Peg Herring's Blog, page 6
September 1, 2020
The End of a Series
https://books2read.com/u/mqrOn6 I love the Kidnap Gang, so it's a little sad to see the end of the series.Why then, is it ending?First, the arc has...well...arced. We meet the characters in KIDNAP.org (which is free here: https://books2read.com/u/mZ58rl We see them take down a really big bad guy in Pharma Con. ($2.99 here: https://books2read.com/u/mKEOVE) And we see Robin deal with her past in The Trouble with Dad. (Link above)
Second, I have other irons in the fire. Like a lot of authors, I love trying something new. While working with the same characters over and over can be rewarding and is less taxing on the brain, it can also result in stale plots and "jumping the shark," making things happen that are hard for the reader to believe. If you've ever stopped buying a series because things just got too crazy, you know what I mean.So I wish Robin and the gang well, but I'm done with them. I did leave an opening for more books in the future. SPOILER ALERT: Nobody dies!PS: The audio book takes longer, but there will be one!
August 17, 2020
In Praise of Editors
Yes, I taught English for....many years. Yes, I'm good at commas and quotation marks and all their little friends. I know about story arcs and character development and figurative language. That does NOT mean I don't need a bunch of helpful friends and professionals to check my work.
I start with a first reader. This person reads the manuscript in really rough form and gives me feedback on what she sees as its strengths and weaknesses. With her "outside" view (meaning outside my head), I begin to see where I spent too much time with unnecessary explanation or where I didn't "take the reader with me" on a plot point. I kind of feel sorry for my first reader, because she often has to piece things together and wade through a lot of junk that won't make the final cut.
When I've reworked the story to my satisfaction, I hire a content editor. This is a professional who will comment on the story's development, strengths and weaknesses. I've had some really good ones, and two that were really bad. My most recent bad experience might sound good to some; the guy said the book was "fine" and only changed a word here and there.
Um, no.
Though I've heard of authors whose work is nearly perfect from the get-go, that is not me. I know I need someone to point out things like repetition of a plot point and weak descriptions. Therefore, an editor who says the book is "fine" is either lazy or he's lying. Probably both.
Anyway, the content editor should give a writer lots to work on as she does the next rewrite. This is the meaty part of the process, where the book starts getting good.
The next editor is a line editor, who looks at sentence structure with the idea of making the prose as polished and effective as it can be. Sometimes a content editor does both, and that's the way I like to go, since I have a strong sense of how I want to say things. I also use a program called SmartEdit, which helps me look for repeated words, boring sentence starts, adverb usage, trite phrases, etc. Keeping an eye on those things helps to move my writing to a higher plane.
When I'm happy with the story and the way I've told it, my copy editor finds mistakes in spelling, punctuation, word usage, etc. It's tedious work, looking line by line for quotation marks that don't close or a comma where there should be a semicolon. I pay this person, because she needs to be motivated. Yes, your aunt might have a degree in English, but if she's just reading to be nice...
The last (but not least) of the pre-publication helpers are beta readers. These people usually don't get paid; they like getting their hands on a book before anyone else does. Since the files are set up differently, I have one group for print and one for e-books. These people come in at "crunch time," when the book is only weeks from publication, so they can't dilly-dally or shilly-shally or whatever. For The Trouble with Dad, I handed out print copies and e-files last week, giving my beta readers two weeks to read and respond. I got my first one back yesterday, and she only found one error, which gives me a teeny-tiny sense that things are going to be okay.
Here's the thing: a book has one person's name on the cover, but there are (or there should be) many others who make it readable for you, the one who spends hard-earned cash on it.
August 4, 2020
Kidnap Capers Book #3 Is Up for Preorder
Book #3, the final book of the Kidnap Capers Series, is now up for pre-order at Amazon.com. https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Dad-Kidnap-Capers-Book-ebook/dp/B08D3R4P5DThis is when authors start worrying, and here are a few things on my list.
Will the copy editor get her part done in time? Amazon is very strict about pre-orders. Authors must have the books out by the release date (in this case, September 1st) or they're in TROUBLE. This is a small worry, since my copy editor has never let me down before.
Did I choose the right title/cover/blurb (etc.) Second-guessing is what we authors do, and today it hit me that using "Dad" in the title might make the book seem like YA. I don't think that's a big problem either, because most who buy this book have already read Books 1 and 2 and know differently.
What kind of promotion should I be doing? Every author I know hates promo, but we also know we need to do it. The guy who edited my last book said the COVID crisis has raised the number of books being prepared for publication astronomically. Everybody apparently used the lock-down time to finish/polish up that manuscript. That's great for readers, but it means authors like me have to fight that much harder to be noticed. I need reviews, mentions online (just saying, "I'm reading The Trouble with Dad this week" is helpful, believe it or not. Number one way people choose books is by hearing about them from friends.) Anyway, I'm lining up a bunch of promos, but each one has different requirements, so it's massively time-consuming.
NOTE: If you haven't read the first book of the series, KIDNAP.org, you can download it for free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/dpn0aqmfzx
It will be also be available free at regular booksellers in August, like Amazon, B&N, Kobo, etc. (If I know what I'm doing, which... sometimes.)
And of course there's the old, "Will they like it?" question. I'm getting better at not worrying about this. I've read so many bad books (IMHO) that other people loved, and of course I love lots of books that make people shake their head at me: Thomas Hardy? Really? (Yeah, I really love his stuff.)
I like The Trouble with Dad. As Robin's finale, it completes the arc of her character begun in KIDNAP.org and continued in Pharma Con. When I finished the first book, my editor said, "You know she's going to have to face her dad at some point." I hadn't thought about it until that moment, but I knew she was right. So here it is, Robin versus Dad. It's funny. It's suspenseful. It's satisfying.
Pre-order and enjoy!
By the way, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY is also a Bookfunnel giveaway this month. Here's the link: https://books.bookfunnel.com/cozymysteryfreebies/3466549637
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June 9, 2020
Looking at Covers-Please Weigh In
The Kidnap Capers is a three-book series starring Robin and her "hoods," who take down crooks by unorthodox, often humorous methods. Book 3 will be out on September 1st, so we're trying to settle on a cover. I'd like input from readers on what's eye-catching and gives the sense of a humorous but suspenseful story.Here are their covers (these are for the audio books because that's what I can find right now):
Keeping the red/black theme, we got these two possibilities. They'll be fine-tuned once we choose a basic idea.
If we skip the idea of coordinating colors, I like this one too:
Please tell me which cover you prefer, or choose elements that work for you that might be incorporated into a new cover (e.g., "I like the lettering in X but the picture in Y.")
May 29, 2020
Series: What I Wish I'd Known Then
I suspect every writer looks back and wishes things done and undone, and I'm no exception. I write what pleases me, not what I think will make tons of money. Often I don't know as I'm working on a book if it's a stand-alone or if I'll want to revisit the characters at some point in the future and write them a new adventure.
The technology for book publishing has a steep learning curve and requires constant updating. I started my career with a traditional publisher, which meant I didn't have to worry about that end of things. Now that I'm independent, I decide at what point a book releases, how it's presented to the world, and how to make the internet assist. A while back I learned how to make a boxed set of some of my series, so binge readers can get all the books for one price. I think that's a nice bargain for them.
Recently I learned that Amazon will let readers know about all the books in a series IF the information is presented to them correctly. As I mentioned above, I often don't know with the first book if it's even going to be a series. (The two main considerations are whether readers like Book #1 and whether I like it enough to pound out 70,000 more words about those people.) I often have to go back and add a series title to the Book 1 file later, so Amazon's algorithms will notice and offer readers the other books.
I've learned that a series title needs to be catchy, and it's best if it's unique." A Dead Detective Mystery" has been used as a series title by other authors, so my four dead detective novels are mixed in with books by different authors and labeled incorrectly (one is called "Book 7"). I have to figure out how to correct that, but I know from experience it will take lots of time and energy to get it done.
Publishing is always changing. That can be good, as the geniuses at Amazon or Draft2Digital make it easier to use their services. But it also means authors have to keep up with formatting, cover creation, promotion, end matter, and more.
I'm always picking up tricks to make things easier, but it seems that like as soon as I learn one, some other new thing comes along.
The technology for book publishing has a steep learning curve and requires constant updating. I started my career with a traditional publisher, which meant I didn't have to worry about that end of things. Now that I'm independent, I decide at what point a book releases, how it's presented to the world, and how to make the internet assist. A while back I learned how to make a boxed set of some of my series, so binge readers can get all the books for one price. I think that's a nice bargain for them.
Recently I learned that Amazon will let readers know about all the books in a series IF the information is presented to them correctly. As I mentioned above, I often don't know with the first book if it's even going to be a series. (The two main considerations are whether readers like Book #1 and whether I like it enough to pound out 70,000 more words about those people.) I often have to go back and add a series title to the Book 1 file later, so Amazon's algorithms will notice and offer readers the other books.I've learned that a series title needs to be catchy, and it's best if it's unique." A Dead Detective Mystery" has been used as a series title by other authors, so my four dead detective novels are mixed in with books by different authors and labeled incorrectly (one is called "Book 7"). I have to figure out how to correct that, but I know from experience it will take lots of time and energy to get it done.
Publishing is always changing. That can be good, as the geniuses at Amazon or Draft2Digital make it easier to use their services. But it also means authors have to keep up with formatting, cover creation, promotion, end matter, and more.
I'm always picking up tricks to make things easier, but it seems that like as soon as I learn one, some other new thing comes along.
March 15, 2020
Writing, My Precious
[image error]We sometimes hear writing described as precious, which, according to one definition I found, is some combination of
1. self-absorbed – the author inserting his own personality too much in the narration.
2. autobiographical – the story is about something that changed the author’s life, turned into fiction.
3. trying too hard to make the text sound nice/pretty
4. trying too hard to effect a style
Last night I dumped a book after about 20 pages for reasons I can't pinpoint except to call the writing precious. I felt like the author was standing at my shoulder, asking, "Didn't I describe that character completely? Isn't she stunningly beautiful?" Every character was described in great detail before he/she ever said a word. In addition, they might just as well have worn signs that said, "LIKE ME" or "DON'T LIKE ME." The "good" characters were perfectly beautiful or incredibly handsome, and the "bad" characters had beady eyes or a bald spot. Again I "heard" the author asking, "Don't I do this description thing well?" After only twenty pages, I didn't care enough to keep reading.
I've got another book going that is precious for a different reason. I'll probably finish reading it, though I have to make myself keep going. It's historical, and the author is trying (I think) to copy the style of Victorian writers, which, as anyone who's read Dickens knows, is rather long-winded and roundabout. I like Dickens, but adopting that style for a novel of today falls into the precious category. The author is trying too hard, and as a reader I want to say to him, "Just tell the story!"
As an author I admit that it's hard to walk the line. Writers aren't supposed to insert themselves into a story, but we're also told that one can't write well unless she digs deep into her emotions and reveals herself in some way. Readers expect lovely language, but too much is "flowery" and gets you nominated for the Bulwer-Lytton Award for horrible writing. We're expected to understand style and develop one of our own, but if the writer's hand shows, we're being precious. Even big-name writers reveal their prejudices at times, though it's best to be even handed. (I love the fact that people still argue about what Shakespeare did or didn't believe about race, sex, religion, etc. He was very good at offering both sides and letting the reader decide who was right.)
A writer's job is to write, hopefully so well that the reader forgets there was a writer. When we stop our reading and think, "Oh, there's the author," that's a failure on her part. That's when writing is precious.
1. self-absorbed – the author inserting his own personality too much in the narration.
2. autobiographical – the story is about something that changed the author’s life, turned into fiction.
3. trying too hard to make the text sound nice/pretty
4. trying too hard to effect a style
Last night I dumped a book after about 20 pages for reasons I can't pinpoint except to call the writing precious. I felt like the author was standing at my shoulder, asking, "Didn't I describe that character completely? Isn't she stunningly beautiful?" Every character was described in great detail before he/she ever said a word. In addition, they might just as well have worn signs that said, "LIKE ME" or "DON'T LIKE ME." The "good" characters were perfectly beautiful or incredibly handsome, and the "bad" characters had beady eyes or a bald spot. Again I "heard" the author asking, "Don't I do this description thing well?" After only twenty pages, I didn't care enough to keep reading.
I've got another book going that is precious for a different reason. I'll probably finish reading it, though I have to make myself keep going. It's historical, and the author is trying (I think) to copy the style of Victorian writers, which, as anyone who's read Dickens knows, is rather long-winded and roundabout. I like Dickens, but adopting that style for a novel of today falls into the precious category. The author is trying too hard, and as a reader I want to say to him, "Just tell the story!"
As an author I admit that it's hard to walk the line. Writers aren't supposed to insert themselves into a story, but we're also told that one can't write well unless she digs deep into her emotions and reveals herself in some way. Readers expect lovely language, but too much is "flowery" and gets you nominated for the Bulwer-Lytton Award for horrible writing. We're expected to understand style and develop one of our own, but if the writer's hand shows, we're being precious. Even big-name writers reveal their prejudices at times, though it's best to be even handed. (I love the fact that people still argue about what Shakespeare did or didn't believe about race, sex, religion, etc. He was very good at offering both sides and letting the reader decide who was right.)
A writer's job is to write, hopefully so well that the reader forgets there was a writer. When we stop our reading and think, "Oh, there's the author," that's a failure on her part. That's when writing is precious.
February 5, 2020
Who "Deserves" an Honor?
It happens every day. Someone gets recognized, honored, if you will, by some entity. Often people who are well-informed gasp with dismay. Really? We're going to point to that person as an example of what's good in our neighborhood, our profession, our nation?
Sadly, recognition can say more about who does the recognizing than what the recipient has accomplished. Some things come down to who you know (I'm aware that should be whom). The doctor, writer, teacher, businessman, or talking head given an award is probably no more talented than a dozen, maybe a hundred others in his or her field. But we like awards, and we like one shining example, not a dozen really good ones.
Malcolm Gladwell attributes it to a human desire to have one top dog to admire in any one arena. That's likely to be a pooch the choosers know well, one who has served their purposes, "done his time," "paid her dues."
Can we really quantify who is the sexiest man alive? Or who wrote the best book of 2019? Or who's the best at political analysis? No, but we pick someone to honor anyway, often by purely superficial means. Reasons tend to be subjective.
"I know her. I don't know those other people."
"He deserves recognition. He did me a favor once."
"She's okay. She always speaks to everyone in the room."
News flash: If the award isn't for being nice, doing favors, or being everyone's pal, then it shouldn't be given.
It's good when we can all agree that an award is deserved, and that certainly happens. But when awards appear for purely selfish reasons on the part of the givers ("Look how great we are!" "Who are we going to honor at this year's banquet?") it's pointless. When an award comes more from the recipient's acquaintance with the panel of selectors than from any real talent or initiative shown, award-giving becomes divisive and petty.
And when a single individual bestows an award just because he can, it's an insult to all of us. At least the sexiest man alive comes from a vote of (some of) the people.
Sadly, recognition can say more about who does the recognizing than what the recipient has accomplished. Some things come down to who you know (I'm aware that should be whom). The doctor, writer, teacher, businessman, or talking head given an award is probably no more talented than a dozen, maybe a hundred others in his or her field. But we like awards, and we like one shining example, not a dozen really good ones.
Malcolm Gladwell attributes it to a human desire to have one top dog to admire in any one arena. That's likely to be a pooch the choosers know well, one who has served their purposes, "done his time," "paid her dues."
Can we really quantify who is the sexiest man alive? Or who wrote the best book of 2019? Or who's the best at political analysis? No, but we pick someone to honor anyway, often by purely superficial means. Reasons tend to be subjective.
"I know her. I don't know those other people."
"He deserves recognition. He did me a favor once."
"She's okay. She always speaks to everyone in the room."
News flash: If the award isn't for being nice, doing favors, or being everyone's pal, then it shouldn't be given.
It's good when we can all agree that an award is deserved, and that certainly happens. But when awards appear for purely selfish reasons on the part of the givers ("Look how great we are!" "Who are we going to honor at this year's banquet?") it's pointless. When an award comes more from the recipient's acquaintance with the panel of selectors than from any real talent or initiative shown, award-giving becomes divisive and petty.
And when a single individual bestows an award just because he can, it's an insult to all of us. At least the sexiest man alive comes from a vote of (some of) the people.
December 8, 2019
Christmas Recipes
The book launch for Maggie Pill's newest, ONCE UPON A TRAILER PARK, was a great deal of fun. People asked for the recipes for several items served, so here they are.
Chicken Spread
1 pint canned chicken
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. chopped onion
Drain chicken and save juice. Blend chicken, cream cheese, and onion. Add some of the juice if mixture is too dry. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve with crackers.
Cinnamon Toasted Pecans
1 pound pecans, whole or halves
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg white and water to a froth. In a large zip-bag, combine sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Coat pecans with the egg/water mixture then drop them into the bag and shake, coating well. Spread on greased cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cool on waxed paper. (These freeze well, but seldom last long!)
Chocolate Peanut-Butter Clusters
In a large saucepan combine
½ c. light corn syrup
½ c. chocolate chips
¼ c. sugar
½ c. peanut butter
3 c. toasted “O” oat cereal, plain, not sweetened
Combine corn syrup, chips, and sugar and cook on medium heat just until bubbles break the surface. Add peanut butter and cereal; mix well. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Makes about 3 dozen.
Buckeyes
In a large mixing bowl, combine
2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. margarine or butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
Mix well. Form into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll between palms to condense and firm. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or so.
In a small, deep bowl, melt one 12-ounce package of chocolate chips with 1/4 bar of wax.
Using a toothpick, dip balls into warm chocolate, leaving the “eye” of peanut butter showing. Set on waxed paper to cool. Makes about 5 dozen.
Oreo Truffles
1 package Oreo-type cookies (not double-stuffed)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
Squash cookies to fine crumbs. Stir in softened cream cheese. Roll into balls and chill for an hour.
Melt 12 oz. white chocolate. Using a toothpick, dip balls into chocolate and set on waxed paper until they harden. Store in a cool place. About 3 dozen.
Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts
Cut bacon strips in half and wrap around a whole water chestnut, secure with a toothpick
Bake on a rack set in a sheet pan for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
Remove from oven, drain grease, and brush with sauce of your choice. Your favorite barbecue sauce is fine, or you can combine 1/3 c. ketchup, 1/3 c. brown sugar, and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 12-15 minutes more, until they're done to your liking.
Chicken Spread
1 pint canned chicken
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 c. chopped onion
Drain chicken and save juice. Blend chicken, cream cheese, and onion. Add some of the juice if mixture is too dry. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve with crackers.
Cinnamon Toasted Pecans
1 pound pecans, whole or halves
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg white and water to a froth. In a large zip-bag, combine sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Coat pecans with the egg/water mixture then drop them into the bag and shake, coating well. Spread on greased cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cool on waxed paper. (These freeze well, but seldom last long!)
Chocolate Peanut-Butter Clusters
In a large saucepan combine
½ c. light corn syrup
½ c. chocolate chips
¼ c. sugar
½ c. peanut butter
3 c. toasted “O” oat cereal, plain, not sweetened
Combine corn syrup, chips, and sugar and cook on medium heat just until bubbles break the surface. Add peanut butter and cereal; mix well. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper. Makes about 3 dozen.
Buckeyes
In a large mixing bowl, combine
2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. margarine or butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
Mix well. Form into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Roll between palms to condense and firm. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or so.
In a small, deep bowl, melt one 12-ounce package of chocolate chips with 1/4 bar of wax.
Using a toothpick, dip balls into warm chocolate, leaving the “eye” of peanut butter showing. Set on waxed paper to cool. Makes about 5 dozen.
Oreo Truffles
1 package Oreo-type cookies (not double-stuffed)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
Squash cookies to fine crumbs. Stir in softened cream cheese. Roll into balls and chill for an hour.
Melt 12 oz. white chocolate. Using a toothpick, dip balls into chocolate and set on waxed paper until they harden. Store in a cool place. About 3 dozen.
Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts
Cut bacon strips in half and wrap around a whole water chestnut, secure with a toothpick
Bake on a rack set in a sheet pan for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
Remove from oven, drain grease, and brush with sauce of your choice. Your favorite barbecue sauce is fine, or you can combine 1/3 c. ketchup, 1/3 c. brown sugar, and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 12-15 minutes more, until they're done to your liking.
September 18, 2019
Such A Deal for You!
Often I have stories that are funny to me but might set other people thinking, "The woman doesn't have a clue."
I know that, and mostly, I don't mind.
At the beginning of the month I signed up for a promotion that required I reduce the price on a boxed set. I did that, making The Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries (all 4 books in that series) just $.99 for the month of September.
When I went back to list it on the promo, I realized it didn't fit the criteria.
Result: The e-book boxed set is really cheap this month, for no good reason.
I did manage to get one promo right, so KIDNAP.org will be free for download on BookFunnel starting Friday., Sept. 20 and going until Oct. 19 (link:https://books.bookfunnel.com/feel-goodcrime/xb92i6xlq7
For that promo an author lists how many books she's willing to give away, and they stay available until that # is reached. If you haven't yet started that series, it's fun, and the second book, PharmaCon, is available in print and e-book formats. Audio should be coming along soon and I'll keep you informed.
September 1, 2019
I was interviewed by NF Reads, a site filled with interes...
I was interviewed by NF Reads, a site filled with interesting articles about a variety of topics. To see the interview, go here https://www.nfreads.com/interview-with-author-peg-herring/.
