April Surprises!

Jenn McKinlay: April is always a big month for me for two very good reasons. First, it is my wedding anniversary (27 years this year) and second, spring has finally taken root. Ha! See what I did there? Spring? Root? Very punny, I know. Julia covered the melancholy that comes with the arrival of April, and I do get it, but I tend to see it as more of a month of surprises.

The wedding anniversary is a big deal because quite honestly, I spent most of my life not planning to marry. Not that I have anything against marriage. It just wasn't part of my agenda. I blame my brother. We're Irish twins and since he was only 11 months older than me, I just did whatever he did. I mean, really, why play house when you can play pirates?

This attitude pretty much shaped my formative years. My poor mother used to put me in a dress every day and then as soon as her car pulled out of the driveway, she was a high school librarian, I ran back upstairs and changed into my play clothes (jeans and T-shirt) and then went to school. This went on until my second grade teacher sent home a note ratting me out because she was concerned that I was wearing the same clothes to school every day and, yeah, I kind of smelled.

Suffice to say, my mother got shorted on the daughter front. She did not get a mani-pedi buddy in her little girl, no instead she got a pre-adolescent who announced that she was going to travel the world and have four children but never marry. Yes, I did! I think it is a testament to her Connecticut Yankee constitution that she didn't stroke out but just smiled and nodded and said, "We'll see."

Fast forward a few years and a few boyfriends later and there I was married to the other half of our whole. Mom was quite relieved. So April is always a favorite month for me because it really does make me believe in the unexpected. Sort of like gardening in central Arizona, I am always delighted when my peach and pomegranate trees bloom and later fruit. Spring always amazes! As does life!

So, Reds and Readers, what is your favorite thing about spring?

A Tantalizing Question

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE TOMORROW!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Here's a question for you. A tantalizing one. And your first answer might change.

On some random #HankonTour television, I saw a fragment of a show where panelists were talking about how there was a new medical test that would calculate how long you would live. They do nine separate tests, and then it gives the estimate of how many more years you have left  to live.

I keep thinking about this. 

They asked: if you could know, would you want to know? My first answer was no. Then yes. Then I started analyzing, over-analyzing, you know me, and thinking well, there are so many possibilities of what might happen that how could anyone know anything and so, all in all that is really silly.

On the other hand (you know me) if the doctor said whoa, your cholesterol (or whatever ) is what's hurting this number. If you change this, and take the test again next year, your "years-left" number could change. 

Is it more...persuasive if there's a number?  They revealed someone's results on the show--to a person who didn't know them--and she was 40 or so, and was told her life span would be 42 years longer. Her face--I wish you could have seen it. Well, actually, I don't.

I almost decided this was too morbid to discuss. Is it? Or what do you think?  Or is this not only realistically impossible but medically impossible? 

RHYS BOWEN: I'd absolutely want to know. If they said two years then I would say all the things I'd meant to say, make all the time for friends I'd meant to make, travel to all the places I wanted to see, not worry about spending big bucks on a meal or a necklace.

 I'd stop to gaze at sunsets, watch the waves, listen to music. . Essentially live knowing that my days were numbered. But there are so many variables, aren't there? I was in a major car accident the other day. Hit from behind. Knocked into oncoming traffic. You can do everything right and then fate intervenes. So who can actually tell how long they have? I think the answer is to make the most of every day.

HANK: Rhys! SO scary. And we are...so happy you are okay. There are no words for how happy.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING; No, no, no. Far better to live as if any day (or week, or month) might be your last. How do you do that? Keep in touch with your loved ones. Be kind as frequently as possible. Do your work well, with pride. I can tell you from my experience, when the end is in sight, people who have lived well don't spend time regretting they never made it to that bucket-list cruise or concert or ball game. Because they remember the cruises and concerts and ball games they DID get to. 

Scripture says, "No man knows the day or hour..." That seems about right to me.

JENN McKINLAY: I don't want to know just like I didn't want to know if my babies were boys or girls or had three heads or not. (Spoiler alert: I had boys. One head apiece).

I like surprises, yes, even the bad ones. I like mystery, yes, even the unsolvable. And I like living every day as if it's my last, precisely because I don't know if it is or not. What is that George Strait song? "Life's not the breaths you take. But the moments that take your breath away." I'm good with that.

LUCY BURDETTE: I have to say that this question gives me the shivers! I’m not entirely sure that if I learned my time was very short that I wouldn’t retreat into a quivering blob. On the other hand, Rhys and Jenn make excellent points. Shouldn't we be living as though our time was short anyway because who knows? And, to Hanks point about how knowing might help make lifestyle changes, isn’t that what a physical is for? My intention is to try to live as though I have A lot of time left, while straddling the line of seizing every moment just in case. Because really, I think that’s the best we can do anyway. And make sure we read enough and talk enough and do enough good along the way...

INGRID THOFT:  This is the second time this year I’ve contemplated this question.  The first was at a book event celebrating “The Immortalists” by Chloe Benjamin, a terrific book in which four siblings learn the date of their deaths when they are still children and the effect it has on their lives.  My answer then, and now, is hell no!  I try to live knowing that there are no promises in terms of life span, so go for it:  write that book, say you’re sorry, take that trip.  But you also can’t live your life dreading the end, and I’m afraid an end date would color my remaining days.  As Muhammad Ali said, “Don’t count the days…make the days count.

HALLIE EPHRON: What an interesting question. Thinking... I would want to know if I had a limited time left, like a year or two. Or maybe not – because then it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. So don’t tell me. Please. Or do. Or...

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My related question: what if you knew for sure that you were coming back after. Would that make a difference in how you lived your last years?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I absolutely would NOT want to know. I can't even contemplate what it would like to have that hanging over me, whether it was two years or thirty. And even if it was medically possible to be that accurate, that doesn't mean you might not get hit by a bus tomorrow. But thinking about this is a good reminder that we should make the most of every day, appreciate our lives, be the best people we can be, do some good in the world. (Ingrid, that book sounds creepily fascinating.)

HANK: So, see? It's a very unsettling question--and yes, of course, it underscores the need for us all to live in the present, be grateful, notice the world and be kind.  To accept the mystery of life.  

And, possibly,  to eat the French fries. 

But that aside, Reds and readers, would you want to know? Or what do you even think about that question? Or about being given that option? Let us know. 

Publishing Surprises

INGRID THOFT

Every Q&A I do with a writer always includes this question:  "What has surprised you most about becoming a published author?"

A common response is how welcoming and supportive the mystery/thriller community is to newcomers.  For a group that murders on a regular basis, where actually quite kind.  On Wednesday, Mike Lawson mentioned the need for self-promotion as being a somewhat unwelcome surprise.  I would second the vote for the inclusive nature of fellow writers, but I also have another surprise to add.  I was surprised how much being published didn't change the work itself:  It didn't get easier!  Each book presents its own challenges and having a contract and an editor don't change that.

What about the rest of the Reds?  What has surprised you most about (or since) becoming a published author?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Huh. Interesting. Of course, as you say, the enthusiasm and congeniality of my colleagues. Astonishing. AND the wonderful people at events. I am constantly delighted with the level of welcome I receive.  But I wasn't surprised about the personal pressure to consistently be better, or the intense need to hurry hurry hurry. The level of how much stuff there is to do, though, is really incredible. I have massive to-do lists, and they grow and grow. This is not in the nature of a complaint, by any means--but the work that accompanies the writing is endless. Ah--I hope it's endless, right?

HALLIE EPHRON: I kept thinking it would get easier, but it hasn't. Not for me, at least.  At Sleuthfest this week Andrew Gross talked about how, as a writer you're harvesting your own experiences, and soon you run out of the low-hanging fruit. So true. That's one reason it gets harder -- you don't want to repeat yourself. But also, as Hank says, you keep raising the bar on yourself.

JENN McKINLAY: Honestly, I agree with all of the above. The writing community is amazing. I feel fortunate to have made some of the best friends of my life within it. Also, the amount of promotion (ugh) and that the writing does, actually, get harder was unforeseen, but it makes sense if you're striving to make each book better. What surprised me beyond all that was what little control I have. After the first contract, I thought I had wiggle room. Nope. After I hit the NYT, I thought, now I'll have more say. Nuh-uh. I am still mostly the content creator with very little input on the cover, the marketing, the schedule, etc. Mostly, I'm fine with it as writing is what I want to be doing but there are days...ahem.

