The Little Things

My stint in the publishing world is short (three years) and my novels are “critically acclaimed” as opposed to “bestselling”, but I’m satisfied with this venture. It’s the little things that make me feel this way.

Earlier this year, my son’s third grade teacher phoned me. When she identified herself, she paused after her name, as though waiting to see if I recognized it. While it’s been five years since my son left her class, I never forget someone I’ve met and certainly not if I liked them. She was calling because she’d seen my books written up in the local newspaper. She’d run out and purchased them, and she wanted to know if she could come over to our house to have me sign them. Heck, yes. Come to find out, her son works for Harlan Coben’s publisher, and she’s learned a lot about publishing, including how important it is to support new writers.

A couple months ago, my husband suggested I contact Life in the Finger Lakes magazine to ask them to review my second book, For Richer, For Danger, which was set in the region. Before I had a chance, the magazine’s editor contacted me and asked if I could send a copy to their reviewer. Heck, yes. The review came out last month: “A most entertaining tale.”

Over the last few months, I’ve spent a few minutes a week friending people on Goodreads and asking them to check out my books. I always wonder if people find being approached in that manner more annoying than friendly. But in May, two reviewers specifically said they were “so glad” I contacted them.

A family friend doesn’t read often, okay, almost never. But she purchased my first book and read it within a couple days. Her husband said she just finished the second within a day and can’t wait for the third.

When I entered the publishing world, my only goal was to write a book that a recognized publisher would buy. Everything else has been icing on the cake.

So, care to share any of your own warm fuzzies? What little things of late have made your life choices that much more satisfying?

Fun in Review

For Richer, For Danger: a Broken Vows mystery officially releases September 1st, but it’s been available most of this month already. I received my copies August 8th when I came home from a week’s vacation and found the cartons sitting in the rain. Thankfully, just wet cardboard, not wet books.

For Richer, For Danger is the sequel to For Better, For Murder. It continues the saga of Jolene Asdale, her sheriff’s deputy husband Ray Parker, and her unpredictable younger sister, Erica.

In this novel, after years of ambivalence about parenthood, Finger Lakes sports car dealer Jolene Asdale is now driven to adopt her foster child, the daughter of fugitive robbery suspects. But some major roadblocks arise, including an open hit-and-run case and a recent murder—with the silent, uncooperative birthmother as the prime suspect.

I’m excited about this release but also continually reviewing the last year, during which I met a lot of wonderful authors and readers at Bouchercon and Malice Domestic, attended two fun book club discussions of For Better, For Murder, held a well-received library talk, learned my friends and family can be counted on to show up for book signings and to promote my books, met some great booksellers and librarians, heard from a number of enthused readers, and truly appreciated the total surprise and thrill of having For Better, For Murder named a 2009 Agatha Award finalist for Best First Novel.

The last year will be a tough act to follow.

But the year of For Richer, For Danger has started off early with a welcome first time review in Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “winning second mystery.” Kirkus is still on board, although a little more cryptic this time in their comments. Both reviews are much appreciated.

Just last week I sat down for an interview with a reporter from a Finger Lakes area newspaper. No one has ever asked to interview me before—except for a job, of course. This kind of interview was way more fun.

And I had a lot of fun writing my first two books, as well as the third and fourth in this series which are now finished. Hopefully that fun shows in the work itself.

A local radio announcer closes his timeslot every day with the saying, “If you had fun, you won!”

That pretty much sums it all up.

And just for fun today, I’m offering a giveaway of For Richer, For Danger. If you’d like to enter the drawing, send me an email at Lisa@LisaBork.com with “Drawing” on the subject line. I’ll pick two winners randomly on Friday and send the books out promptly thereafter.

Why the Finger Lakes?

The Broken Vows mystery series are set in the Finger Lakes region of New York State for two main reasons:

1) It’s a beautiful area, worth recommending.
2) A lot of my happiest days occurred there.

My first book, For Better, For Murder, opens in Wachobe, a fictional town on the region’s western border. With a fictional town I hoped to write whatever I wanted without being corrected or offending anyone. But in the eastern Finger Lakes, Skaneateles hosts a Dickens Christmas that surpasses the Dickens Festival in my book.

In the second book, For Richer, For Danger, my protagonist travels to Canandaigua, where I spent childhood summers camping, swimming, exploring, and riding the carousel in the Roseland Amusement Park which closed in 1985. My family enjoyed the summertime Waterfront Arts Festival and the Canandaigua Art and Music Festival for years and the more recent holiday-time European-inspired Christkindl Market and Festival of Trees.

As kids, when not in Canandaigua, we spent weekends in the western part of the region on a hill above Hemlock Lake, where my grandfather built a cabin on ten acres across the road from his birthplace. We picked blueberries, played games, swam, planted sticks that magically grew into candy, etc.

Nowadays, my family hangs out on Keuka Lake, where it is possible to:

• Buy tasty Mennonite baked goods and gorgeous handmade quilts


• Boat or drive to scenic restaurants and wineries with excellent offerings


• Go fishing, catch nothing, and still come home with a cooler full of fish because friends will share their catch


• Fall off your friend’s jet ski, be unable to climb back on, and have said friend swim out to rescue you, your small child, and the jet ski


• Have a dozen strapping young men appear on cue to carry your newly assembled boat hoist into the water and position it for you (several times) even if they have to stay under water longer than really wise


• Attempt to water ski, wipe out multiple times, and still have your neighbors cheer your success


• Find talented retiree labor when you need help installing drainage ditches, water pumps, wood flooring, etc.


• Swim all day—and not think about the fish, turtle, or snake that lives under your dock


• Relax by the water and have friends float by just to say “hi”

Mind you, I’m not saying all these experiences are mine or my loved ones. I’m just saying the Finger Lakes are a great place to be.

So, what’s your favorite summertime vacation spot? Favorite summer memory?

Fabulous People In My Book

I’m inordinately fond of twenty-three people. Who are they? Here are some clues:

* They’ve read a mystery.
* They know how to use the Internet.
* They can follow directions.
* They liked my first book enough to want to read the second book in the series.

Did you guess? These twenty-three people took the time to visit my website after reading For Better, For Murder and click on the link to request an email announcing the release of For Richer, For Danger.

Now you may be thinking “twenty-three people—big deal.” Well, it’s a big deal to me for a few reasons.

First, that’s twenty-three more times than I ever requested a similar announcement from another author and I’m a voracious reader.

Second, rumor has it Janet Evanovich once said she became a bestseller by telling five of her friends about her books and asking them to tell five of their friends and so on. I’m starting twenty-three voices ahead when my second book comes out, and whatever I can do to be like Janet is okay with me.

Third, these twenty-three people are independent confirmation readers visit my website. New authors are told they must have a website, but it’s hard to measure the return on investment. For a while, I watched the statistics to see if anyone visited. They looked encouraging. Then my daughter told me her best friend logged onto my site repeatedly to watch my book trailer. So much for statistics.

Finally, these twenty-three people approached me about the mailing list. They didn’t write me a check or participate in a drawing, inadvertently providing me with their address for future use. I didn’t automatically assume they would like to receive book announcements because they sent me an email about something else or joined the same group as me. They’re not on my Christmas card list [yet]. No, these people were excited about my first book and wanted to read more, excited enough to make the effort to seek out my website and send the email.

Now aren’t they fabulous?

Incidentally, For Richer, For Danger is now available for preorder!!