The Pioneer Spirit

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Today’s guest blogger is Jodie Wolfe, a former columnist for Home School Enrichment who now creates novels where hope and quirky meet.  She is also the co-founder of the blog Stitches Thru Time.  When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie.  Today, she’ll explore an aspect of being a pioneer and what it takes. And it is Valentine’s Day, right?

I’ve always had a fascination with the 19th Century. I think part of it is because of the pioneer spirit. A time when people left all that they knew in hopes of building a better life somewhere else, typically in the Midwest. I can only imagine the amount of work, planning, and building it would take to start with nothing in order to dig a well, build a house, plant crops, and eventually have a homestead or farm that could support life for you and your family.

One aspect of the pioneer spirit that’s always interested me is the idea of becoming a mail-order bride. Leaving your current life to become a complete stranger’s wife. Now of course, sometimes they corresponded long distance for quite some time before they decided to get married. Sometimes the fella sent for the gal and they were hitched right away, while other times he sent for her and they had a couple weeks of getting to know each other before they tied the knot. At times a photo of sorts was exchanged, but that wasn’t always the case.

Some guys advertised for a wife in order to cook and clean for them, or to help with children if he had a spouse who’d died, and he was on his own to raise his young ones. A whole slew of scenarios was possible. I contemplated and researched for a while before I came up with a story line for my new book, Taming Julia. I wondered what would happen if a pastor was dictated by his congregation to find a wife if he wanted to keep his job? Their real reason for their doing so was so that he would consider the daughters of those in his congregation. But instead, he decides to advertise for a wife who is willing to marry by proxy.

Proxy is another interesting component of the era of mail-order brides. Some married when they arrived while others chose to marry by proxy (while apart – more of a legal document of sorts) that made them legally married before the woman traveled to where the fella lived.

That’s what I chose to happen in my story. The preacher is given an ultimatum from his congregation to marry by a certain time. In order for that to happen, he advertises for a mail-order bride with the following qualifications:

Matrimony News, February 6, 1875 edition

Minister bachelor aged 27, height 5 feet 10 inches seeks genteel, honest and first-rate homemaker with a desire to serve God. Must be willing to marry by proxy and arrive in Burrton Springs, Kansas by May 1.

During the era, there were many such advertisements in the newspaper for a bride. My twist to the story is that the wife who arrives isn’t anything like what the minister wanted. So now he’s faced with a dilemma of what can he do to tame his new bride. It made for a fun story to write. Here’s a glimpse of the back cover:

In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery’s sole desire is to serve God, but his congregation’s ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to advertise for a wife by proxy.

Jules Walker strides into Drew’s life wearing breeches and toting a gun and saddle–more cowboy than bride. After years on the trail, she’s not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family, and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.

How about you, can you imagine marrying a complete stranger and taking a chance on a new life?

Let’s hear some comments on that.  And guys, you can offer what you think about ordering a bride off Amazon.  Click comments below, or the little balloon at the upper right of this blog.  Thanks.

Where you can find Jodie online:  Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jodie-Wolfe-553400191384913

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie_Wolfe

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Wolfe/e/B01EAWOHXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Purchase Links for Taming Julia:

https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Julia-Jodie-Wolfe-ebook/dp/B083L8MDD5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=taming+julia&qid=1578503989&sr=8-1

 

 

 

Anthologies

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Of late, I’ve received a number of questions regarding anthologies.    So today, I’m going to talk about anthologies.

First, what is an anthology?  In the simplest terms, an anthology is a collection of written works. It can be a collection of poems, plays, short stories, songs, novellas, or excerpts from longer books. These do not have to be related in any way, although often there is a theme associated with the anthology. There is not a real limit on how many – no minimum and no maximum.  The works are generally chosen by a compiler, which can be a single person or a committee.  An anthology generally contains works by several authors. However, there is nothing preventing an anthology containing various works of a single author. And, today, anthology may be used for a series of TV shows, or recordings of a single group or performer.

So, there is much room for an anthology to take various forms.  But, here are some suggestions to consider if you or your group is thinking about producing an anthology.

