Positively Published Virtual Book Tour Kicks Off Tomorrow!

It's been several months since I've posted. What can I say? Busy with work, the kids, edits to the second book, drafting the third book, the beat goes on . . .

I wanted to let you know, though, that Positively Published has kindly arranged a virtual book tour for me, and it starts tomorrow! So, if you always wondered why I gave Sasha Krav Maga skills, how I did the research for the book, or the best way to bribe me (!), you'll want to check out the series of interviews and guest posts that these very generous bloggers have set up:

December 5th: No Trees Harmed
December 6th: Uneccessary Musings
December 7th: TLHaddix.com
December 8th: A Pen and Fire.com
December 9th: Johnhartness.com
December 10th: RachelCotteril.com

Hope to "see" you on my tour!

A Review and Giveaway, plus Assorted Other News

I haven't posted in awhile; I've been working on the follow-up to IRREPARABLE HARM, mainly, but have also revamped the website. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, IRREPARABLE HARM received another great review at Babs' Book Bistro!

Babs was also kind enough to have me as a guest on the blog last week. If you've always wondered what my favorite ice cream was but have been afraid to ask, you can find out in my interview.

Okay, okay, it's cherry chocolate chip from Leo's on Trindle Road, but if you check out the interview anyway and post a comment before June 16, you'll be entered to win a copy of the book!

Steel Pierogies?

As Mother's Day approaches, I am thinking about all the Pittsburgh women---moms and non-moms---whom I know and love. I am also thinking about my protagonist, Sasha McCandless.

And the striking thing about all of them is that they share the same tough-as-nails outer shell. The women I know and admire are pragmatic, sarcastic, and take charge. They may not, as Sasha does, break someone's fingers and disarm them, but they overcome real-life challenges with a matter-of-fact grace and wit.*

And inside that tough exterior is a warm gooey center. These are women who support, love, and help their families and friends.

I should know. Since the publication of Irreparable Harm, my circle of Pittsburgh women, both those still in place and those who have relocated but retained their Pittsburghness, have been amazingly supportive. From buying multiple copies of the book to sending me flowers, my relatives and friends have rallied around me. Which is what Pittsburgh women do.

Thanks, ladies.

*I am actually pretty sure that ALL women have this dual nature---whether it is the steel magnolia manifestation from the South (soft and ladylike outside and tough inside) or the tough outside/soft inside version indigenous to the 'Burgh.

Children and Perspective

So, Irreparable Harm is here! Well, mostly here. It's available as an ebook on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords RIGHT NOW. The trade paperback will be available on Amazon beginning next week (barring disaster) and at various local independent bookstore shortly thereafter (fingers crossed).

The boys, five and three, were sweetly supportive during the writing process. Actually, their baby sister played a big role, too. She would kindly wake me up around 2 or 3 a.m., eat, and then go back to sleep.

I could then write or edit for three or four hours, until her oldest brother (our resident morning person) came bounding down the stairs at first light. He routinely greeted me with, "Morning, mom! How's the book coming?"

Our night-owl middle child provided additional encouragement during a conversation about what he was going to be when he grew up. His older brother had changed his future career from firefighter to paleontologist. The three year old still wanted to be a police officer, but planned to also be a meteorologist. Older brother did not approve of this dual career and the three year old said, "Mom is a lawyer AND a writer, so I can be a police officer AND a meteorologist."

So, when the electronic versions of the book went live, I told the boys. They were very excited for me. Then, they got down to business:

Five Year Old: Is it a very important book? Will it save people's lives?

Me: Well, no.

Five Year Old: Oh, will it teach people how to be a lawyer?

Me: Uh, no.

Five Year Old (a note of exasperation creeping into his voice): Is it about dinosaurs?

Me: No, no dinosaurs. It's a book for grown ups to read for fun . . .

Five Year Old (cutting me off, addresses the Three Year Old): No dinosaurs.

Three Year Old: No dinosaurs?

Me: No. Sorry.

Three Year Old (looking on the bright side): Will lots of people buy your book?

Me: Maybe. I hope so.

Three Year Old: If they do, can we go to the dollar store?

Me: I really hope so.

Three Year Old and Five Year Old abandon discussion of book to daydream aloud about the many riches awaiting them at the dollar store.

Truth or Fiction?

IRREPARABLE HARM, which is slated for release later this month, wasn't intended to be ripped from the headlines, but take a look at this article that appeared in Wired.com's Threat Level column recently: http://m.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/03/court-smartphone/ ("Federal Courts Worry Your Smartphone Might Be a Bomb")

My Smartphone, although not a bomb, is da bomb: having finally accepted that I may never get this post up if I wait until I have five minutes in front of the computer, I am typing this on my Android in the wee hours while rocking a feverish, but finally sleeping, baby.

By necessity, then, this will be brief. But, look for more frequent posts in the next two weeks.

I have final, final pages sitting on my desk to approve this weekend and, after that, look out, here comes my book!

Relentless

As the release date for IRREPARABLE HARM approaches, I've been thinking about the process of writing it.

In ON WRITING (a fantastic book), Stephen King shares his oft-repeated advice that the second draft should equal the first draft minus 10%. Variations of this advice abound---murder your darlings, leave out the boring parts, etc.

Apparently, it is common for a writer to write a long first draft that needs to be pruned (or, in some cases, shorn). I wouldn't know.

My first draft, of anything, is short. Too short.

My husband is my first reader for everything I write. And without fail, his remarks will include something like, "good thing you're not being paid by the word" or "this is all pitch and no wind up."

With regard to the first draft of IRREPARABLE HARM, he said, "This is good. I like it. It's way too short."

I, of course, always take his comments with exceeding grace. But, this time, I did protest.

"It's a thriller."

"I know, but it's all action. Everything is driving the plot forward."

Now I'm thinking maybe he's just a wee bit stupid and I need to find a new first reader.

"It's a thriller." (I say it slower this time.)

"It's too fast-paced. It's exhausting to read it. There's no downtime."

After several more iterations of this conversation, he pulled from the bookshelf an array of thrillers by different authors and flagged the "downtime" parts for me to see what he was talking about.

And, finally, I got it. Once I did, I had to concede the point. And, the second draft more or less equaled the first draft PLUS 10%.

It occurred to me that there are probably three reasons for my lean first drafts:

1. My undergraduate creative writing concentration was in poetry. When writing poetry, you are trying to convey with a phrase, or even a word, an emotion, a description, a memory, or what have you. Poetry is spare.

2. I've spent a decade writing as a lawyer. There's almost always a page limit. In brief writing, you aim to be direct and succinct. (And when all else fails, you play around with the footnotes and margins!)

3. I wrote most of the first draft while mothering a four year old and a two year old and finished it while mothering a five year old, a three year old, and a newborn. So, I wrote in short bursts, with the goal of completing a scene before someone noticed I had disappeared. My writing sessions usually ended when I heard crying. I knew I had a small window, so I got right to the point.

My point (to the extent I have one) is that writing advice is like anything else. You have to be open to it, use what applies, and discard the rest.

And, cue the crying! So that's it for now.

The next two weeks are going to be pretty busy with the IRREPARABLE HARM release, so check back for updates and a giveaway!

Read an E-book Week and My Cover

Ahh, it's already Tuesday! We are well into Read an E-book Week now, but there's still plenty of time to celebrate. You could win a free e-reader or get a whole bunch of free or discounted e-books, including DARK BLOOMS (use code RE100 at checkout and it's free through March 12).

I have to run, but not without sharing the exciting news that I now have a mockup of the cover for IRREPARABLE HARM, which will be available as both an e-book and paperback next month!

Have a peek:

Lots of News

After going dark here last Spring to focus on writing (and also to give birth to a most adorable baby girl, tend to my wonderful boys, and run my legal practice), the blog is about to heat up!

I have lot of exciting news and plan to do a series of detailed posts over the coming weeks, but today I just want to hit the high points:

First, I am going to publish my fiction through Brown Street Books, an independent publisher. This decision is a sea change for me (which I'll explain in a follow-up post), but I am convinced it is the right direction.

Second, as of today, DARK BLOOMS: TWO CRIME FICTION SHORTS is available electronically through Smashwords (multiple electronic formats) and Amazon (for the Kindle). It should be available in iBooks, Nook, and Kobo formats within the next week or so.

But that's not all! In April, Brown Street Books will publish IRREPARABLE HARM, my legal thriller.

Now, I have to run. Deadlines and children await. Not in that order.