Mystery We Write Blog Tour presents Jean Henry Mead

           I’ve known Jean Henry Mead online for a few years. We’ve posted back and forth on each other’s blogs, interviewed each other, and reviewed each other’s books. I’m delighted to have her as my guest for Week 8 of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour. 

           Jean Henry Mead is a mystery/suspense and western historical novelist. She's also an award-winning photojournalist. One of her fortes is interviewing writers, actors, politicians, artists and ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. She began her writing career as a California news reporter/editor/photographer, first in Central California and later in San Diego. Mead transferred to Casper, Wyoming, to serve as a staff writer for the statewide newspaper. While there she served as editor of In Wyoming Magazine and two small presses. She freelanced for other publications, both domestically and abroad, among them the Denver Post's Empire Magazine. Her first book was published in 1982. She's since published fourteen novels and nonfiction books.

                 Since changes have been made with Jean's novel that was to be highlighted, I've had to change the information covered this week. We'll look at Mystery of Spider Mountain, a mystery for young readers.

Mystery of Spider Mountain

       A huge hill in southern California is called "Spider Mountain" by the Hamilton Kids who live at its foot. The mountain is inhabited by trapdoor spiders and all manner of creepy, crawling creatures, including tarantulas, who arrive at the harbors in banana boats from Central America. At the mountain's summit is a house surrounded by a wrought iron fence, which encloses four vicious dogs with jaws large enough to swallow a child.

        Jaime 13, Sam 11, and Danny 9, wonder who could possibly live there and climb the hill to investigate. What they find scares them enough to scramble back down the hill, their lives changed forever.

        Mystery of Spider Mountain is available on Kindle. The print edition will be released September 2011.

Visit Jean at her website: http://www.jeanhenrymead.com/

And her blog sites:
Mysterious Writers: http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/
Writers of the West: http://writersofthewest.blogspot.com/
Murderous Musings: http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/
Make Mine Mystery  http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/

Mystery We Write Blog Tour presents Marja McGraw

          Today we celebrate the USA's  "birthday" and another stop on the Mystery We Write Blog Tour week 7. This week's guest is Marja McGraw, and I asked her to give us some background on her books and herself. I’m delighted to present Marja in her own words.

I was born and raised in Southern California, in the good old days before freeways and crowds. My family dates back to the earlier part of the 1800s, so between family history and stories, I’m quite familiar with Los Angeles. It was a great place to grow up. Mud pies, playing cards clothes-pinned to our bicycle wheels and walks to the local park were all part of an average day. You pulled up to a refrigerator at a local dairy, retrieved your milk and left the money in a cash register. No one was there to make sure you were honest. And in the process kids got to see the newest calf.

Trips to downtown Los Angeles to the May Company or Bullock’s were rare, but fun. My grandparents would take me to the Pig ‘n Whistle for lunch. Those were the days.

I worked in law enforcement in downtown Los Angeles for several years, and in various other offices such as West Covina and Pomona. While working for the County Marshal’s Office, I was a Deputy Clerk. Basically, that’s clerical. However, when I started out there were no female deputies. When a female was needed, we were called upon to do whatever was necessary. I searched the Ladies’ Restroom once for a bomb – without any training. My life was threatened because someone didn’t get the job they wanted when I worked in Personnel. Nowadays, that would be Human Resources. It was a different world, and it sure provided some interesting experiences. I also worked as a legal secretary, and for a sheriff’s office in Oregon.

I write two series, the Sandi Webster Mysteries and the Bogey Man Mysteries. They both take place in Southern California, where I grew up. I chose this location because it’s grown so much that a person can easily lose themselves in the crowds. All of these experiences, and living in Los Angeles County, gave me the inspiration for stories and characters. Since I enjoy humor, the stories are lighter with some humor.

As a matter of fact, in A Well-Kept Family Secret, Sandi Webster’s menopausal mother asks Sandi to solve a hundred-year-old murder involving a family member accused of the crime. How can Sandi, a thirtyish female P.I., turn down a woman whose moods are all over the charts? Yes, I’ve given both Sandi and her mother a very small part of my own family history. However, there are no murders in our past.

Eventually I relocated to Northern Nevada, then Oregon, Alaska and back to Nevada. While in Alaska I worked for a contractor whose son owned a half wolf/half Golden retriever dog. This was one of the smartest, funniest dogs I’ve ever been around. He was huge, and very protective of me. I knew that I had to add this canine to my stories, and in Bubba’s Ghost, Bubba came to life. He had a smile that made people think he was baring his teeth at them. You can see him smiling on my website, on the Book Page. Bubba thinks there’s a ghost in the attic, and across the county a young widowed mother is fighting her own ghost in the form of a menacing bum. Sandi is called on to do her P.I. thing.

