Authorsday: Glynn Marsh Alam

How long have you been writing?

 

I began writing little stories as an elementary school kid. It came easy to me. I imagined a world and put in it those people I found fascinating. Some were real people, some imaginary.

 

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

 

The seat of my pants gets all the credit here. I cannot stand to outline or sit down and write out bios and scenarios. Maybe my brain is plotting, but to me it seems I’m letting the characters tell me what is happening and why. I start out with a germ of an idea, like what if a body was found in an underwater cave or a group of hurricane refugees set up camp together. I know I want to write a murder mystery. I know the ecology of the setting, and I go from there.

 

Why did you pick your publisher?

 

I was a member of Sisters In Crime/Los Angeles. Someone told me about a New York publisher that was opening a mystery line. I sent them the query and first three chapters. As luck would have it, the first person to read it was from Florida, and my books are set in Florida. They asked for the rest of the book and publication came soon after that.

 

Describe your book.

 

The latest book, Tide Water Talisman, is the eighth in the Luanne Fogarty series. She is an adjunct diver with the sheriff’s department because of her knowledge of the deep spring caves of North Florida. In this book, a group of Katrina refugees have decided not to return to their washed out homes but to set up a trailer village on the coast of North Florida. They open a café and some shops in an abandoned motel and seem to thrive until a local store owner is found murdered and a fisherman is pulled from the water. Luanne and the sheriff’s deputies set up in the camp where they become involved with the rag tag locals and the occasional visitor.

 

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

 

My joy is always in the characters and their interactions with the world they find themselves in, not always one they expected. The swampy terrain is a character, too, and I enjoy writing its dangers and its beauty into the plot.

 

What are some highlights of your writing experiences?

 

One thing I enjoy more than others is the research done in the field. I need to be in the swamps and on the water to get the senses working for my writing. The smell of damp earth, or the sudden silence of animals are part of my writing. I’ve visited slave graveyards, ridden on a hydrilla grass cutter, been inside oyster shucking houses, and the list doesn’t stop. Of course, on the other end--when the book is finished--I’ve enjoyed being nominated for the Barry Award for best first mystery and winning the Florida Book Award, gold for popular fiction.

 

Where do you see yourself going next?

 

I’d like to say I’ll keep on writing these novels, doing promotion, going on to the next one in the same way. However, the world of publishing is changing so fast that I wonder if even the publishers aren’t sure what will happen next. My publisher has put all my books on Kindle and they are doing very well there. High tech in the publishing business came on us so fast, that I’m not sure what will happen. As for writing, I will continue to explore the world of mystery, then like some of my watery characters, I’ll go with the flow.

Glynn Marsh Alam
http://www.glynnmarshalam.com

GLYNN MARSH ALAM

BIOGRAPHY

　

Glynn Marsh Alam is a native Floridian from Tallahassee. She grew up among the oaks, kudzu, and tall pines as well as with alligators, snakes, and mosquitoes. After graduating from Florida State University, she joined the world of espionage and worked for NSA until moving to Los Angeles. There she received her masters in linguistics, taught writing and literature, and began her mystery writing career. After publishing several short stories in literary magazines, Glynn began her Luanne Fogarty North Florida series with Dive Deep and Deadly, which received a nomination for the Barry Award for best first novel. In 2010, Glynn published her ninth book. One book in the series has attracted the attention of Hollywood (Cold Water Corpse), and her seventh in the series, Moon Water Madness, won the gold medal in the Florida Book Awards for popular fiction. Her latest book, Tide Water Talisman came out in September, 2010. She has also published a literary novel, River Whispers. “All of my books take place around north Florida swampland, the most mysterious place I know. It has become the basis of my stories and the suspense in them.”

 

ExcerpTuesday: Johnny Ray

THE REJECTION LETTER

BLURB

To someone else, the rejection letter might be perceived as a simple piece of correspondence. But when Amy, who suffers from bipolar disorder receives a form rejection letter from Edward, an agent she had an affair with at a recent convention, she takes the rejection as both personal and professional—in short—a declaration of war. 

Amy quickly embarks on a plan to get revenge by destroying Edward’s literary agency. However, Amy is soon not the one to be feared the most. Her actions create a copycat, a serial killer, who targets literary agents and viciously murders them. Living with the knowledge she has created a monster, a serial killer, is one thing, while doing nothing to stop the madness is another. But how could she track down a killer when she has no training in such? Thinking like a mad man might be the only way—but could she go there and survive herself?

When the winds of fate rekindle the romance with Edward, thus making him the next target—she really has no choice but to help the FBI. But will she be too late?

BIO

Johnny Ray is an award winning novelist living in Florida. He loves social interaction with his readers and can be found on twitter as sirjohn_writer and Facebook as Novelist Johnny Ray. You can also reach him by e-mailing him at sirjohn@wwisp.com Also please follow him on his blog at www.sirjohn.us for updates and future releases.

EXCERPT

CHAPTER 1

He envisioned his own tombstone:

Michael Lloyd

Literary Agent Extraordinaire

Killed in the Line of Duty

Damn, he knew he could die any minute. A blurred object moving mere inches in front of his eyes materialized, as a flash of light reflected from the cold steel. Focusing on the razored edge of the curved knife ascending into a sharp tip designed to kill, he stopped breathing. His body stiffened, and froze solid where he sat with his back against a hard cold wall. He felt scared any movement might further agitate his attacker. The pain radiating from the back of his battered head dulled his vision and his thoughts. A wire tying his hands together cut into his skin, increasing the unbearable terror ravaging his body.

He inhaled the smell of blood and sweat as he gazed into the darkness, hoping to gain his bearings. Again a fist smashed into his forehead, slamming the back of his head into the wall behind him as the world faded. He fought his way back to life, only to stare into the slicing blade carving the side of his face.

“DAMNNNNN!” His voice erupted and echoed off nearby walls and in his head. The pain shattered the remaining will to remain still. He struck out with his head, his arms, and his legs. In return the hand slammed his head back against the wall again.

He forced his way back into reality as the warm blood flowed from his face. “What do you want from me?”

“Satisfaction.”

“Satisfaction for what?”

“Ruining my life, that’s what!”

Another slice sheared off an ear.

“OHHH SHIT, stop, please stop. I’ll give you anything you want—anything.”

“That’s impossible.”

The knife retreated as a face leaned forward, one he recognized only so slightly.

“You? Why you crazy—.”

A vicious kick to his crotch blasted his tortured soul to new levels. “Oh God, why me? Stop, please stop.”

“I know you think you have the balls to do what you want. Being a literary agent doesn’t make you God—you stupid bastard.”

The next kick to his crotch made his stomach deliver its contents to his throat. The bitter taste forced a gagging convulsion. He knew then he was going to die soon. “I’m sorry. I’m—.”

“You should’ve thought about your actions earlier.”

Another punch to the face bounced his head off the concrete wall. Thoughts of his life rushed forward to fill in the fading minutes. Would his life end like this? His family, his agency, his friends, his clients—what would happen to them? His world collapsed as the remaining blood drained from his body.

ExcerpTuesday: Ginger Simpson

Ginger and I have known each other online for a few years. I'm happy to welcome her to my blog today.

A hurricane! Just what Linda Morrison needs to welcome her to her new home in Florida. Fearing her recent purchase may end up a bundle of sticks, she’s relieved when a hero swoops in wearing a yellow slicker and offering help. Carlos Mejia is eye candy for sure, but she needs those muscles to help board up the window. Together they ride out the storm raging outside, but inside there’s more than a little electricity in the air.


Here's the excerpt:
Linda sat on the couch and hugged herself against the chill. She’d lit more candles to compensate for the covered windows and watched as Carlos knelt at the fireplace and held a match to the paper covering on her store-bought log. “I’m glad I picked up a few of those while shopping. I didn’t really expect to need a roaring fire in Florida, but I like the ambiance sometimes.”

The compressed wood caught fire and small flames flickered beyond the screen. Carlos came and sat next to her. “You’re shivering.” He tugged the afghan off the sofa’s arm and covered her.

She snuggled down and pulled her legs up under the crocheted blanket. “I think it’s more from fright than the cold. I can’t imagine a stronger wind than what we just experienced.” Carlos rubbed his arms. “It is colder than normal. Bet you think I’m pretty silly for wearing a tank top.”
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” She lied. Like any woman in her right mind wouldn’t think about those ‘guns’ and having them around her.
“It wasn’t this chilly when I got dressed this morning. I’d planned on going to the gym.”
“Well, I appreciate that you came here instead. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She curled her knees under her body then adjusted her cover. “So tell me about yourself.”
“Not much to tell. I spent some time in the army, trying to be all I could be, like they advertise, but it didn’t work — don’t much like taking orders. Got married and divorced after finding myself hitched to a woman who could out-bark any drill sergeant, and I’m living with my sis to help her out. Her husband passed away a couple of years back.”
Linda lowered her eyes. “I heard.” She lifted her gaze. “It’s one thing to be left alone, but with a child…”

“What about you?” Carlos swiveled sideways and rested in the vee where the sofa back and arm met.
“It’s a boring story. I got married in my mid-twenties, but my husband wasn’t content with only one woman in his life. I stayed with him, hoping maybe counseling would help, but it didn’t.

Authorsday - Diane Madsen

If you're looking for answers to healthcare reform, you've come to the wrong place.

Instead I have an interview with author Diane Madsen.

1. How did you pick the genre you write in?
I like to write what I like to read. Mystery, mystery -- murder, murder. That’s what interests me the most. Mystery readers are a discriminating lot, and it’s fun working the plot and the clues to try to mislead them while also entertaining.. Of course I like history and biography as well and tried to combine both these interests in writing my “DD McGil Literati Mystery Series.”

2. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I’ve attended author talks where the guest of honor is very cavalier and he or she swears they never do outlines and don’t know what’s going to happen in the book. While this is amusing in a talk, and while it may very well be true for them, it’s not true for me. I don’t outline – too restrictive; but I do have a plot line worked out before I begin. It may have some holes in it, and that’s okay. While writing, things may change – let me rephrase that – things DO change and sometimes change again, but the path is there.
I like to amuse myself and the reader when I write. I like to get from here to there, but in doing so, I like to take the scenic route and look at all the interesting things along the way. To make the book interesting and entertaining is my goal.

