End of Year 2023 Recap

Happy New Year! As this year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on our accomplishments and what we want to do next. This year, I’ve checked these items off my list:

Published Star Tangled Murder, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries
Reissued all my eight backlist romance titles in new paperback editions and went wide with the e-books
Put Box Set Six up for Pre-Order
Started the process of updating Books 1-3 in my mystery series
Worked on a new WIP mystery novel tentatively titled Murder at Your Service

Basically, I accomplished most of what I’d set out to do, and any unfinished items will carry over into the new year. I’ll list those goals in a separate post.

I hope my articles have entertained you and been educational as well. I enjoy relating my adventures in dining and in exploring the area. Did you know I’d kept travel journals since my childhood? I still have them stashed in a plastic bin, and I credit this journaling with getting me started in my writing career. My cross-country trips, our honeymoon to the South Pacific, a Eurail pass adventure across Europe, and a tour of Asia are only some of the entries.

Now instead, I share my explorations with you directly. However, it’s often hard to know if anyone is reading these articles unless you leave a comment.

As a test to see who’s here, I am offering anyone who reads this post a free book as a New Year’s gift. That’s right, if you got this far, then you can go to BookFunnel to download a copy of Hair Brained, my story that starts on New Years Day. Reviews are always welcome! https://dl.bookfunnel.com/z51vot6b58

What would you like me to discuss in future topics? More writing advice? More posts about everyday life? Or a mixture of both? Please leave a comment so I know what you want and that it’s worthwhile for me to continue this blog.

Have a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year!
Nancy

Musings During the Virus

Being safe at home isn’t a hardship for a writer. We are used to long hours with our story characters as company. Many of us, during normal times, wish for more time to write our novels. However, now that we have this opportunity, it’s difficult for us to concentrate on a story in a fictional world that no longer exists.

Fortunately, I still have ten backlist titles to get online for your reading pleasure. Four of them are my former Five Star mysteries, books ten through thirteen in my Bad Hair Day series. The other six are earlier romances. My very first book, Circle of Light, features a plague that sweeps the galaxy. It’s very appropriate to today’s situation, but I want to get the whole Light-Years trilogy ready to go before hiring a cover artist. Here are the original covers from Dorchester. I’m working on book two right now. Yes, I wrote as Nancy Cane in those days.

These books, being my earliest, require heavy self-editing to bring them up to my current standards. I am, in a way, grateful for this time to work on these books. It helps me escape the reality of what’s going on outside. And when fear threatens to steal my ambition, I tell myself that these stories help other people to escape the world we’re in together.

And so you can escape, too, whether it’s through books, TV shows, audiobooks or movies. If you’ve never listened to an audiobook, now is the time. It can be soothing to hear someone read you a story. I especially like the way a good narrator does the different character voices. Or maybe you prefer doing jigsaw puzzles or have craft projects you’ve always wanted to do.

It’s important to connect with friends and relatives via phone or online chats so you talk to someone each day. This will help you feel less isolated.

God bless each one of you. I am grateful for your support and friendship which means everything to me. I’m not too inspired to write blogs these days, so you may not hear from me for a while unless I decide to republish some of my earlier posts. You can always follow me on my other social media channels until then. Or let me know what you’d like me to discuss here and I’ll do my best to comply.

Let us all get through this safely. Eventually, things will get better. Our world has seen plagues before, and we have the best scientists researching in their labs. Please stay home and be well. Feel free to offer your suggestions for keeping sane in the comments section.

If you want a free copy of Permed to Death audiobook with a 30-Day Audible trial, go here:
US – https://adbl.co/2wbqHrH
UK – https://adbl.co/3dKtrB6

Booklover’s Bench monthly book giveaway starts tomorrow. Click Here to enter April 1-18.

NOTE: My writing workshop on “Self-Publishing Made Simple” scheduled for April 25 at 2:00 pm at the Alvin Sherman Library at NSU may be moved online. Keep watch here or on the original site for more details: https://nova.libcal.com/event/6616179

Are Blog Tours Worthwhile?

Blog Tours can gain exposure for your new release on sites with a different readership than your own. If anything, readers might be prompted to go look up your book if the post piques their interest. Name recognition and exposure is the goal more so than selling books. You want to expose your work to new audiences. A blog tour can be an important tool in your marketing and book promotion arsenal.

Another huge benefit is that you’ll gain reviews. The tour hosts, if this is what they offer, may post a review on their blog sites, Goodreads, Amazon, and in some cases on BookBub.

Decide if you want to book your own virtual blog tour or if you’re rather hire a tour organizer. You can also do both if you have a list of bloggers you can approach on your own. How do you find these people to start? Check out the blog tours of authors who write in the same genre. Go to each site and look for contact information and submission guidelines. Some will do reviews. Others will offer interviews or spotlights. Begin a list of possible sites with these details, including if there’s an online submission form. If you want to cast a wider net, consider a Bookstagram tour or look for YouTube Book Vloggers or podcasters that will host you.

To arrange a virtual tour yourself, send a query to the host. Mention your book title and details, the release date, a short book description with buy links, and if you have digital or physical advance reading copies available. On your list, jot down the date when you sent this query. If you get no response and several weeks have passed, send out a reminder letter. Also note down when you get an answer and the date you send the ARC to the host. Keep meticulous records, because you’ll use the same people again for the next book if they follow through. When they do post a review or host an interview, write the date and add the link to your notes.

Once you’ve been accepted by the hosts, write your blogs. What do you write about? My advice is to scribble down topics as you are writing your work-in-progress. Subjects can relate to the research you had to do, to the writing process itself, or to the reason why you were inspired to write this book. Another popular item for a post is a character interview or a “day in the life” essay by your protagonist.

At the end of each post, put your book blurb and buy links; plus an author bio with links to your social media sites. Send an author photo and book cover along with your post to the host.

To attract readers, offer a grand prize drawing from all commenters during the tour and/or do a giveaway on each site.

Publish your tour schedule on your website and broadcast it on your social media. Create an eye-catching graphic and use it to make this an event. Post it as an event on your Facebook author page and with your Appearances on your website. Use these sites to create memes: BookBrush, https://bookbrush.com or Canva, http://www.canva.com

Be sure to show up the day of the posting on each site to answer comments. Thank the host for having you on her site.

If you’d rather hire a tour organizer, you’ll get the benefit of their network of hosts and their publicity on your behalf. You’ll also perhaps get a graphic you can use to publicize the event. Decide if you want to do guest blogs, interviews, spotlights, or reviews.

Here are some tour host companies:

Great Escapes – http://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/

Partners in Crime – http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/

Goddess Fish Promotions – http://www.goddessfish.com/

Bewitching Book Tours – http://bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com/

Xpresso Book Tours – http://xpressobooktours.com/

Historical Fiction – http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/

Enticing Journey – http://www.enticingjourneybookpromotions.com/p/welcome.html

Give Me Books – https://givemebooksblog.blogspot.com/

Audiobookworm Promotions – http://audiobookwormpromotions.com/tours/

To summarize, follow these steps:

Solicit Hosts or Hire a Tour Organizer
Decide Topics
Write Blogs
Send Posts to Hosts or Tour Organizer
Offer Prizes to Commenters or a Grand Prize for the Tour
Publicize Schedule
Thank the Hosts
Tally Results

Are Blog Tours Worthwhile? #blogging #bookpromotion Share on X

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Follow my Virtual Book Tour March 11 – 18

Booklover’s Bench Giveaway, Feb. 1 – 18

It’s our group’s anniversary at Booklover’s Bench and we’re celebrating by gifting six mysteries to one lucky winner! We founded our site in Feb. 2013, so we are seven years in the running and still going strong. You can rely on Booklover’s Bench for great reads and monthly giveaways. CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Website Updates

It’s not often that we have to update our entire website, but that’s what my designer has been doing for me. She’s switched my hosting system to Managed WordPress, changed my blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, and updated my ancient webmail to the Office 365 Email program. We’re still ironing out the kinks, but we’re getting there. I highly recommend Laideebug Digital if you’re looking to update your site.

This post is a test to see if you receive it. Let me know if you have any problems. Please re-subscribe to my blog if you got dropped in the transfer. Once I am assured this post got received as intended, I can go ahead and resume my regular blogs. So let me hear from you. Did you get this in your email inbox or by coming over to my site?

Thank You for Following

I want to offer a big Thank You to my blog followers for sticking with me through the years. You have my special gratitude if you’ve left comments, liked a post, tweeted one or shared it on Facebook. I’m especially touched when you come up to me at a conference and mention that you appreciate my blog. I send these messages out into cyberspace without knowing if anyone reads them. So it’s most gratifying to get any kind of feedback.

As a gift to you in return, I’d like to offer you the chance to win a $15 Fandango gift card, so you can see one of the latest movies. All you have to do is comment below and your name will be entered. The drawing will take place in two days.

In your comment, let me know, if you wish, what you like about this blog, what you dislike, or what kinds of articles you’d like to see more of in the future.

Meanwhile, have a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

All the best always,

Nancy

Get Started Blogging

What is a blog? And how do you start one? This past weekend, I gave a talk to a group of aspiring writers on “The Writer’s Life.” During the Q&A session, one person referred to my section on book marketing. “I don’t understand about blogs. Can you explain more about them?”

So I thought this would be a good time for a review of the principles. I’ve been blogging for over ten years. I regard it as a live journal that includes glimpses into your life such as travels, hobbies, other fun activities or musings on life in general. Plus, as a writer, you can offer tips on writing craft and marketing and share the creative process. So here are some items to consider.
Define Your Purpose.
Are you aiming to build an author platform? Do you want to be recognized as an expert in your field? To engage with readers? Or to have other writers look to you for advice? Ask yourself why you want to start a blog.
Determine Your Goals.
Do you mean to increase book sales? Gain a substantial number of followers? Attract comments on each blog? Receive requests for guest posts? What’s your benchmark of success?
Set Parameters.
How often do you intend to post? What days of the week are best? What time during the day will more people likely read your post? How long should each post be? Check your analytics as time goes on and make adjustments accordingly.
Brainstorm Topics.
While you are writing a book, jot down blog topics related to your theme, research, and writing process. These will be useful either to show your story in progress or to provide fodder for blog tours when your new release comes out. Meanwhile, determine how your content can add value to people’s lives. In what way can your personal anecdotes inspire others? Some authors set certain days for specific blog topics. For example, one day they might post recipes. Another day they might bring in a guest blogger. Or perhaps they do author interviews. Excerpts, book reviews, or trivia related to a particular hobby or personal interest might fill in other slots. I like to do conference workshop recaps. Or you can write posts as they come to you.
Acquire a Site.
When you’re ready to start, register at WordPress.com or Blogger for a free site. Or add a blog to your website. Become familiar with the features and start posting.
Link the Blog to Your Social Media Sites.
Not only should visitors be able to tweet and share each particular article, but your posts can be linked to your Twitter and Facebook pages. Check your Settings for how to enable these features or ask your Web designer to add the proper Plug-In.
What Pages Should Your Blog Site Contain?
Keep in mind that visitors to your blog, if separate from your website, might not visit you elsewhere. So consider what Pages you’ll want to have. Here are some suggestions: Welcome or Home Page; About (Bio); Appearances; Book Trailers; Books List (with series books in order); Contact (your email); Giveaways. In the sidebar, you can show your book covers, a Blog Roll with links to other authors’ sites, a Search box, a Subscribe button, Social Networking Icons, and an RSS feed button.
Include Photos in your Posts.
Photos will draw more hits, but be careful of copyright issues. Upload your own photos. Obtain photos at royalty-free sites or at least make sure you provide attribution.
Use Keywords.
Use tags with keywords and put keywords in your text to drive traffic to your site.

How to Gain Followers

Post often. Some people set themes, like “Recipe Monday” or “Guest Blogger Wednesday” or “Photo Friday.” Be consistent in your approach and keep your material current.
Have a clear and catchy headline for each post.
End your posts with a question to stimulate discussion.
Don’t use your blog solely to promote your books. You’re building a community of readers who want to get to know you, or else you are establishing yourself as an expert by offering useful material. Share new release info, reviews, and contests sparingly.
Comment on other people’s blogs.
Invite guests who have a following.
Always respond to comments and respect other people’s opinions.
On occasion, offer a prize drawing from commenters.
If you get a lot of comments on certain types of posts, steer your blog in that direction. Be responsive to readers. Note what engenders interest and what does not.
Be careful what you put out there. This is a public post. Avoid politics, religion, and any mention of personal business or issues you don’t want to share.
Always be respectful of other industry professionals.
Include links and images in your posts to raise visibility.

Index Your Blog
When your blog is a few years old, you might want to reissue an updated article. Keeping records of the topics, categories, and dates will help you retrieve these files. I suggest you write your blog in Word and save the posts by month and year. It’s imperative to keep your own blogs on your computer so you don’t lose them if there’s an online snafu. Then keep a separate file that’s an index so you can quickly search topics.
GIVEAWAYS
Goodreads Giveaway, July 6 – 20

Enter Here to win a signed ARC of Hair Brained (Bad Hair Day Mystery #14). Hairstylist Marla Vail determines to learn the truth when her best friend is hurt in a suspicious auto accident.
Booklovers Bench, July 1 – 18

Enter Here to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card from Booklover’s Bench.

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2014 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 13,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Shine On Blog Award

Thanks so much to David Fernandez for nominating my blog for the Shine On Award. David discusses writing, sports, movies, and more at his entertaining site, so stop by for a visit. Thank you, David, for the nomination. It’s always nice to know people are reading my posts!

The Shine On Award

The Shine On Award Rules

Link back to and thank the blogger who nominated you.
Post the badge on your blog.
Answer the questions posed to you.
Nominate five bloggers who shine a little light in your day and notify them.
Ask five questions for your nominees.

David’s Questions for Me

(1) Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?

I develop my characters first, and then I’ll plot the story. I write a complete synopsis before I begin writing. This acts as my guideline, but that’s not to say the story doesn’t change as I write it. When I finish the book, I’ll go back and revise the synopsis accordingly. So I am definitely a plotter. I need to know where the story is going from the start.

(2) When you’re in a rut, where do you go for inspiration?

I’ll keep working out the plot in my head until something comes through. I might talk it out with my critique partners. Sometimes you just need a sounding board. Ideas may come to me when taking a walk or in the shower. The mind relaxes and allows a new connection to come through. It’s important to acknowledge these roadblocks as part of the writing process and to have faith that you’ll get through them like you do each time.

(3) What writer, living or deceased, would you compare your work to the most?

My work has been compared to Janet Evanovich for her humor. However, the humor in my mysteries is more wry and less slapstick. Also, my books are whodunits while hers are more adventures at heart. Jill Churchill’s humorous series is what first inspired my mysteries so my books could be compared to her Jane Jeffry stories with the funny titles. There are many other humorous cozy writers out there whose work has a similar tone. As for my romance series, Alyssa Day comes to mind for her Warriors of Poseidon series.

(4) What is your story writing process?

For a mystery, I decide on the victim and then determine the suspects. I’ll do character development sheets at that point to help me figure out each character’s possible motive. Preliminary research is done at this stage too. When I have these elements in my head, I write a synopsis. This acts as my writing guideline although the story might change. For a romance, I develop the main characters and then the plot. After the synopsis is finished, I put myself on a writing schedule of five pages a day. Once the book is done, I do several read-throughs for line editing, consistency, repetitions, and smoothness.

(5) What is your blog writing process?

When I get an idea, I’ll either jot it down or write the entire blog at that time. When I’m working on a book, I may note possible blog topics to use later on when I’m doing a blog tour. I don’t have set dates when I blog except on The Kill Zone, where I am a regular contributor every other Wednesday. I encourage reader feedback on my blogs.

And I nominate

Mudpies and Magnolias for the writing life by Maggie Toussaint: http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/
Terry’s Place for tips and strategies on writing by Terry Odell: http://terryodell.blogspot.com/
Scams & Cons for updates on scams by Terry Ambrose: http://terryambrose.com/category/scams/
Hasty Tasty Meals for easy-to-make recipes by Cheryl Norman: http://chefcheri.wordpress.com/
It’s Not All Gravy for life’s absurdities by Maryann Miller: http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/

My questions for the nominees are

What genre do you read for fun?
Do you revise as you go along or wait until your first draft is done?
What advice would you give aspiring authors?
Do you have beta readers and who are they?
What’s an interesting item you’ve researched for your current work in progress?