            At one time I worked in a Senior Center in Nevada and had a great time getting to know the seniors. I also wrote a weekly column dedicated to seniors for about a year. My own relatives were long-lived, so I have a pretty good background with older people. As a matter of fact, they inspired Prudy’s Back! which is about a woman who was a P.I. during the 1940s. She’s the next door neighbor of Sandi’s mother, who now lives in Arizona (as do I), and she wants Sandi to solve the crime that she could never get a handle on. Prudy is an interesting character who wears a shedding vintage fur coat, cowgirl boots, and she carries a long black cigarette holder. The crime took place in Los Angeles during the World War II.

This all takes us to The Bogey Man, about Chris Cross who happens to be a dead ringer for Humphrey Bogart. Long story, but he wanted to be a P.I. like Bogey was in his movies. He ended up hooking up with Sandi Webster, who showed him that the private eye business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and they become involved in a murder that’s committed at a costume party. The guests run the gamut, from agents to actors and models.

The Bogey Man proved to be so popular, that I began a spinoff series involving Chris, his wife, Pamela, stepson Mikey, and two yellow Labrador retrievers, Sherlock and Watson. Bogey Nights was just released in March, 2011, and it involves an old house and a body buried in the basement since 1942. You might enjoy Chris’s version of how the old P.I.’s spoke and acted.

So there’s a little bit about me and my books. I hope you’ve enjoyed the walk I’ve taken here and that you’ll take a look at Sandi Webster and Chris Cross. They’re really a lot of fun.

Vivian, thank you for letting me talk a bit about myself and my books. The look back was a good one.

Website:          http://www.marjamcgraw.com/

Blog:                http://blog.marjamcgraw.com/

             Thank you, Marja, for allowing us to know more about you and your books.

Next week I will host Jean Henry Mead.

This week I'm the guest on Mary Martinez' blog.

Mystery We Write Blog Tour presents Jackie King

 

      My friend and co-member of OWFI, Jackie King loves books, words, and writing tall tales. She especially enjoys murdering the people she dislikes on paper. Jackie is a full time writer who sometimes teaches writing at Tulsa Community College. Her latest novel, THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE is a traditional mystery. She has also written five novellas as co-author of the Foxy Hens Series. Warm Love on Cold Streets is her latest novella and is included in the anthology THE FOXY HENS MEET A ROMANTIC ADVENTURER. Her only nonfiction book is DEVOTED TO COOKING. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Oklahoma Writers Federation, and Tulsa Night Writers.

Now for your enjoyment: Vivian Zabel Interviews Jackie King

VZ: How did/does your history and home background affect your writing?

JK: Writers waste nothing…when bad things happen to us; our pain becomes grist for our story mill. We do the same with joyful events. Grace Cassidy, my protagonist in THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE, has been discarded by an egocentric husband. I gave her my own emotions and reactions that I had experienced when I unexpectedly found myself single in my late forties.

          My first novella, FLIRTING AT FIFTY, (found in CHIK~LIT FOR FOXY HENS anthology) is a true accounting of my divorce-recovery. I gave my story a funny twist, even though the divorce was not funny. The only fiction is the hunk who fixed the roof. (I had someone who was supposed to fix my roof, but he was overweight and surly, and didn’t even properly repair the roof.)

VZ: Authors are often asked when they started writing or what triggered their interest in writing. I like to know that, also, but I would especially like to know what keeps you writing.                  

JK: When I was in college (back in the Dark Ages), I majored in journalism. I left school to marry at a very young age (18), had three children, worked in the corporate world, and took care of aging parents (both mine and my then-husband’s). About the time I thought my life was going to smooth out responsibility-wise, my husband told me he was moving out of our home. At that time I asked myself, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer had never changed. I wanted to write!

VZ: What is your most recent book, and what inspired you to write it?

JK: THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE, published by Deadly Niche Press, is a full-length, mystery. Available both on Kindle or Nook, $2.99 and in trade paperback, $15.95. Free chapter downloads and reader reviews (all 5-star) are available at Amazon.com.

          The opening scene flashed through my mind while I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Northern California. That scene became the opening paragraph of my book:

          “Grace Cassidy stared at the stranger’s body. He was about sixty, pot-bellied, naked, and very dead. She knew he was dead because his skin was the color of concrete. Worst of all, he was lying smack dab in the middle of her bed.”

VZ: How did you manage to come up with the idea for your novel?

JK: My writer’s mind (and, in my opinion, most writer’s minds) seems to be a bit like an old fashioned sink. Everything flows through it. I play “what if” with these thoughts.

              “What if I had found a dead body on my bed?”

              “What if he were naked?”

              “What if his clothes couldn’t be found…anywhere?”

              “What if the police thought that I had killed him?”
        “What if I were stranded here, in this strange place, with no friends, no money and no resources?” And on and on. I had to answer these questions to satisfy my own curiosity, so I wrote THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE.

VZ: Do you have a particular writing process or technique that you use, if so, what?

JK: How I wish I did! But Alas, I sort of muddle through, talking to my characters as I go. (Note to other writers: I do NOT recommend this method.) What I do recommend is that a writer shows up for work at regular times (just as if you worked at Wal-Mart), sits down at the computer (or notebook) and writes.

VZ: How do you feel when you complete a book?

JK: Oh, dear. Being somewhat neurotic, I have a mixture of feelings. I’m relieved that the work finished, BUT I struggle with an uncomfortable, niggling feeling that I’ve missed something important and will see the error (or errors) as soon as the book is published.

VZ: What are your writing achievements and goals?

JK: I’ve won a couple of prizes on my novellas, but my greatest achievement has been the feedback from readers of THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE. There’s no honor like that of knowing that someone enjoyed reading your book!

         My goal is to write the best stories that I’m capable of, and to entertain readers.

VZ: Does writing help better you as a person? How?

JK: I’m not sure if writing makes me a better person, I only know that when I write, I’m a much happier person.

VZ: What advice would you have for a new author?

JK: Never let anyone discourage you! Write every day and submit what you write.

          I’d like to thank Vivian for inviting me to be a guest blogger on BRAIN CELLS AND BUBBLE WRAP. Don’t you just love that title?

          I’d love to have readers ‘friend’ me on Facebook. I’m listed as Jacqueline King

Website: www.jacqking.com

Blog: Cozy Mysteries and Other Madness can be found at  http://bnbmysteries.blogspot.com

THE INCONVENIENT CORPSE

Published by Deadly Niche Press

ISBN: 978-0-937660-53-9

          Thank you, Jackie, for visiting with us today. 

Jean Henry Mead hosts me this week on Mysterious Writers. Please stop by.

Next week Mary Martinez will be my guest.

Mystery We Write Blog Tour presents Sharon Ervin

 As we visit Sharon Ervin on this stop of the Mystery We Write Blog Tour, let's get comfortable. I'll first give a bit of information about this amazing woman and then present the article she wrote for us to share.

About Sharon Ervin

        Sooner born, Sharon has a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. Once a newspaper reporter, Sharon now works in her husband and son’s law office half-days, gleaning material for her nine published novels. She is married to McAlester, Oklahoma attorney Bill Ervin and has four grown children.

         I’m happy to say I know Sharon. We’re both members of OWFI (Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc.). In fact, we were at the same conference the first weekend of May, and I got close enough to wave at her across the room, a large room: That’s how busy the conference was. Most of us ran from one session or activity to another.

         Sharon wrote an article for us about, well, with or without?

WITH OR WITHOUT?

I write steamy scenes sometimes.

I do not care for characters who hop in and out of beds like fleas changing dogs. Just as I don’t care for promiscuous sex, I also dislike gratuitous violence, obscene language, etc.

However, characters evolve and I allow them to do so, usually. 

Most children have favorite stories. They want the same story read over and over again. As we mature, our tastes change. We want the characters to have different names and the stories to be set in less familiar places, but basically we still want the same story over and over again: “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White,” “Beauty and the Beast.” Oh, yes, we do.  

Years ago, Silhouette identified and capitalized on women readers’ preferences and came up with formulas for familiar plots that worked. The company led the charge in the publication of romance novels. Eventually, even publishers who demeaned romance novels were amazed by the bottom line––profit––and developed romance imprints of their own. Formulas––guidelines––were strictly adhered to: no subplots allowed, few supporting characters, no mixing of genres. People, specifically women, read romance to escape humdrum at home, in the office, train commutes, whatever ruts they occupied. The stories were not intended to provoke thought. The language was uncomplicated, like listening to a favorite song again and again.

Romance was defined. It was a love story between two people. After reading a dozen or so, I wanted more than those early books offered. I like romance, but I like it with some suspense, twists, surprises, sex, humor, God, fantasy. My personal taste runs to mysteries with a little romance, mixing the genres. It’s what I read most, what I write, what I like on TV, and in the movies.

Dorothy Sayers, lauded by some as the greatest mystery writer of the 20th Century, described her last novel, BUSMAN’S HONEYMOON, as “A Love Story with Detective Interruptions.” She is my inspiration. Her love scenes are benign. 

Years ago movies that would be rated PG-13 today, had “Treetop scenes.” Sex scenes sent the cameras to the treetops, and the audience was left to imagine what came next. In my opinion, some movies today might be improved by cameras cutting to treetops.

If romance develops between two characters in a manuscript I’m writing, that’s great. In BODACIOUS, my best seller on Amazon’s Kindle, the characters carried me along like a lazy river at a water park. I wasn’t embarrassed or ill-at-ease because the evolution of their relationship felt natural. I liked the heat they generated. 

If the situation in a book gets hot, I write it hot. If not, not. 

When individual readers ask which of my books I recommend for them, like a waiter in a restaurant, I ask: “Do you prefer your fare mild, medium or hot?” 

***

        Thanks, Sharon. I’m glad you visited with us today. If anyone wants to know more about Sharon and her writing, here are sites to visit:

Sharon's website

Sharon's blog  

Buy Link   

NOTE: I'm found on Marilyn's Musings this week.

Next week, Jackie King will be my guest

Day 9 - Virtual tour for Stolen -

Today is Day 9 of the blog book tour for Stolen, the next to last day of the tour.  The host today is Debra Eckerling on her blog Write On!.

