Living in the Library

Cathy Pickens holds the official Sisters in Crime "Great Seal of Office" in the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, shortly after her election in mid-October as national SinC president.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Parshall.

Living in the Library
by Cathy Pickens

When I was three years old, my parents did one of the most amazing things – they moved to a house with a library smack at the end of the driveway.

Imagine, your very own library! That's what it felt like. My own library. We could check out as many books as we could carry. (Later, when we walked down the long driveway on our own, having to carry our books back up the hill became a consideration.)

As soon as we finished reading, more books were waiting. Well, with one notable exception: Nancy Drew books weren't considered a suitable use for scarce library funds ("lacking in literary merit" or some such excuse).

That library funding rule has, unfortunately, driven me to a lifelong addiction. I was forced to scout out Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books when my allowance permitted me to feed my habit. As a result, I still buy embarrassing quantities of books. So far, there are no 12-step programs for this addiction, or my husband and I would be involuntarily committed. (Please don’t tell me if you know of such a program!)

The "library ladies," as they were known (forgive me, it was a long time ago), also fed another passion. At the age of 11, when I learned people could grow up and write mysteries, the library supplied me with copies and back issues of Writer’s Digest and The Writer and how-to-write books. Once, when the librarians were purging the collection to make room, they gave me old copies of The Writer’s Handbook and Writer’s Market. Oh, joy! I poured over them.

As a result of all my study, I sent my first short story – my last attempt at science fiction – to Jack and Jill magazine. It was promptly, but very politely, rejected – with a personalized letter from the Editor-in-Chief. That was the last personalized rejection I would get for many years but, thanks to the education the librarians provided for me, I knew that rejection was part of the writer's life and that personal rejections were to be coveted as a sign of progress. I kept writing.

You might not have been lucky enough to live at the library but, if you are a reader, I bet a librarian somewhere has given you unexpected gifts. Make it a point some day soon to thank a librarian for letting you check out all the books you can carry.

And librarians: Who knows what that strange little round-headed kid who comes in all the time might grow up to be? A reader, for sure. Maybe a writer. Or any of a world of wonderful things.

So, to all librarians, from one of those kids: Thanks!

Cathy Pickens, the national president of Sisters in Crime, is the author of the award-winning Southern Fried mystery series featuring South Carolina attorney Avery Andrews. The most recent title in the series is "Can’t Never Tell."

Things You Don't Know About Nancy Martin

SinC: Is there anything you'd never leave home without?

NM: I wish! But nearly every time I leave the house, I have to go back for something I've forgotten. My mind is always somewhere else, I guess.

SinC: What do you wish you had more time for?

NM: The right answer is probably sex.

SinC: Is there anyone from the past you would like to talk to for just 15 minutes?

NM: I'd love to talk to my wild child best friend from growing up, Mary Kate, who was my writing partner starting back in the 8th grade. She was a much better writer than I was--funny and passionate and dramatic, and her eagerness to read my pages taught me how to write for an audience. She passed away suddenly a couple of years ago. I miss her wonderful, cackling laugh.

SinC: What word do you absolutely hate?

NM: There are a couple, but I can't even type them here. My mother hates the word "pus." That's pretty awful in my book, too, but at least I can type it.

SinC: Do you dream in color or black and white?

NM: Technicolor.

SinC: If the F.B.I. had to give you a new identity, what name would you choose?

NM: When I was first writing and needed a pen name, I chose a doozie, but chickened out and didn't use it. Now I would: Samantha Lovejoy.

SinC: Favorite food?

NM: Chocolate.

SinC: Favorite drink?

NM: Champagne.

SinC: Most embarrassing moment?

NM: There's a long story about my first trip to Malice and a breakfast meeting with my sophisticated New York (and new-to-me) agent, a very high-powered editor she wanted me to meet, two intimidating best-selling authors who were scary as hell. . . and me -- a somewhat awkward girl from the sticks. What I didn't realize until after the breakfast? I had forgotten to remove a giant pink curler from the back of my hair.

SinC: First job?

NM: As a teenager, I taught swimming at the YMCA to all the young guys who needed to learn to stay afloat before they could join ROTC. I had a 100% success rate. The reason why those fellows had perfect attendance and paid such close attention in class? I think it was because I was a very perky 36C in my Speedo.

SinC: Worst job?

NM: The summer I had to shovel muck out of rental cabins that had been flooded by a hurricane. You can't imagine the horrors we found in that mud.

SinC: Favorite dessert?

NM: There's a small-town frozen custard that I travel a lot of miles to enjoy now and then.

SinC: If you weren't a published author, what would you be?

NM: A theater director.

SinC: If you could be one of your characters, who would it be and why?

NM: Nora Blackbird is a lovely person who never says the wrong thing, never loses her temper, never behaves in an unkind way. Most of the time, I aspire to be her. Unfortunately, I'm probably more like Roxy Abruzzo--impulsive and brassy and not as smart as I think I am.

Nancy Martin, author of the award-winning Blackbird Sisters mysteries, recently launched the Roxy Abruzzo series with her latest offering, “Our Lady of Immaculate Deception.” You can find more things you don’t know about Nancy at nancymartinmysteries.com.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Martin.

Metta Fuller Victor: The First Woman Crime Novelist in the U.S.

By Jeffrey Marks

Recently, the long-forgotten works of American author Metta Fuller Victor, who wrote her mysteries under the name of Seeley Regester, have been reintroduced to the mystery community. The novels that have been re-published in the last 10 years predate Anna Katherine Green’s work by almost a decade, making Victor the first author and first woman author to produce a full-length mystery novel in the United States.

Little is known about Fuller’s personal life. She was born in 1831 and seemed called to writing from an early age. Fuller didn’t limit her craft to detective novels. She wrote in genres ranging from westerns to rags-to-riches works, using a new pseudonym for each genre. At 25, she married Orville Fuller, the editor for Beadle and Adams. The marriage, which produced nine children, allowed Fuller to publish more of her works. Beadle’s Monthly serialized The Dead Letter in 1866 and the novel came out in book form the following year. The Figure Eight appeared in 1869.

Fuller’s works are typically Postbellum in style. Her novels give insight into the social mores of the time. She would be classified as a cozy author today, writing books that focus on the effect of a crime on a family and the ramifications of crime. In her work, murders threaten the domestic tranquility and must be cleared up to restore equilibrium.

Like many women of her era, Fuller was a proponent of social change. Her other works included denunciations against slavery, alcoholism and Mormon polygamy. The Dead Letter has a distinctly moralistic tone when the villain’s gambling and wanton behavior foreshadows the solution.

While her mysteries use a methodical approach to solve a murder, Fuller is not above using supernatural means to further her plots. She uses the detective’s clairvoyant daughter to locate a suspect in The Dead Letter and a sleepwalking governess in The Figure Eight. These gothic elements are surprising to today’s readers who expect fair play in their mysteries, but not to the readers of the 1860s who knew Poe as much for The Telltale Heart as his tales of detection.

Jeffrey Marks is the award-winning author of "Who Was That Lady? Craig Rice: Queen of the Screwball Mystery," "Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s and 1950s," and the Anthony Award-winning "Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography." He is also the author of the U.S. Grant mystery series that includes "The Ambush of My Name" and "A Good Soldier." Marks lives in Cincinnati.

The Booksmith: A Conversation with an Independent Book Seller, Part 2 of 2

By Linda Lovely

Today’s blog entry is Part 2 of a recent interview with independent bookstore owner Tricia Lightweis. Tricia and her husband, Alan, opened The Booksmith in Seneca, SC, in 1989.

Do many of your customers read thrillers, mysteries and/or suspense?

I’d estimate about five percent of our customer base reads exclusively in these genres. However, I think half of our regular clientele read the gamut of genres and often choose mysteries or suspense.

One interesting development over the past five years has been the increased willingness of readers to try books by international writers. In years past, we had a hard time interesting local readers, no matter how good the book might be. The popularity of Stieg Larsson is a prime example of how acceptance has broadened.

How do you connect with readers and build loyalty?

It’s very important to show respect for readers’ favorite genres—including mystery, romance and paranormal. A bookseller shows respect by making sure the newest releases are in stock, as well as a good supporting backlist.

Every month for the past 20 years, we’ve distributed between 4,000 and 7,000 newspaper inserts. In the past, these inserts were all 24-page industry tabs filled with reviews and other book news. Recently we’ve begun to alternate the industry inserts with a much more personalized 12-page newsletter. We also send out an e-mail marketing letter.

We sponsor many author book signings and events, and invest substantial sums in advertising them via print and radio. One of our success factors has been our willingness to devote a lot of money to marketing and supporting the book industry.

We’ve had a loyalty program since day one as well. We stamp a card each time a customer buys a book. When enough stamps are accumulated, they can be redeemed for discounts.

How do you select authors for book signing events?

In order for us to invite an author, the individual has to be on our radar. And 99 percent of the time, the only way we know about a regional author—regardless of who their publisher might be—is if they approach us.

When they do ask us to host events, we expect them to roll up their sleeves and work with us. We expect them to be available when our customers shop and to be friendly and able to talk with customers. We also expect them to help by marketing themselves.

Before the event, they should contact friends and family and encourage them to come. These days we also insist that authors provide links to our store on their websites or blogs. An author who expects our help had better have a link to let their fans buy books on the indie bookstore’s website. Having links to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and no link to an indie site is a slap in the face.

What other mistakes do authors make when dealing with independent bookstores?

Bookstores—especially if they advertise aggressively—don’t make money on author signing events. But events are a vehicle to bring new people into the store and build relationships. Unfortunately, not every book is a good candidate for a book signing. Recently I had a woman who’d written a book on genealogy and wanted me to host a book signing. I told her it was too specialized for our store, customer base and location.

When we decline, authors do themselves no favor if they get offended and become offensive. We may be able to help them in other ways. It’s a business and they should operate professionally.

What do you see as your role in the community?

An independent bookstore should absolutely be a community center. It should be a place where people from different backgrounds can gather, chat and feel welcome. That’s part of the independent bookstore culture.

We’ve all endured challenges as to what books we should carry in our stores. We stand our ground on that front and always will. We are awfully glad to have the support of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.

The Booksmith [www.thebooksmith.com] is a member of the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA), The American Booksellers Association (ABA) and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE).

Award-winning author Linda Lovely writes romantic suspense novels featuring “smart, sexy heroines caught up in danger-packed situations that require them to partner with equally smart, sexy men.” Her novel, "Counterfeit," is a finalist in the Romantic Suspense category of the 2010 Golden Heart contest sponsored by the Romance Writers of America.