OK, This Makes Me Feel Old

My pal Amy King (who wrote the amazing PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ and DUST OF 100 DOGS) is over on the blog of another friend, Steph Bowe (GIRL SAVES BOY, also amazing) to promote VERA - and the post includes a photo of Amy in high school at a typewriter.

One of the commenters mentioned she had never seen a typewriter, except in a museum, and that she can't imagine what it would be like to type on one.

Argghhh. 

I had an ancient IBM typewriter, one of the first electric models, stored in my bedroom as a child, so of course I turned it on and taught myself to type by the time I was 10. The carriage was so heavy that when you hit the carriage return (you used to have to hit what is now the ENTER key whenever you reached the end of a line, you young folks - I seem to remember a small ding would alert you that you were getting close) it would displace the entire huge typewriter an inch or so and make everything on the desk dance a bit. So I got good at type/return/yank typewriter back on desk/catch things before they fell off.

I still have that typewriter. Still remember the hum of the motor and the clank of the keys. Still remember the joy of writing on it.

(Note to parents: If you want a child to become a writer, not a bad idea to house her in a room filled with books and a typewriter.)

Hereby Resolved

Next year before Bouchercon*, I resolve to

• not work so hard beforehand that I get a cold the day before
• not take an out-of-date discount store Nyquil the first evening and fail to drink or eat enough and hence scare the crap out of Wallace Stroby by blacking out in the lobby (pal Christine McCann wasn't fazed, because she's seen me burst into tears at the news of my German book rights sale and develop a spontaneous gusher of a nosebleed - and she has four younger sisters)
• learn to use my camera before I leave, and charge up all batteries (at least I knew to buy spare memory cards and to take a spare camera)
• buy a few more clothes so I don't have to be inventive about clothing combinations
• get in shape so I can play basketball (gad, how I was itching to) instead of take photos
• look in my name-tag envelope and find my last-day brunch ticket so I don't have to talk one of the basketball players at the door into letting me in without it (thank you, tall basketball player from Naomi's team whose name I don't know)
• not take a flight home that goes through Seattle then changes in Chicago then runs late and gets me home at 2.30 am, which my dogs thinks means it's time to play and torment me for leaving them so long

But otherwise - perhaps other than cloning myself so I can go to more than one panel at a time - not much else I would change. It was a sublime experience, and I give thanks to all who helped make it so. You know who you are.
*I know it's rude of me to assume everyone knows what Bouchercon is - it's a supreme convention of mystery writers and fans and others, occurring every year in a different city.

A.S. King Talks about PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ

Sara interviews author Amy (A.S.) King about her recently released second book, PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. (First book, DUST OF 100 DOGS, is one of my favorites. I've devoured both.)

Do you realize this is a seriously awesome book?
You know, maybe this time I had a feeling it was a bit special because I said, “If  this is the last book I ever publish, I’ll be happy.” Then again, for a long time before I said that, I thought it was stupid. It’s like ping pong, isn’t it?

What sort of responses have you gotten from readers?

So far, it’s been pretty overwhelmingly great. I mean, from readers and from critics. Mostly, people seem to really connect with Vera and feel that “she could be my best friend.” I love that because I feel the same way about her. It’s got three starred reviews so far—from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist, so that kinda indicates that it might rock and could have a chance at a nice life. I mean, if the chain stores would actually stock it.

How much of Vera’s experiences are based on your own pizza delivery days?

Well, the ins and outs are certainly based on my experiences. Folding boxes, washing dishes, doing prep work, filling the cooler and mopping the floor. Also, driving around with pizzas and delivering them to an array of stunningly bizarre human beings. And the stupid baseball hats we had to wear. But outside of that, nothing. Okay. The concussion too. But the story behind it is completely different. Kinda. But yeah, that’s all. The rest is completely made up in my head. I never drank like Vera did. I chain-smoked and ate too many $100,000 bars.  

What’s your all-time favorite pizza? Or did you get sick of them after delivering so many?

I hated pizza then because of the obvious—I smelled like pizza all the time. But now, I’d take a Sicilian with extra cheese and pineapples and extra crispy crust or a white pizza from this little place down in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Best white pizza I ever had.

What was your best pizza delivery experience? Your worst?

Best = $20 tip from nice family who had like 15+ pizzas delivered to a huge birthday party.

Worst = tie between the guy cleaning his gun, the half-naked guy (bottom half), the guy with the roaches on his kitchen table when we eventually had to call the cops, or the guy with the Nazi flags. You choose.

What age range of readers do you have? (I devoured DUST OF 100 DOGS without having any idea it was young adult – recommended for 14 and up, right?)

I write for all ages and all genders from about 14 and up. So I have fans as young as 12 and fans as old as 94. All genders, races, sexual orientations and religions.

Did anyone give you any flak over having chapters from the pagoda’s viewpoint? (PHOTO BY MATTHEW SMITH)
Not yet. I like the pagoda mostly because people from here in the area (you know the pagoda is a reality, right? in my local town?) might get turned off by Vera’s dislike of it and the pagoda sticks up for itself. “Just who are you calling a monstrosity?” I love that. But no. No flak yet. I’m sure it’ll come along any minute, though.

Was it odd writing from the viewpoint of a male (Vera’s dad, and Charlie)?

Not at all. I’m a really gender-neutral person. I know that probably sounds all wrong, but I also know that you, Sara, know EXACTLY what I mean. My next book is entirely from the male POV too, so no, I don’t find it odd. It’s not that I’m not feminine. I am. I’m just the kind of feminine that can wire your house and hates shopping.

Is it true that you got dropped on your head and knocked unconscious as Vera does?

Yes. Unconscious for only a few moments. I had a horrible concussion—lump like a baseball on my forehead. Still have the [reduced-in-size] lump on my head. You can touch it for $10. All proceeds will go to some group that fights haters like the wanker who dropped me on my head.

In the writing of PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ – did it flow out much as it is now? Or did you move around perspectives and events and timeline?

You know, I had to answer this question last week and it was only then that I realized it pretty much came out this way. I mean—some stuff had to get moved a little, but all in all, it came out very close to this order. That said, MANY things inside the story had to be honed and fixed and fleshed out. My editor was amazing at finding those things and pointing at them. To be more specific, my characters are often sketches at first, so she was great at asking me to be more specific in the right places.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing life, and how you squeeze in writing novels between working as a contractor and rearing children?

My writing life is a bit insane until my youngest gets into school full-time. Though lately, thanks to the economy, it’s a bit better because not many people are renovating their homes. That means more time for me to write. But it also means less money. So, luckily, we have our old self-sufficiency budgeting skills to fall back on. I am extremely lucky to have a husband who does everything the way I can do everything when he is off doing cabinetmaking work full-time. We are interchangeable and it makes a huge difference, because when I’m writing I barely manage to shower and brush my teeth. I certainly wouldn’t be able to remember a karate lesson or to send in a pre-school snack.

How much of your writing time goes to writing, and how much to editing, promotion, and other publishing-related activities?

Sigh. Big freaking sigh. This is changing as more books get out there. The summer was 70% editing book three, 20% trying to re-organize book four so I can start writing it again, and 10% promotion and getting ready to launch VERA. The last two months have been 50% editing and 45% VERA promotion and 5% wishing I could be writing. Once this book three is done, I will be very happy because I can start working on four…well, until copyedits come…in November or so. Which is…uh…next month. Shit. Can I say that on your blog? Shit.

On the serious side – this book deals with parental abandonment, friendships gone wrong, betrayal, and other painful and awkward real-to-life topics. Do you get some blowback from adults over this? If so, what do they object to (without giving away your plot) – and do teens ever object?

So far, I’ve received a lot of compliments more than anything. About BEING REAL. About talking about the stuff that’s really facing teens and parents. About looking bad parenting right in the eye. About openly discussing domestic violence, which is still happening on your block and mine because something is WRONG and no one is TALKING ABOUT IT. Which is what Vera Dietz is here to do.

Teens so far have been blown away by the characters—that’s the biggest response I get. Just the love for either Vera or Charlie or both. Adults, so far—and keep in mind most of my adult feedback has been from academics, librarians, teachers, psychologists and trade critics— have stayed positive.

But considering I’ve been approached by crazies in the past—you know, “You are going to rot in hell for using the words bullshit and whore” (apparently, she did not get all that far into the book)—I’m sure I will get objections over talking about the truth of the world. Most people who talk about the truth to teens get flak somewhere along the line. But like Vera, I just could never figure out what’s so great about lying to teenagers. Most of them are smarter than we are.

In closing - could you tell us anything about your third book, EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS?

ANTS is about a bullied kid, Lucky Linderman, who mysteriously communicates with his MIA grandfather in Laos in order to help him solve a lot of the things that are wrong with his life. It’s due from Little, Brown in Fall 2011, we think. There are no flow charts this time. But there are ants.

Note from Sara: One of the nicest things you can do for this author - and yourself and for other people, because this is a great book that deserves lots of readers - is to call your local bookstore and ask them to order this book. Because for some bizarre reason the big chains chose not to stock it.

A Pictorial History of Bouchercon 2010

A brief recap of Bouchercon 2010 in San Francisco in photos, with notable folks Daniel Woodrell, Reed Farrel Coleman, Ben LeRoy, Sarah Weinman (my doppleganger), Jen Forbus, Scott Phillips, Jodi Compton, Russel McLean, Hilary Davidson, Bob Ward, McKenna Jordan, Meredith Cole, Christine McCann, Roger (RJ) Ellory, Russel McLean, and more. Note: I've posted more Bouchercon photos on my Facebook pages, and will post more later. (Maybe I'll post the photo booth photos - or maybe not!)

Sarah and Sara - we are not the same person! Sarah Weinman and Sara J. Henry

Me and RJ Ellory

Book signing: Reed Farrel Coleman and Jodi Compton - don't miss their latest, Reed's INNOCENT MONSTER and Jodi's HAILEY'S WAR (and I'm not saying that just because we share an agent, editor, and publisher) - both are great books

Bouchercon basketball: SJ Rozan, Sam Reaves, Seth Harwood, Jason Pinter, Reed Coleman, and more

Bouchercon basketball: Reed Coleman shoots - Jason Pinter and Seth Harwood watch - Ben LeRoy looks on

Ben LeRoy, Tyrus author Bob Ward, Linda Hull - Stacia Decker lurking in the background

My pal Christine McCann and new pal Roger Ellory, looking gobsmacked

Daniel Woodrell at the Tyrus party - you can see Seth Harwood in the mirror

The gang at the Tyrus/Busted Flush Press party - yes, I'm in there somewhere. Ben LeRoy in front.

Me and Christine McCann, book fan extraordinaire

The party at which Sara became known as Daniel Woodrell's beef retriever

Daniel Woodrell signing

Anne Kimbol and McKenna Jordan of Houston's Murder by the Book

Hilary Davidson, Christine McCann, Christa Faust

Reed Coleman and Russel McLean

Jen Forbus (of Jen's Book Thoughts) and Meredith Cole

Scott Phillips and Christine McCann, leaving me at the BART station

A Chat with Reed Farrel Coleman: INNOCENT MONSTER

Wherein Sara interviews Reed Farrel Coleman about his new novel, INNOCENT MONSTER, which was published Oct. 5 of this year. Sara says: Go buy the book. You can read the rest in the series later, if you haven't already.

Innocent Monster delves into the art world and the life of a young artist “wunderkind” – what took you down this path and what type of research did you do?

