Talking Books: Creating An Audiobook

Sandra Parshall talks with Tavia Gilbert, audiobook producer, director and actress (Part one of two parts)

Tavia Gilbert

This is an abridged version of an interview that originally appeared
at http://poesdeadlydaughters.blogspot.com


Sandra Parshall: I couldn’t live without audiobooks, and one of my dreams has been to have my own work recorded. That dream has come true with the Blackstone Audio edition of my new mystery, Broken Places, narrated by Tavia Gilbert.

Tavia is a stage and voice actress who also produces, directs and narrates books, full-cast recordings and documentaries. She has won the audiobook profession’s Earphones Award and been nominated for an Audie. Recently, she agreed to satisfy my curiosity about the way books are recorded and how audiobook narrators work.


SP: Who decides which reader will record which book? Do narrators specialize in certain genres, or in fiction vs. nonfiction?

TG: A publisher's studio director or casting director is in charge of choosing the narrators for projects. From time to time an author will have the right to approve the reader assigned to their book, so a few samples may be sent to the author to review before a final casting decision has been made. There have been a handful of projects I've hoped for, and it's thrilling when I've been chosen and heart-breaking when another narrator gets the job.

I think yes, some narrators have their niche, and I imagine that every narrator has a genre they are most fond of, but no matter what the material, the job of the narrator is to serve the vision of the writer with the most authentic voice. What I mean to say is that it's imperative for the narrator to fully inhabit the narrative voice and serve as a medium between the printed word and the listener. So no matter the genre, the process is the same: get out of the way of the work, let the work flow freely through you and humbly embody the author's voice and vision.

SP: Do you read a book more than once before you start recording? Do you mark it up, check pronunciations, make notes on characters, etc.?

TG: I read the book in full once before I read. Ideally, I would read the section the night before that I will be narrating the following day, but most often I am reading and prepping next week's project at night. I don't mark my script much at all, though each book is different and so it may require its own marking. I do always try to mark paradox, because to bring those juxtapositions to life requires mindful intention and inflection.

I am responsible for the research for my projects, so I look up a lot of the language in a dictionary or encyclopedia, call hotels or city halls or embassies to double check pronunciations of geographic locations and proper names, call librarians for assistance. When I'm reading fiction or narrative non fiction, I note each character and what they say about themselves, how the author/narrator describes the character, and how they are described by other characters in the book. That's exactly how I would prep a theatrical character, and it helps me make specific acting choices. I will also note how I think the character's voice sounds, i.e., low, laconic, whiny, halting, bright, strained.

SP: How long does it take to record an average length book? How many hours a day do you record?

TG: It generally takes me about two hours to record one finished hour of narration, so a book that totals 10 hours will take 20 hours to record. Sometimes I get down to an hour and a half for one finished hour, but that's a rare, victorious, shining star recording day. I record for five hours a day, at most. I used to do seven, but it's really hard on my body, especially my neck and shoulders.

SP: Do you work with a director who is on hand while you’re recording?

TG: Unfortunately, many audiobooks are no longer being directed. With digital technology transforming the publishing world, budgets have been cut and audiobook narrators are often self-engineering and self-directing.

But I love working with a director, and have frequently paid out of pocket in order to bring one in for the duration of the recording. It's great to have someone to pay attention to the long arc of the story, and it allows me to relax a little bit and trust that someone else is in charge.

I produce, cast, and direct as well, and I've found that when the budget doesn't call for a director for the entire process, it can be very valuable to work with the actor on the narrative voice at the beginning of the recording. The narrative voice is SO important, and I enjoy "sculpting" with an actor the voice they use. I'll sit in on a book for the first couple of hours and then check in later to answer questions, give support, and remind the audio engineer what they should keep in mind creatively as they're running the session. Later I'll give the actors feedback about phrasing, breath, relaxation, paradox, pace.


Sandra Parshall is the award-winning author of the mystery series featuring veterinarian Rachel Goddard. The most recent title in the three-volume series is Broken Places.

My Tried (and Sometimes True) Interview Techniques

By Jackie Houchin


[Editor’s Note: Jackie wrote this piece with her journalism work in mind. The tips she offers, however, can be used in interviews related to any type of writing.]


Originally posted June 10, 2010
at www.writersinresidence.blogspot.com


So many people; so many interesting stories! To pick their brains, pry out their deepest secrets, find out how and why they do what they do, I have to interview them.

There are three main steps (or methods to my madness) in how I interview folks.

Before the interview

I first decide why I want to interview the person, what I hope to learn and what kind of story I want to write. (A lot of this will depend on where I hope to place or sell the story.) Will it be informative, inspiring, promotional, or ... simply someone I personally want to know more about? (Having my own News & Reviews website helps with that last one.)

I contact the person (on the spot or by phone) and set up a time and date. I let them know who I am, who I write for and the general topic I want to cover. Then I do a little research on the person or their specialty, occupation or craft. From my "research" I make a list of questions I want to ask.

I make sure I have a notebook, pens, my camera – and a tape recorder if it's going to be a fact-heavy interview. (Fresh or recharged batteries are a given, of course)

During the interview

I try to establish a conversational mood by commenting on or complimenting (depending on where we meet) our surroundings. I thank them for letting me interview them, tell them what I hope to write about and collect some basic info (correct spelling of name, title if any, etc.)

Then I pick up my notebook and pen, turn on the recorder if using it, and dig right in with the first (and easiest) questions. I never stick strictly to my written questions. If something more interesting (or tantalizing) comes up in their answers, I will follow it like a vein of silver in a Colorado mine. And – confession-time here – sometimes I will ask a question I have no intention of using in my story, just because I want to know.

