Similar yet Different

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

If you’re a fan of reading books with white-knuckle, adrenalin-pumping storylines, you might be under the impression that some of those genre category titles are interchangeable. Interestingly, they’re similar yet different:

THRILLER — The s/hero must thwart an enemy’s plans rather than uncover a crime that has already happened.

MYSTERY — The reader doesn’t know “who done it” until the end.

SUSPENSE — The reader knows “who done it,” but the book’s characters don’t find out until the end.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER — The main character usually experiences a “dissolving sense of reality.”

CRIME — The focus of the storyline is on a criminal who must be apprehended.

POLICE PROCEDURAL — The emphasis is on the procedures used by law enforcement to solve the crime.

My publisher categorized my next book, Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book One, in the following three genres:

Advance Praise for *Indelible*
“Buchanan’s narrative is well-paced, flying right along. . . . the author has delivered an exciting beginning to an intriguing series.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS

SERIAL KILLER THRILLER — The s/hero must thwart a serial killer’s plans and possibly uncover previous crimes during their current quest.

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR MYSTERY — The reader and the PI see many of the puzzle’s pieces, but the full “picture on the box” isn’t revealed until the end.

SUSPENSE THRILLER — A exhilarating one-two punch that combines the reader’s knowledge of “who done it,” with the un-knowing s/hero’s efforts to thwart the antagonist’s plans.

What’s your favorite book genre?

Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book One
Release Date: April 6, 2021

What Gives Me the Write?

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

I have many rights, for which I’m incredibly grateful.

But I have fewer writes. For me, they’re a little harder to come by because my muse isn’t always available.

What helps, encourages, and gives me the ability to write? My muse—clutter-free space and stone-cold silence.

If there’s clutter? Fuhgeddaboudit!
If there’s noise? Fuhgeddaboudit!

What’s your muse?

Election Day

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

Today, November 3, 2020, is election day in the United States. As of right now, none of us knows what the outcome will be.

In 2016, the polls said that Hillary Clinton had an 85-percent chance of winning. As we know, it didn’t turn out that way.

Various news sites indicate that the 2020 election outcome could take days, or even weeks, for the final determination.

I took this photograph inside the Boise State Capitol building.

Regardless of your political affiliation, I hope you voted.

Note: I turned comments off for this post.

Closer Than They Appear

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

We see it so often that sometimes we no longer pay attention to the warning: “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.”

Curious, I did a little research and discovered that the safety warning is required on passenger side mirrors of vehicles in the US, Canada, Nepal, India, and Saudi Arabia.

But why? Inquiring minds want to know.

“It’s present because while these mirrors’ convexity gives them a useful field of view, it also makes objects appear smaller.”

For me, something that’s closer than it appears is filing for medicare. Len turned 65 this year and jumped through those interesting hoops. I have a few years before it’s my turn, but I’m glad he’ll be able to show me the ropes when the time comes.

What’s closer than it appears in your mirror?

Box of Chocolates

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

When Len and I received a delectable box of chocolates as a thank you gift, we waited all of fifteen seconds before opening it to see what was inside.

Ooh la la, every one of them looked delicious! How to choose?

In the movie, Forrest Gump, Forrest says, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”

Fortunately, there was a “key” inside the lid of our box of chocolates. It helped us to navigate the edible treasures. For instance, I’m not a coconut fan, so Len used the “key” to select those. He’s not a fan of fruit centers, so I used it to find those.

How do you navigate a box of chocolates—or life, for that matter?

Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones?

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

Stones can take us the distance, especially when they keep us out of the current in a running stream as we try to cross it. I live next to the Boise River. I know this to be true!

A boulder on our path can either be an inconvenience or a platform. Stepping on a boulder allows us to get a better perspective of what’s ahead.

Interestingly, what some people see as stumbling blocks are perceived as “normal occurrences” by others. Our attitude can either be a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

When you encounter boulders, do you see stumbling blocks or stepping stones?

Blackbird Writers

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

Every now and then, someone poses a question that stops me in my tracks and makes me really think.

Such was the case when my friend and writing mentor, Christine DeSmet—author of The Fudge Shop Mystery Series—posed this question on the Blackbird Writers website: “What skill shaped your life?”

