Book review: Denise Mina’s Still Midnight

Book review: Denise Mina’s Still Midnight

Jan 3, 2020 | #reviews

STILL MIDNIGHT by Denise Mina is the first book in the Alex Morrow detective series set in Glasgow and it’s a stunner. It’s a superb mix of Ian Rankin’s seedy Scotland from the John Rebus novels, Tana French’s angry female protagonist from THE TRESPASSER, and powerful points of view from Peter May’s THE BLACKHOUSE set in the Hebrides.

Related post: Book Review: THE BLACKHOUSE

Alexandra Morrow is a senior police detective in Glasgow; good at her job and excellent at making enemies. She doesn’t want to go home; she only wants to work. She doesn’t care if no one likes her. She already doesn’t like them. Her roughshod attitude means that a colleague gets the plum assignment; she doesn’t much care about that, either.

Despite the attitude, we like Alex and know she’s a good detective. In fact, she and Acapulco detective Emilia Cruz could be soul sisters.

Alex investigates a home invasion. Two masked men confront a middle-class immigrant family, wound the youngest daughter, and kidnap the father, demanding a huge ransom from “Bob.” When talking to the police, family members variously say the kidnappers asked for Rob or Robbie. Turns out the younger son, who just graduated from university, once ran with a gang and his street name was Bob.

The name is just one of several subtle clues that twist and turn throughout the investigation and ultimately break open the case.

In addition to Morrow’s point of view, the criminals get their turn in the sun. They aren’t playing cat and mouse with the cops so much as following a shaky plan and adjusting on the fly when their personal dramas threaten to unravel everything. The leader is prone to drinking and making mistakes. His sidekick is smarter, with useful family ties.

A simple corner store owner in a low-to-middle class section of the city, the kidnapping victim’s voice adds drama. As he is manhandled by the kidnappers, he mentally relives his harrowing childhood escape from Idi Amin’s Uganda. His mother’s actions allowed them to escape but forever estrange mother and son.

What makes STILL MIDNIGHT so engrossing is that there is a reason for everything. No misfit dangles; even red herrings seamlessly fit into the story.

Glasgow’s gray roughness is on full display. Gangs, poverty, slang, discrimination. There’s no pretense. This is true Glasgow in the way that Rebus shoves Edinburgh at us.

Bottom line—STILL MIDNIGHT is extremely well constructed, alive with action and real dialogue. Even Alex Morrow’s anger has a reason and it’s a killer.

Highly recommended.

Get it on Amazon

You may also like

This is Day One

This is Day One

Dec 31, 2019 | #authorlife

Day One is a digital marketing agency. “This is Day One” is written in neon letters on the wall of their New York City office. I love the double entendre. This is Day One is both a “we’re here” announcement and a creative mantra.

Day One implies a fresh start. A new horizon. No baggage. Clean slate. Opportunity. Beginnings.

Today is Day One.

2020 is Day One.

Priorities & Microgoals

In 2019, I focused on the theme of Simplify. I ignored the shiny-object-syndrome activities that in 2018 cost me far too much time and money. The result was an easier-to-navigate website, continued growth in newsletter subscribers, and publication of RUSSIAN MOJITO and FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM ACAPULCO.

Related post: Open Letter to 2019

With 2019’s framework in place, 2020 will be about priorities: wellness, creativity, family, and community. My writing productivity depends on the energy I get from all those priorities being in balance.

My approach uses microgoals. Small, easy-to-accomplish steps.

For example, when it comes to wellness, I never want to be one of those people who falls and can’t get up. Here’s what I’m doing about it:

Wellness > flexibility & strength > 60 squats a day

I’ve actually been doing 3 sets of 20 squats every day for about 6 weeks. 20 as the coffee perks, 20 during a break from standing at my desk, 20 as the dogs gobble their dinner, etc. I can already tell the difference.

Stretch goals

Microgoals are on the minimal end of the goal spectrum. Easy.

Stretch goals are on the max end. Hard.

A stretch goal is a challenge. A mountain to climb. The thing that requires multiple microgoals to accomplish.

Video is my 2020 stretch goal. YouTube is a great discoverability engine for creative types. Professional video content can be an effective way to reach mystery readers. But poor quality video can work against an author, too.

Related post: Things in the Mirror are Closer Than They Appear

I’d love to hire the Day One agency to make dynamite book trailers and social media videos. BUT  A) Undoubtedly  too expensive, and B) I want to learn new digital skills.

