Updates and Miscellany

Yesterday afternoon, I received my print copy of "Dabblers," and frankly, the sense of satisfaction never diminishes with each book. One more print book left to receive, and I understand it's on its way.

I checked with the libraries where I donated books and was delighted to find "The Dreamer Gambit" in both their catalogs. One of them was even checked out! Might this lead to people discovering my other books, too? Sure hope so, because that was the whole idea about donating to the libraries.

Everything is prepped for "Where Power Lies" now, as I've pretty much settled on the most recent cover design, the one with the blood on it. That red spot really pops, I think, and more or less settles the fact that the woman beside it is the murder victim mentioned in the blurb. Anyway, I think it will work.

Back to Mongan Manor today. I need to sit back and consider the scene I'm working on next and what change it will bring about.  I think I know what it is, but it's just a matter of how I can reveal it.

News and Updates

I heard from the publisher over the weekend and hopefully "Game Faces" and "Dabblers" will soon be out in paperback! Can hardly wait to get my author's copies.

I started writing a blurb for "Where Power Lies" in the interest of coming up with a cover concept, either that I could do myself or hire someone to do. Of course, I still have a long way to go on the proofing from hard copy that I began, and then making all the corrections to the manuscript. You'd think as many times as this story has been rewritten, I'd have it down by now, but alas... Sometimes, how I respond to reading my own book relates to my particular mood at the time. I had thought I would hold off doing more editing for a bit, but I may get back to it sooner rather than later.

That's because I'm stalled in "Mongan Manor" for the moment. It's time for Paul to get involved in solving the mysteries, an his interactions with the other characters are crucial. They will reveal things in very subtle ways which makes the coming passages tricky to plan and write. While I'm making every effort to not fall into the same plot pattern as in the first two books, there is one pattern that stubbornly exerts its influence, and that's not necessarily bad. Stefanie absorbs events and details and she reacts to them in her own emotional way. Paul comes in and applies his logical thinking and people-reading skills to pull her observations together to indicate what people are planning and doing. This is their synergy, filling in each other's gaps in ability. In this outing, in the name of changing things up, Paul is not resistant to the uncanny and Stefanie is not hiding anything from him any more. I guess another recurring theme is that Stefanie's psychic abilities continue to develop, but that's intentional. It's part of her character growth, which in turn is what makes me want to keep writing the same characters.

Also on my mind of late is more promotional activities. I need to polish my book brochure for a slicker look, as well as on-site materials for book fairs, etc. Since there may be speaking engagements in my future, I should probably outline a talk to give. I'm also considering a sort of book give-away, but I need to work out the details before I announce it.

Another Pause

I've got "Where Power Lies" pretty much where I want it now, I think. I'm going to give it a rest for a few days and do another full read through to verify I've made the appropriate points. The length is pretty good, at just over 82,600 words. When I finally apply the "Done" stamp to it, I'll do a synopsis and blurb and consider sending my latest "child" into the world.

I'm very excited get back to the newest Windsong Lake book. It's been started, of course, but I've been trying to lean on "Power" to get it closer to finished before letting my muse take flight with Stefanie.

I also have to get ready for Bookfest 2013 in Glen Ellyn in less than two weeks. Last night, I made up three signs for the table, one for each book series. A price sign is also required, as well as an up-to-date brochure to hand out. As to pricing, I'm considering offering a discount for anyone buy more than one book, maybe buy one book for $9 or any two for $16. I still don't know exactly which books I'll have on hand to sell, so the pricing thing might have to wait till the last minute. I would love to go to Bookfest, or to Joliet Author Fest, with a full complement of my books to offer, but I'm not sure if that's going to work out for timing. Also getting down to the wire is whether or not I'll participate in the pitch session at Bookfest. The one I wrote is for "Dabblers," but if I don't have a paperback on hand to sell, it kind of misses the point. We shall see.

Joliet Author Fair and Updates

Received confirmation from the Joliet Public Library Black Road Branch for Author Fest in October. Here are some of the details:

Joliet Regional Author Fair

Saturday, October 12, 2013

11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Joliet Public Library

Black Road Branch

3395 Black Road, Joliet, IL  60431

This was such a great event last year, and I'm really looking forward to meeting people and having the chance to sell books. 

Looks like more of my ebooks are soon to be in print format--Dabblers, Game Faces, and Stranger Faces. That will mean ALL of them are available in both formats! 

Now then, for book #8, "Where Power Lies": still making changes and catching repetitions as I go. I'm starting to feel more of an itch to get onto the next Windsong Lake book, but I'm trying to exercise some discipline here. "Power" still needs editing, and a synopsis, and a blurb, and a cover...

Miscellaneous Updates

My first review for Windy City Reviews was posted today, and I also received some comments from the author about what I had to say. It's very gratifying. The book was excellent, and I simply said so. I hope more writers request me to review their books in the future as I enjoyed doing this.

I believe paperback editions will soon be available for my three remaining books: "Game Faces," "Stranger Faces," and "Dabblers." I've already ordered copies to sell at two upcoming library events and hopefully I'll still have time to order some of the others. I really want to have a copy of "Dabblers" on hand for Bookfest in Glen Ellyn because I've written a 60-second pitch to present to library patrons. Gotta start rehearsing that.

Making more progress on "Where Power Lies." It's so easy to get sidetracked from hunting for repetition when I see other areas for improvement. For example, I figured out a way to subtly set the time of the story very early on, which soothed a touch of anxiety about waiting until Chapter 2 to do so. I also continue to notice tags which aren't really needed. As I keep changing things, I'm beginning to think I may have to rerun the word frequency counter program again at a later time. I haven't done much more on the cover art yet, but I think I've nailed down the concept to something I can execute. I may have to seek out some additional images to use, though, as what I already have isn't quite right yet.

For now, back to work . . .

More Paper Editions

Looks like "Dabblers," "Stranger Faces," and "Game Faces" will at last be available in paperback editions very soon. I can hardly wait to start stocking up for my two upcoming library events.

Working on "Where Power Lies" this morning, I realized two long sections of dialog will need to be revised. They both introduce a line of thought as though it were brand new, but that can only happen once. I know I'll still have to go back over the whole book and look for that sort of thing in other places. The only method I know of is to jot down notes in a separate file while I read of the important things that occur. Then I can more easily determine if I've got any duplication.

I've also started reading my first book for Windy City Reviews, and the book in question has passed the first hurdle--it drew me in. More on that when the review comes out. I also abandoned another book I was trying to read. It did not draw me in. Several pages into the book, I still had no idea who the main character was. I couldn't connect. I tried my old trick of turning to the back to see how it ends, but the last pages contained a whole different set of characters not introduced in the early part of the story. Ah, well . . .

Progress and Updates

Good news! More paperback editions of my books are underway. I hope I'll be ordering bunches of them to take to Glen Ellyn Bookfest in September, and to Author Fest in Joliet in October. I've made some inroads to updating my handouts and brochures for those events, and I've developed my 60-second elevator pitch for Bookfest to promote sales of "Dabblers," which I think will be ready in paper edition so I can hold it, and "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" in my hands when I pitch. 

Polishing work continues on "Where Power Lies," and I'm liking the results. My current pass is to check for voice discrepancies, where narrative and dialog for Dee don't match up. I also started fiddling with cover art and a blurb. More passes are on the horizon before I even get to the spell checking, grammar checking, format checking, and word repetition stuff. 

Having signed up as a volunteer book reviewer for Windy City Reviews, I am eagerly waiting to receive my first book from an author who chose me as a preferred reviewer. I've written reviews of books on Goodreads before, and I always have an issue with what attitude to take. I really want to like the book I'm reviewing and not be too hard-line about format and editing stuff. It seems nit-picky. If it's a good story, reasonably well written, I want the writer to have a chance and not have people dismiss those good qualities just because of technical faults. 

"Resistance" and "Dabblers"

Back to writing "Resistance" this morning with a lot of progress made already. I also resolved some issues I had, things that were bugging me to get fixed. A good example is what to call the next generation of cell phones? Since I'm writing a few decades into the future, technology should have advanced a fair amount, and I wanted to name a device that indicated more than just a phone. Actually, what we think of as cell phones is already pretty advanced. I came up with a Universal Connection Device, referred to as a UniCon. It connects to people like a cell phone as well as to the Internet and just about anything else. People use them for everything in my future world, an idea which I know I need to embellish more in the manuscript. That's something for the editing phase, though.

In other news, as they say, a review of "Dabblers" appeared on Windy City Reviews on Friday, and a very nice review it is, too. I am humbled by the praise implied by words like "compelling," The same review should appear soon on Amazon and Goodreads, and I'm eager to find out how many stars go with it.

Restructuring Almost Done

Almost done with the restructuring in "The Janus Rule," and I'm feeling better about the pacing and flow of events. The way it was before, too much happened all in one day. While in some situations that might work, in this case it all hit me as somewhat improbable, even beyond what one can excuse in the name of fiction. I know I'm going to have to go over it all very carefully to check for anachronisms that may have been introduced, bits of dialog or thoughts that refer to events before they happen in the new order.

Today and tomorrow on Goodreads, I've set up a Q&A group for discussion of my books. No takers yet although two people have signed up for the group. Ah, well . . .

Still working on some library promotions, however, and waiting for a review of "Dabblers" to appear on Windy City Reviews and Amazon. I also started reading a novel which I pick up from time to time when I have time.

Getting Down and Catching Up

With the holiday weekend over, it's time to get back to it. This morning, I started looking at "The Janus Rule" to see how to fix the problem I found last week, i.e., things progressing too fast. Doing this revision now may help solidify the vision for the rest of the book too. The main problem is that, as I read over what I've written, I like some of it so much that I resist changing it. I guess it's good in a way.

On the promotional front, I received an excellent review for "Dabblers" on its Facebook page, and I've added it to pages in my Google site as well as this blog. The full review will come out on Windy City Reviews and should also appear on Amazon and Goodreads. In an exchange of emails with the reviewer, I've also got some potential appearance opportunities ahead. In addition, another Write Words author and I have been discussing joint appearances at local libraries.

Tomorrow, I'll be hosting a Q&A session on Goodreads (that's Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9 & 10). Hopefully, other members will join in and ask questions about my novels. Goodreads is a great site for readers and authors, and I heartily encourage anyone who likes books to join. It's free and full of good information about books.

Talking with my husband yesterday, I mentioned that after this project, I have three more books on deck to be written. A third entry in the Windsong Lake series has a sort of working title, "Moonstone Manor." The other two will be reworks of earlier books, both with a science fiction feel. I don't write "hard" science fiction, loaded with technology and space battles. I'm more interested in putting characters in unusual circumstances in an exploration of what it is to be human, what drives us, what motivates us. Some call this "soft" science fiction, but what's in a name?

A Simple Conversation

Done with the print edition of "Dabblers" for now, and today I started on the scene between Angel and the cop who is investigating the attempted murder of  Jack and/or Tabitha in "The Janus Rule." The cop is also something of a love interest for Angel, and they are on a date. I figured this would be one of those quiet, transitional scenes where two people converse and information is supplied to the reader as they supply it to each other. Simple, right?

Not really. Both of these people are suspicious types, and I've toyed with the idea of having them not quite trust each other. Trying to build that in makes their encounter twice as tricky. They already like each other, but they must now say something that makes the other leery of their intentions.

Another tricky bit is how to start revealing more about the currently-unidentified stalker/killer. Pretty soon, this character (Ha! You thought I was going to use a gender-specific pronoun, right?) will have to give some clues about motive and identity. At the same time, Jack and the police are investigating to learn who that person is and they will have to turn up something. But I still want it to be a complete surprise at the pinnacle moment.

Last night, while trying to get to sleep, I found myself imagining an opening for another Stefanie Durant book. It's funny how I have come to approach creating new stories with the word "conflict" flashing in my head like a neon sign. This opening sequence will have some action and suspense and introduce one layer of conflict at its conclusion. As usual, I still don't know the entire story myself, but I've got a ways to go on "Janus" before I can start. The time approaches, though, where I will have to start making notes.

Back On It

After a tumultuous Friday, I am back on track. I spent the better part of Friday in the Emergency Room with a minor health scare, but the doctors assured me I am fine. Due to that, not much work got done on "The Janus Rule," but I hope to get some more pages done today. 

Proofing for the print edition of "Dabblers" is more or less complete, and after a few blips along the way, the cover looks ready also. I'm anxiously awaiting a review that should be coming out soon. 

"Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is now a step closer to publication, I suspect as an ebook first because that's how the others have gone. Still no ETA on availability, however. 

Now that I am no longer encumbered by a cast and I have a car at my disposal, I'm giving more thought to investigating some promotional opportunities. I'm thinking of sending some letters to local libraries in the hopes of making some appearances to promote my books. I've also started reviving the idea of that sideline in editing/critiquing for unpublished writers, but right now, there are a lot of other demands on my time, so it will probably have to wait for a bit. 

Reminiscing

Deep into proofing the galley for "Dabblers" the print edition. As I read through it, I remember bits and pieces of inspiration for it, and I realized how much of it comes from my own life experiences. For example, the house Stefanie inherits from her uncle was modeled after a house my husband and I owned back in the 90s, although our house was not on a hill and did not look out on a lake.

Last night, storms raced through northern Illinois, and I recalled a storm that occurred at that other house. My husband had been away on a business trip, and the lightning and thunder had been constant and intense, just as in a scene from "Dabblers." Elsewhere in the book, a strange structure in the woods, with stone slabs set into the ground, comes from another house where I once lived. Here is a photo of what inspired that element in the book with the stone slabs partly visible at the bottom:

There are many more things from "Dabblers" that mirror my own life, some of them too intensely personal to share. I've often heard the advice, "Write what you know," and so I do indirectly. But still the best part of writing fiction is making things up. 

New Look

I decided to freshen up my blog page with a new background. I found the gently rippling water serene and soothing. Comments on the change are most welcome, or on any other topic on this blog. I'll also take this opportunity to invite followers to this page. While it's gratifying to see the page view counter move upward, sometimes in surprising jumps, I greatly enjoy getting comments from readers.

This morning, I started proofing the galley for "Dabblers" the print edition. I don't know the exact date when it will be available, but I'm hoping to have another print book to sell at the Author Fair in Joliet in October. And "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is also in the works, so it's arrival could be just as timely.

Unfortunately, "Janus Rule" will go on hold for a few days while I work on "Dabblers," but I have a lot of the next segment in my head. I've been debating on whether or not to use an actual restaurant I know about as the setting for it. The Twisted Spoke is sort of an upscale biker bar in Chicago which was reviewed on the PBS show, "Check Please." It has the sort of quirky atmosphere that goes with one of the characters in the scene, just the sort of place he'd pick for a dinner date with Angel. I always wonder how businesses react to having their names appear in fiction. Presuming I write that the characters like it, there should be no worries. A lot of times, I wind up bypassing the reality and make up a restaurant. I suppose I could describe the restaurant, where I've never actually been, but not use its name. Then I can always mention it later in another post.

Plot Coming Together

"The Janus Rule" progresses, at least in my head. I had a busy weekend with various car issues. I did have some think time and made some notes, which I hope to jump into today.

Some of the ideas I came up with require going back into the already-written stuff and making some revisions. New information is about to change the picture of who the shooter is and who the target is. Also, my notes contain an explanation of the scheme that led to the case Angel is working on. Some of that continues to evolve, however, as I tackle the old question of how big it should be. Jack Watson, being the ethical ex-cop he is, believes that any proof of illegal activity he finds while investigating should be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. He won't try to solve them himself, although he usually ends up being the one to figure it out anyway.

I had an interesting cover concept come to mind too, but I'm still playing with the image in my head. The first two Jack Watson books had some sort of inverted image on it, i.e., the chess piece and the masks, so I'll incorporate that motif again. Given the title on this one, I'll have to work the two-faced aspect into it as well. I don't really want to use a mask-type representation of Janus, because that's too much like the "Changeling" cover. I'll be thinking about it.

In other news, as they say, "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" is in the works, too, so I'll be expecting galleys on it soon. I'm also waiting on pins and needles for a review of "Dabblers" that's coming from Windy City Reviews. The reviewer has told me already she liked the book and asked if there would be a sequel. At least it should be a favorable review.

Freedom, Promotion, and Progrss

Well it's sure good to be out of that arm cast! While my wrist is still a bit stiff from being immobilized for five and a half weeks, it's getting better. To be able to type at full speed again is awesome! I'm already looking for a new car to replace my totaled one, and that means I can start doing things again.

Back to work on "Janus Games" and enjoying the fact that I can type a lot faster. The suspects keep mounting, and each POV character has their own theory about the motive behind the shooting. My newest character, Angel, throws in some interesting aspects and she's becoming more defined and real to me.

By way of promotion, I sent off a printed copy of "Dabblers" to a reviewer for Windy City Reviews on Friday. At my local Post Office, the woman at the counter asked the usual questions about the contents of my small box, i.e., any liquids, batteries, other substances. I said it was just paper, and she remarked it was two pounds of paper. So I took the opportunity to tell her what was in it. She was excited to meet an author and took one of my business cards. I made these myself:

These are really easy to do with Print Shop 2.0. On the back side, I included my web addresses and other information. I print a sheet at a time--10 cards--on card stock with micro-perforations for clean edges. I can update the text as needed if anything changes.

Sometimes it seems a little slippery, turning every encounter into a promotional opportunity, but when you do  a lot of your own advertising, you take whatever opportunity comes along. I think most writers are, by nature, a bit shy, but you have to push yourself to get over it. You seek publication to sell books, and they don't sell without someone, i.e., the author, getting the word out so people will buy them. Promoting yourself as a writer and promoting your work is part of the job.

In the Name of Promotion

I just spent most of the morning printing a review copy of "Dabblers" to send out. Nothing is easy with this cast on my arm. Printing, changing an ink cartridge, loading paper, stacking pages, three-hole punching the pages, inserting them into a binder. Before I even got that far, I had to fiddle around with the file to get page numbers to print on each sheet. Should be easy, right? Wrong. For some reason, my Microsoft Word page number "gallery" isn't working. I finally had to copy and paste from a different manuscript to get the job done. Whew! Now I have to get it to the post office and on its way.

Yesterday, after working on "Janus Games" until my arms were sore, I explored the web for ideas on promoting books. One article reminded me that I am probably not making the best use of Twitter. Of late, I have only been "tweeting" when I have a new blog entry, but I know I should be taking a little time out to read the tweets of others and either retweeting or favorite-ing them for the increased exposure.

On the Write Words, Inc. Author's Guide, the Publicity page starts out with "Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel". An author working with a small publisher (or self-published) must participate heavily in promoting his/her work, and this requires tooting one's own horn wherever and whenever possible. To that end, I was having a phone conversation yesterday with a career-transition consultant (how and why is a long story, and not relevant) and because I mentioned being a published author, she said she was eager to look up my books online. Maybe she'll buy one (or more!) and maybe she'll tell other people about our conversation and get them interested. Word of mouth works, too.

A Working Title!

Inspiration struck this morning, and the new Jack Watson mystery has a working title: The Janus Games. Part of the multiple plots is that people aren't who they seem to be, hence "Janus". This title may change of course, maybe if I find a word I like better than "Games."

Of course, the writing itself comes slowly. While all the fingers of my left hand are outside the cast, the ring finger still cannot take much pressure. I am going to try touching a key with it...oops. That "w" I just hit caused a little jolt. Best let it heal some more and go back to the 6-finger method.

Speaking of games, "Game Faces" is going to print post haste, making four novels in both mediums. I also signed a print contract for "Dabblers." Too bad I can't get around much yet, but I'll be in good shape come October for the author fair in Joliet with lots of books to sell.

Payday!

Yesterday, I received my royalties for the first quarter and was delighted that it was more than for last year in total. Hope the trend keeps up.

Proofing of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" continues this morning, and I'm finding gratifyingly little to change. Mostly a word here and there. I put aside concerns about chapter breaks because I won't know until after a first reading what else I might add or take out. The pacing is the most important thing.

Ideas for a Jack Watson #3 keep coming with different scenes building in my head or in my notes. I think I've started to nail down my main antagonist, the stalker, with a bit of background and motives. I'm liking the idea of having most of the mystery revolve around the identity of this person and who the target is, with all the other characters having a different notion about it. It sets up for a nice surprise revelation.

On another front, I've got two reviewers lined up for "Dabblers." It's a little bit scary waiting to hear someone else's opinion, but hopefully a good review or two will help pull in readers and pave the way for "Seer" when it's done.

We Have A First Draft

Finished writing the first draft of "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" yesterday. I'm already looking toward the editing process. First step, making a sort of outline to determine what happens where. Also, I need to go back to check for anachronisms and discontinuity stuff because of things I changed. For example, the layout of Stefanie's studio was revised toward the end, so I must make sure all earlier references still mesh with the final concept.

I also have a pretty good cover design. Like "Dabblers," it has a scene through a window at the top and then something else germane to the story at the bottom, all on a black background with room in the middle for the title and my name.

Also starting to give more thought to my next project. Another Jack Watson entry?