After thinking about it, the answer is reading. It holds the number one spot in the list of skills that have shaped my life. Numbers two and three are observing details and listening between the lines.

What is the Blackbird Writers website?
I’m glad you asked!

If you’re a fan of thrillers, suspense, or mystery novels, you’ll want to hang out with the Blackbird Writers—a group for discerning readers, talented authors, and suspenseful books. Our nest is your nest!

Earlier this year, a group of writers in these genres, decided to collaborate and form the Blackbird Writers. Each week a different author offers new perspectives on the Blackbird blog. Check out our latest blog and subscribe to our quarterly newsletter HERE.

We also have fantastic social media sites where you can engage in a discussion, get the scoop on new releases, freebies, contests, and more.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

What skill shaped your life?

Full Cover Reveal

Posted on September 29, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Fast-paced and with plenty of plot twists, you’re sure to be swept up into the story.”
—DEBBIE HERBERT, USA Today best-selling author

“Hold on to your seat: the ride is fast and furious. Be ready to stay up all night.”
—TOWER LOWE, author of No Way Out

“If you’re an adrenaline junkie like I am, you’ll love this book!”
—GAIL CUSHMAN, author of the Breaking Barrier series

“The pace is a roller coaster ride. The tension builds from the first page and doesn’t let up until the very end.”
—CHRIS NORBURY, author of Straight River and Castle Danger

“Early in Indelible, I realized I was in the hands of a gifted storyteller. Through flawed characters and a vivid setting, tension mounts in this fast-paced thriller, leading to a riveting climax.”
—GREG RENZ, author Beneath the Flames

“Smart and sassy, Laurie Buchanan’s Indelible is a fast-paced mystery with deftly drawn characters and a palpable sense of place. I couldn’t put it down!”
—ASHLEY E. SWEENEY, author of Answer Creek

When a sniper killed his partner, Sean McPherson was injured in the ambush. Now an ex-cop, he takes a job at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. At Pines & Quill, he hopes to heal and put his life back together in the Zen-like capacity of groundskeeper and all-around handyman.

Sniper, Jason Hughes, blames McPherson for the loss of more than ten million dollars’ worth of heroin—and he wants revenge.

In the guise of a New York City limo driver working on a sizzling tell-all memoir, Hughes arrives at Pines & Quill along with three other writers in residence: a bohemian psychic taking a break from grueling work as a forensic intuitive, a bitter divorcée who wants to open herself to a new life, and a vibrant and resilient potter navigating life from a wheelchair.

With conflicting agendas, uncertain loyalties, and romantic entanglements at play, Hughes finds it difficult to get McPherson in his sights. Gradually, he forms a different plan, one that threatens the lives of everyone at the retreat.

Indelible
Hits the shelves on April 6th
#seanmcphersonnovels

Please mark as WANT TO READ on Goodreads
LINK

Footloose & Fancy-Free

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

As you read this, Len and I are on a little road trip—we don’t know where we’re heading.

We were supposed to be enjoying the Pacific Ocean from the Oregon coastline. But with over 500,000 people having fled because of statewide fires, we opted to head east instead.

The one thing I do know is that Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book One, hits the shelves on April 6th. Here’s an excerpt. Enjoy:

“Much like a brilliant, multi-faceted gem nestled on the ragged hemline of the northern Pacific coastline, Pines & Quill, a wooded retreat for writers, sits Zen-like overlooking Bellingham Bay in Fairhaven, Washington, holding space to unleash possibility. The mango-colored sunrises and blood-orange sunsets compete in their breathtaking showiness, each vying for the rapt attention of would-be onlookers. One heralding the beginning of day, the other bids adieu, sending it off into the ink-black night sky.”

If you haven’t already subscribed to my quarterly newsletter, I invite you to do so. Simply follow this LINK and click on the “Subscribe” tab.

I’ve turned comments off for this post, but I wanted to share a glimpse of this beautiful location with you. Enjoy!

Stability

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

Last year, on a road trip through Oregon, we saw endless miles of wire fencing stabilized every hundred feet or so by wire-wrapped “pillars” of smooth fieldstones.

The labor involved in that task—harvesting millions of fieldstones and placing them in the wire enclosures—was massive, but serves a practical purpose. The “pillars” provide stability to the fence, keeping it upright.

What provides your stability?

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan