Jewels in the Gulf

Published on July 19, 2010 in life and travel. 3 Comments

I was in Tallahassee, Florida recently to visit my elderly father. My sister, her husband, and various of their friends often take me on nature adventures when I’m down there–expeditions I would never entertain on my own. With the oil steadily encroaching on the Gulf coastline, they are particularly cognizant of how fleeting these moments might be.

Last week, the adventure involved scalloping. We motored out to a shallow grassy area off Keaton Beach and anchored in about 3 feet of water. Then we plopped overboard with snorkel, fins, and mesh bags. The scallops rest on the sand or the grassy flats, looking for predators with a half-circle of brilliant blue eyes. scallop-4They can propel themselves quickly by squirting water with their muscles. (This photo was taken by photographer David Moynahan, who collected the largest sack of scallops and then returned over the weekend to capture them on film.) Because of my mixed feelings about killing these creatures and several sighting of a giant ray (yes the very ray that killed the TV nature star with sting to the heart,) my adventure was abbreviated.

My fellow hunter-gatherers filled their sacks–a bounteous harvest in comparison to my dozen and a half. And all of that bounty made for a long, long afternoon of cleaning. And scraping the guts out of hundreds of shells left me yearning for something other than seafood for dinner.

We ordered a vegetarian pizza…

The Rich and the Dead

Published on July 8, 2010 in books and writing. 4 Comments

Each year Mystery Writers of America chooses a celebrity editor/writer to put together an anthology of short stories based on a theme of the celebrity author’s choosing. Next year the anthology, THE RICH AND THE DEAD, will be edited by Nelson DeMille, published by Grand Central in April. I’m very psyched to report that my story “The Itinerary” was chosen to be included. I’ll be in terrific company–the authors who were invited to participate were: Ted Bell, Peter Blauner, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, David Morrell, Twist Phelan, S.J. Rozan, Jonathan Santlofer and Angela Zeman. And these writers had their stories selected for the remaining slots: K. Catalona, Tim Chapman, Frank Cook, David DeLee, Joseph Goodrich, Daniel J. Hale, Roberta Isleib, Harley Jane Kozak, Carolyn Mullen and Elaine Togneri.

In “The Itinerary”, Detective Jack Meigs (from the Rebecca Butterman series) has been sent on a forced vacation to Key West after his wife’s death. Of course he has no interest in playing the tourist and he gets drawn into the puzzle of woman who goes missing from her cruise ship.

Can’t wait to see the finished product!

Happy July

Published on July 5, 2010 in books, life and recipes and food. 0 Comments

strawberrycreamcakeHappy fourth and fifth of July–hope everyone had a great weekend! This was my masterpiece–a light yellow sponge cake covered with whipped cream and sliced fruit. The blueberries came right out of the garden and the raspberries from the farmer’s market.

It’s my week to come up with content for Jungle Red Writers so stop over all week and enjoy a variety of posts. Tomorrow we’re talking about energy independence–are we headed that way, or will we wait until we’re forced into changing by the price of gas? Make a comment to enter your name into a drawing for Unspoiled: Florida Writers Talk about the Coast.

On Wednesday, come meet writing newcomer Sophie Littlefield, who’s taking the mystery world by storm. And then we’ll finish up the week with my favorite topic on Thursday and Friday–food, glorious, food!

Fun at the Edgars

Published on May 5, 2010 in books, life and writing. 0 Comments

Had a fantastic two days at the Edgars–Wednesday night was the MWA agents/editors party. img_0156Here’s a photo of MWA president Laura Lippmann, along with the incomparable Mary Higgins Clark, and Hank Phillippi Ryan, who chaired the committee to choose the Mary Higgins Clark award winner this year. The award went to SJ Bolton for THE AWAKENING. img_0158

This photo shows two of the nominees, Nadia Gordon and Hallie Ephron with MHC and Hank.

On to Saturday and the Edgar awards banquet. Judges were given a private reception with the nominees–so much fun to meet Kathleen George, Jo Nesbo, and John Hart, along with many other mystery luminaries! This is me with John Hart and my co-presenter CJ Box after John was revealed as the winner of Best Novel for THE LAST CHILD.30788_398548946590_664301590_3922507_6445619_s (PHOTO courtesy of Margery Flax.)

