Robert & Miranda Walker Share More on the Writing Life at Acme

Author Robert Walker does an incredible job of making Iden Cantu one of the scariest characters I’ve ever encountered in a mystery novel. Every time he appears he gives me goose-bumps. Walker is known for writing dark stories and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint. The quick and terse dialog keep the story moving at a surprisingly rapid pace and the characters all have faces. Another winner for Walker.

Robert W. Walker and wife Miranda Phillips Walker are here today to answer some burning questions, such as how they’ve managed to kill off only fictional characters with two crime novelists under one roof. Rob’s latest is DEAD ON, Five Star Books and his self-published ebook Children of Salem, an historical thriller, and Miranda/s latest and first is The Well Meaning Killer from Krill Press, sequel in the works. Both Dead On and The Well Meaning Killer were recently reviewed at www.myshelf.com .

Reviewer Dennis Collins, author of The Unreal McCoy said of each book: Author Miranda Walker’s debut novel is quite compelling. It is decidedly character driven. Every person in the cast is vivid and interesting. If Walker is planning to turn this into a series, she’s off to a wonderful start because people will want to hear more from Megan McKenna, Agent DiTrapano, and McKenna’s Labrador Retriever sidekick Max.

Collins says of Dead ON: Author Robert Walker does an incredible job of making Iden Cantu one of the scariest characters I’ve ever encountered in a mystery novel. Every time he appears he gives me goose-bumps. Walker is known for writing dark stories and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint. The quick and terse dialog keep the story moving at a surprisingly rapid pace and the characters all have faces. Another winner for Walker.

Now for the Interview:

1. In various interviews on the web, both of you have recommended that writers do not quit the day job. Is there a story behind this recommendation?

M: As an ER nurse, I get a lot of my most exciting and frightful scenes on the job!

Still, if I had my druthers, I’d happily be writing full-time and retire from that arena as it is extremely taxing, despite the reewards as in saving lives and not just on paper! But to be frank only a handful of authors in the US and the world make a living soley via their writings.

R: As a professor of English one barely gets by in this economy but at least it is a known, a given to see the paycheck at the end of the month, whereas writing has enormous ups and downs monetarily as well as emotionally. One year I saw four titles come out in a single calendar year, but some years none! The extreme few who can live on author earnings have had major backing from Oprah and Eastwood calling to having a celebrity hold up their books to the camera. Such luck is rare. Now if President Obama were to tell folks he is reading my Shadows in the White City then yeah, I’ve won the lottery.

2. You are very active in promoting your books. What are some of the toughest lessons you’ve learned about the “art” of self-promotion.

M: You have to throw all caution and shyness out the window; perhaps ladylike-ness, too. You want to be yourself but you also have to find a comfortable sales person lurking within. Sitting behind a desk and failing to make eye contact won’t cut it at a signing, and figuratively doing the same online won’t either, but I am trying at the same time not to sound arrogant or self-important as I am anything but.

R: Oh I have to stop “tossing” books into people’s baskets, especially those in wheelchairs, but darn I just know they will love the book and not regret “discovering” it for themselves. I kid with people online and in person, and the lesson I have learned in this business is that you don’t sell the book, you sell yourself. If folks like you, they will open your book and read it, hopefully after purchasing it. Marketing one’s work also takes time. Smart ideas can be found in Jeffrey Marks’ Intent to Sell.
3. What is your favorite writing-related subject to give advice on?

M: That if I can do it, anyone can. It’s a struggle, not easy, and made harder often by circumstances--I have four children, and I also have to contend with Rob! But I did it--I got my novel written, educated myself on the markets, shopped it around and found a publisher and now I hold my book in my hand with the hope others will be entertained by it. Other health professionals love it from the informal reviews they’re giving me as feedback. But it all requires a great deal of research and education about the business.

R: Craft matters, working on elements of style and finding one’s voice that perfectly fit’s the story at hand. I also push the fact every young writer ought to write a mystery as it is the fastest, surest way to learn plotting for any type of novel. Finally, how to write one’s own pitch and or back-flap copy or the shortest most important story you will ever write, the story about your story. It must be effectively done. This becomes a useful tool in all marketing endeavor for the book from query letter to News Release.

4. List three of your favorite writing self-help books.

M: Rob‘s recently published DEAD ON WRITING, a wordclay paper book and a kindle book I read in rough draft. David Morrell‘s excellent book on the subject. Tom Sawyer‘s great book on writing.

R: — Chris Roerden’s book,Don’t Murder Your Mystery and her Don’t Sabotage Your Submission/ J.A. Konrath’s free ebook, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, Robin Carr’s Tips for Writing Popular Fiction, Dean R. Koontz’ Writing Popular Fiction, and Jerome Stern’s Making Shapely Fiction. Oops! I went over three.

5. Both of you have written about the importance of learning how to write romance and incorporate it in your stories. Why do you feel it is important to include romance? How did you learn how to write romance? And is there a book or course you would recommend to other authors to help them learn how to incorporate quality romance writing into their stories?

M: Romance is at the heart of every good story in my estimation. Characters like people want to find romance in their lives, don’t they? Not sure of any books on the subject or courses on how to write romance except to say Rob writes great love scenes, and I aspire to do the same or at least create an intriguing triangle.

R: I learned what NOT to do by reading a book called The Romance Writers Handbook. Actually it was a complete listing of descriptive phrases for every body part from the nose to the toes--what’s been said and done and done, so I tried to avoid these “clichés” in romance writing or put a new spin on them, use the old wine but put it into a new bottle. I love to pair a hero and heroine and let them go at it as in the TV program Moonlighting….I think that ought to be an author’s verb--Moonlight your characters as you would Gaslight another character. The darkness of a dark mystery or even a horror novel can be balanced by an intriguing romantic development between two characters as in Dead On, and in Miranda’s Well Meaning Killer. I do the same in near about all my books.

6. You have recently been reformatting some of your stories  for use with Amazon’s Kindle. Is there anything you have learned  the hard way in this process that you can share to help the rest of us as we move into this new format?

M: In my case, my publisher took The Well Meaning Killer, a returnable POD to a Kindle version, and as it is my only book thus far, I am taking a wait and see attitude. I have learned from Rob, who has had far more experience with it that the cost of a kindle book needs be far less than a hardcopy book or else no sale!

R: The kindle titles I have up are three that HapreCollins put up, and 13 ebooks at Fictionwise.com have been formatted for kindle sales, or kindalized, but more recently, I have placed ten titles on kindle all on my own, and I have found it to be an easy process with some glitches in step three, converting your file to html format. Directions I followed are found at www.dtpamazon.com What is great about it is that you are your own publisher, art director, PR person, and you sink or swim based on your choices and not those of some person in a conglomerate who thinks your title needs be changed to sound more like a Stephen King title or decides it ought to be 90,000 words when it is in fact a 140.000 word book, and so it is in the end liberating freedom from constraints I have faced for thirty odd years.

7. You are very giving of your time, rarely asking for anythingin return. Why do you enjoy teaching and helping other authors?

M’s A: Pay it forward is just how I operate, and I’ve seen such generosity in other mystery authors, and have been the recipient of it. How can I be otherwise?

R’s A: Ahhh…the teachable moment, and I am a born teacher. What can I say? My and Miranda’s blogs and sites are all about sharing the knowledge and know how, skills and tools to become successful. The only time I charge for it is when a client seriously wishes for me to copy edit and make developmental changes or suggestions, or to ghost write and this is done at way under market costs.

Brief bios:
Robert W. Walker grew up Chicago, IL but was born in Corinth, MS, and as a graduate of Northwestern University, and the NU's Graduate Masters in English Education program, he has been a lifelong learner and writer, penning over forty novels. Three years ago he met Miranda and he has resided here in Charleston, WV ever since. He teaches at WVSU in Institute and continues to write, speak, edit, and ghost write. In the mid-eighties Rob began writing his eleven -book Instinct Series with Dr. Jessica Coran, ME as his lead, and his four-book Edge Series with Det. Lucas Stonecoat, Texas Cherokee investigator. Rob most recent original work appears at the Kindle Store on Amazon.com, Children of Salem, and now on traditional publishing shelves, Dead On is available. Rob can be found online at www.robertwalkerbooks.com and in all the usual places where one finds writers online.

Miranda Phillips Walker a WV born author who lived in Baltimore for some 30 years is uniquely qualified to pen The Well Meaning Killer, a suspenseful mystery and an expose of the corruption and graft in the underbelly of our Nation’s foster care programs and systems. Walker, a Registered Nurse, also holds a Psychology degree with a minor in Sociology and has been a Registered Nurse for over seventeen years. Her life in medicine has been far more exciting and colorful than any program on TV such as ER or Grey’s Anatomy. Miranda says of The Well Meaning Killer, “I understand the demons that drive Crusher, the killer, and I have insights into the Child Protective Services that few possess. Going into the writing of this novel, I was armed with the right tools and weapons to make it work. I trust that the reader will agree. Miranda has enjoyed writing from an early age, using writing and the love of music to comfort her from her turbulent upbringing. When asked about her childhood, Miranda laughs and says “I’d;ve been better raised bya pack of wolves.” But being a positive person, she has used her life experiences to help her patients, and now to hopefully bring entertainment to her readers. She can be found everywhere on the web and at her site website at: www.mirandaphillipswalkerbooks.com


Happy HoliDAZE and hope you enjoyed the insights here. Acme makes leaving a message easy as pie - so don’t hesitate to leave comments --

Rob and Miranda Walker

PROMISES MY LOVE excerpt, by DL Larson

The following excerpt is the beginning of my book, Promises My Love,
my unpublished work. I'm looking for a good home for this historical that faces real life issues.

CHAPTER ONE

June, 1846
Shadow Creek, Kentucky

Francis heard the laughter. His grimace was ill placed, he knew. His family was entitled to their fun, even if he wasn’t a part of it. With careful precision, he combed his hair, not bothering to meet his own reflection in the mirror. He never took part in their discussions, never participated in their rowdiness.
He’d finished shaving in the alcove off the kitchen and knew his family couldn’t see him with the curtain drawn. His wife Christine told Jimmy and Crystal about the expected trip to the Douglas farm, Christine’s family home. He slipped on his shirt, carefully buttoned it. Jimmy wanted to take his horse.
“Of course, silly,” Christine’s voice filtered past the drape. “We couldn’t leave Sassy behind. This is a special trip. My whole family will be there for several days. We’ll stay, too.”
“We’re gonna stay at the farm for days?” Jimmy’s voice was full of wonder and excitement.
“Yes! Won’t that be grand?”
Francis grimaced again, not liking her easy answer, knowing it was inevitable they’d stay. He adjusted his tie, taking slow deep breaths, smelling toast. His stomach growled. If only he could slip past the curtain and join his family. Laugh and joke.
He didn’t dare. He might lose control. Damnation would reign down on them again. Best to maintain his distance and enjoy these moments of hearing the happiness of his family. It would have to suffice.
He shrugged into his jacket and stepped past the curtain. His family all turned, each with their own warm smile for him. He swallowed, cleared his throat.
“Daddy all clean,” Crystal sang out, laughing.
He smiled, sort of, grabbed his ledgers and stepped toward the back door. The heat from the stove had warmed the dampness in the room, the rain from last night bringing a bright day beyond the door. Jimmy’s gaze grew hesitant and Francis forced himself to speak. “Are you ready for your piano lessons?”
“Yes, sir!” Jimmy grinned and turned back to the table.
Crystal hollered a bit when she said, “Bye-bye, Daddy.”
His features tightened again knowing he had no way of escaping their morning ritual of telling him farewell. He waved, forcing a smile to his face, knowing if he didn’t acknowledge Crystal’s sweet good-bye she’d wilt in her high-chair with a dejected scrunch to her face. She waved back with vigor.
He didn’t look at his wife, he couldn’t. Her endearing smile would linger in his mind if he did. As usual, she was disheveled, still in her bedclothes and her tumbled down blonde tresses were half in and half out of a braid. She looked about sixteen and so damn beautiful he couldn’t breathe.
She waited on the porch while he saddled his horse. She waited every morning. It was the worst and best part of his day. When he emerged from the barn she smiled, stepping toward the end of the porch where he’d have to pass by in order to leave.
“Your breakfast.” She held out a wrapped package. He had no idea what was in it, but knew it would taste wonderful.
He mounted his horse and stepped up to the railing she leaned against. He took the waxy paper without touching her, his eyes downcast.
“Francis?”
His gaze lifted slowly to hers. He wanted to tell her to get back inside and for heaven’s sake find a pair of slippers at least. She shouldn’t be standing there in her flimsy open robe for all the neighbor’s to see. She shouldn’t be so caring. Nor so damn appealing.
Her smile lit up her dark green eyes. “Have a wonderful day, my love.”
He nodded, too tersely, he knew. It was the best he could do. He nudged the horse onward, his breakfast warm in his hand. He wanted to look back at her, but that would only encourage her outrageous behavior of affection. As much as he admired her determination, he feared it more.
Control. He took a deep breath; he simply needed to maintain a level head. Unwrapping the paper, he bit into the sandwich. Ham, fried egg and a slice of cheese, partially melted on the toast. My god, he was in heaven and he wallowed there for a moment in her devotion to him. Restraint kicked in by the time he finished the last bite. His wife would merely smile if she knew the unsettling effect she had on him. He loved that Chistine snuck past his defenses, and he idly wondered what scheme she was contemplating. His muscles relaxed thinking about her.
His thoughts fumbled to a stop. Control. Yes, he had to keep his emotions in check. He didn’t dare drop his guard with his family. It had proven too dangerous in the past.
The mask of decorum settled over his face by the time he entered the bank. He crossed the small lobby to his office, not bothering to close the door. No one approached him. Another day had begun.



Til next time ~

DL Larson

PS: your comments are welcome, plus any ideas of who might be interested in such a story.

An Excerpt from Killer Career by Morgan Mandel

This excerpt continues right after my excerpt at Make Mine Mystery, so if you wish you can hop over there and read that one first, but don't forget to come back here.

Here it is -
“That son of a bitch.” Dade heaved Jensen’s book onto the chair in his office. It bounced off the black leather edge and landed open on the floor.


He glared at the offending present. His partner wouldn’t admit it, but the mystery writer was after her. Danger rang loud and clear in Jensen’s autograph.

When it came to book smarts, Julie ranked high in her class. Unfortunately, she was a kindergartener around guys and would be easy pickings. She didn’t realize how sexy she looked with her wispy blonde hair, long legs and kissable mouth.

“He won’t get away with it,” Dade muttered.

Since grammar school, he’d acted as Julie’s protector, steering the scum away from her, as well as his sister, Avery, another looker. Only the few and the brave had dared approach them.

Avery had recently found her soul-mate, a fellow reporter. Dade wanted that for Julie, but his gut told him Jensen wasn’t the one.

“Radison’s on line five,” Nora Hampton, his efficient secretary, cut in on the intercom. He glanced at the digital clock on the phone. Half past eight, the start of the office day.

“Get rid of him. Hold my calls.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Donovan.”

He gritted his teeth and jammed the files into his briefcase. Three trials ahead and every one of them a mountain to climb on bare feet. Well, that suited him just fine. He was itching for a good fight. Watch out world.

Julie turned as she was heading out the door. “Come on, birthday boy. Get moving.”

He took in her appearance with approval. Her flyaway blonde hair made her look fragile, but that was a facade. The true indicator proved to be her navy blue suit, with the crisp white blouse turned back at the neck.

A Madonna-like smile lit up her face, but this Madonna balanced a briefcase, not a baby. A twinge of guilt hit him. Maybe he had protected her too well. Julie was thirty. By her age, many women were married with kids instead of facing a daily work grind, carrying heavy case loads and wearing power suits.

As they stepped into the elevator, she flashed him a nervous smile. He squeezed Julie’s free hand to reassure her. He wished he could rid her of her claustrophobia, but that battle she must face alone.

They darted into the modern octagonal shaped glass building known as the Thompson Center. As usual, Julie bit her lip as the elevator sped upward to the eighth floor. Once at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, attorneys milled about the open area, networking and exchanging rumors and sports scores. As they headed toward their respective hearing rooms, the slim-mustached Barabat, in a tailored gray suit, brushed past Dade and Julie with a perfunctory remark. “Well if it isn’t Dade the Devil and his Avenging Angel.”

“Your ass is grass, dude,” Dade hissed back. “You don’t have a leg to stand on.”

Julie flashed a stern look. “I can fight my own battles, thank you. The counselor will learn his lesson soon enough.”

Dade smiled widely. “You’re so right.”

They stopped at the door to one of the small courtrooms. Dade wished he could join Julie inside, but only in special instances were those other than the attorneys of record, the Arbitrator, court reporter and witnesses allowed.

Rumor had it Julie at trial was a sight to behold, blonde hair flying, eyes flashing, as she annihilated her opponent. He was proud of her but couldn’t take credit. She did it all with hard work and a sparse social life. She deserved her victories, but he still enjoyed sharing them with her.

As he continued down the hall to his designated courtroom, Dade fought back a vague uneasiness. He sensed a change in the air, with Jensen as the catalyst.


Hope you liked my excerpt.
Morgan Mandel

http://www.morganmandel.com/
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/
Signed copies for Killer Career are available for EZ Order at The Digital-Bookshop, in print & ebook, also in print at Amazon (unsigned) and on kindle.

Self-Publishing, e-books and traditional publishers - oh my!

Some recent events have rocked the publishing world, specifically the efforts of a major traditional publisher - Harlequin - to go deeper into the world of e-books and all things digital, as well as the world of self-publishing.

Flash back to ten or fifteen years ago and e-books and especially self-publishing were like four-letter words to most traditional publishing houses. It wasn’t unusual to go to a conference or otherwise mingle with writers (published or not) who considered authors of e-books and self-publishing as not "real" writers.

Now flash back a hundred years or more to writers like Mark Twain, George Eliot and my great-great grandfather Wallace Bruce and these writers would take their written works to a printer and have their books published that way and then they would be acquired through a variety of venues to include small shops or even via hand-selling. Wallace Bruce would tour the US and Europe along the lines of Mark Twain and give a serious of orations related to his books, mostly of poetry. The Honorable Wallace Bruce (the titled earned for many reasons to include his tenure as Poet Laureate of Scotland while also serving as the US Consul General) provided an evening out for the generation at the time that provided both entertainment and enlightenment.

So why such strong feelings today about self-publishing in particular? Well, back in Wallace Bruce’s day he had access to other writers and they would mentor and nurture each other providing the one thing that most self-published works lack - a level of editing that provides product improvement and therefore commercial appeal. That doesn’t mean that all self-published books fall into this category. In fact, there have been many, many successful self-published books, especially in non-fiction. It’s the works of fiction that have everyone rattled with Harlequin’s effort to delve into the world of self-publishing. The concerns are laid out in this article from publisher’s weekly:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6708233.html

So, when is self-publishing a truly viable option for an author? Well, non-fiction works are more often published this way, especially in niche markets. I met an author who became an expert on a disease that affects a small population because it has affected her. Others with her disease were so hungry for information that she would give talks to groups about how she coped with the disease and from that she developed an audience that wanted her books. She couldn’t find a traditional publisher to take her on because the subject matter would not sell the minimum quantity that suited their business model, so she self-published. The old saying that there’s a time and place for most things is true when it comes to publishing whether through traditional channels are unconventional ones.

The bottom line for all writers is that what we do first and foremost is write. We can’t sell or even self-publish something that isn’t actually written. For new writers in particular, write the best darn book you can. Network with other writers, attend conferences that attract agents, editors and publishers and then prepare yourself for rejection because that is part of the gig. Even if you self-publish, when you try to sell your book you will face those who will reject your attempts to get them to buy your precious work. I for one want to keep all my options open because after all is said and done, the most important part of this journey, at least for me, is the writing.

Stay tuned and keep writing.

A Sweet Taste

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!