My Response to Harlequin's "Reprinting" the Pulps

Harlequin is reprinting some of the old pulps-- you know, those old books with plenty of sex and violence-- the sort of story where Bo Fexler would fit right in.

Except they're "editing" them to make them more politically correct. Apparently, Harlequin never even read the Wikipedia article on pulp fiction books... like where it says that pulps were "perhaps best remembered for their lurid and exploitative stories."

So apparently in Harlequin's reprints, instead of walking down these mean streets, the detective will walk down mildly disgruntled streets.

It's Been Awhile

Things got rather quiet around here. Not just here, but also in my head. Second time in a year-- the only two times in my life-- I unable to even think about thinking about fiction. Last time was because of my allergies. This time was Attack of the Giant Grad School Course.

This course has consumed me with readings and writings, none of which are fictional and few of which are nearly as much fun as writing a snarky, innuendo-laced scene with my favorite fictional female. Luckily, the end is in site. The hurricane is moving off shore. And, hopefully, within the next week, I hope to return to the fiction that got tossed aside like storm debris.

I have a novel waiting for the climatic ending. And a couple short stories in the works.

The hard part will be trying to pick off where I left off. I'm not so concerned about trying too hard to remember what I had originally been planning to do. However, I do want the story to make sense and not take some silly turn in the middle because I don't remember what I was setting up later.

Also, in the coming weeks, we should see the publication of brand new Bo Fexler short story. If I can finish the novel, I'll call this a successful summer.

Where to Start

When starting a series of books, there are two ways to start. With, say, a detective, like Bo is, the series could start with Bo becoming a private investigator. First cases, that sort of thing. Or, the series could start after she's established.

On a related note, I've happened across what may be a trend in book series starting with some very personal change or event in the main character's life. This seems to be more common than something like "The Big Sleep" where the book is just another case, another day. No earth-shattering, life-changing event.

So, when I look at the first book for Bo's novel series, I have to decide to start in the beginning or not. Start with something personal or not. I'm thinking that something personal may be non-negotiable. Seems to me that readers tend to prefer something personal, some reason to root for the character, beyond just another day at work.

The idea of starting a story at the beginning is curious to me. I remember my first days at work, as much as I've tried to block them from my mind. First days, first weeks, hell, with some jobs, it's the first years, are not very good. I don't see anything enjoyable about writing or reading a character fumbling around, screwing up, and otherwise being a newbie on the job. I read to escape, not to be reminded of myself.

Not surprisingly, I started her series later. Past those awkward first days of being a private eye, past screwing up, getting evicted for non-payment of rent, and other problems. Part of Bo's character and appeal-- for me at least-- is her confidence. Confidence is sexy...

But how to reconcile this starting later point with the personal life-changing event thing?

Well, that worked itself out quite nicely, actually. When I first started writing Bo, I always wanted to put her in Michigan. I'm kind of fond my Mitten-shaped state. But Michigan law requires a private investigator to be 25. And have several years of experience. So I sent her to Ohio, which worked out because it is harder to trace a person across state lines. That means I can write Bo's return to Michigan as the life changing event. With some traumatic backstory and some hard decisions.

Only problem was that I didn't realize this trend/ tendency for personal stuff in the first novel until after I had written the first Bo Fexler novel... Luckily, I'm versatile if nothing else. I'll fix this problem.

(Actually, I was in the process of fixing it when my grad school course turned into a Time Sucking Black Hole. =/ Well, break's over. Back to homework.)

Name Game

There's nothing quite like coming up with a cast of characters for a piece of fiction. In writing shorter fiction, I learned to trim names and even characters to make things easier to keep track of.

In the novel, some of this has gone out the window. In the novel, it's a complete investigation-- and a complex one-- that leads Bo to do what investigators do best. Talk to people. And many of these people need names.

I usually grab a first name and run with it. I try not to make my first names too similar, and also try to limit the number of character's whose names start with the same first letter. This could be a little overly cautious, but I know how lazy I can be as a reader.

The amount of Star Wars novels I consumed during my late high school years certainly shaped my naming practices. One of the things that perpetually drove me nuts were letter combination that I couldn't pronounce or even come up with a reasonable pronunciation. So a character ends up being thought of as something else. Like "That C-guy." I'm sure that's what the authors were going for... but I have some choice words for the authors on this matter.

So, now, coming up with surnames for characters, I still recall those tongue twisters I read. And I don't do it. In fact, I'm heading into territory of really easy names. I try to throw in some ethnic names, but only if they're easy on the tongue.

