The Inside Story -- Audiobooks

Do you like audiobooks? It seems they are the most popular thing in publishing at this time.

Some authors and publishers are bypassing ebooks and paperbacks in order to go straight to the Audiobook.

Audible and Itunes are the two best selling applications for Audios. 

Audiobooks are convenient. The reader can listen while as he drives, does chores or gardens. It is a great tool for the multitasker.

So who reads your book? My first audiobook is for sale. Audible lets you pick the producer. For my novel Tattered Wings, I chose William Reese. 

Bill has been in radio for years and knows how to make a character come to life.

His voice is rich and inviting. I closed my eyes and listened to him read. 

To hold the attention of the author is no easy task. We have already read our work many times.There is when we write it, rewrites, (at least two, but more likely three), then it reaches the editor to go through first, second, third edits as well as line edits, and last but not least, it must be proofread.

Such is the way it was with Tattered Wings. I put my headphones on and prayed I could keep my mind on this story I knew so well.

By the end of the first chapter, I was drawn into my own novel.

Thanks to William Reese, it was easy. Bill has done five books for Audible this year, and I look for him to do many more including any adventure I have that calls for a male reader.

Did I mention I feel like I've made a new friend?

Anyone can download a book from Audible free. I did, and I can see how it could be addicting.

. To learn more about the talented Mr. Reese, drop by his website http://reesevoices.com 

Watch for the rest of my list to reach Audible in the near future.

The Inside Story , two

Tomorrow is the big day. My second book in the Kate Nash Mystery Series is to be released.
I wrote the books so they will stand alone. In other words, if you didn't read Finding Lizzy Smith,
you will still be able to follow the second one, Who's Roxy Watkins? without feeling lost or that we all have a secret you don't know.

Of course, with each  book, you learn a little more about the characters, their likes and dislikes,  favorite foods, clothes, and who thinks what about who.

Readers are asking when book three will be done. Honestly, I'm not sure. I have a title, The Untimely Death of Ivy Tucker (I've been known to change my mind).

My brain is still swirling around Murder in Madison Woods, so for the first time I am writing two books at once.

Since I can't buy groceries without a list, remember where I put my glasses, car keys, or the TV remote, this will be a serious challenge.

How many of you read my crime book, The Twisted Mind of Cletus Compton?  I guess that was a silly question since I can't see a show of hands. Anyway, the two most popular characters in that book will make another appearance in Murder in Madison Woods. Can you believe no one wanted to run into Cletus Compton or his brother Warren again?

Okay, two of the characters everyone seemed to like, or from the comments, loved, are Tony Massey, the six- feet -six dark haired shy and single sherrif of Ash County and Dr. Boo Jordan, retired FBI profiler and phychiatrist. Yes, her name is Boo. Want to know why?

When my daughters were in high school the quarterback of one of the local teams was named Boo Champange. I decided if I ever had the opportunity to use the name Boo, I would.

Until we meet again, turn off the TV and read a book. It's impossible to think about all of your problems, politics, the laundry and most everything else if your mind is in Africa, chasing a bad guy, trying to figure out who the killers, finding out the neighbor next door is a spy, or spending the night at the Scary Inn.

The Inside Story Part One

I began writing a new book. I'm about 17,000 words into it. It's about an eighteen-year-old who has been living alone in the National Forest.

The working title is Murder in Madison Woods. I might change it.

I don't know anyone else's writing process, but mine starts with a small idea. Sometimes I can write the idea down in one sentence or a couple of words.Then it festers and grows. People walk through my mind. Some I keep and some I tuck away for another novel.

I go to my writing space and write until what has brewed and materializes is gone, then I do other tasks writers must do.

Believe me, If writers only had to write, I would be prolific. The problem is, they want you to have a Twitter account, an Instagram page, and a blog. Did I forget the newsletter and the Author pages on Amazon, Audible, and maybe iTunes; I'm not there yet?

I forgot my Website.

During the afternoon and evening, more of the story presents itself to me and I write it down the next day.

Meanwhile, other stories fill my head and I have a dozen or so notebooks I make notes in to keep it all straight.
We will talk more about this in the days and weeks to come. If you are a writer, tell me your writing process. If you are a reader, what draws you to the book? Is it the cover or the blurb on the back? Something else maybe?

Let me know. It is very easy to leave a comment here. If you are shy and don't want anyone else to read what you have to say, send it to my email

susankeeenebooks@gmail.com

Have a wonderful day.

