Naked Alliances Coming Out of the Closet

Not reading. Not writing. Lying in wait. In a place of limbo. With nothing much to do.

I have a couple of new beta readers. A man who works with the rocket scientist wants to read, and a nice lady in the Caribbean who has written a crime fiction book. That brings the total to twelve.

I threw the net wide. A dozen opinions. I won’t be taking anymore. I thank you all for your participation!

I took two more readers because two potential readers, a male and a female, have said the book is not for them, and that’s okay. It is not a book for everybody. I knew that going in. Everybody who has provided feedback loves Brandi, she’s a kick arse companion. (She’s been compared to Chablis in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.) Richard is a likable character and the Dragon Lady is despicable.

Those are three things I wanted to accomplish with book one. Most have found it thoroughly enjoyable, a few have called it, “A great read,” and all who have read said it was entertaining and they liked it.

With two ones (I’m assuming because they could not read), and four solid fours, and two fives, my average for this book sits at 3.5 and I just don’t think that’s good enough. But, if I drop the two who could not read, it sits at 4.3 and that might be worth publishing.

Several mentioned that they enjoyed the characters enough to want to read more and would love to read the next book in the series, so that’s a big positive!

There were no plot hole, continuity or plausibility issues that couldn’t be easily resolved. Very minor things that just make the read a bit better. Nothing requiring any major rewrites.

We’ll see what the next four say based on the editing. I am also taking into consideration that these readers are not typical of Florida regional crime fiction audience. Only one reads it regularly. (Even though he was one of the fives.)

The edits have been done based on eight reader’s feedback and there are four more to go.

Most all of the narrative slang has been pulled out and put into dialog.

I reread it over the weekend with all of the fleshing out and editing and my only problem is that the things that seemed funny when I wrote them don’t amuse me anymore and sometimes they seem silly and trite, but I wonder if that’s because I already know the outcome. It’s hard to go back and read your own laughs. There are parts that seem tacky, even offensive. But my husband also reread it and he was laughing out loud.

I am not nearly as clever as some of the wacko regional Florida authors I have read, but in many ways I feel it is better than some.

Here is an interesting observation to leave you with: Most of the men liked the nudity in the story and wanted to see more references to it and most of the women said it was distracting and sort of pulled them out of the story.

So that’s a wrap on where we are with Naked Alliances today.

I should have the final wrap up next week.

Never Too Old To Fall In Love

I am going to get really personal here, and I am glad to share. This week has been lonely. The Rocket Scientist has been in Boston all week and spent the weekend in South Florida working on the boat. When you have someone you love in your life every day and that person is gone…well, things seem gloomy.

He makes me laugh every day and sings to me songs he recalls from the seventies and then some. His chronic jokes and puns make me roll my eyes but I giggle inside. He’s quite a comedian. He’s traveled the world and speaks three languages. Reads two or three books a week and works math problems I don’t even understand the symbols for. He loves art and music. A real Renaissance Man.

We have been together for eight years and celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary October 3^rd.

It is sometimes difficult for me to recall a life without him. He is sensitive to my needs and the feelings of others, very gregarious, humble and warm.

We talk about everything from spirituality to current events. More than that, we both listen. He’s a great conversationalist. We’ve been from the oceans to the mountains together. I could not imagine life without his support. He encourages my writing and everything it encompasses.

I was twelve years single when we met and fiercely independent. I had made my own way, raised a family, had a professional career, and bought my own home. Marriage was the last thing on my mind. We had both signed onto a dating service, Great Expectations.

We had both had bad experiences with dating services…had ended up spending entire days and evenings with people we just didn’t click with. It broke the boredom of living alone, but got us into awkward situations with others. So we agreed to meet at a coffee shop.

We ended up talking for four hours, about everything. I loved his seafarer’s look with the graying beard and when he said he had a boat I knew we would be great friends. I grew up on the Chattahoochee River and spent the fondest days of my youth on a boat. He loved my snakeskin stilettos and complimented my pretty feet and soulful green eyes.

We fell in love that day.

Then he said, “I’ve enjoyed your company and I would like to go out again on a real date, but I need to be totally honest with you. I am over fifty, bipolar, a recovering alcoholic, and technically still married.” (Seriously? That was enough to scare anyone away, but he was straightforward and honest. I respected that.)

