INKSPOT NEWS - August 10, 2013 DISCOUNTED BOOKS!

We Midnight Ink authors are extremely happy to share the news with readers that our backlist ebook titles have been quietly discounted!

Midnight Ink is bringing our ebook prices in line with an evolving industry standard for prices of traditionally published ebooks. As a quote in digitalbookworld says: "Ebook pricing seems to have settled somewhat in the past few weeks between $7.00 and $8.00. This week, the average price of a best-selling ebook is $7.59, up from $7.31 a week ago but down from $7.82 the week before that."

On Amazon, you'll find backlist Kindle ebook titles from Midnight Ink priced between $7.69 and $8.69. For a list of all the Midnight Ink titles available on Amazon, go HERE. The list is sorted by publication date, starting with books not yet released, but as you page down, you'll soon see the bargain-priced Kindle ebooks. New Amazon ebook releases are still priced around $9.99, but those prices should drop after the title has been out awhile.

The prices for Midnight Ink backlist ebooks on the Barnes and Noble website seem to be a bit more, from $8.99 to $10.49. Unfortunately, there's no way to search by publisher on the Barnes and Noble website, but for those of you who read NOOK books, you can find the titles you want in the Amazon list above, then search for the titles in the NOOK Book Store.

We hope Midnight Ink readers are as excited about these discounted prices as we are!

The First Rule of Book Club...

by: Maegan Beaumont

Is you don't talk about Book Club.

Come on, you didn't really think I'd talk about my first Book Club experience without referencing what is arguably the best Brad Pitt movie of all time (12 Monkeys is a very close second...)

Anyway...

I'll be the first to admit that CARVED IN DARKNESS isn't exactly what I'd deems as "book club" material. I never imagined a group of readers gathering in someone's home or in a restaurant to talk about my book.
I just never thought of CARVED as that kind of book.
Apparently, I was wrong (it does happen from time to time...).

A few weeks ago, I met with a group of women who not only chose CARVED as their book club monthly read but were thrilled at the opportunity to discuss it with me. I can tell you, they weren't half as thrilled as I was! What an honor to be able to sit and talk about my writing with such a wonderful bunch who listened with genuine interest and asked some very thought-provoking questions. One woman in particular had some pretty hard-hitting questions that I'd like to share as I imagine she isn't the only one who's read CARVED that has wondered the same thing...

How do you reconcile the role of mother to young children with the graphic violence you write about? How are you able to transitions between such extreme roles so easily?

Much like my protagonist, Sabrina Vaughn, I'm able to compartmentalize quite well. It's probably a skill I acquired during my days working in mental health. No matter what is going on around you or inside you, there is a job to do in front of you and you do it. And while you're doing it, everything else gets put in the box. In action, this looks like me spending hours dreaming up gruesomely horrible murder scenes and then when the bell rings (I have to set an alarm or I'll forget to pick up my kids from school... don't judge me.) I close down my computer and become a mom again. That doesn't mean the other stuff isn't there... it just means I've put it away for later.

How do you feel about your contribution to the culture of violence against women in society?

I can honestly say that while CARVED is violent and yes, that violence is centered around women, I never thought that I was contributing to a "culture of violence against women".
And I still don't.
What I did was give this world something it can never have too much of--a strong female protagonist who not only survives what what done to her, she perseveres. She fights and she wins.

Of all the questions though, this was by far my favorite...

I've read other books  featuring what was billed as strong, female protagonists but it seems like every other page someone is calling  her "baby" or "sweetie"--and she lets them without even batting an eye.  I read CARVED very carefully and didn't find one such instance. Did you find yourself ferreting those exchanges out in the editing process to make Sabrina more equal to her male counterparts?

No. No, I never went through the book to weed out what I thought were instances that would make Sabrina appear less than equal to her male counterparts. I never did that because I never wrote them. It honestly never even occurred to me to write them because Sabrina is equal and all the men in her life know it. They also know that if they ever called her "baby" or "sweetie" she'd go ten kinds of Tyler Durden all over them.

Maegan Beaumont is the author of CARVED IN DARKNESS, the first book in the Sabrina Vaughn thriller series (Available through Midnight Ink, spring 2013). A native Phoenician, Maegan’s stories are meant to make you wonder what the guy standing in front of you in the Starbucks line has locked in his basement, and feel a strong desire to sleep with the light on. When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.

