We're baa-ack!

cj Sez: Lyrical Pens is back . . . Let’s kick off the blog’s return with a “It’s Fall, Y’all” sale.

A Mobile Writers Guild Anthology @ Amazon.com

  My short story, "Once in a Blue Moon," is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES, book 4 of 4 anthologies from the Mobile Writers Guild. As of the time of this post, the Kindle edition of HALLOWEEN PIECES is sale priced at $1.99 and available instantly.

  Click on the link below to watch a YouTube video as I read an excerpt.  And if you have the option, choose to open in “Duck Player” (no ads).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PUlZ7kUswE

§§

  Old adage: Truth is stranger than fiction. Why? Because truth is harder to write and make it believable. As a writer, fiction is my choice because I can lie and be applauded for it. Now if I could only remember which lie I told.

§§

"Paths Not Taken" will release in March 2025. Pre-order is available.

§§

  That’s all for today’s post. You-all keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Thanks for stopping by.

cj

Now a word from my sponsors:

  THE DAWGSTAR is a suspense/thriller filled with international political gangsterism, nanosatellites (real things), assassins, fears of frankenfood, and more! A fast-paced Jane Bond-ish read with a touch of romance.

 

  DEATH ON THE YAMPA is a contemporary suspense/thriller tale with a touch of romance. A woman and the man she loves are rafting the Yampa River through the delicious scenery of Dinosaur National Monument when they encounter her fugitive brother who's joined a terrorist group.

   You can ask your local library to order my eBooks for you to read with your library card. You’ll need to give them the ISBN number of the title you want to borrow.

THE DAWGSTAR … ISBN 978-17369146-0-1

DEATH ON THE YAMPA … ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8

And P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a short story.

➜ Follow me on  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

  

Something's come up

cj Sez: Labor Day (it was Sept 2 in case you missed it) is sometimes called the unofficial end to summer. Witness: Most schools are back in session, and stores have already begun their multi-holiday advertising and sales. So let me be the first to wish you . . .

cj Sez: So did I. 

  That said, Lyrical Pens is on hiatus. The current plan is to return online in mid-October. Sorry for the abrupt notice, but life doesn’t always give warnings.

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA-Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. If she’s out, she’ll order one for you, and I’ll pop over to sign it. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

  P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a short story. The Haunted Book Shop has a couple of those, also.  

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

There is no try.

cj Sez: I’ve been saying for a long time, way too long a time, that I’m trying to learn how to write an interesting mystery or I’m trying to learn how to write a YA story. In fact, I said it just the other day. Then I found this meme in my archives:

  It reminded me that I know better. And have done better. If I “really’ want to learn how to do something, I have to set an achievable goal and do what’s necessary to reach it.

  I once had a wild hair thought to challenge my staid existence and made a goal to go white-water rafting. When I was 50, I took six weeks of swimming lessons and then spent 5-1/2 days with 12 strangers on an Outward Bound white-water rafting trip on the undammed Yampa River flowing between Colorado and Utah. I had a great adventure (parts of which are incorporated into my second novel, DEATH ON THE YAMPA), made some interesting friends, and still don’t know how to swim.

  When I first wanted to learn how to write novels, I enrolled in a creative writing class at a local community college. I flew to San Francisco and spent three days immersed in Robert McKee’s STORY screenwriting workshop. I grabbed a bunch of how-to books. I read novels and read some more.

  Over time, I discovered I was drawn to the books of Robert B. Parker, Elmore Leonard, John Grisham, James Lee Burke, Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series. You know the kind, heavy on the action and adventure with a smattering of sex. When I relocated to Mobile, I took a continuing education class at the University of South Alabama, wrote seven paragraphs based on a prompt from the instructor, and, with a three- or four-line positive response written on the paper, decided I was ready to write.

  BEEP, BEEP: Writing in a vacuum doesn’t work. I thought my premise was wonderful, the words and structure perfect. I wrote crap. There was no brilliant beginning, middle, or end. There was only a quasi-beginning, a sagging middle, and an unsatisfying end. And I couldn’t even edit out all the punctuation errors because I would read right past them.

So, I joined writers’ organizations and a couple of critique groups in order to get the kind of varied writer/reader responses I would get should my novel be on a library shelf. I went to conferences, writer retreats, and workshops. My first short story was published in a literary anthology in 2008, my first suspense novel in 2013.

 

At first, my stories and novels were traditionally published but understanding that the publication world is a fickle place, I took an intensive class in self-publishing, got my rights back (from Simon & Schuster), amended my novels enough to warrant renaming them, and then self-published. And you know what? It felt good. I still submit my short stories for consideration in small-press anthologies.

  There is a song lyric that, paraphrased, tells me I can spend my days living a dream or spend my days trying not to die. I don’t see any hope or laughter in the latter. The Yoda meme reminds me that I must own my dream. I will either do or do not. 

  

  I will either learn how to write a mystery or set a new goal—hopefully an achievable one. 

  Today’s lesson: Set a goal. Put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and write it down. You might be surprised at how far seeing it in writing will take you.

  Okay, I’ll climb off the soap box, but think about it reader or author: What’s your goal? 

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe Labor Day celebration for you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  Summer is winding down, kids are back in school, and there is some available downtime. Having a book to read is the perfect relaxing entertainment for those moments. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

And P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a short story.

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

A GUEST POST today by author Kathleen Kaska

cj Sez: Lyrical Pens is excited to present a guest post today by Kathleen Kaska, the author of the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series as well as the award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s.

 

  Kaska generously shares her experiences as she pursued new publishers for her books that had been previously published. Following is the author's “Here’s My Road to Reissue,” a very interesting take on that process.  

“I learned a long time ago to take advice and seemingly factual information with a grain of salt. Once, a librarian told me that if my first book didn’t become an instant best-seller, I’d have a difficult time getting anyone to publish my second book. Thirteen books later, I’m glad I didn’t act on her information. Later, when the publisher of my first four Sydney Lockhart mysteries folded, someone also told me that it would be nearly impossible to find a new publisher for books that were previously published. I didn’t listen to them either. I had big plans for several more books in this series, so when the rights were reverted to me, I began doing my homework and searching for a new publisher.

When my first book came out in the early 90s, the publishing options were simple and straightforward but limited. Writers looked for an agent or contacted publishers directly, sent their submissions, and waited, and waited, and waited. Simultaneous submissions were frowned upon, so the process worked against the writer.

Over the years, I’ve signed with numerous publishers. My experience with the university press that published my biography, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story, was/is amazing. When I have questions or need something, I call them. And guess what? They answer the phone! They were open to negotiating my contract, and my royalty statements are accurate and arrive on time. The same is true for the publishers of my trivia books. Not so true with the first two publishers of my mysteries. So, I learned to be cautious. I’ve learned to ask questions. I’ve learned to recognize publishers who accept manuscripts despite not having read them.

The good news is that now there are thousands of traditional small presses, hybrid presses, and self-publishing options. The less-than-good news is that a writer has to know the business, study the contracts, know when to negotiate, and be able to recognize a good deal. With this in mind, I knew I wanted a publisher who would work with me, answer my emails, listen to my suggestions, give me honest, helpful advice and feedback, brainstorm with me on promotion and marketing ideas, give me reasonable discounts on purchasing my books, connect me with her network of published authors, and above all, care about my books. I know that’s asking a lot, but writing is hard work, and I did not want to sell myself short.

   Three years ago, I signed with Anamcara Press, and I couldn’t be happier. My publisher conducted a thorough edit on each previously published book, rebranded the entire series, which now includes two new books, and provided me with a publicist who helped me schedule book tours and kept me involved every step of the way. We meet virtually several times before each new release, tweaking the cover, metadata, and book blurbs. 

   I trust her expertise and experience. I’m selling more books than I ever have. And to top it all off, she is a nice person.”

§§

cj Sez: 

   For your reading enjoyment, here’s the cover and buy link to the reissue of MURDER AT THE ARLINGTON, Book 1 (of 6) in her Sydney Lockhart mystery series.

Buy the Kindle Now  

  Thank you, Kathleen, for the tips and reassurances. Yep, it’s going to take work, but if we writers will do our due diligence research, there are several publishing options available for that previously published book. 

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  Summer is winding down, kids are going back to school, and there is available downtime. Having a book to read is the perfect relaxing entertainment for those moments of R&R. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

  And P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page to find links to anthologies in which I have a short story. 

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:     Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Readers' wants and expectations

cj Sez: I rediscovered one of my archived posts about my path to creative writing, and I’ve excerpted it here. Hope you can find a useful nugget in here:

Readers have different expectations/wants

  My first drafts are crappy and sparse, mainly for two reasons: First, first drafts are supposed to be crappy, and second. before a screenwriter course turned me on to creative writing, I was once a corporate journalist/editor tasked with relating the gist of a story in limited line space.

  When I’m finished with the first draft, and the manuscript has its usual dearth of details, I start work expanding details: The five senses…hear, see, taste, smell, feel… and the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the plot.

  I incorporate some action descriptors, but I consider too many of them stage directions. Some writers use them much like adverbs to “tell” their readers what to think or as a way to add words to a short manuscript.

 

  Action needs to have purpose. If describing an action doesn't contribute to the reader's knowledge of the character, scene conflict, or mood, then it’s stage direction. I write mostly suspense and thrillers and have a minimalist approach to action—using few words speeds up the pace and heightens the tension. On the other hand, readers of cozy mysteries or more narrative-based novels want, and expect, to know every detail.

  Adding or withholding detail is a good way to control the pace of your novel. Even in suspense and thrillers, there are places where the reader needs a breather from the action. These would be the spots where I add more detail or beats. Places where I can reveal more of the characters’ growth, i.e., transformation, as the plot progresses.

  Hint: Adding detail words slows the pace; being stingy speeds it up.

  When action is needed to set some mood for the scene, then yes, I detail the action. Sometimes I add details to slow the action and increase the tension. If I want a character to give the reader a sense of impending danger and fear, then I add more description to the action. I tend to follow the lead of my favorite authors—Robert Parker and James Lee Burke. Their succinct style of writing is what I like to read, and it is their fans who are my target market.

§§

Author and Reader Notes

Be sure to stop by next week when Kathleen Kaska, author of the award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series shares her path to securing a publisher to reissue her books.

///

  In a recent Jane Friedman blog post, Susan DeFreitas (@manzanitafire), an award-winning author, editor, and book coach, says writers can make their protagonist “too good.”

When It Comes to Characters We Love, Vulnerability, Not Likeability, Is Key | Jane Friedman

///

Author quote:

  “All writing is difficult. The most you can hope for is a day when it goes reasonably easily. Plumbers don’t get plumber’s block, and doctors don’t get doctor’s block; why should writers be the only profession that gives a special name to the difficulty of working, and then expects sympathy for it?”  —Philip Pullman

///

Congratulations to fellow Mobile Writers Guild member Carrie Dalby on the upcoming release of LOYALTY, the third book in her meticulously researched historical Washington Square Secrets series. 

  LOYALTY will launch August 27 and is currently available for preorder.  Buy Loyalty Now      

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: My local indy book store, The Haunted Book Shop, has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

A fear of failure is not all that rare

cj Sez:  I once saw a TV interview with James Patterson and learned that his first novel was rejected thirty-one times before it was published. Even after publication, it didn’t do all that well. Fortunately for his fans, failure didn’t discourage him. 

  So, where did his worldwide success come from, besides having some natural talent for story telling? What he did was set about learning and analyzing the genre he wanted to write, so he could become the best writer he could be. Like most authors (I think the generalization is true), he started out writing part-time because he had a day job. Now, he writes full-time, every day but Sunday. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide.

  From bios I’ve read, many, if not all, successful writers have some fear of failure, especially at the beginning of their careers. Perhaps they get an idea they’re excited to develop. The words flow like magic onto the page, but the farther they get into the writing, the more they start to second-guess their story-telling abilities. Doubts creep in: Someone’s already told this story, better. No one is going to read this drivel. It’ll never sell.

 

  If you want to reduce your chances of failure, study the craft: workshops, conferences, writers’ groups, read-read-read, analyze-analyze-analyze, and publish a professional, well-edited book.

  I also suggest that you write for yourself first. When you’re the only one you have to please, it reduces the writer’s block stress of arranging coherent sentences into a story arc on a blank page.

  What was the first thing you wrote? A poem? A memoir? A little piece of fiction? If you’re like me, you kept it and every once in a while, you resurrect it and wonder, “Not so bad." or "What was I thinking?”

§§

Author and Reader Notes

///

4 Questions to Strengthen Lean Manuscripts | Jane Friedman

  This recent guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog is by Lisa Fellinger, an author, book coach, and editor. She says: “I have a small confession to make: I’ve never been told I need to cut words from my manuscripts. In fact, I’m the author envious of anyone who needs to do so because I’m the one struggling to get my manuscript up to my target word count.”  

(cj sez: This is so me, and I thought there might be some of my readers also struggling with what I call “tight writing.”)

///

“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.” Kurt Vonnegut

///

  Since authors are also readers, this applies to everyone: There are three simple ways to encourage and support authors without spending an extra dime.

  Like, comment, and share authors' Facebook posts. Facebook's algorithms show only posts that FB thinks other members would like to see. That means the more likes and comments a post gets, the more people will see it. (Psst: The same process works for Amazon.)

  Take a few moments to give the book you just read a fair review. If all you can manage is one or two sentences, no matter because it will be deeply appreciated.

  Go to book signings. in-person or virtual, even if you can’t afford to buy the book at that time. Your attendance is encouraging.

§§

 

School started in Mobile this past week. Don’t know about the students, but the teachers were fully involved.

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  Summer is winding down and having a book to read is the perfect entertainment for those downtime moments. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Protag interview and some upcoming events

cj Sez: Today, I’m interviewing Dr. Mirabel Campbell, the protagonist in the novel, THE DAWGSTAR.

Lyrical Pens: Dr. Campbell, tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do for a living? Any hobbies?
 
Mirabel Campbell, PhD.: Call me Mirabel, please. I’m a botanist, and I’ve just finished working on the international genome project. Before you ask, I was studying the genomes of plants, not people. Finishing the project allowed me to spend more time with my new hobby, astronomy. The skies around Mendocito, California, where I live are super dark and perfect for star-gazing.
 

LP: So, you traded a microscope for a telescope. 

MC: When you say it that way, my life sounds pretty boring. Neither activity by itself is exciting by any stretch of the imagination, but let me tell you, the two of them together? You know how people say, ‘What you don’t know can’t hurt you?’ I found out what I didn’t know could kill me.
 
LP: Oh wow. What happened?
 
MC: One night I was out with my brand-new telescope and spotted what I thought was a new comet. That chance sighting was nearly the death of me. I became the target of a sociopathic assassin and got dragged into the middle of an international crisis—we’re talking foreign intrigue, DARPA, and the CIA. Obviously I survived. but two people close to me didn’t. That’s all I can tell you because of national security issues. The things that can be made public are revealed in cj petterson’s tell-all book, THE DAWGSTAR.
 
Lyrical Pens says: THE DAWGSTAR is a suspenseful thriller with a touch of rekindled romance when Mirabel’s ex-husband is the CIA agent assigned to keep what she saw from going public and to provide 24/7 protection.

§§

More Author and Reader Notes

  Congratulations to P.M. Raymond, the winner of the Sisters in Crime 2024 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Crime Writers of Color! 

  From the SinC announcement: “Raymond’s winning submission, ‘A Nasty Business’ is set on a Louisiana farm where a family tradition forces the heirs to compete in a series of grueling tasks.”

///

  This year’s annual Alabama Writers Cooperative (AWC) conference for writers, readers, and literary community.is happening September 6-8, 2024, in Orange Beach, AL.

 For more info, click on the following link:  2024 Conference — Alabama Writers Cooperative

///

  CALLAHAN IN ACTION, Book 6 in the Cat Callahan Mystery Series, is scheduled to launch August 8, and it's available for preorder. Click on the link below so you can put your name on a copy now:  https://books2read.com/CatCallahan6  I got mine ordered.

///

  LOYALTY, book 3 in author Carrie Dalby’s Washington Square Secrets series, releases August 27, 2024. And it’s available for pre-order now!

“In the autumn of 1920, a murder-suicide shakes the residents of Washington Square. Officer Jim Abbott doesn’t realize the return of his shellshock is only the beginning of his concerns.”

  Original watercolor featured on the cover is by Mobile Bay area artist Amanda Manley. 

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours. (P.S.A.: Counting August, there are five monthly paydays until Christmas.)

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:
  Summer is winding down, but having a book to read is the perfect entertainment for summer vacation downtime moments. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

A few elements of romance novels

cj Sez: The following list of elements in a romance novel is a composite of information I’ve gleaned from various sources over the years, and I plan to keep it in front of me when I begin writing my next romantic suspense.

A likable heroine

   This character can’t be weak or dumb and must be actively involved in the plot. There will, and should, be some moments of angst in the story, but they should be fleeting. You want your reader to root for this character rather than think she deserves what she gets because she’s too dumb to win.

A likable hero

   This character should be strong (even if only emotionally), irresistible, smart, and actively involved. He does not have to be stereotypically attractive to be appealing. A well-developed personality can carry this character right into your readers’ hearts.

Emotional tension

   What’s keeping your heroine/hero apart? What threatens her/him? Making these decisions early on helps keep the story plot on track.

A believable plot

   A believable plot is a must but no worries. A twist on an oldie will work. According to some studies, there are only six (or maybe eight) possible plots in all of literature. Ergo every “new” story might today be called a trope. 

  For instance, Cinderella can be construed as a variation of the Biblical story of Esther, who was an orphan being raised by her uncle and who so charmed a king that he crowned her his queen. Julia Roberts was Cinderella in “Pretty Woman” as was Melanie Griffith in “Working Girl.” Star-crossed lovers, ala Romeo and Juliet, abound. It’s your unique writer’s “voice” that’s important in relating your take (spin, twist) on a familiar story.

A Happily Ever After ending

   A HEA is an absolute for a romance novel. Love stories do not have to end happily, but for the avid fans of the romance genre, and all its subgenres, a romance novel must have a happily ever after or at least the promise of one.

   Three of the points above are romance-novel specific, but at least two of them—emotional tension and believable plot—can be broadly applied to all genres. Even a memoir needs a bit of tension and a plot to make it an appealing read. You can help me out here. As a reader and/or a writer, can you think of a genre that wouldn’t use those two points.

   By the way, there is no “magic formula” for writing a novel in any genre, but with a lot of reading, analysis, study, and/or luck you might find some suggestions that you can adapt to your writing style.

§§

Author and Reader Notes:

   I’m a member of the Facebook group “POSSESSED: Timeless Gothic Reads,” and as part of our latest seasonal read-and-discuss assignment, I did a deep dive into THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES, a truly Gothic novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 

   It is superbly rich in setting and description (which I need more of in my writing) and wordy to the nth degree. Those long, complex sentences made the read interesting but a real struggle for this fast-paced suspense writer with tired eyes.

///

   Expert advice: Deciphering good from bad. The following link is to a Jane Friedman blog post by writer, editor, and book coach Lauren Reynolds.

The Pitfalls of Expert Advice | Jane Friedman

///

  CALLAHAN IN ACTION, Book 6 in the Cat Callahan Mystery Series, is scheduled to launch August 8, and it's available for preorder. Click on the link below so you can put your name on a copy now:  https://books2read.com/CatCallahan6  I preordered mine.

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours. (P.S.A.: There are five months until Christmas.)

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  Having a book to read is the perfect entertainment for those holiday and summer vacation downtime moments. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on        

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

In the "Did You Know" department

cj Sez: When author/editor Joyce Sterling Scarbrough gave a wonderful presentation on self-editing to the Mobile Writers Guild a while back, she left us with a slew of important tips. For instance: Did you know that adjectives and adverbs have a “royal order?”

  Did you know that when you use an adverb before the noun, it does not require a comma? I took notes, so I know. The charts Joyce used have been updated and changed, but the structures remain the same. Here are two Royal Order charts for you to copy out.

  A past president of the Mobile Writers Guild, Joyce is also the editor of every one of the organization’s perfectly enjoyable PIECES anthologies. Follow author/editor Joyce Scarbrough on Facebook and her webpage HOME | Joyce Scarbrough

                                                      §§

Author and Reader Notes:

  The Sisters in Crime 2024 Pride Award is now open for submissions from emerging LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers! Sisters in Crime membership NOT required - open to all!

Who: LGBTQIA+ Crime Writers

Why: Win $2,000

What: Submit an UNPUBLISHED work in the Crime Writing genre (i.e. short story, novella, chapter(s) of a novel in progress), your resume and a cover letter

When: Submissions open through July 31st

How: For complete details and entry form, go to: https://www.sistersincrime.org/page/Pride

///

  CALLAHAN IN ACTION, Book 6 in the Cat Callahan Mystery Series, is scheduled to launch August 8 and it's available for preorder. Click on the link below so you can grab a copy now:  https://books2read.com/CatCallahan6

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:

  Having a book to read is the perfect entertainment for those holiday and summer vacation downtime moments. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on 

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6