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Sunday Snippet: The Writer as Procrastinator Edition
I think I’ve mentioned it before but in case you don’t know, I’ve become a world-class procrastinator—I can do something else better than anyone anywhere. I’ve passed amateur status and have just recently gotten my professional standing. Don’t even try to take me on this one, I’ll beat the socks off you every time. For instance, yesterday, after we drove home from the lake, I procrastinated beautifully about cutting back the last of the pampas grass. I found something more important to do (read “sat on the sofa reading for pleasure” here) until it was time to start supper. The to-do list I made while we drove home was really…
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Author Spotlight: Mystery Writer Christopher Seto Is Here!
We have a winner! Latesha B, you were randomly selected to received a signed copy of The Vanishing Stone. Chris will be in touch with you! Thanks to Latesha and everyone who stopped by! Christopher Seto had me at chocolate. The Chocolatier’s Curse, the first book in his Tule Mystery series, Notes on a Murder, drew me in, and I knew I wanted a chance to chat with him. We had a ball, particularly when we discovered that we were both Purdue Boilermakers. I’m so glad to introduce him to you today! He’s here with book 2 in the Notes on a Murder series, The Vanishing Stone, which releases…
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Sunday Snippet: The And We’re Off… Edition
Liz and I are headed out this morning for our twice yearly writing retreat. She’s allergy sniffly, I’m at the end of a wicked sinus infection that still shows up as a headache now and again. We should be delightful company for one another. Fortunately, we’re both pretty hardy souls and we’ll make it just fine. Retreats are our time for writing, processing out loud, sharing story, and giving opinions. I can count on Liz to tell me if something is going to work or if I’ve gotten completely off-track. I do the same for her. It’s our sister-writer time and we’re pretty protective of it. This spring we’re going…
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Author Spotlight: Romance Author Jana Richards Is Here!
I’m so happy to welcome my fellow Word Wrangler, Jana Richards to the Spotlight today! When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily-ever-after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the…
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Wednesday Drop-In: Results of the Cover Survey
Bonjour, Mes Amis, Just dropping in real quick to let you know the results of the cover survey that I sent out to folks a few weeks ago. My friend who put the survey together sent the results of the data she collected. Here’s what the data tells us about the ideal book cover to appeal to the broadest possible audience: The winning formula: A photographic or richly illustrated cover, dominated by bright and vibrant colors, featuring compelling imagery that’s clearly related to the story — with mostly visuals and minimal text. Breaking it down by category: Style: The top three (photographic, illustrated, bold & graphic) are nearly tied, all hovering around…
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Sunday Snippet: The March Lists Edition
When I’ve got nothing, which is the situation as I sit here in front of my computer this morning, pal Liz always recommends doing a list or two. I figure why not? I was thinking maybe favorites books lists would be fun. What do you think? I’ll start. Five Favorite Childhood Books (Too easy, but also fun to think about): The Bobbsey Twins books by Laura Lee Hope–I often pretended I was Nan, the oldest girl twin. The Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene–I loved her sporty little convertible and dreamed about a boyfriend like Ned (FYI, he’s fiction). The Jennifer Wish by Eunice Young Smith–amazing stories about a family who…
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Author Spotlight: Mystery Writer Carol Light Joins Us Today!
Doris Lankford, you are Carol’s giveaway winner! Congratulations! Carol will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who came by! We love, love talking to our readers! It’s always a treat to welcome my pal and fellow Tule Publishing author Carol Light to the Spotlight. I love her mysteries and the fact that I always get a first look because besides being her travel buddy, I’m also her copy editor. I love seeing if I can figure out the whodunnit before I get to the end of the edit. Carol Light is an avid reader and writer of mysteries. She loves creating amateur sleuths and complicating their normal…
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Author Spotlight: Mystery Author Kris Bock Is in the House!
I love it when my friend Kris Bock comes to visit–I can just turn the blog over to her! Here ya go, Kris… Thanks, Nan. I’m always glad to be here, and today I’ve got big news! The Accidental Detective Is Back! Something Prowling in Paradise Park (The Accidental Detective Book 7) Kate has built a new life in Arizona, with the help of family and friends eager to keep her busy with new mysteries to solve. Her eccentric senior pals introduce her to the Standishes. These snowbirds returned to Arizona early to investigate their high utility bills and discovered squatters with a forged rental agreement. It could take months…
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Sunday Snippet: The Words, Words, Words…or Not Edition
Wow! You guys are amazing! What great 6-word stories! Kate Sparks, you were chosen at random as the winner of a $10 Amazon gift card–enjoy more words!! I don’t know if this is true or not, but I read that Ernest Hemingway was once bet he couldn’t write a short story in only six words. He accepted the challenge and wrote: “For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.” Wow. What a powerful story! When words are your stock-in-trade, writing fewer of them is hard. I just finished revisions on Help Wanted, Cowboy, book 3 of my Juniper Falls Ranch series. It’s going back to my editor tomorrow after I go through…
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Author Spotlight: Liz Flaherty’s in the House
Y’all know how much I love it when my bestie comes to visit! Well, she’s here today with her new release, Pieces of Blue, Book 1 in the Colors, the Harper Loch Trilogy. Check it out–you’ll fall in love with Maggie and Sam, the little dachshund Chloe, and Harper Loch, Michigan. Liz Flaherty has spent the past several years enjoying not working a day job, making terrible crafts, and writing stories in which the people aren’t young, brilliant, or even beautiful. She’s decided (and has to re-decide most every day) that the definition of success is having a good time. Along with her husband of lo, these many years, kids,…