RHYS BOWEN: Oh, how I agree with the warmth and generosity of the mystery community. I think all of us have developed real and close friendships among writers who should have been considered our rivals. And I agree too that it doesn't get easier. I am not an outliner and the first fifty pages of every book I write find me in pure panic mode. And the stakes seem to get higher with each book, especially after one wins a few awards. Each book has to be better or at least as good as the one before. It's a challenge after 40 books to make the next one fresh and exciting.

The Reds, prepping to write each day

Another surprise, and it's a humbling one, is how few people will know who you are. You say you write mystery novels and they say what's your name, and then they shake their heads and say "Never heard of you!"

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I was not surprised by the amount of self promotion--I'd been well-prepared by published friends and mentors. BUT, I could never, in the early nineties, have anticipated social media and the presence required there! Nor did I anticipate the sheer amount of non-writing work involved with being a writer. Or the fact that books just keep getting harder, or at least they do for me. As Hallie mentioned, trying not to repeat yourself becomes a big issue.

But on the very plus side, although I'd learned pretty early that writers were generally a friendly bunch, I continue to be amazed by the strength and generosity of the mystery community. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Since I agree and would repeat everything already said, may I mention money? Don't worry, I'm not going to mention figures, but after hearing time after time after time that it's impossible to make a living as an author, it was a happy surprise to discover I could, in fact, support myself (and the family) as a novelist. 

The stories about financially successful writers always seem to focus around the blazing "It" debut of the year whose author got a $600,000 advance, or it's someone who's an international bestseller with a TV show/movie spin-off. You seldom see stories about authors like, well, many of us - people who write popular books year after year (well, not me, obvs., but the rest of you do!) growing their readership until sales and advances reach the point where they don't need a day job. 

When I talk to young people, that's one of the key messages I try to get across - you CAN make a living as an artist. 

Your turn!  Do you have tales of publishing surprises or a publishing question?  Ask away!

Surprises! Thoughts for the New Year.

RHYS BOWEN: I'm the sort of person who loves surprises. I still remember the time my father surprised me with an expensive gift I'd always wanted but never dared to ask for one Christmas. My husband John is very generous but tell him to surprise me for a special occasion and I'll get either nothing or a book on battles of WW2 (yes, he really gave me that one year). He does not think outside the box.

 So as we look back at the year and as every program on TV has its top ten events of the year list I thought I'd ask my Jungle Red sisters for a single happening that surprised them, either pleasantly or not.
 For me, in a year of good things career-wise (like being #1 in Mystery on Amazon for a couple of heady days) the big surprise of the year was seeing my son's proposal to his fiancée on YouTube while I was on a ship in the Mediterranean. They'd been together for two years so not a complete surprise but it was still a shock to go on Facebook and read that Dominic had changed his status!

 And is there one thing you hope will happen this year--something you're looking forward to or wishing for (or even dreading?). We're all looking forward to Dominic and Meredith's wedding this summer--up on a mountain above Clear Lake CA, and the wedding party all sleeping in yurts afterward. Quite an adventure! I'm also hoping to attend the Warsaw book fair as my books apparently sell well in Poland. Who knew!

 So do share, JRW Sisters--something that surprised you this year and something you wish for in 2014.

HALLIE EPHRON: Yurts? Yikes. 

I confess I don't watch my Amazon numbers, but I hope when I hit it big someone will be watching and let me know. Nothing has topped the birth of our first grandchild. I know, bo-ring. But really, it's just about the best thing I've ever (not actually) done. Second best, getting "There Was an Old Woman" on Sarah Weinman's top 10 list of 2013 crime novels..

Looking forward to getting comments back from my editor and getting the new book exactly the way I want it. And then taking a few weeks off writing bettween books. That I am REALLY looking forward to.

 All to all the Reds and readers I wish a happy, healthy, productive and fun year ahead.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Happy New Year! Last January, I traveled solo to Edinburgh and Arisaig to research the Special Operation Executive (SOE) spy-training camps for THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT. I never expected that I would absolutely and completely fall in love with Scotland! It was also an incredibly positive experience for me to go on my own — I spend a lot of time in the roles of wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, and it was freeing and eye-opening to spend so much time on my own. And I still can't believe how gorgeous Scotland is — even (perhaps especially?) in winter. I feel privileged to have visited and met so many new friends.

And last year — making the New York Times bestseller list was pretty darned great! And being nominated for an Edgar Award, as well as the Dilys Award, Sue Federer Historical Fiction Award, Macavity Award and then winning the Barry Award. And being asked to join the Jungle Red Writers!

 In 2014? I'd like to keep my sanity doing this wife/mom/novelist/elder-caretaker thing…. And I'm also looking forward to the publication of THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECRET AGENT in the summer of 2014 and writing THE FIRST LADY'S CONFIDANTE.

I wish a happy and healthy New Year to my fellow Reds and fellow readers!

 HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: HAPPY NEW YEAR! What do I wish for? I daren't even say.

 Last year, oh, well of course--standing with Mary Higgins Clark as THE OTHER WOMAN on the MHC award? I still almost burst into tears when I think of it.
 THE WRONG GIRL is on several best of lists, and up for an award already!
 TRUTH BE TOLD is coming. and I am about to type "chapter one" of WHAT YOU SEE. Perfect for New Year's Day, huh?

I still feel like such a newbie author, so every day is filled with joy and panic and possibilities. Hard to imagine what might happen in 2014--honestly? I'm trying not to. One day at a time.

But I do love you all...and wish you every happiness. And oh, good health. Very very very good health.

LUCY BURDETTE: Our trip to Paris and Provence was not a surprise--but it was completely lovely. Maybe it was surprising that I was able to bike 20 miles a day (though my bike and I did spend some time walking up the steep parts!) The food and the scenery and the company (my sister, brother-in-law, and hub) were delightful.

As for next year, I look forward to more writing, and to the publication of MURDER WITH GANACHE, which I think is my favorite book yet. (Though I've probably thought that with every book right before it came out:).

Happy New Year to all my JRW family--I'm so grateful for each of you! xoxo

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Oh, goodness. Surprises. THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS making the USA TODAY list. Discovering Youngest seems to be naturally gifted at archery (I know, who would guess?) Getting to go on a lengthy booktour (I thought it was all internet these days. Thankfully, I was wrong.) Highlights: having a terrific time at the Edgar Awards weekend (and being there when Hank won the Mary Higgins Clark award!) Our family weeks at Pemaquid Point and in DC. The Boy's high school graduation, and moving him into Trinity College for the first time.

What I'm looking forward to in 2014: The Smithie's graduation. The Youngest starts high school (I can't believe it!) Finishing HID FROM OUR EYES. And, through it seems like stealing fate, fall 2014 will mark four years cancer-free for Ross - one year closer to that all-important number five. Oh, and something fun - getting together with you all at Bouchercon and trying yet another wacky Jungle Red game show!

What I'm grateful for? All my friends and sisters here at JRW! Happy New Year!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Surprises in 2013? THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS breaking (excuse the pun) the top ten on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller list was a whopper!  But I think I was even more surprised by the emotional punch. It was the last day of my tour, with a signing in Dallas. I stood up in front of a room full of people, many of them old friends and friends of my parents, and came unglued. That was a first in all my years of book signings...

I was surprised by my daughter's wedding.  Not surprised that she got married, but that she decided she wanted a wedding, as she'd always said she didn't.  And surprised by how absolutely lovely and perfect it all was. (Not a bit surprised that she was an exquisite bride, or by how much I love my son-in-law!)

And I was surprised by how hard it was to lose my mother.  She was ninety-two and had been ill for years--had, in fact, been on hospice for the last three and a half years, so it certainly wasn't unexpected.  But I don't think anything can prepare you for that sense of loss.

All in all, a very eventful year, made richer and better, in every way, by the support and friendship of my fellow Reds.  Wishing all of you, and all of our readers, a sparkling and brilliant 2014!

RHYS: And I second that. Also how blessed I feel by the support and friendship of my fellow Jungle Reds, and our online friends too! Raising my champagne glass to you all!