Same Ghost, Different Venue

As I've already announced, in the future my Ghost of Granny Apples series will be published by Berkley. The 4th Granny Apples novel won't be released until early 2014, but don't fret, Granny will be busy in the meantime.  See what Granny will be up to during the next two years. I'm talking about it today over at Criminal Minds.

Serial Killers I'd Like To Meet

All this week at Criminal Minds we're discussing which serial killers we'd like to question. My first and only choice was Ted Bundy, a man terrorizing young women in the 70's, when I was a young coed myself.  Drop on by by today and all week to see which serial killers tickle the minds and imaginations of the bloggers at Criminal Minds.

On another note, yes, yes, yes, I know I've been remiss in keeping up this blog. But not to worry, you'll see more posts in the near future.

Right now I'm on a June 30th deadline to finish up my first Granny Apples novella and get it to my new publisher, Berkley. On its heels I will be delivering the 8th Odelia Grey novel to Midnight Ink. So it's not like I've been slacking off.

B and Raffi say "hey!"

Time Again for the LA Times Festival of Books!!

This coming Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, the 2012 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held at the USC campus in Los Angeles.

Yeeeeee Haaaaaa!

I love this annual event. It's a time when I can connect with many more readers than possible during the rest of the year. More importantly, the event celebrates every aspect of the written word for all ages and tastes.

I will be at the book festival both days this year, dividing my time between 4 mystery booths. My book signing schedule is as follows:

Saturday
12-2 - Sisters In Crime/LA booth
4-5 - Mysterious Galaxy booth

Sunday
10-12 - Sisters In Crime/LA booth
12-1 - Mystery Ink booth

The rest of the time I will be working at the booth run by the So Cal Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  All of these booths are usually right next to each other or back-to-back with each other, so if you want to catch me and don't see me at one booth, check them all out. You can also ask for me at the So Cal MWA booth. They should know where I am or when I'll be back.

The weather in LA is supposed to be downright gorgeous this weekend, so round up the family and come on down to USC.

I'll be writing for you. Oops, I mean waiting for you!

Was The Beev Bad?

This week on Criminal Minds we're discussing which fictional kids we could see becoming either a killer or a cop.  Instantly, Beaver Cleaver came to mind. Is it possible he was just preparing for a life of crime or maybe just a single incident of "going postal."

You decide.  Was the Beev Bad?

And don't forget to check back during the week to see what my fellow Criminal Mindscome up with. Could be very interesting!

Odelia Looks Ahead

The 7th Odelia Grey Novel
Coming September 2012

Two weeks ago I turned into my editor at Midnight Ink the manuscript for my 7th Odelia Grey novel, making Hide and Snoop my 12th completed and contracted novel overall.  Quite a milestone when I look back and remember my telephone conversation with the big name NY agent I had when I completed Too Big to Miss, my first Odelia Grey novel. 

Not to name names, but she called it "prurient" and said, "No one wants to read this crap!" She also went on to say she would be embarrassed to represent it. Oh yes, she did!  I fired her ass within the week. And she, not to be outdone, sent me a nasty letter saying she wished me well, but that I would, in the end, discover she was right.  I still have that letter.

After trying a few more agents and receiving rejections for the same book (but without the nastiness), I became crestfallen and wondered if Agent #1 was right. The thing is, my friends thought she was wrong.  With their support, I turned to self-publishing and brought out Too Big To Miss and The Curse of the Holy Pail. Both became moderately successful and, remember, this was long before e-books and social media existed to push sales. Determined to get the Odelia story out to even more readers, I found my current agent, who found me a place at Midnight Ink.  Eight years later, Agent #2 and I are still together and we have since sold Midnight Ink a total of 12 Odelia Grey novels, 3 Ghost of Granny Apples novels, and 2 vampire mystery novels.  But wait, there's more! Recently, Agent #2 went on to sell Berkley 2 more Ghost of Granny Apples novels and we're also talking a novella.

I swear, if I wrote a grocery list on the back of a sanitary napkin, Agent #2 would find a way to sell it.

The 1st Odelia Novel

Currently, I'm working on the 8th Odelia Grey novel. It doesn't have a working title yet, but I'm excited about the fun plot I have in mind. My goal is to have it done by the 4th of July. Then I'll move on to the Granny novella and the 4th Granny Apples book, both of which will go to Berkley, with a short story or two thrown in for the fun of it. My writing schedule for the year is spelled out for me as easy as A, B, C and should be a piece of cake if life remains fairly uncomplicated.

I'm very excited about the 5 remaining Odelia Grey novels. I already know the plot lines for books 8, 9 and 12, with vague ideas for the remaining 2. Already, folks are asking if Odelia will continue past book 12. Honestly, I have no idea, but book 12 should be finished about the time I'm thinking about retiring from my day job, so maybe Odelia will retire, too. Not the books, but IN the books.  We'll just have to see.

On other fronts, today is my turn at Criminal Minds and I'm tackling the Proust Questionnaire. Drop on by and see how I stacked up to the French novelist Marcel Proust when he was a mere 13 years old.  Strange, I never thought I'd have anything in common with a 13-yr-old boy, French or otherwise, especially one who died 30 years before I was born. Then again, we're both writers with a nice size body of work.

Milestones - I just passed a few

Today I'm over at Inkspot talking about recent writing milestones and asking: How bad do you want it?

I'm Ready For My Seduction Now

On Criminal Minds this week, we've been asked to share what words seduce us. But being the fickle woman I am, it's not so much the who or what, as much as the when that gets my motor running. And I plan on running my motor on March 1st!

My Lucky Valentines!

There were so many entries in the Valentine Give-A-Way contest I decided to choose four winners instead of two. Winners were chosen randomly from qualifying entries.

Congratuations:

Brenda Norris and Nancy Bradford - their names will appear in the 4th Ghost of Granny Apples book; and

Ina Bruce and Linda McIntyre - their names will appear in the 8th Odelia Grey book.

At this time, both books are scheduled for release in fall of 2013.

Thank you, everyone, for entering. It was our most successful contest yet!

Shiatsu - Gesundheit!

I got nekkid again today, meaning I made my second trip to the Olympic Spa in Korea Town. My friend Stacia had given me a gift certificate and I decided today, halfway through my time off from the office and my crazed race towards a writing deadline, would be the perfect time to use it.

I did the same ritual as last time: dunk in hot tub, cool, steam/sauna, cool, rest, repeat. Except this time, instead of one of their incredible scrubs, I opted for a shiatsu massage. I'd never had one before, being a Swedish massage kind of gal, but shiatsu is supposed to be excellent for unblocking energy and improving the immune system. In shiatsu, the masseuse works the meridians in the body with pressure. It's like acupuncture, but without the needles.

OUCH! OMG! OUCH! OUCH! OMG!

When Lisa first started on me, there was a lot of pain and I wondered how in the world I was going to get through 50 minutes of this torture. There didn't seem to be a spot that didn't ache to her touch. She apologized, saying I was very tight. It's true. Other masseuses have also commented on how tight my neck, shoulders and back are. That's where I carry my stress and my hours at the computer.

But I didn't give up and neither did Lisa. That tiny woman elbowed, squeezed, kneed and kneaded her way over every part of my body. There were numerous cracks and pops as tight muscles gave way and things fell into place. Although, I was a bit taken back when she got up on the table and straddled me to give my back a good work out. But even more surprised when, after giving my legs and feet a thorough beating, she climbed up on the table again. This time she kneeled on the back of my thighs and worked them with her knees while her strong hands attacked my back yet again.

The last time someone was on top of me like that, it was a guy and he'd bought me a few dinners.

She also pulled my arms over my head and yanked. She yanked my legs, too. Kneaded my scalp like a lump of dough and rotated my feet and hands, fingers and toes. She was the master and I was at her mercy.

But as time went on the aches and pains diminished and when Lisa revisited areas that were painful before, they were no longer.

After the massage, I dunked again in the hot tubs, showered and headed home.

But here's the thing... on the way home I stopped at the grocery store. Usually, after I spend more than a few minutes driving, my legs ache and are stiff when I get out of the car. Halfway across the parking lot from the car to the store, it hit me that neither of my legs were stiff and achy. In fact, they both felt as if they'd lost 50 lbs. I was almost bouncing as I walked. My neck, shoulders and back were also loose and comfy.

I definitely think there's another shiatsu beating in my future because, frankly, it hurt so good!

SAJ Fan Club - Be Mine!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and this year I want to show my love and gratitude for all the wonderful members of the Sue Ann Jaffarian Fan Club on Facebook by having a contest just for them.

There will be 2 prizes: One will will have his/her name as a character in the 8th Odelia Grey novel, the other will have his/her name as a character in the 4th Ghost of Granny Apples novel.  Winners will also receive a signed copy of the book in which their name appears. Full details of the contest are on my website. 

But there's a catch! Only members of the Sue Ann Jaffarian Fan Club on Facebook are eligible, so if you want a crack at getting your name in one of my books, join the club today and enter.

Perks of being a club member include lively discussions of books in general, asking me questions and receiving quick answers, special contests just for members, and early notice of what's happening with Odelia, Granny and Madison. Club members are fun and friendly.

Soft Kitty, Sick Kitty

Since all this week the authors at Criminal Minds are discussing the soundtracks of their life, it seemed fitting to talk about the song that's haunting me this morning.

As usual, I woke up today around 5 am. Depending on the call of nature, it normally takes me about 10-20 minutes after waking up to pull my butt out of bed and start my morning chores: clean the cat box, feed the cats, give the cats fresh water, make the bed, catch up on my Words With Friends moves, read e-mail and send greetings to my Facebook friends who have birthdays. It's a simple daily routine that doesn't change no matter what day it is. By 6 am I am putting words to paper on my current WIP - work-in-progress - and work until 8:30 when I must stop and get ready to go to the day job. On weekends, I push everything back by an hour or so and nix the day job.

During this routine my thoughts run to what's next in my WIP, what's on my calendar for the day, what do I want for lunch (buy or pack). Again, simple and routine.

This morning I woke up with a song in my head. And not just any song, but Soft Kitty from The Big Bang Theory, one of my favorite shows.  I'm not sure why this silly song invaded my head. It's never done that before. But there it was at 5 am, circling like a plane caught in a landing pattern over O'Hare.  Over and over and over and over.

This morning, in addition to my usual chores, about 7:30 am I had to clean up cat yak. Seems B had some tummy trouble and parted ways with her breakfast and a hair ball - twice. She's fine now and so is my carpet after a little work with a sponge and Lysol.

Do you think waking up to Soft Kitty was a premotion of the vomiting to come? Or just a coinky-dink?

Soft kitty, sick kitty,
Little ball of fur.
Retching kitty, scared kitty,
Hurl, hurl, hurl

My Life In Music

On Criminal Minds this week we've been tasked with making a soundtrack of our lives.  I'm up today and have entitled mine The Rainbow Rag.  Trust me, John Williams, the master of soundtracks, has nothing to worry about.

Come listen.

Granny Apples is Back and She's a Gem!

February 1st is the official launch day for GEM OF A GHOST, the 3rd book in my Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series.  It is now available in both print and e-book at your favorite book seller. Reviewers have loved it and I hope you do, too.

GEM OF A GHOST has received some rave reviews, including the following starred review from Library Journal.:

Jaffarian’s welcome third entry in her paranormal series … sparkles as brilliantly as the story’s haunted diamond. Incorporating historical interest with likable characters and steady suspense, she also makes paranormal activity seem plausible. One of the best cozy authors for light chatter and low-key humor, Jaffarian is currently juggling three series with aplomb!

But this release is bittersweet, and I'm talking about that today over at Inkspot.

BIG NEWS! GRANNY IS ON THE MOVE!

Starting with the 4th book in the Ghost of Granny Apples series, Granny will have a new home.  I just accepted an offer from Berkley for books #4 and #5 in the series. The tentative release date is fall 2013.  I'll keep you posted on developments.

Normal - Overrated or A Life Line?

I’m trying to get back to normal, at least normal to me. It dawned on me recently that this past week was the first week in nearly two months that I had worked a full work week at the law firm – I’m talking a full 40 hours in the office. This loosey-goosey work schedule started with taking Thanksgiving week off, then I worked a couple of regular weeks in December. After that, it was a whirlwind of vacation days, holidays, and more vacation days, and even a sick day and a half day or two thrown in. Now it’s a couple of weeks, then we hit another long weekend in February.


I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I could get use to this schedule.
As much as I enjoy my job as a paralegal and working for the firm I’m at, I would really, really like to be home writing more. But sometimes I think I would get bored being alone all day, every day, at the keyboard. And maybe I would. I’d probably have to find something else to round out my day –exercising more might be a good start. I’d probably get out to see friends more often. My apartment would be tidier. But more truth be told, I would miss going into the office and interacting with the people at the firm and with our clients. I enjoy it and it keeps me grounded. And being grounded works best for me in the long run.

This weekend also signaled a return to normalcy. As a rule, I don’t write on Fridays. I don’t mean never, but I give myself permission to take that day off if I want. I go into the office earlier than usual, come home a bit earlier, then hang out watching TV, reading, watching movies, maybe meeting a friend for dinner, etc. Saturdays are usually spent balancing writing time with book signings and events. Sundays are a blend of writing and chores, followed by Sunday night TV. And that's exactly how this weekend is shaping up. It's on the normal track with stops at Usual and Routine.
I hate ruts, but love normalcy. Is that a contradiction or a sign of balance?

Then again, is it normal to want to spend most of my time with fictional characters that spring from my head and talk to me. That's what we writers do.  We don't talk to dead people like the kid in Sixth Sense, we talk to people who don't exist, except in our minds, until we put them on paper. And even then, it's not like they have birth certificates or social security numbers. They only exist on paper because we put them there. We talk to them, cajole them, even argue with them. They become as real as the flesh and blood people we meet every day. It doesn't matter that they are ghosts, vampires, shape shifters, nosey Nellies, or homicidal maniacs. We visit them daily, as if they're favorite aunties who bakes us cookies.

Psychosis is defined as a severe mental condition in which there is a loss of contact with reality, including  seeing or hearing things that aren't there.

Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't take so much time off from the office...