CRIME ON MY MIND

Now for something a bit different!

It's Valentine's Day (which will become Valentine's Week at this blogsite) and I thought we'd have a bit of fun. The next mystery review will be in two weeks, so stand by!

In honour of this day, I'd like to compile a list of favourite Canadian fictional mystery couples. There are, of course, the married ones like Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green and his wife, Sharon, from Barbara Fradkin's award-winning series.

Mike Martin has given his Newfoundland RCMP Sgt. Winston Windflower a girlfriend, Sheila who works at the local diner, the Mug Up.

John Moss has his Toronto police team of Miranda Quin and David Morgan. There are a lot of innuendos and long looks but basically, it's a working partnership. Or is it?

In Mary Jane Maffini's Camilla McPhee series set in Ottawa, the long distance love interest is Sgt.Ray Deveau, a Cape Breton police officer.

Robin Harlick has a long-standing romance going on between her protagonist Meg Harris and Eric, an Algonquin band chief.

For Vicki Delany's Const. Molly Smith in Trafalgar, B.C., the hearthrob is RCMP officer Adam Tocek.

Erika Chase has a blossoming romance between main character Lizzie Turner and Police Chief Mark Dreyfus.

In Janice MacDonald's Randy Craig mysteries, her long-time romantic interest is a local cop, Steve.

Hilary MacLeod has Hy McAllister, the main character in the Shores Mysteries, in a relationship with neighbour Ian Simmons.

For Brad Smith's Virgil Cain, there's a lot of romance going on with law enforcement officer Claire Marchand.

That's it for me. I know I've missed more than I've listed so please, take a minute and add a romantic couple to this list. Remember, they do have to live between the pages of a mystery novel written by a Canadian. And we all love Canadian mystery authors!

CRIME ON MY MIND

Springing into new titles!

It's almost spring (I seem to be stuck on a certain theme these days)and the other good news is that the new spring titles have started arriving! There are some criminously delicious new books from Canadian writers that may already be in the stores...so prepare your lists and start shopping!


From the award-winning Mary Jane Maffini comes a brand new cosy series, co-authored with her daughter, Victoria Maffini under the name of Victoria Abbott -- got all that? It's a Book Collector's series, the first being, The Christie Curse. They will be launching this book along with another award-winner, Barbara Fradkin, whose 9th Inspector Green novel, The Whisper of Legends comes out in April. The date for the celebration is Tues. April 16th. See more details under Events.

Just out, The Poisoned Pawn by Peggy Blair. This second fast-paced crime novel brings Cuban police Inspector Ramirez to Canada. And Gail Bowen continues her successful Rapid Reads series with the fourth Charlie D novel, The Thirteenth Rose.

Also new to the shelves, from West Coast authors kay Stewart and Chris Bullock, the third book in their RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk series, Unholy Rites. Stay tuned for a review next weekend.

And coming up:

In April, Jack Batten brings his criminal lawyer Crang back into action, after a long hiatus, in Take Five.
Ottawa author David Whellams second Peter Cammon mystery, The Drowned Man, brings the retired Scotland Yard detective to Canada. It appears in May, as does Twilight is Not Good for Maidens, by Lou Allin. Set on Vancouver Island, BC, this is the third in the RCMP Corporal Holly Martin series, the second series for Allin.

And, there are more! Check out the Crime Writers of Canada website at www.crimewriterscanada.com for a listing of all the new cool Canadian crime that's just happened or is on the way!

Happy mysterious reading!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.
Nomianted for an Agatha Award, Best First Novel 2012
COVER STORY available for pre-order; coming Aug. 2013.

CRIME ON MY MIND

Let's hear it for inventive booksellers!

On Sunday as I waited for my train from Toronto to Ottawa, after a successful book signing event at Sleuth of Baker Street with five mysterious and murderous colleagues – Rick Blechta, Joan Boswell, Melodie Campbell, Vicki Delany, and Barbara Fradkin …and then a double book launch with Joan Boswell the next day – a hectic but fun weekend – where was I? Oh, yes, I read in the paper about a book store that dispensed books from a machine for $2 each.

