Celebrating Women's History Month #1: The Cozy Protagonists

Here at Midnight Ink Headquarters, we find that the best way to celebrate Women's History Month is to talk to our authors whose books feature strong female protagonists. Every day this week, return to this blog to find out more about the ladies portrayed in our various series and stand-alone releases this year!

Linda O. Johnston

Linda O. Johnston writes the Superstition and Barkery & Biscuits mysteries for Midnight Ink. She has published over thirty-five romance and mystery novels, including the Pet Rescue Mystery series and the Pet-Sitter Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. She lives in California. Visit her online at www.lindaojohnston.com.

Rory Chasen, protagonist of the Superstition Mysteries, is a superstition agnostic... like me.  After losing her beloved fiancé when he walked under a ladder, she traveled to the town of superstitions, Destiny, California, to determine if they're real.  She's still not sure, but her strength lies in her ongoing determination to find out.  Her lucky dog Pluckie beside her, she runs the Lucky Dog Boutique.

In Knock on Wood (October 8, 2015), her closest friend is accused of murder.  Rory, who faced similar circumstances in Lost Under a Ladder, will do all she can to confront the applicable superstitions and clear her friend.

Carrie Kennersly, protagonist of the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, loves animals, like me. As a veterinary technician, she has devoted her life to them.  But she is also an entrepreneur at heart and jumps at the opportunity to buy a bakery and convert half into a barkery for healthful dog treats she has developed.  

In Bite the Biscuit (May 8, 2015), Carrie opens her new stores.  Soon thereafter she is accused of murdering a nasty member of the town's most elite family, owner of a local pet store, who criticizes Carrie's new venture.  Carrie must clear herself . . . and keep on cooking.

Tracy Weber

Tracy Weber is the author of the Downward Dog mysteries, a certified yoga therapist, and the founder of Whole Life Yoga in Seattle, where she lives with her husband and a horse-sized German Shepherd. Weber is a member of Sisters in Crime, The Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and the Dog Writers Association of America. Visit her online at www.tracyweberauthor.com. 

Kate Davidson is a yoga teacher who suffers from unfortunate—and often embarrassing—anger management issues. She’s smart, fiercely loyal, and independent to a fault. Her strengths, when unchecked, become her weaknesses.  She’s so independent that she doesn’t accept help; she’s so loyal that she helps others when it would be smarter not to; she firmly believes in the ethics she teaches, even when she fails to live up to them. Kate interests me because she makes mistakes, falls flat on her butt, and gets back up again.  Isn’t that the true definition of courage?

Kate faces many challenges in A Killer Retreat (January 8, 2015), including being the primary suspect in a murder investigation. But her biggest challenge is always getting out of her own way. Kate’s a work in progress, but she’s growing!

Steve Hockensmith with Lisa Falco

Steve Hockensmith is the author of the Tarot Mysteries (Midnight Ink), the Edgar-nominated Nick and Tesla mysteries (Quirk), and the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies novels Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Quirk) and Dreadfully Ever After (Quirk). His book Holmes on the Range (Minotaur Books) was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel. Visit him online at www.stevehockensmith.com.

Lisa Falco received her first tarot deck at the age of eight years old. She holds degrees from both Northwestern University and Cal State University Northridge. She is also the author of A Mother's Promise for Illumination Arts.

It was Lisa’s idea to write about a female tarot reader who helps her clients through the cards. I [Steve] added Alanis’ dark back story—that she was raised by a sociopathic con woman—and made her the series’ skeptical, wisecracking narrator. So Alanis is a hybrid: spiritual yet worldly, well meaning yet cynical. That blend makes her a complicated character—and one who refuses to conform to the limits (be unthreatening, be “nice”) that are sometimes imposed on female protagonists. In Fool Me Once (August 8, 2015), Alanis is trying to balance those opposing sides of herself, and it’s not only difficult . . . it’s deadly!

Maddy Hunter

Maddy Hunter draws inspiration from disastrous vacations that have spanned three continents to fuel her Passport to Peril Mystery series. The first six titles are available from Pocket Books; books seven and eight are available through Midnight Ink Books. The first in the series, Alpine for You, was an Agatha Award finalist and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. Hula Done It?, Pasta Imperfect and Top O’ the Mournin’ were named to the Independent Mystery Bookseller’s Association bestseller list. For more information, visit www.maddyhunter.com.

Emily Andrew Miceli leaped from my imagination as a fish out of water who trades in her stage-acting career for that of a tour escort for Iowa seniors. I thought her misadventures abroad with her quirky companions might be amusing. What I didn’t know was that despite a barrage of life-altering setbacks, Emily really likes herself, is incredibly resourceful, and has a kind heart. These qualities are what make her strong. The challenge she faces in From Bad to Wurst (December 8, 2015) is to nab a killer while being distracted by nonstop emergency room visits, psychic disharmony, and musical disasters. Uff-da!  

Return to this blog tomorrow to hear from our new series authors: Gigi Pandian, Loretta Ross, Elizabeth Perona, Deirdre Verne, Amanda Flower, and Tracy Kiely!

Q&A with Shannon Baker

This week, we sat down with Shannon Baker, author of the Nora Abbott Mysteries. Her latest, Tattered Legacy, was released earlier this month!

Midnight Ink: How long have you been writing?

Shannon Baker: My daughter turned 30 last week, so it’s been about that long. I’m not one of those artists who came out of the womb with a story to tell. When I was 11, I wrote a poem and it won some awards and netted me attention. When my older sister read the poem, she declared I’d stolen it from her and informed me SHE was the writer in the family, not me. I believed her, even after a college prof wrote on an essay, “You have a real facility for the language. Consider being an English major?” When I became a stay-at-home mother, I needed some outlet, so I started writing.

MI: What influence have other authors had on your writing?

SB: Way back when dirt was new, I read “And Ladies of the Club” by Helen Hooven Santmyer. I loved that book—a sweeping saga. I’d read that she wrote it when she was in her 80s and I figured if I wanted to ever get good enough to write such a big book, I’d better get started. I was big into Franklin Day Planner and The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, so I wrote out a long-term plan, medium, and short-term, complete with daily tasks. I’ve long since lost the plan, but it got me moving. A body in writing stays in writing.

MI: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

SB: If I weren’t a writer AND I had a ton o’ money, I’d go SCUBA diving a lot. A whole lot. I’d also hike mountains and kayak rivers. Skiing, riding a bike in Europe, hiking the Camino de Santiago, and climbing to Machu Picchu seem like great ways to fill my days. Oh, and the Great Wall and volcanoes in Costa Rica….

MI: If you have a job outside of writing, what is it?

SB: I have an MBA and really loved being the tactician in start-ups. Not the strategist—I have no vision. But I rock at follow-through. (Or, I used to. I’m much less driven now.) I’m pretty happy being a stay-at-home writer, although I miss the regular paycheck.

MI: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not writing or working?

SB: See the answer above, but without the money side. I ride my bike and hike, backpack, float on lakes, and a couple of times of year, if I’m lucky, I get to go diving. When I’m deep into writing avoidance, I like to bake and cook. And always, there’s a book to read.

MI: Who is your favorite mystery sleuth and why?

SB: I came late to the mystery game. I’m playing catch-up so I don’t have the repertoire of classics. But lately, I’m loving Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire. And I’m eating up Jessica Lourey’s Mira James.  With Walt, I love his humor and connection with the natural world, plus, I’m a sucker for Wyoming. With Mira, she makes me laugh out loud.

MI: Do you have a favorite murder case from a book (either yours or another author’s)?

SB: This question makes me feel so stupid! My brain doesn’t hang on to details like this. I’m much more of a “SQUIRREL!” type. So I can tell you what’s going on right now. My brilliant and slightly deranged husband is days away from retiring from 40 years as a BNSF conductor. I am writing a book set in rural Nebraska with a murder on a freight train and I asked him for ideas. His plan, which took him an alarmingly short time to come up with, involves suspending a railroad tie from a bridge and decapitating an engineer.

