P.D. Workman's Blog, page 29

My Top Ten Tips for Writing a Novel in One Month

Writing a novel in a month, whether for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) or another reason can be a daunting task—especially if you’ve never done so before. It doesn’t have to be difficult, however; with the right advice and steps, you can pull together a full-length book by November 30. The following ten tips will help you achieve success!

Do not be misled by romantic movies about blocked novelists who are inspired by a new person in their lives or by a holiday or by facing their biggest fear or regret. They pound out the next great American novel in a couple of hours during the night. To pound out a short novel of 50,000 words in eight hours, you would have to type at a sustained rate of 104 wpm, with no time for thinking about or planning the next sentence, let alone the plot of the novel, no time for bathroom breaks, and no time for (horror!) snacks.

That’s not going to happen. Approach writing your next novel with a plan of attack, and you will be far more likely to succeed.

These are some of my words of wisdom, but I acknowledge that no two writers are the same and no two books are the same. Pick out what works for you and leave the rest.

And yes, I am writing this blog post a third of the way through the month. While it is certainly possible to plan and write a novel in 20 days, I wouldn’t recommend it for your first time. But you can use this guide for whenever you decide to take on this undertaking, whether you are writing on your own, for Camp Nano in April or July, or November a year or two down the line.

Decide on your genre

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of writers get stuck on this step. What is it you are writing? What genre will it fit into (even if it is a genre mashup)? Who is your audience? What are they expecting to see in a book categorized in this genre? What are the tropes? What is the central conflict in this genre? Are you writing about characters who solve a mystery? Go on an adventure? Fall in love? Learn magic?

Or are you a NaNo rebel and you’re going to write a non-fiction book this month. Or write a blog a day or a short story a day? Nail down the basic question of what first.

Set a word count goal

The usual word count goal for NaNo is 50,000 words, which is about the lowest count as a traditional publisher will consider counts as a “novel.” This works out to 1667 words per day if you write every day of November. But many stories take longer than that to tell, and a lot of writers end up putting their half-complete NaNo novel aside at the end of the month and never taking it up again. If you decide to take a break in December because you are burned out, it will be much harder to get back into your book again. So start with a plan now. Will your book be longer than 50,000 words? Will you confine your writing to November, or go into December? Think about what will work for you.

Clear the Decks

November is a terrible month to write a full novel. Thanksgiving, preparations for Christmas and the beginning of office Christmas parties, long dark nights and short days… There are a hundred reasons not to write a book in November. But the same is true of any month. So let’s prepare by clearing the decks to write in November.

When I did NaNo the first few times, one of the things that I liked most was being able to make writing my priority for a month. Sure, I still had responsibilities in other areas of my life, but I would say “no” to any extras. I would tell people that I was writing a book that month. I would tell my family that I couldn’t do this or that until I had hit my word count. That they could make their own dinners and fine their own entertainment. I was NaNoing.

So if you are planning to NaNo, start saying “no” to anything extra and moving some of those responsibilities that you can back to October or forward into December. Yes, December will be busy, but December will always be busy.

Choose your main character

Even those who write “by the seat of their pants” (pantser or discovery writer) usually have a character in mind when they begin writing a book. Here is a person, caught in a situation. What kind of a person? What kind of a situations? What are some conflicts that they are going to run into? How will their background and present situation affect the outcome? Maybe you are not someone who plots out any detail. Maybe you don’t know where the storyline is going or where it will end, but you can think about who you are going to write about.

Develop a plot outline

I am not going to tell the pantsers that they have to learn how to plot. Or that they have to write down at least a beginning, middle, and end for their book. Remember, every writer is different and every book is different. Some benefit from starting at the beginning, and plotting through in chronological order to the end. Some start in the middle and work outward. Some come in pieces that need to be assembled.

If you are a plotter, or a planster, or whatever other name that means you like to have something a little more structured before you begin to write, then spend part of October prepping. (Referred to by NaNo’s as “Preptober”). Whether you spend all of October, or just a few days or hours, start to sketch out the bits of the plot that will help you to write the book in NaNo. For planners, having a good plot structure in place can help prevent you from getting bogged down mid-month with a “saggy middle.”

Write every day

Or not. I actually don’t. What is your goal here? Others do it to establish a daily writing habit, and the number of words doesn’t matter. For others, it is to hit a minimum of 1,667 words each and every day so that they will hit 50,000 by the end of November. Others just want to enjoy making writing a bigger priority for the month, and end up stressed and blocked if they are penned into a certain number of words or writing every day. So don’t write every day if that’s not what works for you. I write six days a week and take Sunday off. If I was writing a 50,000 word novel, that would mean writing 1,923 words per day six days a week instead of 1,667 words seven days a week. And for some people, being able to take a break for one day a week could mean the difference between success and failure.

Establish your intermediate/daily goals. Find what works for you. Plan for success, and then adjust.

It’s time to start writing! For most people, this is the fun part.

Don’t edit as you write

Or do. You will often hear this piece of advice given, particularly to newbies. The goal is not to get bogged down with writing and rewriting passages to be perfect, but instead to get momentum going and write down the structure of your story. You can go back later to tweak and polish it. Some writers are very militant about this. Don’t even press the backspace key if you make a typo. Just keep moving forward. Vomit words onto the page.

People are much more relaxed, just telling you not to get stuck in the minutia, and to just keep moving forward. And there are many writers in between. I use my backspace key. I rephrase a sentence or rewrite a paragraph where I need to. I re-read part of what I read yesterday before I start writing today. I know I can do all of that and still hit my daily quotas. Your experience may be different.

So instead, I would say look forward. Think about the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next plot point or chapter. If something needs to be fixed, it’s okay to just mark it with ** or // or 999 or [ ] to come back to later, and keep moving on for now. Feel free to make notes to yourself and go back to it later. For now, forward is generally the best way to get to the end of your book.

Set a deadline for yourself

If you are doing NaNo, your deadline is probably November 30. But it might not be. That might be your halfway point and your goal is to finish by December 31. Or some other date. You might not have a “final” deadline, but a daily quota. Or certain milestones that you will celebrate. Set deadlines in the way that works for you. Some people love working up against a hard deadline. Others freak out or melt down. What kind of goal works for you? Look back at past accomplishments for hints.

Take a break before editing

When you are finished with your first draft, chances are, you are going to need to do a second draft. And a third. Who knows how many? If it is your first book, you might have a lot of drafts before you get to the point that you are comfortable with your story. Nanowrimo pushes December as the month to edit your NaNo book (mainly, I think, because publishers hate being inundated with unedited manuscripts on December first.)

But it can also be helpful to put your manuscript away to “season” for thirty days after writing it. This gives you a chance to look at it with fresh eyes. You’ll discover things that you didn’t remember you wrote. You’ll spot plot holes that you were blind to before. And it’s really kind of fun to go back to your NaNo novel to read it later and see how it really turned out.

A little bit of seasoning time can be very beneficial. I highly recommend it. (Note that I process all of my notes to myself and do one full edit immediately after writing. Then I put it away to season for 30 days. Find what works for you!)

Have fun!

The best thing about Nanowrimo is the community. The NaNo website is, unfortunately, not as conducive as it once was to meet and talk with your new writer buddies on the site. But NaNo communities have sprung up on Facebook and Discord, you may have local community groups led by a municipal liaison, you may participate in meetups and writing sprints with professional organizations like Sisters in Crime. It is a lot of fun to be surrounded by other people who are just as crazy as you are, all striving toward similar goals, all raising the priority of writing in their lives for the month of November. You can write a novel any month of the year, but there is nothing like being surrounded by other people doing the same thing.

If you can, find some locals and join a meetup. Do a Zoom or Discord sprint session. Talk to other writers in your genre about what they are doing. Listen to the advice of oldsters who have been doing NaNo for years. Be buoyed up by the newbies who are excited to try it for the first time.

Don’t get so serious about meeting your quotas and achieving your goals that you lose sight of having fun along the way.

Okay, that wraps it up! I hope some of these tips are valuable to you. Feel free to comment below and let me know what you’re doing for NaNo and whether you love it—or hate it.

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The Devil’s Sea: Fast-paced international thriller with high adventure, deep sea exploration and peril

Parks Pat Mysteries

If you love mysteries and armchair travel, explore the Parks Pat Mysteries series, a new Canadian mystery series following Métis detective Margie Patenaude as she investigates murders in parks. Readers will get a sense of Canada while enjoying a fast-paced read, with a beautiful landscape that is as much a character as the suspects. I also have calendars, notebooks, and planners featuring photos of the parks mentioned in the books. Check them out today!

Hop over to my blog post to find a coupon code to get the first book in the series, Out With the Sunset, for just $0.99.

Today’s Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

Clive Cussler’s son, Dirk Cussler, has taken the reins from his father as master storyteller. In The Devil’s Sea, he brings us a fast-paced international thriller undersea and though Tibet in a tangled web involving a Chinese missile, marine exploration, and a Buddhist relic. Expect high adventure, deep sea exploration. explosions and peril. Dirk does a great job continuing the legacy that his father started, with clean, exciting suspense that anyone can enjoy.

A cloud of silt filled the screen as the submersible edged against the canyon walls. “I don’t want to see them getting stuck down there.”

Dirk Cussler, The Devil’s Sea

In 1959 Tibet, a Buddhist artifact of immense importance was seemingly lost to history in the turmoil of the Communist takeover. But when National Underwater and Marine Agency Director Dirk Pitt discovers a forgotten plane crash in the Philippine Sea over 60 years later, new clues emerge to its hidden existence.
 
But Pitt and his compatriot Al Giordino have larger worries when they are ordered to recover a failed hypersonic missile from Luzon Strait. Only someone else is after it, too…a rogue Chinese military team that makes their own earthshattering discovery, hijacking a ship capable of stirring the waters of the deep into a veritable Devil’s Sea.
 
From the cold dark depths of the Pacific Ocean to the dizzying heights of the Himalaya Mountains, only Dirk Pitt and his children, Summer and Dirk Jr., can unravel the mysteries that will preserve a religion, save a nation…and save the world from war.

Related posts The Devil’s Sea: Fast-paced international thriller with high adventure, deep sea exploration and peril New Release! Their Walls Were Empty A Journey into Botswana in The Kalahari Typing School for Men Learn about The Other People Guest Post: Have You Met Anastasia? October is my Bookiversary Checking out a new series with Gone New releases: He Drowned in Memory and more Time to Hit the Books! Back 2 School Survival Pack Death of a Corpse Posed for Death Beat the Heat with Christmas in July Feast on A Banquet of Consequences Get Swept Away by Fallen Suspended at Hairpin Bridge Rushin’ Death Intrigued by The Stranger in the Mirror Looking for A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder? A new twist in You Will Remember Me Cloaked Campaign [image error] Let this book take you Hostage Glimpse a dark past in Friends Like These Get your political thriller fix with State of Terror Flash sale on Immersed in the View and more!




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Parks Pat Mysteries: Explore Canada’s Beautiful Parks

Award-winning and bestselling author, P.D. Workman, has written a series of murder mysteries set in beautiful Canadian parks in and around Calgary, Alberta, including Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and Fish Creek Park.

The Parks Pat Mysteries are a new Canadian mystery series that follows Métis detective Margie Patenaude as she investigates murders in picturesque parks. The Canadian landscape is as much a character in these novels as the suspects, and the reader will get a sense of the country while enjoying a fast-paced read. It is an excellent introduction to Canada’s natural beauty. The reader can learn about Canada’s landscape, culture, and history while following a compelling mystery.

The Books

Books 1-6 are available for purchase now:

Out With the SunsetLong Climb to the TopDark Water Under the BridgeImmersed in the ViewSkimming Over the LakeHazard of the Hills

You can get the first eBook, Out with the Sunset for only $0.99 with coupon code “parkpat1”!

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Three more books are in the works:

Knows the HillsSpanning the CreekSanctuary in the StreamNew and Upcoming Products

Looking for something new this holiday season?

How about a gorgeous 2023 wall calendar showcasing Calgary Parks as well as P.D. Workman’s release dates, US and Canadian holidays, and reading suggestions based on observances of issues mentioned in Workman’s books?

A notebook with a cover showcasing Fish Creek Park is available in either hardcover or spiral-bound formats, with your choice of lined, dot-grid, or blank pages to capture your thoughts and ideas.

A matching 2023 planner will be available before the end of the year.

Join the adventure now!

This is another well-written, briskly-paced mystery featuring great characters, lots of interesting glimpses into Canada’s Indigenous culture, and a satisfying resolution all wrapped up in delightful quick-read police procedural by an author who could make a description of drying paint sound fascinating.

These short mysteries are just right for those days when you could use a break from your busy life.

Take a walk in a Calgary park with Parks Pat.

Related posts Parks Pat Mysteries: Explore Canada’s Beautiful Parks October is my Bookiversary Sanctuary in the Stream Spanning the Creek Knows the Hills Something New: I Owe You One Parks Pat Cases 4-6 Books for National Indigenous Peoples Day Get your political thriller fix with State of Terror Flash sale on Immersed in the View and more! Getting chills from The Steel Kiss Check out April New Releases – Parks Pat and more Have you heard of Anteater of Death? What is Behind Her Eyes A Treasure Chest Full of Deals Nanowrimo—why or why not? Another Bookiversary Get your Thrills with Stop at Nothing Free this weekend – Out With the Sunset and more Cuddle up with a Good Mystery for National Ice Cream Cone Day Get swept away by All by Myself, Alone Dark Water under the Bridge and other Police Procedurals A thrilling read: Stalker on the Fens Murder in the Park: Long Climb to the Top




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The Bell Jar – A Dark and Engaging Exploration of Depression

photo by Alan Light

I wrote a tribute to Jessica Fletcher to mark the passing of award-winning actress Angela Lansbury last week. The world will miss her!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

This book has been on my reading list for a long time, and I finally got around to reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It is a difficult-to-read fictionalized autobiographical account of mental illness, depression, and attempted suicide. The author/main character was hospitalized for therapy, including shock therapy, after a serious suicide attempt. Sylvia Plath tells it like it is and was heralded for her fresh, unflinching look at depression in our modern society, especially in women. While the story ends with Esther Greenwood back on the road to mental health, it does foresee that one day depression will descend again, a prediction that indeed came to pass for Ms. Plath. The author was, in the end, unable to overcome the darkness, and I hope she found some peace in the world to come.

I was supposed to be having the time of my life

Sylvia Path, The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that Esther’s neurosis becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar an enduring classic.

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Good-Bye Angela Lansbury: A Tribute to the Beloved Character Jessica Fletcher

photo by Alan Light

I was saddened to hear that award-winning actress Angela Lansbury had died October 11 at the age of 96. Lansbury’s amazing career spanned more than eight decades and included dozens of movie and TV roles. She received six Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), six Golden Globe Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, and the Academy Honorary Award. She was nominated for three Academy Awards, eighteen Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award. She was perhaps best known for playing amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in the long-running mystery series Murder, She Wrote.

Jessica Fletcher

Murder, She Wrote aired from 1984-1996. Throughout its twelve-season run, viewers watched as mystery writer and retired English teacher Jessica solved cases in Cabot Cove and beyond.

Fans of the show loved to see this middle-aged everywoman dig down into the clues, fight injustice, and solve the mysteries that the police could not. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, Jessica had keen observation skills and an understanding of human nature. Her ability to match wits with villains who were more than willing to kill her was extraordinary. In a time when many female characters were damsels in distress or sex objects, it was refreshing to see a woman on TV pursue justice and truth.

You may not know that you can also read Jessica Fletcher in her own Murder She Wrote series (56 books!)

As Lansbury said:

Mystery is something that appeals to most everybody.

Angela Lansbury

Farewell

Goodbye, Jessica, we will miss you.

Goodbye Mrs. Potts and Auntie Mame.

Goodbye Angela.

More Mysteries

If you are looking for another amateur sleuth who finds herself in the middle of murder mysteries at every turn, check out the Auntie Clem’s Bakery Series.

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Gluten-Free Murder

Erin Price moves to Bald Eagle Falls, a place where everyone knows everyone as well as everyone else’s business, taking over the store left to her by her aunt to start up a gluten-free bakery. The grand opening is marred by just one thing, the death of her business rival, Angela Plaint. It appears that Angela was poisoned by one of Erin’s cupcakes, making her a prime suspect.

Equipped with cupcakes, her desire for the truth, and new bakery assistant Vicky’s help, Erin goes head-to-head against Detective Terry Piper to solve the murder. Rumors of treasure hunting, drug dealing, and a missing boy swirl around Bald Eagle Falls as Erin tries to sort the clues from the red herrings and find the killer before the killer can take care of her.

P.D. Workman has done it again! This introduction to a new series involves a fresh start, sympathetic characters, and a murder. I spent the last ten minutes of the book standing up to read because I was off to do something but just couldn’t put it down until I got to the end. I haven’t been that invested in a book in a while.

Couldn’t put it down !! From a cute kitten to a police dog to a bakery for people with allergies ! Highly recommend!

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Related posts Good-Bye Angela Lansbury: A Tribute to the Beloved Character Jessica Fletcher Wedding Cake Crush New Release! Their Walls Were Empty Grab a Bookish Treat for Halloween [image error] A look back at the future in Click Here for Murder Guest Post: Have You Met Anastasia? October is my Bookiversary A case as cold as ice cream Explore a Highland Mystery in Plaid and Plagiarism Get your coffee fix with Roast Mortem Celebrate Cozy Mystery Day Come back to Booktown for: Not the Killing Type Reading about Peach Pie and Cherry Turnovers Fail, Medical Kidnap Files #6 and Other New Releases Books Featuring Prison Breaks On the Slab Pie and other great deals! Beat the Heat with Christmas in July On the Slab Pie and other new releases Books for my Birthday Intrigued by The Stranger in the Mirror Cut Out Cookie and other new releases A Fateful Plateful just $0.99 and other great deals Cloaked Campaign [image error] Let this book take you Hostage




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Southern Book Club Takes Readers on a Dark Ride

Their Walls Were Empty, book #12 in the Zachary Goldman Mysteries, launched over the weekend! Whether you have read the rest of the Zachary Goldman books or not, if you love a quirky not-so-perfect private eye who puts in the hard work to solve a case, you will love this book.

What readers are saying: “…longtime followers, as well as newcomers to the series, will be enthralled and entertained as the story unfolds.” “I love this series and this book is a great addition. Such great characters with an extremely interesting storyline.”

Check out my blog post for some great deals in the series while they are still available!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix is billed as “Steel Magnolias meets Dracula.” Sort of a horror book for those who might not usually read horror. While packaged like literary or women’s fiction, don’t be fooled. The Southern Book Club will pull you in, and you might not like where it takes you. It starts off light and funny but doesn’t stay that way. It does get both dark and graphic. I would not recommend it to anyone who does not like horror. This is not your personable, sparkling vampire. This vampire wants your (and your children’s) blood and is using his charm to lure you into dark corners.

Joining the Literary Guild of Mt. Pleasant had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Grady Hendrix, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.

One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor’s handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in. 

Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.

Related posts Southern Book Club Takes Readers on a Dark Ride Grab a Bookish Treat for Halloween Come back to Booktown for: Not the Killing Type Books Featuring Prison Breaks Glimpse a dark past in Friends Like These Reading about Strong Women Mysteries with just a hint of romance New Release: Careful of Thy Wishes and more! Learn about The Facts of Life and Death Personal Power in Fiction Skunk Man Swamp and other new releases! Meeting Old Friends in Midnight Sun Unwind the Conspiracy in All the Devils Are Here Skunk Man Swamp Pain, Medical Kidnap Files #5 and Other Freebies Trick or Treat! Get your Halloween Reads Excerpt from The Chemist Fiction about Human Trafficking Her Work Was Everything and more new releases! They Thought He Was Safe and other new releases! New releases! June, Into the Light, and more Gem, Himself, Alone and a round-up of free goodies! Fresh new releases—Gem Himself Alone and more Books for PTSD Awareness Day




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Wedding Cake Crush

by P.D. Workman


Coming Soon!
Series: Auntie Clem's Bakery #19
Genres: Cozy Mystery

eBook Price: $ 4.99 USD
Paperback Price: $ 12.95 USD


eBook Paperback RetailersBookbubBingebooks Goodreads

Coming July 2023

Wedding Cake CrushAboutPraise for Auntie Clem’s BakeryAuthor NotesBook Club ResourcesOn my BlogPraise for P.D. WorkmanFrom USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman!

The more things change…

Erin did not find the body. In fact, she had nothing to do with the body. She wasn’t responsible for the stranger’s death, or for his body being discovered. But she would like to have it all sorted out by the time Mrs. Peach returns from her cruise.

Then life interferes. There are other things she needs to get done, including some baking for Melissa’s surprise wedding.

Then the wrong party ends up with wedding cake all over his face. His cold, dead face.

How does Erin always end up in these sticky situations? And how is she going to get out of it?

I love this series. The characters are great and I love the interactions between them. What will they find themselves involved in next time? I can’t wait to find out.

Like baking mysteries? Cats, dogs, and other pets? Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author P.D. Workman brings readers back to small town Bald Eagle Falls for another culinary cozy mystery to be solved by gluten-free baker Erin Price and her friends.

Have your gluten-free cake and eat it too. Sink your teeth into this sweet treat now!

—This lady knows how to write!! I read this during hurricane Irma on my Kindle so I didn’t care the power was out!

—It was very good! But made me hungry!

—Oh my goodness I loved it! The murder mystery was so awesome… I couldn’t put this book down. Props to you again for another amazing read!

—I really enjoyed this book … Would make a great Hallmark movie.

—This very enjoyable story with uncomplicated characters and a sweet and easy storyline was well done.

Author Notes may contain spoilers!

Coming Soon

Gluten-Free Pinterest BoardMore Coming Soon! Beat the Heat with Christmas in July [image error] Let the fake snow fly, it is Christmas in July! Release of Allergen-Free Assignation and others! #pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .pt-cv-title a, #pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .panel-title { font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; color: #be1e2d !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }#pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .pt-cv-title a:hover, #pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .panel-title:hover { color: #0c0c0c !important; }#pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .pt-cv-readmore { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #00aeef !important; }#pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl .pt-cv-readmore:hover { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #00aeef !important; }#pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pt-cv-more , #pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pagination .active a, .pt-cv-pagination[data-sid='0d3d7f5iwl'] .active a { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #00aeef !important; }#pt-cv-view-0d3d7f5iwl { text-align: center; }

“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me … And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”

“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”

“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”

“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”

“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”

“[P.D. Workman’s] stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find yourself crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author.”

“P. D. Workman, does not shy from probing the deep psychological scars of childhood trauma, mental illness, and addiction. Also characteristic of this author, these extremely sensitive issues are explored with extensive empathy, described with incredible clarity, and portrayed with profound insight.”

“Once again P.D.Workman has created an intense psychological mystery that impacts a wallop of thought induction. The writing is so well developed and draws you into the characters story.”

The post Wedding Cake Crush first appeared on pdworkman.com.

New Release! Their Walls Were Empty

Eager to start the next Zachary Goldman Mystery? Zachary is on the trail of a couple of burglars in this one. Or is he?

Their Walls Were Empty is #12 in this private investigator series, but can be read as a stand alone.

T. Olson says: As usual, this is a very well written and interesting story, easy to read and with excellent characters. This time there’s a mystery within a mystery, and a nice little twist at the end.

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Their Walls Were Empty

A simple robbery

Back in the saddle, Private Investigator Zachary Goldman is hired by Kenzie’s father to investigate the heist of valuable memorabilia from his favorite sports bar.

Kenzie did say that it was a bad idea.

Maybe Zachary should have listened.

Because nothing is as it appears. As Zachary digs deeper, it becomes apparent that there is far more at stake here than just some sports memorabilia.

Just what has Walter put him in the middle of?

…longtime followers as well as newcomers to the series will be enthralled and entertained as story unfolds.

I love this series and this book is a great addition. Such great characters with an extremely interesting storyline.

Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.

Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.

Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.

Investigate this P.I. mystery now!

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If you are catching up on the Zachary Goldman Series, you can currently get the compilation of book 1-4 for just $2.99

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Finished reading Their Walls Were Empty and looking for something else? Check out these other new releases.

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-4e0fef6{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}One More Grave

FBI Special Agent Darcy Hunt knows what it’s like to lose. Her sister. Her parents. Her innocence. And it’s not over yet.

When an old friend of Skylar’s is found brutally murdered on her kitchen floor, Darcy wastes no time hunting for answers. This one, however, isn’t so cut and dry. As the victim’s past comes to light, it becomes clear that she had spent her last years running from something. Or someone. 

With no apparent logic to how he chooses his victims, Darcy must resort to unconventional  methods and unlikely alliances as she rushes to chase down a phantom killer.  

Meanwhile, a new adversary tugs off his mask and allows Darcy a glimpse of what is really underneath, leaving no mistake that he holds the collective fate of both Darcy and her sister in the palm of his hand. 

The clock is ticking… and Darcy is out of time.

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-6a96d94{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-7ef316e{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}The Lost Brother

You stare hard at the man in the photo, you’re sure that’s your brother. But he’s been dead for years . . . hasn’t he?

Steve was just four years old when he was told his two-year-old brother Zac had died. Steve remembers his brother’s strawberry-shaped birthmark and the missing little finger on his left hand.

Now, over twenty years later, Steve stumbles across a photo of a man with the exact same birthmark and missing left finger. He looks the same age as Zac would have been — could this mysterious man be Steve’s lost brother?

Detective Tyrone Swift is called in to investigate. But Steve and Zac’s mother is dead, their father long gone, and there’s no official record of Zac’s death. But when Swift finds letters belonging to their mum, his whole investigation is turned on its head.

Swift is also battling his own increasingly complicated personal life as he deals with his daughter moving away.

Swift must focus and find out the truth, no matter what the cost . . .

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-1a5e419{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-d5060d0{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}The Burglar Who Met Fredric Brown

Suppose you’re Bernie Rhodenbarr.

You’ve got a dream job, running your own cozy secondhand bookstore, complete with Raffles, your caudally challenged cat. It’s in Greenwich Village, and your best friend’s dog grooming salon is two doors away, and the two of you lunch together and meet for drinks after work.

And you’ve got another way to make a buck. Every once in a while you put your conscience on the shelf and let yourself into someone else’s residence, and you leave with more than you came with. You’re a burglar, and you know it’s wrong, but you love it.

And you’re good at it. You’ve got two ways to make a living, one larcenous, the other literary and legitimate, and you’re good at both of them.

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-a7840fd{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-6af7c84{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}The Red-Stained Desert

After a violent shootout that killed the sons of an Irish matriarch, Dave Nash leaves law enforcement in favor of being a private investigator—all because he thought it would produce a quieter life.

But when his niece and her boyfriend go missing, he drops everything to help find her, walking into an unexpected storm of death and revenge.

Behind him is Joe Black, a hitman who will stop at nothing to finish what he started. Ahead is a blood red wasteland in which killers hunt their victims. And in the middle is an elaborate operation where Nash’s niece and her boyfriend were last seen alive.

Death is everywhere… And Nash’s other half, Gloria Browning, might just be its next victim.

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-7638090{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-1c3da9e{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}The Islamorada Murders

Joey Mancuso and his wife, former FBI Special Agent, Marcy, where in Islamorada, Florida Keys, with the expectation of sunning, swimming, drinking a few locally brewed craft beers, enjoying freshly caught mahi-mahi and grouper, and simply relaxing from hectic New York City.

Former NYPD Homicide Detective, Mancuso, and now private investigator was not interested in getting involved in what seemed like an outlandish story. But how the timid, scared man, told the story, made Joey think twice about getting involved.

What followed was a series of murders— one body washing ashore the Islamorada Sandbar rattling sunbathers, another body with a bit off leg, picked up by a fishing charter in the Atlantic Ocean. Now, Joey’s mystery man was wanted for two homicides, smuggling a cache of fentanyl, and stealing from the dead men hundreds of thousands of dollars. To make it worse, Joey and Marcy were facing charges for harboring a wanted murderer.

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-6ed17b6{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-151b158{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Clean Break

When a tourist reports an abandoned car at a remote trailhead at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, Aroostine Higgins is the logical choice to investigate the high-profile case. After all, it’s her job. She’s a consultant to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, and she specializes in tracking people.

But when a search of the car turns up a blood-soaked hat that’s a match for a missing woman and a scrap of paper bearing the name “Rue Jackman,” the case becomes personal. Under the alias of Rue Jackman, Aroostine helps find missing Native American women who’ve been forgotten by the system.

The only problem is the missing woman isn’t Native, and Aroostine has no idea why her alias is on that piece of paper.

Kindle@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-7478329{flex:1 1 calc(33.333% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Related posts New Release! Their Walls Were Empty October is my Bookiversary A case as cold as ice cream New releases: He Drowned in Memory and more Get your noir fix with Crashed Books Featuring Prison Breaks It’s Camp Nanowrimo Time Again Where is The Vanishing Man? Cut Out Cookie and other new releases New releases including A Fateful Plateful Flash sale on Immersed in the View and more! They Came for Him Their Walls Were Empty Time to Your Elf and more new releases A Treasure Chest Full of Deals Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day Get Gentle Angel for $0.99 and other great deals! Reading about People Like Her Henry and other New Releases He Drowned in Memory In suspense with Mother May I Curl up with a Christmas book Cozy up with Snowbound Mysteries Unlawful Harvest and other great DEALS!




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A Journey into Botswana in The Kalahari Typing School for Men

Don’t miss my post last week for Autism Awareness Month. I have a number of articles you may be interested in and a 50% coupon for some of my books.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.

I’m not sure how many of the books I have read in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Maybe just one other one. The Kalahari Typing School for Men is number four in the series. It can, of course, be read as a stand alone. The mysteries dealt by the ladies are not suspenseful and thrilling, but instead take you on a journey into the culture and streets of Botswana. It is a slower pace, with lots of domestic details and carefully drawn characters. It is easy to find yourself pulled into these books even if you are used to the faster-paced mystery thrillers.

Those who brought their cars in for repair sometimes realised that there was a matter which might benefit from investigation-an errant husband, for example, or a missing relative while others who a came with a matter for the agency would arrange at the same time for their cars to be serviced or their brakes to be checked.

Alexander McCall Smith, The Kalahari Typing School for Men

A beguiling mystery and lyrical novel of Africa — the fourth in a series that the L.A. Times calls “thoroughly engaging and entertaining.”

Now that The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (the only detective agency for ladies and others in Botswana) is established, its founder, Precious Ramotswe, can look upon her life with pride: she’s reached her late thirties (“the finest age to be”), has a house, two children, a good fiancé — Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni — and many satisfied customers. But life is never without its problems. It turns out that her adopted son is responsible for the dead hoopoe bird in the garden; her assistant, Mma Makutsi, wants a husband and needs help with her idea to open the Kalahari Typing School for Men; yet Mma Ramotswe’s sexist rival has no trouble opening his Satisfaction Guaranteed Detective Agency across town. Will Precious Ramotswe’s delightfully cunning and profoundly moral methods save the day? Follow the continuing story of Botswana’s first lady detective in the irresistible The Kalahari Typing School for Men.

Related posts A Journey into Botswana in The Kalahari Typing School for Men Guest Post: Have You Met Anastasia? A case as cold as ice cream Books for National Indigenous Peoples Day Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day Let’s not forget this classic Agatha Christie Cold as Ice Cream and More New Releases My 2020 Bookiversary A Whisker’s Breadth and other New Releases! Trick or Treat! Get your Halloween Reads Back to school – time to hit the books Sale on Questing for a Dream The Telepathy of Gardens and other New Releases! Thanks for great book deals Excerpt from Camino Island Excerpt from Winter in Paradise Pick up some great mystery/thrillers this weekend! June, Into the Light and other freebies New releases! June, Into the Light, and more They Thought He Was Safe Excerpt from I Let You Go June, Into the Light, Between the Cracks #6 Interview with Zarina Macha




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A round-up of autism posts

In Canada, October is Autism Awareness Month, so I thought I would include a post showcasing some of the autism posts I already have written on my site. It’s easy to lose track of them after a while! Hopefully, you will find something here that is helpful or speaks to you. There are lots of great resources out there.

Autism Acceptance: Reading about Intersectionality

Autism Awareness During Crisis

The International Day of the Stim

Autism Acceptance Month

Starting with Autism Awareness

Happy Autistic Pride Day

Books Including Autistic Characters

As you read through the above articles, you will find that I have a number of books that include autistic or other neurodivergent characters or issues. Here are a few that include “spectrumy” characters (some labeled, some not) that you may enjoy. Until the end of the month, you can use the coupon code Autism2022 in my estore to get 50% off of the ebook edition of any (or all) of these books and the audiobook edition of Virtually Harmless.

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}His Hands Were Quiet

He’s better off dead anyway.

Hired to investigate the death of an autistic boy in a treatment facility, PI Zachary Goldman is concerned about the therapies he sees there. While he is assured that the children there are not actually being hurt, his investigation leads to the discovery of even deeper institutional abuses.

Battling the ghosts of his own past, Zachary fights to uncover the facility’s dark secrets and to get as many children as he can out of harm’s way.