In fact, I cheat. I took one of the old phone books and brought it up to my office. And when I'm in need of a name, I flip open the phone book and scan the page. If I don't find a good name there, I flip to a different section and letter and try again. Then I steal the name. Bwahahaha!

I do try to avoid picking a name where there's only one of them in the County. And I don't put them in the same city-- so if Sleazeball Character is in Brighton, I would not select a surname listed with a Brighton address.

The names I pick don't mean anything. While I occasionally have some connotation with names, it's very light. I worry more about upsetting someone by writing them as a nasty character than I do about my own connotation. Besides, connotation is so malleable. In fact, for me the name Bo is now completely inseparable from the kick ass female character Bo Fexler. So much so, that I forget at times that Bo is actually a male name.

Acquisition of New Books to Feed On

Thanks to the internet, I am increasing the number of books I read. Through the internet, and the people on it, I have been directed to authors and characters that are most likely the sorts that I enjoy reading most.

Because I have particular tastes and limited reading time, I've always had trouble selecting books, both from the library and the bookstore.

But, now I have a nice list of books and authors to read next.

The problem then becomes how to actually get those dead trees into my hands. (I'm still a dead-tree reader-- partly because I don't have enough of those special green strips of paper.) While the library is lovely, and cost efficient, it does have an unfortunate shortage of books by smaller presses and lesser known authors.

So, with those precious and wonderful books by small presses and lesser-known authors have to be purchased with the few dollars I have. Unfortunately, those same books are often more expensive than their large press counterparts. (Curses!)

I used to order them from Amazon. There's something delightful about a box of books arriving on the doorstep. And I admit falling prey many, many times to the oh, just one more book so I get free shipping! Yeah...

But, now that I'm back in town, returned from my exile, I'm only a mere five minutes to Borders. A baby Borders, not a full grown one, but still a BOOKSTORE and a Michigan-based company, for now. I learned something nice about ordering books through a store like Borders. You don't have to buy them until you try to take them out of the store. This is even better than books in a box, because I have the opportunity to learn more about the book. More than Amazon's random pages.

Plus it gives me an excuse (like I needed one!) to pay a visit to Borders and breath in that lovely scent of books. Am I the only one who finds the scent of bookstores euphoric? All those books... just waiting to be taken home. (Libraries are pretty good, but some of their books are musty.)

(Oh, the local bookstore we used to have on the shore of the mill pond, sadly, closed down when Borders moved in. Which is a tragedy really.)

Pushing On Anyway

I don't believe in writer's block. I've never suffered from writer's block. I have, however, anguished with indecision, gotten bored with what I was writing, and even gotten stuck because I was forcing characters or plots the wrong way. These I can fix-- writer's block is a nebulous idea with no real solution. (To fix the problem, treat the cause, not the symptoms.)

My solution to these writerly problems is to keep working on the story. Sometimes, I'm not sure what exactly the problem is with the story. But I press on regardless. I may plot, scratching out new ideas, new plot points on scrap paper or at the end of the document. I may keep writing, churning out words and scenes that, hopefully, will be right for the story. Often in this, as I explore the characters and situations, I get a flash of insight into where the story needs to go. But I keep at it.

Why?

Why not?

The story ain't gonna finish itself. There are no story fairies that'll come in the night. (No Dish Fairies either, dammit.) Some people swear by letting an idea ferment. Maybe that works for them... I rarely get ideas for how to fix/ finish a story UNLESS I'm thinking about it with some sort of regularity or intensity. Just waiting doesn't solve problems for me, be they in fiction or elsewhere.

And on this note, I am happy to say that finally, I wrote the end of 'Bosom Buddies.' Again. Fourteen scrapped versions. Today alone saw the deletion of more than 1200 words, written only last night. As soon as I stopped writing last night, I knew in my little writer heart that what I had written needed to be excicesd. That came this morning, replaced with a new idea and 830 new words.

This damned story has vexed me for the better part of a year. I wrote it, but didn't like the climax. It was forced and put Bo in a position that I didn't like her in. So, I poked at it, rewrote it, edited it, restarted it, added, deleted, put it away, took it out, swore at it, swore about, and kept at it. Never once did I even entertain the thought of not finishing this story. I hate unfinished projects more than I hate giggly, vapid girls.