Is this Type A behavior? (“It has to look perfect! I need to do this myself!”) Probably.

But if I break it down into microgoals, video is less scary:

Creativity > Video book trailers > Buy Adobe Premiere
Creativity > Video book trailers > Watch all Adobe Premiere tutorials
Creativity > Video book trailers > Make test videos until satisfied with quality

Your turn

2020 is full of possibilities. 365 opportunities to get after it. 

Start with these questions:

  • Where do you want to be this time next year?
  • What tangible accomplishment is a priority?
  • What microgoals will form the first steps?

This is Day One.

day one

You may also like

Things in the Mirror are Closer than they Appear

Things in the Mirror are Closer than they Appear

Dec 2, 2019 | #truestory

It was a first and I’m still recovering.

I live in a fairly friendly town. So when there was a shoutout for women who work from home to meet for coffee, I went. About 20 gals showed up, none of whom I knew. As we were introducing ourselves, one of them said. “I’ve read your books. I had no idea you lived here.”

Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather, as the saying goes. Some time ago, she discovered the Detective Emilia Cruz books through a BookBub deal for a free book. Read the free book and bought two more.

It was a vote of much-needed confidence.

Far and near

I worried when we moved to the US heartland that I was far from my sources of inspiration. Would I lose touch with Mexico and the culture that so inspired me to write the Detective Emilia Cruz series and thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY? I had been immersed in the colors, food, the language, the religious traditions that formed the calendar of life in Mexico City. I’m far from Acapulco, palm trees, and cliff divers.

But on the other hand, there’s no escaping drug cartel crime. Mexico’s homicide rates are going up in lockstep (see https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/death-toll-put-at-20-for-mexico-cartel-attack-near-us-border/2019/12/01/edd68fd2-149c-11ea-80d6-d0ca7007273f_story.html) with the US death rate from drug use. (see https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates). In my own corner of the world, the opioid crisis is painfully in evidence.

Related: Welcome to the Opioid Crisis

The Mexican cartels are inside the US. The biggest jefe is known as El Mencho. He’s got a 10 million dollar price on his head. CBS news has a great video report on his organization’s presence: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/el-mencho-mexican-cartel-boss-behind-one-third-of-drugs-in-the-us-2019-09-26/, even mentioning that he was behind the shooting down of a Mexican government helicopter, which I referenced in 43 MISSING, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 6. (FYI: Free for Kindle Unlimited right now)

Rolling Stone warned us about El Mencho two years ago, calling him “Mexico’s next generation narco.” https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-brutal-rise-of-el-mencho-196980/

Mirror, mirror

Facebook keeps me in touch with friends in Mexico but there are surprising sources of inspiration here at home.

Bittersweet

in the mirror

This vine called bittersweet wraps around trees here. A strangling parasite or a plant that sustains and supports the tree? It seems to me to be the essential question as I write the relationship between Emilia Cruz and her mother, the ever child-like Sophia.

Virgin

in the mirrorMy small Catholic church has a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe in a niche to the left of the main altar. When I saw that, my Mexico memories felt tangible again. Not as far away as they were a moment ago.

Validation via work boot

in the mirror

We don’t hear Spanish spoken here very often, but my husband fell into conversation with two native speakers while buying work boots. The men were surprised to hear a tall gringo speak fluent Spanish.

Both were from the Mexican state of Guerrero. Near Acapulco, one added, assuming my husband wouldn’t know where that was.

My husband said that he was very familiar with Mexico. In fact, his wife wrote books about a female police detective in Acapulco.

He got some hard stares. “There are no female police detectives in Acapulco,” the other man said.

Some things never change.

You may also like

in the mirror

Sisters in Crime Webinar with Carmen Amato Goes Inside the CIA for Authors

Sisters in Crime Webinar with Carmen Amato Goes Inside the CIA for Authors

Nov 19, 2019 | #booknews

November 19, 2019

Mystery author and 30 year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, Carmen Amato walked mystery and thriller authors through the federal intelligence agency in a webinar for Sisters in Crime. Entitled “Inside the CIA for Mystery and Thriller Authors,” the webinar looked at the history of the agency, common misconceptions, intelligence terminology, and highlights of intelligence operations, followed by a question and answer period.

CIA seal

Amato shared a virtual walk-though of the CIA Headquarters building, using content published on the agency’s voluminous website and showed attendees how to best mine the site for the expertise and details so that their fiction rings true.