I mostly listen and add questions as promptings to keep them talking. I smile and encourage them with nods or soft, sympathetic sounds. I haven't mastered the "silence strategy" yet, but I'm told that if you can simply remain silent, your subject will fill it with more info. It's usually too uncomfortable for me to do that.

I take "off the record" seriously and will never write something I'm asked not to. That doesn't mean I don't want to hear it, however. Secret confessions sometimes help me to understand where the person is coming from. I'll take notes, and I might use the revelation to shade or slant the story, but not even that, if it is too sensitive.

If I get behind on my note-taking, I ask them to repeat, slow down, or clarify what they said, especially if I plan to quote it in the story. (Quotes must be 100% accurate!) If they are showing me objects they've collected or made, I will ask if I can photograph them. Always, at the end of the interview, I will get several shots of them with something meaningful to the story. (Projects, pets, creations, gardens, workplace, etc.)

When the interview is winding down, I quickly look over my questions to see if I got everything I need, then I'll ask if they want to tell me anything I didn't ask about. (Great stuff sometimes comes out this way.)

I thank them, give them my card with contact info, and offer to send them a hard copy of the finished story in the paper or magazine (or the link, if it appears in an online venue).

After the Interview

I review my notes (it's easier to decipher my scribbling if I do this right away), underlining key words and looking for a really cool approach to the story. I also try to come up with a good strong opening statement – whether it's dramatic, provocative, humorous, or teasing. What I want is something that will suck in the reader. Wait, that's called a "hook" right?

I also look for facts that I might need clarified or explained. If I find any, I'll do a brief call-back by phone.

And the rule is to never show the interviewee the piece before it is published. But on occasion, under special circumstances, I have been known to do that. (I'm such a softie!)



Jackie Houchin is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and theatre critic. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and California Writers Club.

SinC at Bouchercon 2010

Photojournalist and author Bonnie Cardone kept an eye on the SinC-related happenings at this year's Bouchercon in San Francisco. These photos provide a sampling of her camera work while attending the conference.

The changing of the guard: Outgoing Sisters in Crime President (and soon-to-be-goddess) Marcia Talley (right) prepares to pass the SinC Great Seal of Office to incoming SinC President Cathy Pickens (left).

SinC Board Member Ellen Hart, wearing her often coveted "crime scene tape" scarf.

Good times at the Guppies lunch.

Laurie King and Leslie Klinger

Marcia Talley (right) presents Triss Stein with a token of appreciation for her work on the SinC Mystery Buyer Study.

Mary Jane Maffini

Meredith Cole

Sheila Connolly

SinC Board member Val McDermid

Shopping Guide to Indie Mystery Booksellers

By Kathie Felix

The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) offers an online treasure trove for mystery book shoppers at www.mysterybooksellers.com.

The Association’s web-based gift-finding tools include features that pinpoint the location of independent mystery booksellers, suggest the perfect gift for a mystery fan, offer bestseller lists by member store and provide links to authors who support the IMBA.

The site's interactive bookseller map includes contact and driving information for independent member booksellers in the U.S. and farther north – from Murder on the Beach in Delray Beach, Fl. to Whodunit New & Used Mystery Books & More in Winnipeg, Canada.

The gift guide provides store links to a range of possible presents on the mystery-related side, as well as some intriguing altruistic possibilities. You could help offset the environmental impact of a mystery reading addiction by funding a tree planting for a book lover (10 trees are priced at $10). Or, you might consider matching your book purchases by giving a book to a child in a developing country (5 native language books are priced at $25).

The mystery-themed gifts include “Another Month, Another Mystery” (a mystery mailed each month, targeted by type or style), games and puzzles, signed books, gift baskets and themed mugs, bags, clothing and more.

After browsing a while at mysterybooksellers.com, you could create a gift list that would make Santa proud.

And, while we’re talking gifts, what do you recommend this holiday season for a mystery/crime fiction reader?

Things You Don't Know About Dana Stabenow -- and Her Closest Indie

SinC: Is there anything you'd never leave home without?
DS: The thumb drive my books are backed up on.

SinC: What do you wish you had more time for?
DS: Travel.

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

SinC: If the F.B.I. had to give you a new identity, what name would you choose?
DS: Wilhelmina Eleutheria Prendergrass. Or something equally unmemorable.

SinC: Favorite food?
DS: Popcorn.

SinC: Favorite drink?
DS: Water.

SinC: Favorite dessert?
DS: Chocolate anything.

SinC: If you weren't a published author, what would you be?
DS: An unpublished bag lady.

SinC: If you could be one of your characters, who would it be and why?
DS: Star Svensdotter, because she gets to go to Ellfive, the Asteroid Belt and Mars.

SinC: What independent bookstore is closest to the place you spend a good portion of your time?
DS: The Homer Bookstore.

SinC: Who owns the store and when did it open?
DS: It's owned by Jenny Stroyeck, Sue Post and her brother, Lee Post. If I have the story right, Jenny and Sue moved from Anchorage (pop. 320,000) down to Homer (pop. 10,000) about 15 years ago when they were invited to become partners with Lee in the bookstore. The store was in the large strip mall that also contained the main grocery store. When the grocery store wanted to expand, the bookstore bought an old house on Pioneer Avenue and remodeled it, with apartments to rent out upstairs. It's great to the eye both inside and out; bright, cheerful, inviting. It's sort of like Cheers, you walk in and everybody knows your name.

SinC: What's the specialty of the shop?
DS: They're a full service bookstore, stocked with everything from general fiction to cookbooks. They have a large Alaska section for tourists, of course, a good selection of maps, and if they don't have it they can order it for you.

SinC: Where can we find The Homer Bookstore online?
DS: http://homerbookstore.com/

SinC: What's the most recent purchase you made there?
DS: Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff.

SinC: How much snow is on the ground in Homer today (Friday, 12/3)?
DS: The forecast is for four inches of snow today, turning to rain this afternoon. Bleah.

SinC: How much daylight are you seeing each day?
DS: Five and a half hours.


Dana Stabenow is the award-winning author of the 18-book Kate Shugak mystery series, the four-book Liam Campbell mystery series and the three-book Star Svensdotter science fiction series. The most recent title in the Kate Shugak series, Though Not Dead, will be available in Feb. 2011.

Chapter by Chapter

By Kathie Felix


It’s a busy day for Sisters in Crime members from coast to coast.

The Chesapeake Chapter begins celebrating the holidays today with a meeting and a discussion of blood and d.n.a evidence. The Northern California Chapter gets its festivities underway today with a joint SinC/MWA get-together. And, in between – and to the north and to the south – many other chapters are meeting and celebrating.

As we look toward the new year, this seems like a good time to reflect on our involvement with SinC, both personally and locally.

Do you belong to a SinC chapter? If not, why not?

If you do belong to a chapter, how many meetings do you attend a year? And why do you attend those meetings?

Do you select the meetings you attend because they have a topic or speaker that interests you?

Do you attend as many meetings as you can because your SinC chapter offers a good networking opportunity – one that can help you and enable you to help others?

Do you show up just because you can never tell what’s going to happen when a creative group of SinC members gathers in one place?

Or do you have other reasons to get to your chapter meeting?

Tell us: What takes you away from the pages of a good mystery – or the keyboard – and out to a meeting with your Sisters in Crime?

Dangerous Women

By Donis Casey


Originally posted October 30, 2010
at http://typem4murder.blogspot.com

As I was beginning to write Hornswoggled, the second of my five Alafair Tucker novels, a well-known author said to me, “You’re on the merry-go-round, now.”

How right she was. The writing life goes in a circle, especially for a series novelist. The excitement of an idea ... the pain and horror and ecstasy of the actual writing ... the amazement when you finish the MS and realize that you’ve got something ... the terror of sending it off to the editor or agent ... the anxiety of the rewrite ... the relief of acceptance ... the joy of first holding the physical copy in your hand ... the drudgery of promotion ... the irony and resignation of the royalty check (for most of us). The excitement of an idea ...

When I write, I’m not thinking of the book’s “theme.” I am thinking about character and motivation. Somewhere in the middle of the process it sometimes occurs to me that a theme is emerging, and when the book is done, I’m often surprised to realize that the story in that particular book is about something more than the mystery.

I tend to think more of my entire series as having a theme. This series is different from any writing I have ever done before, in that it’s about a woman who leads a traditional life. All the books and stories that I had written before the Alafair Tucker mysteries had to do with unmarried, childless, professional women, often scientists, always intellectuals, mostly messed up and unhappy.

After all, I came of age in the ‘60s, and like most people, my values were formed in my youth. I was very into the revolution.

Toni Morrison said that her father told her, “Once you know a man’s race, you know nothing about him at all.” It’s the same with women. Once you know a person is a woman, you don’t know anything about her interests, needs, talents, abilities or desires. Not every woman is suited to motherhood and homemaking. Thank goodness we have choices now.

Once I got to a certain age – the one where you begin to realize that nothing is as black and white as you thought when you were young and knew everything – it began to dawn on me that perhaps by so totally rejecting the qualities that have always been associated with women, I was somehow buying into the idea that there was something inherently inferior about them. And that anything that appeals to or deals with women can’t be all that important.

But when I consider my foremothers, what they had to put up with and how smart they had to be to manage - were their lives and interests somehow less important than a man’s? I think not!

Still, when I chose to write about a wife and mother, I handicapped my chances for writerly fame and fortune. To quote Erica Jong, “Critics have trouble taking fiction by women seriously unless they represent some distant political struggle or chic ethnicity ... We may glibly say that love makes our globe spin, but battles make for blockbusters and Pulitzers.”

My series is an homage to a mindset in which love and family matter indeed. But don’t think for a minute that Alafair is weak or vulnerable. Her love for her family has teeth and claws – and makes her dangerous.

That’s a theme I find fascinating to write about.


Donis Casey is the author of the award-winning Alafair Tucker series, set in Oklahoma during the booming 1910s. The most recent title in the five-book series is Crying Blood (February 2011). Donis is a former teacher, academic librarian, and entrepreneur who currently lives in Tempe, AZ, with her husband, poet Donald Koozer.


Photo by Don Koozer.

Technology Rocks – As Long As It Works

By Kathie Felix

I’m typing this blog entry on what has become my primary computer – a laptop that I originally bought as a backup system. Recent events have made it clear to me, however, that the day is near that this computer will be getting a backup laptop of its own. (In fact, I probably should have already made the purchase, but I’m holding off until after the holidays when I expect technology prices to drop even lower than the current recession-affected pricing.)

Like most people – except my brother, the computer programmer – I need a good reason to buy a new computer. I love the latest technology and what it can do – and have spent more than 12 years writing about technology for schools and libraries – but I hate to toss aside an electronic device that still has some reasonable use left in it.

Here’s the story:

One day, my laptop suddenly lost the ability to open an email account that contained the incoming news stream for a project at a critical publishing deadline (these things never seem to happen on a leisurely day, do they?).

Like any resourceful writer desperate to make a deadline, I found a way around the problem. I logged on with another screen name on the same service, opened the webmail version of the email service and logged on there with the user name that wasn’t able to access its own email directly. I was psyched when my improvised system worked and I could access the needed email – even though it was a clunky, time-consuming sort of fix.

Once the deadline was met, I sought a real solution from my internet service provider. After receiving the help (a lengthy series of instructions of which buttons to push, apparently read to me from a manual of some kind), I was once again able to directly access the incoming email. Sadly, however, my computer has been on shaky ground ever since that little customer service assist.

These days, the computer’s cursor is a randomly-moving entity that bounces around like the lights on the test my eye doc uses to examine the extent of my peripheral vision. It’s kind of amazing to watch as the cursor types in a straightforward manner, then jumps back several spaces, then jumps up the page, then down the page. It’s also beyond frustrating to endure.

I did some research and the only fix I could find was a recommendation to plug in a mouse – which seems like a touch of overkill on a laptop, as well as a real mobility-limiting move.

One computer expert I know was very matter-of-fact in her assessment of the situation: “It’s broken. You need a new one.”

That sounded ridiculous to me.

So, for the time being, I’m working around the problem – by turning off the touchpad while I type. And, every now and then, I wonder why no one suggested this – simply pushing that little button at the top of the touchpad until the image of the computer next to it turns red (as in “off”).

Whether a writer or a reader, nearly all of us are in a daily partnership with a computer. How’s your relationship with your computer going? Got any tips to share?

Building the Time Machine: Writing Historicals (Part 2 of 2 Parts)

By Jeri Westerson


Originally posted August 10, 2010
at www.Getting-Medieval.com

Research, as you can imagine, is the most time-consuming part of the writing process. I do some initial research before I start to write so I can ground myself in what’s going on at the time, but even as I write there are constantly things that need to be addressed with further research. The real people who walk into the story must be investigated. An occupation or some point of politics must be gone over. And, sometimes, even weather or the phases of the moon play a role.

In my latest, The Demon’s Parchment, the plot deals with medieval Jews who were expelled from England in 1290, some one hundred years before the action of my novel. I had to research all aspects of Jewish life in the Middle Ages and how to logically and believably include Jewish people in a story centered in London. That research led to some very interesting theories that were incorporated into the plot.

How is this research accomplished? By plain old-fashioned book reading, which means a trip to my local university library. (And by the way, do not ignore those footnotes. I have found the best turns of plot in just the footnotes!)

Then there is the internet. I can contact people in archives across the pond to get information I need and sometimes I can simply Google something, like a cathedral floor plan, and it comes up! Gotta love the internet!

There’s hands-on research, too. I have a collection of medieval weaponry, mostly daggers and a sword. How does it feel to wear these items, to use them? What do the clothes feel like? What does the food taste like? All of these things have to be experienced to really get a feel for the era.

I’ve often been asked if I would like to time travel back to England in the fourteenth century. If I did have access to a time machine, I would certainly go back and step out. I’d love to really smell those streets and the people. I’d like to taste the food the way it was cooked, rather than rely on the medieval recipes I have collected. I would like to see the shopkeepers and touch the wares they sold. I’d like to eavesdrop on conversations to hear the cadence of the language and how words were used and pronounced.

And then, I’d climb back in that time machine and go home, because I know how good we’ve got it here and how tough and foreign it was back there.

A novel is that time machine, at least for the readers. I like to let them walk around.


Jeri Westerson is the author of the Crispin Guest medieval mysteries. The newest title in the series, The Demon's Parchment, is a nominee for the RT Book Review Reviewer's Choice Award for Historical Mystery.

Photo by Craig Westerson.

Building the Time Machine: Writing Historicals (Part 1 of 2 Parts)

By Jeri Westerson

Originally posted August 10, 2010
at www.Getting-Medieval.com


Writing historical mysteries comes with its own set of problems.

To begin, there’s the problem of writing a mystery. On top of that is a layer of history, added on like frosting.

In addition, as with science fiction or fantasy, there is a certain amount of world-building that needs to happen. By that, I mean that the reader must be thoroughly placed in the time and the place. The smells, the sounds and the feel of it all must be part of the work without devolving the material into a travel log or documentary.

Everything must be real for the characters – and no one should seem out of place. And, because readers of historical fiction and mysteries are very particular and have purposely stepped into your world to time travel, the history must be authentic.

But how does that work when you are writing a work of fiction?

I consider the history to be the skeleton of my story and I consider the fiction—the fictional life of my ex-knight turned detective, Crispin Guest—to be the flesh and muscle I hang there.

If the skeleton isn’t sound, that is, if it’s made of fictional history, then it doesn’t give enough structure to the rest of the piece. It’s also more of a challenge to bend the fiction to suit the history, rather than the other way around.

Sometimes, the work can be frustrating.

I try to choose words authentic to the time period. I spend a lot of time with the Oxford English Dictionary to learn when certain words first came into use, or at least were written down for the first time.

This gives a little leeway. After all, a word was most likely already in use for some time before it was actually written down.

But the meanings of words may have changed. Some words we use today didn’t start out with quite the same meaning – and certain idiomatic phrases had a very early origin.

There were instances when I wanted to use a word or phrase that was legitimate to the 14th century, but ended up scrapping it because it sounded too modern!

To be continued...


Jeri Westerson is the author of the Crispin Guest medieval mysteries. The newest title in the series, The Demon's Parchment, is a nominee for the RT Book Review Reviewer's Choice Award for Historical Mystery.

Photo by Craig Westerson.

Things You Don't Know About Marcia Talley

SinC: Are you superstitious? If so—what would you absolutely not do?

MT: Yes. I wear my mother's St Christopher medal when I travel, and neither she, nor I, were/are Catholic. Wouldn't step on a plane without it!

SinC: Who’s your favorite Beatle?

