It’s Monday afternoon. I’m at 45.2% on the manuscript for The Taken Ones and need to get back to it, but if there’s going to be a blog this week, now’s the time to write it. I’m hoping it’ll be short but sweet.
Over the course of forty-plus years of doing book signings, I’ve had some wonderful experiences. I’ve also had some interesting ones, and when I say interesting, I mean not necessarily in a good way.
Right at the top of that chart would be the grand re-opening of the Smoky Point Safeway north of Seattle. At that event, one of the first people in line was a young man who approached me and said, “Are you the lady who writes murder mysteries?” When I allowed as how I was, he continued. “I’ve just been acquitted of murdering seven people. Do you want to write my book?” How many times can you say, NO, THANK YOU? What I told him instead was that I didn’t do true crime and generously suggested he contact Ann Rule. By the way, she wouldn’t touch his story, either!
Today, while I was getting my steps, Bill was watching a taped Great Railways program from PBS. Sure enough, a different piece of interesting book signing history stepped off the screen, namely the one on the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad. Sometime in the late nineties, a no-longer-extant mystery bookstore in Milwaukee booked me to do a series of talks and signings in the dining cars on one of their three-hour excursions through Wisconsin farm country. It turned out to be a lot like that three-hour cruise to Gilligan’s Island.
Part way through the trip, the train made an unscheduled stop at a railroad station in an unnamed small town due to the fact that there was a dead cow on the track ahead of us. (It was Wisconsin after all. Why wouldn’t there be a dead cow on the track?) That unanticipated delay meant that we had to cancel the remainder of the trip and head back. As a result, I was told there wouldn’t be time for me to do dining car talks, and I was asked to deliver my “speech” on the train platform. As I did so, I couldn’t help but think of all the campaigning politicians down through history who had delivered their platform speeches from … well … train platforms. I think of it as my Abraham Lincoln moment!
By the way, the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad still exists, and from what I saw on the screen, their three-hour trips are a lot more upscale these days.
And now for a total change of subject. Longtime readers (LTRs) are familiar with my lingo. DTRs, Dead Tree Readers, are the ones who prefer books of the paper and ink variety. ARs are Audio Readers. RRs are Re-Readers who go through my books again and again. IORs are In Order Readers. Today we’ll be touching on SERs—Sharp-Eyed Readers. Those most likely include any number of retired English teachers who spot every typo with eagle-eyed precision and don’t hold back when letting me know about them. But just because SERs are picky, don’t think I don’t appreciate them. The errors they report to me are immediately passed along to my editors in New York so that corrections can be made prior to the book’s next print run, and every corrected error makes me look that much smarter.
This week, however, an SER pointed out a small but telling plot error in The Girl From Devil’s Lake. A detail written into the beginning of the book is different by the end of the book. Fixing it meant removing the wording in part of a single paragraph, and that correction is now in my editor’s hands.
I’m not going to specify exactly what that error is. I’m simply going to let you know it exists.
It’ll be interesting to see how many SERs will go back to the book determined to sort it out for themselves. Happy Hunting, you guys. When you figure it out, please feel free to let me know. We’ll call this a literary Easter egg hunt.
Could not access the comments today, but did notice “chance” when I’m sure you meant “change”, as in change of subject , from a nonlibrarian, nonteacher, constant reader SER
You are sly, putting that hint out there for us. I happen to be an “RR” and “IOR” fan. Well at least now. My first exposure to your works was by chance, finding “Second Watch” on Amazon from a search. So, I read all Beau’s books out of order. But have since read all – Beau, Ali, Joanna and Walker – in order, twice. Now I guess I need to do a third read through. Actually I have been foundering since my last read through, trying to find another author with series like yours. Is that possible?
Thank you, really, for entertaining my brain.
Forgot – I’m also a DTR! LOL
If you haven’t already, you might try John Sanford.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will
I got one of his books. The first in the “Prey” series. Thought I’d give it a test drive. About 100 pages in and I do like. It might give me another source for good reading. Thank you for the suggestion.
