Robin Leemann Donovan's Blog: featuring Donna Leigh Mysteries , page 3
December 17, 2012
THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
There are the books everyone had heard about: Twilight, Hunger Games, Fifty Shades of Gray. But what about all those books written by people you’ve never heard of? Some of them are treasures, just waiting to be found, and that’s what this blog hop is all about: the books you might not have heard about, but that you might end up loving.
This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags five other authors who link back to their website the next week and tag five new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.
I was tagged by Sally Deskins. You can learn more about her fascinating series Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2012 on her website: Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2011. The blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:
1: What is the working title of your book?
I Didn’t Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short-Sighted.
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
The positive feedback from my first Donna Leigh mystery: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch? http://www.rldonovan.com/ and for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
has really encouraged me to write a second and I’m even working on a third (I Don’t Know Why They Killed Him, He Wasn’t Really That Annoying) in the series.
The initial idea for the Donna Leigh Mystery series came from the fact that I’ve been an avid murder mystery buff since I was a kid; enjoying both dramatic and comedic treatments. With years of experience as a reader in the genre, I developed some pet peeves about certain types of plot treatments, e.g. it never failed to amaze me that brilliant and acclaimed women would invariably walk right into a killer’s trap with no means of defense and no back up. I felt many of the mechanisms used by authors were “easy” but didn’t always make sense or lend to the credibility of the plot.
In the Donna Leigh Mystery series I had the creative license to craft my plot in such a way as to be light and humorous, yet not completely out of the realm of possibility. My characters are not superhuman and recklessly heroic, they are normal people who behave in a normal and often excessively narcissistic (that may be redundant) way.
3: What genre does your book fall under?
Cozy mystery – although there is a slightly higher propensity for realism in the Donna Leigh series than in some of the cozy mysteries.
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
My protagontist, Donna Leigh is a tough one as many, including myself, identify her as me. To flatter myself I’ll say Meryl Streep or Glen Close could easily handle the role – I think Emma Thompson with a blond wig and an American accent would be brilliant!
My murder victim, BJ Thornton could be played by Shelley Duval – with a mass of long tight curls and a bad make-up job.
Detective Warren could be played by Eliza Coupe of Happy Endings fame. She has the beauty as well as the hard edged, obsessively focused characteristics of the lead detective.
Clovis Cordoba Seville, the totally narcissistic pain in the rear is custom-made for Angela Kinsey of The Office, who can be brilliantly self-involved as well as somewhat acerbic. A slightly younger Shelly Long would have been the perfect fit for Clovis, however she lacks the diminutive stature required.
And finally, Peg and Babs. Peg’s role could easily be handled by Better Midler, or Sherri Shepherd. That no nonsense “don’t get in my way and I’ll fix this” attitude they both exude would enable either to play Peg to perfection! Cathy Najimy as the consummate support person would serve well in the role of Babs as she quietly labors to support and sometimes correct Peg’s continual well-meaning meddling. Debra Monk, Sherri Shepherd’s co-star in the Evanovich film One For The Money might also make an excellent, laid back, Babs.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A comedic romp through murder, mayhem and menopause that may change your viewpoint of menopausal women forever!
6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book will be published by WriteLife, http://www.writelife.com/. They published the first Donna Leigh Mystery: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch?.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft?
Although the first draft of the premier Donna Leigh mystery took only three months to write, the second in the series took considerably longer – probably about a year all told. There are a few reasons why the second book took as long as it did. The first and most compelling reason is that I had to stop writing when book number one came back to me for edits. All systems were ‘go’ on book number one and nothing stood in the way of getting it finalized for publication.
The second reason had more to do with self-confidence. I wasn’t positive my first book would actually get published until the eleventh hour. On some level I feared my publisher coming back to me saying they’d changed their minds and it had been shelved. It was hard to motivate myself to finish that second book until I knew the first one was really happening!
The third reason my second book took so much longer than the first was that I genuinely enjoyed the writing process itself and I wanted to prolong the pleasure. I know I could have finished the second book and begun the third – but I really wanted to see that first book in print before embarking on a third.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A lot of cozy mysteries are kind of sloppy and loose with the facts. They don’t try to create realistic characters that are outrageous – they go all the way to ridiculous.
Phyllis Richman has published The Washington Post Dining Guides and she also has a food-related series of cozy murder mysteries such as: The Butter Did It, Murder On The Gravy Train and Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Ham? Phyllis’ books are sophisticated yet funny and compelling. They portray a protagonist who’s cool, smart and edgy even though she’s closer to menopause than her coming out party.
9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Authors like Phyllis Richman, Janet Evanovich, JK Rowling, Agatha Christie and Pat Cornwall were an absolute inspiration to me. They all share a gift of engaging the reader and giving them an experience that transcends the simple story in some way. Often it’s a lesson in humankind – sometimes it’s about how to relax and not take oneself too seriously.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The Donna Leigh Mysteries are all about not taking others at face value and realizing that things are often different from how they appear. Some of the recurring themes are: older women really can be cool, women who aren’t skinny can be chic and desirable, living in Omaha is something many people choose to do, very capable people are not perfect, and intensely self-involved people do function at some level – just not the level they credit themselves for achieving.
The books are mysteries on multiple levels. Yes, people are murdered and those murders must be solved; but the characters and how and why they function are often mysteries in and of themselves since virtually any genuine account of people interacting often proves to be pretty strange - if we’re to be totally honest with ourselves.
Donna Leigh Mysteries are designed to make you laugh and take your mind off your troubles for a bit by illustrating the value of taking ourselves less seriously and laughing at ourselves once in awhile. Thanks for reading. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Here is a list of authors who will be joining the hop for week of December 24. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!
1 Michelle Cohen Corasanti
2 Marcia Calhoun Forecki
3 Barb Malek
This blog hop is like a game of tag. One author posts and tags five other authors who link back to their website the next week and tag five new authors. If you follow the blog hop long enough, you’re bound to find some books you’ll love! Maybe you’ll even discover a book that ends up being the next big thing.
I was tagged by Sally Deskins. You can learn more about her fascinating series Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2012 on her website: Les Femmes Folles: The Women, 2011. The blog hop includes ten questions to help you learn more about an author’s current work in progress, so here’s a little info about my current project:
1: What is the working title of your book?
I Didn’t Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short-Sighted.
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
The positive feedback from my first Donna Leigh mystery: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch? http://www.rldonovan.com/ and for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
has really encouraged me to write a second and I’m even working on a third (I Don’t Know Why They Killed Him, He Wasn’t Really That Annoying) in the series.
The initial idea for the Donna Leigh Mystery series came from the fact that I’ve been an avid murder mystery buff since I was a kid; enjoying both dramatic and comedic treatments. With years of experience as a reader in the genre, I developed some pet peeves about certain types of plot treatments, e.g. it never failed to amaze me that brilliant and acclaimed women would invariably walk right into a killer’s trap with no means of defense and no back up. I felt many of the mechanisms used by authors were “easy” but didn’t always make sense or lend to the credibility of the plot.
In the Donna Leigh Mystery series I had the creative license to craft my plot in such a way as to be light and humorous, yet not completely out of the realm of possibility. My characters are not superhuman and recklessly heroic, they are normal people who behave in a normal and often excessively narcissistic (that may be redundant) way.
3: What genre does your book fall under?
Cozy mystery – although there is a slightly higher propensity for realism in the Donna Leigh series than in some of the cozy mysteries.
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
My protagontist, Donna Leigh is a tough one as many, including myself, identify her as me. To flatter myself I’ll say Meryl Streep or Glen Close could easily handle the role – I think Emma Thompson with a blond wig and an American accent would be brilliant!
My murder victim, BJ Thornton could be played by Shelley Duval – with a mass of long tight curls and a bad make-up job.
Detective Warren could be played by Eliza Coupe of Happy Endings fame. She has the beauty as well as the hard edged, obsessively focused characteristics of the lead detective.
Clovis Cordoba Seville, the totally narcissistic pain in the rear is custom-made for Angela Kinsey of The Office, who can be brilliantly self-involved as well as somewhat acerbic. A slightly younger Shelly Long would have been the perfect fit for Clovis, however she lacks the diminutive stature required.
And finally, Peg and Babs. Peg’s role could easily be handled by Better Midler, or Sherri Shepherd. That no nonsense “don’t get in my way and I’ll fix this” attitude they both exude would enable either to play Peg to perfection! Cathy Najimy as the consummate support person would serve well in the role of Babs as she quietly labors to support and sometimes correct Peg’s continual well-meaning meddling. Debra Monk, Sherri Shepherd’s co-star in the Evanovich film One For The Money might also make an excellent, laid back, Babs.
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
A comedic romp through murder, mayhem and menopause that may change your viewpoint of menopausal women forever!
6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book will be published by WriteLife, http://www.writelife.com/. They published the first Donna Leigh Mystery: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was A Bitch?.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft?
Although the first draft of the premier Donna Leigh mystery took only three months to write, the second in the series took considerably longer – probably about a year all told. There are a few reasons why the second book took as long as it did. The first and most compelling reason is that I had to stop writing when book number one came back to me for edits. All systems were ‘go’ on book number one and nothing stood in the way of getting it finalized for publication.
The second reason had more to do with self-confidence. I wasn’t positive my first book would actually get published until the eleventh hour. On some level I feared my publisher coming back to me saying they’d changed their minds and it had been shelved. It was hard to motivate myself to finish that second book until I knew the first one was really happening!
