Talkshow Thursday: LeeAnn Betts

Missing Deposits: 

The Story Behind the Story – with giveaway

By Leeann Betts

Readers—and writers, too, for that matter—often ask me where I get the ideas for my stories. Well, in this case, I wanted to set my story in Colorado so I could enter several state-based writing contests that require a Colorado setting.

As I do with just about every book in this series, I made up a fictional town based on a part of the state I’d recently visited and which I thought readers might like to learn more about. The Grand Mesa/Mesa Verde National Park area on the western slopes of Colorado is a world unto itself. The scenery is spectacular, the weather is iffy, but the people are warm-hearted and compassionate.

Well, most of the people.

Not the villain in my tale, of course. He—or she—is anything but warm and compassionate. Think the Grinch when his heart was three sizes too small. Yet, like every villain, this one has some good qualities. He or she knows how to show love. He or she is ferocious about what they believe in. And he or she isn’t a sociopath or a psychopath. They know right from wrong. They simply don’t like being backed into a corner.

I also wanted a politically conservative setting, because while not exclusively so, politically conservative folks also tend to be church-goers, and I wanted both Carly and Mike to be slam-dunked into a situation where they had to re-examine their spiritual beliefs. Throughout this series, a little here and a little there, Carly and her husband have been introduced to the Christian faith.

I don’t think that most folks make a huge decision about their spiritual journey the first time options are presented to them. It didn’t happen to me that way, either. So I’m using the entire series to take them along that path to deciding where they stand regarding their faith. And no, I haven’t decided what that is, yet, either. I’m hoping Carly will show me in the next book, which will come out in June 2020, Risk Management. If you want to know the answer, you’ll need to read that one.

The couple who hosts Carly and Mike on their working vacation are named after very good friends—first names, only. Their last name came from a desire to design a brand that I could draw. A Lazy L, in brand terms, is one that lies horizontally.

The details about the black-footed ferrets are mostly true. Not about the truck accident that dropped several of the critters on the western slope, but they were transported down I-25 into Arizona and New Mexico. At the timing of this story, 2005, they were on the “extinct in the wild” list, although they have since recovered are now on the “endangered” watch list.

Leave a comment, and I will draw randomly for a print copy (US only) or ebook version (winner’s choice) of Missing Deposits.

About Missing Deposits:

Carly looks forward to a vacation when Mike is hired to assist a rancher in western Colorado catalogue his mineral rights following the discovery of several large deposits. However, Carly soon learns that the real wealth—and the real danger—aren’t below ground. Someone is out to keep a secret bigger and more profitable than gold and copper. And they’re willing to kill for it.

About Leeann:

Leeann Betts writes contemporary romantic suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical romantic suspense. In the Money is the tenth title in her cozy mystery series, and together she and Donna have published more than 30 novellas and full-length novels. They ghostwrite, judge writing contests, edit, facilitate a critique group, and are members of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, and Sisters in Crime. Leeann travels extensively to research her stories, and is proud to be represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary LLC.

Website: www.LeeannBetts.com Receive a free ebook just for signing up for our quarterly newsletter.

Blog: www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com

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Books: Amazon http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE  and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2z5ecP8

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Leeann Betts

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back, Leeann Betts

Linda:  Thanks for joining me again. I love series and was excited to discover book #9, Silent Partner, in your By the Numbers series featuring Carly Turnquist is being released. Where did you find your inspiration for this story?

Leeann: I’ve always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise, so several books ago, a grateful friend who Carly saved from a philandering con man gifted her with a cruise. At the time, I planned the next book would take place on a cruise, but plans had to change. But it seemed a great setting: a captive population of suspects; a short time to solve the murder; and everybody loves to cruise.

LM: Research is an important part of writing any book. Have you ever stumbled on a fascinating tidbit that you knew had to be included in your story?

Leeann: I did. I learned about international law regarding cruise ships at the time the story is set, 2005, was fairly lax, which meant nobody would be there to solve the mystery, so it was all up to Carly.

LM: What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Leeann: I moved from my home in Canada to the US to marry a man I’d only met over the phone and through emails. That was 19 years ago.

LM: What is your process for creating mysteries? Do you come up with the villain first, the “terrible deed” or the title? Where do you get your ideas?

Leeann: I come up with the terrible deed, match a cool title, develop the villain and the motive and how, then work back and then forward from there.

LM: How do you pick the location of your stories?

Leeann: Places I’ve been. Or places I want to go, so I have to take a research trip there first.

LM: What do you find most difficult about writing mysteries?

Leeann: Editing. I hate editing. But I’m learning to write really clean, depend on my critique group, and then I’m left with a quick edit and timeline check at the end.