I spent most of the afternoon utterly delirious with delight at finishing the story. There's still a nagging worry that I've not pulled it off, likely because I've spent so long being frustrated over this story, that has tainted my perception of it. As soon as I'm up to it, I'll reread the story, then begin the process of preparing and seeking publication for this piece of work.

Even though this story has been damned hard to write, I am so very glad I kept with it. It makes the success (of merely finishing) that much greater.

Now, onto the next project.

It'll be just like starting over...

I hate scrapping a story and starting over. It just feels like a waste. I usually try to rewrite, saving what I can. Somehow, rewriting many scenes doesn't seem as bad as opening a new Word doc and starting again.

Of course, today, when I finally bit the bullet and realized that there was no way to salvage the remnants of the shredded tale I was working on, I opened Word and it's "Document #14." This is what happens when you leave Word running on a computer that stays on for days at a time and you create many new documents in that time. But, today, that reminder of yet another start on this particular story is a bit of unfortunate irony. There are THIRTEEN scrapped starts to this story.

This story has been vexing me fore quite some time, clearly. I keep revising, trying to make the scenes and the resolution work out. I had it written through to the end, kind of happy with it. But not really. So, I poked, fiddled, cut, rewrote, revised, moved, changed, pondered, and fussed. To no avail. The story ended up in shreds as I tried to fix it.

I've got a new angle to try, one that I think will work out. Of course, I thought all the other attempts would work.

So, Document #14, attempt number 14 on this particular story is now underway.

And I may even be able to poach some lines and paragraphs from the previous document. A consolation prize, but missing the generic blue ribbon.

But that only takes the edge off the sting of this sort of set back. Anyway, time to go turn attempt number fourteen into, hopefully, the last attempt.

Popularity Contests-- Difference between pessimism and realism

I don't enter many contests, be they for my writing or otherwise. When it comes to writing, the more general the contest, the more I'm certain that my writing has no place within a thirty-mile radius of said contest.

I realize that my writing does not have broad appeal. Well, no, truthfully, there are quite a few women that like my writing. Ha ha. But when it comes to popularity contests, my writing isn't going to appeal to a wide enough audience to win.

Or maybe I'm just being a pessimist.

Is there much difference in cases like these between the two?

While it would be nice to win a contest, and surely it would provide some serious validation for my writing skills, I don't enter. I hold on to my money and send to places more likely to accept things dark, bitter, sexy, and sharp. Am I short changing myself or just accepting that as the quiet bookworm with glasses, I'm never going to be prom queen?

And when it comes to writing contests, sometimes I do have a hard time with questioning whether perennial winners are really just that good or if perhaps there's a little bit of nepotism going on. Especially in smaller groups. Makes me wonder if track record or longtime relationships are affecting judging. I

I don't know if it's pessimism or realism.

Neither quite aligns with how I view my own attitude anyway: I'm an cynical optimist. The glass is half full, but some jackass is going to kick it over.

Happily Ever After... or at least Satisfactorially So

I like dark stories and gritty settings. I like characters who are sharp and ruthless. I like reading characters put under pressure and who must sacrifice their dignity or integrity or some other virtue for success.

But I want a satisfactory ending. The good guy wins. The bad guy loses. I don't need a happy ending, but I need a satisfying one. Endings that are ambiguous or clearly bad leave me feeling like the story is incomplete. Maybe my copy lost a couple pages. (I had a book once that was missing the last few pages. That was awful.)

I don't spend all this time rooting for a character just to see them lose!

I know that life isn't always happy or satisfactory. And I prefer fiction that is realistic. Up until the end. I want things to end well in fiction. If for no other reason than because life can be a bitch.

Though, there are a few exceptions. For example, when watching the movie "Pitch Black" I was so rooting for the creatures to eat everyone!

How do you like your endings? Sunnyside up, hardboiled, or maybe as an omelet with cheese and ham [insert other toppings] that's fully satisfying?

Reaching the Climax

I'm not an outliner. Not really. I start with an idea. It bounces around inside my skull like a psychotic butterfly until I have an opening to the story. Sometimes it's one of those great lines that I love from the start. Sometimes... it's just a start.

The more mystery stories I write, the more I realize that my sticking point is always when I don't know something crucial about the plot. If I'm fool enough to start the story before it's ready, the sticking point comes when I try to figure out who Bo's client is and what the case is supposed to be. Sometimes this really plays just a minor role in the story-- it just serves to get Bo in a position where pants are down or fists are out. Or both.