CIA website

Cia.gov

 

Carmen receiving CIM, 2016

Author with Career Intelligence Medal on the Great Seal, shortly before Christmas 2016

 

Founded by Sara Paretsky, Sisters in Crime is an organization that has 3,600 members in 48 countries worldwide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. Members are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their affection for the mystery genre and their support of women who write mysteries.For more see www.sistersincrime.org

Book review: Finland’s Maria Kallio police series

Book review: Finland’s Maria Kallio police series

Nov 6, 2019 | #reviews

Detective Maria Kallio is the first female police detective in the Violent Crime and Repeat Offender unit in Espoo, Finland.

She is Finland’s answer to Detective Emilia Cruz and I love her.

SNOW WOMAN is the fourth book in the Maria Kallio 12-book crime fiction series but a great introduction. I stumbled upon it by accident because the same reviewer trolled both SNOW WOMAN and one of my books. When I saw that Lehtolainen is Finland’s top crime fiction writer, with many awards for the Maria Kallio series, I knew I was in good company!

In SNOW WOMAN, Maria is assigned to make a presentation at a self-defense seminar at a famous women’s therapy center called Rosberga. A few days later, the director Elina Rosberg is murdered and found frozen in the surrounding forest.

Everyone who was at the center is a suspect, including a woman exiled from the ultra-conservative Laestadian religious sect, an angry pole dancer from a gritty Helsinki neighborhood, and a poet who was Elina’s sometime boyfriend.

Meanwhile, a character from a previous book, Markku “Madman” Halttunen, escapes from prison. Maria and her partner put him in jail and know he’s after revenge.

Both threads play out with help from a great cast of secondary characters including Atti, Maria’s mathematician husband; Laskinen, her handsome boss; and Ström, the hard-drinking fellow detective who constantly harasses her.

Modern Finland is on full display, as seen through Maria’s eyes. Espoo is the rapidly expanding second largest city in Finland. The seasons of long dark winters and all-too-short summers in this northern country affect moods and crime statistics. Assault, rape, and drug overdoses are common. Heavy drinking is the norm–whiskey and anise vodka are Maria’s own tipples of choice. She likes Finnish punk rock and the Ramones.

Yet fitness, environmental concern, and healthy eating are key elements of the Finnish lifestyle. Maria skis and runs, and often bikes to work while her husband rails against “private driving” and is a dedicated protester.

Maria narrates all the books, which get more complex as the series progresses in terms of both crime and her personal life. Indeed, there’s a strong “slice-of-life” element to the series as we follow Maria’s cop career. She’s often impulsive and short-tempered. Dedication to her job and obsession with crimesolving hurt her personal relationships. She works in the city but longs to be sailing or running in the forest or bird watching. Through it all we cheer for her, cringe at her mistakes, and hope she doesn’t take the wrong turns that are offered along the way.

The writing style is clean and direct. Like the Vera series by Ann Cleeves, suspicion falls on multiple characters. Details become essential to figuring out who done it. A few more speech tags (“said,” “asked,” etc.) would be nice but aren’t essential. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce the Finnish names.

The Maria Kallio series books are published in English by Amazon Crossing, Amazon’s foreign translation subsidiary.

Find SNOW WOMAN on Amazon: https://amzn.to/36Ilhpm

You may also like

Mystery author Lisa Preston: new series, dinner with Twain & tech advice

Mystery author Lisa Preston: new series, dinner with Twain & tech advice

Oct 6, 2019 | #friends

Fellow mystery author and former cop Lisa Preston stopped by to talk about her new series and share a great protip.

1. Carmen Amato: Lisa, thanks so much for stopping by. We met at the Killer Nashville mystery writer’s conference and discovered that we have a few things in common, like our love of smart dogs!

You are a retired police officer, as well as an equine expert. Why did you add mystery author to the resume?

author Lisa Preston

Lisa Preston: The mystery form is so engaging, a great combination of both character-driven and plot-driven story; I’ve enjoyed reading it and I wanted to write it. When I did my book clubby, psychological thriller and suspense novels, readers wrote emailed asking what was next for those characters, and my agent said it was time for a series. I had this interesting idea of having a horseshoer as an amateur sleuth, and he sold it on a multi-book deal.

Related: 9 Mystery Authors Tell All

2. CA: Your upcoming release (November) is DEAD BLOW. Your main character is a female with a very unique occupation. What can you tell us about her and the book?

