Apr 10, 2025 | Crime, Mystery |
Judge Debra H. Goldstein is the author of With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying, a collection of her short stories, as well as Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series, and two standalone novels: IPPY award winning Maze in Blue and Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery. Her writings have won Silver Falchion, IPPY, AWC, and BWR awards, and have been named Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer finalists. Debra serves on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and was previously on the Mystery Writers of America board and president of the Guppy and SEMWA chapters. Find out more about Debra at https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com.
With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying 
is a collection of eighteen award-winning short mysteries, from cozy to dark, centering around family and friends, their sins, and their sometimes redemption.
SMFS, SinC – Guppies, Desert Sleuths, Chessie, NE, Capitol Crimes, Atlanta, MWA – SEMWA, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, Alabama Writers Conclave, Alabama Writers Forum, Blogs: Booklovers Bench, Stiletto Gang, Writers Who Kill, It’s Not Always a Mystery; Killer Nashville (you can post on it)
1. What brought you to writing? Passion. As a young child, I enjoyed making up stories. That creativity advanced to writing plays for the neighborhood children to perform. From there, it was a natural progression to want to write – the problem was that for years, I allowed life to interfere. The result was that my writing was limited to professional dry pieces. When I finally allowed myself the freedom to be creative again, my writing began to reflect my inner passion.
2. What are you currently working on? For the past two years, I have been concentrating on short stories. As of this writing, at least ten new ones will appear in anthologies and periodicals in 2025 and 2026. With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying, a collection of eighteen of my older award-winning short mysteries, from cozy to dark, centered around family and friends, their sins, and sometimes redemption, was recently released by White City Press.
3. Has an association membership helped you with your writing? When I began writing crime fiction, I was encouraged to join Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. The classes and webinars offered at the national level by SinC, and especially by the Guppies, jumpstarted my understanding of the craft and business aspects of writing. To this day, I continue to avail myself of the offerings of SinC and MWA.
4. How long did it take you to write your first book? It took me over ten years to write my first book, IPPY award winning Maze in Blue. Although I had the idea for a book set on the University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970s, I couldn’t find or make the time to write it – only to talk about it. Finally, one of my friends said, “Leave the kids and dog at home with Joel and come to the beach with me. Except for dinners, you can write all day. If you don’t do it, I don’t ever want to hear that you want to write again.” I took her up on her offer and ended up writing eighty-five pages in long hand on a yellow legal pad. Of those eighty-five pages, five ended up in the final book. The important thing from that weekend was my realization that I could see the book’s beginning, middle, and end. Maze went in and out of my drawer and went through several revisions (for the longest time, I couldn’t seem to get the first murder to occur before page eighty), but eventually, it was written.
5. How long to get it published? The irony is that it took more than ten years to write Maze in Blue, but from the week it was read and an offer made by the owner-editor of a small publishing house and her co-owner, it was six months to publication. Unfortunately, within a year of Maze’s release, the book was orphaned when the publisher went under. Luckily, they were good people who gave me the files and artwork. This allowed me to become a hybrid author when I reissued the book and e-book through Amazon.
6. Do you have subplots? If so, how do you weave them into the novel’s arc? All my books have secondary subplots and themes because I believe every book should have an ongoing plotline with the main characters the readers identify with. However, it should also contain subplots involving at least one or more secondary characters and a social issue theme. For example, in One Taste Too Many, the first book of Kensington’s five-book Sarah Blair series, the main plot involves a woman who is more frightened of the kitchen than murder. Still, it has defined subplots addressing economic development and animal trusts.
7. What is the best book you have ever read? The book that most influenced me as a writer was Damned If You Do/Damned If You Don’t by Marjorie K. Osterman. I found the book on an aunt’s bookshelf. As I read it, I was intrigued by its plots and subplots but even more by Osterman’s characterizations. Her settings and characters felt real. It was the first time a book made that much of an impact on me.