Hand of Fate

Published on April 21, 2010 in Girlfriends Cybercircuit and books. 0 Comments

hand-of-fate-coverAre you looking for an exciting spring read? Cybergirlfriend April Henry has just released her newest thriller, HAND OF FATE, written with former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Lis Wiehl.

About the book

When the host of a popular radio talk show is murdered, the suspects almost outnumber his millions of listeners.

Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate dies he opens a package and releases poisonous gas while his polarizing show, “The Hand of Fate,” is on air.

In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland. Soon the triple threat of  FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce begin piecing together the madness, motive, and the mystery that lie behind Fate’s murder.

While Lis has worked with Bill O’Reilly for years (often serving as the voice of reason or his liberal foil, depending on your point of view), the character is NO WAY based on O’Reilly.

This is the second in the Triple Threat mystery series, which has been optioned for TV. The first, Hand of Fate, one was on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks! And in April 2011, readers can look for Heart of Ice, which traces the path of a destruction left by a sociopath - and based on a real-life case Lis prosecuted.

ROBERTA:  Dr. Rebecca Butterman, the protagonist in my advice column mysteries, is a clinical psychologist (like me.) If your protagonist made an appointment to talk to Dr. Butterman, what would that first session be like? What deep dark secret or problem would she be there to discuss and how much of it would she tell?


APRIL:  There are three main characters in the books.  Allison would talk about her longing to be a mother. Nicole would probably not say much of anything - but if you could get her to talk, she would talk about her shameful (in her eyes) need for love.  And Cassidy would want to be reassured that is a worthwhile, talented person.

ROBERTA: Sounds like an exciting book. Good luck to you both!

About the authors

April Henry grew up in a little town in Southern Oregon where the main industries were timber and pears. When she was was 12, she sent Roald Dahl a short story she had written about a six-foot-tall frog named Herman who loved peanut butter. He not only wrote her back - he showed it to the editor of an international children’s author, who asked to publish it.

Since then, April has written nearly a dozen mysteries and thrillers for adults and teens, with seven more on the way. Look for her young adult thriller - Girl, Stolen - in October 2010.

Lis Wiehl is a former federal prosecutor who is now a legal analyst for FOX-TV.

What the critics are saying

“Exciting… readers will identify with these very real women as they try to uncover Fate’s killer, and each battles a personal demon—Allison her fear of miscarriage, Nic her fear of her daughter’s criminal father, and Cassidy her prescription drug addiction.”

–Publishers Weekly

“The second book by Wiehl and Henry featuring the Triple Threat Club ratchets up the excitement and suspense to another level. Realistic characters with authentic dilemmas will appeal to a wide array of mystery lovers.”

–Romantic Times, four stars

Read more about Hand of Fate at April’s website and her blog.

spring in Connecticut

Published on April 11, 2010 in life. 0 Comments

This is our neighbor’s tree–pretty spectacular! photo

Ellen Meister’s Amazon gift card drawing

Published on April 8, 2010 in Girlfriends Cybercircuit and books. 7 Comments
In anticipation of a new book coming next year, cybergirlfriend Ellen Meister is getting ready to spread the word.

Pitched as “Jodi Picoult meets THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE,” THE OTHER LIFE tells the story of a suburban mom expecting her second child who discovers that she might be able to slip through a portal to the life she would have had if she never got married. When a routine sonogram reveals unexpected problems, her grief lures her to escape to the life that might have been …  in which she discovers that she stayed with her neurotic ex-boyfriend, and that her mother, who committed suicide several years before, is very much alive.

Ellen wants to keep you abreast of the news about the new book. So she has a special offer … sign up for her mailing list now and you will  automatically be entered in a drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift card.

Just click here, fill out the form, and remember to click through when you get the confirmation email. That’s it. Ellen only sends out a few updates a year, so you won’t be bombarded. Besides, I think you’ll want to hear about her breakthrough novel, THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam/2011), which is already getting great early buzz. Good luck Ellen!

