kc dyer's love letter to Scotland & the elusive Jamie Fraser

HALLIE EPHRON: Today I’m delighted to welcome (back) kc dyer, whose bestselling book FINDING FRASER is a complete delight. Think OUTLANDER meets BRIDGET JONES DIARY.

Her protagonist (Emma Sheridan) has fallen hopelessly in love with Diana Gabaldon’s fictional (we think) creation, Jamie Fraser, and goes off to Scotland in search of the next best thing.

It’s a lovely homage to Gabaldon, who generously and enthusiastically cheered kc’s efforts. And for kc, it’s part love story, part coming of age, and it made me completely believe that the real kc had fallen in love with the real (fictional) Jamie Fraser.

kc?

kc dyer: But of course! Who could read the Outlander books and not fall for Jamie Fraser? Tall, noble, willing to do anything for the woman he loves? A heroic figure for sure. And that Scottish accent does NOT hurt.

HALLIE:  Not to get too personal, but were you actually looking for Fraser at the time when you conceptualized and wrote the book? And how has that worked out for you?

kc: Hahaha! You are not alone in that thought, Hallie! I've had a LOT of fan-mail from people convinced I wrote a secret sort of roman á clef, after having combed the auld sod for my own true love.

The sorry truth is that this story is entirely fiction, apart from the fact I see it as a bit of a love-letter to Scotland itself. I have been to all the places Emma visited, it's true, but not in search of my own Fraser.

Would I mind if one had actually shown up? NOT AT ALL. But so far, no luck on that front!

HALLIE: The setting for the book is spectacular Scotland. Is that a place that holds a special significance for you?

kc: Absolutely. My family originally hailed from Scotland, both Edinburgh and Inverness. My very first book, SEEDS OF TIME, was set in the West Highlands at the time of the Black Plague. I love it there and go as often as I can. And I clearly took my children with me on research trips once too often, as my daughter now lives in Edinburgh. Yet another reason for me to visit!

HALLIE: Were you worried how Diana Gabaldon would respond to you, ahem, appropriating her character? How has she reacted?

kc: Oh my gosh. I was SO worried. When I first had the idea for the book, I told my writing partner and she laughed. So, essentially I wrote the story just for the pure fun of it. I told myself that Diana [who is a long-time friend] would never see it, and went ahead and wrote it. But, just by coincidence, I finished the first draft at about 3 in the morning on the night before Valentine's Day.

You know that post-draft feeling of euphoria that happens in the middle of the night? Well, that's what happened. I was feeling all giddy and happy to be finished, but the story actually opens on Valentine's Day, which is the main character's birthday. I decided to spill the beans to Diana.

I knew I would have to admit that not only does my Emma love the Outlander books, but that I had written Diana herself into the story, too. So I sent her a long letter explaining that if she didn't like the story or felt it impugned the marvelous world she had created, I would put it into a box under my bed.

I felt it was important she knew that Finding Fraser was a story about a fan of Outlander, but it was in no way fan-fiction. Luckily for me, she appreciated that distinction and has been wonderfully supportive ever since.

HALLIE: Have you had a great time watching this book do so well? And do men show up to your readings in kilts?

kc: Watching this book do well has been the most fun EVER. It's now an international best-seller. My first book was published in 2002, and Finding Fraser is my 7th book, but it's my first for grown-ups, and my first best-seller. And yes, I've had many men in kilts come to my signings. It's like a little Scottish miracle. Maybe I'll find that Fraser yet!

HALLIE: I completely loved this book and hope many of our friends out there will have as much fun with it as I did. Anyone who's been to the Surrey International Writers Conference will recognize the inimitable Jack Whyte (author of the Guardians of Scotland series and a true character in his own right) who shows up from time to time to drink with Emma offer his sage advice.

Today's question: What hunks from literature would you be willing to travel across the ocean to meet? Mr. Darcy? Robb Stark? Ross Poldark?

A Second Look at Romance

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Happy Saturday, all!  I’m teaching today in Wisconsin, and I wanted to give you something really wonderful to read and discuss. And viola. The fabulous Wendy Tyson provided the perfect thing,

The Mystery of Romance

     By Wendy Tyson

One day during the early months with my agent, she called me at work out of the blue.  She knew I was working on a new novel and had some suggestions.  “Romance, Wendy,” she said.  “I’m not talking about sex. Ro-mance.  There’s a critical difference. Even in a mystery, readers like a little love with their suspense.”

Clearly she didn’t know me that well yet. “Fran,” I replied. “I’ve been married for almost twenty-five years. I’m not sure I’d know romance if it grabbed me by the ankles and flipped me to the ground.”

 

She laughed. “Then tell your husband he has some work to do.”

Yeah, about that.  I love my engineer husband—he’s warm, caring, funny, and brilliant—but when I shared my agent’s comments, he gave me the same look he gives me when I suggest we go to the local vegan restaurant for dinner. “Uh-huh,” he said. “I’ll get right on that.”

This was going to go nowhere.

Only my agent’s suggestion stayed with me.  She was right, of course (she typically is).  Though I’d never been a big romance reader, I certainly appreciated a well-written love story woven into a book or movie. Who didn’t root for the budding romance between Harry and Sally?  Who didn’t weep at the end of The Notebook?  Who else gets teary when they hear the song “Book of Love”?

Oh, who was I kidding?

The truth is, I’m a hopeless romantic.  When it comes to matters of the heart, I believe in love at first sight, ‘til death do us part, and kindred spirits.  I want love to triumph. I’m impractical, imprudent, and I wear my sensitive heart right out there on my sleeve.  And so does my engineer husband, so don’t let him fool you. There may not be romance in the bring-me-flowers-and-chocolate sense, but there was something.

But how do you translate something onto the page?

And so I read romance novels, I watched chick flicks, and I even talked to my friends about what they liked about Fifty Shades of Grey.  But everything I wrote seemed to come out forced.  Sex? Sure. The intricacies of a marital partnership?  Absolutely.  

This nebulous thing called romance?  Not quite.

Then a chance encounter changed my perspective.

It was last spring, and I had been invited to the Southern Kentucky Book Fest. My work schedule is always brutal during the first quarter of the fiscal year, and I had to fly from Philadelphia to Chicago and then on to Nashville for the festival.  By the time we touched down in Tennessee, I was exhausted. The coordinators had been kind enough to arrange for a car service to pick me up at the Nashville airport. The driver, a kindly older man, informed me that there was just one other author we needed to find.  He spotted her across the terminal and waved.

Surprised and instantly humbled, I saw that my companion was Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander novels.  Diana was gracious enough to entertain my chatter for much of the drive to Bowling Green, and while she said many things during that hour that seemed incredibly wise to me, one thing became clear:  Diana wrote what she wanted to write. I am paraphrasing—and perhaps even putting my own memory spin on the conversation—but what I heard during that drive from the airport was “make no apologies” and “be true to yourself.”

Now I know, of course, that it’s imperative as an author to write with authenticity, and chasing a market can backfire. But somewhere along the line in my search for romance, I’d lost sight of the simple fact that my experiences mattered—even on the topic of romance. Sure, I’d been married since George courted Martha. Yes, I hadn’t dated in years. But I knew what it meant to cuddle on the couch with my best friend while our children slept upstairs, and I understood the incredible power of hearing his calming voice during a crisis. Together we’d felt the tantalizing butterflies of getting to know someone, and apart we’d experienced the heart wrenching pain of loss.  

Wasn’t romance, in the end, a compilation of these feelings and experiences, a link to the very thing that makes us all human—the need for connection.

It just so happens that I was three-quarters of the way through A Muddied Murder during my chance encounter with Dr. Gabaldon.  Inspired, I went back to my manuscript that night and took a fresh look at it.  I had a main character and a love interest, the Scottish veterinarian, but I’d placed them in the situations I thought others expected—not what I wanted for them.  I started rewriting that evening, drawing on all the small moments that together—over days and weeks and months and years—made a relationship special and strong. The slow building of trust.  The heat of desire. The testing of boundaries.  The shared embarrassments, triumphs and failures.

It was working. A spark was igniting.  I had that little bit of romance. 

I’ve been pleased to see that readers feel the chemistry between Dr. “Denver” Finnand Megan Sawyer.  I’ve been even more pleased that my passion for these characters translated to the page.  In the end, what I learned is that romance—in a book, at least—is a group affair. There are the characters. And the reader. And the author. 

At home, it’s just my husband and me (and the kids). There are still no flowers, and he only buys me chocolate when he wants some too.  But sometimes he’ll accompany me to the vegan restaurant. Without complaint.

And if that’s not romance, I don’t know what is.

HANK: Diana Gabaldon! Wow. We are HOOKED on Outlander. 

But aw. Really,  so wonderful. right now I am giving a keynote and talking about “how to write a novel.” Ha. I wish you were with me, Wendy.  But meanwhile—we’ve talked about about mystery and romance here from time to time—what’s the MOST romantic movie you’ve ever seen? Or book you’ve ever read?

Mine is..ah.  Lemme think.  The real  Sabrina? Philadelphia Story? Oh! Affair to Remember.  The Island Queen?  Jonathan would say A Farewell to Arms.  How about you, Reds and readers?

(And don't forget: My contest is still open. You could win $100 gift certificate for any bookstore you choose!  Click here:
a.pgtb.me/8cxcN4/kNTjn 

(And if you'd also like a signed bookplate--perfect for Mother's Day gifts!--Let me know!)

 ****************

Wendy Tyson is an author, lawyer and former therapist whose background has inspired her mysteries and thrillers.  Wendy writes two series, the Allison Campbell Mystery Series and the Greenhouse Mystery Series. The first Greenhouse mystery, A Muddied Murder, was released March 29, 2016 to strong reviews.  The first book in the Campbell Series, Killer Image, was named a 2014 best mystery for book clubs by Examiner.com.  Wendy is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, and she is a contributing editor for The Big Thrill and The Thrill Begins, International Thriller Writers’ online magazines. Wendy and her family live on a micro-farm outside of Philadelphia.

BEACH EATS AND READS

LUCY BURDETTE: Even though it didn’t feel much like summer this past week, Memorial Day weekend is supposed to mark that transition. Which makes it time to talk about what to read and what to eat while we’re reading. We have a lot of authors who visit here to tell us about their books, so maybe we’ll choose one from someone who hasn’t come to JRW?  

My pick is Walter Wells and Patricia Wells WE’VE ALWAYS HAD PARIS...AND PROVENCE.  I’m definitely a Francophile so I snatched this up when I saw it at one of the Key West Library’s book sales. If you aren’t familiar with the Wells family, they left good jobs at the New York Times to move to France when Walter was offered a job at the International Herald Tribune. Patricia managed to work herself into the position of food critic at L'Express, unheard of for a woman, and an American to boot. 25 plus years later, they are still living in France. The chapters alternate between the two--both are excellent writers and their journey is fascinating and mouthwatering.

Now what to eat...I’m dying for some real summer tomatoes. And once they arrive, I am going to make Patricia Wells’s recipe for puff pastry (found in THE FRENCH KITCHEN COOKBOOK) and serve tomato and olive tarts!

HALLIE EPHRON: Last month I did a shared event and got to know Holly Robinson. I adored her new book, "Haven Lake." It's one of those multi-generational stories that just have you rooting for everyone in it, though I confess I identified with the former-Hippie mother. So I've been saving one of Holly's other books, "Beach Plum Island," for a relaxing summer read. Great setup: Ava Barrett's father's last words on his deathbed: "I want your brother to know the truth." But Ava doesn't have a brother. What I didn't know about Holly: she wrote a piece for a women's magazine years and years ago called "Mom on Strike." It caused quite a stir, and I vividly remember reading. (Click here if you missed it and want to see what it said.)

What to eat? Peaches! Our produce market has just starting to get those little southern tree-ripened peaches that are exploding with flavor.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  I  just did  shared event with the amazing Elin Hilderbrand--we had a fabulous time, laughing and  sharing stories.  She's written I forget how many--17?--NYT bestselling beach-read books about life on Nantucket. People were coming to her signing line with arms full of books, each sharing a personal nugget about how they'd connected with her stories. So, yeah, I bought two, and cannot wait. Her newest one is THE RUMOR, coming soon.

But generally, um, that's not what I read. Those family saga books make me sad, I have to admit So I--well, I remember spending delighted summer vacations with WINDS OF WAR, and BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES.  With THE GREEN MILE, remember? And UNDER THE DOME. Stephen King is a perfect beach read for me, as is Nelson DeMille.  Lisa Scottoline. And there's a new Linwood Barclay coming! So that's my kind of summer read…

As for food? CORN! Grilled outside. Fresh basil and mozzarella. Prosciutto and gorgeous melon! And gin and tonics! And lovely chilled rose wine.


SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Usually loaded down with research books regardless of season, but I _am_ looking forward to one "fun" read in particular, called I, RIPPER: A NOVEL, by Stephen Hunter, about — yep, you guessed it — Jack the Ripper. It's the Ripper's story (of course), but entwined with that of a fictional Irish journalist who's covering the case — "and how the two men stalk each other."

I'm not really into those generational family saga books, although I do remember loving THE JOY LUCK CLUB and THE SHELL SEEKERS. If anyone has a great recommendation, I'd certainly try it!Summer food — tomatoes, mozzarella, basil drizzled with oil and vinegar. Anything grilled, especially corn on the cob. The Kiddo is obsessed with S'mores and the hubby does a great job with grilled meat and fish. It seems like we're house-sitting the late Jane Henson's (Jim Henson's widow's) country house in Connecticut for part of this summer, while Noel teaches a puppetry master class, so that's where we'll be....

RHYS BOWEN: Ah, summer reading. I'm hoping to do some un-work-related reading on a beach in Corfu next week. I met James Runcie at Crimefest and have one of the Granchester books to read. Also Connie Willis"s Blackout Books on my Kindle. And I love multi generational books. I'm a huge fan of Kate Morton... The Forgotten Garden etc. and to eat when reading? Being. Messy person it can't be peaches, Hallie. I'd drip all over the pages. But a favorite summer food is cherries. A bowl of cherries, and smoked salmon on thin brown bread, and Pimms to sip.... Now I'm really being indulgent!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Rhys, you will love Black Out and the James Runcies, I hope! Lucy, I have Patricia Wells' cookbook, too! Time to get that out and be inspired--although it feels more like monsoon than summer here. No beach for me (Rhys oh so casually says "on a beach in Corfu" and we are all dying of envy...) But I would just be thrilled to see sunshine. To sit on my deck in the mornings. To--gasp--lie in my hammock on my new (drowned) patio! As for summer reading, I have to confess that I have been re-reading Diana Gabaldon. I'm now halfway through Voyager, and at this rate I might get caught up on the books I haven't read by Christmas.  But if I picked a summer read for the days when I will eventually get to enjoy my hammock, I'd start with the Nancy Thayer  novel I bought last week, then move on to the Patricia Wells memoir that Lucy mentioned.

Summer food most anticipated?? Real tomatoes, with basil and olive oil. Cantalope with prosciutto. And TEXAS BLUEBERRIES by the pint!

What are you going to read and eat this summer Reds?

THRILLER FEST

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Our THRILLER FORTNIGHT here at Jungle Red is leading up to ThrillerFest, a four-day celebration of thriller books, the authors who write them, and the fans who read them. ThrillerFest takes place July 11, 12, 13 and 14, 2012, in New York City, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel located in Midtown Manhattan. 

So what goes on at ThrillerFest?  If you're an aspiring writer, there are master classes with best-selling authors, and opportunities to meet with dozens of literary agents. If you're a fan, there are panels and activities aplenty where you can hear and meet some of your favorite authors. (And buy their books!)


Among this years special guests are R.L. Stine, Ken Follet, Robert Crais, Diana Gabaldon, and John Lescroart. Just a small sampling of other attendees includes our recent JR guest Jon Land, Lee Child, Steve Berry, Jan Burke, Joseph Finder, Sophie Littlefield, DP Lyle, Andrew Gross, Wendy Corsi Staub, David Hewson, Hilary Davidson, and Yrsa Sigurdardottir--and that really is a small sampling!  Check out the ThrillerFest website for a full listing of authors and panels.


Okay, I'm hooked.  I wish I were going, but sadly, not this year.  ThrillerFest is definitely on my list for next summer.  What could be more fun than hanging out in NYC with a bunch of really cool writers and fans?


So, REDS and readers, who's going?  Who's been?  If you've attended, tell us about it. 


And do check out the website. I especially like Lee Child's anecdote about meeting Libby Hellman when wearing only a small towel....


(And now, the lucky winners of Jon Land's STRONG VENGEANCE: Joan Emerson, Diane Hale, and Allison Brennan! If you three will email me at "deb at deborahcrombie dot com" with your mailing addresses, I will pass them along to Jon.)

Writing What You Don’t Know: Former Spy Writes Supernatural Thriller

 LUCY BURDETTE:  When I met Alma Katsu recently at the Connecticut Fiction Fest and heard about her career as a CIA analyst, I was wildly jealous. That's exactly the kind of background (says me) that translates into a bestseller kind of platform (me thinks.) But Alma is here today to tell us why it isn't as easy as it seems. Welcome Alma!

ALMA KATSU:  When I was an analyst at CIA, many of my coworkers thought about sitting down one day and writing a spy novel. Obviously, few did. (Even I didn’t: my first novel, The Taker, is historical with a supernatural element and had nothing to do with my intelligence career.)

But one analyst had penned a spoof of The Hunt for Red October as if it had been written in the rigid style taught to analysts in the Directorate of Intelligence. I wish I could show it to you—I’ve been told that a copy is floating around the Internet, but I couldn’t find it—because it perfectly illustrates the difference between being a spy in real life and being one in a novel. Needless to say, it made real intelligence analysts laugh so hard they blew Coke through their noses when they read it.

I worked in intelligence for nearly thirty years, splitting my time between the National Security Agency (known to you civilians as “the super-secret National Security Agency”) and CIA. Thirty years is a long time to do anything, long enough to ingrain the many quirks and peculiarities of the intelligence business into my DNA. (For instance, I find I must correct the inaccurate statement I made above, though it is a common misconception: technically, intelligence professionals are not “spies.” The people they recruit to give up secrets are spies.)

I was midway through my career as an analyst when I decided to return to writing fiction, something I’d abandoned once I started at NSA, as being a published writer is pretty much incompatible with working in intelligence. When literary agents found out about my day job, they’d invariably encourage me to write a spy novel. “You could show what it’s really like,” they’d say, and I took them at their word.

So I wrote a spy novel. It was a lot of work. I wanted to pick the right international conflict, one that I found interesting and I thought Americans should know more about. I wanted it to be accurate: my professional reputation was on the line.

I showed it to agents. To say they were underwhelmed is putting it kindly. I remember one telling me pointedly, “No one wants to read about someone doing their job.”

Of course, many writers are perfectly able to write great thrillers based on their day job: bookshelves are crammed with novels written by doctors, lawyers, police officers, pathologists, detectives, military personnel, police, you name it. For me, the decision not to write spy thrillers came down to this: it wasn’t fun. To me, writing is a means to be somewhere I want to be, with characters I want to be around—an escape. Writing spy novels kept me tethered to my workaday world, and it wasn’t rejuvenating.

Writing The Taker was fun, in that peculiar way we have of deriving enjoyment from mastering a difficult task. It took ten years to get it right, but it is a book I am proud of (Booklist chose it as one of the top ten debuts of last year, so my pride feels a little justified). The Reckoning was less fun to write, if I’m honest, because of the pressure that comes with writing your second book. Oddly enough, the reviews are better than the ones for The Taker, so maybe all that neurotic polishing paid off.

Will I write a spy novel? Someday, maybe. For now, my editors have asked that I stick to writing more books like The Taker. But stay tuned: I haven’t ruled it out.   

Alma Katsu’s novels have been compared to Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander: historicals with romantic and supernatural elements, but with a unique character all their own. For more information on Alma’s books, visit her website at http://www.almakatsu.com. She’s giving away a NOOK tablet ($199 value) to celebrate The Reckoning’s release; the contest is open until June 30 and you can find details at http://www.almakatsu.com/contest.php