LM: Here are some quickies:

Favorite Season: Summer

Favorite place to vacation: Anywhere warm

Favorite childhood author: Agatha Christie, Conan Doyle

LM: What is your next project?

Leeann:  Working on a contemporary romance set in Loveland, Colorado. And then, of course, Carly’s next book which will come out in June of 2019.

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

Leeann: Seems like I’m everywhere these days

Website: http://www.LeeannBetts.com Receive a free ebook just for signing up for our quarterly newsletter.

Blog: www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com

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Books: Amazon http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE  and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2z5ecP8

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Leeann Betts!

The Story Behind the Story of A Deadly Dissolution

By Leeann Betts

A series is a completely different animal to write than a stand-alone. In a stand-alone novel, you write about characters and events that you hope resonate with your readers, perhaps including an issue or topic that’s close to your heart, such as sex trafficking or the breakdown of the family. And then you’re done, and you can move on to the next collection of characters, settings, maybe a new issue or even the same one told from a slightly different context. A series, however, involves the same or at least some recurring characters, perhaps recurring locations, but different events.

So how to make every story in a series new and fresh, without confusing new readers starting in the middle, or losing existing readers who want some continuity without boredom?

In the case of A Deadly Dissolution, I took a recent event that thrilled me: I had the opportunity to go to Guernsey, Wyoming in October 2017 to see the total solar eclipse. The area was busy but not packed, because most people went to larger metropolitan areas in Wyoming and Nebraska to view the event. However—and isn’t there always a ‘however’?—those other places clouded over and where we were was the perfect viewing location.

I figured—and I say this a lot—“that has to go into a book”.

I did some research, and unfortunately, there were no solar eclipses—total or otherwise—in 2004 or even early 2005 on the east coast. I wanted this story set in Bear Cove, Carly’s hometown, because the last two books were set elsewhere, and I felt I needed to bring readers back to Bear Cove. But I did find out there was a lunar eclipse, and that everything west of New York was clouded over. Which fit perfectly into my story.

To write an effective mystery, we must have several elements:

1. A compelling premise—mine was that the eclipse brought people to town who would leave as soon as the eclipse was over, so the suspect pool tended to be fluid.
2. A personal interest—with Carly’s grandson going missing, she now has a murder and a kidnapping to solve, not to mention that somebody was trying to frame Mike for drunk driving. Are the three connected?
3. A ticking time bomb—if Carly doesn’t solve these cases soon, the culprits could get away, so I closed the highway with Mike’s accident to slow that down.
4. Red herrings a.k.a. suspects—I introduced several characters that might have done the deed, making sure each one had a good reason to be suspected.

The title was the tricky element this time around. Usually I have the title in my head and simply write the story that goes with it. This time I had the story but no satisfying title. Because of the accounting connection, I wanted something to do with accounting, of course. I settled on A Deadly Dissolution and referred to it near the end of the book. A dissolution is when a partnership dissolves, and it’s not usually amicable.

Question: Do you choose a book based on the cover design, the title, or the back cover copy?

A randomly-drawn winner will receive a free ebook of A Deadly Dissolution.

About A Deadly Dissolution:

The total lunar eclipse of October 2004 leaves more than Bear Cove, Maine, in the dark. The town’s newly-elected mayor, Walter Akerman, hires Carly to audit the town’s books but is then caught in a compromising situation with his secretary Evie Mack. A journalist in town to cover the eclipse turns up dead. Tom and Sarah’s adopted son Bradley comes to stay overnight to see the eclipse, then goes missing on a walk in town. When Mike’s car is in a serious wreck which the police say is an accident, Carly thinks somebody is trying to send her a message to stay away. How can she solve all these mysteries while not completely wearing herself to a frazzle? 

About Leeann:

Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. She has released seven titles in her cozy mystery series, By the Numbers, with number 8, A Deadly Dissolution, releasing in June. In addition, Leeann has written a devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk, Counting the Days, and with her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, has published two books on writing, Nuggets of Writing Gold and More Nuggets of Writing Gold, a compilation of essays, articles, and exercises on the craft. She publishes a free quarterly newsletter that includes a book review and articles on writing and books of interest to readers and writers. You can subscribe at www.LeeannBetts.com or follow Leeann at www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com All books are available on Amazon.com in digital and print, and at Smashwords.com in digital format.

Website: www.LeeannBetts.com Receive a free ebook just for signing up for our quarterly newsletter.

Blog: www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/1pQSOqV

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1qmqvB6

Books: Amazon http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE  and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2z5ecP8

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Carly Turnquist

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Carly Turnquist

Today we’ve managed to corral Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, as she shares the story behind the story for her latest adventure, Hidden Assets. She is being interviewed by her creator, Leeann Betts.

