Lee Strauss's Blog, page 13
February 6, 2020
Join Our Valentine’s Party + Journal
There's no better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than treating yourself to a good book (or two, or three...)! Do you agree?
That's why I've teamed up with a collection of talented cozy authors to host a fun Facebook Valentine's Day Party!
Join us at Miss W's Book Chat on February 13th from 1 pm to 5 pm Central Standard Time for games, giveaways, and good books! If you can't make it, you can always join the group and check back later. See you there!
Ps. Click on the link below to join the Miss W's Book Chat group now so you don't miss out! https://www.facebook.com/groups/misswsbookchat/
JOIN THE VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY HERE
Ps. Enter to win print copies of Lee Strauss' Murder on the SS Rosa ~ a Ginger Gold Mystery, and Beth Byers' Murder & the Heir ~ a Violet Carlyle Mystery, the first books in their charming 1920s cozy mystery series that are sure to delight!
We're also throwing in $50 PayPal Cash, plus a chocolate treat!
ENTER THE CONTEST
~ Available February 11th ~The worlds of Ginger Gold and Violet Carlyle collide in this fun Valentine Mystery short story by bestselling authors Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.
While both Ginger and Violet had plans for a romantic evening of dinner and dancing to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their husbands, something goes terribly awry. One by one, female patrons discover that they are missing jewelry.
In this closed room mystery filled with a brigade of colorful characters, Violet and Ginger join forces to put their skills of deduction to work. Can they unveil the culprit and solve the mystery in time for dessert?
Don’t miss this delectable bite-sized tale. Pairs perfectly with a box of chocolate and a comfy chair!
PRE-ORDER NOW!
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New Journal EntryWe are entering the war years! Keep reading the journal to find out how Ginger ends up becoming part of the secret service. If you're not following and you'd like to, the Journal is available to my newsletter subscribers. You can subscribe HERE.
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A Brand New 1950s Series!Murder's all wet!
It's 1956 and Rosa's left her groom at the altar in London. Time spent with her American cousins in Santa Bonita California is exactly what she needs to get back on her feet, though the last thing she expected was to get entangled in another murder case!
If you love early rock & roll, poodle skirts, clever who-dun-its, a charming cat and an even more charming detective, you're going to love this new series!
PRE-ORDER NOW!
The post Join Our Valentine’s Party + Journal appeared first on Lee Strauss.
July 21, 2016
Summer Boxed Set offer and Pumpkin Fudge
Who doesn’t love a summer sale? I know I sure do, especially on books!
Just $4.99
Click HERE for a list of vendors.
All ready read ’em? Terrific. This is a good time to let your friends know about the sale, so they can experience the thrills.
I’d also like to take a moment to ask a FAVOR. If you have a moment, please leave a review on the boxed set – you can just copy and paste reviews you’ve posted from the single titles if that’s easier. Reviews are really helpful in getting accepted for advertising slots, which helps to get the word out to other readers who might enjoy the adventures of Marlow and Sage. Thanks so much!
Speaking of summer, it’s seemed to have arrived finally in my corner of the world, the south western bit of British Columbia. Just in time for me to leave for a family shin-dig twelve hours north! Thankfully, I’m flying. 
July 19, 2016
Author Tip Tuesday – Tip #9 The Beat Sheet
I love the beat sheet! Seriously, this simple outline changed the way I plotted books and made the whole process so much quicker. I’ve already discussed the main points, but I wanted to show you the beet sheet in full. This is from SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder.
This beat sheet is used for planning screenplays, but it’s helpful for any type of fiction writing. Now that you’ve worked out your structure points, the beat sheet will give you an idea of what you need to do to fill in the empty spaces your three acts.
THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET
1. Opening Image
2. Theme stated
3. Set-up
4. Catalyst (aka Inciting Incident)
5. Debate (your character has to make an important decision)
6. Break into act two (aka Plot Point 1)
7. B story (sub-plots)
8. Fun and Games (more stuff happens)
9. Midpoint (aka Midpoint Reversal)
10. Bad Guys Close In (doesn’t have to be actual bad guys- situation gets worse)
11. All is lost (protagonist is in a bad way)
12. Dark night of the soul (more anguish)
13. Break into act three (aka Plot Point 2)
14. Finale
15. Final Image (a reverse of the opening image)
You have to read SAVE THE CAT to get the breakdown from Blake Snyder on all these points, but I think they are pretty self-explanatory. Keep in mind the sheet is just a guide. Whenever I’m about to start a new project, I always start with the beat sheet. It’s important to note, that at least for me, what the beat sheet looks like at the beginning stages and what it ends up looking like is usually very different. Like I’ve said before, you can move scenes around, scratch scenes, imagine new scenes and plug them in where they fit. Nothing is set in stone until you press “publish.” Writing a book is like creating a big puzzle. It takes a while to get all the pieces in just the right places.
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder on Amazon
July 15, 2016
Free Book Friday – Seventh Son by A.M. Offenwanger
A.M Offenwanger is a talented author, a good friend and also my editor!
For fans of light fantasy and mystery. A great beach read!
Cat was ordinary—until the day a blue bowl whirled her off to a magical medieval world…
Catriona, ex-librarian, dumped by her boyfriend, is just trying to restart her life when she gets sucked into and carried off by a blue pottery bowl. Suddenly thrown into a world where she can’t move for mysteries, how is this modern town girl going to cope alone in the woods with a comatose man and a muddy baby? And there’s that hint of something sinister…
Get it now for Free!
July 13, 2016
My Paleo (mis) Adventure
Last week I talked about how I’m doing the 30 autoimmune reset Paleo diet with my daughter. Today is day nine and I think I’m starting to get my Paleo sea legs. There quite a large learning – or re-learning – curve to begin with. First, I had to empty my fridge and cupboards of all non-Paleo food items. Thankfully, I have two grown sons who are grateful for the donations!
Then there is the restocking of the fridge and cupboards with Paleo friendly staples and foods. I won’t lie, this is an expensive venture. Meanwhile, I’m buying Paleo cookbooks – there are some good ones you can download – and reading recipes.
You have to remember that I’m not naturally a foodie. I don’t read recipe books for fun – which means it’s been a really long time since I’ve read one. I was fairly domestic, once upon a time, when my kids were young, but lately my husband and I have been eating like a couple of college students. Let’s just say I know what kind of frozen pizza I like. :0
So, I’m kind of rusty in the kitchen.
Anyhoo…. I found this waffle recipe you make with Plantains. Don’t know what a Plantain is? No worries, a lot of northern folk don’t. It’s basically a larger and hardier version of the banana.
The thing with Paleo is you don’t get to eat bread. You have to find ways to simulate it. Fruit-based waffles and pancakes are one way to do it.
The goal.
v
v
v
v
v
v
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The result
v
Okay, apparently when they said oil (coconut) your waffle iron, they didn’t mean one made of teflon. I couldn’t even get my waffle iron open! I did learn that only one of our two smoke alarms are working.
Make pancakes instead!
Unfortunately, I had oiled my teflon griddle. They don’t look great, but they actually tasted pretty good.
Like they say on Pinterest – Nailed It!
I confess, I’m a bit of a rebel and hardly every follow recipe directions exactly. Maybe I should have paid attention to this disclaimer: Make sure you use green (unripe) plantains when making these delicious waffles!
***Recipe from Eileen Laird can be found at her blog – Phoenix Helix – from her recipe book 85 Amazing AIP Breakfasts.
The next day I cooked a Turkey, fried up rainbow chard in coconut oil and tossed a spinach and arugula salad with fresh raspberries and olive oil and (sugar free) balsamic oil. Turned out much better.
July 12, 2016
Author Tip Tuesday – Tip #8 Climax and Resolution – the End is Near
The climax is the do or die scene.
Everything comes to a head and it looks very dismal for our main character. We are left wondering if a happy ending is at all possible (maybe it’s not). It’s tempting to rush the ending, especially when you’ve spent so much time working your way to get there, but make sure you keep an eye on your pacing (more on Pacing in another tip). Readers who’ve committed to reading your book through to the end deserve satisfaction. They want to be wowed by the climax and content with how all the loose threads are tied up at the end. They want a meaningful resolution. Series books may end with a cliffhanger and loose threads, but it better all be rewarded by the last book.
“The beginning hooks the reader, but the ending makes them fans.”
