Guest Post

HAVE A BOOK TO PROMOTE? Lyrical Pens welcomes guest posts. Answer a questionnaire or create your own post. FYI, up front: This site is a definite PG-13. For details, contact cjpetterson@gmail.com cj

Sunday, March 28, 2021

THE DAWGSTAR is coming

 cj Sez: I’m excited to show you the cover for THE DAWGSTAR…tentatively scheduled for release on April 15, 2021:
   
   I was recently contacted by one of my former editors, now the acquisitions editor of an eBook publisher, who thought my romantic suspense novels, Deadly Star and Choosing Carter would be perfect for their new eBook suspense application. That lit a fire under my derriere so I headed for the computer to re-edit the stories, then to Draft2Digital to self-publish Deadly Star as THE DAWGSTAR. (Choosing Carter comes next, also with a new name and information…more about that in a later blog.)

    It’s amazing to find that many of the ideas about nanosatellites and international political intrigue that I incorporated in the original story have actually occurred. That meant new material for the story and the need for a new ISBN…ergo, I went with a new title as well.

   This is my first effort at self-publishing so I have a bit of a learning curve. I’m waiting for a response from D2D on a couple of questions I have, but once those are answered, I’m hoping to have the manuscripts uploaded a couple of days later. So far I’ve found the D2D application pretty easy to follow, especially after watching a few of their video presentations.

    Will the eBook publisher find the revised versions acceptable? Don’t know, but with any luck, the stories will be available at eTailers in the near future.

    (p.s. The cover design is by ashley byland @ red bird designs…the lady who does Bienvenue Press covers.)

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Writerly quote: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Oscar Wilde: Lady Windermere’s Fan)

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

cj

P.S.  Signed copies of my stand-alone novels (suspense with a touch of romance) are available at The Haunted Bookshop. TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

The store has re-opened to limited hours, so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . . 
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Spring's siren call

 cj Sez: Of the Earth’s four seasons, spring and autumn are my favorites, so I’m celebrating this year’s Vernal Equinox with a nature lesson from photographer Jeff D. Johnston. 

Male Yellow Warbler - Ottawa County, Ohio. 
D500/200-500mm ISO 1600 1/640 @ f/6.3

JDJ:  “The next time you hold two quarters in your hand, you'll be holding about the same weight (or more) as this and most other warblers. The Yellow Warbler is only about 5 inches long.

   Think about how small that is. Then think about what they go through every year as they move back and forth across the Western Hemisphere.

   This bird is known to winter as far south as South America and nest as far north as Canada. If you look at the attached map, you'll see that the minimum distance any bird migrating from South America to northern Ohio (where I photographed them) would have traveled is over 2000 miles. They make this trip twice each year, relying on the sun, stars and the earth's magnetic field to help them navigate the way.

    They are genuinely amazing little creatures.”
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cj Sez: I think a character in one of my stories will have to make mention of the awesome variety of birds that stop to rest on Dauphin Island, Alabama, during each year’s migration when they answer spring's siren call. (To keep things honest: photographer Jeff D. Johnston is my son.)

  Spring and autumn are my favorite seasons because of the color they bring into the world. There are the neon lime/yellows of new growth in the spring, and the glorious, final burst of kaleidoscope color in the fall.

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   A fellow writer was grieving and questioning what to do about a one-star review on Amazon that complained about something that wasn’t even in the novel. Obviously, the reviewer hadn’t read the book.

   One- and two-star reviews can be devastating, both for future sales and on the author's psyche. Wherever there’s an opportunity to post a review, there will be trolls waiting with itchy fingers to type in low ratings—whether warranted or not. I’ve seen reviews by people who purchased a product on Amazon then gave it a one-star rating because they thought delivery took too long. Had nothing to do with the quality of the product.

   So where am I going with all this? It’s to reinforce why comments and reviews need to be put in perspective. Hiding within the electronic wafers of the Internet are nameless, faceless, and wretched on-line trolls. (Whew! I feel better now.)

   We can’t realistically expect all reviews to be five-stars (okay, we do, anyway). I admit to having desperate pangs when someone dings one of my stories. Yes, it skews the “average,” but then I re-read the good reviews that I do have (some posted, some not) and calm down a bit. I remind myself that I cannot please every reader out there.

   If you receive a poor review from an on-line troll, I suggest you consider the source, and please do not respond to the reviewer. That might dig a deeper, darker hole than you want to dive into.

   For a review like that mentioned in my first paragraph, perhaps a conversation with Amazon (if that’s where it was made) might get the unfair/unjustified review removed. Might.

   In the meantime, if you’re like me, you might console yourself with a treat.

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Personal observation truism: People watching is next to Godliness and cleanliness for writers. It's the reason I can't go to a library or a park or a coffee shop to write. All I do is people watch

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

cj

P.S.  Signed copies of my stand-alone novels (suspense with a touch of romance) are available at The Haunted Bookshop. TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

 The store has re-opened to limited hours, so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . .     
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Sunday, March 14, 2021

There's money involved

 cj Sez: A contest from Sisters in Crime that offers a $2000 prize! Here’s their call for submissions:

   “The Pride Award submissions are open through March 15--that's this Monday! Are you, or do you know, an emerging LGBTQIA+ crime writer? You don't have to have an entire manuscript completed in order to submit. Make sure to check out the guidelines for this $2000 award. This is great opportunity, so get your materials together and submit. Happy writing,”  

(also at https://www.facebook.com/sistersincrime )

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   Well, didja? Huh? Huh? Didja?  Did you remember to Spring Forward to Daylight Saving Time last night? DST arrived in the wee hours this morning, and 2 a.m. became 3 a.m. Alexa changed her clock for me, and I got up when I was supposed to…the cats and wild birds were very happy, because they could not care less about DST. I, however, will be taking a nap this afternoon. 

   Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we have to wait until the first Sunday in November to gain back that lost hour. (Maybe that’s good news because there’s hope.)

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*Excerpts from a report by Alex Newton at K-Lytics

   “Let's talk about an emerging genre of its own,
Paranormal Women's Fiction or PWF. It features powerful heroines kicking their midlife problems to hell with sass, magic, mystery, and adventure.

   Think of movies like The Witches of Eastwick or Practical Magic, and you got it.

   You can find the occasional PWF title on Kindle published as early as 2011. But about a year ago, some experienced authors from genres such as paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and cozy mystery decided to define a dedicated place (i.e., a genre) for PWF books and differentiate them from other genres.
/ / /

   “The evolution of PWF underscores the continued rise in popularity of women's fiction. But not only that. It proves what indie publishers can achieve in no time, thanks to their innovation, agility, hard work, and persistence.

   Could PWF be something for your writing or inspire you to develop your own genre-defining ideas?  Check out this new K-lytics research report!"

https://k-lytics.lpages.co/paranormal-womens-fiction/

https://www.facebook.com/K.lytics

(*cj disclaimer: I do find these reports interesting enough to do further investigations. However, I’m passing along the information, not endorsing K-lytics products.)

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

cj

P.S.  Signed copies of my stand-alone novels (suspense with a touch of romance) are available at The Haunted Bookshop. TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

The store has re-opened to limited hours, so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . .     
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Featuring author Candice Marley Conner

cj Sez: I am so excited about fellow Mobile Writers Group author Candice Marley Conner's debut books (yes, there are more than one) that I want to tout her achievements again.

Credit: Owl Hollow Press

   Her publisher recently published their interview with Candice, and you can read it here: https://owlhollowpress.com/2021/02/12/author-spotlight-the-existence-of-bea-pearl-author-candice-marley-conner/ 

 For an autographed copy of the Haunted Bookshop's best-selling YA:

https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/.../con.../19745...

   Be sure to visit Candice's website if you preorder (she has a giveaway for the early birds):

https://candicemarleyconner.com/preorder-the-existence.../ 

   Candice is on a publishing roll. She recently learned that her second book has a NEW release date (and it precedes Bea Pearl). I’ll let her tell you about it:

Here's that sneak peak at Sassafras

“I’m excited to share a sneak peek of my brave little bristle-tailed squirrel who finally has a release date!

Look for my picture book, SASSAFRAS AND HER TEENY TINY TAIL, illustrated by Heath Gray, to release June 8, 2021!”


   

(cj Sez: Congratulations, Candice Marley Conner!)

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   If you haven’t been to Sisters in Crime's website lately, you're in for a surprise!


   They have a new website with great information about chapters, events, social media and much more! It's mobile friendly now, too!

Stop by: https://www.sistersincrime.org/

SinC is also on Facebook:

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

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


cj

P.S.  Signed copies of my stand-alone novels (suspense with a touch of romance) are available at The Haunted Bookshop. TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

The store has re-opened to limited hours, so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . .       
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6