Maren Cooper's Blog
January 28, 2025
Holiday Afterglow
One of the unexpected benefits of the early days post holiday celebrations is finding whipping cream in the fridge begging to be used up and finding its way into my morning coffee. As I rationalize the unhealthy treat, other benefits pop up. How many types of cheese now occupy space in my once over-crowded refrigerator? There is the expensive blue cheese that didn’t get unwrapped, the cranberry brie that also went untested. Somehow, I also have unopened packages of pepper jack and mozzarella, one large orange juice, much of a quart of egg nog, half packages of spinach and a container of red sauce.
While I am responsible for much of the above, some of the goodies remain after I turned over the kitchen and meal prep, on day four, to my son-in-law who gleefully shopped and prepared a feast for the family including two types of pasta, featuring homemade pesto, roasted veggies, hangar steak medium and well, homemade guacamole and a manchego appetizer with olive oil, rosemary and mandarin oranges.
The first edible treats of the holiday visit are traditional—to our family. Swedish meatballs from the Danish recipe I found during our year-long residency in Denmark in 1980, plum pudding made via a Julia Child recipe clipped from a newspaper in 1985, grasshopper pie (think whipped cream and melted marshmallows with a bit of creme de menthe over an Oreo cooke crust) from a recipe handwritten by a co-worker in the mid-70’s.
Over the years I have changed up my cookie offerings by dropping the time-consuming spritz from my youth for the ever-tempting winners of the Minnesota Star and Tribune cookie baking contest. This year, the clear favorites will continue and I will drop the maple chili fig jam cookies from my list—good—they are time-consuming! I no longer make cut-out cookies which are better suited to a household of hands to help with the frosting and decorating and well suited for my daughter and family to make as they usher in school break before Xmas.
The family meals around the table are special for me as my children and grandchildren are not always close by, so we cherish the time together and tell stories of old times and new experiences. Teenagers mixing with adults and seniors over traditional food, cards and other games is a recipe for nostalgia mixed with good cheer. Making memories!
Minnesota weather can be iffy in December but fortunately the roads were good and while we missed the snow, car trips were timely, and the visiting pooch and my senior cat co-existed without incident this visit. As I sit here feeling blessed that we are all healthy and connected, I realize how important these family celebrations are and how time passes so quickly that I can see the future with changing expectations as grandchildren leave the nest and lives change.
For now, I am leaving my twinkly lights and poinsettias up, enjoying the bloom of my amaryllis and enjoying the after glow of the visit. It is zero degrees Fahrenheit this morning and the coffee and cream is amazing. I have plenty of food in the house and time to consider 2025. Oh, and read a good book, of course!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Maren
While I am responsible for much of the above, some of the goodies remain after I turned over the kitchen and meal prep, on day four, to my son-in-law who gleefully shopped and prepared a feast for the family including two types of pasta, featuring homemade pesto, roasted veggies, hangar steak medium and well, homemade guacamole and a manchego appetizer with olive oil, rosemary and mandarin oranges.
The first edible treats of the holiday visit are traditional—to our family. Swedish meatballs from the Danish recipe I found during our year-long residency in Denmark in 1980, plum pudding made via a Julia Child recipe clipped from a newspaper in 1985, grasshopper pie (think whipped cream and melted marshmallows with a bit of creme de menthe over an Oreo cooke crust) from a recipe handwritten by a co-worker in the mid-70’s.
Over the years I have changed up my cookie offerings by dropping the time-consuming spritz from my youth for the ever-tempting winners of the Minnesota Star and Tribune cookie baking contest. This year, the clear favorites will continue and I will drop the maple chili fig jam cookies from my list—good—they are time-consuming! I no longer make cut-out cookies which are better suited to a household of hands to help with the frosting and decorating and well suited for my daughter and family to make as they usher in school break before Xmas.
The family meals around the table are special for me as my children and grandchildren are not always close by, so we cherish the time together and tell stories of old times and new experiences. Teenagers mixing with adults and seniors over traditional food, cards and other games is a recipe for nostalgia mixed with good cheer. Making memories!
Minnesota weather can be iffy in December but fortunately the roads were good and while we missed the snow, car trips were timely, and the visiting pooch and my senior cat co-existed without incident this visit. As I sit here feeling blessed that we are all healthy and connected, I realize how important these family celebrations are and how time passes so quickly that I can see the future with changing expectations as grandchildren leave the nest and lives change.
For now, I am leaving my twinkly lights and poinsettias up, enjoying the bloom of my amaryllis and enjoying the after glow of the visit. It is zero degrees Fahrenheit this morning and the coffee and cream is amazing. I have plenty of food in the house and time to consider 2025. Oh, and read a good book, of course!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Maren
September 30, 2024
Different stories, common themes
Over the past several months I have showcased several main characters in my latest novel, Behind the Lies. In this post, I’m taking a longer view with a wider lens on all three of my books to consider the common threads that weave through them all. Not long ago, a reader asked me about how I came up with such different stories.
I came to writing after leaving a very hectic business career, and my life experiences were varied and vivid to me as I had time to reflect and contemplate what came next. Writing is the fourth or fifth chapter in my own life’s book, and is an adventure I didn’t anticipate.
And yes, the books are quite different, but there are a few common themes.
One of the themes of my first book, A Better Next, is divorce. I didn’t set out to write a novel about divorce, but rather, about a dual career couple dealing with the conflicts arise as their respective careers find them on opposite sides of a contentious health care merger and how that strains their relationship. Jess Lawson, the protagonist, goes through this doozy of a marital crisis in the middle of this career challenge while trying to deal with her impending empty nest. As I developed the characters, the end of the marriage seemed inevitable.
In my second book, Finding Grace, a poorly matched couple marry and when Caroline, a gifted ornithologist who wants a life of travel and adventure, gets pregnant against her wishes, her husband, Charlie, assumes she will change her mind. She doesn’t—and as their daughter, Grace, grows up, she falls through the devastating schism that grows between them. Grace eventually suffers a emotional collapse and runs away from home. Caroline has flown off by then and the marriage is over, but not declared until later, after Charlie and Grace have managed to mend their relationship and start fresh with the embrace of their community.
In Behind the Lies, my protagonist Will, full of himself and ready to take his place as the CEO of a multinational biotech company, is surprised by the sudden change of heart by his boss and father figure, Chet, who threatens his succession before suffering a life-threatening stroke which ends any chance for communication. Will’s world begins to collapse in front of him as his fling appears to be threatening his marriage. Frantic to chart a course through the choppy waters of a cyberattack he is hit by the expectation of support for Chet’s family. Will finds himself mediating a reconciliation between Chet’s wife Andrea and Chet’s daughter from his first marriage, Amy, while attempting to hang onto his own marriage with Charlotte, the real brains in the family. Is divorce in the cards for them?
My writing always starts with characters and conflict. My stories develop based on how I see my characters respond to conflict, and how they interact. In Behind the Lies, Jess relies on her friends to help her through her marital challenges and keep her on an even keel as every facet of her life is changing. Divorce is an element of conflict.
In Finding Grace, it is clear that Charlie and Caroline are not a happy couple, but Charlie, perhaps motivated by guilt, raises Grace in the supportive embrace of a small town and good friends to provide balance. Marital discord, family dysfunction are the elements of conflict. Divorce is the result of conflict, a woman’s right to choose is the underlying betrayal.
In Behind the Lies, Will behaves badly and his marriage is badly damaged. Will he be able to save his marriage as he faces his moral failings and takes accountability?
While divorce is a common threat or conflict in all three of my novels, there are other similarities as well. Friendships that provide support, mental illness that wrecks havoc on families, strong women characters, the blessing of found families and the challenge of living a life of integrity. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading!
I came to writing after leaving a very hectic business career, and my life experiences were varied and vivid to me as I had time to reflect and contemplate what came next. Writing is the fourth or fifth chapter in my own life’s book, and is an adventure I didn’t anticipate.
And yes, the books are quite different, but there are a few common themes.
One of the themes of my first book, A Better Next, is divorce. I didn’t set out to write a novel about divorce, but rather, about a dual career couple dealing with the conflicts arise as their respective careers find them on opposite sides of a contentious health care merger and how that strains their relationship. Jess Lawson, the protagonist, goes through this doozy of a marital crisis in the middle of this career challenge while trying to deal with her impending empty nest. As I developed the characters, the end of the marriage seemed inevitable.
In my second book, Finding Grace, a poorly matched couple marry and when Caroline, a gifted ornithologist who wants a life of travel and adventure, gets pregnant against her wishes, her husband, Charlie, assumes she will change her mind. She doesn’t—and as their daughter, Grace, grows up, she falls through the devastating schism that grows between them. Grace eventually suffers a emotional collapse and runs away from home. Caroline has flown off by then and the marriage is over, but not declared until later, after Charlie and Grace have managed to mend their relationship and start fresh with the embrace of their community.
In Behind the Lies, my protagonist Will, full of himself and ready to take his place as the CEO of a multinational biotech company, is surprised by the sudden change of heart by his boss and father figure, Chet, who threatens his succession before suffering a life-threatening stroke which ends any chance for communication. Will’s world begins to collapse in front of him as his fling appears to be threatening his marriage. Frantic to chart a course through the choppy waters of a cyberattack he is hit by the expectation of support for Chet’s family. Will finds himself mediating a reconciliation between Chet’s wife Andrea and Chet’s daughter from his first marriage, Amy, while attempting to hang onto his own marriage with Charlotte, the real brains in the family. Is divorce in the cards for them?
My writing always starts with characters and conflict. My stories develop based on how I see my characters respond to conflict, and how they interact. In Behind the Lies, Jess relies on her friends to help her through her marital challenges and keep her on an even keel as every facet of her life is changing. Divorce is an element of conflict.
In Finding Grace, it is clear that Charlie and Caroline are not a happy couple, but Charlie, perhaps motivated by guilt, raises Grace in the supportive embrace of a small town and good friends to provide balance. Marital discord, family dysfunction are the elements of conflict. Divorce is the result of conflict, a woman’s right to choose is the underlying betrayal.
In Behind the Lies, Will behaves badly and his marriage is badly damaged. Will he be able to save his marriage as he faces his moral failings and takes accountability?
While divorce is a common threat or conflict in all three of my novels, there are other similarities as well. Friendships that provide support, mental illness that wrecks havoc on families, strong women characters, the blessing of found families and the challenge of living a life of integrity. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading!
August 23, 2024
Family Reconciliation--Too Late
If you follow this blog, you know that I have been focusing on characters from my latest novel, Behind the Lies. A suspense story with plenty of free-ranging betrayal, it showcases the fast-paced life of Will Franklin, who faces unexpected professional and marital challenges while running an international biotechnology firm.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions.
Earlier blog posts feature Will the protagonist, Chet the boss, Bella the temptress, Charlotte, Will’s strong and brainy wife and Andrea, Chet’s second wife who turns to Will when Chet falls ill. All are posted on my website and easily accessible on Goodreads as well. Today I’ll write about Amy, Chet’s estranged daughter from his first marriage.
After a volatile life marred by manic depression, Chet’s first wife died by suicide when Amy was only fifteen. Given her mother’s refusal to manage her illness with medication to moderate her volatility and her father’s eventual inability to help her, Amy grew up in a household of chaos and melodrama. Amy was overburdened with her mother’s issues and resentful of her father’s distance. When he overshared the shocking news that her mother was pregnant with another man’s child when she died, Amy broke down herself and an estrangement emerged between she and her father which neither attempted to bridge.
Amy struggled for years to process her trauma and eventually became a psychiatric nurse. Chet moved on to a second marriage and fatherhood later in life. When Chet’s son with Andrea turned fifteen Chet realized how negligent he had behaved toward his older daughter at that age and regretful, he sought to re-connect. As he prepared for retirement and self-reflection, he apologized to her and hoped for a reconciliation.
Reluctant at first, Amy finally relented and was allowing grace to emerge between the two of them when Chet was suddenly hospitalized and unresponsive, leaving her unable to gain closure with her father, and still estranged from his second wife and their son.
Will becomes the unlikely mediator between Andrea, Chet’s second wife, and Amy, his daughter when she attempts to connect with the family she now wishes she knew better. Their bittersweet reunion over a zoom call with the doctor who needs permission to allow Chet to pass away is brokered by Will, the man both women trust. Ironically, Will is haunted by the unknown reason that Chet no longer trusted him, with no way to find out the why of his perceived betrayal.
