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Cathi and I got together last week and came up with a new game plan. We would alternate Wednesday blogs so that we can keep up with our writing, podcasting, and life but still be connected through the blog. So here is my first Wednesday Update …

After our whirlwind week where we worked on whatever we wanted  – just kidding. I was trying to keep the w’s going. We worked on all our joint projects and accomplished more than I thought we would. We did 4 podcasts and more than that in blogs. We set up a schedule that we can live by and are now able to get back to our original love … writing mystery novels.

But lest you think that means just writing and creating stories, I will tell you that so far that hasn’t happened. First I must say that I have another round of querying on my to do list. I did a round in January where I sent out 10 letters. I have gotten three rejections so far and the jury is still out on the remaining six. I plan on sending another 10 in the next week so fingers crossed.

Second, I had to submit the first 25 pages of my WIP for critique at Sleuthfest. The deadline snuck up on me so I had only time for a light edit. After submission, I started more editing and changing the tense from past tense to present tense. We are talking major changes. I now am cringing at what I submitted in a rush last week. So hopefully, the agent who is doing the critique puts it off until the plane ride to the conference, so I can resubmit before she reads it. Like I said, cringe worthy!!

Finally, I spent an inordinate amount of time researching the name of the flowering trees outside my window. Cathi admired them when she was here and asked what they were. Well I’m ashamed as an environmentalist that I didn’t know and I’m doubly ashamed that I barely noticed them up until then. To be fair, our landscape is very lush and she was used to seeing snow. But, still, I felt compelled to take an edit break for a little research and take a picture. The flowers are a little past their prime, but still lovely. And now I know that the tree/plant is Clerodendron quadriloculare  or the common name is Starburst.

Have a great day … I’m going back to work!

Cathi and I had a great time on Episode 14 (have a listen), talking about the following:

TheONE Black by Noble Vines – A yummy red blend.

Shoot First (A Stone Barrington novel) by Stuart Woods  – number 45 in this fun series

Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon  – she will be part of the author faculty at Sleuthfest

Writer’s Perspective: Tell us your experiences with Word or Scrivener. What’s your favorite? Join the discussion on Facebook or Twitter

 

 

 

 

I have a ton of writing work to do today. I have been preoccupied for the last week and a half. I adopted a puppy that turned into a brief foster until she is able to go to the perfect puppy home. Turns out that a dog can still be a puppy at the age of one year, even if they’ve had puppies themselves. Something I didn’t know. It also turns out that small 3rd floor condos and puppies don’t mix well. Lessons were learned and this sweet but rambunctious rescue dog will find herself at a house with two parents, a yard and another dog friend. Something she deserves after her rough start in life!

Instead of taking more time this morning researching and writing about POV and verb tenses … which is something I’m struggling with right now. I will just remind everyone that there is still time to sign up for Sleuthfest 2019 (March 14-17) held in sunny Boca Raton, Florida. This is one of the best writing conferences around! Small enough that you really get to connect with all the many authors who are there to either teach a workshop, network, and get together with like minded people. Hint: Most mystery writers are a lot of fun and full of interesting ways to murder, kidnap, and conduct a good heist.

The author list is long and can be found on the website. You can also see a schedule that has something for everyone. Newly announced … Brad Parks, award winning thriller writer, will make an appearance on Thursday to chat and sign his new book that comes out that week.

Cathi and I met last year at Sleuthfest and are excited to be going back this year. We will also be podcasting live so you can relax and laugh with us over a glass of wine … and tell us about your favorite workshop (or way to kill off your antagonist). Hope to see you there!

Be the Rock Star of Your Own Domain!

Cathi has talked a lot about mantras, themes or quotes that inspire us to move forward and keep going when times are tough.  Everyone faces obstacles in life, and they don’t all have to be monumental to slow us down. I can even let a rainy day make me want to curl up with a good book and forget about what is on my to do list. I realize that this is a pitiful excuse for anyone who lives outside of the Sunshine State but there it is. I’m not proud. I’m also aware that we all need some down time to be healthy individuals. However, if the rainy day happens on a day when I have a looming deadline, I need the right motivation.

On our podcast we use the saying “you’re (or she’s or he’s) a Rock Star” to mean  we’ve done something awesome in whatever endeavor we’ve undertaken. It doesn’t matter if the accomplishment is minor in the eyes of the entire population, in the context of our world it is extraordinary.

So when I look at my little universe, and the goals I set for myself, I want to be the best I can be.  In other words … I want to be the Rock Star of My Own Domain! And if it starts raining before I finish this blog, I’ll remember that!

Game of Books podcast is moving right along. Here are the highlights and links for Episode 12.

Layer Cake Shiraz was the yummy under $20 of wine for this episode.

It goes with Ice Blonde by Elaine Viets. This novella is the latest in her gritty series about Death Investigator Angela Richman. The featured food  was chocolate covered insects. Would you try them? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook – @gobwriters.

Elaine will also be a featured author at Sleuthfest 2019. Cathi and I can’t wait to meet her. We are also excited to hear from the forensic key note speaker at Sleuthfest, E. J. Wagner, author of The Science of Sherlock Holmes. There is still time to register for this awesome conference held in sunny Boca Raton, Florida from March 14 – 17.

Defending Jacob by William Landay is a NY Times bestseller from 2013 and is soon to appear on Apple TV with Chris Evans as the lead actor. Can’t wait to read and watch, maybe from an all-inclusive resort.

Writer’s Perspective segment is in our second week and this week we discussed plot twists. We’d love to hear what some of your favorite plot twists are (techniques or one’s you’ve read). Let us know on Twitter or Facebook – @gobwriters.

 

Game of Books podcast has been underway for 11 weeks now and we are still tweaking and adjusting our format. Those loyal listeners know that we are becoming more relaxed with every episode. It is an adjustment to talking for an audience, even if we don’t see you. Not to mention the weirdness of hearing your own voice with all its ticks and “um”s.

As with writing we are our own worst critics. On one hand we love it but on the other we keep wanting to do it better. Just like I might have a sentence in my manuscript that I think is da bomb, I might have 20 others that are just functional. When I listen back to a podcast episode, hard as it may be (Cathi can’t even do it!), I may hear something cleverly said but it is among a million missed opportunities. And just like with my book, I’m very needy of positive feedback.  Where I don’t want someone to read the first chapter then throw it across the room, I also don’t want someone to listen to 10 minutes then unsubscribe in disgust. A fine line runs between success and failure, and I don’t want to fall on the wrong side of it.

At this point you are probably wondering why I even write or podcast. It’s certainly not for the money or fame. Neither are considered a common outcome. The pressure is mostly self-imposed. Most of my friends and family probably think I’m a slacker (everyone who doesn’t do it thinks writing is easy) or crazy, or both.

The truth is, I love it! I love creating worlds and characters. I love making people laugh and think. So while it may be my least favorite part of writing and podcasting, I will continue to beg people to read and listen. Because I just know (this is where the crazy part comes in) that since I love it so much they will have to like it. Maybe even like my work enough to tell me (remember the needy part?) and to share with enough people to keep me going. So to borrow from Julia Robert’s line in Notting Hill … I’m just a girl, asking her listeners/readers to love her (following and subscribing works, too!).

I’ve been talking about organization as a new year’s resolution for 2019. On our podcast, Cathi, a lover of all things organized, has been encouraging me to start with baby steps.  Since it is already mid-January, I’d say I’ve been a sleeping baby so far.  I do have a goal to get everything organized, but I will not freak myself out about it.  Today, since my last group of house guests left, I have no excuse.

