Trust Fall #SampleSunday

Trust Fall

It looks like it’s going to be another boring faculty retreat at Mahina State University, “Where Your Future Begins Tomorrow.”

But then the Trust Fall exercise goes horribly wrong. Is it murder, or just the worst meeting of the semester?

Excerpt

Kyle Stockhausen, assistant professor of digital humanities, strode up to the Trust Fall Chair. The Trust Fall Chair wasn’t one of the red, gold, or green conference room chairs (the new school colors, as decided by student referendum). Those chairs all had wheels, and anyway, I’m sure the administration didn’t want us stepping all over the seat cushions with our dirty shoes. No, the Trust Fall Chair was plain, straight-backed, and made of wood. It had probably been ordered online and shipped from the mainland, just for this event.

“Thank you for volunteering, Professor Stockhausen,” Jake nodded at him.

“Please. Call me Kaila.”

I heard Emma snort. Emma, who grew up just a few miles down the road from Mahina State University, had definite opinions about “white people who move here from Nebraska and give themselves Hawaiian names.”

Mahalo nui loa, brother,” said Kyle/Kaila Stockhausen as Jake helped him up onto the wooden seat. He slowly stood, his spiky blonde hair almost brushing the ceiling.

“Come on, everyone move in closer.” Jake motioned us forward. “You’re all going to have to come together to catch him when he falls. Kyle, sorry, Kaila, turn around and put your arms out.”

He did, displaying the black courier lettering on the back of his pale yellow t-shirt: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. –Albert Einstein

“Einstein never said that,” Emma muttered.

“Now the rest of you, move in. Closer, you have to be right underneath so you can catch him.”

“I have to apologize for my colleagues,” Stockhausen said over his shoulder. “They don’t yet realize what a privilege this is. I appreciate the value of these high-touch team-building activities. In fact, I use many of these exercises in my own classes.”

This was the limit for Emma.

“Give it a rest, Stockholm-syndrome,” she shouted. “You teach all your classes online.”

Before anyone could react to Emma’s outburst, the exit door at the far end of the room flew open. Everyone turned toward the welcome distraction. A man wearing shorts and a t-shirt stood silhouetted in the doorway.

“Am I late?” the newcomer asked.

“Here’s our ag person,” Jake said. “Come in, come in. You’re just in time for the—”

Jake’s sentence was cut short by the scrape of wood on marble, and an ugly thud. We all pushed forward to get a look.

Kyle Stockhausen lay face up on the polished marble floor, blood spreading behind his head like a crimson halo.


Trust Fall is free on all e-book platforms.

The Perfect Body #SampleSunday

The Perfect Body

When Professor Molly attends Mahina State University’s exclusive donor dinner, she doesn’t expect to share a table with the insufferable Stephen Park. Turns out it’s one thing to invite your toxic ex-boyfriend to drop dead…it’s quite another when he takes you up on it.

The Perfect Body

Excerpt

It was only after we were all seated that I noticed Stephen looked different. His black dress shirt was snug over his shoulders, and his neck was thicker (either that or he’d shortened his bolo tie). He looked like he’d been lifting weights, something I’d never known him to do before.

Aside from the new muscles, he was the same old Stephen Park. His jet-black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, as always. Defying the usual order of things, his hairline had advanced, rather than receded. Stephen’s parents owned Park Beverly Hills Aesthetic Center. Each time he flew to Southern California to visit them, he came back looking a little younger.

But I noticed glints of silver at Stephen’s roots. The eternally-youthful Stephen Park was finally going gray.

It had been a long time, I realized. Years. Maybe it was time to let old resentments go.

“We’re very lucky tonight, Bee,” Stephen started in as he reached for the bread basket. “We get to sit with the world’s happiest couple. Isn’t it marvelous?”

Apparently not everyone was letting things go. Stephen liked to poke fun at my “bourgeois conformity.” I had moved on and gotten married, he hadn’t, and this was his way of getting back at me. Well, I wasn’t going to take the bait. The only thing to do was to maintain a dignified silence.

“Wow, Stephen,” I said, “it looks like you lost all of that weight you gained after rehab. Between that and the gray hair, I almost didn’t recognize you.”


The Perfect Body is available online or in your local bookstore

#MidweekMystery: Gore in the Garden (a new Washington Whodunit) and The Subject of Malice (A Lila MacLean Academic Mystery)

The Subject of Malice

The organizers have rustled up plenty of surprises for the literary conference at Tattered Star Ranch. But the murder of an influential scholar wasn’t on the program—someone has clearly taken the theme of Malice in the Mountains to heart. This shocking crime is only the beginning: Other dangers and deceptions are soon revealed.

English professor Lila Maclean has a full agenda: She must convince a press to publish her book (possibly), ace her panel presentations (hopefully), and deal with her nemesis (regrettably).
However, when Detective Lex Archer requests Lila’s academic expertise, she agrees to consult on the case. While her contributions earn high marks from her partner, it could be too late; the killer is already taking aim at the next subject.
As Lila races to keep her colleagues alive, publish or perish takes on new meaning.

About the Author


Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries: The Semester of Our Discontent, The Art of VanishingThe Spirit in Question, and The Subject of Malice. Honors include an Agatha Award for best first novel and Lefty Award nominations for best humorous mystery. She blogs with Chicks on the Case and is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

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Gore in the Garden

After her boss narrowly escaped political defeat, Kit Marshall is settling into life as a busy congressional staffer. While attending an evening reception at the United States Botanic Garden, Kit’s best friend stumbles upon the body of a high-ranking government official.

The chairwoman of a congressional committee asks Kit to investigate, and she finds herself once again in the thick of a murder investigation. The complications keep coming with the unexpected arrival of Kit’s younger brother Sebastian, a hippie protestor who seems more concerned about corporate greed than the professional problems he causes for his sister. To make matters even worse, the romantic lives of Kit’s closest friends are driving her crazy, diverting her attention from the mystery she’s been tasked to solve. The search for the killer requires her to tussle with an investigative journalist right out of a noir novel, a congresswoman fixated on getting a statue of James Madison installed on the Capitol grounds and a bossy botanist who would do anything to protect the plants he loves. When the murderer sends a threatening message to Kit via a highly unusual delivery mechanism, Kit knows she must find the killer or risk the lives of her friends and loved ones.


About the Author


Colleen Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at Yale, George Mason, Georgetown, and Penn. She previously worked in the United States Senate and for the Congressional Research Service. She’s currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress, working on great outreach initiatives such as the National Book Festival. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob Raffety and their beagle mutt, Conan.

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The Nakamura Letters #SampleSunday

Emma's Philosophy

The Nakamura Letters

Professor Emma Nakamura doesn’t believe in ghosts. So it doesn’t bother her (much) when she learns of a long-ago suicide in her remote upcountry rental house. She’s sure there’s a logical explanation for the disappearing items and the strange sounds in the night.
Fortunately (?), Emma’s best friend Molly has news shocking enough to take Emma’s mind off the hauntings. Now Emma and Molly have to rely on their strong reasoning skills and a weak internet connection to figure out how a body ended up in Molly’s backyard.

Excerpt

Emma Kano’opomaika’i Nakamura <[email protected]>
to: Molly

By the way, not like you asked for my advice, but unless you’re going for sainthood (that’s a thing Catholics do, right?) I don’t think you should have to keep teaching your classes while you’re on maternity leave. If your department doesn’t have the money to run the classes your students need, that’s the administration’s problem, not yours. If you keep doing unpaid work for them, they’ll just keep expecting it.
Of course I’m one to talk, look where I am. For sure no one’s paying me extra to spend my sabbatical up here on the set of Friday the 13th:The Wilderness Years.
I was wondering whether I should tell you this or not so here goes: Last night when it was raining I thought I heard someone crying outside.
I’m sure it was a feral cat or something, but it kind of freaked me out. Just goes to show how your mind can go all weird on you when you’re isolated.
OK, time for me to go to bed in complete darkness, and try not to think about all the people who died in this house. I’ll write again as soon as I can cause I don’t want you to go crazy bored at home and end up sticking your head in the oven. I don’t need you haunting me on top of everything else I have to deal with.
Emma Nakamura, PhD
Professor of Biology
Mahina State University
mahina.edu
—————–
A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.
Grace Hopper (1906-1992)


