MARILYN MEREDITH

Today I am proud to have Marilyn Meredith as a guest on the VISITING AUTHOR / ARTIST section of PUSHINGTIME.COM.

marilyn #3MY BRUSHES WITH THE “BIG GUYS” IN THE BOOK WORLD

BY MARILYN MEREDITH

Mary Higgins Clark

Early on, I attended a mystery conference in a camp-like setting and was thrilled to meet Mary Higgins Clark. She is the epitome of a classy woman. I met her again another time at an Edgar week event, and the dear soul greeted me with enthusiasm as though she remembered our first meeting many years before.

Me and Lee ChildI served on a panel once with Lee Child of Reacher fame, also a friendly guy despite his fame, and we had a great visit in the elevator. We’d had a panel moderator who asked questions with such convoluted sentences and words I didn’t know that I had no idea what he meant. To answer him, I just said whatever came to mind. Most of the other panelists asked him to restate his questions and it was obvious they didn’t understand him either.

Mr. Child asked me how I figured out what he was asking when no one else did. I confessed what I’d done. He laughed and congratulated me on quick thinking.

Me and Craig JohnsonAnother celebrity author I served on a panel with and is truly as nice as can be is Craig Johnson who writes the popular Longmire series. The room was packed, at the time not everyone knew he was and the other panelists were thrilled so many people had come to hear us. I knew exactly who drew the crowd.

Me and Wm. Kent KruegerOne of my favorite authors, a man who has won many awards, is also a friend, William Kent Krueger. Hubby and I had the honor to meet him at the Mayhem in the Midlands conference (Alas, no longer around.) He and hubby vied several times to be the best actor at the mystery dinner. It really was a test as to who was the biggest ham. Both won at different times. I ran into Kent this past year at the Manteca Book Festival.

There are many other writers of note I’ve spent some time with like being invited to sit at a Bouchercon luncheon table with Ian Rankin and his publisher and agents.

Though I’ve only mentioned authors who’ve gained a great deal of fame, I have many friends who write wonderful mysteries, so many I don’t have room to name them here.

Though I don’t have the fame or the name recognition of the above named authors, I have a new book out in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series—and it’s #13.

UnresolvedBlurb for Unresolved:

Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.

Copies may be purchased from Book and Table by emailing bookandtablevaldosta@gmail.com with a 10% discount and free shipping

Bio: F. M. Meredith lived for many years in a small beach community much like Rocky Bluff. She has many relatives and friends who are in law enforcement and share their experiences and expertise with her. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for 10 years, and was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow, April 29 I will write about the Authors Who Have Influenced me at: https://mmgornell.wordpress.com/

AUTHORS AND ARTISTS — MARILYN MEREDITH

Marilyn Meredith now lives in the foothills of the Southern Sierra, about 1000 feet lower than Tempe’s Bear Creek, but much resembles the fictional town and surroundings. She has nearly 40 books published, mostly mysteries. Besides writing, she loves to give presentations to writers’ groups. She’s on the board of the Public Safety Writers Association, and a member of Mystery Writers of America and three chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter.

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Taking What the Publishing Industry Throws at You

This is the last topic for my blog tour for Not as it Seems, and a fitting subject to end with.

When I first dipped my toes in the publishing pool, it was a much different business than it is now. This was back in the days of typewriters and carbon paper. There were only a few major publishers to go to, and every submission had to be sent in a self-addressed box with return postage inside of a larger box. A self-addressed envelope would be included too in the hope that instead of the return of the manuscript, an acceptance letter would come instead.

Small publishers began to pop up and could be found in the big Writers Digest book of agents and publishers.

As time went on, big conglomerates bought the larger publishers bringing them down to even fewer places to submit.

The Internet came along and e-publishing was born and along with it publishing on demand. What a change that made. Small publishers could compete with the bigger ones.

The birth of Amazon brought about the biggest changes of all. Some good and some not.

Many authors have become self-published mainly so they don’t have to split their income with anyone but Amazon or Barnes and Noble or one of the other online bookstores.

To bring this down to my own personal journey, my first book was accepted by a New York publisher. 2nd one turned down by that house, and I found a small press. I had several agents over the years, but none ever found a publisher for whatever they were representing. I found several small publishers on line, a couple turned out to be crooks, three died, three quit the business, I met publishers at conferences who gave me contracts. I’m with two of those now and content.

Mundania Press publishes my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series, and I met the publisher at a conference. When the former publisher decided she no longer wanted to be in the publishing business, Mundania signed me on. Needless to say, I’m happy with them.

As for the self-publishing, I’ve tried it and it’s not for me.

Writing and promoting take up enough of my time, I’m happy to leave the final editing, formatting of the book, and doing the cover to the publisher. As for the promoting, no matter who you are published by, the major part of the promotion is up to the author.

This is how I’ve handled what the publishing industry as thrown at me, and I suppose it all comes down to accepting what I’ve had to and making the best out of the rest.

