Let me tell you a story... by Cathy Ace

Plot, character, setting - how do they fit together in your work? Which do you find the most tricky (if any) and which do you have the most fun with?

Oh heck – complex question, complex answer!

For my Cait Morgan Mysteries: I tend to start with a title. Yes, I know that’s odd, but that’s how it goes for me. I am almost ready to reveal the details of the 13^th book in the series, but not quite yet…so forgive me for talking about book 12, which came out in 2022. The title of this book was THE CORPSE WITH THE TURQUOISE TOES. As soon as I had the title, I saw the titular corpse in my mind’s eye: turquoise means (to me) somewhere where turquoise originates, and I had it…of course, a cult headquarters in the Sonoran Desert, way out beyond Phoenix, Arizona. Yes, I, too, hate it when authors tell me that stories just pop into their heads, so I’ll explain my thought process, I promise. I’d been “fortunate” enough to have encountered an actual cult back in 2020, and a story had been percolating about them…and I’d once got to know a high priestess for a volcano-worshipping cult whose HQ was in Sedona…then the turquoise thing just fitted in, and I was off! Yes, EVERYTHING I encounter in life is story-fodder.

Because Cait Morgan and Bud Anderson are in every book, those characters were in place, as was the setting itself (a fictionalized cult HQ built to be a “spa retreat”) but I wanted to use the framework of a seemingly-innocent cult-like life approach I’d invented back in book 2 in the series, and there was a great character I wanted to bring back from the same book, so I fitted her in (the daughter of an ageing rock star and his ex-groupie wife, who’d also been in book 2). She was a chef ,so I had her as the person setting up the restaurant at the desert retreat…then I built from there.

The plot? Because of my behind-the-scenes experiences with the cult I’d encountered in 2020, many of the storylines (how it operated, and could exploit the weak) were threads I could weave to a more substantial yarn…and I added in an extra layer – which I always do with the Cait books: there’s always some sort of ongoing (even if subtle) reference to other works of art – in this case it was the Oz books. I used every one of the wizard’s names for characters, used emblematic nods (Cait and Bud are transported to the cult’s HQ in a ruby-red vehicle, for example) and followed it all the way through there being characters there who are akin to the lion, the scarecrow, the tin man…and then there’s the “wizard” too, of course. Great fun to write, and all woven into a plot that’s complex and a bit tricky. Is plotting a challenge? Always, but it’s great fun. Yes, I’m a plotter not a pantster, so it’s all worked out ahead of time, as well as red herrings, real clues, and the final denoument.

For the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries: a bit different, though I still start with a title. These books feature a large, and ever-growing, cast of characters…though some come, and some go, with each book. The setting always includes the stately Chellingworth Hall and its Dower House, plus the village of Anwen-by-Wye. Beyond that? Often real local places like Builth Wells, Hay-on-Wye, and Brecon are in play, and I usually have at least one of my four private investigators having to head off to “another place” to do some digging about – which might be London, or the south-west corner of bucolic Scotland, or even the rugged coastline of Wales. In the most recent book it just so happened that all four of them remained within about a thirty-mile radius of their home base…but next time…no, can’t say! I enjoy writing about all these settings because – be they real or fictional – they are real to me, and I like to visit them…and I enjoy spending time with my characters too.

For these books there are always several cases being handled by the PIs, so that’s the hardest part – scheduling all the events that happen to each individual, and making sure they link up with their colleagues in the right way, at the right time. This means I plot these books in a different way than my Cait Morgan books - which are plotted in a linear form, with me starting the plot at the beginning and writing up across a forward-moving timeline. For the WISE women, I work up each case, then weave the whole set of cases together over the timeline, making sure that every person is only in one place at a time, and knows or doesn’t know that which it is imperative they know or don’t know at the right time, too. Post-It notes – I thank you!

I suppose, in summary, I find the setting, the characters, and the main story points to be the easier parts, but spend most time on the detailed plotting to make sure I am able to weave a complex story that hangs together, has the right pace to keep readers wanting to know what happens next, and to (hopefully) deliver a satisfying conclusion.

Then all I have to do is WRITE THE BOOK – which is what I am going to get back to asap!

To be sure you get to see the cover of the 13th Cait Morgan Mystery FIRST, sign up for my newsletters at my website - on the home page: https://www.cathyace.com/

Summertime, and the reading is...a bit of everything! by Cathy Ace

Any tips for summer reading?

