Rita the Mule

By Howard Lewis

Critique Partner Extraordinaire & Mule Owner

I feel the need to write on behalf of the mule, Rita. Somebody has to support her because she has a bone to pick. The mule doesn’t get near enough respect in Linda’s book.

You see, Rita’s not just some other animal. She’s a hybrid. Her mamma’s a horse, and her daddy’s a donkey. Receiving the best from each, she knows she’s better than either.

This means that she’s braver than donkeys and smarter than horses. Her intelligence is why some people consider her stubborn, but it’s pretty simple. If it doesn’t make sense to Rita, she won’t do it. Before she came to live with Lilly, her human sent her to a local horse trainer with 25 years

of experience and a great reputation. Rita had a lot of fun with him before he gave her back saying, “Mules are different.” The trainer was used to pestering horses into doing what he wanted. It didn’t work with Rita. Of course, once she got Lilly trained, she gave in a lot so she could spend time with her human.

Rita loved Lilly. This human made her feel like a friend instead of a servant. Rita grieved terribly when she lost Lilly. Unfortunately, when Brie met her, the mule wasn’t in the mood to meet another human. The first time Brie tried to put Rita in the trailer, she led the mule up as if she were a horse and asked her to climb in. Rita’s not a horse so she just stood there. Brie pulled on the lead, offered her a treat and slapped her on the butt. Rita just stood there. Brie stamped her feet and screamed her cheese curses. Rita just stood there. Eva finally said something to her. Brie rubbed Rita’s nose, hugged her face, and told her she was most beautiful mule in the world. Rita walked into the trailer.

Around the farm, Rita lets Hank, Eva’s horse, be boss. It’s not that she couldn’t whup him. Of course she could. It’s just that being boss isn’t as important to her as it is to him. Even though she lets him think he’s the leader, she does take great pleasure picking on him. She’ll creep up beside him while he’s grazing so he has to chase her off. When he’s on the other side of a fence, she’ll walk close enough to make him mad but far enough away so he can’t touch her. When in the barn, she’ll pee right next to his stall so he has to smell it.

Just like all equines (horses, mules, donkeys, zebras, etc.) Rita’s a prey animal. Other animals want to hunt and eat her. Unlike those stupid horses who always run away, sometimes Rita wants to fight. Especially if she’s mad. With a half a ton of muscle and bone, a quick, intelligent mind, and a tenacity that won’t quit, she’s never lost a fight.

The mule has an impressive heritage. Rita can do anything horses can do: drag plows, pull carriages or even carry people in saddles. George Washington believed that her kind were better workers than horses and wanted one. Being a picky man, he wanted a mule sired by a Spanish donkey, considered to be the superior asses of the time. After spending years trying to procure the donkey, King Charles III sent him two. Only one survived the trip. George immediately put him to work breeding a series of donkeys and mules. George even rented him out for stud running

newspaper ads describing his outstanding qualities. Mares and Jennies lined up for his service.

Rita and her brothers are sterile. It has to do with chromosomes. People have a standard set of questions when they discover this. Mostly dealing with Rita’s sex. Yes, Rita has brothers and sisters. Yes, even though she can’t reproduce, Rita goes into heat and her brothers want to have sex. Yes, most of the time, Rita’s brothers are “cut” or fixed. There’s no reason to keep them intact if they can’t have babies and removing certain male parts make them much easier to deal with.

Rita knows she’s beautiful, but she was made for function as well. She has a longer face, than horses and her eyes are further around her head. With just a small movement, she can see behind her with one eye and in front of her with the other at the same time. Rita has huge ears that she can independently turn toward whatever she’s listened to. While her right ear listens to her rider, she can turn her left ear to listen to whatever’s up ahead. 

Have I made it clear yet that Rita’s right? She deserves a bigger part in Linda’s book. Let’s start a campaign. Readers for Rita. Give Rita the Part She Deserves. Rita for President.

About the Author

Howard Lewis is a talented writer, martial artist, and a marvelous critique partner. He lives in the "suburbs" of Salem, SC, with a mule, two horses, and multiple dogs. He's the past president of the Upstate Chapter of Sisters in Crime and he's part of the Writers' Police Academy "family." He's provided tons of information on his equines for my new Brie Hooker Mystery series published by Henery Press. The first book, BONES TO PICK, is now available for preorder. THANKS Howard!  

Book Covers and Book Titles-Hooking Readers

By Linda Lovely

On Sunday, I was delighted to have Dru’s Book Musings schedule a cover reveal for Bones To Pick, my new Brie Hooker Mystery from Henery Press. In response, I received a variety of comments. Most—but not all people—really liked the cover. (I love it.) A couple of people also advised me to change the title of my book because other authors had already published book with the same (or similar) titles, e.g. A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris and Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines.  So it seemed a good time to talk about how the publishing world deals with book cover creation and the selection of book titles.

Book Titles

The folks who pointed out that other books carry the same or similar titles to my Bones To Pick are absolutely right. Is this a problem? No. For starters, book titles can’t be copyrighted.  Searching for Bones To Pick on Amazon calls up a list of 11 novels with the same/similar title, and mine hadn’t yet joined the list. This isn’t unusual. I searched for Fatal Flaw and found about 40 books with that title or a similar one before I stopped counting.

Why is there so much overlap? Book titles need to be short, easy-to-remember and relate to the story. Bones To Pick was a no-brainer for my book since (a) a skull is dug up early in the book, and (b) many of the potential villains have “bones to pick” with the victim and/or the person accused of murder.

There’s really no danger of confusing readers as long as the cover of the book and the back cover description don’t mimic other books that carry the same title. The cover created by Henery Press certainly fills the bill here. There’s no chance of it being confused with another book when doing an online search. The fact that my name appears in large print on the cover also ensures that anyone buying my book won’t mistake it for another.

Book Covers

I’ve heard authors complain about their covers. Understandable, given that cover design decisions are ultimately made by publishers, not authors. However, most publishers do seek input from their authors to guide cover design and ensure they’re satisfied.

That was certainly the case with Henery Press, and it’s why I’m delighted with my cover. Before the cover artist, Stephanie Savage, started design, I completed a form that allowed me to share key information about the characters and plot, the book’s tone, and location. I also was able to list covers I liked as reference points as well as the types of covers I disliked.

The Bones To Pick cover is eye-catching, uses bright colors, and communicates setting (a goat dairy). It also suggests the reader can expect a light-hearted read with a side of humor. I hope people who pick up the book based on the delightful cover won’t be disappointed.

Always Ask-Research The Fun Way

By Linda Lovely

The Internet has given authors tremendous new research tools. We can Google almost any topic and find a wealth of materials and information, though it pays to do some vetting to make sure the sources we’re tapping are reliable.

YouTube gives authors a visual/audio window that lets us witness everything from Billy goats in rut to lessons for beginners who want to fly drones. These are actual examples of how YouTube helped me craft scenes in my second Brie Hooker Mystery, my current work in progress.

However, there’s still no substitute for speaking directly with experts. I was journalism major in college and have spent the bulk of my career interviewing individuals for (nonfiction) feature articles. So I’m quite comfortable asking folks questions about their work and themselves. I realize some authors are shy and feel they may be imposing if they ask strangers to spend time answering their questions. Yet most people are flattered rather than annoyed and enjoy talking about their work and themselves. In fact, I can’t ever recall being rebuffed by a single information “source.” Of course, that’s also because I make it clear why I want the information and how I plan to use it. Now that I’m writing fiction, that simply means I’ll be using their experiences and insights to help build more interesting, well-rounded characters and more credible plots.

For BONES TO PICK, my first Brie Hooker Mystery, my interviews included in-person visits to goat farms and breweries (what a hardship). This gave me an opportunity to ask the owners a variety of questions. I also got to taste goat cheese and fudge, and, of course, sample moonshine. Visiting locations helps you visualize potential scenes and also provides ideas about situations and activities for your characters.  Joining a goat yoga class was a true adventure!

So how do you find experts if you want information related to law enforcement topic? 

Even authors of cozy mysteries should try to be as accurate as possible in describing law enforcement and legal procedures, forensics, investigative techniques, etc. I’ve found attending my local Sisters in Crime chapter’s monthly meetings and the phenomenal annual Writers’ Police Academy have been treasure troves of information—and contacts. 

Through these organizations I’ve met everyone from FBI, ATF and Treasury agents to paramedics, coroners, detectives and defense attorneys. What’s more, since we've met, I’m not a stranger calling \out of the blue. We have a prior connection and they know my request is legitimate.

If you don’t know an answer, ask! Not only may you be surprised by the answer, you may find answers to questions you didn’t even know you should ask. Conversations can be a wonderful adventure.