Lee Strauss's Blog, page 3

Do you have a favourite Poirot?

(Feature image illustrated by Bob Al-Green)

Agatha Christie's most popular character, Hercule Poirot, has been represented on screen by several actors.

David Suchet will always be Hercule in my mind. I absolutely adore his lovable, socially oblivious  version of the investigator.  Now that I've seen Alfred Molina as Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache, and a fantastic job he did of that role, that is who he remains to me. British Period Dramas took a vote and lists the top 5 HERE.

Kenneth Branagh is the most recent rendition of Hercule Poirot, famous now for his silver screen adaptations of some of Ms Christie's most famous work. I thought he did an admirable job in Murder on the Orient Express (arguably one of Agatha Christie's best works, perhaps after the Murder of Roger Ackroyd)  and also Murder on the Nile, but the harder edge he brings to the character doesn't really work for me.

I'm curious about his latest venture as Poirot in A Haunting in Venice (A Hallowe'en Party). The reviews I find online are mixed and I'm a little concerned about the horror element it apparently contains. HERE is what Rotten Tomatoes has to say.

Have you seen A Haunting in Venice? Are you going to see it? I'd love to hear what you think.

And who is your favorite Poirot?

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My kickstarter funded – and 1st stretch goal released

For those of you following my kickstarter campaign, I'm stoked to announce it funded on the first day! This unlocked the first stretch goal. If I reach $1400 Canadian (around $1000 USD) this cool art will be added in COLOR to the opening page.

PS: kickstarter's recent update is preventing some images from being seen, but I've posted it here for you.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leestraussbooks/murder-at-hartigan-house-a-ginger-gold-mystery

You might recall in a previous post that I planned to launch my new website/shop at the same time. It turns out setting up an online store is a lot more work than I bargained for, so the revised launch date will be sometime in October. Stay turned, I plan to have a big FALL sale.

Also, THANK YOU to everyone who has been supporting my writing career all these years. Making a living as an author isn't as romanticized as the movies make it out to be. I'm not complaining as there's nothing else I'd rather be doing, but I couldn't do it without YOU!

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5 reasons Indie Authors are selling directly to readers

Indie publishing is coming into maturity.

Though some authors self-published before the dawn of the Kindle and Kindle Direct Publishing or KDP in 2007, the movement didn’t really get wind under its wings until then. Personally, I jumped in the fall of 2011, nearly twelve years ago. Things were certainly different for authors then, but thankfully many cottage industries have sprung up in the meantime, supporting independent authors, making our jobs a lot easier.

Still, it hasn’t been without its growing pains.

The biggest shift for authors who go it on their own is the realization that they’re no longer just creatives, but are now business people. Selling a product, whether you create it yourself or not, is by definition, a business transaction. And in order to sell, potential buyers need to know that what you’re selling exists. Visibility and discoverability are big and important buzz words in the indie book industry.

Giving credit where credit’s due, Amazon made finding readers a possibility for indie authors like never before, and most of us would say we owe our careers to the giant. Other retailers followed suit, but never truly reached the effectiveness of Amazon, such as Apple/ibooks, Barnes & Noble/Nook, Kobo, and Google Play.

So why are authors (seemingly en masse) suddenly setting up Shopify stores to bypass retailers and sell to their readers directly? (And why I’m launching my own shop – stay tuned!)As I mentioned, Indie authors are business people. Except, that unlike other business people, they don’t have control over their product pages. It would be like Starbucks paying to advertise their product, but having all the other coffee shops sneaking in their brands on the same page without paying for the privilege. Selling direct gives authors more control over their advertising and marketing efforts.They get data on who’s buying their books, which they don’t get with the retailers. It would be like The Gap not knowing who bought their clothes, so they can’t let their customers know they have more like it in the store on sale. Selling direct allows authors to know who their readers are so they can better serve them.Selling direct means authors can control pricing and offer sales and deals in a way that’s not possible for them when selling strictly through retailers.Setting up a store on Shopify also gives authors a way to sell fun book related merchandise like mugs and bookbags and T-shirts.Running a business naturally means tracking cash flow, which happens in real time when selling direct. Cash flow is important for keeping any business running in a healthy manner, and we all want our favorite authors to be able to afford to keep writing those books we love!Check out these Mystery Author stores.

Sara Rosett

https://sararosettbooks.com/en-ca

Denise Jaden

https://shop.denisejaden.com/

Diane Capri

https://shop.dianecapri.com/

Jenna Bennett

https://jennabennett.myshopify.com/

*Image by starline on Freepik

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It’s time to pivot – 2 big announcements & a heads up

The title of this post reminds me of that quintessential scene in the TV show Friends – if you know it, you know it!

Change is a part of life

If you're not changing, you're not growing, right? It's cliche but true, especially in the field of publishing. Ask any author and they'll tell you the speed in which things have changed in the last ten years is enough to give you whiplash. Several times over!

Sometimes a catalyst for change is when something new and better has been developed and it just makes sense to hop on board. For instance many cottage industries sprung up over the years that make an author/publisher's work a lot easier. Vellum for formatting instead of the dreaded html coding or even the difficulties working with microsoft word; Scrivener for organizing plot and character and so much more; bookfunnel for making it safe and easy to get early copies to reviewers.

Sometimes a change comes and it's just bad for authors. The most recent debate is over AI. Though it can be a good research tool, many bogus AI written books are being published to Amazon, clogging the lists for legitimate authors.

And sometimes it's hard to know if a new thing is good or not or if things just even out in the wash. In these types of cases authors usually fall on either side of the line and do what they think is best for their business, wishing the other guys success on their side. Kindle Unlimited falls in this camp. Some authors build their whole business on this role model and others prefer to go “wide” meaning, they sell their books at many retailers, not just Amazon. If you're unaware, authors have to sell their ebooks exclusively through Amazon to participate in Kindle Unlimited.

Kindle Unlimited seems like a win/win for readers and authors. Readers can read as many books they want for a low monthly subscription, and Amazon gives the author a bit more algorhythm love and pays a little bit per pages read that can really add up.

The problem for authors here is that they are not the rule makers and Amazon can and does change the rules often. One example is Amazon is paying authors less for these pages read as time goes on. This month the payout is the lowest it's been in the US since the program started.

Another problem with being completely reliant on one retailer is they can, and do, without warning shut down an author's publishing dashboard. That is an extreme case but I'm hearing about it a lot more than I'd like. Or they might refuse to publish a single title or a series. I've had this experience in a small way with one of my audio books. You might wonder why book 16, Murder in Belgravia, a Ginger Gold Mystery, isn't for sale on audible? It's not my decision, I can tell you that. All they'll report to me is that someone made a copyright claim and nothing I have said or done will change their mind (whoever they are) that this is a false claim. This is the sixteenth book in the series with established characters, etc.

It's not my intention to pick on Amazon, it's just that it's the retailer I'm most familiar with (and I'm very grateful for the opportunities Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing has given me as an independent author.) Some authors have issues with the other retailers as well, and I hear the Apple dashboard can be difficult.

This is a long winded lead up to the first of my two announcements.

I'M GOING TO SELL DIRECT.
Sorry for shouting, but I'm actually really excited about this. Many, many authors are starting to sell directly to their readers and this is a win/win! I'll be launching my store next month, so stay tuned for more information on that. In my next blog, I'll provide links to other authors I think you'll enjoy so you can see how they've set up their store. You can sign up HERE to make sure you're first to hear when my store goes live.

This leads me to the Heads Up.

I'm one of those authors who have been all-in with Amazon for a very long time. For those of you who read my books in KU, take a deep breath. I'm not pulling all of my books out. I'm not pulling any Ginger Gold books out.
I am pulling some books out. Except for the first book, the Rosa Reed series has completed its three month enrollment. My backlist books are out. My backlist books contain my young adult books, the romances and the suspense series. You can still get the Rosa Reed Mystery bundles box 2 and 3 on KU for a short time. If you like young adult you can get the Clockwise Collection (the first book is available on KU through the box set, Seaweed and Love, Tink until September.

For now, the Higgins & Hawke books will stay in KU along with Ginger Gold (as I've already said, but feel it needs repeating. The exception is the intro novella, Murder on the SS Rosa, but since it's priced on Amazon for .99, I'm hoping that won't be an issue for readers).

The Rosa Reed books and the backlist books will remain in KU for a short time, so if you want to read them there, you should do it soon.

Whew. Okay, onto announcement two.

I'm going to be launching a Kickstarter campaign next month as well. But since this blog has gotten so long, I'm going to save that for a separate post. Just know it's going to be really, really cool.

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It’s been awhile ~ let’s catch up!

It’s been a while. The reason for not blogging for so long isn’t because I don’t have anything to report, it’s actually the opposite. So much seems to be happening so fast that I’ve felt a bit overwhelmed.

So let me catch you up in bullet points.

We got home from Mexico after a three month stay at the beginning of April.Jordan and Chelsea, after a tumultuous year (click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about), finally had their Wedding reception party – so fun! Following that was a family reunion on my father’s side.My shoulder pain kept getting worse – turns out I need a full shoulder replacement! Advanced osteoarthritis with two serious rotator cuff tears. It will probably be several months before this can happen, so I’m using my non-dominant hand a lot more, even playing left-handed pickleball. I’ve taken up bass guitar, lol. Something I can do, despite my shoulder issue. Norm and I have started a folk duo called Mr.& Mrs. Strauss. If you’re interesting is hearing us play our version of Paperback Writer, click here.News about Amazon and pricing. Inflation is kicking us in the butt everywhere, including Amazon for both authors and readers. Print pricing has gone up which has forced many authors, including me, to raise prices on paperback books. I try to keep my prices as low as possible, but I still need to make a little something, which at the moment is closer to the $1 dollar per book than the usual $2.00 per book (which still isn’t very much.) Which leads me to the next point.Independent publishing has gone through a lot of changes since it first became an option for authors in 2010 with the advent of Kindle. A new opportunity has risen with Shopify coming onto the scene, making it possible for artists and creators to sell their products directly to their customers. This allows the creator to have more control with pricing, and also what they can offer in terms of specialty products and discounts. As you can see from the previous point, the retailers keep a lot of the profit. Having complete dependence on the whims of any given retailer is also not a great business practice as a single wrong move by a bot can destroy an author’s hard work and earnings in a moment. I’m not being dramatic here. This has happened to authors more often than I’m comfortable with seeing. All this to say, I am working on setting up a sell-to-readers-directly option (don’t worry, you’ll still be able to buy on Amazon if you wish, but also some of my books will become available on other retailers as well). I hope to have launched by the end of summer, so stay tuned!I'm working on a very cool Special Edition book that I know you’ll love. It’s too early to say more but keep watch.

 Whew! That’s a lot. I’m going to try to blog more often and stay on top of the news. My next blog will be a poll to let me know what kind of content you’d like to see here. See you then.

Insert Image

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So Much Social Media!

No one can deny that there's a surplus of social media platforms on the docket. Facebook! Instagram! TikTok! Those are the big three driving forces at the moment. You can read about my launching into TikTok HERE. 

So what's a girl to do? Or more to the point, what's an author to do? 

Hire a Social Media Manager!

My husband Norm and I have worked on many projects together over the years including work for our writing and publishing company, La Plume Press. Now, Norm's up to his ears with video creating and editing. (Secretly, I think he's in love with Faux Ginger. Who's she, you ask? You'll have to watch the videos!)

Along with Faux Ginger, we're filming FAQ, murder plot skits and whatever else suits our fancy. 

We enlisted our friend Victor, a fellow snowbird, to film our murder plot skits. 

Norm and I got the idea from our book plotting sessions. We pondered how funny it would be if someone overheard us brainstorming how to kill off our next fictional victim!

Victor is our hapless eavesdropper, lol.

The good news is we're cross posting on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, with plans to upload to Youtube in the future, so you can watch them on whatever platform you're most comfortable with. 

INSTAGRAM REELS FACEBOOK REELS TIKTOK VIDEO

SALE - THIS WEEK ONLY!

Need to catch up on the series? Grab this bundle for just .99

Snap it up now!

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New Release and Launched on TikTok and Facebook Reels

Just to a quick blog post to announce the release of MURDER AT YULETIDE and my foray into the world of video sketches. Meet me as Faux Ginger and have a laugh! It's all in good fun, but I also hope to find new readers for my books, so feel free to like and share. 

Click HERE to Check out MURDER AT YULETIDE on Amazon!Available in ebook and paperback.

