6.19.14 - On An Interview from SOKY Bookfest

I swear I am not as startled as I look in the stills. (Actually, I think that's my Hermione, oh oh oh I know the answer to that question face.) Whilst at the Southern Kentucky Bookfest in April, I was interviewed by the lovely Barbara Deeb of PBS, and we talked about my political background, character building, and co-writing. Give it a listen.

It was a day of editing, plotting, and housework, yoga and a bike ride, reading and very little new writing. 360 net. I spent the afternoon making major adjustments to a plot thread that needs to disappear, which of course was laden throughout the first 100 pages in snips and snaps. I think I have them all out now, so tomorrow I can sally forth again. I may try for a 10K day tomorrow (or at least a 5K) to jump start things. Who's in with me?

7 Minutes with…Laura Benedict

Ah, Laura Benedict. I could write thousands of words about this girl. I've been a fan for years, since her incredible debut, ISABELLA MOON, then a long weekend conference in Chicago many moons ago cemented for life an already burgeoning friendship. Over the years, she has been editor, confessor, friend, golf partner, cheerleader, and so much more. She's all class and sass, and a very gifted writer.

When I first read BLISS HOUSE, I was floored. The opening page sets the scene so perfectly, captures the voice of the book impeccably, and I knew I was in for a ride. Laura's writing has only improved with time. Always smart, it is now so polished and sophisticated it takes my breath away. BLISS HOUSE is the book of the summer, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I love it so much I'm giving away a copy today - just leave a comment to be entered.

So. On to the interview with my darling friend and sister-in-arms, Laura Benedict. 

___________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Julie London singing Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer’s “Blues In the Night.” It’s a classic, and I love London’s velvety, swinging take on it. (it was followed by Elvis Costello’s “(I Don’t Want to Go To) Chelsea.” Talk about a strange juxtaposition.)

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

I’m coming in on the end of a short story about a woman whose husband has thrown her out of the house because he’s come to believe she’s a murderer. Unlike my novels, it’s a straight crime story and has no supernatural elements.

 What’s your latest book about?

BLISS HOUSE tells the story of Rainey Bliss Adams, who has brought her daughter, Ariel, to live in the Bliss ancestral home in Old Gate, Virginia. While at first the house seems to help Ariel heal from the tragic accident that badly burned her and killed her father, it begins to reveal its true nature and horrific past after Ariel witnesses a spectral scene that results in a very real dead body in Bliss House’s grand front hall. The house has secrets that it—and the residents of Old Gate—are reluctant to reveal. But only their revelations will save Rainey and Ariel. 

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I can’t bear to be tied to my desk all day. It’s one of the reasons I left the corporate world and never looked back. I compose fiction on my laptop, for the most part, and usually park myself on the couch or even in bed (I know. It’s totally decadent!) after everyone is gone from the house in the morning. But I edit my fiction and type blogs, interviews, research questions, etc. on my desktop iMac in the afternoon. I do my plotting and daydreaming in big hardcover spiral journals using a plain old pencil. Never mechanical pencils though. My kids love them, but they seem too fragile, too impermanent for me.

 What was your favorite book as a child?

The Poky Little Puppy was my first favorite. I know he eventually had to fall into line to get dessert, but I secretly loved his rebel nature. I never have been good at respecting authority, even though it meant I was often in trouble. I’m convinced he was ADD, like me. Also, I loved the implication at the end that puppies could read the sign: “NO DESSERTS EVER UNLESS PUPPIES NEVER DIG HOLES UNDER THIS FENCE AGAIN!”

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

“All writers know you must hurry to your work in the morning before being derailed, seduced, entranced by another, irresistible “voice.” –Joyce Carol Oates

I took this quote from her twitter feed. I’m especially attracted to the “All writers know…” admonition, which implies that we’re all as single-minded as she is. I very much wish I were. Perhaps that’s why I find it so motivating.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

If I’m stuck I’ll pop outside for a walk with the dogs, or take a catnap. Either really clean out the cobwebs and let me move on.

What would you like to be remembered for?

My rapier wit. (Subject to opinion, of course!)

I can attest to that! Don't forget to leave a comment for Ms. Benedict to have a chance to win her book - I'll draw a winner Friday evening, so don't delay.

__________

Laura Benedict’s latest dark suspense novel is BLISS HOUSE (Pegasus Crime), praised as “Eerie, seductive, and suspenseful,” by Edgar award-winning author, Meg Gardiner. Laura is also the author of DEVIL’S OVEN, a modern Frankenstein tale, and CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS and ISABELLA MOON, both originally published by Ballantine Books. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, PANK, and numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads (Oceanview), and Slices of Flesh (Dark Moon Books).

A Cincinnati, Ohio, native, Laura grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and claims both as hometowns. She currently lives with her family in the southern wilds of a Midwestern state, surrounded by bobcats, coyotes, and other less picturesque predators.

Visit www.laurabenedict.com to learn more about her and her books.

More about BLISS HOUSE (Coming June 15th, 2014)

Death never did come quietly to Bliss House…

Amidst the lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878 as a country retreat, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Decades of strange occurrences, disappearances and deaths have plagued the house, yet it remains vibrant. And very much alive.

Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey’s husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured.

At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting visions: the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party. Who is the murderer in the midst of this small town? And who killed the woman in Ariel’s visions? But Bliss House is loath to reveal its secrets, as are the good folks of Old Gate.

7 Minutes With... Chuck Driskell

What a treat for me to host my buddy Chuck Driskell here today. Chuck and I started off as pen pals several years ago, and a friendship bloomed. He's a great guy with a fascinating backstory, and even created the coolest piece of art hanging in my office. His thrillers are just that -- thrilling, tight and exciting and fun to read. If you haven't read him yet, I highly recommend his work.

Without further ado, I give you Chuck Driskell!

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up? 

Simple Minds: Book of Brilliant Things

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today? 

Today is a special day!  I finished the final draft of my newest, SEVEN YEARS DEAD.  Now it’s off to the editor.

What’s your latest book about? 

My latest book is TO THE LIONS.  It’s the second book in the Gage Hartline series.  Gage travels to Spain to protect a mob boss’s son in a federal prison.  He soon finds himself double-crossed by another rival syndicate who are backed by a number of crooked government officials.  The book is loaded with action and has one of my favorite antagonists, the leader of Los Leones, Xavier Zambrano.  Oh, for your eagle-eyed readers, there’s actually a JT Ellison mention inside the book.  Nothing like prisoners who dig JT Ellison novels, right?

Where do you write, and what tools do you use? 

I have an office in my house with a big, tattered recliner.  I sit there, pecking away on my Thinkpad in the near-dark, guzzling syrupy coffee as I weave my tall tales.  On weekends, I’ll often find a coffee shop and edit in the afternoon.

What was your favorite book as a child?

THE SHINING by Stephen King

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice? 

Sit down, turn off the Wi-Fi, and just write.  Don’t go back and rewrite, either.  Just write and get that first draft on the paper.  Then, and only then, can the real magic begin.  This is common advice…for a very good reason.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing? 

I follow Ken Follett’s advice.  I was with you, JT, at Thrillerfest when he said to either “kill someone” or “write a raunchy sex scene.”  He was correct.  That gets the words flowing again. 

What would you like to be remembered for? 

If there’s one thing I strive for, it’s to avoid writing the same book again and again.  While I may have limitations as a writer, I work hard to give my readers a fresh story each time.  I hope to be remembered as someone who kept people guessing.

 ______________

Chuck Driskell was a U.S. Army paratrooper. His post-military life has been spent in the advertising business and as a writer where he finds time to create stories with layered plots and flawed, yet sometimes forgivable, characters. Usually set in international locales, his stories are a blend of crime, suspense, and spy genres.  He lives in South Carolina with his wife and two children and is always scheming about his next trip to Europe. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChuckDriskell.

About TO THE LIONS (October 2013)

In Spain, former Green Beret Gage Hartline accepts a risky job inserting him into notorious Berga Prison—a place as sleazy as it is deadly. Charged with protecting the son of a wealthy mobster, Gage is pitted against rival gangs as well as corrupt government officials. He soon finds himself double-crossed by nearly everyone involved, leaving him on his own, fighting to survive. Gage has the training. Gage has the nerve. But will it be enough? 

The second novel in Chuck Driskell's Gage Hartline series, TO THE LIONS uses Driskell's trademark recipe of thrills, suspense, espionage and romance to create a memorable tale that Kirkus Reviews describes as "scorching" and "crisp with innovation". 

