By Tracy Clark
The Rogue spotlight rolls ‘round to me again! Not much to report this time, though. I’ve been neck deep in revisions for my next book, Edge. It’s book four in my Det. Harriet Foster series. It ultimately revolves around the concept of acceptance, and I serve it up with an edge.
Revisions are always a humbling time. It’s when I come face to face with all my story shortcomings and finally have to deal with them. Almost done.
Anyway, here are the updates:
Past
I spent a cool evening in a brewery with some of my favorite writers friends – Lori, Andrew, Mia and Susie at Une Annee/Hubbard’s Cave in Niles, Illinois. It was an event hosted by the wonderful Niles-Maine Library, which was a wonderful host. We talked craft, we talked about our processes, and our books and met some very nice, enthusiastic readers. That’s the best perk of this writing business – meeting readers, connecting. Thanks for having us, Niles-Maine!
And because crime/mystery writers are “special”, the wine barrels stacked around us mesmerized. Toward the end of our conversation, I glanced over at the barrels and wondered aloud how much one of those bad boys weighed, and then how much more it would weigh with a dead body stuffed inside? Then how much different an empty barrel would weigh from one full of wine. Then what kind of killer would choose a wine barrel to hide and/or dispose of his victim. And then … you see how this goes?
Of course, I had to go home and Google. There are all kinds of variables – type of wood, size, empty, full. I have filed the information away. You never know when you’ll need a wine barrel in a story.
But the evening was lovely, the readers engaged, and the ambience … compelling.
Present
Echo, book three in my Det. Harriet Foster series, is a Kindle monthly deal until April 30. Just $2.49 USD.
In this installment, Harri and her partner, Det. Vera Li, are faced with an almost impossible task of connecting similar murders separated by thirty years. Same MO, same crime scene location, same killer? Yes? No? And what exactly is justice? What feels like justice to one person may not feel like justice to someone else, right?
Future
My next author evening is fast approaching. On Wednesday, May 7, award-winning author David Ellis and I will be in conversation at the Totally Criminal Cocktail Hour at the Lowell Inn in Stillwater, Minnesota.
David is a sitting judge, but also the author of excellent thrillers who has also co-authored several bestsellers with the prolific James Patterson. We should have a fun time.
I’ve never been to Stillwater, nor the Lowell Inn, so I did a little cursory research just because, well, I like to be thorough. Turns out, Stillwater is considered the birthplace of Minnesota, and back in the day, cornered the market on lumber mills. Hoping David and I are given a warm welcome.
That’s it. More stuff coming up in the next few months, so I’ll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I’ll keep writing.
Tracy Clark, a native Chicagoan, is the author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series and the Det. Harriet Foster series. A multi-nominated Anthony, Lefty, Edgar, Macavity, and Shamus Award finalist, Tracy is also the 2020 and 2022 winner of the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award. She is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Love the wine barrel idea. I just spent some time in wineries in Romania and Serbia and the “body in the wine barrel” flashed through my mind as well. That’s definitely the mystery writer in us! Love hearing what you’ve been doing and what you’re up to. I’m only a few hours from Chicago these days, so maybe one of these times I’ll make it to an event!
Interesting that a library would have an event involving wine barrels – sounds like great fun. And your new mystery sounds great too!!!
Traveling with my husband I’ve toured more wineries and distilleries than I can count! Wine barrels always have a distinct history and use.