The Little Blog of Murder - Confessions of Five Ohio Mystery Authors

Something New

Well, I just got the kids on the bus, so I can get back into the swing of things. I’ve taken the past week and a half off from writing to be with family, clean up the house, celebrate Christmas in many ways, and read a few books. The only writing thing I’ve done – for the most part – is to get the final version of my last Stella book approved. And all I can say to that is HALLELUJAH. (No need to stand, I didn’t set that to Handel)

This year I’m starting out by doing something a little different. My editor has given me a short Leave of Absence to work on some non-mystery books I’ve been itching to write. I have a new mystery series okayed with her, and will get back to it soon, but for a little while I’m going to focus on two other projects. One is women’s fiction and one is juvenile fantasy. I’ve actually gotten pretty far on the kids’ one, and I have to admit – it’s tons of FUN.

This varying of genres is not unprecedented. Our own Casey Daniels wrote a women’s fiction book last year in the midst of all of her mystery writing. And Rick Riordan, the author of the Tres Navarre mystery series, has written some really fabulous kids’ fiction. If you aren’t sure you’d like that kind of thing check out his books first. Very well-written, interesting, and touching, with lots of humor.

Besides the writing change, I’ve also been reading some different kinds of things. Juvenile fiction, mostly. Some of my favorites from over the holidays, besides Riordan’s books, included Dyana Wynne Jones’s Chrestomanci Chronicles, the first in Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series (a series about a fourteen-year old spy), and Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart, translated from the German. I’m also in the middle of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander – an adult book, but I’m not sure exactly how to categorize it – fiction, fantasy, adventure, romance…it’s got it all.

So while I love mysteries, and will never abandon them completely, I needed a little something new to start off the year. Anybody else have a change they’re willing to share?

Happy New Year to all.

9 Responses to “Something New”

I’ll be working for the next six months on my “literary” novel called Another Fine Night At the Zauberwald. It’ll be a hefty one when finished, up to 130,000 words perhaps. I’ve got only 30,000 done. So I’ve got a way to go. I’ll have to write the outline for the next Morgue Mama by May (before Domestic Malice) and settle in to write it sometime in mid-summer.

As you your projects, Judy, you’re going to need some pen names for all those genres. Let me be the first to suggest one: Tweetsie Bliss.

Good, no?

by C.R. on January 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Exactly what genre do you think I’m writing, C.R., with a name like that?

by Judy on January 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 am
Sounds like great fun, Judy. Good luck with both the new projects. I’d be the first to say that it’s always fun to stretch your writing wings. In addition to that women’s fiction book I wrote last year, I’ve also written historical romance, single-title contemporary romance, category romance (books like Harlequins that come out in a “line” each month), young adult horror, one childrens book and now, of course, the mysteries. Always fun to try something new.

by Casey on January 3rd, 2008 at 10:04 am
Good luck with your leave of absence. I always found a brief get away from a day to day, week to week and month to month grind brings new ideas to not only potential new directions but also to the day to day grind you step away from briefly.
Its probably a bit early to consider new pen names though….but when you do, try brain storming those possible names with trusted people. Undoubtedly the initial ones will be…..uh, considered amoung the many.
Look at Casey….she’s had a bunch of names….we burned many of those possible names from trusted people though.

Z

by Zorro on January 3rd, 2008 at 10:15 am
For your information Miss I’m-Related-To-Mark-Twain, Tweetsie Bliss is my mother’s maiden name.

by C.R. on January 3rd, 2008 at 10:24 am
Okay, C.R. So sorry. But tell me, is that her given name, or a nickname? Just curious about if she has any siblings and what they’re names are!

by Judy on January 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Seriously, I dated a stripper when I was on the road named Blaze Bliss. Her sister was Tweetsie. Or maybe that’s not so serious. I can’t remember anymore. I don’t remember much when I was single. Or even if I ever was.
DB

by Don on January 3rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Tweetsie was not my mother’s name. But I do have a cousin whose nickname is Tweetsie. Her sister’s nickname is Boostsie. No kidding. Furthermore, my father’s name was Clyde and my mother’s name is Edna. As you know, my uncle’s name was Corwin. My paternal grandparents were Ruby and Rudolph Levandoski, and my maternal grandparents were Beena and Bruno Wildenheim. When my father was in show biz (a jug band called the Harmony Heavers) his stage name was Gabriel P.S. Garbovich.

What C.R. stands for is frankly nobody’s business.

by C.R. on January 3rd, 2008 at 6:56 pm
judy,when is it that the blogger looses control of her blog? Is there that moment when you say…”uh?”

by Don on January 3rd, 2008 at 9:09 pm

Something New

9 Responses to “Something New”

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