#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Sandra Marshall

I’d like to welcome author, Sandra Marshall, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:

            My camera. My fleece blankey.

Things you need to throw out:

            Fabric I bought but never made into anything. And now it’s out of style.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

            A mechanical pencil, Roget’s International Thesaurus, a yellow tablet, and an idea.

Things that hamper your writing:

            Someone trying to talk to me while I’m working.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

            Writing the bridges between the well-visualized scenes without being boring. That’s when you really have to fall back on craft.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

            When the movie starts rolling in my head, the characters start talking to each other, and I just take dictation.

Things you never want to run out of:

            Good coffee, lead for my mechanical pencil, books to read.

Things you wish you’d never bought:

            Clothes that didn’t quite fit, but would as soon as I lost a couple pounds. Sure.

 Favorite smell:

            Rain falling on the desert.

Something that makes you hold your nose:

            Gardenia blossoms. Too sweet and cloying. Makes me queasy.

 Something you’re really good at:

            Research

Something you’re really bad at:

            Swimming

Something you wish you could do:

            Play a musical instrument.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:

            Play internet mahjongg. Had to go cold turkey on that one.

The last thing you ordered online:

            Books, books, nematode spore to kill blackflies, books.

The last thing you regret buying:

            A jar of purple glop meant to enhance curly hair.

Things to say to an author:

            “I loved your book, especially the part where…”  Then you know they actually read it.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:

            “How’s your next book coming?”

Favorite books (or genre):

            Histories, biographies, literate mysteries.

Books you wouldn’t buy:

            The Art of the Deal

Best thing you’ve ever done:

            Marrying my husband.

Biggest mistake:

            What were their names again?

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

            Gave up a steady job to go back to school—three times.

Something you chickened out from doing:

            Accepting an invitation to go skydiving.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

            I just finished your book. I don’t know what I’m going to do now.

About Sandra

Sandra Marshall was raised in Texas. She holds degrees in anthropology and public history and had an extended career as an archaeologist and architectural historian, primarily in the American Southwest. Now a writer and photographer, she has settled in southern New Mexico with her husband, historian George Matthews, and tabby cat  Fog. Recipient of the 2018 William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant, she is a proud member of Sisters in Crime, Guppy and Croak and Dagger Chapters, and of Women Writing the West.

Let’s Be Social

https://sandramarshallbooks.com/  

#WriterWednesday Interview with Judy Penz Sheluk

I’m so excited to welcome my friend and author, Judy Penz Sheluk, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Clean the house.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Talk radio or silence.

Things that distract you from writing: Music.

Favorite snacks: Cherry or grape tomatoes.

Things that make you want to gag:  Olives.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Become an author.

Something you do/did that you never dreamed you’d do: Run a marathon.

Last best thing you ate: Double cheese and mushroom pizza slice.

Last thing you regret eating: Chicken salad sandwich loaded with garlic (who puts garlic in a chicken salad sandwich?)

Things to say to an author: I love your books. They make me feel as if I’m there.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: How much do you make?

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul)

People you’d cancel dinner on: I prefer not to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.

Favorite things to do: Golf, walk my dog, read.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Go to a surprise birthday party for me.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I love your books.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: At a book launch at Chapters Bookstore, while pointing to a photo of a Mandarin Chinese to English Dictionary: “Where find?”

Where There’s A Will: A Glass Dolphin Mystery #3: Emily Garland is getting married and looking for the perfect forever home. When the old, and some say haunted, Hadley house comes up for sale, she’s convinced it’s “the one.” The house is also perfect for reality TV star Miles Pemberton and his new series, House Haunters. Emily will fight for her dream home, but Pemberton’s pockets are deeper than Emily’s, and he’ll stretch the rules to get what he wants.

While Pemberton racks up enemies all around Lount’s Landing, Arabella Carpenter, Emily’s partner at the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, has been hired to appraise the contents of the estate, along with her ex-husband, Levon. Could the feuding beneficiaries decide there’s a conflict of interest? Could Pemberton?

Things get even more complicated when Arabella and Levon discover another will hidden inside the house, and with it, a decades-old secret. Can the property stay on the market? And if so, who will make the winning offer: Emily or Miles Pemberton?

