Death at the Deep Dive Playlist

 

THE PLAYLIST

Mills Brothers - Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)

The Surfaris - Wipe Out

Regina Spektor - The Call

The Beach Boys - I Get Around 

Jason Donovan - Sealed With A Kiss 

The Mills Brothers - I'll Be Around

One Direction - Fireproof 

OneRepublic - Someday 

The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby

Dick Dale - Miserlou

Owl City - If My Heart Was a House 

The Mills Brothers - Till Then

DEATH AT THE DEEP DIVE: Secrets and Scrabble 7

Death at the Deep Dive: Secrets and Scrabble 7 is now available (I think) everywhere. 

Yes, I released Book 7 before Book 6. If you missed my weeks of explanation on various platforms, I'll explain again. 

 I was writing both books at the same time--and enjoying myself very much--when I realized that, as creatively satisfying as that method was, I was in danger of missing another deadline and losing preorders for Death at the Deep Dive. Which, for obvious reasons, I did not want to do. So I moved Death at the Deep Dive up, pushed Lament for Loon Landing back, and that's how we ended up where we are today. 

The good news is a lot of you still got the book at the preorder price! YAY.

There is no bad news. Lament at Loon Landing is coming probably at the end of September. The mystery in each book is COMPLETELY separate. There is no overlap. There is a plot point--a turning point--for the emotional lives and relationships of the characters, in this installment. So if you're reading for the mystery, there should be no problem. If you're reading for the relationship, maybe this would bother you? It wouldn't bother me, but if you think it's going to be an issue, hold off reading until Lament at Loon Landing comes out. 

Personally, I think this is the best of the series so far (previously, my favorite was Mystery at the Masquerade). 

The print version is coming momentarily. The audio is scheduled-ish for December.

BLURB:

We only see the things on the surface…

 

When Pirate Cove’s favorite mystery bookstore owner and sometimes-amateur sleuth Ellery Page discovers a vintage diving collection bag full of antique gold coins tucked away for safe-keeping in the stockroom of the Crow’s Nest, it sets off a series of increasingly dangerous events, culminating in murder.

 

 EXCERPT:

“Cheers,” Jack said.

“Yo ho ho,” Ellery replied. He sipped his cobalt cocktail. “Mm.” The tart sweetness of the cocktail and the crackling warmth of the nearby fireplace were the perfect pairing for a chilly autumn night. He felt like he’d been waiting to exhale ever since dumping those coins on his desk. “I have to say I’m very relieved you-know-what is you-know-where. The thought that it was just lying there in that cupboard all this time makes me feel a little queasy.”

“Any chance that it wasn’t in the cupboard the whole time? I thought Felix said he left it out on a storage shelf.”

Felix Jones, Libby Tulley’s boyfriend and the son of Pirate Cove’s previous mayor, had pitched in for a short time at the Crow’s Nest while Ellery had been convalescing.

“He must have been mistaken. It was his last day at work and his last day on the island, so it’s no wonder if he was distracted. When I asked him, he barely remembered Cap giving him the bag.”

Jack made a noncommittal noise and sipped his beer.

“Whoever broke in would have to have been in a hurry.” 

Jack conceded, “The assumption would be you had looked in the bag and so it was unlikely to have been left in the shop at all.”

“Exactly!”

Jack studied Ellery for a moment. His smile twisted. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First off, there’s no proof the collection bag you found belonged to Vernon Shandy. The assumption is the deep dive suit was his, but there are plenty of other divers on this island. No one knows for a fact who hid that suit in the warehouse with the Historical Society’s collection. Or for what reason.”

“To hide those coins,” Ellery said.

Jack shook his head. “That’s an assumption.”

“It’s a working theory. And it’s the most logical.”

“Maybe. But let’s say you’re right. Let’s go with your theory that the suit belonged to the Shandys and that the suit was stashed away to hide the coins.”

“Doubloons.”

Jack laughed. “You really do love the idea of pirate’s treasure, don’t you? If your eyes were any shinier, they’d be glowing.”

Ellery laughed and sat back in his chair. He shrugged. “Okay, yes. I do love the idea of pirate’s treasure.”

“Especially pirate’s treasure with a mystery attached.”

Ellery couldn’t help pointing out, “Wouldn’t all pirates’ treasures have a certain amount of mystery attached?”

“Hm. Good point. But here’s what I was getting at. Even if we go with your theory about who owned the collection bag and why it was concealed, it still doesn’t prove those coins came from the Blood Red Rose.”

“Ah. Okay. You’re right.”

“There are a lot of wrecks in the waters around this island.”

“True. I’ll give you that one.”

Jack laughed. “Thank you. And finally, even if your theories are correct about who owned the diving suit and collection bag, where the coins came from, and why they were hidden in the Historical Society’s collection, there’s still no proof that Vernon Shandy was murdered.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Ellery objected. “Something happened to him.”

“Something, yes. One way or the other, he left the island. That’s for sure. But the surrounding circumstances are unknown.” As Ellery opened his mouth to debate this, Jack continued, “And there are plenty of reasons the Shandys might want to conceal those circumstances.”

Tom returned to the table, bearing platters of golden deep-fried fish, crispy french fries, and tangy coleslaw. He set the sizzling plates before them. “Another round?”

Jack asked Ellery, “Are you driving back to Captain’s Seat or staying over?”

There had been a time, not so long ago, when Jack would not have so casually or so openly asked that question.

