At a mystery conference probably twenty years ago, I met a woman known in the industry for being successful but also waspish. When I told her I'd signed with a traditional publisher to produce my Elizabethan mystery, Her Highness' First Murder, she dismissed me with a contemptuous, two-prong comment. First, I'd signed with the "wrong" people. She could have helped me, but I'd thrown that chance away by choosing elsewhere. Then she announced that the Tudors were "done" anyway.
First, I hadn't...
People often ask where ideas come from. For this one, I got nuttin'. I haven't even got a memory of when I thought, "I should write this down." Somehow, somewhere, I got the idea for a detective from the Afterlife who'd go back to the world and solve your murder so your soul could rest. Like I said, no idea where it came from.
I wrote it down, but at the time I was under contract for some historical mysteries I'd begun. (More on that next time.) While I was shilling--I mean promoting--those in...
If you read the last blog entry, you know I'm giving a bit of history of my publishing career. I decided not to go strictly chronologically, because when I wrote the stories is often different from when they were published. What feels like the correct order for me doesn't line up with dates you'll see for each book.
Her Ex-GI P.I. was fun to write, because I took my husband's stories of Vietnam and wove them into a '60s murder mystery. Carrie is a '60s woman of twenty who's unwilling to settle...
I'm not good at thinking up blog material, but I read a how-to guide for authors that suggested I should trace the development of my writing career in my blog. I like that idea, because I have lots to write about there.
My first book, Macbeth's Niece, was inspired by my years of teaching Shakespeare's Macbeth. It took 6 years to become a book. I worked on it for two years while teaching school, directing plays, and conducting choirs. When I thought it was perfect (Little did I know!), I...
I signed up for Smashwords' End of Year sale, going on for the rest of December. They let authors choose the discount they want to offer. I chose to make all my books free. (If you're in a hurry, you can stop reading and go there now: http://smashwords.com/sale
My husband thinks this is crazy, and I get that. I work for months to write, edit, set up, and publish a book, and then I give it away. It does sound a little odd.
But here's the thing. Independent authors have very little power in the...
About two weeks ago, I got an email from a woman who said she'd picked up an old book of mine, KIDNAP.org. She loved it. She commented on the characters, the unique situation, the humor, and the moral questions the book raises about legality versus morality. She ended by saying she thought book clubs would love it, and she'd like to help me contact them.
I've been around, so I sensed a hook, but I asked what it would cost. Answer: More than I want to invest in what would probably result in a...
SELL MORE BOOKS! Get your book in front of thousands of readers! Don't miss the chance to capture fans' interest!
Every days, multiple times a day, I get messages from people who want to help me sell my books. They promise all kinds of success, but in my (admittedly) limited experience with spending money on advertising, they seldom deliver. Yes, they will put my new book (YESTERDAY'S MURDER, in case you're interested) before all their subscribers. But here's what they don't say: dozens of...
August 3rd is Release Day for Yesterday's Murder, so the title of this blog post really does make sense.
I started this story a long time ago, maybe fifteen years back. I loved the premise of a woman waking from a long-term coma, finding that her life is completely changed, and then having to solve a really cold case. I wrote maybe half of my idea down at the time, but I was working with two different publishers on two different series, and it just became too much. I set YM on the shelf (well,...
An author knows the end is near when Amazon starts sending, "Are you sure your book is ready for publication?" notices, and I experienced the first of those over the weekend. That meant a day of making sure, checking everything twice and maybe once more.
YESTERDAY'S MURDER is pending. It can be pre-ordered, which is a good thing for authors. Every pre-order is counted on release day (August 3rd, in this case), so the book rises in the algorithms, which gets it seen by more people, who buy it...
Today I'm reminding myself that people have lived under repressive governments for millennia, from restrictive religious communities to grinding autocracies. They suffer, but they learn to laugh and love and live within the limits they face.
I'm reminding myself that the leaders of such societies tend to be megalomaniacs who demand constant praise, no matter how false and fawning it becomes. The sycophants willing to shower such leaders with false compliments are many, but in their hearts they...
I've always been a lover of classic Broadway shows. I adore the musical numbers, the themes, and the glorious energy displayed on stage. I'm amazed at great songwriters' ability to teach us as they entertain, with numbers like "There Are Worse Things I Could Do" from Grease or "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific..
Lately I've had a number from Camelot running through my head. Not the usual ones, like "If Ever I Would Leave You" or "Camelot," but one a group of knights sing...
A few years back, our little town elected people to the school board who trumpeted themes we hear from many extremists these days: the school was corrupt. The teachers were pedophiles. There were kitty litter boxes in the bathrooms. No one knows how they got in, except that the grownups weren't paying attention. That's how logic dies.
When I went to a board meeting to see what all the fuss was about, I found a half-dozen other retired teachers who were as shocked by the new board members'...
I love the mood set by this cover photo. The problem arises when it's reduced in size, because the lettering melts into unreadable blobs. We're experimenting with new fonts and colors, so it might end up with all black or all white lettering, or the artist who helps me with covers might find a font that shows up better.
Covers are weird in that they speak to some and not to others. Are we subconsciously looking for a certain vibe, so that our eyes stop at the book on the shelf at the store...
Not the cover. Not the manuscript. Not the pre-publication hoopla. None of it is done. But I'm working on it.
The plot premise: Tonnie Berndt wakes to find that she's been "missing" from the world for some time. Dealing with one surprise after another, some good, some tragic, she becomes involved in a cold case murder that happened while she was comatose. It soon becomes clear that someone wants her to go missing again; this time for good.
The progress: The story's been edited for content,...
History shows us that societies tend to flourish until their size and variety create problems that are, or at least seem, insoluble. Because no one can agree on what should be done, leaders begin "kicking the can down the road," talking a lot and solving nothing. Citizens don't like it, and many begin to look for a leader who promises solutions. A person comes along who says, "I can fix it!" or even "ONLY I can fix it." The solutions promised might be poorly designed; they might be dumb; they...
A long time back, maybe ten years, I had an idea for a mystery: a woman wakes from a long coma to find her world is completely different. I worked on it and liked it, but at the time I was under contract to two different publishers for series, so I didn't have the time I wanted to make the story work.
Late in 2024, I found the MS in my files and thought, "I could update this." I did. I love it. But my editor pointed out some flaws that needed work. And more work. And more work.
I love this...
I have a pet theory that's based on no proof and no research, only personal observation. I believe that we in the US are so overexposed to lies that we've stopped seeing lying and liars as bad. The US President lies daily. Your Congressperson and Senator probably do too. Sadly, many consider the response of the sophisticated person should be, "It's just politics."
Not "Don't do that." Not "I won't vote for a liar." Just "Oh, well."
That's not my theory, by the way. My theory is that our society...
The country is a mess. There is no hope that it will right itself in a month, or six months, or ever. So what should you do?
Write something. Write a poem, or a letter, or an essay, or a short story, or a book. It doesn't have to be a screed or a solution or an award-winning piece of literature.
Writing is cathartic. Focusing on putting "the best words in the best order" is calming. The end result is a lessening of stress. There, you tell yourself. I wrote it down.
You might improve it later....
My husband sometimes chuckles at my book-buying style. I want to go to an actual bookstore and wander through the shelves, picking up this one and that one, adding this one to my pile of purchases and returning that one to the shelf. I want to talk to the clerks and see what they're reading. I often strike up conversations with other browsers about whether such-and-such an author's latest book is a good one or lesser. I don't often buy books second-hand, and I don't sell them once I've...
Two incidents this week in which I conquered technological problems.
Incident One: I switched streaming services. The new one said there was a channel guide, but there wasn't. After running around the website in circles for an hour, I got online and started a chat. The tech said try this. Now try this. Now send me a screenshot. As I did, I felt my blood pressure rising. I know I'm not stupid, but I felt stupid and frustrated and angry. Telling myself it wasn't the tech's fault, I typed a...