Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 181

Villains—by Joan Swan

by Joan Swan, @joanswan

Villains are people too.

Memorable, compelling characters—that's what good fiction boils down to. And, yes, this includes your villains.

Your villain was an innocent child once. What changed? Why did it change? And most importantly, most revealing...how did he change in reaction to those events?

The challenges we face throughout life and how we respond to them shape the internal landscapes of each of us--in both good and bad ways. Which means your villain has both good and bad qualities.

No one is bad all the time. Villains need positive traits, too. Traits that make him sympathetic to the reader. Traits that allow the reader to empathize, maybe even identify with the villain in a small way. Understand how he became what he had become, because if a reader can't relate to your villain in any way, they will be disconnect and less invested in your story's outcome.

For the sake of example, let's say your villain's father was oppressive.

That one element could create a variety of negative issues for your villain:

Maybe...the lack of all control made him crave it once he broke out on his own Maybe...he developed a hatred of certain types of men Maybe...he developed a hatred for women who allow men to dominate...or maybe he developed a preference for passive women...or maybe he prefers the dominatrix Maybe...he developed a hatred for women who allow their children to be mentally abused Maybe...he developed a fetish, something that gave him pleasure or allowed him to escape the domination Maybe...he mirrored his father's negative trait with his peers—became a bully, a gang leader...or maybe the opposite. Maybe he feared control and became a follower (note: this isn't a strong villainous trait, but might be a tendency he has, which would create great inner conflict.)

To illustrate how the same situation could produce positive qualities depending on the person, let's take the examples above and turn them around.

The same villain, the same oppressive father. How did that affect your villain in a positive way?

Maybe...the lack of control made him empathetic to others who lack control Maybe...he learned the right and wrong way to wield control Maybe...he learned to empathize with women who'd been in a controlling relationship Maybe...that fetish he developed was writing about controlling fathers who always die a horrible death. (We all know writing is a fetish. :-)).

Your villain's unique personality—why will your readers remember him?

Like all characters, your villain's distinctive qualities should evolve organically. In other words, his uniqueness should stem from the way he reacted and internalized lifetime events (as shown above.)

There are as many reactions to a particular hardship as there are people on earth. We all know or have heard of a family—same parents, same home, same school, equal treatment—where two of the kids turn out successful, compassionate, well-adjusted, and one who turns out a repeat failure, selfish, a social reject.

Every living person is unique—thoughts, behaviors, preferences, dispositions, wants, dreams.

Apply that concept to your villain and watch him puff from a cardboard cutout into a living, breathing bad guy.

How do you add dimension to your villains? What author do you feel does a stellar job of crafting villains?

Giveaway:
· A print copy of FEVER, US/Canada shipping.
· All comments are eligible for tour grand prize of either a COLOR NOOK or KINDLE FIRE. Enter: http://joanswan.com/giveaways/blog-tour-ereader/

Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist and writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Her debut novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, released February 28, 2012. Her second novel, BLAZE, follows in October,2012.

In her day job, she works as a sonographer for one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation and lives on the California central coast in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.

Radio Interviews

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

[image error]Yesterday morning, I had a great phone interview with writer and radio show host Sharon Vander Meer on KFUN in New Mexico, where I was a call-in guest. Basically, with a call-in spot on a radio show, you're given a set time to call and a special number to phone in on. Or, sometimes, the station calls you.

I seem to have this sort of Radio Interview Curse. Apparently, I must have at least one of my children in the house when I'm on the radio. :) It's either summer vacation, a snow day where school is canceled, or else….like yesterday…I've got a child home, sick.

Here's a tip for parents who do interviews while the kids are home: explain everything. Explain that a radio interview means that you will be on the phone (that was a source of some confusion in years past), that they only need to interrupt you if it's a true emergency (and clarify what a true emergency is), and explain that if the dog starts unexpectedly barking, to put her out in the backyard. Trust me. It's better to be over-prepared. Put a sticky note on your closed door to remind them you're on the radio/on the phone…they'll forget.

I've also done an in-person radio interview. In some ways, the in-person radio interview was easier. On the phone, I'm always listening hard for any clues that I need to shush up and move on to the next subject. When you're face to face with your radio interviewer, you get visual clues to wrap up a particular train of thought. (Hurry up motions).

A few tips for doing radio:

Use your land line and don't use your speaker phone or a headset.
Turn call-waiting off
Know the station's call letters and use them in the interview.
Make sure you know the demographic for the station.
Have water nearby.
Jot down your interviewer's name and use it. Silence your cell phone.
Make notes for yourself—even with your website info in case you suddenly draw a complete blank under pressure.
Be prepared to sum up your book in a couple of sentences.
Know how long the interview will last so your answers won't be too long or too short.

Sharon was kind enough to send me some questions in advance, which really does make life easier. The interview went really well…and there were no interruptions from my daughter, who's happily now on the mend.

Have you done radio or podcast interviews? Have any other tips?

Tips for Writer's Conferences

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Although it's tough for me to get away, I really enjoy going to writer's conferences. I love the chance to see other writers in person, since most of my interaction is online.

Saturday, I went to the Book 'Em conference in Lumberton, NC. It was a great event--well-organized and well-attended.

Benefits of conferences:

Meeting readers and meeting other writers.

Meeting formerly-virtual friends. I loved meeting L. Diane Wolfe, who I've known for years online…it was wonderful to finally meet her in person. (And she's just as fun, vibrant, energetic, genuine, and nice as she seems online. Thanks to Diane's husband for taking this picture of us.)

Informative panels: I hear interesting perspectives on the publishing industry and the writing craft when I go to conferences.

Connecting with industry professionals: Some writing conferences can be good places for unpublished writers to find agents and publishers. (Usually the larger ones…and you'll need to make a reservation in advance for a formal pitch session.)

Remember:

Bring business cards. Because you'll need them. (I forgot mine. Sigh.)

If you're published, know in advance how the book sales will be handled. Should you bring your own books? Will the venue be ordering books? Will you be handling the sales, yourself (in which case you need to bring change) or will there be a bookstore handling them?

Keep your receipts for tax write-offs.

Bring water with you if you're on a panel.

Pick your conferences carefully. Getting to conferences can be expensive, so I'd recommend finding conferences that are a good fit for what you write and aren't too far away, geographically.

Pace yourself. And wear comfortable shoes.

