Learn how to write dialogue with the author of A Clean Canvas and enter the #comp to WIN a signed copy! .@ElizabethEMundy .@rararesources #crime #mystery #fiction

HOW TO WRITE DIALOGUE

 by

Elizabeth Mundy

My top tip for dialogue to avoid characters directly answering each other. Everyone has their own agenda for what they want to get out of the conversation and their speech will reflect that. It also makes for a lot of conflict - it’s pretty annoying when you ask a question and don’t get a straight answer.

Here’s an example of it in my dialogue in A CLEAN CANVAS. Lena Szarka is my heroine, a Hungarian cleaner who turns detective. Pietro is the gallery owner – later that night his most valuable painting will be stolen and suspicion will turn to Lena.

…

Lena began to dust a hedgehog crafted from rusty nails. ‘“Tormented Illusions” is a victory!’ declared Pietro, standing behind her. ‘It is our best exhibition for years.’

It took a moment for Lena to realise Pietro wasn’t speaking to her. Instead he was orating to an imaginary crowd, likely practising for the reception this evening.

‘Today you will sell this animal, maybe?’ she suggested, hopefully.

‘Putting together an exhibition is like painting a masterpiece,’ Pietro continued, full of rapture. ‘Each painting is a brush stroke. They must all be different, but each must work with its neighbour to create a beautiful whole, a “Tormented Illusion”.’

Lena wished that she could clean the tetanus-trap hedgehog in peace. She had been delighted when she’d landed this client for her new agency, Lena’s Cleaners, but the combination of the delicate and dangerous sculptures, the terrifying price tags and Pietro’s constant orating was starting to make her wish she’d upped her rates.

‘This will be the exhibition that will see A Study in Purple find its place in the heart of a discerning buyer,’ said Pietro, gesturing to the fiercely priced painting that dominated the right-hand wall. ‘And we are lucky enough to have the immensely talented artist, Trudy Weincamp, here this evening to tell you how she came to paint this delight. This whole exhibition has been built around her work of genius.’ Pietro paused, and looked to the painting. ‘Her larger pieces dominate a room in the MOMA,’ he continued. ‘But we have A Study in Purple right here in Islington. Her work is iconic. How often can you buy an icon for £84,000?’

Lena still couldn’t believe something that didn’t have three bedrooms and an acre of land could cost that kind of money.

My Lena Szarka mystery series always throws up some special problems for dialogue. Lena doesn’t speak great English and feels very self-conscious about this, especially as she’s cleaning well-educated, rich people’s homes.

I wanted to reflect her speech patterns as a non-native speaker, but was keen for the dialogue to still be easy to understand and flow. And I never wanted her to sound stupid – she’s not.

So I went on a research trip to Hungary and listened to how the Hungarians spoke. Hungarian has fewer propositions so I used this as a tool when Lena spoke. I also decided to make her never contract her words – she will always say ‘did not’ rather than ‘didn’t’. This makes her speech sound awkward, but is still understandable and literate. Occasionally I include a Hungarian word for colour, but make sure that the meaning is clear from the context – I don’t’ want to limit my readership to Hungarians!

Here’s an example from the first book in the series, IN STRANGERS’ HOUSES. In this scene, Lena is cleaning with her fellow Hungarian Timea as they practice their English. Timea’s English is much worse than Lena’s, but she goes missing before this can get too annoying!

‘This man is cheating,’ said Lena.

Timea looked up from the petals she was sweeping. ‘Why you think he is cheat?’ she said.

‘Flowers mean guilty conscience,’ said Lena.

Timea bent down to the flower petals and gave them a deep sniff. ‘These are lovely. Beautiful roses.’

‘Roses are for funerals. Like chrysanthemums.’

‘Not in this country,’ said Timea. ‘But I like more daisies. Daisies remind me of fields back home. I miss the fields.’ She paused for a moment. ‘Maybe these are not guilt flowers, maybe they are love flowers?’

‘Képtelenség,’ humphed Lena. ‘Nonsense. There are empty Calvin Klein underwear boxes in the bin. I fished them out for recycling. Purple. Men do not buy new purple underwear for themselves to impress their wives.’

‘Perhaps wife buys them for him as present,’ said Timea. ‘Because she was pleased with flowers.’

Lena laughed. ‘I wish everyone was as sweet as you,’ she said, ruffling her friend’s hair. ‘You should live on the flying palace – where children come from apples, and flowers are not just from men who cannot keep their fasz in their trousers.’

For me, dialogue is my very favourite part of writing. I think it’s because I was lucky enough to have a mother who taught an MA in screen writing and so I’ve been brought up on it. When writing for the screen you don’t have the luxury of long descriptive passages or flowery metaphors – everything needs to be done through dialogue.

Introducing…

A Clean Canvas

by

Elizabeth Mundy

 Crime always leaves a stain…

Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner, dusts off her detective skills when a masterpiece is stolen from a gallery she cleans with her cousin Sarika.  When Sarika goes missing too, accusations start to fly.

Convinced her cousin is innocent, Lena sweeps her way through the secrets of the London art scene. But with the evidence against Sarika mounting and the police on her trail, Lena needs to track down the missing painting if she is to clear her cousin. 

Embroiling herself in the sketchy world of thwarted talents, unpaid debts and elegant fraudsters, Lena finds that there’s more to this gallery than meets the eye.

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About the author, Elizabeth Mundy.

Elizabeth Mundy’s grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant to America who raised five children on a chicken farm in Indiana. 

An English Literature graduate from Edinburgh University, Elizabeth is a marketing director for an investment firm and lives in London with her messy husband and two young children. 

A Clean Canvas is the second book in the Lena Szarka mystery series about a Hungarian cleaner who turns detective.

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 GIVEAWAY!!!!

Giveaway to Win a Winsor & Newton pocket-sized Watercolour set and a signed copy of A Clean Canvas. UK Only

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for the fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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The follow up to the award-winning #WW2 #crime #novel by Jan Edwards has arrived!! Check out IN HER DEFENCE.

In Her Defence

by

Jan Edwards

Winner of the Arnold Bennett Book Prize

“Bunch Courtney’s hopes for a quiet market-day lunch with her sister are shattered when a Dutch refugee dies a horribly painful death before their eyes. A few days later Bunch receives a letter from her old friend Cecile saying that her father, Professor Benoir, has been murdered in an eerily similar fashion.

Two deaths by poisoning in a single week. Is this a coincidence? Bunch does not believe that any more than Chief Inspector William Wright.

Set against a backdrop of escalating war and the massed internments of 1940, the pair are drawn together in a race to prevent the murderer from striking again.”

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Indie Bound
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 Praise for Winter Downs: Bunch Courtney Investigation #1    

“This winning book felt Hardy-esque in places, with a strong sense of well-researched history.” - Lisa Blower; Author and Arnold Bennett Book Prize judge. 

“A satisfying mystery, puzzling and unpredictable with – like the times – an edgy sense of urgency and danger.”-  John Bainbridge; The Gaslight Crime Page.

“Brilliantly written characters and beautifully descriptive language.” - Kerry Parsons; Chat About Books.

Jan was born in Sussex, currently living in North Staffordshire. In addition to being a writer she is also a Reiki Master Teacher and Meditational Healer. Jan is available for interviews and appearances.

  

Other books by Jan Edwards:  Winter Downs: Bunch Courtney Investigation #1; Sussex Tales; Fables & Fabrications; Leinster Gardens and Other Subtleties;  Olive Hawthorne: Daemons of Devils End (book and script team for Dr Who DVD)  

For further information contact:

Penkhull Press at: https://thepenkhullpress.wordpress.com/

Jan’s blog page: https://janedwardsblog.wordpress.com/                        

email: jan@rowangrove.co.uk

WWBB loves a 'how-to' guest post from authors, and here Catherine Fearns discusses sequel writing... and also her amazing new book! You've gotta see this one (and win a prize!!!!)! #crime #mystery #authorgiveaway @metalmamawrites @rararesources

How To… Write A Sequel

BY

Catherine Fearns

When I was writing my first novel, Reprobation, I envisaged it as a self-contained entity. I didn’t think I’d even get a publishing deal, never mind the opportunity to write more books! But at some point, I began to imagine the characters’ journeys continuing past the end of the story. I realised that the adventure was just beginning, and I was not ready to let go of the world I had created. Consuming Fire came knocking on the door before I’d even finished writing Reprobation.

Writing a sequel is a wonderful opportunity, but it comes with a whole new set of constraints, dilemmas and technical challenges that the author doesn’t have to face with a stand-alone. This is what I have learned so far about that tricky second book:

Crime fiction is made for sequels

Crime fiction lends itself to sequels and series more than most other literary genres. In fact, I can’t even think of that many stand-alone detective thrillers or police procedurals. Detectives work case by case; an investigation follows a process, a formula, which can be repeated ad infinitum. And since the character of the detective tends to take second place to that of the plot, there’s not enough scope within one book to develop him or her fully.

…. but do it for the right reasons

Sequels are notoriously weaker than their predecessors. Think about all the disappointing Hollywood movie franchises. Don’t do it to cash in (ha, not much chance of that for an indie author!), or because you think it will be easy to churn something similar out (it won’t, it will be harder). Do it because you have a story that needs to be told.

Identify your USP, and work it

What was special about your last book? Reprobation was a crime thriller with a slight supernatural twist. the reader can take the police’s practical explanation for the crimes, or he/she can wonder whether there might have been other forces at work. I wanted to develop this idea of the unknowable, of the hidden world beyond our own, and I wanted to watch DI Darren Swift’s gradual journey towards an acceptance of the occult.

…. but change things up too

At the same time, nobody needs to read two books in a row about windswept Merseyside beaches, abandoned churches and grumpy nuns. I certainly didn’t want to write Reprobation again! Consuming Fire picks up Reprobation’s characters and themes but has a complete change of mood; from a cold gothic winter to a fiery Scouse summer. It also brings in a brand new villain and a new literary technique.

It's not just your book anymore

It’s heart-warming and hard to believe, but I actually have some loyal readers now, who are looking forward to my next book! And they will certainly have expectations. I’m terrified of disappointing them, and I do need to keep them in mind and understand what it is they liked about Reprobation.

…but you have to follow your own path

People love the characters of Helen and Mikko. I do too! But they had a lot of time to shine in Reprobation, and writing a Helen-and-Mikko follow-up love story is not what I’m about. They need a rest. It’s too easy otherwise. Darren Swift is my detective, and he is on a character arc. He needs times and pages to develop, for the reader to fall in love with him. Helen features prominently in Consuming Fire too, as she and Darren begin to form an unusual investigative team. But don’t worry, Mikko will make a big comeback in the third book!

You know what you’re doing. Or do you? Keep that beginner’s mind.

You’re a published author now, so that means you’re an expert, right? You don’t need any more help or advice, right? Wrong! You know nothing, Jon Snow. Especially about writing sequels. Keep learning, always. Keep asking questions, worship your beta readers, your editors, your experts. And check your facts. Re-read the first book over and over, because sequels risk being riddled with continuity errors, and readers SPOT these things.

... but don’t be afraid to experiment

People bought and liked your first book, so you must be doing something right. Debut authors can be understandably tentative with their style and plot, so now that you’ve established yourself, it’s time to spread your wings a little. Consuming Fire uses the technique of a ‘book within a book’ – a seventeenth century found text which I had enormous fun writing and interspersing with the main narrative. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do that first time round. And I hope people love it.

The book needs to work as a standalone too

Marketing is easier now; you’ve got a bigger social media following than you had before; you might even have an agent or publisher where you didn’t first time round. So your second book will reach a wider audience. But the problem is – some of them didn’t read your first book. They won’t know what the hell is going on! You need to view your sequel as a new story within the scope of a larger story. You need to re-introduce some facts and character traits, to situate the new reader and jog the existing reader’s memory.

...but don’t put in spoilers

The huge challenge is to make the sequel work as a standalone without being tedious or clumsy, and crucially, without putting in spoilers. Some people might read your new book and think, ‘wow, this is great, I’ll go back and read the first one!’ But not if you tell them whodunnit!

So that’s what I’ve learned about sequels. I’m currently writing book three, trying to catch up with my characters who have now taken on lives of their own. I can’t keep up with them…

INTRODUCING…

Consuming Fire

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen…

Liverpool is in the grip of an intense heatwave, and strange things are happening.

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A woman dies in an apparent case of Spontaneous Human Combustion; a truck explodes on the dock road; the charred corpses of pets litter the city; forest fires ravage the pinewoods…and there are birds everywhere, silent flocks drawing in ominously.

Detective Inspector Darren Swift thinks there are connections, and his investigation delves into the worlds of football, nightclubs and organised crime. But is he imagining things?

Dr. Helen Hope doesn’t think so. And she believes the key lies in a mysterious seventeenth-century occult book which has gone missing from Liverpool Library.

In the blistering sequel to Reprobation, DI Swift is forced to confront some inconvenient ghosts from his past, as a terrifying shadow lies over his city’s reality…

 

Catherine Fearns is from Liverpool, UK. In previous incarnations, she was a financial analyst, a cocktail pianist and a breastfeeding counsellor, but nowadays she likes to write. Her first novel, Reprobation, was published by Crooked Cat Books in October 2018 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller in several categories. The follow-up, Consuming Fire, is currently on pre-order and will be available in early 2019.

Catherine writes for music website Pure Grain Audio, and her music journalism has also appeared in Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction pieces have been published in Here Comes Everyone, Toasted Cheese, Offshoots & Metal Music Studies. She holds a degree in History from Oxford University, a Masters from the London School of Economics, and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.

When Catherine is not writing, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band, mainly to annoy her four children.

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Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Consuming Fire, Consuming Fire stationery, and a cuddly peacock! (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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For those who like a bit of murder! @alisonoleary81is offering an extract to whet your appetite and I must admit this sounds FAB! #murder #mystery #suspense #catlovers @rararesources

Street Cat Blues

by

Alison O'Leary

After spending several months banged up in Sunny Banks rescue centre, Aubrey, a large tabby cat, has finally found his forever home with Molly and Jeremy Goodman and life is looking good.

However, all that changes when a serial killer begins to target elderly victims in the neighbourhood. Aubrey wasn’t particularly upset by the death of some of the previous victims, including Miss Jenkins whom Aubrey recalls as a vinegar-lipped bitch of an old woman who enjoyed throwing stones at cats, but Mr Telling was different. Mr Telling was a mate…

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And to whet your appetite, an excerpt...

This extract is taken from Chapter 24. The twins, Rupert and Roger, are in the throes of a turf war with another group of cats and have arranged a night-time scrap to settle matters. All the neighbourhood cats are required to join in, whether they want to or not.

   Aubrey dropped noiselessly to the ground and ran quickly towards the car park. Where was everybody? He could have sworn that he’d heard them a couple of seconds ago but the car park appeared to be completely empty. Suddenly he caught sight of a small white flash at the top of the fire escape and looked upwards. They were already up there, he could see them now. They were streaming up the fire escape and marching along the ledge round the side of the building and then disappearing into the darkness.
   He watched for a moment and then sped silently across the tarmac and began to climb the fire escape. He reached the top and paused on the small ironwork platform, staring out into the darkness before slipping quickly along the ledge towards the flat roof. Reaching the corner of the ledge he leaned slightly backwards and gathered himself up. In one graceful bound he leapt to the flat roof opposite and landed among a carpet of cats, each one poised ready to spring as soon as the word was given.
   “Got here all right then, Aubs?”
   Vincent’s green eyes gleamed out from the darkness. Next to him Aubrey could see Moses, his little face looking worried but resolute.
   “To tell the truth, Vin, I’m not sure that this is such a great idea ...”

Before he could continue, the sibilant hiss of Lupin reverberated across the roof top. The battle was on.

In her own words, about the author Alison O'Leary

'I was born in London and spent my teenaged years in Hertfordshire where I spent large amounts of time reading Agatha Christie novels and avoiding school. Failing to gain any qualifications in Science whatsoever, the dream of being a forensic scientist crashed and burned when a careers teacher suggested that I might like to work in a shop. Later studying Law, I decided to teach rather than go into practice and have spent many years working as a college lecturer teaching mainly Criminal Law to adults and young people.

I live on the south coast with my husband John and cat Archie. When not writing I enjoy crosswords, walking by the sea and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order.'

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If you like fast-paced thrillers, check out THE FAILSAFE QUERY. Author, Michael Jenkins, is revealing all about his main character from the book. @rararesources #political #thriller #booktour #author #givaway #win @FailsafeQuery

The Failsafe Query

The Failsafe Query is a gripping thriller set in the contemporary world of modern British espionage.

Amazon UK | Amazon.com

Sean Richardson, a disgraced former intelligence agent, is tasked to lead a team to search for Alfie Chapman, an Intelligence officer on the cusp of exposing thousands of secrets to the media. This includes a long lost list of Russian moles embedded since the Cold War, one of whom remains a public favourite in the British parliamentary system.

The action moves with absorbing pace and intrigue across Central Asia and Europe as the puzzle begins to unfold through a deep hidden legacy.

Tense, fast paced, and insightful, The Failsafe Query twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic finale.

The theme on WWBB is all devoted to the character, and today Michael Jenkins discusses his character Sean Richardson from The Failsafe Query

The main character, Sean, is a complex individual forged from his many life experiences - his traumas, his loves, his loyalty, and his sense of duty – even if he has to kill. The complexity of his character shows his empathetic side, but equally, he is able to switch to a ruthless side to get the job done. He thinks a lot. He considers his options. His wisdom and experiences tell him ‘this is the right thing to do’ - but on occasion, his risk-taking side tells him he should bend the rules and go beyond the established boundaries to achieve his aims.

Sean grew up with a tough father, worked on building sites and frequented tough east London pubs, before being groomed for a career in military intelligence. His chosen career was successful, but as the years passed by, he found himself more and more involved in the dark arts of espionage. Sucked into the killing, the denial operations, and having a number of enemies always on his tail. Then he crashed and burned.

Sean is often conflicted, often a dreamer – having his own desires which were often in reach, only to be snatched away at the last moment. Such experiences and traumas have made him a cautious but driven man, a survivor against all the odds. Unsure of his own destiny, he knows he has left death and destruction in his way, but always feels he has done the right thing for his service to crown and country. But that loyalty is forever being tested by the duplicity he uncovers within central government and the seditious nature of many of the officers and departments he had to serve. The more he uncovers, the more he has a sense of betrayal – to himself and his nation - but how far can he continue in his chosen career he never really knows. He feels trapped. Trapped by the adrenalin, the adventure, the sense of making a difference. He is everything that real counter-terrorist and intelligence officers deal with – he is often gentle and kind, polite and understanding – but equally, he has a brutal side for those who have betrayed him, or where violence is needed to achieve the aim.

Sean is based on three individuals I had the honour to serve with – each of them had very specific characteristics and behaviours, and I blended those into Sean to make him the complex operator he is. Charismatic, gregarious, honourable, a killer, a smart operator, wise and sharp, but often conflicted with his inner turmoil and the trauma he carries – those traumas, he places in a drawer, and only allows each of those drawers to open if absolutely needed – when he is deep in thought. His way of coping is to generally keep them all closed.

Sean is a lover of risk, but also a man of culture – he loves painting and is an accomplished artist. He loves to travel and the cultures of the countries he visits. He likes solitude, but equally, he relishes the time he has with his mates whether at work or having a few beers with them.

His hidden desire is for a simple, quiet life with a loving wife and children. But circumstances collide against him time and time again. Now he is trying to find a future and a way to his dreams. His friend can see he’ll make it – somehow and someway, and they’ll always be there backing him when the chips are down, and he thinks he has failed. They see him as human. Wise, respectful, tough, full of fortitude and vigour – and above all else loyal to the people he trusts. They will follow him anywhere as their leader.

There is much more to come from Sean, and while his backstory has been partially told in the novel, there is much more to him than meets the eye, as there is with any friend you begin to learn about over time.

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 About the author Michael Jenkins

Michael Jenkins served for twenty-eight years in the British army, rising through the ranks to complete his service as a major. He served across the globe on numerous military operations as an intelligence officer within Defence Intelligence, and as an explosive ordnance disposal officer and military surveyor within the Corps of Royal Engineers. 

His experiences within the services involved extensive travel and adventure while on operations, and also on many major mountaineering and exploration expeditions that he led or was involved in.  

He was awarded the Geographic Medal by the Royal geographical society for mountain exploration and served on the screening committee of the Mount Everest Foundation charity. 

He was awarded the MBE on leaving the armed forces in 2007 for his services to counterterrorism. 

The Failsafe Query is Michael’s first novel. He has started work on his second spy thriller, The Kompromat Kill, and hopes to publish in the spring of 2019.

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Giveaway – Win 5 x PB copies of The Failsafe Query & a spy 

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*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days, then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, except the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for the fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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