I hope people will stop by and leave a comment, help start the end of the tour with a bang.

Tomorrow, Friday, the last stop will with Margaret (Peggy) Fieland.

Time has flown by the past 9 days. I find it hard to believe that tomorrow will made 10 days for this tour.

Remember, Stolen and all other books found on the 4RV Publishing website are on sale with a 10% discount until Christmas.

Day 3 - Stolen tour - Amy Shojai

Friday, today, stop three for the Stolen virtual book tour is found on Amy Shojai's blog Red Room . Join us and perhaps leave a comment, oops, can't leave a comment unless you're registered. However, I'm already a member of Red Room, and even though I log in, I can't leave a comment. Now that's awkward.

All right, read her post and leave a comment here. Double the trouble, but I don't know what else to suggest.

Saturday, two hosts will have posts about me and my novel:

Holly Jahangiri http://jahangiri.us/new
Nita Beshear; http://devotedtoquilting.wordpress.com


Hopefully, we'll have no problems tomorrow.

Watch for Stolen visits around blogdom

December 1 begins the Stolen book blog tour. The novel will pop in at different blogs until the final stop Dec. 10. The tour will have prizes and contests, as described below the scheduled blog stops.

Right now Stolen is on sale if ordered from the 4RV Publishing Bookstore. Ten percent will be discounted when orders are checked out. The book would make a great Christmas present for any adult (or even teen) on your gift list.

December 1 - Velda Brotherton http://veldabrotherton.blogspot.com


December 2 - Marvin Wilson http://theoldsilly.com


December 3 - Amy Shojai http://www.redroom.com/blog/amy-d-shojai/

December 4 - Holly Jahangiri http://jahangiri.us/new
- - - - - - - - -- Nita Beshear http://devotedtoquilting.wordpress.com

December 5 – Caroline Clemmons http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com

December 6 - Karen Coiffi-Ventrice http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com

December 7 - JR Turner http://jr-turner.blogspot.com

December 8 - Dianne Sagan http://diannesagan.wordpress.com
December 9 - Debra Eckerling http://writeononline.com/category/moving-write-along/

Links for Stolen: In two weeks, the novel will be available through bookstores, Amazon, B&N online, and everywhere else books can be found.

The novel is available now through the 4RV Publishing bookstore: http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Novels.html

Stolen website – http://Stolen.yolasite.com - includes contest for signed ARCs.

Contests: The host with the most comments from different visitors will receive a hard copy ARC. Two of the people who send me by email a possible ending to the novel will win an ARC. Also, anyone not hosting a blog stop but who promotes the novel will have a chance to win an ARC. (ARC means Advance Reader Copy). Winners of hard copy ARCs must have a U.S. address. Anyone outside the U.S. who wins will receive a PDF ARC.

Liana Metal - VBT visit

Each month, members of VBT - Writers on the Move posts about another writer in the group. This month, I'm a day late due to those pesky life problems, but my visitor is Liana Metal.

Liana lives in Greece, on the small island of Corfu. She's an artist, teacher (MA Applied Linguistics) and freelance journalist, writing articles about travel, lifestyle, and food.

Her books focus on nature and on children's problems, such as low self-esteem and friendship issues.

The book I want to discuss is The White Snail, a bilingual book for youngsters, also illustrated by her.

The book is paperback and 34 pages. It can be found on Lulu, or through her website: Liana Metal.

The White Snail
Written and illustrated by Iliana Metallinou aka Liana Metal.

The White Snail includes an exciting story and educational material appropriate for young readers. It is the first of a series of books that aims to encourage children to read stories, while at the same time learn about nature. At the end of each book there are educational activities.

The White Snail’s basic theme is self-esteem that develops from early childhood. The hero of this story believes that he is not equal to the other snails just because he is different. This story is about the differences among people or peoples generally. It caters not only to young kids but also to adults, parents and teachers.

This series also aims to highlight some of the small miracles of nature that we usually take for granted. The White Snail encourages the reader to notice snails closely and learn some facts about them via the educational activity at the end of the book.

BILINGUAL ΤΕΧΤ: GREEK/ENGLISH:
This book can be read both in Greek and English. Thus, it caters to Foreign Language education as well as to readers all over the world.

Liana seems such an interesting person and writer. I hope people will visit her website and discover more about her and her books.