I’d love to hear other’s opinions about this subject.

–Marilyn Meredith

 

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  Not as It Seems Blurb:

Tempe and Hutch travel to Morro Bay for son Blair’s wedding, but when the maid-of-honor disappears, Tempe tries to find her. The search is complicated by ghosts and Native spirits.

Character Naming Contest:

Once again, I’ll name a character after the person who leaves a comment on the most blogs.

This is the last place on my blog tour. I’ll be figuring out who won the contest and naming them on my own blog in the next few days. Keep an eye on http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/

AUTHORS / ARTISTS — MATTHEW PETERS

Dual diagnosed* from an early age, Matthew Peters dropped out of high school at sixteen. He went on to obtain a B.A. from Vassar College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. He has taught various courses in a variety of disciplines throughout North Carolina. Matthew is committed to increasing the awareness and understanding of the dual-diagnosed.

*The term dual diagnosed refers to someone suffering from a mood disorder (e.g., depression) and chemical dependency (e.g., alcohol-use disorder).

MAT 3 SMALL

 

BREAK IT DOWN

by Matthew Peters

I have a confession to make.

I can’t write a novel.

It’s true, I really can’t.

The fact that I’ve had two novels published and am working on a third does not make my confession false.

But what’s going on here?

Either I’m mad or I’m lying.

The fact of the matter is that writing a novel is a maddening prospect.

As George Orwell said, “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout with some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”

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The thing is, I doubt Orwell could write a novel. Or Dostoevsky. Or Tolstoy, for that matter.

What?

But these are some of the greatest novelists the world has ever known!

Now, you say, that Matthew Peters has certainly gone off the deep end.

What I mean is that writing a novel is too difficult to consider as a whole. There are simply too many things to keep track of, including word choice, pacing, characterization, character arcs, plot, subplots, theme, imagery, when to reveal what, how to build to a climax, how to provide resolution, etc., etc., etc.

What we writers are capable of doing is writing a single chapter or, as I like to think of it, a single scene.

And, that to me, is one of the most important things I’ve learned about writing: you just do it one scene at a time.

To do otherwise is too daunting a prospect.

Breaking things down to their component parts helps me a great deal.

Anne Lamott, in her incomparable book, Bird by Bird, admits that writing can be a daunting endeavor. She talks about how she keeps a one-inch picture frame on her desk.

Lamott says of the one–inch picture frame: “It reminds me that all I have to do is to write down as much as I can see through a one-inch picture frame. This is all I have to bite off for the time being.”

She also recalls E. L. Doctorow’s sage advice that “writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

Lamott adds, “You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice about writing, or life, I have ever heard.”

When all else fails when it comes to writing, I break it down to its most essential and smallest component: the word. One word. I use a trick I call the one word challenge. It works like this:

Open up your WIP (yes, I know, this is often the most difficult part, but trust me on this one).

Read the last sentence you wrote (not more than this, because then you’ll want to start editing and editing can be a form of procrastination if you haven’t finished a complete draft of what you’re working on).

Now, write one word you feel could come next.

Force yourself to stop with that one word.

Here’s the thing: I’ll bet you can’t stop at just one word. Just like potato chips it’s hard to stop at one.

Try this next time you’re stuck, and please let me know how it works out for you.

All the best and keep writing,

Matt

 

Book Cover

Blurb about the book:

Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, and Jesus’ purported spouse, Mary Magdalene. But what about Jesus’ siblings? What role did they play in early Christianity?

Contemporary Jesuit and renowned religious historian Nicholas Branson is about to find out…and the answer will shake the foundations of the Judeo-Christian world.

It all starts with the murder of a United States Senator in a confessional, and the discovery of a strange religious document among his possessions. At the urging of his FBI friend, Branson joins the investigation. His effort to uncover the truth behind the murder draws him into the search for an eight-hundred-year-old treasure and into a web of ecclesiastical and political intrigue.

Accompanied by a beautiful, sharp-tongued research librarian, Jessica Jones, Branson follows a trail of clues, from the peaks of the awe-inspiring French Pyrenees to the caves of war-torn Afghanistan. Along the way, shadowy powerful forces trail the pair, determined to keep safe a secret buried for centuries.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qklgNK

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1q8gsMs

MuseItUp Publishing: http://bit.ly/1l90G1B

Personal Links:
Website/Blog: www.matthewpetersbooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewPeters65
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/matthew.peters.79656

AUTHOR / ARTIST – LORIE LEWIS HAM

Lorie Lewis Ham has been publishing her writing since the age of 13 & singing since the age of 5. She worked for her local newspaper off and on for years, and in 2010 became the editor-in-chief and publisher of Kings River Life Magazine http://KingsRiverLife.com. She has also published 5 mystery novels–you can learn more about her mystery writing on her blog http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/.

