A Conversation with Judge Debra H. Goldstein, Author of 'One Taste Too Many'

Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of One Taste Too Many, the first of Kensington’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series. She also wrote Should Have Played Poker and 2012 IPPY Award winning Maze in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place,” have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. Debra is president of Sisters in Crime’s Guppy Chapter, serves on SinC’s national board, and is president of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Find out more about Debra at www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

Congratulations on the release of your latest book, One Taste Too Many. When did you start writing and what got you into cozies?

I was the neighborhood kid who wrote plays for us to act in front of parents and other children and skits for school projects. Consequently, I grew up thinking I’d work in a writing related field. When I graduated the University of Michigan, I gave myself eight months to accomplish two goals: get a job in New York in publishing and become a Jeopardy contestant. In case things didn’t work out with my day job search, I typed law school applications at night. Eight months later, goals accomplished, I enrolled in law school. For the years I was a litigator and then a judge, I continued the other habit I’d started as a child – reading voraciously. My favorites, because I could enjoyably knock them out quickly on a flight or while relaxing, were cozy mysteries. They were fun. When I decided to write, the pleasure I got out of cozy mysteries was what I wanted to share with readers.

What is your book about?

One Taste Too Many is the story of how a woman finds the resiliency to overcome her fears and doubts about starting over to clear her sister’s name and avoid being in the kitchen. Married at eighteen, but now divorced at twenty-eight, Sarah Blair swapped her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment, a law firm receptionist job, and caring for her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah. She knew things might be difficult, but things fall completely apart when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Sarah’s twin’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. With RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and her twin wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before she must take her twin’s place in a o. Unfortunately, for a woman whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worth than death – being in the kitchen. 

What was your inspiration for it?

I wanted to write a cozy mystery, but I ran into a big problem. Cozy mysteries usually feature divine recipes or accomplished craftsmen. Although I was a decent enough lawyer and judge, my cooking and craft skills are dismal. Pondering what to write, I realized I’m not the only person challenged in these areas. Consequently, I decided, as the mother of twins, to write a series that combined my knowledge of night and day twins with the concept of having one sister be a master chef like my sister, who shadowed our mother and is an excellent cook, while I lay on the couch and watched Perry Mason.  

What type of challenges did you face while writing this book?

My biggest challenges writing One Taste Too Many were making the characters believable and the recipes correct. Not being knowledgeable about the kitchen, I had to double check everything I referenced. The other challenge I faced while writing this book was personal. The book was coming together quickly when my mother died. I found myself unable to write. Months went by before I resumed writing, but there was a problem. My words were stilted. It wasn’t until I realized I’d stopped listening to my characters and tried to resolve the plot by making the wrong character the murderer, that I was able to put fun and life back into the manuscript. Of course, doing this required throwing out half of my draft and doing an extensive rewrite.

Did your book require a lot of research?

One Taste Too Many didn’t require a lot of research for its plot, but I had to research and try the recipes referenced in the book. Because Sarah is a cook of convenience, I had to search magazines and cookbooks for unique and amusing recipes. I was very excited when I found Jell-O in a can.

What do you do when your muse refuses to collaborate?

I don’t write every day, so I often don’t notice when the muse is missing. If enough days go by without producing something, I try to work on my main work in progress, but if I can’t get anywhere with it, I write a short piece, or I tell myself, “Better luck, tomorrow.”

Many writers experience a vague anxiety before they sit down to right. Can you relate to this?

I don’t really have a vague sense of anxiety before I sit down to write. For me, the anxiety or frustration comes when the words don’t flow the way I want. I know I have a gem of an idea, but I’m not sure how to retrieve it. When that happens, I try writing the piece or paragraphs from other angles until one finally works. Once the words start coming, I slip into a zone that is peaceful rather than anxiety filled.

Do you have a writing schedule? Are you disciplined?