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VBT - Writers on the Move January Blog Tour

The tour schedule for January 2010:

January 2nd Dianne Sagan is hosting Kevin McNamee
January 3rd Harry Gilleland is hosting Maggie Ball
January 4th Karen Cioffi is hosting Lea Schizas
January 5th Kathy Stemke is hosting Heidi Thomas
January 6th Lea Schizas is hosting Martha Swirzinski
January 7th Vivian Zabel is hosting Liana Metal
January 8th Vivian Zabel is hosting Liana Metal
January 8th Nancy Famolari is hosting Margaret Fieland
January 9th Elysabeth Eldering is hosting Mayra Calvani
January 10th Katie Hines is hosting Elysabeth Eldering
January 11th Helena Harper is hosting Dana Donovan
January 12th Liana Metal is hosting Debra Eckerling
January 13th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Dianne Sagan
January 14th Gayle Trent is hosting Helena Harper
January 15th Mayra Calvani is hosting Stephen Tremp
January 16th Marvin Wilson is hosting Linda Asato
January 17th Linda Asato is hosting Kathy Stemke
January 18th Stephen Tremp is hosting Katie Hines
January 19th Margaret Fieland is hosting Karen Cioffi
January 20th Darcia Helle is hosting Harry Gilleland
January 21st Martha Swirzinski is hosting Jane Sutton
January 22nd Heidi Thomas is hosting Darcia Helle
January 23rd Jane Sutton is hosting Nancy Famolari
January 24th Dana Donovan is hosting Linda Suzane
January 25th Dallas Woodburn is hosting Marvin Wilson
January 26th Linda Suzane is hosting Dallas Woodburn
January 27th Debra Eckerling is hosting Vivian Zabel
January 28th Heather Paye is hosting Gayle Trent
January 29th Maggie Ball is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
January 30th Kevin McNamee is hosting Heather Paye

Be sure and join us on each day we host an author on our blogs.

Introducing ...

A Puppy, Not a Guppy is an enchanting book written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Ryan Shaw, two Houston residents who have never met. They didn't even have any contact until the work was finished. 4RV Publishing gladly added this book to its list of books that should be considered for gifts.

I'm very excited to be part of the A Puppy, Not a Guppy blog tour. In fact I get to kick off the proceedings. We have a special guest today, and everyone will be glad to learn more about --

"Hey, why can't I be part of this? After all the book is about me. ME! No body else is as 'portant."

Uh, why hello, Irma. I thought maybe you would visit us and maybe leave comments.

"What? What kind of deal is this? I'm not happy at all."

Every well, Irma, why don't we visit? Think you can answer a few questions?

"I can always answer questions, but I don't always know the right answers."

I'm sure you'll be able to answer these, Irma. Are you ready? This is a big surprise, having you here today. Guess I'll have to visit with my scheduled guest another time. Would that be all right, Holly?

"Bet it wasn't as big a surprise as those guppies were to me."


Q. Why do you think Holly wrote about you?

"Because I remind her of her daughter, Katie. And maybe I remind her, a little bit, of herself. Okay, maybe it was because I kept knocking on the inside of her forehead saying, "I want a PUPPY!!" I still didn't get a puppy. I just got a book. I like books, but I'd have rathered have a puppy."

Q. Are you glad your parents allowed you to have guppies, even if they wouldn't let you have a puppy?

"Yeah, they're okay I guess. They're not as dumb and boring as they look. And nothing should get flushed down the potty. There's alligators down there. Jimmy told me so."

Q. Do you think your author will write more adventures for you? Why would she want to?

"I dunno. She says maybe if I'm good. I don't think she really wants me to be all that good, though. I see what she likes to read. Have you ever read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? She laughs at those stories, and those kids are kind of naughty."

Q. Are you good in school? Do you like going to school?

"I like to go to school. I'm pretty good at it, I guess. I really like Math and Science and stuff. I like to write poems, too, but I don't think they're very good. Writing's hard. I can't wait till next year, 'cause we get to study a foreign language, and I want to study. Jimmy speaks a little Klingon."

Klingon? I think you may be a bit disappointed about that.

Q. Which guppy is your favorite? Why?

"Well, Mom says I shouldn't play favorites. But I think maybe Lightning is my favorite. I don't know why, 'cause you know he was like my least favorite at first. But he's funny and he tries really, really hard. Stuff that Herman and Oscar can do really easy takes him a couple more days to figure out, but then he's got it. That's what I was like with fractions, at first."

Q. Did your author insist on the story going the way she wanted it, or did you have the ability to control the plot?

"Plot? I just kind of told her what happened, and next thing I knew she was writing it all down in a book. Nobody ever wrote a book about me and Jimmy before. Miss Holly just took out the 'ums' and 'uhs' and some of the details that didn't have to do with puppies and guppies - like when I told her that Mom made us pancakes with real maple syrup and how I like them when they're kind of burned on the edges. She told it pretty much the way I showed it to her. Do you think she's going to write another story about us? That'd be kind of fun."

One of my great-grandsons learned about plot in fourth grade, so I thought surely you had, too. But you explained how you provided the "plot," which means what happened.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Irma. I've enjoyed our visit so much.

So, if you'll pick up a few cookies from the kitchen cabinet on the way out, I'll let readers know where to buy copies of your book.

"Cookies, what kind of cookies? I like chocolate chip with nuts in them."

Then you'll be very happy. Tell the guppies hello for me.






WHERE TO BUY:
Directly from 4RV Publishing at http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html ($8.99 less 15% discount until December 20 + S&H )
Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Not-Guppy-Holly-Jahangiri/dp/0984070850 ($10.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.)

Blogs:
Books by Holly Jahangiri at http://jahangiri.us/books features excerpts, book trailers, character interviews, and more.
Author’s blog at http://jahangiri.us/news

Contest information can be found here.

September VBT schedule

VBT Writers on the Move begins a new feature to the VBT: Writers on the Move Mystery Site Give-away. Each month, the winner will have the choice of receiving the Mystery Site Host's book or a guest spot on VBT Writers on the Move web site. If you're an author and looking for visibility, this is a wonderful opportunity. But, it's going to be a tough choice; our members have great books to offer.

REMEMBER, you can't win if you don't play the game, so please stop by our members' sites during the tour and leave a comment.

Dianne Sagan hosts Crystalee Calderwood
Harry Gilleland hosts Steve Tremp
Karen Cioffi hosts Vivian Zabel
Kathy Stemke hosts Heather Paye
Lea Schizas hosts Nancy Famalari
Nancy Famalari hosts Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Vivian Zabel hosts Kathy Stemke
Margaret Fieland hosts Dianne Sagan
Crystalee Calderwood hosts Deborah Weed
Katie Hines hosts Marvin Wilson
Helena Harper hosts Mayra Calvani
Dorothy Massey hosts Harry Gilleland
Liana Metal hosts Lea Schizas
Carolyn Howard-Johnson hosts Gayle Trent
Gayle Trent hosts Karen Cioffi
Mayra Calvani hosts Katie Hines
Marvin Wilson hosts Liana Metal
Anita Yasuda hosts Dorothy Massey
Linda Asato hosts Helena Harper
Heather Paye hosts Anita Yasuda
Steve Tremp hosts Margaret Fieland
Deboran Weed hosts Linda Asato

If you're interested in finding out more about our promotional group, you can send an email to: karenrcfv@yahoo.com.
Please put VBT-VBT in the subject line.

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Are You a Spiritual Writer? by Joyce Anthony

My VBT-Writers on the Move guest for this week is Joyce Anthony. We visited with her on the June 1 post, and today, she has provided an guest blog. From the keyboard of Joyce Anthony, author of Storm:



Are You a Spiritual Writer? by Joyce A. Anthony

Who do you write for?

Why do you write?

Stop and think for a minute before you answer the above questions? Are you sure of your answers?

Most of us believe we are writing from a point inside ourselves and many also believe we only write for ourselves, but often this is not the case. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you seek approval from others on what you write?

Do you seek out someone to tell you how well you are doing?

If you had to justify WHAT you write, could you?

When you are writing from spirit, you do not need the approval of those outside yourself. Not only that, you do not even seek that approval, for you KNOW you are doing good, you know it works.

This is not the conceited kind of believing that makes a person feel they are better writers than others. This belief comes from a place where other writers are not part of the equation--you write well. You do not need to compare yourself to others.

Do you write to entertain, to make money, to achieve recognition? You do not, in either case write from spirit. Writing from spirit has no purpose--it is writing for writing's sake. You write because you must. You have no other purpose.

Does your writing reflect who you are inside? If asked why you write a particular genre, can you say "That's who I am"? If the answer is "no", then the writing comes from outside the spirit.

Is there anything wrong with writing outside the spirit? No. As writers, 99.9 percent do just that. The problem arises because we do not write our best when we do this. The best writing is that which comes from spirit. Plain and simple--it's the difference between good writing and great.

Purchase Storm on Amazon.com

Book Trailer for Storm


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Coming Monday - an interview with Joyce Anthony

For the June 1 rotation for VBT-Writers on the Move, a virtual tour group, I will be hosting Joyce Anthony Monday and Wednesday, June 1 and 3.

Monday, Joyce will visit with us by way of an interview. Wednesday, she will guest blog with an article about spiritual writing.

Please join us.

A full schedule for the June 1 rotation can be found on my blog Vivian's Site.




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Components of a good blog tour

More and more authors are relying on blog or virtual book tours to present their books to the public, for several reasons including the high cost of traveling for personal, physical book tours.

I've taken part in several blog or virtual book tours, including a couple for my own books. I've followed other people's tours and been a part of blog tour groups. Some tours were more successful than others. Some stops attracted readers more than others. So what made some tours or some stops better?

1. The tour is well organized. Not only does the organizer prepare the compete tour well, with a mixture of hosts, providing the needed information such as book cover images, photo of author, and book information; but each host prepares the stop at his/her blog well with interesting, unique posts.

The organizer has reminded hosts of their day for a stop at least three times before the scheduled stop, including the day before.

2. Each stop on the tour is not a repeat of other stops. People find the blog stops interesting enough to want to follow the tour, or at least more than one visit at one stop.

3. All hosts post on their blogs on the correct day and all day. They schedule the post to appear very early the morning of the day scheduled.

4. Authors visit and leave comments, answer questions, and make observations at each stop several times during the day.

5. The host visits and leaves comments and observations several times during the day.

6. Both organizer and hosts promote the tour and its stops. Each host promotes the stop at his/her blog at least the day before and several times during the day of the stop. Then he/she promotes the stop after his/hers.

The organizer starts promotion for the complete tour at least a week before it starts and promotes each stop each day of the schedule. Promote, promote, promote.

7. The organizer, author, and/or hosts offer something to visitors who leave comments. It may be a PDF of a short story by the author or puzzle or even a copy of the book. Imagination is vital.

Email addresses are not required to be posted for someone to be considered for whatever is gifted or awarded. (note: this is a privacy subject. Ways of contacting can be found that do not require a person to post anything publicly.)

8. The host makes leaving a comment easy for the visitor. Moderation is eliminated at least during the tour stop. Some people can't "see" the symbols, letters, etc. required for a person to copy in order to leave a comment.

9. The author thanks the hosts (and the organizer if the author doesn't do the job).

10. The tour is fun.

I'm sure there are other components that would make a blog tour a good one, but those are the ones that have been most prominent in blog tours I've followed.

Please feel free to share what you discovered that makes a successful book blog tour, or what ruins one.


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Presenting Kevin McNamee

Kevin McNamee is a writer and poet living in Yonkers, New York. He primarily writes for the children’s market. His work has appeared in Beyond Centauri, and he has several children’s picture books being published by Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

His first book, The Sister Exchange is due to be released in 2009. He is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

When Kevin isn’t writing, he spends his time playing hide and seek, at the insistence of his four-year-old daughter, and at his day job, at the insistence of his wife.

When time permits, Kevin also enjoys fossil hunting, home-brewing beer, and gardening.

He is currently engaged in an epic battle against roving gangs of crazed squirrels who are digging up everything in sight. Kevin notes that the squirrels are winning.

To find out more about Kevin, visit his website or visit his blog.

Now, Kevin answers a few questions:

Is there a place where readers can reach you?

Readers can always email me from my website or blog. I’d love to hear from them.

Will you list all your upcoming book titles so people can look for them once they are released?

Sure, my titles are as follows:

Title Genre Publication Date
The Sister Exchange Picture Book Early 2009
The Soggy Town of Hilltop Picture Book To be determined
Lightning Strikes Picture/Counting Book To be determined
What Is That Thing? Picture Book To be determined

For new readers—what can they expect when they read your books?

I try to entertain, and whenever possible educate. I also try to incorporate humor into my work whenever possible. My goal is to write for everybody and to create stories that adults as well as children can enjoy.

Finally, what would you like readers to know about you and your writing?

I think that writing for children carries a lot of responsibility and it’s a challenge that I try to rise to. The world can be a confusing enough place as it is for adults, how much more so for children? If I can help children understand the world around them and help them make sense of various situations that effect them, that would be the most rewarding thing of all, for it would be something that they could carry with them long after they have put down my book.

Thank you, Kevin, for visiting with us today. Tuesday, I'll post some more of your interview.


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Next 2 stops for Prairie Dog Cowboy

The blog tour for Prairie Dog Cowboy continues with two more stops today, Thursday:

February 19: Malcolm R. Campbell and Chris Speakman

Followed by two more tomorrow:

February 20: Joyce Anthony and Nikki Shoemaker


The full schedule can be found on Vivian's Site, 4RV Publishing, and here.

The tour so far has been interesting and fun. Please follow along, leave a comment every stop possible for chances to win one of four canvas 4RV bags.


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Prairie Dog Cowboy tour continues

Come visit the next stops on the Prairie Dog Cowboy blog book tour.

Today is the third day of the Prairie Dog Cowboy virtual tour with two more stops. Hosting today are Nancy Famolari and
Joy Delgado blog 1 and blog 2 - yes Joy has two blogs with Prairie Dog as a guest.

Tomorrow witll have another two hosts, and one with two blog also: Elysabeth Eldering and Rena Jones blog 1 blog 2.

The full schedule can be found on Vivian's Site, 4RV Publishing, and here.

The book has pen and ink illustrations created by Jordan M. Vinyard.









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Another Visit with Harry Gilleland

I posted a review of Harry Gilleland's book, Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man, earlier, so I won't review the book again except to say I really liked it.

Wednesday February 4, we'll discuss the difficulty in trying to write a novel, as Harry talks about how hard it is, and at times discouraging.

Of course Harry is known for his poetry and storeoms, and for good reason. He's a great poet. However, as with any author, he would love to see his book sell. Every book needs a good home, and his book is a good one to have in any home.

Today I'm going to swipe parts of an interview between Harry and Norm Goldman, Publisher and Editor of Bookpleasures.com. Mr. Goldman's name is a link to the complete interview.

Norm:
It is sometimes said that people in times of need turn to poetry. Is this true, and if so, why?

Harry:
I believe this is probably true. It is because in time of need people want comforting and to get in touch with their emotions. Poetry is capable of offering insight into situations from a point of view that the person had not considered previously. It makes them focus, examine their emotions, and think about what is important in their lives. Reading poetry can also be soothing and relaxing. It can take their mind off their problems for a while. Poetry has much to offer to its readers.

Norm:
Would you say you get clarity about a subject from writing a poem about it? If so, please elaborate.

Harry:
Definitely so! If I don't have a clear idea about the subject of my poem, then how could I convey to the reader the exact meaning I intended him/her to get from reading it? In writing a poem, I mull it over in my mind for several days before actually writing it down. I analyze what my feelings and thoughts on the subject are and what message I hope to convey. Writing a poem about a subject makes me crystallize my own beliefs and feelings regarding that issue.

Norm:
How would you define a good poem?

Harry:
A good poem is one that connects with its readers. Regardless of the form – rhyming or free verse, short or long, etc.—any poem that touches the mind and emotions of the readers so that they take away something from the poem is a good poem. A good poem will linger in the readers' minds and makes them consider their own feelings and beliefs anew.

(The final question and answer I'll use from that interview concerns a subject near to my heart, the correct use of language.)

Norm:
How do you feel as to the way language and words are used today?

Harry:
It is terrible how language and words are mistreated in today's society. In medical school we had to dumb down test questions because some medical students had never heard commonplace words, and remember these are the supposedly the best and brightest of college graduates.

Spelling and grammar seem to be a lost art among today's students and young workers. I am appalled at the poor quality of writing one encounters on the Internet. Today's young people seem to think they have no need to be able to speak and write well and correctly. After all, doesn't the computer have a spell-check and grammar-check?
Should I correct my own grown children when they mangle some word usage, they simply shrug and say, "Whatever!" Such is the sorry state of language, grammar, and spelling in the modern high-tech world.

(That last answer is why I want Harry for an editor for 4RV Publishing.)



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The Dog Men by Patricia Crandall part 2

Author Patricia Crandall Delves into the Deviant World of Dog Fighting
Patricia Crandall Takes a Stark Look at Dog Fighting in her recent novel, The Dog Men, posted by Denise Cassino, publicist, on BigNews.biz

Patricia Crandall, author of many published short stories and poems has released her first novel, The Dog Men, which takes a fictional look at the horrors of the sordid sport of dog fighting and the sick and seedy characters who inhabit it.

Her book involves two kids who inadvertently become entangled in a dog fighting ring and are held hostage when they witness the sadistic sport first hand. Crandall found a plethora of material available in newspaper articles documenting criminal cases on the books.

Dog fighting came under public scrutiny in 2007 when Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Vick was convicted of running an illegal dog fighting and gambling ring. He is currently serving time in prison for the crime. A former Animal Control officer stated, “With dogs that don't win, it's not uncommon for them to be electrocuted, shot, hung or burned.” Another sources said owners sometimes file the canine teeth to a sharp point and put ground glass in the dogs fur before a fight.

The Dog Men is available through the publisher, PublishAmerica and at major online bookstores like Amazon.com.

Patricia Crandall's website




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Also visit Vivian's Mysteries and Prairie Dog Cowboy


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The Dog Men by Patricia Crandall

The Dog Men
by Patricia Crandall

Book Information:
Publisher: PublishAmerica (October 12, 2008)
$16.95
Paperback: 84 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606720856

Patricia Crandall about Patricia Crandall:

I was born Patricia Crandall in Bennington, Vermont. In my early years, my family moved often as my father was a purchasing agent for General Cable Corp. Whereby, we lived in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Vermont and New York.

Presently, I live with my husband, Art, at Babcock Lake in the Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York. My daughter and her family live nearby. Also living near us is our son. I have two granddaughters and one grandson. I devote time to my family, writing and community work. I enjoy reading, skiing, golfing, knitting, walking/hiking, swimming, exercising and traveling.

I have a vast number of poetry/haiku, numerous articles and short stories published in many small press magazines and a variety of newspapers. I have won many poetry awards and have two books in print, Melrose, Then and Now, a historical volume and I Passed This Way, containing poetry.

I am currently working on several mystery-crime stories, a series of contemporary/family short fiction and novels. I put aside whatever free time I have for writing.

My feelings as a poet have affected my role as a mother by allowing me to capture in poetry the formative years of my children. These poems are snapshots in words. Whenever I read them, I see my children as they were during that moment in time.

I like to write mysteries because I like to read mystery stories. It all began with the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene when I was a pre-teen in the 1950s. Each holiday, I would request the latest Nancy Drew title and upon receiving it, I would curl-up in an oversized chair and begin reading the fast-paced adventure. Prior to that time, I was hooked on the Bobbsey Twins.

My first effort at writing a mystery story detailed a long, frightening chase by a sinister man. A dark tunnel appeared, leading to (of course) a haunted mansion. The not-so-brilliant ending had me saved by the man of my life at the time - my father.

As a writer, I find Agatha Christie an excellent study, particularly in developing characters, descriptive scenes and her exceptional talent attributed to writing a variety of books including original mystery plays, romantic novels, a memoir of archaeological expeditions in Syria, poetry and her area of expertise, plotting mysteries.


Wednesday - More about the book The Dog Men


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also visit Vivian's Mysteries and Prairie Dog Cowboy

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