Topped Chef–Interview with Author Lucy Burdette

 

Hey, everyone, Suze here. This week I’m thrilled that mystery author Lucy Burdette is back to chat with us. I’m even more that she has a new book coming out in just a few days. Topped Chef, Book 3 in the wonderful Key West Food Critic series, releases on May 7. Here’s what Lucy has to say:

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a clinical psychologist and the author of eleven mysteries (eight of them written as Roberta Isleib.) I love to eat, talk, and write food, and I spend part of the year in Key West. Throw in a couple of cats, and all that combines very nicely in the Key West food critic mystery series.

Tell us about your latest book, Topped Chef.

Topped Chef is the third book in the Key West series–which I am having an absolute ball writing! In this installment, Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow is tapped as a judge on a reality TV  cooking show. But when another judge turns up murdered, she must figure  out who’s taking the contest too seriously before she becomes the next  victim.

If you were casting a movie, who would play the characters in your Key West Food Critic series?

I am dreadful at casting movies and if this dream of one of my books becoming a film ever comes true, I will leave the details to the professionals. That said, I would love to cast Amy Adams as Hayley, and Meryl Streep as her mother! There is a drag queen character in this book too–for that I would suggest using the actual person, Randy Thompson. He’s a fabulous performer!

How do you market your books? Do you have any marketing advice for our readers?

Oh sigh, this is so hard because you can get sucked into the vortex of marketing and forget to write. I use Facebook (www.facebook.com/lucyburdette), Twitter in a half-hearted way (www.twitter.com/lucyburdette), Pinterest for generating book ideas and collecting food photos (www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib), and I blog with two wonderful groups of writers, Mystery Lovers Kitchen (www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) and Jungle Red Writers (www.jungleredwriters.com). When I’m approaching a book launch, I do as many guest posts as I can to spread the word. I try pitching magazines and radio shows. And since there is nothing better than talking with real readers in person, I schedule appearances at book stores, libraries, and conferences. And I also have a website: www.lucyburdette.com

Do you see what I mean about that vortex??

My advice is to pick a few of the many promotional options–the ones that suit your personality–and ignore the rest. And start early. And have fun at it! And try to give something to the readers–they won’t come back if your posts and updates are all about you and your newest release.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a little of both. I have to turn in a synopsis to my editor at NAL as part of my contract. But it usually turns out that when I begin writing, the book takes all kinds of U-turns in unexpected directions–which can be exhilarating, but also scary. In the book I’m writing now (or should be), the plot is kicking my butt.

How long does it take you to turn out a draft of a book? Is it an easy–or agonizing–process?

For this series, I have about nine months in between books. The first draft is always agonizing. While rewrites to me are fun!

What made you want to write cozy mysteries? Who are some of your favorite authors?

I’ve always read mysteries and I don’t like gore and violence so this genre is a natural for me. My first culinary mystery idol was Diane Mott Davidson. You might be able to imagine how thrilled I was to land a blurb from her about AN APPETITE FOR MURDER: “What fun! Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food–a winning combination. I can’t wait for the next entry in this charming series.” DMD  Wow!

When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to spend your time?

I’m a huge reader, of women’s fiction as well as mysteries. I enjoy cooking, my pets, spending time with my family, and enough exercise to overcome the effects of all that good food.

How do you battle the Doubt Monster? We define the Doubt Monster as: the nagging feeling that your prose is terrible, your plot is silly, your characters are insipid, and no one in her right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

My best advice on that came from my writing pal Hallie Ephron: Hold your nose and write. You can’t fix something that isn’t written! And I love my writer friends who understand how hard this work is–they are always available with a crying towel if needed…

What’s next for you? What are you working on now?

I’m in the middle of MURDER WITH GANACHE, the fourth Key West food critic mystery, which will be out in February 2014. The deadline is barreling down upon me! thanks so much for inviting me to visit! And best of luck with your writing Suze !

Thanks, Lucy! Lucy’s on her way to Malice Domestic today, but she’ll pop in from time to time and answer your questions.

Happy Hopping

PJ Sharon here. Thank you for joining me at the Secrets of 7 Scribes group blog. I’ll give you today’s Unlocked Secret right up front. Writing is a tough job. Try to have a good time along the way. Fun may be defined differently for all of us, but a few of my favorite parts of this writing life (aside from writing!)are great conferences and group promotional events. I’m looking forward to RWA Nationals in Atlanta this July, and Fiction Fest this fall with my CTRWA pals. In the meantime, I have several group promotional events coming up.

