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Today, we are visiting with Marian Merritt, an author from Louisiana, currently living in Colorado, who likes to mix the two areas in her novels. Her new book, Vigil, releases TODAY. But, she had time for an interview. Jim: Tell … Continue reading
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Last week, something went terribly wrong with my blog site. And it took me several days to find the problem and correct it. As a result, Stephen’s blog was not available when it should have been. So, to make it … Continue reading
The Yangtze River
The three Gorges Project on China’s Yangtze River is the largest hydro-electric project in the world, in terms of installed capacity. Appropriate for the country with the largest population in the world.
Fully operational in 2009, fourteen years
after start-up, the dam now backs up as much as 32 million acre feet of water. But to create such a reservoir, it was necessary to relocate over 1.3 million people. When filled, it flooded about 244 square miles.
To 
negotiate the 360 feet difference between the downstream river and the upstream river, a system of five gigantic locks were built for each direction. These allow for multiple ships to move upriver at the same time multiple ships are moving downriver. Each ship will require approximately four hours to pass through 
all five locks.
To help speed things up, a ship lift has been built which will cut the time to traverse between the two levels to about thirty-seven minutes. However, the elevator will handle only ships with gross weights between one thousand tons and three thousand tons. Of course, the elevator also has to haul the water necessary to float a three thousand ton vessel. Impressive. At the time we were there, the elevator was complete but had not been put into operation.
Now, five years after completion of the Three Gorges Project, several million Chinese live on the banks of this fourth longest river in the world. In some area, hundreds of twenty-five to thirty-five story apartment and condo buildings line the banks. Huge bridges tower over the waterway with amazing frequency. Unfortunately, even on the Yangtze, pollution is a serious problem.
The scenery through these gorges is spectacular. Sheer 
cliffs cascade to the water, sometimes allowing a narrow road to pass; sometimes not. As you float along, ancient pagodas high on the mountains are highlighted against the sky. And while modern architecture can be seen from almost any point on the river, the influence of ancient China is evident everywhere.
Our four days on the Yangtze River were a constant exposure to nature’s grandeur and beauty. As visitors, we could ignore the tremendous economic value of this section of river. But the striking beauty and the closeness to ancient China made this yet another highlight of our visit to China.
Please leave me a comment on China and the Yangtze, and “like” or “share” this post. Thank you.
Jim Callan
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While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane Mulligan has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that’s a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora … Continue reading
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Today’s guest is Patty Wiseman, a lifetime member of the Worldwide Who’s Who for Professional Women and the author of historical romances. Twice she has won first place in romance with the Texas Association of Authors. Here’s some important advice … Continue reading
This week, we’re visiting with C. L. Swinney, a man who burst onto the writing scene with such great enthusiasm he overwhelmed some of us. He reads, he writes, he blogs, he writes poetry, he writes mysteries. And having worked at this, he has something to say – about the real work of being an author today.
There’s so much to being an author- most of it happening AFTER we’ve put words down, and that alone can be a monumental struggle. In today’s market, where everyone believes they too are the best authors on the planet, you must search for your own voice, niche really, that isn’t already being used by a thousand other writers. I tend to try to relate this madness to what happens on American Idol. Thousands of people line up truly feeling they can sing, but within seconds, they become the laughing stock of television and only one in a million make it. For writers, it’s the same; about one in a million will make it. Roughly 85% of authors who get published or publish their own work will sell less than a hundred copies, and this includes friends and family (our biggest fans). It’s a sad reality, but one many of us choose to subject ourselves to it. Nevertheless, we thrive on the dance we play with our writing and readers. It keeps us writing, reading, and trying to be better at our craft. We’re glutton for punishment and tend to stay caved up in our homes. It’s the introvert lifestyle that stymies real potential to reach hundreds and even thousands of new readers.
So, in as few words as possible, I’m going to break down what I think is necessary to break out of your slump and embrace 2014. I believe you will sell more books, but more importantly, make new friends if you consider these points. **Disclaimer-BE FOREWARNED, I DO NOT HOLD BACK PUNCHES.
PLATFORM:
Been there, done that. Type the word into Google and see how many thousands of definitions materialize. What does that mean? It means it was a buzz word that continues to be abused by small publishers trying to squeeze everything they possibly can out of the authors they already take to the cleaners. The Big Five call this promotion-they pay for it and do it for their authors.
BLOG:
Today there are literally hundreds of blog sites and millions of blogs. If you don’t have superior content or pictures (best would be including both), know about SEO, back-links, targeted websites, or have several thousand real email accounts YOU ARE WASTING YOUR EFFORTS. You would be better served having a website. Don’t use free templates. Pay someone to make yours at least as good as the next author.
