IT'S TIME FOR

AIR TIME!
Book three in the Charlotte McNally Mysteries

Hank is hijacking Jungle Red today.

To say thank you.

We've done almost 400 posts at Jungle Red. Which just takes my breath away.

When we started, several years ago! I was a new new author, stepping my toe into uncharted waters and one hundred per cent clueless.

Lots of good things happened. Lots of not-so-good, too, but by far-the wonderful outweighed the weird.

And now, today, my third book hits the bookstores.

Here's what's important:

Thank you thank you thank you.

And now, it's time for

AIR TIME.

"Sassy, fast-paced, and appealing. This is first-class entertainment."
—Sue Grafton

"Loved it! Smart, funny, fresh, intriguing and thoroughly
entertaining—I highly recommend this series."
—Suzanne Brockmann

It's never a good thing when the flight attendant is crying.

That's the first line of AIR TIME! And this newest adventure takes reporter Charlotte McNally undercover and carrying a hidden camera to investigate the high-stakes world of high fashion and counterfeit couture—and the secret back rooms of big-city airports. Someone is ripping off the valuable original designs of one of the industry's most prestigious lines and selling counterfeit merchandise as the real thing. Turns out "faking it" is the pathway to multi-million dollar profits. Charlie goes undercover to uncover who's trading secrets about trade secrets, and soon discovers when the purses are fake—the danger is real.

But going undercover is not her only dilemma—how about under the covers? Charlie's long been married to her career, but now, at 47, there's a man in her life. Is he—finally—"the one?" Personally as well as professionally: how can she tell the real thing?

Wait a minute, I hear you saying. You're a reporter, Hank. And you've gone undercover a million times. And you're probably carrying a hidden camera right now.

Fine. I admit it. It's been there, done that. After 30 years in TV—I've had some real life adventures of my own.

But as a mystery author, I'm always wondering—what if. And I began to imagine the fascinating possibilities in designer duplicates. One of the things I love to do in my novels is take something that's familiar and give it a twist or two that turns it into something unexpected and unpredictable. Because I already knew the inside scoop—that helped me create a truly workable scheme for my fictional crooks. (I can tell you, when I revealed it to law enforcement sources, they sheepishly admitted my plan was completely plausible!).

"Hank had me from the first line. In her latest addictive page-turner AIR TIME, real-life TV reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan once again thrills us with her terrific counterpart, investigative reporter Charlotte McNally. AIR TIME isn't only exciting and sexy and even funny—it's also damned well written."
—David Morrell, Founding co-president International Thriller Writers


AIR TIME is on the cover of the all-new RT BookReviews Magazine! So look for that at your local bookstore... or hey, subscribe!

And watch for an article on my real life adventures undercover in the next issue of Mystery Scene Magazine. (Or hey, subscribe!)


"The most fun I've had reading in a long time. Hank Phillippi Ryan has given us one of the best heroines to emerge in a long while, and her stories zip along as fast as news bulletins. AIR TIME is a fun, fast read with a heroine who's sexy, stylish, and smart. I loved it."
—Nancy Pickard


"AIR TIME is a thrill ride from the first page to the last. This story will tickle your funnybone and touch your heart. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a fabulous new talent."
—Susan Wiggs

"Excellent! Hank Phillippi Ryan knows how to create characters that come to life and capture your heart. Don't miss this engrossing story."
—Brenda Novak

EVENTS

I do hope you'll join me at one—or all!—of the AIR TIME events we have planned. There'll be goodies, discount coupons, and lots of surprises!

First—I'll be debuting the new AIR TIME at Borders at Boston's Downtown Crossing on Tuesday, August 25, 12-2.

Thursday, August 27, I'll be at Boston's Logan Airport Borders Books—in Terminal A from 2:30-5:30. (Get it? AIR TIME?)

Friday, August 28, starting at noon I'll be at Barnes & Noble at the Boston's famed Prudential Center.

And from 5-7 pm at BORDERS Boston/Back Bay.

Saturday, August 29 from 10-12 (so you can stop by, pick up your books, and then head off to the beach!) I'll be at the amazing Tatnuck Books in Westboro, Massachusetts.

Check the EVENTS page on my website for all the appearances I'll be making around Boston and New England (I hope there's one in your neighborhood!), and at your favorite mystery bookstores across the country—more are posted every week!

There's a special event (with lots of special treats!) at The Mystery Company in Carmel, Indiana on September 11 at 7pm, and lots more that weekend in INDY! Check my schedule for details.

And want an autographed AIR TIME with free first-class shipping? No problem. The mavens at Mystery Lovers Bookstore in Oakmont, PA have specially arranged to provide that for you! Just click here. (And check out their ultra-special offer! All three of the TIME opening trilogy—with a special limited edition bookbag!)

Finally, my deepest appreciation for all your enthusiasm. I'm still on the job at Channel 7 in Boston—and loving it. That's a fact. But this new step into fiction is so exciting and rewarding—I'm delighted to be able to share it with you.

With much gratitude

Hank

Oh wait!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Though the Charlotte McNally novels are a series, each can stand on its own. The Agatha-winning PRIME TIME (in bookstores now) is your introduction! Here, Charlie suspects some of that spam clogging her computer is really hiding secret messages! It's a chock full of cliffhangers—with such a workable scheme you'll wonder why someone hasn't tired it.

"...a wonderful mystery...The author juggles plot and character
very deftly with Charlie emerging as one of the
wittiest and brightest protagonists in current crime fiction."
—Joe Meyers, Connecticut News

And FACE TIME, book two, (also in bookstores now!) Charlie learns she must get beneath the exterior—of a face, of a relationship, of a photograph—to discover what she really values: justice, her journalistic reputation, the extraordinary bond between mothers and daughters, and true love. Sara Paretsky calls it "a gripping thriller, with a important story line and a heroine we can root for."

But wait, there's more! Did you make it this far in the blog? Then yay, you may be rewarded. Just leave a comment. (Because we're talking about AIR TIME, tell us about how often your luggage gets lost. Or whether you've ever purchased a knock-off purse. Or, hey, just say hello.)

And we'll choose three random winners! To each, I'll send a signed copy of PRIME TIME, FACE TIME or AIR TIME. (Or if you choose--a signed copy of any of the Jungle Red Writers' mysteries!)

Thanks, everyone. (Tomorrow, we return to our usual programming with book promotion genius Megan Kelley Hall.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

From Jungle Red Writers to YOU! (photo by ButterflySha)

Janet Rudolph, Mistress of Mystery

Janet Rudolph is an ebullient presence in the mystery community. She edits Mystery Readers Journal, teaches and writes about crime fiction, and writes and produces mysteries for California’s #1 mystery event company Murder on the Menu. She blogs at Mystery Fanfare. But most of all, she loves, loves, loves mystery fiction and has figured out how to make a living from that passion.

Welcome to Jungle Red Writers!

JRW: How did you become such a crime fiction expert and enthusiast?
JR: I’m hardly an expert, but I’m definitely an enthusiast. My interest began when as a child I read my mother’s old Nancy Drew books and my Dad’s Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines. I soon jumped to more adult mysteries, making the local librarian wonder about my tastes and proclivities.

I’m an eclectic reader, but I’d say mysteries make up 75% of my reading. As far as knowing a lot about mysteries besides reading them, my love of research sent me in many directions to find out more about specific subgenres and the history of mystery. My PhD thesis started out as Jewish women in fiction but morphed into something closer to my interest, religious mystery fiction. Lucky for me there weren’t all that many religious mysteries around at the time, so they didn’t need to be included.

As far as being an enthusiast, in addition to teaching mystery fiction for over 30 years, I’ve been a mystery convention organizer and participant, columnist and reviewer. I guess over time I’ve picked up a thing or t

JRW: How did you start the Mystery Readers Journal, and can you give us a peek at what's coming in future issues?
JR: The Mystery Readers Journal grew out of the publicity newsletters I did for the 1982 Bouchercon. It was quite fun to put together a newsletter in that time of cut and paste.

