Her Book Self

Earlier this year I had the fun opportunity to sit in on a panel discussion at the Printer's Row Literary Festival in Chicago.  The discussion was about cozy mysteries and one of the authors was Heather Webber, a writer I knew from her book Truly, Madly that I read back in January.  I was already impressed with Heather's writing so it was a pleasure to find a fun and witty personality behind the smart books she authored.  While waiting on Deeply, Desperately (the recently released sequel to Truly, Madly), I dove into Heather's other mystery series starring gardener Nina Quinn and greatly enjoyed A Hoe Lot of Trouble.  So without further ado, it should come as no surprise that I am thrilled to welcome to my blog author Heather Webber!

*applause, applause*

Thanks for agreeing to this interview!  When writing mystery novels, how do you find the balance between making the central case challenging for the reader to solve, while still providing enough clues so the solution does not seem too far fetched?

For me, it’s really about the characters. Because my mysteries are character driven, I make sure I have plenty of interesting suspects with strong motivations. All my clues usually come from those characters and their behaviors and are tied into the crime in some way. If I’ve introduced a motivation for murder, I make sure that it’s resolved and not left hanging. Hopefully it all makes sense and ties together by the end of the book.

Is it hard to keep things fresh and unpredictable when writing multiple books in a series? Which is more enjoyable for you, starting a new series or continuing a current one?

Tough one! There is something so fun about creating a new series, but for me, it’s also really hard. The rest of the series is based off that very first book. If I decide three books in that I don’t like a main character, I’m out of luck! There’s a lot of planning ahead that has to be done.

Writing a book in the middle of the series is fun because I know the characters, know how they’re going to react in certain situations, and I love to see how they’ve grown throughout the series. That’s my favorite part—seeing the characters grow and evolve.

Do you think Nina Quinn and Lucy Valentine would be friends? How do you imagine a lunch date between them would go?

I think they’d definitely be friends! Imagining it is making me laugh. A lunch between them? Nina would probably talk Lucy into getting into trouble with her, and Lucy would probably be thinking of a way she could move her parents (or Dovie!) into Nina’s neighborhood. Both would be talking about their complicated love lives.

Have you always wanted to write mystery novels? Are there other genres you've considered writing?

I started my career writing romances, and I think my readers would be able to tell I still love that genre. I love the puzzle of the mysteries, and I love the characterization and happily-ever-afters of romance—so I usually to blend all three in every book I write.

You recently announced on your blog that you were given a Kindle for your birthday (and by the way, happy belated birthday). As a reader, how do you like the switch to digital books? As a writer, in what ways does the digital movement influence your work?

Thanks! I think digital books are here to stay and that authors would be best served to learn as much as we can about them. E-books haven’t made much impact on my writing life yet—but I have many friends who are starting to publish books that never sold traditionally. It’s also a great market for short stories and novellas that are often hard to place in the print market. As a reader, having a Kindle has been great. It’s hard to beat the instant gratification of buying a book with one click. Hard on the book budget, though! I’m working on the balance of buying print versus e-books, because I do still love holding a book in my hands.

Absolutely, Positively (Lucy Valentine book 3) is due out in February, and like many of your readers, I'm pretty excited about it!  What other projects are you currently working on?

I’m working on a couple of new projects. One’s a paranormal mystery series, and the other is more of a cozy/traditional mystery. I also have the beginnings of a paranormal romance series—but that’s still in the brainstorming stages.

Thanks again for being part of this interview!  Where can we find out more about you and your work?

The best places are my website (www.heatherwebber.com) and my blog (www.heatherwebber.blogspot.com), which is updated four to five days a week. I’m also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Webber/107003867409).

Check out all the fun facts on Heather's blog and check out the wonderful adventures of Nina Quinn and Lucy Valentine in Heather's books at your local bookstore!

It's probably pretty obvious that I read a wide variety of books.  Sometimes it depends on my mood, sometimes I just want a change from whatever genre I just finished.   Needless to say, I always enjoy when I find an author who writes with as much variety as I enjoy reading.  Heather Webber is that sort of writer.  Though some classify her strictly as a mystery author, there's definitely more to her stories than just "who dunnit".  Earlier this year I read and reviewed the first in Webber's Nina Quinn series (A Hoe Lot of Trouble) but bringing even more variety to the mystery genre is Webber's protagonist Lucy Valentine.  This series (which began in the book Truly, Madly) combines mystery, Chick Lit, supernatural, humor, and a dash of romance.  I recently picked up the second in this series and enjoyed it equally as much as the first!

Lucy Valentine is back! The Valentine family is known for being successful matchmakers - able to find perfect love for everyone but themselves - but Lucy's talent is a little different. With the touch of a hand she can locate missing objects, and sometimes even people those objects were given to. Her own new branch of the family business specializes in tracking down Lost Loves. Her partner - and boyfriend - is the handsome detective Sean Donahue but Lucy's not sure if their relationship can survive "Cupid's Curse", the family legacy that dooms the Valentine matchmakers to always be unlucky in love. On top of everything she's got a missing persons case to solve; one friend trying to break up another friend's engagement; and an annoying reporter following her every move.

