New release: “Murder at the Rectory”

I am pleased to announce I am one of the authors on the panel listed herein:

The Indie Experience

At Murder on the Beach Bookstore

Discover New Authors

A Panel of New Emerging Books and Authors

Refreshments will be served.

. Moderated by Charles Todd

 NY Times bestselling author of the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series.

Where:  Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore

273 NE Second Avenue

Delray Beach, FL 33444

561-279-7790

When:  Wednesday June 21 at 7 pm

Admission is FREE and all are invited.

Carol White – A Divided Duty $10.95.  In Carol White’s page-turner, brothers Otto and Ivan Blackmoor battle it out in both business and romance; funny, sexy and heart-pounding, this sizzling sibling rivalry puts others to shame and builds to a stunning climax.

Raquel Reyes – Jeweler’s Mark $11.00. Set in Miami’s jewelry district, Jeweler’s Mark is fueled by Cuban espresso and glittering gems. Gigi and her BFF are excited for their ten year high school reunion. Until, the organizer is found strangled to death and the BFF is suspect numero uno.

Marcia King-Gamble – Just You $6.99.  Juliette Sanders desperately needs to find the man who gave her a beautiful baby a dozen years ago.  The last thing Alexander Neale needs is a stranger popping into his life, claiming he fathered her child. Can two hurt souls find love again and move on?

Victoria Landis – Alias: Mitzy & Mack  $15.95. Hailed as a ‘well-constructed, fast-paced screwball comedy reminiscent of such classics as Some Like It Hot & The Philadelphia Story with dialogue that crackles’, this is the story of a retired South Florida couple who resort to crime when they go broke.

Joanna Campbell Slan – Love, Die, Neighbor $14.99.  As the mother of an active toddler and the wife of an often absent husband, Kiki Lowenstein already has both hands full. Her determination to be a good neighbor hits a serious roadblock when her neighbor dies under mysterious circumstances.

Kathy Runk – Murder at the Rectory  $10.99.  When the Reverend John Bee dies at the church picnic, the widow Bee is arrested for his suspicious death and Private Investigator Mackenzie Scott is hired to clear her.

 

NaNoWriMo continues!

My new manuscript is flowing well and today before I start it is up to 20,000 words–one third of the way through.  More bodies have been discovered and Beverly Scott is working on a missing person’s case.  Is one of these bodies her missing client’s son?  And how is Detective Scott making out in rehab?  Will they still be married at the end of this case?

Tune in for the continuing saga of “Murder on the Weekend.”

Have you signed up yet for Sleuthfest in Deerfield Beach?  I’ll be there for my fifth conference.  There are agent and editor appointments along with fabulous speakers and good food (and bar).

Happy writing

Kathy

http://www.kahymckenzierunk.com

kathy@www.kathymckenzierunk.com

NaNoWriMo Update

I hit more than 8,000 last night but need to reach 10,000 today.  I thought I would share my first scenes with you.  It takes place again in Miami.

MURDER ON THE WEEKEND  by Kathy McKenzie-Runk

CHAPTER ONE

Beverly squealed after opening the official-looking letter in the morning mail at Scott Investigation where she had completed her internship under her husband’s license.  The letter was signed by the governor of Florida, Bernard Peterson.  She imagined how proud her husband “Mac” would be when he heard the news.  So excited she couldn’t sit still at the reception desk in his outer office, her brown eyes sparkled and her smile widened.  No internship anymore!  My future is secure now.  No more being receptionist.  Finally, all the work and study has paid off.  She read the letter again.

‘Dear Mrs. Scott.  We are pleased to report you passed the Private Investigation exam with honors.  Congratulations!  Your license will be sent by U.S. mail within the next ten days.  Sincerely, Governor Bernard Peterson.’

She picked up the phone to call Mac but it went straight to voicemail.  I don’t want to leave this news in a message.  I’ll tell him tonight at dinner.  The phone rang, interrupting her joyous thoughts.  “Good morning, Scott Investigations,” she sang, flipping her long brown hair as she picked up the receiver.

