We’re pleased to have mystery author Misa Ramirez with us tonight from six until eight. Misa is the author of the successful Lola Cruz mystery series. The first, LIVING THE VIDA LOLA, was released by St. Martin’s Minotaur in January ’09. It’s just been named a local (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex) bestseller. Her next Lola Cruz novel will be released in 2010.
Misa is a former middle and high school teacher proud to be Latina by marriage. The blonde, green-eyed writer is a California transplant who lives with her husband and five children near Dallas. She has a passion for the Latino culture and Mexican food. Whether it’s contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she’s always up to the challenge in the name of research. In the meantime, she’s hard at work on a new women’s fiction novel, is published in Woman’s World Magazine, and Romance Writers Report, and also has published a children’s book.
Let me start off the questions. Misa, what attracted you to mystery novels?
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Misa,
Welcome!
What did you write for Woman’s World Magazine? Does it have anything to do with your mystery series?
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Apparently Misa Ramirez has been unavoidably detained, Check back with this blog next month for a published author interview.
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Argh! I’m SO sorry I am late in showing up here tonight! We have a million things going on and I’m running in a thousand directions! Please forgive me!
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To answer the question about Woman’s World, I did one story for them–a short romance– and haven’t been able to sell since!
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No, she was just temporarily held up. Thanks for being here, Misa.
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Woman’s World is a really tough market because they really don’t give you much about what they want. They have reduced their word count and their pay, too. Now they are at 800 words and 800 dollars, which still isn’t bad, but a hard market to crack!
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My mystery series is totally different from the Woman’s World stuff. The mystery is a series…the first is Living the Vida Lola… from St. Martin’s Minotaur which is their mystery line. Fun, fun, fun book!
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Misa, what’s the name and publisher of your children’s book?
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The other question was what attracted me to mystery novels…
The short answer is that a dead body propels the story forward! When you’re stalled, kill somebody or make ‘em have sex!
But the truth is that I’ve always loved mysteries. I grew up reading Nancy Drew, graduated to Agatha Christie (who I read throughout high school). I was hooked, and when it came time for me to really buckle down and write, I naturally went to mysteries!
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My children’s book is titled, “The Flight of the Sunflower”. It’s out of print as far as I know. It was a small publisher. It did win an award for its artwork. It was a great learning experience and was definitely a stepping stone to where I am now.
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Jeanmarie, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you asked your question! Five kids, 2 baseball practices, a soccer practice for our daughter, and a husband who decided to join a softball team sent me scrambling this evening!
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Oh, the publisher of the children’s book is: All About Kids Publishing. They’re a small house in the East Bay in California.
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Oh, I noticed my link isn’t on the sidebar so I’ll give it now:
http://misaramirez.com
I also do a group blog with 4 other great writers, all at various stages in their careers. That site is Chasing Heroes and it’s all about hero archetypes, heroes (and heroines), is full of resources, and is so much fun. The link is:
http://chasingheroes.com
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Folks, Misa really is here, but our moderator is missing in action. We’re working on the problem, so please keep asking questions and she’ll answer as soon as we get this worked out.
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Misa, tell us about your next Lola Cruz mystery.
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I got it added to the sidebar
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Misa, I loved Lola Cruz. How did you come up with her as your heroine?
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Misa,
The pay is really nice if you can sell to Woman’s World. It’s definitely worth the effort.
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Hi again… glad my comments are going through now! Lola Cruz.. Here’s the story!
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The next Lola Cruz mystery is as yet untitled! If you can help, I’d love it. It has to have a Latina flare, convey a taste of mystery, and if Lola can be worked into it, all the better. The premise is that Lola’s identity is stolen and the woman who stole it ends up dead. It’s up to Lola to figure out who the woman was, if she was the intended victim–or if Lola was–and why she was killed.
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WW is worth the effort, Jeanmarie! But I’ve written maybe 5 or 6 stories, have gotten the nice, personalized rejections, but nada since that first sale. It was Freshman luck, I think, because I’m no closer to understanding what WW wants!
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That sounds intriguing. Is Jack Callahan in this book too?
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I’m so glad you loved Lola, Caroline!
I came up with Lola during Monday night writing sessions with a friend. We’d meet at Starbucks, do writing prompts, and just escape being moms for a while. I was fed up with writing kid’s stories and wanted to write something with swearing and sex =)))
Lola was born! She is Latina because I’m crazy about my husband’s culture. My kids are Mexican American kids and we want them to know the Hispanic side of their heritage, but the reality is that they are Americans. Just like Lola is an American. I wanted to have a character who balanced living with both cultures without sacrificing who she is.
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Jack Callaghan is Lola’s soul mate! He’s the yin to her yang. The ice to her tea. The chocolate to her strawberry…. Oh, those are BAD!!!!
Jack is definitely in the book, and his relationship with Lola will continue to develop. They are fun! I love Jack.
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Muchas gracias, Denise!
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I love your cover and wonder how much input did you have?
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I loved the dual culture. It’s the same with any ethnicity–they are Americans, but they still carry their heritage. You handled Lola’s dual heritage very well. Do you have a third Lola book planned or in the works?
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Tell us a little about your writing process. Do you plot extensively or are you a seat of the pants writer? Are you still in a critique group?
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Denise, I wish I could say I had influence with the cover, but the truth was the SMP art department did it all themselves and I LOVE IT! I had heard horror stories about bad covers, so I was thrilled to see my cover. It’s bright and fun and really captures the spirit of the book.
My three comments about it were: to darken the circles to balance the pastels with the red dress (they did it); to give Lola more hips… She was way too svelt (they did it); and to raise the bodice of the dress…she’s kind of hanging out, isn’t she? (they didn’t fix that, but two out of three ain’t bad!)
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Book 3 is about 200 pages done. Book 4 is conceived. Proposals will be going out very soon! Hopefully Lola will keep solving cases and getting closer to Jack.
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Caroline, I am in a crit group. It started in California. One of us moved to Montana and now I’m here in Texas so we work on line and try to get together a couple of times a year.
I am in between and panster and a plotter. =) I plot the main elements and then write and see what happens and how it develops. I still love writing prompts and many sections that are in LTVL actually came from some prompt that I’d done.
I write full time now (when I’m not immersed in my kids’ schools or chores–which are NEVER ENDING!). My kids are in school from 8:30-3:00, so minus a little time for exercise, a lot of time for email, some freelance pitching, I write during those hours.
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Will the LIVING THE VIDA LOLA be released in paperback anytime soon?
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Living the Vida Lola is planned to be released in trade paperback around the same time Untitled Book 2 is released which will be winter 2010. No date yet, no title yet! But they’re coming.
Seriously, help with the titles?
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Did you have an agent before you sold to St. Martin’s?
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Writing with small kids is hard. Do you set writing goals for yourselt each week/day? How long does it take you to complete a Lola book?
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I had 3 agents! The first was a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend. She agreed to read my book, ended up liking it, tried to sell it–but only to Harlequin, and Living the Vida Lola just isn’t a category book–and ultimately we parted ways. She was really retired, so it was for the best.
Next came a high powered super agent. Unfortunately, she and I didn’t see the book quite the same way. I revised and she really tried to sell it, but it just didn’t find a home. She actually referred me to my current agent, who I love, and the rest, as they say, is history.
We revised a bit more, bringing the mystery back to the forefront, and she sold to Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Minotaur in about a month.
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Sandy J is trying to get on but is having computer problem.
She’d like to know: did you know it would come out in hardback when ypou sold it–or is that standard for that particlar line?
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I have always written in between every other part of life, so I’m not really sure how long it would take to write a Lola book if that’s all I did! I haven’t really set goals, but I’m actually starting that now. I’m aiming for about 5000+ / day.
Right now I’m working on a ‘tween book for girls. And I finished a proposal for another mystery series (with some paranormal elements) that we’ll be shopping soon.
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Thomas Dunne Books only does hardcover (as far as I understand). This is their model. It’s really a mixed blessing. This type of book needs to be in hardcover in order to get reviewed, but the price point is much higher so the print run is much smaller and sales are expected to be less. But I believe SMP really gets behind their series and when they release Living the Vida Lola in trade paperback, that will be fantastic.
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Misa welcome- I’m a CA transplant too but loving living in North Texas. Your book sounds wonderful and congrats on the local bestseller title!
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Misa, I see that our time is about up. Thank you so much for spending time with us. Some people who weren’t able to stop by tonight may comment tomorrow. In the meantime, look for your transcribed interview in the next Yellow Rose newsletter. Thanks again.
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Where did you move from, Sandy? NT has been an adjustment for us…particularly for our kids, but we’re settled in finally and it’s becoming home. =)
Local bestseller! That was SO exciting to see. # 6 on the list, above one of Stephenie Meyer and Jonathan Kellerman!!!
Thank you!
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Thanks for having me Yellow Rose, and for arranging this Caroline. It was fun! I’m so sorry I was late, but it all worked out. =)
I’ll stop by tomorrow, too, in case there are more questions. And please visit Chasing Heroes. We love it when people comment!
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LOL I came from Southern Calif –Whittier….I moved right before the last earth quake. Boy SM and JK you are so in good company.
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Well we just got home from soccer practice! I see some of the comments got held up in moderation but were able to be released!
Misa, congrats on your release of Lola! It sounds like grand fun. And you sound like one busy lady! Whew!
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Busy, yes, Michelle, but loving every minute of it!
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Thanks to all of you who took part in the interview. Misa, it looks as if you are as much a go-getter as Lola. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit with us.