-Martha Alderson, The Plot Whisperer
In HARRY POTTER, Harry has entered the chamber and finds Quirrel without his stutter and the head of Voldemort under his turban. Even in this form, Voldemort is a fearful foe and Harry has to use his wits and the stone to fight him off.
Resolution: Harry is safe for now.
In HUNGER GAMES, Katniss and Peeta fight off the final competitor; they are the last 2 standing and the winners – until the rules changed back to only 1 victor. Now they have to make a hard choice. Instead, they call the Capitol’s bluff.
Resolution: Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 as heroes.
Since these examples are of series books, not everything is tied up in a neat bow at the end, but the main plot is resolved and the story question is answered. (More to come on the story question.)
When writing Mystery Thrillers or other genres with a thriller component (there’s a flesh and blood villain out to get the protagonist), the third act will include a Hero at the Mercy of the Villain scene and a False Ending scene.
The Hero at the Mercy of the Villain scene is when the protagonist is trapped by the villain and it looks like this can only end badly for her. The False Ending is when we think it’s over, but the villain or protagonist revives, and a second final ending happens.
In PERCEPTION, The Hero at the Mercy of the Villain happens when Noah and Zoe are together at the campground making their escape and the villain finds them. He’s in the position of power and the odds of the heroes defeating him in a physical fight are slim.
The False Ending is when the villain is holding Noah off the ground by the neck, strangling and suffocating him. It looks like the end.
But then Zoe makes a move and the real ending happens at her hands.
Resolution: Zoe and Noah are safe, but still on the run.
In GIRL ON THE TRAIN, The Hero at the Mercy of the Villain happens when Tom finds Rachel and Anna together at his house. He’s letting her know all the ways she screwed up and why he’s left her no option but to do the same thing to her that he did to Megan. The False ending is when Tom incapacitates Rachel and we think Anna is going to help him kill her. (It’s a light False Ending.)
Rachel runs for her life, Tom catches her but then she gets the upper hand and stabs him in the neck.
Resolution: Rachel is cleared of Tom’s death as self-defence (Anna’s witness) and Megan’s murder is solved.
For Romances, the third act includes a separation of the couple with a dim outlook for their future, and a final climatic confrontation and turn of events that bring the couple back together.
In SUN & MOON, Katja believes Micah chose another woman over her, and goes back to Berlin to take care of her family. She believes that the gap between her impoverished family situation and his position of wealth and means is too much of a barrier for them to over come.
Then Micah makes the “grand gesture,” and Katja forgives.
Resolution: they live happily ever after.
July 8, 2016
Free or .99 book Friday – Dead Before the Wedding by Ruby Blaylock!
For cozy mystery lovers – only .99 on Amazon!
Life in a small town can be murder…
Meet Carly Keene. She’s a professional photographer, part-time bakery employee, and a small town girl who loves everything about her hometown, until she discovers that there’s a murderer on the loose.
Parker’s Mill has a killer in its midst. The sleepy little Georgia town is full of quirky characters, but one of them is a stone-cold killer. When Carly discovers the body of one of her photography clients in his bathtub, fully clothed and snuggled up to a space heater in the dead of summer, she knows something’s not right.
The dead guy had some secrets. One of which just happens to be a secret love child, and another is a redhead who smokes too much, which wouldn’t be a problem if he hadn’t been engaged to a brassy blonde with eighties hair and a heck of a mean temper. He also has a gorgeous twin brother who knocks Carly for six when she realizes that she might be falling for him.
Can Carly figure out who really killed Larry Gaston before the cops nab the wrong person? Or will she let his handsome twin wander off into the sunset with one of the dead guy’s former conquests?
Get cozy with the characters in this small town as Carly fights for justice as sweet as the chocolate cake at the Sweets & Eats bakery!
**Includes two recipes straight from the book!**
July 6, 2016
We interrupt this regularly scheduled program…
I missed posting yesterday’s Author Tuesday Tip. Sorry about that. Will get back to tip-sharing next week!
Like many of you I traveled on the long weekend – this year to visit my husband’s family and celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of his parents!
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Strauss!
We passed this copper mine near Ashcroft BC and had to stop for a pic. Looks like the dead sea!
Now that we’re home again, I’ve jumped into Paleo eating. If you don’t know what Paleo is, its nickname is Caveman Diet, because it only includes the kinds of foods that were available back before farming, which excludes all grains and dairy. It’s becoming a popular eating lifestyle because of the rise of obesity and the rash of autoimmune disorders that have sprouted up over the last couple of decades, many believe, as a result of daily consumption of sugar, bad grains (ie GMO), pesticides, preservatives and processed foods.
My weight falls into the normal range for my height and I’m relatively healthy (I struggle with Asthma, but it’s not debilitating. I’m also anemic, but nothing a good iron supplement can’t help.) I don’t have an autoimmune disease.
So why am I doing this?
Because my daughter does have an autoimmune disease and I want to support her. We’re on the 30 day autoimmune reset regime, which is even stricter than the usual Paleo. Today is day 2. (29 more days of no chocolate or wine – I can do this!)
How do I feel so far? Hungry, I admit. In part due to the learning curve involved in finding recipes, getting supplies, and doing the actual cooking. It’s far more labor intensive that what I normally do when it comes to cooking (almost nothing.)
But I love my daughter and I’m really hoping diet and nutrition can do what prescription drugs cannot. We have nothing to lose, and hopefully better health to gain. I will post on some of the recipes I discover that become favorites and let you know how it’s going overall.
Learning the basics.
Ingredients for the daily bone broth.
Organic if at all possible.
And in season (mostly). Summer is a good time to do this.
July 1, 2016
Free or .99 Book Friday – A Dead Husband by Anna Celeste Burke
“My first day as a sleuth was more Stephanie Plum than Miss Marple.” Jessica Huntington, amateur sleuth with a shopping jones and a black AMEX card, finds out money can’t buy happiness, or save your neck. Her well-planned life in shambles, she’s hiding out near Palm Springs. When her best friend’s husband is murdered, Jessica and her friends are soon stalked by scoundrels in pantyhose, stilettos, Bruno Maglis, and Armani suits. Roger Stone had something that got him killed. What was it and what will they do to get it back?
Even in a desert paradise life is full of surprises, like A DEAD HUSBAND.
What readers have to say about A DEAD HUSBAND…
TOP 500 Reviewer: “Don’t pass by this book without buying it – excellent read”
TOP 1000 Reviewer: “A delicious plot, full of intrigue, murder, mystery, misfortune and mishap”
*****“This book has everything! Suspense, colorful characters, romance, and a beautiful and interesting setting, all woven together with intelligence and wit.”
*****“Hard to put down, action-packed mystery”
*****“Fun, funny, fast!”
*****“Fast flowing, entertaining, mysterythriller”
*****“Sheer enjoyment!”
***** “Great Characters! Fast Paced with a Murder to Solve!”
***** “A sleuth in Gucci shoes!”
A DEAD SISTER, book 2, out now!
A DEAD DAUGHTER, book 3, out now!
A DEAD MOTHER out late 2015
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LOVE A FOOT ABOVE THE GROUND–Bernadette’s love story and the mystery of Guillermo’s disappearance. PREQUEL to the Jessica Huntington Series also OUT NOW!
June 28, 2016
Author Tip Tuesday – Tip #7 Plot Point Two
Plot point 2 is very similar to plot point 1. It’s a conflicting event in the story that launches the third act. At this point things are not looking very good for our protagonist at all. If your main character isn’t in some kind of external or internal turmoil or both, you need to rethink your structure. The third act is the build up to the climax so think of the second plot point as the cannon that launches the ball.
In the first HARRY POTTER, the second plot point encompasses two events. Ron leads the three friends through the chest game, and then Hermione solves the riddle that gives Harry access to the chamber below. Once in the chamber we’re in act three.
In HUNGER GAMES, plot point 2 is Rue’s death. Katniss experiences grief for the first time in the games and it’s also the first time she kills someone. The reality and severity of her situation underscores her determination to live and to win.
In PERCEPTION, plot point 2 is when Zoe and Noah get caught by Zoe’s grandfather and Noah is forced to leave her behind or be killed. It’s the first time they are separated and sets up the next act nicely when he returns for her only to find she’s not the same person he left behind.
In GIRL ON THE TRAIN, plot point 2 happens in Anna’s point of view: she discovers her husband Tom (Rachel’s ex) was cheating on her with Megan (the dead woman) and she begins to suspect him.
Make sure your plot point pinches effectively propel the story forward. They have to mean something and do something.
Next I’ll talk about Climax and Resolution.
