Why Do We Enjoy Reading and Writing Mysteries?

When I read the newspapers and see the Internet news telling about heinous crimes, I think how awful. Often my mind goes to the families of all who are affected--not just the families who are related to the dead, but also the families of the one who did the killing.

In the books sometimes there isn't much about the family, but if there is they are usually twisted too, much like the criminal himself.In fact, the cruel father or the sadistic mother is what created the monster. In real life, often the family is as shocked by the actions of the killer as the rest of the world.

I was thinking about this while enjoying a mystery about a serial killer, then later reading something on the Internet about a real serial killer and shuddering.

This made me stop and think. Though I don't write about serial killers, I do write about ordinary people (or those who appear ordinary) who do bad things to other people and I got to wondering about it. Why do I enjoy reading and writing about such things?

I think the answer has to be in the books the bad guy always is caught and received some kind of justice. In real life, sometimes the bad guy is never caught or if he is caught and put on trial, sometimes something happens and he is released because of a mistrial or a jury finds him not guilty.

Do your have another opinion? I'd love to hear it.

Marilyn

E-book Evolution

First, they were obscure and unattainable. I read somewhere that the biggest selling e-book of 2006 sold 60 copies. Wow.
Then they were romances, mostly erotic, possibly due to the fact that the reader did not have to take a stack of books with heaving bosoms on the cover to the register and claim them as hers. Many of those were not very good, and some readers and writers are still suffering from that mindset: e-book = trash.
But the idea did not go away. Readers like the idea of books on tap in endless supply, and publishers are starting to catch on. Yesterday I bought new releases from two author/friends offered from Day One in both e-book and print form. Yay!
There are still problems, of course. E-publishers don't really want to play nicely with each other. Protection from piracy is weak (although one person I heard speak recently who has spent years in publishing reminded us, "We're been experiencing book piracy for centuries. We call it a library.")Still, the e-book is here to stay, and anyone in publishing who ignores it does so at his or her peril.
The biggest problem for me as an author is promotion. The Internet is such an ocean, and one book such a tiny drop, that it is hard to get noticed. Those who already are well known will be found, of course. All a reader has to do is type in a name.
But what if your name is no household word?
I've heard there is a new company forming that will address the problems of lesser and unknown authors who want to publish in e-book format. When I know the details, I will share them here. Who couldn't use some help with preparing, publishing, and promoting that next book?

Register for Bloody Words 2009

Canada’s premier mystery writers' and fan conference Bloody Words will be in Ottawa from June 5-7, 2009.

Confirmed guests of honour include Denise Mina, Louise Penny and Barbara Fradkin with Mary Jane Maffini as Mistress of Ceremonies.

For more information and registration forms, please visit:

http://www.bloodywords2009.com/