"How Writing Impacts my Life" by Marilyn Meredith

Author, Marilyn Meredith

Patricia posed this question, and it has certainly made me think. Writing impacts my life in many ways.

Besides the fact I’ve always felt like I “have to” write, it certainly fills up time. For me, the creation process works best in the early morning hours, so I always rise early, and if I don’t have any other pressing projects, writing is what I will do.

She also asked if writing is an escape and the answer is yes and no. Because there is so much craziness going on in the world today, it is comforting to retreat into the imaginary place that I’ve created and know that I do have partial control. I say partial, because sometimes my characters take off in ways I hadn’t planned.  However, the one constant is whatever the bad guy has done, he’ll get his comeuppance by the time the story is over.

Frankly, I do enjoy inhabiting the world I have created, even if it’s only for short periods every day. I don’t sit at the computer working on my manuscript for more than a couple of hours or so because I have so much else going on in my life. Not anything terribly exciting, mind you, but I have a husband and a big family and I enjoy spending time with them.

I must admit I do enjoy the fact that at least in this small area of the country I occupy, people know I’m a writer.

Another big plus with being a writer is I have many friends who are writers too, and when we get together it is great fun discussing writing and all the things that go along with it.

I’d like to hear from some of my other writer friends about how writing impacts their lives.

Marilyn

Seldom Traveled Blurb:

The tranquility of the mountain community of Bear Creek is disrupted by a runaway fugitive, a vicious murderer, and a raging forest fire. Deputy Tempe Crabtree is threatened by all three.

Marilyn Meredith’s Bio:

Marilyn has had so many books published, she’s lost track of the count, but it’s getting near 40. She lives in a community similar to the fictional mountain town of Bear Creek, the big difference being that Bear Creek is a thousand feet higher in the mountains. She is a member of Mystery Writers of American, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, and is a board member of Public Safety Writers of America.

Buy links:

Directly from the publisher in all different formats:

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Seldom+Traveled

http://fictionforyou.com

http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

New Contest:

Winners will be randomly picked from those leaving the most comments on the blog posts. Each winner may choose one of the earlier books in the series as either a print book or e-book.

Next up is a visit to http://barbardonlonbradley.blogspot.com/

Mixed Emotions

A few weeks ago, I made an announcement on Facebook: “I’m doing the dance of joy today because I finished my fifth Malone mystery, Marnie Malone.” Several readers and other authors left comments congratulating me, which I very much appreciated. But, a comment by author Evelyn Cullet got me thinking about what it feels like to finish a book. And I decided that depends on a lot of things.

Evelyn mentioned that she always feels “lost” when she’s finished writing one book and hasn’t yet started another. I completely understand what she meant because I’ve felt that way in the past and, to a lesser degree, I’m feeling that way now. After all, almost every day for many, many months, I’ve sat at my computer blocking out my “real” world and entering a world of my own creation. I’ve gotten to know and love my characters. After five books, they’ve become almost “real” to me. Like family. So I think it’s only natural that I would miss them when I finish a book.

However, my reply to Evelyn’s comment went something like this: “Actually, I feel as if a weight has been lifted. Like I can breathe again.” I wrote that because that’s exactly how I felt that day. Relief that I’d finally finished a book I started plotting well before the fourth Malone mystery, Mistaken Identity, was published in June of last year. Marnie Malone is a book I’ve been excited about and had been looking forward to writing for a long time. But several things got in the way.

I had written the first few chapters when my mother sold her house and, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus on the book with everything going on, I lost three months of writing time moving my mother and myself from her house into our own apartments. Packing, unpacking, rearranging. You know the drill. Finally, I was able to get back to my book and I had a few good months of writing before Mom fell and broke her right wrist. For about two months, I had to do almost everything for her. I still managed to write but my writing time was very limited.

I want to mention that I’m not complaining. Really. I’m very grateful to have my mother and I’d do just about anything in the world for her. But, like all writers, life sometimes gets in the way of writing. It took me such a long time to finish plotting, writing and editing Marnie Malone, which is why I was filled with relief as I typed “The End.”

A few days ago, after a final read through and more editing, I finally sent the manuscript to my publisher and, once again, I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief. Although there's a long way to go before I actually hold Marnie Malone in my hands, I'm enjoying a brief break before I start on my next writing adventure.

If you're a writer, how do you feel when you finish a book?   

New Release: "Mud Bog Murder" by Lesley A. Diehl

Book 4 in the Eve Appel Mystery series

When Jenny McCleary leases her property to be ravaged by the annual mud bog races, the small rural town of Sabal Bay, Florida, is divided into warring camps: environmental activists versus monster truck fans. Jenny, who frequents the consignment store owned by Eve Appel and her friend Madeleine, doesn't seem to mind when Eve and Madeleine join the protesters the day of the races.

During the race, Eve catches Jenny's airborne head after it is tossed into the air by the wheels of a truck. Now every protester is a suspect in Jenny's murder. What's left of her alligator-gnawed body is found near the airboat business of Eve's Miccosukee Indian friends, Sammy Egret and his grandfather. When more evidence turns up nearby, Grandfather is arrested.