It is often a good idea to have a specific theme for the anthology.  For instance, an anthology of mystery short stories. Or an anthology of great opening chapters. How about an anthology of poems associated with Valentine’s day? An anthology of one-act plays.  It is best to have a defined theme, but one not so narrowly focused that few items will be submitted.

Along with a specific theme, a specific goal should be set. It should be in writing, agreed upon by those involved, and re-read at every meeting. Some examples of a goal might be to highlight the writing talent of the best in your group, or area, or whatever domain you are choosing. Or, it might be to give a chance at publication to many who have not been able to achieve that yet. It could be to reward many authors who submitted an entry to your contest, or selected people who attended your conference.  Please note, this is generally different from the theme, although it is certainly possible the two could be the same, or similar.

While we are on the subject of a goal, the organizers must decide how finances will be handled. How will the project cover expenses upfront? Decisions need to be made early whether the anthology will be sold for a profit, or given away. I recommend, for anthologies made up of works from authors without a huge following, it is agreed that royalties will not be paid. Naturally, this must be determined before the call for entries. If the project pays for the expenses of production and a surplus exists, from the beginning those submitting works should agree any profits be used either to fund the next project, or donated to help the library or some other group fostering literacy. If you have high profile authors involved, then the division of royalties should be clear before submissions are sought.

It is best if the anthology is viewed as a group project. This is particularly true in the early stages. Get the group behind it and you are halfway there. A committee can and should work on finding participants (authors), help in the selection process, and offer to proofread the document before submitting it for publication.

However, it is best to have one editor. There can be a committee to help during the selection process. But when you are getting down to the final editing, while several may read for possible mistakes, a single person should be making the final decisions. Committees can get hung up with differing opinions and the project can grind to a halt.  In the end, one person has to be in charge to complete the project.

Anthologies can be an excellent project for a writing group. It can generate a lot of enthusiasm and participation. It can serve as excellent publicity, and often results in increased membership. Anthologies often prompt people who are reluctant to write, or to try for publication, to overcome that hesitation and become an active writer.

And they can be fun.

James R. Callan

Please add your thoughts on anthologies.  We can get an anthology of thoughts on anthologies.  Click the “comments” below.

The Mystery of Writing

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Today’s guest blogger is Patricia Gligor, a Cincinnati writer of mysteries. Her latest is Small Town Mystery series, Book #2 – Murder at Maple Ridge.  She’s had a varied career, including managing a sporting goods department and proprietor of a resume writing service. But her passion has always been writing fiction. Here she talks about the mystery of writing.

 

I’ve always been in awe of the writing process. And, after seven published novels, I’m still amazed – maybe more than ever – at how writers’ minds work, including my own.

I love old houses and, several years ago,I went for a walk in my neighborhood and happened upon an old Victorian. As I stood gazing at the house, I thought about what it would say if its walls could talk. And the first book in my five-book Malone mystery series, Mixed Messages, was born. My twenty plus years in Alanon, a 12-step program for the friends and families of alcoholics, helped me to create two of the characters and gave me a subplot that would continue throughout the series.

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in a small town. In my first Small Town Mystery, Secrets in Storyville, I explored that possibility. I worked in retail for many years, managing a sporting goods department, and I had lots of stories to tell – through the eyes of my main character. I’ve had friends ask me which scenes really happened and which were figments of my imagination.

Which brings me to my newest release: Murder at Maple Ridge. Once again, an old house inspired me. One I’d driven by – and admired – for many years on the way to a park about an hour from where I live. The knowledge I gained working in sporting goods – about firearms and hunting –was invaluable.

So, although I know what inspired me to write each book, the question remains: Where did the ideas come from to fill all those blank pages? How, as I write, do just the right people, places and things from my life experiences pop into my mind? How do physical and personality traits of people I know or have met, bits and pieces of overheard conversations, places I’ve lived or visited and a multitude of other things coalesce to create the characters, the plot and the setting for a book?

I’ll probably never know the answers to those questions but that’s fine with me because the not knowing, the endless possibilities, is what makes writing an adventure – and a mystery.

To read about her books and/or to order them, go to: http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4    

And we’d love to hear your “mysteries” in the writing process. Click on the little balloon at the upper right of this blog to get to the comments.  OR, down below the icons for FB, Twitter, etc, and click on “replies.”

 

The Story Behind the Story – with Giveaway

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Today’s guest blogger is Donna Schlachter, who also writes as Leeann Betts   Donna writes historical suspense. Double Jeopardy is her latest, due out in January, 2020. She and her alter ego Leeann have published more than thirty novellas and full-length novels.  They are active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime and other groups.  She lives in Denver with her husband, Patrick. Today, she gives us the story behind the story, plus a chance to receive a free book.

The story behind the story is often told in the form of back cover copy on the book, but I think it goes way beyond that. Sure, that bit on the back tells us a little about the main characters, the overall plot, and perhaps some about the decisions the main characters must make, because always—let me repeat this—always the choices they are faced with conflict with each other. At first glance, it seems they cannot have everything.

So let’s delve a little deeper into the story behind the story.

Rebecca Campbell was born in New York City, the only child of wealthy socialite Matilda Applewhite Campbell and Robert Campbell. Her mother is everything Rebecca—Becky to her friends—wants to be. Beautiful. Poised. Confident. Instead, she seems doomed to inherit all her traits from her father, who she adores. Reckless. Impulsive. A daredevil.

Becky’s father is gone more than he’s home. When a year passes with no word from him, she sets out, on her own, for his last known location—Silver Valley, Colorado. On her arrival, she learns he has been murdered. Determined to make his mine a success—his last letter promised that as soon as he struck it rich, he’d send for her and her mother—and to find his killer, she settles in at the mine.

But somebody doesn’t want her to succeed. And after a series of accidents and near-misses, she admits she’s in over her head. And the only person she can trust is Zeke—or can she?

The hero is Ezekial Graumann. Most everybody calls him Zeke. Zeke and his family own a fairly large piece of land in southwestern Colorado near the town of Silver Valley. Zeke has two married brothers, as well as two unmarried sisters. In good years, with enough rain, their land can support the three families if they are diligent and careful with their stock. However, the last few years have seen droughts and not enough snowfall, and the grazing is poor. Zeke wants to build his own house, maybe get married and have his own family, but the land won’t support another household.

Unless he can buy water rights from a spread upstream. But he doesn’t have the money to do that. So he looks around town for some weekly work to earn enough to buy the water rights and receive his share of the family land.

And along comes Miss Rebecca Campbell. She is feisty, stubborn, and doesn’t know anything about mining. Yet her determination to find her father’s killer and her resolve to make his mine successful gnaws at Zeke’s heart. And soon he finds himself imagining what it would be like to have her at his side as his wife. Except she’s obviously not ranching material, either.

But when accidents happen at the mine that threaten her safety, he must acknowledge that his feelings for her are more than mere curiosity. Now he must choose between saving his ranch or saving this woman who has stolen his heart.

So what keeps them from getting what they want? The villain, of course. Suffice it to say, it is a man. This man is one of the longest-term residents of Silver Valley, a man of impeccable reputation. On the outside, he looks wealthy. Wears nice clothes. Speaks well. Sounds well-traveled and educated.

Except on the inside, he’s dark, greedy, and lazy. Well, lazy only in the sense he wants to get rich quick. He actually spends a lot of energy trying to cheat and steal his way into wealth. If only he’d use his superpowers for good.

 

I will randomly draw a name from all who leave a comment over the next nine days to win a print (US only) copy of Double Jeopardy. Which means, if you stop by every day and leave a comment, you’ll have nine entries.

Double Jeopardy is available at https://shoplpc.com/double-jeopardy/ Amazon.com, and fine booksellers in your area.

www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2gZATjm

Why Forensic Accounting Makes for Good Mystery

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Today’s guest blogger is Leeann Betts, a pen name for Donna Schlachter.  Leeann writes contemporary romantic suspense. Missing Deposits is the eleventh title in her cozy mystery series.  Leeann and Donna have published more than thirty novellas and full-length novels.  They are active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime and other groups.  Today, she talks about forensic accounting and the mystery, and gives us a chance to receive a free book.

And this is how she started and how she got to forensic accounting.

When I sat down 15 years ago to see if I had one book in me, I had no clue where to start.

And now, all this time and more than 30 books later, every time I face the blank page, it’s the same. Where to start?

I’m an avid reader of mysteries, particularly what is now known as cozy mysteries, but at the time were simply called Agatha Christie-like mysteries. If you mentioned the name “Jessica Fletcher”, and said your books were like that TV show, everybody knew exactly what you meant. Amateur sleuth, small-town settings that eventually expanded into New York City and major locations around the world, and a personal reason to solve the crime—usually a friend or relative was the victim or the suspect.

That was my basis. But I wanted a main character more like—well, like me. I didn’t have any idea how a teacher thought—Jessica. Or an older woman in a hamlet in England—Miss Marple. Or a retired detective from Belgium—Hercules Poirot.

I needed someone I could relate to. That hadn’t been done to death. No pun intended.

So I went to the library, and started strolling through the children’s section on occupation. And the word Forensic jumped out at me. CSI and NCIS were hot shows at the time, so I picked it up. And that’s where I learned about Forensic Accounting. In the days when I was in college and in the business workforce, we called those guys the Auditors or the Inspectors. They came in and went through all our work to make certain we were doing it correctly. To make certain nobody was embezzling funds. To ascertain clients’ trust funds were secure.

Being a forensic accountant requires specialized training, and involves ferreting out financial information, understanding its implications, and applying that understanding to the situation. It also means preparing reports, spilling the beans on somebody, and testifying in court.

While a lot of people think accountants are boring, Carly Turnquist is out to prove them wrong.

And in case you think forensic accounting can’t be an exciting or important job, just remember: Al Capone was imprisoned for tax evasion by the 1930’s equivalent of a forensic accountant.

Question: When you read a series, do you have to start at the first book, or can you still enjoy the series if you pick and choose?  Leave a comment for a chance to receive a free copy of this book.

About Missing Deposits:

When a rancher discovers copper on his property, he learns that mining can be dangerous business. Can Mike and Carly figure out who the killer is, or will they end up buried in an unmarked grave in western Colorado?

We will randomly choose from amongst the comments for a free print (US only) or ebook (winner’s choice) copy of Missing Deposits.

Paul Paris won a free book by commenting on last week’s blog.  You could be the winner this week – IF you leave a comment. And you can get entered EACH time you leave a comment. 

Website: www.LeeannBetts.com Receive a free ebook just for signing up for our quarterly newsletter.

Blog: http://www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com

Books: Amazon http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE  and Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2z5ecP8

What’s in a Name?

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Have you read a book lately that had a character with an interesting name? Did you wonder where that name came from?  Did the name just pop into the author’s head?  Or was it an accident – that turned out to be fortuitous?  Or is it a name that will become an icon of the future?

Suppose Margaret Mitchell had named her protagonist Jane.  Would that have started the reader with a different impression than when she chose Scarlett?  Before we even meet Scarlett we have a feeling about her.  Scarlett reminds us of heat, emotion, energy, fire.  We expect a fiery, energetic, volatile woman.

Do we start out with a different impression if the man guy is named Winston or Joe?

J.K. Rowling is one of the most successful writers of our time.  Do you think she spent time on her characters’ names – and not just the major characters?  And did they start us out with an impression?  Draco Malfoy?  Nymphadora Tonks?  Ron Wesley? Servius Snape?  Those names did not just trip off her tongue; she worked to come up with them.   Why, with all those great names, did she name the protagonist a rather plain name – Harry Potter?  Perhaps she wanted to give us the impression that he was an ordinary person, a reluctant hero.

The name is part of the character.  Why do some people change their name in real life?  Because they want a different persona, a different outward expression that better reflects how they feel about themselves, how they want to be viewed.  So you, the writer who is creating this character, need to decide how the character views herself.

In Deadly Additive,  Donn Taylor named a secondary character who always operated on the edge, Brinkman.  An accident?  I don’t think so.  Ian Fleming gave us some insight into the character of his antagonist in The Richest Man in the World when he named him Auric Goldfinger.