An interview with author Lois Curran

http://www.amz

I met Lois Curran at the Ozarks Romance Authors last year and we met again when she joined Sleuths-Ink Mystery writers.  We hit it off right away. Lois’ debut novel, Destined to Love Again came out last month on Amazon.  I read it and recommend it highly.

Lois writes Christian fiction. Let’s take a look at what she has to say about her genre, writing and life in general.

Tell us about your novel, Destined to Love again.

Lois: It is a cozy Christian romance novel. It is much the same as any cozy romance only it is faith based.

What is the setting for Destined… and what inspired you to write it?

Lois: It takes place in Tampa. The idea grew from my nursing background. I developed the main character, Abby as an RN who leaves home to get away from painful memories and takes a position as a school nurse in a prestigious boarding school.

I love the cover. Did you design it yourself?

Lois: No, it was designed by Jaycee Delorenzo at Sweet ’N spicy Designs. I highly recommend her.

Do you write full time?

 Lois: In January, I gave up my fulltime job as Director of Nursing at my county’s Health Department.  I cut down to two days a week which gives me more time to write and do all the other things I love.

Speaking of things you love, tell us some of your favorite pastimes?

Lois: Scrapbooking, traveling, crossword puzzles and of course reading are at the top of my list.

Tell me five things you would like your readers to know about you.

Lois :  They should know that I also write suspense. My new book is about ready and I hope it will be published soon. I took violin lessons for five years and I’m a chronic dieter. I have dieted off and on my entire life. If I hadn’t dieted I’d weigh five hundred pounds by now. The beach Is my favorite travel destination. I live in Missouri but I grew up in Salem, Oregon.  My favorite romance writer is Terri Blackstock but I have many more.

Thanks Lois. If you would like to see Lois’ book just follow this link

http://amzn.to/2hdSVNs    

Blub from Destined to Love Again 

On the heels of a breakup from her long-time boyfriend, whom she now questions she ever really loved him, Abby Dennison leaves Orlando for Tampa. She walks away from the painful memories and a situation she knows displeases God.

In Tampa she takes a position as a school nurse in a prestigious boarding academy. She needs a second chance at life but doesn’t want a second chance at love. Then the school handy-man Sam shows gentle persistence and steady goodness as he tries to persuade her to go out with him.

She can’t deny the attraction, but she’s not ready to take the risk of dating someone new. Her heart needs to heal. She wonders if God might be preparing a future for her with the handsome Sam Ford.…However, is she willing to let go of the past to allow herself to love again?

Some key words and hints from my new crime novel: The Twisted Mind of Cletus Compton.

Psychopath
Sociopath
Murder
Kidnapper
Brother

Mama
knife
Sheriff
FBI
Psychiatrist
Children
Chains
Fire

The on line launch is Tuesday August 16th from 7 to 8:30 P.M.
Lots of swag to give away.
E book edition is on pre-order now.
Link to launch party: Facebook,com/events/151163698647171

   Hope to see you at the party.


http://tinyurl.com/j55ae2s

LET''S TALK NUMBERS

 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

467,000 children missing per year.

86% Are Runaways
10 % Are family abductions
2% Are lost/ injured or otherwise missing.
1% non Family abduction
1% critical missing young adults

 Most cases solved within 2 hours.

VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN -33%

rape down 43%

There is only 1 child abduction in every 10,000 missing children reports.

THE WORLD IS NOT FALLING APART!

Should you share your ideas and dreams?

      Should you share your dreams and ideas ?

I say NO. Have you ever met a true dreamer? You know, one of those people who always has a great idea for a book or a story. Maybe they have an invention that will make housework easier. I know a guy who had an idea for a steam piston to more a car. The car had a battery. The battery had a water reservoir that dropped water on the piston the piston went down and the next drop of water made the piston rise again.

He had that idea fifty-years ago. It never went anywhere. Now when he comes up with an idea folks say. " Is that anything like the water piston?"
It is not only the ridicule, but the skepticism and resistance that is created when your idea or dream hits the air.

Does that seem silly to you?

Not to me.

I am what is known as a panster writer. In other words, I get an idea. Perhaps it came in a dream or was sparked by something someone said on TV or in a conversation I overheard. It could be as small as a couple of words or a big as proven concept.
When I sit down with that story line, I have NO idea who the characters will be, where the story will go or whether it will be a novel, a novella or a short story. Not all of my ideas become anything. Some of them are nine or ten pages long. They lay in a drawer in my desk until I get back to them.

