Dying On The Road ...

Tj O'Connor, author of Dying to Know, Dying for the Past, and Dying to Tell

 

Ah, summertime. Warm days sitting in a hammock with my feet up with a nice drink in my hand. Nothing to do but … oh, hell no. That’s not right at all. This summer I’m taking Dying on the Road! It’s me, Dying to Know, Dying for the Past, and the highway …

Right now, you’re saying “Huh?” Easy. Since Book II—Dying for the Past—of the Gumshoe Ghost series launched in January, I’ve been everywhere trying to build an audience and cultivate more fans. I’ve had a great time doing that and met some amazing authors, great fans, and even a few celebrities along the way. Thus far, my travels have included:

·       February: Farpoint Fan Convention, Timonium, Maryland—It was subzero weather but still had some fans come out and enjoy the Sci-Fi convention.

 

·       February: Winchester Book Gallery, Winchester, Virginia—a major snow storm dumped more than a foot of snow and chilled my book launch in my home town… alas, I still sold a few!

 

·       March: Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, Virginia—a rather disappointing turnout at this great event. Not many folks attended, but I still managed to meet some great folks and sign a dozen books or so.

 

·       April: Children’s Specialized Hospital Charity, Summit, New Jersey—Probably the event of the year. What a great cause! I was one of the guest speakers and got to meet some wonderful philanthropists and sign a bunch of books. What a wonderful event!

·       May: Malice Domestic, Bethesda, Maryland—The annual fan conference where I spoke on a panel with some amazing authors like Toni LP Kelner, Charlaine Harris, Judy Hogan (moderator), and Tonya Kappes. I was honored to be in their company.

·       May: Gaithersburg Book Festival, Gaithersburg, Maryland—no snow, thank God … but a massive thunderstorm sent us shelter! Met some great folks and got to finally meet my childhood author-hero, James Grady.

·       May: Millbrook Book Festival, Millbrook, New York—one of my fav events. Not a lot of turnout this year (I think they competed with a county-wide yard sale and some high school graduations) but I was a speaker at the event and got to hang with my pals Louis Romano and Jim Holmgren! Always a pleasure!

·       June: Iroquois Public Library Book Club, Erie, Pennsylvania—What a fun gathering! I met a dozen or more avid readers who I hope are all fans now. Had a great talk and spent a couple hours chatting and answering questions. Can’t wait for next year! Thanks, ladies!!!!!

·       June: Great Escapes Book/Blog Tour—What a great experience! Ten blog and review sites gave me a guest spot via the Great Escapes Blog Tour and I did interviews and had Dying for the Past Reviewed … and what a fabulous bunch of reviews I got! These sites included The Community Bookstop, Fuonly Knew, Sapphyria’s Book Reviews, View from the Bird House, Deal Sharing Aunt, Griperang’s Bookmarks, A Chick Who Reads, Back Porchervations, and Writers and Readers of Paranormal Mystery. I’m giving away a bunch of signed books and sent out the grand prize winner a Kindle Reader with both my current books loaded on it. This tour was fabulous for reaching new fans and adding some wonderful reviews to the list. Thanks to all who participated!

And I took a breather …

Now for the charge into fall… I’ll be visiting and speaking at a host of new venues. Please come on out and say hi!

·       July 9-12: Thriller Fest, Manhattan, New York—I’m a spectator for this one. Since I’m working on a new thriller and mystery, I’m attending this fabulous event to get some insight. I’m hoping to rope some time with my agent, Kimberley Cameron, and plan to conquer the literary world!

·       July 24-26: Scares that Care, Children’s charity in Williamsburg, Virginia—This is a charity event in historic Williamsburg. I’m so looking forward to this one. I’ll be meeting readers and fans, signing some books, and visiting with some old and new pals I’ve met on the circuit!

·       August 8: Comic Con, Dover, Delaware—This is a first for me. I’m looking forward to spending the day speaking on my books and meeting the folks in Dover. I may have a panel speaking gig so come on down and support this great event.

·       August 22: Suffolk Mystery Authors Festival, Suffolk, Virginia—Another first! But wow, am I ready for this one. I was invited down to be a guest author to speak and meet mystery fans. This is in historic Suffolk, Virginia, and from the list of attendees, I’m again honored to be part of this group! A lot of friends will be there!

