Clues and Buttons

My latest cozy mystery release, Star Tangled Murder, takes place over July Fourth weekend. Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton attend a Seminole War battle reenactment at a living history village when the town marshal is murdered. A pearl button is found at the scene of the crime. It’s a vintage design with a gold metal shank. Since the site is a pioneer village, such a relic isn’t an anomaly. However, how it ended up under Phil Pufferfish’s body is a mystery.

Since Dalton is close to retirement, Marla joins his investigation to help him wrap things fast. One of the suspects collects buttons, and Marla gets an earful of button lore when she interviews the guy. Here’s what she learned:

The word ‘button’ comes from the French word bouton, meaning bud or knob. Buttons have been around for nearly five thousand years. The earliest one came from the Pakistan region and was made from a curved shell, its purpose being more ornamental than useful. The ancient Romans also made buttons from wood, horn, and bronze. However, it wasn’t until the thirteenth century that buttonholes were invented.

Buttons became widespread throughout Europe and then button-maker guilds were formed. These guilds regulated the manufacture and use of buttons. In those days, they were signs of wealth. By the eighteenth century, steel and ivory buttons replaced fabric ones. Then pewter and brass came into play. Fabric-covered buttons started being made mechanically in the middle of the next century.

In the U.S., early pearl buttons were produced from imported sources. Then an American manufacturer discovered that a bend in the Mississippi River near Muscatine, Iowa caused mussel shells to accumulate there. He began using this source to manufacture buttons. By the turn of the twentieth century, over one-third of the world’s pearl shell buttons came from this region. The industry declined when plastic buttons were introduced. Depletion of the source and the high cost of labor contributed to its demise.

Until the nineteenth century, most buttons were used for men’s clothing. Women’s clothes were fastened by hooks and laces. Then women became the primary consumers. Do you know why men and women button their clothes from opposite sides? Men’s clothing buttons on the right side. That’s because most men were right-handed and dressed themselves. Wealthy women, on the other hand, were often dressed by maids. Placing buttons on the left side made it possible for servants to face their ladies and fasten the buttons.

This is more than you wanted to know, right? I couldn’t put all of this info into my story, but I can share it with you here. I learn all sorts of fascinating things while researching my books. Fortunately, my editor and critique partners catch me out when these passages go on too long. But learning new topics is what makes each book exciting for me to write.

As for the button clue in Star Tangled Murder, you’ll have to read the book to find out what it means.

Buttons as clues in STAR TANGLED MURDER and a bit of button history - #cozymystery #research Share on X

Do you keep a jar of assorted buttons in your house like I do? Would you even know how to sew a button onto a shirt?

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A Character’s Voice

Do you ever listen to how story characters speak? I don’t mean what they say, but how they say it. I wasn’t as aware of this factor as I should have been until I put my first four mysteries into audiobooks. Then I realized each character needed a distinctive voice quality.

Now that I’m working on a new book, I need to assign each cast member a voice type. To help me in this task, I’ve devised this list of characteristics.

Then there’s the difference between a person’s speaking voice and their tone. A person with a Southern drawl could give a clipped reply. Or a man with a hoarse voice could speak in a tight tone out of concern for a loved one. How do you differentiate? I would say tone conveys emotions. Voice is what you’re born with in a physical sense, and manner of speech involves cadence, accents, dialects, slang and such. Not very academic, but neither am I. There you have it.

gravelly
grating
gruff
harsh
high-pitched
hoarse
hushed
husky
loud
nasal
raspy
scratchy
shrill
silky
smoky
smooth
soft-spoken
strident
sultry
throaty
velvety

What else would you add to the list?

A Character's Voice #writingtip #amwriting Share on X

Podcasts

I’ve recently been guest author on a couple of podcasts. Check them out here:

Nancy J. Cohen visits The Book and Life Podcast hosted by Kristal Fleming

“Let’s Write a Cozy Mystery” with Nancy J. Cohen on the Florida Writers Podcast

Giveaways

Enter Here to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our June Contest.

June 1st is the start of Hurricane Season in Florida. On my latest Booklovers Bench post, I discuss how hurricane prep relates to writers. Leave a Comment Here and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of Trimmed to Death (U.S. residents only).

Trimmed to Death

Story Questions

A great way to maintain suspense in a story is to keep the reader asking questions. This will entice her to keep turning pages to see what happens next.

The Ark television series on the SyFy channel has an intriguing premise. Earth’s environment is ruined, and mankind seeks another viable planet to colonize. They send out an ark ship named Ark One. But along the way, something hits their ship. It awakens everyone from cryogenic sleep and they learn their command crew has perished.

