Writing Update

 Here are a few quick notes about my current writing projects:

I'm still waiting to hear back from my cover artist regarding the cover for my cozy mystery Restaurants and Revenge, the sequel to Murder at Magic Lake. It's been about six weeks, so it might be time to follow up with them. I've got about 30,000 words written for Book Three in the series, which will be titled Bubble Tea and a Body. However, I haven't had much time to work on that lately, since I've returned to my Season Avatars world and started a couple of unrelated short stories to boot. 

Although I finished the main story in the Season Avatars series regarding Chaos Season, a magical weather storm that mixes up the seasons, I still love my heroines and want to spend more time with them. I also want to explore the implications of the series ending and let the world modernize somewhat. So I want to write a spin-off series called World Avatars, which will allow me to introduce new characters and revisit old ones. I have a sense of the main events, but I have to decide how many books they will need and how to plot each book as a stand-alone story and part of the overall series. Although I don't have much time to write on my lunch break, I use the time to jot down notes for the series.The first book will be titled Avatars Abroad and will feature a quartet of mostly new characters exploring the country next door. Before I publish that, I'll need to publish another short story collection, The Season Between, set between the two main series. Ideally, I'd like to publish Restaurants and Revenge first before working on the collection.

As for the short stories, they're "for the love" projects, so I only work on them after I've written at least 500 words on Avatars Abroad. Hopefully when they're done, I can return to Bubble Tea and a Body. Two is probably the maximum number of projects I can write at once, especially when I'm juggling so many other things (work, parenting, daily chores, etc.). I definitely keep busy!

What projects are you working on? Feel free to share in the comments.

Writing Recap

It's hard to believe this is the last post for February 2023. The days may be long sometimes, but the years get shorter and shorter as one gets older. Since it's the end of the month, here's a quick recap on my writing projects.

I recently had rejections on two short stories. One I'm going to hold for possible inclusion in my The Season Between collection, which will be set in my fantasy Season Avatars universe. The other one has already been submitted to several markets (I haven't kept good records regarding its submission history), so I'll probably keep it on the back burner until I see another potential market for it. I still have two more stories out for consideration, but I don't like to say much about submitted stories for fear I'll jinx them.

Speaking of short stories, I'm working on another solarpunk story for an upcoming annual contest; the current working title is "Inside, Outside." I recently finished the first draft, which is about 4,700 words. I haven't been completely satisfied with previous submissions to this contest, so I've started working on it earlier, before the submission window opens. That gives me more time to revise it. (I'm not the kind of person who can bang out a short story every week; I need several drafts to make it worth reading.) 

I've also managed to resolve a subplot in Restaurants and Revenge, so hopefully after a few more tweaks, I'll be done with the major edits. Then I can work on line edits and maybe order the cover art.

Once I finish these current projects, I want to return to The Season Between collection and finish editing the stories (and deciding how many to include). I also need to go back to writing the first draft of Bubble Tea and a Body, the next book in my cozy mystery series.

An author's work is never done, so I guess it's time to get back to it. I'll be back next week with another IWSG post.

2023 Writing Projects

There are three main projects I'd like to complete and publish in 2023: The Season Between, a short story collection set in my Season Avatars universe after Summon the Seasons (it's meant to transition into a sequel or spinoff series, though right now it focuses more on what other issues the Season Avatars face); and the next two books in my Abigail Ritter cozy mystery series: Restaurants and Revenge and Bubble Tea and a Body. Here's a summary of where I'm at with each project.

The Season Between: I want to have at least one short story featuring each of my four Avatars. I have rough drafts for Gwen, Ysabel, and Kay, but Jenna's story has been giving me issues. I originally wanted to show her on a trip to a different country, but the story spiraled out of control, with no good way to resolve the conflict. So I've shifted the conflict back to Challen and made the problem about more than magic. Hopefully this will allow me to finish the rough draft of this story this month. I can then revise the other stories and decide if I want to add any others.

