Dana Haynes wins "Spotted Owl" Award for CRASHERS

Friends of Mystery President Elinore Rogers presents 

the coveted Spotted Owl to Dana Haynes

Last Thursday I attended a meeting of the Friends of Mystery to witness the presentation of their 16th annual Spotted Owl Award. The revered Spotted Owl is awarded to what the Friends deem the best novel of the year by a Northwest writer.

The festivities got underway with a sale of second-hand books at extremely reasonable prices. I splurged and spent two bits for an old issue of EQMM with a Doug Allyn story. Imagine my chagrin, minutes later, when it was announced that after the meeting, the remaining books would be offered at half price. I could have had that sucker for twelve and a half cents!

I chatted with some folks I knew, including President Ellie Rogers and her husband Jim (Ellie claims we’ve know each other 40 years, but I think it’s a mere 36), rock stars Brian Trainer and Laurie Mills of legendary Portland band Rock Residue, BIG NAME AUTHOR Bill Cameron (who looks remarkably like a character from The Simpsons) and ZooMystery Queen Ann Littlewood.

A Rogues Gallery: Bill Cameron (author of Lost Dog, Day One, Chasing Smoke and the upcoming County Line), the award-winning Dana Haynes, and Katy King (author of City of Suspects).

Names withheld to protect the innocent.

Then it was on to the big moment. Ellie got up to podium, pulled out a really cool plaque inscribed with the image of a spotted owl, and placed it in the hands of Mr. Dana Haynes. Mr. H then proceeded to regale us with interesting stuff about the award-winning Crashers.

Crashers, in case you don’t know, involves a terrorist plot to down airliners using an ingenious (and hopefully impossible) method.

Among the secrets Dana divulged:

He began the book in 1999, but it was sidelined by certain events on September 11, 2001, and had to wait ten years to see print. Dana attributes its publication to at last finding the right agent, Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management, and the right editor, Keith Kahla of the St. Martins imprint Minotaur.

He got the idea from an article about the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) investigation of a crash near Philadelphia. Though there was almost nothing left of the plane, they were still able to figure out what happened.

Though the book displays an astonishing amount of technical info, he’s not a technical guy, so he had to learn as he went, doing a lot of research at Powell’s Technical Bookstore (just down the street from the City of Books) and on the NTSB website.

At various times, Dana referred to the book as having 200 protagonists, then 19, and finally 9. Having just read the book, I think the correct answer is pretty close to 9. To give them all distinct voices, he cut photos out of magazines to represent each character and stuck them up where he could see them as he wrote.

The first protagonist we meet, and the one I most identified with, is a pathologist named Tommy Tomzack. Dana said he had a tough time getting a handle on Tommy, who was originally envisioned as being from New Hampshire. Then he saw Billy Bob Thornton in Primary Colors. Once he gave Tommy a Texas accent and let him swear like a stevedore, the character practically wrote himself.

Someone asked if the book made him afraid to fly. Quite the opposite, Dana said. He learned so much about how well they’re put together, and how good the people are who build and fly them, that he’s more comfortable than ever.

When the book was published in Japan, the publishers wanted a minor change in the plot. Dana was hesitant until his editor said, “What do you care? You can’t read Japanese anyway.”

When it was published in Italy, the publisher produced a trailer. Dana swears it features a guest-scream from Kermit the Frog. What do you think?



Good news: A sequel is coming in November, also from Minotaur, reuniting all nine protagonists. Dana was determined to kill one of them, governmental liaison Susan Tanaka, in the second book, but his inamorata, author Katy King, put her foot down and refused to allow it.

More good news: Following the sequel, we’ll see a spin-off with only one Crashers character, former Israeli intelligence agent Daria Gibron. I’m anxiously awaiting both books.

Ann Littlewood, author of Night Kill and Did Not Survive 

(no, she's not an albino, it's just my cheesy camera) chats with fans.

In case you're wondering, here are the runners up for the Spotted Owl:

2. Jon Talton for Deadline Man

3. Robert Dugoni for Bodily Harm

4. Mike Lawson for House Justice

5. Patrick McManus for The Huckleberry Murders

6. Bill Cameron for Day One

7. Phillip Margolin for Supreme Justice

8. Greg Rucka for The Last Run

9. Steve Martini for The Rule of Nine

10. Michael Gruber for The Good Son

Lots of talented writers here in the Northwest territory.

Noticeably absent from this list are two books Davy and I feel are also deserving, so we’d like take this opportunity to present the 1st annual Ring-Tailed Raccoon Award to (in alphabetical order) Portland author Ann Littlewood for Did Not Survive and Tacoma’s notorious Robert S. Napier for The Toyman Rides Again. Yep, it's a tie. Congratulations, folks. (Sorry, no plaques.)

