Joanna Campbell Slan recently interviewed author Julie Hyzy, the local Guest of Honor at Love is Murder #13 next February 2012. This is the fourth of five interviews that will appear in Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang! Visit  www.loveismurder.net and click on "Exciting News" to read the newsletter archives and previous interviews with featured authors Hank Phillippi Ryan, Donald Bain and David Morrell.

Joanna Campbell Slan: Julie, you started as a short story writer convinced she couldn't finish a book. Tell us about your friendship with Michael Black and the good advice he gave you. Didn't the two of you also collaborate? How did that work?

Julie Hyzy: Absolutely true. I'd dreamed of being a writer since I was a kid, but I had no clue how to go about it. Once my daughters were old enough to get breakfast for themselves, I decided to find out how to get myself published. That was just about ten years ago, but with all the changes in the publishing world of late, it feels like it's been much longer. Anyway, I thought I'd do best if I could find a writing group.

After a couple of detours, I happened upon The Southland Scribes. At that point I'd written a few Star Trek short stories, hoping to get into one of their annual anthologies (I did, eventually, three times!). The Southland Scribes, however, was a novel writing group. They were the only game in town, so I told them I wrote novels. Total lie. As it turned out, they welcomed me warmly and I shouldn't have worried. Mike Black was part of that group at the time. He was the most-learned, most-published member and was extremely generous with all his hard-won information. He encouraged me to write more, and I was thrilled to comply. Heck, getting feedback from him (and from the group) was gold. I'd never had anyone critique me before and I learned so much.

After a while, Mike suggested I try my hand at novel writing. I demurred initially because I didn't think I had the stick-to-it-ive-ness I'd need to stay with a novel for months. But he kept telling me he thought I could do it and that it was my logical next step. Here's the honest truth: I started a novel to be polite. He'd been so helpful and I'd learned so much that I felt I owed him to at least try. I didn't think I'd finish. He also talked me through outlining a novel, which helped a great deal. Nowadays I sort of outline with a much different process, but back then my outline was my lifeline. I started the novel to be polite, and found-to my everlasting surprise-how much I loved the freedom of novel writing. It was so great. As soon as I finished, I wanted to start another. So I did.

Mike and I collaborated on DEAD RINGER. Kind of a fluke how that came about. There was a short story contest going on while we were critiquing one another. I had an idea for it and we worked together on bringing it to life. It didn't see publication then (it did later, elsewhere), but we found the exercise to be fun. We joked around about writing a novel together and we tied the endings of our respective novels together in anticipation of someday collaborating. I think working on that short story had given us so much enjoyment that we decided to go for it sooner than I'd expected (I had a book deadline at the same time so I wound up writing two books at once). Total blast. I know I gave Mike fits because he had a plan in mind for the plot and I tended to deviate often (and wildly). But I think I added a few good things to the mix, too.

We took turns telling the story in first person. Could have been confusing, but I think it turned out okay. It gave me a chance to have Alex St. James, my Chicago news researcher, work with Mike's Ron Shade. One of our biggest hurdles was the fact that we both had secondary characters named George. But we managed to work around that. And even though I know I caused Mike a great deal of angst during the process, I think we're both very happy with how the final story turned out.

To read the entire interview with Julie Hyzy, go to http://www.JoannaSlan.blogspot.com

Julie Hyzy will be a featured guest at Love Is Murder. Her most recent book is Grace Interrupted, in the Manor House mystery series. Learn more at http://www.juliehyzy.com 

I've been a friend of Julie's since our first books came out from Five Star within months of each other.  That means I've had the pleasure of watching her rise from a Lovey-award-winning first novelist to an Anthony and Barry-award winning major novelist whose books now carry "National Bestselling Author" alongside her name.  Having had an up close and personal view on how she did it, I've analyzed her methods and am ready now to reveal it all: get ready to read Julie Hyzy's Super Secret Three-Step Program for Success!

Step #1: Be as prolific as possible. For a long time Julie wrote at least two pages every day, even on weekends. She told me that by sticking to this, she was able to keep her head in the story and wouldn't have to start the day by trying to remember what she had been doing weeks or even days before. The plot - and where she was within it - was always right there in her mind. The pages piled up and the books were churned out. Also, Julie doesn't do any editing until the story comes to an end. She writes the story in a stream, not stopping to edit or go back and make changes until she reaches the end. It's easier to rewrite than to write, she says, citing the adage. (Side note: These days she tries to save her weekends more fully for her husband Curt and her daughters.)

Step #2: Never take anything for granted. Julie works hard at everything she does. She wants her next book to be the best; she never "mails it in." When she was Midwest Chapter President of MWA, she worked hard to help the members. When Curt got downsized from his job a few years ago, Julie took a job as an investment advisor to help the family make ends meet, and there was never any doubt she was a professional there, too. When Curt landed a great job about a year later, the investment firm was incredibly disappointed that Julie left and went back to writing full time. (And even when Julie was working, she was still writing. See Step #1.)

Step #3: Be friendly to everyone. This one comes naturally to her. She has a positive, upbeat personality that energizes people. Honestly, do you know anyone who doesn't like her? (Okay, there maybe one or two people, but they are seriously disagreeable people and I stopped buying their books long ago.) Let me make this clear, too: that's the real Julie you see. In all the time I've known her, she's never been anything but genuine to everyone she meets.  Fans love her with good reason.

So that's it: Julie's successful Super-Secret Program is based on hard work and being nice. Who says good guys finish last? Long may her ascent onto the bestseller lists continue!

Tony Perona is the author of Second Advent, Angels Whisper  

and Saintly Remains. For more about Tony, visit his web site: www.tonyperona.com.

Can't wait 'til February? Then join us at one or both Love Is Murder Chicago-area "mini-cons" next month!

Meet and talk with eight local authors and sample the Love is Murder experience. Both events are FREE and open to the public.  

The 2011 mini-cons take place at: 

Waukegan Public Library, Saturday, November 5, 1:00pm   

Luisa Buehler, Shane Gericke, Tasha Alexander, and Andrew Grant.

Vernon Area Library, Saturday, November 12, 1:00pm    

Raymond Benson, Robert Goldsborough,  

Michael Harvey, Jeffrey Small.

Love is Murder has confirmed that publisher Emily Victorson (Allium Press of Chicago) and literary agent Jim McCarthy (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) will attend Conference #13 next February. Both will be accepting pitches from authors at our Pitch-a-Palooza event. (Watch this space for more agents and publishers - we'll keep you posted.)

Emily Victorson of Allium Pr

Emily Clark Victorson is the owner/publisher of Allium Press of Chicago. Prior to starting the press she worked as a librarian, historian, and book designer.  

Allium was founded in 2009 as a small, independent press and publishes historical fiction, mysteries, and thrillers, especially those with a Chicago connection.  

Recent releases include Frances McNamara's historical mystery series set in 1890s Chicago: Death at the Fair, Death at Hull House, and Death at Pullman; and Libby Fischer Hellmann's thriller, Set the Night on Fire, part of which takes place in Chicago in the late 1960s.  

All Allium Press books are published both in print and as ebooks.

Jim McCarthy interned for Dystel & Goderich Literary Management while

Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich

studying urban design at New York University. Upon graduating in 2002, Jim realized he would much rather continue working with books than make the jump to the field of city planning.  

As an avid fiction reader, his interests encompass both literary and commercial works in the adult and young adult categories. He is particularly interested in literary women's fiction, under-represented voices, mysteries, romance, paranormal fiction, and anything unusual or unexpected.  

In addition to fiction he is also interested in narrative nonfiction, memoir, and paranormal nonfiction.  

The number 13 appears in all kinds of unexpected places... including the way we measure the passing of seasons as our planet orbits around the sun. It takes the Earth 13 weeks to travel from the first day of spring (March 20) to the first day of summer (June 21); 13 weeks from the first day of summer to the first day of fall (Sept. 23); 13 weeks from the first day of fall to the first day of winter (Dec. 21); and 13 weeks to travel again from the first day of winter to the first day of spring. Altogether, it takes 52 weeks (13 x 4) for the Earth to make a complete revolution around the sun; and the number 4, of course, is the sum of 1 and 3....  

