Thursday, May 14, 2009

It’s A First!


My debut novel, For Better, For Murder, will be published in September 2009 by Midnight Ink. As a result, the Inkspot members graciously invited me to blog with them. I accepted then realized I would have to write my first blog entry—ever.

I’m taking the easy road this time and telling you a little about my new book and how it came to be. I’ll try to work my way up to something a little more edgy in the future.

Over two years ago now, I wrote For Better, For Murder because, as a stay-at-home mom, I found only so many hours could be filled with laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, dog walking, okay maybe a little mall shopping and lunching, volunteer work, children’s activities, and, oh yes, the ladies of The View. I craved purpose, earning potential, and some brain exercise. Then, when these characters started talking to me, I couldn’t stop writing until I’d completed three books in the Broken Vow Mystery series. Currently I’m taking a rest from writing, but, as my friend likes to say, ideas keep “percolating” in my head. Book four will pour out of me one day soon, I’m sure.

I intended to write a cozy, but my agent called this book a “cozy with an edge”. The acquiring editor at Midnight Ink called it “whatever this thing is that you wrote”. I took that as a compliment. I wanted this book to be different. Fresh. Entertaining. If you laugh out loud a couple times, come close to tears once, and remember something unique to the story months after you’ve finished reading it then I’ll have accomplished my goal.

The protagonist of For Better, For Murder owns a sportscar boutique in New York’s Finger Lakes region. I wanted to write about a protagonist with an interesting hobby or profession. When I took inventory of my own, I realized another author had already written about them. So I stole my husband’s hobby—cars. He’s been talking to me about them for seventeen years. Three quarters of the time—okay, half the time, but let’s keep that a secret between us—I was actually listening. Then I picked the Finger Lakes region as the setting for my fictional town, because I spent a lot of time there in childhood and now as an adult with my own children. I’m just hoping I didn’t make it sound so inviting that everyone flocks there and I can’t get a table at my favorite restaurants anymore.

Now for the plot: in For Better, For Murder sportscar boutique owner Jolene Asdale craves business success and a quiet life in her upscale Finger Lakes tourist town. But a corpse in her showroom Ferrari and the arrival of her almost-ex-husband, the deputy sheriff assigned to the investigation, creates a tense situation that only heightens as the evidence keeps pointing to Jolene as the murderer.

I’ll tell you a story about Jolene in my next post.

27 comments:

Alan Orloff said...

Very nice post, Lisa! (Are you sure you're a blogging rookie? You seem like you're in midseason form.)

Bodies in Ferraris--I like the sound of that. Your book sounds like a great read.

(And what's so wrong with the Ladies of The View, anyway?)

Welcome to the blog from another newbie!

Kim said...

Congratulations on a great first blog. Looks like I'm going to have to buy two copies of your book - one for me, one for my sports car nut husband! Kim

Barbara Monajem said...

Lovely first blog! And congratulations on your book. Whatever it is you wrote - heh, love the editor's description - it sounds great. Looking forward to both the book and your next post.

Janet Koch said...

Hmm. Cars, eh? Maybe I should listen more closely to my husband when he goes on and on ... and on ... about hockey.

Good luck with your book, Lisa!

Jess Lourey said...

Welcome, Lisa! Great post. Will Midnight Ink be publishing all three of your books?

MaxWriter said...

Great job with the post, Lisa, and I look forward to reading the book!

Guppie Edith

June Shaw said...

Lisa, excellent first blog! So is your book. I am so thrilled that others have noticed, too, and are publishing your book. Terrific!

jess said...

I enjoyed your post and I'm writing your book title on my calendar. It sounds great.

This blog looks so interesting, I'm going to link to it if that's okay. :)

Lorna Barrett said...

Great start, Lisa! And your series sounds terrific. You should find lots of fans in the heart of the Finger Lakes.

Sandy Cody said...

Great post, Lisa. I'm intrigued by the description of your book. My family has camped in the Finger Lakes for years so that's a definite plus for me. I'll be looking for the book.

Good luck!

Beth Solheim said...

Congrats on your first blog, Lisa. A corpse, a Ferrari, and an almost-ex husband/deputy should take us on a most delightful ride.

RhondaL said...

Welcome to the Blogosphere - whatever that is. :)

Your book sounds great. And you have a sure-fire way to encourage his support of your writing.

Holly Y said...

Great first post, Lisa. I have your book on my list to read. I love women with unusual professions.

G.M. Malliet said...

Welcome, Lisa! And great blog job. (Try saying that seven times very quickly.)

Terri Thayer said...

Welcome, Lisa. It's nice to have some new blood on the blog.

Blood on the bog, get it? We're mystery writers and that's just how we roll.

Looking forward to the book.

Keri said...

Okay, I'm bad at math, but it sounds to me like you've managed to write three books in two years. Really? I'd love to know your writing process and schedule. You've obviously got a very busy life!

Thanks!

Keith Raffel said...

Welcome, Lisa! Are you going to be at Bouchercon flogging the new book?

Kathy Whelan said...

Lisa,

This is so exciting! Having watched these stories unfold, I sort of forgot where they started. It's good to be reminded that years of (even half-hearted) listening to your husband's car stories gave rise to your series. I'm wondering now if a baseball series has been written.

Best of luck - you're on a roll!

Lisa Bork said...

Thanks for the welcome, Jess. Midnight bought the first two and asked to see the third.

always-bryn said...

Fantastic opening post! I've always loved the humor in your stories and you've translated that perfectly to your blog!

Shell

Sue Ann Jaffarian said...

Welcome to the neighborhood, Lisa! Now we can stop picking on Alan.

Linda Reilly said...

I love the description of your book, Lisa! I'll be on the lookout for it once it's released. Congratulations ~

Teresa Inge said...

Nice post, Lisa! Looking forward to reading the next one. Congratulations on the book.

Alan Orloff said...

Sue Ann said,

Welcome to the neighborhood, Lisa! Now we can stop picking on Alan.Yes, thank heaven!

(this is really what I meant when I said, "Welcome to the blog from another newbie.")

Deborah Sharp said...

Welcome aboard, Lisa! Nice post, and I love the part where you stole your hubby's passion for cars for your plot. I've had to listen to TV biz stories for 20 years, so maybe I'll have ''Mama'' do a newscast next book.

G.M. Malliet said...

Not so fast, Alan. I don't think we're *quite* finished picking on you yet. There's still Bouchercon, where we'll need someone to tote the laptops and provide refreshments.

Trina said...

I bet with how fast you write good books it took you about 3 minutes to write this post! I can't wait to hold this baby in my hands! And the next one, and the next one...

Congratulations!