CRIME ON MY MIND

Getting ready to say goodbye to 2012!

I know, it's not New Year's Eve yet. But we're getting very close so I thought it would be fitting to look back on the year that's been turbulent in the publishing industry, what with more publishers, distributors, and bookstores closing...but has seen many positives on the output side.

Many Canadian mystery authors have had either another books in a series or a first novel published this year! And from all accounts, the sales are going strong. I won't even begin to mention names as I'd surely leave someone out. But you know who you are...and you, as a reader, know if your favourite author has hit the shelves this year.

So, in a world where changes are keeping folks on their toes, there is the stability of good books to read. And guess what, the coming year looks equally promising! I've seen some catalogues, talked to some authors, and I guarantee that readers will be thrilled with the new mystery lists this coming year.

Also a promising note, the fact that Ottawa's Books on Beechwood was sold and saved from the announced closure in 2013. That's fabulous news for readers and writers alike.

Now, your mission, and I hope you'll agree to it, is to get out there and support stores like Books on Beechwood, the independents that are fewer but stronger and determined to stay alive; support the Canadian mystery authors by buying their books and spreading the word to new readers; and, joining in the dialogue at blogsites like this one, at book events such as readings and signings, and by contacting authors to let them know if you think they've done it right.

We're all in this together...so let's look forward to a New Year that's filled with the promise of marvelous mysteries!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.

CRIME ON MY MIND

I was right!

Forgive me while I gloat. But, I was right in my Monday blog when I said bookstores would survive. How did I know? (a question asked on Facebook) Mostly because I have faith in the power of the book and those who are dedicated to placing them in the hands of readers.

But also, partly because while I was in Victoria, B.C. a couple of weeks ago, I stopped by two large independents in the area to sign books -- Munro's and Bolin's. Both are thriving! They're large, filled with books, and in the case of Bolin's, a wide variety of complimentary items -- and best of all, filled with shoppers. I was told last night that sales figures for the area are among the highest in the country.

What makes it work there? I don't have an answer except, I'm sure it's a combination of those ingredients I mentioned. Along with readers who want traditional books.

The good news closer to home is the last minute reprieve for Books on Beechwood in Ottawa's New Edinburgh community. It was announced this week that someone (some three actually) have purchased the store and it will not be closing, as planned, in January. Yay!!! What great news for the readers and writers in Ottawa.

The next announcement was that After Stonewall, the gay and lesbian bookstore in Ottawa, also scheduled to close, has also been bought and will re-open in the new year with a new vision, which will include an art gallery.

This is a wonderful high to start the holiday season with and it re-inforces my belief that paper books are here to stay! Let's all do what we can to support them and make it a truly wonderful and positive year of the book!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Don't give up on bookstores!

The sad news in Ottawa last week was the impending demise of yet another independent bookstore, Collected Works. The store is up for sale at $1 and if no buyer, or infusion of cash, presents itself before Christmas Eve, the store will close. That’s the third one for this city, this year. Nicholas Hoare closed earlier in the year and our other wonderful indie, Books on Beechwood, will follow suit in January.

A columnist in the morning newspaper seemed to think this was inevitable, what with the electronic world taking over our lives. But, you know what? I don’t agree. I truly believe there will always be a place for bookstores and although the numbers will not be great, those that remain will be serving a faithful clientele, one that could even see growth as this fascination with all things electronic whittles away to the norm and readers look back to the ‘good old days’. Even vinyl LP’s are making a comeback!

Did you turn on your radio this morning? Remember when that new gadget, the television was supposed to obliterate radio? Television was also seen to be the undoing of newspapers, too although they’re still around. I know, many are hurting, some have closed and others are cutting back…sounds like a pattern, doesn’t it? But will they totally disappear? I doubt it. Community newspapers, at the very least, will survive. And I that radio will always be with us. As will bookstores.

Flying home from Victoria the other night, I noticed several passengers continue reading their paper books while others of us had to shut down their e-readers, iPads and smart phones in preparation for landing. It’s those unforeseen advantages that are out there and will aid in the future of books.

