Just another way to goof off!

I've written before about how I like to make graphics. I think they're fun, and usually I do them to either celebrate a National Day of ... or to plug my own or somebody else's books. For instance: Today is National "Talk LIke A Pirate" Day, and I made a graphic for it for the Cozy Chicks.

I've made them for my friends, too.

And, of course, I've made them for myself.

My question to you is ... does seeing these kinds of graphics influence you? Would you be interested in any of the books because of the graphics. I sure hope the answer is yes, but even if it's no, I'll probably still make them because it's fun.

I can't draw. Mr. L laughs hysterically at my attempts, but that's because he CAN draw, and paint, and make funny cartoons, and makes exquisite maps. My creative gifts just don't fit into that category. But, I can put together a graphic using different elements. How many elements do you think there are in the Telenia graphic above? Would it surprise you to know there are 8 different things going on?

the title
Meet Wren.
Never Underestimate the power of a woman with a loom.
the book cover
the photo of the witch.
the Tales of Telenia logo
my website URL
the black background

I find it fun to put all these elements together. And so I'll ask the question again: do these types of graphics influence you?

And here's a bonus graphic just because it amuses me. (Coming October 15th.)

Look out, Telenia: Amanda Shelton is on the loose!

I'm a mystery writer.  I write mysteries ... except when I don't.

I've also written sweet romance, women's fiction, and sorta kinda action/adventure/fantasy. The latter would be my Tales of Telenia series.

This week I'm happy to relaunch the series, which has been on hiatus for several years. I kept putting off writing the third book because, let's face it--the first two weren't doing all that well. Why? Is it because they're bad books? I don't think so--and apparently neither do the (extremely) small but vocal audience begging me to write the next book. So it's a series in search of an audience. (And if you can help me find it, I would be truly grateful.)

As part of the releaunch, I decided to get new covers. I also decided that the name of the first book wasn't exactly helping sales. Threshold? What did that mean? To me, it meant that crash-landing on a gray and orange rock known as Telenia meant that my heroine, Amanda Shelton, was on the threshold of a new life.  But after talking to my "focus group," I thought STRANDED was a better title (and hope you do, too).

They new covers are up with all the ebook online distributors. Next up, changing the print and audio covers. (For audio, we have to re-record the opening and closing on Stranded. And if you haven't heard Steven Barnett's wonderful performance of Stranded and Journey, you're missing out on something good!)

You can find out about all the books by checking out my website.  Click here.

And even if you don't like adventure-fantasy -- please try the sample chapters available on all the ebook retailer sites. You just might like Amanda!

Need a focus group

I'm so lucky to have good friends. My Storytellers Unlimited colleagues, Kelly McClymer and Shirley Hailstock, are just as concerned as me that my Telenia series isn't doing well. First of all, much as I love these books, my usual audience isn't as enamored, so I definitely need to target a different demographic.  (Makes me sad, but it's the truth.)

They think I need to get new covers, and I agree. I'm just not sure where to go.

Shirley is pretty darn talented with Photoshop and did a mock up of the cover. (Of course, if we go with it, the sky would be green and the vegetation would be rust-colored.)

Shirley's mock-up is on the left and the original cover is on the right. What do these covers say to you? If you don't know the background of the books, what do you think is happening? (If you click on the pictures, you'll see them full size.)

I really appreciate your input. Thanks!

When Characters Start Demading They Be Heard

One of the great things about being a hybrid author (with one foot in the traditional world of publishing, and the other firmly planted in the world of indie publishing), is that you can write whatever you want. I'm under contract for the Booktown and Victoria Square Mysteries, but I also have three other series under my (various) names:  the very successful Jeff Resnick Mysteries, the (still wet behind the ears) Lotus Bay Mysteries, and the totally unsuccessful Tales of Telenia adventure/fantasy series.

Why is Telenia unsuccessful? It's not my usual genre. How many of my mystery readers want to read a book about a woman stranded on a strange, misogynist planet, where every day she seems to smack into yet another brick wall? A place with strange and deadly creatures. A place where the food is bad, the people unfriendly, and everything is alien to her.

Last week, my friends Kelly McClymer and Shirley Hailstock and I were talking about the books and why they can't seem to find an audience.  Kelly read my blurb and then asked me how I viewed the series. I pretty much told her what's written in the paragraph above. She said, "But that's not what your blurb conveys."

Here's my blurb for the first book (which is not the first blurb; I've worked it this several times). It tells the story, but doesn't convey Amanda's adventures (like capturing a giant spider, or being taken captive--and her struggles with Prince Paxdon):

Amanda Shelton is clever, adventurous, and tough--and she'll have to be, because she's crash landed on a world where her saviors might well be her enemies. It takes fierce determination to keep the people of this frightening and unfamiliar place from stealing her shuttle technology, or imprisoning her while they do it. Yet what she knows could save countless innocent lives--including those who keep this world safe. Facing this test of spirit will take everything Amanda has...if she survives at all.

Blurb writing is a skill--one I obviously don't possess. I'm contemplating hiring the Blurb Bitch to attack my description to see what she can do with it.

But when it all comes down to it, I'm a writer of characters, and it's my characters that attract my readers. Poor Amanda is alone in this book ... and then she makes a friend. And then another. (Think "Thelma and Louise.")

So what's the point of this blog post?

I've been stalling writing the next adventure because the first two have not sold well. It's been three years since I wrote the second book in the series, Journey.  Even though Threshold and Journey have not sold well, I can't abandon Amanda, Brannan, Dohmas, Wren, and Paxdon any longer. They are DEMANDING that I tell their story. It's all plotted. I've even got the dialog for a number of scenes memorized. (I've been thinking a LOT about this story.)  I have other commitments to write books that actually do sell, but I've decided to take an hour a day and work on Treachery. It's my gift to me.

But I do wish more of my readers would befriend Amanda. She's all alone in a place called Telenia. She could use a few friends. 

It's frustrating when characters scream in your ear ...

And so I have FINALLY (after about a bazillion years) finished the next Booktown Mystery (just working on the recipes before I hand it in) and I need to start writing either a Jeff Resnick or Lotus Bay book ... but my Tales of Telenia characters are SCREAMING at me to work on their story.  I've been putting it off for over two years, and they've just about had enough.

I lost a lot of sleep during the last months of my mother's life and would lie in bed during the wee hours distracting myself from thoughts of death by plotting the story.  Yesterday I wrote most of the first chapter longhand (while engaged in another pursuit), Of course, then I remembered that I'd already WRITTEN part of the first chapter back in August.  So now I've got to merge the two because they're both pretty good.

I love these characters.  I love the stories and yet THEY DO NOT SELL, and I have not been able to convince my cozy readers to give them a try.

It's not smart to write something that doesn't bring in income, because let's face it:  writing is my job. I couldn't afford to take time away from a day job to do something like this.  So I guess I'll have to make it a hobby piece that can only be worked on AFTER I write something that brings in grocery money. (Did I mention I had to have my brakes replaced last week???)

It's okay, Mandy ... I haven't abandoned you (and Dohmas). It's just going to take a while longer until I can tell the rest of your story, even if only I and a handful of your followers ever read it..

Live and soon to be live ....

Ever since I returned from the Ninc conference in late October, I've been hustling my butt working on a number of projects, some of which are now live and some that are still in the works. (I'll talk about that more in a week or so.)

LIVE -- FROM NEW YORK (okay, Rochester NY) IT'S ....

Cheated By Death in audio!
(Jeff Resnick Mystery #4)

I've got a fabulous new narrator, Steven Barnett, and I'm hoping that we can re-record the earlier books in the series so that Steven will be the voice of Jeff Resnick.

Audible US  |  Audible UK  | Amazon  |  iTunes

To read more about the book, click this link to my website.

As I mentioned last week, BOUND BY SUGGESTION (Jeff Resnick Mystery #5) is also now available in audio.  OMG -- I'm thrilled with Steven's performance. It sure had me on the edge of my seat, and I wrote it!

And out as paperbacks ...

Evolution: Jeff Resnick's Backstory
There's something about this book that haunts me. I think I've read it six times in the last month. I keep going back to it, and I don't usually go back and read my own stuff. (Although I do like to listen to it on audio in the car.) Maybe it's the whole "coming of age" aspect of the stories.

Not only is the book now available as a trade paperback, it'll soon be available in audio, too. (Again, performed by Steven Barnett.)  I'll let you know when that happens.  So far I've confined distribution to just Amazon because the paperbacks don't sell as well as the ebooks and there are costs associated with distribution (like being forced to not only give hefty discounts, but pay for returns--OUCH!).

To read more about the book, click this link to my website.

Trade Paperback
Kindle US  |  Kindle Worldwide  |  Kobo
Nook  | iBooks  |  Smashwords

Tales Of Telenia: THRESHOLD
I don't know why this book doesn't seem to resonate with readers. It sure resonates with me. Why?  I'm not sure. I just know it, and the second book in the series, JOURNEY, were a heck of a lot of fun to write. I really enjoyed the experience and I thought my readers might be willing to leave their comfort zones to give my character Amanda Shelton a try. But I live in hope.  The sales for Evolution have picked up since the paperback edition came out. I'm hoping Amanda will have the same kind of luck.

If the sales pick up, not only will I squeeze the next book into my writing schedule, but I'll release the series as audiobooks, too.

To read more about the book, click this link to my website.

Trade Paperback
Kindle US  |  Kindle Worldwide  |  Kobo
Nook  |  iBooks  |  Smashwords

 =========================

SPOILER ALERT:  In the works? 

The audio edition of Jeff Resnick #6, Dark Waters.
The print edition of Tales of Telenia: JOURNEY
The audio editions of the first three Victoria Square Mysteries.
Booktown Mystery #10: (what I'm calling) A Not-So-Fond Farewell

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Now available!

Bursting with Pride

Coming February 3rd

Pet Peeve Thursday: Hard to pigeohole or just an ugly baby?

I'm pretty sure that when I'm laid in my pine box--or put on the track for the crematorium--that people will dab their eyes and say, "Boy, her Telenia series will live on forever."

NOT!

Without a doubt, my Tales of Telenia are the least favorite of my series--and I haven't even finished the first trilogy.

I'm not a "traditional fantasy author. The truth is, I don't really LIKE traditional fantasy. But like Star Trek isn't really science ficiton, Talenia isn't really fantasy. (Which is one reason why I call it ADVENTURE-fantasy.) The stories aren't marketable to SF or fantasy readers.  But you know what, I wrote them because it was FUN. I had a heck of a good time (especially with the second book, Journey.)

I had hoped my readers who love Tricia, Katie, and Jeff would trust that I'd deliver an enjoyable story with my new heroine, Amanda Shelton. That hasn't happened.

Okay, Amanda is a very confused person. And who wouldn't be after crash-landing on a strange planet, with terrible food, and where women aren't valued? (Oh, was I writing about women here on Earth in 2014?  Could've been by some accounts ....)

Here's the blurb for the first book (Threshold):  Amanda Shelton is clever, adventurous, and tough--and she'll have to be, because she's crash landed on a world where her saviors might well be her enemies. It takes fierce determination to keep the people of this frightening and unfamiliar place from stealing her shuttle technology, or imprisoning her while they do it. Yet what she knows could save countless innocent lives--including those who keep this world safe. Facing this test of spirit will take everything Amanda has...if she survives at all.

And here's the book trailer Ellery Adams and I made (I just love that music!):


Kindle | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Sony | Smashwords

A reader told me that Amanda doesn't always act logically. Well, she's NOT a Vulcan. Eventually, Amanda learns to accept the world she now calls home.  But does that mean she can't work to better the lives of, not only the women on the planet, but the treatment of the wounded soldiers? Telenia is at war. Amanda has the skills and knowledge to not only upgrade the care of the wounded, but help marginalized women (especially those widowed by the war) to take care of themselves and their families.

Is that a feminist agenda? No more than, say, Heifer International, a charity which works to help (mainly) women take care of their families by lifting them from hunger and poverty by giving them a cow, goat, chickens, or bees for food and for free enterprise--and they have to pay it forward. That's Amanda's agenda. To give people the tools to help themselves.

Will I write more Tales of Telenia? Well, I already have. In fact, I've already finished the next trilogy. Finishing the first one is on the docket for summer. (I like to work backward on things. Makes them more of a challenge.)

Still, it seems I have an ugly baby on my hands. Maybe that's why I love Amanda so much--she needs it.

And that's my grump for the day.

What's making you grumpy today?

A summer adventure story for summer reading!

Sometimes a character just marches up and say, "WRITE MY STORY."  That's what happened to me with Amanda Shelton and my (so-far) two Tales of Telenia fantasy-adventure novels. I wrote them while on vacation (two different vacations) as an amusement.  I sat poolside, starting from about 9 am until 6 pm and just wrote all day.  And I enjoyed it. A summer story for summer!

I thought my readers would enjoy them, too.  I think SOME readers (not necessarily those who read my mystries) will eventually love them, although so far it's been a tough sell. Changing genres always is.

Last week, my friend Doranna Durgin and I (aided and abetted by friends Leann Sweeney and Julie Hyzy) worked on a new blurb for the first book. Here it is:

Amanda Shelton is clever, adventurous, and tough—and she'll have to be, because she's crash landed on a world where her saviors might well be her enemies. It takes fierce determination to keep the people of this frightening and unfamiliar place from stealing her shuttle technology, or imprisoning her while they do it. Yet what she knows could save countless innocent lives—including those who keep this world safe. Facing this test of spirit will take everything Amanda has...if she survives at all.


Click here for the video and buy links (she said, being optimistic).

Read the reviews on Amazon.

My latest releases ...

I've stepped out of my mystery comfort zone and am writing in another genre. I'm pleased to announce the Tales of Telenia fantasy series, featuring astronaut Amanda Shelton.

Whoa! That is a departure ... fantasy. Well, I call it a cross between fantasy lite and space opera ... and I may have it labeled all wrong. All I know is that one day Amanda stepped forward and demanded I tell her story.

When a spatial rift causes Amanda Shelton’s space shuttle to crash land on an unknown planet, she awakens to find herself locked in a cell with a tutor charged with teaching her an alien language. Crown Prince Paxdon is determined to scavenge not only her ship, but any technology he can squeeze from her brain to vanquish his enemies in a neighboring province.  But just who is Amanda’s real adversary; the warriors in the north or the people of Telenia?

Available for:  Kindle ~ Nook ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

(Click here for an excerpt.)

and in the follow-up ...

Life takes an unexpected turn when Prince Paxdon bans Amanda Shelton from Telenia’s Summer Palace, but that’s just the first step in an incredible journey that has her leading the province’s oppressed women into a life of self-sufficiency. The threat of war remains, and others are watching her every move as Amanda leaves the safety and security of the rural north and ventures to the capital city where she faces peril and life altering decisions.  Will her future be a life of luxury or despair?

Available for:  Kindle ~ Nook ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

I wrote these books while on several vacations ... and hope to have another one written by next winter.  (Now, where should I go on vacation to do that?) It'll be called TREACHERY.

Both books will soon be available for Sony and iTunes.

Like my mysteries and other shorts, these stories are character-driven.  I hope you'll take a chance on Amanda.

Thanks!
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