Walking For Friendship or For Readers? Can You Do Both? + Weekly eBook Winner (see below)

Photo: Bruno Cervera // Unsplash

During a recent Zoom class (yes, I've joined the dark side), one of my students asked what inspires and motivates me. She's trying to finish her first book and knew I'd just finished my 16th.

"How do you do it?" she wanted to know. "Where do you find daily inspiration?"

"Walking!" I told her, without hesitation.

I have always been an avid walker but, since getting our frisky Blue Heeler, Kasper, three years ago, it's become a mandatory daily event. Some time between one and three every single afternoon, Kaspie appears at my desk, leash (shoe, sock…) in his mouth, eyes piercing, ears high. And he won't take no for an answer.

"Come on, woman," that look says. "It's time for walkies."

And off we set, for a fast-paced, 40-minute adventure, but it's always my mind that gets the best work-out.

Walking is the perfect way for me to gather fresh ideas, dialogue, plot points and character development. Without fail, I come back from these walks re-energised and inspired. It works every single time.

Until lately, that is.

You see, thanks to COVID-19, the world has changed and people have been stuck in their small neighbourhoods, and suddenly I have found a lovely, well-meaning neighbour who wants to walk with me. And at first I was delighted. It's such a fun way to catch up— chatting, gossiping, venting about the hubby and kids.

But it's been atrocious for my writing.

In the past, I returned from a walk so inspired, I barely had time to remove Kasper's leash before flying to the keyboard to tap away like a lunatic, getting all these exciting ideas down.

Since my friend started joining me, we inevitably stop for a (socially distanced) cup of tea, and so the chatter continues, and before I know it, another hour has passed and no writing has been done, let alone fresh ideas gleaned. By the time she leaves and I sit at my desk... nothing.

It's been great for my friendship—really, I adore this neighbour and enjoy our talks!—but lousy for my readers.

So, what to do? Do I put her off next time she calls? Do I take two walks a day—one for myself, one for my books? I'm yet to work that out, folks, but it's not such a bad quandry to have. I could be all alone with no friends, no readers, no ideas. I have to find a happy medium, I'm just not sure what it is, yet.

Perhaps I'll work out the solution on my next walk…

"Kasper! Walkies?"

Until then, happy reading (and walking) everyone!

xo Christina

IT'S OFFICIAL! I have just finished the 4th adventure for my Agatha Christie Book Club! And to celebrate, I'm giving YOU a chance to win a prize. 

Every. Single. Week. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Titled And Then There Were Nine: The Agatha Christie Book Club 4, in this installment the Book Club have expanded, inviting four fabulous new members to join the fold. 

To get to know each other better and discuss the latest book (Christie's And Then There Were None), they head off to an isolated rainforest lodge.

That is their first mistake!

Before you know it, two people are murdered, there's a fire roaring up the mountain and a killer still on the loose.

Is there a stranger lurking in the forest or is the killer one of them?

THIS WEEK'S WINNER…

If you liked the sound of that, you'll be happy to hear the manuscript is now with my editor (hey Annie!) and will be launched very soon. Until then, I'm giving one devoted subscriber a FREE ecopy of one of the previous Agatha Christie Book Club adventures—whichever one they choose.*

TO WIN: Just keep reading these newsletters! I'll pick a subscriber randomly from the list and announce the name each week. If that's you, I will then contact you directly to find out which book you'd like.

*Don't panic if you've already read ALL THREE in the series. You're my favourite kind of subscriber and will get a chance to choose from any of my other cozy mysteries (see here).

THIS WEEK'S WINNER IS...

R.Dawn.Brown

Congratulations R.Dawn.Brown! I will be in touch with you soon.

Everyone else, keep watching for more weekly giveaways. Or catch up on the story via the links, below.

xo Christina 

@AMAZON online

Apple iBooks

B+N nook

kobo

The Heart of Darkness (It's in My Head)

It's scary what goes through my mind at 30,000 feet:

'If someone just wrenched open that door handle we'd all go flying out, ripped from our seatbelts, and sucked through the cabin, starting with that smug bloke spreading his legs out in the exit row.'

and…

'Gee that suction in the toilet cubicle is strong. Wonder if it could vacuum out a small child?'

and… Well, you get the picture.

Don't be alarmed or worried for my mental health. I think these thoughts quite calmly, while sipping my G&T on a Qantas fiight to Singapore (where I'm headed for work). I am not perturbed by the dark images that flitter through my imagination, I just accept them—like you might a distracting throught during meditation—and let them go, as I happily glance around.

This is the way my mind works. Always has. I'm a glass-half-empty, every-cloud-has-a-storm-behind-it kind of person, and that's what drives my writing. It's why I became a crime writer in the first place. Makes sense right?

But it's not all doom and gloom. My (wise-beyond-her-years) niece said to me just before I left, in fact, "Maybe you love mysteries, Aunty Christina, because they get solved, so you're actually being really, like, positive and stuff."

She's right. I might revel in the dark, but it's the fact that I'm shining light on those shadowy corners that really inspires me. It's not the crime that I like. It's the justice that comes for the victim, the answers that come for the family, the order that is restored to the world. And, in the case of the exit door, it's also about the most positive aspect of all—survival. Because after each such thought, I usually go to solutions, like:

'Okay, if that happened, I'd scream out to the bloke to grab hold of his seatbelt, wrap it around his wrist and hold on for dear life.'

And how positive is that?

What about you? As a crime reader, do you also have a dark imagination? Or are you fiercely positive and just happen to stray into dark territory from time to time? If you particularly love cozy crime like me, I tend to believe the answer is the latter, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Are you a naturally dark soul and if so, why? Or is light and positivity your preference? And if so, why do you read crime?

Pop a comment here or jot me an email and let me know.

Until then, happy (sinister) reading everyone.

xo Christina

The Path To Publication? It's Written in the Stars, Sadly

Once upon a time fame was something that came after you published a fabulous book. Or at least, that was the plan. 

It was certainly the dream and desire of thousands of aspiring authors who sought fame not for its fan mail or feted awards as such (although those were not unwelcome, let's face it) but for its ability to enable them to keep on doing what they loved doing best—writing.

Well, not anymore folks. At least, not always.

"Did you hear about the great lineup in the kids' tent at the Byron Writers' Festival this year?" gushed one mum on the soccer sidelines the other day.
"Oh?" I replied, my pulse quickening at the thought of my son's favourite authors, past and present, littering the stage; people like Andy Griffiths, Mem Fox, and, dare I think it?— J.K. O. My God. Rowling?!
The woman nodded her head, deliriously. "Yes! They've got Richard Roxburgh and Peter Helliar!"
Huh?
Last time I looked, Richard was a famous actor better known for playing a philandering drunk and Pete a stand-up comedian with a TV news show for adults.
"In the kids' tent? Really? At the writers festival?"
"Oh yes," she squealed. "They've written books. I love those guys. Isn't it exciting!"
Like ordinary writers are so very dull. I didn't dare ask her if she'd read their books, I knew it was irrelevant. Who cares? They're famous!!!"

Now, at risk of sounding like a disgruntled and very unfamous author, let me just say, WTF?! How has it come to this?! How has infamy become the drawcard, not output? How do those bozos get a chair on the podium instead of so many kids' authors I've read whose books are probably just as worthy? Because, and here's the disclaimer, I haven't read Richard or Pete's books either and they're probably absolutely wonderful, but let's be honest here, that's not the point. Those blokes are in the much-sought-after program because of who they are not what they've written, and I defy anyone to argue otherwise.

The changing face of books

Today, it seems, fame is the precursor to scoring yourself a book deal. A prerequisite in fact. No name, no contract, no writing deal. And, I'm sorry, but it breaks my heart.

I don't write children's books, couldn't do it if I tried (and I did once, it was not pretty), but I can't help thinking of all the budding children's authors who attend my self-publishing classes with stars in their eyes not on their director's chairs. They've worked so long and so hard on their stories and, from what they've shown me, their material is often wonderful, their stories delightful, their illustrations exquisite.

But they will probably never see the light of day, let alone the inside of a book shop or the podium at a national book festival because they're missing that one vital factor—fame.

But maybe I'm just unkind. Maybe it's sour grapes. It's definitely not novel.
This move to celebrity started a long time ago, back when magazines stopped featuring 'ordinary' women on their covers and started plastering brushed up Hollywood stars. And it's not just kids books or my local writers festival that is enamoured of celebrity. Just ask any sports journalist whose job has been replaced by a thuggish looking ex-footy star who can barely read the words being fed to him like mashed banana from a teleprompter.

Today, fame comes first and the craft—the pure and utter devotion to words—well, that's an irrelevant second. A sidenote to a glittering resume. And that, my friends, is the real tragedy.

A forgotten calling

Call me old-fashioned, and many do, but I long for the days when writing was still considered a calling, a career that was respected and admired, albeit poorly paid, and that poor bastards devoted themselves to for decades upon decades, struggling to pay the bills, maintain relationships and retain their sanity—all in the name of art. Not something that's whipped together as a PR exercise between takes on a flood-lit sound stage.

Do I sound harsh? I have a right to be. I wrote my first 'novel' at the age of 13. It was tripe but it didn't matter. I couldn't help but write. I'd been telling stories to anyone who'd listen since I could talk. I had no choice. Writing was what woke me up in the morning and kept me awake long into the night. And it still does.

Did Richard Roxburgh conjure up adventure stories as a boy? Did Peter Helliar dream of publishing the Great Australian Novel? Maybe, maybe not. I suspect that came later. I suspect that came after a nudge from an antsy agent or after a brainstorming session in a publisher's office:

"Who can we get to write a kids' book? Who's hot at the moment? Oh, I know! Let's ask that chubby guy from that top-rating TV show! He seems like fun. Kids'll love him!"

I have no qualms with anyone wanting to tell their stories and everyone's entitled to do so—the famous, the infamous and the great unknown. But please don't expect me to drag my son to watch you chat about your book when the real reason you're sitting there, the main reason your book ever saw the light of day, is two simple words that you never even came up with yourself.

Your name.

What do you think? Am I being unfair? Please drop a comment below or get in touch via my email or twitter.

And happy reading everyone, even of the unknown!
xo Christina

A little less conversation…

"Tap, tap, tap…" Can you hear that? "Tap, tap… (expletive, expletive), tap tap…"

I'm in the final throes of a whole new mystery novel and, apart from the clickety-clack of my old smudged keyboard (and the odd muttered curse), things have been quiet around here lately.

And they're about to get even quieter.

I've given myself exactly two weeks to finish the first draft, and another two weeks to do the rewrite, which means a little less conversation and a little more typing, baby.

It also means no more blogs for a bit. Forgive my silence, people, but be assured the result will be worth it. My next book is a newbie for me, a whole new direction. I can't reveal too much yet but I am sure you'll love it, if only for the sheer novelty factor. No one is doing anything quite like this one at the moment. I'm very excited, but I have a lot of work to do before it's complete.

And I need to get on with it or my editor will skin me alive.

Until we chat again, keep an eye on Amazon, Twitter and Facebook. I'll still be doing the odd promotions and sales of my other books.

For now, though, I have a keyboard waiting and an editor wielding a knife...

Happy tapping everyone!

xo Christina

Cannibals, Agatha Christie and a Rock 'n Roll Murder with author CA Larmer

Why writers have a right to be commercial (if Woody Allen can do it...)

I occasionally run workshops on self-publishing a novel and in every class there’s at least one set of eyebrows that shoot up at the point where I start to wax lyrical about the importance of sales, and how to better construct your book in a way that helps it sell. 

That means thinking about things that lure more buyers in—like word length, cover design, price point and so forth.

“You want to sell as many books as you can,” I say, “because the more books you sell the more money you make and the more chance you have to go on and turn more of your wonderful stories into books.” 

For some students it’s as though I have just said, “Now go out and prostitute yourself.” 

Invariably, their  eyebrows begin to squish together and a scornful voice below them says something like, “But surely we shouldn’t be publishing books to make money.” And my reply is usually a variation of, “And why the hell not?”

Do J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Toni Morrison and Ian McEwan all knock back their royalties?

I then go on to say something to the effect of, “Why is it okay for certain professions to shamelessly make a motza and be lauded for it—like inventors and scientists and internet gurus and actors and entrepreneurs and sports people and, well, you get the drift—yet writers must cling to this antiquated idea that if we are to be true artists, we must struggle?”

“Why must we ignore sales to have any kind of credibility?”

At this point their eyebrows often settle down a bit and they concede the point and wave me on. That’s when I start discussing how to actually sell more books, and lo and behold things turn squishy again.

Because selling your book doesn’t start the minute you write ‘The End’. 

In fact, I tell my students, if you’re writing commercial fiction (because I’m not talking about literary fiction that delibrately pushes boundaries) and you’re hoping to sell e-books (because unless your name is Barnes and Noble, sites like Amazon are your marketplace) you’re going to need to consider certain factors before you’ve even penned the prologue.

Like word count... 

Did you know, for instance, that in some genres less is best (like mystery and non-fiction), in others the more the merrier (like literary fiction)? Certain readers gravitate to certain book lengths whether you like it or not. That means, if yours is a crime novel, a little less waffle might be good for your wallet. It might also be better for the book, but that's a whole other workshop.

Like the first few pages.. 

Did you know that online buyers usually only read a small (free) sample and if you don’t grab them fast they flick on to the next book? They may download the full 20% sample but chances are they won't even read a quarter of that. It's still a lot more than they're likely to read if they stumble upon your book in their local book shop. In any case it means you haven't got time (aka pages) to waste (see earlier comment about waffle).

Not to mention all the things that come afterwards like cover design (it’ll be the size of a stamp so it needs to work doubly hard) and price point (you could sell your ebook for $39.95 but the only one who’ll buy it is your mother), and so on and so forth.

By this stage the sceptical student's eyebrows are so wedged together, they could hold up a set of Encyclopedias. Yet I ask you: what’s wrong with creating, writing and marketing your books so they actually find buyers (aka readers)? 

Is that really any more cynical or any less artistic than writing books so that some guy in a suit can give you  a publishing deal or a literary award or a good review in a newspaper?

Better yet—and this is really what I'm arguing here—is it any different to the way other artists go about their work? Like producers of films, albums, plays, opera, broadsheets and so on? Every single one of those artforms works within certain externally dictated constraints in order to lure and satisfy an audience. 

So why not books?

Let’s take a closer look at some of these. 

• Films

When did you last see a movie—even an ‘art-house flick’— that cost, say, $30 a ticket or went for five hours? The likes of Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese may feel they deserve higher ticket prices or want to make a ten-hour movie but they know that very few people will see it and so they edit it back. And they do this even before they've finished the first take. It's part of the pre-production process.

That’s showbusiness. That’s common sense. That’s their very survival. Whatever the filmmaker's motive for making the movie, be it to entertain, challenge or take us on a journey, none of those things will happen if we don’t first buy a cinema ticket. 

In other words: Sales.

• Opera, Ballet, Theatre...

How many plays, operas or ballets have you attended that were performed at, say, five in the morning? Or after midnight? I’m gonna guess that, if you've attended any at all, the answer is none. Instead the production is usually performed over a few digestible hours after work or as a weekend matinee. Because that’s when people are available to see them and that’s when they’re more likely to buy a ticket. Did the reviewer criticize the fact that the opera or ballet was deliberately held at a convenient time for the masses? 

Were they selling out? I think not.

• Feature articles

When you read a brilliantly written article in a magazine or newspaper, like a literary book review perhaps, did you know that the writer was most likely asked to stay within a certain word count? And that the word counts for these reviews are getting smaller and smaller thanks to the internet and our diminishing attention spans? Do you criticize the reviewer and tell them they have sold out because they kept their review to, say, 500 words instead of the 1500 they wanted to write? Do they criticize themselves?

Of course not. It’s just business. It means the reader (remember them?) is more likely to read the whole review, the paper is more likely to sell more copies, and the reviewer is more likely to be asked (and paid!) to write more reviews in future. Ka-ching! all round.

So is that selling out? 

Stories should never be compromised. That’s NOT what I’m on about. 

Let me repeat that because I know some of you are already formulating your scathing comments about true art and selling your soul and blah blah blah.

Stories should never be compromised. But the way you present and package your stories can be carefully tweaked and modified to lure more readers in, just as they are in other areas of life. 

More readers = better sales

Better sales = more financial freedom

More financial freedom = more chance of giving up your day job and telling more of your wonderful stories

Hell, it may even give you the financial freedom to throw everything I’ve just said out of the window and write that 200,000-word tome you’ve been dreaming about.

Just don’t expect to sell many.

Happy reading (and writing) everyone!

xo Christina

What writers do when the power goes out

The darkness drops again...

If I was a deeply religious person, I'd think that it was divine intervention, or a message from above. Instead, I'm beginning to wonder whether it's my creative muse giving me a little zap.

Several times this month my Power Supplier has informed me that the electricity will be switched off for eight hours, in a few days time. Let me just repeat that. EIGHT HOURS! That's 480 minutes or  a full working day.

Oh. My. Freakin' God!

Now, before you start sending cheques, let me clarify: It's not because I haven't paid my bill, heaven forbid, but because they're doing maintenance on the lines. Or something. And each time I have cursed the aforementioned heavens and had to get better organised.

Preparing for the Stone Age

Being in the final throes of the first draft of my second Agatha Christie Book Club, has meant charging up the laptop the evening before said Power Outage so I can at least get a few decent hours of work in before my world turns Stone Age.

It's happened twice already and I have two more 'Off Days' scheduled before the month is out. Arrrgggh!

Except, really, if I think about it, it's a blessing in disguise. Because no power means no WiFi and no TV and no kettle and all those other modern distractions that drag me from my typing and help me to procrastinate.

And as every author knows, it's so easy to procrastinate when you're writing a book. Hell, it's practically mandatory. That and copious supplies of coffee.

Without power, however, both things become a lot more difficult, and the world becomes very, very small. Suddenly all I have is a tiny window of opportunity to get some typing done—four hours if the laptop battery is behaving itself. Suddenly I need to focus as I've never focused before. Every second counts. I don't muck around. I don't check Facebook or put the washing on or phone a friend. I just sit and I type and I type and I type — for four hours straight.

Without a single coffee break, mind.

And then—gasp—the laptop goes black and I am left with nothing but a dead screen and my thoughts.

And that's okay, too, because as every writer also knows, there's nothing better than some 'dead time' to really let your brain come to life. On both occasions I use that time to ponder what I have written, tighten a few plot points, and reconfigure several characters who weren't quite dancing off the page. 

And I do it all with these weird gadgets they call 'pencils' and 'notepads'. And things do not fall apart! The centre does hold! Mere anarachy is far from loosed upon the world. In fact, efficiency and calm appear to descend and my brain is as lit up as a light bulb.

By the time the full eight hours is over and the power is miraculously back on, I am fully recharged, my book is humming along and we are both the better for it.

So, bring it on oh Power (Company) That Be. Your maintenance work on the power lines is powering up my focus and creativity.

As for you, dear readers? Look out for my new book in the coming months. Just a few more power outages and it'll be done.

Until then, happy reading.

xo Christina

Out of the (cozy) cupboard and proud!

I knew they were crime. I knew they were fairly benign. But I never had a clue my murder mysteries were 'cozy' until I began uploading them to Amazon. 

Despite my best efforts—'suspense!', 'international mystery!', 'humor!'— I was quickly relegated to the 'Cozy' genre. Didn't bother me, of course. It just confused me.

What the hell is Cozy Crime?

The name, of course, gives the game away. Look up a dictionary, any dictionary, and you're likely to find the words: "comfortable, snug, warm and friendly".*

And, yes, that is one way of looking at my books. Kind of.
I mean, there are a few murders in the mix, but for the most part The Ghostwriter Mystery Series and The Agatha Christie Book Club can be read in the dead of night without looking over your shoulder and checking the locks.

They're not dripping in blood and lurking with vicious rapists or child killers. There's no gory autopsies and psycho serial killers.

They're mysteries with an edge of menace. Puzzles with a little peril. A good story with some secrecy and problem solving thrown in. And, yes, okay then, they are best read cuddled up in a cozy armchair, preferably with a cute dog/cat/cuppa by your side.

Guilty as charged!

Of course many authors, readers and publishers go even further than that, and suggest that 'Cozy' means 'small town', means 'amateur sleuth', means compulsory addition of a cat/dog/craft/hobby. And for some it does. But it needn't be that defined.

For me, 'cozy crime' just means a bloody good mystery that's enjoyable to read, fun to solve, has a very clever plot and quirky, lovable characters, and still lets you sleep at night. Or, as they say: Comfortable, snug, warm and friendly.

So, to celebrate the genre that was thrust upon me but which I have quickly grown to adore, I wanted to give a thumbs up to some other wonderful cozy authors with whom I share Amazon digital shelves and a facebook writing group. I haven't read them all but I can vouch for their sincerity and devotion to the genre, whether they intended to write cozy or not.

Take your pick...

And happy (cozy) reading everyone!
xo Christina

* The Concise Oxford Dictionary

C.A. Larmer Author of novels at Self-Employed	Ritter Ames Fictional Escape Artist at Writer
Kathi Daley Kathi Daley Books at Writer	Julie Mulhern Washington and Lee University
Mollie Cox Bryan Mystery Writer at Kensington Publishing Corp.	Tonya Kappes USA Today Bestselling Author at Paranormal Mystery and Women's Fiction Joined about 8 months ago
Dianne Harman University of California, Los Angeles	Leigh Selfman
Julie Seedorf Writer at Self-Employed	Sylvia Selfman
Leslie Langtry University of Illinois at Springfield	Julie Moffett Works at Novelist
Amy Metz Author at Home	Christa Nardi University of Connecticut at Storrs
Celeste Burke Author at Writer	Julie Sarff Works at Community College of Denver
Zanna Mackenzie Works at Freelance Writer and Author	Kee Patterbee Georgia State University
Morgana Best Works at Author	Maureen Kovach Retired English teacher at Carey High School
Duncan Whitehead	Ava Mallory Author at Author Ava Mallory