Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog

Are you a reader who loves the feel and smell of real books? I am. There’s nothing better than cozying up with a new book where I can skip ahead or back or scribble notes in the margin, while never needing a power cord.

And when the book is discounted too… well… it’s a no-brainer.

That’s why I am partnering with Tertulia, an online service that offers substantial discounts on newly released print books. For example, how would you like a 50% discount on your first book? Pretty cool.

Here’s how it works:

This link takes you to Max’s War which is on their site. Max’s War is my upcoming historical novel, and it will be formally released April 9. (The print version will be out April 2). It’s an epic WW2 story that begins in Germany in 1932 and ends in 1945. It’s both a coming of age tale and one of the first fictional accounts of the Ritchie Boys. For those who don’t know, the Ritchie Boys were a group of young German Jewish immigrants who got out of Hitler’s Germany before the war started and came to the US because they wanted to fight Nazis. They either enlisted or were drafted into the Army, where they interrogated German POWs and gathered intelligence on German troop movements. All told, there were about two thousand of them.

Back to Tertulia…

If Max’s War is your first preorder on the site, you’ll get a 50% discount! After that you have a choice of a 20% discount OR 25% off when you sign up for a 30-day trial of their offerings. And why wouldn’t you? It’s almost too good to be true… print copies for about the same price as an ebook.

The books are printed by Ingram; exactly what other bookstores distribute. So you know they’ll be professional and colorful.

In fact, I’m not seeing any downside to this, are you?

Try it out and make Max your first pre-order so you can get that 50% discount! (It goes without saying how grateful I’d be)… Then sign up for a regular discount going forward.

Thanks. You won’t be disappointed.

Libby

The post STILL A PRINT JUNKIE? appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

So… several years ago I was called for Jury Duty down at the Daley Center, which for those of you not from Chicago, is both the city and Cook County courthouse in the heart of the Loop. It mostly tries civil cases, ie lawsuits. As it happens, I don’t mind being called for jury duty. It is my responsibility, and I take it seriously. In fact, I’ve kind of wanted to be put on a murder case, and I was questioned for a murder trial. Unfortunately, they rejected me, and I haven’t yet had the privilege of serving on a jury. Maybe today would be different.

Follow along. This is what we call a Chicago story.

I arrived at 8:30 AM as instructed. I went to the jury room where after about 45 minutes we were shown a video about the rights and responsibilities of being a juror. I didn’t realize that America is the only country in the world that allows a litigant a jury trial if they wish. Yay USA.

Btw, Timothy Evans, who used to be a firebrand alderman, is now the Chief Judge of Cook County. Boy, has he changed! I sense he likes the life. And a younger, mustachioed Lester Holt was the on-camera narrator. It may be time to update the video, guys.

I was assigned to Jury pool #1, and I promptly thought, “Wow! This could be a short day.” I waited (that’s mostly what you do when you’re called for jury duty) for them to start calling the pools. Imagine my disappointment when the first up was #11. I sagged. The second was #12. More sagging. But the 3rd call was my resurrection: it was Pool #1!

Off I went, with about 35 of my newest best buddies to the 24th floor, where, of course, we waited again, for about half an hour.

At about 10 AM, we were led into the courtroom. Plaintiff, defense… each with two lawyers on either side. The judge welcomed us talked a little about what we should expect, that it would be a one day trial, and that it involved a traffic accident in a parking garage.

My blood pressure shot up. Yeah, I knew I was in for a civil case. But a traffic accident? In a parking garage? Really?

The judge gave a few more details, then asked if any of us wanted to make a comment after voir dire. I raised my hand.

The lawyers asked questions… if one of the principals in the case wanted to become a pastor, would that be a problem for us? Nope. If another did a stint in rehab, was that a problem? Nope. Had any of us been the victims of a crime? If so, what? (I was mugged at Maggianos 8 years ago. Unharmed, but trapped in the revolving door while my wallet was lifted). No big deal.

Then the defense lawyer asked the most convoluted question I’ve ever heard. For a writer, that’s a CODE BLUE… if you can’t fricking understand the question, how can you answer it? Apparently everyone agreed, because the lawyer tried to rephrase it and asked, “Does that make any sense?”

I piped up and said No. For some reason, everyone in the courtroom laughed. Including the judge who said, well, I guess you have your answer.

Twenty minutes later they called the people who’d wanted to make a comment into the judge’s chambers. I was the last to be called. I went in. The lawyers were there, the judge behind his desk.

“Well, Hello author,” he said cheerfully. “Are you any relation to Lillian?”

I winced. I get that all the time. “I only wish…”

“So what do you want to say to us?”

I took a breath. “I’m sorry, your honor. I know I’m being unfair. But I’m already prejudiced about this case.”

“Why?”

“I realize I don’t know the facts of the case, but it sounds to me that this is a frivolous lawsuit that should have been settled a long time ago. There are so many more important issues that the Cook County ought to be considering that I am honestly irritated that I have to deal with what might turn out to be a fender bender. It’s a waste of the court’s resources and energies.”

The judge stared at me. The lawyers’ faces turned red. There was silence in the room.

Then the judge laced his hands behind his head. “Well now, Ms. Hellmann. Based on your comments, I think you would be a PERFECT juror down at 26th and Cal. And I’m going to see that you go there.”

Again, for those of you who don’t know, 26th and Cal is the criminal courthouse for Cook County. That’s where they adjudicate the murders, the drug deals, the armed robberies, etc.

Now as far as I know, the judge didn’t know I was a crime fiction author, although I suspect that the lawyers, all of whom had laptops, probably Googled me before I came in. And it’s not that I don’t want to go down there. It’s just that I need to plan for it. It takes over an hour to drive from where I live, and I have to do something about the dog, if I’m going to be gone all day. But that’s not what you say to a judge.

I knew what he was saying. He knew what I was saying. And we both knew I wasn’t going to be on this jury.

“Whatever you think, Judge,” I said.

This could have been the end of the story. But hey, this is Chicago.

The judge and lawyers came back into the courtroom and announced who was on the jury. I wasn’t, of course. Then the judge said, “The rest of you can go back to the jury pool room, collect your checks, and go home.

Except for Ms. Hellmann.”

Everyone looked at me. I smiled at the Judge. The sheriff’s deputy escorted me down to the jury pool room and told the clerk behind the counter that I was NOT excused and that the judge wanted me re-assigned to 26th and Cal.

The clerk frowned. I knew he was thinking “WTF?” He asked me to step aside while he handed over checks to the other excused jurors.

I waited. Again. About twenty minutes.

Then he motioned me over. “I think I know what’s going on,” he said. “You’re the type that marches to a different drummer, aren’t you?”

“Not really,” I said. “All I did was tell the judge I thought it was a frivolous lawsuit.”

“Ahh…” the clerk said, and nodded. Then he cocked his head. I knew he had a weighty decision to make.

Finally he said, “I’m not gettin’ involved in this. Here’s your check. Take it and get out of here before anyone else sees you.”

I mouthed the words “Thank you,” took my check, and hurried to the elevator before he could change his mind.

Don’t you love Chicago?

The post Jury Duty: My Day At The Daley Center appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

I wrote my first novel in 1996. It was arguably the worst novel that’s ever been written, and after I realized that, I began a second one. I joined a writers’ group around the same time, and the novel that came out of that effort was certainly better than the first. So I queried a bunch of agents. (That’s what you did back in 1997). Imagine my surprise when one of the agents responded and asked for the full manuscript. Imagine my joy when, after reading it, he asked to represent me!

I was on my way. I’d snagged a New York agent on my second book. I was pretty hot stuff! As he sent it out, I started a sequel to that manuscript. It was even better than the original. Things were humming along.

Flash forward 6 months. I’d been getting copies of the rejection letters he sent me. But I was still optimistic. After all, it was harder to land an agent than to get published, people told me. Things would eventually work out. I wasn’t prepared for the phone call that came. It went something like this:

“Libby, I haven’t been able to sell your book.”

“I know. But don’t worry. I have a sequel. And it’s even better. Tighter. More suspense. Better characterization. And narrative. And dialogue.”

“I don’t think you’re hearing me. I don’t think I can sell a novel with those characters. I think you need to change your characters. Change your voice. Change your plots. And, btw, I think you need to change agents too, because I don’t want to represent you anymore.”

After I picked myself off the floor, I did what anyone in my situation would do. I drank an entire bottle of wine. Once I sobered up, I realized I had to make a decision. I had now written three books, none of which had been published. Maybe it was time to hang it up. Forget this writing thing.

But I’m a stubborn soul when I want to be. I didn’t quit. I started a new story. With new characters. New settings. And a new voice. That book became AN EYE FOR MURDER and was the first of many novels I have now published. 

I guess you have to give the devil his due. That agent was right. BTW, I heard he left the business soon after he fired me.

The post My First Agent appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

Every coin has two sides. I wrote about the things I hate most about writing fiction, so I will flip the coin to look at the aspects of authorship that give me a buzz.  

Research – Hunting for facts and context

I love the constant learning, the thrill of the chase, the meticulous search for facts and context. Research helps me plot. For example, in An Image Of Death, my third Ellie Foreman novel, I needed the backstory for the woman who is killed in the first chapter. For some reason (I’m still not sure why), I decided she was from Armenia and had grown up under a Communist regime. I started to delve into research about Armenia and among other things, discovered a huge earthquake had occurred in 1988. It was so damaging that Soviet troops were sent in to help with the clean-up. But those troops were poorly equipped and many of them became ill. The rescuers needed to be rescued. I placed Arin, the young woman, in a hospital where she volunteered to care for the soldiers. She meets a young officer in the Army, they fall in love, and they both move to a Soviet Army base in Soviet Georgia. That move, coincidentally, was three years before the collapse of the USSR, so I had MORE history to incorporate and drive the plot forward.

In another life, I was a journalist. In the early days of writing crime fiction, I often regretted giving it up. But I soon realized there was no need to miss out. The research side of writing fiction has filled the gap, and it’s a great way to for me to keep learning.

Plotting – Twists and Turns

Speaking of plot, I love the complexity of creating a story. Coming up with unique plot twists is even more satisfying. It’s not easy, but, as an editor once told me, if you have created three-dimensional characters, they will tell you what they want to do. I thought she was crazy at the time—I was their creator, and I certainly wasn’t channelling Shirley MacLaine. But that editor was right. I needed to step back and stop manipulating them into boxes they didn’t want to enter, for the sole reason that I thought they should. It was at that point that I stopped outlining and began to let the plot evolve organically. That doesn’t mean I don’t confront them with obstacles or Hobsian choices. Or pave the way for a surprise twist. I enjoy putting the pieces of the puzzle together – the only hard part is writing them. 

Diving into different subgenres

Subgenres. They’re a personal challenge for me, but in a good way. Stepping out of my comfort zone wakes me up, keeps me fresh and comes with all sorts of enjoyable knotty complications. I often say I’m “writing my way around the genre,” and with my collection of suspense novels, PI novels, historical thrillers, amateur sleuth novels, and even a cozy, I suppose that’s true. The crime fiction canvas is broader than simply a “whodunit,” and I’m continually surprised, fascinated, and challenged by what other authors have brought to the genre. I’ve written dark, I’ve written light, I’ve written despair, I’ve written hope. In fact, the mental and emotional roads I travel while writing a crime novel provide me with a palette rich in creativity, which makes it an exciting journey. 

Editing – The pleasure of perfection

Even though it’s the hardest part of writing for me, I believe in Annie LaMott’s Shitty First Drafts. You would not believe how awful my first drafts really are. Phrases, unfinished sentences, no punctuation, incomplete thoughts. I used to call it “Writing Ugly.” Happily though, editing is one of my favorite parts of the process. I’ll go back and revise, expand, and finesse it until it’s smooth enough to read to my Writers’ Group. They will invariably have comments and suggestions, which I listen to. Once the entire novel is done, I usually send it to a developmental editor. Hopefully, the hardest work will have been done: plot, context, characters and motivations, the suspense and the settings. But if one or more of those elements are missing or unclear, a good developmental editor will find them. In fact, I believe every author deserves a developmental editor. They really are trying to make it a better book. When the edits come back, I take great pleasure in clarifying, polishing, cutting, embellishing and re-ordering. The truth is if I didn’t have a deadline, I would probably still be editing my first novel.

Book covers – Reality at last

A bright, shiny new book cover is another favorite part of the process for me. It’s like getting a birthday present — it makes the book real. It’s no longer just a collection of manuscript pages, it’s whole and full of personality, attitude, and color. When the design mirrors the mood and content of the book, it’s a job well done, and it means my job is finished… until I start the next book.    

Even though there are parts about writing I hat, somewhere along the road I must have decided the good outweighs the bad, or I’d have given my writing career up years ago. I would have done something else, like become a lawyer (which I seriously thought about until I got my law board scores back), a film director, or a teacher.

What do you love most about your job?

Whether or not you’re an author, it’d be fun to know what you love most about your job. Why not leave a comment?

The post 5 things I love about writing thrillers appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

When I began writing crime fiction, I remember lots of chatter about the perfect murder weapon. The undetected murder. The exotic substance that couldn’t be identified. I heard about poisons like oleander, foxglove, arsenic, and — moving up the hazardous bio-chemical scale — cyanide, sarin, and anthrax. Indeed, I flirted with ricin in one of my novels. I remember hearing the old saw about the perfect murder weapon being a sharp icicle and thinking it was pretty clever.

However, the more I write, the more the manner of death has become a distraction. I realize I don’t really care how someone is killed. The fact that they were alive one moment and weren’t the next is enough. The fact that a killer used what he or she thought was an undetectable poison (which, btw, toxicologists say that given enough time and the right equipment, “undetectable” is a myth) is superfluous and less important than the killer’s motivation and character. The passion or fear or hatred or greed that drives a person to commit murder is more compelling than how they did it. So I’m more interested in why they died.

There’s something else, too. Murder is a heinous act. It’s perhaps the most profane act one human can perform on another. Because I don’t treat it lightly, I’m finding it more difficult to appreciate humorous crime fiction these days. I’m not talking about black humor – that’s something I think we all embrace when trying to deal with the unacceptable. What I’m talking about are the bouncy, breezy stories that show an otherwise normal person solving crimes on their lunch hour or summer vacation.

I’m sure they’re done with the best intentions – to emphasize the counterpoint between the gravity of murder and the joy of life. Indeed, I’ve done it myself. My amateur sleuth, Ellie Fo0reman, has a dry sense of humor and isn’t afraid to be foolish.  And even PI Georgia Davis takes a day of once in a while. Still, I find I’m less willing to write murder scenes. Maybe it’s because I’m getting to an age where life seems more precious every day. Maybe it’s because people, some of them friends, are being struck down before their time. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t sit right – at least for me — to deal with a death which could have been avoided and then giggle about it. That’s probably why Georgia came to be.

What do you think? Does the manner of death make a difference in crime fiction? What about humor? How far can you take it? Am I just being cranky?

The post How To Commit The Perfect Murder: Let Me Count the Ways appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

After 36 years in the same house, I’m finally downsizing. I bought a wonderful condo about two miles from the house, and I close in September. Now comes the rush to put the house on the market. Painters, handymen, floor people, my realtor, and the stager have been in and out, all of them dispensing liberal advice on how the house should look. White walls. Hardwood floors.

No pictures on the walls. Hardwood floors. Windows washed. Books taken off shelves. Did I mention hardwood floors?

So I’m now stripping everything down, sometimes packing, sometimes just getting things into boxes to be packed properly later. As you can imagine, thirty-six years has revealed a LOT of stuff, and I’m having mini-meltdowns at the thought of Actually. Throwing. Things. Away. I’m not a hoarder, but I’ve come across possessions that I just couldn’t decide whether to keep or jettison. Some are sentimental, some are beautiful, and some are relics that make me feel I’ll be losing part of myself if I toss them.

Ultimately, I did make decisions. And now I want to run them by YOU. Would you keep any of the items below? Or would you throw them away? The person who comes closest to what I actually did wins! And hmm… what should the prize be? How about a free book of mine? You choose. Sound good? Here we go…

The picture every college kid who thinks they’re somewhat intellectual has on their wall.

A sticker that was meant to stoke us for the “Big Game”

My first press pass in DC, which gets you in everywhere.

The Silver Anvil and Golden Trumpet awards that PR people give to each other for good programs (I was part of the team).

A teapot that’s been cracked and reglued so many times it’s beginning to lose its shape (I have no idea where I got it).

SO… what do you think? What am I keeping? And what am I tossing?

Reply in the comments.

The post I’m Moving, So Here’s A Guessing Game For You appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

My two-week sojourn across Italy is over, and I’m in the UK for a little R&R. Home this weekend. It was a marvelous trip, and I met some terrific women, mostly from Arizona, as is the guide, author, and tour leader, Corinna Cooke. Her small 5-person group tours are a treat, and I strongly encourage you to find out more about them and her here.

Corinna also taught me about the video app Temply, an amazing production and editing phone app for Stories, Reels and other short videos, and I’m having a wonderful time experimenting with it. OK.. at this point I’m just a beginner, but like every beginner who craves praise, I thought I’d share some of my modest efforts.

The first is a quick look at Anghari, a beautiful village in the hills of Tuscany. It was almost impossible to take a bad photo here; everyone takes such care of their homes with flowers and cats making a shot irreplaceable. Corinna uses better music than I (right now) because I don’t know how to mix IG music with Temply yet, but here’s what I came up with.

Italy, and Tuscany in particular, have the most delicious looking pastries in the world. (I dare you to disagree with me). And because they’re all made without the crap the US adds to flour, fruit, and creams, they’re much healthier than ours. Yes, I have a Sweet Tooth. Do you?

Finally, the Amalfi Coast would not be the same without a view of the Blue Grotto, which we saw with all 5 of us piled into one small boat. Here is that magical place. How does the water stay so blue?

I’ll continue working on my editing skills. I might even move on to people in the next one. ENJOY!!

The post TWO WEEKS IN ITALY appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

While I’m temporarily on vacation, I know many of you women readers have careers in which we must speak publicly. If you’re one of those women, read on!

I’ve just been interviewed as part of an amazing panel of 21 experts on the topic of powerful communication and speaking for professional women. The interviews are AWESOME. 

 They include some of the most outstanding women in this field (plus a couple of men. Credentialed, TEDx speakers who have trained celebrities and been featured on TV. Women who have written best selling books on the subject. They KNOW their STUFF. (And me… for which I’m very grateful).

These 21 interviews constitute the

 “Powerful, Confident and Visible Summit: Speaking Excellence for Women”

 And it’s COMPLIMENTARY for YOU as a member of my mailing list. 

The focus is on you as a women entrepreneur as well as women in corporate who want to develop more presence, confidence and upgrade their speaking skill — especially if they want to give a TEDx talk, present in the boardroom or ‘speak to sell’ for their business.

 Listen in

•       To become poised, polished, and a powerful speaker.

•       Feel confident and magnetic as the expert you are

•       Be compelling whether your presentation is online or in-person

•       Command a room in a powerful, yet feminine way.

You’ll also learn how to

•       Feel confident when saying your price or asking for a raise.

•       Make best use of Zoom for business (It does much more than you think)

•       And for our entrepreneurs – how to find those speaking gigs and get booked.

Twenty-one experts in the field of speaking and communication have shared their wisdom and it’s FREE to sign up, so please join us!

The Summit Starts June 9th and runs for 10 days – 2 outstanding speaker interviews per day.

Register HERE !

Know a woman who could benefit?  Forward this email to her!

Don’t forget to register!

Here’s that LINK to REGISTER again

 Warmly (from Tuscany),

 Libby

The post Ladies, want to speak with IMPACT? Read this now! appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

They (whoever they are) say that if the 1st book in your series is a winner, readers will read through the entire series. I don’t know if that’s true, but I have a couple of great deals on both 1st Ellie and Georgia books for you!

An Eye For Murder was a spinoff from the first short story I ever wrote, “The Day Miriam Hirsch Disappeared.” Set in 1938 in Lawndale, a Jewish middle-class neighborhood in Chicago, the story introduced Jake Foreman, a teenager with a huge crush on an actress at the Yiddish Theater. But she only had eyes for a guy named Skull, who may or may not have been a gangster.

The story won several awards, which shocked the whatever out of me.

Fast forward a couple of years. It was time for me to start a series. But I was stuck. I knew I wanted to write about a strong woman, not too young, not too old. But who? what? where? After many tortured hours, many of them laced with wine, I rallied with a “Eureka” moment.

What if I moved the characters from that short story ahead in time fifty or sixty years? Jake would be in his seventies. But what if he had a daughter? And what if his daughter had a 12 year old daughter? As it happened, I had a 12 year old daughter. They wouldn’t live in Lawndale any more, but what if they lived on Chicago’s North Shore? I live on the North Shore. And what if the protagonist was a documentary film producer? That’s what I was. And what if she was divorced? Um.. I wasn’t. At least then. And what if the family was Jewish? Mine was.

That’s how Ellie Foreman was born. Her first mystery, An Eye For Murder, is a contemporary thriller, but at its heart is the knowledge of secrets forged during World War Two. Btw, Ellie may sound like me, but she’s not. She’s a lot funnier, braver, and better.

There are six books in the series, with more to come. Eye, a national bestseller, was nominated for an Anthony Award and won several local awards. In fact, Ellie has thrilled and entertained readers for twenty years without going stale.

If you haven’t met Ellie yet, I invite you to dive in. It’s only 99¢ on Amazon and Free until the 13th if you’re in KU. I hope you enjoy the read. It’s set during the hottest days of the summer. I’ll bet you can relate.

PS You can get big discounts on the other books in the series at my Online Ebook Store.

EASY INNOCENCE AUDIOBOOK FREE

For audiobook lovers the news about Easy Innocence, the 1st Georgia Davis thriller, should be welcome. The EZI Audiobook will be FREE on APPLE BOOKS the entire month of June! You can find it here. I love Beth Richmond’s narration. I hope you agree.

I hope you’ll usher in summer with both of my series starters if you haven’t yet read them… And, switching subjects, please be kind to yourself and those you love.

The post AN EYE on my EASY Series Starters appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.

Chicago’s Blues Fest is usually the first or second weekend in June. I used to go every year, picnic with friends, and get down with one of my favorite genres of music.

Then I got published and discovered that Printers Row Book Fest was the same weekend. Goodbye, Blues Fest. Printers Row has since changed its date, but I still won’t make it to Blues Fest this summer. I’m tempting fate (Covid fate) and leaving for a trip to Europe in a few days for 3 weeks.

Luckily, in 2009, I edited and published Chicago Blues, a wonderful anthology with Bleak House Books. Twenty-one Chicago authors contributed stories about the Blues, however they chose to define them.  The collection was universally praised. (see below)

So, while I’m gone, I’d like to gift you my contribution to the anthology. “Your Sweet Man” is one of my favorite short stories, and I think one of my best. Its heart and soul is about the Blues and what they can do to your life. After all, the Blues are the Noir of music, and all the stories, including mine,  capture the depths to which people sink when they have the Blues.

Just the thing for dark-ish thriller fans, right? There’s just one condition. You need to be subscribed to my newsletter to get it. If that’s something you’ve been meaning to do anyway, no problem, right? If it isn’t, you might want to consider it. In addition to “Your Sweet Man,” you’ll get 7 other short stories written by me. Perfect for those summer beach reads between dips in the pool or surf.

There’s just one condition. You need to be on my newsletter list to get it. If you’ve been meaning to do that anyway, no sweat. If you haven’t, you might consider it – you’ll get 7 other short stories of mine as well. Just the thing for beach reads between dips in the pool or surf.

To sign up, just click here. Then, after you’ve been confirmed as a subscriber,

Just click here and follow the directions to download it. Then, take a few minutes to relax with an adult beverage, and enjoy!

Now you know why I hope you “Get the Blues.” In fact, I hope this will help kick off your summer in the best possible way.

“A monument in words to this funky, mysterious and eternal American city… a fine collection.”
—Luis Alberto Urrea, author, The Hummingbird’s Daughter

“Extraordinary… Chicago Blues is a splendid bedside book, to be enjoyed for a long time.”
—Chicago Tribune [read full review]

“Classy… This impressive volume has soul, grit and plenty of high notes…”
—Publishers Weekly

“Twenty-one excellent reasons to stay out of the Windy City…”
—Kirkus Reviews [read full review]

And, if you have time, watch the video trailer we produced to celebrate Chicago Blues.

Arrivederci, Libby

The post Chicago Blues Fest appeared first on Libby Fischer Hellmann.