MT: Sir Paul, ever since I first laid eyes on him, playing that guitar left-handed on the Ed Sullivan Show. I fell out of love with John when he hooked up with Yoko. What on earth did he see in her, anyway?

SinC: Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show?

MT: Project Runway. The ingenuity and creativity of the designers simply blows me away. I used to think that fashion design was such a glam occupation -- but it's really cut-throat, isn't it? I love Tim Gunn, too. Half college professor, half sauve New Yorker -- except that he was born and raised in Washington, DC!

SinC: If you could have anyone, I mean anyone, over for dinner, who would that be? Why? (You don’t have to cook.)

MT: Since we're fantasizing here, I'd send out to the late, lamented Thai Room on Connecticut Avenue for hot squid salad, larb and bean thread jelly mushroom – and I'd invite Agatha Christie. I'd ply her with wine and get the REAL story of her 11-day disappearance in December 1926.

SinC: What’s your biggest fault?

MT: I procrastinate. So many things need to be done each morning before I can start writing. Coffee, email, Facebook ... I wish I were more disciplined – get up at 6, write until 9 and then spend the rest of the day having a life. But do I ever learn? Nooooh!



Marcia Talley is the Agatha and Anthony award-winning author of the Hannah Ives mystery series including Without a Grave and her latest, All Things Undying. She is immediate past president of Sisters in Crime. You can learn more about her at www.marciatalley.com.

Photo by Ron Belanger.

Buy Indie, Pass It On

Mystery Loves Company
Oxford, Maryland

Sisters in Crime member Dana Stabenow led the cybercharge today on her blog to “buy one book from an independent bookseller” and spread the word about what you bought and where you bought it.

As Dana says, the big digital and brick-and-mortar bookstores are great, but if everyone buys one book from an indie today, those stores have a much greater chance of being with us next year.

Here at the SinC Blog, we’re glad to join the “buy a book from an indie today” chorus. And we’d love to hear what you bought and where you bought it – and anything else you want to tell us about your favorite indie. We love to talk about indies and we know that you do, too.


SinC president Cathy Pickens started off her holiday season with a stop at Park Road Books in Charlotte, N.C., where she picked up “Lie After Lie” by Lara Bricker and “Operation Dark Heart” by Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer.

I began my own gift shopping with Mystery Loves Company, based in Oxford, Md., and the purchase of “The Penguin Who Knew Too Much” by Donna Andrews and “Dame Agatha’s Shorts” by Elena Santangelo.

After finding out about Cathy’s selections, though, I’m thinking I just may have to call Park Road Books or Mystery Loves Company for a copy of “Lie After Lie.” It sounds interesting.

See how this works?

It doesn’t matter what day you read this blog entry; we hope you’ll buy one book from an indie and tell us about it. Although, be warned, no one that we know has been able so far to limit themselves to a single book purchase (including Dana).

And, if you need help in finding an indie, go to IndieBound.org where you’ll find a search engine that can locate an independent bookseller in your area.

So, tell us: what did you buy from an indie today?

By Kathie Felix

Things to be Thankful for: Reading Lists

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here at the SinC Blog, we’re thankful for the many contributors who keep this blog rolling along. We wouldn’t have anything to read at this site without your contributions, your ideas and your kind assistance. (And please keep in mind that new contributions are always welcome.)

We’re especially grateful to our blog readers. You’re the reason that everyone works so hard to create what we hope is content compelling enough to interrupt your crime fiction reading and writing. We enjoy your comments – and we love our lurkers!

Thank you, to every one of our BlogSisters in Crime!

In honor of the holiday, we’re publishing a list of lists (!) of reading material related to Thanksgiving.

A big thank you to author B.V. Lawson for sharing her wonderful list of lists, which is included in this blog entry, and to author and SinC past president Marcia Talley, who introduced me by email to crime fiction reviewer and promoter Lizzie Hayes of the United Kingdom, who also shared her wonderful list collection. The lists contain some overlap, but all are wonderful creations.

And now… The List of Thanksgiving Reading Lists

B.V. Lawson created a Thanksgiving mystery list, which appeared in 2007 on her blog, In Reference to Murder. This week, her “Mystery Melange for Turkey Week” blog entry points to some culinary-related mysteries, both on the page and in the kitchen.

Janet Rudolph, founder of Mystery Readers Journal, published a list of Thanksgiving mysteries at her Mystery Fanfare blog earlier in the week.

The Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, Mass. provides an online list of Thanksgiving fiction, including mysteries.

The Morton Grove (Illinois) Public Library offers a list of fiction (including mysteries) with a Thankgsiving setting compiled by the subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list.

Cozymystery.com includes a Thanksgiving Mystery Book List focused on, as you might expect, cozy mysteries.

Myshelf.com features age-appropriate and genre-specific Thanksgiving reading suggestions in categories including infant to preschool, ages 4-8, ages 9-12, youngster/young adult, general fiction, romance, mystery and nonfiction.

After checking out these lists, I pulled two Thanksgiving-related books from my shelves for a second look: Southern Fried by Cathy Pickens and Still Life by Louise Penny. I’m also spending time this weekend with Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend and Lives, which was revised and updated by its author, Barbara Holland, a woman of uncommon wit and literary accomplishment, shortly before her death in early September.

Tell us: What’s on your reading list this weekend, once the holiday mayhem has died down?


Written by Kathie Felix, with information provided by B.V. Lawson and Lizzie Hayes.

IndieBound: Shopping at an independent bookstore this month?

By Kathie Felix

Many of us will be making some significant book buys this holiday season. Before the shopping begins, however, it might be a good idea to think about what our upcoming book purchase decisions could mean in the greater scheme of book retailing – and in terms of retailing in general.

The independent bookseller members of the American Booksellers Association (ABA) are poised to lend a hand in this debate. They are sponsoring a community-focused movement that brings together booksellers, readers, independent retailers, local business alliances and individuals “with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive.”

The initiative, known as “IndieBound,” encourages support for local “indie” businesses that bring dollars, jobs, diversity, purchasing choices and taxes to local communities.

According to the IndieBound program, $100 spent locally keeps $68 in a community – while $100 spent at a national chain keeps only $43 close by. In addition, the project points out that independent businesses create jobs within a community, bring in tax money that is reinvested locally and donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains.

The IndieBound effort has its own website – www.indiebound.org – offering a variety of online tools, including a search engine that can be used to locate nearby bookstores and other independent retailers.

I tested the system with a search linked to my zip code and turned up a list of 30 booksellers within 100 miles. Before the search, I thought I knew all I needed to know about the local indies, particularly since SinC member and independent bookseller Mystery Loves Company is a frequent partner in local SinC events. After the search, I came away with the idea that a gift certificate from a shop that specialized in cookbooks might provide a cookbook-collecting friend with the perfect holiday gift – and would include the chance for a couple of shopping trips in a revitalized historic district. Even better, for the publishing industry, I wasn’t planning to buy this friend a book-related gift before using the IndieBound search engine.

The IndieBound program also offers an opportunity to link a website to specific books or independent bookstores. Participation as an IndieBound affiliate includes referral fees for sales; participants may link to book titles without joining the affiliate program (and without earning referral fees).

In addition, the website features links to an Indie Next List of great reads recommended by booksellers, an Indie Bestseller list, an Indie social networking community and Indie gear.

Now that you know how easy it is to find an independent bookseller anywhere in the country, you can help the indie effort by spreading the word about IndieBound.org.

And, today, let's talk indie. Tell us about your favorite independent bookstores.



Kathie Felix is a journalist and editor with a background in public relations. She has been on the front lines of bookselling as an in-store bookseller and a manager at the nation’s two largest bookselling chains – and has always considered a job at an indie to be the ultimate bookstore assignment. And, yes, she’s currently at work on a mystery or two of her own.

The Sick Wife

By Ramona DeFelice Long

Originally posted April 18, 2010
At: ramonadef.wordpress.com


….wherein I wonder about the various, and maybe convenient, illnesses the poor spouses of cops develop in mystery novels, and how it’s all the fault of Benjamin Bratt.

After 16 years on the job, S. Epatha Merkerson is leaving Law & Order. I hadn’t watched L&O in a while, but after hearing that announcement, I tuned in. I lucked into an episode with a guest appearance by Benjamin Bratt. Lt. Anita Van Buren and Detective Rey Curtis, together again. It was like a Law & Order, Old Home Week spinoff.

But it was not a happy reunion. Anita, I learned, is retiring because she has cancer. And she and Rey reconnected at the funeral of Debra, Rey’s wife.

I remember when Debra was diagnosed with MS. It was a Big Deal. Back in the day, L&O didn’t truck with personal info about the cop and lawyer characters. We saw the cops on the street and the lawyers in the courtroom. Double-divorced Lenny sometimes quipped a one-liner about marriage if the body in the opening scene happened to be an unfortunate husband, and he sometimes snarked about Mike Logan’s revolving-door love life. That pretty much covered the warm and fuzzy stuff. There was law and there was order and that’s all that could be crammed into a one-hour time slot.

Until Rey Curtis came along. Suddenly, woven into the weekly dead body story was Rey’s personal life. His strict Catholic upbringing. His three little children. His afternoon tryst that nearly wrecked his marriage. Debra’s illness. The pressure of home life impacting him at work.

Suddenly, it was Law & Order & Family Problems.

I don’t personally know any police wives, but I’m sure it’s a tough gig. Constant worry. Crazy schedule. In mystery novels, it’s not any better. In fact, it might be worse than reality. I haven’t done a formal study on this so I can’t quote fun stuff like percentages, but as a reader, I’ve encountered an amazingly high number of sick cop wives. Wives with MS, debilitating arthritis, post-partum depression, bipolar disorder, to name a few. I’m not making light of these illnesses; just the opposite. In real life, the wives of cops become ill just like anyone else. What’s different, and what I’m wondering about, is how and why the Sick Wife is used as a plot device.

Consider this. You may recognize it from a cozy or two out there. Our protagonist repeatedly hooks up with the same detective because she keeps stumbling over bodies and he, usually much to his early annoyance, has to work the case with her. They keep getting thrown together. They kinda hate each other and kinda like each other. If they’re both single, all’s fair and then we have the plot device called the Cop Boyfriend. Which is another blog.

But what if the cop is married?

As readers, we might want some romantic tension in the story, but we don’t want our cozy characters to be cheaters, do we? I mean, our nice protagonist really shouldn’t be looking at a married guy, and he shouldn’t be looking back. But, if they are both honorable and true, well that’s no good, because there’s no conflict. We want conflict. But we want to continue to respect them. But we want them to get together. But…

Wait! What if there are extenuating circumstances. Such as, what if the cop’s wife is sick? He can’t leave her, because of that “in sickness and in health” thing, plus deserting a Sick Wife is scummy. But maybe her illness makes her unable to … you know … or maybe their marriage is over emotionally but he can’t leave … and he really wants the protagonist and she really wants him, but they must stay apart because they both refuse to dishonor the Sick Wife.

So now we have longing, longing, longing and angst, angst, angst and unrequited lust (or maybe requited, which they both feel terrible about, but come on, it’s been ages because his wife is Sick). And before where there were barriers to their ability to stay nice people while falling in love, they can be in love and be totally conflicted about it. Which is what we want. Yay! Conflict! And all it took was a deadly disease as a plot device.

Or, is that callous? Okay, how about this:

How about a Sick Wife who populates a story to show vulnerability in a traditionally stoic character? Think of the cop who is tough, strong, brave and true, but when his wife gets sick, it takes him out at the knees. He shows up on the job every day, as he has the last X number of years, but now he’s got his wife’s doctors’ appointments, and his kids need him home at night, and so maybe he’s distracted or loses his temper or makes a little mistake or misses a clue here and there. Which is all terrible to wish upon a good cop, but hey, look how it drives the plot forward. And we get a glimpse of the human being behind the gun. He may be stone cold on the job, but we see him touched and worried over someone he loves.

And, again, is that callous? Is giving a character who is usually off-screen a terrible illness to muddy the waters a little too convenient? Sure, in real life, cops’ wives get sick, but is it a fair plot device?

What do you think? Have you written a Sick Wife? Do you care? Are you old school Law & Order where you want your cops to leave their personal issues back home where they belong? Or are you the post-Rey Curtis type, who wants to see how trouble at home impacts the detective on the job?

Tell me about it.
Ramona


Ramona DeFelice Long writes fiction and non-fiction for children and adults and everyone in between. She works as an independent editor, specializing in mystery novels and short stories, and teaches workshops on all aspects of writing. Ramona is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Delaware Literary Connection, the Hillendale Farm Critique Group and is an honorary member of The Written Remains writing group.

Things You Don't Know About Elaine Viets

SinC: Are you superstitious? If so, what would you absolutely not do? (Put a hat on the bed? Put your shoes on the table? Have a bird in your house? Walk under a ladder?) If you’re not superstitious, why not?

EV: I will never talk about something while it's in the works. That's partly caution, but I am sure talking about it will kill it. I worry about jinxes. I also believe deaths come in threes, but maybe that's because I count three and then stop.

SinC: Who’s your favorite Beatle?

EV: Paul. I like that he keeps on going. No, George -- he knew how to live. Wait -- Ringo, the Beatle who keeps on trying. John, well, he was a dope about Yoko, but I liked his music. What the heck, I like them all, living and dead.

SinC: Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show? (Did you watch “Dallas” or “Dynasty”? The soaps? “Real Housewives”? “Jerry Springer”?)

EV: "Cheaters" -- I watch this show with horror while the smug host slyly leads broken-hearted people into attacking their former lovers.

SinC: If you could have anyone over for dinner, who would that be? Why? (You don’t have to cook.)

EV: Good, I hate cooking. I'd invite Barack Obama. How does he survive the pressure and the hatred?

SinC: What’s your biggest fault?

EV: I work too hard.


Award-winning author Elaine Viets writes two best-selling mystery series – the Dead-End Job series (“wry social commentary,” according to Publishers Weekly) and the Josie Marcus mystery shopper series set in St. Louis, Elaine’s hometown. Her most recent offerings include Half-Price Homicide, the ninth title in the Dead-End Job series, and An Uplifting Murder, the sixth title in the Josie Marcus series. You can find more things you don’t know about Elaine at www.elaineviets.com.


Photo courtesy of Elaine Viets.

Congratulations to Sisters in Crime Founding Mother Sara Paretsky

By Cathy Pickens, SinC President

Bouchercon 2010: Sara Paretsky checks in with volunteers from the SinC/Northern California chapter on duty in the conference hospitality suite. From left: Helen Sandoval, Sharon Owen, Chloe Winston and Sara Paretsky. Photo courtesy of Gigi Pandian.

On Thursday, the Mystery Writers of America announced that Sara Paretsky is this year’s MWA Grand Master.

According to the organization’s news release, “MWA's Grand Master Award represents the pinnacle of achievement in mystery writing and was established to acknowledge important contributions to this genre, as well as a body of work that is both significant and of consistent high quality.”

Well, Sara Paretsky has done all of that – written a significant, high-quality body of work AND made important contributions to the mystery genre.

High on the list of those contributions – particularly to anyone reading this blog – is her role as a founding mother of Sisters in Crime.

Paretsky will receive the Grand Master Award at the Edgar Awards Banquet in New York in April. MWA will mark its 65th birthday at the event, making the Grand Master honor even more special. In addition, 2011 will be the year that SinC celebrates the 25th anniversary of its founding.

In 1987, one year after providing the spark that launched Sisters in Crime, Paretsky was named Woman of the Year by MS. magazine. To all of the women crime writers who followed on the many trails she has blazed, however, she’s been the Woman of the Year for many years.

Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski novels helped open the door for women private investigators in crime fiction, and she herself has opened doors – and opened eyes – to the need for more balance in reviews, in advances and in recognition for women writing crime fiction.

In April 2007, by a quirk of fate, I attended a ceremony at Kate’s Mystery Books in Cambridge (owned by Kate Mattes, another SinC founding mother). At the event, Ms. P. accepted a Dove Award on behalf of Sisters in Crime, presented by the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association in recognition of SinC’s strong support of women crime writers.

As goddess/past president Roberta Isleib noted on her blog that week, it was exciting to be in the jammed bookstore with two founding mothers. (Kate Mattes was also in attendance.)

Did they dream in 1986 that, one day, Sisters in Crime would be more than 3,000 members strong and international in scope? I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m sure in their vision for SinC they knew that sisters would help other sisters – and brothers – along the road. (And, for me, that sisterly bond and supporting hand were the things that attracted me to Sisters in Crime not quite 20 years ago.)

Thank you, MWA, for giving SinC sisters and brothers everywhere a wonderful new opportunity to celebrate the glorious network that Sara Paretsky launched nearly 25 years ago.