It seems (I’ve forgotten where it was) this store owner enlisted a friend to devise such a machine. He’d attempted several different creative methods for selling them, one of which was out on the sidewalk, all in the cause of encouraging people to buy books and more importantly, read.

These were not the latest Peter Robinson hardcover, of course. These were older titles that sometimes accumulate in the back room of a store and eventually demand something be done with them or they will overtake the already crowded space. His idea became such a popular stop, especially after devising the book dispenser, that he has ended up supplementing the earlier selection of forgotten books with new titles he buys specifically for this bargain corner.

Clever fellow, and dedicated to the world of books, too. Maybe it will take off in corner stores around the country just as the, ‘leave a used book on a park bench’ idea has.

Who says there’s not a market for paper books anymore!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

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

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Welcome back, Mary Jane! -- Mystery Maven

It’s been almost a year since I’ve been here at Mystery Maven and I’m really glad to be back in this celebration of Canadian mysteries and Canadian mystery writers.


Today I would like to lead you into The Next Big Thing: which involves answering ten questions about my work in progress, although I have to call it our work in progress as it’s a collaboration with my daughter, Victoria. We are writing as

Victoria Abbott. The Christie Curse, the first in the book collector mystery series, will hit the stands on March 6 and we are already working on the second book. We love talking about our latest project.

These questions come from our friend, Barbara Fradkin (and before that from Vicki Delany). You can find Barbara over at www.typem4murder.blogspot.com and Vicki at www.klondikeandtrafalgar.blogspot.com. Both are always well worth reading!

So here are the Q’s followed by our A’s.

What is your working title of your book?

The Sayers Swindle is the second in the Book Collectors series, following The Christie Curse, which debuts in March 2013.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea came from a discussion with my editor and agent followed much evil plotting with my collaborator and daughter, Victoria Maffini and the addition of one cat and one pug. I have always been interested in the unexplained disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926, a disappearance that is still shrouded in mystery. Of course, that would have to be connected with the idea of a newly discovered manuscript, possibly an unknown Christie, the idea that drives the book. Did Agatha have time to write a play in those few days? What collector wouldn’t salivate over such a manuscript if she had? Oh yes, it might be deliciously dangerous.


What genre does your book fall under?

It seems like a good example of a cozy mystery, a sub-genre we both love. If there was a sub-sub-genre of humorous cozy with rare books, mysterious manuscripts, valuable antiques, vintage clothes, criminal relatives and cats with really sharp claws, it would be a really really good example of that.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

We’d see the remarkable Ellen Page as Jordan Bingham, our protagonist, Mary Walsh as Vera Van Alst, Ryan Gosling as the spectacularly hot reference librarian, Lance DeWitt, and David Paetkau (that’s handsome Sam from Flashpoint)as Officer Tyler(Smiley) Dekker, Mark Critch as Uncle Mick of Michael Kelly’s Fine Antiques, Kevin O’Leary (in a rare non-speaking part) as Uncle Lucky, and Sean Cullen (in a never-shutting up part) as Uncle Danny. Other uncles are on the way and last but not in the least least, Elvira Kurtz as Senora Fiammetta Panetone.

We’re not sure if there’s a career in casting ahead for us.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Missing first editions of Dorothy L Sayers classics, lead to mayhem, murder, mud, mutts and more for Jordan Bingham, book sleuth and reliable dogsbody of reclusive collector Vera Van Alst, the most hated woman in Harrison Falls, New York.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

We are represented by BookEnds Literary Agency and published by Berkley Prime Crime.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

We’re half-way through the second book. We expect it to take six months or more in total, but that doesn’t include advance planning, intense plotting and re-reading all those wonderful Dorothy L. Sayers books. I’m in the middle of Busman’s Honeymoon now.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I think it is like cozy mysteries, like Erika Chase’s Ashton Corners series (we think you might know her). There’s a lot about relationships, books, especially mysteries, friendships, food, a bit of romance and of course, the pesky bodies.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The love of classic mysteries was the big thing. The authors Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers created works that continue to entertain today and they changed the face of crime fiction. In the course of writing the books, we learned a lot about the two amazing woman who shaped the modern mystery.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

Well, who doesn’t like a magnificent old house, a library full of collectible books, a bi-polar Siamese cat, vintage clothing and jewelry, a pampered pug, Italian food, a bit of romance, some crooked relatives and a few recipes? Never mind the grumpy boss. Nothing’s perfect.