Tis the season of Blog Hops and Book Lovers Buffets!

I’m currently participating with sixty-one other authors in the annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop. Since Dianne Venetta and friends organized the whole event, I didn’t have to do much accept prepare my blog and promote the heck out of it this week. The hop runs from April 10-19th and offers a Grand prize of a Nook or Kindle Fire and a $25 gift card to your favorite e-retailer.

The way it works is that you “hop” to each author’s blog where readers can collect gardening tips and awesome recipes (you must check out my super easy and scrumptious recipe for Sunny Delight Pie), and a prize will be offered just for showing up and leaving a comment. You can find the links to participating author sites on both my blog and the AIB landing page noted above. Prizes range from swag baskets to free books, signed copies to gift cards, and much more. On my blog site, all commenters who leave a valid e-mail address (not to be used for any other promotion), will be given a FREE short story called SOUL REDEMPTION, the prequel to WANING MOON, and will be entered to win an audio book copy of HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES.

I’m so excited to be able to offer the audio book as a prize. I’ve been listening to it at home and LOVING my narrator, Erin Mallon, who has totally brought Jordie and Alex’s story to life. Hearing the story is very different from reading it, and the experience is a bit surreal for me as the author. The audio book will be available for purchase in May! Also in May, the 1st-3rd to be exact, be on the lookout for the Book Lover’s Buffet, where you can pick up a ton of fabulous books for only .99 cents!

Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of being a published author these days, I try to focus on the “fun” stuff. Blog hops, audio books, contest wins, and conferences are at the top of my list. I truly do enjoy opportunities to hang out with amazing like-minded people and learn exciting new ways to write great books and connect to readers. I am honored to be a part of such a hard-working and innovative community. You guys rock!

So what keeps you going when you get overwhelmed? Do you have a favorite (“fun”) part of being a writer that makes the hard parts easier to endure?

A New Face for a New Year

PJ Sharon here wishing all you Scribe’s followers a Happy New Year!

We are so thankful for your support over the past year and hope you’ll continue to join us for fun, informative, and entertaining posts about writing, publishing, and all things books. You’ll be treated to an occasional secret recipe, guest authors, interviews with industry professionals, reviews of our favorite books, and tips on everything from  craft to the everyday pitfalls of trying to manage this crazy writer’s life.

As the first Scribe to post in 2013, I’d like to talk about the most important selling point of a well-written book–aside from it being well-written, that is.

In this day of digital publishing, when as many as 350,000 new books a year are put in front of readers, the burning question is, what will help your book to stand out in the deluge? I can’t help but think the answer goes back to the basics. Most of us judge a book first by its cover, then by the blurb, and then by reading the first page or so. Most readers, many who are buying from their e-reading devices, only see a thumbnail version of a book cover and often decide to look closer only if something about that tiny image pulls them in. Having a breathtaking cover, a well-written and captivating blurb (back cover description), and a grabber of a first line can only up your chances at being noticed.

As you may know, I had moderate success with a FREE promotion last week and I think the results prove my point.  After having my cover redone by a professional cover artist, downloads for Heaven is for Heroes outnumbered my previous bestseller, On Thin Ice, 3 to 1. You can read about my results here.  Since the only thing I did differently to showcase Heaven is for Heroes was a $5 paid ad on Facebook, I’m betting that the new cover had something to do with the increased numbers. My results tell me two things. Facebook ads do work, and cover art matters. Either way, I took the hint and had a new cover made for Savage Cinderella. **Incidentally, I did see a small bump in sales this week after my FREE days, so IMO it’s still worth hopping on the KDP Select gravy train if you’re looking for a boost in sales and visibility.

Although I’d had lots of feedback from friends and fellow writers who liked the original cover, the black and white just didn’t stand out on the thumbnail version. The title and author name didn’t “pop,” and the image didn’t really give a clear impression of the genre or the story, at least not when competing against the cream of the crop with their photoshopped masterpieces.

One of the benefits of independent publishing is that we can easily adapt and change with the market. Young adult cover art has evolved over the past year or two, leaning toward “darker” images, bolder colors, haunted faces with intense expressions, and beautiful young men and women looking tormented but relatable on the covers. The tone of a book should be clearly expressed through the cover art, and there should be some hint as to what the story will entail via the title fonts, tone, and cover image. I’m hoping that my new cover does all of those things, perhaps even tapping into a new readership who previously may have overlooked the other cover simply because it didn’t stand out enough or they didn’t “get” a feel for the book.

There’s no doubt that I’ll run across those who would rather not see a face on the cover, preferring the character’s features be left to the imagination, but the idea is to make an impression–to grab a browsing reader and make them look twice. If you’ve read the book you’ll probably understand why this image is so powerful. If you haven’t read the book, you can find it on Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords, or you can read a chapter a week for FREE on Wattpad.

As always, I’d love your feedback.

This cover is the work of Melody Simmons, who also did my Heaven is for Heroes and Waning Moon covers. She is super easy to work with and reasonably priced, not to mention, fast. She had this cover and my HIFH cover back to me in a day or two, offering me several options from which to choose, and working with my suggestions to get to the look I wanted.

I hope you’re looking forward to 2013 as much as I am. I have a feeling it’s going to be a stellar year for the Scribes and we’d love for you all to share the journey with us.

Blessings of good health, peace, prosperity, balance, and harmony to all,

PJ

Do you have any exciting plans for the coming year? What do you think about trends in cover art? Too many faces on YA covers, or do you like to see those smoldering and deperate looks?

 

#26Acts of Kindness

Hey, all, Suze here. I hope your holiday season, no matter what or how you celebrate, is full of joy, hope, and love this year.

Have you heard about #26Acts of Kindness? It’s a movement started by Ann Curry (@AnnCurry) (click here to read more) as a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. I can’t think of a better way to honor these children and heroines than by spreading kindness in small increments throughout the world, not just during the holidays but every day.

Please, pay it forward and pass it on. The world is already a better place. And feel free to tell us about your Kind Acts in the Comments section. It’s not bragging–it’s inspiring!

I’ll leave you with a quick recipe to counteract all the rich food and sweet-sweet-yummies you’ve probably been eating since Thanksgiving: Simple Vegetable Soup. Why not make a double batch and take some to a neighbor, and have a nice visit while you’re there?

SIMPLE VEGETABLE SOUP

Wash and chop up an onion, a couple of carrots, a couple of stalks of celery, and crush a couple of cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute all in a saucepan over medium heat until the vegetables are fragrant (do not brown). Add a medium sized can of crushed tomatoes and a small can of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth (for a vegan version), and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning (less if you don’t want it too spicy). Simmer over low-medium heat for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Serve in a big bowl with some parmesan cheese (fresh grated, if possible; vegans, obviously omit). Enjoy!

 

 

 

Let’s Cozy Up

Hey, everybody! Suze here, writing to you on a beautiful fall day. Hope you’re enjoying it!

When people ask me what kind of stories I write, I tell them cozy mysteries. (I have a needs-revision contemporary romance too, and a long-way-down-the-road literary novel or two I’d like to tackle, but the mysteries are what I’m focusing on now). More often than not, I get a blank stare in return, followed by: “What’s a cozy mystery?” So today, I thought I’d try to solve that puzzle for you. I’m pretty sure you already know a cozy when you see one, but you just didn’t have a name for it. Remember Murder She Wrote? How about Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple? And of course, Nancy Drew.

There is no one definition or set of rules for this mystery subgenre, but here’s my take:

• The heroine (and it’s nearly always a heroine, not a hero) is an amateur who, for whatever reason (bad luck, nosiness) gets involved in a crime. This means she’s not a private detective or working in law enforcement. If she gets paid to find a killer, it’s not a cozy.
• The heroine is single, usually childless or with children grown and out of the nest, at least at the beginning of the series. There are exceptions (Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Bear Schultz books come to mind), but in general the heroine starts out on her own.
• The heroine has some interesting occupation that the reader can either identify with or learn more about. Goldy Schultz is a caterer. Lucy Burdette’s Hayley Snow is a food critic. Rosemary Harris’s Paula Holliday is a gardener. Sheila Connolly’s Meg Corey owns a New England apple orchard. Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen owns a cookie shop. There are series about tea shops, knitting/yarn stores, cheese sellers, soapmakers, writers — the list goes on and on. There are also some paranormal variations. Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books started out cozy-like. Heather Blake’s Wishcraft series is about a witch.
• The stories are often accompanied by recipes or craft patterns/instructions.
• Setting is extremely important. Cozies are always set in small towns, and as a series develops over time, the reader feels as though they know the village and its inhabitants intimately. You might not want to actually move there, since as an outsider your chances of getting bumped off are pretty good.
• Close to the beginning of the book, a murder occurs, either of a townsperson, or a stranger.
• The murder happens off-stage. This is crucial. In a cozy we do not see the murder happen. Our sleuth can, and often does, find the body, but that body is already dead (or dying, but in any event it is too late). There can be some on-camera violence, but it is not graphic (no heads exploding in a shower of bone and blood), and it’s usually done in self-defense.
• Likewise, sex happens off-stage. People do it in cozies all the time — we just don’t get to, um, experience it.
• There is often a love interest, but the relationship develops over the course of several books and may never actually end in marriage or an HEA. (Big difference here, between romances and mysteries)
• As for the mystery itself, there are several suspects, each of whom has a credible motive for wanting the victim dead. It’s up to the sleuth, and the reader, to figure out whodunnit.

What about you? Do you like cozies? What’s your favorite series, either on television or in books? Know of an occupation or hobby that would make a good cozy?

Murder Comes to the Scribes — Interview with Mystery Author Lucy Burdette

Hey, all! Suze here. Today I’m thrilled to have mystery author Lucy Burdette visting us. Her new series is the Key West Food Critic Mysteries, and Book 2, Death in Four Courses, just released. I’ve read it, and I love it! Take it away, Lucy.

You write wonderful cozy mysteries, Lucy. How would you define a cozy, and why do you think people love them so much?

Thanks so much for those kind words. Cozies are traditional mysteries that avoid graphic description of violence and sex. They often take place in a small town and introduce the reader into the protagonist’s world, including a group of friends and family.

The real world is such a scary place these days! I think readers like the idea of the good guys winning and the bad guys getting what they deserve, as always happens with a cozy mystery. And they like strong women who use their smarts to solve puzzles and problems. And food–food and cooking are very big right now and I’m delighted to be part of that trend!

Your latest book is DEATH IN FOUR COURSES, book 2 in the Key West Food Critic Mysteries. Tell us a bit about it.

Food critic Hayley Snow has the biggest assignment of her short career–covering the food writers who are attending the Key West Loves Literature conference. Unfortunately her assignment gets complicated when she finds the keynote speaker floating in a dipping pool at the opening night reception. And to top that off, she’s made the mistake of inviting her mother down for the weekend, which adds another layer of pressure. This is the second book in the Key West food critic series, after AN APPETITE FOR MURDER.

How do you go about developing a new series? What kind of  research is involved? (Sign me up for some of that Key West on-location  research, will you?) Does the sleuth or the setting come first?

Usually character comes first. When thinking about Hayley, I wanted to develop a protagonist who was a little lost, a newcomer to Key West, yearning to make a mark as a foodie writer. Some reviewers find her a little naive and dizzy–I think that gives her plenty of room to grow over the course of the series… With DEATH IN FOUR COURSES, I was delighted to learn that the REAL Key West Literary Seminar was focusing on food writing just as I was planning the book. So research involved attending the sessions, eating great meals, and tooling around Key West to come up with plot tangents and setting. I must admit that I’m astonishingly lucky to be able to combine my passions for food, writing, and Key West!

Do you have any pets?

Always! Right now my faithful writing companions are Yoda the cat, and Tonka the Australian shepherd. They stick with me through every word and adventure.

When you set out to write a mystery, do you know whodunnit and why at the outset? Or does that only become clear to you once your cast of characters is complete?

I like to try to start knowing whodunnit, but also who else might have done it. It helps me write the book to give several characters important secrets that they might kill to keep from revealing. Often about halfway through the book, I’ll stop and write the ending. This gives me something to point to during the development of that murky middle.

Who are your literary inspirations, and why?

I read all kinds of books as a kid, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy boys, Cherry Ames, and the Bobbsey twins mysteries. I still love to read mysteries such as Diane Mott Davidson’s culinary series, Julia Spencer-Fleming’s wonderful series featuring an Episcopalian priest and a small town police chief. I’m also reading lots of food memoirs like Frank Bruni’s BORN ROUND and Kim Severson’s SPOON FED. And women’s fiction too, especially if there’s food in it:)

Thanks so much for inviting me to visit! DEATH IN FOUR COURSES is available wherever books are sold:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-in-four-courses-lucy-burdette/1110865391?ean=9780451237835
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Four-Courses-Critic-Mystery/dp/0451237838/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348146179&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+four+courses
Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451237835
You can learn more by following Lucy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lucyburdette
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lucyburdette
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/robertaisleib
Lucy’s website: www.facebook.com/lucyburdette
Lucy’s blogs:  www.jungleredwriters.com www.mysteryloverskitchen.com

Thanks for visiting today. Readers, any questions for Lucy?

Hopping with Authors in Bloom

Hey gang, PJ Sharon here on this second Tuesday in April. I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday weekend with lots of good food and time with family. After such a “hoppy” weekend, it seems only reasonable to suggest that April is the best time of year for a spring blog hop. For those of you who have only heard the term Blog Hop, and have wondered, ummm…what the heck is a blog hop? Well, I’m here to fill you in.

A blog hop is a way for many authors to join together to cross promote. Some dedicated and organized soul (thank you Dianne Venetta), sets up the main landing page with all of the instructions, rules, and links to all of the participating author’s blogs/websites. There is usually a grand prize, (Kindles, Nooks, and I-pads are popular), with a set of rules as to how to enter for the grand prize. For instance, the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop requires that entrants go to each of the participating author’s sites and “collect” phrases that add up to a complete story. If they collect all the phrases and go to the AIB landing page they can enter to win the grand prize.

Of course, as they stop at each participating site, they can also enter to win prizes from each author as well. I added this Authors in Bloom icon to my home page of my website with a link to my promotional blog where I’m giving away a prize pack that includes signed copies of my books, tee shirt, mug, pen, book marks, World Wildlife Fund water bottle, national Wildlife Fund tote and stuffed polar bear. In other words, SWAG. Since we are trying to draw in the largest crowd of our target audience, who are mostly Romance readers and adult YA readers, we added a favorite recipe (a yummy and super easy Sunny Delight pie) and/or a gardening tip (Manure tea, anyone?) for all of our readers.  As a way to increase my visibility and reach, I gave lots of opportunities to stack up entries by leaving a comment, “liking’ my FaceBook page, following me on Twitter, tweeting about the blog hop, or signing up for my mailing list. For each effort, I add another entry into the drawing for that person. Isn’t it great how everybody wins here?

The general idea is to give folks incentive for visiting each authors site. There are seventy-four authors participating for a ten day blog hop, so there are literally hundreds of prizes to be won and tons of wonderful recipes and gardening tips to be had. There’s lots of interactive fun and  a blog hop is a great way to connect to readers.

The cost to each author was $5.50 which we voluntarily pitched in to buy an e-reader. The winner will have a choice of which type they’d like. The grand prize also comes with a $25 Amazon gift card.

The idea is to get people to visit your website or blog, help you grow your reader base and spread the word via FB, Twitter, or signing up for your mailing list. I’ve hear that increasing your visibility and extending your sphere of influence are the keys to a good marketing plan and this way, you have a whole team of authors working on it together. EVERYBODY WINS! I’m excited to see what the results will be! I’ll keep you posted.

Any questions about Blog Hops?

Interview with Bestselling Author, Jill Marie Landis

Aloha! Katy Lee Here. Today New York Times Bestselling author, Jill Marie Landis is visiting the Scribes from Hawaii! Waa-hoo! Jill has a new book out, Heart of Glass. She will also be giving away a free copy to one commenter. Heart of Glass OR another of her books, Mai Tai One On, the winner’s choice. So sit back, readers, and listen to Jill’s wise words of wisdom from the islands!

Being a fan of your secular books and your inspirationals, can you tell us what made you decide to to write both? 

Western historical romances, which have all but vanished from the secular market are very strong as inspirationals. My first love was writing western historical romances and I also enjoyed reading inspirational fiction so what appeals to me most about writing for the inspirational market is the fact that I can write about people of faith, people who are searching to find themselves, lasting love, and something to believe in. These were the people who built the west, the people of the prairies and plains; the folks who went west with their families and their strong faith to build this nation. Writing novels with western/Americana/historical settings that would be “PG” so to speak, stories with sexual tension without love scenes, also appealed to me.

My first inspirationals were two novels set in 1875 in the fictional town of Glory, Texas, written for Steeple Hill Women’s Fiction Single Title. HOMECOMING is still #3 on their Amazon Kindle list right now. I recently wrote three books for Zondervan, another inspirational publisher. The Irish Angel Series includes characters introduced in Glory,Texas and they are also set in Texas as well as Louisiana in the late 1870’s.  

I’ve always believed that good writers can write anything as long as they are inspired by and excited about the subject, genre, or characters. I’m thrilled that readers who enjoyed my early books have also enjoyed the inspirationals and vice versa.

How do you battle the doubt monster?  We define the Doubt Monster as: the nagging feeling while writing that your prose is terrible, you plot is silly, your characters are insipid and no-one in their right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

Just keep typing! There are days I experience all of doubts listed above, so what I do is just keep typing. I think it’s easier to fix something bad than to stare at a blank screen and get more tied up in angst.

Some days I sit down and make myself write with the promise that I’ll “fix it later.” What usually happens is that in the sheer act of writing something…anything…is that soon I’m so involved in the story and characters again that the doubt fades away. I think at some point in every book an author has doubts. Just keep typing! If you are published, look at some of your published works and remind yourself you’ve done this before and you can do it again and again.

Have you thought about writing something that is completely different for you?  Perhaps writing in a new genre or just taking a story someplace that you haven’t done before.

All the time. I’m always coming up with far out ideas and want to try new things but I’ve usually got a book or two under contract and have to stick to the task. I branched out from Historical Romances after writing 17 of them. I wrote 3 contemporary hard covers for Ballantine: Lover’s Lane, Heat Wave and Heartbreak Hotel. I’ve written five inspirational romances.

Most recently I’ve been working on The Tiki Goddess Mysteries, a cozy comedic series set on Kauai which started with Book 1: Mai Tai One On. I have a couple of ideas banging around in my head for something totally different, but time is the obstacle that keeps me from starting. I often wish I could write one book with my left hand and another with my right.

What story haven’t you told yet that you want to tell?  What is holding you back?

I haven’t told what I’m calling my secret project yet. I can’t say what it is because I’m convinced it’s a killer idea and therefore must remain secret. Someone who writes faster than me could have it finished in three weeks. I need to finish my books under contract first…or maybe just work on the secret project on the weekends or something.

What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

If I wasn’t writing anymore I would be painting fun, funky tropical tiki art. I have always wanted to take lessons in how to mix paint colors and find out how to use light in foreground or background in landscapes. Right now I just paint by the seat of my pants but I enjoy it when I can spare the time. If I wasn’t a full time writer I’d also devote more time to hula.

They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half of a novel shoved in a drawer somewhere.  What is yours?  What is it about?  What makes it terrible?  Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

Funny you should mention that. Mine is more than a half done. It’s all finished and it’s 26 years old! When I was on the mainland at Christmas I found my first novel in a box in my office there. It received about 16 rejections (good enough rejections to keep me writing). Eventually it sold to a romance publisher who then went bankrupt right before the book was to come out! I brought it back to Kauai this year with the intention of editing it and getting it ready for the market. I thought maybe I could publish it for the “first time ever in print” as an e-book if nothing else.

After working on it a few days I decided that there’s a reason this book is still “in a box under the bed.” It would require a total revamping to be up to my standards and reader expectation now. The Point of View is all over the map and I really can’t stand the heroine. So I’ve put it back in a box and might even take it up to the dump rather than store it any longer. I learned a lot writing the book so it was well worth the effort. Even better, I actually got to keep the advance the publisher paid me before they went belly up. It was a blessing this book never saw the light of day. Things always work out for the best eventually.

How do you come up with your shtick?   By shtick I mean your voice. That thing that identifies the story as belonging to only you. 

I don’t think writers can actually “come up with a voice.” I believe that’s what’s in them to begin with. Just as singers have different, recognizable sounds and hit notes that resonate with audiences, writers have very distinct voices. It may take a while for a writer to trust her own voice. A mistake a new writer makes is trying to write like someone else, hoping that’s the key to selling. A voice is a voice. I’ve always written character driven stories and try to hit on the emotional situations that people relate to and make the characters come alive no matter the time period or genre.

What is your junk food of choice?

Only ONE?? It’s a toss up between Cheeze Its, Cheetos, brownies, ice cream, or Jack in the Box tacos.

Tell us about your book!

My latest release is HEART OF GLASS from Zondervan, which will be available after March 20. Right now they are running a special for e-book downloads for $2.99. This is the third book of the Irish Angels Series. It’s an inspirational historical romance set in Louisiana in 1876, ten years after the Civil War. It has a Beauty and the Beast theme and of the three books in the series it’s my favorite.

             “In her third Irish Angel book, Landis brings readers an amazing love story that even the Civil War can’t destroy. Her characters are bigger than life, and there is always a little something extra in all her books that keeps her readers turning the pages.”    RT Bookclub

Read an excerpt of HEART OF GLASS at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/81943573/Heart-of-Glass-A-Novel-by-Jill-Marie-Landis

JILLMARIE LANDIS’S twenty+ novels have earned distinguished awards and slots on such national bestseller lists as the USATODAY Top 50 and the New York Times Best Sellers Plus. She is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award in Single Title Historical and Contemporary Romance as well as a Golden Heart and RITA Award winner.

Jill Marie resides in Hawaii with her husband. When she’s not writing or sitting on the beach reading, she enjoys visiting with family and friends, raising orchids, working in her garden, occasionally quilting, plunking on the ukulele but mostly dancing the hula. Her recent releases are HEART OF LIES (2011) and HEART OF GLASS (March 2012) from Zondervan and MAI TAI ONE ON (2011), the first of a series of hilarious Tiki Goddess Mysteries set in Hawaii from Belle Books.

Right now I’m working on Book 2 of the Tiki Goddess Mysteries. The working title is TWO TO MANGO. Once again, the heroine and manager of the Tiki Goddess Bar on Kauai must band together with a quirky dance troupe of over-the-hill Hula Maidens, encourage them to enter a dance competition, and help their favorite fire-dancing-detective discover who is killing off members of a famous hula school. Note: Try the tempting tropical drink recipes included at your own risk.

I’m on two facebook pages at Jill Marie Landis and also The Tiki Goddess.

Also:  www.jillmarielandis.com  and www.thetikigoddess.com

Thanks so much Katy!   

Thank you Jill!

Readers: Remember to leave a comment for Jill by 3/12/12 @12noon EST. And then check back next Sunday to see who is the lucky winner! And FYI, Heart of Glass is available on ebook for preorder at a super good price of $2.99!!! http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Glass-Novel-Series-ebook/dp/B005MQVHIQ/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331469231&sr=8-3-spell

My New Love Affair . . . With Evernote

Howdly Doodly, Scriberinos. Suze here. Today, because you’re all close friends and I know I can trust you, I want to tell you a Secret. Don’t spread this around, but I’ve been having an affair. A cyberaffair. I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it!

Kiss me, you fool!

My new amour is . . . a computer program called Evernote. (Click here to meet my honey). Maybe that sounds like the premise for a science fiction novel, but I assure you it’s very real.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes out there. Suze, you say, Evernote’s been around for a while, as has the Microsoft version, Onenote.  I’ll grant you that. But I didn’t know about it, so it didn’t exist for me, okay?

So what’s Evernote?  It’s a free, very user-friendly program that enables you to organize any project in a coherent, completely portable way.  (There is a paid, upgraded version of Evernote, but for now the free version is working fine for me).  I believe Onenote works basically the same way, but it costs money.  For each project you create a new Notebook, give it a name, and then create Notes within the Notebook.  Here’s an example of how I am using this to organize a future writing project:

I have an idea for a paranormal spoof on a classic novel.  I know I’m not going to get to this project for a few months, but now I have a place to store ideas as they come to me or as I find interesting articles on the web that I think might be useful.  I created a Notebook with the working title of the novel.  Within that Notebook I made a Note where I simply brainstormed ideas.  I made another Note with the Sparknotes (www.sparknotes.com) for the classic novel I plan to spoof.  ‘Cuz, I might not have time to reread the whole book, you understand. I made another Note with the entire text of the classic novel, which is in the public domain and therefore fair game, obtained from Project Gutenberg (www.projectgutenberg.com).  See how this works?  Everything, all in one place. No sticky notes.  No incomprehensible scribblings on the back of a junk mail envelope or the back of my hand.  No headslaps because I’ve forgotten a fabulous idea.  When this novel makes its way to the front of my To-Be-Written queue, I will be ready.

Evernote can work for basically any project.  Are you redecorating your living room?  You can make a Notebook and put all your ideas and a to-buy list in that.  Need a place to organize your recipes?  That could work too.  There’s a cool web clipper that allows you to cut and paste web pages into your Notebooks — no more printing stuff off and sticking it into a to-be-filed pile (or in my case, a never-to-be-filed pile!)

And guess what?  Evernote is accessible from any computer with an internet connection, anywhere. It can synch up with your smart phone, so you can use your phone to take pictures to add to your Notebooks.  I think you can even make audio notes to yourself.  The best part (other than it’s free)?  No backup required, because the information is stored, not on your computer, but out in Cyberia somewhere.  So unless we don’t make it past 12/21/12 in which case you won’t care anyway, you will never lose your hard work.

Trust me when I say I’m no tech goddess.  Up until a year or so ago I could use a computer for basic word processing and web surfing.  I had only a very basic cell phone, and could barely use a digital camera.  I made a conscious decision to get more up to speed with technology, and my skills have grown exponentially since then.  Oh, it still scares me a little.  That scene from Poltergeist where the kid gets sucked into the portal and ends up in the television always lurks in the back of my mind.  And I do still carry a small spiralbound notebook and a pen around with me for those nostalgic, lazy moments.  Just as ebooks will never completely replace physical books for me, Evernote can’t serve all my needs.  But it’s doing a pretty good job, just the same.

What about you?  How do you feel about technology?  What can’t you live without?  How do you use it in your personal and professional lives?  Has it made your existence better … or worse? (How many questions can I pose in one blog?)  Have a fabulous Thursday, everyone!

A Sure Thing and a Church Window Recipe

Hello, Katy Lee here for the Scribes’ Sweet Tooth week. Tis the season to be covered in flour and chocolate as I stand among the tastiest holiday treats from my generations past. My kitchen has been turned into a cookie factory made from my too-numerous-to-count recipe cards that I really should rewrite sometime. However, there is just something about an old, yellowed index card with batter stains dripped on it from previous years that tells me Christmas is here.

My gift to you today is my tasty and colorful Church Window recipe, so stay tuned for that. They not only taste yummy, but they brighten up your plate and stand out from all those tan and brown cookies. But before I pass it along, and as yummy and colorful as they are, I have to admit there is something to be said for those tan and brown cookies.

They are a sure thing.                                   

My favorite cookie of all time is the basic homemade chocolate chip. You can’t go wrong, and when you are trying to be “good” by only taking two cookies from the table of assorted treats, you know you’ll be happy with your choice.

I like to equate a chocolate chip cookie to a favorite author. Time is limited. Money is limited. You have to be selective in your purchase, and at the bookstore with so many books to choose from, I still will grab a book by an author I know and trust. They’re the sure thing…just like that light and crispy, warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie.

The chocolate chip cookie has been branded in our minds, homes and culture since 1930 when the owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts ran out of baker’s chocolate and substituted broken up pieces of a Nestle bar. She created a mixture all her own, and voilà, the brand was set.

Creating your author brand occurs in the same fashion. Your writing is made up of a style and ingredients all your own. A style you will come to be known by. I can understand why many who want to mix their writing up by trying something new take on a separate pen name to do so. They understand a buyer is expecting something specific when they pick up one of their books. If the buyer is looking for X, Y & Z and you give them A, B, & C, you may risk losing them on your future books. Being let down by your favorite author is like biting into a chocolate chip cookie and getting a marshmallow. And speaking of marshmallows, here’s that recipe I promised you.

Church Window Cookies

Melt I stick of butter/margarine and a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler

Once melted, remove from heat and add colored marshmallows and chopped walnuts. Mix up until chocolate covers everything.

 

On your counter have ready aluminum foil with coconut sprinkled in the middle. Pour marshmallows onto the coconut and form into a log. Roll to spread coconut evenly around whole log.

Wrap log up in foil and freeze. When it hardens, unroll foil and slice into ½ inch cookies.

The Unlocked Secret: Make a bunch to keep in the freezer for when you need to make a dessert for a bake sale or an impromptu visitor. People will wonder where you find the time to write such fabulous stories and make such amazing cookies!

Question: What authors and cookies are your sure things?