Ellery smiled. “If Watson and I haven’t worn out our welcome?”

Jack gave him the slightest of winks and said to Tom, “Another round, thanks.” He added to Ellery, “We can always walk home.”

Tom gave Ellery a droll look. “Coming right up!”

Tom departed, Ellery and Jack reached for the salt and pepper shakers, exchanged the vinegar bottle, repositioned the little jars of tartar sauce.

Jack broke off a piece of fried cod and said, as though there had been no interruption, “I’m not trying to bust your balloon. Obviously, there’s an element of mystery surrounding these events. It just doesn’t automatically, inevitably indicate murder.”

“Well, no, of course not.” Ellery chewed thoughtfully on a french fry.

Jack observed him for a moment. “Which isn’t going to stop you from poking your nose into other people’s business and asking a lot of awkward questions, is it?”

Ellery’s brows shot up in surprise. “Me? Come on, Jack, whatever happened to Vernon Shandy is none of my business. Anyway, even if something sinister did occur, it was over half a century ago. Nobody’s going to remember anything this long after the fact. Assuming anyone involved is still around. Which is unlikely. Right?”

Jack sighed, shook his head. “That’s what I thought.”

 

BUY FROM YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSELLER 

A Conversation with Aki Fuyuto and Yooichi Kadono

 

One of the most validating things that can happen to a writer is when their work gets picked up for translation. As much as we'd all like to believe our work is "universal," the only actual proof you have that that might be even a little true is when a publisher in another country is willing to invest in your writing-- believes that their audience will enjoy your stories and be able to relate to your characters enough to actually make their investment a reasonable business decision.

There are practical aspects to having your work translated, as well, of course. First off, we're all always seeking ways to expand our audience, Secondly, that passive income stream can occasionally be a lifesaver. Which is why I warn against blithely handing over your translation rights when you sign with a publisher. Just because no one is interesting in translating you now doesn't mean that will always be the case. The global market is booming. Which means so is the translation market.

My work's been translated into a number of languages at this point, and I still love seeing the translated covers and hearing from fans who've only (or mostly) read me in their native language. Their comments and questions are particularly interesting, framed as they are by cultural differences.

Anyway, my Japanese translations are some of my very favorites. Partly that has to do with how engaged the Japanese readership is, partly it has to do with the fact that (the publisher) Shinshokan has been really good to work with--I feel like over the years my translator has become a friend--and partly it has to do with the fact that these translations are illustrated. Because of the wonderful art, a surprising number of my readers who don't speak Japanese have gone ahead and bought the translations! (So...kind of genuis on the part of the publisher. ;-))

Because I'm asked so often about the translation process (by other writers, yes, but also by readers), I thought it would be interesting to "interview" translator Aki Fuyuto and artist Yooichi Kadono (who, among other works, does the illustrations on the Art of Murder series).  

******

Hello to Josh and the readers of this blog! We are excited to get a chance to talk about ourselves here.
For those who wonder who we are, here is some information about ourselves.

Aki Fuyuto: a translator, mainly working on M/M romances with Monochrome Romance label, a sub label of Shinshokan. My first work as a translator was Josh's 'Icecapade.'
https://shinshokan.com/monochrome/

Yooichi Kadono: an illustrator. Worked in the film industry, which led to painting. With an offer from an editor in Shinshokan, started as an illustrator. My first work as an illustrator was Josh's 'The Case of Christmas.'
https://twitter.com/kadonoyoo


JL - Are you able to choose your own projects or are they assigned to you? If you're able to choose, what attracts you to a particular work? What do you look for? And if you're not able to choose, then what do you find especially satisfying in a work?

Aki Fuyuto: Yes, I can. I make a short list of M/M romance to translate for the publisher and decide with them which one is to be next.
What attracts me is difficult to put into words, but I like the intensity between two people and love to watch it turn their lives upside down, so savagely.

JL - That's it, isn't it? Love is a disrupter and a catalyst for change. It's not always positive--although in our stories it is.

Yooichi Kadono: I don't choose the project. I'll do it if an offer comes, unless I have other things already scheduled. I love to experience the new and unknown. I don't know much about 'satisfaction' in a work, um.

JL - :-D :-D :-D 


JL- What advice do you have for others wishing to enter your fields?    

Fuyuto: Love languages, dictionaries, and Google Search. Sometimes the latter two deceive you, so don't trust them, just be pals with them!

JL - Yes, more than once, Google Search has broken my heart. ;-D

Kadono: Most crucial thing is staying healthy. Even in the busiest time, you have to take good care of yourself.

JL - I think artists in general have trouble remembering this.

Questions for Aki Fuyuto

JL - My feeling is translation is a greatly under-appreciated art. How did you become interested in this line of work? Do you also write original fiction?

AF - I was always interested in translation work as a reader. It's fascinating to get a glimpse through the "window" between two languages.

But becoming a translator... kind of just happened. When my editor contacted me, I was merely an active M/M romance reader and reviewer. After giving some advice about the M/M genre, like which books were popular, I got a chance to translate one of them, so I went for it, thinking it's now or never.

I used to write some fan-fiction and original fiction, though not since starting as a translator. There is just no time. Maybe one day?

JL - That's so interesting! I had no idea. I think this is inspiring for other aspiring translators to read.

JL - What would you say is the greatest challenge in your work? For example I think humor must be especially tricky to translate.

