Getting to know Shelly Frome

Patricia: Shelly, thank you for visiting with us today. Tell me, what are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?

Shelly: One thing I like to do is take my golden-doodle Baxter on nature walks so he can show me all the delights I’d otherwise be missing out on.

Patricia: What’s your favorite color and why?

Shelly: I’ve always been drawn to shades of sky blue, perhaps because it gives me a sense of endless possibilities close by, just around the bend and/or somewhere beyond but still within reach.

Patricia: How would you describe yourself, personality wise?

Shelly: This is probably a long answer, but since Ben Prine, the lead in my Hollywood caper Tinseltown Riff, is my stand-in, and I write to discover things that are presently percolating underneath, I could mention some of the qualities he and I share.

At the outset, I too often find myself standing back in amazement with a glint in my eye. For instance, my nephew and his wife introduced me to Howie, an old schoolmate whose mother prowls Melrose trying to shop her son on The Tonight Show as the world’s youngest oldest virgin. At the same time, countless wanna-be screenwriters, actors and actresses tell me their jobs as cabbies, hotel clerks, waitresses and what-have-you are only temporary even though they’re been at it for years. A contradiction that reminds me of the time when I was a starving actor and behaving just like Ben: an amused observer who will also jump in first chance he gets trying to make the grade.

Another quality is a kind of dreaminess, taking off into another sphere, frequently becoming lost in old movies on Turner Classics. Plus an incurable romanticism, longing for the girl next door, the white picket fence and the homey, neighborly small town goodness of It’s a Wonderful Life.

A third quality I should mention is a certain short-term intrepidness. While living in Tucson, I had a roommate who looked and sounded like a cross between Kris Kristofferson and Jeff Bridges. One day he pulled up in an MG TD he’d just bought and shouted, “Hop in, kid, we’re headin’ across the border.” Along the way he told me he was on parole for holding up the same town Billy the Kid did in New Mexico. The only difference was, he used a sawed-off shotgun. But here again, there’s a discrepancy. Ben, my character, would never just hop in willy-nilly and take of for Mexico. He gradually and unwittingly finds himself over his head. And that’s precisely why I needed to send Ben out there to see what would’ve happened had I stuck it out long-term in the entertainment business, unaware of the trouble that lies ahead.

Patricia: What are some of the favorite places you like to go?

Shelly: I guess one of the things I have in common with P.D. James is a love of settings. I don’t set out looking for provocative places, but when I find myself, say, on the moors in the western part of England or deep in the backwoods of Mississippi, a crime story begins to evolve. It’s almost as if it’s been there waiting for me to embark on a new fictional journey fraught with danger.

Patricia: If you suddenly became independently wealthy and had a million dollars at your disposal, what would you do?

Shelly: After giving a portion of it to my youngest son to establish his own theater company, I would probably use most of it for a dramatically worthwhile cause. Like helping the schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai (who survived that assassination attempt) defy the Taliban. Find ways to make education available so that disadvantaged young women in places like Pakistan can follow their dreams and achieve their true potential.

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor and a frequent contributor of articles on all facets of creative writing. His fiction includes Twilight of the Drifter, The Twinning Murders, Lilac Moon and Sun Dance for Andy Horn. His latest is the Hollywood crime caper Tinseltown Riff. Among his works of non-fiction are the acclaimed The Actors Studio and texts on the art and craft of screenwriting and writing for the stage. He lives in Litchfield, Connecticut.

He can be reached on Facebook, Twitter @shellyFrome, Linkedin and shellyfrome.com

Mystery Author of the Month, Holli Castillo

I’d like to welcome mystery author, Holli Castillo. 

Patricia: Holli, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?

Holli: I grew up in the suburbs in what is considered the metro New Orleans area but is really just outside the city.  I have wanted to be a writer since I wrote my first story in kindergarten, when I was five.  I don’t know that anything significant in my childhood contributed to my desire to write, but my imagination was encouraged by my parents and my teachers.  If anything, the fact that my childhood was kind of mundane and boring made my imagination even wilder.  I wanted drama—I got decent to good grades, my parents weren’t divorced, my mother didn’t work, we had the normal pets.  I would create stories and scenarios for everyone I met. A car backfiring was a gunshot, a baby crying was being kidnapped. I hated normal.

Patricia: Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?

Holli: I live pretty close to where I grew up, although I did live in different parts of New Orleans when I was in college and law school.  Everything I write is set in New Orleans.  At first I tried to avoid the cliché New Orleans settings, such as Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras, but one of the criticisms I received on my first novel was that there wasn’t enough New Orleans in it. I had New Orleans food, our dialect, areas of town in New Orleans, but I think people expect to see those clichés when the story is about New Orleans, so I’ve incorporated more of that in the second and third novels.

Patricia: What inspired you to write your most recent novel?

Holli: Hurricane Katrina inspired Chocolate City Justice.  I wrote the first novel, Gumbo Justice, prior to Katrina.  Before I got a contract, Katrina happened.  I stopped looking for an agent or publisher for a while after Katrina, trying to get everything back in order at home. During the interim, I started to think that maybe agents and publishers wouldn’t be interested in novels set pre-Katrina, so I had to make the choice of either updating the first novel to incorporate Katrina, or writing a whole new novel. I started working on Chocolate City Justice, planning to then make Gumbo Justice the second book in the series instead of the first, and Jambalaya Justice, which I had already started, the third, instead of the second. Before I got very far into it, I ended up getting a contract with Oak Tree Press on Gumbo Justice, so Chocolate City was put back in queue to be the third book.

Patricia: When did you “know” that you wanted to be a writer?

Holli: I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t feel like I could seriously consider it as a career until after I quit the New Orleans D.A.’s Office, where I was a prosecutor, to stay home after my daughter was born.  I ended up getting a position with an organization appointed to handle criminal appeals, a job I could do from home, and finally had the time to start writing. 

Patricia: Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery/suspense genre. What makes them your favorites?

Holli: John Sandford is one of my favorites, mostly because I am in love with Lucas Davenport.  Reading the Prey Series was one of the things that motivated me to finally start writing, so I owe a lot to John Sandford.   I also like Janet Evanovich, because I really like the interaction between Stephanie Plum, Ranger, and Joe Morelli. I also like the zaniness of her novels, although some of her plot devices are recycled from earlier works.  My third would be Tami Hoag, mostly for the dash of romance in her traditional thrillers and mysteries. 

Bio: 

Her first novel, Gumbo Justice, the 2011PSWA award winner for Best Published Novel,  was released by Oak Tree Press after being delayed when she was incapacitated for almost a year due to a head-on collision with a drunk driver. This was followed by the second in the Crescent City Mystery series, Jambalaya Justice, which received honors for best unpublished novel in the PSWA 2011 writing competition.  The third installment, Chocolate City Justice, is scheduled for release at the end of 2013.   Holli resides in the metropolitan New Orleans area with her husband, who is the model for Big Who in the series, her two daughters, two dogs, and two deaf cats, one of which is featured prominently in Jambalaya Justice. 

Holli Castillo is a Louisiana appellate public defender and former New Orleans prosecutor.

Purchase Links:

Gumbo Justice  www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Justice-Holli-Castillo/dp/1892343517

Jambalaya Justice  www.amazon.com/Jambalaya-Justice-Holli-Castillo/dp/1610090209

or purchase signed copies at

www.gumbojustice.net/pages/buy-the-novels.php

Holli is offering a giveaway of both Gumbo Justice and Jambalaya Justice to one person drawn randomly from anyone who leaves a comment at the end of the interview.

 

Best of Mystery/Suspense Novels

Like most writers, I'm an avid reader. Whenever I'm waiting in line at the grocery store, I pass the time by reading everything from the cashier's name tag to the names of candy bars and other products placed near the registers so that customers will make impulsive buys. Other than the occasional candy bar (okay, more than occasional), I'm not tempted to buy any of their gadgets; I just read their names. I read at the dentist's office, I read at stop lights, everywhere. And, although I do sometimes read a magazine article or a non-fiction book (mostly for research for my books), by far, the majority of my reading is fiction. Make that Mystery/Suspense novels.

In the past couple of years, I've read some wonderful books by small press authors. As a small press author myself, I realize how hard it is for us to get publicity. The authors published by the Big Guys get all kinds of press. And, they often get to go on tours across the country to promote their books. Some even advertise on TV. Needless to say, that kind of publicity takes some bucks, money that small presses simply don't have. It's quite a dilemma for small press authors. So, what's the answer?

It's called "shameless self-promotion" and we small press authors, whether we're comfortable tooting our own horn or not, MUST do it if we want anyone, other than our closest friends and family members, to read our books. Which brings me to the purpose of this post. To acquaint my blog readers with the list I've created on Shelfari: Best of Mystery/Suspense Novels published by small presses.Yes, my two books are on the list. See what I mean about shameless self-promotion? But, seriously, every time I read a book by a small press author that I really enjoy, I add it to the list. So, if you're looking for a good mystery, look no further.

I sincerely hope you'll check out the list and, if you like what you see, that you'll click the "Recommend" button on the site and tell your friends about it. If you haven't joined Shelfari yet, it's a very simple process and I know you'll be glad you did. Here's the link:

http://www.shelfari.com/Best-Of/10560/Best-of-Mystery-Suspense-novels-published-by-small-presses

Happy Reading!

New Release: The Goddaughter's Revenge

by

Melodie Campbell

 

 Just in time for Halloween … MESS WITH ME, DARLIN’?
 WATCH ME KILL YOU WITH WORDS.

(Revenge is sweet when coupled with royalties.)

Here’s some news for all those sociopaths out there, and just plain nasties: Don’t mess with a crime writer.  We know at least twenty ways to kill you and not get caught.

On paper, of course <insert nervous laughter>. We’re talking about fictional kills here.

Or are we?

