April 3rd, 2019 → 6:55 pm @ Robin Donovan
How old are you and where are you from?
My first book came out in 2010 and the menopausal protagonist, Donna Leigh, was patterned after me. I was in the early days of menopause back then.
I was born in Jersey City, NJ, so in many ways the dye was cast. At a young age I moved to Connecticut and experienced a very different culture – it was a remarkably broadening experience. Today, I live in Omaha, NE and the merging of these three very different cultures is what enables me to build multi-dimensional characters and when I do create characters that are two-dimensional, it’s deliberate. I’ve recently added a ski home in Utah – more grist for the mill.
Tell us more about your book!
My Donna Leigh Mystery series (with three books) features the menopausal owner of an Omaha ad agency, Donna Leigh. In each book, someone from Donna Leigh’s world has been murdered – and in each case her connection to the victim propels her into the investigation. Donna Leigh has enabled me to address all of the pet peeves I have collected in years of reading cozy mysteries. I work hard to eliminate red herrings as well as other painfully stereotypical cozy mystery devices, i.e. when a disguised voice phones to invite Donna to a remote area, late at night and alone in order to obtain a lead – she let’s loose a torrant of anger as she explains that she was not born yesterday and she will never fall for that ploy. Donna Leigh is a smart and attractive woman who is not perfect. She’s not twenty-something, skinny, flawless and brilliant – she has her flaws – but they don’t keep her from being awesome, and funny.
You’re sharing an elevator with a big name publisher. Pitch your book using 20 words or less!
Do you want to give readers an Evanovich-like laugh and a legitimate mystery to solve? Let’s talk.
What does your writing space look like?
In the winter, I like to be sitting at a huge window, looking out at a majestic mountain with a glass of white wine in my hand and my laptop on my lap. In the summer, I typically start out on the couch in my family room and switch to the table on my deck as the day warms. I add the white wine at 5 pm.
If your book was turned into a movie, who would play your main characters?
I think Bette Midler would crush the role of Donna Leigh. And once you have Bette, nothing else really matters. Nevertheless, I think my first murder victim, Claire Dockens would ideally be played by Julia Child – unfortunately, she’s not available – but she would have been perfect! Paris Hilton would make an awesome Clovis Cordoba Seville, that built in narcissism would be an ideal enhancement to her performance. Pam Ferris and Felicity Kendal from the British TV murder series Rosemary and Thyme would make an excellent Peg and Babs.
You’re stranded on an island, and only one character from any book can save you. Who are you picking?
I would want to be stranded with Clovis Cordoba Seville. Despite her incredibly annoying personality, there is nothing like extreme narcissim to get your demands met, and without an adoring audience, Clovis would not stick around on any island.
Besides being a writer, what else do you enjoy?
Well, reading, naturally. I also love my bulldogs (English and French), dancing, skiing and wine dinners with friends. I do enjoy working at my ad agency, Bozell, but that’s work.
I would want to be stranded with Clovis Cordoba Seville. Despite her incredibly annoying
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Facebook Author page: RL Donovan
Series page: Donna Leigh Mysteries
Check out her mystery series, available no on amazon!
February 25th, 2019 → 6:53 pm @ Robin Donovan
My Donna Leigh Mystery series revolves around a menopausal ad agency owner in Omaha, Nebraska. Although each book encompasses the murder of someone known to the protagonist, the books are actually comedies. With three books in the series, the challenges have been in finding credible enough yet over-the-top comedic events, without an over-abundance of similarity, and in keeping the plot fresh enough overall that the books don’t start to feel formulaic.
Evanovich’s protagonist, Stephanie Plum, pretty much always sets a car on fire, it’s her signature comedic move. Perhaps I should have set a precedent like that, because creating new and outrageous scenarios is increasingly a challenge.
Each book requires approximately six comedic events to keep things moving at a fast pace. I realized this would be a daunting task as early as my second book, and the third book was that much more intimidating.
Along those same lines, it is a genuine challenge to keep my plots from becoming formulaic. The same characters want to say and do the same things. It is imperative to find ways to pull them out of their comfort zone without pulling them out of character.
Folks have suggested that I move on from Donna Leigh and start a whole new series, but my gut is telling me to stick with her for at least another book or two. And if I’ve learned one thing in this whole experience, it’s to trust my gut.
