#WriterWednesday Interview with Liz Milliron

I’d like to welcome author, Liz Milliron, to the blog for #WriterWedneday.

Things you need to throw out: The pile of old cell phones on my dresser that have a quarter-inch of dust on them (no joke).

Things you need for your writing sessions: a snack and a cup of tea

Things you love about writing: Creating a new world out of almost nothing

Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing and promotion (oh, if only readers came flocking the minute you said, “I have a book!”)

Things you wish you’d never bought: A car for my son (more stress than it’s worth)

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: stubborn and perfectionist

Things that make you want to gag: sashimi (raw fish--no, just…no)

Music that drives you crazy: rap music (isn’t that an oxymoron?)

Something that gives you a sour face: coffee (I know, I know)

Favorite smell: vanilla and cinnamon

The last thing you ordered online: Slippers for my son

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Mary Higgins Clark

About Liz:

Liz Milliron is the author of The Laurel Highlands Mysteries series, set in the scenic Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and The Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of World War II. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Pennwriters, and International Thriller Writers. A recent empty-nester, Liz lives outside Pittsburgh with her husband and a retired-racer greyhound.

http://lizmilliron.com

Coming February 2021

The Stories We Tell (Home Front Mysteries #2) - "The Stories We Tell has its dark side, but Buffalo's First Ward in 1942 is still a world of warmth and charm, where Betty's honour, loyalty, and sheer moxie are guaranteed to win the day." Catriona McPherson, multi-award-winning author of the Dandy Gilver Mysteries

 Now Available

Broken Trust (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #3) - “Highly recommended.” - R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson mysteries

 The Enemy We Don’t Know (Home Front Mysteries #1) - “…an exciting crackerjack of a novel.” - James W. Ziskin, author of the Ellie Stone mysteries

What I Learned about Creativity from Artist, Noah Scalin

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to artist, Noah Scalin, talk about creativity. If you have not seen his Old Navy commercial, check it out, along with his art. He is so talented and inspiring.

One day, he started a project that turned into a year-long effort. Each day, he created a different skull, and he used a variety of materials. He posted each one to his blog, and it eventually turned into a book. The project that started off as an exercise to create something for himself, opened up a world of opportunities for him. Here’s what I learned from him about creativity:

• You have to create or cultivate the fertile ground for your efforts. This is your creative foundation.

• Creative bones don’t exist (Many say, “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”) But you do have creative muscles that you need to stretch and grow.

• You were born with creativity. All kids are creative.

• You need the motivation to keep going.

• Start small. Little ideas aren’t as overwhelming.

• Tiny steps move you forward.

• Your work doesn’t have to be perfect. You can’t get it right every time.

• Fresh opportunities will grow from your efforts.

• Get up and move around.

• Work with your hands.

• Bring others into your projects.

• Pay attention to what’s happening around you.

• Don’t miss opportunities.

• Expand your default settings. (We tend to use the tools/techniques we know.) You need new ways to solve problems.

• Do something creative every day, and you’ll see the world differently.

• You can’t do it alone. You get ideas, dialog, and inspiration from others.

• Inspiration is everywhere. You need to train yourself to recognize it.

• Don’t wait. Get to work.

• You don’t realize all the lives you’re touching.

One of my resolutions this year was to learn new things. I’m going to expand this into creating new things. I’m going to try for one, new thing each month (or there about), and I’ll post my progress.

What creative thing have you done recently?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with the And I Thought Ladies - Wilnona and Jade

I had so much fun with during an interview that Wilnona and Jade, the And I Thought Ladies, did with me about my mysteries that I had to invite them to the blog to share their stories with you.

Favorite beverage: Wilnona: My favorite beverage is 21 year old scotch on the rocks Jade: Coffee and/or water

Something that gives you a sour face: Wilnona: Tear jerkers Jade: Lemon Drops

Favorite smell: Wilnona: I love the smell of cookies Jade: Baking bread

Something that makes you hold your nose: Wilnona: a port a potty Jade: Old fashion potpourri

Something you’re really good at: Wilnona: Like any writer I am good at procrastination Jade: Finding time for a nap.

Something you’re really bad at: Wilnona: I am terrible with math Jade: I am terrible with only having one glass of wine.

Something you wish you could do: Wilnona: I wish I could have skipped 2020 Jade: I have to agree with Wilnona.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Jade: how to waste time.

Something you like to do: Wilnona: Travel Jade: Eat great food.

Something you wish you’d never done: Jade: Read Ivanhoe (yeah I know I’m going to get hate mail for that). Wilnona: One time with friends a drank some cheap wine. It was disgusting I will never forget that taste.

Last best thing you ate: Wilnona: I enjoyed a seafood platter with Chicago delicacies shipped from Chicago,

Last thing you regret eating: Jade: A dry cake I made I didn’t want to waste food so I just kept eating it.

The last thing you ordered online: I ordered my specialized water Jade: I order everything online now a days.

The last thing you regret buying: Wilnona: Pants without looking at the reviews. Can you say disaster? Jade: Cheap pens most of them didn’t write.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Wilnona: Any type of good food or exercise Jade: I concur, Wilnona.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Wilnona: The reflection of my bad hair day

Favorite places you’ve been: Jade: Greek Isles Wilnona: Same here

Places you never want to go to again: Jade & Wilnona: Canada during the winter. Y’all it was just down right cold.

Favorite books (or genre): Jade: Pride And Prejudice Wilnona: Mickey Spillane

Books you wouldn’t buy: Wilnona: An exercise book, I just prefer videos.

Things that make you happy: Jade: Finding a new author to read that has a series of books.

Things that drive you crazy: Jade: People who fold down edges of the pages to mark their spot in a book. That’s what bookmarks or scrap pieces of paper are made for.

Most embarrassing moment: Wilnona: Getting. My dress caught in a gas pump hose

Proudest moment: Jade: Winning IALA Poet of the Year 2019

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Jade: My dad and I am pretty fortunate because I met him a few seconds after my birth.

Wilnona: My mom when I was old enough understand how cool she really was.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Wilnona: Myself People say it all the time “You don’t look the same in person”(I’m so not a celeb, but I couldn’t help myself.)

About Wilnona and Jade

The And I Thought Ladies, Wilnona and Jade are award-winning poets. Jade is the IALA Poet of the Year in 2019. Wilnona is Advocate Award winner.   They are  the co-founders of the Inspirational Women in Literature Media and Journalism Awards, the founders of the 25 hottest Authors magazine, the thoughtful book festival, and the and I thought literary magazine. They are. the  authors of 17 books in two series (The And I Thought & Miss-Fit guide Series). Their most recent book was a #1 Bestseller in poetry & anthologies category. They are 18th most interviewed authors and international pop poets who have read for poet laureates, been on four European book tours and co-hosted conferences on three continents. They are the US Correspondents for UK TV show Chrissy B. The ladies also host four podcasts, a vlog, and have a clothing line based off their books.

Let’s Be Social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andithoughtladies/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andi.thoughtladies.5

Twitter: Wilnona (@justwritenlife) / Twitter and (2) Jade D (@Jaded2555) / Twitter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoiC7fdJbRngoBkFWMyINbA

Book Links: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wilnona+marie&crid=JTWGKZHT3BMZ&sprefix=wilco%2Caps%2C167&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_2_5

Submitting? Querying? Follow the Rules

When you submit your work for a consideration whether it’s to a publication, contest, or anthology or as a query to an agent, make sure you follow the rules/guidelines. There are certain ways you need to submit your work, and there are formatting requirements. You need to tweak your submission to fit. One blanket submission does not fit all. Don’t give them a reason to reject your work.

I’ve been a part of quite a few anthology projects, and in addition to formatting requirements, there are themes, story type, genre, and word count specifications.

In these examples, the stories were rejected (even though the writing may have been good).

• For a mystery anthology, we had paranormal, science fiction, and horror submissions.

• On a cozy mystery anthology project, we had people who submitted stories that weren’t in the genre, even when the guidelines provided a definition and what not to include (e.g. foul language, graphic violence, etc.).

• For another project, the protagonist needed to be an amateur, female sleuth. Two people submitted stories with male detectives.

• One short story anthology had a requirement of no more than 5,000 words. We received multiple stories that ranged from 7,000 - 10,000 words.

The same applies to agents or publishers. Each has specified on his/her website how they want to receive your work. Make sure your cover letter is polished and be sure to submit all the items requested. Some may ask for a synopsis, a few chapters, or the entire manuscript.

Before you submit anything, make sure your work is as polished as it can be. Typos and formatting issues detract from your work. You want your submission to be as professional as possible.

After you have edited your work, make sure you do another read through to catch any typos or formatting issues. Read all of the submission criteria again to ensure you’ve covered everything.

Good luck with your queries and submissions. It’s a lot of work to customize each one, but it’s worth it.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jennifer Anne Gordon

I’d like to welcome author, Jennifer Anne Gordon, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: my dog, my husband, my imagination, and my friends.

Things you need to throw out: negativity.

Hardest thing about being a writer: self-doubt, loneliness, unfair comparisons with other writers (that I do to myself)

Easiest thing about being a writer: Letting the characters be in control of the story and not me.

Words that describe you: pale, empathic, creative, loud, talented

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: loud (hahaha), neurotic, anxious, short, bossy

Favorite foods: Indian food, grilled cheese, vegetarian chili, minestrone soup

Things that make you want to gag:  the texture of a raw tomato, all meat, poached pears, oysters

Favorite smell: rain
Something that makes you hold your nose: dead mice in a wall (I live in an old house.)

Something you’re really good at: Dancing
Something you’re really bad at: Math

Things you always put in your books: Beautifully damaged people
Things you never put in your books: Anything violent that has to do with eyeballs or teeth

Favorite places you’ve been: Venice, Italy
Places you never want to go to again: Tampa, Florida

Favorite books (or genre): Horror!!! (specifically ghost stories and gothic fiction)
Books you wouldn’t buy: “Forbidden Romance” (the dark stuff like Daddy/Daughter and books about Abuse/Love….no thank you none of that is sexy nor is it love)

Favorite things to do: Travel!!
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: anything with a spreadsheet!

 Most embarrassing moment: I was posing for an art class (nude) and I had held the pose for so long I did not realize that half my body had fallen asleep and had gone numb. I stood up on the break and reached for my robe and tried to step down off the podium, and I fell, completely naked and was all splayed out (very unattractive pose) and a student in the class, that I had a but of a crush on had to grab my robe and then toss it over my body…like I was on fire.

Proudest moment: leaving an abusive relationship

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Your book spoke to my soul, I have never read a more perfect description of the human psyche unraveling”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “This could be good if you made the main character funny” (this was said about a character who was dealing with the death of his wife and his young son)

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Anne Gordon is a gothic horror novelist. Her work includes Beautiful, Frightening and Silent (2020) which won the Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense for 2020,  and From Daylight to Madness (The Hotel book 1), and When the Sleeping Dead Still Talk (The Hotel book 2).

She had a collection of her mixed media artwork published during spring of 2020, entitled Victoriana: mixed media art of Jennifer Gordon

Jennifer is one of the hosts as well as the creator of Vox Vomitus, a video podcast on the Global Authors on the Air Network, as well as the Co-Host of the You Tube Channel “Talk Horror to Me”. She had been a contributor to Ladies of Horror Fiction, as well as Horror Tree.

Jennifer is a pale curly haired ginger, obsessed with horror, ghosts, abandoned buildings, and her dog "Lord Tubby.”

She graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, where she studied Acting. She also studied at the University of New Hampshire with a concentration in Art History and English. 

She has made her living as an actress, a magician's assistant, a "gallerina,” a comic book dealer, a painter, and burlesque performer and for the past 10 years as an award-winning professional ballroom dancer, performer, instructor, and choreographer.

When not scribbling away (ok, typing frantically) she enjoys traveling with her husband and dance partner, teaching her dog ridiculous tricks (like 'give me a kiss' and 'what hand is the treat in?' ok these are not great tricks.) as well as taking photos of abandoned buildings and haunted locations.

She is a leo, so at the end of the day she just thinks about her hair.

 Let’s Be Social:

For more information and benevolent stalking, please visit her website at http://www.JenniferAnneGordon.com

Amazon Author Page - amazon.com/author/jenniferannegordon

Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/JenniferAnneGordonAuthor/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jennifergenevievegordon/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/JenniferAnneGo5

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20063036.Jennifer_Gordon   

Stuff I've Learned so Far in 2021 - Book Marketing and Publicity

Happy New Year! 2021 is going to be a big year. My new cozy mystery series, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, launches in October, and I’m getting reading to start my planning for its launch.

One of my ideas for 2021 was to strive to learn new things. This week, I attended two marketing workshops, and here are a few of the nuggets I learned to help me with my website and publicity.

Author Brand

• Authors need a tagline to describe their books and writing style.

• Strive for visual unity (the look and feel) on all your social media, blog, website, and printed materials. Readers need to recognize you.

Time Management

• Write your next book. Publicity and marketing are important, but you need to make sure you guard your writing time.

• You can’t do everything. Decide what’s right for you.

Your Books

• Make sure your book cover matches your genre. Covers do sell books.

• Ensure that your book title matches your genre. Don’t make it look like a steamy romance if it’s a cozy mystery.

Website

• To look professional, you need a website.

• This is the center of all of your publicity efforts.

• Industry professionals (e.g. agents, publishers, editors, reporters, reviewers) will look for your website.

Newsletter/Email List

• You own your email list. If something happens to your social media sites, you don’t have a way to contact your followers.

• Don’t just send a newsletter when you have a new book. Your readers want to hear from you. Find the right balance. Weekly may be too much, and every two years is not enough.

Watch out for These "Characters" in Your Writing

As you revise your work, BOLO (Be on the Lookout) for these “characters” that can slow your plot down or drag your story into the mundane.

The Sports Commentator - Look for places in your story where you do a lot of play-by-play action either in narrative or in dialogue. These are spot where you tell something and then something else, and then something else happened and then something else happened. Show the reader the action. Don’t be a commentator. There are other ways that you can move your story forward.

The Weather Person - It’s nice to know what is going on around your characters, but don’t interrupt the story to interject several paragraphs about the weather. Figure out ways to sprinkle it in without derailing the action.

The Collector - Look for sections in your writing where you do data dumps. You do not need to tell your reader everything at one time. These are usually long paragraphs with way too much information. Figure out ways to break it up and disperse it throughout the story. It’s too much for your reader, and it bogs down your pace.

Sgt. Friday - Look for spots where you list “Just the facts, ma’am” like Sgt. Friday in Dragnet. These are sentences where you describe everything about a character in one paragraph. It probably is important information to share, but not all at one time. Make sure you spread it out, so it doesn’t read like the facts on a police report. (In case you haven’t seen Dragnet: Almanac: Dragnet - YouTube.)

The Historian - Backstory is important to your work, especially if you write a series, but you don’t need to stop the action for a history lesson. Figure out ways to sprinkle in the information, one or two sentences at a time.

The SCUBA Diver - Details and descriptions are important as you introduce characters and new situations, but be careful not to dive too deep. You can sidetrack your readers easily when paragraphs get bogged down in the minutia.

Many times, I don’t notice these creeping in until I start revisions. My critique group and beta readers are really good a pointing out these problem areas. Your writing will be stronger if you can avoid these pesky characters.

Happy writing!

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Shea E. Butler

I’d like to welcome Shea E. Butler to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:  Horses, nature, traveling, animals, chocolate, a full moon, and red wine, family and friends.

Things you need to throw out:  Old shoes, negativity, tangled up/old Xmas lights.

Hardest thing about being a writer:  Writing
Easiest thing about being a writer:  Writing

Things you never want to run out of:  Water and food

Things you wish you’d never bought:  Purple hair dye

Favorite foods:  Roast beef, bread, cheese, and chocolate chip ice cream

Things that make you want to gag:  Liver, certain politicians, pettiness, and arrogance

Favorite music or song:  old time rock and roll, “House of the Rising Sun”

Music that drives you crazy:  Electronic

 Favorite smell:  Lavender and my mother’s perfume
Something that makes you hold your nose:  Rotten food

Something you’re really good at:  Horseback riding
Something you’re really bad at:  Patience

Something you wish you could do:  Speak multiple languages

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:  Nothing.  Everything’s a learning experience and everything becomes useful at some point in your life.

Something you like to do:  Ride under a full moon and watching the sun set on a beach with a glass of wine.
Something you wish you’d never done:  Eaten that extra helping of dessert

The last thing you ordered online:  Mud boots for the stable

The last thing you regret buying:  A membership in a dating site

Things you’d walk a mile for:  Friends and family

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room:  bullheadedness

Things you always put in your books:  Conflicted characters
Things you never put in your books:  Never say never.

Things to say to an author:  Your story made me cry/laugh/get mad/think
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Your character was really stupid when they di _____________ (fill in the blank)

Favorite places you’ve been:  Okavango Delta in Botswana, Machu Picchu, Pacific Northwest, the Great Wall of China
Places you never want to go to again:  A strip club.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living):  Michelle & Barack Obama, Ron Howard, Stephen King, Queen Elizabeth, Kamela Harris and Joe Biden and, in this Covid age, my friends and family (miss them.)
People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone in the White House administration in the last four years.

About Shea:

Shea E. Butler is, at heart, a storyteller. She’s a storyteller in many different forms; a television writer, a published short story author and an award-winning director and writer for her short films and web series. She was that kid who huddled under the covers after “lights out” reading a book by flashlight. She was born in Cairo, Egypt to American parents living abroad and currently divides her time between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Her love for traveling and exploring worlds and cultures, both past, present and future was ignited at a young age. Shea’s most awe-inspiring trip was a horseback riding safari through the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Nothing like being charged by two lions to get your creative juices flowing! Website: www.thebutlerdiditproductions.com She also has a short story appearing on the SHORTZ phone app (chat stories) at end of January called “9-1-1.”

Let’s Be Social:

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