Monday, May 12, 2014

I've Been Gone, but I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!


Friends TD Hart and Rhenna Morgan at OWFI Conference. The fun begins. ;)
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.
http:bobavey.com
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

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I love Grace Cassidy! She's smart, classy...and such a wonderful cook! Thanks for playing along, dearest Jackie. You've been a Godsend.

Troy said...

Loved reading tthis thanks