Check out the N.N. Light 99¢ Book Sale and giveaway. One lucky person will win an e-nook bundle of all 41 books featured. The Marquesa’s Necklace, the first book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, is one of the featured books. HERE
Enter the giveaway here: HERE
Open Internationally
Runs April 16 – 19, 2020
Winner will be drawn on April 27, 2020
April 13, 2020
What are the best tools you use on your blog? (widgets, templates, etc.)
I’m no expert when it comes to the subject of blogs. I’ve been running this version of my blog for a little over a year now, and I’m still figuring out how to do things. But I’ll share what little I know.
First, the basics. I left the Blogger platform when they dropped the google component that had gained me most of my followers. I debated what to use as my base platform and decided to go with WordPress. I looked at several others, but my choice was made by the sheer amount of free support out there from other WordPress users. I’m not doing anything fancy, and every time I’ve run into a problem, I’ve found a YouTube video to help me out.
Image by William Iven from Pixabay
Next up was choosing a theme. I’m using Parabola, but that certainly isn’t the first one I played with. I don’t remember how many I tried before another author suggested this one. It gives me the flexibility level that’s just right for my basic skill set.
Let’s dig deeper into widgets and plugins. I use the built-in Gallery widget in many places. It has its limitations, but my graphic artist and I have been able to work around them.
I use MailChimp for my newsletter, so the MailChimp widget was a no-brainer. Except for setting it up. I had help with that.
I also use the basic Add to Any for sharing. That’s the widget that gives you the pretty buttons to tweet my posts or share on other websites. I hope you’ll make liberal use of them.
My best non-standard widget is Code Embed. It’s the one that allows me to turn Java Code into clickable fields. That’s what I use to take the code for our blog hop and make it user friendly. (That’s why you can click on the pictures from everyone else’s blog and get taken directly to their post.) It took me a few weeks to learn to use it correctly, but there are helpful videos on YouTube on how to make it work.
I want to find a plugin that allows for basic slideshows. (I had one bookmarked to check out, but it’s no longer being supported.) Does anyone use one and is willing to share the information? Share in the comments, please!
Before I go check out what tools the other authors are using, I’m going to say it. Be safe. I want you to be able to come back next week. Thanks for taking the time to drop by!
April 13, 2020
What are the best tools you use on your blog? (widgets, templates, etc.)
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
I’ve been working hard on the next Harmony story and it’s getting close! I haven’t set an official release date, but it likely will be the early part of May. No cover to share just yet, but I’ve got the tagline and description. And of course the title! It’s called The Samurai’s Inro.
Tagline:
Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.
Doesn’t that sound like fun? Here’s the description:
Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.
New job.
New routine.
A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.
Oh, and Eli.
But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game.
Friends’ cars stolen.
Her apartment ransacked.
The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.
Trouble follows wherever she goes, including the parking lot of the police station. Not even the want-to-be bodyguard brought in by Police Chief Sorenson can end the harassment. And all her research leads to dead ends.
Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?
Let the games begin.
April 6, 2020
What did you want to be when you grew up vs. what you are today?
Once upon a time, I posed that question to Harmony, the main character in my mystery series. Well, Jake, the anti-hero, asked.
“You know, when I was a little kid, I wanted to be a cop when I grew up.” He glared at me. “Don’t laugh.”
I swallowed my chuckle with a sip of coffee. “What happened?”
He grimaced. “Life, I guess. I still think I would have been a good one.”
It was surreal, having a conversation with a renowned jewel thief about being a police officer. “Sometimes dreams just don’t work out,” I said, thinking about Janine and the library job.
“What dream hasn’t worked out for you?”
I picked up a section of the newspaper so he couldn’t see my eyes. “It’s not important. I’ve got a good life and good friends and that’s what matters.”
“Let me guess, you wanted to be an astronaut but your eyesight’s not good enough.”
“Worse. I wanted to be a cowboy. Not a cowgirl, mind you, but a cowboy.”
Jake snorted into his cup, spraying coffee everywhere. He snatched a handful of napkins from the holder and blotted the liquid from the newspaper. “Yeah, I can see where that might be a little hard to accomplish.” He eyed me. “You don’t have the right parts. But I must say, I like the parts you have.”
I crumpled up an insert from the paper and hurled it at him. I needed to find a way to keep him busy and out of my hair, and soon.
Now, I never wanted to be a cowboy. Daniel Boone, maybe. Or a hermit. There was a time I wanted to be a singer-songwriter, but only knew the basics about music. Or maybe a writer. Then I decided to be a librarian.
Those of you who have followed this blog for awhile may remember I actually got to be one. Part-time, in a small library in a small town. But it was everything I wanted. I got to be surrounded by books, I got to do story hour for kids, I got to help pick out new books to the collection. Best of all, I got to read when there was nothing else to do!
