WICKED WEDNESDAYS

I love my book club. And I expect if you're like most of the women I know, you love your book club too.

What's not to love? Here we have a group of women who enjoy reading, researching and discussing books. All kinds of books. One year my club read only Orange Prize winners. Another year we concentrated on mystery and spy novels. Still another we read exclusively from the European renaissance period.

I first met the women in my book club fifteen years ago when I was invited to speak about Canadian crime novels at one of their meetings. When, at the end of the meeting, they invited me to join the club, I jumped at the chance. How could I not? Here was a group of intelligent, articulate and intensely curious women. These gals question every assumption and it's made for some fine and heated arguments over the years. We’re mostly retired now, former teachers, a CBC executive, a librarian and a senior public servant. Without the tyranny of day jobs, we can get together in the afternoon over a cup of tea and fancy cakes. But being retired doesn't mean the discussion or arguments are any less intense. The hostess often prepares handouts and a list of questions and God help anyone who hasn’t read the book.

We've been through a lot together, my book club and I. We've lost members to cancer and heart disease and supported one another through family tragedies. These women turned up in force for my launch of Locked Up, and they bought dozens of books to give away as gifts.

One curious thing about book clubs is that they're almost always the domain of women. I wonder why more retired men don't join or form book clubs. Maybe they do, only they call them something else. My husband has a group of friends who meet for lunch once a month and call themselves The Gentlemen's Lunch. When I ask what they talk about, he says, "Oh, books mainly." But when I suggest it might be a book club, he looks horrified. Book clubs apparently, are only for women.



Sue Pike has published a couple of dozen stories and won several awards including an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Crime Story. Her latest, Where the Snow Lay Dinted appeared in the January issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Sue and her husband and an opinionated Australian Shepherd named Cooper spend the winter months in Ottawa and the rest of the time at a mysterious cottage on the Rideau Lakes.

CRIME ON MY MIND

Let's hear it for Book Clubs!

Ottawa is a city that's blessed with, what it seems, book clubs in every neighbourhood. They meet in homes, in libraries, in bookstores, at community centres, even in pubs. Most meet monthly, with summer's off.

There are book clubs focused on mainstream novels, on books in general, and of course, on mysteries.

There are several mystery book clubs actively reading, dissecting, and enjoying all types of mysteries, many inviting local authors to speak to them when it's one of their books being read. And, it's becoming easier to slip the odd mystery title into the year's reading list for the others.

The format in each club is as different as the people involved. Some share ideas and opinions after reading the selection, at the meeting, often resulting in lively discussions. Some clubs have a member doing a presentation on the chosen book but of course, all must have read it in order to contribute to the talk. Some meet in the mornings, afternoons or evenings. My book club even includes a "spa weekend" in the mix...and the talk and laughter never ends.

Of course, a major part of most book clubs is the food (and wine). As much thought goes into this as into choosing each title. And so it should be, because a good read and good food go so well together.

You may wonder why I'm thinking of book clubs today (or maybe you're not wondering). It's because my nameless book club, which has been in operation for maybe 15 years now -- always nameless -- is now searching for a name. We've been having fun brainstorming by email with everything from the Happy Booker to Wine, Women & Words to Brazen Bookaholics being tossed around. No decision has as yet been made but stay tuned for developing news!

In the meantime I propose we raise a glass in toast of our wonderful array of book clubs, be they mystery readers or not. (We'll convince them all at some point to come over to the dark side.) Authors thrive because of them...and of course, we're all readers.

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

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

What I really like about book clubs are the lists. I belong to two clubs and I get lists for several more. These lists provide me with a jumping off point to decide what to read. I go online to look at the reviews and then download whichever one strikes my fancy.

Book clubs themselves vary as greatly as their members. Some are an excuse for a get-together with the members paying only perfunctory attention to the book. Others have each member choose a book, do appropriate research and lead the discussion. A third charge members to attend and hire an ‘expert’ to discuss the book.

I like the ones that provide refreshments but not all do.

Recently I checked out next year’s list for one of the ‘pay to hear the experts’ clubs and went through the list. At the moment I’m not keen on coming of age novels, maybe since it’s so long since I came of age so I relegated two to the ‘maybe some day’ pile.

Instead, I chose Penelope Lively’s, How It All Began, in which events hinge on the repercussions in many people’s lives when a mugger knocks over an elderly woman and she breaks her leg. Occasionally the narrator inserts her own comments on events as they evolve. I found these interjections jarring and somewhat pretentious as if she was really pointing out how clever she was to do this but the novel gallops along and the characters are so engaging this wasn’t very important. Besides, when you’re a prolific author nearing eighty with a Booker prize to your credit you’re entitled to indulge yourself.

The set-up was interesting. Writers all do this - place characters in situations where something will happen that will lead to something else. In mysteries it is a challenge to make the events believable so your reader willingly suspends disbelief and accepts your premise.

Coincidence may play a role but introduce it too often and your credibility will be at stake. And, of course, there’s the ‘smoking gun’ bit. You can’t throw in an exciting event or idea and then not deal with it at some point.

