Reading in the Cracks

I once was told to savor the time spent writing and publishing of my first book. I didn't get it, because I was so anxious to be in print, and the two years between contract and release almost killed me. Now I look back and see what the author who gave me that advice meant, because when Book One is out, everyone wants to know when there'll be another one. That first book was a leisurely experience, with all the time in the world to write it, plenty of time to promote it, and no reader expectations to rush it.

Fast forward to now, when at least one book of my three series is due at any given moment. I won't lie and say I hate hearing people ask when they'll see the next Dead Detective or Loser or Simon & Elizabeth book, but it does fill up my time. One of the things that has suffered is my reading.

Writers need to be readers. We need to feel the flow of writers better than we, and it doesn't hurt our egos to see that we're better than some, even some the world calls Best Sellers. We also need to know the market and try to fit our work somewhere between carbon copy and too far from what's selling in the real world. And we need to be reminded of what we enjoyed about reading, what made us want to write.

There were days in my youth when I read all day long. There were hours when my kids were napping where I immersed myself in a book. That doesn't happen any more, at least not very often. I did read a whole book two weeks ago, pretty much in one sitting, but we were coming home from Las Vegas, so it was on-the-plane, during-the-layover and on-the-plane again. (I got re-acquainted with John Lescroart, which was good.)

It took me weeks to get through THE THIRTEENTH TALE, even though I couldn't wait to get back to it. If a book drags at all, I give up on it these days. It simply isn't worth finding the time to read it if I'm not enjoying the world it conjures.

I have books stashed around my house like a squirrel hides nuts, each one in place in case I get a few minutes to read. I have two Kindles and an iPad that stand ready to pop a story in front of my eyes. I still WANT to read, LOVE to read, NEED to read, but there's writing, too, and there, I control what happens. I guess writing will take the biggest chunks of the rest of my life, and reading, though important, will have to fit into the cracks.

Questioning Conferences

My post today is more question than commentary: Do you think conferences are becoming less helpful as a way to promote your work?

On one hand, I love attending cons to see writers, those I know as well as those I admire as a reader. In terms of a social event and a re-energizer, a con is a great time.

On the other hand, it seems that cons these days have fewer fans/readers and more authors trying to sell each other our books. As a way to garner readers, recent cons felt like I was tossing a very expensive pebble into a gigantic pond.

As I look at 2013 and think about cons, I recall that on the way home from the last one, I said to my husband, "This just doesn't pay." I'm not looking for an agent. I have not one but two publishers waiting for me to write more books. I've heard all the advice about promotion, craft, and legal issues from the panelists who have their experiences while I have mine. Still the lure remains, and I look forward to being among writers again at Bouchercon in October. But again, I'll be one of hundreds of authors there, and I know that I seldom even remember more than two or three names of authors I meet for the first time at a con, much less go out and buy their books.

So what do you think, Authors and Readers: Is a conference good for anything except catching up?

The Hand of the Writer

We still speak of writing in the old way, although the process is different for most of us these days. Saying, "The keyboard is mightier than the sword" just isn't as poetic. Write refers to composing, arranging words in order, whether we use an old-fashioned, #2 pencil or the latest toy from the wonderful world of technology.
The hand of the writer, then, is metaphorical. It operates in the background, creating a world for readers to dive into and remain immersed in for a while.
Nothing makes me happier than when a fan says, "I lost all track of time," or "I couldn't put it down," in reference to my work. If I'm doing my job, I cast a mini-spell over a reader, and she's pulled into the world I create. She shouldn't want to leave, at least until I'm done with her.
There are times, however, when the hand of the writer is visible in a book, when a reader feels it pushing her in a direction or pulling the narrative down a path that doesn't feel natural. At that point the spell breaks, and the reader is aware she is being told a story. If the story is good enough, that might not matter a great deal, but if the writer's hand is seen pushing and pulling a second time or even a third, the reader begins to feel that things aren't quite right.
Sometimes it's a plot device that isn't natural. It might be a character who acts in ways contrary to what we know of him. It could be a detour from the storyline so the author can tell us what she knows about popcorn production or slavery in ancient Sumeria. Anything that niggles at the reader's bubble of concentration can pop it, and she looks around and thinks, "Wait. All this isn't real. I can see the writer's hand between the lines."
At that point, she might put the book down and go make supper. Good for her family, maybe. Not so good for the author who allowed that hand--or keyboard, or whatever--to peep through the magic.

MysterEbooks This Week

Here is the list of ebooks featured on mysterebooks.blogspot.com this week:
Monday

Title: L.A. HEAT

Author: P.A. Brown

Genre: Police Procedural w gay characters

Setting: Los Angeles


Tuesday

Title: TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY

Author: Stacy Juba

Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense

Setting: New England


Wednesday

Title: JOURNEY TO DIE FOR
Author: Radine Trees Nehring

Genre: Mystery/senior citizen detectives

Setting: The story opens on the (real) A&M Railroad historic excursion train operating between towns in Northwest Arkansas, unfolds in the 1809 Arkansas River town of Van Buren, moves to Kansas City, and then back to Van Buren. Though the book refers back to historic events, action time is present day.


Thursday

Title: THRILLED TO DEATH

Author: L.J. Sellers

Genre: mystery / suspense / police procedural

Setting: Eugene, Oregon


Friday

Title: HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER

Author: Peg Herring

Genre: Historical mystery

Setting: Tudor London (1500s)