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| TD Hart (L) and Rehenna Morgan |
Baton Blog Hop
T.D.
Hart, a critique buddy who writes cutting edge thrillers, tapped me for what
she calls a Baton Blog Hop: basically a game of tag for writers. The idea is to
answer four questions about your writing, then tag another author to do the
same. But first you need to know about her blogsite, http://tdhart.blogspot.com
T.D. Hart Mysteries and Thrillers
Because Darkness Makes the Light More Beautiful…
This is a
must-read, especially if you love thrillers.
TD Hart is currently finishing revisions on a Noir Mystery about a
San Diego homicide detective who investigates the murder of a rock star she had
a crush on as a teenager. Seventeen years ago my character's sister disappeared
from a crowded beach, and the singer's voice was literally ringing through her
speakers the moment she realized her sister was gone. The working title is LIFE
FOR A LIFE. Does that sound good or what? I can hardly wait for this novel to
be published.
~~~~~
Now for the questions that I’m supposed to answer:
What am I working on?
My current work-in-progress, a novella, has
the working title DANGER VISITS THE GOLDEN DRILLER. I’m writing this story for Smart Women Writers, an ultra-cool
group of first rate writers. I‘m editing the draft now.
The
tough decision facing me is which mystery
should I write next? Characters from two different plots are vying for my attention.
One is Grace Cassidy, my evolving character from her own series. My family
brainstormed with me on Thanksgiving day with this plot idea, and the working
title is THE DISAPPERING CORPSE. The story will be set in Tulsa, Oklahoma and
I’m very excited about the plot twists.
The
competing protagonist hasn’t told me her name yet. She’s pitching her story
idea, and it’s a good one. Needless to say, she’s fast becoming my Best Pretend
Friend. (I fear that Grace is getting a little tired of me. Perhaps we’ve been
spending too much time together and we both need a break.) Of course, I could
introduce this new person in THE DISAPPEARING CORPSE and let her spin off into her
own series, sans Grace.
The
third possibility is working on both of these novels at the same time. I’ve
never done this, and would love to hear from other writers who have. Give me
the pluses and the pitfalls.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
My books are
different from other cozies because I wrote them. This sounds like a
smart-alecky answer, but I don’t mean it that way. When a writer finds her/his authentic
voice, that work is unique from any other. I write from the heart (some call it
from the gut), as much as is humanly possible. I try to tell the absolute truth
as I see it. Even though the story is made up, I try to put myself in the skin
of each view-point character. I let my lead character, Grace Cassidy, evolve
with the series. She is a middle-aged woman whose lifestyle ended abruptly. Her
determination to rebuild herself from ashes, is something that many women face during
their lives.
And then, of course, all
of those corpses keep showing up.
Why do I write what I do?
I write the kind of
book that I enjoy reading. Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author and role-model.
Because of the great pleasure her mysteries gave me, I write cozies. I include
women’s problems in my mysteries, because I was blessed to strong women in my life.
These real-life heroines never gave up, no matter what fell into their path.
How does my writing process work?
First I turn on my
computer and bring up Word. That’s the only constant in my routine. I’ve
searched for that magic button, but the only magic I’ve received was a yellow
button from a book doctor named Robyn Conley. She handed each person in her
class a button and said: “Put your butt on the seat, your fingers on the keys,
and type. I lost that yellow button (so typical of me), but I have remembered
her words.
Well, that's it. I'm going to tag two of my writer buddies!
Bob Avey, who writes about a tough police detective with a soft underbelly. He will post next Monday, May 19 on his blog, which is attached to his website.
The other writer is Linda Trout, who looks like a fashion model and writes take-your-breath-away thrillers. All of this with a touch of romance.
Do yourself a huge favor and check out these two writers.
Cheers,
Jackie
