Marilyn's Musings

Marilyn: Sue, you have published five mystery novels featuring Bella Kowalski, a former nun turned obituary writer and amateur sleuth. What’s your new book, and how is it different? Sue: My current work, “The Sojourner Chronicles,” is historical fiction. It takes place in 1943, during World War II and features the Detroit defense industry as a backdrop. M: Four of your five previous novels have showcased local California Central Coast settings. Why is this setting so important to the story? S: Many southerners, both black and white, migrated to Detroit to work in the defense industry during the war years of 1942 to 1945. This was the first instance of them working together as equals, which created a lot of tension between the races. The culmination of this was the Belle Isle riot of 1943, the first of several Detroit has experienced over the years. M: Okay, we now know the scene. What’s the story about? S: Thirteen-year-old Sara LeBeau, whose mother h...

What about the publishing aspect of your second novel? “Murder in Los Lobos” was first published by Fithian, a co-op publisher who understood my needs and insecurities and were wonderful to work with in every way. John and Susan Daniels, the publishers, gave me a leg up in the writing world that I’ll always be grateful for. The book sold very well and continued to do well after the Fithian publishing rights expired (after almost eight years) and I repubbed it with CreateSpace.  This is a bit off-topic, but why did you decide to go with self-publishing on CreateSpace? I like the creative control—I now even design my own covers—and I choose the font size and interior format I prefer. And I absolutely love the price Amazon charges me for author copies as I hand-sell many of my books at presentations, craft fairs, and other events. I now have all four titles with CreateSpace and I’m planning to publish the fifth with them as well. Their services suit my marketing p...

Hi Marilyn, thanks for hosting me today. I’m going to answer your questions about getting that second novel off the ground. What were your assumptions when you started your second novel, “ Murder at Cuyamaca Beach ?” Like most writers with a successful first novel, I assumed the writing, publication, and marketing of my second Bella Kowalski California Central Coast (5 adjectives, count ‘em!), mystery would be a cinch. I was wrong on all counts. How was the writing process itself? I assumed that because I’d written one novel, the second would be faster and easier. If anything, it was harder. Novels are like children, they don’t all behave the same way. Some let you sleep peacefully all night long, others keep you up all night. The challenges I faced with my recalcitrant child, “ Murder at Cuyamaca Beach ” were: Choosing a different location on the Central Coast that fit story's plot, creating a believable plot with means, method, and motivation, and how much ba...

 This Sunday, April 6 from 1-3, several members of the Central Coast chapter of Sister is Crime will gather at the Coalesce Bookstore and Wedding Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay. Not only will it be a book signing, but each participant will give a 5 minute reading or talk about their book(s). And (I know this is important) there will be refreshments! Those who will be presenting are: Tony Piazza (the president of CCSinC), Sue McGinty, Paul Fahey, Barbara Hodges, Anne R. Allen, Natalie Jarboe, and me. The event will be held in the chapel and the beautiful garden patio. My hubby and I love to go over to these events, it's like a mini-vacation. We're good friends with so many of the members because we've been joining the chapter for events for a long, long time. I do hope some of you who are in the area will come join us. I'll have copies of Murder in the Worst Degree, Dangerous Impulses, Spirit Shapes and Raging Water.             ...

As you're reading this we'll be driving over to the coast, Morro Bay to be exact. Our first destination in La Serena Hotel, which is the designated hotel for instructors who will be teaching at the Central Coast Writing Conference which begins tomorrow, September 16 at Cuesta College We've been told that the views are of the bay--but the last time we stayed her, our view was of an upper level parking lot. Hoping for different this time. Anyone who has followed my blog knows that we really love the central coast and head that way on many occasions. One reason is because I belong to Central Coast Sisters in Crime and I love to join them for their various promotion activities--combining business with pleasure. Over the years, hubby and I have become good friends with members of that chapter of Sisters in Crime. This evening we'll be having dinner with two of them and their significant others. Sue McGinty has been a friend for many years and I met her first when I c...

Murder at Cuyamaca by Sue McGinty Bella Kowalski, former nun, now dirt-digging obituary editor, gets an urgent call from Magda Sereno regarding her sister's murder. Magda suspects Loreli's former fiancé, a maverick rancher who takes in the homeless on an ad hoc basis. Then Magda, a surfer, is brutally murdered on New Year’s Day at Cuyamaca Beach's annual Polar Bear dip. This second book in the Bella Kowalski series leads readers through the dark underbelly of California's scenic Central Coast, where the homeless gather under bridges while the wealthy slumber beneath satin sheets, and where a crowded, sunny beach offers no guarantee of safety. About Sue McGinty: With little more than a dream, a few story ideas and a cat who’d never ridden in a car before, Sue McGinty left behind the corporate world of Los Angeles and escaped two hundred miles north to the Central Coast hamlet of Los Osos. Not the Cabot Cove of “Murder She Wrote,” but close. Before the boxes were unpacke...

Victoria Heckman is the author in the Hawaiian dress, the other author with her in the other photo is Karen Kavanaugh, and Sue McGinty is the other author. The other photo is of the gorgeous patio garden. The book signing Sunday at the Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay was a huge success. The little chapel in the patio garden behind the store was packed with people during the entire event. Part of the success was due to the bookstore staff who did a marvelous job of promoting: great newspaper coverage and posters in the store. The store itself is wonderful. Tiny, but packed with books, both new and used. Down a flight of stairs in back and you step into the most gorgeous garden. We had our books on display in the garden. Inside the chapel that they use for weddings and all sorts of events, the bookstore had already set up tables for coffee and tea which they provided, plus two bottles of wine. We six authors and other members of the Central Coast chapter of Sisters in Crime brought finge...

This is the first photo (that came out half way decent) taken with my new iPhone. On our way we stopped at Jack Ranch for lunch in Cholame--famous for the fact that's where James Dean died on the highway. There are photos of James Dean on the walls of the little cafe--which has wonderful fish and chips, by the way. We had a great time in Nipomo. Actually we stayed Friday night in Arroyo Grande and had dinner in Pismo at Steamers with Barbara and Jeff Hodges. I've known Barbara since Win Win Writers Conference Days--and thought we've done a couple of booksignings together in the pasts it's been awhile seen we've seen one another. Food was excellent and we had an ocean view window and we sat and gabbed for a couple of hours. The next day we drove to the Nipomo Library, once again thanks goodness for Mrs. Magellan because she took us right there. It was a smallish event with mostly craft booths. Barbara and I were on the porch and good friend and mystery writer Sue McG...

I've done a lot of book festivals and fests and you never know how they will turn out. Sometimes the people who come are not the least bit interested in buying books. Sometimes the organizers haven't taken important details into account. Sometimes the event it outside and the weather discourages visitors. Sometimes the venue is far too small for the number of authors. And sometimes everything is perfect! Such was the Hanford Book Fest. Fantastic for a first time event. It was inside, the room was large, though not many people came but more than I expected, they seemed to be interested in the books and purchased some. Sunny Frazier (who spear-headed the whole thing) and the Hanford Libary and the woman who is in charge of the Veteran's Center and the vets who volunteered and helped out in so many ways are all to be commended. And what a variety of authors and books! It was fun just to walk around and look at the books and talk to the authors. Though I wasn't happy about ...