The first one was more of a newsy flyer. The mystery classes I taught through UC Extension and other local colleges tended to be thematic in content, so when I began the Journal in earnest, I decided to give it a thematic twist. MRJ has covered such topics as Art Mysteries, Music Mysteries, New York Mysteries, Italian Mysteries and so many year. We’re quarterly, and we’re in our 25^th year. That’s a lot of themes.

Upcoming issues will focus on San Francisco Mysteries II (too much material for just one issue), Crime for the Holidays, Los Angeles Mysteries, Sports Mysteries, African Mysteries and Theatrical Mysteries. We’re revisiting a few themes, but there’s never a dearth of material.

I always find the Author! Author! section fascinating. Authors are invited to write articles about themselves, their books and the connection to the theme of the issue. This section is like a convention in the pages.

JRW: You just announced the Macavity Awards for '08. As someone with a birds-eye view, what trends are you seeing?
JR: Darker, lots of children in jeopardy, but also great writing and some new daring attempts to break the mold.

JRW: How do you make a living from mysteries?
I found a unique way to make a living from mysteries: Murder on the Menu. I’ve been writing and producing mystery events for over 25 years. Most of my clients are corporate, and I write every mystery event customized to include the theme of the meeting/event, agenda, goals and objectives, jargon and buzzwords and specific guests.

I remember talking to Bruce Taylor, former owner of the San Francisco Mystery Bookstore, about the fact that there was no way to make a living from mysteries, unless you hit it big with a blockbuster mystery novel. I had no desire to write a mystery and bookstores are more a labor of love than present a living wage. So Bruce and I commiserated. I wanted to quit my day job, but I wasn’t sure how to do it. As much as I loved Mystery Readers Journal, it certainly was never going to provide me with a living wage. I really see it as a service to mystery readers, lots of articles, no ads.

Anyway a few months later, Bruce called and asked me to join him on a local talk show radio station that needed someone to talk about mysteries on air. There was an L.A. producer of interactive mystery events who was starting a company in San Francisco, and he needed a few others to field calls about mysteries.

Bruce and I answered questions about Agatha Christie, P.D. James, Raymond Chandler and others. When we walked out of the studio, the producer asked me if I knew anyone who could write a mystery event. He already had three big events scheduled. How L.A., putting the cart before the horse! Well, I was certainly Johnny on the Spot –or Janet on the Spot. I wrote all of his mystery events for two years.

Although a great theatre person, his company folded in two years. I started my own company, Murder on the Menu, and the rest is history. So you might say that with Murder on the Menu, my mystery group, At Homes, mystery conventions, and the Mystery Readers Journal my whole life is a mystery!

JRW: What are your ten favorite mystery novels of all time?
JR: Oh my, a question I’ve been asked before and one I always find hard to answer since I tend to put the book I just read on the list. Here goes, in no particular order:

An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James

Dead Heads by Reginald Hill

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Pew Group by Anthony Oliver

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman

Wobble to Death by Peter Lovesey

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Anything by Ken Bruen

And here's the Jungle Red Writers Quiz:

Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple?

Miss Marple. So many crimes take place at home and in the village, and it’s through comparisons to similar situations and people’s actions that the solution can be deduced.

Sex or Chocolate?

Chocolate. Did I mention that my company, Murder on the Menu/TeamBuilding Unlimited, does chocolate tastings? My husband was in the Peace Corps in the Ivory Coast for three years, and he experienced chocolate growing and harvesting first hand. Cote d’Ivoire is the number one country for chocolate. Frank is my chocolatier, and I must say that sex and chocolate go hand in hand. Lucky me.

Daniel Craig of Pierce Brosnan?

Daniel Craig, but Roger Moore will always be the real James Bond.

Katharine or Audrey Hepburn?
Hard choice, but being from Philadelphia, it must be Katherine for her performance in The Philadelphia Story. And Stagedoor. Always think of Katharine Hepburn when the “calla lilies are in bloom.” I even planted some in my garden in her honor.

Of course, I always wanted to have Breakfast at Tiffany’s, so I’m torn. Audrey Hepburn’s Two for the Road and Roman Holiday were the models for my first trip to Europe. Sadly, I didn’t meet Albert Finney, but I had lots of adventures along the way.

First person or third?

Third. Although I appreciate first person, I feel there are so many other ‘places’ to go when a writer uses third person.

Prologue or no prologue?

Tie. Doesn’t matter as long as the book is written well.

Making dinner or making reservations?

Making reservations. I’m a Queen at this. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are so many choices.

Three true things about you and one lie; we'll guess which.
1. I had a cat named Dashiell Hammett who after having a hip replacement at 17 and radiation therapy at 18 lived to be 21. Dash was a very special “guy”.
2. I’m a television addict. In our family when you turned ten, you received a ‘big’ present of your choice for your birthday. My sister wanted the World Book Encyclopedia. I wanted a TV for my room. When I passed my doctoral orals, the first thing I did was buy a color TV. I don’t think I was ‘damaged’ by my addiction. I was and still am a great reader. I love my 42 inch plasma TV.
3. I have a second home in Bodega Bay, site of the Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, which is what attracted me to Bodega Bay, in the first place.
4. I wrote a mystery novel in 1979 under the pseudonym Janet Berenson entitled Murder on the Menu. It got passing reviews and a star in PW. The premise of the book was death by food, a subject close to my heart.

On smashing pumpkins

Halloween in New England is a sight to behold. It just about trumps Christmas for wonderfully hokey front yard decorations.

I look one way and my nieghbor's yard has ghosts, a tombstone, and a skull and a fingerbones sticking up out of the lawn. Cornstalks are teepeed around a front light post. The piece de la resistance: a person-high pneumatic ghost inflates and deflates, springing up and collapsing into a plastic pumpkin.

Look the other way and another neighbor has a virtual picket fence of dancing skeletons; ersatz spider webs and orange twinkle lights coat the bushes.

I love it.

We have always gotten into the spirit with leaf-stuffed a scarecrow dummy and with what are by far the best carved pumpkins on the block. It was one of the unexpected perks of having kids, discovering that my husband had an amazing talent for pumpkin carving.

That one up top is among his best.

Our daughter Naomi got into the spirit early on... here's a side-by-side early effort (hers is on the left)>>

And here's one from quite a few years later -- as you can see, she improved with age. This jack-o-lantern has a lovely moony-spooky look about it. Far more subtle than her father's work.

Do you carve pumpkins? If you have any photos of your work, please email them and I'll post them over the weekend.

In the meanwhile, here's what to do with pumpkin seeds:

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1. Scoop them out of the pumpkin and pretend they are ghost's intestines; smear some of the goop in your sister's hair.

2. Try to scrape off the slime and hairy bits of pumpkin innards; rinse the seeds in a collander.

3. Spread them out on a layer of paper towel and pat them dry.

4. Sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil and coarse salt; mix til coated.

5. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in a 300-degree oven, checking after 10 minutes (and turn the seeds) and then every 5 minutes after--you want to catch them when they've just browned and crisped but not burned. Even goblins won't eat burnt seeds.

And you CAN cook the remains of a jack-o-lantern--just not the parts that got burnt by the candle. Make it into pie or cook it the way you'd cook a butternut squash.

Wasn't that a party!

..still reeling from the wonderful evening. About 100 friends packed Partners & Crime and gave me a great sendoff. Yes, the lovely Clare did make it, as did Jane Cleland, Chris Grabenstein, Liz Zelvin, Meredith Cole, Ken Isaacson and a number of other MWANY pals. And P&C sold out of the book...close to 100 copies(yeah!) I'm going to head to the airport in a few hours with a lot of confidence and a happy idiot grin on my face.

The evening went so fast I forgot to ask someoen to take pictures so if anyone out there has pix, please let me know. Snapped this one at the end of the night as I was leaving for a late dinner. It's Liz, Clare, Meredith, the back of Ken's head, and Greg from the New York Times.

Thanks to everyone for sending the good vibes and to my blog sisters for the lovely flowers!