Who's Who at Bouchercon

For the 28th consecutive year, I will fail to attend Bouchercon. I should be slapped. But three of my fellow critique groupers from right here in Portland will be in attendance, and honorary Oregonian Cap'n Bob Napier is making the trek, this year in the company of Mrs. Cap'n (the Envy of American Womanhood). So hey, I'll get several eyewitness reports. It'll be almost like being there.

If you happen to spot these characters, I suggest you break the ice by sneaking up and slipping whoopee cushions on their chairs. Or better yet, tell 'em you saw them on Davy Crockett's Almanack, and that I said they should buy you a drink (except for Bob, of course, who insists you must buy him the drink).

Ann Littlewood (parrot not included) will be autographing her two ZooMysteries from Poisoned Pen: Night Kill and Did Not Survive. She's also featured on a Thursday morning panel discussing unusual settings. Miss it at your peril. You'll find more about Ann HERE, and on her blog, Ann Littlewood Zoo Mysteries.

Doug Levin (he's the one with the glasses) has a tale called "The Docile Shark" in the December issue of EQMM, his second appearance in that magazine. His first mystery novel, which compares favorably to the work of Donald Westlake (when Westlake was pretending to be Richard Stark) will soon be in the hands of prospective publishers. Check him out at Levin at Large.

Angela Sanders writes for magazines about food and fashion, and is a regular columnist for the premiere blog of perfume fanciers, Now Smell This (I kid you not). She has one mystery novel in the can and another in progress. If you see a vintage designer dress at the con, she'll probably be wearing it.

Robert S. Napier has been haunting Bouchercons off and on (mostly on) since 1980. He'll be peddling autographed copies of his latest Five Star mystery, The Toyman Rides Again. I'd step lightly around this gent. He's usually packing heat, and can be quick on the trigger. His Internet home is The Cap'n's Blog.

Talkin' Zoo Mysteries with Ann Littlewood, Part 2

ME: Your first novel, Night Kill, was published in 2008, receiving many complimentary reviews. Which reviews surprised you the most – and which comments?

ANN: Maybe I’m just insecure, but every review of Night Kill surprised me. It was my first novel, after all, and I had no idea what to expect. That it was reviewed at all was astounding! Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Foreword—it was all new to me. Most reviewers were interested in the zoo background and only a few mentioned that it slowed the plot, a concern of mine. Caryn St. Clair, who volunteers at the St. Louis Zoo, wrote a very generous review which I appreciated because of her background.

I learned that many mystery reviewers aren’t paid, they write reviews for the fun of it or the name recognition, and that they sometimes post the review to multiple online sites, bless their hearts. The Night Kill reviews were so positive that it encouraged me tremendously.

I was astounded when I sent a copy to Dr. Laurence Marschall, who reviews for Natural History magazine. He included Night Kill in their “summer reading” issue, July-August 2009. I about fell over. I was also delighted by a review this year, almost two years after Night Kill came out, by Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun in the Vancouver Voice.

As for reviews in general, I was surprised that some reviewers restricted themselves to a brief plot summary without much evaluation. A few included “spoilers”. An author tries hard to set up surprises and tricky plot twists, and it’s no fair when a reviewer gives them away in advance! That said, any review is a good review. I think...

I’ve had a few reviews of Did Not Survive, nice ones, but I’m almost as nervous waiting for more as I was with Night Kill. Guess I’m a slow learner.

ME: I see that Night Kill, previously available only in hardcover, has just been issued in paperback, and that Poisoned Pen is issuing the new simultaneously in both hard and paper. It looks to me like Poisoned Pen is a pretty savvy publisher. Have you enjoyed working with them?

ANN: Poisoned Pen Press publishes well. They provide good editing and high quality covers. Their books get reviewed and some of them win awards. It’s a medium-sized outfit that can adjust to changes and launch experiments more rapidly than a giant press. I’m delighted that they are now bringing out new books in both hardcover and trade paperback, as with Did Not Survive, instead of waiting the traditional year to issue the paperback. The hardcovers get the reviews, and the trade paperbacks are easier to sell. Some bookstores won’t carry hardcover mysteries at all. And we have this-here recession going on—the lower price for the paperbacks should help. They put their books up on Kindle, they hosted a web-based mystery conference, they are always looking for new ways to sell books. I like working with them and they’ve won all kinds of awards from a grateful mystery community.

ME: On your website you cite Ursula Le Guin as your favorite writer. Do you have a favorite Le Guin book?  Is there one you can point to as an influence on your writing style or on the character of your protagonist Iris?