We were supposed to send you forward to five other mystery authors, but (true story!) our five mystery authors have been kidnapped by aliens and so couldn’t take part in time. Never mind, I’ll tell you about their books in this and other blogs as the year wears on. I look forward to it.


Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three (soon to be three and a half) mystery series and a couple of dozen short stories. Look for the new Victoria Abbott website starting on Wednesday - www.victoria-abbott.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

Let's get downloading...

Further to Vicki Cameron's post on Wed., which was further to an earlier blog done by me, let's talk a bit more about e-books. We all know how popular it's becoming to turn out an e-book, for fledgling authors and the seasoned ones, too. But how do you launch them when there's nothing to wave around, sell or sign?

We faced that dilemma with the recently published The Whole She-Bang, the short story anthology from Sisters in Crime Toronto, edited by Janet Costello. Of course, we had the lead of the Toronto gals when it came to planning the launch. And, there was a print version available, a print-on-demand.

However, the four of us in the Ottawa area did some humming and hawing before coming up with the idea of a Downloading Launch. I must admit, we weren't original with the thought. But also, we had the ideal location in order to throw such a bash. A branch of the Ottawa Public Library, complete with free Wi-Fi for attendees.

We went through the usual introductions and readings, then came the moment of truth...would most people opt to buy the print copy or would they whip out their e-readers and hook into Amazon or Smashwords to purchase an e-version at just 99 cents? (It's now also available through Chapters for Kobo.) Elizabeth Hosang, one of our authors, was prepared to walk anyone through the logistics but, maybe not so much to our surprise, no one took advantage of the opportunity. They chose the print books instead.

The moral of the story...we can't avoid the electronics, even though I continue to champion print...so what a great way to embrace it. But have those print copies handy, too. And, I've been told, there is a way to sign an e-book...but that would mean I'd have to learn a whole new computer technique. Not this week!

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

CRIME ON MY MIND

Since this is Bouchercon weekend, I'm skipping the usual post for today and instead, wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I do have a blog appearing on Type M For Murder today and one on Sunday, on Killer Characters. So, I haven't totally goofed off!

Anyway...as I said, HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Let's be thankful for so many great Canadian mystery writers!

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

I had a dream.

Even before the judges had completed selection of the stories to be included in The Whole She-Bang, I had a vision of a youtube ad, featuring one sentence from each story.

My first concept was to do a Power Point slide presentation, with each slide a different colour, paging through a rainbow of backgrounds, with the sentence featured in contrasting type.

I spent an hour or so playing with Power Point. Being no expert, I couldn’t see how to do it. With this anthology being published by the volunteer organization of Sisters in Crime (Toronto Chapter), there were no funds to find a professional or get training. I could have tried harder to figure that part out, but sometime not long after my second attempt, I had another idea.

My friend Helen has a niece and nephew that are often lending a hand with various book lover activities. What if the sentences were portrayed on Bristol board pages, being held up by kids? This is a collection of mystery stories, some of the lines hold clearly murderous intent. Wouldn’t that be a catchy juxtaposition? For the best reading of the lines, and knowing that participation would be low if the children’s faces were to be included, the camera would be focused on the cards, but they’d be held by little hands. Ooh, and what if we had fun painting their nails? Bright red, sparkly red, some black…ooh and one friend suggested gloves!

Finding children available on a Saturday afternoon is not so easy. Fall classes for dance, swimming, other sports, music lessons, and family visits all limited my actor pool. And when I presented the concept to our marketing team, a couple raised the concern that a viewer might think The Whole She-Bang was a children’s book.So we sent out the casting call to the members of our Chapter: “Lend A Hand”. Helen Nelson enthusiastically offered to film the video using her Blackberry Playbook. Then she generously loaned her house for our film studio.