The third reason my second book took so much longer than the first was that I genuinely enjoyed the writing process itself and I wanted to prolong the pleasure. I know I could have finished the second book and begun the third – but I really wanted to see that first book in print before embarking on a third.
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A lot of cozy mysteries are kind of sloppy and loose with the facts. They don’t try to create realistic characters that are outrageous – they go all the way to ridiculous.
Phyllis Richman has published The Washington Post Dining Guides and she also has a food-related series of cozy murder mysteries such as: The Butter Did It, Murder On The Gravy Train and Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Ham? Phyllis’ books are sophisticated yet funny and compelling. They portray a protagonist who’s cool, smart and edgy even though she’s closer to menopause than her coming out party.
9: Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Authors like Phyllis Richman, Janet Evanovich, JK Rowling, Agatha Christie and Pat Cornwall were an absolute inspiration to me. They all share a gift of engaging the reader and giving them an experience that transcends the simple story in some way. Often it’s a lesson in humankind – sometimes it’s about how to relax and not take oneself too seriously.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The Donna Leigh Mysteries are all about not taking others at face value and realizing that things are often different from how they appear. Some of the recurring themes are: older women really can be cool, women who aren’t skinny can be chic and desirable, living in Omaha is something many people choose to do, very capable people are not perfect, and intensely self-involved people do function at some level – just not the level they credit themselves for achieving.
The books are mysteries on multiple levels. Yes, people are murdered and those murders must be solved; but the characters and how and why they function are often mysteries in and of themselves since virtually any genuine account of people interacting often proves to be pretty strange - if we’re to be totally honest with ourselves.
Donna Leigh Mysteries are designed to make you laugh and take your mind off your troubles for a bit by illustrating the value of taking ourselves less seriously and laughing at ourselves once in awhile. Thanks for reading. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Here is a list of authors who will be joining the hop for week of December 24. I hope you’ll visit their blogs next week and learn more about their books. Maybe one of them will become your new favorite author!
1 Michelle Cohen Corasanti
2 Marcia Calhoun Forecki
3 Barb Malek
December 7, 2012
Thanks for the Trailer Views, More is Better!
Thank you so much for all the views of my trailer. As of right now - we've hit a total of 379 views - the ten million mark is right around the corner!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
Just received a wonderful comment on this post from a SheWrites writer:
Comment by Gabrielle Mazur 34 minutes ago
Delete Comment
Just watched your video. It looks great! Very professional looking. Sounds like a book I'd love to read :) And love your doggies, I have an Old English Bulldog. He's lying at my feet this very minute. I wish you all the success in the world!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
Just received a wonderful comment on this post from a SheWrites writer:
Comment by Gabrielle Mazur 34 minutes ago
Delete Comment
Just watched your video. It looks great! Very professional looking. Sounds like a book I'd love to read :) And love your doggies, I have an Old English Bulldog. He's lying at my feet this very minute. I wish you all the success in the world!
November 8, 2012
Thanks to Jan Bolte and the Tri-State Library Conference!
I had a wonderful time speaking at the Tri-State Library Conference in October! I am so grateful to Jan for proposing me as a speaker. I met some wonderful people who are actively trying to help promote my book to libraries - and some even bought copies of my book for themselves, their friends and family - that was a huge surprise!
As a result I've already had requests for future libraries speaking engagements and book clubs as well! Thanks again for an awesome opportunity.
It was a great opportunity to try out my new book trailer - and the librarians were extremely complimentary - check it out yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
As a result I've already had requests for future libraries speaking engagements and book clubs as well! Thanks again for an awesome opportunity.
It was a great opportunity to try out my new book trailer - and the librarians were extremely complimentary - check it out yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
October 23, 2012
Thanks to Creative Juicer for the Interview!
Huge thanks to Emily and Creative Juicer for my interview:
http://creativejuicer.wordpress.com/2...
http://creativejuicer.wordpress.com/2...
September 19, 2012
Review of The Percussionist’s Wife by Monica Lee
The Percussionist’s Wife is a simple story of betrayal. The author turns an all too familiar tale into a fascinating and complex examination of an intelligent woman’s journey through a dark, life altering, episode. By sharing her thoughts and her thought process as she navigates this unbearably painful sojourn in her life, the author reveals the nuances that plague a woman during times of intolerable strife. Put simply, sometimes she’s brilliant and insightful, sometimes she’s into self-blame, sometimes she’s deep into denial and rationalization, almost sounding childlike in her naiveté.
Who among us has not wondered at our own level of intelligence when faced with a painful dilemma that would hurt far less were we to succumb to denial and rationalization? The author’s brutally honest portrayal of her daily mental climate is all too familiar. It is the most honest accounting of the disparity in our thought process as we move in and out of despair, hope, fury, relief and virtually every other emotion that plagues us as we work our way through life situations that make us feel frightened, insecure, self-doubting, angry and often worthless.
