#WriterWednesday Interview with Mally Becker

I’d like to welcome author, Mally Becker, to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things that hamper your writing:

Aiming for perfection. Nothing shuts down my creativity more quickly.

Things you love about writing:

When one of my characters comes to life and says or does something that I didn’t see coming. That’s magic.

Things you hate about writing:

Proofreading, but only because I’m bad at it. By the ump-teenth draft, I don’t even catch spelling errors in my own name.

Favorite foods:

I have the palate of a fifth grader. My favorite foods are still pizza, pigs-in-a-blanket, and Nutella. But never together. I do have standards.

Things that make you want to gag:

Calamari. People love it, but, oh my goodness, I just can’t.

The last thing you ordered online:

An expensive notebook. I can’t resist beautiful paper goods.

The last thing you regret buying:

Umm. The expensive notebook.

Things you always put in your books:

I always include family names in my stories. My nephew’s and brother-in-law’s names are featured in The Turncoat’s Widow. My niece and son’s girlfriend have roles in the next installment in this mystery series.

Things you never put in your books:

You’ll never see cruelty to children or animals in my stories.

Favorite places you’ve been:

The third book in my series will take Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway to Paris in the years just before the French Revolution. Paris is one of my favorite places, and I’m looking forward to digging into its history. Lake Placid, New York, is my other favorite place in the world. I keep a photo of the view from the top of nearby Mt. Marcy on my dresser.

Favorite books (or genre):

I love reading historical mysteries, especially those by C.J. Sansom, Laurie King, Lyndsay Faye, and Susanna Calkins.

Things that make you happy:

If 2020 taught me anything, it’s to appreciate time with people I love. Hanging out with family and friends makes me happy!

About Mally:

MALLY BECKER became fascinated with the American Revolution when she peeked into the past as a volunteer at the Morristown National Historical Park, where George Washington and the Continental army spent two winters. A former attorney, advocate for foster children, and freelance writer, Mally and her husband raised their son in a town near Morristown, where they still live. The Turncoat’s Widow, featuring Becca Parcell, is her first novel.

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Click here to check out my book on Amazon

www.mallybecker.com

Facebook: Mally Becker

Instagram:mallybeckerwrites

Taking Care of Your Social Media Sites

Your social media sites, including your website and blog, require regular attention. The “social” part is important. Your sites shouldn’t be used solely to post “buy my book” promotions or when you have a new book to advertise. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

• Readers/followers want to interact with you. Respond to comments in a timely manner. Don’t just post and run.

• Post questions and continue the conversation when you get responses.

• Make sure that you’re on your sites regularly sharing, commenting, and liking others’ content.

• You need to have fresh content on your website, blog, and social sites. Figure out what works for you (e.g. once a day, once a week, etc.) and try to post consistently. People don’t come back to visit sites where the last post was April 2017.

• I schedule some of my social media posts, so I have a variety of content, even when I’m not on social media. I found that I get a lot of traffic on Twitter after midnight from folks in other countries. I schedule posts during these timeslots (even though I’m sleeping), and I respond to them when I start my day at 5 AM.

• Followers are looking for interesting information and entertainment. Make sure your posts gather attention. Photos/graphics and video are good ways to draw people to your post.

• Do a quick audit of your sites. Look at your recent posts. Are they eye-catching? Do they spur the reader to comment? Is the content interesting? Check out my post on Social Media Content Ideas if you’re looking for things to post.

• All the social media sites have algorithms for determining what does/doesn’t show on newsfeeds. Organic interest in a post (e.g. likes, comments, shares) does have an effect your reach. Comments and shares are better than likes.

• Make sure that you like and follow others. On Twitter, I’m often tagged in #WW (Writer Wednesday) or #FF (Follow Friday) posts. Take a minute to follow new folks. It will help your audience grow, and you’ll meet all kinds of interesting people.

• It’s usually not a good idea to respond in attack mode to negative posts. But these sites are yours, and they represent your brand. From time to time, you may need to delete comments or block the trolls.

• You don’t have to follow everyone who follows you. There are a lot of bots and trolls out there. Be careful of scams. If something sounds fishy or too good to be true, it probably is.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kerry Peresta

I’d like to welcome author, Kerry Peresta, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things: My three cats, the sun faces I collect and hang on an exterior wall, my long view of the Lowcountry marsh off my deck. Good red wine. Jazz. Oh, I guess I should add my husband.

Things you love about writing: I lose myself and time can pass very quickly. How a scene develops under my hands. Editing after the first draft is done, which is much like fine-tuning a piece of sculpture by scraping away the bits that don’t work and polishing the bits that do.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Promotion. Who has time to set this stuff up? But we have to.

Things you never want to run out of: Easy…coffee and wine.

Words that describe you: Optimistic. Stylish. Fun. Nurturing.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Decisive. Blunt. Opinionated. (These traits do not work in my favor sometimes…)

Favorite foods: Filet, quiche, asparagus

Things that make you want to gag: Onions. Liver. FISH, and anything else that comes from a body of water. Yuck.

Something you’re really good at: Interior decorating. Loving my grandkids. Cardio & weight training. Makeup.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Arrogant, condescending people.

Things you always put in your books: A pet. Dog or cat.

Things you never put in your books: Sex scene.

Things to say to an author: I could not put down your book!!

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Jeff Goldblum. Vincent D’Onofrio. Stephen Furtick. Angie Harmon, Louise Jensen. (This list changes often.)

Proudest moment: Those moments I see my grown kids fulfill their unique, wonderful purpose in life. For instance, one of my kids was destined to sing. When she steps onto a stage, I cry every time.

About Kerry:

Kerry’s publishing credits include a popular newspaper column, “The Lighter Side,” (2009—2011), and magazine articles in Local Life Magazine, The Bluffton Breeze, Lady Lowcountry, and Island Events Magazine. She is the author of two novels, The Hunting, women’s fiction, and The Deadening, psychological suspense. She spent twenty-five years in advertising as an account manager, creative director, and copywriter. She is past chapter president of the Maryland Writers’ Association and a current member and presenter of Hilton Head Island Writers’ Network, and the Sisters in Crime organization. Recently, she worked as editor and contributor for Island Communications, a local publishing house. Kerry and her husband moved to Hilton Head five years ago. She is the mother of four adult children, and has a bunch of wonderful grandkids who keep life interesting and remind her what life is all about.

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The Deadening

Olivia Callahan’s quiet, orderly life is shattered when she regains consciousness in a hospital and discovers she is paralyzed and cannot remember a thing. The fragmented voices she hears around her help her piece together that an apparent assault landed her in the hospital, but nobody knows who attacked her, or why. After a chilling struggle to survive, she awakens from a coma unable to remember what happened to her or anything at all, except she has been told she is an entirely different person. Or is she?

Now, in spite of a brain injury that has rewired her personality, Olivia is on a mission to reclaim her life. As clarity surfaces and she starts to understand who she was, she is shocked. Had she really been that person? And if so, does she want her old life back?

Mining Story and Promotional Ideas - Tips for Authors

I have been a list maker forever and working in IT for years has just exacerbated that with hundreds of Post-its, work break down structures, and notes written on any nearby scrap of paper.

Last year for my writing projects, I consolidated the hundreds of notes into two spreadsheets that I can sort in a variety of ways.

Ideas - The first is my idea spreadsheet. I come across names, title ideas, weird or funny stories, and tons of true crime and news articles all the time. Having one place to keep this information is helpful when I’m plotting or looking for something to add to a story. If I use an idea, I delete it from my spreadsheet. (Now there are no longer lists of ways to kill people on my desk or white board, but I have found crumpled notes in the bottom of my purse of interesting poisons or other ways to off people.)

Book Marketing Ideas - Book promotion ideas are everywhere. I go to lots of workshops and presentations, and other authors are so gracious about sharing their ideas. I constantly take notes. You never know when something is going to be useful. My big, giant, promotional spreadsheet has a tab for each topic (e.g. promotional services, book bloggers, book stores, libraries, reviewers, bookstagrammers, etc.) I enter the information and a note of where I found it or who recommended it. Then as I plan for my next book, I have a place to start. I update it as I go if things change.

There is also a “my contacts” tab for organizations, alumni groups, homeowners associations, book clubs, etc. that I’m a member of. Many have newsletters or social media sites for news and announcements.

Recently, I added a “hook” tab. I brainstorm things that are in each book and what non-mystery sites would be helpful or possible options for book marketing. For the Jules Keene Glamping series, I have a list of things like Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, Glamping, Vintage Trailers, Tiny Houses, and Jack Russell Terriers. I list groups and contacts that could be possible book promo opportunities.

Places to Look

• Write down what other authors recommend (e.g. services, publicists, program ideas).

• Keep a list of all contacts you made such as librarians, bookstore owners, bloggers, etc.

• Subscribe to other authors’ newsletters and see how they present and promote their work. What events or promotional things are they doing?

• When you attend conferences, workshops, panels, or social media parties, make a list of the services and who provides them. If it’s a reoccurring event, you may want to participate in the future. If it’s a service that does promotion or social media parties, you may want to use them later.

• Create a list of bloggers and podcasters who interview authors. When you’re contacting these folks, you may want to do it 3-4 months ahead of your launch because their calendars fill up quickly.

• Make a list of tools that authors and publicists are using for graphics, book trailers, photo editing, etc.

• When you have casual chats with other book people, jot down ideas. People are great about sharing new products or services.

• Use your reading, tv-watching, or social media time wisely. This is where you’ll encounter lots of ideas. Write them down, so you don’t forget.

You may not need a nugget of information at the moment, but it’s a good idea to record it for when you do.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with C. L. Tolbert

I’d like to welcome author, C. L. Tolbert to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things:

My mother’s antique cloisonne apple. I store my rings in at night; family photos; my daughter’s ballet toe shoes; my son’s first poem; my wedding ring

Things you need for your writing sessions:

My computer, a desk, a chair, and relative silence

Things that hamper your writing:

Noise! I find certain noises distracting when I’m writing, especially people talking, or telephone calls. I also find loud music disturbing, so if I plan to write at a coffee shop, I visit on days when the barista in charge plays music more to my liking.

Things you love about writing:

I enjoy the process of writing. I love creating new characters and putting the old characters through the rigor of new circumstances. Plot development is always the first step, and scratches the same itch as completing a crossword or another sort of puzzle. Character development is next, then action. I write in stages and enjoy every one of them.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

The most difficult thing about being a writer is knowing when to stop editing. If it weren’t for deadlines, I’d edit forever.

Things you never want to run out of:

Books, pens, pencils, paper, watercolors

Favorite smell:

New babies, new puppies, springtime breezes

Something you wish you could do:

Snow ski

Something you like to do:

I like to write, and I enjoy reading. I also like playing tennis although I’m terrible at it. I enjoy walking when the weather is nice, and yoga, even on the worst of days.

Things you always put in your books:

Although my books are mysteries, each book has an issue of social justice at its center.

Favorite places you’ve been:

Florence, Venice, Paris, London, Istanbul, New York, Edinburgh, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Charleston

About C. L.:

In 2010, Cynthia Tolbert won the Georgia Bar Journal’s fiction contest for the short story version of OUT FROM SILENCE.  Cynthia developed that story into the first full-length novel of the Thornton Mystery Series, which was published by Level Best Books in December of 2019. Her second book in this same series, entitled THE REDEMPTION, which is set in New Orleans, will be released in February of 2021.  

Both books are legal procedurals, but they turn on complex characters, sympathetic suspects, and an attorney determined to find the truth. Adam, the protagonist in the first book, OUT FROM SILENCE, is deaf, and accused of killing his girlfriend. Louis, the protagonist in THE REDEMPTION, is only sixteen, and accused of killing two men. Their struggles to face their fear and to help their attorney prepare their defense is their greatest challenge.  

Cynthia has a Master’s in Special Education and taught children with learning disabilities before moving on to law school. She spent most of her legal career working as defense counsel to large corporations and traveled throughout the country as regional and national counsel. She also had the unique opportunity of teaching third-year law students in a clinical program at a law school in New Orleans where she ran the Homelessness Law Clinic and learned, first hand, about poverty in that city. The experiences and impressions she has collected from the past forty years contribute to the stories she writes today.

She has four children, and three grandchildren, and lives in Atlanta with her husband and schnauzer.

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Social Media Content Ideas for Authors

Sometimes, it can be overwhelming for authors to maintain all of their social media sites regularly. It’s not enough to post once in a while. Authors need to be engaged, and it can be hard to come up with content ideas other than news about your books. Here are some ideas.

Hobbies - Post pictures of your hobbies, crafts, cooking, or interesting projects you’re involved in.

Pets - Your furry, finned, or feathered sidekicks are always a hit and get a lot of attention.

Your Thing - Find something that interests you, and post about it regularly. I have several friends who take a walk each day with their dogs. They post each morning about their adventures. A lot of my author friends post what they are reading and ask for readers to chime in. I have one friend who starts a daily chat about exercise. I have another friend who goes antiquing a lot, and she posts pictures of her latest finds.

Your Adventures - Take pictures when you go places and do things. Share interesting exhibits, classes, and places. I know this is harder as the pandemic continues, but take pictures of Zoom calls. You can use your Print Screen button on your keyboard to capture a screen shot.

Shout outs - Recognize and celebrate with others. (Make sure to tag the person or organization.) If you attend events, workshops, or meetings, take pictures and share.

Look for Your Hook - Make a list of all the things that appear in your book. For my Delanie series, its Southern Sleuth, Female Private Eye, 80s Rock Singer, Richmond, VA, Computer Hacker, Sleazy Strip Club Owner, English Bulldog, Sears Catalogue Houses, etc.) Then look for posts to share. Look for groups with similar interests. I was asked to do a blog post and some interviews about the Sears Catalogue house in my stories with some folks I met on Facebook. Also post pictures or links to interesting research that you do.

There’s A Day for Everything - Google “Funny Holidays” or “Daily Holidays.” There are tons of lists and calendars out there. Make a list of things that interest you or relate to your books. At the beginning of the month, I schedule posts for my holidays. For the Mutt Mysteries series, I made a list of dog and pet days. This also gave the group some ideas for themes for Facebook parties.

Pinterest Boards - I make a Pinterest board for each book and topic that I’m researching. This helps me see what the characters and setting look like. A publisher asked me one time what the main characters looked like, so I pointed him and his cover designer to my Pinterest board.

Funny Memes - Funny memes garner attention, and these can be used to generate questions or discussion on social media.

What else would you add to my list?

Things Authors Can Do Between Books - Marketing Ideas

Marketing tends to be the all-encompassing focus right before and after a book launches, but there are lots of things you can do to build or maintain your platform or audience ahead of your next book. Here are some ideas.

• Look for ways to add readers to your email list. Make sure you take signup sheets to events, have a place on your blog for readers to join, and post about your newsletters on your social media. People sign up when they think they’re missing out on something.

• Set up a regular blogging schedule and try to stick to it. This will provide fresh content and drive traffic to your site.

• Build a backlog of blog posts. It’s always helpful to have a library of content to pull from when you get busy.

• Look for opportunities with other authors to be included in events, giveaways, and social media parties. This is a great way for readers to find you.

• Find ways to celebrate other authors by featuring them on your blog or social media posts.

• Build a list for your next launch. I have a really big spreadsheet that lists bloggers, reviewers, events, bookstores, podcasts, and anything else I can think of that will help me. I add to this every time, I come across something new or someone offers a recommendation.

• Don’t forget the “social” part in social media. You shouldn’t just be active on your sites when you have a book to promote. You build an audience and relationships by sharing, commenting, and posting regularly. This also helps to build your following. Figure out what you want to share and create interesting posts about your pets, recipes, crafts, etc.

• Set up a newsletter schedule. It’s a good idea to publish regularly and not just when you have a book for sale.

• Find projects to participate in that give you opportunities to work with other authors (e.g. guest blogging on your site or theirs, anthologies, etc.). This is a good way to pick up new readers/followers. I’m involved with several anthology projects that give me opportunities to participate in events and interviews where I can talk about my novels.

• Find a writers’ group. Many, like Sisters in Crime, have educational opportunities and ways to share information with other authors.

• Create a plan to add to your social media following. I focus on one or two a month and look for ways to build my followers on Facebook, Instagram. Pinterest, Twitter, Goodreads, and BookBub.

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Tosca Lee

I’d like to welcome Tosca Lee back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Eat stuff like biscuits and gravy. Travel if I can, or watch TV and movies if I can’t. Wait… I feel like I should say “read a book.” But given a night at home, I’m eating buttered popcorn and watching Cobra Kai with my handsome hubby. :D

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Taxes. Submitting health insurance receipts. Going to the dentist. Washing my hair. For real—people with long hair know washing, drying, and styling your hair is an hour of your life you’ll never get back.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Snacks. Many, please. Mostly salty or buttery or greasy. Buttered popcorn will do. Fritos are great. Bacon is best. But bad for keyboards.

Things that distract you from writing: TV. My kids. My handsome hubby. My cuticles. Anything outside the window. Okay, anything.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing
Easiest thing about being a writer: Loving on my fans.

Something you’re really good at: Somehow along the way I became a decent cook of a few, select dishes.
Something you’re really bad at: Drawing. My fans sometimes ask me to draw pictures of specific things or people (Wonder Woman, my dogs…) when I sign books. They’re all stick figures. Everyone laughs.

Last best thing you ate: A double cheeseburger.

Last thing you regret eating: Haha, I regret nothing when it comes to eating.

Favorite things to do: Got to the movies. Wake up beside my husband. Hug my readers.
Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Getting a tooth pulled. Eating bugs.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marring my husband.
Biggest mistake: Dating anyone else.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Buttered popcorn (okay, the movie theater, not the store)

Things you never put on your shopping list: Quinoa.

About Tosca:

Tosca Lee is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels including The Line Between, A Single Light, The Progeny, The Legend of Sheba, Iscariot, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker. Her work has been translated into seventeen languages and optioned for TV and film. She is best known for her meticulous research, masterful prose, unexpected points of view, and high-octane thrillers.

Lee is the recipient of numerous awards including two International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion in Science Fiction (beating one of her own books for the win), Literary Titan gold, Top Shelf Magazine Editor’s Choice Award, and the ELCA Book of the Year in Fiction for her portrayal of the infamous betrayer of Christ in Iscariot, which Publisher’s Weekly calls “impeccable and masterful.” The Legend of Sheba was a finalist for the same award the following year. In addition to the New York Times, her books have appeared on the IndieBound, Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and Christian bestseller lists, Library Journal’s Best Of lists, and as part of Target Stores’ “Target Recommends” program.

She has been called the “queen of psychological twists,” and “in a league of her own,” her work praised by Publisher’s Weekly, The Historical Novel Society, Kirkus, Booklist, Woman’s World, Romantic Times, BookReporter, BookRiot, The San Francisco Book Review, The Dallas Morning News, and The Midwest Book Review as “deeply human…” “powerful…” and “mind-bending.” She can currently be heard on American Airlines’ in-flight entertainment system on the Beautiful Writers podcast alongside writing luminaries Lee Child, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Dean Koontz.

Lee is best known among fans, however, for her personal connection with and devotion to her readers, with whom she regularly shares home life from the family farm live, featuring her giant German Shepherd Timber and rotund Black Labrador, Charlie—the true stars of Story Time with Tosca.

Lee lives with her husband and three of four step-children still at home in Nebraska and posts her adventures as an author, city-girl-turned-farmer’s-wife, and insta-mom of four—on social media. To learn more about Tosca, please visit: www.toscalee.com.        

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/427839.Tosca_Lee

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tosca-Lee/e/B001JPCC42/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1