Dying to Tell - The Stories Behinds The Story

December already? Ugh … the crush of the holidays, the long nights, and shortened days. Less business days to work and no less demand to produce. It’s the time of year that makes me scream for more time to write. All this and my new book, Dying to Tell, the third book in the Gumshoe Ghost mystery series, launches January 8^th.

As anyone who’s read Oliver “Tuck” Tucker’s books, each novel has three elements: a traditional murder that launches the story, ala Agatha Christie style; a historical subplot that is spirited into Winchester where the stories take place; and Tuck’s continuing family saga of past lives and adventures that, with his spirit-skills, forms the nexus between past and present murders to culminate in a twisty, winding conclusion. It’s a tricky business weaving the past into the present and traversing two storylines so that they wind up on the same page. And often, it gives me a headache just trying to sort out the details and keep true to the characters. But, in the end, I think it adds some fun and adventure to a traditional murder mystery—albeit with a paranormal twist.

I travel a lot for my books and take every opportunity to talk about my writing and stories. In fact, I’ll go pretty much anywhere to find an audience. In the past year, I’ve spoken to dozens of forums including mystery conferences, book festivals, charity organizations, monster-fan conferences, and bookstores. I get a lot of great questions, but the most common question is, “Where do you get the historical subplots to your books?”

Great question … and the subject of this post.

Hekmet Fahmy

In Dying to Tell, the story follows the discovery of a reclusive bank executive found murdered in his secret bank vault. Surrounding William’s fate is a treasure trove of Egyptian antiquities. Now those relics are missing. Also surrounding William are secrets that began in Cairo, Egypt, during World War II, and a Nazi Abwehr spy operation called Operation Salam. The Abwehr, or Nazi Military Intelligence, tried sneaking two German operatives, Johannes Eppler and Hans Gerd Sandstede, into Cairo to spy on the Allies in 1942. The mission carried Eppler and Sandstede across Libya and Northern Africa and into Cairo where they infiltrated the nightlight in Cairo with help from Egyptian Nationals friendly to their cause. One in particular was a famous belly dancer—and real German spy—Hekmet Fahmy, a beautiful seductress who could get Allied soldiers talking with a wiggle of her veils—a very deceptive honey trap. Eppler and Sandstede set up their operation out of a houseboat on the Nile and they worked the Cairo nightlife trying to gather intelligence. Unfortunately for Eppler and Sandstede, they were captured by the British just a few months after arriving in Cairo. Interestingly, all they really accomplished was to spend a lot of money and have a good time on the Cairo nightlife—very little if any actionable intelligence was gathered.

Shepheards Hotel, Cairo

But in Dying to Tell, I asked the question, what if there were three Abwehr spies that went into Cairo and this mysterious third spy was never captured? What if this third spy got involved in a local murder and tangled with OSS—Office of Strategic Services, the mother of the modern day CIA? And, what if OSS Operative, Oliver “Ollie” Tucker was hot on his trail? What would happen if the German spy’s misadventures were never revealed and led back to the US? How much fun and mayhem could this bring to Bear Braddock and Tuck while trying to solve the modern day murder of William Mendelson? A lot.

And so my historical subplot was devised. Tuck’s grandfather, Ollie Tucker, enters the series as a younger version of Doc, the ever-critical spirit-guide that keeps Tuck moving forward, and backward, chasing two killers—the murderer from World War II Cairo and one from present day Winchester. He’s chasing the spy who got away and someone who got away with far more than just murder. He hasn’t rested yet and won’t until revenge is served—cold.

And because I’ve always loved Egyptian archeology and its culture, I had to have a little fun with it, too. Tuck is menaced by Seth—a statue of the Egyptian God. And as Angel Tucker points out to him, “Seth is the Egyptian God of chaos and destruction—other things, too ... I think Seth was related to my dear departed husband.” And he picks up clues from the Shepheard Hotel—a real World War II Cairo landmark for the Allies to hang out, drink tea, and feel normalcy amidst war. And there is the Kit Kat West club, a new jazz joint in Winchester that brings back the nightlife like the original Kit Kat in Cairo where the beautiful seductress, Hekmet Fahmy, twirled her beads and veils and other assets. Throughout though, Tuck has to admit that other than his spirited-visions of Cairo here and there, his grasp of Egyptian history comes from watching Charlton Heston and the History Channel. Not much help in solving his latest case.

In the end, Dying to Tell continues the footprint that Tuck’s previous cases, Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, set down. Tuck’s spirit skills traverse past and present murder cases all based on real historic events—with a twist of my imagination, of course. And, in the end, the collision of history with the present has a few more twists and turns in it. Right up to the end, you’ll be counting the suspects and wondering when the next shoe will drop—and in this case, whodunit should be whodidn’tdoit.

We’ll again chat next month …

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also the 2015 Bronze Medal winner of the Reader’s Favorite Book Review Awards, a finalist for the Silver Falchion Best Books of 2014, and a finalist for the Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

Dying to Tell- The Story Begins

It’s the fall again. October. Halloween. The feverish run-up to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the holidays. It’s also my transition from promoting my last book, Dying for the Past, to promoting my next book, Dying to Tell. Somewhere between is a blur of days and hours and hotel rooms. In the past several months, I can count the number of weekends I’ve had without travel or book events on one hand. I think I might have some fingers left over, too. But hey, I’m not complaining! It’s been fun meeting the readers and fans, talking with other authors, and giving key note speeches and book discussions. This past summer has been a blur.  

Now, it’s time to take a deep breath and start again. I have three Dying for the Past events remaining this calendar year and will begin the events for Dying to Tell with this blog. Phew. 

And somewhere amid the hotel rooms and podiums and meeting all the fantastic readers and fans, I’ve managed to pen three-quarters of a new thriller—Double Solution.  I hope I can keep them all straight. Let’s see, Oliver “Tuck” Tucker’s books are cozy mysteries about a dead detective solving crimes with a historical subplot and a few laughs along the way. Double Solution is about Jonathan Hunter, a wayward CIA consultant who is hunting his brother’s killer and finding his worst Middle East nightmares right at home in small town Winchester, Virginia.  Double Solution is still in the making and I cannot wait to get back to the keyboard and see what Hunter will do next. 

For now, Dying to Tell, the third Gumshoe Ghost installment, hits the shelves in January 2016. It’s time to tell Tuck’s latest tale—the story of William Mendelson, a recluse bank executive, found murdered in his secret vault. Surrounding William’s fate is a treasure trove of Egyptian antiquities. Now those relics are missing. The secrets are coming out. The dead are talking. 

Tuck is pulled into the case by the spirit of a World War II Office of Strategic Services operative with his own agenda. OSS Captain Ollie Tucker I—Tuck’s namesake—knows the past is catching up to the survivors of an Egyptian spy ring from more than seventy years ago. With the help of his beautiful and brilliant wife, Angel, and his gruff former partner, Detective Bear Braddock, Tuck must unravel a tale of spies, murderers, and thieves. But how to begin? Perhaps, with the botched robbery at Mendelson’s bank and the disappearance of his Egyptian loot? Or, the Kit Kat West nightclub where the sultry Lee Hawkins revives 1944 Cairo nightlife with her WWII veteran grandfather, Keys Hawkins? There are too few clues and too many suspects—like Marshal Mendelson, the conniving, bitter son; a suave bank executive wooing Angel; the vivacious bank teller sharing whispers with a lonely but heroic security guard; and the alluring and dangerous Egyptian antiquities professor whose arrival in Winchester coincides with Mendelson’s murder.  

Who killed William Mendelson and what did his murder have to do with the 1944 murder of Professor Youssif Iskandr? 

Writing Dying to Tell was different. As the third installment of Tuck’s dead detective adventures, I wanted to take Tuck’s unusual life—or death as it were—somewhere very personal to him. In Dying to Know, Tuck struggled with being dead. First, how to maneuver in the world of the living but with different rules. How to contact Angel and how to pursue his killer while still learning to be a dead detective. Hercule, his devoted black Labrador, helped him with much of this. And so did Doc, his live-in spirit guide. It was painful, difficult, and at times, heartbreaking for him. Ultimately, Tuck found his way. 

In Dying for the Past, Tuck is in contact with Angel and is working steadily to reach that same resonance with Bear, his stubborn and grouchy former partner. But, he also has to come to terms with a new secret—that his long-lost family might just be made up of gangsters, spies, and rogues. All of them may have ended up as spirits, too. Tuck also finds some enjoyment to being a dead detective. He learned to use his world to his advantage. So what more could a guy want?  

Life. At least, the taste of his former life. Love. Confidence in his commitment to Angel—and in hers to him. Is that too much to ask? 

Dying to Tell takes on the issue of Tuck being back amongst the living but not truly one of them—his life with Angel. Angel, as you might know, is a beautiful, brilliant history professor. She’s on her way to bigger and better things at the University. She’s attracted the attention of a handsome, mysterious, and suave suitor. Tuck, being the witty and self-reliant spirit-cop that he is, is smart enough to see the writing on the wall. How can he keep Angel to himself when their life together is everything except real? They can share no glass of wine. No kiss. No touch. No romance after dark. Tuck is everything Angel ever wanted—except alive. Except physical.  

What is she to do? What is Tuck to do?  

Dying to Tell summons up the three elements that Tuck’s books always bring: a traditional murder; a historical subplot that connects to the present; and a twisty, turning conclusion that makes you ask, “Who isn’t a suspect?” But it also takes Tuck and Angel’s life to the next threshold. After two years of being spirit and wife, does “death do you part” mean it’s time to part? 

And as for Operation Salaam, the OSS, and famous World War II spies, I’ll discuss some of the historical research I did for Dying to Tell next month. This was, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable books to research of the three Tuck mysteries so far. Next month, I’ll talk about the way I wove in the historical facts, twisted a little history, and came up with Dying to Tell. 

See you then. 

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also the 2015 Bronze Medal winner of the Reader’s Favorite Book Review Awards, a finalist for the Silver Falchion Best Books of 2014, and a finalist for the Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award.

Learn about Tj’s world at:  

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author

Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

 

Dying Is Not Farewell

by Tj O'Connor, author of Dying for the Past, Dying to Know, and the upcoming Dying to Tell. 

Heroes are not born. Heroes are not created by government or society. They certainly are not sports stars on television or in newspapers. Heroes are made by circumstances and life itself. Not everyone has it in them to be a hero. Few do. Oh, it’s not just the daring and the brave and the larger than life who can be heroes. No. To me, they are not always those who blaze into battle or swashbuckle into adventure with sword and weapon slashing away at evil and despair. Sometimes—perhaps more often—heroes are the quiet, unassuming ones who tough it out event after event, year after year, doing good and battling the darkness without fanfare or notoriety. More often than not, heroes are unsung as they are invaluable—a quote from a book I read long ago and cannot recall the source. We may not know they are around us. But when they are not, we feel their absence. We see the void.

I feel that void now—and I will for a very long time.

As an author, I like my heroes just that way—less swashbuckling and more demure. Oh, I like to write them with some flare—a crazy sense of humor, a snappy wit, perhaps a wry disposition. But they don’t blaze in or careen about in danger. They blunder and fail, and above all, they flounder forward. Not always intentionally, but always forward.

In my books—and of the nine I’ve penned, only three have been published—they all have a common hero. Oh, he goes by various names and has differing roles to play—Trick McCall, Doc Gilley, and the ever present Oscar LaRue. They are all the same man. This character is not a product of imagination and late night keyboard-dancing. He is real—was—and has been my friend, mentor, and hero for nearly twenty-five years. Oscar LaRue—the current namesake—has had a place in three unpublished novels and morphed into Doc and Trick along the way to three others. Doc has seen the bookshelves, and I promise my friend, Oscar will too. One day. I owe you that. You insisted on that.

I lost Oscar LaRue on August 16 of this year. Oscar did not suffer. He did not show any signs of weakness or failure—the doctors continually reminded me the end was near. I couldn’t see it and yet, I also couldn’t write a new chapter and give Oscar another few pages. He had a heart attack in between two of our ritual lunches the week before and he didn’t know it. Neither did I. It would take him just four days later with reoccurrence. Oscar simply succumbed to age and a failed heart with his daughter beside him—a promise I made when he first reached the hospital. He’s done it all but wanted one last visit with her. I promised. I stayed with him over night waiting for her arrival—watching the clock and dials and monitors and ... him. Despite the lines and wires and hospital wizardry, we shared stories and laughs and a few tears in those hours. Some I will not repeat. Some I will steal for a future Oscar LaRue thriller. All I will never forget. 

Oscar LaRue was my hero. Not just in my novels. Not just in my head. He was in my life, too. And he’s gone now. But his wisdom, camaraderie, wry wit, and constant mentoring will fill me forever. Oh, hell, I’ll even miss his damn puns!

I first met the man who would be Oscar LaRue in November of 1992. I had recently left the OSI and was searching for a new career and home. I was nearly out of money, bordering bankruptcy, and had heard “No” so many times I had lost hope. Oscar found me—how, I don’t know—but within hours I was sitting across his desk staring at an unassuming man. Oscar was no greater than five-three or so—slight of build, pale, Germanic features, thinning hair, and devilish eyes smiling behind his wire rimmed glasses, which he polished every few moments—more for effect than clarity of vision. After a brutal interview, I was about to excuse myself in defeat when Oscar found the connection that would change both our lives for the next twenty-five years. “Ah, I see you operated in Greece in the 80s. So did I—but in the 1950s.”

And so it began. Oscar and I had stomped the same marble paths, the same dusty roads. We’d drank in the same towns and tavernas. He’d fought the communists in the early fifties in Greece, and my enemy had been the terrorists in the 1980s. We’d both grown up there, among the ancient ruins, separated by thirty-five years.

My new career, and our bond, began that afternoon. For four years we worked together—he my mentor and I his protégé—until his retirement. Afterwards, he took a personal interest in my writing and became my editor, creative director, critic, sounding board, and constant companion through six more novels. What had been a daily routine over tea and coffee in his corner office lasted all these years over wine and lunch and dinner and travel.

Until August 16, when Oscar gave me his last editorial on my current novel. He pointed his last finger with steel and admiration and directed how Oscar LaRue would maneuver through my books. And then, after time with his daughter, he was gone.

The true man behind Oscar LaRue makes him a hero by any standard. Oscar was raised in Rough and Ready, Pennsylvania—a Depression-era farm town. He was an only child and he and his mother worked hard and long for everything they needed to simply survive. World War II was upon us and Oscar was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services—OSS—a unit of saboteurs, spies, and hell raisers—the first of this country’s special operations forces—and he fought the Germans in Northern Africa, Italy, and Europe. Afterwards, he joined the Central Intelligence Agency where he climbed the ranks and become the Deputy Director of Communications. During those years, he witnessed—and participated—in history that many today don’t recall, can’t understand, or simply find meaningless. I’m talking about the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the USSR, China, Viet Nam, spies, saboteurs … No, Oscar was not the spy behind the Iron Curtain or the linchpin at the Paris Peace Talks. But he was a fixture of intelligence and communications, an advisor and a thinker. The man behind the curtain. A finger in many pies.

Oscar was a father. A writer. A lawyer. A senior executive. My boss. My mentor. My friend.

Age took Oscar—he was 91. He’d travelled the world ten times over. He’d studied all there was. He’d learned all he could. He’d fought the bad guys, saved the good guys, and pushed the rest of us up the mountain more than once. He did for me. There was little more for any man to do.

Oscar LaRue is that character in all my books that he was in real life.  Not the main swashbuckling hero, but the man behind the scenes. He’s the curmudgeon Doc Gilley guiding Oliver Tucker with a slap behind the head and a pointed-thrust of his tongue in Dying to Know. He’s the mysterious, Trick McCall, the OSS operative returned to right the wrong and help Richard Jax stop human traffickers in New Sins for Old Scores. And he’s the omnipotent spy master, Oscar LaRue, poking and prodding Jon Hunter in Double Effect as they stalk terrorists in small town Winchester. And in them, and my novels to come, Oscar LaRue, perhaps under other nom de guerres, will go on to new adventures and live forever in print.

Wallace K. “Wally” Fetterolf was—always will be—Oscar LaRue, Doc Gilley, and Trick McCall. Life took him August 16, 2015. He was a great man. A great father. A great storyteller. The greatest friend and mentor. He was my hero.

I refused to say goodbye in that hospital room. I will not now, nor ever will, say farewell in my novels. You will be there. Somewhere. After all, you insisted.

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”   George S. Patton 
 

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS

BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

 

Dying For The Scares That Care

On the road again … So, the first thing I saw when I walked into the Williamsburg Hilton Double Tree hotel was this:  

I knew I was in the right place—Scares that Care—a children’s charity convention. According to its web site at www.scaresthatcare.org, “Scares That Care is an approved 501(c)(3) who fights the REAL MONSTERS of childhood illness, burns and breast cancer by helping families that are experiencing these extraordinary hardships cope with the financial burden … Our non-profit organization provides money, toys and other items to help sick children.”

That’s all I needed to know. Count me in.

And yes, I knew that people such as the masked monks of who-knows-where were all part of the décor.
 

This charity event brought these cosplay folks out for the costumes, action figures, jewelry, books, and memorabilia. They patrolled the halls and restaurants, gave passersby little skits and photo ops, and had their shtick ready to go on demand. The convention wouldn’t have been a success without them. And, I’d be sitting at my table of books, often bored and lonely, without the constant flow of the unusual to keep me entertained. Trust me, I was entertained the entire three days!

As an author struggling to build an audience, I have taken the road less traveled (sorry, Mr. Frost) and appear at various theme-conventions such as Monstermania, Comic Con, Farpoint, and others to set up shop, talk, and sell my books. These cosplay conventions stir the bizarre in all of us—well, in all of them. There are spaceship heroes and aliens, monsters from the deep and beyond, swashbuckling space-pirates and real pirates (there you go, Jesse, your plug), and even maidens scantily clad in, well, scant-stuff. At these events, I’m the odd-man-out dressed in my traditional sport coat, loafers, and jeans. “Aghast! What character are you?” they ask. “A Man In Black? The Blue Hornet? The Spy From Beyond?” “No,” says I, “The Unknown Author—a humble writer seeking truth, justice, and fans … buy my book!”

The Costume one is
on the right ... no, the left!

But, behind all the macabre costumes and fanciful themes lies the true meaning of why we’re all there. The charity. The kids. There is no better cause—none. But there are other reasons many of us attend. For me, it’s the friendship—the camaraderie. Meeting new people. Finding the one or two that I might truly connect with and who share a love of my world—books. I’ve said many times that writing is a lonely business. For me, my Labs are my best companions and greatest fans. But even they are bored with my constant soliloquies about my stories. These conventions offer the possibilities of new readers and fans. The conventions bring in people with love for stories—be it science fiction, horror, or mystery. There’s a kinship in this. Sort of like Stockholm Syndrome—you bond with your captors.

 I found that kinship at these conventions early on—and these trips have given me something I never expected … not just readers, but dear friends. I’ve met some extraordinary people. I can’t list them all, but my email list grows after each trip. I’ve met independent studio movie makers like those from MILFS vs. Zombies—nope, not a misprint; amazing photographers like Jenna from Images by Jenna; and wild-ass crazy pirates like Capt. Mango de Cayo Hueso. Then there is Clay, the aspiring D.C. author; Jim the clockmaker; Louis the author-film maker-entrepreneur; Wayne the part-time ghost hunter; and some down-to-earth lovelies like Karen, Kayla, and Kelly who went to Williamsburg on a monsters quest. In between are some very talented people who make these trips interesting—artists, film makers, costume designers, writers, sculptors, toymakers, and more. There’s no room for boredom or solitude—even if you’re a man in black.

Many of these folks—okay, maybe a few—I’ve really bonded with. Yes, bonded. I know it’s a laugh to those who know me, but deal with it. And I’ve kept those friendships long distance. I look forward to the next convention so we can share a drink, a meal, and some laughs and more stories. Some of those stories I’ll tell in my blogs—the vampire bar-hottie biting lovely ladies through the night (on camera) just for us; chatting with Eureka’s Colin Ferguson before breakfast (I gave him a book!); chatting with The Walking Dead’s Scott Wilson (Yes, I gave him a book, too); the drunk lady who crashed into our display table and took out the whole shebang but never spilled her beer (then went on to steal all my business cards and bookmarks!); meeting Chewbacca and Princess Leia; disappearing in Doctor Who’s Tardis; being stalked by God-only-knows-who several times, and on and on …

Many stories, however, will remain locked away in memory only—it’s for the best, trust me. And there may be a statute of limitations.

So, to my new friends made during my many travels—as Mr. Frost wrote (sort of)—I took the road less traveled by, and you have helped make all the difference.

To all of you—Thank You.

PS: Here are a couple links for folks I’ve met along my travels:

Scares that Care

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scares-That-Care/195299815529?fref=ts

Images by Jenna

https://www.facebook.com/jennamansontakespictures?fref=ts

MILFS vs. Zombies

https://www.facebook.com/milfsvszombies?fref=ts

Capt. Mango de Cayo Hueso

https://www.facebook.com/CaptMangoDeCayoHueso?fref=ts

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

Dying to Take Dying on the Road ...

Tj O'Connor, author of Dying to Know, Dying for the Past, and Dying to Tell

 

Ah, summertime. Warm days sitting in a hammock with my feet up with a nice drink in my hand. Nothing to do but … oh, hell no. That’s not right at all. This summer I’m taking Dying on the Road! It’s me, Dying to Know, Dying for the Past, and the highway …

Right now, you’re saying “Huh?” Easy. Since Book II—Dying for the Past—of the Gumshoe Ghost series launched in January, I’ve been everywhere trying to build an audience and cultivate more fans. I’ve had a great time doing that and met some amazing authors, great fans, and even a few celebrities along the way. Thus far, my travels have included:

·       February: Farpoint Fan Convention, Timonium, Maryland—It was subzero weather but still had some fans come out and enjoy the Sci-Fi convention.

 

·       February: Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester, Virginia—a major snow storm dumped more than a foot of snow and chilled my book launch in my home town… alas, I still sold a few!

 

·       March: Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, Virginia—a rather disappointing turnout at this great event. Not many folks attended, but I still managed to meet some great folks and sign a dozen books or so.

 

·       April: Children’s Specialized Hospital Charity, Summit, New Jersey—Probably the event of the year. What a great cause! I was one of the guest speakers and got to meet some wonderful philanthropists and sign a bunch of books. What a wonderful event!

·       May: Malice Domestic, Bethesda, Maryland—The annual fan conference where I spoke on a panel with some amazing authors like Toni LP Kelner, Charlaine Harris, Judy Hogan (moderator), and Tonya Kappes. I was honored to be in their company.

·       May: Gaithersburg Book Festival, Gaithersburg, Maryland—no snow, thank God … but a massive thunderstorm sent us shelter! Met some great folks and got to finally meet my childhood author-hero, James Grady.

·       May: Millbrook Book Festival, Millbrook, New York—one of my fav events. Not a lot of turnout this year (I think they competed with a county-wide yard sale and some high school graduations) but I was a speaker at the event and got to hang with my pals Louis Romano and Jim Holmgren! Always a pleasure!

·       June: Iroquois Public Library Book Club, Erie, Pennsylvania—What a fun gathering! I met a dozen or more avid readers who I hope are all fans now. Had a great talk and spent a couple hours chatting and answering questions. Can’t wait for next year! Thanks, ladies!!!!!

·       June: Great Escapes Book/Blog Tour—What a great experience! Ten blog and review sites gave me a guest spot via the Great Escapes Blog Tour and I did interviews and had Dying for the Past Reviewed … and what a fabulous bunch of reviews I got! These sites included The Community Bookstop, Fuonly Knew, Sapphyria’s Book Reviews, View from the Bird House, Deal Sharing Aunt, Griperang’s Bookmarks, A Chick Who Reads, Back Porchervations, and Writers and Readers of Paranormal Mystery. I’m giving away a bunch of signed books and sent out the grand prize winner a Kindle Reader with both my current books loaded on it. This tour was fabulous for reaching new fans and adding some wonderful reviews to the list. Thanks to all who participated!

And I took a breather …

Now for the charge into fall… I’ll be visiting and speaking at a host of new venues. Please come on out and say hi!

·       July 9-12: Thriller Fest, Manhattan, New York—I’m a spectator for this one. Since I’m working on a new thriller and mystery, I’m attending this fabulous event to get some insight. I’m hoping to rope some time with my agent, Kimberley Cameron, and plan to conquer the literary world!

·       July 24-26: Scares that Care, Children’s charity in Williamsburg, Virginia—This is a charity event in historic Williamsburg. I’m so looking forward to this one. I’ll be meeting readers and fans, signing some books, and visiting with some old and new pals I’ve met on the circuit!

·       August 8: Comic Con, Dover, Delaware—This is a first for me. I’m looking forward to spending the day speaking on my books and meeting the folks in Dover. I may have a panel speaking gig so come on down and support this great event.

·       August 22: Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival, Suffolk, Virginia—Another first! But wow, am I ready for this one. I was invited down to be a guest author to speak and meet mystery fans. This is in historic Suffolk, Virginia, and from the list of attendees, I’m again honored to be part of this group! A lot of friends will be there!

·       September 26: Murder As You Like It Mystery Conference, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania—This fun conference is sponsored by some wonderful folks at the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop. They’ve invited me to be a panelist, a panel moderator, and the Key Note speaker … what a day that’ll be!

·       October 2-4: Monster Mania Horror Fan Convention, Hunt Valley, Maryland—For the second year, I’ll attend this wild and crazy show to talk to fans and sign books. Last year I met some fabulous people like Han Solo, Princess Leia, a few wookies, some bizarre cosplay folks, and many others. It’s a ton of laughs, great fans, and always some celebrities to smooze with!

·       October 8-11: Bouchercon Authors Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina—I’m looking forward to this one. These conventions are great for meeting fans, seeking out new fans, and spending some great times with fellow authors everywhere. Very much looking forward to it!

As I take Dying on the Road, I’ll be out talking about my books and meeting readers and fans and generally selling my soul to build an audience. If you’re near any of these events, come on by and say hello. If you do and you mention this blog, I’ll drop a book in your hands pro bono!

 

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

 

Dying and Whining ... Oh the toils of being an author.

And once again, the calendar tells me I’m late …

 

These days, consulting eight or ten hours a day and writing all my waking hours is starting to take its toll. This morning, I was up late and assailed by my two Labs, two visiting canines—including a 165-pound Mastiff, and several of the neighborhood dogs and goats because I was not at my post in the kitchen feeding them timely. Oh, for the life of one of them!

 

Life as an author can sometimes be lonely and boring—sitting alone in your little office or writing nook and banging away on the keyboard. Sometimes, it’s about travelling to far places to entertain and enthrall audiences—read that, beg and plead to buy your books. And sometimes, it’s sitting at your keyboard, staring at the screen, wondering, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

 

And the answer is simply, “Exactly what you wanted—so stop whining.”

 

Today is one of those days where I’m overwhelmed. Work is building momentum onto my real-life, travelling is now every other weekend, and money pours from my fingertips to market my books and cajole and hunt down readers. It’s a poor-me day. I realized just an hour ago that I was late posting this blog. So, now, I sit here trying to make sense out of something worth talking about. It’s raining—and as they say in that new commercial, “Of course it’s raining.” I’m not feeling well. Another airplane awaits. Another hotel room beckons. Damn. Damn. Damn.

 

I need a day off. I need two or three or ten.

 

Stop! Stop! Stop! Isn’t this what I asked for? Isn’t this exactly where I planned to be? Let me take stock of the past few weeks and where I’m heading in the next few weeks. Certainly there is a positive message here … right?

Right. My whining is over. Coffee is kicking in. Fingers are moving again. Oh, if the damn rain would just turn into sunshine and daisies. Okay, maybe not daisies, but you get the picture. I need umph.

So, let me take stock.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Millbrook Book Festival in Upstate New York. Millbrook is a delightful town that reminds me of my youth—as it should since I grew up just thirty minutes from there. Its streets and buildings stepped out of the 19^th century and its people are friendly and endearing. Of course, not many of them showed to the festival, but eh, these things happen. Last year’s festival had standing room only. This year, not so much. But those folks who did attend were great and I actually had a chance to talk to them a little longer, tell a few stories, swoon a little more. And, as always, Sam—the festival chieftain—and her army of festival volunteers were wonderful hosts and I look forward to returning next year.

Two things made my weekend worth the eleven-hour round trip. First, I met an extraordinary young author—Jesse Saperstein. Jesse has written about life with Asperger’s called “Getting a Life With Asperger’s.” He’s amazing and was a delightful companion under our tent. Jesse also has accomplished what I dreamed of when I was his age—he backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail. No, you read that right ... the entire trail. Jesse is one of those people you meet and walk away wondering why you cannot be more positive and focused and uplifting. And, sitting here, at this moment, I feel a little stupid having complained this morning. His achievements and life-perspective are remarkable. I cannot wait to see him next year and find out what new milestone he has set for the rest of us. Look at Jesse’s world at www.jesseasaperstein.com (note, the link is temporarily down, but it should be working soon.)

The second event worth my trip was my reunion with two new-old pals I met last year at the festival—Jim Holmgren and Louis Romano. Jim is an author and of all things, a clock aficionado. He skipped selling books this year and volunteered again at the festival. He’s a wonderful guy and will be joining me for dinner in Winchester in a week or so when he is enroute to a Clock conference (yes, there is such a thing) in Tennessee. Jim’s one of those guys who is warm and engaging and makes you feel important. Yet under his veneer is a ticking master author of Swiss proportions (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Lou is an author and a businessman who is knocking the world down with his books—Intercession, So You Think I’m Dead, and Besa. He writes about the Albania mob and true crime and is hoping to turn Besa into a movie soon. These two characters and I raised hell, told lies and one or two true stories, and entertained an audience during a panel discussion on our books. We shared the panel with another great author, Chris Orcutt, who dazzled the audience with quotes from Hemmingway, Aristotle, and Raymond Chandler—but I have to say, Lou and I clowned around as much as we talked serious biz. Oops, maybe we’ll focus a little more next year. I’m looking forward to it.

As I look at my calendar and think about how Jesse views all things as an opportunity, I see many of those now myself. There’s a fun book club in Erie, PA, in a week; Thriller Fest in Manhattan in July with my agent, the lovely and amazing Kimberley Cameron; a charity conference in Williamsburg, VA—Scares that Care—in July; Comic-Con in Dover, DE, in August; and The Suffolk Virginia Mystery Authors Festival (I cannot wait for this one!) in August. I’m speaking and paneling at the Mechanicsburg, PA’s Murder As You Like It mystery festival in September, and on and on into the fall. Damn … what am I complaining about? What would I be doing if not for these events to beg, er, seek an audience?

Well, truth be told, I’d be working on my new thriller and mystery. But, I can do that in hotel rooms and all my free time (wink wink). So why complain? Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?

Yep. So I’ll sit back and shut up now. I’ve whined and yawned and written this missive to get back on track. The extraordinary people I’ve met and those I will soon meet are the reason I love this writing-gig. No, really, I love this. It’s tiring and often stressful and expensive. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. One day, soon I hope, I’ll have enough fans to make each trip a little easier. If I don’t, I’ll just have to work harder and write better and whine less.

Honest, I will. You can trust me. I murder people and create anarchy for a living. It’s what I do.

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

 

Dying For The Malice In All Of Us

by Tj O'Connor Author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past

Third time’s a charm …

Three years ago, I attended my first writer’s conference—Malice Domestic—and spent the entire three days scratching my head and trying to figure out where I belonged in this new world of cozy-mystery authors. When I came home, I said, “Nowhere.”

Of course I felt out of place. My debut novel, Dying to Know, was not yet out. I knew no one, and while I’ve never been one to stay shyly secluded somewhere, I still felt the odd-man-out. Perhaps it was that I didn’t consider myself a cozy writer. Perhaps it was that I was one of very few guys who had written a cozy (I did by accident), or perhaps it was simply that being surrounded by so many talented authors—most of which were ladies—was intimidating. I hadn’t been a rookie at anything for a couple decades and being one then scared the holy crap out of me. I’d say holy shit, but as a cozy writer, you sort of keep the colorful language to yourself … oops.

What a silly man I am.

This year, I was no longer a complete rookie. Book II, Dying for the Past, was out and I’d spent a good many weekends touring around talking about my book, signing, and begging for as many listeners as I could get. Malice this year wasn’t any different in that regard—I’m still begging for fans—but I began to feel a little at home with this crowd of amazing authors and fans. 

And damn, a few fans actually came up to me and asked, “Are you Tj O’Connor? I loved your book … would you sign …” Holy crap on a peanut butter sandwich. They loved Dying to Know and Dying for the Past. And, yes, you heard it right. I actually have a few fans! And, no, they’re not family, I didn’t pay them, and no one put them up to a joke. Fans. Real, breathing, reading fans. Who would think?

Malice was a terrific three days on the heels of an extraordinary guest speaking gig in Upstate New Jersey at the Children’s Special Hospital Charity, where I had the extraordinary pleasure of dining with my dear friends, Tom and Gale Sloan, and American Hero—Jerry Parr—the man who saved Ronald Reagan’s life—and his hugely successful and graceful wife, Carolyn, who is a retired Federal Judge (more on this one in another blog later). I sold a bunch of books, met some great people, and helped a little with the coffers of a great charity.

How on earth do you follow that one up?

Good books. Good friends. Good times.

During the weekend at Malice Domestic, I spent most of my time meeting new friends and fans (lord that sounds funny to say out loud … fans…) and swapping stories with fellow authors about how we’re muddling through this wacky business. I had the greatest time chatting and having a few drinks with my editor—the grande dame of Midnight Ink (my publisher)—Terri Bischoff, whom has single-handedly made life as a new-guy so much more bearable this past year that I don’t think she knows it.

But there were other highlights, too, that have pulled me into this family of cozy-writers.

First, there was the Midnight Ink dessert bash Friday night to celebrate 10 Years in the biz. We had amazing sweets, met some fantastic fans (there it is again … fans…), and had fun giving away a stack of books and signing for those lucky enough to get to the table first. But, being the loyal mystery readers they are, after I ran out of free books to sign, several bought them and had me sign on Saturday and Sunday. Thank you to all of you who made my day!

 

Second, there was the awards banquet for some good pals who were up for prestigious awards. It was bittersweet on a couple where friend vs. friend meant one would win and one would lose. Dinner was ehhh, but dessert —oh, la, la—(and I rarely indulge, although you wouldn’t believe that to look at me these days!) Speeches are speeches, but the event was grand. I had the distinct pleasure of sitting with my good friends—old and new—at Tracy Weber’s table. We were all rooting for her to win best first novel for Murder Strikes a Pose. Alas, it was not to be, but it’s pretty clear she’ll be heading to the podium soon.

Perhaps the best event at Malice for me was the honor of being on a panel with three brilliant and charming authors during the Sunday morning Malice schedule. Our panel was Magical Mystery Tour—Paranormal Mysteries. As Tonya Kappes—a bestselling author—said, “it was a hoot!” I was thrilled to be there among fellow authors Leigh Kelner/Perry, Tonya, and the extraordinary Charlaine Harris of True Blood fame. Our moderator was Judy Hogan, a delightful author who kept the whip cracking and the questions flying for us. While I was the low guy on the totem pole with so little experience and no notable success yet, these lovely ladies treated me like I was one of them—err, a good author, not a lady. That would have been weird, right? But, yes, what a hoot.

I was exhausted by the end of my book signing Sunday and ready to call it a weekend. How to end three days on an even higher note? Not possible. Not possible at all … but wait … maybe …

An email awaited me during the event that was the cherry on top of my third Malice. My incomparable publicist, Maryglenn McCombs, sent me this notice:

Independent Publisher Book Awards (Ippy) – Mystery/Cozy/Noir—Gold Medal—Dying to Know by Tj O’Connor.

No, you didn’t misread this. Yep, it’s real. Who would have thunk it? Not me. But Maryglenn did!

Wow. Holy crap. What a week—dinner with an American hero; meeting real fans; time with my pals and colleagues; on a panel with Tonya, Leigh, and Charlaine; and now an Ippy. What next, the Nobel? Ah, no. Just kidding.

So, book fans and wannabe authors, here’s the message. Don’t quit. Write. Write some more. Keep writing. If you have the dream, you’ll never wake up if you keep writing. I’ve been so privileged these past two years to have met some of my heroes, heard from others who shouldn’t even know my name (yes, Mr. James Grady, I’m referring to you again), and had the honor of being among some great authors and some talented, aspiring ones. You can too. Just don’t stop.

All things are possible and while I’ve had a few pretty tough weeks of late, this past one wasn’t among them. I may never become famous. I may never make the bestseller list or be able to quit my real job and write for a living (not unless my wife will agree to live in someone’s basement). And I may never make it to the level of James Grady or Stephen Frey. But I do get to hang with some of the best and most gracious people I’ve ever met.

For now, that’s pretty damn good.

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor