Now Halloween is over and we're well into fall season, it's time to bring out the cozy sweaters, heat up some hot chocolate and sit by a blazing fire to read your favourite books. Or, if you're feeling active, get out there and walk under a pale autumn sky, geese flying overhead (don't look up!) and leaves crunching at your feet. |
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BOUCHERCON 2024 I had an incredible time at the BOUCHERCON Mystery Writers Conference in Nashville in late August 28th, early September. The event was held at the massive Gaylord Opryland Hotel and featured many bestselling authors including Harlan Coben, Megan Abbott, Andrew Child, William Kent Krueger, Rachel Howzell Hall, Hank Phillipi Ryan, S.A. Cosby among many others. I was delighted to be on a panel discussing psychological suspense with a paranormal twist. I also attended workshops on adapting novels to film, writing historical suspense, changes in the publishing industry as well as an event held by the American Librarians Association to protest banned book legislation. I met so many great authors as well as a whole lot of enthusiastic crime, mystery and suspense readers and some really fun Instagram, book bloggers. |
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| | That's me way back on the right hand side (wearing red), enjoying an Italian meal with some fantastic writer friends! | | |
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| | My incredible panel moderated by Karen Dionne. | | |
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Fall is usually my busiest writing time. There's something magical about the season. A sense of mystery in the air that provides the perfect atmosphere for creating stories. At the moment I'm just revising two new books, which I hope to tell you more about in my next newsletter. One is a psychological suspense set in Las Vegas, the other is more of a mystery/family saga set in Los Angeles against the backdrop of the music business. Both of these novels have been a departure for me because they're told from multiple points of view, rather than having a single narrator. The advantage is that you learn about the events of the story from more than one character's point of view which can add way more suspense. Think of The Guest List by Lucy Foley, or Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. That's the type of book I'm revising now. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of juggling to make sure you're differentiating between each character's voice while also keeping track of the plot and maintaining suspense. To do that I compile a chapter by chapter outline, that helps me organize everyone's actions and story arc.
CHECK OUT THE CINEMATIC TRAILERS FOR:
THE PERFECT FAMILY MAN
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LAST ONE ALIVE by Amber Cowie Amazing suspense/thriller by B.C writer, Amber Cowie. A research trip to a remote BC island goes awry when the bodies start piling up! Is it the witch who’s rumoured to haunt the island or someone from the team methodically murdering them one by one? A fast moving novel with a spectacularly wild Northern B.C backdrop. Beautifully vivid setting. |
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THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore This lush work of literary suspense transported me back in time to the story’s setting of a summer camp in upstate New York in the 70’s. It triggered so many memories since I too worked as a student on a camp in the same area.
The story opens in 1975 when a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk only to discover its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. But Barbara is the daughter of the wealthy and powerful family that owns the summer camp which provides employment for most of the region’s residents. This is also a second major tragedy for the family. since Barbara’s older brother, Bear, also vanished fourteen years ago, and was never found again.
A panicked search begins, and gradually the complex and layered secrets of the Van Laar family are revealed, as well as the impact both tragedies have on the blue-collar community working in the family's shadow.
Liz Moore takes an interesting approach and uses a non-linear timeline that jumps back and forth between the fifties, sixties and seventies, using multiple points of view. At first this takes a bit of getting used to, but then the powerful storyline draws you in as information is presented in a natural, “organic” way as if Moore is weaving the threads of the story together and creating a tapestry of richly developed, multi-dimensional characters, all part of a community marked by tragedy.
Themes of class, motherhood, and gender roles across all social classes make this a powerful feminist story. |
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I love to hear from readers and always take time to respond. If you have any questions about writing or about any of my books, or you're interested in doing a book club using my books, I'm happy to attend in person, (where possible) or virtually. Just use the button below to contact me. | | |
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