Book Link: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KFLQ6KH

 B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-theres-a-will-judy-penz-sheluk/1137780682?ean=2940162992455

 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/where-there-s-a-will-87

 Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/where-theres-a-will/id1533844283?ls=1

About Judy:

A former journalist and magazine editor, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: the Glass Dolphin Mysteries and the Marketville Mysteries. Her short crime fiction appears in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreaks & Half-truths, which she also edited.

Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves as Chair on the Board of Directors. She splits her time between Alliston and Goulais River, Ontario, with her husband, Mike, and their Golden Retriever, Gibbs.

Let’s Be Social:

Website/Blog: http://www.judypenzsheluk.com

Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/JudyPenzSheluk/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/wwwjudypenzshelukcom

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyPenzSheluk

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/judypenzsheluk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judypenzsheluk/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judy-penz-sheluk

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Judy-Penz-Sheluk/e/B00O74NX04

Location! Location! Location! Setting is Key

Setting is key to your story or novel. In some cases, it can even be a character in its own right.

I write where I know. I’ve lived in Virginia all my life, and I love sharing the food, culture, history, beauty, mountains, and beaches with my readers. I use many places, street names, cities, and businesses in my stories. However, if it’s the site of a crime or murder, then I make up the place name.

Google Maps (Street View or Satellite View) helps me find neighborhoods and street names. In my Delanie Fitzgerald novels, she is a private investigator who does a lot of stake outs. I look on the online maps to find her places to park to watch suspects. The online maps help me get an idea of what the area looks like. I look for houses and other buildings. Many of the street views have photos on the site of the neighborhood.

In my short stories in the Virginia is for Mysteries and Deadly Southern Charm anthologies, I use historic areas or landmarks as settings (e.g. Mill Mountain Star in Roanoke, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, Shockoe Bottom, and the Church Hill Train Cave-in). I love using these interesting sites as a backdrop to my mysteries. In my novels, my PI visits a lot of places in Central Virginia. At the end of each book, there’s a list of the sites to let readers know which places are real.

My new cozy series, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, is set in a made up town, Fern Valley, located near Charlottesville, Virginia in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

I also keep an idea file when I hear about neat events or places. I jot them down for future stories.

Locations and details about them are important to your story. You need to get the culture, customs, and typography of the region right. I actually do a lot of research on setting and locales. People like to escape with books, and they love to find out about new places.

Writing for You - Journaling

I started a diary in the third grade. Someone gave me a denim-covered one with a lock and a key. This was an amazing gift that fed my love for writing. And I made sure to lock it each time I wrote down my innermost secrets.

I’ve kept journals, notes, and scrapbooks through the years. I even started two journals for my nieces when they were born. But I stopped journaling when I started writing novels. Life gets too busy sometimes, and things that were important get ignored or pushed to the side.

Through the years, I’ve received some beautiful journals as gifts. After the Pandemic started, I pulled one out and started recording thoughts about the virus, the shut down, and all the craziness. It helped. I also did a lot of my ranting, so it was cathartic. I hope in the future that it will help me remember what we were all going through during this historic moment in time and how I felt about it.

Then I realized there were good things going on, even in our darkest moments. Mr. Rogers always said to look for the helpers in any tragic or scary situation. And he was right. I saw so many examples of heroes and people helping others. So, I started a “Sudden Glory” journal. I use this to record positive, upbeat stories and examples of kindness. This has definitely helped me realize that there is goodness in the world no matter what is going on. It has also helped me with my outlook during the quarantine and stay-at-home orders. I felt so bad for the Class of 2020, everyone affected by the closings, and everyone who had their life upended. Everyone’s anxious, worried, scared… My journaling has helped me think about what’s going on and how I’ve reacted to it.

Journaling or keeping a diary is a wonderful way for you to write for you, and I think it will be a treasure later when you look back on what you recorded, doodled, drew, or shared.

Who else journals?

Your Bucket List

Recently, I heard Kenyon Salo, the James Bond of Motivation Speakers. He’s a story teller, motivator, member of the Denver Broncos Thunderstorm Skydive Team, master trainer, adventurer, and photographer. His high energy and enthusiasm were contagious.

