Receive the print version of the MCW Newsletter! Just send your address to minnesotacrimewave@yahoo.com.
Read back issues
 Spring, 2007 - Vol. 5, Number 1
ALL POINTS BULLETIN
By William Kent Krueger
"Write of Spring"
In Minnesota, most folks anticipate the coming of spring with thoughts of warm days returning, flights of geese heading north, and irises finally poking their way up through melting snow. Not Pat Frovarp and Gary Shultz. To these two booksellers, spring means the return of a wonderful day of chaos, a day they've christened "Write of Spring."
Most Twin Cities mystery authors and readers are well aware of this annual celebration, which is held at Pat and Gary's Minneapolis mystery bookstore, Once Upon A Crime. The event always falls on the first Saturday of spring. Last year's celebration featured a personal appearance by nearly forty authors and was attended by over three hundred fans. Basically, "Write of
Spring" is a daylong open house, an opportunity for fans and authors to meet, for books to be bought and signed, and for everyone to celebrate their appreciation of the genre.
The idea of an open house was suggested several years ago by one of our favorite mystery authors, Mary Logue, who advised Pat and Gary to choose a date and go with it. According to Pat, "We picked the first Saturday of spring, just so we could give it an impossibly cute and catchy title."
Since the first "Write of Spring" in 2003, the event has grown tremendously. Planning begins early in the year, with invitations sent to authors in plenty of time to get books ordered. This year, due to the recurrence of Gary's leukemia, the process had to be streamlined a bit, but everything will be in shape for the normal mayhem of the event. "We love the chaos," says Pat. "Books flying off the shelves, and seeing everyone, authors and fans alike, having a good time... the mix of seasoned pros, debut, and small press authors all turning out at Once Upon A Crime for a single literary event."
If you've never attended, you've missed one of the spectacular events on the Twin Cities literary calendar. This year "Write of Spring" will be held on Saturday, March 24, from noon to four. The bookstore is located at 604 W. 26th Street in Minneapolis. For more information and a list of participating authors, check out the web site at onceuponacrimebooks.com.
The Crime Wave will be there. Will you?
INTERVIEW WITH LOIS GREIMAN
By Carl Brookins
![[photo]](images/lois.jpg) Lois Greiman is a winner of the LaVyrle Spenser Award and has written a number of books in other genres, including Tempting the Wolf—Finalist for RT's best Paranormal Historical; Unplugged—Finalist for RT's best Amateur Sleuth. Her mysteries include Unzipped, Unplugged and Unscrewed. (Visit loisgreiman.com for more details.)
Carl: When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
Lois: Most days I sit in front of the computer and STILL wonder if I'll ever be a real author. But I remember when I was a little girl I used to narrate my life. Such as... "she stepped into the harsh glare of the summer sun."
It took me years to figure out that while I "stepped into the harsh glare" most folks just "went outside." I guess that should have told me something.
Carl: Where did you grow up?
Lois: I grew up in North Dakota on a cattle and wheat ranch. Lots of space, lots of brothers and sisters. Lots of time to dream.
Carl: What did you read as a child?
Lois: Tolkien. I'm still a HUGE Tolkien geek. I actually cried when I saw Shadowfax (Gandaif's horse) on the big screen. Hmmm... I guess I need therapy, don't I?
Carl: Tell us about your family today.
Lois: My children have grown up. It's the saddest thing ever. They've been my best friends since the day they were born. I think I may not be a great mother, but I'm a fabulous friend. Mostly, my kids get their jollies by making fun of me. Travis, my oldest—now applying for med school—likes to throw me over his shoulder and run circles around the house yelling war cries. Come to think of it, he may be the cause for my need of therapy.
My younger son, Justin, got married to a brilliant and gorgeous vet student last summer. He's considering entering seminary or possibly the two of them will join the Peace Corps. They're determined to make the world a better place, and I have absolute faith that they will.
My daughter Tara is 17, a 4.0 student and the savviest young woman I've ever known. My husband (Scott—veterinarian) and I expect her to be queen of the known universe very soon.
Carl: What's your daily routine when you aren't touring?
Lois: I'm a morning person. If things don't get done by 4 pm it's not going to happen. I get up at six, get my daughter off to school, feed the horses (14 of them... anybody need a horse?), go running, then work from about 10-4.
Carl: How much touring do you do?
Lois: It varies drastically according to the amount of time I have between books and where my children are in their lives. In 2005 I did a coast to coast driving tour from L.A. to New York and stopped at about 200 stores. This is not something I would recommend for the faint of heart.
Carl: What's the hardest thing you've learned about being an author and what's surprised you the most?
Lois: Sometimes the muse just doesn't show up on time. Stupid muse. I'm most surprised by the amount of work—other than writing—that's involved in the book business. I could spend 24 hours a day on promotion.
Carl: Not everybody in crime fiction knows you have published in other genres. What was your motivation to move into the mystery field?
Lois: My sons left home. Being they are my best friends it was terribly traumatic for me and I decided it'd be fun to commit murder. It was safer to do it fictionally.
Carl: If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
Lois: I'd like to be a superhero... able to cook a pizza with a single glance.
Carl: Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
Lois: Don't let 'em knock you down. You just have to keep sluggin'. I dare anyone to collect more rejections than I have.
Carl: Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career?
Lois: Janet Evanovich, Julie Garwood and probably a hundred more I can't think of right now.
Carl: Where do you want your career to go?
Lois: I have a weakness for the New York Times Book List.
Carl: Do you think you'll change direction again?
Lois: I love doing what I'm doing, but I think change is necessary. I have some literary ideas floating around in my mind, but they're just percolating so far. On the flip side, I've recently written a children's picture book.
Carl: So, what's next for Lois Greiman?
Lois: A nap. It's almost 4:00.
IT'S A CRIMINAL LIFE
By Ellen Hart
Some of you probably think the writing life is a piece of cake. Up at noon, a few hours of writing, and then an afternoon G&T by the pool. Not so. This has been a calamitous last few months for the MCW. Let me tell you how it all started.
In early February, as we were finishing a gig at a local library, I walked through the rear doors sucking playfully on my very real (although used as a prop) cigar. Suddenly, I realized I'd sucked so hard that it was clogging my windpipe. Kent, who saw immediately that I was in distress, rushed up to me and gave me the Heimlich maneuver, dislodging the stogie and saving my life. But in his haste, he accidentally pointed me at a man standing a few feet away. The stogie flew out of my mouth and hit the man in the chest, whereupon he started screaming that he'd been attacked.
Well, as it turned out, there was a cop in the library. He came over, assessed the situation, and arrested Kent. Of course, Carl and I went down to the precinct, explained everything, and got Kent released. But that was just the start of our troubles.
Two days late Carl found Kent darting through the streets of downtown St. Paul wearing his Crime Wave convict suit. Carl was finally able to corner him, get him to stop long enough to talk.
"Why you wearing that silly outfit?" he asked.
"The cops are after me, man! They're going to lock me up and throw away the key. Do you realize there are no wine bars in prison? No tennis courts? No adoring fans!"
"If they send you someplace close, like Stillwater," said Carl, "I'll bet you've got plenty of fans in there."
"I blame Ellen," snarled Kent. "We should have gotten rid of her a long time ago."
"Calm down," said Carl. "We need her. She's the only one who can order off a French menu."
"Right. Forgot that."
"And she's the only one who knows the way to our hideout in Wisconsin."
"Maybe we should get rid of our Crime Wave outfits?"
"I think you're blowing this way out of proportion."
But later that day, Carl went home, shaved off his beard, dyed his hair red and began to wear nothing but Hawaiian shirts, shorts and flip flops. This, in February!
At this point, I realized it was time for me to use my superior analytical abilities and take action. I invited Carl and Kent over to my house for one of our typical meetings. Only this time, a cop was waiting in the back room to try to convince them they weren't going to be arrested. He told Carl he wasn't in any danger. As for Kent, he said he'd be fine as long as he didn't write any more of those cliffhanger endings.
I added a note of civility to the gritty proceedings by serving tea and homemade cookies.
For those libraries and bookstores that we're scheduled to visit this spring, just know that Carl has washed the red rinse out of his hair (although his wife kind of liked it) and is regrowing his beard. Kent, after standing on a ledge on the 28th floor of the Foshay Tower for a couple of tense hours, finally agreed to wear his convict outfit only for events. As for me, I'm writing up a storm and baking more cookies just in case I need to serve as "the voice of reason" again sometime soon.
So, don't think the writing life is an easy one. We dodged a bullet with that assault charge. Believe me, I will never suck on one of those stinky cigars again. Unless I'm in front of a camera. Mr. DeMille? I'm ready if you are.
LATE BREAKING NEWS!
William Kent Krueger's novel Copper River has been
nominated for this year's Minnesota Book Award in the
Popular Fiction category.
Carl Brookins' next book in his "Sean Sean" series,
The Case of the Deceiving Don,
has been purchased by Five Star Press.
Ellen Hart's novel Night Vision has just been
nominated for the Lambda Literary Award in the
Best Lesbian Mystery category.
Read back issues:
Winter, 2002 - Vol. 1, Number 1
Spring, 2002 - Vol. 1, Number 2
Fall, 2002 - Vol. 1, Number 3
Winter, 2003 - Vol. 2, Number 1
Spring, 2003 - Vol. 2, Number 2
Fall, 2003 - Vol. 2, Number 3
Spring, 2004 - Vol. 3, Number 1
Fall, 2004 - Vol. 3, Number 2
Spring, 2005 - Vol. 3, Number 3
Fall, 2005 - Vol. 3, Number 4
Spring, 2006 - Vol. 4, Number 1
Fall, 2006 - Vol. 4, Number 2 |
![[space]](images/space.gif){kind=small}
