And We Weren't Even At The Waldorf!

Years ago, Waldorf Salad was a staple at our holiday dinners.  It was made by a former family member and it was really nice.  But since she's no longer a part of my family, I've had to do without.

Until this week.

My mother-in-Law presented me with a fruit basket for Christmas. As most of you know, I'm not a real fruit fan, but I also hate to waste good food.  So I gave away the oranges and wondered what I should do with the apples, grapes, and pears.

Pears are a no brainer.  We often eat them sliced with our dinner.  We're fond of Empire apples, but not Red Delicious, and guess what kind of apples came in the basket?

So I thought--why not make a Waldorf Salad?

I got on the Internet, found a recipe and within about 15 minutes had whipped up something delish for our dinner.  (Lucky I had all the ingredients on hand, eh?)

I've still got four more apples, but no more grapes (and they're not cheap this time of year).  Aha!  You can substitute raisins for grapes.

Guess what I'm making this weekend?

What's your favorite fruit recipe?

Substitutes

I love to bake, but I don't like the calories.  So when I bake, I often substitute the oil in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce.  (And just WHY would anyone WANT to sweeten applesauce?  It's already sweet!!!)

For Thanksgiving, I baked a very rich carrot cake.  Because it was the first time I used that recipe, I decided to make it as directed--with a full cup of oil.  It was pretty darn good.  For Christmas, I made the same cake, only this time I substituted the oil with applesauce.


How did it turn out?

Pretty good.  A bit moister, but other than that it was still a very good cake.

I noticed that my local grocery store is now selling a prune mixture, which can be used as a substitute for oil, and I'm going to buy some and try that in a recipe some time soon.  (While I contemplate going on a diet and putting all baking on hold for some time.)

What ingredient have you substituted in a recipe?
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It doesn't cure the common cold, but it helps . . .

Not only did Santa bring me a lot of wonderful presents (cookbooks!!!), but he also brought me . . .
A STINKING COLD!!!!

I haven't had a cold in several years.  As colds go, this one isn't too bad.  On the misery scale of 1 to 10, I'd say I'm only at about 6.5.  But I'm sure it would be much higher if it wasn't for my neti pot.

If you've never used one, it can be . . . kind of disgusting.  Like when you were a kid and went swimming and water got up your nose when they made you dive into the deep end.  Ick!  Only this is kinda worse. You're actually rinsing your sinuses and cleaning them of germs and other crud. 

One of the worst things about having a cold is waking up in the middle of the night and NOT being able to breathe.  I got through the night just fine (except for Fred, who wanted to chase Bonnie around at 3 am, but we won't go there.)

Have you ever used a neti pot?  What's your best home remedy for the common cold?

Did Santa Bring You An E-Reader For Christmas?

Good grief, a blatant commercial for my work.  Well, can you blame me?  I've been trying to find an audience for my not-so-famous names.  Before the Booktown Mysteries were published, there was The Jeff Resnick series and a few short stories that never made print.  They all found new life as e downloads.  And guess what?  The two Jeff novels are on sale at Smashwords right now -- 25% off as part of the Backlist eBooks Tis Still The Season Holiday sale.  (Click that link to find the coupon codes for lots of great books by traditionally published authors.)  The sale is in effect through January 1st.

One cavaet:  Except for We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert, these books/stories are NOT cozy mysteries.  The Resnick stories are psychological suspense with a paranormal undertone (he's a teensy bit psychic).  Short stories An Unconditional Love and Prisoner of Love are kinda/sorta romance.  But if you like the Booktown Mysteries, which are heavy on characterization, there's a chance you'll like all these stories, too.

Murder on the Mind

Jeff Resnick hardly knew his well-heeled half-brother. But after suffering a fractured skull in a vicious mugging, he reluctantly accepts the fact that he has a long and brutal recovery to face—and his closest of kin can provide him with the time and place to do it.

Now, Jeff is haunted by unexplained visions of a heinous crime—a banker, stalked, killed, and eviscerated like a ten-point buck. When Matt Sumner’s murder is discovered, a still-recovering Jeff realizes this was what he had seen. Jeff must not only convince himself of his new-found psychic ability, but also his skeptical brother Richard Alpert. Since Sumner was Richard’s banker, both brothers have a stake in finding out what happened. With Richard’s reluctant help, Jeff’s investigation leads him to Sumner’s belligerent family and hard-nosed business associates, none of whom want him snooping around.

When Jeff discovers a second victim, he knows he must relentlessly chase his quarry even if it means risking his brother’s life.
"This is a high-powered drama filled with interesting characters that add dimension to a tightly paced story with a good kick at the end." --Romantic Times

Kindle
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Smashwords      Coupon Code:  HQ64W

(Where's the 2nd Jeff Resnick book, Dead In Red?  Right now it's only available in hardcover from my web site.  But look for it as an e book in early 2011.)


Cheated by Death

In this third in the series, Jeff Resnick faces a new dilemma: someone is stalking his sister-in-law, Brenda, who fears that violence from pro-life supporters will escalate near the women’s clinic where she works. Or could the vandalism, threatening phone calls, and letters against her have come from her abusive ex-husband? Meanwhile, Jeff grapples with meeting his estranged father and the sister he never knew existed.

Praise for Dead In Red, 2nd in the Jeff Resnick psychological suspense series
“Bartlett’s hero is complicated and mesmerizing, making for a gripping and energizing mystery.” ~Booklist

“Bartlett has a deft touch and makes psychic abilities very real.” ~ Library Journal 

Kindle
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Smashwrords       Coupon Code: MU27U

Bah! Humbug (Short Story)

It's Christmas Day, and Jeff and Maggie spend Christmas dinner with Maggie's family, who are not receptive to her new significant other. It'll be a Christmas to remember . . . but who wants to?

This short story takes place the day after the Jeff Resnick novel, Cheated By Death. 


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Smashwords 

Cold Case (Short Story)

Psychic Jeff Resnick has no expectations when investigating the disappearance of a four-year-old, until he confronts the mind responsible--a shattering experience for all involved.

"A compelling mystery that will grip you tightly and not let go--even after you've finished reading."
--Leann Sweeney, nationally best-selling author of the Yellow Rose and Cats In Trouble mysteries

L.L. Bartlett’s “Cold Case” tells the emotionally packed story of Jeff Resnick, a psychic, who is hired to solve the disappearance of a four-year-old boy. The conclusion to this story is bound to have you questioning those around you.  -- The Romance Readers Connection

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Nook

Smashwords

Abused:  A Daugther's Story (Short Story)

Emily Miller knew her life was about to change forever the day her mother said, "I'm pregnant." She'd hear those words again and again--and with every pregnancy Emily's father changed from bad to worse. For years the Miller family suffered through his rages. It took a terrible loss for the family to regroup, and all the love Emily can muster to save her siblings.

Lorraine Bartlett's powerful "Abused: A Daughter’s Story" grabs hold immediately and doesn't let go. This heart-tugger's hero, Emily, displays amazing resilience and strength. I know I'll remember this story for a long, long time.  --Julie Hyzy, Barry- and Anthony-award winning author of the White House Chef Mysteries

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Smashwords

Writing as Lorraine Bartlett
Short stories

We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert
The Nichols family is all in a tither when it's discovered their penny-pinching Uncle Albert is worth millions, and decide he has overstayed his worldly welcome. But can they bump off the old man and get away with it? 

Kindle
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Smashwords


Prisoner of Love

Rhonda Roberts went looking for love in all the wrong places, and found it through an ad in the personals section of her local newspaper. Family and friends think she's crazy when she becomes engaged to a convicted felon, and the lengths she'll go to see him set free.

We are all vulnerable in love, and Lorraine Bartlett's "What I Did For Love" touches on all the emotions we face when we open ourselves to others: heartbreak, need, loss, and hope. Read it, and you'll find yourself saying, "Yes--yes, I understand."  --Julie Hyzy, Barry- and Anthony-award winning author of the White House Chef Mysteries 


Kindle
Nook
Smashwords

An Unconditional Love

A one-night stand changes Leslie Turner's life forever when she discovers she's pregnant. Keeping the child means losing her business. Even more devastating, the baby is born with a disfiguring birth defect. Her carefully planned life falls apart . . . until years later when she once again meets her baby's father. Can they ever be a family?

Kindle
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Smashwords


Thank you!

I'm a Wrapper NOT a Rapper

Next to the music, and the lights, and the decorations, I love wrapping Christmas presents best.  Some years I have a major wrapathon (while watching It's A Wonderful Life).  This year I've been drawing the process out.  The other day, I wrapped just the stocking stuffers.  Then I wrapped the baby's toys.  (Yes, we have a baby in the family this year.  Actually, I should say the world's cutest most mellow baby. Even when she's crabby, she doesn't cry.  How her mom lucked out, I just don't know.)

Yesterday I wrapped a bunch of presents, and I'm not finished yet.

I find it difficult to choose the wrapping paper.  I always reserve the prettiest for my Mom.  Mr. L and I always wrap all our gifts with the same paper.  (That is, all my presents will be wrapped the same, and I'll wrap his with a different paper but they'll all be the same.  Then we number them with Post-It notes.)

I don't use bows because our last batch of cats would try to eat them.  In fact, more than once I had to rewrap a present when Saint Kate (that's what Mr. L always called her, for in my eyes she could do no wrong) would chew on them. (Sorry I couldn't make Kate's picture any bigger.)

For six years Fred never cared about ribbon, but when I was doing the goodie bags for Chapter & Hearse back in July, I cut 50 lengths of curly ribbon and dropped one on the trip from my office to the dining room where I was assembling the bags.  Fred ate it and decided that ribbon was better than kitty snacks.  Now I have to be very careful.  (We once had a cat who ate the plastic tinsel off the tree.  Oy ... you don't want to know what happened next.)

I'll have to sneak in some more time and do more wrapping later today.

Are you a wrapper?  Do you like it and how elaborate do you get with wrapping paper and ribbons?

Have I Left It Too Late?

I've been meaning to do my holiday baking for weeks now.

Oops!  Suddenly Christmas is only two days away and I haven't even started!

Double oops!

Today my agenda calls for finding a recipe online and collecting three others from the files.  Hitting the grocery store for missing ingredients is next on the list.  I WILL make the dough for the cookies I promised my brother back in December 2009.  (In fact, Dec. 25th, 2009.)

Tomorrow I will bake two cakes and the cookies.
Saturday I will bake a pie before the turkey goes into the oven. (And I have to prepare the veggies, too.)

Why, oh why, didn't I do my baking before this?

Well, Christmas, which seemed so far in the future, suddenly snuck up on me.

I love to bake, but because of extenuating circumstances I had to give up my daily aspirin and now standing for longer than half an hour is a major pain--literally.  Therefore, Mr. Bar Stool is my new best friend.  Yes, I will sit and mix ingredients.  We will have cake. We will have cookies.  We will have pie.

I've got that computer-generated calendar going now, so next year I'm scheduling baking a LOT earlier.  Please hold me to it.

What last minute prep is on your list of things to do for the next couple of days?

Welcome to my World . . .

If you live in a snowy part of the country and have gutters on your house, you're probably well aware of ice dams.  Everyone says you have to have them, or the snow melt will wash away the dirt around your foundation, but to me gutters are pretty useless -- at least in the winter.  All they do is get choked with ice and ruin your roof.  Raking the roof of snow seems to help, but the back of my house it too tall for that, so I can only reach the roof around the front of the house.

This is what our barbecue looks like this winter.  (Note the Stalactite icicle.)



We won't be cooking hot dogs for quite a while. How about you?

It needs a Christmas face lift . . .

Our Christmas tree is up.  So are the stockings (well, three of them).  Our Christmas cards are hanging in the entryway on the cork wall. (Yeah, 1960s retro, but I painted it a neutral brown and it kind of disappears, and it's great for hanging the Mariner's Compass quilt wallhanging my Mom made and oh yes!  The Christmas Cards every year.)

The one thing I haven't done is hang the wreath on the front door.

It's a grapevine wreath with a garland of little gold stars and a big red bow.  And I'm sick of it.

I put it together about 12 years ago and like it well enough, but it's the same every year.  I was thinking I should remove the star garland and put something else shiny on it, as well as change the bow, but It's been snowy and I didn't think about it until yesterday and I'm about shopped out.  The idea of going out in the cold and snow one more time is just too much.  And anyway, I was in Micheals the other day and just about everything is GONE.  I waited too long.

Is there some Christmas decoration around your home that's well worn and could use a face lift?

Only 20 days late

Last summer, I set up an electronic calendar for myself on my yahoogroup.  Yup, I have a yahoogroup that's just for me and I set it up solely to send myself reminders.  To go to the dentist, etc.  To remind me when I need to guest posts on other blogs, etc.
The one thing I forgot to put on the calendar?  My book deadlines.  No, instead I had (earlier, I admit), put up a reminder on the shelves next to my desk.  Only I put it too high.

I looked at the note on Friday morning and -- Holy smoke!  I missed my deadline to send in the synopsis for the third Victoria Square book!!!!  Somehow I knew it must have been due about now (why was I thinking JANUARY first not DECEMBER first???) or else why would I have looked up at it?  And -- gulp -- there was the bad news.

So I spent the weekend working on the synopsis.  (Along with yet more Christmas bustling.)  The thing is, I worked on that sucker for hours and hours and it's only ONE PAGE LONG.  And now that I'm all psyched to start working on the book, I have to put it off for two months while I finish up the one I'm falling behind on because of all this Christmas hustle and bustle.  (It's too bad we can't separate the month of December from the rest of the year so that we don't have to work and can enjoy it.  There must be some way to do that within the space/time continuum.)

So, off it will go to my editor and out I will go to do more hustle and bustle.
I love the holiday season, but I'll be glad when it's over so I can get some work done.

How about you?

Distractions, distractions . . .

Okay, I'll admit it.  Christmas is screwing up my writing.  I don't know why I'm surprised, since it happens every year.  There's just so much to do in December and writing seems the least important.  Except . . . I signed a piece of paper that says I will deliver a book on March first, and the deadline is looming bigger every day.
I think the book is going along pretty well . . . it's just not happening as fast as I would like.  And for some reason, I seem to let things interrupt my day that shouldn't.

First, I had those two craft sales.  One went really well (hurray!) and one didn't.  (Boo-hoo!)  But I worried about them for days in advance, which meant I didn't get as much writing done.  And this week I decided to get the rest of my shopping done, which meant I was at the mall or some other retail establishment during the hours I should have been in front of the computer.  And I haven't even started my baking, despite all my good intentions.  (Okay, I tested one recipe for the book.  It was delicious and we inhaled it.  SPOILER:  It's candy!)

All these interruptions aren't increasing the word count.  I'm going to have to really up the ante in January and February . . . except I'll have a new book to promote during those months. And, oh, there's a galley proof floating around there, and I wouldn't be surprised if it arrived during the holidays or right after.  (That's usually two writing days down the toilet.)

I think when my agent negotiates a contract, I'll ask that December not be counted as an actual month of the year, and that there should be exceptions to deadlines during that time.  Wanna bet that doesn't go with my publisher's legal department?

What have you neglected that should have been done during the hustle and bustle of the holidays?

Just because mine are different than yours . . . .

By E.J. Copperman

I love writing mysteries and I REALLY love hearing from the people who read them. Every one. Seriously.

But some of them worry me a bit, even as I find their attention flattering. Here's the thing: I write the Haunted Guesthouse Mystery series (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEED, with AN UNINVITED GHOST coming in April), and as the name might indicate, the story takes place in and around a Jersey Shore guesthouse thats... haunted. By two ghosts. In NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEED, they insist that the new owner of the place, a woman named Alison Kerby (that's a hint) find out who murdered them. In the second book... well, read the first book and then we'll talk.

Now, I don't know where you stand on the issue of ghosts, and you don't know where I stand, either (right now I'm sitting, but that's beside the point). And I have grown used to criticism, sometimes even taking it to heart and sometimes not. I don't think you're a pet peeve if you don't like my book--this is America. You can read any books you want.

What scares me are the people who don't like the book because they think the ghosts aren't realistic enough.

Um... what?

Those who are serious about their ghosts, or for that matter, really serious about their mysteries, might want to think twice before reading my books. I'm not serious about anything when I can avoid it, and the books are meant to be fun and challenging, like a crossword puzzle, but with laughs. The characters should engage you, the story should keep you turning pages, and the ghosts--well, the ghosts are characters in the book. A fiction book. A comedic mystery fiction book.

If your ghosts don't act like my ghosts, let's assume that my dog might be a different breed from yours, or that I eat a different breakfast cereal than you do. I've heard from readers who have no problems with the idea that the owner of a guesthouse on the Jersey Shore would investigate murders, but they feel that ghosts who can be seen and heard by a select group of people (and you don't know who can and who can't--it's random) is an element that takes them out of the story and ruins the experience.

Again, I can't argue with that. If something doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. I could debate the point for hours on end, and I'm not going to change your mind. I'm guessing you wouldn't change mine, either.

But in the interest of my income and my children's astronomical college tuition, I'd appreciate it if people who believe that ghost characters are deal breakers would realize that's a personal preference and not try to dissuade someone else from reading the books.

I'm not in the habit of making threats, but I do intend to haunt anyone who ignores this plea. But hopefully, not for a very long time.
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E.J. Copperman writes the Haunted Guest House Mysteries.  Feel free to visit the author's web site and blog. Feel free to follow on Facebook, too.  And don't Miss An Uninvited Ghost when it's released on April 5th.  (I can't wait to read it!)

Who says it's a winter wonderland?

We are not snowed in, thank goodness, but we're sick of it already.  And it isn't even officially winter yet.

Read on the news yesterday that our town will probably be above average for snow for December.

No kidding!  My plans for the day are to rake the roof, shovel the driveway (that Mr. Plowman doesn't get) and STAY INSIDE.

Yesterday I went out five times in the yard for various chores (it was garbage day, took out the mail, raked the roof, shoveled, retrieved the mail) and I couldn't get warm again for anything.  Not even with longjohns, sweats, polar fleece and a granny square afghan.
Hurry April and May!!!  (And I don't mean people.)

What's the weather like where you are?

Isn't it pretty?

Not much to do but admire the cover for SENTENCED TO DEATH, the 5th Booktown Mystery, which will be released on June 7th.  *Sigh*



Here's a brief synopsis of the story:  

It’s Founder’s Day in Stoneham and the whole village has turned out to celebrate in the square, including Tricia’s friend and festivities organizer Deborah Black. As everyone watches Deborah give the opening speech, a small aircraft crashes into the village gazebo, killing both Deborah and the pilot. While the Sheriff’s Department is convinced that it was an accident, Tricia has a feeling that there’s more to the story. And when she reads between the lines of the case, what she finds is worse than the most sinister whodunit…

So, what do you think?

What's with the weather?

I get my weather reports from my mother and husband.  One or the other will tell me what's on tap for the weather on any given day, and sometimes it's conflicting.  My mother will say, "We're supposed to get rain."  Husband will say, "It's supposed to be dry all week."  Why?  They have different sources for their weather reports.  My mother relies on TV, my husband on the Internet.

I must say I've learned NOT to pay attention to any weather reports because these guys LOVE to scare the bejeepers out of you.  In fact, it seems like all TV news is based on the assumption that you don't really want to learn what's happening in the world unless you and yours MIGHT BE KILLED BY IT.  Be it a bomb, a disease or -- yes, the weather.

Before TV went digital, we had a small set in the kitchen.  Nearly every night there was some dire warning scrolling at the bottom of the screen.  I must say since we no longer watch TV while making supper, our nerves have been much calmer.  When analog TV went away, so did me watching the local newscasts--and, in particular, the weather reports.

Today it's either supposed to rain or snow.  Be (relatively speaking for the season) warm or cold.  I have to go to the P.O. today.  I just hope the weather doesn't bog me down.

So, what do YOU think about the weather reports you receive?

You could think of him as Tricia's stepbrother . . .

You might be surprised to find out that writers/authors actually fall in love with their characters.  Not the same way we fall in love with our significant others ... but they can become as precious to us as our pets and maybe even children.  (Um, I don't have kids, so I can't verify the last bit of that statement.)  We love them, care about them, and want them to do well.

I wish I could say that Jeff, Richard, Brenda, and Maggie have done well.  The honest truth is they haven't yet.  But, I still have hope they're going to find a new audience via e-books.

Between books, I've "played" with Jeff many times.  In fact, I have a whole notebook of short stories that explored his background and his rocky relationship with his brother Richard.  Because these stories are not mysteries, I decided not to share them with readers.  Well, except for one.

I wanted to bridge the gap between Cheated By Death (the third Jeff Resnick mystery) and Bound By Suggestion (the fourth, which I have not yet released).  So I wrote a story that lays the groundwork for one of the subplots in Bound By Suggestion in a little story called BAH! HUMBUG -- and it just so happens to be a Christmas story.  It's available from Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's NOOK, and for other e-readers such as Sony and via Kobo, Apple (iPad) and Diesel--and of course via Smashwords.

BAH! HUMBUG takes place on Christmas Day--the day after the end of Cheated By Death.  Jeff and Maggie spend Christmas dinner with Maggie's relatives.  It's a Christmas to remember ... but who wants to?

Don't have an e reader?  You can download free software from Amazon and Barnes & Noble to read ebooks (or short stories) on your computer and other electronic devices.

By the way, you can try a free sample of the story via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords and then decide if you want to purchase it.

Why not give Jeff a try?

Doubles anyone?

Many days Mr. L will read tidbits out of the newspaper to me while I get the cats fed, make the coffee and get the breakfast going.  (Since he does 85% of the work for cooking dinner, I think I'm getting off easy on this--but don't tell him that.)

Anyway, yesterday I was fixing my breakfast--poached egg in the microwave--when Mr. L read a short piece on Celine Dion and her baby twins.


I cracked open my egg and wouldn't you know it -- a double yoke.



How cool was that?

What keeps me from working . . .

Yesterday was errand day.  Gas up the car, go to the bank, and hit the grocery store.

I don't look forward to errand day.  For some reason, it always messes up my writing day.  I left an hour earlier than usual yesterday, thinking that would help me get back into the writing groove at the usual time, but it didn't work.

After all the errands were done, I kept thinking about the stuff that DIDN'T get done.  I have hardly begun my Christmas shopping, and a lot of it has to be mailed.  It's been snowy.  I don't like going out in the snow, parking, getting into the store, not finding what I want, going back out in the cold, driving somewhere else.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I want to go see the Harry Potter movie.  That will kill an entire afternoon, and since I do most of my writing in the afternoon--there's another day gone.

I have to keep reminding myself that writing books is my job and I need to stop letting interruptions keep me from my work.

Of course, the fact that I'm writing something that's REALLY BIG is sometimes also a stumbling block.  Writers usually worry about the sagging middle of a story, but this event--which I didn't even know I would be adding to the story until Saturday--is sure to keep readers turning those pages.  And the aftermath of this event is going to keep that aspect of the story alive for the rest of the book.

Sometimes when I'm writing these REALLY BIG PARTS I have to approach the computer as though it was about to explode.  Be gentle lest it blows sky high, taking me with it.  (Stupid, but that's the way I work.)  So while I really WANT to write this part, I'm afraid of messing it up big time.

In the end, it will all work out (it always does), but right now...Oy!

How do you approach difficult parts of your job?

I made it myself!

My publisher likes me to include recipes in my books.  At first, I thought this was kind of a pain.  But now I look at it as an asset.  Angelica is a bit of a gourmand.  Because of that, I have to make the recipes she makes (and adapt them) for the Booktown Mysteries.

Angelica was in a bit of a funk and needed a pick-me-up.  And since I had seen a saltine candy recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine (yard sale find) some months ago, it's been on my mind.

I decided last week that Angelica should make the recipe. But first, I needed to make it.

Well, it didn't work out that way.  First, I couldn't find that issue of the magazine, and then I found a similar recipe online, but then I didn't have the vital ingredient.

Yesterday, all the stars aligned and finally had time to not only write the scene, but test the recipe.  And, since I can't make a recipe without tweaking it (not even the first time), I made it my own.

Why oh why don't I think to take pictures AS I'm making these recipes (or have Mr. L do it)?  But, I did remember to take one during and after.

I think I like the after picture better.  How about you?  (BTW, these taste like Heath (candy) bars.)

(Where's the recipe?  It'll be in the 6th Booktown Mystery--Murder on the Half Shelf.  When will it be available?  I'm not sure.  But most likely sometime in 2012.)

No elevator to the top

Saturday I "did" a craft show.  It was the second of three I had scheduled for the holiday season.  Things did not look good as we unloaded the car and found that the elevator to the basement, where my stall would be, was not working properly.  In fact, the maintenance man had to operate it manually (with a key) and in order for the door to open, he had to whack it with his hand several times.  This did not fill me with joy, despite it being the joyous season.

I heard the maintenance man tell someone that they would only operate the elevator for vendor set up.  This was not good news because the craft show is spread over four floors of the school.  A lot of older people patronize this craft show.  No elevator meant they wouldn't be traveling up and downstairs.

My location, in the basement, doesn't sound great, especially as it's across from the boiler room (the door is always left open) and there's a lot of NOISE.  But, it's right outside the cafeteria, and lots of people come to the baked food sale (where they also serve pizza and pulled pork sandwiches).

During the course of the show, a woman bent down and said, "Here, someone lost these."  She handed me a pair of beaded green earrings with little shamrocks on them.  "Maybe someone will come looking for them," she said.  So I kept them on my table ... just in case.

Sadly, those shamrock earrings did not bring their owner any luck.  How long had she had them--five minutes--before dropping them?  But they did bring me luck.

First:  During a lull, I got a bunch of ideas for the work in progress.  (Oh boy, is Angelica in trouble!)

Second:  At my last show, I sold less than I ever have at a show.  This show, I sold more than I ever had at one show.  So despite the broken elevator, enough people who wanted to give books as gifts migrated to the basement anyway.

Third:  I got to keep the shamrock earrings because nobody claimed them.

Do you believe in good luck?

And this month's picture is . . .

Good grief!  Yesterday I realized I had forgotten to turn the page on the calendar.  Okay, I knew it was the tooth of December.  I knew because I'd been given (Shouting thanks!!!) a Jacquie Lawson digital advent calendar for my computer, and I'd been waiting since last week to play with it.

I give and get a LOT of Jacquie Lawson e-mailed cards and love them, so I was thrilled when a notice arrived in my email in box telling me someone cared enough to send me one.
Promptly on Dec. 1st, I "entered" the village, and it's essentially one of Jacquie's card for the first 25 days of the month.  Fun!  (Today it was the sweets in the coffee shop.  Yum!)

Yesterday I finally turned page on the calendar that hangs over my computer desk.  It's a "Collectibles" calendar I got at Michael's long after Christmas (earlier this year).  Because it had only started out at a dollar, and had been reduced and reduced and reduced, I think I paid the grand sum of 30 cents for it.  I rather liked the pictures so I bought two and hung one at the cottage. (Which is stuck on October and will be until we reopen it in April.)

Most of the pictures are really nice, but December--ick poo!  Stockings made of old quilts in drab colors.  (Yes, the color red can actually be drab.)  It's sad to think of old (once pretty) quilts ending up as ugly Christmas stockings, but there you have it.


What's the December picture on YOUR calendar?

The Changing Seasons

I always tell people I love living in Western New York because I like the changing of the seasons.
Okay, that's a lie.  I only live here because ... I live here.  It's all I know.  I wouldn't want to go anywhere else because I'd have to learn where to go to get even the basics. It could take YEARS to feel "at home" somewhere else.  (Hey, I lived in Los Angeles for a short time.  Never again!)

I love when the seasons change.  Okay, one season:  Spring to summer.  I can tolerate summer changing to fall, too.

We're heading into winter. I loathe winter.  I hate being cold.  I hate snow and ice and relentless wind that takes down trees because our utility people are too cheap to put the wires underground.  And think about it, it's 19th century technology in the 21st century.  Most of Europe has their electrical wires underground.  They're smart.  We're still stuck in the 19th century.

When I look out my window in the spring, I see things gradually turning green.  New life.  It's fun to see the changes.

When I look out my window in the summer, I see flowers--lots and lots of flowers.

When I look out my window in the fall, I look for flowers (and actually found a stunted red rose last Friday.  I don't suppose it will open, but there it was trying to bloom).

Soon, I'll see a sea of white snow.

Yup, I like spring and summer best.

What's your favorite season?

I can taste that turkey salad now . . .

In Booktown #5 (Sentenced to Death--which will be out on June 7th), it may be summer, but Angelica is working on a holiday cookbook.  So when Tricia visits she's surprised to find an entire turkey sitting in Angelica's refrigerator, and Angelica busy making recipes with the leftovers.

At the time I wrote the book, I was more engrossed with the story than thinking about what Angelica should be making.  Of course, now that it's copy edit time, and also the day after Thanksgiving, I'm looking at the remains of a 13 pound turkey and wishing I had been a bit more inventive over the summer when I was writing the book.

Of course, I already know three things I'm going to be making with the leftovers.  First up, turkey salad sandwiches.  Oh, yum!  I love turkey salad.  I love chicken salad, but for some reason turkey salad is even better.  Chopped onions and celery, turkey and mayo on a lovely Vienna roll.  Yum!

This evening, we'll be having turkey pot pie.  If I say so myself, I'm getting quite good at chicken pot pie and I really have no recipe.  I just toss stuff in gravy with the chicken and not only is it edible, but it actually tastes good.  (Hey, Mikey!)

Of course, by the end of the weekend, the turkey carcass will be in the big soup pot and I'll make enough turkey veggie soup to feed an army.  Of course, it will only feed me (and boy am I glad I bought so many small containers at yard sales this year) because Mr. L does not like my soup.  (Although he likes to order soup out at restaurants where the sodium content is off the charts.  Go figure!  And why can't restaurants let YOU salt your own food at the table instead of putting far too much in when they make it?)

What are you making with your Thanksgiving leftovers?

It's Minty Fresh all right . . .

And the dental implant saga continues.

On Monday, the "procedure" had a few bumps.  The digital xray machine wasn't working right.  Instead of two x-rays, I ended up having four.  (GRRRRRR.  I could go the airport if I wanted that kind of radition treatment.)  And the oral surgeon/dentist needed to cut more of my gums than he thought he would, so I have an extra stitch that hangs out of one of my front teeth. I keep forgetting it's there and think--"Oh, something's stuck in my tooth" and have nearly pulled it out twice now.

Luckily, once the Novocaine wore off, it didn't hurt at all.  My face again didn't swell up.  Win-win, huh?
Not exactly.  You have to swish your mouth (for a FULL MINUTE) with a minty-fresh special mouthwash that will kill the germs keep the area free of food debris.  (Take my word for it, that one, full minute seems like about 40 when you're swishing this stuff around.  Suddenly your body goes into I NEED TO SWALLOW mode--only you can't.)

Um, and the taste?  It's minty fresh all right.  But then it leaves a horrible aftertaste that sticks with you for HOURS.  No wonder they have you do it after breakfast and before bed.  It takes HOURS to get rid of that icky metalic taste.  (And, if experience is any guide, I know it really takes pouring the stuff down the sink and never using it again to finally get rid of it.)

Okay, I don't want an infection, so I'm going to keep this up for a while, and then switch to Listerine like I did last time. It tastes bad, too, but it doesn't leave an aftertaste that lasts for hours (and ruins your lunch).

Meanwhile, my tongue has lots to play with.  Metal caps, stitches, raw gums.  Yeah.  Fun!

And how will you be spending today?

To Frost or Not to Frost?

Here in the Land of Lorna -- we've always had pie for Thanksgiving Day Dessert.  One or two people have a tiny slice and then nobody wants the leftovers.  Mr. L usually spends the next couple of weeks eating said pies for breakfast. (Naturally, I freeze them in individual slices.)  However, much as he loves pies, Mr. L gets sick of them after a while.  So this year I've decided to do something different for Thanksgiving dessert:  carrot cake.

Hey, it's got veggies in it--it's good for you, right?  There's just one problem:  I can't stand that cream cheese frosting.  Ick--it's too sweet and cloying and kinda slimy, too.  I thought I'd make a lovely carrot cake in a bundt pan and lightly dust it with confectioner's sugar.

Whoa, Nelly!  Brother and Hubby don't WANT it lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar.  They want the whole thing slathered in slimy icing.

Okay, I'm game to have cream cheese frosting on hand, then anyone who wants it can dig in, but since it's likely I'm the one who'll be eating carrot cake for the next two weeks for breakfast, I don't want my breakfast covered in goop.

So, what do you think I should do?  Frosting or sugar?

I'm a producer!

Lights, camera, action!  (Well, almost.)

Over the weekend my friend Ellery Adams and I worked on a book trailer for A Crafty Killing, the first book in my Victoria Square Mystery Series. (It doesn't come out until February 1st, but -- gosh-darnit, you can preorder it now!)

I don't know about Ellery, but I had a lot of fun on my end.  It's just like being a small-time movie director/producer.  I wrote the script, chose the pictures and sent it all to Ellery to put together.  (She's a wiz at that kind of thing.)  When she had assembled everything, she put a short piece of music to it and said I should probably look for something different.

Holy cow, if I enjoyed finding the pictures, I did NOT enjoy finding music.  First of all, there's a ton of it out there, and trying to find something that went along with my script was difficult.  I would play the video with the sound turned down on my iMac and play the music on my PC.  There's about 4 feet in between my two computer desks and it might as well have been a mile the way I was jumping back and forth, starting the video--stopping it, starting the music, jumping back to restart the video.  I estimate I listened to about 20-30 pieces of music in two hours trying to find something that fit and was the correct length of time.
 
And now it's done.  Wanna peek?  (Click here.)

So, what do you think?

If I could just master that one task . . .

I love spreadsheets.  Well, Excel spreadsheets.  (Don't talk to me about that THING Smashwords presents us with that LOOKS like a spreadsheet but is simply incomprehensible and has no mathematical processes.)

Years ago, I took a two-day course in Excel.  Because I had never seen it or used it, it was as understandable as trying to speak Chinese without ever hearing it.  (Doesn't that just boggle the mind.)  I came away from the course feeling frustrated and like a failure.

But I still needed to be able to use the program.  The only thing I learned was how to write a formula to add and subtract, and that actually came in pretty handy.

I used spreadsheets quite a bit when I was at my last day job, but I rarely had to set them up.  Since I've been an author, I find I simply can't live without several spreadsheets going at any given moment.  From the time I get up in the morning until the time I shut down the computer at the end of the day, there's a t least one spreadsheet (and often three) going.  It's the second program I open every day.  (The first one is AOL.)

But, darnit, I still don't know how to properly use the thing.  I only learned how to multiply back in September.  (Really handy.)  And I would DEARLY love to learn how to control that darn old freeze panes.  (I can never get the thing to freeze where I want it to.)

I love my Excel.  Will someone tell me how to freeze panes so I can love it even more?

Kinda like being on Star Trek . . .

Back in September, Mr. L surprised me with a Kindle e reader for my birthday.  I'm afraid it sat on his desk for quite a while before I had time to start playing with it.  (He knows far more about it than me, I'm afraid--not that he did much with it, either.)

In early October, I bought a couple of short stories and read them.  Not bad.

This week, I bought my first real book.  It's non-fiction, because that's what I tend to read while I'm working on a book of my own.

I wasn't really sure I wanted an e reader, although I dearly wanted to find more e readers for my work.  In fact, my preference would have been for a Nook -- simply because it has a color screen.  (What can I say, I'm swayed by pretty pictures and flashing lights.)

Every time I mention that my books/short stories are available as e reads, I get the same comment over and over again.  "I ONLY READ =REAL= BOOKS."  Or, I like feel of a paper book in my hand.  The feel, the smell, the texture."

First of all, an e book IS a real book.  It's just delivered in a different fashion.

Second, I love a real book, too.  But I like the convenience of having several (and possibly hundreds more) books at my fingertips at any given time.  (I'm going to start tossing it in my purse so that when I have to wait in line at the bank, grocery store, wherever--I can entertain myself.)

For the past couple of evenings, I've sat on the couch, kitty on lap, and found it extremely convenient to not have to juggle a book, turn pages, and at the same time annoy said cat.  With a flick of my thumb, the pages turn.  While I haven't figured out how to change the font size yet--it's an option that's available to me. (Gee, not having to wear my glasses to read?  FREEDOM!)  Even more cool, it looks like the "pads" they use on Star Trek.

The Kindle is heavier than I would like (it's 9 ounces and Chapter & Hearse (my latest published book) is 7 ounces), but weighs less than a hardcover.  It seems to need to be charged every week, whether I use it or not.  Sadly, you don't get to see the cover of the book.  (Well, I guess there IS a way to add the cover to a text file, I just haven't figured out how--and neither have most Kindle authors.) I guess they figure you don't need it, but it would be nice.

Some books are cheaper on Kindle.  And talk about (nearly) instant gratification.  I can have the book I want to read in under five minutes.  No trucking out in the cold to the store. (Although, I'm going there today anyway.  I love visiting my local bookstore, but I must admit, it's a destination I usually plan for.)

Here's one I'll bet you didn't know:  authors make more money on e books than on paper books. (Okay, not certain that's true on hardcovers yet, but I would bet it is--simply because the royalty rate is higher.  Haven't seen my new contract yet on what that rate might be.)

All in all, I'm liking that little gadget more and more every time I use it.  Will it replace a print book for me?  That depends on the book.  I'm a sucker for full-color coffee table and cookery books with LOTS of photography.  I can't see me holding a larger version of Kindle, Nook, iPad to read that sort of book, but for a novel or non fiction book -- why not?


If you have an ereader, tell us what you like about it.  If you don't have an ereader, would you be willing to give one a try?  (Hint-hint: Staples is selling Kindles and Sam's Club is selling iPads.)

Putting the pieces together

I've been working on the new Booktown book for about 8 weeks now, and feeling like I was making pretty good (but not great) progress. I'd written all the main scenes of the main plot.  Unfortunately, I hadn't written them in order.  I had a vague idea of where the story was going (although I think I have six suspects and no clue whodunit).

Last week I had a hard time getting to work on it--part of that had to due with contract negotiations for the next three books.  I was so bamboozled by the net outcome that I was too frazzled to write.  That's not good because the whole idea is that I'm going to be writing MORE not less.

Monday I figured out why I was stalled:  Duh--I had run out of main story!  Time to work on all the connections for those main plot scenes.  But first, I had to put them in order.  That sounds easy, but when your document is one long string of unconnected scenes . . . talk about messy.

I sat down with my time line and my list of scenes and starting figuring out which scene went on what day.  Of course, I thought the story started on Monday but then realized that too much was happening too fast and had to move the start back to Sunday, which means I have to get Angelica to change clothes in the first scene.  (Oy!  As it is the woman doesn't travel light.  Uh, just like ... her creator.)

Next up, putting the scenes in order on the manuscript.  That meant printing them all out and trying to put them into chapters.  I usually have between 24-26 chapters in a book.  Separating these scenes gave me 13 chapters.  Then, as I was putting the chapters in my notebook, I realized I had one of my big scenes in the wrong spot.  Okay, move it back and renumber the next 20 pages.

Now that I can see the flow of the main story, I can (and did) start writing the connecting scenes.  Whoo-hoo!  For the 2nd day this month, I actually got my daily word quota.  (I was doing pretty good and making at least half or three-quarters up until last week.)

Of course, the big, black hole of Thanksgiving and having a house guest looms before me.  (Did I mention I have galley proofs that are due this month, too?)  I write in the dining room.  My guest will be stationed in the adjacent living room for most of my working day.  Not that she'll make a peep, it's just knowing somebody is there will mean I ain't gonna get any writing done.  (Good time to work on the galley proofs, huh?)

I've got three craft shows coming up.  I've got decorating the house for Christmas coming up.  Christmas shopping.  Christmas baking.  I've GOT to work in all my annual Christmas movie watching, too.  (Hey, I've seen White Christmas at least 43 times--I've GOT to see it for the 44th time or it won't be Christmas.)

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  I need at least another four hours in my day.  EVERY day.

I don't want to cut out any of the "fun" stuff for Christmas, and yet I need to get my work done, too.

How about you?

 (How did I get so much accomplished when I had a day job, too?)

For the "girly" in me . . . and Katie

The holidays must be approaching, because my mailbox is full of catalogs.  Most of them go straight into the recycle bin, but some of them go into the reading pile.

One that made the cut was The Victoria Trading Company. How the heck did I get on their mailing list?  I suspect it was either through Romantic Homes or Victoria magazine.

I'm not a big fan of catalog buying because they really rip you off with the shipping.  But I'm also a sucker for paper products.  In this case, calling cards and pretty Victoriana address labels.  Yup, I ordered 'em.  Normally I wouldn't order anything for myself this close to Christmas, but I figured Mr. L wasn't going to get me anything like that, and ... what the heck, I can deduct them on my taxes.  Yes, these labels and calling cards are to help me promote my Victoria Square Mysteries.

When I first started the series, I wanted to make it all girly and cute and wonderful.  Lots of cabbage roses and quaint dainty things. The thing is, I don't write all girly and cute and wonderful.  When Katie Bonner (my protagonist) showed up on the page, she was a take-charge woman who doesn't take any guff from anyone.  She's got a tender heart, and she loves to bake, but if someone threatens Artisans Alley -- watch out!

So, I had to find a way to work in the "girly" aspect, because -- let's face it, with a name like "The Victoria Square Mysteries," it's a natural.

There's a tea shop on the square, a chocolate shop, a heavenly bakery, and my favorite shop--Gilda's Gourmet Baskets, and there will be other wonderful girly things in the future, too.  Meanwhile, Katie's in her jeans, sweatshirt, and gardening gloves, cleaning up the landscaping and making everything look pretty to help the square look its best.

So what's all that got to do with my calling cards?

I dunno.  I just like them.  I love all that kind of stuff, even if I'm more like Katie (in her L.L. Bean wellies) than all fru-fru.  (A girl's gotta dream, right?)

What do you like that would surprise even your closest friends and family?

(By the way, the first Victoria Square Mystery, A Crafty Killing, will debut on February 1st.)

Getting ready for the Christmas rush , , ,

Why is it every time my office STARTS to look tidy, I have to go and mess it up again? This time, I'm getting ready for my first of three holiday craft shows.

It turns out that I need a LOT of stuff for one of the jaunts.  First of all, I have two cases of books.  Then I have a box that contains goody bags, a few extra books, my newsletter sign-up book, book stands, plastic bags (that say "thank you" to put people's purchases in).  I also bring a CD player and Christmas CDs, table, tablecloths, bookmarks, posters, cash box, price sheets, and my lunch.

Whew!

You'd think it would be easy to get all this stuff assembled.  But nooooo!  I had to hide the two boxes that hold some of the stuff I take every time.  So I had to search for them in the basement.  Then I had to assemble the Goody Bags.  That took three hours.  And on and on . . .

So now I have six boxes sitting around in my already crowded office, a 3 x 2 foot poster and a couple of smaller ones, too.  Two baskets, and my tiny CD player. Feels a little cramped in here.

Friday night I'll pack up the car so that I can jump in at 7:50 on Saturday morning and drive to "the show."  Then I have to unpack, move the car to an adjacent parking lot, come back to the church.  Set up and be smiling and happy for the next seven hours.  Then I'll strike the set, go get the car.  Pack up, drive home, where hubby will help me unpack the car and then hand me a nice big glass of Lord Calvert and soda.

Ahhh...

Two weeks later, I'll do it all again.

A week after that, I'll do it all again.

It's kind of a love/hate thing.  I love to meet readers and talk with them.  I love the excitement of the show and seeing a lot of my old friends from the days I had a booth at an antique co-op, but I'll also be glad at 4 p.m. on December 11th when I'll be done for another year.


And in case you wonder what I'll be doing at these craft shows . . . I'll be signing books.

Will I see you there?

More books in my future . . .

And so I've been offered the opportunity to write books 7, 8 and 9 in the Booktown Mystery Series.

Guess what?  I said YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Ya think I'm a fool?)

It's been a roller coaster week or ten days as my FANTASTIC agent has kept me informed of the negotiation process.  Actually, all I had to do was answer the phone and say, "Uh-huh" and nod vigorously at all her suggestions.  Next up, putting my name on the actual contract.

This is a wonderful opportunity.  The books will be coming out in hardcover.  I know, a lot of people are going to say, "I can't afford hardcover!"  That's where ebooks and libraries come into the picture.  A year after the hardcover comes the paperback edition.

Hardcover is a good and bad thing.  Good, because it earns me (and my publisher) more money (and did I mention my healthcare premiums are going up TWENTY PERCENT in January???), and there's the possibility more libraries will either buy or rent the books.  Bad because . . . well, my paperback readers will hold off a year before buying/reading the books.

Ah, but it'll be available as an ebook for considerably less than the $25 hardcover price. (But still more expensive than a paperback.  Hopefully publishers will rethink their ebook strategy in the coming years and lower the prices ... but that's another blog post.)

I've already got a three-story arc planned for those books (but not the nitty-gritty details) and it should be a fun ride.  And I'll still be writing the Victoria Square Mysteries (using my Lorraine Bartlett name), and they'll be in paperback for the foreseeable future.  Did I say win-win?

But still ... I worry.

Would you consider buying a Booktown mystery in hardcover?

What's sauce for the goose . . .

It's that time of year when the grocery store fills its seasonal aisle with all kinds of red, green, gold and sparkly stuff.  I'm not immune to a little bit of glitter and love to walk that aisle and soak it all in.  (Knowing I have no more room to add any more to my already stuffed-full closets. Ah, well . . .)

Next to the sparkly aisle were shelves of seasonal delights for the taste buds.  Everything you need for your holiday meals.  Of course, I'd been waiting weeks to buy more cans of jellied cranberry sauce.  Unlike most of the rest of the country, I use the stuff year round.  And the minute the holiday season is over, the sale price goes off and the "real" price goes back on.  That real price is 50 cents more per can than what I have to pay in November and December and I decided to stock up.

But wait.  As I went to grab the can I turned to Mr. L and said, "Does this can look stubby to you?"  (Stubby as in SHORT?)  "No, I'm sure it's the same as it always was."

Oh yeah?

Sure enough, we got it home and took out other standard cans from the pantry and guess what.  The standard can of cranberry sauce (and it's not just the store brand--even Ocean Spray) is now 2 ounces less than it was just a couple of weeks ago.  I noticed in the "regular" aisle they still have the standard sized cans and they're still the REAL price.

Manufacturers and retailers don't want to raise the price--because people like me remember what we paid a year before--so they just give you less product and hope you don't notice.

Well, I'm still going to stock up on the cans because let's face it, I love the stuff.  And I put it on roast chicken throughout the year.  They tried to pull one over on me and didn't succeed.  But I'm still missing 2 ounces of cranberry sauce with every can.

What trick has a manufacturer played on you lately?

Now that's ugly . . .

As reported yesterday, Mr. Landscaper came to visit and brought his Bobcat.  We had talked about getting just the landscaping on the left side of the house removed.  He, and his young helper (son?) went right to work and started ripping out overgrown landscaping.  Once we saw how open it was, we asked him to start ripping out the stuff on the other side, leaving the HUGE rhododendron in the middle.



Okay, first of all, we rarely go in our front yard.  I usually approach the house from the north and to tell you the truth, I knew the landscaping was overgrown, but until I saw this picture, it just never registered.  As Mr. L said upon seeing it, "No wonder we never got any trick-or-treaters."

As we stood in the cold watching all the action, we started thinking about what we wanted for the front of the house.

As I stood there watching, I was reminded of all those episodes of Curb Appeal I've been watching and man, is our house in desperate need of some curb appeal.  It's ... ugly.  We just never knew it because the landscaping was so overgrown.  I mean, even when we bought the house it was overgrown so we never really saw the front.

Man, it's worse than ugly.

I can see a trip to the paint store and the architectural salvage yard in my future.



After Mr. Landscaper left, we stood looking at the rhododendron and thought -- we should have had him pull that out, too.  But I wanted to see it bloom one more time.  Now I realize . . . it's only pretty for one week of the year.  It needs to go.

Over the winter, we're going to think about what we want for both the house and the yard.

In the meantime, how would you make the front of our house look better?

Curb Appeal: My House

When you work at home, and the only people you get to talk to are your husband, brother, mother, and the occasional call from your agent (and very nice calls they've been indeed), you kind of get starved for real life.  I mean, other than the check-out lady at the grocery store who asks, "Did you find everything you need?" and I answer, "Yes," that's about it on any given week.

(Pathetic, isn't it?)

I mean, I converse via emails all day long, but actual conversation?  Not so much.

Therefore I find yourself looking forward to big stuff like:  the phone man coming.  Yup, he was actually supposed to come yesterday.  We have (had) two land lines.  Only my aunt and my brother would call us on one of the numbers so finally we said, "Why are we spending $38 a month just to get one or two calls a month?"  Duh.  So, we're having that line eliminated and wired into our other land line.  Of course, they shut that phone off at the office at the crack of dawn yesterday, and the other line only has one phone attached to it.  If it rings, we have to run the entire length of the house (and we have a rather rambling ranch house).  Luckily that line has an answering machine.

The other big thing:  we're having the HUGE arborvitae in the front yard taken out.  Mind you, we've already had the thing cut in half a few years back, but it grew back with a vengeance.  So much that it hides a third of the front of our house.  I've been watching Curb Appeal--The Block, and they're always ripping out out-of-control landscaping.  (They do it a lot on This Old House, too.)  Since our next-door neighbor just had their out-of-control arborvitae taken out, we decided to use the same landscaper to do it.

Whoa!  People will be able to see ALL our Christmas lights this year.  (And I'll finally get my burning bush--albeit next year.)  Weeee!

(Simple pleasures, simple minds.)

Not that I expect to talk to Mr. Root-puller (I'm assuming they'll chop that sucker down first), but it'll be something exciting to break up the day.  (I mean, besides Tricia getting caught with . . . oh, but that's for the book, not the blog.)  I'll try to post before and after pictures later this week.

What excitement are you anticipating on this fine day?

Not at a book club near you . . .

I've been told (and I guess my sales numbers back it up) that people love to read my Booktown Mysteries.  That makes me feel really good.

My friends tell me that lots of reader groups read their books.  That makes me frown in puzzlement.  I never (okay, almost never) hear from groups that have read or want to read my books.

I'd be happy to supply bookmarks for book groups, but I rarely get asked.  As you know, I don't travel by air, but through the miracle of telecommunications, I can "go" anywhere in the world.  I'd be glad to talk to book groups via conference call or Skype, but I never get asked to do that, either.

I wonder why?

Who's Stressed?

All I have to do to get stressed is look at the calendar.  I've got three "big" (for me) events coming up this month that are sure to disrupt my already disrupted writing schedule.  I don't get a lot of writing done when my life is disrupted.

The first biggie is the Churchmouse Holiday Bazaar. (Why are all these craft shows called bazaars?)  I do three craft shows a year and this is my favorite.  I have an nice location and as it's relatively early in the holiday craft show circuit, people are happy and in a buying mood.  (That changes as you get to the last one, two weeks before Christmas, where the people have been to several craft shows and are bored by the whole thing and just want to eat pizza and baked goods while they wander around not buying anything.)

I take "goodie bags" filled with bookmarks, postcards and recipe cards from other authors.  I'm in the process of assembling all that. It'll take me 2-3 hours to get them ready, but I'm still waiting for a few more authors to send me stuff.  (So that's on the schedule for next week.)

Two days after the craft show, I have my dental implant surgery.  I've been assured that this is nothing to get upset about.  It's not as bad as the last one (the extractions and bone graft) and since they gave me enough novocaine to numb an elephant, I had no complaints about pain.  Still, just thinking about it is giving me the heebie jeebies.  Call it a procedure if you want to, to me it's still SURGERY.

Last . . . Thanksgiving.  First of all, it's three days after the surgery and my mouth will have fresh stitches.  It's hard enough to eat with two teeth missing; adding stitches to the mix makes it worse.

I'll have a house guest for three days.

I don't know who is hosting Thanksgiving this year.  It might be me.  More work.  And did I mention a house guest, too?

I figure I've got a week of good writing days before the anxiety becomes too great and I fall apart.  But everything that needs to get done is on my mind.  Plus the book.  Oh yeah, and I have a galley proof to hand in by the 29th, too.

Do holidays put your knickers in a twist, too?

Does a picture say 1000 words?

According to the survey I took last month, you guys actually LIKE to hear me talk about the business of publishing.  So today, I'll hark once again on the cover saga.  (And if you're impatient for the end, just scroll down to the bottom of the post.)

As you know, my first novel (under the name L.L. Bartlett) tanked pretty quickly.  It got moved up by four months and none of the work that needed to be done for it to be successful was done on time (like sending it out to get reviewed by the big four reviewers).  Boy did I learn never to rejoice when offered the chance to have a book publisher earlier than originally scheduled.  The cover was HORRIBLE.  I can say that, I suggested they do a phrenology head.  But I never asked for FOUR of them!!  My agent at the time said it was horrible.  "It will not sell books!"  Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The original print run was 500 copies.  I worked my tail off (and spent five times my advance) to try to sell copies to libraries--that's the only place my publisher marketed the books.  And who could blame a reader for not wanting to shell out $26 for an unknown author.  My second print run was for 132 books.  It sold out.

A year later, I sold the mass market paperback rights to Harlequin's Worldwide Mystery Library, which was essentially a book club.  The book got a very nice cover of a cold fireplace, a red leather chair, and an opened book.  The fact that the book did not have a cold fireplace, red leather chair, or such a book didn't seem to deter their marketing department.  They did a beautiful job packaging the book, and it has a very nice print run of 23,000+ copies, all of which sold.  Sadly, the readers who purchased the book via the book club were not inclined to go searching for my other work -- like the book's sequel Dead In Red.  Nor did they go to my web site to find out if I wrote other books.

I don't think the cover turned people off, but it didn't turn them on, either.


Next came the audio edition of the book.  My editor at Books in Motion assured me they'd provide me with a nice cover.  I didn't know they'd do a poor take off of the Harlequin cover.  Guess what.  Despite the fact it's a pretty good audio performance by the narrator (Kevin Foley), the audio edition (which is still available as an MP3 download ($20.29) or in CD form ($28.99), has not sold well. 

Wonder why?

Back to that first cover for a minute.  I didn't even get my cover until about two months before the book came out. Uneducated as I was about the publishing business at that time, even I knew that was too late to send out Advance Review Copies.  Luckily, I had made my own.  They needed a cover.  So I suggested to my graphics designer husband that he might want to give it a try.  I asked for (and got) a deer in a target.  I proudly hung the cover up on the wall outside my office  (I still had a day job then), and asked for comments.  Universally the women said:  "I wouldn't read a book that has dead deer in it."  But there ARE NO DEAD DEER in the book I cried.  Nope.  They were turned off.

Fast forward to October 2008 when I decided to put the book up on Kindle.  I needed a cover.  I grabbed the deer.  In two years it sold precisely 381 copies.  (Joe Konrath doesn't have to worry about me surpassing him in sales.)

It was time to change the cover once again.

I contacted Konrath's cover artist hoping he could help me, but he is very busy and was slow to answer my emails.  So I decided to go with someone else, and boy am I glad I did.  Award-winning romance author Patricia Ryan (who also writes mysteries as P.B. Ryan), had just decided to start doing e covers. She'd done her own and those for a friend, and did them very fine indeed.  The minute she said she was going into business, I contacted her.  (Was that only a week ago?)

So.  What do you think?

It's available on:

Kindle

Nook

Smashwords

iPad

Sony e reader

and more.