SinC-Up for Bloggers: Sisters In Crime September Blog Hop

As a member of the national mystery writers’ organization, Sisters in Crime (SinC), and the Sisters in Crime/Hawaii chapter, I was tagged by a fellow "Guppies" author and blogger Linda Townsend, to join the September Sisters in Crime SinC-Up for Bloggers. We’re invited to answer questions about ourselves as an author. Here are the three questions I've chosen:

1. Which authors have inspired you?

Beginning with my early fascination for the mystery/crime fiction genre, I devoured the works of Rex Stout and Erle Stanley Gardner along with works by Agatha Christie that featured Hercule Poirot. I was never happier than when I discovered a new series such as those by Arthur Hailey, Robert Ludlum, and Michael Crichton. While living in Minnesota, I discovered John Sandford and his Lucas Davenport novels, then Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, Jeffrey Deaver, Janet Evanovich, Nevada Barr, and Kathy Reich. I’ve read everything Stephen King has written, although I confess to reading only parts of Danse Macabre. 

When I started writing my own mystery novels, Sue Grafton and Michael Connelly became my main role models, setting the bar extremely high. 

 

2. If someone said "Nothing against women writers, but all of my favorite crime fiction authors happen to be men," how would you respond? 

I’d be happy to hear they read at all. Nothing makes me cringe more than the response, “Oh, I don’t read books.” Novels are written to entertain the reader, and people should read what they find entertaining. I would, however, suggest a varied diet in eating habits and in reading. Even if a reader’s favorite crime fiction authors happen to be men, it wouldn’t hurt to read a novel written by a woman writer every now and then, if only to solidify the original opinion of reading preference. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

 

3. What books are on your nightstand right now? 

The print books on my “nightstand” are: Murder Casts A Shadow by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl; The Pyramid by Henning Mankell; Last Lawyer Standing by Douglas Corleone, and The Queen and I by Sydney Lehua Iakea. 

On the “desktop” of my e-reader are several anthologies, including Fish Nets: The Second Guppy Anthology, that I'm reading to compare the writing of novels to short stories for an upcoming panel discussion. Also on the "desktop" are: Angel Hero by Lizbeth Hartz; Waverly by Walter Scott (my book club’s reading choice for September); Jump Start Your Book Promotions by RP Dahlke; and Embryo 4: Catch Me by J.A. Schneider. 

Some of the above authors are traditionally published, but the majority of my reading choices over the past few years are of independent authors whose works are available at Amazon.com including: Laurie Hanan, Sandra Nikolai, Rosemary and Larry Mild, Elizabeth Egerton Wilder, Karin Kaufman/K.T.Kaufman, and A K Gunn/Alain Gunn.

 

Blog Recommendations:

While I’ve invited some fellow authors to join in the fun of the SinC-Up Blog Hop for September, Part of the SinC-Up blogfest is sharing other blogs readers might enjoy. Please check out these wonderful authors, including fellow Guppy, Linda Townsend.

Linda Townsend, author of The Spirit Lake Mystery Series: http://lindatownsdin.com

 

Alex J. Cavanaugh, Ninja Captain of Insecure Writer's Support Group: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

 

Melissa Bradley: http://melissasimaginarium.blogspot.com/

 

Toby Neal, author of Lei Crime Series: http://tobyneal.net/

 

 

For further information about Sisters in Crime, Inc., please visit the site and tweet:

• www.sistersincrime.org/BlogHop
• #SinCBlogHop (if you tweet) and you can tag us too using our handle @SINCnational
• http://sisters-in-crimehawaii.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-events.html

Wishy-Washy or What?

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of the group here. 

The Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG), started by ninja captain Alex J. Cavenaugh, is a monthly opportunity to share our writing fears or solutions and to offer encouragement to the other participants. (Co-hosts this month are: Krista McLaughlin, Kim Van Sickler, Heather Gardner, and Hart Johnson.) ...just picked this up from Rhonda Albom's site!

Decision-making isn’t a problem for me, but sticking to a decision sometimes is. 

Last November, for NaNoWriMo, I decided to switch horses and write about a new protagonist. The fifty thousand words required to be “A Winner” flowed onto the page at regular intervals. Then I had second thoughts about abandoning my original protagonist and her storyline. 

It took several months to work through my indecision (okay, decision-making sometimes is an issue for me!) I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to continue the story line of my original protagonist. I set up my own nanowrimo for thirty days between June and July. I am now over thirty thousand words into this novel. I’ve had to make at least a hundred decisions already concerning plot, characters, and setting. 

Each day more decisions are required, but I have my fingers crossed that the major decision to write the novel I’m working on now is my final decision. 

Are most of your decisions flat-out carved in stone, or are you often swayed to change your mind?

 

 

 

'Celebrating Bloggers' Blog Hop Sept 10-13, 2012

Terri Giuliano Long is celebrating bloggers through this huge event during September, 2012.   Everyone who shares the event will be able to enter a draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card plus $50 for their chosen charity! (See entry form at bottom of post.)

First, I want to thank Terri for holding this Blog Hop to celebrate bloggers. Everyone, be sure to follow Terri on her blog: http://terriglong.com/blog/celebrating-bloggers/  and on Twitter: @tglong https://twitter.com/tglong


In November of 2010, I started my blog, an eclectic blend of topics focused on Mystery, both reading and writing. As a lifetime reader of the Mystery genre, and all sub-genres, including Cozy, Traditional Mystery, Police Procedural, Thriller, Suspense, Hard Core Detective, and what I call (and write) Soft Core Sleuth, I am never at a loss for reading material. It would be nice to say the same about time, but that often escapes me. 


In e-Book and p-Book

When I published my first Pepper Bibeau Mystery, fifteen book bloggers either invited me to guest blog, hosted me for an author interview, or read and reviewed the novel on their site. Since then, I have paid their generosity forward with interviews on my blog site. 

As of January 2012, I interview authors with my FAST FIVE Author Interview: 5-questions-plus-1 that give the author free rein to promote their latest novel or WIP-work in progress. The focus is on indie/self-published authors whose protagonist is a strong female character (open to interpretation with that in mind.) 

Though I don’t present book reviews on my blog site, I do submit reviews to Amazon and Goodreads where my blog posts appear regularly.



e-Book format on Kindle

As a member of Sisters in Crime National and President of Sisters in Crime/Hawaii, and as author of The Pepper Bibeau Mystery Series (first and second novels in series self-published; the third my newest WIP,) my days are filled with thoughts of mystery, suspense, and murder. My night time is filled with dreams of same!

In my opinion, blogging requires the same quality of research as writing a novel. People who read blog posts expect the material to have a basis in fact, fantasy blogs included. Even personal opinion bloggers present material based on research, whether the material was found in a library, read in a newspaper or book, or gathered during an exchange of ideas with a neighbor over the backyard fence at sunset. 

Speaking of sunset, I manage to slip in a personal haiku and photograph every so often to share my pleasure of living in Hawaii. A variation of the traditional Japanese Haiku is my own haiku of Hawaii, where the blend of seasons and changes in weather are more aptly demonstrated by shifts in wind: cool, refreshing Tradewinds from the East and hot Kona winds from the south; or by modifications in rainfall and threats of impending tsunami; and sunshine. 
 

SUNSET ON THE BEACH

Black feathery fronds

Tickle gold-washed Waikiki

Watchers line the beach

 

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