My first step is getting a work schedule organized. Believe it or not, I once was pretty organized. But as I started focusing more on my writing, I would neglect the computer and filing time for the rest of my life. Then in 2018, I took on a lot of new projects and responsibilities. I also moved to a new home. My organization systems were derailed, to say the least. So time to get back on track. Schedules have always been important to me but after the kids left for college and I had less to manage. I got lazy! Well I’m back to the juggling days and if I want to do all that I want to do (and I do) then I better get serious about my calendar!

Already I’ve made the above templates (copied a little bit from Cathi) for the blog and podcast … that’s how I realized that I needed to get this blog done. Anyway, baby steps … next I will do a weekly schedule. And for those of you who realize I’ve said this before, don’t judge! It’s a new year!

Cathi and I have hit the double digits and are still going strong … we just want more listeners! Check out my blog about podcasts, What’s a Podcast, and give us a listen!

This episode we sampled two Bordeaux wines and fell in love! Cathi only found one Bordeaux in her South Dakota stores, Chateau La Fleur Plaisance Montagne-Saint-Emilion which is has flavors of dark fruit and hints of cherries. My Bordeaux Superieur, Chateau Bois Redon, can be found at Total Wine and also has cherry and currant notes. They are great everyday table wines and go good with lamb. I made Giada’s Grilled Lamb Chops recipe to go with it and everyone at my table agreed that both the wine and lamb were great!

My book to go with the wine was Bad Monkey (2013) by Carl Hiaasen, award winning journalist and author. A wickedly funny mystery set in Key West, Miami, and the Bahamas. As with all of Hiaasen’s books, I loved it! I give lots of info and details about the food scenes on the podcast. Give it a listen to hear more about this great read!

Cathi’s book was The Truth and Other Lies by Sascha Arango. Originally in German, this dark, mystery involves a would be writer with a twisted side. Listen to hear all about this novel with a great title and give it a read!

Game of Books Podcast is up and running! Cathi and I couldn’t be happier with the fun we are having and want to share all that fun with our friends and family and their friends and family and so on. We have just one problem (okay, maybe more than one but today we will only talk about the first one) … we need to get them to listen! We know, okay, we hope they will love all the fun facts and laughter we share about wine, food, and mystery books. We are even planning on adding author interviews with our own unique brand of questions. So far, we are in the “if you build it, they will come” phase.

How to get them to listen – it’s only about a half hour once a week – has been a question we are asking ourselves. And the most obvious and immediate answer is that a lot of people have no idea what a podcast is. It’s a new entertainment platform and therefore not everyone understands it. So here goes…

A podcast is like a radio show that anyone can listen to, at any time, wherever they want, for free! My secret desire to be a DJ is being realized with this podcast (right behind rock star for those MF’s out there). The way you listen can vary but basically it is through the internet and if you listen to streaming music on iTunes or Spotify or Google Music, then you already know how.  Potential  podcast listeners can search on these apps to find a podcast (GAME OF BOOKS) and then just click on it to listen to any episode they want anytime (Episode 10 comes out this Friday). And when someone says subscribe to a podcast (Please do!), that just means that new episodes will be automatically added to your library as soon as they are published. All that’s left is to put on your headphones or turn up the volume! I listen to podcasts during my morning walks on my iphone:

Apple Podcast App:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/game-of-books/id1441890377?mt=2

I can also listen on road trips or during commutes in the car. I just listen through my phone and the car’s bluetooth – hands free! I listen while cooking or while cleaning or while shopping, you get the idea. If you have a different smartphone than Apple, you can also listen through:

Spotify:

Google Play Music:

https://play.google.com/music/m/Ilmdltgjqoyy4ksu4fpzvpfjg2u?t=Game_of_Books

So now you have it! Check us out and tell us what you think of our podcast on our Game of Books Facebook Discussion Group.  We might even feature you comments on our next podcast. On this week’s episode we want you to tell us your favorite work environment. And subscribe and share with your friends and family so they can subscribe and share with their friends and family, and so on…