Terry Odell's Blog, page 74

First Impressions

First Impressions

Last time, I talked about a favorite saying I picked up at a writer’s conference.

Do what you love, do what you’re good at, and hire out the rest.

Today’s book digital selling/buying/marketing world presents challenges for authors, especially indie authors. Of course, you hope you have your fan base—people who have read your other books and are ready to buy the next ones. But unless you have a huge fan base, you need new readers.

First impressions are critical. You have...

Let the Editing Continue

Let the Editing Continue — and the Marketing Begin

Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed some of the eight gifts I shared.

We’re into our first full week of January, and after a holiday hiatus, it’s time for me to get back to work. Given I’d finished the manuscript for Deadly Fun, I decided to take time off from writing, since I’m not good at juggling more than one project. I had books to read, family events, and thought it would be nice to have some extra free time. However, after a couple of...

Dreams, Resolutions or Goals?

Time for my annual New Year’s post. I gave up making resolutions a long time ago, because they don’t work. Here’s why:

With a new year come new beginnings. Fresh starts. We all enter it filled with hope and promises to make it better than the last one.

And, usually, by the end of January, all those good intentions have gone by the wayside. I gave up making resolutions long ago (although I occasionally make them for the Hubster—less chance of me breaking them that way). What I’ve learned, is...

My Eighth Gift to You

Eighth Gift

On this last day of Hanukkah, I offer you a sneak peek at the first chapter of my upcoming book, Deadly Fun. This is the 5th novel (but 9th story) in my Mapleton Mystery series. The manuscript won’t be going to my editor until after the holidays, so this is still in the “Advanced Reader Copy” stage. That means it may be different when the book is published. Look for it sometime in February or March.

Click here for your sneak peek.

Happy New Year, Everyone! See you in 2020

The...

My Seventh Gift to You

Seventh Gift

For the seventh day of Hanukkah, I offer two short stories based on characters who play important, yet mostly behind-the-scenes roles in my first six Blackthorne, Inc. novels: Horace Blackthorne and Grace Ellsworth. A chance encounter plants the seeds for Horace to take his father’s company in a new direction. Years later, he’s reunited with the woman responsible for those changes.

Click the covers for the stories.

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My Sixth Gift to You

Sixth Gift

My Sixth Gift to You:

Rugelach

Although Rugelach are not specifically Hanukkah cookies, they’re a tradition in our family. They’re fun to make with the kids, assembly-line fashion.

Rugelach recipe

Pastry:
2 sticks butter
8 oz. cream cheese
t salt
2 c flour

Filling:
c + 2 T sugar
1 T cinnamon
3 T melted butter (you might need more)
c. dried currants (or raisins, but chop them down to currant size first)
1 c finely chopped walnuts.
(rumor has it mini chocolate chips are good...

My Fifth Gift to You

Fifth Gift

Today, I offer you a free download of the first book in my Triple-D Ranch series, In Hot Water.

Simply follow this link to Smashwords and download the book in the format of your choice.

Don’t delay. This special offer expires January 1st.

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My Fourth Gift to You

Fourth Gift

A Hanukkah tradition is making potato latkes. It’s one food that tastes best made fresh, although I know some prefer to make them ahead, freeze, and reheat.

Here’s the basic recipe I use.

6 medium potatoes
1 onion, grated
2 eggs
1 t salt
– c flour or matzo meal
oil for frying

Peel and grate potatoes, and squeeze out liquid. Add remaining ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Fry in hot oil until underside is browned. Turn and brown other side. Drain on paper towels.

My notes: I like...

My Third Gift to You

Third Gift

I hope you enjoyed yesterday’s gift, a peek at how Sarah and Randy got their jobs as characters in Finding Sarah. Today, I offer you a second interview, this time for a sequel, Hidden Fire. Sarah’s not sure she wants the job, and not because it goes against romance novel expectations, that the same hero and heroine can’t star in two books. I had to do a little work to convince her to be in the book.

Click the cover for your gift.

Want to read Hidden Fire? You can find it at most...

My Second Gift to You

For my second gift to you, I offer a fun read. Finding the right characters for a book is critical. When I’m looking for my characters, I advertise. Here’s what happened when I was searching for the perfect Sarah and Randy for Finding Sarah.

Click the cover to read the story.

Did you know Finding Sarah is a Free Read? You can find your favorite e-store here.

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