KINGS RIVER LIFE COVER PHOTO

 

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WHERE WRITING WHAT I KNOW HAS TAKEN ME

My writing life has almost always followed the idea of write what you know. As a child, I made up stories about my stuffed animals, and throughout my childhood up to adult I wrote about my life, pets, and other things I enjoyed. When I made a try at my first novel I tried to write a Star Trek book–I’ve been a proud Trekkie practically since birth.

As an adult, I wrote five mystery novels, four of which featured a gospel singer, which I’ve also been since I was a kid. I also wrote for our local newspaper’s religious section. A few years ago, I returned to working for the paper and wrote about many different things happening in my small town of Reedley (which by the way is the inspiration for the town in my books, Donlyn). The final book in that series, “The Final Note,” can still be purchased on Amazon.

Roughly five years ago, I was let go at said newspaper just before Christmas due to some creative differences with the editor! At first I was devastated, but what grew out of that loss has been something amazing-Kings River Life Magazine. I started thinking about all of the things my editor had told me I couldn’t write about because no one would read it–like book reviews, theatre in our area that wasn’t in Reedley itself, music, pets and local history, and I decided to create a magazine made of all of those things! Print was too expensive so we went with online. KRL became a reality on May 29 of 2010.

KRL has grown and expanded in ways I never would have expected–probably half of our readers now are all over the world and we expanded in many areas beyond what’s local. The biggest surprise for me was the explosion of our mystery section! But again, it was a world I knew and had connections in. It is now one of our biggest and most read sections, along with pets, and local theatre. Every week we feature mystery book reviews and giveaways, and most weeks we also have mystery short stories, and throughout the month we have author interviews, interesting mystery articles, and mystery TV reviews.

Our readership now runs from 8000 to 10000 a month! This with little more than word of mouth and social media! We also have food articles, fun local history, community related articles about those making a difference in their community, a fantasy section, and a strong mental health section. Now and then we also have some going green articles, and travel. Please check us out–there is a new issue every Saturday morning with other special articles sprinkled throughout the week! And something I’m most proud of is all of the animal rescue related articles that go up every month! If you advertise with KRL, you can designate 10% of your ad fee to go to one of three different animal rescues, because it’s important to us to give back. You can find us here: http://KingsRiverLife.com. You can also “like” us Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kingsriverlife and follow us on Twitter @kingsriverlife.

This year I have a new project–but it also ties in to things I know and in a round about way to KRL–I am starting a new mystery series featuring pet and entertainment blogger Roxi Carlucci. It is set in the Tower District of Fresno, California–the heartbeat of the arts in Fresno. You can keep up with my progress on this new project by following my mystery writer Twitter @mysteryrat or checking out my blog (which has been sadly neglected since KRL, but watch for that to change) http://mysteryratscloset.blogspot.com/.

 

Thanks for having me as a guest here and letting me share my journey with you, and I hope you check out KRL!

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Publishing history-

Won a poetry contest at the age of 13
Had a song published in the Blackwood Brothers Songbook also at 13.
From the age of 13 through her late 20’s she published several poems, short stories and articles in various publications and worked for several years as a stringer for the Reedley Exponent
In 2000 published “Murder In Four Part Harmony” featuring gospel singing sleuth Alexandra Walters
2001 published “The Trouble With Tenors” featuring gospel singing sleuth Alexandra Walters
2002 published “Deadly Discrimination” stand alone mystery novel
2005 published “Out of Tune” featuring gospel singing sleuth Alexandra Walters
2007-2009 staff writer for The Reedley Exponent
2010 published “The Final Note” final book featuring gospel singing sleuth Alexandra Walters
2010 began publishing and writing for Kings River Life

AUTHORS / ARTISTS — JERI FINK

Dr. Jeri Fink was born and raised in the Big Apple, where she started writing at the tender age of eight. Her first characters were the people she saw on buses and subways. After winning her first art contest, Dr. Fink discovered photography. She learned that a photo combined with fiction was the perfect way to fuse designs of both mind and eye.

Dr. Fink has written 25 books, hundreds of articles, ran a family therapy practice, and studied the psychopathic spectrum. The Broken Books is her first thriller series merging photo insights and fiction.

JERI

 

LAST WORDS OF DEATH ROW INMATES WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR

                                       By Dr. Jeri Fink

 There’s no one on Death Row who you would like to meet in a dark alley.

They’re serial killers, murderers, rapists, and perpetrators of the most heinous crimes known to human kind. Yet many of them had a bizarre sense of humor as they faced their executions. These words were collected from various reliable sources, like the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, that keep some very strange records.

 Thomas J. Grasso – executed by lethal injection, March 20, 1995, Oklahoma. Grasso was convicted of two murders. He strangled an 87-year old woman with her own Christmas tree lights in Oklahoma and then fled to Staten Island, New York. A few weeks later, Grasso killed an 81-year old man from the rooming house where they both lived. Grasso’s last words were delivered with a smile:    I did not get my SpaghettiOs, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this . . .

 George Appel – executed in the electric chair, 1928, New York. Appel was sentenced to death for the murder of a New York City Police Officer. He took it very lightly. His last words have become legendary to people who follow those things:   Well gentlemen, you’re about to see a baked Appel.

 Johnny Garrett – executed by lethal injection, February 11, 1992, Texas. Garrett was 17 years old when he raped, stabbed, and strangled to death a 76-year old Roman Catholic Nun. Garrett claimed he was innocent to the end, defying the world:  I’d like to thank my family for loving me and taking care of me . . . and the rest of the world can kiss my ass.

 George Harris – executed by lethal injection, September 13, 2000, Missouri.  Harris killed Stanley “Hank” Willoughby with a .41 caliber Blackhawk magnum revolver. Willoughby was shot in the face and neck. The motivation? Willoughby refused to return Harris’ stash of guns. Harris’ last words said it all:     Somebody needs to kill my trial attorney.

James French – executed in the electric chair, 1966, Oklahoma. French was in prison for murdering a motorist who picked him up as a friendly hitchhiker. The “story” claims that French was afraid to commit suicide so he found another way to die – he murdered his cellmate. French had five children – Kayla, Taylan, Jayden, Jaycee, and Jaylan. His last words were delivered to the press:     How’s this for a headline for tomorrow’s paper? French fries.

 Robert Charles Comer – executed by lethal injection, May 23, 2007, Arizona. Comer and his girlfriend were camping out. Larry Pritchard was in the neighboring campsite. They invited Pritchard to join them for dinner and drinks. Later that night, Comer shot Pritchard, stabbed him in the neck, and hid his body. Comer was a lifetime criminal – with additional convictions in rape, kidnapping, and sexual assault. The press reported that he met his death with a steady gaze and defiant smile, never flinching. His last words:     Go Raiders.

 Jimmy L. Glass – executed in the electric chair, 1987, Louisiana. It was Christmas Eve, 1982, when Jimmy Glass and Jimmy Wingo escaped from prison. While on the run they entered a home in a rural area and shot the Browns – a couple in their early 50s. Jimmy swaggered to his execution, smiled, and made his final statement:     I’d rather be fishing.

 Vincent Gutierrez – executed by lethal injection, March 28, 2007, Texas. Vincent was only 18 years old when he stole a car belonging to a U.S. Air Force Captain, Jose Cobo. Gutierrez kidnapped him, and when Cobo tried to escape, shot and killed him with a handgun. Gutierrez dumped the body on the side of the highway.  His last words were said laughing, with a big smile: My brother, where’s my stunt double when you need one?

 

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The Broken Books series re-invents the art of storytelling. Dr. Jeri Fink, along with Donna Paltrowitz, has merged fiction and photography to blend fact, stories, and photo insights into six riveting novels. These one-of-a-kind thrillers, linked through genealogy, explore the world of psychopaths and their prey, trapped together in time and blanketed in fact.

Check out our website to discover the latest research about haunted family trees and psychopaths: www.hauntedfamilytrees.com

Plunge into Broken, the thriller series that merges fact, fiction, and photo insights, available in three formats.

Purchase the ebook

Purchase the print book

Purchase the Collector’s Color Editon

www.hauntedfamilytrees.com

AUTHOR / ARTIST – J. Q. ROSE

Writing, publishing, marketing and reading are J.Q.’s favorite topics to blog about. Her first e-book, Sunshine Boulevard, was released by Muse It Up Publishing in 2011. You can imagine how many things have changed in the world of writing and reading since then. She has a second mystery/romance, Coda to Murder, also from MuseItUp Publishing.

J.Q. self-published a fun short story, The Good Neighbors, and an e-book, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women, for middle grade girls. She tries and keep up with this amazing industry and all the good books available and believes the best solution is for authors to share with each other.

J.Q. Rose has been writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows her the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her grandchildren.

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                                                    The Writer’s Voice

                                                          by J.Q. Rose

Being an author in this age of exploding technology is both a gift and a curse. It is a gift because there are so many ways to get stories into the hands of readers. And it is a curse because there are so many books being published every day that an author’s story can get lost in this vast ocean of books. So, how does an author get noticed?

There are only so many plots one can write. Critic Christopher Booker maintains in his book, “Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories” that there are “only seven basic plots in the whole world and every story is a variation of these.” The seven he cites are: 1. Overcoming the Monster, 2. Rags to Riches, 3. The Quest, 4. Voyage and Return, 5. Rebirth, 6. Comedy and 7. Tragedy. Read the entire article by MICHIKO KAKUTANI  in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/15/books/15book.html?_r=0

Now as an author, this theory worries me. How does one stand out in an ocean of stories if there are only seven basic plots to write? Haven’t they all been done? What’s left for me?

I conquered the tribulation over the amount of stories published every day and the number of basic plots available simply by realizing I am unique. Each author is distinctive and will tell the same story in his/her own way.

Finding my writer’s voice is the only way to grab onto the lifesaver to rescue my books from drowning in that roiling ocean. Quirky characters, a location I know well, humor, and surprises for readers are the elements that make up my stories.

I remember Lea Schizas’ email to me when she offered a contract with MuseItUp Publishing for my first published mystery, Sunshine Boulevard. She said, “We love your voice.”

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                                                   Sunshine Boulevard

Mysterious deaths upset the Florida retirement community interfering with their seasonal activities and turning up more than dead bodies.

Who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard?  Follow Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds who annually migrate to Florida for warm sunshine, fun, and games in snow-free winters. However this season, Jim Hart, a volunteer First Responder in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge, is drawn into the investigation of the mysterious deaths. Even in the midst of the unfortunate demise of the residents on Sunshine Boulevard, the Harts try to enjoy the winter with friends. They don’t realize that their friends are getting together for their own kinds of affairs with each other. The neighbors are in a dither over the deaths, but perhaps more intrigued by the gossip about the affairs and why the naked lady was found lying in the geranium bed.

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND PUBLICATIONS BY  J. Q. ROSE

Sunshine Boulevard 

Coda To Murder

Available on Amazon

 Available on Barnes & Nobel

MuseItUp has also included Sunshine Boulevard in a book bundle of mysteries with authors Heather Fraser Brainerd, David Fraser, Sara-Jayne Townsend, and Conda Douglas. The bundle, Sirens on Death Starke Blvd, is an early Black Friday special available November 28 for $1.99. But readers can pre-order now! Price will go up on December 2. Here is a ink to the bundle: Sirens on Death Starke Blvd, Mystery Bundle

bundle of mysteries MIU

 

 

 

AUTHOR / ARTIST – RICK TALIAFERRO

Rick Taliaferro is a freelance writer and editor (TextPosit). In his spare time, he spends one hour, or one page, or 200 words per day on fiction. He recently had a novel published,           Cascades, and is currently rewriting the first draft of a new novel. Before he became the Associate Editor at Bartleby Snopes, several of his stories appeared in the journal.

rt_boat   TECHNOLOGY’S GREAT WHEN IT WORKS  by Rick Taliaferro

(This blog originally appeared on
Katie Carroll’s website at http://www.katielcarroll.com/.)

We know this phrase, usually muttered when technology is not working. But, here’s one case where it did work, usually very reliably and consistently. And I have the feeling that it’s more the general case than an isolated, personal case.

In the past several months, I’ve been thinking up ways to publicize my newly available teen/YA novel, Cascades, in addition to studying and emulating what other writers are doing to promote their publications.

A really great idea that I had was to streak a well-attended public event here in the Raleigh area, wearing just a t-shirt or carrying a sign with quick details about my novel. A friend could video-record it and post it to YouTube. Then I’d sit back and wait for the post — and sales of my novel — to go viral.

My wife thought otherwise.

“How about if I could get Justin Bieber to read it and tweet about it?” I suggested.

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Another idea that I had was to pitch the following proposal to local media here in the Raleigh metropolitan area. In a nutshell: “Local author gets first novel published, and credits current technology as helping in that achievement.” I haven’t heard from any one of the media yet, and perhaps won’t; they might rightly view my proposal as a self-serving attempt to get free publicity. Which it is. But I think there’s a broader general interest element to the proposal, which goes beyond an author’s desire to sell books, and which applies to writers today, especially aspiring writers.

So, in lieu of an appearance in local TV, radio, and newspapers, here’s what I would have covered in the hoped-for interview. And these observations are not original, nor new (some of you might call them ancient history by now), and don’t cover various other recent consumer-tech advances of which I’m an ignoramus and which you’ll notice by their conspicuous absence. But perhaps we can generalize the specific devices noted here and extrapolate their positive effect to other technological advances in this post-Guttenberg-paradigm that we’re in. I’m inviting readers of this guest blog to fill in the consumer-tech gaps that I’ve left, and note the positive effect technology has had on their writing efforts — as soon as they stop guffawing that I haven’t used them, yet.

Naturally, it’s possible that technology exerts a negative influence on one’s endeavors, such as writing, but let’s save that topic for another blog. By coincidence, there’s a thought-provoking article on this topic in the “Related articles” links below.

Alright, the technological devices which contributed to my getting published are email, the Internet, and perhaps most importantly, the e-reader, as described here. Again, please jump in with your thoughts and arguments.

  • Email

Email has improved the communications between authors and editors/publishers. The quality of the communication still depends on careful wordsmithing, but turnaround time in submitting and receiving responses has become more efficient. For sure, online journals can still take several months in which to respond to a submission, but the advent of email has enabled a more efficient submission-and-response apparatus. You’re no longer tasked with putting pages and SASEs in an envelope and posting it; neither is the editor when responding. The transmission of your submission is nearly instantaneous, as is the response (that is, the transmission after the writer or editor gets around to processing the email and clicking Send). And, though some journals still take months to respond, I think email, by its instantaneousness, has encouraged a faster response time. At Bartleby Snopes where I’m an associate editor, our usually met target for responding to submissions is 3-5 days, and usually quicker than that, even with requested feedback. Part of this response rate is because of email.

  • Internet. Several characteristics of the Internet are serving the aspirations of writers.

–   Publishing opportunities. With the increased use of the World Wide Web (WWW) — thanks to Tim Berners-Lee — came an increased number of publishing opportunities. (Probably also an increase in the competition, too, but undoubtedly an increase in opportunities.) Imagine the number of small literary magazines, of varying quality, before the WWW, and then exponentiate that number (by what factor, I don’t know, but you get the point) after the invention of the WWW. Anyone can start an online journal, more efficiently and very cheaply relative to paper-based and paper-mail-based journals. As a result, many talented and astute editors have founded such journals, to the benefit of readers who enjoy fiction and the writers of that fiction. (I’m one of those writers. My first story publication was online.) To use the example of Bartleby Snopes again, we publish eight stories a month, opening up 96 publishing opportunities for story writers and readers during a year. This number doesn’t take into account our special projects such as our annual Dialogue-Only Contest and our recent Post-Experimental Project. o   Exposure.  Another salient feature of Internet-based journals is the greater exposure afforded to the writer whose work appears online. To save space in this blog, I refer you to Jason Sanford’s essay on this characteristic, “How to Expose New Writers: Online Versus Print Magazines,” below in the “Related articles” section. (By the way, if the links are problematic, let me know, and I can provide PDFs of the linked-to articles.)

–   In addition to publishing opportunities and exposure, the underlying code that provides part of the WWW infrastructure can also provide opportunities for creative experiments in narrative form and structure. For example, in the use of linking, and forward and backward referencing. There’s lots of examples of this. My short story, “Keynote Address,” attempts to use HTML coding in several narrative places to tell the story (in one example, the story links to a description of what is generally regarded as the early example of hypertext fiction, “Afternoon”). I think the point I’m trying to make here is that with HTML, there are new opportunities for narrative form and structure, so that we can produce works that are more than just a traditional, paper-based story in an online medium. There are technical features of HTML that can serve story-telling.

  • E-readers. The advent of e-reader technology combines and extends several of the characteristics discussed above. But I think the most salient characteristic is the lower publishing costs. In the same way that a journal editor can easily and relatively cheaply start an online journal, so can a publisher of e-books and print-on-demand books. The costs for such an enterprise are higher than a small journal, of course, but much cheaper than traditional paper book publishers. With cheaper production costs and a greater number of publishers, come greater opportunities for book writers. (Here again, my first published novel is an e-book.)

So, in reading over this blog, it appears that the primary benefit of recent technological developments   is an increase in opportunities for aspiring writers. That’s true in my writing efforts. I can’t say whether I’d have been published in the olden days. Maybe, but chances were against it. However, I can say that I am getting published now, and technology gets some of the credit.

As this blog started with a common observation about technology, I’ll end it with a more general folkism that also applies to technology: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” As helpful and facilitating as technology can be in a particular project, writers still need to persevere, accept rejection and, if possible, learn from it, and above all to keep writing. That’s old school advice that’s timeless. You combine that counsel with technology, and you’ll get published.

Okay, it’s your turn to fill in the gaps. That’s right, please add your experiences with cellphones, Facebook, Twitter. All that.

Related articles:

Here are links to just several of numerous articles that provide interesting points and counterpoints to the discussion of technology in the context of writing endeavors. The last article has a broader thesis, but is relevant to the discussion.

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CASCADES by RICK TALIAFERRO

When Karen dumps Greg, he tries to keep the relationship going with a simple plan: become the kind of guy she wants. He needs to prove he’s decisive and can take initiative, qualities she admires. Not to mention he needs to read Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls for a class presentation. Middle-aged Victor arrives at the local hangout, a dam called The Cascades, giving Greg the means to succeed in the plan. Victor has a romance problem of his own, as well as a drinking problem. Greg attempts to help Victor sober up and reunite with his estranged wife, all in hopes of winning back Karen. Then tragedy strikes at The Cascades, and Greg is left to question love, the value of a life, and how he will ever finish his book presentation.

SHORT STORIES BY RICK TALIAFERRO

Buck’s Barber Shop

An Inquisition

The Underground Fort

Keynote Address

CASCADE is available ON Amazon

AUTHOR / ARTIST — HELENA FAIRFAX

Helena Fairfax was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now, and these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town on the edge of the Yorkshire moors.

Before beginning her writing career Helena studied for a degree in languages. She’s a qualified translator as well as a writer, but most of all Helena enjoys using her language skills to create strong heroines and romantic heroes. Her way with words led readers to vote one of her scenes ‘the most romantic love scene ever.’

When not writing, Helena loves walking the moors with her dog, enjoying the changing seasons, and thinking up what happens next.

Helena is the author of The Silk Romance and The Antique Love. Her next novel, A Way from Heart to Heart, is due out on 14th December 2014 – just in time for a romantic Christmas!

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The Influence of Setting

I live in Yorkshire, in the north of England, in the place known by Yorkshire folk as God’s Own County. (We don’t suffer from typical British modesty here in Yorkshire – as you can tell!)

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The Yorkshire moors have formed the setting for many novels, and most famously for Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. When people talk of the moors they often mention their bleakness. Not much grows in this wild landscape except heather, bracken and gorse. But Charlotte Brontë wrote: ‘My sister Emily loved the moors. Flowers brighter than the rose bloomed from the blackest heath for her. Out of a sudden hollow in the hillside, her mind could make an Eden. She found in the bleak solitude many and dear delights, and best loved was liberty.’

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Walking the moors every day is a big part of my routine as a writer. Here I find space and solitude; my mind can roam free, waiting for ideas to settle. As I walk, I often wonder if my surroundings have had an influence on the way I write. I like to write stories that are full of real life emotion and drama, and the dramatic landscape of the moors is a perfect reflection of that.

I haven’t always used the moors as a setting, but when I look back over my writing, I realise that some of my most pivotal scenes have taken place outdoors, in a dramatic landscape. The hero of The Antique Love, for example, is from the mountains of Wyoming, and finds himself living in London, one of the most congested cities in the world. I gave Kurt a home near one of London’s largest green spaces, in Richmond Park. In this wide, open landscape, Kurt, too, could open himself up to the heroine – something I couldn’t imagine him doing whilst walking the city’s busy streets.

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I wonder how my writing would have been if I lived in Tokyo, say, or Berlin, or any other big city. Would I still have the urge to write dramatic and wildly romantic scenes? Or would the cityscape change my writing altogether?

What do you think? Are you a writer, and do you think your environment influences how you write? When you’re reading, is there a particular style of writing that you are drawn to?

I’d love to hear your comments!

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The Antique Love, by Helena Fairfax

One rainy day in London, Wyoming man Kurt Bold walks into an antique shop off the King’s Road and straight into the dreams of its owner, Penny Rosas. Kurt certainly looks every inch the hero…but he soon brings Penny’s dreams to earth with a thump. His job is in the City, in the logical world of finance – and as far as Kurt is concerned, romance is just for dreamers.

But when Kurt hires Penny to help refurbish his Victorian house near Richmond Park, it’s not long before he starts to realise it’s not just his home she’s breathing life into. The logical heart he has guarded so carefully all these years is opening up to new emotions, in a most disturbing way…

Buy Links

Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/The-Antique-Love-ebook/dp/B00EVI6HUE/

Amazon UK www.amazon.co.uk/The-Antique-Love-ebook/dp/B00EVI6HUE/

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-antique-love-helena-fairfax/1116803364

Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-antique-love

Apple iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-antique-love/id692391079

and other retailers

You can find Helena on her blog: www.helenafairfax.com

on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7082986.Helena_Fairfax

on Facebook www.facebook.com/HelenaFairfax, or on Twitter @helenafairfax

 

Thanks so much for having me, Margaret. I’ve really enjoyed sharing my photos!

 

AUTHOR & ARTIST – THELMA STRAW

Though Thelma was born in in Massachusetts, she considers Norfolk, VA., the Outer Banks of NC and the mountains of Sewanee TN, her home training grounds. A member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, she writes novels of espionage, psychopaths and human trafficking. She is a former Executive Management Consultant, poet, dramatist and book reviewer.

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A CRY FOR THE BELOVED COUNTRY . . . . .

Few of us have dry eyes when we gaze on the stunningly beautiful site of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Pacific Arch and the Rainbow Pool, set between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, are breathtaking. . .

This incredibly moving site, a national memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the Armed Forces and labored as civilians during World War II, the 56 pillars and a pair of mall triumphal arches draw our attention and quiet thanks for all who served. . . the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Coast Guard, all fought and died to preserve our lives here now. The names are visible … of the 48 States of 1945, as well as the District of Columbia, the Alaska Territory, the Territory of Hawaii, the Commonwealths of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin islands … each a reminder of what might have been lost – had we lost the war. . . . . .

I stand in awe of this hallowed place, not only for what it represents, but for the long, deep personal memories it evokes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Those days and nights of “The War” were filled with sights and sounds that remain as long as life. . .

– The sight of the German prisoners, each no older than we were. . . imprisoned in the rear of Navy trucks on the streets around the Naval Base in Norfolk. Were those KIDS the Hated Nazis????

– Whining sounds of air raid sirens at dusk, when Civil Air Patrols roamed our quiet streets at Willoughby Beach, ordering black out curtains nightly.

– The constant we-are-at-war reminders, indefinable yet unmistakable, bombarding our inmost privacy everywhere.

– Collecting tinfoil, conserving food, keeping supplies in the kitchen closet … in case the Germans invaded. . . yes, the fears were terribly real to us on the beaches…

– Daily finding the stuff from ships and sunken submarines… washed up on our own beach … supplies of Nazi food and weapons, uniform shreds, body parts, garbage from the subs with German language stamps. . . .

– Forced shortages – especially gas for the old car. . .

– Entertaining the foreign boys at the U.S.O. dance hall. . . especially the cute French sailors…

– Everywhere, the smells and sounds of W-A-R… and the worry that an invasion would tear down our homes and lives. . .

This September 2, 2014, very few men and women who fought in World War II were able to be present at this year’s memorial service. . . the few who came could not walk on their own. . .

Our eyes were filled with tears, not of sadness but of gratitude, as we watched the sunlight on this exquisite citadel of memory, in the sacred capital of our beloved country.

God Bless America, Land That I Love. . . . .

Thelma welcomes inquires and comments at tstraw2@verizon.net and www.crimewriters.blogspot.com

ARTISTS & AUTHORS – SHELLEY FREYDONT

TODAY I welcome SHELLEY FREYDONT to PUSHINGTIME.COM. Shelley is a former professional dancer and choreographer. She most recently worked on the films, Mona Lisa’s Smile and The Game Plan. She lives near the New Jersey shore where she loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels.

Vintage Carousel

Under the name of  SHELLEY NOBLE she is the NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of the women’s fiction novel BEACH COLORS, a #1 Nook bestseller, STARGAZEY POINT, BREAKWATER BAY and several tie-in novellas, Holidays at Crescent Cove, Stargazey Nights, and Newport Dreams.

As SHELLEY FREYDONT she is the author of the CELEBRATION BAY FESTIVAL MYSTERIES (Berkley Prime Crime). And the upcoming Gilded Age Newport mystery series beginning with A Gilded Grave. securedownload                                                   SHINY THINGS  by   Shelley Freydont

In a study released last week, scientists at the University of Exeter debunked the myth that magpies steal shiny things. That in actuality unfamiliar items repel them. I could have told them it isn’t the much-maligned magpies stealing shiny things, its authors. Our literary trove is made up of found objects, situations, and characters—all manner of shiny things. See a sunset, store it away, that kid on the beach hitting his friend on the head with a plastic shovel; I could use that somewhere. The girl that just walked by with fishnets tattooed on her legs, hmm, that might come in handy. Or, the balloon drifting across the sky, I think I remember a book about a red balloon.

Authors are notorious for people watching, weather watching, listening in on conversations, smelling odors that repel others, or aromas to fall in love with . . . and write about. They are those people staring off into space or at something no one else sees, while their friends have gone into the restaurant without them or have completely lost them in a crowd.

Authors are the ultimate hoarders with files of old newspaper clippings or digital links to something interesting.

A door with the doorknob missing, there’s a story there.

The little lady dressed for winter as though it’s summer, feeding the seagulls from a paper bag. Now there’s a character.

A whistle warns drivers and pedestrians that the drawbridge is lifting, is that a fishing boat? Did they catch anything?

Really it could drive you a little . . . you know. But one day, you’re staring at that computer screen thinking—oh wait a minute, you’re not thinking; you don’t have an idea in your head. And suddenly that little boy with the shovel jumps out and starts telling you his side of what happened. And you place your fingers on the keyboard and listen.

Ah, those shiny things. BreakwaterBay PB C Breakwater Bay by Shelley Noble,  William Morrow Paperbacks Summer 2014

An abandoned baby, a glorious old Newport mansion, and awakening romance combine in Breakwater Bay, an engaging story that echoes the flair, humor, and emotional depth of Kristin Hannah’s popular novels.

Preservationist Meri Hollis loves her latest project, restoring one of Newport’s forgotten Gilded Age mansions. And with summer approaching, she’ll be able to spend more time with her Gran on the Rhode Island shore. She has a great job, a loving family and she’s pretty sure her boyfriend is going to propose on her thirtieth birthday.

But everything Meri believes about family, happiness, truth and love is shattered when her family’s darkest secret is exposed.

Thirty years before, Meri’s neighbor and friend, Alden Corrigan, took his father’s dinghy out to fish. In a sudden storm, he rushed to help a woman stranded on the breakwater. She was just a girl . . . a very pregnant girl who disappeared soon after they reached safety—But not before she left behind a very special gift.

Now that the truth it out, life will change for everyone in Breakwater Bay, and Meri and Alden will have to make decisions that could insure their future together . . . or separate them for good.

For more about Shelley, please visit her websites www.shelleynoble.com www.shelleyfreydont.com.