What Do Readers Want?

The title of this week's blog is certainly a "loaded question." If writers could divine what readers want, we'd all be best sellers.

And even those writers who can boast "best selling author" in their profiles didn't necessarily start out to craft a book with the likes of their readers in mind. They started with a story they wanted to tell. Word followed upon word until their story was concluded...then time to introduce it to the world.

The best advice I ever saw on this subject is that I should write what I like to read. If I like it, then surely there will be a group of readers for whom my work will tickle their fancy. :-)

Most of my books are part of my Brad Frame mystery series. In Brad Frame's world I've created a detective, his assistant, his colleague, his love interest, quirky relatives, and defined the world in which he lives. The premise of my series is that Brad Frame led an aimless life until his mother and sister were kidnapped and murdered. He helped solved their crime, then paired with Philadelphia police detective Nick Argostino to open a detective business to help bring justice to others. I located Brad Frame on an estate in Bryn Mawr, PA (outside of Philadelphia). His approach to solving crime is cerebral. I always enjoyed reading whodunits, and so I chose to write them. Brad has his likes (model trains) and as with all characters, he has his own idiosyncrasies.

What becomes different about each of my books (6 in the series so far) is the locale, from a hospital in Philadelphia to a beach community on the South Carolina coast. Putting my detective in different places with a different crime to solve is what helps me keep the stories fresh (even with the same cast of characters). In FINAL JUROR, I even put Brad Frame in a jury box. If you are unfamiliar with the series, I hope you'll give it a try. Although it is a series, each is intended to stand on its own, and they don't need to be read in a particular order.

Okay, it's your turn. In the comment section below, tell me what you like as a reader. Pull back the curtain on your own likes. After all, Life's a Mystery!

Embalmed - Latest in the Brad Frame series

My latest Brad Frame mystery has been out for about two weeks.

As a self published author, once I complete the writing process I share the manuscript with a line editor so that it is in the best possible shape on grammar and punctuation. I also share a "proof" with trusted beta-readers. They are the first people to discover the story from beginning to end (my critique group sees it in small pieces - one or two chapters at a time).

Those beta readers share their thoughts with me about the book. If they are confused about a particular scene, then I revisit that passage to eliminate the confusion. It is a process that has served me (and hopefully my readers) well.

For those of you who have read any of the Brad Frame mysteries, you are familiar with Nick Argostino. He is the Philadelphia police detective who is a friend and mentor to Brad Frame. In EMBALMED, Nick is in trouble and Brad and Sharon step up to help. Each story affords me the opportunity to expand upon Brad Frame's world and share new information and discoveries about those with whom he associates.

There is a bit of a Halloween vibe in the story, so it was great to get it published in October - although it can be enjoyed at any time.

I dedicated this book to my best friend, Kevin Filippelli. We met back when I lived in Harrisburg, PA and he was in nearby York, PA. He has since moved to New Jersey and later to Las Vegas. Thanks to e-mail and phone we are able to stay in touch. But this past weekend he was able to visit and we had a long weekend of catching up and enjoying trips to the various Disney World parks (including a couple he hadn't previously visited). His visit enabled me to hand him an autographed copy of the book.

Here's a link to the opening chapter of EMBALMED.

Florida Writers Conference

This past weekend I attended the Florida Writers Conference. It was held in a Hilton Hotel in Altamonte Springs, north of Orlando. There were four hundred writers in attendance, so we all shared the common goal of wanting to learn more in order to be able to improve our craft.

I've been a member of the Florida Writers Association since last October. It was through them that I located a writers' critique group that meets weekly within 10 minutes of where I live. Although I'm the only mystery writer among that small group, we help each other with common issues of communication... assisting us in bringing the best of our writing skills to the forefront.

At the conference, it was great to meet an even wider circle of people who write mysteries. A few were from among those I've gotten to know during my involvement with the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Others I met for the first time. I'm sure we will continue the connections we established via e-mail.

The conference organizers deserve credit for a packed agenda. I'm an early bird, and they had "genre" tables starting at 6:45 a.m.

Each year, the Florida Writers Association gives Royal Palm Literary Awards in a variety of genres and for published and unpublished works. In February, I entered LADY ON THE EDGE in the published mystery category, and while it was a "finalist" (scoring better than 80% in the judging) it did not win a prize in the published mystery genre category.

Since I know that life is a mystery, it was fun to be at the same table with one of the writers in my local critique group who won a second place award for his historical fiction novel.

You can read the opening chapter of LADY ON THE EDGE here.

Also, starting this week, my latest Brad Frame mystery will be available on Amazon.com