Writing a Mystery Without Really Trying {+ Giveaway}

It’s a pleasure to welcome author Leann Sweeney here today for a pre-celebration of her upcoming release tomorrow, THE CAT, THE VAGABOND AND THE VICTIM, the sixth installment in her Cats in Trouble Mystery series.

To kick off the celebration, Leann will be joining us to talk about ‘How to Write A Mystery Without Really Trying (See, I DO Tell Lies for A Living!).’ In addition, thanks to Leann and the lovely Danielle at Penguin Group, I have a print copy of this fun new cozy murder mystery to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details on that.

Here’s a brief description of THE CAT, THE VAGABOND AND THE VICTIM:

Heir of the cat...
      When Clyde the cat travels two hundred miles back home only to find his former owner dead, the story makes national news. While everyone seems eager to tell Clyde’s incredible tale, someone needs to step up to care for him. Because the media attention is creating chaos at the local shelter, cat quilter Jillian Hart agrees to foster the loyal orange tabby, hoping his location is kept secret.
      But while the media circus around Clyde continues, Jillian learns the real story behind his owner’s death—he was murdered. Why would an elderly man already dying from a serious illness become a murder victim? As the local police search for an answer, Clyde makes another escape.
      Jillian is drawn into the case when she finds Clyde has returned to his home again—and he’s found another body. When the motive behind these murders is finally revealed, Jillian understands Clyde is in danger of becoming the next victim, and she must help find the killer before the claws really come out.… 

Now please join me and give a warm welcome to Leann. 

I spent a good portion of my life hoping to find out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Oh, I was an RN, worked in various areas of nursing, but that was for security, so I could help provide for my family. What did I truly want to accomplish? What would I do with this time on earth?

My "first" third job was raising puppies (#1 I was a wife and mother and #2 I was a nurse. I had Shelties to be specific—many, many Shelties. Messy job and not very profitable, but oh so fun. Nurses and moms are used to poop and pee, after all. But all along I knew what I wanted. I was just too afraid to admit it to myself. Fear of failure is a powerful thing.

As my two kids grew I remember one day pointing my finger at them and saying, "Find a job you love, find your passion," and suddenly the unconscious became conscious. Was I leading by example? No. I believe it was the very next day I went out and bought my first copy of Writers Digest.

That was in 1989. My first book was released in 2004. No, you cannot write a book without trying, and trying ... and trying some more. You must face rejection and heartbreak and confront your ego. You must understand there is no correct way to write a book, but there are hundreds of wrong ways. The learning curve is steep, the pain, the exhaustion, the self-doubt will shut you down if you let them. I repeat. You cannot write a book without trying really, really hard to learn what a "voice" is, to trust yourself after you have cut yourself to pieces over and over.

So, being a mother was the key to everything. I looked into their pre-teen eyes to offer advice and found answers for myself lying there. The first mystery I wrote turned out to be the first book published in 2004. How many times did I rewrite it? I'd guess a hundred. I believed in that book even when I didn't believe in myself. Then came the cat series and I have now published eleven books in two series. I love my fictional cats and in the new release, I have created a fur friend I wish I could have sitting on my lap right now. I hope you like Clyde as much as I do! 

Leann, thanks for joining us today. You are so right about having to really, really try no matter what path you take in life. You can never succeed without trying.

Let me share a bit of background on Leann.

Leann Sweeney was born and raised in Niagara Falls and educated at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Lemoyne College in Syracuse, NY. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in Behavioral Science and worked in psychiatry. Formerly a school nurse, she has been writing in the mystery genre for many years. 

Leann is married with two grown children and has lived in Texas for most of her adult life. She resides in South Carolina with two cats and a labradoodle named Rosie after her first series.


For more on Leann and her writing, visit her website, connect with her on Facebook and Twitter, and visit with her when she blogs at Cozy Chicks.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

This giveaway is for one print copy of THE CAT, THE VAGABOND AND THE VICTIM. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end Tuesday, Aug. 12. 

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load, so please be patient. The winner from this giveaway will have 72 hours to respond after being contacted or another winner will be selected. The email will have ‘Thoughts in Progress Leann Sweeney’s Tour’ in the subject line, just so you know what to watch for (in case it goes into your spam folder).

Thanks so much for stopping by today and visiting with Leann. Have you always known what you wanted to be when you grew up or is that still a work in progress?

*This post contains affiliate links. a Rafflecopter giveaway