Mesdames of Mayhem

Authors, teachers, business-women, and so much more…

Our own Joan O’Callaghan presents a series of interviews with each of our Mesdames.

Melodie Campbell got her start writing comedy (stand-up and columns.) She was invited into the Toronto Press Club in 1994. In 1999, she opened the Canadian Humour Conference. She has over 200 publications including 100 comedy credits, 40 short stories and 4 novels. Her fifth novel, a mob caper entitled The Goddaughter’s Revenge (Orca Books), has been nominated for the prestigious Arthur Award for Best Novella. She has won 10 awards for fiction, and was a finalist for both the 2012 Derringer and Arthur Ellis Awards.

Joan O’Callaghan interviews author Melodie Campbell:

JO What have you written?

MC The award-winning comic crime Goddaughter series (The Goddaughter, The Goddaughter’s Revenge, The Artful Goddaughter).

The best-selling Rowena Time Travel series (Rowena Through the Wall, Rowena and the Dark Lord, Rowena and the Viking Warlord).

A Purse to Die For (with Cynthia St-Pierre).

40 short stories (ten awards for short fiction) and 100 comedy credits.

JO When did you start writing ?

MC At the age of 4. My parents called it lying. That was so short-sighted of them.

JO Why write mysteries?

MC I love the twist at the end. I love to surprise and delight readers. There is nothing more luscious than a well-crafted crime novel where you don’t see the ending coming.

JO Why do you think people like to read mysteries ?

MC Again, it’s an intelligent ‘read.’ Mysteries are well-plotted. Something ‘happens’ in a mystery, and there is a resolution at the end. Usually, it’s a resolution that includes justice. That doesn’t always happen in real life.

JO Is there a favorite place you like to write or a ritual you go through when writing ?

MC Sitting at the rickety desk in front of the pretty arched window, with Frankenpoodle reclining on the chaise beside me. Peace and comfort, with odour of dog.

JO How do you balance writing with the demands of a day job and/or family ?

MC I don’t. I am completely unbalanced. I fall over regularly.

JO What awards or other forms of recognition have you received for your writing ?

MC The Toronto Sun billed me as Canada’s “Queen of Comedy” (Jan. 5 2014.)
I’ve won ten awards for my short fiction. Most recently, The Goddaughter’s Revenge won the 2014 Derringer (US). The same book has been shortlisted for The Arthur in Canada. Cross fingers…

JO What are you working on now?

MC The Goddaughter Affair. Yes, Gina and Nico are off on another clandestine caper in The Hammer! This time, coffins and counterfeiting share the limelight.

JO As a writer, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

MC I’m paraphrasing into my own words: Writing is work, hard work. Some days it doesn’t seem like work, and those are the days we live for.

JO What do you like about being one of the Mesdames ?

MC It’s FUN! What a great bunch of clever and witty women. I love it when we get together.

JO Is there anything you’d like to add ?

MC Worst mistake? In 1993, a producer from HBO saw my play ‘Burglar for Coffee’ in Toronto, called me ‘completely nuts’, and offered me a spot writing pilots. Which I turned down. This is probably the worst mistake ever made by someone not legally insane. Who had ever heard of HBO in 1993?

By day, she is the highly proper Executive Director of Crime Writers of Canada. By night she transforms into a fevered scribe of comic crime and time travel novels. There is no truth to the rumour that she once did a somersault off the press club billiard table.

THE GODDAUGHTER (Orca Books)
“Impossible not to laugh” Library Digest

ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL (Imajin Books)
“Hot and hilarious!” Midwest Book Review

www.melodiecampbell.com
www.funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MelodieCampbellAuthor
Twitter: @melodiecampbell

Joan O’Callaghan is the author of educational books and short stories, including Sugar ‘N’ Spice in the anthology THIRTEEN (Carrick Publishing, 2013). Her short story George is available for e-readers everywhere, including Amazon Kindle.

Authors, teachers, business-women, and so much more…

Our own Joan O’Callaghan presents a series of interviews with each of our Mesdames.

Our third, Rosemary Aubert, is the author of sixteen books, among them the acclaimed Ellis Portal mystery series and her latest romantic thriller Terminal Grill. Rosemary is a two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction, winning in both the novel and short-story categories.

Joan O’Callaghan interviews author Rosemary Aubert:

JO What have you written?

RA Four books of poetry. Five romance novels. Five mystery novels (The Ellis Portal series). One novella. One historical.

JO When did you start writing ?

RA Before the age of ten.

JO Why write mysteries?

RA Because I started doing it and I can’t seem to stop. Blame it all on Nancy Drew.

JO Why do you think people like to read mysteries ?

RA Solving puzzles gives them a sense of empowerment.

JO Is there a favorite place you like to write or a ritual you go through when writing ?

RA No ritual. I always construct a very detailed outline before I begin the actual novel. I generally do a year or more research. I work in the dining room and the bedroom of our apartment.

JO How do you balance writing with the demands of a day job and/or family ?

RA I’ve done it all my life and it’s still a strain….

JO What awards or other forms of recognition have you received for your writing ?

RA Two Arthur Ellis awards. Several nominations of various sorts. The Alberta Poetry Prize. The best recognition is when a stranger hears my name, approaches me and says, “I’ve read all your books and I love them.”

JO What are you working on now?

RA A new mystery and a book of poetry.

JO As a writer, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

RA Don’t sell yourself short.

JO What do you like about being one of the Mesdames ?

RA The intelligent, enthusiastic professional camaraderie.

JO Is there anything you’d like to add ?

RA Yes. My thanks to the Mesdames for including me.

Rosemary Aubert’s latest book, Terminal Grill, is available at:
Quattro Books
Amazon.ca
and at Chapters-Indigo

Visit Rosemary at her Website for more information.

Joan O’Callaghan is the author of educational books and short stories, including Sugar ‘N’ Spice in the anthology THIRTEEN (Carrick Publishing, 2013). Her short story George is available for e-readers everywhere, including Amazon Kindle.

“Why would you ever want to write about murder?” said the horrified relative. “Why not write a nice little romance?”

Why indeed?

As I quickly added another relative to kill in my next book (you would be shocked how often that happens….) it occurred to me that there were many reasons to write about murder.

~ It’s the challenge of creating the clever puzzle. Plotting a mystery is like playing a chess game. You always have to think several moves ahead. Your reader is begging you to challenge them, and is working to beat you – meaning to guess the killer before your detective does – to the end.

~ It’s plot driven. Murder mysteries start with action – a murder. Yes, characterization is important, and particularly motivation. But murder is by nature an action, and thus something happens in the book you are writing. And quite often, it happens again and again.

~ It’s important. This is murder, after all. We’re not talking about a simple threat or theft. A lot is at stake. Murder is the final act. The worst that can happen. The end of it all.

~ It’s a place to put all your darkest fantasies. There are a few people I’ve wanted to kill in my life. They did me wrong. And while I do have a bit of a reputation for recklessness, I value my freedom more. So what I can’t do in reality, I relish doing in fiction.

~ Finally – it’s fun. This is the part I don’t say in mixed company (meaning non-writers and relatives.) I can’t explain exactly why it’s fun – you’ll have to trust me on this part. But plotting to do away with characters in highly original ways is a real power trip. I’m smiling just thinking about it.

Of course, I can understand where some of the relative angst comes from. In A PURSE TO DIE FOR, a gathering of relatives for a funeral results in the death of one or two.

In THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE, a cousin of Gina’s does her wrong. So she does him back, in a particularly crafty and oh-so-satisfying way.

It was entirely accidental, that use of relatives. Honest. I wasn’t thinking of anyone in particular.

Not much I wasn’t.

(You can follow Melodie at www.melodiecampbell.com)

Opening to THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE (Orca Books)

Okay, I admit it. I would rather be the proud possessor of a rare gemstone than a lakefront condo with parking. Yes, I know this makes me weird. Young women today are supposed to crave the security of owning their own home

But I say this. Real estate, shmeel estate. You can’t hold an address in your hand. It doesn’t flash and sparkle with the intensity of a thousand night stars, or lure you away from the straight and narrow like a siren from some Greek odyssey.

Let’s face it. Nobody has ever gone to jail for smuggling a one bedroom plus den out of the country.
However, make that a 10-carat cyan blue topaz with a past as long as your arm, and I’d do almost anything to possess it.

But don’t tell the police.

Melodie Campbell got her start writing comedy. She has nine awards for fiction, over 200 publications and was a finalist for the 2012 Derringer, and both the 2012 and 2013 Arthur Ellis awards. She is the Executive Director of Crime Writers of Canada.
THE GODDAUGHTER’S REVENGE http://tinyurl.com/kmgjgsf
THE GODDAUGHTER http://ow.ly/dnObH
A PURSE TO DIE FOR http://amzn.to/PysT2C

Authors, teachers, business-women, and so much more…

Our own Joan O’Callaghan presents a series of interviews with each of our Mesdames.

Our second, Jane Burfield, won the Bony Pete Short Story Award in 2001 for “Slow Death and Taxes”, the first short story she wrote.

Joan O’Callaghan interviews author Jane Burfield:

JO What have you written?

JB I have primarily written short stories, some of which have appeared in Blood on the Holly, Bloody Words, the Anthology and Thirteen.

JO When did you start writing ?

JB I started writing about 15 years ago, taking classes and learning the basics. I liked to read novels, the longer and juicier the better and so I was working on a novel at the time. I wrote a short story, my first, in 200I, to enter the Bony Pete contest at Bloody Words in order to cajole two writing friends to enter as well. My strategy was that one of them would win, and would be published, for in the writing world you really must be published to get published. To my absolute shock, I won. Since then, I’ve developed great respect for the short story format and the high wire balancing act it takes to craft a good story.

Writing is my fourth career. Journalism, teaching and business have all given me experience that helped to build skill and create ideas.

JO Why write mysteries?

JB Mysteries, often considered an inferior sub genre of literature, are a form of writing that gives the reader a chance to try to outwit the author. In writing mysteries, the writer must craft all the elements of ‘real’ literature and add unexpected twists on the narrative path. Not only must the author create good characters, style, setting, and plot, he must perform magic in obscuring the solution until the end. And at the end, the reader has a sense of logical progression and restored order.

I started reading mysteries with Nancy Drew and have found delight in reading the mystery genre all my life. Write what you like works for me.

JO Why do you think people like to read mysteries ?

JB See above

JO Is there a favorite place you like to write or a ritual you go through when writing ?

JB Someplace near water gets my mind working. I like to write at the cottage in the summer, and at my Florida condo in the winter. In a pinch, I find I get ideas in the shower when I am land locked.

I need a reason to write madly like a looming deadline. Otherwise, I can get lost in the planning stage of thinking, “what if ?”, or doing endless research, and take ages to get anything on paper. I like to write early in the morning when the world seems fresh and quiet and ideas flow.

JO How do you balance writing with the demands of a day job and/or family ?

JB In the last few years, job demands disappeared when I retired, and my family life became simpler. I now travel, perhaps too much, and enjoy family and friend time at home. Writing often is not a priority. I would like to change that.

JO What awards or other forms of recognition have you received for your writing ?

JB In 2001, I won the Bony Pete short story contest, and took home a delightful little articulated skeleton in his own coffin. In the next three years, I received more encouragement by placing 2nd, etc., in that contest. I’ve been published in several formats and had the fun of doing readings, and teaching creative writing.

JO What are you working on now?

JB Two short story ideas are demanding my creative attention. One may turn into a novella. I have a quarter cooked novel in my drawer which would have to be rewritten if I decide to work on it again.

JO As a writer, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

JB Don’t wait for the perfect plot or perfect time. Don’t wait to figure out every element of your story. Sit down, and write. Edit carefully later.

JO What do you like about being one of the Mesdames ?

JB I am honoured to be one of a group of amazing women who have accomplished so much in the writing world. Each member brings skills and knowledge. Writing can be lonely and filled with doubt. With the Mesdames a message or call away, I can ask for advice, and receive thoughtful critiquing and lots of encouragement. And they are fun at parties !

JO Is there anything you’d like to add ?

JB I am sad that Bloody Words will not happen after this year. We are losing too many bookstores, and mystery conferences, gathering spots for ideas and people who enjoy the same challenges and tastes. But I am heartened to be a small part of the mystery world in Canada that is blooming with great authors. Let’s see where this new age of writing and publishing takes us.

Jane’s story Triskaidekaphobia is included in the Crime anthology THIRTEEN by the Mesdames of Mayhem, and is available at quality book retailers, including at Amazon.

Joan O’Callaghan is the author of educational books and short stories, including Sugar ‘N’ Spice in the anthology THIRTEEN (Carrick Publishing, 2013). Her short story George is available for e-readers everywhere, including Amazon Kindle.

Greetings Readers!

Next Thursday, April 24th, crime writers, fans and friends will gather in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver to hear the announcement of the finalists of the 2014 Arthur awards. And the Toronto event at Indigo, Manulife Centre features no less than six of the Mesdames of Mayhem reading from their work. Mesdames Cathy Astolfo, Rosemary Aubert, M. H. Callway, Melodie Campbell, Rosemary McCracken and Joan O’Callaghan plan to steal the show!

Novellas and short stories crafted by the Mesdames are in the running. Fingers crossed for all thirteen Mesdames whose work is showcased in our inaugural anthology, Thirteen. Mme Rosemary McCracken’s chilling story, The Sweetheart Scamster, has already been recognized as a finalist in the prestigious Derringer Awards. And of course, Mme Melodie Campbell bagged the Derringer Award for Best Novella, for her hilarious caper, The Goddaughter’s Revenge.

The long list for the Arthur for Best Crime Novel is on the Crime Writers of Canada website.

Find out the names on the short-lists by following Twitter on April 24th.

THE 2014 BONY BLITHE

Another coup for the Mesdames of Mayhem: Mme Vicki Delany’s Klondike novel, Gold Web, is a finalist for this year’s Bony Blithe Award! This could prove to be the best year ever for Mme Vicki who is also this year’s Guest of Honour at Bloody Words.

The full list of short-listed novels is now up on the 2014 Bloody Words website.

Bony Blithe is a relative newcomer to the annual awards for crime fiction: this is her third birthday. She was brought into the world to recognize excellence in light crime fiction or in the words of her birth mamas: a book that makes us smile, which includes everything from laugh-out-loud to gentle humour to good old-fashioned stories with little violence or gore.

The Mesdames will be clutching their good-luck amulets and charms for Mme Vicki at when the winner is announced the Bloody Words banquet on Saturday, June 7th.

Authors, teachers, business-women, and so much more…

Our own Joan O’Callaghan presents a series of interviews with each of our Mesdames.

Our first author, Catherine Astolfo (Emily Taylor Mystery Series), is well-known in Canadian Crime writing circles. A former president of Crime Writers of Canada, retired teacher and family woman, Astolfo is no stranger to the high-energy mayhem of a writing life.

Joan O’Callaghan interviews author Catherine Astolfo:

JO: What have you written?

CA: I write anything! I have five books published, a few short stories and poems published, and I have written a television script and am working on a movie script based on one of my novels. I have this compulsion to write, even if no one reads it but my husband.

JO: When did you start writing?

CA: As soon as I could string words together and make a sentence, I started writing. I remember making up fairy tales for the kids in my class when I was seven. Even one of my former classmates from Grade Three reminded me of this! At twelve, I received my first typewriter from my grandfather, and off I went! I began to submit short stories in my twenties.

JO: Why write mysteries?

CA: I love the mystery genre because it’s so comprehensive. An author can write about injustice, tragedy, comedy, a myriad of personalities, any kind of plot or setting—it’s truly endless. There isn’t really a “formula” these days, either. So many sub-genres have popped up that it’s practically impossible to classify them all. Authors break all sort of rules when they write mystery or crime and are still very successful. There are tons of crossovers, too—we can include romance, fantasy, science fiction—and still have a solid mystery or crime at the core.

JO: Why do you think people like to read mysteries?

CA: I believe it’s a combination of our innate curiosity—that is, the desire to solve a puzzle—and the interest in evil versus good. Most mystery/crime stories result in justice being served, whereas in real life, that doesn’t always happen.

JO: Is there a favourite place you like to write or ritual you go through when writing?

CA: I have a beautiful roll-top desk that was given to me when I retired from education. That’s my favorite place to write, but I will write in the car, on a beach, with a fox in a box… As for a ritual, it’s about circling the seat, getting off the Internet, and putting those fingers to work.

JO: How do you balance writing with the demands of a day job and/or family?

CA: I stink at this. When I had a day job, I wrote very sporadically. Now that I’m retired, I still write in spurts, even after eleven years. I keep trying to make myself a schedule, but up to this point, it hasn’t worked. But it will! I will make that schedule. As soon as I’m finished doing all the other stuff.

JO: What awards or other forms of recognition have you received for your writing?

CA: I have received a Brampton Arts Award (novel), a Bony Pete (short story), and an Arthur Ellis Award (short story).

JO: What are you working on now?

CA: I’ve got three projects on the go, which I do NOT recommend for anyone. I think I’ve developed old age attention deficit. An adult novel tentatively titled Up Chit Creek is a black comedy-mystery; a young adult mystery set in the Florida everglades; and a movie script based on my fourth Emily Taylor mystery, Seventh Fire.

JO: As a writer, what is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

CA: I know that I would write, no matter whether anyone read it or not, but being a published author is a different story, as they say. The best advice I received on being the latter is to be persistent and, in that persistence, to have faith in yourself and your talent. It’s a hard thing, sometimes, to be proud and assertive, but that’s what it takes. So I fake it a lot of the time and push myself to “sell” my writing to others.

JO: What do you like about being one of the Mesdames?

CA: Mostly, I am absolutely in love with these women. They are strong, smart, talented, fun, and hard working. Being part of this group gives me confidence, networking, opportunities, and support.

JO: Is there anything you’d like to add?

CA: Writers, especially if you have a desire to share and be published, really need a group of like-minded people who can give you advice, assistance and camaraderie. Go find your group!

Catherine’s latest novel, Sweet Karoline, (Imajin Books, July 14, 2013) is available at quality book retailers, including at Amazon.

Joan O’Callaghan is the author of educational books and short stories, including Sugar ‘N’ Spice in the anthology THIRTEEN (Carrick Publishing, 2013). Her short story George is available for e-readers everywhere, including Amazon Kindle.