Getting Medieval

Today I am pleased to bring you the wonderful bestselling author Julia Spencer-Fleming. She grabbed almost all the major mystery awards when she debuted with IN A BLEAK MIDWINTER back in 2002, the first in what was to be a successful mystery series with unlikely paired sleuths Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson and local police chief Russ Van Alstyne and their even more unlikely romance. Readers were hooked and so was I. Millers Kill where the action of the books takes place, is a small town in upstate New York. And as you know, when you read mysteries set in small towns--when it comes to murder--they seem just as bad if not worse than the urban streets of any big city.

THE INTERVIEW   

Jeri Westerson: Tell us about the hiatus between your last book and ONE WAS A SOLDIER. We’ve missed Russ and Clare.

Julia Spencer-Fleming: Part of it was simply life happening. I had a bunch of health issues, none of which were life-threatening, but all of which affected my ability to work. (As they say in Monty Python, I got better.) Then there was the college search and application process with my oldest daughter, transitioning my son into high school, and switching my youngest daughter into a new elementary school.

I also spent far more time researching One Was A Soldier than I’ve ever spent on my other works. I felt a deep obligation to get the background and the experiences of my fictional veterans right, and I wound up taking some six months to read books, scour the internet for mil(itary) blogs, dissect newspaper and magazine articles, and interview vets. Honestly, I don’t know how you do the level of research the Crispin series takes and still manage to write a book a year!

I know the delay has been very frustrating to readers who’ve been following the series. I can only say that I think this may be my best book yet, because I took so much time to write, redraft, and revise.

Jeri: What do you think it is about a small town that interests authors—and readers—so much?

Julia: The sense of community? Even when living in huge cities, we live and work in our own small “villages.” So in that respect, everyone recognizes a small town. I also think the interest in fictional small towns stems from the way the reader can encounter the same characters over and over again, sometimes stepping to the forefront of the story, sometimes acting as a spear carrier. As an author, I love having this large cast of characters to use. We follow the residents of Millers Kill as they grow and change, as bad and good things happen to them. Finally, I suspect a certain nostalgia for small town life. I’ve lived in a town of 8,000 for 17 years now, and I still catch myself thinking, Wow, it’s just like Mayberry when I’m walking with my neighbors in the 4th of July parade or eavesdropping on ladies gossiping in the library. Although I can’t imagine anyone eager to live in Millers Kill - the per capita murder rate is appalling!

Jeri: Your minor characters are playing a larger role these days. Do you have plans for them?

Julia: I do. Several minor characters become significant viewpoint characters in One Was A Soldier, enabling readers to find out much more about their lives and backgrounds. One of the things I find useful about bringing minor characters to the foreground this way is the ability it gives me to reveal the main characters in a different light. The reader and I get to look at Russ and Clare through the eyes of the people around them - who may see our heroes entirely differently than they see themselves.

Two secondary characters are stepping up in a big way to become the next romantic duo. Officer Kevin Flynn has been in the series from the beginning; readers have seen him develop from a grass-green 21-year-old rookie to, in One Was A Soldier, a 26-year-old with quite a few experiences under his belt - including that of falling hopelessly in love with newcomer Hadley Knox. Hadley was introduced in I Shall Not Want, a thirty-something mother of two fleeing a bad marriage in California for the (to her) dubious pleasure of becoming a member of the MKPD. She doesn’t particularly want to be a cop, she doesn’t really want to become a part of the small-town society, and she more certainly doesn’t want to have a young puppy like Flynn panting after her. But there is this undeniable attraction...

Jeri: What comes first for you—the villain, the victim, or the murder method?

Julia: Of those three, the victim always comes first. Most of the time, I don’t know who the killer is until I’m halfway through the first draft. I have to write into it to uncover the twists and turns of the plot. The murder methods people use in my books are extremely straightforward - shooting, stabbing, bludgeoning. Although one victim did get defenestrated. Isn’t that a wonderful word? (Jeri note: It means being thrown out a window. One of my favorite words, too!) And I didn’t even use it in the book when it happened. At any rate, I’m trying to keep the crimes realistically small-town America, which mostly means guns.

However, if you’re talking about the book, I start with...I guess “the theme” or “the issue” is the right word. For instance, when I began teasing the threads of One Was A Soldier out of my head, I knew I wanted to write about returning veterans, the kind of mostly National Guard members who live and work right here in Maine. I had been reading articles about the deployments of various units and groups, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like for them, coming back to their small rural towns, family and friends expecting them to be exactly the same as when they left. I knew, from friends who had been to Vietnam, that no one returns from war the same person. So that was my starting point, wanted to tell the story of a handful of individuals who came back. Then I had to think of a way to weave a mystery into their narrative.

Jeri: Tell us about ONE WAS A SOLDIER.

Julia: Can I quote the flap copy? I’m terrible at off-the-cuff descriptions of my own work.

On a warm September evening in the Millers Kill community center, five veterans sit down in rickety chairs to try to make sense of their experiences in Iraq. What they will find is murder, conspiracy, and the unbreakable ties that bind them to one other and their small Adirondack town.

The Rev. Clare Fergusson wants to forget the things she saw as a combat helicopter pilot and concentrate on her relationship with Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne. MP Eric McCrea needs to control the explosive anger threatening his job as a police officer. Will Ellis, high school track star, faces the reality of life as a double amputee. Orthopedist Trip Stillman is denying the extent of his traumatic brain injury. And bookkeeper Tally McNabb wrestles with guilt over the in-country affair that may derail her marriage.

But coming home is harder than it looks. One vet will struggle with drugs and alcohol. One will lose his family and friends. One will die.

Since their first meeting, Russ and Clare's bond has been tried, torn, and forged by adversity. But when he rules the veteran's death a suicide, she violently rejects his verdict, drawing the surviving vets into an unorthodox investigation that threatens jobs, relationships, and her own future with Russ.

As the days cool and the nights grow longer, they will uncover a trail of deceit that runs from their tiny town to the upper ranks of the U.S. Army, and from the waters of the Millers Kill to the unforgiving streets of Baghdad.

Jeri: What’s next? Tell us there is another Russ and Clare. Please? I mean, without giving anything away, I’m thinking there has to be.

Julia: Indeed there is! I’ve recently signed a three-book contract with the lovely folks at St. Martin’s Minotaur for another three Millers Kill mysteries. I’m already at work on the next book after One Was A Soldier. As is usual for me, I wanted to write a story that’s 180 degrees away from the most recent book, so this one is more of a stripped down thriller, taking place over the course of one week (and requiring very little research!) Think Russ and Clare trapped in an ice-bound cabin in the woods by a stone-cold killer. The working title is Seven Whole Days.

Jeri: A big thank you to Julia for stopping by Getting-Medieval. The book will be out in days. Go order it. Now!

Julia Spencer-Fleming is the Agatha and Anthony-award-winning author of the upcoming One Was A Soldier, the seventh Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery. You can find her on Facebook and on Twitter. One Was A Soldier is available for preorder at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, Powell's Books and your locally owned independent bookstore.

Start at the beginning of the story with In the Bleak Midwinter, now only $2.99 as an ebook. And don’t miss Letters to a Soldier, a free ebooklet with exclusive content and an excerpt from One Was A Soldier.

Can you stand one more interview? Here is one with the Los Angeles Examiner.com.

Sharon Kay Penman, amazing historical fiction author, was kind enough to give me an interview on her blog today.  http://sharonkaypenman.com/blog/?p=146

The man himself, dashing ex-knight turned detective Crispin Guest, is on author Beth Groundwater's blog today. See what he has to say and ask him a question or two.

Really great interview as the cover story for the Inland Empire Weekly. He "gets" me. Read it here.

Today, I'm interviewing author Elizabeth Zelvin. Liz is a New York City psychotherapist and author of a mystery series featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler. Death Will Help You Leave Him, out in October 2009 from Minotaur Books, is a traditional whodunit about addictive relationships and hard choices. Liz's debut mystery, Death Will Get You Sober, was nominated for a David award for Best Mystery Novel of 2008 and for an Anthony award for cover design. Bruce also appears in three short stories, one in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (August 2009) one nominated for an Agatha award for Best Short Story, and a third in The Gift of Murder, the 2009 holiday crime anthology to benefit Toys for Tots. 

The Interview

Liz, you have a lot of sheepskin on your walls in the way of degrees. A social worker, an English major, a counselor. You started with poetry and now find yourself with murder. With many illustrious careers under your belt, what made you make the switch to writing mystery fiction? Did you set out to write a mystery?

Writing mystery novels is not a switch for me—it’s a return. I first said I wanted to be a writer when I was seven years old. And I think that for many of us, the most convincing proof that we are writers is to get a novel published. I was a college English major who couldn’t connect with poetry at all. I didn’t realize there was a good reason I couldn’t come to grips with Wallace Stevens and Hart Crane until I discovered Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton in my thirties. It was a revelation of what poets could write about and how accessible poetry could be. By that time, I had discovered mysteries. I wrote three that didn’t sell in the Seventies, took time out for clinical writing when I became a mental health and addictions professional, and went back to write Death Will Get You Sober as soon as I quit my last day job and had the time.

You work as a counselor to alcoholics. In your debut, Death Will Get You Sober, did you call upon your experience in counseling to get into the mindset of your protagonist, Bruce Kohler, an alcoholic? How does creating a fictional "patient" differ from the real thing?

The way you phrase this question is interesting, because it makes so many assumptions that are not quite on target. First, while I held a New York State credential in alcoholism and substance abuse counseling for twenty years, I never worked as a counselor. As soon as I realized a master’s degree in social work would give me not only a more sophisticated knowledge base but also better pay and status, I went for that. I held clinical social work jobs in alcoholism treatment programs for a couple of years and then went on to develop and direct such programs, including a women’s treatment program in Coney Island and a program for homeless men and women on the Bowery. At the same time, I started a psychotherapy practice, worked with all kinds of clients for many years, and then in 2000 started my online therapy practice at LZcybershrink.com, where I work with clients all over the world via chat and email.

Second, I don’t think of Bruce or of any alcoholic in recovery as a “patient.” As a social worker, I treat “clients” professionally, but Death Will Get You Sober is not about how people recover through treatment, although it starts out with Bruce in detox on the Bowery. What I wanted to present was the astonishing process of transformation that recovering alcoholics experience, especially through AA. And the idea for the series has always been not to show my protagonist climbing back on the same old roller coaster with booze, but continuing to grow and grapple with other addictive behaviors and life issues through other 12-step programs and his own unfolding self-awareness. The new book, Death Will Help You Leave Him, is about addictive relationships. All my characters are drawn from a huge number of people in recovery whom I’ve known professionally and personally. The only difference between them and the fictional Bruce is that I can guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that Bruce won’t drink again.

Alcoholism is a heavy-duty topic. Other mystery authors who have tackled addiction plotlines usually write darker stuff. How do you go about lightening up the topic while still giving it the respect it deserves?

I didn’t insert the humor into recovery. It’s already there. The world-class mysteries with recovering alcoholic protagonists—Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder and James Lee Burke’s Dave Robichaux—are indeed dark. I wanted to show that sobriety doesn’t mean you never laugh again, and that there’s a very special humor among people who are gradually becoming more and more honest about the appalling mess they’ve made of their lives. AA meetings can be hilarious. As for Bruce’s sardonic voice—and his sidekick Barbara’s very different and I hope equally funny struggles with codependency—they appeared out of that well of creativity that makes writers say we’re just a channel for characters who have a life of their own. When people can laugh at themselves, they become sympathetic as well as funny, and recovering people have that gift in abundance.

Did you find much opposition when you presented your manuscript to editors, given the subject matter?

I found that the topic of alcoholism acted as a kind of litmus test. Everybody has opinions about drinking, and one-third of American families are affected by alcoholism. Those who read it, including agents and editors, brought their own experiences and those of their families to the table, though of course they didn’t say so. There were certain clues. For example, some who found the book depressing rather than hilarious and hopeful may have had an alcoholic parent or spouse or sibling who never stopped drinking. They connected with the negativity and hopelessness at the beginning rather than with the recovery process that pulls Bruce along and gives him back his future by the end of the story.

Is alcoholism the true villain in your series or are you more pragmatic?

Not at all. How can a treatable illness be a villain? I’m writing mysteries, and the villains are the murderers, though even they may end up eliciting our understanding or sympathy. On the other hand, I could make a case for recovery itself—from addictive substances and compulsive behaviors, not only from alcoholism—being the true hero. ~What kind of book do you read to relax? I read what I write: character-driven mystery series and on occasion the same in other genres. When I most desperately need to relax, I’ll reread old favorites.

Death Will Help You Leave Him is the second in your series, releasing soon. What’s next on your plate?

The next in the series is Death Will Extend Your Vacation. Bruce and his friends Barbara and Jimmy find themselves in a lethal group house in the Hamptons.

Do you see a definite end to your series? Do you think at some point you’d like to branch out to writing a standalone? If so, what kind of story might that be?

I come from the generation of readers who expected a beloved series to go on and on. I would be happy to keep Bruce and Barbara and Jimmy going as long as they’re willing to talk to me in my head. But times have changed, and if that’s not possible, I don’t know what will come next. One of the strengths of this series is Bruce’s voice. I don’t know if I could create another series character who’s completely different but just as strong. And I really love whodunits with an endearing series character. Since I’m not crazy about standalones or thrillers—with a few notable exceptions—I’m not eager to write one. But you never know. Sometimes an unexpected theme or story or character takes a writer by the throat and demands to be written. That could happen to me.

Thanks, Liz, for stoppiing by. If you are going to the world mystery convention Bouchercon, you can see Elizabeth Zelvin, me, and award-winning author Louise Penny, on Saturday, October 17 at 2pm in front of the Book Dealer’s Room on the third floor. We willl be holding a cocktail/salon/conversation that we invite any and all to come to. See more about Liz on her website.

Today, I'm pleased to welcome my guest blogger author Michelle Cameron. Michelle Cameron is an historical novelist whose debut novel, The Fruit of Her Hands, was published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, on September 8, 2009. The Fruit of Her Hands tells the story of Michelle’s 13th Century ancestor, the renowned Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg. Michelle is also author of In the Shadow of the Globe, a verse novel about Shakespeare, published in 2003 by Lit Pot Press. She lives in Chatham, NJ, with her husband and two college-aged sons.  

 

Jewish Marriage and Labor Customs during the Middle Ages

Thank you, Jeri, for inviting me to pay a visit to your blog! In researching The Fruit of Her Hands, set during the 1200s in France and Germany, I learned a great deal about the customs of medieval Jewish women. For this, I am indebted to two books in particular – Elisheva Baumgarten’s Mothers and Children: Jewish Family Life in Medieval Europe and Avraham Grossman’s Pious and Rebellious: Jewish Women in Medieval Europe. I thought I’d share some of these customs – particularly as they related to marriage and labor – with your readers.

My heroine, Shira, is just eleven when receives her first proposal of marriage. Jewish girls were generally betrothed earlier than their Gentile counterparts. I was surprised to learn that the matchmaker was usually a man and the father, not the mother, was responsible to engage his daughter’s advantageously. After the betrothal ceremony, young girls were sent to their husbands’ family home to await puberty under the watchful eye of their mothers-in-law. Betrothal was considered as binding as marriage itself.

Weather permitting, the marriage ceremony would be held outside. The bride would wear an unlaced bodice, signifying that the only ties to bind her would be wedding bonds. The wedding ring was worn on the right finger, the one closest to the heart. To recall the separation from Zion, the bridegroom would often wear a cowl, the young couple would be strewn with ashes and ― in a ritual practiced to this day ― a wineglass would be smashed. The newly-wed couple would be taken off to a private room, to eat a small repast consisting of a chicken and an egg – signifying fertility, of course. 

With pregnancy a leading cause of death during the Middle Ages, it’s understandable that a plethora of superstitious evolved around keeping mother and baby safe. Throughout pregnancy, woman would wear her husband’s leather belt as an amulet, often decorated with red stones and protective verses. Before the mother was confined, an iron knife was kept under her pillow to defend her against ill luck. The knife was iron, because the letters of the word iron in Hebrew – BARZEL – invoked the names of the matriarchs Billah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Leah. The mother was confined for three weeks after delivery in the room where she gave birth. The sheets of the birth bed were not changed during all that time, which must have made for some uncomfortable sleeping.

The myth of Lilith frightened all medieval women. Lilith, Adam’s scorned first wife, was said to devour babies in revenge. She was committed to killing a hundred newborns every day. The newborn was never left unattended and amulets were hung on the door outside, inscribed with the names of three angels – Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof – who had the power to keep Lilith at bay.

In Germany, this custom merged with the Gentile custom of Frau Halle, who was said to bind newborns to her and who filled her pitcher with mother’s tears. To confound her, it became customary Jewish mothers to give their child a “baby” name (what we’d call a nickname) in a ceremony where young children raised the child’s cradle three times, exclaiming “Holekreisch, Holekreisch, what shall the child be called?”

Many of these customs (as well as others) found their way into my debut historical novel, The Fruit of Her Hands. I hope your readers will check it out!

Thanks to Michelle for stopping by. Her book sounds extremely interesting. Give it a try!

I have the very great pleasure of presenting an interview with mystery author Louise Penny. If you are a Julia Spencer-Fleming fan, you will also like Penny's novels, set in the small town of Three Pines in Quebec. And like Spencer-Fleming's novels, Penny is a multiple award-winner. In fact, today we just got word that The Cruelest Month was nominated for an Anthony. Way to go, Louise!

Below is the interview, but if you'd like to learn more about Louise Penny head on over to her website.  

THE INTERVIEW

Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, yours truly, to name but a few, started out as journalists in some capacity to feed their writing habit. Tell us about your journalistc work in Toronto.

Love the company you've put me in - thank you! I was with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - the CBC - which is like the BBC only with way fewer listeners, and less prestige, and less money and less influence. So, not much like the BBC, really.

I started out as a National Radio News reporter then started hosting programs when one of the radio execs heard a report I'd done and told my boss I should be taken off the air. Annoyed me so much I decided to show him - and worked my behind off until I was offered a job co-hosting a morning show. Now, the CBC Radio morning shows are alot like the Today show, only not on television, with a far smaller audience, way less money and prestige and almost no make-up. So, not much like the Today show after all.

But I did learn to listen. To pay attention not only to what people said, but how they said it. To all the ways we communicate. And over 20 years I got to travel the country, listening to people's stories. And I got to witness some terrible events and some moments so divine they take my breath away even today. All that I use as a writer - as I'm sure you do too.

Your first book Still Life began your Three Pines series and won the first of your many awards. When I interviewed Julia Spencer-Fleming, we discussed a certain amount of “world-building” that goes into creating a small, closed community. Even though we might be well-acquainted with small towns and it might be inspired by someplace close, there is still a lot of invention that goes into it, not just geography but people. Tell us about Three Pines and its inhabitants.

Three Pines is a tiny, bucolic village in Quebec, close to the border with Vermont. It's part French and part English, as is Quebec. And when I came to create it all my decisions were selfish. I knew it would take about a year, and the chances of getting published were tiny so the writing of the book needed to be fulfilling enough on its own. So I decided to create a community I would choose to live in, with people I would choose as friends. Since I was going to spend so much time there, I wanted to enjoy it. More than that - I wanted to love it. Wanted it to become a sort of 'safe place' - a venerable old village with stone homes and a village green, that had survived disasters, and wars, loss and sorrow, and still turned its face to the sun.

The first thing I created was the new and used bookstore, and its owner Myrna. Then the bistro, with it's open fireplaces and mullioned windows and gay owners. Sarah's bakery and Monsieur Beliveau's General Store. And the B&B. None of the stores, none of the people, were created for dramatic purposes or with the thought they'd have to be able to carry a series. It was just dumb luck. Writing under the influence of gummi bears helps too. Mind altering. Just don't try to snort them. Trust me.

How heroic does a hero need to be? And how do you define “heroic” when it comes to Inspector Gamache?

He's a man with a moral centre. A man who, while flawed, will always try to do the right thing, not the easy thing. As we know, it's easy enough to be good and kind and decent when everything's going your way...the real test is to be a decent person when all hell is breaking lose. Gamache is that decent man. He was created because I never wanted to tire of my main character. He, uniquely, was created with the long view in mind. I need someone I would choose to spend perhaps the rest of my life with. And so I intentionally created a man I would choose to marry. I didn't expect anyone else to feel that way but it's been one of the great joys of the books for me, that others feel like that about Gamache. You know that wonderful line from Yeats - Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. Gamache's centre holds.

What went into the creation of Gamache? Is he inspired by any one person or perhaps a conglomeration of people?

Oh, dear, I might have answered that above, but superficially he was inspired by the heroes I had growning up. My grandfather, who taught me poetry, Walt Disney, Ben Cartwright, Walter Cronkite. Middle aged men who have a calm, and a decency. If I was younger I would have without doubt made Gamache in his 20's or 30's...but I'm in my 50's, so he is too. He's also inspired by my husband Michael, who was a pediatric hematologist - a doctor for children with cancer...who had the worst job in the world, and yet is the most joyous man I know. Because he knows the difference between a bad day and a not bad day. Because he knows what a precious gift life is, and what a terrible shame it is not to enjoy it.

Since we’ve just talked about heroes, let’s talk villains. What is your favorite type of villain to write about and why?

Well, with the exception of CC de Poitiers in A Fatal Grace, all my villians are in fact regular people. I was very impressed by Hannah Arendt's book on the trial of Eichmann in Jerusalem. She called her book, A Report on the Banality of Evil. My villians are banal - they blend in, they're you and me and people we know. And that's the horror. Not that we're betrayed and attacked by perfect strangers, but that the attack comes from within.