AF - Oh, humor and jokes are always the most difficult ones! When a character says "no pun intended," I want to mutter "SO WHY YOU SAID THAT?" so many times, haha.

JL - *whistling and looking skyward*

AF - Sometimes a word or words contain cultural backgrounds, like history or common knowledge which is not so common here, it gives me a massive headache.

JL - I'm assuming that translation is a fairly solitary occupation. Is that a plus or minus for you? Did you find it difficult to work during the first years of the pandemic?

AF - I think it's a plus for me, being not much of a social person. So staying home during the early pandemic was not so difficult for me as for some others. Though I miss the long train trip so much.

JL -  - What is your work day like? Do you work under tight deadlines?

AF - Usually, I work from noon to night after getting some household chores done.

Not with so tight deadlines, unless when the publishing date gets dangerously closer and closer.

JL - The deadlines do have a habit of sneaking up, knife in hand. ;-D

JL - What do you wish authors, readers, (really anyone) better understood about the work you do?

AF - Just be kind to a messenger, haha. Sometimes translators ask so trivially-seemed questions to authors, but please bear with us!

JL - For the record, I never mind the questions! My Chinese translators catch a lot of funny little inconsistencies in the AE series, which is amusing, but also mmakes me think HOW HAVE THESE BEEN MISSED ALL THESE YEARS? :-D

JL - Which is your favorite of our shared titles/series? And why?

AF - Adrien English Mysteries, though this is a tough question and I may choose other books if asked other days.

I first read AE Mysteries a little time after I found the M/M romance world so that I could enjoy reading as just a reader. The feeling I got while reading them is rich, intricate, and sometimes almost painful. That made this series so special for me and led me deeper into M/M romances.

JL - Those characters still live in my thoughts and imaginings.

JL - How do you refresh your creative energy? Where do you find inspiration?

AF - Playing with my 4-year-old cat, cooking challenging recipes, walking around with my camera, and watching sports on TV like tennis or marathon.

These days, I love going to figure skating shows!

JL - I love seeing the pictures of your cat! 

JL - What relationship advice would you give to Sam Kennedy and Jason West if you could talk to them? ;-D

AF - Wow, relationship advice to those two? I think it's beyond my capacity! LOL.

JL - EVIL LAUGHTER

AF - i have a joint answer with Kadono-san for this, so see below for our solution.

JL - Do you have advice for authors hoping to have their work translated into the Japanese language?

AF - Um, honestly, not much to give. The translation market in Japan is sadly not big, so it depends on the luck mostly to be picked. Just please make sure to put in your contact information if you self-publish! There is no guarantee, but I'm always seeking good M/M short stories, so give me a shout if you have a story under 15,000 words, I promise to get a look.

My Twitter account: https://twitter.com/wintzer

English account: https://twitter.com/AkiFuyuto

Questions for Yooichi Kadono

JL - I know Aki told you I'm a huge fan of your work. My niece is now also a great fan and so the first question comes from her. She'd like to know the artists you feel have most influenced your own work and also the artists you think most highly of.

YK - There are so many...though this two are very special for me, Tabata Kihachi III and Dries Van Noten.

Tabata Kihachi III, 三代 田畑喜八(1899−1956), was a textile-dyeing craftsman for luxury kimonos, and his book 'Flora sketches,' 三代 田畑喜八の草花図, is my favorite. His artistic flow feels so free and pleasant, so natural to me.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/483810507X

Seeing the collection of Dries Van Noten always inspires me. Especially, I love those collections in 1993, 2015,16, and 17.

His documentary film is also my favorite, I feel super recharged every time after watching it.

JL -  Do you select the scenes you illustrate or are those scenes chosen for you? If you choose the scenes, how do you make your choice? If the scenes are chosen for you, do you find that difficult?     

YK - The editor selects the scenes more often than not for me, though it depends on the case. It takes the same amount of effort, regardless of whether I select the scene or not.                            

JL - What is your work day like? Do you find that deadlines constrain your creativity?

YK - Getting out of bed at ten in the morning, working from noon after lunch, taking dinner at six in the evening, working again from seven, and going to bed at three. (Actually, I want to get up at five in the morning and sleep at 10 in the evening!)

Deadlines make me more concentrated, but I hate it when a shortage of time rushes me to decide on composition without thinking through it.

JL - Yes, deadlines have a way of doing that. ;-D And I agree.

JL - What do you find most challenging or difficult in your work?

YK - To materialize the image in my head, while the images are always so ahead of my hand. It’s the most challenging and frustrating thing.

JL - I was so excited to learn that you have two books out. Please tell us a little about those (include links!)

'MEN IN SUITS'

Many men in suites sketches!

https://amzn.asia/d/d58pAPu

'YOOICHI KADONO Sketches'

Simple sketches is the theme, I think...

https://amzn.asia/d/12q86H7

JL - I have to interject here to say that I have both of these books and they are WONDERFUL. I highly recommend them!

JL - Which is your favorite of our shared titles/series? And why?

'Night Watch.' I cried a lot, to my surprise, when I read it the first time. It feels like Henry's words and actions helped me during that hard time.

The Art of Murder series is also my favorite!

JL - Of course I love all your work, but the art in that particular series is genuinely inspiring. I can't wait to see what you do with The Movie-Town Murders.

JL - I'm assuming that illustration, like translation (or just writing!) is a fairly solitary occupation. Is that a plus or minus for you? Did you find it difficult to work during the first years of the pandemic?

YK - It has a plus and a minus. The plus tops the minus very slightly, by a grain of sand, making the solitariness easier so I can get along with it.

I'm also an indoor person like Fuyuto-san, so it's not difficult to work during the pandemic years. However, my close one got Covid and was admitted to a hospital for a long time, I think the experience changed my perspective more than a little.

JL - I'm so sorry! I hope they're better now.

JL  -  What relationship advice would you give to Sam Kennedy and Jason West if you could talk to them? ;-D

Fuyuto: Wow...really?

Kadono: I don't think they will have an ear for the advice, especially from us. LOL.

Fuyuto: Their communication skills are dubious, to say the least.

Kadono: Though it seems they talk to each other pretty frankly on the phone...

Fuyuto: THAT'S IT.

So our relationship advice to them is that:

Talk to each other on the phone, even when they are face to face at the same place.

JL - LOL. I have to work it into the final book somehow. :-D

JL - I love and appreciate every artist who helps bring my stories to life, but something in your work particularly resonates with me. What do you consider your strengths as an artist? What are you always seeking to improve?

YK - Umm...I'm not sure how to answer this. My strength as an artist...may...be...endurance? Never giving up art?

The thing I'm trying to get is the basics. Sometimes I get back to the basics to learn again from there.

AF & YK - We want to ask you some questions too!

What do you think of translation, not a particular work but a whole idea of translation, as an author? (Fuyuto)

JL - I think I answered this a bit above, but I find it validating yet also humbling. One thing that is always on my mind is the concern that I'm representing these characters (who ultimately become symbolic) correctly. Not just the characters, but also U.S. culture and society. Portraying things fairly yet accurately (or as best I can given that my viewpoint is subjective and my experiences limited) without getting overly political. If that makes sense.

YK - Do you visit museums often? If so, can you tell me some encounters you remember well? What opinion do you have about the restoration of old artwork? (Kadono)

JL - I don't visit museums as much as I used to or would want to. I love all kinds of museums. The last large museum I went to was the Met in New York a few summers ago with a dear friend. That was wonderful. I could have stayed all day.  And then when the SO and I went to Montreal, I dragged him to just about every museum we came across. He's a huge fan of Tom Thomson , so we tried to find every exhibit we could. I also love little weird hole-in-the-wall museums! 

When it comes to art restoration, I want art to be protected and preserved. What I struggle with is when, for example, an earlier sketch or an an abandoned idea by the artist is discovered and then "restored." From my perspective, the artist's final vision is what matters and what must be preserved. Also, like Jason West, I get a little homicidal when it comes to people who steal or damage these treasures that are part of our world heritage. These things belong to all of us. So even if I believe in a particular political cause, if someone glues themselves to a irreplaceable piece of art, I'm okay with doing any necessary damage to them to save that work of art. (Which doesn't mean I won't continue to donate to that cause.)

Do you have a favorite tea? (We just want to know a trivial thing about you!)

JL - I do! White peony tea is my favorite. 

I want to thank my two talented guests for being so generous with their time and information! I so much enjoyed learning a little bit about you both. I hope it won't be our last such converation! :-) 

WHERE TO BUY JAPANESE TRANSLATIONS

WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST

 I was hoping--planning--to have my interview with my Japanese translator Aki Fuyuto and artist Yooichi Kadono up today, but I'm in the feverish stage of writing when the home stretch is in sight and I can't concentrate on anything else. 

I might actually hit this deadline! Which, given the interruptions of the last week (and yesterday in particular) is no small feat. 

Anyway, next Friday the interview will be up for sure and OH HOW WE WILL LAUGH ABOUT ANOTHER CLOSE CALL. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, sorry for the delay. I have to say though, I think this book is especially delightful, but maybe that's the heat getting to me...

Life as We Know It

 I'm trying to figure out what the heck I've been doing for the last couple of months that's taking up so much time...

OH YEAH, WRITING.

And yet, I seem to have so little to show for it. 

Of course, writing is not all I've been doing. We had our very dear friends from Finland staying with us for a few days. We had the preparation and celebration of our annual 4th of July party. I had rehearsals for our gig in Pleasanton this September (for those who don't know, in my other life, I'm in a Celtic band and we've started accepting gigs again WHY????????? But anyway...)

One thing that slowed me down was finishing up Hide and Seek. It turned out to be way longer than I'd anticipated AND the edits were more extensive. So I started Lament at Loon Landing late (try saying that fast three times) but quickly--though not quickly enough--realized I wasn't going to finish in time to  be able to start Death at the Deep Dive so as not to also miss that deadline (and lose all my preorders).

So now I'm working on Death at the Deep Dive (which I'm LOVING) but that means that Book 7 in the series will come out before Book 6. 

I know.

But here's the thing, I could pretty much change the book numbers and it wouldn't make much difference except that the way I'm doing the series is each book is set in a particular month based on what's going on on the island (the real island, Block Island, I mean). AND I wanted a book in between Body at Bucanneer's Bay and the plot point resolutions of Death at the Deep Dive. It's not crucial, but as far as the pacing of the series overall, I feel like that's important. So yes, the first few thousand readers won't have the benefit of that elongated pacing, but the first few thousand readers probably feel I'm overthinking it. ;-)

As far as overall story arcs, nothing that happens in Book 7 affects the mystery stuff in Book 6. 

There are some other developments that will be slightly out of order, but in the long run, nothing major. Or at least, I don't think it's anything major. HOW SHOULD I KNOW?

Oh, and as for when Book 6 Lament at Loon Landing will actually come out? 

Here's the thing. After I finish Death at the Deep Dive, I need to promote and catch up everything else for a day or two (because it's like weeks since I've responded to email or messages) and then rehearsals and then I have to get my booster shot so that I've got as much immunity as possible before we do this Labor Day gig. Having had Covid once, I'm really, really, REALLY eager not to contract the BA.5E = mc^2 variant. But I do seem to get knocked on my ass by the boosters, so I'll lose some writing time there. Then there is the gig itself (which is roughly five days including travel and prep).

I'm trying to be realistic, and realistically, it's probably going to be mid-September. 

And honestly, that might be optimistic, because sometimes I get tired.

Sometimes, every month or so, I need a rest. 

But anyway, I know the updates have been few and far between, so I figured I better explain myself before the confusion about release dates reaches critical mass.

OH! Next week, I've got something special planned for the blog! A "conversation" with the wonderful Aki Fuyuto, who does the Japanese translations for my books with Shinshokan, and Yooichi Kadono, the brilliant artist who does so many of the illustrations.  I found it so interesting, and I think you will too. ;-) 

DEATH AT THE DEEP DIVE Playlist

 

We only see the things on the surface…

 

When Pirate Cove’s favorite mystery bookstore owner and sometimes-amateur sleuth Ellery Page discovers a vintage diving collection bag full of antique gold coins tucked away for safe-keeping in the stockroom of the Crow’s Nest, it sets off a series of increasingly dangerous events, culminating in Jack Carson trying to cook dinner. Er…culminating in murder.

 So, yes, Death at the Deep Dive is coming out on August 14th as scheduled.

Lament at Loon Landing is likely to be end of September, but honestly I'm not committing to any dates on anything until next year. I really, really loved writing Death at the Deep Dive and I want to hang onto that...creative enthusiasm and energy. And the best way to do it, at least for now, is writing without any deadlines.

Anyway, as I said, I love writing Death at the Deep Dive. I'm not even sure why, except it has everything I love: everything from cold cases to cold weather. ;-)  I've been playing this playlist constantly.

DEATH AT THE DEEP DIVE playlist

Mills Brothers - Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)

The Surfaris - Wipe Out

Regina Spektor - The Call

The Beach Boys - I Get Around 

Jason Donovan - Sealed With A Kiss 

The Mills Brothers - I'll Be Around

One Direction - Fireproof 

OneRepublic - Someday 

The Beach Boys - Don't Worry, Baby

Dick Dale - Miserlou

Owl City - If My Heart Was a House 

The Mills Brothers - Till Then

  

 

LAMENT AT LOON LANDING Playlist

Just wanted to reassure everyone that although I did delete the preorder for Lament at Loon Landing on Amazon, the book is still happening. Because I'm writing so slowly, I needed a few more weeks to get it done, that's all. 

In the meantime, I've been listening to the playlist I made for the book, and you might enjoy it as well. 

Because this installment takes place during a maritime musical festival on Buck Island, you'd probably expect to hear more (or some) sea chanteys, but somehow that's not happening. 

The Kathleen Edwards' songs seem to represent the character of Lara Fairchild, and her character is changing as I write. She's more complicated and more of a catalyst than I originally thought.

Also, Jack and Ellery are pretty solid at this point. They don't have an official commitment, but they're obviously committed to each other despite their occasional clashes. I mean, occasional clashes are a fact of any long term relationship. In book time they've only known each other a few months, so they're actually moving pretty quickly. If this was real life, the people closest to them would be telling them to pump the brakes. Not counting the islanders, of course, because they can see what's what. 

Anyway, the playlist...

Goodnight, California - Kathleen Edwards

Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Butter - BTS

Riptide - Vance Joy

Shooting Star - Owl City 

In State - Kathleen Edwards

The Dark and Rolling Sea - Al Stewart

All In - Lifehouse 

Shoulder - Ed Patrick 

Back to Me - Kathleen Edwards 

Even if it's Lonely - Hazlett

It was twenty years ago today, Sargent Pepper taught the band to play...

 

Okay, no, it was last year, and I sincerely wish Sargent Pepper had been there in time. 

Anyway, what a difference a year makes. Last Memorial Day was the weekend everything started to go off the rails, and it went downhill from there. But the good news is this year we have running water, air conditioning, no sick doggies...no drama and no trauma. Yes the people in the house of doom did nearly start another backyard fire with their barbecue, but this time one of their guests saved the day. I just can't...

DID I MENTION I ACCIDENTLY DELETED MY MAILING LIST?

I mean, it wasn't totally by accident. I detest Mailchimp and pressing that DIE, DIE, DIE button was SO (momentarily) satisfying. And I did preserve all the names and emails of my little bitty list. I just haven't had time to do anything with them. YET. Obviously, I'm going to fix that. 

So the good news is The Movie-Town Murders (Art of Murder 5) is out and available.

THAT DIDN'T TAKE SO LONG, DID IT?

Ouch.

And Hide and Seek is just about complete. This month for sure.

But given the fact that I now write five words a day (KIDDING, though there are days it feels like it) I had to remove Lament at Loon Landing as a preorder on Amazon. I can't write a book in two weeks. Yes. there are them what can and yay for them. I need more time. 

Plus, I haven't had massage/physical therapy in over two years and, no surprise, my achy-breaky wrists are feeling it big time. So I'm aiming for the end of June for Lament at Loon Landing. Basically, we're looking at two weeks longer than originally planned? Fingers crossed.

From that point on, I might actually be able to stay on schedule. I mean, stranger things have happened.

There is a LOT of catch up needed on a LOT of things, but at least I'm writing again every day and the books are coming, slowwwwwwly but surely. 

More news to follow. ;-)

The Movie-Town Murders (The Art of Murder 5) NOW AVAILABLE

 

Murder: Live and in Technicolor

 

Working undercover gives FBI Art Crime Team agent Jason West the illusion that he’s safe from his stalker, Dr. Jeremy Kyser. Though film history and preservation are not Jason’s area of expertise, he’s intrigued by the case of a well-connected UCLA film studies professor whose family believes she may have been murdered after discovering a legendary lost 1950s PI film.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, BAU Chief Sam Kennedy gets disturbing news: the Roadside Ripper, the serial killer Sam believes murdered his college boyfriend, may not have been working alone.

 

EXCERPT

 

He didn’t sleep well.

Thirty-one stories up, the wind pushed against the floor-to-ceiling windows and whispered outside the glass doors. Jason’s dreams went from bad to worse, and he woke, heart pounding, drenched in sweat, with Jeremy Kyser’s weird sing-songy, “Agent West?” ringing in his ears.

He knew where he was. Knew he was perfectly safe.

Yet it was all he could do not to reach for his Glock. All he could do not to turn on a lamp. It turned into a battle of will, lying there in the dark, listening to the building sway and moan. He was not going to give into irrational fear. He was not going to let Kyser control his life. Not in the big things. Not in the little things.

Which didn’t change the fact that he’d give a lot to know where Kyser was right at this minute.

The important thing was he was not standing on the balcony outside this room.

So…get a grip, West.

Jason punched his pillow and did what he usually did when he couldn’t sleep. Well, one of the things he usually did. In this instance, it was run over the details of his case.

He kept coming back to his victim.

The one thing everyone seemed to agree on was that Georgette Ono was difficult.  

The other thing everyone—with the understandable exception of Touchstone’s security team—agreed on was that it was almost as hard to believe she’d accidentally killed herself as it was to believe she committed suicide.

The problem was…

Well, there were a number of problems.

One, he was there to reassure the family, not reopen the case. No one wanted a coverup. But there was also no expectation that Jason was actually going to find anything. In fact, the expectation was the opposite.

If he actually reopened the case, turned it into an active homicide investigation, there would be, at best, a mixed reception from his superiors.

Two, even if he privately believed Ono was the victim of homicide, he had no real suspect and no real motive.

Even if LAPD had failed to discover Ono’s allegedly contentious relationship with Touchstone’s security—which seemed unlikely, since the head of security apparently had no issue in sharing that info with J.J.—it didn’t feel like enough of a motive.

Speculation was going to make it harder not easier on the Ono family.

Three—and this had nothing to do with his case—he felt like with each phone call, he and Sam were getting further apart. They were both reasonably articulate, they both wanted this relationship to work, so what was going on?

Was it just him or was it Sam too? He honestly wasn’t sure.

“Hell,” Jason muttered, and reached for his cell, peering at the screen.

Just after two, which meant, Sam might be asleep. He tended to crash around ten and be up and running—literally—by four. Jason tried not to interrupt those few precious hours when Sam allowed himself the luxury of turning off, but tonight…

Tonight, the distance between them was harder to take than usual.

He struggled with himself for a minute or two, then pressed Sam’s number.

Sam answered on the half-ring. “Hey.” He sounded wide awake; his voice as soft as if they were lying facing each other. “Bad dreams?”

Jason let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “No. I didn’t like the way we left things tonight.”

“Me neither.” No hesitation. It was like Sam had been lying there thinking the same.

“The thing about trying to make this work long distance is…not letting stuff pile up.”

He could feel Sam thinking that over. “What’s piling up, Jason?”

Jason not West. Jason considered that demarcation. Considered the careful gravity of Sam’s voice.

“I want to make sure you don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not that I don’t—”

“Trust me?” Sam sounded dry.

“Yes. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

“What is it then? Because there’s something.”

“It’s a fine line for both of us. That’s the lesson of Montana. You’re not just another agent. You’re a unit chief. There are potential conflicts.”

“That might hold water if you were in my unit.” No give. No leeway.

“Okay, let’s call it priorities.”

Sam said crisply, “You’re my priority.”

Jason gave a shaky laugh. “Well, wait a minute, because that’s not accurate. It’s not even the agreement we made. It’s not my expectation.”

He could hear the shrug in Sam’s voice. “Nor was it mine, but that’s the way it’s playing out.”

Did Sam really believe that? He was no liar, so yeah, he believed what he was saying. But what he was saying was not an accurate reflection of, well, you name it. It certainly didn’t reflect Jason’s experience.

“Since when?”

Once again there was that uncharacteristic wry note in Sam’s tone. “Probably since the morning you arrived at my hotel door barefoot, hair dripping, hollering how dare I phone SAC Manning about your fitness for duty.”

At the time, they’d known each other less than twenty-four hours. Now it felt like a million years ago.

“Hey, I never said how dare you.”

“Maybe not those exact words.” Sam actually sounded amused at the memory. “You were highly offended.”

Was Sam really implying he’d started to fall for Jason the morning after they’d met? For Jason, the awareness had been instant, the attraction had followed against his better judgment, but once he’d fallen, he’d acknowledged it, accepted it. Sam might have been interested and attracted, but he had fought those feelings long and hard. So Jason couldn’t help feeling a little skeptical.

Whatever it is you need, Jason, I’m probably not that guy.

“As I recall, the agreement was work would always come first for you and that I was willing to accept that for however long I could.”

“We all have our dreams,” Sam said. “That one fell by the roadside a long time ago.”

He was being ironic, but yeah. True. There was no point in rehashing ancient history. Sam had drawn the rules of engagement. Sam had also been the first to break those rules.

======================================

So yes, The Movie-Town Murders is now live on Amazon, Smashwords, Google Books, and Barnes and Noble.

It's not yet live on iBooks or Kobo. I'll try to get that taken care of. It has to do with the fact that Smashwords requires the final file TEN DAYS AHEAD OF EVERYONE ELSE. And I fulfill iBooks and Kobo through Smashwords, so I end up having to push the dates on those two back. It's not ideal, and I have to come up with a better plan.

PRINT IS COMING. Probably over the weekend? 

AUDIO is coming but I can't tell you when. 

Sorry it took so long to get this installment--which is NOT the final chapter--out to you. I would love to be able to promise I'll be much faster getting the next books out, but I'm still writing very slowly. It's just how it is right now. I'm trying to accept that and hopefully youse guys can too.

True Lies - Introducing Author Frank Spinelli

Good morning! 

I know I've been a little erratic in my posting lately. Largely because there's not a lot to say right now. I'm writing. Very slowly. That's about it. That sums it up. Not exactly riveting stuff. :-D So I thought it would be a good idea to have a few guests, who DO have something worth talking about, drop by and share their thoughts about, well, among other things, being an artist in a world where the lines between fact and fiction have become increasingly blurred.

Which brings us to today's guest, Frank Spinelli, author of the terrific gay medical thriller-romance Perfect Flaw (Blind Eye Books).  

(This book has everything I love: a flawed (AKA human) protagonist, a sexy cop boyfriend, mystery grounded in true crime, plenty of suspense and a few surprises.)

Perfect Flaw is available in print, digital and in audio narrated by Cooper North.

In fact, I believe we have an audio code to giveaway, so comment below! 

A young doctor enters a world of money and beauty only to find some flaws run six feet deep.

When newly-minted Dr. Angelo Perrotta joins an exclusive concierge medical practice, he believes he has found success. His charismatic colleague, Demetre Kostas only adds to the promise of the new job. But when a series of tragic events transform his dream job into a nightmare, Angelo is confronted by disturbing accusations and the even more troubling cop, Jason Murphy. Now Angelo must unravel the secret entanglements surrounding him not just to save his career, but his life.

Balancing Truth in Fiction Writing: The Struggle is Real by Frank Spinelli

 

Before I wrote my first gay romantic thriller entitled, Perfect Flaw, I worked on a memoir entitled, The First Year. A story about a young Italian doctor in New York who lands his dream job, working for a Park Avenue practice, only to become entangled in a murder investigation after a colleague, posing as a physician, kills a patient.

 

But I struggled writing about my first year in private practice because I did not want to disrespect the death of an innocent woman. Anyway, did I really need to write another memoir? I had already written Pee-Shy, which recounted my history of childhood sexual abuse by my scoutmaster who I brought to justice thirty years later. Writing a memoir is cathartic; it’s also grueling and painful. Reliving those years of abuse, revealing intimate details of my marriage, and exposing my family to that pain again after we had repaired our relationship opened old wounds. Plus, whenever someone I knew read Pee-Shy, they looked at me like I was that abused eleven-year-old boy, not a grown adult. Did I really want to do that to my husband, my family and myself again?

 

No.

 

So, I put The First Year to rest in a file on my desktop. Years later, I thought, what if I didn’t write it as a memoir? Imagine a story about a young, Italian doctor who becomes ensnared by a seductive colleague and unwittingly makes mistake after mistake so that his life is upended after a woman is found dead? Sounds familiar? Yes, but the similarities to my real life end there.

 

Perfect Flaw is lifted from the headlines, but once I decided to write it as fiction – in fact, my editor, Nicole Kimberling, encouraged me to write it in the third person – I felt the lock of a metaphorical ball and chain release.

 

Now, I had license to do whatever I wanted to these characters. My job was not to relate my real experience but to paint my protagonist, Angelo Perrotta, into a corner and then figure a way to get him out of trouble. “Raise the stakes,” is a term I had heard so often by my writer friends, but I hadn’t understood what that meant until I was inventing a story, rather than just relating one. So, I raised the stakes and then kept raising them. I wasn’t so precious about the accuracy of the events because guess what? My book wasn’t a memoir anymore.

 

Perfect Flaw is based on something that happened in real life, yes, but it’s not about me. It’s about Angelo and his sexy cop boyfriend, Jason.

 

Still, because I am a doctor in real life, readers believe that much of what goes on in Perfect Flaw is drawn from my life, which took some getting used to. There is no escaping this trap. Readers fill in the blanks with theories about where Frank Spinelli ends, and Angelo Perrotta begins in the same way that I, myself, wondered how much Jack Torrance from The Shining was Stephen King.

 

We all write partially from personal experience, but also draw from other sources. We draw from our friends, family, and acquaintances. We draw from research and even from other stories to create a whole cast of characters. This is one of the reasons why writing fiction should have nothing to do with the writer’s sex assigned at birth or their gender identity or sexual orientation. Writers create the entire world of the novel, and every single character in it.

 

Still, now that I’ve moved away from memoir, I’m careful not to include too much of myself in my fiction.

 

Of course, I can’t help it.

 

My first rule is that I never include precious personal memories in my fiction because I must save those special moments for myself. Besides making stuff up is way more fun. I can’t think of a better job than creating vivid characters and then throwing them into peril. The second rule is to read while I write. Once I listened to an interview the author Jennifer Egan who said, write what you like and read the genre of what you want to write. No truer words have been spoken when it comes to writing.

 

==============================================

Frank Spinelli, MD is an American born physician living in New York. 

He has contributed articles for the Advocate and The Huffington Post. Writing credits include: The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness (Alyson Books),

Pee-Shy: A Memoir (Kensington Books), which has been optioned to be developed into a limited series and contributing author – Our Naked Lives (Bordighera Press) and Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men (Routledge).

He has made appearances on Sirius Radio’s Morning Jolt with Larry Flick and co-hosted Speak Out: Real Talk about AIDS. 

Documentary credits include, 30 Years from Here (Emmy-nominated), Positive Youth and I’m a Porn Star. 

Television credits include ABC News, NBC Nightly News, MTV, a national commercial and Sesame Street. In 2015, he hosted a season of Dueling Doctors.

Frank Spinelli is an advocate for child sexual abuse survivors and has given frequent interviews about his experience as a victim of sexual abuse while in the Boy Scouts. 

Perfect Flaw is his first novel.

 

Happy Easter!

 

What Can I Say?

 

I'm struggling with coming up with blog posts because I know basically everyone just wants to know when the (***&&^^%$##@@!ing books will be out, and I can't answer definitively except to say not as soon as anyone (including me) wants.

ARGH.

But I mean, it is what it is. I'm writing as fast as I can. Granted, at the moment that doesn't seem to be more than about 500 words a day per project. 

Do you ever go through one of those cycles where, no matter what you do or how careful you are in the doing of it, WITHOUT FAIL it comes bouncing back with a bunch of problems? That's me right now. Everything I start either ends with me falling down a rabbit hole or, worse, boomeranging back to hit me between the eyes. 

But on we go...

Anyway, all is not lost. The Office Elf is slowly excavating my office from beneath years-worth of using it as a giant file cabinet. I might, in theory, soon be able to work in there again. I learned to make the perfect margarita. I discovered the series What We Do in the Shadows and rediscovered Aimee Mann. My miniature Japanese maples seem to have survived their first winter and so far the three roses I moved to larger pots are hanging on by their tendrils (I do not have luck transplanting roses, so I'm cautiously hopeful). We had a short cold spell, but it's warming up again, so I should be swimming tomorrow. AND I'll be celebrating Easter with my family for the first time in two years.

So...lots to be glad about. 

I'm strenuously avoiding the news as much as is feasible and I've cut way back on both True Crime and social media. All of which has left me calmer and more optimistic and, believe it or not, more productive. ;-)

So what's up with you?

 

As the World Turns

 

It's been warm enough to swim for most of the last two weeks! 

And, if the weatherman is to be believed, it will be warm enough to swim for most of the NEXT two weeks. Usually, we don't get these long stretches of warm weather until we hit May, so that's both the good news and the bad news. Good news for me. Probably not so good for the planet. It's major drought time in California.

But we're all gonna die anyway, so oh well.

(I try not to say that around the Office Elf as it doesn't inspire her to do her best work.) ;-D 

So it's been a crazy-ass distracted start to the year, no lie--and also no signs of that letting up anytime soon either as we're once again trying to refinance the house. Also I'm going through getting our rental property up to snuff. This is time-consuming and nerve-frazzling stuff that I've been putting off for years, and now it has to be dealt with. 

But about the books. 

Hide and Seek is coming along beautifully--that 500 words a day thing is really paying off in a chapter a week.

The Movie-Town Murders is also coming along, but it's a more complicated story and, as I said, there have been a LOT of interruptions. Also a LOT of rewriting. I know I'm overthinking it, but at the same time, I have to be happy with it. Hopefully, hopefully, HOPEFULLYFORTHELOVEOFGOD I'll be finishing up by the end of this month. 

I've got (I think) half the book, but despite my detailed outline, I'm not writing in linear fashion, so it's more like...well, picture the parts of a clock--gears, springs, tiny cuckoo bird--scattered across a work desk. The bits and pieces are all there, but not in working order. Not yet. 

But it's coming. And I really love where Sam and Jason's relationship is at. 

BUT CAN IT LAST? 

Who knows. 

Anyway, after The Movie-Town Murders, I jump right into the next two Secrets and Scrabble books, and then...I don't know. I don't have anything else officially scheduled. There are plenty of things I want to write--I really, really want to finish the Holmes & Moriarity series this year--but given how insanely slow things are going right now, I'm afraid to commit to anything. To be honest, this year's goals weren't about books and writing so much as getting my house in order. My literal house but also my metaphorical house. 

So that's where we are. I'm working, I'm writing, the books are happening, but I've resigned myself to the fact that this year someone or something is going to be knocking at my office door every half-hour. I'm trying to be patient and good-humored about it. Four months in, I can safely say this is not the year I planned, but what else is new?