Abramo discusses "Like Trying to Catch Water in a Net." I'm a sucker for water-based titles! I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what he has to say, AND he will offer a  free book contest! A signed copy of Gravesend in trade paperback will be awarded to a randomly selected commenter. Please ask J. L. Abramo a question or respond to the article in the comments tomorrow to enter the contest.

What's Coming ...

I have been busy lining up mystery author guests for my blog and have a full schedule stretching until the end of April. Most of these guests have also agreed to book giveaway contests, so there will many opportunities for my blog readers to win free books! The guesting kicks off with J. L Abramo next week, and other upcoming guests include Ellen Byerrum, L. C. Hayden, Colleen Collins, Sparkle Abbey, Heather Graham, and more!

Also, I'll keep you posted on the progress of my two book releases for this year, Fatal Descent, due out in June, and Basketful of Trouble, due out in November. The cover art for Fatal Descent is below, and you readers-of-my-blog will be the first to see the cover art for Basketful of Trouble once it's finalized.

Lastly, I hope to post photos from my travels, both for fun and business, starting with the Puerto Vallarta Writers Conference in February and the Left Coast Crime conference in Colorado Springs in March. If there's anything else you'd like to read about in this blog, please let me know!

The Puerto Vallarta Writers Conference

Brrrr! Lately in Breckenridge, the outside thermometer has dipped below zero. Add a blustery wind, and the wind chill is freeze-your-nose-off cold. So I'm staying inside and dreaming of my upcoming trip to sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to speak at the Puerto Vallarta Writers Conference. And I'm staying on for a few days after the conference to hit the beach.

 The Puerto Vallarta Writers Conference will take place from Friday, February 21st to Sunday, Frebruary 24th at the local library, Biblioteca Los Mangos (see photo below). Thriller author David Lyons is the keynote speaker, and presenters other than myself include author James Callan, editor Tierra Mar, publisher Billie Johnson, true crime author Corey Mitchell, true crime author Suzy Spencer, mystery author Jinx Schwartz, and literary agent Suzie Townsend.

If you register for the conference by the end of January, it only costs $125 to attend! What a bargain for a weekend of writing seminars! And, you can charge as a business expense a trip to the sand and sun and a lovely tourist mecca chock full of tasty restaurants, art galleries, night clubs, outdoor activities--everything and anything you could look for in a winter vacation! I hope to see some of my blog readers at this conference. If you plan to come, please let me know in a comment here.