Seven Authors & a Holiday Party at The Poisoned Pen!

If y'all have been reading these recaps as I post them, you know that my husband Denis seldom gets to go to the author events at our favorite bookstore, The Poisoned Pen. Too often the authors he wants to see appear on weekends, and Denis works every weekend.

When he saw my notation in Google calendar for an event being held Sunday, November 19, that had seven authors listed-- half of whom he likes and has already met-- he could've out-pouted any two-year-old alive. My response? "Request the day off." He did, but as the weekend was marked "Not Available," we thought he had a snowball's chance of getting the day off. We were wrong. Evidently, the powers-that-be for his company realized that this man of mine works every weekend and the only time he's off on Saturday or Sunday, it's during a week's vacation. So... a very happy Denis drove us to Scottsdale on a bright, sunny Sunday. We got our favorite parking spot and the seats we wanted, and as familiar faces began to filter in (including three women all the way from Corpus Christi, Texas), there was plenty of catching up and book chat being done.

Isn't this a gorgeous lineup of book covers? Take a good look....

The folks at The Poisoned Pen know how to throw a party. Plenty of books and delectable drinks and nibbles, and a marvelous group of authors: Daryl Wood Gerber, Kate Carlisle, Carolyn Hart, Rhys Bowen, Timothy Hallinan, Donis Casey, and Jenn McKinlay. Wow!

L to R: Bowen, Peters, Hallinan

The authors were split into three groups, and the first group contained the two who'd had the most difficulties getting to the bookstore on time. Tim Hallinan's first flight had been canceled, and Rhys Bowen was late due to church services that ran over.

Host and bookstore owner, Barbara Peters, began by talking about Soho Press's Christmas short story collection, The Usual Santas, in which Tim has a story about two homeless kids on the sidewalks of Bangkok, Thailand, on Christmas Eve. It's a very moving story about being surrounded by Christmas when you have nothing at all. Any royalties Tim receives will be donated to Father Joe, a man who has housed, clothed and fed at least 20,000 homeless children in Bangkok.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is the third Christmas book from Rhys Bowen, and it meant writing three books in one year for her. "Only a crazy person-- is Jenn [McKinlay] here?-- would write three books a year, but my editor wanted another Christmas book," Bowen told us.

While Bowen's difficulty in writing a seasonal-themed book was due to a lack of time, Hallinan's reason was much more personal. Barbara Peters asked him, "What's difficult about writing a Christmas book?" to which he responded, "I don't like Christmas. Growing up in my house, Christmas Day meant that the drinking began at 9:30 AM." (When Tim said that, the disparaging looks he'd been getting changed to ones of understanding.)

"Something happened while I was writing Fields Where They Lay," Hallinan said. [This is a Christmas-themed mystery featuring Junior Bender.] "It turned out to be a truly Christmas-y book... and it's sincere. There has been interest in filming Fields Where They Lay as a movie. The entire thing could be shot in one of Los Angeles' empty shopping malls."

When Barbara told us that she loved Tim's books, Tim said, "My brother remarked one day 'Weren't we smart to do something we get better at as we get older?'"

Barbara, Tim & The Usual Santas

On the other hand, Rhys Bowen said, "I love Christmas. One of my cherished memories is of a Christmas market cruise we took up the Danube River-- even though after the third village my husband John said, 'How many more angels do you need to look at?'"

Barbara compared Bowen's The Ghost of Christmas Past to an Agatha Christie country house party...

"...where someone dies every day. What's Christmas without a body or two?" Bowen quipped. "Molly is in a very dark place in this book, and she's looking forward to spending Christmas with her beloved family and friends, only to find that they're all being invited to a country house holiday party."

"This is a different country house party since it's set in a house on the banks of the Hudson River," Peters remarked. This reminded Bowen of a reader who once disputed the setting of one of her books. Bowen replied with one specific fact after another of where the book was set. "Don't mess with me!" she laughed.

The talk of the book's setting reminded Hallinan of something. "There's going to be an exhibition of Hudson River artists at the Metropolitan Museum in about five months," he said. (Wish I could go!)

Available Now!

Barbara Peters turned to Hallinan and said, "As humorous as Junior is, it seems to me that your heart is with Poke" to which Tim replied, "It is."

Hallinan's excellent Poke Rafferty series all began in 1986 when he was sitting in a restaurant in Bangkok writing. A little homeless girl with a very carefully arranged box of chewing gum was completely mesmerized by his laptop. By the ninth time she showed up to watch, Tim had set up a pinball game on the machine, showed Miaow how to play it, and then left for forty-five minutes after giving the waitress instructions to give the little girl anything she wanted to eat or drink. When he came back, there was an astronomical score on the laptop-- and three neatly stacked packages of chewing gum on the table.

Thereafter, Tim saw Miaow on his trips to Bangkok until the day that there was no sign of her. Tim knows that her disappearance was not a good sign. "Miaow is the character I love the most," he said. "These books may be known as the Poke Rafferty series, but this is her story, and I've always said that when Miaow turns nineteen and leaves home that that will be the end of the series."

He went on to tell us a bit about his latest Poke Rafferty book, Fools' River, and then it was Bowen's turn to talk about her standalone, In Farleigh Field. "I wanted to write about World War II because I think it was the last time England had a clear idea of where it was going, and that people knew that if they didn't do their bit something evil could happen. The book sold over 100,000 copies in less than a month."

Barbara smiled and said, "Yes, Rhys's regular publisher took a pass on it, so Rhys published with a branch of Amazon. Now her regular publisher is all over anything else Rhys wants to write because of the phenomenal sales of In Farleigh Field!" Bowen's next book which will be released in February 2018 is The Tuscan Child, another standalone set during World War II. "I've always wanted to write a book with two different time periods!" (And if you're wondering, The Tuscan Child is being published by Amazon.)

Tim Hallinan just finished a Junior Bender mystery called Night Town which takes place almost entirely in the dark. The story moves between two different time periods, and in London, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a character.

The first segment of The Poisoned Pen's author party ended when Rhys told us how her first books were uniformly described as "delightful" and "charming." She told her editor, "I'm sick of being delightful and charming! My next book is going to be filled with Satanism, cannibalism, and strewn body parts!" Her editor replied, "And I'm sure it will be delightful!"

Denis charming an author or two. Or four!

It was time for a short break, and Denis did what he does best: charm people. You can barely see his glasses, nose, and right hand on the extreme left in the photo above, but I can testify that his stories had Daryl Wood Gerber, Jenn McKinlay (standing behind Rhys Bowen in stripes), and Carolyn Hart laughing while I was chatting with Tim Hallinan.

L to R: Donis Casey and Carolyn G. Hart

The second segment showcased two Oklahomans, Donis Casey and Carolyn Hart. As Donis said, "We're not from Bangkok, and we don't have a British accent like Rhys. We're both from Oklahoma, so you'll just have to sit and listen to our twang!" That was certainly fine with us!

Carolyn surprised many of us when she admitted that she just can't write a book until she has the title. "The original title I had for my latest mystery was rejected by my publisher because they thought it would be mistaken for a sports book, so my eighth Bailey Ruth novel is now Ghost on the Case." She went on to say, "Bailey Ruth is a fun ghost. Topper and Blithe Spirit were inspirations for her."

Donis asked Hart about her Death on Demand series, and Carolyn said that she was fairly certain that that series had come to an end. "When you come up on twenty-six books in a series, you start having trouble finding a plot you haven't used. You know...Sue Grafton has said that if she knew what she was getting herself into, she never would've started out with A Is for Alibi."

Carolyn Hart

"Yes," Donis agreed. "It's that age-old mystery writer's dilemma: How many ways are there to kill people?"

"I'm particularly fond of the blunt instrument," Hart replied with a completely straight face.

"I use guns a lot, primarily because of my rural setting in Oklahoma during the 1910s," Donis said.

"The trouble with guns is that someone will always write to you and tell you all the mistakes you made with the firearms you chose," Hart said. "That's why I like the blunt instrument!"

Barbara told us during her introduction of these two writers that Publishers Weekly had recently given Donis Casey's upcoming mystery Forty Dead Men a coveted starred review. When asked about her Alafair Tucker series, Casey said, "My original plan was to write ten books in this series. My February book [Forty Dead Men] is book number ten. I'd originally thought to end the series with a Christmas book."

This segment had all the appearance of being two friends chatting with each other, and by this point they'd moved on to future plans. "I have been thinking of the silent movie industry for one of Alafair's girls," Donis said. Carolyn replied, "If I write another book, I think it will be another Bailey Ruth because I've really been enjoying writing this series. Bailey Ruth is in Oklahoma; I'm from Oklahoma. The Death on Demand series is set on an island off the coast of South Carolina. It's been a while since I've been there, so the setting doesn't seem quite real to me anymore."

Donis has had a different reaction to the setting of her books. "I've lived in Phoenix for thirty years now, and I find it easier to write about Oklahoma. I don't know if distance brings me clarity or what."

After a few questions from fans, this short and sweet second segment was finished. After another short break, it would be time for the Wild Ones.

L to R: Daryl Wood Gerber, Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle

When Daryl Wood Gerber, Jenn McKinlay, and Kate Carlisle took the stage at The Poisoned Pen's holiday party, Jenn immediately noticed that Kate was holding a copy of her latest Fixer-Upper mystery, Eaves of Destruction. "I see you're all prepared!" Jenn said. Kate, looking slightly abashed, said, "It's because I can't remember the plot...." which made everyone in the bookstore laugh. (And it's probably the most common curse among writers. By the time they go on tour for the recently published book, they're already working two books ahead.) When asked about their newest books, Kate was first. "I've always wanted to write a story about twins separated at birth-- which got the expected laugh-- but instead this is about a woman who's looking for a certain house. She's finally found it, and murder and mayhem ensue."

Jenn's latest is a Library Lovers mystery, Death in the Stacks. "Many of you know that I was a librarian for the Phoenix Public Library for a long time, and one of the library events I enjoyed the most was the annual Dinner in the Stacks fundraiser. Well... I felt compelled to kill someone during the Dinner in the Stacks, and the dead person may or may not be a certain administrator I worked for. (I've been getting emails saying, 'That's so-and-so, isn't it?') When I was notified that there would be no more Hat Shop mysteries, I wrote those characters into this book, and since I didn't want to ignore the other series, I wrote the Cupcake Bakers into the story, too."

Kate Carlisle's delicious Fixer-Upper cookies.

Daryl looked at Jenn and said, "You know, if you're writing about someone real, change the person's sex and they usually don't recognize themselves."

Daryl's A Deadly Éclair starts off her new French Bistro series. She also wrote the Cheese Shop mysteries under the name Avery Aames and has a third series, the Cookbook Nook cozies, as well. "I didn't know I'd have to know how to cook in order to write books!" she joked. Her French Bistro series is set in a village in Napa Valley, California. "Poor Napa Valley and all it's going through!" Daryl exclaimed. "But this is fiction. I like to write about fictional towns because then no one can point any fingers. I have a lot of my heart and soul in this new series, and it's really upped my game as a cook."

Carlisle mentioned the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel which has been filming several cozy mystery series-- one of which is her Fixer-Upper series starring Jewel. "I've had complaints from fans about Hallmark changing Shannon's father's name and that they changed her last name. I don't really understand why they did." For those of you not familiar with the books, Shannon's last name is Hammer and her father's name is Jack.

"This reminds me of the time I saw Charlaine Harris," Jenn McKinlay said. "I didn't even think. I was a huge Sookie Stackhouse fan and went all Fan Girl, asking her 'What do you think of True Blood?' She was nice about it. She thought for a second and then said, 'I think it's making me a lot of money.'"

When asked what was next, Kate Carlisle said, "The twelfth Bibliophile mystery will be out in June. It's called Buried in Books, and Brooklyn gets married." This news was greeted with applause.

Did Jenn know what was coming?

"I'm working on my sixth Cookbook Nook mystery, Pressing the Issue, and I'm waiting to hear from a different publisher about a new series," Daryl said.

"Every Dog Has Its Day will be out January 18," Jenn told us. "It's a romantic comedy. I took the dead bodies out and added a bit of sex. Wedding Cake Crumble will be the next Cupcake Bakery book."

Barbara interjected, "Since we're talking about upcoming events, our next Cozy Con will be held on the Saturday before Mother's Day." More applause greeted this news.

The three authors were then asked a bit about their writing processes.

"I work on one book at a time, preferably," said Daryl.

"I'm pretty much the same way," said Kate. "I try to read the last book in the series before starting to write a new book so I can get back into the character's voice."

"I never re-read any of my books!" Jenn said. "I try to use the Stephen King Method: one season per book. I write from page one to the end [so do Carlisle and Gerber], and if I get stuck, I add a note saying FIX THIS and move on."

"I do like the climax," Daryl said-- which brought down the house and made her qualify her statement-- "I like writing the climactic scene! When I start a book, I know what's going on. I know the victim. I know the suspects. I know how it ends. I don't find this boring. It's my road map, and I flesh it out along the way. I see my books in my mind as a film."

A fan asked them if they listened to music as they wrote, and if they would think about sharing their playlists online. The suggestion didn't fit in with the authors' writing styles. Jenn McKinlay doesn't listen to music while she writes. Kate Carlisle wants complete silence. Daryl Wood Gerber loves listening to music as long as there are no words.

I've never seen two hours move so quickly, and I think all the other fans felt the same way. The Poisoned Pen's event was the perfect kick-off to Thanksgiving Week and the busy holiday season. Did I get out of my favorite bookstore without buying anything? What do you think?

My Poisoned Pen book haul.

A Carolyn Hart Giveaway!

Saturday, May 9, I was fortunate enough to attend the Death on Demand Party (AKA Cozy Con 2015) at The Poisoned Pen. Naturally I picked up some goodies, and I'm going to be sharing them all with you!

This first giveaway is for one autographed copy of Carolyn Hart's latest Death on Demand mystery, Don't Go Home, and one commemorative mug from the party. That's right. One winner will receive both the book and the mug!

Here's the synopsis of this 25th Death on Demand mystery:

"Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand mystery bookstore, is hosting a party to celebrate successful Southern literary icon—and former Broward’s Rock resident—Alex Griffith and his bestselling new novel, Don’t Go Home. But after the local paper announces that Griffith aims to reveal the real-life inspirations behind his characters, perhaps the author should take his own advice. Not everyone in town is ready to give him a glowing review.

As Annie attempts damage control, her friend Marian Kenyon gets in a heated argument with Griffith. It’s a fight Annie won’t soon forget—especially after the author turns up dead.

Despite an array of suspects to match Griffith’s cast of characters—and a promise to her husband, Max, to steer clear of sleuthing—Annie’s not about to let the police throw the book at her friend when the real killer remains at large…"

Sounds like a good'un, doesn't it? Now let's take a look at that mug...

If you're having trouble reading that fine print, just click on the photo and it will automatically open in a new window in its original size. On one side is a graphic of a stack of three books and the words "Death on Demand Bookstore, Broward's Rock, South Carolina." On the other side: "Don't Go Home by Carolyn Hart. The 25th Death on Demand Mystery. Poisoned Pen Bookstore. 5-9-2015"

(By the way, I know you're seeing two mugs in the photo above, but that's just to show you both sides. One of the mugs is mine!)

Okay now... what do you have to do to be eligible to win the book and mug?


Here are the rules:

1. Send an email to kittlingbooks(at)gmail(dot)com.
2. The subject header of the email must read "Death on Demand Giveaway."
3. The body of the email must contain (A) Your email address, and (B) Your mailing address.

That's it! I believe in simple rules, but all three of them must be followed, or your entry will not be eligible.

This giveaway will run through Tuesday, May 26, and the winner will be announced here on the blog on Wednesday, May 27. Good luck to you all!

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If you haven't already liked Kittling: Books' Facebook page, you might want to do so. If you already do, you might want to make sure that you get notifications from it. Why?  Because that's where I'll be giving away autographed copies of the rest of the books I picked up at the Death on Demand Party, that's why! I'd hate for you to miss out! 

The Death on Demand Party at The Poisoned Pen!

 The second I walked into The Poisoned Pen I knew it was a special day. Well, I knew that before I walked in, but the decor really brought it home. Palm trees are not normal for my favorite bookstore, but they are in Carolyn Hart's series which takes place in the Death on Demand Mystery Bookstore on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Today was all about Carolyn Hart and her twenty-fifth book in the Death on Demand series, and bookstore owner Barbara Peters and her staff had not only made the place welcoming for Carolyn and her fans,  they'd also gone all out for the group of authors helping us celebrate. Which authors, you ask? Well... besides Carolyn Hart there were Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, Hannah Dennison, Laura DiSilverio, and Judith Janeway. This event had morphed into Cozy Con 2015.

For a while I was distracted by all the books on display that were written by the attending authors, as well as the artwork and quizzes that all the fans were encouraged to take part in. Before I go any further, I just want you to know that you can click on any of these photos, and a new window will open so you can see each one in more detail.

The art quiz-- Guess the author and protagonist!

A close-up, if you want to try your hand at part of this quiz!

Suspended from the ceiling were artists' renditions of eight different cozy covers, and fans were asked to guess each book's author and the protagonist of the series. In addition there were two more quizzes; one to see how much we knew about Carolyn Hart's books, and the other to check our knowledge of Agatha Christie-- Hart's favorite writer.

Once I'd gotten over being distracted (and taking photos), I found a seat and sat down to people watch, and boy, was that fun! I recognized several people from attending previous events, and I also spoke to some of the authors who were making appearances as fans: Betty Webb, Annette Mahon, Donis Casey, Eileen Brady, Paige Shelton, and Frederick Ramsay. This event hadn't even begun, and it was already turning into a mystery lover's dream! The cash registers were ringing, people were busy taking the quizzes, the coffee and tea bar was open, and the air was filled with excited book chatter.

Before the event's official start, host Barbara Peters chatted with us for a few minutes. I liked her telling us that the staff of various cruise ships call her "the book woman." Peters has been known to ship cartons of books ahead when she's on her travels, and when she's on board a cruise ship, she leaves behind the books she's read for the enjoyment of the ships' staffs.

Peters then asked us if we wanted another Cozy Con next year. I think people across the street could hear our resounding "YES!"

"Carolyn-- that rat-- told me this was her last Death on Demand book, which was why this event was originally billed as a farewell tour," Peters told us. "Later she said she'd gone into such a deep depression that she's writing another!" (More cheering.)

Hart talking with Katherine Hall Page via Skype.

First off was a brief visit with author Katherine Hall Page in Boston via Skype-- made all the briefer due to technical difficulties on both ends of the connection. When all the connections finally stabilized, we were left with very low volume on the sound, which meant that Barbara had to repeat everything Page said so that the crowd could hear.

Page was a bit envious of the setting of this event, mentioning that she'd just endured 136 inches of snow during the winter. 

Carolyn asked, "And how many books did you write during this time?"

"I was too depressed to tie myself to the computer," Page replied, "but I did do a lot of reading!"

"What can you tell us about your latest book?" Hart asked.

"Go slow!" exclaimed Peters who was tasked with repeating everything Page said.

Page then proceeded to tell us a bit about The Body in the Birches, which will be released Tuesday, May 12. The book demanded a lot of research, and a lot of invasive questions being asked of people. Page believes that the book proves "that it's often really small things that can tear a family apart." Peters agreed. "I know of a family that fell apart over a teapot."

After a few more questions, the Skype call came to a reluctant end.  Poisoned Pen staffer John Charles then began an interview with authors Dennison, McKinlay, Carlisle, DiSilverio, and Janeway.

L to R: Donis Casey (standing), Hannah Dennison, Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle

L to R: Laura DiSilverio, Judith Janeway, John Charles

Charles asked the panel of authors a series of questions, beginning with introductions. Beware! I'm only giving the highlights of this event (the length of this post is going to be gargantuan anyway), so please don't be annoyed if I skip some of the introductions, etc. That's one of the major reasons why I've provided links to each author's website.

Here's what I gleaned from John Charles' interview:

Laura DiSilverio

Laura DiSilverio was in Air Force intelligence and retired in 2004 after having served for twenty years.

When talking about cozy mysteries, Kate Carlisle said, "I've always considered 'cozy mystery' a marketing term," while Hannah Dennison remarked, "There are no real cozies in England [she's British]. English writers tend to write dark stuff. Because of the weather!"

Jenn McKinlay's first mystery featured a hooker, fish, and a strip club owner. Somehow-- after her agent told her that those characters really weren't going to work-- the manuscript turned into the first Cupcake Bakery mystery. "Go figure!"

Another question was how the authors dealt with having an ordinary person finding one dead body after another.

Judith Janeway

"I don't deal with it," Jenn McKinlay said, which provoked another big laugh from the audience. "Most of my stuff is fueled by comedy."

Hannah Dennison added that she "rel[ies] heavily on suspending disbelief."

Another question brought groans from the panel. "What is one of your favorite cozy mysteries of all time... or one that you feel everyone should read?" (Groans and gasps of disbelief from the authors)

Judith Janeway: "Go read some Agatha Christie!"

Laura DiSilverio, whose Readaholics series involves a book club that reads a lot of classic crime fiction said, "Start with Agatha Christie and Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe."

Kate Carlisle

Kate Carlisle: "Carolyn Hart. All of them. In order."

Carolyn Hart (from the back of the room): "May I kiss you?"

Kate Carlisle: "I'd also add Victoria Thompson. Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery series, and Barbara Ross's Maine Clambake mysteries." 

Hannah Dennison: "I love M.C. Beaton."

Jenn McKinlay warmed the cockles of the hearts of the authors seated in the audience by naming them all. (They're all listed in the fourth paragraph....)

Question: What do you hate about writing? What do you love about writing?

Jenn McKinlay: "Working in my pajamas. Being ten feet from the pantry. What I hate are writing the middles of books, and I miss interacting with people... water cooler chat."

Hannah Dennison: "I hate writing the beginning, and I love it when it all comes together."

Kate Carlisle: "My favorites are finishing and writing dialogue."

Laura DiSilverio: "I love working at something that I'm passionate about. I don't like proofreading typeset copy!"

Judith Janeway: "The worst day writing is better than the best day not writing!"

Question: What is your current book? What is your next book?

Janeway: "My current book is The Magician's Daughter, and my next book is The Magician's Duel."

DiSilverio: "My current is The Readaholics and the Falcon Fiasco, and my next book is more in the line of women's fiction, The Reckoning Stones. I'm also doing research for another book, so if you've ever attended an event in which something has gone wildly wrong, please get in touch with me!"

Carlisle: "Current? The Book Stops Here. Next is another Bibliophile mystery, Ripped From the Pages, which features a tasting cave. [Wineries] Tasting caves are the latest thing. I know this because I've done a lot of research! I'd also like to mention my third Fixer-Upper mystery being released in November, Crowned and Moldering."    

Dennison: "My current book is Deadly Desires at Honeychurch Hall. The mother in the Honeychurch Hall books is based on my own wonderful mother, and each book will feature some sort of threat similar to those facing British stately homes today."

Jenn knows how to make us laugh!

Right at this point, the loud, insistent tones of a cell phone could be heard. We all know that cell phones are to be turned off or set to vibrate during events, so many of us were craning our heads in an attempt to locate the culprit. To Jenn McKinlay's deep embarrassment, it was her phone. Grabbing her purse and making a mad dash for the outdoors, she apologized profusely.

Upon her return, she explained that her two young sons were preparing lunch for themselves and had had a moment of "male refrigerator blindness."

Once we'd stopped laughing, Jenn went on to tell us that her current book is Dark Chocolate Demise, a Cupcake Bakery book. Her next book is from the Library Lovers series and is titled A Likely Story. It will be out in November, and is her first book in hardcover. (Congratulations, Jenn!) A Likely Story was inspired by her efforts at reorganizing, when she discovered that hoarders are living in her house. When a fan wanted to know what her next Hat Shop mystery was, Jenn said, "It's coming out in January and is called Copy Cap Murder." 

Another fan asked about male cozy writers. Barbara Peters quipped, "If you're English, cozy is P.D. James," and once again we broke out laughing, but names like Aaron Elkins, Tim Myers, and Dean James were mentioned. One of the authors also mentioned that several men wrote cozies using female pen names.

L to R: good friends Barbara Peters and Carolyn Hart

After a short break to restore circulation, to get more food and drink, and to chat, the event resumed with Barbara Peters interviewing her good friend, Carolyn Hart, who loves Agatha Christie's writing. After talking a few minutes about the British Library Crime Classics that are being published in the US by Poisoned Pen Press, we all got to learn a bit more about Carolyn. 

"I was a failed writer who'd resorted to teaching," Carolyn said, "when I went to a writers conference in 1985 and talked with Bill Crider. He asked me if I'd ever been to Murder By the Book, and I told him that I'd never heard of it. When he told me that it was a mystery bookstore there in Houston, I was mystified. I'd never heard of such a thing. I went, and I fell in love with the place the second I walked in the door. I used it as the inspiration for my fictional bookstore, Death on Demand. 

"Although dysfunctional characters were all the rage then, I wanted to write about a non-dysfunctional couple who lived on a fictional island [based on Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she spent summers as a child] off the South Carolina coast. My manuscript sold the first week my agent sent it out. When the agent called me and said, 'This is a series, isn't it?' I thought that it was news to me, but I said, 'Of course!'"

Not being a huge lover of cell phones, Hart made sure to set one of her Death on Demand books on an island with no cell phone reception, so she wouldn't have to deal with them. Carolyn also told us how Max Darling got his name. "'Max' is in honor of Agatha Christie's second husband, and 'Darling' is for Ron Darling, a pitcher for the New York Mets. What can I say? I love baseball!"

Barbara made sure to mention that the Mystery Writers of America had given Hart the Grand Master Award in 2014. "When they called me, I thought they were going to ask me to be on a panel or something. I was thunderstruck," Carolyn said.

Speaking of awards, we all learned that Barbara Peters and her husband Robert Rosenwald are going to be given the Hercule Poirot Award at the 2016 Malice Domestic conference. (From the Malice Domestic website: "The Poirot Award is presented to honor individuals other than writers who have made outstanding contributions to the Malice Domestic genre. The award is bestowed by the Malice Domestic Board of Directors and presented at the Malice Domestic conference. The Poirot Award is not an annual award.")

Carolyn Hart

"I'm 78," Hart said, "and I've been writing two books a year for at least fifteen years now. When I told my publishers that I wanted to go down to just one book a year, they said it was okay, but that I had to choose which series I wanted to continue.

"I chose Bailey Ruth because I find it so challenging. There are no coincidences. There has to be a reason for Bailey Ruth to see and know things.

"But I found that I was going into a decline. No more Annie and Max? So that's when I decided I would write one more after Don't Go Home." 

When asked, Hart told us that the next Bailey Ruth mystery would be Ghost to the Rescue. It will be her 59th book.

Which of her books is she proudest of? "Letter From Home," she replied. "It's about life on the home front during World War II. I'm also very proud of Escape From Paris, which is about two American women trapped in France during 1940 who help British airmen escape the Nazis."

Mentioning Oklahoma and the terrible storms that roll through at this time of year, Hart told us about a program called Let's Talk About It that's run by the state. "The people running the program told me that my Letter From Home and Donis Casey's The Old Buzzard Had It Coming were the two most popular books for the year." Naturally we all had to applaud the news-- especially since Donis was in the audience! 

Barbara Peters mentioned all the many kindnesses Carolyn Hart has been known to show to her fellow writers, and from the corner of my eye, I saw many authors' heads nodding in the audience. Carolyn looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, when I'm standing at the Pearly Gates, I just want to say that I tried to help writers. I'm paying forward all the many kindnesses I have received over the years."

Brief mention was made of her latest Death on Demand book, Don't Go Home. "A young writer has a runaway bestseller that features many characters based on people in his hometown. They've been disguised, but if you know the situation, you're going to be able to identify these people. It is very ill-advised for that writer to return home. But he does."

At that point, the quiz winners were announced and their prizes distributed, and we all adjourned to have our books signed-- and to have a piece of the yummy chocolate cake that had been waiting for us.

What a marvelous afternoon!

Stay Tuned! More on these goodies (and more) next Monday!

@ The Poisoned Pen with the Berkley Prime Crime Ladies!

A bookstore celebrating a milestone-- like its twenty-fifth anniversary-- can dish up some very nice perks, like the one on the evening Denis and I headed over to Scottsdale and The Poisoned Pen.

We were going to enjoy a couple of hours with four talented writers: Carolyn Hart, recipient of the Grand Masters Award from the Mystery Writers of America and author of four series and several standalones; Margaret Coel, author of the Wind River mysteries and Catherine McLeod novels; Avery Aames (AKA Daryl Wood Gerber), author of two series; and Earlene Fowler, author of two series and a standalone novel. These women have all won awards, and they are all published by Berkley Prime Crime.

I wasn't about to pass up the chance to see them, and Denis-- who rocketed through the Wind River mysteries after meeting Margaret Coel-- is always game to go to our favorite bookstore because he usually comes home with more audiobook suggestions.

On the drive over, the radio station alerted us to the haboob moving in from Casa Grande. Evidently everyone was supposed to stay off the road at 5 PM, which made me wonder what all these people were going to do instead of coming home from work. Just how much of a chance do you think there would be of having everyone stay at work? I thought so-- you and I are on the same page with that one! The sky was blue, there was no signs of billowing clouds of dust, and in no time, we were at The Poisoned Pen.

"Take cover!"

L to R: Fowler, Hart, Coel and Aames

Having already met Earlene Fowler at the very first CozyCon, I'd fallen in love with her humor and outspokenness. As the four women took their seats, Earlene immediately made us laugh.  "So this is one of those haboobs?" Fowler asked. "We heard the news in our hotel. They were telling everyone to get off the roads, to stay inside, to close windows and doors.... I was telling these three to take cover, and I started checking to see if we had enough food and water in the mini fridge!" (If you haven't guessed it already, a haboob is a dust storm, and as far as they go, this one was a no-show.)

As is often the case, Barbara Peters had taken the women out to lunch, and she looked over the room and said, "You think these authors come to The Poisoned Pen to sign your books. They really come here to eat!"

Introductions

The evening officially began with each author introducing herself.

Avery Aames

Daryl Wood Gerber introduced herself by saying that she writes a cookbook cozy series under her real name, and the cheese shop mysteries as Avery Aames. (When you spell Ames with two A's, you're first alphabetically on the shelf.)

"All the titles in in the second series are quite cheesy," she said with a laugh.

Margaret Coel

"When I began writing the Wind River mysteries," said Margaret Coel, "I had to find a logical way to get an amateur involved in solving murders. Then it dawned on me... when you're in trouble, who do you turn to? You often turn to your priest, your lawyer.

"What my books are about is how things that happen in the past percolate up to affect the present." She added that this also happens in her two Catherine McLeod books set in Denver, Blood Memory and The Perfect Suspect.

Carolyn Hart

"My Death on Demand book coming out in May will be my fifty-third," said Carolyn Hart. "I've been writing for fifty years. I grew up during World War II and always wanted to write about ordinary people in extraordinary times.

"I wanted to write a non-fiction book about American nurses in the Philippines during World War II, but when I asked to see their papers, the papers were not available to view. Now they are, and seven or eight years ago, a wonderful book was written about them. All the nurses survived, although they'd all been Japanese prisoners of war."

When Barbara Peters asked her which of her books was her favorite, Hart quickly replied, "Escape from Paris," which is a suspense novel about two American sisters in Paris during the Occupation who risk their lives to save a downed British airman from Nazi arrest.

Earlene Fowler

"I feel so intimidated sitting next to Carolyn!" quipped Earlene Fowler. "I wrote each Benni Harper novel as if it were the last. I'm on hiatus at the moment."

When asked what she was doing, Earlene smiled and said, "Right now I'm doing promiscuous reading, and I think everyone needs to stop writing for at least six months to give us all a chance to catch up!"

Questions & Answers

Barbara Peters: You all write more than one type of book. Carolyn, you started out with juvenile fiction, and now you're writing about a ghost (Bailey Ruth). It's almost as if you're covering all the bases from birth to death!

Carolyn Hart: I had to do copy edits on a new version of a book that's set in Mexico City involving college students in 1954. Doing that made me feel young again. (Looking out over the room) Everybody in this room has a story.

Margaret Coel: We all wonder if we can do it. It expands our capabilities, and it's fun. I did it because I wanted to challenge myself.

Earlene Fowler: Benni is a young widow who has a great support system. I wanted to write about a young widow who has none of that. (The Saddlemaker's Wife)

Barbara Peters: Earlene, you write about the thing that scares you most: being widowed.

Earlene Fowler: Yes. I had a writing instructor tell us to write about the thing that scares you most, and that's what I did.  I met my husband when we were fifteen; we were married when we were nineteen; and we're now fifty-nine with no kids. Well, except our Corgi. I lost twenty-five pounds writing my first book, Fool's Puzzle because the thought of losing my husband scares me to death.

Avery Aames: My publisher wanted a niche sort of book about cheese, which has always been considered a sort of comfort food. They wanted cheese, and they liked my writing.  I was an actress, and I wrote lots of screenplays, but I had six unpublished novels sitting on the shelf. The only way to be published was to say yes to cheese. And I'm excellent at doing my research!

I will say that my cheese shop series isn't so much about cheese but the relationship between an orphaned girl and her French grandparents. My main character can't cook so fans who also can't cook can still relate to the series. Speaking of cooking, if you haven't done so, I hope you all will visit one of my favorite websites, Mystery Lovers' Kitchen.

Barbara Peters: The people at Berkley will often have an idea and then look for an author to pair with that idea. In some cases, Berkley owns the name the author writes under.

Earlene Fowler: I know of authors who write under four or five different names, and they've dedicated books to themselves. I've often thought that writers have to be successful schizophrenics; they have to write, and then they have to deal with their publishers.

Barbara Peters: It's a strange business, and speaking of business, I'd like to say that the Poisoned Pen Press' debts have all been paid off. We've even hired a marketing expert and an assistant publisher. (Enthusiastic round of applause throughout the bookstore)

Earlene Fowler: And as writers we sometimes get to travel to promote our books. We get to stay in a nice hotel. We get to see a haboob....

Barbara Peters: In the bookstore business, I've learned that customers are predictable. I hate to say that, but you are. When The Poisoned Pen was first open, there was an elderly lady who would spend $34-37 every other week in the store. This went on for well over a year. Then she called one week, ordered books, and asked for them to be delivered. I knew something was wrong, so I delivered the books myself. She wanted me to leave the books at the door and leave, but I refused. When she finally opened the door, she was so embarrassed. She had an abusive grandson, and he had beaten her. But we need to get back on track....

Earlene Fowler: You can't leave us hanging like this! (Everyone in the room agreed.)

Barbara then went on to say that she took the lady to the hospital to get her checked out, and the grandson was arrested and jailed. (See what kind of service you get at an indie bookstore?)

Barbara Peters: Where do you get the names for your characters?

Earlene Fowler: From all over. I once met a woman named Bunny. She was six feet tall, dressed in a work shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. Not your run-of-the-mill Bunny!

Margaret Coel: I have an Arapaho vet my manuscripts, and I once had to change the name of one of my characters because it was very similar to the name of an Arapaho who would've brought many unhappy memories and associations to the tribe.

Avery Aames: I get a lot of mine online. I want them to be easily pronounceable. I met a woman called Bingo at a signing, and I asked her daughter, "Bingo as in the dog?" No. The woman was called Bingo because the very first time her husband laid eyes on her, he said, "Bingo!"

Earlene Fowler: I named one of my characters after a real person, and I didn't tell her. Three months later, the woman called me and said, "You named that character after me!" I responded, "'bout time you read the book!"

As the evening reluctantly drew to a close, Margaret Coel told us a bit about her newest book that's coming out in September. She found out that Butch Cassidy once hid out on the Arapaho reservation, and an idea sprouted. The book is called Night of the White Buffalo. White buffaloes are very sacred to Native Americans, and when one is born, many times the rancher will kill it immediately. Why? Because thousands of people will come to see it, and they cause traffic jams, trample pasture land, and break down fences in order to do so. A white buffalo can be a very costly occurrence.

Then it was all over... but everyone in the bookstore had smiles on their faces. What a fun evening!

I Got Cozy at CozyCon 2012!

You'd better believe when I received an email from the Poisoned Pen and I saw the graphic announcing the CozyCon, I perked up like a bird dog that had just whiffed a pheasant over in the next clump of grass.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, is responsible for putting the whole thing together and rounding up an impressive line-up of writers who are known for creating some of the best traditional mysteries (more commonly referred to as "cozies") in the business. I perked up even more when I saw that some of my favorites would be there-- many fresh from attending Malice Domestic.

The following is meant to be my first-timer experience of this type of event. I tend to be reserved, and I don't do well in crowds. Some of you will know what I'm talking about; others won't. After much thought, the pros outweighed the cons by a couple hundred tons, so I  made the call and registered. (I'm mentioning this just in case there are other folks who have hesitated to attend something similar. I had a blast. You can, too!)

For anyone who wants a detailed blow-by-blow account of what happened throughout the day, I'll refer you to Lesa Holstine's excellent post. One of the benefits of attending CozyCon was the fact that I finally got a chance to meet Lesa. We sat side by side at a table right up front, scribbling notes till our pens smoked and taking photo after photo. It was truly a pleasure to meet Lesa and to see how well regarded she is in the crime fiction community.

I arrived early and wheeled right into a prized parking spot in the shade. (In Phoenix, parking spots in the shade are more highly prized than spots right outside the entrance.) I located the room inside the library and made my way to a table up front where I had the best chance of taking halfway decent photos. I then commenced a favorite past time: watching everyone else arrive. It wasn't long until Lesa arrived ("Are you Cathy?" "Yes, I am, Lesa!"), and no time at all before we had a full house and the CozyCon began.

The authors in attendance? Here's the stellar line-up in alphabetical order:

• Avery Aames, author of the Cheese Shop mystery series.
• Kate Carlisle, author of the Bibliophile mystery series.
• Donis Casey, author of the Alafair Tucker historical mystery series.
• Jane Cleland, author of the Josie Prescott Antiques mystery series.
• Hannah Dennison, author of the Vicky Hill mystery series.
• Earlene Fowler, author of the Benni Harper mystery series.
• Rebecca M. Hale, author of the Cats and Curios as well as the Mystery in the Islands series.
• Carolyn Hart, author of 47 published books, including the Death on Demand series.
• Beth Kendrick, women's fiction writer and author of The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service.
• Jenn McKinlay, author of the Library Lovers, Cupcake mysteries, Decoupage mysteries, and Good Buy Girls mystery series. (How does she do it???)
• Paige Shelton, author of the Farmers' Market and the Country Cooking School mystery series.
• Betty Webb, author of the Gunn Zoo mystery series and the Lena Jones series.

CozyCon was to be broken up into a morning segment where we got to know the authors, then time for book signing followed by lunch. The afternoon was to be spent in various panels. It began on a slightly ominous note: an events coordinator for the library informed us that the water was going to be turned off to fix a problem nearby, and if we needed to use the facilities.... Naturally, there was a few minutes' pause in the proceedings!

(L to R) B. Webb, J. McKinlay, P. Shelton, R. Hale

Water notwithstanding, from the very first official minutes of the CozyCon, I knew I was in one of my favorite rooms in heaven. Barbara Peters was perfect as the moderator; I'd almost go anywhere she appears just to listen to her speak.

I loved her story about being mistaken for Barbara Mertz, author of the popular Amelia Peabody mysteries. One time, Barbara Peters happened to be out and about with Barbara Mertz. Of course,  Barbara P. was mistakenly identified as Barbara M. There just had to be a devilish twinkle in Barbara Peters'  eyes as she responded with "I'm so glad you like my books." Never fear-- Barbara M. can give as good as she gets. When finally asked what she did, Barbara Mertz replied, "I own a fabulous bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona!"

(And before we go any further, I'll let you in on a secret. You have to attend one of these. Why? Not only do you learn things about future books and series, you also get told hilarious true stories that you have to swear never to repeat!)

Carolyn Hart

As the authors began introducing themselves and their books, I really got a feel for the types of people they are. I could have an epic the size of War and Peace if I were to type just the notes from their introductions, so I'll narrow it down to a few highlights. (Sorry, ladies, I wish I could include all of you!)

Carolyn Hart, the author of 47 published books, talked about the first seven or so books that she wrote that simply disappeared into "the black hole of publishing." No one was reading them. She asked for advice and was told that "No one reads mysteries, you need to write a romance." So she did. (Well, it was really a mystery disguised as a romance novel.) When the editor read it, Hart was told that she needed to increase the sexual tension in the book. Sitting down with her agent, Hart asked, "What's sexual tension?" Her agent replied, "Carolyn, you need to write mysteries."  She then determined to write the sort of book that she loved to read. Guess what? That book not only sold, but people read it and wanted more. Hart hasn't looked back since.

Jenn McKinlay and Kate Carlisle

An author that I felt a strong identification with height-wise was Jenn McKinlay, although we were raised in very different times. (Jenn, I still can't hear the chorus to the Jolly Green Giant TV commercials without having flashbacks to grade school.)

Jenn is a self-professed Generation X slacker who grew up in front of the TV believing that "Bewitched" and "I Love Lucy" represented normal life. This meant that life was parceled out in 22½ minute segments and everything turned out all right at the end.

As a young'un, she was "freakishly tall and had no filter." It wasn't until her father took her to see "Romancing the Stone" starring Kathleen Turner as a novelist that she realized she could write the books she loved to imagine herself living in.

Midway through the introductions, Barbara Peters stopped the proceedings to announce amidst much cheering and clapping that the water was back on. We were nothing if not an enthusiastic group regardless the topic!

Hannah Dennison and Earlene Fowler

Earlene Fowler came up with one of the more popular ideas during CozyCon. Writers of hard-boiled crime fiction have a tendency to turn up their noses at traditional mysteries. Earlene would love to be a member of a panel consisting of traditional mystery writers and hard-boiled writers. Such a panel has never been done, mostly because the hard-boiled writers decline to participate. No one seems able to put one together....

After seeing and hearing the audience response to Fowler's suggestion, Barbara Peters said, "You know I'm going to take that as a challenge!" That brought on even more applause as everyone in the room envisioned what the panel could be like. Earlene Fowler was encouraged by Peters' reaction and said, "Good! Then they'd have to read a cozy!"

Barbara Peters

Barbara Peters also interjected some very encouraging news about the publishing industry. It always seems as though the bad news gets the most press, and I've lost count of the number of articles I've read predicting the horrible death of the book industry.

