Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
IDENTITY CRISIS A GOOD READ
By Debbi Mack
ISBN: 978-0-557-08325-1
241 pages, 2009,
available in print and downloadable
The novel rides squarely on the protagonists capable shoulders. She’s a bright and upright independent lawyer with her own practice. Stephanie Ann McRae can be a potty mouth at times, but her infrequent tirades are self-directed. Does she make mistakes? You bet. Does she fault herself when it happens. You bet. Does she occasionally skate a little close to the legal of not the ethical line? For her client, sure she does. Maybe her emotions are a little close to the surface, for a lawyer, but it all works and somehow, by page 10 you’re saying, “I’m on board. I wanna see this through to the end. Go Sam!” Because “Sam” McRae has grabbed you for the ride.
Sam is smart, but not infallible, doesn’t leap even low bushes at a single bound, so she’s easy to relate to. Early on she discovers that the FBI and her local cops are interested in her client, Melanie, because of a murder. Melanie isn’t exactly a suspect she’s a person of interest. The problem is, Melanie has gone missing.
The next thing you know Sam, who isn’t what you’d call well-off, learns that she—or someone using her name—is applying for a substantial line of credit. Mild panic insues and another layer is added to the mix. Is Sam’s client involved in the identity theft? And what’s that black limo doing, the one that appears to be shadowing her at times?
There are a lot of characters in this novel, most of whom are interesting, some of whom might has been more fruitfully developed. Sam’s love interest is at times al most an afterthought. Occasionally the writing meanders, but mostly the story maintains a high level of interest and forceful pace. The author has a keen eye for character and her writing is usually smooth and interesting. I enjoyed the novel all the way to its satisfying conclusion.
ISBN: 978-0-557-08325-1
241 pages, 2009,
available in print and downloadable
The novel rides squarely on the protagonists capable shoulders. She’s a bright and upright independent lawyer with her own practice. Stephanie Ann McRae can be a potty mouth at times, but her infrequent tirades are self-directed. Does she make mistakes? You bet. Does she fault herself when it happens. You bet. Does she occasionally skate a little close to the legal of not the ethical line? For her client, sure she does. Maybe her emotions are a little close to the surface, for a lawyer, but it all works and somehow, by page 10 you’re saying, “I’m on board. I wanna see this through to the end. Go Sam!” Because “Sam” McRae has grabbed you for the ride.
Sam is smart, but not infallible, doesn’t leap even low bushes at a single bound, so she’s easy to relate to. Early on she discovers that the FBI and her local cops are interested in her client, Melanie, because of a murder. Melanie isn’t exactly a suspect she’s a person of interest. The problem is, Melanie has gone missing.
The next thing you know Sam, who isn’t what you’d call well-off, learns that she—or someone using her name—is applying for a substantial line of credit. Mild panic insues and another layer is added to the mix. Is Sam’s client involved in the identity theft? And what’s that black limo doing, the one that appears to be shadowing her at times?
There are a lot of characters in this novel, most of whom are interesting, some of whom might has been more fruitfully developed. Sam’s love interest is at times al most an afterthought. Occasionally the writing meanders, but mostly the story maintains a high level of interest and forceful pace. The author has a keen eye for character and her writing is usually smooth and interesting. I enjoyed the novel all the way to its satisfying conclusion.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
FTC DISCLOSURE RULES; Ruminations
Another flap in the making. we seem to get a lot of those in the past few months; witness the uproar over reform of health care in this country. I should disclose up front that I haven't read the actual proposed regulation. I have read stories from sources I trust. Seems there is concern about members of the public blindly following blogger recommendations and testimonials without knowing if or whether or who paid for the testimonial. Personally, I assume somebody paid somebody. Maybe not coin of the realm. I can't imagine taking a pill or a shot of some chemical purchased from somebody I don't know, recommended by somebody I never met. Buying pills over the Internet strikes me as a highly dangerous practice unless you can verify the credentials of the source.
As a freelance reviewer, I've always been careful to say so if the book I am reviewing was written by an associate or a friend or a relative. When reading reviews, I tend to pay closer attention to reviews by people I know from the Crime Fiction community. Occasionally I get a query from someone about a review I've posted here or elsewhere. It's no secret who I know and who I know well. Followers of my reviews-and there are a few-take that into consideration when they read my stuff.
The FTC rules aren't aimed at reviewers per se. They want us to know that advertisers pay some people to praise their products. That's no big revelation, but it does require a reminder from time to time. If Jack Jones praises my latest mystery to the skies in a blog, you can assume I sent him a copy with a request for a review. But there is no assumption on my part that Jones will review my book favorably or at all.
The kind of disclaimers that will be required are a small irritant we'll have to put up with, just as older media--radio and television and print media do now. It's a useful thing. And here's another review. I hereby swear that I know the author only in passing.
Blue Lonesome
Author: Bill Pronzini
Publisher: Walker & Company.
ISBN: 0-8027-7561-6
Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar? A place you frequent regularly, where, over the passage of time, you see the same patrons? Is it a place where you may have even come to expect certain people to be there whenever you drop in, often seated in the same place? Do you ever wonder about the lives of some of those people, outside this one particular place where your life and that other person’s intersect, however casually?
CPA Jim Messenger does. In San Francisco he eats supper nearly every night at the Harmony Cafe. So does a woman called Janet Mitchell. Messenger is lonely, fed up with his job, and he wonders about Janet Mitchell, even after she rebuffs his single, tentative approach. Then, one day, Janet Mitchell is gone. She has committed suicide.
Even though they have hardly spoken to one another, Messenger finds himself compelled to learn more about Janet Mitchell. His quest takes him to an isolated community in Nevada, where he encounters a small community of individuals who are living out their lives with the desperate knowledge that murder and other horrible secrets lie ill-concealed in the dusty corners and trackless desert.
Messenger’s arrival and persistent efforts to learn the true story of the woman who called herself Janet Mitchell, gradually peel away concealing layers and as the tension steadily rises, Messenger finds himself at the center of a storm that will change the community, and perhaps his own life, forever.
“Blue Lonesome” is a strong, moody, study of lonely, fractured people,and the ways in which, consciously and unconsciously, we all build walls around ourselves, too often denying the painful realities of life. Mr. Pronzini has more to say on these subjects in later crime novels, “A Wasteland of Strangers,” and “Nothing But The Night.” “Blue Lonesome” is a thoughtful, powerful character study wrapped inside a thriller that will hold readers’ attention. Artist Doug Henry has contributed an outstanding, evocative cover illustration.
As a freelance reviewer, I've always been careful to say so if the book I am reviewing was written by an associate or a friend or a relative. When reading reviews, I tend to pay closer attention to reviews by people I know from the Crime Fiction community. Occasionally I get a query from someone about a review I've posted here or elsewhere. It's no secret who I know and who I know well. Followers of my reviews-and there are a few-take that into consideration when they read my stuff.
The FTC rules aren't aimed at reviewers per se. They want us to know that advertisers pay some people to praise their products. That's no big revelation, but it does require a reminder from time to time. If Jack Jones praises my latest mystery to the skies in a blog, you can assume I sent him a copy with a request for a review. But there is no assumption on my part that Jones will review my book favorably or at all.
The kind of disclaimers that will be required are a small irritant we'll have to put up with, just as older media--radio and television and print media do now. It's a useful thing. And here's another review. I hereby swear that I know the author only in passing.
Blue Lonesome
Author: Bill Pronzini
Publisher: Walker & Company.
ISBN: 0-8027-7561-6
Do you have a favorite restaurant or bar? A place you frequent regularly, where, over the passage of time, you see the same patrons? Is it a place where you may have even come to expect certain people to be there whenever you drop in, often seated in the same place? Do you ever wonder about the lives of some of those people, outside this one particular place where your life and that other person’s intersect, however casually?
CPA Jim Messenger does. In San Francisco he eats supper nearly every night at the Harmony Cafe. So does a woman called Janet Mitchell. Messenger is lonely, fed up with his job, and he wonders about Janet Mitchell, even after she rebuffs his single, tentative approach. Then, one day, Janet Mitchell is gone. She has committed suicide.
Even though they have hardly spoken to one another, Messenger finds himself compelled to learn more about Janet Mitchell. His quest takes him to an isolated community in Nevada, where he encounters a small community of individuals who are living out their lives with the desperate knowledge that murder and other horrible secrets lie ill-concealed in the dusty corners and trackless desert.
Messenger’s arrival and persistent efforts to learn the true story of the woman who called herself Janet Mitchell, gradually peel away concealing layers and as the tension steadily rises, Messenger finds himself at the center of a storm that will change the community, and perhaps his own life, forever.
“Blue Lonesome” is a strong, moody, study of lonely, fractured people,and the ways in which, consciously and unconsciously, we all build walls around ourselves, too often denying the painful realities of life. Mr. Pronzini has more to say on these subjects in later crime novels, “A Wasteland of Strangers,” and “Nothing But The Night.” “Blue Lonesome” is a thoughtful, powerful character study wrapped inside a thriller that will hold readers’ attention. Artist Doug Henry has contributed an outstanding, evocative cover illustration.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Phryne Fisher takes a real puzzler
Murder on A Midsummer Night
By Kerry Greenwood
July 2009. 268 pages
HC $22.95
Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN:9781590586327
It’s 1929 and the Honorable Lady Phryne Fisher, detective extraordinaire agrees to determine if the son of a model died by his or other hands. In addition she is trying to locate the ;long-missing relative of a rich woman. The RW’s relatives are less than pleased.
