Julia Spencer-Fleming

More people read genre books than would like to admit. They can be bought in the literary aisle at Safeway, have bumpy covers and can be read in one afternoon (after the soaps, of course). And with the way our economy and country is advancing, who wouldn't enjoy a good escapist novel?

Julia Spencer-Fleming just published her second book in the series Millers Kill called "A Fountain Filled With Blood." Tucson is on her list of places to promote the book. She will be appearing at Clues Unlimited, located at 123 South Eastbourne Ave.

"Clues Unlimited is a mystery specialty store, and it is actually one of the better ones in the country," Spencer-Fleming said.

On April 9, at 2 p.m., she will be signing as well as speaking about her experience with writing.

"Generally what I talk about is a little about mystery writing and the process of going from an amateur writer to becoming published. It happened to me in an extraordinary way. I have been very fortunate since my first book was quite successful as a debut from an unknown mystery author, so I am getting a lot of attention for my second book," Spencer-Fleming said.

"I find that in any bookstore there are always people eager to ask questions about the writing process, getting published, where I get my ideas · mostly I will be talking about the process of writing a mystery."

The book is centered around a fight about a resort, an old toxic waste dump, and a plethora of hate crimes in which the town priest is involved. After a gay resort developer is murdered, the priest teams up with the cops to determine who is willing to murder to keep their dark secrets.

"I started out writing science fiction, badly. I had it critiqued by some very well known professional writers and they all said the same thing. Your writing is really good, but your plot is stuck in the 1950s. I went home and thought,' what do I like to read?' And I love mysteries. It is such a fascinating genre; crime fiction," Spencer-Fleming said.

"It is very structural. There has to be a murder, a solution to the murder but within that, it covers a huge area. You can write about moral decay or a happy, funny story about caterers and their friends."

Spencer-Fleming is not the typical author. She was an attorney, never having formally studied to become a writer. On a maternity leave from her practice, she began a manuscript and sent it off to a contest. Not only did she win, but signed a contract for three more books as a series.

"I went on a do-it-yourself tour for my last book. I was on the Îanywhere I could get to in my car and stay with friends for free' book tour. I have not crashed on so many couches since college. This time around my publisher is paying, so I get to stay in hotels," Spencer-Fleming said.

With her instantaneous success, the proud author has a lot of helpful strategies as well as insight into the murder mystery and writing in general.

"My biggest piece of advice is you just need to do it, sit down and write everyday. The muse is not going to visit you unless your butt is in the chair in front of the computer," Spencer-Fleming said. It is sort of like hearing about how to lose weight. Eat less and exercise. It sounds easy but putting it into practice is different. The way I finished my first novel was getting up at 4:30 in the morning and writing until my kids woke up at 6:30."

For Tucson residents, this writer has a lot to offer her readers and hopes that they will enjoy her visit.

"People should come who like to buy hardcover books. No, everyone should show up and hear about mystery writing and my funny stories," Spencer-Fleming said. "I hope everyone leaves entertained after spending an hour with me and with a bag bulging full of books. If not, my book is the perfect size to prop up a broken dorm door."