#ThisorThatThursday with Don Sawyer

I’d like to welcome Don Sawyer back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Travel

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Anything financial

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Wife

Things that distract you from writing: Wife

Hardest thing about being a writer: discipline to attack the blank screen/page

Easiest thing about being a writer: joy of watching the words unfurl nicely almost independent of me

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Haagen Dazs ice cream bar for my wife

Things you never put on your shopping list: calves’ liver

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: solar-powered light and fan for friends in Cuba

The thing you wished you’d never bought. 1971 Renault 12

Favorite snacks: mixed nuts with no peanuts

Things that make you want to gag: cruelty and bigotry

Something you’re really good at: speaking

Something you’re really bad at: knowing when to speak and when not to

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: funny; I don’t recall any particular professional or personal aspiration

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: podcasts

Something you wish you could do: speak Spanish

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: become convinced that I can’t learn to speak Spanish

Favorite places you’ve been: Bilbao, Languedoc, The Gambia, Jamaica, Cuba

Places you never want to go to again: Florida

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): George Monbiot, Bernie Sanders, Barbara Kingsolver, Jose (Pepe) Mujica

People you’d cancel dinner on: Anyone associated with the current American administration

Favorite things to do: have a few pints with good friends in a classic London pub (with no TVs)

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: I’ve eaten bugs; they’re the tenderest when they’re in the larval stage.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marry my wife and have two terrific daughters

Biggest mistake: develop Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Heading out to the University of British Columbia in a 2-cycle SAAB in 1969 ties with deciding to have kids

Something you chickened out from doing: Not much

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Thich Nhat Hanh

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: author Pat Conroy

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I would like to acknowledge how much I really enjoyed your novel Where the Rivers Meet. This novel was the only book I’ve ever read and actually finished.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: (from a rejection letter for Where the Rivers Meet, set in a predominantly aboriginal high school): “The characters talk in too adult a manner and insights are too well articulated.” The book went on to sell 20,000 copies, mostly to First Nations’ schools.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Realizing I could affect personal and social change through my writing; being invited, along with my wife, to speak to 600 Education students at Lakehead University who were reading Tomorrow Is School. Writer as rock star.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: My writing life has always been secondary to my lived life; I feel enormously fortunate to have been able to have to have combined the two.

About Don:

An educator and writer, Don grew up in Michigan and came to Canada in the 1960s, where I more or less flunked out of a PhD program in Modern Chinese History. This turned out to be a blessing as it opened up a world of opportunity and experiences I never contemplated. From teaching in a small Newfoundland outport to training community workers in West Africa to teaching adults on a First Nations reserve in British Columbia to designing a climate change action course for Jamaican youth, I have worked with youth and adults from many cultural backgrounds and in a variety of locales.

Inevitably, these experiences have made their way into my writing. I have authored over 12 books, including two Canadian bestsellers: the YA novel Where the Rivers Meet (Pemmican) and the adult non-fiction Tomorrow Is School and I Am Sick to the Heart Thinking about It (Douglas and McIntyre). The first book in his Miss Flint series for children, The Meanest Teacher in the World (Thistledown) was translated into German by Carlsen (hardback) and Ravensburger. My articles and op-eds have appeared in many journals and most of Canada’s major dailies.

#WriterWednesday with Allison Brook

I would like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Allison Brook/Marilyn Levinson, to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: Doing Sudoku puzzles

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: Clearing off my desk beside my computer (I'm still avoiding it.)

The thing you like most about being a writer: Holding a copy of my latest book in my hand, amazed that I managed to get it done.

The thing you like least about being a writer: Sitting down to write each day. That first minute is difficult for me, but I'm fine once I get started.

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Aldi's triple chocolate gelato, sushami and sushi, chocolate chip brioche

Things you never put on your shopping list: Celery, cereal, white bread, salami

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: four adorable cat pillow covers

Something that didn’t look at all like it did online: A sofa cover

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Quiet, my computer working properly, finding documents I need to refer to easily and quickly

Things that distract you from writing: Music, phone calls, cats demanding attention

Something you’re really good at: Knitting

Something you never learned how to do: Sew curtains

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Be a ballerina

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Speaking comfortably and easily about my writing life on podcasts and interviews

Things you always put in your books: My characters' relationships. Very often: a ghost, a dog or a cat

Things you never put in your books: Anything bad happening to a child or an animal

Things to say to an author: I loved your last book. When is the next one in the series coming out?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I have a great idea that I think you should put in your next book.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I'd give this book a six if I could.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Where you have an idea for a story, where do you put it?

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: My salmon dish

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: Roasting a goose. So much fat!

About Allison:

A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids.

​As Allison Brook, Marilyn writes the popular Haunted Library series. DEATH OVERDUE, the first book in the series, was an Agatha nomination for Best Contemporary Novel, a Library Journal "Pick of the Month," and on Goodreads' list of the "200 Most Popular Books Published in October, 2017." BOOKED ON MURDER, the eighth and final book in the series, was released on August 6, 2024.

​Many of Marilyn's books are in the process of being republished. Among them, THE DEVIL'S PAWN, a horror-suspense YA novel that will give you chills but leave you smiling when you've read the last page, has just been released. Her "Children's Choice" middle grade novel, RUFUS AND MAGIC RUN AMOK, has been republished. The sequel, RUFUS AND THE WITCH'S DRUDGE, came out in March, 2024, and will be followed by two more books in the series.

Let’s Be Social:

Website

Tips for Facebook Take-overs

Facebook take-overs are popular online events that authors can do to promote their books. There are many online book groups, many organized by genre, where the administrators will let you visit for a specific timeframe to post games, questions, and give-aways to help you celebrate your book. Most are done on the group’s page and are limited to its members. Though I have seen some do live events via Zoom.

Here are some tips as you plan your marketing events.

How Do I Find These Groups?

• Search for book groups on Facebook and read their descriptions. Join those that fit your interest and genre.

• Look at the events that they host. Many will solicit volunteers for author take-overs.

• It’s a good idea to do your homework and see how large the group is and how active they are. See what types of games are played and what other authors give-away.

• Reach out and message the group’s administrator to inquire about a take-over. Remember, most of these folks are book lovers who are volunteers. Be patient. It may take a day or two to get a response.

Things to Verify with the Administrator

• Make sure to confirm the date and time (in your time zone).

• Confirm when prize winners should be announced. Many would like for you to do it a day or two after the take-over to give more people a chance to play. I usually create a graphic with all the winners’ names and tag them in the post. I usually contact them via Messenger to let them know what information I need from them. Some group administrators want to post the winners. Make sure to ask.

• Find out if you’ll have administrative rights to the site. I like to create and schedule my posts on the site, so the night of the event, I can answer questions and make comments. It’s important for you to be active during the time that you’re scheduled. When you’re given rights to the site, make sure that you don’t approve new members or posts. It’s just for you to schedule your items.

• Make sure to ask if there are any special rules they ask their guests to follow. Some sites want you to number your posts, so readers can visit all of them easily.

Things to Always Do

• During the time of your take-over, make sure to refresh your screen every few minutes to see the latest responses. Sometimes Facebook changes how it filters comments (e.g. most relevant, most recent, etc.). Make sure it’s on the setting you prefer.

• Always thank your host and the page administrators. Most are volunteers.

• Be present and interact with the attendees.

• Post your winners and send the prizes in a reasonable amount of time.

Your Posts

• Make sure to have bright, interesting graphics that all have the same look and feel (e.g. backgrounds and colors). Put your web address and book cover on the graphic.

• Facebook truncates content in posts. Put the most important information first. Make sure to include a link to your book and a way that they can sign up for your newsletter.

• I create a Word document that has the content of each post. That way, when I’m ready to schedule them, I just have to copy and paste into Facebook.

• Next week, I’ll do a post on what type of activities to include in your take-over.

Your Prizes

• Always include what the prize is in your post.

• I make a list of all my give-aways and the prizes. When I pick a winner, I put the name next to it. Usually, you don’t want the same person to win more than one prize.

• I always try to think of prizes that I can send in a regular envelope to keep postage down.

• If you need to limit winners by a country, make sure you specify that in the post. It can get expensive to mail a package internationally.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Rose Kerr

I’d like to welcome my friend, the fabulous Rose Kerr, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: My favorite is reading, close second is spending time with my grandkids!

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Housework, it’s always there and needs to be done all the time!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: A big mug of tea, my earbuds to listen to music, and my laptop.

Things that distract you from writing: Social Media, phone calls

Hardest thing about being a writer: Sticking to my schedule.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas. I have way too many story ideas buzzing around in my head.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Chips, milk, or medicine

Things you never put on your shopping list: Eggplant, just mmm nope not for me.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: A lilac colored travel yoga mat! It folds up to fit into my suitcase, I can bring it everywhere.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: Ball bearings thingies for the dishwasher.

Favorite snacks: M&M caramels, Miss Vicki’s Honey Dijon chips!

Things that make you want to gag: Eggplant

Something you wish you could do: Paint landscapes

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Scrapbooking! I love doing scrapbooking, but it’s eating up a lot of my time. So many ideas and photos to use.

Things to say to an author: I loved your book! Your main character is so real! I couldn’t put your book down!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Do you know how to use commas? It must be so easy to write a book, I think I’ll write one this weekend.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I flew a plane! I was a passenger on a small regional airline and was the only one on the plane. The pilot asked if I wanted to sit up front in the co-pilot’s seat. I did and he taught me some basics AND then let me take over the controls. He was a flight instructor. It was so cool!!

Something you chickened out from doing: Ziplining, we were on an excursion and the set up didn’t look very safe.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: I love meeting readers and other authors!

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I had started when I first thought of it. That was 30 years ago!

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Write the next book.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Don’t quit. Perseverance pays off!

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Set a timer and write until the timer goes off.

Things you do to avoid writing: Clean the kitchen, organize my closet, dust, do laundry, go for a walk. I can avoid writing quite well!

About Rose:

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region she lives in.

Rose’s newest release features a modern-day archaeologist turned amateur sleuth.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.rosekerr.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoseKerrAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/RoseKerrauthor/

#WriterWednesday with Mark Everglade

I’d like to welcome Mark Everglade to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Understanding your audience’s needs. With my first novel, Hemispheres, for instance, half the people said the plot was too fast, while the other half said it was a bit slow. Different age groups I think are looking for something different in terms of pacing.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas! A simple issue of Scientific American immediately generates thousands of plots to an avid sci-fi writer. I enjoy writing books about rotating tidal-locked planets, where half the planet is always dark, and playing with their ecology and how changing the physical planet changes the people. We call this study human ecology in sociology. You can see this at play in my cyberpunk novel Inertia, which won best sci-fi novel from a small publisher.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Complete quiet, unless it’s music like Boards of Canada, Pineapple Thief, or The Knife to set the mood.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions. When you write, you suspend disbelief so that your readers will do the same. Getting pulled out of the zone ruins the immersion and the worlds you’re building in your head.

Words that describe you: Conscientious, kind, compassionate, intellectual, creative

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Arrogant, judgmental, uptight, intellectual elitism

Favorite music or song: Every genre has its place to coordinate with our vast emotional experiences, but I do tend towards progressive metal and electronica. Sometimes you need intricacy, and sometimes simplicity to set you in that trance where you can experience flow.

Music that drives you crazy: Being from Maryland, I’ll say Country Music, except Alison Krauss, who sings like an angel.

Things you always put in your books: Elements from social science conflict theory that show the differences between the haves and the have nots, the rich and poor, and how it impacts one anothers’ lives. Also, corrupt corporations and governments that profit off the people at their expense. I like taking hackers and scientists from many walks of life and putting them against corrupt regimes, with plenty of cybernetic augmentations to arm them.

Things you never put in your books: Misogyny, unless it’s to show a particular antagonist’s point of view.

Things to say to an author: Anything specific that provides feedback to help them improve in a non-critical way. Such as, “I loved it when X character was motivated to do Y event, but I did feel it could have been foreshadowed better.” Authors find it hard to hear criticism because we put so much of ourselves, so intimately, into the text, but we do want to improve and hear honest, specific, and actionable feedback.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Generic feedback, “Oh you write so well, I loved the book, because the story was like good and the characters like were good.” None of that helps an author know what you connected with in order to improve their next novel.

Favorite books (or genre): Dystopian books with social elements, such as We, 1984, Brave New World, and Neuromancer.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Any romance novel written past 1920.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Never giving up on those who are different, who maybe aren’t neurotypical, but can learn to coexist in a socially complex world and offer their own unique, beautiful perspectives on life.

Biggest mistake: Not telling the truth enough when I was young and lacking empathy for how others perceived me; putting my own interests and arts ahead of the needs of others.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: People have compared my work to Margaret Atwood, although not nearly at her level of mastery of course. But since I love 19th century literature, the best compliment from a reader was, “I enjoyed your unique perspective in "Misaligned"...The story has such a powerful clarity to it that reminds me of Kafka or even the tales of writers like Poe or Nathaniel Hawthorne.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: One reader remarked that my story “Glitch Goddess” was a “Nice union of cyberpunk and Lovecraft.” To combine both things into a sort of cybergoth perspective made me say I had tapped into something really weird and different than what other authors were writing. You can get the story free by signing up for my mailing list at the bottom of my website, http://www.markeverglade.com

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: In Hemispheres, one of my characters is named Aurthur, which sounds like author. That’s because his speaking style is most like mine, in the sense that he is overly poetic, even at inappropriate times, which sometimes gets on others’ nerves when there’s actions that need to be done and he’s waning philosophically about it all.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: None of the sexual scenes are based on real life; and I dislike it when people inquire as such.

About Mark:

Mark Everglade has spent his life studying social conflict. He runs the website www.markeverglade.com where he reviews cyberpunk media and interviews the greats. His short stories have been featured beside legendary authors like Cory Doctorow, Cat Rambo, and Walter Jon Williams. He currently runs a company dedicated to bringing dystopian fiction to a new generation, working with many of the top authors in the industry. He resides in Florida.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.markeverglade.com

I Love Book Events!

I love doing book events, workshops, presentations, and conferences. I enjoy seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and finding out what’s new with everyone. I just returned from the amazing Malice Domestic, a mystery conference in Bethesda, Maryland. It has all kinds of activities, entertainment, networking, panels, and the most amazing community of writers and mystery lovers. And I always come back recharged and excited about new projects. (Shhh! We’re working on plans for a fun anthology.)

Some of my highlights this year are the treasured time with friends and meeting new ones.

These types of events are great opportunities to network. I attended a panel on influencers. It was great to get a chance to listen to their tips and to hang out with them.

I also got to be a part of a fun panel on the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and their influence on the mystery world.

No matter what stage of your writing career, I think you should attend conferences and writing events. The experiences and opportunities are invaluable. And it’s a wonderful chance to hang out with readers and writers and talk about books for hours and hours.

#ThisorThatThursday with Kay Sparling

I’d like to welcome Kay Sparling to the blog today!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding the time to write.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with a good story.

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need solitude and quiet.

Things that hamper your writing: Distractions and noise.

A few of your favorite things: Cats, waterfalls, music, and Italian food.

Things you need to throw out: Old kitchen gadgets and cosmetic/skincare that didn’t work as advertised.

Words that describe you: Witty, compassionate, and caretaker.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Diva, bossy, impatient.

Favorite foods: Pizza, peanut butter cookies, and moussaka.

Things that make you want to gag: Any kind of liver, fennel, and caraway.

Something you’re really good at: Singing, coaching singers, and interior decorating.

Something you’re really bad at: Math, drawing/painting, and dancing.

Favorite smell: Sandalwood.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Mildew and cigarette smoke.

Last best thing you ate: Chicken Masala.

Last thing you regret eating: Goat.

The last thing you ordered online: Bisque for my cat.

The last thing you regret buying: A $50 facial moisturizer.