Restaurants and Revenge: This is the second book in my cozy mystery series. The first draft is complete, and it's been revised. However, I've been trying to work in a subplot that will allow me to add more touches of Filipino culture to the book, and it's hard to add something when the story is complete as it is. I think I've figured out where to add a couple of scenes; the problem is finding the time to work on this project. Revising can be harder (and take longer) than drafting.

Bubble Tea and a Body: This is the third book in the cozy mystery series. I'm about 30,000 words into the first draft. I have a sense of where I'm going with it (at least in the short term), and want to return to it when I'm done drafting Jenna's story.

Part of the reason it's taken me so long to finish these projects is because I've been distracted by writing short stories. I currently have three out for consideration, though at least two of those stories face long odds. I might work on another solarpunk story for another contest (or solarpunk magazine), but hopefully I'll finish what I'm working on before I take on too many other projects.

What are you planning to work on this year, writing or otherwise? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: In Praise of Cozy Mysteries

Another month begins and brings with it the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about the IWSG on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

 

Our hosts for this month are Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox.

 

Our question for this month is simple: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?

 

I'm going to use cozy mysteries for this answer since it's a niche genre. (The link provides a description of the genre if you're not familiar with it.) Cozy mysteries are rich in settings and descriptions. They can make me feel familiar with a place I've never been in real life. They can be educational and inspirational when it comes to hobbies; I've been inspired to try knitting after reading so much about it, though sadly I've made almost no headway with it. (Some books also feature recipes or craft patterns.) They can be funny and full of charm and quirks. They are also feminist, showing women as competent in their jobs/hobbies and in using intellect/social observation to solve mysteries. (I do feel obligated to point out that the heroines of cozy mysteries tend to be white, heterosexual, and middle-class, so the genre could use more diversity.) Women are often shown as working with other women and developing relationships with their communities, which is a healing message. Cozy mysteries are emotional balms that offer me respite from daily life and other, bigger issues. 

What's the best thing about your favorite genre? Feel free to share in the comments.

 

 

 

IWSG: Who Do You Write For?

How is it August already? It feels like July just started, but I've already started preparing for my son's return to school. (Of course, I normally start preparing for that as soon as school lets out.) Anyway, it's also time to prepare for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about the IWSG on their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Our co-hosts this month are Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!

 

Here's our question for August: When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

I have to be honest: part of the reason I write is because I can't always find the stories I want to read. The tropes that appeal to many readers don't always appeal to me. (For example, I personally don't care about physically attractive romantic interests who are controlling jerks. Once they make a poor first impression on me, they have a hard time winning me over. I prefer more equal relationships where the two people engage in banter.) However, I think whenever you write in a particular genre, you do need to meet certain criteria if you want to avoid reader rejection. For example, romances require a Happily Ever After or at least a Happy For Now ending. Genres like fantasy and science fiction certainly have their share of tropes, but originality has a place there. For example, the growing interest in genres like hopepunk and solarpunk show that many people are looking for stories that offer solutions to the problem of climate change, even if these solutions require changes in our way of thinking. Cozy mysteries do seem to have a more defined set of reader expectations: it's not just the mystery aspect, but there are also certain conventions about the setting, characters, and implied lifestyle that readers expect. I am trying to adhere a bit closer to genre conventions with my cozy mystery, but there are places within those parameters that offer me a chance to tell my version of these stories.

In general, I think most readers want to read the same types of stories many times. (I'm going through a similar phase in that I want to read cozy mysteries more than anything else.) They can offer comfort and predictability in an uncomfortable and unpredictable world. However, it takes something original to deal with an unpredictable world, and we all need to shake up our routines occasionally to change up our thinking. There's a need for writing original works and also for those that meet reader desires. Whenever someone offers you a dichotomy, seek a balanced, third way instead.

Where do you stand on the spectrum? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
 

Mid-Month Mysteries: Birthday Parties

 Since my birthday falls in April, I thought it would be fun this month to look at cozy mysteries set at birthday parties. Here are a few that I found with a quick search. I haven't read any of these yet, so it looks like my TBR pile is going to grow again.

