C.J. Petterson's Blog: Book launch scheduled, page 3

The magic of editing

cj Sez: I'm sure I've told you this before, but the story never gets old. Did you ever open a book, read a few chapters (oreven a few lines), then discover errata, i.e.; those typos and misspellingsthat drive a pedantic like me up a wall. One or two will make me shake my head;gremlins happen. A lot of them will stop me in my tracks.
  Perhaps it comes down to the time it takes to do a detailedcopy edit vs. getting the book on the market as fast as possible.
(Copy editing is the process of reviewing and correctingwritten material to improve accuracy, readability, and fitness for its purpose,and to ensure that it is free of error, omission, inconsistency, andrepetition.)
  Speaking from experience, self-edits and beta readers don’tcatch everything that a professional copy editor will.
  When I was gainfully employed, one of myreport/column-writing rules was to get as many people as possible to read thedocument for accuracy and gremlins. The more eyes on it the better the endproduct. That wasn’t easy to do as I was always on the clock to deliver the corporation’snews via electronic distribution by eleven a.m. every day, and reading my workwasn’t on the top of someone else’s to-do list.
  That bit about the more eyes? The same thing is true for anauthor’s manuscript. But first, I, me, personally, do extensive self-edits. I wantmy manuscript to be the best I can make it before I pass it off to someone else. 
  I read the document on the computer screen then print a few pages and edit themin ink. (The font looks slightly different on the printed page and gremlinstend to show up better.) 
  Next I read the pages out loud. It’s amazing howquickly I’ll find the missing comma, period, or quotation mark that I keepoverlooking, and, more importantly, I’ll also discover confusing narrative andawkward dialogue. 
  After all that, I can be sure there is still a gremlin to befound by my editor.
  My advice to authors: Don’t presume that because you’vetyped “The End,” your manuscript is finished. It’s probably weeks if not monthsaway from publication. It needs fresh eyes. It’s a personal and financialconsideration for each author, but please consider hiring a copy editor if youcan afford it.  

  Caveat: Expect that if your manuscript is accepted by apublisher, their punctuation rules for how they want their publication to lookmay differ from your copy editor’s input. There could be, probably will be, morechanges to be made.
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Readers and Writers: Titles for your stack of have-to-readbooks
Buy Callahan now  Book 5 of Rebecca Barrett’s Cat Callahan Mystery series isnow available. 
  Here’s an excerpt of a 5-star Amazon review for CAT CALLAHAN ANDTHE SPY: 
  “Loved the mystery, the characters had melaughing and seeing a mystery solved through the eyes of a cat, well that isalways an intriguing experience. A thoroughly enjoyable read.”
   And mark your calendar to watch for the third bookin Carrie Dalby’s Washington Square Secrets series. 

  From Dalby’s author page: “WASHINGTONSQUARE SECRETS is a historical Southern Gothic series with aparanormal/parapsychology slant by Carrie Dalby. Rather than an ongoing saga,Washington Square Secrets consists of stand-alone novels with the Mobile,Alabama, neighborhood and overlapping characters in common. Return to oldMobile–or visit for the first time–and get to know the charm and hostilitieswithin this bay front city with small town vibes. LOYALTY: WASHINGTON SQUARESECRETS 3 releases August 27, 2024.”§§
  By the by, as the masthead of Lyrical Pens says, if you havea book you want to promote with a blog, let me know. We can arrange a date. The onlycaveat is that this site is PG 13.
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours. P.S. I sure do hope there are no gremlins in this post.)

cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
  Father’s Day is coming up—Lyrical Pens suggests books, thegift that keeps on giving.
  Beach? Mountains? StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holidayand summer vacation downtime moments when you can lose yourself in a book. THEDAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through yourfavorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Word Usage: Six of one, half dozen of another

I was doing some more rabbithole searches to confirm a word usage in my work-in-progress and found tons ofinstances of questionable word usage. Inspired by a recent Facebook meme friendposted, today I’ll share a few examples of what I found—because I have to admit to being a bit of a grammarnerd.

