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.

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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.

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  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        

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➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Things to do coming soon

cj Sez: Let’s get to the Important News first: Local or near-local readers and writers, mark your calendars for Saturday, March 23. SAVE THE DATE, and come on down to the place to be . . .

  At this one-day conference held at Mobile’s Ben May Library in conjunction with the Mobile Writers’ Guild, published authors will present panels on character development, setting, marketing, and plotting. The Haunted Book Shop will hold a pop-up sales store, and some of your favorite local authors will be in attendance to sign your purchase.

  

  Best of all, the amazing Mobile Literary Festival is FREE.

  For more information, click this link: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MobileLiteraryFestival 

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A reminder (From a dot com news article.*):

    Hey, all you local Mobile-area peeps and post-Mardi Gras revelers! There’s a way you can put all the shiny Mardi Gras beads you snagged at the parades to good use, and it’s a two-fer: You can give back to the community and get rewarded with a sweet treat at the same time. 

  On March 2 and March 3, bring 12 pounds of Mardi Gras beads (the article said "about a grocery bagful") to Augusta Evans School (6301 Biloxi Ave.) and get a Krispy Kreme coupon good for a dozen original glazed donuts. Augusta Evans students get the beads ready for resale, and the proceeds help support programs at the special needs school.

(* https://www.fox10tv.com/2024/02/15/augusta-evans-school-krispy-kreme-partner-beads-doughnuts-program/ )

 §§

  There are no absolutes in writing (my words), and I just found a bit of support for that comment in a recent post by author Randall Silvis on Jane Friedman’s blog. Read on: https://janefriedman.com/writing-rules-that-beg-to-be-broken/

§§

  Health follow-up: Son Jeff bested his Covid bug and is doing fine. I, however, did test positive for Covid . . . actually turned out to be one of my birthday presents . . . and I am now in quarantine. According to CDC guidelines, if all continues as it has (praying it does), I should be “free to move about” the world in a couple more days.

  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:

  For your to-be-read stack: My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a touch of romance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  The Haunted Book Shop has 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

 

Welcome back to Lyrical Pens in 2024

cj Sez: I hope your December holiday celebrations were wonderful, and you made many lovely memories. Now, as Draft2Digital told me in a recent email: “It’s time to soar in 2024!”

  I want to continue my last contronym post with just a few more examples from the article “40 Words and Phrases That Are Their Own Opposites” by Judith Herman. 

14. Clip  Clip can mean “to bind together” or “to separate.” You clip sheets of paper to together or separate part of a page by clipping something out. Clip is a pair of homographs, words with different origins spelled the same. Old English clyppan, which means “to clasp with the arms, embrace, hug,” led to our current meaning, “to hold together with a clasp.” The other clip, “to cut or snip (a part) away,” is from Old Norse klippa, which may come from the sound of a shears.

15. Continue usually means “to persist in doing something,” but as a legal term it means “to stop a proceeding temporarily.”

16. Fight with can be interpreted three ways. “He fought with his mother-in-law” could mean “They argued,” “They served together in the war,” or “He used the old battle-ax as a weapon.” (Thanks to linguistics professor Robert Hertz for this idea.)

17. Flog, meaning “to punish by caning or whipping,” showed up in school slang of the 17th century, but now it can have the contrary meaning, “to promote persistently,” as in “flogging a new book.” Perhaps that meaning arose from the sense “to urge (a horse, etc.) forward by whipping,” which grew out of the earliest meaning.

18. Go means “to proceed,” but also “give out or fail,” i.e., “This car could really go until it started to go.”

19. Hold up can mean “to support” or “to hinder”: “What a friend! When I’m struggling to get on my feet, he’s always there to hold me up.”

20. Out can mean “visible” or “invisible.” For example, “It’s a good thing the full moon was out when the lights went out.”

21. Out Of  Out of means “outside” or “inside”: “I hardly get out of the house because I work out of my home.”

22. Toss Out   Toss out could be either “to suggest” or “to discard”: “I decided to toss out the idea.”

23. Peer   Peer is a person of equal status (as in a jury of one’s peers), but some peers are more equal than others, like the members of the peerage, the British or Irish nobility.

24. Original  According to Dictionary.com, original can mean either “belonging to the beginning of something” or “new, fresh, inventive.” 

That’s it for this thread on Lyrical Pens. To read the rest of the article, click on this link and enjoy: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57032/25-words-are-their-own-opposites

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  For writers and readers: The link below is to a recent article on Jane Friedman’s blog directed to writers, but I think there are some clues in there that would serve any parent of a teen well: https://janefriedman.com/4-things-every-ya-writer-should-know-about-teens/

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  Okay, that’s the post 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: 

Available! Two Mobile Writers Guild anthologies with a variety of wonderful short stories and poems to celebrate upcoming special days. (P.S The city of Mobile, Al, has already started Mardi Gras celebrations.)

 

Buy Valentine’s Day Now         Buy Mardi Gras Now

  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of romance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If the shop happens to be sold out, shoot me an email. I have a small stash (with a discounted price plus shipping).

➜ 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

It's that time of year again

cj Sez: It’s the time of year when all the stores, and I do mean all, gather the end of the year holidays into one gigantic marketing blitz.

One of my regular favorite toons

So I ask you, “Do you have your Christmas shopping done yet?”

§§

 

  This fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild PIECES anthology series is a perfect complement to the first of the upcoming holidays.   

“Once in a Blue Moon” is a paranormal short story that was my first effort in that genre. I hope you enjoy the teaser…it was also a first effort.

  The book is  readily available in paperback or ebook—Kindle is $1.99.

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  Writers: I don’t know about you, but my first thought when someone says write a “pitch” is that brief, grab-the-gist-of-the-story elevator pitch, boiled down to about 27 words—given the amount of time you might have to describe your novel if you happen to get caught in an elevator with an agent. Well, surprise, surprise. Did you know there is more than one kind of pitch? Read more about it in author Amy L. Bernstein’s recent post on Jane Friedman’s blog: https://janefriedman.com/the-other-pitch-packages-authors-should-prepare/

  By the by, as the masthead of Lyrical Pens says, if you have a book (new or old) you want to promote with a blog post, drop me a note. We can arrange a blog date…the only caveat is that this site is PG 13.

 

§§

To quote a master . . .

“Here's what I want from a book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer's heart. I want a novel so poetic that I do not have to turn to the standby anthologies of poetry to satisfy that itch for music, for perfection and economy of phrasing, for exactness of tone. Then, too, I want a book so filled with story and character that I read page after page without thinking of food or drink because a writer has possessed me, crazed with an unappeasable thirst to know what happens next.”   ― Pat Conroy ( https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6942.Pat_Conroy?page=2 )

§§

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

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

 My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of sweet romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.) 

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has some signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, I have a small stash. 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 any book(s) by any author of your choice.

 

➜ 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

 

 

Inviting the reader into the story

cj Sez: Janet Fox’s excellent July 18 post on Jane Friedman’s blog site is a keeper for me. The author and book coach touches on how using elision in dialogue, internal monologue, sensory details, and rhetorical devices benefits the reader.

“To elide is to omit, or to leave out. And we need to know as much about 'leaving things out' of our stories as we do about the things we love to add.

  Why elision? Because the emotional connection that’s made between the writer and reader is strengthened by what the reader brings to the story—their experiences, dreams, hopes, and longings. When we let the reader fill in our intentionally left blanks, we invite them inside our imaginary worlds.”

  All I can say is “Yes!” to elision and deep point of view. Okay, readers, writers: What do you think? Click on the link... Gray Space: Making Room for the Reader

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On the news front . . . Two supermoons coming soon to a sky near you.

  What is a supermoon you ask? Supermoons are full moons that are brighter, bigger, and closer to the earth than the typical full moons.

  The first August supermoon rises on Tuesday, Aug 1. It’s called the “sturgeon moon,” because (according to the Old Farmers Almanac) the giant sturgeon fish found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain “were most readily caught during this part of summer.”

  August’s second supermoon, called a “blue moon” because it’s the second full moon in the same month, will be even closer to the earth than the sturgeon moon—222,043 miles away vs. 222,159 miles. Whew! That’s gonna be a close one.

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  Speaking of blue moons, the Mobile Writers Guild anthology  HALLOWEEN PIECES includes my paranormal story, “Once in a Blue Moon” —about what can happen to a woman traveling alone when a blue moon falls “on Samhain, or Halloween, as you English call it.” The anthology is chock full of good reading in a variety of genres and is available now on Amazon (Kindle is currently $1.99).  

Buy now at:     http://bitly.ws/PxPF

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  Writers, if you have a book launch coming up and want to schedule a post on Lyrical Pens for your blog tour, drop me a note. (PG13, please.)

§§

  That’s it for this week’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe summer…with lots of time for reading and writing.

cj

  THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, action/adventure stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of sweet romance. (Perfect diversions for those quick four-day weekend getaways—especially if it’s a stay-cation.)

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact:

https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  

  If she happens to be sold out, I also have a small stash. 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 any book(s) by any author of your choice.

➜ 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 rescue organization goes above and beyond

cj Sez:  Because it’s butterfly season, and the photo is beautiful, here’s a “buckeye.”

Buckeye Butterfly

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  I’ve finally gotten around to reading the stories in THE BIG FANG, the Harbor Humane Society’s Charity Anthology, which have earned some enthusiastic 5-star reviews on Amazon.

  Without exception, the first titles I’ve read have fully invited me into the story. Well-developed characters, including the personalities of the critters, carry the story, plot, and theme along at a rapid pace. Interesting, funny, and/or twisty endings are de rigueur. I’m humbled and excited to have my short story, ‘Firebug,” included among the cozy and humorous mystery and crime stories in this book.

  

  By the by, it’s a two-fer: Buy one book filled with stories written by 22 multi-published authors, and…and… the proceeds of your purchase benefit the Harbor Humane Society and the wonderful work they do. I have to tell you this story about Harbor Humane's commitment to saving animals:

  About a month ago, the organization received a call from a temporarily closed Alabama animal shelter requesting help to rescue abused dogs discovered in a suspected puppy mill. Two members of Harbor Humane drove eleven hours with a truck full of kennels from West Olive, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama, to pick up 35 animals and drove another eleven hours to bring them back to their facility for loving care, medical treatment, and to find them fur-ever homes. Now that’s commitment. See how your purchase will help?

THE BIG FANG Anthology is available

on Amazon and through your favorite bookstore. 

(Next week I’ll do a post on the steps I follow when I write a short story.)

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Coming Attractions:

  Mark your calendars.  ​

  National best-selling and Agatha-nominated mystery author Kaye George is scheduled to be Lyrical Pens’ guest on July 20.  

  Her latest book, DEATH IN THE NEW LAND (A People of the Wind Mystery Book 3), releases July 19 and is available for pre-order.

§§ 

Tidbits for Readers and Writers

  For readers, it’s what to look for and why you find a book a satisfying read. For writers, it’s how and why to make your book a satisfying read . . .

https://www.janefriedman.com/the-vital-difference-between-plot-and-storyand-why-you-need-both/

§§

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. (I hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend … sending up prayers for your health and safety.)

cj

  The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are now $2.99.

  Just in time for your summer reading pleasure . . . fast-paced, exciting thrillers with a smidgen of romance (ala Jane Bond).

 P.S.  The Haunted Bookshop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER my author-graphed books or any book of your choice on-line, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  

P.P.S. Pre-signed copies of THE BIG FANG are not available at The Haunted Bookshop.

➜ Follow me on . . . 

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

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

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➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Spring is coming

cj Sez: The temperature was forecast to fall to 28° F last night in Mobile. My tender plants were sheltered, but I’m thinking about the feral kitties I feed but can’t protect. I hope they found a spot out of that cold, north wind. Winter had to make a final appearance, I guess, because the first day of Spring (in the Northern Hemisphere) is next week.

§§

Also coming soon …. Harbor Humane Society's first book - "THE BIG FANG" anthology is tentatively scheduled for release in April! This anthology, with short stories from 22 different authors, is full of mystery, murder, love, humor and more; and always involves an animal of some shape or form! 

  It will be available for purchase on Amazon and in person at the shelter and the Harbor Humane Resale Store with all proceeds returning to Harbor Humane to support their animal rescue work. 

P.S. My latest cozy mystery short, "Firebug," is included in this charity anthology. Watch for it!

§§

Etcetera.

My review of THE NEW IBERIA BLUES by James Lee Burke

A Dave Robicheaux Novel

A mystery, unflinchingly told. My rating: 5 stars

  James Lee Burke is one of my favorite mystery authors, and as always, his vivid deep-point-of- view in THE NEW IBERIA BLUES cinematically shows readers place, setting, and characters...and in this story some scenes are harsh.

  Early on in the story, Detective Dave Robicheaux, James Lee Burke’s familiar main character, describes a long-time friend as “He didn’t fit into a categorical shoe box and, consequently, got into trouble with everyone.” Fans of Burke will understand that the description is a perfect fit for Robicheaux as well. 

  Robicheaux is tempted to try to reclaim his youth when he's paired with a pretty and much-younger partner. He struggles to maintain his mature cool and stay out of trouble with the local police while he searches for an escaped prisoner who could be the serial killer leaving mutilated bodies strewn around Louisiana’s muddy bayou waters. There is, of course, a twisty ending.

§§

Advice. A Warning. Encouragement. For all the aspiring writers: https://www.janefriedman.com/if-you-cant-stand-the-sight-of-your-own-blood-dont-step-into-the-ring/

§§

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.  The Haunted Bookshop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER my author-graphed books or any book of your choice on-line from a favorite, indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

➜ Follow me . . .     

➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

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

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

➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

  

Pat Conroy loved his Enlish teachers

 cj Sez:  Author Pat Conroy credited his English teachers . . . no, make that lauded the “genius of” his English teachers for instilling in him a love of the English language.  As he is quoted on Goodreads (http://bit.ly/1ldfCg2 ): 

“I've been in ten thousand cities and have introduced myself to a hundred thousand strangers in my exuberant reading career, all because I listened to my fabulous English teachers and soaked up every single thing those magnificent men and women had to give. I cherish and praise them and thank them for finding me when I was a boy and presenting me with the precious gift of the English language.” 

