By June Shaw
With so much violence in the world now, are people looking for even more in their books?
More and more, individuals are voicing their opinions about that, and many of them are saying no, they are not.
For most of my life, I've felt that way. I imagine that's why I normally look for things that make me laugh--or at least grin a lot.
That's probably the case for the reason I've written a humorous mystery series. Readers often tell me they enjoy hanging around with my main character and want her as their best friend. Of course I feel the same way about her. Some readers ask if she is me, but my answer is, "No. She is the person I want to become." (Of course her hunky dude who keeps opening Cajun restaurants keeps many others reading.)
I've also wrote a humorous book with my youngest grandchild called HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PET GHOST. And readers tell me the books about my mom called NORA 102 1/2: A LESSON ON AGING WELL is wonderfully inspiring and in many places extra funny.
And then there are others I've done. The most recent is a HUNGER GAMES-type story called JUST ONE FRIEND. And I have a suspense thriller APPROACHING MENACE.
I imagine it all depends on what mood you're in when you read or write a book and whether you want your escapism to seem realistic or not. Thank goodness we are all different and so are our interests.
What type books do you like to read?
www.juneshaw.com
Friday, December 11, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Bestselling Author Lois Winston Speaks on Promotion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thinking Outside the Promo Box
Thinking Outside the Promo Box
By Lois Winston
I belong to quite a few author loops. Every day
authors on these loops beseech their fellow members to “like,” “follow,”
“retweet,” “pin,” “vote for,” or “Thunderclap” for one of their books. I don’t believe
this really helps authors sell books. An announcement about a new release is
fine, but to me, most other social media postings about our books are like preaching
to the choir.
For example, the people who follow you on
Facebook are mostly your family and friends or readers who are already fans of
your writing. They’re going to buy your books anyway (unless they’re the sort
of family and friends who expect you to give them free copies whenever you have
a new release.) You don’t have to hard sell these people. As for sites like
Twitter, I’m convinced most people only follow you because they want you to
follow them. If you don’t, they quickly un-follow you. These people rarely read
your pithy 140 character posts any more than you read theirs. Social media,
whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, is often nothing more than a
competition to see who can claim the most followers—followers who for the most
part won’t buy your books. Social media might work for Taylor Swift, who has
more followers than anyone, but it doesn’t do much for the average midlist or
indie author.
So how do authors find new readers? Independent
publicists? Forget it. Most are snake oil salesmen who cost a fortune and
guarantee nothing. Giveaways? Another waste of money. Thousands of people troll
the Internet daily for contests to enter. They’re only interested is that
Amazon gift card you’re waving as a carrot. They won’t buy your book whether
they win or not. If they have to sign up for your newsletter to enter, they’ll
unsubscribe the moment someone else wins.
What I’ve found to be extremely successful is
teaming up with other authors to produce boxed sets, anthologies, and
cookbooks. These group efforts are not about making money. Most of the books
sell for 99 cents. Divide that between the ten or twelve authors participating,
and each author makes pennies per sale. The goal is to broaden our audience.
When this happens, and it does, the end result is an increase in sales of our
other books.
Last year I had an idea for a cookbook featuring my fellow authors. The
result was Bake, Love, Write:
105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing. My hope was that people who bought the book for
the yummy recipes would be introduced to authors new to them, thus gaining new
readers for my fellow authors and me. I donated a portion of the profits from
the sale of the book to my local food bank. When the book became an Amazon
bestseller, many of the participating authors suggested a follow-up cookbook.
After giving it some thought, I came up with:
Have you ever wished you could find
more time to do the things you want to do, rather than just doing the things
you have to do? Most authors juggle day jobs and family responsibilities along
with their writing. Because they need to find time to write, they look for ways
to save time in other aspects of their lives.
Cooking often takes up a huge chunk of
time. The cookbook contains easy, nutritious main course recipes. All of the
recipes require a minimum of prep time, freeing you up to spend your time
elsewhere.
The authors who contributed to this
book are a rather creative and resourceful bunch when it comes to carving out
time from their busy lives. So in addition to timesaving recipes, the cookbook
features timesaving and organizational tips for other aspects of your life,
including a section on writing tips.
A bio with website links is included
for each of the authors who contributed to the cookbook. Anyone buying the
cookbook for the quick and easy recipes will have a chance to learn about these
authors. Hopefully, they’ll click on the links and maybe buy some books.
The ebook version of the cookbook is
only 99 cents. There’s also a print version available, and once again, I’m
donating a percentage of the profit to charity, this time to No Kid Hungry.
Buy
Links:
Nook
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/we-d-rather-be-writing
Google
Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lois_Winston_We_d_Rather_Be_Writing?id=1nfCCgAAQBAJ&hl=en
iTunes
 |
| 13 Cozy Mystery Holiday Stories |
Happy Homicides is also being
offered for the incredibly low price of only 99 cents and includes a bonus
downloadable file crammed with recipes, craft tips, projects, and more.
Buy
Links:
Nook
Kobo
I’ve found these group promotional
efforts have resulted in far more sales of my books than I’ve ever seen from
social media, independent publicists, or tchotchkes. Now of course, if I could
get Taylor Swift to tout my books on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, I
might think differently about book promo on social media. Hey Taylor, if you’re
reading this, check out my website at www.loiswinston.com.
Bio:
USA
Today bestselling and
award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense,
chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction under her
own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. Kirkus
Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery
series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition,
Lois is an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and
plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Visit Lois/Emma at www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts &
Crafty Killers blog, www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Follow everyone on Tsu at www.tsu.co/loiswinston, on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/anasleuth, and onTwitter at https://twitter.com/Anasleuth. Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.MyAuthorBiz.com/ENewsletter.php?acct=LW2467152513
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE FROM JACKIE KING:
Thanks, Lois, for these great promo tips!
Thursday, November 26, 2015
A Thanksgiving Story and a Pecan Pie Recipe
In honor of Thanksgiving Day, I'm bypassing Murder and Mayhem and presenting a gentle story and sharing a pumpkin pie recipe.
May everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving with someone they love!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving with someone they love!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for reminiscing, and for telling family stories around the table. These generational memories are often centered around cooking
and good food, and these special tales of family history should be treasured
and never forgotten.
 |
| True Family Stories |
This Thanksgiving story was included in DEVOTED TO COOKING, Inspiration for the Aspiring Chef in Everyone. Written by Jacqueline King and Jennifer Sohl. Available in print or ebook download.
Memories of Papa Peeling Pecans for
the Grandkids
“We called our grandfather, Papa,”
June Butts, now a grandmother herself, said. “Back in those days different
generations of the family lived in the same house, and it was wonderful to grow
up with an older person who had the time to tell stories and to teach us kids
about the generations past. I think maybe that’s one reason why families were
closer back then.”
The comely woman smiled and the
faraway look that came into her blue eyes told me she had transported herself
back to South Texas and a simpler life sometime in the 1950’s.
“We had a pecan tree and Papa peeled
pecans for the kids. We’d sit in a circle at his feet, listen to his tales, and
eat the perfectly shelled and halved nuts as he passed them around.”
“Peeled pecans?” I asked, trying to
imagine how such a feat might be possible. “How could he peel pecans?”
It was Thanksgiving Day and I had
been invited to join June’s family for a traditional dinner of turkey, dressing
and all of the trimmings. We were sitting around the table drinking coffee and
savoring that mellow, sated satisfaction that fills a group of friends during
happy times.
“With his pocket knife,” June said.
“His pocket knife?” I asked. “You’re
kidding.”
“I’m not!” June’s robust laugh was
typical of a woman who was Texas born and bred. “He peeled those pecans just
the same way you’d peel an orange. He’d slice off the top and the bottom, cut
slits around the nuts and then just peel off the hulls. Those pecans came out
in perfect halves and he’d hand them to us kids.”
“That must have been one sharp
knife,” I said, wondering how he kept from cutting off his fingers.
“That it was,” June said. “And he
could peel those nuts really fast. Sometimes he’d peel enough for Mama to make
us some pies.” She sighed with remembered pleasure. “Mmm—mmm—mmm, those pies
were good! We never had much money, but we had happy times, anyway. God was
always good to my family.”
“I’ll bet you learned to cook from
your own mother,” I said.
“Sure did. Mama and Daddy had eleven
kids, and I was helping stir up dinner as soon as I could hold a spoon and
stand on a stool to reach the table.”
It happened that we were drinking
Texas Pecan flavored coffee. I took a sip of the hot brew and savored the rich
flavor. Pecans, family and holidays equal
pure pleasure, I thought. Everyone sitting at the table owned their own
cell phones and computers, but some things never change. The memory of “peeled
pecans,” outranked any of the electronic pleasures available to the diners.
Only the delicious food that we
shared stayed the same.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loretta Carson’s Pecan Pie
1
Scant cup sugar
1
cup dark Karo Syrup
3
eggs
3
Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
Pinch
salt
1
teaspoon vanilla
1
cup pecans
Beat eggs and sugar until
blended. Add Karo syrup and mix well, then add melted butter, salt, vanilla and
pecans. Mix well and pour into 9 inch unbaked pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees
for 8 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 35 minutes. (Center
will be set.)
Happy Thanksgiving to All,
Jackie King
Jackie King
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Stuck in the genre with you
I know this blog’s called Murderous Musings and I’m also aware that sometimes my own musings
here aren’t very murderous. But that’s because (like many of my colleagues, I
suspect), the genre thing sometimes feels restrictive. At the same time, I know
full well that publishers (and probably readers) prefer us to stay within the
genre they associate with us.
When my historical novel, The Figurehead, was published, it was well received but, as well as
being crime-based, it flirted with the romance genre, and some readers and
reviewers commented on the fact. In a different way, The Sparrow Conundrum was also a departure, being a satirical novel
on the spy genre which was all black humour and near-farcical situations. It’s
crime-related but my main aim in writing it was to make readers laugh.
I’ve been told I should think of using a pseudonym but if
that’s the case there’d be three of me already – the police procedural guy, the
historical guy, and the funny man.
On the other hand, if a reader spends $X or £X on a book of
mine because he/she enjoyed a previous one, I’ll be disappointing them if it’s
totally different. But on the other other hand, should writers be condemned to
keep on producing the same book over and over?
My plan is to write just one more in my procedural series,
featuring Jack Carston. So far there are five books and he’s been changing
through them. I anticipate that the final one will actually end with him
leaving the police force. I had no overall plan when I wrote the first, but as
the books appeared, I began to sense the bleakness accumulating underneath the
killings and suspected that an empathetic person (such as Carston) might be
seriously affected by having to deal with constant examples of man’s inhumanity
to man (and especially woman). Carston’s at the stage where the satisfactions
of solving mysteries are being outweighed by the cruelties he’s witnessed.
I’m not suggesting that I’ll stop writing crime altogether.
The sequel to The Figurehead is well
advanced, and the romance element is even stronger, but it’s still about a
crime. And I’ve already sketched out some scenes for the sequel to The Sparrow Conundrum because that’ll be
great fun to write.
And this posting sums up two opposing functions of blogging.
Here, I’ve expressed my misgivings about being stuck in a genre but I’ve also warned
readers what to expect by spelling out what each new title will deliver. At the
same time I’ve, perhaps foolishly, articulated in public my plans for future
books. Whenever that happens, the written word becomes a fixed, irretrievable
truth. Which means I seem to have committed myself to writing the damn things.
On the other hand (again), I could have a Damascene moment
and leap to an entirely different genre – something like ‘The Wordless Novel’.
I could manage that.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
HOW COZY SHOULD COZIES BE?
by Jackie King
“Should cozy mysteries
deal with serious themes?”
This question recently appeared
on a LISTSERV for writers and readers. The answers received were of great interest
to me, because my character Grace Cassidy, often finds herself dealing with this
sort of dilemma.
Most of those who
responded to this query advocated that with the rapid changes happening in our world, problems faced
by cozy characters will naturally turn grittier.
For years we've dealt with murder, and that's pretty darned serious. The trick is to keep graphic blood, gore and blatant sex off the page. Everything else, even dark subjects, is now happening to our readers and need to be discussed.
The writing style, however, must still stay upbeat. Accomplishing this challenges a writer's skill. I think cozy writers are up to this task. I certainly intend to try.
For years we've dealt with murder, and that's pretty darned serious. The trick is to keep graphic blood, gore and blatant sex off the page. Everything else, even dark subjects, is now happening to our readers and need to be discussed.
The writing style, however, must still stay upbeat. Accomplishing this challenges a writer's skill. I think cozy writers are up to this task. I certainly intend to try.
One technique to keep our books cozy, is to include humor. I'm not talking about slapstick or gallows humor. At least not usually. I'm talking about the kind of humor that gets the ordinary person through life with some kind of sanity intact. Myself, I prefer the tongue-in-cheek kind.
My Bed and
Breakfast cozy mystery series features Grace Cassidy, an inn-sitter, and is written with a touch. My character has been involved in divorce, neglected children, teen pregnancy and more. Learning to live through life-changing experiences in the cyber age, and still keep a positive attitude, describes my heroine's life.
THE CORPSE AND THE
GEEZER BRIGADE, book three, introduces Slick Webster, a handsome biracial man approaching
his 21st birthday. His past memories involve seeing his mother die from a
drug overdose and his early struggles in foster care.
My main character Grace continues standing strong while learning hurtful things about her parent's past without blinking. She vows to never again turn a blind eye to
the elephant in the living room. No more sweeping family secrets under the rug.
Through all of these problems, Grace and her quirky sidekick Theodora Westmacott, take joy in decorating a new Bed and Breakfast using someone else's money, driving around in a Rolls Royce, and witty conversation.
Through all of these problems, Grace and her quirky sidekick Theodora Westmacott, take joy in decorating a new Bed and Breakfast using someone else's money, driving around in a Rolls Royce, and witty conversation.
http://jacqking.com
http://facebook.com/Jacqking
http://twitter.com/jackieking9
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Thin slicing our characters
by Bill Kirton
 |
| Your first glimpse conditions your opinion of her... |
I’ve just read an article about ‘thin-slicing’. Apparently
that’s what we do nearly all the time. We base our judgements and decisions on
split second observations of thin slices of behaviour. And, surprisingly
perhaps, we’re usually right. The easy examples are of sportspeople behaving
almost instinctively as they pass the ball, shoot for the hoop or whatever. But
the most interesting for writers is that we apparently form an impression of
people we meet within the first few seconds and then just notice things which
confirm that impression.
So the laborious presentations that people have prepared for
situations such as interviews or wanting to impress the future in-laws seem to
be a waste of time. The first handshake, eye contact, hairstyle choice, colour
of jacket or God knows what else has already made up the mind of the person
you’re meeting.
I wonder whether we also ‘thin-slice’ the characters we
‘meet’ in books. Is the initial impression so crucial? Or does the leisurely
process of an unfolding narrative change the nature of our perceptions? We
don’t, after all, have the direct, instinctive signals of body language to help
us and anyway we know we’re collaborating in a fiction. Then again, if we’re
assessing a real person in the real world, then just looking for evidence to
prove we’re right, aren’t we just moulding reality to our own ongoing fiction?
And, from the writer’s point of view, does it
mean that we
should make sure that the way we choose to introduce a character puts his/her
essence right up front and leaves little room for misinterpretation? If that’s
the case, it seems to me that the best way to achieve it is through letting the
character speak for him/herself. The moment we start describing their hair,
eyes, clothes, bulk, etc. we’re offering archetypes. However much we then
refine them to the specifics of that individual, the risk is that the reader’s
already decided that he’s seeing a fat slob or a peacock. Let them speak for
themselves, condemn or ingratiate themselves out of their own mouths.
 |
| ... then she starts on the vodka. |
Whatever the truth of it all, it just adds to the
fascinating complexity of the reading (and writing) experience.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Halloween Customs Around the World
by Jean Henry Mead
Halloween isn't just an American holiday. It originated in Ireland, where it was originally known as Oiche Shamhna or Samhain Night. The end of summer's Agricultural Fire Festival was held for the deceased who were said to revisit the earth on that night. So the practice of building large community bonfires was enacted to ward off evil spirits. The name Hallowe’en evolved from All Hallow’s Eve, and the holiday was imported from Ireland during the 19th century. Halloween spread to other countries, including Puerto Rico, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada as well as the rest of the British Isles.
In 837, Pope Gregory decreed that All Hallows, or All Saints Day, previously known as Feast of Lemures, would be held every year on November 1, in the name of the Western Catholic Church. Previously celebrated on May 13 in other countries, it coincided with the Irish Samhain. During the 9th century, the two holidays were celebrated on the same day because the Church decided that the religious holiday would start at sunset the previous night, according to the Florentine calendar. All Saints Day was celebrated in northern European countries, and was a day of religious festivities. Until 1970, it was also a day of fasting.
The jack-o-lantern originated in Europe and was carved from turnips and rutabagas. Small candles were inserted in the hollow vegetables and they were used as lanterns. Because the human head was believed to contain the spirit, the Celts carved the vegetables to represent heads to ward off evil spirits. According to Irish legend, a hard-drinking farmer named Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree, where he was temporarily trapped. Farmer Jack then carved a cross in the tree, which condemned the devil to wander the earth at night with a candle inside a hollow turnip.
Carved pumpkins are a North American custom, originating with the fall harvest, and known to have preceded the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-49. Carved pumpkins, or jack-o-lanterns, were not associated with Halloween in this country until the mid 19th century.
In Scotland, the embers of huge bonfires built in the villages were taken home to form circles. A stone for each family member was then placed inside the circle. The Scots believed that if one of the stones was displaced or broken by the following morning, the person it represented was doomed to die within a year. Northern residents of Wales built bonfires called Coel Coeth in every village. Members of each household would throw white stones into the ashes bearing their names. If any stone was missing the following morning, that person was destined to die before the following Halloween.
The village of Fortingall in Perthshire held a festival of fire, or Samhnag. Every Halloweeen they danced around the fire in both directions. As the fire burned low, young boys grabbed embers from the flames and raced around the field, tossing them in the air and then dancing around them. Later, they would have a jumping contest over the collected embers. When finished, they returned home to bob for apples. They also practiced divination, the art of foretelling the future or interpreting omens.
Halloween wasn’t celebrated in Mexico until around 1960. Our southern neighbors have followed our customs of costuming their children and allowing them to visit neighborhood homes, seeking candy. When they knock or ring the bell, the children say, "¡Noche de Brujas, Halloween!" which means "Witches' Night, Halloween!" Young people have Halloween parties and the holiday lasts for three days prior to All Saint’s Day, which is also the start of the two-day celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
In the Netherlands, Halloween has become popular since the early 1990s. Children dress up for parades and parties, but trick-or-treating is rare because the holiday is so close to St. Martin’s Day. St. Martin’s is the day when Dutch children ring doorbells and sing a song dedicated to the saint, in exchange for small treats.
Romanians, regardless of age, party and parade in costumes not unlike North Americans, but the holiday focuses on Dracula. In the town of Sighisoara, where countless witch trials were once held, parties are held in the spirit of Dracula. Actors also reenact the witch trails on Halloween.
Some South American countries, influenced by American pop culture, celebrate Halloween, which has caused consternation among a number of Christian groups, who deplore the lack of attention to the more spiritual aspects of All Hallows Eve. But businesses profit from the sales of costumes and candy, so the holiday has been allowed to remain a favorite of young people. The same is true in Japan, Spain and Germany, among other countries.
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