First of all - have you read ALL the books by our bloggers here? Why not check out our titles - we write across a range of styles and sub-genres, so I bet there's something here for you, whatever your taste.

Then, depending on where in the world you live, you might fancy reading something with a setting that can keep you cool, as opposed to what’s commonly referred to as “a quick beach read”…which, these days, could mean a large book that’s big enough to give a decent amount of shade. However, here are some reads I think are worth it at ANY time of the year:

TRADITIONAL CRIME – TRUE GOLDEN AGE:

Martin Edwards: The Rachel Savernake series (currently 4 books) Martin is not only a true afficionado of Golen Age detection fiction, but a talented author, and this series is a delight. The fourth in the series, SEPUCHRE STREET, is just out, and is my own summer read. I’d say these books stand on their own very well, but why not start with book 1, GALLOWS COURT?

HISTORICAL CRIME - SLEUTH:

Ovidia Yu writes a wonderful series set in 1930s Singapore, and I heartily recommend it to you. Yes, I think this one’s worth starting at the beginning, so THE FRANGIPANI TREE MYSTERY (Crown Colony series book 1) would be my recommendation here. My summer reading is book 6, THE MUSHROOM TREE MYSTERY.

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH CRIME – TRADITIONAL SLEUTH:

If you haven’t read the Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths…I envy you, because you have so many books to enjoy! I have been hooked since book 1, THE CROSSING PLACES, and have the “final” book in the series, THE LAST REMAINS, ready for my summer reading. Dive in wherever you can, but if you’re new to this series, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning. Elly is a talented author and she knows how to build and develop characters and relationships throughout a series, as well as delivering a satisfying closed-circle mystery within each book.

 

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH CRIME – DARK/THRILLER/POLICE:

I have fallen for the Washington Poe series by MW Craven. Each book in the series of five (so far) delivers an engrossing (and not too, too graphic) dark case for the wonderfully hermit-like DS Poe to tackle, more than ably supported by the delightful Tilly Bradshaw. Craven’s writing is stellar, his voice a delight. I cannot get enough of these books! Sadly, I have read them all, but – if you haven’t – catch up now, because book 6 is coming next year – and I bet it will be up for ALL the awards, as have all his previous titles.

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH SPY THRILLERS:

By now you MUST have heard of The Slough House books by Mick Herron. Yes? Excellent – but have you read them? You might have enjoyed the TV adaptation on Apple, but the books? Oh – Mick Herron’s ability to make me laugh is second to none…even while I'm on the edge of my seat, or horrified. This comes through in the dialogue captured in the series’ screenplays, but if you haven’t read the books you’re missing the way Herron’s descriptive text captivates and engages. Yes, I think it’s worth starting at the beginning with SLOUGH HOUSE.

 

CONTEMPORARY ACTION – INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS:

Kevin Wignall writes standalones that have sort-of common threads: a professional assassin/action-orientated operative, who’s in a bit of a pickle/on the cusp of/definitely decided to get out of the “game”. They have other common threads, too – a break-neck pace, excellent settings, compellingly written action. Truly unputdownable – dive in anywhere, and drink your fill.

 

CONTEMPORARY COP THRILLER USA:

Robert Dugoni is a prolific author, so I’ll plump for my favourite series – the Tracy Crosswhite series. Tracy is a cop in the Pacific Northwest – wonderful settings, compelling plots, pacy writing – nothing to not love here! Dive into the 10 book series anywhere, or start at the beginning (my preference, when I can). My summer reading includes book 10, ONE LAST KILL, but maybe begin at the beginning with MY SISTER’S GRAVE.

Finally, a shout out for my latest book - THE CASE OF THE UNINVITED UNDERTAKER - which was published on 24th July. If you fancy traveling to Wales this summer, but can't quite manage it, why not go in the company of the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency? 

Full details here: https://www.cathyace.com/wise-enquiries-agency-mysteries

All my own work... by Cathy Ace

Chime in with your thoughts on writers using AI. Is it okay to use it for some tasks? Where do you draw the line?

NB: No AI was used in the creation of this blog post. I will not be using it because I enjoy writing, so why steal that pleasure/terror from myself?

On a more serious note, yes, I do think conversations must be had. I think the current statement from the Authors' Guild is a good place to start. Click through here to read what they are saying: https://authorsguild.org/advocacy/artificial-intelligence/ 

This isn't going away, folks, and we can't stick our heads in the sand...because we all know where that puts our backsides. So if you're a writer, or a creator of any sort, have a bit of a think about it all now. And if you're a reader - which I'm betting we all are - then consider how you're going to have to maybe take a couple of extra steps down the line to establish the true source of the creative output you're reading/seeing/hearing...and, maybe, even sharing.

Now…onto something that really is all my own work, that I'm quite proud of:

I have a new book coming out on the 24^th of this month – so excuse me, please, while I focus on that this week! 

The Case of the Uninvited Undertaker is the 8^th book in the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries series, and it’s been a labor of love...because I adore my recurring characters in this series (and I hope that shows in the books!).

For those of you waiting for the next Cait Morgan book  - yes, it WILL be published this year, with a publication date of Monday 13^th November currently on my calendar.

All of this means that by the end of this year I will have written and published four books within twelve months – hence the slightly stressed situation here in my office. I’ve never done this before, and I have to say I will probably never do it again. However, having worked through the past dozen years to try to build a presence in the market, I owe it to my readers, and myself, to make the most of it. None of this would have been possible without the support on a daily basis that I receive from my husband (who’s doing everything to allow me to write, write, write) and my wonderful editors, who have allowed me to insert myself rather forcefully into their schedules. My thanks to them all. 

Most of all – thanks to everyone who’s pre-ordered THE CASE OF THE UNINVITED UNDERTAKER; I already know it will be the biggest release I've ever had, and that’s a huge boost to my confidence. 

I really hope you enjoy the book…and please understand one critical thing: getting four books written in a year DOES NOT MEAN I have given any of them less time than I would have done if I’d only had one book published this year. What it means is that I’ve been able to schedule the time each book is in MY hands compared with how long it’s in the hands of my editors. That’s the wonderful thing about publishing my own books – I get to set the pace, set the scheduling, and this means that the months my books used to spend in the hands of others have evaporated, so I can work much smarter these days.

Here we go then, folks – I hope you enjoy the book! You can click through to my website for ordering details; the book’s available for your Kindle, Kobo, or Nook e-reader, in paperback and in hardcover. Your local bookstore or library can order it for you – they just need the title, and the ISBN helps, and they are on my website, here: https://www.cathyace.com/wise-enquiries-agency-mysteries 

HAPPY READING!

No,no,no...yes! by Cathy Ace

Give us your writer’s manifesto.

Easy: I don’t have one. (At least, I didn’t have one until I wrote this blog post! Be sure to read to the end…)

In 1999, with Mum and Dad, when I was made a 
Freeman of the City of London, 
in recognition of my services to marketing

Why? My pre-fiction-writing background is in management and marketing, where my life was full of helping clients craft their corporate mission statements, so I now absolutely avoid anything of the sort.

Again, why? I found that most mission statements were developed to appease various stakeholders and then became an albatross (which is possibly unfair to albatrosses)…so, no, not for me.

Thus, I’m going to answer this question instead: why do I write, and what do I hope to gain and give by it? (Which is exactly what a manifesto is, but if I don’t call it that it doesn’t count, right?)

The simple truth is that I love to tell stories: throughout the non-academic part of my pre-fiction-writing life I told stories that were crafted in such a way that they, essentially, helped non marketing managers to become marketing managers; then, during the academic portion of my life I told stories to university students to help them prepare for the world of marketing and communications when they left the comforting confines of academia; now I tell stories to entertain those who enjoy a bit of murder and mystery when they’re relaxing. And…because I love to tell stories – I write stories; no longer do I write textbooks for managers or students, now I write novels for “readers like me”.

Thus, I gain the satisfaction of being able to spin a yarn to entangle then release my readers, which is the best feeling in the world…so it’s both a get and a give for me, simultaneously, and I currently apply that to two series of books.

If I were advising myself, as a client, I would suggest this:

“Cathy Ace is an author who seeks to create relatable characters and spin yarns to entangle, entertain, and satisfy readers who enjoy a puzzling murder mystery that’s thought-provoking and has depth, but not too much grit.”

Rats! I ended up with a manifesto after all.

PS: if you fancy reading a book by the author with the abovementioned manifesto, check out her website for full details of all her books: https://www.cathyace.com/ 

COMING ON 24th JULY

If at first you don't succeed... by Cathy Ace

Craft: How rough or polished are your first drafts? Do you dare show us?

What I call “my first draft” is not necessarily what others would call their first draft.

What’s mine?

Before I even sit down to type a first draft:

I have the plot sorted from start to finish, all my research is done, everyone is named and their backstories sorted. Also I have an outline, and I have notes for every chapter containing about who is where, when, what happens, why it happens, what I want the reader to know, and feel, by the end of the chapter.

My goal for the first draft:

Tell the story from beginning to end.

Approach for first draft:

Put in really long hours typing as fast as I can, working my way through the notes for each chapter, without worrying about if it will all work out (I hope to have ironed out any missteps in plotting during my outlining and chapter planning stages). In the case of my Cait Morgan Mysteries, make sure the voice, tone, and style match Cait’s, and the series so far. For my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, make sure ALL the voices, tones, and interwoven plot lines make sense.

I print out chunks of chapters as I go – often about a quarter of the book at a time, which I read and mark up for as many literals, or poor use of language/expression as I go – I enter those into the digital document then, refreshed, I push ahead again.

I always have a tight deadline, so it’s not unusual for me to not have the chance to even read through the last quarter/fifth of the book before I send it to my editor for the manuscript’s first, structural pass. Also, I will already have made my own notes along the lines of “develop X’s character in chapters y and z”, or “pick up untied end of subplot B” etc. My editor and I seem to always agree on these points…but leaving them until after the first pass (by her) allows me to keep on schedule.

That’s my first draft.

My editor tells me I that I send in “unusually clean” first drafts, with few literals. I’m pleased about that; the difference between the part of the manuscript that’s had one pass by me and the part that hasn’t shows I do tend to pick up a lot of literals/quirks and other problems along the way. But by no means all!

I went back to my second Cait Morgan Mystery “master folder” (The Corpse with the Golden Nose pub 2013) to find something useful to illustrate the input of an editor on an early part of a book, so there is context (it’s how the book opens) and no spoilers (perish the thought!).

You’ll see that the challenge around which the book revolves is introduced without any lead-up in the final version, when compared with what I sent to the publisher as my first draft. Being edited allows one to learn – and then all you have to do is absorb every learning point as you go along…LOL! I try!

How it was in my first draft:

(Note for context: each chapter in this book is titled for what Cait drinks within it…it’s set in British Columbia’s wine country, so there’s quite a variety of beverages!)

 

Champagne and orange juice

 

Bud and I had happily devoured the delicious brunch of creamy scrambled eggs draped across golden buttered toast that I’d prepared in my little kitchen, then we watched indulgently as Marty, Bud’s slightly tubby black lab, had licked our plates clean—something that saved me at least a dozen calories, I reckoned. I was just finishing off the glass of Bucks Fizz that Bud had fixed for us when he handed me the photograph.

            “What can you read in this photo, Cait?” he asked, smiling. He looks great when he smiles.

            “You know I don’t like to assess photographs, they’re unreliable sources of insight,” I snapped, possibly too sharply.

            “Well, you might not like to,” Bud spoke slowly, “but you’re good at it. You were good at it when I hired you to consult for my Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, and, even though I’m retired now, I reckon you’re still good at it. So treat this as a challenge if you must, oh dear, sweet, Caitlin,” he was grinning wickedly, a sight that always makes my heart flutter and stutter, “and tell me what you can?” He phrased it as a question, but I knew that the gauntlet lay at my feet.

            “Before I tell you anything, can I ask one question?” I used my most coquettish voice and mock-batted my lashes at him. I knew that the sarcasm wouldn’t be lost on Bud.

            “Sure,” he chuckled, “ask away.”

            “Is just one of them dead? Or both of them?” I thought I’d get right to it.

            Bud smiled. “You know me too well, Cait.” His voice warmed, and he looked pleased about something. Then his smile faded. “The taller of the two is dead.  About a year ago. The other one’s her older sister. But that’s all you get.”

            “So there’s no point my asking if it was an accident, a suicide or homicide?” I punted.

            Bud paused, refreshed our glasses and took a sip from the champagne flute that looked almost too delicate in his large hand. “I can’t tell you that, because I don’t know, Cait. That’s the truth. I can only be certain it wasn’t an accident. The whole local community, the cops, and the coroner’s inquest say suicide. The sister says murder. I have no idea. But there was a note, and the sister says the cops won’t look into it as there are no grounds to suspect that anyone else was involved.”

            Ah—so that was it. Bud had found a damsel in distress and he wanted to help her. Immediately I wondered why he felt he owed this unknown woman anything, then I mentally kicked myself for allowing a pang of jealousy to clutch at my satisfyingly full tummy. I swallowed deeply from my glass, and decided to play nice.

How it was published:

(NOTE: this is taken from the galley pdf, so the layout’s a bit iffy -sorry!)

 

Champagne and Orange Juice

 

Bud slapped the photograph onto the table in front of me as though it

were a gauntlet.

“This photo showed up in my email a few days ago. From someone

I . . . know. What do you read in it, Cait?” He looked grim.

I held the photo at arm’s length and squinted at the blurry image.

I could make out two women, both with dark, curly hair. They were

smiling.

I felt my multi-purpose right eyebrow shoot up as I asked, “Is just

one of them dead, or both of them?”

“How’d you guess?” Bud asked, grinning.

“Oh, let me see, now . . . maybe it’s something to do with me being

a criminologist who specializes in victim profiling and you being an

ex-homicide detective. And the hope, on my part, that you’re unlikely

to show me a photo of a woman, especially two women, in whom you

have anything other than a professional interest. Those facts, when

taken together with my amazing powers of deduction, have helped me

reach the conclusion that I’m looking at either one or two victims, or,

if not victims, then at least people who are now dead.” I hurled a bright

smile toward Bud and waited for him to tell me off for my cheekiness.

Bud shrugged. “You know me too well, Cait.” His voice warmed,

and he looked pleased about something. Then his smile faded. “The

taller of the two died about a year ago. The other one’s her older sister.

But that’s all you get.”

“So there’s no point my asking if it was an accident, a suicide, or a

homicide?” I asked.

Bud paused, refreshed our glasses, and took a sip from the champagne

flute that looked almost too delicate in his large hand. “I can’t

tell you that, because I don’t know, Cait, I can only be certain it wasn’t

an accident. The whole local community, the cops, and the coroner,

all say suicide. The sister says no way. I have no idea. There was a note,

and the sister says the cops won’t look into it any further as there are

no grounds to suspect anyone else was involved.”

Ah—so that was it. Bud had found a damsel in distress and he

wanted to help her. Immediately, I wondered why he felt he owed this

unknown woman anything. I mentally kicked myself for allowing a

pang of jealousy to clutch at my satisfyingly full tummy. I swallowed

deeply from my glass, and decided to play nice.

If you want to find out how all the final versions of all my books ended up – you just have to read them! Links at my website: https://www.cathyace.com/

 THE 8^TH WISE ENQUIRIES Agency Mystery will be published on 24^th July. Click through for more information, and purchase links: https://www.cathyace.com/wise-enquiries-agency-mysteries

And now that it's all over... by Cathy Ace

What advice would you have for emerging writers about writing satisfying endings? Pitfalls? Things to avoid? Tips?

The first thing I want to say here is that the ending of any book needs to be appropriate for the type of book in question; we, as authors, need to understand the expectations of readers.

For example, a thriller needs to have a thrilling ending…so no standing about with cups of tea or cocktails for an explanatory denouement because that’s NOT what the reader expects, nor wants. On the other hand, if the reader’s enjoyed the ride with the characters the author has created, they might also take delight in finding out what’s happened to those characters a few months down the road, rather than the thriller just “stopping” after the high-stakes final chapter’s been read. I find this a wonderful role for an Epilogue; indeed, thrillers that just “stop” drive me nuts, and leave me feeling “Is that it!?” when the author’s written an entire book aimed at making me feel “What happens next?”.  

I write both traditional and cozy books, and they need different types of endings.

I know for a fact that readers who take a journey with me through my “Golden-Age-shaped” Cait Morgan Mysteries expect a denouement scene, and for there to be comeuppances for the unmasked killer/s…so I make sure I give them that by allowing Cait to explain her solution to a gathering of all the main characters – swiftly followed by the intervention of either those who uphold the law in the part of the world where she finds herself, or by the intervention of some form of “natural justice”, as appropriate. The Cait Morgan books are traditional puzzle-plot books, so it’s absolutely critical to tie up all the clues and Red Herrings, as well as truly close the case, allowing order to be restored to the fictional world I’ve created. However, I also need the ongoing relationship arc between Cait and her (now) husband Bud to have developed somewhat; though that’s not the main goal of these books, it’s important to readers to continue to understand how a strong woman and a strong man can, and do, manage to maintain a harmonious relationship where each is able to rely upon, and help, the other.

On the other hand, my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries feature several cases in each book, all of which need solutions to be unearthed by my four private investigators, but where the comeuppances often have to be enacted by the local police…an outcome which the PIs sometimes have to allow to unfold over “future times”. That said, I try to leave the reader in doubt about what those consequences will be, usually by allowing my final wrap-up chapter take place some little time after the final “action” in the penultimate chapter. Also, since these are character-based books, where the reader gets to know (and hopefully feel connections with) a recurring cast throughout all the books, I also need to take the stories of the lives of those characters forward, and allow resolution to any challenges I’ve thrown at them during my storytelling or, maybe, chuck a new challenge into the frame to encourage readers to want to know what will happen to that person in the next book.

A book with an ending that’s not appropriate to the type of book in question is doing a disservice to the reader, so writers really need to understand what those expectations are by getting to know the subgenre they are writing from the readers’ point of view first. Thus, as I find myself saying so often, you can become a better writer by being a better reader first – and by being a better reader I mean being a reader of the subgenre you’re writing, not just relying upon “how To” books, which may, or may not, deal with your chosen sub-genre. 

Want to check to see if my endings match your expectations? You can find out more about all my books at my website: https://www.cathyace.com/

It's about the writing...and the gnarly bits by Cathy Ace

Business - What is the best advice you received from an agent, editor, publisher, writer, or florist? For bonus credit what was the worst? 

 Personally, I prefer to focus on the positive, so here goes:

 

Best advice from a writer: Thanks to Ann Cleeves

Best advice from a writer

Context: I’d been dumped by a publisher, who wouldn’t sell me back all my rights (they eventually allowed me to buy them all, except the print rights, which puzzled me, but there you have it). My other publisher had been bought up, and they’d sent their new standard contract to my agent, which I didn’t like, but she said I should sign it (I didn’t, in the end, and walked away from them, and her, too).

Where & when: At Bouchercon in Toronto, 2017. I was Chair of Crime Writers of Canada at the time; one third of our members were attending the convention and I was organizing a LOT of events…and I was on antibiotics, due to a head/chest thing. Feeling awful, hardly sleeping, trying to do my best. Pretty low all round (though I hope no one noticed this at the time). I was sitting at a table having a moment (not a happy one) and Ann Cleeves asked if she could join me, as she hung around between her own “bookings”. She’s a talented, supportive, and sympathetic person, and I told her what was going on as we chatted.

The advice: It’s all about the writing (we chatted for ages, but this was the essence of it).

How it’s helped: In 2018 I set up my own company to publish my own writing, and haven’t looked back. Still haven’t got an agent, still enjoying the writing. There’s an awful lot about earning a living as an author that isn’t “about the writing”, and whenever that’s getting me down, I remember what Ann said. Given her current fantastic success it’s hard to believe she, too, has faced uphill struggles in terms of being published. Her first book came out in 1986, 26 years before my first was published; she’s seen so many changes in the business that her advice really resonates.

Thank you, Ann Cleeves.

 

Anna, on the left 

Best advice from an editor

 Context: I’d had one substantive editor, and three different proof editors, at my first publishing house, then met a new editor at my second publisher.

Where & when: at a lunch my publisher set up, in London, so my new editor and I could get to know each other before we worked together.

The advice: You write you, and I’ll sort out the gnarly bits.

How it’s helped: shortly after we’d met, this editor left the publishing house, but was still used by them as a freelancer on my books. She’s now edited all ten of the books I’ve published through my own company. I still write me, and I always hope there’ll be fewer gnarly bits.

Thank you, Anna Harrisson.

 

Worst advice?

Publisher: Set your books in the Cotswolds, not Wales.

Agent: Just sign the boilerplate contract.

Florist: Keep the vase in a sunny spot.

My 7th WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery 

THE CASE OF THE CURSED COTTAGE

 (which is set in Wales, not the Cotswolds, and edited by Anna, through my own publishing company) 

is AVAILBLE NOW in hardcover, paperback, and for ebooks.

https://www.cathyace.com/wise-enquiries-agency-mysteries

 

Happy St David's Day! by Cathy Ace

HAPPY ST DAVID’S DAY, Patron Saint of Wales...

…and please forgive me if I take this opportunity to celebrate the release, on 20^th February of my latest novel, THE CASE OF THE CURSED COTTAGE, which is set in…yes, you guessed it...WALES! 

The 7^th book in the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries series was just published, and I want to thank everyone who pre-ordered the book, has downloaded it since its publication, has ordered it at their local book shop, or has asked their library to get it for them: 

THANK YOU SO MUCH! DIOLCH YN FAWR!

Wondering how much more Welsh today's post can get? Hmm...let me see...

The whole post is in red, white and green; I'm looking at a vase of daffodils as I type; I'll be having leek tart for dinner tonight...and the book that just came out? Well, yes, it's set in Wales, and the cover art photo is of a real cottage in Gower, one of the world's most beautiful and scientifically interesting areas - and that's not just me saying that: Gower was the FIRST area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural beauty (AONB) in the UK, back in 1956, and now has dozens of specially conserved Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) .

The specific cottage in the photo is of a style that's common in Gower: whitewashed stone walls, a slate roof, with dark or black gloss trim. That might sound either generic, or specific to you - but it's what I grew up seeing, and knowing, and it still pulls at my heart strings.

Even more specifically, this cottage is on the Penrice Estate in Gower. The Penrice Estate dates back to the 11th century, when the knight, de Penrice, was gifted the land after the Norman Conquest. The last of the de Penrice line died in the 15th Century, but the line married into the Mansel family, so the land went with it. 

I come from the Gower family of Aces, and was born and raised in Manselton - a Victorian planned community, with dwellings built by the Mansel family to house workers at the local copper works (Swansea was known as Copperoplois for a long time due to its prominence in the global copper trade).

Thus...Gower, Penrice, Manselton...they are all connected in my mind, and in my soul. And this book allows me to indulge the process whereby inspiration and invention are allowed to work in harmony within the mind of a writer of fiction.

Here's the blurb:

‘IT MURDERED ONE OF OUR GUESTS, AND NOW IT’S TRIED TO KILL MY HUSBAND.’

When the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency are approached by the frantic owner of a historic cottage in a picturesque Welsh seaside hamlet, they agree to help. After all – there can’t be any such thing as a killer cottage, can there? And isn’t a cursed cottage just as unlikely? They’re about to find out – when Christine and Annie take up residence.

Meanwhile, Carol goes undercover to investigate a day spa with some dangerous treatments, leaving Mavis to stake out a man who might be incapacitated because of a work-related accident. Will this bricklayer become belligerent if he spots her on the job?

Because our engaging private investigators are busy with paying clients, it falls to Henry, eighteenth duke of Chellingworth, to try to solve the riddle of the miss
ing silver mugs, which is a pressing priority for his mother, the dowager, as she seeks to take over the organisation of the christening of his son and heir.

Early spring in Wales is a busy time for the WISE women, and the titled Twyst family – join them to find out how they cope, in this, the seventh book in the series.

If you haven't read books 1-6 yet, now's the time! 

The first 4 are available for just $3.99 for all four (for Kindle).

Details of all the books, and purchase links, are here: https://www.cathyace.com/wise-enquiries-agency-mysteries

“…a gratifying contemporary series in the traditional British manner with hilarious repercussions (dead bodies notwithstanding). Cozy fans will anticipate learning more about these WISE ladies.” 

Library Journal, starred review

It's called "work" for a reason... by Cathy Ace

Now that 2022 is well and truly "in the books" (!) did you learn any business tips you can pass on?

Business tips are tricky, because, quite often, they are only really helpful given a quite specific set of circumstances. That being said, here are a few things I learned that you might find helpful:

DO NOT get overwhelmed when you’re reading about how phenomenal other authors are at their writing output.

This might not sound like “business advice” but it is, for authors, because writing is their business. Some authors – believe it or not – write and publish a dozen or more a books per year. Bear in mind they might have spent years writing them all, then are using a rapid release strategy because that’s what their target market demands/expects/wants. Other authors will write and publish one book every two years. Again, maybe they have a life plan that means they won’t be writing for the whole of those two years. So – slow release or fast release doesn’t necessarily signify current workload. And we, as authors, need to write the right number of books for us, according to how we want to live our lives. I have learned I can only write and publish a MAXIMUM of two to three books per year and not lose my grip on either reality or sanity – if you can write less, fine, if you can write more, go for it – but I have learned I have to be content to be me.

DO NOT get overwhelmed when you’re reading about how wonderful/active other authors are at their promotional effort.

When I had traditional publishers, they had a whole promotional department to work on my behalf, which organised my international book tours, advertising campaigns, appearances on local and national television chat shows…oh no, hang on, that wasn’t me…that was the author who signed a million dollar contract with one of the Big 5 publishers, who couldn’t be seen to fail! LOL! Silly me – I was the author who got a thirtieth share of the time of one overworked promotional person who did their best with miniscule budgets…and had to do the rest of it myself either out of my own pocket, or for free. Now that I self publish, everything is down to me…and I still need time to write enough to keep new books coming out. So – I have learned to breathe, accept that I cannot do everything, and now try to promote my work “smarter”.

DO consider ways you might be able to promote your work to readers beyond Facebook and Twitter.

As recent events have shown, if an author relies too much upon one channel of communication, they might find the people they need to speak to removing themselves from that platform for any number of reasons. A good author website that’s kept up to date, and building a mailing list for a newsletter that contains special offers, and actual NEWS, as well as an insight into one’s life and writing are both important, and often overlooked. That said, it’s critical to know how to reach your readers/potential readers: my books are NOT read by those who use TikTok, so it’s pointless me using it, for example.

DO whatever you can to try to work out who is reading your books, and how they choose to get their hands on them.

Libraries are important to society as well as readers and authors – I believe this deep in my bones. Do you know how many libraries have your books? Does your country have a way for you to make an income from this (Canada and the UK have funding for authors whose works are found on library stock lists, for example.) If people are buying your books do they buy print or digital? Where do they buy those books? If you have a traditional publisher, work with them to help you understand this – because then you can better target that time-sucking promotional effort. If you’re self-publishing, you can gather this information from your own data. And, boy, have I learned a lot this way – for example, I know that for my WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, libraries want hardcover vs paperback, buy them soon after release date, and buy multiple copies; by far the most sales are digital, through amazon vs Kobo vs Nook, with about 50% of sales in the USA, 30% in the UK, and the rest split fairly evenly between Canada and Australia/NZ. And the digital to print sales ratio? About 100:1 Knowing this? Priceless!

Not every writer wants to be involved in the business of publishing...BUT I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD AT LEAST UNDERSTAND IT.

While we all have to do our bit in terms of promotional effort (try keeping a traditional publisher happy without doing this!) for some, the craft and process of writing is where they want most of their focus to be – which is fine. So the business of publishing isn’t what you’re interested in – but that might leave you high and dry in the long run, so I urge you to read about the business you’re participating in and learn as much as you can about it. I recommend Jane Friedman’s website to everyone I can: it contains most of the answers, and direction for those areas where you want to learn more. KUDOS to her!  https://www.janefriedman.com/blog/

As for me? I have ANOTHER new book coming out:

On 20^th February 2023, the 7^th WISE Enquiries Agency Mystery will be published – the cover is above, and the blurb appears below. 

It’s available for pre-order NOW!

Click here to access pre-order links

‘IT MURDERED ONE OF OUR GUESTS, AND NOW IT’S TRIED TO KILL MY HUSBAND. YOU HAVE TO STOP IT!’ 

When the women of the WISE Enquiries Agency are approached by the desperate owner of a rental cottage in a picturesque Welsh seaside hamlet, they agree to help. After all, there can’t be any such thing as a killer cottage, can there? But a cursed cottage? Isn’t that just as unlikely? They’re about to find out…when Christine and Annie take up residence.

Meanwhile, Carol goes undercover to investigate a day spa at a swish country hotel with some dangerous treatments on offer, leaving Mavis to stake out a man who might be incapacitated because of a work-related accident, or might just be a malingerer; will this bricklayer become belligerent if he spots her on the job?

While our engaging private investigators are busy with paying clients, it looks as though it’s going to fall to Henry, eighteenth duke of Chellingworth, to try to solve the riddle of the missing christening mugs, which is a priority as far as his mother the dowager is concerned.

Early spring in Wales is a busy time for the WISE women – join them to find out how they cope, in this, the seventh book in the series.

Want to get all my news, and exclusive sneak-peeks FIRST? Sign up for my newsletter by visiting my website: https://www.cathyace.com/