Pet Sidekicks

I love pets, and I'm drawn to mysteries and thrillers that have pet characters. My sidekicks are two crazy Jack Russell Terriers, Disney and Riley. Disney's been the model for Darby in my story, "Moving On," and Bijou in a cozy mystery that I'm working on. I started listing authors who have pets in their mysteries. I found lots with cats and dogs. And only one with a hamster. And I found lots to add to my TBR (To Be Read) piles.

Dogs

• Robert B. Parker's Sunny Randall and Rosie the miniature American Bull Terrier

• Ellery Adams' Olivia Limoges and Captain Haviland the Standard Poodle

• Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Pearl the Wonder Dog

• Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker, a Corgi

• Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie Mystery Series

• Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles and Asta the Terrier

• Judith Lucci's Michaela McPherson's Angel the German Shepherd

• Waverly Curtis' The Barking Detective Series with Pepe the Chihuahua

• My Delanie Fitzgerald Series with Margaret the English Bull Dog

Cats

• David Baldacci's John Puller and AWOL the cat

• Lorna Barrett's Tricia Miles and Miss Marple

• Lilian Jackson Braun's Jim Qwilleran's Koko and Yum Yum

• Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy and Sneaky Pie Brown

Lots of Pets

• Krista Davis' Pens and Paws Mystery Series

• Sparkle Abbey's Pampered Pets Mystery Series (Their pen name came from their pets.)

• Bethany Blake's Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries

• Annie Knox's Pet Boutique Murders

Hamster

• Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Rex the Hamster

Who else would you add to the list?

What's Your Favorite Type of Sleuth?

There are so many sleuths out there: professional, amateur, female, and the list goes on and on. Do you have a preference? I've grouped some of my favorites by type, but they're in no particular order. What other authors and sleuths would you add to the list?

Hard-boiled Detectives - This character type is usually male and tough. He can survive in the gritty world, and he often works in a big city. This type solves mysteries by stick-to-itiveness and street smarts. He usually is a private detective or some sort of fringe law enforcement who solves crimes because the police are ineffective. This subgenre came from the pulp fiction magazines in the early 1900s.

1. Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade
2. Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlow
3. Robert B. Parker's Spenser

Cozy Amateur Detectives - The Cozy subgenre derived from the British mystery traditions. Originally, they were set in pastoral or smaller settings. There was an amateur sleuth who solved the crime because law enforcement was bumbling. There was a small circle of suspects, and violence and sex happened outside of the plot and not in full view of the reader. This subgenre was often called soft-boiled, and it has evolved into all kinds of themed mysteries. Many of the sleuths have interesting jobs or hobbies.

1. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple
2. Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear
3. Ellery Adams' Molly Appleby
4. Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow
5. Sherry Harris' Sarah Winston
6. Maya Corrigan's Val Deniston
7. Rhys Bowen's Lady Georgiana

Private Eyes/Bail Bondspersons - This subgenre has a sleuth who has some training in law enforcement, but he or she is not with the police. The stories can be hard-boiled or softer.

1. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum
2. Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes
3. Michael Crais' Elvis Cole/Joe Pike
4. P. D. James' Cordelia Gray
5. Rhys Bowen's Molly Murphy
6. Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot
7. Carolyn D. Hart's Max Darling
8. Edgar Allan Poe's C. Auguste Dupin
9. Spencer Quinn's Chet the Dog
10. My Delanie Fitzgerald

Police/Military/Federal Law Enforcement - There are mysteries or thrillers with law enforcement and/or retired officers as the sleuth. Some have a military or federal investigative jobs.

1. John J. Lamb's Brad Lyon
2. Bill Crider's Dan Rhodes
3. Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch
4. P. D. James' Adam Dalgleish
5. Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire
6. David Baldacci's John Puller, Michelle Maxwell, and Sean King
7. Lee Child's Jack Reacher

Lawyers - I like legal mysteries and thrillers. These sleuths are either lawyers or investigators in law offices.

1. Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller
2. Lisa Scottoline's Roato and Associates
3. John Grisham's Many Stand-alone Thrillers

What other types of sleuths would you add to my list?

How Do You Eat Your M&Ms®?

We decided in an unofficial work poll this week that you can tell a lot about how someone's personality by how he/she eats their M&Ms®. One of my co-workers has an old fashioned gumball machine, and he keeps it stocked with M&Ms®. Several folks had stopped by his office before our meeting, and everyone showed up with handfuls of the coated candy. Here are the results of our "experiment."

1. The majority of people in the room ate their candies in color order. They finished one color before moving on to the next. I'm in this camp. When I was kid, and the dyes were different in the 1970s, I could tell the color by the taste (especially the red ones). 

2. Several of the folks always ate two M&Ms® at a time.

3. One person arranged the candies by color in rows, and she ate one from each row to keep the rows even . Her preference was an orderly presentation over the color sorting.

4. One person ate them by the handful. He liked the candy and didn't waste time arranging them.

5. One person arranged them into shapes or pictures before eating. He liked to make art before snacking.

When I Googled it, I was surprised that we're not alone. Check it out. There are lots of opinions on the best way to eat the candies. What's your preference and which color is best? (Blue!)

What's Involved in the Writing Life - A Post for New Authors

When I was younger, I thought writers worked in really cool places, wrote great books, and got lots of royalty checks. I had no idea about what it was really like -- writing, publishing, networking, and marketing. Here are some things I've learned along the way.

Blog/Website - You need to have a professional Internet presence. If you can't build and maintain it yourself, hire someone to help. If you do hire someone, make sure you can keep the content fresh. People don't return to your site if the content never changes. A blog (on your website) is a great way to have new content regularly. Decide what blogging schedule works with your writing life and commit to that. I used to blog three days a week, but it became too time-consuming. I post once every Friday now.

Social Media Presence - Time spent on social media sites can get out of control quickly. There are so many out there, and it takes time to develop relationships and followings on each of them. Figure out what works for you and your readers and focus your time on those. My primary social media sites are Facebook and Twitter. Previously, I used LinkedIn for my IT life, but I do promote my blog posts there now. I like Pinterest, so I hang out there for fun. I have a presence on Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, and BookBub.

Professional Photo - If you're going to invest in something for your writing career, get a good headshot that you can use for your branding. Put your photo on your website, blog, and social media sites. And if you haven't updated your photo in the last ten years, it's time. 

Press Kit - Put together a press kit (photo, short and long biography, book list) and make it accessible on your website. Have two to three biographies of different lengths. When you're asked to do events, the hosts want this information. Make sure that you keep your biography current.

Press Releases and Blurbs - For me, these are harder to write than the book. If it's not your strength, find help or resources on the Internet. You will need these. And it's better to have them written and ready.

Public Speaking - I enjoy panels, workshops, and interviews, but I've been a teacher, trainer, and Toastmaster through the years. I was surprised at the amount of public speaking that I'm asked to do. If you're shy or don't like to speak in front of groups, you may want to try Toastmasters. It's a friendly environment to practice in with constructive feedback. Many libraries and book groups ask for speakers. 

Time Management - There is a lot involved in the writing life. I'm in two writers groups and two critique groups. I work, blog, write, volunteer, and do family stuff. Sometimes, it's a challenge to balance everything. Watch your time. Make sure that you make time for writing and revising. Book marketing and social media can take up a lot of your resources.

Happy writing!

Google Maps for Writers

Writers, if you haven't used Google Maps or Google Earth to help you with your work's location, you're missing out on a valuable resource.

Maps - Use the mapping to get a view of your locale. I created a fictional town for a story near Charlottesville, Virginia. I used the map to find a great spot for it. I wanted it west of Charlottesville in a valley. Even though it's a made up location, I wanted real streets and highways in the surrounding areas. 

The maps also provide local place names for color and charm. You can right-click on the map and access features like getting directions, locating sites, or measuring distances.

Satellite - Switch to the satellite view to see an aerial view. Google maps will also highlight historic sites, nearby attractions, and other businesses. You can quickly see driving routes and nearby locations. I love the bird's eye view.

Photos - Many locations have photos attached, and this provides you a visual of what the area or building looks like.

Street View - Many locations have the street view option. This gives you a three hundred and sixty degree view of the surroundings. This is helpful if you haven't been to an area or aren't familiar with the terrain.

My writer friend used this feature to find a good location, just off an interstate for a murder scene in her book. 

I've set stories in nearby cities, and I use this feature to find neighborhoods that match my story. Plus, you can add realism by including true locations or street names. This feature gives you a good look at the flavor and style of the neighborhood.

If I'm planning a murder or a horrific crime in a story, I don't use a real location. I make it up, but this feature helps me find neighborhoods that fit my imagination.

You can also see the date (month and year) of the image in Street View. The date appears in the status bar at the bottom, so you can tell how old the image is.

This is one of my go-to resources when I'm plotting a story and looking for a setting.

(Sensible) Writing Quotas Do Work

I admire writers who set and hit their daily word counts. I beat myself up about being a slow writer. My first novel took about three years when I really settled in to write and revise it. (There are also two other novels in a drawer that will probably never see the light of day.) My second mystery took about a year and a half, so my speed is improving. And I've learned a lot along the way.

