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JENN McKINLAY: There it is! My fifteenth Library Lover's Mystery. It is absolutely wild to me that it's been fourteen years since the release of the first book in the series BOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING. I was thinking about it the other day and I was trying to determine if I have changed as a writer during the thirteen years between these releases.
My first thought was YES! I have changed but not in ways I would have expected. The first library mystery was my eighth published book. I'd written three romcoms for Harlequin, two writer for higher mysteries about decoupage, and two cupcake bakery mysteries. I had barely cut my teeth in the publishing world and, honestly, had no idea what I was doing. I like to think I know what I'm doing now but note the use of "think I know" just to be clear that I'm not completely certain...yet.
In the beginning, I said yes to everything. Every interview, every book tour, every signing opportunity, every request to speak, every guest blog post--I did them all. In retrospect, if I knew then what I know now, I would have been more respectful of my own time and turned down most of these "opportunities". Because the truth is, the writing is the most important part of the job and I let it fall behind promotion way too often at the start of my career. I don't do that anymore and even wrote "Say No!!!" in huge purple letters on my whiteboard to remind myself.
One change that didn't manifest like I thought it would is that the writing is just as hard now as it was then! Shocking, I know! You'd think word smithing would get easier but no! Frankly, I wonder if it's because I've murdered so many fictional people (forty-eight mysteries) that I've worked out all of my issues and now I'm dismissed from therapy, as it were.
Lastly, the change in myself that I appreciate the most is a newfound calm. In the beginning, I remember always feeling frantic. I feared at any moment my publisher would dump me and I'd have to start all over again. In fact, I'm positive that's why I had five mystery series going at once, why I pivoted to romcoms, and why I took on another writer for hire project when I already had three series going. It was a decade of mayhem, I tell ya! I have slowly pulled away from that constant state of anxiety--after sixty books you just need to chill out-- and am living more in the present and embracing new writing challenges like my first fantasy WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN slated to release in October of 2025. I have become very protective of my Zen so if ever you see me disappear from the socials for a day or two or more, that's why.
Tell us, Reds, how have you changed during your writing journey? And, Readers, when you've been with an author for a long time do you see their personal growth reflected in their work?
About A MERRY LITTLE MURDER PLOT:
‘Tis the season in Briar Creek, and this year festivities become fatalities in the newest Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Fatal First Edition.
During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her “bah humbug” attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy. To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason.
Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she’s visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that Helen is unaware her “number one” fan is in town.
When Jackie’s body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen’s latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan. Helen’s frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent before “The End” becomes Helen’s final sentence.
During the most wonderful time of the year, famous author Helen Monroe arrives in Briar Creek to be the writer in residence, but her “bah humbug” attitude excludes her from the many holiday celebrations the town residents enjoy. To try to spread some Christmas cheer, library director Lindsey Norris invites the new writer in town to join her crafternoon club. Helen politely refuses and when an altercation happens between Helen and another patron, Lindsey begins to suspect the author has been keeping to herself for a reason.
Another newcomer, Jackie Lewis, reveals she’s visiting Briar Creek to be near Helen because she believes they are destined to meet. Having dealt with a stalker in the past, Lindsey feels compelled to tell Helen about Jackie, as she suspects that Helen is unaware her “number one” fan is in town.
When Jackie’s body is later discovered in the town park beneath the holiday-light display with a copy of Helen’s latest manuscript in her hand, the reclusive novelist becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her self-proclaimed mega-fan. Helen’s frosty demeanor melts when Lindsey offers her help, and now the librarian and her crafternoon pals must prove the author innocent before “The End” becomes Helen’s final sentence.
How exciting, Jenn! Definitely looking forward to reading this . . . .
ReplyDeleteOver time, perhaps readers might notice a writer's growth, but I think it’s probably caught up in the enjoyment of the writer’s work . . . .
I've never actively noticed unless they truly deviate.
DeleteFirst, let me say I'm glad you're protecting your Zen. You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteMy first book came out exactly twelve years ago. For a while I also tried to keep up with you and and with Sheila Connolly, writing for three to four books a year. Now? I don't want to let the other important things in my life pass me by, so I'm slowing down a bit, and I'm also working on a new idea. Gotta keep the spark alive, right? I agree that the work itself never gets easier.
Also, of course I should have led with Congratulations on the new book!
DeleteAgreed it it’s important to protect your time instead of saying yes to everything!
DeleteThank you, Edith. I think after you get established, it's a good time to downshift and enjoy the ride a bit more.
DeleteJenn, I am in awe of your productivity. Following you on Facebook, I am also in awe of how much you and your loved ones do together! And I love your books. I think I have read almost all of them, rom coms, women's fiction, mysteries, your early books included. There is a sense of fun running through all of them. I especially love all the books you've written in first person, that's why Scarlet is my favorite protagonist in your mysteries. Your new book will drop onto my Kindle in days. I promise to post reviews.
ReplyDeleteI love that you are adventuresome. Although you have been writing for 14 years, I have only been reading your books for about 5. I think that you are a consistently good storyteller. I am not too sure what type of changes you are looking for, but the qualities that make me love your books are not ones to shed.
Aw, thank you , Judy. I appreciate the kind words so much. Humor is my coping mechanism so I doubt it's going anywhere! How would I survive if i couldn't crack a joke?
DeleteHow exciting! 60 books. So impressive! The new one sounds wonderful, and I am glad you are working to have balance in your life. I do think authors develop over time, but I can imagine it's a challenge to keep thinking up fresh plots and characters. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gillian! I do believe series fatigue can creep up on you, especially if you can't do other projects at the same time. I've been very fortunate!
DeleteI first discovered you as a writer Jenn when I read my first Library Lover's Mystery. I love the series and look forward to this newest book! Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anon! Much appreciated.
DeleteOh, gosh! Keeping the pace you kept, I'm amazed you didn't burn out hard. The proverbial Everyone says that when you're starting out, say "yes" to everything, but I've been around long enough to watch authors who did that burn out and then get dropped anyway.
ReplyDeleteYet, when I was writing my book, I still had dreams of Doing All the Things, too. In the meantime, I started following personality-based author coaches Becca Syme and Claire Taylor. Now that I've indie pubbed--BTW, I still can't believe I got that book up for readers, but here we are--I don't do all the things. I'm a lot more selective about what I do, and if it doesn't pan out, I'm more accepting that success has many definitions in addition to the standard Ferengi model. :)
Oh, I love Becca Syme. She's brilliant. Success does have many definitions - and getting out of bed every day could be one of them. Indie pubbing is great because you have so much control but also -- ACK -- you are in charge of everything. Balance is crucial.
DeleteI have read series where I sense the author’s growth with each successive book. I have also read long-running series where somewhere along the way the author seems to be just phoning it in or possibly not even doing the writing him or herself. Sometimes that has been a little low and they get recharged a couple books later and sometimes they should have just quit while they were ahead.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know exactly what you mean!
DeleteJenn, congrats on your fifteenth Library Lover’s Mystery! That’s an amazing accomplishment, and I love hearing how you’ve grown as a writer. My journey’s a bit different—I’m still finding my way, even though I’m, well, a little older! I’m working on two series and an anthology, and I totally relate to that "say yes to everything" phase. Right now, it’s a balancing act between writing, promoting, and trying to enjoy daily life. Your advice about protecting your writing time really hits home. It’s reassuring to know even the pros feel that way. I admire the calm you’ve found. I’m trying to embrace that—enjoying the journey without stressing about what’s next.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ang! Great to hear from you! Yes, I think once an author acclimates to the initial frenzy of being a writer, it's much easier to say...wait. How does this "opportunity" serve my goals and if it doesn't -- "No" is a complete sentence. LOL.
DeleteJenn, you so clearly enjoy what you do, even when all the juggling balls are in the air at once. Your work just radiates fun. I hope that never evolves!
ReplyDeleteOffhand, the only author whose work I have followed for most of her career that I can really point to major evolution is Barbara Kingsolver. From The Bean Trees to The Poisonwood Bible to The Lacuna to Flight Behavior to Demon Copperhead--could there be a more dramatic change in style and form?
Agree about Kingsolver, Karen.
DeleteOh, you're so right about Kingsolver. I wonder what she'll do next?
DeleteShe's already written nonfiction, too, including Animal Vegetable Miracle. Maybe a biography.
DeleteHooray hooray hooray! And Jenn, you are such a treasure… And honestly, I have always been perplexed at how you seemed to be worried that some publisher would drop you. You are such a rockstar, and so beloved, and I am incredibly pleased that you realize that you are a success! That’s such a difficult thing, for some ridiculous reason. And oh golly, saying yes to everything. You are so wise. I am working on this too. You are my inspiration!
ReplyDeleteHank, I can't even keep up with you! LOL. You amaze me every single day!
DeleteYay!! New Lindsey & Sully book!! Always a treat, Jenn! That Zen thing--so important! If you say yes to everything, there's no time left to breathe--to enjoy your accomplishments. Like, recognizing your growth as a writer, just being in the present instead at the mercy of a schedule, savoring time with those you love--people and animals!
ReplyDeleteNext week I'm meeting with a writer's club of high school students--what to tell them about the life of writing? One, like you found out, Jenn, the process doesn't get any easier. Staring at the middle of a novel and trying to figure out how to get from there to the end? NEVER GETS EASIER!! Two, you're a perfect example, Jenn--put your head down and keep writing! Three, the rewards may not come in a New York Times' bestseller listing or a Pulitzer Prize, but there will be many, deeply satisfying all the same.
So true, Flora. The act of writing a story in your own voice is such a reward. We're all completely unique in our storytelling, which is why reading is so fabulous.
DeleteJENN: Congratulations on your new Library mystery novel! I look forward to reading A MERRY LITTLE MURDER PLOT during the Christmas season. I love to collect books with Christmas themes to read during the Christmas holiday. And yes, it is important to protect your time, instead of saying yes to everything’s. I am impressed that you wrote so many novels! And I look forward to reading WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGINS (if I got the right title) during Halloween next year.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I have seen authors grow. I remember an author started a series and I did not like the book because of the meanness then after they finally got rid of that one toxic person, I started to like the series. I do not like seeing the same toxic person in more than one book. In cozy mysteries, I want to see the bad person get their comeuppance.
I agree, Diana. I read cozies because I like that good triumphs over evil with no ambiguity.
DeleteMany congrats on reaching book 60. It has taken me a long time to learn to say no, a long time to learn I don’t have to write anything I don’t want to. It’s been wonderfully freeing to be invited to write a short story and to say “ no thank you”. I’ve told myself it should be a joy to sit down every morning and when it isn’t walk away! I’m also learning it’s not a competition. I don’t always have to be best, just happy
ReplyDeleteRhys, another point I want to make to the high school writing club--it's not a competition!
DeleteThank you, Rhys! You are a marvel! And you're so right. We are really only competing with ourselves with each book we write.
DeleteCongratulations on your new Library Lover's mystery! I love this series and can't wait to dive into it. I had to chuckle at your mention of perhaps having worked through all your issues via forty-eight mysteries. I suspect for many a writer there would be more than an ounce of truth in that notion.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy experiencing writers grow in their craft. After all, the better and more confident you grow, the more it may be reflected in your characters' growth. I will admit that over the years I have become disappointed in authors who begin farming out their name when it seems quite likely they really haven't done much more than promoted their brand and helped lift up another author. I tend to drop those authors. Just doesn't feel authentic to me. That being said, when an established author dies while still very productive and popular, I am grateful when the publisher chooses to continue the series using authors who can keep true to the original works. Also, I find myself being turned off from a series when the author chooses to kill off a beloved character yet appears to do very little to constructively use that demise to grow the series. -- Victoria
Victoria, our small-town library has shelves and shelves (and shelves) of popular authors who almost never publish a book as the sole author any longer. I don't see their co-authors appearing on the new shelves as sole authors either. It's frustrating to know so many new authors out there could use some exposure to new readers.
DeleteThe co-author thing, if not organic, is a bit strange. I always wonder whose voice I'm actually reading. You know?
DeleteFirst off, I CANNOT WAIT to read A MERRY LITTLE MURDER PLOT! 60 books? How is that even possible?? I am so at the other end of the spectrum, a book every other year when I'm in gear... and Jenn, you started doing this when you were 14 ;-) and I published my first book at 50. Has writing changed me?? Yes, it's taught me to slow down and tolerate ambiguity, because sometimes you just don't know where this story is taking you. But eventually with 20-20 hindsight you'll get there... or get *somewhere else*.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true. Sometimes the story will not reveal itself until it's good and ready. Argh.
DeleteJenn, I love all of your books because they sound like you! I mean the “you” that we see on the JRW Happy Hours and get from the blog posts. (I don’t claim to know the “real you” that your friends and family see. But I will bet it’s pretty close to what we readers know.) I discovered your books when some online source kept referring to some authors as being “like Jenn McKinlay”; I had to see who this mythical author was! Believe me, I don’t remember any of the authors who were being compared to you now that I found the real thing!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your newest release!!
Forgot to answer your question. Yes, I have seen authors’ progression as they have continued writing. Most for the better, but at least one seemingly became more negative and disillusioned. I stopped reading his work. — Pat S
Thank you, Pat! Lovely of you to be so kind. And, yes, life is too short to be pulled down in the dumps by a story!
DeleteCongratulations on your new release. Deborah
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteWoo hoo, Jenn!! Happily waiting for my pre-ordered copy on Tuesday! Enormous congrats on 60 books--I am in awe. I'm also agreeing with you on those writing-life lessons. I don't know if we really have to do all those things in the beginning, or if we're just brainwashed into thinking we do. In any case, I'm getting much better at saying no. And I love your slogan on your whiteboard, lol!
ReplyDeleteLOL - thanks, Debs!
DeleteCongratulations on the new book and recognizing your worth to yourself!! Excited to read the new Library Lovers and should you ever decide you have totally worked through all your issues so no more murders, spend an hour or two driving the speed limit ( or close to it) on any freeway in the Phoenix metro area! That should give you a few more folks to want to kill off!
ReplyDeleteROTFL - it's so true! I don't even get road rage, but I had to cross Phoenix the other day and hoo boy there was some rough language -- and the snowbirds aren't even here yet!
DeleteJenn, I love the cover of this book so much. I can see people grabbing it up before even reading what it's about. Of course, that will be a lovely bonus when they actually read it and find out out you can tell a book by its cover with Jenn McKinlay. I've pre-ordered it and think I might actually be able to read it. I say that because I am still unable to focus very well on reading. Congratulations to you, dear Jenn, on this new book and having written 60 books. Please give yourself a pat on the back for your accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteOh, you asked about reading an author and noticing growth. This is in no way a criticism of Karen Joy Fowler, because I enjoyed her books before the one I'm going to mention. When she came out with We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, it was a step into serious subject matter that gobsmacked me. Her book Booth (2022) is a bit of a longer read than I know I can do these days, but its subject matter of John Wilkes Booth and the family in which he grew up, including his father's famous acting career, was another deep dive. It was also the last book I read before Kevin was killed.
Kathy, you are so right! Reading is so tied to our emotions. The only author I could read after my brother passed was Jodi Taylor and her Chronicles of St Marys - she literally saved me that year.
DeleteGreat news that there's a new Library Lover's mystery! Since I only published my first book two-and-a-half years ago, it's enlightening and sobering to read about how you feel you've changed and what you've learned during the past thirteen years of book-writing. The most important message seems to be, "Chill out!" so I'll work on that. As for authors improving as their series progress, it varies so much with the author. Take Robert Parker's Spenser books, for example--I still think the first ten or so were the best, and he went on to write 39 of them, I think. Whereas Terry Pratchett's Discworld series just got better and better--my favorite is #29! I'm a loyal reader, though--if I like an author, things have to go pretty far downhill before I give up on a series!
ReplyDeleteI'm the same, Kim. I f I like you, I like you. Full stop.
DeleteCongrats on the new book. And on 60 books overall. That's amazing!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new Library Lovers book. (LL is my favorite series of yours)
ReplyDeleteWhen I enjoy an author, I am pretty loyal, with very few exceptions.
It hard to know how much is “author’s growth, and how much is a natural progression of a series expanding as the reader gets to know characters better (Heather S)