Even without the disembodied head, Eve has her hands full. The town resents her role in the protests and is boycotting the consignment shop on wheels. She is torn between two men--GQ-handsome, devoted PI Alex and tall, dark, and exotic Sammy. Jenny's sweet and needy teenage daughter is dating a petty criminal. Will Eve and Madeleine ever be able to move into their new digs? Not unless the town forgives them. And not if whoever decapitated Jenny gets to Eve before she and her sleuthing buddies solve the mystery.

Buy link for Mud Bog Murder: https://www.amazon.com/Mud-Bog-Murder-Appel-Mystery/dp/1603813152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469985604&sr=8-1&keywords=Mud+Bog+Murder

Lesley A. Diehl author of cozy mysteries featuring sassy, country gals who enjoy snooping. 

For a list of Lesley's blog tour stops, be sure to visit her website: www.lesleyadiehl.com

"Writing a Crime Series" by J.R. Lindermuth

J.R. Lindermuth

There's something comfortable about writing a crime series. You get to know your characters, their location and other aspects necessary to plotting the story. Still, sometimes those characters surprise you and demand a bigger role.

Such was the case in Shares The Darkness, seventh in the Hetrick series. Officer Flora Vastine, one of Hetrick's proteges, wanted the lead in this book. What's a writer to do? I just let her have her way. And I'm rather pleased with the results (of course that's the author speaking and not a reader).

My original idea for the book's title was The Accidental, a birding term for a species found outside its normal range. Then I realized it was inaccurate, because the victim had told her mother she planned to go birding in the area where she's murdered. Deciding on titles is sometimes more difficult than writing a book.

Anyway, here's the book blurb:

Jan Kepler and Swatara Creek Police Officer Flora Vastine were neighbors and schoolmates, but never close.

When Jan, a school teacher, avid birder and niece of a fellow officer, goes missing and is found dead in a nearby tract of woods Flora finds herself thrust into the middle of an examination of the other woman's life, as she searches for clues.

As usual, the police have more than one crime to deal with. There’s illegal timbering and a series of vehicle thefts taking up their time. And there are other issues to deal with. Flora is concerned there’s some shakiness in her relationship with Cpl. Harry Minnich who seems to be making a lot of secretive phone calls.

Still Flora maintains focus on the murder. Despite evidence implicating other suspects, the odd behavior of another former classmate rouses Flora’s suspicion. Flora’s probing opens personal wounds as she observes the cost of obsessive love and tracks down the killer.

Shares The Darkness will be published on Sept. 16 by Torrid, a subsidiary of Whiskey Creek Press/Start Publishing. 

Here's a short excerpt:

There were a number of well-defined trails criss-crossing the expanse of woodland. Convinced it was unlikely Jan Kepler would be found on these trails, Brubaker ordered his searchers to fan out. Broken into two teams, comprised of police, Finkbine’s men and Flora’s father and his friends, the searchers made repeated passes across the expanse of the woodland, shouting the missing woman’s name and blowing whistles in hope of getting her attention in the event she was lying injured somewhere in the vicinity. 

Despite some grumbling about the mud and clothing being snagged on brush, they moved slowly and carefully, trying to cover as much ground as possible. Corporal Harry Minnich and Officer Brent Taylor, both of whom had worked the night shift, had been called back for town duty and Minnich conferred with Brubaker periodically to let the chief know all was well in the community. Harry, who was Flora’s boyfriend, called her twice, too, for updates on the search.

Near noon, after a call from his son, Elmer Finkbine sent out a truck with lunch for the search team.

“That was nice of him,” Brubaker commented, accepting a bag lunch from the younger Finkbine.

Jimmy grinned and nodded. “I know what you think about him, but the old man haint all bad.”

Brubaker reddened. “Now, Jim I never...”

Finkbine raised a hand and grinned again. “Don’t go gettin’ flustered on my account, Aaron. I know he can be a bastard as a boss. I’m just sayin’ there are times when you least expect it that he does surprise you.”

The two sat side by side on a convenient log and gave attention to their sandwiches. Fred Drumheiser, a sandwich in one hand and a styrofoam container of steaming coffee in the other, squatted opposite them. “I’m beginning to wonder if this isn’t a waste of time,” he said.

“Whadya mean?”

Fred swung his sandwich in a circle around him. “I’m just sayin’, how many times we traipsed around this bush and we haint seen a sign of Jan?”

“There’s a lot of woods we haint hit yet,” Jimmy told him. “I hunt out here, so I know how big the place really is. Haven’t even been on the state lands yet.”

“Jim’s right. Your niece is a tiny thing. She could be down in a gully unconscious and we could walk right by without seeing her.”

Fred scowled. “If she’s even out here in the first place.”

“Whadya mean by that?”

Fred sighed. “Look, I hate to say it but since Ken died my sister has got real clingy with Jan.  She always was over-protective of the girl, but it got worse these last couple years. Jan complained to me about it. When I broached the subject to Sylvia she got pissed. Hasn’t talked to me since--and that’s been months.” He exhaled again. “That’s probably why she went to Flora instead of me this morning.”

“So what do you think happened, Fred?”

“I’m just sayin’, maybe we’re wasting our time. Maybe Jan just got tired of her mom’s naggin’ and took off on her own for a while.”

For more about my writing, visit my website: 
http://www.jrlindermuth.net

Buy links:

http://torridbooks.com/

http://www.amazon.com/author/jrlindermuth

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/lindermuth?_requestid=362650

http://www.simonandschuster.com/search/books/_/N-/Ntt-lindermuth

And other major booksellers.