Getting to Know Us — Karen McCullough

Yes, we all have bios on this website, but there is so much MORE to know about our Classic and Cozy bloggers.  So the 2nd Friday of each month is dedicated to getting to know us better.  This month I'd like to introduce you to Karen McCullough. 

Okay, inquiring minds want to know…why a writer? Certainly not for the fame and fortune…or maybe it is? 
Good question and I’m not sure I have a good answer.  Definitely not for the fame and fortune.  Not that I’d mind the fortune, but I’d just as leave skip the fame part. It’s just that being a writer is part of what I am.  My imagination is always at work and seems to bring up new story ideas and characters regularly. They begin knocking at my brain and demanding release.


When did you first put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to create your classic and cozy characters?
I wrote my first short story when I was eleven or twelve. It was a mystery and three pages long, which seemed like a lot of writing at the time. I wrote my first serious short story in 1980 and submitted it to a couple of magazines. They all turned it down, but a couple added nice remarks about my writing, which was all I needed to keep at it. I think I finished my first complete novel somewhere around 1984 or 1985 and sold my first novel (the sixth complete novel I’d written) to Avalon in 1988.  It was published in 1990.

Do you have a set writing schedule?
I wish I did, but I have a full-time job (though I’m working my way toward retirement from it) and family commitments. I try to save a couple of hours a day for writing and try to get 500 words done per day, but it doesn’t happen every day, and I don’t beat myself up about it when it doesn’t work.

Is there a certain routine, food/drink, or location that summons forth the muses for you?
Not really. I often re-read the second I wrote the previous day, making corrections, and that gets me into the story enough to get the ball rolling. If I’m having trouble, I allow myself one game of solitaire while I’m thinking, but then I have to write one sentence before I can play another game. Weird as it sounds, it works and gets me rolling. However, a cup of coffee always at the ready nearby is a definite necessity

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I watch sports on TV - Carolina Panthers football, Duke Basketball, Atlanta Braves baseball, along with going to games of our local minor league team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers.  I also putter in the garden, play computer games, and travel. 

I imagine you’ve been reading all of your life (all great writers have.)  What was your favorite book as a child?
Yes, I have a lifelong addiction to reading. I remember tearing through every Nancy Drew book I could lay hands in my pre-teen years. When I couldn’t find any more new ones, I went through the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and a couple of other series whose names I don’t even remember now. But Nancy Drew was always my favorite.

Do you re-read books?  If so, which one have you re-read the most?
Yes, although not many. I’ve re-read the books of my idols, Mary Stewart and Barbara Mertz (aka Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters) numerous times, but the book I’ve re-read most often would have to be The Lord of the Rings.

But there’s more to life than reading, writing (and arithmetic)…what is your most memorable adventure in your life?
Hmmm.  That’s a hard one since I’ve done a few.  But, yes, the most memorable adventure happened in 2005.  Along with our two daughters, my husband and I went over to England for our son’s wedding.  (He attended graduate school at the University of Bangor in Wales, and while there met his future wife, a young woman from Kent in England.)  We decided to use the opportunity to see more of the United Kingdom, so we flew into Edinburgh, Scotland and spent a few days there, before we headed for a few days in London, and then down to Hastings to the hotel on the waterfront where we’d stay for the wedding. It was my first time in the UK and it was all new and wonderful. Sharing it with family made it extra special, and then the culmination in the wedding was marvelous. Another thing that made the trip so great was that in Hastings we got to meet so many members of the bride’s family and spend time with them, learning more about how they lived, etc. I recall that every moment was packed with things to do, see, and talk about!

If you were on American Idol, what song would you sing to WOW! the judges?
Ouch, this is a little painful because there was a time when I could actually sing. I had vocal training as a kid and sung in a number of choirs in school, then later in pop/rock groups, cover bands, and a couple of church music groups. But ten years ago I had two rounds of surgery to remove some things from my sinuses that weren’t supposed to be there, and my vocal cords were damaged, resulting in the loss of almost all of my range. (Same thing that took Julie Andrews’ wonderful voice.)  But if I were still able to sing, I’d probably cover Both Sides, Now, by Joni Mitchell, or Memory by Andrew Lloyd Webber.  

What are you currently working on? What can we readers look forward to seeing from you?
I’ve recently turned in the second book in my Market Center Mystery series to Five Star. The first in the series was A Gift for Murder, released in hardcover in 2011. The sequel is titled Wired for Murder. I have no idea yet when it will be released. I’m currently working on a novella in the series which I’ll likely self-publish myself to support the series.  My working title for it is A Gift for Destruction, but that could change. And finally I have a short story just released in July as part of the Frostgrave: Tales of the Frozen City anthology, which is connected to the Frostgrave game world.  My story is titled, “Best Served Cold.”

Last question…movie rights…who’ll play your current main characters when Hollywood comes knocking on your door? 
Oh, dear.  I don’t know…  Jennifer Lawrence in a dark wig would make a wonderful Heather McNeil.  For Scott Brandon, maybe Chris Pine.

Catch more of Karen McCullough the second Saturday of every month here on the Classic and Cozy Blog.   

For a complete list of Karen McCullough’s books click on over to her website http://www.kmccullough.com

And be sure and check out her blog http://www.kmccullough.com/kblog

Surviving Jury Duty with Jamie and Claire

Anyone who has served as a potential juror knows it's a day of waiting. You arrive at the courthouse with your morning coffee balanced in one hand and a bag with snacks and reading material in the other. In my county, the juror pool is huge. Several hundred people sit and wait for their number to be called.

I am one of those obsessed Outlander fans, desperately waiting for the next TV season to start. Only another obsessed Outlander fan can understand how the characters constantly intrude on my thoughts. Fortunately, I still have two more books in the series to read. I carry Jamie, Claire, Roger and Bree with me wherever I go. Yes, I carry around a thousand plus page paperback. 

I entered the jury room and half listened to the introductions. I was almost to the end of, A Breath of Snow and Ashes.  I had to know if Jamie and Roger got to Bree in time. No spoilers, I promise. 

I breathed a sigh of relief when my number was finally called. Not that I was anxious to be picked, but desperate to finish book 6. That day I had packed two books in my bag. Heaven forbid I finished one and couldn't start the next. Jamie Fraser somehow makes time travel a good idea.

My group of potential jurors was directed to the judges courtroom, but the docket wasn't ready. 

"Take a two hour lunch break," the court officer said.  

I was thrilled. When do I ever get two uninterrupted hours to spend with my favorite hero and heroine.

For me, jury duty is one of those annoying obligations that you can't escape. But this time, in the company of my favorite characters the waiting was tolerable.  This is why I read and write.  Escaping into their story takes me away from the nonsense of everyday life.

Thank you to all the talented writers who give us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

Patience, patience ...

By Sandra Wilkins

            Um…have I ever mentioned that I’m not a very patient person?   I mean, I’ve tried over the years to not get bent out of shape when things don’t go the way I wish they would.  So, I would say—in general—that I do a much better job at just “chillin’” than I did ten or twenty years ago.  Certainly, having children has had an obvious connection to a more understanding attitude.  It doesn’t do a person any good to get upset, worried or angry at every little problem.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow.    

            Waiting on other people can seem impossible sometimes.  It doesn’t matter what the relationship is between two people, we don’t have the same agenda.  No one does.  We may have similar ideas, but the execution of them can come about in altered ways and in different time periods.  Oh, and there is always the chance it won’t happen at all.

            The other day, I heard this quote on the radio, “It’s better to go slowly in the right direction than quickly in the wrong direction.”  How true is that?!  I’m trying to embrace that thought.  I’ve hoped to build a house out in the country for more than twenty years but it hadn’t worked out in the past.  Now, as we’re on the verge of hiring a builder I can see where it’s much better to take baby steps toward a goal instead of falling headlong into a pile of manure.  It’s not always comfortable standing around twiddling your thumbs hoping that something will happen someday, but there will be a reward in the end for patience.  It may not be exactly what we planned or

envisioned in the beginning, but that meandering path could lead to a beautiful thing. 

    Sandra Wilkins is busy writing another series while home educating her two daughters.  Ada’s Heart, Rose’s Hope and Gwen’s Honor are her first three published wholesome historical romances. 

 Go to www.sandrawilkins.com to find out more about her and her books. 

Having Adventures

Most days I sit in front of a computer and work. I’m a free-lance web designer/developer by profession as well as an author. Both jobs involve sitting at a desk for hours on end, using my brain and my hands but not much else. Even on weekends, when I do more writing, too much of my day goes by at the computer. I do make it a point to get up periodically and walk around; I try to walk at least a mile a day, and I do other exercises, but still the day is limited.

I read as much as I can, too, but every now and then I itch to get out in a more serious way. I want to take a vacation and travel. We go to the beach once or twice a year and that’s great for resting and relaxing, providing more reading time, but it doesn’t satisfy my longing for new places, people, and experiences.

At least every other year we plan a more major vacation with travel to someplace we’ve never been or don’t get to visit often. We almost always meet or include other family members in the trip, which tends to make it more meaningful for all of us.

A few years ago, we flew to Las Vegas, then drove to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, spent a few days there hiking, drove to Bryce Canyon and spent a few days, and then drove over the mountains to Denver. It was a lot—A LOT—of driving, but so worth it. It was the first time I’d seen real desert other than in movies and television shows, (yes, East Coast Girl), my first view of the Rocky Mountains, including an unforgettable ride on Interstate 70 up and over, my first time in Vegas (and likely my last), and hikes in eerie landscapes at Bryce that sparked all sorts of story ideas.

