Two other WritersNewsWeekly columnists awarded Honorable Mentions

Carlotta Holton, WNW columnist and author of Salem Pact, Touching the Dead and Vampire Resurrection (SterlingHouse Publisher) has won Best Book (for Touching the Dead) in the Anthology/Compilations Category in the New England Book Festival. To purchase Touching the Dead, click here.

Cliff Fazzolari, WNW columnist and author of numerous titles including Counting on a Miracle, House of Miracles, Nobody’s Home and Bind Spot (all SterlingHouse Publisher titles) was awarded an honorable mention for his book, Nobody’s Home, in the Fiction category. To purchase Nobody’s Home, click here.

Jeff LeJeune, WNW columnists and author of Postmarked Baltimore, was awarded an honorable mention for his book in the Genre-based Fiction category. To purchase Postmarked Baltimore, click here.

The ceremony will be held January 27, 2009 in Providence, RI. A full list of winners is available by visiting http://www.diyconvention.com/. Congratulations Carlotta, Cliff and Jeff!

By Carole Shmurak

A renowned detective whose own brother, a Duke, is on trial for murdering his sister's fiancé — that's the position in which Lord Peter Wimsey finds himself in Clouds of Witness. This was the second Lord Peter mystery and the one that brought Sayers to the attention of the British public, largely because of its famous trial of the Duke of Denver in the House of Lords. (A British lord could only be tried by his peers.)

With almost too many clues, this book starts as a routine detective story, as Lord Peter and his friend Inspector Charles Parker spend their time tracing footprints and motorcycle tracks. But when Parker follows a clue to Paris and Peter begins to search the moors near the Duke's hunting lodge, the mystery gains momentum and races to its climax in the House of Lords.

There is a lot of charm in Sayers's writing. The friendship between Wimsey and Parker is nicely developed as is Parker's growing attraction to Peter's sister, Lady Mary. Sayers also depicts, with much humor, British attitudes of the times towards French manners and customs, as well as the upper class's flirtation with Socialism (Lady Mary is member of the London Socialist Club). Some of the characters' names are outright Dickensian, especially Mr. Grimethorpe of Griders Hole, and the trial lawyers Wrinching and Glibbery. And, as in many mysteries of the Golden Age, the echoes of World War I still reverberate. (The fiancé, Denis Cathcart, lost his fortune as a result of investments in France and Russia that disappeared during the war.)

Not the best of the Lord Peter mysteries, but a good introduction to Wimsey, his family (notably Lady Mary and the Dowager Duchess), and the usual cast of Sayers’s characters, with the unusual addition of two femme fatales.

By Amanda Linsmeier
Good Grief (Grand Central Publishing, 2007) the debut novel by Lollie Winston, is amazing. The novel begins at a grief meeting where Sophie Stanton is just one of many in the group. At just 36, Sophie is a widow after just three years of marriage. Her husband Ethan died three months ago of cancer. Sophie is trying desperately to deal with her loss but doesn’t know how to cope. She is falling behind at work, eating everything in sight, hiding out in her house and avoiding friends and family. Sophie has a complete breakdown one day, even showing up to work in her bathrobe and slippers, greasy hair and all. At the suggestion of her friend Ruth, Sophie decides to move. She sells her house, the one she shared with Ethan, quits her job in public relations and moves to Oregon. Unable to let go of Ethan, Sophie brings with her not only memories, anger and guilt but also boxes of his belongings.

Once in Ashland, Oregon, Sophie signs up to become a Big Sister. The agency places her with Crystal, a 13-year old pyromaniac with a penchant towards cutting. Crystal swears, sasses the adults in her life and smokes Marlboros. Sophie doesn’t know if she can handle Crystal when she can barely handle herself. Determined to make a difference in this young girl’s life, Sophie sticks with her. The more she helps Crystal, the better she feels. Sophie quits her job at a restaurant and opens her own bakery. As the one year anniversary of Ethan’s death looms closer, Sophie’s life is bustling with many hopes and promises; her heart full of questions. From feeling like she couldn’t fall any lower to reaching for the stars, Sophie has to deal with not only grief but her own business, difficulties with her family and friends and possibly love.

Good Grief is a wonderful story. The book is sad, funny and honest. I cried, I laughed and I ached right along with Sophie. It was beautifully written with plenty of wit and sincerity. I felt deeply for the characters in the novel and was so proud of Sophie for rebuilding her life and showing that type of courage. Good Grief was a novel I won’t ever forget.

If you are a senior and really interested in becoming a writer, then keep a file on the Falklore’s that have appeared and those that will appear. If you want copies of prior columns, let me know at james@jamesfalk.net

Let’s start thinking about things that can be of help in your writing quest. No matter what your level of writing is, seek a writers’ club and start attending its meetings even if you are a novice. Remember, club members who publish were novices once. You'll learn a lot. Attend writers’ conventions if possible. I'm a good musician, a trumpeter in fact, and good enough to have played at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Geneva, Switzerland at the age of sixty-eight. During a half century of music, I kept learning from others and also helping others. Good musicians enjoy sharing knowledge. It is the same with writers and authors. The point is that no matter where you are as a writer, do not be afraid to join a club. Our club, Pen to Paper Writers Club in Tecumseh, Michigan, is small but knowledgeable, and we work on every facet of writing from novel ideas to short stories to poetry. Our only requirement is sincerity. It all is very helpful for whatever genre one decides to follow. We meet for two hours the first and third Tuesdays. We have all kinds of writing activities and also home assignments. Good groups work on writing concisely, using action words, proper grammar, characterization and a ton of other things and sources you might never have heard of before, but will be of tremendous help. So keep getting your work space and your schedule in order, keep writing and remember that your goal will not be a snap, but reaching it will be one of the most satisfying experiences you'll ever have. My next column will outline some of the activities that our club does. I have a lifetime of writing in different professional areas but I've still learned a ton from my Pen to Paper pals.

Questions/Comments? Contact Jim at james@jamesfalk.net, or visit www.jamesfalk.net.

James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.

Anne Perry is a British author of historical detective fiction. She has published nearly 70 books including her World War I novels, her Christmas novels and two sets of Victorian detective fiction. Her story "Heroes" won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story.

Q: Critics have said your Victorian novels attain the societal sweep of Trollope or Thackeray. What is your response?

A: They are the masters of the art. I never thought of myself like that, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s a nice complement.

Q: What is it about the Victorian era that led you to write in that time frame and what about it fascinates readers?

A: I began writing mysteries set in Victorian London on a suggestion from my stepfather as to whom Jack the Ripper might have been. I have loved the two series – William Monk and Thomas Pitt – because in a way it is the end of history and the beginning of the modern world.

We in England are less interested in the era than other countries. My books fare better in France, Spain, Germany and the United States. There was optimism prevalent, unlike the grey cynicism of today. There is an endless variety in the capital of the Empire, the largest post in the world, and the immense energy of optimism. It has been the center for everything and anything and anybody who was anybody. The Victorian era had energy of invention which was vital and led to tremendous literature.

Q: Regarding your two series featuring William Monk and Thomas Pitt, how do you manage to keep the characters consistent and yet fresh?

A: I change; the world changes, and the characters are given different challenges.

Q: How much research is required to combine history with mystery?

A: I’m not sure how to measure the amount of research. I outline a plan in my mind and research to see if it will work. I ask myself, could it really have happened? As far as the writing goes, it’s easy to get carried away with adding lots of historical information, but actually one can get away with doing less. The key is the reader needs to feel they are there. By addressing medical and domestic issues in that time it can work well. For example, you want to know how they traveled, what fabrics were worn in the time, how did they refrigerate foods, those kinds of things. Of course, the story is about people and there are some emotions that are timeless, but there are others that are dependent on the time we live. For example, what embarrassed the Victorians might not embarrass us today.

Q: How did you depart from your Victorian series to writing your four Christmas novels?

A: I wanted to do a Christmas short story, but my agent said it wouldn’t make it. I put it to the editor who agreed and the novel came about. It did far better than we expected. I took one subsidiary character from the series and created a story around them. The books have not done badly here and done well in France, Germany and Spain.

Q: How different is it for new writers in England vs. America? What advice do you have for new writers?

A: It’s a very different economy in America. In Britain authors have an advantage in that each time a book is checked out of our libraries a small sum goes to the author. There is a ceiling of 9,000 pounds an author could receive which is enough to pay a mortgage. That’s not the case in the states. Authors receive nothing when their books are checked out of libraries. There is such competition and the profits must be shared by the bookstore, the publisher and the distributor.

As far as writing suggestions, study your plot very carefully. You must care about it and put passion into it. Luciana Pavarotti practiced every day; writers must practice their craft as well. I highly recommend reading “Writing the Great Breakout Novel,” by Donald Maass.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact and Touching The Dead, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.

Carlotta Holton has just received her second award for Touching the Dead from the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest. Click here to purchase the book.