Contest Ends December. 10

cj Sez: It’s pre-order time for FINALLY HOME—the feel-good Christmas anthology with eight short romance stories. The Bienvenue Press Authors’ Pre-launch Facebook Hop is still going on and there are PRIZES involved. 

    

   You’ll have to hurry to enter because the hop ends at 8 p.m. CST, Tuesday, December 10. There is a full list of authors’ pages for the Facebook Hop and the Finale Giveaway on the Bienvenue Press Facebook page here:   https://www.facebook.com/bienvenuepress/

   Once you get started on the hop, there are “road signs” to send you to the authors’ Facebook pages, all of whom are giving away some kind of prize.

   When you make the hop to my Facebook page, follow my three simple directions, and you’ll be entered into my contest to win a prize. Two winning visitors will receive a $5 Amazon gift certificate, the ebook of HOMETOWN HEROES, and a cheery Christmas mug with a few other goodies included.

   After you stop at my FB page, I’ll direct you to the final hop where the grand finale prize being awarded to some lucky visitor.

   Psst . . . The price of the anthology is going up soon, but if you hurry, you can pre-order FINALLY HOME now for 99 cents! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0825CCJPH

(free on Kindle Unlimited). And you’ll be getting a two-fer:  A Christmas anthology of short stories, including my “Puppy Love,” with part of the proceeds from the sale benefiting animal rescue groups.

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Aside from the above BSP (blatant self-promotion)…

   It’s the end-of-the-year crunch to gather up the tax data I’ll need to file my taxes. All of that important documentation is lying somewhere amidst the stacks of paper and Pendaflex files in the office closet. My plan in January was to keep a running track of expenses and income, but that fell through the cracks probably in February. I hope you did a better job of attending to that detail than I did. Sisters-in-Crime is producing a webinar on taxes this week…I think I should attend.

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   If you’re a member of the Sisters-in-Crime online Guppy chapter and don’t always get their emails, they recently put out a call for submissions for their 6th short story anthology with the theme The Fish That Got Away. All Guppies who are members in good standing of both the Guppy Chapter and the national Sisters in Crime organization as of November 15, 2019, are eligible to submit.  Be sure to check the FILES folder on their groups.io site for more information.

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That’s it for this week’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. See you here on Lyrical Pens next week.

cj

 

Read five lovely stories (including my own “Hobbes House Noel”) in HOMETOWN HEROES, now on sale and free on Kindle Unlimited. Get it here:   https://amzn.to/2Y4jqYn     

   Autographed print copies of CHOOSING CARTER, DEADLY STAR, and THE POSSE are still available at the Haunted Bookshop. TO ORDER (and support an indie bookstore) contact The Haunted Bookshop here: The Haunted Bookshop  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you the book(s) of your choice. 

   If you’re local (in Mobile area), do stop in at the book store; it’s a neat place to browse. These friendly people make a point to shelve the books of local authors, and FINALLY HOME will be available there soon. If they don’t happen to have any copies of the book you want, they’ll order it for you.

➜ Follow me . . .

➜         on Amazon: Amazon Central Author Page = https://amzn.to/2v6SrAj

➜         on Facebook at:   cjpetterson/author/facebook

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

Is your favorite author among the Macavity award nominees?

cj Sez:  Nominations are in for the upcoming Macavity Awards. Is one of your favorite authors among them?

   Each year the members of Mystery Readers International nominate their favorite mysteries in five categories from the previous year for the Macavity Awards. The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.  The winners of this coveted award will be announced at the end of October, 2019, at the Bouchercon convention in Dallas, Texas.
 

Best Novel:

Lou Berney: November Road

Alison Gaylin: If I Die Tonight

Jane Harper: The Lost Man

Jennifer Hillier: Jar of Hearts

Naomi Hirahara: Hiroshima Boy

Lisa Unger: Under My Skin
 

Best First Novel:

Oyinkan Braithwaite: My Sister, the Serial Killer

John Copenhaver: Dodging and Burning

Delia Owens: Where the Crawdads Sing

Catherine Steadman: Something in the Water

C.J. Tudor: The Chalk Man
 

Best Nonfiction:

Laird R. Blackwell: The Metaphysical Mysteries of G.K. Chesterton: A Critical Study of the Father Brown Stories and Other Detective Fiction

Margalit Fox: Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World’s Most Famous Detective Writer

Leslie S. Klinger: Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s

Michelle McNamara: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

Laura Thompson: Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life

Sarah Weinman: The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World
 

Best Short Story: (Click on titles in blue for links to the stories)

Craig Faustus Buck: “Race to Judgment” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Nov/Dec 2018)

Leslie Budewitz: “All God’s Sparrows” (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, May/Jun 2018)

Barb Goffman: “Bug Appétit” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Nov/Dec 2018)

Barry Lancet: “Three-Star Sushi” (Down & Out: The Magazine, Vol.1, No. 3)

Gigi Pandian: “The Cambodian Curse” (The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories)

Art Taylor: “English 398: Fiction Workshop” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Jul/Aug 2018)
 

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery:

Dianne Freeman: A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder

Elsa Hart: City of Ink

Laurie R. King: Island of the Mad

Sujata Massey: The Widows of Malabar Hill

Ann Parker: A Dying Note

Charles Todd: A Forgotten Place

(Source: https://mysteryreaders.org/macavity-awards/ )

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   Special congratulations to fellow Mobile Writers Guild member and author Candice Marley Conner. Her illustrated text chapter book, “Secretly Poppy, the Finder of Lost Things,” was awarded FIRST PLACE by the Southern Breeze chapter of SCBWI in their 2019 writing contest. Southern Breeze reported a record number of entries and tough competition for the winners.  (Yay, Candice!)

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   NaNoWriMo Helpful hint to avoid saggy middles:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/10/nano-prep-planning-your-novels-middle.html?fbclid=IwAR0xG6uvUMwz2bcQP_fZhlYHazIYSICicFkzToY-XjUWRiFaHEqwt-EPcJU

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cj’s helpful hints for your Holiday Gift Giving List: 

   

FINALLY HOME Christmas anthology launch is December 10, 2019

 

   Also still available (you can never have too many feel-good Christmas stories anytime of the year): the  HOMETOWN HEROES Christmas anthology is free on Kindle Unlimited.

And you’ll be getting another two-fer!

   Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Cajun Navy, those hometown heroes who trailer their personal boats to hurricane flood-devastated areas to help those in need. And they do their incredible volunteerism on their own nickel. 

   By buying this book, you will help contribute to a wonderful cause and be able to read some lovely stories at the same time.

   Discover the role this fox plays in my story, “Hobbes House Noel,” one of the five romance stories in the Hometown Heroes anthology. (Well, actually not THIS fox. This photo was taken in my back yard.)

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   By the by, as the masthead of Lyrical Pens says, if you have a book you want to promote (new or one you want to re-energize the marketing for), let me know. We can arrange a blog date…the only caveat is that this site is PG 13.

   That’s it for this week’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. See you next week?

cj

CHOOSING CARTER and DEADLY STAR are quick reads chock full of adventure with a touch of sassy banter and sweet romance. Get your Kindle copy on Amazon…visit my Amazon Central Author Page = https://amzn.to/2v6SrAj for more information about my stories.

   TO ORDER an autographed copy of CHOOSING CARTER, DEADLY STAR, HOMETOWN HEROES, and/or THE POSSE, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: The Haunted Bookshop  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you the book(s) of your choice.

Visit me on Facebook at:   cjpetterson/author on Facebook

Contest Scams: Things to Look For

cj Sez: Hometown Heroes, A Christmas Anthology is a perfect holiday gift. 

  Buy a copy (the Kindle is still 99 cents) and make a donation to the Cajun Navy organization with one click of the mouse . . . a portion of the proceeds benefits the Cajun Navy, a volunteer group of neighbors helping neighbors in times of distress.

***

   Writers seeking recognition, especially unpublished writers, often enter writing contests in hopes of winning both recognition and a cash prize.

   Unfortunately, not all writing contests are legitimate. This article from Wiki How to Do Anything offers tips on things to look for:

 “Think twice before sending money. If the terms of a contest demand a fee to enter, read the fine print and investigate the contest sponsor. Most often, not always, but often enough to raise red flags, paying money to submit your work involves a scam. There are many people in the literary world who believe no writer should ever pay a fee when submitting work for consideration. A healthy publishing environment seeks new, talented writers and pays them for their work; the writer is not asked to pay for the privilege of someone reading his or her work. 
   Here are some common reasons contest sponsors give for charging an entry fee:” 

https://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Writing-Contest-Scams

***

   If, like me, you’re remembering a loved one who isn’t with you this Christmas, here’s a wonderful poem from police procedural expert Lee Lofland that speaks to a lifetime of loving memories. The following excerpt begins a touching verse that is sure to touch your heart.

“It seems like just yesterday when they were last here,
Sharing their laughter and their love,Playing silly games and offering warm hugs.” 

   Read the entire beautiful piece here:

https://www.leelofland.com/its-almost-christmas-but-theyre-no-longer-here/

***

   Great reviews for HOMETOWN HEROES continue to stream … and here’s one of the 5-Stars:  

“Hometown Heroes: A Christmas Anthology is a wonderful set of stories that I loved reading. Having stories that are set around Christmas and then adding in some romance gives you that heartwarming feeling that the season is all about. There is no doubting the magic of the season as you read each story. The woman in these tales are fiery, independent, and strong. While the stories are not long they have enough emotion in them that I found myself with misty eyes and a smile on my face. I found that these stories stayed with me and I thought about them even after I had finished the anthology. Some are set in the past and others are in the present day. All make a lasting impression on your soul. I have read stories by some of the authors and enjoyed reading stories by them again. I also have discovered new authors and look forward to reading more of their writing. This is a wonderful group of stories that have amazing characters. Highly recommended.”

   Buy Hometown Heroes, a Christmas Anthology here: https://amzn.to/2Rrdy7b 

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

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

cj

cjpetterson/author on Facebook   

A book is a gift that gets opened again and again and again.

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes has one of my favorite childhood memories in it. "Dancing with Daddy" is written under my maiden name.

The anthology is still available on Kindle.  https://amzn.to/2Kcgr9k

You can find more of my books on

Amazon Central Author Page =  https://amzn.to/2v6SrAj

Simon&Schuster Author Page = https://bit.ly/2uo1M0Z

Elements of a romance novel

cj Sez: Hometown Heroes, A Christmas Anthology launched Dec 4 . . .

   The contemporary romance stories in Hometown Heroes are all about the magic of love, the embodiment of the Christmas season. For anyone thinking about writing a romance story, I picked up the following quote several years ago (source is long lost):

"Writing a romance novel is a creative process and far from formulaic. But romance readers pick up each and every novel with certain expectations firmly in place. To write a winning romance, you have to meet these expectations each and every time:
*         A sympathetic heroine
*         A strong, irresistible hero
*         Emotional tension
*        An interesting, believable plot
*         A happy ending"

***

Reviews for Hometown Heroes are streaming in…an excerpt from one lovely and long review follows…and they tell me that the anthology met romance aficionados’ expectations. Be sure and let me know what you thought.

   “All the stories are so engaging and believable- with wonderfully written plots, and well developed characters. I have read books by several of these talented authors before- but three of the authors were new to me… so I was excited to not only read the work of the authors I knew and loved, but also get an introduction to some authors who are new to me. So, settle down for some wonderful reading, which will entice you with heartfelt romance, some suspense, a bit of mystery, history, some paranormal, action, drama, adventure, and more. 

   "There is something here for everyone! I really recommend this Anthology- you won’t regret buying it! It is worth every cent of the purchase price- and by purchasing this anthology you will be helping out a charity in the process, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cajun Navy Relief! #Win-Win! Thank you to all the contributing authors!”

Buy Hometown Heroes, a Christmas Anthology here: https://amzn.to/2Rrdy7b 

***

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

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

cj

A book is a gift that gets opened again and again and again. Here are some for your consideration:

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes

The anthology is still available on Kindle.  https://amzn.to/2Kcgr9k

Choosing Carter    https://amzn.to/2CJxs8Z

Deadly Star   https://amzn.to/2O8NFGZ

The Posse, a Western anthology   https://amzn.to/2EKUA9B

Pieces, a Mobile Writers Guild Anthology  https://amzn.to/2Dk84Yr

Two days until launch, MWA, and . . .

cj Sez:  Only two more days until the launch of Hometown Heroes, A Christmas Anthology.

Available now on Amazon

   "HOMETOWN HEROES, A Christmas Anthology" is scheduled to launch on Dec. 4, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Cajun Navy. I'm excited to be one of the authors in the book and to share my contemporary romance short story titled "Hobbes House Noel."

   As of the time of this blog post, the Kindle version is 99 cents and Kindle Unlimited is free. Paperback will also be available. 

https://amzn.to/2Rrdy7b 

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

***

“Mystery Writers of America Withdraws Fairstein Award  November 29, 2018 – New York, NY – On Tuesday, November 27, Mystery Writers of America announced the recipients of Grand Master, Raven & Ellery Queen Awards, special awards given out annually. Shortly afterwards, the MWA membership began to express concern over the inclusion of Linda Fairstein as a Grand Master, citing controversy in which she has been involved.”