I'm doing an experiment with my current WIP (work in progress). I set a weekly (weekend) word goal of 4,000 words, and then any other writing I get done during the week is extra. The first draft of this book will be finished in months, not years. Writing every day does make a difference. However, work and life get in the way sometimes. During this project, I've been able to stick to my weekend word counts, and I'm making good progress. (18,000 words to go). I have also been able to keep my momentum in this book. I call my past efforts binge writing. I'd write thousands of words one week, and then nothing for weeks on end. By the time I picked the manuscript up again, I had to refamiliarize myself by rereading chapters.

My excuse was always that I work long hours in IT, and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to sit down at my computer. I do try to write every day at lunch. I am also not doing major revisions in this WIP during the first draft. I make notes of things I want to change or add. So far, this is working for me, and I'll have something in a month or so to go to my critique group. Here's what I've learned from this experiment:

• Set goals that work for you. If you find that it's too easy, then increase it. 
• Just write. Worry about editing  later.
• Strive to finish your first draft with the goals you set.
• If you know you have plans and won't be able to write, bank some word count ahead of time. It's easier than trying to make up word counts later. Plus, it feels better to be a head than playing catch up.
• Stop if you just don't feel like writing. Take a break and do something to get your energy or creativity recharged.
• Be kind to yourself. Progress is progress. A paragraph is more than you had when you started.

And remember, you need to find the style and process that works for you. Try something. If it's not working, then try something else. There's no right or wrong way. You just need to find a way to make steady progress. Happy writing!

Online Tools That Can Help Writers

There are lots of online tools that make my writing and work lives easier. Here are some sites you should check out.

Acronym Finder - Sometimes, I need an acronym, or I need to have one defined. This is a great site for that. 

NetLingo - This site helps you figure out what chat and text acronyms mean. 2DLOO

Computing Fundamentals - This is an online technical dictionary if you need a quick definition of something from the computer realm.

Automatic Text Generator - There are times I need to mock up flyers or other documents to show the layout. This tool will generate blocks of text. My team at work does software testing. I use this site to generate blocks of text to test fields in applications too.

Office Templates - Office has an incredible library of templates. If you need a calendar or a newsletter format, chances are you'll find a good selection here. This site is invaluable when you need to do a document quickly.

ScreenFly - This site will show you what a website or blog will look like on different mobile devices. Type your URL in the blank. There are different device types at the top. It helps to see if your site is mobile friendly.

Free Training - MOOC is Massive Open Online Courses. There are hundreds of free classes you can take in almost any subject you're interested in.

What I Learned about Man Hunting (Tracking/Search and Rescue)

Members of the Piedmont Search and Rescue team visited my Sisters in Crime chapter this month and talked with us about tracking and what they do on search and rescue missions. They also set up a demonstration in the woods outside of the library. Here's what I learned...

Piedmont Search and Rescue provides operational, equine, and management resources. All of their members are volunteers and are dispatched by requests from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. They provide tracking and search resources for missing persons, despondents, and missing aircraft. Their members train monthly and have to have certifications for each level. Most of the volunteers log about 400 hours a year. There were over 100 searches last year in Virginia where they were asked to participate.

Missing persons with dementia tend to walk out the door and stay on a straight path until there is an obstacle. Autistic children tend to be found near water. Small children tend to hide in and under things. Missing adults used to be found in lower grounds because they were trying to get back to a populated area. Nowadays, they are often found on higher ground because they are trying to get a cell phone signal. More searches happen in the fall because of hunting, hiking, and leaf peeping.

They called their trackers "leaf sniffers" because they were on the ground looking for tracks and indentations. They photograph clues as well as sketch them (especially shoe tread patterns). Soft muddy or sandy soils are "track traps." Tracking is very methodical, and all details are documented. When you are searching, look at things from different angles. Always remember to look up. Things/clues get caught in the bushes and small trees. They often use their flashlights during the day to see different angles of footprints. Those who staff the base camp are often called "Twinkies."

When they are searching for clandestine graves, they look for areas of land that have a caved in look. The soil is often darker in these areas. Also the surrounding vegetation tends to stop, and there is a new crop of fast-growing weeds. One time, they were searching for a missing person in Augusta County near the site of a bloody Civil War battlefield. They said that the dogs were getting hits off of the burial grounds and what was the old military hospital. 

Equestrian tracking gives the rider a higher vantage point. Horses/mules sense movement quickly and alert their riders. Working or herding dogs are often used for air scent searches. Bloodhounds search on leash, while the air scent search dogs tend to search off leash. 

For night searches, they often use red or green lights to protect their night vision. However, red doesn't not work well with topographical maps because many of the lines are red. And if you need a sample of your footprint, stamp on a piece of tin foil.

Search and Rescue Acronyms:

• AHJ Authority Having Jurisdiction
• IPP Initial Planning Point (Where the Search Begins)
• LE Law Enforcement
• LKP Last Known Point
• PLS Point Last Seen
• POD Probablity of Detection