My name is Melodie Campbell, and I write comic mob capers for a living. And for the loving. So I know a bit about the mob. Like espresso and cannoli, you might say they come with my Sicilian background.

This should make people nervous. (Hell, it makes ME nervous.)

But I digress. To recap:  the question offered was:

Are any of your victims based on people who pissed you off in real life? Do you ever take out real life rage on fictional murder victims?

Oh sweetie, don’t I ever.

One of the joys of being a writer is playing out scenarios in your fiction that you dream about at night.  One of these is murder.  (The other is sex, but that would be my other series, the Rowena fantasy one.)

Back to grievous bodily harm. Like in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, I have my little list.

To the covert colleague who made out to be friends and then bad-mouthed me to the board at a previous job.  Yes, you got caught red-handed. I called your bluff.  But better than that, I made your mealy-mouthed sorry hide a star of THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE.  Take that, Carmine the rat.  You live forever in fictional history.

He never will be missed.

Oh, the joy of creating bad guys and gals from real-life creeps!  The crafty thing is, when you design a villain based on people you have met in person and experienced in technicolor, they sound real. Colorful.  Their motivations are believable. No cardboard characters here!

Of course, I may fudge a few details to keep out of jail. Names and professions change. Males can morph into females.

But fictional murder can be very satisfying. (Definitely more satisfying than fictional sex.)  Revenge is sweet, when coupled with royalties.

You can ignore that crack about fictional kills only. Of course we’re only talking books; in my case, light-hearted murder mysteries, and mob crime capers.

That’s right: mob capers. Like I said: never mess with a Sicilian Goddaughter.

Melodie Campbell achieved a personal best this year when Library Journal compared her to Janet Evanovich.  Her first book, ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL, was an Amazon Top 100 bestseller. Her fifth novel, THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE, has just been released by Orca Books. 
Library Journal says this about Melodie`s third novel, The Goddaughter (Orca Books):

``Campbell`s crime caper is just right for Janet Evanovich fans.  Wacky family connections and snappy dialogue make it impossible not to laugh.``

Opening to THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE

     Okay, I admit it. I would rather be the proud possessor of a rare gemstone than a lakefront condo with parking. Yes, I know this makes me weird. Young women today are supposed to crave the security of owning their own home.

     But I say this. Real estate, shmeel estate. You can’t hold an address in your hand. It doesn’t flash and sparkle with the intensity of a thousand night stars, or lure you away from the straight and narrow like a siren from some Greek odyssey.
     Let’s face it. Nobody has ever gone to jail for smuggling a one bedroom plus den out of the country.
However, make that a 10-carat cyan blue topaz with a past as long as your arm, and I’d do almost anything to possess it.
    But don’t tell the police.

THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/kmgjgsf

THE GODDAUGHTER on Amazon http://ow.ly/dnObH

Follow Melodie’s comic blog at  www.melodiecampbell.com

"Spirit Shapes" by Marilyn Meredith

Today, as part of her blog tour to promote her latest novel, Spirit Shapes, Marilyn Meredith is visiting with us. I've asked her to tell us where she got the idea for her novel. Welcome, Marilyn! 

As with all my books, the idea came from several different places. I’d been reading about different ghost hunters on Facebook. We have one that advertises tours in nearby Porterville and another I see who visits haunted places around Ventura County. I was privileged to go on one with the ghost hunter from Ventura.

Along with a small group of friends we toured the old Ventura Court House in the evening and in one section without any lights on. We were told tales about many of the ghosts who resided there but didn’t see any. The ghost hunter led us all around the old part of Ventura pointing out various ghostly hangouts and telling us about the ghosts when they were alive.

Hubby and I stayed twice in one of the places that he pointed out, a remodeled bed and breakfast that once had been a residential hotel and a flophouse. The first time we stayed, we had a large room that had obviously been an apartment at one time. The closet probably had once held a Murphy bed. The bathroom was big enough to be a kitchen—which I bet it was back in the day when everyone shared the bathroom down the hall. On this trip we learned that one of the rooms in the B & B was haunted—Room 17.

The next time we made a reservation we asked for Room 17—and were warned it was haunted. This room was tiny compared to the first one we’d stayed in—and much to our disappointment, no ghostly visitation. Our daughter informed us hubby would have had a better chance if he’d stayed there alone, as the ghost was a prostitute during her lifetime. Frankly, the room we stayed in previously felt more like it might have some ghostly residents.

Though there are many other elements in Spirit Shapes, ghost hunters and spirits play a bit part in the story.

Blurb for Spirit Shapes: Ghost hunters stumble upon a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree's investigation pulls her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past and the present, and demons and angels at war.

To buy directly from the publisher in all formats: 

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Spirit+Shapes 

Also available directly from Amazon.

Marilyn at the Library

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation. She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

Contest:

The person who comments on the most blogs on this blog tour will have the opportunity to have a character named after him or her in the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

Tomorrow I’ll be visiting at: http://crimewriters.blogspot.com/