READINGS:
This, to me, is
a MUST. I’ll tell you why. As my good friend John Brantingham explained to me, people don’t buy your book from the actual reading, but they will POSSIBLY buy your book based on your message. Can they relate to you? Do they find you interesting? Ask yourself, do I even have a message? If you don’t, you should. As far as the nerves that accompany standing in front of people and reading your work go, suck it up. Deal with it. Stumble and get a dry mouth, freak the hell out. It’s GOOD FOR YOU. And, it shows you’re human. Humans relate better to humans, not robots.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Again, you MUST do this. I’ve been talking about this for years and I’m really tired of hearing people saying it’s too difficult to do. Guess what, use Hootsuite. It’s free and does the work for you. You can pre-arrange messages written one time that will automatically push out to all of your social media sites at once. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be doing this. If you don’t think some of the sites are useful, don’t use them. However, I challenge you to find a single bestselling author not using social media.
I’ve got plenty of more tid-bits that I’ll be sharing on guess blogs over the next few months. Please feel free to email with questions. I answer them all.
JIM: Okay. There you have Swinney’s take on the work after the writing. Leave a comment or a question. Swinney won’t shy away from answering.
Today, I’m interviewing Holli Castillo, whose background runs from
competing as a gymnast at the 1984 New Orleans World’s Fair, to working in many positions in theatrical productions, including performing as a Can Can girl. After she received her JD from Loyola University, she joined the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office. She quit the D.A.’s office when she had her first child, and is now an appellate public defender. Sounds interesting to me.
Jim: How was it going from the DA’s office to public defender? Aren’t those on opposite sides of the aisle?
Holli: They are the opposite sides, but the knowledge and skill translate well from one to the other. The D.A.’s job is supposed to be to present the truth and let the jury make a determination of whether the defendant is guilty or not. The defense’s job is to make sure that no one cheats in getting a conviction. That isn’t the way it usually works out. Having done both, I can say both sides have the exact same goal–to win at any cost. It’s not really so different in the end, and the law is the law.
Jim: At what stage did you decide to write?
Holli: I have been writing stories since I was in Kindergarten and novels since I was in 6th grade. I didn’t decide to try to write something for publication until I quit the D.A.’s Office to stay home with my first child in 2000.
Jim: 
And how long did it take you from when you first started writing until Gumbo Justice appeared in 2009?
Holli: It took about 4 years to write the novel. But then Katrina hit in 2005 and in June of 2008 I was in a head-on collision with a drunk driver and was on my back for a year. So it actually took 9 years, but only 4 of that was writing.
Jim: As with most of us, some personal history influences what gets written. How did your experience in the District Attorney’s office color your novels?
Holli: Nearly all of my ideas are sparked by real cases I’ve handled, either as a D.A. or a defense attorney. The D.A.’s Office definitely gave me the inside track on how a prosecutor’s office works, especially the office dynamics and criminal procedure. I can include all aspects of criminal prosecution in my novels. My protag knows how to do everything I know how to do, she knows the same lingo, she knows how to cheat, etc. 
Jim: Jambalaya Justice won an award before it was published. Tell us just a little about that.
Holli: I entered it in the PSWA contest for unpublished fiction and it tied for first place.
Jim: And the third in this Crescent City Mystery Series is called Chocolate City Justice. First, I have to ask, is New Orleans known as the Chocolate City? I’ve never heard that term applied to New Orleans.
Holli: The title comes from a speech our mayor made on the first Martin Luther King Day following Katrina. He gave a grandiose speech about how at the end of the day, New Orleans would be a Chocolate City again, referring to the fact that more white people were returning to the city than black people. It caused quite a stir.
Jim: Well, I’ve learned something new today. That’s good. Tell us a little about Chocolate City Justice.
Holli: Ryan has just been assigned a real plum by prosecutor standards, a child’s birthday party massacre caught on videotape. But as most things in New Orleans, nothing is what it seems and the case starts to turn into a nightmare. And then along comes Katrina. Ryan plans to evacuate, but does an unexpected favor for a friend, causing her to miss her window to escape the storm, ultimately putting her on the radar of the gang she’s prosecuting for the birthday party shooting. But Ryan isn’t worried. She’s handled some of the worst criminals the city has to offer, and hurricanes never hit New Orleans. Right?
Jim: And when will that be available?
Holli: We’re still working on a release date, but I can safely say this year, sometime in 2014.
Jim: And lastly, where is the best place for us to buy your books?
Holli: They are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my publisher’s website, www.oaktreebooks.com
Thanks so much for having me!
Jim: It was my pleasure, Holli.
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Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Walter Luce, a successful real estate developer in three states. So, of course, his books cover three states and some of his books draw on that experience. I think you’ll enjoy meeting Walter. … Continue reading
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This week, we have an extraordinary visitor, Dr. Judy Alter. She was director of a university press for many years, has written dozens of books, both fiction and non-fiction, and achieved high recognition with the Western Writers of America. Because of … Continue reading
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D. R. Meredith has written three mystery series set in the Texas Panhandle, a little-known area of the state even to other Texans. Two titles, MURDER BY IMPULSE and MURDER BY DECEPTION, in the John Lloyd Branson series were finalists … Continue reading