tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10113996155656817422024-03-13T07:02:40.598-04:00The Thrill BeginsDiscover the Bestselling Thriller Authors of Tomorrow Today!CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.comBlogger306125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-11136103632888319652015-09-10T04:00:00.000-04:002015-09-10T04:00:01.188-04:00The Thrill Re-Beginsby Ed Aymar<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfw0rfL47SQ/VetVId6FCKI/AAAAAAAABdg/NIfr3lHo1rE/s1600/ea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfw0rfL47SQ/VetVId6FCKI/AAAAAAAABdg/NIfr3lHo1rE/s320/ea.jpg" width="240" /></a>We’re closing a chapter with The Thrill Begins. This site has hosted some of the best and brightest new voices in thriller writing over the years, and Marjorie Brody (one of those bright voices) has done a tremendous job of turning it into a valued resource for aspiring and debut writers, as well as an avenue for readers to discover tomorrow’s next generation of authors.<br />
<br />
Marjorie is stepping down as Managing Editor after two years, I’m stepping in, and the Thrill Begins is going to take on a slightly-different format. Along with the weekly guest blogs that you’ve enjoyed, we’re launching a re-designed site and several new features, running Tuesdays and Thursdays:<br />
<ul>
<li>1<sup>st</sup> Tuesday of the month – <i>Publishing Panel</i>. An editor and/or agent weighs in on a hot topic in publishing. On 9/15, Laurie McLean (President, Fuse Literary) and Elizabeth Lacks (Editor, St. Martin’s Press) discuss self-publishing, and whether it makes sense for a writer to self-publish before trying a “traditional” route.</li>
<li>2<sup>nd</sup> Tuesday – <i>How It Happened</i>. A prominent thriller writer details his or her journey to publication. On 9/22, Owen Laukkanen describes what led to the publication of his first award-winning novel, <i>The Professionals.</i></li>
<li>3<sup>rd</sup> Tuesday – <i>Debut Author Spotlight</i>. An interview with a member of the current ITW Debut Authors Program. On 9/29, Wendy Tyson interviews Art Taylor about <i>On the Road with Del and Louise</i>, his first novel out from Henery Press.</li>
<li>4<sup>th</sup> Tuesday – <i>Debut Releases</i>. A list of the books published that month by ITW’s debut authors.</li>
<li>Thursdays – <i>Murderers’ Row</i>. One of The Thrill Begins' regular contributors will contribute a column about craft, publishing, marketing, or another topic relevant to contemporary thriller writing. Our first two contributors are J.J. Hensley on 9/17 and Shannon C. Kirk on 9/24.</li>
</ul>
Regular contributors to Murderers’ Row include Jennifer Hillier (<i>The Butcher)</i>, Rob Brunet (<i>Stinking Rich</i>), Gwen Florio (<i>Dakota</i>), Elizabeth Heiter (<i>Hunted)</i>, J.J. Hensley (<i>Measure Twice</i>), Shannon Kirk (<i>Method 15/33</i>), Thomas Sweterlitsch (<i>Tomorrow and Tomorrow)</i>, and Wendy Tyson (<i>Dying Brand</i>).<br />
<br />
The new site is located at <a href="http://www.thrillbegins.com/">www.thrillbegins.com</a>. We hope you’ll check it out, share the page with your fellow writers and readers, and visit often. As I said, a chapter is coming to an end with this site, but we hope you’ll turn the page and keep reading.<br />
<br />
<i>E.A. Aymar is the author of</i> <b>I'll Sleep When You're Dead</b><i>(2013) and </i><b>You're As Good As Dead </b><i>(2015). He also writes a monthly column with the Washington Independent Review of Books, is the Managing Editor of ITW’s The Thrill Begins, and his fiction and nonfiction have been featured in a number of respected publications. He holds a Masters degree in Literature and lives outside of Washington, D.C.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i>marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-86390684064089958082015-09-03T04:00:00.000-04:002015-09-03T04:00:05.841-04:00Bloom Where You’re Plantedby Nichole Christoff<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wa_umM32s14/Vee7NcO6R8I/AAAAAAAABdI/gfiDP2NC1qs/s1600/photo%2B2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wa_umM32s14/Vee7NcO6R8I/AAAAAAAABdI/gfiDP2NC1qs/s320/photo%2B2.JPG" width="318" /></a>The best bit of writing advice I’ve ever had really isn’t writing advice at all. Rather, it’s advice for the <br />
wives and husbands of the men and women in our nation’s Armed Forces. Among military spouses, this advice is so well-known, it’s practically a motto. And it goes like this: Bloom where you’re planted.<br />
<br />
With frequent deployments, the risks of armed conflict, and routine relocations, life in the military can be hard for any soldier, sailor, airman, or marine. But it can be a challenge for the wife or husband who’s vowed to go along for the ride. During my husband’s twenty-some year career as a military officer, we moved nine times. Sometimes, we traveled across the country to reach our new home. Sometimes, we crossed international borders.<br />
<br />
For military folks, the rigmarole of so many moves isn’t uncommon. Each time, you start your home life practically from scratch. Every day, in every ordinary way, you face a thousand frustrations. Like finding the branch of the Post Office that serves your new neighborhood. Or connecting with a babysitter you know you can trust. And just when you feel you’re at home, it’s time to move again.<br />
Your grandmother’s china ends up chipped. You learn to say good-bye much too early and way too often. And despite the warmth of friends, family, and other spouses, when your sweetie’s away, you’re very much alone.<br />
<br />
But with each move comes a beautiful opportunity. You can bloom where you’re planted. In a new town, in a new state, or in a new country, you can make new friends to add to the old. You can try new tastes like Louisiana king cake and Montreal caviar. You can pick up new skills like snow-shoeing and stained-glass window-making. And you can live like a local. You can pass the Washington Monument every time you pick up the dry-cleaning. And you can never worry the rain will ruin your trip to the beach. After all, from your new address, the beach is only a few minutes away.<br />
<br />
So, you dig in. You put down roots—even if it’s for a short time. And you find ways to do what matters to you. <br />
<br />
If you’re a writer like me, you join writers’ groups, set-up office space in some corner of each new home, and when your husband’s away, you write like the dickens because it’s the constant. It’s the control. It feeds your soul. And it doesn’t matter if you’re in the Deep South where it’s steamy outside or in the frozen North with four feet of fallen snow. You bloom where you’re planted.<br />
<br />
So if you’re a writer with a day job that drags you down, I understand. Take some advice from a military spouse. Let those cranky coworkers give you ideas for great characters and bloom where you’re planted. If helping your aging, ailing parent means less time at the keyboard, I hear you. Cherish those moments, write when you can, and bloom where you’re planted. And if your husband has to move again, again, and again while you’re trying to write and trying to live, don’t be afraid to go with him.<br />
<br />
Because you can bloom where you’re planted.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k16zu1oS77Q/Vee7LiAr7gI/AAAAAAAABc8/ItoALIRQ82s/s1600/photo%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k16zu1oS77Q/Vee7LiAr7gI/AAAAAAAABc8/ItoALIRQ82s/s320/photo%2B1.JPG" width="240" /></a><i>Nichole Christoff is the award-winning author of three Jamie Sinclair thrillers: </i>THE KILL LIST, THE KILL SHOT<i>, and </i>THE KILL BOX<i>. A writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on the air and behind the scenes for radio, television news, and the public relations industry, she credits Jane Austen, James Thurber, and Raymond Chandler with her taste in fiction. When she's not reading, writing, or teaching creative writing at university, she's out in the woods with her ornery English Pointer. Connect with her at www.nicholechristoff.com.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In </i>THE KILL BOX<i>, an intense thriller perfect for fans of Lee Child or Lisa Gardner, security specialist and PI Jamie Sinclair tackles a cold case that could cost her the one person who means the most to her. When the consequences of an unsolved crime threaten to catch up with Jamie and military police officer Adam Barrett, a late-night phone call sends her racing to his hometown in upstate New York. In a tinderbox of shattered trust and long-buried secrets, Jamie must fight to uncover the truth about what really occurred one terrible night twenty years ago. And the secrets she discovers deep in Barrett’s past not only threaten their future together—they just might get her killed.</i>marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-58848624188152536612015-08-27T04:00:00.000-04:002015-08-27T04:00:06.601-04:00To Market, To Market To Buy a Fat…Book<b>by Jenny Milchman</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kTc7LWJghU/VdklE7fdyYI/AAAAAAAABcU/0JhZ3x_NfOg/s1600/jenny-milchman-square-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kTc7LWJghU/VdklE7fdyYI/AAAAAAAABcU/0JhZ3x_NfOg/s320/jenny-milchman-square-web.jpg" width="320" /></a>Some days we are confronted with so much marketing, on our own list of To Do’s, as well as from <br />
writers we follow and friend, that one wonders how Mother Goose’s nursery rhyme would’ve gone in this age of BSP (that’s blatant self-promotion in case you’ve been lucky enough to escape it).<br />
<br />
The other day, I went to the trouble of reading all 74 direct messages I’d been sent on Twitter. At least half of them mirrored this exact formula: Hi! Thanks for following me. Please Like my page [link] Why? Does Liking a page really accomplish anything? For that matter, does amassing Twitter followers or Facebook friends accomplish anything? And if that kind of marketing doesn’t work, does any sort?<br />
<br />
I had a thirteen year journey to publication, and once I arrived at the starting line, I did the next logical thing. Rented out our house, traded in two cars for an SUV that could handle Denver in February, pulled the kids out of first and third grades to “car school” them in the backseat, and hit the road with my husband, touring the bookstores, libraries, and book clubs of this great country. All told, over the course of three releases in two and a half years, we’ve spent 13 months on the road.<br />
<br />
Book tours may or may not make dollars and cents, but they sure make dollars and sense. You might not sell enough books to cover your costs at any given event. But there will be connections, interactions, and moments in time that make each and every one worth doing. Their ripple effect can cause a bookseller to keep my book in stock months and months after it’s no longer new. Sometimes at a low turnout event, one of the few people in the audience winds up being a reviewer for a major paper. This is relation building, not marketing.<br />
<br />
And yet, the question comes up again and again. So is <i>this</i> what it takes to launch a career? Get off our devices and out into the bricks and mortar? Should we emphasize the face-to-face if the virtual world is too cluttered and clogged? Or does that not work either? Maybe nothing works.<br />
<br />
I think we first have to decide what “working” means. Phenom books and one hit wonders aside, most of us hope to build a lasting career as authors. That doesn’t mean buying 10,000 Twitter followers, it means organic growth. We want to find people who truly enjoy our work, and we hope that one day there will be enough of them to reach Malcom Gladwell’s tipping point. <br />
<br />
On the road I am cultivating connections with people one by one by one. I feel like I’m doing some things right because my publisher, who thought I was nuts on the first “world’s longest book tour,” helped set up a portion of this one. Events are growing in size and energy. I’ve started getting RTs and Shares that feel like people really care about what I’m doing out here, rather than just auto-clicking. I don’t necessarily recommend that you take a seven month book tour—although seven days might be worth looking into—but I do have 5 Top Tips that will help make your marketing a little more wholesome and from-the-heart…something of which even Mother Goose might approve.<br />
<ul>
<li>Figure out ways not to blast people, even though they’ll take more work. For example, most people list their locations on FB and Twitter. If you want to invite followers and friends to an in-person event, figure out the ones who are likely to come without having to buy a plane ticket.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Experiment with different platforms and approaches until you know what you love to do, then do that. If Twitter confounds you, stop Tweeting. If you love putting together a newsletter, ask permission of your subscribe list, and make the content fun and interesting.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Take the focus off yourself. Here’s a wager: You will sell more books by being genuinely interested in and supportive of others’ work. Even if you don’t, you’ll feel better about how you spend your days.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Start the connecting right at the outset, with the type of promo you do. Join or launch a blog with a group of regular contributors whose content is linked; you’ll all support each other’s posts. Do paired author events. Organize panels for libraries or writers organizations.</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://jennymilchman.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Jenny Milchman</a><i> is a novelist from New York State, who lived for thirteen months on the road with her family on what Shelf Awareness called “the world’s longest book tour.” Jenny’s debut novel, </i><a href="http://jennymilchman.com/cover-of-snow" target="_blank">Cover of Snow</a>, <i>won the Mary Higgins Clark award, was praised by the New York Times, AP, and many other publications, and chosen as an Indie Next and Target Pick. </i><a href="http://jennymilchman.com/ruin-falls" target="_blank">Ruin Falls</a>,<i> published the </i><a href="http://www.suspensemagazine.com/Press_2014BestofRelease.html" target="_blank"><i>Top Ten of 2014 by </i>Suspense Magazine<i>.</i></a><i> Jenny’s third novel, </i><a href="http://jennymilchman.com/as-night-falls" target="_blank">As Night Falls</a><i>, also an Indie Next Pick, was one of this summer’s, </i><a href="http://www.purewow.com/30_days/30-Beach-Reads" target="_blank">PureWow<i>’s Top 30</i></a><i>. Jenny speaks nationwide about the publishing industry and the importance of sticking to a dream. She is Vice President of Author Programming for </i><a href="http://www.thrillerwriters.org/" style="font-style: italic;">International Thriller Writers</a><i>, and the founder of </i><a href="http://www.takeyourchildtoabookstore.org/" style="font-style: italic;">Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day</a><i>, which is celebrated in all 50 states and 6 foreign countries. Jenny teaches writing and publishing for </i><a href="http://www.newyorkwritersworkshop.com/" style="font-style: italic;">New York Writers Workshop</a><i>.</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdOnaXJYFqc/VdklNLRW42I/AAAAAAAABcc/Kp2ghXAjoUQ/s1600/as-night-falls-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdOnaXJYFqc/VdklNLRW42I/AAAAAAAABcc/Kp2ghXAjoUQ/s320/as-night-falls-web.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<div style="font-style: italic;">
<i>Sandy Tremont is looking forward to a quiet evening with her family when two escaped convicts stumble upon her remote wilderness home. Or did they just happen to find her house? If she wants to save the people she loves most, Sandy will have to face the one truth she has always kept from them. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenny is giving away a hardcover copy of <i>As Night Falls</i> to someone who writes a comment to this blog. (Sorry international readers, the winner must have an address within the United States.) Jenny will contact the winner by September 2nd, and will post the winner's name in the comment section of this blog. Good luck, all.</span>marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-88963848445786564742015-08-20T04:00:00.000-04:002015-08-20T04:00:15.078-04:00The Lessons of A Debut Author from 2007…By Anderson Harp<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDiX-a5dlKc/VVKwfCqyFWI/AAAAAAAABS8/ZlbWhOTU9g8/s1600/AuthorPhotos%2B001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDiX-a5dlKc/VVKwfCqyFWI/AAAAAAAABS8/ZlbWhOTU9g8/s320/AuthorPhotos%2B001.jpg" width="257" /></a>The path is never easy.