Dead Blow by Lisa Preston

LP: Seeds for the mystery in DEAD BLOW were planted in the series debut, THE CLINCHER, which came out a year ago. The main character is Rainy Dale, a young woman with a lot of room for growth. She traces her childhood horse to the fictional small town of Cowdry, Oregon, then stays to try earning a living as a newly minted horseshoer.

She made a breakthrough in THE CLINCHER. In DEAD BLOW, she needs to keep learning to love herself and others, while she solves one of the town’s old mysteries.

3. CA: How do you use setting to create and build suspense? Tell us about a favorite location that you used in a book.

LP: I live at the edge of a million-plus acre backcountry wilderness that offers endless trails, unreliable cell service, plus encounters with bears, cougars, and the occasional deranged person. The majority of the country lives in much higher population density, but is interested in visiting these vast western locales, and enjoys imagining the unique difficulties the setting presents.

Rainy Dale is similarly situated down in Oregon. Both THE CLINCHER and DEAD BLOW offer a setting as distinct and challenging as my own stomping grounds of steep scrawny trails and magnificent panoramas.

4. CA: You can invite any author, living or dead, to dinner at your home. What are you serving and what will the conversation be about?

LP: This week, I’ll say let’s spend the evening with Samuel Clemens. I’ve just gotten Twain’s unabridged works and was surprised to see he’d done a takedown of Fennimore Cooper. Then reading the details, I had to agree that a firearms scene is which the writer has the hero shooting a nail head located one hundred yards away is cringe-inducing. As a retired cop, poor law enforcement action or emergency medical procedure (I was a paramedic before I was a cop) makes me stop reading. Join us, Carmen, and we’ll eat a meaty stew and drink beer, while talking about everything.

Related: Best of the Book Savor Dinners

5. CA: What is your best protip? Tell us about a writing habit, technique, or philosophy that keeps your writing sharp.

LP: I think many new writers do not revise enough. They think they have a finished, but it’s what you or I would call a draft.

When I teach revision, two things I have students do are deconstruct the written manuscript to make sure each scene is doing its job. I also tell folks to have their computers read the entire manuscript out loud. It’s amazing what you hear in the computer’s flat reading that you do not see.

Thank you, Lisa. That is great advice! Technology is (occasionally) our friend.

More about Lisa:

Lisa Preston started her fiction career with the bestselling psychological thriller ORCHIDS AND STONE, followed by the acclaimed psychological suspense THE MEASURE OF THE MOON. She now writes the Rainy Dale horseshoer series. Find all her books on Amazon.

Connect with her at www.lisapreston.com.

You may also like

mystery author

9 Mystery and Thriller Authors Tell All

9 Mystery and Thriller Authors Tell All

Sep 16, 2019 | #friends

These 9 friends are all at the top of their game when it comes to fast-paced mystery and thrillers that veer toward the dark side.

Check out their original interview link, and what they’ve been up to since appearing on this blog and/or in the Mystery Ahead newsletter. Listed in alphabetical order

DV Berkom

mystery and thrillerStartling revelations from first #friends interview

2019 has been a whirlwind of activity for this author who juggles two thriller series. In January her octogenarian parents moved into the apartment in her backyard, lending an interesting (and happy) dynamic to the life she shares with partner Mark.

She also released Absolution, the 8th book in the Leine Basso thriller series. Readers had been waiting patiently (and some not so patiently) since the novel Dark Return to find out what happened between Leine and her arch-enemy, the French-born terrorist, Salome. Absolution is the page-turning wrap-up to the trilogy-within-the-series that started with The Last Deception. (The Leine Basso series is now exclusive to Amazon, allowing for members of Kindle Unlimited to access the books for free.) The 9th book in the series, titled Dakota Burn, will be shortly.

As for the Kate Jones series, due to reader demand she’s considering writing another installment in the series over the next year or so and is really looking forward to revisiting Kate and the other characters again!

https://www.dvberkom.com

DV Berkom books on Amazon

David Bruns

mystery and thriller #friends interview & writing about terrorism

Since being featured here in May 2016, David’s writing life has been bursting with activity. In 2017, he was selected for the prestigious Clarion West Writers Workshop, a six-week “summer camp” for professional short fiction writers. He’s also half of The Two Navy Guys thriller writing team of David + retired naval intelligence officer J.R. Olson.

Following the success of Weapons of Mass Deception and Jihadi Apprentice, their third national security thriller, Rules of Engagement, was published by St. Martin’s Press in June 2019. This novel of North Korean cyberwarfare was called an “utterly authentic portrayal of modern day combat that compares with the best of the timeless classics by Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts,” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marc Greaney.

http://davidbruns.com.

