Book Blast - Twelve To Murder by Author Lauren Carr

I am honored to host a guest post on my blog with author, Lauren Carr.  Here is a little bit about her:

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Twelve to Murder is the seventh installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder. Dead on Ice (A Lovers in Crime Mystery) was released September 2012. The second installment, Real Murder will be out in 2014.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Here is the guest post I mentioned earlier:

How Bloody Is Your Mystery? How Much Violence is Too Much

By Lauren Carr

Is your book suitable for a twelve-year old?

A couple years ago, I had written a play, which was performed at a local dinner theater.  Of course, my books were on sale at the theater, and I was thrilled to be asked to sign copies for members of the audience.

At one point, a woman asked me to sign It's Murder, My Son for her granddaughter.  "Is it suitable for a twelve-year old?"

"Why of course," I replied without hesitation and signed away.

Moments later, a friend who had been standing nearby chewed me out.  My books, she asserted, are not suitable for twelve-year olds.  They include murder in them.

Gee, I thought, the grandmother had to already know the book had murder in it.  First Clue:  It's Murder, My Son.

I'm not the person to ask about if a murder mystery is suitable for a twelve-year old.  My mother read Perry Mason to me at bedtime.  I was reading Earl Stanley Gardner and Agatha Christie by the time I was ten-years old.

When asked if my books are suitable for twelve-year olds, I scan the contents in my mind:

• Sex?  Yes, there is premarital sex, but it all happens behind closed doors.  What happens behind the closed door is left up to the reader's imagination.
• Violence?  Yes, people are killed.  They are murder mysteries.  But I don't have body parts and blood flying all over the place.
• Swearing?  Not unless it is suitable to that particular character.  None of my main characters use foul language.

I have determined that my books are clean, and several reviewers have done so as well.  Numerous reviewers have expressed relief.  One reviewer said in a 5-star review on Amazon:  "It is refreshing to be able to read a nice mystery that does NOT contain foul language or sex."

Selecting a murder mystery for a twelve-year old is a difficult task.

First, we need to look at the twelve-year old in question.  How sophisticated is this pre-teenager?  The daughter of this friend who chastised me has a very sheltered life.  However, I know other twelve year olds who have read all of the Twilight series.  Does the child in question watch CSI on television, or is she still into The Big Red Dog on PBS?  That's something the author at a book event can't answer.

A parent can't simply go by the genre tag of "Mystery."  Beneath the genre of mystery, there is a whole breakdown of sub-genres, too many for me to post here.  So, whether it be for a pre-teenager or yourself if you are squeamish about gore and violence -- when looking for a mystery you need to look closely at the book and the sub-genre it falls under.

When considering what type of murder mystery is suitable for a pre-teenager, I suggest looking at the book's focus.

Is the plot line focused on the murder or the mystery of solving the murder?  I have found that some mystery sub-genres focus on the puzzle of solving the murder, like my Mac Faraday Mysteries and Lovers in Crime Mysteries.  Authors of these books seek to challenge their readers to solve the murder before the killer is revealed.  Not only does the protagonist need to solve the puzzle to catch the killer, but they are also challenged in catching the killer in such a way that the evidence will stand up in court and the killer doesn't walk away.

Cozies are almost always a safe bet.  The general rule for a cozy mystery:  Amateur Investigator and murder happens off-stage.  Among the cozies, you can find further sub-categories, which have become sub-genres of their own: bumbling detective, furry detective (I guess Gnarly can be called a furry detective), culinary detective, and hobby mysteries.  If the twelve year old has a particular hobby, most likely you can find a cozy mystery in that area.  There are tons of other murder mysteries under this sub-genre.

Other mystery sub-genres focus on the murder itself.  In an effort to thrill their readers, authors will push the envelope with graphic murders, which will happen "on-stage."  They will contain scenes of torture or rape.  Many times, these mysteries will also contain graphic sex, which may also happen "on-stage" and foul language.  Like amusement parks constantly coming out with the next biggest baddest roller coaster to outdo their last one, authors of these types of mysteries are challenged with each book to make it more suspenseful and sensational than the last one.  Generally, many mysteries that fit into this category will be stalker, serial killer books, and police procedurals.  These graphic murder mysteries will be bloody and violent -- not suitable for twelve year olds, in my opinion.

Notice, I said generally.

The wave of authors publishing independently of commerical publishes has freed mystery writers from writing inside a box forcing them to stick to the rules of genres and sub-genres.  For example, I have had reviewers refer to my books as "gritty cozies".

Because some murders do happen on-stage, they are grittier.  However, I make an effort to make these murders quick and "polite".

How do you pick a mystery for a twelve-year old?

• Think about the child in question.  Find out what he or she is reading now.  If she's reading Fifty Shades of Grey, then anything goes and you have nothing to worry about (literature-wise, that is).
• Take a look at the book you are considering.  Read the book description and study the cover.  These are both good indicators for the tone of the book.  Does it have a fluffy dog on the cover?  Or does it have a comical tone?  If so, it's probably a cozy, which is safe.
• Visit the author's website.  Websites tell a lot about the author and their books.  That's there purpose.  Often, you can download sample chapters from the author's website for free.  There is no better way to know if the book is suitable than to read part of it yourself.

I guess this also begs another question, which the friend who chewed me out was actually suggesting.  Are murder mysteries suitable for twelve-year olds?  Well, the only way I can answer that is by pointing out that I was reading murder mysteries when I was twelve and I turned out okay.

I think.

Depends on who you ask.

Visit her author website at www.mysterylady.net.

About the Book

Two people are brutally murdered in their summer place on Deep Creek Lake. Suspected of the murders, former child star and one-time teenybopper idol Lenny Frost takes innocent bystanders hostage in a local pub and demands that Mac Faraday find the killer. Can Mac save the hostages and himself from the wrath of the enraged has-been by piecing together the clues in less than twelve hours, or will it be a fatal last call at the stroke of midnight?

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

R. K. Avery

www.rkaverybooks.com

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