I think child prodigies are a fascinating subject. As crazy and dysfunctional as my childhood was, at least I had one. What if you were never allowed to have a childhood? Worse, what if you were your family’s sole source of income? Talk about the child being father to the man. I also saw a documentary on a childhood prodigy artist. It was very well done and Innocent Monster deals, in a fictional way, with many of the questions raised during the documentary. Lastly, my son is an artist and, when he gets out of college, this is the world he’ll be stepping

With this book, you came up with the title first, and built the book around it. Has that happened before, or do you usually come up with your titles later?
I always have a title for my novels before I write them, but I have never had a title so completely influence the book itself. I was just playing with words one day and the two words innocent and monster appeared in my head in juxtaposition. Wow! I was like, now there’s a title I can do something with. I didn’t know then that the title would do something with me.

Why is your main character, Moe Prager, such a terrible swimmer?
Because I’m a terrible swimmer. Moe and I have that in common. I didn’t swim at all until I had kids. Then I learned enough to swim if I had to.

Your five other Moe Prager novels are now available in reprint paperback editions, eBooks, and recorded books through Audible.com. How important are these publication options?
I wish they weren’t important, but they are, especially to younger readers and people who travel a lot. To deny their increasing relevance is to deny the obvious truth of things. I do, however, believe that paper books aren’t going anywhere just yet and that they shall always be a part of the market.

Some of the characters in Innocent Monster – including a dog – are named after friends of yours. How do they react to this?
The dogs or my friends? :-) My friends think it’s a great honor. It’s also a way for me to pay back some folks in the industry who have been kind to me along the way.

All your Moe books now have been recorded – tell us what that experience has been like.
Luckily, I’ve become pretty friendly with Andy Caploe, the gentleman who performs the Moe books for Audible.com. We spoke early on and he asked me to do something for him I had always previously resisted. He asked me to cast the books. I never tell people who would play Moe in a movie or who would play Mr. Roth or Katy. I want readers to see who they see, not who I see. But Andy explained that it makes it easier for him if he has a particular actor in mind when he voice books. So I gave Andy a cast for each book. The funny thing was his asking me to cast characters I’d forgotten about. Andy would send me an email asking about so and so and there I’d be, sitting at my desk, looking feverishly through my books for that character.

Describe Moe’s perfect meal – what and where. And maybe with whom.
That’s a funny question because I don’t think of Moe in terms of food. I know kosher deli would be his comfort food. But his perfect meal … Thai crispy duck in tamarind sauce comes to mind. A mixed green salad with peanut dressing. Mango ice cream. A nice Santa Barbara Pinot Noir to start. A French cabernet with the duck. Perrier Jouet Champagne with dessert. He would choose to have his meal with Katy, the Katy he fell in love with just after they met.

You shocked some of your fellow writers recently when you signed onto Twitter – why were they so surprised, and why did you finally take the plunge?
Because I’m a Luddite at heart and I have always felt that my energies should be put into the writing and not the marketing.

When and where will we see Moe again?
Hopefully next year in Moe #7, Hurt Machine.

Have you ever considered spinning off some of your characters into their own books, as Michael Robotham has done?
Yes, actually I have. I have toyed with spinning off Carmella Melendez, but I’m not sure there’s any demand for it. I already have a million books in my head to write.

What other projects are on the horizon?
I’m considering doing a few collaborations. I have a short story anthology project about the Holocaust that’s been in the works for years with Busted Flush. And there are several stand-alones I want to write. And I think maybe I’ve got an eighth Moe book in me.

Help Prevent Family Violence - Writing Auction

My friend Amy King is offering a signed copy of her (phenomenal) book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ plus a Skype author visit for your library or books group, with proceeds to go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund - and other writing-related things up for auction. From Amy's blog:

Swati Avasthi has combined a blog tour for her debut novel, Split with a charity auction. Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone can bid on and buy. All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

To bid on PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ, go here.
To bid on the A.S. King Skype visit, go here.

CMOS, You Brighten My Life

Q. If you have to call someone “Jeff-bear,” is the hyphen appropriate, or would “Jeffbear” suffice? The new Manual doesn’t say.

A. I’m sorry, but when we got to the term “Jeff-bear,” the Hyphenation Committee couldn’t agree and things started to get nasty, so we left it out. I’m afraid you’re on your own.- from the Chicago Manual of Style online Q&A