A Virtual Tour Visit with Ron Berney

Ron Benrey writes cozy mysteries with his wife, Janet. Together, they have written nine novels in three series: “The Royal Tunbridge Wells Mysteries,” “The Pippa Hunnechurch Mysteries,” and “The Glory North Carolina Mysteries.”

Ron has been a writer "forever"—initially in magazines (his first real job was Electronics Editor at Popular Science Magazine), then in corporations (he wrote speeches for senior executives), and then as a novelist. Over the years, Ron has also authored ten non-fiction books, including the recently published “Know Your Rights — a Survival Guide for Non-Lawyers” (published by Sterling). Ron holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a juris doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law. He's also a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Ron, you’ve coauthored nine romantic suspense novels with your wife, Janet. Do you ever disagree on plot and characterization? If so, how do you resolve your differences?

We frequently disagree. But, because we jointly operated a marketing communications firm, we understand the need to create the best-possible “product” when we write. Consequently, we've learned to make compromises and to rethink our initial creative decisions.

You’ve worn a variety of hats. Which job/profession had been the most difficult and which has given you the most satisfaction and pleasure?

In fact, my many careers have had a common thread. I have always thought of myself as a writer who writes interesting words about difficult subjects. That’s even true about the novels I co-write with my wife today. It’s ironic, but “simple writing” that explains how things work is the most difficult kind of writing to do successfully—at least for me. My latest non-fiction book—Know Your Rights, a Survival Guide for Non-Lawyers (published by Sterling Publishing)—took more time and effort than anything else I’ve written. A close second is Understanding Christianity (published by Greenbrier Book Company). I’m always delighted when someone says, “I read your writing and now I understand.”

Do you incorporate your background in engineering and law into your romantic suspense novels?

Frequently. When I develop plots, I often use the analytic thinking approaches I learned at both schools. Engineering thinking is great for zeroing in on precise solutions, while legal thinking is useful for dealing with the inevitable shades of gray in every story. I also feel comfortable dealing with technology in our storylines, and we often use legal issues to create dramatic conflict in our novels.

As a writing instructor and coach, what are the biggest mistakes you’ve encountered from your students?

I often find that students trying to write a novel will leave out one of the five key factors that makes a manuscript publishable. 1. They don't write in a recognizable genre (and so create a novel that can't be categorized—or sold). 2. They don't write with a strong and clear voice (this is the one aspect of publishability that probably can't be taught). 3. They have many errors of fact that stop readers cold. 4. They don't have a compelling story. 5. They don't know how create a fictional dream for their readers.

In the days before self-published eBooks, a serious problem in any of these areas would earn a flood of rejection letters from agents and publishers. Today, alas, an author can put an unpublishable novel “out there”—and many do. The few readers who buy them are usually disappointed, but may not be able to explain why.

What are the key elements of copyright law that fledgling authors should know?

The key fact is that copyright attaches automatically when an author reduces his or her original words to a “writing”—on paper or inside a computer. There’s no need to put © symbols all over your work… or to register drafts with the Copyright Office in the Library of Congress… or to send yourself copies of the draft by Certified Mail (a truly worthless practice). Fledgling authors worry too much that their golden words will be stolen. Their unnecessary efforts to protect their work make them look like rank amateurs.

What tips would you give writers for readings and presentations of their new releases?

The one piece of advice I give to all of the presenters I coach is: Prepare! There is no such thing as a good off-the-cuff presentation. Even if you are reading words from a novel you've written, take the time to rehearse—several times. If you're giving a presentation, at the very least prepare a script outline and rehearse your comments—several times. The presenter’s rule of thumb is that his or her preparation time should equal the time that the audience will invest in listening to the presentation. For example, if you expect 10 people to listen to a 30-minute presentation, you should spend at least 300 minutes (five hours!) creating an outline and rehearsing.

Tell us about one of your series.

Our “Royal Tunbridge Wells Mysteries” take place in and around the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museum, a fictional institution located in a real English city. (Royal Tunbridge Wells is located roughly 40 miles southeast of central London in England. These days it’s a thriving “bedroom community” for well-to-do businesspeople who work in London.) Here’s the synopsis of “Dead as a Scone,” the first book in the series:

Murder is afoot is the sedate English town of Royal Tunbridge Wells … and the crime may be brewing in a tea pot!

Nigel Owen is having a rotten year. Downsized from a cushy management job at an insurance company in London, he is forced to accept a temporary post as managing director of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museum. Alas, he regrets living in a small town in Kent, he prefers drinking coffee (with a vengeance), and he roundly dislikes Flick Adams, PhD, an American scientist recently named the museum’s curator.

But then, the wildly unexpected happens. Dame Elspeth Hawker, the museum’s chief benefactor, keels over a board meeting—the apparent victim of a fatal heart attack. With the Dame’s demise, the museum’s world-famous collection is up for grabs, her cats, dog, and parrot are living at with Flick and Nigel—and the two prima donnas find themselves facing professional ruin.

But Flick—who knows a thing or two about forensic science—is convinced that Dame Elspeth did not die a natural death. As Flick and Nigel follow the clues—including a cryptic Biblical citation—they discover that a crime perpetrated more than a century ago sowed the seeds for a contemporary murder.

Thanks, Ron.

You can visit Ron at his website: www.benrey.com
His blog.benrey.com
greenbrierpatch.com
and buy is book at:
http://www.amazon.com/Final-Crumpet-Tunbridge-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B004QGY9ZG