I subscribe to the newspapers, have my radio on for much of the day, watch some television at night, read a book on my iPad when traveling, and have stacks of books throughout the house…many of them with bookmarks part way through them. These can co-exist!

So far this morning I have read the newspaper and read a few chapters of a paper book while enjoying my second espresso, before starting to work. And, this past weekend, I bought a book, a manual on how to use my iPad!

Long live the book!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

The shrinking world of publishing.

We've all been concerned over the shrinking world of independent bookstores, with our wonderful Books on Beechwood in Ottawa being the latest scheduled for closure (early in the new year). Also, there's the fact that the book sections in the large Chapters/Indigo chain appear to be shrinking in favour of more gift items...a trend that's been going on for a while now.

We've also heard about bankruptcies of various publishing houses over the past few years. Now there's another reason to be concerned with the news that Random House and the Penguin group, two of the largest publishing houses around, are talking merger.

So what's brought this on? Are they being prudent and looking at the future or are there money concerns for one or both at this point? A merger would certainly take care of that, making one major stronghouse in publishing with a lot of assets attached.

The downside of course, is what happens to the authors? And, the readers? The'A' list authors have no need to fear, I'm sure, but what about the others? Those working hard at making a name for themselves and the resulting sales? And those trying hard to get a toe into the publishing ranks? What will become of them?

Publishing their own e-books, you say? I'm certain that will be the route the majority will take. But I still mourn the inevitable loss of a large variety of authors available in print. And what about the reader? Those who don't have and won't ever own an e-reader? Those who already have favourite authors they're following, who might suddenly not be in print any longer? Less choice cannot be a good thing.

Of course, this may not happen but in this quickly changing world of publishing, we know that the status quo is never a sure thing.

What are your thoughts about it? Is there any way this can be a good thing? Or is it writer -- and reader -- beware?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ and BURIED, coming Dec., 2012, available for pre-order
www.erikachase.com

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Looking For a Bookstore

In my quest to find markets to sell my new book, The Walker on the Cape, I found less than I imagined, much less. Or fewer, really. Bookstores that is. Oh yes I did find Chapters, Indigo, Coles and several minor variations thereof, but independent booksellers and their bookstores are disappearing far more quickly from the landscape of Canadian towns and cities than I imagined. In fact in many places they are non-existent. In my home town of St. John's for example there are absolutely zero independent book stores left.

To me that's shocking news. That a culturally vibrant city of about 150,000 people has no book store but Chapters/Indigo to buy their books. But actually that's not true. They have many more outlets to buy books including drug stores, Canadian Tire and several big box chains. And of course on line. It's hard to get exact numbers on where Canadians are buying their books but a lot of them are not bothering to line up anymore, they just go online and get their books from Chapters.ca or Amazon.

The art of buying and selling books has changed dramatically in the past ten or fifteen years in Canada and around the world and according to the Canadian Booksellers Association about 400 independent bookstores have ceased operation in this period. Many people blame Chapters for this phenomenon and while they are part of the change process they are not necessarily the root cause of the problems.

I actually like most of what Chapters does, especially the re-creation of a library type atmosphere and the ability to browse through thousands of books. Some people even enjoy reading the magazines for free, just don't tell Heather. I don't like a lot of things they do such as only dealing with big publishing companies, charging for anything extra they do to promote the books and some really regressive return policies that will kill even more publishing houses in the short and long term. On balance having a nation-wide distribution system is good for everyone involved.

But I what I really love is the intimacy and warmth of independent and local bookstores. In Ottawa where I live we are fortunate to have a couple of still standing and successful independent bookstore models. Books on Beechwood has been around for over a decade and Jean Barton has achieved her goal of a "good neighbourhood bookstore." It is located on a busy corner and has a coffee shop conveniently located next store. A great place to spend an hour or two browsing and buying and then enjoying your books.

The other model is of course Collected Works on Wellington Street and as anyone who has been there knows it feels more like your living room than a bookstore. It has its own coffee and treats which is always inviting and it is strongly supportive or and supported by the local community. Alas we no longer have the great Prime Crime mystery bookstore but we have enough to show that there is still hope for book buyers and sellers in the Ottawa area.

When it comes right down to it Canada needs big and small bookstores and readers who will support both. Even readers who will only read electronic books or only buy books on-line. Diversity is good as long as we can continue to generate new readers for the products that are being created.

The bottom line is all of this is that it is still (thankfully) possible to write, buy and sell a book in Canada with or without the assistance of major Canadian or international corporations. And the fact that some of us still have a thriving independent book scene is a good and healthy sign for our community. I just wish every community in Canada was so fortunate.

Mike Martin was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of "Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine. The Walker on the Cape is his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Winston Windflower mystery series. It is available in Ottawa at Books on Beechwood and Collected Works, and at Sleuth of Baker Street in Toronto.

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

What to do if you love a book

You may ask, why do anything at all? After all, does any book need a boost from you? Ah. Allow me to climb up on my soapbox. You should do something because that book most likely needs your friendly assistance. These days there are fewer and fewer physical bookstores and consequently not nearly enough places where you can walk in and see an array of books in front of you. We are increasingly using online sources to find books. But first we need to know something about that book in order to find it: the title, the author’s name, some category or key word. It’s not quite the same as checking out shelves and tables in a bookstore.

The books that will automatically flash in front of your face are either the ones that have sold the most or those where the publisher has invested in site advertising.

Even in the larger ‘real’; bookstore, the endcaps and special displays are funded as advertising by publishers. That’s a business decision in a free country.
However, so many other books are shy flowers with three months to be purchased or stripped, cover returned to the publisher and the body of the book in the dumpster. If they happen to be on a bottom shelf because of the vagaries of shelving and number, they may be more like weeds to be trampled. Top shelf isn’t much better from my viewpoint, but of course, I am five feet tall. The whole scenario is enough to make a reader or author feel faint.

Then there’s the fact that print review sources are shrinking. That means more attention for the ‘big books’ that you can’t miss anyway, less for the others. Look for full page reviews of the megasellers and no page reviews for most of the midlist. Too bad, so sad.

Even libraries, long the treasured location for creative and serendipitous browsing, are not immune to this. Many of us, including grouchy little me, use the online catalogue to select titles and dash in to pick up my selection without checking to see what else is available. Of course, they are titles or authors that I already know about.

Plus more and more books don’t even have a physical manifestation: they’re e-books or they’re downloadable audio books. How do you find out about them?

So that’s my point: if you love a book that is not an international bestseller or a major frontlist baby for a huge publisher, then tell people about it. It will feel the love! Here are some things you could consider. They’re all free and most only take a minute!

Tell your reading friends.
Tell your local librarians.
Tell a bookstore owner.
Tell your book club.
Tell strangers on a bus.
Be seen with the book! Read it in the doctor’s waiting room, on a plane, in a slow grocery line. Someone’s bound to ask. But feel free to volunteer the information.


Don’t get out much? No problem!
Tell your Facebook buddies.
Tell your Twitter followers.
Link to a nice review.
Comment on the author’s blog or Facebook page.
Every one of these takes almost no time. A minute. Or a quick flap of the tongue. But in this networked world any one can make a difference.

Have a few more minutes? Write a quick review online or rate the book on an online site or online bookseller. You won’t just be dishing out stars. You’ll be one!

Lastly: Tell the author. Most authors have a website with a contact email. It’s a lonely old world out there and it could get lonelier with all these invisible books, bookstores closing and shrinking book review sections. So give an author a boost! Every author writes with the reader in mind. Without the reader, the story doesn’t matter. If you’re a happy reader, let the person know that their book touched you in some way.



Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three (soon to be three and a half) mystery series and a couple of dozen short stories. Her thirteenth mystery novel, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder, which hit the bookshelves last week, is brimming with names, no two the same.

CRIME ON MY MIND

A Farewell to Borders.

Borders is no more. It has gone through the bankruptcy/receivership/close-down progression and as of today, will have closed the doors of the entire fleet.

This is regrettable for two reasons. Firstly, because of the 10,000 employees who are now out of jobs and as we know, this is not a great time to be on a job hunt. Secondly, it's yet another blow to the publishing industry, one that's taken too many hits over the past few years.

I can't believe it was 40 years ago that Borders started this big box bookstore phenomena. We watched as it grew, Barnes & Noble became its main competitors, and all too many independents were forced to close their doors. Then came Chapters, now Chapters/Indigo and the gift store/bookstore it's morphed into.

In fact, any indies that are still around, on either side of the border, must now re-visit how they sell books. The bottom line is, retail is no place for wimps.

I remember when I owned an indie, a very savvy sales rep predicted as big box bookstores seemed to be taking over the world, that they would peak and then the long slide downhill would begin. And it has. But it's not because the customers began flocking back to the smaller guys. It's because business is business. Either you sell your product and make a profit or your fold.

The thought is that Borders didn't get on the e-book bandwagon quickly or efficiently enough. Who knew? E-books and readers got off to a very slow start although they'd been predicted to be instant best-sellers. Now, they've sparked and are revolutionizing the industry. And leaving many publishers and distributors hurting. And, Borders. Although, Borders.com remains open for business.

But nothing can beat a bookstore with honest-to-goodness paperback and hardbacks on masses of bookshelves. Nothing!

The hope is that the remaining independents will be able to dig in and find creative ways in which to sell books -- I mean the paper kind. I know, I'll always be a customer.

I owned a Kobo Touch for 2 days. The 'touch' factor was driving me nuts, being a person of little patience. So, back it went. Nor did I enjoy reading from the screen which should not have been a surprise, because I truly dislike reading stories on even a computer screen. But I know there are many of you who have embraced this new technology and it's here to stay.

I think it's great we have so many choices, at present anyway. Paper books, e-books. Brick & mortar stores, on-line selling. Take your pick.

The casualties, like Borders, should make us all rush out and buy a book today.

Because even though it was big box, it sold books...and where would we be without books? And bookstores?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

MAYHEM ON MONDAY

Thanks, Mum, for the gift that keeps on giving

I am writing this on Mother’s Day, a day that will begin with the New York Times read in bed and end curled up my bed with the latest book I am reading (Slow Recoil, by C.B. Forrest) and with an interlude on the sofa with an Agatha Christie biography. I am thinking, after twenty-five years, how much I still miss my mother, every day and not just on Monday’s Day. She’s left me plenty of reminders of who she was and the legacy she left.

First of all, she made sure we lived in a reading household. It was tidy and even elegant, but newspapers and books and magazines in various stages of being read were a natural part of our lives. We all read everything in sight and talked about what we were reading.

My brother and I were read to every night as toddlers and knew our way around books before we went to school. We were both adopted children and my mother found a book that explained this to pre-schoolers in a memorable and emotionally satisfying way.

My mother taught me that the library was there for my use and enjoyment and time spent in it was time well-spent. It was the only place I was allowed to walk to on my own. She shared my grief when our Sydney library burnt to the ground when I was eight years old and all 80,000 volumes were lost.

She believed that a trip to the local bookstore could be a pleasure and I remember visits to MacLeod’s to pick up the latest Nancy Drew. She also believed that these books were a good investment and encouraged my aunts to send them as gifts.

She was proud of the fact that I read so much. In retrospect, she probably thought it kept me out of trouble at least some of the time. It’s just as well she didn’t know what I was up to when I wasn’t reading.

She read everything I wrote with the same interest she would give to her latest novel and she loved to laugh. No one appreciated humour in writing more than she did.

She believed in having comfortable places to read around the house and we always had large easy chairs you could curl up in and sofas you could stretch out on. We still do. We had our financial ups and downs but I learned that one can always afford to read and humour is often better than money in the bank.

She accepted reading as an excuse for not doing a lot of things: “Not now, Mum, I’m reading.”

My mother married a man who loved to read too. Come to think of it, so did I! It ran in the family.

Is it any surprise that of her two children one turned out to be a writer and a READ volunteer and the other a publisher?

Thanks, Mum, for everything you did for me, but especially, for encouraging free and happy reading and the joy of laughter. Those are the gifts that keep on giving. I only wish you’d been around long enough to read my books and share a laugh today.

I hope some of you will pop by and tell us what it was like reading in your home.




Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three (soon to be three and a half) mystery series and a couple of dozen short stories. Her thirteenth mystery novel, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder, which hit the bookshelves last month, is brimming with names, no two the same.

MAYHEM ON MONDAY

What to do if you love a book

You may ask, why do anything at all? After all, does any book need a boost from you? Ah. Allow me to climb up on my soapbox. You should do something because that book most likely needs your friendly assistance. These days there are fewer and fewer physical bookstores and consequently not nearly enough places where you can walk in and see an array of books in front of you. We are increasingly using online sources to find books. But first we need to know something about that book in order to find it: the title, the author’s name, some category or key word. It’s not quite the same as checking out shelves and tables in a bookstore.

The books that will automatically flash in front of your face are either the ones that have sold the most or those where the publisher has invested in site advertising.

Even in the larger ‘real’; bookstore, the endcaps and special displays are funded as advertising by publishers. That’s a business decision in a free country.
However, so many other books are shy flowers with three months to be purchased or stripped, cover returned to the publisher and the body of the book in the dumpster. If they happen to be on a bottom shelf because of the vagaries of shelving and number, they may be more like weeds to be trampled. Top shelf isn’t much better from my viewpoint, but of course, I am five feet tall. The whole scenario is enough to make a reader or author feel faint.

Then there’s the fact that print review sources are shrinking. That means more attention for the ‘big books’ that you can’t miss anyway, less for the others. Look for full page reviews of the megasellers and no page reviews for most of the midlist. Too bad, so sad.

Even libraries, long the treasured location for creative and serendipitous browsing, are not immune to this. Many of us, including grouchy little me, use the online catalogue to select titles and dash in to pick up my selection without checking to see what else is available. Of course, they are titles or authors that I already know about.

Plus more and more books don’t even have a physical manifestation: they’re e-books or they’re downloadable audio books. How do you find out about them?

So that’s my point: if you love a book that is not an international bestseller or a major frontlist baby for a huge publisher, then tell people about it. It will feel the love! Here are some things you could consider. They’re all free and most only take a minute!

Tell your reading friends.
Tell your local librarians.
Tell a bookstore owner.
Tell your book club.
Tell strangers on a bus.
Be seen with the book! Read it in the doctor’s waiting room, on a plane, in a slow grocery line. Someone’s bound to ask. But feel free to volunteer the information.


Don’t get out much? No problem!
Tell your Facebook buddies.
Tell your Twitter followers.
Link to a nice review.
Comment on the author’s blog or Facebook page.
Every one of these takes almost no time. A minute. Or a quick flap of the tongue. But in this networked world any one can make a difference.

Have a few more minutes? Write a quick review online or rate the book on an online site or online bookseller. You won’t just be dishing out stars. You’ll be one!

Lastly: Tell the author. Most authors have a website with a contact email. It’s a lonely old world out there and it could get lonelier with all these invisible books, bookstores closing and shrinking book review sections. So give an author a boost! Every author writes with the reader in mind. Without the reader, the story doesn’t matter. If you’re a happy reader, let the person know that their book touched you in some way.

I know that’s true. My latest book hit the shelves this week (last week I was chewing my nails about it!) and I have been grateful for every positive comment since.

This month I’m looking forward to some forthcoming books: Vicki Delany’s Among the Departed and D.J. McIntosh’s The Witch of Babylon. I’ve already given them an advance shout out!


Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three (soon to be three and a half) mystery series and a couple of dozen short stories. Her thirteenth mystery novel, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder, which hit the bookshelves last week, is brimming with names, no two the same.