Jackie Taylor Zortman- Twelve Question Tuesday

 Today I welcome Jackie Taylor Zortman to Twelve Question Tuesday.

1.  Please tell me the three most important things people should know about you.
I’m the wife of a 42-year veteran retired cop, a mother/grandmother with 3 kids/6 grandkids (one deceased) and I live in the Colorado high country.

2.  Are you a dog person or a cat person?
I used to be both, but as I’ve “matured”, we only have one Siamese cat named Kichai.

3.  Tea or coffee?
Just one cup of black coffee a day, first thing in the morning.

4.  Boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, or commando? (Either what you prefer or what you prefer on others.)
Since I don’t wear guy underwear, I like briefs on my hubby. 

5.  What was the first thing you ever wrote? 
A poem called “Inside the Pewter Box”. 

6.  When did you finally decide to call yourself a writer?
When I became a pretty regular writer for the journal called “Spouses of Police Officers”, back in the 90s.  After that, I had numerous articles and short stories published over the years, as well as being a contributing author to several anthologies, including the one presently on the market “Felons, Flames & Ambulance Rides.  I have two chapters in that.

7.  Which of your works are you most proud to have written?
My book “We Are Different Now” that came out on June 2, 2013.

8.  What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?
Having the county coroner come to the door at 6:30 a.m. on July 5, 2010 to tell us that there had been an accident and our 21-year-old grandson had been killed when he fell 100 feet off a mountain ledge.  He died instantly from a skull fracture.
 
9.  How did you end up getting published?
With my book, an author friend who had reviewed my manuscript mentioned two possible publishers and they both accepted it.  So, I just decided that the first one that got a contract to me would be the one I signed with.  That is Oak Tree Press.  But my very first story that was published was in the Journal of the Colorado Police Protective Association, again back in the 90s.

10.  Would you be food or fighter if the zombie apocalypse were to happen?
I would have to fight as hard as I could, which is probably pretty tenuous.  I’m taking care of my post-surgical husband at the moment and he feels great, but I ache from head to toe.

11.  What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
Nice try, but that will never go on the internet.   How about this instead?  I was in the patrol car with my husband one night when he was chief when a routine patrol suddenly turned into a high speed chase.  I was terrified because we live in the mountains with curvy ledges that drop into deep canyons and rivers and we were going 96 mph.  I just kept quiet and held a death grip on the seat.  I’ve never wanted to do that again and that was 20+ years ago.

12.  Would you rather be rich or famous--and you could only have one-- and why?  The fame would be based on something good, not something like being the best serial killer or anything like that.
Fame as an author would be wonderful because they are the ones who make the big bucks and it would be great to have publishing houses anxious for your next manuscript.  However, that probably isn’t realistic at this point in time.  I do live in a small town where everybody knows what time you take your bath, so I’m sure the whole town is aware of my book. If not, my marketing skills really need honing.  So, in lieu of fame, I’ll pick being rich because it would make life so much easier in this day and age.
FROM THE AUTHOR:

WE ARE DIFFERENT NOW – Jackie Taylor Zortman
Pete died beside the river in the pitch black of night after falling 100 feet to the rock-strewn canyon floor.  It took three seconds and he died instantly from a skull fracture. He was only 21-years-old and the apple of his maternal grandmother’s eye.  Come with me on my journey through death on the mountain.  Read the true story of what has been revealed to us since we lost this young man with an angelic face and who was born possessing an old soul.

E-mail:  jtzortman@ouraynet.com

My blog:  http://jtzortman.wordpress.com

Buy my books at:  www.BN.com, www.amazon.com & www.shopOTPbooks.com

Things That Go Bump in My Mind

I’m in the middle of writing Chocolate City Justice.  Actually, I was nearing the end, when I realized this mystery novel was missing a big something– a good mystery.

The book takes place during Hurricane Katrina, bringing my protagonist, Ryan Murphy, through the storm.  It also brings my entire cast into post-Katrina New Orleans, which is something I felt needed to be done.

The problem was when I planned the book, it was more about Ryan surviving Katrina, including drug dealers, bad cops, and the storm itself.  The mystery, however, wasn’t as well thought out as I had intended.

I did have a basic plot.  But basic plots are not my style and they definitely aren’t what the types of readers drawn to my type of writing would be looking for.  So I had to rethink, reformulate, re-outline, and revamp the entire plot.

Once I had a more involved plot and subplots, I realized I still didn’t have the suspects out there for the readers to contemplate.  I also hadn’t figured out how exactly Ryan solved the mystery, especially during the middle of a hurricane, stuck in a flooded out house with no electricity, no electronics, and all of her most prized personal belongings– everything she had taken in an attempt to evacuate– at the bottom of what would now be nicknamed Lake Gentilly.   

Gentilly is a New Orleans neighborhood where Lake Pontchartrain crashed through two canal breaches and flooded the houses. A lot of people think the flooding from Katrina was confined to the Ninth Ward– the area portrayed in the HBO Treme series and in just about every other Katrina-inspired movie and t.v. show.  

But the flooding in New Orleans was not confined to just one area of the city and wasn’t caused just by one levee breaking.  In Gentilly, which is where the University of New Orleans is located, the London Avenue Canal that pumped rain water into Lake Pontchartrain was breached in two different spots.   I used to live in this neighborhood, and the house I used to live in was raised four feet from the ground and still flooded to the 8-foot mark on the house. It is just a few blocks from the breach.

So taking all this into account, I had to figure out how to add some more suspects, put them earlier in the book when there was a better chance Ryan could at least partially solve the mystery before ending up in the storm, and then come up with a new twist for the ending.  The twist, to me, is the most important part of the entire book. 

So I’ve spent the last few weeks figuring out what needs to be added and what needs to be changed, and hopefully, now that I’m back on track, Chocolate City Justice will soon completely exit the dark recesses of my mind and inhabit a bookstore near you (or a page on Amazon.)

Writers, Their Vices, and How to Combat Them by Claire Rogerson

If you’ve always wanted to be a writer and finally achieved that dream, you’ll know how good it feels to get there. It’s something to be savored too, especially since recent research found two-thirds of employees are unhappy. If you finally get to be self employed as a writer in your dream job, it’s something to be happy about for sure. You’ll still be challenged by your work, and you’ll have tough topics to write about on occasion as well. It’s all part of a day’s work for many writers.

However let’s be honest here – we’ve all got vices that follow us round as we work. The question is how many do you recognize and what can you do about them?

Lack of exercise

The very nature of our work means we sit at a computer desk for much of the day, typing away on our keyboard. It’s all too easy to get up, grab a quick breakfast and then sit down for several hours without moving. It’s no wonder we get stiff from time to time – especially considering we can carry on like this for days at a time. The Mayo Clinic among other sources has reported on the dangers of sitting down too frequently.

Fortunately this is an easier one to solve. Make a point of going out for a walk before you start work each morning, for example. If you’re not a morning person, head out at lunchtime instead. You need a break from your desk and a 30 minute walk each day will clear your head and make writing easier than you might think.

Too much caffeine

The next biggest vice of writers is probably that of drinking tea and/or coffee practically on tap. Unless you drink decaffeinated all the time, this isn’t a good idea. Sure a cup will wake you up first thing, but a brisk walk would work even better (see above). Like it or not, caffeine is a drug. Caffeine does affect both body and mind, and if you want to be at the peak of your writing abilities instead of wired all day, it’s worth cutting down on the caffeine.

Just be sure to cut down gradually instead of going cold turkey. The headaches aren’t worth the hassle – unless you can cut it out when you’re not writing, maybe over a weekend for example.

Frequent smoking breaks

Most people are aware of at least some of the effects of smoking. When you work for yourself it’s far easier to pop outside and have a cigarette, or even to light up at your computer desk without moving at all. However it’s worth considering the long term effects this will have on your health. It’s arguably easier to give up smoking and protect the health of your lungs when you work from home, because you can distract yourself in any number of ways. You can grab a drink, chew some gum or nibble on a few healthy nuts for example. It’s not easy to give up smoking but if you use it as part of your overall health strategy you’ll feel a thousand times better for it. 

It might seem challenging to exercise more, give up smoking and ditch the caffeine all in one go, but why not give it a try? Your writing might just benefit from it as well.

Every writer knows that feeling alert and being able to concentrate are the two most important things to hang onto when you are working. The more you can do to feel this way, the easier it is to get your writing done in less time. We’ve all had days when we struggle to achieve anything, not to mention days when everything works like clockwork. Reducing the number of vices we have is a good way to ensure we have more of the latter than the former.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Rogerson is a freelance writer, who made a career change after giving birth to her first daughter. She now enjoys the perfect, if busy, combination of researching her passion for helping people overcome addictions with writing and at the same time looking after her family. When not doing all of that, she's an avid volleyball fan and gardener.

Marilyn Meredith- Twelve Question Tuesday

Today I welcome Marilyn Meredith to Twelve Question Tuesday.  

1.  Please tell me the three most important things people should know about you. 
I have a big family, my five children gave me eighteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grands and I enjoy being with them all. Writing is my passion. I’ve published thirty-five books, mostly mysteries.

2.  Are you a dog person or a cat person?
I’m a cat person. We have two inside cats, brothers, Butch and Sundance. Because my husband feeds all strays, we have too many outside cats. We live in the country and strangers think it’s okay to dump off the cats they don’t want. It isn’t okay.
 
3.  Tea or coffee?
My favorite is Chai latte which I can make at home. But when I’m out and about I adore McDonald’s vanilla flavored iced coffee.
 
4.  Boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, or commando? (Either what you prefer or what you prefer on others.) 
Since I don’t wear them, I don’t really care. I’m at the stage in life when it comes to anything I put on my body it has to be comfortable.
 
5.  What was the first thing you ever wrote?
The very first story I put on paper was in pictures. It was my own version of Our Gal Sunday, a radio soap opera my mother listened too. I didn’t know how to write words yet. When I was a bit older and able to read and write, I wrote an illustrated story about fairies that I actually sent to a publisher. It was rejected of course, but nicely.

6.  When did you finally decide to call yourself a writer?
Probably not as soon as I should have.  When I was in grammar school, I wrote plays for the neighborhood kids to perform in. In middle school I wrote and illustrated a teen magazine which I sold for a nickel to my friends. When my own kids were in school, I was the PTA newsletter editor for four years and wrote plays for my Camp Fire Girls. Though I wrote some short stories and two full-length novels that did not go anywhere, it wasn’t until I wrote and rewrote a 500 page historical family saga (that eventually got published) that I thought of myself as a real writer.
 
7.  Which of your works are you most proud to have written?

I always think my latest book is the best one. I’ve been proud of all of my published works, but I keep learning so I think each one is better than the last. So, that means Spirit Shapes, my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery is my best. But I recently finished my next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel, Murder in the Worst Degree, is the best.
 
8.  What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?
Most of the scariest things happened when I was a kid. I went off on my own far too often without telling anyone where I was going so things could’ve been even scarier. I’ve been lost in a neighborhood I didn’t know, had a man try to molest me on a streetcar—hit him with a heavy book and he got jumped off the streetcar, when I went inside my house when no one was home, discovered an intruder, while babysitting someone tried to break in, and I could go on, but won’t.
 
9.  How did you end up getting published? 
When my historical saga was finished I sent off to one publisher after another (this was long ago when you sent the typewritten manuscript off in a box with another box inside with a return address and postage), rewrote which also meant retyping (no computers back then) all 500 pages about every fifth rejection. I was nearing thirty rejections when I got an acceptance.  (And I’ve had plenty of rejections since then, but I’m not easily discouraged.)

10.  Would you be food or fighter if the zombie apocalypse were to happen?
I’d definitely be a fighter—I’d be fighting to protect my family.

11.  What is the most daring thing you have ever done? 
I was on my way to pick up my son from high school and when I drove by a local park, I saw four men carrying a young woman off. She was screaming and fighting.  I stopped the car, jumped out and went running toward the group, swinging my purse and yelling. The men dropped the girl and ran off and she ran in another direction. I got back in my old VW bus and went on to the school. As a mother, I was a fierce avenger of anyone in trouble. It wasn’t until I was a middle-aged grandmother, I realized I probably was neither strong enough or scary enough to take on bad guys by myself.
 
12.  Would you rather be rich or famous--and you could only have one-- and why?  The fame would be based on something good, not something like being the best serial killer or anything like that. 
Being recognized as a writer would be good. It is frustrating to pour so much of yourself into your work and not be known as a writer except by some of your peers and a few fans.
 
Blurb for Spirit Shapes: Ghost hunters stumble upon a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree's investigation pulls her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past and the present, and demons and angels at war.

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation. She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
To order:

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Spirit+Shapes
 
Also available on Amazon

Halloween

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.  I love scary.  Scary movies, scary TV shows, and best of all, scary books.  There is nothing quite so cozy as hunkering down on a cold night, all alone, with a scary book.

Of course by all alone I mean with my two dogs, my two deaf cats, my two kids, and my one husband somewhere in the house.  The girls are teen and pre-teen age, so I don’t see them much when they are home.  We live in a split level. The second story was designated the Barbie suite when they were younger, two bedrooms painted pink, a bathroom decorated in cherubs and angels, and a foyer full of shelves with books, games, arts, and crafts.  Back then they used to insist I go upstairs and play with them, help them drag out doll houses and Barbie hotels and paint and chalk and baby doll beds.

Now, I’m not quite sure what I would call the upstairs suite.  They’ve gotten rid of most of the toys, but not all.  The Pepto pink is now light lavender in one room and cream in the other.  The angels and cherubs were replaced once with penguins, and now the bathroom is in a neutral state of Waiting to See What’s Next.  The teenager has walls with collages of alternative musicians, posters, mementos, a shrine to Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, and dozens of strands of Christmas lights.  She no longer has a footboard or headboard on her bed, but does have a cluttered desk, a full bookcase of books, vinyl albums nailed to her walls as decoration, and a record player like the one I used to have.  My old Rocky Horror Picture Show souvenirs are glued to her wall next to her ticket stub from the musical Wicked and the stubs from the Fall Out Boy and Imagine Dragon concerts we missed school to go to last month in Houston. 

The pre-teen, just turned twelve, wants to get rid of the old queen sized bed, which is still newer than the bed I sleep on myself, for a futon bunk bed.  She has just cleared her room of her old toys and wall hangings (included some we got from Disneyworld years ago) and now has one memory wall, which consists of a picture of the new Miley Cyrus, a program from Wicked, and a photo of herself with Clifford the Big Red Dog from when PBS visited the Pre-K class at her school several years ago.  She has a bigger flat screen TV than her sister, but wants an even bigger one for Christmas.

Neither one of them will bother with me while I curl up on the sofa with  my whipped cream-topped hot decaf with peppermint cocoa creamer and read my newest scary book.  Neither will the hubby, who will fall asleep around 8:30 because I’ve intentionally made a honey-do list for him, knowing it will make him sneak off to to sleep earlier.

Our big deaf cat will stay upstairs with the girls, because he doesn’t like our smaller dog playing with him.  Our small deaf cat will curl up on the chair with me. The big dog will sleep with my husband, probably in my spot, because she can’t seem to get enough attention from him.  The little dog, she’s about 20 pounds, a mix of Schipperke and Pomeranian (not a good mix necessarily) will move around because she has a crazy metabolism and will not sit still for too long.  She’ll lay on the sofa next to me, then move to the chair, then go behind the chair, then next to the chair, never for more than twenty minutes.  At some point, she’ll scare the life out of me by popping up in my face and barking at me, her sign for she wants to go outside.  She’ll then sit at the back door when I open it, jump in circles, and force me to trick her or push her to get her outside, because she just won’t go on her own.

But then, when she’s finished, and everything is quiet, I’ll get to read, uninterrupted, until I feel like stopping.  If it’s really scary, I’ll read fast, trying to get through the scary parts quickly. If it’s too scary, I’ll put it down for a minute, make myself a snack, get another drink, and then force myself to read it. 

At some point, I’ll hear a noise I can’t account for.  I’ll check to see who is still awake, which animals are where.  I’ll sit back down and continue reading.  If the little dog barks at the door or the window, I’ll assume it’s an animal, or maybe a lizard.  She does that.

If she growls, I’ll get nervous, because she usually only growls at people, and by the time I’m reading, it’s way too late for people to be hanging around outside my house.

If the big dog comes out of the bedroom and barks or growls, I’ll get up and see what it is, because she only barks at people.  Twice she growled and barked and I ignored it, and both times someone ended up stealing a gun out of my car.  (I know, I’m stupid for leaving my gun in an unlocked car twice.)  The driveway is almost outside my living room window, so that is a real reason to fear, especially around Halloween time where people around here are crazy anyway.

But if nothing else happens, I’ll settle into the deliciousness of reading a terrifying novel, one that keeps me awake and keeps me checking the door locks the rest of the night.  A perfect ending to my favorite holiday.

Stephen Brayton- Twelve Question Tuesday

Today I welcome Stephen Brayton to Twelve Question Tuesday. 

1.  Please tell me the three most important things people should know about you.

I'm witty, lovable and romantic. Okay, so those are the attractive attributes for potential girlfriends. Actually, I don't know how important they might be to others, but I am a Fifth Degree Black Belt in takewondo. I'm also left-handed. (See, not too important in the bigger scheme of things.) The third thing...well, I guess I'll have to fall back on witty, lovable and romantic.

 2.  Are you a dog person or a cat person? 
I have a 13 pound cat. I'd love to have one of those Maine Coon monster cats. But of course, I love dogs, too. 

3.  Tea or coffee?

Definitely, without question, no regrets – tea. Who first decided to scam millions of people that bitter filtered dirt tastes good? 

4.  Boxers, briefs, boxer-briefs, or commando? (Either what you prefer or what you prefer on others.)

Actually, I wear the boxer-briefs. 

5.  What was the first thing you ever wrote?

Other than my name? I wrote a short story about discipline. It was sort of an autobiographical story. I think my mother still has it somewhere. 

6.  When did you finally decide to call yourself a writer?I guess I've thought of myself a writer since I started writing. Short stories, journal entries, blog posts, novels. It's been a progression of writing projects. I think if you're writing, then you're a writer. You're an author when you have something published.

 
7.  Which of your works are you most proud to have written?

All of my published books. The first one because it was the first one. The second one because it was the first in the Mallory Petersen series. The third one because it was the first in print rather than just an eBook. 



8.  What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?

Talking to a pretty girl. Seriously, do you realize the heartache I suffer psyching myself up to ask  a girl for a date? Give me a wild car ride around a precarious mountain and I'll be okay. Give me standing on the edge of a thousand foot high cliff. No problem. Give me two muggers with knives. I can use my martial arts skills. Give me a pretty girl who I'd love to take out to dinner? Scared out of my mind. 

9.  How did you end up getting published?

Do you remember the scene in The Godfather with the horse's head in the producer's bed...Uh, in reality, I submitted two novels to four publishers after a Nashville writer's conference in 2009. A month later, three had rejected me. The fourth sent an email and accepted both books. In February of 2011, Night Shadows was published and later in October of the same year, Beta came out as an eBook. 

10.  Would you be food or fighter if the zombie apocalypse were to happen?

I'd fight as long as I could. Probably, I'd try to join up with a band of survivors who had heavy artillery. 

11.  What is the most daring thing you have ever done?

Didn't you read the answer to question 8? 

12.  Would you rather be rich or famous--and you could only have one-- and why?  The fame would be based on something good, not something like being the best serial killer or anything like that.

I think the answer would depend on the circumstances. Now, if we're referring to my books, I think fame would be good. Some people may think I'm stroking my ego or have a big head, but I want to be known in the literary world. I want people to enjoy my books. I want to go on a national tour and speak at colleges and books stores and conferences. I want to be the 'special guest' at Killer Nashville or Bouchercon. Beyond the ego boost, I think it would be fun. Plus, I'd get a chance to share my experience and knowledge and hopefully help other writers.

If we're talking in general, I have to go with rich. Because with money, I think I'd have more freedom to explore different areas of life. Travel, martial arts, as well as continue writing. Seriously, who likes working for a living? If you have the financial resources and you choose to work, fine, that's your choice. But to be financially set to have those choices is the way to go.

By the author:

 Alpha: On a rainy October morning, Mallory Petersen, private detective and martial artist, discovers the corpse of her boyfriend, Bobby Furillo, in front of her office in Des Moines. Bucking police authority and continually attacked by unknown adversaries, Mallory uncovers Bobby's devastating secrets. Each new revelation puts Mallory in deeper peril from powerful and dangerous people. And just what are those enigmatic RSVP cards that keep showing up in Mallory's mail?

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Stephen-L-Brayton/dp/1610091159/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380000142&sr=8-1&keywords=alpha%2C+brayton

Website: www.stephenbrayton.com

Blog: www.stephenbrayton.wordpress.com

Book review blog: www.braytonsbookbuzz.wordpress.com

Bad Reviews or Why Prisoners Like Grits

Human beings are unique individuals, with unique tastes and likes.  And dislikes.  Anyone who has ever tried to feed a child vegetables knows that everyone likes different things.  There is no universal anything that appeals to everyone.

Case in point– born and raised in New Orleans, I like seafood.  Fried, boiled, and in the case of oysters, raw.  I like frog legs and barbecue alligator.  My sister, who shared my upbringing, is a picky eater, and says she’s “allergic” to seafood, a euphemism for she doesn’t really like it.  She doesn’t eat gumbo or etouffe and when we were little girls, would eat a bowl of Fruit Loops on Thanksgiving day instead of any of the vast offerings my Cajun relatives had prepared. 

So why do we get so upset when someone doesn’t like what we’ve written?

I suppose not liking your book is more akin to someone not liking your baby than not liking your favorite color or favorite meal.  It’s so much more personal.  But really, the same logic should apply. 

Not everyone may appreciate your character’s dry wit, fondness for Shakespeare, or the rum and Coke your character needs to make it through the day.   If someone doesn’t like your character, or your plot, or even your locale, he might dislike your book.  Maybe one of your characters reminds the reader of someone he knew in real life. While it’s a great compliment that your character is that realistic, it does little too salve the wound of the reader turning on you because of it.

I had a girl give me a scathing review because she didn't like my character.  I still try to take it as a good thing, that she saw so much to hate in my protagonist she must have really viewed her as a real person.  Here is the link to her Amazon review, the worse review I've ever received.  http://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Justice-Holli-Castillo/product-reviews/1892343517/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_two?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addTwoStar&showViewpoints=0

Did I cringe when I read this review? Of course. I still do.  I just cringed when I saw it again when I clicked the link above to test it to see if it worked.  It's a terrible, horrible review.  The girl was kind of mean and maybe a tad immature.  Or am I just projecting here? Either way, when things like this bother me, I keep in mind a story from my old D.A. days.


When I was a new Orleans prosecutor, the public defender in one section of court I was assigned to would let me speak to the inmates before the judge took the bench.  With their rap sheets in hand, I would go through the docket and figure out if there were any deals to be offered.  We had a huge docket, and deals were a primary way of moving it.  The D.A. has always multi-billed everyone in New Orleans, meaning we enhanced sentences based upon how many prior convictions the defendant had, similar to the 3-strikes law.  It clogged the docket and sometimes put defendants in jail for really long periods of time for relatively minor crimes.

I remember one particular defendant who had 7 prior auto burglary convictions.  That’s right, seven.  On a fourth felony conviction of ANYTHING, a defendant is looking at 20 to life.  I’m not a fan of getting my car broken into– it has happened several times in my lifetime– but I also can’t stand the thought of how much it costs to keep someone in prison for life for breaking into cars.  (Especially when I’ve seen killers walk away with much less because they had a paid attorney.) 

So after I told the defendant he needed to switch to a new crime because he obviously sucked at car burglaries, I asked him how much time would he be willing to serve if he could get a deal.  My supervisor had to approve every deal and I knew my office would still be looking for a lengthy sentence.  The defendant was a little wishy-washy, but I got him to commit to twelve years.  I thought that would be fair, if my bosses would approve it, and I could move the case.

Before we finished our discussion, the defendant looked at me earnestly and said, “Miss, you don’t know how bad it is in here.  In the morning, we get grits.  Plain grits. Not even no butter or salt or pepper, just plain grits.  I got to get out of here, even if it is in twelve years. I can’t go the rest of my life without butter and salt and pepper on my grits.”

Now I was thinking, hmmmm, I’ve never put salt and pepper on my grits before, but it sounds good. So the next time I ate grits, I tried them the defendant’s way, and they were delicious.  They were not something that would keep me going in jail for twelve years, looking forward to having them when I got out, but still good.

Grits meant way more to the defendant than they ever could to me.  Given the chance, they would not be my first choice of food, not even for breakfast, not even after a twelve-year incarceration. 

But like my defendant willing to plead guilty to twelve years so he could have his buttered grits with salt and pepper once again, readers come to your book with a host of experiences and expectations, as well as their own preferences and prejudices, which can make them hate your book or love your book.  Most of the time, you will never know the reason– you can only accept that you can’t even expect to please them all.

As for the defendant, I was moved out of the section before his next court date, (common practice at the D.A.'s Office), so I never did find out if he got the deal or not, or if he ever got his grits the way he liked them again.  Clearly, there are much worse things than bad reviews.