An old family friend, Detective Frank of the Miami Police Department, chuckled into the phone.  “What’s got you so excited?”

“Oh, Frank, guess what,” she gushed.  “I passed, with honors.”

“Whoa, passed what?” he asked.

“Oh, you kidder.  You know very well what I passed.  My P.I. exam.”  Her face was red and she giggled.

Det. Frank laughed again, “I had no doubt you would pass.  What does Mac think?”

“He doesn’t know yet.  He’s not here right now.”  She straightened up her desk as she talked, unable to calm her nerves.

“Darn.  That’s why I’m calling.  We’ve had three fires overnight.   There were two deaths and I really need his input.”

“He’s out on another case, but I expect him back this afternoon.”  She frowned at the thought of suffocating in a fire.

“Tell him to call as soon as he can, will you please? And again, congratulations, Private Investigator Beverly Scott.”

Beverly flushed at the title.  “Of course.  As soon as he can.  Bye.”  She hung up the phone, her joy returning.

The morning flew by with calls, bills to pay, and other office duties.  Mac will have to hire a receptionist now.  I’ll have my own cases to work on.

#

Mac returned shortly after lunch and found Beverly on the phone.  He heard the lilt in her voice.  What in the world is she so happy about?  He shrugged as he waited by her desk.  “Bev.  You sound like you’re fifteen instead of forty something and ready for your first date,” he chuckled.

She smiled as she picked up the official letter from the top of the pile of mail and waved it back and forth.  “It came, the results of my exam.”

“Well, I can tell by your voice that you passed.  Is that it?”  He took a hesitant step towards his wife.  “Congratulations.”  His voice was flat as he patted her on the shoulder.

Beverly didn’t notice his lack of enthusiasm or change in mood.    “Isn’t it wonderful?  I am now a full-fledged licensed investigator.”

“You worked long and hard for this,” he admitted.  He gave her a half-smile.  “Any messages?”

She looked up, her smile fading.  “Mac, is something wrong?”  She handed him the little pink slips with his messages along with today’s mail with the one from the Miami Police Department on top.

“Not at all.  I have a busy afternoon.  Did Det. Frank say what he was calling about?”

“People died in three different fires overnight.  That’s all I know.”  Frowning now, it finally sank in Mac was not excited by her news.

He flipped through the mail, turned and walked toward his office, then looked back and said, “I didn’t have any lunch, would you order a sandwich for me?”

“Certainly.  Would you like Iced Tea with it?”

“That would be fine.”  He continued through the door to his office and closed it behind him, as the phone rang again.

A half-hour later, Mac’s sandwich arrived.  Beverly paid for it from the office petty cash and sent the boy on his way.  Mac’s door was still closed so she knocked lightly.  “Mac, your sandwich is here.  Do you want me to bring it in or will you come for it?”

He hollered through the closed door, “Bring it in please.”

He was frowning as he thought about her news, staring at the computer when she entered, not looking at her.  “Put it on the table, if you don’t mind.  I’ll get to it soon.”

Beverly walked to the small table in front of the bay windows.  They often ate lunch together sitting there.  She could see he was in one of his trances thinking so she just tiptoed out and closed the door softly.  Wonder what’s got his mind so occupied?  She returned to her own desk and finished printing the week’s checks that needed his signature.  I wonder if I will be signing checks in the future?

At five o’clock, Mac opened his door, briefcase in hand.  “I’ll meet you at home since we drove separately today.”

“Okay, Mac.  I’ll be right behind you.”  Beverly turned off the computer as Mac walked out the door.  Hmmm.  I still don’t know what’s bugging him.  She checked the coffeepot in his office, looked around for anything out of place, and turned out the light.  Sighing, she grabbed her purse, switched on the alarm, and locked the office door.  She turned to look at the imprint on the door, ‘Mackenzie Scott Investigations.’  I wonder if my name will be on the door? 

Marketing Tips – Book Signings, NaNoWriMo

I am so excited by this time of year, especially today and tomorrow!  Halloween and fall give many opportunities for marketing our books.  Since I love to dress up in costume and be someone else when reading my books for children, I can now dress up for adults.  Tonight I will be presenting my book “Flight to Freedom”, A Story of Adoption, at Murder on the Beach bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida.  Even though a story for middle-grades, I plan to give a short presentation as one of the characters in the book.  I haven’t been acting out my stories before, and I am excited to do it tonight.

Tomorrow is a day of serving, dressed as a clown.  I won’t be reading or selling, but giving back to the community at our Boca Raton Moose #204 children’s Halloween Party.  I do love being with the children and miss have my ten as little ones.  Even my grandchildren, except the three youngest (Ashley, Benjamin, Angelina) are grown up and some have children of their own.  Now I have three great grand boys and one great grand girl.

I can’t wait for Christmas and creating my family tree for everyone.  Last Christmas I treated myself to my DNA testing to find where our ancestors come from.  Ancestry.com and DNA are great sources at a reasonable cost.

November is NaNoWriMo so I don’t expect to do any signings until December except the Miami Book Fair.  I have my plan for NaNo, and the premise.  I’ve titled it “Murder on the Weekend.”  Now I have three murder mysteries in process and hope I can meet my deadlines.  Since NaNo starts Sunday, I might miss a blog or have a short one updating my progress and word count.  You can follow me on Facebook too.

Happy writing and reading,

Kathy

kathy@kathymckenzierunk.com

www.kathymckenzierunk.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.mckenzierunk.9

amazon.com/author/kathymckenzierunk

Writing Workshops in Florida

Our speaker this week at the Mystery Writers of America luncheon in Boca Raton was Alison McMahan.  To quote the local news:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. October 18, 2015: Pompano Beach, FL. The Florida Writers Association, Inc., (FWA) has announced that Alison McMahan of Pompano Beach won a prestigious Royal Palm Literary Award (RPLA).  McMahan’s winning entry, The Saffron Crocus, a historical mystery for young adults, won First Place in the  Young Adult/New Adult category.The award was announced at FWA’s recent four-day annual conference in Altamonte Springs, Florida. This annual competition, which received 393 submissions, was RPLA’s fourteenth.

How exciting to have an award-winning writer at our MWA luncheon.  Alison’s topic was “Screenwriting Tips for Novelists.”  After a Power Point presentation, and sample analysis of scenes, I learned many of the tips I was already using, especially the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet.  Not exactly the same, but the idea is similar.  Remember that I am a plotter and screenwriting uses a lot of the same techniques like three acts, beginning, middle, and end, and others.

.My screenwriting friend, Luis Aponte, has made a screenplay from my first novel, “Blood Ties:  The Souvenir Killer,” and when I read it I was fascinated and pleased.  I could not believe it was my story, it was so good.  Maybe I am a screenwriter at heart?  No, it shows how similar plotters and screenwriters are.  Luis is currently entering the screenplay in contests before marketing it.

Alison gave us a flowchart, so much like what I learned in college in my pursuit of my Computer Information Systems degree.  It shows the “flow” (how it got its name!) of Act II, the middle of your story, It also reminds me of the “bubble method” I learned at one of the seminars I attended.

There was so much information, there wasn’t time for it all in a short workshop.  My brain was full by the time it was over and I’ve taken this week to digest what I could.  Fortunately, Alison also gave us handouts to refer to as we “plot” our projects.  I recommend any workshop or course Alison gives in the future.  See her website for more information at:  http://www.alisonmcmahan.com and see her biography for film and other credits.  We were so lucky to have her speak to us!  Thank you again, Alison.

Happy reading and writing, as always.  Dont forget SleuthFest 2016 in Deerfield Beach, FL.  See our website for more information and registration at:

Home

and Alison’s at:   http://www.alisonmcmahan.com

Kathy

kathy@kathymckenzierunk.com

www.kathymckenzierunk.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.mckenzierunk.9

http://www.amazon.com/author/kathymckenzierunk

Pantser vs. Plotter – NaNoWriMo

The definition of Pantser is “someone who flies by the seat of their pants, meaning they don’t plan anything, or plan very little,” according to https://TheWritePractice.com.  They also define a Plotter as having planned out their novel ahead of time, knowing what’s going to happen before they write it.  Its harder to get stuck when you know what is going to happen next.  They also say that Plotters get their novels written faster, or at least more smoothly.

There are pros and cons to both styles.  I am a naturally born planner.  At least I think I was born that way, as I saw my granddaughter at age two taking after me by organizing her alphabetic refrigerator magnets in a way she likes, and taking her Easter Bunny magnets and building a scene with them.  I’ve kept pictures of both!  My mother said I was like this as a child.

So today, I want to explain how I write a novel.  Especially for the new NaNoWriMo’s starting November 1.

First, I make a one page outline with the three acts:  Hook, Crisis, Plan.  Now at this point I must know who the murderer is and how and why.  I must identify the main characters in chapter one, not spring someone out of nowhere as the murderer.  So in my books, chapter one, you know everything!  One of the characters commits murder against another, even if not recognized as murder at that time.  My detective, Mackenzie Scott, is a witness and one of the characters.  The clues to the murder are there too!  So now you know who (one of them) how (symptoms) but do you know why?  Of course not!  This is what my books are about.  My detective must find out why, exactly how, so he can figure out who did it.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  All I need to do is fill in 65,000 more words with all the clues.

Of course I also have a general outline, about one line for each scene, so if I am stuck during November, I look at what is next on the outline.  Some writers make 50 page outlines.  I make one or two pages.

After I finished the first draft, it is time to really get down to the business of editing.  This is the hard part.  When you write that fast as in NaNoWriMo, you tend to get sloppy in your grammar, at least I do.  Now I must fix the grammar as well as any holes in the plot.  For the grammar, I have a school teacher daughter (mother of the two-year-old mentioned about) who proofreads.  But before that, I have a spreadsheet where I analyze my manuscript for holes.  Heres a sample of my current work, “Murder at the Rectory.”  I’ve used Excel here, but you can use a word table.  I must admit I just added the column for emotion since last week’s purchase of the Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Peglisi.  I think it will help with the tension.

ANALYSIS = MURDER http://nanowrimo.org/AT THE RECTORY
Chapter
Scene Scene Description Characters Tension/Action Emotion Words Total words
1 1 Church picnic stage Award Ceremony for Potato Salad Contest,  Attendees watching Mac, Mrs. Bee, Margaret,Millicent Jones, Jenny Jones, Bev & daughters, Trudy Morris, Rev. Bee collapses Shock & Disbelief 1220 1220
2 Mac discusses incident with Rev. Nelson at picnic grounds Mac, Rev. Nelson Mac shares observation Suspicion 560 1780
2 1 Hospital Emergency Room Mrs. Bee, paramedics, medical staff Doctors determine time of death Resignation 359 2139
2 Picnic grounds Mac, Rev. Nelson Mac describes symptoms, calls in Bev to stay with Mrs. Bee at hospital Suspicion 447 2586
3 Hospital Emergency Room Mrs. Bee, Bev, medical staff Break the news Regret, Resignation 553 3139

Now I must get back to my analysis!  Happy reading and writing.  Hope you make it through NaNoWriMo which I might skip this year because I have three novels in progress.

Kathy

kathy@kathymckenzierunk.com

www.kathymckenzierunk.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.mckenzierunk.9

Writer’s Helpers

A member of my critique group recommended a book “The Emotion Thesaurus:  A Writers Guide to Character Expression,” she found in the library.  It was written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.  I was anxious to get my copy.  It is available as an e-book for $.99.  Any writer who is starting out or even already published should have this book for reference or memorize these emotion traits for their characters.

For example:  I looked up the word “anxious” that I used in the paragraph above.  This little helper includes physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, cues of acute or long-term anxiety, and cues of suppressed anxiety.

So if I rewrite the sentence “I was anxious to get my copy,” it might read:

“I glanced at the clock to see if I had time before work to sit down and order it.  My breathing increased and I was dizzy.  Would this help me in my writing or just be another waste of money?  I closed my eyes in an attempt to stay calm, while I pressed the ‘purchase’ button.  Too late now, it was done.”

This certainly increased my word count.   This is almost too dramatic for me!  I’m more the straightforward kind of writer, factual and maybe a little flat.  I hope to change that with this helper.

Of course, the book has a range of descriptions of emotions so we can show and not tell.  Some are more intense than others.  I certainly would not have been “wringing one’s hands” or have the “inability to eat.”  There are many degrees of emotions.  We have to think about each character and what state they are in.

There are similar books by the same authors I will check out another time.  “The Positive Trait Thesaurus:  A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes” and “The Negative Trait Thesaurus:  A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws.”  I recommend these to you do also.

In the meantime, happy writing and editing, and editing, and editing!

Kathy

Email me at kathy@kathymckenzierunk.com

Visit my site www.kathymckenzierunk.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kathy.mckenzierunk.9

TOP TEN WAYS TO WRITING FITNESS

PRESENTER: Chris Jackson, Ph.D. is a Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Nova Southeastern University. She’s author of The Tell-Tale Art: Poe in Modern Popular Culture.

Chris gave a workshop after the MWA Florida monthly luncheon.  These workshops are in addition to our speaker at our luncheon.  Last week I told you Patrick Kendrick was our speaker and surprised us all by showing up in full fire gear.

This Saturday workshop gave us hands on experience on polishing our manuscript.  Chris started the workshop by telling us we are the best editor of our work.  We are the only ones who know what we want to say.  She gave us a list of ten ways to do just that.

  1. Be specific; show don’t tell. This is a common problem I had when started writing seriously.  Instead of saying “Mac parked his little car in the office parking garage” I changed it to “Mac parked his wife’s red Kia in his marked spot next to the elevator in the underground garage.”  This tells you more about what happened.
  2. Give more examples or are there too many? I often would describe what Mac’s family was eating for dinner and drove my critique group crazy with too much information.  So instead of “Mac, Beverly, and the girls had roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, apple pie and ice cream for dessert, and a tall glass of iced tea,” I cut dinner down to only three main items.  I felt this still explained the home cooking, but not every detail.
  3. Try to move the action forward with our sentences. I had a hard time with this because I was writing for NaNoWriMo (50,000 words in 30 days), and would write whatever came to my head.  However, that is what self-editing is all about.  I have time to return to my first draft and make sure I wasn’t just driving around town, but getting somewhere specific.
  4. Show the character’s thoughts by getting into his head. I do this by internal dialog that I put in italics.  It shows exactly what my character is thinking.  Another way I use this is by expressions on their faces, tics or nervous movements.  My character runs his hands through his salt and pepper curls whenever he is perplexed.
  5. Use active voice verbs. I have a list of “no no’s” I search for and replace in my manuscript.  My word processer often comes up with the passive voice and I can easily identify them.
  6. Avoid compound verbs like “to be.” This one is self-explanatory.  You can search through your document and find them.
  7. Don’t use “there is/there are.” Same as #6.
  8. Condense long sentences and combine very short ones. I like to vary my sentence length, especially to show tone as “Mary, come here!” instead of “Mary will you please come here when you have a minute.”
  9. Word economy is important. This is another one I have problems with in my critique group.  Don’t us two sentences to describe when one will express the same thing.
  10. Proofread your work backwards. I tried this week to read the last chapter of my novel first as she suggested.  I found holes I didn’t see before.  Guess I need a good editor!

I hope this helps you in your writing.

This was a fun week with a reading of my book, “A Dolphin’s Tale” to kindergarten children at Quiet Waters Elementary School in Deerfield Beach, Florida.  I will be posting pictures soon on my Facebook page.  I also tried out a new theme for fall.  I can’t believe it is October already!

Happy writing!

Kathy

www.kathymckenzierunk.com

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.mckenzierunk.9