David Bruns books on Amazon

Lynda L. Lock

mystery and thrillerMexico and mayhem from her #friends interview

Lynda lives on Mexico’s idyllic Isla Mujeres, where her mystery series is set. Between her books and her hugely popular blog, she is probably the best “author brand” around. It’s been a very productive year for Lynda with the publication of two new Isla Mujeres Mystery novels: Temptation Isla, Book #4, and Terror Isla, Book #5.

Her real-life beach mutt, Sparky, is one of the main characters in the novels. He typically manages to drag his imaginary human pal Jessica Sanderson through a jumble of murder, romance, revenge, and drug cartel drama. When Sparky isn’t busy tracking down the bad guys, he is usually pestering Lynda for a ride in her island golf cart.

https://lynda-notesfromparadise.blogspot.com/

Lynda Lock books on Amazon

Margaret Mizushima

mystery and thriller

Margaret’s interview was exclusive to the Mystery Ahead newsletter. Subscribe here.

Margaret’s 4th Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Burning Ridge, won a Colorado Author’s League award for e-book fiction, Gold medal in the Next Generation Indies for action adventure, Silver in the Benjamin Franklins for mystery, and Bronze in the Foreword Indies for mystery. WOW! It was also listed as a Best Book of 2018 by King’s River Life and was named a finalist in the Colorado Book Awards, the Silver Falchion Awards, and the Women Writing the West 2019 Willa Awards for contemporary fiction.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Margaret was surprised and overwhelmed with gratitude when the membership of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers elected her 2019 Writer of the Year. Despite all this hoopla, the 5th Timber Creek K-9 mystery, Tracking Game, releases November 12, 2019, with a 6th book slated for next year.

https://margaretmizushima.com

Margaret Mizushima books on Amazon

Jim Nesbitt

Startling revelations from first #friends interview

mystery and thrillerI recently caught up with Jim at the Killer Nashville conference, where he was fresh off the success of his 3rd Ed Earl Burch novel, The Best Lousy Choice. My own review said “Raw, lusty, rough-edged — and yet, tremendously literary. Descriptions paint vibrant word pictures.” Burch, a cashiered Dallas vice and homicide detective, is an emotional wreck in this story, hosing down nightmares from his last case with self-prescribed doses of Percodan and bourbon.

Eking out a living as a PI, he’s broke and forced to take on the type of job he loathes — divorce work, tracking down the wayward husband of a rich West Texas woman who sheds spouses like a rattlesnake sheds skin. When a prominent rancher dies in a suspicious barn fire, the man’s outlaw cousin asks Burch to investigate.

Jim had a lot of fun writing this one and is already plotting Book #4 in the Ed Earl Burch series. He says readers seem to like the boy — he’s a classic American anti-hero. Ornery, tough, lusty, profane and reckless. Agreed.

https://jimnesbittbooks.com

Jim Nesbitt books on Amazon

Sandra Nikolai

A favorite #friends interview

mystery and thrillerIt’s been a hectic year! Sandra published Cold Revenge, Book 6 in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series. As a psychological thriller, it marked her sleuths’ most thrilling challenge yet—and her own! To add to the daily ritual of keeping in touch on social media, she opened a new Instagram account. As part of a local authors group, Sandra visited libraries for Q & A sessions, held book-signing events in the Ottawa area last fall, including a 3-day tour.

Next on the agenda? Plotting more devious dilemmas for ghostwriter Megan Scott and crime reporter Michael Elliott in Book 7. Sandra’s blog posts offer lots of tidbits about those daring sleuths and their exploits. New subscribers can sign up for Inside My Writing World newsletter on Sandra’s website to receive her latest book news—PLUS free chapters and a short story!

https://www.sandranikolai.com

Sandra Nikolai books on Amazon

Nicolas Obregon

mystery and thrillerMy take on Blue Light Yokohama

Set in modern Japan, Blue Light Yokohama, the first in the Inspector Iwata series, came out in 2017 and was published in 8 countries. The Book Nook (NPR Radio) said “Once in a great while, I’ll stumble upon a debut novel that is so freaking brilliant I just want to scream. Blue Light Yokohama is stunning.” The sequel, Sins As Scarlet, was released in 2018. Jeffery Deaver called it “a masterpiece” while AJ Finn said, “I’m awestruck” and the Associated Press labelled it “stunning.”

Nic can’t release too many details at this stage, but Sins As Scarlet has been optioned by a major Hollywood producer for TV adaptation. (!!) Meanwhile, the third (and final) Iwata book is slated for release on 28 Nov 2019. Nic’s next book will be a standalone novel published by Penguin Random House.

www.obregonbooks.com

Nicolas Obregon books on Amazon

Dan Petrosini

 mystery and thriller Hard working advice from his #friends interview

Dan is one of the hardest working authors I know. In the last year he’s released five books in the Luca Mystery Series including A Cold Hard Case, Cop or Killer?, Silencing Salter, and A Killer Missteps. Four of the new books reached Amazon best seller status in their categories. In addition to a Luca Mystery Series boxed set, he’s wrapping up book 9, out in October.

As if all that activity wasn’t enough, Dan had new covers designed for two unrelated novels and an audio version of another produced.

He claims that while this much activity may seem “machine-like,” it’s the hours put in and learning from mistakes which make it possible.

https://danpetrosini.com

Dan Petrosini books on Amazon

Khaled Talib

mystery and thrillerKhaled’s “Book Savor” interview

For nearly 2 years, the Singapore based thriller author of Smokescreen, Incognito, and Gun Kiss was the most popular #friend interview on this blog. The secret is in his answer to the interview question “You can invite any author living or dead to dinner. Who is your guest and what will you be serving?” Read the answer and your dinner party will never be the same.

Also the author of short stories and collections of wise sayings, Khaled recently completed a new crime novel set in South Australia. The story is different from previous thrillers as he wanted to invoke the Australian state’s social and cultural milieu. Khaled handled South Australia’s external public relations account for a decade, so is very familiar with the region. At the same time, he is writing the sequel to Gun Kiss and enjoying the flow of the story.

www.khaledtalibthriller.com

Khaled Talib books on Amazon

mystery and thriller

You may also like

Killer Nashville 2019: An excellent bunch of murderers

Killer Nashville 2019: An excellent bunch of murderers

Sep 5, 2019 | #booknews

He put the cord over my head. It scratched against my neck, heavier than I expected. My heart was beating too fast. The noise buffeted me, my vision a blur . . . 

Nope, I wasn’t strangled, but won the Silver Falchion award for THE ARTIST/EL ARTISTA in the Short Story Collection/Anthology at the Killer Nashville mystery writer conference.  Competition included a story by R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series. 

Novelist Joyce Carol Oates, who received a lifetime achievement award, and David Morrell, creator of Rambo, were both in the audience.

Carmen with award

Killers

As thrilling as winning an award is, the real reason for attending the Killer Nashville conference is the ability to network with other authors. I like Killer Nashville because it is a relatively small setting, as writing conferences go, and there is time to have sidebar conversations–although never enough! 

Related post: Lessons from Killer Nashville 2018

killer nashville

With Mike Faricy, author of the Dev Haskell series

Amato and Baron Birtcher

With Baron Birtcher, who won 3 awards including Best Overall Novel for “Fistful of Rain”

Killer Nashville

R.G. Belsky, Carmen Amato, and conference founder Clay Stafford

Souvenirs for all

Killer Nashville is also a good place to get a dose of inspiration. Panel presentations are specific to the mystery and thriller genre. Conflict, characters, setting, red herrings. Finding out how other authors twist their plots or plan their characters is like a dose of new insights and fresh ideas.

It’s the proverbial shot in the arm.

My solo presentation “Inside the CIA” was delivered to a standing-room-only audience. Everyone stayed, despite the wonky projector that muddied my slideshow. I’ll be replaying it in a webinar for the Atlanta chapter of Sisters in Crime. You can sign up for the webinar here: https://www.meetup.com/Sisters-in-Crime-Atlanta-Chapter/events/264524525/

Andrea Amherst, who came all the way from Vienna, Austria (!) for the conference, joined me in leading a workshop on “How to Make Your Website Work for You.” We used this PDF checklist, which you can download here: http://carmenamato.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Killer-Nashville-website-checklist.pdf

Observations and a suggestion

Last year, I came away from Killer Nashville with the feeling that a storm between trad and indie publishing had brewed under the surface, led by indie publishing champion Joe Konrath. He did not attend the 2019 conference, so the buzz was quieter, albeit still there.

Most of the authors still working on their first novel want a trad deal rather than “being forced” to strike out into the wilds of indie publishing. Yet almost all the authors I spoke to who were traditionally published had a nightmare story of publishers closing, editors bailing on them, contracts left in limbo, etc. Indie authors were making a decent income and liked the sense of control.

I expect this will continue to be an ongoing debate.

This year, I ran into more would-be authors who were still in various stages of completing a novel and wondering how to get it published. All seemed to be looking for a mentor. Beyond the actual writing process, they were looking for someone who could explain the publishing industry and how to market books. Maybe next year’s Killer Nashville could have a mentor program.

 

killer nashville

You may also like

Carmen Amato Wins Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Award for “The Artist”

Carmen Amato Wins Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion Award for “The Artist”

Aug 24, 2019 | #newsroom

August 24, 2019

Carmen Amato has won the 2019 Silver Falchion Award in the Short Story/Collection category from the Killer Nashville International Writers Conference for THE ARTIST a Detective Emilia Cruz short story published in the bilingual illustrated volume THE ARTIST/EL ARTISTA. The list of 2019 Silver Falchion category winners is available here: https://killernashville.com/2019-killer-nashville-awards-winners/?fbclid=IwAR1x_

The Artist

THE ARTIST/EL ARTISTA continues the theme of missing women that runs through the Detective Emilia Cruz series. Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco, taking on corruption, cartels, and Mexico’s tradition of machismo. In THE ARTIST, Cruz and her partner go undercover to find out who is leaving extortion threats in front of a school. They are assisted by the head of the school, but thwarted by a teacher with a regrettable connection to the gang issuing the threats.

The story is inspired by Mexican poet Javier Sicilia’s efforts to bring awareness to the plight of families impacted by the drug war violence and references photos of some of the rallies held in Mexico in recent years.

THE ARTIST/EL ARTISTA is available in ebook and paperback editions from Amazon: https://geni.us/the-artist-el-artista

Killer Nashville

 

Killer Nashville

Killer Nashville 2019 with author Dick Belsky, Silver Falchion winner Carmen Amato, and Killer Nashville’s Clay Stafford

 

Carmen Amato Receives Poison Cup Award from CrimeMasters of America

Carmen Amato Receives Poison Cup Award from CrimeMasters of America

Aug 1, 2019 | #newsroom

August 1, 2019

Mystery author Carmen Amato received the 2019 Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America for the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco. As the first female police detective in Acapulco, Emilia Cruz confronts Mexico’s official corruption, cartel crime, and culture of machismo. Titles include CLIFF DIVER, HAT DANCE, DIABLO NIGHTS, KING PESO, PACIFIC REAPER, and 43 MISSING.

2019 Poison Cup Award

CrimeMasters of America places its focus on crime fiction across genres with a mission to help, promote, share, educate, and grow our crime writing careers through common support.
Board of Governors: Owen Parr, Mike Faricy, Mike Pettit
Annual awards:
  • Poison Cup Award (Annual); Best Book and/or Series, Audio. Best support in editing, cover design, audio talent, graphic design.
  • Masters Poison Cup (Annual) Most group support from a member. Most active member through sharing, mentoring, educating.
  • Yorick Skull Award (Annual) Best First Book ( must be written and published/self-published the prior year of the award. Example written & published in 2018, Award 2019).
Criminal Element Publishes Joint Discussion of Women in Narco Noir Lit

Criminal Element Publishes Joint Discussion of Women in Narco Noir Lit

Jul 31, 2019 | #newsroom

July 31, 2019

In “The Women of Narco Noir,” thriller authors Carmen and Amato discuss the four female character types prevalent in narco noir genre literature for Criminal Element, one of the leading websites devoted to crime fiction. The article is available here: https://www.criminalelement.com/the-women-of-narco-noir/

“There are four prominent female character archetypes in narco noir. Each type appears in every narco noir book, while some, like Don Winslow’s The Cartel, pack them in all at once.

“In no particular order, there’s the female narca, the cop, the civilian caught in the crossfire, and the woman who becomes the chess piece or victim who is used to create allegiances or satisfy an itch. Like the women on whom so many of these characters are based, all of the character archetypes are shaped by the war on drugs. It controls what they do, where they go, who they love, and how long they live.

“The women of narco noir don’t live behind white picket fences, have BFFs, or join book clubs. Dinner doesn’t materialize nightly at seven. Narco noir women tend to be loners with no husband or significant other to come home to because the drug war has claimed their emotional lives. They’re as tough and as hardboiled as the tales they inhabit.