Can the name mislead us?  Certainly, if you want it to.  Just don’t let it happen by mistake.  Tiffany can be a person who spends her life helping the homeless, living and eating with them, and then returning to her one-room under the Elevated. Maybe her parents are rich and she was to be a debutant.  But the girl wanted to do something more important.

You can use the name to help make the case for who this person is, or who the parents imagined she might be.  Holly Golightly was a happy, carefree woman.  Sam Spade was a straight forward, no-frills, hard-working person who dug for clues.

Suppose your heroine is named Catherine. If she calls herself Cat, that tells us how she sees herself, and how the reader should view her.

Select the names of your characters carefully.  Do not use the name as simply a way to distinguish one character from another.  Make a conscious effort to select a name that helps build your character.

You work hard to give your book a name that will entice the reader to pick it up and read.  Select your character name to make that character and your book memorable.

I’d love to hear your comments on your favorite names in books.

Free Ice Water

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To those of you who have been with me for seven years, I apologize. But the other day, a friend ask me to reprise this blog.  So here it is.  It still has merit today.

On a recent road trip, we passed through Wall, South Dakota, and visited Wall Drugs.  That’s almost all there is in the small town.  But, it is something to see.  It now fills a square block, and claims to be the largest drug store in the country.  I have no doubt it is. It has many, many rooms for various items that might tempt a tourist to part with some dollars, play areas for kids, some excellent art, and a restaurant that can handle 500 people at a time.  Oh yes, there is a pharmacy, but it is almost lost among the opportunities to buy just about anything.

You have no trouble finding Wall Drugs. For a hundred miles east and west you will see signs along the highway for Wall Drug Store.  Many of them simply say, “Free Ice Water.  Wall Drug Store.”

Today, with our air-conditioned cars and fast food places every ten minutes, free ice water doesn’t seem to be much of a draw.  But back in 1931, things were different.

In 1931, the owners of Wall Drugs, a young pharmacist and his wife, were about to give up that hot summer.  They had agreed they would give it five years and if they couldn’t make it in that period, they’d pull up stakes and move to a big city. Their five years were almost up.

One hot day, the pharmacist’s wife came in and said she had an idea that might get some of the people driving down the highway to stop and come into the store. What did people really want on a hot summer day driving in a hot car through a dusty area?  Ice water. She suggested putting up signs on the highway that said, “Free Ice Water.”

The pharmacist and a high school boy drove out and put up the signs. Before they got back, cars were stopping and people were asking for free ice water.  Some of them decided to get ice cream. And some bought other things. Business began to grow. By the next summer, they had to hire eight girls to handle the sales.

In 2012, a good day will see 20,000 people come through the Wall Drug Store. The highway signs advertise many items sold at Wall Drugs. But many of the signs still read, “Free Ice Water.  Wall Drug Store.”  And “5 Ȼ Coffee,  Wall Drug Store.”  Yes, when you get there, you can get free ice water and you can still get a cup of coffee for 5 Ȼ.  But the customers spend much more than a nickel.  The same family still owns the store, although it has passed on to the children and grandchildren of the original couple who found a way to bring business into their store.

How did they do it?  They found what people really wanted and provided it.  But, it was the simple signs that brought the people in.  As writers, we need to decide what it is that people really want in a book. We must then provide it.  But the big step is to advertise it. Let people know that what they want is available.  The difference is that today, we will put our signs on the Internet highway.  People cruise down it every day, twenty-four hours a day.  We must get our signs out there.  Simple, to the point signs, that offer the public what they want.  Maybe we give something away.  It might be a first chapter.  It might be a drawing for a free book.  (You can’t afford to give a book to everybody.)  Maybe it only needs to be a very short blurb that entices the passerby to stop for a moment, read a bit more, maybe decide to buy.

The key is to provide what the public wants, and tell them about it so they can pass the word around.

One last thing. You’ll notice I didn’t say “readers.”  We might as well aim for a larger group.  Write a book that will bring more people into the reading community.  Expand our fan base. Find today’s “Free Ice Water” and put out those signs on the highway.

And today, I’d appreciate a comment as much as a glass of ice water.  Thanks.

 

On Amazon in digital, paper, or audio formats:    https://amzn.to/2UDjXxw

 

Designing the Book Cover

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Today’s guest blogger is Elaine Faber, a member of Sisters in Crime, Cat Writers Association, and Northern California Publishers and Authors. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two housecats. Elaine leads two writer’s critique groups and enjoys working with other talented authors.

Winner of multiple awards for her short stories and novels, she pens a series of cozy cat mysteries and a series of humorous WWII mystery/adventures. She has published seven novels and an anthology of short stories highlighting the lives of cats. Fourteen additional anthologies include her humorous tales

Here are her comments on getting the cover right.


There are as many ways to design a book cover as there are books. Nonfiction book covers, particularly political books seem to lean toward THE TITLE against a plain background and the author’s name. Many cozy mystery novels present an artist’s rendition of a house and garden, often including a dog or cat.

I prefer using photographs on my book covers. The book cover should suggest the plot. If the book is part of a series, there should be consistency in the design. Using the same color and size font for the title and a similar design helps readers recognize a particular series.

I just published the fourth cozy cat mystery. Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary is a dual tale that takes place in California and also in Austria. While Black Cat and Angel are embroiled in village intrigue and riveting drama along the shores of a No. California resort town, Dorian and Kimberlee seek a long-lost treasure they believe is still hidden in Hopfgarten, Austria. The story moves back and forth between Black Cat’s wisdom and Angel’s snarky wit in Fern Lake, and Kimberlee’s unexpected challenges facing a stalker in a foreign country.

It all started with a message in a WWII diary from a soldier who befriended a German soldier during the battle of Normandy. Following the war, Dewey receives and records in his diary, a mysterious message from his friend… The treasure is in Hopfgarten….touch the feet of the babe…
Kimberlee reads Dewey’s diary just before she and Dorian embark on an Austrian vacation. Of course, they must go to Hopfgarten to follow the clues to a treasure missing for more than 50 years.

Kimberlee’s Austrian adventure includes many of my own 1987 personal experiences when I traveled through castles and villages, saw cows wearing bells around their necks, visited 1000-year-old churches in Salzburg, and finally into Hopfgarten where I experienced many of the events included in Kimberlee’s adventure, and first imagined the story of a missing treasure and Dewey’s diary.

Finding the right photographs for my Black Cat mystery was time-consuming. I wanted the photos to suggest both parts of the story. It had to include a cat with his foot on a diary to suggest that important plot point. It must also suggest the European half of the story. There are plenty of Europe castles available on Fotolia and Shutterstock, but the search was on for the right black and white tuxedo cat.

I requested photographs from an online cat group, of black and white cats with their paw raised,so a diary could be photo-shopped under it. I received over 100 lovely pictures. However, another picture was eventually chosen from Shutterstock.

I think my readers will enjoy this new and latest exciting Black Cat adventure, Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary. Let me know how you feel about a book with basically two stories interwoven throughout.

Black Cat and the Secret in Dewey’s Diary  at:

http://tinyurl.com/y2tyyeh5                ($3.99 e-book)

(Dewey’s diary Back Cover blurb) In this dual tale of mystery, lost treasure, and riddles, while Black Cat narrates the exciting events in Fern Lake, Kimberlee discovers a cryptic clue in a diary about a hidden treasure, and heads to Austria to solve the puzzle. 

When Kimberlee and Dorian arrive in Austria, they attract the attention of a stalker determined to steal the diary in hopes the clues will lead him to the treasure first. On a collision course, it is inevitable that Kimberlee and the stalker meet in Hopfgarten.

Black Cat and Angel’s lives are endangered with the arrival of Kimberlee’s grandmother in Fern Lake, and the return of a man presumed dead for twenty-five years. With both arrivals, emotional and financial difficulties loom for Kimberlee’s family.

Since their return to Fern Lake, Angel seems reluctant or unable to adjust to her new home. Does she regret leaving Texas and Grandmother? And, when the opportunity arises, will she decide to leave Black Cat and Fern Lake?