Here are some key points that made me think. He talked to us about our bucket list (you know, the things you want to do before you die). The focus of his talk was to “Say, yes, and worry about the how later.” We limit ourselves by coming up with excuses. Dreams lead to goals which lead to a plan which lead to action.

1. Create Experiences - Go and do the things you dream of.

2. Share More Stories - Share your experiences with others.

3. Live a More Fulfilled Life - Help others.

“Some day” is not a day of the week. This resonated with me. Things always seem to end up on my “some day” list.

He also reminded us to accept offers of help. We can’t do it alone. And helping others leads to a more fulfilled life.

Let’s solve this!

I did love his excitement, and my goal is for the rest of 2020 and 2021 to make some of my bucket list items happen.

What about you? What’s on your bucket list?

How Long Does it Take to Finish Your First Draft?

My first mystery novel took about five years to go from first draft to publication. As a new writer, I wrote when I could (or felt like it) and revised and revised and revised for years. I would overhaul major sections after early readers provided feedback. I would put it down for weeks and months and then go at it again.

I try to write every day, but it’s not always possible. Life gets in the way sometimes.

What works for me is to write and edit when I can, and I don’t beat myself up when I skip days or don’t write as much as I planned. Here are some things I’ve learned over the years (through trial and error).

1. When I don’t write regularly, it takes me longer to remember where I left off and get back in the groove. I am more productive if I can write a little each day.

2. Just write your first draft. Don’t spend hours proofing, revising, and editing. Finish it, and then you can focus on the polishing. I spent years on that first manuscript.

3. I would often handwrite a lot of my chapters in the early days. I save time now by composing/writing at my computer. This cuts down on typing time later.

4. You may have to make a tough decision with a manuscript. If you’ve worked and worked on it, and it’s not going anywhere, you may need to assess whether it’s worth pursuing or whether you should pause it. I have two manuscripts in a desk drawer that will probably never see the light of day.

5. I track my word count on my writing days, so I have a visual of my progress. (I use a lowtech Post-It on my desk with the date and total.)

6. Know your word count guidelines for your genre. There’s less revising if you’re close to your range at the end of your first draft. It’s hard to add 35K words when you think you’re done.

7. When I’m writing and I find something that I need to research, I highlight it and make a comment in the document. I keep writing, and I come back and insert what I find later. I was spending too much time on the internet looking for things (and getting distracted with funny dog videos).

8. I don’t do a full blown outline, but I do create a chapter summary. I highlight parts with mystery, romance, and humor in different colors, so I can see if there is too much or not enough of something. This provides a roadmap for me and helps as I transition from chapter to chapter.

9. For my series, I keep a spreadsheet with a column for each book. All the major and minor characters are listed with their key details. I also have a chart for place names and locations. I want to be consistent throughout the series. This is an easy reference when I forget a character’s eye color or other details.

Find the process that work best for you. If something’s not working, try something new.

Best wishes with your manuscript. (I’m almost done with the fourth Delanie Fitzgerald book. I have about 15K more words to go.) Happy Writing!

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with the Mutt Mysteries Authors

I’d like to welcome my pals, Jayne Ormerod, Maria Hudgins, and Teresa Inge to the blog today for a fall edition of #ThisorThatThursday. We’re the Mutt Mysteries authors.

A few of your favorite fall traditions

Heather: Apple-picking, Visiting the pumpkin path; Halloween

Jayne: Carving Pumpkins using templates from Pumpkin Masters. I have displayed some really tricked-out jack-o-lanterns!

Teresa: Finding the perfect pumpkins and fall decorations to decorate my front porch and house, and making homemade Chili. I make the best Chili with Texas Pete!

Something fall-related that you’ll never do again:

Heather:  I hate to rake leaves. I avoid it (and pulling weeds) at all costs

Jayne: Jump in a pile of leaves (raked leaves included dog droppings. Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds!

Maria: Have a Halloween party and serve Fish House Punch in a Tub.

Teresa: Place a bale of hay on my front porch. The wind blows the hay everywhere and it's messy when transporting in my car. I found hay in my car for months afterward. 

Favorite fall treat:

Heather: Chocolate Halloween candy; caramel apples

Jayne: Dip (pumpkin, cream cheese, sugar and spices) with crisp fall apples or ginger snaps as dippers. Now that I think about it, that is tied with pumpkin seeds, baked in olive oil and garlic salt!  Yum!

Teresa: Pull-apart Cinnamon Roll Brioche. Warm and yummy!

A fall treat that makes you gag:

Heather: Biting into Halloween candy and finding that it has coconut in it

Jayne: Oyster stuffing. Yech.

Maria: Anything pumpkin flavored or scented (other than pumpkins or pumpkin pie)

Teresa: Not sure if this qualifies but anything that has chocolate and peanut together, especially in cake I cannot stand. But I love Reese's cups. Go figure. 

Favorite fall beverage:

Heather:  Apple cider

Jayne: Wine. (Actually, that is my favorite year-round beverage.)

Teresa: Hot Chocolate! I made it homemade and my family loves it. 

A drink that gives you a sour face:

Heather: Diet soft drinks

Jayne: Beer. (I'm not much of one for Oktoberfest!)

Maria: Lemonade

Teresa: I'm not sure but anything sour I don't like! 

Favorite place to visit in the fall:

Heather: Apple-picking in Charlottesville, Virginia

Jayne: Anyplace where the leaves are changing. New England put on some pretty good shows, but the mountains of Virginia can be breathtaking as well. Nature has the best crayons, doesn't she? 

Teresa: Haunted House and Pumpkin Patch at Greenbrier Farms! Scary and beautiful at the same time. 

 The worst place to spend the holidays:

Heather: Stuck in an airport

Jayne: In the hospital. Especially now during the COVID restrictions. 

Maria: In a dorm room, typing an overdue paper.

Teresa: Not sure, but I love to be home during the holidays to enjoy the fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. I have traditional holidays and start cooking two days prior since I make everything homemade. 

Funniest autumn story:

Heather: My Grandmother was notorious for telling ghost stories late at night when my sister and I would spend the night. Her rooms had a lot of large dark wooden furniture and antiques that cast freaky shadows.

One evening as she was telling one of these tales, my sister and I looked up at the open window, and there were two sets of yellow eyes staring back at us. For several minutes, my sister and I were convinced that demons or zombies were lying in wait. When all of the screaming died down, we discovered that it was the neighbor’s cats sitting on the window ledge peeping in.

Jayne: On a glorious October morning, I sent my dad out to walk the dogs while I took care of the toddler. Husband not in picture (deployed to some remote location known only to those with top-secret clearance.) Dad was not quite "elderly" but no longer at his most agile. I saddled up the dogs and sent them on their way for a walk under the canopy of colorful autumn colors. Only they didn't come home. Like for over an hour on what was supposed to be a ten-minute trip around the block. Did I worry? Heck, yeah. After over an hour, the dogs found their way home, dragging (literally...he was on his belly) my dad behind them! No lasting injuries, except to my stomach...from laughing so hard. The look on his face...surprised...perplexed...humiliated...was priceless! He laughed, too! 

Teresa: Not sure if this is funny, but each year my granddaughter and I go to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins together. It's always fun and silly in finding the best pumpkins. 

Something embarrassing that happened during autumn:

Heather: This shows my age. When I was fifteen, the Tylenol scare happened, and it all but put an end to trick-or-treating that year. My friends and I decided not to waste good candy that people had already bought, so we dressed up and went out. We raked in the candy that year. It probably wasn’t the best decision in light of the product tampering.

Jayne: Navy Birthday Ball (Oct 13) Husband-to-be in full dress whites. Me in a beautiful light blue gown with the back of my dress tucked in my underwear! Finally, someone on the dance floor pulled me aside and told me. Mortifying doesn't begin to describe it. But he did marry me anyway!

Teresa: When I first started making homemade cranberry sauce it was hard to get just the right balance to make the relish un-soured. No one at the table ate it the first year I made it. 

