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A USA Today Bestselling author, this slightly out of place Renaissance man writes mysteries and more. Topics include writing, family, gardens, and more, often infused with a bit of gentle philosophy and always with a lust for life.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Next Big Thing
THE NEXT BIG THING: Secret questions with answers only for you...
One of my "newbie" writers from several years back has gone and become extremely successful with her YA series. She's just shot right up to the top with her books, and has learned everything I could teach her as well as is teaching me stuff now! Robin Waldrop is a great lady, please stop by and say hi to her on her blog. Robin tagged me in an ongoing game of "The Next Big Thing" in which authors get to talk about their favorite things: writing, and their current WIP.
Genevieve Labreck is back with a score to settle. Her mom has been
kidnapped by Zane, hybrid and all-around monster. Rumors fly that Gen’s
mom is holed away in Prague, a city recognized by humans for its serene
beauty and intense culture, but Gen and Will know something humans
don’t. Prague is haunted by dark, evil forces.
Can Genevieve and William save her mom, or will they be too late?
Some will live, others will fall. At what price do you walk away from those you love?
Some will live, others will fall. At what price do you walk away from those you love?
***
At the same time, I was also tagged by Deb Ledford, a very talented writer whose books I adore. Deb features strong Native American influences in her writing, which fascinates me. She also writes one heckuva a mystery/suspense and her sense of place is addictive. Check out all of her books http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com/author/djledford/.
Book two of her Steven Hawk/Inola Walela thriller series, SNARE, is The Hillerman Sky Award Finalist, nominated as Best Mystery that captures the landscape of the Southwest. Also a Finalist for the NM-AZ Book Award in the Mystery/Suspense category.
Here is Deb's blog piece for The Next Big Thing!
(This one's my favorite of Deb's books!)
THE NEXT BIG THING
3-What genre does your book fall under?
6-Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
All of my books are represented by Lida Quillen at Twilight Times Books. I love my publisher! Please check out the great selection of award-winning books on the TTB site. (www.twilighttimesbooks.com)
8-What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
1-What is your working
title of your book?
Virtuoso, book #7 in the Gus
LeGarde Mystery series.
2-Where did the idea
come from for the book?
When my daughter was a
voice student at the world-renowned Eastman School of Music, my mind often went
in crazy directions, imagining mysteries and murders around every corridor, in
the practice rooms, and in the concert halls. It was just natural that Gus
LeGarde, a music professor from a small upstate New York university, would end
up at the school and that he’d uncover some pretty shocking secrets.
3-What genre does your book fall under?
Mystery, but I qualify that
with “country mystery” since my stories are always set in the picturesque
Genesee Valley of upstate NY.
4-Which actors would you
choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I used to picture a young
Harrison Ford playing Gus LeGarde, or maybe Liam Neeson. But I’m probably
dating myself, huh? I’m sure there’s a younger new actor who’d shine as Gus.
What do you think?
5-What is the
one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When Gus LeGarde rescues a
pilot from a small plane crash in the back forty, he becomes involved in a
dangerous mystery with a forged famous painting with a bizarre connection to an
elderly neighbor.
6-Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
All of my books are represented by Lida Quillen at Twilight Times Books. I love my publisher! Please check out the great selection of award-winning books on the TTB site. (www.twilighttimesbooks.com)
7-How long did it take
you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took about two to three
months to get the first draft out. But I wrote this way back in 2004, so it’s
been eight years since I touched it. I’ve been so busy writing my two other
series (Moore Mysteries and Tall Pines Mysteries) that I’ve sort of neglected
these older LeGarde books! Shame on me, huh? The writing is really pretty
dated, though, and I need to thoroughly rewrite it using my current day skills.
But don’t worry, it’ll pass muster when it comes out.
8-What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I haven’t found another
mystery writer to compare to my “country” mysteries yet. They certainly may
exist, but I haven’t read them!
9-Who or what inspired
you to write this book?
My daughter, Melanie, who has the voice of an angel. And my
late father, who was a music professor and pianist of great warmth and talent.
10-What else about your
book might pique the reader’s interest?
Gus
LeGarde is faced with the ultimate challenge of fatherhood – dealing with a
pretty young teenage daughter who’s being wooed by multiple (and dangerous)
young men. I will never know how I got through that phase in my life with three
young daughters who were only two years apart (twins and a single). I played
upon that angst and worry in Virtuoso,
when Gus deals with Shelby’s relationship with a much older young tenor who’s
currently attending the Eastman School of Music. There’s also a strong theme
running through the story about a woman I admire greatly, my wife’s great,
great, great Aunt Emma. This woman was a true hero, an artist, an innovator, a
savior, and a world traveler. Her story is retold in this book.
And now for those I have tagged:
These
lovely writers asked me to participate at a time when I was just
overwhelmed with life and work. But now I have a second to breathe, and
I'm asking them if I can tag them back!
Kim Smith
Pat Bertram
Kim Smith
Pat Bertram
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Are You a Lonely Writer?
Hi, folks.
If you're a writer and sometimes feel lonely, please don't. We're in this together and we've all suffered horrible disappointments, rejections, and bad reviews as well as our first glowing review or piece of fan mail.
I've written about my own experiences over the years through blogs and articles, and my publisher decided it would be a good idea to gather them up to share with writers of all levels.
I've entitled the collection "Write Like the Wind," and there are now three volumes. Maybe someday when I've written more articles I'll add a fourth volume, but for now, this is it!
The eBooks are only 99 cents each, which isn't too bad. Here's a bit about them if you'd be interested in taking a look. ;o)
This writing guide is a collection of articles I’ve written over the past seven years for fiction writers of all levels. Whenever I stumbled across something in the writing process, whether it was new-to-me technical skills or promotional methods, I wanted to share them with my network of writing pals. I was driven to help new writers just as my mentors helped me in the beginning of my career. Sort of like paying it forward, you know?
One of my favorite sayings I use when I sign off from my articles is “remember to take pleasure in the little things, and if you love to write, write like the wind!”
I guess it’s a strange concept, but I have this vision of unleashing swirling gusts of words just like the wind that rattles leaves in trees and blows hats along the sidewalk. Don’t stop to analyze, don’t hesitate, don’t edit yourself to death. There’s plenty of time for that later (and then you can “Edit Like an Architect” like my friend Natalie Neal Whitefield says.) Just let it all out in one big gushing explosion of words, and keep going until you reach the last chapter.
Thanks for ordering this guide. I’d love to hear from you, so if you’d like to say hello, feel free to drop me a line at aaron.lazar@yahoo.com or stop by my website at http://www.lazarbooks.com.
Aaron Paul Lazar
Volume 1:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Motivation
2. Balancing Life and Writing
3. Writing From The Heart
4. Defining a “Real” Writer
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
5. Advice for New Writers
6. Forbidden Words
7. The Hook
8. Writing Like You Talk
Marketing and Building Your Platform
1. Bringing Back the Dead
2. Writing Reviews to Build Your Platform
3. How Radio Shows Can Help Writers
4. Tweet, tweet! (I feel like a bird)
5. Read an eBook Week — an experiment
A Little Poetry, Please
6. Word Painting
7. Squeeze a Little Poetry Into Your Novel
8. Savor the Moment
Learn to Write by Reading
9. Listen to the Master – John D. MacDonald
10. Speaking in Voices – Tami Hoag
Dreams – Do They Influence Your Writing?
11. Connecting through Dreams
12. Downtime and Dreams
Defining Success
The Ultimate Reward
Volume 2:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Finding Time to Write
2. A Writer’s Life
3. Cheap Therapy
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
4. The Dreaded Synopsis
5. Writing Love Scenes
6. Writing From a Woman’s POV (when you’re a guy)
7. Tag Team Query Letters
8. Beta Readers — who they are and why you need them
Marketing and Building Your Platform
9. Blogging — what’s the big deal?
10. Live Chats — do they sell books?
11. Writing Columns and Branding Yourself
12. Audio Books — how to get your novels into ACX
Dealing with Rejection or Unfair Criticism
13. The Shredding
14. Rejection! (Is your book REALLY that bad?)
Character Letters – examples
15. Sam Moore Speaks
16. Message from Gus LeGarde
Where Do You Write?
17. Writing on the River
18. Writing on the Road
19. Writing with Kids
20. Face-to-Face with Writers (in real life!)
Author Interviews – some examples
Interview with Aaron Lazar by Dorothy James
Volume 3:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Are All Writers Egoists?
