Under Cover of Midnight--A Midnight Ink Blog

On Sale Dates, Laydown Dates and ARCs

2012-03-01T12:38:00.000-06:00

Today I was asked about on sales dates, and that sort of surprised me. It's something I've dealt with for so long that I assume everyone knows what they are.

An on sale date is the date in which every retailer should have the books in their store. So, we'll use a March Midnight Ink release as an example. November Hunt by Jess Lourey has a March 8th on sale date. Last weekend a customer purchased November Hunt at a Barnes and Noble here in the Twin Cities. I understand some indie stores had them sooner. Today they began shipping from Amazon. Why did it take Amazon longer? Probably because of the freight time from Minnesota to the Amazon warehouse along with their internal process for receiving and stocking books.

Now, let's say Jess is a big time author like J.K. Rowling or Janet Evanovich. Then as a publisher, we would impose a lay down date. A lay down date is a set in stone date for which a store can start selling a book. It's why there are midnight release parties. This levels the playing field for all retailers. Often Publishers require stores to sign an agreement not to violate a lay down date and if the store violates that policy, they could face serious penalties.

Uncorrected galley proof/Advanced reading copy (ARC) - are bound copies of a manuscript that are sent out to reviewers and booksellers about six months before the book is actually published. These are unedited copies that are supposed to used for garnering reviews and pre-publication buzz. There are some folks who sell ARCs. They can be highly collectible. The problem with ARCs in the hands of general readers is that they don't understand that the version they are reading has not been edited and may contain many errors.

Are there other publishing terms you would like explained? Or maybe I wasn't clear on the ones above? Ask away, I am here to help!

Our March 2012 releases :)

Free ebook download - Ghost a la Mode - Sue Ann Jaffarian

2012-02-22T14:43:00.000-06:00

Granny was famous for her award-winning apple pies-and notorious for murdering her husband Jacob at their homestead in Julian, California. The only trouble is, Granny was framed, then murdered. For more than one hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served—and she hits pay dirt when she pops in to a séance attended by her great-great-great-granddaughter, modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle. Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.

Along with a sprinkling of history, this spirited new mystery series features the amateur sleuth team of Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.

"A charming tale, as appealing as apple pie. I predict a long life (and afterlife) for Sue Ann's latest series."—Harley Jane Kozak,
Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity award-winning author of Dating Dead Men

"Take colorful characters in a charming setting, mix in a dash of romance, add a pinch of the paranormal, and serve it up like one of Granny's famous pies.
I guarantee you'll be back for seconds."
—Deborah Sharp, author of Mama Rides Shotgun

Download your free ebook now.

Offer lasts thru Feb. 29th, 2012

Sony Reader

http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/sue-ann-jaffarian/ghost-a-la-mode/_/R-400000000000000337209

KINDLE

http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Granny-Apples-Mystery-ebook/dp/B004HO621Q/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-a-la-mode-sue-ann-jaffarian/1102087927?ean=9780738731186&itm=2&usri=ghost+a+la

2012-02-22T14:09:00.000-06:00

Sorry I have been away a for a little bit folks. Been busy. Today for example, we had our Fall 2012 sales conference. A lot of work for me, but it is also incredibly exciting and fun to announce the new titles. Wanna see the covers??

Total awesomeness, don't you agree? This is where I give a big standing ovation to the art department. Lynne, Lisa, Ellen, Kevin and Adrienne are the best designers and Jeanette keeps it all together. Thank to these folks, we put out some very fun and interesting covers.

Book Pirates.... ARGH!

2012-01-06T12:08:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Elysia Gallo, the senior aquiring editor for Witchcraft, Pagan and Magic books for Llewellyn, was alerted to a site that had several Llewellyn titles available for free download. As a response, she wrote one of the best blog pieces I've read about pirating books and who it really hurts - the author. I am reposting here with her permission. You can also check out the original blog and the comments left there at http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/2012/01/myths-about-pirated-books/. And while Elysia's post talks about Wiccan and Pagan books, the principles apply to all published works.

Today I got five emails from authors all alerting me to a website that had 32 of our books and an equal number of other publishers’ books on it, scanned in and uploaded as PDFs for anyone to freely download. If it sounds like harmless sharing to you, please read this post and educate yourself on pirating.

First, the background: people loves to steal our books. Libraries and bookstores have claimed for years that some of their most frequently stolen stock are the religious books – anything from the Bible to those on witchcraft and magic. Whether this comes from a belief that all sacred knowledge should be free, a desire to hold onto a book containing so much wisdom (or so many exercises that can’t all be gotten through in the three-week lending period!), or, in the case of witchcraft books, concern that others in their small community might find out that the reader has an interest in these topics, and thus be “outed,” it’s always seemed a little strange anyway. If you’re specifically looking for a book on spirituality, doesn’t that imply that you’re trying to make yourself a better person? In that case, why start off on the wrong foot by stealing a book?

With this pattern having been in place for years, it should shock no one that in the digital age this would quickly translate over to stealing spirituality ebooks in any form. The music industry has wrestled with illegal downloads for years – we all know there are file sharing programs and sites that easily circumvent established means of distribution.

The website I was sent multiple times today is a repeat offender. I won’t post a link here because I don’t want to drive traffic to her site. Let’s just say that she has a nifty little disclaimer about how she got all these PDFs of ebooks off the internet (presumably absolving herself of responsibility, having not scanned them in herself) and that as far as she knows they are not violating anyone’s copyright. And if she is in error, to please let her know. (I guess there was something about the COPYRIGHT PAGE of each of our books that she failed to understand.)

Llewellyn, Red Wheel/Weiser, and other publishers have notified this person, by writing to the email address listed on the website, several times. And yet that notice is still up, and our books are still there for illegal downloading. So today (after the very first email I received) we sent a DCMA takedown notice to her ISP, and hopefully those pages of her website will be removed soon. [Update: it looks like it's working. I'll check again from home, and again tomorrow.]

But since I kept hearing about it all day, regardless of our invisible-to-the-outside-world actions (which are things we deal with every day, incidentally), I wanted to post a few thoughts for you all to consider and hopefully discuss.

MYTHS ABOUT PIRATED BOOKS

“It doesn’t cost them anything to make an ebook, so why should I pay for it?”

This one I’ve also heard for legal, paid downloads, except in that case it goes “It doesn’t cost them anything to make an ebook, so why should I pay a normal book price for it? It should cost only $1.99/[insert your own price here]. I mean, I even had to buy a device to read it in the first place.”

Here’s the thing. First of all, an author wrote that book. They spent hundreds of hours researching, writing, editing, proofing, revising, communicating with their publisher, and in many cases, teaching, lecturing, writing a blog, marketing, etc. in order to have their good name in the field, in order for their manuscript to be desirable for publication. So that’s one person that should be paid for their effort.

Secondly, multiple people are involved in publishing a good book:

the editor who carefully selects, acquires, contracts and develops it (that’s me, in this case),
the editors who copy edit and proof it (the production editor, layout designer, and proofreader),
the marketing team that writes the back cover copy, web copy, catalog copy, and so on,
the cover designer who created a cover,
the publicity team that sends out a press release, galley, or review copy to your favorite Pagan podcaster,
the accounting staff who send out the royalty checks and pay our bills,
the IT department that converts our book files to ePub formats and keeps our websites and servers running.

These are all fixed costs, whether the book comes out in print or digital (unless the author is self-published, in which case he or she can have more control over the pricing of the book and also gets to keep more of the profit). If you add a print release (not digital-only) then you can add the sales staff, customer service, and the warehouse crew. Basically the only thing you’re taking out of the entire equation by downloading an ebook is the cost of paper, printing, and distribution (trucking, shipping, etc.), and the people who make sure the physical copies get sent to the customers, whether those are bookstores or people. So are you still so convinced that your ebook should only cost a dollar? Or nothing?

“It’s the same as borrowing a book from a library, or from a friend.”

Um, except for the fact that the library bought a copy of the book, or your friend bought a copy of the book. (Even libraries that now do digital lending.) And that they have a finite number of copies (physical or digital) that they are able to lend out at any given time – not a file that can be downloaded over and over again in the blink of an eye by complete strangers all over the world.

Let me put it this way – surely you would lend $10 to a friend in need. But would you put up your PayPal account details on the internet for the world to see with a note that says “hey, feel free to borrow ten bucks”? If you did, I’m guessing you’d go broke immediately, unless you have some very deep pockets.

“But publishers have very deep pockets.”

Maybe some do – but I’ve never worked for a publisher that does. We’re talking about Pagan books here. It’s a niche. We hope to sell 5,000 copies if the book is to be successful. (And, not to shake your confidence in the system or anything, but some of our books only sell hundreds of copies and we don’t make a dime.) We are not selling Harry Potter here! We are not flying our authors around on world tours or taking them out for three-martini lunches! Being an independent, midsized publisher in a small field is not a license to print money.

Here is a great quote to illustrate the situation, written by Colin Robinson, who formerly worked for a large New York publisher:

Books have always been a low-profit item and in recent years margins have been shrinking even further. Publishers now regularly give bookshops a 50 per cent or even a 55 per cent discount on the retail price. The distributor that warehouses and delivers the book will typically take 10 per cent of what remains, or more if you are a small publisher; 15 per cent goes on production (printing, paper, typesetting). Add another 10 per cent for the author’s royalties and the publisher is left with 10 per cent to cover promotion costs, rent and office expenses, wages – and profit. No wonder it’s called the gentleman’s profession.

“But authors have deep pockets.”

While you wait for me to stop laughing, did you notice the author’s royalty in the quote above? It’s not much, and it can actually be even less depending on the genre, the format of publishing, and a variety of other factors. Authors don’t have deep pockets either – they cannot afford to give you their book for free. If they could, they would! (And some actually have, just as many musicians are now releasing their music and letting their fans decide what to pay for it.)

Most authors support themselves with full-time jobs in addition to writing and enriching their communities. The very few who don’t work a “day job” have to tour and teach constantly to make a salary to live off of. Some even sell potions, spells, or courses on the internet to add a little income. And yet they still provide plenty of free content on their websites, blogs, facebook pages and other media. They are more than willing to share – up to a point. If they approach a publisher to publish their book, it means, by default, that they want to get paid for it. It has value. So do them a favor and buy their book if you appreciate their work and want to make sure that they continue to write for, communicate with, and teach the community in the future.

“But it’s all over the internet anyway…”

Go ahead and read all the free blog posts you want. Learn about Wicca by putting together information from ten different websites. Go ahead and search for that certain spell you need on Google. Not sure what to do for next month’s full moon? Just type it into the search box. Go onto the Internet Sacred Text Archive or Patheos and learn about the world’s religions. These are all perfectly valid ways to get information. There are TONS of free resources on the internet – ones that are given freely by their creators. (Perhaps because they have ad revenue they can rely on. Perhaps they just do it out of the goodness of their heart.) So why do people even feel the need to download whole books in the first place? By wanting to download a book more than you want to read a website or blog (etc.), you are admitting that it has a certain value that is greater than what you can browse for free. The sum is greater than its parts. So please, pay for it.

“But I’m poor, I can’t afford to buy these books myself…”

See the above list of free resources. And visit your local library.

“But I wasn’t even sure I would like it, so why pay money on it?”

In today’s book-buying world, that is no longer an excuse. You can get previews of just about any books online, either at Amazon, GoogleBooks, or the publisher’s own website. You can browse reviews from other readers on GoodReads or other retailers’ websites. You can visit the author’s website or blog and see if you like their writing style or agree with their ideas. You can ask your facebook friends if they ever read the book and would recommend it.

“Information should be free!”

I totally agree, to a point. Information is what permeates the very fabric of the universe; information is as basic and integral to life itself as light, and so far no one is charging for light. Information is heady and exciting. Hermes/Mercury, the god of communication, is also the god of tricksters and thieves, so it’s not unreasonable to expect he’d be encouraging illegal downloads.

