Austin WriterGrrls to Host Second Book Fair

Marjorie Brody reads at the Second AWG Book Fair,
December 9, 2012

The Austin WriterGrrls will host their Second Book Fair at BookWoman on December 9, 2012 at 3:30 P.M. A wide variety of readings will take place: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. I'll be reading from my upcoming psychological suspense, TWISTED. If you're in the area, drop by for an entertaining afternoon. Enjoy good food and socialize with authors and poets.

Marjorie Brody at the First AWG Book Fair,
July 17, 2011

Robbery motivates USA Today Bestselling Author Trish Jensen

Want to thank Judith Rochelle/Desiree Holt for her kind words on her blog. Judith is an amazing woman. Tremendously supportive of other authors. I'm blessed to have her as a friend. And yes, she has read my manuscripts and knows what she's talking about when she speaks of Twisted.

My friend and colleague, Trish Jensen, a USA Today Bestselling author, doesn't have her own blogsite to inform you about her latest work in progress. So I'm going to do that here. Trish answers the "Next Big Thing" questions below.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book?

No Clue Yet. 
Not really, but that's the truth at the moment. The story begins at Christmas, but isn't a Christmas story. My editor and I are still brainstorming the perfect title. We'll let you know for sure as soon as we're for sure.   

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was robbed last Christmas. Wouldn’t that put anyone in the mood to write a novel? 

What genre does your book fall under?

Trish Jensen

Women's fiction with lots of comedy. I’ve been dubbed the undisputed Queen of comedic romance, but women’s fiction is a new genre for me.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Hmmm. Is Denzel Washington too old? Probably. I'd go with Matthew MacK...whatever as the primary, Rob Lowe as the secondary. I have no idea about the women, except Doris Roberts as the interfering mother.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A Christmas robbery turns a woman's life upside down. 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither. The novel will be published by Bell Bridge Books, a publishing house for whom I very much wanted to write. I parted ways with my agent when she wanted me to sell my work only to the major publishers. I knew, loved and respected the publisher (Debra Dixon) of Bell Bridge Books and was in love with the editor's work (that would be Deborah Smith, my hero). As much as I cared about my agent, who stood by me when I was extremely ill and not writing, I just didn't have the same vision for my future that she did. We parted amicably, and are friends to this day. But I sure do love those royalty checks that don't have minus 15%. :) Signing with Bell Books is the best move I've ever made career-wise.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

LOL! You mean how long will it take?

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I have no idea, because I've never written in this genre before. 

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The guy who tried to rob me. It was actually more sad than frightening (although it was definitely frightening at first). All the guy wanted was my groceries. He didn't ask for my money, wallet, ATM card, nothing. He just wanted the groceries  because he assumed the bags were full of Christmas fixin's. Poor guy robbed the wrong shopper. My bags were filled with dog food and dog treats. He deflated and begged me not to turn him in. All he'd wanted was to give his two kids a Christmas supper to remember.

I caved at his story. I knew, obviously that if he wasn't asking for money for say, drugs or something, that he was serious about just wanting to feed his children something special. I'd just taken $40 out when I paid for my groceries, so I handed him the money and said, "Merry Christmas to you and your kids. Go buy Christmas dinner HONESTLY." Him striding into the store, head held high was a sight to behold. So, even shaken, my mind began chugging on the drive home. By the time I arrived I ran straight to the computer to write to Deb Smith asking, "What do you think about this?" Amazing where we find our stories, isn't it? 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

People in terribly hard situations could use compassion. What would drive you to break the law?  

My next big thing is sooooo "TWISTED"

I was thrilled when mystery writer C.L.Phillips invited me to participate in “THE NEXT BIG THING,” a blog-chain designed to introduce you to stories not-yet published. Thank you for the invitation, C.L. (Btw, if you want to see the city of Austin through the eyes of attorney Jimmy Ray Hawkens, check out First Mistake, the inaugural novel in C.L. Phillips’ mystery series.)

I’m eager to tell you about what I’ve been working on for the last—dare I tell you how many years?—but first I want to introduce the authors who will continue the blog-chain next week. I invite you to drop by their sites and learn about their new projects.

Judith Rochelle/Desiree Holt

Multi-award winning author Judith Rochelle, aka Desiree Holt has—at last count—over a 140 published titles. Whether you want to read a contemporary novel, a paranormal, or a suspense this woman has a selection for you. But a word of caution. Set your air-conditioner on low. Judith/Desiree is bound to turn up the heat. 

Vonnie Davis

I met award winning author, Vonnie Davis, at a writers’ retreat. She had the group of us writers laughing till we cried with her witty storytelling. Vonnie is the author of the romantic suspense series, The Red Hand Conspiracy.

Janice Hamrick’s debut novel won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur Books First Crime Novel award. She has since received other accolades for her Jocelyn Shore mystery series.   Maybe next week, we’ll get to hear about the forth book in the series.

You will find their blog posts on line the week of November 26^th.

Okay, now. My first ever public introduction to my psychological suspense novel, Twisted. 

The Next Big Thing: TWISTED

Where did the idea come from for the book? 

I wrote a gritty psychological murder mystery, but didn’t publish it. The mother and daughter in that novel haunted me, pleading to make their conflict public. I finally relented, reversed their character traits, gave the daughter the starring role and a story she could call her own, and voila, Twisted. 

What genre does your book fall under? 

Twisted is a psychological suspense, with emphasis on psychological.  While I actually wrote Twisted for an adult audience, the protagonist is a fourteen-year-old girl from a small East Texas town, so the novel has the potential of crossing-over into young adult. 

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? 

The young heroine has short, curly dark hair and an innocent face, so if Willow Shields would cut and dye her hair, she’d make a wonderful Sarah Hausman. Dakota Fanning looks like Sarah’s eighteen-year-old confidant. I’d love to have Kathryn Morris and Danny Pino, from the TV show Cold Case, play Sarah’s parents. Zac Efron would make a powerful brother of Sarah’s best friend.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

When secrets emerge following a gang rape in a schoolyard, an alienated, unassertive teen risks everything to expose the truth. 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 

Neither. I’m thrilled to announce that Twisted will be released by Bell Bridge Books in April of 2013. 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 

It took much less than a year, but I continued to revise and revise and revise . . .  

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 

Joy Fielding’s Whispers and Lies and Sharon Sala’s The Boarding House both had me believing one thing at the beginning of the story, and by the end, something totally different. I hope I take the reader on a similar journey. Twisted shares the themes of alienation, parent-teen conflict, and search for identity with Judith Guest’s classic, Ordinary People. 

Who or what inspired you to write this book? 

I get jazzed when I can write in a way that challenges the norm, so once I got inside my characters, I knew that their story needed to be written in this particular format, and my desire to be absolutely true to them spurred me on. 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? 

What goes on in a person’s psyche—beneath the external facade—has always fascinated me. As an author, I hope to share that intrigue with the reader and spotlight the internal world of my characters--characters who fight and love and struggle and triumph, or not, yet show us we are all part of the same humanity.

Thank you for reading about my NEXT BIG THING. You can find out more about my writing at Marjorie's pages.

Please check out Judith Rochelle/Desiree Holt, Vonnie Davis, and Janice Hamrick on November 26, 2012 when they will blog about their NEXT BIG THING.

THE WILD ROSE PRESS RETREAT

Garry Walsmith, owner, with longhorn

Kevin Fitzpatrick, roping up
three romance writers

Held at the Silver Spur Guest Ranch, authors and friends of The Wild Rose Press, gathered for a weekend of workshops, writing time, good food, horseback riding, campfires, good food, hayrides, collegiality, did I mention good food?, and just plain fun. We had plenty of opportunities to learn from real-life wranglers and cowboys, to see the longhorn up close. A highlight was a performance by the World’s Champion trick roper, Kevin Fitzpatrick. 

The staff of TWRP made themselves available for questions about the publishing world and TWRP in particular. Rhonda Penders, Editor-in-Chief of TWRP, did an outstanding job in making participants feel welcome. They plan to return to the Silver Spur Guest Ranch for their next retreat, tentatively set for 2014. 

THE SHORT STORY AMERICA FESTIVAL

Beaufort, South Carolina, opened its heart to the authors and readers of the short story genre. Tim Johnston, editor of the Short Story America Journal and the SSA Anthology, did a sensational job organizing this first annual event. A full day of readings and a full day of workshops gave participants an opportunity to indulge their passion for the creative. A cocktail party to launch for Volume II of the anthology was held at the Old Bay Marketplace Loft. The third floor loft of the Marketplace opened onto an outdoor patio, allowing a scenic view of the city and waterfront. Authors were not only able to meet with colleagues but with readers—those wonderful individuals we strive to entertain with our stories. Gwen and Scott Myers opened their antebellum home for a tour and shared information about the history of the people who inhabited the house and the town.  Next year’s Short Story America Festival will be September 26-29, 2013. Hope to see you there.

WOO HOO

Bell Bridge Books purchased my psychological suspense, Twisted. They have it slated for release in paperback and ebook simultaneously in April 2013—actually not that far way. While that novel is in production, I’ve begun another. I’m both eager and anxious for you to read Twisted. It’s . . . well . . . different. Yes, a different type of story. I so hope you enjoy reading it and that the story will linger with you.