Have you been to any conferences? What tips can you add?

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.

The free Writer's Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 14,000) searchable. The WKB recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web's best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1

7 things 1 writer has learned from Stephen King: http://bit.ly/wivL7y @victoriamixon

Go to a Workshop? No Thanks: http://bit.ly/xtAzId @geardrops

Tips for a Successful Public Presentation: http://bit.ly/yjFH6d @WriteAngleBlog

An explanation of speculative fiction: http://bit.ly/y3faKc @theskypirate

How Choreography Helps a Scene: http://bit.ly/ylBkuH @RavenRequiem13

3 Ways Authors Can Use Pinterest Guilt Free: http://bit.ly/zF2UE2

Crime fiction--ethical considerations for PIs regarding romance: http://bit.ly/ySVcQq @authorterryo

Tips for Writing Heart-pounding Visceral Responses: http://bit.ly/Ao2ICF @jhansenwrites

Finding the Four B's of Your Character: http://bit.ly/wpiFpw

Children's Writers: Waiting to Get Published: http://bit.ly/zoC4kt @Margo_L_Dill

All about the front matter of your ebook: http://bit.ly/A0DhbA @JFBookman

10 Steps to Writing: http://bit.ly/A2B5O5 @elspethwrites

When critique partners call you out: http://bit.ly/zD9AKT @JoshilynJackson for @junglereds

Tips for Fearless Writing: http://bit.ly/zSITqS

Are You Making Your Characters (and Yourself) Look Stupid? http://bit.ly/y1TeUE @KMWeiland

Finding Inspiration: http://bit.ly/zK4Fou

5 Promises You Make to Your Reader: http://bit.ly/ypxJQO @Diymfa

The What, Why and How of Tagging Books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/znmJuu @keligwyn

What to Do When Your Novel's Too Short: http://bit.ly/xyqQXP @janice_hardy

How to Simplify Marketing Your Book to Save Time and Make More Sales: http://bit.ly/A9mNhc

The Crucial Question You Must Ask in Your Opening Scene: http://bit.ly/xm6Xi5 @LiveWriteThrive

Mining For Character Emotions: http://bit.ly/xLaqXG @SharlaWrites

Please Don't Blog Your Book: 4 Reasons Why: http://bit.ly/yhslo3 @JaneFriedman

Deep Worldbuilding and POV Scene Preparation: http://bit.ly/zThmSV @JulietteWade

Why You Should Care About Building an Email List: http://bit.ly/Au1Jjf

Pride and Prejudice and the Three Movements in Every Love Story: http://bit.ly/wNn3Ys @write_practice

Tips for writing horror: http://bit.ly/z4oSBn @nicolebasaraba

Voices of Insecurity: http://bit.ly/y1NWOi

Quick and Easy Tips for Learning More About Your Readers: http://bit.ly/w3R3Gs

Avoid giving characters similar names: http://bit.ly/weUr6T @authorterryo

Tips for promoting in the real world (instead of virtually): http://bit.ly/y3UnRT @spunkonastick for @StephenTremp

Bloggers--learn assertiveness: http://bit.ly/zVhlWq @Rule17

Freelancers--how to boost your confidence to increase income: http://bit.ly/zPADoh @JulieBMack

Learning your writing style: http://bit.ly/x80TqV @mjcache

Bust 4 Myths to Gain More Writing Time: http://bit.ly/yBmqzp @LyndaRYoung

Stories don't need enhancements: http://bit.ly/xghX4j

"The book was great and the typos weren't very bad": http://bit.ly/y8kVqD @thefuturebook

Ebook Pricing for Short Stories and Novellas? http://bit.ly/AC9vtB @goblinwriter

Top 10 Songwriting Books: http://bit.ly/yqe1Ru

Writing Dialogue with Purpose: http://bit.ly/ylP9oI @Ava_Jae

Quitting your day job & following your writing dreams: http://bit.ly/yiAtTO @thecreativepenn for @ollinmorales

Amazon vs. Big Publishing: 800 lbs vs. 798 lbs: http://bit.ly/zvcQDj

The 3 Layers of Story Engineering, Architecture, and Art: http://bit.ly/wnpTq4 @storyfix

Is bundling ebooks with print books a good idea? http://bit.ly/zlDplq

If you don't exist on the Internet do you exist at all? http://bit.ly/zCfFjH @JenTalty

How Better Happens: http://bit.ly/z0dQCV

Making Your Readers Giggle: http://bit.ly/zJ50uT @writerashley

8 Simple Tips for Editing Your Own Work: http://bit.ly/ww9b1A

How to Recover From a Social Media Hangover: http://bit.ly/xG0Vgg @biggirlbranding

6 Ways to Beat the Blogging Blahs: http://bit.ly/zM5JsI @jodyhedlund

Learn to Love the Pitch: http://bit.ly/zI8OhX @blurbisaverb

3 Steps to Overcoming 'Almost Done' Syndrome: http://bit.ly/A7kPGt @writeitsideways

Quiet & enigmatic characters in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/yVxb0s @mkinberg

When sleuths have to step on toes (including ones in their own agency) in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/wJzn3P @mkinberg

5 Google+ Profile Mistakes to Fix: http://bit.ly/xubfAI @galleycat

6 Guest Post Tactics: http://bit.ly/zD9X2V @tomewer

A Quiz on Parenthetical Punctuation: http://bit.ly/xs3rto

How to Use the "Save the Cat" Beat Sheet for Revisions: http://bit.ly/AtumCy @jamigold

5 Tips for Great Series Titles: http://bit.ly/wpmxX1

Writer Beware on Publishers' Desk: http://bit.ly/z9XB31 @victoriastrauss

On Being A Professional Songwriter: http://bit.ly/xpxbqN @usasong

Is Perfectionism Stalling Your Productivity? http://bit.ly/zvDeNn @problogger

How to be creative: http://bit.ly/ymZTBV @justinemusk

Super Powers: 6 Things To Consider Before You Write Them In: http://bit.ly/x7odix @ajackwriting

Breaking Grammar Rules: Sentence Fragments: http://bit.ly/zpgLEf

Is your antagonist a problem and not a person? http://bit.ly/AoJqdr @janice_hardy

5 top tools for promoting your book on Twitter: http://bit.ly/w20kgo @Rule17 for @JFBookman