Last week, I blogged about TikTok and how it works. https://www.tiktok.com/@leestraussauthor

You don't have to have an account there to check out my videos, and you can also watch them a day later on Facebook Reels through my author page. Click here for link.

Be sure to follow my Facebook author page so you don't miss the latest video. 

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeeStrauss

Join me for fun and laughs!

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Fun Times with TikTok ~ featuring Lee Strauss and Faux Ginger

LAUNCHING JANUARY 24

You've probably heard of TikTok, the video sharing app that has dominated the video sharing world for the last few years. At last estimate, the app has clocked over 3 billion installations and it’s now pretty much impossible to ignore in terms of marketing and social possibilities, even for introverted authors like me.

Creators on the platform are getting very creative, hastily throwing together very short, but funny sketches, collaborative and informative videos and of course, dance videos. You can also find plenty of educational content covering topics ranging from health issues to real estate investing. Many creators post 2-3 times a day!

Within TikTok there is a whole world within a world called #booktok, and within that world
there is another mini-universe called #authortok. This is where authors hang out along with
many of their readers. No longer does the shy and introspective author hide in a dimly lit room
with a laptop and a mug of chamomile tea, coming out occasionally only for book signings and
scraps of food.

The thought of filming myself is rather uncomfortable. But now, recognizing potential for some fun interaction with my dear readers and a chance to promote my books, I have energetically leapt into the fray.

As a result I have been ‘tiktoking’ like crazy over the last little while. Stay tuned, because soon there will be short videos featuring all kinds of fun stuff starring this formerly camera shy solitudinarian. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s going to involve costumes, improvised dialogue, and some fun role playing. It’s also going to be funny and most likely very cheesy.

For those of you who have been hesitant to use the app but who are willing to give it a whirl, don’t worry, you don’t need an account or even an app. Just go to tiktok.com in your browser to look around. Although without an account you won’t be able to ‘like’ or ‘follow’ anybody.

Sound like fun? If so, when I make the announcement that my TikTok debut has happened, just search #leestraussauthor and you’ll quickly find me. Give me a big old heart shaped ‘like’ or a ‘follow’ and we’ll see each other in TikTok land.

PS: You won't touch TikTok with a ten-foot pole? No worries, I plan to cross post to Facebook Reels and Instagram. You can watch and interact with me there, only it will be a few days later.

LAUNCHING JANUARY 24 SEE YOU THEN!

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In the news ~ again!

2022 was the year two of my kids decided to make the news

~ both for medical crisis stories. Our daughter-in-law Chelsea fought cancer(link), and our daughter survived a cardiac arrest(link).

Happily, both are still with us, and this is a very special Christmas for the Strauss family.  

In our daughter Tasia's case we have her friend Charlie Tucker to thank and these news stories are about the award he received for being the “vital link.”

 

Tasia and Charlie flanked by two of the ambulance attendants who relieved Charlie of his CPR efforts and the dispatcher who talked him through the seven long minutes.

“When Tasia Strauss collapsed on Dec. 19, 2021, Charlie Tucker instinctively jumped into action, utilizing his military CPR training.

His actions that night helped save Strauss' life, an act for which he was honoured for on the one-year anniversary with the BC Emergency Health Services Vital Link Award.

He was lauded a hero.”

CLICK TO READ the report ON CASTANET NEWS

And yes, there were tears.

Watch the report ON GLOBAL NEWS

 

My husband Norm said it best on a recent facebook post, so I”ll just quote him here:

“Exactly one year ago tonight, for reasons that an entire team of cardiologists are still trying to figure out, my daughter's heart stopped beating.

We were in Mexico at the time. My wife got a very anxious call from our son Levi in the middle of the night. An ambulance had taken his sister to the hospital. Cardiac arrest. What?

Needless to say we were stunned.

In near panic, we looked for the next flight home. At that time, covid antigen tests were still mandatory. It took us a day to get on a plane out of Puerto Vallarta. In the meantime there were frantic phone calls. Induced coma. On a ventilator. Possible brain damage. A friend had performed CPR for an inconceivable seven minutes until the ambulance came.

By the time we got to Calgary airport we received word that our daughter had been awakened and remembered her name and there was evidence her ‘sassy' sense of humour was intact though she was very groggy and had not much short term memory. We started to breath deeper breaths.

By Christmas she had received an operation to install a permanent defibrillator in her chest. She'll have it for the rest of her life. The cardiologists called her a Christmas miracle. A few days later we carefully brought her home.

Last night BC Ambulance Services held a special ceremony to award Charlie Tucker, the young man who had the courage and presence of mind to save our daughter's life, an award of merit. Richly deserved, young man.

Sitting at the event while the paramedics retold the story from the perspective of the first responders and the dispatcher who took Charlie's call, was a revelatory experience.

Life is precious. That's a good thing to remember this Christmas. Another good thing to remember is that there is such a thing as heroes though they don't wear masks and capes. That idea is actually kind of silly. But paramedics and those who work in ICU, doctors, nurses… they deserve the highest measure of our respect and gratitude every day.

That's our daughter Anastasia standing beside Charlie Tucker.”

I'm so proud of them both: of Charlie for saving my daughter's life, and of Tasia for fighting to live and surviving.

It was such a special evening, and a wonderful way to lead up to Christmas. As Tasia said, we've become closer as a family and really value our time spent together. I'm pleased we've been able to document the experience and the great outcome in this way.

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Books, Burnout, and a Bionic Leg

Let me start with the Bionic Leg.

Many of you have been following my son and daughter-in-love's cancer journey, and I'm very happy to announce that Chelsea has completed her chemo treatments! She hasn't had all her final scans yet, but the ones that have come back are clean, and we're all really, really thankful. And look at all that titanium! The worst is over and now it's all about rehabilitating that leg. 

Let me just say, she has a very long and impressive scar. It's a fitting badge representing her courage and determination as she dealt with fear of the unknown and real physical pain. Despite these hardships, she always has a ready smile, and is a true inspiration.

Jordan has been an excellent support, morally and practically, walking an unusual path as a new husband.

I couldn't be prouder of either of them.

On to Burnout.

I don't want to spend too much time here, only to say that burnout is real. 2022 has been a busy and difficult year, and if you've been following this blog, you'll have heard about most of it. Despite the extraordinary eventfulness, I still ran my business and published six books. I confess, I'm running on fumes. I know I have a problem with life and work balance. Every year I say I'll do better and every year I find I'm working seven days a week. But next year WILL be different. lol

The good news is I'm about to leave on vacation for a week. Usually my travels are "working holidays" but this time, I know I need to take real time off and fill the tanks.

Books! Books! Books!

HALEY HIGGINS RETURNS!

PREORDER HERE

Murder is so sang-froid!

When the Reed family—temporarily exiled to France—is once again safe, Ginger decides to turn the event into a much needed holiday. And the absolute cake is Ginger’s reunion with her American friend Haley Higgins, who is working in France on a practicum to become a lady doctor.

Ginger celebrates the happy reunion by throwing a party at their villa in Paris, but the joyous activities are halted when a body is discovered. Like old times, Ginger puts her detective skills to work while Haley provides her forensic knowledge. As party guests continue to become more suspicious and worthy suspects, Ginger’s own past is soon on trial.

Has a long-ago, war-time “error” resurfaced to steal more than Ginger’s joie de vivre?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Murder

Clive Pippins, Lady Ginger Gold’s beloved, elderly butler is apparently Christmas shopping when a body is found. To the shock of everyone in Ginger’s household, the victim is the spinster cousin Pippins worked for during the years surrounding the Great War.

As Ginger investigates things begin to look grim for her dear butler. What had the man been up to during the war years, and had he been complicit in a crime?

What secret was Pips holding onto?

And worse, would he be the next victim before he had a chance to divulge it?

The only gift Ginger wants for the Christmas of 1927 is for the killer to be found before it's time to ring in the new year!

Preorder Here

I'm writing as I look out at a winter wonderland view. So fitting as there was a BLIZZARD in England the week between Christmas and New Years in 1927. I also love writing about Pippins and getting to know him better. He's always been a favourite character of mine.

Check out this painting? It was inspired by the world in Murder in France.

Would you love to win a print of it? Enter the contest for your best chance. You'll also get a print copy of Murder in France and 25 buckeroos!

Click Here to ENTER

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