Mysteries with a Southern Accent
Crazy for Words is mystery author, Heather Weidner's blog on writing, reading, and anything that catches her interest.
Twitter is a great place to build relationships and to learn all kinds of things. And it's a wonderful place to find book recommendations for your next read. Check these folks out...
Who else would you add to the list? Happy tweeting!
The 50 Shades of Cabernet authors signed books yesterday at the Rosemont Vineyards and Winery's Art Festival. The house and grounds are lovely. We met so many new friends, and I bought a bottle of their Virginia Red for Father's Day.
The vendors had so many beautiful arts and crafts. And a lot of the lake people (Lake Gaston, Kerr Damn, and Buggs Island) brought their dogs for a stroll. Add this one to your list.
Here's what I learned on this stop of my summer wine tour. Wine Away (Red Wine Stain Remover) is wonderful. One of the gals spilled wine on her shirt. The stain was gone after she used this. My writer friend, Ellery Adams, said that it has saved her couch cushions before.
I'm enjoying my wine tour this summer, and for a girl who used to buy wine in a box, I'm learning a lot. Some of our writers will be at the Williamsburg Winery next Saturday. Stop in and see them.
Recently, I attended RVASec, a cybersecurity conference in Richmond, VA. Mikko Hyponnen of F-Secure was the keynote speaker. He is also the curator for the Malware Museum at the Internet Archive. He focused on where we've been and what's next with technology. He also talked about vulnerabilities and things we need to be aware of in this every-changing world.
Here are seven things I learned from his presentation:
I love new technology and gadgets, but I think it's also good to have a healthy awareness of some of the dangers of lax security. What's your favorite smart device?
I have a writer friend who chooses all of her appearances, conferences, and events by how many books she thinks she'll sell. She calculates her transportation costs and expenses, and then makes her decision on whether or not to attend. I admire her attention to detail - down to her mileage spreadsheets.
Writing/publishing is a business, and authors need to treat their time, resources, and expenses in those terms, but a strict return on investment (ROI) may overlook some tangential or long-term benefits. I've done some smaller events or events where we didn't sell that many books, but I did gainother benefits and opportunities. Here are some examples:
At a small, independent book store, I met two women who later invited me to be on a panel at their group's writing conference.
At a school-sponsored book fair, I met several folks who had an interest in mysteries and joined our local chapter of Sisters in Crime. Both are active members now in our organization.
At an outdoor festival, we met a local DJ who asked us to do interviews for his radio station.
I also collect email addresses and contacts at every event. This expands my audience for newsletters and announcements.
I love to talk to school groups and colleges. These don't usually lead to direct sales, but every kid gets a bookmark. It's important to encourage others, especially young talent. And as a student, I had authors who took the time to visit my schools.
I try a lot of events. I like opportunities to network and talk about my book. I am very fortunate that I'm part of several writing groups and anthology groups. We're often asked to provide panels, workshops, and authors for special events. And we partner at events and book signings. There is nothing worse than sitting in a book store all by yourself.
My guidelines for choosing events are:
What advice to you have for choosing book marketing events?
Twitter is an amazing site for research and building relationships. And there are so many great writers, editors, agents, and book bloggers out there. Here is my list of 100 tweeters that you need to check out. Happy tweeting!
It can be lonely in your writing cave. Writers need to find their groups. It's important to have others to chat with, brainstorm ideas, and share celebrations (and setbacks). I am very fortunate to be a part of several writing groups.
I've been a member of Sisters in Crime for almost seven years. It's a wonderfully supportive group of mystery and thriller writers. Our local chapter has programs and opportunities for our writers. We've partnered with another chapter to produce two short story anthologies to provide our members publication and book marketing opportunities.
Several of our published authors in our chapter created Lethal Ladies Write. We blog together and promote each other on social media. We also partner for book signings and workshops. My chapter also has a critique group, and their feedback on my works in progress is invaluable.
I am also a member of SinC's online chapter, the Guppies (The Great Unpublished). It's another supportive group, that even when folks are published, they hang around to offer assistance and information. They offer online workshops, training, and listservs for a variety of interests.
I joined James River Writers last year, and I wondered what took me so long. It is based in Richmond, VA. This group celebrates and supports all kinds of writing. It offers programs, workshops, and an annual writing conference that grows and grows every year.
Each of these groups off me support, new ideas, advice, and comradery. And they also help me to understand that I'm not alone on my writing journey. Sometimes, I need to be reminded of that.
There are a variety of writing groups out there, some local and others online. Some are genre-specific, and others are more general. Here are some you should check out:
I attended "Murder Shorts - Short Stories" at Malice Domestic 2017. Here's what I learned from this fun bunch of short story authors: Leone Ciporin, Teresa Inge, KM Rockwood, Alan Orloff, and Maggie King.
Yesterday, we had a book signing for 50 Shades of Cabernet at the Mermaid Winery in Norfolk. It's billed as Virginia's urban winery. This is such a great place. I grew up in Tidewater, and I hardly recognized W 22nd Street. The city is alive with so many neat places, and the Mermaid Winery is definitely a place you need to check out. The food, atmosphere, and staff were wonderful.
Okay, I'm a wine novice, so I'm learning a lot on this wine/book tour. The Mermaid Winery has metal glass holders for those doing tastings. I loved the tree of wine glasses.
The staff set up a wine tasting for our book launch. I spotted a glass with a pretty shade of red at the bar. I asked the wine steward about that particular wine, and she replied, "That's the dump cup." I've still got a lot to learn.
Back Row l-r: Jayne Ormerod, Kristin Kisska, DJ Lutz, Ken Wingate Front Row l-r: Teresa Inge, me, Rosemary Shomaker, and John Koehler
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather Weidner has been a mystery fan since Scooby Doo and Nancy Drew. She currently lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
Heather writes the Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series for readers who like humorous mysteries with a strong, female sleuth.
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