Who is THE OTHER WOMAN?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: SO exciting! THE OTHER WOMAN launches today! It’s the first in my new series, in hardcover from Forge—and I am thrilled with the response. Oline Cogdill called it a“... highly entertaining hardcover debut.  Ryan combines both a timely tale and a multi-layered plot with gripping suspense.  Ryan uses her trademark effortlessly wry touch...a well-designed, brisk plot that is high on restraint and without gratuitous violence."

 And it has a starred review from Library Journal “Readers who crave mystery and political intrigue will be mesmerized by this…” and a starred review from Booklist! (See below for the rave.)

One of the marvelous things about having so many pals in writing world is that everyone is interested in how everyone else works—how we think and how we make decisions and yes, even where ideas come from. I’ve answered a lot of new and insightful questions over the past week—and they’ve really made me think! And at the end of today’s post—THE OTHER WOMAN video. And a very very easy contest!

Girlfriend LUCY BURDETTE also has a book coming out this week--I interviewed her for yesterday's post--now she's got the microphone!

LUCY BURDETTE: Tell us about THE OTHER WOMAN!

HANK: Happy to!  I love that Julia Spencer-Fleming called it The Candidate meets Basic Instinct. I’ve called it The Good Wife meets Law & Order. A Booklist starred review (!) calls it “The perfect thriller for the election season.” It’s a fast-paced page-turner about a reporter on the trail of a candidate’s secret mistress. Who is the other woman? And if a candidate is having an affair—should the reporter make that public?  And its the first in a new series, so readers are starting at the beginning. Fans of Lisa Scottoline and Harlan Coben will love it, I hope!

LUCY:  It's so different from your first series--may I say it seems--bigger.

HANK:  Yes, THE OTHER WOMAN is very different! When I got the idea for the story, I realized it was too big and juicy and complicated to be in first person present tense. My thought was—there are too many elements that need to be going on at the same time. And the main characters, Jane Ryland and Jake Brogan, each needed their own point of view. That allowed me to reveal, separately, what each person knows and what they believe to be true—and also allows me to let the reader know thing that the character doesn’t. It seemed so ripe for dramatic irony—and it was an amazing and rewarding challenge to write it. Incredibly fun.

And the TIME books are funny, THE OTHER WOMAN really isn’t. But Oline Cogdill’s rave review, commented on my “effortlessly wry humor”–so I guess it’s not all drama and suspense!

LUCY:  It's so ripped from the headlines--a big-name politician who may be having an illicit affair? Imagine! Is there an issue that you're addressing with THE OTHER WOMAN? If so, what is it?

HANK: Well. That’s interesting. You know, there is an “issue”—but it’s not what you might expect. It’s consequences. How everything we do, even if we think we’re doing a good thing or the right thing or an important thing—has consequences. And some of those turn out to be consequences we never could have predicted.  People talk about “doing he right thing for the wrong reason”—or the concept of “unintended consequences.” I wanted to let people think about that-- how one decision we make reverberates and resonates—and topples dominoes in people’s lives.

To examine secrets and desire and the need for power—how those things can change you. And how far people will go to get what they want.

One character says: You can choose your sin, but you cannot choose your consequences.” And that’s what’s on the cover.

I also say:  “Seduction, betrayal and murder—it’ll take more than votes to win this election.”

LUCY: Everyone in New England knows you from your TV career as investigative reporter in Boston--for what, more than 30 years now? You writer about a reporter...hmmmm.

  

HANK: Yeah... When people ask me about research—I have to smile. I have been researching these books every day since I started on the air in 1975! I just didn’t realize it.  I’ve wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt politicians, chased down criminals—I know how someone looks when they’re lying, I’ve watched politicians close-up on the campaign trail, I know what bad guys think they can get away with—and how they try to fool the public. Is it power, is it entitlement, is it denial? Why do they think they can get away with anything? Why does the public believe so much of what they’re told?  Or—do they?

I wanted to show how the tension with politicians and reporters and police plays out..and how fragile reputations can be. 

LUCY: You have such a terrific video! It's not what anyone would have predicted..

HANK: Oh, thank you! Yeah, we took kind of a risk with it—see what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdH02wV_O3M

(And don't forget to look for Lucy's DEATH IN FOUR COURSES!  It's a deliciously suspenseful mystery about the gorgeous but sinister Key West--and all the fabulous food that goes along with it! PW gave it a RAVE!)

Thanks Girlfriends! You know how crazy launch day is! SO happy to be sharing the journey with you...

Just leave a comment saying hi—and you’ll be entered for a free copy of THE OTHER WOMAN--your choice of a hardcover book, an ebook, or an audio book!

Happy Release Day: Lucy Burdette and Hank Phillippi Ryan

Lucy Burdette and Hank Phillippi Ryan both have books out—this week!!! And fitting in with the girlfriends theme, they both involve big transitions.  We’re so excited about this...we cannot wait to tell you. First----Lucy. And tomorrow Hank!

And a lucky commenter will win a signed copy of DEATH IN FOUR COURSES  today—or THE OTHER WOMAN tomorrow!

Hank: After eight books written as Roberta Isleib, you've got a new name and a new series. Talk about transition! Tell us about that!

Lucy: My publisher was looking for a cozy mystery proposal with a food critic as the protagonist. And I was looking for something new to write! And at the time, my husband and I were lucky enough to be spending the winter in Key West, which is a foodie paradise and chock full of interesting characters. And thus the series was born! I love food, so it’s been a delicious adventure to write these books—and a great excuse for “research.” DEATH IN FOUR COURSES, released yesterday, is the second book in the new series. 

Food critic Hayley Snow is attending a conference of prestigious food writers. After finding the keynote speaker's body bobbing in a dipping pool, she has to turn sleuth--or come to her own bitter finish.

As for the name, the publisher asked if I'd be willing to change it. My grandmother's name, Lucille Burdette, immediately sprang to mind. I love having that bit of family history in my life--and it's so much fun to be LUCY!

Hank: Tell us about the new character, food critic Hayley Snow.

Lucy: She’s young—I can’t even bear to tell you how much younger than I—so she’s insecure and anxious about finding herself and succeeding, as I was in my 20’s. However, she’s much braver than I am—more foolhardy too. It’s a little odd to be writing about an amateur sleuth, as I certainly would never try to solve a mystery myself! Dial 911—and run as far from the body as possible—that’s how I would handle a murder…

We are alike in a few ways—she’s devoted to her family and friends and loves a good meal. My husband feels that he’s been eating better than ever since I started to write about a food critic. He’s a little disappointed now if I don’t take a picture of his dinner before he tackles it…

Hank: SO. Back to Key West! Your books are such a treat on so many levels—was it fun to be in Key West as a writer, not just as a visitor?  

Lucy: As I hope you’ll be able to tell in the books, I’m mad for Key West. The food, the tropical setting, the interesting characters, the energy! But the island also has a long literary history. Ernest Hemingway lived here (you can tour his home and see the descendants of his polydactyl cats), and Tennessee Williams, and Judy Blume, and Annie Dillard, and Alison Lurie, and Jimmy Buffett…I can’t tell you how much I love feeling like a tiny part of this!

I had a major thrill when I received my first-ever (in ten books!) review from Publishers Weekly. Here's my favorite little snippet: "Anyone who's ever overpaid for a pretentious restaurant meal will relish this witty cozy." 

Hank: Congratulations Lucy! And readers, there are lots of ways to order the book—you can pick your poison:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Indiebound
Or for a signed copy, RJ Julia Booksellers
 

 
And don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in our double-barreled drawing--for a copy of DEATH IN FOUR COURSES today, and THE OTHER WOMAN tomorrow!

 

Check out Lucy's website
Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyBurdette
Or "Like" her on Facebook

Summer Reads, Make Me Feel Fine by Lucy Burdette

 

Speaking of summer reading, I’m going on a trip very soon that will strip all my usual distractions away, leaving me with snorkeling, snoozing, and reading for entertainment. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Until I realize I have to choose what to take on the plane (so that means paperbacks) and then hope it lasts for the week. (Is there anything worse than running out of reading material where there’s no bookstore, or the books are all in a foreign language?) I don’t really like reading on a Kindle, though I suppose we’ll take it along for back-up…

 So here are the books that are on the top of the pile:

Julie Hyzy’s GRACE AMONG THIEVES. I haven’t read the first two in this series about the curator of Marshfield Manor and her amateur sleuthing exploits but I adore Julie’s White House chef mystery series so I’m expecting good things.

Krista Davis’s THE DIVA DIGS UP THE DIRT. Krista’s series about a down-to-earth domestic diva living in charming Alexandria, Virginia with a wacky family is vintage cozy mystery—pure comfort reading.

Kristan Higgins, SOMEBODY TO LOVE. Kristan writes romantic comedies loaded with funny, heartwarming romance. The girl always ends up with the right guy, but not until she’s been through the wringer. I haven’t missed a one of these.

Barbara O’Neal’s THE GARDEN OF HAPPY ENDINGS. I love Barbara’s characters, and her love stories, and the way she writes about food. I was crazy about HOW TO BAKE A PERFECT LIFE so I’m certain to enjoy this one.

CJ Box’s FORCE OF NATURE. This is another mystery series that I follow religiously—because of the character, game warden Joe Pickett. He’s got a highly developed sense of responsibility for the western country and the animals who live on it—you can count on him getting in over his head and putting himself and his family in danger.

Sarah Healy, CAN I GET AN AMEN. New to me author, with a book about a woman returning home after a divorce to her conservative family and then finding her own brand of faith. She’s got cover blurbs from Janet Evanovich and Emily Giffin…just sayin’ I’m expecting good things.

I have more but I’m afraid that’s all that will fit in the suitcase. It makes me happy as a clam just to list them. Let me know if you have any last minute suggestions!

LUCY BURDETTE is the author of the Key West food critic mysteries--and she hopes you'll add them to your summer reading pile. AN APPETITE FOR MURDER starring aspiring food critic Hayley Snow is in stores now. DEATH IN FOUR COURSES hits bookshelves on 9/4. She would love to have you follow her on twitter or "like" her on facebook.

Only in Key West by Lucy Burdette

Happy new year to all the Girlfriends and to our valued and adored readers too!  We'd be nothing without you!

I'm lucky enough to be starting off 2012 with a new book: AN APPETITE FOR MURDER, the first in the Key West food critic mystery series.

So many people have asked me "why Key West?" that I thought it would be fun to have a pop quiz about the island. This should give you a good idea about why this island is the perfect setting for a quirky mystery! I will list the answers at the bottom, but no cheating--don't look until you've answered! And then tell us how many you got right--all comments will be entered into a random drawing for a copy of APPETITE. Good luck!

1.  The local residents on Key West are called:

a. Islanders b. Parrotheads  c. Corals  D.  Conchs

2. What's the name of the major east-west thoroughfare, known for its shops and bars?

a.  Duval St.

b.  Whitehead St.

c.  Simonton St.

d.  Hemingway Blvd.

3. How many miles from Cuba is Key West?

a.  500

b.  30

c.  90

d.  200

4. Name a famous current or former writer who calls/called Key West home:

a. Ernest Hemingway

b. Judy Blume

c. Meg Cabot

d.  Annie Dillard

e. Tennessee Williams

f.  all of the above

5.  What's the biggest holiday celebration on the island?

a.  New Year's Eve when a red high heeled shoe drops from the top of Bourbon Street Pub and a conch shell slides down the top of Sloppy Joe's bar

b. Fantasyfest, a nine-day adult Halloween celebration culminating in coronation of a king and queen at the Royal Coronation Ball

c. The Conch Republic Independence Celebration commemorating the city's attempt to secede from the United Staes on April 23, 1982  in response to US Border Patrol roadblocks

d. the nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square

6. A dog up for adoption at the pound in Key West might be assessed for:

a. his reaction to iguanas

b.  his relationship to roosters

c. a fondness for polydactyl cats

d. willingness to wear a costume in the Fantasy Fest parade

e.  all of the above

7.  If you were going to poison someone in a murder mystery set in Key West, you might use this as a vehicle:

a.  conch chowder

b.  key lime pie

c.  margarita

d. conch fritters


You can buy the book at any bookstore or here: http://lucyburdette.com/buy-the-books/  And please follow Lucy on Twitter or join her on Facebook. And she blogs weekly with the fabulous crime fiction writers at Jungle Red Writers.

Answers:  1. d--Conchs!  2.  a--Duval Street of course!  3. c--90 miles to Cuba!  4. f--all of the above--the island is crawling with artists and writers! 5. trick question--how could you possibly choose? 6.  e--only in Key West! 7. I could tell you, but it would spoil the story in AN APPETITE FOR MURDER!

"What fun! Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food -- a winning combination. I can't wait for the next entry in this charming series." Diane Mott Davidson

School’s Never Out by Lucy Burdette

LUCY BURDETTE: When I read my girlfriends’ posts about getting their masters in creative writing, I feel a sharp yearning in my gut. What a pleasure and a luxury it sounds like to spend two years focusing on the craft of writing!

By the time I figured out I wanted to try writing fiction, I’d already spent a lifetime in school and earned two masters degrees and a PhD. The chances of going back were not high. Even so, I took every class I could get my hands on, online and off, attended conferences, and hired independent editors. Writing was hard and I wanted to be good at it, so I took—and still take—all the help I could get!

Over the past ten years, I’ve also started to teach a little. One of my favorite events happened last weekend at the Seascape Escape to Write weekend workshop for writers of commercial fiction (mostly mystery and paranormal.) A small group of students submits their work ahead of time and we critique each one in depth from three perspectives—character, opening scenes, and scene structure. And then we run other classes, and one-on-one sessions with the 3 instructors (Hallie Ephron, Susan Hubbard, and Roberta Isleib--that's the other me), and tons of discussions to process what we’ve learned. We spent the last hour this past Sunday talking about what kinds of “aha!” moments the students had over the weekend. I’d thought I’d share a sample of the list with you—this helps me realize that as much as I might have wanted to pursue an MFA, there are many great ways to learn about writing. We were so proud of these guys!

Wisdom from the students and teachers at Seascape 2011:

- The key to a good opening: make me want to read more
- Sometimes really good writing can mask plot issues
- Bring conflict into the very first chapter
- As a writer, I need to know what happened earlier to my characters--stuff I'm
not going to put into the book
- The criticism you least want to hear is the one you knew yourself
- Lavish as much attention on making the sleuth interesting as the victim
- Put the characters in the driver's seat
- Try not be constrained by stuff that really happened and that inspired your
plot
- Conflict can be emotional, not just action. Conflict keeps the pages turning.
- Synopsis isn't dramatic
- It's all about character
- It's possible to fall in love with the wrong characters, ones that aren't
relevant to your plot
- Ask yourself: What would I do in this situation; make it believable
- Polishing isn't revising, and structural changes aren't as daunting as they
seem.

- Sometimes you just have to hold your nose and write
- I CAN FIX ANYTHING!

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mysteries, debuting in January with AN APPETITE FOR MURDER. You find her on her website, or facebook, or follow her on twitter. As Roberta Isleib, she wrote 8 mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime.

How I write by Lucy Burdette

My girlfriends have been sharing such lovely and wise posts about their writing processes. Unfortunately, mine is basically slow and tortured and altogether boring-not the best fodder for interesting blogging. However, I did think of two things to tell you that dependably move my stories forward.