2. Practical Advice for Writers
3. Chasing the Writing High
4. Coping Skills for Writers in Hard Times
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
5. Dialogue Tags
6. Your Preface: what it is, when to write it
7. Writing the Tough Stuff (or killing the one you love)
8. Setting the Scene in Your Own Backyard
9. Typing “The End”
Marketing and Building Your Platform
10. Being a Guest on Radio Shows — how hard is it?
11. My First Book Signing
12. Freebies — clever marketing, or foolish folly?
13. Recording Your Character’s Voice
Plotting and Ideas
14. What Scares You?
15. Using Emotions to Drive Your Next Plot (“It’s Over”)
16. Response to “It’s Over”
17. Comfort Movies (plot themes)
Character Interviews and Letters – examples
18. Interview with Oscar Stone
19. Interview with Sam Moore
20. Interview with Siegfried Marggrander
Interview with Ruby, from Tall Pines Mysteries
Thank you all and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
If you're a writer and sometimes feel lonely, please don't. We're in this together and we've all suffered horrible disappointments, rejections, and bad reviews as well as our first glowing review or piece of fan mail.
I've written about my own experiences over the years through blogs and articles, and my publisher decided it would be a good idea to gather them up to share with writers of all levels.
I've entitled the collection "Write Like the Wind," and there are now three volumes. Maybe someday when I've written more articles I'll add a fourth volume, but for now, this is it!
The eBooks are only 99 cents each, which isn't too bad. Here's a bit about them if you'd be interested in taking a look. ;o)
Kindle eBook, 99 cents each
IntroductionThis writing guide is a collection of articles I’ve written over the past seven years for fiction writers of all levels. Whenever I stumbled across something in the writing process, whether it was new-to-me technical skills or promotional methods, I wanted to share them with my network of writing pals. I was driven to help new writers just as my mentors helped me in the beginning of my career. Sort of like paying it forward, you know?
One of my favorite sayings I use when I sign off from my articles is “remember to take pleasure in the little things, and if you love to write, write like the wind!”
I guess it’s a strange concept, but I have this vision of unleashing swirling gusts of words just like the wind that rattles leaves in trees and blows hats along the sidewalk. Don’t stop to analyze, don’t hesitate, don’t edit yourself to death. There’s plenty of time for that later (and then you can “Edit Like an Architect” like my friend Natalie Neal Whitefield says.) Just let it all out in one big gushing explosion of words, and keep going until you reach the last chapter.
Thanks for ordering this guide. I’d love to hear from you, so if you’d like to say hello, feel free to drop me a line at aaron.lazar@yahoo.com or stop by my website at http://www.lazarbooks.com.
Aaron Paul Lazar
Volume 1:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Motivation
2. Balancing Life and Writing
3. Writing From The Heart
4. Defining a “Real” Writer
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
5. Advice for New Writers
6. Forbidden Words
7. The Hook
8. Writing Like You Talk
Marketing and Building Your Platform
1. Bringing Back the Dead
2. Writing Reviews to Build Your Platform
3. How Radio Shows Can Help Writers
4. Tweet, tweet! (I feel like a bird)
5. Read an eBook Week — an experiment
A Little Poetry, Please
6. Word Painting
7. Squeeze a Little Poetry Into Your Novel
8. Savor the Moment
Learn to Write by Reading
9. Listen to the Master – John D. MacDonald
10. Speaking in Voices – Tami Hoag
Dreams – Do They Influence Your Writing?
11. Connecting through Dreams
12. Downtime and Dreams
Defining Success
The Ultimate Reward
Volume 2:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Finding Time to Write
2. A Writer’s Life
3. Cheap Therapy
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
4. The Dreaded Synopsis
5. Writing Love Scenes
6. Writing From a Woman’s POV (when you’re a guy)
7. Tag Team Query Letters
8. Beta Readers — who they are and why you need them
Marketing and Building Your Platform
9. Blogging — what’s the big deal?
10. Live Chats — do they sell books?
11. Writing Columns and Branding Yourself
12. Audio Books — how to get your novels into ACX
Dealing with Rejection or Unfair Criticism
13. The Shredding
14. Rejection! (Is your book REALLY that bad?)
Character Letters – examples
15. Sam Moore Speaks
16. Message from Gus LeGarde
Where Do You Write?
17. Writing on the River
18. Writing on the Road
19. Writing with Kids
20. Face-to-Face with Writers (in real life!)
Author Interviews – some examples
Interview with Aaron Lazar by Dorothy James
Volume 3:
What Makes a Writer Tick?
