Dangerous Secrets (120 page)

About the Authors

Writing as
L.L.
Bartlett
, Lorraine Bartlett writes the Jeff
Resnick Mysteries. Set in Buffalo, New York, they feature a down-on-his luck
former insurance investigator who, after a vicious mugging in Manhattan, is
able to sense things others can’t. Writing as Lorraine Bartlett, she also
writes the Victoria Square Mysteries . As Lorna Barrett, she writes the
Booktown Mysteries. Check out her websites:
LLBartlett.com
LorraineBartlett.com
LornaBarrett.com

Shirley Hailstock
began
her writing life as a lover of reading. She likes nothing better than to find a
quiet corner where she can get lost in a book, explore new worlds and visit
places she never expected to see. As an author, she can not only visit those
places, but she can be the heroine of her own stories. You can learn more on
her website
shirleyhailstock.net
(http://shirleyhailstock.net)

Kelly McClymer
has been
writing since a sixth grade essay about a bread-baking disaster earned her an
A. Fueled by life, family, and a love of mythology, history and the inscrutable
wonder that is the human animal, she has written short science fiction,
fantasy, historical romance, YA, chicklit, and is now working on a mystery series
that allows her to use all the fascinating bits and bobs she has learned along
the way. You can learn more about her on her
website http://www.kellymcclymer.com
,
Like her on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/kellymcclymer,
or
Follow her on Twitter
http://twitter.com/kellymcclymer
. Signing
up for her
newsletter
(https://www.facebook.com/kellymcclymerbooks/app_100265896690345)
will get you a free short story, and advance news
of all her new projects.

C.B. Pratt
enjoys reading
across a broad spectrum, from Golden Age mysteries to the Steampunk and fantasy
genres. Mythology from around the world has been a huge influence on her most
recent work, the adventurous novels featuring Eno the Thracian, Hero for Hire.
“Eno…is one hell of a fun hero to follow around.” Visit her on her website
cynthiapratt.com

***

Q&A Discussion - L. L.
Bartlett

Room at the Inn
by L.L. Bartlett

What are your writing habits?

All over the place. Honestly. Sometimes I write
early in the morning, then for other projects I’ll only write in the afternoon.
I try to reach a daily quota. Great when it happens. Wonderful when I exceed
it, and horrible when I don’t reach it.

Who were your early writing influences? (Authors or
teachers or other?)

The first stories I ever wrote down were
actually Star Trek fan stories. Until I’d learned of fanzines, it never
occurred to me that I could write to entertain someone. Since then, I haven’t
stopped. I wore out typewriters, computers, and printers, and I’m still
writing.

What did you do before you starting writing
professionally?

See above.

What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

I’d probably be a cafeteria lady. I worked for
Corporate America for over 30 years, but once you hit a certain age, they can’t
wait to get rid of you, no matter what your skills or experience.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

New software. I hate that learning curve before
becoming proficient.

What parts of writing do you like best?

Saying THE END.

Are you a plotter…or a pantser?

I’m definitely a panster. I′ve never once
outlined an entire story. I worry that if I knew the ending, I wouldn’t ever
finish the story.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on two new mystery series that I
hope to have live in 2015. I’ll continue working on other projects as well.
Will I remain a hybrid author? That depends if I’m offered another contract I
can live with.

***

Q&A Discussions - Kelly McClymer

The Fairy Tale Bride
by Kelly McClymer

What are your writing habits?

I use Scrivener, a writing program that allows
me to have all my notes, character info, and scene inspirations right in the
same file. That means when I sit down to write, I can sink into what I′m
writing, as if I were living it, or watching it on television. Research is a
big part of my inspiration, so sometimes I will go look up something I′m
not sure of before I go on. The internet has become a wonderful research tool,
with pictures and videos that can take me to places I′ve never been.

Who were your early writing influences? (Authors or
teachers or other?)

I wrote from a very early age, mainly for my
three younger sisters. Being three years older than my next oldest sister, I
was always Teacher in our favorite game of school. I made up lessons, wrote
stories, and created plays for us to act out. Oddly, I don′t remember
very many people encouraging me in this pursuit, but no one discouraged me,
either. My sixth grade teacher gave me an A+ for an essay on a personal bread-baking
disaster, and that encourage was really all I ever needed to keep writing.

What did you do before you starting writing
professionally?

I worked as administrative staff at the
University of Delaware (where I got my degree), and later at the University of
Maine (where my husband teaches). I had a few interim jobs, one as customer
service at a big credit card bank, one as tech support in a call center. I am a
part-time reading tutor for children with dyslexia, one of my passions. And, as
research, I was a secret shopper for a few years. I′ve never had a job
that didn′t inspire some scene or other in my stories.

What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

The great thing about being a writer is that
many people do it while pursuing other professions (or time consuming hobbies
like knitting, quilting, or big game hunting). I go back and forth between
designing reading games apps, tutoring, writing, and being a grandmother. I
like wearing many hats.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

I′ve raised a child on the autism
spectrum, and one with dyslexia. Hands down, those were my two biggest
challenges in life. I believe in raising children to be self-sufficient adults
who have the confidence and skills to make a positive impact on the world.
Supporting my children without hobbling them was something I worked at every
day. But watching them struggle, grow, fail, and succeed made my life, and my
storytelling richer.

What parts of writing do you like best?

Creating twists that readers will not see
coming. I′m one of those annoying people who always knows what′s
going to happen next in a book, movie, or TV show (sometimes I know who the
murderer is in a mystery the minute the character is introduced). When writers
succeed in surprising me, I am always thrilled.

