Connie Johnson Hambley's Blog, page 17

Level Best Books: Best New England Crime Stories

Level Best Books: Windward
Best New England Crime Stories

Oh joy!

My short story, Giving Voice, will be included in Level Best Books Windward anthology. 

Their website describes this collection the best:

"Level Best Books publishes an annual anthology of Crime Stories set in New England each November. Well-regarded by readers and reviewers, stories published by Level Best have won the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Derringer and Robert L. Fish (Award for Best First Short Story presented at the Edgar® banquet) Awards and have been recognized as “Distinguished Mystery Stories,” by the editors of the Best American Mystery Stories series. Level Best also publishes the winning story from the Al Blanchard contest every year.

Founded by Skye Alexander, Kate Flora and Susan Oleksiw, Level Best’s goal is to publish the highest quality short fiction produced by crime writers either from or with stories set in the six New England states. From the beginning, the anthology has contained tales from established as well as previously unpublished authors."
This is the first year the publishers opened submissions to authors outside of New England, and the competition to earn a coveted slot was tough. I'm thrilled, humbled, and more than a little intimidated to be included.

Stories and authors that made the cut include:

“The Burren” by Christine Bagley“Tainted Image” by V R Barkowski“A Good Lard Crust is Hard to Find…” by Mara Buck“Bagatelle” by P Jo Anne Burgh“Grateful Touring” by   Sarah M. Chen“Tinkle Tinkle” by Frank Cook“The Haunting at the Orleans Inn” by Daemon Crowe“A Glutton for Punishment” by Sharon Daynard“God of Money” by Stephen Doyle“The Case of the Burqa-ed Busker” by Gerald Elias“The Boston Post Cane” by Kathy Lynn Emerson“Daybreak Dismay in Dallas” by Sanford Emerson“Careful What You Wish For” by Kate Flora“Three Sisters” by Kimberly Gray“Murder at Midnight” by Janet Halpin“Giving Voice” by Connie Johnson Hambley“The Allagoosalum” by Jill Hand“Yemaya’s Revenge” by Lisa Lieberman“Family Business” by Cyndy Lively“The List” by Ruth McCarty“Mendicants in the Median” by Peter Murray“The Ridge” by Rick Ollerman“Cheap Medz” by Alan Orloff“Fresh Start” by Anita Page“Dead Weight” by Dale Phillips“An Old Man’s Regret” by Verena Rose“Seals” by Erica Ruppert“The Mountain” by Harriette Sackler“Snow Devils” by Brenda Seabrooke“Look Away” by Shawn Reilly Simmons“Clean Windows” by Gabriel Valjan“Daddy” by Lilla Waltch

A2R Marketing: Bugs and Books

Sometimes this marketing thing is a blast.
I love trying different ideas to reach readers. I’m a little guy trying to market in the big bad world against deep pockets and robust promotional machines. The relentless marketing effort can be a slog, so changing it up once in a while is what I need to keep me and my peeps fresh.
Almost four years ago, I launched a bug dedicated to Jessica Wyeth, horses, and my books. 
A bug? Yes. A geocaching travel bug.
Jessica Wyeth's Travel BugGeocaching consists of boxes hidden in public places. The boxes may be as big as an ammunition box or as small as a lipstick tube. Inside, a journal to log a find may be joined with trinkets of all sizes and values – from key chain fobs to rare coins. Caches are listed on Geocaching.comand estimates state over one million boxes are in the United States alone. Once a muggle finds one box, the quest for more treasure is on.
A travel bug is designed to travel from cache to cache and it’s fun to see where a bug has been and to decide what new place to bring it. Some wander happily around the globe and others have a mission. The bug I created is dedicated to finding unique equestrian locations.