February 4th, 2019 → 9:34 pm @ Robin Donovan
My goals in my first book: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch? grew in number as the writing progressed. I wanted to show that menopausal women can be cool and that female amateur sleuths don’t have to be 20-something, stunningly gorgeous and brilliant (but end up doing really stupid things like meeting the murderer with no weapon and no back up in a dark alley). Female sleuths don’t have to be either 20-something or Miss Marple with nothing in between. My sleuth, Donna Leigh, is menopausal, attractive but not perfect and smart but not flawless.
I wanted to clearly avoid my most common pet peeves,
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the ones repeated throughout cozy mysteries that I read, e.g. men are always telling female sleuths “I am angry, you need to stay out of this investigation.” This rant is generally repeated ad nauseum throughout the plot. The female sleuth typically ignores this command, yet often frets that she’s making the macho guy mad with every move she makes. I’m sick to death of this and I’m guessing others are as well.
I wanted to show that the most appealing woman doesn’t have to be the thinnest – that women can be spectacular, desirable and stylish at any weight.
I also wanted to show that comedy doesn’t have to detract from the mystery in a murder mystery. If the author is careful not to leave a trail of red herrings and is diligent in answering every question in an interesting and compelling way, a comedy can be every bit as suspenseful a drama.
Have I met these goals? Feedback from readers tells me I have – maybe not every goal with every reader – but enough to know it’s all in there.
www.bozell.com
January 15th, 2019 → 10:52 pm @ Robin Donovan
I would have to say that I had five writing style influences, and try as I might, I cannot eliminate any of them.
Donna Leigh Mysteries
In my early years it was Cornelia Otis Skinner, Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. Their droll approach at humor never failed to amuse and entertain me. As dark as some of their topics were, their depictions of characters and how they behaved would often have me laughing out loud.
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By the time I reached high school, I had added James Thurber to the mix. The Night the Bed Fell on Grandpa felt as though it had happened in my life, and in fact, that type of event was not uncommon as I grew up. I frequently wrote letters and then emails to family and acquaintances using these four icons to help guide my style.
Sharing ideas
Humor was what kept our family together, and humor is in my veins. I guess writing humorous novels was inevitable.
As I prepared to write my first novel, Janet Evanovich joined the ranks of influences. The grace and ease with which she is able to move from serious issues to hilarious occurrences is something I wanted to emulate. I actually studied the components of her work to form a pattern for my own. Enough humor, but not so much that it destroys the balance of the plot.
www.bozell.com
November 26th, 2018 → 4:24 pm @ Robin Donovan
Question: What Was Your Hardest Scene to Write?
In my first book Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch? I wrote a scene featuring a remodeling contractor from a small town in Nebraska. I wanted to change his pattern of speech from the arguably more urban patterns of the characters residing in Omaha. I wanted there to be a distinction.
I wasn’t trying to make this character sound distinctly back woods, rural because that’s not really a thing in Nebraska, so finding a distinction was challenging. He wasn’t uneducated, so giving him bad grammar was not the solution, and we tend to be accent neutral in Nebraska so I didn’t have much with which to work.
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I wanted this character to be sweet and just a tad naïve. How does that sound? As I wrote, I found myself slipping into the cadence of a southern twang – NO! edit, edit, edit.
A great panel
After finishing the book it officially went into editing. On the fourth round, my editor commented “you have this contractor who starts out talking like a hick and almost immediately evolves into having the elocution of a Harvard grad. Fix it.” Wow, how I not see that?
So, I was back at the drawing board. That short scene was the hardest I’ve ever written or rewritten – before or since. I labored over every word he spoke. In the end, I had to invent some speech patterns based on imagination and fleeting experience with folks in rural areas either through road trips across the state, or films about the Midwest. I think it works – but even now I’m not positive. In fact I can feel myself starting to perspire as I write the response to this question.
November 7th, 2018 → 4:44 pm @ Robin Donovan
My primary goal has always been to entertain my readers and make them laugh, while also making them think. To give them an escape from the troubles in their lives. Based on feedback (and not just from my mother), I am grateful that I seem to be on track with that goal. There is no better feeling than when a reader is genuinely effusive about my work.
When I read this Roundup question, it got me thinking about my goals beyond the readers’ reaction and I realized it’s a very basic goal. I want to enjoy the writing experience even more.
That’s not as simple as it sounds.
I enjoy writing cozy murder mysteries and I enjoy doing the speaking and signing engagements, hell, I even enjoy editing, but all these components can interconnect in a way that makes writing either a joy or an exercise in self-debasement or both – kind of like a seesaw.