You’re welcome, Tom. I think John and Judith started publishing about the same time. The prey books keep on coming and the last one was this past summer. I think you’ll enjoy these books as the characters evolve.
Jim
You made me laugh several times. Keep going you’re gonna get this done as you always do.
I am a DTR and will continue to buy and read your books. I have all you have written on my shelf.
Thanks
Well, I am a LTR, IOR, RR and until very recently a DTR. However, I recently bought a Kindle so I would not have to wait forever [or what seems like forever] for a book to come out in paperback. Does that mean I lose my DTR statis?
Love your blogs. Especially enjoyed todays.
Blessings to you and Bill.
great blog….”acquitted of seven murders”…that would have shaken me up….maybe you should push your editors a little harder: their company depends on you, not vice versa…I read a lot of books, fiction and non-fiction, and editing is not what it used to be…too many obvious errors
Hi I’m a IOR and a DTR. I watched the same show as Bill. It was a good one. As I had rode the Canadian Rocky Mountain train this fall. It was spectacular.
Waiting on the next JP book ?
LTR
Janis
I’m mostly DTR, IOR and RR who is thrilled you’re coming to Tucson again this March! yay! I’m a Wisconsin/AZ snowbird getting packed for my migration south. I wish I had been on your Dead Cow Train Ride! LOL!
Merry Christmas!
I am very happy to say that I am a LTR, DTR, IOR, SER, and R-RR (self-designated repeat re-reader as I’ve read JP Beaumont’s adventures at least three times!) I am, however, behind in all of the series. As I catch up, I will definitely be looking for that plot error. Thank you for keeping us entertained so many years!
Now I’ll have to read the book again!! I look forward to your books; reread them (especially the Beaumont books) and dread the day you say you’ve had enough.
Do you think there are more typos now? Not your books particularly, but I see double words and fragmented sentences in books (again, not yours) that I don’t remember seeing in 80 years of reading. I’m just wondering if it’s more AI or whatever and fewer (if any) proofreaders. Wishing you a restful, fun and safe Christmas and a very productive New Year.
I have noticed the same thing lately, so many errors in spelling, names being mixed up, etc. especially in Kindle. And as you said, not in Judy’s books. I shouldn’t let it frustrate me as much as it does!
Short, sweet and fascinating!
And now for a total chance of subject. Should be change of subject. ? Sorry had to share because of last topic.
God bless you for handling the SERs with such grace! I’m sure I have a long way to go before I am as skillful and noble as you in turning errors into Easter eggs! Bravo.
Haven’t read it yet. Will have to now do i can find the error
It is correctly spelled Devils Lake, a town in North Dakota.
No, that’s not the plotting error. That extra apostrophe in Devils comes from being an English Major.
I think that I have already been thru the Girl from Devil’s Lake twice. But I guess I’m not a SER because I didn’t catch the mistake. So guess what I’m doing today?
You have led such an interesting life. I cannot imagine the willpower it must have taken you not to entirely lose all control at the request to write a book about a man acquitted of seven murders. By the man himself!
I truly enjoy reading your newsletter, as well as your books. Now, I do need to go look for The Girl from Devil’s Lake.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Lisa
My high school classmate has been writing books with a continuing story line. As I read the last book during a flight this fall, I questioned her in one spot and sought clarification in another. She thanked me for bringing to her attention as many had read it before publication and no one else caught these.
I guess I’m an ER, E book reader, usually in bed! I also love being an AR and have been listening to Gene Engene, he does Beau so well, rereading the early sobriety books, its been a while so I don’t remember how they end !
I hope you all are out of danger from the floods!
Acquitted of committing seven murders??? I bet that stopped you dead in your tracks. (pun intended) 😉
I did not spot an error. Guess I’ll have to get back on the long library waiting list and reread the book. Which I will enjoy. As I said before, I have missed Joanna.
I hope you are safe from the horrible flooding. My heart goes out to all those who are in harms way and have lost their homes.