Winter Blog Tour - Amy Corwin

The next four Fridays I'll be hosting fellow historical romance authors from Wild Rose Press in what we're calling a Winter Blog Tour. So hang out here on Fridays and find new authors to add to your TBR pile! To day I'm happy to introduce you to Amy Corwin.

Amy Corwin is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and has been writing for the last ten years and managing a career as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry. She writes Regencies/historicals, mysteries, and paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.
Amy’s books include the a Regency romance, SMUGGLED ROSE; three Regency romantic mysteries, I BID ONE AMERICAN, THE BRICKLAYER’S HELPER, and THE NECKLACE; and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR.

Writing a Mystery
One of the hardest things I’ve ever tackled was to write a mystery. That I managed to do so and sell the manuscript is another miracle. In any event, one of the questions I’m often asked is how to go about writing a mystery.
Really, it’s not very different from writing other books, except the obvious requirement to drop hints and clues about the mystery and yet not give away “who dun it” too soon. And while there is no wrong way to plot and write a mystery, I do have a method that seems to work for me.
The first thing I always have to do is figure out who the unfortunate victim is, how they “got it” and who did it. That’s not to say that occasionally, the role of murderer changes as I begin to write. In one recent manuscript, I started out with one killer and ended up with a completely different one! But that often happens to me—I start out planning the story one way and then as the story develops, it may morph. But I digress.
So, having decided on the victim, method, and murderer, I sit down and plot out in outline form what I need to accomplish or what clues need to be discovered in each chapter. I don’t go into a lot of details, except to research the heck out of the method of death to make sure I get all the clues and science as correct as possible. That’s the only part I write up in details in my notes. The rest of the outline is just two or three phrases under each chapter heading, along with notes on misdirection so readers don’t solve it too soon. As part of this, I also wrack my brain for a minimum of three twists or unexpected events that will send the plot careening in another direction. You can’t make it too easy for your detective.
Although this is my opinion (of course) I believe that a great deal of the tension in a story comes from the element of surprise, or the “Gosh, I never saw that coming!” element. This is a complicating factor, e.g. the heroine catches the man she thought she loved in flagrante delicto with her best friend. It doesn’t necessarily have to be related to the mystery, although I tend to prefer the complication to have an impact on the investigation and even better, on the solution. Like the fact that her boyfriend is cheating on her reminds her that maybe she shouldn’t have taken him at his word when he said he was home alone when the murder occurred. Hmmm. He hasn’t proven himself to be entirely trustworthy, now has he? Suddenly, she can’t quite keep him off her list of suspects.
Once I figure out the murder and the basics of the plot, the rest is just a matter of writing it. And rewriting it. It sounds so easy, but truth be told, figuring out the method of murder and plot points is the easy part. Writing is hard. Very hard.

Latest Release
The Bricklayer’s Helper

When Sarah finds herself orphaned after a suspicious fire burns down her home with her family trapped inside, all she can remember is the warning to “run and hide.” Terrified, she cuts her hair and dons the garb of a young boy, hoping to survive on her own. She soon obtains a job as a bricklayer’s helper and remains safe for thirteen years until their work takes them to London.

In the city, a man from her past recognizes her and asks to meet, only to be murdered before they can speak. Afraid she may be next, Sarah hires an inquiry agent, William Trenchard.

But William seems more interested in chasing ladies than murderers and Sarah fears involving him may be a fatal mistake.

Appearances can be dangerously deceiving.

Website: http://www.amycorwin.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor
Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com

Wednesday Promo- Amy Corwin

Amy Corwin is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America and has been writing for the last ten years in addition to managing a career as an enterprise systems administrator in the computer industry. She writes Regencies/historicals, mysteries, and contemporary paranormals. To be truthful, most of her books include a bit of murder and mayhem since she discovered that killing off at least one character is a highly effective way to make the remaining ones toe the plot line.
Amy’s first Regency, SMUGGLED ROSE, received a 4-star review by “The Romantic Times” and her second Regency, I BID ONE AMERICAN, received a perfect score of 5 from Long and Short Reviews. Her third Regency, THE BRICKLAYER’S HELPER, is out now from The Wild Rose Press and her first paranormal, VAMPIRE PROTECTOR, comes out in November, 2010.

How do you change your voice and attitude when going form Regency to Contemporary paranormal?
On the surface, it sounds like it would be hard to change voice and attitude when you move from Regency or historical to a contemporary paranormal, but it’s much less difficult than you might think. And most of us do something very similar on a regular basis.
Historical/Regency writing tends to have a more “formal” flavor to it, since the use of contractions in writing (but not in speech) much widespread than it is today. Although even Jane Austen used contractions, not all the ones in common use today were common then. In addition, many of the phrases we use today, such as “Okay,” are modern. So in many ways, this is like writing a formal report either for work or school, versus the informal writing you do in letters, texting and blogs. Of course, one hopes it’s not as dry as a formal report,
Most folks regularly switch between informal writing and formal—almost without thinking.
When I write historical or Regency stories, I tend to read Jane Austen first, just to get that “tone” in my head. Although my writing style is definitely different, it helps to do that as a refresher for syntax and expressions common to that era. Then I make sure that I don’t use any modern terms and that I reduce the number of contractions.
For the contemporaries, I’m free to use modern expressions and increase the use of partial sentences for a bouncier and more youthful tone.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
That’s a tough question, almost like “which child do you prefer?”
But seriously, I prefer the characters in each book as I write them. Each has some specific quality that calls to me, such as Charlotte’s outspokenness in I Bid One American, or Gwen’s desire to recall her memories of her parents. Gwen, especially, called to me as a way to express my own difficult feelings after my parents passed away.
One character that continually calls to me, however, and winds up in most of my historicals is John Archer. He’s a rogue and a troublemaker, and when he strolls into a scene, you know it’s going to result in something outrageous. He always comes up with the most convoluted, difficult solution to even the easiest problem. I can’t resist him. Although I doubt anyone remembers him, I had George C. Scott’s performance in The Flim-Flam Man in mind when I originally created him. I suspect John Archer will turn up again and again in my Regencies.

Which of your grandmother's recipes are your favorite? Tell us about the recipe book.
My grandmother’s recipe book was a real labor of love for me. Growing up, it was always open on the counter because she was always making something for us, such as bread or pies. Grandma started the cookbook when she got married back in 1917 and she kept adding recipes until she passed away in the ‘70s. Unfortunately, over the years, the pages grew increasingly difficult to read as some were originally written in ink that was not waterproof. In addition, after my grandmother and then my parents passed away, everyone wanted the cookbook, but there was only one copy.
So I got the idea to scan it. That was “phase I” as it turned out. After scanning it, I realized I could magnify it and see the indentations in the pages from her pen in those places where the ink was gone. Eureka! Now we could read recipes we thought were gone forever.
After that, I decided that it would be better if I typed out the recipes so others could share them, particularly relatives who were not proficient with computers. That became “phase II” and the birth of the Rowley Cookbook. From there, it was but a short step to compiling and publishing the cookbook.
My favorite recipe is the Nelson Hotdish. I’ve never run across a casserole like that one, but it is delicious and everyone in my family makes it at least once a month. Grandma got it from a neighbor and we’re sure glad she did! It’s got bacon, tomato soup, chili powder, onions, peppers, noodles and lots of other good stuff in it. There’s nothing better, particularly on a cold winter day.

My Latest Book: The Bricklayer’s Helper, a Regency romantic mystery
A masquerade turns deadly when a murderer discovers the truth behind the disguise.
After her family perishes in a suspicious fire, Sarah hides her identity by working as a bricklayer's helper. But her disguise can't keep her safe when someone discovers she survived the flames. Alone and terrified, Sarah pins all her hopes on William Trenchard, the only available inquiry agent with Second Sons. William, however, seems far too handsome and frivolous to solve the mystery, and Sarah fears that involving him may be her final~and fatal~mistake.
The pair are in for a wild ride as they try to solve a decade-old mystery of murder and deceit in Regency England and discover: Appearances can truly be deceiving.
Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-bricklayers-helper-p-4156.html

Website: http://www.amycorwin.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amycorwin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmyCorwinAuthor
Blog: http://amycorwin.blogspot.com

I really want to thank Paty for allowing me to join her on her blog! She has been a gracious and inspiring hostess.
Sincerely,
Amy Corwin