MI: What was your inspiration for this series?

SB: When we moved to Flagstaff in 2006, there was a huge controversy raging over pumping treated wastewater to the ski resort just outside of town. While creating a constant snow supply would be good business for the town, the ski resort sits on a peak sacred to 12 separate tribes. My first thought was, “Someone’s going to die over this.” So I wrote Tainted Mountain. When Midnight Ink offered to publish it, they asked if it was a series, and I said, “Yes, yes of course.” Then I had to set about making it one.

MI: How does this book/series compare to your past works?

SB: I’d published a thriller in 2010 with a Nano-press. I didn’t really know I’d written a mystery with Tainted Mountain, I thought it was a thriller. So after I sold it, I started reading lots of mysteries and some series. Now I consider myself a mystery writer and have every intention of sticking around here!

MI: What inspired Nora Abbott’s character?

SB: I wanted to write about the man-made snow controversy in Flagstaff and I thought about who would care the most. Obviously, the ski resort owner. Then I wondered how to make her more conflicted, so I made her an environmentalist. I was working for The Grand Canyon Trust at the time. It’s an environmental non-profit with the goal of protecting and restoring the Colorado Plateau. (The area from south of Flagstaff to southern Utah, including the Grand Canyon.) The people at the Trust are pretty passionate about their work, so I had some great examples to work from.

MI: How did the ancient Hopi culture make it into your books?

SB: When I started to research the sacred aspects of the San Francisco Peaks—where they wanted to pump treated wastewater—I came across the Hopi tribe. They are a fascinating culture. One of the smallest, oldest, and poorest tribes in the country, they believe they are responsible for the balance of the whole world. They are also very secretive. So, of course, I chose to write about them. I could write a twenty book series and still not cover all the mysteries of the Hopi tribe.

MI: Saving and conserving the environment is a huge part of your Nora Abbott series. Is this a significant part of your life as well?

SB: I worked for The Grand Canyon Trust, but my job was finance director of the cattle operation on the North Rim. It’s ironic that an organization that fights overgrazing all over the west runs cattle, but there is a reason. By buying up nearly one million acres of land and leasing rights, the Trust could reduce the number of cattle to the bare minimum required by the government, instead of letting a commercial cattle operation run the maximum allowable and pillaging the delicate landscapes.

But I’d spent 20 years in the cattle country of Nebraska so my perspective was a little different from the enviros at the Trust. However, I’d been living in Boulder, CO before moving to Flagstaff, and environmental awareness drifts off the Flatirons like pine pollen. So, yeah, I’m kind of conflicted.

Am I an environmental activist? No. But I am aware and I try to leave as little trace as possible, especially in the wild places.

MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about him/her.

SB: PUPPY! We lost our last Boxer in 2012 and since our lives were in such flux at the time, we decided to hold off getting another pet until we were more settled. We’ve been a very sad household without a dog. But since we’re heading down to Tucson and staying home full-time in less than 90 days, we’re getting a Weimeraner puppy. The mother’s been ultra-sounded and she’s due March 26^th, which means we’ll have our little bundle of pee, poop, needle-teeth and joy in May!

A Weimeraner puppy, like the one that will soon join the Baker family.

MI: What food could you live off of for the rest of your life?

SB: Pizza. Or tacos.

MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?

SB: My mother was the world’s worst cook. Seriously awful. When I got married, I moved to the ruralist of rural Nebraska and my mother-in-law taught me how to cook. But I never used recipes (except for baking), just threw in this and that. About 5 years ago, a friend gave me a subscription to a cooking magazine and I started to make the recipes, getting the right ingredients and measuring them.  I’m totally amazed at what a better cook I am now!

MI: What’s your favorite part about being an Inker?

SB: I treasure the friendships I’ve made at Midnight Ink and the feeling of camaraderie. It’s so wonderful to walk into a conference and see other Inkers and feel like part of the group. Everyone has been so helpful, generous, and FUN! The other aspect of being an Inker is being part of a respected press. MI has street cred in the mystery world. When I approach a bookstore or other venue to set up an event, I’m often met with a cautious reaction. Then I tell them I’m published by Midnight Ink and the smiles open up.

 Tattered Legacy is available online and in bookstores now!

Q&A with Jennifer Harlow

This week, we sat down with Jennifer Harlow, whose third Midnight Magic Mystery, Witch Upon a Star, was released earlier this month.

Midnight Ink: How long have you been writing?

Jennifer Harlow: I’ve always been a storyteller in some capacity. When I was a child, I barely left my room because I was always playing with my Barbie dolls. I’d even fake sick far more than I should so I could stay home from school and continue their adventures. When I got too old for that, I moved from pen to paper. Once again school suffered as I’d write my stories in class instead of paying attention. I cut my teeth on screenplays, then when I was nineteen I decided to try writing a book. I haven’t stopped since.

MI: What influence have other authors had on your writing?

JH: Without question I learned from the masters: Janet Evanovitch, Laurell K. Hamilton, and Stan Lee. From Evanovitch I learned how to incorporate humor, mystery, and sexual tension while keeping a quick pace in the story. Hamilton showed the perfect was to combine two genres effectively, thriller and paranormal, and that a heroine doesn’t have to always be a sweet, perfect woman. She can have a hard edge and still be likable. From Stan Lee’s comics, especially X-Men, hidden in the action scenes and love triangles was a parable on prejudice and acceptance of self no matter how different you are from the crowd. I can only pray I do my idols justice with my own work.

MI: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

JH: Advice columnist. Everyone I know comes to me with their problems, and they all say I help them. It’d be wonderful to get paid for it.

MI: What is/are your favorite thing/s to do when you’re not writing or

working?

JH: In my old age I have basically become a teenage boy. I’ve gotten obsessed with video games. Lately I’ve been addicted to the Dragon Age games. They are like crack.

MI: Who is your favorite mystery sleuth and why?

JH: I can’t decide! That’s like choosing a favorite child. The list includes: Miss Marple, Stephanie Plum, Sydney Rye, Poirot, Harry Bosch, Jaine Austen, okay I’m stopping now. So many!

MI: What was your inspiration for the Midnight Magic Mysteries?

JH: I wanted to expand the F.R.E.A.K.S. world and also get a bit more romance in it. The F.R.E.A.K.S. is more action and mystery oriented, following the misadventures of Special Agent Beatrice Alexander. In the Midnight Magic series they’re stand alone, following one woman in her quest for understanding and love but with some action and mystery thrown in for flavor.

MI: How does Witch Upon A Star compare to your past works?

JH: This book begins decades before Bea ever joined the F.R.E.A.K.S., years before the super-natural co-op began, or before Vivian and Jason met. This is a prequel to all the books that came before. It’s also a very dark, twisty romance between two very lost souls that doesn’t end in a traditional way. 

MI: Tell us about Anna Olmstead.

JH: I introduced the character in the second F.R.E.A.K.S book, To Catch a Vampire. She’s a witch, a former FREAK who helped Beatrice with a case a murderous vampires, something she had a lot of experience with having been raised and then falling in love with a vampire named Asher.  She also has ties to the Goodnight Coven I introduced in What’s A Witch To Do?  Basically the events that occurred with her set in motion every event in both the F.R.E.A.K.S. and Midnight Magic series. The supernatural co-op, the events in the Eastern Pack, Oliver joining the F.R.E.A.K.S., it all stems from the adventures of Anna Olmstead Asher West.

MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about him/her.

JH: I have a six-month-old Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier named Elsa Lanchester, after the actress who played the Bride of Frankenstein. Potty training has been a nightmare!

Elsa Lanchester

MI: What food could you live off of for the rest of your life?

JH: French fries. I cannot live without them.

MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?

JH: A White Russian. One shot Vodka, ¾ shot of Kahlua, half a cup of cream served over ice. Like drinking Starbucks coffee that gets you soused. Yum.

MI: What’s your favorite part about being an Inker?

JH: The community. Everyone is really there for each other when we have questions or concerns. We’re a lucky group.

Witch Upon a Star is available online and in bookstores now!

Q&A with Deirdre Verne

This week, we sat down with Deirdre Verne, debut author of Drawing Conclusions, which was released last month!

Midnight Ink: How long have you been writing?

Deirdre Verne: I’ve been writing on and off for eight years. The first few years were exploratory—thinking through potential plots and characters. The last five years have been full steam ahead.

MI: What influence have other authors had on your writing?

DV: When my oldest son was a year old, he caught the flu. I was up all night, every night. A friend handed me the first three Janet Evanovich books to keep me occupied, and I was hooked from the first page.

I’m also a big fan of Harlan Coben and Nelson DeMille. 

MI: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

DV: Writing is my third career.  I worked for ten years as a marketing professional after college. Then, I became a college professor.  As for a fourth career, I have visions of running a bed and breakfast in a seaside town. I’m not sure I can pull this off, but it’s definitely on my bucket list.

MI: If you have a job outside of writing, what is it?

DV: I’ve been teaching marketing for fifteen years at Westchester Community College. I have a popular college blog where I unravel the mystery of what is really going on in a teacher’s head. 

MI: What is/are your favorite thing/s to do when you’re not writing or working?

DV: My main character, CeCe Prentice, is a dumpster-diver. Although I have pulled some choice pieces of furniture out of dumpsters, I much prefer a good flea market or antique fair. However, if the opportunity to dive presents itself, I’m game.  I recently salvaged a set of antique windows from my neighbor’s renovation project and had the windows converted into a china cabinet.

MI: Who is your favorite mystery sleuth and why?

DV: I have a crush on Nelson DeMille’s Detective John Corey. He’s got the right balance of sarcasm and swagger.

MI: Do you have a favorite murder case from a book (either yours or another author’s)?

DV: A few years ago, a publishing insider gave me an advanced review copy of the third book in Stieg Larsson’s  Millenium trilogy. I couldn’t bring myself to read it because I didn’t want the series to end.  The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo was such a great read that I’m still saving The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest for a rainy day.

 

MI: How does it feel to have your first book published? Tell us about your publishing journey.

DV: Unlike other creative careers, writing is difficult to communicate until your book is published.  A musician can hum a few bars and a painter can hang a painting. I’m sure other authors would agree that there is nothing more awkward than explaining that you write without anything to show as evidence. As a result, having a physical book in hand feels really good.  

MI: What was your inspiration for this series and/or book?

DV: My inspiration for this series was the positive energy surrounding the Green movement. I’d love to tell readers that I’m an avid environmentalist or that I’m growing my own food, but the reality is that I’m a pretty average consumer. The topic, however, truly interests me and I think it’s important.  As a result of writing this series, I’ve tried to change my family’s consumption behavior, and I hoping to continue on this path.

MI: Tell us about CeCe.

DV: CeCe Prentice always takes the road less traveled, never looking over her shoulder to see if she made the right decision.  She’s confident and challenging with a razor-sharp wit, and although you might be put off by her life choices, you’ll quickly find she’s a steadfast friend. 

MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about him/her.

DV: Welcome to our on-going family debate. My husband and children want a cat. I want a dog. This stalemate has been going on for two years and I’d like to open the voting up to readers.  Dog or cat? Please help us decide.

MI: If you don’t have a pet, do you have a favorite animal?

DV: Clearly, I’m a dog person, but I married a cat person. Maybe there’s a support group for us?

MI: What food could you live off of for the rest of your life?

DV: Grilled cheese on rye with bacon and tomato. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the last time I had one!

MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?

DV: I cook a good old-fashioned family meal at least five nights a week. I do this under protest, but my family seems appreciative and my children are meeting their growth chart milestones, so the meals keep coming.  My children’s favorite is chicken potpie. Like all of my meals, I don’t use a recipe.  I make it up as I go, but I’d be happy to share my favorite staple—College Inn chicken stock.

MI: What’s your favorite part about being an Inker?

DV: Writing is lonely, especially when you’re toiling away as unpublished author. I’m gratefully for the support and friendship I received as a member of Midnight Ink.

 Drawing Conclusions is available online and in bookstores now!

Rolling a Snowball Uphill: My Theory on Book Marketing

by Shannon Baker

Happy Book Birthday to Tattered Legacy whose official release date was yesterday. This is the third book in the Nora Abbott series and my fourth published book. AND I KNOW NOTHING. (Raise your hand if you added, “Jon Snow.”)

I am a marketing novice, fumbling around, making mistakes, missing opportunities. But here’s the thing, I knew less than nothing before I started out. By the time my first book came out in 2010, I’d been an active member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for so long I think they called me Granny Shanny behind my back. I was published with a nano press, the puppy mill of presses, and knew I was on my own.

I’d heard about promotion and had taken notes in a zillion (give or take a few) workshops. So I sent out press releases and pleas for reviews. I think the only reviewer that bit was the famed Harriot Klausner (is she still around?) and man, she reviewed everyone.

When the first of the Nora books hit the shelves, I was smack in the middle of a new job. Midnight Ink got it reviewed with the big guys and they had distribution, so I sent out some emails, did one book launch signing, and signed up for a few conferences. I couldn’t see that my efforts made any great difference in sales. But I had a whale of a great time at conferences meeting other writers, hearing what they were up to, both in the writing and marketing side.

One marketing expert told me not to waste my money on conferences. They don’t sell books. But for me, conferences are fuel. I love writers and getting to hang out with them for several days in a row is heaven. I never counted conferences as a marketing tool, that was “me” time for which I must carry around the attendant guilt.

But over and over I was getting the defeating message that all efforts were futile. Blog tours didn’t work. Book signings were a waste of time. I knew from personal experience that press releases were like blowing dandelion seeds into the wind. In the meantime, life threw me for a slight loop-de-loop and when Broken Trust came out last March, I let the defeatists win me over.

Why bother? I didn’t set up one single launch event. I can’t remember if I visited any blogs. I think I probably posted on Facebook a time or two. I threw up my hands and cried uncle. I still went to the conferences, not believing they were doing much for my career, but because they were so much fun.

I’m not sure exactly what happened to smack me upside the head and pull me out of that sad, dark place. It could have been that a bestselling writer, one I’d met at these “fun” conferences, offered to read a the first few chapters and synopsis of a new book I was working on and praised it. Or maybe because my editor loved the book I’d just turned in and said it was the best so far. It could be a nomination for an affirming award or maybe it was that winter finally pulled down the curtain and spring bloomed bright and warm (no small consideration). Whatever the cause, the effect was me emerging from my stupor to start paying attention to marketing.

A friend prodded me with Guerrilla Marketing’s tip to do five things every day, even if they’re small. I got a few bits of SWAG, I drew up a marketing plan for Tattered Legacy, broke it down by month, put specific tasks with completion dates…just like a real business.

I had no expectations for this launch. My goal was to do some things that might help but that I would enjoy. I wanted it to be a celebration of publishing this story that I am proud to have written.

Fellow Inkers Cricket McRae and Mark Stevens and me signing at B&N Loveland March 7 

Here’s what surprised me: I decided to plan a blog tour and thought of the most popular sites I knew. It turns out, these conferences I’d felt guilty about spending money on, had presented an opportunity to get to know lots of people. And some of them had popular blogs and readily agreed to host me.

I set up some book signings, again, just for fun. The first one out of the chute, The Bull Bash in Valentine, Nebraska on Valentine’s Day (MI did me the great favor of printing early enough to have books) was a bigger success than I could have imagined. I’ve done a half dozen of the blog stops and they’ve been fun. I sent out a boat-load of press releases and, gasp, gotten about a 30% response rate.