Read more here: https://bit.ly/2zzfe7N

***

Hallmark Publishing news

“Hallmark Publishing is not currently open to unagented submissions. However, we will have a reading period for unagented submissions of full-length novels in February 2019.
 Follow us on Twitter, @HallmarkPublish, to be the first to learn about future calls for submissions.”

cj Sez: Do you have what Hallmark is looking for and don't have an agent? If so, mark your calendar for February 2019, and when you’re ready to submit your novel, go to Hallmark submissions:

 http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hallmark-publishing/write-for-us

***

   If you tried the NaNoWriMo challenge, I hope you met the goal you set for yourself. Now go rest a while. I didn’t try, but I did do some writing in November, two short stories in fact. One was a revision/edit of a personal essay I had posted on Lyrical Pens years ago. The other was brand new from the first word to the last, both in idea and in genre: I attempted my first cozy mystery. That was the one I had the most fun writing.

   Both of the anthology publishers had November 30 deadlines, so I was working without a critique group or beta readers, but I took a chance and submitted the stories anyway.

   Now comes the waiting. Will they or won’t they (be accepted). Of course, I’d love for them to be accepted for publication, but I can tell you I had fun writing them. If they’re not accepted, I’ll file them away for a while and work on them again when I can get more eyes on the manuscripts.

   Have you submitted any of your work recently? Are you working on something to submit soon?

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

cj

   A book is a gift that gets opened again and again and again. Here are some of my stories for your consideration:

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes

The anthology is still available on Kindle.  Buy button   https://amzn.to/2Kcgr9k

Choosing Carter    https://amzn.to/2CJxs8Z

Deadly Star   https://amzn.to/2O8NFGZ

The Posse, a Western anthology   https://amzn.to/2EKUA9B

Pieces, a Mobile Writers Guild Anthology   https://amzn.to/2Dk84Yr

A bit about self-editing

cj Sez: Writers live and writhe on reviews . . .

but this note from one of my Facebook friended authors puts reviews into perspective:

“You have officially arrived when someone makes a Goodreads account JUST to one-star your book that isn't even out yet. Ha! Do watch for the trolls, ladies. They are everywhere.”

   The moral is: We want them, solicit them, need them, but take your reviews with a grain of salt.  

 

   Author/editor Joyce Sterling Scarbrough gave a wonderful presentation on self-editing to the Mobile Writers Guild recently. She left us with a slew of important tips, and I thought I’d share this one:

Order of Cumulative Adjectives

(Does not require a comma)

Pronouns, articles (his, my, her, the, a, an, etc.)

Quantity (two, many)

Opinion (beautiful, expensive)

Size, Shape, Length (big, round, long)

Age (old, new young)

Color (red, blue, neon)

Nationality or religion (American, Catholic)

Material or purpose (cotton, athletic, yoga)

/// 

   I hope everyone survived Black Friday shopping with their credit cards intact because do I have a deal for you, and you don’t have to leave home to buy it.

Hometown Heroes, a Christmas Anthology . . . a collection of short stories that celebrate every day heroes. A portion of the proceeds is being donated to the Cajun Navy, a volunteer organization dedicated to helping neighbors in distress.

   Available for pre-order now on Amazon (digital is 99 cents).  I leave you with some blurbs to pique your interest:

Courtship and Courage by Carrie Dalby

    "Courtship and Courage,” a short story sequel to the novel FORTITUDE, takes readers back to Dauphin Island, Mon Louis Island, and Mobile, Alabama, in 1898 with Claire O'Farrell and Joe Walker.

When Time Stood Still by Chelsi Arnold & J D Boudreaux

    Jacqueline Jones leaves New York City, going ninety-to-nothing. Nick Lapointe leaves Louisiana at a much slower and easier pace. Their worlds collide in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains at Christmastime.

Hobbes House Noel by cj petterson

    Merrill Cowper plans to spend Christmas alone. Divorcé Bradley Warner plans to spend Christmas with his son. Hobbes House is the catalyst that unites everyone for a new beginning and a Merry Christmas.

Talking in Code by E. A. Hale

    Management terminates suffragette Evelyn and gives her job to war veteran James. Then a Christmas gala that fetes Choctaw Code Talkers and an explosion at the factory bring them together in a way that has everything to do with love. 

Safe Haven by Jolie St. Amant

    Year after year, Haven Cross returns to the Chateau Rouge to relive the bittersweet memory of the death of her fiancé. When she meets the charming Chance Montgomery, she’s unsure if she’s brave enough to risk giving her broken heart to a new love.

///

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

cj

Books make great Christmas gifts:

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes

The anthology is still available on Kindle.  Buy at   https://amzn.to/2Kcgr9k

Choosing Carter    https://amzn.to/2CJxs8Z

Deadly Star   https://amzn.to/2O8NFGZ

The Posse, a Western anthology   https://amzn.to/2EKUA9B

Pieces, a Mobile Writers Guild Anthology https://amzn.to/2Dk84Yr

Did you know . . . ?

cj Sez: In the Did You Know department: Did you know that the first official Thanksgiving Day occurred in 1789?

And since we won’t be together on the holiday . . .

//

   Once I spot a cliché in a book, it seems to multiply like rabbits. Clichés are taboo things that writers are advised to avoid like the plague, but perhaps there are uses for them. In case you’ve forgotten or regularly dismiss their value, the following is excerpted from a 2015 Lyrical Pens post.

   Caveat:  A cliché is, by definition, a trite and overused expression ... a figure of speech that has become tiresome and uninteresting.

   Several experts advise against the use of any clichés in the narrative. Author and editor Sol Stein is one of those and has this advice: “Cut every cliché you come across. Say it new and say it straight” (Stein on Writing, 1995).      IMO, that’s not necessarily an iron-clad rule. I believe there are instances where an author might find a cliché useful.

   I think we can agree that novels need a theme, a premise on which to hang the action and plot points. An overall theme continues as a thread through the novel. It lets a writer connect the dots of subplots to the main plot. One way to get a handle on finding your theme/premise might be to describe your novel in one sentence, as with a cliché. The neat thing is once you’ve discovered that one true sentence, you can polish it into a marketing blurb.

   If you’d like one of your characters to use clichés, I say, okay. Use them, but judiciously and in only that character’s dialogue. Remember, though, even phrases voiced new and straight as Stein advises will become distracting clichés when used too often, but time-worn examples can be good fodder for a theme. Think about it.

   Consider this theme/premise/cliché for a romance story: “Love will find a way.” Then every time you put an obstacle in a character’s path on the way to happily ever after, that obstacle can be overcome with some kind of act of love . . . even self-love (conceit, egotism) is fair game. 

   In the premise/cliché, “All’s fair in love and war,” the character is free to do whatever s/he can in order to capture the heart of a lover. 

   For a love story, that beautiful, angst-filled drama which doesn’t always end happily ever after, a perfect cliché might be, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.” 

   Or this tired, old saw for a YA or memoir: “A coming of age story.” That keeps the threads of the story tied to some agonizing affliction and growth of young people over a longer time span. 

   Find your cliché and tape it to your desk. It’ll keep you focused on the theme of your story, despite all those wonderful obstacles you throw in the way of the protagonist.

   If you have a different way of coming up with themes/premises, let me know how you do it. I love, love, love learning new methodologies. (This post is so full of clichés it's hard to read without grimacing.) 

Books are always great suggestions for Christmas gifts. I have stories in several anthologies with Christmas as the theme. Here are two to put on your shopping list. (Click on the name or cover to buy it now)

Hometown Heroes, a Christmas Anthology. It’s a dual purpose book: Entertaining contemporary romance stories for you and/or gifts, and the proceeds to benefit the Cajun Navy. My story is titled “Hobbes House Noel.”  …

This would be the year Merrill Cowper learns that the best Christmas gifts don’t always arrive wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a bow. Sometimes they don’t even fit under the Christmas tree.

Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes

The book has 70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmas memories. My story, written under my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a major upheaval in our lives.

The anthology is still available on Kindle.  

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

cj

A few more Christmas gift ideas:

Choosing Carter    https://amzn.to/2CJxs8Z

Deadly Star   https://amzn.to/2O8NFGZ

The Posse, a Western anthology   https://amzn.to/2EKUA9B

Pieces, a Mobile Writers Guild Anthology   https://amzn.to/2Dk84Yr

GIVEAWAY CHALLENGE withdrawn.  I haven’t had a single taker. If you have any ideas about how to generate interest, let me know.  

Qrtly newsletter sign-up:  cjpetterson@gmail.com

cjpetterson/author on Facebook   

Amazon Central Author Page =  https://amzn.to/2v6SrAj

Simon&Schuster Author Page = https://bit.ly/2uo1M0Z