As in Truly, Madly (book one of the Lucy Valentine series), Heather Webber constructs a fabulous story. The characters are wonderfully interesting and the plot is well layered with multiple story lines. There is plenty going on but every aspect is balanced, woven together such that nothing gets confusing or lost in the mix. I love the supporting cast and Lucy's friends and family are realistic characters that I could see myself being friends with or related to. And Lucy Valentine is all heart: smart, spunky, clever, and wise with just a touch of vulnerability. Caring and kind to everyone around her, but still capable of anger, envy and suspicions, ensuring that the reader find hers fully lovable and delightfully real.

With psychic mystery, sweet romance, and witty humor, Deeply, Desperately is a terrific sequel that does not disappoint after the delight of book one. Equally as good as the first in the series, the novel is a fun entry into Lucy Valentine's adventures and I can't wait to see what Webber concocts for book three!

I love the creativity that surrounds this series and I love the fun characters that populate all of Heather Webber's books!  What's your favorite book or series that combines a mix of genres?

Stay tuned this week for my interview with Heather Webber! 

It's day 14 and I have just over 26,000 words written of my novel.  I'm doing a good job staying ahead of the daily minimums but I'm hitting the difficult middle of my story and definitely starting to slump a bit.  Interrestingly enough, I'm not the only one who finds middles challenging.  In a pep talk email this past week, author John Green (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) had this to say about writing the middle of a novel:

Why do I quit halfway in? I get tired. It's not fun anymore. The story kind of sucks, and it's hard to sit down every day and spend several hours eating from a giant bowl of suck. And most of all, like the kid who spends hours preparing plastic armies for war, I enjoy setting things up more than I enjoy the battle itself. To finish something is to be disappointed. By definition, abandoned novels are more promising than completed ones.
You have likely reached the moment in this insane endeavor when you need a rock-solid answer to the question of why, precisely, you are trying to write a novel in a month. You have likely realized that your novel is not very good, at least not yet, and that finishing it will be a hell of a lot less fun than starting it was.

And it's true.  Starting, for me, is the fun part.  I like introducing characters much more than I like giving them purpose, destiny, and fulfilment.  But at the same time, I've passed the halfway mark.  I've started something that deserves to be finished.  If I've written 25,000 words in half a month, I can certainly write 50,000 in thirty days.  Here's to the second half!

Welcome back to another ReCOVERy Friday - a meme hosted by Miss Page-Turner's City of Books.  Obviously I've had a busy week working my way towards the halfway point of NaNoWriMo (more on that this weekend) but I wanted to jump in again with this fun artwork based meme.

This is how it works:

1. Think of a book cover you like (e.g. because of its cover art, model, author, title etc.) Doesn’t matter if it’s an old or new one, you just have to enjoy it!
2. Create a ReCOVERy Friday post for your blog and post it with the whole wonderful weekend ahead
3. Maybe add some sentences and explain why you like the cover…
4. Then add your ReCOVERy Friday post to the link list on Miss Page Turner's site so everyone can enjoy it
5. Check out other ReCOVERy Friday posts if you like to compare them, chat about them, get inspiration and just have fun! 

The book I want to spotlight this week is one that I'm really excited to read, although it won't be released until January of 2011.  Check out this cover for Deborah Rodriguez's A Cup of Friendship. 

For the artwork alone, I like the centered title and the symmetry of the open windows and the chairs.  The tea setting on the table with the chairs turned toward it, looks comforting and inviting and adds to the warmth of the word "friendship" in the title.  I also like the color scheme with the bright paint on the window designs and the contrast against the mustard colored walls. 

Like Deborah Rodriquez's first book, Kabul Beauty School, this one takes place in Afghanistan an I think the cover does a nice job of conveying that.  What has me even more intrigued by this book though, is the very small subtitle - "A Novel".  Kabul Beauty School was a nonfiction memoir of Rodriguez's life as an American hairdresser living in the Afghanistan but in her newest book she tackles a fiction story.  I'm really intrigued to read this one as I felt that Rodriquez had a great voice in relating the life stories of her friends in Kabul and I'm curious to check out an entire book in her narrative style. 

Do you have a favorite cover of the week?  What do you think about A Cup of Friendship based on cover alone? 

Corrag, the titular character of Susan Fletcher's work, has been haunted by the word "witch" her entire life. The moniker has often been accompanied by scowling glances and thrown stones. It is the word that took her mother from her and sent Corrag fleeing to Scotland from the English town where she was born. Small but hardy, young Corrag survived and made a life for herself among the MacDonald clan but when politics, oaths, and kingship debates bring a bloody massacre to Glencoe, the word witch places Corrag behind bars sentenced to death.

"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think."

~Edwin Schlossberg

Well, I'm pretty certain my NaNoWriMo projects don't create much context for thought besides the thought of "what possessed her to compose such drivel?" but I do like this quote a lot.  What writers would you say have created a context for you to think in?

Remember, remember the fifth of November....

I thought I would chime in with a quick update on my progress so far for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  I'd say overall I'm doing well this year.  I've stayed ahead of the daily minimums, which for me is crucial when I hit the middle portion of my story that more often than not spells a heap load of writer's block.

As for what I'm writing about, there's a title and brief story description on my NaNoWriMo author page.  The story sounds a lot better in that snippet than it does in my first 11,000 words, but I'm hoping that I can put some hard effort into pulling the shining story in my mind out of the slogging drivel I seem to typing out each day.

But as always, I just need to keep reminding myself that this is a draft.  Drafts don't have to be perfect.  They don't even have to be pretty.  The bottom line is that in just over three weeks, a story that's been simmering in my head for years will finally have made its way to paper (or actually computer screen, but you get the drift.)

Cheers and best wishes to all of those making this journey with me as well.  You have no idea how much your growing blue bars inspire and encourage me.  I would never attempt such insanity on my own and for this, I thank you all most kindly!

Imagine if you will the sights and sounds of beautiful carved horses dancing in a circle to lively calliope sounds.  This is the wonder of a carousel and it is with this imagery in mind that I'm pleased to welcome another author to my blog.  Joining me today is Stefani Deoul author of The Carousel!

*applause, applause*

The Carousel is a story of one woman's journey, but it is also about the community spirit and collaboration of the town around her. Have you ever had a teamwork experience like the one in your novel?

I have been exceptionally fortunate, in many ways I get to spend my life that way. As a television producer, I land in new cities, with a new script and need to build a community of artists and peers- actors, directors, designers, crew - to execute this vision. And within each and every one of those journeys, I have met so many exceptional people; some who are only there for that specific time and place, and some who have remained friends throughout the years. So in one sense, I get to build a "carousel" with every episode I produce.

Your town is filled with a wide variety of characters and each has their own story and journey. To which character do you most relate or connect? Are any of them based on people you know?

I don't know that anyone in the book is me or a specific person. Now, having said that - there are aspects of characters that belong, in bits, to me and in bits to people I have known. I think I can honestly claim to be the "bit" who doesn't understand why anyone would cover up perfectly good hardwood floors:) Get an area rug! Okay - even a BIG area rug! Sheesh! Other people in the book, - I honestly haven't got a clue where they come from.

Was it challenging to write this novel with so much of your main character - including her name - hidden throughout the story?

Oh yeah. :) The very next piece I wrote, I must have stated the main character's name ten times in ten lines. But in an unexpected twist, it wasn't writing her that I found difficult. From a "name" point of view, I knew who she was. From an emotional pov, I journeyed with her. So it wasn't really until the editing that the challenges presented themselves. I mean, I thought all was clear as could be. Then came all those pesky "other people", better known as readers and editors, and suddenly I learned that my clarity wasn't necessarily clear at all and I was going to have to distinguish her presence without diluting the drama. Next story - ten times in ten lines!

I've always loved merry-go-rounds and you have great details in this book about the design and construction of wooden horses. Was this a topic with which you were previously familiar or did you do research specifically for the book?

I did a tremendous amount of research. I believe the detail makes everyone's journey credible. And I knew nothing, I mean nothing, about carousel construction when I began. When I began this story (the first thirty pages) I was unaware exactly how long it takes to build one horse - never mind that it would take all those years to realistically complete a carousel. You can well imagine that both transformed, and informed, the structure of the novel.

If you were designing your own carousel horse what would it look like? What name would you choose?

I'm not sure I know the name, but I believe my horse would be a Pegasus, for my horse would need to have wings and fly.

From your author bio, I see that you have experience working on television production (including some shows that I loved!). How did you switch from the screen to the page? Which do you prefer?

First, the producer in me says thank you. As to how I switched from screen to page. I have several big-time dreams - one of which was to write a novel. I've done some other writing and this was one of those holy grail kind of things. I always thought "one day when I have nothing else to do with my time." And then, my industry had a strike. There was no work. Soooooo -I gave it a try. Thirty days later - I had a draft. Now just to be clear, I had a draft that still needed work, but it was a draft.

For your second question, as to which I prefer, I don’t have a good answer. Producing is a pretty external job, novel writing - not so much. Being able to have both in my life is kind of extraordinary.

What projects are you currently working on?

Haven, a series I produce which airs on the SyFy Channel, has just been picked up for a second season and I'm working on another novel, having just completed a short story, titled June 28th.

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

I have a Carousel Facebook Page and my publisher, A & M Books (AandMbooks.com) is kind enough to post some links on my behalf. And going back to your very first question, there's also a youtube promo, which was made possible by some of the community I have met along the way.

Let's take a peek at that video:

And now - if I might ask for your indulgence - a note from this writer.
Dear Lisa -
First - Thank you for reading my book.
Second - Thank you for your reviews and for this interview.
And Third - more than anything - thank you for being someone who introduces her blog by saying "I read. I love to read. I love to read a lot." It makes both the writer in me AND the reader in me feel so incredibly welcome.
Thank you.

And thank you, Stefani!  The Carousel is on sale now!