And congratulations, Ms. P., your Sisters in Crime are celebrating with you – all across the globe.



Cathy Pickens, the national president of Sisters in Crime, serves on the MWA board of directors. She 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.

Six Tips for Getting the Most Out of Conferences

By Barbra Annino

Attending a writer’s conference can literally change your life. You could walk away with a new friend, a new opportunity – or even a new career.

I try to attend at least a couple of conferences each year. Here’s my schedule for 2011:

• Love is Murder, Chicago, February
• Printer’s Row, Chicago, June
• Bouchercon, St. Louis, October

My first conference of the year, Love is Murder, is aimed at writers and readers of mysteries and thrillers, but there are also horror and romance elements – and even non-fiction authors whose books crime writers depend on.

In previous years, I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from Lee Child, Barry Eisler, Tess Gerritsen, Carolyn Haines, J.A. Konrath, and Tom Schreck. A couple of those connections branched into opportunities.

My first year at this conference, I attended a pitch session where I met a publisher who enjoyed my work and invited me to participate in an anthology. That led to more connections.

Which brings me to the meat of the matter: How can you get the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to conferences?

1. Find a conference in your genre.

This is a rule I stick to – although there are some great cross-genre conferences, like the ones the Romance Writers of America (RWA) puts on.

For the most part, for a mystery writer, attending a mystery conference means you’ll meet agents, editors and writers from that genre. You’ll learn from them – and you can build some career bridges.

2. Be prepared.

Finish the book, perfect your pitch, print out some business cards, pack a notebook and pens, bring a recorder, wear comfortable shoes and smile.

3. Attend the panels.

Conferences are filled with fascinating people offering their time and knowledge. Take advantage of this.

I met Tom Schreck on a panel about animals in writing. I have a dog in my books and I found it interesting to see how other writers handle the subject.

Panels also provided the chance to learn some martial arts moves from Barry Eisler, marketing tips from publisher Karen Syed and the writing habits of Tess Gerritsen and Raymond Benson.

4. Mingle.

This is easier said than done. You may feel intimidated. You may be shy. But, really, you just have to get over it.

Grab a glass of wine and chat up some fellow writers. You’ll be glad you did. I’ve made several friends through conferences. And, if there’s one thing I learned, it’s that mystery writers will remember you if you buy them a drink!

5. Make the pitch.

Make a pitch only if your book is complete. If you think you’re ready, attend as many pitch sessions as you possibly can. These can help perfect your pitch. You may also gain valuable advice about your storyline, your query letter and your publishing platform.

6. Be yourself.

Writers are a great group. They like helping other writers. They’re funny. They’re fun. Just be yourself, ask questions, wear comfortable clothes, relax and enjoy the experience!



Barbra Annino is the author of “Opal Fire,” a Stacy Justice gemstone mystery. A Chicago native, she freelances for a variety of publications, writing about health, food and travel.

Swing Shift: Riding with the Riverside Police, Part 2 of 2 parts

by Loni Emmert


This blog entry continues the story of a recent ride-along with the Riverside (CA) Police Department (RPD).


Swing shift, RPD, days later:

During an evening of routine patrol on November 7, 2010, Riverside Police dispatch received a call about a hit-and-run accident.

Near the scene, RPD Officer Ryan Bonaminio attempted to pull over a stolen semi-truck believed to be involved in the crash. The truck didn’t stop, even though Bonaminio had lights and sirens running.

The truck driver eventually stopped in front of Fairmount Park, a location known for gangs and a violent homeless population — a few years earlier, a homeless man entered a nearby residence and stabbed a pregnant mother to death.

The driver exited the truck and ran into the park. Bonaminio called for backup and pursued the driver on foot. Shots were fired. Officer Bonaminio was down.

Other officers arrived to find Bonaminio wounded. Paramedics rushed him to Riverside Community Hospital, only minutes away, but Officer Ryan Bonaminio died from his injuries, just days before his 28th birthday.

Swing shift, RPD, two nights later:

Riverside homicide detectives and police officers, along with FBI agents, arrest the suspect in the killing of Officer Bonaminio.

The news continues to break on this story, even as I type this blog entry, and we learn that the suspect is a parolee with a violent history, who may have killed Bonaminio with his own gun after a struggle occurred.

The suspect's family members had restraining orders against him because he had threatened to kill them after disputes. The suspect lived in a small town adjacent to mine, in an area known for gangs, drugs, prostitution and violence.

Swing shift, RPD, my thoughts:

I first heard the news about Officer Bonaminio as I prepared for work on a Monday morning, the day after he was killed. Startled, I wondered if he was one of the nice cops that I had met as I sat in the break room at the station waiting for Sgt. Rusty.

Rusty and I had patrolled another section of town, but the area where Bonaminio was killed would have been the area that I would have chosen given the chance. I know it well.

My ride-along was exciting, something new and different and observations from the experience fill a lot of pages in my notebook that may translate into fodder for the manuscript I’m currently writing.

For Sgt. Rusty, Officer Bonaminio and all of the other RPD personnel, however, going out on patrol every day is a test of bravery, skill, intelligence and dedication that many of us will never really understand.

I don’t know what goes on during roll call, but I hope a prayer or two is whispered.

[BlogEditor's Note: Information about Officer Ryan Bonaminio can be found in the Riverside Police Department's online press room and in the online edition of the Riverside Press-Enterprise newspaper.]

Loni Emmert is the co-author of Button Hollow Chronicles #1: The Leaf Peeper Murders and the author of Lights! Camera! Murder! A member of Sisters in Crime since 2006, she is currently working on her first thriller.