Leeann:          Well, Carly, nice of you to drop in.

Carly: Not like I had any choice. I didn’t want you to write me out of my own series.     

LAB:   Hard to do that. But that’s a threat for another day. Carly, your readers love that you don’t take yourself seriously. Why is that?

CT:     Why do they love me, or why don’t I take my seriously?

LAB:   Why don’t you take yourself seriously?

CT:     My husband Mike says I’m a full-time job. I think he’s right, and that seems unfair. So I try to laugh at myself more than I cry, because I think maybe that will make his job easier. Also, although when I’m faced with a decision, I feel like I make the right decision, but when I look back, I can see I should have thought it through a little better. Which means I can laugh at myself later on. Not as much as Mike laughs at me, but some.

LAB:   You’re a forensic accountant. What exactly do you do?

CT:     Besides create work for Mike? (laughs) A forensic accountant is an accountant who has been specially trained to look for things people try to hide. For example, the IRS hires tons of us to ferret out taxable income people try to disguise as something else. Divorce attorneys hire us to help their clients find money and assets that the opposing party has hidden. Estate attorneys also use our services. Because we use standardized accounting principles, our work can be checked and tested, which gives us credibility in court. Forensic really just means “forum” or the ability to testify credibly in court. It doesn’t have anything to do with dead bodies. Although, I have been known to stumble over one or two bodies in the past.

LAB:   Which is what makes you an accidental sleuth, right?

CT:     That’s a term used by some, and I guess I like it better than amateur sleuth, because when it comes to me, I’m no amateur. Not like that railway copper I get mixed up with in this book. Now he–

LAB:   Not here to talk about him. So your friend asks you to help her find some missing property, right?

CT:     Right. She’s getting a divorce, and I know how that feels. And she thinks her husband has taken some of their joint marital property and hidden it so he won’t have to share it with her in the divorce settlement. Plus we haven’t seen each other in years. We were friends in college, and have kept in touch ever since.

LAB:   Apparently there’s a backseat driver story she’s going to share with Mike?

CT:     Apparently so. I was a little bit wild in college, not to mention a wee bit controlling. Don’t ask Mike, though. He’d say I haven’t changed a bit.

LAB:   And then there’s something going on with Mike’s client, right? Didn’t that happen in the last book, too?

CT:     Yes. In Broke, Busted, and Disgusted, Mike’s client ends up murdered, and Mike is suspected, except he is missing. Which caused me no end of grief, let me tell you. He hasn’t had the nerve to complain lately that I’m a full time job, after that little escapade. In Hidden Assets, his client is trying to pull the wool over his eyes. Mike is writing a new computer program for this client, and Mike discovers some bad practices and crooked dealings happening behind the scenes of the program, in a ghost module, so to speak.

LAB:   So why did you take the train to Wyoming?

CT:     Because of the episode on the plane to New Mexico, Mike thought it would be safer to take the train. Days of boring nothingness. At least, that’s what he hoped. And he was right, until the night we were due to get off.

LAB:   Without giving away the ending, does the story end well?

CT:     As you know, I have a strong sense of justice. Of course the story ends well. Not for everybody, of course. But the good guys win and the bad guys—not in the gender sense, because I don’t want to give it away, as you said—get theirs. Justice is satisfied, and I’m off home again to quiet Bear Cove, Maine.

LAB:   But Bear Cove, Maine, isn’t always peaceful, is it?

CT:     True. It probably has a higher per capita murder rate than New York City, but it keeps things interesting.

LAB:   So what’s up for you next?

CT:     Well, a good friend wants to thank me for solving the murder and saving her life, so she’s sending us on an Alaskan cruise. Think about it, seven days of sailing, whale watching, and eating. What could go wrong?

LAB:   Yes, Carly, what could go wrong, indeed?

Author bio: 

Leeann Betts writes contemporary suspense, while her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, pens historical suspense. She has released five titles in her cozy mystery series, By the Numbers. In addition, Leeann has written a devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk, Counting the Days, and with her real-life persona, Donna Schlachter, has published a book on writing, Nuggets of Writing Gold, a compilation of essays, articles, and exercises on the craft. She publishes a free quarterly newsletter that includes a book review and articles on writing and books of interest to readers and writers. You can subscribe at www.LeeannBetts.com or follow Leeann on www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com. 

Find her on Facebook or Twitter. Her books are available on Amazon.

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Leeann Betts

Meet Author Leeann Betts!

Some authors have so many books to write, they need an alter ego to help them out. Donna Schlacter is one of those folks. She writes historical suspense as Donna Schlacter, and contemporary suspense as Leeann Betts. Leeann recently released a new novel, so I sat down with her to get the scoop:

LM: You write both historical and contemporary suspense. Do you have a preference?

