Cold Mourning in the Stores!

I was expecting my author copies of Cold Mourning to arrive on my doorstep this week, but so far, the package has not arrived. I see that the book is now available on Amazon and sales are looking encouraging. My publicist sent along an e-mail to say that iTunes has given the book a 'brick' on its sales page. If you've never heard this term before, you are not alone. A brick is a larger icon and mine is sandwiched between Denise Mina and James Patterson. This book business can still give a thrill:-)

As those of you who follow the blog know, I am heading to Left Coast Crime in Monterey, California in late March. As an author, you attend these conventions to introduce readers to your work and to make connections in the book industry, including making friendships with other authors. The conventions have a series of activities going on throughout a three- or four-day span. Author panels are a staple of each day. I've received my assignment - two panels, both filled with fabulous authors:

THURSDAY 2:30 - 3:15

Bobbies vs. Mounties: A California Cop Mediates Brit & Canadian Police Procedural Writers

Kathy Bennett (Moderator)
Brenda Chapman
Ann Cleeves
Deborah Crombie
Louise Penny

and

FRIDAY 4:00 - 4:45

What’s Cooking North of the Border? Canadian Mystery Writers

Jane Petersen Burfield (Moderator)
Cathy Ace
Brenda Chapman
Erika Chase
Loraine Fowlow

These are going to be great fun. Louise Penny is the International Guest of Honour so I'm quite honoured to be on a panel with her.

I'll be arriving two days early and am booked into the Big Sur tour up the coastline. I've never been to California and am really excited to see this section of the country. I'll be spending an extra day in San Francisco before flying home . . . I'll be sure to blog along the way.

And my writing pace has picked up on the latest manuscript. Having a June deadline is giving me new energy. I'll make the 40,000 word count this weekend and then will be sliding into the second half of the book. I feel like an Olympian on a marathon run. A marathon run that is taking a full year.

Good weekend everyone.

Lots Good

First, I have to congratulate and to acknowledge the terrific week that Team Homan had at the Scotties, Canada's national ladies' curling competition. Not only did they win every game over the round robin and playoffs, but Rachel never had to throw her last rock in any game. It's like throwing a no hitter, but more so. Now, they head off to Worlds in St. John, New Brunswick beginning March 15. More fine shot-making and excitement to come!

I'm back into more concentrated writing on my latest manuscript. I received word that I should have a draft completed by June so I have to pick up the pace. I'm now closing in on 36,000 words and want to be at 40,000 by the end of February. I have the next few sections mapped out and am ready to get at it today.

I also received some lovely review feedback on Friday. Quill and Quire, Canada's book industry publication, reviewed Cold Mourning in their March issue, just out. I hope that the entire review is posted on their website, but am not sure how they select these. Some words used to describe the book are 'fast-paced' and 'suspenseful wintery mystery'. Another well known reviewer let my publicist know by e-mail that he is writing a review and thinks this is 'a hit series in the making'. Words to make my heart swell :-)

Dundurn has sent word that copies of Cold Mourning arrived in the warehouse on Monday. This means that they'll delivering them to stores now and my author copies will be arriving early this upcoming week. I've been sending out invitations to the March 9 launch at Whispers and will continue to send them out as I have time. You can help spread the word.

Dundurn also posted a couple of interviews this week: one with me and one with my editor Jennifer McNight.

So, all in all a very good week even if the weather continues to be lousy. If you are like Ted and me, you're sick of the snow and cold and missing sunshine. Talk of moving to Equador has gone from back burner to simmer although I'm sure spring weather will end the musings for a while. I do have that week in California coming up in a few weeks.

Guess I can hang in until then.

Picking up the Pace

Anyone following my blog knows that my daughter Lisa Weagle is curling with Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew and Ali Kreviazuk in the Scott Tournament of Hearts in Montreal. Some of our neighbours came over last night to watch the one/two game against Team Carey, who represents Manitoba. What a hard fought, nail-biter game. Both teams curled unbelievably well, but when it came down to last rock, the Homan team perservered. Rachel made a brilliant draw to force Carey into a tough shot. All orchastrated by two brilliant tick shots by Lisa Weagle to keep the scoring centre open - in the curling world, Lisa's become rather famous for perfecting these shots, now called 'the Weagle'. I'm sure they could hear us cheering for Lisa and the entire Homan team in Montreal.

So, back to my writing world today - a small respite before the final tomorrow night, which will be shown on TSN. It promises to be a fabulous game if you can be there in person (like us) or watch the excellent coverage on TV. It's going to be hard to get my mind off curling, as you can imagine:-)

Anyhow, the section of the manuscript that I'm working on lately has my cops visiting Montreal and has grown to a couple of chapters; however, today, they will be heading back to Kingston. I've been planting clues and setting the stage for the next chapters, which have formed vaguely in my plotting brain. I'm excited to get this storyline moving along, now at just over 33,000 words. I heard from my editor and she suggests aiming for June to submit this manuscript, so I have to pick up my pace.

You can help me out by making Cold Mourning a bestseller so that I can quit my day job. Wouldn't that be a luxury to have all day to write?

Three weeks to Cold Mourning's wide release. I understand that the book is shipped to stores three weeks ahead . . . which would be today! The publicity is also beginning for the 2nd in the series called Butterfly Kills. I came up with this title and wasn't sure if we were going with it, but since I see it's on Goodreads, I guess we are. Here is the cover synopsis:

Butterfly Kills: A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery

byBrenda Chapman (Goodreads Author)

Butterfly Kills: A Stonechild and Rouleau My

 

Jacques Rouleau has moved to Kingston to look after his father and take up the position as the head of the Major Crimes department. He's been trying to track down Kala Stonechild, who quit the Ottawa force and has been in the bush. One hot week in August, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment; in another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by h...morJacques Rouleau has moved to Kingston to look after his father and take up the position as the head of the Major Crimes department. He's been trying to track down Kala Stonechild, who quit the Ottawa force and has been in the bush. One hot week in August, university student Leah Sampson is murdered in her apartment; in another corner of the city, Della Munroe is raped by her husband. At first, the crimes appear unrelated, but as Sergeant Jacques Rouleau and his new team of officers dig into the women's pasts, they discover unsettling coincidences. When Stonechild suddenly appears in Kingston, Rouleau enlists her to help. As the detectives delve deeper into the cases, it seems more questions pop up than answers. Both women were hiding secrets that have unleashed a string of violence. Can Stonechild and Rouleau discover the truth before the violence rips two families apart?

I'm pretty fond of this book too. It was a complicated plot to handle, but came together as I had hoped. My former editor Allister Thompson gave the manuscript a read early on and said he wondered as he was reading it how I was going to pull the plotlines together. He said when he finished, it all worked and he had no suggestions for improvement. Sort of a Weagle moment.

I'll be sending out more Cold Mourning launch invitations this weekend between writing and curling watching. Lots of people tell me they'll be coming by to raise a glass at Whispers on March 9 - I hope you can be one of them :-)

Interesting Times

So another week under the weather combined with a busy week at work left me without much energy to write in the evenings. But I am on the mend . . . thanks to a round of antibiotics.

Today, I received the formatted final of To Keep A Secret and was asked to give it a final going over. I just finished my review and found a couple of minor errors, but nothing too serious. For instance, a sentence on rereading was not a sentence - just a floating half-thought. So, a few last tweaks and this one is pretty much a wrap.

Walking home from the transitway after work today I came up with the germ of an idea for book four in the Anna Sweet series. It flows out of To Keep A Secret and should take me to some interesting places. I also have the germ of an idea for the fourth Stonechild and Rouleau book - this came from a news event that I've been following. It's gotten me to ask, "What if . . .?" Both ideas need a lot of mulling over and fleshing out, but this is how I begin all the stories: with an idea to hang a plot around.

I'm getting ready to start sending out the invitation for the Cold Mourning launch on March 9. There appears to be a fine line between sending the invitation out too early (people forget) or too late (people have other plans). Already, I know of several who will be out of town, but many more have said that they will be there, including my daughters Lisa and Julia (both my curling stars) and my city councillor Katherine Hobbs. Ted will also be present to discuss his backyard project and ways to dispose of bodies . . . fictionally speaking of course.

I have a few other publicity tasks to do, such as writing a piece for Open Book Ontario that will be posted in May. I'm to write about how I select book titles - should be a glimpse into how my mind works, which is largely unfathomable, but I'll try to shed light.

And the Scotties start tomorrow in Montreal! Lots of good curling ahead and word is that TSN will be featuring Lisa's team Homan in three games this weekend. Also, an interesting tidbit. I curl with Wendy Sinclair on Thursday evenings and her daughter Andrea is curling for the Yukon at the Scotties. It might be the only time in history that two moms are curling together who have daughters curling in the Scotties for two different provinces. I think this should make that Guinness world records list. And I didn't even have to eat two thousand hotdogs or stand on my head for twelve hours to qualify.

Let me also wish my daughter Julia bonne chance this weekend in curling mixed zones in Winchester. She's coming off a win at the Navan spiel last weekend so gearing up for more victories.

I suspect this will not be the most productive writing week ahead with a few trips to Montreal in my future, but c'est la vie. On doit saisir le moment!

Good week everyone.

You Don't Want to Know

I have one question: Will January never end?

Back in the deep freeze with snow in the forecast for today. Ted talking about moving to Ecquador. My arguments against are getting weaker.

We're getting organized to go to Montreal for some of the Scotties - our national ladies curling tournament - to watch our daughter Lisa curl with Team Homan. I was talking with my second daughter Julia on the phone about Montreal a few days ago and tossed in a final question: "Do you know where the biker bars are in Montreal?"

"What the . . . ?!" pause "What? What are you up to, Mom?"

"Research. It's for the book I'm working on now. I'm just looking at a Web page called 'The rough sections of Montreal . . ." I let my voice trail away and we both start laughing.

The next day, Ted says to me, "That phone number on your desk with the Montreal area code, is that your cousin's? The one we're meeting at the first game?"

"Uh, no. That would be the number of a swingers' bar in Montreal."

Silence. His eyes widen.

 "I'm doing some research."

He doesn't ask any more questions.

Ted's been all around Eastern Ontario with me, looking for places to dump bodies or taking photos of towns where my cops will be tracking down a killer or two . . . he's gamely discussed how to poison someone or what happens to a body when a person freezes to death. Nothing much surprises him anymore.

I guess this is a good thing.

Writing is going very well this week. A couple of my cops are in Montreal interviewing witnesses at a fictional biker bar, which happens to be located near the site of an actual swingers' bar (it all comes together). They'll be heading back to Kingston by the end of the day today although I see a return trip later in the manuscript.

This feels like a bit of a limbo time - I'm starting to invite friends to the March 9 Cold Mourning book launch, using the lovely electronic invitation created by Dundurn. I happened to meet Stacy, the manager of Whispers at a pharmacy yesterday afternoon - turns out we both have the same sinus infection - and we'll get together to discuss appetizers before the event. Food, beer and books. You really should put the afternoon on your calendar. It should be a fine party.

I'm sure we'll come up with lots of interesting things to talk about.

Purplish Haze

I dreamt last night that Whitney Houston gave me tickets to her concert, which is at 4 a.m. as part of Bluesfest.

I'm thinking I might have to lay off the cold medication today.

So, what do you think of the next Anna Sweet cover?

This was my first pick out of the images sent by the designer. I'm happy with how it turned out. I wrote the back cover blurb, which I can share with you:

Anna is about to discover how far people will go to keep a secret . . . and who they will betray. She must work quickly to uncover the answers before a second victim dies. Will this case prove too difficult for Anna Sweet? Or will she put the clues together in time to outsmart a killer who has everything to lose?