The other sticking point is the climax. How does the problem get solved. I usually work through a couple versions, some written and others just tumbling around in my head like panties in the dryer. (On an unrelated note, I don't know why my dryer needs to have a window. Between that and the timer, I spend way too much time watching my dryer... anyway.) If my schedule is busy and I'm afraid of forgetting the idea, I'll jot it down and hope that I won't lose the paper it's written on. Go ahead and laugh-- I've lived with me long enough to know what I can be like.

Sadly, some of my favorite ideas seem unable to get past foreplay. It's like they get stage fright when shirts come off.

Likely because I'm not an outliner, I spend a fair amount of time revising and rewriting. I don't see it as wasted time. Not really. Partly because when I'm stuck on one story, I can go revise another that's already climaxed.

And most of all, even if the story (or scene) is dreck plotwise, I always enjoy writing Bo Fexler. I love the lines she gets to say... I usually just think those sort of things. And usually, by the time I think of them, it's three days later while I'm cooking dinner, long after the event that inspired said comment.

Fiction writing is my way of enjoying the world. Well, that and making sexual references out of everything. =D

Sex Appeal is Evil?

Watched a movie the other day, and as soon as this one female character walked on screen and spoke a few lines, I knew she was going to be one of the bad guys.

I was so disappointed, really. She was confident, sexy, and intelligent. She was deffered to by the men she spoke to and the implication I came away with at first was that it was because she was smart and took no bullshit.

Alas. She's one of the baddies.

Sex appeal, time and time again, is one of the easiest ways to tell when a female character is good or bad. Particularly, if the woman is aware of and able (willing) to use her sex appeal to her own ends.

Some how, it's okay for the suave stud-muffin male lead to make the ladies swoon. But it's not okay for a sexy woman to turn heads and be pleased with it.

It's a little disappointing because I know this sort of culture is going to make it hard for Bo Fexler to find a publisher for her novels. But it's also empowering because I know I have something different. Something that does have an audience.

In fact, I just got another story accepted. It's nice to know that even after a long drought, I still have the ability to write things that (some) publishers want. The trick, I suppose, is finding the right ones.

What do you tell yourself to keep going?

Hey, look! It's a story!

It's been a long long time, but finally there's another new Bo Fexler story out. Yellow Mama's latest issue includes "Mighty Maids Mystery."

A maid is found dead in one of the houses she's cleaning. Can Bo figure out who did it? Well, of course. It's more a matter of how she finds out and who's behind it.

I miss Bo as much as the rest of you. She's been out on hiatus for a while. I'm hoping she'll be back for Christmas. Bo in a Santa hat... now there's something to find under the tree. ;-)

My Muse

My muse has a sense of humor. Often, when my schedule is wide open, with no obligations, she takes time off. And if she knows that day without obligations is a day when Hubby will be gone all day, she's even lazier.

But when I'm shorting sleep, trying to cram in several different projects and personal commitments, she shows up with this really great idea. Something to do with Bo. And strip poker.

Stupid muse.

And we won't talk about how she loves to give me ideas as I'm drifting off to sleep, warm and snuggled up with already-sleeping Hubby (who gets up at dark o'clock).

I'd hate her, but she does have such good ideas.

I've been trying to bargain with her lately. If she'll give me fragments of ideas when I'm busy, then it gives me something to mull over while I drive to work. Then, when I have lots of time, like some Saturday, she can just nudge the idea along instead of doing real work.

Does your muse behave? Or does she mock you like mine mocks me?

The Femme Fatale

Click here for some interesting reading on the femme fatale by Emily Veinglory over at Cliterature. (Great site! No clicky if you get offended by sex.)

I'd like to think that Bo's a femme fatale... but in the best way possible. She is a cross between the cunning detective and the stunning beauty who will have her way at any cost. She is dangerous... and I think that's one of her best features.

Of course, I'm not sure folks are ready for a female lead who can think even when a swoon-worthy man enters the room. Or who can keep control of her own sexuality.

There are a helluva a lot of cultural stereotypes about women that Bo has to fight against. Probably starting with the old double-standard: a man with lots of partners is a stud while a woman with lots of partners is a slut.

What some other gender stereotypes you can think of? And how true are they?

Getting Involved

Niki is such a different character from Bo. One of the big differences is that Bo's hired to do her investigations. In the NaNo novel I'm writing with Niki as the star, she's dragged into the investigation because it very much involves her. After this, I'm giong to have get more creative in how to put Niki on the case. How do writers keep the amatuer sleuth involved in all sorts of dangerous, harrowing investigations, without ending up like Jessica Fletcher. (Now if she ever showed up on my town, I'd be heading North, and fast!)

