A few months ago, I was contacted by the host of “Be My Guest”, an interview show on the Upton local cable station and scheduled for May.
The show’s host … Jan Miller … is a delightful woman who asked pertinent questions about the creation of my two published mysteries, ‘The Uninvited Guest’ and ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Trouble’. Jan also asked about my writing process and work in progress, which is titled ‘Bed, Breakfast, & Blackmail’. In addition, she touched on my volunteer effort as an audio book narrator for Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown.
The half hour flew by, and we said goodbye much too soon. She invited me to come back when my third story is published.
A delightful activity, and one that every author should pursue. Here is the link if you’d like to have a listen to the interview:
After two years of sharing my writing journey with audiences in New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida, I received a return invitation from the friends group of my local senior center to speak to them again about the current status of my writing life.
My first author talk to these volunteers explained the ins and outs of creating my debut mystery ‘The Uninvited Guest.’ Now that I’ve published my second story, ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Trouble’,my author talk needed to focus on the challenges of writing a series. My talking points had to be updated.
To this end, I pulled out my crib notes for the original talk, opened a new file titled ‘Author Talk, The Sequel’ and updated each step of the process from the viewpoint of the second story.
The fictitious seaside town of Harbor Falls remains
My amateur sleuth Gwen Andrews again solves the mystery
Creating Characters becomes ‘Who Stays, Who Goes’
The season switches from autumn to spring
The location within the town switches to the local bookstore
The plot has to be totally unique… no repetition from the first story
Research and local experts change as needed to support the new storyline
Decision to omit expensive outside editor
Cover creation based on new storyline
Publication remains with same independent house
Marketing is adjusted during approach to previous venues for follow-up talk
After I share this new Author Talk the first time, I’m sure I’ll find sub-topics that need to be tweaked, but that is simply the nature of a presentation.
My writers life in my retirement years remains a fulfilling activity. I continue to meet new and interesting people, keep my brain active, and hopefully provide enticing stories to my readers and ever-expanding base of fans.
For the past two years, I’ve been presenting my Author Talk centered around how I learned to write a mystery. I was thrilled recently to receive an invitation from the Friends group for my local senior center to speak to them again this April with an update on my writing career and my work in progress.
Obviously, my original outline will not be appropriate for this return engagement, so I need to re-create my notes, adjusting the various aspects of writing as it now relates to a series. Some of the topics will remain the same, but the content will be adjusted to move past the first story and into the next.
For instance, I will talk about choosing names for the characters, but for the second story, when some first story characters remain, and others drop off, I had to create new characters to support the new plot, being mindful of beginnings and endings, number of syllables. etc.
When speaking about the plot, this second talk will share that although the fictional town and main character will remain the same, the location within Harbor Falls will change, along with the season.
I need to be sure nothing from the first presentation is duplicated. Don’t want to bore audience members who attended my original Author Talk!
For my followers who live on the central Gulf Coast of Florida, I’m pleased to share that I’ll be presenting my author talk titled ‘Have you Ever Wondered How a Mystery is Written?’ not once, but twice, this Wednesday, February 21.
The afternoon presentation to the Caribbean Isles residents will begin at 2pm in the clubhouse on St. Croix. Park address for your GPS: 10900 Walsingham Road, Largo, FL.
The evening presentation to members of the Creative Writing Group will begin at 6pm. Location: Safety Harbor Public Library, 101 2nd St N, Safety Harbor, FL.
After both events, autographed copies of both ‘The Uninvited Guest’ and ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Trouble’ will be available.
Meeting new people who are interested in a writer’s journey and appreciate a good mystery is always a satisfying venture for me.
Because my first two published mysteries are set in a fictitious Massachusetts town, I’ve had no resistance from New England library directors or senior complex program organizers to schedule my Author Talk about the writing process. I’ve even had success in Pennsylvania and Delaware because I have siblings living in both states.
Similarly, New England bookstore managers have been open to placing my books on their shelves as either an outright buy or consignment.
But down here in Florida, where I’m a first-time snowbird for these winter months, stirring up interest in mysteries that do not take place in Florida are a hard sell. In all fairness, most library calendars are set months ahead of time, and I’ve been encouraged to make contact this fall for possible appearance in the 2019 calendar of events.
One of the most fascinating old-style bookstores in this area is ‘Haslam’s Book Store’ in St. Petersburg, FL. After a lengthy chat, the owner advised me in the nicest way possible that he doesn’t deal with out-of staters. He did offer to consider a future novel if I place the story down here on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
I’ve cast my net far and wide along the Gulf Coast towns in search of readers who might want to learn what it takes to write a mystery, for I know they will enjoy the learning experience, and perhaps be inspired to write that story that’s rattling around in their head.
My only option seems to be patience. Oh, yea, and planning ahead for next year.
Back in October, a week after I returned to Massachusetts from my 50th Class Reunion in Delaware, I tumbled from my bicycle into some frightful bushes edging a bike path and broke my wrist in three places. This injury put a big dent in my plans to place Gwen’s second story into the hands of readers.
Burdened with a purple cast, a swollen hand, and not a little pain, I chose to cancel three author events in November with great sadness. One of them will be rescheduled. The other two were unfortunately one-time events.
My cast is now gone, and I’m regaining strength and flexibility in my right hand. I’m finally able to grasp a pen, although a signed autograph still appears a little funky with the restriction of three stiff fingers.
For those of you who enjoyed Gwen’s debut mystery, ‘The Uninvited Guest’, you may want to follow her next adventure in ‘Where There’s Smoke, There’s Trouble’, which takes place the following spring. As the story creator, I imbued Gwen with my personal dislike of cigar smoke and built a story around that aversion.
Here’s a link for your convenience:
Thanks to all of you who continue to support my writing journey!
For those of you who live in mid-state Delaware, I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be returning to my hometown of Smyrna for my 50th J.B. Moore High School Reunion next weekend.
I’m traveling south a few days early to present my Author Talk to the Bon Ayre Complex in Smyrna on Wed morning, as well as the Nobles Pond Complex in Dover on Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday evening, October 12, at 6:30 pm, I’ll be sitting in with the Book Club at the Smyrna Public Library. We’ll be discussing the writing process for my debut mystery ‘The Uninvited Guest’.
The Book Club meeting is open to the public, and promises to be an interactive session of questions and answers about my writing journey, the story specifics, and plans for future books in the Gwen Andrews series.
After the meeting, copies of ‘The Uninvited Guest’ will be available for purchase and autographing.
A few months ago, I was contacted by the host of “Be My Guest”, an interview show on the Upton local cable station and scheduled for May.
After two years of sharing my writing journey with audiences in New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida, I received a return invitation from the friends group of my local senior center to speak to them again about the current status of my writing life.
For the past two years, I’ve been presenting my Author Talk centered around how I learned to write a mystery. I was thrilled recently to receive an invitation from the Friends group for my local senior center to speak to them again this April with an update on my writing career and my work in progress.
for your GPS: 10900 Walsingham Road, Largo, FL.
Because my first two published mysteries are set in a fictitious Massachusetts town, I’ve had no resistance from New England library directors or senior complex program organizers to schedule my Author Talk about the writing process. I’ve even had success in Pennsylvania and Delaware because I have siblings living in both states.