When I was on the bench, I had very little free time, so I had to stick to a writing schedule – weekends and somewhere between midnight and four a.m. Once I left my judgeship to write fulltime, I thought I’d be as disciplined as I was while I worked full time, but I’m not. Now, I don’t stick to any schedule and almost anything can successfully distract me. The only time I put myself in writing jail is when I have a deadline.

What was your publishing process like?

My three books have all been traditionally published, but each followed a different process.

Maze in Blue found a home as an outgrowth of a program I moderated for a group of one hundred businesswomen. In response to a question, I mentioned I had a mystery I thought was ready to see the world. A few hours later, I received an e-mail from the publisher of a small house indicating her best friend told her there was a judge with a mystery and suggesting she might want to see it. The best friend was a noted publicist in town and knowing nothing about agents or submissions, I said “Sure.” I asked if she wanted me to mail it to her any special way. She told me to send it as an e-mail attachment with a specific e-mail header. Only after I e-mailed it did I realize if she didn’t like it, all she had to do was hit delete. A few weeks later, I received another e-mail: “My partner and I have read Maze in Blue and would like to offer you a contract.”

Unfortunately, shortly after Maze in Blue winning an IPPY award, the publisher ceased operations. All agents and editors I talked to told me to throw it back up on Create Space because I needed books to fulfill the speaking engagements I had and to “write something new.” Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery was my something new. An editor read the first two pages at Killer Nashville and asked for the entire manuscript. Five Star bought the book a week later. Five Star published the book but discontinued its mystery line the following year.

Again, I had to “write something new.” This time, I went the agent route and was lucky to be signed by one. She submitted my book to Kensington, who offered me a three-book deal for the Sarah Blair cozy mystery series. One Taste Too Many is the first of the series. Two Bites Too Many will be published in October. Kensington, from acceptance through publication, has been a delight to work with.

How do you celebrate the completion of a book?

When I finish a book, I close my computer except for checking e-mail and binge read the books building up on my TBR shelf.

How do you define success?

Success is knowing my family is okay and that I’m having fun with what I’m doing. If you had asked me this question years ago, my answer would probably have been different. Back then, I probably defined it as accolades, monetary bonuses, or in other materialistic terms, but I was lucky as a lawyer, judge, and volunteer to receive more than my fair share of “success.” The medals, trophies, certificates, and other rewards simply don’t compare to the non-tangible ones I now relish.

What do you love most about the writer’s life?

Having always been a reader, I love meeting the people whose books took me to new worlds or challenged my mind. The kindness the people at the top of the food chain and those in my lower levels have shown me has been equal. I would not be where I am today in my writing career but for the encouragement and teaching of the members of the writing community. The words on paper make it possible, but the interaction with other writers defines the essence of this writer’s life.

What is your advice for aspiring authors?

Take classes, network, read books on writing and most of all, do it. Time passes while one is talking about writing and for many no words ever get on paper. Don’t be one of those authors.

George Orwell once wrote: “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” Thoughts?

Many writers view the process of idea to words on paper, revision. seeking agents, editors, and publishers, more edits, and final publication as being a fight at every point in the process, but they claim, as Orwell wrote, they don’t give up because they must write. I think that is true for them, but I don’t feel the compulsion as much as I see writing as a joyful release. I find a prompt or have an idea, but I only respond if I want to. The contrasting viewpoints are very similar to the ongoing philosophical argument over whether there is a God dictating our lives or if our actions are manmade. I’m content to write my books and short stories, while leaving the greater debate to others.  

What’s on the horizon for you?

2018 was a marvelous year. Not only did I sign my Kensington contract for the new Sarah Blair mystery series, I also signed a contract with Harlequin giving them mass market publication rights of Should Have Played Poker. One Taste Too Many, a January 2019 release, will be available December 18, 2018 and in October 2019, Two Bites Too Many will be published. Harlequin is scheduled to release Poker in June 2019.

Besides my book deals, my Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine short story, “The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place was named an Agatha and Anthony finalist. Five unrelated stories already have publication dates in 2019.

In a few months, I will finish my term as President of the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I will continue as the Monitoring Chair and a member of the Sinc national board, but I also will begin my term as President of the Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Besides spending time with family and friends, I’m looking forward to meeting new writers and readers. I can be reached at DHG@DebraHGoldstein.com .

Anything else you’d like to tell my readers?

Thank you for having me as a guest today. It was a pleasure spending time with you and your readers. I hope they will feel free to contact me at DHG@DebraHGoldstein.com or to check out my website (https:/www.DebraHGoldstein) and I encourage them, whether it is One Taste Too Many or the books available by so many other authors, to support writers.

 Links to book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Many-Sarah-Blair-Mystery/dp/1496719476

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-taste-too-many-debra-h-goldstein/1128297322

Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/One-Taste-Too-Many/Debra-H-Goldstein/9781496719478

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781496719478

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/One-Taste-Too-Many/309566204

Hudson Booksellers: https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/book/9781496719478 

New release: 'A Deadly Eclair' by Daryl Wood Gerber

National best-selling author Daryl Wood Gerber delivers an irresistible tale in A Deadly Éclair. Brimming with the ingredients of a winning recipe—a to-die-for setting, a captivating cast of characters, fabulous French bistro fare, and sumptuous suspense—A Deadly Éclair marks the advent of a mouthwatering new mystery series.

About  A Deadly Éclair:  It’s always been Mimi Rousseau’s dream to open her own bistro, but it seems beyond her grasp since she’s been chased back home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley by her late husband’s tremendous debt. But when Mimi’s best friend Jorianne James introduces her to Bryan Baker, an entrepreneur who invests in promising prospects, Mimi’s dream becomes a reality and Bistro Rousseau is born. Now, working the bistro and inn until she’s able to pay it off and call it her own, Mimi is throwing the inn’s first wedding ever.

This wedding will be the talk of the town, as celebrity talk show host Angelica Edmonton, daughter of Bryan’s half-brother, Edison, has chosen the inn as the perfect venue for her extravagant nuptials. Anxious, Mimi is sure things are going to turn south—especially when Edison gets drunk and rowdy at the out-of-towners’ dinner—but by the evening, things begin to look up again. That is until morning rolls around, and Bryan is found dead at the bistro with an éclair stuffed in his mouth. And the fingers point at Mimi, whose entire loan is forgiven if Bryan dies.

Now it’s up to Mimi to clear her name and get to the bottom of things before the killer turns up the heat again. Murder, after all, is not a good addition to any menu….

A fresh, fun, and fantastic French Bistro tale, A Deadly Éclair is peppered with charm, wit, and swoon-worthy recipes.  This clever culinary cozy will delight with its tantalizing twists and turns, sizzling storyline, and masterful plotting.  A delicious, decadent and delectable new mystery, A Deadly Éclair is resplendent with flavor, spice, and zest. Written by a true master of the cozy mystery, A Deadly Éclair is a tale to be devoured.   

Find out more on Amazon!

Agatha Award-winning Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mysteries as well as the Cheese Shop Mysteries, which she pens as Avery Aames. Daryl has also penned two stand-alone suspense novels, Day of Secrets and Girl on the Run. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, and she has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line. Visit Daryl Wood Gerber online at: www.darylwoodgerber.com

The Inspiration behind 'White with Fish, Red with Murder' by Harley Mazuk

White with Fish, Red with Murder is a noir-ish private eye tale. There’s a love triangle, tough guys, lying dames, a couple of murders, greed, lust, jealousy, and nefarious schemes. It’s the kind of stuff I like to read, and I thought I should write what I like.

It started out with my 50th birthday. I came of age in the late ’60s, a time of flower power and the Vietnam war and I was as surprised as anyone that I lived to be fifty. I invited my friends for a gala birthday party and wine tasting. I wrote a murder mystery play around the idea of a wine tasting at which one of the guests is a murderer, and each of my guests plays a suspect. My friends dressed in ‘40s clothing and I assigned them parts in the play. We had some good food, good wine, and they read the scripts I provided them.