Me at the Grand Canyon, 2010

The last two trips have been to England, where our son now lives with his wife and small daughter. We’re fortunate that he lives in Oxford, a place that is endlessly fascinating on its own and within fairly easy driving distance of many other interesting places. We’ve ventured forth to Bath, Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle (better known to most people as Downton Abbey) and Stonehenge. We’d spent time in London and Kent on a previous trip, as well.

My husband and son at Stonehenge, 2014

Not many of these places have directly worked their way into a story yet. But the spirit of them has already infused some of my work. Those places have expanded my horizons and filled the bucket of my brain with more material to weave into my books. But I need more.  Need more!

By the time you’re reading this, I should be home from the latest jaunt, a trip to Italy.  My son and his family joined us there for a stay in Rome, followed by Florence, and then Como.  Report to follow.

Of Cartoons, USBs and the Cloud

 by Janis Susan May/Janis Patterson

I have a secret passion. I love USB thumb drives. They are so handy and so much easier to use or carry than the old 3.5 floppies. We aren't even going to mention the ancient 5.0 floppies.

I know it’s peculiar, but the main reason I love USBs is not primarily for their practical use, but because they are so much fun. You see, my passion for USB drives isn't really for the humdrum if not downright boring oblong ones that come in a variety of distressing colors, though I have several. They are great in their own rather pedestrian way, but I have fallen in love with the 'specialty' USB drives that come in shapes! There is such a variety of images out there now! They are available as jewelry (one of my faves is a sparkly rose pendant that is really a USB) and coins and cars and guns and just about anything else that you can think of.

My favorite ones, though, are the cartoons. There are both the famous ones and the generic images. Pull off their head and there is a USB! I have a Sylvester the Cat – or it might be the baby cat whose name I can't remember from the Animaniacs – and a snake and a couple of monkeys (both brown and pink) and a Tom (am still looking for a Jerry) and a Tasmanian Devil and a Marvin the Martian and... well, just take my word for it that I have a lot of them. I've also seen others that I want but just couldn't afford at the time (and of course have never seen them again!) and an impressive assortment of superheroes, who don't do anything for me (I'm married to the only superhero who interests me) and some things that are vaguely anthropomorphic, but I can't even hazard a guess as to what they are.

Believe it or not, there's also a practical side to this variety. I switch a lot from one machine to another, some mine, some not, and having the different characters makes it easy to remember where what project is. 'Oh,  such-and-such is on Sylvester' or 'Thus-and-so is in the snake.'

But, you say, what about the cloud? Put something in cloud storage and it's there whenever you want it.

Humph. Admittedly I am a Luddite slow to embrace new technologies, but I really hate the idea of the cloud. I truly dislike control of my work being in anyone's hands but mine. Then there's the whole idea of piracy in all its ugly manifestations – I don't care how safe they say it is, it was made by someone which means it can be cracked by someone. Not that I am so big or so famous that anyone might want to pirate my works in process, but I might be someday so why tempt Fate?

Not that we will have much choice. My new tablet (an Asus) was chosen not only for the fact it had a keyboard with it and a deliciously affordable price, but primarily because it had a USB port. It was the only affordable one I could find that did. I can foresee a day when the cloud (or whatever they call it) will be the only storage available to us, and that will mean that our work will be held at the whim of others. Already you can’t simply buy an Office suite – no, you have to buy a one year’s license. Every year. To me that smacks of extortion. Just imagine what it will be like when the only storage is in the cloud, and you can access your work only when and if the cloud’s controllers permit. That’s when I will dig out my antique typewriter and buy a supply of typing paper. Worked like that once, and I can do it again.

In the meantime, though, I have a wonderful word processing program for which I don’t have to pay a yearly fee (Open Office) and a tidy little zoo of cartoon thumb drives. What does it say about me, though, that I love to go to work each morning, even if it means yanking the head off of Sylvester the Cat?

The worst review ever

I was having trouble thinking of something to write, when this fell into my lap. 

Third review on my new release and it asked why was the story similar to one already written. Needless to say I was horrified.  I never read the book cited.  At least I don't think I ever did.

Before I tell you about the story and my story, let me say I have been reading romances since I snuck True Confessions and True Story magazines from my mom's reading pile when I was fourteen and then progressed to romances.  That was 50 years ago and I have read a whole lot of books.

The story  I just released - Bachelor.com  - is my story.  Rooted in what happened to me but with a twist.  I was the consummate nerd.  Moved to a city from a small town in Pennsylvania when I was going into the eighth grade and did not belong with my new surroundings or the kids.  Didn't dress the same, wasn't anywhere as mature as they were, and not nearly as mean spirited.  Dirt poor, when I got a new outfit for school, that was all I got.  One new outfit.  I wore thick soled shoes and thicker glasses. I was picked on and laughed at unmercifully for most of my school years.  I can't remember all the names I was called, but I do remember trying not to be noticed so I wouldn't hear them.  The cool kids picked on me, the jocks laughed at me, and I virtually had few friends.  Those that were friends were just like me and we survived together by learning to blend into the background.

