INK SPOT NEWS ~ Midnight Ink May Releases

Here are Midnight Ink's May releases... check out these great books!






Chip Off the Ice Block Murder
By: Jessie Chandler 
A Shay O'Hanlon Caper #4

Death Runs Adrift

By: Karen MacInerney 

The Gray Whale Inn

Mystery #6

“MacInerney’s charming sixth offers beautiful scenery, an 

assortment of appended recipes, and one of her strongest mysteries to date.”

—Kirkus Reviews

Jailhouse Glock
By: Lizbeth Lipperman 
A Dead Sister Talking Mystery #2
"Lipperman’s blend of a girls-club feel and small town 
sleuthing makes for an attractive, lighthearted package."
—Publishers Weekly

Fleur de Lies
By: Maddy Hunter 
A Passport to Peril Mystery #9

"A river cruise down the Seine with a group of octogenarians could be magical for Emily's tour group.  Or it could mean murder for one of the passengers.  Don't miss the ninth trip (after Bonnie of Evidence) in this always entertaining series." - Library Journal 

The Day She Died
A Novel
By: Catriona McPherson 
"McPherson’s second stand-alone is a tour de force, a creepy 
psychological thriller that will leave you breathless."
—Kikus Reviews (starred review)

INKSPOT NEWS - May 4, 2013

Here are the new releases from Midnight Ink for May, 2013. They're all astounding reads!


Brush With Death by Karen MacInerney

"A welcome return to Maine's Cranberry Island and its sleuthing innkeeper, Natalie Barnes."     —LIBRARY JOURNAL

"The fifth Gray Whale adventure provides complex characters, stunning scenery and many recipes."     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

Carved In Darkness by Meagan Beaumont

"Pulse-pounding terror, graphic violence and a loathsome killer."     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Beaumont knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat . . . Buckle up for the ride of a lifetime, this one is the roughest rollercoaster you ever had to endure."     —SUSPENSE MAGAZINE

 Heard It Through the Grapevine by Lizbeth Lipperman

“Cozy fans will have fun.”     —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Entertaining, wickedly hilarious, and thoroughly addictive . . . a spectacular reading experience.”     —SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Picture Perfect Corpse by Joanna Campbell Slan

“The characters are so well developed that each installment leaves the reader yearning for the next.”     —KIRKUS REVIEWS

“A damn good read . . . Treat yourself to a wonderful traditional-feeling mystery with characters you will love.”     —CRIMESPREE MAGAZINE

Summer ebook promotions - free ebook downloads

Free on Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Sony ereaders for the month of June!

June Bug by Jess Lourey

This summer we are also planning free giveaways with Sue Ann Jaffarian, Cricket McRae and Deborah Sharp.  If the program goes as well as planned, we will probably continue into the fall.  :)  Each of these promotions will last for one month.

Discounted Price on Kindle

Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M Malliet   $1.99

Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney  $1.99

Paper Scissors Death by Joanna Campbell Slan  $.99

This Kindle promotion only runs for two weeks

Happy reading everyone!  Keep checking back for more promotions and giveaways!!

A Report from the Trenches

This last weekend I was at the Houston Writers Guild conference in Houston, TX.  Unlike my friend, agent Josh Getzler, I did not take 53 pitches!  (check out his thoughts on the conference at http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/)  I only took 23.  But I also did a seminar on mysteries.  It was a learning experience for me as well.

Like Josh noted, many authors can't properly place themselves in the market.  Almost every single manuscript that I was pitched was described as a thriller.  When I looked at the writing sample, it was clear to me that several were actually cozies or soft boiled.  I spent a good deal of time talking about subgenres and giving examples.

One question that surprised me was "do you buy on proposal?"  Ummm... no.  Not unless you have a serious body of work under your belt and I therefore the author can deliver a finished and acceptable manuscript.  I would certainly make an offer on a proposal from Lee Child, for example!  Or Maggie Sefton.  :)

Another question - "do you have an assistant who pre-reads for you?"  Good Lord.  After I managed to pick myself off the floor and wipe the tears from my eyes, I simply said, "No.  No, I don't."

I also extensively explain the publishing process, from the submission to the finished product hitting the market.  Oh, I probably forgot one or two of the seemingly endless steps, but I am fairly certain the folks walked away with a little more understanding of the amount of work that goes into publishing a book.

And of course, I emphasized the most important part.  Write, write, write.  Revise, revise, revise.  Write, write, write.  Before you send it off to an agent or an editor, make sure you have put together the best possible product you can!  You often only have one shot at an agent or an editor.  Make sure you are putting your best work forward.

Before the conference in Houston, I was able to make a side trip to Austin to meet Inkers Karen MacInerney and Robin Allen.  I have to say, I love my Inkers!  The food was excellent and the company was outstanding.  To Karen and Robin - thank you for the warm welcome.  :)

Dame Agatha

Dame Agatha Christie.  The mother of traditional mysteries.  Just her name brings so many things to mind.

Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI.  http://www.auntagathas.com/  I've never actually been to Aunt Agatha's, but I've met and talked to owner Robin Agnew several times at conventions or thru the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.  I'm sure store is as wonderful as she is.

Then there is Malice Domestic http://www.malicedomestic.org/aboutmalice.html, a fan convention honoring the traditional mystery.  The attendees of Malice vote on and present the Agatha Awards.  I'll be there this year, along with a bunch of other Inkers.  We'll be cheering for all the finalists, but in particular, we'll be hoping our own Alan Orloff walks away with Agatha for Best First Novel.  Our past finalists for best first include Lisa Bork, G.M Malliet (winner), Joanna Campbell Slan and Karen MacInerney.

Of course, there are the characters Agatha Christie created.  My favorite is Poirot, particularly David Suchet playing that role.  One of my favorite customers at Booked for Murder had named her cats Tommy and Tuppence.

 


So what about you?  What do you think of when you think of Dame Agatha?  I bet it's not an lolcat!

PS - I will address the evolution of traditional/cozy mysteries in another post.