TWO DRIFTERS NEWSLETTER
Summer 2009
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Summer 2009
Hot enough for you? It’s been plenty hot in the Piedmont of North Carolina! Of course, we’re used to it since this is the way our summers always are. At least this year we had enough rain before it got dry and hot.
We always spend a week at Myrtle Beach in July with our family and that is always a great time for everyone. It gives us plenty of time to do research for the next Renaissance Faire book too! We’re working on DEADLY DAGGERS, the third book in the series this summer. GHASTLY GLASS (Book 2) will be out on Jim’s birthday, September 1.
We are waiting for information on the first book in our new series set in the Outer Banks, debuting May 2010. These books will be a little spooky and full of folklore from the area. Of course our protagonist is the mayor of Duck, NC who is a finder of lost things. She can see these things in her mind, which sometimes leads her to mysteries, which must be solved.
WBRO radio in Indiana has created a radio drama of an old story we wrote many years ago. It’s called The Courtship and they did a wonderful job! It should be ready soon. We’ll keep you posted!
Hope to see you soon!
Joyce and Jim
NEWS
* GHASTLY GLASS will be out Tuesday, September 1!
* Come and join us at Face Book! We’re looking forward to being your friend!
Follow us at Twitter
We blog at : http://carolinaconspiracyblog.blogspot.com/ with the Carolina Conspiracy.
If you live in Stanly or Cabarrus County and like to write, come join us at 6 pm, November 5 at the Locust Library in Locust, NC. The Stanly/Cabarrus Writer’s group meets the first Wednesday of each month.
August
August 1st ~ 10:00 ~ UHWARRIE BOOKS OPENS IN LOCUST, NC
August 8th ~ 10:00am to Noon ~ Cannon Memorial Library - Concord, NC ~ A
Carolina Conspiracy Event
August 15th ~ 4:00pm to close ~ Big Birthday Bash for Pizza and Beyond -
Midland, NC
August 22nd ~ 9:00am to 5:00pm ~ York County Summerfest - Rock Hill, SC ~ A
Carolina Conspiracy Event
August 23rd ~ 10:am to 2:00pm ~ Art in the Park, Mint Hill, NC ~ A Carolina
Conspiracy Event
September
September 1st ! Ghastly
Glass is released!
September 20th ~ 1:00pm to 4:00pm ~ Barnes and Noble Arboretum - Charlotte,
NC ~ Booksigning
September 24th ~ 6:00pm to 8:00pm ~ Stanly County History Museum -
Albemarle, NC ~ Booksigning and program
September 26th ~ 2:00 pm ~ Gaston County Library ~ Gastonia, NC ~ A Carolina
Conspiracy Event
September 27th ~ 2:00pm to 4:00pm ~ Waldenbooks Workshop Event ~ Carolina
Mall - Concord, NC ~ A Carolina Conspiracy Event
October
October 3rd ~ 10:00am to
Noon ~ Mint Hill Library - Mint Hill, NC ~ A Carolina Conspiracy Event
October 4th ~ 9:00am to 5:00pm ~ Midland Magic - Midland, NC ~ Booksigning
and program
October 25th ~ 2pm to 4 pm ~ Hickory Library Novel in a Month kickoff ~
Hickory, NC ~ A Carolina Conspiracy Event
CONTEST WINNERS
Valerie
Furr of Locust, NC has won a copy of A Corpse for Yew!
Leslie King of Keller TX has won a copy of A Corpse for Yew
Congratulations to our winners!
Stop by and drop us YOUR name. Thanks to everyone who entered!
The Carolina Conspiracy
Have you heard about the Carolina Conspiracy? We travel to libraries and other events with our friends, 25 mystery authors from North and South Carolina. That’s hundreds of years of experience writing and selling mysteries. If you have the chance, don’t miss us!
RESOURCES
WRITING TIPS
Setting can be anything, anywhere that conveys the mood, place and time of your story. A story's setting is what puts readers in the same place with the character. It gives the reader a sense of who a character is and what that character is experiencing. Creating a believable setting is vital to any fiction but especially to mystery since the story is heavily affected by the ambiance. A cozy mystery can be humorous or thoughtful. It can be scary or paranormal, loaded with ghosts and demons. It can take place in the past, in the future, or in present day. All of these details become real in your setting.
Make your setting as dynamic as possible. Don't throw in a bunch of unimportant facts that have nothing to do with the movement of your story. Use setting consciously to communicate specific information and achieve a particular effect on your audience.
Setting can help shape your story idea. Many writers start with a setting they like and advance from there. For instance, an interest in Alaska would lead to research of that state and its cultures. The atmosphere you create at the outset can be a unifying strand throughout the middle of your book and straight into the ending. The final mood you leave with your reader should stay with them after they've closed the book.
The most important things to take into consideration when creating a setting are:
Even the most exciting plot can become stale and stagnant. To keep this from happening, the cozy mystery writer incorporates elements from the world around the sleuth. Because the cozy genre is anchored in information about the sleuth’s personal life and activities, the setting becomes more important. (A surf board shop owner would be on the beach a lot. He would draw information from the people he sells to as well as his friends.)
Your setting should draw your reader in closer to the plot and the sleuth. (Why does your sleuth live where they live?) Use details from your backdrop information to help your sleuth solve the crime. Even basic information can be found in your setting. Allow your plot, sleuth and setting to work together.
That’s all for now! We hope your summer has been wonderful!
Feedback? We’d love to hear from you!
Joyce: joyce@joyceandjimlavene.com
Jim: jim@joyceandjimlavene.com