#OpenBook - P.J. MacLayne

It’s All in the Name

By P.J. MacLayne June 28, 2020 June 28, 2020 Open Book

June 29, 2020

Do you write under a pseudonym? If so, why? If not, would you ever consider it?

I decided not to use my legal name for my writing back in the Dark Ages, when my focus was poetry. There were a number of reasons’ the main one being that my name was rather boring. I needed a hippie name. And so, I became Bobbi Jo Aspen, in part a tribute to the trees that give the Rocky Mountains their fall colors. I actually had a few poems published under that name, but I doubt there’s any evidence of that left except for my copies of the magazines that are stored somewhere.

At some point the Bobbi Jo name just didn’t “fit” me anymore, and I needed a new one. For more than one reason. Security had become a concern. I wanted something that sounded more mature. I’d also become aware that writers with male names tended to be taken more seriously than those with female names. So, I became P.J. MacLayne.

Security is still a concern, but in a different way. We all know there’s no hiding from the gigantic database better known as the internet. Still, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a roadblock or two for someone with ill intent trying to find you.

And frankly, it’s a liberating feeling to pick your own name. I wouldn’t ever want to change my legal name, but having a different name for my writing works for me. It allows me to express a different side of my personality while still keeping the one I show in real life.

It’s like Harmony Duprie, my amateur sleuth. She’s been known to change her appearance and go “undercover” to do research. She explained it well.

The Chief and Freddie still looked puzzled, but Drew’s face cleared and he laughed. “That was you? How many personalities do you have?”

“Only one.” I tapped my forehead. “Everything else is just a big kid’s version of dress-up.” Born out of desperation, not fun or playtime.

“Seems like a safe way to do it,” Drew said. “I’m having trouble switching between two.”

“This isn’t a game,” Chief Sorenson snapped. “Let’s get back on track here.”

From The Samurai’s Inro

That’s how I feel when I’m writing.

Now, I know of people who use a different pseudonym for every different genre they write. I’ve chosen not to do that. My mysteries, urban fantasy, and poetry all under the same name. I could understand it if I were writing erotica, but when I start my gritty female Private Investigator series, it will still be written under the P.J. MacLayne moniker.

If you’re a writer, I’d like to hear what you think about using a pseudonym. And if you’re a reader, does it make a difference to you if an author writes under a pen name? Tell us about it in the comments.

Until next time, stay safe.

June 29, 2020

Do you write under a pseudonym? If so, why? If not, would you ever consider it?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Not Your Usual Hero #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 21, 2020 June 21, 2020 Open Book

June 22, 2020

What are your favorite kind of characters to create? To read?

My door was securely locked with the rubber bumpers slid under it as far as they would go, the curtains closed, and my lights dimmed to make it seem I’d gone to bed.

I was about to break a rule, and I wanted no interruptions. Or witnesses. The plot was unethical at best and illegal at its worst. I planned to use my access to the Oak Grove Police Department’s records for personal gain.

From The Samurai’s Inro. Book 5 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries

I fell in love with Harmony while I was writing her first book. She was a quiet, reserved person with an inner strength she didn’t know she had until she was forced to draw on it. It’s been fun watching her grow through the series, as she’s become more comfortable allowing that strength to shine.

I launched myself down the hallway. I’d be able to only take on one person, and my target was obvious. With a satisfying smack, I rammed into Annabelle’s back. The gun hit the tile floor with a loud clunk. She fell to her knees. Not good enough.

Jake should be able to handle Brent. I concentrated on Annabelle. An awkward and ill-timed kick landed between her shoulders. Although her hands hit the ground, she still wasn’t where I wanted her.

In the moment I got distracted checking for Jake, she recovered and rose to a standing position. She threw a hasty punch. It landed solidly on my shoulder. I staggered backward.

I’d been hit before. In practice. With gloves.

From The Baron’s Cufflinks, Book 3 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries

I’ve always written Harmony as a someone who works within the law. Mostly. She’s been known to push the edges of legality. Never quite crossing over, but coming close. Except for in my current work-in-progress, The Ranger’s Dogtags. She’s pushing the line until it breaks.

And that’s how I like to write my characters. As works in progress. Constantly being challenged, constantly having to adjust.