However, he is also god of merchants – trading, bartering, and yes, paying for goods and services. If you step back and look at the big picture, information is just a type of energy. And energy is never static, it must be exchanged. Money is also a form of energy – it’s how our minutes and hours of toiling away at something we might not always like get converted into poker chips we can trade in for things we like better. Therefore, it’s not only acceptable to use the energy of money in exchange for the energy of information – it’s divine. Like the universe itself, you are keeping energy in balance, in motion, in an unbroken chain, just as it likes.

Thanks for listening to my rant today. Please, feel free to discuss in the comments… I’m curious to hear your opinions and thoughts on this matter.

New Year Resolutions

2012-01-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

Resolutions? I don't make 'em. Why? Cause I don't stick to them. I can break a resolution in record time. But if I were to make some resolutions, this is what they would be:

1. Become more organized. This is a challenge for me. You see, I am a Pisces. Pisces is the dreamer of the zodiac; mysterious, spiritual, imaginative and idealistic. I do much better on the creative side of my job than the details and dealines part.

2. Get thru all the submissions in my inbox. Without drinking a fifth of vodka.

3. Work out and lose the belly I am gaining. I don't have a full sized spare tire yet... just a donut. And I don't like it. But speaking of donuts, YUM! (You see my problem here, right?)

4. Read for pleasure. After a full day of reading, the last thing I want to do is go home and read. But I have fallen behind on the series from my favorite authors and I have a stack of debut mysteries that I am dying to get to as well.

5. Make a boatload of money. Let's face it, most of us could use more money and I certainly feel the crunch with three kids.

6. Figure out how to publish between 10 and 12 books per season without going completely insane. Ties into resolution #1. But seriously, I am going insane.

7. Take a real vacation. Fat chance. See resolution #5.

8. Figure out who to bribe to get a New York Times Bestseller.

Ok, forget it. None of those resolutions are possible, much less probable. Pooey. I hate resolutions.

On the other hand, I do have some goals for 2012. (you see, goals are different. you try to hit a goal. but a resolution is a hard and fast change... goals are better for me.)

I want Midnight Ink to continue to grow and kick some publishing butt! 2011 was very exciting with the acquisitions of both established and debut authors. It was quite exciting and scary to see my first acquisitions enter the market. But in 2012 I want to see starred reviews, best sellers and awards.

I want to get better at my job. This has been one huge learning experience for me. I think I have grown a lot, but there is always room for improvement. Like I should blog more often. :) I am trying for organzied but will settle for keeping my head above water.

I intend to take care of myself better in 2012. That means trying to remember to eat three meals a day and taking time for myself. Maybe going to the gym, playing volleyball, etc. I also want to push my limits. In general, I only do safe things. Perhaps I should sky dive or something.

I also wish to live each day with peace, happiness and love. Yep, that is my Pisces nature. To live with my head in the clouds where everything is serene. Up here the view is beautiful so you can't really blame me, can you?

Happy New Year everyone!

Terri

PS - I do need that boatload of money, though, so if anyone can help me out... ;)

EXCESS BAGGAGE by Sue Ann Jaffarian

2011-11-30T10:19:00.000-06:00

The few days before Thanksgiving, I took off for Las Vegas for a combination vacation and book research trip. I needed the R&R in a baaaaaad way – much more, it turned out, than I realized.

“Now this is more like it.”

The familiar voice rocked me out of my Zen-like moment. I was sitting naked, immersed up to my neck in the hot bubbly water of the hotel spa waiting for my massage appointment. Opening one eye, I looked across the pool to find Odelia Grey similarly dunked – the two of us floating in the water like large, seeping tea bags.

Before speaking, I cast a look over my shoulder, making sure we were alone. “I thought I left you at home,” I told my creation with a bit of a snarl. “I’m on vacation.”

She ignored my obvious annoyance and forged ahead. “No, you’re not. Not really. I happen to know you’re in Las Vegas to research a new book.“ She leaned forward in the water, her face lit with eagerness. “It’s about time you took Greg and me someplace interesting. Are Zee and Seth coming, too? That could be a lot of fun.”

Again, I looked over my shoulder, half expecting to see a spa attendant. “Go away, Odelia. People will think I’m crazy.”

“Trust me, Sue Ann, that ship has sailed. And it wasn’t a row boat, but more like the Titanic.”

“Hey, did either of you catch that Titanic exhibit upstairs? It was awesome! I was hoping to find a few fellow ghosts hanging about, but didn’t see any.”

It was another familiar voice. I groaned and thought about slipping under the heated water until the voices went away or until I drew my last breath – whichever came first. Instead, I answered. “No, Granny, not yet. I’m checking that out tomorrow.”

“You gonna put that in my book?” On the tile floor by my head, Granny danced with excitement.

“That’s not the plan at this time, Granny. But you never know.”

“Her book?” Odelia was not pleased. “You’re here in Vegas researching a Granny Apples book?”

“Book 4 to be exact,” the ghost answered with pride. “It’s called Ghost of a Gamble.” She turned to me for confirmation. “Isn’t that right, Sue Ann?”

Slowly, I nodded with resignation.

“What?!” Odelia glared at me. “What about my seventh book? You’re in the middle of that right now, so I thought you were here to do research for that.”

“I am currently writing Odelia number 7,” I explained to both Odelia and Granny, “but I’m here to do research on Granny Apples number 4. This week was the best time for me to get away and do it.”

Odelia slapped the water with a flat palm, sending a heavy spray my way. “Granny and Emma always get to travel. First it was to Julian, then Catalina, then Pennsylvania, and now to Las Vegas. I never get to go anywhere.”

“You went to Massachusetts,” Granny said, correcting her. “That corn maze seemed like a lot of fun.”

“Humpf.” Odelia crossed her arms across her large chest as she bobbed in the churning water like a buoy. “It’s hardly the same thing as Vegas, is it?”

Eyeing the wall clock, I started to get out of the water and prepare for my massage. “Don’t worry, Odelia. As soon as I get home, I’ll be burying myself in book 7.”

“See.” Odelia pointed a wet finger of accusation at me. “You don’t even have a title for my book yet and it’s due in a few weeks.

“Oh, quit your bellyaching,” Granny said to Odelia with a scowl. “It’ll get done. You know it will.”

With a sigh, I slipped into the spa robe and made my way to my massage appointment. Once I was face down on the table in the dimly lit room with soft background music, the masseuse went to work, laying her capable hands on my shoulders. I winced in pain.

“Ms. Jaffarian, your neck and shoulder muscles are so stiff. You have to learn to relax.”

I sucked in the scent of lavender from the sheets beneath me. “Tell me about it.”

Sue Ann Jaffarian is the best-selling author of the Odelia Grey mystery series, the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series, and the Madison Rose Vampire Mysteries. Gem of a Ghost, the third Granny Apples book will be released February 2012, with the 7^th Odelia Grey adventure released in fall of 2012. You can follow her at www.sueannjaffarian.com and on Twitter and Facebook.

Editors: What I am REALLY thankful for...

2011-11-22T11:15:00.000-06:00

In following along with Vicki's author post, I thought I would post about what I am thankful for as an editor. Here goes!!

Inkers at Malice

1. Readers. Let's face it, we wouldn't be making books if there was no one reading them. I love readers. I feel at home with them. They understand me and I understand them. The written word, no matter what genre or style, connects us all.

2. Authors. I am so lucky to work with a group of wonderful authors. Excellent writers, yes. But more importantly for me, incredibly fabulous people.

Production editor
Nicole

3. Co-workers. There are many people involved in making a book - art, production editors, designers, marketing, publicity, sales, the warehouse folks that ship our books out... every piece is important. And my fellow acquisitions editors - even though we acquire different types of books, we are a team and somehow manage to keep each other somewhat sane.

4. Co-workers who bring food/treats. Today I am pigging out on chips and homemade dip. Good for the soul... not good for the waistline. :(

5. My mom. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my mom. Not only is she a big reader, she has supported me in every step I've made to get here. :)

6. Captain Morgan. Need I say more?

Ben LeRoy
of Tyrus Books

7. Conferences and writers conventions. Anytime there is a gathering of readers and/or writers, it's a good thing. The energy is amazing and while cons are physically exhausting, they do boost my spirits. At a con, I am among my people.

Agent Josh Getzler and
Inkers Linda Hull and Alan Orloff

8. Coffee. Kinda goes along the same lines as Captain Morgan. :)

9. Agents and other editors. It's important to have connections with agents and editors. Not only do agents bring me polished manuscripts, but these relationships keep me in tune with what is happening in the publishing world. That, of course, helps me to do my job better.

10. My authors who send food. :)

hmm... maybe I should re-commit to going to the gym. Yep, I better do that soon.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Terri

Writers: What We’re Really Thankful For by Vicki Doudera

2011-11-18T12:23:00.000-06:00

Please welcome guest blogger - Vicki Doudera :)

The holiday when we feast on turkey and count our blessings is right around the corner. What do writers think about when we give thanks? Along with the intangibles like patience, talent, and persistence, here are ten things for which many of us are very grateful indeed.

Vicki and Terri at Crime Bake

1. Editors

They go to bat for our books, help us be better writers, and ask questions of our characters such as: Do you think Darby will marry Miles? (The very question Terri asked me this past weekend at Crime Bake, a writers and readers conference in Boston.)

2. Tea

Authors are the world’s number one consumers of tea. Okay, I made that up, but I know that for me, this flavored beverage is an important part of my writing process. It’s my “treat” when I’ve reached a little milestone (like my quota of pages) or my incentive if I’m somewhat stuck. I can’t tell you how many varieties I have – probably close to thirty – and depending on my mood, I pick my poison. I mean, flavor.

3. Electronic Reading Devices

Debate all you want about whether reading on a Kindle is the same as reading a hardcover – we’re just grateful that people have discovered yet another way to enjoy the stories we’re writing.

4. Dogs

Our canine companions get us out of our chairs, away from the screen, and into fresh air at least once a day. How many times have plot ideas popped into your head while you were walking your dog?

5. Supportive Friends & Family

Where would we be without them? From our mothers, who saved our very first poems, to our spouses, who read our first drafts, to our friends, who not only coax us on, but also plug our books to their friends and families.

6. Interesting Day Jobs

Writing is my career, but real estate is my profession. Luckily, it puts me smack into situations where drama naturally occurs. Can I mine that for my mysteries? Yes – and I’m appreciative.

7. Expandable Waist Pants

For the days when tea doesn’t work and we chow down on chocolate instead.

8. Hard-drinking Writers

We’re thankful for the guys like Hemingway who guzzled booze by the boatload because it makes our daily glass of wine look paltry (and healthy) in contrast.

9. Woodstoves

Writing in the winter can be downright chilly, and I know I’m not the only writer who is thankful for her Vermont Castings Intrepid. I fire that baby up and keep it stoked while I write. Did I mention that my desk is only two feet away from its warming presence?

10. Readers

These can be Supportive Friends & Family (see number 5) but they can also be strangers upon whose kindness we truly depend. Hopefully, those of us who are writers also fit into this category. Where would all of us be without readers? Fortunately, we don’t need to imagine that scenario.

Vicki Doudera

Happy Thanksgiving!

Vicki Doudera’s Darby Farr mysteries star a smart and savvy real estate agent solving crimes and making sales – even when deals go deadly. Her latest release, KILLER LISTING, “masterfully uses the backdrop of high-stakes realty as a great setting for a murder mystery.” (Bangor Daily News) Her debut novel, A HOUSE TO DIE FOR, was chosen by Suspense Magazine as a top read of 2010. Vicki is also the author of two non-fiction books and is a Realtor on the coast of Maine. Her next title, DEADLY OFFER, comes out in April of 2012. Find more about Vicki at www.vickidoudera.com.