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Out of Options: A Century Cottage Cozy #MidweekMystery by Dianne Ascroft

Middle-aged widow Lois is settling into life on her own in her neighbourhood and in the library where she works, and she is just about coping with her fear of strangers after her husband was mugged and died in the park at the end of their street. But her quiet existence is rocked when her friend Beth makes a shocking discovery about the history of prohibition in West Toronto Junction, the last dry area in Toronto.

But before Lois can learn what Beth has unearthed, Beth goes missing.

There isn’t any proof that Beth is missing so the police won’t actively search for her. Only Lois and Beth’s niece Amy are convinced that Beth’s disappearance is very out of character, and they are worried about her. Where has Beth gone? Is she in danger? And, if she is, who might want to harm her and why? Lois knows she must find the answers to these questions fast if she wants to help and protect her friend.
And so begins a weekend of skulking in the park, apple and cinnamon pancakes, familiar faces staring out of old newspapers, calico cats, shadows on the windowpane, and more than one person who might want Beth to disappear from the quiet, leafy streets of the historic and staunchly dry West Toronto Junction neighbourhood.

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About the Author


Dianne Ascroft is a Torontonian who has settled in rural Northern Ireland. She and her husband live on a small farm with an assortment of strong-willed animals.
She is currently writing the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series. Out of Options is a prequel to the series.
Her previous fiction works include The Yankee Years series of novels and short reads, set in Northern Ireland during the Second World War; An Unbidden Visitor (a tale inspired by Fermanagh’s famous Coonian ghost); Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves: A Collection of Short Stories (contemporary tales), and an historical novel, Hitler and Mars Bars, which explores Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross humanitarian endeavour.
Dianne writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and newspapers. When she’s not writing, she enjoys walks in the countryside, evenings in front of her open fireplace and folk and traditional music.
Website: http://http://www.dianneascroft.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DianneAscroftwriter
Twitter: @DianneAscroft
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1357575.Dianne_Ascroft
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#MidweekMystery: Leg Up by Annabelle Hunter

A severed leg with no body? Check.
A disturbing lack of coffee? Check.
A murderer bent on revenge and a hot cop using her as bait? Double check.

Larklyn Davis moved to the small picturesque town of Barrow Bay, California, needing a new start on life. She found the perfect cottage house, almost the perfect distance from her ex-husband, and built the perfect stable for her dressage business. But when a severed leg suddenly appears on her front porch, her life takes a turn for the absurd.
As more clues pile up, and the killer not content to leave Lark alone, she’s forced to take things into her own hands. One problem: the hottest detective she has ever seen is convinced she is involved. Detective Brecken Wilson looks like he should be in a movie, not glued to Lark’s side, waiting for the other leg to drop.
There’s not enough coffee in the world for Lark to deal with this crime, the detective who stirs things she hasn’t felt in years, and a matchmaking town, intent on helping her find the happiness she doesn’t want.


About the Author

Annabelle Hunter is a stay-at-home mom and an avid fan of classic mystery shows and dressage. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and too many animals.

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Mother's Day #SampleSunday

Mother’s Day

With her round-the-clock morning sickness, along with “helpful” pregnancy advice coming in from every direction, Professor Molly can’t wait for the registration rush to be over so she can settle into teaching her classes.
That’s when Mahina State’s powerful fundraising office tasks her with a special assignment: to serve as the personal tutierge (that’s tutor-concierge) to Jeremy Brigham, whose mother happens to be fabulously wealthy and gravely ill.
But once inside the Brigham House, Molly realizes something is very wrong. And she has to decide whether to mind her own business and keep her job, or risk everything to prevent a murder.

Excerpt

I could never remember Victor Santiago’s actual job title. As far as I could tell, his duties involved cozying up to potential donors and scolding faculty members whose unruly behavior threatened to tarnish our Institutional Image.
“Professor Barda.” Victor half-rose as I entered his office and shook my hand, in precisely the way you’d greet someone you could barely stand. “Please. Have a seat.”
I sat down as directed and stared at the plaque on Victor’s desk, trying (once again) to memorize it:
Victor Santiago, (M.Ed., MBA) Vice-President for Student Outreach and Community Relations.
Alas, I’d forget it (again) as soon as I walked out the door.
“We’re rolling out an exciting new program,” Victor said, without any excitement whatsoever. Victor did not waste his charm on faculty members. “We call it the Young Leaders Program. It’s a targeted, high-touch, boutique program for our valued student stakeholders.”
“Sounds great.”
“We’re piloting the program this semester with a student named Jeremy Brigham. You’re familiar with the Brigham family, I assume.”
I shook my head.
“Jeremy’s late father was Alexander Brigham, a direct descendant of Hiram Brigham.”
“Hiram Brigham, of course.” I vaguely recalled something about a planter son of a missionary who had married a Hawaiian princess. The confluence of money, land holdings, and political connections had catapulted the Brigham family into Hawaii’s elite.
“Jeremy Brigham has had to withdraw from his classes due to illness.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Fortunately, under our new Young Leaders Program, Mr. Brigham will receive daily tutoring sessions to keep him on track for graduation.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” I said. “Very compassionate.”
What does all this have to do with me? I wondered. If Jeremy Brigham were a management major, I’d know his name by now.
“Is Jeremy Brigham a management major?” I asked.
“No. Psychology. But they can’t spare anyone, so we’re inviting you to serve as Mr. Brigham’s tutierge.”
“Me? Excuse me, his what?”
“Tutierge. Tutor-Concierge.”
“I see. Well, that’s immensely flattering. But I’m the chair of the management department. Why would you choose me for such an important job?”
I wondered how Victor would manage to answer this question without saying anything positive about me. He did not disappoint.
“Your elective didn’t fill. Your participation in our pilot of the Young Leaders Program gives you a way to discharge your teaching obligations. Without having to pay part of your salary back.”
“Pay my…what? I thought I just had to do more research or something if my class didn’t make. I have to pay my salary back if my class is canceled?”
“Your union agreed to the terms, Professor Barda. To those of us without tenure or summers off, it seems more than fair.”
I didn’t bother to reply that my summers were unpaid, which was very different from having summers off. Especially when I always got stuck doing work over the summer anyway. And tenure was great, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t get fired. It only meant the administration had to put in a little more paperwork to do it.
“No, that sounds great,” I said. “I’d be thrilled. What am I teaching him?”
“Statistics.”
“Stats? I’ve never even taken a stats class, let alone taught one.”
“It won’t be a problem for you. It’s the intro class. I’ll have my assistant send over your schedule and textbook. You and I will make the initial visit together. And remember, Professor Barda.”
Victor fixed me with his unsmiling gaze.
“Your students don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. We’ll start on Monday. Meet me here at my office at seven-thirty.”
“In the morning?”
“Yes. In the morning.”


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#MidweekMystery with Guest Post and #Giveaway: Peach Clobbered, a Georgia B&B Mystery

Peach Clobbered

Peach Clobbered Cover

Nina Fleet’s life ought to be as sweet as a Georgia peach. Awarded a tidy sum in her divorce, Nina retired at 41 to a historic Queen Anne house in quaint Cymbeline, GA. But Nina’s barely settled into her new B&B-to-be when a penguin shows up on her porch. Or, at least, a man wearing a penguin suit.

Harry Westcott is making ends meet as an ice cream shop’s mascot and has a letter from his great-aunt, pledging to leave him the house. Too bad that’s not what her will says. Meanwhile, the Sisters of Perpetual Poverty have lost their lease. Real estate developer Gregory Bainbridge intends to turn the convent into a golfing community, so Cymbeline’s mayor persuades Nina to take in the elderly nuns. And then Nina finds the “penguin” again, this time lying in an alley with a kitchen knife in his chest.
A peek under the beak tells Nina it’s not Harry inside the costume, but Bainbridge. What was he doing in Harry’s penguin suit? Was the developer really the intended victim, or did the culprit mean to kill Harry? Whoever is out to stop Harry from contesting the sale of his great-aunt’s house may also be after Nina, so she teams up with him to cage the killer before someone clips her wings in Peach Clobbered, Anna Gerard’s charming first Georgia B&B mystery.

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Guest Post: Dropping Like the Gentle Rain…

Where do you get your ideas? It’s a question we authors are asked a lot, and one that we seemingly can never satisfactorily answer. I read somewhere once that a famous bestselling writer would tell gullible sorts that he subscribed to Writing Ideas of the Month magazine. He claimed that he’d thumb through each new issue when it hit his mailbox, choose an idea, and write his next blockbuster.
Of course, he was kidding. But the truth is that the idea part of writing actually is easy, which is why we often give a frivolous response to that question. We all have ideas, writers and non-writers, alike. They’re a dime a dozen, to use the cliché, and we have far more than we’ll ever need. Not sure how to generate an idea? All it takes is two simple words – What if?

What if the old woman at the coffee shop nervously cradling a latte was once a prima ballerina?

What if the convicted murderer I read about in the morning paper actually was framed?

What if the smelly, unshaven guy prowling the thrift store aisles is actually an undercover cop?

What if the new house I bought was built on an old cemetery?

Ideas come from everywhere and anywhere. Newspapers, television, books,
radio. And, of course, from simply observing. Most writers have far more ideas than they can ever hope to use. As Shakespeare might say, they droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven. And, at least in my case, that’s not far from the truth. I tell people I get my best ideas in the shower and, silly as it may sound, I mean it.

There’s something zen-like about standing under splashing water, almost like
being in a isolation chamber. Outside sounds are temporarily muffled, and as a result one’s mind starts casting about for thoughts to fill the void. Soon enough, ideas start filtering through the pounding water.

Which is one reason I’m planning on having one of those oversized rain shower heads installed in my bath sometime soon. Who knows, maybe I can even write it off as a business expense!

But often non-writers don’t realize that an idea, no matter how grand, isn’t a plot. And without a plot, you don’t have a book. Because the plot is the underlying structure of a story. It’s how you get from the beginning to the end of the tale in an interesting yet logical and satisfying way.


An idea, no matter how grand, isn’t a plot. And without a plot, you don’t have a book

To put that concept into real-life context, you may wake up
one morning with the “idea” that you want to drive from New York City to Dallas. But simply having the idea isn’t magically going to transport you from Point A to Point B. You need to “plot” your journey. Will you go the scenic route that takes a couple of extra days, or will you travel via the fastest highways and toll roads? Are you going to stop at four-star hotels, or are you going to catch a few winks in roadside parks? Only once you’ve made all these decisions can you begin your trip.

In much the same way, an author has to line out their book journey before they can begin writing. And depending on one’s writing style, that can take quite a bit of planning. Some authors I know spend months researching and outlining before they ever type the words, Chapter One. On the other hand, many writers plunge right into the story, working off nothing more than a mental outline and a few scribbled notes. Most writers probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes.

But no matter their process, they all have moved well beyond the “idea” stage when they begin typing.

So instead of asking an author, where do you get your ideas, next time consider asking, how do you construct a plot? You might find yourself hearing a much more interesting answer


About the Author


DIANE A.S. STUCKART is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mystery series (writing as Ali Brandon). She’s also the author of the award-winning Leonardo da Vinci historical mysteries, as well as several historical romances and numerous mystery, fantasy, and romance short stories. The first book in her Tarot Cats Mystery series is FOOL’S MOON, available in trade, large print, and Kindle versions. Her Georgia B&B Mystery series from Crooked Lane Books launched July 2019 with PEACH CLOBBERED, written as Anna Gerard.
Diane is a member of Mystery Writers of America and has served as the 2018 and 2019 Chapter President of the MWA Florida chapter. In addition to her mystery writing affiliations, she’s a member of the Cat Writers’ Association and belongs to the Palm Beach County Beekeepers Association. She’s a native Texan with a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, but has been living in the West Palm Beach FL area since 2006. She shares her “almost in the Everglades” home with her husband, dogs, cats, and a few beehives. Learn more about her books at www.dianestuckart.com.

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Aloha, Yall #SampleSunday

Aloha, Y’all

CIA operative Fortune Redding crossed a ruthless arms dealer. Now she’s hiding out in remote Sinful, Louisiana, with a fake identity, fake hair, and a real price on her head. But just as she thinks she’s safe, her handler warns that Ahmad’s men are getting close. She has less than 24 hours to clear out and make it to the safe house in Hawaii. What’s more, they’ll be looking for a woman traveling alone, so Fortune needs a companion. A respectable, low-profile, non-trigger-happy companion. Which rules out Gertie and Ida Belle.
Mary-Alice Arceneaux just got a big surprise for her 70th birthday–a trip to Hawaii, courtesy of young Fortune Morrow. But with bounty hunters on their trail, and family secrets lurking in the unlikeliest of places, the southernmost state has a few more surprises in store.

Excerpt

The taxi driver was a friendly middle-aged woman whose car smelled like old cigarettes. She started chatting as soon as she pulled away from the curb. She asked Mary-Alice and Fortune where they were from, and confessed she’d never been to Louisiana. She did go to Vegas a few times a year, though, she told them, and she’d flown to Nebraska when her niece graduated from Creighton University.
“My, Nebraska’s awfully far,” Mary-Alice said. “Why did she choose to go all that way, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Lotta Hawaii kids like go Creighton. Never discriminate against the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, that’s why. Kept their doors open to everyone.”
“Are you Japanese?” Mary-Alice asked.
“Japanese, Hawaiian, Chinese, Podagee, Filipino, Scottish, German, an’ Irish.”
The rain thinned out as they drove out of town and up the coast. Fortune sat quietly in her hoodie and sunglasses while Mary-Alice marveled at the ocean view.
“It’s so unspoiled,” Mary-Alice exclaimed.
“Used to be all sugar plantations,” the driver said. “My parents both worked for C. Brewer. Back then, everyone worked the plantations. Get up at four, work by five. Lotta the old timers still talk about plantation days.”
“They used to have plantations too, where I’m from,” Mary-Alice offered. “Although I don’t believe folks recall them all that fondly.”


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This story is a licensed work in Jana DeLeon’s Miss Fortune world.

#midweekmystery and guest post: Mistaken Identity Crisis by James J. Cudney, and Five Questions to Answer Before you Start a Story

Mistaken Identity Crisis

A clever thief with a sinister calling card has invaded Braxton campus. A string of jewelry thefts continues to puzzle the sheriff, given they’re remarkably similar to an unsolved eight-year-old case, back when Gabriel vanished one stormy night.

When a missing ruby, and a body, are discovered at the campus, Kellan must investigate the killer’s motive to protect his brother. As if the latest murder isn’t enough to keep him busy, Kellan partners with April to end the Castigliano and Vargas crime family feud. What really happened to Francesca while all those postcards showed up in Braxton?

The mafia world is more calculating than Kellan realized. If he wants to move forward, he’ll have to make a few ruthless sacrifices. And as the summer heat begins to settle in Wharton County, a couple more surprises are also in store.


Guest post: 5 questions to answer before you start a new story
I’m thrilled to be back on the Great Escape Virtual Book Blog Tour with Lori Caswell and team. Today, I’d like to share a little bit about my writing process. Below are the key points that I analyze and prepare when I’m working on a book for the Braxton Campus Mysteries.
1. Will this be a holiday/theme book? For instance, the first two books did not contain themes; they were pure mysteries that didn’t focus on anything other than the primary plots. In the 3rd book, Flower Power Trip, it was all about springtime. The 4th book also didn’t contain a theme even though it ends with a double wedding and the 4th of July. Those were purely small things going on around the time of the story. However, next in the 5th book, it will be a Halloween / fall theme, so I had to plan it out carefully to ensure the timeline in the book was in sync with Halloween to match when it would be published.
2. Which family will be the focus? In the 1st book, we got to know all the main players, but in the 2nd book, we focused on the Paddingtons. In the 3rd book, we focused on the Roarkes and Nutberrys. In the 4th book, we focused on the 5 core/major families involved in the creation of a sorority, but in the 5th one, it will revolve around the Grey family. Once I decide the main family, I broaden out the family tree using names from my own ancestry (both last and first names). I always drop hints in previous books about all the characters to come, so readers will remember and connect the larger stories. While it’s all planned out in my head and on paper, it’s just a high-level synopsis. The actual details for each successive book are addressed in the outline.
3. My first true documentation for a new book is the outline. I draft a ~30 page summary of the main mystery, the sub-plots, the cliffhangers that need to be addressed from the prior book, the cliffhangers that will be dropped in this book, and the main characters to share clues and red herrings or pop in for consistency / connection points. Then, I focus on the murder scene and creation of all the potential suspects. From there, I summarize the critical scene where I unmask the murderer and resolve the clues. As part of the outline, I decide the number of chapters and list the basics of 3 scenes per chapter. By the end of the 30 pages, I’m left with a fairly robust approach for telling the story.
4. Now, I finalize the title and the cover. I use three words (except in the first book, which was supposed to be three but Curve Ball versus Curveball looked too funny!) where word 1 and 2 together mean something and word 2 and 3 together mean something else. So… in this book, Mistaken Identity Crisis, it’s actually “Mistaken Identity” and “Identity Crisis.” One is about the main plot, the other is about the primary sub-plot revolving around Kellan’s life with his ‘wife.’ I provide a few details to the cover artist at my publisher, usually a key building type, a prominent color being used, and three or four images that would work. They come up with the cover and we finalize it together, then I work with the marketing team for a big cover reveal blog post. Afterward, I begin to schedule the blog tour with the marketing folks and search for early ARC readers who will help with initial reviews.
5. Then, I write the book. I try to write 2 chapters per day. At roughly 22 chapters per book, it works out to be 3 weeks to write a first draft of the book, including some down time for research. It takes me 2 weeks to edit those chapters and 1 more week to do a final review and fix anything that doesn’t work well. At the 6-week mark, it goes to my one alpha reader, who has been with me from the beginning (almost). She is amazing and finds EVERYTHING I mess up… and we ‘fight’ over the resolution, then it comes together, and within another 2 weeks, it’s ready for beta reading. I spend 2 to 3 weeks with beta readers, then make my final changes and deliver it to the editor for final proofing and formatting. All-in-all, it’s a 3-month process if I am focused. 


I hope you enjoyed a ‘day in the life of an author’ when it comes to my 3-month cycle for writing a book. If I am writing a non-Braxton, family drama book, it’s usually about double the effort, e.g. Watching Glass Shatter or Father Figure, my first two books. By the way… I’ve drafted the outline for the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, which will be published in late 2020! Thanks for stopping by today.


About the Author


James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.
Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
MistakenIdentity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)

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