Conference DOs and DON’Ts

As we approach conference season, many of us are ordering promo materials and making travel plans in the hopes of furthering our careers at professional conferences. As they are not cheap, it’s important to make the most of your time at conferences. So in the spirit of Miss Rosie (but without the proper nouns and scolding tone) I’d like to provide some guidelines for making the most of your conference experience:

1. DO attend workshops; that’s the reason you’re there. This may seem witheringly obvious, but once inside that hotel it becomes all too easy to skip the workshops and hang out in the Starbucks—or the bar—instead. There will be plenty of time to socialize later. Get a schedule and mark the sessions that seem most pertinent to you, and then go to one that doesn’t. You’ll learn something.

DON’T be “that person” in the workshop audience. You know the one I’m talking about: she uses the Q and A part of the session to discuss her magnum opus or to impress everyone with what he thinks he knows about publishing. If you have a valid question, ask it. But save the networking for lunch or cocktail hour.

2. DO dress appropriately. Again, this seems obvious, but you would be surprised. Business casual is the way to go, and unless you’re wearing sequins or a tuxedo, slightly overdressing (a day dress, a skirt and cardigan, a shirt and tie for the guys) is rarely a mistake. Donning your yoga pants or sporting your kid’s college wear IS, however. And have a lightweight jacket or sweater handy—hotel air conditioning tends to hover between freezing and Arctic.

Dress like the professional you are!

3. DO be prepared for the cliques, especially if you’re a newbie or attending alone. No matter how welcoming an organization might be, there will always be those few (Miss Rosie would capitalize here) who need to prove that they are in the know and/or running the show. Now and then a friendly advance by an attendee meets with a rebuff, and it can be a bit demoralizing. If that happens to you, take on the chin, smile, and graciously excuse yourself with these words: “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” And they have: because now you know whom to avoid.

4. DO reach out to others, particularly those attendees who appear alone or lost. Making a friend is the quickest way to get over feeling lost yourself, and now you have someone to sit with at lunch. (And after you are a famous author, that person will be the first one to buy your book, after telling everyone how kind you were to her at her first writers’ conference.)

5. DO volunteer if the opportunity arises. It’s the best kind of networking there is. I attend a local conference yearly, and long after I already had an agent, and even after I had a contract, I continued to volunteer for the pitch sessions. I help organize the flow of traffic, soothe nerves, and time sessions. I offer to fetch water or coffee for the agents and editors in attendance, and cheer writers on when someone asks to see their work. It’s very simple—people remember kindness. And sometimes they ask for your card as well!

6. And speaking of agents and editors, DON’T pitch an unfinished project. Please. You’re taking up precious minutes that could have gone to a writer with a full manuscript to sell. And you’re asking for trouble should an agent or editor demonstrate interest, because not everyone asks for a partial. Just how fast can you bang out those last 200 pages?

7. DO network wisely. Start by chatting and trading cards with other hopefuls like yourself. Ask others what they are working on before you jump in to talk about your own project. And for heaven’s sake, don’t make a beeline for the NY Times bestselling author or that agent from Writers House. If you can work your way over slowly, go for it. If you can introduce yourself, even better. But wait until they ask about your work.     One last word: the ladies room is sacrosanct. No one wants to hear a pitch delivered over a toilet stall.

                          
8. DO have a drink at cocktail hour. You deserve it.

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, was named as a Best Cozy of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey with her husband and two of her three sons.

A Writer’s Morning* (Ever Have One of These?)

*with apologies to Helen Fielding

Note: This post of Rosie's should have gone up yesterday, but Carolyn, who was responsible for getting the post up, was having one of those days yesterday...

Rosie G's Diary
Previous day’s word count: 3, 236

6:58 a.m. Awake before seven! V. good. Lots of time to get some writing done before breakfast. Head straight to desk and open manuscript. Minimize manuscript and check email. Check Facebook—two new notifications! Check Goodreads to see who has added me to “want to read” list.  Apparently, no one. Re-open manuscript.

7:23 a.m. Stare at page 9. Why is protag talking to this other person? In fact, who is this character? Take out Oxford comma in line of dialogue. Add “that” for parallel structure. Continue to stare at page 9 until lightheaded. In need of protein and caffeine.

Word count: 3,237

7:48 a.m./Eight hours until cocktails. Time for breakfast. Cook up two eggs and three slices of bacon. (No toast, as watching carbs.) Read Publishers Weekly and check lists. Good God—how did that book even make it? No accounting for the market. Does talent even matter these days???? Continue to make smug pronouncements until caffeine hits and hurry upstairs.

8:17 a.m. Back at desk. Squint at page 9. Put glasses on. Stare at page 9. Aha! I remember why second character is in room! (How will I get her out of room? Worry about that later!) Finally getting momentum. V. good. Second character looks at protag with “an expression of desolate despair.” Or perhaps “despairing desolation”?

8:20 a. m. Look down at lap and notice alarming thigh spread. Was bacon a bad choice for breakfast? Must get moving!   A brisk walk, followed by 75 lunges ought to do the trick. Will use the time to work out main character motivation.

Word count: 3, 243

8:25-9:51 a.m. Out on power walk—perfect for inspiration! So why does protag get involved in investigation? Curiosity? Pride, or perhaps—ooooh, new bakery just opened in town. Are those samples I spy in basket outside door? Yum. Brush croissant crumbs from shirt. On walk home, decide protag has dark secret to be revealed. (But what is dark secret? Worry about that later.)

10:00 a.m./Six hours until cocktails. Back at desk. Add two modifiers to dialogue tags. Protag speaks “confidentially.” Second character gasps “breathlessly.” Damn, I’m good. (Note to self: give second character a name)

Word count: 3,245

10:13 a.m. Thirsty from exertion. Go to kitchen to fill 64 oz. water bottle. Must stay properly hydrated to write.  Back at desk. No Google alerts today. Search self under real name. Search self under pen name. Search self plus title of book. Search self plus “reviews.” Search self plus “debut author.” Search self on all pages found, including those in foreign languages. Finish water bottle.

10:47 a.m. Potty break! Check out self in bathroom mirror while washing hands. Eyebrows in desperate need of grooming. While plucking, decide upon second character name: Penelope. Or Leticia. V. Good!

Word count: 3,245

11: 23 a.m./Approximately five hours until cocktails. Back at desk. Add Penelope/Leticia’s name to dialogue tags and mull over protag’s dark secret. Is Penelope/Leticia in possession of said secret? (Will worry about that later.) Provide Penelope/Leticia with “feral grace” and “hair as dark as midnight.” Oooh, I’m on page ten! Double digits at last!! Minimize document.

11:48 a.m. In celebration of page 10, check Amazon numbers on pre-orders. Can that be right? Open author page and go to graph. Still in the six digits. Crap. Check Novelrank in case of some mistake. Apparently not.  But UK numbers up by one! Huzzah! Make note to order more promo materials, stat!

12:14 p.m./3.5 hours until cocktails. One thousand bookmarks, 1 gross pens, and several hundred “signed by the author” stickers will be in my possession by tomorrow! V. Good. Open document. Time to establish main character’s dark secret.  Find and remove two more Oxford commas. Re-read pages 1-9 to better grasp main character motivation. Realize edits sorely needed—revise all flabby prose. Delve more deeply into main character motivation and mysterious connection to Penelope/Leticia. But what IS dark secret?

(Will worry about that later, as it is time for lunch.)

Final word count: 3,236    V.Good!

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, will be released October 1. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey, with her husband, two of her three sons, and an ill-behaved fox terrier.

How a Book Gets Its Cover: An Interview with Artist Ben Perini

Top: Ben Pirini; Bot: Busy Bodies by Joan Hess cover

Hi everyone—Rosie here, and today I’m delighted to have cover artist Ben Perini as our guest. Ben has designed a number of book covers, including my own Murder and Marinara. In this interview, he gives us a sneak peek into how book cover designers and illustrators work. Please join me in welcoming him.

1. Ben, thanks so much for joining us today. Would you tell us a bit about your background and your work? How did you get into book cover design?

I’ve been an artist all my life—drawing as most children do, except I received formal education quite young. My mother kept finding art lessons for me to attend; I went to the Saturday morning art classes at the Brooklyn Museum when I was eight years old. I like to say after graduating Saturday morning classes, I never looked back.

Many years later, returning to New York from California (at the encouragement of my future wife) with a portfolio in hand, I started networking and knocking on doors. One always has help in finding a way to a career, and I was no different. I went to see one of my favorite high school art teachers, Irwin Greenberg, who sent me to see Max Ginsburg, a teacher who was now working as an illustrator. He introduced me to art director/designer Tony Greco, who hired me for my first book cover and introduced me to the book publishing world. This was back in 1985. Through all those years I’ve worked with most of the major publishing houses and met many wonderful people. One of the aspects I enjoy about this business is collaborating with others to create the end product.

Back then, my work was created traditionally in acrylic paint on illustration boards, and airbrush was also useful. At some point in the 1990s I migrated to the computer to paint digitally. I do go back to traditional work at times, and I have some clients that only come to me for watercolor illustration—a much looser style than my digital paintings. In any case, an illustration always starts with a pencil sketch.

2. When I saw the sketch for my cover, I was astonished at how accurately you captured my own vision for the image as well as the spirit of the book—and you did this without reading it. Could you share the process that you typically follow when commissioned to design a book cover?

So, when I’m commissioned to illustrate a book cover the art director either knows exactly what she wants or she sends me a manuscript to read for a scene to illustrate. Or sometimes it falls somewhere in between those two extremes—maybe a synopsis is all we have to go on at the moment. We usually have a conversation about concept possibilities, and any required items to be included on the cover. I will do some exploratory sketches from those discussions to find a concept that fits the book.

With your book, the art director sent me the notes from the publisher’s cover conference, along with a few reference photos. She also sent the schedule of deadlines—when sketches are due and when the final art is due: art under fire! I recall we had an initial phone meeting to go over questions I had and to clarify direction. I then gathered my own photo references and spent time thinking about how to best present what was asked of me.

Sketches start simply at first, and this cover was all about getting the setting right, making it inviting. I sent a detailed sketch for the art director's input. She requested one change: the blackboard in my sketch was originally a picture in a frame. After that, I got approval to go to final art—a digital painting in this case. I like the contrast of the interior darker colors with the exterior blue sky with big clouds over the water in the final image.

The original sketch and final cover for Murder and Marinara

An artist's creative process is inspired by many things—you're always observing, and sometimes you're recalling memories. What really help me to capture the spirit of your book was growing up in Brooklyn and having the enjoyable experience of quite a few Italian Restaurants. And of course, we had our Coney Island.

3. Beyond the original sketch, what aspects of the cover did you execute and which fell to the art department at NAL? Did you decide on the color palette, for example?

For the most part I am commissioned to create the art for the book cover. So I painted the scene of the restaurant and the view out the window. I also created the type on the blackboard. I decide on the overall palette, but the designer darkened the walls so that the type would pop. The Art Director and graphic designer packaged the book with my art and the type. In some case the designer will add other desired graphics (e.g. banners under type) and commission a letterer to design type for a book.

Cover art for Cate Price's Going through the Notions

4. You seem to strike a balance between fine and commercial art, in the way that some writers are able to do with literary and commercial fiction. How do you achieve that balance between creating work of your own inspiration vs. the demands of the commercial market?

As an illustrator I’m always marketing myself, and I’m always creating new art for purpose. It’s a chance to experiment and be creative. Those ideas sometimes fit in with the fine art side of my studio, and vice versa. Both sides do need self-motivation; the fine arts have different incentives. In certain ways the commercial art is easier, because of the project at hand dictates what is needed and when it is needed. Also, having two children in college keeps me hard at work.

5. Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about? Where can we get a peek at your work on the web?

Right now what I’m inspired with is creating large-scale drawings: 52” x 48”. These works are in charcoal on Arches hot press watercolor paper, a very smooth, heavy-weight paper. I'm developing a series that I like to call imaginative portraits. There’s nothing like the experience of standing in front of a face that measures four foot from the chin to the apex of the skull. I now better understand why Chuck Close has worked in the scale he has for so many years.

There are some charcoal drawings on my website; the larger drawings will appear once the new site goes live.

Bio: Ben Perini is an illustrator and a designer and a professional dreamer who has has worked for many national clients for over twenty-five years and has consistently created wonderful commercial art (traditional and digital), with great attention to detail. In the book publishing world, Ben has illustrated more book covers than he can mathematically work out.

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, will be released October 1. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey, with her husband, two of her three sons, and an ill-behaved fox terrier.

Balancing Solitude and Social Life

by Rosie Genova

I doubt there’s a writer alive who can’t relate to Carpenter's words (at right). Even the most gregarious among us, the most talkative, the most social—and I count myself in that number—need that quiet time to work, or think, or plot, or plan.

At parties, for example, I’m the one circulating and working the room. At conferences, I’m the one chatting with other writers and handing out business cards. I will yak your ear off, but essentially, I am an introvert. A friend who’s a family therapist put it this way: “Extroverts need other people to recharge; introverts need solitude.”

Listen, I love my family. I cherish my friends. I have strong bonds with my colleagues and students at work. But at a certain point, I need them to all go away so I can decompress, be alone with my thoughts, and write.

Public domain image courtesy of www.oldbookillustrations.com

As writers, we crave those hours when it’s just us and the desk and the pen. We need that time and space for our work. In fact, there’s lots of research that suggests that solitude is essential to our psychological well-being, as this article makes plain. But I’ve found that it’s far too easy to get lost in that place.

Writing is a solitary art, but we are social animals. We have spouses, partners, parents, and children, and those relationships can sometimes be at odds with our work. Because even when we’re not actively writing,  we’re often thinking about our characters and plotting our stories. When I was writing my first novel, I would sometimes get a faraway look on my face that my husband and sons grew to recognize. “You’re thinking about your book, aren’t you?” they would ask, and the answer was obvious. Even though I was with them, I was not with them.

I know that the worlds we build in fiction are as real as the ones in which we live. That the characters we create live and breathe and talk inside our heads, and we love them. But they can’t hold our hands or shoot us a smile or share a joke with us. More importantly, they don’t lose out if we can’t spend time with them, unlike the real people in our lives.

And even if we wait for the times that “everyone has gone,” we want them to come back to us. For that, we need to be present ourselves. As important as our work is, it can’t—and shouldn’t—take the place of our human connections. There are times we need to leave our fictional worlds behind and live fully in this one. We owe that to the people who love and support us in this crazy pursuit of ours.

So now let me ask you: as a writer, how do you balance your need for solitude with the needs of the people in your life?

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, will be released October 1. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey, with her husband, two of her three sons, and an ill-behaved fox terrier.

Should You Use Real Life Tragedies in Your Writing?

by Rosie Genova

I didn’t grow up at the Jersey shore, but I’ve had a one-sided love affair with it my whole life, and it seemed natural to set my books there. While the seaside town in my mystery series is fictional, there are references to real places like Ocean Grove and the Seaside boardwalk to help ground the books in reality. But as I built my fictional world, I didn’t take into account another reality of shore life—hurricanes.

In October 2012, I was wrapping up the manuscript for the first book in the series, Murder and Marinara, just as Hurricane Sandy was making its way up the eastern seaboard. I hit send on October 29, only hours before I lost power for eight days. As the weather worsened, I was feeling that uneasy excitement that comes with a threatening storm. And I couldn’t help but think about how I might work a hurricane into my books. It was a perfect plot device, and my writer’s imagination teemed with fictional scenarios that involved a hurricane.

But once the wind died down,  the reality of Sandy struck with as much devastation as the storm itself. The loss of life and destruction of property in my home state were beyond expectation, and the shore communities were especially hard hit. Thousands were left homeless, businesses were destroyed, and numberless icons of the Jersey shore boardwalks and beaches were lost forever. What happened to my beloved coastline wasn’t the stuff of fiction; it was all too real.

The Seaside Heights boardwalk, its pier ripped away by Hurricane Sandy.
The wreckage of the roller coaster remained in the ocean for months.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

During revisions on the book, I talked with my editor about whether I should include the storm. In some ways, it seemed disingenuous not to mention such an all-encompassing event. In the end, however, we decided to leave it out. Cozy mysteries are meant to provide escape, and give readers a sense of comfort and closure when the culprit is caught and the cozy world is restored. This culprit—a  superstorm of historic proportions—had wreaked a kind of havoc that can’t be resolved in 80,000 words.

So when it came time for the cover conference, I suggested an image that specifically evoked those comforting, pre-storm memories of the Jersey shore.  The icon of the Ferris wheel reminded me of days on the boardwalk, of salt water taffy and games of chance, of long ago summers that felt never-ending. And it’s the one image on my cover that everyone remarks upon.

Ferris wheel detail from cover of 
Murder and Marinara

But these days, that Ferris wheel brings to mind another image—the now iconic picture of Seaside Height’s bent and twisted roller coaster, claimed by the ocean during the storm.

At this year’s Malice Domestic conference, I was lucky enough to meet Louise Penny, the Canadian author of the Inspector Gamache series. After exchanging cards, she praised my book’s cover art; in the next breath, she asked if I had addressed the hurricane in my story. Could anyone look at that Ferris wheel, she asked, and not think about the image of the wrecked roller coaster?

That question had me second guessing my original decision. My book’s release date also happens to be close to the one year anniversary of the storm, another reason I didn’t want to thread it into the fabric of the story.  I couldn’t appropriate as a plot device an event that had devastated so many lives. But now I realized I couldn’t ignore it, either.

And then Louise offered a suggestion that turned out to be the perfect solution:  an author’s note. At the end of my story, after the murderer is apprehended and all is well for my characters, I offer a short, simple explanation of why there is no mention of the storm.  In another book perhaps, a hurricane might figure into the story, but I remain conflicted about the intrusion of such a harsh reality into my fiction.

The 2013 Jersey shore season is already underway here. A number of our boardwalks have been repaired, and shore communities are busy with the rebuilding of homes and businesses. The wreckage of the roller coaster is gone, and a series of television commercials proclaims, “We’re stronger than the storm.”  And while that may be true, many of us in New Jersey still mourn for those pre-hurricane days, to a time when the icons of our beach towns stood for magical innocence and not senseless destruction.

Those are the times I try to evoke in my books. In my stories, none of the beach has been washed away. The boardwalk businesses are thriving, and everybody in town has a home. And that old roller coaster is still on its track, speeding through the night to the sound of the waves.

There is still much work to be done in Jersey shore communities. Please visit Restore the Shore to see how you might help.

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, will be released October 1. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista. She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey, with her husband, two of her three sons, and an ill-behaved fox terrier.

Interview with Rosie Genova, Author

Today's post is dedicated to author Rosie Genova, whose debut cozy mystery "Murder and Marinara: An Italian Kitchen Mystery" will be released October 2013. Rosie will be hanging out with us here at the Query Tracker blog so let me introduce her to you.

Welcome, Rosie Genova! 

Tell us a little about yourself.
Well, you can take the girl out of Jersey. . .except I never left. I was born here, schooled here (Go RU!) wed here, and work here. And my books are set here.

I grew up in a tiny, working class town that had a cool old library, and I spent hours there. Becoming an English teacher seemed like a natural progression from being a bookworm, and I’ve been in the classroom 23 years. When I was home raising my sons, I wrote for a regional family publication, which provided me my first byline and a valuable way for me to hone my craft.  In 2006, I wrote the draft of my first novel, and have been working steadily as a writer ever since.

You're represented by Kim Lionetti of BookEnds. Any highlights you'd like to share from your querying process?
I had a number of times I came close with well-known agents who represented women’s fiction, and I learned from each of those rejections. I was lucky enough to go to Kim with an endorsement from an editor at Berkley with whom she’d once worked; she liked my query and requested a partial. I still remember the Sunday afternoon I opened my email to find a message from her that read: “Loving this so far. Please send the rest.”

What do you like best about partnering with a literary agent?
She knows the business in ways that I never could, and has access to people I could only dream about contacting. My focus was always traditional publishing, so an agent/author model works best for me—I know it’s not a model everyone embraces, or even needs. But her guidance and advice has been invaluable, and she tells me the truth, even when it’s not what I want to hear. She also laughs at my jokes, which helps a lot.

I remember when you shared pages with me from your "Shakespeare by the Shore" manuscripts. Loved those stories--and deeply distressed that it's not certain when I'll get to read those books. Tell us what happened to those stories--and, subsequently, your publishing focus.
Those stories are still living and breathing. I open them up and still derive pleasure from reading them. I believe in them, and believe they have an audience, but the time isn’t right. I’m considering self-publication, but that’s probably a couple of years away. It’s also possible that if the mysteries do well, I’d have a platform to try to get them published the traditional route. And thanks for the kind words!

How did you react to Kim's suggestion to switch genres?
My romantic comedies circulated among editors for three years. We had several “rejections with regret” but they were perceived by editors as chick lit, end of story. (They are, in fact, “chick lit-erate,” and that’s how I’ll eventually position them.) When Kim called to suggest I try a cozy, I balked at first. Plotting does not come easily to me, as I’m generally a pantser when I work.

Mysteries call for tight, logical plots with no holes, so I was intimidated. But Kim reminded me that she could sell a cozy based on three chapters and a synopsis, so it wouldn’t require the time investment of my women’s fiction.

When I talked it over with my family, my son Adam said he’s always thought I should do a mystery,
and my beloved husband offered me these words of wisdom: “Listen to your agent. She’s sold a lot of books. You haven’t sold any.”

So I worked on the proposal, and had Kim and a couple of trusted readers look over the pages. After another round of edits, Kim submitted to three houses. Within six weeks, all three had offers on the table. I ended up signing with Penguin’s NAL division for three books. Let’s just say I have since taken my hubby’s words to heart.

Tell us about your new writing persona: Rosie Genova. What can we expect from Rosie?
Well, while Rosemary is off spinning romantic tales based on Shakespeare, Rosie is dreaming up ways to knock people off. She’s also coming up with recipes for fabulous Italian food—never let it be said that her victims don’t get a savory last meal. Rosie is the author of the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, a new series of cozies set at the Jersey shore. The first of which is Murder and Marinara, which releases October 1.

From the back jacket:

Hit whodunit writer Victoria Rienzi is getting back to her roots by working at her family’s Italian restaurant. But now in between plating pasta and pouring vino, she’ll have to find the secret ingredient in a murder....

Where can we find you on the web?
You can find me at www.rosiegenova.com, on Facebook, on Goodreads, and occasionally at www.rosemarydibattista.com.

Can we have a sneak peak at a future project?
Absolutely. Book 2 in the Italian Kitchen Mysteries is tentatively titled The Wedding Soup Murder.  Victoria’s grandmother puts her in charge of catering a large wedding reception with a menu featuring the Casa Lido’s famous Italian Wedding Soup. At the reception, Vic tangles with a couple of egocentric chefs, a spoiled bridezilla, and the snooty club president. But by the time the wedding dust settles, one of them is dead, and Victoria once again finds herself on the case.

If you could go back five years and change something, what would it be and why?
You mean besides getting that bad haircut or eating all those cannolis? Assuming you mean in my writing career, not very much. Five years ago I signed with Kim, and that was one of the smartest professional moves I’ve made. I did try my hand at a more serious novel that I have since trunked. If I had to do it over, I would spend those couple of months coming up with better jokes instead.

Do you have a favorite writers’ resource, such as a book, a website, a course, or an association?
I know I’m biased, but I love the Query Tracker community. There are few writers’ forums with the level of support and lack of snobbery found here. Personally, I have found two critique partners here who’ve been invaluable to me.

I also think that it’s important to become part of a writers’ community within your genre through email loops, but I’d suggest lurking for a good long while before posting. It’s important to separate those who provide genuine support from those who are just there to hawk their wares. And if the tone of the group is whiny or complaining, that’s probably not the place for a fledging writer to try her wings.

What's your message to the writers who haven't "made it" yet?
I think there are many definitions of “made it.” It could be the moment you print out that first manuscript. Or the first time an agent asks for a partial. Maybe a dozen people comment on your blog post, and only one of them is your mom! I think the secret is savoring all the small triumphs along the way, and constantly honing your craft.

As a writer, I embrace some words of Hemingway: “It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when the luck comes you are ready.”

If I had to come up with some essential message, it would be pretty simple. Work hard. Be exact in your writing. And be ready for the luck when it comes.

I couldn't agree more. Buona fortuna, Rosie, and welcome to the Query Tracker Blog! We are lucky to have you here.

Be sure to watch for Rosie's book and join us in welcoming her to the QTB!

About Rosie Genova...

A Jersey girl born and bred, Rosie Genova left her heart at the shore, which serves as the setting for much of her work. Her new series, the Italian Kitchen Mysteries, is informed by her deep appreciation for good food, her pride in her heritage, and her love of classic mysteries, from Nancy Drew to Miss Marple. Her debut novel, Murder and Marinara, will be released October 1. An English teacher by day and novelist by night, Rosie also writes women’s fiction as Rosemary DiBattista.  She lives fifty miles from the nearest ocean  in central New Jersey, with her husband, two of her three sons, and an ill-behaved fox terrier.

Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer who, despite having a Time Turner under her couch and three different sonic screwdrivers in her purse, still encounters difficulty with time management. Visit Ash's blog at www.ash-krafton.blogspot.com for news on her urban fantasy series The Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press). Book Two "Blood Rush" was released May 2013. Currently, her urban fantasy novella "Stranger at the Hell Gate" (The Wild Rose Press) is available on Amazon's KDP Select.