So Saturday afternoon, Sept 29th, I arrived with a colourful array of words on Bristol board. Inadvertently, while assembling these at the office, my desk a cat-free flat surface, I realized the bright variety of papers do draw attention. Co-workers who normally don’t chat with me, stopped to ask what I was doing. Even at Helen’s, our volunteers had fun scanning the cards before we started rehearsals.Helen was an excellent director, knowing the distance, methods, and ordering of action that would make the effort succeed. She also suggested some wonderful accoutrements, such as a lipstick-kissed wine glass, opera gloves and beads to border the setting for our mysterious words.

We filmed four complete run-throughs. We were trying to be silent for the filming, so that sound could be added afterwards. There were a couple of timing hiccups, and to my mortification my cell phone went off. In the final run, her cat, Pirate Jenny put in a good meow. I hope that stays in!

Next we will select appropriate music, with no copyright infringement issues, and get a little editing from one another volunteer.

Soon, our deliberately amusing, hand-made selection of lines from The Whole She-Bang will be available on youtube.

I had a dream. Be sure to see it!


For the past four years, Janet Costello has been editor of the newsletter for the Toronto Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She has attended 7 Bouchercons, 7 Bloody Words and, most recently, her first Left Coast Crime. Her rush reading pile holds more than 300 books. She is the editor of The Whole She-Bang, a collection of short stories by Canadians, coming as an e-book this month, from the Toronto Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Watch for a launch near you!

CRIME ON MY MIND

Look what's new!

There's crime on the minds of many Ontario mystery writers these days. September is a key month for new releases and we have two local authors in celebrating mode.

Brenda Chapman has a new teen novel, ages 13+ from Dundurn, Second Chances, that she's launching tomorrow at Collected Works, 1242 Wellington St. (Not a Rapid Read, as earlier stated!!) And, Barbara Fradkin's newest Rapid Read, Evil Behind That Door, is also out. If you read Wednesday's blog you'll already know that Barbara's busy planning a launch. Details to follow.

Rapid Reads are quickly becoming a popular format for Canadian mystery authors. Aimed at the reluctant reader, they can be tricky to write as the plot has to be fairly straightforward and strong while the language is uncomplicated.

Also new this month is Toronto author Rick Blechta's latest novel, The Fallen One. It's another mystery set in the world of music, this time, opera. Rick will be in Ottawa next weekend for several signings, including one at the Prime Crime Bookshelf at Britton's in the Glebe on Fri., Sept. 28, 2-4 p.m.

And, from Prince Edward County, we have Vicki Delany with More Than Sorrow, a stand-alone for this prolific writer who also has two series on the go. It's already on the shelves and Vicki will also be signing at Britton's on Sat. Oct. 20th.

And, speaking of signings, Barbara Fradkin signs her most recent Inspector Green novel, Beautiful Lie the Dead at the Prime Crime Bookshelf on Sat., Sept. 29, 1-3 p.m.

We're really fortunate to have such a talented mystery writing pool in Ontario, along with crime writers from across Canada. I encourage you to read a Canadian and enjoy some cool Canadian crime!

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Ponderings....

Yet another mystery conference is just around the corner -- on Thanksgiving weekend to be exact. It's in the US, of course, so doesn't fall on their holiday weekend. Bouchercon is the name of this one and it's one of the biggest, attracting a lot of international authors who rarely make it across the ocean. Also, it's heavily into the heavy weights as in big names and dark crimes. Every writer should attend at least one Bouchercon in their career.

I'll be in the midst of a lot of Canucks, in fact, we're hosting a social on Friday night just to wave the flag and let the attendees meet some Canadian authors. It should be a lot of fun and we'll be spreading the word about some cool Canadian crime.

My panel at this conference is about murder in a US smalltown and local Ottawan, Brenda Chapman, author of In Winter's Grip, will also be on it. I like this topic as it gives authors an opportunity to debunk the "Jessica Fletcher" syndrome. Also, the choices of victims and suspects is pretty much the same in any smalltown, either side of the border.

What I also like about being on panels, this one in particular, is that it offers an opportunity to step back from the writing and view it from another angle. I don't stop and think about the derth of either victims or suspects when planning a book. Maybe I should. I do try to make the choices believable, so on some level must be addressing this problem. But that's where visitors come in handy. Someone in town on business, visiting relatives, or just touring the region. There's also the new person in town, surely with a backstory to be uncovered. Or the sleuth could be on vacation, giving her hometown a break for at last one book.