I suppose I could run through Niki's friends and family for investigations. Ora friend of a friend needs help. I'm interested in keeping Niki around for a while. But I worry about how many times Niki can get involved in some sort of mystery without it seeming cliched.

Any ideas for how to involve the amatuer sleuth in different sorts of cases without it seeming just a little to coicidental that she's involved *again*?

A Few Words Every Day... Adds Up

I am firm believer that you don't "find" time to write, you make it. If you are serious about writing, it becomes the activity that you can't wait to wedge into your schedule between work, dinner, laundry, and buying a house.

Many people I talk to often question, with great incredulity, how I manage to write so much. Especially, when they here I've written a novel. (Somehow writing over 60,000 words in short stories has less impact, but that's a separate issue.)

I only work three jobs. And I get minutes here and there in my teaching job while the slugs are oozing slime over their books and papers or eating my pencils.

NaNoWriMo is another one of those times when I take a close look at when and how much I'm writing. I push myself harder during NaNo to get those precious words. I'm not a very good loser. Ask my Hubby why we don't play certain board games anymore...

But as I have pushed myself to add words to my word count each day, even if it's only a bit, I realize that I could be making a lot better progress on my non-NaNo writing than I have been. I could have more short stories written. And I could have many more words, sentences, and chapters in Bo's second novel. If I only pushed myself harder.

Now, granted, there's a fair amount of dreck in my NaNo. But it's still proof that I have not been pushing myself to write nearly as much as I could.

I think I'm adopting a new habit-- one that will hopeful persist beyond NaNo. Write a chunk. There's a thread over at Absolute Write's Water Cooler (OMFG, I do spend too much time there!) that's the "Page a Day Thread." The idea is to write 250 words a day, everyday. Such a nice managable chunk. So, as I sit in the Independent Study class watching the kids work, I realize I can put in 250 words real quick. It won't take long. And I do.

Or those few minutes while Hubby is getting ready to go somewhere... and I'm already ready... yes, I do wear the pants. I can plop at my computer-- which is on nearly 24/7 anyway-- and poke out another 250 words.

Bit by bit. Like eating an elephant.

And the sense of accomplishment from having continued to up my word count... it's a nice feeling. I've started the habit. I hope to continue it. And hopefully, I will have more short stories, and more novels, to show for it in the coming months.

I May Never Understand

I realize that there are people who find sex unacceptable in any context. And that some of these people don't bat an eye at graphic violence.

These people confuse me. I simply cannot wrap my head around it. I respect the differences, but I don't understand it.

I would rather read about characters having sex and, you know, enjoying themselves, than characters being shot, killed, dismembered, and other nasty things. I accept murder and death in the mystery genre. But I have trouble when bodies pile up faster than leaves under the giant oak tree come November. It's a stretch of realism, and to me a sometimes distasteful disregard for human life. I can accept a *little* bit when the bodies are all evil guys, but still, surely there are other ways to dispatch these baddies.

But sex is a no-no? Unless it's forced (which makes it violence), sex is FUN. No body gets hurt in sex. How is it that it's wrong to use a sex act for information, but it's okay to smash someone's head into a wall?

Someone getting hurt it okay, but someone getting his jollies from a willing participant is not?

I don't get it. I don't think I ever will. So, since I'm writing something that I would want to read... there's always going to be more sex than violence. Besides, writing sex is fun too.

For Potential New Fans

Bo Fexler has a few fans that I know of-- and I love every one of you! But one of the things I've been chewing over while driving back and forth to work is how to best introduce Bo to potential new fans.

She's not the most warm, loving character. And she uses sex to get what wants. There will be some people for whom this will probably be a turn off before they get past page one. For some people, the mere mention of bedroom activities is enough to put down a book. I accept that. (Fools!)

But there are others for whom the context of such naughty activities is more important. Perhaps I can get them to overlook this trait of Bo's by showing that there's more to Bo than a sexy dame who uses her body because she can.

That also started me thinking about why, exactly, Bo uses sex and in what situations. An amusing character study, especially the part during the hour I sat on I-96 while traffic came to a dead stop.

So, now I have a better understanding of why Bo does what she does. The other problem is how to introduce snippets of that, along with introducing Bo, introducing the investigation, and not bogging down in the first couple chapters of my first, as yet-unrepresented-first-novel.