1. Are All Writers Egoists?
2. Practical Advice for Writers
3. Chasing the Writing High
4. Coping Skills for Writers in Hard Times
The Nuts and Bolts of Writing
5. Dialogue Tags
6. Your Preface: what it is, when to write it
7. Writing the Tough Stuff (or killing the one you love)
8. Setting the Scene in Your Own Backyard
9. Typing “The End”
Marketing and Building Your Platform
10. Being a Guest on Radio Shows — how hard is it?
11. My First Book Signing
12. Freebies — clever marketing, or foolish folly?
13. Recording Your Character’s Voice
Plotting and Ideas
14. What Scares You?
15. Using Emotions to Drive Your Next Plot (“It’s Over”)
16. Response to “It’s Over”
17. Comfort Movies (plot themes)
Character Interviews and Letters – examples
18. Interview with Oscar Stone
19. Interview with Sam Moore
20. Interview with Siegfried Marggrander
Interview with Ruby, from Tall Pines Mysteries
Thank you all and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Falling in Love Again... with Dick Francis
Hello, fellow writers and readers. You may have noticed I've been
sort of missing lately. I haven't blogged in a
while, and I've neglected to comment on the articles of others. This
piece is my first in quite a while, and I hope it will at least in part
explain what's been going on in my life.... Thanks for your patience, I
love you all! - Aaron
Falling in Love Again... with Dick Francis
copyright 2012 Aaron Paul Lazar
I've always loved mysteries, and mysteries featuring horses have topped the list since I was a kid. In my youth, I devoured books by Agatha Christie, John D. MacDonald, Rex Stout, and many more, but one of my very favorites was Dick Francis, who I've re-discovered because of a weird and frustrating event in my life.
Since I got a wake up call from my doctor last July (high sugar, type II), I've put almost all of my energy into getting healthy. I get up at 5 AM, do my chores around the house, then take off at 6:30 for a long walk up and down dirt roads with big hills (3-5 miles depending on the day) to get my stupid liver in gear.
Since doing this almost every day since July 11th, 2012, I've lost a lot of weight, gone down four pant sizes, become very anal about tracking and plotting my fasting sugar levels and two-hours-after-eating levels, weigh myself obsessively (without pants naturellement, those jeans weigh over a pound!), and eat pretty much like Ghandi.
All is good now. I'm on a routine. I'm healthy. My cholesterol is fantastically low. My BP is good again. And I'm now my doctor's poster boy for how to handle type II Diabetes without medication.
But I digress.
One of the finest outcomes of this whole maddening situation has to do with what I do while I walk.
I listen.
I listen to so many books per week now, my intake of books has doubled, and that's on top of my eBook consumption which had already quadrupled my "normal" quota of print books. It's phenomenal!
I listen while walking for 1.5 hours daily. I listen in the car to and from work. And I even listening while grocery shopping.
I'm talking about audiobooks, of course, the latest and greatest super duper thing to come from bluetooth and wireless technology. With the help of Audible.com, I've gone through all of Michael Prescott's tautly written thrillers. I've been buying and listening to John D. MacDonald books (Travis McGee series, I intend to listen to the all), and lately I have re-discovered Mr. Dick Francis and his string (not series) of amazing British mysteries often set on racecourses or in the beautiful country-side of England.
I feel as if I'm delving deeper into this talented writer's words than ever before, when I read and coveted his paperbacks long ago. The interpretation by narrator Simon Prebble is so poignant, so intimate, so... gosh darned moving, that I think I'd be entranced listening to this man read the phone book.
Here are a few of the books that I've recently listened to by Mr. Francis, who passed away in 2010. Each time I listen to one of these books, it becomes my newest favorite. Honest, that's how good they are. I heartily recommend each one!
![Decider | [Dick Francis]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Nyfnw3bEL._SL175_.jpg "Decider | [Dick Francis]")
The stakes are deadly at Stratton Park. Architect and family man Lee Morris never gave much thought to the shares he inherited of the Stratton Park racecourse, the multi-million dollar property owned by the powerful Stratton family. His mother had first received the shares to keep her quiet about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her first husband, Keith Stratton. Now, much to Lee's chagrin, he is being drawn into the thick of the Stratton family squabbles as they wage a furious debate over the future of the race track.
So when Lee packs his six sons into his renovated old bus to visit the racetrack, he finds himself embroiled in a supremely dangerous game that extends much deeper than horse racing. And perhaps too late, Lee realizes his involvement in the racetrack may cost him more than he bargained for. It may cost him his life.
