Good Morning, Booklovers!
I hope you’re keeping warm on this snowy, winter morning in the Midwest. Grab a hot drink and join us around the fireplace as we welcome this week’s guest author, mystery/thriller writer, Erica Miner.
Welcome, Erica. What may I get you to drink?
EM: True confessions: I’m an avid tea drinker: anything green, especially Japanese, is my go-to.
Ally: Not a problem. My magic pot can fix any drink you can imagine. While I get those drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
I hope you’re keeping warm on this snowy, winter morning in the Midwest. Grab a hot drink and join us around the fireplace as we welcome this week’s guest author, mystery/thriller writer, Erica Miner.
Welcome, Erica. What may I get you to drink?
EM: True confessions: I’m an avid tea drinker: anything green, especially Japanese, is my go-to.
Ally: Not a problem. My magic pot can fix any drink you can imagine. While I get those drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
About the Author:
A former violinist with the Metropolitan Opera, I am an award-winning author, screenwriter, arts journalist, and lecturer based in the Pacific Northwest. My debut novel, Travels with my Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards, and my screenplays have won awards in a number of recognized competitions. Aria for Murder, the first in my Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, released on Oct. 28, 2022.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “To my knowledge, I’m the only former Met Opera musician who is writing operatic mysteries.”
Author Contacts:
https://www.facebook.com/erica.miner1/
https://twitter.com/EmwrtrErica
https://www.instagram.com/emwriter3/
A former violinist with the Metropolitan Opera, I am an award-winning author, screenwriter, arts journalist, and lecturer based in the Pacific Northwest. My debut novel, Travels with my Lovers, won the Fiction Prize in the Direct from the Author Book Awards, and my screenplays have won awards in a number of recognized competitions. Aria for Murder, the first in my Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, released on Oct. 28, 2022.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio. “To my knowledge, I’m the only former Met Opera musician who is writing operatic mysteries.”
Author Contacts:
https://www.facebook.com/erica.miner1/
https://twitter.com/EmwrtrErica
https://www.instagram.com/emwriter3/
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
EM: I first started writing when I was in grade school, about age 7 or 8. When I was growing up in Detroit in the semi-Dark Ages, the public schools were excellent, with lots of afterschool programs. I was placed in one for Creative Writing and fell in love with the whole process of creating characters and plots and weaving them together to tell stories. I kept writing through high school and university, and when I eventually started playing violin at the Metropolitan Opera, I still took writing classes whenever I could fit them into my schedule. After I left the Met, I chose writing as my creative outlet; my passion for the craft had never abated. I started with screenplays, won some awards, and then tried my hand at novels and arts journalism. I’ve never doubted my choice.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
EM: My first novel, Travels with my Lovers, was POD, simply because I couldn’t wait to get it out there. That was in the early 2000s, when being self-published had a stigma attached to it. Even though the book won a major award, I had a hard time gaining credibility from bookstores, writers’ organizations, and other entities where I tried to market my work. After that experience, I decided to go with traditional publishers. I’ve never looked back.
Ally: Have you done any ghostwriting? Tell us about your experience.
EM: I’ve ghostwritten 3 novels, and overall, it’s been a positive experience. I found it challenging to take someone else’s unformed story or concept and fashion it into something literary, but I also enjoyed the process and got a great sense of accomplishment out of doing it. Of course, generally non-writers are not cognizant of the amount of work it takes to construct a coherent, compelling story from the bare bones they hand over to you initially. But ghostwriting is a great exercise in learning how to work closely with another person, how to compromise with them, while producing a final product that will demonstrate your best writing skills and still make them happy with what you’ve done.
Ally: Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
EM: Absolutely! In Aria for Murder, which takes place at the Met Opera where I was a violinist for 21 years, I got to kill off a bunch of people who made life miserable! But seriously, many of the major characters are based on people I knew and worked with; one of them is an exact carbon copy of a very close colleague, and some of my co-workers recognized him. Julia, the protagonist, is my alter ego as a young violinist just starting out at the Met. When you set a novel in a real place that you know as intimately as I know that opera house, it’s a natural occurrence for characters who populate that fictional milieu to be inspired by people you know.
Ally: Do you write from an outline?
EM: I am a dedicated, perhaps even obsessive, outliner, especially when I’m writing in the mystery genre. Mysteries are tricky. You absolutely must know the ending before you start to write, and preferably who is the villain as well. Each plot point has to grow directly out of the previous one and connect organically with the following one. They’re like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. If one piece is slightly ill-fitting or out of place, the entire puzzle is out of kilter. The same goes for a mystery. For that reason, I outline meticulously, sometimes for months, before I allow myself to write a single word of the book. For me, writing without an outline would be like trying to construct a building without a blueprint.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
EM: Up next is the sequel to Aria for Murder. I’m keeping the title under my hat for the moment. It’s due out in September of 2023.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
Ally: Why did you choose writing as a career? Is it your only career, or do you have a “day” job?
EM: I first started writing when I was in grade school, about age 7 or 8. When I was growing up in Detroit in the semi-Dark Ages, the public schools were excellent, with lots of afterschool programs. I was placed in one for Creative Writing and fell in love with the whole process of creating characters and plots and weaving them together to tell stories. I kept writing through high school and university, and when I eventually started playing violin at the Metropolitan Opera, I still took writing classes whenever I could fit them into my schedule. After I left the Met, I chose writing as my creative outlet; my passion for the craft had never abated. I started with screenplays, won some awards, and then tried my hand at novels and arts journalism. I’ve never doubted my choice.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
EM: My first novel, Travels with my Lovers, was POD, simply because I couldn’t wait to get it out there. That was in the early 2000s, when being self-published had a stigma attached to it. Even though the book won a major award, I had a hard time gaining credibility from bookstores, writers’ organizations, and other entities where I tried to market my work. After that experience, I decided to go with traditional publishers. I’ve never looked back.
Ally: Have you done any ghostwriting? Tell us about your experience.
EM: I’ve ghostwritten 3 novels, and overall, it’s been a positive experience. I found it challenging to take someone else’s unformed story or concept and fashion it into something literary, but I also enjoyed the process and got a great sense of accomplishment out of doing it. Of course, generally non-writers are not cognizant of the amount of work it takes to construct a coherent, compelling story from the bare bones they hand over to you initially. But ghostwriting is a great exercise in learning how to work closely with another person, how to compromise with them, while producing a final product that will demonstrate your best writing skills and still make them happy with what you’ve done.
Ally: Do people you know sneak into your books as characters?
EM: Absolutely! In Aria for Murder, which takes place at the Met Opera where I was a violinist for 21 years, I got to kill off a bunch of people who made life miserable! But seriously, many of the major characters are based on people I knew and worked with; one of them is an exact carbon copy of a very close colleague, and some of my co-workers recognized him. Julia, the protagonist, is my alter ego as a young violinist just starting out at the Met. When you set a novel in a real place that you know as intimately as I know that opera house, it’s a natural occurrence for characters who populate that fictional milieu to be inspired by people you know.
Ally: Do you write from an outline?
EM: I am a dedicated, perhaps even obsessive, outliner, especially when I’m writing in the mystery genre. Mysteries are tricky. You absolutely must know the ending before you start to write, and preferably who is the villain as well. Each plot point has to grow directly out of the previous one and connect organically with the following one. They’re like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. If one piece is slightly ill-fitting or out of place, the entire puzzle is out of kilter. The same goes for a mystery. For that reason, I outline meticulously, sometimes for months, before I allow myself to write a single word of the book. For me, writing without an outline would be like trying to construct a building without a blueprint.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
EM: Up next is the sequel to Aria for Murder. I’m keeping the title under my hat for the moment. It’s due out in September of 2023.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you choose to answer?
- Favorite comfort food: Mangoes
- Favorite book character: David Copperfield
- What type of music do you prefer? Classical
- Favorite quote: “There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.” – Beverly Sills
- Are you a beach lover or a snow skier? Beach, hands down
Aria for Murder (A Julia Kogan Opera Mystery)
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Romance Heat Rating: 2-3
Excitement mounts as the moment arrives for brilliant young violinist Julia Kogan's debut in the orchestra of the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera. But the high-stakes milieu of this musical mecca is rocked to its core when, during an onstage murder scene, Julia's mentor, a famous conductor, is assassinated on the podium.
Thrust into the investigation when her closest colleague in the orchestra is named chief suspect, Julia teams up with opera-loving NYPD detective Larry Somers to solve the murder. In the process, they are shocked to discover the venerable opera house is rife with a web of secrets, intrigue, and lethal rivalries. But all bets are off when Julia suddenly finds herself the real killer's prime target.
“A ruthless and clever killer haunts the Metropolitan Opera and the hidden recesses of Lincoln Center. Violinist Julia Kogan, a rising star in the pit, must unmask the murderer or become a victim herself. Erica Miner’s richly satisfying Aria for Murder delivers a compelling mystery, replete with devious characters, glorious music, and plenty of behind-the-scenes dirty laundry. A musical and dramatic triumph. Bis! Encore!”—James W. Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author
“Erica Miner, the Agatha Christie of the opera world, continues the genre with a wickedly wonderful…brand new thriller, Aria for Murder…This is simply brilliant writing. Bravissima!”
—Richard Stilwell, international opera star
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Aria-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685121985/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669763489&sr=8-1
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Romance Heat Rating: 2-3
Excitement mounts as the moment arrives for brilliant young violinist Julia Kogan's debut in the orchestra of the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera. But the high-stakes milieu of this musical mecca is rocked to its core when, during an onstage murder scene, Julia's mentor, a famous conductor, is assassinated on the podium.
Thrust into the investigation when her closest colleague in the orchestra is named chief suspect, Julia teams up with opera-loving NYPD detective Larry Somers to solve the murder. In the process, they are shocked to discover the venerable opera house is rife with a web of secrets, intrigue, and lethal rivalries. But all bets are off when Julia suddenly finds herself the real killer's prime target.
“A ruthless and clever killer haunts the Metropolitan Opera and the hidden recesses of Lincoln Center. Violinist Julia Kogan, a rising star in the pit, must unmask the murderer or become a victim herself. Erica Miner’s richly satisfying Aria for Murder delivers a compelling mystery, replete with devious characters, glorious music, and plenty of behind-the-scenes dirty laundry. A musical and dramatic triumph. Bis! Encore!”—James W. Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author
“Erica Miner, the Agatha Christie of the opera world, continues the genre with a wickedly wonderful…brand new thriller, Aria for Murder…This is simply brilliant writing. Bravissima!”
—Richard Stilwell, international opera star
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Aria-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685121985/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669763489&sr=8-1
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