Rolynn Anderson's Blog

The Cypress ‘Crest’ Women’s Detective Agency

“What did you do in your past life?”As president of my golf club, I always ask this question of a new member the first time I have the chance to golf with her. Some would say my query and her answer are less important than considering her at face value, the human being she presents to me when we’re playing eighteen holes. But I disagree. Though I might learn about her personality and her skill at golf, the game won’t reveal the richness of her background.My bent toward delving into each woman’s history prompted me to launch a short story about members of a golf course who become amateur sleuths. When a swing coach at Cypress ‘Crest’ Golf Course is murdered and a club member goes to the top of the list as a suspect, her links pals group up to solve the crime.This mystery is fictional, but here’s the truth about my 43 Cypress Ridge Women’s Golf Club members: They’d have the chops to crack the crime because they’ve dealt with life and death issues and have honed critical thinking skills in their professions. In our CRWGC ranks we include:Intelligence analystATF (Alchohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) agentLaw enforcement ranger, who worked for the state parksTeachersHigh school principalSeveral nurses, retiredProfusionist (runs a heart/lung machine)Facility manager of a big corporationComptrollerMusician/composerAttorneyRetail ManagerVP of a multi-restaurant chainVP for a car rental company…and so many more!“Links to Evil” is the name of my longish short story. During the early days of Covid-19, I invited club members to share their plot and character ideas with me, taking 13 days to get their input and 13 days to draft the piece. Mine is one of 13 stories written by 13 different authors, composed in 13 chapters and 13,000 words. Our mysteries come out in e-book format in November on Friday the 13th. Of course! Here’s my story’s teaser:A Golf Club Gripped By CrimeAgent Sable Chisholm’s on-duty brain injury rendered her fearless...and temporarily unfit for the FBI. Her golf holiday on the Central Coast was meant to be restorative until her swing coach is murdered and she’s tapped as his killer. Sable’s clever golf pals hunker down to solve the crime, even as the links to evil at Cypress Crest multiply and confound them all.The story comes out November, 13th.Find information on “Links to Evil” and my eleven suspense/mystery novels: Watch for it on my website! http://www.rolynnanderson.com

WRITE YOUR OBITUARY…TODAY!

If you haven’t struggled through the ordeal of writing an obituary for a family member or friend, then you are either very young or extremely lucky.Many of us have felt relatively relaxed and smug as we advance beyond our 60’s, thinking we’ll live to be 100…until the ‘Rona virus took America by surprise. The threat of death surrounds us, young and old. Not to be morbid or predictive about our early demises, but I think we need to be prepared for the unexpected.I say, it’s time for us to write our own obituaries. Now!Funny. As a high school English teacher, I included a unit on obituary-writing, using the exercise as a way to compel students to think about their futures and take control over their lives. Remember the old saying: If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll probably end up someplace else? This question guided the lesson. (FYI, I required every student to survive to a ripe old age…no early deaths and short obituaries allowed!)I’ve taken the lead in composing three obits: My father’s, my mother’s, and my brother-in-law’s. The easiest to write was Dad’s, because, as an Army officer, he’d drafted an obituary and updated it through the years. It was a ‘listing’ document, indicating my father’s ranks advancements, assignments, and accomplishments, mostly in his Army and sales careers. In the final composition, my family added the softer aspects of my father, as family man and member of the community. I wish we would have asked him what to include about those parts of his life.I ask: Why make your relatives and friends shoulder the burden of writing your obituary? Why not produce a draft of it now (even an outline will do), place it in an obvious location, and provide enormous relief to the person designated to compose the newspaper version of your life? Study some newspaper obituaries, especially the ones from the New York Times. Find an approach that resonates for you.With this blog entry, I commit to writing mine. Who among you will join me in this challenge?

