Motown Mysteries: The Twenty-Fourth Issue

Today is March 19.

Or 3 19.

That combination of numbers is special to me. It’s taken from the cover of one of my most popular books “Why 319?”. Two years ago today I launched the first newsletter. It was intended to share a bit about my writing techniques, a work in progress, an interview with another author or a character and some music.

So it’s time to continue in that effort. To quote legendary quarterback Tom Brady, “Let’s F’ing Go!”

Writing

A friend asked me recently where I get the names for my characters. There are some authors who support a charity fundraiser by putting the opportunity to provide a character’s name up for bid at auction. It could be a victim, a criminal or a minor role, but it’s a nice way to support an organization.

I’ve always been fond of using names that may give the reader a clue as to how my various players may behave. There are times however, when I’ll stumble upon a name of an old friend or a colleague that fits perfectly with what I’ve got in mind for that character. When I use those names, it’s a form of a salute.

Sometimes I mention this in advance. Other times, I just use it and wait for their reactions when they read to book and discover it. A couple of characters have shown up in more than one book.

For example, Olivia Sholtis makes her debut in “Your Turn to Die” as a reporter with a local television station. The interactions she has with Chene work so well she returns in “The Wayward Path”. I like the character so much she’s making the transition to the fourth Jamie Richmond mystery. There really is an Olivia Sholtis. She is a friend and former colleague and while she’s not a reporter, she does share certain traits with the character.

In “The Wayward Path” I’ve also ‘borrowed’ the names for several other characters from former colleagues Larabee, Durfee and LaChance. While that could be mistaken for a law firm that’s not the case. It’s been years since we worked together, but those names just stuck in my memory and fit well with the story. Sometimes there’s a deeper reason for the names I use. Sometimes it just fits with the flow of the story.

Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a name”?

My response would be ‘that depends’.

Works in Progress

The latest (and hopefully final) round of edits has been completed on Chene number three. While I don’t have a publishing date for the new book, we do have a cover. I am pleased with the results. It sets the mood for the story.

With any luck, I’ll soon be resuming my efforts on the next Jamie Richmond book. I’ve written over 30,000 words to date and realized that my favorite redhead is going to be drawn into two cases that appear to be unrelated. Or maybe they are. It can be difficult to tell with her.

In addition to making preparations for some upcoming author events, I’ve also been busy creating the new website: authormarklove.weebly.com

News

Usually in this section I have an interview with another author or a character from one of their stories. Today it seems appropriate to share a little writing related news.

Back in 2014, I started a writer’s workshop at a local community agency where I was working. This was created on the heels of a seminar I conducted to share information about writing. Twice a month the group would meet for 90 minutes. The concept was that each participant had to bring something they were working on, up to 5 type written pages in length, that they would read to the others and get feedback. Everyone was reminded that these were rough drafts and the focus should be on the content, not punctuation or spelling. The idea was to share ideas and support each other’s work.

There was the ebb and flow of participants, as is common with such a group. I would often share segments of whatever I was writing at the time. At one point, I read my short story “Goody Two-Shoes”, which was a parody of a Sam Spade private eye tale. That begins with the notorious line “It was a dark and stormy night. No, really it was!"

The group adopted the name "Stormy Night Writer’s Society”.

Although I left the area and the group several years ago, it makes me smile to know that they continue to meet twice a month without fail. And the numbers have grown from a core group of seven to almost twenty.

Last week I got exciting news on three fronts from Jerry, who has taken the leadership reins for the group. The first is that they have been approached to read their efforts to an audience at the community center. At last count, fifteen authors will be sharing their work. That’s a fantastic opportunity.

The second part is that their short stories will soon be published in the center’s newsletter. I’m not sure if it will be a separate issue or if one story will be featured each month. More details are being worked out on that one.

The third aspect is that two members have moved away from the Mitten State and landed on the east coast of the country where they have started another chapter of the Stormy Night Writer’s Society.

Nearly eight years from its inception, the group continues to flourish. That makes me proud of their commitment to each other and their dedication.

Music

Darryl Hall and John Oates continue to pop up on the stereo lately. Perhaps the number one selling duo of all time, they began in the early 1970s and their music remains popular to this day. With a combination of rock and roll and rhythm and blues, they became known as ‘blue eyed soul’.