To Keep a Secret will be released from Grass Roots Press in September. I have a contract to write a fourth, which will be released in autumn 2015. Even though this is primarily an adult literacy series, I've gotten great feedback from everyone who has read the books.

I also got word from Dundurn that the editing on Butterfly Kills (2nd in the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedurals) begins early April with its release scheduled for January 31, 2015. I'll be working with Karen, the same editor as I had for Cold Mourning.

I'm often asked what it is like to have someone else make changes to my manuscript and if it leads to conflict. I've worked with four different editors now and have to say that I've never had any problem. Perhaps, it is because I work in the government where having your work revised and changed by several levels of approval is the norm. You learn to lose your ego pretty quickly in the process. Plus, I'm very aware that the book editors are working to improve my product, and they have a lot more experience in the word-smithing business than I do. So while I might disagree about a revision, I'm open to being persuaded. This has led to zero conflict over the course of the eleven books I've collaborated on so far.

I'm still carving out time to work on my current manuscript, almost at the 30,000-word mark, which I'll reach this weekend. I'm coming up on a key plot point and have been mulling it over in my cold medication-hazy brain. I thought I had the plot sorted last night, but now that I review in the full light of day, Kevin Kostner as a bodyguard to a black singer seems ridiculous.

Our daughter Lisa is curling in the Continental Cup down in Vegas this weekend. This is like the Ryder Cup in golf - team North America against team (rest of the) World. Team N.A. is up by one point and the curling has been fabulous. You should check it out - the first game today is at noon EST on TSN.

Curling, writing, sneezing and hallucinating . . . I have a full weekend ahead. Hope this head cold passes you by unless you have a hankering to join me at the Whitney concert . . .

Go Team North America!

Keeping Up With Mother Nature

Waking up today to a rainy, misty Saturday. And I was just getting used to the minus 27 degree temperatures. Well, time to put away the parka and bring out the umbrella - good job we are an ambidexterous crowd up here in Canada.

Although I must say that the week in Monterey California in March is starting to look realllllly good.

Not a great deal to report in my writing world this week except that the cover for the third Anna Sweet has an image! The publisher sent along about ten stock images for me to vote on and I narrowed it to four that I thought might work. Of those four, she liked one. I also had Ted weigh in and he liked one that I'd also liked. So these two choices went to the designer and she tried both - only one worked properly, and I have to say, it looks stunning. Unfortunately, the one Ted liked best wasn't the one selected :-) No big reveal yet though - I'll share the new cover when I can.

I was going full steam ahead on the latest Stonechild and Rouleau manuscript last weekend up until Tuesday and then my energy reserve crashed. However, I did spend time going through each chapter and writing down the major plot points and descriptions of characters etc. This will help me in the long run to make sure all the facts are correct. I'm closing in on one-third completed so a good time to take stock. I remember in my first book catching the fact that I had a character driving a car at the beginning of the book and a van at the end . . . it's these little details that can trip you up. My worst habit is calling a character by the wrong name - something I'm guilty of doing in real life.

Just thought I'd alert you to a rather nasty practice going on in the reader reviewing world. People whom those in the book industry call 'trolls' post nasty, anonymous, one-star reviews on Amazon and other book-selling sites for no good reason that I can come up with. They might say things like, 'so bad I couldn't get past the first chapter' or 'this drivel isn't worth paying for' . . . or much worse. I was speaking with my publicist (by e-mail) and the only way to counter this is for readers to post good reviews when they like a book. I encourage you to praise the authors you like on the book sites - this is a tough enough business without having to deal with the nastiness of these no-good-for-nothing, mean-minded, cowardly 'trolls'. (Some day I'll tell you what I really think . . . .)

I'll be spending much of this weekend staying out of puddles and working away at my desk. I find it's at about this point in a manuscript that momentum becomes the most difficult. Once I get to the half-way point, the writing seems to pick up speed. So, nose to the grindstone and we'll see what unfolds.

I hope you stay dry and warm this week, my friends. Maybe, snuggle in with a good book or treat youself to some comfort food. We're going to make it through this January together . . . come hell or . . . high water.