10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to Any E-Publishing Service: http://bit.ly/yO0juk @janefriedman

When It's Time to Say Goodbye to Your Manuscript: http://bit.ly/wAurfz

What Indie Production Actually Costs: http://bit.ly/xWPBNb @deanwesleysmith

Promoting Your YA Novel: http://bit.ly/wMXnn4 @Kristi_Cook

How to Draw Your Characters Out: http://bit.ly/yrDToZ @write_practice

5 basic elements of every good story: http://bit.ly/xRGbH0

Polyglot vs. Translator: Different Takes on Multilingualism: http://bit.ly/zYkZ1M @michaelerard

A Tale of Two Ebooks: http://bit.ly/yOtqVB @AlexisGrant for @Problogger

Writing in the Digital Age: Connecting with Readers: The Stephen King Problem: http://bit.ly/wUP3LC @KellyMcClymer

A refresher--subjunctive mood: http://bit.ly/zLM9f0 @readingape

Better Procrastination as a Writer: http://bit.ly/Agr1Mk

Screenwriting: Is the audience listening to your dialogue? http://bit.ly/x88BrM @jacobkrueger

5 Myths About eBooks Debunked: http://bit.ly/A6dffb @ebooknewser

Why Page Length for YA or MG Novel Is The Wrong Question: http://bit.ly/yzF22C

Fantasy writers--have a Magic System: http://bit.ly/xUMSlR @thomasaknight

Why Hating Facebook Is Costing You Book Sales: http://bit.ly/wmWu3S @bubblecow

Dealing with Difficult Blog Visitors: http://bit.ly/wdXMwV @annerallen

Are We Grounded? Setting the Scene and Engaging the Reader: http://bit.ly/z3BXrE @janice_hardy

Transform Your Writing Weakness into Strength: http://bit.ly/yycykd @angelaackerman

Revise and Present: updating your ebook: http://bit.ly/A8r3v4

90 Verbs Starting with "Ex-": http://bit.ly/w0vxRZ @writing_tips

Every Writer's Lament: http://bit.ly/wZ7QrB @bookemdonna

Are you waiting too long to market your book? http://bit.ly/wYs4sB @WiseLouise

When writing, the trick is to breathe: http://bit.ly/yjJ96d @jcbaggott

Tips for developing writing voice: http://bit.ly/z2sncY @rebeccaberto

Creating the image arc for your book: http://bit.ly/A3Qy4J

21 Ways to Kill Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/yusYv2 @MichaelMichalko

6 Tips On Writing Plays For Kids: http://bit.ly/ximofT @chucksambuchino

Eliminating Unnecessary Plot Complications: http://bit.ly/xafmBJ

Key Story Elements: Lessons from Musical Theater: http://bit.ly/yegbTF @AlexSokoloff

Should you publish your novel to build your platform? http://bit.ly/xJeRQo @dirtywhitecandy

A Writer's Guide to Punctuation: http://bit.ly/zx9xCN @KMWeiland

A Quiz on Expletives: http://bit.ly/xmuifq @writing_tips

Smart & savvy look at industry news from the past week (including Amazon's latest dirty deeds): http://bit.ly/yeFB5f @Porter_Anderson

Writing on the Ether features @jimchines @DonLinn @paulkbiba @nicovreeland @annerallen @LloydJassin @jasonashlock http://bit.ly/yeFB5f

The rescue motif in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/w2bWLt @mkinberg

The prodigal's return theme in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/yJSWoM @mkinberg

Author blogging--linking for traffic: http://bit.ly/zVF3R7 @JFBookman

Twitter etiquette - careful with DMs: http://bit.ly/Az37jb @nicolamorgan

Transitions and Chapter Breaks: http://bit.ly/yJpOYU

What the Publishing Industry Can Learn From Kodak: http://bit.ly/AAQgcm @rachellegardner

Finding Extraordinary Writing in an Ordinary Life: http://bit.ly/Amls4o @writeitsideways

Afraid to Publish Your Work? Here's the Solution: http://bit.ly/AdgDLJ @jeffgoins

Making the Most of Your Writing Time: http://bit.ly/y377Wp @calistataylor

Tips for writing slice-of-life essays: http://bit.ly/wawxQI

7 Essential Tips for WordPress Bloggers: http://bit.ly/AA6pem

An agent on choosing a genre: http://bit.ly/xpLZ9x @bookendsjessica

Figuring out Your Character's True Desire: http://bit.ly/zxUkSj @katieganshert

Do you have a creative block? Do you know what you're trying to accomplish? http://bit.ly/xR0ZtN @tannerc

The role of dystopian fiction in a changing world: http://bit.ly/wslPWE

Why Consistency Isn't Always A Good Thing: http://bit.ly/yjTZkC @ollinmorales

The Aesthetics of Good and Evil in David Copperfield: http://bit.ly/wsoPKE @write_practice

5 writing myths: http://bit.ly/xz7432 @ava_jae

4 Tools to Make Writers More Productive: http://bit.ly/y8May6 @HowToWriteShop

Mixed Feelings About Pinterest: The Latest Shiny New Thing: http://bit.ly/AEC4pZ @NicholeBernier

Who should take the blame for the publishing industry's troubles? http://bit.ly/y5Tk0z

Using Kickstarter to Fund Self-Publishing Projects: http://bit.ly/zh8IXv @goblinwriter

Focus and the Distracted Writer: http://bit.ly/zhaYKJ

10 Experts Take on the Writer's Rulebook: http://bit.ly/z1UacV @writersdigest

The Writer's Ear: Hearing Prose, Poetry and Music: http://bit.ly/xSQ9OG @JomCarroll for @WomenWriters

Do You Really Need to Write Every Day? http://bit.ly/yyOify @writersdigest

10 Ways To Get More Facebook Fans This Week: http://bit.ly/A2dICt @authormedia

Tips for becoming an editor: http://bit.ly/ybTjly @noveleditor

Why Foreign Rights are a Big Deal for Small Publishers: http://bit.ly/wlRqbB @pubperspectives

Fixing the holes in our manuscripts: http://bit.ly/zhpjkv

How to Use Anger to Fuel Your Writing (In a Positive Way): http://bit.ly/wrz7FJ @krissybrady

If we didn't procrastinate, we'd never accomplish anything: http://bit.ly/zpqqTk @misfitsmascara

Out Of My Comfort Zone: Exposing the Dark Questions: http://bit.ly/wuVxmp @BTMargins

How to Find Your Writing Voice: http://bit.ly/zApQZ4 @JulieBMack

The Life Cycle of Twitter: http://bit.ly/wzpWRS @JulietteWade

Do you know your customer? http://bit.ly/ymotKi @rachellegardner

Adult vs YA dystopias - A Question of Hope: http://bit.ly/z6RQTB @Lenoreva

25 Subordinating Conjunctions: http://bit.ly/yTlrKG @writing_tips

Zealotry in Fiction: http://bit.ly/xbCt5y @fantasyfaction

Writerly Insecurity & Pushing Ourselves Out of Comfort Zones

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Last weekend, I was in South Carolina for the Festival of the Arts in the town of Anderson.

I'm originally from Anderson and Jane, one of the event organizers, called me last fall and invited me to attend. She explained that it wasn't a signing or speaking gig, but more of an exhibit. The artists would be there to talk to attendees about their creative process, etc.

The word "artist" gave me pause, although I frequently use it in reference to writers. This time, though…. "Who is going to be there?" I asked.

"Sculptors, painters, photographers, quilters, woodworkers…" The list went on.

I wasn't sure. "I'm going to be the only writer there?"

That was correct.

I agreed to go, but remember feeling…well, a little insecure about it. Those other artists are artists! In every way.

Time went by until about two weeks ago and the organizer called me again. "I'm in the process of setting up the tables for the event and wanted to go ahead and plan your exhibit. What kinds of things would you like to bring in?"

I paused. "What are the other artists bringing in?"

"Photography, maybe some woodwork they're working on or a current canvas they're in the process of painting."

I said, "Jane, all my stuff is going to look like clutter! In fact, it is clutter. It's notebooks and Post-Its and scribbles. The stuff in the notebooks is going to sound absolutely crazy. Besides, most of the writing I do is on my laptop and that's not going to be very interesting."

But she convinced me to send along what I had. I put together some of my books, some of my printed rough drafts that I'd marked up with revisions, an ARC of one of my books, and a few notebooks for past projects that had sticky notes scattered throughout and cryptic notes to myself.

And it was clutter! Mine is the center, yellow table in the picture. Jane arranged it as best she could, but there's only so much you can do with clutter. :)

When I got to the festival last Saturday, I learned that I wasn't the only attendee to have second thoughts or doubts. Jane told me that a large number of the artists she'd called had told her that they didn't consider what they did art. Some did consider their creative efforts art, but they didn't think it was good enough to display. Some were uncomfortable with anyone viewing their art, stating it had really just been done to please themselves.

I'm fairly confident about some aspects of my writing now. I'm confident I can finish a book. I'm confident I can deliver what my editors are looking for (or, if not, that I can tweak it to make it work.) I'm confident that I can fix whatever disaster of a first draft that I write.

But this just serves as a reminder that we're never really over feeling insecure about what we do, especially in comparison to others' efforts. And that apparently is true for other areas of the artistic community, too.

Once the exhibition started, though, I think all the artists forgot their self-consciousness. That's because our audience came in. And they were eager to see what we were doing, ask questions, and enjoy what we'd created.

This makes me think that if we think less about what other artists or writers are accomplishing, less about our own fragile egos, and look toward our readers, we might have a shot of getting past our insecurities.

How do you step outside your comfort zone as a writer? How do you battle insecurities?

I'll be traveling again tomorrow, this time to the Book 'Em Conference in Lumberton, NC. I'm speaking on a panel at 2:00 there with my writing friend L. Diane Wolfe. Hope you'll come if you're in the area. http://www.bookemnc.org/

Eliminating Unnecessary Plot Complications

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Penguin has asked me to write a fourth Memphis Barbeque book. It was great to hear that I'd have a reason to spend more time with the characters in that series.

I also had an idea for something I wanted to do with the plot—I wanted to feature the huge Memphis in May festival that's such a big event there every year.

My protagonist and sleuth for the series is Lulu Taylor, who owns a barbeque restaurant. I decided to make Lulu a judge for the event. There are many different foods to judge at the festival—everything from slaw to sauce to the barbeque itself.

I got deeper into the research on being a food judge. I realized there were different rules these judges have to follow to keep the competition fair. I saw that there was a good deal of training that went into being one. I felt, also, that this would be something I'd need to make sure I represented well in the book, since there are people in Memphis who read this series…and I wanted my information to be correct and not something that I changed for my own purposes.

I could also tell that Lulu would be kept very busy as a judge.

As I got farther into the book (this is one that I'm working on now), I realized I was making this mystery unnecessarily complex. And confusing. And, really, having Lulu be a judge was going to tie up a lot of her time and make her less available to investigate a murder.

This wasn't a book about judging barbeque competitions. This was a mystery. And my sleuth needed to solve the mystery, not pick the top baked bean winner.

These were some of the questions I asked myself before I decided to demote Lulu from judgeship:

Does this forward the plot? Is it necessary?

Am I including research simply to show off how well I've researched?

Will this complication confuse readers?

Are there other, simpler ways to accomplish the same effect?

What's the basic reason I'm including this complication in the book?

For me, I decided the whole point I'd made Lulu a judge was to put her on the scene at Memphis in May. But wouldn't she already be there? Her best friends have a booth at the festival. It's the biggest Memphis event of the year. And Lulu has two grandchildren begging for her to take them there.

Why wouldn't she be there? The whole complication of Lulu being a judge just wasn't needed. It only made the plot more convoluted for readers and tougher for me to write. And required a great deal of research.

Do you ever notice, like me, that you're making things complicated for both yourself and your readers? How do you simplify unnecessarily convoluted plotlines?

Nice Bloggers Don't Get the Girl

by Steven Lewis, @Rule17

Being raised English presented considerable disadvantages to me as a writer and a blogger. The greatest of them was the English pride in understatement and self-deprecation.

Promoting my blog and my books has required me to re-educate myself. It hasn't been easy to unprogram a lifetime's teaching. Only the other day my wife took me aside after I was asked how sales of my new book Hot Silver - Riding the Indian Pacific were going.

"I'm no Bill Bryson," I'd said.

With a stern look she pointed out that I was number three in the Amazon bestseller list for my category. Why on earth didn't I tell people that, she asked. Well now I have and that's what I'm learning to do with my blog as well.

Taleist runs under the slogan "Helping writers become published authors". It's true, that's what the site is about, but it seems wrong to shout about it. I was a long time before I put the tagline up.

The truth is that nice bloggers don't get the reader. You have to talk about your virtues and strengths. You need to tell people what your site is good at because you can't count on them investing the energy in finding out themselves. You need to back yourself, to become your cheering section.

Certainly word-of-mouth is crucial, especially people using their social networks to share your content. But you set the tone. Your self-belief leads others to believe in you.

The trick is to find the line between confident and obnoxious. Whatever our cultural background there is a line between someone we admire for his or her self-confidence and someone whose arrogance grates. That line is in a different place for everyone so you're also going to have to grow a thick enough skin to cope with that.

You won't be loved by everybody but it's better to loved passionately by a few than to be a source of indifference to many.

Some of the things I've learned to do to promote myself assertively are:

To have an elevator pitch. As well as "helping writers become self-published authors" Taleist is "well-regarded internationally by self-publishers". Both these statements are true but previously I wouldn't have said them out loud, I'd have hoped someone else would say it or you'd find it out some other way. Having those phrases ready in the wings means I don't need as much mental energy to say them out loud when the opportunity arises. (Note I still won't say I'm helping authors or well-regarded.)

To use testimonials. I'm lucky enough to have found some credible people who like what I'm doing. When they say something nice about the site/the books/me, I ask to use their words. That way I don't have to assert these things myself and it doesn't look like I'm the only person who thinks I'm useful or I write well.

To ask for what I want. No reader is as committed as the reader who has subscribed to your blog by email. I work hard to build my subscriber list, including having a pop-up window that appears on the site and asks visitors to sign up. Many people instinctively recoil at the idea of these windows. Me, too! How obnoxious they are. But they work: I've had triple digit percentage growth in my mailing list since introducing them. If you don't ask, you don't get.

I haven't got all the answers and there are things I still need to work on. I think Copyblogger is essential reading, for instance, but sometimes I find their tone relentless and their content contrived. Their success suggests, however, that they're onto something!

Most of all, after writing for newspapers and magazines for 15 years and having seven books on Amazon, I'm surely entitled to say "writer" when asked what I do. So why can't I? Yet.

Steven Lewis writes the Taleist self-publishing blog, where you
can sign-up for his social media check-up, a free email course showing you easy ways to make sure you're using social media to maximum effect in promoting your books.

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Below are the writing-related links I tweeted last week.

The free Writer's Knowledge Base search engine, designed by software engineer and writer Mike Fleming, makes all these links (now over 14,000) searchable. The WKB recently celebrated its one-year anniversary.

Sign up for the free monthly WKB newsletter for the web's best links and interviews:http://bit.ly/gx7hg1

The best structure for your book: http://bit.ly/wNBEjW @originalimpulse

Storytelling & Literary Techniques: http://bit.ly/yLESh2 @writersdigest

Facebook danger, smutty & genre e-reading, library ebook lending update, ind. news & views from @Porter_Anderson: http://bit.ly/AqoK4O

The problem with free: http://bit.ly/zCLzUh @kristenlambTX

Do Blog Tours Sell Books? http://bit.ly/wH83ZX @roniloren

Violence and Gore in Fantasy: http://bit.ly/AugebL @AmyJRoseDavis

Tips for good book endings: http://bit.ly/z02UYr @TaliaVance

Love Story Elements: http://bit.ly/zuVWMF @AlexSokoloff

5 ways to bust through your freelance fears: http://bit.ly/ycEDGW @stephauteri for @MichelleRafter

A notice to publishers from a librarian: http://bit.ly/zge5nk @TheLiB

20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word Forms: http://bit.ly/xzjwTV @writing_tips

Why people use ghostwriters: http://bit.ly/wRprfK @storykim

How Should Writers Research? All at Once or As Needed? http://bit.ly/AheLTV @JodyHedlund

Stay with the agent or the agency when your agent moves? http://bit.ly/yBLZ60 @JordynRedwood

The Role of Editors: A Writer's Viewpoint: http://bit.ly/ArED4J

How to Create and Host a Blog Carnival: http://bit.ly/wUZVWm @problogger

What Makes You Feel Legitimate? http://bit.ly/ABroQO @jamigold

Digital textbooks challenge from US government: http://bit.ly/xAymUW @JohnP_Education

The Key to Distraction-Free Writing: http://bit.ly/xGebQ0 @jeffgoins

Set Up Your Author Pinterest Profile In 10 Easy Steps: http://bit.ly/AsaxzM @authormedia

Quick Tips for Improving Your Blog's Navigation: http://bit.ly/A7LiaO @pushingsocial

Dealing with chronological breaks in your story: http://bit.ly/yyi1kS @juliettewade

What Non-Fiction Authors Can Teach Novelists: http://bit.ly/y9dFbN @KMWeiland

Varying sentence length: http://bit.ly/xaVjNc

7 Truths About Writers: http://bit.ly/xhgfnu @thecreativepenn

Are online ads a good choice for authors? http://bit.ly/ytI39P @Beth_Barany

Editor Alan Rinzler with tips for writing genre crossovers: http://bit.ly/yg2syQ

Critiques, Another Angle: http://bit.ly/yEN2Pz @HeatherMcCorkle

Are Tablet Computers Right For Writers? http://bit.ly/zjjYiW @ChandlerWrites

The Nuts and Bolts of: Impressions, Clicks and Free: http://bit.ly/zMVZeO @JenTalty

Ways writers jolt readers out of the story: http://bit.ly/wwdOAJ @EdieMelson

Artistic Freedom, Fame & Finishing, No Matter What: http://bit.ly/w847mq @Aristonian for @the99percent

A Quiz on the Treatment of 75 Compound Words: http://bit.ly/Alvxmb @writing_tips

The stories inside our story: http://bit.ly/ym3wr5 @storyfix

Print Books: The New Vanity Publishing? http://bit.ly/ybLdFC @thecreativepenn for @jfbookman

Non-traditional ways to market: http://bit.ly/x49wy0 @LauraPauling

Permanence, Capitalists, and Ebooks: http://bit.ly/A8lxMJ @scholarlykitchn

Using the Evil Overlord List to Write More Interesting Villains: http://bit.ly/w9vnmt