8. Do you have any advice for new writers? My advice to new writers is that no matter how excited you are about the words you create, you need to realize writing is a business. There will be highs and lows. No matter how well one writes, numbers and publisher’s needs will impact your career
Contacts:
Website: https://www.DebraHGoldstein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor
Twitter: @DebraHGoldstein
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debrahgoldstein/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debra-h-goldstein
Bluesky: @debrahgoldstein.bsky.social
Buy links for With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying: (use whichever ones you want)
https://whitecitypress.com/product/fire/MM/8
https://whitecitypress.com/author/debrahgoldstein/MM/8
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Bellies-Full-Fire-Dying/dp/1963479688
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Bellies-Full-Fire-Dying-ebook/dp/B0DT216K8T
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/with-our-bellies-full-and-the-fire-dying-debra-h-goldstein/1146836374?ean=9781963479683
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/with-our-bellies-full-and-the-fire-dying-debra-h-goldstein/1146836374?ean=9781963479676
Jun 27, 2024 | Uncategorized |
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.”
In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website, www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.
Show, Don’t Tell. It’s common writing advice, but how do you “show” your story instead of “telling” it? Either through dialogue or active narrative (scenes where “stuff” happens.)
All dialogue in a novel should either advance the plot and/or tell the reader something she needs to know at that moment. If the dialogue doesn’t do either, it’s filler. Filler is deadly in a novel. It bores readers and drags down pacing.
There are paradoxes regarding dialogue, though. Although dialogue should sound natural and realistic, it should be written crisply. Most people speak with lots of extraneous words and interjections, often repeating themselves. Many of us occasionally uhm and uhr. Or stutter and stumble over words. Just because these are natural speech patterns for humans, with a few exceptions and minimal use, they shouldn’t be part of a book’s dialogue. No author wants to make readers shout, “Spit it out already!” and toss the book aside.
Dialogue should always be more than chit-chat. It needs to cut to the chase, not be loaded with banal pleasantries.
Tag lines (he said, etc.) should only be used when it would confuse the reader not to use them. If the dialogue is between two characters, tag lines are extraneous because it’s obvious who is speaking. The dialogue alternates between the two characters.
But here’s another paradox. You don’t want talking heads. Body language and narrative should complement the dialogue within the scene. For instance, if a character has a nervous habit of jiggling the change in his pocket when he’s lying, the change jiggling is a tell and should be mentioned. If it’s included simply to break up dialogue, it’s filler and doesn’t belong.
Use adverbs sparingly. They have their place, but a descriptive verb trumps a generic verb + adverb every time.
Characters should never describe themselves. When you brush your hair, do you think to yourself that you’re brushing your long, wavy brown tresses? No, you just brush your hair. The same holds true for your characters. For example, if she’s angry, you can enhance her anger by having her forcefully brush her hair, but she wouldn’t forcefully brush her wavy brown tresses. Describe characters through the eyes or dialogue of another character and only when it enhances the scene.
Dialogue must also ring true to the setting and period of the story. A book set in sixteenth-century Scotland won’t use dialogue common to nineteenth-century Scotland or twenty-first-century America. A scullery maid won’t speak like an aristocrat. The same holds true for the characters’ internalizations. What they say and how they say it or think it is equally important.
However, this doesn’t mean you should be writing in the style of Chaucer if your story is set in the fourteenth century. Research needs to be balanced with common sense. A sprinkling of dialect goes a long way to add richness to your story without confusing readers.
Additionally, if you’re writing a story set in fourteenth-century Ireland, you shouldn’t be using words and phrases that didn’t come into use until the twentieth century. A farmer wouldn’t describe his thatch-roofed cottage as being as cold as the inside of a freezer when freezers won’t be invented for another 600 years.
The following snippet of dialogue from Sorry, Knot Sorry, my latest Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, illustrates the points I’ve made above. The scene takes place at the offices of a TV production company. Anastasia, her husband, and her attorney are in a conference room speaking with the owner of the company:
He turned back to me. “This is the first I’ve heard of you. Leave me a copy of your book. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but don’t expect the kind of option offer you received from my former intern. We’re a small startup with limited funds. Most of our options are only for a few hundred dollars. We negotiate beyond that after we receive financial backing and a studio commitment.”
“There is no book,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a journalist?”
“I’m a magazine crafts editor.”
“We don’t produce craft shows.”
“No problem. I wouldn’t want to be on one.”
He threw up his hands. “Then why on earth are you here, Ms. Pollack?”