The ancient Mayans incorporated the number 13 into their highly sophisticated system of mathematics and into their cosmology. They believed the number 13 had magical powers, and often coupled it with the number 20, which was the basis of their mathematical system. The Mayan ritual calendar consisted of thirteen 20-day periods, totaling 260 days... interestingly, just 6 days shy of the normal period for human gestation (266 days).

Cosmologically speaking, the Mayans thought of Earth as the first layer of the "upper world," which has 13 layers altogether. They visualized Earth as a large wheel surrounded by the teoatl, or divine water, an ocean that extends to the horizon. The second layer, called Ilhuicatl metzli, is where the moon and clouds reside. The fixed stars lie in the next layer, known as Citlalco, where the deity Citlallicue ("She of the Starry Skirts") lives. The sun, also known as Ilhuicatl Tonatiuh, occupies the fourth layer, while Venus, the "Great Star," inhabits the fifth. Layer six is called Ilhuicatl Mamalhuazocan, or "Heaven of the Fire Drill," which represents an unidentified constellation (perhaps Orion's Belt). This layer is also where comets ("Stars that Smoke") come from, and where the fire serpents bring the sun from the east to the zenith. The seventh layer is the black or green heaven, fierce with winds or storms; the eighth layer is blue heaven, where dust lies. The next layer, the home of thunder, is called Itztapal Nanatzcayan, or "Where Stone Slabs Crash Together." Layers ten, eleven, and twelve represent the colors white, yellow, and red. The thirteenth and last layer, called Omeyocan, is the home of the dual male-female Creator god, who created space and time.

No Less in Blood  

by D. M. Pirrone

Quest for the Crystal Skull  

by David Ciambrone

Virginia Davies-Clark encounters some killers and  

   an old crystal skull with something important in it.

The Dreamer Gambit  

by Kathryn Flatt

A troubled detective helps a singer in trouble for  

mentioning a dead man's name on TV.

Are you an author attending LIM 2012? Then take advantage of a terrific opportunity to advertise your work to nearly 800 newsletter receipients!

Option 1 ($10 per title/newsletter issue): Book title and name.  

 one issue = $10; all six issues = $60

Option 2 ($15 per title/newsletter issue):  

Book title, name, and brief description or series information (15 words max).

One issue = $15; all six issues = $90   

Authors can advertise their books in one or more newsletters, up through the final issue in January, 2012. To participate in Author Spotlight, email the information with your request for Option 1 or 2 to Diane Piron-Gelman at wordnrd@gelmanmanor.com. Payment may be made on our website via PayPal, or you can send a check or money order to: 

LIM, c/o Terri Stone, 1009 Iroquois Ave., Naperville, IL  60563 

Advertising and payment for each issue must be received by the first of the month.

Reader and long-time LiM attendee Janet Kargol writes: "As I look at the upcoming Love is Murder's 13th conference, I just want to give kudos to the people that work so hard in planning this event. Friends and I have been attending since the first conference and I have also attended other mystery conferences, and I do like this one. The conference has grown up in so many areas. The honorees have come from all over, but it is nice to see so many Chicago and surrounding area authors attend, and be so accessible. Can it be that I have eaten at the same table with authors? That once I am there, the meals are all included? Meeting new friends, and seeing old ones... Fun evening activities... Snowball fights (remember, it's February in Chicago!). I can't single out any one thing, but I do know it is something I look forward to during our long, cold Chicago winters."  

Likewise, local mystery author D. M. Pirrone credits LiM with helping her find a publisher and an agent: "I sent my first novel, No Less in Blood, to Five Star after chatting about it with publisher Rosalind Greenberg at Saturday night's dinner. At that same Love Is Murder, I met Danielle Egan-Miller, who has since become my agent. Without LiM, I would not have known that Browne & Miller was looking for exactly the type of manuscript I was writing... a historical mystery set in Chicago. Talk about giving your book a leg up on the competition!"