The possibilities are endless to the writer who likes a challenge. And one of the challenges is taking the time to re-assess where the series is going. How the characters are developing over a number of books. What's happening to relationships. And, oh yes, who's the next victim to be? How many times can I make the sleuth a suspect?

What fun! And, yes, the conference will be fun, too. I always come away from these with a slightly different way of looking at writing. And that's got to be good for everyone.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

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

CRIME ON MY MIND

A can opener kind of day!

You know what the day's going to be like when you make a grab for the machine, plug it in, take out the espresso beans and discover it's the can opener, not the coffee grinder, that's sitting ready to go. Ughhhh....

Then the egg yolk squirts across your hand (don't ask), and you suddenly remember that trip to the bank. Except, there aren't enough hours in this day to fit it in. What's a gal to do?

Time for some basic time management, I'd say.

But it's really not my fault. I was all geared up, mentally and appointment-wise, to attend the Lyndhurst Turkey Fair on Sat., Sept. 22. Except it's on Sat. Sept. 15. You got it -- tomorrow. And I just found out last week. Too late to change some plans but possible to squeeze other things in, if I forget lunch and have dinner on the fly.

And what about writing? It's one of those day, unfortunately. Life interfers and although I like to think of myself as a writer, today I'm an anything-but kind of person. Do you ever have those kinds of days?

But back to Lyndhurst, which I'm programming into my GPS since it's been a couple of years since I've done the turkey thing. It's a day long celebration in the village. The main street is lined with craft stalls, food stalls, vegetable stalls, and folks selling everything imaginable. It snakes along one side street and on another you'll find some cool classic cars, their owners proudly buffing up hoods. And, there's always and Elvis impersonation going on, gracing the green sprawling lawns of a charming older house.

And speaking of turkeys...that's the food of the day from the church ladies with their hot turkey lunches, to the diners and stands with their turkey burgers. You won't go hungry, that's for sure.

I'm actually going in order to do a signing and hopefully, sell some books. It's not all shopportunities for me. I'll be joined by Vicki Delany and Violette Malan, plus a handful of local authors, in the back room of the public library. This is also part of the annual event.

So, if you're looking for a great drive out into the country and some good old-fashioned, small town charm...see you in Lyndhurst, Ontario.

I may have to put that time management onto another day in my agenda.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

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

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

The idea connection!

This is what writers who are having a tad bit of difficulty coming up with a blog idea do: recommend you read a colleague's blog instead. So, here it is. http://www.openbooktoronto.com/cbforrest/blog/wtf_performance_enhancing_drugs_and_writer

C.B. Forrest, in his own inimitable way, explains the secret of being a writer. Not with the aid of performance enhancing drugs but rather, with 'drugs' that happen to wake a person up or/and keep them awake. Caffeine, of course!

Which probably explains why I've resorted to plugging Chris's blog this a.m. Not enough caffeine in my system.

So, while you click over to his blog and settle in for a thoroughly enjoyable read, I'll head downstairs to the espresso maker and try again!

I'm really hoping that with the aid of another two or three cups, I'll be able to return and actually start writing. As in, book. As in, work. Wish me luck!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

What's new?


As I mentioned before, fall is just around the corner. So, what's new with you? Soon a whole new batch of September titles will hit the market, followed by launches and signings. Will you have a new book out this fall?

Or maybe you've finally launched a website or redesigned one. Started your own blog? How about planning a book tour?

I want to know! Please send me details: who, what, where, when & even why. You know the routine. And in turn, I'll post them in upcoming events or maybe try to convince you to write a guest blog. It has been known to happen.

Start schmoozing a la Mystery Maven. And, if it's a book that's coming out, let me know who the publisher is, too. You can find me at mysterymaven@rogers.com.

Let's get the news out!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Reading and writing....

For the past week-and-a-half I've been volunteering at one of our many summer music festivals, this one for chamber music entitled Music & Beyond. I've loved the experience of meeting new people, supporting this organization, and getting to hear some amazing music.

It hasn't been without it's downside though. Like the oppressive heat and humidity we're experiencing in Ottawa. Although two of the venues had AC, there was still the time spent walking through the long lines of patrons waiting outside on the sidewalk for the doors to open, after the musicians had finished rehearsing. We'd sell tickets, programme books and raffle tickets, and also offer water, which was always gratefully appreciated.