Some of my friends and colleagues are plotters. They sit down and write down the entire story line. They know the principle characters, the beginning and for the most part, (except for the actual words they will use), they know the middle and the ending.

I know that works because some of these people have ten or more successful books out there.
So do those of us who fly by the seat of our pants.

So what am I getting at?
I'm saying this, telling your dreams, ideas and stories dilutes them. There is always someone out there who doesn't think you can do it, and they don't mind telling you your storyline, invention or dream is unrealistic.

I say "Good." The more fantastic, the more 'out there' the more exciting it is.

There are exceptions to every rule. I have a sister how loves every idea and dream I have ever had.
If I tell her I am stuck, she tells me to let it stew in my brain a few days and it will work out.

Most people aren't like that. Most people don't write, don't take a chance on an invention and still do things the way their parents did and their grandparents before them.

And NO, I am not saying the entire world is not adventurous. I am saying those of us who are, are a minority.

When I go to the Ozarks Romance Authors meeting and listen to the successes and hear the readings of those talented people, I sometimes forget this kind of person is not a majority.

The next Saturday, I join the mystery writers from Sleuth's-Ink. Again, I am flabbergasted at the imaginations and tenacity of those folks.

Here is my point. Yes, I do have one.

Don't spend your time talking about what you want to do. If you have a book or a story in you, write it. If you want to paint a picture, paint it. Don't dilute your dreams by sharing them. Develop them, nurture them. Be the best you can be.

Along the way, drop by Amazon or your local book store and explore these local authors with huge talents. I am sure to leave someone out. I will apologize in advance for any oversight.
Tierney James, Wanda Fittro, Cat London, Shirley McCann, VJ Schlutz, Lisa Medley, Beth Carter, Tina Riffey, Pat Elliott, Sharon Smith, Yvonne Erwin, Cara Bristol, Lisa Wells and Sharon Kizzah- Holmes, and Tattered Wings, by me.

This is only a small sampling of the talent in the area. Branch out, read some new authors.

I invite you to leave your thoughts and comments regarding this post.
Susan

ORACON

ORACON. Ozarks Romance Writers Conference.

What a great time! This was my first writer's conference. As a matter of fact, I joined Ozarks Romance Authors and Sleuth's Ink mystery writers about a year ago. It was one of the better decisions I have made in my career.

It doesn't matter what your passion: knitting, quilting, drawing, or painting, join a group.
Just because the people in your family believe you are strange and obsessed with your hobby or career doesn't mean you are.  There is nothing more enlightening and invigorating than a room full of people who share your dream.

Tattered Wings would never been published without the two groups I mentioned.  They are nurturing, supportive and smart.

We started our weekend at Barnes and Nobel with a group of talented writers signing their works. They were the speakers for the conference the next day. Everyone came to see them. I had the pleasure of meeting David L. Harrison, who has written 89 children's books and is the Poet Laureate  of Drury College.  He came to meet the authors, as did dozens of others from the community and people who were merely browsing through the book store.

The evening ended with a tremendous dinner at the Flame in downtown Springfield and a chance to visit one on one.

It was an electric evening. Everyone had their guard down and told stories about their experiences. Laughter filled the room. My only regret is that I couldn't see it from a higher vantage point or talk to more people.

Saturday morning ORACON started. It was held at the University Plaza Hotel and Conference center.
We heard about traditional publishing, Indie publishing, backward plotting, and cover ideas, just to name a few. We had a query letter gong show which turned out to be funny and quite the learning experience.

I was thrilled when seasoned  and successful writers dropped by and bought my books, The Adventures of Diggitty Dog and Tattered Wings.  Another plus to the day was getting to know V. J.Goodin Schultz who sat next to me. I am currently reading V.J.'s anthology The Death of Big Foot and Other Tails. I recommend it.

Honestly, I have a list of books on my Kindle and on the edge of my desk by most of the members of the two groups I mentioned. I am reading them one by one and each day I am more impressed by the amazing gift for writing these folks have.

A special congratulations to Allison Merritt, Lisa Medley, SD Keeling, and Sara K Jordan for the awards they won at the conference. 

I am probably forgetting someone. Let me finish by saying I am proud to be among you and proud of you.

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, no not Arithmetic: MARKETING.

There are as many ideas about how to market your book as there are books. For those of you who don't know, 900 books a day come onto the market. That is about 386,000 books a year. Of those, most sell about 500 copies each.

