Hello Black Words-White Pages fans and thank you for stopping by!! Ready to meet another Sleuthing Woman Author? Today we are featuring Ritter Ames!! Click on her name to follow her on Facebook!!
Now to get on with the interview!!
Ritter Ames
What is the first book that made you cry?
Easy, THE LITTLE HOUSE by Virginia Lee Burton. My kindergarten teacher read it to the class, and I can remember the tears running down my cheeks when I saw the illustrations and heard her tell all the sad things that happened to the house. Then, of course, the story went full circle and it got a new location and new happy family and my heart felt as light and sunny again as the last drawing. I went home that day and told my mother I Had To Have That Book! Christmas was coming, and the book was the only thing on my list—yes, it was my favorite present that year. Funnily enough, I picked up my daughter from kindergarten several decades later, and one day she started talking and talking—absolutely non-stop—about a book her teacher read that my kid wanted for her own. Yep, it was the exact same book! She didn’t even have to wait until Christmas to get her copy.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Mentally, writing energizes me. Physically, it causes all kinds of creaks and aches. I know to get up and stretch and all, but when I’m in the zone and the words are flowing it’s hard to remember to stop and move periodically. And while I’m probably my most creative at night, writing “wakes me up.” So, if I know I have to be doing something early the next morning, I never let myself write at night, because I may never go to bed.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Stress in any form. Usually it stems from someone else putting stress on me. It’s never writing particular scenes or characters that triggers any kind of writer’s block for me. It’s always outside negative stimuli that causes me to kind of shut down at the writing desk.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Not necessarily readers “block,” but I can’t just sit and read a book like a true reader anymore. I’m much more critical, and if I notice too much with my inner-editor I generally stop reading because I simply can’t enjoy it. But, luckily, I can usually find something to replace it. And when my brain is really stuck in editing mode I’ll go back and re-read favorites I absolutely know I’ll enjoy like anything by the late-Elizabeth Peters, the Maizie Albright books by Larissa Reinhart, the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson or the Bryant & May series by Christopher Fowler, absolutely any cozy by Heather Blake Webber or Gigi Pandian, or anything by Carolyn Haines—just to name a few. I don’t have the kind of problem some readers have where they simply cannot find a book that holds their attention. Between my TBR pile and knowing the inside stories of so many of my author friends’ books, I always have more than enough books around me that I want to read—I just need more hours in the day!
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
That has been the best part about being an author—getting to know other authors and readers. I say readers, too, because a number of my fans are writing books themselves now—usually cozies—and I love to hear about their writing journey. I think the highest compliment anyone could give me is that reading my books made them want to write mysteries of their own. That’s how I knew I wanted to be a writer—I wanted to bring the same joy other authors to gave me. And so many authors are my friends and have truly helped me face the many publishing challenges—Tonya Kappes always comes to mind because she is so generous at helping other authors. Many that I mentioned in the previous question—I’d already read their books and now feel privileged to call them my friends—but also many of the authors in this Sleuthing Women Authors group. There are some authors here who are new to me, introduced by other authors, but many I’m already friends with, and we’ve all supported each other in friendship and publishing advice for several years. Writer friends are truly the best kind of friends 😊
Reader?
Oh, gosh, you should have seen me at my first Malice Domestic convention after my own cozy series came out. I was supposed to be there as an author, but I was Such a FanGirl! I was definitely a mystery reader because of so many of the authors there! A friend went with me to the conference—she was a reader, not an author—and I charged her with the task of not letting me make a fool of myself when I met authors I already read and adored. That was when I met Heather Blake Webber, many of the Henery Press authors I read, and other amazing fan-favorite authors like Charlene Harris, Rhys Bowen, Elizabeth Spann Craig. I remember my jaw dropping when I stepped into the hotel bar and introduced myself to Catriona McPherson—I love her humor—and she gasped, stood up, smiled and said, “You’re Ritter Ames! I’m so glad you came.” Then she turned to someone nearby and said, “We’re Facebook friends and I’ve wanted to meet her.” Seriously, I know she probably said this kind of thing about every author—she’s generous that way—but as a newly minted author and a longtime reader, I was walking on air the rest of the convention. LOL!
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Ooh, interesting question. I have a set of Bengal tiger photographs I took at a zoo when I was a teen. The tiger’s name was Rajah, and he was gorgeous! I had the pictures blown up (this was back in the day of film, so I couldn’t just enlarge the shots on my computer) and he’s been the wall art in every office I’ve ever had. And I always write better when I have to work around a house cat who’s trying to take over my keyboard. So, while my Labrador retriever is a honey, I’d have to chose a feline spirit animal. Probably a tiger.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
I don’t really base my characters on real people. I know parts of real people are likely in every character, but I don’t model any character on anyone in real life. Before I start writing a series, I spend a long time developing character backgrounds on each one—main & secondary characters—and those character sketches and my series bible help keep me on track as I write. I don’t put down the first word until I truly know my characters’ voices.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Nothing is unfinished. I have three unpublished fiction books (two mystery and one novel that’s not easy to quantify by genre) that I wrote prior to selling my first mystery. Each of those books would be extremely hard to sell or market for different reasons, so they may never be published. I also have one thriller completed in draft form that keeps getting set aside for other deadlines, but I hope to get it published someday when I have the time to do the editing/revising that it deserves. But with two mystery series currently in production and a third starting up soon, my schedule is pretty full at the moment with titles fans are actually asking for, so everything else gets left on the back burner.
Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
I view writing as both my business and my favorite kind of escape next to reading. Reading will always be my first love, but writing comes a clear second. Despite the fact that I created my characters and plotted their mysteries, and I’ve been the one to always tell their tales, I’m always amazed when I sit down to write a new book and see all that my characters have been doing while I’ve been tied up with other things. I never have any idea how much my subconscious has been working ahead on my books until I start writing. While I always work off some kind of outline for my cozies, and a series arc for my art escape mysteries, I’m often as surprised as my characters at some of the twists that come streaking around the corner. Nothing mystical, just my subconscious mind finally being let loose to work on the next mystery.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
I never write from a male point of view, so I don’t feel I’ve had much trouble with this. My point-of-view characters are always females, written in either first person or third person, depending on the series. I try to make all of my characters smart—they may do some dumb things sometimes, but we all do that—I won’t really sacrifice a character for comedy relief and let the humor just come through naturally. But since my viewpoint characters are always females who have no problem standing up for themselves, my male characters must appreciate that trait and be strong themselves. Jack Hawkes is the character who has the most on-screen time in any of my books, and probably my most difficult thing with writing him is the same as writing my female character, Laurel Beacham, in that book—letting them get hurt. Jack gets hurt more than Laurel, but it’s still hard sometimes to let my characters fictionally bleed. Kate McKenzie usually is the one who gets hurt in the Organized Mystery series, and I always have to write those scenes for her several times before I get them right.
How many hours a day do you write?
I can’t write for more than four or five hours. Well, I can write for more hours, but my brain isn’t functioning at its best after that point, and writing starts to feel like I’m swimming in pudding. But the best thing about writing is if I start early in the morning, even if I stop about noon or so and start working on marketing tasks, my subconscious is still working on my current writing project without me consciously knowing it. Sometimes that gives me unexpected Aha! moments when I’m doing non-writing tasks, and I scurry to my desk to write everything down while the ideas are fresh. Usually, however, all the subconscious work means the next day’s writing begins much easier, and my brain is ready to start as soon as I open the laptop.
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
Not really. But reading a lot of fiction gives me a lot of information to twist around in different ways when I write. I only write mysteries, but I have very eclectic reading habits, so I read a lot of different genres and nonfiction. That said, I could easily be influenced by a lot of different avenues, but nothing so far has made me say I’ll never read a certain type of fiction again, or that a particular title or genre completely changed my perspective about something in fiction.
How do you select the names of your characters?
Some come right away. Others take months. I’ve been re-watching Murphy Brown since MeTV started showing the episodes, and recently she’s been trying to decide what to name her baby. Every episode, for half a season, she’s called the baby a different name each night. This gave me flashbacks to the time when I was trying to come up with a last name for Jack Hawkes. I knew I wanted his first name Jack—which surprised me since it had never been one of my favorite male names, it just fit the character—but I couldn’t come up with his surname. It was a good four months, and an ungodly amount of names scribbled on scratch pads later, before he became Jack Hawkes. But once those names came together, I knew it was right. And I loved letting Laurel use Hawkes in the first books when she wanted to really keep him at arms’ length—and annoy him. That’s the thing about names, they often have a number of duties beyond just naming a character.
If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
I’ve had some really great jobs. I did corporate acquisitions for about 15 years and loved the challenge. I’ve worked in political campaigns—behind the scenes, never (NEVER!) as a candidate, and that was a marvelous experience too. And I spent several years fundraising for a nonprofit—mostly as the grant writer—and enjoyed that as well. In all of these previous work experiences, I pretty much acted as a kind of troubleshooter/problem solver, which is a trait that serves me well in plotting mysteries and getting my characters extricated from the trouble I’ve caused them. So, if I didn’t write, I would probably do something that created solutions to problems—at least that’s likely the kind of career opportunity I’d expect to choose. There are really no limits to the opportunities. I love challenges, but I hope to always stay with writing.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I do scan them to make sure I’m satisfying my audience, but I don’t despair over negative reviews. As a reader, myself, I know that negative reviews on books often are the deciding factor for me to buy a book—what one person hates in a story may be exactly the kind of thing I look for—and I check all my reviews to see what reviewers as a whole are saying, to make sure I don’t need to revamp the way I’m writing something. If one person says I’m doing something badly, I don’t stress about it, but if twenty readers talk about the same thing, I need to pay attention. LOL! I’m human, so of course I love positive reviews, but since I know I’m giving my very best each time to whatever I write, I don’t over-stress when someone doesn’t like my book. I know it’s just not their cup of tea, and I send positive vibes their way hoping they find a new book by another author that exactly fits their tastes.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
I have always loved series novels, television shows, and movies that truly pay back fans for being with the series all the way through. It’s important that each of my novels be written as a standalone, so any important material from previous titles be included in subsequent ones so the reader has all the information needed. However, any longtime readers of any of my books will tell you that I love to draw on previously known knowledge to slip in those little extras—literary Easter eggs, if you will—that reward longtime readers with extra inside jokes or provide a memory to make them smile. I do it much more with my Bodies of Art Mystery series than I do my cozy Organized Mysteries, but there are always little extras in each new release, regardless of the series. Even my short stories include these little reader rewards.
What was your hardest scene to write?
Has to be the opener. I write several openers for each book. I have a clear purpose each time I write an opener, and I’ll try several before I decide on the one I want to keep. For the Bodies of Art Mystery series, I turned two openers into short stories I post for my newsletter subscribers each Halloween and Christmas. I have no problem pulling out sections of a novel that doesn’t work for that particular manuscript, but I never throw anything away. I recycle all the time.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?
I’ve already given up a lot to be a writer. I think at this point I have to just accept that I’m improving each time I complete another project and be grateful for that. To paraphrase a poster that used to hang in my high school speech class, “(Writing) Life is a Journey, not a Destination.” I want to keep journeying toward becoming that better writer—after all, my subconscious wants that extra time to create those twists and Aha! moments my readers and I love so much.
On the other hand, if you’d asked me what I would give up so I could only write and not have to keeping looking for new ways to market, and I could become a marketing genius with the sweep of a wand, just name the price. LOL!
What is your favorite childhood book?
Well, I already mentioned THE LITTLE HOUSE, so other than that I’d have to say ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott O’Dell. However, if I can list a favorite childhood series I’d like to add the Trixie Belden Mysteries here—while they aren’t technically considered cozy mysteries, my feeling is that if you look closely at them they truly hit all the main points of the genre, and they were a great primer for me to segue into Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes after Trixie and the gang.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Deadlines and having to deal with marketing tasks.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Depends on the book. A first draft of a Bodies of Art Mystery will take a minimum of six months, then another three months or so revising, polishing, and editing before it goes my editor—then the revision process starts all over again a couple more times. For a cozy mystery, I’ve finished the first draft of one in six weeks, and I had it off to the editor after another couple of weeks, but generally it takes about three months from start to finish before it heads to the editor—regardless of how long a cozy it is.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I mentioned a number of them in questions #4 through #6 above, and I talked a lot up there. I’ll just go ahead and stand with those, so I don’t take up more of your time 😊
Who are some authors in your genre that inspire you?
Elizabeth Peters, Dorothy Cannell, Carolyn Hart, and Katherine Hall Page have probably made the most impact—the earliest—on why I write what I write.
What are some great books you’ve read recently?
The last new book I read—and totally enjoyed—was The Cupid Caper by Larissa Reinhart. It just came out in April and is a hoot to read. I’m actually in my summer re-reading program at the present time. While I’m on writing and editing deadlines, I don’t like reading new-to-me books because I don’t want to put down the new book. So, in the warmer months I re-read. I just finished STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG by Kate Atkinson, which is the last book in her Jackson Brodie series, and I’m currently rereading A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN, which is the second book in the Mary Russell historical mystery series by Laurie R. King. And next I’m either going to read some of the Harry Potter books or re-start the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. Rereading while I’m on deadline makes it easier to stop reading when I need to write or edit. Remember, I said earlier that reading will always be my first love. But the true benefit of rereading is how many new things I see for the first time—now that I know the entire series—as well as new things I pick up that I’d missed before because I didn’t yet have the full overview.
What types of books do you enjoy in your downtime?
Probably sixty percent of my reading is mystery, with the other forty made up of whatever catches my attention—and imagination—at the moment. I don’t count nonfiction in that tally because I do a tremendous amount of research for my books, so there’s a lot of nonfiction reading. A lot of it is for my books, even more is just because I love reading on so many topics and don’t stop right away when I’ve already discovered the key to whatever I was researching.
What sort of research did you do to write this book?
My Bodies of Art Mysteries take a lot—from setting details, to art angles like art history, art forgeries, and artistic masters, to technical stuff my characters need in the story, and finally to the criminal elements like forgeries and heists. For the Organized Mysteries, it’s more regional research, to make sure I have my characters placed where they need to be for whatever job they do that ends up with them stumbling onto another crime or murder.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Ideas come from everywhere. I have a file I jot down ideas, add newspaper clippings, print out ads—whatever—then I just let the ideas percolate. Once I know I’m going to write a book about one of the ideas, I create a folder on my computer and start putting relevant information inside. It can still be many months, even a year before I start writing a book on that idea.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
Writing first thing in the morning. Stop about noon to connect with people on Facebook. Post to all my tweet teams and RT everyone, then do any marketing I need to do for the coming months. I usually start working up a book launch four to six months before the book is due to be released, so there’s always marketing work to do. The afternoon to early evening is also when I do my office bookkeeping work, write and schedule blogs and newsletters, and go back into email and social media to make sure I don’t have any messages I need to answer.
What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
While they’re reading, I want them to escape into my mystery. I write the kind of books I love to read—to get away from whatever is bogging me down in my life. If readers come out of reading my books with a little better understanding of others, or want to know more about a subject in the story, that makes me even more thrilled, as it’s a double-win.
If your novel were being made into a movie, whom would you pick to play the lead roles?
For the Organized Mysteries, I asked my street team about this and they came up with Gillian Jacobs or Sarah Michelle Gellar for Kate McKenzie and Jennifer Garner for Meg Berman, then Michael Trucco for Kate’s husband Keith.
As far as the Bodies of Art Mysteries go, I’ve always written this series thinking about old Cary Grant movies where he was always working just a little left of the social norms, the women and men were equally smart and good at their jobs, where the dialogue was fast and witty, and a plot twist could happen at a second’s notice. So, in my mind Laurel has always been modeled after a mix of a young Grace Kelly/Kate Hepburn/Rosalind Russell and Jack based on a thirtyish Cary Grant.
Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
A little of both. I write very messy outlines for my cozy mysteries—which I know sounds weird since the protagonist is an organizational expert—that has everything laid down quickly and arrows drawn if I want to move things around later. And for the Bodies of Art Mysteries, because it is more interconnected, and has A Lot More Moving Parts, I have a multi-book story arc created for it, with the books blocked out to show when I’m revealing specific plot details, and what has to happen in particular places, so I can stay on track. Then I use index cards to write all the scenes, characters, bits & pieces for each of those titles, so I stay on-track as I write. In both series, even with their different outlining methods, I still leave a lot of room for extemporizing. The outlines are just to keep me on-track with all the plot points and reveals—not to straitjacket me as I write.
What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?
Did I mention how much I love to read? Oh, a few times. Right. I also love to take walks with my husband and my blonde Labrador retriever, Honey—she seems to enjoy them, too. I love photography and have been composing shots since high school. And we live in an area with a lot of interesting places to go, so I like to wander around a bit when I have time, too. But my very favorite thing when I’m not writing is to travel. My belief is that every vacation should be like one of my Bodies of Art Mysteries—start out in London, then spiral off in some great new direction from there.
Do you put yourself in your books/characters at all?
I’m not sure I could keep from doing that. None of my character are me, exactly, but I have to admit that at least the protagonists have some of my traits and sensibilities. Of all my characters, I’m probably most like Meg Berman—except I’m not a redhead, though I’ve always wanted to be one.
What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
Getting fan mail from readers who tell me how much they enjoy my books and why. I had one email from a reader who thanked me for letting Kate have slight OCD, as this reader could identify with that. There are a couple of friends and one of my family members with slight OCD, and this reader wrote that she appreciated watching Kate cope and seeing the character’s family and friends rally around her when necessary. It made me happy that I got this right for the reader. I won’t mention everything the reader said, because I had tears in my eyes by the time she finished. I’ve had many more heartfelt messages and emails, and each one touches me knowing readers are reacting to my characters the same way I’ve always loved reacting to the characters of my favorite authors.
Out of all the books you’ve written, do you have a favorite?
That’s like asking which child do you love the best. LOL! Wow! If I had to choose, I’d probably say ABSTRACT ALIASES, because I kind of felt like I was in labor with it the longest, and despite all the work I liked the way it came out in the end. This is one where I wrote FOUR openers before I knew I had the right one. Four complete openers! And I’m not exaggerating when I say I probably rewrote the last chapter fourteen times. But in the end, the came out the way I wanted, so all that effort was worthwhile.
What are your top three favorite books of all time?
THE PRINCE OF TIDES by Pat Conroy (I got to shepherd Conroy once at a conference and I don’t think my feet touched the ground all day!) Though I’ve reread most of this book many times, I don’t reread the ending. It’s like Gone With the Wind—I always stop so I can imagine it has the end I truly want it to have 😊
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee – I think anything I add here is probably unnecessary.
SHOELESS JOE by WP Kinsella – which is incredible because I got so burned out with my brother in Little League baseball I shy away from anything related to the sport. But this book stays an all-time favorite because it showed life has so much potential.
Thanks so much for offering me this chance to talk about my work, my characters, my fans, and myself. I really appreciate the opportunity!
You are welcome and thank you so much, Ritter, for stopping by and letting us get to know you!! This has been a lot of fun!! To know more about this author and her books starting on June 12, 2018, join the Facebook group HERE!!! There will be takeovers and lots of fun things to come!!
“This author is sheer perfection when it comes to using descriptions and locations that are richly done and offer sharp details throughout the entirety of the story.” – Suspense Magazine
Laurel Beacham may have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she has long since lost it digging herself out of trouble. Her father gambled and womanized his way through the family fortune before skiing off an Alp, leaving her with more tarnish than trust fund. Quick wits and connections have gained her a reputation as one of the world’s premier art recovery experts. The police may catch the thief, but she reclaims the missing masterpieces.
The latest assignment, however, may be her undoing. Using every ounce of luck and larceny she possesses, Laurel must locate a priceless art icon and rescue a co-worker (and ex-lover) from a master criminal, all the while matching wits with a charming new nemesis. Unfortunately, he seems to know where the bodies are buried—and she prefers hers isn’t next.
“This fast-paced, action-filled whodunit was enjoyable and hard to put down. The mystery was good, the characters are likable and it was fun to watch all the pieces come together in this well-written drama. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.” – Dru’s Book Musings
“Funny, fast paced and just a smidge of romance. What more could you ask for? Bring on the next one!” – T. Sue Versteeg, Author of My Ex-Boyfriend’s Wedding
“This fast-paced mystery had me reading far past my usual time for bed. I simply couldn’t put it down because I was so drawn into the story. It’s simply wonderful!” – Dianne Harman, Author of the Cedar Bay Cozy Mysteries
“A high-octane, fast-paced thrill ride of a mystery adventure that will definitely leave you anxious for the next installment.” – Girl with Book Lungs
“The book takes you on car chases, shooting, great locations around the world all in the hopes of finding a missing friend and lost artifact. I read the book three times enjoying each time.” – Book Him Danno
“Incredible attention to detail. The author creates a world that you truly can get lost in. The book is also a fast-paced, fun read. I'm looking forward to reading book two.” – A Girl and Her ebook
“An intricately woven tale with plenty of action and suspense. The story is crafted in such a way to keep readers guessing. The characters are well-written with smart and witty dialogue. An enjoyable read.” – A Cozy Book Nook
“A fast-paced book, and to save the day, Laurel takes you with her every step of the way on subways, planes, fast cars, and motorcycles all while being in danger. This book is truly a keeper, jump in and go for a ride!” – Destiny’s Book Reviews
“I love the main character of Laurel. She is not just smart–she is quick on the uptake and manages to get herself out of many tight spots...if you like a mystery with a touch of James Bond, you should be reading Counterfeit Conspiracies.” – MyShelf Reviews
“Ritter Ames has created a feisty character and launched her into the glamorous world of fine art, where big money attracts the mobsters and fakers, where crooks and collectors will sometimes be prepared to kill for the next big prize. Counterfeit Conspiracies is the first book in the Bodies of Art Mystery Series, which I am sure will enjoy great success.” – Readers’ Favorite
Related subjects include: women sleuths, cozy mysteries, amateur sleuth books, murder mysteries, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), book club recommendations.
The Bodies of Art Mystery Series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Ritter Ames:
COUNTERFEIT CONSPIRACIES (#1)
MARKED MASTERS (#2)
ABSTRACT ALIASES (#3)
FATAL FORGERIES (#4)
Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all.
