A MOUTHFUL OF MURDER

Hello:

I'm pleased to announce that my short story titled, A Mouthful of Murder, featuring Miss Augusta Weidenmaier, a retired schoolteacher, has been accepted for publication by FLAME TREE PRESS. The story is part of a Cosy Crime Anthology. The date for publication will be January 2019. Miss Weidenmaier missed solving crimes--she made her first appearance in Scene Stealer published by Carina Press and available wherever eBooks are sold.

I'll keep you posted.

Bests,

Elise








 

DIFFERENT HATS

    

     Brand—a mark indicating identity or ownership burned on the hide of an animal with a hot iron. A trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or a manufacturer. These are two of the definitions of brand to be found in the dictionary. 

     I am a manufacturer because I produce words, form sentences, tell a story but I believe in reinvention of self and enjoy wearing different hats—I don’t have a distinctive brand.

     I feel fulfilled when I write non-fiction—engrossed in reality’s fascination and the revelations that research brings to a topic. The surprise of finding the unexpected, amusing, unknown. 

     I’ve read mysteries since childhood—beginning with Nancy Drew; growing up I began to write them. Sometimes my tales change when a character chooses to take his or her action. The cozy mystery I wrote with a little help from the characters was published by Carina Press and now I’m about to send another on its journey to seek a future in a world of readers.

     At times, I feel a play will reflect what I want to say. It calls for actors to step on-stage and bring the dialogue and the plot to life. My ideas come from everywhere. Eavesdropping, a storied past mentioned by an acquaintance, someone in the family—all tell me something I have to fictionalize. and write about while writing non-fiction brings the past to life. I can’t choose between them.

     Do you have a brand? 

     Bests,

     Elise

Scene Stealer is available wherever eBooks are sold  

New Crime Fiction

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Best,

Elise

WALLANDER

Photo be IvanChuyev Dreamstime.com    

     Wallander and his Masterpiece Mystery! Series III began last Sunday evening on our public television station. The landscape and his new home on lush land—complete with lover and her young son and dog are destined to be immersed in gloom and doom. Wallander—his jaw marked with the stubble of an unshaved face and his sad tired eyes won’t be getting a much deserved rest—he finds a corpse on his property. And will soon find two more—all related to his case. Usually, I like my mysteries spiked with a touch of humor but played by the magnificent Kenneth Branagh, Wallander’s story—though I guessed the villain—hooked me and I look forward to episode number two. I’m sure the body count will grow during this four part series.

    What television mystery series are your favorites?

Bests,

Elise

A SENSE OF PLACE

    

     While straightening out my files, I came across an article I had written about the Holy Meteora in Greece on the north-west border of Thessaly where clusters of surreal, rugged black masses of rock stand guard over the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki. On their giant pinnacles, disciplined communities of monks and nuns live in isolated monasteries known as the Holy Meteora. By the end of the 15th century there were 24 monasteries that served as a repository for Greek culture. A system of ladders, nets, ropes and pulleys, in a winching tower suspended over an abyss, transported food, bulding materials and the monks. Religious faith (or a sense of humor) would be needed--the ropes--the story goes--were only replaced when they frayed and snapped. Seems like the perfect place for a mystery. Agia Tridada, the monastery of the Holy Trinity, located on a narrow spire, was the site for the James bond film, For Your Eyes Only with Roger Moore.
     I began thinking about how place affects the mystery and my first thought was about Ellis Peters and her books about Cadfael, a monk who lived in the 1100s in Shrewsbury, England in the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul. Could Cadfael have lived anywhere else?
     Then there's Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti who lives in Venice, well respected and well-fed by a loving wife. Where else but Venice?
     Tony Hillerman's mysteries take place in the southwest amongst the Navajo tribes. Here Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee solve crimes and keep criminal behavior in check. the land was made for Hillerman's mysteries.
     Mention Oxford, England--the fictional Oxford England and the reader is enthralled with Inspector Morse and his fictional heir, Inspector Lewis. Walk around Oxford and you'll find fans of the series wandering around looking for the places where they solved crimes usually committed by Professors and students.
     What mysteries and authors and places can you suggest?

     Bests,

     Elise

A Roman Brigadoon

A day of rain in New York. Windshield wipers are busy. Umbrellas try to fly and sometimes make a crash landing leaving their hapless owners wet and grouchy. Not a bit like "Singing in the Rain." The day and now the evening remind me of the first night we spent on a vacation in Rome. I stepped off the plane sniffling, sneezing and coughing--no way to begin a trip in Italy. When my hubby and I got to the hotel on the outskirts of Vatican City, all I wanted to do was stretch out on the bed and feel sorry for myself. Hubby was hungry.
"You go eat and bring me back something," I said.
Hubby reminded me there were no fast food places in the area and not many restaurants. I bundled up and we walked through the streets. Suddenly a warmly lit Trattoria appeared in front of us. No one was sitting at the tables but we were greeted by a welcoming owner. I ordered Minestrone--hot and delicious--it was the best minestrone I had ever eaten and I suspect ever will eat. The next morning I awoke fully recovered and knew it would be one of the best trips we would ever have. We searched for the restaurant, planning to eat there again before we moved on to the next leg of the trip but though we walked all over the area, we never found the place again. I firmly believe it was a Roman Brigadoon--a magical, mystical place that welcomed a poor, undernourished American to that wonderful city.