I've finally come to the conclusion that there is way too fucking much to try to do in the first couple chapters. I'm not sure what can give-- character or plot. Since Bo's such a difficult character, I'm leaning towards slowing the plot at bit at the start to introduce her and show that there's something more than a sexy, manipulative woman.

Your thoughts?

What Makes A Car Noticable?

One of the rules for being a private investigator is to blend in. Sorry, Magnum, that flashy red Ferrari stands out like Arnold Shwarzenneger in a Kindergaten classroom.


There are certain cars I notice on the roads as I'm driving. And cars I notice in the lot/drive of the condo where I live in exile. The two are certainly different categories.


On the road, I notice the jackass drivers more than anything. Usually sports cars or BIG trucks/ SUVs. They threaten to mount my car if I'm going anything under 120 (yeah, like MY car can do anything over 80!) They dart in and out of traffic, usually ending up just a car or two ahead until traffic clears the way. They often have trouble staying in a lane, riding along or over the lines. I notice them. I remember them for a day or two. Sometimes I see them again. Sometimes I'm not sure because I'm too busy trying not to die to check license plates or anything.


In the drive/lot where I live, it's a different matter. For those neighbors who live near me, I notice what cars are there a lot. Right next to me, the neighbors have a little SUV. I know they also have a big truck and a small car, which usually park out at the end of the lot, but sometimes they park in front of the garage instead of the SUV. I notice when a new car shows up, and sometimes try to guess who they're visiting by where they are parked. But if a car is there for a couple days, it becomes part of the scenery. I muse then move on.


(In spite of what this may seem like, I don't actually spend much time looking out the windows. These observations are merely from my many trips to my own car, parked off in the distance.)


Most cars don't stand out unless they have some sort of adornment-- the occaisional bumper or window sticker. Custom something or others. I also notice if a car is particularly old and/or rusty, if it is an unusual color, or if it is dented/scractched/broken.


For me, older sports cars in 'eh' condition blend in to the surrondings, too. I don't particularly take note of, say, a ten year old Camaro. Like the one I have Bo Fexler drive, once in awhile.


(Okay, I admit it. Part of the reason I gave Bo a Camaro is because it reminds me of my first car.)


Would you notice a ten year old blue Camaro poking around? Which cars do you notice and which ones don't even register?

TOMORROW: is Friday's Forgotten Books, started by the fantabulous, amazing, Patti Abbot! I'll be partaking in this grand project tomorrow, as well. Come by. Make sure to visit Patti, and the rest of the Forgotten Friday writers.

A Stake Through the Heart Would Have Hurt Less

One of my summer school students finished her coursework early this summer. She puttered on the internet, but got bored of it.

I suggested that she could read-- I have a handful of novels that go with the English courses.

She scoffed, saying, "Who reads for fun?" I'm not sure if it was a serious comment, but it sure seemed like it.

Who does read for fun?

I love to read for fun. I read both fiction and non-fiction for fun. I've read articles on the internet and websites on poison ivy. I know I'm not alone.

But as a writer and an English teacher, it's always hard to find the students who don't consider reading to *be* fun. Though, I think a large part of the problem is that many of these kids have never really read anything that they enjoy. I mean, really enjoy. They've been forced to trudge through books in high school, and the idea of reading more like the ones they don't like can surely be a daunting task.

My Oldest Bother admits to having similar problems with finding fiction he wants to read.

Walk into a bookstore or library and while delightful to a bibliophile, it can be daunting nonetheless. I don't want to read bad books. No one does. But how hard is it to find what you want if you have particular preferences. Oldest Bother likes thrillers, action, something to keep him turning pages. I like hard female characters, preferrably in mysteries, and preferably without much romance. I do a lot of research to narrow down my list of potential books to a few at a time taht seem most closely matched to my requirements. Oldest Bother reads when it strikes him, and doesn't think about research.

And my student... she had already written of reading. In favor of anti-socail sites like My Space.

Hubby says I picked the wrong profession. High school kids aren't generally known for bright decisions. Hubby says I made it worse by picking an alternative high school where the percent of non-scholarly students is higher than the average high school.

I think I'm just a glutton for punishment. I am, afterall, a writer, too. Nothing says maschocist like pouring ones blood, sweat and tears into a manuscript or three, then sending it out for possible and likely rejection.

And maybe, just maybe, I can introduce the kids to Raymond Chandler or Elmore Leoanrd or James Cain and maybe, just maybe, they'll realize that it is possible to find interesting books.