Keeping Track of Character Knowledge: http://bit.ly/zh3F2S @Janice_Hardy

Writing + baby = ? http://bit.ly/xgv5a8 @thatleila

Making time for : http://bit.ly/wv3GEq @jodicleghorn

The Ins and Outs of Critique Groups: http://bit.ly/xOqZSO @loislavrisa

4 Tips to Avoid Blogging Burnout: http://bit.ly/zfgr3g @krissybrady

10 Ways to Improve Your Online "Likability Quotient": http://bit.ly/A1A8wN @KristenLambTX

Amazon inheriting the Earth – how does this affect their authors? http://bit.ly/yiW2C6 @behlerpublish

An Agent Explores the Difference Between Young Adult And Middle Grade: http://bit.ly/xW7A4S

Planting the Hook: Getting Readers Past the Opening Page: http://bit.ly/wObSVq @janice_hardy

2 views of video game writing: http://bit.ly/ze7Vo6

How to Effectively Create More Time to Write: http://bit.ly/wZJbRO @KrissyBrady

A link roundup on and delivering speeches: http://bit.ly/xE0CXk @speechwriterguy

Hulk Eat Bacon--The Effect of Mood-Altering Substances on the Creative Mind: http://bit.ly/wJdnIP @gripemaster

75 Synonyms for "Hard": http://bit.ly/zj4YRs @writing_tips

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing a Book that Doesn't Suck: http://bit.ly/yl6U3d @jeffgoins

Will Print Books Become Obsolete? http://bit.ly/zdEvab @ava_jae

Tips for headline writing: http://bit.ly/zD7Ptd @JulieBMack

Relief for the Writing Rules Obsessed: http://bit.ly/zHXFgw @keligwyn

How to become a writer who matters: http://bit.ly/AfzudK @krissybrady

Tips for dealing with rejection: http://bit.ly/w9ENSS

Make sure your book's setting isn't missing: http://bit.ly/AC9FAp @KMWeiland

What should writers blog about? http://bit.ly/yPBNmk @annerallen

Being a Success, Without Being a Bestseller: http://bit.ly/zyLr1w @DanBlank

Prologues: please use responsibly: http://bit.ly/zoQfy4 @dirtywhitecandy

Links for locating book reviewers: http://bit.ly/xEk6PU @DebraPurdyKong

How to Have a Successful KDP Select Campaign: http://bit.ly/zjY1Cj @TweetTheBook

Is Your Author Photo Sending the Right Message? http://bit.ly/zufXqN @KMWeiland

Tips for successful scene execution: http://bit.ly/zW3Z0s @rebeccaberto

Descriptions that pack a punch: http://bit.ly/wXo5W8 @PBRWriter

7 Tactics for a Successful Guest Post: http://bit.ly/zRHW7c @BlogTyrant

When is it all right to call an agent? http://bit.ly/xpdB9J @rachellegardner

Both Convergent and Divergent Thinking are Necessary for Creativity: http://bit.ly/z3Y9a3 @creativitypost

4 Reasons It Pays For Songwriters To Be Patient: http://bit.ly/ABwuK9 @cliffgoldmacher

What's the Right Price for an E-Book? http://bit.ly/wrmrsT

Make Your Own Luck In Social Media: http://bit.ly/zBx8fo @AlexisGrant for @thecreativepenn

A quiz about missing connections in our writing: http://bit.ly/A3CvV8 @writing_tips

The importance of keeping in touch with our readers: http://bit.ly/xP0iNT

Love means never having to say you're sorry (to your characters): http://bit.ly/w7vzek @SouthrnWritrMag

A New Approach–The Concept Critique: http://bit.ly/wvjfur @KristenLambTX

What a communications workshop can teach you about writing: http://bit.ly/zMCH3t @CAMorganti

Creativity Tune-up: http://bit.ly/wVkScO @bookemdonna

What Moves You The Most Right Now? Go With It. http://bit.ly/A7vndq @OllinMorales

A publisher on social media: http://bit.ly/ydinKH

The benefits of not planning a world: http://bit.ly/zlnpZD @Mazarkis_W

Why (not) tell the story in present tense? http://bit.ly/yYc0Xf @juliettewade

Are Sub Genres Digital Publishing's Secret Weapon? http://bit.ly/wfgOZf @ebooknewser

Knowing What to Capitalize: http://bit.ly/w1Orio @janice_hardy

Ebook Pricing: Why 99 Cents Might Be a Mistake for You: http://bit.ly/zBLR5u @goblinwriter

Promoting your book--what *not* to do: http://bit.ly/wdNnMJ @BryanThomasS

Reasons Why Some Books Never Sell: http://bit.ly/zBRVrl @robeagar for @writersdigest

Why Being a Jack of All Trades Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be: http://bit.ly/wq5MS5 @jeffgoins

Self-destructive characters in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/zs4C5d @mkinberg

Happy Valentine's Day, Hogwarts Style: http://bit.ly/wbOvhi @HP4Writers

10 Ways to Love a Writer: On Valentine's Day and Forever: http://bit.ly/yeIMsQ @ainegreaney for @womenwriters

Why Romances Are Valid Literature: http://bit.ly/wiVrgK @JodyHedlund

A few tips for writers planning romantic evenings: http://bit.ly/wC0296 @MistyMassey

Literary Pick-up Lines for Valentine's Day: http://bit.ly/y9Sae4 @galleycat

10 Lies to Twist a Love Story: http://bit.ly/AcKvMP @CherylRWrites

How To Write A Kissing Scene...Valentine Edition: http://bit.ly/xlqt9P

Showing Valentine's Day Love to Writers: http://bit.ly/A96mTZ

Feeling the Love: http://bit.ly/xBoEvC

5 things 1 writer learned from Shirley Jackson: http://bit.ly/A2xHv5 @victoriamixon

Answers to writers' legal questions: http://bit.ly/yx2ArU @DIYmfa

How to Overcome Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/xjqUQU

Writing and the Ugly Duck Syndrome: http://bit.ly/wjqhTB @mooderino

Writer Confidence—Too Much or Too Little: http://bit.ly/xBBQ8u @pattyjansen for @BryanThomasS

6 Tips for Creating a Blogged Book Manuscript: http://bit.ly/zw8Pgl @NinaAmir

Book Publishing and ISBNs … Do You Need Them? http://bit.ly/AmfgYB @mybookshepherd

50 Synonyms for "Idea": http://bit.ly/xUhX1T @writing_tips

The Most Important Part of the Creative Life: http://bit.ly/wef5BQ @jeffgoins

7 Free E-Books for Writers: http://bit.ly/A1n3Ds @janefriedman

Writing Lessons from The Hunger Games: Stakes and Characterization: http://bit.ly/xogWpv @4kidlit

5 Reasons to Embrace the Brave New World: http://bit.ly/xkGxWw @rachellegardner

6 Tips To Resuscitate a Dying Author Blog: http://bit.ly/yz2zQF @ChuckSambuchino

Self-Publishing Is Easy (and Other Myths): http://bit.ly/xyGV62 @talliroland

A list of great blogs for writers to follow: http://bit.ly/xHJ8CU @robertleebrewer

Making the Most of Endorsements: http://bit.ly/xbjjVu @MuseInks

Book Covers: Are They Important in the Digital Age? http://bit.ly/wCh3ZZ @jodyhedlund

"Speechtags are of the Devil," he said: http://bit.ly/yVWWMf @janice_hardy

Why Agents Edit: http://bit.ly/y3YhDR @bookendsjessica

One Size Fits Some: http://bit.ly/A04X5P @eMergentPublish

8 Quick Tips for Writing Bullet Points People Actually Want to Read: http://bit.ly/zKaTlI @copyblogger

Who's Whose: More Help With Pronouns: http://bit.ly/wTlDRO @write_practice

Confessions of a Newbie Independent Bookseller: http://bit.ly/wYb7OI @deadwhiteguys

Fuel your writing by penning a manifesto for your book: http://bit.ly/xIVImA @originalimpulse

Tips for Finding inspiration: http://bit.ly/wXWGIV

Suspended Perceptions: http://bit.ly/wBT1h1 @Ravenrequiem13

Fast Drafting: A Word Count Builder: http://bit.ly/wkrqR8 @LynnetteLabelle

9 truths about ebook publishing: http://bit.ly/xbPygF @thefuturebook

Comics to relieve writing stress--from @inkyelbows: http://bit.ly/zIUg4K & http://bit.ly/xHUToR & http://bit.ly/yP4tic

It's tough for writers to escape from stories: http://bit.ly/x9qGFZ @TamarMek

The role of attorneys in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/zw0DR9 @mkinberg

A different take on copyright from author James Hutchings for @MasonCanyon: http://bit.ly/zR5ukd

5 Hidden Benefits of Writing Slowly: http://bit.ly/yOcFBs @ollinmorales for @thecreativepenn

How an agent evaluates book blogs: http://bit.ly/xblfmH @SaraMegibow

Crawling Into a Writer's Cave: http://bit.ly/AhdpnY

How To Jumpstart Your Creative Career in a Bad Economy: http://bit.ly/yePBir @the99percent

16 Misquoted Quotations: http://bit.ly/zRaenf @writing_tips

8 Reasons Your Self Published Novel Won't Sell: http://bit.ly/yy8lzK @ajackwriting

8 Things That Surprised 1 Writer About Book Launches: http://bit.ly/AvZXA4 @Julias__Child for @BlurbisaVerb

Charles Dickens and the Facebook generation: http://bit.ly/xbr559 @Salon

6 Ways to Energize Your Writing Naturally: http://bit.ly/xN1ldd @ChrystleFiedler

5 Tips on Plot Twists: http://bit.ly/wkYK5r

Interesting discussion in the comments: Fiction and Social Justice ~ Can They Coexist? http://bit.ly/Av5Y06 @PassiveVoiceBlg

Defaulting to the Protagonist: http://bit.ly/yUWxyB

To Champion Worthwhile Books: http://bit.ly/wrqADT @rachellegardner

Music that helps with the dreaming stage of a novel: http://bit.ly/Ae5WWn @reclusivemuse for @byrozmorris

Disdain for authors?, Amazon absence, relevance through SEO, & other thoughts from/on #ToC from @Porter_Anderson: http://bit.ly/wd8yMD

Writing on the Ether by @Porter_Anderson features @SourceFabienne @KatMeyer @diannadilworth @bsandusky @cjoh @ikert http://bit.ly/wd8yMD

Mystery Writer in the Family. Blogger in the House.

by Anora McGaha, @anorawrites

Mysteries scare me.

As a girl, I started with Nancy Drew. Loved her curiosity. Her intelligence. Her courage.

But I would get scared and have to close the book. Wait until another time.

Read in the living room when others were around.

Couldn't stay away long though. Always wanted to know what happened next.

Balancing fear and curiosity. Curiosity and fear.

Before grade school was done, I put mysteries aside. For decades. Just didn't need to risk the tension of fear.

Then my aunt wrote a mystery. Her first book. And another, and another. She found what she called a "sleezy" publisher who paid mere pennies a sale, but it was a start. The Trouble With... series was launched.

A novelist in my own family. Leading the way. I had to pick up a copy and risk the fear.

Murder always gave me the creeps. It's horrific. In the news every day. Why would anyone want to take it on for leisure?

C. Crespi, as she called herself at the time, wrote light mysteries. She named her characters after her pets. She drew from experiences in the big Apple. Wove her sweetheart into the tales.

They were filled with fascinating details about life in the city, a quirky detective, with an international background like her own. Yes there was always a murder, but most of them weren't scary. The stories were delightful.

Getting an agent was awful though. So many unanswered letters and emails.

Disappointments. Until the one acceptance that made it all worthwhile.

I was grateful to hear the reality of being a writer. Not sure I'd have the stomach for it.

Camilla broke into the big time - selling a few books to a major publisher, Harper Collins. Hardbacks. Book tours. Publicist. The works.

I was so proud. Excited too because she was paving the way for my own writing. Not by opening doors, but by doing it, simply showing it could be done.

Her writing stepped up. She wrote a psychological thriller. The Price of Silence was literary fiction. A gripping story. Stirring. Questions that beg an answer from the first page. Catch a reader by the first paragraph and keep us wanting answers until the end, and, beyond.

Having an agent for one book doesn't mean an agent for every book. The agony of the search. Finally one. A sale to Soho Press. Now publishing under her own name, Camilla Trinchieri.

Then presto. Price sold across the ocean. In Italy, where her father, my grandfather

was from. Where she had lived for years, and I too, for a few.

Il prezzo del silenzio. A direct translation of her title. Marcos and Marcos press.

Completely different cover. Picking up on the Chinese thread. A launch in Rome, Florence. Sardinia. Radio interviews. Magazine interviews.

An American. A New Yorker. Translated into Italian. Fluent in Italian, half Italian really. Welcomed. Celebrated. A prodigal daughter.

I had just discovered the power of blogging in 2008. Excited about what was possible, I launched a publicity blog for her.

She wasn't into blogging. She stays focused on writing books. (A good focus for a writer, one I should take a lesson from.) But I scoured the Internet for everything I could find about her American edition, and then scoured the Italian Internet for everything in Italian about her. Google.it shows different results than Google.com.

Hours and hours of wonderful work, researching every result of thousands

month after month. Discovering all kinds of reviews and comments. Discovering that her books were sold online in dozens of countries around the world. South Africa. India. England. Australia. Germany. France.

After adding a Feedjit widget on the sidebar, we could see that visitors were landing on the blog from all over the world. Whether or not any books were sold, people were visiting, and the posts were a wonderful public record of all her events and all the reviews she'd received.

Mysteries are still not my cup of tea. Too scary, still. But I know this much. Every book could take a lesson from the genre. Hook your reader with intrigue from the start, tantalize with unanswered questions, leave subtle clues that sneak up and surprise us, and leave us dying to know more.

Anora McGaha is a poet, non-fiction writer, author of Social Media for Business and personal essays in three anthologies. She is the editor of Women Writers, Women Books at www.booksbywomen.org . @anorawrites is her writing handle on Twitter, and @womenwriters is the handle for her online literary magazine for women writers.

6 Ways to Energize Your Writing Naturally—by Chrystle Fiedler

by Chrystle Fiedler, @ChrystleFiedler

It's fun to take a break from writing and visit Elizabeth on her blog! Thanks Elizabeth! I thought it would be fun to write about natural remedies since my new book Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery features a holistic doctor who dispenses natural cures. I also thought that readers might be interested in natural ways to boost energy when it comes to writing.

I don't know about you ut the best time for me to be productive and hopefully brilliant! is in the morning from 9 to noon. But once I have lunch, I feel less energetic. However, if I'm under a deadline I need to power through less productive times and write throughout the day. That's when I turn to my favorite natural remedy – coffee! I buy mine from 7-11 because home brewed just isn't strong enough.

I interviewed a doctor at Harvard Medical School years ago for an article and he told me that coffee at 7-11 and Dunkin' Donuts is 8 times as strong has home brewed! Not only does coffee give me a much needed pick-me-up, I've found it also boosts my mood (recent research shows that coffee can help with mild depression) and helps me see things more clearly. In addition, these natural cures can make you more alert and focused, with writing or whatever you need to do!

1. Sip small amounts of chilled water every 30 minutes. Studies show that when you consume small amounts of chilled water every 20-30 minutes during the day, it sends a clear and immediate signal to your brain to increase alertness and energy.

2. Smell peppermint. According to a study in the North American Journal of Psychology drivers had more energy when exposed to this scent. Peppermint increases alertness and decreases fatigue. Chew a nice strong peppermint gum or peppermint mints while you write or drive to decrease fatigue and increase alertness.

3. Use acupressure on your outer ears. Applying pressure to acupressure points all along the outer ear helps to clear the head, gets rid of dull pain above the neck and charges up your entire energy system. Just take your thumb and first finger and go up and down the entire outer ear two or three times and give it a good brisk rubbing.

4. Drink green tea. Green tea has some energizing caffeine, but it also contains theanine, an amino acid that has a stress-reducing effect on your brain. It calms you while giving you mental clarity, leaving your mind clear and sharp and alert.

5. Inhale Eucalyptus or spearmint essential oil. The nose is the only part of your brain that extends to the outer environment is your sense of smell so it's very charged. Volatile oils such as eucalyptus or spearmint stimulate a part of your brain that triggers alertness. For a natural pick-me-up place a few drops of eucalyptus or spearmint essential oil on a tissue and inhale deeply.

6. Eat Dark Chocolate. Although it's weaker than caffeine, the chemical theobromine in chocolate is a mild stimulant. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, (PEA) which is a feel good mood elevator. Choose a high quality, imported dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa content. It has less sugar and its rich flavor will satisfy you with less. Aim for 1 ounce of dark chocolate a few times a week.

What is your writing routine?

About Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery:

Dr. Willow McQuade, N.D., a twenty-eight-year-old naturopathic doctor specializing in natural remedies, has decided to take sabbatical and visit her Aunt Claire, the owner of Nature's Way Market and Cafe in idyllic Greenport, Long Island. But the idea of rest and relaxation is quickly forgotten when Willow arrives from a morning meditative walk to discover her Aunt Claire dead in the store, a strange almond-like smell emanating from her mouth and a bottle of flower essences by her side.

Despite her Zen nature and penchant for yoga, Aunt Claire had a knack for getting into confrontations with folks. An activist, she held weekly meetings for different causes every week in the store. The police want to believe the death is accidental—but Willow thinks she may have been poisoned.

Things get worse when Aunt Claire's valuable recipe for a new natural age-defying formula, Fresh Face, is stolen during a store break-in, and an attempt is made on Willow's life. Desperate for a way out of the mess, she turns to a handsome young cop Jackson Spade. Together the two set about solving the case the natural way—through a combination of hard work, common sense, and a dose of luck.

Praise for Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery:

"With a terrific premise and an interesting topic, Fiedler's debut shows promise." - Library Journal

"An engaging investigative thriller…an enjoyable whodunit." The Mystery Gazette

Death Drops: A Natural Remedies Mystery is available for pre-order now and on sale February 21st . To order please visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.

Chrystle Fiedler is the author of DEATH DROPS: A NATURAL REMEDIES MYSTERY (Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster) which will be published on February 21st 2012. I'm also the author of the non-fiction title THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO NATURAL REMEDIES (Alpha, 2009), co-author of BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! (Fairwinds Press, 2010), currently in its fourth printing, the BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! COOKBOOK (Fairwinds Press, 2012) and THE COUNTRY ALMANAC OF HOME REMEDIES (Fairwinds, 2011). Chrystle's magazine articles featuring natural remedies have appeared in many national publications including Better Homes and Gardens, Natural Health, Vegetarian Times and Remedy.