Life happened, and I had to leave that small town and small library. Eventually, I was introduced to computers and fell in love. (I won’t talk about the many jobs in between.) Yes, I’m old. No one had a personal computer when I was a kid.. And now I’m a Windows server administrator. A job that didn’t exist when I was growing up. (And one that certainly wouldn’t have been suggested to a teenage girl.)
The best part is, I’m a writer too! Which may seem like an odd combination. One is mathematical and the other creative. In the whole right side of the vs the left side of the brain theory, I’m using both equally, but not at the same time. And loving it.
I tell people I didn’t decide what I wanted to be when I grew up until I was over 40, and it’s the truth. Better late than never!
To find out what the other folks on this hop wanted to be when they grew up, follow the links below.
Be safe, everyone!
April 6, 2020
What did you want to be when you grew up vs. what you are today?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
April 1 question – The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?
The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard!
Covid-19? What’s that?
Okay, I can’t run with a joke. This situation is a mixed bag for me. I know too many people who are in the high risk groups not to worry. The ones I worry about the most (Hi, Mom!) are taking this seriously and doing all the right things. Decreases my stress level somewhat.
The trick is, I work for a hospital. (No, I don’t deal with patients. I’m not one of the heroes.) And I am able to work from home. That doesn’t mean I’m isolated from all the concerns and preparations, but we aren’t in a major city and had more time to work on social isolation. No deaths in the state yet. Keep your fingers crossed.
I have more time to write as a result. And I’m taking advantage of it. I’m editing one book and pretending not to write another. I don’t like working on more than one project at a time, but this book demanded to be written. There’s a bit of guilt that I have the luxury to write when people are losing their jobs and are worrying about having a place to live.
But I am hanging in there. And I hope that everyone who reads this is doing okay. The daffodils are coming up, and the promise of spring is in the air. We’ll make it through this.
March 30, 2020
How do you feel about killing off one of your major characters?
If you’ve read my Free Wolves stories, you know I’ve killed off quite a few characters. Minor ones, mostly, but I’ve thrown in a major one here or there. Villains are easy to kill off in those books because it’s true to a wolf-shifter heritage. Staying ‘civilized’ is more of a challenge. And I’ve seriously injured my main characters, but they’ve pulled through.
In my Harmony Duprie Mysteries, I’ve set about writing stories that don’t necessarily include anyone dying. Yes, I’ve had a murder or two, but they were off-camera. The stories are relatively light-hearted, and don’t contain a lot of gore. We’ll get back to them later.
In the first book I wrote (the one that went through about four revisions before I decided the plot was flawed and it would never be published) I actually killed my main character in one version. It made sense for the story, but I knew that readers would hate me for it. So, I switched up the story and gave it a happy ending.
But I cried hard as I wrote my heroine’s death. And cried harder when I wrote her funeral. And cried more when the hero (her lover) scattered her ashes to mingle with those of her late husband. In the revised version, they got to stay together as they aged, a no-tears, happily ever after ending. It was a good ending, but I thought the original was better. (Can’t say I liked it, but it was better.)
Now, let’s go back to Harmony. I’m currently editing the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, (The Samurai’s Inro) and I’m worried about her stories getting ‘stale.’ I love the character but she needed a shake-up. And the only thing I could come up with was killing of a major character- Eli, her lover. And I wasn’t happy about it.
Harmony and I have been known to have arguments about the plot of her stories, but oddly, she wasn’t talking to me about this idea. I didn’t know if she agreed with it or if she was mad at me for even suggesting it!
Well, as Harmony is wont to do, she let me know how this was going to go down in a dream. (Hey, I won’t reveal her decision now…that’s another book.) I’ve had several dreams about this book, leading me to places in the story I didn’t know it needed to go. I’m somewhere near 15000 words in a book that I haven’t officially started writing yet!
Let’s just say I’m okay with killing off a main character if it’s true to the character and to the story. It can be a fine line between that and not alienating the readers. If it’s well-written, true to the plot, and not done for the shock value, a good writer can make it work.
That’s how I see it. And if you follow the links below, you can find out what the other authors think.
Off topic: I hope everyone out there is doing okay. Things will get better. It’ll take some time, so hang in there.
March 30, 2020
How do you feel about killing off one of your major characters?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
March 23, 2020
Ask your readers to share their favorite books.
This post is for you! Share your favorite books and tell us a bit about them.
Here’s one to get the ball rolling from Chelle de Notte on Twitter:
Tell the Wolves I’m Home is my favorite book. And a greater story…it paints a very clear picture of being set in a certain place and time, yet the emotions are timeless.
And one from me:
First off, it’s ridiculous to ask for one favorite book. So, I’ll bend the rules and go with the Harper Hall Trilogy from Anne McCaffrey. The story of Menolly, her struggles and her ultimate triumph, found a place in my heart the first time I read the books.