<br />
<br />
I recently read a story of a writer who spent some time with Harper Lee. In a moment of frustration, Lee said that she had wished she never had written
that book. So even those on top of Everest have doubt about the process.
<br />
<br />
The journey is writing and the task is getting it out there. As a member of the 2007 ITW Debut Author class, I can add a few comments that might give a
different perspective.
<br />
<br />
I am guilty of having enjoyed reading since I read “In Cold Blood” shortly after it came out in 1966. I had to sneak the book out as I was much younger
than appropriate for the brutality but I couldn’t put it down. Nor could I put down “The Stranger”. A good book sucks you into the vortex.
<br />
<br />
So I risked all by writing that first sentence. And then for months and years I traveled under the concept that “the only way to know if this really does
work is if I finish that last sentence”.
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<br />
Perhaps you have an agent. Like the guard of the palace of the Wizard of Oz, he is the gatekeeper. But the Wizard, I have learned is your editor. It is
your editor that must defend you at all costs. He or she is the one that goes to the meetings at the publisher where he motivates publicity and social
media. He is the one that stays on top of the cover artwork. And when things move slowly, he is the one that keeps you believing. Lesson number one. Learn
as much as you can from your editor.
<br />
And what about an alternative goal?
<br />
<br />
It is interesting how the general public asks one question: New York Times bestseller?
<br />
<br />
Perhaps it should also be what one can do with this adventure? I wanted to talk about the art of story telling. I have taught classes on the subject and
spoken often. Instead of asking the ITW to help me, I asked what could I do for the ITW. I created Operation Thriller as I thought there existed a splendid
idea – take the authors to the military. The USO tours covered thousands of troops for several years. We got to talk about writing and may have ignited the
interest of writing in a few as well. Perhaps you have an idea that can broaden the scope of the ITW?
<br />
<br />
Also, invest in fellow author relationships. I read the books of those I have asked for a quote. I had a friend whose father wrote one of the most
successful books in America over the last several decades. My friend said that his father would have several fellow authors to his house and they would sit
out on the front porch and talk about writing. It remains fruitful to go to writing seminars if you don’t have a big enough porch. Likewise, stay in touch
with your friends and fellow authors from the ITW or other writing institutions. I email fellow debut authors on a fairly regular basis with ideas and
thoughts.
<br />
<br />
Recently, I learned another lesson. A friend asked for a quote, I read his book and put something up. Naturally, while on the site I checked out my books
and saw one review that was two stars. I was curious about the reviewer and noticed her track of other reviews. Next to my name was another author with “H”
in the name that she had also given a two star review to. Yes, it was Harper Lee. So, like politics, not everyone will be happy and take reviews as another
lesson.
<br />
<br />
So, what do you want out of this? Live for the enjoyment of writing and perhaps use your success to help others.
<br />
<br />
Sorry if this sounds like the teachings of a Zen master. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gokEH3Dp4mo/VVKwdibRUyI/AAAAAAAABS0/jBqoU9ywQBI/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gokEH3Dp4mo/VVKwdibRUyI/AAAAAAAABS0/jBqoU9ywQBI/s320/image004.jpg" width="175" /></a><em><em>Anderson Harp is the author of the thrillers </em><span style="font-style: normal;">Retribution, Born of War</span><em> (Kensington) and </em><span style="font-style: normal;">A Northern Thunder </span><em>(Bancroft). He served in the Marines, taught artic survival, mountaineering, and was stationed around the globe. He was the Officer in Charge of the Marine’s Crisis Action Team during the invasion of Afghanistan. He created the USO’s Operation Thriller and did two USO tours in the Persian Gulf visiting the troops. His writing has also appeared in The Huffington Post, CNN Larry King Live, NewsMax and The Big Thrill. He received a MFA in Literary Fiction from Queens University of Charlotte. Like Clancy and Ludlum, Harp loves the challenge of creating a fast paced espionage page-turner! He can be followed at </em><span style="font-style: normal;"></span><a href="http://www.andersonharp.net/" style="font-style: normal;"><em>www.andersonharp.net</em></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><strong style="font-style: normal;"><em>.</em></strong></em><br />
<em><strong style="font-style: normal;"><em><br /></em></strong></em>
<em><em>The free world is just one American grown jihadist away from unequaled madness. Special operative William Parker must stop Al Shabaab from acquiring the anti-ship missile of all missiles - the Carrier Killer – a weapon able to sink the heart of the U.S. fleet. Time is running out. He must destroy the enemy or deal with the horrific consequences. Terrifyingly plausible, unrelenting, Anderson Harp’s</em>BORN OF WAR <em>takes off at warp speed and catapults into a heart-pounding thrill ride--then weaves a perilous intelligence operation, hi-tech military technology, and apocalyptic consequence in the finest Ludlum tradition.</em></em><br />
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marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-39728864471914148422015-08-13T04:00:00.000-04:002015-08-13T04:00:13.172-04:00A Few Things I Knowby Stacy Allen<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bK5nPRzBc5A/VTr6AA0cbOI/AAAAAAAABOc/pftsh8LXBlQ/s1600/Stacy%2C%2BMilan%2BItaly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bK5nPRzBc5A/VTr6AA0cbOI/AAAAAAAABOc/pftsh8LXBlQ/s1600/Stacy%2C%2BMilan%2BItaly.jpg" width="313" /></a>I don't know everything, but I know a few things... <br />
<br />
It has been eight months since my debut novel, EXPEDITION INDIGO, launched. So much has happened since it released, it feels like eight years. I had a
launch party, I have guest-blogged several places, I have met with book clubs, I have been on panels, and taught workshops, and guest-hosted on Facebook
and Twitter parties, and had book signings. It has been a busy, busy, busy eight months. I am hoping some of my experience, and some of my advice, can help
you in your journey to publication, or even in your journey as a writer, if you are already published. Here are some points to ponder:
<br />
<br />
1. Consider your book from every angle before you plan raffle baskets, SWAG, or promo materials. In my case, my protagonist is an Academic - an
archaeologist, who leaves her comfort zone of Boston College to help salvage a shipwreck off the coast of Italy. I created themed raffle baskets: Beach,
Italy, Travel, SCUBA, Archaeology, Survival Gear. You get the idea. I also made a decision to only have SWAG that was useful, and relevant. If you want
some links to reasonable SWAG or some ideas, please email me and I will happily share my information.<br />
<br />
2. Make a list of questions you think (or hope) will come up during a reading/signing or an interview. Record yourself and see how your answers sound.
Listen to yourself and try to capture the salient points of what you want the listener to take away and remember from speaking with you. I do not talk
about subplots when I am being interviewed, as a general rule, unless I am asked a direct question about one. The subplots aren't on your jacket copy, so
keep your discussion interesting and relevant, and vague enough to make the listener interested and intrigued. Write 3 salient points you want to make and
put them on an index card, so if you get flustered or caught off guard, you can steer yourself back on track. What do you want people to remember about
you, your character, or your book?<br />
<br />
3. Be grateful, and be kind. I know that sounds basic, but you would be surprised at how often I have seen a person who can't stop talking about his/her
work, with no interest in the other panelists or what they have to say. It seems like a gigantic and scary universe to a hopeful writer looking for a place
at the table, but this business is small. Tiny. Some of the nicest people I know are in this universe. We care about each other. We help one another. We
promote one another. We respect one another. The writer who is arrogant, discourteous, or talks smack about others will find it to be a lonely place.
Everybody knows everybody.<br />
<br />
4. Never stop learning your craft. Work at it. Every single time you can, be the best you can be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vJEe_FkNHQ/VTr6AXfI5RI/AAAAAAAABOg/gQ3vBmiGPR8/s1600/ExpIndigo%2BCover%2Bwith%2BBlurb%2Blg%2Bjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_vJEe_FkNHQ/VTr6AXfI5RI/AAAAAAAABOg/gQ3vBmiGPR8/s1600/ExpIndigo%2BCover%2Bwith%2BBlurb%2Blg%2Bjpg.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<em>Stacy Allen is the author of </em>
EXPEDITION INDIGO
<em>
, the first in a series, which debuted August 2014, and features Dr. Riley Cooper, a SCUBA-diving archaeologist. Her passion for adventure has taken
her to over 60 countries. She is the current VP of Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She has been a member of International Thriller
Writers for five years. She is an Advanced Open Water Diver, married and lives in the Atlanta area. Ms. Allen is represented by Jill Marr of the Sandra
Dijkstra Literary Agency.
</em>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-84298421565111028452015-08-06T09:44:00.001-04:002015-08-06T09:57:59.408-04:00Debut Benefits<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Normally we reserve the first Thursday of every month for debut releases. A funny thing happened in the post-Thrillerfest ebb. There are no new releases this month. </span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our team here at The Thrill Begins is busy processing the new applications -- requests to join the Debut Author program are investigated by our membership group -- so I'm sure we'll have lots of striking covers to entice you next month. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to become a member of the Debut Author program, an <a href="http://thrillerwriters.org/aboutitw/how-to-join/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;">active ITW Author member</a> must meets the following qualifications:</span></div>
<span style="color: #323232"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="color: #323232"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Published by an <a href="http://thrillerwriters.org/about/recognized-publishers/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;">ITW-recognized publisher</a>.</li>
</span></span></ul>
<span style="color: #323232"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<ul>
<li>Is their first novel published in any format, anywhere.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Is their first work of fiction published by a publisher or press with <a href="http://thrillerwriters.org/about-itw/recognized-publishers/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;">recognized status</a>. Self-published works released prior to the debut novel preclude membership, as do novellas of any length (whether self-published or traditionally published), since the purpose of the debut program is to aide and support those going through the publication process for the very first time. Short stories released in an anthology or collection may not preclude membership; please mention these at the time that you apply so that they can be reviewed.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The novel has or will be published <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">after </em>the most recent ThrillerFest. For instance, the last ThrillerFest was held July 7-11, 2015 and therefore an author who applied for the Debut Authors Program <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">and</em> whose first novel was released before July 7, 2015 was eligible for the Program. Conversely, an author whose book was released before the year’s ThrillerFest (any time before July 7, 2015) but who did not apply to the Debut Program until after July 11, 2015 is not eligible for the Program.</li>
</ul>
</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The benefits to the Debut Authors are many--some tangible, some nebulous but perhaps longer lasting. They include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232"></span></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232">
<li>The opportunity to appear at the Debut Authors Breakfast at <a href="http://www.thrillerfest.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ThrillerFest</a>. (Here are a few of our Debut Authors’ experiences at ThrillerFest: <a href="http://www.thebigthrill.org/2012/08/thrillerfest-vii-a-thrill-a-minute-by-anthony-j-franze-and-jenny-milchman/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Thrill a Minute</a> by Anthony J. Franze and Jenny Milchman, <a href="http://thethrillbegins.blogspot.com/2012/08/thrillerfest-2012-view-from-debut.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Thrillerfest 2012: View from a Debut</a> by Carter Wilson , and <a href="http://blog.donnagalanti.com/wp/people-passion-places-pain-thrillerfest/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">People, Passion, Places, Pain: ThrillerFest!</a> by Donna Galanti.)</li>
</span></span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232">
<ul>
<li>The opportunity to receive media coverage concerning Debut Author events. examples include a <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">BookTrib.com</em> profile and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Big Thrill</em>, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Library Journal,</em> and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Suspense Magazine</em>ran stories.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Membership in the Debut Authors Discussion Forum and Mentor Forum.</li>
</ul>
<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232;">Discussion Forum </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">is a private forum where debut authors share experiences, give one another advice, post notices about upcoming events, and build relationships. The Forum also has archived resources, including a Debut Survival Guide, advice on getting blurbs, and much more.</span><br /><br /></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; ">The </span><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; ">Mentor Forum </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232;">features established ITW members who appear in the Forum to answer </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; ">questions. Recent events have included a two-hour Skype session with Lee Child, as well as monthly on-line forums with David Morrell, Douglas Preston, Gayle Lynds, Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner, and other bestselling thriller writers. Read about one of those events </span><a href="http://www.thebigthrill.org/2012/03/lee-child-and-the-long-game-lessons-on-success-from-one-of-americas-favorite-authors/" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #323232; ">.</span></span></div>
<br /></span>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #323232; ">Social media support, including inclusion on </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; ">The Big Thrill</em><span style="color: #323232; ">’s </span><a href="http://www.thebigthrill.org/debut-authors/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Debut Author page</a><span style="color: #323232; ">, the opportunity to post on our blog, </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; "><a href="http://thethrillbegins.blogspot.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #34678a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Thrill Begins</a></em><span style="color: #323232; ">, and social media guidance and advice from Debut members.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; "> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #323232; "><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A growing network and community, both with writers at just your stage, and with many of the greats in the business, which will provide support, resources, and opportunities at every stage of a career.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, working with the Debut Author Program been a wonderful opportunity to interact with so many authors as they prepare for their debut release. While I didn't make it to Thrillerfest--<i>that pesky day job</i>--I've met many of the debut authors at other conferences. The publishing world, especially the mystery/thriller/suspense world, can be a wonderful community. I'm delighted to be part of ITW, especially a program that reaches out to offer new members a hand. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #323232; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope everyone had a fabulous time at Thrillerfest or wherever your summer has taken you. I look forward to sharing the latest releases next month--on the First Thursday page.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-57963949524600119372015-07-30T04:00:00.000-04:002015-07-30T04:00:02.900-04:00Editing Out Loudby M. P. Cooley<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M7HBRxzc3Xo/VbhJq8yDqsI/AAAAAAAABac/QVHzYydaOAE/s1600/Martha_Cooley-31-retouched_web%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M7HBRxzc3Xo/VbhJq8yDqsI/AAAAAAAABac/QVHzYydaOAE/s320/Martha_Cooley-31-retouched_web%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>I spent four years working on my debut novel, <em>Ice Shear</em>. Six months of that time was spent on developing the plot, fleshing out characters, and
doing research. The other three years and six months was spent developing the book’s voice. Reading the manuscript out loud and recording it were key tools
I used to refine the voice of my narrator as well as all the other characters who populated my books.
<br />
<br />
The voice of <em>Ice Shear</em> and its sequel <em>Flame Out</em> is that of the hero, June Lyons, who is a smart, sardonic cop. June is depressed as <em>Ice Shear </em>opens, reeling from years of loss: Her husband died of cancer, she gave up her career in the FBI, and moved back home to the dying mill
town where she grew up. I struggled with writing the voice of someone who is so cut off from life in a way that was accessible to readers, and ended up
flipping the book from third person to first person two years into the process, doing a complete rewrite. Still, it wasn’t quite right. I was listening to
an audiobook and was thinking about how different it was to experience the story off the page, and I decided to record myself reading the whole book out
loud. I was amazed by the benefits to the manuscript, both in the reading and the listening.
<br />
<br />
Assuming that you aren’t preparing the files for audiobook listeners, this process is easy and free. I have a mac and used QuickTime to capture the
audio—there are comparable programs for PCs--and found that the process worked better when I had a standalone mic instead of shouting at my computer
screen. I printed out the manuscript, grabbed some tea with lemon, and started reading. I was looking to refine the voice, but I found in reading out loud
that I caught plotting errors and story mistakes, dropping checkmarks into the margin where I needed to go back and review the information. There were a
lot of checkmarks.
<br />
<br />
Listening to the book provided a different experience. I could hear those sentences I stumbled over, the syntax too twisty, as well as how well or poorly
the dialogue was working. This process became even more important in <em>Flame Out</em>, in which June is trying to solve a 30-year-old crime that took
place in a tight-knit Ukrainian immigrant community. I worked hard to write dialogue that captured the characters’ different experiences, creating
distinctions in syntax between those that arrived in the US as adults versus those that arrived as children. Through hearing their dialogue out loud I got
a sense of those that assimilated and those that refused, and through their world I was able to get a better sense of how they viewed the new world.
<br />
<br />
Reading the books out loud made a huge difference in my manuscripts, improved both the dialogue and the characterization, giving my characters unique,
natural voices and strong viewpoints.
<br />
<br />
What do you think you’d discover about your suspense fiction if you read it out loud?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTS_-v_1MXg/VbkTTDV9_aI/AAAAAAAABa0/50wDkJJVLYo/s1600/FlameOut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTS_-v_1MXg/VbkTTDV9_aI/AAAAAAAABa0/50wDkJJVLYo/s320/FlameOut.jpg" width="211" /></a><em>
M.P. Cooley's novel FLAME OUT, released in May 2015, was praised in Library Journal in their starred review: "Cooley has upped her game with a
whip-smart, complicated heroine and a labyrinthine domestic mystery that will surprise and delight fans of her first book, while earning the author
scads of new fans." Nominated for the Anthony Award, Barry Award, Strand Magazine Critics Award, and the Left Coast Crime best first novel prize, her
debut ICE SHEAR, was named one of O, The Oprah Magazine's Best Books of Summer 2014 and was called "an excellent debut" by Publishers Weekly in their
starred review. Currently, she lives in Campbell, California where she works in administration at a nonprofit organization. An ebook novella, FAINT TRACE, was released in April 2015. Visit her at: mpcooley.com</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<em>
As a police officer in the Rust Belt town of Hopewell Falls, New York, June Lyons keeps an eye on the abandoned factories that line the Mohawk River.
On patrol she spots a slick of gasoline running across the parking lot of an old apparel factory; inside, an unconscious woman lies near smoldering
piles of old fabric. The fire destroys the building down to its subbasements, and the badly burned woman June rescued is in a coma. No one knows who
she is or how she got there. Thirty years earlier, June's father made a name for himself when he arrested the factory's owner, Bernie Lawler, for
killing his wife and child, though their bodies were never found. Sifting through the factory's ruins, June and her partner, Dave Batko, discover a
woman's body sealed in a barrel. They're sure that the body will be Luisa Lawler's and her cold case file will finally be closed. But the body isn't
Bernie's wife's, and the discovery opens old wounds and cuts fresh ones, triggering a new cycle of violence and revenge that threatens to destroy her
family and friends.
</em>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-57921606250753502752015-07-23T04:00:00.000-04:002015-07-23T15:16:45.871-04:00That Writer’s Diary<div style="margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">by </span>Cecilia Ekbäck</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khgAhWWKtOI/Vakoe2M8MZI/AAAAAAAABZ4/L6gOMQ_D6X8/s1600/Cecilia_E_00000040%2B-%2BCopy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-khgAhWWKtOI/Vakoe2M8MZI/AAAAAAAABZ4/L6gOMQ_D6X8/s1600/Cecilia_E_00000040%2B-%2BCopy.jpeg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This spring has been hectic. <i>Wolf Winter</i> was published early spring with all subsequent demands and I was also finishing off the first draft of my second book <i>In the Month of the Midnight Sun.</i> I often felt my salvation to be was my ‘writer’s diary.’ </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When writing <i>Wolf Winter</i>, I didn’t keep a diary. I jotted down my thoughts on scraps of paper which, of course, I misplaced, or which were difficult to decipher because my handwriting was too small and untidy. My research was in a similar state – I thought I would remember, but didn’t. The editing process was long and a number of things had to be re-researched as I hadn’t kept track of original notes. It was only towards the end of writing <i>Wolf Winter</i> that, spurred by the diaries of outstanding authors such as Virginia Wolfe, and André Gide, I tried the practise of writing a regular diary (and keeping a research file!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As a writer, I often miss the collegial life I previously enjoyed, where ideas where debated and discussed in the workplace. Putting down my thoughts in diary form forces me to articulate thoughts, from muddled impulse through to something that is clearer, and that sometimes proves to be a ‘gem’. Often I don’t see this until I reread my notes later. When I wrote the end of <i>In the Month of the Midnight Sun</i> and despaired, I often went back to the notes I took towards the end of writing <i>Wolf Winter</i> to remind myself that I had felt the same way back then; that feeling confused and even despairing seems to be a part of my writing process; that even when I am not sitting at my desk, my mind is continuously at it, and eventually the answer will come. Diary writing also helped keep me centred in the midst of, what I felt was, a turbulent publication period with many things such as interviews and speaking engagements that don’t come natural to me. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I use my diary to discuss with myself the book I am currently writing, any everyday issues regarding plot, characterisation or similar, plus potential plot developments. I also use it to note any thoughts about books I am reading: ideas, skilled use of techniques, or similar. I believe that in time, my diary will be where I see my own development as a writer, where I push myself further, and where I understand things about myself as an author. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sFujvM2P-Qo/Vakohn8AswI/AAAAAAAABaA/_Gs1UPnqO0M/s1600/WinterWolf_HC_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sFujvM2P-Qo/Vakohn8AswI/AAAAAAAABaA/_Gs1UPnqO0M/s320/WinterWolf_HC_cover.jpg" width="211" /></a><i>Cecilia Ekbäck was born in Sweden in a small northern town. Her parents come from Lapland. She now lives in Calgary with her husband and twin daughters, ‘returning home’ to the landscape and the characters of her childhood in her writing. Her first novel </i>Wolf Winter <i>was published in February 2015. Her second novel </i>In the Month of the Midnight Sun<i> will be published in January 2016.</i></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
<i>Swedish Lapland 1717; a group of disparate settlers struggles to forge a new life in the shadow of the grim Blackåsen Mountain whose dark mythology lies at odds with the repressive control exerted by the Church. Into this setting, Maija, her husband and two daughters arrive, wanting to forget the traumas that caused them to abandon their native Finland and start anew. Not long after their arrival, their daughters stumble across the mutilated body of a fellow settler in a picturesque glade. The locals are quick to dismiss the culprit as wolf or bear, but Maija, however, is unconvinced and compelled by the ghosts of her past, she determines to investigate the murder.</i></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 8px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 8px; min-height: 15px;">
<br /></div>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-26141393132977736212015-07-16T04:00:00.000-04:002015-07-16T04:00:13.408-04:003 Things For Debut Authors To Keep In Mindby Julie Lawson Timmer <br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvMwrgSlIqo/VZSlUgeXxTI/AAAAAAAABZY/iY2EyxkEPks/s1600/JALT%2BAuthor%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvMwrgSlIqo/VZSlUgeXxTI/AAAAAAAABZY/iY2EyxkEPks/s320/JALT%2BAuthor%2Bphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a>When our eldest children began middle school, we decided to streamline our parenting approach by giving them only three rules. (I stole the idea from a
book). Word lover that I am, if left to my own devices, I might have issued a multi-chapter tome of Do and Don’ts, with subparts, references and a
multi-step process for requesting exceptions. The three-item strategy worked like a charm.
<br />
Since brevity and the list of 3 worked so well back then, I’ve used it many times since, not only as a parent but as a lawyer, negotiator, and writer. And
so, I have three pieces of advice for you, O Debut Author. No long list of Dos and Don’ts, no subparts, no references--just the three things I think are
most important for you to keep in mind:
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>1. Breathe it all in.</em></strong>
You slogged for 2, 5, 10 years on your novel, and now you’ve made it: your book is (or is about to be) published! It’s a<em> dream come true</em>, isn’t
it? Take time every day to honor that.
<br />
It’s easy to let the joy of a book deal get swallowed up by the slog of being a debut author. Suddenly, there are edits, first-pass pages, cover choices,
blurbs to beg for, a launch to plan, blog posts and interviews to write, sales figures to worry over. Those things are important, and writing is a
business, and blah blah blah. But it’s so much more than that, isn’t it? Try not to get so caught up in the slog that you completely bypass the joy of
having your<em> dream come true</em>. Breathe in the joy. Every day.
<br />
I’m not talking about one-off, capital-C Celebrations like that bottle of bubbly you popped open or the fancy dinner you had with your family. Those things
are easy. I’m talking about the more difficult, smaller-c moments: the daily period of quiet reflection where you sit still, and breathe, and remind
yourself that all of the slog that comes with being a published author is in your life for this reason: you just had a<em> dream come true</em>.
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>2. Hashtag, be yourself.</em></strong>
Even if you’ve mastered this one in real life, it can be a surprisingly tough thing to stick to online, where adding “published” to your profile gives you
entrée into new groups and circles and lists. All of your new publishing insider “friends” are tweeting and posting and favoriting and sharing and
bragging. If they’re all doing it, shouldn’t you?
<br />
<br />
#onlyifthat’swhoyoureallyare
<br />
<br />
If that’s not you offline, don’t try to make it you online. #itwillonlymakeyoumiserable
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>3. Get back to work.</em></strong>
You’re reading this because you wrote a book, and got a book deal. There’s only one way to make that happen again.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A3OUlVcfLFg/VZSlUhMW1fI/AAAAAAAABZU/102ueUxC9qE/s1600/20821084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A3OUlVcfLFg/VZSlUhMW1fI/AAAAAAAABZU/102ueUxC9qE/s320/20821084.jpg" width="212" /></a><em>
Julie Lawson Timmer grew up in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband, their four teenage children and two
rescued dogs. By turns, she is a writer, lawyer, mom/stepmom, and dreadful cook.
</em>
FIVE DAYS LEFT<em> (Putnam 2014) is her first novel. Her second book, </em>UNTETHERED<em>, will be published by Putnam in 2016. </em>
<br />
<em></em>
<br />
<br />
FIVE DAYS LEFT
<em>
(Putnam September 2014): Mara Nichols is a successful lawyer, devoted wife and adoptive mother who has received a life-shattering diagnosis --
Huntington's disease. Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher, has been fostering an eight-year-old boy while the boy's mother serves a jail sentence.
Scott and Mara both have five days left until they must say good-bye to the ones they love the most.
</em>
FIVE DAYS LEFT
<em>
explores the individual limits of human endurance and the power of relationships, and shows us that sometimes loving someone means holding on, and
sometimes it means letting go.
</em>
<br />
<div>
<em>
<br />
</em>
</div>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-80466984177322488372015-07-09T04:00:00.000-04:002015-07-09T04:00:09.680-04:005 Marketing Tips for Book Signing Events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; letter-spacing: 0px;">by Margo Kelly </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span><br /></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J-CVNbJG4yg/VUlZjYqH2DI/AAAAAAAABRI/ggJcxn3xWAY/s1600/book_signing_christine%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J-CVNbJG4yg/VUlZjYqH2DI/AAAAAAAABRI/ggJcxn3xWAY/s1600/book_signing_christine%2B2.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You wrote a book, got it published, and now what? Here are five tips in five time periods for book signing events: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>3 MONTHS BEFORE EVENT:</b></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Research bookstores</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Speak with event coordinator in person</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Give her an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) and an introductory letter</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Have postcards or bookmarks printed, featuring book cover, short description, industry praise, and ordering information</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Have tabletop poster (11x17 with easel back) made featuring cover and industry praise – add a starburst to top that reads: LOCAL AUTHOR </span></li>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">2 WEEKS BEFORE EVENT:</b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Confirm details with event coordinator</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Publicize event widely – on FB, Twitter, Community Calendars, etc.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Polish your website so when new contacts visit they’ll be impressed</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Buy a new outfit to look and feel confident for your big day</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Create an email newsletter signup sheet</span></li>
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<b style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">SETTING UP AT EVENT:</b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Table – typically, the event coordinator will provide this</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tablecloth – solid color</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Postcards or bookmarks – be liberal giving these away </span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ink pens – one to sign books and one for email signup form</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Books – verify how many the store has and then sell them all!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>DURING EVENT:</b></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Smile and sit up straight</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Greet people and ask them how they are today</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ask people what type of books they like to read – engage them in conversation and describe your book</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tell people you’re a local author</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Keep a positive attitude – be nice to everyone, especially store employees, because they’ll be hand-selling your book later</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><b>AFTER EVENT:</b></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Send a thank you card to event coordinator</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Make notes about what worked and what did not for future reference</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Blog about the event</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Add new contacts to your email list</span></li>
<li style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Email newsletter once a month with book related news</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f13ILw6XMTA/VUlYyTDrpFI/AAAAAAAABQ4/9XXZA6YtbGA/s1600/margo_kelly_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f13ILw6XMTA/VUlYyTDrpFI/AAAAAAAABQ4/9XXZA6YtbGA/s1600/margo_kelly_photo.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest, and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. </i><b><i>Who R U Really?</i></b><i> is her first novel. Visit her at: </i></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MargoKelly.author"><span style="color: #0433ff; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>https://www.facebook.com/MargoKelly.author</i></span></a><i>; </i><a href="http://www.margokelly.net/" style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>www.margokelly.net</i></span></a><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">; </i><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">@MargoWKelly; and </i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/margokelly" style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #0433ff; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>https://www.goodreads.com/margokelly</i></span></a><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span><br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POgTO-ZEczM/VUlYy_pOyQI/AAAAAAAABQ8/3Zqxlfo7Gps/s1600/who_r_u_really_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-POgTO-ZEczM/VUlYy_pOyQI/AAAAAAAABQ8/3Zqxlfo7Gps/s1600/who_r_u_really_cover.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>When Thea discovers a new role-playing game online, she breaks her parents’ rules to play. And in the world of the game, Thea falls for an older boy named Kit whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his near-suicidal despair. Soon, he’s texting her, asking her to meet him, and talking in vague ways about how they can be together forever. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit’s allure, and hurtles toward the very fate her parents feared most. </i><b><i>Who R U Really?</i></b><i> will excite you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of control.</i></span></div>
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marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-90461597080514240672015-07-02T09:56:00.001-04:002015-07-02T10:08:54.044-04:00July Debut Releases<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;">It's the first Thursday in July and that means new releases.</span><br />
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Please take a look and let’s celebrate these debut authors' success!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVyuoILsscM/VZVAhYvfuuI/AAAAAAAABwk/9FZnn8corWs/s1600/TwistOfHateFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SVyuoILsscM/VZVAhYvfuuI/AAAAAAAABwk/9FZnn8corWs/s320/TwistOfHateFront.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>VR Barkowski </b>- A Twist of Hate (Five Star/Cengage)</span> June 17, 2015</div>
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<a href="http://www.vrbarkowski.com/">www.vrbarkowski.com</a></div>
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<span class="s1">When the Cézanne his parents lend a local museum is replaced with a forgery, former homicide inspector turned security consultant Del Miller insists the museum's director call in the FBI. The painting, smuggled out of Nazi-occupied France along with Del's then-infant father, is not only priceless, it holds great sentimental value.</span>
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<span class="s1">Soon, the museum director is dead, and a handwritten note in which he admits complicity in the theft arrives at a local news station. Then come allegations that Del's grandfather—a French Resistance hero who died at the hands of the Nazis—stole the missing masterpiece from a Paris gallery during the war. </span>
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<span class="s1">After the grandson of the long-deceased gallery owner comes forward to claim the Cézanne, he is found shot to death, and Del's father is implicated in both a conspiracy to hide the painting and murder. Del, now at a crossroads, sets out to uncover the truth.</span>
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<span class="s1">From present-day San Francisco to war-torn France and Nazi death camps, A TWIST OF HATE is a story of family honor as Del seeks answers about the grandfather he never knew, the father he idolizes, and the secrets behind a missing painting that lay buried deep within his family's past.</span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eOlh_kiJndU/VZVBks9F1WI/AAAAAAAABw0/gqVcGXNmpiE/s1600/Names%2BOf%2BThe%2BDead%2BCover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eOlh_kiJndU/VZVBks9F1WI/AAAAAAAABw0/gqVcGXNmpiE/s320/Names%2BOf%2BThe%2BDead%2BCover.png" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Mark Leggatt</b> - Names of the Dead (Fledgling Press) </span>July 26, 2015</div>
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<span class="s3"><a href="http://www.markleggatt.com/">www.markleggatt.com</a> </span></div>
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<span class="s3">Connor Montrose is running for his life. All that he held dear has been ripped away. Every Western intelligence agency and all the police forces of Europe are looking for him, with orders to shoot on sight. The only man who can prove his innocence, is the man that most wants him dead. </span>
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<span class="s3">Only one woman, a Mossad sleeper in Paris, will stand by his side. With her help, he must now turn and fight. His journey of evasion and revenge take him from hidden Holocaust bank vaults in Zurich, to the stinking sewers of Paris and dust-choked souks of Morocco. Finally, in the back streets of Tehran, under the gaze of the Ayatollahs, he has the chance to end it, as it began. In blood.</span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6k16EReQNkM/VZVBhAPtUxI/AAAAAAAABws/4sQ3ChbGU1s/s1600/Boy%2BFullCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6k16EReQNkM/VZVBhAPtUxI/AAAAAAAABws/4sQ3ChbGU1s/s320/Boy%2BFullCover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>Jeffrey Westhoff</b> - </span>The Boy Who Knew Too Much (Intrigue Publishing) June 1, 2015</div>
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<a href="http://www.jeffreywesthoff.com/"><span class="s4">www.jeffreywesthoff.com</span></a></div>
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<span class="s1">While on a school trip to Europe, Milwaukee teenager <span class="s2">Brian Parker</span> hopes for just a taste of the glamour and excitement of his favorite spy novels. Brian gets way more than a taste, though, when he stumbles across a wounded spy in a Lucerne alley.</span>
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<span class="s1">The man’s dying words catapult Brian into a desperate chase across the continent. America’s latest super weapon is at stake, and everyone from a rogue CIA officer to a sadistic criminal mastermind is after it – and Brian. New enemies emerge at every turn, but Brian soon finds a welcome ally in Larissa, a beautiful French girl who loves the Ramones and is handy with a blast of pepper spray.
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Brian faces a deadly path, but reading all those spy novels has taught him a few tricks of the trade. They just might save his life.</span>
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CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-13338368557518591732015-06-25T04:00:00.000-04:002015-06-25T04:00:06.894-04:00What Came First, the Music or the Mystery?By Maria Alexander
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<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uWcc9TcKtGE/VYTB8vln3EI/AAAAAAAABYs/sR-DQEGB6X4/s1600/maria-alexander-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uWcc9TcKtGE/VYTB8vln3EI/AAAAAAAABYs/sR-DQEGB6X4/s320/maria-alexander-web.jpg" width="213" /></a>Music. Many writers call it a “creative crutch.” Others, a distraction. It’s fascinating how music affects our creativity. It can spark an idea or sustain
a mood as we complete a scene. Some authors listen to music as a warm up and then turn it off when writing.<br />
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For me, story ideas frequently find me as I drive and listen to the car stereo. Many of my short stories were born this way. For example, “Black Roses and
Hail Marys” fell into my head one day as Offspring’s “Gone Away” hit the airwaves. And the final scene of “Coming Home” appeared in my imagination as
“Carol of the Bells” started playing one evening on my favorite classical music station. I continued playing the tune at home until the entire story
unfolded on the computer screen.
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But with my debut novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/mr-wicker-maria-alexander/dp/1935738666/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1"><em>Mr. Wicker</em></a>, the music
and the mystery came at the same time. I’ve been pretty cagey about the origins of the novel, offering the extraordinary, true-life backstory in a
transmedia puzzle trail that starts at the end of <a href="https://youtu.be/QedH1hvGPnQ" target="_blank">my book trailer.</a> (WARNING: The trailer is graphic and bloody.)
Without giving away the backstory, I can say that a haunting lullaby came to me during the event that inspired the book. I “heard” Mr. Wicker’s voice
singing this song:
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<em>In a time and out of time</em>
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<em>In time, the ink shall sing.</em>
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<em>Blood and trust</em>
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<em>They turn to dust,</em>
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<em>Each secret that they bring.</em>
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<em><br /></em>
<em>Brooders weep</em><em></em><br />
<em>And brooders keep</em>
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<em>Their misery at hand</em>
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<em>Let Mister Wicker wash your sicker</em>
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<em>Memories in sand…</em><br />
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That’s the song of the Library of Lost Childhood Memories, where Mr. Wicker is the Librarian. (To hear the tune, watch – or just listen to –<a href="https://youtu.be/QedH1hvGPnQ" target="_blank"> the book trailer</a>.) In the novel, children come to Mr. Wicker in their dreams to give him their most traumatic
memories, which he records in a book with their name on the spine. When they wake up, the children no longer remember either what happened or Mr. Wicker.
Music plays a big part in the story, as it’s deeply connected to memory.
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The Librarian’s song was the soundtrack to my nightmares throughout the years it took the novel to develop. Starting as a short story in September 1997,
the tale then evolved into a well-regarded screenplay before I eventually adapted it to novel. In September 2014, Raw Dog Screaming Press published <em>Mr. Wicker</em> to critical acclaim. And in May 2015, the book won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel.
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It seems Mr. Wicker’s song was right. In time, the ink shall sing…indeed.
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7DXChL3bHa0/VYTB8mIpvaI/AAAAAAAABYo/AF9f-sDGtSM/s1600/MrWickerCoverFullSize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7DXChL3bHa0/VYTB8mIpvaI/AAAAAAAABYo/AF9f-sDGtSM/s320/MrWickerCoverFullSize.jpg" width="196" /></a><em>
Maria Alexander is a screenwriter, games writer, virtual world designer, award-winning copywriter, interactive theatre designer, short fiction writer
and poet. Her debut novel,
</em>
Mr. Wicker,
<em>
won the 2014 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Represented by Alex Slater at Trident Media Group, she lives in Los Angeles
with two ungrateful cats and a purse called Trog. Visit her at:
</em>
<em><a href="http://www.mariaalexander.net/">www.mariaalexander.net</a></em>
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<br />
<em>
Alicia Baum is missing a deadly childhood memory. Located beyond life, The Library of Lost Childhood Memories holds the answer. But the Librarian is
Mr. Wicker — a seductive yet sinister creature with an unthinkable past and an agenda just as lethal.
</em>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-43341633816071495902015-06-18T01:30:00.000-04:002015-06-18T01:30:00.426-04:00How I Handle Rejection<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">by Richard Torregrossa</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5EdpUeSS4pw/VXELESH_JQI/AAAAAAAABWI/xPOp6gpsIg0/s1600/richard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5EdpUeSS4pw/VXELESH_JQI/AAAAAAAABWI/xPOp6gpsIg0/s320/richard1.jpg" width="214" /></a>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The book industry is gasping for air. It’s practically on life support. Not good news for writers. It’s harder than ever to get published, but that doesn’t mean much, at least not ultimately. If you’re a writer, you write, and come what may. I’ve published eight books, all with major publishers, and not one of them was easy sailing; it was all uphill. My most recent book, TERMINAL LIFE: A Suited Hero Novel, a mystery crime thriller, racked up many rejections both from literary agents and editors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But that’s a good thing. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">First of all, the fact that it was even read by top people in the industry is an accomplishment. More important, if you’re piling up rejection slips that means you’re still in the game, that you haven’t given up, that you’re not a quitter, and that’s a sign of character, that you believe in yourself regardless of what other professionals might think.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Still, rejection stings. I know that. But the best antidote for this is getting back to work. I have a saying above my desk: Process, Not Result. It’s been an enormous help to me because it keeps me focused on the work and not the frills. It reminds me to work harder to develop my craft, to read and re-read, to keep up with industry trends, and not become distracted by the ultimate goal—to become a rich and famous published writer. For me, writing is a joy and I will not let anything or anybody sour a disposition that I regard as a blessing. I write every day, even if I don’t feel like it, and eventually good results come my way. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I also keep in mind that every writer has dealt with rejection. <i>Gone with the Wind</i> was rejected 38 times, <i>The Great Gatsby</i> 122 times, John Grisham’s first novel 25 times, and on and on. Some of the rejection letters were quite nasty. Zane Gray, who went on to sell 250 million books, received this lovely response from a publisher, “You have no business being a writer and should give up.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I have many writer friends who are far more talented than I’ll ever be, but they don’t publish much because they’re paralyzed by the fear of rejection. I’ve helped some of them by showing them my rejection letters paired with the published book, its impressive sales, and rave reviews, which is the greatest vindication. So you’ve got to bite the bullet and continue to disseminate your work. The business is subjective and it often takes a huge effort to find likeminded colleagues. </span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I just finished my next novel, <i>Where Have All The Good Girls Gone?,</i> about a young man devastated by his wife’s infidelity, forcing him on a journey to regain his dignity, his place in the world, and the redemptive power of love. My literary agent retired and I am searching for a new one. So far I’ve racked up a few rejection slips. And I couldn’t be more delighted. </span><br /> <br />
<div style="color: #000302;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hxITq6nkZ9Y/VXEK2qErnxI/AAAAAAAABWA/I3YJf0WkUNQ/s1600/Terminal-Life-hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hxITq6nkZ9Y/VXEK2qErnxI/AAAAAAAABWA/I3YJf0WkUNQ/s320/Terminal-Life-hi-res.jpg" width="210" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;">Richard Torregrossa is a journalist whose work has appeared in </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Financial Times</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Newsday</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The New York Post</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Chicago Tribune</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The San Francisco Chronicle</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Huffington Post</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Movieline</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Self</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Cosmopolitan</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Yoga Journal</span> <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Family Circle</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Parents Magazine</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The South China Morning Post</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Las Vegas Magazine</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Desert Living</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Ritz Carlton Magazine</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Modern Gentleman’s<i> blog</i></span><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;">, and many other online media. He is the author of eight books, the most recent the acclaimed biography </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style</span><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;">, Foreword by Giorgio Armani, Afterword by Michael Kors. A first-degree black belt, he is an enthusiastic martial artist who teaches and continues to study a variety of forms, from Kenpo to Jeet Kune Do. Richard’s expertise in the world of men’s fashion and in the world of martial arts shine in </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Terminal Life</span><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;">, the first in the </span><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;">Suited Hero</span><span style="font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px;"> series. <br />
<br />
Visit Richard at: </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><a href="http://www.richardtorregrossa.com/" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">http://www.richardtorregrossa.com/</span></a></div>
<br />
</span>marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-24000201111508676042015-06-11T22:23:00.000-04:002015-06-11T22:23:00.384-04:00You've Got The Magic In Youby Susannah Hardy<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zuRu8W42aVs/VW5kW9gkFDI/AAAAAAAABVo/4r3pmeBQUK4/s1600/Susannah%2BHardy%2BAuthor%2BPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zuRu8W42aVs/VW5kW9gkFDI/AAAAAAAABVo/4r3pmeBQUK4/s320/Susannah%2BHardy%2BAuthor%2BPhoto.jpg" width="256" /></a><em>February 4, 2013</em>
. The number three most memorable day of my life. The day my agent called and told me we had a three-book deal with Berkley Prime Crime for a new series,
the <em>Greek to Me Mysteries.</em> I cried then. I’m misting up again just thinking about it now. Of course, I didn’t know then that the journey—and the
real hard work—was just beginning. But that day, I felt like I’d won the dream-fulfillment lottery. (FYI, my wedding and the day my son was born tie for
the number one and number two spots)
<br />
<br />
Did I always want to be a writer? I get asked that a lot. Of course, I’d always been a reader, that goes without saying. My aunt loves to tell how, while
babysitting me, she was forced to read the Little Golden Book <em>Chicken Little</em> over and over, to the point that to this day she hates that story.
When I got to school, I learned to read for myself, relieving my aunt of <em>Chicken Little </em>duty, and I never stopped. I read all kinds of books,
fiction and nonfiction, but most of all I loved the mysteries. Encyclopedia Brown. Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie. Nancy Drew. Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth
Peters.
<br />
<br />
But as to whether I always wanted to be a writer, well, <em>wanting to</em> and <em>thinking you can</em> do something are two different things. I studied
history and literature in college, and wrote in fits and starts over the years. But I never produced a complete … anything. I have a whole drawer full of
Chapter Ones. Sometimes I didn’t even finish the whole chapter, just wrote a couple of pages. Couldn’t even manage a short story. You see, though the <em>want</em> was there, the confidence to fulfill that want was missing. I truly believed that writers were different than the rest of us, possessing some
kind of special abilities—or maybe it was some kind of magic—that enabled them to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and produce a whole story.
<br />
<br />
Of course, now I know that writers <em>are</em> different than other people. Everybody has stories in their head. But writers <em>write them down from beginning to end</em>. Then they go back and fix their words until the story works. That’s the magic.
<br />
<br />
A few years ago, I took a long look at my life and realized that if I never finished writing a novel, I would regret it. At that point, I was not even
thinking about publication. For my own self-respect, I needed—no longer <em>wanted</em>, but <em>needed</em>—to get from the words “Chapter One” to “The
End,” with a complete story in between. And so I joined a writers’ group at my local library. I almost didn’t go to that first meeting. But I forced
myself. And I met, that very first night, a new friend who was just a little further ahead on her journey. Over the next year, we encouraged each other,
prodded each other along, and didn’t let each other quit. She produced a YA novel that she subsequently indie published. I produced the book that would
become, with several rewrites of the opening fifty pages, <em>Feta Attraction.</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
Now I had a complete manuscript. The writers’ group at my library disbanded, and a few of us who were left realized that we knew nothing about the business
of writing. So we joined our local chapter of Romance Writers of America (<a href="http://www.ctrwa.org/">www.ctrwa.org</a>). A mystery writer joining an
RWA chapter? Yup. The members there taught us about literary agents, and querying, and synopsis writing, and pitching, and all kinds of other business and
writing craft. And I also joined Sisters in Crime New England (<a href="http://www.sincne.org/">www.sincne.org</a>), to get mystery-specific experience. I
strapped on my new tool belt and got to work.
<br />
<br />
Three months after I started querying in earnest, I got an offer from an agent. And then a couple of weeks later I got a second offer from an agent with a
better track record, which was the one I ultimately accepted. We put together a proposal, and within a week of it being submitted to an editor, it was
sold. February 4, 2013.
<br />
<br />
Fast forward, and <em>Feta Attraction</em> is now on the bookshelves. Book 2, <em>Olive and Let Die</em>, releases November 3, 2015. And Book 3, as yet
untitled, will be out in 2016. Not bad for a girl who didn’t believe she had the magic to get it done. If I’ve learned anything from this process, it’s that everybody has the magic. You
just have to get out of your own way long enough that it can do its work.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfM1Vzfwy-4/VW5kW2VlyyI/AAAAAAAABVk/wcCWChIVkn8/s1600/Feta%2BAttraction%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kfM1Vzfwy-4/VW5kW2VlyyI/AAAAAAAABVk/wcCWChIVkn8/s320/Feta%2BAttraction%2BCover.jpg" width="198" /></a><i>Susannah Hardy thinks she has the best job in the world: making up stories and inventing recipes to go along with them. A native of northern New York,
where she attended St. Lawrence University, Susannah now lives in Connecticut with her husband, teenaged son, and Elvira the Wonder Cat.
</i><br />
<br />
<em>
Georgie Nikolopatos manages the Bonaparte House, a Greek restaurant and historic landmark in beautiful upstate New York rumored to possess ghosts and
hidden treasure. But when her husband disappears and her main competitor is found dead, it’s up to Georgie to solve a big fat Greek murder. Includes delicious Greek recipes! </em><br />
<br />
<i>Website: <a href="http://www.susannahhardy.com/">www.susannahhardy.com</a>
</i><br />
<i>Facebook: <a href="https://goo.gl/cZKbC6">https://goo.gl/cZKbC6</a>
</i><br />
<i>Twitter: @susannahhardy1, <a href="https://goo.gl/v3bVFF">https://goo.gl/v3bVFF</a>
</i><br />
<i>Feta Attraction: <a href="http://goo.gl/yf84Ue">http://goo.gl/yf84Ue</a>
</i><br />
<i>Olive and Let Die: <a href="http://goo.gl/4pPol3">http://goo.gl/4pPol3</a></i>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-28425464322743678532015-06-04T02:00:00.000-04:002015-06-04T10:52:34.826-04:00June Debut Authors<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;">It's the first Thursday in June and that means new releases.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Please take a look and let’s celebrate these debut authors' success!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tevd3v99-GY/VW_UsksPw9I/AAAAAAAABoA/xAXICAht-F4/s1600/WILD%2BINSIDE%2Bcover%2Bimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tevd3v99-GY/VW_UsksPw9I/AAAAAAAABoA/xAXICAht-F4/s320/WILD%2BINSIDE%2Bcover%2Bimage.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14.5600004196167px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Christine Carbo</b> - The Wild Inside (Atria Books/S&S) June 16, 2015</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<a href="http://christinecarbo.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">christinecarbo.com</span></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><i>A haunting crime novel set in Glacier National Park about a man who finds himself at odds with the dark heart of the wild—and the even darker heart of human nature.</i></span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">It was a clear night in Glacier National Park. Fourteen-year-old Ted Systead and his father were camping beneath the rugged peaks and starlit skies when something unimaginable happened: a grizzly bear attacked Ted’s father and dragged him to his death.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Now, twenty years later, as Special Agent for the Department of the Interior, Ted gets called back to investigate a crime that mirrors the horror of that night. Except this time, the victim was tied to a tree before the mauling. Ted teams up with one of the park officers—a man named Monty, whose pleasant exterior masks an all-too-vivid knowledge of the hazardous terrain surrounding them. Residents of the area turn out to be suspicious of outsiders and less than forthcoming. Their intimate connection to the wild forces them to confront nature, and their fellow man, with equal measures of reverence and ruthlessness.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">As the case progresses with no clear answers, more than human life is at stake—including that of the majestic creature responsible for the attack. Ted’s search for the truth ends up leading him deeper into the wilderness than he ever imagined, on the trail of a killer, until he reaches a shocking and unexpected personal conclusion. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zxn6pzl5NA/VW_EbZt8xII/AAAAAAAABno/kO-jpExKYAI/s1600/Euthanist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8zxn6pzl5NA/VW_EbZt8xII/AAAAAAAABno/kO-jpExKYAI/s320/Euthanist.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Alex Dolan</b> - The Euthanist (Diversion Books) June 2, 2015 <a href="http://www.alexdolan.com/" style="color: #1155cc; white-space: normal;" target="_blank">www.alexdolan.com</a> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
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<b style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>A young woman helps to end the lives of people with terminal diseases. But when she helps the wrong person, she will be roped into a plot to gain vengeance on behalf of dozens, and the last life she ends may be her own.</i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">They know her as Kali. She is there to see them off into the afterlife with kindness, with efficiency, and with two needles. She’s been a part of the right-to-die movement for years, an integral member, complicit in the deaths of twenty-seven men and women, all suffering from terminal illnesses.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />And she just helped the wrong patient.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Soon Kali is drawn into a mesmerizing game of cat-and-mouse with two ruthless predators—one behind bars, one free—who hold the secrets that could bring comfort to the families of their victims. This powerful journey towards grace and towards peace will force both Leland and Kali to question everything they believe to be true and just.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LaBd3xTO_Kc/VW_FY8YczAI/AAAAAAAABnw/wO3RtNRC3PU/s1600/View%2B2%2Bred%2Blettering%2B-%2BHouse%2Bof%2BHomicide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LaBd3xTO_Kc/VW_FY8YczAI/AAAAAAAABnw/wO3RtNRC3PU/s320/View%2B2%2Bred%2Blettering%2B-%2BHouse%2Bof%2BHomicide.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />Eileen Magill - (Oak Tree Press) </span></span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1242067536" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -2px; white-space: pre-wrap; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">June 17, 2015</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.eileenmagill.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">www.eileenmagill.com</a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A young widow...</i></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cindy is reeling from the loss of her husband, suddenly a single mother of two children and the sole caretaker for her aging aunt. She finds the perfect house to start anew.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A house with a past...</i></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A rundown house in the Silicon Valley suburbs needs a lot of work, but Cindy is willing to take it on to get her dream house. Disclosure documents indicate that someone had died in the house, but they don't tell the whole story of the house's evil past.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A call for help from beyond the grave...</i></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cindy's dreams are invaded by a woman who shows Cindy the horrible murders that had taken place in the house. Her message to Cindy: <em>Your family is next</em>. When repairs on the house uncover the missing murder weapon, Cindy begins to believe that the strange woman is something more than just a dream. Using her journalism skills to research the property, the dark past of the house is revealed: a series of murders starting when the house was built more than 40 years earlier. But her meddling into the history awakens a killer's need to keep the past quiet, and Cindy is thrust into a struggle to find the killer before she and her family become the next victims.</span></div>
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CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-17321625596706755582015-05-28T04:00:00.000-04:002015-05-28T04:00:00.987-04:00Write What You Knowby Carrie Stuart Parks
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rB5KBiPQXj4/VWT1GZxkC5I/AAAAAAAABTo/sQhMNwYNPO4/s1600/_MG_8843%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rB5KBiPQXj4/VWT1GZxkC5I/AAAAAAAABTo/sQhMNwYNPO4/s320/_MG_8843%25281%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a>I’ve often heard this advice, and just as often heard the opposite. Fortunately for me, my career provided the perfect subject for my books: forensic art.
Unlike the fancy holograms and computer generated bells and whistles on television, forensic art is about visual communication using something as simple as
a pencil and piece of paper. Working as a forensic artist since 1981 gave me a host of plot ideas based on actual cases. As a forensic artist, I could
reconstruct skulls, prepare <br />
courtroom exhibits, draw composites of unknown suspects, age progress missing children, capture courtroom drama, sketch crime
scenes, illustrate unknown remains, clarify video surveillance images and a host of other skills. Step aside, Bones! Choosing a career for my protagonist
was a no-brainer.
<br />
<br />
Choosing a location came next. As a resident of Cataldo, Idaho, once saluted in the <em>Corn Patch </em>of the television show <em>Hee Haw</em>, I knew far
more about my neighboring moose and wolves than big city life. I decided I’d slide one step away to Montana and create a fictional town called Copper
Creek, based on Hamilton, Montana. . . and I <em>did</em> work on a triple homicide there once . . .
<br />
<br />
Now that I had a protagonist and a location, I needed details of this life. Gwen Marcey (Gwen coming from a name my husband, Rick, liked, and Marcey from
his mom’s maiden name,) needed a dog. Of course. But not just any dog. No Golden Retriever, Collie, or German Shepherd. The dog HAD to be a Great Pyrenees.
Remember the <em>write what you know</em>? My family raised this breed since 1959 and I’m currently the president of the national club.
<br />
<br />
I wanted to write from a Christian world view. No cussing or sex. Just tight tension and action. I knew it wouldn’t be a cozy, or sweet or light because of
my job, but I also knew it took a bit more work to show the gritty side of forensic art without resorting to bad language and gratuitous violence and sex.
<br />
<br />
Now came the hard part: actually writing. Keeping tension high; showing, not telling; hooks at the end of the chapters; weaving in backstory or leaving it
out; constructing layers within the story. That learning curve took ten years of hard work. I had a NYT bestselling author as a mentor, a harsh critique
group, and attended numerous writing conferences taking copious notes. I signed up for on-line classes and read every book on the topic.
<br />
<br />
In that ten-year journey, I gathered rejections, worked full time, battled stage II breast cancer, and took care of my dying mother.
<br />
<br />
I was not, WAS NOT going to quit. Rejections meant more revisions. Cancer? I’d use it in the book.
<br />
I’m sharing all this with you, m’friends, because we all have that writing journey, that yellow brick road with witches and flying monkeys. But we also
have our big hearted tin man, bright scarecrow, and brave lion to help us.
<br />
<br />
Oh, and yes, it all paid off. A three book deal at auction with HarperCollins Christian taking the highest bid. And finaling in two mystery/suspense
competitions.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7zD4cNKZs8/VWT1isDgCnI/AAAAAAAABTw/-x66jKUjh1k/s1600/CryFromtheDustNEW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g7zD4cNKZs8/VWT1isDgCnI/AAAAAAAABTw/-x66jKUjh1k/s320/CryFromtheDustNEW.JPG" width="209" /></a><i>Carrie Stuart Parks is an award-winning fine artist and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and
Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie
continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>In 1857, a wagon train in Utah was assaulted by a group of militant Mormons calling themselves the Avenging Angels. One hundred and forty people were
murdered, including unarmed men, women, and children. The Mountain Meadows Massacre remains controversial to this day–but the truth may be written on the
skulls of the victims. In the shadow of the Mormon church, a 19th-century conspiracy is about to be shattered by a 21st-century forensic artist.
</i><br />
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-39569004977085821002015-05-21T04:00:00.000-04:002015-05-21T04:00:13.154-04:00Me and New York Jackby Stu Strumwasser<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ecGodB_C1zI/VTUWRxojGOI/AAAAAAAABMc/rxE9NPZiMvk/s1600/StuBioPic%2Bfor%2BTOB%2Bjacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ecGodB_C1zI/VTUWRxojGOI/AAAAAAAABMc/rxE9NPZiMvk/s1600/StuBioPic%2Bfor%2BTOB%2Bjacket.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>In the mid-eighties I was studying creative writing at Cornell and I was lambasted by one of my professors for having the audacity to write a story about a
kid in Vietnam. I had apparently violated one of the cardinal rules of writing: “Write what you know” (I think that one is 72 dash B). The rule is valid of
course, but I also know this: there is no fiction without imagination—or risk—and I’d rather fall off the edge of the world than never leave port. So
perhaps, like so many things in life, what is necessary is <em>balance.</em>
<br />
<em><br /></em>
My new novel, THE ORGAN BROKER, will be released on May 5, 2015. Somehow the fact that someone else—a legitimate publisher—deemed it good enough to print
and share with others feels redemptive. In March of 2008 I had the idea for a unique, epistolary format within which to write this story. At the time,
there were over 90,000 Americans on waiting lists for organs. I was trying not to attempt another novel which might never be published, when I decided that
I needed to research the subject—not in an effort to somehow become a scientific expert but, rather, to simply become able to write about it in an informed
and believable way—to eventually <em>know</em> something, so I could then <em>write</em> about it. I wanted to know something new. Something fantastic and
gritty and provocative.
<br />
<br />
I began by interviewing organ transplant recipients, one after another, and networking my way to academic experts on bioethics and journalists who have
covered the black market. The first stage of my research culminated at a lunch in Los Angeles with a transplant tourism director who shocked me both with
the details of his career, and the incredible openness and candor with which he shared them. I left California with a bit of knowledge. I wrote the
manuscript, re-wrote it, got a new agent, sold the book, edited, promoted… and now, two weeks prior to publication, it is about seven years since I began.
<br />
<br />
A lot’s changed for me during that time, and I’ve learned that a lot more has changed for those in renal failure. The waiting list for organs has
ballooned, during just these last seven years, by around thirty-five percent, to over 124,000 names. Approximately eighty percent of them need kidneys and
the average wait now exceeds seven years. Around twenty-one people will die today because an organ wasn’t donated in time.
<br />
<br />
In the acknowledgments of my book the first sentence reads: “It took me several years to write this book, but several decades to truly become a writer.” It
did, after all. Perhaps it took that long to learn something that <em>mattered</em>. Please go to <a href="http://www.donatelife.net/">www.donatelife.net</a> and register to be a donor.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nK6mr5C7PFE/VTUWR0vn8bI/AAAAAAAABMY/KfG4n8AMQzU/s1600/OrganBroker-NEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nK6mr5C7PFE/VTUWR0vn8bI/AAAAAAAABMY/KfG4n8AMQzU/s1600/OrganBroker-NEW.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a><em>Stu Strumwasser studied creative writing at Cornell University and went on to pursue dual careers on Wall Street and as a musician. In 2006 Stu left
Wall Street and founded Snow Beverages to make natural soda. A passionate entrepreneur, Stu then co-founded Tengrade in 2011.
</em>
<a href="http://www.tengrade.com/"><em>www.tengrade.com</em></a>
<em>
is the social rating tool for the internet, mobile devices and social networks, providing users with “Real Ratings” from their friends and people like
them, on anything. Stu was born in Queens, raised in Lynbrook, and now resides in Brooklyn, New York with his two school-age, identical twin sons. The
Organ Broker is his first published novel. You can contact Stu at
</em>
<a href="http://www.theorganbroker.com/"><em>www.theorganbroker.com</em></a><em>.</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<i>Every day twenty-one Americans die while waiting for an organ transplant. A small portion take “transplant tourism” trips to third-world countries where
they buy life-saving replacement body parts from organ brokers like New York Jack. This book is the incredible story of how he meets the son he never knew
he had and then finds himself caught between a $2 million commission and his desire to avoid participating in a string of murders. He races to South Africa
and Brazil, staying just a step ahead of his adversary and the FBI, while he searches for one small act of redemption. </i><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-12410807850646868952015-05-14T04:00:00.000-04:002015-05-14T04:00:17.119-04:00ONE WRITER’S JOURNEYby Don Helin
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81m78m3jMTA/VUJtW3sn7zI/AAAAAAAABPg/VWzSd0FGcdY/s1600/IMG_0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81m78m3jMTA/VUJtW3sn7zI/AAAAAAAABPg/VWzSd0FGcdY/s1600/IMG_0019.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>During my time in the army, I wrote a gazillion <em>Subject to</em> position papers, but unless you're trying to gain a decision from your boss, you don't
want to read it.
<br />
<br />
When I left the army, I attended a travel writing symposium sponsored by <em>The Washington Post </em>that started me on my writing career.<em> </em>I
enjoy traveling and figured, “Heck why not get paid for it?” After <br />
four years working as a travel writer, I decided to try writing fiction.
<br />
<br />
I still remember the day four years later when I got “The Call<em>.</em>” My wife thought I was nuts dancing around the kitchen when the acquisitions
editor at Medallion Press said, “We want you.”
<br />
<br />
This leads me to the first of my two most important thoughts.
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong>WRITING IS AN ART, BUT PUBLISHING IS A BUSINESS</strong>
</div>
<strong><br /></strong>
As soon as I signed my contract for <em>Thy Kingdom Come, </em>I became inundated with marketing plans; edits from the copy editor, the content editor, and
the executive editor; then providing the graphic designer background material for a cover. In the summer of 2009, I signed a contract with Medallion Press
for my second novel in the Sam Thorpe series as a mass market paperback and an ebook. I was doing book signing and making presentations. Life was good.
<br />
<br />
The following spring, Medallion informed me they no longer would be publishing mass market paperback books. Publishing is a business, and they only wanted
to publish my second novel as an e-book, not an e-book and paperback like the first one. In the 2010 market, I didn't know how an author could develop a
following with only an e-book.
<br />
<br />
<strong>IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT SELLING BOOKS, BUT BUILDING A COMMUNITY</strong>
<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
Once I decided to cancel the e-book only contract, I developed a new series. On one Thrillerfest panel, I met an author who later introduced me to his
publisher. She liked my novel, <em>Devil's Den,</em> and here I am writing another series. Contacts matter. Community matters.<br />
<br />
I belong to a number of writers associations. The key to success is to volunteer at conferences. Conferences will help you make contacts, grow as a writer,
and stay current on the myriad of changes in the publishing industry.
<br />
<br />
At book signings, don't hide behind a desk. Get out and meet people. You are your brand. If people know you, they may try your book and hopefully become
fans. Build your community.
<br />
<br />
I see success stories every day. I'm convinced these successes are facilitated not only by hard work and a thick skin when you get rejected, but by
learning two important secrets: (1) Writing is an art, but publishing is a business, and (2) It's not only about selling books, but building a community.
<br />
<br />
Good luck to each of you. An author can make life-long friends during their debut author year. I did and you will too.
<br />
<br />
I'd be glad to discuss my experiences with any of you.
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFm13PifsQw/VUMMgTBD1SI/AAAAAAAABP0/0b5hdcA4c-k/s1600/Assault_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iFm13PifsQw/VUMMgTBD1SI/AAAAAAAABP0/0b5hdcA4c-k/s1600/Assault_Cover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Don Helin </i></b><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">hails from Minneapolis.</i><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i> </i></b><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After his graduation from the University of Minnesota, he entered the military and served at a number of stateside posts, as well as in Vietnam and Germany. Using his experience from the military, including eight years in the Pentagon, Don published his first thriller, </i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thy Kingdom Come</span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, in 2009. His second, </i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Devil's Den</span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, has been selected as a finalist in the Indie Book Awards. His most recent thriller, </i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Secret</span><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Assault</span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, was published this fall. Don is an active member of International Thriller Writers, Military Writers Society of America, Pennwriters, and is a mentor with Mystery Writers of America. He makes his home in central Pennsylvania where he is hard at work on his next Zack Kelly thriller, </i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dark Angel. </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Please visit Don at his website </i><a href="http://www.donhelin.com/" style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #4787ff; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>www.donhelin.com</i></span></a><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, friend him on Facebook, and connect with him on LinkedIn.</i></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>The June evening had been perfect—the speeches are over, the last dance is underway, and the president's national security advisor, General Aaron Hightower, is leaving his retirement party when he is gunned down by a Vietnamese assassin. Colonel Zack Kelly spots the killer and gives chase, but the shooter is hit by a truck and killed. Zack and his partner, Lieutenant Colonel Rene Garcia, determine that Hightower is the sixth army leader attacked in the past four months. </i></span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">They investigate the chilling possibility that the shootings are part of a plot against the government. Is a serial killer on the loose? Are other lives at stake? Cabinet members? Is the president himself at risk? Things are not as they seem, however. After two more military retirees are murdered, Zack's world is rocked by an event so traumatic, the hunt for the killers turns deadly personal.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<br />marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-22890445709137278812015-05-07T03:00:00.000-04:002015-05-07T03:00:07.239-04:00May Debut Releases<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the first Thursday in May and that means new releases.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Please take a look and let’s celebrate these debut authors' success!<br /> </span>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ekyrDEL6HA/VUi4nLyNZeI/AAAAAAAABhY/Lgzmbfa7sA8/s1600/RUINS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ekyrDEL6HA/VUi4nLyNZeI/AAAAAAAABhY/Lgzmbfa7sA8/s320/RUINS.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />
<b>John A Connell</b> - Ruins of War (Berkley/Penguin) May 5, 2015<br />
<a href="http://johnaconnell.com/">http://johnaconnell.com</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<b>“A thrilling hunt…gripping and gruesome.” —James Becker, bestselling author of <i>The Lost Testament</i></b> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
In the winter of 1945, seven months after the Nazi defeat, Munich is in ruins. Mason Collins—former Chicago police detective, U.S. soldier, and prisoner-of-war—is now Chief Warrant Officer of the American Zone of Occupation. It’s his job to enforce the law in a place where order has been obliterated. And his job just became much more dangerous. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
A killer is stalking the devastated city—one who has knowledge of human anatomy, enacts mysterious rituals with his prey, and seems to pick victims at random. Relying on his wit and instincts, Mason must venture into dangerous places that put his own life at risk: from interrogation rooms with unrepentant Nazi war criminals to penetrating the U.S. Army’s own black market.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
But what Mason doesn’t know is that the killer he’s chasing is stalking him as well…</span> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ylGrJ2QUYbY/VUi40r0YgwI/AAAAAAAABhg/LEFxaxa6Jkg/s1600/OrganBroker-NEW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ylGrJ2QUYbY/VUi40r0YgwI/AAAAAAAABhg/LEFxaxa6Jkg/s320/OrganBroker-NEW.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />
<b>Stu Strumwasser </b>- The Organ Broker: A Novel (Arcade/Skyhorse Publishing) May 2015</span><br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.theorganbroker.com/">www.theorganbroker.com</a></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every day twenty Americans die while waiting for an organ transplant. A small portion take “transplant tourism” trips to third-world countries where they buy life-saving replacement body parts from organ brokers like New York Jack. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book is the incredible story of how he meets the son he never knew he had and then finds himself caught between a $2 million commission and his desire to avoid participating in a string of murders. He races to South Africa and Brazil, staying just a step ahead of his adversary and the FBI, while he searches for one small act of redemption.<br />
</span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-76819137503683688892015-04-30T04:00:00.000-04:002015-04-30T14:55:34.171-04:00How To Make The Most Of Your Cover Revealby Graeme Shimmin<br />
<br />
If you’re a writer with a novel coming out, then you are probably wondering how to build awareness and excitement about it.<br />
<br />
One of your main pre-publication publicity opportunities is the ‘cover reveal’ – where you show your most enthusiastic followers what the novel is going to look like.<br />
<br />
In this article I’ll share a few ideas about how I made the most of the cover reveal, and how to avoid it being a failure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OBsTYn32_0/VTkivVJALLI/AAAAAAAABNw/U_rO8mwIaL4/s1600/A%2BKill%2Bin%2Bthe%2BMorning%2BBook%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--OBsTYn32_0/VTkivVJALLI/AAAAAAAABNw/U_rO8mwIaL4/s1600/A%2BKill%2Bin%2Bthe%2BMorning%2BBook%2BCover.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>What’s the point of a cover reveal?</b><br />
<br />
Like all your marketing efforts, the point of revealing the cover is to build awareness of it. A second positive effect is if you manage to convert some of that interest into pre-orders.<br />
<br />
The cover reveal for my own novel <i>A Kill in the Morning</i> was successful - gaining hundreds of retweets and Facebook shares and resulting in pre-orders.<br />
<br />
<b>How not to do it</b><br />
<br />
Some authors just take the cover image supplied by their publisher (or designed themselves) and plonk it on Facebook with a note saying 'here's my cover'.<br />
<br />
That's not very inspiring.<br />
<br />
<b>The fine line between under and over exposure</b><br />
<br />
Given the amount of times I’ve written about <i>A Kill in the Morning,</i> I’m still amazed how many people say to me, ‘Oh have you written a book?’ <br />
<br />
It just shows how much of marketing is about repetition. <br />
<br />
You need to remind people and remind them again and again, until eventually it sinks in. That means you have to keep coming up with new things to say.<br />
<br />
<b>Timing</b><br />
<br />
I revealed the cover about a month before <i>A Kill in the Morning</i> came out, which seemed about right, the novel was already available for pre-orders on Amazon, so people who were interested based on the cover could place an order. Still, I'm not sure the timing of the cover reveal is as critical as revealing it with some panache. <br />
<br />
<b>Teasers</b><br />
<br />
As part of this strategy of reminding people multiple times, instead of just revealing the cover I produced some teasers first.<br />
<br />
First, one based on the tag line for the novel: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0kDuqwF2iJw/VTkiwGuorcI/AAAAAAAABOA/WlVnCCEbsW8/s1600/Heydrich%2BTeaser%2B1280x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0kDuqwF2iJw/VTkiwGuorcI/AAAAAAAABOA/WlVnCCEbsW8/s1600/Heydrich%2BTeaser%2B1280x800.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Second: two based on elements of the cover. One of which was this aircraft:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByCx7Wyx8mw/VTkiwcbq3EI/AAAAAAAABOI/zizcN6_RyUY/s1600/Plane%2BTeaser%2B1280%2BFramed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ByCx7Wyx8mw/VTkiwcbq3EI/AAAAAAAABOI/zizcN6_RyUY/s1600/Plane%2BTeaser%2B1280%2BFramed.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
After three teasers, I thought it was time for the big reveal.<br />
<br />
<b>Behind the Scenes</b><br />
<br />
Again, in order to make my reveal more interesting, I came up with a different angle.<br />
<br />
People like to see inside the process, so I wrote an article about my book cover design process and included some of the concept art and trial cover sketches.<br />
<br />
For example, here's the "mood board":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a7lZ0X_obfE/VTkiwJ4bySI/AAAAAAAABOM/PLrrrY3k6QM/s1600/AKITM%2BMood%2BBoard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a7lZ0X_obfE/VTkiwJ4bySI/AAAAAAAABOM/PLrrrY3k6QM/s1600/AKITM%2BMood%2BBoard.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I also explained the cover design process and how an author can go through the process - whether they have a publisher and artist involved or are doing it themselves. <br />
<br />
Because the post contains useful advice it gets steady hits on my website and continues to create awareness. To me that's better than just "revealing the cover".<br />
<br />
You can see the article here: <a href="http://graemeshimmin.com/book-cover-design-make-book-cover/">Book Cover Design: How to Make a Book Cover</a><br />
<br />
<b>Publicising your cover</b><br />
<br />
Of course the main places are Facebook and Twitter, but there are lots of other possibilities. I got thousands of hits from StumbleUpon too and genre websites and Goodreads are also good. It might even be possible to publicise your cover reveal in local newspapers.<br />
<br />
<b>Action points</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Think of as many angles as possible to keep promoting your book without boring your audience.</li>
<li>Decide when you will do your cover reveal.</li>
<li>Design some teasers.</li>
<li>Think of an angle for your cover reveal.</li>
<li>Make a list of places you can publicise your cover.</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DTcn32ywz-4/VTkiverPeTI/AAAAAAAABN8/itkDf5CpnsM/s1600/BW-me-4x6-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DTcn32ywz-4/VTkiverPeTI/AAAAAAAABN8/itkDf5CpnsM/s1600/BW-me-4x6-1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<i>Graeme Shimmin was born in Manchester, and studied Physics at Durham University. His successful consultancy career enabled him to retire at 35 to an island off Donegal and start writing. He has since returned to Manchester and completed an MA in Creative Writing. </i><i>The inspiration for </i>A Kill in the Morning<i> - his prizewinning first novel - came from Robert Harris' alternate history novel, Fatherland, and a his love of classic spy fiction. </i><i>To find out more, and read his spy-themed short stories and book and movie reviews, visit </i><a href="http://graemeshimmin.com/"><i>http://graemeshimmin.com</i></a><i>.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The year is 1955 and something is very wrong with the world. It is fourteen years since Churchill died and the Second World War ended. In occupied Europe, Britain fights a cold war against a nuclear-armed Nazi Germany. In Berlin the Gestapo is on the trail of a beautiful young resistance fighter, and the head of the SS is plotting to dispose of an ailing Adolf Hitler and restart the war against Britain and her empire. Meanwhile, in a secret bunker hidden deep beneath the German countryside, scientists are experimenting with a force far beyond their understanding. Into this arena steps a nameless British assassin, on the run from a sinister cabal within his own government, and planning a private war against the Nazis. And now the fate of the world rests on a single kill in the morning…You can read the opening of the published novel here: </i><href amp="" linkid="NRAWSVHH2OY2BCFG" reader-link=""><i>The first two chapters of A Kill in the Morning <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ndtbdwl" target="_blank">here</a></i></href><br />
<i>.</i>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-28958490237224140652015-04-23T04:00:00.000-04:002015-04-23T04:00:02.498-04:00People Say I'm a Dreamer . . . <div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">By Allen Eskens</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6olLP_5Znss/VTgp1wQc6bI/AAAAAAAABNQ/-h958WMRR-g/s1600/compressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6olLP_5Znss/VTgp1wQc6bI/AAAAAAAABNQ/-h958WMRR-g/s1600/compressed.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I approached the launch of my debut novel, <i>The Life We Bury</i>, I attended book signings and events for other authors, paying close attention to what they did and said, hoping to emulate them in my own presentations. After attending a number of these events, I began to think that my path to becoming a novelist was a bit different than most. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’d hear authors talk about how they were terrific readers at an early age or how they wrote their first story in third grade and knew that writing would be their life’s calling. I had neither of those experiences in my past. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, I went in search of the source of my authorial spirit, and after a great deal of exploration, I finally found the point where my life as a storyteller began. I found this archaeological gem written in the margins of my first grade report card. My teacher, Sister Ronald Marie, wrote “Allen dreams when there is work to be done.” (Ah, the birth of a writer).</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As it turns out, some version of that comment made its way onto most of my report cards and into many of my parent-teacher conferences. “Allen daydreams too much.” “Allen can’t seem to pay attention in class.” “In Language Arts, Allen is completely out of it.” (Mrs. Lee, my eighth grade teacher.)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If a teacher made the mistake of letting me sit near a window, I would look outside and my eye would catch on some shiny object and I’d be gone. I’d be blazing trails through the woods, or fighting Nazis at Bastogne, or crossing swords with a classmate who committed some offense to earn my imaginary wrath. My daydreaming became so rampant that teachers would assign me a seat far from the window, even in classes where no one else had an assigned seat. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I concede that my lack of attention was a valid source of consternation for my teachers, but what they didn’t understand (nor I for that matter) was that I was writing stories. I was developing protagonists and antagonists. I was inserting secondary characters like foils and mentors. I was creating plot arcs as complete as anything I watched on television.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Despite my utter lack of attention in class, I inched my way through school, barely passing from one grade to the next. It wasn’t until high school that things began to change. I got involved in theater and discovered that I could funnel my imagination into creative outlets. Suddenly, my daydreaming had purpose. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I was a junior, I wrote a short story for a class where I simply wrote down one of my daydreams. My teacher asked me if I ever thought about writing to get published. That comment became the seed that would eventually grow into my passion for writing.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And now I am a novelist, and I finally get paid to do what I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a little boy…daydream.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_W71fHatLY/VTgRPssepvI/AAAAAAAABM8/Z2B8leVQtco/s1600/cover%2Bart%2Borig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_W71fHatLY/VTgRPssepvI/AAAAAAAABM8/Z2B8leVQtco/s1600/cover%2Bart%2Borig.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Allen Eskens grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri, and migrated north to go to college, graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in journalism. He then went on to law school and eventually settled in Mankato, Minnesota to practice law. As the years passed, his itch to write became overwhelming and—after a mere twenty years of studying creative writing—he wrote his debut novel, </i>The Life We Bury<i>. Visit Allen at </i><a href="http://alleneskens.com/"><span style="color: #4787ff; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>http://alleneskens.com</i></span></a><i>/</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Life We Bury<i> tells the story of Joe Talbert, a junior at the University of Minnesota who receives a class assignment to interview someone who has lived an interesting life and write their story. At a nursing home he meets Carl Iverson, a man dying of cancer who has been medically paroled after spending thirty years in prison for the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl. Carl agrees to tell Joe his story and through their meetings Joe is pulled into the darkness of a thirty-year-old murder. But </i>The Life We Bury<i> is also the story of how Joe ran away from home to go to college, leaving behind a mother who is bi-polar and a brother who is autistic. Joe is torn by the guilt of going to college and abandoning his brother. Throughout the novel, Joe has to intercede to protect his brother and is conflicted every time he has to once again leave his brother behind. The power of that guilt weighs heavily upon Joe and will demand a resolution of its own.</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px;">
</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-12442942354929035902015-04-16T04:00:00.000-04:002015-04-16T04:00:15.815-04:00The Journey That Started My Journey<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7gjGtRnfK4/VRigoXdOupI/AAAAAAAABKM/hN51PIc_S-o/s1600/head%2B-%2Bb_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B7gjGtRnfK4/VRigoXdOupI/AAAAAAAABKM/hN51PIc_S-o/s1600/head%2B-%2Bb_w.jpg" height="289" width="320" /></a>by SJI Holliday<br />
<br />
When I was maybe ten or eleven years old, I found a big box of books in my mum’s bedroom. It was mostly full of James Herberts and Shaun Hutsons, and some
of the covers were downright terrifying. Some kids might’ve run screaming from the room, but not me.<br />
<br />
I started to read them.
<br />
<br />
Fast forward a few years, and it was Stephen King who held my attention, before I made a sideways move into crime and thrillers… Jonathan Kellerman, Bret
Easton Ellis, Thomas Harris… the list goes on. You get the picture.
<br />
<br />
After school, I went to university to study microbiology. I kept reading… more than ever. I got a job as a statistician in the pharmaceutical industry and
it was all going well. But there was an itch. I knew I wanted to write – I just didn’t know how or when I was going to manage it.
<br />
<br />
In July 2005, there were terrorist attacks in London. My sisters were on a train down from Edinburgh to meet me, and they got turned away on the fringes of
the city. I was stunned. Scared. Realised that life was too short. So I decided to take a break from work to travel the world. I spent the rest of the year
planning it, and then off I went (with my fiancé in tow).
<br />
<br />
In 2006, I found myself on the Trans-Siberian Railway, travelling between Beijing and Moscow. I’d picked up Stephen King’s <em>On Writing</em> somewhere
along the way. I had a notebook and a pen. I started to write.
<br />
<br />
So it began.
<br />
<br />
Between then and now, I’ve written hundreds of flash fictions and short stories, mostly in crime and horror. In 2013, after lots of false starts, I finally
managed to finish my first novel. I met my agent at a writing festival, and some time later, he signed me up based on 10,000 words. I couldn’t believe it.
Still can’t.
<br />
<br />
<em>Black Wood</em>
was released on 19<sup>th</sup> March. I had launches in big name bookstores in London and Edinburgh, where I was interviewed by two bestselling authors –
Martyn Waites and Craig Robertson.
<br />
<br />
People are contacting me, saying how much they loved my book. They want me to write another one… I’m doing it. I’m doing it as fast as I can. Yet still, it
doesn’t feel real. I’m a published author now. I have to keep pinching myself. Some day, I hope a kid will find some of <em>my</em> books in a box in their
mum’s bedroom. I hope I can inspire – because if I can do this, while juggling a tough job and everything else that life can throw, then so can anyone.
<br />
<br />
Here’s my advice to anyone who wants to write. If you want to write, just write. Read a lot, write a lot. Network on social media; go to events. Tell
yourself that you’re an author. Because one day, it might just come true.
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H66fE0gX66E/VRiguJ6ZI3I/AAAAAAAABKU/uRr-9gHIYgk/s1600/bw%2Bcover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H66fE0gX66E/VRiguJ6ZI3I/AAAAAAAABKU/uRr-9gHIYgk/s1600/bw%2Bcover.png" height="320" width="205" /></a><em>
SJI Holliday grew up in East Lothian, Scotland. She works as a Pharmaceutical Statistician, and as a life-long bookworm has always dreamt of becoming a
novelist. She has several crime and horror short stories published in anthologies and was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham Prize.
After travelling the world, she has now settled in London with her husband. Her debut novel,
</em>
Black Wood<em>, was inspired by a disturbing incident from her childhood. You can find out more at </em> <a href="http://www.sjiholliday.com/"><em>www.sjiholliday.com</em></a><em> or follow Susi on Twitter @SJIHolliday.</em>
<br />
<em><br /></em>
<em>
Something happened to Claire and Jo in Black Wood: something that left Claire paralysed and Jo with deep mental scars. But with Claire suffering memory
loss and no evidence to be found, nobody believes Jo's story. Twenty-three years later, a familiar face walks into the bookshop where Jo works,
dredging up painful memories and rekindling her desire for vengeance. And at the same time, Sergeant Davie Gray is investigating a balaclava-clad man
who is attacking women on a disused railway, shocking the sleepy village of Banktoun. </em><em>But what is the connection between Jo's visitor and the masked man? To catch the assailant, and to give Jo her long-awaited justice, Gray must unravel
a tangled web of past secrets, broken friendship and tainted love. But can he crack the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands?</em><br />
<div>
<em>
<br />
</em>
</div>
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-21925481080864529512015-04-09T04:00:00.000-04:002015-04-09T04:00:04.839-04:00Outward Appearances, Illusions, and Innermost SecretsBy Michael H. Rubin<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0x0FZGSWh1M/VObPr8h7KuI/AAAAAAAABG0/HhDJDOlhzvU/s1600/MHR%2BPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0x0FZGSWh1M/VObPr8h7KuI/AAAAAAAABG0/HhDJDOlhzvU/s1600/MHR%2BPhoto.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
OUTWARD APPEARANCES
<br />
Television, radio, social media, and newspapers are filled with stories about cultural disputes, religious intolerance, and the resulting injuries and
deaths. Determining an individual’s religion, however, is not always easy, especially if he or she does not wear obvious religious garb, such as a turban
for a Sikh, a burka for a Muslim woman, or a kippah for a Jew. Absent such telltale signs, religion can be a deeply held belief not immediately apparent by
outward appearances. On the other hand, we tend to think that we can tell someone’s “race” by his or her facial features and skin color. But determining the “race” of others
can be as difficult as determining their religion. Before the Civil War, for example, discrimination against individuals who were as little as 1/64 “black”
was legal in Louisiana. In other words, anyone who had a single great, great, great black grandparent was considered to be a Negro in the eyes of the law
and could be enslaved, even if their skin color and countenance appeared to be “white.”<br />
<br />
THRILLERS, ILLUSIONS, AND DEEP TRUTHS
<br />
At their heart, thrillers are about uncovering truth which, like race and religious belief, is often difficult to discern. Readers gravitate to books that
draw them in, allowing them to discover the truth alongside (or even ahead of), the protagonist and to distinguish between illusion and reality without
having to explicitly be told.
<br />
<br />
WRITING SO THE READER UNDERSTANDS THE INNERMOST SECRETS
<br />
Charles Dickens in “David Copperfield” and Mark Twain in “Huck Finn” wrote so cleverly that their readers understand things that the narrators of their
novels sometimes do not. Long before David Copperfield discovers how shallow Steerforth is, the reader knows it. Huck Finn’s initial uncertainty about the
moral right but the “legal wrong” of concealing Jim allows readers to grasp how and why moral justice should triumph.
<br />
<br />
TECHNIQUES FOR AUTHORS OF THRILLERS
<br />
I’ve been inspired by the ability of great authors such as Dickens and Twain who fashion their stories in ways that allow readers to divine aspects of the
truth more quickly than do their characters. From reading Dickens and Twain, as well as the works of other authors of both great literature and great
thrillers, four valuable writing techniques have become apparent to me:
<br />
<br />
FAIR CLUES: Clues to the plot or to a character’s motives should be given fairly. Authors of memorable novels allow astute readers to comprehend their
clues’ growing importance as the story develops. Clues are not so deeply disguised that they can only be uncovered by an almost magical divination on the
part of the protagonist or so very obvious that there is no mystery at all.<br />
<br />
PLOT AND CHARACTERS IN EQUAL PORTIONS. Characters should not be lightly sketched stereotypes. They should have depth, and “unpeeling their layers” should
not impede the development of the storyline but rather should enable the characters to both react to events and attempt to interpret them.
<br />
<br />
PLAUSIBILITY AND CONTINUITY. Once the characters have been established, they should act in ways that are fully believable, even if the reader may not
immediately understand their motives or their responses to unfolding events.
<br />
<br />
A UNIFIED WORLD. Environments should be so real that readers have a combined sense of gratification and loss at the conclusion of the book: gratification
because the story has reached a satisfying denouement, and loss because the readers have become so immersed in the world the writer has created that they
hate to leave it.
<br />
<br />
I kept these four techniques in mind when I wrote The Cottoncrest Curse. They can serve as a guide for all authors who want to create memorable thrillers
with intriguing but fully believable characters whose outward appearances conceal inner secrets. By employing the four techniques cited above, novelists
are more likely to craft characters who operate in a fully realized world and create stories that readers will find hard to put down.
<br />
<br />
<em>
Michael H. Rubin has been a professional jazz pianist in the New Orleans French Quarter, a radio and television host, a nationally-known speaker who
has given over 400 multimedia presentations around the country, and not only is one of the managing members of a law firm whose offices stretch from
the West Coast to the Gulf Coast to East Coast, but also is a law professor whose many publications have been cited as authoritative by state and
federal courts.
</em>
<em>His debut novel, </em>
The Cottoncrest Curse, <em>is a multi-generational thriller dealing with suicides,</em>
<em>
murders, religion, and race, tempered with a dose of humor. Published by the award-winning LSU Press, it has been praised by Publishers Weekly as a
“gripping debut,” and the Chicago CBA Record proclaims that “the writing is masterful.” Visit Michael at <a href="http://www.mrubinbooks.com/">www.mrubinbooks.com</a>. Follow him on Facebook at Michael H. Rubin, Author.</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DTIMzBV7fDo/VObPuCZpcaI/AAAAAAAABG8/43zIbAqPOes/s1600/RubinCOTTONCREST%2BCOVER_jktfront(HR).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DTIMzBV7fDo/VObPuCZpcaI/AAAAAAAABG8/43zIbAqPOes/s1600/RubinCOTTONCREST%2BCOVER_jktfront(HR).jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><em>
Locals think that the Cottoncrest Plantation is cursed because of the mysterious suicides that continue to claim the lives of generations of its
owners, the most gruesome of which occurred two decades after the Civil War, when an elderly Colonel viciously slit the throat of his beautiful young
wife and fatally shot himself. But was this a suicide, or was it a double homicide? Suspicion falls on an itinerant peddler with deep secrets to
conceal. The deaths ignite feuds that burn a path from the cotton fields to the courthouse steps, from moss-draped Louisiana bayous to 19th century New
Orleans’ bordellos, from the Civil War era to the Civil Rights era and into the present, as several generations desperately seek to unravel the mystery
of and the truth behind
</em>
The Cottoncrest Curse.
marjoriespages.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716248432611467520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-80857166852911271892015-04-02T03:00:00.000-04:002015-04-02T03:00:04.898-04:00April Debut Releases<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's the first Thursday in April and that means new releases.<br />
<br />
Please take a look and let’s celebrate these debut authors' success!<br />
<br />
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSy19XT58aw/VRzXRbHcKYI/AAAAAAAABco/xj6NdCz0MUA/s1600/Lincoln's-Bodyguard-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSy19XT58aw/VRzXRbHcKYI/AAAAAAAABco/xj6NdCz0MUA/s1600/Lincoln's-Bodyguard-front.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><b>T.J. Turner</b> - Lincoln's Bodyguard (Oceanview Publishing) April 7, 2015<br />
<a href="http://www.tjturnerauthor.com/">www.tjturnerauthor.com</a>
<br />
<br />In <b><i>Lincoln’s Bodyguard</i></b>, an alternative version of American history, President Lincoln is saved from assassination. Though he prophesied his own death—the only way he believed the South would truly surrender—Lincoln never accounted for the heroics of his bodyguard, Joseph Foster. A biracial mix of white and Miami Indian, Joseph makes an enemy of the South by killing John Wilkes Booth and preventing the death of the president. His wife is murdered and his daughter kidnapped, sending Joseph on a revenge-fueled rampage to recover his daughter. When his search fails, he disappears as the nation falls into a simmering insurgency instead of an end to the War. Years later, Joseph is still running from his past when he receives a letter from Lincoln pleading for help. The President has a secret mission. Pursued from the outset, Joseph turns to the only person who might help, the woman he abandoned years earlier. If he can win Molly over, he might just fulfill the President’s urgent request, find his daughter, and maybe even hasten the end of the War.<br />
<br />
<br />
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6oUN4lTTko/VRzYLE5GlxI/AAAAAAAABcw/xRXyjnO_J8w/s1600/Memory%2BPainter_Jacket.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6oUN4lTTko/VRzYLE5GlxI/AAAAAAAABcw/xRXyjnO_J8w/s1600/Memory%2BPainter_Jacket.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Gwendolyn Womack</b> - The Memory Painter (Picador) April 28, 2015 <br />
<a href="http://www.gwendolynwomack.com/"> www.gwendolynwomack.com</a>
<br />
<br />
What if there was a drug that could help you remember your past lives? What if the lives you remembered could lead you to your one true love? What if you learned that, for thousands of years, a deadly enemy had conspired to keep the two of you apart? <br />
<br />
Two lovers who have traveled across time. A team of scientists at the cutting edge of memory research. A miracle drug that unlocks an ancient mystery.<br />
<br />
“ In <i>The Memory Painter</i>, Gwendolyn Womack delivers a multi-layered debut novel like no other: passing through the veils of time and brimming with history, mystery, science, intrigue, and passion.” —KATHERINE NEVILLE, <i>New York Times </i>and No. 1 internationally bestselling author<br />
<br />
And as a special treat - here's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Cc_NS7lPE" target="_blank">Book Trailer </a>
CathyPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04671747592743029540noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1011399615565681742.post-14398108384068236752015-03-26T04:00:00.000-04:002015-04-02T02:15:39.082-04:00The Craziest Story I Ever Heardby Steve Cavanagh<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9VeH8NyB8Q/VQ8OlNU4udI/AAAAAAAABJs/NRRitMOwxMc/s1600/stephen_mearns_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9VeH8NyB8Q/VQ8OlNU4udI/AAAAAAAABJs/NRRitMOwxMc/s1600/stephen_mearns_2.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a>On Saint Patrick’s Day 2011 I lost my mother to cancer. If you’d told me that day that exactly four years later I’d have written a novel, gotten an agent,
had multiple auctions for the publishing rights and just seen my first book hit the shelves – I’d have said you were crazy.<br />
And I’d be right. That is crazy.
<br />
<br />
In 2011 I wasn’t writing. In fact I hadn’t written anything for about fifteen years. In my late teens I wrote a couple of screenplays, didn’t get them
sold, and gave up writing around the age of 20. At 35 I was fairly rusty. I hadn’t written anything in the intervening period and I’d no plan to return to
that life. I was a lawyer with a decent salary, a young family and I worked pretty long hours in a law firm just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland.
<br />
<br />
But something happened. My mother was the person who gave me my first crime novel – <em>Silence Of The Lambs</em>. I was hooked ever since. She gave me the
love of reading and she encouraged me to write. Her passing felt wrong, like we were robbed. Something inside of me said that some good had to come out of
this; that somehow I had to try and fix things. What could I do? At that time I had a new baby, and in hindsight I’m pretty sure I was depressed.
<br />
<br />
In September 2011 I decided I was going to have another shot at writing. A novel, this time. I was going to write the kind of novel that my mother would’ve
enjoyed reading. This was one more roll of the dice – for her. I started writing at night. I’d begin around 10:30 and write until my head hit the keyboard.
It felt desperate. But I enjoyed it – because I was escaping into a fictional world that I could control. When I was writing I wasn’t thinking about my own
problems.
<br />
<br />
Around nine months later I had a book. Now I wanted to see it on a shelf. So I set about looking for an agent. Like everyone, I got rejections. A lot of
them. So I kept revising the book, and submitting. In April 2013 I got an email from a respected agent telling me that the book would never be published.
That was on a Monday night and I’ll never forget how terrible that felt – like I’d failed my mother. On the Wednesday of the same week I got offers of
representation from some of the biggest and best agents in the UK.
<br />
<br />
September 2013 my first novel was sold in a four-publisher auction to Orion Books – who publishes some of my heroes like Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben and
Ian Rankin.
<br />
<br />
<em>The Defence</em>
was published in the UK on 12<sup>th</sup> March 2015 and I visited my mother’s grave. I told her that I’d done it. The pain was still there.
<br />
<br />
But I knew she was there too.
<br />
<br />
<em>
Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast and is a practicing lawyer. He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy and lectures on various legal
subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes). He is married with two young children.
</em>
The Defence
<em>
, has been chosen as one of Amazon's great debuts for 2015, as part of their Amazon Rising Stars programme. In 2015 Steve received the ACES award for
Literature from the Northern Ireland Arts Council. Steve writes fast-paced legal thrillers set in New York City featuring series character Eddie Flynn.
</em>
The Defence <em>is his first novel. Find out more at www.stevecavanagh.com or follow Steve on Twitter @SSCav.</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NmK1HauaY1o/VQ8OsVjUgWI/AAAAAAAABJ0/5D5cU_jupZQ/s1600/The%2BDefence%2Bfor%2BPaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NmK1HauaY1o/VQ8OsVjUgWI/AAAAAAAABJ0/5D5cU_jupZQ/s1600/The%2BDefence%2Bfor%2BPaul.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></a><strong><em>Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different. </em></strong>
<em>
It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of
the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter, Amy. Eddie only has forty-eight hours to
defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter. Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use
his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can
Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?
</em>
<strong><em>Lose this case and he loses everything.</em></strong>
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