My gosh, I laughed through the whole interview on Mystery Matters this morning. In my work as an editor, I've found that really bad writing is never funny; it's usually pathetic. It takes a truly good writer, therefore, to be able to write bad prose that is hilarious. And Mark Schweizer is that kind of good writer, weaving the bad writing of a police-chief/organist wanna-be-writer with the hilarious doings of a small North Carolina town in his "liturgical mysteries."
One example,:Mark has Hayden Konig (his main character) write: "...her voice was as husky as last year's Iditarod."
Mark did pretty well in our conversation, considering that he spent 22 hours yesterday returning to Kentucky from a business trip in England. Maybe jet lag hadn't hit yet. I had hoped to ask him about his journey during the interview, but we spent so much time laughing, I never got around to that particular question.
Kathi Moon emailed in from Rochester NY to ask if he'd ever done stand-up comedy. "No," he said, "only in my regular job as a choir director."
Be sure you check out the Mystery Matters archives on http://www.tinyurl.com/a2f3s6 and hear Mark talk about Archimedes the owl, the helium balloons shaped like naked women, and his mid-life crisis Jeep story. It's an hour of fun. And look up his website www.sjmpbooks.com
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Patricia Sprinkle - February 20, 2009
Finally! I'm caught up with my blog entries. From now on I'll post once a week to give you a bit of behind-the-scenes info about each of my shows on Mystery Matters. I hope you'll go to my host web page frequently to listen to the archived shows www.tinyurl.com/a2f3s6
Two days before the show was due to broadcast live, Patricia Sprinkle called me and tested my new-found determination not to worry about things that hadn't even happened yet (see my blog entry about Julia Spencer-Fleming's February 6th show). Patti said that she needed to leave early on Friday morning to attend a 100th birthday party for a relative who lived in another state.
Thank goodness for Atlanta rush-hour traffic - I never thought I'd make such a statement! Patti and her family decided that leaving after the rush hour would make more sense than leaving at 8 a.m. So, as soon as Ruben gave us the all-clear at the end of the show on Friday, Patti said a quick goodbye and headed out with her family.
Patti's a former national president of Sisters in Crime. That wonderful organization is open to anyone who's interested in mysteries - readers, librarians, writers, bookstore owners. Its purpose is to level the playing field so that women, who write more than 50% of published mysteries, can begin to get a proportionate number of reviews.
I'll be back next week with another post. Thanks for reading!
Two days before the show was due to broadcast live, Patricia Sprinkle called me and tested my new-found determination not to worry about things that hadn't even happened yet (see my blog entry about Julia Spencer-Fleming's February 6th show). Patti said that she needed to leave early on Friday morning to attend a 100th birthday party for a relative who lived in another state.
Thank goodness for Atlanta rush-hour traffic - I never thought I'd make such a statement! Patti and her family decided that leaving after the rush hour would make more sense than leaving at 8 a.m. So, as soon as Ruben gave us the all-clear at the end of the show on Friday, Patti said a quick goodbye and headed out with her family.
Patti's a former national president of Sisters in Crime. That wonderful organization is open to anyone who's interested in mysteries - readers, librarians, writers, bookstore owners. Its purpose is to level the playing field so that women, who write more than 50% of published mysteries, can begin to get a proportionate number of reviews.
I'll be back next week with another post. Thanks for reading!
Jean Keating - Feb. 13, 2009
If you've ever read my books or looked at my website or met me at a book or networking event, you'll know that I'm a cat person. I like dogs, as long as they're well-behaved and they belong to somebody else and they don't drool on me. But I am a confirmed cat person.
Jean Keating, though, has just about convinced me that I need to make an effort to meet the tiny show dogs called Papillons. Jean's books have taught me so much about these little butterfly dogs of the show dog circuit.
I met Jean several years about when we were both presenting at the Cape Fear Crime Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. One of her Papillons is now trained as a hearing-assist dog, so she takes the dog with her to booksignings and conferences. I can't wait to meet him at the next Book 'Em Foundation event!
Jean Keating, though, has just about convinced me that I need to make an effort to meet the tiny show dogs called Papillons. Jean's books have taught me so much about these little butterfly dogs of the show dog circuit.
I met Jean several years about when we were both presenting at the Cape Fear Crime Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. One of her Papillons is now trained as a hearing-assist dog, so she takes the dog with her to booksignings and conferences. I can't wait to meet him at the next Book 'Em Foundation event!
Julia Spencer-Fleming - Feb. 6, 2009
I really need to work on being more positive. I was so delighted to have Julia Spencer-Fleming as a guest on Mystery Matters, because I have loved her Claire Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series for years. Before her live interview, though, I wasted an unwarrantable amount of time worrying about how the weather in Maine would cooperate with the phone hook-up.
These interviews are conducted by phone. I call VoiceAmerica, the internet radio station in Arizona. My guest calls the same toll-free number, and the station engineer, a most helpful young man named Ruben, works his magic and connects us. We chat for a few minutes, until Ruben warns us that we'll be starting in 30 seconds.