This map shows Jessica’s bug’s travels. Bug started in a cache near Jessica’s childhood home of Hamilton, Massachusetts. From there, Bug has traveled to New Hampshire, Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. While I’ve been busy tapping away on my stories, Bug has traveled over thirteen hundred miles. Oh, and the horse thing? Sometimes, Bug ends up near bridle paths and equestrian centers. The kayak place in Quebec has me stumped.
This is where I confess to having a smattering of nerd in my DNA. I think this is really freaking cool.
So, you ask, how does this equate to marketing?
Bug and Book prior to launchI can see the data of when and where Bug has been spotted or moved. Via Amazon’s author services, I can see when and where my books are sold. I get a kick out of lining up the data and seeing why sales happened. I’m not talking about a hundred books being sold, in fact, I’m pretty excited to see a clustered few, but when I see action in a part of the country I don’t have a large presence in and trace it back to Bug, I geek out. For a little bit of effort four years ago, I created an evergreen promotion. One fan who discovered my books even wrote a review and posted it on Goodreads. She loved the serendipity of discovering my books via geocaching and was intrigued enough to read “The Charity.” Oh, she loved the book, too. So, Goodreads Reader, if you’re out there and sampling this blog, I love you, too.
I’m not suggesting you go out today and buy a travel bug tag and sprinkle the universe with tchotchke. In fact, I’d recommend against it. I struck on something that fit for me. I love hiking, have long been a geocaching fan, and was going to launch a travel bug anyway just because I think they’re fun.  


This boy was out hiking and caching in Ohio with his dad when he came across Bug and another pal. Next thing Bug knows, she’s in New York! 
Seriously, how many layers of wowcan you find?

Maybe one more. I'm offering a reward. Read on!

Writers Groups: Worth the Trouble?

Joining a writer's group or not is your business. I really don't care if you do or don't. What I do care about is if you're happy with your choice. My first reaction to being involved with a group is don't.

And then I realized I belong to three.

A little bit of history here. Early in my writing life, I attended workshops and conferences. Consistent advice was to join a group. Read. Comment. Listen. Revise. I did and ran myself ragged following the advice of a lot of people. Some I respected. Most I didn't. My writing suffered, time management went out the window, and productivity wallowed.

For me, what I needed to develop as a writer was time alone on my mountaintop. In the years that passed, I enjoyed a robust career. My confidence bloomed and my skin toughened.

Newburyport Writers
The first writers group I joined focused on networking with others engaged in all aspects of the written craft and the writing business. Corporate bloggers, editors, ghost writers, publishers, journalists, mystery authors, traditional and independently published, wanna-bees, marketeers, and more. You name it, this group has it, and our meetings knit our commonalities and scratched our common itch--whatever that may be. Our monthly potluck dinners are informative, connective, and time well spent.

The years passed and relationships formed. My periscope was not up, so I was surprisingly pleased when I was approached by two writers' groups and invited to join. One is a critique group focused on the craft, the other is a business group focused on branding and business best practices. The members of both are women for whom I have a great deal of respect. They are accomplished in their own right with deep skills and experience. And they are willing to share and wanting to cultivate. Wow.

As fate would have it, their timing was perfect. I had hit a rough patch and stalled. The two new groups are forcing me to be accountable and to stretch for more.

These groups work for me. They fit. I wish you the same.

What about you? Are you in a group or do you prefer to go it alone?

BOOK LAUNCH: Amber Wolf by Ursula Wong

WW II Novel Depicts Partisan Resistance in Eastern Europe
Chelmsford, Massachusetts/ June 29, 2016 - Amber Wolf, a novel by Ursula Wong, is released by Genretarium Publishing.
Rich with scenes of Lithuania, Amber Wolf tells the little-known tale of a people struggling for their freedom against great odds. After substantial research and using new source material, Ursula Wong has distilled the turmoil of 1944 into the saga of a family torn apart by the Soviet occupation.
Synopsis:  When brutal Russian soldiers invade 1944 Lithuania, they ravage the countryside and the people. After her mother is murdered, young Ludmelia Kudirka flees to the safety of the forest. Vowing vengeance, she joins the partisans who trade pitchforks for guns to fight the mighty Soviet war machine in a David-and-Goliath struggle.
Known for her portrayal of strong women, Ursula Wong is also the author of the award-winning novel Purple Trees . A retired computer engineer, Ursula’s stories have been published in the anthologies Insanity Tales and Insanity Tales II: The Sense of Fear . Amber Wolf is her second novel.
Amber Wolf will be released for sale by Amazon on 4 July in print and Kindle, with ebooks available now from Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and the iBookstore.
Additional information is available in Ursula Wong’s recent interview in the Lowell Sun.  ###CONTACT:Ursula Wong508-423-6700urslwng@gmail.comwww.ursulawongamberwolf.wordpress.com
A media kit and photos are available on request.
Visit Ursula’s website, Reaching Readers, on www.ursulawong.wordpress.com

Bookstock!

Bookstock Literary Festival

Bookstock Literary Festival​Date: Friday, July 29 to Sunday July 31Time: 9 am to 5 pmPlace: Woodstock, Vermont​MISSIONBookstock supports the cultural richness and diversity of the Upper Valley and celebrates authors and poets, both established and emerging, from our region. New England is home to many talented writers representing diverse genres, from national Poet Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners to emerging young writers and those who have found their compelling voice at midlife. Bookstock encourages appreciation for good writing and other artistic endeavors by introducing residents and visitors of all ages to writers, musicians and artists in an intimate setting.LOCATIONMost events take place in historic buildings around Woodstock’s lovely Green, within three minutes’ walk to the center of Woodstock village, with its unique shops and superb dining.  In addition, ArtisTree Gallery in South Pomfret, hosts the opening reception, as well as the UnBound exhibition of book art. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park hosts a writing workshop and presentation. Bentley’s Restaurant holds a brunch reading Sunday morning.

Bookstock Literary FestivalBookstock Literary Festival​Da...

Bookstock Literary Festival

Bookstock Literary Festival​Date: Friday, July 29 to Sunday July 31Time: 9 am to 5 pmPlace: Woodstock, Vermont​MISSIONBookstock supports the cultural richness and diversity of the Upper Valley and celebrates authors and poets, both established and emerging, from our region. New England is home to many talented writers representing diverse genres, from national Poet Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners to emerging young writers and those who have found their compelling voice at midlife. Bookstock encourages appreciation for good writing and other artistic endeavors by introducing residents and visitors of all ages to writers, musicians and artists in an intimate setting.LOCATIONMost events take place in historic buildings around Woodstock’s lovely Green, within three minutes’ walk to the center of Woodstock village, with its unique shops and superb dining.  In addition, ArtisTree Gallery in South Pomfret, hosts the opening reception, as well as the UnBound exhibition of book art. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park hosts a writing workshop and presentation. Bentley’s Restaurant holds a brunch reading Sunday morning.

Writing Resource Links

A good writer is always a student. We study how people walk and wonder how to describe the particular luminous shade of green of new grass. We read and re-read our favorite authors trying to dissect exactly how did they manage to make me feel/see/hear/smell the action in a spice-filled marketplace or ice-glazed forest.

A host of books and posts support the writer in their quest for perfection. 

A recent post by Kate Flora gave some terrific behind the scenes insights on how sharpening descriptions sharpen our stories. Four of Kate's go-to resources are:


John Gardner's Art of Fiction David Grambs'  The Describer’s Dictionary Rebecca McClanahan's  Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively Rodale’s Synonym Finder

If an author has over 200 books to his name with millions sold, I admit to pressing my nose against the glass to see if I can catch a glimpse of what goes in to their secret sauce. Jerry Jenkins posted eleven of his writing bibles, while the Center for Fiction provided this list of essential books, and Poets & Writers kept me busy with their list.

I surveyed a number resources for this post and wasn't surprised that three of my go-to books were frequently cited.


Stephen King's On Writing-A Memoir of Craft Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White's  The Elements of Style
Okay. Enough procrastinating. Get back to work!

Revenge and Editing Best When Served Cold

What is it about time that empowers us to slash and burn?

I took an unexpected break from writing my third book. I was in the weeds of writing. The story was muddy, characters were misbehaving, and I spent many more hours staring at the screen than writing. Backstory encroached like a dreaded Kudzu vine and forward momentum ground to a halt.

Then life intervened. You know the drill. Graduations. Aging parents. A death. Spending time at my keyboard became reactive, not proactive and creative. Rather than beating myself up about my writing failures, I gave myself permission to unplug.

Then something wonderful happened.

In a span of time marked "unproductive," a heartless distance bloomed.

I reread my opening pages and I knew my launchpad was sound. A few more pages in and I began to delete. My "Dumped Passages" wordcount burgeoned while my "Working MS" wordcount whithered. 

Editing, like revenge, is easiest when cold. A search of the phrase, "revenge is best when served cold" found several orgins, one of which credited a Pashtun proverb of getting back at someone who has wronged you when you have a clear mind and not hot with anger. My favorite was in Urban Dictionary:


Old saying from the Mafiosi in Sicily. Tells that the best payback is the one that comes with planning, and that brings the most horrendous pain to your enemies when they are not expecting and are just enjoying the fruits of all the dishonor they brought upon you. One must wait so he can really inflict pain to those who wronged him. Careful planing is necessary so your enemies will suffer terribly, but you won't be harmed by the Law or by your enemies' allies.This one resonated. The time away from active writing allowed me to mull over my narrative. What was the core story? The enemy was revealed in subplots and backstory. Stepping away allowed me to see them for what they were--instruments of dishonor. I was able to plan their demise with calculated precision. I became an assassin and killed off my little darlings.
I've hacked off limbs and buried the evidence. Now it's time to dust of my trousers and get back to work.

Turn Off Book Buyers With These Five Marketing Phrases

Catching a reader's eye and sparking them to learn more about a book is a crafty science. Between 600,000 to 1,000,000 books are published each year in the United States alone, Capturing attention, and ultimately dollars, requires unique skills. What are you going to say to get your book to stand out among the 1500 to 3000 new titles that were published today?
A recent post by Geoffrey James, contributing editor to Inc. Magazine, got me thinking. James listed nine tired phrases that turn customers off. Instead of igniting them to turn on to a product, phrases touting "the best service" or "industry leading," blunt customers' senses. The statements are seductive to the seller, but mean nothing to the reader.

Can you separate yourself from the pack by using ubiquitous and empty phrases?

Five overused and tired phrases for book marketing are:

1. "Gripping mystery!"Really? Unless the phrase (or any other) is a quote from a well-known author or review source, it's best to steer clear. A mystery, by its very definition, should be compelling. 
2. "This book is a real page turner!" If the book is more than a single page, how else are you going to read it? "To read this book, you have to turn the page! Really!" This statement qualifies for the big, "DUH!" 
3. "A must read..."According to whom? Someone who doesn't have a clue about me or my preferences is telling me I must read something? Nope. Not going to happen.
4. "Best-selling!" or "Number One!"Unless the book is on a curated and verifiable list, like the New York Times' Best Seller list, forget about it. The same is true for touting a leading sales rank. Books can be top selling for a few hours on Amazon, then drift off to oblivion. Sure having a high rank for a few hours or days is exciting and validating for the author, but such phrases tell us nothing about the book.
5. "New!"Phrases relating to time can expire. "Available now!" is temporarily true and a book can be out for years before readers learn about it, becoming “new” to them.
Use precious ad space or social media word count judiciously. Effective marketing triggers a response and buying books is all about the reader’s curiosity. Readers move from tag line, to front cover, to back cover, then inside perusal. Once inside, either the story is going to make them want more, or not.
Try a question with a link instead of a stale statement.
“What if your very existence threatened an empire?”*
Find out what works for your books and measure the results. Don't be afraid to try something no on else has done. After all, you're trying to prove you're one in a million. 



* Yeah, I know. Cheap trick, but it worked, right?

Best Sellers and Restaurants

"I only read books from the New York Times Best Seller List."

Seriously? 
I was at one of the season's many graduation parties. Veggie platters, mortar boards, and conversational patter were abundant. I'm always interested to hear what people are reading and how they make their choices, but this one stopped me.
"Only? As in, never, ever reading anything else?"
"I know I'll find something I'll be happy with. It makes my choice easy."
I get it. Time is precious and when a reader is deciding to spend hours wrapped around a book, he or she wants to choose wisely. The NYT list makes it easy. Of the thousands of books available, it's great to have one go-to list that shows what the masses are buying. It's a best seller list, not a best book ever list. If copies are flying off the shelves, the book must have something pretty darned good going for it. I've defaulted to the list myself when I've hunted about for my next great read, but to never venture from it is, well, horrible.
For me, reading is an adventure and stumbling upon something I didn't know I was going to love is pure delight, like finding a new favorite restaurant. If I limited myself only to eateries that the masses love, I would miss the intimate experience that the local bistro offers. I love Bertucci's Lump Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and Classic Bruschetta, but Ipswich's Zabaglione's Ravioli all'Aragosta - lobster ravioli sauteed with baby shrimp, scallops, crabmeat, asparagus tops, roasted red peppers,and scallion tossed with herb butter and flamed with Sambuca - is to die for. 
I'm happy to report my friend has graduated from the NYT list. Shannon Kirk's thriller Method 15/33 is on her beach read list along with Ray Daniel's Boston-based mysteries and anything by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Prolific New England cozy author Edith Maxwell's series will be sampled alongside Holly Robinson's women's fiction. 
Like finding her new favorite cafe, my friend can savor the excitement of discovering these authors...and telling all her friends.