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Lobster, Bar Harbor and Mary Roberts Rinehart

Monday is my birthday and to celebrate, we'll have dinner in the Trustees Dining Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the summer, all members of the museum may reserve a table on Saturdays and Sundays and my husband and I will go today because the dining room is featuring a Maine Lobster Bake.

I'm reminded of a marvelous dinner during a short vacation in Maine, where we ate at the Looking Glass Restaurant on property that once belonged to the mystery writer, Mary Roberts Rinehart.

Rinehart had her first three stories published when she was fifteen--she received one dollar for each--and the adult writer went on to pen plays--several became hits. During World War I, she became a war correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post. Hollywood paid $15,000 for one of her books, a romance titled Lost Ecstasy, then changed the title to I Take This Woman. The film starred Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard. A cast any writer would give their eye teeth for.

She came to Bar Harbor in 1935 and the magnificent panorama--sea and mountains--led to a book written in 1945 called The Yellow Room.

In 1947, Rinehart hired a butler in addition to her long-time cook. The cook who resented the newcomer quit but his wife, one of Rinehart's maids, refused to leave with him. Rinehart was reading when the cook entered, words exchanged and a gun fired at her face. Luckily the gun misfired. She ran and the cook was stopped by the chauffeur, and the gun thrown over a wall. As Rinehart phoned the police, the cook came after her with knives--she was again rescued by the chauffeur and the gardener.

Rinehart went on to write additional books before she died of a heart attack in 1958. An interesting and productive life.

I checked the library today, hoping to find her books. Nothing. I will next check Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery, Scene Stealer, is available at BarnesandNoble, Amazon, Carina Press and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by Audible.com

DIFFERENT HATS

Stick to one genre? It works well for others but it’s not for me. I love to travel and travel leads to non-fiction articles. The people I meet, an off-beat place or a different slant on a well-known tourist spot encourages me to write. A site—with a mystery that has never been solved, or an overheard conversation lends itself to fiction—if I don’t know how a story ends I have to invent one. History goes along with travel—time travel—back to the past. How did people live, would I have been the same person I am today if I lived then, what was it like in different lands, under different laws? How did people eat, cook, dress, rule and love? Dig into history and there’s another tale to be told. Mysteries, romances, science-fiction, literary, you name the category—narrative that doesn’t fit into a short story—pieces that fit together with the actions, speech and thoughts of characters that demand to be heard become a novel.
When it comes to writing I play the field. Please let me know your thoughts—do you wear different hats?

Bests,


Elise

My cozy eBook titled Scene Stealer is available at Carina Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by Audible.com

DR. WATSON - FINAL CURTAIN

A few days ago Sherlock Holmes was talked about on Not Your Usual Suspects. The NY Times had a memorable obit yesterday for Edward Hardwicke who played Dr. Watson opposite Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes in a British television series shown in the US in the 1980s and 90s. I thought he was the finest Watson I had ever seen perform in the role. His portrayal was intelligent and dignified and added a depth to the part. He appeared with the National Theatre and made many excellent motion pictures. He will be missed by all who appreciate a fine actor.

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery titled Scene Stealer is available at Carina Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and wherever eBooks are sold. an audio version hase been produced by audible.com

Murdock

I've discovered a new detective. His name is Murdock and his television series is shown on Channel 21 in New York. The series comes from Canada and the time seems to be the early part of the 20Th Century. Murdock is into new technology--electricity, microscopes, all new exciting inventions that aid in the solution of a case interest him. He rides a bike and a horse, shares his knowledge with a young subordinate and works well with his pathologist. She can discover a good deal when she begins work on the victim. there is something developing between the two. I detect attraction. The head of the department believes in the old way of doing things and is not adverse to using his fists--a bit of a Neanderthal but he's there when Murdock needs him.

Are there any Canadians reading this blog that can tell me if the series is based on a novel?

My cozy mystery titled Scene Stealer may be found at Carina Press, Barnes and Noble and wherever eBooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by audible.com

Rain, Fog, Doom and Gloom

Rain on Monday and Tuesday, another sloshful day on Wednesday, by Thursday we'll wish we built an arc. Rain is good for gardens, vegetables and dancers talented enough to imitate Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain. And rain is good for mysteries. Think of London--Jack the Ripper is still written about today. Sherlock Holmes sells and sells and sells. Weather helps mysteries and nudges overactive imaginations. Think of walking home--alone. Late at night--thunder rattles windows, lightning flashes. You look behind and wonder if that was the shadow of a tree or someone following. You pick up your step, walk faster and faster and faster--right into a puddle. Your brand new pair of expensive shoes is ruined and all because you imagined someone was after you. You decide to open your umbrella and hear someone splashing--the sound is too close for comfort. You turn--raise your umbrella and are about to strike then discover it's your next door neighbor dressed in a raincoat, rainhat and boots.

"What a night," she says. "What a night."

I shall look for sunshine and flowers on Friday.

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery titled Scene Stealer is available wherever Ebooks are sold. An audio version has been produced by audible.com

SIDE EFFECT

June 28th was a memorable day in my life. The day when Scene Stealer was launched by Carina Press, I can’t remember what the weather was like but in my mind it must have been sunny, warm and lovely. I expected to receive “Congratulations,” from family and friends and I eagerly and nervously awaited reviews but something I never expected would happen—happened—once a few of the relatives and friends read the book and expressed their secret desire to write. My problem was they wanted to partner up and write with me. How do you tell the people you love and care about that you’re a loner enjoy characters that emerge from my imagination and—in your humble opinion—they should sit down with pen, paper, typewriter or computer and give it a try.

It isn’t easy. One relative continued communicating but I don’t think he finished the book. A friend took my advice but I’ve heard nothing further.

How many of you enjoy a partner? How many are loners like me? How many have friends who suddenly decide to write?

Bests,

Elise

Billy Boyle

Found a new mystery writer in James R. Benn. I've begun reading his first, titled Billy Boyle, in his World War II mystery series and finished half the book last night. It's a page turner and I will finish the book tonight and look forward to reading the other titles.

The hero, a cop from the south side of Boston, is sent to London--his family pulled a few strings--hoping to keep him from getting killed. They're distantly related to General Eisenhower and he joins the General's team. Add espionage and a murder and Billy is handed the job of finding the spy. Billy is a charmer and I am completely attached to him. All of Benn's people are real and I'm glad I discovered the author and series.

Bests,

Elise

My cozy mystery, Scene Stealer, is available at Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and wherever eBook are sold. An audio version is available through Audible .com

Notes to Me

A small notebook rests in my bag, another in my bedside table. I've discovered that I may wake in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea that mustn't be forgotten. Sometimes in the bright light of morning, the idea isn't all that brilliant. Sometimes I can't read my own writing and can't remember what I wrote. Sometimes the note is worth thinking about and sometimes the note turns into an article, a short story and--with a lot of time spent sitting at the computer--a book.

When I'm in a restaurant--shamelessly eavesdropping--I pull out the notebook in my pocket. The book is very useful during rides on the subway or bus. I never know when something will spark a note, a line or a name and once-in-awhile, I tear out a sheet and jot down the few groceries I musn't forget or the title of a book that must be read.

Blue Days

Writers--sometimes we wake in the middle of the night--we reach for a pad and pen and jot down the thoughts that came out of nowhere about our book, story or article. In the morning, the words may seem brilliant, other mornings we think why did I lose sleep over this? Sometimes we plant our rear ends in a chair, rev up our computers, and begin to type and the words seem to flow—dialogue, narrative, from fingers to keyboard to page. Sometimes we sit and stare and stare and stare at the screen. There are times we wonder if we can write at all—a blue day-- and times we shut the computer off and go for a walk but then we return, plant our rear ends in a chair, turn the computer on and begin again.

We write when we’re happy, angry, hurt, or sick and the words help when we’re distressed and need to escape into another world. Worlds we create, worlds with people we grow to love, tolerate or hate. We join forces with our characters, argue, fight and laugh together and the words grow into sentences, the sentences into paragraphs, then pages, chapters and books.

When the words don’t come and our characters retreat--a blue day--loneliness begins creeping in and sometimes we’re ready to throw everything away. But we tell ourselves-this has happened before and came out all right in the end-and we begin again and revise again and let it simmer until ‘til the magic day we know the piece is as ready as it will ever be and it’s time to let go and send our child to make its way in the world.

Improvization

Beginning with the Drama Club at the Y and continuing with classes in acting, the teacher always set aside some time for improvisation. Approaching one member of the class, he or she would speak in a low voice and say something like this:

Example 1:
“You are a spy and you must make this man fall in love with you. You must find out what information he has.”

The instructor would then approach your acting partner.
“Find out why this woman is here. What she knows. Do anything you have to but get the information.”

Example 2: The assignment for the next class was becoming an animal. Most of the class chose the ones with four feet. I lived closer to the aquarium and spent an afternoon studying a fish.

Sleepless one night, I began to think about those days as an actress and realized improvising had a lot in common with writing. You begin with your idea of what the characters should do, why they’re doing it and what the story and the theme is about. Then, sometimes without any warning, your characters decide they want to go in another direction. Your villain isn’t your villain anymore, an unlikely heroine emerges, and a chapter or two or three needs to be cut. You try to keep to your original idea but your characters are stronger than you and you think-Oh, what the hell, I’ll try it their way.
Usually they’re right.

I’m into the first draft of a new book and so far-so far my characters have behaved but my instinct tells me they’re biding their time and we’ll be having a few discussions about the right direction for the novel. How much of a say, do you allow your characters?