  Me? I was too business-oriented to get that inspired by my high school and college English teachers (who were, nevertheless inspiring, wonderful, and quite funny).

  Despite my apparent lack of interest in writing during those years, I was, am, and will always be fascinated with words and syntax. I love, love, love the task of putting words together to create a story full of pictures and emotions. I especially like to lure readers into conjuring up the images of characters and places in their imaginations. My goal is that they make each of my stories their own. Deep point of view is my preferred style. Though sometimes I'm not quite where I need to be when I'm in the angst of creating the story, I revise, revise, and revise again.

  Still, calling myself a writer is a grand title I long hesitated to give myself despite being an author published in several genres (and being paid for it) for several years.

  But what really draws me to Mr. Conroy today is 
something he wrote in his memoir My Losing Season: A Memoir: 

“Do you think that Hemingway knew he was a writer at twenty years old? No, he did not. Or Fitzgerald, or Wolfe. This is a difficult concept to grasp.  . . .  But they had to take the first step. They had to call themselves writers. That is the first revolutionary act a writer has to make. It takes courage. But it's necessary.”

  That’s what it’s all about. We have to learn to call ourselves “writers.” Now that I’ve claimed the title, guess what? It feels good.

  Whether you’re a published or not-yet-published author, you should say it: “I am a writer!” Try it. Celebrate it. I bet you’ll like it too.

§§

Etcetera and P.S.A.

  Readers: If you’re looking for something to add to your ToBeRead pile (in addition to the suggestions I’ve listed below) but don’t connect with BookBub, here’s a link to get you to some wonderful books and specials … www.BookBub.com  

  Writers: Passing along a link to Jane Friedman’s popular blog and a guest post https://www.janefriedman.com/use-telling-details-to-connect-description-to-character/

§§

cj's Reading Suggestions:

  The following themed anthology ebooks priced at $1.99 are chock full of short stories that are entertaining to read all year long:

 

VALENTINE’S DAY PIECES BUY NOW

  

MARDI GRAS PIECES BUY NOW   

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER

§§

  My suspense/thriller novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, are priced at $2.49 through Feb. 19. These Jane Bond-ish adventures with a touch of romance are available at your favorite eBook seller and print copies are available locally in Mobile and via the internet at The Haunted Bookshop.

§§

  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.  The Haunted Bookshop has signed paperback copies of my stories in stock. TO ORDER my author-graphed books or any book of your choice on-line from a favorite, indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

➜ Follow me . . .     

➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

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

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

➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

And the winner is . . .

cj Sez:  Congratulations to Sherry Zehner Ney on winning the MARDI GRAS PIECES ebook in Lyrical Pens’ contest. Sherry already had MARDI GRAS PIECES on her Kindle (thank you very much) and chose to receive VALENTINE’S DAY PIECES instead.

  

 

Enjoy, Sherry, and thanks for playing along.

 

VALENTINE'S DAY PIECES  Buy Now  $1.99 at the time of this post  https://amzn.to/3J7CsD8

§§

   I’m still going to school. This past week I earned my Certificate of Completion for Hillsdale College’s online lecture course on “Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and Selected Short Stories.” Watched nine videos followed by nine exams, then a final exam. BSP:* I aced the final and two of the exams (got 90s and 80s on the others). Next on my scholastic agenda and sitting in my inbox is Hillsdale’s course exploring C. S. Lewis’s writings. Best of all, their courses are in my price range: Free!

  My motto: If I’m lucky I’ll get another year older, so I might as well try to get smarter, too. I love learning new things. I recommend it.

(*BSP = Blatant Self Promotion)

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Etcetera and P.S.A.

  Readers take note... Excerpt of a quote from John Steinbeck: “///… a story has as many versions as it has readers. Everyone takes what he wants or can from it and thus changes it to his measure. Some pick out parts and reject the rest, some strain the story through their mesh of prejudice, some paint it with their own delight. ///” — John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

 

   Writers: Passing along a link to Jane Friedman’s blog and a guest post by editor and author Joe Ponepinto Maybe you’ll find a helpful tidbit or two. I did.

https://www.janefriedman.com/use-telling-details-to-connect-description-to-character/

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Get your Mobile Mardi Gras stories here: 

 

The eBook is still $1.99 at the time of this post  https://amzn.to/3IuTYkM

 

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER

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You-all are so lucky . . . It’s a perfect time for great values on Valentine’s Day ebook gifts for your sweetie and yourself. 

  The $1.99 anthologies I mentioned above are chock full of good short stories.

  Plus I lowered the prices of my suspense/thriller Jane Bond-ish novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA to $2.49 through Feb. 19. Available at your favorite eBook seller.

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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.  The Haunted Bookshop has signed paperback copies of my stories in stock. TO ORDER my author-graphed books or any book of your choice on-line from a favorite, indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

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