The way that PD Workman showed the autistic perspective in contrast to the mainstream views about us was lovely. I appreciated it more than I can express in words. She did thorough research on multiple sides of the issue and it shows. She gives multiple autistic perspectives, not just one, and the way they were presented brought me to tears multiple times … The story itself was a solid mystery with many exciting twists and turns along the way. Even if I wasn’t personally invested in the topic (being autistic myself and having autistic children), I still would’ve enjoyed it as a mystery. I’m extremely likely to pick up more of her books now that I’ve read this one!

Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.

Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.

Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.

Investigate this P.I. mystery now!

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The way that PD Workman showed the autistic perspective in contrast to the mainstream views about us was lovely. I appreciated it more than I can express in words. She did thorough research on multiple sides of the issue and it shows. She gives multiple autistic perspectives, not just one, and the way they were presented brought me to tears multiple times …  The story itself was a solid mystery with many exciting twists and turns along the way. Even if I wasn’t personally invested in the topic (being autistic myself and having autistic children), I still would’ve enjoyed it as a mystery. I’m extremely likely to pick up more of her books now that I’ve read this one!

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Toxo

Caleb, an autistic teen is mistakenly arrested.
Bad turns to worse when he is then apprehended from his family by DFS.

His mother could never have predicted the chain of events in a million years.

In trying to protect him, DFS has actually put Caleb in harm’s way.

”Yet another winner for PD Workman. I’m amazed that this lady isn’t acknowledged more. She writes about very serious subjects and is an advocate for mental health.”

Once again, Gabriel and Renata have teamed up to right injustice and to get Caleb to safety. But Andrew Searle is on the case, and it’s his job to see that they don’t succeed and that Caleb remains in foster care.

Ripped from the headlines, you won’t want to miss this intriguing plot!

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Just like every other P.D. Workman book I’ve ever read, the gritty, raw realism of Toxo does an absolutely incredible job of taking my breath away.

Britt, Goodreads reviewer

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Virtually Harmless

From award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman

Micah lived a quiet, comfortable life, her involvement in law enforcement limited to the composite pictures that she produced with her computer and colored pencils.

But everything is turned upside down when she involves herself in the case of an infant found abandoned in the Sweetgrass Hills.

With the help of her knowledge of DNA and law enforcement contacts across the country, Micah is closing in on a killer. But her investigation draws the killer’s attention, and she finds herself in the middle of an operation that could mean the end of her career—or worse, her life.

This cosy thriller with a neurodivergent, aro-ace MC will keep you turning the pages long after you should have logged into your day job. Oops.

Love CSI and other forensic mysteries? Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author brings you this fresh new nail-biter for your next read.

Join Micah as she picks up her pencils and starts on a new case.

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“P. D. Workman has outdone herself with this riveting techno-thriller featuring Micah Miller, a forensic artist specializing in composite renderings based on forensic DNA phenotyping … This book offers plenty of thrills, chills, suspense and white-knuckled tension as the plot unfolds and it kept me turning pages until late into the night. The story is clean and well-written, the plot is fascinating, the pace is relentless and the characters are realistic and relatable. I highly recommend this absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable thriller to anyone who favors CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Forensic Files or any high-tech inspired crime-solving theme.”

—Kim, Goodreads reviewer

@media screen and (min-width:768px){.stk-8fd7e47{flex:1 1 calc(66.7% - var(--stk-column-gap,0px) * 1 / 2 ) !important}}Cynthia Has a Secret

One day, fifteen-year-old Carmina Knight’s life was perfect, and the next, she’d lost everything. Her family, her home, almost everything that she knew. Alone on the streets, she can’t trust anyone, but she also can’t make it alone.

Neil Crowther is the investigator on the Knight case. He knows that he has to unravel the web of deceit and track Carmina down quickly, or there will be no one left to save.

It takes a while to learn Cynthia’s secret. The author keeps us in suspense, which keeps us riveted to the story. I would recommend this book to boys and girls from upper grade school to high school.
This is a great story of a young girl’s struggle to survive

—Victoria, Goodreads Reader

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Related posts A round-up of autism posts Tracking a Killer in Blind Search Fiction Books for ADHD Awareness Doctored Death and more new releases! [image error] Mental Health Awareness Month Start Over with the Christmas Cupcake Murder Autism Acceptance: Reading about Intersectionality Excerpt from Good Omens Autism Awareness During Crisis The International Day of the Stim June freebie round-up – Apple-achian Treasure and more Excerpt from The Mysterious Affair at Styles Autism Acceptance Month Why wear odd socks? Toxo Medical Kidnap Files #4 Excerpt from I Can See You Excerpt from The Life We Bury Happy Autistic Pride Day Excerpt from Neurotribes N24 Awareness Day Starting with Autism Awareness Excerpt from Papers in the Wind Giving Thanks for Indie Authors! Excerpt from Best Boy




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