My comments: This would be one of my top audiobooks to recommend. Outstanding quality, story, performance. One of my all time favorites from an already favorite author from way back. I wish Mr. Francis were alive to share my reviews with - I am so grateful for his insight, talent, and inspiration to all writers. ;o)
![Proof | [Dick Francis]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R0hJ1V3NL._SL175_.jpg "Proof | [Dick Francis]")
With this New York Times best seller, Dick Francis creates an intoxicating blend of the good life, fast horses, and nail-biting suspense.
After a shattering accident plunges a society soiree into chaos, an unassuming wine merchant is left with the bitter aftertaste of suspicion and fear. While catering an outdoor party for a prominent horse trainer, Tony Beach hears rumors of inferior whisky being sold under premium labels. All of that is forgotten, however, when a runaway horse trailer suddenly plows into the guest-filled tent. Later, after the last victim is pulled from the debris, he begins searching for answers to both the fraudulent spirits and the disaster.
As Tony follows up leads, he finds himself pulled deeper and deeper into a treacherous world filled with greed, deception, and unspeakable murder.
Incomparable storyteller Dick Francis grabs your attention on page one and keeps you riveted throughout to the smashing finish. With narrator Simon Prebble’s dramatic timing and superb accents, you’ll find Proof a vintage mystery to be savored.
My comments: I just finished this book this morning, and I'm still mourning it's end. How will I go on without my daily fix? (aside from starting the next Dick Francis audio book!) The author brought to life a man who suffered deep and traumatic losses, and in the background, oh so subtly, makes his readers/listeners fall in love with the character. A true masterpiece!
![Break In | [Dick Francis]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513vRwG5gUL._SL175_.jpg "Break In | [Dick Francis]")
Jockey Kit Fielding has been riding the de Brescous horses in a succession of triumphs on the race course. But this winning streak is about to end. Kit’s twin sister, Holly, has come to him in desperation. Threatened by financial scandal, she and her husband may lose their training stables. Kit soon finds, though, that a greater danger lurks behind the threat - one that could be fatal.
Narrator Simon Prebble has received enthusiastic praise for his superb performances of the Dick Francis novels. His sophisticated British voice is perfect for Kit Fielding, the elegant duchess who employs him, and the other polished residents of the horse racing world.
My comments: The rendering of the various British accents, handling of youth vs. elderly ages, women vs. men's voices... beautifully done! Kudos to an outstanding narrator, and of course, to the amazing talent of the late Dick Francis.
![Hot Money | [Dick Francis]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41dbLoBeYBL._SL175_.jpg "Hot Money | [Dick Francis]")
Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making enemies. Nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues suggest the killer comes from close to home, but after five marriages and nine children, that still leaves the field wide open. When he find his own life in danger, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he's playing the international blood stock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from avaricious relatives. Particularly when one of them's got a bomb.
My comments: This book was the first freebie I got from Audible. The narrator, Tony Britton, was quite talented, but in my humble opinion, he didn't quite match the level of Simon Prebble. Don't know if anyone could! Good story, however, which held my interest throughout.
Falling in Love Again... with Dick Francis
copyright 2012 Aaron Paul Lazar
I've always loved mysteries, and mysteries featuring horses have topped the list since I was a kid. In my youth, I devoured books by Agatha Christie, John D. MacDonald, Rex Stout, and many more, but one of my very favorites was Dick Francis, who I've re-discovered because of a weird and frustrating event in my life.
Since I got a wake up call from my doctor last July (high sugar, type II), I've put almost all of my energy into getting healthy. I get up at 5 AM, do my chores around the house, then take off at 6:30 for a long walk up and down dirt roads with big hills (3-5 miles depending on the day) to get my stupid liver in gear.
Since doing this almost every day since July 11th, 2012, I've lost a lot of weight, gone down four pant sizes, become very anal about tracking and plotting my fasting sugar levels and two-hours-after-eating levels, weigh myself obsessively (without pants naturellement, those jeans weigh over a pound!), and eat pretty much like Ghandi.
All is good now. I'm on a routine. I'm healthy. My cholesterol is fantastically low. My BP is good again. And I'm now my doctor's poster boy for how to handle type II Diabetes without medication.
But I digress.
One of the finest outcomes of this whole maddening situation has to do with what I do while I walk.
I listen.
I listen to so many books per week now, my intake of books has doubled, and that's on top of my eBook consumption which had already quadrupled my "normal" quota of print books. It's phenomenal!
I listen while walking for 1.5 hours daily. I listen in the car to and from work. And I even listening while grocery shopping.