Once you’ve read a book it’s challenging to consider the way in which the author introduced the ideas or events that moved the plot along. Perhaps not as brazenly as Lively does but all authors have to do it. The most skilled writers do it seamlessly and make it seem natural. Lively’s book provides insights into the process and we could all learn something from her.

A member of the Ladies Killing Circle, Joan Boswell co-edited four of their short story anthologies: Fit to Die, Bone Dance, Boomers Go Bad and Going Out With a Bang. Her three mysteries, Cut Off His Tale, Cut to the Quick and, Cut and Run were published in 2005, 2007 and 2007. The latest in the series, Cut to the Bone, will be published by Dundurn in November. In 2000 she won the $10,000 Toronto Star’s short story contest. Joan lives in Toronto with three flat-coated retrievers.

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Word of Mouth

“In a lot of ways, the greatest marketing tool we have in publishing – and probably that will never change – is word of mouth.” This statement on the NPR Book Blog comes from Heather Fain, Marketing Director for Little Brown & Co., so she knows whereof she speaks.

In a village, a tribe, or indeed any circumscribed community, word of mouth is a primary communication tool. Without it, Miss Marple would never have solved the alarming frequency of crimes in St. Mary Mead. Especially when it comes to new authors, the challenge is to foster “word of mouth” so that it spreads beyond a small circle into the wider community of readers. If you only had to sell your book within your town it would be a slam dunk. One book club would do the trick. But how is this achieved when you’re talking about nations, continents or even globally?

Fortunately we have some gaudy new tools whose raison d’etre is the very definition of word of mouth. Facebook and Twitter. When launching The Witch of Babylon I found Facebook particularly helpful. But only for one reason. The great good fortune of friends, relatives and other writers who generously shared news about my book. Facebook and Twitter are flooded with promotions now, and this has probably diluted their effectiveness, although they remain useful allies.

I’d thought of word of mouth as being principally focused on readers telling other readers about your book but when looking into the topic, learned that it begins much earlier on the publication arc. You may have a literary agent who initially talks the book up among industry colleagues. And publishing house staff who are enthusiastic about your novel and talk about it set the ball rolling in a major way. This is otherwise known as creating buzz. Marketing staff make strategic decisions about which ‘influencers’ to pitch in the hope their enthusiasm will catch fire.

Choosing those influencers carefully can deliver great results. One story concerns a novel we’re all now familiar with – The Red Tent – that had a slow start. Within four years it emerged as a huge bestseller. A key factor in the book’s success was word of mouth – the author wisely sent many copies of the book to influencers – in this case, Christian ministers, Indie booksellers and Rabbis - whom she correctly believed would love the book and spread the word.

Today we have Amazon and Indigo reviews, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari and a host of other enablers to help us. The rise of book clubs has been another great boon. Word of mouth has never had such a wealth of opportunities to get us started. The challenge is, deciding which are best targeted to the character of our book.

In Canada, D.J. McIntosh’s first novel The Witch of Babylon hits bookstores and online retailers as a mass market paperback, today. It will be released by Forge in the United States this fall. Any help to “spread the word” would be greatly appreciated.

D.J. (Dorothy) McIntosh’s debut novel The Witch of Babylon was first published by Penguin Canada in June 2011 and will be released by Tor/Forge in the United States in October 2012. It has been sold in twenty countries around the world. The novel was chosen by Amazon.ca as one of the top five mystery/thrillers of 2011 and by CNN International as one of six enduring historical thrillers.

Dorothy divides her time between her cottage on the shores of Lake Huron and Toronto where she indulges in two loves: live music and museums. She’s a strong supporter of Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Tastes in reading

Last night was book club night again. As usual, the friendship -- fueled by various food groups, including chocolate, and wine -- was the highlight of the evening. However, we did actually discuss books, too. Although neither one (we had missed last month's meeting due to bad weather & travel) was a mystery.

But that doesn't matter. The fact is that readers are the life-blood of writers and how re-assuring to a writer to hear readers disagreeing about books! Each reader comes from a different place, has different life experiences and interests. Therefore, of course...there won't always, if ever, be total agreement.

What makes this so great, in my opinion, is the acceptance that not everyone is going to like your book, your work of art, your manuscript which is saturated in blood and sweat. And that's okay. Because someone will.

But what's most important to writers is that you like your own work. I used to admit that I cringe when I'm out reading from my works. Those words on paper don't glisten as brilliantly as they did at first. But then, writers are their own most strident critics. Or it could be boredom. How many times do you want to re-read a book, anyway? No matter who pens it? Whatever. Deep down, I am pleased with what I've produced and I've thoroughly enjoyed the entire process. I enjoy spending time with my characters in their fictional town and yes, plotting murders.

And I truly hope that many readers will enjoy the read. But I don't expect that all will. Cosies just aren't everyone's cup of tea. Some don't like southern settings. Others may not like book clubs -- horrors! Or the writing style. Or the plot or dialogue...or any number of things.

