Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 104

Reinvent or Die

What is the impact of the digital revolution on booksellers, librarians, and authors? A panel at the recent Florida Chapter of MWA meeting addressed this issue.

Panelists were Deborah Sharp, moderator and author of the Mace Bauer mysteries. The latest title in this humorous series is Mama Sees Stars. Other speakers included Joanne Sinchuk, manager and founder of Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore and current Director of the IMBA; Barbara Miller, Programs & Exhibits Coordinator from Broward County Library; and Stacy Alesi, who’s in charge of the Authors Live Program at Palm Beach Library and who blogs as the popular Book Bitch.

Stacy, Barbara, Joanne, Deborah and Neil Plakcy

Stacy, Barbara, Joanne, and Deborah

How is the industry evolving?

The speakers began by citing statistics showing the rise of ebooks in market share and in library circulation. For example, Stacy said the circulation at her library in 2009 was 542 ebooks. This increased to 11,855 ebooks in 2011. Ebooks went from 16% of total a/v materials in circulation to 73.8% in 2011. They’re not cutting back on print books in order to gain the funding to buy digital copies, but instead they purchase less audio books and music CDs for the library. Meanwhile, librarians often have to teach people how to download an ebook. Older patrons may not even know how to use a computer.

Barbara said that ebooks supplement, rather than replace, print books. And backlist titles in ebooks are popular.

Joanne remarked that it’s easier for writers to get published now, but the gatekeepers are gone.

They used to be editors and booksellers. This leads to a lack of quality control. “There’s a lot of junk out there. How does a reader plow through this?”

On the good side, 15% more indie bookstores opened last year. How can an independent bookstore survive? “You have to change with the times.” Her store does literary luncheons and runs workshops for writers at their Authors Academy. “We are constantly changing.” Joanne finds less publishers sending authors to the store for book tours, likely due to reduced budgets.

Can a self-published author get into the library?

Stacy said they have a selection policy. A book has to be reviewed in a specific list of journals, such as PW, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus. Baker & Taylor is their main distributor. The Friends of the Library give them funds to buy books not on those lists, and this may include self-published works. Nor can an author donate a book for their collection. Likely it would end up in the Friends of the Library book sale.

Barbara claimed they invite local authors to speak at the library even if their book isn’t on the shelves. Ebooks go through the same selection process and are bought via Overdrive, which doesn’t take self-published works. One of the roadblocks to obtaining more books in digital format is that publishers either increase the price of ebooks, or else they’re not releasing their titles in digital editions.

Joan Johnston, a NY Times bestselling author, pointed out that a writer’s backlist might not be available in ebook because either the publisher doesn’t have the rights or else they offer to pay the author a piddling royalty and the writer refuses.

Joanne has taken to charging self-published authors a fee to do a booksigning at her store. It’s not an uncommon policy. There has to be some sort of filter, she says.

Donna Marie Mergenhagen, proprietor of Well Read Books in Fort Lauderdale, said she won’t stock books for a signing but instead sells them from the author’s stock on consignment. She’s found that indie booksellers are acting as the gatekeepers these days. If a self-published book has errors, she will not recommend it to her customers.

Another author suggested booksellers ask the self-published writer, “Who’s your editor?” before accepting their work to read. This would help weed out the bad stuff.

What about collaborative efforts?

Libraries may order books from local bookstores for an event. That way, the Friends make money if they buy the book at a discount and sell it at full price. The bookstore hands out flyers to help advertise the event, while the author shares the responsibility for publicity and for bringing in their fans. An article in the local newspaper helps draw attention to events. Announcements on Facebook can also attract readers.

A brief discussion ensued about signings with ebooks but the technology, while present, isn’t widely used yet. Plus what is the psychology of getting a book signed? Is it to meet the author in person? To make a connection? Will this meaningful interaction be the same with a digitally signed copy?

Joanne surveyed her customers as to how they decide what ebook to buy. Answers were:

1. It’s their favorite author in the print world

2. They go to B&N and browse the shelves then order the ebook

3. They read independent reviews, not the ones on Amazon

4. Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends

Then Joanne posed this question for you to answer:

What do you see as the bookseller’s role going forward in relation to authors?

Booksigning at an Indie

We’ve all had booksignings where no one shows up. So it was a fabulous surprise last weekend as I approached www.bandlbooks.com in Altamonte Springs, FL to see a row of readers lined up to enter the store! My jaw nearly dropped off my face. When had I ever last seen such enthusiasm, and for the dying breed of dead tree books, no less?

