August 2021 – Buckeye Crime Writers

August 29, 2021

BCW board member Eileen Curley Hammond’s book release: Murder So Tempting

Eileen Curley Hammond’s latest Merry March Mystery series launches on Sept. 2.

BCW: This is the sixth book in the Merry March series. Where do you get your ideas?

ECH: The short answer is anywhere and everywhere. I used to think that I didn’t listen very closely. Now I know that I do. And I use what I learn. Buckeye Crime Writers had planned a day-long session on opiates in Ohio, which unfortunately was canceled due to COVID. I was interested but didn’t think it would apply to my books because I write cozies. I was wrong. As I wrote Murder So Tempting, the idea of someone using drugs to kill other people gave me a new avenue to explore. Providentially, Buckeye Crime Writers scheduled Orman Hall (expert on the substance abuse crisis in the state of Ohio, and is a Glidden Foundation Visiting Professor at Ohio University. During his very informative session, I realized that the initial murder could not have happened the way it was written. I cursed a bit but was so thankful that I found out before the book was released.

BCW: How has writing been during the pandemic?

ECH: It’s an escape. But I had to guard against my book becoming too dark. When I sent the book out to beta readers, I asked them that specific question. They didn’t think it was, but I purposely dropped in a fun scene to try and interject a bit of lightness. It made me laugh, and I hope readers enjoy it as well.

BCW: How do you keep track of the places and people in your books?

ECH: As I mentioned in the panel discussion with Connie Berry and Andrew Welsh-Huggins, I have a master spreadsheet with all the characters, the books they appear in, and their relationship to the main character. In addition, all of the stores in town are listed in their own tab. It’s been quite helpful as I am not good at remembering names and refer to it quite a few times when writing.

BCW: How many more Merry March books will there be?

ECH: At least one. If I decide there’s more I want to explore with these characters, there may be an eighth!

BCW: Where can we find your books?

ECH: You can ask your favorite bookstore or library to order it for you, or you can purchase direct from Amazon. You can find links and the sign-up for my newsletter at my webpage, www.eileencurleyhammond.com.

BCW: Would you care to share an excerpt from your latest book?

ECH: Love to! This is from the first chapter of Murder So Tempting. Merry and her friends are returning from Phoenix, where Merry suffered a cracked rib, and have just arrived at their home airport.

“The woman let us off near baggage claim, and Patrick tipped her. I scanned the board. “We’re at number four.”

Patty pointed down the corridor. “Balloons. Maybe it’s somebody’s birthday.”

“How nice.” I paused. “You’d think they’d be blue or red. Strange that they’re silver and white. It’s near our carousel. Must be someone from our plane.” The painkillers had really kicked in, and I almost felt like I was floating. I giggled.

Patty studied me. “Feeling better?”

“Much.”

Jenny came up behind us. “Mom, are you okay?” She held out her arm. “You can lean on me.”

“I’m fine. Better than fine. Ooh. Look at that woman’s shirt. Lots of what’s that called? Swirlies? No, that’s not it, it’s paisley! My clothes are way too plain. I should ask her where she got it.”

I turned to follow the woman, and Patty hooked her arm through mine. “We’ll find out later. Let’s get our luggage first.” Patty nodded to Jenny. “Your mom had a pill. We better get her home.”

“Balloons! Someone’s going to be happy.” Cindy scooted ahead.

The crowd milled, waiting for the sweet sound of gears grinding that would signal the carousel beginning its serpentine journey. Patrick moved to the side, and it seemed like Rob magically appeared. He walked toward me with a smile on his face, flowers in one hand, balloons in the other.

Isn’t that sweet? Say what you will; that man has me pegged. I love getting flowers. Red roses, purple delphiniums, and green Irish bells. A beautiful bouquet. The balloons are odd. Why would he have brought balloons?

I tried to fight through the fog. He wasn’t going to—no—not here. Not now. Focus, Merry.

He handed the festive items to Patrick, knelt on one knee, and extended a small box. The glare from the fluorescent lights made everyone look sallow and otherworldly. The crowd hushed.

My breath caught, and my face flushed. I shook my head, trying to clear it. Not now. This can’t be happening now. I had waited so long and wanted to be able to savor this moment.

Rob reached for my hand. “I love you, Merry, and you would make me the happiest man on earth if you would marry me.”

I gasped. What if the paperwork for my annulment wasn’t really final? Could they rescind it if they found out I got engaged? My hands began to sweat, and I took two steps back, shaking my head. “No, I can’t. Not now.” I blurted. Rob’s face fell, and he jerked to his feet, placing the box back in his pocket.

Someone in the crowd asked, “What happened?”

A person replied, “She said no.”

And then a third opined, “What a shame.”

Patty and Patrick looked frozen, mouths agape, and Jenny’s eyes started to tear. The carousel clattered, and bags began to flow, mingling and shaking on their way to rejoin their owners.”

August 9, 2021August 8, 2021

BCW interview with Joan Long

By Connie Berry

When a woman enters a competition to complete a famous author’s novel, she doesn’t expect to find herself hiding on a tropical island, fearing for her life.

—The Finalist by Joan Long will be published by Level Best books in March 2022.

I first met author Joan Long in Florida at the Sleuthfest Annual Conference for Writers and Fans of Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller Fiction. I knew immediately, not only that she was someone I wanted to know better, and after learning about her work also knew she was a writer to watch. Later we met up again at Malice Domestic and then Bouchercon in Dallas.