Birthdays Can Be Deadly is the first book in Cindy Bell's Sage Gardens Cozy Mystery series. It's set in a retirement village, where the guest of honor at a birthday party falls dead. Three members of the community join forces to figure out who did it.

Another birthday party ends in tragedy in Berries and Birthdays: A Cozy Murder Mystery. This is part of Leena Clover's Pelican Cove Cozy Mystery series. (The series actually starts with Strawberries and Strangers.) The victim just turned 100, and the mystery in this book is apparently generations old.

In Birthday Party Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie Meier, there are actually two parties being planned: one for a ninety-year-old former librarian, and one for a fourteen-year-old girl. The death happens during the planning stage, but Lucy must solve the murder before the librarian is targeted. This book is the ninth in the series, which starts with Mistletoe Murder.

Finally, Isis Crawford offers up recipes and a mystery in A Catered Birthday Party (A Mystery with Recipes), Book 6 in the A Mystery with Recipes series. (The series starter is A Catered Murder.) In this book, the birthday party is for a dog, but it's the owner who pays the ultimate price and the caterers who have to sniff out the criminal.

Here's hoping the next birthday party you attend doesn't end with someone facedown in the cake!

March Writing Update

 I've worked on multiple projects this month:

Restaurants and Revenge: This one (the second book in my cozy mystery series) is still in revision. I was stuck on a particular scene, and there were some other things I wanted to change. I think I've figured out what I want to do, but it will mean going back earlier into the story to make changes.

Bubble Tea and a Body: This will be book three in my cozy mystery series. The word count is a little over 17,000 on the first draft. However, the victim died in time and manner I hadn't planned for, and I still haven't decided who the murderer is from my list of suspects. I guess no matter how hard I try to plan, I end up pantsing.

The Season Between: I've decided to link the short stories in this collection as stories being told to a journalist interested in the Season Avatars, who are telling her about events that took place after Summon the Seasons. This would be considered a composite novel or a novel-in-stories, and it's something I haven't tried before. I've already written the first scene with the journalist and Gwen. I've been stuck on Jenna's contribution for a while, as I didn't like what I've drafted. I've outlined a new plot for her story, but as I've noted earlier, planning my fiction isn't my forte. At least it's good to be writing in this world again.

How's your writing going this month? Feel free to share in the comments.

Getting Together with Writers

I'm currently reading a cozy mystery series that features a writer's retreat. The main character is an author who hosts week-long writer's retreats in her Victorian house each month. I have to admit the premise sounds idyllic, particularly when you include all the treats the main character's best friend bakes for the retreat (though I imagine the writers gain a lot of weight over the week!). I also like the idea of being able to hang out with other writers and talk about craft. 

I've attended a couple of cons virtually over the last couple of years, but it's been a while since I've hung out with other writers. That's part of the reason I plan to join Sisters in Crime this year. I'm still pretty new to the cozy mystery genre and would like to learn more about it, and networking with other authors would also be helpful. I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to attend either WisCon or ChiCon this year, though I do particularly miss WisCon. (Some of the friends I used to see there every year no longer attend, so some of the vibe is gone for me. I also don't feel the writing panels have so much to offer me any more, though there are plenty of other interesting panels there every year.) I should also check to see if there are any regular writer chats on Discord or Zoom that I could join.

I've never actually gone on a writer's retreat; sometimes, it's difficult enough just finding the time/motivation to leave the house and write at the library or coffee shop. Perhaps once my son is a little more independent (he'll be old enough to get his driver's license next year), I'll be able to go somewhere for a weekend. Even if I get a hotel or B&B for the weekend, the change of scenery might be helpful. I'd be disappointed in myself if I wasn't able to be productive on a retreat, though I suppose it would depend on how much preparation I did ahead of time. It probably would helpful to schedule a balance between writing and doing other things.

How often do you get together with other writers? Do you do so in person or online? If you've attended a writer's retreat, was it helpful? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Writing Update

 Here's a quick update on my current projects: 

Restaurants and Revenge: After changing my mind a couple of times about who committed the murder and how, I think I finally figured out who, how, and why. Now it's time to revise.

