And now for something completely different …
After writing thirteen mysteries in three series and nearly two dozen short stories, I am embarking on a great new adventure. Pause here for cheers and a few spectacular fireworks. Here’s the news: after all these years writing alone in my jammies and pink fuzzy slippers, I now have a new personality. Totally new. In fact, it’s not mine. In a fabulous turn of events my daughter Victoria and I will be collaborating on an exciting new series as Victoria Abbott for Berkley Prime Crime.
I suppose we could wear our pajamas, but as grown women who live forty-five minutes from each other, one of us will be fully dressed for every meeting.
I think Victoria Maffini is one of the funniest people on the planet and I have really enjoyed her short stories as well as her art work. I know she’s creative. But I wondered how we would work together. What would the process be like? Who would write what? So far, it’s a hilarious process and doesn’t seem at all like work. But will we hit a wall, I wonder.
Here we are in an unposed moment after signing our contract.Do you think you could write with another person? When you read a collaborative effort do you find it seamless or can you tell who wrote what? (We are hoping to fool you, natch)
Mary Jane Maffini is a lapsed librarian, a former mystery bookstore owner and a lifelong lover of mysteries. In addition to the four Charlotte Adams books from Berkley Prime Crime,
she is the author of the Camilla MacPhee series, the Fiona Silk adventures and nearly two dozen short stories. She served two terms as President of Crime Writers of Canada. She loves mysteries of all kinds and is enjoying the surge in Canadian crime (writing).Her latest Charlotte Adams book is Closet Confidential (Berkley Prime Crime). She says she’s grateful for all the tips she gets from Charlotte and for the opportunity to write the series. She lives and plots in Ottawa, Ontario, along with her long-suffering husband and two princessy dachshunds. Visit her at www.maryjanemaffini.com
sensational news, how fortunate the 2 of you get along so well - next up, i expect a book co-authored by you 2 women plus the 2 doggies
ReplyDeletei tried, once, to write a cozy with a good friend - we worked hard at it for nearly 6 months, i visited her in Austin, she came to Tucson, we plotted and planned, then it all fell apart when i realized that she wanted to write every single word, with nothing from me - ps, we're still friends
Congratulations to you both! It should be an interesting process. In a former writing life, I tried it very, very briefly. I think, with the right person (as you two obviously are), it's a very creative process, being able to feed off each other's ideas and energy.
ReplyDeleteI predict success:
ReplyDelete1. Any mother/daughter duo who is looking forward to working together has the right foundation; and
2. Any two women who arrive wearing the same colour combo, but in reverse(not to mention having potted plants to match)are obviously simpatico enough to make a writing team work!
Can't wait to see the results! Susan