The first is no revelation: Plant butt in chair and write. Remain there until I hit my predetermined word count. Lately I've been trying for around a thousand words a day. If it takes two hours to write those words, then YAY!, I have time to do other things that all sounded more appealing as I fended them off while writing. On the more painful days, especially when I don't know where I'm headed with the story, it might take seven or eight hours because I've checked my gmail inbox every five minutes. And then remembered there must be some urgent laundry to do or the dog needs walking or I can't go one more minute without organizing that messy kitchen drawer. But I try to stick with it and to ignore the voices in my head telling me this is the worst dreck I've ever written. Because I know I can always (almost) fix it later.

The second important part of my process is visiting the scene of the crime, either before or while developing the story. (And I'd be the first to admit, this is no hardship when it comes to Key West.)

A research outing might go like this: As I'm wandering through the crowds at the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square on the Key West harbor, I spot a tarot card reader set up at a card table, wearing a deep blue turban with an enormous teardrop rhinestone bisecting his forehead. My mind begins to spin. What if my protagonist, Hayley Snow, is addicted to having her cards read because she's insecure about making her own decisions? And what if her tarot reader sees a card scary enough that even he gets rattled? And what if Hayley uses what she thinks she sees in his reactions to dig herself into deeper trouble? And so Marvin the card reader is born as a character. Only then one of my pals says 'who'd go to a psychic named Marvin?' So I change his name to Lorenzo, but later he admits that he grew up as Marvin but who'd want their cards read by a guy with that name?

Then, as I'm walking and biking around Key West, I notice that homeless people are everywhere, including perched on the stone walls around Mallory Square watching the performers and the tourists. After all, if you had to spend your nights outdoors, you might choose the tropics too. And I think about how they blend into the scenery, but probably notice all kinds of things that visitors wouldn't see. And so Turtle, the homeless guy, is born into the story. One rainy night he takes shelter in a party sailboat moored on the Navy Mole and inadvertently sees the killer coming and going. He would never voluntarily go to the police with this information, but Hayley might worm it out of him.

So with those ideas and story fragments, I go back to my desk and apply seat to chair again. All I can say is: Isn't it a miracle that books get written as often as they do?

Lucy Burdette is the author of the forthcoming Key West food critic mysteries, launching in January with AN APPETITE FOR MURDER (NAL). Please please follow her on twitter or facebook or check out her website, where the artwork is gorgeous and the recipes to die for.

A Critical Finish by Lucy Burdette

A Critical Finish--that's the working title for my new book. (Of course, based on what's happening to the title for the first, it will never make it onto the finished cover--but that's another blog.) Naturally, every finish is critical. And beginnings, even more so. We never want readers to set the book aside.

So, feeling my usual pre-book jitters, I decided to try something new this time around. Blake Snyder's wonderful book on screenwriting (SAVE THE CAT) recommends writing a sentence or two describing forty scenes and then laying them out on your nice new bulletin board in four rows. (These rows represent the acts of the book or screenplay.) What a great system, thought I. So I made up 40 blank cards and retired into my stepdaughter's recently-abandoned room and took all the ten-year-old photos down off her bulletin board. After a couple of hours, it looked like this:

Hayley finds J floating face-down in the dipping pool...

Eric is arrested for murder!

Dinner at Louie's Backyard where something is disclosed...

Three scenes, that's all I could come up with. Nine books under my belt and I still feel like someone who's been thrown in the pond with no clue how to swim.

So I'm going back to basics for a while and then maybe I'll try the board again. Who dunnit and why? Who else could have dunnit and what secrets are they trying to protect? Why is my heroine involved? And how will she grow and change?

I'll let you know how it goes. How about you, girlfriends? Any sure fire tips for getting started?

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mystery series debuting in January 2012 from NAL. As Roberta Isleib, she's written 8 mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. You can find her at her website or on Twitter @LucyBurdette, or on Facebook, Lucy Burdette author.

On Beginnings

My mother's not around to ask, but I suspect that my entry into this world wasn't an easy one. I'm the kind of person who's more comfortable in the middle of something: I like to know where I'm going and how it's going to turn out. Beginnings are tough.

In one big way, I was lucky at the start: I was born only eleven months after my sister Sue. So she forded the way in front of me during most of my growing up. We shared a room until high school, wore a lot of the same clothes, attended tap and ballet classes together, swapped books, teased our younger siblings, talked about boys. (That's me on the ground, Sue standing up.)

Our family moved quite a few times when I was a kid--and all those beginnings were hard. I can still remember starting sixth grade in a new town in Michigan. My mother took me to buy shoes and we picked out black and white (or were they brown?) saddle shoes. I realized quickly that these weren't the style in my new town when the kids nicknamed me "the cow." But I always had my friend, my sister, at home.

Sue became a writer well before I did, but she didn't seem to mind sharing the profession with me when I came to it late. In fact, she's one of my biggest fans. Instead of boys and clothes, we talk about word counts, and writing with heart, and promotion. She supported my first rather pathetic attempts at writing a novel and has encouraged me every step along the way since then. (Picture below is Sue (R) and me with the cat man of Key West, who's part of the scenery in the first Key West food critic mystery, A TASTE FOR MURDER.)

Publishing, of course, is changing like crazy right now--and we writers are invited to adjust to the latest trends, or move on. This year, I've acquired a new protagonist, Hayley Snow, a new mystery series, a new publisher, a new editor, and even a new name. A lot of beginnings for a woman who's most comfortable in the middle.

So here it is, the Equinox, the first day of spring, and I'm ready to assume my new name on this blog: Lucy Burdette. Since everything's so new, and beginnings aren't easy, I will be grateful if you'll come visit! Meanwhile, the phone lines between my home and Sue's will be humming…

With gratitude, Lucy (formerly known as Roberta Isleib:)

http://www.lucyburdette.com
http://www.twitter.com/lucyburdette
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucy-Burdette-Author/152300604823040

Steering the Course

By Roberta Isleib and Lucy Burdette

Our trusted blog leader suggested that one of the themes this session might be a chronicle of last year's highs and lows. For some reason, that brings nautical analogies to mind--maybe because my new character lives on a houseboat?

I once imagined that the life of a published writer might feel like sailing on the forward deck of an ocean liner--sun shining, glassy seas, a tropical drink beside my lounge chair to toast the newest book. But it didn't take long to learn that a sail on the publishing ocean is anything but calm. One minute my vessel is perched high on the peak of the wave, the next moment she falls with a dizzying drop deep into a trough. This past year was no exception! I'll show you...

TROUGH: After two years of diligent writing, agent suggests the book I finished last year may best be suited for a drawer at the bottom of my desk. Okay, maybe she didn't say it exactly like
this, but I swear the words "reputation" "mine" and "yours" were all used in the same paragraph.

PEAK: Same agent pitched my proposal for the Key West Food Critic mystery series to an editor at NAL. The series is accepted and A TASTE FOR MURDER, written by me as Lucy Burdette, will be published in January 2012.

TROUGH: Trusted writing friend says about my short story drafted for a Mystery
Writers of America competition: "I have to be honest, I don't love it."

PEAK: Same trusted friend offers excellent suggestions for revision. After
rewriting, this same short story "The Itinerary" is chosen for inclusion in THE RICH AND THE DEAD, an anthology edited by Nelson Demille to be published by Grand Central in April.
TROUGH: Editor suggests the name I was born with and have clung to through two marriages must be peeled away.

PEAK: I will be reincarnated as my wonderful, artistic grandmother who died too young: Lucy Burdette.

TROUGH: Every other day it seems we get more bad news about publishing--Borders is in bankruptcy, Barnes and Noble has fired all its buyers, writers are getting new contracts that don't specify there will ever be a "physical book."

PEAK: Writers are writing and readers seem to be reading more, rather than less, whether it's on e-readers or whether it's paper copies.

Personally, I think we're in for some big swells in this business for a while. I keep reminding myself that the only thing I can control is my writing. My plan for 2011? Trim my sails, find true north, hang on to that wheel and let Lucy go.

Roberta Isleib is the author of eight mysteries. Her books and stories have been nominated for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Lucy Burdette's first mystery will be published in 2012.