So, Erika -- get over it and take heart in the fact that somewhere, a book club may one evening discuss your book. And I think that's one of the best things a book can promote -- discussion. And moments of pleasure.

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

CRIME ON MY MIND

And yet more book clubs!

Yesterday Sue Pike blogged about her book club and it's easy to see she'd found a good fit. Book clubs abound throughout the city. Most, like Sue's are started and run by a group of readers who got together. Some are organized by a branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Some are through a book store. All have one thing in common -- a love of books.

My book club has been meeting for somewhere between 12 & 15 years, I think. The collective memory is not always a concise one. I've been a member for only a couple of years now but I've come to look forward to our monthly meetings.

We rotate gathering in member's homes and that hostess gets to choose the book. Along with the food. That's an important part of the ritual. Wine and chocolate are 'musts'. And the deserts are memorable. As is our annual April event -- a spa weekend. I must admit, there's not a book assigned for that month, although talk always turns to books.

The series I'm writing is aptly called the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries. It revolves around a group of seven people from the small town of Ashton Corners, Alabama who form a mystery book club. My main character is Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with the school board who also teaches adult Literacy. She and fellow teacher Sally-Jo Baker, draw together a variety of readers of various ages, backgrounds and interests to ostensibly read and discuss a mystery each month. But, of course you know they'll also be solving them. But I promise, there won't be a murder a month.

It's fun writing about a book club because I value what it brings to each of the members and to the writing community. Without readers, why write? And the charming town of Ashton Corners adds another layer to each book in this series. The first book, A Killer Read, will be published in April, 2012 by this gal called Erika Chase. Don't be fooled -- it's really me and having an alter-ego has also been quite the experience.

Maybe my book club will read my book club mystery one day!

What about your book club? Do you belong to one? Tell me about it -- I promise not to mention any names!


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

LADIES' KILLING THURSDAYS

Book Clubs

I love my book club. And I expect if you're like most of the women I know, you love your book club too.

What's not to love? Here we have a group of women who enjoy reading, researching and discussing books. All kinds of books. One year my club read only Orange Prize winners. Another year we concentrated on mystery and spy novels. Still another we read exclusively from the European renaissance period.

I first met the women in my book club fourteen years ago when I was invited to speak about Canadian crime novels at one of their meetings. When, at the end of the meeting, they invited me to join the club, I jumped at the chance. How could I not? Here was a group of intelligent, articulate and intensely curious women. These gals question every assumption and it's made for some fine and heated arguments over the years. We’re mostly retired now, former teachers, a CBC executive, a librarian and a senior public servant. Without the tyranny of day jobs, we can get together in the afternoon over a cup of tea and fancy cakes. But being retired doesn't mean the discussion or arguments are any less intense. The hostess often prepares handouts and a list of questions and God help anyone who hasn’t read the book.

We've been through a lot together, my book club and I. We've lost members to cancer and heart disease and supported one another through family tragedies. These women turned up in force for my launch of Locked Up, and they bought dozens of books to give away as gifts.

One curious thing about book clubs is that they're almost always the domain of women. I wonder why more retired men don't join or form book clubs. Maybe they do, only they call them something else. My husband has a group of friends who meet for lunch once a month and call themselves The Gentlemen's Lunch. When I ask what they talk about, he says, "Oh, books mainly." But when I suggest it might be a book club, he looks horrified. Book clubs apparently, are only for women.

Do you have a book club that you love?



Sue Pike has published a couple of dozen stories and won several awards including an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Crime Story. Her latest, Where the Snow Lay Dinted appeared in the January issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

Sue and her husband and an opinionated Australian Shepherd named Cooper spend the winter months in Ottawa and the rest of the time at a mysterious cottage on the Rideau Lakes.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Let's hear it for Book Clubs!

Ottawa is a city that's blessed with, what it seems, book clubs in every neighbourhood. They meet in homes, in libraries, in bookstores, at community centres, even in pubs. Most meet monthly, with summer's off.

There are book clubs focused on mainstream novels, on books in general, and of course, on mysteries.

There are several mystery book clubs actively reading, dissecting, and enjoying all types of mysteries, many inviting local authors to speak to them when it's one of their books being read. And, it's becoming easier to slip the odd mystery title into the year's reading list for the others.

The format in each club is as different as the people involved. Some share ideas and opinions after reading the selection, at the meeting, often resulting in lively discussions. Some clubs have a member doing a presentation on the chosen book but of course, all must have read it in order to contribute to the talk. Some meet in the mornings, afternoons or evenings. My book club even includes a "spa weekend" in the mix...and the talk and laughter never ends.

Of course, a major part of most book clubs is the food (and wine). As much thought goes into this as into choosing each title. And so it should be, because a good read and good food go so well together.

So, raise you glass in toast of our wonderful array of book clubs, be they mystery readers or not. (We'll convince them all at some point to come over to the dark side.) Authors thrive because of them...and of course, we're all readers.

Do you know of any unusual book clubs?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase