Writing Wednesday — “Read What You Like”

In mid July, I participated in the “More Than Malice” online literary festival, created by the organizers of the annual Malice Domestic convention celebrating the traditional mystery as a way to bring readers together with authors for a conversation. Some of the authors usually attend “Malice,” as I do, while others don’t, because they write other types of mystery or crime fiction. My panel was moderated by BOLO blogger and reviewer Kristopher Zgorski and featured Carol Goodman, Rachel Howzell Hall, Wm. Kent Krueger, PJ Vernon, and me. What we have in common is that each of us writes in multiple subgenres — the list Kris read off was amazing, and amusing!

The conversation kicked off with a question about what we read — and alphabetical order put me first! Writers, I pointed out, don’t read like readers who don’t write. We’re always studying, noticing what an author does, how well it works, whether it fails and why and how could the problem have been solved or avoided. “Reading forensically,” Rachel called it. When we first start writing, this can take some of the joy out of reading. “Ruined for reading,” as Carol said.

But now, after thirteen published books, I realize that for me, the noticing has become part of the joy. I can both relish what I read and notice what insights it prompts for me, for my own work.

My co-panelists all agreed. There can be moments of jealousy — “premise envy,” as its sometimes called. (I felt that when I read Kent’s This Tender Land — oh, what a terrific story and lead character!) Envy of a fluidity with language, a comfort with metaphor and description, an ability to make a setting pop or set a mood that keeps us glued to the page long after we should turn out the light. Rachel glowed when she described a rare afternoon home alone, her day job work done, when she simply sat and read. And PJ talked about the importance of “cross-pollenization,” when you read, for example, a literary mystery like Kent’s and see a few things you can borrow for your suspense novel, or how an approach to portraying one underrepresented community can influence writing about another.

I also quoted a piece of advice from Elizabeth George, who is as great a teacher as she is a writer. She says “read up.” That is, read writers who are working at a level or in a style or genre you aspire to. While I try to follow that bit of wisdom, I’ve also discovered I can learn something from almost anything I read. And learning is part of the joy.

(The More Than Malice panel discussions were recorded and are available at the Malice website to conference registrants.)

The Agatha Award nominations are out — celebrate with me!

cat sleeping with tea potsThe Agatha Awards are given every May at Malice Domestic, the convention celebrating the traditional mystery. It’s always fun to see the list of nominees — and to try to read as many as I can before “the con,” so I can cast my vote.

It’s even more fun to see the list when I’m on it! “All God’s Sparrows,” my first historical short story, is nominated for Best Short Story. It was originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, May-June 2018; it’s now available, free, on my website. The authors of the other nominated shorts have also posted their stories — it’s a tradition, because so many stories would not otherwise be available — see the links below.

In 1885 Montana Territory, “Stagecoach Mary” Fields and Sister Louisine encounter a young mother and her daughter whose plight requires an inspired intervention. Mary is a historic figure who was born in slavery in Tennessee in 1832 and moved to Montana Territory to care for the ailing Mother Superior at St. Peter’s Mission near Cascade.

I’ve got a pair of Agatha teapots, for Best Nonfiction (2011) and Best First Novel (2013) — that’s Ruff, our late kitty, lounging with them in the library window sill. But honestly, that makes me even more excited, because I know what an honor a nomination is. And I’m sure you’ll agree that the other stories are terrific — I feel like we’re all winners already.

Here’s the full list, courtesy of Malice Domestic:

Announcing the 2018 Agatha Award Nominees

Best Contemporary Novel

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron (Crooked Lane Books)
Beyond the Truth by Bruce Robert Coffin (Witness Impulse)
Cry Wolf by Annette Dashofy (Henery Press)
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
Trust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge)

Best Historical Novel 

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen (Berkley)
The Gold Pawn by LA Chandlar (Kensington)
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)
Turning the Tide by Edith Maxwell (Midnight Ink)
Murder on Union Square by Victoria Thompson (Berkley)

Best First Novel

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Kensington)
Little Comfort by Edwin Hill (Kensington)
What Doesn’t Kill You by Aimee Hix (Midnight Ink)
Deadly Solution by Keenan Powell (Level Best Books)
Curses Boiled Again by Shari Randall (St. Martin’s)

Best Short Story

“All God’s Sparrows” by Leslie Budewitz (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
“A Postcard for the Dead” by Susanna Calkins in Florida Happens (Three Rooms Press)
“Bug Appetit” by Barb Goffman (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“The Case of the Vanishing Professor” by Tara Laskowski (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
“English 398: Fiction Workshop” by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

Best Children’s/YA Mystery

Potion Problems (Just Add Magic) by Cindy Callaghan (Aladdin)
Winterhouse by Ben Guterson (Henry Holt)
A Side of Sabotage by C.M. Surrisi (Carolrhoda Books)

Best Nonfiction

Mastering Plot Twists by Jane Cleland (Writer’s Digest Books)
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J Cohen (Orange Grove Press)
Conan Doyle for the Defense by Margalit Fox (Random House)
Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson (Pegasus Books)
Wicked Women of Ohio by Jane Ann Turzillo (History Press)

The Agatha Awards will be presented on May 4, 2019 
during Malice Domestic 31.  

(Picture of “Stagecoach Mary” Fields courtesy of the Montana Historical Society.)

Dorothy Cannell Guppy Scholarship

From In SinC, the Sisters in Crime Quarterly:

“To honor one of the most enduring author/agent partnerships in mystery publishing, Sisters in Crime is administering the Dorothy Cannell Guppy Scholarship, offered by agent Meg Ruley to honor her long-time client.

The $1,000 scholarship will be offered each year to an aspiring or published mystery author who is a member of the Guppies (a member of the Sisters in Crime GUPpy or “Great Unpublished” chapter), and is designed to subsidize attendance at the Malice Domestic conference, held annually in Bethesda, Maryland.

Malice Domestic honors the traditional mystery and awards the prestigious “Agatha,” named for Agatha Christie. According to Rule, “Attending Malice was, for Dorothy as for many other crime writers, a wonderful introduction to the community of mystery readers and writers. This scholarship will allow another new writer (published yet or not) the opportunity.”

To apply, a Guppy member should send a statement, no more than 200 words, about how attending Malice will support her writing goals, to Sisters in Crime at sistersincrime@juno.com, RE: Dorothy Cannell Scholarship.

All entries should be received by December 1, 2015. The winner will be selected from the entrants and announced early in 2015. The award will be for attendance at Malice Domestic May 1-3, 2015.”

Wow. As an original Guppy—one of two—I’m stunned and grateful. Thank you, Meg and Dorothy. Gups, get your entry in soon! 

 

Celebrate, celebrate!

Untitled-4Celebrate with me, friends! Death al Dente has been nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel! The Agatha Awards are given at the Malice Domestic convention — a celebration of the traditional mystery — in early May.

Congratulations, too, to all the other nominees. http://mysteryreadersinc.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatha-award-nominees.html (Sorry — still haven’t solved my linkage problem!)

Thanks for all your support — including your readership, your encouragement, and your word of mouth. Writers need readers and I’m so grateful for each of you.

Leslie

Malice Domestic 25

Malice Domestic celebrates the traditional mystery–and those who write, read, sell, publish or otherwise enjoy it! A few photos from the 25th Annual Malice, in early May:

Malice 2013 with Daryl & Debra

With Debra Goldstein and Daryl Wood Gerber (aka Avery Aames). Daryl, Peg Cochran, Nancy Parra, and I had a fun panel discussion, “Cooking Up Murder,” talking about kitchen disasters, why our mysteries  are filled with food, how we create the recipes, and more.

 

Malice 2013 with scarf

 

Showing off “that scarf!” Isn’t it fab? A gift from my  friend Lita, whose late mother-in-law had a marvelous collection of hand-painted silk scarves from the 1960s, created by a California designer who signed herself “Helène.”

 

 

 

Folio authors

“Paige’s pages:” Connie diMarco (writing as Connie Archer), Paige Wheeler (our agent), Ellen Byerrum, Linda O. Johnston, Nancy Parra, me, and Roberta Isleib (writing as Lucy Burdette)

 

(Photos from Debra Goldstein and Connie diMarco)

Malice Domestic & Killer Characters — plus a book give-away!

MaliceNow there’s a subject line to catch the eye! If you’ll be at the 25th Annual Malice Domestic convention this weekend — celebrating the traditional mystery — the cozy writers of Killer Characters have a deal for you! Find one of us — we’re all listed on the Killer Characters website — and get a game card listing us and our books. Get two of us to sign it, and put the card in the Killer Characters box in the Silent Auction area of the Hospitality Room. (Cards will also be available there.) Saturday afternoon, we’ll draw three winners.

And what a prize do we have for you! KCbanner 2.5

The grand prize winner will get two books a month for a year — 24 books! Two additional winners will get a book every other month! And we may toss in the occasional bonus book. All books are new releases from the Killer Characters authors.

That’s an opportunity to die for!

More Malicious Photos

We’ll get back to the law next week. Meanwhile, it’s all about me — and Malice Domestic.

 

Celebrating with my Guppy sisters, Kendel Flaum, Hank Phillipi Ryan, Diane Vallere, and Gigi Pandian.  

 

 

 

 

Six of the nine Guppies nominated for Agathas: Avery Aames (aka Daryl Wood Gerber), Kaye George, Krista Davis (in front), Janet Bolin, Rochelle Staab, and me.

 

                                         With Debra Goldstein. 

 

 

 

With Chris Grabenstein, winner of the 2011 Agatha for Best Children’s/Young Adult, who also presented the Best Nonfiction Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Jenny Milchman and Robin Templeton.

An Agatha Award Winner!

Now I know why so many people love Malice Domestic, the annual convention celebrating the traditional mystery.

From start to finish, a terrific con — and yes, I thought that even before the Agatha Awards! I was truly stunned to win. With such an amazing group of nominees — Charlaine Harris, AB (Barbara) Emrys, John Curran, and Michael Dirda — I’m deeply honored. 

A big thanks to everyone who’s read, bought, reviewed, and talked about Books, Crooks & Counselors. Your support means the world to me. Come on by, and I’ll pour you a cup of tea from a very special pot.

 

(Thanks to Liz Zelvin for the photo.)

Books, Crooks nominated for the Agatha

It’s official: Books, Crooks & Counselors has been nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction. The Agathas are one of the premier book awards, and are given at the annual Malice Domestic Convention, held in Bethesda, MD April 27-29 — and I’ll be going, for the first time!

Here’s the full list of all awards and nominees.

Join me in celebrating — with a cuppa whatever!