“’Rona’s Toll on Fiction Writers”

I wonder how many self-employed authors signed up for the C.A.R.E.S. Act Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (1099-workers) along with 30 million Americans? We and the IRS call writers small businesses ‘owners,’ and many freelancers depend on book royalties to feed themselves and their families. Will 1099 authors ask for and receive compensation? No one has dubbed writers/artists as essential, even though we know readers depend on our books for entertainment, escape, and education. An additional hazard, newspapers and magazines have lost advertisers, so they’ve been forced to cut pages. Scriptwriters are shut out of their important role in TV, movies, and plays.Even for those of us who are not 1099-worker/artists, our money-making options have narrowed. Bookstores have closed: too many surfaces, too close quarters. Book signings? Fans stuffed into a tiny bookstore listening to an author then lining up to get books autographed? Not likely. Such venues will never meet the social-distancing requirement.How about book signings in coffee shops, gift shops, restaurants, and other settings? Are these gatherings doomed in 2020? Amazon, our go-to seller has encountered its share of troubles. Will they be too distracted to help authors sell books? An even larger concern, in the penny-pinching days caused by the virus, will readers put down money for paperbacks?We know so little about the virus and its long term effects on the health and wealth of humans; we know even less about how artists will endure. The 1918 pandemic killed more than 50 million people, disrupting lives for decades. From what we understand, writers of that time penned details about World War 1, but not much on the Spanish flu. Will authors continue to write about human behavior exhibited before the virus (BV) or will they capture the new reality during/after the virus (AV)? Those of us writing romance are especially challenged. How does new love look in the time of virus?Presently, I’m polishing a novel I wrote before the virus hit. My plan is to stay true to conventions BV, allowing readers a slice of nostalgia. Normally, I like to set my novels slightly ahead in time, let’s say, a year into the future. Given my predilection, my next novel would be set after a vaccine safeguards every human on earth.The ‘Rona virus has the potential to sap 2020 authors of income as well as creativity, but we are a resilient group. Let’s hope our actions and modern technology quickly move artists to a safe and productive future.Look for my eleventh novel, When Oceans Rage, in September. It’s set pre-Covid-19, but it’s still a tumultuous mystery. Stay well, all! Rolynn

InD’Tale, the RONE, and Me

Winning matters. Validation motivates me to write more, take risks with my prose, and reach for higher goals as an author. So, thank God for InD’Tale and the RONE awards!Eight years ago, a chance meeting in an airport with the warm, charming, and energetic T.J. McKay, made me a fan of her work and her organization, InD’Tale. She and her wonderful crew created a gorgeous monthly magazine focused on Indie Publishing. What’s more she gathered top-notch reviewers of novels we authors could easily access in the early years when the organization was at start-up mode. For a new Indie like me, when I got good reviews from InD’Tale, I was spurred on to write more. Soon they kicked the best books upstairs to a set of judges who nominated winners for RONE awards (‘rone’-is an ancient word for ‘above’).Then InD’Tale sponsored a yearly conference, InD’Scribe, small, personal, and brimming with ideas for writers like me. A gala on the last night of the conference climaxed with RONE awards doled out to 30 categories of authors and cover artists. the first year I attended, my 2012 novel, FADEOUT earned honorable mention. In 2016, FEAR LAND garnered a second runner-up. BAD LIES was a finalist in 2018. Now, in 2020, WHEN MOUNTAINS FALL has a chance to make it to the big show. More about that in a minute.To finish my history of InD’Tale: Since the first year I attended InD’Tale, I have presented a series of workshops, teaming with other authors. As the conferences grew in attendance and quality, I also took on the task of improving the Book Sale portion of the event. Two of us each year operated a Scavenger Hunt at the Book Sale, an impetus for shy readers to meet and engage with authors they’d never met before. We improved interactions and sales along with offering a $100 gift card to the reader who won the Scavenger Hunt.So you can see, I am invested: I submit my books to InD’Tale for review; my books become finalists and some are winners in the RONE; I buy ads in the magazine, I joyfully attend conferences, presenting a workshop yearly; I gladly contribute my time and ideas to improve conference events, like the Scavenger Hunt.If the virus allows the next conference in Peoria, Illinois, I’ll attend. October 8-11 are the dates; here is the site: https://www.indscribe.comNow back to WHEN MOUNTAINS FALL, my latest novel.It has a chance at a RONE award because of its high-ranking review. Starting May 11-17, I’m asking you to help me push my book in front of the judges. If I get enough votes for WHEN MOUNTAINS FALL, my story will be read by a panel of judges to determine its quality/ranking. Here is how to vote (one time) for my book:Go tohttps://indtale.comLog in (you do have to put in an e-mail and password, then get an e-mail to validate, but you can easily unsubscribe later if you don’t want their e-mails)On the banner, way on the right, click ‘INDSCRIBE/RONES’On the pull-down click ‘2020 Rone Awards;’ on the other pull-down, click ‘RONE AWARDS Week Five May 11-17’Select ‘Mystery’You will Vote once and only once, but five of the books on the list with the most votes will be finalists and be read by the panel of judges. I hope you’ll help me get WHEN MOUNTAINS FALL in front of the judges!Thanks for your vote!

A Strategy to Keep Writing in the Time of Virus

A Friday the 13th Mystery in 13 days of plotting with 70 non-writer friends, followed by 13 days of drafting all by myself…my strategy against the ‘Rona virusBy Rolynn Anderson(Readers: Please scroll to the bottom and track my e-mail messages from #1-#13!)#13Thank you so much for joining me on this mystery-writing journey. You’ve helped me get a good start on this story and I hope I’ve offered you a distraction as ‘Rona races across our country.One last question: Do any of you want to be ‘named’ in my story (especially the ATF agent, retired Ranger, and Defense Analyst characters who are Sable’s pals)? I’d use all fake names normally, but I had to ask, because some people like to ‘live’ in a story. If I don’t hear from you, I won’t use either your first or last name.Wish me luck. I’m going to write a scene a day for the next 13 days. You’ve given me a great start! Rolynn#12Great scary scenes from all of you. I had no idea snakes were such a thing!Today I present you with two teasers with pretty much the same detail but slightly different format. Pick your favorite format, then tell me how to create more ‘punch’ in the teaser. What works…or doesn’t? What’s missing? Any response is helpful! #1: A Vacation Nightmare on Friday the 13thAgent Sable Chisholm’s on-duty brain injury rendered her fearless...and unfit for the FBI. A golf holiday away from San Francisco punches up her healing process, until her swing coach is murdered and she’s tapped as the killer. Sable’s skills kick in, but so does her lack of fear. Can she reboot her brain and snag criminals to restore her career with the FBI? *** #2: A Vacation Nightmare on Friday the 13thNo FBI agent in San Francisco will work with Sable Chisholm.Why? An on-duty brain injury erased her sense of fear.Boss says: Get therapy. Relax. Head to the Central Coast and golf.Fore!Until: Her swing coach is murdered and she’s a suspect.Bottom line: Expose killers and control fearlessness, or Sable’s career is over.#11 I want to write a scary scene in this story, one that frightens you but makes you want to turn the page. What kind of a scenario might that be…for you?#10 Yikes! No consensus on the best title, but still helpful tips for me in your rationales. Thank you!Today’s question requires you to brainstorm…whatever comes to your mind will help me, so don’t hold back. Ready?Our heroine, Sable, suffered a brain injury on duty, compromising her amygdala so she’s lost the emotion of fear. She can’t go back to being an FBI agent (in San Francisco) until she can manage her fearlessness. In this murder investigation, her fearlessness gets her into trouble and complicates things. How/what/why?#9Thanks for your candid answers on what makes a good mystery. You’ve set a high bar for me! Next, the title/cover for the story. Determining a title (and cover concept) early, helps a writer concoct a story that fits/uses the title to enrich the plot. So here are some options for this gritty murder mystery:Tell me your two favorites and why: 1. MURDER ON THE 13TH (A Sable Chisholm Mystery)-Cover: 13th Hole. Flag with 13 on it, the flag dripping blood. 2. SHANKED (A Sable Chisholm Mystery)-Cover: Bent golf club with blood on it lying on green of 13th hole 3. LETHAL HAZARD (A Sable Chisholm Mystery)-Cover: Picture of a golf ball in a precarious, impossible lie…head of golf club with blood on it, poised to hit the ball. 4. FOREWARNING (A Sable Chisholm Mystery)-Cover: Cloudy, dark scene on a golf course, at 13th hole or maybe lightening striking 5. TRAPPED (A Sable Chisholm Mystery)-Cover: Deep sand trap…using the rake as ‘T’ of Trapped…written in the sand#8 You Rock! You gave me so many options for Sable getting into trouble my mind is spinning…in a good way. Thank you! Today you give me reader preferences…two questions:Do you want to hear the voice (point of view) of the villain, or would you rather remain in the dark about the villain’s motives?What are the elements of your favorite mysteries you hope I include in this story?#7 You truly met the challenge of fleshing out my crooked golf center. Next big challenge for you: Give me unique extremely perilous situations our heroine, Sable gets into…and where each takes place on the golf course property. And, no, Sable trying to hit a ball out of the trap on #12 does not qualify J#6 Wow! Superior ideas for how Sable found herself in the arms of a dead man on Friday the 13th. Lots of grist for my mill.Help me with this plot point: SOMETHING NEFARIOUS IS HAPPENING AT THE BUSY GOLF SCHOOL/CLUB-FITTING CENTER across the street from the Golf Course. Sable and her golf buddies need to figure out what’s going on because it might tie into MD’s murder. What are their guesses? #5 Great names, team. We’re on the 5th day of 13…building a mystery…in the time of virus! Here’s what I need from you: Our heroine wakes up in the arms of MD-the golf pro-in a golf cart in the dark cart barn…and he’s dead. (You already know he died from blows to the head with a blunt instrument.) Explain why our heroine and our victim ended up in the cart barn.I know some of you want to refer back to my previous messages, so I put them in a document, attached, and I will attach the document every day.#4Thank you for the villain suggestions. Evil now populates my story.Our heroine, Sable Chisholm, housesitting in a home above the 14th tees, is accused of a horrible crime. Her newly-made friends in the Cypress Crest Golf Club come to her aid…because they have skills! Name these women:A retired ATF agent, A Retired Ranger, A CrossFit Champion and Defense Analyst#3Thanks for the mirror ideas, friends. Now I need a villain. Man? Woman? Motive for murder?What we know so far: The victim (13 letters in his name) Michael DeLong, nicknamed MD, as in ‘the golf doctor,’ a golf pro at Cypress Crest Golf Course, age 34, was found murdered. In his hand he held a tiny shard of mirror. Forensics determine he died from blows to the head with a blunt instrument.Get your clever ideas to me by tomorrow a.m. I only have 10 more days to plot this story! Thanks! Roly#2Great names everyone. A reminder, this is a dark, scary story for Friday the 13th. Heart-Pounding suspense.All 13 stories must include a broken mirror found next to golf pro, Michael DeLong’s (‘MD’ is his nickname) body. Explain the broken mirror-make it unique! (and thanks for using reply-to-me, only)#1In isolation, we may not be able to come up with the law of gravity, like Isaac Newton did during the bubonic plague (see my note, below), but we might develop a story together-a concept I’ve trotted out before on the 19th hole. A Murder Mystery at a Golf Course. (Title to come…)13 writers (including me) are each writing our own story following a Friday the 13th theme. 13 chapters, 13,000 words. My murder mystery takes place at Cypress Crest ;-) Golf Course. If you want to help with the details (I understand this doesn’t appeal to everyone), here’s the first thing I need (other trickier questions to follow):A 13 letter name for the male murder victim (*An old superstition says if a person has 13 letters in their name, then they are bound to have devil's luck. To get the connection, consider names like Charles Manson, Osama Bin Laden, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy, Saddam Hussein and Albert De Salvo)If you’re game to join me on this adventure, send me a 13 letter name and I’ll pick one from your offerings! I’m going to plot this book in 13 days and write it in the following 13 days. 26 (sheltered) days to write a mystery! (I’m nervous, because I have no experience with this collaborative effort, but it might be a grateful distraction for me…and you!) Stay healthy! RolyNote: Isaac Newton university closed down as a precaution against the Great Plague (Bubonic), in 1665. Newton's private studies at his home in Woolsthorpe over the next two years saw the development of his theories on calculus, optics and the law of gravitation.

