Miranda James on Finding the Right Title

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Miranda James is here today to talk about how writers come up with titles for their books, but first I have to say I was absolutely captivated by the cover of the new Cat in the Stacks novel, REQUIEM FOR A MOUSE, featuring librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel. So captivated, in fact, that when I saw it I immediated emailed Miranda (which is, as you may know, the pen name of my longtime friend Dean James) and said, "Come do a blog for us!

I'm not sure which I love more, Diesel, or that strawberry cheese cake, but the title is wonderful, too. Here's Dean to tell us how it came about!

Finding a Title That Works

By Miranda James

All writers have their own particular, not to say peculiar, quirks. One of mine is that I don’t start writing a book until I know what the title is. Sometimes the publisher likes the titles I come up with, sometimes my editor comes up with a good title, or my agent does. For my latest book, I came up with the title, Requiem for a Mouse. The phrase popped into my head, and fortunately everyone loved it.

I had the title, but then I had to figure out the story. I usually want the plot of the book to have some connection to the title. I had no plans to have murdered, four-legged mice in this book. I’m not sure that Diesel or Ramses actually cares for the taste of mice. They’re more interested in bacon and chicken and roast beef, frankly.

Thus I had to figure out the character of a “human” mouse for this story. Everyone is probably familiar with the mousy person character. In this book, Tara Martin is the mouse. She’s a part-time student at Athena College, and she has a work-study job with Charlie in the archive and rare book room. He finds no fault with her work, but she has no social skills whatsoever. She blurts out things and insults people without realizing what she’s done. She also has a part-time job working at the bistro, where she mostly works behind the scenes and doesn’t deal directly with the customers.

Her appearance is non-descript. Shabby clothes, no sense of style, and so on. When something happens to Tara, Charlie begins to wonder whether Tara was deliberately trying to keep anyone from getting to know her. What was she protecting herself from?

That was the idea behind the title. As usual, I had to let the characters tell me the story as I wrote. I don’t do much advance plotting, but somehow it seems to work for me. I can’t outline. I can sometimes see scenes that will happen at some point in the book, but mostly it’s just me sitting at the keyboard and staring at the screen waiting for the characters to tell me what’s going on.

I know that must sound crazy to people who don’t write fiction. I used to think it was crazy, too, when I would hear writers at conferences say that their characters talked to them. Mine don’t actually talk to me, but somehow they let me know what’s going on. I’m no longer a skeptic. I know it’s my subconscious working things out, and that’s fine with me.

DEBS: It's so interesting how we all have different processes. I like to have a title while I'm writing, too, but while in some way they make sense to me, a connection may not be obvious to the reader. 

Readers, I'm curious--do you try to figure out how books' titles fit with the story?

Miranda James is the pen name of retired medical librarian Dean James, who lives in the Jackson, MS, area with four cats and thousands of books. He grew up on a farm in Mississippi, and, after degrees in history, he moved to Houston, TX, to pursue a Ph.D. He also eventually earned a master's degree in library science. Along the way, he worked for thirty years at Murder by the Book, one of the oldest and largest independent mystery bookstores in the country. His first novel was published in 2000, and since then he has published thirty-one more. Requiem for a Mouse is the latest.

And here's more about Requiem for a Mouse!

At last, Charlie and Helen Louise’s wedding is only a month away. They’re busy preparing for the big day, and the last thing Charlie needs is a new mystery to solve. Enter Tara Martin, a shy, peculiar woman who has recently started working part-time at Helen Louise’s bistro and helping Charlie in the archive. Tara isn’t exactly friendly, and she has an angry outburst at the library that leaves Charlie baffled. And then she abruptly leaves a catered housewarming party Charlie’s son Sean is throwing to celebrate his new home in the middle of her work shift. Before ducking out of the party, Tara looked terrified and Charlie wonders if she’s deliberately trying to escape notice. Is she hiding from someone?

When Tara is viciously attacked and lands in the hospital, Charlie knows his instincts were correct: Tara was in trouble, and someone was after her. With the help of his much beloved cat, Diesel, Charlie digs deeper, and discovers shocking glimpses into Tara’s past that they could never have predicted. Will they catch the villain before Charlie’s own happily ever after with Helen Louise is ruined?

Tell Me a Story--Miranda James

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's such a pleasure to bring you today's guest, Miranda James, author of the CAT IN THE STACKS mystery series featuring librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel. As many of you undoubtedly know, Miranda is really Dean, and Dean and I go WAY back, to the days when I was a newbie author doing my first book signings and Dean was working part time at the wonderful Murder by the Book in Houston. One of the biggest treats of Houston events for me was getting to visit with Dean over a lovely dinner, and I missed those very much when he relocated to Mississippi. But now I have Dean's Charlie and Diesel adventures to enjoy, so that is some consolation, and I'm looking forward to WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN, which launches tomorrow! Of course Dean and I talked about our mutual love of books over those dinners, and here he shares how that love of reading translated into a love of writing.

 TELL ME A STORY

Miranda James

            When I choose a book to read, I want most of all a good story. Doesn’t matter whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, I expect a good story. At heart, I believe that’s what most readers want. For me, however, it’s essential. Literary flourishes are all well and good, and they can add layers to stories, but if there are flourishes simply for the sake of the writer’s saying, “Look what I can do,” they’re wasted on me. I’ve read many of the great classics, writers whose books are revered for their power, their elegance of style, and their illumination of the human condition. The best of them tell a good story, like Shakespeare’s plays, stories that remain relevant today.

             Wanting to tell a story motivated me to become a writer. I loved books as a child. My parents read to me, and I could read by the time I started first grade. I didn’t go to kindergarten. I was a country child who grew up on a farm. I also grew up in a family that loved stories, especially when the family gathered on the porch at my paternal grandparents’ house. There were also the Bible stories that were the staple of a Baptist church upbringing. When I finally figured out that books didn’t just magically appear, fully formed, on their own, that actual people wrote them, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.

            The more I read as I grew up, the more convinced I was that I wanted to write, but I had to defer that dream while I got an education. I didn’t begin to write fiction seriously until I was in graduate school in Texas. What did I write? An academic murder mystery, of course. I’m not saying that being in graduate school drove me to murder but make of it what you will. I continued to devour mysteries along with all the books I had to read for grad school. I submitted my book to an editor and got a polite, but slightly encouraging rejection.

            More time passed while I continued to think about writing. I couldn’t afford to quit working in order to focus on writing, so I had to work around a full-time job and a part-time one, in order to get anything down on paper (or into the word processor, eventually). I was lucky to break into publishing in non-fiction first. This was the kind of analytical writing I trained to do in graduate school in medieval history. Writing fiction – and fiction that sold – was harder. I eventually had my breakthrough there as well, but it took me twenty-five years and fourteen mysteries before I became anything approaching a success.

            I’m working on the fifteenth novel in my Cat in the Stacks series now, with the fourteenth one out today, and my goal with this one is, as always, tell a good story. I learned how to tell a story by reading thousands of novels, most of them mysteries in the last forty years, and I advise any aspiring writer to read, read, read. Bad books, good books, mediocre books – and learn to tell the difference. Along with a good story, I also want to give readers characters with whom they can identify and whom they can begin to think of as friends. That’s why I write a series, rather than standalones.

            I also choose to write from the point of view of an amateur sleuth. Many critics decry these books as completely unrealistic. I know that my neighbor, who is retired, doesn’t stumble over dead bodies every few months. Neither do I, but my main character can, and I can have the vicarious pleasure of an adventure, the way I have done over the years with everyone from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple to Meg Langslow. I can only hope that my readers are enjoying my stories as much as I enjoy writing them. 

DEBS: We do! And I have to add that the CAT IN THE STACKS covers are absolutely the most  charming!

 Miranda James, a serial killer by night and on weekends, is a mild-mannered medical librarian by day. Miranda has four cats and thousands of books. Home is the Jackson, Mississippi, area.

Here's more about the latest CAT IN THE STACKS:

When Charlie Harris finds out he has unexpectedly inherited his grandfather’s old farmhouse, he has no idea he is about to embark on the search for another killer. His Maine Coon cat Diesel finds a skeleton in the farmhouse attic, and Charlie has to wonder whether his grandfather, or the life tenant who recently died, was responsible. When a fresh corpse turns up on the property, Charlie is even more determined to find out what is going on.

DEBS: I know Dean was looking forward to doing an in person signing at Murder by the Book, but the Covid surge in Texas has sadly made that untenable.  Readers, how much are you missing those in person events?         

Naughty or Nice?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: So Thanksgiving is over and all of a sudden it's almost December and time to Christmas shop and--EEEK--I have not found a single gift!  The only thing I bought yesterday on Black Friday was some socks that I needed. How incredibly sad is that?

 I have to admit I've never been one of those super organized people who shop all year and have everything tagged and wrapped by Thanksgiving (I do really, honestly have a good friend who does this) but most years by almost December I usually at least have a LIST.

But this year I am absolutely CLUELESS. I cannot even wrap my mind around it. And since I'm probably doing all my shopping online, there's really no excuse.

Not to mention that today is Small Business Saturday, and if we ever needed to support small businesses, it's this year. 

And of course we all want to support our indy bookstores! Two of my faves are Murder by the Book in Houston, and The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale. They both have BOOKS, obviously, but Murder by the Book has all sorts of other gift-y goodies, like puzzles and mugs, t-shirts and socks, and both stores ship nation-wide.

Just thinking about this has inspired me enough that I may actually tackle a list today...

REDS and readers, have you started/finished holiday shopping? What super-duper gift ideas do you have for those of us who are struggling?

And please share with us your favorite independent bookstore, so that we can spread the love!

A Day in the Life of Houston's Murder by the Book

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Last summer I had the honor of appearing at beloved mystery book shop, Murder by the Book, in Houston, Texas, to promote THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT and talk about historical mysteries. I appeared alongside fabulous New York Times-bestselling authors Lauren Willig and Beatriz Williams. The evening was facilitated by Murder by the Book's publicity manager John Kwiatkowsky and Sally Woods.

Readers, it was heaven. 

What was so wonderful? The books, of course (my credit card took a serious dent), meeting Lauren and Beatriz (I've been a huge fan of their novels for years and it was lovely to meet them in person), and most of all, the staff, who were knowledgeable and professional and fun and funny. Do you ever meet people and just know that you're going to be fast friends? Well, that's what happened to me when I met John and Sally.

We all read mysteries and thrillers, but I thought it would be fun to take a peek "backstage" at a particularly fantastic mystery bookshop — and what happens behind the scenes. John and Sally, take it away!

JOHN and SALLY: Working in a bookstore comes with all the usual challenges of working retail, and throws in challenges of its own. Those challenges can be trying to figure out which blue book a customer saw on the new release table at another bookstore, trying to remember the name of a long out print book, or explaining for the 5th time why you don’t know if a book is available for the Kindle.

It also comes with some pretty special rewards. We have a lot of customers that have moved away from Houston, but always include a trip to the store when they’re back for a visit. We get to meet authors that we love, hand-sell books that we’re excited about, and spend our days surrounded by books.

Each bookstore is different. Working at a Barnes and Noble is different from working at a specialized indie bookstore. (If you want to know what working at big box store like B&N or Borders is like, read Elaine Viets's Murder Between The Covers, she nails it!)

One of the comments we hear all the time is, "I'd love to work in a bookstore and spend all day reading." We laugh, but know that reading is the last thing we get to do when we’re at work. Here’s what a typical day behind the counter looks like...

9:30 a.m. - Get to the store. If last night's event ran long, start the day by putting the store back together. That includes putting away event chairs, picking up stray books that wandered off the shelf, and picking up empty wine glasses left on bookcases. (If it's Tuesday, put out this week's new releases).

9:45 a.m. - Sort books from last night's event and get them ready to mail out.

10:00 a.m. - Open the store.

10:15 p.m. - Answer email, and update the store’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. Add any newly scheduled events to the website, while still helping customers and answering the phone.

11:00 a.m. - Dave, our UPS driver, shows up with 45 boxes of new books. Each book has to be checked in, sorted, and shelved, while still helping customers and answering the phone. If there are any damaged or missing books, they have to be called into the publisher for credit or replacement.

11:45 a.m.: Answer the phone:

Employee: Hello, Murder By The Book!

Customer: Is this homicide?

Employee: No, we're a bookstore.

Customer: I need homicide.

Employee: I think you should hang up and dial 911.

11:52 a.m. - A customer comes in asking for Victoria Holt’s series about a midwife. You realize she’s looking for the series by Victoria Thompson and give her the first in the series.

12:30 p.m. Thirty minutes for lunch

1:15 p.m. - Patrick, our mailman, brings an advanced reading copy that that’s been eagerly awaited. A happy dance ensues.

2:05 p.m. - Check for online and email orders.

Tracy Carlson

3:00 p.m. - Archie, our FedEx driver, shows up with 3 boxes full of special orders. Each book has to be checked in, sorted, and customers need to be contacted to know their books have arrived.

4:00 p.m. - Meet a teenager in town for a lung transplant. His family is in Houston temporarily, and he loves mysteries. Show him some staff favorites, and recommend some great places to visit while in town.

4:45 p.m. - A customer from Shreveport stops by the store on one of her quarterly trips to Houston. After spending 45 minutes helping her pick out titles, she asks for a hug when you carry her bags out to the car for her. Your bookseller heart skips a beat.

5:00 p.m. - If there's an event that evening, put out chairs, set up the signing table, put out wine.

5:45 p.m. - Take Jack Reacher, the store dog, out for a potty break.

6:00 p.m. - Close for the day, unless there’s an event.

If there is an event:

6:10 p.m. - Author arrives. Take them to the back to sign presales (books ordered by people who couldn’t make it to the signing).

6:30 p.m. - Introduce the author to the crowd.  Double check for last minute orders for signed books while trying to pay attention to the author’s talk.

7:15 p.m. - Author talk is winding down, tell the crowd we have time for one more question. When the talk finishes, line customers up so they can get their books signed.

8:00 p.m. - Signing line is finished, take the author to the back to sign books for people that couldn’t make it, and the rest of the store stock. Once the stock is signed, thank the author for coming and put the store back together.

8:30 p.m. - Head home (11 hours after the day started). This is where we actually get our reading done.

As you’ll see, there wasn’t any time for reading. We might get a few minutes to read while we’re on our 30 minute lunch break, but any reading is done once we get home and finally put up our feet at the end of a long day. That book we just recommended? We read it while we were off the clock.

At the end of the day, we all love what we do. No one ever worked at a bookstore to become rich. We do it because we love books, and we love finding the right book for the right reader. And that’s the best perk of this job, having someone come back and tell you they have found a new favorite book or author.


SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Thank you John and Sally, for taking the time to drop by today and all that you do. (Also — Jack Reacher! He's adorable!) Reds and lovely readers, have you ever been to Murder by the Book? Have you ever worked in a bookstore or wanted to? What does your ideal bookstore have? (Mine has a few cats.... No offense, Jack Reacher.) 

John and Sally will be dropping by to answer all of your questions, even "what's the name of that book, you know — the blue one...."

John Kwiatkowski, Publicity Manager at Murder By The Book since 2010

In previous career incarnations, John has sold model and toy trains, and been a barista.  Prior to joining the Murder By The Book team he managed one of the local chain bookstores.  When his nose isn't in a book he loves going to concerts, seeing musicals, going to Las Vegas, and spending afternoons in Hermann Park.

John's favorite authors include: Arturo Perez-Reverte, Tasha Alexander, Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Daphne Du Maurier, Wilkie Collins, Jacqueline Sussan, Victoria Laurie, and Louise Penny.

Sally Woods at Murder By The Book since 2011

Sally has been in the bookselling biz for almost 20 years.  She comes to MBTB via various Houston indie bookstores.  She did have a life prior to bookstores, but that seems long ago.  She is also somewhat new to the mystery genre and is learning about new authors all the time.

Some her favorite authors include: Stephen King, John Sandford, Dean Koontz, Sue Grafton, Kevin Brockmeier, Dan Chaon, Gillian Flynn, Joyce Carol Oates (especially the short stories), Margaret Atwood, and newly discovered Peter James.