Nancy's Notes From Florida

Joyce Sweeney's Plot Clock
August 20, 2018

This past weekend, writing coach Joyce Sweeney gave a workshop on The Plot Clock at the August meeting of Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. You can sign up for a webinar on this topic at her website: http://www.sweeneywritingcoach.com/. Here’s what I learned. Any errors are due to my misinterpretation.
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Start with this question before you begin plotting: What will happen to your protagonist so he has to change and transform? In a mystery, how will the murder challenge your main character?
Act One of this four-act structure includes the Inciting Event. The person who doesn’t want to change meets an event that will cause him to transform. At this stage, he is reluctant to get involved. He fights against the inevitable until something compelling happens that he can’t avoid. This is called the Binding Point.
Act Two finds the hero entering the special world of the story. In a mystery, this is when the sleuth commits to solving the crime. But the protagonist hasn’t changed yet and makes mistakes. Things go badly for him. As a writer, ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen to this character? He keeps losing ground and struggles to carry on until he reaches a Low Point. This happens in the middle of the book.
In Act Three, the hero determines to improve and fight on. By doing the right thing, he gains ground. He may have followed the wrong path and has changed direction. Now he is on the proper trail. But we still need to escalate tension. As the protagonist gets closer to identifying the murderer, the bad guy reacts. More deaths may occur. Attempts on the hero’s life might threaten him. The sleuth is doing better at solving the crime, but the killer is now on to him. For every action the hero makes, the villain makes a countermove.
The Turning Point comes out of left field and moves us into Act Four. Nobody could have anticipated this plot twist. It derails the main character so that he questions his purpose and wants to quit, or “turn away.” Here you must raise the stakes so he can’t quit. He rallies and “turns back” to solve the mystery.
The Climax comes close to the end. You should be layering in the explanations about the suspects’ motives so the Denouement is short and doesn’t drag on.
For more details, visit Joyce’s site at http://www.sweeneywritingcoach.com/
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Enter Here Aug 9 – 23 to win a signed advance reading copy of TRIMMED TO DEATH
 


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Hair Brained Large Print Edition
August 8, 2018

The Large Print Edition of Hair Brained is now available!
Large Print
ISBN: 9781432852771, $26.99, August 8, 2018; Wheeler Publishing
Murder on the Beach Bestseller List
Finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards
Large print editions are great if you want to reduce eye strain. Order your own copy or ask your librarian to order the book for you. Reviews are always appreciated.
When hairstylist Marla Vail’s best friend is hurt in a suspicious car accident, Marla assumes guardianship of her infant son and becomes embroiled in another murder mystery. Her husband, Detective Dalton Vail, determines the crash may not have been an accident. But who would want to kill Tally—or Ken in the car with her? As Marla digs deeper into her friends’ lives, she realizes she didn’t know them as well as she’d thought. But it’s her duty as their son’s guardian to ensure his safety, even if it means putting her own life at risk.
“You are always thinking and on your toes while reading this book.  And when you get to the end and everything is revealed….it will blow your mind!” Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
“Spending time with Marla and Dalton is like visiting old friends and I think Hair Brained is one of Ms. Cohen‘s better entries in the series.” Buried Under Books
“The story actually has a couple of mysteries within its pages and all is worked out by the end, but there are a lot of plot twists along the way.” Carla Loves to Read
“From page one, you’ll hang on every word as the twists and turns of the mystery are revealed and Marla goes into overdrive to prove that the friends she trusted all this time were definitely worthy of that trust.” Amy Lignor, Suspense Magazine
Order a Copy Now or Buy a Copy for a Friend.
Gale/Cengage: http://bit.ly/2Gval13
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JzmTpZ
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2l3afV4
GIVEAWAY
Enter Here to win a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card at Booklover’s Bench
 


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A Funeral and A Wedding
August 6, 2018

Last week brought both sadness and joy as we were called unexpectedly to a funeral and then hosted a bridal shower to celebrate our daughter’s upcoming nuptials.
It began on Sunday past when we got a call that my brother-in-law had passed away. I spent that morning making travel arrangements. On Monday, we flew to Maryland. We joined our immediate family for dinner at a trendy restaurant near the hotel. I had roast chicken with mushroom polenta.
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The next day we visited with my husband’s niece until it was time for the gravesite service. We saw many friends and relatives there. Rest in peace, Bobby.
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Another meal followed before we were left with our memories and a flight home on Wednesday. Not a moment to dawdle, as on Friday our daughter’s future in-laws were coming to town, and I’d invited them for dinner. Thursday was spent cooking along with hair and nails appointments. Friday we got the house in order before everyone arrived. I picked up the cake for the bridal shower and stuck it in the fridge. We had a lovely dinner together with our soon-to-be new family.
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Saturday morning, I rushed out to get the flowers, and we loaded our cars with party favors and other supplies. The event was to be held at Brio Tuscan Grille, where they’d partitioned off a private area with a curtain. We had the tables arranged in a U-Shape. Friends and relatives arrived to celebrate the joyous event with us.
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It was a great day, and we have many happy memories. In another month, we’ll attend a second shower, Bouchercon mystery writers’ conference, and Rosh Hashanah dinner all within a week. Let’s hope we only have happy times ahead as we cherish each day and each person who makes our lives meaningful. Blessings to you all.
 


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Yesteryear Village
July 18, 2018

Yesteryear Village (https://www.southfloridafair.com/p/yesteryearvillage) is located at the Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. It’s a living history museum that tells the story of Florida up until 1945 or so. The nine acres houses various historic buildings, shady oak trees, and brick-lined paths. A general store offers nostalgic goods for sale. But bring your own snacks. There’s a picnic area under shelter but no café on premises. The park is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only from 10am to 4pm. There’s an admission fee. Allow a couple of hours to stroll around and enjoy the exhibits.

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Inside the gated grounds, we turned left from the Welcome Center and passed equipment for sugar processing and a small building describing the Pineapple growing industry in Florida. As the interior was roped off, we couldn’t read the signage inside, but I got enough of a view to get the gist of it. I hadn’t even been aware Florida had pineapple plantations.

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Next was a train caboose next to a switching station housing model trains and other railroad memorabilia.

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Inside the next structure, which held one set of public restrooms, was a shoe repair place, a print shop, and a fire house.

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From here we went to the jail, which held a one-person cell. Note the noose on the outside.

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We passed an old hunting shack and moved on to the church, which is still in use today for services and weddings.

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Beyond the Bait and Tackle Shop and the Smokehouse, we came to a two-storied (plus attic) Victorian house that dominated the area.

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Riddle House must have been very large and well-built for its day. Downstairs were the common rooms and kitchen, while upstairs were several bedrooms. It was rumored someone killed himself in the attic, and indeed, the park offers seasonal ghost tours. Some of the places have costumed guides, and this was one of them. We got our own private tour of this impressive house.

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We peeked inside the visitor cabins, sewing circle room, old telephone exhibit, and a shotgun house.  I liked the school, a large building with two classrooms on either side of the teacher’s desk. A single schoolteacher taught all the grades, and she wasn’t permitted to be married. The old wooden desks each had a hole presumably for an inkwell.

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You can visit the old post office, farm buildings, a blacksmith shop, and more as you stroll among the shady grounds. Although the temperatures hit the nineties, a breeze kept us comfortable as did the leafy branches overhead. Some, but not all, of the buildings are air-conditioned.

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You can see all of my photos HERE. If you visit the park, ask for a map at the Welcome Center. They’re busiest during the Fair season, so you might want to go at a less crowded time. This site is owned and administered by the Fairgrounds, which somewhat surprised me. I guess it’s a way for them to earn some income when the fair or other events aren’t in session, but you’d think a historical society would be interested in this display of early Florida life. Be sure to visit if you’re in the area.

 


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Keeper of the Rings – Reissue
July 16, 2018

Keeper of the Rings, one of my earlier science fiction romances, is the book that taught me how to write a murder mystery. It was the fourth book I wrote for Dorchester in my early days as a romance writer. I’m happy to announce the reissue of a newly revised and yes, better written, edition. It’s the last romance I wrote before switching to mysteries and starting my Bad Hair Day series. So how did this book inspire me to write a straight mystery novel? First let’s see what the story is about.

Keeper of the Rings

A PRISM Awards Finalist

Story Blurb

Taurin is shrouded in black when Leena first meets him, his face shaded like the night. At first she believes him to be a simple farmer, but the man exhibits skills worthy of a warrior. With his commanding presence, he’s an obvious choice to be the lovely archaeologist’s protector on her quest for a stolen sacred artifact. Curious about his mysterious background, and increasingly tempted by his tantalizing touch, Leena prays their perilous journey will be a success. She must find the missing relic, or dangerous secrets will be revealed that may forever change her world.

Who stole the holy artifact? Only the members of the ruling priesthood, the twelve-member Synod, had access to the sacred closet where it was kept. Was it Zeroun, the stern Minister of Religion? Perhaps Karayan, Leena’s family friend and Minister of Justice, is involved. Or maybe Sirvat is guilty. The Minister of Finance has something to hide. So does everyone on this elite council, including the Arch Nome, Dikran.

Leena is assigned the perilous mission is to retrieve the artifact. She engages Taurin Rey Niris as her protector. Together, they journey on a desperate quest around the globe and deep beneath the ruins of a hidden temple. Meanwhile, Leena’s brother investigates the backgrounds of the ministers. He finds that each one of them has a secret to hide.

Sound familiar? An amateur sleuth investigating a murder follows a similar process.

Here’s an excerpt wherein Leena and Taurin discuss the suspects with her brother, Bendyk, and his lovely assistant, Swill. Oh, and be prepared for two love stories! This is a romance novel, after all. The spice level is hot.

Excerpt

“We’ll pretend to be new settlers when we go to Woden,” Leena explained. “Dikran is arranging for the proper documentation. Now tell me, have you and Swill made any progress?”

Swill answered, tugging at the long sleeves of her burgundy blouse. She’d tucked it into a black skirt that hugged her hips. “Magar makes regular entries in his receipt book. These deposits have no mention of the source. Sirvat transfers the money into the Treasury account. Her financial records are impeccable, but she takes trips every so often, returning with a new piece of jewelry each time. It’s odd, because normally she’s not one to adorn herself.”

“I’ll bet I know where she gets those pieces.” Leena related what they’d learned about Sirvat’s relationship to Grotus.

Bendyk shook his head. “She seems so strait-laced. It’s hard to believe she’d fall for a rogue like him.”

“Perhaps Sirvat hides a passionate nature. Now that I think about it, some of the items I saw in Grotus’s mansion are similar to pieces in Karayan’s house. The minister has quite an extensive art collection.”

“Are you implying he buys goods from Grotus?” Bendyk asked with a horrified expression.

“Not necessarily. They may simply share the same tastes, although Karayan is a much better dresser.”

Taurin snorted. “We’re not here to discuss anyone’s preference in art or clothes. Did you investigate Zeroun? As Minister of Religion, his department is responsible for administering the Black Lands. Someone there has granted illegal rights to the Chocola Company.”

“We’ll check into it,” Swill assured him. “We’ve cleared most of the other Synod members but weren’t sure about Sirvat’s trips or Magar’s secretive dealings in his trade commissions. I still feel he’s withholding information from us.”

“I’m more willing to trust Magar,” Taurin said. “It’s Zeroun who needs further investigation.”

They could easily be discussing suspects in a murder. We have a limited number of suspects, most of who know each other and have a secret to hide; an amateur sleuth; and a confined setting. It’s the prescription for a cozy mystery, albeit combined with a “quest” theme in the search for the missing horn. Mystery, adventure, romance and danger—what could be better?

What was my favorite part to write? I loved planning the booby traps in the secret temple and figuring out what was hidden there.

Praise for Keeper of the Rings

“A dark, dangerous hero and imaginative adventures make Keeper of the Rings an entertaining read.” Phoebe Conn, NY Times Bestselling Author

“Keeper is a lot like Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone. A good mystery, action/adventure, sci‑fi, and romance all rolled into one.” Mary Saums, Author of the Thistle & Twigg Mysteries and the Willi Taft Series.

“Prepare yourself for exotic locales, evildoers galore, and two splendid romances! Ms. Cane’s done it again!” The Paperback Forum

“Fascinating! Nancy Cane combines the elements of science fiction and fantasy into a marvelous love story. Her books capture the imagination with their originality.” The Literary Times

“The spellbinding action gets more terrifying and enthralling as the uniquely different plot thickens. The conclusion is stunning!” Rendezvous

“Intense and fast, Keeper of the Rings has an absorbing and complex plot that expands over and over again. And like ripples in a pond the reverberations are felt throughout the book to the very explosive climax. 4-1/2 stars.” Affaire de Coeur

Buy Now

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Rings-Nancy-J-Cohen-ebook/dp/B005C5YXRO
Nook: http://bit.ly/2LfyQF1
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/keeper-of-the-rings/id1412121907
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/keeper-of-the-rings-1
Books2Read.com: https://books2read.com/KeeperoftheRings
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Do you read archaeological thrillers? Or books like The Da Vinci Code? Perhaps you prefer movies like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft? Leave a comment below and you might win a signed first edition print copy of Silver Serenade published by The Wild Rose Press. I’ll announce the winner on Thursday.

Silver Serenade


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