Read more at her website.

Everyone She Loved

Published on March 29, 2010 in Girlfriends Cybercircuit and books. 0 Comments

Today we’re celebrating not only the paperback release of Sheila Curran’s EVERYTHING SHE LOVED, but also her health after a bout with cancer. Read more at her blog. Hurray Sheila–may you live in good health to write many, many more! cover-art-everyone-3

Winging It: Memoir of a Vengeful Parrot

Published on March 17, 2010 in Girlfriends Cybercircuit, books and life. 2 Comments
ROBERTA:  Today I’m happy to welcome another one of my cybergirlfriends, Jenny Gardiner, with a different kind of book and a hysterical title. Welcome Jenny! Tell us about your latest release and the inspiration behind it.

tnwingingitJENNY:  This time around my book is a memoir, titled WINGING IT: A MEMOIR OF CARING FOR A VENGEFUL PARROT WHO’S DETERMINED TO KILL ME (Gallery Books). Think of it as David Sedaris meets Marley & Me, with a deadly beak. It’s about an African gray parrot with an attitude who arrived as a surprise Christmas gift the year we had our new baby. Life has never been the same.

The idea grew over many years. We got this parrot as a gift–my brother-in-law came back from Africa one Christmas with parrots for the family, and we ended up with the ornery one. And over the years, stories about her have become so legendary, she is such an entertaining thing (when she’s not being vicious). I have written about her for my newspaper column before and people were so interested in her. At dinner parties, she becomes the focus of everyone’s interest–we’ve had her now for almost 2 decades and people are always so entertained by her and stories about her, so I thought it would be fun to do a book. My sort of funny backstory is YEARS ago, I was sitting in a bat mitzvah, and I get really antsy when I’m a captive audience, especially when everything isn’t in a language I can remotely understand. So when I was sitting there for like 3-1/2 arduous hours (it was a high holiday so they had a huge service with it), I pulled out a notebook and pen and HANDWROTE four chapters of what would eventually become this book…
ROBERTA: Now I have to ask my standard question. If my character, psychologist Dr. Rebecca Butterman, was to see your character in therapy, what would they discuss?

JENNY:  Oy, this is a tricky one!

But let’s say my parrot, Graycie, has an appointment with Dr. Butterman. As if that could fix her.
I think it would go something like this:
“Dr. Butterman,” she snaps, pecking at the good doctor, aiming her steely beak at anything within striking distance, “I was separated as an infant from the only family I knew, and taken to this strange land and expected to adapt to this family but I want to be back in my land. I want to be free, to soar through the air, to flap my wings and have them work as they were intended.”
“How does that make you feel?” Dr. Butterman asks her, dodging that beak again, just a split second before it hit its intended target (her face). “Ouch, dammit. What the hell was that for?”
“I’m mad. That’s what. And bored. And lonely. How do you think it would be, spending all of your days stuck in a house, no breeze wafting through your feathers, just hanging around? would you like it?”
“But your family loves you,” the doctor replies. “They care for you and make certain you are safe.”
Graycie hangs her head. “Safe? For what? So I can hang around here and do nothing for the rest of my life?”
Dr. Butterman nods, understanding her point. “Well, look at this, you’ll have plenty of practice time to nail that family of yours with your beak, right?”
Graycie juts her beak out, looking pensive. “Hmmm. Good point. Well, it does feel pretty good when I clamp my beak down into that lady’s flesh.”
“Perhaps you might want to consider a more civilized approach to whiling away the hours, though? Say, maybe wood carving?”
“Hey, woodcarving. Now why didn’t I think of that?”
“That’s what you’re paying me the big bucks for, Graycie. That’s what you’re paying me for.”
ROBERTA:  Wonderful Jenny (and Graycie!) Good luck with the book. You can read more about WINGING IT on Jenny’s website or watch a video about Graycie here.

Everyone Else’s Girl

Published on February 26, 2010 in Uncategorized and psychology. 2 Comments

Today I’m delighted to introduce my cybergirlfriend Megan Crane with her new book, Everyone Else’s Girl.

everyone-elses-girl-uk-coverAbout the book:

Meredith does things for other people. She irons clothes for her boyfriend, she attends her ex-best friend’s horrendous hen party for her brother (who’s about to marry the girl) and she moves back to her parents’ house to look after her dad when his leg is broken. She’s a good girl and that matters. But when she gets back home, all is not as Meredith remembered. Especially Scott, that geeky teenager from her old class at school. He’s definitely different now. And so, it seems, is she. One by one, her family and old friends start to tell her some home truths and Meredith begins to realise she’s not so perfect after all. Maybe it is time she stopped being everyone else’s girl and started living for herself…

Praise for Everyone Else’s Girl:

“Megan Crane rules! Cancel your evening plans: You won’t want to stop reading until you’ve devoured every delicious word.”
—Meg Cabot

“Amusing, heartfelt and emotionally sophisticated chick-lit.” —Kirkus

AND NOW SOME FASCINATING ANSWERS FROM MEGAN:

What got you writing in the genre in which you write?

I started writing chick lit/women’s fiction because I was living in England at the time and had discovered Anna Maxted and Marian Keyes, and I thought: yes.  And then: I wonder if I could do something like that?  I’d grown up on romance novels and the first person, confessional tone was like a light being switched on for me.  I had to try.

Favorite thing about being a writer?
I get to make up stories in my head, and then tell them, and make my living that way.  It’s more than a dream come true.  And I don’t, in fact, need algebra, as I told my math teacher in high school long ago!

Least favorite thing about being a writer?
The blank page is usually filled with all my doubts and fears, and that’s not a whole lot of fun to sift through to get to the words I need to write.  And you can never really take a vacation, because the work is always in your head.  And I become a little bit of a crazy person as a deadline approaches.  But I wouldn’t give any of it up.
Which comes easier for you - beginnings or endings?
Definitely beginnings.  I like to launch myself into the beginning and write until I hit a wall, then go back and figure out what I’m doing.

How many drafts until the final draft?
I am one of those desperately linear writers, who can’t go forward if I know what’s behind me is a big mess.  So I usually write the day’s words, then set it aside to pick up and read the next morning.  I revise it before starting the next day’s writing.  So when I have a full draft, it’s usually pretty tight, and then I go over that at least once or twice.  So…  three?
What is one thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry since getting your first book deal?
There is writing, and then there is publishing, and there is only one part of that I can control: the writing.
What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel  published?
Just write.  No one can tell your story the way you can, and no one will get to read it until you write it.
What’s your favorite food?
Chocolate.  Seriously.  I’m a complete addict.  I like it dark, rich, and life-altering.
Do you have a muse, good luck charm, writing vice?
I am pretty sure my extremely fat and ill-behaved cats feel that they are both muses and charms; they are not.  I don’t really have either, I don’t think.  Though I have written every single one of my books on this very same desk, and I’m kind of attached to it, if that counts.
What’s your writing process/writing environment like?
I’m pretty fierce about my daily word quotas, which are really the only way I can write as much as I do.  (I wrote five books last year and will write at least four this year.) I usually write 2,000 words a day–although at a certain point last fall I had to write 3000 a day to hit a particular deadline, and I found that dizzyingly difficult.  The internet is my greatest time-waster.  I’m starting to use Mac Freedom to turn it off for stretches here and there, because I can’t be trusted–and I will often look up to see that hours have passed and there I am reading Jezebel and hitting refresh on Twitter…  Not good.
I have written all my books (I’m on number 15!) on the same desk, which I’m a little superstitious about these days.  It’s currently located in the office I share with my husband, overlooking a pretty sweep of trees and mountains and the Hollywood sign here in Los Angeles.  It’s filled with books and pictures, and somehow, helps the words come.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten about writing?
Just do it.  Just write.  Everything else is smoke and mirrors.
Thanks Megan for taking the time out of your 2000 words a day (!!) quota. Read more about Everyone Else’s Girl at her website.