“I’m a dead body magnet.” I went on to explain my status as a reluctant amateur sleuth and the series of podcasts the kids had created. “Your intern wanted to option the podcasts for a TV series.”
The dialogue moves quickly, and the writing is tight. Although there are other people at the meeting, there is only one tagline because once I establish that the producer is speaking to Anastasia, no others are necessary. The conversation then alternates between the two of them.
The body movements are minimal, the first to establish that the producer turned to speak to Anastasia, the second to enhance his frustration over the conversation. The last piece of dialogue is broken up with a summarization sentence because it’s not necessary to repeat what the reader has already learned prior to this point.
Always remember, crafting dialogue is as important as crafting engaging characters and a page-turning plot.
Sorry, Knot Sorry – An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 13
Magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack may finally be able to pay off the remaining debt she found herself saddled with when her duplicitous first husband dropped dead in a Las Vegas casino. But as Anastasia has discovered, nothing in her life is ever straightforward. Strings are always attached. Thanks to the success of an unauthorized true crime podcast, a television production company wants to option her life—warts and all—as a reluctant amateur sleuth.
Is such exposure worth a clean financial slate? Anastasia isn’t sure, but at the same time, rumors are flying about layoffs at the office. Whether she wants national exposure or not, Anastasia may be forced to sign on the dotted line to keep from standing in the unemployment line. But the dead bodies keep coming, and they’re not in the script.
Craft tips included.
Find Buy Links at https://www.loiswinston.com/sorry-knot-sorry.
Dec 21, 2023 | Mystery |
Steve Hockensmith’s first novel, the mystery/Western hybrid Holmes on the Range, was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, and Dilys Awards. His heroes — a pair of 1890s cowboy brothers who solve mysteries using the “deducifyin’” methods of their hero, Sherlock Holmes — have gone on to appear in six sequel novels and more than a dozen stories. (Their latest adventure, “Enchantress,” can be found in the current issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine).
Hockensmith has also written a bestselling zombie novel (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls), tarot-themed whodunnits (The White Magic Five and Dime and its sequels), and a series of middle-grade mysteries (the “Nick and Tesla” books, co-authored with frequent Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest “Science Bob” Pflugfelder). His latest book is Black List, White Death: Two Holmes on the Range Novellas.
What brought you to writing? A complete lack of talent for any other form of human endeavor. Except for making chili. I’ve gotten pretty good at that over the years, but there’s no money in it.
I’ve always had the impulse to tell stories. I remember turning in an English assignment in fourth or fifth grade — writing sentences that show I understand a list of 20 vocabulary words — and having the teacher say to me afterward, “You didn’t have to make a story out of them. I just wanted sample sentences.” And I was like, “Yeah, I know. It was more fun to connect them and have something happen.” So that’s a writer for you: giving yourself extra homework for life.
I didn’t get serious about writing until I left college and failed miserably at being a musician. (I had friends in a rock band, and they were having a lot of fun. Unfortunately for me, I have zero musical talent. I could handle playing the cowbell, but that’s about it.) I knew I wanted to do something creative, and writing had a big advantage: if you sucked at it while you learned how to do it, no one would see you. (Well, except for the editors who reject you. But they’re used to that.) So I sucked at writing for a while, then I stopped sucking and started selling. Voila! I was a writer! It’s not quite as cool as being in a rock band, but I’m proud I made it.
Do you write in more than one genre? The real question is, what genre haven’t I written in? The answer is erotica. Although, now that I think about it, my zombie novels have some pretty lovey-dovey parts.
When I first gave writing a serious try, I focused on science fiction. I’d read a lot of it as a kid, so I figured I knew the genre well enough to write it myself. I even took a writing class taught by the great Gene Wolfe, author of the classic “Book of the New Sun” series. Gene was wonderfully supportive and encouraging and never told me my science fiction blows. Though it mostly did. I sold a few stories, but I could tell it wasn’t working. Then I stumbled onto a cheap copy of The Big Sleep in a used bookstore and whammy. I knew what I should be doing.
Mysteries opened the door for me. Since then, I’ve also written Westerns, zombie romances, and books for kids. Maybe I’ll get around to real erotica one of these days. But I think most folks would prefer I didn’t.
Do you outline, or are you a pantser? I am a big, big, BIG believer in outlining. For me, anyway. I can’t write a word unless I know exactly where a scene is going. I lock up without a road map. Like, “Maybe the characters should start talking about the weather…? Maybe they should decide to get a sandwich…? Maybe one of them needs to go to the bathroom…? MY GOD — WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?!?!?!?”
My mysteries tend to be pretty intricate, with lots of clues and red herrings that fit together at the end, and I definitely couldn’t pull that off without thinking everything through first. I know some writers work by producing draft after draft after draft and fine-tuning by rewriting, but that would drive me nuts. I spend weeks brainstorming, researching, and outlining first, then I write. I also write really, really slowly, polishing as I go. Which I know would drive other writers nuts. But it works for me. When I’m done, I’m done. I’ve never had to do a major revision.
So, in a nutshell, my secret to writing is “Torture yourself by making it as slow and laborious as possible. You’ll thank yourself afterward!” For some reason, it’s advice most other writers don’t take…
Do you have any advice for new writers? Yes: Ignore what I said in my previous answer. That’s what works for me. What works for you might be completely different.
I outline meticulously and write slowly. Maybe you’re the type (and there are a lot of them, I think) who just jumps in and writes fast. Whatever! You can figure out your best approach with just two or three or, a dozen, or thirty years of trial and error.
The main thing is to try. By which I mean write. Type a word, then type more, and then type even more, and don’t stop!
Or do stop if you need to. Everybody’s writing journey is different. Maybe yours involves a three-year pit stop. Don’t let that discourage you. If you’ve written before, you can write again. Writers write. I would tell folks, “Just do it,” but I don’t want to hear from any corporate lawyers.
Has an association membership helped you with your writing?
Absolutely! I’ve been a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA) for more than 20 years. I let my membership lapse once when I was at a low ebb and thought my writing career was toast — I got dropped by my first agent and contracted an acute case of Imposter Syndrome — but I got over it and rejoined before long. This nutty business has a lot of ups and downs, so it’s nice connecting with the other folks on the rollercoaster.
I recently joined Western Writers of America, too. I haven’t been able to get to any of their events yet, but I’m looking forward to it. They seem like nice, welcoming people. They have a magazine, Roundup, that’s really impressive — jam-packed with tidbits about the state of the genre—Ditto for The Third Degree, MWA’s newsletter. Anyone trying to break into either field can learn a lot from reading those.
Looking to the future, what’s in store for you? Writing! Rough Edges Press is going to publish a pair of spin-offs from the “Holmes on the Range” series in 2024, and the little hitch to that is that I’ve only finished one of them. So I’ve got some work to do. After that, I’ll write another “Holmes on the Range” story for Ellery Queen and then another “Holmes on the Range” novel. Given my writing pace, that means I’m booked up through…oh, probably June of 2025.
After that, who knows? I’ll be writing, but I don’t know what. Maybe it’ll finally be time to get serious about erotica…
How do our readers contact you?
Website: stevehockensmith.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SteveHockensmithAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrhockensmith
X: twitter.com/MrHockensmith
Email: reelcrime@yahoo.com
BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
Poisoned Pen Bookstore:
Indie Bound:
Feb 6, 2023 | Historical, Mystery, Native American |
D. M. Rowell (Koyh Mi O Boy Dah), like her protagonist, Mud, comes from a long line of Kiowa storytellers. After a thirty-two-year career spinning stories for Silicon Valley start-ups and corporations, with a few escapes creating award-winning independent documentaries, Rowell started a new chapter, writing mysteries that also share information about her Plains Indian tribe, the Kiowas. She enjoys life in California with her partner of thirty-eight years, their son, and a feral gray cat.
Never Name the Dead: No one called her Mud
in Silicon Valley. There, Mae was a respected professional who had left her Kiowa roots far behind. But when her grandfather called, she had to go back and face her childhood rejection by the tribe. She owed him that. What she didn’t expect was that this visit was only the start of a traditional four-day vision quest that would take her into dark places involving theft, betrayal, murder—and a charging buffalo. And that was only Day One.