Things you’d walk a mile for: To help a friend in need.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A bat in the house.

Things to say to an author: Your book touched me and made me think differently.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Did you use AI to make up your story?

Favorite places you’ve been: Italy, Greece, and Fiji.

Places you never want to go to again: Russia, Romania, and Cambodia.

Favorite books (or genre): My Antonia by Willa Cather

Books you wouldn’t buy: Sci-fi books

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Abraham Lincoln, Giuseppe Verdi, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler, and Phillis Schlafly.

Favorite things to do: Hike in the mountains, listen to great music, and throwing dinner parties for my friends.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Calculus, installing new electronics, cleaning my oven.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I’d tell ya, but then I’d have to kill ya.

Something you chickened out from doing: Water sailing.

About Kay:

Kay Sparling is an international opera and sacred singer. Now retired, she lives in the Upper Midwest with her feline writing buddy, the invincible Paducah. When not teaching voice lessons or writing, Kay enjoys gardening, hiking, adventure travelling, and cooking for family and friends.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.kaysparlingbooks.com

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

X: https://x.com/notifications

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/missionthaw.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/505674375416879

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-sparling-8516b638/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionThaw

Litsy: https://www.litsy.com/web/user/Mission%20Thaw

#WriterWednesday with Maggie King

I’m celebrating another author from Crimes in the Old Dominion today. I’d like to welcome, Maggie King back to the blog.

Favorite thing that you always make time for: keeping up with family and friends

The thing you’ll always do just about anything to avoid: hours-long car trips

The thing you like most about being a writer: coming up with ideas and seeing how they develop into a story. I also love when my characters surprise me with their ideas.

The thing you like least about being a writer: marketing and promotion

Things you will run to the store for in the middle of the night: Hmm. Can’t imagine what that would be.

Things you never put on your shopping list: pickled herring (or pickled anything); liver; lima beans; Red Vines Twists

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: silicone freezer bags; very “cool” indeed

Something that didn’t look at all like it did online: a beauty product way past its expiration date.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: laptop, pen, paper, thesaurus, cat (not on keyboard), occasionally like classical music for its reputed brain-enhancing effect (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach)

Things that distract you from writing: landscaping activity

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: the launches for my novels and anthologies. I appreciated the support of readers and writers and loved talking about my “creations.”

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: I would be more selective about which book events were worthwhile investments of energy, time, and money.

Something you’re really good at: restoring order from chaos.

Something you never learned how to do: maintaining the order I restored from chaos. This most often pertains to my filing system, digital and paper.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: an actor, a nurse, an English teacher. I did none of those things. I was a retail sales manager, a customer service supervisor, a programmer analyst, a computer trainer, a non-profit administrator, and, at last--a writer!

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: sign up to be an OOE (Officer of Election) at the polls.

Things you always put in your books: my cats make cameo appearances.

Things you never put in your books: violence on the page, or descriptions of blood and gore.

Things to say to an author: “I LOVE your books and have gifted them to all my friends and relatives! When will they be made into movies?”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I haven’t read your book yet” (tone suggests that “yet” will never come). “Have you read [name a book]? It’s simply wonderful!”

The one thing you cook/bake that is better than a restaurant dish: Watercress soup. I first had it at Truly Yours in Northridge, California (incidentally, Ron Goldman worked there). It’s not necessarily better than TY’s version, but it’s certainly comparable.

The one thing you cooked/baked that turned out to be an epic disaster: Moussaka. What a mess! The recipe came with my first microwave. While other recipes in the cookbook were great, the moussaka wasn’t one of them.

About Maggie:

Maggie King is the author of the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries. Her short stories appear in various anthologies, including the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, Death by Cupcake, Murder by the Glass, First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, and Crime in the Old Dominion.

Maggie graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, James River Writers, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She has worked as a software developer, retail sales manager, customer service supervisor, web designer, and non-profit administrator. She has called New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California home. These days she lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband Glen and mischievous cat, Olive. All these jobs, schools, and homes have gifted her with story ideas for years to come.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://maggieking.com/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/meking.bsky.social

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor