And Now It's A New Year

I've got three different blogs posting today.  I wasn't paying attention when I scheduled one of them for a Wednesday that happened to be the 18th of the month, but that's what happened!  I'm here at Killer Hobbies on Wednesdays, and I'm at Killer Characters on the 18th of each month --or at least my characters are.  I also scheduled a Writerspace blog for today.  So... the contents of this blog are pretty much the contents of my Writerspace post.  I learned something while putting it together anyway: I've already got a lot on my schedule for 2017!

Here's some of what I said:

 

First, I anticipate the publication of two new books, in different genres, this year: BAD TO THE BONE, the third Barkery & Biscuits mystery, will be a May 2017 release, and PROTECTOR WOLF, the eighth paranormal romance in my Alpha Force miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne, about a covert military unit of shapeshifters, will be published in June. 

But that's not all I'm doing that's writing related.  Last weekend I attended an author event at the Santa Clarita, California, Library.  Soon I'll attend Mystery on the Menu at the Cerritos Library. 

In March is California Dreamin', a conference held by several Southern California chapters of Romance Writers of America.  In April I'll attend Malice Domestic, all about cozy mysteries, in Bethesda, Maryland.

First thing in May, I'll attend a couple of events held by the Ridge Writers, which is the East Sierra Branch of the 106-year-old California Writers Club.  In June is the California Crime Writers Conference, which is a joint event by the local Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime chapters.  Then, in August, I'll be giving a presentation to the new Santa Clarita Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

I think that's all I've scheduled so far, although I will attend meetings of local chapters of the organizations I belong to as well as get-togethers with writer friends. 

Gee, putting it all down in one spot like this really does demonstrate even to myself that 2017 is going to be a busy year. 

And have I described everything I'll be doing that's related to writing? 

Probably not!

Plus, there are time-consuming family-related things coming up as well.

And one other thing I didn't include at Writerspace: Cari!  My new puppy is a time sponge, especially since I'm giving Mystie a lot of extra attention, too.

So... oh, yes.  This year will be a busy one!

Chats and Writing

Since my website is now hosted by Writerspace, I'm having fun taking advantage of other things they do for writers and readers.  That includes online chats. 

Have you ever participated in one?  They can get wild and crazy, especially if there are a lot of participants and several different conversation threads happening at once. 

That's the way things were last Sunday, at the Writerspace Beach Party chat.  I was scheduled to be there for about half an hour, and I saw all the participants' names listed along one side of the page, both authors and others as well as the moderators.  It was enjoyable but hectic--especially when something happened on my computer and my comments stopped showing up on the screen.  I wound up having to get out of the chatroom and redo my participation, but I was able to return long enough to check things out and say goodbye. 

Then, last night, there was another chat for authors who have books out this month--as I do.  CANADIAN WOLF, my seventh Alpha Force paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne, is a September release.  Yes, my covert military unit of shapeshifters is back!  I'm letting the world know, and chatting about it was a fun way to do it.  This chat had fewer people but it still kept going fast.  I guess that's what chats do!

Next month, my second Superstition Mystery, KNOCK ON WOOD, will be released.  Will I chat about it?  Most likely. 

In the meantime, I'm finishing the manuscript for the third Superstition Mystery, tentatively called RABBIT'S FOOT REVENGE.    

By the way, I'm considered one of their new authors on the Writerspace home page, plus they've got information about me and my newest release and links to my website.  Seems like a fun place to be!

Giveaways Galore

I'm looking forward to a fun weekend full of writer stuff, including giveaways.

First, I'm part of D.D. Ayres' 10 Dog Days of Summer Giveaway, celebrating the launch of her new K-9 Rescue novel PRIMAL FORCE.  She asked nine other authors to participate and provide a giveaway of swag worth at least $50--and I'm one of them.  My giveaway is on Saturday the 29th, and I'm providing copies of several of my mysteries from different series--including my two newest, the Superstition Mysteries and Barkery & Biscuits, as well as a Pet Rescue and a Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter plus some additional stuff.  Please be sure to enter on Saturday--but you should also enter every other day since the giveaways have already begun.  How?  Here's the link:   http://www.ddayres.com/#!contests-and-giveaways/cv0q 

Then there's Sunday.  I've joined Writerspace to host my website, and they do lots of other fun things, too.  One is the Beach Party this Sunday, August 30, where there will be a chat from 8-11 PM Eastern time, plus a whole lot of giveaways from many different authors.  The link for that?  http://www.writerspace.com/beach/   I'll be giving away a copy of LOST UNDER A LADDER, my first Superstition Mystery, there. 

So be sure to enter both--all of them, in fact, since you can start today with the 10 Dog Days of Summer Giveaway if you haven't already.  Since I write Superstition Mysteries, the fact I'll be crossing my fingers for you should increase your luck--although I admit to being as much of a superstition agnostic as my protagonist Rory Chasen.  But if you don't enter, you won't win, so give them a try!

Online Chats

I participated in an online chat at the Writerspace website yesterday.  It was scheduled for Berkley Prime Crime authors who had new books out this month.  Two of us attended, along with readers and the online monitors.

This chat went well.  In case you’ve never chatted online, it’s a series of ongoing live emails that scroll down the page as people post.  Names are identified--either real or whatever someone has chosen to be called during the chat.  The other author and I went by our writing names, and everyone else appeared to have assumed a name for the chat.

There wasn’t a huge turnout on this one, possibly because it conflicted with the President’s State of the Union address.  Whatever the reason, it was a lot more manageable than some chats in which I’ve participated.  I was able to follow who was saying, or asking, what to whom.  Sometimes people’s questions or responses scroll so quickly that it’s hard to follow, but not this time.

However, I’ve also been invited to participate in the Writerspace online Valentine Soiree on Sunday evening for Berkley Jove Authors, NAL Authors and Berkley Prime Crime & Obsidian Mystery Authors and interested readers, which will be a similar format.  There’ll be a giveaway of 100+ books, and it will run from 8-11 PM eastern time.  It’s likely to be one of those crazy chats I described.  Am I participating in that one?  Yes!  I’ll be giving away a copy of OODLES OF POODLES, my new Pet Rescue Mystery, and will make a valiant attempt to follow what’s going on, and respond, for at least half an hour, most likely from 5:30-6:00PM Los Angeles time.

Join me there!

Have you ever participated in an online chat?  What do you think of them?

Busily Blogging

Those of you who read Killer Hobbies regularly know that I’ve got two books coming out in about a week.  I’m also under some writing deadlines, but right now a lot of my focus is on letting people know about OODLES OF POODLES, my fourth Pet Rescue Mystery, and UNDERCOVER WOLF, my fourth Alpha Force paranormal romance for Harlequin Nocturne.

I readily admit to not being completely savvy about all social networking.  I really just participate in two kinds--Facebook and blogging.

And right now, boy, am I blogging!

I love writing weekly for Killer Hobbies.  I’m also participating in a blog tour that the very kind owner of the Cozy Mystery Book Review site put together on my behalf--a week’s worth of posts about my Pet Rescue Mysteries and reviews of OODLES OF POODLES.

I started doing some guest blogs that I set up myself earlier this month, and right now they’re ramping up to several a week.  These include sites where I talk about both of my books and their genres, or just one or the other.  I also blog monthly at the website of one of my local Romance Writers of America chapters and will also soon be blogging monthly on Killer Characters.  In addition, I’ll soon be blogging on writing on Writers in the Storm as well as to describe my upcoming online class on Blending Romance and Suspense at Savvy Authors.

 

I’ve written an article about the American Humane Association and its “No Animals Were Harmed”® film certification.  I’ll attend the online Valentine Soiree at Writerspace to talk about OODLES OF POODLES.  I’ll participate for a week on the importance of setting at the International Thriller Writers roundtable.

I’m appearing on a panel at a library.  I’m doing at least two book signings--both on the same weekend but in different areas.

But don’t worry.  As always, I’m at my dogs’ bark and call.  Most of what I’m doing involved being at the computer, so when they tell me they need to go out or get a treat, I generally obey, although not always as fast as they’d like.

Being busy is enjoyable, if hectic.  But... say... did I forget anything?  If you have any additional suggestions for blogging or informing people about my two releases, please let me know!

Blog Block

I was sitting in my office yesterday with my chin in my hand, my elbow on my desk, when my husband Fred came in. He said I looked like I was thinking. Which I was. I always try to write my Wednesday blog post a day ahead, and I hadn’t come up with a topic.

He had a suggestion. We’d take the dogs for a walk to get my mind moving.

I’m in the middle of finishing my fourth Pet Rescue Mystery manuscript, OODLES OF POODLES, but I knew I’d not get into it as deeply as I should until I figured out what I’d be blogging about. So, we got the dogs ready to take a walk.

Which is fun, but a bit of an ordeal. Lexie and Mystie, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, love walks, and they also love telling us exactly what they want. We just had to clip a leash onto Lexie’s collar, but Mystie is small and daring so we always put a harness on her. With her excited wriggling, that always takes a while.

Eventually, we were ready. Since both dogs are lap size, we were able to carry them past our next door neighbor’s home to prevent their spending a lot of time conversing loudly with the two dogs who live there and bark when anyone goes by. Not that I object, since our two also talk a lot when anyone passes our place and our front door is open. They stand behind our closed front gate and defend their turf.

As we continued on our walk, we saw and heard other dogs out protecting their property. We saw which homes had “For Sale” and “For Lease” signs outside them. We kept our little dogs far from the path of cars on our narrow, winding streets.

And, we got to enjoy the signs of spring! That’s not always viable in Los Angeles, but we passed a lovely street-side garden full of tulips. We heard birds chirping excitedly all around us.

One of our neighbors always stops and gives our pups treats if they happen to be on our porch while she’s walking her larger dog. We ran into her, and Lexie and Mystie were treated royally.

Now I’m home writing about my dogs and relishing the walk all over again. On Monday night, I was on a chat night on Writerspace for Berkley Prime Crime authors. Only two authors were present--Dorothy St. James and me. We both chatted about our books and our themes, and I noted that some of the readers who were there chatting mentioned that they were cat lovers, or they weren’t wild about pets. Others also loved dogs. It’s fascinating to me to recognize the diversity of all people, even those who share an interest in something like cozy mysteries.

Me? Well, it’ll be interesting to see whether I have blog block next week. I’m sure that Lexie and Mystie hope I do. They definitely seemed to enjoy my remedial walk!

How do you get your mind in gear if it’s temporarily blocked?