(p.s. The result verbiage are excerpts from the various internetsources.)§§
Further and fartherPeople often use both further and farther tomean “more distant.”Further can be an adverb, an adjective, or a verb, meaning “additional.” Further as a verb: “He’d do anything to further his owninterests at the company.”
Farther means “at or to a greater distance” and cannot beused as a verb. In Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys says: “And some boats,like me, seemed to float farther and farther from land.”
Are further and farther impossible totell apart from one another? If you remember that only further canmean “moreover,” you shouldn’t have much difficulty.
Than and thenThe word than is used for comparisons to show whoor what something is compared against. For example, “cats are smarter than dogs.”The word then is used to show time, as in “at that time” or “afterthat happened.” For example, “I exercised then took a shower.”
Past and passedPast refers to time or events that have alreadyhappened, while passed is the past tense of the verb pass andis used to indicate completed actions or events. For example, “Shefinally passed the driving test, leaving all her doubts in the past.”
This and thatThis, that, these, and those aredemonstratives. We use this, that, these and those topoint to people and things. This and that aresingular. These and those are plural. We use them asdeterminers and pronouns.
Versus vs. versesVersus is a preposition that refers to comparing two ormore things or being against something. There are many advantages of a gasoline car versus adiesel car (and now we have to also compare both of those versus an electric orhybrid car).
Verses is a noun that refers to the lines of a poem orsong. It is the plural form of the word verse.  The verses of the poem “Daffodils” by WilliamWordsworth are eternally famous and enjoyable.
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Stephen King: “Books are the perfect entertainment: nocommercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent.”
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
  Beach? Mountains?StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holiday and summer vacation downtimemoments when you can lose yourself in a book. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THEYAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore.

Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Memorial Day and Is that active or passive voice?

I wish you safe and enjoyableMemorial Day festivities, but please take time to remember that the day was setaside to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in the UnitedStates Armed Forces.  

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Active vs inactive voice.(The following are excerpts from an older blog by a prolificauthor and fellow Sisters-in-Crime member.)
IN DEFENSE OF THE MALIGNED “WAS” By Lois Winston
  It happened again the other day. I received the results of acontest I had entered and discovered that one of the judges had circled every“was” in the entry and wrote in large capital letters -- PASSIVE VOICE.
  Editors like action verbs. “Was,” along with its brothersand sisters (is, am, are, been, were) is passive and a surefire way to arejection letter.
Wrong!
  Passive voice is when an action is acted upon the subject,rather than the subject acting.
   The car was driven byAnna is a passive sentence. Annadrove the car is an active sentence. However, Anna was happy to drive the car is not a passive sentence. Anna isexpressing emotion. She is acting, rather than being acted upon. Of course,there are more interesting ways to write the sentence to show Anna’s emotions,but that’s a separate discussion.    One of the easiest ways to tell whether your sentence isactive or passive is to analyze the position of the subject, verb, and directobject.
  In active voice, the subject (the one performing the action)will come before the verb (the action), and the verb will come before thedirect object (that which is being acted upon.)
  There are instances, though, when passive voice is necessaryto the unfolding of a story or better suited to the realism of the dialogue.When we speak, we don’t first think whether our sentences are active or passivebefore uttering them. We just speak them.
  Manipulate a sentence to avoid passive voice inconversation, and you often transform snappy dialogue into stilted dialogue.
  For example: Billy ran into the house and cried, “Mom! Come quick. Snoopy was hit by a car!”This passage accurately illustrates the way a child might respond to a carhitting his dog. Snoopy was hit by a caris a passive sentence because Snoopy is being acted upon by the car, but thechild mentions Snoopy first because the dog’s welfare is uppermost in his mind.Also, by placing the last sentence in passive voice, the author is actuallyratcheting up the tension. We don’t know until the very end exactly what hitSnoopy. A stray baseball? A nasty neighbor? A falling tree limb? Although “A car hit Snoopy” is active voice,using it actually lessens the impact of the sentence.
  Still squeamish about the use of “was”? After you havefinished your manuscript, do a search of the word. Check each sentence to seeif you can rewrite it to avoid using “was.” If you can, and it doesn’t detractfrom the pace, dialogue, or meaning of the passage, do so. If not, leave it.Some “was” were meant to be.
Except . . . the subjunctive:
  The what, you ask? Subjunctive case or mood is one of themost misunderstood rules in the English language -- and virtually unknown tomost contest judges who will circle a “were” and write in a “was” because thesubject is singular. Do you know how fast you were going?
  The subjunctive applies to cases of “wishfulness” or “whatif” situations.
   In these cases, “was” becomes “were,” as in, I wish I weretaller. “Were” is also used when a sentence or clause uses “if,” “as if,” or“as though,” but only in instances where the statement is contrary to fact.
  Examples include: If Iwere taller, I could see the stage better, Her twelve-year-old son acts as ifhe were in kindergarten, or The maidbehaved as though she were queen. Because I cannot grow taller, thetwelve-year-old is not in kindergarten, and the maid is not a queen, all thestatements are contrary to fact, and “was” becomes “were” even though thesubjects are all singular.

Keep in mind, though, that the key statement here is“contrary to fact.”

  “If” statements that are not contrary to fact retain thesingular form of the verb. “If I was atStarbucks that day, I don’t remember” is a correct sentence because thestatement is not contrary to fact whether or not I can recall the event. ///(cj Sez: I keep a list of the quirks and twists that I runacross, like the stink, stank, stunk. Do you keep a list, or do you run toGoogle?)
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WRITERS: Whether it’s your first time writing a novel or just need areminder, here’s some info on word counts for different genres;  How Many Words in aNovel? (Updated for 2024) (reedsy.com) §§
  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:  Beach? Mountains?StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holiday and summer vacation downtimemoments when you can lose yourself in a book. THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THEYAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore.

Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Chapter synopses

 cj Sez: I retrieved this post from my archives because I’mthinking about writing a synopsis for my work-in-progress. Yep, that’s right:in progress. 

  I read a comment that it might be easier to create thatdreaded synopsis as you finish a chapter or two rather than wait until you typeTHE END.
  Clever idea. Write a chapter synopsis while each plot point is freshin my mind and then I can pull it all together when the story is ended. It’salways easier for me to edit than it is to stare at an empty page and try tothink of something.  Anyway, in this post, I’mgoing to reprise some points I've discovered about writing a synopsis.

  Since I don’t do a formal outline for my stories (gasp), Ican use the synopsis as a form of outline. It will help me find any holes in mystoryline. 
  Someone asked me once how I knew when I’d reached the end of mystory if I didn’t know where it was going. The reason I don’t outline isbecause once I’ve gone through that whole process, I feel as if I’ve writtenthe entire story. That takes away the adventure of writing for me, except in writing mysteries when I really have to plan it all out. 
  I don’t consider myself a “pantser” though. I do know how Iwant the story to start, and I do know how I want it to end. What I don’t know(or plan/plot) is the path the characters will take to get from beginning toend. Using that analogy, I call myself a “pathfinder.” 
  I like the excitement offinding out—as I write—what kind of trouble I can create for my characters then figure out how to get them out of it. Kind of like running a maze. I write until I've solved all the characters' problems and gotten them out of their maze, then I'm done. The End.

  I’ve talked with writers who say they have absolutely noproblem creating a synopsis. Not so me. I would love to find the one I safelyfiled away a couple of years ago, but I do remember some of the importantrules. 
  As I’ve said before, some rules are made to be broken, but first onemust know what the rules are. I wouldn’t, however, advise a novice writer tobreak any rules when submitting a manuscript, especially if the instructionsare spelled out on an agent’s or publisher’s website. And always, always usethe agent/publisher instructions for font and page layout format whether forstory submission or a proposal or a synopsis. 
  After typing the end to my WIP, I will tie my chapter synopses into a finalform, applying the following rules (or better, "cues"):

Write the synopsis in third person, present tense. 

  Since my stories are written in past tense, I need to keepthat directive on a piece of paper taped to the monitor in front of me.
Start with a hook (the character or the inciting incident)and reveal the story premise.

  I think of this as my “elevator pitch”—the twenty-fivewords and amount of time a writer has to impress an agent if caught on theelevator together.
Concentrate on the primary story line, the turning points,and their effect (internal and external) on the characters and do this inthe chronological order of the story.
  This is where writing a synopsis for each chapter is veryhelpful.
Include primary characters byname. Use all capital letters the first time s/he is introduced within thesynopsis. Then be consistent with how the character is referred to in the restof the document.
  For example, JOHN DOE might become Johnny for the remainderof the synopsis. Secondary characters can be described by what they do ratherthan by name . . . the sheriff, the teacher, the doctor.
It’s very important is to show the complete narrative arcfor the primary character.