·       September 26: Murder As You Like It Mystery Conference, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania—This fun conference is sponsored by some wonderful folks at the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop. They’ve invited me to be a panelist, a panel moderator, and the Key Note speaker … what a day that’ll be!

·       October 2-4: Monster Mania Horror Fan Convention, Hunt Valley, Maryland—For the second year, I’ll attend this wild and crazy show to talk to fans and sign books. Last year I met some fabulous people like Han Solo, Princess Leia, a few wookies, some bizarre cosplay folks, and many others. It’s a ton of laughs, great fans, and always some celebrities to smooze with!

·       October 8-11: Bouchercon Authors Convention, Raleigh, North Carolina—I’m looking forward to this one. These conventions are great for meeting fans, seeking out new fans, and spending some great times with fellow authors everywhere. Very much looking forward to it!

As I take Dying on the Road, I’ll be out talking about my books and meeting readers and fans and generally selling my soul to build an audience. If you’re near any of these events, come on by and say hello. If you do and you mention this blog, I’ll drop a book in your hands pro bono!

 

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor

 

First Line Friday #9: Snake Pass

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

Q&A with Ray Daniel!

This week, we sat down down with Ray Daniel, whose critically-acclaimed Corrupted Memory was published earlier this month.

Midnight Ink: How long have you been writing?

Ray Daniel: I started writing seriously when I turned 40, though the clues were there all along that this should be my path. I’m an Engineer with a minor in English. The first book I bought out of college was On Writing Well by Zinsser, and I once wrote an MBA paper as a short story. 

Even so, I didn’t really think about writing until I read the book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book suggested that I do the things for which I had a natural talent. That when it occurred to me that I was a pretty good writer and I should focus my energy there. I quit playing chess (I was terrible) and started writing. 

That was 12 years ago.

MI: What influence have other authors had on your writing?

RD: Robert B. Parker was my favorite author and my earliest influence writing. I used to tell people that I liked reading “first-person, wise-cracking, Boston-based mysteries.” Now I write “first-person, wise-cracking, Boston-based mysteries.”

The Teaching Company audio course “Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer’s

Craft” had a significant influence on my style. I hadn’t expected that to happen when I bought the course.

Today’s influences include Karin Slaughter, who is a master of writing sensory-focused scenes in simple language, and William Martin who writes dual-timeline novels that combine history with modern life.

MI: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

RD: Stand-up comedy.  There is something addictive about writing jokes and figuring out how to deliver them to an audience in a consistent fashion. It’s a difficult art form and a high wire act.  I gave it a shot at this open mike night and loved it.

MI: If you have a job outside of writing, what is it?

RD: I design computer chips, which is why Tucker is a hacker. I wanted an engineer as a main character and designing computer chips was too arcane for a general audience. I wanted to capture the engineer’s worldview.

There’s a joke about how engineers see the world:

A minister, a doctor and an engineer are golfing together. They are suffering because the foursome in front of them is miserably slow. Finally they flag down the groundskeeper and ask, “Why are those guys so slow?”

The groundskeeper says, “Oh they’re firefighters who were blinded in a fire. To thank them for their service we let them play whenever they want.”

The minister says, “That is terrible, I will pray for those men.”

The doctor says, “I know some ophthalmologists.  I’ll see if I can get them help.”

The engineer says, “Why can’t they play at night?”

Pretty much sums us up.

MI: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not writing or working?

RD: Reading, playing softball, and fretting about the Red Sox. Also I enjoy Facebook and have to admit to spending too much time there.

MI: Who is your favorite mystery sleuth and why?

RD: Spenser. He had a powerful influence on me as a young man. He demonstrated that being a man meant something and that there were rules to correct behavior. I think he influenced a generation of young men, much as Robert B. Parker influenced a generation of mystery authors.

MI: Do you have a favorite murder case from a book (either yours or another author’s)?

RD: The murder case in Corrupted Memory is pretty nifty, if I do say so myself.

MI: What was your inspiration for this series?

RD: My work in high tech. The story in Terminated was specifically inspired by the way a company named Avant! stole computer source code from another company named Cadence. (You can look it up!)

MI: Tell us about Aloysius Tucker.

RD: Tucker is, like many engineers, a guy who can’t let go of a problem once it grabs hold of him. He cannot use a gun, he cannot fight, and he doesn’t run all that fast, also he’s not really all that tough.

But he is brave.

Tucker works to do the right thing regardless of personal risk because he doesn’t want to live in a world where he let his fear control him. He can be infuriating since he’s got poor people-reading skills, and he sometimes doesn’t thing things through. 

In the end he’s a good guy.

MI: How does this series compare to your past works?

RD: This series is my past works. 

Well, to be more specific, this is my first published fiction. Previously I’ve written business books (Leading After a Layoff) engineering books (The UVM Primer) and poetry (Robot Haiku). But that was all written by another guy named Ray Salemi.

MI: Do you have a pet? Tell us about him/her.

RD: We have three dogs: A Chinese Crested, a Yorkie-Poodle and a Shitzu-Poodle. Technically that means we have three pets, but you could also see it as having one pet: a dog pack.

MI: What food could you live off of for the rest of your life?

RD: Beef. 

My Dad was from Argentina, so I grew up with a love of cooking beef over a grill.

MI: Do you have a favorite recipe?

RD: 

2 oz. of Lagavulin Scotch

2 ice cubes (can be replaced by one big ice cube.)

Place the ice cubes in an on-the-rocks glass.

Add Scotch.

MI: What’s your favorite part about being an Inker?

RD: Our sense of community. 

The only tangible benefit I can guarantee anyone who wants to be an author is that they’ll get to hang out with other authors, usually at conferences. Being an Inker automatically gives you a posse at any mystery conference.

Corrupted Memory is available online and in bookstores now!

Midnight Ink | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Your local bookseller

Visit Ray Daniel online.

Fifty Ways to Show Readers Some Love (Part 1)

My favorite part of writing (by far) is getting to know my readers.  But how can I show them how important they are to me?  That was a question I asked my Facebook community, and (with a little help from my friends) I came up with more than 50 ways!   This is the first of three blog posts that highlight ways writers can show their readers some love.  Enjoy, share, and add to the list in the commetns.  I hope it sparks some creative ideas!

Day 1: Thank them!  This one seems like a no brainer, but we often forget.  Mom always said, when  someone does something nice for you, say thank you!  From writing reviews, to retweeting our tweets, to sending us e-mails.  The varieties of kindnesses bestowed upon us by readers are impressive.  And I’m always surprised by how delighted readers are to hear from me.  So, my author friends:  Have you thanked your readers lately?

Day 2: Send them an Authorgraph!Many readers love autographs, but they can’t necessarily meet their favorite authors in person.  How about an Authorgraph!  This fun app allows authors to send autographs to fans whether they read the old fashioned paper way or on their favorite electronic screen.  Better yet, it’s free to both parties!

Day 3: Wish them a happy birthday on Facebook! Maybe it’s just me, but I love it when people contact me to wish me a happy birthday.  And Facebook makes it so easy!  Sign up to get an e-mail stating which of your friends has a birthday each day. Before you know it, you’ll have a daily e-mail reminder.  Your quick Happy-B-day might make one of your reader’s day!

Day 4: Create a fan page for your books:  I have both a personal page on Facebook and an author page.  I prefer my personal page, because “friending” my readers lets me learn more about them and their lives.  But there’s an entirely different page readers might enjoy:  A Fan page for their favorite series!  I haven’t done this yet, but it seems like a fab way to connect readers with their favorite series.  This page by fellow Inker Sheila Boneham is a great example.

Day 5: Share information about other books they might like.  Chances are you also read the genre in which you write, and you may know great authors that your readers haven’t heard of—yet. If you love a book or an author, why not post about them on your author page or fan groups? You’ll help a fellow author and your readers at the same time!

Day 6: Chat them up at conferences. As authors, it’s really easy to hang out with your clan when you travel to a conference.  How about hanging out with readers?  Invite your readers to have a drink, a coffee, or even just take a few minutes to introduce yourself.  Some of my favorite people are readers I’ve meet at conferences!

Day 7:  Friend them! Author pages are great—I have one myself.  But personal walls are more, well, personal. When readers become friends, instead of just fans, the dialogue changes.  It’s less about promoting your work and more about building connection.  Once you’re a rock star, you’ll reach the 5000 limit for your friends, but until then, why not reach out to your readers, or accept their requests when they reach out to you? If you want to friend me, I'm at this link.

Day 8:  Share more with them than “buy my book!” Believe me, I know that finding readers is hard, and that most of us well outspend what we make on our books trying to market them.   But who wants to have a friend who only reaches out when they need  something?  What information would interest your readers?  Think of how you can serve them, and then when you do post an occasional “buy my book,” they might be more interested in supporting you.

Day 9: Post a video of you reading from your newest work!  OK—I’m going to admit—this is not one I’m likely to do, because I HATE to see myself on video.  But how about creating a quick and easy youtube video of you reading a scene from your work?  Readers who can never see you do a reading in person may love the opportunity to do so in video.  Plus, it can double for one of your blog entries!  Everyone wins!

Day 10: “Like” the reviews they write for you on Goodreads or mark them as helpful on Amazon.  Most readers don’t have a review blog, and even posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads is adding one more to-do item to their busy schedule.  A simple click lets them know that you noticed, and that you appreciated it! 

Day 11: Speak at their book clubs.  You may not be able to be there in person, by Skype is a wonderful thing!  You’ll get to see the happy face of your reader and meet a few more at the same time.  I’ve only done this a handful of times myself, but it’s been a blast!

Day 12:  Send them an autographed bookmark!  Not every reader can get your autograph in person, and Authorgraph (see day 2) isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  But many readers love autographed bookmarks.  For the price of a postage stamp and a minute of your time, you can make a reader’s day.

Day 13:  Host a discussion of one of your books on Facebook! On Day 11 I suggested speaking at your readers’ book clubs. What if they don’t belong to one?  Why not create a discussion event of your own? An hour-long Facebook event at which readers  are invited to discuss your book, learn more about its background, and ask you questions about you, your work, your writing process—maybe even the meaning of life!  Sounds like fun to me!  This is definitely on my to-do list for the future.

Day 14:  Write a short story involving your series’ characters.  This one isn’t accessible to all writers, depending on contract stipulations you may have with your publisher. But if you’re free to write about your characters, why not write a short story for readers to help tide them over between books?  Your readers might really love it!

Day 15:  Write about them in a blog article!  Got some favorite fans that have supported you?  Give them their own 5 minutes of fame.  Picture them or write about them in a blog article.  (With permission, of course.) My fabulous street team sent me some great photos before my last launch, as well as distributing bookmarks and sharing my news. A thank you blog article about themwas the least I could do!

Day 16: Pose for a photo! I’m photo-phobic, unless I’m posing with friends.  And every reader is a friend!  Cuddle up close with your fans and smile pretty. If you want a photo with me, a hug is the price of admission! (Consider yourself forewarned!)

Day 17:  Have a birthday group!  Author Kathi Daley has a special birthdaygroup set up for her readers in which they receive something special on their birthdays.  How cool is that?  What a great way for readers to feel (and be) acknowledged!

Day 18:  Be real.We all want to show our best face in public, but no one has a perfect life all of the time.  Share your struggles as well as well as your successes. By sharing your own humanness, you might make your readers feel less alone in theirs.

Day 19:  Make them feel (en)titled!  Believe me, we writers aren’t the only ones who are creative.  Show your readers that you value their opinion by asking them to help choose your next book title.  Even though I say this helps show you love them (and it does) it helps us even more.  Who knows what titles will reach out and grab readers better than the readers themselves! 

Day 20: Comment on their posts.  I post on Facebook pretty regularly, but I hold no illusions that people want to talk only about me.  Connect with your readers by sharing in their joys and sorrows.  It takes a second (at most) to like another post and a few more seconds to hit a reply.  (Readers, please know that with my lovely (and growing) collection of friends, I don’t see much more than 1% of my friends’ posts. So if you wonder why I don’t comment on something, I likely didn’t see it.)  If you want to see something, be sure to tag me.  Then it will go to my e-mail inbox!

That’s the first 20 in at least 50 ideas.  More to come next month.  How about you?  Authors, how do you show your readers some love?  And readers, what other ideas do you have?

Tracy

          

Tracy Weber is the author of the award-winning Downward Dog Mysteries series featuring yoga teacher Kate Davidson and her feisty German shepherd, Bella. Tracy loves sharing her passion for yoga and animals in any form possible. Her first book, Murder Strikes a Pose won the Maxwell Award for Fiction was nominated for the Agatha award for Best First Novel. The second book in her series, A Killer Retreat, was released January, 2015 by Midnight Ink.

Tracy and her husband live in Seattle with their challenging yet amazing German shepherd Tasha. When she’s not writing, Tracy spends her time teaching yoga, walking Tasha, and sipping Blackthorn cider at her favorite ale house. 

Visit her at TracyWeberAuthor.com, friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tracywe, or e-mail her at Tracy@WholeLifeYoga.com.

First Line Friday #8: Tattered Legacy

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

First Line Friday #7: Witch Upon a Star

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

June 2015 Releases Available Now!

Don't miss Midnight Ink's latest releases!

"Compulsively readable."

—Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Corrupted Memory

“This edgy and emotional thrill ride will captivate readers.”

—RT Book Reviews (four stars) on Fallen Sparrow

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

COME TO HARM by Catriona McPherson in The New York Times!

Did you catch Come to Harm by Catriona McPherson reviewed in yesterday's edition of The New York Times Book Review? 

"Expertly done."—The New York Times

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

First Line Friday #6: February Fever

Now available from Midnight Ink, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, and your local bookseller!

Here's Carrie!

An essay from Linda O. Johnston

I would like to introduce you to Carrie Kennersly, featured in the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries. The first in the series, Bite the Biscuit, is a May release.

Carrie, a dog lover, veterinary technician and more, recently bought a bakery in the town of Knobcone Heights, California, and converted it into two shops. One is Barkery and Biscuits, where she bakes and sells healthy gourmet treats for dogs. Next to it is Icing on the Cake, where she bakes and sells delightful human desserts. 

Carrie's proud of both, especially the Barkery. There, she prepares dog treats that she developed as a vet tech, while having her own dog Biscuit, a golden toy poodle-terrier mix, hang out with her in the shop. In Icing, she uses some of the former shop owner's favorite recipes, purchased along with her store.

Although most people in town are happy about the new stores, Myra Ethman, wife of a member of one of the town's preeminent families, is not. She considers it competition to the pet supply store she bought for her husband to keep the wealthy man occupied while she runs a lakeside resort. At Carrie's store opening party, Myra insults Carrie and her products--and guess who's a major suspect when Myra is murdered that night. Carrie must clear her name while running her stores and still working part-time as a vet tech.

So, yes, Carrie is one busy lady. And she—and Biscuit—have more stories to come, too.

Bite the Biscuit is available online and in bookstores now!

Dying and Whining ...

By Tj O'Connor, author of Dying to Know, Dying for the Past, and the upcoming, Dying to Tell

 

And once again, the calendar tells me I’m late …

These days, consulting eight or ten hours a day and writing all my waking hours is starting to take its toll. This morning, I was up late and assailed by my two Labs, two visiting canines—including a 165-pound Mastiff, and several of the neighborhood dogs and goats because I was not at my post in the kitchen feeding them timely. Oh, for the life of one of them!

Life as an author can sometimes be lonely and boring—sitting alone in your little office or writing nook and banging away on the keyboard. Sometimes, it’s about travelling to far places to entertain and enthrall audiences—read that, beg and plead to buy your books. And sometimes, it’s sitting at your keyboard, staring at the screen, wondering, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”

And the answer is simply, “Exactly what you wanted—so stop whining.”

Today is one of those days where I’m overwhelmed. Work is building momentum onto my real-life, travelling is now every other weekend, and money pours from my fingertips to market my books and cajole and hunt down readers. It’s a poor-me day. I realized just an hour ago that I was late posting this blog. So, now, I sit here trying to make sense out of something worth talking about. It’s raining—and as they say in that new commercial, “Of course it’s raining.” I’m not feeling well. Another airplane awaits. Another hotel room beckons. Damn. Damn. Damn.

I need a day off. I need two or three or ten.

Stop! Stop! Stop! Isn’t this what I asked for? Isn’t this exactly where I planned to be? Let me take stock of the past few weeks and where I’m heading in the next few weeks. Certainly there is a positive message here … right?

Right. My whining is over. Coffee is kicking in. Fingers are moving again. Oh, if the damn rain would just turn into sunshine and daisies. Okay, maybe not daisies, but you get the picture. I need umph.

So, let me take stock.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Millbrook Book Festival in Upstate New York. Millbrook is a delightful town that reminds me of my youth—as it should since I grew up just thirty minutes from there. Its streets and buildings stepped out of the 19^th century and its people are friendly and endearing. Of course, not many of them showed to the festival, but eh, these things happen. Last year’s festival had standing room only. This year, not so much. But those folks who did attend were great and I actually had a chance to talk to them a little longer, tell a few stories, swoon a little more. And, as always, Sam—the festival chieftain—and her army of festival volunteers were wonderful hosts and I look forward to returning next year.

Two things made my weekend worth the eleven-hour round trip. First, I met an extraordinary young author—Jesse Saperstein. Jesse has written about life with Asperger’s called “Getting a Life With Asperger’s.” He’s amazing and was a delightful companion under our tent. Jesse also has accomplished what I dreamed of when I was his age—he backpacked the entire Appalachian Trail. No, you read that right ... the entire trail. Jesse is one of those people you meet and walk away wondering why you cannot be more positive and focused and uplifting. And, sitting here, at this moment, I feel a little stupid having complained this morning. His achievements and life-perspective are remarkable. I cannot wait to see him next year and find out what new milestone he has set for the rest of us. Look at Jesse’s world at www.jesseasaperstein.com(note, the link is temporarily down, but it should be working soon.)

The second event worth my trip was my reunion with two new-old pals I met last year at the festival—Jim Holmgren and Louis Romano. Jim is an author and of all things, a clock aficionado. He skipped selling books this year and volunteered again at the festival. He’s a wonderful guy and will be joining me for dinner in Winchester in a week or so when he is enroute to a Clock conference (yes, there is such a thing) in Tennessee. Jim’s one of those guys who is warm and engaging and makes you feel important. Yet under his veneer is a ticking master author of Swiss proportions (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Lou is an author and a businessman who is knocking the world down with his books—Intercession, So You Think I’m Dead, and Besa. He writes about the Albania mob and true crime and is hoping to turn Besainto a movie soon. These two characters and I raised hell, told lies and one or two true stories, and entertained an audience during a panel discussion on our books. We shared the panel with another great author, Chris Orcutt, who dazzled the audience with quotes from Hemmingway, Aristotle, and Raymond Chandler—but I have to say, Lou and I clowned around as much as we talked serious biz. Oops, maybe we’ll focus a little more next year. I’m looking forward to it.

As I look at my calendar and think about how Jesse views all things as an opportunity, I see many of those now myself. There’s a fun book club in Erie, PA, in a week; Thriller Fest in Manhattan in July with my agent, the lovely and amazing Kimberley Cameron; a charity conference in Williamsburg, VA—Scares that Care—in July; Comic-Con in Dover, DE, in August; and The Suffolk Virginia Mystery Authors Festival (I cannot wait for this one!) in August. I’m speaking and paneling at the Mechanicsburg, PA’s Murder As You Like It mystery festival in September, and on and on into the fall. Damn … what am I complaining about? What would I be doing if not for these events to beg, er, seek an audience?

Well, truth be told, I’d be working on my new thriller and mystery. But, I can do that in hotel rooms and all my free time (wink wink). So why complain? Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?

Yep. So I’ll sit back and shut up now. I’ve whined and yawned and written this missive to get back on track. The extraordinary people I’ve met and those I will soon meet are the reason I love this writing-gig. No, really, I love this. It’s tiring and often stressful and expensive. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. One day, soon I hope, I’ll have enough fans to make each trip a little easier. If I don’t, I’ll just have to work harder and write better and whine less.

Honest, I will. You can trust me. I murder people and create anarchy for a living. It’s what I do.

Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of Dying to Know and Dying for the Past, available in bookstores and e-books from Midnight Ink. His third paranormal mystery, DYING TO TELL, will be released January 2016. He is currently working on a traditional mystery and a new thriller. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also a Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist.

Learn about Tj’s world at:

Web Site:  www.tjoconnor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: http://tjoconnorbooks.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7148441.T_J_O_Connor