Terry Odell's Blog, page 79

Pronunciation. You say Tomato

Pronunciation. You say Tomato

After a vacation, it’s eventually time to get back to work. Laundry is done, basic groceries have been replenished. I have the audio files for Remaking Morgan to review, and I’ve never been able to work on more than one project at a time, so the writing will be put on hold until I finish listening to the book. So far, Kelley Hazen is doing a fantastic job—but I expected that, since she narrated the other four Pine Hills Police novels.

After getting 13 audiobooks...

Home Again

Home Again

After a twenty-four hour travel day, we are back on our mountain. After three weeks at sea level, it’ll take a bit of adjusting to the altitude, probably more than the 7-hour time difference.

The trip was fantastic, and I’ll be posting bits and pieces as I work on my pictures. A few samples from my phone. I have yet to transfer the ones from my camera to the PC. Right now, laundry is at the top of my to-do list, and my brain isn’t ready to handle much more than that.

 

 

 

Than...

While I’m On Blogcation …

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Only Happens Once Every Fifty Years

Now that Cole and Morgan are waiting in the wings, I’m taking a break. Of course, there’s no such thing as a total break, because we’re always seeing things that trigger story ideas, but the Hubster and I decided that a 50th anniversary was worth celebrating with more than dinner out and a bottle of champagne.

One of our daughters, when she was here on a recent visit from her home in Northern Ireland, pointed out that she’s lived there twelve years and we’ve never gone to see her. Thus, an an...

Covers, Titles, and Book Descriptions, Oh My

Covers, Titles, and Book Descriptions, Oh My

How important are covers, titles, and book descriptions? Based on recent experience, I’d say very. They’re what readers looking for books will see first, and we know you never have a second chance to make a first impression.

Covers need to look professional, and should reflect the genre. For that reason, I updated the covers of 3 of my Pine Hills Police books, to show there’s likely some “relationship stuff” going on, that they’re not straight myst...

Music, Dogs, and Writing Books

Music, Dogs, and Writing Books

When writing a book, there are always things you learn. Ideally, they’re related to the book, but sometimes those searches take you down rabbit holes of “other interesting information.” And sometimes, they’re totally unexpected.

Classical music plays a role in Remaking Morgan, as does a rescue dog. I’m familiar with some of the “classics” but don’t know enough to match all the composers to the melodies, and even less familiar with what the pieces are called. I a...

Remaking Morgan: The Book is Finished, But the Work Isn’t

Remaking Morgan: The Book is Finished, But the Work Isn’t

I’m happy to announce that Remaking Morgan is now live for preorder at most e-stores. If you’re an indie author, it’s not a matter of sitting back and waiting for your publisher to make the magic happen.

What goes into making sure the product is as good as it can be?
My editor returned the manuscript with her comments. I looked at all of them, decided whether I agreed, and made changes, explaining my rationale when I disagreed, then se...

The Book is Finished, But Are You?

The Book is Finished, But Are You?

I’m happy to announce that Remaking Morgan is now live for preorder at most e-stores. If you’re an indie author, it’s not a matter of sitting back and waiting for your publisher to make the magic happen.

What goes into making sure the product is as good as it can be?
My editor returned the manuscript with her comments. I looked at all of them, decided whether I agreed, and made changes, explaining my rationale when I disagreed, then sent the manuscript back....

A Drum Roll for the Newest Pine Hills Police Novel

Drum roll, please.

I promised to reveal the title of my new Pine Hills Police book. But wait. There’s more. I also, thanks to Kim Killion of The Killion Group, have a cover to go with it.

After much consideration and consultation with other authors, I decided that “Retuning Morgan” wasn’t a wise choice, primarily because Amazon thinks you really meant “RetuRning Morgan” and will correct your search for you, even if the book exists on the site. There were other reasons, but that was the clinch...

Editing – Beyond the Mechanics

Editing – Beyond the Mechanics

I’ve done edits for about half the manuscript. I’ve discussed the differences between proofreading and editing in other posts. The mechanics are easy to fix, and I go through those first. But edits are more than mechanics. It’s my job to consider each one, then decide if and how to fix it.

One comment my editor had was in this passage:

At the house, Morgan parked in the driveway. The misty drizzle had turned into genuine rain. Was this normal for April? Another...