My worry must have brought about the major windstorm that ravaged Maine that Friday. About a minute before our second scheduled break, the phone line went dead in the middle of one of Julia's answers. AARGH ! ! ! I said a tentative "hello?" and nobody answered. In a few seconds Ruben came on and told me he'd switched us to the commercial a bit early. The next minute felt a lot longer than 60 seconds. Julia called back on a cell phone and said that a big branch had fallen over the phone line.
All turned out well, and I decided that, since I happen to believe that thought is creative and that we become magnets for whatever we think about, from now on I absolutely refuse to worry about the show, the guests, the phone lines, or anything else.
These interviews are conducted by phone. I call VoiceAmerica, the internet radio station in Arizona. My guest calls the same toll-free number, and the station engineer, a most helpful young man named Ruben, works his magic and connects us. We chat for a few minutes, until Ruben warns us that we'll be starting in 30 seconds.
My worry must have brought about the major windstorm that ravaged Maine that Friday. About a minute before our second scheduled break, the phone line went dead in the middle of one of Julia's answers. AARGH ! ! ! I said a tentative "hello?" and nobody answered. In a few seconds Ruben came on and told me he'd switched us to the commercial a bit early. The next minute felt a lot longer than 60 seconds. Julia called back on a cell phone and said that a big branch had fallen over the phone line.
All turned out well, and I decided that, since I happen to believe that thought is creative and that we become magnets for whatever we think about, from now on I absolutely refuse to worry about the show, the guests, the phone lines, or anything else.
Mark Kearney - Jan. 30, 2009
My friend and fellow mystery writer Trish Terrell, who writes as p.m. terrell, suggested months ago, when I first came up with the idea of Mystery Matters, that I call Mark Kearney, a police officer in Waynesboro VA. The two of them co-founded The Book 'Em Foundation, and Mark had recently written his first mystery.
Of all the people who ended up on the Mystery Matters schedule, I have to admit that I was the most nervous about interviewing Mark. One reason is that just the title of his book, Twisted Obsession, scared the you-know-what right out of me. I'd made a commitment to read what my guests had written, so I could ask intelligent questions, but I was not looking forward to being terrified. Instead, I found that the book presented the case of a cop gone bad in a way that, while it gave me pause to wonder, did not result in too many sleepless nights.
And the conversation with Mark was a delight. A listener emailed the question: "If your children said they wanted to follow your steps into police work, what would you tell them?" What a wonderful question followed by an amazingly wonderful answer. You simply have to listen to his thoughtful recommendations that started with finish school and read, read, read.
Of all the people who ended up on the Mystery Matters schedule, I have to admit that I was the most nervous about interviewing Mark. One reason is that just the title of his book, Twisted Obsession, scared the you-know-what right out of me. I'd made a commitment to read what my guests had written, so I could ask intelligent questions, but I was not looking forward to being terrified. Instead, I found that the book presented the case of a cop gone bad in a way that, while it gave me pause to wonder, did not result in too many sleepless nights.
And the conversation with Mark was a delight. A listener emailed the question: "If your children said they wanted to follow your steps into police work, what would you tell them?" What a wonderful question followed by an amazingly wonderful answer. You simply have to listen to his thoughtful recommendations that started with finish school and read, read, read.
Jackie Lee Miles - Jan. 23, 2009
Although our conversation ranged over many topics during the one-hour interview, I've recevied the most comments about Cold Rock River, Jackie's novel that weaves together threads of domestic abuse, child abuse, an injured VietNam vet, and the way in which the hundred-year-old diary of a slave woman whose children were sold away from her. helps a young woman heal and take charge of her own life.
Last year at the Decatur Book Festival, Jackie and I ended up on the same stage, reading from our books. I was particularly impressed at the way she had the beginnings of all her books memorized and could flow seamlessly from one reading to the next. This is a skill I need to work on.
Several weeks before the show I asked Jackie why she hadn't joined Sisters in Crime, and she said, "But I don't write mysteries." Well, they may not technically be called mysteries, but her Roseflower Creek and Cold Rock River are chock full of mystery in the very best sense.
Last year at the Decatur Book Festival, Jackie and I ended up on the same stage, reading from our books. I was particularly impressed at the way she had the beginnings of all her books memorized and could flow seamlessly from one reading to the next. This is a skill I need to work on.
Several weeks before the show I asked Jackie why she hadn't joined Sisters in Crime, and she said, "But I don't write mysteries." Well, they may not technically be called mysteries, but her Roseflower Creek and Cold Rock River are chock full of mystery in the very best sense.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Jaclyn Weldon White - January 16, 2009
Show number three turned out to be the smoothest so far. I began to relax into the format somewhat and trust that a good conversation was more important than getting through a list of proposed questions.
