A Kick in the Pants

by Teresa Burrell, Author of Legal/Suspense Murder Mysteries

When I read a novel and I can feel the emotions that the characters are feeling I just know that the author has felt that at one time or another. Likely, in a very different setting, but I expect with the same heartache or pleasure, depending, of course, on the emotion. Sometimes you can feel the passion through the page, or the pain.

The venue for my novels is juvenile court. The subject matter is often child abuse. When I get into a part of the book where I’m dealing with a situation where a child has been abused, it’s easy for me to write from a “place of pain” because I’ve worked with so many of these cases. I have felt their pain.

But I go to a happier place to clear my head and think of evil plots. And sometimes to get past my “fear” as Drew Kaufman so eloquently described it in his last blog. Here is where I go. I took this photo yesterday on my daily walk. This inspires me, relaxes me, clears my head for more great ideas to come, and for just a brief moment in times washes away the fear.

 

I’m so fortunate to live in paradise and I try to go here every afternoon and rejuvenate after sitting at the computer for hours plotting and planning murder (for my books, of course).

Do you have a special place to go to deal with life’s problems, get a good kick in the pants to get you rolling again, to alleviate your fears, or just to feel? This place does all of that and more for me.

Now, if I could just get this view from my home...

When All Else Fails...There is This.

By Andrew E. Kaufman

I have a new book coming out in just six days.

(Deep breath)

It’s been almost two years since I’ve been able to say that. After I signed a publishing deal, there were delays. I was okay with this, even anticipated it—but still, I’ve managed to accomplish what I do best.

Make myself crazy. 

It's a special skill. Do not attempt this for the first time alone. I've spent years honing my craft, and it's not for the weak. Should you choose to fall into global anxiety, please be sure to have a tolerant support system around you. And possibly some bungee cords, potting soil, and an assortment of down pillows. (Don't ask. You'll find out.)

Of course, there are the usual obsessive concerns: Will my readers still remember me after all this time? Will their enthusiasm over my work wither and die? Will I wither and die? Will the publishing business continue to gyrate, explode, then shoot me straight into oblivion? 

This is just a partial glimpse into the neurotic and continuously spiraling mind that keeps me awake late into the night and swimming the shifting tides of global uncertainty during the day. And other melodrama. 

In a way this spinning cycle of insanity is good, because on some level it keeps me on my toes and hungry—but in other ways, not really so much. Let's face it, folks: Anxiety isn't pretty. It's dominating and ferocious and greedy, but it ain't pretty. 

So, in an effort to self-medicate and to talk myself off the ledge and out of the pain vortex, logical thinking went out the window, and reckless overindulgence flew the in through the cuckoo’s nest.

I took a little jaunt over to this joint:

And inhaled me a little of this:

And thought inappropriate things about this:

 And I was powerless over this sexy little chocolate ganache number:

And I adopted 73 of these and took them home with me. They are all named Clive, and they are all wonderful and thriving in a loving environment.

That's all. 

Triple Thriller Treat!

by L.J. Sellers, author of provocative mysteries & thrillers

Andrew and I both have new books coming out this month, and so does our good friend and fellow T&M author J Carson Black. So I’m taking a moment to share the descriptions for all three.

Andrew’s new book, Darkness and Shadows, a terrific sequel to his bestseller, The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted, takes up Patrick’s story where he left off. Here’s the provocative book description:

The only woman Patrick Bannister ever loved has died ... again. Struggling professionally and reeling from the psychological wounds left by a horribly abusive mother, Patrick is driven over the edge by a news report. A wealthy socialite couple has been murdered, and while the wife's name isn't familiar, her face certainly is. It's his first and only love, Marybeth, the woman who he lost to a horrific fire years ago.

Is he losing his mind? Patrick's obsession to find the truth sends him scouring records and documents that lead to a shocking discovery: there's no evidence Marybeth ever lived or, for that matter, ever died. Was the love of Patrick's life just a product of his abused psyche?

Reviewers say: “I've never read a better mix of engrossing suspense that also slammed me with heartfelt and raw emotion.”—Jessica Park, New York Times bestselling author

L.J.'s new novel, Crimes of Memory, is the eighth investigation for Detective Jackson. Here’s the cover copy:

Fresh off the leave-of-absence he took following his ex-wife's tragic death, Detective Wade Jackson's life is in upheaval. He struggles to keep his grief-stricken daughter, from succumbing to the same alcoholism demon as her mother. When a body is found in a local storage unit, Jackson hopes a simple open-and-shut homicide case will help him get back on track. But when the victim is identified as ex-con Craig Cooper—a former meth addict who did time for bank robbery, the spoils of which were never recovered—the case becomes challenging.

The same night Cooper is murdered, a firebomb goes off in a bottled water factory on the other side of town. The prime suspects are from an organization called Love the Earth—eco-terrorists. Fears that group is plotting another attack bring to town Jamie Dallas, an undercover agent with a wild streak, and Carla River, an FBI agent with a complicated past. When Jackson discovers a shocking link between the murder case and the bombing, they will all have to work together to solve both crimes before they blow up in their faces.

Reviewers say: “L.J. Sellers just keeps getting better. In Crimes of Memory, she pits unforgettable characters against a brilliant plot. Put this on your A-list! Then go search out the rest of the series.”—Peg Brantley, bestselling mystery author

J Carson Black’s release is a thriller called The Survivor’s Club. Check it out:

Detective Tess McCrae investigates a grisly crime scene in the ghost town of Credo, Arizona. To an ordinary investigator, the evidence suggests a cartel drug hit. But Tess, with a nearly faultless photographic memory, is far from ordinary, and she sees what others might miss: this is no drug killing. Someone went to gruesome lengths to cover up this crime.

The killer’s trail leads Tess from Tucson to California; from anti-government squatters in the Arizona mountains to the heights of wealthy society, including the rich and powerful DeKoven family, who've dominated Arizona commerce and politics since the 1800s. But as Tess follows the trail of gore and betrayal, perfect and indelible in her memory, she uncovers far more than one man’s murder, and solves much more than one isolated crime.

Reviewers say: “An utterly engrossing thriller. The Survivors Club grips us from the very start and simply doesn't let go. The novel seamlessly achieves that rarity in crime fiction: making our palms sweat while bringing the characters and their stories straight into our hearts. Bravo!" —Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author

Should Authors Review Other Authors?

By Andrew E. Kaufman

It’s an interesting question, one I often think about after reading a book. Should I or shouldn’t I?

Since becoming an author, I’ve left very few reviews on Amazon, and during the past year I made the decision to stop completely. There were several reasons for this. True, I’m a reader just like anyone else, but am I a typical reader?

No. Not really.

For me, it started feeling like an ethical issue. Since I write what I read, most of the books I enjoy (or don’t) are in the same genre as mine. That means the authors I read are competing for the same market share, and leaving a review on Amazon feels like a conflict of interest. If I leave a bad review, it could easily be interpreted as an act of bad intent.

And even If I leave a favorable review, readers might suspect that I did it as a favor to the author, and if that happens, have I done that person a service or disservice by leaving one? Just as much of a concern, have I done myself the same, possibly even damaging my own credibility as an author?

Another part of this involves my personal feelings: quite honestly, I have a hard time leaving a bad review for an author—as one myself, I know how deep the sting can feel from a bad review, and I find it difficult to inflict that on a colleague. This is not to say that they shouldn’t get a poor review for writing a lousy book; I’m just not sure whether I’m the one who should leave it.

Giving an author a blurb review is something different—with those, it’s clear that I’m doing it as a favor, but even then I’m hesitant due to time constraints and also because I wonder whether they actually help readers reach a decision on whether to make a purchase.

Also of concern is that as an author, I have a whole different set of standards while judging a book. My interests are often far more of a technical nature, nitpicky things,

and because of that I tend to scrutinize a work more needlessly than for the average reader. When I read, it’s hard to pull off my writer’s hat and put on the reading one—the two are so intricately intertwined these days. I worry that the things I’m critical of would be of no interest the average reader, and in stating them, it could have negative effects for a book that most people would find perfectly enjoyable.

Not everyone agrees with me on this. Some authors regularly leave reviews on Amazon—and really, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. It’s all about personal choices.

Contrary to what some may believe, Amazon doesn't discourage or pull reviews from authors based on that criterion, so they are free to review all they’d like. The only reason they would do so is if there appears to be a financial interest or gain on either side. This could be caused by something as innocent as me sending a birthday gift to the author, or something as obvious as having co-written something with him or her. Having said that, besides the co-authoring part, this would apply to anyone, whether they're an author or not.

So what do you think, troops?

Readers, do you have a problem seeing reviews from authors?

And authors, do you or don’t you? If so (or not) why (or why not?).

Creating Book Covers that Sell--From a Designer's Perspective

Book Covers.

It's no secret they can make or break a novel. Your prose may be brilliant, your story gripping from start to finish, but if your cover's a dud, you'd might as well kiss your sweet sales goodbye—because unless you build it….they won't come (a great cover, that is).

Linda Boulanger knows covers. 

That's because she's created hundreds of them, including several for fellow CFC blogmate, Jenny Hilborne. Folks, I’m not exaggerating when I say Linda does an amazing job at it. So I thought I'd have her here for a little cover cyber chat, to talk about what it takes to attract readers rather than repel them and hopefully bring in those sales.

Drew: As a cover artist, what are the most important elements for having a successful/impactful book cover?

Linda: I think the majority of designers would agree that the #1 element you’ll see on successful covers has to be the achievement of a true focal point. The eye needs a place to land and linger before beginning to take in the rest of the cover. If you don’t want your cover overlooked, it needs to grab a potential reader’s attention—and quickly—or they’re going to choose one that does. That focal point can be the first step in making yours the cover they look at long enough to click the magic button.

Drew: What are some of the mistakes you see with covers?

Linda: I would say the biggest mistake I see are ones that don’t tell me a thing about the story or fail to draw me in—that, and covers that lose all appeal in the “postage stamp” test. Looking at Amazon’s Top 100 books, you'll see a lot of very tiny covers! The very best covers can lose details in those tiny thumbnails, so make sure your overall image still makes an impact when it’s very, very small. (btw, CFC’s own Kimberly Hitchens posted aboutLousy Book Covers a couple of weeks ago. It’s definitely worth reading.

Drew: What kind of consideration do you give to genre?

Linda: Consideration to genre is very important. If I had my way, all covers would be “pretty” – which definitely doesn’t work for all genres! But, just as the stories differ within genres, so do the covers. I do have to say that my main goal is creating a certain feel from the information I gather from the author about the story, more so than getting hung up on a particular style. Surprisingly (or not), the covers seem to work out and fit not only the story, but the genre as well.

Drew: Author name first, or title: your thoughts?

Linda: As a designer, I prefer to let the placement of title and author name fit into the design, though I know there are many that believe it should be one way or the other. Authors need to let their designer know if one is preferred over another because it definitely impacts the elements chosen. On sequels or series, the use of placement as well as particular fonts can help a reader know the book is a part of something bigger, with or without a subtitle.

Drew: What is your process for taking a cover from concept to finish? How do you bring an author's wishes to life?

Linda: This question is a blog post in itself! In fact, I was a guest on Karen S. Elliott’s blog in October where I allowed readers to “creep into my mind” to see a bit of the process. I basically start all covers with a few simple steps. First, I ask questions because I want a feel for the story. I want an author’s blurb or elevator pitch. I’ll ask about characters, whether there’s a particular scene that stands out. And I may come back more than once to get more information. Gathering images comes next, and that’s usually where the ideas begin to come together in my head even before I open my design program.

Part of bringing an author’s wishes to life is getting us on the same page, which means there may be several cover concepts to choose from. Once we’re certain of our direction with those, we’ll usually go back and forth a few more times with little details (which can make a big impact). I’ll then fine-tune the elements, and the cover gets sent to the author. Once it’s revealed by the author, I’ll post it on my website(s) and social media haunts. I also ask authors to let me know when they’re doing promotions so I can share that information. I tend to walk away from every project feeling as if the book is partly my baby, and I want the world to love it just as much as the author does.

Drew: What do you enjoy most about creating covers?

Linda: The ability to couple my love of reading with creativity and know my design gives potential readers a glimpse that the story inside is truly exhilarating. I also enjoy getting to know authors from all over. We definitely tend to develop more than just a simple working relationship. And when I get to help promote their books and see them doing well—that’s an added bonus.

Drew: What advice would you give authors who are looking to have covers made for their books?

Linda: Feel comfortable with your designer, and don’t accept a cover you aren’t completely in love with. I tell authors all the time: If you don’t love it, you can’t sell it, and that’s not good for any of us. Try to find out a bit about the designer before going in, and look for one you think would be a good fit for your style. For example, if you don’t like being an integral part of the process, then I’m probably not the designer for you. Figure out how you like to work, and choose accordingly. Also remember that creativity takes time, so you need to have realistic expectations of your designer.

As mentioned, your cover is probably the biggest draw for potential readers. It needs to be right and you, the author, are a designer’s #1 resource for creating that perfect cover. No one knows your book like you. YOU are the key to creating an attention-grabbing cover that truly fits your story and that you and the world will love.

Linda Boulanger has designed book covers and created layouts across many genres. Authors who work with her will let you know you receive much more than the creation of a book cover or beautiful interior layout when you choose her services. Visit her at:

Tell-Tale Book Covers – Cover Design Site

Tell-Tale Book Covers on Facebook

Email: TellTaleBookCovers@gmail.com