And while that’s tough on Harmony, who loves routine, some of my other characters take to it easier. For example, there’s Lori Grenville, my main character in Wolves’ Gambit, from The Free Wolves adventures. She moves from one pack of wolf shifters to another, changing her name and her appearance, on a mission to help female shifters break free from traditional pack structure.

When the fangs dropped and claws sprouted, she forced herself to stay calm and made a show of adjusting her backpack. These men were the elite, and they only needed a moment to regain control of their emotions. When they were ready to talk, she would be as well.

“So, what kind of shifter are you?” Turtle asked.

“Wolf.”

“No, really.”

“Wolf.” Lori shrugged. “Even in wolf form, I’m small, but that’s the way it is.”

“Then why can’t we smell or hear you?’

She moved away the mental blocks that kept her secure. “Try now.”

Four voices flooded her brain and she held up her hands. “One at a time, guys!”

“How do you do that?” asked Turtle.

“Training. And it’s not perfect. A strong alpha can break through. Carlson can. But there’s no time for twenty questions. We need to get going.”

“Will you be able to keep up with us?”

Lori grinned. “You forget, I’m leading the way. You have to keep up with me.”

From Wolves’ Gambit, The Free Wolves Adventures

As much as I love writing strong women characters, I like to read them, too. And I want that strength to carry through the book. I once read a romance by a major woman author who, throughout the whole book, emphasized how the lead female character prepared to face the villain. But in the end, when the two were face-to-face, the major male character rushed in to save her.

Truthfully, it made me angry. After all the buildup, the ending was a disappointment. That book has been given away. No matter how well-written, it didn’t deserve a spot on my bookshelf. I don’t want my leading ladies to depend upon a prince to save them. I want them to rescue the prince sometimes.

What are your favorite kind of characters? Let’s talk about it in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the other writers on this hop. You can see what they have to say by following the links below.

Until the next time we get together, stay safe.

June 22, 2020

What are your favorite kind of characters to create? To read?

Would You Believe? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 14, 2020 June 14, 2020 Open Book

June 15, 2020

What’s the most unusual experience you’ve ever had? Have you included it in one of your books?

I’ve done some unusual things in my life. Some people might classify them as crazy. Like getting on a Greyhound bus to travel halfway across the country to go to a college I’d found in a book. (This was back in the days before the internet. All correspondence to/from the college was done by snail mail. ) Or dangling off a cliff for a basic mountain climbing course four months after breaking my collarbone in a bicycling accident. Or the time we (hubby and me) went camping in a wilderness area with our six-day old baby. (It was a wonderful experience!)

How about changing careers when I was over 40? Moving ourselves cross-country from Oregon to Florida? Or the decision to self-publish a novel when I was umpteen years old?

Go ahead. Pick one. None of them are in any of my books.

Not specifically, anyway. That doesn’t mean the life’s lessons I learned along the way haven’t influenced my stories. Harmony from my mystery series is never going to go mountain climbing, but my once-upon-a-time desire to be a librarian influenced her career. And the hills I went hiking and camping in provide a backdrop for two of my Free Wolves books.

It could happen in a future book. Maybe I’ll get one of my characters lost in the Rocky Mountains and they have to use their mountain climbing and wilderness skills to find their way back to civilization. (Did I mention the week-long survival training class I took in high school?) Or I can force Harmony to move from her beloved Oak Grove. How would she handle it?

Speaking of Harmony and her adventures, I received the first batch of paperbacks of The Samurai’s Inro, her newest story. Cross your fingers that the event I want to sell them at happens!

If you don’t want to wait that long, and want to purchase a copy now, you can find more information HERE

If you want to check out the unusual experiences of the other authors, you can follow the links below. And, as always, please sta safe until we ‘meet” again.

June 15, 2020

What’s the most unusual experience you’ve ever had? Have you included it in one of your books?

Pilgrimage #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 8, 2020 June 8, 2020 Open Book, Uncategorized

June 8, 2020

Have you ever gone on a literary pilgrimage? If so, where and why?

Once upon a time, on a back highway in Florida, I saw a sign marking the road to Zora Neale Hurston’s home. I would have liked to take the road less traveled, but I had places to be and people to talk to. And although I took that road once or twice more, I never to make it to the house. In fact, I don’t which of the various houses she lived in the road led to.

