tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49544866998106073062024-02-07T08:54:36.245-08:00Crime Fiction CollectiveEssays, books reviews, and updates on crime/thriller fiction and digital publishingL.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.comBlogger725125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-64785211895853947432014-08-22T18:53:00.003-07:002014-08-22T18:53:51.765-07:00Meet Blake Sanders<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was tagged
by the lovely and talented L.J. Sellers to participate in a blog tour/hop about
the main character of my thriller series. L.J. recently posted hers, and you
should check it out. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">L.J. Sellers writes the
bestselling Detective Jackson Mysteries—a two-time Readers Favorite Award
winner—as well as the Agent Dallas series and provocative standalone thrillers.
L.J. resides in Eugene, Oregon where many of her 16 novels are set and is an
award-winning journalist and the founder of Housing Help. When not plotting
murders or doing charity work, she enjoys standup comedy, cycling, and social
networking. She's also been known to jump out of airplanes. You can find her
any one of these places online:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Website:
<a href="http://ljsellers.com/"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://ljsellers.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Twitter:
<a href="https://twitter.com/LJSellers"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://twitter.com/LJSellers</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Facebook:
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ljsellers"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://www.facebook.com/ljsellers</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">FB Group, Jackson Junkies & Dallas Diehards: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/JacksonJunkies"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://www.facebook.com/groups/JacksonJunkies</span></a></span></div>
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Here we go.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>1) What is the name of your character? Is
he/she fictional or a historic person? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My adult
thriller series character’s name is Blake Sanders. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Drop</i> is Blake’s third outing. I introduced Blake in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Blind</i>, a story in which in the
space of a few months, he’s lost his job, his only son to suicide, and his
marriage. Mired in depression and grief, he can only face the world at night, washing
dishes and delivering newspapers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">A year later, on
a cold November night, Blake’s world is turned upside down again when an
elderly woman on his newspaper route is brutally stabbed to death and Blake is
charged with her murder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a desperate
attempt to find the real killer, he learns that his friend had stumbled onto
secrets that have been buried beneath Seattle’s Capitol Hill for 150 years.
Secrets that are now being disturbed by digging for the new light rail tunnel.
Secrets that will shake the city’s government. Secrets that foreign agents will
kill for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the run from the police and murderers,
Blake finds a chance to heal his grief and reclaim his life. But only if he can
stay alive long enough to unearth the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>2) When and where is the story set? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Night
Drop</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">, like the first two
books in the series, is set in and around Seattle, and takes place in present
day. And, like the others, it also includes multiple points of view. Night Drop
brings back naval intelligence officer Reyna Chase, but also introduces a
secondary protagonist, Trip Macready, a former Navy SEAL. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because of the multiple POVs I’m able to
take readers farther afield than Seattle, and in Night Drop that includes Baja,
Mexico, and the waters in and around the San Juan Islands from Canada south to
Puget Sound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>3) What should we know about him? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Blake’s two distinguishing
characteristics are that he’s very tall, a former college basketball star at
6’9”, and he suffers from ADHD. The former makes him both a large target and
formidable foe, and the latter gives him a different perspective and motivation
than most people. He often approaches problems laterally instead of linearly,
making intuitive leaps of logic that most people find illogical. And he tends
to leap before he looks, another tendency of people with ADHD. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>4) What is the main conflict? What messes
up his life? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">ADHD gets Blake into hot water lot
because he tends to be impulsive, speaking or acting before he thinks. He’s
also still grieving for his dead son and his lost marriage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Drop</i>, the main conflict is that
more than a year after Blake’s life fell apart he’s finally starting to pick up
the pieces and put it all back together. But his ex-wife Molly is abducted, and
he vows not to lose her, too. Her high-profile law firm calls in the FBI, which
treats the case as a run-of-the-mill kidnap-for-ransom. To Blake, it’s
personal. When the kidnappers demand that he deliver the ransom, he knows it
is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Molly’s
life hanging in the balance, Blake does the unexpected, setting off a chain
reaction and a game of cat-and-mouse with the mastermind behind the abduction.
The deeper Blake digs for answers, the more apparent it becomes that money is
lowest on the kidnappers’ list of demands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of Molly’s
clients is an ex-Navy SEAL, an expert dolphin trainer turned animal rights
activist. When he disappears the stakes suddenly go up, and Blake asks naval
intelligence officer Reyna Chase for help. As soon as Reyna gets wind of what’s
happening, the game changes from saving Molly to saving Seattle from a
terrorist threat that could wreak havoc on the city and kill thousands. The
only way Blake can stop it is to pay the ransom—not with cash, but with his
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">And one of the
biggest conflicts messing up Blake’s life in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Drop</i> is that he’s falling in love with Reyna, but still loves
Molly, and he has to make a choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>5) What is the personal goal of the
character? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously, Blake’s primary goal in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Night Drop</i> is to get Molly back from the
kidnappers alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as with many
of us his personal goals are finding happiness and trying to become a better
person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>6) Can we read more about it? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARCs are available on NetGalley (for
those who are members), and from me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>7) When can we expect the book to be
published? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Night
Drop </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">is slated for
publication on September 8, 2014, and will be available on Kindle and in print.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MOVF9KO">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MOVF9KO</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Authors I tagged include the lovely Jo
Chumas, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hidden</i> (</span><a href="http://www.jochumas.com/blog"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.jochumas.com/blog</span></a>); Paul D.
Marks, author of the Shamus Award-winning <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">White
Heat</i> (<a href="http://www.pauldmarks.blogspot.com/">http://www.pauldmarks.blogspot.com</a>);
Eyre Price, author of the Crossroads thriller series (<a href="http://www.eyreprice.net/Eyre_Time.html">http://www.eyreprice.net/Eyre_Time.html</a>);
and Becky Masterman, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rage
Against The Dying</i> (<a href="http://beckymasterman.com/">http://beckymasterman.com</a>).
They’ll be blogging about their characters next week, on August 29.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Also, don’t miss
Teresa Burrell’s blog post next Monday.</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Teresa<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">has dedicated
her life to helping children and their families, as a schoolteacher for twelve
years and then as a lawyer. She focused her solo practice in juvenile court
where she worked primarily with abused minors. She also received several awards
from the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program for her countless hours of pro bono
work with children and families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Burrell writes legal suspense mysteries incorporating many of her
experiences. Her “Advocate Series” consists of five books starting with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Advocate</i> to the most recent, The
Advocate’s Ex Parte. She can be found online at <a href="http://www.teresaburrell.com/"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.teresaburrell.com</span></a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/theadvocateseries"><span style="color: #285287; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.facebook.com/theadvocateseries</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Michael W. Shererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01359437241079384725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-5865232630433915812014-05-19T00:00:00.000-07:002014-05-26T08:10:15.551-07:00The Writing Process Blog Hop<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>by Michael W. Sherer, thriller author</i></div>
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Blog hops are sort of like the latest variation on chain
letters—you hate to break the chain, yet wonder if all the hassle will really
bring you good luck. But when thriller author Peg Brantley asked me to join
this series on The Writing Process, I was delighted to take part. Talking (or
blogging) about what we do is reminiscent of show-and-tell in second grade, an
opportunity to contemplate and brag a bit about how we approach this business.
It also gives me a chance to see how others whose work I admire practice their
craft. (Who knows, I may end up stealing some terrific ideas.)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Peg posted her answers to four burning questions last week
on her blog, which you can find here. <a href="http://suspensenovelist.blogspot.com/">http://suspensenovelist.blogspot.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In turn, I tagged three terrific
mystery/thriller authors—<a href="http://www.timothyhallinan.com/blog/">Timothy Hallinan</a>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.pauldmarks.blogspot.com/">Paul D. Marks</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kt.bryan.1?fref=ts">KT Bryan</a>—about whom you can learn more at the end of this post. They’ll be
giving their own answers to these questions next week, on May 26, 2014. <br />
<br />
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These three authors were kind enough to agree to perpetuate
this blog hop, but I chose them for a reason. Tim Hallinan writes the kind of
books I wish I could write—tense, intricately plotted, with emotional heart and
prose so beautiful it literally makes me weep. KT Bryan should be way better
known than she is because her books fit neatly into the pantheon of women
authors who write tough characters, and here I’m thinking Allison Brennan, JT
Ellison, CJ Lyons, Alafair Burke and LJ Sellers. Her books are not for the
faint of heart and her style propels her stories like a naturally aspirated
5.0-liter DOHC, 32-valve, direct- and port-injected V8 engine with variable
valve timing, that is to say quickly and smoothly. Paul D. Marks is an
under-appreciated author of Shamus Award-winning tough-guy novels in the best
of the L.A. noir tradition.</div>
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So, here we go…</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1. What am I working on?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I’m finally making decent headway on <i>Night Strike</i>, the
fourth Blake Sanders thriller. <i>Night Blind</i>, the first in the series, was
nominated for a Thriller Award by ITW, which was both an incredible honor and a
challenge. My goal as an author is to write every book better than the last
one, but ITW raised the bar for me with that recognition.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMXuYZfMkq9fYlk55mPYNd3Trxsqmpy4mKGNRWClecZgHNHGM59dhxY1laOW85Z7nmYMqiUFuxjo1B43ppZkmO4FmNP9QG_SeEEGRy8orIqR28BW5lJ1AMR6Ig3g3nNjH3DrxCz3EQksP/s1600/Night+Strike+Front+Cover3+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMXuYZfMkq9fYlk55mPYNd3Trxsqmpy4mKGNRWClecZgHNHGM59dhxY1laOW85Z7nmYMqiUFuxjo1B43ppZkmO4FmNP9QG_SeEEGRy8orIqR28BW5lJ1AMR6Ig3g3nNjH3DrxCz3EQksP/s1600/Night+Strike+Front+Cover3+copy.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
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Even before the nomination, I knew that this book had to be
bigger in scope, both geographic and thematic, than the three previous books in
the series. A large part of what made <i>Night Blind</i> work is Blake himself. Though
the plot involves large-scale thriller elements like a Civil War era secret
involving nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in buried gold and a potential
bio-weapon that could start a pandemic, it’s Blake’s story that keeps the book
on a personal level. </div>
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To broaden the scope in <i>Night Strike</i>, I’ve brought back not
only Blake’s romantic interest, naval intelligence officer Reyna Chase, but
also Trip Macready, a character introduced in <i>Night Drop</i>, the third in the
series, out this Sept. 8. And I’m giving larger roles to some
supporting characters, which gives me the opportunity to tell the story from
more points of view.</div>
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Thematically, the book borrows from current geopolitical
situations and the rising tension between the West and Russia. What starts as a
promise from Blake to a dying man ultimately leads to a confrontation between
Russia and the U.S. in the middle of the Pacific, and only three people—Blake,
Reyna and Trip—can stop it from escalating to war. </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2. How does my work differ from others of its
genre? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I can honestly say I’ve never read a book quite like this
particular series. That’s not to say they don’t exist, just that I haven’t come
across them. My Chicago-based Emerson Ward mystery series was likened by <i>The
Chicago Tribune</i>, among others, to the Travis McGee books by John D. Macdonald.
But the Blake Sanders thrillers are a little tougher to pigeonhole. They don’t
fit neatly into any thriller subgenre though they do have elements of a
military thriller, a techno-thriller, a conspiracy thriller, and more. </div>
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Blake is, in most respects, an fairly ordinary fellow, with
no special training and no special skills to help him in his battle against
better equipped foes. Three things do set him apart, however: his ADHD, which
influences both his behavior and the way his thought process works; his
extraordinary height, which is both a help and a hindrance; and his tenacity.
He fights not just for his life and that of those he loves, but also for his
own set of moral values.</div>
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And, for me, the writing is as important as the story. In
that I try to emulate authors whose work I admire—Hurwitz, Crais, Hallinan,
Unger, Huston, Parker, Flynn, Sakey, Winslow, etc. All too often I’ll pick up a
book and start reading a fast-paced story with interesting plot twists only to
finish feeling vaguely unsatisfied, as if I’d just eaten Chinese food, knowing
that I’ll be hungry again in an hour.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3. Why do I write what I do?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I write books I’d like to read. Though I enjoy a wide range
of fiction, I’ve been drawn to mysteries and thrillers ever since I discovered
a Judy Bolton mystery on the shelves of our “library” at home. Our ranch-style
home on the farm where I grew up had a small study that contained a small
spinet piano and nearly a wall of books. The few Judy Bolton novels on the
shelves had been given to my mother when she was a young girl. I went on to
devour Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Dick Francis and many others on my way to
becoming an author myself.</div>
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I like stories, particularly stories that move, stories with
pace and action. But I also want to learn. Genre fiction is story-based, but
also can deliver the same lyrical beauty of “literary fiction,” the same moral
dilemmas, the same depth of character. (For a terrific take on “genre” vs.
“literary” fiction, see Tim Hallinan’s two-part blog at “The Blog Cabin.”) </div>
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Mysteries and thrillers also gives me, and the reader, a few
things that other fiction sometimes does not. Usually, they have definitive
endings as opposed to the nebulous, indeterminate conclusions of literary
fiction, especially. They may not always end happily, but most of the time, the
good guys win and justice is served. When nothing in life is certain, I think
mysteries and thrillers offer readers a sense of order in a world of chaos.</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">4. How does my writing process work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Most authors fall into one of two camps—“pantsers” and
“plotters.” The former jump into each book feet first with no idea what it’s
about or where it will end up. The latter rely on a carefully crafted story
with a beginning, middle and end, usually noted on paper somehow (outlines,
sticky notes, white boards are some tools writers use). </div>
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I’m a “plodder,” which is to say I not only rely on detailed
notes and an outline that serves as my roadmap, but I work slowly and
methodically. I have to know the beginning, middle and end of a book before I
can start writing. And unlike writers who can jump around, writing a scene here
and another there and eventually assembling them all into a whole, I write
linearly so I know how the story develops, and don’t forget things when I come
to later scenes. </div>
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However, having a roadmap doesn’t mean I don’t get
sidetracked and take the scenic route on occasion. These diversions are part of
my creative process and often are the most delightful surprises of writing
every book. Last week, for example, as I was writing a chapter, a character
that I’d designated as a Chechen mole aboard a Russian destroyer turned out not
to be the mole at all, and the book will be better for it. </div>
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I use what I call the A.I.C. writing method—ass in chair.
Unless I’m on deadline with another project, I try to write every day. I keep
regular office hours, and have my latest chapter open on my laptop even if I’m
not working on it. Every day that I devote to writing, I start by rewriting
what I wrote the day before, which gets me into the story, and I go from there.
</div>
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I research heavily, even more than I used to, because it’s
easier now with the Internet and because it’s easier for readers to catch me in
a mistake than it used to be. I do a lot of my research during the plotting
phase because I need to know how things work in order for the plot to work. But
I research while I write, too, using Google Maps, Street View and satellite
views to work out logistics and get a sense of places that I can’t get to in
person.</div>
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For me, writing is slow work. Typically it takes me a year
to 18 months to research and write a book. In the seven years since I started
the Blake Sanders series, I’ve written five complete novels—three in that
series and two in a YA thriller series—and part of the book I’m working on now.
It is often, as Tom Clancy once said, “like digging dirt.” But because there
are gold nuggets and precious gems in that dirt, for me writing is the most
rewarding career I could have chosen.</div>
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Next week, be sure to find out how these amazing thriller
authors approach <b>The Writing Process</b>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicELwS-VqzBGi9fq8LVZT9Dcf3osmtDnWxVMZo2RRb_hTWHQVTFlG0FJsfJM5s2S4vrInMambS1k6kSBq8cim-rmz7fVAw5r5vS706Jv_TMnkjRdb4bqQ-4aTd0xJ9nG4V9gy-bwp8vpsH/s1600/timhallinan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicELwS-VqzBGi9fq8LVZT9Dcf3osmtDnWxVMZo2RRb_hTWHQVTFlG0FJsfJM5s2S4vrInMambS1k6kSBq8cim-rmz7fVAw5r5vS706Jv_TMnkjRdb4bqQ-4aTd0xJ9nG4V9gy-bwp8vpsH/s1600/timhallinan2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e2XX7ic4tbu_GdAmNes5dn2zN8jvYQgKbjwa1QoBzJv9gV6wd9IUM_DGkb7u85stv35r-1ZItImzi9Gp2mimSE1RMltyrq7fyVPGVvF1JAnlpqiiGFlUs5qeL-NGHoVpdEH8iHUeZdZI/s1600/For+The+Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4e2XX7ic4tbu_GdAmNes5dn2zN8jvYQgKbjwa1QoBzJv9gV6wd9IUM_DGkb7u85stv35r-1ZItImzi9Gp2mimSE1RMltyrq7fyVPGVvF1JAnlpqiiGFlUs5qeL-NGHoVpdEH8iHUeZdZI/s1600/For+The+Dead.jpg" /></a><b><span style="color: #3e2b1d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Timothy Hallinan</span></span></b><span style="color: #3e2b1d;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> has lived, on and off, in Southeast Asia for more than 25
years. He wrote songs and sang in a rock band while in college, and many
of his songs were recorded by by well-known artists who included the
platinum-selling group Bread. He began writing books while enjoying a
successful career in the television industry. Over the past fourteen
years he has been responsible for a number of well-reviewed novels and a
nonfiction book on Charles Dickens. For years he has taught a course on
“Finishing the Novel” with remarkable results – more than half his students
complete their first novel and go on to a second, and several have been, or are
about to be, published. Tim currently maintains a house in Santa Monica,
California, and apartments in Bangkok, Thailand; and Phnom Penh,
Cambodia. He is lucky enough to be married to Munyin Choy-Hallinan. </span><a href="http://www.timothyhallinan.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.timothyhallinan.com</span></a> <span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zJMc2OPn7xk3Z3u65QdjBg2796qqw78y0f8vkconV5Vov0W2PC2b73amuHRvmruL_uqRmHwGZL7dl9y8E3E2PQ8qvTuaqsb1cO6oNOsghSYjziNLLb_fdB0tbYhYCay4lMeO6t-HJCUD/s1600/EOH-72dpi-1600x2400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zJMc2OPn7xk3Z3u65QdjBg2796qqw78y0f8vkconV5Vov0W2PC2b73amuHRvmruL_uqRmHwGZL7dl9y8E3E2PQ8qvTuaqsb1cO6oNOsghSYjziNLLb_fdB0tbYhYCay4lMeO6t-HJCUD/s1600/EOH-72dpi-1600x2400.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSq074FxVmqouieE1IFX9CnWBRlF9zGFVBC-NkIre8PsggcbM8TUyIO9wTTc_re5urNRaqN9LSEWtQSPBl1U0avUNO5ZCl2ffFzx0vYasZ5xUv-asxZT4fd1n4qiDWlSHwSZsUJa5XZ5i9/s1600/KT+author+pic+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSq074FxVmqouieE1IFX9CnWBRlF9zGFVBC-NkIre8PsggcbM8TUyIO9wTTc_re5urNRaqN9LSEWtQSPBl1U0avUNO5ZCl2ffFzx0vYasZ5xUv-asxZT4fd1n4qiDWlSHwSZsUJa5XZ5i9/s1600/KT+author+pic+copy.jpg" height="200" width="94" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">KT Bryan is an action, adventure, romantic
suspense novelist who enjoys good wine, great art, Tuscany, and a touch of
mayhem. (You never know what you might see when you wake up suddenly in the
dark.) She's the author of the TEAM EDGE series. KT currently
lives in Georgia with her family, one overweight German shepherd and two
very spoiled cats. She has a varied background in the military, the
airlines, antiques, and medicine. Her favorite career is writing and
sharing stories with readers and fellow writers. Find her at <a href="http://www.ktbryan.net/"><span style="color: #000078; text-decoration: none;">www.KTBryan.net</span></a>
or on
Twitter @KTBryan1.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/c2b3e2a">EDGE Of TRUST</a> Amazon Bestseller </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBH3GRczidfteCmIZ62-47lH6kak2PZ9bfv-aEBNgRQpLiPb8aj20RS2Pivf1Gw6fevhFgxHdJTNcOHkKzhH1DCQwsppHpbXZ7w5H_M9ZzKWaBGdmWb5KM7v4tD9IliMrxwDv-wT7ZCXv/s1600/White+Heat+cover+--+Paul+D+Marks+--+D26--small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBH3GRczidfteCmIZ62-47lH6kak2PZ9bfv-aEBNgRQpLiPb8aj20RS2Pivf1Gw6fevhFgxHdJTNcOHkKzhH1DCQwsppHpbXZ7w5H_M9ZzKWaBGdmWb5KM7v4tD9IliMrxwDv-wT7ZCXv/s1600/White+Heat+cover+--+Paul+D+Marks+--+D26--small.jpg" height="200" width="125" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxZmbDW3hE4Si-V_FvDp4X6Y8o10Z4Fuk2l4XdpBR5JoX1nsP-Q0fvYPg1UPsLupGfpi9jcphNpnweNRJf2JdH5Avq0r5DHIBbRjlx5enSeEB8GjxpDmZaO5YMLDK-1NFsJL3KiaSZu3T/s1600/Paul_D_Marks_shadow_DSC_7586+--+bw+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxZmbDW3hE4Si-V_FvDp4X6Y8o10Z4Fuk2l4XdpBR5JoX1nsP-Q0fvYPg1UPsLupGfpi9jcphNpnweNRJf2JdH5Avq0r5DHIBbRjlx5enSeEB8GjxpDmZaO5YMLDK-1NFsJL3KiaSZu3T/s1600/Paul_D_Marks_shadow_DSC_7586+--+bw+3.jpg" height="167" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paul D. Marks' novel WHITE HEAT is a 2013 SHAMUS AWARD WINNER.
Publishers Weekly calls WHITE HEAT a "taut crime yarn."
Paul is also the author of over thirty published short stories in a variety of
genres, including several award winners – and LA LATE @ NIGHT, a new collection
of five of his stories. And he has the distinction, dubious though it
might be, of having been the last person to film on the fabled MGM backlot
before it bit the dust to make way for condos. Find out more at: <a href="http://www.pauldmarks.com/"><span style="color: #000078; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.PaulDMarks.com</span></a> , </span><i><span style="color: #000078; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/paul.d.marks"><span style="font-family: inherit;">www.facebook.com/paul.d.marks</span></a><span style="font-size: 16pt;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><i><span style="color: #000078; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael W. Sherer is
the author of </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nrzlp6x">Night Tide</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, the second novel in the Blake Sanders
thriller series. The first in the Seattle-based series,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Night Blind</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2013. His other books
include the award-winning Emerson Ward mystery series, the stand-alone suspense
novel,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Island Life</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, and the Tess Barrett YA thriller series.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He and his family now
reside in the Seattle area. Please visit him at www.michaelwsherer.com or you
can follow him on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor"><span style="color: #0028f4;">www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor</span></a> and on Twitter
@MysteryNovelist.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Michael W. Shererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01359437241079384725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-63294913424633465072014-04-29T06:00:00.000-07:002014-04-29T06:00:01.856-07:00CFC Says Goodbye<i>by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers</i><br />
<br />
With a great sense of sadness, and a tiny bit of relief, Crime Fiction Collective is saying goodbye. It's been a terrific three years, and the bonds we've formed as friends will last a lifetime. Our core group of bloggers got together at Left Coast Crime in March, 2011, and said, "Hey, we should form a blog." <br />
<br />
It's a little ironic that my decision to co-chair LCC 2015—and take on those huge responsibilities—finally led me to realize I didn't have the time and energy to support the blog the way I used to. My fellow bloggers have been feeling the same pinch. The fiction market is insanely competitive, and almost everyone feels like they can't write novels fast enough to make a living or spend the time they should to make their books visible. <br />
<br />
So something had to give for most of us. But we plan to stay in touch with each other and our readers. You can find us all online, blogging at our own websites and interacting on Facebook and other social media.<br />
<br />
Thanks, everyone, for your terrific support of Crime Fiction Collective. We've enjoyed all the comments and discussions, and have learned a lot from you along the way. Our lives are richer because of the new friendships this blog brought us.<br />
<br />
We hope you'll all stay in touch. Happy reading!L.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-84443623111380387502014-04-25T07:38:00.001-07:002014-04-25T12:15:03.048-07:00Has the FCC Lost Its Mind?<i>By L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBAJUQZg4Owi9kX48rzE7WLMJQaRliGJeJ68kV7o_CgQ6HaFvukw0nFtTZf2EVReLrwRr7anD6RkxYmRdBgiwvH_WIORr-Vo8OcBE5lb9c5AnyMXzIHEIQrLWKaVU2kw2QgY7I9oEdjk/s1600/internet+world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBAJUQZg4Owi9kX48rzE7WLMJQaRliGJeJ68kV7o_CgQ6HaFvukw0nFtTZf2EVReLrwRr7anD6RkxYmRdBgiwvH_WIORr-Vo8OcBE5lb9c5AnyMXzIHEIQrLWKaVU2kw2QgY7I9oEdjk/s1600/internet+world.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://gigaom.com/2014/04/24/is-net-neutrality-dying-has-the-fcc-killed-it-what-comes-next-heres-what-you-need-to-know/">Net neutrality</a> is a simple concept—we all have equal access to the internet. Yet the underlying structure is complex, and recent FCC proposals could negatively affect us all. Particularly authors who depend on internet exposure to make a living. <br />
<br />
The latest proposal: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/24/technology/fcc-new-net-neutrality-rules.html" target="_blank">The FCC wants to allow</a> networks and carriers (Comcast!) to create fast lanes, in which certain content providers who pay for the privilege are given preferential treatment. Internet service providers (ISPs) have wanted this for a long time because it gives them the ability to speed up or slow down traffic to certain websites and increase their profit.<br />
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Essentially, those who can pay (Google, YouTube, Amazon) will get faster service and more internet visibility, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-huttler/net-neutrality-artists_b_4673617.html">and those who can’t (individuals, startups, artists)</a> will be left with crumbs. Even without digging into specific examples, this seems inherently wrong. According to an article in the <i>Huffington Post,</i> “the net effect will be to tie creators to a small number of large platforms, reduce the choice and leverage of independent artists relative to corporate media, and make it harder for new or marginalized voices to be heard.”<br />
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And when you consider that <a href="http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2014/04/22/why-the-feds-should-block-comcasts-merger-with-time-warner-cable/">Comcast is about to merge with Time Warner</a> to become a major ISP and is the only ISP available in certain areas, the idea of giving Comcast even more control of the internet seems like a really bad idea. Concentrating power in the hands of a few is always dangerous. <br />
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This isn't just about myself as an author/entrepreneur, but as a consumer with a curious intellect who wants to be able to access a vast array of ideas on the internet—with equal speed.<br />
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The FCC seems to have lost its mind on both decisions. My personal opinion it that it should block the merger and drop the fast-lane idea. Consumers, who depend on the internet for information, social networking, and many purchases (books!), need a choice of providers and a level playing field.L.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-89431691126280044962014-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-24T00:00:13.226-07:00Taking bets on horses<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>By Gayle Carline</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Mystery Author and Horse Show Competitor</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While you are reading this, I am in Burbank, California at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. I've been there since 6:30 in the morning, which meant I had to get up at 5 a.m. to dress and make the hour-long drive from my house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have I ever told you I'm not a morning person?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dUYek_KVXMfdcOyYB6bQYX09uwecgYOsQsoEaUYx7m5pLsTHN1sB3I92ZA3nsWIw7fe5aXGFwD7QR1sI-zYfszMjO7qgXe6OA3U-4-MgIJZphPpMn1Fzut-2vrN7-9YmhWwxZCn1f-YY/s1600/crab.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dUYek_KVXMfdcOyYB6bQYX09uwecgYOsQsoEaUYx7m5pLsTHN1sB3I92ZA3nsWIw7fe5aXGFwD7QR1sI-zYfszMjO7qgXe6OA3U-4-MgIJZphPpMn1Fzut-2vrN7-9YmhWwxZCn1f-YY/s1600/crab.JPG" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me before coffee.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I hate getting up early, I love showing my horse. It's a kind of quiet excitement at the show. You wait for your class, then you hurry up and get you and your horse ready, then you get to the arena and warm-up. Then you wait until your number is called and you perform for the judges. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5o-FI4n7FqF3rzV6gU0nVjWi8ECGQnNMBB6RGJlbTz5VuBRYHqK-iXo4UFKzzaKFD-zJWDu7qXfoZwaMrVeC103TpOOQgzr6KwV9yX1elpiT8d-AK4xUlK5SPYsiYz1xU3U34SlXGn4a/s1600/2012-04-19+13.25.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5o-FI4n7FqF3rzV6gU0nVjWi8ECGQnNMBB6RGJlbTz5VuBRYHqK-iXo4UFKzzaKFD-zJWDu7qXfoZwaMrVeC103TpOOQgzr6KwV9yX1elpiT8d-AK4xUlK5SPYsiYz1xU3U34SlXGn4a/s1600/2012-04-19+13.25.31.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Snoopy at the Del Mar Arena</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's about two hours' worth of work for a three-minute ride. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many people have a narrow vision of horse riding. They think jumping is the only equine sport (not true), and that everyone wants to ride their horse in a parade (also not true). When I told one woman that I show my horse, she actually said, "Like in the circus?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Really not true.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt98AixR5YfO_vJeOEtGzSnPSuTSturJ-i8-MvL9V-IoqJ6t3-vvX_HKUrmgpL83gpsjZyMn3nX2w9F8K4IRE4lpaWvyQ_0ByMeU9IHJN3Uhv1gE8_kdpDoxgLG9OwHx5f-tty_NOMR98K/s1600/DelMarCC001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt98AixR5YfO_vJeOEtGzSnPSuTSturJ-i8-MvL9V-IoqJ6t3-vvX_HKUrmgpL83gpsjZyMn3nX2w9F8K4IRE4lpaWvyQ_0ByMeU9IHJN3Uhv1gE8_kdpDoxgLG9OwHx5f-tty_NOMR98K/s1600/DelMarCC001.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not jumping, not parading, not in the circus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two types of horse shows. One is a breed show, like Arabian or Quarter horses. At breed shows, there are many types of events, and you can show your horse in any of them. Your only requirements are that you have proof that your horse is registered as that breed, and that you are a member of the breed's organization. The other kind of show is purely an organization show. You must belong to the organization, but they don't care what kind of horse you have. These shows are typically, but not always, event-driven, like jumping or dressage. Think Olympics. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MURDER ON THE HOOF, my latest mystery/romantic-suspense is set at an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) horse show. It will be released in May and I am both excited and frightened. Not a lot of folks are into the equine world, and maybe a romance combined with murder and mystery and secrets galore will not be enough to coax non-horsey people to enter my world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still, I am in love with the story and I will remain its loyal servant. I think it's the perfect horse story for people who aren't into horses - all the excitement with none of the smells.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a snippet to whet your appetite. You can read more on May 21 (for Kindle), or order it in paperback on May 24.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* * * * *</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Willie
felt the push of the mare’s rising back end, then the upward roll of her
shoulders. In a few strides, Belle settled into a gentle rocking-horse rhythm.
Willie kept her butt digging into the saddle, her left hand trying not to pull
up on the reins, and her right hand trying to stay on her leg. Every four
strides or so, she reminded herself to breathe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It takes a lot of work to look this relaxed,</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> she thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
was a cluster of young riders at the end of the arena, sitting around on their
horses and talking. Not certain if there was room to pass, and not wanting to
disturb them, Willie turned across the arena early. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Hey,
watch out,” a man’s voice barked at her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">She
looked up to see the same man who’d nearly run into Emily, now barreling toward
her like a freight train. Her first impulse was to stop. She raised the reins
and breathed, “Ho,” but saw that she was stopping in his direct path. Her
second reaction was pure adrenalin—she kicked the mare, who leaped forward and
took off running. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All
thoughts of how to ride disappeared from Willie’s brain. She braced her weight
into her stirrups and pulled on the reins. The effect was not what she wanted.
Belle raised her head and yanked forward, adding a hopping motion to her
gallop. Willie grabbed the horn, trying to push herself back into the saddle.
Her body shifted to the right with each bump. The rapid jostling kept her
powerless to either stop the horse or get back in the middle of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Damned if I’m gonna come off</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. With one final thrust, she shoved her body
left and down. Belle slowed for a moment, allowing Willie to bend her knees and
sit back. The pair settled to a stop. What felt like a ten-minute nightmare was
probably not even worth a rodeo’s eight seconds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Willie
let out a deep sigh and looked down at Belle’s head. Tyler and Emily were
already at her side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’m
so—” Willie began, then choked on the word “sorry.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m such an idiot.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s
not your fault,” Emily said, helping her off the horse. “Bobby Fermino is a
horse’s ass.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
golden horse trotted over to them, carrying the smiling Bobby. “I’m so sorry.
Are you okay, Miss…?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike
Tyler, his dark eyes bored into her with an intimacy she did not welcome.
“Willie,” she managed to force out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Emily
scolded him. “Bobby, you’ve really got to be aware of other riders. My client
is a novice, trying out a new horse.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Again,
my apologies, Willie.” Turning to Emily, he added, “Perhaps you should find a
quieter arena for your less experienced riders. Are you horse shopping? I have
a little gelding with me that might be more suitable for such a petite lady.”
He looked at Willie again and smiled, then called out, “Denny, get the roan
out.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">She
glanced over at the side of the arena. A dark-eyed, tanned young man in skinny
jeans and a fitted olive green T-shirt nodded, then hopped into a golf cart and
headed toward the barns. Denny, no doubt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 9pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bobby
wheeled his horse around and galloped across the arena, cutting off another
rider. Willie turned to Emily.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
feel so stupid.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Don’t.
He took you by surprise. Yeah, you could have done a lot of things better, but
at least you stayed on.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Barely.”
Willie sighed. “I just didn’t want to come off, not in front of these people.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Especially not in front of Tyler Handsome.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Emily
put her arm around Willie’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “There’s a Mexican
proverb—‘It’s not enough for a man to know to ride; he must know how to fall.’”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">* * * * *</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BeeTeeDubs, the show I'll be at is called the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. Bill Shatner will be there - it's cool!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Gayle Carlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-17967117255755771512014-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-23T00:00:05.449-07:00Thank Goodness For The Fairer Sex<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>by Michael W. Sherer, thriller author</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are hundreds of reasons I love women, but one of the
most important is how much smarter they are than men. (Unfortunately, too many
women don’t give themselves credit for it, and more unfortunately most men will
never admit it.) I believe one of the reasons they’re smarter is because they
read more than men do. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The statistics are out for 2013, and once again women
surpassed men in the number of books they read. According to <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/16/a-snapshot-of-reading-in-america-in-2013/">Pew Research</a>, 76
percent of all adult Americans (18 and over) read at least one book last year.
But that breaks down to about 69 percent of men and 82 percent of women. </div>
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Not only are more women reading than men, they also read at
greater rates than men do. The average number of books read by all adults last
year was 12, and the median number was five (meaning half of all adults read
more than five and half read less). Both numbers are higher if you include only
adults who read at least one book—a mean of 16 books and a median of 7. But
here again, women outpaced men by a substantial margin. Women read an average
of 14 books, compared to 10 for men. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqXzpB2TdyNxYLNWFbUWGxlFXQQ808WhbkM38EO-wRSsEGDDAsezH7ds8HBNK4odeXwtvYJzkNRUp5UC7AaW2WAeWWxy76wtB7r2xhIg8k9T_27VwqnF17ottvRl6a_tFr9EZ2bZEjOot/s1600/e-readers7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqXzpB2TdyNxYLNWFbUWGxlFXQQ808WhbkM38EO-wRSsEGDDAsezH7ds8HBNK4odeXwtvYJzkNRUp5UC7AaW2WAeWWxy76wtB7r2xhIg8k9T_27VwqnF17ottvRl6a_tFr9EZ2bZEjOot/s1600/e-readers7.jpg" height="640" width="491" /></a></div>
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And all the talk about readers forsaking print books for
e-books is just that—talk. The research says that 69 percent of adults read a
book in print form, 28 percent read one in e-format, and 14 percent listened to
an audiobook. But while the number of books read in e-format increased last
year, people are still reading books in print; only five percent of people who
read a book last year said they read an e-book without reading a print book. At
least 87 percent of those who read an e-book also read book in print, and 35
percent of print book readers also read a book in e-format. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwl6z4Ho5UQBEZ9u54Tlury3yjRcNc6kGvRllJj0sZ276P4tMS8-iFBaUuGwqxlRhIeBRHDMuwn1EhfH-_rQFU-vl4xgyklGcpo98AVmtzfVJAsQ0iBQbcP0nBamuX3jlMgEqNpTHlmJ4/s1600/e-readers9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwl6z4Ho5UQBEZ9u54Tlury3yjRcNc6kGvRllJj0sZ276P4tMS8-iFBaUuGwqxlRhIeBRHDMuwn1EhfH-_rQFU-vl4xgyklGcpo98AVmtzfVJAsQ0iBQbcP0nBamuX3jlMgEqNpTHlmJ4/s1600/e-readers9.jpg" height="640" width="441" /></a></div>
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Some authors are also voracious readers. I’m one of them, so
I wouldn’t be one of the “typical” Americans surveyed by the research company.
But I know that my reading volume pales in comparison to that of many women,
particularly fans of the mystery and thriller genres. And though the research
doesn’t touch on genres, I’d be willing to bet that women’s reading interests
are much broader than men’s, too. No wonder they’re smarter than we are!</div>
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Obviously, building readership is important to authors like
me. Sometimes I wonder if that’s an uphill battle because of the way reader numbers
skew by gender. With fewer men reading books than women, it’s more difficult to
“acquire” a male fan. I think men are more likely to read books written by men
(again, I think I’m atypical in that I enjoy books by women with female
protagonists as much or more than the opposite). On the other hand, because
women are more willing to read a broader range of books from different points
of view, perhaps that offsets the lower number of male readers there are from
which to draw. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Things could be worse—a lot worse. A <a href="http://readingagency.org.uk/">Reading Agency</a> study in
Britain conducted by OnePoll found that <a href="http://www.thebookseller.com/news/reading-agency-survey-finds-63-men-rarely-read.html">63 percent of British men don’t read asmuch as they think they should</a>, and 46 percent said they read less than they
did in the past. Worse, 75 percent would rather see a film or television
adaptation than read the book. (The numbers for women were the opposite—75
percent said they’d rather read a book than see a movie or TV adaptation.)
Worst of all, 30 percent of British men admit they haven’t picked up a book
since required to in school. </div>
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Readers, how do you stack up against these numbers? What
types of books do you like to read, and in what formats?</div>
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Personally, I’m raising a glass to women everywhere. Keep
reading, ladies.</div>
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<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael W. Sherer is
the author of </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nrzlp6x">Night Tide</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, the second novel in the Blake Sanders
thriller series. The first in the Seattle-based series,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Blind-Michael-W-Sherer-ebook/dp/B008K7WSEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392182890&sr=1-1&keywords=night+blind">Night Blind</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2013. His other books
include the award-winning Emerson Ward mystery series, the stand-alone suspense
novel,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Island-Life-Michael-W-Sherer-ebook/dp/B001OQCLD8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392182920&sr=1-2&keywords=island+life">Island Life</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, and the Tess Barrett YA thriller series.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He and his family now
reside in the Seattle area. Please visit him at www.michaelwsherer.com or you
can follow him on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor"><span style="color: #0028f4;">www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor</span></a> and on Twitter
@MysteryNovelist.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Michael W. Shererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01359437241079384725noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-61721195873765705132014-04-21T23:54:00.000-07:002014-04-22T00:00:24.433-07:00When multitasking is not your forté<i>by A.M. Khalifa, thriller writer, <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/113133881159414173818?rel=author">Google+</a></b></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This is my last post as a regular contributor to Crime Fiction Collective for now. Thank you<a href="http://ljsellers.com/"> L.J.</a>, <a href="http://pegbrantley.com/">Peg </a>and others for hosting me, and <a href="http://www.jodierennerediting.com/">Jodie </a>for inviting me in the first place. The experience has been tremendous, and I would strongly recommend group blogging as a fun and interactive way to engage with savvy readers and talented writers. But being the great multi-tasker that I am <i>not</i>, I am stepping aside to focus on reigning in my numerous wayward writing projects. I am working on the last installment in a collection of romantic suspense shorts about strong women struggling to find their place in life. And not one but two full length novels this year, one of which is the sequel to my critically acclaimed debut, <i><b><a href="http://liten.us/kindle">Terminal Rage</a></b></i>. I will be blogging erratically on my site, so you can join the conversation <a href="http://amkhalifa.com/?cat=39"><b>here</b></a>. And you know how writers love seeing their email list swell, so do sign up below to my newsletter for periodic updates on my writing adventure.<br />
<br />
I leave you with two short clips from London and Sydney exploring with members of the public what the title <i>Terminal Rage</i> conjures up in their mind.<br />
<br />
Goodbye for now, but I am sure you will be seeing me around these parts, popping up every now and then. Thank you again for a wonderful run!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/92159487?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/91929993?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<br />
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My romantic suspense, <i>The Italian Laundromat </i>is currently discounted at 99 cents on <a href="http://www.liten.us/italian"><b>Amazon</b></a>!</div>
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<a href="http://liten.us/novel" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnAgvGf5LufE1w5WqPh0NQsKIrzVlZSp7X_EZDAlo8_QArZr5TiiCD4sBkJZ3SZY5efFSVzsA_tkPs5aMD95vuOhyDse44xzUbSYDSDvs_TGEKP4CuS0F6rXInEzZTSyJTP3p7dxXWzsw/s320/cover_terminall_rage.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><br />
<i>A.M. Khalifa's critically acclaimed debut novel, <a href="http://www.liten.us/kindle"><b>Terminal Rage</b></a>, was recently described by Publishers Weekly as "dizzying, intricate, and entertaining." </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Foreword Clarion says, "Khalifa manages to pull off something that is often difficult to do in the crime-thriller genre—he keeps the novel unpredictable and lays out a plot so twisted that the puzzle picture morphs as more pieces are added."</i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>The ebook version of Terminal Rage is available for $2.99 on <a href="http://liten.us/kindle"><b>Amazon</b></a>.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17818121320817907764noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-61297720664315061172014-04-21T03:00:00.000-07:002014-04-21T03:00:12.157-07:00Ruthless People<a href="http://us.macmillan.com/book.aspx?isbn=9780765333544" target="_blank">Blood Always Tells</a> by Hilary Davidson (Forge hardcover, 15 April 2014).<br />
<br />
Dominique Monaghan finds out that her married lover is cheating on both her <i>and</i> his wife, and decides to get even by blackmailing him. Her plan is to confront him when they are at Gary's country home for the weekend, but before she can do it, they are both kidnapped.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iMpgkUEk65rQmaAKA4PlmLC_mj8ruhHplgEfvNaPLymyJo7PTErVlt7z_bO4IEqMeoqLrr_SOAfYXn9fm0z0_yW3ptmtIcJA5T6D07VEgW3DC9akj8zY3UO0l6Xg1RF_dLbVckFnZyXt/s1600/shapeimage_7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iMpgkUEk65rQmaAKA4PlmLC_mj8ruhHplgEfvNaPLymyJo7PTErVlt7z_bO4IEqMeoqLrr_SOAfYXn9fm0z0_yW3ptmtIcJA5T6D07VEgW3DC9akj8zY3UO0l6Xg1RF_dLbVckFnZyXt/s1600/shapeimage_7.png" height="200" width="132" /></a>The kidnappers load them into the back of a van and drive for a few hours. They end up at an isolated house that looks creepy enough to be haunted. Dominique and Gary are forced inside and shut in separate rooms. But Dominique is nothing if not resourceful, and she manages to steal a cell-phone long enough to call her big brother Desmond.<br />
<br />
Desmond is the quintessential Good Guy and spends a lot of time volunteering for Causes. He feels like he's been cleaning up Dominique's messes forever. He happens to be on a date when he talks to his sister, and when he hears her convoluted tale he rushes off to find her. <br />
<br />
But what he discovers when he arrives creates more questions than answers, and he ends up on a lengthy quest that involves multiple law enforcement agencies, a couple of shady lawyers, and Gary's wealthy socialite wife. <br />
<br />
The plot of this standalone contains many twists, but it's not unwieldy. It's a different type of novel than Davidson's <i>Lily Moore</i> series, but still gripping and suspenseful. You may find yourself reading long into the night rather than put this book down.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the author for the Advance Reading Copy.</i><br />
<br />MarlynBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604302308775920829noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-36620072700211878822014-04-18T01:00:00.000-07:002014-04-18T01:00:06.086-07:00Finalist is Fabulous<i>by Peg Brantley</i><br />
<i>Evocative Characters. Intriguing Crime. Compelling Stories.</i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOyHCcV7qGHGa3TuelrI1_ZdhsBHjW25iaMwZMktwB2h8O7NYEeY4FALy7I1Wu21bmmGYgCIly8ZR3dAQsStPhUMF7NNsaDafP_uXHPSyXRet_TZVhWvrokGm8GNRfym8dsJsNKacmMmf/s1600/THE+SACRIFICEeBook+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOyHCcV7qGHGa3TuelrI1_ZdhsBHjW25iaMwZMktwB2h8O7NYEeY4FALy7I1Wu21bmmGYgCIly8ZR3dAQsStPhUMF7NNsaDafP_uXHPSyXRet_TZVhWvrokGm8GNRfym8dsJsNKacmMmf/s1600/THE+SACRIFICEeBook+copy.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SACRIFICE-Peg-Brantley-ebook/dp/B00G2UGUV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397700721&sr=1-1&keywords=peg+brantley" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Amazon</b></span></a><br />
or your neighborhood bookstore,<br />
including <a href="http://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9780985363857" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Tattered Cover</b></span></a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
Well. Now that I'm here, what can I say?<br />
<br />
The last couple of weeks have been pretty huge for me (nothing compared to the other writers on this blog, but still) and I was looking forward to sharing the news with everyone at CFC—but now that I'm actually writing this post I'm suddenly shy.<br />
<br />
<i>Huh? Just go already...</i><br />
<br />
Okay. I found out while LoML and I were on our road trip, post-(the fabulous) Left Coast Crime, that <i>The Sacrifice </i>was a finalist in the Adult Fiction category for the<span style="color: blue;"> </span><b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.coloradoauthors.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Colorado Authors' League</span> </a></span></b>awards.<br />
<br />
Cool, right?<br />
<br />
So I arrive home and realize that on May 14th I'll be doing a joint presentation with <a href="http://www.jennymilchman.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Jenny Milchman</span></b></a> at <a href="http://www.tatteredcover.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Tattered Cover Book Store</b></span>.</a> Jenny's book, <i>Cover of Snow</i>, is a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark award (which is a way big deal, a part of the<a href="http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: blue;"><b>Edgars</b></span></a> and everything) and is also nominated for a <a href="http://www.deadlypleasures.com/news.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Barry Award</span></b></a>. Obviously, Jenny is no slouch. Suddenly I feel like maybe I'm pulling my weight (at least a little) for our Tattered Cover gig.<br />
<br />
And wouldn't it be extra cool if I actually had some books to sell when we were there?<br />
<br />
Long story short(er), just prior to submitting <i>The Sacrifice</i> for vetting via Tattered Cover I received this email:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;">Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book is pleased to announce that your entry, </span><b style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;">The Sacrifice,</b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;"> has been selected as a finalist in the 2014 <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_25553582/2014-colorado-book-awards-finalists-named" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Colorado Book Awards </b></span></a></span><b style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;">Suspense/Thriller Genre Fiction</b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;"> category.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
An exciting thing with the Colorado Book Awards is that they're announced in June at the <a href="http://www.hoteljerome.aubergeresorts.com/" target="_blank"><b>Hotel Jerome</b></a> in Aspen, a locale that plays a part in my stories.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty pumped.Peg Brantleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-28057276840517164542014-04-17T03:00:00.000-07:002014-04-17T03:00:01.304-07:00April is Child Abuse Prevention Month<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">In 1983 April was proclaimed Child
Abuse Prevention Month by the president. I don’t know how April was chosen but
it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that we have a month where there is
an extra effort made to stop this awful behavior that is so rampant in our
society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD3GzVWNs2CboPOg2f32ooicI2za3rjScb__JmRxXRwNoCOX0PW4EB845ufo30J0HYimWyoTDkYm19QOhk1xmGuVaN8lOtObayG_MAdCdFhV_jtG4v3lGtZ-MYeifpYJ2VkdtJVKIY79Y/s1600/k12443790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD3GzVWNs2CboPOg2f32ooicI2za3rjScb__JmRxXRwNoCOX0PW4EB845ufo30J0HYimWyoTDkYm19QOhk1xmGuVaN8lOtObayG_MAdCdFhV_jtG4v3lGtZ-MYeifpYJ2VkdtJVKIY79Y/s1600/k12443790.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">According to <span style="color: #e30011; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb" target="_blank">Children’s Bureau</a></span> (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) there were
686,000 children abused or neglected in the fifty U.S. states, DC, and Puerto
Rico. Of those, 1640 died. Many of those could have been prevented with good
community programs in place such as early childhood development programs,
parental support, and maternal mental health.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">The <span style="color: #e30011; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/" target="_blank">Child Welfare Information Gateway</a></span>
provides some good information on how to help your community prevent child
abuse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">This is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. I
have spent a great deal of my life fighting this battle. I worked as a child
advocate for many years and I continue to do what I can to prevent child abuse.
This is a cause you can join as well. Many businesses are joining this fight,
and for those of you who can, getting personally involved is the best way.
There’s a wonderful program called Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
that offers hands on volunteer work through the juvenile court system. It’s a
great way to provide direct help to abused children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">So, what does this have to do with writing? Writing about
the juvenile court system is what I have done for the past ten years. I write
mysteries to entertain. I chose the subject matter not only because I have
first hand knowledge of it, but also because I hope to raise awareness of the
problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Writers: Do you include tidbits (or vast amounts) of
information that help educate the reader?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Readers: Do you read novels for pure enjoyment or do you
hope to glean some knowledge from your fiction as well?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><i>Teresa Burrell</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><i>Author of The Advocate Series</i></span></div>
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Teresa Burrell, Author, Attorney, Advocatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00008721460499855699noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-50628119799703623192014-04-16T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-16T01:51:00.550-07:00New Non-Scientific Information About Not Good Enough Syndrome<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<o:p><i>By Andrew E. Kaufman, author of psychological thrillers </i></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUf6ZpBXHWNWlEKGh2OmTJ8F1oEiYNxWi3vllzgCUkGIcSgbwPCwZ-zSYjLed_wMD3pB5LrGA3iiXKhRc_Nu3rFy1NmR2ESemo8WMnvzZg3gB0EitlGvN0PCdCUYbh1jRE6CqnCn7_ws/s1600/headshot+cfc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWUf6ZpBXHWNWlEKGh2OmTJ8F1oEiYNxWi3vllzgCUkGIcSgbwPCwZ-zSYjLed_wMD3pB5LrGA3iiXKhRc_Nu3rFy1NmR2ESemo8WMnvzZg3gB0EitlGvN0PCdCUYbh1jRE6CqnCn7_ws/s1600/headshot+cfc2.jpg" height="200" width="171" /></a>I’m reaching a point in my current manuscript where I feel
as though I’m starting to get a handle on things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Well, that’s a relative term.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One never truly has a <i>handle
on things</i> when one suffers from what is known as Not Good Enough Syndrome. You may have heard of this
affliction. It’s non-specific, widely undocumented, and for the most part,
difficult to diagnose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Symptoms may include:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Self doubt</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Self-loathing</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Second-guessing everything.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Not liking anything.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Lack of inspiration, ideas, or sanity.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Isolated episodes of global panic (with intermittent
aspirations of world-building).</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Private, self-contained tantrums, which can range in
severity.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> </o:p>And there are subcategories, and of course, I have a few of
those as well. Currently I’m in the throes of, There Aren’t Enough Damned
Twists in this Book! (Yes! There is an actual exclamation point at the end! A
demarcation of severity!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are how my symptoms express themselves: If you have a
thriller, then you’ve got to have twists. The problem—at least for me—is they
never come easily. Hard as I try, I’m never able to simply think those up. Usually,
they must arrive on their own terms.
What this means is, there’s a lot of waiting. Some non-secular praying
to nobody in particular. Perhaps what might even resemble a highly specialized, ancient ritual (translation:
A lot of stomping and often loud, nonverbal communication).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is my process, and as weird as it might be, and as hard
as I’ve tried to change it, I’ve come to accept that I can’t. In some ways, I suppose, this has benefits,
because it doesn’t often allow me the luxury of resting on my laurels—that’s
another condition known as, Good Enough Syndrome (or in the layman’s
vernacular, Just Plain Lazy).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what’s the prognosis? The treatment? How does one manage
such seemingly unmanageable symptoms? After years of intensive study and
observation, I’ve found a few tactics.
Just in case you, or someone you love, suffers, I’ll share my detailed
and highly non-scientific findings:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>Allow the ideas and words to come,
and DON’T PANIC when they won’t—they will. They always do.</li>
<li>Know that the harder the struggle
(and if you don’t give up) the better the work.</li>
<li>Never (Never!) compare your work
to someone else’s. You are not them, and they are not you. Doing this will only
take you to the Dark Place. I’ve been there. Trust me, It’s ugly.</li>
<li>Exercise will clear the cobwebs
and help hasten the muse.</li>
<li>Externalizing your thought process
is like breathing fresh air. It can be as easy has having someone sit and
listen while you ramble on.</li>
<li>Music can stir the emotions and ignite ideas in
ways few other things can.</li>
<li>Understand that anxiety will
distort things and take you to Crazy Town.
Another ugly place.</li>
<li>When you’ve reached a clear
impasse, it’s time to stop.</li>
<li>Don’t forget why you write.</li>
</ul>
Back to work for me.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Onward, brave soldiers.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->ANDREW E. KAUFMANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835920472268730244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-55020504030975913852014-04-15T00:13:00.003-07:002014-04-15T00:17:06.252-07:00Book Festivals — do you or don’t you?<br />
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Sheila Lowe, mystery author and forensic handwriting examiner</div>
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Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the LA Times Festival of Books, dividing my time between Mystery Ink bookstore and Sisters in Crime/LA. The weather was blessedly cool—in past years the Festival has been held on the last weekend of April, when it’s already warming up, but with Passover sharing that weekend at times, the dates have shifted. In any case, there seemed to be a host of people pushing strollers, walking around, checking out the many booths and listening to speakers on various stages. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT4tBDNa0U4A-jiDzltRIwfT_WaJrmakeXQPEvdis_kqAis7KS-TKf8oz9B449q39Snez7x5F8SAIBZSvfdn2-sWzP2x1N7y9RiOHUKE6Dy4JEl2KCCAMHkV1w5jYbb7zxpjjzNk8Szen/s1600/sheila7%252Bsmall.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="GCUXF0KCCDB" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT4tBDNa0U4A-jiDzltRIwfT_WaJrmakeXQPEvdis_kqAis7KS-TKf8oz9B449q39Snez7x5F8SAIBZSvfdn2-sWzP2x1N7y9RiOHUKE6Dy4JEl2KCCAMHkV1w5jYbb7zxpjjzNk8Szen/s220/sheila7+small.jpg" /></a>Certainly, TC Boyle, who signed next to me in the 11-12 hour, had a long line of fans waiting to get his autograph. TC was new to me, but it turns out he’s written a lot of popular books. He had a kind of rangy Mick Jagger rock star look as he stood in front of the booth, meeting and greeting his readers without the table blocking them from him. Unlike some other well-known authors with whom I’ve shared table space at similar events (e.g., like the one who left in a huff because the folding chair didn't suit), I appreciated that when his line ebbed, TC took the time to introduce himself to Cara and me and shake hands.<br />
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Seated on my other side was the always charming Cara Black, who was generous enough to talk up my books as well as her own when visitors stopped by to look at what we were offering. One of the pleasures of signing books at festivals is meeting authors you admire, for their work and/or as people.<br />
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In my second stint of the day, at the SinC/LA booth, I sat between Mar Preston, whom I had met a couple of years ago at Derek Pacifico’s Homicide School for Writers, and Laurie Stevens, who brought us chocolate. We liked her a lot.<br />
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A couple of young men (20s) stopped by and asked what Sisters in Crime was. “Nuns with bad habits,” I cracked. Luckily, they had a sense of humor and got the joke. Both said they enjoyed mysteries and we each gave them our elevator pitch. They didn’t buy any books for us to sign, but they took our bookmarks, so I’m hoping maybe they’ll download the e-versions. Besides, I’m just happy to see young people reading mystery. Or reading anything.<br />
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The next visitors made my day by getting excited to see my current book, WHAT SHE SAW, and to learn that INKSLINGERS BALL is being released on June 10th. They encouraged me to write faster and I invited them to my book launch party.<br />
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I can’t say I signed a huge number of books yesterday, but enough to justify the 120 mile round trip and $10 parking fee. There have been years when I signed more books at a festival, but I keep showing up because you never know who you’ll meet, or what your presence might mean to someone else. Is it worth it? You tell me. What’s your perception of big public events like these? Do you sign a lot of books? As a reader, do you buy books at festivals? Is it important to you to have the author sign? I’m interested in your take.
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I often get asked whether I project my own personality onto that of my fictional characters or even give them traits that I wished I possessed. I normally say no. But I believe the answer is more complex than a simple yea or nay. <br />
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Consider Lucas Soul, the protagonist of <i>Soul Meaning</i> (Seventeen Book #1). He is warm, kind, honest, stubborn, self-sacrificing, and has a dry sense of humor. As one reviewer described him, he’s a quiet kinda guy, with an undercurrent of pure steel. Although Lucas is a great fighter, he only does so when challenged and in self-defense. <br />
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Do I want to be Lucas Soul? No. Does he share some of my traits? Yes. The warmth, the kindness, and the sense of humor. <br />
<br />
Alexa King, the protagonist of <i>King’s Crusade</i> (Seventeen Book #2), is another kettle of fish. She is cold (to start off with), ruthless, focused, and would just as well kill you as look at you. She is the ultimate warrior and likes nothing better than being in a fight ring with someone who can challenge her physically. <br />
<br />
Do I want to be Alexa King? No. Quite frankly, she scares the bejeezus out of me. Does she share any of my traits? Yes. The focus, the fighting spirit, and the determination to win. <br />
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I do not write myself into any of my characters. Not deliberately anyway. But I probably do so subconsciously to some extent. I know I respect all the above traits in my protagonists because I see them as positive attributes. <br />
<br />
I also know that there are certain things I wouldn’t let my protagonists do, because I personally couldn’t/wouldn’t do those very things. I’m not talking stuff like kicking the bad guys’ asses and even killing them (Lord knows there’s plenty of that in my books!), but instead things like cruelty to children and animals, racism, dishonesty for reasons of self-interest (I do tell the occasional white lie when the situation calls for it), sexual discrimination, and others. <br />
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There have been times when I’ve paused in the middle of writing a scene and thought, ‘Nope, that’s not right. He/she would never say/do that,’ subconsciously meaning ‘I would never say/do that.’ <br />
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As fiction writers, it is our duty to write interesting, fun characters that our readers will root for. Ultimately, we want our readers to give a damn whether our protagonist lives or dies. But I do wonder how much of our personality bleeds into those of our protagonists. <br />
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I have no problem writing about the bad guys in my books. <i>Greene’s Calling</i> is the first novel where there are several scenes from the bad guys’ POV, which my editors and beta readers enjoyed immensely. There is one particularly vicious soul I thought I might struggle to portray, but her feelings actually came very easily to me. This did worry me slightly. <br />
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Coming at this from another angle then, do I bestow any of my negative personality traits, fears, and insecurities onto my protagonists? I suspect not. I don’t believe they would appeal to readers if I did. <br />
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I have yet to write an antihero. I think I would find the process quite challenging as I like my protagonists to “shine a light into the darkness," and not the other way around. I would have to dig deep to make my readers care for an antihero. Yet, I do like antiheroes. Edmund Blackadder, Dexter, Hannibal Lecter, Hellboy, Daryl Dixon, or even Spike of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame come to mind. Maybe it’s the “bad boy syndrome” that attracts readers to this type of character. Maybe it’s the deep-rooted human instinct to find a spark of goodness in everyone, to want to see such a character redeem him/herself through a selfless act of kindness, even if he/she is a monster. <br />
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For the writers among you, are there things that are a definite no-no for your characters? Or are you ruthless in what you would have them do for the sake of the plot?<br />
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Readers, do you think writers live vicariously through their protagonists? <br />
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<br />
<i>AD Starrling is the author of the award-winning and nominated supernatural thriller series Seventeen. She lives in England, where she spends her time writing fast-paced, action-packed thrillers, and juggling babies in the intensive care unit where she works as a part-time Pediatrician. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Soul Meaning (Seventeen Book #1) Second Edition and King’s Crusade (Seventeen Book #2) Revised Edition have just been released, with Greene’s Calling (Seventeen Book #3) scheduled for release in June 2014. </i>L.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-746836727043484952014-04-11T05:30:00.000-07:002014-04-11T06:01:59.040-07:00Anonymous Reviews Vs. Free Speech<i>by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers</i><br />
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Reviews are always a hot topic for authors and readers, but this <a href="http://on.wsj.com/1q677Dh" target="_blank">new legal development </a>could fundamentally change online reviews.<br />
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A business owner has sued for the right to see the names of anonymous online reviewers. The owner believes a rash of suddenly negative reviews came from competitors, because he can’t match their complaints and timing to his service records. The reviews hurt his business, and he sued them for defamation, demanding that <a href="http://www.yelp.com/" target="_blank">Yelp</a> turn over their identities.
Yelp has refused, claiming first amendment protection. The Virginia state supreme court will decide the case this month.<br />
<br />
I’m rooting for the business owner. A good friend lost half her business after one bad posting on <a href="http://www.ripoffreport.com/" target="_blank">Ripoff Report</a>, in which the reviewer used a phony name and made false claims—after she gave him his money back. As an author, I’m never going to sue any reviewers, but wouldn’t it be nice if they couldn’t hide behind fake internet names?<br />
<br />
I expect readers to disagree, and I understand why anonymity seems important to them. Because I know so many writers personally, I don’t feel comfortable reviewing most books. But I also never use a made-up persona either. For anything. I stand by my words.<br />
<br />
Consumer reviews have become very powerful in influencing buying decisions, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/business/theres-power-in-all-those-user-reviews.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20131208" target="_blank">subverting the power that marketers</a> once had. Overall, I believe this is a good thing for all of us.<br />
<br />
Yet, both authors and readers have abused the ability to post anonymous reviews. Some authors have used it to promote their own work and to trash their competitors. Readers have used it to complain about a book’s price with one-star reviews, and some just spew negativity and hatred wherever they go.<br />
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For me, the issue is opinion versus false claims. When someone reads a book and honestly hates it, they have a right to say so. But so many reviews, particularly of products and services, go beyond opinion and make false claims. Don’t those authors or small businesses have a right to counter those claims? Doesn’t the reviewer have an obligation to support those claims—if challenged?<br />
<br />
I’ve gotten to the point that I rarely read my reviews, because so many are filled with false statements or misinformation. The characters’ names might be wrong. Actions and events are often associated with the wrong character or they are simply not from my story. These are often the good reviews! And every author has reviews where it’s clear the person never read the story. But I don't meant to disparage all reviewers! Many are thoughtful and careful, and for me, most have been supportive.<br />
<br />
Still, I’m hoping the court decides that Yelp needs to turn over the reviewers’ identity. If it does, a precedent will be set, and more and more businesses will demand that negative/false reviewers produce documentation. That should lead to more and more transparency in online reviews—as the trolls realize they could be identified and held accountable.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Does the first amendment guarantee our right to anonymous free speech or just free speech?
L.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-27934525145045567572014-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-10T00:00:07.116-07:00Speak up!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>By Gayle Carline</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Mystery Author and Chatty Gal</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a confession to make. I'm the president of the Orange County chapter of Sisters in Crime, and I was recently approached (via email) by someone looking for an author to come and speak to her group. I responded with a list of our local SinC authors and their websites, including my own. She asked some questions about my experience at speaking to groups, of which I've had quite a bit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The result was, even though I tried to point her toward our other authors, she contracted with me to come and speak. I feel guilty about this. No one else got the opportunity to talk to her about their abilities as a speaker. How else was she to choose someone?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I looked around. I know many of our authors are interesting and informative speakers. Many of them have a section on their websites featuring radio interviews, past and future appearances, etc. But no one has a section dedicated to "If You're Looking for a Speaker, Pick Me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, we are authors and want to spend our time <strike>authing</strike> writing. Most of us, unless we are one of the Big Names (<em>yes, Stephen King, I'm looking at you</em>), have to spend part of our time doing publicity for our books. Publicity involves introducing yourself and your books to strangers. This can include speaking to groups.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not trying to say that if you are painfully shy, you should suck it up and learn to speak publically. I'm just saying that if you like to talk to groups, or even don't mind talking to them, this is one more way to get your name known. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I contracted with this group, I immediately updated my webpage to add a <a href="http://gaylecarline.com/speakingteaching/" target="_blank">"Speaking/Teaching" page</a>. I listed all the topics I've spoken on (individually, not on panels), all the workshops I've taught, and references for each. I also included some video clips. Now I'm ready for anyone who might want me to come and talk, about writing, about my personal journeys, even about horses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you an author who likes to speak to groups? Do you have an easy way for groups to check you out? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who knows? Today, your local Rotary Club. Tomorrow, a TED talk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Gayle Carlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-43678134428345663892014-04-09T13:19:00.003-07:002014-04-09T13:19:53.127-07:00Dealing With Loss<i>by Michael W. Sherer, thriller author</i><br />
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My last post got me thinking a lot about loss and how we
deal with it. Loss is a part of life. It surrounds us. It’s always with us.
Sometimes it’s expected, and our lives are changed only a little by its impact.
At other times, it strikes like a lightning bolt out of a clear blue sky,
shocking us with its randomness and apparent cruelty.</div>
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During the past two weeks as recovery crews have dug through
mountains of mud looking for the remains of the Oso mudslide victims here in
Washington state. We’ve been inundated with images and stories of loss in the
media, and how the people of nearby towns of Darrington and Arlington are coping
with the enormity of what has happened to their lives. </div>
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Similar scenes have played out recently in Midwest towns hit
by tornadoes, in Malaysia as families still seek answers to what happened to
the Malaysia Air flight, in Chile where thousands were rocked by a huge
earthquake. And the list goes on.</div>
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The natural human inclination is to fight for a return to
normalcy, to get our lives back to some semblance of what they were before loss
or tragedy occurred. The people who seem to recover from loss the best and
thrive afterward are those who acknowledge the loss, find a way to work through
their grief, and fight the hardest to resume a normal life. </div>
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They may choose to become activists for a cause as a
result—the family of a breast cancer victim establishing a research fund, for
example. But it’s the resumption of a “normal” life that I think is important
here. Yesterday, for example, the Darrington, WA, high school baseball team had
its first game since the Oso mudslide, a sign of life returning to normal
despite tragedy (they won 7 to 3). </div>
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<br /></div>
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An inspirational example of this return to normal life is Amy
Purdy, the Paralympic snowboarder who’s appearing on “Dancing With the Stars”
these days. She lost both legs to meningitis, but has learned to function
“normally” with prosthetic legs. Man, can that girl dance! These are the heroic
stories that go unsung every day—the person who after being blinded in an
accident learns to get around perfectly well without sight; the cancer survivor
who returns to her family after beating the disease into remission and takes up
where she left off.</div>
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That’s not to say we aren’t affected by loss, even after
we’ve resumed a normal life. Then the question becomes how we incorporate that
loss into our new life. I’ve been wrestling with this question on two fronts
recently.</div>
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In my first Blake Sanders thriller, Blake is still grieving
the loss of his son a year after his son’s suicide. A reader told me he really
liked Night Blind, and he liked Blake as a hero, but he said, “You’re not going
to make him go through this again, are you? He’ll just be a kick-ass hero from
now on, right?”</div>
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How long does it take to get over the loss of someone you
love? I’ve heard it said that there’s no timetable for grief. It takes as long
as it takes. And my thought for Blake has always been that the effects of his
loss, while they will diminish over time, will always be with him. In the book
I’m working on now (#4), that grief is compounded by post traumatic stress
syndrome (PTSD) due to what he’s endured in the first three books. Too much?
Not if I want to create a three-dimensional hero, one who must overcome his own
frailties as well as the villainy he faces.</div>
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I’ve been confronting personal loss in my life as well, and
as things stand now, I can’t envision life ever going back to “normal.” And as
I write this, I don’t yet know how I’ll be able to adjust to what the new
normal will be. I don’t know how I’ll be able to live with the changes that
loss has brought into my life. </div>
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When I see the examples all around me of people dealing with
loss, I know that it’s going to be a matter of putting one foot in front of the
other and pushing onward. Doing that, with gratitude for what I still have, may
prove my best course of action.</div>
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How have you dealt with loss in your life? </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael W. Sherer is
the author of </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nrzlp6x">Night Tide</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, the second novel in the Blake Sanders
thriller series. The first in the Seattle-based series,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Blind-Michael-W-Sherer-ebook/dp/B008K7WSEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392182890&sr=1-1&keywords=night+blind">Night Blind</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, was nominated for an ITW Thriller Award in 2013. His other books
include the award-winning Emerson Ward mystery series, the stand-alone suspense
novel,</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Island-Life-Michael-W-Sherer-ebook/dp/B001OQCLD8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392182920&sr=1-2&keywords=island+life">Island Life</a></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, and the Tess Barrett YA thriller series.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He and his family now
reside in the Seattle area. Please visit him at www.michaelwsherer.com or you
can follow him on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor"><span style="color: #0028f4;">www.facebook.com/thrillerauthor</span></a> and on Twitter
@MysteryNovelist.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Michael W. Shererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01359437241079384725noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-83358520868628688572014-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-13T13:51:33.468-07:00The Brave New World of Content and Copyright: How a little British Piggy Wiped the floor with a French Shapeshifter<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>by A.M. Khalifa, thriller writer, <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/113133881159414173818?rel=author">Google+</a></b></i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>I am in London attending the second-most important book event of the year, the London Book Fair. The first being Frankfurt in October. Reliably, London is grey and wet, but not as cold as I had feared. I love this city and have fond memories here growing up, and as a post graduate student. The fair starts tomorrow, and I thought it fitting to pay homage to one of the UK's most successful cultural exports: Peppa Pig! A version of this post first appeared on my blog a few months ago, but it's still every bit as relevant. Next time I will report back from the fair. Enjoy!</i><br />
<i><br /></i><span style="color: #7a7a7a; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: auto;"><img alt="barbapig" class="size-full wp-image-1114 aligncenter" src="http://aktwo.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/barbapig.png?w=490&h=306" height="306" style="border: 5px solid rgb(251, 221, 223); display: block; height: auto; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" width="490" /></span></span><br />
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This is a cautionary tale. If you are a content producer of any sort, and still operating under the archaic copyright presumptions of the distant past, then you’re at risk of becoming extinct. And much sooner than you think, I’m afraid. If you are a writer, a film maker, or a musician, and anything in between, this applies to all of us who create culture for a living.<br />
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I have a four year old daughter who doesn’t watch much television because we decided from the outset against outsourcing our parenting duties to the networks. We do allow her to watch some DVDs and a few of her favorite shows on our tablets, under our supervision.<br />
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To simplify this story, let’s assume a couple of years ago she began watching two different shows which she liked equally.<br />
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The first is a French classic called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbapapa"><b>Barbapapa</b></a>, which started off as a series of children’s books written in the 1970s. The main characters are the Barbapapa family, who are most notable for their ability to shapeshift at will. The books evolved into a highly successful animated show, localized and licensed across the globe, along with a healthy merchandising system.<br />
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The second show is a more contemporary British creation called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppa_Pig"><b>Peppa Pig</b></a>, which revolves around a female pig, and her family and friends. Episodes feature day-to-day living with lighthearted flare, and a bit of signature British tongue-in-cheek for good measure. It's all very innocuous things like attending playgroup, going swimming, visiting her grandparents, going to the playground or riding bikes.<br />
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A a parent, I liked both shows for different reasons. Barbapapa has a beautifully nostalgic and vintage quality to it, but was well ahead of its time with deep messages of ecological responsibility. Peppa Pig is hugely entertaining, moderately educational, but most importantly, it does no harm. For a modern animation, that’s a huge plus.<br />
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As a content creator myself, I respect the hard work of creative artists and purchased a few original DVDs of both shows when my daughter was two and still getting into them. But in due course and as a result of changing viewing habits, we discovered episodes of both shows widely available on YouTube. So it was infinitely more convenient to watch them on our tablets, or even beam them from our mobile devices to our big screens, rather than the whole song-and-dance of finding the DVD, making sure it’s not scratched, wiping it clean—you get the picture.<br />
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Then something happened. About a year ago, every single episode of Barbapapa that was previously available on YouTube disappeared overnight. In its place was the infamous YouTube message that the “copyright holder of said content has requested that it be removed,” yadda, yadda, yadd. At roughly the same time, more high quality episodes of Peppa Pig started mushrooming, including hour-long compilations of the latest seasons. And this has continued until this day.<br />
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Being the delightful parents that we are, we purchased whatever Barbapapa DVDs we could get our hands on to appease the little one. I think you already know where this story is going.<br />
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Inevitably, my daughter lost interest in Barbapapa because it wasn’t readily available to watch on YouTube. Because mock it all you like, the whole YouTube/mobile device marriage is really made in heaven for the modern family on the run.<br />
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And inversely proportionate to her loss of interest in Barbapapa, was her increased obsession with Peppa Pig – and the formidable merchandising empire that came with it.<br />
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Here’s the fuzzy math of this whole thing. We probably own one or two Peppa Pig DVDs, which have been sucked into some black hole around the house, never to be found again. In other words, our net contribution to the Astley Baker Davies animation studio that produces Peppa Pig is about $15 in DVD purchases. On the other hand, we’ve probably been coerced to spend about five times as much on Barbapapa DVDs after they fell of the YouTube grid.<br />
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Now this is where the story gets more cautionary. Despite our paltry spending on Peppa Pig DVDs, the amount we’ve shelled out on Peppa Pig merchandise—figures, coloring books, bags, water cups, pajamas, t-shrits, shoes, and you wouldn’t even begin to imagine what else—is probably fifty times more than what we would have spent if we had purchased the entire library of Peppa Pig DVDs. And the future library for the next five years.<br />
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And what have we spent on the Barbapapa brand other than the DVDs? Nothing. Or practically nothing.<br />
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Peppa Pig: Game, set, match!<br />
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Two production companies targeting more or less the same age group. One operating with antiquated and aggressive philosophies to copyright as the linchpin of the financial engine of content, and the other one couldn’t care less about its content being pirated and distributed widely for free. I have this image of the makers of Peppa Pig sitting in a London boardroom secretly patting each other on the back for the genius hand of allowing the public to do their seeding for them. And in the process ensnaring generations of loyal fans and instilling in them a voracious appetite for anything and everything that can be pig-branded. Remember, this is not just limited to the English speaking world. Peppa pig is everywhere and in every language. The next time you see a child rushing to splash in muddy puddles in whichever corner of the globe you may be, now you know where that came from.<br />
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The moral of the story is this: <a href="http://www.barbapapa.fr/barbadb/barbapapa-copyright.php">Stop trying to fight piracy</a>. It’s a futile, expensive, and polarizing endeavor. A lost cause, really.<br />
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Technology and our changing viewing and consumption habits are decades ahead of the narrow minds of the geriatric suits at the media corporations who are still deluding themselves that copyright is the be all and end all of generating income from the content you create.<br />
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As the music business has discovered the hard way, and the publishing industry is quickly learning, the future of the business side of producing content is going to be far less about monetizing content, and much more about cashing in on the rich layers of <i>experiencing </i>content, over and over again.<br />
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I believe the unit price of any piece of content is invariably going to shrink until its negligible or zero. Look at full-length electronic books now selling at 99 cents. Heed the lesson of software which went from thousands of dollars per license to free, or almost free aps. Consider that the most successful newspapers in the UK are distributed gratis to commuters. And of course everything about the music industry is a testament to this trend. Musicians now make most of their money on merchandising and live events, and are practically giving away music. One of the biggest players in the industry is Live Nation Entertainment – formed from the merger of an events promoter and a ticket seller.<br />
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The lesson here for any content creator is to sprint beyond our fixation and obsession as a society with copyright. In a world where massive technological advances have lowered the bar dramatically for anyone to operate as a content generator, we need to think of more creative ways to make money and be rewarded for our hard work. The singularity of the ‘content for money’ paradigm is not just shifting, it’s crumbling.<br />
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Writers, do you worry too much about copyright protection, or are you more focused on how to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the future of your craft? And readers, are you taking advantage of more relaxed book copyright practices, like Amazon's Kindle Match program that allows writers and publishers to discount or offer for free the ebook version to customers who purchased the paperback edition?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17818121320817907764noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-88408929465969282042014-04-07T03:00:00.000-07:002014-04-07T03:00:04.489-07:00A Sad Farewellby Marlyn Beebe.<br />
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I just got home from <a href="http://www.bookem.com/" target="_blank">Book'em Mysteries</a>, a bookstore in South Pasadena, California. <br />
Book'em has been in existence for almost 24 years, opening in a new location down the street from the original, which was destroyed by an arsonist less than a year after it first opened.<br />
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Sadly, Book 'em will be closing at the end of this month, because owners Mary Riley and Barry Martin are going to retire. Today, they had their final author event, featuring <a href="http://www.naomihirahara.com/" target="_blank">Naomi Hirahara</a>, <a href="http://www.wendyhornsby.com/" target="_blank">Wendy Hornsby</a>, and <a href="http://www.sueannjaffarian.com/" target="_blank">Sue Ann Jaffarian</a>.<br />
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Naomi asked to facilitate the event, as she had grown up in Pasadena and thought of Book 'em as her neighborhood bookstore. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYtNLxQyras0bD3dHR-W_Wx_zIvF6HKSiGRXzGA2YypKifmULFxhj6LBhs53JZ9syIDJeHKhGadSE_vB_ah9QBluwsl1TLXv5Iv38UPwNJzasgk9ZF9-CDJ8x8T2B3CZg_VsgTk_FrVYj/s1600/IMG_2851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYtNLxQyras0bD3dHR-W_Wx_zIvF6HKSiGRXzGA2YypKifmULFxhj6LBhs53JZ9syIDJeHKhGadSE_vB_ah9QBluwsl1TLXv5Iv38UPwNJzasgk9ZF9-CDJ8x8T2B3CZg_VsgTk_FrVYj/s1600/IMG_2851.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naomi shares her fondness for Book'em</td></tr>
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Wendy, Sue Ann, and Naomi each shared a bit about their most recent books, there were questions from the audience, and then a few members of the crowd described the significance of Book'em in their lives. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy Hornsby (left) and Sue Ann Jaffarian</td></tr>
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One woman said that it became a place where she knew she'd feel welcome when she first moved to Pasadena in the early 1990s, and members of reading and writing groups which have been meeting at the bookstore talked about having to find new locations. Mary Riley and long-time manager Jean Utley said a few words, too. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Besides the featured authors, there were others on hand to pay t</span>heir respects, including <a href="http://www.timothyhallinan.com/index.html" target="_blank">Timothy Hallinan</a>, whom I was fortunate to have sitting beside me, and <a href="http://www.lindaojohnston.com/" target="_blank">Linda O. Johnston</a>, who slipped out before I had a chance to greet her. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-6fFW32kGPd_CHJtgyCKz2DKn769l1nj6MsPDlex5ujzUgEBS_xcuiiXViCm7VTOwlaWe7lXZQG0IMtpNQeMFGVLkmK2j2IbySqGnHxa4l_T7wYoyoV_EefqKug1zCDCQFoRBImJ1iB-/s1600/IMG_2849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-6fFW32kGPd_CHJtgyCKz2DKn769l1nj6MsPDlex5ujzUgEBS_xcuiiXViCm7VTOwlaWe7lXZQG0IMtpNQeMFGVLkmK2j2IbySqGnHxa4l_T7wYoyoV_EefqKug1zCDCQFoRBImJ1iB-/s1600/IMG_2849.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timothy Hallinan</td></tr>
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Too many members of the local mystery community were present for me to list them all (even if I could remember the names to go with the faces), and the atmosphere was convivial but melancholy.</div>
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I feel badly that I haven't visited Book'em as often as I could have. It's only about 25 miles away, but Southern California freeway traffic and the busy-ness of life are strong (though perhaps not good) excuses.</div>
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Farewell, Book'em. You will be greatly missed.</div>
MarlynBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14604302308775920829noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-41250643924232112432014-04-04T01:00:00.000-07:002014-04-04T08:00:28.134-07:00Left Coast Crime and Then Some<i>by Peg Brantley</i><br />
<i>Evocative Characters. Intriguing Crime. Compelling Stories.</i><br />
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I still haven't settled back to normal (whatever that is) since Left Coast Crime. After the conference in Monterey, my husband and I headed south on Highway 1, then looped inland from Ventura up to Sequoia National Park. We got home late Wednesday. Sillily, I thought I'd be back to my routine immediately.<br />
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Didn't happen. Hoping for tomorrow...<br />
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In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a couple of photo highlights. (We took around 600, so be happy I'm only posting 5!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfTZzMZip5OmU2DC1hhN8EaEGjggazmPyPdYvR_bYcSQJ8qzZRNd5OkHB66ENmOQ9-gxYGRhfi4FT0nqBNAp51sJ5hMsjUGkAGhfRpODOz8qUuH774xr71z-bUSE2N-tJIZO9l2Cx3lGr/s1600/DSCN2790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfTZzMZip5OmU2DC1hhN8EaEGjggazmPyPdYvR_bYcSQJ8qzZRNd5OkHB66ENmOQ9-gxYGRhfi4FT0nqBNAp51sJ5hMsjUGkAGhfRpODOz8qUuH774xr71z-bUSE2N-tJIZO9l2Cx3lGr/s1600/DSCN2790.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Panel of LCC<br />
With Donnell Bell, Warren Easley, Cathy Perkins and Terry Shames</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2L7tqlWnWAHU3aTIgVu6B2VHPZx54YCSjPkGTu99UAoedJ7mZFM15aVUfOCI-YL9b5cVyCEMnH1FlKfm5-L0w6zzgVP0lPIGy8NcpobzAzNcCC3-oWDxxnoyz_MmQNUF6BE2auKamOIv/s1600/DSCN3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb2L7tqlWnWAHU3aTIgVu6B2VHPZx54YCSjPkGTu99UAoedJ7mZFM15aVUfOCI-YL9b5cVyCEMnH1FlKfm5-L0w6zzgVP0lPIGy8NcpobzAzNcCC3-oWDxxnoyz_MmQNUF6BE2auKamOIv/s1600/DSCN3015.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wonderful meetup with Sheila Lowe. Time flew!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpCqEz2z6UZus70djMuGYAcNFyfkPemt3SNmBTeO4MzeKZm7QEDSHMGmzXVggkLhHBg3N3x9gtiwTqblRGCfp5HwaJ6r40frvkxEETozp9-jXh4pXncWud1DraMiwlmH8hkdHtFyfJIER/s1600/DSCN3069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpCqEz2z6UZus70djMuGYAcNFyfkPemt3SNmBTeO4MzeKZm7QEDSHMGmzXVggkLhHBg3N3x9gtiwTqblRGCfp5HwaJ6r40frvkxEETozp9-jXh4pXncWud1DraMiwlmH8hkdHtFyfJIER/s1600/DSCN3069.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They grow big pineapples in California!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXhEmOPKmCoQqBJLVnv8HwsY2_cFBNIrXLJTEb8BU-91mJa0AX8sqUMTNywNmfBudPiholgfd6dO401vpZTgaDBEb5b1Eh1mxqSJfjBybzplvh525I8OSfQRWKtxUEqt6dJFxPpef0sOK/s1600/DSCN3145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXhEmOPKmCoQqBJLVnv8HwsY2_cFBNIrXLJTEb8BU-91mJa0AX8sqUMTNywNmfBudPiholgfd6dO401vpZTgaDBEb5b1Eh1mxqSJfjBybzplvh525I8OSfQRWKtxUEqt6dJFxPpef0sOK/s1600/DSCN3145.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Sequoia National Park. The snow surprised us! We only saw rain in the weather forecast. Oh! And we stayed in the same suite where George W. Bush stayed when the park reopened in 2001. Kinda cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLUJbb-GO-5SG0DFNHzplPQ5Ls4E3aaW8T-eswRZMjcQPBJDL73wqaHBT_pXmbUN6LDDQ5TznzTs-6sqDIad9dNU7_RJ0izOVCKG30ornhUFNlVaqRWS5U6TM-TgoFTwB-RfsHj1erzia/s1600/DSCN3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLUJbb-GO-5SG0DFNHzplPQ5Ls4E3aaW8T-eswRZMjcQPBJDL73wqaHBT_pXmbUN6LDDQ5TznzTs-6sqDIad9dNU7_RJ0izOVCKG30ornhUFNlVaqRWS5U6TM-TgoFTwB-RfsHj1erzia/s1600/DSCN3166.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They grow some big trees in California too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here's to the memories of a wonderful LCC in Monterey and a huge excited shout-out for LCC 2015 in Portland!</div>
Peg Brantleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04906858123466177508noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-57020234504662347382014-04-03T07:50:00.001-07:002014-04-03T07:50:49.869-07:00Shameless Self PromotionEvery once in a while we, as authors, have to do this. We spend countless hours alone with a computer and so we get excited when good things happen and we like to share them. I have been struggling for nearly five months to get my first audio book completed and released. Now it's time to let the world know.<br />
<br />
I decided to go the independent route and have it done in a studio with a professional narrator. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm not complaining about that choice. In fact, it was a wonderful experience. I sat for several days listening to the the narrator as she read and stopping her when necessary to fix things. I learned a lot and gained a new respect for narrators. The whole process was totally fascinating.<br />
<br />
After meeting every day in the studio from early morning to late night, the narrator left and I stayed with the engineer to finish it up. Then I joined my family for Thanksgiving dinner, thrilled with what we had accomplished.<br />
<br />
However, when I submitted it to ACX (Amazon's audio division) they rejected it because it wasn't mastered quite right. At that time I had no idea what that really meant. It took me another four months to get the audio mastered correctly and re-submitted to ACX. Some of the time delay was just bad luck. (The original engineer was hospitalized and out of commission for some time.) ACX said they would review it and get back to me. I was told the process would take ten days to two weeks. Three weeks later, I was about to call back to see if I needed to go back to the drawing board, when I discovered it had been released for two days and I had already sold quite a few copies. Yay!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMuXnelwbrT1hZYckqinu574Hp6yUdkuF1q4nRBKlcENJiwQoOzSx5s24o4pt4_tTlvHCenngNQQ3pLmFbpVlrupvB9jpb-eVduLv02986yHPxLzFbKKsNiuAyZT3DfgBzE_jxNLLN3hG/s1600/Advocate_ACX_111613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMuXnelwbrT1hZYckqinu574Hp6yUdkuF1q4nRBKlcENJiwQoOzSx5s24o4pt4_tTlvHCenngNQQ3pLmFbpVlrupvB9jpb-eVduLv02986yHPxLzFbKKsNiuAyZT3DfgBzE_jxNLLN3hG/s1600/Advocate_ACX_111613.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
So, today my first book, The Advocate, is available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Advocate-Book/dp/B00JAQ4RUE/ref=tmm_aud_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1396536477&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, Audible, and iTunes. Now I have the other four books in production, although I have chosen to take a different route this time for many reasons. <br />
<br />
<i>Teresa Burrell</i><br />
<i>Author of The Advocate series</i><br />
<br />
<br />Teresa Burrell, Author, Attorney, Advocatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00008721460499855699noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-52223393427489262252014-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:002014-04-02T00:00:08.832-07:00Why?
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<i>By Andrew E. Kaufman, author of psychological thrillers</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wSTPyxZRnCG0GTN649kgROqzaMJfP1OTaDXXDjzWfYFwdY2ApGEGO41wS4SFOvGPlupoj8KgFtM_zrSzamlIHVRdPcnPwaMz4cSKYaVcSHXv_67zKxVIVHzelj1J2sB9-OkXKGodNpk/s3200/Cool_Globes-Why.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wSTPyxZRnCG0GTN649kgROqzaMJfP1OTaDXXDjzWfYFwdY2ApGEGO41wS4SFOvGPlupoj8KgFtM_zrSzamlIHVRdPcnPwaMz4cSKYaVcSHXv_67zKxVIVHzelj1J2sB9-OkXKGodNpk/s3200/Cool_Globes-Why.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy: Nikopoley</span></td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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It's a loaded question, yes?</div>
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As a small Andrew, I was what one might call a Why Kid—you
know the type, right? Every answer to every question was followed with a <i>Why?</i>
This would go on heedlessly (and perhaps annoyingly) for quite some
time, until the person being questioned—usually an adult, often a teacher, and sometimes
another kid—would get frustrated and yell, <i>Shut
the hell up!</i></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then I would be annoyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we were tracking trends (also something I do rather
obsessively), we might surmise this is why I ended up making a career out of answering
the eternal question:<i> Why?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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And really, isn’t that what being a writer is all about? <o:p></o:p></div>
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When people ask how I come up with my ideas, how I create my
characters, or how I plot my stories. Guess what I say?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Why?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br />
Why, of course I do. In this case, however, it’s not actually a question (a
relief, I’m sure), but more, it’s a truth, because every story I write begins this
way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In my first book, <i>While
the Savage Sleeps</i>, it was: Why are two people, who have absolutely nothing
in common and live in two different cities having seemingly similar creepy experiences
that seemingly have nothing to do with each other? Well, there were perhaps quite a few bodies
dropping like flies everywhere and in rather hideous manners, but that was
mainly the mood music. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>In the Lion, the Lamb,
the Hunted</i>, it was: Why did Patrick find evidence of a murder among his
hideously abusive, and incidentally, dead, mother’s belongings?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And in <i>Darkness &
Shadows</i>, I asked: Why did the love of Patrick’s life die twice? Well, maybe
that one’s more of a <i>how</i>, but you get
the idea.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv_0DJF_IKMu3GVrRoQHhissCaYbPKs8xihXJjdA1aZYa71dydy_6XKkDQryaMP8M72eu4afECHVcRWhRY1ilhJ9dUXXbjkZ9iMdl6zjYUgT2h28rugzy5X39V7VH6ZaQbYjPNq0oBII/s3200/Kaufmann_DarknessShadows_Final_FrontCvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv_0DJF_IKMu3GVrRoQHhissCaYbPKs8xihXJjdA1aZYa71dydy_6XKkDQryaMP8M72eu4afECHVcRWhRY1ilhJ9dUXXbjkZ9iMdl6zjYUgT2h28rugzy5X39V7VH6ZaQbYjPNq0oBII/s3200/Kaufmann_DarknessShadows_Final_FrontCvr.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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The point to all this? There are a few (What, did you expect
the Why Child to only have one?) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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First, I think authors write books for the same reason that people
like to read them. We’re insatiably curious (read: insatiably nosey). It’s not
just enough to know that an eighty-six year-old grandmother was planting bodies
in her tulip garden. We want to know why the hell she was doing it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Second, whether we realize it or not, we’re all students of
the human mind. We like to know how people’s brains work, or, for those of us who
write our slightly off-color stories (read: bent), what makes them not work so
much.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And last, never tell a writer to shut the hell up. Don’t do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We get very annoyed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then we kill you off in our books.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->ANDREW E. KAUFMANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08835920472268730244noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-48544046623345861392014-04-01T00:43:00.004-07:002014-04-01T17:01:13.947-07:00An offer I couldn’t refuseBy Sheila Lowe, Mystery author and forensic handwriting examiner<br />
<br />
I was all set to attend the Tucson Book Festival, followed by Left Coast Crime, excited to go to Monterey, a few hundred miles up the coast from where I live in Ventura, CA. I’d booked my hotel ages ago and paid my registration. My fellow Brit friend, Jill Amadio, was driving up and had offered me a ride. I was all but packed. Then I got a phone call, asking me to take on an assignment in Canada, which blew my plans to bits.<br />
<br />
If it had been any other assignment, I probably would have turned it down, but this was one offer I just could not refuse—analyzing handwriting of attendees at the TED Conference in Vancouver. You’ve no doubt seen TED talks, given by some of the brightest people in the world. TED (stands for Technology-Education-Design) members pay a whole lot of money ($10k, I’m told) to meet annually and talk about what they’re doing to save the planet and make it a better place.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJq7eD0FgNMQrzAShAr3my_dFfcU4jWA46yh6mISso_yktPBOIPxv6Y30aT0YKczQPML7d5yOcK1BHSfs4BYSldQ3zdc-yjNo_y6N4xl_iULrdJxD-l91lMxgl_mJEYUdsw_gnDDkUE-B/s1600/sheila+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJq7eD0FgNMQrzAShAr3my_dFfcU4jWA46yh6mISso_yktPBOIPxv6Y30aT0YKczQPML7d5yOcK1BHSfs4BYSldQ3zdc-yjNo_y6N4xl_iULrdJxD-l91lMxgl_mJEYUdsw_gnDDkUE-B/s1600/sheila+window.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a>This year, the thirtieth anniversary, Bill and Melinda Gates were scheduled speakers, along with Elizabeth Gilbert, Sting, Gabby Giffords, and many other notables. Besides, the client wanted <i>two </i>handwriting analysts on site (plus two more at a remote location), which meant a road trip with my best friend and colleague, Linda Larson, and let’s face it, the money I would make in a week was as much as I got for my last book advance. So I transferred my LCC registration to a friend, Jill took over the hotel reservation, and off I went to Vancouver to work 12 hour days for a week.<br />
<br />
Our task was to sit down with attendees for about 5 minutes and talk to them about what their handwriting revealed, then place them into one of 8 personality categories, ask them to sign a board under that category, and hand them a takeaway—a special writing instrument that suited their personality type.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_DkFfrnVy-gcw4VCOz2JsI3oTGnQTvqys1EPM7Uxqhiitixp-x4A5TfDJuuxEEpIXYMTEIqT6d5B-y9Llokm8G1nxcMs8sgAzWhFSQdKRrdcoTofaVwrhRoBs4P2KAcwzGoVG3CGNULr/s1600/LL-board-SL2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_DkFfrnVy-gcw4VCOz2JsI3oTGnQTvqys1EPM7Uxqhiitixp-x4A5TfDJuuxEEpIXYMTEIqT6d5B-y9Llokm8G1nxcMs8sgAzWhFSQdKRrdcoTofaVwrhRoBs4P2KAcwzGoVG3CGNULr/s1600/LL-board-SL2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
On the first day, I spotted Martha Stewart at the café next to where we were working, but she didn’t come over to say hi. Will Smith didn’t, either. But that’s okay, because the first person to sit down at Linda’s table was actress Cameron Diaz. Then Shonda Rhimes, the creator of my favorite TV show, Grey’s Anatomy, sat down at my table, followed by Sara Ramirez, who plays Dr. Callie Torres. I went totally Fan Girl, which is so not like me.<br />
<br />
I also analyzed the handwriting of someone I had been hoping to meet there—Ron Finley, Guerrilla Gardener—who creates vegetables gardens on inner city sidewalks to help people eat better and save money. When the City tried to shut him down, saying he couldn’t use the sidewalks that way, he got the law changed. His <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la">TED talk </a>from a couple of years ago is worth watching.<br />
<br />
On the second day, people started coming to us, saying, “You guys are the hit of the conference. Everyone is talking about you!” We weren’t surprised, as that’s how it always goes at these events, but it’s always validating to hear. The other thing we kept hearing was, “But <i>how did you know that </i>just from my handwriting?!” I borrowed Linda’s funny answer: “Your mother told me.”<br />
<br />
I learned that “CTO” stands for Chief Technology Officer when I analyzed the CTOs of AOL and Twitter, a journalist at Mashable, an editor for Huffington Post, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum, a producer for 60 Minutes. Oh, and the Poet Laureate of the United Sates(!), as well as many other fascinating people. By the end of the week we had each analyzed more than 300 attendees, an exhausting and exhilarating experience.<br />
<br />
Working from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with one 45 minute break (and bathroom runs) left no time for sightseeing, but we did have some great food in Vancouver, and as you can see from the photo, working at the Convention Center on the waterfront with glass walls behind us couldn’t have been more beautiful. We got to see seaplanes land and take off just on the other side of that glass.<br />
<br />
So, while I’m sad not to have been able to attend the Tucson Book Festival or Left Coast Crime, I’m thrilled that Linda and I had the opportunity to educate over 600 people that their handwriting tells the truth about them. And now, I’m looking forward to Bouchercon in November. Long Beach is only about 80 miles down the road.Sheila Lowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02444737798319597136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-20327278319196852812014-03-31T03:00:00.000-07:002014-03-31T12:05:11.884-07:00Are YOU being plagiarized, too, without your knowledge?<i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="http://www.jodierennerediting.com/">editor</a> & <a href="http://www.jodierenner.com/">author</a></i><br />
<br />
Imagine my shock on Friday when an author I don't know emailed me to tell me that an "editor" and "publishing consultant" had copied a bunch of testimonials off my website and was passing them off, word for word, as her own!<br />
<br />
I checked out the website, <a href="http://www.wordworkspubcons.com/Testimonials.html">WordWorks Publishing Consultants</a>, and sure enough, <b>there were the exact words of two reviews of my editing by our own</b> <b>LJ Sellers, as well as</b> <b>other testimonials from MY website</b>, by thriller writer <b>Allan Leverone,</b> CFCer and thriller writer <b>A.M. Khalifa</b>, and thriller client <strong>Tom Combs </strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">–</span><strong> copied verbatim, but attributed to fictitious writer clients, even Random House! </strong>(You should be flattered by that one, A.M. Khalifa!)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVvOZbNLzHXZDi7KDixOKEGC4dlcAy1N8VVCibeSI3hFTZsmZgZ6-0rDOEAZg0mcj9i96hOFq1JLGY3eEp9ifOcdiGGw-Y4VJcUAsEelnecMJALL94EOQ2bhMDCW8ZFk06uuYFmUvfDLe/s1600/Pamela+Wray_Editing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVvOZbNLzHXZDi7KDixOKEGC4dlcAy1N8VVCibeSI3hFTZsmZgZ6-0rDOEAZg0mcj9i96hOFq1JLGY3eEp9ifOcdiGGw-Y4VJcUAsEelnecMJALL94EOQ2bhMDCW8ZFk06uuYFmUvfDLe/s1600/Pamela+Wray_Editing.jpg" height="640" width="446" /></a></div>
<br />
In fact, every single example of her testimonials under "Editing" was lifted <span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">–</span> plagiarized <span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">–</span> straight from my website, on this page: <a href="http://www.jodierennerediting.com/testimonials">http://www.jodierennerediting.com/testimonials</a>. <br />
<br />
Here, for example, are the original top two reviews she stole, by LJ Sellers:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FMfgniCqHNcvNEmlTgG36S8LtWn8ZA36t3wO71_ENu3-rdaXwQ6jaONt3goNGWYog8Jda1_z-zKrfuOQlsc47g0NTcvd5fEltv60MhkWZLxs4WA_kt1KsXs1xXUmtEGPLoU6s2M1q4bm/s1600/LJ's+testimonials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FMfgniCqHNcvNEmlTgG36S8LtWn8ZA36t3wO71_ENu3-rdaXwQ6jaONt3goNGWYog8Jda1_z-zKrfuOQlsc47g0NTcvd5fEltv60MhkWZLxs4WA_kt1KsXs1xXUmtEGPLoU6s2M1q4bm/s1600/LJ's+testimonials.jpg" height="336" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
You can see the rest of the original reviews on my website. I worked damn hard for those testimonials, and they were carefully crafted by talented authors I've worked with, whose creations were stolen, just like that!<br />
<br />
By the way, aside from those well-written reviews, the rest of the amateurish-looking website is full of typos and grammatical errors.<br />
<br />
This blatant plagiarism is awful on so many levels, including that I would never have known about it if an author hadn't alerted me to this, saying in her email, "I got suspicious of this person due to some wild claims they were making in a Facebook group. Then I simply highlighted blocks of text from her 'testimonials' and googled them." <br />
<br />
This is shocking and frustrating. But I and my talented writer clients, although insulted and robbed, aren't the biggest victims here. <br />
<br />
<b>The real victims are the many aspiring writers who get duped by this so-called "editor" and think she's so good at it that her clients say those wonderful things about her editing! And the unsuspecting writers then send her their money and entrust her with their manuscripts.</b><br />
<br />
Oh, and by the way, on the testimonials page under "Writing and Content," she has reviews by Bill Gates and Steve Jobs! <br />
<br />
“Excellent service – Pame has provided quality content and articles for our corporate branding and website for the past 30 years. Her work has always been professional and completed on schedule. I would be delighted to recommend her services to anyone seeking quality articles or other written content.” - <strong>Steven Jobs, President/CEO, Apple Inc</strong><br />
<br />
“Very satisfied with quality of writing services over the past 25 years. Great communication and all workis always done before specified deadline".<strong> -Bill Gates, President/CEO, Microsoft</strong><br />
<br />
“Highly recommended! Pame has a very powerful voice and a great writer, ready to satisfy all your needs. She is always available, reliable and they all work hard to comply with your requests. If you are looking for articles, website content, product description/review or a simple blog comment this is the place to order it!” <strong>- Jeffrey Baker, Media Mogul, NBC</strong><br />
<span class="text-class-14"></span><br />
<span class="text-class-14">This company is apparently run by someone named Pamela Wray Biron. Is she a real person? The spelling "Pame" is unusual for "Pam," especially for an editor, who would be familiar with English usage of the "e" at the end making the vowel long, like hat - hate, man - mane, tam - tame, etc. And all that great long list of accomplishments! Since she's apparently been editing for 26 years, has 6 degrees and numerous other qualifications, and has written 62 books, why is her website full of errors, and why does she have to steal someone else's client reviews? Wouldn't she be earning plenty of testimonials herself, and have a huge number built up over the years? Hmmm....</span><br />
<br />
This shocking discovery also made me wonder -- if my testimonials can get lifted from my website like that, what other sites is this person plagiarizing from, and who else might be stealing my craft-of-writing blog posts and passing them off as their own? <br />
<br />
And who's stealing YOUR work? And what can we all do about these scammers?<br />
<br />
A suggestion from A.M. Khalifa: "Should we pay attention to who is plundering our work like this, or is plagiarism part and parcel of creativity?" I suppose I should be flattered that my editing deserved such wonderful testimonials that someone chose to steal them, and my clients who wrote those great reviews should be flattered, too... <br />
<br />
<strong>But what about those unsuspecting aspiring writers who get duped into thinking this person is an excellent editor for their book, because of the theft of these reviews?</strong> What do you think?<br />
<br />
I've contacted Preditors & Editors, and also Victoria Strauss of <a href="http://www.victoriastrauss.com/writer-beware/">Writers Beware</a>, who's publishing a blog post today (Monday, Mar. 31) about this fraudulent site: <a href="http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2014/03/pamela-wray-and-wordworks-publishing.html">http://accrispin.blogspot.ca/2014/03/pamela-wray-and-wordworks-publishing.html</a>. <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, that's all I have time for, as I'm racing around getting ready to move across the country as well as preparing to present a webinar before I leave (in fact I'm traveling today). So I urge all writers to read websites carefully and watch for "red flags" like this, and if you're looking for an editor or publishing consultant, do check their references thoroughly. And be sure to get a sample edit of at least five pages, then get an expert in both English usage and fiction techniques to check it over before hiring the editor for your whole book.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<em>Jodie has published two books to date in her series, An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Killer-Thriller-Compelling-ebook/dp/B00DANRNLS/"><em><b><span style="color: blue; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Writing a Killer
Thriller</span></b></em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00II2773K"><span style="color: red; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong>Fire up Your Fiction</strong></span></a><em><span style="color: red;"> (</span></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sizzles-Editors-Writing-Compelling-ebook/dp/B009BWWOR0/"><em><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong>Style That Sizzles & Pacing for
Power</strong></span></em></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><strong>)</strong></span>,
<em>which has won two book awards so far, and is a finalist for two more. Look for Immerse the Readers in
Your Story World, out soon. For more info, please visit Jodie’s</em> <a href="http://www.jodierenner.com/"><em><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong>author website</strong></span></em></a><i><strong> </strong></i><em>or
</em><a href="http://www.jodierennerediting.com/"><em><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong>editor website</strong></span></em></a><em>, her other blogs, </em><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/"><b><i><span style="color: #3366cc;">Resources for Writers</span></i></b></a><em> and
</em><a href="http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/"><b><i><span style="color: #3366cc;">The Kill Zone</span></i></b></a><em>,
or find her on </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><em><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong>Facebook</strong></span></em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://twitter.com/JodieRennerEd"><em><span style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><strong>Twitter</strong></span></em></a><em>, and </em><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JodieRenner/posts"><b><i><span style="color: #3366cc;">Google+</span></i></b></a><em>.
And sign up for her </em><a href="http://eepurl.com/C9dKD"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3366cc;">newsletter</span></i></b></a><em>.<o:p></o:p></em></div>
Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-50118346372695436122014-03-28T07:02:00.001-07:002014-03-28T07:11:33.326-07:00Book Covers: Right Image, Wrong Message<i>by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers</i><br />
<br />
Books covers! Sometimes you get lucky and find the perfect image after a quick search. Most of the time, the author and cover designers struggle to even articulate what type of single image will best convey a complex story. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlx99rOUpySETObaROvHEALduZAVPnsLoALfYItmWyRI6MOwrvL_Hp1JQ30Julnefqp2YEQgz2d6k1ktOeuLRuud7pYAWAUXt5RYNtonTbDZrCpiHr_EtVbDBYtmnfWyTHZZtN0ZmG-o/s1600/Sellers-DeadlyBonds-cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlx99rOUpySETObaROvHEALduZAVPnsLoALfYItmWyRI6MOwrvL_Hp1JQ30Julnefqp2YEQgz2d6k1ktOeuLRuud7pYAWAUXt5RYNtonTbDZrCpiHr_EtVbDBYtmnfWyTHZZtN0ZmG-o/s1600/Sellers-DeadlyBonds-cover1.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>I loved the first cover proof Thomas & Mercer sent for <a href="http://ljsellers.com/detective-jackson-mysteries/deadly-bonds-detective-jackson-9/" target="_blank"><i>Deadly Bonds.</i></a> It’s simple, powerful, and emotional. The child’s hand in the adult hand also tells readers something about the bonds in the title. I wanted to just say <i>Yes</i>,<i> this is perfect. </i><br />
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But then I worried that the image would give some people the wrong idea. For some readers, any image involving a child on the cover of a crime fiction story implies pedophilia. I wanted to be wrong about that assumption, but I mentioned my concern to my publisher. They passed the cover around to a few employees to get their reactions and decided that they shared my concern. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FL3dmL2OKXEoS3pglrVOntZZhaer1X33A9A8LhOtZpXVK2LaEXrSo9chCw3v-juzsZTYDM13OzqB3FSW6yEG1BV0c4fSWWz5ILQ22dApjVNY4c0Qf8p0lSaJK_O6OL2hHzV3De1Mftk/s1600/Sellers-DeadlyBonds-cover-revs-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FL3dmL2OKXEoS3pglrVOntZZhaer1X33A9A8LhOtZpXVK2LaEXrSo9chCw3v-juzsZTYDM13OzqB3FSW6yEG1BV0c4fSWWz5ILQ22dApjVNY4c0Qf8p0lSaJK_O6OL2hHzV3De1Mftk/s1600/Sellers-DeadlyBonds-cover-revs-1.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>So we’re back to the drawing board. Yesterday, they sent this cover. I like it, but I think it’s too sweet. And again, will people get the wrong idea? How do you covey that a small child plays a role in the story without having people assume that the child is victimized? <br />
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I have no regrets about the story. It may be one of my strongest Jackson books yet. But the cover is challenging, and I’m tempted to set up a photo shoot to see if my graphic artist can produce an image that implies a nonsexual bond between a caregiver and a child. Is that even possible?<br />
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So what do you think of these covers? Where does your mind go? L.J. Sellershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10213491074676394406noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4954486699810607306.post-20393821738615769122014-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:002014-03-27T00:00:04.995-07:00Left Coast Leftovers<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>By Gayle Carline</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Mystery Author and Exhausted Gal</em></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TD5dYnbnZbYWY16ckWfVBsIVAlFcUsJRl7QAU9ZphQb5UE9ZhEDue4zuImcR5_ayjzxnlzVQ8EE8YD5nWv9x8Fo9yzAj1m5cQEzJAci693qHylXposWchUbuFU94lhA2eB7SeW07DNCs/s1600/1557514_724063870978578_1474493665_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TD5dYnbnZbYWY16ckWfVBsIVAlFcUsJRl7QAU9ZphQb5UE9ZhEDue4zuImcR5_ayjzxnlzVQ8EE8YD5nWv9x8Fo9yzAj1m5cQEzJAci693qHylXposWchUbuFU94lhA2eB7SeW07DNCs/s1600/1557514_724063870978578_1474493665_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's Marlyn?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went to Left Coast Crime last weekend and boy was it fun. It's always great to see my CFC buddies. I live in Orange County (California) which, BTW, is the only place in the universe where you identify yourself as being from a county and not a city. Peg lives in Colorado and LJ lives up in Oregon, so these conventions are practically our only face time, but Marlyn and I can't understand why we live 15-20 minutes from one another and still can't seem to get together, not even for lunch. (Drew would like me to be his personal assistant, but he lives near San Diego. Too far for me to commute.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZACOVlHSJFjIZWO5iuXqxEH60ylhT94GxUfgjE3CSLDOsWmZ4bZ4y4AsYYoXOWzlBmVnDEd_ki3Yd5ellKibAyj5v2RdR4y9lfu7KCo9UOXJ4XY3zkW6sXhhSqZ4pLMD3ahCa3VeKeTT/s1600/1962680_724058837645748_1125460693_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZACOVlHSJFjIZWO5iuXqxEH60ylhT94GxUfgjE3CSLDOsWmZ4bZ4y4AsYYoXOWzlBmVnDEd_ki3Yd5ellKibAyj5v2RdR4y9lfu7KCo9UOXJ4XY3zkW6sXhhSqZ4pLMD3ahCa3VeKeTT/s1600/1962680_724058837645748_1125460693_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clowning with Drew</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We did a fun panel together, where we told lies and truths and had the audience guess which was which. I was prepared to tell nothing but lies. I'm a bit of an imp in that way. But after everyone ahead of me told a lie, I broke down and told the truth, only because I thought everyone was expecting me to lie. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the fun for the weekend included: </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxsEKEkhAVxDarwJ_gPr3i2XXHLS-SxpEtGze8l4qvbrwTOFBbe8SfbiFOYCXxQkZFwvVEupAe0cvOdihfBGg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite a few panels on alternative paths to publication. It was fascinating to see this conference catching up to what writer's conferences have been discussing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I met <a href="http://augustmclaughlin.com/" target="_blank">August McLaughlin</a>. (Warning: her site has a few NSFW references.) I'm a huge fan, and she was all, "Oh, I'm so happy to meet you! I feel like I've been stalking you!" And here I thought it was the other way 'round.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz1xMGA_gOzw94fRr1x8SjUD3g5EpSPDAZSaRWBlm2O0Hs833dU8zOnBNE0eThukaYQWYSF8llkok4cCYSwIQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tee Burrell and her legal cohorts had a fun mock-trial, each of them portraying their protagonists. It was a very creative panel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPBemtcvoqTVz_ePd0EC-fpJRx-8zKjAUeWaXz8PLrulIbXnZQ-_-yFsB92A6vMjpQ3wpM6pP9sF4rAnhTriVlqGlRzLDWzdEenyE6xR69pTwYoeSDgxhksGgFionDePp_5Gj6-DrB4lX/s1600/20140320_143535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPBemtcvoqTVz_ePd0EC-fpJRx-8zKjAUeWaXz8PLrulIbXnZQ-_-yFsB92A6vMjpQ3wpM6pP9sF4rAnhTriVlqGlRzLDWzdEenyE6xR69pTwYoeSDgxhksGgFionDePp_5Gj6-DrB4lX/s1600/20140320_143535.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to our CFC's "Lying for a Living," I was on a panel called "Closer to Death: The Older Sleuth." It was a depressing title, but ended up with a huge audience and I met some of the most delightful authors. You can bet I'll be checking their books out!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZTOZsJtKmvKP7vQIWxyn5lFTJhudz759T8YMbJosGLPGU_rxCnHND6klvXFABsaQ7-IKDA_t7I4aZS1qxhL3R4oKCV9uoiifu9h3gbMaWxl8ck1LtiPT6iL9VPxHf2QAnIZsNfyVJk9y/s1600/20140322_143406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGZTOZsJtKmvKP7vQIWxyn5lFTJhudz759T8YMbJosGLPGU_rxCnHND6klvXFABsaQ7-IKDA_t7I4aZS1qxhL3R4oKCV9uoiifu9h3gbMaWxl8ck1LtiPT6iL9VPxHf2QAnIZsNfyVJk9y/s1600/20140322_143406.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beginning with me on the right, there's <a href="http://cathyace.com/" target="_blank">Cathy Ace</a>, <a href="http://sandrabrannan.com/" target="_blank">Sandra Brannan</a>, and the inimitable <a href="http://www.ritalakin.com/" target="_blank">Rita Lakin</a> (standing).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things that made it fun was that my hubby Dale came along. I like having him along because he's not one of those needy spouses who tugs at your sleeve and asks you when you're going to be done because he's bored. He's an independent guy who goes off and finds something to do. For this trip, he had the NCAA tournaments to keep him occupied. And a walk to the bay, from time to time.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zZQNJRjluXq0yxnZi-KeMKXY-zsk5LgSYYZxWTfeP7iE4YUFw6xhhWkF17_kPCqhNbtPB5wNa3BULz1zmARkETuDHSaH06TGCL532Yc0TzKqhPKbdIABpWZGZtglEkfQbyR2QQj1uKzN/s1600/20140321_103641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zZQNJRjluXq0yxnZi-KeMKXY-zsk5LgSYYZxWTfeP7iE4YUFw6xhhWkF17_kPCqhNbtPB5wNa3BULz1zmARkETuDHSaH06TGCL532Yc0TzKqhPKbdIABpWZGZtglEkfQbyR2QQj1uKzN/s1600/20140321_103641.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I snuck off one morning with him to have breakfast at LouLou's, and had dinner with him every evening. On Friday, we had a fabulous dinner at Domenico's with Peg and her hubby George, and our writer-friend <a href="http://www.timothyhallinan.com/" target="_blank">Tim Hallinan</a>, who may be the nicest man on the planet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I didn't get a banquet ticket for Dale, so Saturday night we scampered off for drinks at the local bar, then dinner at the Crown and Anchor British Pub. Fish and chips and Newcastle Brown. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBudJpinBuyB8_IujyzeQQfXmBXgztZxXep2x_f0LfImUugexF-lRsfNFnKWz1chxKe9i-Ci18-3Ra669UCjTcuENZGooeuxGz91AW7hm_eZYuWpWofqtxmHbWBVuJo0XCXkUr0Iq2trOv/s1600/20140322_152744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBudJpinBuyB8_IujyzeQQfXmBXgztZxXep2x_f0LfImUugexF-lRsfNFnKWz1chxKe9i-Ci18-3Ra669UCjTcuENZGooeuxGz91AW7hm_eZYuWpWofqtxmHbWBVuJo0XCXkUr0Iq2trOv/s1600/20140322_152744.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belgian Red, served at Peter's BrewPub. Yum.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How was your weekend? What are you doing this weekend? You can find me at the <a href="http://01f2fe9.netsolhost.com/LOI.htm" target="_blank">Ladies of Intrigue</a> event in Huntington Beach. Because the fun never stops when you're a mystery writer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>Gayle Carlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15783449240138097315noreply@blogger.com8