I can’t tell you if any of this will net sales. But I can tell you this, even though it’s a ton more work than not doing anything, it’s way more fun than doing nothing. I am determined to figure out Twitter. So far, I am half-assed with it because I just don’t get how it works. I’m building my email list and even sent out my first newsletter (which isn’t going to be a newsletter but sort of an announcement thing every now and then).

I’m a total marketing novice but I’m starting to see that hardly anyone starts out on top. It’s a growth  process. Some writers take to it naturally and they shoot up. Some of us are slow starters with inching progress, but everyone grows with one reader at a time. Since I normally spend the bulk of my self-esteem energy looking at what I haven’t accomplished or comparing myself to super stars and falling short, it surprised me one day to realize I have made progress. I don’t have fans sending me daily emails, but some people I don’t know have read my books and bought more.

I’m going to end with advice I’ve heard over and over and am only now believing. You can’t do it all so pick a few things you enjoy. Do those. You might not see a big impact but keep doing it. I am convinced that marketing is like rolling a snowball uphill. It’s work and you have to keep pushing but eventually your results will grow exponentially. I’m at the base of the hill so those of you at the top who can let it roll down the other side without effort, do not put a blow torch to my theory.

Today, in celebration of Tattered Legacy hitting the shelves, I’m guest blogging at Dru’s Book Musings and Get Lost in a Story, both with giveaways. And if you don’t win there, pop over to Goodreadsand sign up for a giveaway there, too. 

March 2015 Books Available Now!

Don't miss Midnight Ink's latest releases!

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Dying For A Little Class

By Tj O’Connor, author of Dying to Know, Dying for the Past & Dying to Tell

 

Dying is overrated. Having a little class is not.

Stop scratching your head. If you’re a struggling author like me, this will all make sense. If you’re a successful author like we all hope to be, pay attention and remember that catchphrase.

When I was a young boy, I had a tough upbringing at times. I read everything I could get my hands on to hide and maintain a little peace of mind. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. I’ve said this many times, but my early favorites were the works Franklin W. Dixon and his Hardy Boys, Gordon Shirreffs’ The Mystery of the Haunted Mine, and Barbee Carleton’s Mystery of the Witches Bridge. They were huge stories to me and set me on the path to writing. There was a bigger influence, too, and that book came full-circle from my childhood to grab my attention this past week.

That book was Six Days of the Condor by James Grady.

Sometime in the early 70s, my older brother gave me a well-worn paperback copy of Six Days of the Condor. We didn’t have a lot in common back in those days; he was already escaping life in that small town and I was pining for my chance. James Grady’s first novel was my first “mature” novel that took me from the Hardy Boys mysteries into the world of the CIA, murder, intrigue, and thrillers. Six Days was at the beginning of a career that took Mr. Grady into journalism, politics, government, and Hollywood and continues to span decades of success. His is a story well worth catching up on.

For weeks while by brother was home visiting, we spent evenings on the front porch reliving the book and talking about politics, spies, and all that. I was, for the most part, totally lost. But, when you’re a young adventurer like I was, you keep up. This was the first time I’d connected with my brother in years, and my grandfather—who soon passed far too young for my liking—joined the discussions and spun his own tales of World War II in the pacific. That summer was one of my best memories as a kid.

To say that Six Days of the Condor affected me is an understatement.  

My young world exploded. The Hardy Boys—sorry pals—went into a box. I spent hours in the library trying to learn all I could about this new thing called the CIA and everything I could read about our government, politics, and espionage. My research—hold on youngsters, there was no internet or computers—took me days in the library to learn that the best authors were in my new love of thrillers and intrigue. I found them—Alistair MacLean, John le Carré, Mickey Spillane, Robert Ludlum, Raymond Chandler …

Holy crap! Frank and Joe Hardy never packed heat or had the hot babes! They never infiltrated Nazi strongholds or shot it out with rogue spies in Washington either. Where had I been? Grade school, of course. But, boy, was I catching up.

Six Days of the Condoropened my world to great fiction and put the icing on the cake for my future. I was going to be an author. I was going to join the CIA. I was going to fight bad guys and have real life adventure. Me. This poor, barely-passing-English-kid from an unheard-of tiny town in upstate New York. Yes, me.

We all have our heroes and reasons we are who we are. Surprisingly, so many of us get them from great books. Oh, I won’t go as far as to say that James Grady made me who I am or was the single driving force behind my past thirty-six years. No, but it’s in the top three reasons and, without question, was the turning point in my young life from that constant, nagging question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” to a dream for chasing.

Why do I belabor this point? Because I’ve been a very lucky guy these past years and I don’t ever want to forget that. I was reminded of that this past Wednesday.

I never joined the CIA. But, for more than a decade, I was an agent with the OSI and ran investigations and anti-terrorism operations all over places most people only read about in books. I chased murderers, spies, and terrorists with some of the finest, most dedicated people I have ever known. Then, during the next few years in the private sector, I have had the fortune to have a mentor—Wally—who is one of the last surviving OSS—World War II’s Office of Strategic Services—operatives in the world and a former senior spook at the CIA. Through the years, I’ve met big shots all over—senior government (of many nations) leaders, politicians, movie stars, rock stars, et cetera, et cetera. I’ve even had the great fortune to know some amazing authors, too, many of whom have become my friends—like bestselling author, Stephen Frey, who has become a friend and influence on my books. And, all along the way, I sort of just took it in stride, never thought of what it meant or what it might come to.

Until last Wednesday.

Last Wednesday morning, I sat down to do some bill-paying work, and a note popped up on my computer from … James Grady. Holy crap on a peanut butter sandwich! Mr. Grady had—for some odd reason—found my mention of him in a blog about how I got started writing and doing my life’s work. He sat down and sent me a Facebook note to say hello. By coincidence, he is currently promoting his latest book, The End of the Condor, the next long-awaited sequel to Six Days of the Condor. In his note, he said something very important—and it is the reason for this blog—One day it would be humbling to have someone comment about me and that I should remember his words. We exchanged a couple more notes and the Ethernet returned to normal.

I heard you loud and clear, Mr. Grady. And thank you again.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a fan boy. I’ve worked around—and even protected—celebrities and power-brokers in my life. It sort of becomes “just business.” Yet, there is something about one’s childhood heroes that breaks down the dulled senses and makes you feel like you’re thirteen years old again.

And yes, it was humbling—for me, too.

Mr. Grady took his valuable time to drop me a note and give me a little recognition. Of the tons of important and famous folks I’ve met, I can count on my fingers and toes those who ever did that. As an author, the simple fact that he thought enough about our craft and my work to acknowledge my start-up writing career was enough. But his message was ever more important.

So, what does a non-fan boy like me do when a childhood hero reaches out? Gush? Run around giggling like a school girl? (Maybe a little.) No, I grabbed my box of Midnight Ink Dying for the Past promo books (the second in my paranormal series that just released). I signed a copy with a nice note to Conan—a young aspiring writer from upstate New York—and express mailed it out. You see, Conan sent me a short story last year called The Great Pirate Adventure, which I commented on my Facebook page. He was, apparently, thrilled by that little bit of recognition. I’m not sure how old Conan is, but I hope he’s young enough to still be thrilled by a wanna-be author like me just saying hello.

Dying for the Pastshould be in Conan’s hands by the time this blog posts. I hope it meant as much to him as my note from James Grady. And, one day, I hope Conan writes his own novel or pursues whatever his dreams are. And, I hope he remembers my note to him and passes along that little class that Mr. Grady began this past Wednesday. 

So, as Oliver Tucker said in Dying to Know, Dying is overrated—and from me, having a little class is not.

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE AUTHOR OF DYING FOR THE PAST and DYING TO KNOW, available in books stores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying for the Past and Dying To Know are the first of eight novels to be published.  Learn more about Tj’s world at www.tjoconnor.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TjOConnor.Author