Welcome Mystery Author Diana Orgain!

By Kate

Please join me in welcoming my mystery pal Diana Orgain to the Lair for the very first time! Take it away, Diana!

Thanks so much to Kate and the Romance Bandit for having me here today. I’m the author of the Maternal Instincts Mysteries Series. The first in the series is BUNDLE OF TROUBLE, followed by MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER and most recently FORMULA FOR MURDER.

The series is about a new mom, who doesn’t want to return to the corporate world after having her baby. Instead, she decides to start her own business as a PI – only, you guessed it, it’s not as easy as she thinks.

I’m a busy mother of three (ages 7, 3 and 2) and the question I get asked most often is how I find the time to write! For those aspiring writers - below are my top three tips.

3 Steps to getting started on your own novel:

1. Make the time to write: You have to put aside time (ideally daily) to write. Don't wait to FIND the time. That will never happen. Something will always take the time - remember Nature hates a void. So don't wait. Schedule the time to write and do it.

2. Get feedback: Take a class or join a critique group (there are tons of writer's organizations – even virtual). You can join your local chapter and create your own critique group. Getting unbiased feedback is critical to moving ahead. You have to learn how to polish your work and a class or group can help you move ahead faster.

3. Make a habit of finishing: Don't leave your draft unfinished, whether it is a short story, poem, play, novel - doesn't matter. You must finish. As creative people we are always lured to the next idea. It's fresher, funnier, better in some way but this is a temptation that must be avoided. After all, the new idea will need to be completed also and if you never get to the end of a project then you won't know how to finish. This step alone is the single most important piece of the creative process.

For more information on me or my books – you can pop over to my website at http://www.dianaorgain.com/ or listen to the first chapter of BUNDLE OF TROUBLE at http://dianaorgain.com/bundle-of-trouble-podcast/bundle-of-trouble-chapter-one/

Now it’s your turn, tell me one of your favorite tips (doesn’t have to be writing related) in the comments and I’ll enter you for a chance to win a signed copy of my latest book FORMULA FOR MURDER. And if you’re feeling lucky I’m running a contest on my webpage for a beautiful LibraKnits baby cap – you can see the details at http://dianaorgain.com/contests/

Thanks for visiting today, Diana! And good luck, everyone!

New Friends, New Adventures, and New Mysteries To Die For

By Kate

Earlier this month, I attended the annual Malice Domestic Conference in Arlington, Virginia. This is a very fun fan conference dedicated to the traditional mystery genre, and it's famous as the home of the prestigious Agatha Award.

The Malice conference is also famous for an event known as Malice-Go-Round, which has been described as speed dating for authors. Take one large conference room, mix in 40 authors, add 160 readers sitting at 20 tables, and start the clock. Authors move from one table to the next, where they have exactly two minutes to pitch their latest books and pass out swag such as bookmarks, post-its, key chains and chocolate. Then the authors move to the next table and start their pitch all over again. It's exhilarating, frightening, and surely the most strenuous exercise I've had all year.

I got to know some fabulous new authors while I was there and I wanted to give a shout out to a few of my favorites:

Hannah Dennison is one of the funniest, most talented people in the world. I've actually known her awhile and love her a lot. She writes the Vicki Hill Mysteries in which protagonist Vicki (who fancies herself the new Christiane Amanpour) writes obituaries for the local newspaper in the village of Gipping-on-Plym in Devon. You won't believe some of the funny, quirky English characters and pastimes (hedge jumping, anyone?) Hannah comes up with in her charming series.

Elizabeth Lynn Casey writes the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries. She also writes romance—yeah!—for Harlequin American as Laura Bradford. Elizabeth/Laura will be signing her latest books at the RWA conference in Orlando, Florida on July 28, so if you're there, I hope you'll track her down.

Diana Orgain (the Maternal Instincts mystery series). She's fabulous, but don't take it from me. Publishers Weekly called Diana's debut thriller (Bundle of Trouble) "charming" and "engaging." Diana is all that, as well as an excellent navigator and brilliant Tweeterer. :-)

I also can't wait for the debut novel in E. J. Copperman's new Haunted Guesthouse mystery series, coming in June (The Night of the Living Deed) and Avery Aames’s new Cheese Shop mystery series debut in July (The Long Quiche Goodbye). Love those titles!

Okay, so when the Malice conference was over, my new friends, Hannah and Diana, and I rented a car and hit the road for another event near Pittsburgh. But before we could get to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we first had to get out of Washington D.C. I was the driver, and yes, I admit I missed an offramp or two. One of them I missed twice. I was confused!

But can you imagine the feeling of betrayal when I later found out that my good friend Hannah was sitting in the back seat, secretly tweeting about how many times we'd circled the Washington Monument?? Not helpful, Hannah! And no, I'm not kidding. You can look it up. :-)

The upside is that both Hannah and Diana are Twitter experts. They tried to teach me the ins and outs, but I’m a slow learner. However, I’m determined to become a master Tweeter, so give me a month or two, then follow me!

Despite the minor setbacks (and a flash rainstorm that scared the houie out of this California girl), we arrived in time for the annual Festival of Mystery, a one-day mystery writers' and readers' extravaganza put on by the lovely folks at the Mystery Lovers Bookstore in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. They rent out a large hall to accommodate 50 authors and somewhere between 300-400 readers, who circle the hall and peruse the thousands of books available, talk to the authors, and buy up a storm. It's always so much fun to visit with serious book lovers, and these readers are serious!

I came home utterly exhausted but I'm already chomping at the bit to sign up for next year's events!

How do you feel about attending book signing events? Would you stand in line with 300 other fans to talk to your favorite authors? Do you have a favorite bookstore? And hey, do you Twitter? How’s that working for you? What new authors have you found that you can to recommend to the Banditas?