ANN: Le Guin writes in a fine literary style that I can’t hope to emulate. What I take from her writing is more along the lines of courage. She writes about anarchism and capitalism in The Dispossessed, about gender in Left Hand of Darkness, and about families in Sea Road. Within my mysteries, I write about about how people interact with animals in various situations. Le Guin helps me find my courage to engage in controversies about zoos and about the environment.

 I’m afraid my writing style probably owes more to my career in technical writing—be clear and succinct, don’t fool around. I practice “fooling around” in short stories, but my “zoo-dunnit” protagonist, Iris Oakley, is a concrete thinker, not given to subtlety of thought or feeling. But she’s young and changing, so I think she and I will grow together.

ME: We all know you're a former zookeeper, just like your heroine Iris. Knowing you both, I see a lot of similarities. How do you respond to that charge?

ANN: Iris is the daughter I never had. Sort of. She’s bigger and stronger than I ever was. (I weighed 110 pounds until I got pregnant.) She’s an only child with a hovering mother and she didn’t do well in school—she dropped out of college. See? Not much like me. My mother didn’t hover and I plowed through college in neat, straight furrows.

Iris also hasn’t developed a strong social skill set. As for me… well, maybe we do have that in common. Anyway, when she’s confused or frustrated, she defaults to anger, which is something I had to unlearn myself. And she has tunnel vision—she’s very focused on her job and a small set of friends.

That was Iris in Night Kill, but she’s not static. In Did Not Survive, she works to put her grief over the death of her husband finally to rest. She faces up to life as a single mother with a full time job. She sees how to make her house a home and expands her friendships. Iris has issues with authority and that hasn’t changed! She doesn’t realize her boss’s good qualities until he’s gone.

It’s interesting writing from first person when Iris interprets people differently from how I do. I hope readers clue into her as a somewhat unreliable narrator! For example, in Did Not Survive, Iris never likes or sympathizes with Thor, the animal welfare activist. She feels too threatened by his advocacy of elephant sanctuaries. I hope readers appreciate him more than she does. The same with anyone in authority—she’s suspicious and a little hostile, sometimes a lot hostile.

It will be interesting to watch as Iris splits her focus between her child and her job and keeps on growing. I’m eager to see how she evolves!

ME: Me too! 

To read Ann's short story "Death in a Cabana," or listen to "The Apprentice Assassin" (both NON-Zoo stories) as a podcast, click HERE.

And be sure to check out Ann's website ZooMysteries.com, and her blog AnnLittlewood.blogspot.com.

Talkin' Zoo Mysteries with Ann Littlewood, Part 1

ME: Your second mystery novel, Did Not Survive, is about to be released. Now that you're a seasoned pro, how does the experience differ from the release of your first book?

ANN: What’s different is that now I know not to be surprised by how tense I get! Publishing a mystery, for me, is a bit like stepping out on the front porch naked. What will people say? What was I thinking? Uh-oh, too late now…

I went through a big ol’ anxiety attack when Night Kill, the first in the series, came out. But the reviews were generous, my friends were delighted, and I enjoyed the readings and conferences. I expect that by the seventh or eighth book I publish, I’ll glue a ruby in my navel and prance out onto that porch without a care. Figuratively, that is.

ME: What sort of promo events do you have lined up?

ANN: I’m getting a GPS unit and headin’ out! The best opportunities for mystery authors who aren’t (yet) on the best-seller lists lie with the independent bookstores, especially the ones that specialize in mysteries. Right now, I’m signed up for these in Portland, Seattle, and Scottsdale. These stores are great places to appear, with wonderful staff and readers who are really into mysteries. Did Not Survive will launch at Murder by the Book in Portland, which has been SO GOOD to me.

In addition, I’m experimenting with book fairs in Vancouver, Washington, and in Lincoln City, Oregon. I’ll be at the downtown Portland Borders, my first try at the chain stores, so wish me luck. I’m signed up to read at one library now and looking for more, also hoping to sit down with book clubs. One event that is really fun is the Portland Audubon Wild Arts Festival each November, where I get to see a lot of friends. Environmentalists are the best! And I’ll be on a panel at the Bouchercon, the big mystery conference.

There’s really no end to it—have book, will travel! And then there’s online. Ads and Facebook and blogging and my website (wait till you see my cool trailer) and email and…

Ah, promotion… What’s the saying? Most of it is “motion.”

ME: With the new book, you've delved into the field of video promotion. How much help did you have, and do you have advice for other authors contemplating their own videos?

ANN: My son owed me one. Having a professional video editor owe you one is not a bad thing for an author with a book coming out. I sent him boatloads of elephant pictures  and a draft script, as well as a link to every book trailer I liked. He sent back questions and drafts. I learned about copyright-free photos and music available (for a price) online. There’s a lot out there!

The music turns out to be crucial—it drives the timing of the shots and even the number of shots. It was really hard to choose the tune and I finally gave up and made Daniel do it. He’s steeped in all manner of music and made a much better choice than I ever could.

Every new version was subjected to the opinions of friends, writers (such as yourself, Evan!), family, and random strangers, which actually helped lots.

So I didn’t make my own trailer—I was an engaged customer, as I like to think of it. A nit-picky flibbertigibbet who had no idea what she wanted might be another take on it, but we won’t go there.

I developed my own website,  but I know nada about video and wasn’t up to tackling it. Maybe next time, if I can’t rope Daniel into it.  Either way, I need to visit more zoos and  shoot more pictures. That’s what I’ll tell the IRS about my travel expenses.

Tomorrow: More talkin' with Ann
Last Sunday, Monday & Tuesday: We had zoo photos and reviews of Night Kill and Did Not Survive. To see the whole series, click HERE.

ME again. Here's a tip: Ann is offering up two short mysteries for FREE on her website. You can read "Death in a Cabana" in a PDF file, or listen to "The Apprentice Assassin" as a podcast. Click HERE.

Still more to satisfy your Zoo Mystery Mania: Ann's website ZooMysteries.com, and her blog AnnLittlewood.blogspot.com.

Review: Did Not Survive by Ann Littlewood

When Iris Oakley finds her boss, Director of the Finley Zoo, damn near dead in the elephant cage, the most likely culprit is her good friend Damrey - who just happens to be an elephant. The police are convinced Damrey did it, as are some of Iris’s fellow employees. But Iris - the only the witness to the event - isn’t sure.  Even if the boss survives, which seems unlikely, the consequences for Damrey will be dire.

Complicating matters are a mob of animal rights protestors, a pair of feuding elephant handlers and a spate of disappearing animals. Meanwhile, Iris has problems of her own. She’s pregnant, and has not yet recovered, personally or professionally, to the murder of her husband in the first book, Night Kill (Yep, you’ll want to read that too). But, being Iris, she can’t leave trouble alone, and is determine to learn the truth - even at the risk of her own life.

Sounds good, eh? But wait, the best is yet to come. Relating this tale is none other than Ann Littlewood, one-time zookeeper and a writer of great wit and grace. Pick up Did Not Survive - or better yet Night Kill AND Did Not Survive - and prepare to be entertained, educated and amused all at once. That’s what happened to me.

Sunday: A few of Ann's zoo photos
Yesterday: A review of Night Kill
Tomorrow & Thursday: Ann tells all (or at least some)!

Review: Night Kill by Ann Littlewood

Yeah, I know this is a mystery novel, and therefore a work of fiction. But it reads like the story of a real woman, with a real gone-south relationship, a real career and real problems. And into that real life comes the biggest problem she's ever faced - her husband Rick is found dead, mauled by lions, in what appears to be an act of drunken negligence.

Contrary to what you'd expect of your average fictional heroine, Iris Oakley does not dash off half-cocked, determined to prove Rick was murdered. Instead, real person that she is, she grieves, tries to cope and struggles to bring her life back into balance. Left alone, Iris would likely have accomplished just that. But harder times keep coming her way, and a series of near fatal accidents forces her to re-examine her assumptions about Rick, their life together, and his untimely demise. Step by step, she comes to the conclusion his death was no accident, and it's up to her to do something about it.

One thing that makes Iris so real is her job. She's a zookeeper who lives and breathes the care of exotic animals. She knows their wants, needs and quirky personalities as well as she knows those of her parents, friends and co-workers. This gives her rare and often comical insight into the human condition (as seen in animal terms), and into the animal condition (as seen in human terms). Mixed with the inner workings and day-to-day procedures of the zoo, Iris Oakley's unique perspective on life provides a consistently thoughtful and entertaining backdrop to the story.

Night Kill is something truly different in the world of mysteries, and it's only the first in what I hope is a long-running series.

Breaking News: Night Kill has just been issued for the first time in paperback, and is now available for Kindle too. 

 Ann on the promo trail with an ardent admirer.

Tomorrow: Second in the series, the brand new Did Not Survive. 

Wednesday & Thursday: An exclusive interview with Ann.

Zoo Mysteries Week on the Almanack

Portland author Ann Littlewood is now celebrating the release of her second Zoo Mystery, Did Not Survive, from Poisoned Pen Press, and to join in the festivities, we'll be devoting the next few days to her work. Ann is a former zookeeper, and her interest in animals has never waned. Here are a few photos she's taken (and had taken of her) in her travels. You'll find many more on her website, ZooMysteries.com, and on her BLOG.

Tomorrow: A review of her first novel, Night Kill
Tuesday: A review of the brand new Did Not Survive
Wednesday & Thursday: A visit with Ann herself