She’s Just like Me, Only Thinner…

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Fine,  fine, fine. I confess. Jane Ryland is a little...like me. (And Charlotte McNally even more so.) But hey. How many of us envision Susan when we're reading about Maggie Hope? I certainly do. Is Lucy not Haley? Of course. Go through the Reds books--and imagine our heroines. Is Rhys not Lady Georgie? (AND Molly? Sigh. How does that happen?)  I can't help but picture Debs as  Gemma,  You can't tell me she's not. Julia is one hundred percent Clare, and Hallie admits she's Deirdre. So fine. Okay. It's only logical that we plumb our own personalities for our main characters. But that's not the whole story, and that's what makes it interesting. 

So I'm thrilled to let my dear pal, the hilarious and droll Susan Boyer, explain it all. (Try to read with a southern accent. It's more realistic that way.)

She’s Just like Me, Only Thinner…

    by Susan Boyer

Y’all, I’m so excited! This is launch week for Lowcountry Boneyard, the third Liz Talbot mystery. I’m going to be traveling a bit for the next few weeks—nothing like what Hank does, or Jenny Milchman’s never ending book tour. But I’ll be hitting the road.

One question that comes up right often when I’m out and about visiting book clubs, book festivals, and the like, is, “How much of you is in Liz Talbot?” I would bet many authors get this question. Are we putting ourselves on the page?

Not me, of course—I write fiction. It’s all made up, every bit of it. There’s no gun in my handbag, I promise.

What’s that you ask?

Well, yes, Liz and I are both Southern. We’re Carolina girls, born and raised. And, okay, we both grew up in small towns. Although, she has way more eccentric relatives than I do. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Liz and I both love mysteries—all kinds of puzzles. We share a love of Cheerwine, beaches, and all manner of Southern food, from fried chicken to sweet potato pie. We both love signing karaoke, though neither of us would fare well on The Voice.  The thing with the hand sanitizer? She gets that from me.

But in many ways we’re different. Liz is younger than I (though I still feel thirty-four inside) and she’s prettier. She has the skin I wish I had, and her hair is much better behaved. She’s much thinner than I am, but she isn’t skinny. If she were skinny, I’d have to hate her, and then where would we be? She’s fit, the way I wish I were. She runs on the beach every morning. I only run if something with big teeth is chasing me. She swims naked in the Atlantic at dawn. I go to water aerobics after I’ve had my coffee.

If unpleasantness erupts, Liz always thinks of the exact thing she wants to say on the spot. I tend to think of what I wished I’d said hours later. She’s braver than I am by far. I personally have never jumped from a moving Jet Ski into a boat while someone was shooting at me. There’s a long list of things Liz has done that I’ve never done—she gets to have a lot of fun and wear cute shoes while doing it.

On the other hand, I’ve done a few things Liz hasn’t. I’m married to my best friend. Her romantic situation is…complicated. I have four wonderful children. (And any of you with children over twelve knows there’s no small amount of bravery involved in surviving the teenage years.) I’ve written a few books. Liz won’t have time for that. I plan to keep her busy.

I’ve never been a private investigator. But I’ve read an awfully lot about them, and I’ve pestered the fire out of a few asking them questions. And the things I Google likely have me on several government watch lists. As I child, I wanted to be Nancy Drew. Liz Talbot is my avatar, is what I’m saying. She’s this perfect version of who I might’ve been in an alternate reality. It’s a bit like playing a video game, I think, though I don’t play many of those—just the dancing and yoga ones for exercise (occasionally).

I sit at the computer and live vicariously through a figment of my imagination. I embroil her in all manner of chaos and let her figure it all out. It’s deliciously fun. Liz Talbot isn’t me by a long shot. But I love experiencing her adventures from the safety of my office.

How about y’all? Reds and other writers, how much of you is in your protagonists? Readers, do you ever envision the author of a book as the protagonist? (I confess I do, and sometimes this gets awkward during the romantic scenes.)

HANK: Yup, me, too.  I mean--isn't Sue Grafton Kinsey? And Lee Child is Reacher, right? Who do you see as who? 

********************************

Susan M. Boyer is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling Liz Talbot mystery series. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Lowcountry Boneyard, the third Liz Talbot mystery, was released April 21, 2015. Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels.
Susan lives in Greenville, SC, with her husband and an inordinate number of houseplants.
susanmboyerbooks.com

LOWCOUNTRY BONEYARD

Where is Kent Heyward? The twenty-three-year-old heiress from one of Charleston’s oldest families vanished a month ago. When her father hires private investigator Liz Talbot, Liz suspects the most difficult part of her job will be convincing the patriarch his daughter tired of his overbearing nature and left town. That’s what the Charleston Police Department believes. 

But behind the garden walls South of Broad, family secrets pop up like weeds in the azaleas. The neighbors recollect violent arguments between Kent and her parents. Eccentric twin uncles and a gaggle of cousins covet the family fortune. And the lingering spirit of a Civil-War-era debutante may know something if Colleen, Liz’s dead best friend, can get her to talk.

Liz juggles her case, the partner she’s in love with, and the family she adores. But the closer she gets to what has become of Kent, the closer Liz dances to her own grave.    

  

Love the Low Country!

HANK ON TOUR: in Minneapolis today! Come join me and THE WRONG GIRL at Once Upon A Crime at 7pm! And now....our special guest!  

HANK: So funny. I thought—what should I write to introduce the fabulous Agatha-winning and USA Today best-selling Susan Boyer? And here’s the voice that came to mind “Oh my GOSH, y’all, Susan Boyer is a force of NATURE.” Then I thought, waaaitaminit, I don’t have a southern accent.

Hmm. But that is just how infectious she is. She’s hilarious, intelligent and a terrific writer. Her debut, LOW COUNTRY BOIL won the Agatha, quite a triumph for her and her terrific publisher Henery Press. (Jungle Reds LOVE Henery, y’all. I mean,  sigh, well, you know.)

So—imagine her voice answering…as we get the scoop on her brand new book! (And at the end--a question for YOU!)

HANK:  Tell us what this book is about! 

SUSAN BOYER: Lowcountry Bombshell is the story of my Southern Private Investigator, Liz Talbot’s, next case. Liz thinks she’s seen another ghost when she meets Calista McQueen. She’s the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. Born precisely fifty years after the ill-fated star, Calista’s life has eerily mirrored the late starlet’s—and she fears the looming anniversary of Marilyn’s death will also be hers.

Before Liz can open a case file, Calista’s life coach is executed. Suspicious characters swarm around Calista like mosquitoes on a sultry lowcountry evening: her certifiable mother, a fake aunt, her control-freak psychoanalyst, a private yoga instructor, her peculiar housekeeper, and an obsessed ex-husband. Liz digs in to find a motive for murder, but she’s besieged with distractions. Her ex has marriage and babies on his mind. Her too-sexy partner engages in a campaign of repeat seduction. Mamma needs help with Daddy’s devotion to bad habits. And a gang of wild hogs is running loose on Stella Maris.

It’s just another day in paradise…

HANK:  Wild hogs?

LOL! Yes, wild hogs. Actually, wild pigs have been around the lowcountry since the 1500s when the Spanish released them. In fact, wild pigs have been reported in all 46 counties in South Carolina. However, the Spanish pigs never reached Stella Maris as no one ever let them on the ferry. The Stella Maris hogs are a whole ’nother story. You see, in the aftermath of a hurricane back in the 1800’s, most of the livestock wandered the island until fences and barns were repaired or rebuilt. This particular gang of hogs was never apprehended. They are mostly harmless, but they like to snack on delicacies found in flowerbeds and vegetable gardens, which makes them unpopular with the human residents of the island. 

There’s been a lot of discussion regarding what to do about the infestation, but no consensus has been reached. Several of the island’s matriarchs are too tenderhearted to hear tell of the hogs being exterminated, and the swine are wily enough to evade efforts at rounding them up.

HANK: What was the moment you got the first idea for the plot of this book?  Or was your first idea about "plot" ? How did you know when you had a book?

The character of Calista McQueen came to me first. In fact, my initial idea was for a book where she was the main character. She may get her own series one day, if Liz will have that. She may want to keep me busy with her stories. But I’ve always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and her story. When I was working on the family trees for my Stella Maris families—yes all the families on Stella Maris have a family tree. I can trace them all back to the Revolutionary War—I started wondering about the loose ends in Marilyn’s family tree. I started researching her. I knew I had a book when I realized my doppelganger was in danger and would need Liz to figure out where the danger was coming from.

I love revisiting Liz and her quirky family and friends on Stella Maris. But I also love the character of Calista McQueen. Like Marilyn, she’s so much smarter than people give her credit for. And I really love that Liz’s romantic life gets to play out a bit in this book.

HANK: Talk about "low country " What does that mean? How does that affect your story?

Ah, the lowcountry is the coastal area of South Carolina. Especially around Charleston, there’s just so much history, and it’s such a romantic place. It’s my chosen literary landscape because I have a lifelong love affair with the area. Huge live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, wrought iron garden gates that keep in the family secrets…my imagination runs wild. The setting really is a character in my story.  

HANK: Have you always wanted to write mysteries? Why start now?  Did you set out to write a series?  