These are not unusual or particularly original plots, but in the hands of the bright and sensuous P. Fisher and her equally adept and perspicacious creator and mentor, Kerry Greenwood, it’s another delightful sexy, surprising detective story. Excellent.
Two cases. One is the aforementioned junk store owner found dead on the beach, his pockets filled with stones. The other is the possible child born out of wedlock to a now wealthy, deceased widow. What happened to this “love child?” Where is he now? Who is he? And of course, does he have a family of his own who may inherit? Problem. The widow was long lived, had her child in great secrecy and there are apparently no records. Who was the father if indeed the young woman had a child. Many questions, not the least if which is whether the intrepid Hon. Miss Fisher will winkle out the truth.
Miss Fisher is never in extremis in this novel, even though there are twists and turns and all kinds of chicanery, including murder. In the form of Agatha Christie, this novel, with more sex and puzzle than Dame Agatha allowed, is replete with fine understated descriptive phrases and odd characters. A delight to read.
By Kerry Greenwood
July 2009. 268 pages
HC $22.95
Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN:9781590586327
It’s 1929 and the Honorable Lady Phryne Fisher, detective extraordinaire agrees to determine if the son of a model died by his or other hands. In addition she is trying to locate the ;long-missing relative of a rich woman. The RW’s relatives are less than pleased.
These are not unusual or particularly original plots, but in the hands of the bright and sensuous P. Fisher and her equally adept and perspicacious creator and mentor, Kerry Greenwood, it’s another delightful sexy, surprising detective story. Excellent.
Two cases. One is the aforementioned junk store owner found dead on the beach, his pockets filled with stones. The other is the possible child born out of wedlock to a now wealthy, deceased widow. What happened to this “love child?” Where is he now? Who is he? And of course, does he have a family of his own who may inherit? Problem. The widow was long lived, had her child in great secrecy and there are apparently no records. Who was the father if indeed the young woman had a child. Many questions, not the least if which is whether the intrepid Hon. Miss Fisher will winkle out the truth.
Miss Fisher is never in extremis in this novel, even though there are twists and turns and all kinds of chicanery, including murder. In the form of Agatha Christie, this novel, with more sex and puzzle than Dame Agatha allowed, is replete with fine understated descriptive phrases and odd characters. A delight to read.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
A VERY AMUSING NOVEL
Carnage on the Committee
By Ruth Dudley Edwards
ISBN 1590581334
Hard Cover from Poisoned Pen Press
219 pages, released in 2004
Satirical, funny, clever, ingenious, damn good. This is easily one of the best novels of the year. In Britain, inventor of the stiff upper lip, the committee of the Knapper-Wharburton literary prize are meeting to devise first, the short list of nominees, and then, the winner of this prestigious annual award.
So far so good. But then the chair of the committee dies, under the proverbial suspicious circumstances. All right then, a literary mystery, right? So what if the reaction of one of the committee, on page one, mind you seems a bit over the top for a mystery. Then, we discover that one of the members of the diminished committee is named Robert Amiss. A bit suspicious that. Other members of the committee, all deemed unsuitable to lead the committee back to its task, have quite ordinary names, and they also possess some unusual foibles and attitudes. Not Mr. Amiss.
He is immediately tasked to find a new chair. Whom does he choose? None other than the redoubtable Baroness Ida Trout, famed literary cognoscenti, fondly called “Jack” by her intimates. A woman readers of earlier Edwards novels will recognize immediately. Jack Trout is one of the most formidable, unusual, self-centered and flamboyant characters ever to erupt from the pages of crime fiction.
With great élan, understandable autocratic direction, and clever underhanded manipulation she and co-conspirator Amiss endeavor to get the work of the committee done in handy fashion. In the process the dynamic pair thwart a killer who is likely to strike again at any moment and manage to allow their creator to poke at every cherished shibboleth and icon of the literary and mystery world. And woe to those who read this story and say to themselves, well, that’s just the British world, you know.
Edwards slings arrows of deflation at literary pretensions, at awards, at awards ceremonies, at authors, at conventions, at publishers and agents; and yes, at readers and fans. Almost nothing and no one is safe from her cudgels. Rude, this author is, and delightfully so. Politically incorrect, even. Honest and wonderfully funny. And what’s more, she throws in a carefully crafted, honest, mystery that is more than likely to keep you guessing to the very end. Risible, laugh-out-loud entertaining and so right on it smarts.
Congratulations to Poisoned Pen for bringing us this delicious, funny, engaging novel. And kudos to Ruth Dudley Edwards for an excellent mystery and a terrific story.
By Ruth Dudley Edwards
ISBN 1590581334
Hard Cover from Poisoned Pen Press
219 pages, released in 2004
Satirical, funny, clever, ingenious, damn good. This is easily one of the best novels of the year. In Britain, inventor of the stiff upper lip, the committee of the Knapper-Wharburton literary prize are meeting to devise first, the short list of nominees, and then, the winner of this prestigious annual award.
So far so good. But then the chair of the committee dies, under the proverbial suspicious circumstances. All right then, a literary mystery, right? So what if the reaction of one of the committee, on page one, mind you seems a bit over the top for a mystery. Then, we discover that one of the members of the diminished committee is named Robert Amiss. A bit suspicious that. Other members of the committee, all deemed unsuitable to lead the committee back to its task, have quite ordinary names, and they also possess some unusual foibles and attitudes. Not Mr. Amiss.
He is immediately tasked to find a new chair. Whom does he choose? None other than the redoubtable Baroness Ida Trout, famed literary cognoscenti, fondly called “Jack” by her intimates. A woman readers of earlier Edwards novels will recognize immediately. Jack Trout is one of the most formidable, unusual, self-centered and flamboyant characters ever to erupt from the pages of crime fiction.
With great élan, understandable autocratic direction, and clever underhanded manipulation she and co-conspirator Amiss endeavor to get the work of the committee done in handy fashion. In the process the dynamic pair thwart a killer who is likely to strike again at any moment and manage to allow their creator to poke at every cherished shibboleth and icon of the literary and mystery world. And woe to those who read this story and say to themselves, well, that’s just the British world, you know.
Edwards slings arrows of deflation at literary pretensions, at awards, at awards ceremonies, at authors, at conventions, at publishers and agents; and yes, at readers and fans. Almost nothing and no one is safe from her cudgels. Rude, this author is, and delightfully so. Politically incorrect, even. Honest and wonderfully funny. And what’s more, she throws in a carefully crafted, honest, mystery that is more than likely to keep you guessing to the very end. Risible, laugh-out-loud entertaining and so right on it smarts.
Congratulations to Poisoned Pen for bringing us this delicious, funny, engaging novel. And kudos to Ruth Dudley Edwards for an excellent mystery and a terrific story.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
HEAVEN'S KEEP A POWERFUL WINNER
Heaven’s Keep
By William Kent Krueger
Pub. Atria Books, hardcover,
September, 2009, 321 pages
This is a dense, emotionally packed novel that fully illuminates the author’s talent and command of his material. Krueger frequently remarks that he writes about family relationships and about Northern Minnesota. In Heaven’s Keep readers get both in spades. But there’s more.
Here, Cork O’Conner is forced to go out of his comfort zone, the mythical Aurora, Minnesota and journey to Wyoming, to a forbidding and lonely part of the state at the edge of the Rocky Mountains during a stormy time of year. The catalyst is that Cork’s wife Jo, an attorney, is flying by private charter to Seattle for a conference of Native American leaders. The plane disappears and the early part of the novel deals with the agony and frustration of not knowing the fate of the passengers. Krueger’s intelligent and intriguing twist on the plot is that Cork and Jo parted on testy terms at the Aurora airport. They were arguing about O’Connor’s future, and the future of Sam’s Place, Cork’s burger shack on the shores of Iron Lake.
Thus, O’Connor’s grief over Jo’s loss is compounded and when, much later new and unsettling information about the pilot of the plane surfaces, the O’Connor family is thrown into new emotional turmoil. Throughout this book, Krueger’s control of the plot, the character changes, and the family relationships, is sure handed and, for the most part will be satisfying to the reader. This is a novel that deserves a wide readership. It is one that is satisfying in all its elements, and will stay with readers well after the final page.
By William Kent Krueger
Pub. Atria Books, hardcover,
September, 2009, 321 pages
This is a dense, emotionally packed novel that fully illuminates the author’s talent and command of his material. Krueger frequently remarks that he writes about family relationships and about Northern Minnesota. In Heaven’s Keep readers get both in spades. But there’s more.
Here, Cork O’Conner is forced to go out of his comfort zone, the mythical Aurora, Minnesota and journey to Wyoming, to a forbidding and lonely part of the state at the edge of the Rocky Mountains during a stormy time of year. The catalyst is that Cork’s wife Jo, an attorney, is flying by private charter to Seattle for a conference of Native American leaders. The plane disappears and the early part of the novel deals with the agony and frustration of not knowing the fate of the passengers. Krueger’s intelligent and intriguing twist on the plot is that Cork and Jo parted on testy terms at the Aurora airport. They were arguing about O’Connor’s future, and the future of Sam’s Place, Cork’s burger shack on the shores of Iron Lake.
Thus, O’Connor’s grief over Jo’s loss is compounded and when, much later new and unsettling information about the pilot of the plane surfaces, the O’Connor family is thrown into new emotional turmoil. Throughout this book, Krueger’s control of the plot, the character changes, and the family relationships, is sure handed and, for the most part will be satisfying to the reader. This is a novel that deserves a wide readership. It is one that is satisfying in all its elements, and will stay with readers well after the final page.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The passing of time
I’ve apparently reached an age when death comes a’callin’ more and more frequently. Already been to a couple of funerals, now one of my first cousins has passed. We didn’t know each other well, although we didn't live all that far apart. A reality I now regret. Life too often interferes with relationships.
Favorite music talent, Mary Traverse of Peter Paul and Mary, 1960’s folk singer lost her fight with leukemia this week. Gentle poet and Laugh In star Henry Gibson, who wrote all his own poems also shuffled off this week. They are already missed.
On the other hand, if you are interested in the changing world of publishing, James Patterson recently signed a 17-book deal with Little Brown. The Idiosyncratic Mind has a fascinating comment on the deal.
Weather is still dry and August-like, here at the top of the map, and the titular head of Lake Woebegone contemplates mortality and change. You all be well and hug someone you love.
Favorite music talent, Mary Traverse of Peter Paul and Mary, 1960’s folk singer lost her fight with leukemia this week. Gentle poet and Laugh In star Henry Gibson, who wrote all his own poems also shuffled off this week. They are already missed.
On the other hand, if you are interested in the changing world of publishing, James Patterson recently signed a 17-book deal with Little Brown. The Idiosyncratic Mind has a fascinating comment on the deal.
Weather is still dry and August-like, here at the top of the map, and the titular head of Lake Woebegone contemplates mortality and change. You all be well and hug someone you love.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
REVIEWS OF THINGS PAST
Referring to books, I am. Thousands are published every year and as technology changes, it becomes ever easier to publish. Ever more books are out there. We miss much in our busy lives so I've gone backwards a few years and picked out some books I read that I think are worth remembering and reading. Who knows if they are available. Check your local library. Here are three to draw to.
OUT OF THE SUN
by Robert Goddard
ISBN 0-552-14224-7
pb Corgi, 1996
Robert Goddard is an outstanding mystery writer; for that matter, he’s an
outstanding writer, period. This novel tells the story of Harry Barnett, returned from “Into The Blue,” a loiterer, a failure at most things in his life, but a man who doesn’t quite mind that. Oh, he knows he’s not successful, at least in ordinary terms, but he’d rather wrap his fingers around a glass of good ale at the local pub, than think about all that.
He has a modest job that keeps him off the dole and life is fairly placid for Harry until... well, until he learns that he was successful at one thing. Harry learns that thirty years ago he’d impregnated a married woman during a brief fling. She never told him and now his son, David, who has become a well-known mathematician lies dying in hospital.
When Harry discovers there are a host of unanswered question about David and his missing notebooks, Harry develops a cause. And soon, Harry draws murderous attention.
Moody, introspective, exciting and very entertaining. Goddard draws you carefully inside Harry Barnett’s mind until you find yourself looking at the world in the same way as does Harry. Goddard will keep you guessing until the quite surprising ending and you’ll enjoy this fascinating ride inside English life.
----------------------------------------------
Risking Elizabeth
Author: Walter McClosky
Publisher: Berkley, 1997,
ISBN: 0-425-16413-6
This is the author’s debut novel. It takes the reader to enthralling places inside New Orleans society. One is dazzled by the convoluted slick politeness on the surface, even when one is aware of the chicanery and double-dealing that takes place at the same time on other levels. None of the activity chronicled by McClosky is unknown to the wheelers and dealers in other cities around the world, but because New Orleans is the setting, there seems to be a special aura about this novel which enhances the plot and the characters.
Larry Preston is a successful widowed lawyer with an old-line prestigious firm. New Orleans is the city where he grew up and where legions of his relatives live and work. And play. So Preston brings his young son back to the bosom of his family. But Larry Preston discovers that he knows less about the convoluted undercurrents of the city and its power brokers than he imagined. How little he really knows he really begins to discover when he meets beautiful, willful, socially suspect, Elizabeth Bennett.
Set during Mardi Gras, Preston finds himself falling into a complicated swamp infested with some of the worst and some of the best of New Orleans residents. Big money, big oil, big power and murder are skillfully revealed. The pace is swift, the characters ambiguous and complex, and the atmosphere moody, damp and dark, even in the hot Southern sun. Well-written and very entertaining, rife with tension, Risking Elizabeth carries the reader carefully to its inevitable conclusion.
----------------------------------------
RUNNING FROM THE LAW
by Lisa Scottoline
Harper, 244 pgs.
Mass Market
ISBN 0-60-109411-0
Rapier wit abounds in the novel, another fine outing from this author. She's writing a series, but there just aren't any continuing characters, so you can read this, her fourth, without fear of missing anything. (But the rest of the series)
Our protagonist is poker-playing defense attorney Rita Morrone, daughter of a blunt, old-world Italian butcher in Philadelphia. The fact that Rita is cohabiting with the son of an important federal judge from the Main Line, and without the benfit of marriage, must drive the poor man nuts. But we only have a few allusions to this particular concern about his daughter, Rita's situation. There are more important things to consider.
Her lover's father-in-law is accused of sexual harrassment. Whoa. Who better to handle his very public defense than the judge's son's live-in-lover. Excuse me? I wondered if that would violate most ethical canons, but never mind. This author is a smart, former attorney herself, so she must know, right? Complications. The affair between son-of-judge and Morrone is going badly, and in fact, Rita is mightly disturbed to learn that she's contracted a non-fatal virus from her playmate.
Murder happens and the judge stumbles closer to ruin. For reasons that are not entirely clear, Marrone calls on her regular poker buddies to help her with the case. And who are these poker buddies. Why, old uncles! Family. An amateur Italian mob. This is very funny stuff. It is also very together, very well-written and holds your attention. Wonderful minor characters, good pacing and, as always, fine writing. I think it's just great. But if you're the kind of person who wants her good guys to be very upstanding and moral, this may not be your cannaloni.
OUT OF THE SUN
by Robert Goddard
ISBN 0-552-14224-7
pb Corgi, 1996
Robert Goddard is an outstanding mystery writer; for that matter, he’s an
outstanding writer, period. This novel tells the story of Harry Barnett, returned from “Into The Blue,” a loiterer, a failure at most things in his life, but a man who doesn’t quite mind that. Oh, he knows he’s not successful, at least in ordinary terms, but he’d rather wrap his fingers around a glass of good ale at the local pub, than think about all that.
He has a modest job that keeps him off the dole and life is fairly placid for Harry until... well, until he learns that he was successful at one thing. Harry learns that thirty years ago he’d impregnated a married woman during a brief fling. She never told him and now his son, David, who has become a well-known mathematician lies dying in hospital.
When Harry discovers there are a host of unanswered question about David and his missing notebooks, Harry develops a cause. And soon, Harry draws murderous attention.
Moody, introspective, exciting and very entertaining. Goddard draws you carefully inside Harry Barnett’s mind until you find yourself looking at the world in the same way as does Harry. Goddard will keep you guessing until the quite surprising ending and you’ll enjoy this fascinating ride inside English life.
----------------------------------------------
Risking Elizabeth
Author: Walter McClosky
Publisher: Berkley, 1997,
ISBN: 0-425-16413-6
This is the author’s debut novel. It takes the reader to enthralling places inside New Orleans society. One is dazzled by the convoluted slick politeness on the surface, even when one is aware of the chicanery and double-dealing that takes place at the same time on other levels. None of the activity chronicled by McClosky is unknown to the wheelers and dealers in other cities around the world, but because New Orleans is the setting, there seems to be a special aura about this novel which enhances the plot and the characters.
Larry Preston is a successful widowed lawyer with an old-line prestigious firm. New Orleans is the city where he grew up and where legions of his relatives live and work. And play. So Preston brings his young son back to the bosom of his family. But Larry Preston discovers that he knows less about the convoluted undercurrents of the city and its power brokers than he imagined. How little he really knows he really begins to discover when he meets beautiful, willful, socially suspect, Elizabeth Bennett.
Set during Mardi Gras, Preston finds himself falling into a complicated swamp infested with some of the worst and some of the best of New Orleans residents. Big money, big oil, big power and murder are skillfully revealed. The pace is swift, the characters ambiguous and complex, and the atmosphere moody, damp and dark, even in the hot Southern sun. Well-written and very entertaining, rife with tension, Risking Elizabeth carries the reader carefully to its inevitable conclusion.
----------------------------------------
RUNNING FROM THE LAW
by Lisa Scottoline
Harper, 244 pgs.
Mass Market
ISBN 0-60-109411-0
Rapier wit abounds in the novel, another fine outing from this author. She's writing a series, but there just aren't any continuing characters, so you can read this, her fourth, without fear of missing anything. (But the rest of the series)
Our protagonist is poker-playing defense attorney Rita Morrone, daughter of a blunt, old-world Italian butcher in Philadelphia. The fact that Rita is cohabiting with the son of an important federal judge from the Main Line, and without the benfit of marriage, must drive the poor man nuts. But we only have a few allusions to this particular concern about his daughter, Rita's situation. There are more important things to consider.
Her lover's father-in-law is accused of sexual harrassment. Whoa. Who better to handle his very public defense than the judge's son's live-in-lover. Excuse me? I wondered if that would violate most ethical canons, but never mind. This author is a smart, former attorney herself, so she must know, right? Complications. The affair between son-of-judge and Morrone is going badly, and in fact, Rita is mightly disturbed to learn that she's contracted a non-fatal virus from her playmate.
Murder happens and the judge stumbles closer to ruin. For reasons that are not entirely clear, Marrone calls on her regular poker buddies to help her with the case. And who are these poker buddies. Why, old uncles! Family. An amateur Italian mob. This is very funny stuff. It is also very together, very well-written and holds your attention. Wonderful minor characters, good pacing and, as always, fine writing. I think it's just great. But if you're the kind of person who wants her good guys to be very upstanding and moral, this may not be your cannaloni.
Monday, August 24, 2009
ONCE UPON A CRIME: a Review
Once Upon A Crime
ISBN: 9781932472851
Ed: Gary Bush & Chris Everheart
Pub. By Nodin Press, Mpls, MN
256 pages, Sept, 2009, Trade Paper
As with many collections of short stories by Crime authors, this one is a mixed bag, quality wise. It contains several really nice, taut, economic stories which are entertaining, surprising and a pleasure to read. There are others which don’t quite measure up, although all of them are readable. The anthology was conceived as a way to provide some financial support for the popular co-owner of one of the best mystery books stores in the nation. Indeed, Once Upon A Crime, the store for which the anthology is named, has been voted by readers of CrimeSpree magazine, the best independent mystery bookstore in the entire country.
I wish this anthology achieved that distinction. It comes close. The stories are widely varied by a motley collection of new and experienced crime writers. It is, as I have said, entertaining, but its greatest value may be in that it introduces readers to a range of writers and the quality of their work. Among the writers are several award winners of note, including William Kent Krueger, Reed Farrell Coleman, Max Allen Collins, Gary Phillips and David Housewright. It’s a good value.
ISBN: 9781932472851
Ed: Gary Bush & Chris Everheart
Pub. By Nodin Press, Mpls, MN
256 pages, Sept, 2009, Trade Paper
As with many collections of short stories by Crime authors, this one is a mixed bag, quality wise. It contains several really nice, taut, economic stories which are entertaining, surprising and a pleasure to read. There are others which don’t quite measure up, although all of them are readable. The anthology was conceived as a way to provide some financial support for the popular co-owner of one of the best mystery books stores in the nation. Indeed, Once Upon A Crime, the store for which the anthology is named, has been voted by readers of CrimeSpree magazine, the best independent mystery bookstore in the entire country.
I wish this anthology achieved that distinction. It comes close. The stories are widely varied by a motley collection of new and experienced crime writers. It is, as I have said, entertaining, but its greatest value may be in that it introduces readers to a range of writers and the quality of their work. Among the writers are several award winners of note, including William Kent Krueger, Reed Farrell Coleman, Max Allen Collins, Gary Phillips and David Housewright. It’s a good value.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
NOIR? Whose Cup of Tea
In 1998 Ed Gorman, Lee Server and Martin Greenberg produced an excellent book titled "The Big Book of Noir."
It comes closest, in my opinion, to accurately capturing and defining the scope and rise of noir as a worldview, particularly in film and literature. There are, of course, earlier examples, Roman Noir being one. It is possible to trace the definitions of noir as originally coined and used by French critics in the late nineteen-thirties and early forties, but such tracing requires more careful handling than is the case in much discussion of noir that happens today. A recent Newsweek article is a good example of that carelessness.
The 1946 dense and penetrating study of the German film, “From Caligari to Hitler,” by Sigfried Kracauer, does not use the term, nor can I find it in Agee’s writings. A brief discussion I had with motion picture critic Pauline Kael, at a film festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan touched on the label, but she seemed unwilling to give the term widespread use. That does not mean the films and literature that might be called noirish are not included in the consideration of a worldview that is about as dark as this segment of literature and film ever gets.
Noir began life in our modern era as a way to describe or identify the kind of American film which was popular in the nineteen-thirties and forties. These films are a cynical, suspicious assumption that things will generally turn out badly, and that most of the individuals in power had or have their own personal interests at heart, and care little for anyone else. In this regard, context is important. French film critics were writing during a time when most of Europe was a war zone or occupied by the Nazi. And most European citizens in particular, could still recall a previous world war meant, it was said, to end all wars.
One of Kael’s strengths in her essays was her insistence that films be judged in the social and political context in which they are born and presented. The same should be true for the novels of Megan Abbot and James M. Cain.
In the Western Hemisphere, during this time of the great depression and then global war, government and certain industries, especially the American film industry was called on to make movies with uplifting or at least upbeat messages, to bolster the war effort and rally the home front. All very well, but many artists, depressed, watching loved ones wrestle with loss of friends and relatives, found more telling expression and satisfaction in the strong imagery of those black and white films, often referred to as “B” films.
It took very little time before critics began to make the connection backward to literature of the nineteen thirties written by the likes of Cain, Hammett and Chandler, to name three. But I believe it is incorrect to label all three writers as noir writers. Yes, there are elements of the grim present, corrupt establishment, and a possibly dark future in much of this literature but, there is almost always a sense of possibility, a feeling that one will persevere and things will get better, if not in the confines of the existing novel or film, then later, after the final fadeout.
The Continental Op and Marlowe would go on to champion other poor souls, to right egregious wrongs. But for Frank Chambers, there was no tomorrow. The recent corruption of noir, if that’s not too strong a term, can be seen in three works. The book, “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” and then the two subsequent films, one released in 1946 with John Garfield and then the 1981 version with Jack Nicholson.
True noir, using a more accurate and narrow definition as was originally envisioned, involves the gradual degradation and dissolution of all meaning and rationality in the life of the sympathetic protagonist or main character. It cannot be that the protagonist simply got in the way of big government or big business. The process must be initiated and fostered through the actions and attitudes of the protagonist. It cannot be ineptitude, it cannot be simply lack of resources, and it cannot be seen as inevitable until the end is reached.
There are many novels of crime fiction mis-labeled as noir fiction primarily because the principal character never reaches the level of sympathy from reader or viewer which is required for the label. It’s a difficult thing to achieve. This pervasive destruction of a once-normal life, of an existence that may be very similar to that of the reader or viewer, may leave one in tears, and it is not likely to be the kind of film or novel that will attract enormous crowds of fans.
It comes closest, in my opinion, to accurately capturing and defining the scope and rise of noir as a worldview, particularly in film and literature. There are, of course, earlier examples, Roman Noir being one. It is possible to trace the definitions of noir as originally coined and used by French critics in the late nineteen-thirties and early forties, but such tracing requires more careful handling than is the case in much discussion of noir that happens today. A recent Newsweek article is a good example of that carelessness.
The 1946 dense and penetrating study of the German film, “From Caligari to Hitler,” by Sigfried Kracauer, does not use the term, nor can I find it in Agee’s writings. A brief discussion I had with motion picture critic Pauline Kael, at a film festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan touched on the label, but she seemed unwilling to give the term widespread use. That does not mean the films and literature that might be called noirish are not included in the consideration of a worldview that is about as dark as this segment of literature and film ever gets.
Noir began life in our modern era as a way to describe or identify the kind of American film which was popular in the nineteen-thirties and forties. These films are a cynical, suspicious assumption that things will generally turn out badly, and that most of the individuals in power had or have their own personal interests at heart, and care little for anyone else. In this regard, context is important. French film critics were writing during a time when most of Europe was a war zone or occupied by the Nazi. And most European citizens in particular, could still recall a previous world war meant, it was said, to end all wars.
One of Kael’s strengths in her essays was her insistence that films be judged in the social and political context in which they are born and presented. The same should be true for the novels of Megan Abbot and James M. Cain.
In the Western Hemisphere, during this time of the great depression and then global war, government and certain industries, especially the American film industry was called on to make movies with uplifting or at least upbeat messages, to bolster the war effort and rally the home front. All very well, but many artists, depressed, watching loved ones wrestle with loss of friends and relatives, found more telling expression and satisfaction in the strong imagery of those black and white films, often referred to as “B” films.
It took very little time before critics began to make the connection backward to literature of the nineteen thirties written by the likes of Cain, Hammett and Chandler, to name three. But I believe it is incorrect to label all three writers as noir writers. Yes, there are elements of the grim present, corrupt establishment, and a possibly dark future in much of this literature but, there is almost always a sense of possibility, a feeling that one will persevere and things will get better, if not in the confines of the existing novel or film, then later, after the final fadeout.
The Continental Op and Marlowe would go on to champion other poor souls, to right egregious wrongs. But for Frank Chambers, there was no tomorrow. The recent corruption of noir, if that’s not too strong a term, can be seen in three works. The book, “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” and then the two subsequent films, one released in 1946 with John Garfield and then the 1981 version with Jack Nicholson.
True noir, using a more accurate and narrow definition as was originally envisioned, involves the gradual degradation and dissolution of all meaning and rationality in the life of the sympathetic protagonist or main character. It cannot be that the protagonist simply got in the way of big government or big business. The process must be initiated and fostered through the actions and attitudes of the protagonist. It cannot be ineptitude, it cannot be simply lack of resources, and it cannot be seen as inevitable until the end is reached.
There are many novels of crime fiction mis-labeled as noir fiction primarily because the principal character never reaches the level of sympathy from reader or viewer which is required for the label. It’s a difficult thing to achieve. This pervasive destruction of a once-normal life, of an existence that may be very similar to that of the reader or viewer, may leave one in tears, and it is not likely to be the kind of film or novel that will attract enormous crowds of fans.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
RADIO IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS
First a few facts. For a long time I was called a broadcasting professional. That meant I worked in television and radio. I also did an executive stint at a public access cable organization. I have a certain level of experience and expertise.
I also listen. In the past several months I have been listening to radio interviews with mystery authors. The exposure leads me to share some of my observations regarding the ability of mystery authors to do well on the radio.
First and last: Be Professional.
Remember that you are a guest on the station’s air. You’d like to be asked back when the next book comes out. Right?
More and more radio stations use the telephone to do long-distance interviews. They can reach out and touch someone anywhere in the world. Whether you are setting up your own interviews or you’ve engaged the services of a publicist, most of what follows will be relevant.
You have a date and time and calling instructions, usually several days in advance. It will be a telephone interview and because you know how to reach out and listen, since the radio station has an internet site you ought to do that. It’s part of your preparation. As a wise author, you want some sense of the on-air talent you’ll be talking to so you spend a little time listening. The best thing will be an opportunity to hear an interview with another author.
Chances are this will be a live interview, but it’s possible the station will record the interview to use at a different time. Always assume there will be no editing! Know with whom you are talking. Write down the host’s name (phonetically if it’s difficult to pronounce). An occasional mention of the host’s name is useful. I like to have the publicity picture of the host from the station website on my computer screen during the interview. It’s not animated, but it helps me connect with the voice of my interviewer.
You must remember to turn down the audio so the sound from the computer feed doesn’t come through the telephone.
Know the location of the station. It’s embarrassing to hear an author keep referring to the lovely weather in downtown Winona, Wisconsin, when everybody listening knows Winona is in Iowa. (No it isn’t! Winona is in southern Minnesota.) It never hurts to mention in a complimentary way, other authors who may be local to the radio station and its listeners.
From the moment you pick up the telephone and connect to the station, until you hang up after the interview, assume a recorder at the station is recording everything you say, snort or snuffle.
Lock the kids, the dog and the cats two rooms away from the telephone. Don’t answer the door if somebody knocks. Disable call waiting. Radio people don’t like dead air. Try to have someone around who can control unexpected distractions, like the cat suddenly grabbing the parakeet. Don’t make the call while riding in the car or driving somewhere. Campaigning politicians do this sometimes out of necessity. Bad idea.
I recently asked several radio people for their number one irritants. Two answers arose. First was talking on a cheap crappy cell phone. Your grandmother may put up with it, radio listeners don’t have to. Some radio stations insist that telephone interviews be conducted via landline to avoid noise static and other assorted audio ills.
The other popular irritant to the host is a string of short one or two-word answers from the guest. You mustn’t make long speeches, but remember that the host probably has not read your book. Try to keep the flow going and let the host interrupt. At the same time, there are some subjects that are mostly taboo. Politics, government and religion. Unless of course, your mystery is rooted one of those topics. Arguing with the one who has the off switch is never a good idea.
Sit at a table or uncluttered desk and give yourself adequate room. Have previously prepared notes at hand. Have a glass of water available to stave off an attack of dry mouth. Don’t suck your teeth or rattle your loose denture. Humming between questions is distracting. Remember always that bad on-air-etiquette won’t get you edited; it’ll just get you canceled. If you are doing a live segment, insulting the host will get you terminated immediately. Worse, the producer won’t return your phone calls the next time you want to get on their show. Have a short marked passage to read if asked.
Did something amusing happen during the writing of the novel? Mention it. Talk intimately, visualize the audience of one, sitting across a small table from you. I use the host’s picture.
Have the name, the location and the dates of each bookstore appearance close at hand so you can work them into the conversation accurately and possibly more than once. Pitching your upcoming appearance with the wrong name of the bookstore or the wrong address will not help your promotion. This is especially important if the radio interview is in anticipation of your tour appearance.
I recently heard a tape of a fifteen-minute radio interview set up for a visiting author by a bookstore owner. It was a good interview, lively, interesting, but never once did either the radio host or the author mention that he was in town for a signing at the store which arranged the interview.
Make a short list of the points you want to get across. Never stretch the truth or guess about the town you are electronically visiting. Someone will know the truth and call or email you or worse, complain to the radio station. Referring off-hand to local community problems is fraught with danger for the visiting author.
I believe proper dress is important to good interview! You can do a telephone interview on the radio clad in your raggedy old robe, in the nude, or in your floppy pink bunny slippers, if that’s your thing. I strongly suggest neat and casual. Appropriate dress seems to impart a sharper edge to the interviewee’s attention and the listener gets more cogent answers and a more interesting conversation. And always remember that in a five-minute interview, if you and/or the interviewer haven’t mentioned the name of your book and where it’s available at least once, you haven’t done your job.
If you’re doing the interview to promote your appearance at a local store, don’t only extol the easy virtue of ordering your book on-line at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or Books-A-Million. Even if you are doing a telephone interview from somewhere else on the planet, often the case, if there is a local bookstore you can mention, do it. Never mind the bookstore doesn’t carry your book. If enough people call, they’ll order copies.
A brief word about cross-promotion. You have this radio interview and I hope you aren’t keeping it a secret. With Twitter, Facebook, various newsgroups, you should be promoting your interview, particularly, if it’s a long one with call-in possibilities.
Do radio interviews sell books? I have no positive proof, but I wouldn’t bet against it! Radio has been around a long time and sold billions and billions of products. Why wouldn’t it sell your novel?
In sum, prepare for a phone-in or live radio interview just as you would for a job interview or a meeting with the publisher of your latest mystery. Be professional, smile, and good things will happen.
See you on the radio.
I also listen. In the past several months I have been listening to radio interviews with mystery authors. The exposure leads me to share some of my observations regarding the ability of mystery authors to do well on the radio.
First and last: Be Professional.
Remember that you are a guest on the station’s air. You’d like to be asked back when the next book comes out. Right?
More and more radio stations use the telephone to do long-distance interviews. They can reach out and touch someone anywhere in the world. Whether you are setting up your own interviews or you’ve engaged the services of a publicist, most of what follows will be relevant.
You have a date and time and calling instructions, usually several days in advance. It will be a telephone interview and because you know how to reach out and listen, since the radio station has an internet site you ought to do that. It’s part of your preparation. As a wise author, you want some sense of the on-air talent you’ll be talking to so you spend a little time listening. The best thing will be an opportunity to hear an interview with another author.
Chances are this will be a live interview, but it’s possible the station will record the interview to use at a different time. Always assume there will be no editing! Know with whom you are talking. Write down the host’s name (phonetically if it’s difficult to pronounce). An occasional mention of the host’s name is useful. I like to have the publicity picture of the host from the station website on my computer screen during the interview. It’s not animated, but it helps me connect with the voice of my interviewer.
You must remember to turn down the audio so the sound from the computer feed doesn’t come through the telephone.
Know the location of the station. It’s embarrassing to hear an author keep referring to the lovely weather in downtown Winona, Wisconsin, when everybody listening knows Winona is in Iowa. (No it isn’t! Winona is in southern Minnesota.) It never hurts to mention in a complimentary way, other authors who may be local to the radio station and its listeners.
From the moment you pick up the telephone and connect to the station, until you hang up after the interview, assume a recorder at the station is recording everything you say, snort or snuffle.
Lock the kids, the dog and the cats two rooms away from the telephone. Don’t answer the door if somebody knocks. Disable call waiting. Radio people don’t like dead air. Try to have someone around who can control unexpected distractions, like the cat suddenly grabbing the parakeet. Don’t make the call while riding in the car or driving somewhere. Campaigning politicians do this sometimes out of necessity. Bad idea.
I recently asked several radio people for their number one irritants. Two answers arose. First was talking on a cheap crappy cell phone. Your grandmother may put up with it, radio listeners don’t have to. Some radio stations insist that telephone interviews be conducted via landline to avoid noise static and other assorted audio ills.
The other popular irritant to the host is a string of short one or two-word answers from the guest. You mustn’t make long speeches, but remember that the host probably has not read your book. Try to keep the flow going and let the host interrupt. At the same time, there are some subjects that are mostly taboo. Politics, government and religion. Unless of course, your mystery is rooted one of those topics. Arguing with the one who has the off switch is never a good idea.
Sit at a table or uncluttered desk and give yourself adequate room. Have previously prepared notes at hand. Have a glass of water available to stave off an attack of dry mouth. Don’t suck your teeth or rattle your loose denture. Humming between questions is distracting. Remember always that bad on-air-etiquette won’t get you edited; it’ll just get you canceled. If you are doing a live segment, insulting the host will get you terminated immediately. Worse, the producer won’t return your phone calls the next time you want to get on their show. Have a short marked passage to read if asked.
Did something amusing happen during the writing of the novel? Mention it. Talk intimately, visualize the audience of one, sitting across a small table from you. I use the host’s picture.
Have the name, the location and the dates of each bookstore appearance close at hand so you can work them into the conversation accurately and possibly more than once. Pitching your upcoming appearance with the wrong name of the bookstore or the wrong address will not help your promotion. This is especially important if the radio interview is in anticipation of your tour appearance.
I recently heard a tape of a fifteen-minute radio interview set up for a visiting author by a bookstore owner. It was a good interview, lively, interesting, but never once did either the radio host or the author mention that he was in town for a signing at the store which arranged the interview.
Make a short list of the points you want to get across. Never stretch the truth or guess about the town you are electronically visiting. Someone will know the truth and call or email you or worse, complain to the radio station. Referring off-hand to local community problems is fraught with danger for the visiting author.
I believe proper dress is important to good interview! You can do a telephone interview on the radio clad in your raggedy old robe, in the nude, or in your floppy pink bunny slippers, if that’s your thing. I strongly suggest neat and casual. Appropriate dress seems to impart a sharper edge to the interviewee’s attention and the listener gets more cogent answers and a more interesting conversation. And always remember that in a five-minute interview, if you and/or the interviewer haven’t mentioned the name of your book and where it’s available at least once, you haven’t done your job.
If you’re doing the interview to promote your appearance at a local store, don’t only extol the easy virtue of ordering your book on-line at Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or Books-A-Million. Even if you are doing a telephone interview from somewhere else on the planet, often the case, if there is a local bookstore you can mention, do it. Never mind the bookstore doesn’t carry your book. If enough people call, they’ll order copies.