7 Minutes with . . . Jennifer Brooks

I'm so delighted to have Jennifer Brooks here today! Jennifer has been my first editor for many years, and she has just released her latest novel, WHISPER OF DARKNESS, a wonderful contemporary romantic suspense that you must add to your reading list. Her first book, NO EVIL LOST, was a winner as well. It's as exciting for me to see her books for sale as it is for her, I think.

Without further ado, I give you my adorable sister from another mister, Jennifer Brooks!

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel). Can I just comment on this? Since we’re talking about writing, it’s too perfect an allegory to let slide—it’s a story within a story: Two old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while meet for dinner, order a bottle of wine; the POV character catches his friend up on what’s been going on in his life, tells her how great she looks; they reminisce about old times, old friends; and then it’s time to go and it’s sad to see the evening end, knowing that it may be years before they see each other again, even though they agree to try to get together more often . . . all within the setting of Joel’s brilliant musical style, varying tempos, killer piano licks. One of my favorites. Sigh.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

The next book! It’s a contemporary romance, a fish out of water tale about a young Chicago attorney, orphaned at a very young age, who finds the key to his past—and his future—on a Texas ranch. I wrote the original manuscript a few years ago, so it really just needs some dusting off and a bit of upgrading/tweaking/polishing. And a new title (to be revealed at a later date).

What’s your latest book about?

WHISPER OF DARKNESS is a romantic suspense about widowed author CJ Moore, who leaves her quiet life in Vermont for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to help a private production company adapt her most cherished book to the silver screen—and the psychotic fan who follows her there, intent on making sure the film is never made. It’s been called Nora Roberts meets Agatha Christie, and it has a bit of everything—intrigue, sex, humor, and a whole lot of tension, both romantic and suspenseful.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

Ten years ago my husband and I were very fortunate to find a house that would accommodate our family of five so that each of us had our own “space”—mine is a 10 by 12 office, full of everything you’d expect a writer’s den to have: bookcases crammed to the hilt with all kinds of books, a couple of filing cabinets, a recliner, and two desks. This is my workshop, and these are my tools. The recliner is my reading space (when the kitten’s not sleeping in it). I use one desk for writing, on my laptop. The other desk has more books, mostly a collection of how-to’s on writing, reference books and such, as well as my CD player and music collection. (I have to have some kind of orchestral music playing while I write, always, or the Muse deserts me.) I generally write in Word, just because it’s been my friend and my crutch for about 25 years, although I do occasionally use Scrivener, which is the coolest program on the planet for getting your thoughts organized.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Oh my goodness I read everything when I was a kid—but my favorites were mysteries, mostly anything Nancy Drew or Agatha Christie. It seems funny to say a ten-year-old’s favorite book was And Then There Were None, but I thought it was the most brilliantly written thing I’d ever read in my life. If we’re going back further than that, my favorite children’s book was probably Ferdinand, the story of the bull who didn’t want to fight matadors but was more content to sit under his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers. Or Angus and the Cat. So precious.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

I think Stephen King came up with the most sound advice I’ve ever heard, even if it is the most simple—“Read a lot. Write a lot.” (I may be paraphrasing, but that was the gist.) I try to do at least a little of both every day, and would encourage other writers to do the same.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

I have to take a break when that happens, and do something that stimulates and recharges my brain. Puzzles—of both the word and jigsaw variety—are my favorite vice. And hidden object games. But I read, too, to keep my finger on the pulse of the creative process. Once my cerebral palate is cleansed, I go back to the writing, and generally spot right away what the problem was in the first place. A very wise friend of mine (I won’t tell you her name, but her initials are J.T.) once said, “Writer’s block is your story’s way of telling you something’s wrong.” (Again, paraphrased.) But I’ve found that staring at the words on the page doesn’t give me the perspective I need to solve the issues.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Having raised my children well. And being the kind of woman that when my feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil said, “Oh crap, she’s up.”

Thanks for being here today, sweetie! Good luck with WHISPER OF DARKNESS!

________

Jennifer Brooks was born in Tucson, Arizona, the “quintessential Air Force brat” of a USAF fighter pilot and a stay-at-home mom who to this day is never seen without a book in her hand. An insatiable reader with an overactive imagination, Jennifer’s passion for literature manifested itself early in her youth, and she discovered her talent for writing during high school. In a career spanning 20+ years, Jennifer has written, edited and/or published a fairly lengthy list of books, novellas, short stories, essays, articles, interviews, and book and movie reviews, covering a wide range of genres, authors and topics in both the fiction and non-fiction realms.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. After a brief stint as a paralegal, she began working in the healthcare field and has now been there for almost 25 years. A bona fide Yankee transplanted to the South, she lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and a small menagerie of cats and dogs. They have three adult children.

About WHISPER OF DARKNESS: Acclaimed mystery author CJ Moore has strayed out of her regular genre and written a gripping love story based loosely on her own life. After six years, CJ is still grieving the loss of her husband, and unlike her novel’s heroine, she has yet to find someone to mend her shattered heart. Now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars wants to turn her most cherished book into a blockbuster film, and their whirlwind romance is at the heart of the deal.

Unfortunately, CJ has an overzealous fan who believes they are ruining her story, and his obsession drives him to eliminate those he feels responsible. When heartbreaking truths from the past come to light, CJ’s emotional strength is pushed to its limits—until she learns to let go of the past, embrace the present, and find her happily ever after in the most unexpected of places.

7 Minutes With... Allison Brennan

I am so thrilled to have my dear friend, mentor extraordinaire, and wonderful NYT bestselling author Allison Brennan here today for a special 7 Minutes With... interview. Her new book, NOTORIOUS, the first in a new series starring Max Revere, comes out tomorrow. I can't say enough good things about this book - you simply must buy it, right now.

Allison and I have known each other for years - she was the first person I met at the very first Thrillerfest, and the friendship stuck. In all things, when I'm trying to make decisions, I ask myself - WWAD? She's a brilliant author, mother of five, a word churning burning chick who is one of the most selfless people in crime fiction. If you haven't read her yet, you're in for a treat. And if you have - NOTORIOUS will knock your socks off.

Here's a quick interview to help you get to know her better.  

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?


Time that Remains by Three Days Grace

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

What am I not working on? I have a book due this week (Max Revere #2), I have page proofs due next week, and a book out tomorrow. So … a little of everything!

What’s your latest book about?

I hate talking about my books, let’s talk about yours … WOW is all I can say about WHEN SHADOWS FALL. How do you write every book better than the last?

[Blush - stop that.]

Oh, wait, this is my interview. Okay … NOTORIOUS is the first book in a new series starring investigative crime reporter Maxine Revere. Max goes home to wealthy Atherton, California for a funeral and ends up investigating two cold cases – the five month old case of a murdered architect at her alma mater, and the thirteen year old case of her murdered best friend. Max is totally different than my other heroine’s – she’s not in law enforcement, breaks rules, has an attitude, is opinionated and arrogant but hates bullshit and has a heart of compassion. As long as she doesn’t catch you in a lie.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

Most of the time, I write on my iMac in my office. Sometimes, when I’m stuck, I need a change of scenery and take my MacBook to Starbucks. Or a bar. Depends on the time of day … and my mood!

What was your favorite book as a child?


You ask hard questions. How young? I don’t remember most things before I was 5. When I was 8 I discovered my first favorite book series – Trixie Belden. I still have all the books.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

RUE: Resist the Urge to Explain. I tend to over-explain. It also fits my second favorite bit of writing advice: Resist the Urge to Edit. When I start editing before I’m done with the book, I tend to have time management problems.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

Change writing locations (like go to Starbucks); watch television; play video games. Something relatively mindless so I can empty my head for awhile. Usually after an hour I uncover the fundamental problem with the scene.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Being kind.

[That will not be a problem.]

Thank you for joining us today!

Photo Credit - Britton Dodd

Allison Brennan is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 books and numerous short stories. Visit her website here.

Here's a bit about NOTORIOUS on sale March 25, 2014:

Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.



When Max was a high school senior, one of her best friends was strangled and another, Kevin O’Neal, accused of the crime. To the disgrace of her wealthy family, Max stood by her friend, until she found out he lied about his alibi. Though his guilt was never proven, their relationship crumbled from the strain of too many secrets.



Now Max is home for Kevin’s funeral—after years of drug abuse, he committed suicide. She’s finally prepared to come to terms with the loss of his friendship, but she’s not prepared for Kevin’s sister to stubbornly insist that he didn’t kill himself. Or for an elderly couple to accost her at the airport, begging her to look into another murder at Max’s old high school. Max is more interested in the cold case at her alma mater than in digging around Kevin’s troubled life, but she agrees to do both. As Max uncovers dark secrets, she finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies that hit far too close to home. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that someone will do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.