Although I didn’t think of it as a pilgrimage at the time, I got to see the Mark Twain house in Hartford. Connecticut. I was visiting family who lives nearby, (Hi, Mary!) and we took a trip there for something to do. Back then, the home was still under restoration and a tenant lived on part of the third floor.

But the house was gorgeous. Beautiful dark woods throughout the interior. Marvelous staircases. Intricate ceilings.Wonderful details throughout the house. Truthfully, I don’t remember much about the exterior because I was so in awe of the inside.

If I was going to go on a literary pilgrimage, where would I go? I’m thinking Ireland. I’ve always figured that my Irish heritage is where I got my creative side. I’d love to wander the moors and hills of the countryside, explore castle and church ruins, and maybe talk to a fairy or an elf. See what came of it as far as inspiration for my stories.

If you were going on a literary pilgrimage, where would you go? You can share your stories in the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to check out where the others on this list have gone. Maybe I’ll get some ideas.

June 8, 2020

Have you ever gone on a literary pilgrimage? If so, where and why?

Spiderweb #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 1, 2020 June 1, 2020 Open Book

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” That’s how I feel about my writing.

Because I didn’t plan it. When I wrote Wolves’ Pawn, it was a one and done. It was fun, and then it was time to try something else. If you’ve been following me for a long time, you know the next book I wrote was supposed to be a different kind of paranormal romance, one featuring a librarian and a ghost. It didn’t turn out like that, because the characters objected. Instead, it became an almost-cozy mystery titled “The Marquesa’s Necklace.”

But I didn’t abandon the original theme. There might be a ghost in there somewhere. As well as a reference to Wolves’ Pawn. You’ll have to read carefully to find it.

And I fell in love with Harmony, my main character, before I finished writing Necklace, and knew there would be more books in the series. In fact, the fifth book, The Samurai’s Inro, is being released today. And each story has a reference to either the ghost or what became the Free Wolves series, or both. And yes, the first book became a series because the characters demanded it.

For the most part, the Free Wolves books stand on their own. There are overlapping characters, but the books can be read in any order. That was done on purpose. Someday, I might write more in that series. There are a couple of ideas floating around in my head.

The mysteries are different. Although each book is a separate mystery, with no cliffhangers, there’s a strong underlying story arch, and I suggest they be read in order. (Especially books 1 & 2. The other books are more solo stories)

Here’s a teaser from The Samurai’s Inro to give you a hint about the paranormal reference:

I’m in the planning stage for another series. I have to finish the Harmony series first, but I can see the possibility of including references to Harmony in the new books, just for the fun of it. It may be a couple of years before you see the first of those books. I’ve got to finish The Ranger’s Dog Tags.before I start those.

If I can carry it off, it will be quite the spiderweb I weave. It sounds like fun to try!

Since this post is appearing on release day, I can’t pass up the opportunity for promotion. Head over HERE for more information on the Samurai’s Inro and where you can get a copy.

And I’ll be checking out everyone else’s posts during the day, to keep me from staring at my sales figures. You can join me by following the links below.

In the meantime, stay safe out there!

June 1, 2020

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I See Dead People #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 24, 2020 May 24, 2020 Open Book

May 25, 2020

What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

This is a tough question for me, because I work to make my fiction non-specific in its time frame. Sure, I mention modern technology, but it could be five years ago or it could be five years in the future. And I don’t use real people in my stories, either living or dead.

But there’s one exception. In my Harmony Duprie Mysteries, there’s a certain recurring reference to a historical figure. Just one or two mentions per book, and unless the reader is looking for it, they probably don’t even realize what I’ve done.

I’ll tell you who it is later. Some of you may not even recognize the name when you see it.

But back to the question at hand. What are the ethics behind using historical figures? In my opinion, it depends.

If I’m writing a fictional story based on actual events and real people, I need to honor the event and the people. I can’t make Abraham Lincoln blond and heavyset if I’m setting a story based on his Gettysburg Address. On the other hand, If I’m imaging him as a vampire hunter, (anyone remember that movie?) I have a lot more freedom. But he still shouldn’t be short and blond-haired.

Of course, someone less well-known gives the author more latitude in working with the character. Writing about Betsy Ross is going to be more challenging that creating a story with Molly Pitcher. And the further back in history the person is from, the harder it becomes to be accurate. How much of Helen of Troy’s story is history and how much is legend?

Back to Harmony Duprie and the one historical figure I mention. And he’s only historical because he’s dead. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to believe that, under different circumstances, he’d still be performing.

I’m talking about John Denver. He’s not an actual character in the stories, but his music is mentioned in the books. Harmony’s mother was a big fan, and Harmony has inherited her mother’s collection of his albums and her love of the music. ( I may know someone who resembles that.)

We have several authors on this hop who do write historical novels, and I’m interested in seeing what they have to say on the subject. That’s where I’m heading now.

Until you stop by again, stay safe out there.

May 25, 2020

What are the ethics of writing about historical figures?

Writing Mistakes #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 17, 2020 May 17, 2020 Open Book

May 18, 2020

What are your top five writing mistakes? Either mistakes you make or mistakes that make you cringe when you see them in print?

Eight books in, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m not perfect by a long shot, but I know what to watch for. That doesn’t mean I don’t slip and have to go back and correct myself, but at least I make the same mistakes less often. Here’s my top five.

Overusing “was.” The dog was. John was. The reason for my anxiety was. You get the drift. The word is unavoidable, but using it too much isn’t. I’m better, but still have to watch my words. And figure out how to find better words to use when I am editing.
Same thing with ‘sigh.’ I won’t bore you with examples. I challenged myself to write the current book without a single use of sigh. (The Samurai’s Inro, coming June 1st.) I need to go back and check, but I think I won the challenge.
Commas. I think the rules about commas were created to make us crazy. Heck, even the on-line grammar checkers can’t agree on commas. And I’m not talking about different grammar checkers giving different results. I’m talking about the same grammar checker giving different results at different times. Before you ask – Oxford commas are a yes in my book.
I’m a pantser. That means I don’t have everything all plotted out before I write a story. That also means I occasionally lose track of story time. It is Thursday or Friday? I have to go back to a known day and start counting. No one has ever called me out on messing up a day, so I think I get them right in the end.
This one is not me, but I cringe every time I see it in an on-line forum. In fact, I see it so often I’ve begun to doubt myself. People who are using barley instead of barely. Is autocorrect doing that? Or is it a matter of bad typing and not paying attention? I never noticed it until the last year or two. One is a grain, and the other is an adverb. How do you mix them up?

That’s my five. It won’t surprise me if there’s a lot of overlap with other authors on this loop. You can check it out by following the links below.

Until later, stay safe out there.

May 18, 2020

What are your top five writing mistakes? Either mistakes you make or mistakes that make you cringe when you see them in print?

How Soon is Too Soon? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 10, 2020 May 10, 2020 Open Book

May 11, 2020

How soon is too soon to include a real-life event in a fictional story?

Let’s start with the most current event. You know the one I mean. I subscribe to a lot of book newsletters, and I cringed the first time I saw an ad for a self-help book with a quarantine related title. I think it was two or three weeks after most people in the US were asked to shelter at home. My first thought was – how does anyone pull together a meaningful book in that amount of time? And my second thought was – nothing like taking advantage of people in a time of crisis. Yes, I thought that was far too soon.

In the past week, I’ve started to see fiction books with titles like “Quarantine” and “Pandemic.” First, I despise the titles as being unoriginal. They certainly wouldn’t attract me to buy the book. Second, I wonder how well the book has been edited. Yes, I am aware that there are people out there that can write a book in less than thirty days, but I’m not among them.

What do I consider a reasonable time lapse to include a real-life event in a fiction book? It’s going to depend upon the event. For the tragedy of 9-11, it would have been at least a year if not more. For the space shuttle explosion, six months would have been a long enough of a wait. For the current virus? I can’t imagine turning it into fiction for entertainment while up to 2500 people a day are dying from Covid in the US, let alone the figures world-wide.

Now the first moon landing? Shoot, go ahead and use that before the dust had even settled. A presidential election? Have at it. The capture of a criminal? I’ll give you a soft maybe, depending upon the crime. The murder hornet? Better get that book written before they become a real problem.

It comes down to how many people have been hurt by the event and how deeply. I can’t imagine trying to profit from an event when people are still suffering. (Unless every cent of that money goes to organizations working to help the affected.)

My caveat to this discussion is that the author has to be mindful of their use of the event. Either disguise it appropriately, or make your use historically accurate. I don’t want to read about the first landing on the moon with fictional names.

So, that’s how I feel about it. Me, I avoid real world events with a passion. I don’t want to get them wrong.

I’d love to hear about how you feel. Share your thoughts in the comments. In the meantime, I’m going to head over and see what the other authors in this hop have to say.

May 11, 2020

How soon is too soon to include a real-life event in a fictional story?

Holidays We Need

By P.J. MacLayne May 3, 2020 May 3, 2020 Open Book

May 4, 2020

May 4th is the unofficial Star Wars Day. (May the Fourth be with you.) What other days should be recognized as holidays but aren’t?

Sadly, there are a number of holidays in the U.S.A. that have been basically forgotten or turned into nothing but a big commercial. President’s Day is a good example. Does anybody beyond banks and government agencies celebrate it? Without looking, I couldn’t even tell you the date it was originally celebrated.

People have lost track of the difference between Labor Day in May and Memorial Day in September. All they know is one marks the unofficial beginning of summer and the other the end.

Growing up, the first day of deer hunting season was practically a holiday. Unofficial, but lots of people took the day off and even the schools let kids out for the day. I don’t think as many people hunt anymore, so I suspect that has changed.

Another area I lived in had an excellent high school basketball team. Somehow, Spring Break normally was scheduled for when the state level basketball tournaments were held. Then one year the schedule was changed and people got really upset. When the team had a bad year, the furor died down.

(Political Rant ON) If I was going to create a holiday, it would be Election Day in November. Too many people find it difficult to go vote because of their work schedules. Either that, or make voting by mail the standard. It’s ridiculous that people have to stand in line for three or four hours to vote in some places. (Political Rant OFF)

I’d like to see Earth Day turned into an official holiday. I participated in the first Earth Day back in 1970 and it helped to make me aware of the challenges the environment faces. Combine it with May Day and let’s have some fun while doing good things.

And I really want a play day holiday. Did your school do that, just have a day to play games and have fun? Wouldn’t it be great if we could do that worldwide? We’d all get to ride bikes with bells and toss inflatable balls or whatever else makes us happy. Heck, we could call it Fun Day!

Is there a holiday you think we should add to our calendars? Tell us about it in the comments. And don’t forget to check what the other authors on this hop think we should add.

In the meantime, stay safe and hope to see you next week.

May 4, 2020

May 4th is the unofficial Star Wars Day. (May the Fourth be with you.) What other days should be recognized as holidays but aren’t?

Pet Peeves #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne April 26, 2020 April 26, 2020 Open Book

April 27, 2020

What are your pet peeves when it comes to grammar and spelling?

I’m sure the list will be ones you’ve all heard over and over before, but I’ll give this a shot.

Too! Many! Exclamation! Points! Now, I’m not against the use of
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
exclamation points in general, but I think they need to be used sparingly. It’s like sending an email in all caps—it’s yelling. Look at me! I’m important! If you, as an author, have to use an exclamation point to show how important the sentence you wrote is, you need to rewrite the sentence. There are exceptions, of course, because they help to show what a character is feeling. But, please, please, don’t overuse the exclamation point!
Apostrophes. Apostrophes can be hard. Is it it’s or its? And how about the possessive of a noun that ends in s? If you have more than one dog, and they each have a bone, is it the dogs’ bones or the dogs’s bones? Now throw in someone whose name end in ‘s’. Let’s say someone’s last names is Cookes. Is the car belonging to Mr. Cookes, Cookes’ car or Cookes’s car?
Here’s a fun one. One or two spaces after a sentence? Old style sheets will tell you two, newer versions will say one. The truth is, back in the days when documents were typewritten, two spaces made for a cleaner look. Nowadays, that’s not true. Microsoft, in all its wisdom, has decided to flag two spaces as errors. (But it’s an option that can be turned off.)
There, they’re, and their. It strikes me as silly that the English language has three words that sound the same but have different meanings. Especially when all the words are used frequently. Homonyms are bad enough with two words that sound alike, but three word homonyms are totally unnecessary. It’s a wonder that auto-correct ever gets them right.
How about the word I am most likely to misspell. Awkward, isn’t it? No, that’s the word. Awkward. I always want to put a c in the first syllable. I know it doesn’t belong there, but darn, if my fingers don’t reach for that key every time I type the word awkward.

There’s my five. What did I miss? Tell me your pet peeves in the comments.

And stay safe, y’all.