There’s a level of darkness in your books that might leave them off the “cozy” list. How would you describe your mysteries?

Following on from what I just said in the previous question, I've always thought the village mystery was the most noir of any genre. To be killed by a friend. Et tu Brute. And then, for the rest of the community, to know one among them is a snake. And that growing dread as the police close in, as secrets are revealed. No one is safe. And all this happening in a perversely idyllic setting. That's also why I made Three Pines so beautiful - because then the darkness would be all the more stark.

I think it's possible to read my novels as village cozies and leave it at that. But I also know there are layers and levels. Like Bullwinkle. There, the truth is out...I was inspired by a cartoon moose. But I believe Emily Bronte was too.

I have heard that Canada is not an exotic enough locale for U.S. readers to be drawn into, but your books seem to do very well in the U.S. market. Can you comment about locales in novels? What is exotic anyway?

Great question. yes, one publisher said to me (while joining the cavalcade to turn down my first book, 'No one would be interested in a mystery set in Canada'. That, by the way, from a Canadian publisher! I had no idea what to say - except, 'So's yo mudda'. There are all sorts of brilliant Canadian mystery writers, from the great Giles Blunt whose books are set in northern Ontario to Gail Bowen and Mary Jane Maffini.

Having said that, I know I was VERY lucky to be living in Quebec and have that as the location. There is definitely something exotic about this area...the French fact. It's romantic and gracious, the food is different, the culture is different...and yet it's close enough and familiar enough that Americans can relate. I think - also - that a good writer can set their book in a single room and make it riveting. However, a great sense of place helps. I love reading about different places - and clearly other people do too.

Let’s back up a bit. Where did the decision come from to write mysteries, or was it something smoldering for a long time?

I actually had planned to write the best book ever, and win the Nobel Prize. Surprisingly, I then suffered writers block for 5 years and watched Oprah and ate gummi bears instead. Then I looked on my bedside table and saw all those Golden Age mysteries. Books by Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers and Josephine Tey. The books I actually read. And it came to me in that instant. I would simply write a book I would like to read. And that's what I've done ever since. Each book is for me.

You are very involved in literacy in Canada, and serve as the Patron for the Yamaska Literacy Council. Tell us a little about your activities in this organization.

Well, I wish I was more involved. I was also the president of our little local library for a few years but had to give that up when the writing and all that went with it got too absorbing. For Yamaska I mostly do personal appearances, readings, and have narrated a film.

The Brutal Telling, your latest Three Pines novel, will be released this October. What’s next for you?

Well, I'm now writing the sixth Gamache novel called Bury Your Dead - it's set partly in Three Pines but mostly in Quebec City during winter carnival. I've decided now to set every second book in Three Pines, and then let it lie fallow for a year or so...re-populate. Get some more villians moving in.

Jeri, thanks for this - these are among the most intelligent and fun questions I've been asked - and I'm MOST impressed and grateful! And enjoyed it. Thanks you!!!

And thank you, Louise. You are a hoot and I can't wait to meet you at Bouchercon this October! Happy reading, all! 

Here is a post from 2007. He was a bit reluctant to give me the skinny on how he made swords, sort of the point of this interview. Alas. But I ran a How-To in the next post, so, likely, I'll also rerun that here. 

Today we are talking with sword smith Paul Binns, a 38 year old bloke living in the county of Norfolk, England, who happens to make swords and other weapons for a living. He can be found at http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/index.htm  

THE INTERVIEW

These days we're supposed to be making ploughshares, not swords. How did you get into making swords? Did you have a mentor?

I can’t remember why I started, probably because in the 70s there were no swords for sale so I started making them from a very early age, by hammering copper tube flat on kerbstones outside my house, later I progressed to flattening out leaf springs from cars to make rudimentary blades. I just picked up knowledge from where I could.

One would think that re-enactment groups would not constitute enough work for a present-day sword smith. Who are buying your swords and what are they doing with them?

Mainly re enactors but also museums filmsets and individual collectors who want a well made blade, made properly, perhaps they have an original in their local museum they want a copy of etc.

Can you take us through the step by step process of making a sword, from raw material to finished sword?

Depends on what type of sword, the techniques vary considerably across time, also re enactors have a different set of requirements entirely. But to be truthful I keep a lot of it close to my chest, too many importer types out there looking for info to farm out to India/China etc.

How does the process differ from then to now?

The main difference is in material quality. Nowadays a craftsman can look up steel and read the mill specs on heat treatment etc back then the material varied in quality greatly; carbon content, mechanical properties in the grain etc all were different from batch to batch, even from billet to billet from the same batch. For example, a bar or rod could have a soft centre and a hard, brittle exterior, the smith would have to follow his nose, so to speak, when working to get the best finished product.

I think it would be pretty easy to become enchanted with things medieval while living in England. It's all around you. But why do you think people from all over the world want these things, (including, of course, folks in the U.K.)?

I really don’t know, the re enactors need a reliable product that does not fall apart in use. The collector also wants this, but demands traditional working techniques as well. I suppose the sword is a symbol of times past, an anachronism that is aesthetically pleasing, and also something that has been around in one form or other since the Bronze Age.

Do you also make mail and armor? If so, what is that process like?

Nope, totally different set of skills, I can’t think like a tailor and make stuff fit anyway.

Was there a resurgence of interest since the Lord of the Rings movies appeared, or has the Dungeons and Dragons set always brought interested buyers?

Not as far as I am concerned, the Lord of the Rings is a great story, but it’s just an echo of the old stories and sagas... I am not interested in fantasy swords.

Things are a bit different in England than they are in the U.S. For instance, you still have guilds that have survived from medieval times to the present. Do you have to belong to a guild?

Interesting question, as I understand it the guilds are in the city of London, they are descended from the medieval guilds that existed to control quality and unfair competition, normally from foreign merchants. I am not in any trade guild, but funnily enough I am a freemason, the origins of which lie in the guilds of travelling craftsmen that built the cathedrals of Europe, specifically who carved the ashlar stone which formed the linings and facings of the buildings, whilst no longer operative, I suspect some of the old craft ritual has survived into modern masonry.

What was the most interesting or noteworthy sword or object you ever made?

I don’t think I’ve made it yet! Though I like the technique of pattern welding which is earlier than medieval.

What were some clunkers? In other words, is there some object you will never attempt to make again?

The first re enactment swords were behemoths of doom! I have such a relic in my shed somewhere, over 5 pounds in weight, no fullergroove for lightness, the hilt wound with copper electrical wire the pommel a Victorian doorknob!.. priceless..

Do you ever use the swords yourself?

Used to, but one good hand or arm hit and I’m out of business.

Swords are still weapons, even if they don't have a trigger or a bullet. How do you caution your clients?

I don’t.. Maybe I should! Seriously, no sales of sharps to under 18s also I like to sniff someone out that they are sensible, or belong to an established group or society.

Do you ever travel to medieval fairs to display your smithing skills?

Used to, but I am a manufacturer rather than a trader, so I have bespoke orders to do.

Tell us about medieval sword smiths. Would they have specialized or were they expected to make a horseshoe as well? Did they stay put or were they itinerant?

I don’t really know.. this is a best guess. Please bear with me. Manufacturing trades tended to grow up near to the sources of their needs , in our case iron ores charcoal and water power for driving mechanical hammers and ore crushing machines, apart from people working on sites of construction, the masters would tend to stay put. Blade smithing was above general smithing ;a master smith of the time would not be asked to do anything beneath him, it would be a waste of his time, besides the guild would probably forbid him to make things which he was not entitled to.. it was not a free market as such. Journeymen smiths did exist and travelled, but they were probably not allowed access to the top forges for fear of departing with coveted secrets.