“In an ironic twist of female solidarity, however, these women are bound together by one simple element.

“The need to survive”

The new article follows their February 2019 joint essay laying out the roots and dangerous direction of the narco noir genre in “The Ascent of Narco Noir: A Literary Game Changer,” which can be read here: https://www.criminalelement.com/ascent-narco-noir/

Members of the dynamic Mexico Writers group on Facebook, Carmen Amato and Jeanine Kitchel first collaborated on the travel essay collection The Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexico. They write crime fiction, however, from opposite ends of the cops-and-cartel spectrum.

Carmen Amato used the counterdrug expertise gained during a 30 year career with the CIA to create the Detective Emilia Cruz series set in Acapulco. Pitting the iconic Mexican city’s first female police detective against cartels, corruption and machismo, the series recently won the 2019 Poison Cup award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America. Carmen is a recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal. Visit her website at http://carmenamato.net to get a free copy of the Detective Emilia Cruz Starter Library.

Jeanine Kitchel’s love of Mexico led her to a fishing village on the Mexican Caribbean coast where she bought land, built a house, and opened a bookstore. A former journalist, she wrote travel articles for newspapers and Mexico websites before branching into fiction.

In Wheels Up—A Novel of Drugs, Cartels and Survival, Latina protagonist Layla Navarro rises to the top of Mexico’s most powerful cartel after her drug lord uncle is recaptured. Challenged by enemies from without and within, she’s determined to retain her dominant position in Mexico’s criminal world—if she can stay alive. Book two in the trilogy, Layla’s Law, is in the works. Check JeanineKitchel.com for details.

The road between the storms

The road between the storms

Jul 23, 2019 | #authorlife

Storm vs lull = success

The storm called RUSSIAN MOJITO has ended. The lull has arrived, allowing me to catch my breath and attend to all the housekeeping chores that built up while my brain was whirling with MOJITO. The modern do-it-yourself author has a never-ending to-do list related to marketing, social media, learning about the publishing industry, and so on. Success means the learning process never stops.

Although the next Emilia Cruz mystery is already percolating and the first chapter was a bonus at the end of RUSSIAN MOJITO, the lull is time to hit the road, looking at the big picture. Time to think about where we’re headed.

Related post: Open Letter to 2019

“Losers have goals. Winners have systems.”

This quote by Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams struck a nerve as I thought about how readers find my books and interact with me. There’s so much sheer noise out there, without an easy way to do things–structure, repeatable processes, checklists, etc.–accomplishment is going to be slower than the roaring wave. And let’s face it, we can easily be swept under the fierce rush.

The Mystery Ahead newsletter is a repeatable process that works. Every other Sunday, the newsletter contains announcements, an exclusive excerpt, and my review of a mystery that I’ve read and can recommend.

By keeping to a template, readers always know what to expect. Consistency has created a great sense of connection. Readership is growing swiftly.

Success! But what about everything else?

When in doubt, call an expert

In my case, it’s social media expert Frances Caballo. She’s doing an online audit and hopefully I’ll get some good feedback as to how best to manage my online self. No one wants to come off as bragging or sales-y but social media is a critical way for authors to introduce themselves to today’s online audience.

BTW, Frances is the author of SOCIAL MEDIA JUST FOR AUTHORS and a fellow dog lover.

I’ve also subscribed to {grow}, a blog by THE CONTENT CODE author Mark Schaefer. Anyone who creates content for an online audience has to read this book.

“There is no happiness without action.”

Benjamin Disraeli may not be the most famous British prime minister (Hello, Boris Johnson!) but I found this quote gets to the point. A lull is the perfect time to plan, prep and get ready for the next storm.

Happiness comes from a state of growth, as Gretchen Rubin discovered in THE HAPPINESS PROJECT. Blogger and author Mark Manson knocked it out of the park when he wrote that happiness comes from solving problems in THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK.

This lull was the time to do the UNTHINKABLE.

Yes, I got a NEW LAPTOP! Lots of horsepower and a bigger screen. New versions of Word and Photoshop.

My ancient Sony (does Sony even make laptops any more??) laptop crashed if I accessed my website. Microsoft kept warning that its version of Windows was going to be mothballed. But in 7 years across 3 different countries, I wrote 7 novels, half a dozen short stories, and over 200 blog posts on that mighty little machine.

The next storm starts soon.

It’s called NARCO NOIR: Detective Emilia Cruz Book 8.

Are you in a storm or a lull?

You may also like

success

Pin It on Pinterest