I'm not interested in tripping anyone up. I do send a list of proposed questions to the author ahead of time, so they can correct any misconceptions I may have. Jackie White was most gracious about letting me know where she wanted the interview to go, but also to assure me that she was an old hand at interviews and wouldn't be thrown off-stride if I popped up with an unexpected question. Of course, most of the writers I'll be talking with are pros at this anyway, but it's comforting to know they won't hate me if I come up with something off-the-wall.
I do so appreciate the listeners who've emailed questions during the show or ahead of time.
I'm not interested in tripping anyone up. I do send a list of proposed questions to the author ahead of time, so they can correct any misconceptions I may have. Jackie White was most gracious about letting me know where she wanted the interview to go, but also to assure me that she was an old hand at interviews and wouldn't be thrown off-stride if I popped up with an unexpected question. Of course, most of the writers I'll be talking with are pros at this anyway, but it's comforting to know they won't hate me if I come up with something off-the-wall.
I do so appreciate the listeners who've emailed questions during the show or ahead of time.
Nancy Atherton - January 9, 2009
The second show still had my hands shaking. Thank goodness it's radio and not video. Fortunately, I felt a good connection to my guest Nancy Atherton, author of the Aunt Dimity mystery series. I've read and loved her books for years.
Part way through the show, as I tried to read an email that had just come in, I lost the thread of what she was saying. I fell back on the time-honored ploy of asking about her animals. She's a cat person (as I am), and I think my question and her answer covered my momentary brain-lapse.
I have such high hopes for Mystery Matters. There are so many good mystery writers out there - and I want to let the whole world know aabout them. The point of the show is not to push books - although I do hope listeners will decide to buy the books they hear us discussing - but rather to learn more about what makes the book-creator tick.
Part way through the show, as I tried to read an email that had just come in, I lost the thread of what she was saying. I fell back on the time-honored ploy of asking about her animals. She's a cat person (as I am), and I think my question and her answer covered my momentary brain-lapse.
I have such high hopes for Mystery Matters. There are so many good mystery writers out there - and I want to let the whole world know aabout them. The point of the show is not to push books - although I do hope listeners will decide to buy the books they hear us discussing - but rather to learn more about what makes the book-creator tick.
Getting started - January 2, 2009
I love to know the story-behind-the-story, and I thought you might like to, also. Each week, therefore, I'm going to post some notes about what went on behind the scenes in my radio show, Mystery Matters: Where Murder is an Open Book.
I've waited a while to get up my nerve to start this blog. There's been so much reading to do, and so much preparation for the show each week, that blogging seemed like one too many chores. On the other hand, I've collected some fun stories I'd love to share. So I'll go back to the beginning of the show, January 2, 2009, when I interviewed Patricia Terrell, who writes as p.m. terrell. I'd met Trish several years ago, when we both spoke at a writers' conference. When she invited me to speak at the Robeson County Library in Lumberton NC last year, I jumped at the chance. She was kind enough to put me up at her house, and we stayed up talking after the Thursday night program until three in the morning. What a joy to get to know a kindred spirit.
It made sense, then, for me to ask her to be my first guest on Mystery Matters. After the show my sister called me from Colorado and said, "I'm not sure anybody else would have noticed, but you sure did sound nervous." I hope nobody (except my sister) could tell that my hands were shaking. I was most scared about making the transitions between air time and commercial time smooth. Hmmm. It took a few shows. Luckily, Trish and I were able to laugh about her dog-story, and since I'd already met her dogs, I think our conversation came across quite well. Thank goodness nobody heard the paper rattling as I tried to hold the script, juggle email questions coming in from listeners, and pay attention to the clock.
For the next few days I'll post about each show until we've caught up to the current week. Then I'll post each Friday (or Saturday) after Mystery Matters.
I've waited a while to get up my nerve to start this blog. There's been so much reading to do, and so much preparation for the show each week, that blogging seemed like one too many chores. On the other hand, I've collected some fun stories I'd love to share. So I'll go back to the beginning of the show, January 2, 2009, when I interviewed Patricia Terrell, who writes as p.m. terrell. I'd met Trish several years ago, when we both spoke at a writers' conference. When she invited me to speak at the Robeson County Library in Lumberton NC last year, I jumped at the chance. She was kind enough to put me up at her house, and we stayed up talking after the Thursday night program until three in the morning. What a joy to get to know a kindred spirit.
It made sense, then, for me to ask her to be my first guest on Mystery Matters. After the show my sister called me from Colorado and said, "I'm not sure anybody else would have noticed, but you sure did sound nervous." I hope nobody (except my sister) could tell that my hands were shaking. I was most scared about making the transitions between air time and commercial time smooth. Hmmm. It took a few shows. Luckily, Trish and I were able to laugh about her dog-story, and since I'd already met her dogs, I think our conversation came across quite well. Thank goodness nobody heard the paper rattling as I tried to hold the script, juggle email questions coming in from listeners, and pay attention to the clock.
For the next few days I'll post about each show until we've caught up to the current week. Then I'll post each Friday (or Saturday) after Mystery Matters.
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