Let’s Be Social:

Mutt Mysteries

Website/Blog: http://muttmysteries.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuttMysteries

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuttMysteries1

Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn’t carry a rod like her idol, but she hotrods. Love of reading mysteries and writing professional articles led to writing short fiction and novellas. She is president of Sisters in Crime Mystery by the Sea Chapter and author of short mysteries in Virginia is for Mysteries, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Coastal Crimes: Mysteries by the Sea, and Murder by the Glass.

Website: www.TeresaInge.com

Website and Blog: http://www.teresainge.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@teresainge7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teresa.h.inge

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresa.h.inge/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/teresainge

Amazon Authors: https://www.amazon.com/Teresa-Inge/e/B06XGZ7RTG

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/teresainge7/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-inge-cap-07687820/

BookBub: https://www.blurb.com/user/teresainge?profile_preview=true

AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/teresaingeauthor/

Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne’s publishing credits include two novels, five novellas, and eight short mysteries. A complete list can be found on her website. Website: www.JayneOrmerod.com

 Maria Hudgins is a mystery writer and a former high school science teacher. She is the author of the Dotsy Lamb Travel Mysteries, the Lacy Glass Archaeology Mysteries and several published short stories. Her favorite things are traveling, reading, dogs, and cats. She lives in Hampton, Virginia with her cat, Lulu.

Website: www.mariahudgins.com

Heather Weidner writes the Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series set in Virginia (Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband), and her Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries launch October 2021.Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Deadly Southern Charm. Her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.

Through the years, she has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager.

Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner

Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003

AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/profile/heatherweidner/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber

About the Mutt Mysteries:

Old dogs and new tricks abound in To Fetch a Villain, the third installment in the Mutt Mysteries series. This collection of four novellas illustrates why dogs are our best friends and the perfect companions for digging up clues, solving crimes, and bringing villains to justice. Let sleeping dogs lie? Not when the MUTTS are on the case!

RUFF DAY by Jayne Ormerod

Store owner Darby Moore suffers through a “ruff” day when a dead body is discovered in her custom dog house. With her best friend topping the suspect’s list, Darby knows the police are barking up the wrong tree. It’s up to Darby’s Great Dane Mr. Belvedere to channel his inner Scooby-Doo and save the day.

AT YOUR SERVICE by Maria Hudgins
Mystery writer Jessica Chastain is deaf and relies on her service dog Trey who acts as Jessica’s ears. Kim, a Bichon like Trey, is the latest addition to their family. But life is not a walk in the park when someone threatens all they hold dear. Together they take on an unethical breeder and dog-napper, whose bite is worse than his bark.

A SHOT IN THE BARK by Teresa Inge
Dog-loving Catt Ramsey hires an ex-con as her handyman to help with her dog-walking business at the same time a crime wave hits the neighborhood. But it’s Catt who is accused of murder. She enlists the help of family, friends, and her dogs Cagney and Lacey to prove man’s best friend can be crime’s worst enemy.

STRUT YOUR MUTT by Heather Weidner

Sassy PI Delanie Fitzgerald attends the Strut Your Mutt festival, where her business partner’s English bulldog is a finalist in a pampered doggie pageant. The dog’s new-found fame leads to a client with a missing poodle. Delanie and her team put paws to the pavement, sniff out clues, and show the villain that when you lie with the dogs, you wake up with fleas.

Mutt Mysteries' Playlist

In honor of today’s cover reveal for the latest Mutt Mystery, TO FETCH A VILLAIN, I’ve put together a playlist for the series. Our newest collection goes on sale on November 3.

Here’s a list of dog-themed songs in no particular order.

• Who Let the Dogs Out

• Hound Dog

• Atomic Dog

• Feed Jake

• Ol’ Red

• How Much is That Doggie in the Window

• Black Dog

• The More Boys I Meet

• Old Blue

• I Love My Dog

• Every Dog Has Its Day

• Tennessee Hound Dog

• Walking the Dog

• Like My Dog

• Move it on Over

• Old King

• I’m Going to Buy me a Dog

• Seamus the Dog

• Puppy Love

• Old Shep

• I Want a Dog

• Old Salty Dog Blues

• Snoopy and the Red Baron

• Doggy Dog World