Author Bethany Maines, crime, event, morgan freeman, noir at the bar, reading, Seattle, swearing This week I’m engaging in a local Seattle event called Noir at the Bar. There are several of these around the country—they’re a collection of live readings from crime writers with a few open mic slots at the end. I don’t do crime exactly. I’m more action-adventure / mystery. If you’re wondering about the distinction, I would say that the crime genre usually involves a higher body count and more depression and alcoholism.
A public reading is a difficult
beast to master. The story or piece has to fit the time allotted and it has to
be satisfying to the audience. Just reading a chunk of my latest work in
progress wouldn’t be helpful for the audience. There wouldn’t be enough set up
and no conclusion. It’s OK to leave the audience wanting more and
pondering the deeper meaning. Leaving them just plain confused and
wondering what the point was is not acceptable. Also, the piece has to be
somewhat performed. Simply reading is more than a little bit boring, unless you
have a Morgan Freeman voice. In which case, congratulations, read
whatever you want. But I don’t sound remotely like Morgan Freeman, so I
have to work a little harder.
For this event I’ve written a
more crime oriented piece involving plastic couch covers, cupcakes and a
husband who wishes he hadn’t popped home for a nooner. It’s got some
rather naughty words and I’m hoping I don’t stumble over them. It’s my
feeling that if you’re going to swear in public you should do it with
authority. Although, I have to admit that while dropping an F-bomb
doesn’t scare me, but somehow the line about tampons has me intimidated.
Wish me luck!
http://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NoirattheBar-Jan2018.jpg960742Bethany Maineshttp://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2019-01-09 06:55:322019-01-08 18:59:01Noir at the Bar
I had a friend who was extremely disappointed to learn that the day after Christmas had NOTHING to do with boxing. I don’t know if she was hoping for some sort of tale of a historical rumble at Five Points or Canadians engaging in fisticuffs, but she was quite put out to learn that it was about literal boxes and tipping. I cannot help the history, but the tradition in our family is to loll about the house and stuff our faces while watching an entire days worth action movies selected by my brother. And action movies frequently involve some sort of hand to hand pummelling, so, there… Boxing Day accomplished.
Watching movies at my brothers house has gotten more complicated due to babies and competing in-laws, but this year’s movie theme is Time Travel. So in no particular order we are all invited to watch the following:
Back to the Future – Michael J. Fox
Frequency – Jim Caviezel
Time Cop – Jean Claucde Van Damme
Looper – Joseph Gorden Levitt
12 Monkeys – Bruce Willis
The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – Keanu Reeves
The Final Countdown – Martin Sheen
Merry Christmas, happy Boxing Day, and a wonderful New Years to all!
Drunken TV news cameraman Jake Garner thought he was tackling an intruder. But no, Jake just took out the fantastically attractive dog sitter. Mortified, Jake does what any man would who has just been dumped right before Christmas would do—give the offended party all his ex’s things. Meanwhile, Blue Jones is determined to do whatever it takes to get her grandmother the best cancer treatment possible, even if that means some high-rise burglary from one of her worst dog-sitting clients, the failure to walk, feed or book a pet-sitter for a three day weekend, Grace Lorra. But Blue didn’t count on Grace’s ex, Jake, showing up and drunkenly handing over all of Grace’s belongings— including her adorable French Bulldog, Jacques. It takes no time at all for Blue to fall in love with Jacques, but Blue also finds herself wondering if it would be so bad to return to the scene of the crime to reconnect with Jake. But as Christmas draws closer, Grace pressures Jake to return the dog and Blue is targeted by mysterious assailants. Can Jake find Blue and Jacques before her stalkers do? And can Jake and Blue stop these mystery men without also getting Blue arrested for theft? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous. For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.
http://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BlueChristmas-cover_400x640.jpg640400Bethany Maineshttp://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2018-12-23 19:16:452018-12-30 23:48:24Boxing Day
Thanksgiving is looming and that means that… gulp… Christmas is around the corner! But what that means for me is that I have some awesome new releases to share with readers. That’s right, I’ve been hard at work on stories of murder, romance, theft, and puppies. I may just need the holidays to happen so I can get a rest. On November 15th (that’s this THURSDAY), I have a short story, Mayhem & Mahalo, included in the the Stiletto Heeled issue of Switchblade Magazine. I’m pretty thrilled to be included in this list of all women crime writers and can’t wait to get my own copy and see what mischief my co-conspirators are up to. Next up is Blue Christmas, a romantic holiday adventure (now available for pre-order) which will be released on December 4th! This cross-genre romance / crime story has everything you need to kick off the holiday season.
Switchblade Magazine – The Stiletto Heeled Issue
featuring Mayhem & Mahalo – Available on Amazon 11/15/18
Hawaii—the land of sun, surf, and a giant pile of dead bodies. Paige Kaneko thought she had left the Kaneko family’s criminal ways behind her, but when a 3 a.m. text from her brother asks for one simple thing—help—Paige can’t say no. Now Paige must get her brother and herself out of a situation that includes eight dead bodies, a backpack full of cash and one slightly dented heroin addict.
High-rise burglary to pay for her grandmother’s cancer treatments might not be ideal, but Blue Jones is determined to do what it takes to get her grandmother the best care possible. She just didn’t plan on being tackled by gorgeous Jake Garner. Jake, drunk and recently dumped, mistakes Blue for the dog sitter and begins shoving his ex’s belongings at her including her French Bulldog—Jacques. But soon Jake is being pressured to return the dog and Blue is being targeted by mysterious attackers. Can Jake and Blue stop these mystery men without also getting Blue arrested for theft? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous. For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.
http://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Switchblade-StilettoHeeled.jpg960960Bethany Maineshttp://bethanymaines.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Aug2016-Logo-op3-300x69.pngBethany Maines2018-11-14 07:30:342018-12-30 23:46:53Christmas is Coming!
Noir at the Bar
/in General Writing, The Stiletto Gang /by Bethany MainesAuthor Bethany Maines, crime, event, morgan freeman, noir at the bar, reading, Seattle, swearing This week I’m engaging in a local Seattle event called Noir at the Bar. There are several of these around the country—they’re a collection of live readings from crime writers with a few open mic slots at the end. I don’t do crime exactly. I’m more action-adventure / mystery. If you’re wondering about the distinction, I would say that the crime genre usually involves a higher body count and more depression and alcoholism.
A public reading is a difficult beast to master. The story or piece has to fit the time allotted and it has to be satisfying to the audience. Just reading a chunk of my latest work in progress wouldn’t be helpful for the audience. There wouldn’t be enough set up and no conclusion. It’s OK to leave the audience wanting more and pondering the deeper meaning. Leaving them just plain confused and wondering what the point was is not acceptable. Also, the piece has to be somewhat performed. Simply reading is more than a little bit boring, unless you have a Morgan Freeman voice. In which case, congratulations, read whatever you want. But I don’t sound remotely like Morgan Freeman, so I have to work a little harder.
For this event I’ve written a more crime oriented piece involving plastic couch covers, cupcakes and a husband who wishes he hadn’t popped home for a nooner. It’s got some rather naughty words and I’m hoping I don’t stumble over them. It’s my feeling that if you’re going to swear in public you should do it with authority. Although, I have to admit that while dropping an F-bomb doesn’t scare me, but somehow the line about tampons has me intimidated. Wish me luck!
Boxing Day
/in Action Movies, General Writing, The Stiletto Gang /by Bethany MainesI had a friend who was extremely disappointed to learn that the day after Christmas had NOTHING to do with boxing. I don’t know if she was hoping for some sort of tale of a historical rumble at Five Points or Canadians engaging in fisticuffs, but she was quite put out to learn that it was about literal boxes and tipping. I cannot help the history, but the tradition in our family is to loll about the house and stuff our faces while watching an entire days worth action movies selected by my brother. And action movies frequently involve some sort of hand to hand pummelling, so, there… Boxing Day accomplished.
Watching movies at my brothers house has gotten more complicated due to babies and competing in-laws, but this year’s movie theme is Time Travel. So in no particular order we are all invited to watch the following:
Merry Christmas, happy Boxing Day, and a wonderful New Years to all!
**
Drunken TV news cameraman Jake Garner thought he was tackling an intruder. But no, Jake just took out the fantastically attractive dog sitter. Mortified, Jake does what any man would who has just been dumped right before Christmas would do—give the offended party all his ex’s things. Meanwhile, Blue Jones is determined to do whatever it takes to get her grandmother the best cancer treatment possible, even if that means some high-rise burglary from one of her worst dog-sitting clients, the failure to walk, feed or book a pet-sitter for a three day weekend, Grace Lorra. But Blue didn’t count on Grace’s ex, Jake, showing up and drunkenly handing over all of Grace’s belongings— including her adorable French Bulldog, Jacques. It takes no time at all for Blue to fall in love with Jacques, but Blue also finds herself wondering if it would be so bad to return to the scene of the crime to reconnect with Jake. But as Christmas draws closer, Grace pressures Jake to return the dog and Blue is targeted by mysterious assailants. Can Jake find Blue and Jacques before her stalkers do? And can Jake and Blue stop these mystery men without also getting Blue arrested for theft? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous. For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.
Christmas is Coming!
/in General Writing, The Stiletto Gang /by Bethany MainesThanksgiving is looming and that means that… gulp… Christmas is around the corner! But what that means for me is that I have some awesome new releases to share with readers. That’s right, I’ve been hard at work on stories of murder, romance, theft, and puppies. I may just need the holidays to happen so I can get a rest. On November 15th (that’s this THURSDAY), I have a short story, Mayhem & Mahalo, included in the the Stiletto Heeled issue of Switchblade Magazine. I’m pretty thrilled to be included in this list of all women crime writers and can’t wait to get my own copy and see what mischief my co-conspirators are up to. Next up is Blue Christmas, a romantic holiday adventure (now available for pre-order) which will be released on December 4th! This cross-genre romance / crime story has everything you need to kick off the holiday season.
Switchblade Magazine – The Stiletto Heeled Issue
featuring Mayhem & Mahalo – Available on Amazon 11/15/18
Hawaii—the land of sun, surf, and a giant pile of dead bodies. Paige Kaneko thought she had left the Kaneko family’s criminal ways behind her, but when a 3 a.m. text from her brother asks for one simple thing—help—Paige can’t say no. Now Paige must get her brother and herself out of a situation that includes eight dead bodies, a backpack full of cash and one slightly dented heroin addict.
High-rise burglary to pay for her grandmother’s cancer treatments might not be ideal, but Blue Jones is determined to do what it takes to get her grandmother the best care possible. She just didn’t plan on being tackled by gorgeous Jake Garner. Jake, drunk and recently dumped, mistakes Blue for the dog sitter and begins shoving his ex’s belongings at her including her French Bulldog—Jacques. But soon Jake is being pressured to return the dog and Blue is being targeted by mysterious attackers. Can Jake and Blue stop these mystery men without also getting Blue arrested for theft? For Blue, Christmas has never been quite so dangerous. For Jake, Christmas has never been quite so Blue.