tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72154364392405524472024-02-15T23:37:28.125-05:00WRITING WITHOUT A NETUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-52932748140352301372023-06-22T14:02:00.000-04:002023-06-22T14:02:26.050-04:00What's Next<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Lawson-Mystery-Donna-Ball/dp/1735127167" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihc0ziHYnTf0FOi307o5cfuLkGhMPMuJbM0sqLFaDQCAr7oQD97CKfz4qDsv0XH2CIORU0Avi3KwZFCNCekKBfGQhKprDI2cPSDeXYbFXTQqR_g1w5wZy5dFXS5OUr7F0c964Iay3ze6elkoypyVzsuKRqAONILZFIy7Q_a8Ct_IS3SctmQm5PkksNWsHh/s320/Unstoppable%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Now available from Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Lawson-Mystery-Donna-Ball/dp/1735127167">here</a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Available for Nook <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unstoppable-donna-ball/1143614495">here</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Audio coming soon! </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With today’s launch of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Lawson-Mystery-Donna-Ball/dp/1735127167">UNSTOPPABLE: A BUCK LAWSON MYSTERY</a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Book #2), I have just published my 22<sup>nd</sup>
mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who are counting (and
I’m not; I had to look it up) this is my 115<sup>th</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(or possibly 120<sup>th</sup> ; sources vary) published
novel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To coin a phrase: <i>Boy,
am I tired.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am now actively writing three mystery series: The Raine
Stockton Dog Mystery Series, The Dogleg Island Mystery Series, and the Blood
River Mystery Series. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have two women’s
fiction series still in print and actively attracting readers: The Ladybug Farm
series, and The Hummingbird House Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whenever I announce the publication of a novel from one of the series, I
get a slew of e-mails asking when the next book in another series is coming
out. <i>When’s the next Flash book?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will
there be any more Ladybug Farm books?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What happened to The Hummingbird House? <o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Don’t get me wrong: I love it! How many authors would kill
to get that kind of response?-- and I hope it never stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do feel bad when I have to tell readers,
“No more books in that series are scheduled at this time” or “Look for the next
book in the series next year.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By way of
apology, I thought it might be worth taking a moment to explain how these
decisions come about.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>But first, a brief commercial announcement:<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I never intended to be the author of three concurrent
mystery series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t create The Blood
River series because I was bored with the Dogleg Island and Raine Stockton
mystery series, or because they had reached a conclusion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wrote <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River/dp/B09NC7W1RL">Unfixable</a> </i>because I found Buck
Lawson(who, as many of you know, originated with the Raine Stockton mystery
series) to be such a compelling character that I thought his story needed to be
told.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And once he was settled in Mercy,
Georgia, as chief of police, I realized his story had just begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Unstoppable</i> picks up where <i>Unfixable</i>
left off, as Buck uncovers even more of Mercy’s dark secrets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, from where I sit right now, it looks as
though there will be many more adventures in Buck’s future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Back to What’s Next:</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the rumors of
its demise, The Dogleg Island series is alive and well, and its inhabitants are
looking forward to a bright future. While <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Dark-Dogleg-Island-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08VDLZ25H"><i>Flash in the Dark</i> </a>(Dogleg
Island Mystery #5) concluded the storyline that dealt with Aggie’s search for
her father and Grady’s fight against the organized crime cartel that threatened
Murphy County, <i>Flash of Fire</i> begins a whole new chapter for the
residents of Dogleg Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Businesses
and spirits have been rebuilt since the traumatic events of <i>Flash in the
Dark; </i>Flash and Aggie are settling in to Dogleg Island’s new police station
and starting to break in a new staff; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aggie
and Ryan Grady prepare to welcome a new member of their family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, what appears to be a peaceful group
of environmental activists stage a protest on Dogleg Island and are accused of being
a front for a more sinister purpose. Aggie and Flash must uncover the truth before
the threat becomes real.<i> Flash of Fire</i> takes place in the summer before
the events of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Shepherd-Dogleg-Novella-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BGMGX137">The Good Shepherd</a></i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Similarly, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Daughter-Raine-Stockton-Mysteries/dp/1735127140">The Judge’s Daughter</a> </i>(Raine Stockton Dog
Mystery #15) wrapped up a significant chapter of Raine Stockton’s life. Her
ex-husband and best friend (the afore-mentioned Buck Lawson) remarried and moved
away, a family secret was revealed, the storyline of her friend and mentor Maude
Braselton was wrapped up, and Raine discovered she has a brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that this brother is of somewhat questionable
character should have clued readers into the possibility of many more
adventures to come, but instead many of them concluded this was the end of the
line for Raine, Cisco, et al.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so! A
new installment of The Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series will be coming as soon
as humanly possible after <i>Flash of Fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></i>Raine and Cisco are back in their element leading a wilderness expedition
at a corporate retreat. What Raine doesn’t know is that one of the members of
their group is a fugitive, and that another member has been hired to kill him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All she has to do is figure out which one is
which before anyone else dies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>And After That?<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here’s the part where I try to explain how I decide what
comes next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I finish a book, it’s
extremely hard to put aside those characters and turn my back on the fictional
world in which I’ve lived for months (sometimes over a year!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My preference would be to immediately start
another book in the same series. But, as a professional, I rarely have the
luxury of doing what I please. I have a system. Based on the level of
popularity, the release schedule for a new book in each series goes like this:
1) Raine Stockton 2) Blood River 3) Dogleg Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I love a good anthology (as in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deck-Halls-Holiday-Mystery-Anthology/dp/1735127132"><i>Deck the Halls</i> </a>) so expect this line-up to be broken on occasion by a collection
that features two or more novellas from each series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>But What About Ladybug Farm?<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is where I usually utter those dreaded words, “No more
books are planned at this time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key
words are <i>at this time.</i> In my mind there has always been room for
another Ladybug Farm book, probably called “Reunion at Ladybug Farm” and very
possibly set at Christmastime (because I love to do that!) But it will not be
this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for another Hummingbird House
book, I personally believe <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-House-1-Donna-Ball/dp/0985774835">The Hummingbird <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>House</a></i> was one of the best books I’ve ever
written, and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-at-Hummingbird-House-2/dp/0996561013">Christmas at the Hummingbird House</a> </i>comes in a close
second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, on my hierarchy-of-importance-based-on-popularity,
this series ranks in the negative numbers. Because I have so many other demands
on my writing time, I can’t justify continuing to write the kind of complex, full-length
novels this series demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Future
Hummingbird House installments will very likely be in the form of short stories.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>And Finally...<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you ever have wondered why you rarely hear from me on
social media or elsewhere, I hope you wonder no longer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>115 (or 120) books don’t just write
themselves, you know😊 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to keep my
readers surprised and engaged, and I’m constantly looking for ways to expand my
audience, so it is not entirely out of the question that a new series (or stand-alone
book) will appear from time to time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, because all good things must eventually end, it’s likely that one
of the series you enjoy now will decline in popularity to the point that it’s
no longer feasible to continue it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
as for now, all the characters we know and love are going strong, and I remain
one busy girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-60598649485303807112023-02-17T14:24:00.000-05:002023-02-17T14:24:15.324-05:00Can Artificial Intelligence Write a Better Novel Than I Can?<p><span style="background-color: white;"> Can AI write a better novel than a human? There's only one way to find out: ask it! So I did, and this is what my Chat GTP app replied:</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In recent years,
artificial intelligence (AI) has made tremendous strides in the fields of
robotics, healthcare, finance, and more. But could AI ever outdo humans when it
comes to creative endeavors like writing a novel? It’s a question that has been
debated for years, and one that has no clear answer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">On the one hand, AI algorithms can be incredibly
powerful and efficient when it comes to processing data and creating models. AI
can easily crunch through large amounts of data to recognize patterns, generate
predictions, and make decisions. This means that AI could potentially be used
to generate stories, characters, and plotlines that are more complex and
interesting than those created by humans.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">On the other hand, AI still lacks the creative
spark that humans possess. AI algorithms can generate stories and dialogue, but
they cannot create the emotional depth and nuance that comes from a human
writer. AI is also limited by the data it has access to, meaning that it cannot
create stories that are truly unique and original.</span></span><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">At the end of the day, it’s impossible to say
whether AI can write a better novel than a human. AI can certainly generate
interesting stories and dialogue, but it cannot replicate the creative spark
that comes from a human writer. Ultimately, it’s up to readers to decide which
stories are the most compelling and enjoyable. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">~*~</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I agree with my AI assistant on this one. The past few weeks of experimenting with AI have revealed some of its amazing capabilities in terms of generating plot ideas, cover copy, outlines, and fictional problem-solving. However, I've always believed readers are less interested in clever storylines and complex plots than they are in the characters who illustrate those stories. No one reads the Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries for the mystery; they read them for Cisco the golden retriever! Feedback on the storyline that AI generated for the next Flash/Dogleg Island Mystery proves that none of the readers who responded were particularly interested in what the next book was about; they just wanted to read more about Flash. </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I read dozens of mysteries and thrillers each year by bestselling authors, and while I rarely remember the details of the plot-- no matter how well crafted-- I always remember how well the character interacted with the storyline, what personal lessons were learned, how he or she overcame obstacles and grew or changed as a person. I also remember when these things are <i>not </i>executed very well, and I call that a bad book no matter how unique the plot was.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> So, as much as I love technology, and as much fun as it has been exploring the possibilities</span></span></span> of AI in the realm of fiction, I think I can safely say my job is secure. The heart of a story, after all, is, well, the heart, and as long as writers remember that, computers will never be able to compete.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Well, not for a while, anyway. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-30784333702441684642023-02-02T19:09:00.000-05:002023-02-02T19:09:44.803-05:00By Any Other Name<div><span style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Daughter-Raine-Stockton-Mysteries/dp/1735127140" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2982" data-original-width="2228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxYBdro_JOv-W1tD57csoQdk7I5-Vs-uIgjDLk5sR71Xnf6ssBtFTt-311bMeU0hz2t3bQVb65aWpq-hn9mTB9LfDHbOFFRxz4VpDIR-NzwfKbRUp_1XYNvuqfhDX3EgRGFqU1GNvGk0otK5cLV3mXRMghCNAYiCFpTlexStcVJ6fS9fsIKdY0sPP8g/s320/The%20Judge's%20Daughter%20Cover.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><b><i>This post is part of a series on AI vs. Human content. Can you tell which parts were written by me, and which were written by Chat CPT, an artificial intelligence writing app? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. </i></b></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: times;">Little known fact: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smoky-Mountain-Tracks-Stockton-Mystery/dp/0977329674">SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS</a>, Book #1 of the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series, was originally titled THE JUDGE'S DAUGHTER. This was back in the days when publishers believed having a unique title was far more important than having a relevant one, and authors (at least at my level) had little or no sway over what the marketing department decided their books should be called. "Smoky Mountain Tracks" was the least onerous of all the titles they came up with (one of which was--I kid you not-- COLD NOSE, WARM HEART.) I have been waiting 15 books to use the title, "The Judge's Daughter." </span></span></div><div><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">If you’re a writer, you know how important it is
to choose the right title for your novel. A good title can make all the
difference in whether your book is successful or not. It’s the first thing
readers see and can be the deciding factor in whether they pick up the book or
not. Here's a generalized guide to choosing the right title for your book so that you don't find yourself in the position I was all those years ago.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">First, think about what your book is about. What
is the main theme or idea? What is the central conflict? Once you have a better
understanding of the story, you can start to brainstorm ideas for titles. Think
of words or phrases that capture the essence of the story. You can also look
for inspiration from movies, books, or songs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Next, do an internet search to find out just how much competition exists for the title you've chosen. Far too many books are published each day for you to hope to find a completely original title, but it's probably not a good idea to give your book the same title as a current bestseller or a well-known classic. And don't forget that you can always set your book apart by using a subtitle or a series title, if appropriate. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Finally, think about how the title will look on
a book cover. Will it fit the design? Will it be easy to read? Will it stand
out on a bookshelf?</span><br /></span></span><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white;">Choosing the perfect title for your novel takes
time and creativity. But if you take the time to brainstorm and find the right
