cj Sez: Celebrating fall with one of my son’s photos and a Robert Frost poem: 

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..... and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

- Robert Frost

§§

How would you answer these questions?

  Do you have a tall, to-be-read pile of books residing somewhere in your home? 

  Is there one particular book you can point to as THE BOOK that captured your imagination and started you down a path that made a difference in your life. 

  Did you start reading more and more and maybe thinking about being a writer? 

  As a child, did you have a parent read to you? 

  Did you have a home library of books?

I’ll answer first:

  I have a small TBR pile and another small list of TBR Kindle books. I blame that on my eyes, and the fact that most books put me to sleep after about four chapters. Obviously, I’m a slow reader…unless I get captured by an amazing story and “in the zone.”

  THE BOOK for me is The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fennimore Cooper. Based on the French and Indian war and touching on interracial love, the story whetted my appetite for exciting adventure.

  I can’t remember that either of my parents ever read to me. My Sweden-born father didn’t read English all that well, and my mother wasn’t a reader by nature.  

  Companion to the above answer: We didn’t have a home library, although I do remember reading lots of comic books and some Golden Books. The Golden Books weren't mine, though

  All of that is to say, don’t compare your writing or reading life to anyone else’s. Sometimes, all it takes is a single story to bring about a love of books and spark one’s imagination.

  Despite not being introduced to reading books as a child, I grew to love the lyrical syncopation of words and syntax, and I am a published author, both traditional and self.

  How about you? What sparked your love of reading and/or writing? Can you pinpoint a single story? Or do you think it was the cumulative effect of childhood experiences?

§§

  The following Jane Friedman Blog post is by editor Tiffany Yates Martin, who writes . . .

“The Truth About First Lines.

  First lines are greatly overrated. Yes, there have been some classics that have been immortalized in the canon, but too many authors get bogged down trying to create that perfect opening sentence and prevent themselves from creating an effective story.”

  Click on the following link to read the rest of the post. 

Forget the First Line. Focus on First Pages. | Jane Friedman

§§

 Are you planning/plotting/thinking about doing NaNoWriMo? Author Neil Gaiman says: This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard. — Neil Gaiman

  I’m rooting for you!

§§

§§

  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

  My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES. 

  As of the time of this post, the Kindle edition is sale priced at $1.99 and available instantly.

Halloween Pieces: A Mobile Writers Guild Anthology - @ Amazon.com.

  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 domestic terrorist group.

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Mother's Day

cj Sez: To all the moms and moms-to-be out there:

  And to all those who’ve lost their moms, I share your loss.   

  Numbers 6:24-26  “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
 

§§

 

  Author and book coach Susanne Dunlap calls them complications. I call them plot points and find them fun to write. 

  Putting a complication/plot point at the end of every chapter is a sure way to tempt the reader to keep turning the pages.

  You can read Susanne Dunlap's thoughts here: 
   Embrace Complication to Develop a Can’t-Put-It-Down Narrative | Jane Friedman
 

§§ 

On the personal front

  This is one of the day lilies living under a pecan tree in the front yard. Son Jeff took the photograph and enlarged a copy to the fill-the-frame Georgia O’Keeffe size, which I absolutely love. 

  He also gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day. Love, love, love that man. 

§§

 
  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:
 
  Beach? Mountains? StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holiday and summer vacation downtime moments when you can lose yourself in a book. My novels, 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 
 
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2019—1 year—365 days of new opportunities

cj Sez: Can you believe the new year is 2019? 

". . . and I still have so many unanswered questions! I haven’t found out who let the dogs out...where the beef is ...how to get to Sesame Street... why Dora doesn’t just use Google Maps...Why all flavors of fruit loops taste exactly the same, or how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop...why eggs are packaged in a flimsy carton, but batteries are secured in plastic that’s tough as nails... why “abbreviated” is such a long word; or why is there a D in ‘fridge’ but not in refrigerator... why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor yet dish washing liquid is made with real lemons... why they sterilize the needle for lethal injections... why is it that when you “put your two cents in,” you only get a “penny for your thoughts” … and where’s that extra penny going? ... why does The Alphabet Song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star have the same tune... why did you just try to sing those two previous songs... and what exactly is Victoria’s secret? …does anyone know where Waldo is?... Can you hear me now?... and …"

  Okay, I admit. I’m not really that witty. I stole this from a Facebook friend who got it from someone said to have stolen it from her brother’s girlfriend’s, uncle’s cousin who lived next door to an old classmate’s mailman. (Yeah, right.) 

   The stories in HOMETOWN HEROES, A Christmas Anthology are not just seasonal. Their uplifting messages can be enjoyed year-round. The highly rated anthology is still available (free on Kindle Unlimited) here: https://amzn.to/2Rrdy7b 

After you’ve read the stories, I hope you will consider writing a review. (Please and thank you.)

cj Sez: That’s it for the last post of 2018. I wish you a new year of days filled with God’s blessings of health, peace, prosperity, and success in all your endeavors.

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What attracts you to a book?

cj Sez: I was recently privileged to speak to the Mobile Writers Guild about how to “Give Your Story Its Best Start and Best Shot” at attracting readers. As a reader, what attracts you to a book?

Click on the books to purchase on Amazon

Whether it’s on the library or bookstore shelf or on an on-line book seller, the first thing you do is go the genre section or favorite author you’re interested in, and chances are you check out the title and then the cover.

Titles and cover art, even the quality of the paper may mean something to readers; i.e., is the writing the same quality as the cover? The title and the cover also introduce the tone of the story and the author’s voice. These two items can be your best start and best shot at gaining a reader’s attention. That all-important first line, first page, and first chapter don’t enter the purchase equation until after the reader picks up the book.

Quoting a recent Facebook post commenting on an author’s cover reveal: “Congrats. Awesome title and cover. Can’t wait to read.”  I had the same reaction when the cover of Choosing Carter was revealed.

Conversely, another post read: “I love cover art that looks professionally done. I am not attracted by a book with a cover that looks amateurish….”

Granted, traditionally published authors, of which I am one, don’t usually have the control over the cover art that self-published authors do. The publisher may or may not work with the author to develop the cover art. But for the self-published writers who do have control over their cover art, if you’re not an illustrator or art design expert, consider hiring the cover done … and seek input from other authors for your title. 

It’s Marketing 101, and why there is such a to-do over cover reveals. Just a thought.

***

Congratulations are in order for Stephen Mack Jones, winner of IACW/NA’s Hammett Prize.

The Hammett Prize for Crime Writers is bestowed each year by The International Association of Crime Writers (North American Branch) “for a work of literary excellence in the field of crime writing by a U.S. or Canadian author.”

On July 7, the IACW/NA announced this year’s winning title: August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones (publisher: Soho Crime).  Mr. Jones’s story was selected from among four finalists chosen from the hundreds of crime books published in 2017. He received their “Thin Man” bronze trophy designed by sculptor Peter Boiger.

Nominations are open for IACW/NA 2018. Submissions deadline is December 15, 2018…read the guidelines at: http://www.crimewritersna.org/hammett/
Information: Wendy Hornsby  at 

wendyhornsby2@gmail.com
Chair 2018 Hammett Prize Reading Committee

(cj Sez: Past winners include Stephen King, James Lee Burke, and Elmore Leonard.)

***

This busy man (with the dual jobs of corporate

counsel and buyer for a local business) invited me out for appetizers one evening last week. Grandson Jeff and I are at Bonefish Grill. Do I look happy or what (that is not a question).

You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

Stop by Amazon and pick up copies of DEADLY STAR and CHOOSING CARTER. Fast, exciting reads and a Christmas gift that keeps on giving. (A hint in case you have only two more paydays until Christmas.)

Send me an eMail that you’ve left a new review for me to read (Goodreads, Amazon, wherever and good, bad, or simply “I read it.”) and I’ll put your name in the raffle hat. The random name I draw on December 6 will receive a nice gift bag of goodies. I’ll post it on my Facebook page, so be sure to stop by.

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Food for thought

cj Sez: To say the weather is sweltering where I live would be an understatement. Today’s heat index reached triple digits…something like 110°. Needless to say I was not outdoors.

The following is an excerpt from comments by someone defending about fifty percent of the U.S. population (i.e. potential buyers and readers of books), from the published comments of an author. Given the penchant for hateful posts and responses I’ve seen on the Internet, I choose to keep the combatants anonymous.

“The other nakedly called supporters of POTUS45 bigots, xenophobes, homophobes, misogynists, etc. on Twitter. So I called him out that if that sizable chunk of his reader base is that awful, would be (sic) be magnanimous returning their money for previous book purchases--hashtag, don't bite the hands that feeds you/sh*t where you eat."

cj Sez: I happen to believe authors don’t have to agree with their readers’ (or other authors’) choices, and vise versa. But offending potential buyers/readers with personal diatribes is like cutting off your nose to spite your face (seemed like an apt cliché). Publishing insults is not the way to increase readership. (It’s all about the marketing.)

"…authors MUST be personable, engaging, in tune with their audience(s), and just plain-out decent folks. These people PAY their royalties, and word-of-mouth will make or break an author when writers are their readers, too . . . and word ripples to non-writers about this or that author's sourness. In this age of social media, you cannot afford to be a nekkid jerk. If you're raking it in, okay; if you're not, don't. Just don't in general, but that's just me :-).”

cj Sez: I’ll admit, I have, on occasion, like the angry responder above, felt the need to respond to comments that ticked me off. I’ll write down my outrageous rant on a “mad pad.” (I like pressing the pen down hard onto the paper and leaving imprints on the page behind.) When I’ve gotten the anger out of my system, I put the mad pad aside for a while, then either edit out the anger and post an abbreviated response, or wad up the paper and don’t respond at all.

Have you had a similar encounter of feeling insulted in print--where the published word "seems" to carry more authority? How did you handle it? 

On a happier note, my grandson called this afternoon and invited me to dinner tonight. A spur-of-the-moment invitation that told me he was thinking about me. Now that he’s working, it was his treat. Love that kid.

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

cj

For great vacation reads, available on Amazon, pick up a copy of:

Deadly Star

Back of the book blurb: "cj petterson has crafted a tale of murder, espionage, and romance which builds to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. With a gift for well-written dialogue and a deft touch at creating suspense, Ms. petterson delivers a must-read story in Deadly Star."  Rebecca Barrett 

Choosing Carter

Review: "Ms. petterson brings the drama with a cinematic adventure that weaves intrigue, peril and passion in the spectacular Colorado Mountains."--4.5 stars, InD'Tale Magazine

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Father's day has a history, too

cj Sez: I hope all the wonderful dads out there have a Happy Father’s Day.

   Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, has a history that goes well beyond greeting cards. The first known American celebration to honor fathers happened in 1908 at the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South in Fairmont, West Virginia. A Mrs. Grace Golden Clayton wanted to have a memorial service for the more than 200 fathers who had died in the Monongah mining explosion that occurred on December 6, 1907. Described as “the worst mining disaster in American History,” the explosion left some 1,000 children without fathers.

   Two years later, Father’s Day was formally observed in

Spokane, Washington, on June 19, 1910 (the third Sunday in June). It became an annual celebration there and started events in other towns, but did not become a permanent national holiday for decades. Congress first introduced a bill to honor fathers in 1913, but it did not pass. In 1966, Lyndon Johnson used his Presidential Pen to issue a proclamation designating the third Sunday in June to honor fathers. Father’s Day finally became law in 1972, when President Richard Nixon signed a law declaring that Father’s Day be celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June.

cj’s note: According to a National Review analysis, at the time of the mine disaster in the early 1900s, fewer than eight percent of kids under the age of ten lived in a household that didn’t include their biological or adoptive father. Today, one in four kids under the age of ten have absentee fathers.

*** 

My father struggled through a hard life, was raised without a father and with little love. I don’t remember that we ever said “I love you” to each other but I knew he loved me by the unexpected, thoughtful things he did for me. What I remember most about Daddy are his strong hands, his Swedish accent, and seeing him dance the schottische around the kitchen on Saturday mornings when he made breakfast. I miss him still.    

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

cj

5 Star review for Choosing Carter, a fast and exciting vacation read . . . 5.0 out of 5 stars Another Page Turner!    No slow passages in this suspenseful and action-filled novel. The interesting cast of characters and even the rugged landscape (so well described) contribute to the feeling of "being there." Highly recommend this one.

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Father’s Day Info Sources:

 https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/06/fathers-day-one-quarter-of-kids-have-absentee-dads/

 https://www.almanac.com/content/when-fathers-day

Banned books and a book review

cj Sez: I came across a couple of blog posts the other day about some of the books that, over the years, have been banned in schools and sometimes in libraries. 

So I did some checking. The list is sadly surprising

According to the American Library Association, books on the Top Ten list are geared toward children, teens or young adult audiences. Parents initiate the majority of the challenges. ALA’s position is that “parents have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” Among those banned have been:

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (Reason: Profanity and racial slurs, alcohol, poverty, bullying, violence, and sexuality.)

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (Reason: Perceived racial insensitivity, stereotypes and offensive characterization, especially of the runaway slave.) 

“Lord of the Flies,” (Reason: Several challenges including:  "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal.")

The Harry Potter Series (Reason: Includes topics that desensitize children to very real evils in the world, increasing violence as the books progress.)

As a way to make the public aware of the censorship, the Association promotes Banned Books Week, which takes place in September.

"Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek, to publish, to read, and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular."

In 2017, the following books were among the most frequently attacked or banned (all have been banned more than once):

“Thirteen Reasons Why” (Reason: Suicide)

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” (Reasons: Profanity, sexually explicit)

“Drama” (Reason: LGBT content)

“The Kite Runner” (Reasons: Sexual violence, religious themes, “May lead to terrorism”)

“George” (Reason: LGBT content)

“Sex is a Funny Word” (Reason: Sex education)

“To Kill a Mockingbird” (Reasons: Violence, racial slurs)

“The Hate U Give” (Reasons: Drug use, profanity, “Pervasively vulgar”)

“And Tango Makes Three” (Reason: LGBT content)

“I Am Jazz” (Reason: Gender identity)

***

My BOOK REVIEW on a new book (It could attract a ban):

THE HUNGER, by Alma Katsu, is a tour de force on human behavior. The Donner pioneers, seeking new lives, riches, and adventures on the far coasts of a new America, are driven to mad desperation by an unimaginable terror. Author Alma Katsu adds a supernatural evil to the tragic real-life story of the Donner Party and imbues their sacrifices with even more horror. Stephen King’s review says it all:  “Deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark.”

***

Speaking of reviews, how about authors’ reactions to those less than complimentary? Here are three quotes from a Career Authors blog post you are sure to want to read:

Geez, I’m not an English teacher

This complaint makes our heads feel like they might explode. How can you expect good results if you don’t know the tools of the trade? To us, attempting to write a book without knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar is akin to someone walking into a surgical unit for the first time, picking up a scalpel and making a mess of the patient, then saying, “Hey, I didn’t graduate from med school–how could you expect me to know how to use that thing?”

I didn’t realize my book would be judged on punctuation, spelling and grammar.

Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential to conveying your ideas in the manner you intended. (Famous example: “I just ate, Grandma” or “I just ate Grandma.”) If you haven’t mastered them, then you aren’t ready to write a book.

It’s clear the reviewer didn’t read the whole book

No matter the complaint, authors want to believe that the reviewer didn’t read their whole book. It’s an understandable reaction, as no one wants to hear negative feedback, and it’s far easier to leap to the conclusion that the reviewer didn’t really read the book than to admit to yourself that they did read it and failed to love your baby as much as you do.

cj Sez: I’m with the authors of this piece on the complaint about poor spelling, punctuation, and grammar, and I don’t think any of us are referring to the occasional gremlins that creep into a manuscript.

There is a lot more to read about here:

https://careerauthors.com/book-reviews-reactions/

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

cj

5-Star Review for THE POSSE

Eight different stories by different authors. Each story was unique in its style and the characters in it. I enjoyed each of them. Though I'm a fan of historical romance, and I like the westerns, this introduced me to some new authors that I hadn't read before. If you enjoy the wild west and are a fan of classic western novels, you'll enjoy these eight tales in The Posse. I'll be looking up some of the authors for other books.

Free on Kindle Unlimited at the time of this post. Get it here:  https://amzn.to/2mGUh2L 

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BOOK REVIEW of Rosanne Bittner's PARADISE VALLEY

cj Sez: Paradise Valley by USAToday best-selling author Rosanne Bittner is not a new release but one that I happened across while doing research for my Western work-in-progress.

The novel is historical fiction—a Western romance about Maggie McPhee Tucker and Sage Lightfoot. Violated, battered, and widowed while on her way to Oregon, Maggie is determined to exact vengeance for her husband’s murder. Sage lets her tag along with him even though he has his doubts, but Maggie holds her own and then some in untamed Wyoming in the mid 1880s.

Ms. Bittner knows her historical facts but didn’t beat the reader over the head with them. I particularly enjoyed that the fast pace and conflict were not interrupted by the historical detail dumps that some writers in this genre pack into one complex sentence.

I’m not into sappy romance stories with bleeding hearts, and Paradise Valley is none of that. It’s tightly written, gritty, and tough, as I would expect the Wild West to be. If you like strong women and men who will do what it takes to do more than just survive, you’ll like this novel. I give it 4.5 Stars.

***

Calling all mystery, suspense, thriller, and crime writers. Sisters-in-Crime is an international organization of several hundred authors able and willing to encourage and applaud your work. And they do not hesitate to share their expertise.

The next time you’re on Facebook, drop by their page and see what’s happening.

https://www.facebook.com/sistersincrime/

*** 

In case you didn’t read Lyrical Pens last week (and why not?), here’s a reminder of an upcoming one-day reader and writer event—The 2018 Mobile Literary Festival:

Discover book marketing and publicity
Every author, no matter the publishing method, is responsible for marketing and publicity. But, why go it alone? The Book Marketing: What Works! panel discussion brings together Emily Chambers Blejwas, Angela Quarles, Frank Kelso, and Lee Ann Ward to reveal their marketing success stories, challenges, and pitfalls experienced along their way to becoming not only authors, but sellers! See you at this and other programs at the Mobile Literary Festival on March 3, 2018 at the Ben May Main Library.

*** 

cj Sez: That’s it for this post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

Now a word from my sponsors…

PIECES ANTHOLOGY…The Mobile Writers Guild’s collection of short stories and poems by more than 20 authors from the Gulf Coast of Alabama, including USAToday best-selling authors Carolyn Haines and Craig A. Price Jr. Available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2BTiqt5

PS: (I’m one of the more than 20 authors, too.)

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Choosing Carter  -- Kindle  /  Nook  /  Kobo   /  iTunes/iBook

Deadly Star --  Kindle  / Nook  / Kobo

California Kisses—10 book publisher’s bundle @ 99 cents (includes Deadly Star)

The Great Outdoors  8 book publisher’s bundle @99 cents (includes Choosing Carter)

Bodies in Motion — 10 book publisher’s bundle @99 cents (includes Choosing Carter)

Winding down

cj Sez:  I’m winding down as quickly as 2017 is…except there are still decorations to put up and presents to wrap in preparation for my beloved family gathering.

This is one of the few years I haven’t had my inside decorations up on December 1st, so I need to take a deep breath and get at it.

Lyrical Pens is taking the rest of the year off, but please know, I am grateful for my readers and thank you from the bottom of my heart . . .

I pray your celebrations are filled to the brim with the love of family and friends.

 

Jesus is the reason for the season.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

                                                                                                            Numbers 6:24-26

Marilyn Johnston

(aka cj petterson)

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“Dancing with Daddy,” one of my personal childhood memories, is in

CHRISTMAS THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES 

Available on Amazon 

http://amzn.to/2opCGB5

The all-important first page

cj Sez:  Some writers’ conferences offer writers opportunities to pitch their stories to agents or editors. Pre-conference submission of a chapter or a few pages for consideration is also popular.

One conference I attended offered participants a chance to have the first page of their manuscripts reviewed by three publishers. (I’m sure other conferences have done something similar.) The idea was to critique one page and then give the writer an idea of how successful the manuscript might be in getting a request to see more. The publishers stopped reading some of the submissions before finishing the page.

The submissions ranged from fiction to non-fiction and adult to YA, but the rejected pages seemed to have similar problems. The judges identified four blatant writing miscues that caused them to stop reading.

** The story’s opening paragraphs failed to establish where the

story was taking place, the time, and the setting.

** The beginning was too slow. Too many details, too much description, too much backstory, or too many characters—and all of that on the first page—caused the judges to lose interest. The opening paragraphs also lacked action or a hook to entice the readers to continue to read.

** The writer didn’t establish a clear point of view. She/he headhopped or mixed first or third person with omniscient points of view. Remember, we’re talking only the first page here.

** Mechanical errors earned rejection. Yep, writing has mechanics, and it is vital that you know them. So, what are mechanical errors? They are the typos, punctuation errors (a lot of them involving the commas and quotation marks of dialogue), and unclear syntax that can destroy a good story.   

What the agent or publisher sees in the first few paragraphs of a manuscript is what they expect to see throughout each chapter and scene. I plan to use the list to analyze a short story I’ve just started, to make sure I stay on target.

If you re-read the first paragraphs of your manuscript, would you see any of these miscues?

Lyrical Pens would love to hear how you construct a first page. Do you re-write yours? I usually re-write mine many times as I work through a manuscript.

Another novel by my publisher... California Bound is Old West action and a love story, co-authored by Frank Kelso and John O’Melveny Woods.  Available on Amazon

http://amzn.to/2vZtIxL

Please keep all those in the path of Hurricane Harvey in your prayers as they deal with the devastation caused by this storm.

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

Find more about my publications at: 

“Bad Day at Round Rock” short story in The Posse anthology @ http://amzn.to/2lQRvcD

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