  How s/he felt at the beginning of the manuscript and how thecharacter is changed by the end of the story.
Write in active voice. Use strong verbs and words that showemotions, motivations, conflict, and tension. 
Don’t go into lengthy descriptions and backstory in asynopsis.

Unless a character’s physical description or age ispertinent to one of the story threads, keep focused on the nitty-gritty of themain story line.
The synopsis should be written in the same tone (voice) asthe novel.

  I.E. if the novel is lighthearted, the synopsis should bealso. 
  It looks soooo simple, doesn’t it? One, two, three, et al.,and done. Not so fast, Grasshopper.*
  Just like every other writer who’s typed THE END on the lastpage of their novel, I’ll be trying to cram thousands of words and hundreds ofpages of manuscript into a concise document that is sometimes restricted tomaybe four or five pages. Though I have read that some might peak at eighteenpages, depending on who’s asking for the synopsis.(*The student character in the 1970s TV show “Kung Fu.”)
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
  Beach? Mountains?StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holiday and summer vacation downtimemoments when you can lose yourself in a book. My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATHON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore.

Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla. 
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on        ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Mother's Day

cj Sez: To all the moms and moms-to-be out there:

  And to all thosewho’ve lost their moms, I share your loss.   
  Numbers6:24-26  “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his faceshine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you andgive you peace.”

 
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  Author and book coach Susanne Dunlap calls them complications. I call them plot points and find them fun to write. 
  Puttinga complication/plot point at the end of every chapter is a sure way to temptthe reader to keep turning the pages.
  You can read Susanne Dunlap's thoughts here: 

   EmbraceComplication to Develop a Can’t-Put-It-Down Narrative | Jane Friedman

 

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On the personal front
  This is one of theday lilies living under a pecan tree in the front yard. Son Jeff took the photographand enlarged a copy to the fill-the-frame Georgia O’Keeffe size, which I absolutely love. 

  He also gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother’s Day. Love, love, love that man. 
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

 

cj
Now some words from my sponsors:

 

  Beach? Mountains?StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holiday and summer vacation downtimemoments when you can lose yourself in a book. My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATHON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore.

  Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.

 

  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

 

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

 

 

Those three dots . . .

  Do you know thedifference between ellipsis and ellipses? From Fiction University comes thispost on "How to Use an Ellipsis in Writing (Without Overusing It.)" 
  “Sometimesinformally referred to as “those three dots,” Merriam-Webster officiallydefines ellipses as “marks or a mark (such as … ) indicating an omission (as ofwords) or a pause.”
  In Latin and Greek,“ellipsis” means to fall short or leave out—an omission. At its core, that’sexactly how it’s used in grammar, to indicate words have been omitted or leftout.”
  Read the entirepost here:    How to Use Ellipsis
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Passing along more information
  The following two links will take you to some good stuff. Ifound the info in these posts on Jane Friedman’s blog very helpful and interesting. 
  I think the first one is especially important for newauthors navigating the shark-filled waters of the publishing industry.
HybridPublishers and Paid Publishing Services: Red Flags to Watch For | Jane Friedman
WhyYou Need a Press Release in the Digital Age | Jane Friedman
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On the personal front
  I recentlyread the gothic novel, “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett as part of a Facebook gothic group seasonal read and discussion. I got abit confused by the structure of the story, but I am ready to participate in aFacebook discussion on the novel.

   I made it to thefinish line for one of my short story deadlines (haven’t heard yet if it wasaccepted. Fingers crossed) and gave up on another. 
  I was way too distracted byreal life to get my mind around a fictional life, which means my work-in-progressis on the back burner again.
§§    Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
    Beach? Mountains? StayCay? It’s time to plan for those holidayand summer vacation downtime moments when you can lose yourself in a book. Mynovels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspensestories with sassy banter and a touch of Jane Bond romance. 
  The books areavailable on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got alibrary card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Something to think about

 
  Whether a book is on the library shelf or the bookstoreshelf or an on-line book seller, the first thing someone usually does is gothe genre section or favorite author he/she is interested in and unconsciously rendersan opinion of the cover while reading the title. 
  It’s all about a first impression. People willwonder if the writing is the same quality as the cover and title. The cover andthe title serve to introduce the tone of the story and the author’s voice. Thesetwo items can be an author’s best start and best shot at gaining a reader’sattention. A writer’s target audience also considers a book’s overallappearance. In addition to cover art and titles, even the quality of the paper ina hardcover or paperback can affect a reader’s choice of books.
  Quoting a Facebook post commenting on anauthor’s cover reveal: “Congrats. Awesome title and cover. Can’t wait toread.” 
  Conversely, another post read: “I love coverart that looks professionally done. I am not attracted by a book with a coverthat looks amateurish….”
  Granted, traditionally published authors don’tusually have the same control over the cover art that self-published authorsdo. The publisher may or may not work with the author to develop the final coverart. But for self-published writers who do have control over the cover art, ifyou’re not a professional illustrator or art design expert, consider hiring oneof those to create the cover art.  Which iswhat Rebecca Barrett Author did for her novel, “The Rat Catcher.”
Amazon.com : The Rat Catcher Barrett 
  Embedded in an eye-catching cover is aneye-catching title. Getting a buyer/reader’s attention is Marketing 101 for anykind of sales, and for authors, that’s why there is such a big to-do over coverreveals.
  A traditional publisher has a say, usuallythe final decision, on the title they want to publish. They can choose to refineor reject an author’s favorite. 
  On the other hand, the autonomous self-publishedauthor has the final say-so. Google searches or visiting the local library’sshelves can help inspire an initial idea. (I’m often inspired by a narrative ordialogue line from somewhere in the middle or end of my story.) Caveat: Thefinal decision on a title should include considering the comments of editors, critique partners, and fellow members of writing organizations.
  That all-important first line, first page,and first chapter enter the decision to buy or not to buy after the reader isattracted enough to pick up the book and scan through it.
  First and ultimately, covers and titles are invitations to read.
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  On Jane Friedman’s blog, editor Tiffany YatesMartin offers some thoughts on Why Your Flashbacks Aren’t Working | JaneFriedman
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“I am thankful for all of those who said NO to me. It'sbecause of them I'm doing it myself.”     ― Albert Einstein
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  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:

  Beach? Mountains? StayCay? Getting to be time to plan forthose holiday and summer vacation downtime moments when you can lose yourself in abook. 
  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced,thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a touch of Jane Bond romance.The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

 

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

 

 

Newsy

  It’s sadly incongruous to be sending myJewish friends a Happy Passover greeting during this time of a terrible war inIsrael. I pray the Lord will comfort those who suffer great loss, as I pray forpeace.
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  Plan an in-store or online celebration atyour favorite indie bookstore April 27, 2024.    Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party thattakes place at indie bookstores across the country. (Happens everyyear on the last Saturday in April.)    If youfind you’re not able to support a local indie book store next weekend, not toworry. Any day will work fine.
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For Writers:
  On Jane Friedman’s blog, editor Tiffany YatesMartin offers some thoughts on Why Your Flashbacks Aren’t Working | JaneFriedman
///

  The Mobile Writers Guild members are puttingtogether a new anthology, using song titles as the title of their short storyor poem. There is, however, a huge caveat: Writers (of all kinds of work) needto avoid quoting actual song lyrics “like the plague.” 
  If you’ve thought aboutusing song lyrics in your story, read this: https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/quoting-song-lyrics-in-a-book-4-factors-fair-use
///
Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learnas you go.     E. L. Doctorow

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  Remember how I hadto miss posting a blog recently because my computer quit working? This week,it’s my minivan. Aaaarrrggghhh! I have to get it towed to my mechanic onTuesday, so he can determine if the problem is fixable. The vehicle is only16-years old. How can it not be fixable? Fingers crossed.
  Okay, that’s it fortoday. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raisingprayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
Escape the mundane via my novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA─fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a touch of Jane Bond romance. 

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer andbookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
  Nota bene: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us ➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Reading 'n writing

  Feelings ofinadequacy can often overwhelm any confidence of competency and send us runningfor a big spoon and the nearest half-gallon of ice cream (chocolate for me) forcomfort. But think about this: Bona fide professionals, those people weconsider successful, do not, cannot rest on their laurels. Okay, that’s acliché, but truly, professionals continually work to improve and perfect theirskills.

  Every time DonaldMaass, author of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, leads a workshop on writing, I’dventure to guess he’s included something new since his last workshop. He’s aprofessional writer/lecturer/teacher who keeps polishing and improving hiscraft. Pro golfers take lessons; powerhouse baseball hitters have trainers asdo Olympic runners and skaters. 

  The lesson isclear. The way for writers to improve their writing craft is to practice; i.e.,they must read stories in all genres,* (but especially in their chosen genre), andnetwork with fellow writers. And those tasks never cease.
  By accident or intentionalresearch rabbit hole, I try to find some tidbit that I can incorporate into awork-in-progress or add to my growing list of helpful hints. Really, though, Ilove to learn something new most every day, Reader or writer, I wish you thesame success.
[  *   Book coach RobinHenry’s essay on Jane Friedman’s blog explains more about how best to read toimprove writing practice. Find out more here:    How to Read to Elevate Your Writing Practice| Jane Friedman  ] §§
Tax Day is April 15, and I am breathlesslyrelieved that my taxes were eFiled—Friday, April 12. I wasbeginning to think I’d have to file for an extension, but hey, they got done…YAY! 
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.

cj

Now some words from my sponsors:


  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a touch of JaneBond romance (behind closed doors). The books are available on Amazon or through your favoriteeTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.
  Little note: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on . . .  ➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Gothic stories reviews

 cj Sez:  Having just read ‘The Forgotten Garden” by KateMorton for a Gothic Reads Facebook group, I’m reminded of other gothic stories I’ve read. 
  (If you'd like learn more about the Gothic Reads group, open your Facebook page, then find this link: POSSESSED: Timeless Gothic Reads | Facebook )
  Here is a refresher ofa few of my reviews of gothic tales, and if these books are not on your To-Be-Readlist, I think they should be.
    Buy DARKLING
THE DARKLING 
  A Gothic/horror novel from USA Today Bestsellingauthor Carolyn Haines.
  When Berta and BobHenderson open their home to foster Annie, a young amnesiac found wandering thestreets of a nearby city, bad things begin to happen.  
  As tragedy strikesthe family one by one, it becomes clear something is stalking the Hendersonfamily.
A 5-star read!
///

Buy MURMURS
MURMURS OF EVIL(The Possession Chronicles Book 2) by Carrie Dalby  
  ProtagonistMagdalene Jones is hired as a companion to a wealthy woman who is despondentover the death of her daughter.
 Magdalene soon finds herself immersed in aneconomic class she knows nothing about and is immediately tempted andchallenged by the heir-apparent of her employer, his father, who, himself, istempted by her. 
  Intrigue abounds in this recommended read. 
  I gave this book 5stars.

///
THE RECKONING by John Grisham  Buy RECKONING  I thought this bookwould be a legal thriller—it is anything but. To repeat the Amazon description,“The Reckoning is Grisham's argument that he's not just aboilerplate thriller writer.”
  If Southern Gothicis one of your favorite reads, THE RECKONING by John Grisham is for you. If youdon’t know what Southern Gothic literature is, it includes dark humor,violence, destitute characters, discrimination, angst, and a strong sense ofplace—THE RECKONING hits the high notes and then some of all of thesecharacteristics.
  Grisham has told asuspenseful tale of betrayal and lies that drive a town’s favorite son (a WorldWar II hero whose Bataan Death March experience is detailed) to commit ahorrific crime. The negatives were the sometimes too-long paragraphs thatseemed to ramble and didn't add a lot to the narrative. 
  I gave thisangst-driven story 3 stars.
§§

  And this on Jane Friedman’s blog:  "When mystery,thriller, and suspense authors plot their stories, one of the biggestconsistent hurdles is designing twists that work."  Author and book coach Samantha Skal asks (and answers) the question: "How do weideate twists that work?"
Designing Thriller and Mystery Twists ThatWork | Jane Friedman
§§
  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on,and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:

  My novels, THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA arefast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a touch of JaneBond romance. The books are available on Amazon or through your favoriteeTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free fromHoopla.
  Little note: AngelaTrigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has afew signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜ Follow me on . . . 
➜ Amazon:    AmazonCentral Author Page
➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6