Bubble Tea and a Body: This will be the third book in my cozy mystery series. I've written about 14,000 words so far. The murder happened in a way I didn't plan for, so now I have to rethink how my heroine will investigate.

The Season Between: I haven't made any progress on this short story collection.

Other Writing Projects: I started a flash fiction story, but I need to get back to it. I've also been seeing several open markets listed on a Facebook group I belong to, so I should see if I have any trunked stories that might be a good fit.

What are you working on these days? Are you drafting or revising? Feel free to share your progress in the comments.

Reading/Writing Update

 I decided to make my blog post this week about my reading and writing progress so far this month:

Reading: My goal for this year is another 150 books. As of Sunday afternoon (when I'm writing this book), I've read eight. The non-fiction books I'm reading are pretty hefty, so they take a lot of time. Once I finish Plagues Upon the Earth: Disease and the Course of Human History, I should be able to catch up.

Writing: I've written about 9,000 words of my third cozy mystery, Bubble Tea and a Body. I'd like to get at least 10,000 done this month. However, my plans for this mystery have already gone off course. (I intended to have the victim die one way, but when I reached a certain point in the story, my instincts told me my heroine should find the victim already dead.) I'm debating whether I want to discard some of what I wrote to have the death happen the way I originally intended. Alternatively, I can use that type of death elsewhere in the series.

Regarding the Season Avatars series, I have a rough draft of Ysabel's short story written, but while I have some ideas about Kay's story, I haven't decided on the focus yet.

Revising: I have two projects that need revision: Gwen's short story "To Heal the Healer" and Restaurants and Revenge, the second cozy mystery in the Abigail Ritter series. I've read Gwen's story all the way through, but I still need to finish reading all of RaR. The first part of the book seems fairly solid so far, but I had issues with the second half. It's hard sometimes to find the time to write new words and revise old ones on the same day.

So that's what I've been up to the last few weeks. How about you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Mid-Month Mysteries: Excerpt from Restaurants and Revenge

For 2022, I thought I'd try different formats for this series. Perhaps in the next couple of months, I'll schedule interviews or guest posts from other cozy mystery authors. Today, I'll share with you the opening scene of Restaurants and Revenge, Book Two in the Abigail Ritter Cozy Mystery series. This scene may change since I still have to revise, edit, and proofread the book. I hope you enjoy what I have so far!

“Another day, another delectable drink created by Abigail Ritter, owner of the finest restaurant in Magic Lake!” I declared to Sherlock. “How does that sound?”

Sherlock, the crocheted fox I’d found in my grandmother’s apartment, was a stand-in for a camera audience. Someday I planned to post YouTube videos to bring customers to Isabella’s, my bubble tea restaurant named after my late grandmother. But before I felt brave enough to do that, I wanted to gain some experience recording myself. Sherlock, always willing to play with my phone, acted as both cameraman and critic.

Sherlock tapped the phone with a pencil held between his front paws. “Could be punchier,” he said. “How comfortable do you feel about talking and using a knife at the same time?”

I looked down at my fingers. I was still experimenting with drink recipes, but I was sure I didn’t want to add a super-personal touch like my own flesh to them.

“I’ll just take it nice and slow.” I smiled for my audience. “Today, I’m going to make a Citrus Delight. It’s going to have oranges, lemons, basil, sugar, and a couple of other key ingredients that will make this the most refreshing drink you could have on a hot summer day. So, let’s get to it.”

I already had all my tools—measuring cups and spoons, citrus squeezer, and, most importantly, the wooden spoon I’d use for stirring my creation—spread out around my cutting board. The fruit was in a mixing bowl I’d borrowed from my mom’s kitchen. I grabbed an orange and sliced it into quarters with a knife I’d found in this kitchen. After scrubbing and sharpening it, it sliced through the orange like the fruit was paper. Then I squeezed out the juice. The orange quarters didn’t quite fit into the squeezer, but I managed to get most of into the measuring cup. I grinned. Compared to what I’d seen chefs on TV do, this was so easy. I should have left my old job and opened my own restaurant a long time ago.

