Tag: #EdwardsInvestigations

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Writing Plans for 2026 #IWSG

  By IWSG

The first Wednesday of every month is Officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day.  
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the

January 7 posting of the IWSG are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray!

January 7 question – Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn’t get done in 2025?

Happy New Year!

I almost didn’t answer this question, because those of you who follow me may remember I answered this question a few weeks ago.

I’ve been working on the second book in the Edwards Investigations since I finished the first, over a year ago, but have made only slow progress. Well, except for the break I took to write Amos Headley, the short story I contributed to an anthology, Defending the Moonlight. That took longer than planned.

But I am determined to get this new book done before the Waterford Heritage Festival. Getting the first draft complete is doable, but I’m worried about the editing and formatting. I know how long that process can take.

I’m currently sitting at over 25,000 words. That’s half the book, and I’m adding 1500 to 2000 words or more a week. That’s decent progress. I did some editing on Chapter One, and although the plot is good, there’s a lot of tightening to do.

Writing is limited during the summer season because of the many community events I attend. I have several ideas for writing projects, but we’ll see which one moves me when I get to October. I’ve wanted to write another Wolves book for several years.

So, that’s as much as I’ve planned for 2026. Sounds easy, but life often tosses unexpected challenges at me. 

How about the other authors in this group? Check out some of the many writers on the list below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

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Happy New Years! #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

December 29, 2025

Happy New Year! Set a goal for yourself and let’s track it through 2026 to see how it’s going.

I’ve said this before – I don’t do New Year’s resolutions.

But I actually have a resolution that has nothing to do with the New Year. I made it when the anthology I took part in was published. (Defending the Moonlight.) I had interrupted writing the second book in the Edwards Investigations series to work on my entry for for the anthology. I really want to get that book completed. And I want to get it done before the start of the book-selling season.

That gives me six months. I’m currently at just over 22,000 words. Getting the first draft done shouldn’t be a problem, God willing and the creeks don’t rise. (We’ve had over 2 feet of snow, freezing rain that accumulated over 1/4 inch of ice, and about 1/2 inch of rain in the past week and a half. My sump pump is hard at work. Another storm is predicted to descend on us on Monday.) With this weather, I should have plenty of time to write.

The time crunch is people to critique.

And edit. And format for publication. And for the various companies to push publish. I can’t control those. Not as much as I’d like.

But I can control figuring out the story. I keep finding bodies to add to the carnage, new parts of the puzzle, and now the pieces are starting to make sense. I’ve already written a chapter that I thought was the first one and now realize belongs closer to the end. I’m not adding those several thousand words in my word count.

So, that’s my goal. Get this book written and as far along in the process as I can get. Yes, my personal goal is to get the book into print by the middle of June, but I won’t count it against myself if that doesn’t happen. I will be unhappy if I don’t have the first draft finished. I’ll keep you updated.

What about the other authors who join the hop this week? What goals do they have? Find out by following the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

December 29, 2025

Happy New Year! Set a goal for yourself and let’s track it through 2026 to see how it’s going.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

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The Joys Of Researching #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

December 22, 2025

What person/place/thing did you enjoy researching the most?

Much of my research has to do with various types of weaponry.

So many of my books deal with firearms. Harmony Duprie has a revolver, the smallest one she could possibly use and still go damage. My wolf shifters are armed with various types of military style guns. Jake Hennessey didn’t carry a gun, but the law enforcement officials he dealt with did. It was interesting, and I got lots of advice from experts I knew, but it was “temporary” information and nothing I retained.

The research I’ve done for the Edwards Investigations series is different. I’m referencing places I knew and times that I lived through. But I’m not just remembering my personal stories; I’m putting my memories into a historical context, looking at them from a different point of view. It’s fascinating.

But reliving my experience with the dawn of the personal computer era is the most engrossing. I played the original arcade version of pong, and used 5 1/4 floppy discs. I had a camera that used 3 1/2 floppies to store files. My experience with computers started in the days of DOS and stretched all the way to the current domination of Windows. Being able to put that into exact years wasn’t possible without lots of research.

So, it made sense to make the advent of computers part of the movement of the stories.

I can use it exactly as history writes it, or I can smudge the edges as needed. It’s not the main plot point (or is it?)  but it gives readers something to hang their hats on. I can play loose with other areas of the history as long as readers feel comfortable with pieces they experienced. Or they can google something I mention to verify it. (Although cell phones haven’t made an appearance yet.)

Although I build a strong foundation in Book 1, I’m expanding on it for Book 2.  What was the role of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission? When was the last time you heard anything about it? You’ll have to stay tuned, dear reader, to find out.

Let’s find out what other authors have been researching. Just follow the links below.

As always, please stay safe until the next time. And have a good holiday, whichever one you celebrate this time of year.

December 22, 2025

-What person/place/thing did you enjoy researching the most?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Including Politics In My Stories #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

July 28, 2025

Do you avoid or actively include writing about the current political atmosphere in your stories?

Some folks view it as part of a writer’s job description; to write about politics.

But I write, in part, to give both myself and my readers a chance to escape from the real world. So politics, especially current-day politics, isn’t part of it. Also, including current events can date my work and make it less relatable.

That doesn’t mean I don’t include political references. For example, in the early books of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, I mentioned that Jake Hennessey smoked marijuana. Once, maybe. When I wrote it, weed was illegal in the state the story was set in. That has changed, and if a reader picks up on the reference, they have to remember how things used to be.

I also skirted around politics in the first book of The Edwards Investigations, The Rimer Files.

Since it is set in the mid-1980s, many people won’t remember specific events from the time. Instead, I tried to create the mood of the era in Pittsburgh, where the story took place instead. Steel mills closing, rampant drug use, unemployment a major issue. Most people won’t be able to tell you who the president of the United States was then, although they might know who the Queen of England was. (Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II)

But the story more than touches on the issue of the changing role of women in society. It’s a major part of the plot, without going into details. What it doesn’t include are references to specific real people.

So, back to the original question.

Do I include politics in my writing? Like in so many things, I chose moderation. I don’t actively include politics, but I don’t avoid the topic either.

How about our other authors? Do they include politics in their writing? Find out by checking out the links below.

And, as always, please stay safe until the next time.

July 28, 2025

Do you avoid or actively include writing about the current political atmosphere in your stories?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

Writing and/or Revising #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Discuss: “Write the book you want to rewrite—

because most of writing is revising!

“Don’t agonize over every word in a first draft; that will only slow you down. Just write the story. Get it onto the page. Drafting is the stage where you capture the idea. Revising is where you figure out how to really tell the story well.” -Beth Kander, author of I Made It Out of Clay

When I started writing, I was a speed demon, throwing words on paper with little worry about their “rightness.” I just wanted to get the story in my head out of there and make room for more. And, as Kander notes, that meant those stories needed a lot of revision.

My earliest attempts didn’t result in what I consider publishable works. Not only was the writing stiff, but the stories themselves lacked merit. No number of revisions would fix them. One, I revised at least eight or nine times, including changing points of view, before finally giving up on it. Another, I started over from scratch after trying to revise it for a decade. (That resulted in Edwards Investigations: The Rimer File.) As I have said several times, the story wasn’t a revision of the first draft written long ago; it was a tribute.

My writing pace has slowed down in the past few years, and I suspect it’s because I can’t turn off my inner editor.

I struggle to find the right word – or a better word – or a better word than that – as I write. (Last night I spent 15 minutes deciding if I should use ghost, haunt, or haint.)  I worry about the order of sentences. I stress whether the story is going in the right direction, or if I need to go back and add a scene or take away a paragraph. Little things that I might not catch in a revision bother me. I have to go back and change them. Big things might never get written if I think they won’t work out.

And yes, I know what the advice is, not only from Kander and others. Write first and then spend the time in revisions. But editing as you go can be a hard habit to break.

Even writing these blogs takes me what I consider to be too long. I don’t want to come off like I know it all. I don’t. Not even close. At the same time, I want to be an encouragement to other writers. We’re all reaching for the same goal – to get our words seen by as many readers as possible.

I worry too much.

About getting things perfect, although I know I won’t. I want my words to mean something. To me, at least, and hopefully to others.

So, I suspect I will continue writing at a snail’s pace. It’s frustrating. And satisfying when I pull together a line that sings. It happens once in a while.

How about the others on this hop? How do they interpret this quote? Check out their posts by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

March 17, 2025

Discuss: “Write the book you want to rewrite—because most of writing is revising! Don’t agonize over every word in a first draft; that will only slow you down. Just write the story. Get it onto the page. Drafting is the stage where you capture the idea. Revising is where you figure out how to really tell the story well.” -Beth Kander, author of I Made It Out of Clay

Finding New Sources For Research #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Feb 10, 2025

Kelly’s daughter asks: How did you find the facts (that inform your book)?

We’ve talked about research before.

For my recent book, The Rimer File, my normal sources of research didn’t work. The time frame the story was set in was not quite historical, but at the same time, pre-internet. Sure, the songs of from those years are well documented, but it surprised me how much information I tried to discover but couldn’t find.

For example, I wanted to know what color the uniforms of Pittsburgh police were in 1985. I couldn’t find it on-line. It has been suggested I call the police museum, but there doesn’t seem to be one. But if I called the main police station, they might be able to direct me to someone who knew. Instead, I wrote around it. (It was a minor reference and didn’t make a difference to the plot.)

I also put a lot of effort into trying to find a walkthrough of the old Civic Center of Pittsburgh. I found snippets, but none of them covered what I what I was looking for. There is a recording of a walk up the stairs to an upper level, but no peek into the skyboxes, where I was hoping to set a scene. So, I reached out to family who lived in the area, and they reached out to friends. But none of them had ever been to the skyboxes. I ended up ‘fudging’ the background for the scene based on other arenas.. No one has complained. (yet!)

There are other places to dig for information.

There are these things called books with a subset known as encyclopedias. (Do they exist anymore?) They were filled with all kinds of facts. The trouble with them is that they were hard to keep up-to-date. I can’t tell you the last time I opened one, but I used to spend hours browsing the articles in the set we had at home. Then there are also non-fiction books of all sorts.

But especially in the area of firearms, I always end up depending on the internet for basic information and then on knowledgeable people for details. (Guns of various sorts show up in all of my books, and I’m no expert.)

One source of research that isn’t usually considered is personal experience. Writers are often told to write what they know. And I’m old, y’all, and have seen and done lots of things in my life. That information finds its way into my stories.

 

Do any of the authors on this hop have other sources of information? Find out by following the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Feb 10, 2025

Kelly’s daughter asks: How did you find the facts (that inform your book)?

 

 

Revisiting An Old Manuscript #IWSG

  By IWSG

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) is enjoying its monthly blog-fest invented by Alex J. Cavanaugh. IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds.

The awesome co-hosts for our February 5th posting of the IWSG are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!

QUESTION: Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

I’ve done this!

The first draft of The Edwards Investigations was written over a decade ago. Back then, it was called The Edwards Agency. I knew it held promise, but it just wasn’t there. I attempted several times to revise it, and I even started a second book, but I never made a commitment to the changes.

And I knew what the problem was. The book was ‘dated’ but wasn’t old enough to be historical. It just felt like it was something I’d pulled out of a box and presented to the world.

But it bugged me. I’d fallen in love with the characters, and didn’t want to abandon them.

 So, I started over.

First thing I did was to pinpoint what years I wanted the book to be set in. That helped define the settings. I didn’t even open the old manuscript, except to verify the main characters’ names. But I didn’t need to. The story had taken up a permanent residence in the archives of my brain. And stayed there. It became no more than a background for the new plot.

Still, it took me over a year to complete the new and improved product. (Partly due to personal issues I won’t go into here.) But when I finished it, it came with a sense of accomplishment. I’d finally done justice to the original premise without replicating it.

Now, I’m working on a second book in the series. It’s slow going, but it’s going to take time to weave together the threads I envision.

That’s it for me. Hope you’ll check out some of the other authors who are part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group

And as always, please stay safe until the next time.

Best Part Of 2024 #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Jan 6, 2025

What was the best thing that happened to you in 2024? (Writing or otherwise?) The worst?

Easy answers this week. Let’s start with the good.

Let’s start with the best thing that happened this year. I (finally!) released a book that had been in the works for over a decade, off and on. The Edwards Investigation, The Rimer File, was a departure from anything I’d written previously, and took a lot to write. I needed to dig deep to allow myself to explore the dark side of human nature. After writing the light-hearted Harmony Duprie and Jake Hennessey books, the challenge of The Rimer File was an accomplishment that was worth the effort.

It may not have become a best seller, but it brought me immense satisfaction. I feel good enough about it that I’ve started a second book in the series. (The new story doesn’t have a title yet.) I started a new opening chapter, (the first try was all wrong) and Annie, my protagonist, is already dealing with a murder. And the potential plot has changed since I began writing the story. (My characters have a way of telling me what’s really going on.)

It wasn’t the first time Annie had sat on a curb waiting for the cops to interview her, but at least this time, she wasn’t in handcuffs.

Now for the worst thing.

It’s not writing related, and I’ve mentioned it on here before. My beloved mother died at the beginning of 2024. It was expected, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. We were blessed, because she made it to the age of 95.

How about you? What was your best writing moment of 2024? To find out what the other authors on this hop accomplished, follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


Jan 6, 2025

What was the best thing that happened to you in 2024? (Writing or otherwise?) The worst?

It’s Obligatory – Setting Goals #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Open Book

Dec 30, 2024

Setting goals for 2025: what are your writerly New Year’s resolutions?

It’s that time of year.

Everyone will tell you so. If you haven’t done it already, you should set your goals for the New Year.

Bah. Humbug.

I hated the whole goal-setting thing even when I was in a paid position. Too often, the team goals were artificial and based on factors outside of our control. Yet, they were used to help determine our pay raises. So, why would I want to set goals for myself?

Sure, the idea makes sense. Goals can create a sense of accomplishment when they are reached. But they also carry the taint of disappointment and worse, self-deprecation if circumstances interfere with them. We all know life happens. And writing can be hard. We don’t need to put obstacles in our own path.

But I have things I plan to do.

I’ve committed to writing a short story for an anthology supporting K9s for Warriors. (service dogs for disabled vets). The second book of the Edwards Investigations is taunting me. (After writing the first chapter I was stumped, but I think I know where I went wrong. I started in the wrong place.) If all goes well, there’s another story in the Free Wolves series that is hanging out at the back of my brain.

I won’t finish all three. (That’s what is called a stretch goal and is doomed to failure.)

If I want to pad my goals, I could include this weekly blog hop post, the critiquing I do for other writers, and my social media involvement. I would include the numbers of festivals and book signings I participate in. (No goals on how many books I will sell. Experience shows it’s impossible to predict.)

So those are my hopes for 2025. Not goals.

How about the other authors on this hop? Do they set goals? Find out by following the links below. (New links will show up mostly on Monday, but could show up all week long.)

And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


Dec 30, 2024

Setting goals for 2025: what are your writerly New Year’s resolutions?