Oh, my, yes. I’ve wanted to write mysteries since I was a child reading Nancy Drew. Actually, for a long time I wanted to BE Nancy Drew. Then I settled on writing mysteries where the detective was a little older and got to know her boyfriend a little better. But my parents were more comfortable with a career goal that wouldn’t mean I’d be living in their house another ten years in the best case scenario, so I studied computer business systems and got a “real job.” But I continued to read every spare minute and dream about writing. Then a few years—okay—now it’s been nearly nine years ago—the company I worked for went out of business. Up until then I hadn’t had time to write. I know, you do it all, but you’re a super-hero. Yes, I started out knowing I wanted to write a series because those are my favorite books to read. I love revisiting characters I know. It’s like spending time with old friends.    

HANK: What's it like for you, writing? Are you a happy smiling person at the keyboard? Or do you tear your hair out, worrying that this will be the time you never get it right?

I am at my happiest when I’m writing. I get completely lost in my alternate reality, and just pour it all out onto the page. The “Oh my gosh this is horrible and I’ll never get it right” phase comes later in the process for me—during editing. And again while my beta reader has the manuscript, and again while my agent is reading, and most of all once I hit send to turn it in to my editor. Until I know she likes it, I’m convinced it’s horrible, and I’ll never write another book worth reading. That’s when I start wondering if I’m qualified to be a barista.   

HANK: Well, it’s terrific…and I (don’t hoot at me, Kaye Barley) had no idea what “low country” was until I met your books. Guess I should have gone to geography that day!

Susan of course, is hard at work on her next Low Country adventure…what “southern” thing do you think she should include? And a copy of LOW COUNTRY BOIL to a lucky commenter!

Does The Chicken Have a Name? (or: How does Kendel do it?)

Hank Phillippi Ryan: I'm trying to think of what to say here. At first I thought "funny", because Kendel Flaum is one of the funniest people (and authors) ever. But "funny" doesn't do it, because

Kendel Flaum is also a visionary, an entrepreneur, a risk-taker, and a whirlwind of ideas and projects. And  there's still more..she's  tireless and nimble and imaginative and generous. And if you don't know her or her books or her publishing company--well, good, because that's why you visit Jungle Red! 

HANK: When people say—what do you do for a living—what do you say? Or maybe, finish these sentences: Kendel Flaum is: and Kendel Lynn is:

KENDEL FLAUM:
Kendel Flaum is: The managing editor of Henery Press.

Kendel Lynn is: The author of BOARD STIFF, the first in the Elliott Lisbon Mystery series.

I generally answer based on who’s asking. Or I end up mushing them together into something jumbled as I ramble about writing and editing, but it doesn’t matter because they were just being polite anyway.

HANK: You are so…brave, on so many levels. You started a publishing company, you dumped your big time agent, you...well, talk about your decisions, and why you made them.

KENDEL: Like most, I spent years getting that big time agent. I wrote and queried and revised, and when the offer came in, I was truly overjoyed and delighted when my book went out on submission.

At the same time, I was involved in several writers groups, some focused on alternative publishing options, like small presses and DIY models, boutique agents and publishers. As I listened to their experiences, I was appalled most of the options: horrifying contracts, scary too-quick to market publishers (FOUR WEEKS!), AWOL editors, out-of-date websites. There are only a handful of solid, legitimate houses. The mystery market needs better choices.

So I created one--Henery Press.

My business partner and I wanted something fresh, engaging, and fun. A community where we help our authors put out the best book possible, and they help one another achieve their dreams. And there’s a chicken in rain boots for a logo, so of course we’re successful.

My big-time agent was unable to sell my book to big-time New York publishing houses,  she wanted to start on smaller targets. I took a pass, putting my eggs in the Hen House basket, figuring I might as well join the fun.

HANK: Your debut novel—BOARD STIFF—where did that come from? Tell us about the wonderful Elliott Lisbon…

KENDEL: I spoke at Malice Domestic this past weekend, and a nice lady who sat through my chatfest told me it was clear I really loved Elliott, that it showed in the way I talked about her, and I do! She’s the director of a well-funded foundation on a South Carolina island filled with wealthy, eccentric residents. Elliott has a slight aversion to all things germy and is only four thousand hours away from getting her PI license. One reviewer said she a cross between Stephanie Plum and Monk. I also think of her as a mash-up of Kinsey Millhone and Archibald McNally. Serious when she needs to be, and sassy when that doesn’t work.

HANK: So I read this on your website—“I’m left-handed, prefer cupcakes for dinner, and would love to eat In-N-Out every single day. I can spot a bug on the floor across the room even with the lights out and I really hate shopping.” You are hilarious! And that sense of humor really comes through in BOARD STIFF. Do you think about “funny”?


Kendel, Hank and Diane Vallere at Malice


KENDEL: This is a total fan moment. You were the first established/successful/famous author to tell me my writing is funny, several years ago. Talk about a boost! You so generously volunteered to read for me, then called me to give me encouragement, advice, and truly made my writerly life exciting.

I don’t usually think about humor when I’m writing the draft, and it’s such a surprise when I read it back and something makes me laugh right out loud. I do try to the temper humor, though. I don’t want to wear out the reader. But it’s kind of fun to wake up in the middle of the night with a really hilarious tidbit, scribble it out, then giggle about how funny I am. Only to discover it makes no sense in the morning.


Yay for Susan Boyer! Henery's first Agatha Winner!


HANK: Henery Press—so rocks! And congratulations on your debut author Susan Boyer, whose delightful LOWCOUNTRY BOIL won the Agatha for Best First! What’s it like being a publisher?

KENDEL: I know!! What a dream night – it was like being at the Oscars. I was so totally thrilled for Susan and her LOWCOUNTRY BOIL. She deserved it, and I’m lucky she took a chance on me to be her publisher. We talked often before she signed, about our vision, commitment, where we were going and what we wanted to build. Sometimes those leaps of faith work out.

I enjoy publishing, even though it feels like I’m juggling wet cats most of the time. It’s very deadline driven. Each book has about fifteen different deadline milestones to hit before publication, so with another twelve books due out this year, we’ve got a lot of deadlines. Luckily, every book is at a different stage, so some of those cats are cute little kittens (while others are mean old cats).

We try to pioneer, look at things differently. From promotions and reviews to content and distribution. Since it’s our own venture, we can do what we want, in our own way, and not follow any set convention.

HANK: How do you possibly manage your time?

KENDEL: Lists. Lots and lots of lists. I have an entire wall of my office covered in to-do lists, one for each book. There’s something extremely satisfying about grabbing my blue marker at the end of the day and making little x’s on each sheet. I build wiggle room into every schedule, for every person who needs to work on each project. Henery comes first, but I pencil in writing time at the end of every day. And for those days that don’t go as planned, I eat cupcakes. (So yes, I eat lots and lots of cupcakes.)

HANK: What are you looking for as a publisher?  (Sorry, I'm imagining wet cats...)


Are these adorable or what? Win one! See below. 


KENDEL: Tightly-written, well-plotted, page-turning whodunits. I tend to enjoy humorous mysteries the most, with Southern charmers right behind. I’d love to get my hands on a magical mystery, a fast-paced traditional PI novel, and another crafty killer series. But truly, any engaging story that grabs me and won’t let go is exactly what I’m looking for.

HANK: What do you know now that you didn’t before?

KENDEL: I’m learning and growing with each day, and I love it. Writing, querying, submitting can be a heartbreaking, soul-crushing experience, but it’s important to take control of your career. Pull yourself up, make different decisions, take some chances. It’s empowering and invigorating and who cares what anyone else thinks? My biggest lesson I’ve learned: do what’s right for you and the rest will follow.

Hank, you’re an amazing mentor and a true super star. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, friendship, encouragement, and time with me – I don’t know how you do it, but I’m so glad you do!

HANK:  Awww...my complete pleasure. And let's give away some loot to a lucky commenter! Kendel says:   "How about a signed copy of Board Stiff (very valuable), plus a Henery Press mug (we commissioned an artist to paint them, they are numbered and signed!)."


So--questions for Kendel? Anyone want to name the chicken? (Or, Kendel, does the chicken have a name?)


ABOUT KENDEL LYNN

Kendel Lynn is a Southern California native who now parks her flip-flops in Dallas, Texas. She read her first Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators at the age of seven and has loved mysteries ever since. Her debut novel, BOARD STIFF, won several literary competitions, including the Zola Award for Mystery/Suspense. Along with writing and reading, she spends her time as the managing editor of Henery Press where she acquires, edits, and figures out ways to avoid the gym but still eat cupcakes for dinner.

ABOUT BOARD STIFF

As director of the Ballantyne Foundation on Sea Pine Island, SC, Elliott Lisbon scratches her detective itch by performing discreet inquiries for Foundation donors. Usually nothing more serious than retrieving a pilfered Pomeranian. Until Jane Hatting, Ballantyne board chair, is accused of murder. The Ballantyne’s reputation tanks, Jane’s headed to a jail cell, and Elliott’s sexy ex is the new lieutenant in town.

Armed with moxie and her Mini Coop, Elliott uncovers a trail of blackmail schemes, gambling debts, illicit affairs, and investment scams. But the deeper she digs to clear Jane’s name, the guiltier Jane looks. The closer she gets to the truth, the more treacherous her investigation becomes. With victims piling up faster than shells at a clambake, Elliott realizes she’s next on the killer’s list.