Sherlock held up a paw. That meant the recording was already at a minute. I couldn’t expect people to watch me all day. I had to hurry this up.

Rather than slice and squeeze each fruit individually, I chopped up the next couple of oranges. As I grabbed the second one, my grip found a soft spot. The sweet scent of orange soured. Sherlock sat up, muzzle in the air. He must have noticed something wasn’t right. I glanced down at the pieces. The insides of the oranges all looked the same. I could stop the recording and try to figure out which section had gone bad, or just keep working and hope it would be diluted out when I added the rest of the ingredients.

It’ll be fine once I add the sugar, I thought as I extracted more juice. It was just a small bad spot. It won’t make the entire drink bad. Besides, the Magic Spoon will fix it. The spoon had been carved from Magic Island wood and was supposed to make my bubble tea shop a success.

I added some lemon juice, fresh chopped basil, sugar, then diluted it with sparkling water and mixed everything with the Magic Spoon. The color was a cheery yellow-orange with green basil bits, though slightly pale. I poured the drink into a glass of ice. All I could smell now was the basil. If I’d gotten the proportions right, the herb should complement the citrus without overpowering it. I took a sip. There was the basil, the lemon, the orange, the sugar—and then a foul aftertaste that made me run to the sink and spit my drink out. I grabbed the sparkling water and chugged it down, but the taste lingered in my mouth.

Sherlock hopped down from the shelf with my phone to the kitchen island. He prodded through the discarded peels and flipped one over. The outer part of the orange was grey-white.

Apparently even the Magic Spoon couldn’t fix a rotten orange. I raced for the bathroom, hoping that getting sick now would keep me from being really sick later.

2021 in Review: Writing

 With the end of another year in sight, I thought I'd take a few minutes to reflect on my writing this year.

A writing career can be like an iceberg; there's more underneath the surface than you might expect. I published one cozy mystery novel this fall and sold one short story, which will be published online next month. Besides that, I wrote the first draft of a second cozy mystery and a couple other short stories. I did submit my short stories to a few markets, but most of them were rejected. At least I can submit them elsewhere if I find a suitable market or save them for another short story collection. Speaking of short stories, I'm currently drafting a series of short stories featuring my heroines from the Season Avatars universe. There will be one each from Gwen's, Jenna's, Ysabel's, and Kay's point of view. Gwen's story is drafted, but I've been having trouble with Jenna's story. I've decided to skip it for now and moved on to Ysabel's story. It would be nice if I finish the first draft before the end of the year.

As for my plans for 2022, I plan to start revising Restaurants and Revenge, my second cozy mystery. The first half isn't too bad, but the second part is all over the place. Hopefully I can publish it in the first half of the year. However, I also plan to start Book Three, Bubble Tea and a Body, once I finish some initial planning. Somewhere in there I want to finish my Season Avatars collection, which will act as a bridge to a spin-off series. I think trying to write two series in two different genres will keep me busy enough without adding in other projects. However, if an anthology interests me enough, I might write something for it anyway.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Next week, I'll review my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2021.

Mid-Month Mysteries: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving sometimes seems to get lost between Halloween and Christmas. Fortunately, you can still find enough Thanksgiving-themed cozy mysteries to read until your eyeballs are stuffed. Here are a few books that look interesting to me, though I haven't read them yet. It looks like they're all part of series.

Gobble, Gobble Murder by Leslie Meier actually contains two mysteries about Thanksgiving. There's references to several holiday traditions, including a turkey trot.

Thanksgiving in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth has a vegan pumpkin pie, a woman trying to feed the homeless, and two cats.

Drizzled with Death by Jessie Crockett includes a different type of tradition--a pre-Thanksgiving pancake eating contest along with a lot of puns in the blurb.

Black Thursday by Linda Joffe Hull focuses on another holiday tradition--shopping. 

Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies by Kathi Daley deals with a houseful of guests.

Finally, if you need incentive to avoid dessert, A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette deals death by pie.

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is visiting Kristkindlmarkt in Chicago with my family. Feel free to share yours in the comments.

 

Mid-Month Mysteries: Season of the Witch

 

 

October may be the traditional season of the witch, but witches are popular in cozy mysteries all year around. Typically, the heroine finds out about her witchy powers in the first book of the series and will learn more as the series progresses. Although she may use magic to find clues, it may not be used to help her find the final clue. However, it may be used in her confrontation with the killer. Some witches may use traditional types of magic with potions, wands, and spells. Others may be specialized (such as water witchery) or unique (something related to the witch's hobby or occupation. Here are just a few of my favorite cozy mysteries featuring witches.

 

Nancy Warren writes three series featuring witches. They include The Vampire Knitting Club (the heroine runs a yarn shop in Oxford where vampires meet to knit), The Vampire Book Club (the heroine runs a bookstore in a small Irish town where vampires meet), and The Great Witches Baking Show (the heroine is a contestant on an English baking show). The heroine in the Vampire Book Club series is middle-aged, experienced at witchcraft, and in trouble with other witches for misusing her magic. The other two heroines fit the pattern I mentioned.

 

Witches and baking (or sweets) seem to be a favorite combination in cozy mysteries. Erin Johnson has written a series called Spells and Caramels about a woman from our world discovering she's a witch in another one. H. Y. Hanna writes the Bewitched by Chocolate series about a witch whose magic works on chocolate. Rosie Pease's heroine uses her baking magic to bring couples together in Cookies and Curses.

 

Witch powers tend to run in families, which is why the heroine may have to help other witches. For examples, see Witchy Reservations or The Undercover Witch. Witches may interact with other magical beings, as in the Magical Renaissance Faire series.

I like reading cozy mysteries with witches because they mix fantasy into an otherwise realistic genre. If you like witchy mysteries, what do you like about them? Feel free to share in the comments.

 

 

Excerpt from Murder at Magic Lake

To celebrate the release of Murder at Magic Lake today, I'm going to share a short excerpt with you. This is about a third of the way through the book and shows the main character, Abigail, properly meeting her sidekick, Sherlock:

* * *

Grandma preferred to visit other people instead of inviting them over. As I scanned her living room, I could see why. This apartment appeared larger than Sandy’s, but it was cluttered. Stacks of magazines filled the chairs. Suits and dresses that had been fashionable before I was born hung on a stand on wheels. Bins of yarn balls in all sorts of colors surrounded her recliner. Scattered about were various handmade blankets, hats, and even tiny creatures like bears and dogs. While there was plenty of cover for an intruder to hide behind, I couldn’t see how anyone could squeeze behind Grandma’s things in the first place.

“Hello?” I called. Smart one, Abigail. Let the murderer know you’re here. Maybe the call for help I’d heard earlier was a trap. The murderer could be hiding in the kitchen or bedroom, waiting for me to come closer.

“Over here!” the voice called. It sounded like it was coming from the area around the recliner.

I looked around for something I could use as a weapon. The best thing I could find was an umbrella. Good for both jabbing someone and whacking him or her over the head. Was that bad luck?

Holding the umbrella above my head, I advanced on the recliner. The empty recliner. Maybe I’d just heard the TV. I checked it, but it was off.

The yipping came from under the TV remote, which had pinned a little fox made from yarn. Grandma kept it on a high shelf on the other side of the room; how had it gotten down here? The detail on the fox was exquisite. He had tiny beads for eyes and threads for whiskers. His ears were tipped with black, and his tiny white paws had claws stitched in the same color. White accented his muzzle and the tip of his tail. It couldn’t have been a more perfect rendition of a fox if someone had taken a live creature and shrunk it down.

It waved its paws, trying to free itself.

I let out a cry and dropped the umbrella. The fox froze, its paws stuck at odd angles. Then it slowly turned to stare at me. 

 

* * *

 

Murder at Magic Lake will be available at a special introductory price of  $0.99 through September 22nd. It's available in eBook and paper from Amazon and eBook on Google Play, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Apple.