Comparison in the Time of Virus

Writers use comparisons to help readers revisit or understand unique life experiences.Here are eleven comparative devices we know best, geared to our troubled times:Metaphor: COVID genomes are lethal ping-pong balls of contagionSimile (with personification): The virus crept into a cluster of friends, grinning like a long-lost buddyOnomatopoeia: ‘uhhhhhh!’ (gasping for air)Foreshadowing: Cassie held her cellphone close to her mouth, laughing while her college buddies grabbed her for a group hug. “Sorry, Grandma. I’m on the beach and spring break in full swing. Talk to you in a couple days. Love you.”Satire: Each hug brought the family closer.Oxymoron: COVID is a silent slayer, a tiny giantSymbolism: N95 facemaskHyperbole: A genome hijacked the world.Alliteration: A virus vexates the vulnerablePersonification: COVID waited on the restaurant counter, gleeful when the next person slapped her hand on the surface.Paradox: Social distancing brings people togetherLet’s keep comparing. New York’s 9/11 tragedy pales to the damage of COVID-19. Many more will die from the virus (in the millions), and humans must separate from each other in order to slow down the killing effects of this pandemic. When terrorists took down buildings on 9/11, Americans could gather to grieve, comfort each other, and in groups, large and small, strategize how to defeat evil forces. Today, we must separate from each other or the virus will win.COVID Is the nazi we have to vigorously defeat before it gains power, yet we must battle it by staying home. When has ‘doing nothing’ been such a necessary, but powerful force?Comparisons abound in this time of virus, and they help us make a vital point. Lock yourself down to free yourself of the disease.Stay healthy, my reader and writer friends!

The Novel and Equity

A novel is preternaturally neutral. It has no feelings though it is full of emotions; it does not judge the person who decides to open its pages. The reader’s status in society, gender, heritage, handicap, age, IQ, attitude, aptitude, height, weight, and health, do not affect the pages one iota. One reader develops a response from perusing the pages quite different from another reader’s stance, but no matter how many people read the text, it remains unchanged, accessible in its virgin form, to all.While the Academy, the Globes, the Oscars, the Romance Writers of America, and other groups implode because they don’t nurture diversity, books deliver anything to everyone.This notion of a book’s neutrality gives me a sense of peace. I have enough experience with the reading process to know that each observer of a text comes to the words with a unique attitude, background, and intellect. Rarely do I see a given book the same way another person does. In fact, the joy of several readers taking on a single text, is the rich conversation that comes from discussing our different ‘takes’ on the novel.Preternatural. The novel comes alive when it is read. By anyone. Everyone. Forever.