A brief word about cross-promotion. You have this radio interview and I hope you aren’t keeping it a secret. With Twitter, Facebook, various newsgroups, you should be promoting your interview, particularly, if it’s a long one with call-in possibilities.
Do radio interviews sell books? I have no positive proof, but I wouldn’t bet against it! Radio has been around a long time and sold billions and billions of products. Why wouldn’t it sell your novel?
In sum, prepare for a phone-in or live radio interview just as you would for a job interview or a meeting with the publisher of your latest mystery. Be professional, smile, and good things will happen.
See you on the radio.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Author C. Hyytinen does my Q & A
I recently asked Echelon Press author Cyn Hyytinen for the answers to some questions about her writing career and she agreed to give me some answers. Here they are.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
I usually say trashy crime thrillers which gets a smile, but I know that pisses off my publisher. When I say "trashy" I'm referring to bad language, lots of sex, and nasty immoral behavior. Being my stories are heavily involved with the Mafia and their wicked ways, that is a "given," right? My main character is a top-notch homicide detective with the Minneapolis Police Department. She approaches life in a pragmatic, no nonsense fashion as she deals with criminal minds and the undesirables. She gets the job done despite her own personal struggles: single mom, male-dominated workforce...
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
I consider myself more of a thriller writer...edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff. Yes, there is mystery intertwined, but my novels certainly aren't who-done-its. I knew as soon as I began the writing process and was halfway through a romance manuscript which I discarded to start Pattern of Violence.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I am the youngest of 3 and have one older brother and one sister. I come from your typical hard-working middle-class family and was born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A Cheese-head.
What is your educational background?
I have a degree in computer science. Go figure...
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
I've been married 30 years to the same man (that in itself is a mystery). Just kidding. He is great and comes with me to all my events. He doubles as my body-guard and book carrier as well as chauffeur, best buddy and of course the best husband in the entire world. I have two wonderful sons, Nick who is 23 years old and Troy who is 17 years old. Oops, almost forgot to add, a Rat Terrier (Lucy) and three cats. We live in rural MN on a small fishing lake.
What did you read as a child?
I started out with Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon because that is what my older sister read. I was reading by the age of four. Once I entered elementary school, I came across a book in the library about witches in Salem, Massachusetts. Reading about the Salem witch trials was fascinating and crazy. They believed anyone with red hair was a witch and would throw them into the nearest lake or river to see if they'd float. It was kind of a lose-lose situation because if they sank they were not a witch (whew...), however, they drowned (major bummer). And if they floated, they were indeed a witch, fished out of the pond and burned at the stake. Yikes! That had me hooked. From then on, I went for the thriller-type books.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring? Unfortunately, I have to go to work every day with a 1-hr commute each way. I work in a high-stress environment as an Enterprise Technical Consultant in the Command Center of a major insurance company. Weekends are spent writing whenever possible when I'm not busy doing family things and/or book gigs.
How much touring do you do?
Not enough, due to the day job and other time constraints. But I try to at least do 1 to 2 events/signings on a monthly basis.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
How nice everyone was. I was pleasantly surprised that even the big names did not have big egos and were more than willing to discuss their craft with those of us who are struggling to make a name for ourselves--the great unknowns...
Whats the hardest thing about being an author?
Finding the time to write and promote and network all while working full-time and being a wife and mother.
Lets talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Rarely, I have a MySpace blog, but find it easier to post bulletins instead of blogging. There again is the time constraint. I'm gone 10 hrs a day, five days a week. If/when that ever changes, I will blog blog blog.
How frequently do you participate in book tours?
As often as possible, although not as much as I'd like.
Do you belong to an authors co-op for touring and promotion purposes?
Yes, our group, Booked 4 Murder (myself, Michael Allan Mallory, Marilyn Victor, Lois Greiman) does scheduled appearances at various venues.
How is that working out?
Great! We're all diligently working on getting more gigs. Plus I love our little group and would want to hang out with them anyway.
What kinds of events or signings do you do?
Libraries, bookstores, mystery clubs. Anyone who will have us.
In a typical year, how many events do you do?
We try for one per month minimally. The more, the better.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
One or two due to expenses.
Any cons or workshops you recommend?
I recently attended Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. It was small, but informative and so much fun. The mystery dinner was a riot and I definitely plan on attending again next year.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
My website is chyytinen.com and then there are the usual suspects--Myspace, Facebook, Linked-In, Authors Den, ITW....
Do you like to travel?
Yes, I love to travel and wish I was independently wealthey so I could quit my day job and tour all over the country promoting and selling my wares.
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
How everyone thinks you've "made it" and are automatically rich and famous just because you're published. Wow...so not true.
Do you think you'll change direction in your writing? Produce a different kind of crime novel? If so, what might that be?
Definitely. My writing has changed and matured with each manuscript I write. When I finish what I'm currently working on I do have some new ideas to try on.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I shrug it off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I write for entertainment--for my readers, as well as myself. Period.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
A rock star.
What career would you least like to do, if writing stories was to become impossible?
Construction worker. I feel for those guys in the 90 degree heat on top of a roof laying shingles, plus I have an issue with high places.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes. I’m in an anthology - Heat of the Moment.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Dean Koontz, Stephen King
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Dean Koontz, Alex Kava, Tami Hoag
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Dean Koontz.
Where do you want your career to go?
Up up and away.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
ITW, Authors Guild, SinC, Authors Den
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Echelon Press. Pattern of Vengeance
Are you agented?
No.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
I think it's great. I know it's very controversial right now, but I think it is definitely the wave the future and we should all get onboard before we miss the train.
What’s your favorite word?
Cataclysmic (but it changes daily)
What’s your least favorite word?
Yep.
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
More empathy for others.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
Never give up. If you love to write, keep writing. Good things come to those who persevere.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am working on a novel which takes place in International Falls, MN/Voyageurs National Park. Mystery/suspense.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
I usually say trashy crime thrillers which gets a smile, but I know that pisses off my publisher. When I say "trashy" I'm referring to bad language, lots of sex, and nasty immoral behavior. Being my stories are heavily involved with the Mafia and their wicked ways, that is a "given," right? My main character is a top-notch homicide detective with the Minneapolis Police Department. She approaches life in a pragmatic, no nonsense fashion as she deals with criminal minds and the undesirables. She gets the job done despite her own personal struggles: single mom, male-dominated workforce...
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
I consider myself more of a thriller writer...edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff. Yes, there is mystery intertwined, but my novels certainly aren't who-done-its. I knew as soon as I began the writing process and was halfway through a romance manuscript which I discarded to start Pattern of Violence.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I am the youngest of 3 and have one older brother and one sister. I come from your typical hard-working middle-class family and was born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A Cheese-head.
What is your educational background?
I have a degree in computer science. Go figure...
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
I've been married 30 years to the same man (that in itself is a mystery). Just kidding. He is great and comes with me to all my events. He doubles as my body-guard and book carrier as well as chauffeur, best buddy and of course the best husband in the entire world. I have two wonderful sons, Nick who is 23 years old and Troy who is 17 years old. Oops, almost forgot to add, a Rat Terrier (Lucy) and three cats. We live in rural MN on a small fishing lake.
What did you read as a child?
I started out with Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon because that is what my older sister read. I was reading by the age of four. Once I entered elementary school, I came across a book in the library about witches in Salem, Massachusetts. Reading about the Salem witch trials was fascinating and crazy. They believed anyone with red hair was a witch and would throw them into the nearest lake or river to see if they'd float. It was kind of a lose-lose situation because if they sank they were not a witch (whew...), however, they drowned (major bummer). And if they floated, they were indeed a witch, fished out of the pond and burned at the stake. Yikes! That had me hooked. From then on, I went for the thriller-type books.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring? Unfortunately, I have to go to work every day with a 1-hr commute each way. I work in a high-stress environment as an Enterprise Technical Consultant in the Command Center of a major insurance company. Weekends are spent writing whenever possible when I'm not busy doing family things and/or book gigs.
How much touring do you do?
Not enough, due to the day job and other time constraints. But I try to at least do 1 to 2 events/signings on a monthly basis.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
How nice everyone was. I was pleasantly surprised that even the big names did not have big egos and were more than willing to discuss their craft with those of us who are struggling to make a name for ourselves--the great unknowns...
Whats the hardest thing about being an author?
Finding the time to write and promote and network all while working full-time and being a wife and mother.
Lets talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Rarely, I have a MySpace blog, but find it easier to post bulletins instead of blogging. There again is the time constraint. I'm gone 10 hrs a day, five days a week. If/when that ever changes, I will blog blog blog.
How frequently do you participate in book tours?
As often as possible, although not as much as I'd like.
Do you belong to an authors co-op for touring and promotion purposes?
Yes, our group, Booked 4 Murder (myself, Michael Allan Mallory, Marilyn Victor, Lois Greiman) does scheduled appearances at various venues.
How is that working out?
Great! We're all diligently working on getting more gigs. Plus I love our little group and would want to hang out with them anyway.
What kinds of events or signings do you do?
Libraries, bookstores, mystery clubs. Anyone who will have us.
In a typical year, how many events do you do?
We try for one per month minimally. The more, the better.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
One or two due to expenses.
Any cons or workshops you recommend?
I recently attended Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. It was small, but informative and so much fun. The mystery dinner was a riot and I definitely plan on attending again next year.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
My website is chyytinen.com and then there are the usual suspects--Myspace, Facebook, Linked-In, Authors Den, ITW....
Do you like to travel?
Yes, I love to travel and wish I was independently wealthey so I could quit my day job and tour all over the country promoting and selling my wares.
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
How everyone thinks you've "made it" and are automatically rich and famous just because you're published. Wow...so not true.
Do you think you'll change direction in your writing? Produce a different kind of crime novel? If so, what might that be?
Definitely. My writing has changed and matured with each manuscript I write. When I finish what I'm currently working on I do have some new ideas to try on.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I shrug it off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I write for entertainment--for my readers, as well as myself. Period.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
A rock star.
What career would you least like to do, if writing stories was to become impossible?
Construction worker. I feel for those guys in the 90 degree heat on top of a roof laying shingles, plus I have an issue with high places.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes. I’m in an anthology - Heat of the Moment.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Dean Koontz, Stephen King
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Dean Koontz, Alex Kava, Tami Hoag
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Dean Koontz.
Where do you want your career to go?
Up up and away.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
ITW, Authors Guild, SinC, Authors Den
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Echelon Press. Pattern of Vengeance
Are you agented?
No.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
I think it's great. I know it's very controversial right now, but I think it is definitely the wave the future and we should all get onboard before we miss the train.
What’s your favorite word?
Cataclysmic (but it changes daily)
What’s your least favorite word?
Yep.
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
More empathy for others.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
Never give up. If you love to write, keep writing. Good things come to those who persevere.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am working on a novel which takes place in International Falls, MN/Voyageurs National Park. Mystery/suspense.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Ebooks and Self-Publishing, some thoughts
There has been a lot of conversation on the net regarding self-pubbing, ebooks and associated attitudes from various writer’s organizations. I ‘spect some independent publishers are also conversing with their counterparts on the subject.
I think it’s fair to consider self-publishing print materials such as novels, short stories and non-fiction as one kind of business model. There are success stories and failures, just as is the case with the publishing of print materials. I also believe that epublishing is simply another kind of business model. None of these models are inherently good or bad, in terms of product quality.
An author who makes a rational decision to self-publish should be neither derided nor congratulated and wouldn’t be if folks on the sidelines were less emotional and more prone to pragmatism. The same should be true of decisions to publish via electronic means instead or in addition to traditional paper. Self-publishing puts a work into the realm of individual investment of time, talent and money. Publishing with a press that requires an investment of funds by the author should likewise be neither condemned nor applauded. It is the product that should count.
I don’t understand why it’s okay for a musician or a band to produce and distribute its own music via CDs or a website, but it’s not okay for an author to do the same.
If an author takes on the production of his or her work using the same or higher standards of quality in the editing and production of a given work, as the standards set by a business called “publisher,” why cannot the result be judged using the same standards? Instead, the work is largely ignored and the focus of most negative criticism falls on the decision regarding how to publish. Moreover, most of the critical comments are couched in broad terms. We read constantly, often from sources that insist they don’t read ebooks or self-pubbed work, that such work is inferior, not worth time and effort. How do these people know that? If you press them they’ll suggest that a long time ago they read an ebook, or a self-pubbed novel and it was really bad.
That kind of discrimination—which is exactly what it is—is injurious to our society.
Right now there is a kind of upheaval in several national organizations relative to policies regarding membership and association linked to the decisions regarding how a book is published. Interestingly much of the negative rhetoric is similar in nature and tone, if not identical. One could almost believe there is a small group of individuals who are dedicated to stamping out publishing business models which do not conform to “the way it has always been done.”
I don’t believe in conspiracies. Restraint of trade is a nasty way to interact with the Federal Government and can be very costly. Conspiracies to defraud are almost always found out, sooner or later.
What I really wish is that more time and energy would be spent helping authors to understand the business models that exist, their advantages and disadvantages, so that those who are unlearned in these areas could be guided away from the scam artists, the thieves and robbers who would take your money and deliver nothing. Or maybe there are and I just haven’t run across them yet. Maybe distribution is at fault. Which reminds me of an incident to illustrate my points.
As a reviewer of mystery fiction, a self-pubbed author once verbally attacked me when I read and reviewed her work but refused to submit it to the newspapers for which I was freelancing at the time. Before I read the book, I had determined that the paper would not print my review of the book because it was not available in local bookstores. That was their policy. Not set by me, but I was quickly perceived by the author to be the barrier. I was standing in the way of her success. She assumed it was my fault that the book would not receive local coverage. This author should have done some research into marketing and promotion before she elected to self-pub the novel. What newspaper is going to devote space to any author whose books are not available in local bookstores?
Authors need to learn in detail about the business model they wish to use and professional author organizations like RWA, MWA, Sisters In Crime and EPIC could provide great service to authors by concentrating efforts to help their members learn what they need to know for success, instead of squabbling over whether e-books are legitimate and whether publically admitting to having self-pubbed is a death knell for a writing career.
Woe betide the author who believes e-publishing and self-publishing are simply neat ways to get around the costs of fact-checking, copy and line editing, content editing and professional cover and book design.
I think it’s fair to consider self-publishing print materials such as novels, short stories and non-fiction as one kind of business model. There are success stories and failures, just as is the case with the publishing of print materials. I also believe that epublishing is simply another kind of business model. None of these models are inherently good or bad, in terms of product quality.
An author who makes a rational decision to self-publish should be neither derided nor congratulated and wouldn’t be if folks on the sidelines were less emotional and more prone to pragmatism. The same should be true of decisions to publish via electronic means instead or in addition to traditional paper. Self-publishing puts a work into the realm of individual investment of time, talent and money. Publishing with a press that requires an investment of funds by the author should likewise be neither condemned nor applauded. It is the product that should count.
I don’t understand why it’s okay for a musician or a band to produce and distribute its own music via CDs or a website, but it’s not okay for an author to do the same.
If an author takes on the production of his or her work using the same or higher standards of quality in the editing and production of a given work, as the standards set by a business called “publisher,” why cannot the result be judged using the same standards? Instead, the work is largely ignored and the focus of most negative criticism falls on the decision regarding how to publish. Moreover, most of the critical comments are couched in broad terms. We read constantly, often from sources that insist they don’t read ebooks or self-pubbed work, that such work is inferior, not worth time and effort. How do these people know that? If you press them they’ll suggest that a long time ago they read an ebook, or a self-pubbed novel and it was really bad.
That kind of discrimination—which is exactly what it is—is injurious to our society.
Right now there is a kind of upheaval in several national organizations relative to policies regarding membership and association linked to the decisions regarding how a book is published. Interestingly much of the negative rhetoric is similar in nature and tone, if not identical. One could almost believe there is a small group of individuals who are dedicated to stamping out publishing business models which do not conform to “the way it has always been done.”
I don’t believe in conspiracies. Restraint of trade is a nasty way to interact with the Federal Government and can be very costly. Conspiracies to defraud are almost always found out, sooner or later.
What I really wish is that more time and energy would be spent helping authors to understand the business models that exist, their advantages and disadvantages, so that those who are unlearned in these areas could be guided away from the scam artists, the thieves and robbers who would take your money and deliver nothing. Or maybe there are and I just haven’t run across them yet. Maybe distribution is at fault. Which reminds me of an incident to illustrate my points.
As a reviewer of mystery fiction, a self-pubbed author once verbally attacked me when I read and reviewed her work but refused to submit it to the newspapers for which I was freelancing at the time. Before I read the book, I had determined that the paper would not print my review of the book because it was not available in local bookstores. That was their policy. Not set by me, but I was quickly perceived by the author to be the barrier. I was standing in the way of her success. She assumed it was my fault that the book would not receive local coverage. This author should have done some research into marketing and promotion before she elected to self-pub the novel. What newspaper is going to devote space to any author whose books are not available in local bookstores?
Authors need to learn in detail about the business model they wish to use and professional author organizations like RWA, MWA, Sisters In Crime and EPIC could provide great service to authors by concentrating efforts to help their members learn what they need to know for success, instead of squabbling over whether e-books are legitimate and whether publically admitting to having self-pubbed is a death knell for a writing career.
Woe betide the author who believes e-publishing and self-publishing are simply neat ways to get around the costs of fact-checking, copy and line editing, content editing and professional cover and book design.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
FUTURE TENSE
Ransom Stephens wrote about the death(?) of the book. at www.opendemocracy.The bold statments below are quotes from his article.
I sent the reference to several people and here’s a thoughtful response from
A friend who knows whereof he writes. Michael Kac is a linguist and musician, as well as a fine writer.
In 1977, Ken Olson, President of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) which, at the time, built the best computing hardware, said, "There is no need for any individual to have a computer in their home."
Interesting because it points to a widespread but false presumption, namely that the concept of need is absolute and clear-cut. I doubt very seriously that the personal computer arose because people were saying ‘You know what I need? I need to be able to have my own computer sitting on my desk at home.’ I bought my first desktop computer, an Apple II, not because I needed it but because I wanted to learn to program and felt it would be more convenient to be able to do so at home on my own schedule than through the University of Minnesota’s facilities. At the store where I bought it they made a big deal about the word-processing program, which was of no interest to me whatsoever (I felt that my trusty old Royal standard would do me just fine, thank you very much) and the Internet lay several years in the future. I didn’t even buy a printer — I didn’t think I’d ever need one. Well, times change. Today I couldn’t live without Microsoft Word, e-mail and the Web. But I didn’t start needing those things until they became available.
Publishers' role as the gatekeepers of quality has always been dubious. Do book buyers have brand loyalty? Do you check the publisher before buying a book?
Very interesting point. I never thought about that before. There is brand loyalty, but it’s to authors, not publishers.
Once we jump the low hurdle of spelling, grammar and minimal storytelling skill, literary merit is nearly as subjective as your favorite color.
Hmmmm … If my own experience is any guide, spelling and grammar are huge hurdles. (Indeed, the very article to which I’m responding has a number of mistakes — like whither for wither and wakeup for wake up.) But don’t get me started …
The publishing company that turns the corner, leaving the Six Sisters in the dust, will leave quality control to authors - even grammar and spelling.
The Six Sisters, along with everybody else, have already left grammar and spelling to authors. Copy editing is a thing of the past.
The obvious candidates include Yahoo and Amazon, but I think they are already too big and stodgy to make the move; Google has everything necessary on its place, but might be too fragmented to make the move; the big self-publishing companies Lulu and iUniverse are well positioned but might be too burdened by the "vanity press" label to emerge. Right now, I think the smart money is on Scribd.com.
Why? Leave aside the fact that I never heard of them until just now (I freely admit to being out of so many loops that I don’t even know which ones I’m out of) — my perusal of the site revealed nothing that made me think ‘Oh, yeah, this guy’s obviously right.’ So where does his confidence come from? (Seriously, I’m genuinely curious! Someone please enlighten me.)
It turns out that the 80/20 rule is wrong. It's more of a 40/20 game.
What am I missing here? What happened to the other 40%?
Those who haven’t already heard me expound on the topic might be interested in comparing book publishing with recording. There are some interesting similarities and also some interesting — I would say fascinating — differences.
Perhaps the most striking difference is that there is, as far as I can discern, absolutely no stigma whatsoever associated with self-produced, self-released musical recordings. I’ve lived in both words, recording with a label back in the 1960’s, when there was really no alternative, and, more recently, going the do-it-yourself route (which I much prefer). Today nobody cares if you’re signed to a label or not; as someone with a big-selling self-produced CD once said ‘Nobody knows it’s not a real record.’ Will book publishing go this way as well? There are some signs that it’s already doing so, at least within niches whose occupants have a high degree of cohesion and talk to each other all the time. Sci-fi and fantasy writers are particularly favored in this regard, and my bet is that mystery writers are soon going to be (if they aren’t already).
Here’s a hypothesis about why, in the end, writers will — at least in the early going — become more like independent musicians. I’m convinced that in the statistical main most people who write books or play music do so not for the money but for the attention. Why is practically every male human on the planet in a band? Answer: so he can get laid! How much slaving at a day job is it worth for the chance to get up on a stage at night and hear applause? Answer: a lot. (Take it from one who knows.)
Few musicians are deterred by the low likelihood of ever really making a living, let alone getting rich, from what they do. And there’s always that chance, however small, of the Big Break that will change everything. I doubt that writers are much different. And as for having to continue to hold down a day job, well, Mussorgsky composed Boris Godunov and Pictures at an Exhibition while working as a petty government bureaucrat and Charles Ives made his living (and got rich) in the insurance business. Anthony Trollope and P.D. James are analogues on the literary side.
Perhaps the best part of the deal is that even small amounts of attention translate into great huge gobs of gratification. Half a dozen people in a coffeehouse can feel like an enormous crowd if they’re attentive and enthusiastic. And even a few buyers of an on-demand book can make you think that the effort of writing it was worthwhile.
There is, however, one major difference. Musicians are performers; writers are not. I reach many more people with the live shows I play every couple of weeks or so than I do via my Web site or Myspace page. (I know, I know, the Internet gives me access to a much greater audience, but that potential gets realized only at the point at which enough people acquire a reason to log on.) When I get on stage at a coffeehouse, everybody who’s there knows about me — whether or not I’m the reason they came in the first place. Writers don’t have that kind of a platform.
The main value that the Internet has for me right now is as a gig-generating machine. If I’m interested in playing somewhere I e-mail the establishment with a link to the audio samples on my Web site. The recipient can, with a click of the mouse, immediately hear what I sound like. Sometimes deafening silence is all I get in return, but often enough I get an answer within a few days saying ‘When can you come?’ I don’t know of anything comparable in the writing world, though who knows? Maybe some clever soul will figure something out. God knows, there are enough clever souls out there, and the really clever ones tend to make things happen. And when they do it’s often because they look outside the world they know into a different one and suddenly see possibilities never before considered.
I sent the reference to several people and here’s a thoughtful response from
A friend who knows whereof he writes. Michael Kac is a linguist and musician, as well as a fine writer.
In 1977, Ken Olson, President of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) which, at the time, built the best computing hardware, said, "There is no need for any individual to have a computer in their home."
Interesting because it points to a widespread but false presumption, namely that the concept of need is absolute and clear-cut. I doubt very seriously that the personal computer arose because people were saying ‘You know what I need? I need to be able to have my own computer sitting on my desk at home.’ I bought my first desktop computer, an Apple II, not because I needed it but because I wanted to learn to program and felt it would be more convenient to be able to do so at home on my own schedule than through the University of Minnesota’s facilities. At the store where I bought it they made a big deal about the word-processing program, which was of no interest to me whatsoever (I felt that my trusty old Royal standard would do me just fine, thank you very much) and the Internet lay several years in the future. I didn’t even buy a printer — I didn’t think I’d ever need one. Well, times change. Today I couldn’t live without Microsoft Word, e-mail and the Web. But I didn’t start needing those things until they became available.
Publishers' role as the gatekeepers of quality has always been dubious. Do book buyers have brand loyalty? Do you check the publisher before buying a book?
Very interesting point. I never thought about that before. There is brand loyalty, but it’s to authors, not publishers.
Once we jump the low hurdle of spelling, grammar and minimal storytelling skill, literary merit is nearly as subjective as your favorite color.
Hmmmm … If my own experience is any guide, spelling and grammar are huge hurdles. (Indeed, the very article to which I’m responding has a number of mistakes — like whither for wither and wakeup for wake up.) But don’t get me started …
The publishing company that turns the corner, leaving the Six Sisters in the dust, will leave quality control to authors - even grammar and spelling.
The Six Sisters, along with everybody else, have already left grammar and spelling to authors. Copy editing is a thing of the past.
The obvious candidates include Yahoo and Amazon, but I think they are already too big and stodgy to make the move; Google has everything necessary on its place, but might be too fragmented to make the move; the big self-publishing companies Lulu and iUniverse are well positioned but might be too burdened by the "vanity press" label to emerge. Right now, I think the smart money is on Scribd.com.
Why? Leave aside the fact that I never heard of them until just now (I freely admit to being out of so many loops that I don’t even know which ones I’m out of) — my perusal of the site revealed nothing that made me think ‘Oh, yeah, this guy’s obviously right.’ So where does his confidence come from? (Seriously, I’m genuinely curious! Someone please enlighten me.)
It turns out that the 80/20 rule is wrong. It's more of a 40/20 game.
What am I missing here? What happened to the other 40%?
Those who haven’t already heard me expound on the topic might be interested in comparing book publishing with recording. There are some interesting similarities and also some interesting — I would say fascinating — differences.
Perhaps the most striking difference is that there is, as far as I can discern, absolutely no stigma whatsoever associated with self-produced, self-released musical recordings. I’ve lived in both words, recording with a label back in the 1960’s, when there was really no alternative, and, more recently, going the do-it-yourself route (which I much prefer). Today nobody cares if you’re signed to a label or not; as someone with a big-selling self-produced CD once said ‘Nobody knows it’s not a real record.’ Will book publishing go this way as well? There are some signs that it’s already doing so, at least within niches whose occupants have a high degree of cohesion and talk to each other all the time. Sci-fi and fantasy writers are particularly favored in this regard, and my bet is that mystery writers are soon going to be (if they aren’t already).
Here’s a hypothesis about why, in the end, writers will — at least in the early going — become more like independent musicians. I’m convinced that in the statistical main most people who write books or play music do so not for the money but for the attention. Why is practically every male human on the planet in a band? Answer: so he can get laid! How much slaving at a day job is it worth for the chance to get up on a stage at night and hear applause? Answer: a lot. (Take it from one who knows.)
Few musicians are deterred by the low likelihood of ever really making a living, let alone getting rich, from what they do. And there’s always that chance, however small, of the Big Break that will change everything. I doubt that writers are much different. And as for having to continue to hold down a day job, well, Mussorgsky composed Boris Godunov and Pictures at an Exhibition while working as a petty government bureaucrat and Charles Ives made his living (and got rich) in the insurance business. Anthony Trollope and P.D. James are analogues on the literary side.
Perhaps the best part of the deal is that even small amounts of attention translate into great huge gobs of gratification. Half a dozen people in a coffeehouse can feel like an enormous crowd if they’re attentive and enthusiastic. And even a few buyers of an on-demand book can make you think that the effort of writing it was worthwhile.
There is, however, one major difference. Musicians are performers; writers are not. I reach many more people with the live shows I play every couple of weeks or so than I do via my Web site or Myspace page. (I know, I know, the Internet gives me access to a much greater audience, but that potential gets realized only at the point at which enough people acquire a reason to log on.) When I get on stage at a coffeehouse, everybody who’s there knows about me — whether or not I’m the reason they came in the first place. Writers don’t have that kind of a platform.
The main value that the Internet has for me right now is as a gig-generating machine. If I’m interested in playing somewhere I e-mail the establishment with a link to the audio samples on my Web site. The recipient can, with a click of the mouse, immediately hear what I sound like. Sometimes deafening silence is all I get in return, but often enough I get an answer within a few days saying ‘When can you come?’ I don’t know of anything comparable in the writing world, though who knows? Maybe some clever soul will figure something out. God knows, there are enough clever souls out there, and the really clever ones tend to make things happen. And when they do it’s often because they look outside the world they know into a different one and suddenly see possibilities never before considered.
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