Joan earned her graduate degree in Journalism and Communications from The University of Florida and has been a finalist in several writing contests, including the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition. Her short story “The Extra Ingredient” is published in the Anthony Award-winning anthology Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Edible. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, its Guppy Chapter, Mystery Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and International Thriller Writers. You can find out more about Joan at https://joanlongbooks.com.

I recently asked Joan a few questions about her writing journey, and she graciously agreed to share her story with the Buckeye Crime Writers.

Welcome, Joan, and congratulations! Like many authors (me included) the path to publication has been long and twisty. Tell us a little about your writing journey.

I’ve always wanted to write a mystery and attended college with that in mind. I majored in English/Creative Writing, then earned a graduate degree in Journalism and Communications. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a single class named “How to Write a Mystery,” and I knew nothing about how to structure one. I needed to learn.

I studied every book on novel writing I could find. I read books in the genre, joined critique groups, attended conferences, and wrote. But my first completed mystery barely reached 40,000 words. And it was boring!

Rather than revise it, I wrote two more manuscripts. The first became a finalist in the novel-in-progress category of the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. The other — a cozy mystery — became a finalist for both the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel, and MWA-Florida’s Freddie Award for Writing Excellence. The key word here is finalist. I didn’t win. But I didn’t stop writing either.

People often say to write what you know. I sat down and wrote a new novel — a traditional mystery about (you guessed it!) a finalist.

This time I created deeper characters, an island setting I loved, and a plot that intrigued me. I joined Sisters in Crime and its online Guppy Chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and the Authors Guild. I developed a website and a social media presence. Still, my manuscript did not sell.

With my ego bruised, I buried the manuscript in a drawer and began another project. But I liked the story too much to give up on it. Eventually, I pulled it from its grave and rewrote it. Twice. Soon, I received offers of representation from two agents, plus an offer directly from a publisher. After careful consideration, I chose to publish with Level Best Books and hired a literary attorney to negotiate my contract.

What “magic” happened in that rewriting that made a difference?

I did a manuscript exchange with two good friends. Both are published authors. Grace Topping writes the Laura Bishop Mystery series, which are cozies about home staging, while Tammy Euliano is the author of the thriller Fatal Intent. They both gave me excellent feedback, and I made changes. They didn’t always agree, but I paid very close attention when their comments were similar. One important change I made was cutting unnecessary description in the first few chapters to make the crime occur sooner in the book.

It took almost exactly five years from the day I came up with the idea for my book until the day I signed the publishing contract. I’m so glad I pulled the manuscript out of the drawer. The Finalist is scheduled to launch on March 15, 2022.

Why did you choose traditional publishing? Did you ever consider self-publishing?

I chose traditional publishing mainly because The Finalist is my debut novel. I wanted to have the expertise of an established publisher behind me.

How would you describe what you write?

I’m a third-generation Floridian who writes mysteries and suspense, usually set in Florida or in tropical locations. I am always fascinated when ordinary people are placed in impossible situations. How will they react? Can they thwart an evil antagonist and survive? Will justice be served? I want to know!

What have you learned that you can pass along to other writers on the same journey?

My advice is to never give up. Your dream might come true today, next week, or next month. But it will never happen if you quit.

What’s next for you?

Oh! My next project is a suspense novel set on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida. I hope to tell you more about it soon.

Thanks for stopping by, Joan. Best of luck with The Finalist and your new book.

August 1, 2021August 29, 2021

How do you keep a series evolving, characters and all?

Note: This event has passed, but if you’d like to watch the replay, you can do so here!

Mark your calendar: Saturday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST Virtual meeting via Zoom. RSVP: buckeyecrimewriters@gmail.com.

Join panelists Connie Campbell Berry, Eileen Curley Hammond, and Andrew Welsh-Huggins, along with moderator Patrick Stuart as they talk about the ins-and-outs of writing a series. They’ll discuss:

Keeping track of those pesky characters
Knowing when to introduce new characters
Creating episodic stories that come to resolution with characters who grow/evolve across books
Making sure descriptions of place and people are consistent
Figuring out when to call it quits

If you are thinking of writing a series, or want to transition to one, you won’t want to miss this informative session.

Connie Berry is the author of the Kate Hamilton Mysteries, set in the UK and featuring an American antiques dealer with a gift for solving crimes. Like her protagonist, Connie was raised by antiques dealers who instilled in her a passion for history, fine art, and travel. During college she studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and St. Clare’s College, Oxford, where she fell under the spell of the British Isles. Besides reading and writing mysteries, Connie loves history, foreign travel, cute animals, and all things British. She lives in Ohio with her husband and adorable Shih Tzu, Emmie.

Eileen Curley Hammond is the author of the Merry March Mystery series, which is set in the fictional town of Hopeful. Eileen retired from a successful marketing career in the insurance industry and leveraged that knowledge by making her protagonist an insurance agent. Eileen spends her spare time in cooking experimentation (pizza is her current quest), and she and her husband share the house with two demanding felines.

Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a reporter for the Associated Press and the author of seven books in the Andy Hayes private eye series, featuring a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator. Andrew is also the editor of the Columbus Noir anthology from Akashic Books. In addition, Andrew is the author of two non-fiction books and numerous short stories. When he’s not writing or reporting, Andrew enjoys running, reading, cooking, spending time with family, and trying to remember why having both cats and parakeets seemed like a good idea at the time.