Another part of the 'adventure' was taking the bus. Not knowing if I'd easily find downtown parking and also dreading the rush-hour traffic, even with AC in the car (I hate using it though, preferring to keep my windows open and a breeze fanning through the car), I decided to opt for OC Transpo. Which meant the second day of transit, after getting a close look at the route and seeing stores and buildings I'd never noticed when driving, I took to reading for the often half-hour drive.

It's a great way to visit some mass market authors I'd never tried before. And, since my publisher, Berkley Prime Crime is American, I chose to spend my time reading other cosy writers from their line. I know, this is a blog about Canadian writing, so I'll focus on how these books have influenced my writing.

I've written the three books in my series with the idea of entertaining my readers...and myself. I've used traditional themes for murder -- revenge and greed being the main ones -- but haven't given over many inches to exploring those themes in depth. There are several examples of crime novels written by Canadians where moral issues are a driving force -- locally, Barbara Fradkin and R.J. Harlick's series come to mind. But I'd never thought to delve deeper with my cosies.

Since I'm spending the summer starting book #4, in case the series is continued, and also fleshing out a brand new series, this has given me something else to ponder. I always enjoy the beginning months of a new book. Anything's possible and new ideas can be tried then used or discarded. And, I'm delighted to have something else to add to that mix. I think it's a time to grow as a writer.

What about you? What has influenced your writing most recently?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Let's try something different!

If you've been following this blog, you know I'm looking for something different to do with it. Full schedules, overworked brains and tired fingers have combined to make this a necessary transition.

What I've come up with, and I hope it works, is a new schedule. From today, Mystery Maven Canada will have Mayhem on Mondays with me blogging (the majority of the time); Wicked Wednesdays with rotating authors or rather, authors who rotate blogging. The dangerous dames from Ladies' Killing Circle Thursdays will be slotted in on a regular Wed. each month, with guest authors for the fourth (and fifth, if it's a long one) slots.

Fridays will be me again but mainly doing reviews of new Canadian mysteries. I'd also be pleased to post reviews done by others. If there's a book that I haven't yet reviewed and you'd like to do it, just contact me by email.

What I need is information! If you've heard anything through the publishing grapevine, know of something coming down the pike, have a launch or signing coming up, or maybe it's an idea for a blog you'd like me to do...please get in touch. My email is
mysterymaven@rogers.com. Or leave a comment at this blogsite.

If you'd like to write a guest blog, also let me know. And if you have a new book coming out, please ask your publisher to send me a paper copy.

I'm hoping these changes will help keep Mystery Maven Canada fresh and entertaining for readers, and for contributors. Please let me know how it's doing as you get used to the a new viewing schedule. Sounds like a new TV season. Maybe it will be as addictive.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

LADIES' KILLING THURSDAYS

WRITERS AND THEIR MANY PETS.

Last week on Mystery Maven Canada, Joan Boswell blogged that the Ladies' Killing Circle would receive the Grant Allen Award at the Scene of the Crime Festival on Wolfe Island on August 11. She also mentioned she was collecting news from our forty-seven contributors from our seven anthologies to put on our website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ladies-Killing-Circle/131098883642855. One of the questions she asks these authors is whether they have pets.

What is it about writers and their cats and dogs? My writing group, the aforementioned Ladies' Killing Circle, has an excess of riches in the pet department. Among the six of us we own eight dogs and two cats. We used to have even more and still miss Vicki Cameron's Giga, a splendid German shepherd who could leap tall buildings, or at least ten feet off a dock to retrieve a thrown stick or ball. A more recent loss was Barbara's cat, Henna, a dignified lady of uncertain age.

My life is run by an Australian Shepherd. Joan can often be seen being walked by three flat coat retrievers and Linda Wiken has two opinionated Siamese cats. Not many people boss Mary Jane Maffini about but you should see her two mini dachshunds barking out orders. Barbara Fradkin's Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers are the talk of her neighbourhood. Eva is a certified show dog honing her skills as a retriever of very dead ducks.

My Facebook friends are mostly writers and they post glorious photos of their four-legged friends. I can keep up with Tony Bidulka's poodles, Patricia Flewelling's hilarious Dixie, Robin Harlick's Sterling, Susan Gates' Winnie and Caro Soles "hounds", all without leaving the comfort of my office. I happen to know that Peggy Blair's cocker spaniel and her cat share a wing chair while Peggy is writing another Inspector Ramirez novel. Both Melodie Campbell's and Lou Allen's dogs dominate their Facebook pages.

I have lots of other friends, Facebook and otherwise, but they don't have nearly the number of animals living with them as my writing friends do. These non-writers are able to travel to exotic places and buy lovely clothes while my pet-owning friends and I bankrupt ourselves on veterinarian bills and boarding kennel fees.

So, I ask again, what is it about writers and their pets?

I have a theory about this. I believe our pets act as a buffer against those inner demons that criticize everything we write. While the voice in our head is telling us we can't write for beans, our pets are telling us everything we write is extraordinary. They are without doubt the kindest critics ever and as long as they are fed on time, get plenty of exercise and are allowed to curl up close by while we're writing, they think we're amazing.


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

Working towards new!

First of all, my thanks to everyone for comments and suggestions yesterday both on the blog, Facebook and with emails. I'm quite enthusiastic about the response and am looking forward to spending the next few days sorting through a variety of possibilities and hopefully, next week will be the big Reveal!

Until then, Mystery Maven Canada will continue on as before.

My thanks to all the contributors in the past...you will still be called upon. Believe me. So beware!

Readers, too...be aware that I'll have a more interactive role for you, too -- if you'd like to participate.

Most importantly, if writers have any news about your books that you'd like to share, please email me at mysterymaven@rogers.com. I'll be happy to include all the latest that's fit to print, as they say. That's the scope, remember. This is all Canadian -- not that I have anything against other nationalities (some of my good writing buddies are Americans) -- but we need to be able to shine the limelight on what's happening with crime writing in this country. It's not appearing, to any great extent, in any other forum. But I need your help in order to do that. You are the holders of the information. Please, pass it along.

And speaking of Americans, a very Happy July 4th to y'all!

In the meantime...keep those 'cards & letters' coming in!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

CRIME ON MY MIND

The party's over...pass the caffeine!

Wow...what a night! Had such fun at my joint launch with Vicki Delany at the Library & Archives last night. Couldn't believe how quickly the time went. First we were setting up, then signing, talking and reading and then cleaning up. What did that take -- 20 minutes?

Thanks to everyone who attended. It really means a lot to an author to have old friends, for me -- former customers who I'd lost touch with, family and writing colleagues turning out to help celebrate. Because each launch, but especially the launch of your first book, is so special and exciting.

Vicki Delany, ever glamorous in her exotic hat collection, was worth the price of admission! She's such fun to work with on an event. And an old pro, having had ten of these already under her belt! Thanks, Vicki.

Thanks, too to Mary Jane Maffini who also glammed up the event as our MC! Witty and mysteriously adept at ferreting out facts with which to pepper the intros! And thanks, too to the ever-supportive members of The Ladies' Killing Circle!

I'm afraid I can't get my brain working in blog format today so will leave it at this launch wrap-up. Because as we all know, today it's all about back to work. A deadline is looming....aren't they always!

Happy writing and happy launching to those planning their own fetes!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A Killer Read
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
Read and Buried, coming Nov., 2012
www.erikachase.com

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

It’s launch time!

If you follow Erika Chase or me on Facebook, or on Twitter, you’re undoubtedly aware that tomorrow night is LAUNCH NIGHT! The first Ashton Corners Book Club mystery, A Killer Read will officially make its presence known.

Not that anyone could have missed the fact that it’s now on the bookshelves in local stores and available on line. And, please allow me a little BSP here, as I’m

sure this will happen only once in my life – it made #2 on the Barnes & Noble Mystery Bestseller list and #28 on their overall list last week! I don’t know if I was more shocked or delighted. Probably a dead heat.

So now, two weeks and some days later, it’s the launch. Why bother, you might ask? Everyone knows already.