I'm talking about audiobooks, of course, the latest and greatest super duper thing to come from bluetooth and wireless technology. With the help of Audible.com, I've gone through all of Michael Prescott's tautly written thrillers. I've been buying and listening to John D. MacDonald books (Travis McGee series, I intend to listen to the all), and lately I have re-discovered Mr. Dick Francis and his string (not series) of amazing British mysteries often set on racecourses or in the beautiful country-side of England.
I feel as if I'm delving deeper into this talented writer's words than ever before, when I read and coveted his paperbacks long ago. The interpretation by narrator Simon Prebble is so poignant, so intimate, so... gosh darned moving, that I think I'd be entranced listening to this man read the phone book.
Here are a few of the books that I've recently listened to by Mr. Francis, who passed away in 2010. Each time I listen to one of these books, it becomes my newest favorite. Honest, that's how good they are. I heartily recommend each one!
The stakes are deadly at Stratton Park. Architect and family man Lee Morris never gave much thought to the shares he inherited of the Stratton Park racecourse, the multi-million dollar property owned by the powerful Stratton family. His mother had first received the shares to keep her quiet about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her first husband, Keith Stratton. Now, much to Lee's chagrin, he is being drawn into the thick of the Stratton family squabbles as they wage a furious debate over the future of the race track.
So when Lee packs his six sons into his renovated old bus to visit the racetrack, he finds himself embroiled in a supremely dangerous game that extends much deeper than horse racing. And perhaps too late, Lee realizes his involvement in the racetrack may cost him more than he bargained for. It may cost him his life.
My comments: This would be one of my top audiobooks to recommend. Outstanding quality, story, performance. One of my all time favorites from an already favorite author from way back. I wish Mr. Francis were alive to share my reviews with - I am so grateful for his insight, talent, and inspiration to all writers. ;o)
With this New York Times best seller, Dick Francis creates an intoxicating blend of the good life, fast horses, and nail-biting suspense.
After a shattering accident plunges a society soiree into chaos, an unassuming wine merchant is left with the bitter aftertaste of suspicion and fear. While catering an outdoor party for a prominent horse trainer, Tony Beach hears rumors of inferior whisky being sold under premium labels. All of that is forgotten, however, when a runaway horse trailer suddenly plows into the guest-filled tent. Later, after the last victim is pulled from the debris, he begins searching for answers to both the fraudulent spirits and the disaster.
As Tony follows up leads, he finds himself pulled deeper and deeper into a treacherous world filled with greed, deception, and unspeakable murder.
Incomparable storyteller Dick Francis grabs your attention on page one and keeps you riveted throughout to the smashing finish. With narrator Simon Prebble’s dramatic timing and superb accents, you’ll find Proof a vintage mystery to be savored.
My comments: I just finished this book this morning, and I'm still mourning it's end. How will I go on without my daily fix? (aside from starting the next Dick Francis audio book!) The author brought to life a man who suffered deep and traumatic losses, and in the background, oh so subtly, makes his readers/listeners fall in love with the character. A true masterpiece!
Jockey Kit Fielding has been riding the de Brescous horses in a succession of triumphs on the race course. But this winning streak is about to end. Kit’s twin sister, Holly, has come to him in desperation. Threatened by financial scandal, she and her husband may lose their training stables. Kit soon finds, though, that a greater danger lurks behind the threat - one that could be fatal.
Narrator Simon Prebble has received enthusiastic praise for his superb performances of the Dick Francis novels. His sophisticated British voice is perfect for Kit Fielding, the elegant duchess who employs him, and the other polished residents of the horse racing world.
My comments: The rendering of the various British accents, handling of youth vs. elderly ages, women vs. men's voices... beautifully done! Kudos to an outstanding narrator, and of course, to the amazing talent of the late Dick Francis.
Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making enemies. Nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues suggest the killer comes from close to home, but after five marriages and nine children, that still leaves the field wide open. When he find his own life in danger, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he's playing the international blood stock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from avaricious relatives. Particularly when one of them's got a bomb.
My comments: This book was the first freebie I got from Audible. The narrator, Tony Britton, was quite talented, but in my humble opinion, he didn't quite match the level of Simon Prebble. Don't know if anyone could! Good story, however, which held my interest throughout.
Friday, October 12, 2012
For Keeps - free today and tomorrow!
FOR KEEPS (a Sam Moore Mystery) is FREE today and tomorrow Oct 12th and 13th.
Here's the link for the free Kindle download.
***
Writing the Tough Stuff (Or Killing the One You Love)
copyright
2012, Aaron Paul Lazar
It’s not easy writing a scene where you kill the one you love.
Of course I don’t mean your actual spouse or lover. I mean the wife, husband, or sweetheart of your main character.
I’ve done it in FOR KEEPS. Thinking about it tears my heart out every single time.
That’s what I mean by “writing the tough stuff.” Sam Moore—a retired family doctor who is our resident hero in Moore Mysteries—is very much like me, except he’s twelve years older and retired with enough money to putter around in his gardens all day. Let me repeat that. All day!
I hate him for that.
Okay, so maybe that’s a little extreme, considering he’s fictional. Shall we say, I am exceedingly jealous of his lifestyle? Although Sam was a family doctor and I am an engineer, we’re still a lot alike. We both love to plunge our hands into the soft earth and grow things. We both love our grandkids so much it hurts. And we both have spouses with multiple sclerosis. There are plenty of differences, too. I cook, I write, and I take photos. Sam doesn’t. But of course, it’s not a competition. At least I don’t think so…
In spite of the fact that he’s not real (at least not in the traditional sense, LOL), I relate to this man and feel his pain when he’s hurting. Sure, you say, writers should feel ALL their characters’ pain. We have to, to get into their heads and nail the characterization. Don’t we?
But I’ll bet some characters are closer to your heart than others.
Sam’s wife, Rachel, shares many qualities with my dear wife, Dale. They both endure MS, they both love to read, they are both chair-caning artists. Some of their symptoms are the same, but that’s where they split apart. Rachel loves to cook (that’s my job in our marriage), she’s in a wheelchair, and she stays pretty upbeat, considering her challenges. They both adore their grandchildren and both love to read. Rachel’s a tribute to Dale, in all honesty. But she also has morphed into her “own woman,” too, and I love her deeply. Er... through Sam, of course. (Honey, don’t be jealous!)
In the first two books of the Moore Mysteries series, Rachel sticks by Sam’s side, supports him when he’s overcome with grief and is plagued by strange paranormal events, and loves him deeply enough to keep him sane.
That’s why it really hurt when I had to kill her.
In For Keeps, the third book in the series, life takes an awful turn. When Rachel is murdered by a serial killer, it puts Sam back in the psych ward, the same place he was thrown when his little brother disappeared without a trace fifty years earlier. Desperate to fix things, he calls on the power of the green marble, the talisman his little brother Billy controls from afar that whisks him back and forth through his past.
Unlike those of us in real life, Sam gets a “do over.” He flies back in time to desperately try to fix the problems that lead to this gruesome act, and over and over again, he attempts to tweak the past to bring his dear Rachel back to life.
How do you write such a scene without losing it? How do you make it feel authentic to your readers? How much is too much? And how can you be certain that your character’s reaction will ring true?
It’s not easy. Matter of fact, since I loosely base Rachel on my own wife, and since Sam and I are really quite alike, it was close to torture.
I called upon my darkest, most powerful emotions experienced when my father died and also when my own dear wife almost died several times in the past few years. I’ll never forget the time the nurse in the ER called the nun on duty to bring me to a little room where no one would see my reaction to her impending news that Dale might not make it. She carried a box of Kleenex under one arm and a bible in the other. She was so sweet. Yet it was one of the scariest moments of my life. Thankfully, my wife pulled through and is doing okay today.
That hollow-gut, black-sludge-in-your-heart feeling is horrible when you lose someone dear to you, isn’t it? It’s all encompassing. Sometimes you just want to deny that awful truth, and pull away—far away—like Sam does in the following excerpt. I tried to channel those feelings when getting inside Sam’s head. Let me know if you think it worked.
Here’s the setup. Sam just picked up his son, Andy, from the airport and they enter the house after arriving home. Andy’s just arrived from his second tour of duty in Iraq, and this is his long-awaited homecoming. Rachel’s been cooking all morning to welcome her boy home. All day, Sam has ignored the insistence of the green marble, which has been pulsing, glowing, and searing his leg all day from his pocket; little brother Billy—who communicates from beyond through this talisman—was trying to “warn” him that something was terribly wrong.
For Keeps is book #3 in Moore Mysteries, and is now available through Twilight Times Books and Amazon.com. The series can be read in any order.
***
Sam raced toward the laundry room in a panic. Rachel’s wheelchair sat abandoned in the hall, and his son froze in the doorway, hands clenching and unclenching at his side.
Andy’s voice thickened. “Maybe you shouldn’t come in here.” He spun and tried to hold Sam back.
One of Rachel’s shoes lay beside the doorjamb. The brown clogs. Slip on. With lambswool lining. She loved them so much she wore them even in summer.
Sam drifted closer, terror pooling in his stomach. As if in anaphylactic shock, his throat tightened and threatened to close off his air. His heart beat wildly now, in his throat, ears, chest.
Sam barreled past his son and stumbled into the room, his voice hoarse. “What happened?”
Rachel lay on a basket of laundry, her eyes wide open, looking with blank surprise at the ceiling. Sam’s garden shears protruded from her heart. The image danced before him like heat waves on tar, shimmering with unreality. Blood ran from Rachel’s floral print blouse to the sheets stained red in the basket, pooling on the white linoleum floor.
The room tilted. A series of screams of No No No No No resonated in his head. Or maybe he yelled it aloud. He couldn’t tell as he shoved Andy aside and collapsed beside her, checking for the pulse that evaded him like a cruel tormentor. Neck. Wrist. Ankles. No beating met his probing fingers.
“NO!” He drew the shears from her chest, sickened by the soft sucking sound it made, then wadded up a compress of pillowcases and held it over the wound to stem the flow. More blood dribbled from the wound and curled around her pearl buttons. He realized with a start that she was still warm.
He looked wildly about the room, as if a solution lay beneath the neatly folded piles of towels and linen. “Call 911. Hurry!” He cradled Rachel in his arms, smearing the blood between them, and feeling her arms dangle away from him, as if she didn’t have the strength to return his embrace.
Andy cried out, his anguish pinging across the small room. He squeezed between his mother’s body and the washing machine, holding his hand out to his father. “Dad. It’s too late. She has no pulse. I checked, too.”
“NO!” Sam’s mind reeled, his vision clouded, and the scent of blood tasted metallic on his tongue. “Who did this? Is he still here? She’s still warm, Andy. Find the bastard!” He stiffened when his brain repeated a phrase he’d heard during some of Rachel’s favorite shows.
Don’t disturb the evidence.
Panic slewed over him, boiling inside his head, freezing his arms and legs.
My garden shears. The killer took them from the barn. Used them on my Rachel. And my prints are all over them.
A great gulping scream filled his throat, tearing out of him like a primal scream. “RACHEL!”
Her head slumped sideways when he moved away, as if she was rejecting him. He checked her pulse again, muttering under his breath. “No way. No. No.” In a sudden manic thrust, he stood and reached for the marble, searching his pockets, patting madly at his pants and shirt. “My God. Where is it? What did I do with it?” Sam asked aloud. “Billy! Why didn’t you warn me?”
Inside the double-stuffed world that batted him between reality and nightmare, he remembered the marble’s insistent throbbing all morning. Billy had tried to warn him, had tried hard.
“Dad, come on. You can’t help her now.” In spite of Andy’s two tours of duty in the heat of battle in Iraq, the bodies he had seen and possibly created, and his soldier-toughened soul, he wept. Loud and strong, he wept and choked on his words. “Dad. Please. Leave her be. It’s over.”
Andy pulled him to his feet. Sam stared at his son as if he’d never seen him before. His eyes widened, trying to piece together a puzzle. Who is this nice young man? And why does he look so familiar?
Andy took him by the elbow and started to shuffle him toward the living room.
“Come on, Dad. Let’s go sit down.”
“No. Please. My wife needs me. She has multiple sclerosis, you know.”
Andy’s eyes popped open. Tears still streamed from them, and he shook his father’s shoulders as if he could not only snap him out of it, but maybe bring back his mother, too.
“Dad! Come on. Hold it together. Don’t do this.”
Sam stopped and stared at his bloodied hands. His legs weakened to jelly. He stumbled, then braced himself against the wall as sobs wracked him in waves of increasing amplitude. He slid to the floor and buried his face in his hands.
Rachel.
Dear God.
Not Rachel.
***
Thanks for reading! I hope you were drawn into Sam’s world, and that you might want to see how our favorite retired family doctor gets out of this one.
FREEBIE! The FOR KEEPS Kindle eBook will be free to all readers on October 12th and 13th. Please stop by for your free download here. Also, all of my other books in my three mystery series will be priced at $1.99 during this sale. Check them out at http://www.lazarbooks.com.
Aaron Paul Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com
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