While this book is a corporate mystery with fraud and cybersecurity story lines, the family drama plays out in both Will’s and Chet’s families. Charlotte and Will must address his fling and its aftermath and Amy and Andrea must address the breach between them and whether it can be mended.
All three of my books include dramatic family stories and feature the promise of “found family”—not the one you are born to, but the one you need. In Behind the Lies Amy is damaged by the situation with her father’s irresponsible parenthood during her mother’s illness in over-sharing that she lost a half-sibling and not just a mother. How she deals with it on her own, and how she and her father approached a potential reconciliation too late, is a lesson worth noting. Family bonds can be broken and sometimes repaired; character is revealed through personal family challenges.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions.
Earlier blog posts feature Will the protagonist, Chet the boss, Bella the temptress, Charlotte, Will’s strong and brainy wife and Andrea, Chet’s second wife who turns to Will when Chet falls ill. All are posted on my website and easily accessible on Goodreads as well. Today I’ll write about Amy, Chet’s estranged daughter from his first marriage.
After a volatile life marred by manic depression, Chet’s first wife died by suicide when Amy was only fifteen. Given her mother’s refusal to manage her illness with medication to moderate her volatility and her father’s eventual inability to help her, Amy grew up in a household of chaos and melodrama. Amy was overburdened with her mother’s issues and resentful of her father’s distance. When he overshared the shocking news that her mother was pregnant with another man’s child when she died, Amy broke down herself and an estrangement emerged between she and her father which neither attempted to bridge.
Amy struggled for years to process her trauma and eventually became a psychiatric nurse. Chet moved on to a second marriage and fatherhood later in life. When Chet’s son with Andrea turned fifteen Chet realized how negligent he had behaved toward his older daughter at that age and regretful, he sought to re-connect. As he prepared for retirement and self-reflection, he apologized to her and hoped for a reconciliation.
Reluctant at first, Amy finally relented and was allowing grace to emerge between the two of them when Chet was suddenly hospitalized and unresponsive, leaving her unable to gain closure with her father, and still estranged from his second wife and their son.
Will becomes the unlikely mediator between Andrea, Chet’s second wife, and Amy, his daughter when she attempts to connect with the family she now wishes she knew better. Their bittersweet reunion over a zoom call with the doctor who needs permission to allow Chet to pass away is brokered by Will, the man both women trust. Ironically, Will is haunted by the unknown reason that Chet no longer trusted him, with no way to find out the why of his perceived betrayal.
While this book is a corporate mystery with fraud and cybersecurity story lines, the family drama plays out in both Will’s and Chet’s families. Charlotte and Will must address his fling and its aftermath and Amy and Andrea must address the breach between them and whether it can be mended.
All three of my books include dramatic family stories and feature the promise of “found family”—not the one you are born to, but the one you need. In Behind the Lies Amy is damaged by the situation with her father’s irresponsible parenthood during her mother’s illness in over-sharing that she lost a half-sibling and not just a mother. How she deals with it on her own, and how she and her father approached a potential reconciliation too late, is a lesson worth noting. Family bonds can be broken and sometimes repaired; character is revealed through personal family challenges.
July 18, 2024
The Second Wife
If you follow this blog, you know that I have been focusing on characters from my latest novel, Behind the Lies. A suspense story with plenty of free-ranging betrayal, it showcases the fast-paced life of Will Franklin, who faces unexpected professional and marital challenges while running an international biotechnology firm.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
So far I have written about Will the protagonist, Chet the boss, Bella the temptress and Charlotte, Will’s strong and brainy wife. All are posted on my website and easily accessible on Goodreads as well. Today I’ll write about Andrea, Chet’s wife.
Andrea is Chet’s second wife…That phrase always comes with questions.
In this case, Chet’s first wife committed suicide—I’ll not give away anything here as there’s a story to read. Andrea is the much younger second wife, some might describe her as the trophy wife of an older man who wants an attractive woman by his side to enjoy the life he has built. They meet cute at a venue Chet is surveilling before a big biotech conference gets underway while Andrea is a gig worker setting up some staging for an entertainment stage. Andrea is a novice set designer working in community theatre and not fully employed at the time. Regardless of the age difference it is a love match and their marriage is seemingly a happy one which produces a teen-age son by the time the novel picks up.
It is no great mystery why Andrea would turn to Will when Chet falls ill and is unresponsive. Andrea views Will as the trusted successor to Chet at BioteKem and has often heard him described as the son Chet never had. Will is her first call. Andrea leans on Will to navigate where and how to access care for Will and turns over Chet’s phone and laptop to the guy who can keep the company running. It is clear that Andrea doesn’t know there has been a rift between the two and is naive about how little Chet is still involved in running the company.
Will is surprised but relieved that she hasn’t heard from Chet about a supposed change of heart on Chet’s part about Will; he quickly realizes Andrea needs help and supports her through the illness and eventual death. Indeed, Charlotte, Will’s wife, helps Andrea on the home-front with groceries etc. and inadvertently becomes the confidante of the distraught second wife’s concerns about her marriage and Chet’s plans going forward. The two families grow closer. Will finds himself mediating the reunification of Andrea with Chet’s adult daughter Amy, estranged from Chet for years but evidently recently contacted by her father (without Andrea’s knowledge) to mend the rift.
Do the phone and laptop reveal the truth? Does Andrea want to know? What about the mysterious invoice that is mailed to her house?
This book is about betrayal —between wives and husbands, daughters and fathers, business geniuses and their competitors, hackers and their marks. It is also about grace, forgiveness, and new family bonds. I hope you enjoy untangling the twists in this novel as much as I enjoyed writing them. Happy Reading!
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
So far I have written about Will the protagonist, Chet the boss, Bella the temptress and Charlotte, Will’s strong and brainy wife. All are posted on my website and easily accessible on Goodreads as well. Today I’ll write about Andrea, Chet’s wife.
Andrea is Chet’s second wife…That phrase always comes with questions.
In this case, Chet’s first wife committed suicide—I’ll not give away anything here as there’s a story to read. Andrea is the much younger second wife, some might describe her as the trophy wife of an older man who wants an attractive woman by his side to enjoy the life he has built. They meet cute at a venue Chet is surveilling before a big biotech conference gets underway while Andrea is a gig worker setting up some staging for an entertainment stage. Andrea is a novice set designer working in community theatre and not fully employed at the time. Regardless of the age difference it is a love match and their marriage is seemingly a happy one which produces a teen-age son by the time the novel picks up.
It is no great mystery why Andrea would turn to Will when Chet falls ill and is unresponsive. Andrea views Will as the trusted successor to Chet at BioteKem and has often heard him described as the son Chet never had. Will is her first call. Andrea leans on Will to navigate where and how to access care for Will and turns over Chet’s phone and laptop to the guy who can keep the company running. It is clear that Andrea doesn’t know there has been a rift between the two and is naive about how little Chet is still involved in running the company.
Will is surprised but relieved that she hasn’t heard from Chet about a supposed change of heart on Chet’s part about Will; he quickly realizes Andrea needs help and supports her through the illness and eventual death. Indeed, Charlotte, Will’s wife, helps Andrea on the home-front with groceries etc. and inadvertently becomes the confidante of the distraught second wife’s concerns about her marriage and Chet’s plans going forward. The two families grow closer. Will finds himself mediating the reunification of Andrea with Chet’s adult daughter Amy, estranged from Chet for years but evidently recently contacted by her father (without Andrea’s knowledge) to mend the rift.
Do the phone and laptop reveal the truth? Does Andrea want to know? What about the mysterious invoice that is mailed to her house?
This book is about betrayal —between wives and husbands, daughters and fathers, business geniuses and their competitors, hackers and their marks. It is also about grace, forgiveness, and new family bonds. I hope you enjoy untangling the twists in this novel as much as I enjoyed writing them. Happy Reading!
June 19, 2024
Leaving the Stage
Again this month, I will focus on a character from my latest novel, Behind the Lies. A suspense story with plenty of free-ranging betrayal, it showcases the fast-paced life of Will Franklin, who faces unexpected professional and marital challenges while running an international biotechnology firm.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, Chet succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
This month it’s Chet’s turn to be in the limelight. Actually, it is fitting to use that phrase, as Chet is one of those guys who doesn’t know when it is time to leave the stage….so I’ll give him the spotlight now. For those of you who have read the book, you know Chet is a man of some mystery. You meet him first as he is angrily telling Will he is going to be fired but leaving him dangling as to why.
This represents quite the turn as until recently, Chet had referred to Will as the son he never had, and basked in the succession plan he engineered to hire Will and mentor him until BioteKem was on a steady course without him. What happened to change Chet’s mind, his plans and his support for his successor Will? Chet’s character is on the page after chapter three only as a morbidly ill patient so the plot unfolds through others in flashbacks or piecemeal tidbits pulled together by a desperate Will and others hoping to discover Chet’s mindset and the cause for his change of heart.
While the frame of the story is only 40 days, factors confound the discovery process while Will worries everyday that Chet has already set in motion his dismissal. Chet’s wife Andrea leans heavily on Will as Chet is hospitalized and a cyberattack paralyzes the company for a bit, delaying Will’s digging into what turned Chet against him. An estranged daughter of Chet’s coming into the story and Will’s own fling to manage just add more to the melodrama. I’ll avoid any spoilers here, but will unveil more of Chet’s character.
Chet Sutherland was a self-made man and a pioneer in taking a small company into a biotech giant on the world stage. Not a scientist himself, he had a knack for helping brilliant minds with inventive ideas get the financial support they needed by culling their ideas into concepts that would find commercial success. Kendall Square in Boston heralded a welcoming culture for these companies due in no small part to Sutherland’s moxie and business savvy in building it for success.
This focus cost him time away from his first family which caused an estrangement with the adult daughter he damaged along the way, and exposed a singular drive in the man which compromised his integrity—but as he became more successful, he reconciled the contrast by telling himself good works his company secured more than made up for that. He enjoyed the fruits of his stature and eventually re-married and lived the good life. As the time for his retirement drew near, his mind wandered a bit, temptation entered the picture and…well…things got messy.
The universality of succession—from monarchies to corporate titans is fraught with difficulty.
Chet is a contemporary figure who grew anxious in what he was about to give up….and found it increasingly distressing to consider leaving the stage to a younger man…a competitor.
Enjoy the read!
Maren
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, Chet succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
This month it’s Chet’s turn to be in the limelight. Actually, it is fitting to use that phrase, as Chet is one of those guys who doesn’t know when it is time to leave the stage….so I’ll give him the spotlight now. For those of you who have read the book, you know Chet is a man of some mystery. You meet him first as he is angrily telling Will he is going to be fired but leaving him dangling as to why.
This represents quite the turn as until recently, Chet had referred to Will as the son he never had, and basked in the succession plan he engineered to hire Will and mentor him until BioteKem was on a steady course without him. What happened to change Chet’s mind, his plans and his support for his successor Will? Chet’s character is on the page after chapter three only as a morbidly ill patient so the plot unfolds through others in flashbacks or piecemeal tidbits pulled together by a desperate Will and others hoping to discover Chet’s mindset and the cause for his change of heart.
While the frame of the story is only 40 days, factors confound the discovery process while Will worries everyday that Chet has already set in motion his dismissal. Chet’s wife Andrea leans heavily on Will as Chet is hospitalized and a cyberattack paralyzes the company for a bit, delaying Will’s digging into what turned Chet against him. An estranged daughter of Chet’s coming into the story and Will’s own fling to manage just add more to the melodrama. I’ll avoid any spoilers here, but will unveil more of Chet’s character.
Chet Sutherland was a self-made man and a pioneer in taking a small company into a biotech giant on the world stage. Not a scientist himself, he had a knack for helping brilliant minds with inventive ideas get the financial support they needed by culling their ideas into concepts that would find commercial success. Kendall Square in Boston heralded a welcoming culture for these companies due in no small part to Sutherland’s moxie and business savvy in building it for success.
This focus cost him time away from his first family which caused an estrangement with the adult daughter he damaged along the way, and exposed a singular drive in the man which compromised his integrity—but as he became more successful, he reconciled the contrast by telling himself good works his company secured more than made up for that. He enjoyed the fruits of his stature and eventually re-married and lived the good life. As the time for his retirement drew near, his mind wandered a bit, temptation entered the picture and…well…things got messy.
The universality of succession—from monarchies to corporate titans is fraught with difficulty.
Chet is a contemporary figure who grew anxious in what he was about to give up….and found it increasingly distressing to consider leaving the stage to a younger man…a competitor.
Enjoy the read!
Maren
May 16, 2024
Wifey
Over the past few months I have enjoyed focusing on characters from my latest novel, Behind the Lies. A suspense story with plenty of free-ranging betrayal, it showcases the fast-paced life of Will Franklin, who faces unexpected professional and marital challenges while running an international biotechnology firm.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
Next up in my blog writing schedule is Charlotte, Will’s wife in Behind the Lies. First pass at Charlotte would allow for an interpretation of a woman who lucked out and married a high-achiever with a solid path to success and riches. Big house, lifestyle of ease, one kid in an elite boarding school and one adorable lego-playing boy at home. This version would find Charlotte spending her time with ladies who lunch and adept at how to navigate to an expensive divorce attorney at the first hint of her husband’s infidelity.
But, let’s take a closer look at the enigmatic Charlotte—the woman behind the man. Will Franklin is a geeky, brilliant scientific mind key to a break-through at his Ivy League university who didn’t realize his own potential until Charlotte, the PR person assigned to publicize the news enlightened him, and shepherded him onto a path to monetize his talents and move to the biotech universe where his gifts were fully realized. While building trust the love match matured and together they strategized his career, always toward the goal of bringing more life-saving treatments to people like Will’s own parents, both of whom died early deaths witnessed by the young, impressionable Will.
That career journey took the couple to Asia and Europe for extended stints along the upward climb. It was Charlotte who engineered the promotional re-locations, gave birth to their two children and maintained a solid footing for her family. When BioteKem head-hunted Will to be their next CEO, it was Charlotte who saw the potential in this international biotech company and they moved back to the US, settling in Boston and bringing their family home.
When Will finds his footing as the successor CEO in waiting he doesn’t turn to Charlotte as often for advice and counsel and she ramps up her own career as a liaison between patients with incurable diseases looking for clinical trials that may help them. Charlotte is a devoted wife, mother and career woman with insight into the industry and human nature….which she will need as her husband trips into a fling with Bella, a young and beautiful rising star making waves with her own start-up company; could she have anything to do with the alleged impropriety?
Deeply hurt by her husband’s betrayal, Charlotte is eventually swayed by Will’s regret and apologies. The couple seeks therapy, keeping the family bonds intact while Will supports Chet’s family during his dire illness and death.
While protecting her heart, Charlotte always uses her head. It is Charlotte who connects the dots between Chet and Bella and has the capacity to look at the larger picture beyond Will’s situation to point in a direction that ultimately leads Will out of the mess he is in.
I enjoyed playing with the idea of Charlotte, seemingly the trophy wife, or ‘wifey’ of the successful man being seen for who she truly is. Women’s roles are often subjected to stereotypical thinking. I’m hoping Charlotte defied a bit of that.
A quick synopsis to catch you up—Biotech exec Will Franklin’s boss Chet angrily announces that he’s about to fire him for reasons vaguely suggesting impropriety; then, just hours later, he succumbs to a critical illness and lands in the hospital on a ventilator, leaving Will few clues with which to untangle the mystery of his possible transgressions. Can Will clear his name before it’s too late?
Next up in my blog writing schedule is Charlotte, Will’s wife in Behind the Lies. First pass at Charlotte would allow for an interpretation of a woman who lucked out and married a high-achiever with a solid path to success and riches. Big house, lifestyle of ease, one kid in an elite boarding school and one adorable lego-playing boy at home. This version would find Charlotte spending her time with ladies who lunch and adept at how to navigate to an expensive divorce attorney at the first hint of her husband’s infidelity.
But, let’s take a closer look at the enigmatic Charlotte—the woman behind the man. Will Franklin is a geeky, brilliant scientific mind key to a break-through at his Ivy League university who didn’t realize his own potential until Charlotte, the PR person assigned to publicize the news enlightened him, and shepherded him onto a path to monetize his talents and move to the biotech universe where his gifts were fully realized. While building trust the love match matured and together they strategized his career, always toward the goal of bringing more life-saving treatments to people like Will’s own parents, both of whom died early deaths witnessed by the young, impressionable Will.
That career journey took the couple to Asia and Europe for extended stints along the upward climb. It was Charlotte who engineered the promotional re-locations, gave birth to their two children and maintained a solid footing for her family. When BioteKem head-hunted Will to be their next CEO, it was Charlotte who saw the potential in this international biotech company and they moved back to the US, settling in Boston and bringing their family home.
When Will finds his footing as the successor CEO in waiting he doesn’t turn to Charlotte as often for advice and counsel and she ramps up her own career as a liaison between patients with incurable diseases looking for clinical trials that may help them. Charlotte is a devoted wife, mother and career woman with insight into the industry and human nature….which she will need as her husband trips into a fling with Bella, a young and beautiful rising star making waves with her own start-up company; could she have anything to do with the alleged impropriety?
Deeply hurt by her husband’s betrayal, Charlotte is eventually swayed by Will’s regret and apologies. The couple seeks therapy, keeping the family bonds intact while Will supports Chet’s family during his dire illness and death.
While protecting her heart, Charlotte always uses her head. It is Charlotte who connects the dots between Chet and Bella and has the capacity to look at the larger picture beyond Will’s situation to point in a direction that ultimately leads Will out of the mess he is in.
I enjoyed playing with the idea of Charlotte, seemingly the trophy wife, or ‘wifey’ of the successful man being seen for who she truly is. Women’s roles are often subjected to stereotypical thinking. I’m hoping Charlotte defied a bit of that.
April 17, 2024
Bella, Bella, Bella
Behind the Lies is my third novel, a suspenseful story about a guy, Will Franklin, who thinks he is on top of the world, as that world suddenly seems to be at risk of falling apart. My last blog “Good Guy or Bad Guy” addresses the conundrum of how readers find him….This blog will focus on one of the female characters in the book who is equally as provocative a character.
To fill you in, readers meet Will Franklin—former academic geek, recognized as a rare talent in the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ biotech industry—when he is in the wings for his dream job as next CEO of a global powerhouse. But after his boss, Chet, angrily tells him he is going to be fired and then falls ill, Will finds himself in the position of supporting Chet’s family through the hell of a dire illness. Just as suddenly, he finds his leadership ability tested by a crippling cyberattack that threatens the entire industry and leaves him with little time to untangle the mystery of whatever it is that Chet uncovered before he got sick.
With Chet comatose and the company under attack, Will admirably pulls things together, but worries that his lapse of judgment with Bella could be the impropriety that Chet alluded to which could cause his own marital collapse.
Bella is a puzzle—a Stanford PhD and Oxford scholar with specialties in biochemistry and immunology, she is the star founder of a start-up biotech company currently in product design, searching for angel investors to capitalize her big plans for changing the world. She is beautiful, young and possibly a schemer. Will meets her at a conference and she spins a web around him, enticing him to mentor her and tempting him into a fling. But what are her intentions, and why is Will so gullible?
Somehow, the combination of flattery and clear sex appeal worked quickly on Will. Happily married to his lovely wife Charlotte, but never popular with girls in his youth, his limbo status waiting in the wings for Chet to turn over leadership of the company leaves him vulnerable to the attentions from this up-and-coming star of biotech.
I wrote the character of Bella to capsulize the ‘fake it till you make it’ culture that can be found in business— especially in those areas we don’t understand well. Biotechnology—just the word itself leaves many confused. In our fast-paced world sometimes over-reliance on the brilliance of inventive minds leaves many in a quandary about even the questions to ask. A good example is the confusion about the use of artificial intelligence and how few of us are equipped to ward off the potential for bad behavior.
Good stewardship of the talents and treasures we are capable of producing cannot always be found. Sometimes we are blind to those who would take advantage of opportunities to swindle or influence for their own self-interest. Is that Bella?
Is she evil or just an opportunist? Is she motivated to use ‘smoke and mirrors’ to confound or just to quicken her pace to develop a product she truly believes will change the world? Some will find her use of her feminine charms despicable, but not unique to her. Her success with Will may be her modus operandi, or did she have genuine feelings for him? And what of Chet?
I thoroughly enjoyed developing Bella as a character—an opportunist driven by avarice who lacks the patience to take the conventional road to success. I hope you find her entertaining, a head-scratcher. But I wonder if her short-cuts will compromise her in the long term?
Next time, I’ll tackle a new character from Behind the Lies. Thanks for reading!
Maren
To fill you in, readers meet Will Franklin—former academic geek, recognized as a rare talent in the ‘fake it ’til you make it’ biotech industry—when he is in the wings for his dream job as next CEO of a global powerhouse. But after his boss, Chet, angrily tells him he is going to be fired and then falls ill, Will finds himself in the position of supporting Chet’s family through the hell of a dire illness. Just as suddenly, he finds his leadership ability tested by a crippling cyberattack that threatens the entire industry and leaves him with little time to untangle the mystery of whatever it is that Chet uncovered before he got sick.
With Chet comatose and the company under attack, Will admirably pulls things together, but worries that his lapse of judgment with Bella could be the impropriety that Chet alluded to which could cause his own marital collapse.
Bella is a puzzle—a Stanford PhD and Oxford scholar with specialties in biochemistry and immunology, she is the star founder of a start-up biotech company currently in product design, searching for angel investors to capitalize her big plans for changing the world. She is beautiful, young and possibly a schemer. Will meets her at a conference and she spins a web around him, enticing him to mentor her and tempting him into a fling. But what are her intentions, and why is Will so gullible?
Somehow, the combination of flattery and clear sex appeal worked quickly on Will. Happily married to his lovely wife Charlotte, but never popular with girls in his youth, his limbo status waiting in the wings for Chet to turn over leadership of the company leaves him vulnerable to the attentions from this up-and-coming star of biotech.
I wrote the character of Bella to capsulize the ‘fake it till you make it’ culture that can be found in business— especially in those areas we don’t understand well. Biotechnology—just the word itself leaves many confused. In our fast-paced world sometimes over-reliance on the brilliance of inventive minds leaves many in a quandary about even the questions to ask. A good example is the confusion about the use of artificial intelligence and how few of us are equipped to ward off the potential for bad behavior.
Good stewardship of the talents and treasures we are capable of producing cannot always be found. Sometimes we are blind to those who would take advantage of opportunities to swindle or influence for their own self-interest. Is that Bella?
Is she evil or just an opportunist? Is she motivated to use ‘smoke and mirrors’ to confound or just to quicken her pace to develop a product she truly believes will change the world? Some will find her use of her feminine charms despicable, but not unique to her. Her success with Will may be her modus operandi, or did she have genuine feelings for him? And what of Chet?
I thoroughly enjoyed developing Bella as a character—an opportunist driven by avarice who lacks the patience to take the conventional road to success. I hope you find her entertaining, a head-scratcher. But I wonder if her short-cuts will compromise her in the long term?
Next time, I’ll tackle a new character from Behind the Lies. Thanks for reading!
Maren
March 21, 2024
Good Guy or Bad Guy
Now that I have launched three novels in four years, I can say that launch time is the craziest time in the publishing cycle of a book. Behind the Lies hit the market November 14th of 2023.
It was a frenetic few months leading to that date. Lots of interviews and social media and preparation for book events with booksellers and venues. And, then, the holidays hit, and everyone seemed to take a deep breath—including me!
There are some spill-over events this spring and planned through the year which I am looking forward to and know I will enjoy. The reality of scheduling beyond the actual launch is a perk as it allows time for readers to discover the book and in many cases, read it before I meet them for an event.
Clearly, launch time is crazy fun for sure, but my favorite time is now—just a few months after the book enters the fray. Now, as I meet friends, family and early readers in this new year, I’m happy to chat with them about their reading experience. Reading reviews is always interesting, but an event later or chance encounter to have a one-to-one chat with someone who has read the book is lovely.
Last week I ran into a reader who complimented me on the new book, and proceeded to ask me many questions about how my story line came about, what inspired me to get inside a cyberattack in biotech and how did I keep track of the many characters as I developed the plot lines of the book. It was a fun conversation, and I was so engaged that I indulged my curiosity to ask my own burning question. “What did you think of Will Franklin?”
The open-ended question seemed to puzzle the person, who looked askance for a moment and then countered with “What do you mean?”
Eager to keep the conversation going, and put the person at ease, I quickly added, “Well, would you call him a good guy or a bad guy?”
What I didn’t share was that writing Will as a character was a struggle for me. As the protagonist around whom the story is built, Will’s persona, his essence, his flaws and strengths are the skeletal bones around which the other characters must rotate. Throughout my writing journey with the book, I second guessed myself continually.
Readers meet Will Franklin—former academic geek, recognized as a rare talent in the “fake it ’til you make it” biotech industry—when he is in the wings for his dream job as next CEO of a global powerhouse. But after his boss, Chet, angrily tells him he is going to be fired and then falls ill, Will finds himself in the position of supporting Chet’s family through the hell of a dire illness. Just as suddenly, he finds his leadership ability tested by a crippling cyberattack that threatens the entire industry and leaves him with little time to untangle the mystery of whatever it is that Chet uncovered before he got sick.
Admirable effort, but what of his lapse in judgment with Bella, which could be the impropriety Chet alluded to, and the cause of impending marital collapse?
After a thoughtful delay, she smiled “Oh, he was a fool—for sure, the affair was stupid, and could have de-railed him totally. But in the end, he redeemed himself big-time.” A long pause and then she added, “And, Will learned a valuable message in the process. Now, Bella, she’s something else altogether…”
I’ll live with that answer. Next time, I’ll address Bella.
It was a frenetic few months leading to that date. Lots of interviews and social media and preparation for book events with booksellers and venues. And, then, the holidays hit, and everyone seemed to take a deep breath—including me!
There are some spill-over events this spring and planned through the year which I am looking forward to and know I will enjoy. The reality of scheduling beyond the actual launch is a perk as it allows time for readers to discover the book and in many cases, read it before I meet them for an event.
Clearly, launch time is crazy fun for sure, but my favorite time is now—just a few months after the book enters the fray. Now, as I meet friends, family and early readers in this new year, I’m happy to chat with them about their reading experience. Reading reviews is always interesting, but an event later or chance encounter to have a one-to-one chat with someone who has read the book is lovely.
Last week I ran into a reader who complimented me on the new book, and proceeded to ask me many questions about how my story line came about, what inspired me to get inside a cyberattack in biotech and how did I keep track of the many characters as I developed the plot lines of the book. It was a fun conversation, and I was so engaged that I indulged my curiosity to ask my own burning question. “What did you think of Will Franklin?”
The open-ended question seemed to puzzle the person, who looked askance for a moment and then countered with “What do you mean?”
Eager to keep the conversation going, and put the person at ease, I quickly added, “Well, would you call him a good guy or a bad guy?”
What I didn’t share was that writing Will as a character was a struggle for me. As the protagonist around whom the story is built, Will’s persona, his essence, his flaws and strengths are the skeletal bones around which the other characters must rotate. Throughout my writing journey with the book, I second guessed myself continually.
Readers meet Will Franklin—former academic geek, recognized as a rare talent in the “fake it ’til you make it” biotech industry—when he is in the wings for his dream job as next CEO of a global powerhouse. But after his boss, Chet, angrily tells him he is going to be fired and then falls ill, Will finds himself in the position of supporting Chet’s family through the hell of a dire illness. Just as suddenly, he finds his leadership ability tested by a crippling cyberattack that threatens the entire industry and leaves him with little time to untangle the mystery of whatever it is that Chet uncovered before he got sick.
Admirable effort, but what of his lapse in judgment with Bella, which could be the impropriety Chet alluded to, and the cause of impending marital collapse?
After a thoughtful delay, she smiled “Oh, he was a fool—for sure, the affair was stupid, and could have de-railed him totally. But in the end, he redeemed himself big-time.” A long pause and then she added, “And, Will learned a valuable message in the process. Now, Bella, she’s something else altogether…”
I’ll live with that answer. Next time, I’ll address Bella.
Book Club Love
Still jazzed that I made my book club appearance this month—not as a speaker, but as a participant. My own book club meets monthly and has been for over 30 years, but scheduling conflicts kept me away for the past two months. I was busy promoting Behind the Lies, my third novel published in mid-November. Plus the holiday season invited total immersion in family and festivities so I unplugged for awhile.
Every book club is unique and mine is no exception. Our rules have evolved over the years and so have the members—even though we have lost certain members to re-location, and others to long absences, the core group has been together for much of that time and if 12 of the 14 of us gather, we consider it a full house.
When we started, the club met at 7:30 on a week-night. Wine was paired with a snack while we discussed the book and then we would have coffee and a sweet for the after business catch-up. Later, we moved to 7PM as we yielded to the realities of demanding careers and growing families which made for a tighter time-line.
During the COVID years, we zoomed, totally worthwhile although numbing. After the pandemic was declared almost over we dared meet together socially.
And, now that the last of us has retired, we acquiesced to the few who dared admit to not wanting to drive at night and declared 2 PM as the new meeting time. After a year, everyone is delighted with this new order. Although, one of our members arrived at the host’s home at 7 PM not long ago having forgotten the new time! You know how it is with old habits—hard to give up sometimes.
This is a hearty crew of women who have remained steadfast to reading our book choices month by month for many years. I still have a paper file from the early years, with hand-drawn maps of hostess residences before navigation systems took over. We regularly have debates about whether we have read a certain book before—and someone has to find the paper schedule to verify their memory.
For me, the inauguration of the book club was a celebration that my own interests could finally take a place in my busy life where child-rearing and career held priority placement. What a pleasure to carve out a few hours a month to meet with other readers to discuss the book we had selected to read together. Now, we have become a community that I count on.
Through life’s peaks and valleys these women have been a mainstay. The pleasure of their company, and a good book to discuss is one of the joys I look forward to every month. I take pleasure in the new and different books/genres we discover every year. Our choices are diverse, and could never be described as stale. We prepare carefully for the competitive pitching we do every September to choose the books we want to read for the year. In the last ten years or so, we agreed to two books a month to get more books on the coveted chosen list!
I love my book club! If you are a reader, I hope you have one—or can start one. Happily, my grandson and son have started one. I love the idea of intergenerational book clubs and hope it takes off. To engage with different age groups over ideas and expressions of the human condition is a great way to form the bonds of community.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy reading!
Every book club is unique and mine is no exception. Our rules have evolved over the years and so have the members—even though we have lost certain members to re-location, and others to long absences, the core group has been together for much of that time and if 12 of the 14 of us gather, we consider it a full house.
When we started, the club met at 7:30 on a week-night. Wine was paired with a snack while we discussed the book and then we would have coffee and a sweet for the after business catch-up. Later, we moved to 7PM as we yielded to the realities of demanding careers and growing families which made for a tighter time-line.
During the COVID years, we zoomed, totally worthwhile although numbing. After the pandemic was declared almost over we dared meet together socially.
And, now that the last of us has retired, we acquiesced to the few who dared admit to not wanting to drive at night and declared 2 PM as the new meeting time. After a year, everyone is delighted with this new order. Although, one of our members arrived at the host’s home at 7 PM not long ago having forgotten the new time! You know how it is with old habits—hard to give up sometimes.
This is a hearty crew of women who have remained steadfast to reading our book choices month by month for many years. I still have a paper file from the early years, with hand-drawn maps of hostess residences before navigation systems took over. We regularly have debates about whether we have read a certain book before—and someone has to find the paper schedule to verify their memory.
For me, the inauguration of the book club was a celebration that my own interests could finally take a place in my busy life where child-rearing and career held priority placement. What a pleasure to carve out a few hours a month to meet with other readers to discuss the book we had selected to read together. Now, we have become a community that I count on.
Through life’s peaks and valleys these women have been a mainstay. The pleasure of their company, and a good book to discuss is one of the joys I look forward to every month. I take pleasure in the new and different books/genres we discover every year. Our choices are diverse, and could never be described as stale. We prepare carefully for the competitive pitching we do every September to choose the books we want to read for the year. In the last ten years or so, we agreed to two books a month to get more books on the coveted chosen list!
I love my book club! If you are a reader, I hope you have one—or can start one. Happily, my grandson and son have started one. I love the idea of intergenerational book clubs and hope it takes off. To engage with different age groups over ideas and expressions of the human condition is a great way to form the bonds of community.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy reading!
Out in the World
Behind the Lies, my third novel and first mystery, is officially out in the world! A wonderful milestone in a somewhat arduous process. Getting a book published is no easy feat! Writing the novel itself is the most intellectually satisfying part for me. I start with loosely developed characters and then build out the personality traits as I create a story line to challenge my view of the characters, making tweaks along the way.
In this book, I wasn’t sure I was writing a thriller until I was. The creative process for me is more a meander than a worn path to follow and the fun part is connecting the plot points once you take a risk and put more than one out there. The detours are where it gets interesting.
Once I had the story down and tested the structure with my developmental editor, I submitted the manuscript for copy edit and the several rounds of proofing that ensure a final copy without flaws. Concurrently, the designers work on book cover design, layout and type. If this sounds simple, it really isn’t. Each of the above steps is laborious, in a good way, and while I have worked with She Writes Press for all three of my novels, and with many of the same team for each, I must say that every book is viewed as unique and goes through a thorough process before finally approved for print.
Now what? The book is out there—and time will tell how it will be received. I solicited some early readers and reviewers to help ‘label’ the book for potential readers. Watching the labeling process unfold is eye-opening—and a bit unnerving. I am reminded that a book is filtered through a reader’s world view and the discovery of those viewpoints is fascinating to this writer. Here is a case in point:
“Maren Cooper combines a smooth blend of mystery and intrigue with a healthy dose of family drama in this absorbing thriller that may remind readers of hit corporate TV shows like Mad Men or Suits….Behind the Lies is an enthralling corporate drama novel.”
Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
Of course, I immediately started streaming Suits to understand this perspective! No surprise, I could see the connection—and I really like Suits!
The most emotionally satisfying part of writing a novel is hearing from readers about my work. And, launch time is rich in audience reaction. This past week-end I participated in an event at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and was proud and humbled to hear from readers of my previous books and the interest in this book number 3.
For those of you in my geographical area, I have a few more live events scheduled through early December, and will no doubt have more after the holidays. In addition, I have been interviewed a couple of times and will share the links here FYI.
November and December Events:
Bookstore at Fitger’s
600 E. Superior St., Duluth
November 25th—4-6 PM
Milkweed Books
1011 Washington Ave, So., Mpls
November 29- 6 PM
Once Upon a Crime Bookstore
604 W. 26th St, Mpls
December 2—12-2 PM
Interviews:
https://strandmag.com/interview-with-...
https://indiecrimescene.blogspot.com/
Posting 11/17/23—https://mysteryreviewcrew.com/categor...
Next time, I plan to elaborate on my main characters. In the meantime, happy reading!
Maren
In this book, I wasn’t sure I was writing a thriller until I was. The creative process for me is more a meander than a worn path to follow and the fun part is connecting the plot points once you take a risk and put more than one out there. The detours are where it gets interesting.
Once I had the story down and tested the structure with my developmental editor, I submitted the manuscript for copy edit and the several rounds of proofing that ensure a final copy without flaws. Concurrently, the designers work on book cover design, layout and type. If this sounds simple, it really isn’t. Each of the above steps is laborious, in a good way, and while I have worked with She Writes Press for all three of my novels, and with many of the same team for each, I must say that every book is viewed as unique and goes through a thorough process before finally approved for print.
Now what? The book is out there—and time will tell how it will be received. I solicited some early readers and reviewers to help ‘label’ the book for potential readers. Watching the labeling process unfold is eye-opening—and a bit unnerving. I am reminded that a book is filtered through a reader’s world view and the discovery of those viewpoints is fascinating to this writer. Here is a case in point:
“Maren Cooper combines a smooth blend of mystery and intrigue with a healthy dose of family drama in this absorbing thriller that may remind readers of hit corporate TV shows like Mad Men or Suits….Behind the Lies is an enthralling corporate drama novel.”
Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
Of course, I immediately started streaming Suits to understand this perspective! No surprise, I could see the connection—and I really like Suits!
The most emotionally satisfying part of writing a novel is hearing from readers about my work. And, launch time is rich in audience reaction. This past week-end I participated in an event at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center and was proud and humbled to hear from readers of my previous books and the interest in this book number 3.
For those of you in my geographical area, I have a few more live events scheduled through early December, and will no doubt have more after the holidays. In addition, I have been interviewed a couple of times and will share the links here FYI.
November and December Events:
Bookstore at Fitger’s
600 E. Superior St., Duluth
November 25th—4-6 PM
Milkweed Books
1011 Washington Ave, So., Mpls
November 29- 6 PM
Once Upon a Crime Bookstore
604 W. 26th St, Mpls
December 2—12-2 PM
Interviews:
https://strandmag.com/interview-with-...
https://indiecrimescene.blogspot.com/
Posting 11/17/23—https://mysteryreviewcrew.com/categor...
Next time, I plan to elaborate on my main characters. In the meantime, happy reading!
Maren