You also make axes and spears. Tell us about those. From what period do you derive your designs?

These are underrated, a good axe or spear was a far more commonplace and familiar object than a sword for the majority of people, they existed in all time periods.

If someone were starting out in the smithing biz, what kind of advice would you give them?

Wear ear muffs, for everything always.

Do you feel you are part of the larger history of "men behind the scenes" of great events; a long line of craftsmen?

No, I am a modern man who decided to make these things. " tradition is a meteor, which, once fallen, can never be rekindled" as someone more learned than me once said.. once upon a time somewhere...

How many years can a smith smith?

Until he is dead or disabled, check out metal work industrial injuries though…and do your best to prevent them.

Is the next generation ready to move into place? Is anyone apprenticing with you?

Again, apprentices are not a modern option, within a guild system yes, the law is laid out, but now it’s a minefield.

Are there many women smiths?

Don’t know of any, don’t see why not.

What is your next project?

I’m just coming to the end of a lot of stuff for the Isle of Man museum. Don’t know what’s next.

Others have written books about making swords. Have you ever considered it?

I’m a smith not an author; besides, mean as it sounds I think people need to keep their best concealed, too many traders wanting to cash in and using the resources of the 3rd world as the manufacturing muscle.

Thanks for sharing, Paul. Paul’s too shy to tell his secrets so in the next entry we’ll see some traditional techniques for making swords. And remember kids, a sword is not a toy!

Here is a rerun from 2006. Still relevant and still interesting.

Book reviewers. The people we love to hate. Or love to love, depending on your tastes. It is my pleasure to bring you three voices in the world of book reviewing. We will delve into the minds of these people whose passion it is to read...and tell the world about it.

In no particular order, we first have LJ ROBERTS. LJ has coordinated the East Bay Mystery Readers’ Group and evaluates manuscripts for Poisoned Pen Press. She regularly posts reviews on Amazon, Dorothy-L, 4MysteryAddicts, Crime Thru Time, and Mystery Readers Café. Her reviews also appear as a column, “It is Purely My Opinion,” in the Mystery*File ezine.

Then we have SANDRA RUTTAN who writes for SpineTinglerMag.com. Sandra Ruttan's debut suspense novel, Suspicious Circumstances, is due to be released in January 2007.

And last but not least, SHARON WHEELER, who comes to us from across the pond to write and edit for ReviewingtheEvidence.com. She was a journalist and now teaches journalism at the University of Gloucestershire. Sharon is currently working on two books -- Feature Writing for Journalists and The Literary Journalists.

In case you’re wondering, this was an email interview, with questions submitted to the writers at separate times.

THE INTERVIEW

What made you decide to start reviewing mysteries?

LJ ROBERTS: Being a Virgo I almost couldn’t help myself. Seriously, because I tend to read a fair number of books and collect them, it started as my defense against buying duplicates and against forgetting the books I’d read and, more importantly, whether I’d liked them. So I started keeping notes for myself. When the members of The East Bay Mystery Readers’ Group found I was doing this, they asked that I send my monthly evaluations to them. I started informally posting to DorothyL and was asked by Poisoned Pen, from whom I buy most of my books, whether I would review ARCs for them. An except of one of my reviews even appeared on the book jacket of “The Anchoress of Shere” which I still think was an excellent book. They then asked whether I would evaluate manuscripts for them. They are the ones who really provided me a structure and elements by which I evaluate books. Steve Lewis, publisher of Mystery*File Magazine, saw my reviews on DorothyL and asked whether he could publish them as a monthly column, which we entitled “It is Purely My Opinion.” His magazine became an e-zine and has, I fear, gone away. However, I have received so much positive feedback from folks both on DorothyL and on 4Mystery_Addicts, I have, almost accidentally, become a reviewer.

SANDRA RUTTAN: The bulk of my reading is crime fiction. I try to be as prepared as possible and read most or all of the books by an author before I interview them, and coordinating the interviews with a review of the author’s new releases seemed like a natural way to give the author some promotion. As people became aware of Spinetingler, we started receiving requests to take review copies. Many authors aren’t getting reviews in mainstream newspapers and are desperate for the exposure, so we expanded the number of reviews per issue and created the online review site so that we wouldn’t have to turn so many authors down.

SHARON WHEELER: I'm a journalist in real life, and had been reviewing books and music for some years. Then I came across the ReviewingtheEvidence site and offered my services. Barbara Franchi, who was the publisher and then editor, warned me at the outset there was no money involved. Free books was a good enough bribe, though!

Is there anything you simply will not review? If so, why?

LJ ROBERTS: I may be a bit different from some reviewers in that I personally buy almost all the books I read and review. I frequently have books offered to me but I try to research them and unless I think there is a chance I might like it, I don’t accept a reviewer’s copy of it. I did, at one time, but found it hard to post an honest review of a book I really didn’t think was well written when the author sent it to me and I knew was on Dorothy-L. So now, I rarely accept review copies. I try not to review books I know from the outset have no appeal to me or I shan’t like. I am not a fan of the real cozy-cozy, nor Christian literature, nor gruesome horror. In general, I’m not a fan of the amateur sleuth, which I distinguish from the unlicensed investigator. The amateur sleuth never strikes any sense of reality for me. At least the unlicensed investigator (journalist, lawyer, ex-cop, maybe even medical personnel if it’s more a medical thriller) has some element of possibility for me. The only exception is Dick Francis’ books, but he could make me believe anything. I don’t feel it is fair to the author for me to review a book I know I shan’t enjoy. I’ve temporarily stopped evaluating manuscripts for Poisoned Pen because (1) I resented the time it took from my personal reading, which has suffered due to (2) having less time to read due to my job.

SANDRA RUTTAN: I won’t read anything that promotes hate, or hard-core erotica. There are types of books I prefer not to review, simply because I don’t feel I’m the best person for the job. In my own writing, procedural accuracy and believability are important. This doesn’t mean everything has to be meticulously researched or that you never push the limits a bit, but that general expectation is there. Many amateur sleuth books – at least a healthy percentage of the ones I’ve read - seem to rely on suspension of belief. Some pull it off for me, but many don’t. I feel there are different ground rules there, but I’m more apt to be critical because the premise of the books is harder to sell me on. All reviewers have personal preferences and I don’t typically read cozies or humorous crime novels, so I don’t feel I’m the best reviewer for those types of books.

SHARON WHEELER: The site won't generally review religious or self-published crime fiction. We know a blanket ban isn't necessarily fair on the majority, but we've made the decision based on the behaviour of a minority. Both Barbara and I felt very uncomfortable with some of the intolerant views being espoused in some religious crime novels. And rather than get into prolonged discussions with writers as to where they sat on the faith scale, we decided it was fairer to say we wouldn't review any religious books. I hasten to add that that doesn't preclude us reviewing books where religion may be a backdrop to the action -- writers like Phil Rickman and PD James spring to mind. What we won't touch -- and they tend to be books from small-scale religious publishers -- is books where the writer is on a soapbox and only concerned with preaching their own agenda. As for self-published books, this is a decision we've reached reluctantly. The site has always been sympathetic to small presses, and in the past we've been willing to consider for reviews books that are self-published. But sadly the behaviour of a handful of authors has made us reconsider this. We review 20 new books a week, 50 weeks of the year. In all the time I've been editor, only one 'professional' author has complained about a review which contained critical comments -- and he's a newspaper journalist who should have known better! But we regularly get self-published authors behaving like prima donnas when their books receive less than glowing reviews! We warn all writers that our reviewers are given carte blanche to comment honestly and constructively on the books. Some writers say 'oh yes, of course, I understand' -- and then stamp their foot if the review carries even the slightest of negative comments. We've also found the lack of production values and editing from certain self-publishing houses to be so horrendous that we've now decided it's easier to say no to everyone.