Wishes and Dreams

Wishes and Dreams: If Only You Had Known…I attended a gigantic conference back in 2014 after I’d published a couple of books through Wild Rose Press. At an auction, I won an hour of time with Cherry Adair, a multi-published author who writes in my genre. One bit of advice from Cherry: “Don’t attend big-time conferences unless you have ten or more novels under your belt. You’ll waste money.”I listened to her. Probably saved thousands of dollars as a result. This year, I’ll publish my eleventh book…representing a bit more than one book published every year since 2011. I’m slow, but I’m steady!What would I advise an up-and-coming author? Easy.-Keep writing-Find critical friends and a tough editor – all who will push you to improve-Keep writing-Don’t spend money on swag. Do spend money on a great website (and pay for your website expert to keep it current on a monthly basis)-Keep writing-Build an e-mail list of loyal readers-Submit your books to review sites. Tweak your brand-Get involved with a small, low-key conference. Present. Meet other writers. Engage.-Keep writing-Work the social media that pleases you; submit your work for review and contests-Nurture your e-mail list of loyal readers-Advertise/market through Facebook, AMS, and/or Google; become a presence locally-Keep writingOver your 20 plus years of writing/publishing, what advice would you give the author who is beginning the journey?

BOOMER OK?

I’m developing a conference proposal centered on being a writer/marketer of a ‘certain age.’ Now, I’ve been writing for twenty years, but I only started this journey when I was fifty-two. You do the math. Bottom line: I’m a Boomer. I’m being told I’m not OK.Confused about the ‘generational’ labels? Here’s the history:Great Generation-(born before 1928) -2 millionSilent Generation-(born 1928-1945)-24 millionBaby Boomers-(born 1946-1964) have always had an outsize presence compared with other generations. They peaked at 78.8 million in 1999 and have remained the largest living adult generation. There were an estimated 74.1 million Boomers in 2016. By mid-century, the Boomer population is projected to dwindle to 16.6 million.Generation X-(born 1965-80)-65 millionMillennials-(born 1981-1996)-72 millionGeneration Z-(born 1997 or later)-90 millionHow do I answer how good/bad a Boomer is? I was an English teacher for 23 years, infusing knowledge, confidence, and character in thousands of teenagers. After that, I was chosen to serve as principal of a brand new high school, selecting a dynamite staff and crafting a curriculum determined to galvanize all students to learning, to thrive. I worked as hard as a person could work to serve all my students and teachers, too busy to be active politically. Only when I left education and began my career as a writer did I have time to consider our political morass.But I’m here now, convinced that our country is not okay. We are 72 million strong, we Boomers, and we are ready to help younger generations correct our course for the future. Again, do the math. Together, we are 227 million strong.We Boomers are more than okay. We represent a force to forge a grand future. Let’s all take our next steps together!P.S. Here’s a feisty Boomer in Fadeout, my novel about a boutique funeral planner whose clients refuse to rest in peace. He’s a retired general who’s got game!https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YWE3Z2U

Alone in an Isolated Setting: Does the Notion Appeal to You?

She’s all alone. She’s on her own.Do these phrases frighten you or energize you?Those of us who write mystery/suspense novels often place our characters in settings that challenge them, push them, pull them…to survive.In my new release, When Mountains Fall, I present Camryn Hudson with a series of crises she must manage in order to help her son, save her dead husband’s reputation, and maintain a livelihood on a marina floating in an isolated British Columbia Bay.Here’s the Back Cover Summary:Running a marina in isolated Waka Bay, British Columbia was her husband’s dream, not hers. But now he’s dead and a prime suspect in a murder.Shattered by grief, Camryn Hudson must return to the bay to exonerate her husband, protect her seven-year-old son, and save a failing business.Loner Finn Weber’s mission seems equally impossible. He left a top job in Seattle to work in tiny Port McNeill. Fulfilling a bargain with his ailing mother, he must sail to Waka Bay every weekend. He never imagined the danger of cruising into Camryn’s heart while withholding a family secret.A killer roams the land and vultures demand possession of the marina. Can Camryn solve a crime and survive in Waka Bay?I hope you enjoy my Woman at the Helm Mystery, When Mountains Fall.Pre-order the e-book now and save a dollar. Only $3.99!Amazon: Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXFB1LCSmashwords (Nook, iTunes, Kobo): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/958678Print version from Amazon, here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/195145300X