title, you’ll be one step closer to having a successful book. Good luck!</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">By the way, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Daughter-Raine-Stockton-Mysteries/dp/1735127140">THE JUDGE'S DAUGHTER</a>, Book #15 of The Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series, is now available in paperback, hardcover, digital and audio editions. </span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-19076397722790090512023-02-01T14:30:00.000-05:002023-02-01T14:30:03.930-05:00Move Over, Hemmingway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGikoIJAYGxbcZibER8dHzjCAD89QguittQbOsLIHqznI_NKhsvjeObQdavsA0wa3LGd9GsIZ79ceUVeV2qvJfCLhFM6Jy2fNzoGs6aALmvAIkFxoPtpm1V4LhMVngqJKhpdrH4vzIfDzoiG143Zza74A-binrBa25aaijLgiH7FlLWpqlMBD9F6Yg/s1350/BookBrushImage-2023-2-1-14-2233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEGikoIJAYGxbcZibER8dHzjCAD89QguittQbOsLIHqznI_NKhsvjeObQdavsA0wa3LGd9GsIZ79ceUVeV2qvJfCLhFM6Jy2fNzoGs6aALmvAIkFxoPtpm1V4LhMVngqJKhpdrH4vzIfDzoiG143Zza74A-binrBa25aaijLgiH7FlLWpqlMBD9F6Yg/s320/BookBrushImage-2023-2-1-14-2233.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By now you've probably heard about Chat GPT, the artificial intelligence app that is so smart it passed the entrance exam to at least one elite university and is being banned by schools because it makes cheating almost impossible to detect. It can write essays, news articles, commercials, speeches, advertising copy and, as it turns out, novels! Or at least the synopsis for one. I asked, Genie, a Chat GPT app, to brainstorm an idea for a mystery novel titled "Flash of Fire" which is set in Dogleg Island, Florida and features police chief Aggie Malone, her husband Ryan Grady, and their border collie Flash. In about three seconds, the app created this: </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The residents of Dog Leg Island, Florida live in a state of unease. For years, the island has been plagued by a series of unsolved murders, and the local law enforcement has been unable to find the culprit.</i></span></p><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chief of Police Aggie Malone and her husband Deputy Sheriff Grady have been tasked with solving the mysterious murders. With the help of their border collie Flash, they must uncover the clues and put the pieces together to solve the mystery.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The deeper Aggie and Grady dig, the more they realize that the murders are connected to a sinister plot involving the island's wealthy elite. With the help of Flash and the island's residents, they must race against time to uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flash of Fire is a thrilling mystery novel set on Dog Leg Island, Florida, where the stakes are high and the danger is real. </span></i><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~*~</i></div><div><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You've got to admit, that's a little spooky!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chat GPT "learns" by scanning the internet for everything that has been written on the assigned subject and then producing a more-or-less original presentation on the topic. I suspect it read the cover copy of the previous Dogleg Island books, along with the description of other mystery novels, to come up with this idea. I confess, the style is remarkably like my own.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This was my first attempt at using the app, and I imagine that with experience I could get more refined output. For example, what was the sinister plot? How do they uncover the truth? And, really, isn't the whole "series of unsolved murders" bit a little dated? On the other hand, I haven't yet done a story featuring the island's wealthy elite, and there might be something worth exploring there.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The whole thing has made me wonder just exactly how useful Chat GPT can be for the working writer. So why don't we see? Of my next few posts, some will be written by me, some by artificial intelligence, and some by both. Will you be able to tell which is which? Let me know in the comments!</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(Hint: this one was written by me. Mostly.)</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-30558532334362188702022-11-18T15:28:00.000-05:002022-11-18T15:28:18.942-05:00Raine Stockton's Wedding Cake<p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqEp8EfEzZtkJZNLfMY7_r77UGYdNlrqiKf0FLCEiDZ-Jg3-u57zqJOq3d7rPh2GryWBohyES7pTWqx0bFboCsYWtFjng7HxdQOq8LoRTX0jZC9Wwf4dvH-o7pqaPF6HOJBoygWjRhsoMML7B-grbYD9KC0JpZ4OfoXbjVUTRIHMIjZsykEyZvzJ-xA/s2016/20210207_171534_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqEp8EfEzZtkJZNLfMY7_r77UGYdNlrqiKf0FLCEiDZ-Jg3-u57zqJOq3d7rPh2GryWBohyES7pTWqx0bFboCsYWtFjng7HxdQOq8LoRTX0jZC9Wwf4dvH-o7pqaPF6HOJBoygWjRhsoMML7B-grbYD9KC0JpZ4OfoXbjVUTRIHMIjZsykEyZvzJ-xA/s320/20210207_171534_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8WGLWN3" target="_blank">THE JUDGE'S DAUGHTER</a>, Book # 15 of the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series, Raine is pressured into finally make some wedding plans. She randomly decides on an "orange spice cake with walnut filling and lemon icing" which she claims she saw on the internet. I'll bet she got it from my friend Eileen Goudge's <a href="https://eileengoudge.com/" target="_blank">website</a>! <p></p><p>Here's the recipe for the cake that inspired Raine's choice, generously provided by Eileen. The recipe calls for a 7-minute caramel frosting, and it's delicious, but if you try a lemon buttercream (as in Raine's version) let me know how it turns out. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">SPICE CAKE WITH DATE-NUT FILLING AND CARAMEL
FROSTING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This recipe was handed
down to me by my mom. Its fragrance derives from its aromatic blend of cinnamon,
cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom. Light in texture, rich in taste, it’s the perfect
cake for any occasion. For teatime or Sunday brunch, you can serve it
unfrosted, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. For a fancier dessert, make it
with the date-nut filling and seven-minute caramel frosting. It requires a
little extra effort, but you will be amply rewarded.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Serves 8 to 10.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For the cake:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2 ¼ cups cake flour<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 cup granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¾ cup brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 teaspoon baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¾ teaspoon baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 scant teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 teaspoon ground
cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">½ teaspoon ground cloves<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
(preferably freshly-grated)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¼ teaspoon ground cardamom<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¾ cup (1 ½ sticks)
unsalted butter, cut into chunks while chilled and softened<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 cup buttermilk, at room
temperature<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3 large eggs, at room
temperature<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Preheat oven to 350
degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment cut
to fit the bottoms. Grease the parchment.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sift the flour, sugars,
baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl or the bowl of a
stand mixer. Discard any hard bits that have collected in the sifter. Scatter
the softened butter chunks over the flour mixture. Add ½ cup of the buttermilk.
With an electric mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat until
moistened and there are no visible butter chunks. (It will resemble cookie
dough at this point).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a small bowl, whisk
together the eggs and the remaining buttermilk. Add to the batter in three
parts, beating for 15 seconds after each addition. Divide the batter between
the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a
toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean. Let cool in the pans
for 2 minutes. Invert onto wire racks and cool completely. Place one layer on a
serving plate. Spread with the date-nut filling (see recipe below). Place the remaining
layer over the filling. Frost the top and sides of the cake with seven-minute
caramel frosting (see recipe below). Garnish with toasted walnut halves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">DATE-NUT FILLING:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Makes 1 ¼ cups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¼ cup walnut pieces, plus
12 walnut halves (for garnish)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">8 ounces (about 1 ½ cups)
pitted, chopped dates<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">½ cup fresh orange juice<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 teaspoon orange zest<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Preheat oven to 350
degrees Fahrenheit</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Place the walnuts in a
single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast for 5 minutes. Remove the
walnut pieces and toast the walnut halves for an additional 3 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a medium saucepan,
place the dates and orange juice. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a
simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and stir for 3 minutes until the date
mixture is a paste-like consistency. Remove from the heat and stir in the
orange zest and toasted walnut pieces. Set aside to cool while you make the
frosting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">SEVEN-MINUTE CARAMEL
FROSTING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Makes enough to frost the
top and sides of a nine-inch double-layer cake.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2 large egg whites<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¾ cup granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¾ cup brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">¼ teaspoon cream of
tartar<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1 teaspoon of vanilla
extract<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the top of a double
boiler or a large heatproof bowl, place the egg whites, sugars, cream of
tartar, and salt. Add 1/3 cup of cold water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat for one minute.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of a double boiler or a large saucepan, bring 1½ to 2
cups of water to boil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Place the top of the
double boiler or bowl containing the beaten mixture over the boiling water,
making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. With an electric
mixer on high speed, beat for about 7 minutes until stiff peaks form. Remove
from the heat. Beat in the vanilla.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> ~*~</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>This is without a doubt one of my favorite cakes ever! And it's perfect for holidays-- just like the Thanksgiving one coming up. As an added bonus, you can go to Eileen's <a href="https://eileengoudge.com/" target="_blank">website</a> to download a <i>free </i>copy of her recipe book containing dozens of delicious goodies just like this. Happy holidays, everyone!<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-3445818601077131102021-12-22T15:35:00.001-05:002021-12-22T15:35:39.811-05:00<p> In case you missed it, here is a holiday greeting from Raine Stockton and Cisco:😊</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 33.7333px;">Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 33.7333px;">Dog Daze Boarding and Training!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMJ-_LJDi9jME0AP9909AGtNkAg47VdpSoe0kfizeWhVeZGcCoijPThLnG-Msd5IfNx3hD6ROfUOKPAw4kCk2xy281an4gT9J2xVcbRNmOXMMh900rJylY7RbE5kosNL-KVgmyQrSjcrh7FEilhXzBoS86eIZFn3NHsljoZ5xth9k4AFq5YRSEXZFk=s900" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMJ-_LJDi9jME0AP9909AGtNkAg47VdpSoe0kfizeWhVeZGcCoijPThLnG-Msd5IfNx3hD6ROfUOKPAw4kCk2xy281an4gT9J2xVcbRNmOXMMh900rJylY7RbE5kosNL-KVgmyQrSjcrh7FEilhXzBoS86eIZFn3NHsljoZ5xth9k4AFq5YRSEXZFk=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Brush Script MT"; font-size: 22pt; line-height: 33.7333px;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks to everyone who made this year such an enormous success here at Dog Daze. In particular, I’d like to thank my fiancé, Miles Young, and my adorable stepdaughter-to-be, Melanie, both of whom helped me put together the graphics for this newsletter. She can punch me later for calling her adorable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What a year, right? Dog Daze graduated 187 puppies from our Puppy Kindergarten, 63 from our Canine Good Citizen course, and 13 newly-certified Therapy Dogs. 52 dogs went on to join one of our agility or competitive obedience courses, and 32 rotated through Tricks and Treats. We have the best-trained dogs in Western North Carolina, right here in Hanover County! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Cisco (pictured here<br />—isn’t he gorgeous??) and I were called in for several major wilderness searches this year. Most of them turned out well; some did not. Once again, folks, we remind you to <i>please</i> check in at the ranger station before hiking, always stay on the marked trail, and keep your cell phone charged and on your person at all times. And don’t climb the waterfalls! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In October, Melanie attended her first AKC all-breed show, where Pepper won her Novice obedience title <i>and</i> a blue ribbon. She also got her first leg in Novice agility, and can’t wait for the spring competitive season to finish up her title. My Mischief, in the meantime, had a stellar season and finally earned her MACH (Master Agility Champion). That’s her, pictured doing a victory lap with the jump bar in her mouth. As for Cisco, believe it or not, he finally mastered tunnels and weaves with a first place finish!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Everyone enjoyed the annual Pups on Parade Halloween March for the Humane Society. We had 30 entries this year and the costumes were hilarious. The winner of the contest was Buster Brown, a French bulldog who was dressed like the Cookie Monster—trash can and all! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Don’t forget our annual Christmas party December 23 at 1:00 p.m. There will be games, treats and presents for people and pets. We’ll be collecting dog food donations for the animal shelter all day, so stop by when you can.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A regular class schedule will resume March 1. You can sign up online, or call for an application. Meantime, our boarding and grooming services are always available for your pampered pup, and we welcome tours of our facility. Call for an appointment Monday through Friday.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Have a safe and happy holiday season. See you next year!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Woofs,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Raine Stockton, owner<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Corny Lawrence, general manager and head groomer<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Cisco, CEO (Canine Executive Officer) </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">Hanover County, North Carolina<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><i>Read more about Raine and Cisco's holiday adventures</i></b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MSZFHF1">here</a>:</o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MSZFHF1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhye_ax4TFICoiH8uoHWDMRQqDvDEFuWcwsK9xxeoMQpQKKSgmkoZXhIbcczBCCLZJ3f1_B2wgzvUaa0KyCp4oap2FzpSOQe660w6TbBMA8G9FXRZ-m3LtPxJLCJe3W-Bhnc5ovnKRa19FshOi2zOKJIvsjlHNy35aM2HZIhY72syD9ceDjh53yqd3g=s320" width="236" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-49823667754094310702021-09-29T13:28:00.000-04:002021-09-29T13:28:05.784-04:00Moonshine, Murder and Mayhem<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEM6mvV1o0hbVAoibYi7H4wBbl9MGgdY4GIYa8UXQnD0QLZh0ldxM02TySIEh9FngRlPP1e8XENJ-8VYTKrUX7-vqdq7_q_Ar8JS94XZ8nmEsoRFJujT3_fiUIxu6K_Z_3y1SnhwOn9dV/s2016/20210925_180115_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1474" data-original-width="2016" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAEM6mvV1o0hbVAoibYi7H4wBbl9MGgdY4GIYa8UXQnD0QLZh0ldxM02TySIEh9FngRlPP1e8XENJ-8VYTKrUX7-vqdq7_q_Ar8JS94XZ8nmEsoRFJujT3_fiUIxu6K_Z_3y1SnhwOn9dV/s320/20210925_180115_resized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">My ancestors came to the hills of north Georgia in 1782 and
built a log cabin on a flat piece of ground in a cedar grove which, by the time
I was growing up, had long since been replaced by a chicken coop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were a rough lot, having migrated from
Scotland to the mountains of Virginia/North Carolina almost a century earlier
as outlaws fleeing some kind of political persecution—or at least that’s the
story the family tells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not at all
sure about the political part, but outlaws—yeah, I can see that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The bedtime stories of my childhood were not necessarily
fairy tales. Southerners have a notoriously celebratory relationship with the
macabre, and one of my earliest memories is the tale of a Creek ancestor of
mine who had the temerity to marry into our family. Apparently, he was not
widely embraced as an in-law. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
found one morning floating face-down in a creek that bounded our property, “his
long white hair streaming out behind him”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The law ruled it suicide, but was it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My great-grandfather shot and killed his neighbor in a
dispute about cows one morning while walking to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His nine year old son, my grandfather, was
with him at the time and was later called to give testimony in court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For as long as I knew him, my grandfather was
terrified of going to the courthouse, even for something as innocuous as
getting his driver’s license.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That same grandfather had a mysterious relationship with
alcohol, the stories about which went even deeper underground when he married a
Baptist (think: Grandpa Walton from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Waltons</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mystery became
slightly more comprehensible when, as teenagers, my brother and I visited a historical
display about early Appalachian life with our parents and my father
demonstrated a far more intimate knowledge of the workings of a moonshine still
than the historian who was giving the lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Evidence eventually led us to believe that my dad—who was already right
out of Central Casting with his 1950s James Dean good looks—ran moonshine for a
living before meeting and marrying my mom who was, unfortunately for him,
another Baptist.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Readers will recognize the stories of my two ancestors—one
dead in a creek and another accused of murdering a man over a cow—as elements
from <i>Murder Creek </i>(Raine Stockton Dog Mystery<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>#14).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For these and other reasons, people often ask me if my character, Raine
Stockton, is based on myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always
answer No, because—except for our love of dogs-- we are so different in every
possible way. I cower in a corner when I hear a nail gun fire, much less a hand
gun. She runs in to save the day; I lock the doors, hide under bed and dial
911.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whereas Raine is always asking “Who?
Where? How? Why? ” my tendency is to shrug and figure someone else will take
care of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course most of this is simply the difference between a
fictional sleuth and a real-life writer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Given the legacy of my ancestors, I had no choice but to become a
mystery writer, and every part of Raine Stockton carries a little bit of my
DNA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house she lives in is actually
the farm house my family built overlooking the cedar grove—and the chicken
coop-- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 1880. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still carry that faded photograph of them,
standing so proudly on their newly-built front porch, in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Feed & Seed where Raine buys dog food
is in reality only 3 miles from my current home, and I buy dog food there
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The courthouse, which, as faithful
readers know, plays such a dramatic part in Raine’s life, is an exact replica
of the courthouse in the tiny north Georgia county where I grew up… and in
which my grandfather refused to set foot for years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be lying if I said that certain characters—and
events!—were not based on memories of my youth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God willing, they will never recognize themselves in any of my books.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although the property on which my ancestors built that first
log cabin over two centuries ago has long since been covered in tract
homes,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel no sense of loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That place, and the pioneers who settled it,
will live forever in my imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their stories will continue to be told by Raine Stockton, and characters
like her, as long as I am able to give them voice. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, like all good stories, their telling
will only get better over time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Creek-Raine-Stockton-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B084T96C6V" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBuv0HtdhwqnlP_XGpla63zQV2_ZYGXAoztLKhgF_wwfT2E04GZroSBzc5WJgPbs3h0wbXL6bdbwqpYx-WsvVS4Pk5ALve1DAqlWmYDE6bq3qCWwAvZ93ggR94c8xyKYWIFH0KaI2oV3o/s0/BookBrushImage-2021-9-24-14-3024.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-3504343062704935362021-09-16T14:40:00.000-04:002021-09-16T14:40:04.738-04:00A Stranger Comes to Town<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgiyJqYOxSjrWKO7POKq5X9mkaoR26O1m8xGRtafL76d8g50E7a6CbJggylhRcSgs7f2DvUuKYTtE0xzs-WGYhjkbVHtQ19rN2hL9sSS0VUQ0RFwSgjq26rFjAzVHyiG2dOq2AP-qOlRU/s1080/BookBrushImage-2021-8-24-15-5030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgiyJqYOxSjrWKO7POKq5X9mkaoR26O1m8xGRtafL76d8g50E7a6CbJggylhRcSgs7f2DvUuKYTtE0xzs-WGYhjkbVHtQ19rN2hL9sSS0VUQ0RFwSgjq26rFjAzVHyiG2dOq2AP-qOlRU/s320/BookBrushImage-2021-8-24-15-5030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love this quote! It reminds us that a story doesn't begin until <i>something changes. </i>Think about all your favorite books, the ones that really pull you in: they all begin with a change. A stranger comes to town. A road forks. An opportunity is offered. A body is found. It should also remind you that, if you happen to be a teller of tales, anything you write that delays getting your reader to part where something changes probably doesn't belong there. The story begins where something changes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today I'm excited to announce that my story about a stranger coming to town is finally available! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Donna-Ball/dp/1735127124">UNFIXABLE: A BUCK LAWSON MYSTERY</a> is the quintessential story of change, both for the fictional character and for me, the writer. Buck Lawson, a favorite from <a href="https://donnaballauthor.com/the-raine-stockton-dog-mystery-series/">The Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries</a>, is a man desperate to change his life. In an attempt to escape, not only his past, but the environment in which he is continuously defined by his reputation, Buck takes a new job and moves to a new town. That's where his story begins-- very dramatically! (read the opening <a href="https://donnaballauthor.com/unfixable-a-buck-lawson-mystery-book-one-of-the-blood-river-series/">here</a>).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For me, <i>Unfixable </i>also represents a change. This is the first new series I've started since <a href="https://donnaballauthor.com/about-dogleg-island-dog-mystery-series/">The Dogleg Island Mysteries </a>in 2015 (that's a long time in dog years!), and the first mystery without a dog. That opens up a whole new world to explore, one that's both exciting and a little terrifying. Will Buck, Billy, Miss Corinne and Hobo the toothless alligator find their audience down there in Mercy, Georgia? Will my readers be able to share their affection for the familiar world of Hansonville, N.C. with the sultry marshlands of south Georgia? And how much did they<i> really</i> like Buck anyway? Like an anxious mother sending her child off on the first day of school, all I can do is hope I've done enough. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8B" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLUoQivN9LE_9kjTTvo9YI07WIhDSkKIRSkUSPbDzOTq7s2iJvIhdf0nw67OKzdKe0vkg5ic4k2CHSXizNFsVt_0_3_u5EAFOkDkyomu6ZoD4db0lYQoXBuBbIoqBfUl_XI4HPTH9uw-M/s320/Unfixable+Cover+6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8B">UNFIXABLE</a> is available now in digital and print formats from your favorite retailers!</b></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <i> </i></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-73443622598552753302021-08-03T16:23:00.002-04:002021-08-03T16:23:45.605-04:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8Bhttps://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7kntQ_zJj8Pokvq3_2ii0dxOdKwaUCME0kSi3oF9rHWqm9QISF-ASVF_g4XRXoEqjNmlfRYoU5TyVu3oRPh4kDUQxR0t4Ac7MHbSjNjTOO7CDNpmcE5VgjACRbZ8soacF_naf3qZkrPE/s1080/Unfixable+Preorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7kntQ_zJj8Pokvq3_2ii0dxOdKwaUCME0kSi3oF9rHWqm9QISF-ASVF_g4XRXoEqjNmlfRYoU5TyVu3oRPh4kDUQxR0t4Ac7MHbSjNjTOO7CDNpmcE5VgjACRbZ8soacF_naf3qZkrPE/s320/Unfixable+Preorder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">COMING SEPTEMBER 16</span></h2><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pre-Order for Kindle <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8B">Here<br /></a>Pre-Order in Print <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unfixable-donna-ball/1139928038?ean=9781735127125">Here</a></h3><div><br /></div><div>I'm terribly excited about the launch of the Blood River Series-- my first new series since 2015. Blood River, as the name might imply, is a slightly edgier type of mystery than my readers are used to, and I felt I was taking quite a chance nudging them out of their comfort zone. But <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8B" target="_blank">UNFIXABLE</a> gave me a chance to write the kind of book I've been wanting to write for a long time, and I could be more pleased with the way it turned out. </div><div><br /></div><div>In UNFIXABLE, Buck Lawson, from the Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, leaves the Smoky Mountains to take a job as police chief of a small south Georgia town and soon finds himself knee-deep in corruption, deception and homicide.</div><div><br /></div><div> Once there, Buck discovers he has inherited an unsolved homicide, a house that may well be haunted and a police department that is almost certainly corrupt. It falls to Buck to free an innocent man and bring the former police chief's killer to justice while he wades through the quagmire of incompetence and dishonesty that permeates his office. His only true ally, Buck comes to understand, is the dead man himself. </div><div><br /></div><div> We learn a lot of surprising things about Buck in UNFIXABLE, and I hope readers will enjoy the journey of discovery as much as I did.</div><div><br /></div><div>To learn more about how UNFIXABLE came to be, check out this interview <a href="https://donnaballauthor.com/the-blood-river-series-an-interview-with-donna-ball/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>And be sure to read the excerpt <a href="https://donnaballauthor.com/unfixable-a-buck-lawson-mystery-book-one-of-the-blood-river-series/" target="_blank">here</a>. It may be one of my favorite opening scenes ever!</div><div> .</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-54679561386724984502021-07-28T19:40:00.000-04:002021-07-28T19:40:07.065-04:00DEAR AUTHOR<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MjZFAvPlw94NmfF_Kh2zhTvdCMic8NvHYghnoOAi2LbZi6WVkEBoIjpJEO7P6xUIWWaLhHhdz33Kig29wuf_VcvLI41XdUGNU9fU-yup6SfZdVGbZ9hrLcKb-kQ_RJGlTZSSNVKc019s/s900/bigstock-Old-parchment-or-diploma-scrol-20853605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MjZFAvPlw94NmfF_Kh2zhTvdCMic8NvHYghnoOAi2LbZi6WVkEBoIjpJEO7P6xUIWWaLhHhdz33Kig29wuf_VcvLI41XdUGNU9fU-yup6SfZdVGbZ9hrLcKb-kQ_RJGlTZSSNVKc019s/s320/bigstock-Old-parchment-or-diploma-scrol-20853605.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once a month I’d like to devote this space to answering some
of the questions I get from readers. But first, I thought it might be a good
idea to talk about a few how-tos.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s start with the basics: the best way to reach me is
through my website’s “contact me” page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The <i>worst</i> way to reach me is through Facebook or Instant
Messenger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rarely check my Facebook
page, and Instant Messenger doesn’t always go through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sometimes discover messages from a year ago
that I never saw!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to respond to
all comments on my blog or Facebook posts, but the chances that I’ll see them
are 50/50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if you want to make sure I
see your message, take a minute, go to my website, and click the button.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Make no mistake about it, I love getting e-mail from my
readers! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who wouldn’t? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the pictures of your dogs, the stories
you tell about how my books have affected your lives, your thoughts on how
you’d like to see my stories go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make every attempt to answer them all,
although if I’m at a crucial point in the writing process, it might take a
while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I also confess that occasionally
a reader e-mail gets lost or accidently deleted, which makes me very sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have been a victim of one of those
accidental losses, I sincerely apologize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Try me again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By far the most frequently asked questions I get are: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Are you going to write any more (fill in the
blank) books?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 20.25pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->When is the next (fill in the blank) book coming
out?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So here are the answers, conveniently located all in one
place:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Ladybug Farm</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No new books are planned as of this post, but
I haven’t eliminated the possibility.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Hummingbird House</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m working on the next Hummingbird
House book now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries: </b>Absolutely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my most popular series, and I will
not abandon it as long as readers keep buying the books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next book is scheduled for spring/summer 2022
(but could always come sooner!).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Dogleg Island Mysteries</b>: Even though the plotline
regarding Aggie’s father and the Ghost Syndicate is resolved in <i>Flash in the
Dark</i>, Aggie, Grady and Flash have many more adventures in store. Flash is
one of my favorite characters, and I couldn’t bear to let him go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for the next book following Raine
Stockton Dog Mystery # 15.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy, which is why
the following e-mail made me laugh out loud:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Have you considered giving Buck (from the Raine Stockton
Dog Mysteries) his own series?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reason I laughed is because the answer is <i>Yes</i>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, here is the answer to the Number One
Most Often Asked Question:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>When will
your next book be out?<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkgTzk6ybwM07_Y3q2LPYI7JWWnVfg5tXsheWo2LXH4hheaSencH_ipfNevDVk5rDSzXcBIjIdXKBIEE0Jwho4RtxOsFge8lD01PMEOJ-HDrc0bxtpuCvLJjfgGRXcMDiHrOFZ5-0-MjX/s1080/unfixable+reveal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkgTzk6ybwM07_Y3q2LPYI7JWWnVfg5tXsheWo2LXH4hheaSencH_ipfNevDVk5rDSzXcBIjIdXKBIEE0Jwho4RtxOsFge8lD01PMEOJ-HDrc0bxtpuCvLJjfgGRXcMDiHrOFZ5-0-MjX/s320/unfixable+reveal.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unfixable-Lawson-Mystery-Blood-River-ebook/dp/B09B1CQR8B" target="_blank">PRE ORDER FOR KINDLE HERE</a></b></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-62640589030238809422021-07-14T20:05:00.000-04:002021-07-14T20:05:37.097-04:00Where in the World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71CYOtr0ZfGRXwcYO2oaH9QFS6vBa3pnWFEwM-4VhzgpGUGQWRtri1bNMtyvwLWth9przlUx91o9GHQ6a2QPNR4CNNiqVqNmS971Sm277L5t1bbJ-1aU5yddPW8zuvirOT9bPxKjm19ry/s900/bigstock-Beautiful-Sunset-Over-Marsh-Gr-271366903.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71CYOtr0ZfGRXwcYO2oaH9QFS6vBa3pnWFEwM-4VhzgpGUGQWRtri1bNMtyvwLWth9przlUx91o9GHQ6a2QPNR4CNNiqVqNmS971Sm277L5t1bbJ-1aU5yddPW8zuvirOT9bPxKjm19ry/w440-h248/bigstock-Beautiful-Sunset-Over-Marsh-Gr-271366903.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><b>“’How still the plains of waters be,” a musing,
sugary voice quoted softly from behind him.
“’The tide is in his ecstasy. The
tide is at his highest height: and it is night.’ The Marshes of Glynn by Sidney Lanier.” <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><i><b> Corrine Watts came around to the front of the
desk, gazing at the painting with him. “It
was my daddy’s favorite poem. He made all us kids memorize the whole damn
thing.”</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><b>--excerpt from UNFIXABLE, Blood River Series Book #1</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">So now you know where my next mystery series is set!-- not literally in the marshes of Glynn County, Georgia, but in its fictional south Georgia equivalent, a moody, atmospheric place thick with history, swamp gnats and secrets. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">It took months for me to settle on the location of what has now become the Blood River Mystery Series. The plot for UNFIXABLE was set in my head, as were the characters, who have been relocated from my favorite (and I hope yours!) Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series. But I was unable to start the book because setting, in my opinion, is the most important character of all. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>I understood the Smoky Mountains because I've lived there, and was able to make them an integral part of Raine Stockton's story because she had the mountains in her blood, like I do. I was able to create Dogleg Island and make it come alive for Flash, Aggie and Grady because I lived, for ten winters or more, on a small barrier island in Florida. These were places I loved and knew intimately. Until I could find a locale that was equally as evocative for the new book, I was stumped.</p><p> I set about finding the location for my new series in the same way a pioneer might look for a place to homestead. I asked myself: What are the access points-- the highways, waterways, airports, railways? What kind of people travel here? How does the population makes its living? What are the major employers? How do people discover this place? What is its ethnicity, population, history, culture?</p><p>By this time I had a pretty idea of the kind of town I wanted to create, but I still wasn't sure <i>where</i> it was. I thought I'd do well with a body of water to anchor my town, so I started asking the sportsmen I knew what their favorite fishing spots were. It wasn't until my brother mentioned the Suwanee River that the idea gelled. It turns out the Suwanee River was his least favorite spot because, as he said, "It's a blackwater river and you can't see what's beneath the surface. It creeps me out."</p><p><i>Oh yeah</i>, thought I. <i>That's the place</i>.</p><p>The fictional Blood River is a tributary of the Suwanee, which is the headwater of the Okefenokee Swamp. Plenty of room for creepiness there. Lots of time to spend peering beneath the surface, trying to guess what lies below. A setting was born. And it was a setting that would play as much of a role in the book as any of the human characters.</p><p>As it happens, <i>The Marshes of Glynn</i> was my daddy's favorite poem too. Although he fervently opposed my ambition to write novels for a living and did everything in his power to discourage me, he also gave me the one piece of advice that, more than anything, shaped my style as a writer. "A good writer," he said , "makes people<i> feel </i>the place he's writing about, just like Sydney Lanier and the Marshes of Glynn. Now when you can do that, you can call yourself a writer."</p><p>Well, all right, then. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-31890180667804442582021-06-05T15:19:00.000-04:002021-06-05T15:19:54.379-04:00Listen Here<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFnFZcpJvwyZCsUKMZKvWR0_r-vDCNVtfCMzvcloJ_saEcTMdcjJbfGvTLi1pCU5wltjqDZ_eSJy4tzoZsZBmYPVV6s0XJSzm287CNMc3aeZavcTRBI4sZchtCtaUu05QU-RkNbBEeQBz/s1080/Flash+in+the+Dark+Audio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFnFZcpJvwyZCsUKMZKvWR0_r-vDCNVtfCMzvcloJ_saEcTMdcjJbfGvTLi1pCU5wltjqDZ_eSJy4tzoZsZBmYPVV6s0XJSzm287CNMc3aeZavcTRBI4sZchtCtaUu05QU-RkNbBEeQBz/s320/Flash+in+the+Dark+Audio.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I can hardly believe that <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Flash-in-the-Dark-Audiobook/B096CS4642">FLASH
IN THE DARK</a> is my 25<sup>th</sup> book produced on Audible. My very first
Audible book, <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Smoky-Mountain-Tracks-Audiobook/B00JJ60V1Y" target="_blank">Smoky Mountain Tracks</a> was produced and narrated in 2014 by Donna
Postel, who has since gone on to narrate eighteen more books for me, including
Flash in the Dark. That first audiobook not only changed my life by making my
Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries available to a much wider audience than I ever
imagined, it changed the way I write.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before I heard Donna reading my words I was frankly a little
baffled as to why people even liked Raine Stockton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when I heard Donna’s dry, sometimes
self-deprecating and often humorous take on Raine’s character, I suddenly got
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By George, I actually liked Raine a
little better myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then,
whenever I write a Raine Stockton mystery, it’s Donna’s voice I hear in my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has become, in my mind and in
the minds of thousands of readers, the voice of Raine Stockton. The same became
true when she took over the Dogleg Island/Flash series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ryan Grady, Aggie Malone and Flash are
entirely different characters and the tone of these books is not at all the
same as that of the previous mystery series, but she has managed to put her unique
stamp on the voices of Dogleg Island as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And I’m not ashamed to say she made me cry with <i>Flash in the Dark</i>.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These days when I write a book I am acutely aware, not only
of how my words read on paper, but how they will <i>sound</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use more dialogue tags to identify the
speaker, because its often difficult for a listener to determine who is talking
without them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am trying very hard to
eliminate my bad habit of writing sentences with long pathetical asides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, there are no parentheses on
audio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try, although I’m not always successful,
not to give characters names that sound alike, because they’re difficult to
distinguish on audio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps most
importantly, I’ve learned to keep the movie that’s generated in my listeners’
heads going without interruption by emphasizing the drama and minimizing long
narrative sections. I think all of this has made me a better writer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Personally, I love audiobooks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are all I listen to when I’m on a long
drive, and I always have one going when I start a big project around the house,
like painting a room or finishing floors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I actually started my local library’s first collection of audiobooks
back in the nineties by donating my books-on-tape after I’d listened to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They proved to be so popular with library
patrons that audiobooks became a regular budget item for the library within a
couple of years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most common
question I get from readers when I release a new print book is, “When will it
be out on Audible?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second most
common question is, “Why does it take so long for the audio version?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you really want to know the answer to that
question, read on (it’s a lot!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s
how it works:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Audible has set up a website for authors, publishers,
narrators and producers called ACX.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
your book is available on Amazon, all you have to do is type in the title and
the search engine will find it for you. Obviously, you have to own the rights
to the book you’re seeking to produce. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will then be asked whether you already
have a recording of your book, or if you’re looking for someone to record it
for you. Most people who come to ACX are looking for someone to produce and narrate
their book for them (in the lexicon of ACX, “producer” and “narrator” are the
same thing). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you click “looking for
a narrator” you will fill out a brief questionnaire about your book and about what
you’re looking for in a narrator—male or female, young or old, what kind of accent,
what kind of storytelling style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
make it really easy for you! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You will
then set your budget. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where it
gets interesting.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back in the old days, taking a book from print to voice was
a major undertaking that cost publishers tens of thousands of dollars, which is
why only very successful books by bestselling authors were regularly
distributed on audio. This is still the case with some traditional
publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But ACX gives publishers a choice
of what they want to spend—which is, in return, tied to how much royalty they’ll
be paid. You basically have two options: Pay the producer/narrator either by
sharing your royalties when they start to come in or with a one-time payment of
her fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most producers charge $200-$400
per finished hour, so if your book is 10 hours long you will owe
$2000--$4000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, if that’s beyond your
budget, ACX offers the option of allowing you to contract with one of their
producers who is willing to take a smaller amount up front to cover production
costs, and share the royalties with you 50/50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If even that is beyond your means, there is always the option of doing a
strict royalty share and offering nothing up front. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be warned, producers who are willing to accept
that offer are few and far between, but it’s entirely possible that, if your
book is already selling well in print, someone will be willing to take a chance
on you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Audible pays 40% royalty to the
author for exclusive distribution rights, and 25% if you want to retain the
right to sell your audiobook to other venues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your audiobook will be sold on Amazon, Audible and I-Tunes websites.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once you’ve decided how you want to pay for the production (and
get paid), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ACX will calculate approximately
how many hours long your book will be and you’ll decide how much you’re willing
to pay the producer per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ACX <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>helps with this, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You then submit 1-2 pages from your book for
the audition, and the information about your book and your payment offer goes
out to all the narrators who have signed up with ACX. There are over half a
million of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who are
interested will send you an audition, and that’s where the fun begins!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once you’ve listened to all the auditions and chosen the
narrator who best suits your vision for the book, you will offer a formal contract
(prepared by ACX) specifying how much you’ll pay, and when you need your
project completed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assuming your offer
is accepted, you will send the final, as-published version of your manuscript
and the audiobook is officially “in production”. Keep in mind that your
producer may not be able to get to your book right away, so it’s important that
you negotiate a deadline that suits you both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best producers can be booked six months to a year in advance (yes, <i>that</i>’s
why it takes so long to get an audiobook out!) so if you don’t want to wait,
you may not get your first choice. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The narrator/producer will submit the first fifteen minutes of
your book for your approval so that you can spot any potential problems with
accents, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pronunciations, etc. that might
slow down the process. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once this is
approved, the next you hear from your producer will be when the manuscript is
completed. For a 10 hour audiobook, 100 hours or more of actual work can go
into it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The producer not only records and
formats the book, she also hires a proofreader who actually reads the
manuscript as he is listening to it to make sure every word and sentence sounds
on audio exactly as it was written. Despite the enormous amount of time and effort
that goes into production,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never
had the process of recording the book take longer than 45 days once work is
begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audiobook will then be
submitted to the author for approval, and you will have one of the most amazing
experiences your life—hearing your own words read out loud.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">ACX allows two re-records in case you spot mistakes in your
audiobook, but I never ask a producer to re-record something unless the mistake
materially effects the story—i.e., a wrong character name is used or an
essential word is left out <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(if “She was
not guilty” is read “She was guilty” I’d ask for a re-do).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to take a whole weekend to listen to
my book, so it sometimes takes me a week to approve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you’re satisfied with your audiobook,
you check “approved” on the web page, upload your cover art if you have not
done so already, and pay your producer (assuming you’ve chosen to pay a flat
fee instead of a royalty share).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
producers accept PayPal, but some are members of the Screen Actors Guild or
other organizations that have different payment protocols.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ACX will <i>not </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>release your book until the producer acknowledges
payment, so any delay here will keep your book out of listeners’ hands.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The process
is still not finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good people
at ACX will now check your audiobook for technical errors and production
quality, and—as I understand it—have an actual human listen to the book all the
way through to make sure it meets their standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can take from 10 to 30 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is another reason it takes so long to
get an audiobook out, but it is an essential part of the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All told, from the time you list your book on ACX to the
time it appears on Amazon as an Audible edition—and assuming everything moves
along without a glitch—you’re looking at six weeks (rare!) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to six months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having worked for seven years now with the same producer, I can usually
count on getting Audible editions into the hands of listeners in 2-3 months
after I contact her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when you consider all that goes in to producing
an audiobook, this is lightning speed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is also, in my opinion, worth every minute of the wait.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnadKZwcf_s3xWqrgit5Lri83Hb5Y_UHSYzW9166xdp_bcS4Dd-XL5RYEMYJkGKEalu5RNfRyOkd-yghaxICKoFH3GEDgNpqNeeL_Und5ybnONyMQnttWS4HhHt9p2c_XIAmNOlwpyJQwe/s1080/BookBrushImage-2021-6-5-14-5056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnadKZwcf_s3xWqrgit5Lri83Hb5Y_UHSYzW9166xdp_bcS4Dd-XL5RYEMYJkGKEalu5RNfRyOkd-yghaxICKoFH3GEDgNpqNeeL_Und5ybnONyMQnttWS4HhHt9p2c_XIAmNOlwpyJQwe/s320/BookBrushImage-2021-6-5-14-5056.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Flash-in-the-Dark-Audiobook/B096CS4642">Now on Audible</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-81068952728642418362021-02-08T14:16:00.000-05:002021-02-08T14:16:24.645-05:00Essentially...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDwV6JMlUpIpS0i123qz5DMu0S5IH5Xnv69hu4fKloJI1PAisdxaT9UJ3JQ6hv5_OmYbBibR49FMiJ52wMZ8KTSjL96z-HVMiAH8hKLKDIJ-IG4wsBpEtTq1P0yvwV3XsXkT4pzAGcZ1N/s1600/DSCN1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDwV6JMlUpIpS0i123qz5DMu0S5IH5Xnv69hu4fKloJI1PAisdxaT9UJ3JQ6hv5_OmYbBibR49FMiJ52wMZ8KTSjL96z-HVMiAH8hKLKDIJ-IG4wsBpEtTq1P0yvwV3XsXkT4pzAGcZ1N/s320/DSCN1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Back at the beginning of the 2020 lockdowns, a reader wrote
to thank me for the few hours of distraction my latest book had provided (love
to get those kinds of e-mails!). She concluded
by saying “You are an essential worker, too.”
I was deeply touched and flattered, then somewhat astonished as more
letters echoing that sentiment began to come in. We all know what an important part of our
lives books are, but essential on the same level as groceries and UPS
deliveries? I’d never really thought
about it before.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As the global crisis wore on…and on…and <i>on</i>, I came to
understand for myself just how essential books, and the people who write them,
are. They provide more than an escape
when life spins out of control. They
provide engagement in times of isolation, friends in times of loneliness, hope
in the face of despair. They give us
something to look forward to when it sometimes feels as though there is
literally nothing else.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I recall a conversation many years ago with the librarian of
our small town. She agonized over having
to go to the county commissioners in an effort to persuade them to give her
money for the library that might otherwise go to essential services like the fire
department or EMTs. “I know they’re
saving lives,” she said, “but I’m trying to save the things that make life
worth living.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’d like to take this opportunity to salute all the books
(and the writers who created them!) that made life worth living this past year.
Like most of you, I read many more than can be listed here, but here are a few
of the ones that really took me away from it all, the ones that were hard to
put down and that I couldn’t wait to get back to—in other words, the perfect
pandemic reading. Maybe you’d like to
check some of them out!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Devoted-Dean-Koontz-ebook/dp/B07Y22KM21">Devoted</a>
by Dean Koontz <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/No-Exit-Novel-Taylor-Adams-ebook/dp/B07B7MCM7G">No
Exit</a> by Taylor Adams<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Flight-Novel-Julie-Clark-ebook/dp/B083ZLK9PL">The
Last Flight</a> by Julie Clark<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Diaries-Elly-Griffiths-ebook/dp/B07FK8X6KY">The
Stranger Diaries</a> by Elly Griffiths<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-B-Paris-ebook/dp/B01CXO4VRI">Behind
Closed Doors</a> by B.A. Paris<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Guest-List-Novel-Lucy-Foley-ebook/dp/B07WG8L7WC">The
Guest List</a> by Lucy Foley<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rumor-Novel-Lesley-Kara-ebook/dp/B07KDWF47S">The
Rumor</a> by Leslie Kara<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Ruth-Ware-ebook/dp/B084G9Z5C3">One by One</a>
by Ruth Ware<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Key-Ruth-Ware-ebook/dp/B07HPCRC7Q">The Turn
of the Key</a> by Ruth Ware <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Summer-Novel-Jennifer-Weiner-ebook/dp/B07Z43JXYH">Big
Summer</a> by Jennifer Weiner<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Camino-Winds-John-Grisham-ebook/dp/B081Y4HFXG">Camino
Winds</a> by John Grisham<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> Which essential
books saved your sanity this past year?<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-33641280924864249772021-02-01T10:20:00.000-05:002021-02-01T10:20:34.045-05:00Finally!<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Dark-Dogleg-Island-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08VDLZ25H" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1GLK0hmEeLKtCz4dg_5CYtOCDym1w4mjqs7SgO0Cth_7_8g0jrb2qyCDS5eRuCD7U3v_nlakEnLqZG254wryQEq8iPm3PNZlt3o-fwKqYXJFqi_EdJ5jL8fuDdJQZ2x_f9Z1Yt4-1plj/s320/Flash+in+the+Dark+ad.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Dark-Dogleg-Island-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08VDLZ25H" target="_blank">Order Here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">Looking back on previous launch-day posts, I realize that
they almost always begin with “Finally!” or “At Last!” I always feel as though
I’m making my readers wait too long for the next book, and, according to the
e-mails I get, they feel that way too. This book is no different. It seems as though I’ve been working on <i>Flash
in the Dark </i>forever<i>,</i> but it’s actually only been a year. The fact that the year was 2020 may have
colored my perception, but I can honestly say it was the longest year of my
life.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the basic tenets of mystery writing is to maintain
suspense. Always keep the reader anxious
to find out what happens next, whether it’s in the next paragraph, the next
chapter, or, sometimes, the next book.
The downside of this is that when you leave readers wondering what
happens next, you eventually have to tell them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Brilliance-Dogleg-Island-Mystery-ebook/dp/B071WNQ5CJ"><i>Flash
of Brilliance</i></a> an evil character is introduced and the suggestion is
made that he may be related to our protagonist.
In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VN2B313?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_3&storeType=ebooks"><i>Pieces
of Eight</i></a>, we come closer to finding out the true identity of this
character, and what his motivations might be. Given that there has been an
average of 18 months between each book, readers have been incredibly patient
waiting to have their questions answered.
In <i>Flash in the Dark</i>, it
all comes together—all the tiny puzzle pieces find their places, all the
questions find their answers, nothing is left unfinished. It took a while to figure out. It wasn’t easy. But it’s finished. Finally.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A lot happens in <i>Flash in the Dark</i>, and in fact, this
is the longest of all the Dogleg Island mysteries. Pete and Lorraine welcome a new family
member. Aggie finally gets the answers
about her father she has sought. Grady unearths
a dangerous plot orchestrated by a secret organization with sinister
connections to the past. Angelo’s true identity is revealed. The citizens of Dogleg Island rise up to meet
a crisis that will leave each one of them forever changed. And Flash, whose
only goal has always been to protect and serve the people he loves, learns new
lessons about the state of humanity and its ever-evolving complexity. It took a lot of words to bring all of this
together. But here it is at last: <i>Flash
in the Dark</i>, the book you’ve been waiting so long for.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gosh, I hope you like it.<o:p></o:p></p></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-90403252433956464602020-04-23T16:14:00.001-04:002021-01-31T13:14:44.294-05:00(Don't, please, I beg you) Write What You Know<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOC7LS_KFk3MubUuLqYJfvAUPpG9_8ZM6ndGgeVTFBdEuhqG7jhrMe_HkPqdgIZiFa6x1anA7MIbMlGQA8nwrD0Gd_xc52uf89u8QTtFJwkRwfkRj9vxbD2EwRB1XLJeupBD8H6t_k2OO/s900/bigstock-stamp-printed-by-Romania-show--45604348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOC7LS_KFk3MubUuLqYJfvAUPpG9_8ZM6ndGgeVTFBdEuhqG7jhrMe_HkPqdgIZiFa6x1anA7MIbMlGQA8nwrD0Gd_xc52uf89u8QTtFJwkRwfkRj9vxbD2EwRB1XLJeupBD8H6t_k2OO/s320/bigstock-stamp-printed-by-Romania-show--45604348.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Perhaps the most often repeated advice to a new writer is "write what you know". I'm sure that whoever originally came up with this meant well. Maybe he meant, <i>Don't try to write about the life experience of an African-American street orphan if you are a white suburban housewife. </i>Or, <i>Don't set your book in the glamorous, high-stakes world of the Milan fashion industry if the closest you've ever gotten to couture is the sale rack at Target. </i>Possibly he just wanted to take some of the scariness away from sitting down in front of a blank page. Write what you know. It'll be fine.<br /><br />The main problem with writing what you know is that what most people know is boring. <br /><br />You know your job, your town, your family, your friends. You know your experiences, which, on the whole, are probably pretty ordinary. The purpose of fiction is to take the reader away from the ordinary, or to take the ordinary and to somehow make it seem extraordinary. As long as you write only what you know, you cannot achieve that.<br /><br />The second problem with writing what you know is that it's limiting.<br /><br />When I lived in Atlanta, I critiqued a lot of first attempts from local writers. Inevitably, they would set their books in Atlanta. More importantly, the setting rarely, if ever, influenced the story. The book could have taken place anywhere, but because these writers were writing what they knew, they were very careful to make sure to describe every stop light on Peachtree Street, every intersection on Piedmont, and<i> no one cared. </i> Boring<i>.</i> More importantly, because they were so circumscribed by the real life boundaries of their setting, they missed opportunities to move their stories forward or make them interesting. A gunman can't burst out of the bank on the corner if there <i>is</i> no bank on the corner, and adhering so closely to the truth of what they knew stifled the imagination of the writer who otherwise might have simply invented a bank and put it there.<br /><br />My Raine Stockton series is virtually set in the small mountain town where I live. Many of the incidents portrayed in the books are based on local newspaper headlines. However, I made a conscious decision at the beginning to move the setting some thirty miles north, in a fictional town in a different state, even though it meant I'd have to do some research to get certain facts about the law enforcement community there straight. I'll be the first to admit I didn't get every detail right. But sometimes it's good not to know what you don't know. Exploring the unknown, asking the questions and sometimes even making up my own answers freed up my imagination to breathe life into the story. I was able to surprise myself-- and my readers-- with the unexpected. Had I adhered literally to the town I know so well-- the people who recognize me on the street, the businesses and services that do and do not exist-- I would have been constantly looking over my shoulder, pursued by voices that whispered in my head, "That could never happen" or "He would never do that" or "I hope she doesn't recognize herself". It would have been a disaster.<br /><br />On the subject of basing your characters on someone you know-- even yourself-- here is my advice: Don't do it. Ever. Please. The moment you put yourself or incidents from your life into a novel, your mother is going to be reading over your shoulder, literally or figuratively, every word you write. You cannot help censoring yourself. Your story will be shackled to the truth-- or worse, a soft-bellied blurred-eyed version of it--from beginning to end. When you base your character on someone you know, no matter how fascinating a life he may have lived, you will always be bound by your vision of that person, and limited by your understanding of him. Instead of asking yourself what your character would do, think or feel, you will be asking yourself how the real person, as you knew him, would react. Two problems with that: 1) you don't know the answer. 2) You will be too inhibited by your perception of the real person-- or perhaps by his reaction to your portrayal-- to make something up. The only person who knows the soul of a character the way that you, the author, need to know it is his creator. So create.<br /><br />You've heard the expression, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing". Too much knowledge can be even more dangerous, especially when forced upon the unsuspecting-- and generally disinterested-- reader. The medical doctor who describes his fictional surgery in the kind of technical detail generally reserved for training interns. The retired detective who takes the reader through twenty-two pages of questioning a suspect-- only to discover that the subject of his interview isn't involved in the case after all. Of course that's how it happens in real life. But the writer who believes he's doing his readers a favor by enlightening them, in exhaustive detail, with his unique expertise is usually just deluding himself.<br /><br />By all means, every writer should use her own experience, background and perspective to add color and verisimilitude to her story. Embellish with details that ring true. Use your particular insight into little-known subjects to surprise and inform readers, or even to take your plot in a direction another writer would not have considered. But don't get so bogged down by what you <i>know </i>that you neglect to imagine. <br /><br />When I started my mystery series I brought to the table what I believed to be a unique insight into dog training, dog sports and dog behavior. I used what I knew to add a sense of realism to the stories, and to give readers a glimpse of a world they might not otherwise see. What I did <i>not</i> know was anything at all about search and rescue, small town law enforcement, or working for the forest service--and those were the pillars on which the series was built. Learning about these things, and using what I learned to enhance the world I'd already created, gave the books a sense of immediacy and energy I couldn't otherwise have achieved. And even though the books are written in the first person, the only thing the main character and I have in common is a golden retriever. She doesn't even remind me of anyone I know. Because of this, she lives her own life, makes her own choices and participates in her own growth independent of any restrictions or expectations I might place on her. And for thousands of readers across the globe, she has become as real as the girl next door.<br /> <br />Instead of advising new writers to write what they know, I suggest they get excited about what they <i>don't</i> know. Write about what you want to know, places you'd like to go, life as you wish it could be. Let curiosity and imagination take you on a journey of discovery and your reader will automatically be swept along with you. And, for heaven's sake-- in the words of the late, great Mark Twain-- never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.<br /> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-88561933898844040582020-03-23T16:20:00.000-04:002020-03-23T16:20:39.458-04:00From the Beginning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF0CtG1dRobktS-NT4UNyiarKemSh_zTk4aQQfv04kXe1VkZPAWjtYM5Krl7x8UowufRvHFfsMPPFNuDpcIILVA39ujI2gy6sFIw2uzZh-Q_KUUQL_WDpOoE3WdlMdtzP46Wp_7Zlk9W6/s1600/bigstock-Chapter-One-291052963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF0CtG1dRobktS-NT4UNyiarKemSh_zTk4aQQfv04kXe1VkZPAWjtYM5Krl7x8UowufRvHFfsMPPFNuDpcIILVA39ujI2gy6sFIw2uzZh-Q_KUUQL_WDpOoE3WdlMdtzP46Wp_7Zlk9W6/s320/bigstock-Chapter-One-291052963.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Welcome back!<br />
<br />
If you are a writer, a wannabe writer, or just someone who likes to know how writers think, this is the place for you. In upcoming posts we'll talk about how stories are born, how ideas translate into words, and how words bring thoughts to life -- among many, many other things. I hope you'll check in often.<br />
<br />
This blog has been dark for--hard to believe!--9 years, and a lot has changed since then. It's not that I didn't want to reboot it, it's just that I didn't know where to start. And the longer I put it off, the harder it became to find that starting point. Kind of like writing a novel.<br />
<br />
So you've got this great idea for a book. You more or less know what happens in your story, you've chosen the characters who will tell your story, and you know what you want to say. But where do you start? As a general rule, there are three places to open your book: at the beginning, the middle and the end. It's up to you to decide which opening is the best one for you. <br />
<br />
The temptation is to take the default position and start at the beginning. Unfortunately, this is often the most boring place to open a book. "Johnny was born to an immigrant family of five who settled in Ohio in 1908..." If Johnny is your main character, how many pages do we have to read before something happens to him that makes this a story worth telling? If you can't wait to get to the "good part", neither can your reader. So eliminate everything but the good part. Start there.<br />
<br />
Some of the most interesting books start in the middle. Think about Cormac McCarthy's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Road-Cormac-McCarthy/dp/0307387895"><i>The Road</i> </a>. The man and the boy are on the road when it opens. We don't know why. We don't know how long they've been traveling. Whatever cataclysmic event propelled them on their journey is in the past; we join them in the middle and we are immediately sucked in. There's a lot to be said for grabbing your reader and pulling her right into the story.<br />
<br />
Some writers shy away from starting with the end because they're afraid of giving away too much. However, done skillfully, opening with an outcome that's already predetermined will only make your reader anxious to know what happened before that point and how your characters got there. Think of the classic opening to <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Story-Anniversary-Erich-Segal-dp-0062979477/dp/0062979477/">Love Story</a></i> : "She loved Beethoven, the Beatles, and me." The use of the past tense "loved" tells us the heroine is no longer with us; we want to know why. In Jane Harper's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Force-Nature-JANE-HARPER/dp/125010565X">Force of Nature</a></i>, something terrible has already happened when the book opens: search parties have been called in for a group of women who disappeared in the wilderness on a corporate retreat. Only as the story unfolds do we travel into the past, meet each of the missing women, and discover through their eyes what went wrong. My book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Season-Raine-Stockton-Mystery/dp/097732964X">The Dead Season</a>,</i> opens at the end of the adventure, with our heroine being escorted into a police car after something very bad happened on a mountain during a blizzard. You don't want to over-use the device, but opening at the end can generate a powerful sense of intrigue that makes the reader want to read more.<br />
<br />
Whether you choose to start your tale at the beginning, the middle or the end, all successful openings have one thing in common: <i>they start when something changes. </i>We'll talk about this more in upcoming posts, so I hope you'll stick around.<br />
<br />
I've little doubt that history will look back on 2020 as the year when things changed for a lot of us. Maybe it will also be the year you finally decide to write that novel you've been thinking about. If so, you've got a great adventure ahead, and I'd love to share it with you through this blog.<br />
<br />
So what do you say? Let's get started! <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-15570601555242643692011-12-21T21:26:00.000-05:002011-12-21T21:26:05.288-05:00What They Got RightThis is the first time since December 2010 that I have not had a deadline looming within the next thirty days. I have written, formatted, designed, marketed, promoted, and published four books in the past eight months. Seriously. So that’s why you haven’t heard from me in awhile.<br />
<br />
<br />
I currently have 18 books under the Blue Merle Publishing logo, and I am finally beginning (and I do mean <em>beginning</em>) to feel like a real publisher. And let me tell you something: it’s hard.<br />
<br />
There are people who have been doing this far longer than I have, and who have far more claim to expertise than I do, so I don’t pretend to set myself up as an authority on the subject of independent publishing. However, with all the rockets buzzing around the internet about what traditional publishing has done wrong, my recent experience in indie publishing, juxtaposed against twenty-plus years in traditional publishing, has pointed out to me that there is a reason why traditional publishing has survived for over a hundred years, virtually unchanged. As much as I hate to admit it, they got a lot of things right. Here are a few of them:<br />
<br />
1) Give the people what they want<br />
<br />
There is a reason why you can’t pick up a book today that doesn’t have a vampire, zombie, angel or wizard on the cover. This used to outrage me, until I was faced with a choice: a solid fan base who was begging for the continuation of my mystery series, or my own literary leanings toward something more daring and esoteric. Suddenly I understood why publishers had declined to take a chance on some of my more creative proposals, and I no longer held them in quite such contempt. Once you have a proven audience for a product, it is very scary—and foolish-- to turn your back and walk the other way. My decision was to go with the proven product, and I don’t regret it for a minute. <br />
<br />
2)Know Your Strength<br />
<br />
Over the course of my career I have written under seven different pseudonyms and in every fiction genre known to man. Great for the resume; bad for the sales figures. Again, I didn’t understand why my versatility didn’t command the respect that was clearly its due until I was the one who had to reconcile the bottom line. When one series outsells the others three-to-one, it really doesn’t matter how well-reviewed, innovative, or close to the heart the other books are. You publish the books that sell. Everything else is collateral damage.<br />
<br />
3)It’s Not Personal, it’s Business <br />
<br />
In the “It Only Hurts When I Laugh” category… my pet project was highly praised and ultimately rejected by a dozen of the top literary agents in New York with the inevitable disclaimer: <em>I love this, but I can’t sell it</em> . I finally decided that, rather than turn the book into the shredded wheat that would please the New York publishing community, I would publish it myself, and guess what?<em> I couldn’t sell it either</em>. Well reviewed? Yes. Commercial success? Hardly. Will I continue the series? Not a chance in hell. Nothing personal, fans. But this is business.<br />
<br />
4)It’s All About Marketing... and Budget<br />
<br />
Not to continue to beat the poor dead horse whose screams we’ve all been hearing for years now, but (to mix another colorful metaphor) it’s not the steak but the sizzle. And yes, that pisses me off now as much as it did when I was Number 11 on the Top 10 Bestseller List in the world of traditional bookstores and traditional publishers… not because my book was any better or worse by merit than #10, but because someone, somewhere had randomly decided to put more money into front-of-store placement, magazine and trade advertising, book tours and promotional spots for #10. (To be fair, next year, the same random decision might be made in my favor and I will be #10…or 9…or 7) This is not a merit-based industry. How many times have I heard that? Yet, until I was the one who had to actually come up with the cash that would make the difference between a book that faded into obscurity and a book that would receive the attention it deserved, I never truly appreciated how brutal and dispassionate was the view from this side of the checkbook. I discovered that I am not nearly the risk taker I thought I was… and that’s while dealing with my own money, on behalf of a product that I passionately believe in. How much less willing would I be to gamble with someone else’s money, for someone else’s book? Suddenly the decisions made by my former publishers about my marketing budget don’t seem quite as stupid as they once did.<br />
<br />
5) Timing is Crucial. <br />
<br />
When the new Harry Potter, Grisham, or Stephen King is shipped to brick and mortar bookstores, it is very likely in a box marked, “Do Not Shelve Until…” with a date. Years of experience have taught traditional publishers the value of a “crisp lay-down” to build buzz, maximize presence, and yes, inflate sales rankings and bestseller lists. Despite the fact that, as so many indies happily proclaim, e-books are forever, if you want to give your forever-book a chance to make itself known in the e-book jungle, following this simple practice from traditional publishing is the easiest and most cost effective thing you can do. Launch with a bang. Build your product page first and have it filled with reviews before announcing your release to the public. Arrange contests, Goodreads giveaways, discussion groups, blog tours, ad campaigns and reviews all to fall within a two week period of publication (Resourceful authors will plan to repeat this process in a few months, as sales start to fall). The more visible your book is, the more popular it seems,and the more popular it seems, the more popular it actually becomes because its very popularity will nudge it onto Amazon’s also- bought list, which will in turn push it up in the rankings. The higher in the rankings your book goes, the more visible it becomes, which means more people buy it, and so on and so forth. This is, believe or not, pretty much the same process that traditionally published print books have been undergoing to make the various bestseller lists for years. There’s nothing new under the sun. <br />
<br />
6)Holding its own is not good enough.<br />
<br />
This was perhaps the most painful and difficult lesson for me to learn. I have complained ad infinitum about the publisher who canceled my mystery series while Book #2 was on a bestsellers list, and the publisher who canceled my women’s fiction series while Book # 1 was approaching a 95% sell-through. Their reason for doing so, in both cases, was that Book #3 had failed to live up to the sales numbers generated by previous books. Here’s what they got right: it’s not enough to maintain your readership. Unless your fan base continues to grow, <em>you cannot sustain a series.</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<strong><em>What they got wrong</em></strong> (among many other things)<br />
<br />
The assembly-line mentality upon which corporate America was built does not work in the Arts. Simply put, when a book fails to live up to expectations in a Big Six house, it is cut, cast off, arteries severed; it is tossed, still writhing with life and screaming protests, into the teeming sea like so much chum. Moving on; next project. <br />
<br />
When a book fails to succeed in <em>my</em> house, I want to know why. Did it fail to give the readers what they want? Did it fail to find its audience? Was it marketed incorrectly or not at all? Bad cover? Bad blurb? Wrong price? Did it have enough time to succeed? What can I do to change its fate? If I believe in a book I will do everything in my power to give it a second chance… and a third, and even a fourth, if I have to. I will find out what I did wrong, and I will fix it. I will accept responsibility for a less than stellar performance, and I will correct flaws in marketing, design, pricing and placement. I will beat the bushes for new readers, come up with innovative ad campaigns to draw people in, go for markets I hadn’t considered before. Only when I have done everything that I can do, as a publisher, to help a book a find its audience—and , if necessary, when I’ve done it again and again—will I give up. This is my book, you see. I care what happens to it.<br />
<br />
And that, in the end, may be the most important thing I’ve learned from the Big Six. Bad things happen when you don’t care. Good things happen when you do. I’m glad I finally found a publisher who cares.<br />
<br />
Me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-18930750220628726232011-10-31T20:49:00.001-04:002011-10-31T21:05:52.053-04:00The Million Dollar Deal That Ruined My Career<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-0cQ1V7J7PMMFHRKyJe9Bt0ieAb7xZu2_p9CHD-HuMgQsA3JrR_aKyyAv7hjoK0-4PnbnM-CfOmjKmvHBIWn8D5JloIYEJW4wj54bp3-0MhK6fzdFhk4wyCn0pXbnaHY42KbJfzkcAej/s1600/Renegade+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-0cQ1V7J7PMMFHRKyJe9Bt0ieAb7xZu2_p9CHD-HuMgQsA3JrR_aKyyAv7hjoK0-4PnbnM-CfOmjKmvHBIWn8D5JloIYEJW4wj54bp3-0MhK6fzdFhk4wyCn0pXbnaHY42KbJfzkcAej/s200/Renegade+Cover.JPG" width="154" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Renegade-Donna-Boyd/dp/0977329615/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320075485&sr=1-1">Now available at Amazon.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Before Harry Potter, before Twilight, before the hundreds of thousands of vampire , wizard, demon, zombie, angel, fairy and just-plain-strange books that proliferate the marketplace today, I wrote a book about werewolves. It wasn’t, in my humble opinion, just an ordinary book, and these were not ordinary werewolves. It was at that time the best book I had ever written. Believe it or not, I wasn’t the only one who thought it was pretty good. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Donna-Boyd/dp/0380790947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320108198&sr=1-1">The Passion</a> (and its sequel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Donna-Boyd/dp/0380790963/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320108198&sr=1-3">The Promise</a>) sold after a ten–day auction for a phenomenal amount of money (to be strictly accurate, it was not quite one million, but by the time sub-rights were sold the difference was negligible, to me, at least). Within the week, offers for audio, foreign, and large print rights were pouring in. James Cameron and Stephen Spielberg were both interested in film rights. And then it all went to hell. <br />
For reasons I still don’t entirely understand, the publisher abandoned the book. Possibly it was caught up in inter-company politics; possibly the publisher genuinely did not know how to publish it. While logic would suggest that no publisher wants to lose money on a book, the only way this publisher could have lost more money on this book would have been not to publish it at all. I remember screaming at my agent at one point, <em>A million dollars is not worth an entire career!</em> –which turned out to be eerily prophetic. In a desperate effort to save the project, I personally invested a disastrous amount on promotions, which resulted in the development of a small cult following (thank you, readers!) But in terms of the commercial sensation The Devoncroix Dynasty books were meant to be, the project was a monumental failure.<br />
<br />
After that, no other publisher would touch me —primarily because it makes no sense to invest in an author and/or a series on which a previous publisher has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but also, I think, because what I was writing at that time was crap. I had spent ten years perfecting my craft, publishing anywhere from three to six books, in various genres across the board, a year. I routinely received awards and made lists and, perhaps more importantly, had been pulling in six figures a year for most of my writing career. But none of that mattered at the time. Because when I finally got the break every writer dreams of, the Big Contract for the Great Work, I blew it. My best wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t a writer. I was an imposter. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to write. It was that I couldn’t. I was broken from the inside out. I went from writing 500,000-700,000 words a year to not writing a single word for the next five years. Broken.<br />
Eventually, with no other marketable skills and with homelessness becoming an ever-increasing possibility, I forced myself to start writing again and found a publisher willing to take a chance on me—for $8000 a book. Meanwhile, readers were still e-mailing me, wondering where the sequel to <em>The Promise</em> was. My new series was canceled (while the second book was still on a bestseller’s list) and after a couple of desperate years I found another publisher and another series and yet another genre. Meanwhile, reader mail continued to wonder what had ever happened to my werewolf series.<br />
Despite an enormously enthusiastic editor, a fair advance, and an initial display of support from the publisher, I knew in my heart of hearts the new series wouldn’t last long. Every word I wrote was excruciating. I envied my friends with real jobs. I hated my life. And just before the series was inevitably canceled, I started secretly fooling around with an idea for re-launching in the Devoncroix Dynasty werewolf series, and I discovered something profound: it wasn’t writing I hated. It was the <em>business</em> of writing. <br />
Two years later, <em>Renegade</em> was completed, and it turned out better than I thought it would. Because it was a stand-alone book that was not necessarily dependent on the previous ones, I thought it had a real chance of, not only impressing the powers-that-be in New York, but of finding the audience this storyline deserved. And yet the more I thought about surrendering this work to a publisher, the tighter my gut got. I faced the future with bleakness and dread. I kept hearing my own voice screaming, <em>A million dollars is not worth a career!</em> And I think what a meant was, <em>It’s not worth a life. </em><em><br />
</em><br />
Fifteen years ago, the breakthrough deal on the original Devoncroix Dynasty books represented what every writer works toward: that moment of sublime validation that will lead to a lifetime of creative freedom and financial security. It led instead to a monumental personal and career crisis, severe depression, and financial ruin. Poised on the brink of doing it all over again, I realized that the price of the Big Deal was, for me, entirely too high. <br />
The only real validation of a work comes from readers, and the only creative freedom I had ever had was when I was not writing for a publisher. So here is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Renegade-Donna-Boyd/dp/0977329615/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1320081731&sr=8-2"><em>Renegade</em></a><em>,</em> ten years in the making. I am the author, publisher, and distributor. I wrote it for readers, because in the end, is there any other reason to write? And I wrote it for me, because this story was the love of my life, and it was time to tell it the way it was meant to be told. If you buy it, I hope you enjoy it. If you don’t, that’s okay too. Because now that I am in charge of my own career, I have plenty of projects in the works. And I’ll just bet that one of them is the story you’ve been waiting to read.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-20139432498103599202011-09-30T21:19:00.000-04:002011-09-30T21:19:54.613-04:00The Reader's Prayer<div>Tell me a story.</div><div> </div><div>Hold out your hand, take me on a ride. Entertain me, transport me, amuse me, inspire me, educate me, uplift or enlighten me. Engage me. Tell me a story.</div><div> </div><div>Don't waste my time with pretentions of grandeur. Save the world on your own dime. I'm here to be delighted, enraptured, moved and transformed. I want to believe. I want to be transported. Make me angry, make me weep, make me afraid, but for heaven's sake, make me <span style="font-style: italic;">care</span>. Tell me a story.</div><div> </div><div>Keep me awake at night, turning pages. Haunt me through the day. Draw me in to your world, wrap me in the shimmering, glittering colors of your imagination, let me drown in your words. Make me never want to leave.</div><div> </div><div>Take me, I'm yours.<br />
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Tell me a story.</div><div> </div><div>--Donna Ball</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-28079105962163482312011-08-28T19:51:00.000-04:002011-08-28T19:51:53.690-04:00Writing Without a NetIt's hard to believe that it was only eighteen months ago that I first starting dipping my toes into the chilly waters of e-publishing. For the first year I was still under contract with my print publisher, and I experimented timidly with uploading some of my backlist titles to Kindle. All the time I kept daydreaming about sitting down and actually producing a new title-- an entire book--exclusively for self-publication. Finally, in May of this year, I got the courage to do it. And everything changed. Three weeks ago I actually withdrew a book from submission because a) I realized I could make more money by publishing it myself b)the book was too important to me to see it massacred, as so many other of my books have been, by the Big Six publishing system.<br />
<br />
<br />
So wow. I guess I am now officially on my own. Papa Publisher is no longer there to pat me on the head, tell me what's best for me, and make all my decisions. My safety net is gone, and it's a long way down. <br />
<br />
In my career with New York publishing have written (not even counting category romance) over fifty books in four different genres. Fifteen of them have made one bestseller list or another. I have been doing this for a living since the time of carbon paper (that would be the good old days when editors actually edited and the only reviews that were worth mentioning came from Publisher's Weekly or the New York Times.) I am what you call a professional fiction writer. And up until now, I have been completely addicted to The System. <br />
<br />
This is how it goes: I write a proposal for a novel and send it to my agent. I wait, grinding my teeth and pacing the floor-- sometimes literally banging my head against the wall, until Agent reads my proposal and decides which editors to send it to. This process can take days with a good agent, or months with a bad agent (about the three month mark is where it reaches the head-banging stage). Agent sends the proposal to editors. I get rejections, which I receive with disdain (what do they know, anyway?), anger (how stupid can these people be?) and depression (I'll never sell another book. Just kill me now). Eventually I get an offer (usually within three months) and the euphoria is so high that all the previous agony was totally worth it. Someone loves me! Someone wants me! I am a genius!<br />
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If this dynamic sounds familiar to anyone, that may be because it's based on the same psychological principle used to torture prisoners of war.<br />
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My new editor heavily reinforces my genius status, of course, and showers me with adoration, thus ensuring my dependency on her. Sometimes she even sends me flowers or champagne! More importantly, she totally "gets" my book, and we spend hours e-mailing back and forth and talking on the phone about how to make it better. I am in heaven. Finally, I can settle down to write, knowing that when I have written the last sentence someone out there in the big bad world is literally waiting with hands held out to read it.<br />
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The writing process takes six months or so, during which time I am in heaven. Someone loves my work. Someone loves it enough to give me money for it (sort of). Someone loves it enough to make artwork out of my story, and write letters soliciting quotes, and have meetings at which my book is on the agenda. I get notices of advance reviews. I get e-mails from my publicist, setting up this book signing and that interview. Every single e-mail, every phone call, every request is another hit of adrenaline. My brain is flooded with dopamine. I want more and more and more. E-mails from readers start trickling in; you know the ones that begin, "I was in Borders the other day and was attracted by the cover on your book. So I picked it up and..." Livin' the good life, baby, livin' the good life.<br />
<br />
Then I turn in the proposal for my option book. By this time the first-quarter sales figures are in (keeping in mind that my book may have only been on the shelves for three or four weeks) and, well, they are somewhat disappointing. Unfortunately, the publisher will not be picking up my option at this point. The crash is hard. The withdrawal is severe.<br />
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And the whole torture phase starts again.<br />
<br />
I have lived like this for over twenty years. Day in, day out. <em>Willingly.</em> I was so brainwashed that even when I was offered an escape I wouldn't take it. How could I write a book when no one was waiting for it? How could I afford to write a book that no one had paid for? Who would even read anything I wrote unless someone in New York told them to? It seriously never occurred to me that the people who were really waiting for my book might be readers; that long before the pennies-per-copy that the publisher paid me actually trickled down into my hands, some reader had paid them twenty dollars, or that a writer with fifteen bestsellers to her credit might have accumulated a few readers along the way.<br />
<br />
For me the hardest part about writing without a net was realizing that I don't need a net. Once I got over that initial, paralyzing conviction that, since no editor was waiting for this book it couldn't possibly be worth writing, I was amazed at how easy it was. Writing actually became fun again. My style was not inhibited by the constant balancing act between pleasing the editor and pleasing myself. The only person I'm trying to please now is the reader, and much to my surprise I've discovered that my readers almost always like what I like. Who would have thought? <br />
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Of course there are struggles, and of course there are downsides, and sometimes it's scary out there. But the important thing is that I've broken the cycle of addiction; I've escaped my own personal Stockholm Syndrome. And freedom tastes good. In fact, it tastes great. <br />
<br />
I could definitely get used to this. <br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-80732567034652663042011-06-12T22:09:00.000-04:002011-06-12T22:09:13.782-04:00One More Time<span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00506U9LO" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br />
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<em>Words written since last post: 57,323</em><br />
<em>Words deleted since last post: 17,201</em><br />
<em>Words rewritten since last post: way too many!</em><br />
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Okay, back to a semi-regular schedule after tornado recovery, internet failure and yes, in the midst of all this, the completion and publication of my very <a href="http://ladybugfarmcharms.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-raine-stockton-dog-mystery.html">first original e-book!</a><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On that subject, I am still getting e-mail from readers complaining about my decision to publish digital editions of my books. Some of these are a little snippy. Some are simply hurt and confused. Have I abandoned books? What will become of those who don't have, or want to have, e-readers? Don't I care about my reading public?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These letters are particularly disheartening when they begin by saying, "I just got your last three books from a used book store/book exchange/friend or relative..." since, as we surely all know by this point, neither authors or publishers receive money from these sources and a lack of money is precisely why publishers don't buy books-- and why authors are starving. </div><br />
So one more time, let me try to explain. The following is in fact a quote from a response I just wrote to a reader who contacted me expressing her disappointment over the fact that my latest book (a novella) was not available in print. I have said it before, to other readers:<br />
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<em>No one loves books more than I -- the smell, the feel, the weight of them in my hand, the way they look on my (far overloaded!) book shelf. But I also love stories-- the telling of them, and the reading of them. Perhaps even more importantly, I love writers, who deserve to make a living at their craft, and readers, who deserve to be able to read good books at a price they can afford.</em><br />
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Please keep in mind it was the publisher who canceled the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series , not I. For years I read the e-mail from readers begging for another installment, and my frustration grew. Once a series is cancelled, no other publisher will take a chance on it. I considered self-publishing, but the technology available at the time was a huge learning curve, and the profit margin so small that even if I sold every copy--difficult to do without a distributor to get the books into a bookstore--I would barely be making minimum wage for the time I spent writing and producing the book. And that was IF I sold as many copies as a big NY publisher,while the truth is most self-published novels sell about 100 copies.<br />
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<a href="http://awriterreads.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-day.html">Enter e-publishing</a>, and a whole new way to make books available to millions of readers for little or investment--and with up to 70% of the profits going directly to the author! With those kinds of numbers, writers could afford to price their books below the cost of a paperback and still make more money per copy than they would if their book had been published by a big NY print publisher. And readers could buy 4 or 5 brand new titles (sometimes more!) for the price they would have spent for one book at a used book store (where the author of the work receives absolutely no royalty whatsoever). It's a win-win for everyone.<br />
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I decided to publish <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Raine-Stockton-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00506U9LO?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bone Yard</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00506U9LO" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>, Book Four of the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series, as an original e-book novella to test the waters. I have been publishing my backlist for Kindle for over an year now, but this was my first genuinely self-published novella. The response has been overwhelming. It turns out that readers really <em>did</em> want another installment in the series, even after waiting four years, and most of them were delighted to have it in digital form. Now that I know I have a real reader base who are willing to actually buy these books, I am encouraged to continue the series. And for those who <em>weren't</em> delighted that <em>Bone Yard </em>was<em> </em>an e-book exclusive, good news: Amazon's <a href="http://www.createspace.com/">Create Space</a> program has overcome the learning curve even for the techno-challenged like me, making it possible for me to publish and distribute print copies of subsequent full length novels in the series (as a novella, unfortunately, <em>Bone Yard</em> is too short to bind). <br />
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So one more time, this is why I, and so my authors like me, are so excited about e-publishing:<br />
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1)Price<br />
Our ability to keep prices under $5.00 means that more readers can buy our books. Good for you, good for us.<br />
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2)Royalty<br />
The fact that 70% of the price of the book (as opposed to 8% of the price of a traditionally published print book) remains in the author's hands means that writers who otherwise might never have been heard from again can afford to continue telling the stories you love.<br />
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3)Availability<br />
The e-publishing option means that no series needs to be abandoned simply because the publisher could not make its P&L statement balance. Your favorite characters do not (as in the case of the <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Letters-Ladybug-Farm-Donna/dp/0425237176?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ladybug Farm </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0425237176" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>series ) have to be left standing in the midst of their ruined vineyard wondering what they're going to do next-- and neither do you! Writers you have loved, abandoned by their publishers for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of their books, can continue to tell their stories-- and they can get them to you faster, easier, and cheaper than ever before. This is huge, people. This is mammoth! Embrace the future; it is yours.<br />
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And one more time-- yes, of course my books will still be available in print. They may be somewhat difficult to find, though, with so many book stores closing. And they will be far more expensive than an e-book. But if you look hard enough, you'll find them. Because I love books. And I'll get mine to you however I can.<br />
<br />
I couldn't resist:<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Raine-Stockton-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00506U9LO?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Bone Yard (Raine Stockton Dog Mystery)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00506U9LO&tag=thepetcoach-20" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>$1.99 for your Kindle!</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">By the way, what am I reading?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On my Kindle: <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CONFESSION-Grisham-Author-Confession-Paperback/dp/B00472WYQU?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Confession by John Grisham </a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span>In paper: The Traveler by Stephen Twelve Hawks <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00472WYQU" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-33382817919799641522011-04-25T20:34:00.000-04:002011-04-25T20:34:33.001-04:00Confessions of an Introvert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So here’s the thing: I have danced with my dog on stage in front of three thousand people and a television crew. Swear to God. I have been featured on television talk shows, news broadcasts and documentaries dozens of times. I’ve stood before audiences in aggregate of the tens of thousands over the years to give speeches, workshops and key note addresses, and my heart never skipped a beat. I am not shy. In fact, some people might even say I shine in the spotlight. </div><br />
<br />
Most of the time.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">You see, I am at heart an introvert. That means, among other things, that I spend more time thinking than acting. That I value my privacy. That I give one hundred percent of myself to every experience and because of that, I choose my experiences carefully. And that I suck at social media. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have to point out that I am not talking about the comfortable, day-to-day interaction with my readers through e-mail, my blogs and discussion groups. I could not live without the encouragement from and contact with my "people". If I don't hear from readers daily I desperately start dialing tech support to see if the server is down. Seriously. <em> Don't stop writing to me.</em> I'm referring here to all the time consuming extraneous things writers are expected to do to promote their books that most of us, myself included, simply are not suited for.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Shrinking Violet Promotions did a wonderful post on <a href="http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/03/dispelling-ten-myths-about-introverts.html">dispelling myths about introverts</a>, and I don’t think I can improve on that. Basically, what it boils down to is that introverts can dance on tabletops (or onstage in a top hat with a dog), give knock-dead speeches in front of stadiums filled with people, and host our own reality television shows if required, but at the end of the day we really just want to close the door, take a deep breath, and gather ourselves. Alone. We don’t want people all up in our biz-ness every single minute of every day. </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I became a writer, in part, because I am in introvert. I can work for long periods in isolation without ever hearing the sound of another human voice. I can create something out of nothing, all by myself. I am comfortable with my own thoughts. I enjoy keeping to myself.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I recently read that in order to be successful at promoting a book, a writer should update his Facebook status 2-3 times a day, Tweet 3-5 times a day, blog once or twice a week. Minimum. Additionally, of course, said writer would also be expected to reply to all relevant tweets, post on everyone else’s Facebook wall, and comment on 12-15 blogs a week. In order to do that, it seems to me that the writer would spend half his life just thinking of things to say! </div><br />
Here are my status updates:<br />
<br />
1) Woke up<br />
<br />
2) Walked dogs<br />
<br />
3) Wrote some stuff<br />
<br />
4) Wrote some more stuff<br />
<br />
I’ll be back with more updates when I have something to actually report. <br />
<br />
I’m not shy. I’m just a writer. Please buy my books anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JnbigfnjZZUpvZYiY3Venc5zf07JVIEINohxOyFc3OE83NzekhtweF7KlufPzdumjy6Fq410YChN7QI3rZHSSwmQUohdyiLn1PBA1jktr15iXHWTuMQgBRisrsq1BJNvJ5a0HFNsRBT8/s1600/Dancing+with+cane.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JnbigfnjZZUpvZYiY3Venc5zf07JVIEINohxOyFc3OE83NzekhtweF7KlufPzdumjy6Fq410YChN7QI3rZHSSwmQUohdyiLn1PBA1jktr15iXHWTuMQgBRisrsq1BJNvJ5a0HFNsRBT8/s200/Dancing+with+cane.BMP" width="178" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-72014693554581166742011-04-15T16:32:00.000-04:002011-04-15T16:32:58.709-04:00In ReviewLong, long ago book reviews were an elite art form. They were written by professional journalists and established writers who were considered masters in their field—Mark Twain reviewing James Fennimore Cooper, for example, was a masterpiece in itself—and carried an appropriate amount of weight. The majority of book reviews appeared in newspapers, magazines and trade journals, and most readers never saw more of the review than the pull quote placed on the book cover by the publisher. <br />
<br />
<br />
The internet has changed all that. Today the self published or small press book is likely to be reviewed by the same blogger who reviews top selling hard covers from major publishers. A hundred great customer reviews can easily overrule one mediocre review in the trades—and let’s not even talk about what a hundred one-star customer reviews can do. So in this time when everyone has an opinion about everything, and anyone with an internet connection has the means with which to express it, it might be a good idea to keep a few Rules of Responsible Behavior in mind before you sit down at the keyboard.<br />
<br />
<strong>For Reviewers:</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Be Honest</strong>. Don’t write a review on a book you haven’t read. Don’t give a book a one-star review because you thought the price was too high, because the author snubbed you at a conference or failed to answer your e-mail. An honest review takes the book as a whole, measures the positives against the negatives, and concludes with an overall impression of the reading experience.<br />
<br />
<strong>Be Fair</strong>. Personally, I will not give any book less than three stars out of five. The reason is that if it was a two-star (hated it) or one-star (barely readable) book, it clearly wasn’t worth finishing, and as mentioned above, no review should be written on a book you haven’t read. If you feel you must post a review on a book you hated, be very specific about why. It’s fair to say, “the heroine was shallow and unbelievable”, not so helpful to say, “I hated the heroine so much I want to throw the book across the room”. I know, we’ve all felt that way. But sometimes it’s best to keep our feelings to ourselves.<br />
<br />
<strong>Be Concise</strong>: A book review is not a book report. You can always tell an unprofessional review because it reads like a story outline: This happens, that happens, then something else happens and in the end other things happen. Never give away the ending. Never give away crucial plot points (also known as spoilers). The worst review I <em>ever</em> got was actually a five-star review that gave away both the unexpected plot twists and the ending of my book. I repeat: Don’t do that. Writers will hate you for it, and so will readers. A good book review gives as much information about the book as the back cover copy does, or no more than could be discovered if the reader downloaded a free sample for her Kindle (about 30% of the book). The rest of the review should concentrate on your reaction to the book—what you loved, what you didn’t—and why.<br />
<br />
<strong>Be Quotable</strong>: This of course only applies to those of you who are doing professional-caliber reviews for blogs or print, or if you are an author asked to review a colleague’s work. The reason writers and publishers submit their work to you for review is so that they can quote you. This would seem to be self evident, but I am frequently amazed by reviewers who genuinely seem to like a book but whose writing style is so clumsy, or who are simply so rushed or careless, that there is absolutely nothing we can use to let readers know they liked it. We like pithy quotes. “This book reminds me of the long lazy novels of Jane Austen, in which the much-besieged heroine is pitted against the dark brooding hero in a deeply complex and troubling way” is nice. Who doesn’t like being compared to Jane Austen? But there is nothing, absolutely nothing quotable there—unless we want to try to pull “complex and troubling”, which might not portray the book in its best light. Why couldn’t you just have said, “Wonderfully reminiscent of Jane Austen” or better still, “The new Jane Austen!”. Toss us a crumb, guys.<br />
<br />
<strong>For Authors</strong><br />
<br />
There really are only three rules for authors regarding reviews<br />
<br />
1)Do not respond to reviews<br />
<br />
2) Do not respond to reviews<br />
<br />
3) Do not respond to reviews<br />
<br />
I don’t care if the reviewer was so stupid he got the name of your protagonist wrong and misspelled yours. I don’t care if he reviewed your SF novel as a romance. I don’t care if he thought your techno-thriller was non-fiction. Do. Not. Respond. It’s unprofessional. Period.<br />
<br />
Okay, here’s one more rule: If you submit your book for endorsement (which is different from a review request) to another author, or if your agent or editor does, and if that author takes the time to actually read your book and to craft, in his or her own inimitable prose, a publishable quote and allow you to use his/her words to promote your book—send a thank you note, or an autographed copy of the published book at least. Even if you get so many quotes from big-name authors you can’t possibly use them all, even if this author’s quote was the least memorable of them all… send a thank you note. It’s only good manners. <br />
<br />
And one last note: If you think customer reviews don’t matter, think about the last time you considered purchasing a product you didn’t know much about. Chances are you looked it up on the internet, and were directed to a page filled with customer reviews (probably from Amazon.com!) designed to sway your buying choices. How likely you are to buy a product that no one has endorsed? Customer reviews do matter, and writers—and readers—depend on them. So if you’ve read something you liked recently, by all means, take the trouble to leave a review on one of the internet sites. If you read something in which you were disappointed, it’s okay to let us know that too—but do it in an effective, professional manner.<br />
<br />
So go forth and review. We’re waiting to hear what you think.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-88431993805302249352011-04-09T18:13:00.000-04:002011-04-09T18:13:05.148-04:00Then and Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QP-lft_n7eX2MwVdCMVV8ievA5U0poZlcLBC452uUbv6hOhr_1K7ju7sXLMpw2XTzpkP9yzrr74CLYqLDHfSkobwOfTH5gxzXnesd6BB4SgYNrO4sA6-TrgUMiuAzPg82E4bu5Kwd-zD/s1600/Sanctuary+Cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0QP-lft_n7eX2MwVdCMVV8ievA5U0poZlcLBC452uUbv6hOhr_1K7ju7sXLMpw2XTzpkP9yzrr74CLYqLDHfSkobwOfTH5gxzXnesd6BB4SgYNrO4sA6-TrgUMiuAzPg82E4bu5Kwd-zD/s200/Sanctuary+Cover.JPG" width="154" /></a></div>I hardly ever use this blog to promote my own work-- well not much, anyway! --but I have had such an interesting experience preparing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-ebook/dp/B004UVQR4I?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">SANCTUARY</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004UVQR4I" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for release that I thought it was worth commenting on. Briefly.<br />
<br />
A few years back (quite a few, actually!) I sold what is called a "breakthrough" novel (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Donna-Boyd/dp/0380790947?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">THE PASSION by Donna Boyd</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0380790947" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />) at auction for a great deal of money. I had been a hardworking, steadily selling midlist author until this point for ten years, and I understood that what I had written was really, really good. I thought it deserved all the attention it was getting. But when my editor said to me, "It must feel wonderful to write such an extraordinary book!" I remember replying, "Yes, it does. But this isn't the first extraordinary book I've written. It's just that no one noticed the others."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-ebook/dp/B004UVQR4I?ie=UTF8&tag=thepetcoach-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">SANCTUARY </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thepetcoach-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004UVQR4I" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is one of the books that no one noticed.<br />
<br />
In the early nineties, I sold the manuscript for <em>Sanctuary</em> to a somewhat cheesy publisher for a set of outrageous promises and less money than I had ever been paid in my life. Said publisher then changed the title, insisted upon changing some essential elements of the story, slapped on a cheap cover, and printed probably 2000 copies. I'm sure I was heartbroken at the time. To tell the truth, I've been heartbroken so many times I can't remember. I know I moved on. I wrote twenty or thirty more books, some of which were even extraordinary. And no one noticed.<br />
<br />
Fast forward fifteen years. The rights have reverted to me (believe it or not there was a TEN YEAR license in that contract) and we live in a new and glorious age in which authors can actually control the fate of their own work. I found an old copy of <em>Sanctuary (</em>its original title, not the one under which it was published<em>),</em> dusted it off, and began to read. I discovered something wonderful, and terrible. The wonderful part was that I couldn't put it down. I was the author, I kind of (but not entirely) knew what was going to happen, and I was rivetted. There were places where I honestly couldn't believe I had written that book. Which leads us to the terrible discovery: I was a much better writer then than I am now.<br />
<br />
I don't know what happened. Too many heartbreaks, too many capitulations to an industry in which field salesmen had more input into a writer's work than the editor with the MFA degree did; too many rejection letters condemning me for writing exactly what the publisher announced at last month's conference they were looking for. Too many print runs that didn't even cover the advance. Too many vampires.<br />
<br />
There is a technique of behavior modification in which a negative reinforcer (i.e. electric shock) is paired with the undesirable behavior (i.e. smoking) to create such an unpleasant association in the subject's mind that the behavior is extinguished. The pain simply isn't worth it. I think that, over the years, that's what happened to the spark of passion that drove all of my best work: writing a novel, and submitting it for publication, became so associated with pain that it just wasn't worth it. Clearly, I continued to write and to sell. But I think that, as I grew more and more enmeshed in the publishing industry, I put less and less of myself into the process of creating the work. I stopped being extraordinary. The pain wasn't worth it.<br />
<br />
But that was then. This is now. <br />
<br />
I currently have three proposals under submission to print publishers. If I receive an offer on any of them, I will accept it, because print publishers pay in advance and I need to survive. But I have just realized that, after these proposals have run their course, I will not go knocking on New York's door again. Ever. The reason is <em>not </em>because I can make more money self publishing(<a href="http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/">J.A. Konrath</a> and <a href="http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/">Amanda Hocking</a> nothwithstanding) because at my current rate of return I will starve to death on e-book royalties. But if I am going to be a writer, I need to <em>be</em> that. I need to write my best.<br />
<br />
Stand by for something extraordinary.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215436439240552447.post-13547868431025695982011-03-27T19:42:00.000-04:002011-03-27T19:42:22.821-04:00How Vampires Killed Publishing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_Pyq9bFeW8GFKTZo5RLb_ONsVR1FReHadBilktJc5543Xug-fBwuPoQBE-dXcchn_MRZ8Tr0rMQrr88lNi08jtS-MzLJ_-u4vXdVs5GdkBWfY0hluPk_YnpCgxpPebN9VAI746xcma53/s1600/vampire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_Pyq9bFeW8GFKTZo5RLb_ONsVR1FReHadBilktJc5543Xug-fBwuPoQBE-dXcchn_MRZ8Tr0rMQrr88lNi08jtS-MzLJ_-u4vXdVs5GdkBWfY0hluPk_YnpCgxpPebN9VAI746xcma53/s320/vampire.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br />
You know me. If I can possibly blame anything on vampires—from the Russian Revolution to the current price of gas—I will. So here’s my theory about why publishing houses are crumbling, book stores are closing, and tens of thousands of writers are wondering how they are going to feed their families this year. It has absolutely no basis in fact, so please don’t look for one.<br />
<br />
<strong>From</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Pathetic Writer @ Nowheresville<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: Sorry, Charlie<br />
<br />
Dear Pathetic,<br />
I’m afraid I have bad news. Despite the fact that your last two coming- of- age novels set in Small Town, USA, have received excellent reviews and done reasonably well for their genre, and even though your new proposal about a young nun who is struck blind and receives the gift of healing while on an archealogical dig in Syria does have a certain appeal, I’m afraid we will not be offering another contract at this point. The consensus of the editorial committee is that, while your writing is lyrical, your characters deeply and convincingly drawn, and your storytelling ability can’t be faulted, the whole just doesn’t make for a saleable novel. Best of luck in placing this work elsewhere.<br />
<br />
Your (former) Editor<br />
<br />
<strong>TO</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>FROM</strong>: Pathetic Writer @ Nowheresville<br />
<strong>SUBJECT</strong>: Re: Sorry, Charlie<br />
<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
But I’ve worked for you for five years! My fans are begging for a sequel! I just bought a house! I don’t understand—lyrical writing, convincing characters, good storytelling—what else do you need to make a saleable novel? Isn’t there something I can do to make this story work for you? <br />
<br />
Pathetic Writer<br />
<br />
<strong>From</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Pathetic Writer @ Nowheresville<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: Re:Sorry, Charlie<br />
<br />
Dear Pathetic,<br />
As you know, I love your work and really want to buy something from you, but please understand we have to be fiscally responsible. Lyrical writing, convincing characters, and good storytelling just don’t work for our list right now. I suggest you study what we are currently publishing and try to adapt your story accordingly. <em>Charlie and the Vampire Slayers</em>, for example, has done very well for us, so I guess my question to you is: Does she have to be a nun?<br />
Best regards,<br />
Your (former) editor<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>TO</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>FROM</strong>: Pathetic Writer @ Nowheresville<br />
<strong>SUBJECT</strong>: Sister Sunshine, Vampire<br />
<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
Attached as a Word document please find my proposal for my new vampire thriller, <em>Sister Sunshine, Vampire</em>. I’ve taken your advice to heart and have tried hard to find something that will fit with your current list. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.<br />
Fondly,<br />
Pathetic Writer<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Pathetic Writer @ Nowheresville<br />
<strong>From</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: re: Sister Sunshine, Vampire<br />
<br />
Dear Pathetic,<br />
I’m so pleased you’ve accepted our offer for a six-book series of Sister Sunshine books! I’m delighted to be working with you again, and can’t wait to receive your manuscript.<br />
<br />
BTW hope to see you this year at DragonCon, FantasyCon, SciFi Con and RWA, and don’t forget to get started on that blog!<br />
Cheers,<br />
Your Editor<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Editor @ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>From</strong>: AgentofMany @ Bigass Literary <br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: Congratulations!<br />
<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
Congrats on snagging the deal of the century with Sister Sunshine! I agree these books are bound to make publishing history (although I confess I will miss the lyrical writing,deeply drawn characters and convincing storytelling of Pathetic Writer’s Somewhere USA books, which I find strangely lacking in the vampire series. I suppose it’s because they are written to such tight deadlines). I recently signed two clients on proposals similar to Sister Sunshine; would you be interested in taking a look?<br />
<br />
Let’s have lunch next week!<br />
<br />
Agent @ Bigass Literary<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Agent @Bigass Literary<br />
<strong>From</strong>: Editor@ Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: re: Congratulations!<br />
<br />
Send them on!<br />
<br />
Editor<br />
<br />
<br />
************<strong>Press Release</strong>************<br />
<br />
<strong>FROM</strong>: Bigass Publishing, NY NY<br />
<br />
<strong>SUBJECT</strong>: Multi-Million Dollar Deal<br />
<br />
<strong>For Immediate Release </strong><br />
<br />
Bigass Publishing announced today that, after a spirited bidding war, they have acquired World English language rights to <em>Vampire Space Lawyer</em> , the first in a planned 8 book series, for publication in early spring, at a final offer of 6.4 million dollars. “Vampire books are our strongest sellers,” said B.A. Publisher, President of Bigass Publishing. “We see no signs of this trend fading any time in the near future.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>To</strong>: Editor@Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>From:</strong> LiteraryWriter@ Patheticville<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: My next book?<br />
<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
I just wanted to make sure you received the proposal for <em>My Next Great Work of Literature</em>, the follow-up to the Nobel-prize nominee <em>Debut Work of Literature</em>. I know you’re busy, but it has been eight months sent I sent you the proposal, and since I was the youngest writer ever to win the Book of the Year Award I did expect to hear from you by now. I’m anxious to get started on this masterpiece, so I hope we can begin discussing terms soon.<br />
<br />
I hope all is well with you.<br />
<br />
Best wishes,<br />
Literary <br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>To</strong>: LiteraryWriter@ Patheticville <br />
<strong>From:</strong> Editor@Bigass Publishing<br />
<strong>Subject</strong>: re: My next book?<br />
<br />
Dear Literary Writer—<br />
I’m sorry. Who are you?<br />
<br />
Editor and Sr.VP,<br />
Bigass Publishing<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">FOUR YEARS LATER:</div><br />
<strong>TO</strong>: Sales@ BigAss Publishing<br />
<strong>FROM</strong>: PREZ@BigAss Publishing<br />
<strong>SUBJECT:</strong> Vampires<br />
<br />
What do you mean, there’s been a 20% decline in sales of vampire books? Our entire inventory is tied up in vampire books! You’re fired! The Editor of Vampire Books is Fired! All her writers are fired! So is her assistant, her cover designers, and her marketing people! I’m not throwing good money after bad! We have to be fiscally responsible!<br />
<br />
And get me something about angels, will you?<br />
<br />
******************************************<br />
<br />
Okay, every now and then, even I have to get a little snarky. Because the best thing about my books is that there are absolutely no vampires in them (<a href="http://www.devoncroix.blogspot.com/">werewolves </a>are a different story).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0