Peters disagrees with that dire prediction completely. "I'm thrilled with digital. The Poisoned Pen had its best year ever last year." She went on to tell us that book royalties are rising. Print book sales are not dropping off, and eBook sales continue to rise. I know I'm not the only one who's waiting for the Poisoned Pen to have the ability to sell eBooks online because I know where I'll be buying them!

The author introductions seemed to fly by, and in no time at all, we were lining up for a delicious boxed lunch and our beverages of choice. Once our batteries were recharged, it was time for the afternoon panels. There were four, covering such topics as culinary mysteries, the writing process, romantic subplots, and amateur sleuths.

The first panel was all about culinary mysteries, and the authors fielding questions were Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, Avery Aames, and Donis Casey.  One enlightening tidbit came when the authors explained that, if you wrote culinary mysteries, you had to be willing and able to cook... a lot. Including recipes in books can also be very tricky. You see, the recipe and the ingredients are not copyrightable, but how you do it is subject to copyright. Any recipes in the books have to be thoroughly tested before they can be included.

(L to R) Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, Avery Aames, Donis Casey

Another question asked the authors about adding humor to their books. Kate Carlisle had us laughing when she admitted that she really, really wanted her next book, Peril in Paperback, to come out in hardcover. You see, her first Bibliophile mystery, Homicide in Hardcover, came out in... you guessed it... paperback. From laughter Kate moved us right into wishful thinking as she described a beautiful handmade set of Jane Austen books that she would dearly love to own. I still drool a little thinking about them!

When asked how they came up with some of the things in their books, Jenn McKinlay confessed that the "Crafternoons" she has in her Library Lovers series came from the fact that she worked at the Phoenix Public Library with some fun co-workers who actually did have Crafternoons. "My whole life is a rip-off," warned Jenn with a twinkle in her eye. "Be very careful!"

The second panel of the afternoon was "The Writing Process," and panelists Carolyn Hart, Donis Casey, Betty Webb, and Jane Cleland shared so many things about how their creative juices work.

(L to R) Barbara Peters, Carolyn Hart, Donis Casey, Betty Webb, Jane Cleland

When asked if they write outlines first or if they just start writing, Carolyn Hart shared a story about Robert Crais telling everyone about the meticulous, highly-detailed outlines he wrote before he ever started writing any of his books. He had several authors thinking that they needed to change their methods and start writing outlines when Mrs. Robert Crais's voice was heard in the room: "Ask him if he follows his outline...."

Carolyn Hart and Donis Casey both start with the main characters, the murder, whodunit it and why. Jane Cleland works from a synopsis-- an "aerial view"-- while Betty Webb admitted that she was a follower of the Robert Crais Method, which meant that she spent three months writing outlines that she doesn't use.

Betty Webb

One thing every single author mentioned was having characters who didn't do what they were supposed to do.  Some characters may have been intended to be in only one scene but demanded more. Some characters may have been intended for the long haul, but faded away after a few scenes. Characters have lives of their own, and all the authors can do is listen and obey. I think Betty Webb surprised more than a few of us when she admitted that, in the nine books she's written, only two out of the nine original killers actually stayed the course. A benefit of this is that, if the killer's identity has changed, when it's time to add misleading clues to fool the reader, Webb's are already in place. What she has to do is go back to add clues to the identity of the new killer.

All the authors agreed that revisions were their favorite part of the writing process. Carolyn Hart loves them because it means she has a book written. As Betty Webb says, "First drafts are horrendous, but hey, you can't fix a blank page, and the fixing is what's fun!"

The third panel, Romantic Subplots in Mysteries, was comprised of Kate Carlisle, Beth Kendrick and Earlene Fowler. Earlene told us that her mother had a "twenty romance a week" habit and that romance was in her DNA, but she didn't want to write romances, she wanted to write mysteries.

Her first idea was to have her books be about Benni Harper and her husband Jack solving mysteries, but the book just didn't work. Someone had once told Earlene to "write about what scares you the most." At the time, Earlene was thirty-seven. She had been married since the age of nineteen. What scared her most was the thought of her husband dying. When she wrote of Jack dying, all the pieces of the book began to fall into place.

Earlene Fowler

Bringing a strong Latino character into the books and having him marry Benni brought on a lot of mail from fans. Many of those fans wanted to know when those two characters were going to have babies. Earlene had decided from the beginning that Gabe and Benni weren't going to have children: "You can't take your baby along on investigations. You just can't. If your main character does that, then she's not the type of mother you want to be reading about."

Earlene also had us laughing when she told us that it was bad enough that she had a dog in one book. Benni was taking care of someone's pet, and the first thing she knew, Earlene had to remember to write scenes to feed the dog, pet the dog, walk the dog, play with the dog... it was exhausting. Earlene swears up and down that "if you don't feed kids, readers don't notice. If you don't feed the dog, you'll hear about it!"

The fourth and final panel of the day-- Earlene Fowler, Carolyn Hart, Rebecca M. Hale, and Hannah Dennison-- discussed Amateur Sleuths. In this day and age, it seems that everyone from Amazon on down (or up) insists on being able to categorize every single book. Not all books fit the existing categories. Barbara Peters puts a large portion of the blame for this onto James Patterson's shoulders. Patterson has a background in marketing, and he brought the marketing idea of "branding" to publishing.

Some people may wonder what the big deal is about-- who cares if a book is labeled cozy or hard-boiled? You would care, if you were a crime fiction author. Why? Money, of course. If your books are considered hard-boiled, you get paid more. I know. It doesn't make any sense to me either.

Donis Casey and Carolyn Hart signing books.

There was so much information imparted throughout the CozyCon, and although I scribbled till my pen smoked and laughed so many times that I lost track, here is the pearl that I came away clutching in my hot little hand:

Every single author participating in CozyCon (whether or not I said very much about them) is extremely talented and incredibly giving of their time and of their knowledge. This is the type of event that I will be more than happy to attend in the future.

Had I read all the authors present at this event? No, I hadn't. But I will say that I now have in my possession books written by all the authors I hadn't read. I look forward to sharing their books with you in the months to come here on Kittling: Books. 

Is CozyCon the type of author event you should attend? Are you unsure of crowds? A bit shy perhaps? Get yourself registered, and come sit at my table. We'll have a blast!