C.J. Petterson's Blog: Book launch scheduled, page 16

Stop by on Wednesday, November 10...

cj Sez:  Be sure to stop by Lyrical Pens on Wednesday, November 10, for a guest post by author Barbara Hinske.
Buy The Unexpected Path Now
   Barbara will be writing about her soon-to-be-released The Unexpected Path, the second in the Guiding Emily series that follows the struggles of her newly-blind protagonist, Emily Main.

   P.S. Barbara is the author of the novel The Christmas Club, now on the Hallmark Channel.
   The Kindle version of The Unexpected Path is available for pre-order @ 99 cents.
§§

That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on—I’m trying to do the same.
§§

cj

P.S. TO ORDER a book by any author on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.
➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook ➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Happy Halloween and welcome to November

cj Sez: Monsters Got Talent, and they are celebrating Halloween at OWA—for those readers not familiar with OWA, it’s the amusement theme park operated the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Foley, Alabama. The picture below is of monster/werewolf grandson Jeff singing to the crowd and “having a blast.”
Photo by Lori Goodrich Photography

§§ The history of Halloween from various computer searches
Halloween or Hallowe’en, a contraction of Hallowed Eve, is also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve) and is observed in many countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. The tradition originated with the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. From present-day Ireland to the United Kingdom to Brittany, France, the ancient Celts marked this as one of their four most important festival days of the year.

   And a little background about my short story in the HALLOWEEN PIECES anthology:

   If a month happens to have two full moons, the second full moon is called a “blue moon,” and that happens on Halloween/Samhain once about every nineteen years. 
   My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is a fantasy mystery so named because Samhain fell on such a rare event in 2020. 
   The story takes modern-day Katherine Johnson into a mysterious village where she’s caught in an ancient celebration from which she might never return.
   Halloween is the theme but everything in the anthology is an enjoyable read for any season. As of the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is free on Kindle Unlimited and $1.99 to buy for your own library.    Buy Halloween Pieces Now
§§

NOVEMBER NEWS

SinC into NaNoWriMo with Sisters in Crime
From a SinC Press Release
   Starting November 1, join #SinC for a month of write-ins, socials, tips, and encouragement! Sign up here so you don't miss a thing: https://www.sistersincrime.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1554098&group=
§§ COMING SOON
STORMY PIECES…
Number 5 in the Mobile Writers Guild anthology series.      Copies of the new anthology, as well as cj’s thriller/suspense novels, will be available at an author book signing on November 12 (6 to 8 p.m.) at The Haunted Book Shop, 109 Dauphin St. in downtown Mobile. 
   If you’re in the Mobile area, come on down and meet some of the authors!

   Available for preorder   Buy Stormy Pieces Now
§§
REMINDER

Be sure to mark your calendars to stop by Lyrical Pens on November 10 for a guest post by author Barbara Hinske about her soon-to-be-released THE UNEXPECTED PATH, the second novel in her Guiding Emily series. 
   P.S. Barbara is the author of the novel THE CHRISTMAS CLUB, now on the Hallmark Channel.

§§

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Next Sunday, you can be very early to church or you can get an extra hour of sleep. DaylightSaving Time, sometimes called incorrectly by the plural Daylight “Savings” Time, ends on Sunday, November 7, 2021, at 2:00 A.M. 
   Ergo, “fall back” (set your time pieces back an hour) next Saturday night, so you can sleep in and still be right on time. §§

HOLIDAY SALE
Fast-paced and exciting suspense with a touch of Jane Bond romance, the ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are on sale @ only $1.99 each. Available at your favorite eTailer and on request from your local library—just provide them with the ISBN number.
§§
NOTE TO READERS  
No Lyrical Pens post on November 7. This coming week is dedicated wholly to my son Mark’s Celebration of Life.

§§
cj Sez: That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

P.S. TO ORDER a book by anyauthor on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop. 

➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Coming soon: Stormy Pieces and a guest post by author Barbara Hinske

cj Sez: From the Facebook press release from the Mobile Writers Guild: “The Mobile Writers Guild is excited to shine the spotlight on the local contributors of our 2021 anthology, STORMY PIECES, as we countdown to our book signing at November’s ArtWalk (in downtown Mobile).”
      “Today we asked suspense writer cj petterson Author what inspired her short story, “Ida, Fate, and Mister Leon.”
   (And cj Sez:)  “The idea for my story started way back in 2005 when I saw a writing prompt about a woman doing a traditionally man’s job. I wrote a few pages featuring an unnamed November storm then buried the draft in an “Ideas” file. 
   When the MWG published a call for submissions for STORMY PIECES, I thought, “Eureka! I’ve already written that story.” So I dug it out and named the November storm Hurricane Ida, after the one that meandered around the U.S. in 2009. 
   And (pinky-swear), I submitted my story on February 11, six months before 2021’s Hurricane Ida devastated the Gulf Coast and northeastern U.S. on August 29."
   If you’re in the Mobile area, anthology copies, as well as cj’s thriller/suspense novels, will be available at The Haunted Book Shop, 109 Dauphin St in Downtown Mobile for an ArtWalk book signing, November 12th, 6-8pm”
   Available for preorder   Buy Stormy Pieces Now
§§
NEXT SUNDAY IS HALLOWEENWow, where did the year go? To get you in the mood, I’ll suggest an anthology to read before ghosts, goblins, witches, and troops of trick-or-treaters come knock, knock, knocking on your door.
Buy Halloween Pieces Now   Halloween Pieces, the fourth installment in the Mobile Writers Guild anthology series, has an eclectic collection of stories, poems, and a play that explore the chills, thrills, and giggles of the day. Halloween is the theme, but every piece is an enjoyable read for any season.
   My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” (a fantasy mystery so named because Halloween fell on such a rare event in 2020) is one of 18 pieces in the anthology.
   At the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is free on Kindle Unlimited and $1.99 to buy for your own library.§§MARK YOUR CALENDARSOn November 10 author Barbara Hinske arrives to do a guest post about her soon-to-be-released The Unexpected Path. You’ll read of her deep and emotionally charged dive into first-person research for her story about the struggles and victories of newly blind Emily Main and her guide dog.§§
  The Yellow Wood … Jeff D. Johnston photo computerized to resemble a painting.§§STILL ON SALE: The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are on sale @ only $1.99 each. Fast-paced and exciting suspense, with a touch of Jane Bond romance. Available at your favorite eTailer, and on request from your local library—just provide them with the ISBN number.§§cj Sez: That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.§§ P.S. TO ORDER a book by anyauthor on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.
➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Which would you rather do first…read the book or see the movie?

cj Sez:  Here are two authors who have both formats for you. In case you don’t remember, on Oct 3, I posted a Lyrical Pens 4+star review of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s novel BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED.

   The novel is peopled with flesh-and-blood characters you want to love, want to hate, and want to win. And her settings? You will know where you are, and you will fear who lurks in the shadows.
   Seems some movie folk liked it, too. From a press release:
   “Entertainment One has acquired the rights to bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s novel Before She Disappearedwith Oscar winner Hillary Swank set to star and executive produce via her Film Bandits banner.”
Congratulations Lisa Gardner!

§§

   Be sure to watch for a guest post by author Barbara Hinske about her soon-to-be-released THE UNEXPECTED PATH, the second in the Guiding Emily series featuring her blind protagonist,  Emily Main.

Buy The Unexpected Path Now

   I’ll announce the date of the mid-week post on Facebook soon.  In the meantime, the Kindle version of THE UNEXPECTED PATH is available for pre-order for 99 cents.

P.S. Barbara is the author of the novel THE CHRISTMAS CLUB, now on the Hallmark Channel.§§

New to my TBR books:     I went to the library on Saturday and picked up THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS by Robert Dugoni…hailed by one reader as “A fearless and sensitive coming-of-age story.” Since it’s a hold-in-my-hand-hardcover book with a time limit on it, I’ll start it next week.

§§

Buy Halloween Pieces Now

 My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES, the fourth anthology from the Mobile Writers Guild.
Click here to watch as I read an excerpt, and watch for the cameo by the cat.   

   As of the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is priced at $1.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited. 

NEW NEW Buy Stormy Pieces Now

The STORMY PIECES anthology launches November 3 and is now available for preorder. 
   From the Amazon blurb: “In this fifth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild Pieces anthology series, our members give you their unique perspectives in the form of short stories, poems, and one play.”

Look for my short story, “Ida, Fate, and Mister Leon.” 

   My inspiration for the storm in the story came from a NOAA report… “November 10, 2009: The beginning of the extratropical cyclone that would become known as "Nor'Ida", which formed from the remnants of Hurricane Ida made landfall in Dauphin Island, Alabama and later in mainland Alabama before moving into Florida.”

§§

SALE: The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are now on sale @ only $1.99 each. Fast-paced and exciting suspense, with a touch of Jane Bond romance.

                  DEATH ON THE YAMPA 

... is available at Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Hoopla, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio and on request from your local library ( ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8 )

                        THE DAWGSTAR
... is available Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio and on request from your local library ( ISBN 978-17369146-0-1 )

§§

That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

P.S. TO ORDER a book by anyauthor on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.
➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Writers: Write a Novella

cj Sez:  Writers, this week's guest post on Jane Friedman's blog is about NaNoWriMo. Readers, you can look forward to being the beneficiaries of all that effort.

   Some of those novellas are polished and published, some are developed into great novels. 
From Jane Friedman blog: “On the off-chance you aren’t acquainted with the acronym, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. November is the month, so about now, around the country and across the world, writers are sharpening pencils and clearing off kitchen tables. They’re preparing loved ones to do without them for 30 straight days or at least until Thanksgiving.  … NaNoWriMo may be what you need to get motivated.” 

To read more of the post: https://bit.ly/3At0u78 

cj Sez: National Novel Writing Month is when thousands of writers commit to sitting their butts in chairs (B-I-C) and writing 50,000 words in one month. Since November has thirty days, that comes out to 1666.66 words a day (plus .2), but who’s counting. If you’re thinking about accepting the challenge, go to the official website National Novel Writing Month for more information and be sure to connect with like-minded writers who will encourage you when the going gets tough.

§§

BOOK REVIEW

You’ll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron embodies all the elements of a true Southern gothic fiction: isolation and marginalization, violence and crime, a brilliant sense of place, a decaying mansion, the sorrow of destitution, oppression, and discrimination. Oh, and it’s a suspenseful mystery as well, with great plot turns on its way to a twisted ending.
   I hope I didn’t miss anything because Ephron surely didn’t in this intricately woven saga of three generations of “bless their hearts” Southern women who must rise above their own prejudices to solve a forty-year-old crime.  IMHO, a five-star read.
§§

My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES, the fourth anthology from the Mobile Writers Guild.
Click here to watch as I read an excerpt.   
   As of the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is priced at $1.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited.

STORMY PIECES is coming in November, and yes, I have a short story in that one also—more about that next week. And it has another great cover by MWG member Steven Moore that you’re going to love.§§
SALE SALE: The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are now on sale @ only $1.99 each.
For Draft2Digital info: Death on the Yampa
Also available at these fine e sites and on request from your local library (ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8):  

Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Hoopla, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio

For Draft2Digital info: The Dawgstar

Also available at these fine e sites and on request from your local library (ISBN 978-17369146-0-1):
Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio
(p.s. FREEBIES: Write a review, then shoot me an email at cjpetterson@gmail.com and tell me about it—Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, wherever—and I’ll send you some lovely swag.)

§§  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

A personal note: Today marks one month since my son Mark died from complications of Covid 19. This heartache can’t heal. If you have chosen to not get vaccinated, please reconsider your choice. 

§§
cj P.S. TO ORDER any book by any author of your choice on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.

➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

It's Fall, Y'all !!

 cj Sez: Lyrical Pens is back . . . Let’s kick off the blog’s return with a “It’s Fall, Y’all” sale and a couple of giveaways. 


  My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES, book 4 of 4 anthologies from the Mobile Writers Guild. 

Click here to watch as I read an excerpt.

As of the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is priced at $1.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited.

   BONUS CHANCE: 

   Like and leave a comment on my author Facebook page about this blog post for a chance to win a paperback copy of Book 1 PIECES
(35 pieces, 2 of the short stories are mine).

§§

SALE: The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are now on sale @ only $1.99 each.

For Draft2Digital info: ➜ Death on the Yampa 

Also available at these fine e sites and on request from your local library (ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8): 

Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Hoopla, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio

For Draft2Digital info: ➜ The Dawgstar

Also available at these fine e sites and on request from your local library (ISBN 978-17369146-0-1):

Amazon, Apple, Baker & Tayalor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio
(p.s. Giveaway: Shoot me an email at cjpetterson@gmail.com and tell me you wrote a review—Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, wherever—and I’ll send you some great swag.)

§§

A BOOK REVIEW:

   In the novel, BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED, author Lisa Gardner takes readers on a gritty tour of life in life in a rough and poor Boston neighborhood known as Mattapan, or “Murderpan as the locals call it.” Her setting descriptions are dead on…you will know where you are, and you will fear who lurks in the shadows.

Gardner creates flesh-and-blood characters you want to love, want to hate, and want to win. The main character, Frankie Elkin, lives a life that is a contradiction in terms. She attends AA to battle her alcohol demons and prays for one more day of sobriety, even as her choice of jobs and expertise is bartending.

Frankie is a self-described expert in finding missing persons—she is not a police officer, she is not a PI, she is a volunteer. She has so far found fourteen. She desperately wants teen-aged Angelique Lovelie Badeau to be the one she brings home alive. But her search for a missing teenager whose disappearance seemingly left no clues comes with other barriers, too. Like being a white woman in a dark-skinned community that has many reasons to not welcome or trust a stranger. Like sharing a miniscule room with a feral cat. Like stepping on the toes of the detective who unsuccessfully investigated Angelique’s disappearance eleven months before. 

Applause for Lisa Gardner’s writing skills. I enjoyed this story and recommend BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED as a 4+-star read.

§§

   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

cj P.S. TO ORDER a book of your choice (by any author) on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop and sign it for you.

➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Lyrical Pens going on Hiatus

 cj Sez: Lyrical Pens is now going on hiatus…Current plan is to be back on-line in early October.
© “Jenny’s Farm Photo” by Jeff D. Johnston   
§§   Correction: Last week, I said that Hurricane Ida was predicted to arrive “fifteen years to the day of Hurricane Katrina’s deadly landfall. I stand corrected. 
   Excerpted from news media: “Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on the 16th anniversary of the day Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and southern Louisiana, leaving catastrophic devastation. Ida has had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.”

§§

And a few words from my sponsor: 

   THE DAWGSTAR is a suspense/thriller filled with international political gangsterism, nanosatellites (real things), assassins, fears of frankenfood, and more! A Jane Bond-ish read with a touch of romance. 
   The novel is available as an eBook  https://books2read.com/u/3LRRG5

and as a paperback  Amazon Buy Now

   DEATH ON THE YAMPA is a contemporary suspense/thriller tale with a touch of romance. A woman and the man she loves are rafting the Yampa River through the delicious scenery of Dinosaur National Monument when they encounter her fugitive brother who's joined a terrorist group.

   This novel is available as an eBook https://books2read.com/u/bxe1AP

as a paperback  Buy Paperback Yampa

and as a #SCREAM, series phone app. There are a lot of authors and their mystery/suspense stories available on #SCREAM. All you do is load up the app and search for the author’s name.

§§

   You can ask your local library to order my eBooks for you. You’ll need to give them the ISBN number of the title you want to borrow. THE DAWGSTAR … ISBN 978-17369146-0-1

DEATH ON THE YAMPA … ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8

§§

   That’s it for today’s post.
You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

cj  

P.S. TO ORDER any book by any author of your choice on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to personalize one of my books for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.    The Haunted Bookshop has re-opened to limited hours (and they have an awesome bookstore kitty, Mr. Bingley), so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.
➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Hurricane Ida put a crimp in my timing

cj Sez: I would normally spend Saturday evening keyboarding my Sunday blog, but Hurricane Ida has put a crimp in my timing and deadened my creative thoughts.
   Mobile, Alabama, is not in the exact path of the storm, but we'll get winds and storm surge. Between my cracked internet provider and storm-downed power lines, no computer access is de rigueur in my neighborhood, ergo the need for an early post.

   We spent a big part of the day stowing away and tying down yard/patio items, pumping gas in the cars in crowded gas stations and cans of ethanol-free gasoline for the generator and power saw.

   I have an all-electric house, and I’m not sure my little, portable generator can handle my electric stove together with my freezer/fridge/and all-important A/C, so also on my list of prepping for the storm today is making extra pots of coffee so I can heat up a cup in a pan on the grille.

§§ Writerly/Readerly quote:
§§ cj’s Review:Revenge is Sweet by author Kaye George


   Tally Holt, a specialty candy/cookie maker, and Yolanda Bella, a handcrafted-basket maker, become friends when they happen to set up storefront shops next to each other. The two crafty women are struggling to make a go of their businesses in touristy Fredericksburg, Texas, when a local lothario is found murdered in the candy maker’s store, stabbed with the basket maker’s scissors. They find themselves in a race to find the real killer before the police gather enough evidence to pin the murder on one or both of them.

Revenge is Sweetis filled to the brim with clever characters, clues, hints, red herrings, tidbits of budding romances, and plot twists and turns that will keep any fan of cozy mysteries happy.

Recommended reading!

(cj’s transparency comment: I won this book in a random drawing contest.)

§§

   Please keep those in the path of Hurricane Ida in your thoughts and prayers. Louisiana had four storm system hits last year, and people are still recovering. If Hurricane Ida’s landfall happens on Sunday as predicted, the devastation arrives fifteen years to the day of Hurricane Katrina’s deadly landfall.§§Sponsor words:

THE DAWGSTAR is available as an eBook  https://books2read.com/u/3LRRG5

and as a paperback  Amazon Buy Now

DEATH ON THE YAMPA is available as an eBook https://books2read.com/u/bxe1AP

as a paperback  Buy Paperback Yampa

and as a #SCREAM, series phone app. There are a lot of authors and their mystery/suspense stories available on #SCREAM. All you do is load up the app and search for the author’s name.§§

   You can ask your local library to order my eBooks for you. You’ll need to give them the ISBN number of the title you want to borrow.

THE DAWGSTAR … ISBN 978-17369146-0-1

DEATH ON THE YAMPA … ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8

§§

   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

(Corona Raccoon is back.) 

cj

P.S. TO ORDER any book by any author of your choice on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my books for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.

   The Haunted Bookshop has re-opened to limited hours (and they have an awesome bookstore kitty, Mr. Bingley), so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . .      ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page ➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook ➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson ➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

Hot Off the Presses . . .

cj Sez: On Saturday evening, Clay Stafford, Founder of the Killer Nashville Writers Conference, announced the conference’s 2021 Silver Falchion Award Winners. 

Congratulations go out to…
Best Cozy Winner: Rose by Any Other Name / Becki WillisBest Comedy Winner: Con Me Once / J. L. DelozierBest Attending Author Winner: Love Power / Martha ReedBest Action Adventure Winner: The Crow’s Nest / Richard MeredithBest Thriller Winner: The Divine Devils / R. WeirBest Suspense Winner: Ring of Conspiracy / J. Robert KinneyBest Supernatural Winner: Borrowed Memories / Christine Mager WevikBest Book of the Year Winner: Borrowed Memories / Best Supernatural / Christine Mager WevikShort Story Collection / Anthology Winner: Couch Detective Book 2 / James GlassBest Sci-Fi / Fantasy Winner: Odyssey Tale / Cody SchlegelReader’s Choice Award Winner: A Palette for Love and Murder / Saralyn RichardBest Nonfiction Winner: Words Whispered in Water / Sandy RosenthalBest Mystery Winner: Code Gray / Benny SimsBest Juvenile / Y.A. Winner: Irish Town / Matthew John MeagherBest Historical Winner: The Lost Wisdom of the Magi / Susie HelmeBest Unpublished First 50 Pages:      Winner: Crooked / Suspense / Mary Bush       First Runner-Up Winner: Choosing Guilt / Mystery / Frances Aylor      Second Runner-Up Winner: The Forget-Me-Knot / Mystery / Richard McGonegal

 

 (cj note: In case you’re curious: A falchion is a medieval, single-handed, one-edged bladed weapon that originated in Europe. One site described it as reminiscent of a contemporary machete.)

§§

Sisters In Crime also announced a winner!

“Congratulations to D. Ann Williams, winner of the 2021 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award! #SinCcreated the award in 2014 to honor the memory of pioneering African-American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland with a $2,000 grant to an emerging writer of color.”

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Writerly/Readerly quote:

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   cj Sez: This from another author’s recent Facebook thread: Do you remember the first book you read and loved? Okay, so I'm weird; I have two. There were obviously other books that I read in school, but there are two that I remember and loved.
True story: One winter, I'd walk about a half hour through crunchy snow to Detroit’s now-demolished Mark Twain library so I could sit in a corner and read "Last of the Mohicans" when I was about nine or ten. (That was way before it became too dangerous to let your kids play in your own yard.) The adventure stayed with me and inspired my writing, as did a second book.

   About that same time, I was the winner of a school spelling bee where I won a Webster's Dictionary with my named engraved on gold on the cover. I actually did read most of it, because words and their meanings have always fascinated me.

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   And now a few words from my sponsor: 

THE DAWGSTAR is available as an eBook  https://books2read.com/u/3LRRG5

and as a paperback  Amazon Buy Now

DEATH ON THE YAMPA is available as an eBook https://books2read.com/u/bxe1AP

as a paperback  Buy Paperback Yampa

and as a #SCREAM, series phone app. There are a lot of authors and their mystery/suspense stories available on #SCREAM. All you do is load up the app and search for the author’s name.

§§      You can ask your local library to order my eBooks. You’ll need to give them the ISBN number of the title you want to borrow.

THE DAWGSTAR … ISBN 978-17369146-0-1

DEATH ON THE YAMPA … ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8

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  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

cj

P.S. TO ORDER any book by any author of your choice on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my books for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.

   The Haunted Bookshop has re-opened to limited hours (and they have an awesome bookstore kitty, Mr. Bingley), so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.

➜ Follow me . . .     ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

  

My favorite topic: writers and readers

 cj Sez: As I type this blog post . . .
§§ Writerly/Readerly quote: “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book.” – Samuel Johnson §§ If you’re a writer. . . You know how, after filling a three-ring binder with rejections  (as one writer I know did), we writers worry if our writing will ever be “good enough” to get published? 
  Feelings of inadequacy can often overwhelm any feeling of confidence in our competency and send us running for a big spoon, the nearest jar of hot fudge, and a half-gallon ice cream (my preference is chocolate) for comfort. But think about this: Bona fide professionals, those people we consider successful, do not, cannot rest on their laurels. Okay, that’s a cliché, but truly, professionals continually work to improve and perfect their skills.
    Every time Donald Maass, author of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, leads a workshop on writing, I’d venture to guess he’s included something new since his last workshop. I know he keeps producing how-to books that incorporate new slants on writing (such as this gem:THE EMOTIONAL CRAFT OF FICTION). He’s a professional who keeps learning.    Pro golfers take lessons; powerhouse baseball hitters have trainers as do Olympic runners and skaters. The lesson is clear. The way for writers to improve their craft is to seek critiques and editorial expertise and attend workshops and network (on-line now days) and practice; i.e., read, read, read, and write, not just something but some “thing,” regularly. Those tasks never cease.      Granted, conferences and workshops are being cancelled right and left again this year, but some organizers have the time to convert to virtual attendance. No packing suitcases involved. Taking advantage of a virtual gathering means you can get some outstanding interaction and input while sitting in your slippers and pajamas.
  I make an effort to learn something new every day, some tidbit that I can incorporate into a work-in-progress or add to my growing list of how-to hints or incorporate into my daily life. I wish you the same success.
Now, if you’re a reader (and since writers are also readers, this applies to everyone) here are three simple ways to encourage and support authors without spending an extra dime. . .    Like, comment, and share authors' Facebook posts. Facebook's algorithms show only posts that FB thinks other members would like to see. That means the more likes and comments a post gets, the more people will see it. (Psst: The same process works for Amazon.)    Take a few moments to give the book you just read a fair review. It can be all of one or two sentences, yet it will be deeply appreciated.    Go to book signings. in-person or virtual, even if you can’t afford to buy the book at that time. Your attendance is encouraging. §§
  Just thought I’d throw this toon in, because some schools have restarted with various and sundry new rules and regulations. §§
And now a few words from my sponsor:  THE DAWGSTAR is available as an eBook  https://books2read.com/u/3LRRG5 and as a paperback  Amazon Buy Now DEATH ON THE YAMPA is available as an eBook https://books2read.com/u/bxe1AP as a paperback  Buy Paperback Yampa and as a #SCREAM, series phone app. There are a lot of authors and their mystery/suspense stories available on #SCREAM. All you do is load up the app and search for the author’s name. §§
   You can ask your local library to order my eBooks for you. You’ll need to give them the ISBN number of the title you want to borrow.                   THE DAWGSTAR … ISBN 978-17369146-0-1            DEATH ON THE YAMPA … ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8
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   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj   P.S. TO ORDER any book by any author of your choiceon-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us    If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my books for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.    The Haunted Bookshop has re-opened to limited hours (and they have an awesome bookstore kitty, Mr. Bingley), so if you’re in the Mobile area, you can stop and shop, too.   ➜ Follow me . . .      ➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page ➜ on Facebook:  cjpettersonAuthor on Facebook ➜ on BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson ➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6