3. What drew you to the subject of A Cadger’s Curse?
I read about a very interesting incident in Robert Burns life which led me to do further research and incorporate it into the plot of “A Cadger’s Curse.” It was August 25, 1787, when Robert Burns stopped in Stirling at the Golden Lion Inn on the way to Inverness. Burns wanted to see Stirling Castle, the ruined state of the former home of Scotland’s kings, and the sight greatly aroused his Jacobite feelings. The next day, Burns took a diamond-tipped pen and scrawled a verse on the window of his room at the Golden Lion Inn. The poem is called Written by Somebody on the window of an inn at Stirling On seeing the royal palace in ruins. Word of this verse spread quickly among travelers and was immediately attributed to Robert Burns. Burns had just published his first book of poems and was the “rock star” of his day, but this poem was considered treasonous by the current monarchy that had come to power after the overthrow of the Stuart kings. Burns was extremely concerned about the rumors and was worried about being charged with treason and executed – a very real possibility. The rumors kept growing, and a few months later in October of 1787, Burns returned to the Golden Lion Inn, and sometime during this visit he broke the windowpane with the butt end of his riding crop to eliminate the evidence.
Burns stayed on for a few days at nearby Harveston House because of bad weather and visited Mrs. Katherine Bruce of Clackmannan, a 95 year old woman descended from Robert the Bruce, the revered 14th century Scottish ruler. Burns’ traveling companion, Dr. Adair, wrote that during this visit, Katherine Bruce “knighted” Robert Burns with the sword of The Bruce during this visit. According to the present day Lord Bruce, the Bruce family maintains to this day a portrait of Katherine Bruce as well as Robert the Bruce’s sword she used that night.

4. Describe your book.
“A Cadger’s Curse” is the first in the DD McGil Literati Mysteries. It mixes modern day corporate treachery and murder with an incident in the life of Robert Burns. Lippy ex-academic DD McGil uncovers murky Chicago business ethics and priceless Robert Burns artifacts that lead to murder. She’s set to be blown to bits on New Years Eve unless her rare book dealer friend who’s passionate about puzzles and her quirky Aunt who’s passionate about Scotland can save her.
Thirty-something Chicago insurance investigator, DD McGil, had been a rising star in the academic world until the suicide of her fiancé, Frank, altered the course of her life. Now she freelances, and she’s asked to vet some new employees for a high-tech company over the Christmas Holidays. Nothing goes well, and the first thing she runs into is the corpse of her dead fiancé’s step-brother. Then her Aunt Elizabeth - just arrived from Scotland – wants her to authenticate a rare Robert Burns artifact. The plots converge when DD walks into a trap that could send her and the Burns artifact to smithereens along with the Consolidated Bank building at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.
The book is fast paced with plenty of wit and historical data about Robert Burns. A pet wolf and a real life Chicago rare book dealer add interest to what I call a “Slice of Life” mystery that mixes mystery and history in the first of the DD McGil Literati Mysteries. The next one in the series is “Hunting for Hemingway” which is due out in September 2010.

5. What’s your favorite quote?
Other than reading a good review for my book, I like the Ernest Hemingway quote, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”


6. What authors do you admire?
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr and Josephine Tey have always been in my top tier.
I like Patricia Wentworth and every Dick Francis book. I really enjoy Stuart Kaminsky, especially his latest series set in Sarasota, FL, and I never miss reading a new Michael Connelly. I like John Dunning, Caroline Graham, Sharyn McCrumb, Thomas Cook, and Carolina Garcia-Aguilera. I’ve also just read Michael Gruber’s “Book of Air and Shadows” and Arthur Phillips’ “The Egyptologist.” And I enjoy Ann Rule’s true crime books. I could go on an on because I think there are so many good mystery and true crime writers out there today.


7. What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
I’d love to step into the Restoration Period (1660), which John Dickson Carr did so very well in his historical novel, “The Devil in Velvet.”


8. What would you like to learn to do that you haven’t?
I wish I could play the piano.


9. Who is your favorite character in your book?
In “A Cadger’s Curse” that’s an easy choice. Aunt Elizabeth, aka The Scottish Dragon, was great fun to write. La Dragon is uninhibited and outspoken with a lot of foibles; but she’s got a lot of romance in her soul and she’s likable. She just kept saying amusing things as I typed the dialogue.

10. Where do you write?
I live in Twin Ponds, 5 acres located on Cape Haze in southwest Florida. It’s quite rural and my office window looks out over Sunrise Pond. I admit it is sometimes distracting, like the time I saw a Florida Panther skirting the edge of the pond and approaching my office window. He (or she) sat down for a minute, then went around the house to my garage apron where it sat down, rump against my garage door with paws extended out in front like a Landseer Lion at the base of Nelson’s Column in London. What a sight! I had three cameras in my house – none of which worked! But it was a wondrous sight - one I’ll always remember.