The author put herself out there so we could learn from her experience. She put herself out there so that we can feel worthwhile when we’re feeling worthless, and we can feel as though we’re not alone when we’re most alone.
If I were forced to find fault with The Percussionist’s Wife, it would be that the author, and protagonist, is clearly an intelligent and well-balanced individual, yet we only see the paranoid or rationalizing sides of her, and we don’t get very much information about the parts in her life that are working and wonderful. I think the dichotomy would be even more appalling were we to see how truly successful she is in other parts of her life.
Monica Lee is a personal historian, blogger and writer. A former reporter and newspaper copy editor, she also worked for years as a marketing executive with Creative Memories and Homemade Gourmet. A native of Minnesota, she blogs about her everyday life at http://minnesotatransplant.wordpress.com and writes about writing at http://mindfulmonica.wordpress.com. She lives in northern Illinois with her second husband.
Who among us has not wondered at our own level of intelligence when faced with a painful dilemma that would hurt far less were we to succumb to denial and rationalization? The author’s brutally honest portrayal of her daily mental climate is all too familiar. It is the most honest accounting of the disparity in our thought process as we move in and out of despair, hope, fury, relief and virtually every other emotion that plagues us as we work our way through life situations that make us feel frightened, insecure, self-doubting, angry and often worthless.
The author put herself out there so we could learn from her experience. She put herself out there so that we can feel worthwhile when we’re feeling worthless, and we can feel as though we’re not alone when we’re most alone.
If I were forced to find fault with The Percussionist’s Wife, it would be that the author, and protagonist, is clearly an intelligent and well-balanced individual, yet we only see the paranoid or rationalizing sides of her, and we don’t get very much information about the parts in her life that are working and wonderful. I think the dichotomy would be even more appalling were we to see how truly successful she is in other parts of her life.
Monica Lee is a personal historian, blogger and writer. A former reporter and newspaper copy editor, she also worked for years as a marketing executive with Creative Memories and Homemade Gourmet. A native of Minnesota, she blogs about her everyday life at http://minnesotatransplant.wordpress.com and writes about writing at http://mindfulmonica.wordpress.com. She lives in northern Illinois with her second husband.
September 13, 2012
Check out my book trailer!
My first book trailer just got posted on YouTube today, check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgkpY...
August 24, 2012
A Huge Thanks to The Lit Coach for including me in her post: Blogs That Work and Why!
Blogs That Work and Why
by TheLitCoach | on August 23rd, 2012 | 4 comments
Share
Tuesday, I shared the Five Pillars of Effective Blogs as I shared with the LARARWA group this past weekend:
Compelling Content, Consistent Posts, Fresh Ideas, Engagement, and Share-ability
Today, I’d like share with you some of the blogs I discussed and why they work.
Yarnagogo - The blog that launched Knit Lit Romance author Rachael Herron’s career. Rachael shared with me that not only did her blog come before she scored an agent and a three book deal, it pretty much sealed the deal. Her agent and editorial team loved her authentic voice and how she connected with her audience.
Girlfriends Book Club – This collaborative blog featuring Women’s Fiction heavy hitters Ellen Meister, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Marilyn Brant, Maggie Mar (who I had the great pleasure of meeting at the LARA event) and many more, is a prime example of great content, consistency, fresh ideas, robust engagement with the audience and a community of sharing between most involved on the blog.
I asked Ellen Meister about how the blog began and how they’ve found success as a popular blog. Here’s what she had this to say:
The Girlfriends Book Club blog rose from the ashes of The Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, which was a group of commercially published women authors who posted about each other’s books. That went on successfully for a number of years and eventually just burned itself out. Author Karin Gillespie deserves some kind of medal, because she not only ran the GCC but continues to coordinate and schedule the group blog.
It’s a tremendously effective way of reaching people, because there’s strength in numbers. With 40 writers as part of the group, the blog pulls from a vast network.
As it turns out, the majority the blog’s readers seem to be aspiring writers. Recognizing this, we post a lot of writing and marketing tips for aspiring authors. My most popular post was 20 Social Media Tips for Writers. Other favorite posts include 16 Tips for Writing Sexy Scenes, 18 Novelists Share Their Writing Routines and Girlfriends Share Tips on How to Be a Productive Writer.
As far as promoting our own books, it’s clear that the most popular posts are the ones that offer giveaways.
Importantly, the women in the group are tremendously supportive, and we help spread the word about each other’s posts with Tweets and Facebook status updates.
Menologues - Robin Donovan, author of Is it Still Murder Even if She Was a Bitch?, began blogging about menopause “because stumbling blindly through menopause is less funny than it sounds.” She wanted to reach a community of women who were going through what she was going through and it worked. Robin had a clearly defined audience, wrote specifically for them and soon, her blog was picked up by Vibrant Nation.
Twinfatuation - Twins expert and author Cheryl Lage has a world-wide audience, has written for an impressive array of national and local magazines, and ezines, has appeared on Martha Stewart Live Radio, has been called by The Today Show and so much more, mostly because of her blog. But like many bloggers who author books, she didn’t begin with a blog. Cheryl contacted me when I was a literary agent and she, a mother of adorable toddler twins and a writer with a great idea about a book for parents of twins and multiples. Cheryl’s story is very special to me and I was delighted to share it on literary agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog (another fabulous blog!). I encourage you to read the short post on how we started building her platform as a twin parenting expert before we sold her manuscript. You may see some of your questions and concerns answered in the robust comment thread.
A Walking Carnival - This has got to be my favorite slice of life blog ever. I like to say Deirdre Lewis, the creator of AWC, is the love child of Erma Bombeck and David Sedaris. A filmmaker and screenwriter by trade, Deirdre’s unique quirkiness shines through her blog as she takes you through her neighborhood in Echo Park, CA, to a dusty old camera shop, to an airport book store and to her father’s house. There is no post I don’t absolutely love. This blog is ALWAYS fresh, pretty consistent and I feel the content is spectacularly good. One of her latest posts is an all imagined dialog between two car mechanics – notice how the conversation reveals so much about the narrator. Deirdre is not repped by an agent, but it won’t be long before she is. She uses the blog to discover her voice and hone her craft. Works for me!
What blogs do you absolutely love and why? Share them below.
TLC
Add a comment
Comments (4)
Ellen Meister, August 23, 2012
Thanks so much for another terrific and informative post, Erin. And of course, the shout-out for the Girlfriends Book Club blog is much appreciated! Here's a recent update--the wonderful Maggie Marr is now at the helm. We're so lucky to have people like Karin and Maggie to lead the way! Ellen Reply
TheLitCoach, August 24, 2012
Ellen, thanks! I truly feel what you all contribute to the blog world, especially with regard to educating writers, is so valuable. I really enjoy the blog (and need to comment more often!) and am happy to refer writers to it. While I was speaking about GBC in front of the group, Maggie was in the audience. She smiled when I mentioned the name so I stopped and asked her if she knew of the blog. When she said she was ON the blog I nearly died! I was THRILLED to meet a GBC member. Reply
Marilyn Brant, August 23, 2012
Thanks so much for the shout out, Erin! I feel lucky to be part of the GBC because, as Ellen said, it's such a tremendously supportive group of writers. I truly enjoy getting to read the posts of the other contributors and have found the readers to be really receptive to the diversity of topics and voice, too. Looking forward to checking out the other blogs you recommended!! Reply
TheLitCoach, August 24, 2012
Thanks, Marilyn. The GBC blog is so unique and really is a compelling example of how to collaborate with your fellow authors online successfully. Reply
by TheLitCoach | on August 23rd, 2012 | 4 comments
Share
Tuesday, I shared the Five Pillars of Effective Blogs as I shared with the LARARWA group this past weekend:
Compelling Content, Consistent Posts, Fresh Ideas, Engagement, and Share-ability
Today, I’d like share with you some of the blogs I discussed and why they work.
Yarnagogo - The blog that launched Knit Lit Romance author Rachael Herron’s career. Rachael shared with me that not only did her blog come before she scored an agent and a three book deal, it pretty much sealed the deal. Her agent and editorial team loved her authentic voice and how she connected with her audience.
Girlfriends Book Club – This collaborative blog featuring Women’s Fiction heavy hitters Ellen Meister, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Marilyn Brant, Maggie Mar (who I had the great pleasure of meeting at the LARA event) and many more, is a prime example of great content, consistency, fresh ideas, robust engagement with the audience and a community of sharing between most involved on the blog.
I asked Ellen Meister about how the blog began and how they’ve found success as a popular blog. Here’s what she had this to say:
The Girlfriends Book Club blog rose from the ashes of The Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, which was a group of commercially published women authors who posted about each other’s books. That went on successfully for a number of years and eventually just burned itself out. Author Karin Gillespie deserves some kind of medal, because she not only ran the GCC but continues to coordinate and schedule the group blog.
It’s a tremendously effective way of reaching people, because there’s strength in numbers. With 40 writers as part of the group, the blog pulls from a vast network.
As it turns out, the majority the blog’s readers seem to be aspiring writers. Recognizing this, we post a lot of writing and marketing tips for aspiring authors. My most popular post was 20 Social Media Tips for Writers. Other favorite posts include 16 Tips for Writing Sexy Scenes, 18 Novelists Share Their Writing Routines and Girlfriends Share Tips on How to Be a Productive Writer.
As far as promoting our own books, it’s clear that the most popular posts are the ones that offer giveaways.
Importantly, the women in the group are tremendously supportive, and we help spread the word about each other’s posts with Tweets and Facebook status updates.
Menologues - Robin Donovan, author of Is it Still Murder Even if She Was a Bitch?, began blogging about menopause “because stumbling blindly through menopause is less funny than it sounds.” She wanted to reach a community of women who were going through what she was going through and it worked. Robin had a clearly defined audience, wrote specifically for them and soon, her blog was picked up by Vibrant Nation.
Twinfatuation - Twins expert and author Cheryl Lage has a world-wide audience, has written for an impressive array of national and local magazines, and ezines, has appeared on Martha Stewart Live Radio, has been called by The Today Show and so much more, mostly because of her blog. But like many bloggers who author books, she didn’t begin with a blog. Cheryl contacted me when I was a literary agent and she, a mother of adorable toddler twins and a writer with a great idea about a book for parents of twins and multiples. Cheryl’s story is very special to me and I was delighted to share it on literary agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog (another fabulous blog!). I encourage you to read the short post on how we started building her platform as a twin parenting expert before we sold her manuscript. You may see some of your questions and concerns answered in the robust comment thread.
A Walking Carnival - This has got to be my favorite slice of life blog ever. I like to say Deirdre Lewis, the creator of AWC, is the love child of Erma Bombeck and David Sedaris. A filmmaker and screenwriter by trade, Deirdre’s unique quirkiness shines through her blog as she takes you through her neighborhood in Echo Park, CA, to a dusty old camera shop, to an airport book store and to her father’s house. There is no post I don’t absolutely love. This blog is ALWAYS fresh, pretty consistent and I feel the content is spectacularly good. One of her latest posts is an all imagined dialog between two car mechanics – notice how the conversation reveals so much about the narrator. Deirdre is not repped by an agent, but it won’t be long before she is. She uses the blog to discover her voice and hone her craft. Works for me!
What blogs do you absolutely love and why? Share them below.
TLC
Add a comment
Comments (4)
Ellen Meister, August 23, 2012
Thanks so much for another terrific and informative post, Erin. And of course, the shout-out for the Girlfriends Book Club blog is much appreciated! Here's a recent update--the wonderful Maggie Marr is now at the helm. We're so lucky to have people like Karin and Maggie to lead the way! Ellen Reply
TheLitCoach, August 24, 2012
Ellen, thanks! I truly feel what you all contribute to the blog world, especially with regard to educating writers, is so valuable. I really enjoy the blog (and need to comment more often!) and am happy to refer writers to it. While I was speaking about GBC in front of the group, Maggie was in the audience. She smiled when I mentioned the name so I stopped and asked her if she knew of the blog. When she said she was ON the blog I nearly died! I was THRILLED to meet a GBC member. Reply
Marilyn Brant, August 23, 2012
Thanks so much for the shout out, Erin! I feel lucky to be part of the GBC because, as Ellen said, it's such a tremendously supportive group of writers. I truly enjoy getting to read the posts of the other contributors and have found the readers to be really receptive to the diversity of topics and voice, too. Looking forward to checking out the other blogs you recommended!! Reply
TheLitCoach, August 24, 2012
Thanks, Marilyn. The GBC blog is so unique and really is a compelling example of how to collaborate with your fellow authors online successfully. Reply
August 3, 2012
Donna Leigh Mystery #3 In The Works!
The third in the Donna Leigh mystery series is well underway. The working title is "I Wonder Why They Killed Him, He Wasn't Really That Annoying."
This is the first time our murder victim is male - and he's also a friend of Donna's.
The victim, Ed von Hapsburg is a former professional chef and, at the time of the murder, is the owner of a California vineyard and a wine distributorship. Ed's background and interests will provide an endless supply of food and wine information and action venues.
The second in the Donna Leigh series "I Didn't Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short Sighted" has been in edit for two months now.
This is the first time our murder victim is male - and he's also a friend of Donna's.
The victim, Ed von Hapsburg is a former professional chef and, at the time of the murder, is the owner of a California vineyard and a wine distributorship. Ed's background and interests will provide an endless supply of food and wine information and action venues.
The second in the Donna Leigh series "I Didn't Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short Sighted" has been in edit for two months now.
July 24, 2012
Is It Still Murder, Even If She Was A Bitch? To be released as ebook in one month!
For all of you who have asked, the first Donna Leigh Mystery: Is It Still Murder, Even If She Was A Bitch, is scheduled to be released as an ebook within the month. Look for our formal announcement once it officially hits the streets! And thanks for asking!
July 11, 2012
Girlfriends Book Club: Guest Post
Guest Post: Robin Donovan: Why Write a Murder Mystery?
http://girlfriendbooks.blogspot.com/2...
Why write a murder mystery, make it funny and choose a menopausal businesswoman as your amateur sleuth? Why not?
When you start out as an English teacher with an urge to write humor and you buy into an ad agency where blogging becomes a must, the stars begin to align. Then when you’re cajoled into creating a blog on menopause - because you’ve become the defacto resource for desperate women who have waited too long to educate themselves properly - which is eventually republished by Vibrant Nation (a site for women 50+) and Alltop (a general information site) things start to heat up.
The feedback from Menologues, and my partnership with the Vibrant Nation community have taught me some things. Fifty-plus women are vastly ignored and overlooked by the world at large, and many of us lack the confidence to shout loud enough to insist on being heard. Are we less talented, intelligent or relevant than anyone else out there? Hell no!
Then why? Is it because we have typically been the caretakers and the ‘sacrificers?’ Or is it because, in past generations, we’ve never been thought of as amounting to much and we’re now on the downside of the equation? You tell me. The real question is: what can we do about it? In some ways perceptions have improved, but recent experience tells me it’s nowhere near enough!
Donna Leigh, the protagonist of my first novel: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was a Bitch? doesn’t think of herself as old or even past her prime. She’s just living life to the fullest and dealing with what comes her way. She’s running an ad agency when a former colleague is murdered. Since it’s a known fact that she and the victim were not on friendly terms, Donna Leigh takes the pragmatic approach and jumps right into the investigation in an attempt to stay off the suspect list. As an ad agency owner, Donna lives in a young world; and while she doesn’t try to fight the natural progression of time, she is clearly influenced by the bright young culture in which she lives.
During the arduous editing process of the first in the “Donna Leigh Mystery” series, one of my female editors noted “women that age don’t talk like that.” I thought, hmmmppphhh, she must be really young to make that stereotypical statement. When I met this editor and realized that she was my age or older, the enormous disparity of lifestyle situations among women aged 48 to 65+ really became apparent to me. We don’t know all that much about each other; how could we expect the rest of the world to know about us?
I can’t single handedly change stereotyping of women my age - some of which even originates from women my age. I have created a character who is menopausal, or even post menopausal, very real and neither old nor trying too hard to hang onto her youth. She is not an aberration, but those who are uninformed often view her as such. She’s a smart lady, but she has her share of flaws.
Although I can’t abolish stereotypes I can depict her as one realistic example of a menopausal woman today: stylish and attractive. As far as what she isn’t: mid-twenties, model gorgeous and reed thin – does that keep us from wanting to read about her crime solving adventures? Only time will tell.
But why shouldn’t women have heroes at every age? We need a reason to laugh and see ourselves through protagonists portrayed as admirable, but not flawless. We need not have to accept the premise that the protagonist must be a very young woman, so it’s too late for us!
And as far as the murder theme goes. As a lifetime Agatha Christie zealot (we already have our octogenarian role model in Miss Marple) I was delighted by two things I learned once my novel was underway; writing is incredibly fun and getting to kill off the bad guys feels damn good – even if it’s only on paper!
Visit Robin at http://www.rldonovan.com/
Robin Donovan is the author of the blog, Menologues, a humorous yet informative look at the trials and tribulations of menopause by someone who’s been there. Menologues is republished on two commercial sites: Vibrant Nation and Alltop, and has won regional honors for social media at the AMA Pinnacles and PRSA Paper Anvil awards.
Posted by Girlfriends Book Club at 7:38 AM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook
6 comments:
Christa AllanJuly 5, 2012 12:25 PM
OMG...how have I missed your blog. As soon as I stop pouring ice down my blouse to relieve my hot flashes, I'm headed right there.
Can't wait to read this one! At 59.5 years old, I so appreciate you!
Reply
Replies
Robin DonovanJuly 10, 2012 6:09 PM
That’s music to my ears (eyes really)! You have inspired me to write another post, as soon as I finish pouring ice down MY blouse! Who says it gets better?
Reply
rebeccabradleycrimeJuly 5, 2012 4:53 PM
I absolutely love the title of the book and your protagonist! It feels like a complete breath of fresh air and much needed. I will definitely look this up, right now!
Reply
Replies
Robin Donovan July 10, 2012 6:10 PM
Thank you so much for the words of support! A breath of fresh air is precisely what I was shooting for. Remind me to tell you how I arrived at the title sometime…
Reply
Kathleen Leonard July 10, 2012 12:10 PM
Excellent post. Looking forward to book two.
Reply
Replies
Robin Donovan July 10, 2012 6:10 PM
Thanks so much! As you may already know, the first chapter of book #2 is on the website: www.rldonovan.com. It’s entitled “ I Didn’t Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short Sighted!”