Are you a plotter…or a pantser?

One things readers may find hard to understand
is the way that stepping into each scene can feel like stepping off a steep
cliff, hoping there will be a tree branch to catch on to before you go splat on
the ground. By the time the reader gets to the book, it is finished, polished,
and the author has thrown away or fixed anything that wasn′t working in
the plot (sometimes readers disagree, but that′s what reviews are for). I
use a writing program that allows me to make some notes for myself, so that I
have an idea where the branches I can grab on to will be after I leap into
empty space.

What’s next for you?

I have two series that I will be focused on for the next
few years. One is a lighthearted momlit mystery series about a secret shopper
mom who doubles as an amateur detective, much to the dismay of her family. The
other is a fantasy series that is epic in nature, and comes accompanied by a
thousand short stories that must be told in the next five years. Fortunately, I′m
not leaping completely into the empty space on those -- they will be the
unbelievable true stories behind fairytales like Cinderella, myths like
Boadicca, and modern mysteries like Amelia Earhart.

Q&A Discussions - Shirley Hailstock

More Than Gold
by Shirley Hailstock

What are your writing habits?

I write nine until midnight every night. I got
into the habit when my kids were young and I continue doing it to get the book
done. There are times I write during the day, but there always seems to be
something that needs to be done, so I make it a priority to do it at night even
if I do get something done before nine.

Who were your early writing influences? (Authors or
teachers or other?)

My earliest influences were the elementary
school librarian and my junior high school math teacher. Both influenced me to
do the best I could. Reading was always a favorite pastime, and writing in high
school for plays, skits, and of course, English class came as a way to get my
thoughts and stories expressed.

What did you do before you starting writing
professionally?

I worked in the pharmaceutical industry. I was
an accountant whose job evolved into financial analysis an
d
then into information technology.

What would you do if you weren’t a writer?

There are many things I′d like to do if I
could go back in time and train for them. But my former day job was in
information technology and I loved that.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

Getting published to begin with. And staying
published. It isn′t as easy as readers believe it is. The market is
constantly changing and writers need to stay abreast of it, hopefully before it
happens, so we can be on the leading edge instead of following the curve.

What parts of writing do you like best?

Creating characters. My characters come usually
after the story has begun. I get an idea for a book and then I need to find the
people to populate it. When I get a character first, I may not have a full
story for him/her until years later.

Are you a plotter…or a pantser?

I’m a plotter. I like having a map, knowing
where I′m going. However, even with a map there are detours, new roads
that show up that are not on the planned route. I go with the energy for the
story. If it takes me off the path, I go there, but hopefully, I can get back
to the map and finish the book as planned. If not, it′s usually the right
ending.

What’s next for you?

I have two contracts in the works and I′m
doing a proposal for another one. I also have indie books that I′m
working on to upload as a self-publisher. i want to continue my series stories
that readers write about and request.

Q&A Discussions - C.B. Pratt

Hero for Hire
by C.B. Pratt

What are your writing habits?

I'm supposed to have habits? (Hey, honey…I'm
supposed to have writing habits. I know…right?) I'm a night-owl; my best work
gets done between dark and dawn. I like to say my muse has a day job, but I
don't know what it is. I'm also one of those writers who has to putter around
for a while before I finally get down to it.

Who were your early writing influences?

I've always read everything but if I had to
nail down an influence, it would have to be the fantasy children's books I
loved. Nesbit, Eager, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander…anything with a kid, a
magical element, and humor. The only difference is that my 'kid' is a fully
grown, some say overgrown, hero with god issues.

What did you do before you starting writing
professionally?

Like most writers, there isn't much of a
delineation between writing and not-writing. Even when I was working outside
the house, I was still writing, from my days of scribbling notes between orders
at Jack-in-the-Box to staying after work to type manuscripts on my employer's
typewriter (legal secretary days) to working part-time in fine jewelry to
afford to spend the other half of my life writing for publication.

What would you do if you weren't a writer?

It's pretty obvious I'd still be doing this no
matter what. The stories demand that I write them, even if they never see the
light of day. But if I hadn't been blessed or cursed with the writing bug, I'd
probably have gone into purchasing for a department or grocery store chain.
Getting paid for shopping is about as close to a dream job as anything I can
think of.

What are some of the challenges you've faced?

Most of my challenges came from being published
too soon. I sold the first book I ever wrote and did not have a box of
'under-the-bed' books. Mine has been a learn-as-I-go career and I've made some
huge mistakes, burned a few bridges, screwed up more than once. Oh, well.
Re-inventing oneself is also a part of the business.

What parts of writing do you like best?

I like the beginning, when everything is
possible. The book is in my head, perfect and clean. All the obstacles seem to
be easily overcome and I know I can write it in no time. That state of euphoria
lasts until about page 2 - then the hard work starts.

Are you a plotter…or a pantser?

I'm not really either exclusively. I plot out
the story loosely. I know the beginning, a good chunk of the middle, and the
end. But nothing ever quite goes as planned. I'm not one of those who has an
extensive outline or a scene by scene description. I prepare as best I can but,
like in so many other things, the battle plan rarely survives the first five
minutes.

What's next for you?

There are two more Eno the Thracian adventures
in the works, RIVERS OF SAND and another one…to be named later. I have a story
in a Steampunk Anthology, CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK vs ALIENS, available
soon. Then I'm changing gears to write a full-length steampunk story, the start
of a new series. I also intend to start putting chapters of a new YA up on
Wattpad soon, so keep an eye out for that.

***