The staff welcomed all the eleven or so authors participating in the signing with our tables all set up, books laid out in front of our spots, and even a little gift package for each of us. They had fruit punch and water bottles and cake with our book covers. You have to understand…it’s rare to get a reception like this so I appreciated it all the more. Independent bookstores should be cherished while they still exist. Nowhere else can you find such a variety of choices to peruse in person.

Readers crowded the store but I relished the crush. They snatched up armfuls of books to take to the cash register. People came up to me who didn’t know my work and asked me about my books. Usually our brief dialogue convinced them to try either one of my romances or my mysteries. For two hours, we smiled, chatted, signed books, and had a great time. Many thanks to the store proprietors for sponsoring this popular event and for keeping readers enthralled with print books in this digital age. Of course my hardcovers didn’t sell as well as my paperbacks but that’s always the case. I hope that, down the road, I’ll be able to offer Shear Murder in other formats to my readers. Meanwhile, if you’re in the area, drop by this indie bookstore, browse the shelves of new and used books, and give them your wholehearted support.

Later that evening, I relaxed at the Elephant Bar with my family. I had a Mai Tai and shrimp with noodles. It was a relaxing end to an exciting day.

Star Wars Weekends

I’m taking a well-deserved break from writing to play in Orlando, visit family, and participate later today in a multi-author booksigning at B&L Books in Altamonte Springs. I hope you’ll join us if you’re in the area. Free giveaways!

Meanwhile, we visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We took a stroll around, having been on most of the rides on previous stopovers, ate lunch (a really good pressed turkey and cheese and sweet red pepper sandwich on multi-grain bread), and rode on The Great Movie Ride. I wish they’d update this attraction. I know it’s supposed to show classic films but it could use some nods to modern times.

A surprise came with a daily parade. As this month is Star Wars Weekends (or is it Star Tours, as per the ride?), the parade consisted of characters from the films. I’m not a parade enthusiast, but these costumes were wonderfully like the movies.

Join me in person today:

Sunday, June 3, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, 25th Anniversary Signing, B & L Books, 990 N.S.R. 434, Suite 1140, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, 407-682-0090. Authors Nancy J. Cohen, Karen Rose, Karen Hawkins, Roxanne St. Claire, Robin Kaye, Lee Roland, James Gillen, Kristen Painter, and more. http://on.fb.me/Ktum3W

Tips for Entertaining

How do you entertain for a crowd? It’s best to be well organized and to do as much ahead of time as you can. Here are a few tips to get you started:

· Determine your guest list

· Decide upon a party theme

· Send invitations

On Memorial Day weekend, we had some writer friends over. Counting our family members, we had about 16 people total. I wrote the menu after we sent out email invitations.

MEMORIAL DAY MENU

Appetizers: Spinach Artichoke Dip, *Eggplant Appetizer, Lobster Spread, *Swedish Meatballs, *Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheese Cubes, Crackers, Chips

Buffet Dinner: Sliced turkey, corn beef, and turkey pastrami platter from TooJay’s, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, *Corn Barley Salad, Chicken Greek Pasta Salad, Tuna Salad, Sliced Rye and Challah Breads, Olives & Pickles, Veggie Platter

Desserts: Carrot Cake, Oatmeal Chocolate Cranberry Bars, *Wine Cake, Fruit Salad

Recipes for the starred items can be found on my Website.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Barley Corn Salad

Wine Cake

· Choose your menu

· Make a grocery list

· Shop for non-perishables

A few days before the event,

· Take out your serving platters and utensils

· Label each serving dish with the intended item

· Set the table(s), including centerpieces, the day before

· Put out candles and do last minute cleaning

· Decide upon background music, if any

Labeling the Dishes for Easy Filling

Labeling the serving dishes saves time so I can spoon out the food quickly into predetermined platters and bowls. You also won’t have to go hunting at the last minute for those extra serving plates.

· Prepare foods the day before the event when possible. Otherwise, get an early start the event day so you’ll have plenty of time to rest up, shower, and get dressed.

· When guests arrive, offer them a drink and point out where they can get food. Introduce guests to each other. Then relax and enjoy yourself!

Allison Chase, Cynthia Thomason, Zelda Benjamin, Sharon Hartley (seated), Karen Kendall, Nancy Cohen, Lynn Byer

Addicted to Books

I am addicted to books. I’ll confess right now that I can’t go anywhere without a book. The format doesn’t matter. Kindle, iPad, or tree-based physical books will all serve the purpose. You’ll find books in my car, in the bathroom, in the bedroom and the den. Sometimes I’ll read three at once, usually in different genres. But as my Amazon wish list grows longer, so do the piles of books in our house. We have crates of them spilling over into every room.  

Some books I’ve gathered at conferences, others in goodie bags at various book events. Some authors have sent me their work for endorsements. And of course I have to buy the books my friends write. Then there are my favorite authors and new writers to try. So many good books to read, not enough time!

You say I can save space if I give up the physical tomes and settle for digital? The futurist in me fears an electromagnetic surge/weapon/solar flare that will knock out our electronics. Where would I be then without a paper book to hold?

No matter what format books take in the future, I can’t live without them. I need a story to transport me to other places and other times, to experience adventures I’ll never have in my lifetime, and to learn about different ways of life and people. Storytelling lies at the root of the human experience. Even if the delivery methods change, the need for this form of expression will not go away. So join me, and read a book today!

Scary Event

I just had the experience of receiving a Warning on my Dashboard about content. Afraid it might be due to my latest post, a contest giveaway, I tried to delete it. Nothing happened. Panicking, I contacted Support and asked what I’d done wrong. I could only guess that it might have been that contest notice. Here’s the link if you want a chance to win a signed copy of Killer Knots, among other prizes: http://bit.ly/JadNck  I am not posting the whole notice again.

WordPress doesn’t have a customer service number to contact. You have to fill out a form and hope someone responds, which they must have done since you’re seeing this. The warning just as suddenly disappeared. I may yet get a response as to why it happened. I had no intention to violate any rules and have been a valued blogger here for quite a while. But what’s scary is how easily your online life can be disrupted.

Fortunately, I keep a copy of all my blogs in my files. But I’d urge you to also sign up for my newsletter via my website so that you’re on my mailing list. I back that up from Vertical Response and my lists get backed up to Mozy and Dropbox, so we’d have less chance of losing contact should, say, my blog get suspended or my website vanish. Let’s not lose contact, because keeping in touch with you is why I write this blog. And let’s hope this default never happens again. Whew, I’m glad to be back to posting!

SmartySaver Giveaway

Whooohoo! It’s a CELEBRATION! SmartySaver is so excited to have hit 10,000 Facebook Fans, we’re hosting a giveaway with lots of fantastic prizes that will go to multiple lucky winners. We’ve teamed up with some awesome other bloggers and authors to make this happen!

Prizes are (each to different winners):

1 winner – $85 in PayPal Cash
1 winner – $50 Restaurant.com gift voucher
1 winner – $15 Barnes and Noble e-gift voucher
1 winner – Copy of Nancy J Cohen‘s latest book
2 winners – 1 copy each of Real Temptation by Marcia King-Gamble (e-book)
2 winners – 1 copy each of Linda Conrad‘s latest book, Texas Manhunt
3 winners – $10 Gold Canyon gift card courtesy of Debbie Shulman and Home Party Divas

The giveaway will run from May 22, 2012 at 12:01 EST, to 11:59 EST on June 5, 2012 (open to U.S. participants only). Winners will be chosen on June 6, 2012, and notified via email by June 7, 2012. Winners will have 24 hours to respond to the notification email, or other winners will be chosen.

So what are you waiting for? All you have to do to enter is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below!

Thanks again to the following folks for coming together to sponsor this awesome giveaway! Good luck, everyone.

Home Party Divas |Coupon With Cents | Juliana’s Bits & Pieces | Yvonne’s Invitations & Favors | The Clueless Mommy | Pellerini Proclaims | Wraps With Wendy | Small Town Saving Momma | Oh My Gosh Beck! | Mom and More | The Frugal Free Gal | Mary’s Cup of Tea | Shopaholic Mommy| Free Makeup and Beauty Samples | Know My Body | kidsHeritage, Inc. | Katie’s Krazy Savings | Mary Kay | Sophia Knightly | Linda Conrad | Nancy J. Cohen | Marcia King-Gamble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shear Murder Review

SHEAR MURDER by Nancy J. Cohen

Hairstylist Marla Shore is quite excited to be part of her friend Jill’s wedding party. Marla’s own wedding is scheduled for only a few weeks away, but she’s more than delighted to assist her friend. Of course Marla’s own schedule is impossible – between both weddings, moving to a new home, and expanding her hair salon – the last thing she needs is a murder investigation, but that’s exactly what’s thrown her way when Jill’s sister, Torrie, turns up dead at the wedding reception.     

Jill begs Marla for her help in investigating the murder. After all, Marla has more experience than the police in investigating crimes these days. She discovers there were quite a few people who would want to kill Torrie, including her good friend Jill. Marla begins to step on many toes as she continues questioning all the suspects.

Meanwhile, Marla’s wedding draws closer and her fiancé, Dalton, who happens to be a police detective, is getting angrier and angrier at her involvement in this murder case. Not to mention it becomes clear that Marla angered the wrong person and has now become the target of a killer. Will she even make it to her own wedding alive?

This is the tenth book of Nancy J. Cohen’s “A Bad Hair Day Mystery” series and I loved it! I haven’t read the previous nine books, which is unusual for me, but it really didn’t matter – at least not as far as the storyline went. I didn’t need the previous books to read this one, but I would like to read about Marla and Dalton’s relationship. Fortunately, I have the first book on my Nook and I’ll definitely be continuing from there.

Marla Shore is a likeable and strong heroine. Although scared for her safety, I did understand her motivation. I loved how Dalton stood behind her and was supportive. A great couple!

The story is laced with humor, romance and mystery. It’s a quick, fast-paced book set in beautiful South Florida. For a few hours, I felt like I was on vacation. It’s a great read to escape from everyday life. It will keep you smiling through the entire book.

Socrates’ Cozy Cafe

http://socratesbookreviewblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/review-shear-murder-by-nancy-j-cohen/

Socrates’ Book Review Blog

http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/shear-murder-by-nancy-j-cohen.html

Fact or Fiction?

Do you write about real life events in your fictional story? As a reader, how can you tell fact from fiction? Are some ideas so far out that they should be relegated to science fiction, or is there a kernel of truth in them? Where do the lines blur?

At Saturday’s meeting of the Florida chapter of MWA, we heard speaker Jim Linder, former Navy aviator and intelligence agent. This man—tall, dark, and handsome—lived a life you’d only find in books. A self-professed fan of Ian Fleming and Robert Ludlum novels, as a youth he aspired to adventure. He found it in the work he did. A romance hero come alive, Linder said “the fictional and the real world blend together. Whatever story you want to tell, it’s probably already out there.”

He told stories of notorious Russian smuggler Victor Bout, of how pirates smuggle diesel fuel to diamond mines in South Africa, and of how there’s a market among drug runners for mini-submarines made in the States. “There are bad guys out there who are richer and more powerful than anyone in fiction,” he says. The upsurge in social media has made a difference in his current consulting position. “We use social media a lot. Finding information isn’t the problem. Connecting with the person who has the info is harder.”

As for myself, I use personal experiences and composites of people I meet in my stories.

For example, the Countess in Killer Knots was based on a white-haired lady I noticed on a cruise. She always wore the most fabulous outfits. When I got up the nerve to ask where she shopped, “Paris” was her answer. Why was I not surprised?

In Perish by Pedicure, I visited the North Miami shvitz where Marla goes to interview a suspect. Now, that was an experience!

And the setting in Shear Murder was inspired by Harry P. Leu Gardens in Winter Park, where I’ve been many times. Marla journeys to Coral Gables and the Venetian Pool, another local gem I’d discovered. Visits to the dermatologist and dentist show up in some of my books—in Marla’s viewpoint, of course. Plus a reading from a psychic that I’d experienced shows up in Died Blonde.

Even in Warrior Prince, my upcoming paranormal release, the action starts out in Orlando, Florida on International Drive. The sinister theme park in this story is partially based on an attraction that used to be in the Fort Lauderdale area and designed with other theme parks in mind. I’ll have to admit, though, the action that follows is purely imaginary. Well, almost.

One of the bad guys uses what I call an EM (electromagnetic) grenade in Warrior Rogue: Book Two in the Drift Lords Series. “Are EM weapons real or the stuff of sci-fi?” I asked our speaker. He gave a broad grin. “Many of the things you’d relegate to science fiction are already here.”

NYC Sleuths in the Hamptons

NYC Sleuths in the Hamptons by Elizabeth Zelvin

In some ways, the beaches of the Hamptons in Eastern Long Island, a hundred miles from New York City, resemble Florida beaches: same white sand, same ocean rolling in, same sun turning the unwary, and especially the fair-skinned, “red as a lobster in a pot of boiling water in about the same time as it takes the lobster,” as someone remarks in Death Will Extend Your Vacation, my new mystery featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler and his friends. In other ways, not so much: northern beaches aren’t fringed with palm trees, the Atlantic is jade green rather than turquoise, and the water is a lot colder. A lot.    

When I wrote the first book, Death Will Get You Sober, I imagined a series that would alternate between New York City settings and what we New Yorkers call “out of town.” More experienced authors quickly enlightened me: if a publisher bought a New York series, they would want every story to take place in New York, on the premise that readers, too, would buy the next book and the one after that for the pleasures of revisiting the familiar haunts of familiar characters. So the first and second books about Bruce and Barbara the world-class codependent and Jimmy the computer genius, as well as the four published stories, were set in Manhattan, with excursions on the subway to Brooklyn as close as they get to out of town. (Bruce takes a quick trip to Dayton, OH in the first book, but he doesn’t have to like it.)

My book ideas tend to start with titles, and from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to write about the Hamptons, a resort area that stretches along the south shore of Long Island about 45 miles from Westhampton Beach to Montauk. I meant to use it as a setting whether or not the series made it to Death Will Extend Your Vacation. The alternative title I had in mind was A Season in Deathhampton. The Hamptons abound in cutesy names. The bookstore is Bookhampton (an excellent indie, family owned, with branches in East Hampton, Sag Harbor, and Southampton). There’s a Cashmerehampton and a Pet Hampton. And I always get a chuckle when, on my run around my neighborhood, I pass a house whose owners must be Abrams, Abraham, or Abrahams: the sign on their driveway says “Abrahampton.”

What publishers (some of whom, I bet, have homes in the Hamptons themselves or go there to visit) have to understand is that in real life, New Yorkers never stay in New York. Stimulating as living cheek by jowl with eight million people is, every once in a while we’ve got to get out. We want to see a little green, breathe a little air, get a little elbow room. Getting out of town is as much a part of us as our attitude and the way we say “New Yawk.” So in locating a New York book in the Hamptons, I’m simply being true to my setting. In fact, the Hamptons are a playground for vacationing New Yorkers, whether they stay in mansions on the dunes or flimsy little ranch houses on half an acre like the one we bought twenty years ago so I could garden, hole up with my writing, and get to the beach.

When Bruce ends up in detox on the Bowery at the beginning of Death Will Get You Sober, he hasn’t been out of town in years. Alcoholism tends to limit one’s horizon. So a summer in a clean and sober group house in the imaginary Hampton that, after much reflection, I named Dedhampton (known locally as Deadhampton) is one of those new experiences that Bruce has to go through sober as his character grows and changes, like having relationships, feeling his feelings, and figuring out what to do with his life.

I had yet another good reason for writing a Hamptons mystery. The traditional whodunit works best in a limited setting, where the amateur sleuth knows most of the people and can easily find excuses to ask them questions. That’s why so many of them are set in small towns. My books feature personal crimes. The victims, the suspects, and many of the witnesses all know each other. But it’s not realistic to expect the investigators—Bruce, Barbara, and Jimmy—to know them all. I’ve been living in my apartment building for almost 45 years, and I don’t know the names of some of the five neighbors on my floor. I recognize three of them to say hello to in the elevator (and a fourth when she has her dog with her). I’ve never been in any of their apartments. Writing about amateur sleuthing in a big city is a challenge that never goes away. A group house at the beach, on the other hand, has as much potential for a murder as an English country house weekend in the Golden Age of mystery. So I went for it, and Death Will Extend Your Vacation is the result.

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Elizabeth Zelvin is a New York psychotherapist, a three-time Agatha Award nominee, and author of the mystery series featuring recovering alcoholic Bruce Kohler, starting with Death Will Get You Sober. The third book, Death Will Extend Your Vacation, is just out, and “Death Will Tank Your Fish” was a 2011 Derringer Award nominee for Best Short Story. Liz has also just released a CD of original songs, Outrageous Older Woman. She summers at the poor end of the Hamptons.

Learn more about Liz’s mysteries at www.elizabethzelvin.com and about her music at www.lizzelvin.com. Liz blogs on Poe’s Deadly Daughters and SleuthSayers.