Several questions arise at once:

What caused the disaster? Was it an impact like an asteroid, an attack, or sabotage?
Is there a saboteur on board?
Who killed the imposter posing as a crewman?
What did this fellow know about their acting captain’s past that she wants to keep hidden?
Did she murder him?
Whose influence got her on board at the last minute? What makes her so special?
Meanwhile, is anyone left on Earth? Did the other planned arks have time to lift off?
And the big question is – Will they survive?

Each time one question is answered, another disaster occurs that raises more questions.

In my Bad Hair Day series, once my main character fulfilled her basic story arc, I had to add new questions. At the end of Star Tangled Murder, book #18, a reader asked:

“With Dalton retired, is this dynamic duo hanging up their sleuthing shoes? Is Marla really going to be content working less and keeping her nose out of everyone else’s business? Will Dalton be happy with a life full of teaching, hobbies, and being a stay-at-home dad? I am very interested to see what the author has planned.”

See what we’ve done here? As soon as one set of questions is answered or a character arc is complete, you need to immediately insert more issues. Keep the reader guessing, not only about whodunit in the mystery but also about the main characters. The questions can be external, such as who attacked Ark One? Or they can be internal, such as what may be hidden in a character’s past that we need to know?

Story Questions Raise Suspense in a Novel #plotting #amwriting Share on X

Questions create suspense, and that’s what keeps readers turning pages.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our May giveaway!

 

Holiday Events as Research

It’s easy to feel guilty about not writing over the holidays. We’re overwhelmed with festive meal preparations, gift shopping, out-of-town guests, and myriad social activities. Yet everything we do can be considered fodder for the imagination. Be observant, note the characters around you, and describe your surroundings in your head. One of these items might prick your story brain and inspire a scene later on.

Holiday Events as Research

As an example, I recently strolled through the Longwood Festival. Imagine my surprise when I happened upon Judy’s Dolls, a site I’d looked up online as research for Star Tangled Murder, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Marla, my hairstylist sleuth, interviews a suspect at her boutique doll store. I modeled some of the descriptions on what I’d read online. It was delightful to step inside this Victorian house to see the actual shop and meet the proprietor. As Marla has a son, and I have a grandson, I’d wondered if they had gifts for boys. And yes, they did. I bought a couple of items and put them away for Hanukkah.

 

Next, we strolled the lanes of tents and admired the craft items for sale. I found a unique handmade trivet and bought one as I’m always needing them for dinner parties.

 

Then we came upon a hat vendor. Having seen one before at the Apopka festival, I was reminded of a scene just like this one in Star Tangled Murder. Marla attends a July Fourth town festival where she encounters a hat lady. The woman shares gossip about one of the murder suspects.

      

This is why as a writer, we should not discount our experiences even if it seems like we are not writing. Everything we do becomes potential research for our books.

 

Holiday Events as Research #holidays #amwriting Share on X

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The First Draft of Your Novel is Finished – Now What?

Your book is not done just because you typed The End. Now begins the hard work of taking your raw material and honing it into a page-turning story. This will mean several rounds of revisions, intense reading sessions, and submitting to editors and beta readers for additional input.

This work happens before you prepare the book for publication, especially if you are self-publishing your novel. Regardless of the route you choose, you’ll still need to prepare a marketing plan.

What are the steps you’ll need to take next?

Here are some ideas from my list:

Complete Chapter Outline.

Finish Synopsis.

Prepare a One-Page Synopsis (required by some writing contests).

Make critique group spot corrections.

Do at least one full read-through for continuity and repetitions.

Double check list of Loose Ends to make sure all are resolved.

Send to Professional Editor.

Hire Cover Artist.

Hire Blurb Writer. Assemble tag lines, log lines, long and short book descriptions.

Write blog posts.

Select excerpts for possible blog tour.

Create reader discussion guide.

Write launch party posts.

Search Royalty-Free Photo Sites for pictures that illustrate your Suspects. Purchase these photos. Use them for a Pinterest Story Board or for a book trailer.

Compose book trailer text and match photos. OR hire someone to do a trailer if desired.

Do edits from editor.

Do another full read-through for final editing.

Send to beta readers. Make their corrections.

Assign ISBNs and prepare copyright page if self-publishing.

Send to formatter.

Read through pdf for final corrections. Look for formatting issues.

Set Pub Date.

Book a Launch Party (See https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty/ for examples of posts).

Book a Blog Tour.

Prepare Metadata including Key Words, Book Descriptions, and Author Bio.

Upload to online distributors. Copy Buy Links.

Book NetGalley co-op dates.

Query reviewers and send arcs via BookFunnel.

Write a page of Tweets and FB Posts.

This may simplify the Revision phase and the subsequent Marketing push, but it gives a general outline of what needs to be done. Obviously, if you are traditionally publishing your work, some of these steps may be omitted.

You've Finished the First Draft of Your Novel - Now What? #amwriting #writetip Share on X

For more tips, read these previous posts:
12 Steps for Revising Your Novel
Preparing for a Book Launch

 

 

A Writer’s Life by Mary Cunningham

Let’s welcome our guest, Author Mary Cunningham, who will share what inspired her to write the Andi Anna Jones mystery series featuring a travel agent sleuth.

A Writer’s Life by Mary Cunningham

I’ve written most my life, but until the ripe old age of fifty, I’d never ventured beyond family memoirs and very bad poetry. Then five crazy women got together and formed WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty. All of us had reached that magical milestone, or were about to, and weren’t all that thrilled with the ramifications. Hormones, hot flashes, hair loss, and weight gain were just a few of the complaints. We decided to become proactive and write a book that not only made light of our fate, but would honor our love of dogs, too. We embarked on the WOOF adventure.

From there, I moved on to middle-grade fantasy. Huh? Not a natural transition you say? When you have a recurring dream about a friend’s attic that served as your clubhouse on rainy days, you have to write about it. Write? Er…right? Cynthia’s Attic Series features best friends, ancestors, family stories, and time travel. While I, my family nor friends have admitted to time travel, writing about family stories passed down from great-grandparents, grandparents, and my mom and dad, gave me as much writing material as any Google search could generate.

I’ve now jumped into a totally different genre—a cozy mystery series about an inept travel agent whose real talent is amateur sleuthing. One of the first “writerly” pieces of advice I got was “Write what you know.” I was that inept travel agent in North Miami Beach. (Won’t mention the agency in case there are pending lawsuits against me) Seriously, I was awful. And hated it. I’m thrilled this new book and series has given me some sense of redemption and exorcised a ghost or two.

All those miserable days I spent, completely out of my element, led to one of the most satisfying journeys of my life. Writing about Andi, and her quirky cohorts, has been a freeing experience. Not only does writing give me a release from the past, I can draw on the good and the bad. For instance, Andi’s sidekick (and true agency manager) Ellie, is based on Ellen, the proficient agent who worked with me, and saved my backside on many occasions. She knew, instinctively, when I was struggling to make an airline reservation or book a trip, and would subtly step in and guide me through the process.

So many characters in Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder are written for the reader’s enjoyment and for the purpose of making lemonade from lemons. I can’t remember writing a story that made me laugh out loud. This one did.

Throughout my writing life, I’ve made fun of the aging process (WOOF), made up adventures about my ancestors, and written about a poor, but short-lived career choice; all with self-deprecating humor. If you have life-experiences you want to remember, or would rather forget, maybe writing will help.

Do you have any memories of quirky characters or mysterious family stories?

A Writer's Life by Mary Cunningham #amwriting #writetip Share on X

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Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder

Andi’s step-mother, Ruby, is a real piece of work, but is she a murderer?

Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent/amateur sleuth, puts aside her resentment of her father’s widow and books a 60th birthday cruise to Cancun for Ruby and three friends. Never does Andi imagine the cruise will include the murder of a has-been lounge singer—or that Ruby might be the main suspect.

Flirting with more than danger after arriving in Mexico, Andi connects with charming local sheriff, Manual Gonzales. An embarrassing night involving the sheriff, too many margaritas, and a Mariachi band, can’t quell her determination to clear the name of her ex-stepmother.

While gathering clues and interviewing witnesses, however, she suspects dear old step-mom isn’t the only one in jeopardy.

If you have as much fun reading Margaritas, Mayhem, & Murder: An Andi Anna Jones Mystery (# 1) as I had writing it, we’ll all be winners!

Order Your Copy Here or at your favorite online bookstore:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Biography

Author Mary Cunningham grew up on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana. Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired her imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn.” Through the author’s horrifying stint as a travel agent, Andi Anna Jones sprang to life. This series gives extra meaning to the phrase, “Write what you know.” Cunningham has several other books published, including five books in the Cynthia’s Attic middle-grade fantasy series, the women’s lifestyle/humor book, WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty, Ghost Light and Christmas With Daisy.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Carrollton Writers Guild. When she gives her fingers a break from the keyboard, she enjoys golf, swimming, and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where she makes her home with her husband and adopted, four-legged, furry daughter, Lucy.

Find Mary on Social Media:

Website: https://www.marycunninghambooks.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/marycunninghambooks/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaryCunningham
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLNEK4
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-cunningham

 

Twitter Chat

Join me tonight for a Twitter Chat Q&A from 7pm to 8pm EDT sponsored by @cozymysteryclub. Use the hashtag #cozycornerchat and ask me questions. Or you can follow me at https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen

Twitter Chat

Ask anything you want about my books or publishing or the writing process. I’ll be available for the entire hour. And if you’re not familiar with Twitter Chats, we can learn together. This will be my first one, so I hope you’ll join in!

WATCH THE VIDEOS

If you missed my workshop on “Self-Publishing Made Simple” you can watch it here for a limited time: https://bit.ly/3Q2OthF

If you missed my interview by author Jennie Spallone, watch it now at https://bit.ly/3QhzbFM – Use this Passcode: #wu3zQbH

 

A Eureka Moment

Every author likely goes through a phase when we are waiting for inspiration to strike. Or perhaps we have a plotting problem and need to find a solution. If you’ve been thinking about this issue for some time, the response will pop into your head at unexpected moments. It’s like a lightbulb turns on in your brain with just the answer you need.

A Eureka Moment

It’s ironic that I was slated to speak to the Citrus Crime Writers chapter of Sisters in Crime on “Creating Settings that Sizzle.” I was struggling to figure out the setting for my next Bad Hair Day mystery.

It had been several weeks since I’d started preliminary research for this book on topics that interested me. But I still lacked the single cohesive factor I needed. In my blog post on the Five Stages of Writing, I mention Discovery as number one. This is wherein you discover the story before you begin writing. I knew the inciting incident had to take place at a fairground or a park. I had several disparate elements that I couldn’t tie together. What was I missing? The setting within a setting, which I’ve discussed in a previous post. I needed a group of people who knew each other, but I couldn’t repeat what I’ve done before. This will be my 18th book in the series, and it becomes a challenge to keep things fresh.

I sat on my couch, intending to ruminate about the plot, when EUREKA! The answer popped into my brain! It was PERFECT for what I needed!

It’s amazing how the subconscious works. This is why you need to give yourself time during this discovery phase and not rush things. Gather the story elements, let them stew in your mind, and out will come the answer you need.

I’d visited this place and wrote a blog on it. I had an album with over sixty photos. And there was even a haunted house with ghost tours on the premises! Moreover, this setting within a setting was located at a fairground and would have a built-in group of suspects.

I’d have to adjust things a bit to fit my scenario, but this idea hit the nail on the head. I even remembered an episode of The Brokenwood Mysteries that took place in a similar setting. I’ll watch it to see how they set things up. Fortunately, I have the DVD in my collection.

You never know when a research trip will pay off. As a writer, you should take notes and photos wherever you go. At some point in the future, you might need those notes to set a scene or an entire story in that place. Every site you visit becomes a potential goldmine.

Now I’m excited to bring the pieces together. I’ll have some weaving to do but I have my basis to get started. At this point, I can determine the suspects. Then it’s a matter of figuring out their secrets and interconnecting them. All of this takes place as part of the Discovery phase before writing the story. More research may be required but at least now I have a direction to follow. I’m excited to see where the trail will lead.

My fellow writers, have you ever experienced this Eureka moment? It’s a glorious feeling, isn’t it?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a free book Dec. 1-18 at Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway.

Tying Up Those Pesky Loose Ends

When writing a mystery, it’s crucial to tie up any loose ends by the end of the story. You don’t want to leave readers hanging on what some incident or snatch of dialogue might have meant when they finish the book. There are several ways for you to keep track of these plot threads.

You might make a list of all the questions that will arise in a reader’s mind as you write the story. Or you can create this list as you do your first read-through revision. If you write a synopsis, that’s another way to keep tabs of what’s going on. Once you’ve finished the first draft, read through your synopsis and make sure you’ve resolved all the plot points. If not, fix them during the revision process.

Here’s an example of some loose ends from Easter Hair Hunt. A brief story blurb will fill you in so you can follow these questions.

When hairstylist Marla Vail attends an Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor, she’s only there to fix hair for a client, Bonnie “Blinky” Morris. But when she’s asked to comb the grounds for leftover goodies, Marla discovers more than just a few dyed eggs. The dead body in the bunny costume is definitely not having a good hare day. And Blinky seems to have disappeared down a rabbit hole.

LOOSE ENDS – Spoiler Alert!

Where is Blinky?
Why did Blinky give her costume to the dead guy?
Who stabbed the victim and why?
Where and what is the murder weapon?
What does the autopsy report say?
How did the Faberge egg end up in the grass next to the body?
Who is stealing artifacts from the house? Is the motive money or spite?
Why did Connor Tremaine deed his property to his wife and leave nothing to his son?

I write a synopsis up front as a writing guide. I’ve just gone through the one for Styled for Murder, my next Bad Hair Day mystery, to make sure it matches the story changes I made along the way. Whoops. It appears I’ve left too very obvious loose ends and forgot all about them. One factor is part of the killer’s confession, and another relates to a subplot with a secondary character.

Re the subplot, I left a hint in a conversation but have no idea what it meant. I can’t find an explanation for this statement anywhere in my character profiles or plotting notes. Do I eliminate this snatch of dialogue, or do I come up with a reasonable explanation? I chose to leave it in and explain what this character meant later on. That’s what I get for not keeping better track of each detail. I didn’t keep my list of loose ends for this story like I usually do, and that would have helped. All is not lost, though. I can write them out during my next revision pass to make sure everything is solved.

This is also why a story needs multiple views. We need to make sure all the questions have been answered by the end. Even our editors and beta readers sometimes miss things that our fans will point out later.

Tying Up those Pesky Loose Ends #amwriting #writetip Share on X

Do you have lapses like this? How do you catch them?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Aug 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors 

Booklovers Bench Monthly Book Giveaway

Writing the Cozy Mystery – Howdunit

When writing a cozy mystery, you need to decide upon crime scene details even though interpersonal relations, and not forensics, are your story’s focus. The murder might even be off scene, but you’ll still have to determine how it happened.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Howdunit

In Trimmed to Death, the story begins at a farm festival bake-off contest, which my hairstylist sleuth Marla Vail enters as a contestant. But I was stymied regarding the setting because our city’s fairs were held at athletic fields or local parks. I was telling this to my manicurist when she suggested Bedner’s Farm as a possible model for my story. The next day, my husband and I drove north to visit this farm in Boynton Beach. See my post for a report on this visit. The varied structures and grounds were ideal for my purposes, but I’d move my fictional site nearer to Marla’s hometown.

Now what? I had to select a victim. Spoiler alert!

After looking up farm festivals online, I decided my story would include a live scavenger hunt with the prize going to the guest who collected all of the stamps. Francine Dodger is the final target of the festival’s Find Franny game. Unfortunately, she is slated to die.

Next, consider the five Ws to expand the details.

Who ends up dead? Francine is the victim.

Where is she killed? In the strawberry field. How does she arrive there? Is she lured on purpose, or it is a crime of opportunity? Did the killer follow her? Determine Where-dunit.

 

strawberry plants

How does she die? Will it look like an accident or right away be clear it’s a homicide? Water-filled canals line the U-pick rows. She could be drowned in a ditch. Or she can fall down a silo and smother in the grain. But what would make her climb up there in the first place? Or maybe we should run her over by a tractor.

What knowledge does the killer need? If the murder involves an equipment accident, it’ll have to be someone who knows how to operate the machinery. Ditto the hazards inside a silo. You don’t want to point the finger at a particular suspect like the farmer, because it’s too obvious. Maybe give one of the other characters a secret history of working on a farm or of selling agricultural machinery if you go this route.

If you poison a victim, who has knowledge about the type of poison plus has access to it? Is it fast-acting enough for the circumstances, or do you need a slower more insidious death? What are the particular symptoms? In a cozy mystery, we want to avoid anything messy or too graphic. 

When does it happen? Think about not only about the time of death, but also why not a week or a month ago? Why NOW? What happened to trigger the killer at this point in time?

How does the killer get away? Does he have blood on his clothes? Are his shoes wet or muddy? Is he able to blend back into the crowd at the farm festival?

Now let’s throw a wrench into the works. What if it’s a case of mistaken identity? The murderer thought he had killed one woman, but he got somebody else who was similarly attired. How will he react upon seeing his intended victim alive and well? This leads to another set of problems. It means he can’t see the victim’s face before he kills her, or he’ll realize it’s the wrong person. So again, we go back to Howdunit?

Once you figure out these details, you’ll have to determine how your amateur sleuth stumbles across the dead body. And this is when the story actually begins.

Writing the Cozy Mystery - Howdunit #amwriting #plotting Share on X

Previous posts on this topic:

Writing the Cozy Mystery – Whodunit
Writing the Cozy Mystery – Whydunit

Note: This post topic originally appeared in Feb. 2017.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Aug 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench cozy mystery authors 

Booklovers Bench Monthly Book Giveaway