I told him very quickly that I did not date married men. He insisted the marriage was for paper purposes only and they had been legally separated for two years. I wasn’t dealing with it.

I had a rule. I did NOT date married men. After all…he could not possibly have closure on that relationship, nor had he had opportunity to explore others in my mind…he was not ready. (I decided.) He left me his number in case I changed my mind.

He says I broke his heart.

I was upset with the dating service and thought he had lied on his profile where it said “Never Married”, but they assured me that it was their fault, not his. They had recently updated their website. He had originally said “Separated” and someone at the dating service had keyed in “Never Married” by accident.

So I called him.

We gave each other a chance.

No regrets!

The rest is history. And it has been a wonderful history.

We still talk. We still hold hands. We still hug every day and say I love you. Forever and always!

 Happy Anniversary, Honey!

 Gregory Dymas Nicholls

I love you!

The ten most valuable writing tips I’ve received

Great tips for any writer. Keep writing, keep reading, edit carefully, and keep your chin up.

Suffolk Scribblings

 

The internet is full of advice on how to write and it can be confusing and contradictory at times, especially when you are starting out. This isn’t because people like to give false advice but because each writer – and their writing process – is different. However, out of all the good advice I’ve received, these are the ones that have worked best for me. I hope by sharing them they will be of some help to you too.

1. Allow yourself to write poorly

Some days I find writing easy, some days it’s as if the language centre of my brain has decided to go on vacation, leaving my fingers to fend for themselves. However, even if I’m having one of the latter days I still write. It may be painful at the times, even more horrific when I read it back, but at least I have something on the page to work with…

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Fall at the Cabin Near Asheville

This has been a wet week, but at least it has cooled down a bit. While Florida is perpetually green season by season, there is a bit of a weather change with the nights cooling down to tolerable temperatures. It makes me nostalgic and makes me miss the changing of the seasons. Fall is magical. These are pics from last year.

We are blessed to be able to retreat to an Appalachian mountain cabin in North Carolina, complete with a huge stone fireplace in the center. It’s in the Pisgah National Forest. It’s not much of a cabin, needs lots of work, but it’s a nice getaway. This is the rocket scientist on the ground with his friend working on the roof. Just wish we had more free time to travel.

The cabin is about ten miles from Waynesville, just outside of Canton, near Asheville. It is three miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The winding road is dotted with waterfalls. Many smaller ones spring out of the side of the mountain and run across the narrow, winding roads. This is a larger waterfall, Looking Glass Falls, on the Pigeon River just south of the cabin on Cruso Road.

There is a slippery mountain river stone down the road where swimmers gather year around for the challenge, but we weren’t brave enough to try it.

 

The river meanders through the mountain passages around boulders and under fallen trees.

The fall colors set the mountains on fire this time of year. This is the view off the porch of the cabin.

 

Waynesville has neat little shops where you can pick up local art without paying the Asheville prices.

Decorative hand carved gourds.

Raku pottery: Watching the artists fire the pottery at night is a fantastic experience. The fire pit glows red and orange. It’s not painted. The colors leach out of the minerals in the clay when fired. We always pick up something from the Rock Shoppe, geodes or crystals.

The people are friendly and the community has a folksy feel to it.

This is about the closest I’ll get to an autumn posting. I look forward to my blogging friends sharing the sights, sounds and smells north of us this season.

 

 

Enjoy the fall leaves.

Does your community transition with the seasons?

How do you get your fall fix?

New Review: Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast

I have to share this with you! One of our WordPress authors has made the “Big Time” in an unlikely manner. A scholarly, academic book reviewed by “Playboy”.

Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings

Forgive me for sharing another review of Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast (along with the companion volume, Cultural Encyclopedia of the Penis). I value the reviews from academics so much, and I’m happy to see it has received great reviews from scholars. I hope they continue. But I’m thrilled to see this book also receive mass-market attention, as in really mass market, as in Playboy. I write academic history books and reference books; my books are typically reviewed in academic journals and more specialized sites. So I’m going to take my few moments of almost-fame and share this review with you.

“Readers of this magazine may be forgiven for thinking they know a thing or two about body parts. But with two new volumes, Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast and its companion, Cultural Encyclopedia of the Penis, publisher Rowman & Littlefield shows there’s always more to…

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100 Reasons to Celebrate Being Over 50

This just says it all for me! If you are over fifty you’ll get them all right away and if you’re not, you’ll know what to look forward to. 😉

Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce

1. We can truly appreciate the wisdom of our parents.
2. “Because it’s in” is no longer a motivating force to make a purchase.
3. We know the difference between being fat and being shaped different than the cool kids grandmas.
4. We have a true appreciation for the ‘cut and paste’ feature on our word processors that those who didn’t experience typewriters will never know.
5. We were able to stop carrying dimes in our shoes and (later) quarters in our bras in case we had to make an emergency call.
6. We understand the concept of ‘groovy.’
7. 
8. We now know that cute, pretty, handsome, and beautiful can co-exist with wrinkles.
9. We get that more hair, longer hair, is not necessarily better. To borrow some real estate jargon it’s all about location, location, location!
10. Our bullsh*t detector has incredible range.
11. Sympathy can be effectively conveyed with a heartfelt look because they know we get it.

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Introducing: His Name Was Ben

From the award winning best selling author of “The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap” and new book, “His name was Ben” by Paulette Mahurin

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

My book just went live on Amazon paperback and Kindle for anyone interested in reading it. As with The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap profits are going to rescue dogs.

AMAZON REVIEWS:

5.0 out of 5 starsThis book offers many gifts to the reader.September 22, 2014

ByLorna Lee

Format:Paperback

Mahurin, who wrote the wildly successful and award-winning “The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap,” has done it again! She is an adept writer who knows how to create complex characters living complicated lives, tugging the reader into the world she creates. The details and dialog ring so true that I felt I was in the story with them, often forgetting that I was reading. Paulette Mahurin’s writing is that good!This time, we’re drawn into the intimate lives of two cancer patients. It’s clear Paulette used her medical background and extensive research because the sections on the types of cancer…

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Not Too Late to Give Your Support

This won’t take but a second. No obligations. Nothing to buy. Show your support for an author.

Legends of Windemere

There’s still 11 days left to reach the goal of 100 supporters.  We’re at 44 and it’s been that way for the last 2 days.  So I ask again for people to click on the picture below and give their social media support for Legends of Windemere!

Also, please spread the word to others and let’s see if we can meet that October 4th goal.

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***** All Hallows at Eyre Hall ***** Kindle Countdown Deal

I have not read this yet, but loved Jane Eyre and am really looking forward to it. Now is the time to buy!

Rereading Jane Eyre

I write novels, and I publish novels without the support of an agent or publisher, so I am a self-published author.

That means I do not write only for my own personal pleasure: I write for others.

In other words, I write, and research, and rewrite, and edit, and proofread, and format for kindle, and do all the paperwork involved, and commission a book cover, and publicise, and promote… because I’d like other people to read my novels.

We all know how hard it is to get noticed ‘out there’ in the immense universe of self-published and Publisher-published ebooks and print books.

So I’ve decided to try to make my book more visible and more attractive by taking part in a Kindle Countdown Deal, which will give readers the incentive to buy a low-cost book by an unknown author.

The USA Countown Deal runs from 22dn to 28th September, when it can be purchased for 0.99 cents.

The UK countdown offer…

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Sisters In Crime Blog Hop

I’ve been considering joining a writers’ organization. I have looked around at several that have chapters in Florida. Now that I have gotten fairly comfortable with the crime fiction genre, I am looking seriously at one in particular that has a stellar reputation for providing both support and assistance to both seasoned and newbie authors. Anyone interested can click here for the Sisters in Crime website.

Sisters in Crime formal mission statement:

“Sisters in Crime (SinC) is committed to helping women who write, review, buy, or sell crime fiction. Our ultimate goal is to become a service organization to address issues of concern to everyone involved in the mystery field.”

What they offer:

• Our inSinC, the Sisters in Crime Quarterly
• Our monthly SinC Links— a digest of “news you can use” about the mystery business
• An interactive map to find our authors — Find a SinC Author
• Sisters in Crime listserv, including special guests on “Mentor Mondays”
• Regional chapters, including The Guppies, a support and critique group for unpublished writers
• Discounts for Members – Gotham Writing Workshops and Writers’ Police Academy currently — Special Offers
• A link on our website link to titles by Sisters in Crime authors via WorldCat, a global catalog of library collections
• An institutional presence at national and regional book events, mystery conferences and festivals with opportunities for individual author participation and/or distribution of promotional materials
• An on-going mystery review project that monitors media coverage of female and male authors, the Monitoring Project
• Our blog written by board members and other distinguished SinC members
• Reports from our annual publishers summit
• Networking, mentoring, and fun!

 

I’ve looked around their website and I am impressed with the hands-on support they offer: there are clinics and workshops, seminars and conventions all over the country. Open to men and women, members can meet various law enforcement and public service officers, try on fire-fighter attire, meet and practice with forensics experts, study and learn together from a variety of resources.

They are huge and very well established representing authors and writers in everything from gritty, hard-boiled crime fiction to cozy, humorous, mysteries. You don’t have to be published yet to be a member. And the dues are reasonable.

I was recently tagged by a member, Sue Coletta, to participate in the SinC blog hop. Sue has written three novels, short stories, and long ago, children’s books.  Her biggest passion has always been crime fiction. She gravitates toward longer works like thrillers, suspense, and mysteries rather than flash fiction or short fiction.  However, she has penned a few short stories that might interest you.

You can find her Murder Blog here. In her crime writer blog, you can expect to find musings on life, novel excerpts, short stories, writing tips, research, and anything and everything in between.

Sue is a proud member of Sisters In Crime. She also is co-administrator and contributor to Prose & Cons on Blogger, an authors blog with twenty-four (and counting) traditionally published authors.

The blog hop runs through September. Here’s how it works. Pick one or more of the following and answer to the best of your ability. I picked three.

There are seven questions offered in the blog hop: 

• Which authors have inspired you?
• Which male authors write great women characters? Which female authors write great male characters?
• If someone said “Nothing against women writers, but all of my favorite crime fiction authors happen to be men,” how would you respond?
• What’s the best part of the writing process for you? What’s the most challenging?
• Do you listen to music while writing? What’s on your playlist?
• What books are on your nightstand right now?
• If you were to mentor a new writer, what would you tell her about the writing business?

 

I chose three:

Which authors have inspired you?

 

I have been inspired by so many. Faye Kellerman and Sue Grafton are two female crime writers I admire. They truly have made a mark in the male dominated field. Kellerman’s husband, John, and Michael Connelly are also favorites.

I am particularly fond of regional Florida authors Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen. Dorsey writes some of the most clever, comedic crime fiction I’ve ever read. I’m crazy about Serge and Coleman. Hiaasen has a knack for both adult and YA, with crazy characters like Skink. I also like how he works conservation efforts into his books.

Another fairly new indie author who writes Florida regional fiction I admire is Tim Baker and his character Ike. I’m impressed with his work and think he deserves a following to rival that of Dorsey and Hiaasen. Randy Wayne White is not so amusing but I love the Florida history and sense of place he writes into his crime fiction.

 

What’s the best part of the writing process for you? What’s the most challenging?

 

As a process, I love when the story gels in my head, when details start coming together and the characters begin to talk to me.

 

The most challenging thing for me is that I don’t type. Yes, I have written two novels and hundreds of thousands of words one key at a time. Unbelievable, I know, but I wasn’t of the keyboard generation. I don’t even text and can’t understand the attraction when you can actually speak to someone.

 

If you were to mentor a new writer, what would you tell her about the writing business?

 

Never give up on yourself. You have to be your biggest fan and believe in yourself. Write, rewrite, revise and then write some more. READ EVERYTHING. Sift through all of the so-called rules and see what applies to you and what doesn’t. Then surround yourself with wonderful, supportive people in the book business and share. Get beta readers and mentors, lend a hand. It’s truly a wonderful experience. Yes, it is work, but it is filled with reward and promise, if you never give up on yourself.

 

The Sinc blog hop requires that I pass the torch and I have tapped the lovely Marie Ann Bailey, another Florida writer who has her own brand of crime fiction in the works with three merry, or not so merry, widows. Marie is a writer, living with three cats, more yarn than she can knit up in a lifetime, with a dear husband who doubles as her best friend.

 

KNOCK ‘EM DEAD MARIE!

 

tags:

#SinCBlogHop

www.sistersincrime.org/BlogHop