Free E-Book Download

2011-11-07T15:55:00.000-06:00

Get a free e-book copy of Chili Con Corpses by J. B. Stanley — only available this month. You can download it at:

Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble.com
Sony’s Ebookstore

This free e-book offer only lasts through the end of November.

Chili Con Corpses
a cozy mystery by J. B. Stanley

Chili Con Corpses
The Supper Club Mysteries
J. B. Stanley

A spicy adventure awaits the “Flab Five,” a supper club for dieters, when they sign up for a Mexican/Spanish cooking class. Includes recipes!

“Stanley offers another entry in the popular Supper Club Mystery series, and her fans now have a new volume to relish.” —Booklist

“Heavy on fun, light on gore, this savory mystery comes complete with yummy recipes.” —Publishers Weekly

Check out the other titles in the delicious Supper Club Mystery series.

NaMoWriMo

2011-11-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo

Are you writing?

I am wondering how many of you participate in NaNoWriMo? It has grown to over 200,000 people taking part. Those are people who register... I am sure there are others out there who do it, but don't sign up on the website. (you will have to find their website - just google nanowrimo - currently their website is down)

I know one author who eventually sold her book after participating. Well, she wrote the manuscript and then revised it a jillion times. :)

Please share your experiences with the rest of us! I am fascinated by the idea of NaNoWriMo. Just like my views on Harry Potter, whatever it takes to get kids reading is a good thing. Whatever it takes to get writers writing is a good thing. So let's hear your stories!

Halloween is finally here at Llewellyn!!!

2011-10-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from our Halloween party... more to come!! Comment on your favorite pics and you'll be entered to win a copy of Mind Over Monsters by Jenna Harlow!! A winner will be picked on Monday, October 31st.

Win Mind Over Monsters by Jennifer Harlow

2011-10-24T15:25:00.000-05:00

Tricks & Treats: What is your favorite Halloween costume? Answer by FRIDAY for a chance to win MIND OVER MONSTERS by Jennifer Harlow!

Comment on Midnight Ink's twitter feed (@midnightinkbook) and you could win a copy of Mind Over Monsters!!

Praise:

“Jennifer Harlow’s debut novel had me laughing and gasping from start to finish!”—VICTORIA LAURIE, New York Times bestselling author of the Ghost Hunter Mystery series and the Psychic Eye Mystery series

“Wonderful! A gritty, dramatic police-procedural with a compelling heroine and a fascinating group of sidekicks. Looking forward to the sequel!”—KAREN CHANCE, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cassandra Palmer series

"The most engaging detectives to face the walking dead since Scully and Mulder. Part urban fantasy, part police procedural, and entirely marvelous, monstrous fun."
—LIBRARY JOURNAL

"If Donald Westlake had ever gotten around to writing a paranormal mystery, it would have sounded like this. Harlow's genre debut is funny, creepy and refreshingly brash."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Mind Over Monsters is funny, scary, and creepy—and ridiculous amounts of fun!"
—KAT RICHARDSON, AUTHOR OF THE GREYWALKER NOVELS

"Mind Over Monsters is a non-stop rollercoaster ride that fans of urban fantasy will love! Fast-paced, fun, and wildly entertaining, Jennifer Harlow has given the paranormal police procedural a fresh spin with her loveable machete-wielding heroine. A quirky cast of characters and sharp writing make Mind Over Monsters a wholly wonderful debut. I can't wait to read more!"
—JEANNIE HOLMES, AUTHOR OF BLOOD LAW AND BLOOD SECRETS

More Halloween!!

2011-10-20T11:07:00.002-05:00

Yep, more Halloween pics from previous years...

Halloween!

2011-10-18T13:38:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine, Halloween is a big deal here at Llewellyn/Midnight Ink/Flux. As departments we dress up and decorate our cubes for our big party. We bring food and treats. Planning starts sometime in June and the dis-information starts circulating soon after. Here are some photos of Halloween's past:

I will add more photos as we near Halloween!! And of course, the day of, I will post as many as I can, especially since Acquisitions plans to win it all this year! :)

Also stay tuned for a Twitter give-away next week.

daily ramblings

2011-10-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

My little guy Luc declaring the

Packers as #1.

Today has been one of those days... dealing with all sorts of random things that have come up that somehow keeps me from getting any actual work done. Well, that isn't quite true, I am getting lots of work done, but it doesn't feel like it. Unfortunately, when days start like this, it's hard to get out of that ADD mode and dig into a manuscript or contract. Today you will just have to put up with random thoughts and ramblings. :)

First let me say that I am so happy to be a Cheesehead these days. The Green Bay Packers are off to an amazing start. This weekend we play the St. Louis Rams... poor Rams. That's about all I can say. Oh yeah, the Claymaker is scary good. And Aaron Rogers is the best quarterback in the NFL right now.

While we are talking about football... have y'all seen the Wisconsin Badgers this year? Holy cows. Wisconsin football is a lot like Wisconsin basketball... methodical, pound it out kind of play. But this year, the football Badgers have a little more flash. Credit starting quarterback Russell Wilson for bringing in not only a great arm, but great leadership.

Go Bucky!!

Now, it's October and in Wisconsin we naturally have turned to football and beer. After all, we really excel in the area of beer making! But what is this??? The Brewers are still playing? And there is some crazy frenetic energy going on in centerfield. He seems so little 6 foot tall and 175 pounds. But Nyjer Morgan is pure energy and he is a spark ignites a crazy fanbase. Yes, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are the big guns.

But Nyjer is just a whole lotta fun to watch. :)

Nyjer Morgan - bringing a special energy
to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Here are some websites that distract me when I should be working:

This Is Why I'm Broke - 'enuf said
LOLcats - not only are the LOLcats great, but the historic LOLs and Failbook crack me up
Sconnie Nation - you can get all your funny Wisconsin gear here.
Regretsy - caution - you may loose an entire day to this site... sorry if it's not your type of humor...
Tarot Reading Psychic - love tarot
woot.com - does anyone not know about woot? it's where I get all my cool t-shirts. :)

umm... I think that is about all for today. Hope the Brewers win tonight!

InkSpot: When One Thing Leads To Another…

2011-10-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

InkSpot: When One Thing Leads To Another…: by Kathleen Ernst I’ve mentioned here before that I often write in coffee shops. This post is about some nice and unexpected things that ...

Hello!

2011-10-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

OMG. Where have I been? Let's see... Denver for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference then to St. Louis for Bouchercon. Came home with a cold, yuck, and now I am finally going to post some pictures. I had a great time - chatted with lots of old friends and made a whole bunch more new ones. :)

our booth

Funny man Alan Orloff

The Inker bowling team -
Jessie Chandler, Darrell James, Kathleen Ernst, Jess Lourey
Terri Bischoff and Steven Pomije

Jessie 2 and Jessie 1. Jessie 1 always closes her eyes when I try a sneak attack photo...

Jessie Chandler and me

Lois Winston signed ARCs of Death by Killer Mop Doll

Jess Lourey with her eyes open :)

Darrell, Steven, Jessie C, Lois and Alan

Kathleen Ernst

Free Download - Mama Does Time by Deb Sharp

2011-09-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

Free Download!!

Don't miss out on your chance for a free download of Mama Does Time by Deb Sharp on both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. This is the first book in the Mace Bauer series. And after you've read her book, you will most likely want to check out the others in the Mace Bauer series.

The free download will only be available thru the end of September.

Bouchercon!!

2011-09-12T12:51:00.000-05:00

Free Download - Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae

2011-08-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Free Download!!!

Don't miss out on your chance for a free download of Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae. This is the first book in the home crafting series. And after you've read her book, you will most likely be inspired by all her crafting skills - so check out her blog, Hearth Cricket, to for all kinds of great stuff.

The free download will only be available thru the end of August. It is available on most ebook platforms.

Bouchercon Schedules

2011-08-18T11:05:00.001-05:00

Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention is just around the corner! B'con is incredible and hard to describe. This four day event is packed full with opportunities to meet your favorite authors, here them discuss the craft and how they work, get books signed and photos taken. If you lucky, you might find yourself standing at the bar next to Sophie Littlefield. Or John Connolly. Or William Kent Krueger. Or SJ Rozan. Or, gasp! you could be standing next to me! :)

Check out the Guests of Honor:

American: Robert Crais & Charlaine Harris
International: Colin Cotterill & Val McDermid
Life Time Achievement: Sara Paretsky
Fan Guests of Honor: Kate Stine and Brian Skupin
Special guests (local living legends): Robert Randisi and John Lutz
all brought together by...
Toastmaster: Ridley Pearson

And if meeting Charlaine Harris or Sara Paretsky (both of them wonderfully generous and gracious women) isn't enough for you, check out the complete author list here. As for our Inkers, we are going to have a pretty good showing! Thanks to our very organized Publicity Director, Steven Pomije, here is a list of our events:

In-booth AUTHOR SIGNINGS:
Friday, Sept 16
 11:00 am—12:00 pm: Alan Orloff, DEADLY CAMPAIGN (Advance Reader’s Copy)
Saturday, Sept 17
 11:00 am—12:00 pm: Lois Winston, DEATH BY KILLER MOP DOLL (Advance Reader’s Copy)

In-booth MEET THE AUTHOR events:
Friday, Sept 16
 9:30—10:30 am: Joanna Campbell Slan, Make Take Murder
 4:00—5:00 pm: Sebastian Stuart; Dead by Any Other Name
Saturday, Sept 17
 9:30—10:30 am: Darrell James; Nazareth Child
 12:00—1:00 pm: Jess Lourey; October Fest
 1:00—2:00 pm: Jessie Chandler; Bingo Barge Murder
 2:00—3:00 pm: Alan Orloff; Killer Routine
 3:00—4:00 pm: G. M. Malliet; Death at the Alma Mater
 4:00—5:00 pm: Kathleen Ernst; The Heirloom Murders
Sunday, Sept 18
 10:00—11:00 am: Lois Winston; Death by Killer Mop Doll, Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun

Author PANELS:

Thur, Sept 15 o 8:30 am, Alan Orloff, Laughter of the Clowns: Comedy in crime fiction; Landmark 5,6,7
o 8:30 am, Jessie Chandler, Hitting the Ground: New writers talk about their first book; Landmark 4
o 2:30 pm, Jess Lourey, To Love is To Bury: Finding new ways to get rid of the body, Landmark 1,2,3
Fri, Sept 16
o 8:30 am, G. M. Malliet, Bad Blood: Celebrating Agatha Christie; Majestic D
o 8:30 am, Darrell James, Fresh Blood: New writers talk about their first book; Majestic A, B, C
o 10 am, Kathleen Ernst, The Darkness of Light: Developing diversity in our characters; Landmark 1,2,3
o 11:30 am, Joanna Campbell Slan, Death By Good Intention: Doing away with characters; Landmark 5,6,7
Sat, Sept 17
o 8:30 am, G. M. Malliet, Nocebo: Playing fair with your readers; Landmark 1,2,3
o 4 pm, Lois Winston, Time to Murder and Create: Listening to the voices in your head; Landmark 4
o 4 pm, Sebastian Stuart, Time to Murder and Create: Listening to the voices in your head; Landmark 4

Charity Bowling Tourney: The Midnight Inkers
 Midnight Ink authors and staff (the Midnight Inkers) take on 12 other Bouchercon teams to raise money for the St. Louis Public Library system.
 Fri, Sept 16th at 12:30 PM at the Flamingo Bowl, 1117 Washington Ave, downtown St. Louis

So come check out our booth in the book room, or drop in on one of our author panels. We'll be glad to meet your acquaintance. I can't wait to see you in St. Louis!

Title Give-Aways in our booth:
 Mind Over Monsters; Baited in Blood

In-booth Drawings:
 1st prize: The full 2011 Midnight Ink collection
 2nd prize: A limited edition Midnight Inkers Bowling Tee from the Bouchercon Charity Bowl
 3rd prize: The Agatha Award winning St. Just mystery series by G. M. Malliet

In-booth Coupon for Online Order Only:
 Get 20% off all Midnight Ink titles; Visit MidnightInkBooks.com and use promo code BOUCHERCON2011. Offer expires 12/31/11. Standard shipping fees apply.

AND BOWLING!!!

Does Midnight Ink = Cozy?

2011-08-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

I need feedback people - the more the better!

While at the writers conference in Portland, I was often asked what Midnight Ink publishes. When taking pitches, it goes something like this, "I don't know if this is the right book for you, but I have a 120,000 word thriller..."

At this point, you could insert historical mystery, suspense, hard-boiled, etc for thriller... So just what is it do we publish? Midnight Ink has had a great history with cozy and soft-boiled mysteries. But we've also done well with a few thrillers. I've acquired quite a few that fall in the middle of the road -what we call medium boiled.

Here is my question to you, dear readers - what is your perception of Midnight Ink? Do you see us as a cozy publisher? A plain old mystery publisher? What comes to mind when you think Midnight Ink? What would like us to publish that we aren't currently?

To foster conversation, I will send a couple random commenters a new book from our 2012 list. Comments need to be of substance. Thanks!!

Taking Pitches at Writer's Conferences

2011-08-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been away so long folks! Work (sales conference) followed by playtime (visiting family and celebrating my mom's 60th birthday with her) followed by more work (Willamette Writers Conference) kept me from blogging and sleeping!

The Willamette Writers Conference was exhausting but fun. Friday, Saturday and half of Sunday I took pitches from writers... I was pitched cozies, historical mysteries, thrillers and even a memoir. Ooops... that guy signed up for the wrong editor! To me, conferences are always energy draining simply because of the effort of giving each person I talk to my full attention. Even if the book wasn't for me, I did offer the writer advice, either on the pitch (what to focus on, refining catch phrases, etc) or my opinion on the plot or who it should be pitched to.

At the same time, conferences invigorate me. To be surrounded by fellow editors, writers and agents is amazing. I flew in a day early and hit Powell's with my friend and author Lori Lake. My buddy, editor and publisher Ben LeRoy and I made silly facebook videos when we had some down time. I caught up on life with agent Christine Witthohn. I met and got to know agent Miriam Kriss. And of course the writers drive the whole thing.

One note to take away from this conference was that it really felt like a get down to work sort of conference. They had sessions for improving your pitch, manuscript critiques, and all kinds of writing seminars. The entire weekend felt professional and business like (which is why Ben and I had to create videos for our own amusement.)

Even though taking time away from the office is hard, and now I have even more submissions piled up, it was well worth the trip. And when I saw this picture, I just had to laugh... the telling of tales is indeed a beautiful thing... All you writers - keep writing! Keep telling stories and continue to improve on your craft. One day you'll give a pitch or send in a submission and an agent or editor will fall in love with your story... you just have to keep writing. :)

Author Websites

2011-07-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

How important are author websites? They are incredibly important!!!

I am speaking directly to authors here - You have spent an incredible amount of time, energy, blood, sweat, and quite possibly buckets full of tears, all to create your manuscript. And if you earn the golden ticket of publication, you then need to give a little attention to an online presence. I am not saying you need to blog daily, nor do you need to join every single group or new social media widget out there... but you have to, at the very least, have an updated website. Why?

Because if you have written something that is worthy of publication, you will have readers out there who fall in love with the words you have put on the page. And when we, as readers, fall in love with a book or a character, we seek out more information! I want a little more info on you, the author. I want to read about what made you write and if you are writing more. If I can find you, and learn more about you, the more likely I am going to remember who you are and that bodes well for future books.

Ok, ok... maybe I am preaching to the choir... you know this... but do you have a kick-butt website? Is it updated and fresh looking? Or is it the same style or format that it has been for years? Is it too dark? Funky fonts? Does it look like this? It's ok to build your own if you know how. But if you could get a website built for free, would you go for it?

You would? Well, let me introduce you to Midnight Inker Cricket McRae... who happens to be doing a giveaway...

The prize is a free, custom-designed Author Website from Bizango Websites for Writers, plus two years of free hosting. The website comes with a set of easy-to-use tools that enable the author to update it themselves. It's value is well over a thousand dollars.

Check out Cricket's blog for the details. This is a great deal for both established authors and authors who hope to be published soon... I know I have followers that fit in both critera, so check it out. :) And best of luck!!

Free Book Winner!!

2011-07-18T16:01:00.001-05:00

I am feeling good today so I picked two winners for the Wined and Died contest. And the winners are:

Shannon

and

Susan

Sales rep Katie Kane picking the winners! :)

Shannon and Susan - email me your mailing addresses! submissions @ midnightinkbooks.com

(remove the spaces!)

Have a great day and talk to y'all tomorrow!

Mondays - UGH! and a FREE BOOK giveaway

2011-07-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

It's Monday for sure... I had a few days off last week, so today has been catching up on five days worth of emails. UGH. I also have to create a PCS - that is a Project Cover Sheet. This is the information I gather to take a manuscript to the acquisitions committee. On Thursday I will present the info and hopefully shortly after that, I can make an offer to the author and/or agent.

Besides the email and PCS, tomorrow we will launch 2 books. In the launch meeting we settle on a title, tag line and cover design. Sometimes these are very short meetings. Sometimes... well... sometimes we walk away and reschedule for a week later. Yikes.

On the horizon looms our sales conference. At the sales conference, myself and the other acquiring editors will present the Winter 2012 books to the company. This is one of the most fun but most stressful parts of my job. Besides presenting the titles, the folks in sales and marketing often ask me a lot of questions so I try to prepare to answer any question that comes up whether it's about the author, the book or the market. Whew!

Of course, today and every day I am trying to find manuscripts to acquire... I'm gonna need a lot of coffee for the month of July.

or maybe... I should have some wine... yeah, that sounds good. Actually, I mean Wined and Died, the new home crafting mystery by Cricket McRae. All you have to do is comment about your favorite coffee or wine and you will be entered in the drawing. I will draw a winner next Monday!

Also check out Cricket's blog for most contests!

Free e-book download??

2011-07-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

Yep, we are doing it again!

There may not be such a thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as a free book about a lunch box.

Continuing with their Summer e-book give-away program, Midnight Ink has put another novel on the Kindle Freebie Block. For the month of July, MI is highlighting Sue Ann Jaffarian.

For a limited time you can download a free copy of THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL, the second book in the Odelia Grey series, featuring everyone’s favorite sassy, plus size paralegal.

The collectible Chappy Wheeler lunch box is just a *&#% lunch box, or so Odelia thinks until people start dying because of it.

Don’t have Kindle. No problem. You can download a free Kindle app to your smart phone, Nook, iPad or computer.

And while you’re downloading The Curse of the Holy Pail, check out all the other great Midnight Ink series available in both e-book and print.

Guest Blog by Lois Winston

2011-07-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hope you enjoy this guest blog by Lois Winston, author of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun!

I live in a state that is often one long parking lot. I suppose that’s why they call the major north/south thoroughfare the Garden State PARKway. This morning I had a 9:15 doctor’s appointment. The office is 12 miles from my house. I left home at 8:00am and arrived 10 minutes late! Really. No exaggeration.

My state, New Jersey, is the butt of many jokes. Current reality TV shows such as Jersey Shore, The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Jerseylicious don’t help. Even Cake Boss often portrays us in a not so accurate light (and with Hoboken now Manhattan West, even Buddy and his famiglia are no longer an accurate representation of that town’s demographic.)

However, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. (Okay, that’s

not completely truthful. If someone offered me a 2,000 sq. ft. apartment in Manhattan, I’d jump at the chance, but how

likely is that to happen?)

I like New Jersey so much that I’ve set my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series not only in my own state but in my own town. Some people might think I’m crazy to set a series in a real suburban community, but there’s a method to my madness. I already have to keep straight all these characters who populate my books. With a real setting, I don’t have to fear messing up the layout of an imaginary town. I don’t have to worry that I set the shopping district on Broad Street in Book One but inadvertently moved it to Main Street in Book Two. Readers pick up on errors like that, and I want to keep my readers happy and reading.

But why not use the town and change the name you might ask? To which I respond, why? People love reading books set in real places, especially real places they know. With 9 million people crammed into the third smallest state in the nation, New Jersey contains many potential readers. A good percentage of those readers will be quite familiar with the town where Anastasia lives.

Another great aspect of setting my series in New Jersey is the diverse geography of the state. New Jersey is just under 48,000 square miles. While keeping Anastasia close to home, I have the opportunity to place her on the Appalachian Trail, down the shore (in New Jersey we go “down the shore” not “to the beach,”) out in horse country, or in a crime-infested inner city, all within less than an hour’s drive from her home. Not to mention being a short train commute from Manhattan. That opens all sorts of plotting opportunities for me.

If you only know about New Jersey from those reality TV shows, pick up a copy of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun and learn about the real New Jersey. And don’t worry. You’ll still laugh at us but hopefully, in a good way.

BIO: Award-winning author Lois Winston writes the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries featuring magazine craft editor and reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, the first book in the series, debuted in January and received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Kirkus Reviews dubbed it “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” Death By Killer Mop Doll will be out in January 2012. Visit Lois at her website, http://www.loiswinston.com, and Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com.

5 questions with Cricket McRae

2011-06-27T13:06:00.000-05:00

Cricke McRae

Today Cricket McRae is my 5 questions victim. Her most recent Home Crafting Mystery, Wined and Died, is already shipping. If you haven't stopped by your local store, or placed your online order, now is a perfect time!! Cricket has a great blog. I am so jealous and inspired when I read what she is cooking, making or growing!

Was there an author or a book that inspired you to write?

I read so much as a child that I can't name just one. It was more like the accumulation of all the authors and their stories. However once I decided to be a writer, Starting from Scratch by Rita Mae Brown and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott were influential and inspirational.

Your books revolve around home crafting – soap making, canning, cheese making – did you already know how to do those things, or do you learn a new craft for each book?

When I started the first Home Crafting Mystery I wanted to write about something I already knew about rather than doing a lot of research. I had a soap making business for a while, and gave that occupation to my main character, Sophie Mae Reynolds. Besides writing, I also pickle and can, garden, make cheese and butter, spin yarn, knit and crochet. However, I did have to research mead making for my latest, Wined and Died, which I understand is already shipping from Amazon. ; )

Do you have a favorite movie, book or artist?

The Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I go back to them over and over, amazed at how they're such accurate tutorials for colonial skills. As for movies, I confess to watching Dirty Dancing and Tremors far too often.

You have several books in your series – is it getting harder or easier with each book?

Both. It's easier in that the world building is largely done. The primary characters are like family, so keeping them consistent is no problem. But can be challenging to keep things fresh, and since the series is set in a small town I have to avoid the "Jessica Fletcher" syndrome -- there are only so many dead bodies that can keep turning up.

If you needed to bribe your editor, what you make/buy her?

I wonder if she likes molasses-oatmeal cookies ...? (I believe she may...*big grin*)

Click here for a list of all of Cricket's books: http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/products_by_series_list.php?series_id=28

Romance in Mysteries

2011-06-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

I have to give Deb Baker/Hannah Reed for giving me the idea for this blog. Click here to read her blog post on the Cozy Chicks Blog.

It seems to me that the lines between the mystery genre and romanace are becoming less and less distinguishable. A cozy written now versus one written ten years ago is more likely to have on the page romance. Not graphic sex scenes by any means, but there has been a trend of more action, as well as more bad language and slightly more violence. In my opinion, cozies used to be very close to traditional mysteries and now they are much closer to soft-boiled. Is this a bad change? Not at all. It's simply the evolution of the genre. (Romantic suspense is an entirely different sub-genre.)

Cozies and soft-boiled mysteries are very character driven. Or you could call them relational driven - in that its the relationships that are most important (yes there needs to be a good, plausable plot, but come on folks, let's be honest - is there really a plot in the Stephanie Plum books?) So how much relationship do we need to see? Does it make a book less believable if we don't see some action on the page?

So where does the line get drawn now? Authors are probably in the best position to answer that question, after all, authors are receiving reader feedback regularly. So authors - what are your thoughts on romance in the cozy or soft-boiled sub-genres? Are readers asking for more romance or telling you that you have gone too far?

Readers, of course I want to hear your opinions as well!! What do you want to see? And what about swearing and violence? Is a character believable if she says "darn" after she has accidentally backs into the tall, dark and handsome police chief's car? :)

Odds and Ends :)

2011-06-22T16:23:00.002-05:00

Here is an interesting thing I found today while poking around the Publisher Weekly website... An interactive bookstore map! This is genius! Click here to go to the map. It separates stores by grouping - Borders, Barnes and Noble, Independents... Very cool.

Are you an author and planning on going to Bouchercon? To be considered for a panel, you have to be registered by TODAY, June 22nd. Click here for more info. And for fans... want to see what authors are already registered... click here.

The guests of honor:

American: Robert Crais & Charlaine Harris

International: Colin Cotterill & Val McDermid

Life Time Achievement: Sara Paretsky

Fan Guests of Honor: Kate Stine and Brian Skupin

Special guests (local living legends): Robert Randisi and John Lutz

all brought together by...

Toastmaster: Ridley Pearson

This is going to be a fantastic convention. I will be there as well as a whole bunch of Midnight Ink authors. Hope to see some of you there as well.

In today's Shelf Awareness, Beth Groundwater was featured in the Image of the Day:

Last weekend author Beth Groundwater was the honored guest at the FIBArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas) whitewater festival in Salida, Colo., "America's oldest and boldest whitewater festival." Groundwater's latest mystery, Deadly Currents (Midnight Ink), stars whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner and features Salida and the FIBArk event. Here she waves to parade onlookers before signing books at the Book Haven bookstore booth.

Photo: Neil Groundwater

Congrats Beth!! What amazing coverage for you and Deadly Currents!!

5 questions with Joanna Campbell Slan

2011-06-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

Today's Midnight Ink author subject to my 5 questions is Joanna Campbell Slan. I have had the pleasure of hanging out with Joanna at several conventions and enjoy our conversations about the mystery world, the current market, trends, etc. If you haven't yet entered the world of Kiki Lowenstein, do yourself a favor and pick up Joanna's books asap!

Was there an author or a book that inspired you to write?

There were several. Jane Eyre saved my life. My father was a violent alcoholic, and my mother was an enabler. Jane Eyre encouraged me to believe that I could escape that environment by getting a good education. So I did. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith showed me that I was not responsible for my father’s disease, as he and my mother would have me think. These books taught me that reading offered both an escape and a game plan. Recognizing their powerful influence on my life spurred me to want to become an author.

Your books involve scrapbooking, but also with strong social themes. Was it a conscious decision to go in that direction?

Yes. I wanted my work to matter. I aim to offer my readers entertainment, so they can forget their own troubles, and edification, so they can change their lives. Including scrapbooking was a marketing decision. I am a scrapbooker. I do enjoy it, but my books have strong appeal to those who have no interest in gluing photos onto pages. I don’t write books about scrapbooking. (Not any more. I have written seven scrapbooking technique books.) I write books about a character who happens to like to scrapbook. There’s a big difference.

Do you have a favorite movie, book or artist?

Since I’ve answered the portion about books, let me tackle movies: Michael with John Travolta; Bell, Book and Candle with Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart and Jack Lemmon; The Ghost and Mrs. Muir with Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison; Cross Creek with Mary Steenburgen, Rip Torn, and Peter Coyote; and Starman with Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. Oh, and of course, Gone with the Wind. I think you’ll quickly spot the common themes in them. All feature outsiders, who don’t fit in but who manage to make their way in this world.

Do you have a daily writing routine? Is it harder now that you are juggling two series?

I write every day for as long as I can. (I get stopped by aching wrists and back and so on.) I start my day by taking care of my dogs, checking my email, and so on. I try to work in an exercise class, so I can stave off the dreaded “writers’ butt.” Actually, with two series it’s both harder and easier. Harder because there’s more to juggle. Easier because I tend to feel sad when I finish I book and don’t have another assignment. I’m one of the few authors I know who actually loves the process of writing. Everyone enjoys “having written,” but I love the act and process of writing.

If you needed to bribe your editor, what you make/buy her?

I would make her a scrapbook so she could savor her memories of her three growing boys. As the mother of a guy who’s now a senior at University of Miami, I would remind her that they really do grow fast—although at some stages, time really grinds along slowly. And as my old friend Liz Curtis Higgs once said, “You’re the only person who has the title of ‘Mom’ to them.”

Books 1 - 4

Thanks Joanna!! I appreciate you playing along with me today!

MWA-University coming to a town near you!!

2011-06-14T14:36:00.000-05:00

When I first heard about MWA-University, I thought wow, that is cool. But I bet it's expensive. And I bet you have to fly somewhere, get a hotel room... But wait... that is not true? It's affordable... and all over the country... Yep, according to Jess Lourey, who serves on the Board of Directors for the Mystery Writers of America. Read on:

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a writing class: "Write Your Novel in 30 Days!" "Go from Poor to Published in Seven Steps!" "Sell your Manuscript!" Some of these classes are great, many are not. When I was placed on the Education Committee of the national board of the Mystery Writers of America, our goal was to formulate an all-day creative writing seminar that was consistently excellent. The project was guided by the vision of MWA EVP Larry Light and Edgar-nominated author Reed Farrell Coleman. The guidelines were simple:
The classes must focus solely on the craft of writing
The classes should take the student from the initial stages (I've got a great idea for a novel!) to the end, and beyond (what does a writer's life look like?)
The classes will be built around industry-relevant instruction, not peer critique
The instructors must know how to teach as well as how to write
The cost must be accessible to all
And so, MWA-University was born. As a committee, we brainstormed what areas to cover, how to get the best teachers, and in which parts of the country to pilot MWA-U. The final product is a one-day seminar consisting of six classes, taught by six different specialists in each area. The classes are:
After the idea
Dramatic structure and plot
Setting and description
Character
Editing
The writing life
Our pilot took place in Bethesda, MD, last October and was a smashing success. Over 100 students registered, and they all left with the buzz of excitement that accompanies an artist with a good idea and the skills to make it happen. Our next session will take place this coming Friday at the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books (http://www.sewibookfest.com/). Basically, we go where we're needed, at the request of MWA chapter presidents.

So, how much would you pay for six hours of college-level writing instruction taught by tenured professors, Emmy-winning newscasters, and national book reviewers, every one of 'em also a published author? Fifty dollars sound good? Thought so. Hope to see you at one of the seminars: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=MWA-University.

Thanks to Jess for the write up! Now people, go and learn. Write awesome books!! Then send them to me. :)

What is up with Blogger?

2011-06-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

Hey folks - I am getting irratated because I can't post comments on my own stinkin blog... we are trying to diagnose the problem...

Be back soon -

Sholes and Moore contest winner - June new releases

2011-06-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

We just drew the name for the lucky winner of signed first editions of Sholes and Moore's first two books in the Cotton Stone series.

And the winner is...

NINA!!

So Nina - send me your address and you'll have these wonderful books in no time! (submissions at midnightinkbooks.com)

Yesterday also marked the official release of two Midnight Ink books - Twice as Dead by Sue Ann Jaffarian and The Phoenix Apostles by Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore.

Twice as Dead features plus sized sleuth Odelia Grey and her cast of family and friends. Odelia seems to be attracted to dead bodies - she just seems to stumble over them all the time! And in this instance, she finds the body of a wedding planner at her best friend's daughter's wedding. Once Odelia starts digging, more bodies start turning up...

The Phoenix Apostles brings us Seneca Hunt, a journalist who is almost killed while on an archeological dig with her fiance. Wanting to find the truth behind her fiance's death, Seneca begins investigating and finds that someone is stealing burial remains from some of the most infamous murderers in history. This thriller will not disappoint!!

I do apologize for not drawing the winners yesterday... unfortunately, I had to go to the dentist. I hate the dentist, but a toothache forced me to go in. I will gladly accept symptathy hugs and of course, gifts of food to help me overcome this traumatic event.

Summer Reading Guides FAIL

2011-06-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Often summertime means reading lists... you know, those big summer blockbusters and well as new discoveries...

Well, Library Journal just published two summer reading lists - one for men and one for women. Here are the introductory paragraphs:

Summer 2011’s action/adventure thrillers offer readers old friends, some new buddies, and a couple of wannabes who don’t quite measure up. Characters in these stories rely on their friends to help them win or die trying. So before you take on international skullduggery and domestic thuggery, first make sure your own buddies have your back—invite ’em to a barbecue at the pool. Then they’ll owe you when the bad guys come calling.

Make room in your beach tote for a mix of favorite authors and debut novelists from this year’s crop of summer women’s fiction reads. Ensemble reads—featuring best friends, sisters, or soon-to-be friends—remain popular, while several titles include dashes of mystery and intrigue along with the usual romance and fun.

Can you guess which paragraph was for men's list? I am really bothered by these lists and I am not the only one. The fact that it came from Library Journal is also troubling. Dividing the lists by gender is lazy and offensive. Women read thriller, action and suspense novels. Men read cozies and romance. Not all women want to read character based relationship novels, nor do men only want buddy books fighting bad guys. LJ should have created genre lists - a Thriller Summer Reading List, a Cozy Summer Reading List, a Hang out with Girlfriends Summer List, etc...

Do lists like these bother you - or is it just me? As a reader, a list like this serves no purpose to me. As a bookseller, I would have failed if I assumed every woman who came into the store only read women authors. As a woman, I am just plain irritated.

What do you think? Check out the lists on your own:

Men's Summer List

Women's Summer List

Another response to the lists by Stacy Alesi aka BookBitch

Summer ebook promotions - free ebook downloads

2011-06-03T13:42:00.001-05:00

Free on Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Sony ereaders for the month of June!

June Bug by Jess Lourey

This summer we are also planning free giveaways with Sue Ann Jaffarian, Cricket McRae and Deborah Sharp. If the program goes as well as planned, we will probably continue into the fall. :) Each of these promotions will last for one month.

Discounted Price on Kindle

Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M Malliet $1.99

Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney $1.99

Paper Scissors Death by Joanna Campbell Slan $.99

This Kindle promotion only runs for two weeks

Happy reading everyone! Keep checking back for more promotions and giveaways!!

MWA to recognize/accept Ebook authors/publishers

2011-06-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Hey all -

Today the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) announced that they have established critera to make ebook and print on demand authors eligible for membership. It appears they have stopped short of announcing that ebooks are eligible for the Edgar Awards, but I assume that will be just around the corner. The critera, after a quick scan, pretty much looks like the same they have for printed books.

Check this out: (http://www.mysterywriters.org/node/10784?q=mwablog)

The publishing business is experiencing massive changes and if MWA is to remain relevant, we have to change, too. That’s why we’ve revised our Approved Publisher criteria to make books published solely in e-book format or using print-on-demand eligible under certain conditions for MWA membership (and, perhaps later, for Edgar eligibility as well). Self-published books, whether they are published in print or as e-books, still do not qualify for MWA active membership.

In crafting the criteria below, we had to strike a balance between including books published using those new technologies while also maintaining our high professional standards and our commitment to protecting our members (and writers in general) from the less-than-reputable publishers who seek to take advantage of them.

Some folks may not agree with MWA's policies. Self-published books don't qualify. That may change in the future. Who knows. I think what is admirable here are two things - first, MWA wants to protect the integrity of their organization and their awards. They are keeping shady publishers out of the mix. Second, they are adapting to the times. I think in the book world, we are occasionally slow to adopt new technologies... *big grin* But here is MWA - I know they considered the subject carefully and thoroughly - and did the right thing. I truly hope that eligiblity for the Edgar Award is announced in the very near future.

I believe Malice Domestic already considers ebooks for the Agatha Award. Do you all know if the other mystery awards are accepting ebooks now?

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY, Memorial Day, BEA and other ramblings

2011-05-31T12:25:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all have recovered from the last week or so.

For those of us who didn't attend BEA, there are many BEA reports, but my favorite is this one by agent Josh Getzler http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/ Josh talks about the status of epublishers at BEA as well as the dance between epublishers and traditional publishers.

Another sweet blog to check out is Inkspot. This weekend Jessie Chandler had a great post about Memorial Day - http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/ I also would like to add my thanks to all of those who have served past and present in our armed forces.

And while you are on Inkspot, Lois Winston's grammar rant is awesome!

Besides the pure joy of the NCIS marathon yesterday, spring seems to arrived in Minnesota. Complete with thunderstorms and tornados. But also with sunshine. Yesterday the boys and I went swimming. It was awesome. This is my favorite time of year, when it's not too hot and the nights cool down. :) Soon summer will be here in full force - humidity, mosquitos and sunburns. But for now, I am thankful with what we have.

Ok, ok. I know the real reason you are reading. Did I say FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY?!? Oh yes, I certainly did. We at Midnight Ink really do love to make our fans and readers happy. And what is better than free books? Seriously?! Through my blog, we are giving away one set of signed first editions of THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY and THE LAST SECRET by Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore. The contest runs through June 8th (which happens to be the release date of the new Sholes and Moore book, The Phoenix Apostles.) And just how do you enter to win?? In the comments sections, please give me some feedback about suspense/thrillers... such as...

Who is your favorite thriller writer and why?

What type of thriller would like to see MI publish?

What is your favorite Sholes and Moore book?

Is there anything lacking in the thriller genre, like a female assassin as the main character?

One person will be randomly selected from the folks who leave comments.

Please make sure to follow Midnight Ink on all the social media fronts as we'll be doing a lot of giveaways and contests this summer.

http://www.Facebook.com/MidnightInkBooks
http://www.Twitter.com/MidnightInkBook
http://www.goodreads.com/midnightinkbooks

And last but certainly not least, happy birthday to my little sister Tiffy. Tiff, there is no way I could love you any more than I do. Thank you for keeping me sane. :)

Tiff and me in Vegas :)

Holiday Weekend Recipe

2011-05-27T14:59:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has lots of fun plans for the long weekend. I will spend my weekend reading manuscripts and hanging out with friends. And hopefully I can drag someone along to see a Twins game with me. :)

Ah, long weekends... the anticipation is lovely. If I were home in Wisconsin this weekend, I would be attending graduation and birthday parties - and eating a lot of homemade desserts. I love rhubarb and this is the season for it. Here is a yummy recipe for bars just in case you have a little time on your hands and 3 cups of rhubarb!

Go Anywhere Rhubarb Squares

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. butter

Filling:

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

Procedure:

Combine flour & powdered sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of a greased 11-inch x 7-inch x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. For filling, combine first four ingredients. Stir in rhubarb; pour over warm crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!! Have fun, be safe. Eat a lot and thank a vet. :) See y'all next week.

The Value of Book Trailers?

2011-05-26T14:22:00.000-05:00

I have to admit... I am easily distracted. Some days it is very difficult for me to read at work because people stop by my cube, emails come in, etc. I can get totally lost looking and giggling at lolcats. My newest distraction today... book trailers.

Perhaps I am missing something... do book trailers work? How do they get out to the readers? I found this Sholes and Moore trailer by searching Lynn Sholes. It seems to me the reader has to actively search for an author's work. What am I missing? I suppose they are on an author's website as well. Can they be uploaded to Amazon? Do indie stores post trailers on their websites?

I think book trailers are fun. :) It's interesting to me what elements an author chooses to highlight, the music selection, if the author uses images of the characters or not...

Authors - have you seen a positive impact because of book trailers?

Readers - has seeing a trailer cause you to go out and buy a book? Or made you not buy one?

Reading list

2011-05-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

What are y'all reading these days?

Hitting the Road

2011-05-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

Yep, I am hitting the road again. This time, via car. And my three boys. Noah, Lucas, Elijah and I are headed home to Wisconsin to visit my family. It'll be a quick weekend, but one I am looking forward to immensely.

First, there will be Friday Night Fish Fry. Where I come from, there is always fish fry. It's not a lent thing. Since moving up here to the Twin Cities, I've found I have to cross back into Wisconsin for a good fish fry. Sad, but true.

The second cool thing about the trip - my brother in law is willing to show my boys how to fish. We took Noah when he was little so I doubt he remembers much. I like to fish and all, but this will be perfect... the guys will fish and my sister and I can sit and talk. Rock on.

Third, and the best part, seeing my family. When I come home we usually manage to get everyone together for at least one meal. That is the best part of going home for me. All of us together, joking, eating, playing games or just sitting around and talking.

The worst part of the trip... this:

Ah, travelling with kids! I have a portable DVD player and I know where the McDonald's with playlands are located. I think we'll manage after all!! See y'all on Monday. I hope you all have some exciting weekend plans!

Discovering a Gem

2011-05-18T15:31:00.001-05:00

Today is a reading day. Actually this whole week should be. I am very behind on reading manuscripts that have time constraints on them. I have manuscripts from authors that need to be "accepted", proposals and partials to read to take to acquisitions, a couple from agents with timeframes, manuscripts that I sent back for revisions, etc. And now, I've been tasked to acquire 3 very specific manuscripts for a project.

I have no complaints there. Reading manuscripts and finding a "gem" totally rock. One of the best parts of my job. And today I am excited because I believe I found a manuscript for my new project. I know I shouldn't be too excited - I'm on page 45... but still... the writing and voice are great. The dead body was found around page 35. :) Things are looking good!

Since I started here at MI, I believe I've found a few gems. Lois Winston, Alice Loweecey, Carol Culver, Jessie Chandler, Robin Allen, Beth Groundwater, Jennifer Harlow and Darrell James all make debuts with Midnight Ink this year. Wow. That is amazing. Besides these new authors, we also have new series by Midnight Ink authors Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore, Alan Orloff, Amy Patricia Meade and a second series by Beth Groundwater. That makes for a lot of new material for 2011. 2012 won't have as many new authors, but I do have a few surprises up my sleeve. :) You'll just have to stay tuned. One of them may very well be the manuscript I started today.

Guidance from Senior Editor Becky Zins

2011-05-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes authors run into a bit of confusion because here at Midnight Ink/Llewellyn, authors have two editors. I am the acquiring editor - the gatekeeper, so to speak. I acquire manuscripts and often do a revision or two with the author before I formally put the book into production. My revision requests are generally developmental - I don't correct grammar...

That job falls to the production editors. I picked on one editor today, Becky Zins and asked her a couple questions. First I asked if she would provide us a short description of her job:

I like to approach a fiction title with the goal of making a comprehensive style sheet that includes not only place names, brand names, etc. but also a list of the characters and their relationships, physical attributes, and quirks. Timelines are also something I keep track of. Characters frequently have name changes throughout a ms from earlier incarnations of the story, so keeping a style sheet is crucial. Also paying attention to physical details—if a character walks from a café to the store down the street at the beginning of a chapter, but at the end of the chapter leaves the store and jumps on their bike, then there's some tweaking to do. Perhaps the most challenging aspect is judging whether a character's actions, motives, or speech is consistent with how they've been set up so far in the story, but that's another important aspect of the editorial process.

How about a list of do's or don'ts? Or, what would make your job easier?

As far as do's or don'ts for authors, I would suggest that if they're not already making up a style sheet for themselves, maybe they should think about doing so. The more mistakes that are fended off before submitting a ms to a publisher, the better, because despite our best efforts, errors do get overlooked! So if I were writing a novel, I'd have a comprehensive timeline, list of characters, and list of terms or phrases that I would want an editor to retain instead of change (for example, say I have a character who repeatedly screws up some aspect of the English language—it's part of their zaniness—I don't want a well-meaning editor or proofreader to come along and make them sound like an English professor!). Submitting this along with the ms would assure greater communication between author and editor(s) and proofreaders.

So there you have it - helpful hints from a production editor! If you had the ear of an editor - what would you like to know? Becky would be happy to answer more questions. She's a sweetie.

Finding Time to Read

2011-05-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel like this:

Yeah, me too.

These days I don't have a lot of time to read for pleasure. When I do have time, it's on the weekends, which sometimes makes me crabby on Monday mornings, either because I stayed up too late on Sunday night or because I just didn't get to read as much as I would like. I love reading, but a lot of weeknights, I don't physically want to read. My eyes are tired or my brain just doesn't want to process more words. And let's face it, spring may have finally arrived in the midwest and I was busy outside in the sun, playing football with my boys.

Fortunately, I can sometimes find the quiet time I need to slip into another world created by some of my favorite authors. And who might those be?

William Kent Krueger - the man writes beautifully. http://www.williamkentkrueger.com/ I am a book behind (like I am with most of my favorite authors - so don't spoil anything for me!!) Cork O'Connor, the main character, is one of my favorite characters. Kent is one of the nicest guys on the planet, too.

Karin Slaughter - what a perfect name for a crime fiction writer. And it fits. Bad things happen in her books. Not for the light-hearted. Karin's books are suspenseful, scary and heart-breaking. http://www.karinslaughter.com/

Ian Rankin - http://www.ianrankin.net/

Lee Child - http://leechild.com/

Ian and Lee are authors I read when I am in the mood for a "guy" book. Lots of action. :)

Charlaine Harris - I have loved most of the books she has written. I didn't get into the Aurora Teagarden series. But the Lily Bard, Harper Connolly and Sookie Stackhouse series are all wonderful. http://www.charlaineharris.com/index.html The HBO series True Blood starts up again June 26th! Sweet.

So what about all of you out there - who are your favorites? How do you steal some time away to read? Does you day job ever interfere with your reading time?

(full disclosure - I intentionally left out the Inkers... seriously, a mom doesn't choose her favorite kid... I would be starting a riot around here!)

5 questions with Sue Ann Jaffarian

2011-05-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

Sue Ann Jaffarian

Finally, blogger is back up and I can post again! Today Sue Ann Jaffarian was kind enough to endure my 5 questions! :) If you don't know of Sue Ann, you should. She is the author of three series - Odelia Grey, Granny Apples and Madison Rose series. Odelia is a plus sized paralegal who has a nose for trouble and dead bodies. Granny Apples is the great, great (I forget how many greats) grandmother of Emma Whitecastle. As a ghost, Granny helps Emma help other ghosts to solve mysteries surrounding their lives and deaths - mysteries that keep them from passing over peacefully. Madison Rose my kind of girl - alone in the world, she fends for herself until one day she is attacked and an elderly vampire couple save her from the attack. Thus starts Madison's relationship with a group of vampires. Three very different series yet all fantastic.

Was there an author or a book that inspired you to write?

So many authors have inspired me in different ways. As a kid, I was a voracious reader. I remember dreaming of seeing my name on a book on a library shelf and my name in the card catalogue. I wanted to write books like To Kill A Mockingbird and The Yearling. In the end, it was the late Anne George who inspired me to write humorous mysteries. When I first decided to turn my attention to writing mysteries, I read a couple dozen books from various series written by women about female sleuths. While reading Anne George’s Murder Runs In The Family, I realized I wanted to write funny mysteries. I wanted to make people laugh out loud and invest themselves in the lives of the characters as she did with her down home humor and charming characters.

You’ve been writing for a while now – how has social media affected your platform/marketing/career?

It has greatly enhanced all three. Through various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging, I have been able to reach many more potential readers than I might have otherwise. With social media, midlist authors can compete better with the authors who are benefited by big PR budgets and campaigns. I also get to know my readers and they get to know me. Sometimes that can be touchy, but most of the time it helps sales and boosts interest in my work. I can better picture my audience. During the many hours I spend writing, I imagine the people who are going to read the latest Odelia or Granny or vampire mystery. It makes me feel like I’m telling my friends a story in a more intimate setting and writing becomes less lonely.

Do you have a favorite movie, book or artist?

Favorite movies: The Color Purple, As Good As It Gets

Favorite books: To Kill A Mockingbird, Angela’s Ashes

You and I have talked about being a professional writer. Would you mind explaining what that means to you?

For me, being a professional writer means taking it seriously and not treating it as a hobby that you do from time to time as you feel like it or when you can squeeze it in. I view my writing with the same eye I do my paralegal career at the law firm. There are deadlines and expectations in both venues and I strive to meet them in both careers. In my writing, I make a schedule and stick to it as carefully as I can. A large part of being a professional writer is also understanding that writing is a business. Learning about and keeping up with the business aspect of it is part of being a professional writer, just as keeping abreast of continuing legal education is important to my being a professional paralegal.

If you needed to bribe your editor, what you make/buy her?

Hmmm, if my editor was still Barbara Moore, I’d buy her a pair of very expensive shoes. That would be a no-brainer. But I’m not sure about you. Maybe season tickets to your favorite sports team – best seats in the house or a box – with catered food and drink for you and a couple of friends? Stock in Starbucks? Give me a hint.

You know me pretty well, Sue Ann. I love sports and Starbucks. :)

If you haven't read Sue Ann yet, you owe it to yourself to check out her website. She currently has first chapters from each of her three series posted. http://www.sueannjaffarian.com/ Sue Ann also posts on the Criminal Minds blog http://7criminalminds.blogspot.com/

Have a great weekend, y'all!!

A Report from the Trenches

2011-05-10T14:39:00.000-05:00

This last weekend I was at the Houston Writers Guild conference in Houston, TX. Unlike my friend, agent Josh Getzler, I did not take 53 pitches! (check out his thoughts on the conference at http://heydeadguy.typepad.com/heydeadguy/) I only took 23. But I also did a seminar on mysteries. It was a learning experience for me as well.

Like Josh noted, many authors can't properly place themselves in the market. Almost every single manuscript that I was pitched was described as a thriller. When I looked at the writing sample, it was clear to me that several were actually cozies or soft boiled. I spent a good deal of time talking about subgenres and giving examples.

One question that surprised me was "do you buy on proposal?" Ummm... no. Not unless you have a serious body of work under your belt and I therefore the author can deliver a finished and acceptable manuscript. I would certainly make an offer on a proposal from Lee Child, for example! Or Maggie Sefton. :)

Another question - "do you have an assistant who pre-reads for you?" Good Lord. After I managed to pick myself off the floor and wipe the tears from my eyes, I simply said, "No. No, I don't."

I also extensively explain the publishing process, from the submission to the finished product hitting the market. Oh, I probably forgot one or two of the seemingly endless steps, but I am fairly certain the folks walked away with a little more understanding of the amount of work that goes into publishing a book.

And of course, I emphasized the most important part. Write, write, write. Revise, revise, revise. Write, write, write. Before you send it off to an agent or an editor, make sure you have put together the best possible product you can! You often only have one shot at an agent or an editor. Make sure you are putting your best work forward.

Before the conference in Houston, I was able to make a side trip to Austin to meet Inkers Karen MacInerney and Robin Allen. I have to say, I love my Inkers! The food was excellent and the company was outstanding. To Karen and Robin - thank you for the warm welcome. :)

InkSpot: My Dumb Ugly Baby

2011-05-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

Do y'all read Inkspot? Well, you should. Go check it out now. :)

InkSpot: My Dumb Ugly Baby: "By Deborah Sharp Why don't people like my middle child? Don't work yourselves into a lather, parents. I'm not about to cyber-humiliate ..."

Winners!!!

2011-05-04T13:27:00.000-05:00

And, the winners are...

Jessica and Molly Swoboda

and because I love you all so much, I am also going to send 3 books to garfan1

Please email me (submissions@midnightinkbooks.com) and provide me with you full name

and mailing address!!

And, I am hitting the road again. This time I heading to Houston for a writer's conference. And considering my turbulance filled flights lately, I give you this sweet lolcat:

Pictures from Malice Domestic 2011

I uploaded pics from Malice to my facebook page. Feel free to friend me if you would like to take a look. Here is a group shot from the banquet:

Front row left to right: Lois Winston, Deborah Sharp, Jessie Chandler, Alice Loweecey, Jess Lourey
Back row: Vicki Doudera, Terri Bischoff, Kathleen Ernst, Alan Orloff, Beth Groundwater

Home Again / Last Chance to Enter for Free Books!

2011-05-03T12:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I am back home in Minnesota! The flights to and from DC were a bit bumpy and left me feeling green, but that didn't stop me from having a fabulous time at Malice Domestic. These are a few photos from my phone, which are not the best quality. I took a ton of photos with my camera and will get those up soon.

Jess Lourey (second from right) next to
Sue Grafton (second from left)

Alan Orloff - Agatha finalist
for Best First Novel

Deborah Sharp (L) and Jessie Chandler (R)

Midnight Ink had a great showing at Malice. Attending authors were:

Jess Lourey

Jessie Chandler

Deborah Sharp

Alan Orloff

Alice Loweecey

Kathleen Ernst

Joanna Campbell Slan

Vicki Doudera

Beth Groundwater

Lois Winston

and Maggie Sefton

If you are a fan of cozies and soft-boiled mysteries, you have to attend Malice Domestic. It is always a well-run convention and you never know who you might run into... Such as Sue Grafton, this years lifetime achievement honoree.

FREE BOOKS!!!

Today is your last day to sign up to follow my blog and be in the drawing for free books! Don't delay!! The cut off is at 2pm CST. Then I will print up the names, put them in my stylish throwback Milwaukee Brewers hat and pick some winners!

Malice Domestic 2011

2011-04-27T12:19:00.002-05:00

My younger sister Tiffany

and me in Vegas

I am trying to use the little grey cells today, but I think I left them somewhere in Vegas. And by the way, those ads lie - what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. At least not when you can post on FB so easily.

Tomorrow I fly to Washington DC to attend Malice Domestic. Am I excited? You better believe it!! I love mystery conventions and writers conferences. I call it being with "my people". Yes, I am an editor now, but first and foremost, I am a fan. I love books, the industry and readers/writers. There is such a positive vibe going on.

But what is really driving my excitement is that I am going to meet a bunch of Inkers for the first time! I feel so fortunate that I have a vocation where I am able to form wonderful and warm relationships with all sorts of people (not necessarily just my authors.) But I think there is something special about an editor/author relationship. Not only do I have a chance to read a manuscript long before anyone else, but I have a chance to form and guide a book/series. I can go through a series of rewrites before that book is shown to anyone else here. That alone is incredible. I also am the voice for the author internally. It's my job to represent the authors ideas and wishes when it comes to covers and titles when we have those meetings. I get to make dreams come true. Man, that is powerful and scary. But it is exciting! I am taking a chance on an author and he or she is taking a chance on me. It's amazing. I have found wonderful friendships with my authors. They constantly cheer up my days and give me support when needed. And hopefully I am able to give that back to them when they need it. That is why I love my job and why I am looking forward to actually meeting all the wonderful authors that make up the Midnight Ink family.

So, if you are attending Malice, keep an eye out for us. I think we might just be a rowdy group waiting to stir up some trouble! And please stop me and say hello. I should be easy to spot - just look for the chickie with a huge grin and a gleam in her eye!

And if you are not attending Malice, why not?! Make sure to try to get to one convention this year, whether it be Malice Domestic, Bouchercon or a smaller regional one. The authors will surely appreciate it and I promise it will be great fun.

Tarot, Writing and Travel

2011-04-21T15:00:00.002-05:00

For those who are not familiar with Midnight Ink, MI is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide (http://www.llewellyn.com/). Llewellyn has a rich and long history (110 years!) of publishing titles that fall under metaphysical or body, mind, spirit categories - pagan, wiccan, yoga, chakras, ghost stories, astrology, tarot, magick... you get the idea. Well, quite a few of us here read our tarot cards and horoscopes regularly. There's a group of us that draws a tarot card for the day - today my card was the Chariot. How appropriate!

From the Shadowscapes deck
published by Llewellyn

When the Chariot appears upright in your tarot spread, it indicates that you have all the tools necessary to triumph over any obstacles that stand in your way. The successes you achieve are based on your ability to harness your instinctive drives. The more effort you put out, the more successful you will become. Self-discipline is necessary. This is a time to remain focused and stay devoted to managing your conflicting thoughts and feelings. You may be feeling frustrated at the speed of events you’re focusing on. Patience is required. Know that if you wait, things will materialize in your favor. If you lack clarity, progress may be slowed. It is best to concentrate on what you want. Your intentions will set things in motion. In a tarot reading, the chariot also represents travel of some kind.

For me, it's the last line... travel of some kind. I will spend the next three weeks out of the office save for a couple days. First I have a vacation, then Malice Domestic, then a writer's conference in Houston. I think I will just have enough time between trips to do laundry and repack!

But you know what else is cool about tarot? You can use tarot to develop your characters. Seriously. Llewellyn has published a great book called Tarot for Writers. The author, Corrine Kenner, is a certified tarot master. The book provides 500 writing prompts and idea stimulating exercises that call upon archetypal imagary and symbolism in tarot. It also uses classic tarot layouts and spreads to structure your story. How awesome is that? You don't have to use/know tarot to use this book. You can check it more at http://tarotforwriters.com/ or at http://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738714578.

So everyone - happy writing!! And happy travels for those also going to Malice Domestic! I will be blogging off and on, hopefully uploading pics from Malice. I am looking forward to hanging with a whole bunch of Inkers!

The Submissions Waiting Game

2011-04-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

So... lately I've been a bit overwhelmed by my job. That is normal mode for me. I could really use another me to give everything I do the amount of attention it should really get. But I did something a little bit crazy. Somehow I scheduled myself to be travelling for almost three weeks straight. I have a day or two at work in between three long weekend events. So now I am trying to cram everything for the upcoming three weeks into this week. UGH! And of course when I turned my attention to writing my blog post for today, I surfed the internet for an hour trying to come up with some ideas. I bet that sounds familiar to a few of you out there!!

But what I find to be the most difficult and painful part of my day to day work is when I get an email from a writer or an agent who submitted a manuscript months ago and they are wondering about the status. Those emails make me feel horrible. Because in that pile of submissions, might be the best submission I've gotten all year... but I haven't read it yet. And I definitely won't in the next month. Maybe not even in the next three months. And that poor writer is hanging out there feeling low because they haven't heard a thing. I got at least two of those emails today.

Sadly, as bad as I feel, I can't do much about it. There is simply not enough time in the day. So for the writers out there who haven't yet been published, my best advice is to hang in there. But maybe this is where some other writers can give advice... what do you do while waiting? Did you all have that dream of a quick read and offer, or did you suffer through the waiting game?

Terri's cube invaded by Jessie Chandler!!

2011-04-19T14:45:00.001-05:00

So I was asked to come to Llewellyn Worldwide today for a meet 'n greet. That was cool. I figured I could talk to some folks and schmooze with other authors... then when I walked in the door, I found out I was the only author who would be here to meet the greeters by way of a sign welcoming me. Whoa! It was awesome! Betty took a picture of me with the sign as I was trying to restrain myself from doing a happy dance and dying of embarrassment.

Terri showed me and Betty, my partner, all around. Tan-colored cubes snake up one side of the building and down the other, and the cubes are divided out by the production section, the artwork section, acquisions, marketing, publicity and more. It's a totally cool place. I figured the building would be filled with color for some reason, but it was all pretty... tan. When we sat down to do the official meet 'n greet, I found out where the true color in the place really is. It's within every person who works here. I was a little intimidated to talk to the twenty or so folks who showed up, but in minutes I was telling stories based on the great questions they asked. We laughed for almost half an hour, and I really could feel that the staff in every area cared about what they were doing. It was heartwarming to be with folks who really love what they do. Then I signed books (don't use a ball point or Terri will kill you) for everyone and got to learn a little more about each of them. It was great.

Afterwards, I swung into the restroom and nearly dropped dead in shock...right between the men's and women's was a poster. Of ME--advertising the meet 'n greet! So I used the facilities and came back out and, like the geek I am, took a picture of the poster. Terri rolled her eyes and said she'd see if she could score me one. Snerk!

All in all, this has been a fantastic experience... one I would love to repeat. And maybe I can when book two comes out. Long live Midnight Ink!!!!!

Once Upon a Crime

2011-04-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I will dedicate a blog to someone in the crime fiction industry that deserves some recognition. Today I am proud to give a shout out to Once Upon a Crime owners Pat and Gary. I first met them when I owned Booked for Murder. We only ever talked via email, but I could tell they were incredibly kind and dedicated book people.

http://www.onceuponacrimebooks.com/

When I moved up here to the Twin Cities, I made sure to make a trip to OUAC as soon as I could. They have such a fantastic store. And finally meeting Pat and Gary in person was lovely. Pat acts like my mom, chiding me to eat more or to take better care of myself, but that is Pat and I wouldn't want her any other way. She genuinely cares for her customers - it feels like a big family.

This year, Pat and Gary are being honored at the Edgar Awards. They are receiving the Raven Award, which is for outstanding achievement beyond the realm of creative writing. They will receive the award on April 28th.

Inker Jessie Chandler and her book at Once Upon a Crime's Write of Spring 2011

Outstanding achievement? You better believe it. Pat and Gary go out of their way to support authors in any way that they can. Each year they host a Write of Spring event where 40 Minnesota authors are showcased. They host 6-10 author events a month. They read voraciously and handsell like the mad. And they are succeeding in a time when the book world is a little shaky. How do they do it? Love of the store, for their local authors and community and for the larger crime fiction community.

If you are ever in the Twin Cities, make sure you stop in and see for yourself. I would bet you'll walk out with a armful of books and a huge smile on your face. I always do!

And, in free books news, I now have over 50 followers so we'll be giving away at least two sets of books!!! Thanks everyone. Keep spreading the word and I'll be happy to give away even more!

FREE BOOKS!!!

2011-04-14T14:49:00.002-05:00

Free books?! Are those the two best words in the English language? Ok, don't answer that. Really.

Maybe not the best words, but still pretty awesome, right?

Here is the deal. I want more followers. It's an ego thing and I can freely admit it. And, as you may have noticed in my earlier post, I like bribes. I have three boys which explains a lot. Bribes and I, we are tight. ;)

I am giving you, dear readers, the chance to win free books, just by signing up to follow my blog. On Tuesday, May 3rd, a random follower will be chosen to receive a selection of Midnight Ink books. The winner can choose any five books we've published in 2011. If my number of followers is over... 50... I will choose two winners. 75 followers... three winners. You get the idea, right? So, invite your friends, share this on facebook, help me build my ego. :)

Feel free to head over to our website http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/ to check out our selection of titles.

Go get those followers!

Wednesday. Blah.

2011-04-13T11:40:00.001-05:00

Today is one of those days in an acquistions editor's life. A complicated, frustrating, emotionally draining, tough kind of day. And it isn't even noon yet. It's the sort of day that makes me want to go out and do something impulsive. Like get a new tattoo.

Anyway, here is an lolcat to make you smile -

Tomorrow I promise an insighful and moving post. And perhaps a photo of my new tat if I happen to get one today. :)

5 questions with Jess Lourey

2011-04-12T15:50:00.003-05:00

Today, I am chatting with Inker Jess Lourey. Jess is the first Midnight Ink author I met so it's deserving she is the first I subject to random questions! :) Her Murder by Month series starts with May Day, October Fest is now available and November Hunt is scheduled for March 2012. In my opinion, Jess keeps getting better with each book. I love that about her series. And I love Mira James. She is my kind of heroine!

1.) How did the idea of the Murder by Month series come to you?
In 2002, I was living in Battle Lake, a Minnesota town with a population of around 800 people. I was a single mother of a newborn and a three-year-old, working full time, feeling both smothered and comforted by the small town rhythm, and so lonely that I had developed a crush on a 23-foot fiberglass statue. I tried self-soothing by reading Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, and Tony Hillerman and drinking lots of wine after the kids were asleep. Eventually, the authors I was reading weren't writing fast enough, and I needed a solid mix of humor and justice to get me through the day. I decided to try writing it myself. Out of this grew the Murder-by-Month mysteries.

2.) What is your proudest publishing/writing moment?

My proudest publishing moment is when I signed the contract for my first book--May Day--with Midnight Ink. There's something about realizing for the first time that your story is going to be a physical book that people can hold. It's indescribable, and a memory I'll always treasure. Incidentally, I was so green when I signed that first contract that I had an actual person fill out the witness signature rather than forging it myself, like I do now.

3.) What is your worst publishing/writing moment?

I haven't had any terrible writing or publishing moments. It still stings when I get a bad review, but mostly, I'm just glad to be published, especially in today's climate.

4.) What is your favorite movie, book or artist?
My favorite book is often the last one I read, but if I had to choose three of my all-times, I'd select Gone with the Wind, The Handmaid's Tale, and Main Street. Weird, I know. I don't have any favorite films, but I am a huge fan of b-movie creature features and am working on what I hope will be a SyFy channel original titled Hog! The exclamation point is part of the title and not part of my sentence. Hog!

5.) If you needed to bribe your editor, what would you get/make her?
If I needed to bribe my editor, I'd give her the December manuscript early, dark chocolate, a bottle of wine, and a whole day off. Odd...those are the same things I use to bribe myself. Is this why we get along so well, Terri?

The day off would be fantastic. An early manuscript - fantastic! But chocolate and wine... I'll be in touch!!

I wish I could nap at my desk!! :) Happy Monday.

Submissions

2011-04-11T13:39:00.001-05:00

So let's just bite the bullet and talk about submissions. As an acquiring editor, I know that is often the first thing people want to ask me about. Am I taking submissions? Can anyone submit? What am I am I looking for? Simple questions, right?

Not really. As of March first, I partially closed submissions. Currently I am only taking submissions from agents and authors I have met at conventions. Why would I do such a crazy thing?! The answer is complicated. I am the only one who reads submissions here and I have too many to handle. If I were an author, I would not want to wait a year to hear from an editor, but that is where I am right now. Roughly nine months behind. If and when I get caught up, I will re-open. You'll just have to watch the submissions guideline page on the Midnight Ink website. http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/ I am attending several conventions this year and will figure out a way to list them here on the blog.

Do you need an agent? No. Does it help? Yes. Not only does having an agent get me to look at a submission sooner, but a good agent has already worked the author on the manuscript. That is one more level of development and editing. Beware of bad agents who just slap their name on it and send it out. They are out there and they aren't doing you a service.

What am I looking for? Such a dangerous question! If I say I want a police procedural, I will be flooded with them! Instead, I want a story with a captivating voice. I want to start reading a manuscript and get lost in the story. I want to know the characters, love them and be afraid for them. I need a plot that is somewhat realistic. If you write humor, make me laugh. If you write suspense, I better be biting my fingernails by the end. (how else do you measure a page-turner?!) I want to finish a manuscript and be in agony that there isn't a follow up to read immediately. I want it all. Is that too much to ask for?

I tend to get passionate about books. I LOVE storytellers, those who can weave plot lines through a book or through several books. That is what I want to acquire and by doing so, together we'll continue to build Midnight Ink into a powerful and vibrant crime fiction publisher.

And in the meantime, don't let you lolcat ruin the ending!

Dame Agatha

2011-04-08T10:55:00.002-05:00

Dame Agatha Christie. The mother of traditional mysteries. Just her name brings so many things to mind.

Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI. http://www.auntagathas.com/ I've never actually been to Aunt Agatha's, but I've met and talked to owner Robin Agnew several times at conventions or thru the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. I'm sure store is as wonderful as she is.

Then there is Malice Domestic http://www.malicedomestic.org/aboutmalice.html, a fan convention honoring the traditional mystery. The attendees of Malice vote on and present the Agatha Awards. I'll be there this year, along with a bunch of other Inkers. We'll be cheering for all the finalists, but in particular, we'll be hoping our own Alan Orloff walks away with Agatha for Best First Novel. Our past finalists for best first include Lisa Bork, G.M Malliet (winner), Joanna Campbell Slan and Karen MacInerney.

Of course, there are the characters Agatha Christie created. My favorite is Poirot, particularly David Suchet playing that role. One of my favorite customers at Booked for Murder had named her cats Tommy and Tuppence.

So what about you? What do you think of when you think of Dame Agatha? I bet it's not an lolcat!

PS - I will address the evolution of traditional/cozy mysteries in another post.

Day 2 of blogging

2011-04-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

It's day two and I don't know what to say today! *PANIC*

Ok, well, not full-fledged panic, but still, I had a lot of ideas, where did they all go? I'll tell you, right out of my swiss cheese brain. Lately I have been having a hard time keeping track of time in general, but also where I am in process with any given book. In the past I could easily forget what I did the weekend before or what day it was, but I would remember the order of a ton of mystery series, the major plotlines of most books, etc. I had a great booksellers brain. But in the publishing world, we skip around in time contstantly. Today I have a vision meeting for two Spring/Summer 2012 books. At the same time, back cover copy is routing for Spring/Summer 2011 books.

I am also organizationally-challenged. Here is my desk:

And I cleaned it off a bit yesterday!

If I were a writer, I would be one who wrote by the seat of my pants. No outline. Writing, then going back and changing something in the first chapter, writing more, changing more... The editor who sits across from me, her desk is clean and perfect. She cleans out her email inbox and organizes all of her files accordingly. UGH. I don't understand those people! How do they do it?

Recently I created a rather large spreadsheet that contained all the important dates for each book in the Spring/Summer 2012 catalog. If it helps me organize and keep me on track, I will continue to do it. I also color coded my meetings in my Outlook calendar to help my eye catch when I have specific meetings. I hate when they sneak up on me. And finally, tomorrow I will create a blog calendar, so I don't stare at the blank post page! I think all this organizing might give me hives. Good thing the weekend is coming!

Have a great day!

Welcome

2011-04-06T14:16:00.003-05:00

Thanks for stopping by the offical website of Midnight Ink! http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/ Here you will find all things Inky.

What are Inky things you ask? Primarily any information that has to do with Midnight Ink, our authors, our books, new signings, awards and nominations, conventions, sales and promotions, the publishing process, interesting crime fiction tidbits, LOL cats, baseball commentary - you know, the good things in life!

This will be brought to you by me, Terri. I am the acquiring editor at Midnight Ink. I love crime fiction. Before landing here at Midnight Ink, I owned and operated Booked for Murder in Madison, WI. My two favorite parts of the job were 1) talking to customers about crime fiction books and 2) looking through the catalogs to see what books would be coming out in the upcoming months. In many ways, that is my life here. I get to talk about mysteries all the time. And while I don't have "customers" to talk to, I have a stable of incredible authors to work with. As for looking through the catalogs... I now have pride and fondness for every title listed in our catalogs. Of course there is a lot more that goes into my job and I will talk about that along the way, but those are two great perks! In many ways, I feel like I have the best job on the planet.

So I hope you'll come back and visit. I don't know yet what I will talk about tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy a cute LOL cat!