PJ Nunn
This week, I'm happy to introduce you to Allyson Roy and her August release, Babydoll:
Allyson Roy is actually Alice and Roy, husband and wife collaborating authors of the Saylor Oz mysteries. The first book in the series just won a 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Book #2, BABYDOLL, hits the shelves on August 4th.
Everywhere I go on the web I seem to run into the trailer for Tim Burton’s upcoming film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Being named Alice, that story was always a favorite of mine. And being a new author, or rather a co-author with my husband Roy, I have to say that diving into the publishing world has some amazing similarities to Alice’s trip down the rabbit hole.
Unless a writer has worked in the publishing field, all we have at the beginning are second hand glimpses of a mysterious, bewildering world with its own terms, traditions and unwritten rules. A wonderland of glittering party cakes like “co-op” and “lead title” as well as spooky monsters like “remaindered” and “pulping.”
Like Alice, we make naive decisions, like agreeing to a book cover that gives readers the wrong expectations. We change drastically in size -- at first feeling larger than life for getting through the door when so many thousands do not. Then feeling really small when we learn the promotional post cards we mail out end up in the trash. Blowing up again when the book gets a great review. And shrinking down when someone on Amazon gives it only two stars.
And being published means inevitably having to face the snarky, wise caterpillar that asks, “Whoooooo are yoooouuuu?”
As authors we tend to think about stories, characters, atmosphere and “what ifs.” Not what kind of product we are. And since Roy’s background is in theater, comedy and fine art, and I spent the last *cough* number of years performing and teaching in the dance world, we thought “branding” meant something you did to cattle.
Then there’s the issue of genre bending. Our Saylor Oz series combines gritty, urban noir elements 
with wacky, over-the-top comedy. The books are also half who-done-it mystery, half fast-paced protagonist-in-peril thriller. Plus we add a dash of romance for our female sleuth and her BFF sidekick.
So, what do we call it?
Madcap Noir.
And after a year of whirlwind lessons in Wonderland, BABYDOLL, the second book by our alter ego, Allyson Roy, is coming out August 4. But this time we kind of know what we’re doing.
Kind of.
Many thanks to P.J. and the Dead Guy bloggers for having us as guests today.
