Flying on 9-11

It was sobering to get on a plane this morning. In both the Philadelphia airport and the Atlanta airport, televisions broadcast the anniversary remembrance of those who'd lost their lives during the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Young children intoned names; children of victims told of ten years without their loved ones. Musicians played somber music.

As I glanced at my fellow passengers, it was easy to see they were as moved as I was. Tears welled and spilled and I made no move to stop them. That day took away the innocence of so many.

On the final leg of my journey, the pilot spoke to us, reassuring us that today's flight would be routine, but his voice broke a bit too as he said, "we'll never forget."

It's true. I remember the exact moment I heard at work. We gathered in the conference room, watching, and then we were sent home for safety. At home, the TV came on again as the events replayed over and over like a nightmare onscreen.

If you'd like to share a remembrance about this day or the 2001 date, please feel free.

God bless all our heroes.

Maggie Toussaint

What's your Labor of Love?



My labor of love: books!

 by Maggie Toussaint

Today, Sept. 5 is Labor Day, a holiday celebrating the end of summer in the U.S. First celebrated on Sept.5, 1882 by the Central Labor Union in NY, it became a national holiday in 1894. Early on, this day celebrated the strength of labor unions with a parade and speeches followed by family time.

Through the years, the tradition among most Americans has changed to a day of relaxation with family and friends. The summer of 2011 has been harsh with its earthquakes, hurricanes, and heat. Frankly, I'm glad to see it go.



Art is a labor of love



Since I'm mostly self-employed, I tend to work most holidays, including today, but the topic of Labor Day caught my fancy. I stated thinking about the word "labor" and the various associations I have with it: working to pay the bills, of course; working at various chores which are a real effort; pregnancy labor; and working at something I love.

Because when you work at something you love, the hours fly by. I imagine the sense of timelessness that overcomes writers like me when we are "in the zone" is shared by other artisans and laborers. I'd love to know about your "Labor of Love."



Proceeds benefit children



Here's an example to get you started. My friend Adelle Laudan compiled a charity cookbook: Sweet Sunshine: baking sweet memories. The cookbook is meant to be shared with children as it's chock full of yummy recipes, cooking stories which feature children, and adorable childhood pictures of authors with their recollections of cooking as children. (Quick plug: available at http://tinyurl.com/3slukrz ) The cookbook benefits the Sunshine Foundation for kids in Canada.

Please post a comment about what you love to do, about your labor of love. One lucky commentor will receive a digital copy of my Bed and Breakfast Romance - Seeing Red - which was a true labor of love - twice! Be sure and leave your addy if you want to be included in the drawing! I'll post a winner by 9 pm eastern time tonight.

Maggie Toussaint

My Impressions of Killer Nashville



Dr. Bill Bass, forensic expert

Once again Clay Stafford, Beth "Jaden" Terrell, and an army of volunteers have put on a super mystery conference. Killer Nashville has tracts for writers just learning their craft, writers who need a nudge to promote their work, fans, agent & editor appointments, and an all-star lineup of forensics experts. With Robert Dugoni, Donald Bain, and Dr. Bill Bass on the program, it was a can't-lose proposition for attendees - and it delivered!

I mix-and-matched tracts, attending a bit of everything. The experts were knowledgable, the panels interesting, and the crime scene was quite a challenge. And at every turn, there were friendly faces, writers, fans, published authors, agents, editors.

I was lucky enough to be on two panels which were well-attended. I connected with old friends and made new ones. What a delight it was to put faces to so many Guppy (a Sisters In Crime chapter) names I've been seeing on various loops!



Pacing panel: Michael Salisbury (mod), AJ Scudiere, Maggie, Lynda Fitzgerald

 This was the first year I attended the banquet and I had a very good time. Deni Dietz, my editor extraordinaire, sat at my dinner table. I also met Alana White, a newly signed Five Star writer with a book coming out Dec. 2012.

And I should back up to the Mystery Trivia contest on Thursday night. Greg and Mary Bruss did an outstanding job on making the game fun and testing our knowledge. Of the three teams, I was on the red team, same as last year. And even though my contributions were slight, our team displayed excellence on the trivia field and won the night. I'm officially two for two at Mystery Trivia.



Cozy panel: Luisa Buehler, CS Challinor, Jennie Bentley (mod), Lisa Wysocky, Maggie

 My take-home message? Do more social media connecting. Consistent networking is my new goal.

Now I'm back home, trying to keep my feet walking on sunshine for a little longer, but starting to wade through the piled up mail, dirty laundry, and other necessaries of living. But I'm already looking forward to next year!

