tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post852823816010633250..comments2024-03-18T21:16:14.441-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Welcome Barbara Ross with MUSSELED OUT Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77044449640103166652015-05-27T22:57:29.108-04:002015-05-27T22:57:29.108-04:00Barb, major kudos. Every blog you write is filled ...Barb, major kudos. Every blog you write is filled with interesting tidbits that make me think a little bit more about my own projects and challenges. Good luck with the series!Diane Vallerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128179558072158743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21695432432549668592015-05-26T14:00:27.781-04:002015-05-26T14:00:27.781-04:00Kathy--all the titles so far have come easily, tho...Kathy--all the titles so far have come easily, though my editor and I did have a bit of a round and round about Fogged Inn. It was originally Fogged In, which he didn't hate, but didn't love. I made several other suggestions, which I thought were hilarious, but he didn't like. Finally, after we'd both resigned ourselves to Fogged In, I had a sudden inspiration and added the extra "n."<br /><br />All credit for the VGR goes to Ramona DeFelice Long, editor, teacher, writer, who attended Seascape with me, Lucy, Hallie, I think Hank dropped in briefly, and a whole host of other authors, many now publishes.<br /><br />No Bouchercon for me this year, but next year New Orleans, for sure!Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80615154275558908762015-05-26T13:55:07.493-04:002015-05-26T13:55:07.493-04:00Oh my gosh, Deborah, that means so much to me! I a...Oh my gosh, Deborah, that means so much to me! I am one of your biggest fans! I've read all the books, most of them in hard cover.<br /><br />I talk a class in Revising at the Maine Crime Wave recently, and one of my points was professionals also need the VGR, so thanks for that.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70493296586352819632015-05-26T13:01:31.593-04:002015-05-26T13:01:31.593-04:00Great piece on Wicked Cozy, Hallie!
Great piece on Wicked Cozy, Hallie!<br />Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88771123077096571622015-05-26T12:56:55.255-04:002015-05-26T12:56:55.255-04:00Hi Barb--Just by reading what you've said abou...Hi Barb--Just by reading what you've said about your characters and their backgrounds, I'm hooked. LOVE the VGR!!! You've started me thinking about my own characters and their motivations. Even though they are cops, they still need something in their past or their make-up that drives them to do the job. And even though they're cops, I always give my characters an emotional connection to the case they're investigating. Otherwise, why do we care?<br /><br />Your books are going on my to-read list. Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-17279615880769293202015-05-26T12:06:23.436-04:002015-05-26T12:06:23.436-04:00It looks like I have some catching up to do on yet...It looks like I have some catching up to do on yet another series. I guess it's good that I love reading series, and, Barb, your Clambake Mysteries sound delicious. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the pun.) I so enjoyed reading your thoughts on writing, and the VGR was a lightbulb moment for me. I know that I had subconsciously wondered about the placement of an amateur sleuth in an investigation, but until I read about the VGR, my wondering was rather unfocused. Now, it has a name to it and a clear-cut purpose. <br /><br />Also, Barb, I love the titles and covers of your book. The upcoming Fogged Inn may be my favorite. Do you spend much time on thinking of the titles, or do they just come easily. Clever titles are such a fun part of reading for me, and I even have a category for it on my Goodreads page. <br /><br />Thanks for a delightful post today, Barb. I didn't see your name on the Bouchercon attendees. Is there a chance you will attend? Would love to meet you.Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-88927447959141318222015-05-26T11:46:20.043-04:002015-05-26T11:46:20.043-04:00Grandma Cootie--you're willing suspension of d...Grandma Cootie--you're willing suspension of disbelief--ie allowing us our "gimmee" is what keeps us going. We'll try hard not to abuse it!Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64616348093585654812015-05-26T11:44:32.901-04:002015-05-26T11:44:32.901-04:00Mark--you're right. We should call it somethin...Mark--you're right. We should call it something else. But that label is so easy, because the series and TV show are so widely read and watched--everyone gets it.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35277406137867471962015-05-26T11:43:18.092-04:002015-05-26T11:43:18.092-04:00Thank you Julia. You saying I really know my Maine...Thank you Julia. You saying I really know my Maine is so meaningful to me!Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65766557754073397752015-05-26T11:42:05.231-04:002015-05-26T11:42:05.231-04:00Lucy-
Bill and I just finished watching the Bosch...Lucy-<br /><br />Bill and I just finished watching the Bosch series on Amazon. It really grew on me. Glad it has been renewed.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-79558919867780843472015-05-26T11:40:49.480-04:002015-05-26T11:40:49.480-04:00Mary--"the strong should not be able to prey ...Mary--"the strong should not be able to prey on the weak with impunity."<br /><br />I love that!Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-11620572785969459242015-05-26T11:39:15.317-04:002015-05-26T11:39:15.317-04:00Jen--Thank you so much! You comment is especially ...Jen--Thank you so much! You comment is especially meaningful because I lived in Wallingford from fifth to seventh grade and your library one of the most formative places of my life and imagination.<br /><br />I wrote about it here http://mainecrimewriters.com/barbs-posts/my-library-story<br /><br />I later received a lovely note from a woman who lives in Howard Horace Furness's old library, inviting me to visit.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26812585606322412502015-05-26T11:36:36.522-04:002015-05-26T11:36:36.522-04:00Can we just get rid of the "Cabot Cove Syndro...Can we just get rid of the "Cabot Cove Syndrome." She actually solved very few murders there each year so was so busy traveling all over the place. Of course, her relatives were all suspects, sometimes more than once, but still, it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.<br /><br />Okay, got that off my chest.<br /><br />I love this series, too. I'd forgotten about that little tease in the first book, but I'm interested to see how it plays out in the fifth.<br /><br />Seriously, if you haven't started this series, do so today!Mark Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11567392254011373198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2445754505575349662015-05-26T11:12:46.317-04:002015-05-26T11:12:46.317-04:00VGR - never though about that but must be what kee...VGR - never though about that but must be what keeps us coming back to our favorites like the Clambake Mysteries. But I must say that I don't really feel bothered by Cabot Cove Syndrome either if a series just somehow grabs me. The real life part of my brain knows everyone would run from Jessica, but I get invested in the stories or characters or something and it's okay to suspend disbelief. Kind of like watching a Cary Grant movie - nobody I know ever lived like that, but fun to go on the journey!Grandma Cootiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709540756822695170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76365848473071691362015-05-26T10:51:37.239-04:002015-05-26T10:51:37.239-04:00Hi Barb - I'm enjoying your Clambake Mysteries...Hi Barb - I'm enjoying your Clambake Mysteries and have purchased all for my library in Wallingford, PA. Such a sense of place and perfect Maine characters.Jen Stockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06439895073534172341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15350054692576092242015-05-26T10:49:22.771-04:002015-05-26T10:49:22.771-04:00Lucy and Barb - yeah, I have developed that kind o...Lucy and Barb - yeah, I have developed that kind of "emotional stake" of why and it's related to my characters personality/upbringing. As I mentioned to an agent a couple weeks ago, the bedrock of his being is "the strong should not be able to prey on the weak with impunity." And I've brought in other characters he cares about to provide other motivation.<br /><br />My problem with amateurs was answering, "Why didn't you just leave it to the police?" When your character is a police officer, you don't have to ask why he's at the scene of a crime in the first place (although as you both point out, there has to be more than "this is my job" to keep him going).Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27881724146586996092015-05-26T10:37:40.256-04:002015-05-26T10:37:40.256-04:00And by way, Barb's DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN...And by way, Barb's DEATH OF AN AMBITIOUS WOMAN is another excellent read, once you've devoured these and are impatiently waiting for FOGGED IN. (which is a great title by the way...)<br /><br />Mary S, Michael Connolly set up his Harry Bosch series with an overall compelling stake--his mother was murdered when he was a child. So Bosch is always always looking to solve crimes involving underdogs, and people who might otherwise be dismissed as not worth the bother.Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61204991289322365172015-05-26T10:04:51.804-04:002015-05-26T10:04:51.804-04:00Barb Ross really, truly knows her Maine, so for al...Barb Ross really, truly knows her Maine, so for all of you who love the state, you're getting the real thing with her Clambake Mysteries. (Not to name names, but there are a LOT of "Maine" mysteries written by authors who get their information on a two-week visit in the summer.)<br /><br />Also, I love the concept of VGR! So glad I have a term to use for that key ingredient in an amateur sleuth mystery...Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-4479079730535919422015-05-26T09:43:17.937-04:002015-05-26T09:43:17.937-04:00I love making stuff up, Hallie. Though Busman'...I love making stuff up, Hallie. Though Busman's Harbor is based heavily on Boothbay Harbor where we have a summer home, I love the made up aspects of my little town. It's like being a kid and playing with dolls and doing "set ups" as we called them. Fictional little towns where one person lived in the Barbie house and another in the bookshelf.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81673576841339530572015-05-26T09:39:40.489-04:002015-05-26T09:39:40.489-04:00Kait
Oh, Aroostock County. That really is the end...Kait<br /><br />Oh, Aroostock County. That really is the end of the road. Like Lucy Burdette, I spend time in Key West, and I've often wanted to visit the other end of US Route 1--the other Mile Marker 0--just to say that I have. But then I look at all that territory....<br /><br />So glad you enjoy the Maine Clambake Mystery series.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59155938231972165352015-05-26T09:35:44.743-04:002015-05-26T09:35:44.743-04:00Hi Ramona--
The VGR is brilliant!
Lobsters live ...Hi Ramona--<br /><br />The VGR is brilliant!<br /><br />Lobsters live in cobble, which is exactly what it sounds like, cobble stones. They like nooks and crannies for their homes.Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-22766107498465189522015-05-26T09:33:56.111-04:002015-05-26T09:33:56.111-04:00Hi Mary!
My first book, the Death of An Ambitious...Hi Mary!<br /><br />My first book, the Death of An Ambitious Woman, was a police procedural, so I thought I had the VGR knocked, but as I was writing, people kept asking me, "What is the sleuth's emotional connection to this case? Why does she keep investigating? It has to be more than her job."<br /><br />My first thought was, "How do you do YOUR job? Because I take my job really seriously." But then I realized they were right. Even professionals need VGRs, though they may not be revealed until much later in the book. Barb Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16470220932617188498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32144107430079174032015-05-26T09:20:55.944-04:002015-05-26T09:20:55.944-04:00Ah yes - the VGR. Something I was never able to co...Ah yes - the VGR. Something I was never able to come up with because you're right: 99% of us call the police and wash our hands. My solution? Start writing police procedurals. =) An entirely different set of problems, but at least I never have to come up with a reason why he's involved (although I did learn a couple weekends that my protagonist, a patrol officer, would not normally be involved in a murder investigation or anything requiring lots of hours, but the state trooper who told me this also, very thoughtfully, suggested a solution).<br /><br />And I totally hear you about the characters surprising you. You think you know everything, then something comes up and you're all "what the heck?" I love it when that happens.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57786144695450493632015-05-26T09:20:06.884-04:002015-05-26T09:20:06.884-04:00You do great VGRs, Barb!
Love the series. I'...You do great VGRs, Barb! <br /><br />Love the series. I've never been to a clambake, so my reading of yours in Busman's Harbor is vicarious living for me. I'm now curious about the life cycle of a lobster. Is it like a crawfish, I wonder? Which seems pretty sad, since they live in mud.<br /><br />Looking forward to reading Musseled Out!Ramona DeFelice Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06271107145932093175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5821867860896357132015-05-26T09:07:25.237-04:002015-05-26T09:07:25.237-04:00Wonderful description of the real life of a writer...Wonderful description of the real life of a writer! I'm a part time Mainer, but my part, Aroostook County is really the end of the road. Never been downeast, so I love my visits through your books. Thank you for the glimpse into your process.Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.com