Human Remains pre-launches in Ottawa, with the Arthur Ellis Shortlist (or, my thoughts on Mother’s Day 2017)

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I’m writing about my mini Human Remains book tour, starting from April 20th in Ottawa and culminating in Williamstown on May 10th. Join in the fun! Since I’m late blogging, I’ll add in some current tidbits as well.

For me, Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate caring people.

I don’t care so much if or when you procreated, but if you are loving and thoughtful, you’re on my team.

First, I do have to give thanks to my two little beans, whom I love. This is what they looked like on Mother’s Day morning:

Look at Anastasia read!

Look at Max try to sleep!

My son and husband made me breakfast, a pancake and the cheese bread Max learned to bake at le Relais, a local school. Anastasia was supposed to be helping, but mainly seemed to be popping bubble wrap.

Secondly, thanks to my own mother (and my father). I wouldn’t be here without them. My mom came to my Ottawa pre-launch on April 20th, which tickled author Patricia Filteau and reader Nancy, who took photos of her. My mom would get up and take pictures of me, no matter what was going on. Mother love! She’s the one in red plaid.

Janus Fox had made friends with me on Facebook, but this was the first time I met her in real life. Not only did she buy Human Remains and bring her copy of Stockholm Syndrome for me to sign, but she got two more for her American friends, so I’m officially in love. She also  won the door prize by correctly filling out the author crossword puzzle. That’s right, my readers are smart.

My friend Joseline Beaulieu came and brought me chocolate. My mother was so impressed, she ordered me to give Joseline a thank-you card, which I’ve forgotten to do, but Joseline is so nice, she said that next time, she’d bring my mom chocolates. That’s how nice she is—so nice that I felt embarrassed and said, “No, no, I should bring my own mother chocolates.” No wonder Joseline has helped turn the Madagascar School Project into such a success. 

Thanks to Linda Wiken for organizing the evening. She’s a successful author who started a new series based on a cooking club. So if you love eating and reading the way I do, that’s a perfect combination.

I was taking a selfie with my book, and Linda offered to take a picture of me. So then we did high fives.

Then we invited authors Mary Jane Maffini, Patricia Filteau, and Nick Wilkshire to join us.

For some reason, I suggested that we should jump. It was not a popular suggestion, but we got some funny photos out of it. Here are the outtakes that didn’t make it on Facebook.

The Ottawa launch highlighted the Arthur Ellis shortlist, including these writers I know:

Mary Fernando: a physician-writer who worked hard to try and get doctors a pension, so you know she’s a fighter. Her novel, An Absence of Empathy, is shortlisted for the Unhanged Arthur for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel sponsored by Dundurn Press

Brenda Chapman, No Trace, shortlisted for Best Novella, which is The Lou Allin Memorial Award. Brenda was one of my fellow judges for the CCW Writing Contest and seems very organized, not to mention has so many legions of friends and fans that Dundurn awarded her a seven-book contract

Elizabeth Hosang’s up for best story with “Where There’s a Will.” It appeared in The Whole She-Bang 3, which has three shortlisted stories. Whew! She’s also the CCW secretary-treasurer and reads Neil Gaiman, so you know she’s cool.

I’m proud of Ryan Aldred, whom I met at Bloody Words 2014. His novel, Rum Luck, is up for Best First Novel, Sponsored by Kobo.

I was super excited to hear that Gordon Korman was up for Best Juvenile/YA Book for Masterminds: Criminal Destiny. I love that guy. He was a cornerstone of my childhood, and Max likes him too, especially I Want to Go Home.

I feel a connection to Debra Komar, who is shortlisted for Best Nonfiction Book for Black River Road: An Unthinkable Crime, an Unlikely Suspect, and the Question of Character. She’s the forensic scientist who specialized in genocide and has testified in the Hague and across North America to put truly evil people behind bars. She came to CCW in September for a talk and was generous enough to critique the resuscitation scene of Human Remains, as you can see here. (She was appalled that Hope would touch the body. “The body belongs to me, the medical examiner.” I tried to explain that for an emergency doctor, everyone is fair game, because you don’t know if the person is truly deceased until you examine them.)

I also know Cathy Ace from Crime Writers of Canada. She’s shortlisted for “Steve’s Story,” one of the stellar authors in The Whole She-Bang 3.

I’m sure there are more luminaries I missed, if you want to check out here.

Next stop on my book tour recap: launch day in Cornwall!

Questions: will anyone show up? The Standard Freeholder and the Review got people excited in advance, but you never know.

Will anyone buy my book? How about you? For a limited time, you can grab Human Remains for free on Kobo with the code HRemains.

Stay tuned!

Camping Can Be Criminal#5: Rob Brunet, Ryan Aldred & Steve Steinbock

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I chose to publish this today because my EQMM buddy, Steve Steinbock, got his “What I’m Working on Now” column published at Sleuthsayers. Yay, Steve!

We’re heading into the August long weekend in Canada. Perfect camping time, should you choose to do that kind of thing. I don’t, but my friends do.

I’ve already waxed eloquent about Rob Brunet, the up-and-coming mystery writer whose first novel, Stinking Rich, will debut September 8th. His short stories will appear in Ellery Queen, as well as just about every other mystery magazine, and is just an all-around good guy. Bought a round of drinks at Bloody Words 2014, too (I don’t drink much, but I admired his generosity). Check him out:

The smell of a tent is distinct. The vinyl (?) bottoms of the new ones vs. the canvas of old. True dark when the fire burns low. Super bright stars. What’s on the ground? Bare rock, pine needles, well-worn hard-packed earth. Crickets or frogs at night. Birds in the morning. The smell of the fire. Coffee that you wouldn’t touch in the city but sooo good in the bush. God, I miss it.

Ryan Aldred is an interesting guy. I met him at Bloody Words as well, at our banquet table of young, hungry writers, and he was the first person to seriously suggest joining Reddit. He started the Bar on a Beach mystery series, with its inaugural novel, Rum Luck.

Cicadas in the treetops on a hot day. Clothes that smell like wood smoke for days afterward. Three feet of warmth at the top of a Canadian shield lake and the fifty feet of inky cold beneath. Looking up in the sky and seeing hundreds of thousands of stars. The whoosh and sizzle of a marshmallow catching fire. Moths the size of your palm bumping into the globe of a lantern. Haunting loon song as you fall asleep at night. Beads of moisture running down the outside of the tent after a morning dew.

Like what you read? Both Rob and Ryan will read at Noir at the Bar in Toronto on August 20th, along with the always-intriguing Tanis Mallow.

I’m working on today, but I would have liked to see the sold-out Majinx tribute to Houdini at l’Orignal Jail. I might still see if I can sneak by.

You see how I did that? Turning a holiday weekend into a hotbed of criminal writers and performers? You’re welcome.

Five Ways to Kickstart Your Writing Imagination with a Mystery Con: Bloody Words, Part II

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1. Dare to Be Stupid

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Click on the pic to buy Terminally Ill from this crazy-looking chick.

I’ve never looked good in a surgical cap, whether it’s the guy’s kind or the poofy, blue, disposable women’s version. So why am I wearing a surgical cap, plus a giant poster of my book?

Well, at Bloody Words 2014, Canada’s mystery convention, they invited any recently-published author to join in a literary fashion show. They’d make a placard of your book cover. Caro Soles, an experienced fashion commentator, would describe your book in couturier terms while you sashayed down the sidewalk, wearing a hat appropriate to your book.

For the first time in my life, I Googled “how to walk like a model.” My favourite tips came from Chita Johnson: http://www.ehow.com/video_4404657_step-onto-runway-like-model.html: Step on to the ramp with your outside leg up, to block the audience’s view of your crotch. Who knew? I also mastered the half-turn and the fade, and learned the full turn.

Photo courtesy of Lisa. Note Michael Jecks, the international guest of honour, in the background. He's now my friend on Twitter, but be warned. Don't argue with the man about sheep.

No evidence of my modelling savvy in this photo courtesy of Lisa de Nikolits.

I also got to hang out backstage with Cathy Spencer, who won the Bony Blythe award the next day; Edgar award-winning author Wendy Hornsby, the Bony Pete award-winner, RJ Harlick; and the very sweet IPPY award-winner Lisa de Nikolits, who calls everyone “love.” Lisa explained how the cover art for her book, The Witchdoctor’s Bones, was created by a homeless, schizophrenic, now deceased South African man.

Arthur Ellis award-winner Melodie Campbell pulled a toy gun out for her turn on the catwalk, and someone else “shot” her at the end. Cool.

When I poised on the end of the runway, I pulled a syringe out of my top, and pretended to spray it in the air. I wanted to fill it with water, but didn’t have time. If I’d wanted to go all out, I would have used fake blood, but the cleaning staff wouldn’t have thanked me.

Look, I even included a blurry picture of myself with an apparent double nose.

Look, I even included a blurry picture of myself with an apparent double nose. I’m not proud.

Note Michael Jecks, the international guest of honour, wearing his book cover with the green background. He’s now my friend on Twitter, but be warned. Don’t argue with the man about sheep.

So get out of the house and try something different, even if you look silly. That’ll get your writing juices flowing. Even if all you write is, “I hate that doctor-writer who told me it was a good idea to dress up like a parsnip!”

2. Do the Group Thing
I was on a panel on the Sunday called The Science of Murder. The moderator was Alex Brett, author of the Maggie O’Brien mysteries. The two other authors specialized in infectious diseases. Jen J. Danna writes about forensic anthropology with her co-author, Ann Vanderlaan, and was an intelligent, polished speaker. Dr. Ross Pennie, who recently released the latest Dr. Zol Szabo mystery, introduced himself as Canada’s leading expert on flesh-eating disease.

Me, Ross, Jen, and Alex's arm.

Me, Jen, Ross, and Alex’s arm. Photo courtesy of Steve Steinbock.

So that left me to joke that I was Canada’s second most knowledgeable doctor on flesh-eating disease. I’m totally not. But hanging around with other articulate people took the pressure off of me, and afterward, one aspiring author told me that it was her favourite panel, and that I had “a lot of moxie.”

Who wouldn't love a group like this? Photo by David Mark

Who wouldn’t love a group like this? Photo by David Mark

Groups can be good. Critique groups get a lot of bad press because they can suppress your writing voice, but it’s a good idea to find some camaraderie. Writing is lonely.

Small groups are good. This is Rebecca Senese, a talented writer of horror, science fiction, and mystery

Small groups are good too. This is Rebecca Senese, a talented writer of horror, science fiction, and mystery, all at once.

3. Dress Up Like Somebody Else
IMG_2430 IMG_2437 IMG_2436 We were supposed to dress up like our favourite mystery character for the banquet. I’d bought a lovely blue, dropped-waist dress from Melow at the latest Braderie de Mode quebecoise. Actually, my friend Danielle and I bought the same dress, which is quite hilarious because she’s almost six feet tall, and I am…not. At the last second, I found a peacock fascinator that I’d forgotten I’d bought on Etsy. IMG_2442 Anyhoo, it looked like a flapper dress to me, so I decided that I would be Harriet Vane.

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There’s an art to taking selfies. I obviously need more practice.

When Steve Steinbock greeted me, he said, “If I see Lord Peter Wimsey, I will send him my regards.”

I found my husband! Lord Peter Wimsey, showing off our family crest. Photo courtesy of his manservant, Bunter.

I found my husband! Lord Peter Wimsey, showing off our family crest. Photo courtesy of his manservant, Bunter.

Steve reading aloud for the Hammett awards (see statue in front of him).

Steve reading aloud for the Hammett awards (see statue in front of him).

Steve also tried on a new outfit. I think he looks very fetching.

Ken Wishnia looks pretty good, too.

Ken Wishnia looks pretty good, too. Look, their feet match. Must’ve done the modelling videos.

4. Give yourself a deadline.

Our panel was scheduled to run at the same time as “Bloody Idol,” the show where anyone could submit 250 words and read them aloud to a panel of editors and agents.
So, 1) I was pretty sure no one would come to our science panel, and 2) I wouldn’t get to check out Bloody Idol. But I wrote 250 words anyway, which forced me to start writing the fourth Hope Sze novel, Stockholm Syndrome.

My roommate, Merrill Young, generously offered to report back on the response. She and writer/editor/mothership Cheryl Freedman told me that all four editors and agents liked it, so eight thumbs up.

I will include that opening in my next newsletter. <incentive to join> <incentive to join> <just go to the bottom of the page> (In addition to SEO optimization, I’ve been reading about getting people to sign up for newsletters. It’s the next big thang.)

Then I was invited to submit to two anthologies. So now my writing cup overfloweth.

5. Get out of the con.

I made time for an hour of hot power yoga at Yoga Tree. IMG_2410 I walked the streets of Toronto. IMG_2411 S.G. Wong and I headed to “Kill like a Scandinavian” at the Toronto Public Library. Woo hop! Sometimes, you just need to get away. Now go forth and create.

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For readers’ convenience, a link to the “entertaining and insightful” Terminally Ill is provided by clicking on this photo.

P.S. For anyone who’s wondering, did I sell any books?
Yippers. Not a ton. Eleven paperbacks, to be exact. But that’s more than I would have sold if I hadn’t come at all.
More sales may come later (autocorrect changed that to latex. Yes, I’m pretty sure latex will always outsell my books).

And if I sell to both anthologies that asked me to submit, I’ll make back my money, even without the book sales.

I keep having to fight my own cheapness. I get all bent out of shape over printing up my own postcards.

Meanwhile, one of the other authors, Ryan Aldred, said that he’d like to throw $1000 each at different promotions. Reddit, Google Ad words, Facebook. Just experiment.

My jaw dropped. I’m thinking too small. I don’t take a lot of risk, but I lose the reward, as well. I’ve read that it’s typical of women, to save and hoard expertly, but never take the big leaps that will let them level up.

I’m used to toiling in garrets. That’s how I became a doctor and a writer, after all. But sometimes you’ve got to bust out, get crazy, and make wild new friends. Done, done, and done. Now I just have to write some more.