Maggie Toussaint

Pacing - the red haired stepchild



Maggie talks about pacing



Everyone knows a song has lyrics, a melody, and a beat. Books have characters, plots, and pacing, which is the beat, or rhythm of your story. In the early days of my writing journey, I thought I knew a lot about pacing, but I had no appreciation for this fine point. Pacing is the art of how you string the words together that makes the story speed up or slow down.

To harken back to the music world, a music CD has an upbeat song track, then a song with a slower tempo. Or if you're more familiar with the world of dance, a fast dance and then a slow dance. That choreography is repeated throughout the album/CD.


Ancient City Writers working on pacing





This past Saturday, I spoke at the Ancient City Writers chapter of the Florida Writers Association in St. Augustine. I used examples of good pacing from top authors, broke their technique down into usable information nuggets, and also gave instruction on how to fix the pacing in your own story.

More writers working on pacing

After that, we had fun! I like the hands-on aspect of instruction, so here's what we did. Two names were solicitied from the about 35 attendees - Amy and Max. I asked for random professions and this is what came forward: nurse, phone technician, artist, and burglar. For character traits, the group came up with this list: aggressive, shy, twitchy eye, pushing glasses up the nose, and stutterer. The setting was a PTA Open House. The room broke into small groups and worked cooperatively for about ten minutes.

Lunch at Kingfish Grill with Dianne Ell,
Judy Weber, and Nancy Quatrano;
Jack's reflection is in the glass 

We had fabulous results. Lots of blended narrative and dialogue. Fast pacing. Slow pacing. Pacing that bridged between a fast opening and a slower finish. There are lots of talented writers in St. Augustine! When my workshop was over, I chatted with several very fired-up writers. People really seemed to have a renewed respect for pacing.

Afterwards we lunched at Kingfish Grill right on the water. What a lovely spot. I loved my Mediterranean Salad with grilled shrimp. From there, I visited Vilano Beach which was right across the bridge. What a fitting finale to a great day.

Vilano Beach in July

Thanks  to group member Jack Owen who generously shared his pictures with me!

A sunny day at the beach





New Look, New Reviews, a Giveaway, and a Free Read

Ta Da! Everything is brand new around here, but I think the paint is finally dry. I simplified my blog format, have some great reviews to share, a book or two to give away, and a free read to chat up. Read on!

My latest release - the Large Print version of On The Nickel - will be available at Amazon in Large Print after July 6, but you can pre-order now if you want to be the first to get your hands on a copy. In this book Cleo has to figure out who ran over the church lady. She hopes it wasn't Mama, but there's a person-sized dent in Mama's car.

I recently received two wonderful reviews for On The Nickel:

Do you like cozy mysteries with a Southern flair, a little bit of sexiness, and a lot of fun in-between the murder and mayhem? Then On the Nickel might be the satisfying read you've been waiting for. The novel stars Cleopatra Jones, an accountant, a struggling nine-hole golfer, mother of two teenage girls, and daughter to a mother who often needs corralling more than the young girls in the household. Throw in a mighty sexy golf pro and a pregnant Saint Bernard, and you have an entertaining read in itself.

To make the story even more interesting, a murder occurs in the church parking lot where Cleo's mother often meets with the Ladies Outreach Committee. And Mama's car has an unexplained dent in the fender.

On the Nickel is the second in the Cleopatra Jones Mysteries. The first is In for a Penny, which will entertain you as much as the second. Maggie Toussaint should know how to write "Southern"—she IS Southern to the core. I recommend both novels. -- Celia Yeary-Reviewer

THANKS CELIA YEARY!

 
Witty and suspenseful. All Cleopatra Jones wants is to raise her two teen-aged daughters, improve her golf game and advance her relationship with handsome golf pro, Rafe Golden. She has no desire to get drug into the center of another homicide investigation. (see In for a Penny).
But when Erica Hodges is killed by a hit and run driver in the Trinity Episcopal Church parking lot, and Cleo's own mother is the prime suspect, Cleo has no choice.
On the Nickel is a fun read with enough humor and intrigue to keep you turning the pages while Cleopatra tries to thwart the advances of her ex-husband, Charlie; encourage advances from Rafe and clear her mother's name, all while raising two teen-aged daughters and caring for a pregnant St Bernard.
A good curl-up-on-the-couch mystery. -- Ruthann Heidgerken, Amazon reviewer

THANKS RUTHANN HEIDGERKEN!

Previously, On The Nickel was reviewed by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, Harriet Klausner, The Reading Reviewer, and Mysterious Reviews. My web guy is in the process of getting all the reviews posted to my site, http://www.maggietoussaint.com/
 
In honor of the large print release, I created a free read with my Cleopatra Jones characters. Basically, Cleo and Rafe spend a weekend at the beach. Sand Dollar Secrets has a little romance, a little bit of coastal Georgia, and a little mystery to solve. This short story will also be up at my site soon, but it's already posted here. Where, you ask? Go back to the top of the page and just before the first post are two tabs - "home" and "sand dollar secrets" - all you have to do is click on the words and you'll see my short story. I hope you love it!
 
Lastly, I'm running a week long comment fest. Stop by and leave a comment (and make sure I know how to get in touch with you!). For every 20 comments that aren't mine, I'll give away a copy of your choice of my titles.
 
So dive on in, leave a comment, and check back here next Sunday when I'll announce the winners!
 
Beat the heat - with a fun summer read!!!
 
Maggie Toussaint

Fun at Malice Domestic



Maggie Toussaint at Malice Domestic!

Gracious sakes! What an adventure I had at Malice Domestic. I roomed with fellow Five Star author Barbara Graham from Cody, WY, and we had the best time together. Both of us are brand new grandmothers, both have been married for about the same number of years, both have two grown kids, and both have two mysteries out now from Five Star. We had an unending supply of material to talk about!

The night before the conference we went walking about Bethesda with Barbara's best friend's daughter, who took us to a Mussel Bar for dinner. We were part of an urban scene - go figure! All I was missing were tall boots, a size 4 waist, and long hair. Well and maybe a year eraser so that I was a twenty-something again. We laughed and talked and greatly enjoyed the ambiance.

Let's see - the conference! Malice Domestic is a fan conference for mystery readers. Seemed like there was upwards of 300 people there, swelling to 400-ish with spouses etc for the Saturday night banquet. I met so many people and the names and faces are already a  colorful blur. Mostly I remember everyone being so very keen about mysteries, which is a huge ego boost to every author there.

Malice Go Round is a great event. There were 20 tables of fans waiting anxiously to hear about our new books. Two authors had 4 minutes total at each table to pitch their work and give a handout of some type, and then they moved on to the next table. The room was a-buzz with such excited chatter. Photographers roamed and would snap your picture at the craziest times. My pitch varied wildly, and I think at one point I forgot my name! But my touring buddy, author JL Wilson, kept me on track. One time she even reminded me that the car was the murder weapon in On The Nickel. Talk about losing it! My only regret is that I forgot to take my camera to Malice Go Round and didn't snap a pic of me with JL. Next year, JL, if you'll have me for a touring buddy.

New authors I met that I have photos of include Michael Mallory and Amanda Flower, both Five Star authors. I also have pictures of Barbara and myself with Peggy Ehrhart, another Five Star author I met in Maine several years ago. Other authors I met included Leslie Wheeler (a Five Star author!) and Nancy Means Wright who co-hosted the banquet table where I sat on Saturday night. I ate dinner with Beth Groundwater and several fans one night. Deborah Sharp was there with her "Mama" wedding veil. She graciously supported me by coming to my panel - thanks Deborah! I met other authors and fans, but I admit to being so starstruck that most of the names and faces blew in one ear and out the other.

Sue Grafton was there. (I ate dinner in the same room as Sue Grafton. Imagine that!) And I saw many of my friends from the Mid-Atlantic MWA. It was a joy to see Verna Suit again, along with Donna Andrews, Marcia Talley, and Trish Carrico. I met Avery Ames, a fellow Guppy who won first place with her novel - cool! She was so gracious, friendly, and fun. There were tons on SINC members there, and so many Guppies, I can't begin to name them all. Thank goodness I remembered my Guppy name tag. It was like I was in a secret club or something.

I had a blast on my Malice panel with Kaye George, Kris Neri, Kay Finch, and moderator Joan Boswell. We had quite the time in a dimly lit room at 8:45 in the morning. Hotel staff slunk in like the Pink Panther bearing floor lamps, making me silly with laughter. Everyone soldiered on as if nothing was happening, but I couldn't help commenting on it as we spoke about murder staying all in the family. Afterwards, people lined up for me to sign my books. What fun!

Roommate Barbara Graham and I took a jaunt on the Metro down to DC. Peggy Ehrhart caught the same train and went elsewhere in DC, but it was nice that our paths crossed so randomly! I admitted to being hopeless with maps and directions, so intrepid Barbara set us out on a course to see the Post Office Museum. Both of us had been to numerous Smithsonians, so this was quite a lark. We ended up a bit far from the Museum, metro-stop wise, so we spent the afternoon strolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, talking and gawking. We phoned Wyoming for directions and soon were on the right track. Eventually, we found the museum and we were impressed with the number of exhibits. Everything from wagons and planes and trains to mail bags and Pony Express riders and stamps galore. Lots of history in that place. Then it was back to the Metro to Bethesda, where I met a New Orleans gal attending Howard University, and Barbara met a young man from Wyoming who she tried to matchmake with her best friend's daughter, also living in DC.

