Saving Scott's Official Debut

As I write this, I'm getting ready to leave town for the LA Marathon. However, due to the miracles of the Internet, the race will be over and I'll be heading home when you're reading this.

Today (Monday, that is—not Thursday when I'm writing it!) marks the official debut of Saving Scott as a Nook First special. This link is to the Nook First page, and I can only hope that Scott will be there for all to see.

I put the book up for sale last week—it went live late Wednesday. As I mentioned, it's exclusive to Barnes & Noble for 30 days. After that time, I'll be offering at the other e-book stores. But for now, you can get it here. And if you don't have a Nook, you can download the Nook apps here.

And, if you'd like to read an excerpt, you can find one here.

In an earlier post, I mentioned formatting, and gave some tips. However, there's a caveat. The software that the various sites use can still create glitches. So when you read an e-book, remember that the author might not have been "lazy" or "sloppy" in the formatting. Sometimes it's out of our hands. The folks at Barnes & Noble were very helpful when I reported things that didn't look right, despite my having everything formatted per their instructions. It was a special perk of the Nook First program, since they want the book to look its best, too.

Winners All Around

Thanks for your patience, everyone. John Sharpe's winners are Karen C. and Janet Kerr. Contact John at sharpewrites (at) gmail (dot) com to make arrangements to claim your books.

And a HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS to Nicole who finished the LA Marathon with a personal record of 4:09:12

Way to go, all.


Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.

Friday Field Trip - Around the Block

As you read this, I'm on my way to Los Angeles. I won't have much Internet access until I'm home again on Tuesday.

Last Saturday, Hubster walked around our block. I asked him (very nicely, of course) if he'd mind taking pictures, as I was busy with getting everything done for my upcoming trip and book release. Here's what he saw. (Note: Sunday morning, it snowed --Welcome to Springtime in the Rockies!, and everything looked totally different.)

Remember to leave a comment on John Sharpe's Tuesday post for a chance to win his book.

What's in a Website?

What I'm reading: Winterkill, by C.J. Box

Don't forget: leave a comment on Tuesday's post for a chance to win a copy of NO MORE BULL.

First - the big news. SAVING SCOTT is now live at Barnes & Noble!

I'm on my way to Los Angeles for a family visit and to cheer my daughter on in the LA Marathon. I've been busy trying to migrate my website, although it's still very much a work in progress and following links will take you to my old site for some things, my new site for some others.

What's important to me in a web site?

First, it needs to be a place where people go for information, not entertainment. So, no animated graphics, no bouncing text, and no music. (I'll say that again. NO Music.) People browsing the web might be doing so late at night with others asleep, or they might be listening to their own music. If, for some reason, you do want music on a website, at least have it default to off and let the reader decide to turn it on.

Readability. For me, that means a dark text on a light background, and uncluttered pages. I simply can't read those white-on-black sites, and unless it's of vital importance that I do so, I simply navigate away.

Ease of navigation. If someone is looking for something, it should be clear where they have to look.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Tandoori Chicken

Don't forget to leave a comment on John Sharpe's post (Tuesday's) to be entered in his giveaway.

Tandoori Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients:
3/4 c. Greek yogurt
1/4 c. water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T Indian tandoori spice mix
1 T dried fenugreek leaves**
1/2 t salt
2 T lemon juice
1 T vegetable oil
6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs

Lemons wedges and sliced onions for garnish

Instructions:
Combine everything but the chicken in a large bowl, and mix well. Add the chicken, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400. Let most of the marinade drip off, and place chicken on a lightly greased roasting pan. (I used the non-stick aluminum foil). Bake for 20-30 minutes. Switch the oven to broil, and broil 5 minutes, turning and basting halfway through.

**Note: I didn't have fenugreek leaves. I didn't even have powdered fenugreek, but it smells like cumin, so I added about 1/2 tsp cumin instead.

Serve with rice, and garnish with the lemon and onions.

Like this post? Please share by clicking one of the links below.

The Law and Order Approach to Writing Fiction

Today I welcome John Sharpe blogging about how Law and Order helped mold his writing. John is a Colorado native whose family lineage includes lawmen, ranchers, miners and businessmen - with a couple school teachers thrown in for balance. He spent many years in the magazine business and retired as managing editor of The Texas Longhorn Trails. He writes mysteries set in the mountains and ranchlands of Colorado.

John will be giving away two copies of his book (choice of print or digital) to randomly selected commenters. As always, you have until Friday to post your comments, and winners will be announced here over the weekend. (I might be late because I'll be in LA cheering on my daughter who's running the LA Marathon that weekend.)

I consider Law and Order (I’m talking the long running TV program here) a good learning tool for writers. I wrote for magazines for years while reading from one to three works of fiction every week and secretly wishing I was writing those instead of about the worries of hoof rot, wonders of artificial insemination, how to build an electric fence or reporting on current livestock market conditions. When I retired to finally write mysteries I realized I didn’t know how. I had read hundreds of books but studied none of the techniques that allowed me to enjoy them. So before I could write I had to learn how.

I started by doing what I always did before I got a computer that I didn’t need to crank and discovered Google, I went to the library. If I found a how-to book I liked by someone that seemed to know what they were talking about and had the credentials to back it up I would buy a copy so that I could highlight and write notes in the margins. I ended up with twenty-two of them. I know; they’re sitting on a shelf behind me and I just turned around and counted. The second thing I did was join Pikes Peak Writers based in Colorado Springs, attended many of their seminars and their wonderful annual conferences.

I learned today’s reader wants you to start off with a bang. Get their attention. Keep the pace moving to retain the reader’s interest. Provide red herrings to keep them off guard. Add surprising plot twists. Don’t write down to the reader, but avoid terminology that is too specialized without some explanation. Develop believable characters and provide them with dialogue that sounds like real human beings. A sonsabitch should sound like a sonsabitch and not Aunt Tillie at a pot luck. And don’t forget - show don’t tell.

It's Still a Marathon, not a Sprint

What I'm reading: Open Season by C.J. Box

The rest of this month is going to be very busy for me. My daughter, Nicole is running in the LA Marathon. For those of you familiar with the area, the race starts at Dodger Stadium and finishes by the Santa Monica Pier. Feel free to show up anywhere along the route and cheer her on. She'll be wearing bib # 6580. I'll be flying out with her, and visiting my parents. Then, after I get back, I'll have a few days before I leave for Left Coast Crime in Sacramento.

And because I have marathons on my mind, I thought it would be a good time to revisit my e-publishing philosophy: It's a marathon, not a sprint.

I've seen countless people playing with pricing, frantically scheduling books for free, doing everything they can to get their books noticed in the rankings. (And we're talking primarily Amazon here, since they're still the 500 pound gorilla for most indie publishers)

They're tweeting, begging for everyone else to tweet that their books are free, or on sale. They're posting on countless Facebook groups that have turned into nothing more than "buy my book" sites. Since telling me to buy your book doesn't entice me to buy it, I figure others feel the same way.

While I agree that it's important to keep one's name out there, I'm more of the tortoise in this race. I've played the Twitter game and seen my sales go … nowhere. Now, true, who knows how many people have added samples to their e-readers, but I've yet to see a sales spike after a Tweet-a-thon.

Friday Field Trip - English Birds

One of my critique partners thought he'd share birds he sees where he lives--which is England. The one on the feeder was taken in Ireland, which is close enough. (OK, the last one isn't really a bird, but even though Steve is a computer programmer, he does have a sense of humor.) Thanks to Steve Pemberton for sending them. I'm sure some of you out there have been places and taken pictures. Would love to see them. And remember, your own back yard is "somewhere else" to the rest of us.

(Yes, there are birds here--anyone know what kind they are? The location is a clue)

Nook First or Amazon Select

On March 19th, SAVING SCOTT officially joins the Nook First program. Why did I decide to pursue this route, especially for those of you who read my post about why I didn't join the Amazon Select Ranks. Why the change of heart?

First, it's not really a change of heart. The two programs aren't the same. Amazon Select is open to anyone who signs up. The perks? You can list a book for free for up to 5 days in a given time period. People who belong to the "Prime" program (it's fee-based) can borrow your books, and when they do, you get paid. On the flip side, you can't sell your book anywhere but Amazon—not even through your website—for 90 days. If your books are for sale elsewhere, you have to remove them.

The Nook First program also requires exclusivity, but for 30 days, not 90. It's not open to anyone. You have to ask to be a part of the program, and participation is limited, so you're not in "competition" with countless other books. You get an assigned 30 day period. Also, it's for books that have never been published elsewhere. (Hence the name "Nook First")

Since SAVING SCOTT is a new book, I asked about Nook First. What I discovered, and the tipping point for me, was that Barnes & Noble actively promotes your book during that 30 day period. Among other things, their current agreement says they will place your book on their storefront, and include your book in email campaigns. Their website has a special "Nook First" page where your work will be on display, and not with dozens and dozens of others.

And, a well-known successful author's experiences with both Kindle Select and Nook First helped me make my decision. This is what she had to say:

I've done both the Nook First and Kindle Select programs. My take…Nook First was fabulous! BN really delivered as far as pushing my title and giving it great visibility. I more than doubled my BN income that month. I did get a few grumbles from the Kindle and iTunes folks who had to wait, but most were fairly okay with waiting 30 days. And they did have the option of downloading the free Nook app and reading the book on another device - which I know several people did. This is a program I would definitely do again in the future.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Lemony Sugar Cookies

Thanks so much to Abigail for showing us how important it is to get out of our personal comfort zones and do what we love.

The heroine of my new Pine Hills Police book, SAVING SCOTT, is trying very hard to open her bakery, "Confections by Ashley." As part of the book, I'm including recipes for some of her creations. Here's a sneak preview of the scene where today's recipe is mentioned. (The recipe follows)

"We're not here to speak ill of the dead," Maggie said. "We should be celebrating her life."

Jennifer reached for another cookie and held it aloft. "She did make excellent lemon sugar cookies."

"That she did," Maggie said.

"Would she have killed herself over a man?" Ashley asked.

Jennifer shook her head. "Not her style. She'd find another one. Or two."

The door chimes tinkled. Jennifer devoured another cookie. "I'd better get out front."

After Jennifer left, Maggie tutted. "That girl. She's excellent in the shop, but she does have an overdeveloped penchant for the dramatic."

Ashley refrained from saying anything about Maggie's own penchant for knowing what was going on. After all, that's why Ashley was here. "I agree about focusing on the good at a time like this, but don't you think we should share what we know about Felicity with the police? It might help them figure out why she died sooner."