Talking with Alison Bruce

Today, I’m pleased to host Alison Bruce who is one of those skilled writers who can effortlessly cross genres. She is here to talk about her latest novel, DEADLY LEGACY (Imajin Books), a detective mystery/science fiction suspense set in the near future, as well as writing in general. Alison is also the author of Under A Texas Star, a western/mystery/romance, and she has several other stories almost ready to go.

• I've had so much fun lately with online dating profiles for characters, I wonder if you'd provide one for Kate Garrett and Jake Carmedy from Deadly Legacy as a means of introduction?

  

a.    Kate Garrett: Single female seeks mystery-loving male. Race, religion, nationality not an issue. If an issue with him, he's the wrong guy. Must love theatre, but no actors please.

b.    Jake Carmedy: Single white, traditional male seeks a pleasant companion for possible romance. Must be understanding about odd hours and long absences.

 

• Deadly Legacy is a  mystery of the PI variety, am I right? What kind of research about private investigators did you do for your book?

Carmedy and Garrett bridge police and private investigation as consulting detectives as well as doing the more usual things that PI's do. My mother loved PI mysteries but she also loved debunking them. She worked with private investigators and knew they neither looked nor acted like the kind you generally see on TV or read in books.

My research into private investigators and police combined web searches and interviews – with the interviews including informal questioning of people I just happened to meet. For instance, my apartment was once used for a stakeout into an insurance case. I wasn't naive enough to think the PI would tell me about the case he was on, but I got plenty of information on the work in general. Another time I met retired PI at a reading. I picked his brain for as long as I could get away with, then recruited him into Crime Writers of Canada.

• How much time do you spend on social media per day, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, your THREE blogs? 

I spend about two hours a day on social media – half of that is at least partly for my own amusement or research. Social media is like any kind of networking. You meet people, say hi, see if you have anything in common, then move on if you don't. You try to be friendly with everyone you meet because you never know where it might lead – but also because life is better when you play nice.

The blog I do with twelve other western romance authors, http://cowboykisses.blogspot.ca, is a fine example of how one thing leads to another. I “met” these women on an Amazon discussion group.

“Have laptop will travel” (http://alisonebruce.blogspot.ca/) is my home blog. I also have a  blog called Nighthawk Talks (http://nighthawktalk.blogspot.ca/) where my raptor host interviews characters for an imaginary radio show. Oh, and I manage the National Crime Writing Blog for Crime Writers of Canada (http://nationalcrimewritingmonth.blogspot.ca/).

• How do you balance your roles of writer, mother, freelance editing/writing, Assistant Manager of CWC and Arthur Ellis Awards Administrator? 

Balance? We don't need no stinkin' balance!

Really, it's rather like being a centipede. If you think about it too much, your feet get tangled.

• I hear you, Alison! Now that Deadly Legacy is launched, what will be your next project – a sequel to Under A Texas Star, sequel to Deadly Legacy, or something totally different?

 
I'm working on the next Carmedy and Garrett mystery, and I have the next western plotted out. I also have two completed stand-alone novels waiting in the wings. They need fine tuning, but are complete. Then there's my paranormal suspense series and urban gothic series... Spirits and demons and vampires, oh my!

I have rather eclectic tastes in reading and writing.

• I’ll say! What writer(s) have influenced your choice of genres?

I grew up reading mysteries and historical fiction. Rex Stout and Charlotte Macleod were my favourite mystery authors. Georgette Heyer's Regency romance, Louis L'Amour's westerns, and Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael stories were among my favourite historicals. I also read a lot of Robert Heinlein in my time, and I've been a dyed in the wool Terry Pratchett fan since finding Wyrd Sisters in a bookstore on Oxford Street, London twenty years ago.

All of these authors have had an influence on me. Louis L'Amour and Georgette Heyer especially influenced Under A Texas Star. Deadly Legacy owes a debt to Sherlock Holmes, the first consulting detective, and Hercule Poirot, his spiritual offspring. When the story came to me, I asked myself, what would consulting detectives be like if they didn't treat the police like idiots? What if their relationship was collaborative?

• Tell us about your writing process. Do you write a structured outline first, or just jump in and let the characters take you along for the ride?

Usually the characters come to me first. Then I start looking for plots to involve them in. I seesaw between characterization and plot building as the story develops. Everything gets put into a story bible to keep things straight.

• What advice would you give to a writer who has finished, edited and polished a first book. What’s the next step?

Do it again.

Then expect to edit and polish it at least twice more when you have a publisher. As to how to get that publisher... NETWORK. It isn't just what you know, but who you know that counts, so get to know people in the business. Create a presence on the internet via Twitter, Facebook etc., and get yourself either a website or blog. Visit other peoples' blogs and “like” their pages and books. Be supportive and people will often reciprocate.  If nothing else, you'll be all set up to promote your own books.

• Ask yourself one more question, any question, and answer it!

In light of the last question, I think I'd ask myself if it's all worth it?

Yes! I'm one of those people who would write regardless of whether or not I got published – that's why I have so many stories waiting in the wings. But let's face it, we write to be read. It's nice sharing my stories with friends and family. It is a blast knowing that hundreds of people have bought and read my books – and some, at least, have gone back and reread them. Knowing that makes it all worthwhile.

Thanks, Alison, and best of luck with Deadly Legacy and your new works! As well as the blog sites listed above, you can find out more about Alison on her website or on Twitter:

 www.alisonbruce.ca

Twitter @alisonebruce

Interview with author Jill Edmondson

Today, I’m thrilled to Interview Toronto writer, Jill Edmondson, author of three (so far) Sasha Jackson mysteries: Blood and Groom, 2009; Dead Light District and The Lies Have it, both published in 2011.



·        Jill, what was it that first motivated you to say to yourself, “I’m going to write a book, and it’s going to be a mystery”?

I wrote Blood and Groom when my husband and I separated.  I wanted to kill my (ex) husband, but I realized that might be a bad idea, you know, being illegal and all... Besides, I don’t look good in stripes.

 ·        I’ve heard you say that sometimes you don’t write for weeks or even months. What is your process when you do get down to writing?

 
I don’t really have one, except that I type a bunch of stuff, and print it out.  Then I scribble all over the pages, add ideas, correct typos, etc.  Then I go back to the computer and input all the changes.  Then I do the same process: computer/keyboard-paper/pen about 193 times until it’s done.  Along the way, I take pauses during which I won’t look at any of it for a few days or weeks. 
Also, I never use a pen with black ink.

 ·        What  marketing avenues do you employ? Which would you rather not do but consider a necessity?  How much time per day do you spend on social media, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, any other of the endless sites?

I spend way too much time doing online book promotion.  It’s a necessary evil, but if I had had a real picture of just how much effort is actually involved in it, I probably wouldn’t have published a book.  It takes up to about twenty hours a week.  Once in a while, I remove myself from all social media until I’m de-saturated.

·        I know you conduct a lot of research on the seamier side of Toronto life. Did you ever have a bad, or scary, experience while conducting this research?

How's this for a deflating answer?  Zip, zero, zilch. 

All my research is done on computer, from the comfort of home.  My main source is online university libraries and databases.  The basis for Dead Light District was a paper I did when I was working on my Master’s.  The course was called “Equality in Context” and I did an essay on Human Rights and the Sex Trade.  The stuff that didn’t make it into the essay became a novel instead.  

·        Have you every received any criticism as a writer? And what has been your greatest compliment – and don’t be modest, now.

One fucking book reviewer fucking told me that my fucking book (Blood and fucking Groom) had too much fucking swearing in it.  I kept that in mind when I wrote my 2^nd book, and, for that one, most of the swear words are Spanish (Mexican slang) so I don’t think that same reviewer noticed. Ha ha.

Greatest compliment?  I still feel like I’m on cloud nine when I recall that Steve Steinbock’s review of Dead Light District (for Ellery Queen magazine) said that “Sasha is the true literary granddaughter of Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.”  Look at me thumping my chest!  Yeah baby!

·        You’ve travelled a lot to exotic locales. Do you have any plans to set a future Sasha Jackson mystery somewhere other than Toronto?

I’m not sure.  I have to know a place well to write about it.  All the Mexican stuff in Dead Light District came from the fact I lived in Mexico for a while. 

·        What 3 books in your home would you save from a fire (given a clear shot at the bookcase while the fire roars ever closer)?

That’s so tough!!!!  Something by Jasper Fforde OR Christopher Moore, something by either Christopher Hitchens OR Chris Hedges, and something about etymology/language/language history.   Apparently, I have a thing for authors named “Chris/Christopher.”

If the fire were really raging and I didn’t have time to think about it, I’d just grab a thesaurus.  And a Mad Magazine.

·        This is something I’m really curious about. Are all the bars, pawn shops, restaurants and stores really  where you place them in your books in downtown Toronto? And are the names real?

Real places include:  The Pilot Tavern, The Wheat Sheaf, The Horseshoe, the roof bar at The Plaza, and Cafe Diplomatico.  Those are all places where I’ll happily spend money.  Shane’s restaurant Pastiche is imaginary but is veryveryveryvery loosely based on Adega.

Basically, if the mention of a real place is positive or favourable, then I use the real name.   If the place is depicted negatively, then I invent it.

The depictions of neighbourhoods are as accurate and as realistic as I can make them.  Most locales mentioned in the books are places where I once lived, worked or hung out. 
 
·        Most of us write a little of ourselves into our protagonist, whether we realize it at first or not. How are you most like Sasha, and how are you the least?

Differences: Sasha is much better at illegal entries than I am, and I 'm more afraid of fire than she is.  Similarities:  Um... ever seen me behind the wheel? 

·        When will the next Sasha Jackson mystery be published?

Probably not too long after my next trans-Atlantic flight, whenever and wherever that ends up being.

 ·        Finally, will you please write a profile of Sasha if she ever decides to join an online dating site? (I’m dying to see this.)

Smart but flaky crime-fighter seeks a tall, confident, inflammable blend of Christopher Hitchens and Alfred E. Neuman.  I enjoy music, reading, travelling, a chilled Martini, and the occasional burglary.  I value loyalty, intelligence and open-mindedness.  Patience and a sense of humour are essential, and for Gawd’s sake, I hope you don’t pronounce the “T” in Merlot.  My ideal mate should have maximum auto insurance.

And, there we have it. I think. We’ll have to take another run at this funny, elusive author soon to get to the bottom of some of these answers.

You can find more of Jill and her infectious  sense of humour at the links listed below.

 Jill’s books on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/6v6r92l

Twitter @JillEdmondson
www.jilledmondson.com

Jill Edmondson Interviews Gloria Ferris

If  you'd like to read the online dating profiles for Lyris Pembrooks from CHEAT THE HANGMAN, and Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall from CORPSE FLOWER (to be published early 2013), follow this link. Toronto author, Jill Edmondson, author of BLOOD AND GROOM, DEAD LIGHT DISTRICT, and THE LIES HAVE IT, all featuring another intrepid female protagonist, Sasha Jackson, interviewed me with some very challenging questions. I am soon going to return the favour with my own evil interview queries.  http://jilledmondson.blogspot.ca/2012/05/interview-with-author-gloria-ferris.html

2012 Bony Blithe Award Nominees

A couple of days ago, the shortlist for the new Bony Blithe Award came out. Here is the official announcement from Caro Soles’ website http://carosoles.wordpress.com/ :

“Bloody Words Light Mystery Award, a new annual Canadian award that celebrates traditional, feel-good mysteries announces this year’s finalists. The award – aka the Bony Blithe – is for a “book that ☻makes us smile,” which includes everything from laugh-out-loud, to gentle humour, to good old fashioned stories with little violence or gore.

 The five finalists for the first Bony Blithe are:

Janet Bolin,  Dire Threads  (Berkley Prime Crime)
Alan Bradley,  A Red Herring without Mustard (Doubleday Canada)
Gloria Ferris,  Cheat the Hangman  (Imajin Books)
Mary Jane Maffini,  The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder  (Berkley Prime Crime)
Phyllis Smallman,  Champagne for Buzzards  (McArthur & Company)

Congratulations!

Bloody Words, Canada’s oldest and largest convention of mystery readers and authors will be awarding the Bony Blithe at the Bloody Words XII Banquet at the Hilton Hotel in Toronto on June 2, 2012. The winner will receive a cheque for $1,000 plus a colourful plaque. Tickets for the Banquet are available through the website.

For additional information on Bloody Words and the Bony Blithe: http://www.bloodywords2012.com”

            As you can see, CHEAT THE HANGMAN is a finalist. Am I excited? You bet! I am beyond thrilled to be in the company of such fine and talented writers as Janet, Mary Jane, Alan and Phyllis. Some of these authors I know personally, and I hope to meet the others in June at the Bloody Words Conference in Toronto.

            This nomination came at a time when I was questioning the path I have chosen. Did I really want to spend every waking hour trying to balance writing, marketing, and family time? Every writer knows exactly what I mean. I love writing, but the marketing – website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, public appearances – is a time-consuming, although important, aspect of being a published author.

            Since CHEAT THE HANGMAN was launched in August 2011, I have struggled to find time to write new material. And, now that CORPSE FLOWER has been picked up by Dundurn Press, I have been required to edit 30,000 words out of the original manuscript. (I’m within 100 words of fulfilling that goal – so YAY!) Now, both novels need a sequel and I was feeling overwhelmed.

            This nomination has given me new energy and direction. CHEAT THE HANGMAN is a book that just keeps on giving. It was shortlisted in 2009 for the Unhanged Arthur Award for best unpublished mystery novel, subsequently published by Imajin Books and, now, another nomination for the 2012 Bony Blithe Award.

            Many kind readers have told me how much they enjoy my protagonist, Lyris Pembrooke, Conklin the butler, Gunner the old WWII vet, Leander the spirit guide, not to mention my animal characters, Rasputin and Jacqueline (the unholy duo who drive Lyris batty but sometimes save the day). And, I love them all. They are already off on another adventure, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

            I hope readers will enjoy the characters in CORPSE FLOWER just as much. I love them too. They are outrageously unstoppable, and I never know what will come out of Bliss Moonbeam Cornwall’s mouth. She can be such a bitch!

            So, thanks, CHEAT THE HANGMAN. I needed a little validation to make me remember why I do this crazy thing called writing. And your nomination for the 2012 Bony Blithe Award has provided that.

             

Yes, Lyris, You Will So Be A Psychic

                Cheat the Hangman  didn’t start out to be a paranormal mystery. The first draft of CTH contained no unearthly activity whatsoever. But, it was difficult coming up with an explanation for a murder that took place almost 70 years ago without the dreaded “telling, not showing” creeping in. Neither Lyris Pembrooke nor myself was happy with the manuscript. It just wasn’t right.

                I put the story aside while we considered some options. When a murder takes place during the Second World War, few of the principles are left in present day to remember it, let alone to confess to the crime. Was there a way around this?

                Maybe some help from an other-worldly source would work. Initially, it was Great-Aunt Clem with her two spirit guides, Luke and Florence, who helped Lyris uncover some of the truth. But Great-Aunt Clem was strangely reticent about the war years. Both Lyris and I knew there was more to discover. Then Lyris learned she was a latent psychic herself. She fought her destiny tooth and nail but, despite her efforts to keep him away, Leander sauntered through from the other side of the divine realm.

                 A first-time guide, Leander had a busy social life and weighed his words carefully lest he break a cosmic rule. Lyris and I were even more frustrated. We had a renowned psychic (Great-Aunt Clem) who knew more than she was willing to tell, and a cryptic spirit guide (Leander) who was more interested in playing tennis and attending rock concerts with headliners Jerry Garcia and Jim Morrison than sorting out a cold case from the ‘40’s. We still couldn’t winkle out the culprit. This whole paranormal thing was starting to wear me down.

                Then we discovered Lyris has the gift (or curse, according to her) of a type of clairvoyance that allows her to recall scenes from the past. It became clear that some training is in order for Lyris to hone this skill since she can’t seem to control it, but we did manage to learn what happened during that family reunion in 1943. To our satisfaction anyway. Officially, the case is still open.

                Since I am oddly attracted to the years of the Second World War, upcoming Lyris and Leander adventures will include a cold case from that era as well as a modern day crime. Hammersleigh House will be featured again since many of my wonderful readers have told me they love that old place with its antiques and timeless architecture.  And they want to see more of Conklin, the stuffy butler; Marc, Lyris’ new hunka-hunka husband; Gunner, the wily old WWII vet . . .

                Anyway, I seem to have wandered away from the point. I just wanted to tell you how the paranormal factor crept into the Lyris/Leander tales. And Lyris’ skills will continue to grow, whether she likes it or not.

Review of CHEAT THE HANGMAN by My Book Addiction and More

Cheat the Hangman received a nice review from the My Book Addiction and More review site:

"Cheat the Hangman by Gloria Ferris was a surprising read. I really enjoyed it. The story was excellent and kept me guessing until the end. It had romance, mystery, and even a ghost and a butler who kept the place running smoothly. I wasn’t expecting Lyris to find the body of a child in the attic. The story was a wonderful who done it that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was funny at times and serious at other times. All and all it was a well rounded book and I can’t wait to read more by this author. by Sheila Hendrix"

Still There

Cheat the Hangman is still hanging on to the Kindle 100 Best Seller List Occult. It went up as high as #23, danced around, up and down, and currently stands at #72. It's been fun watching the numbers - kind of like the stock exchange - and absolutely wonderful sharing the list with such royalty as Stephen King and Charlaine Harris. Not to mention my personal favourites, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child. I have all the Preston/Child books in print form and plan to read them again once I tackle the 12 unopened eBooks on my Sony reader and the stack of paperbacks waiting in my bookcase. So many books to read, so little time since I should be busy writing the sequels to Cheat the Hangman and Corpse Flower. Both are started but I think I need to get CTH's sequel, Beneath the Asphalt, finished first.
I wish you all a Happy Christmas and leave you with a picture taken last Saturday at a family Christmas Tea.