We are all sure we wrote the great American novel. Our characters are unique, our story is one of a kind, and we have edited it into a fine tuned piece of literature. The rub is: so did most of the other people in those 386,000  cases.

So what do we do to make our novel, book, short story, thriller, romance, non-fiction, soon to be classic stand out in the crowd?

I am becoming an expert in this field. At least an hour or two a day, I cruise Google, YouTube, marketing sights, and blogs, trying to come up with new ideas.
Here are some of the best so far.

1.Write a press release. Make it no more than 300 words and write it in 3rd person. This lets you avoid the "I" word all the time. 

2. Send a picture of you with your book any time you do a correspondence. If they have the story AND the picture, you have a better chance of getting your article in the paper, magazine or whatever venue you are addressing.

3.Take signed copies of your book (s) to the local library and donate them. Try to make this a photo op and ask them to put it on their bulletin board so everyone coming into the building can see it.

4.Offer to read your book at the library if it is a children's book. If it is an adult book, offer to give a book review. If you don't think you are an expert, think again. You are a published author. That carries weight and everyone wants to know what inspired you, how you developed your characters and chose your location.  Remember, everyone thinks they have one good novel inside them. You could be the inspiration to get them started.


5.Take books and business cards everywhere you go. Don't be afraid to tell people you are a writer.

6. Call schools, offer to read your book  (children's) to classes. Don't charge, but tell them to let the parents know you will be there and how much the book is, and WHO to make the check out to if they are paying by check. Believe me, if the check is made out to the school you will NEVER get it and will have to resign yourself to the fact that you just donated your proceeds.

7.Talk to schools about speaking to older children about writing books. They love it, they ask great questions and again, they won't have money with them so take cards, and/or bookmarks, and hold you book up a lot so the cover  makes an impression on them.

8.Have a Face book presence and post tidbits about your book.

9. Look at trailers on YouTube and make one yourself. They don't have to be as elaborate as some you see.

10. Take copies of your books to popular local shops. Offer them 10-15% of the cover price for selling them on consignment.

11. Visit your local bookstores and do book signings. They love having you.

Okay. That's enough for today.
Good luck, happy selling and don't forget to support each other. No one knows more than we do how good it feels to see a friend or acquaintance has re-tweeted or re-posted our stuff.

The Sheriff, The Farmer's Market and Metaphysics

I live a diverse life. This week I rode with the Sheriff on Friday night to pick his brain for a book I am writing. On Saturday I read my book to children at an outdoor farmer's market and in the afternoon I went to a picnic put on by the School of Metaphysics and toured their new school in Springfield.

To further complicate matters, I am unable to tell you which I liked best.  I learned all kinds of ways to kill people when I rode with the Sheriff and talked to two murderers, more on that in another blog.

I met a young seven year old boy on Saturday, named Patrick, whose vocabulary was better than most of the people I talk to all week.  Later at the same reading, I met two brothers aged nine and eleven who could intelligently discuss their favorite authors and books and genre. They were so knowledgeable I found myself writing down their recommendations and telling them about Sharon Keeling Davis' book which they are now eagerly awaiting.

When I left the farmer's market I motored over to Phelps Grove Park and sat in on a talk about metaphysics. The subject has always fascinated me..  I am currently reading a three book Summer of Enlightenment Series. Do I seem enlightened?

Don't you dare answer that.

I was going to use all of these events to explain why I haven't been updating my blog, then I realized this was a reason TO update.

The Adventures of Diggitty Dog

The Adventures of Diggitty Dog

I am a firm believer that if you get an idea that will not go away, it is destiny.  You are doing yourself a big disservice if you do not act on it.
 For the past several months, I have had an idea about a series of children's books that teach children something in a fun way.  My dog Diggitty is going to be my hero. Diggitty, who is pictured above, lives on a big farm and takes kids on adventures while teaching them how things grow and live on a farm.
This idea has been in my head so long, I was able to write the first book in less than two hours.  Today I finished book two.
It isn't that the books were so easy to write but that they rattled around until they were complete and only needed to be written down.
The turning point from thinking to writing came the other night when I sat and watched Beth Carter, Allison Merritt and Tierney James give their book reviews at the Friends of the Library in Marshfield last Tuesday night.
I was proud of them.  They did a great job.  That night I asked myself what I was waiting for and the answer came back.  Nothing.
So, be sure to check back and follow the Adventures of Diggitty Dog.  She is a hoot and you might just learn something about gardening, animals, and the antics of an eight pound protagonist.