To start with I enjoy the writing, but feeling pressure to hurry up can bring that enjoyment to a screeching halt. Once the book is released there’s a huge amount of work to gain any level of awareness. I actually enjoy guest blogging and interviewing, I genuinely enjoy public speaking. But if you’ve ever done an author event to an audience of two, even considering there are torrential rains outside, you know how demoralizing that can be.
Although many of us don’t get into writing for the money (a lot of you are laughing out loud right now) it is nice to actually see some return on your investment. There was a time when I referred to my writing as a “very costly hobby.” Although I still don’t rely on my writing as my livelihood, there’s no denying that monetary gain is a measure of success, and when you’ve poured your guts out to create your masterpiece, any measure of success is a plus.
One day euphoric success, the next day humbling disappointment, and repeat. My great grandmother had a saying that seems to fit “what never makes you laugh will never make you cry.”
My goal would be to see the scales a bit more heavily weighted toward the laughing.
October 29th, 2018 → 8:51 pm @ Robin Donovan
As a child I was an avid reader and writer of letters. My letters always seemed to surprise people, making them laugh when they needed a laugh, shoring them up when they needed support. The feedback all seemed positive and appreciative that I was able to sense their needs and write something that helped. Whenever their comments focused on my making them laugh, I was in heaven. Even as a child, I fancied myself a cross between Cornelia Otis Skinner and James Thurber – my dreams were big. It was only a matter of time before I penned the great American comedic novel.
A great panel
Then life happened. I taught English to high school kids who suffered through my love of literature and taught me new forms of grammar and spelling that haunt me to this day. When the academic life began to pale, I ventured into the world of advertising. Sure I would be a star copywriter, I instead found myself behind a calculator in the world of media buying. It was hard work and it kept me busy. Too busy to write a novel.
As the years progressed, I found myself the owner of an ad agency with one, two or three partners, depending on the year. During one particularly stressful period when the economy was lagging and my CFO partner was obnoxious as hell, I found myself looking for escape. That’s when I started my first novel.
In retrospect, I think I wrote about murder to assuage my desire to commit murder. Killing off people who cause you extreme stress is so cathartic. And when you do it in a novel, you don’t go to jail.
October 22nd, 2018 → 6:03 pm @ Robin Donovan
Hide things – who me? Hell yes, I’ve hidden a ton. So, you’re asking me to give it all up now? Let’s see where I can begin. Book one, Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch?, was written after a small group, lead by one of my business partners, who had a fairly public breakdown, tried to stage a coup and throw the other two of us out of our company. There are numerous veiled references to the details of the coup, e.g. wanting financial gain without having to invest, etc. One of the less savory characters in the book has the combined name of two of the conspirators. I could go on, but that would be too much of a spoiler alert. Let’s just say the murder victim will not be sorely missed. And suffice it to say the coup was unsuccessful.
In book two, I Didn’t Kill Her But That May Have Been Short Sighted, a great deal of the back story consists of true events from my early days in advertising. Although they’re not exactly hidden, the reader would never know fact from fiction. The inspiration for the murder victim actually did all of those obnoxious things. The events leading directly up to the murder, however, are all carefully crafted fiction. The hidden part consists of numerous little character traits and foibles that paint a startlingly accurate picture of my victim, right down to the physical description. Once you know the facts, you would never question the accuracy of the fiction. The portrayal of B.J. comes from years of watching and listening to her inspirations’ unprincipled behavior.
In book three, I Don’t Know Why They Killed Him He Wasn’t Really That Annoying, the major hidden message lies in the treatment of one of my former partners. He had joined the company shortly after “the coup” and was fine for a few years. Then had his own version of a breakdown. He’s featured in the first two books as my valued partner and legendary smart ass, Donny Miller. He makes an excellent foil to my protagonist, Donna Leigh. By the time I started writing this third book, the inspiration for Donny’s character had exited the company in a most contentious fashion. Throughout the book, there are references to his departure that are in reality private jokes.
Reading through my response I arrive at two conclusions: I have actually hidden quite a bit (and this is only the tip of the iceberg) and it’s unhealthy to be my business partner if you’re a man.
https://www.thewritingking.com/secrets-books/?fbclid=IwAR3F_vhNDIaNQUDm28fotuhdM1hKDJeGWIj-znKbA9ZI6Vr30QO-9ZdJUl0
September 12th, 2018 → 8:10 pm @ Robin Donovan
https://www.fictionmasterclass.com/interview-with-robin-donovan/
September 10th, 2018 → 9:35 pm @ Robin Donovan
J.E. Feldman’s Exploits
https://dragonqueen3.wordpress.com/2018/09/10/author-interview-with-r-l-donovan/
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