LB: As my real life persona, Donna Schlachter, I love both. As Leeann Betts, well, I’m very contemporary even though I’m getting up in years. I like to write about contemporary characters who need another chance from our second. . . and third. . . and fourth-chance God. Donna likes writing history because she loves researching history. Me not so much.

LM: You use a pen name for your contemporary fiction? Was that your idea or your agent's? How did you select the name?

LB: It was actually my first agent’s idea. She felt that Schlachter was too far down in the alphabet, and that I needed a name closer to the front. Lee is my husband’s middle name, Ann is his mother’s name, and Betts was my mom’s nickname in nursing school.

LM: Your book "No accounting for Murder" is about a forensic accountant. How much research was required for you to learn about that field?

LB: I--or rather Donna--is an accountant by training. She loves doing audits, and I love asking the What If? Questions. I researched types of accountants when I was coming up with my character, and a forensic accountant uncovers hidden assets such as money and offshore bank accounts, and often testifies in court cases such as divorce and estate issues.

LM: Do you have any unusual research incidents?

LB: So the opening scene for There Was a Crooked Man, the second book in the series, takes place on an airplane. Carly sees what looks like a suspicious death that an equally suspicious-looking doctor on board claims is natural causes. I had no clue how that would be handled on a real airplane, particularly post-9-11. So one day I was in an airport, between flights, and I saw a man in a flight officer’s uniform eating at the next table. I went over, introduced myself, gave him my writer’s business card, and asked, “If someone died on your plane, what is the protocol?” He said he wasn’t sure and that I should call the airline public relations office. As I turned to leave, he pulled out his cell phone. I headed for my gate, and when I turned around, there were two police officers following me. Really. When I walked, they walked. When I stopped, they stopped. I was already through security, so I guess they didn’t see any immediate risk. But they followed me all the way to the gate. That was nerve-wracking!

LM: Where do you get your ideas for stories?

LB: I am fairly observant, and I have good hearing, so I listen in on people’s conversations. I notice oddities, such as if someone goes into a restroom wearing a jacket and comes out without it. That gets me to thinking about disguises. I also read the newspaper from cover to cover, and find ideas in anything from “This day in history” to obituaries. Plus I like to wander in cemeteries and take pictures of peculiar headstones.

LM: I love cemeteries too! Are any of your characters based on real people?

LB: Okay, confession time. Carly is a lot like me. Her husband Mike is a lot like my husband. As for the rest, most are bits and pieces of people I know or have met.

LM: Age-old question for writers: are you a panster or a plotter?  

LB: I am a plotter. I write down 2 to 3 sentences about every chapter to keep me on track. And no, it’s not boring. I still allow my characters to say or do something I wasn’t expecting. They might even take the story in a different direction. Just like when I travel, I might miss an exit or see something else I want to do along the way. Just like when I travel, I have my hotel reservation already made, so I know where I’m going to be at the end, and I have some things selected to do along the way (my major plot points), but I’ve been known to take a 100-mile detour because I saw a sign that said, “point of interest.”

LM: Besides writing, what are your other passions?

LB: My Jesus, my husband, my family, and an international ministry we’re involved in that reaches the lost for Christ. I like to read, watch police procedural and forensics programs, and take part in forensics stuff whenever I can.

LM: Sounds very interesting! What's your next project?

LB: There is rarely a clear dividing line between my current and my next project because it seems I’m always working on several things at once. I am editing several novels on a professional basis, editing one of my own, writing a series of Christian living books that will come out about one every six to eight weeks, and writing a novella for a traditional publisher.

LM: What else should people know about you?

LB: I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe that writers write. There is a difference between being a writer and wanting to be a writer. You can go to all the conferences you want, but if you never sit down when the writing is tough and push through, you aren’t really a writer. Just saying.

Thanks for taking time to chat with me, Leeann! You are one busy lady. 

Learn more about Leeann and Donna on their website: www.livebytheword.com.

NEW RELEASE: Second Chances and Second Cups – sweet stories about a second-chance God – available on Amazon.com in print and digital, and on Smashwords in digital

WRITING AS LEEANN BETTS: Counting the Days-a 31-day devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk. No Accounting for Murder – book 1 in the By the Numbers series, featuring Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant. Carly has a nose for mystery that gets her into trouble. Book 2, There was a Crooked Man, released in Novembr 2015, Book 3, Unbalanced, released January 2016, 5 and 20 Blackbirds is due out April 2016, with more to follow.

WRITING WITH LEEANN BETTS: Writing Nuggets of Gold – a compilation of short essays on writing meant to inspire and educate. Released November 2015