Debra H. Goldstein's Blog, page 17

Guest Blogger: Diane A.S. Stuckart – Living the Dream…Or Not

Living the Dream…Or Not by Diane A.S. Stuckart

Running a bed and breakfast inn has been my dream business for a couple of decades, even before I wrote the first chapters of what would become my Georgia B&B mystery series. It was the late 1990s, and I didn’t much care for the daytime job anymore. And, for a few reasons, my publishing career had pretty much ground to a halt. Then a friend who knew about my fledgling B&B ambition sent me a page from the classifieds. Circled was an ad for a historic house for sale in a small East Texas town a couple of hours from Dallas, where I lived at the time. On a whim, I called the real estate agent and learned the place was still available. To my greater shock, my usually scoffing husband said we should go take a look.  And so that weekend we hopped in the car and headed east.

At first glance, the house was everything you might have wanted…three-stories, white paint with green trim, the style vaguely Greek Revival. The crowning glory of its huge front yard was a magnolia that had to be 70 feet tall and probably had been planted the same year the house was built. There was also a huge side portico, which should have been a feature, except that it stretched across a broad broken driveway. And it was at the driveway that we began to have our doubts.

We walked inside to find that most of the first-floor walls had been long ago torn down to create a huge open space. Ah, the real estate agent said, did I tell you that the house was turned into a hospital during the Civil War? Then he disclosed that, sometime at the turn of the 20th century, the hospital had subsequently been converted to a funeral home. Said mortuary had operated for decades until the owners abandoned it for a brand-new facility right across the street.

Had this been a movie, ominous music would have welled up in the background. But as this was real life, and both the husband and I were paranormal skeptics, we shrugged and headed up to the second floor. There, we discovered abandoned mattresses and clothing, obvious signs of recent squatters. By this time, the real estate agent admitted he hadn’t actually been in the house before and thus had had no clue as to the state it was in. But would we like to take a look at the finished attic?

This was a feat, as the space was reached by a stairway that was more of a permanently mounted wooden ladder than code-approved steps. Still, we were nimble enough back then to risk it. And there, at the top of the ladder stair, is where we found the house’s true horror.

Water damage ravaged almost the entire ceiling!

Sounds of cash register bells ringing in our ears, we rushed back to our car, my husband muttering that the best way to remodel this house was with a match! That adventure pretty well ended my B&B dream, though I eventually lived it vicariously through my Georgia B&B mystery series. There, my protagonist, Nina Fleet, converts a lovely Queen Anne home into a bed and breakfast inn. And if you’ve read the first two books in the series, you might recognize the magnolia tree and the ladder stair. Yes, I borrowed them from that ill-fated house…a house that I hope someone with far deeper pockets than mine was able to bring back to its original glory.

But I suspect someone probably opted for a match.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

DIANE A.S. STUCKART began her writing career in the 1990s as the critically acclaimed author of historical romance under the names Alexa Smart and Anna Gerard. She later switched to the mystery genre and is the NYT bestselling author of the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries (written as Ali Brandon) and the award-winning Leonardo da Vinci historical mysteries. Her Tarot Cats Mystery series launched in 2018 with FOOL’S MOON. Her Georgia B&B Mystery series (also written as Anna Gerard) debuted in 2019 with PEACH CLOBBERED. Kirkus Reviews describes that book as “Filled with Southern charm and enough ditzy characters to keep readers guessing and laughing.” Book 3 in the series, PEACHES AND SCHEMES—her 17th published novel—will be on the shelves May 2021.

The post Guest Blogger: Diane A.S. Stuckart – Living the Dream…Or Not appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Sophy Smythe – Corruption in the Medical World

Guest blogger: Sophy Smythe – Corruption in the Medical World

Sophy Smythe is my pen name. I am a Dutch doctor living in Antwerp, Belgium. After more than thirty years of medical practice, I reinvented myself and pursued my long-lived dream: writing fact-based mystery-thrillers about what I know best, the medical and pharmaceutical world. The Medical Code is the first of the Charlie Martens, MD, series.

Why I wrote this book?

I was triggered by a judicial settlement of a pharmaceutical company for hundreds of millions of dollars for the illegal promotion of Celexa for the use in treating children and adolescents suffering from depression. There were a lot of suicides among the children. And, mind you, Celexa is still on the market. At the same time I read a non-fiction book called ‘Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime’ by Peter Gøtzsche. This combination gave birth to my debut book, The Medical Code.

I was sucked into a world of conspiracy, fraud, hacking, and drugs I knew nothing about. The journey was exhilarating. During long hikes with my dog Pepper, I mixed the ingredients to a suspenseful story. Actually, writing is a lot like cooking (or baking as Debra prefers). I never cook with a recipe, I just mix and match different recipes and make it my own.

Like in real life, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a story and… a secret which glues to him / her like an elongated shadow.

Let me tell you a bit about THE MEDICAL CODE.

In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in Antwerp, Belgium, Doctor Charlotte Martens receives an urgent late-night call from her friend who is a member of the European Medicines Agency. The next day Charlotte learns that her friend was violently murdered and that she herself is now the prime suspect. Because the police find a baffling code beside the murder victim, Charlotte enlists the help of an investigative journalist. She and the journalist discover that her murdered friend was about to expose a conspiracy of fraud and corruption within the pharma industry involving the government, certain reputable doctors and even the European Medicines Agency.

With both the police and the murderer closing in on them, Charlotte and the journalist must stay alive long to find the hard evidence necessary to bring down a faceless pharma company that will clearly stop at nothing to protect their secret network.

In an exhilarating blend of adventure, cutting wit and actual facts, doctor Charlotte Martens is a controversial figure to appear in the first book of intriguing fact-thrillers, where facts and fiction blur.

You can read the first chapters of The Medical Code  for free on https://sophysmythe.com/blog
or buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/MEDICAL-CODE-Sophy-Smythe/dp/946433231X/ref=sr_1_35?dchild=1&keywords=the+medical+code&qid=1617886961&sr=8-35

Readers who like The Da Vinci Code with all its riddles, will love The Medical Code.

About the author:

Sophy Smythe is like her protagonist, an actual Dutch medical doctor, living in Antwerp. They both love yoga, writing and independent research to keep patients safe. In her previous life, Sophy co-wrote under the name Phia Vermeij a non-fiction book with her mother Sophie van Baarsen  about the secret of how to age and keep fit (with recipes) and a book about how to avoid burnout for managers (both in Dutch). When she is not writing, Sophy is doing yoga, surf peddling with her dog Pepper or playing golf.

What is next?  There is no such thing as coincidence. When I finished this first book in the Charlie Martens, MD, series, two non-fiction stories surfaced, which gave me the ugly facts for the second book in the series.

The post Guest Blogger: Sophy Smythe – Corruption in the Medical World appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Maggie Toussaint – Staying in Character

Staying in Character by Maggie Toussaint

When writing a series mystery, writers should strive for all their characters to “stay in character” throughout the series. A deviation in characterization is a red flag for editors and readers alike.

Some writers use programs such as Scrivener to keep track of character traits. I must admit it sounds nice to have a rolling story bible like this, but I’ve always gone old school and made notes in a file about my characters. When I finish one book in the series, I copy the electronic file of characters and move it to the next file folder.

As easy as it is to click over and refer to that folder, I’ve occasionally gone on a tangent without referencing the file because of a muse-insisted-upon situation. That often leads to rewriting, which I have done to either remove the outlier character trait or to find a way to incorporate the new information into her/his persona.

My female protagonist in the Seafood Caper Mysteries, River Holloway, began with a short story. I liked her so much that I created a series around her catering business and her island home. She began as a young woman with a broken heart who reluctantly agrees to cater a function for her ex.

The key to River’s personality is her big heart, family loyalty, her wonderful cooking, her organizational abilities, and professional competence. That’s a lot to start with, but there’s one more thing. She’s good at finding things, which is how she gets drawn into being an amateur sleuth.

In the course of the series, she faces challenges in her business, in her relationship with Pete, in pet ownership, and in solving crimes. With each story she grows more confident in who she is.

In Seas the Day, her childhood friend goes missing and shortly thereafter, his mother is murdered. River draws on her memories and personal network to find answers. She’d love to clear enough from catering to pay the bills, to marry her fiancé, Pete, and to have a baby.

In Spawning Suspicion, River searches for an island playboy’s killer because her brother is accused of his murder. She marries Pete in this book and fights to keep her home. These personal challenges make her dig deep to better define what she’s capable of doing.

And lastly, in Shrimply Dead, River’s veterinarian friend is fatally ambushed in her yard. Between searching for the killer, River expands her business, and for the first time ever makes enough money to pay her a decent salary. So far she has accomplished 2 out of 3 of her series goals, with only conception eluding her.

Keeping a character like River true to herself as she grows and changes builds a bond with the reader and invests them in the story world. That’s what we all want, right? Let’s keep those pages turning!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes cozy and paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with more than twenty fiction novels published. A multi-year finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, she’s won Silver Falchions, two different Readers’ Choice awards, and the EPIC Award. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows. Visit her at https://maggietoussaint.com/

 

The post Guest Blogger: Maggie Toussaint – Staying in Character appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Lynn-Steven Johanson – The Cat in the …Book

The Cat in the…Book by Lynn-Steven Johanson

I’m a cat lover as well as a dog lover. I live with dogs…and one cat. I should say, “my cat.” I admit to being owned by my cat, and he knows it. “Boris” is a Russian Blue, and he’s my best buddy. So, I guess it was only a matter of time that a feline would end up playing a role in one of my mysteries.

Havana Brown, the title of my most recent novel, is a prequel to Rose’s Thorn, my first mystery published in 2020. For those who may not know, the title comes from an uncommon breed of domestic cat, a shorthaired, chocolate brown beauty. And in the story, hairs from a Havana Brown provide the only common link in a series appalling serial murders. Those hairs are the only evidence Chicago Detective Joe Erickson has when he goes on the trail of a killer who has no desire to stop taking lives.

Spoiler alert: the cat didn’t do it! In fact, he’s not even an accomplice. Does the cat help catch the serial killer? Is he killed off in climactic gun battle? I can’t reveal that kind of juicy stuff! But he is a recurring character in Havana Brown.

When Rose’s Thorn begins, we learn Joe Erickson is on medical leave from Chicago PD after suffering a nervous breakdown shortly after catching a serial killer. We don’t learn anything about the circumstances. He has returned to his Iowa hometown to take care of his father’s estate. And while there, he bumps into his former lover, a criminal profiler, who has been called in to consult on a double murder. So, looking at this background information, the idea of a prequel began percolating, and the story came to fruition with Havana Brown.

Why did I include a cat in this mystery? Well, with hard-boiled crime fiction, you need to look for opposites and contrasts to the darker elements. And I think in this story, a cat not only provides clues for solving the crime, but also adds some interesting lighter moments and some incongruities that give certain characters dimension. In the end, I guess readers will determine how well I succeeded.

~~~~~

Lynn-Steven Johanson is an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced on four continents. Born and raised in Northwest Iowa, Lynn holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His first Joe Erickson Mystery, Rose’s Thorn, was published by Level Best Books in March 2020. They have scheduled the release of Havana Brown for April 2021. Lynn lives in Illinois with his wife and has three adult children. He is currently working on the third installment of his Joe Erickson Mysteries.

Lynn’s website: www.https://LSJohanson.com

Lynn’s Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/streetsofmarathon

 

The post Guest Blogger: Lynn-Steven Johanson – The Cat in the …Book appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Storytelling and the Ides of March

Storytelling and the Ides of March by Debra H. Goldstein

Today is the Ides of March. Originally thought of as a day to settle debts, it became a day of notoriety because of it being the date Julius Caesar was killed. Its significance is that it is believed to have changed the fate of the Romans.

As a writer of mysteries, I often think about how lives and plot lines change when there is a murder.

There is the act and whodunit. Based upon the Shakespeare play and movies, I always through it was Brutus, but (accordingly to Wikipedia), at least sixty senators were party to the conspiracy and act of stabbing Julius Caesar to death. They hoped to overturn his policies, but they didn’t succeed. Instead, the Roman empire imploded.

In my books, murder is never random. It ties to a social issue, conflict between people, or a means to an end. As I create the details of the murder, I embrace its importance in setting the tone and establishing the movement of the story.

The murder also is a catalyst for how the characters behave. Some hide from its brutality, others dive into the why behind the crime, and of course, the protagonist tries to find out who did the dastardly deed and what the character’s motivation was. In the moment, there are characters who go into shock at the loss, individuals who have unkind things to say about the dead body, and those who observe the details for what’s out of place and find their minds filled with questions.

Some of the reactions are genuine, some fake, but all add to the characterization and move the plot along. Now that you know the way Caesar died, how do you think Cleopatra reacted? How would you write her next chapter-the one that began the day after the Ides of March?

 

The post Storytelling and the Ides of March appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George

 

There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George

I know Sarah Blair doesn’t like to cook, but I’m not sure about baking. I’d guess that’s a no to that domestic art also. I’m totally with her on the cooking. But, for some reason, I’ve always loved to bake. My start was Home Ec in junior high school. I hope kids still learn to cook in school, but I’m not sure. It was strictly gender divided when I was there, in the immediate Post Dinosaur Age. Boys took shop and girls took sewing and cooking. And baking. I know I would have loved shop! I eventually did take an auto mechanics course, but the way I learned to tune up an engine won’t work on computerized cars, alas.

Tally Holt, the sleuth in the Vintage Sweets cozy series, is a bit like me. She loves to bake, too. And to make candy. Luckily for her, she inherited a recipe box from her beloved grandmother, whose hobby was recreating her favorite treats in her own kitchen. She found recipes for Twinkies, Whoopie Pies, and even Clark Bars, as well as Mary Janes, chocolate-covered caramels, mint fudge, and other goodies.

When her best friend from childhood, Yolanda Bella, told her there was an empty shop next to her own Bella’s Baskets, Tally decides to come back home to Fredericksburg Texas and go into business with those precious recipes. Things are going along pretty well when she hits a snag. The snag is in the form of a dead body in her kitchen. Even worse, Yolanda is the main suspect.

That’s the first book, REVENGE IS SWEET. Tally perseveres and get through two more books, selling sweets all along the way, through DEADLY SWEET TOOTH and now, March 9th, INTO THE SWEET HEREAFTER. She is comforted along the way by her wise Maine coon cat, Nigel, who—sort of—offers her council and reassures her that things will be okay.

Back to the topic of cooking versus baking, though. I’m sure that a big reason I love to bake is because I love to eat the product. I do like making candy, too, and for the same reason.

Do you prefer cooking or baking? Or both or none?

Kaye George is a national-bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of pre-history, traditional, and cozy mysteries (her latest is the Vintage Sweets series from Lyrical Press), as well as over 50 shortstories. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Smoking Guns chapter (Knoxville), Guppies chapter, Authors Guild of TN, Knoxville Writers Group, and Austin Mystery Writers. She lives and works in Knoxville, TN.Kaye’s web page: http://kayegeorge.com/Kaye’s Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaye-George/114058705318095Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4037415.Kaye_GeorgeBookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kaye-georgePhotos from pixabay.com

The post There’s Cooking and There’s Baking by Kaye George appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Our World by Debra H. Goldstein

The trees outside my window are bare. When we moved into this house a few months ago, the leaves were so plentiful I couldn’t see any of the other new houses being built in our subdivision. But now, although the tree trunks create a barrier, it isn’t the same. Then again, the world is not either.

We mourn the many loved ones lost to the pandemic. We mourn the time we’ve lost in sharing the lives of our parents, children, grandchildren, and friends. We mourn the sensation of a hug, whispering in an ear, a simple touch of kindness.

We complain that we are tired – tired of being in the house, tired of being scared when we go into a public place like the grocery, tired of masks (which we wear because we know they are essential), tired of Zoom/Crowdcast/Free Conference call, etc., and tired of having our grandchildren, nieces, and nephews think we live in a small facetime screen.

We are thankful if our family and friends are healthy, if those we know who become ill get well, that we have Zoom/Crowdcast/Free Conference call, etc. to stay in touch, that there is a vaccine that at some point we might get, and that we know there will come a day when this darkness gives way to light.

 

 

The post Our World by Debra H. Goldstein appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Patience and Personality

Patience and Personality by Debra H. Goldstein

I am not a patient person.

It isn’t that I want it yesterday. I am willing to work for things, to wait until a flower blooms to cut it, or however long it takes to make sure something is done right. But, I am not a patient person.

I must force myself not to finish people’s sentences for them – especially my husband, who is a true Southerner – but I always blame that on being a transplanted Yankee. It drives me crazy when someone gives me every detail of the leaves left on one tree without cutting to the chaste: it is the only tree not diseased because it isn’t a Dutch Elm or a pine tree or whatever else is being attacked by some vicious disease.

Years ago, I was in a leadership group that ran a test on the thirty members in the class. Based upon our answers, we were determined to belong to one of four groups. One group was best described as party animals. They liked to have fun achieving their goal – if they managed to get it done. The second group were the followers. The few people in this group executed any directive they received but needed to come back to one of the other groups if something went awry. The third group were collaborative leaders who made decisions only every detail was explained, and every opinion heard. The fourth group, which was almost as small as the followers, were the bottom liners. They digested material put in front of them, asked specific questions that they expected clear answers to, and made a decision.

Yup, I fell into the fourth group. Except for deciding where I go with people to eat (I am collaborative or even a follower on that topic), I analytically approach almost everything else. That doesn’t seem to bother people in the first two groups, but it certainly frustrates and confuses those in the third group. Of course, their style frustrates and confuses me, too. What about you? What group are you in and what do you think about the other two groups?

The post Patience and Personality appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Joanne Guidoccio – What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave?

What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave? by Joanne Guidoccio

When I first heard this question at a creative writing workshop, I was tempted to say that I intended to firmly hold onto the reins. A neophyte with no literary credits to my name, I couldn’t imagine characters actually misbehaving on the page. Thankfully, I paused and waited for more seasoned writers to respond.

What followed was an animated discussion about a ghostly character who suddenly appeared and replaced the original protagonist, new characters who emerged out of a conversation, and a male character who decided to change gender. In each case, the writers allowed the disruptors to alter the course of the narrative.

A bit woo-woo for my taste, but I concluded that writers—for the most part—were a motley bunch.

Fast forward four years.

Partway through the manuscript of Between Land and Sea, a paranormal romance about a middle-aged ex-mermaid, I hit a major writing block. Days turned into weeks as I stared at the blank screen, unable to move the plot forward. In short, I was lost with no clear trail or direction in sight. At one point, I even considered filing away the manuscript.

Help arrived from a most unexpected source. One evening, I dreamt about Kendra Adams, a minor character I had mentioned only in passing. In my dream, she appeared as a world-renowned psychic and holistic healer on par with Sylvia Brown and Louise Hay. When I woke up, I felt inspired to let Kendra take over the remaining one hundred pages of the novel. As I wrote, the dialogue flowed freely, and the story arc took an intriguing turn.

In the sequel—The Coming of Arabella—Kendra shares the spotlight with the protagonist.

Fast forward another five years.

In my recent release, No More Secrets, I introduced Lynn Miller, aka Bellastrega as a psychic companion for the protagonist. My original intention was to have her appear only in the first chapter. For some reason, that didn’t sit well with Bellastrega. She invaded my dreams several times and persuaded me to assign her a separate POV. She wanted to interact with all the characters and provide the reader with well-honed insights into their personalities. When I decided to include an epilogue, I let her take over.

My advice to writers dealing with rogue characters:

Release expectations about how the storyline should flow. Let the new (or transformed) characters take over for a while. If the dialogue feels more authentic and the scenes practically write themselves, go with that flow.
Reassess your decision at the editing stage. Does the altered storyline make more sense? Or are you more comfortable with the original outline?
Get feedback from beta readers. While you may not wish to share the shenanigans of the rogue characters, you could ask readers to highlight strong dialogue and memorable scenes. Their responses may surprise you.

Book Blurb – No More Secrets

 Angelica Delfino takes a special interest in the lives of her three nieces, whom she affectionately calls the daughters of her heart. Sensing that each woman is harboring a troubling, possibly even toxic secret, Angelica decides to share her secrets—secrets she had planned to take to the grave. Spellbound, the nieces listen as Angelica travels back six decades to reveal an incredulous tale of forbidden love, tragic loss, and reinvention. It is the classic immigrant story upended: an Italian widow’s transformative journey amid the most unlikely of circumstances.

Inspired by Angelica’s example, the younger women share their “First World” problems and, in the process, set themselves free.

But one heartbreaking secret remains untold…

Purchase Links

Amazon (US) – https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Canada) – https://www.amazon.ca/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (UK) – https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX

Amazon (Australia) – https://www.amazon.com.au/No-More-Secrets-Joanne-Guidoccio-ebook/dp/B08CVTYWWX/

About Joanne:

A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Joanne writes paranormal romances, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Website – https://joanneguidoccio.com

The post Guest Blogger: Joanne Guidoccio – What Will You Do When Your Characters Misbehave? appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.

Guest Blogger: Judith Gonda – Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic

Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic by Judith Gonda

2020 started out with such promise. The first book in my landscape architect Tory Benning mystery series, MURDER IN THE SECRET MAZE, was set to release on February 26. I was finally going to have a book published.

The corona virus first penetrated my consciousness in early January. My younger daughter and her new husband were honeymooning in Asia. They arrived back in town just before LAX started to crack down and test incoming travelers. I felt an uneasiness as stories about virus-stricken travelers in Seattle, northern California, and then, Los Angeles, populated the news.

In March I was set to moderate a Left Coast Crime writers conference panel on Analyzing Murder: The Psychology of Crime, which for me was my coming out party of sorts, the first writers conference I would attend as a published author. I got busy reading panelists’ books in between practicing my short pitch for a debut author breakfast at the same conference. But none of that was meant to be.

As California’s Governor Gavin Newsom started to talk shut down and the NBA cancelled games, high risk people from my conference panel started to bow out, as I eventually did, too, two days before the conference started.

Then a pandemic was declared. It paralyzed me initially, but deadlines loomed ahead, and I threw myself into book-release activities.

So, debut and launch opportunities lost, or were they? I tried to do what I do every time life throws me a curve ball–I try my best to adapt.

On the plus side, I’ve had fewer competing demands on my writing time. With no social invitations to worry about, I wrote my heart out. It was a great escape to visit fictional Santa Sofia, smell the sea breeze, the pine scent from Christmas trees, even imagining my own hair frizzing in the marine layer.

Ralph’s Instacart has also been a big plus and has become my new BFF. I don’t miss lugging heavy groceries. No more time wasted waiting in line at checkout either.

Another positive aspect has been that I get to spend more uninterrupted time with my two rescue Pomeranians, Izzy and Ollie. All three of us belong to a mutual admiration club, my husband is an associate member.

I’m a developmental research psychologist by training, and I’m always examining behavior, my own included. This time with the stress of the pandemic, my anxiety was different. I think it was because the pandemic shook me so much, I not only needed to write but it was also a legitimate excuse to think about my plot instead of worrying about whether we were all going to die.

My debut didn’t have the launch I’d envisioned. But its virtual launch was just fine. With so many new behaviors to learn, from working with an editor and promotion, in a way it was better because I absorbed information at my own pace. Now with the second Tory Benning mystery, MURDER IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE LOT, just released three weeks ago, I’ve adjusted my book launch expectations and expanded my social media skills to announce its release.

Looking back puts things in perspective. It could always be worse. But looking ahead, I’m hopeful the future will be better.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Judith Gonda is a mystery writer and Ph.D. psychologist with a penchant for Pomeranians and puns, so it’s not surprising that psychology, Poms, and puns pop up in her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring landscape architect Tory Benning. To learn more about her books, please visit her website: https://www.judithgonda.com

 

The post Guest Blogger: Judith Gonda – Reflections on 2020: Publishing My First Book During a Pandemic appeared first on Debra H. Goldstein.