More pics below. I'm getting my sea legs back under me today, then its off to Killer Nashville in August!

  

Five Star trio! Maggie, Michael Mallory, & Barbara Graham



Five Star and Guppy quartet! from left Peggy Ehrhart, Amanda Flower, Barbara Graham, and Maggie Toussaint












The Post Office Museum in DC



Maggie at the Post Office Museum
















Malice is already on my calendar for next year - see you there!

Maggie Toussaint
http://www.maggietoussaint.com/

Money Money Money



Maggie's office - with Madonna's new puppies!

  

  Greed is one of the biggies, one of the “Thou Shalt Nots,” but human nature continues to err on the side of “I want more.”

Not so good if you desire peace on earth, but great news if you’re a mystery writer like me. Using people’s foibles is a time-honored means of moving a story along.

My Cleopatra Jones mystery series is based on a small town amateur sleuth who has expertise in accounting. Her insider knowledge comes in handy when she’s on a case.

In my brand new book in the series, On the Nickel, Cleo is propelled into action when Mama’s nemesis, the church lady from hell, is found dead by hit and run – and Mama’s Olds has a person-sized dent in the front.

Tension between the two seniors had been rising of late, and the church lady had even filed a police report citing Mama with terroristic threats. Cleo is in a bind. She knows that when people get cornered, they strike out and do terrible things. The church lady had cornered Mama, that’s for sure, but had Mama lashed out?

Cleo needs to know. The clock is ticking because the police are closing in on Mama. The only thing Cleo knows is that Mama is lying to her.

While Cleo digs around in the church lady’s life, she finds financial discrepancies. Money is a problem – the church lady is flat broke. The more Cleo digs, the more the noose tightens around Mama’s neck. Can she save her mother from the slammer?

Here’s a snip from the story:

The events of the day returned in a rush as I locked my car. I ticked them off on my fingers.

One, there had been a vehicular accident at the church. Two, Erica Hodges was dead. Three, Mama had a history of run-ins with Erica Hodges. Four, on Monday I listened to Mama and Erica Hodges exchange insults in public. Five, Mama’s whereabouts today were a mystery and her over-the-top behavior even more of a mystery.

I don’t know what made me look at her Oldsmobile. Honestly, I don’t know why I looked at all. But I did. And then I wished I’d gone straight inside the house and minded my own business.

The motion-detector light on the corner of the house had activated when I pulled into the driveway. The parking pad was now brightly illuminated.

I touched the jagged safety glass of Mama’s shattered headlight cover. A suffocating sensation tightened my throat at the large indentation in her not-so-shiny bumper. The hood of her car mounded in the middle, pushed back from the leading edge. This car had hit something.

Or someone.

Dread charged through my veins, taking my breath away. Fear clawed at my heart, dragging me down to a place where I didn’t want to go. Dazed and bewildered, I staggered over to my Volvo for support. The hood warmed my cold fingers.

This was very, very bad.

Unthinkable.

The pieces of the puzzle resolved in my head. With each connected piece, the picture became clearer. Mama and Erica. Rivals and combatants. Mama alive. Erica dead. Mama’s car damaged. Erica dead.

Even to a rank amateur like me, the evidence pointed to a devastating conclusion. I shook my head in disbelief. This was Mama I was talking about. She was stubborn, opinionated, and bossy, and those were her finer qualities.

Stars twinkled in the night sky overhead. Crickets chirped in the darkness. A light went on in my next-door neighbor’s kitchen. A diesel pickup truck rumbled past on Main Street. And I stood beside my mother’s damaged car in my driveway.

Ordinary things. Trivial things

But my life wasn’t ordinary or trivial any longer.

A cold-blooded killer lived under my roof.

--

Maggie Toussaint

On The Nickel

Five Star / Cengage ISBN 9781594149542

Available for order at Amazon, $25.95

www.maggietoussaint.com http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/

Maggie Toussaint is a native Georgian who had a nearly 30-year sojourn in Maryland. While there, she tried her hand at golf and spent many hours chasing white balls in the woods. That experience imprinted on her vivid imagination and had her thinking, what if there was a dead body out here? That idea led to the first Cleopatra Jones book, In For A Penny. On The Nickel is off to a great start with reviews by Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly. Maggie also writes romantic suspense, with four books out now. Check www.maggietoussaint.com for excerpts, reviews, stunning covers, and buy links for each title.

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