I kinda morphed into someone tolerated about my junior year of high school, and wrote on the school newspaper and yearbook staff.  That's where my love of writing came from. Got a job, worked on changing myself and kept on reading romances because that's were the great guys were.

Fast forward to now, and I needed a new plot. Writing about a woman who goes from plain into pretty was overdone, so I decided to try writing about a geek who suddenly becomes cool. But guys aren't into plastic surgery, so I figured and auto accident would take care of what I needed. So I smashed the hero's face and sent him to the hospital.  I gave him a girl-friend who cared about him, but not a girlfriend because I had a boy-friend who I guess took pity on me back in the day and at least talked to me once in a while.  That and we both like science fiction books. 

I called upon life for the rest, drawing on things I saw, things I saw on TV  and things experienced through life.  The hero actually owned a successful computer-gaming development business, but had be lying about it for two years because the girl-friend treated him like a person and not a modern-day nerd.  She offered to help him build a new outside while he tried to remain the same on the inside, and she also offered pointers to ease him into the dating scene because she thought he deserved to experience everything he had missed before she told him how she actually felt about him, all the while hoping he would not find someone else in the process.  I tossed in some cougars and kittens, a  hussy at work, and some internet bloggers who found out about his transformation and broke the story on the internet, and an FTC investigation of his company which had a public offering on the stock market before they ended up happily ever after.

I thought it was a good story. Then wham!!  I was told someone already wrote it.

Worse than that, I liked this story so much  that I hired a PR firm to do all sorts of media on this because I was finally able to release all the hurt I still carried, but should have let go a long time ago.  How stupid would I have been to try to attract attention to something already out there?  How stupid would it be to not think readers would notice?  

I been reading for 50 years, writing for 20.  Did I read a story like this?  Maybe.  I can't prove I didn't but I can't prove I did.

But I can prove I lived it.  The scars are there and I guess will always be now. I don't know what is going to happen. Maybe the book will be pulled.  Maybe I'll never submit again for fear all the stories in my head have already been told.  Maybe no one will publish me again.  It will be what it will be. But I will see this to the end, whatever that is.

On the only positive thing I can see is maybe there is another story in the future.  This time non-fiction.

Please don't share this post.  This is for my Avalon sisters who I hope know me well enough to at least understand that I had to talk to someone because this hurts as much as all the name calling.

7 Remarkable Sites to Find Writing Prompts

by Victoria M. Johnson

As writers of short stories, poems, journals, and novels, we can all use a boost getting started every once a while.  I've scoured the web to bring you websites with fresh prompts updated regularly.

1.  DIY MFA Writer Igniter

http://diymfa.com/writer-igniter

Click the shuffle button to get your randomly generated prompt, which includes a character, the situation, a prop, and an image for the setting.  Don't like what you get?  Just hit the "shuffle" button again.

2.  Prompt Inspiration

http://www.promptinspiration.com/

Several prompts each day in a variety of genres.  Each prompt starts with a cool factoid or literary birthday.

3.  createwritenow

http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-prompts

Journal writing prompts.

4.  Poets & Writers Magazine

http://www.pw.org/writing-prompts-exercises

Three categories of prompts, including creative writing, poetry, and fiction prompts.

5.  writing prompts

http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/

Great images, quotes or scenarios, and a related prompt.

6.  Writing Forward

http://www.writingforward.com/category/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts

Five categories of writing prompts such as fiction prompts and poetry prompts.  Once you select a category, keep scrolling down to see all the posts.

7.  The Writer Magazine

http://www.writermag.com/writing-prompts/

Prompts from the editors of The Writer Magazine.

And here's a bonus:

http://www.pinterest.com/byvictoriaj/inspiration/

Visit my Pinterest "Inspiration" board. It includes fascinating images to spark your literary imagination.

Once you find the inspiration, all you have to do is start writing!  Do you know of any other sites with great writing prompts?  Let us know in the comments below. 

Victoria M. Johnson knew by the time she was ten that she wanted to be a writer.  She loves telling stories and she's happiest when creating new characters and new plots.  Avalon Books and Montlake Romance published Victoria's fiction debut, The Doctor’s Dilemma, (A 2012 Bookseller’s Best double finalist).  Her other fiction book is a collection of romance short stories titled, The Substitute Bride and a novella, Hot Hawaiian Christmas. She is also the writer and director of four short films and two micro documentaries.   Visit Victoria's website at http://VictoriaMJohnson.com for inspiration and tips and find her Amazon author page or connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.