True. But the point of the launch is to celebrate. I’ll be celebrating with my good friend Vicki Delany as she launches her 11th novel! That’s quite an achievement in itself. Gold Mountain is the third book in her second series, the Klondike Gold Rush series and it’s a lot of fun. Vicki’s really made a name for herself over the years and it’s taken a lot of hard work to get where she is. So, we’re celebrating all of that.

And, we’re celebrating our writing friends and readers. It’s a wonderful, supportive community and I know, Erika wouldn’t have made that bestseller list without a lot of reviewing, tweeting, and liking by friends.

Of course, writers write for themselves. For the pure pleasure of weaving together a story and then sharing it with the readers. So, this is also a celebration of the reader. Without them, who would buy the books? Okay, relatives are a given. But we’re truly thankful that someone chooses to buy, read and enjoy what we’ve spent so many months writing and agonized over through rewrites and edits.

So, I hope you’ll be able to join Vicki and me for our celebration of us and you! And don’t forget…there will be chocolate!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A Killer Read
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
Read and Buried, coming Nov., 2012
www.erikachase.com

MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

News and schmooze opportunities...

Since the beginning days of Mystery Maven Canada, Mary Jane Maffini has provided the Mayhem on Mondays...she's so good at that! You may be wondering where she's been lately and if she'll be back creating a little or rather, a lot more mayhem.

She will be back at some point but for now, her life has taken a different turn. Her husband suffered unexpected trauma during surgery and has been hospitalized since the beginning of October. While his recovery is amazing the doctors, his family has known all along what a determined guy he is. However, Mary Jane is taking a break from writing to devote her time and energy into Guilio's journey to health. Please include them in your prayers and positive thoughts.

While back at Mystery Maven Canada, we continue to highlight all the terrific Canadian mystery writers from coast to coast to coast, as they say. I'd love to hear from you if you have a new book coming out...send me a copy and I'll try to review it, although my TBR pile is looking ominous these days. Just not enough hours to read and write to my heart's content.

If you're a reader, I'd love to hear what you're reading and what you think about it. Or them, as the case may be. It's great to share these titles as that may mean more an new readings for all authors.

If you're in the Ottawa area, look for several book launches coming up this spring. The excitement's already building. And then there's the announcement of the short lists for the Arthur Ellis Awards from Crime Writers of Canada, slated for April 19th.

Happy reading...happy writing!

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

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Writing to be read!

Here’s a thought…in today’s busy world, in order to capture the reader’s attention you need to persuade the reader to spend his or her time with you. I’m reducing Andrew Coyne’s column in today’s Ottawa Citizen to a one-liner when in fact, he goes on for many print inches about this topic. He was talking about journalists and how, when there are so many other distractions out there (and even within the newspaper), each writer needs to do something, write something, in some manner that will be an attention-grabber and keep that reader hooked to the end.

Now, blogs are similar to columns. So I read this with great interest. Besides, I like his writing style. Two points in favour of my reading the column. But more to the point, I was hoping to gain some useful tips.

Another thing he points out is that in order to persuade the reader to spend time with the writer, the least said writer can do is “make himself agreeable company. People choose a writer, that is, rather in the same way they choose a friend.” Hmmm. So, treat them with respect, don’t shout at them, and give them something, “a paradox, a laugh, a fact they didn’t know.” Okay, I get it. What’s good for a column is good for a blog.

But let’s take it a step further. What’s good for a column and a blog is good for a short story and a novel.

We’re all in the same business here. We’re competing for those precious few minutes, hopefully hours, that the reader is able to allocate to reading…the column, the blog, the book. We compete with the myriad of electronics, the crunch of real life, and the crush of time. So it makes sense we give the reader something of value in exchange for that time.

We spend all those hours, days, weeks, months and years creating all those mystery and crime novels that will be read in a mere matter of hours, days and weeks perhaps. But if we do our job well enough, that reader will be back for more. Because we’re now friends and you want to spend time with a friend, and hear/read his or her story. And that writer wants to hear from the reader and hopefully, keep writing the kind of books that will make this a long-time relationship.

Sure, writers write what they want or need to say. But writers also write to be read. Did this blog persuade you? To read Coyne's column go to:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/could+have+moment+your+time+please/5937762/story.html

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