When you read a book with reviewing in mind, what is the process that goes through your head? Do you think you read the book differently with a more critical eye than you would for something you read for pure enjoyment?

LJ ROBERTS: Again, because the books I review are the books I’ve bought, they are all read for pleasure. However, when I write my reviews, there are specific elements by which I evaluate a book. When evaluating for Poisoned Pen, the elements I used were:

- Hook—did the book capture me immediately or did I have to really work at getting interested

- Setting/Description/Sense of Place – was it evocative, did it enhance the story

- Characters/Character Development – are they well drawn, did I have a sense of who they are, did I care about them, did they grow, villain and supporting characters as well as protagonists

- Dialogue – did it flow, did it sound realistic, did it suit the characters and the time period, did it add depth to the characters, did it add humor to the story

- Plot – did it make sense, was the ending well thought out or thrown together by coincidence, tell-all confession, or left with dangling threads; if there were red herrings, were they effective or thrown in just because.

- Cadence/Flow/Style – was there flow to the story or was it disjointed, if there were different time periods or POVs, did you always know where you were or was it confusing. If it is a thriller or suspense, was it effective, did I want to read straight through the story or put it down and have to force myself to go back to it

- Overall quality of the writing – did I feel the book held together as a whole, did I enjoy the experience, is this an author I would read again

- Originality – this, for me, is what differentiates a “very good” book form an “Excellent” book. Did it have a “Wow” factor? Ironically, a book that receives an “excellent” from me may not be the greatest piece of literature. The most obvious example is “The Da Vinci Code.” I rated it “Excellent” because it had all the elements I’ve listed including that “Wow” factor when I’d finished.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Reading to review is different than reading for pure enjoyment. It’s unfortunate for my favorite authors, as I will refuse to review them every year. Sometimes I just want to completely lose myself in the book and I can’t do that in the same way when I’m reviewing. When reviewing, I find it necessary to take some notes as I read. Before I make an assertion that there was a contradiction in the story, for example, I need to be able to back that up with references. I find I have to scrutinize things closely, because I do take reviewing seriously. It’s easy if you love the book and want to express your enthusiasm, but if you’re going to be negative about something I believe you should support your opinions wherever possible.

SHARON WHEELER: When I'm reading, I'm always thinking about the plot, characterisation and the authorial 'voice.' My undergraduate and postgraduate degrees are both English Literature, and I read to review with a different eye to when I was writing essays or my dissertation. As a reviewer I'm trying to think myself into the reader's shoes and ask myself what they would think of the book. In a nutshell, that's 'does the book work?' and 'is it worth a reader's time and money?' Oh, and I consider reading for reviewing to be enjoyable!

Have you ever received negative reaction from one of your reviews, either from the authors or readers?

LJ ROBERTS: Happily, I have not. I think because I state very clearly that my reviews are my opinion only, I’ve never received any really negative response. I may have had people disagree with my rating, but it’s always been very polite. Only a couple times did I receive an email from someone asking whether I would explain my evaluation further, but I always had more a feel of interest that animosity. I have had authors for whose books I gave lower ratings ask me to consider reading another of their books, but it’s always been done with great courtesy.

SANDRA RUTTAN: No, although I suspect the day is coming.

SHARON WHEELER: See (my) comments above! But we have a policy of never getting into a discussion with writers over the review, so I simply thank them for their email and point out that the site makes it very clear that all reviewers are given carte blanche to comment honestly and constructively. I did have a faintly bizarre email from a reader a while back, who accused me of always writing negative reviews and how it was my duty to be positive about the genre. I have to say that one bothered me quite a lot. I dislike this view, prevalent on some of the lists, that we must all go into ra-ra mode and support writers uncritically. The moment a book is in print and charged for, it's fair game for comment. If authors don't like this, they should save their masterpiece to pass around friends and family! Anyway, I pointed out to the reader that I would hardly put in the equivalent of at least a day a week on top of my day job to edit the site if I didn't love the genre. I also added that it wasn't my job to cheer-lead for the writers, and that if I did, I'd be paid loads of dosh to be their PR guru!

In your opinion, what factors come together to make a great book?

LJ ROBERTS: I read mysteries. I am not necessarily looking for great literature; I am looking for an engrossing, interesting, enjoyable read. I may, occasionally, learn something along the way, which frequently I have done and love when I so do. But it is truly a combination of the eight elements listed above that, for me, comprise a great mystery. Again, I may rate “The Da Vinci Code” as a great book on one level, at the same time rating “The Shadow of the Wind” or “Mallory’s Oracle” great books on another level. The most significant factor that defines a book as “great” for me is whether it is a book that will stay with me—make an impression on me and make me want to tell others about it.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Believable characters I want to spend time with and care about, a solid storyline, great writing and depth. One of the things lacking in some books, the reason I feel some are forgettable, is that they aren’t about anything of substance. I prefer books that touch on social issues, that look at the lives of people impacted by crime. An amazing story is one that someone can read the day after it comes out, five years later or twenty years later and still relate to, because the reader can identify with the human dilemmas that have arisen from the story. In short, solid characters, a good storyline and great writing will produce a good read, but the book has to be about something important to be great. It has to resonate and touch the heart and mind of the reader. Books that have made me cry, like The Flood by Ian Rankin, are the kind that linger in the mind long after you’ve read the last page. Although not a mystery, that’s a book I’ll read again.

SHARON WHEELER: Fluent writing, well-rounded characters, a believable plot and the ability to transport the reader into another world. And there's also a 'je ne sais quoi' which makes your eyes light up and the pages turn faster.

What would you say were your top ten favorite mysteries? Are there more classic mysteries on your list than contemporary?

LJ ROBERTS: Now that is a hard question. I keep a “Top Reads of XXXX” every year and am never able to keep it within ten for any one year. It also tends to be more by author, and even that I couldn’t narrow down to top ten, than by a single book although “Shadow of the Wind” is an exception to that. I would say more contemporary than classic. SANDRA RUTTAN: I’ll give you a random selection with books by my favourite authors. The Torment of Others by Val McDermid. A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read. To The Power of Three by Laura Lippman. A Good Day To Die by Simon Kernick. The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham. Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride. The Touch of Ghosts by John Rickards. Pale Immortal by Anne Frasier. Black and Blue, and A Question of Blood by Ian Rankin. Clearly, more contemporary novels are on my list. I read some Agatha Christie and popular crime fiction all along, but it wasn’t until I started reading Ian Rankin’s work five years ago that I became a hard-core mystery fan.

SHARON WHEELER: Um . . . These will probably change, depending what day you ask me! But today, in no particular order apart from Highsmith always being top, they're: Patricia Highsmith: The Ripley books (well, they're collected into one volume now, so can that count as one?!) Reginald Hill: Under World CJ Sansom: Dark Fire Dennis Lehane: A Drink Before the War George Pelecanos: The Night Gardener Cornelia Read: A Field of Darkness Denise Mina: Field of Blood Sara Paretsky: Killing Orders John Morgan Wilson: Simple Justice Dominique Manotti: Rough Trade And they're all contemporary! I've read most of the classics, and almost squeezed Dorothy L Sayers' The Nine Tailors in. That would probably be No. 11!

What's a big turn-off for you when reading a mystery?

LJ ROBERTS: The serious anti-hero, particularly if they are involved in drugs, the crooked cop, or any character for which there has been no real development or about whom I don’t care; gratuitous abuse of children or animals—it’s got to really work and a necessary element to the plot—knowing the killer too soon (and I don’t really read to solve the puzzle); poor plots, bad dialogue, huge holes in the plot, dangling threads or, even worse, the unresolved ending.

SANDRA RUTTAN: A plot that’s so obvious there’s nothing to sustain my interest in the crime. An obnoxious character I can’t connect with. Pop culture references about things I’m not interested in, like fashion. Characters who don’t seem to take murder seriously. Contradictions in the story, or when the outcome relies heavily on suspension of belief. When you can’t tell the difference between one book in a series and another because they rely on similar plot twists or character conflicts. Once that happens, and I don’t feel the characters are growing, I’m done.

SHARON WHEELER: Femjep (or blatant manjep, for that matter!) Preaching of any sort where the writer is on a soapbox and their agenda overwhelms the book Any sort of sloppy writing, be it boomeranging point of view, lousy grammar or over-writing.

Do you read the reviews of others? Does it influence you to either purchase or leave a book alone?

LJ ROBERTS: Yes, occasionally, particularly of those whose judgment I’ve come to respect. In other words, reviewers whose tastes seem similar to mine. Larry Gandle is an example although we disagreed completely on Charles Benoit’s first book. Oh well, he can’t be right all the time.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Reviews usually don’t influence my purchasing. Occasionally, if I suspect a book might not be for me, I might read a few reviews, but this is rare. I’m more likely to read reviews if I’ve had trouble reviewing a book myself. After my review runs I’ll read other reviews to see if others had the same impression of the book.

SHARON WHEELER: I read all the reviews pages in the UK print media, including several specialist publications. I scan a couple of other websites. I ignore summaries masquerading as reviews on some of the lists. And I do use other people's reviews as a jumping-off point for either tracking down or avoiding a book. After a while you get to know reviewers' personal likes and dislikes and whether their views tally with yours.

For you, what is the ultimate purpose of a book review?

LJ ROBERTS: Really just to give me a sense as to whether this is a book I might enjoy. Considering the amount I spend on book, as I collect HC signed 1st editions, I can’t afford to buy too many books I don’t like.

SANDRA RUTTAN: The book review should, without significant spoilers, provide enough information for the reader to decide if the book is one they’d like. I try to avoid sweeping judgments. No book is for everyone. There are books I haven’t enjoyed much that others have loved. I try to identify the type of reader who might enjoy that book, summarize the premise, provide an overview of my opinions and let the reader decide. As far as I’m concerned, good, bad or neutral reviews promote authors. They give that book title and that author’s name more exposure to the public. I believe a lot of people skim or skip reviews, but notice the titles. If you’re in the airport looking for a book and there are two on a shelf, but you’ve heard of one from somewhere, even if you can’t place it, I think you’re more likely to pick it up and read the back cover, possibly even buy it.

SHARON WHEELER: To be fair, honest and constructive, and to give a reader a fair idea as to whether this book will be their cup of tea.

Have you ever loved a book but found it panned by everyone else? And conversely, have you ever panned a book and it became everyone's darling?

LJ ROBERTS: Of course. The Benoit book is a perfect example, or Da Vinci Code, which I still say I loved. And I know I’ve disliked books other people have raved about, The Secret History for one, which I couldn’t even slog through.

SANDRA RUTTAN: I have seen positive reviews of books I didn’t like, or gave mixed reviews to. The few times I’ve seen differing viewpoints I haven’t changed my opinion about the book.

SHARON WHEELER: It must have happened, but I can't remember any specific occasions. I take the view that I'm my own person when I review and that it doesn't matter what other reviewers think. I can only speak as I find . . .

Have you ever gone back to a book you had reviewed poorly in the past to find that your sensibilities had changed, and you found you now liked the book?

LJ ROBERTS: I don’t think I have. With over 800 books on my TBR shelf and that number increasing faster than I can read them, I can’t waste time going back to a book I didn’t like the first time.

SANDRA RUTTAN: No. I’m open to the possibility of it happening, but it’s unlikely. I do re-read books, but the TBR pile is so high, I tend to re-read books I love. Typically, if I’m having trouble with a book I’ll put it aside and try it again later. Sometimes, I’m find I enjoy the book on the second try, but if I’ve read it through to the point of writing a review and the review wasn’t great, I’m unlikely to read that book again.

SHARON WHEELER: I almost never re-read books. Too many books, too little time!

I am a member of Sisters in Crime, an international organization of mystery writers and fans. Their original purpose was to make certain that books written by women were receiving equal time with male authors in some of the more influential publications, like the New York Times Book Review, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. According to the latest information, there are still more reviews of books by male authors than those by female authors, though the margin has narrowed. Some male reviewers have flat out said they will not read books written by women. Since reviews are so important to authors in succeeding in this extremely competitive business, what do you think the responsibility of the reviewer is?

LJ ROBERTS: I really don’t pay much attention to whether I read more men than women or vice versa. I have kept track of my “Top Reads” since 1994. In doing a quick count, I find I included 118 books written by men, and 94 written by women. Considering my reading tastes of, I’m actually quite surprised it’s as close as it is. I think it is the reviewer’s responsibility to try to bring good books to others notice, regardless of the gender of the author.

SANDRA RUTTAN: It depends. I don’t get paid to write reviews. I have a staff of people who, similarly, don’t get paid. They might get a free ARC, they might not. I run book descriptions past them when review copies are offered, and if they’re interested, they review the book. I don’t make cozy readers review noir – I don’t think that’s fair, or conducive to a balanced review. If the reviewer is in shock over the content, they won’t be able to assess character/plot issues as well, because they might be struggling with the violence in the book. That said, I don’t believe reviewers, and especially paid reviewers, should be allowed to discriminate based on gender, race, religion. If you’re paid, it’s your job. If reviewers are approaching their role with partiality from that point in the process, it undermines the credibility of the system. If my reviewers were paid, I’d assign them books to review. I would always consider their style preference, but not that they prefer men over women, for example. I personally tend to read more books by men than women, but I think I’ve reviewed an even split between the genders, although I’ve never considered it. I don’t think of that when I accept fiction or when I pick books for review.

SHARON WHEELER: To be honest, constructive and open-minded. People are entitled to read what they like, but it seems sad that some male reviewers are restricting themselves. It's like people saying they won't read gay crime fiction in case, heavens to betsy, two men kiss! Bigotry and intolerance of any sort make me hopping mad! I know that some weeks on Reviewingtheevidence that books by women outnumber books by men.

Can reviews truly make or break a book/career?

LJ ROBERTS: In general, I think not; in rare cases, probably. Word-of-mouth really made—again I use the example—Da Vinci Code. By the time people starting writing negative reviews, it really didn’t matter as so many had already read and loved it. I think the thing that can more effectively destroy a career is lack of notice. There are a lot of really good mid-list authors out there, but it is hard for them to get noticed. I’d like to think I help bring a few of them into, at least, the Dorothy-L conscience. I believe my review of Nancy Pickard’s “The Virgin of Small Plains” may have encouraged others to read it, or at least post about it. I only wish I, and others, could do more in that regard.

SANDRA RUTTAN: It’s possible, if the publication is influential enough, although I think unlikely. Controversy actually breeds interest. I haven’t read The DaVinci Code, but it’s been widely criticized. That doesn’t seem to have hurt sales.

SHARON WHEELER: I'd say not. You hear the stories about Frank Rich being able to make or break Broadway shows, but I don't believe reviewers wield that much power.

What books have influenced you in your own writing (besides the Manual of Style)?

LJ ROBERTS: I don’t write. I am purely a reader and have no aspirations, nor talent, to be anything but. Believe me, I read enough really bad manuscripts when evaluating for Poisoned Pen to want to contribute to that list.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Ian Rankin’s Rebus series has had the biggest influence on me. Rankin’s work converted me to crime fiction. I went from being someone who read some mysteries to an addict, and when I started writing my first crime fiction what I really wanted to do was write about Canada the way Rankin writes about Scotland. When I read The Wire in the Blood by Val McDermid, I was influenced to try writing from the killer’s point of view. Val pushed me out of my comfort zone, and made me a better writer for it. I have also been influenced strongly by Laura Lippman. In particular, her stand-alone books, Every Secret Thing and To The Power of Three. I find the structure Laura uses for telling those stories appealing, and would love to try something similar when I write a stand-alone.

SHARON WHEELER: Or the Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors in the UK. I'm a great fan of a wonderfully bonkers book called The Simple Subs Book by Leslie Sellers. It's been out of print for some years, but is an excellent guide to the skills needed to edit newspaper copy and to write headlines and captions. Sellers has an off-the-wall sense of humour, but is absolutely clear on what does and doesn't work. My day job is teaching journalism in a university, and I lean on students to track the book down. I'm also a big fan of David Randall's “The Universal Journalist”, which argues that it's possible to be both ethical and a good journalist.

How do you find books to review?

LJ ROBERTS: Poisoned Pen Books publishes an excellent catalogue often talking about new books and authors, including those from the UK. If they sound interesting, I will try to research the book on the Web. If it really sounds interesting, I shall buy it. I have found some wonderful new authors, and some whom I ended up not liking at all. The mistakes are financially costly, but the successes are true gems.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Authors, publicists and publishers ask us to take review copies. Also, when I’m planning an interview I usually review a book by the author. Sometimes, I pick books from my personal reading selections that I review.

SHARON WHEELER: We have an excellent relationship with publishers in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Books find us -- we rarely if ever go out looking for them . It's taken a while to reach this stage, and the fact that we have is down to all the hard work put in by our publisher Barbara Franchi and by our reviewers (we have more than 30 in the US, UK, Canada and Australia!) I think most publishers recognise that we run a professional, well-maintained website.

Do you go out of your way to read:

• Books by small publishers
• Favorite authors
• New authors

LJ ROBERTS: It doesn’t really matter to me. I never really notice the publisher unless I’m trying to ensure I have the UK rather than US edition for a true first. Certainly I buy the latest book from my favorite authors, of whom I now have too many. At the same time, I’m always looking for that wonderful new author to add to my list.

SANDRA RUTTAN: I make a point of reading books by favorite authors, because I have an addictive personality and love their work. I am making an effort to read more work by new authors. I don’t specifically read based off of the publisher, although there are a few publishers I avoid because they tend to have significant typesetting errors and are filled with typos.

SHARON WHEELER: Yes to all three! Two of my favourite publishers are small houses -- Bitter Lemon Press and Creme de la Crime. Many of the smaller publishers find it difficult to get their books reviewed, so a site like RTE can go some way towards bringing them to people's attention. I used to be a music reporter, and half the fun there was reckoning you'd 'discovered' a new band. It's the same with new authors. But I still get a kick out of reading the old favourites -- I was disproportionately excited when the new Dick Francis novel came out last month, and I am looking forward to the new Ian Rankin.

A question for Sandra Ruttan: With your first novel Suspicious Circumstances coming out in January 2007, do you feel you will review differently now that you are also on the other side of the fence?

SANDRA RUTTAN: I have been keenly aware of how much effort is involved in producing a book, and how hard it is to get published. As a result, I always feel bad when I’m criticizing a book. I imagine the author takes it as personally as I do, and I have asked myself, “Can I do it better?” That remains to be seen. However, I think it might make me tougher in the long term. I’m more comfortable writing a mixed review now than I was a year ago. I will never enjoy it but I always try to be fair, and always try to support my position. It isn’t much different than receiving a critique, and authors who are serious about craft will take mixed or even negative reviews as an opportunity to learn and grow. A reviewer has to be honest, and if they praise everything unilaterally, then a good review from them is worthless. I know it won’t feel good to get negative reviews, but it is something I’ll have to face. Ultimately, I won’t have any credibility with readers if they feel I’m holding back on an honest assessment of the books just because I don’t want to upset the author.

How has the market changed with the advent of online lists such as Dorothy-L and ezines like www.ReviewingTheEvidence.com and www.SpineTinglerMag.com?

LJ ROBERTS: I believe it has increased the visibility of first time and mid-list authors and made readers aware there are more options than the standard best-selling authors. At the same time, I don’t begrudge the best-sellers either. After all, they all started out as newbies In general, it has enabled a much greater awareness of options. I frankly don’t give the e-zines that much notice. Which is odd as I do subscribe to Black Raven, Deadly Pleasures and Mystery News. I definitely more of a hard copy person.

SANDRA RUTTAN: I feel it is easier to get information on books now than ever before. Five years ago, even, I would discover a new book when it happened to be in the bookstore one day. Now, I go looking for them because I know when the books are being released. More online markets mean more books being reviewed and more potential word of mouth about great books. I hear about all the new authors I’m reading online.

SHARON WHEELER: We describe RTE as a review site, rather than an ezine. We've occasionally discussed widening its brief to include interviews and news, and in the end have decided that the site fulfils a clear purpose by focussing just on reviewing. It's taken a while, but most writers and publishers now see the need to cultivate the online publications -- after all, we review far more books in a year than print publications can.

Do you think publishers are taking note of these new areas for authors' books to reach consumers?

LJ ROBERTS: I think so. Publishers now have their own websites where you can subscribe to newsletters of their upcoming books and smart ones, such as Poisoned Pen, participate in the discussions as well.

SANDRA RUTTAN: We have received a number of requests, directly from publishers, to be on their mail-out list, so I do feel that publishers are paying more attention to online review sites.

SHARON WHEELER: Yes. Some have been quicker than others about it. But many of them show their support and acknowledge our standing by giving us books for competition prizes.

Is there anything you wish to add that I did not ask you?

LJ ROBERTS: I certainly can’t think of anything. But should you, feel free to ask and I shall answer.

SANDRA RUTTAN: Not that I can think of!

SHARON WHEELER: Thanks to all the reviewers and readers who support RTE -- and thanks, Jeri, for letting me talk about one of my favourite topics!

And thank YOU, ladies!