What brought you to writing? A life-long passion for reading, specifically mystery novels, fueled my desire to write a mystery series. As a reader, I enjoy series with reoccurring characters and ongoing story arcs. Reading a series allows me to visit old friends year after year.
As I wrote NEVER NAME THE DEAD, I planned it to be a series starting with four books spanning four sequential days emulating a four-day Kiowa vison quest (with a few murders thrown in). The first book is the first day of the vision quest of self-discovery for my main character, Mud. The novel takes place in less than 24 hours, and the second book starts fifteen minutes after the first ends, taking Mud into her second day of the quest with another murder to solve. At the end of her fourth day and fourth book, Mud’s vision quest ends with Mud finding the way to unite her worlds—and solve another murder.
Tell us about your writing process: I try to write for 3 to 4 hours every day. While I’ll start the morning with the intent to write first thing, I let myself be distracted by daily tasks before feeling comfortable enough to sink into my story. I’m not a planner. I write as the story unfolds for me. I’ll start the story once I know the murderer, the victim, and why. After a few chapters, I’ll see the reveal. That gives me my endpoint. Everything in-between comes about as I write it.
The first draft captures the story. At the end of my first draft, I go back through the story to paint a deeper picture and get it in shape to hand off to my editor. I have an excellent editor at Crooked Lanes Book, Sara J. Henry. She knows just where and how to direct the critical trimming needed to make my story shine.
What kind of research do you do? In NEVER NAME THE DEAD, I share a lot of information and insights into the Kiowa tribe, culture, and history—all from the Kiowa perspective.
My research comes from a lifetime of learning from Kiowa elders in my family and tribe. The history and traditions shared in the novel come directly from our oral traditions, originally told by tribal elders.
I was fortunate to grow up with my Kiowa grandfather, C. E. Rowell. He was a master storyteller, artist, and recognized Tribal Historian. My grandfather taught me about our Kiowa history and introduced me to other elders, including a 101 years-old!
I spent over a decade collecting memories, songs, and stories from tribe elders to preserve for future generations. Much of the footage can be seen in my documentary, Vanishing Link, and in a series of Kiowa language lesson videos posted here, www.thekiowapeople.com.
How long did it take you to write your first book? Ten months.
I wrote my first draft of NEVER NAME THE DEAD while taking courses for the UCSDX Creative Writing program. I followed teacher extraordinaire Carolyn Wheat through Novel I, II, and III. At the end of the Novel courses, I had my first draft completed. It took two more drafts before I had the book ready for readers. From start to first draft, it took six months, then four more months to complete drafts two and three.
How long did it take to get it published? I was extremely lucky! I had an agent and a book deal with Crooked Lane Books nine months after finishing the novel.
How do you come up with character names? My main character has three names. LOL!
She is known as Mae in Silicon Valley, where she has built a digital marketing agency on the cusp of national attention. In Oklahoma’s Kiowa country, she’s called Mud, a childhood nickname that stuck.
The main character’s first two names were the easiest for me to come up with. Much in my writing honors my Kiowa culture. I wanted to add a bit of my mom’s side of the family into my novel by using my mom’s name, Mae, and her mother’s childhood nickname, Mud, for the main character’s names. It delighted me as a child to hear one of my great-aunts call my grandmother “Mud.” Even now, it makes me smile.
The hard part was finding how to explain the two names of the main character, especially “Mud.” That was resolved by adding a third name and a Kiowa Naming Ceremony. I won’t reveal any more about the names other than to say that Mud’s Kiowa name speaks to the journey Mae/Mud is on through the first four novels as she finds a way to blend her two worlds; traditional Kiowa spirituality and Silicon Valley tech savvy.
What are you currently working on? I’m working with my editor, Sara J. Henry, on edits for the second novel, SILENT ARE THE DEAD. The title has just recently been finalized.
Who’s your favorite author? I stretch favorite authors to include oral storytellers; that makes the question very easy to answer. My all-time favorite storyteller is my grandfather, the late C. E. Rowell. Grandpa excelled at bringing stories to life. He was an artist, master storyteller, and a man of distinction within the Kiowa tribe. He was a Tribal Elder recognized as the Tribe Historian and Reader of the Dohason and Onko pictoglyph calendars called Sai-Guat, or Winter Marks.
My grandfather brought the people and stories to life for me. No storyteller has captured my imagination as deeply. Grandpa inspired me to follow our traditions and be a storyteller.
C. E. Rowell sharing a story from one of the Kiowa Calendars with tribe members (1999)
Do you have any advice for new writers? Believe in yourself and write your stories! I didn’t write until late in life because I did not believe I could do it or do it well enough. Finally, I started writing for myself, and the story flowed. My happiest moment as a writer came when I finished the first draft. I wrote the book I always dreamed of doing!
How do our readers contact you?
Visit my website at www.dmrowell.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041233668050
Twitter: @DMRowellAuthor
Be sure to say hello if you see me at Left Coast Crime or Bouchercon.
Jan 5, 2023 | Uncategorized |
Not long ago, Vicki published the tips below in the Public Safety Writers Association’s newsletter. She previously posted the tips on her blog (https://vweisfeld.com). The purpose is to help all of us in “reader relations.” I can’t think of a better way to start the new than by sharing her words.
Readers may be quite willing to help an author but may not know how or may need to be reminded (possibly more than once). You can use these tips in your own promotion—take copies to readings, put them in your own blog or newsletter, etc., etc.—or, if you’re a reader who wants to give a boost to your favorites.
I developed this list around the time my mystery/thriller, Architect of Courage (reviews are great, btw) was published. But I saw it could be a generic product others could use—just a small Thank You for all the support the writing community has given me.
I hope you find it useful—reprint it freely! And customize it with a picture of you or your book (instead of the blue box), and links to your content in #s 8, 9, and 10.
Friends and family members can be incredibly patient when they ask an author solicitous and innocent-
sounding questions—like “How’s the book coming?”—and are met with blank looks, or, worse, groans and sighs.
Most authors today—OK, James Patterson’s an exception, and so’s JK Rowling—find that reaching “The End” is just the beginning of their work. Now they have to let the world know about it.
If you have a sense of how much time and effort authors invest in their books, maybe you’ve wondered “What can I do? How can I help?” Yes, indeed, there are things you can do that will help! And, whatever you find time to do, you can be sure it will be greatly appreciated!
Ten ways you can help promote an author or book you admire:
1. Buy your friends’ books. They may have written it with readers like you in mind.
2. Don’t be too quick to pass around a book; instead, encourage others to buy it. Amazon (or book stores), and the author’s publisher keep most of the price of the book. If a book sells for $16, the author receives $2 to $4.
3. Remember, books make great gifts! Maybe a friend or family member needs a thank-you or has a special day coming up.
4. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of book marketing. So, tell people about a book you’ve loved. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. Marketers say it takes 13 to 15 repetitions before a message “sticks.”
5. What you say about the book in an Amazon or Barnes & Noble review will influence other would-be purchasers. No need for cringy flashbacks to high school book reports. Just say the two or three things you’d tell a good friend who asked, “Read any good books lately?” Reviews are vital to a book’s success.
6. Share a few words about what you’re reading on social media—GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.
7. If you enjoyed a book, your book club might too! Many authors are willing to participate in book club discussions in person or by Zoom, etc. People who’ve read my book have invited me to their book clubs, and it’s a fun change-of-pace for me.
8. You can “follow” your favorite authors on Amazon. Search for one of their books, click on the author’s name, and if they have an author page, it will come up with a big “follow” button.
9. If your author has a newsletter, sign up! Author newsletters often include interviews, reviews, and favorites.
10. An author’s blog and website are other ways to keep track of new releases and to learn more about the authors you like to read. Remember, they create them for you.
Many thanks, and happy reading!
Vicki blogs at www.vweisfeld.com
Thanks Debra
You’re absolutely right when you say that writing is a business, both yours and the publishers. As much fun as it is to craft, you have to learn to rewrite, revise, and promote. At the end of the day, its work. But hopefully its fun.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Dave
As a fellow SinC member with George and Debra, I have been inspired by both of you over and over again. Debra, best of luck with your latest – WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING.
Pamela,
Thank you. Being part of SinC helped me on my present writing path, so it always fun to give back.
Debra is both a talented writer and an amazing person!
Karen,
You are too kind, but thank you!
George,
Thanks for having me today.
Debra