Melissa Bowersock's Blog, page 4

Now Available: Audio Books!

Have you tried it yet? Tried listening to an audio book on your way to work, on your road trip, on that slow-and-go freeway exodus? More and more people are doing it, and loving it. 

It's been my experience, as an author, that converting books to audio adds a new dimension to the story. It has a way of bringing the characters to life, of adding a depth and an immediacy to the story. A good narrator not only captures the nuances of the characters but conveys their emotions in a much fuller way than the words on a page. 

In that vein, I'm happy to announce that Book 3 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, Star Walk, is now available as an audio book, along with Books 1 and 2, Ghost Walk and Skin Walk. Narrator Laura Wilson has done an excellent job of bringing Sam and Lacey to life in these first three books, and she'll be doing the rest of the books in the series in the coming months. If you're already fans of Sam and Lacey, you might consider the audio books, because it's experiencing them and their adventures in a whole new way.

Not sure if audio books are for you? Want to listen to samples? It's easy. Just go to my soundcloud page and you can try out any of my audio books. 

If you haven't yet "met" Sam and Lacey, Book 1 of the series, Ghost Walk, is always just 99 cents. 


All my books are Annie-approved!

Writing for Timing and Emphasis

I’ve talked about pacing before, but that was about the pace of the story arc over the entire book. Today I’d like to get a little more specific about writing for pace in a particular sequence of events in a story, and also about emphasis.TimingWriting is nothing more than stringing together a bunch of words: verbs, nouns, pronouns, conjunctions. But when we are writing, our task is more than simply providing information to our readers. In fiction, especially, it’s all about recording and eliciting emotion. Giving our readers a sense of the timing of the action is a great way to support that emotion.Let’s say my character, Hector Human, is running from an unknown pursuant down a dark street. The chaser is dangerous, deadly even — a predator. Hector is running for his life, even though he doesn’t understand why. He only understands the danger. How might we convey that?Hector raced down the sidewalk. His legs churned. The panic in his brain sent hot pulses of adrenaline surging in his blood so it pounded in his ears. He hauled in great gulps of air as he ran. He fought the impulse to look behind him to see if his pursuant had closed the gap between them. He needed to watch where he was going. The inky depths between streetlights were littered with all manner of civil conveniences — mailboxes, metal trash containers, parking meters, tree wells — that during daylight posed no threat. Now, in the darkness, they became ghostly obstacles to his safety. His legs began to burn. He pushed them even harder. His lungs were aching. His coarse breathing echoed off the storefronts as he hurtled by. He had to find safety. He couldn’t go on like this much longer. Frantically his eyes searched the block ahead. He looked for lights, activity, any sign of gathering people that could forestall his attacker. Nothing. Just darkness. He ran on.Showing not telling, the emotion is there. Passable, but what happens if we do this …?Hector raced down the sidewalk, his legs churning, the panic in his brain sending hot pulses of adrenaline surging in his blood so it pounded in his ears. Gasping, hauling in great gulps of air as he ran, he fought the impulse to look behind him to see if his pursuant had closed the gap between them. He needed to watch where he was going; the inky depths between streetlights were littered with all manner of civil conveniences — mailboxes, metal trash containers, parking meters, tree wells — that during daylight posed no threat but now, in the darkness, became ghostly obstacles to his safety. His legs began to burn, the muscles cramping, but he pushed them even harder, not daring to slow down. His lungs were aching, the dry air rasping in his throat, his coarse breathing echoing off the storefronts as he hurtled by. He had to find safety; he couldn’t go on like this much longer. Frantically his eyes searched the block ahead, looking for lights, activity, any sign of gathering people that could forestall his attacker. Nothing. Just darkness. He ran on.While the information given in both paragraphs is intrinsically the same, the pacing is quite different. In the first paragraph, the many short sentences each require a full stop in the reading, giving the action an abrupt, jerky effect. In the second paragraph, the longer sentences pull the reader forward, almost hurtling them into the next piece of information, no time to stop, no time to relax. The pace of the writing itself conveys the sense of panic. Imagine reading each of these paragraphs out loud. Reading the first one, you would have plenty of places to stop and take a breath between sentences. Reading the second, you might find yourself out of air before you got to a period and a good place to catch a breath. The writing not only mirrors the emotions of the character, but with any luck, it conveys that emotion to the reader, as well.Similar ideas apply, in reverse, when writing about time going by slowly.Hector paced the waiting room. The clock on the wall ticked off the seconds with dull thuds: tick … tick  … tick. His brain registered the swirly pattern of the multi-colored carpet beneath his feet, the way the pattern changed as he walked from one side of the room to the other, then returned. Against one pale baseboard, he noted a loose strand of orange looping up from the close-cut pile around it. Every time he walked that direction now, his eyes strayed immediately to that one strand. Why didn’t the people here notice that when they vacuumed? Why didn’t they cut the damn thread so it was the same height as the rest? He tried to forget about the thread when he walked back the other way, tried to push it out of his mind, but of course it wouldn’t go. He changed his pattern, walking around the room rather than across it. But when he passed that side of the room, that baseboard, the orange thread stood tall and bright in the periphery of his vision. The clock ticked: tick … tick … tick.In direct contrast to the chase scene, Hector’s world is now filled with small, pointless and annoying details. Nothing here is of any consequence. He’s waiting for something, but whatever it is, it doesn’t come. He’s left with only the stupid orange thread and the ticking of the clock. The short sentences and the inane details work together to give the impression of the annoyingly slow passage of time.EmphasisIn the same way that a series of long sentences can convey the rush of time or a series of short sentences can communicate the slow passage of time, a single-sentence paragraph can create enormous impact. Let’s go back to Hector in his headlong run down the street.Hector cast about for anything that might save him. His vision was beginning to swim, but suddenly he noticed a narrow alleyway opening up on his right. He veered into it, stumbling down the dark  path, heedless of the stink and the damp. He half fell, half threw himself down behind some trash cans, his back to the dank wall behind him. Swallowing painfully, he tried to rein in his frantic breathing, willing his body to calm even as he kept wary eyes on the lamplit entrance to the alley. As he watched, a dark shadow fell across the opening.Okay as far as it goes, but let’s try it this way:Hector cast about for anything that might save him. His vision was beginning to swim, but suddenly he noticed an alleyway opening up on his right. He veered into it, stumbling down the dark, narrow path, heedless of the stink and the damp. He half fell, half threw himself down behind some trash cans, his back to the dank wall behind him. Swallowing painfully, he tried to rein in his frantic breathing, willing his body to calm even as he kept wary eyes on the lamplit entrance to the alley.As he watched, a dark shadow fell across the opening.The separation of the last sentence is a visual clue to the reader that this statement is important. Setting it apart gives it weight. The single-sentence structure gives it punch. It has much more of an impact than if it is simply tacked onto the end of the paragraph above.I use all of these stylistic tools in my writing, and I find they give an added boost to the words themselves. The reader may not be aware of the nuances, but I believe they contribute greatly to communicating the emotions of the story.Originally published by Indies Unlimited on Feb. 10, 2015.

New Release: Storm Walk

Los Angeles has been besieged with relentless rain for weeks. There has been massive flooding, swift-water rescues, and an entire warehouse has collapsed from the weight of catastrophic rainfall, resulting in the death of six people. When medium Sam Firecloud is asked to connect with the only “witnesses”—the victims—he finds more questions than answers. He and his partner, Lacey Fitzpatrick, must take on the police, the insurance company and the architectural firm as they realize that things are not as they seem. Sam and Lacey aren’t experts in any of the associated fields, but they do know one thing—the dead don’t lie. 

Thus begins Sam and Lacey's next adventure, Storm Walk, Book 18 of the series. Join them as they work to untangle all the pieces of the fatal puzzle at the same time that they face disruption in the family as Daniel, Sam's son, comes up hard against one of life's toughest lessons. 

To celebrate the release, Storm Walk is on sale for just 99 cents through March 24, 2019. 




And remember, Ghost Walk, Book 1 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, is always just 99 cents.

Do You Ever Meet Readers?

Do you ever meet readers? That was the subject line of an email I got a while back. The email came from one of two brothers who had been sharing in the reading of my paranormal mystery books, the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series. It turns out they were going to be in my area for a few days and wondered if they could buy me a cup of coffee. With an offer like that, how could I refuse? 


I have often met with readers. The most common place is book fairs where I set up a table and chat with people browsing through the many, varied offerings. What I enjoy about these is that most of the people are taking their time, enjoying a leisurely stroll through the book stalls, and are quite willing to simply talk about memorable books, unusual stories, and their own experiences. I may sell a few books, but that's not nearly as important as meeting readers and making a connection with them that goes beyond the writer/reader interface.

I've also been invited to book club meetings, which are great fun. The people at these meetings are avid readers which means they hold the bar pretty high; I'm always a little nervous about my books meeting it, but then pleasantly surprised when they do. Book club meetings offer a comfortable, intimate setting where readers and I can really delve into what makes a great book: story line, characters, conflict and resolution. I also like to give my new friends a little "behind the scenes" information about the book at hand. Kind of like the extra features on a DVD, it helps to round out the story a bit more, and gives the readers a fuller picture of the process.

So did I get my free cup of coffee? Yes, I did, plus much more. It was great to be able to sit down with the two men and simply chat, not only about my books, but about other books they'd read, ideas they had for my series (and I just might incorporate those--who knows?), our many common interests and common experiences. It made me realize again, as I have so many times, that my readers are the greatest! 

Double Trouble! New Release and Audio Book Contest!

You can tell I'm making hay while the sun shines--or while the snow flies! Very busy these last few months writing new Sam and Lacey books, publishing same, and producing audio books of the series as well. Sometimes I have to stop and think where I am on my various projects, but it's never boring.


First up is the new release of Book 17 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, Bordello Walk. Here's the skinny: 

Jerome, Arizona, is known as the most haunted town in the state. In its history as an old west mining town, it endured explosions, cave-ins, fires, and the usual consequences of rampant prostitution, gambling and gunfights. It experienced enough mayhem to generate countless ghosts, which is exactly why medium Sam Firecloud does not want to go there. When he and partner Lacey Fitzpatrick get a call to eradicate a ghost from an old bordello, there’s more at stake than simply freeing a tortured soul. Sam’s own soul could also be in danger. 

To celebrate the release, Bordello Walk will be just 99 cents through February 28, 2019.


Secondly, to introduce the first audio book of the series, Ghost Walk, I'm running a contest for 3 free audio book downloads. All you have to do to enter is post a comment on my Facebook page about what you might be doing while you're listening to Sam and Lacey's first case. Do you plan to listen while vacuuming? Driving to work? Climbing Mt. Everest? Let me know before February 28, 2019, and I'll choose the 3 most unique and interesting methods of listening, and those 3 people will win free downloads of the audio book. If you're a winner, I'll supply you with a code and directions for downloading. I'll also need to know if you're in the US or the UK, since the codes are different.

In the meantime, Book 18, Storm Walk, is in the can and I'm working on Book 19. The ideas just keep coming, so stay tuned.

And remember: Book 1, Ghost Walk, is always just 99 cents.

Valentine's Day Specials

Are you ready for a little love? How about a lot of it? Have I got a deal for you! To celebrate Valentine's Day, I've put all of my romance novels on sale for just 99 cents each. I've got historical to contemporary, sweet to sexy, serious to satire--definitely something for everyone. Take a look below, read the blurbs and see which one(s) sound good to you. Then load up that tablet and find a comfy corner to hide in. I won't tell!



Remember M e  
(Contemporary Romance)
Elly Cole wakes up bruised and battered in a hospital-and has no idea who she is or how she got there. Her brooding giant of a husband informs her that she had been fleeing with her lover who was killed in the car accident that left her injured, that she is pregnant with that lover's child and that she has nowhere else to go but home-with him. Struggling against the threat of her husband's dangerous rage and jealousy, Elly strives to regain her memory and reconstruct the life she left behind, wondering how she could ever have loved this man who hates her.


LightningStrikes
(Contemporary Romance)Jessie Evans is a free-lance journalist, emphasis on the "free," with no plans to tie herself down. While researching a story in Flagstaff about Indian influences in Arizona, however, she encounters Lucas Shay, a smoldering paradox who is part Indian, part architect and all man. Whether igniting her temper with his arrogance or challenging her beliefs with his laser-like insight, Jessie can't deny that Lucas sets fire to her soul as well.
TheRare Breed
(Historical Romance)The daughter of a white woman and an Indian brave, Catherine Boudry had spent the first thirteen years of her life among the Cheyenne. Restored at last to her mother’s wealthy parents, Cathy blossomed into womanhood surrounded by all the “civilized” comforts of the white man’s world. But at the age of twenty, the lure of her Indian heritage drew her back to the western plains. It was a journey that would awaken her to the joy and agony of passion in the arms of two very different men—Jory, the virile young trapper, and Barred Owl, the Cheyenne brave to whom she had been pledged in marriage long ago.
SuperstitionGold
(Historical Romance)Married and widowed within a 24-hour period, beautiful Leigh Banning watches as her storybook New Orleans life crumbles away piece by piece. In a heartbroken attempt to start over, she travels to the wilds of frontier Arizona in an effort to understand the father she never knew and is rewarded with gold from the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine in the Superstition Mountains. The gold comes with a price tag, however—the murder of innocent people. Leigh’s quest for justice leads her to a remote Apache camp in the company of a proud Pima Indian and a handsome cavalry officer. Torn between the fiery kisses of the Major and the respectful love of the Pima, Leigh joins forces with the Apaches to battle gold-hungry killers and in the process discovers her true self and her one true love. 


Love's Savage Armpit
By Amber Flame (Satire)
Sealed to the man in an arranged marriage, Elizabeth rides the surging tide of shock and denial, lust and love, as she is swept from the manicured gardens of England to the savage shores of Africa and the wilds of the New World, never quite sure which Captain Elliott is the man she loves. Warning! This satiric romp is NOT your mother's romance novel!

The sale lasts through February 14, 2019. 

You can see all my books on my Amazon author page here.

Malapropisms: Writing the Wrong Word

“Texas has a lot of electrical votes.” –Yogi Berra A malapropism (or acyrologia) is the use of an incorrect but similar-sounding word in place of the correct word. It was coined from the name of a character, Mrs. Malaprop, who constantly misused and abused her words in the comedy The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. In turn, Mrs. Malaprop’s name ultimately descended from the French phrase mal à propos meaning badly placed or inappropriate.There are two reasons writers (and others) may get their words mixed up. The first, of course, is the similarity of sound. In the quote above, Yogi Berra was actually referring to electoral votes, but electrical is pretty close. Close, but no cigar.The second reason is that very often words get modified in common usage, especially old words whose original meanings no longer have a relevance for us today, yet the word has evolved into a new usage and often a new spelling. An example of this is tenterhooks.Many people say (or write), “I’m on tenderhooks,” believing the word refers to the hooks used by butchers to hang meat so it can tenderize. Actually the word goes back much further than that, back to the middle ages when people used mainly woolen or linen cloth. As the cloth was processed and washed, it was stretched on wooden frames, called tenters, to keep it from shrinking as it dried. The hooks on the tenters that were used to hold the cloth in place were, of course, tenterhooks. The colloquial meaning came to allude to the tension of being forcefully tacked and stretched, and has now evolved to mean any kind of suspenseful tension.Any word, however, can be accidentally twisted into an inappropriate usage. Some examples of malapropisms might include: After a detailed investigation, the police comprehended two suspects. I do believe that man is having a nervous shakedown. King Omar is the exhausted ruler of his rich kingdom. If you’re smart, you won’t upset the apple tart. We had great fun riding together on a tantrum bicycle. Many people have benefited from joining Alcoholics Unanimous. There is one place where malapropisms can be used and are not only appropriate but can add to a story, as well: comic relief. Mrs. Malaprop herself added this funny, if painful, dimension to the original story. Shakespeare has used similar characters in several of his plays. In my own satire of romance novels, Love's Savage Armpit, I have one very naïve character who constantly misspeaks, and the results can be quite comical. As with any tool, writers need to know the rules before they break them, but every tool has its exceptions.So now let’s lay a reef on the grave of accidental malapropisms and make sure we’re using the correct words. Not sure you completely understand the meaning and spelling of a word? Look it up! No matter how many books we’ve written, we’re never too old to learn!Originally published by Indies Unlimited on June 9, 2015.

New Releases: Mystery Walk and Ghost Walk Audio Book

Happy New Year! I hope you all had wonderful holidays and are looking at a promising new year. I wish every one of you health, happiness and meaningful work. I can't think of anything more satisfying than accomplishing something that we feel passionate about. 


And speaking of that... I have two announcements to make. The first is that Book 16 of the Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series, Mystery Walk, is now available. This book is a slight departure from the others in the series in a very fun way. Here's the blurb:

When paranormal investigators Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud are on a case, they are all in, and don’t rest until the haunting is resolved. Now they’ve been invited to a Murder Mystery Weekend of role-play, sleuthing and fun. Lacey thinks they’ll have an advantage because they’re such practiced investigators, and the tangled trail of clues, motives and red herrings creates a fierce competition to find whodunit.  Lacey fully intends to solve the mystery and win the prize, but the weekend turns out to be surprisingly different on very many levels.

Sound like fun? I think it is. And to celebrate the new book and the new year, ALL the Sam and Lacey ebooks are just 99 cents thru January 13, 2019.  That's right; you can pick up the entire series for less than $16.00. Did you get a new Kindle or tablet for Christmas this year? If so,  here's your chance to load that puppy up with these paranormal mysteries.




In addition to that, I'm excited to announce the release of Ghost Walk, the audio book, now available on Audible and Amazon. Laura Wilson has done a fabulous job of voicing Lacey and Sam, and she's agreed to do the rest of the series as well, so we'll be adding a new audio book every few months. We're currently producing Skin Walk, Book 2 of the series, so stay tuned!

Finally, I want to thank all of my family, friends and fans for their support in the last years, and wish all the best to you in this coming year. Annie, my Airedale, hopes you take the time to play in the snow and enjoy the seasons!

New Release: Ghost Walk Audio Book

And now for something completely different...



***drumroll***


I'm happy to announce the release of Ghost Walk as an audio book! Ghost Walk was, of course, the first book in the series where Sam and Lacey first met and started working together, and narrator Laura Wilson does an excellent job of projecting all the wonder, excitement and tension of that time. If you haven't met Sam and Lacey yet, this is the chance to do so in a way that's alive and immediate. If you have been following Sam and Lacey's adventures, this is a way to revisit the original story in a fresh and different dimension. Let's go back two years to that fateful beginning...

Lacey Fitzpatrick is an ex-LAPD detective with an axe to grind. Tainted by the betrayal of her drug-dealing cop boyfriend, she's on a quest to prove to herself--and the world--that she's still a competent crime-fighter. In order to do that, she teams up with Sam Firecloud, a half-Navajo man who communicates with ghosts. With his talent and her research, they tackle troubling unsolved crimes, but their latest case is the toughest. They have to solve a murder--where no record of a murder even exists. Can Sam glean enough information from the victim's ghost to unravel the mystery, and can Lacey convince the authorities that the murder actually happened?

Ghost Walk has been garnering recognition and awards since it was first published, including:


2017 Finalist New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards 2018 B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree 2018 Chill With A Book Readers' Award, Chill Premier Award, Chill Awards: PB Special Award
And the reviews from satisfied readers continue to come in: 
This is a well paced, well written book with characters you won't forget and is a wonderful start to a great series. If you like paranormal elements in your mysteries, you really need to check this series out.
This story grabbed me from the very beginning.I will definitely be reading more of this series, and from this author.
Enjoyed the well written paranormal book. I have now read all in this series which I seldom do.
I loved this book.
Great read!!!
I loved this book so much that I immediately purchased Book 2, Skin Walk!
This is the 1st book I've read by this author and I will definitely read more!!
I've read 10 of these 'Walk'er novels, and am pleased to discover there are a few more in the series. You will not be disappointed.
Can't wait to read the others in this series.
This is one of my favourite paranormal mysteries.
Up there with household names in detective fiction. Very much enjoyed this.


The eBook for Ghost Walk is always only 99 cents on Amazon. 

Stay tuned for audio versions of the rest of the books in the series. Next up: Skin Walk!

Self-Publishing Children's Books

I know many people who have written, or want to write, children's books, but then may not know how to get them out there into the hands of waiting children. My particular experience started after my parents passed away and I was going through their files. My father was an artist and my mother was a teacher, actually almost direct opposites in temperament, so I was surprised and excited to find the layout of a children’s book written by my mother and illustrated by my father. It was very obvious the little project had never seen a publisher, so I determined to publish it for them.Because the story was short and simple, appealing to younger children, I chose an 8”x10” paperback format for it — easier for small hands to hold, and the layout my parents had designed fit perfectly. Since the original work was done back in the 1950s, my parents had done a literal cut and paste — typing up the text on a typewriter, cutting the lines out with scissors and pasting or taping them onto the mat boards where my dad had drawn the illustrations. Lucky for me, the glue and tape held on after all these years, so it was easy for me to see exactly how they envisioned the set-up of the book.My father had rendered the full-color cover for the book (above), and had hand-lettered the title. It was a simple matter for me to scan the painting into a jpg and add my mother’s name in a coordinating color and font style. I uploaded it to CreateSpace in the resolution required (at least 300 dpi) and created a back cover out of another painting my father did. (Since this original post, CreateSpace has announced they are closing, and KDP is taking over the self-publishing of paperbacks as well as eBooks.)I scanned in all the old interior drawings and cleaned them up. It wasn’t hard to get rid of the small stains and smudges they had gathered over time and make them look like brand new. I used Paint Shop Pro, but there are several free image programs (like Gimp) that will work just as well. It was an easy matter to add the text without the laborious cutting and pasting, and I thought about how amazed my parents would be to see this way of making their old project new for the digital age.I did end up putting each drawing and its related text on its own page rather than the three-to-a-page layout in the image above. I wanted each drawing to fill the page, and with a book this short, there was no reason to crowd the pages. The finished book was 24 pages long, just right for small minds at bedtime.Because some of the story’s drawings were in color, I chose the color option for the interior, which unfortunately pushed the price up to $9.99, but I felt it was worth it. Interestingly enough, I was talking to a friend about this, and he suggested I remove the color and do the book as a coloring book! I thought that was a terrific idea, and I did that at a later date, not replacing this book but adding a new version of it. Not only did it cut the cost of the book, but it made it more “interactive,” in an old-fashioned and fun way. Because I also have hundreds of pencil drawings that my father did of various animals, both domestic and wild, I plan to do another themed coloring book without any story at all.The great thing about children’s books is that they can be simple, fun and require much less gnashing of teeth than a 100,000-word novel. I would venture to say that many parents and/or grandparents might have ideas for stories like this, and it’s not that difficult to do. If you don’t know an illustrator or can’t find one within your budget, there are a lot of royalty-free images available on the web. Let your imagination run wild. You never know what you can create until you try. And your children (or grandchildren) will thank you.Originally published by Indies Unlimited on April 7, 2015.