Reply
http://girlfriendbooks.blogspot.com/2...
Why write a murder mystery, make it funny and choose a menopausal businesswoman as your amateur sleuth? Why not?
When you start out as an English teacher with an urge to write humor and you buy into an ad agency where blogging becomes a must, the stars begin to align. Then when you’re cajoled into creating a blog on menopause - because you’ve become the defacto resource for desperate women who have waited too long to educate themselves properly - which is eventually republished by Vibrant Nation (a site for women 50+) and Alltop (a general information site) things start to heat up.
The feedback from Menologues, and my partnership with the Vibrant Nation community have taught me some things. Fifty-plus women are vastly ignored and overlooked by the world at large, and many of us lack the confidence to shout loud enough to insist on being heard. Are we less talented, intelligent or relevant than anyone else out there? Hell no!
Then why? Is it because we have typically been the caretakers and the ‘sacrificers?’ Or is it because, in past generations, we’ve never been thought of as amounting to much and we’re now on the downside of the equation? You tell me. The real question is: what can we do about it? In some ways perceptions have improved, but recent experience tells me it’s nowhere near enough!
Donna Leigh, the protagonist of my first novel: Is It Still Murder Even If She Was a Bitch? doesn’t think of herself as old or even past her prime. She’s just living life to the fullest and dealing with what comes her way. She’s running an ad agency when a former colleague is murdered. Since it’s a known fact that she and the victim were not on friendly terms, Donna Leigh takes the pragmatic approach and jumps right into the investigation in an attempt to stay off the suspect list. As an ad agency owner, Donna lives in a young world; and while she doesn’t try to fight the natural progression of time, she is clearly influenced by the bright young culture in which she lives.
During the arduous editing process of the first in the “Donna Leigh Mystery” series, one of my female editors noted “women that age don’t talk like that.” I thought, hmmmppphhh, she must be really young to make that stereotypical statement. When I met this editor and realized that she was my age or older, the enormous disparity of lifestyle situations among women aged 48 to 65+ really became apparent to me. We don’t know all that much about each other; how could we expect the rest of the world to know about us?
I can’t single handedly change stereotyping of women my age - some of which even originates from women my age. I have created a character who is menopausal, or even post menopausal, very real and neither old nor trying too hard to hang onto her youth. She is not an aberration, but those who are uninformed often view her as such. She’s a smart lady, but she has her share of flaws.
Although I can’t abolish stereotypes I can depict her as one realistic example of a menopausal woman today: stylish and attractive. As far as what she isn’t: mid-twenties, model gorgeous and reed thin – does that keep us from wanting to read about her crime solving adventures? Only time will tell.
But why shouldn’t women have heroes at every age? We need a reason to laugh and see ourselves through protagonists portrayed as admirable, but not flawless. We need not have to accept the premise that the protagonist must be a very young woman, so it’s too late for us!
And as far as the murder theme goes. As a lifetime Agatha Christie zealot (we already have our octogenarian role model in Miss Marple) I was delighted by two things I learned once my novel was underway; writing is incredibly fun and getting to kill off the bad guys feels damn good – even if it’s only on paper!
Visit Robin at http://www.rldonovan.com/
Robin Donovan is the author of the blog, Menologues, a humorous yet informative look at the trials and tribulations of menopause by someone who’s been there. Menologues is republished on two commercial sites: Vibrant Nation and Alltop, and has won regional honors for social media at the AMA Pinnacles and PRSA Paper Anvil awards.
Posted by Girlfriends Book Club at 7:38 AM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook
6 comments:
Christa AllanJuly 5, 2012 12:25 PM
OMG...how have I missed your blog. As soon as I stop pouring ice down my blouse to relieve my hot flashes, I'm headed right there.
Can't wait to read this one! At 59.5 years old, I so appreciate you!
Reply
Replies
Robin DonovanJuly 10, 2012 6:09 PM
That’s music to my ears (eyes really)! You have inspired me to write another post, as soon as I finish pouring ice down MY blouse! Who says it gets better?
Reply
rebeccabradleycrimeJuly 5, 2012 4:53 PM
I absolutely love the title of the book and your protagonist! It feels like a complete breath of fresh air and much needed. I will definitely look this up, right now!
Reply
Replies
Robin Donovan July 10, 2012 6:10 PM
Thank you so much for the words of support! A breath of fresh air is precisely what I was shooting for. Remind me to tell you how I arrived at the title sometime…
Reply
Kathleen Leonard July 10, 2012 12:10 PM
Excellent post. Looking forward to book two.
Reply
Replies
Robin Donovan July 10, 2012 6:10 PM
Thanks so much! As you may already know, the first chapter of book #2 is on the website: www.rldonovan.com. It’s entitled “ I Didn’t Kill Her, But That May Have Been Short Sighted!”
Reply
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