Tag Archive for: Bears With Us

Juggling Again–or Should I Say Still?

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Because I have a new book on the scene, the latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, River Spirits, I am really juggling a lot.

One of my earlier books in the series, Bears With Us, will be offered for .99 cents on Kindle from October 13- 17, which will take a lot of promoting.

Through the month of November, I’ll be on a virtual blog tour–something I like doing but is a lot of work. I’ve already done a lot in preparation, but while it’s going on it will take a lot of time to let people know where I am visiting.

I’m also involved in several in-person events this month, on the 11th, I’ll be at The Taste of the Arts, in Visalia, CA from 10 to 4 and on October 18th from 10 to 4, the Great Valley Bookfest in Manteca, CA. and on the 25th I’m participating in a panel with the Central Coast Sisters in Crime at the Atascadero Library where we’ll be discussing the age of e-publishing.

And guess what, I’m also writing the next book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, which means I really do have to concentrate on it too.

I know that many of my author friends don’t have children, a few not even a husband to worry about, but I have 4 adult children, 18 grandkids, and 15 great-grands. When possible I love spending time with them. And of course, this is where the juggling comes in. My family comes first even if that means I have to get up earlier than usual or stay up later to take care of my writing commitments.

Here is the cover of River Spirits and as usual, the artist has captured the essence of the title.


Blurb: While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made
against the female stars, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor
is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again,
the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest
Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

Available in all formats from the publisher: http://mundania.com/ and from all the usual places.

Marilyn

Getting Back in the Groove

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The writing groove that is.

It’s never easy after the holidays, and this time it seems even harder than usual.

Because I was having all sorts of heart tests, had an angiogram scheduled that had to be put off for over a week because I caught the flu, had the test (which turned out much better than the doctor expected), and then it was time to decorate for Christmas. Frankly, I was still recovering from the procedure and being sick and had no energy.

Fortunately, daughter-in-law and granddaughter came to the rescue and did it for me–and then undecorated when the time came.

Besides our usual get-together with son, his wife, and his sons, their wives, his daughter and her hubby and two great-grands on Christmas Eve, we visited with daughter and all her family on Christmas Day. Also talked on the phone to our other two daughters.

Hubby and  have watched Netflix movies galore including series that we’ve missed, and gone to the theater to see two movies: Saving Mr. Banks and Frozen. Liked them both.

I have squeezed in some book promoting. Learned that another of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries is now available on audio, from Amazon and iTunes. Bears With Us.

http://www.amazon.com/Bears-with-Us/dp/B00HHNE0AO/ref=sr_1_1_title_2_audd?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388253790&sr=1-1&keywords=Bears+With+Us

And yes, I’ve written a few pages in the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series–but few is the key word here.

I really need to get with it because the critique group I belong to is starting up again and I always like to be a few chapters ahead.

As with every author, I have other commitments ahead. But I’ve always worked around them in the past, and I shall do it again.

If that sounds like a New Year’s resolution, well that’s as close as I’ll ever get to one.

The truth is, the older I get the harder it is to stick to a schedule–and time goes by much quicker than it did when I was younger.

Because the only way I’m going to find out what’s going on in Tempe Crabtree’s life, what crimes she’s going to solve, is to get into that writing groove–I will.

Marilyn Meredith

About Reviews

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My time recently has been taken up with promoting my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Bears With Us.

This is what I’ve done so far: a book launch at our local used bookstore (we have no book stores anywhere nearby), and two days at our Springville Apple Festival (sold about 1/2 the books I did two years ago) and I just finished up on a month long blog tour.

Blog tours always take a lot of time because of the promoting, going back and comment about the comments, plus I ran a contest–the person who commented on the most blogs could have his or her name used as a character in my next book–so I had to keep checking in order to keep track of all those who commented.

Some of the bloggers reviewed my book and all of them were wonderful, but one gave away the whole ending of the book. Eeek! She’s been asked to take that line out and as I write this I’m not sure if it happened or not. Unless she does, of course, I won’t promote the blog nor will I use the review anywhere.

Through the years I’ve received mostly wonderful reviews, but there have been some that were a bit odd, a couple where I could tell the person hadn’t read the book all the way through, and once before an Amazon review gave away a surprise ending. I contacted the reviewer and she eliminated that part. What I don’t understand is why anyone would do that. I work really hard to come up with an ending that might surprise most people and putting that in a review is definitely a spoiler.

Believe me I appreciate the time someone puts into writing a review about one of my books. I’ve written lots of reviews over the years–and believe me I would never give away the ending.

Authors, anyone else ever have that problem?

Readers, how do you feel about a review like that?

Marilyn

Off On Another Promotion Adventure

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Yep, have another new book. This is another Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Bears With Us.

I have two different series with two different publishers–but small independents. Which means most of the promotion for my books is up to me.

I’ve had some people ask why don’t I go the route that some authors are doing and publish myself–doing the Kindle etc. thing. The answer is I don’t want to–that part is done quite nicely by the publisher(s).

I barely have time for everything else in my life without attempting to figure out how to do all the stuff that makes a book a book. Like most of you, I have a life too. A husband to spend time with, meals to fix, lots and lots of relatives to enjoy, and I want to write.

What I am doing for promotion are all things I like to do–online it’s blogging, Facebook, a bit of Twittering, and I’m going on a couple of blog tours. In person, I’m giving talks at libraries, teaching at writers conferences, book festivals and craft fairs, and going to LCC in Sacramento in 2012. (This one’s close so I’m already signed up.) What I like best about doing the in-person stuff is that I often run into author friends I’ve met over the years and fans who’ve faithfully been reading my books.

I’m just beginning to get reviews for Bears With Us and I’ve been a bit nervous because I’ve broken a big rule of mystery writing–to have a murder within the first 50 pages. Yes, there is a murder–but it doesn’t happen right away. Bears dominate the first pages–and the last ones too.

To me, a great-grandma, all this promotion is an adventure.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com/

Sneak Peek of My New Cover

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This is the cover for my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Bears With Us, due out mid August.

When I was asked by the cover artist what I wanted on the cover, I said a stylized Native American looking bear. Did I have a picture in my mind? No, but this particular artist has done all my covers and she has always been able to come up with something that fits the story and looks like a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

I was on vacation when the publisher sent me a picture of the cover–I was and am ecstatic. She definitely nailed it.

In this particular book, the mountain community of Bear Creek is plagued by bears. Though there is a fish and game warden, he can’t be every place at once and Tempe finds herself having to chase bears out of people’s homes. Of course there’s plenty more to keep her busy, but for awhile the bears are her biggest problem.

I’ve been fortunate with all my covers lately. Both publishers have artists who really aim for giving a hint of the book and trying to interpret the author’s vision.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com