I thought the murder mystery worked well. Of course, I was feeling no pain by the time private eye Frank Swiver solved the crime and checked the killer’s elbows. A few years later, the memory of how much wine we’d all drunk had subsided a bit and I decided to take out the dossiers and clues I had given each character and see if I could turn what I had into a prose narrative, that is—write a book. To whatever extent my friends had improvised lines, I tried to capture their artistic contributions in the writing.

I was still working in those days, as a corporate communicator in one of our fine three-letter federal agencies, and I worked on the novel part time. I had probably completed about three-quarters of it—say 60,000 words—in seven or eight months, and my father died. I’m an only child and my mother was in declining health. She couldn’t be left alone, so we moved her in with us, and I put the novel on the back burner for a couple years. Sometime after Mom passed away, it was finally time to complete the project. I was retired, and I started to devote full-time to writing pulp fiction.

I found Driven Press as one of the few publishers who accept un-agented manuscripts and submitted to them. They liked it well enough, and here we are.

Harley Mazuk [http://www.harleymazuk.com/] is a mystery writer living in Maryland. His first novel, White with Fish, Red with Murder [http://www.drivenpress.net/white-with-fish-red-with-murder] is out now, from Driven Press. [http://www.drivenpress.net/]

Guest post: "Working for the Magic" by Clea Simon, author of WHEN BUNNIES GO BAD

When people find out my 20^th mystery came out this spring they often ask: how do I do it? The answer is simple: If you do the work, the magic happens.

A shorter answer is that I consider writing my job. I make myself work on my books five days a week. When I’m in the process of drafting a new manuscript, as I am now, that means sitting down at my desk and not getting up until I produce a certain pre-determined number of words. These days, that’s usually 1,200 words, though when my deadline is tight, it can go up. And as I near the end of a manuscript, it usually climbs on its own until I have to be dragged away to eat dinner or sleep.

That’s not easy, and it can be a slog. There are many days when I have no idea what I’m going to write. And since I’m a “pantser” – plotting by the seat of my pants rather than from an outline – I have very little to go from, no “cheat sheet,” so to speak, that offers me a rough of a scene that I can spend my time fleshing out. That’s not to say I write totally blind: I usually have a vague idea of where I’m going with a book. I’ve heard other writers refer to this as “seeing as far ahead as your headlights.” But that’s not very far, and the idea that “pantsing” allows for more freedom can be cold comfort when it’s  seven p.m. and I have 700 words still to go.

But that’s what works for me. Because, somewhere between the discipline and the frustration is where the magic comes in. I’ll be up against the wall, unsure of what to write next, having already cranked out more than enough pointless dialogue for the day (when I say I write 1,200 words, not all of those are keepers!), when I’ll suddenly realize: No, suspect A didn’t do it. In fact, she had no idea! And minor character B? Well, she’s the one! And character C helped her – they’re in cahoots! And then, half the time, I’ll go back and realize that I’ve unintentionally written in the perfect backstory for this plot twist – maybe in an earlier effort to get my word count done so I can go downstairs and watch “Elementary.”  Suddenly my book takes off, and for the next few days at least, my word count is just a suggestion of when to take a break.

Does this kind of writing mean that I have to revise a lot? Sure, and I have my daily quota for that too. But this usually goes more easily than I expect. Put in the work, I find, and the magic comes.

Title:  WHEN BUNNIES GO BAD

Genre: Mystery

Author: Clea Simon        

Website: http://www.cleasimon.com

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Purchase on Amazon

About the Book:

Winter is hard in Beauville, where the melting snow can reveal much more than last season’s dead leaves. So when a wealthy, obnoxious tourist and his ski bunny girlfriend surface in Pru Marlowe’s little Berkshire town, she knows she should stay out of their way. The bad-girl animal psychic has to focus on more immediate concerns, including a wild rabbit named Henry, supposedly tamed and illegally living with an eighty-four-year-old lady in her home. Henry, who seems to be acting out and hiding, avoids responding to Pru. Yet when Pru discovers the tourist murdered and his girlfriend’s high-maintenance spaniel falls to her care, she gets dragged into a complicated case of crime and punishment that involves some new friends, an old nemesis, and her own shadowed past. A recent museum art heist draws the feds into the investigation along with a courtly gentleman radiating menace, who represents secretive business interests in New York and shows a surprising awareness of Pru. Her on-again, off-again romance with police Detective Creighton doesn’t stop him from warning her to steer clear of the inquiry. The spaniel, however, lures her in. Pru lives in a world where only her crotchety tabby Wallis knows the whole truth about her past, her flight from Manhattan, and her unique gift that surfaced abruptly one day. Fearing the worst, Pru now comes dangerously close to being exposed. With everything in motion, Pru, Wallis, and everyone they hold dear will be lucky to escape…by a hare.

About the Author:

Clea Simon is the author of the Theda Krakow, Dulcie Schwartz, and Pru Marlowe pet noir series, as well as three nonfiction books.   A former journalist, Clea lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband, the writer Jon Garelick, and their cat Musetta.

Chapter reveal: Karma's a Killer, by Tracy Weber

Title: KARMA’S A KILLER

Genre: Mystery

Author: Tracy Weber

Website: www.tracyweberauthor.com         

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Purchase on Amazon

About the Book:

A fun, fresh, feisty new mystery featuring Seattle yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her trusty canine companion Bella, Karma’s a Killer is a taut tale with more twists and turns than a vinyasa yoga class.   In this charming, clever and utterly captivating cozy mystery, Kate Davidson discovers that when it comes to murder, there’s no place like om. 

When she agrees to teach doga—yoga for dogs—at a fundraiser for Dogma, a local animal rescue, Kate believes the only real damage will be to her reputation. But when an animal rights protest at the event leads to a suspicious fire and a drowning, a few downward-facing dogs will be the least of Kate’s problems… The police arrest Dharma, a woman claiming to be Kate’s estranged mother, and charge her with murder. To prove Dharma’s innocence, Kate, her boyfriend Michael, and her German shepherd sidekick Bella dive deeply into the worlds of animal activism, organizational politics, and the dangerous obsessions that drive them.   And if solving a murder weren’t complicated enough, Kate will also have to decide whether or not to reconcile with the estranged mother who abandoned her over thirty years ago.  Not to mention having to contend with an almost-bankrupt animal rescue, a cantankerous crow, an unwanted pigeon houseguest, and a rabbit in a doga class. What could possibly go wrong?

CHAPTER 5

The shouts that drowned out Maggie’s words were impassioned, if a little misguided.

“Break down the cages!”

“Close the dog warehouses!”

“Animal ownership is slavery!”

Over twenty people, all wearing black shirts with orange flame insignias, cut a swath across the grass, waving picket signs and yelling at top volume.

Two teenage girls held onto opposite ends of a banner that read “Humans for Ethical Animal Treatment. Turn up the HEAT!”

Raven—the younger woman I’d seen arguing behind the paddle boats earlier—marched next to them holding a sign in one hand and a leash attached to the neck of a handsome, thirtyish, olive-skinned man in the other. Eduardo, I assumed. I shaded my eyes with my hand and examined the object of the two women’s confrontation.

Even from a distance, I could understand his appeal. With broad shoulders, deep cocoa eyes, and wavy black hair that curled under his ear lobes, this man would easily make more than one woman’s heart go atwitter. His one glaring fault was the sandpaper-thick layer of dark stubble covering the lower half of his face. No amount of shaving would keep that beard-in-the-making under control. Even thinking about it made my skin itch.

His dark leather jacket and matching motorcycle boots contrasted hypocritically with the sign that he carried: “Animals Are Sentient Beings, Not Possessions!” His face wore a trapped, agonized expression, though that might have been part of the show.

I scanned the area behind him, looking for Dharma and Goth Girl. I didn’t see either.

The dog walkers stopped talking, stared at the ruckus, and scowled. No one seemed to be having fun anymore, which was probably the protestor’s intention. A short, rail-thin young woman stomped away from the picket line, knocked a hot dog out of a child’s hand, and yelled, “Meat is murder!”

Michael pulled out his cell phone. “That’s it. I’m calling the police.”

Maggie closed her eyes and sighed. “I can’t believe she’s actually going through with this.”

“You know one of them?” I asked

She shuddered, but her eyes never left the protesters. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Sally, take Mrs. Abernathy to the pet first aid tent and …”

Her voice trailed off. She glanced left and right. “Where on earth did Sally go?”

The Bunny Lady wrinkled her nose, ill humor back in full force. “Sally left a few minutes ago, which is exactly what I should have done. You obviously don’t have control over this fiasco.” She slipped the rabbit into her bag and stomped several feet away before turning back to spit out two final sentences. “Don’t bother cashing that check I gave you earlier. I’m putting a stop payment on it as soon as I get home!”

Maggie cradled her face in her hands. “Can this day get any worse?”

She shouldn’t have asked.

The words barely escaped her lips when Dale’s head jerked up. “Do you smell that?”

I did. I would have recognized that smell anywhere. Gasoline.

I heard a loud swoosh, punctuated by a louder explosion. New, significantly more frightening, words rang out across the field.

“Fire! Somebody help! The garbage cans are on fire!”

Dale’s face turned as white as his beard.

“Oh no! The goats!”

Michael and Maggie ran toward the registration desk, while Dale, Bandit, and I tore off to the petting area. Picketers and dog walkers scattered in every direction.

By the time we rounded the corner, the fire was already spreading. Hot yellow flames licked from the recycle bins to the loose hay surrounding the petting area. Within seconds, the entire line of straw bales had ignited, creating a flaming, Hades-like fence.

The teenage volunteers had already rushed the children outside the fenced area, but the goats were still trapped, huddled together in the corner farthest away from the fire. Michael skidded to a stop behind me and blasted the straw bales with an extinguisher, but the fire was spreading too fast. He may as well have been spraying the Towering Inferno with a garden hose.

Dale tossed Bandit’s leash to a gawker. The blond volunteer held the gate open while his brother, Dale, and I scrambled inside. Michael kept spraying the extinguisher, holding the flames back as best he could.

The goats refused to move.

“Force them to the entrance,” Dale yelled.

I channeled my inner Goth Girl, waved my arms, and yelled. “Go you stupid goats! Run! Get out of here!”

The three of us screamed and clapped and pushed and stomped, until the terrified animals bolted from the enclosure and charged into the park, straight past the onlookers, who were too transfixed by the flames to do anything but watch.

Dale gathered the final fear-frozen spotted kid in his arms and carried it away from the flames. Sirens wailed in the distance.

“Get the truck,” he said to the blond teen. He handed the baby goat to the other.

It seemed like a century passed, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes before firemen started dousing the area with cold water. Dale kept a watchful eye on his skittish herd, huddled several hundred feet away. A few people broke off from the crowd and tried to approach them. “Stay back!” Dale yelled. “Just block them from the road. And for lands sake, don’t chase them.”

Michael came up behind us. “Shouldn’t we try to round them up somehow?”

Dale’s expression was grim. “They’re too riled up. Give them a few minutes to calm down. They’ll come to me.” His voice didn’t sound confident.

The blond teen drove a livestock truck onto the field and parked. He jumped out of the cab, opened the back, and pulled down a wide ramp. Dale grabbed a metal pail from inside and filled it with grain from a five-gallon bucket.

“Hope this works,” he muttered.