Now, it’s your turn. Share the books that have touched you, entertained, you, or taught you in the comments below. And if someone else has already mentioned your book, I don’t care, add it to the list again! I’ve already broken the rules, so you can too!
March 23, 2020
Ask your readers to share their favorite books.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
March 16, 2020
Interview your cover designer (even if it’s you!) (Talk about other covers they have worked on, what you love about their work, etc.)
I got lucky in having a personal acquaintance with a graphic artist (okay, she’s my sister!) to design my covers. I’m always astounded by her skill in being able to interpret my books’ characters and bring them to life. Although she’s on the road this week, she took some time to answer a few questions for me. I’m tickled to finally get her on my blog. Please welcome K.M. Guth.
*****
Describe your process for designing a book cover.
I work closely with my authors to make sure they get exactly what they want for their cover. We trade images and ideas back and forth, starting with the front cover. After that’s been drafted out, I move on to the spine and back cover. Because I often do covers for series of books, I try to use the same fonts and color families for each cover in the series so it all has a cohesive look while still maintaining individuality for each book.
I love what you’ve done for each of my books and the overall design of each series. It amazes me how well you can take different elements and put them together in a total design.
*****
Do you have a favorite among the covers you’ve designed?
This one is easy! “Wolves Knight”, the second book in the “Free Wolves” 
series. Everything went together perfectly and the image turned out so badass we used it to make a large banner for the table at conventions and signings!
I love that cover too! Tasha is such an interesting personality, and the cover reflects it. The intensity in her eyes gets me every time.
*****
Do you ever look back at one of your covers and wished you’d done something different?
Always! I don’t think any creator of any type will look back at something they’ve created and not want to change *something*. Whether it’s how I spaced pieces of imagery or the fonts or colors I chose … I’m always wondering how a cover would have looked if I’d done something differently. Even small changes can make a big difference!
I’ve watched you play with fonts until you get the “look” you want. No Times New Roman for you!
*****
Have you ever designed a cover for someone besides me? How was it different?
I have! I’ve done a couple of covers for another independent author whose books have a completely different audience and topic. The books were non-fiction and didn’t feature any people. Designing them was a totally different experience because I had to figure out where to focus the elements of the cover since there wasn’t a face to concentrate on. I had to be more creative with the text to really draw the audience in.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy week to ‘talk’ to me. May your travels go well. We’ll talk again in a few weeks when you’re ready to tackle the cover for “The Samurai’s Inro!”
On an off-topic and personal note…I hope each and everyone of you is safe and well. Please pay attention to the professionals in your area and wash your hands often!
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March 16, 2020
Interview your cover designer (even if it’s you!)(talk about other covers they have worked on, what you love about their work, etc.)
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Check out this great new postcard my graphic artist made for me. Thanks, K.M. Guth!
If you come to an event I’m at, you can get your own copy. Check out the calendar on the front page. (So far, none of them have been cancelled.)
I apologize for the poor photography. I tried about five different ways to get a good shot, and nothing I worked. I kept getting shadows or glare no matter how hard I tried.
March 9, 2020
Are audiobooks considered reading?
I don’t listen to audiobooks. I have, but only a few, and never while driving. I know myself well enough that it would be a distraction. Heck, the other day, I parked on a different floor than normal in the parking garage and didn’t realize it until I entered the building because I was so deep inside Harmony’s head. (For those of you who don’t know, Harmony Duprie is the main character in my mystery series.)
Now, I have listened to a few audio books in my distant past. I was devouring the James Bond books, and there were some the library didn’t have on the shelves. I found an audio download of the books and grabbed the ones I needed to fill in the gaps. (Back in the day when audiobooks were on cassette or CD.)
And quickly realized how big of a difference the narrator makes. And that listening just didn’t cut it for me. I didn’t get the same satisfaction from listening to someone tell the story as I did from holding a book in my hands and reading it.
When I read, I like to take my time and savor some parts of the story and rush through others. (I’m looking at you, sex scenes. The rushing part. Most of you are boring. I can’t imagine listening to sex scenes.) I can’t do that when someone else is reading the book and I’m listening. I have to move along at their pace.
But just because it’s not my preferred method of reading, doesn’t mean it isn’t a valuable experience to someone else. And if it works for them, I’m good with it. Different people learn in different ways, I see reading is the same way. I wouldn’t say that someone who reads braille isn’t reading, only that they use a different medium. Same with audiobooks, in my opinion.
So, is listening to an audiobook reading? I’ll come down on the side of yes. Information is being exchanged, just in a different format. The reader is being entertained or informed. In a way, it hearkens back to the days of the village bar, when most people couldn’t read and only the very wealthy could afford to own a book.
That’s my take on it, anyway. Now I’m going to hop on over to the other authors and see what they have to say. You can go too, by following the links below. And don’t forget to leave a comment and join in the discussion!
March 9, 2020
Are audiobooks considered reading?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