  "Prepare to be overwhelmed by the the tension and moodiness that permeates this edgy thriller. Beaumont's ability to keep the twists coming, even when the answers seem obvious is quite potent." 

- Library Journal (starred review, Debut of the Month)

What My Dogs Have Taught Me About Writing

by Sheila Webster Boneham

For the past couple of decades, I've spent a lot of time, energy, sweat, tears, and love on my writing and on my dogs. In that time, I've written twenty plus books, had articles and short stories published in national magazines, anthologies, and journals, and in itty bitty newsletters.

In that time I've also not only lived with and loved a lot of dogs (and cats, but they'll have their day later), but also competed with my dogs in several sports, founded two rescue programs, fostered and rehomed many Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds, and other dogs, volunteered as a trainer and evaluator for three shelters, volunteered with my registered therapy dogs, and bred highly competitive Australian Shepherds. 

Sunny (left) and Lily, aka
UCDX Diamonds Perennial Waterlily
AKC CD RN TD CGC, ASCA CD, TDI

Right now, my husband and I share our home with Lily, a 7-year-old Lab, and Sunny, a Golden Retriever we adopted last November when she was 11.5.  

As you might imagine, my Animals in Focus mysteries have paw prints all over them. Dogs, cats, and other animals are realistic, vital characters and are essential to the plots of the books. What most people don't imagine is how many of the lessons my dogs have taught me over the years apply to writing as well. So I thought I would share a few of them.

Sage, aka Perennial Meadowsage,
retrieving at 7 weeks old. 

Work is play, play is work. The expression "work like a dog," means to labor without joy, but the truth is that dogs who have fun work harder and better. Even when there's heavy lifting involved. 

Jay (UCD Perennial See You At
the Top, AKC CD, RN, CGC,
ASCA CD, Delta) & Lily

You don't always have to do what you're told, but....

Summer (Master Agility Champion
Perennial Hot Sultry Summer)

...sometimes you have to jump through hoops to get the reward.

Kitty Boneham, dog expert.

Ideas can come from unexpected sources, so don't discount anyone. 

Me and Katy during a canine safety
session at an elementary school.

It's important to make time for your friends. Writing is a solitary pursuit, but without love, friendship, and social interaction, we have nothing to write about. 

And now, according to my technical advisors, it's time for a game of tennis ball!



Sheila Webster Boneham is the author of 17 nonfiction books about dogs and cats as well as the Animals in Focus mystery series. Drop Dead on Recall came out in 2012, and The Money Bird will be out next month. Autographed copies of Sheila's books are available on her website at www.sheilaboneham.com. 

INKSPOT NEWS - August 3, 2013

Here are the new releases from Midnight Ink for August, 2013. They're all terrific reads!

 Death Takes a Holiday by Jennifer Harlow

“Wildly fun and funny, Harlow offers treats for every paranormal lover to relish, with plenty of action, thrills, and laughter.”—Leanna Renee Hieber, author of the Strangely Beautiful series

Purgatory Key by Darrell James

“The fast-flowing story will engage readers. It’s nice to see a woman in control in the leading role.”—Kirkus Reviews

Poisoned Politics by Maggie Sefton

“Sefton has a sharp ear for dialog and knack for writing strong female characters.”—Library Journal

No Hesitation

By Shannon Baker

As writers, we often insert situations in our stories that illustrate principles. Of course, we try to be subtle as we layer in symbolism and analogy. But sometimes, real life gives us great stories to serve as life lessons.

I am not a risk-taker by nature. So when I’m afraid to try something new or I’m tempted to settle into the known and secure life, I remember an incident years ago.

My daughter, Erin, was eleven years-old and we were camping at Horseshoe Campground just outside of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills on Labor Day. Summer was dwindling to a close and school had already started so this was our last outing before the rampaging activities of fall at our feed store in Nebraska and school sports geared up.

A large rock guarded the corner of Horseshoe Lake. To my memory it seems like it rose straight up from the water about 50 feet. It was probably much shorter. I can tell you it was one high platform. Local teenagers jumped from the rock into the deep lake. They were having a blast, sailing in and climbing back up.

Erin watched this with interest the first afternoon we camped. On the second day, she decided she wanted to try it. I climbed the rock with her and peered over the ledge as she contemplated the jump. To give her courage, I scurried back down and swam out and treaded water not far from where she’d enter. She stood at the edge trying to get her nerve up and I treaded water until my legs felt weary. In the end, she retreated without jumping.

What she perceived as defeat stayed with her throughout the evening and the next day as we toured the Black Hills. The next morning, as we packed up camp, I caught her gazing longingly across the lake as the big kids once again gathered and threw themselves off the cliff. We finished loading the gear and piled into the pickup. She never took her eyes off the rock as we drove past and headed out of the campground.

We stopped before entering the highway that would take us back to our real lives. Suddenly she shouted, “Wait! I want to jump.”

To the grumbles of the other family members, I insisted we stop, dig for our suits and let her change. We drove back and I once again swam out into the cold lake as she climbed the rock. This time, she only hesitated a second, then hurled herself off the cliff.

She hit the water and sank deep. A second later, her head bobbed up and her face split in a grin of accomplishment. Her pride spilled over and lasted for days. I don’t know, maybe it was a brick in her character growth and helped make her the strong young woman she is today.

What I do know is how it affected me. If she hadn't pushed herself beyond her comfort zone, if she hadn’t wanted to experience the flight and splash, she’d have gone home to the status quo and wouldn't have lost anything.

But by pushing herself, overcoming her fear, she earned not only the experience, she gained confidence to jump higher next time, to live fuller and freer.

When I asked her why she finally decided to try again, she said, “I realized I might not ever have another chance.”

When I’m hesitant to try something new and take a big chance, I try to seize the courage my young daughter taught me that day. I make a decision, put aside the fear and…

JUMP!

Editing a Galley Proof

By Beth Groundwater

 I just finished editing the galley proof for my November book release, A Basket of Trouble, the long-awaited third book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer series. What is a galley proof, you might ask? It's a page-by-page layout of the print-ready manuscript, sent to the author and others to do a final edit before it goes to the printer. Where did the term come from? As Wikipedia explains, "Galley proofs are so named because in the days of hand-set type, the printer would set the page into galleys, the metal trays into which type was laid and tightened into place. These would be used to print a limited number of copies for editing mark-up."

My Midnight Ink copy editor sent me the galley proof two weeks ago along with a few questions and a request for two missing items, a dedication and the acknowledgements. I was given the choice of marking my changes on the paper manuscript itself and mailing it back or emailing detailed change instructions to the copy editor. I always choose the second option and send back a list of directions that say, "Page xxx, xxx lines from top: change xxx to xxx." and so on.

This time, the file of changes was 5 pages long. Why so long? Well, one page of that was the Dedication and Acknowledgements.  Another set of changes were suggestions of which reviews of prior books in the series should be quoted in the pages prior to the start of the novel.

A full page of changes was due to a reader winning a character name in a silent auction at the Left Coast Crime conference in Colorado Springs, CO, this spring. I not only changed the character name to match hers, I changed the character's hair color to match hers and the character's shirt color to match her favorite color. I try to weave in personal details like this for readers who "win" a character name in a silent or live auction at a mystery conference.

Another set of changes were to address a question asked by the copy editor, who pointed out that I was inconsistent in talking about a business trip taken by my sleuth's husband, Roger Hanover. I made sure all references to the trip were for the same length of time and that references to his return all used the same day of the week. I sent him on the trip to get him out of the way, so Claire could feel free to snoop as much as she wanted. The trip was unimportant, really. But this is just one example of all of the small details that have to be kept consistent in a novel. This is especially true for mystery novels, where inconsistency could be interpreted by readers to be a clue!

Am I sure that all the errors have been caught? Heck, no! The copy editor and I are human, after all, and humans make mistakes. But at least there will be fewer mistakes in the final book than there were in the galley proof. And, the proof is going out to other Midnight Ink staff and reviewers, too. They all may catch errors that I and my copy editor did not.

My main concern is that A Basket of Trouble be a fun and exciting read. Hopefully no readers will be pulled out of the story by stumbling across a typo, spelling or punctuation error. Have you been pulled out of a story recently by such an error? Share it with us here!

Readers and Authors, Together in Perfect Harmony

by Jennifer Harlow

**Okay, before I begin, I just want it known I in no way, shape, or form want you to think this is my way of asking you, my lovely readers, to do any of the below. If you decide to, more power to you. This is just for illumination purposes to let you know what goes on behind the scenes as a writer trying to market books.**

I've just published a book! Huzzah! Okay...now what? How the frak do I get people to discover the damn thing? 1,000 books a day are published. A DAY. That's a lot of people screaming for readers attention. You mean I have to become a marketer as well? Um...huh? Okay, I'll just Google it. What the hell are book bloggers, street teams, Amazon analytics, branding...my head hurts. I want my Mommy.

I am not a good salesperson. I hate asking people for help. It physically hurts when I do. That's just how my daddy raised me. "You really can't count on anyone but yourself. Don't expect someone to give you a fish, learn to bait a lure, baby doll." And let's face it, any type of rejection stings and there is no shortage of it in the publishing world. So marketing, and relying on other people to help spread the word about my book, does not come naturally to me. But I query book bloggers, I'm semi-active on social media, and I now know what a street team is. But with more and more people publishing than ever before, the marketing noise is louder and more grating on readers and bloggers. 

I recently read a thread on KBoards about this very problem. Please note though, I'd say about 96% of authors don't engage in the behavior below, but that 4% is ruining it for us all. Both writers and readers commented. The consensus was overzealous authors with their constant selling and begging for reviews was putting readers off from reviewing any books and not joining mailing lists or social media. Readers are tuning all authors out, even those who aren't guilty of the offense. I know I've Un-Followed about a dozen writers on Twitter for just this reason. But dear readers, we need you. We need you now more than ever, not just to read our books but also help spread the word of it's wonders. To be it's champion. I commented that if we just explained why reviews and word of mouth are important, and also spread word to authors how to stop alienating the lifeblood of the industry, maybe things can improve. So, let's give it a whirl:

To authors: Readers want to interact with us. They want to hear about our new works, our process. What they don't want is every damn Facebook/Twitter post ten times a day to be about it. You get a nice review? Awesome, share. Do it seventeen times a day? Not so much. They want to know you're more than a SPAMbot. Readers want to hear about your life. Your family. They want you to ask them questions, then respond. The ratio of selling vs. being a human being should be at most 1:4, if that, which means no asking for reviews or newsletter sign ups or anything where they have to do something for you. Show them you have a personality because if they like you, they'll be more inclined to read your book. I know I've bought books from people just because they seemed like a good, interesting egg, and I was never let down. And if these wonderful people do go above and beyond for you, do the same. If they post a review or join your street team, send them something exclusive like a magnet or new story you've written. Show your appreciation. 

As for book bloggers, more and more are refusing to review self-published books not only because of the quality but also the majority have received threats, literal threats to their lives, for not reviewing a book. Send the query, if they want it they'll ask for it. Don't inundate them with e-mails and damn well no threats. You're a professional now, act like it.

To readers: Okay, first off, you bought our book? You don't owe us authors a damn thing after that. Not a review, not even to buy our next book. Giving an author a chance is more than enough. Our transaction is complete. That being said,it's hard out here for a pimp. My four, soon to be six by the end of the year, girls are working the corner with two million others on Kindle alone, they need any leg up they can get. (No pun intended) My bitches and I don't have the full force of Random House advertising, hell it's really just me in my basement with what little is in my checking account. So, you liked my wares and you're willing to help an author out because you are a man/woman among men, what can you do? First, tell people. Tell your mother, your sister, your local bookseller. Recommend, recommend, recommend. If you're on Goodreads/Tumblr/KBoards regularly anyway, start a thread. It only takes one connector to start a massive viral wave (See 50 Shades or Grumpy Cat.) Then you can honestly say you liked it before it was cool. 

Next on the author's wish list is reviews and author page likes, especially on Amazon. This is very, very important. They have these complicated algorithms where if you reach a certain amount of reviews or likes, you'll get more visibility in the system, which once again can make a book. Then there's street teams. Until a few months ago I didn't know what this was. Basically it's a group of readers around the country who spread word and promotional materials to bookstores/libraries/people in their area that an author made and sent them. Not comfortable with any of the above? Just sign up for the author's newsletter so you know when they have a new book out. You can always unsubscribe. Every little bit helps.

A good start, no? Readers and authors,working together because, you know what, we need each other. The circle of life: without authors readers wouldn't get their supply, and without readers, authors wouldn't have any incentive to write. Let's be good to each other. 

So, what have I forgotten or you wish I'd included for either party? What is effective marketing for you? Sound off in the comments below.             

Also, if you haven't already picked up a copy of my new book Justice, you're in luck. From 7/24-7/26 this week on Amazon it'll be free! Pick up a copy! And as if I weren't busy enough, on Aug 1st the third F.R.E.A.K.S. book, Death Takes A Holiday come out. it's available for pre-order HERE now.  The beautiful covers are below...