Dazed and Confused

If my book was made into a movie ...

Okay, I did NOT see any of the films in this year's Oscar race.  Not one.  I heard about all of them.  I saw clips on all of them (even three of the short features), but time to go to the movies?  Fuggetaboutit! I didn't even get to see the last Harry Potter on the big screen.  I was busy writing. (The last movie I went to see was The King's Speech.  It was good!)

But last night I had a bit of a fun time on Facebook.  I posted that I thought it would be cool if one of my books made it to the movies, and I picked Murder on The Mind, the first Jeff Resnick book.  One of my readers suggested one of the Booktowns would make a good movie, but while my readers might be happy, the coveted 18-49 male demographic would never tear themselves away from their video games and Youtube to make it to the theater.  (But they'd probably do really well on TV. How about the Hallmark Channel?)

Someone suggested that Bradley Cooper play Jeff Resnick, the hero of Murder On The Mind (and the rest of the series).  I must confess, I never even heard of Bradley Cooper. (Writers don't get out that much.  I mean, I make it to the grocery store once a week, and that's about it.)  I looked him up on Google images and -- hot damn, he's good looking.  He's got mesmerizing blue eyes.  Jeff has muddy brown eyes.  I think I could overlook that tiny imperfection in the actor.

I've always thought that Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be terrific as Richard.  (He'd have to dye his hair brown -- but actors do that a lot.  Maybe he could lose a few pounds, too.  Couldn't we all--or at least a bunch of us--do with that, too?) The fact that Mr. Hoffman is a Rochester, NY Native (okay, Pittsford--let's not quibble) would make it even better!

From the first time I saw Jennifer Hudson (and I don't even remember where that was), I thought she'd make a terrific Brenda.  (She doesn't have to sing for the role!)  Can't you just picture her bossing Richard and Jeff around?

I haven't given much thought as to who could play Maggie.  When I picture her as I'm writing the character, it's Gates McFadden I see, but she's too old for the part now.  Still, 15 years ago, she would have made a fabulous Maggie.

Is there a chance in hell this book would be made into a movie?  Well, a production company did request a copy -- but they never optioned it.  (I have a friend who's had a book optioned.  So far ... no movie.  But they keep renewing the option, so there is hope.)  Of course if you know someone at a production company, hey--mention Jeff's name, willya?

So, what do you think about my casting?  Disagree?  Who do you see playing the major roles?

 

 

Who does this remind you of?

Hauled out the suitcase ... getting ready for my trip to Charlottesville, Virginia next month and the Virginia Festival of the Book.  Uh-oh ... who (what?) does my suitcase remind me of?

It's TRYING to be spring

The other day it snowed overnight.  (Is that an oxymoron?  Anyway, it did.)  The snow was the wet, heavy spring type snow.  And it melted by lunchtime.

The daffodils are up by several inches.  Now we're waiting for the snowdrops.

It's been a mild winter, but it's still winter.  I'm ready for warm weather.  Zephyr breezes.  Planting my snow peas (and I'll do it on time, this year).

I'm ready for spring.  How about you?

Pet Peeve Thursday: Cross the Line – I Dare Ya

by guest blogger Kelly McClymer

I started reading with Dick and Jane. Kids today have many more colorful options, but Dick and Jane gave a big advantage to this budding book lover: they made everything else I ever read seem interesting and fun. I felt there was no boundary too far to run from Dick and Jane. And Spot. Mars? Sounds like a grand time. A little house on the prairie? I’m there. A windswept Prince Edward Island in the early 1900s? Sign me up. Narnia, or a time warp? Oh yeah.

Which brings me to my pet peeve (thanks, Lorraine, for letting me vent today): people who are afraid to cross genre lines. They make seemingly reasonable statements like, “I only read cozies.” Or romance. Or thrillers. Or Oprah picks. Or more inflammatory statements like, “Romance is brain fluff.” or “Science fiction is about ideas and I like books about people.” In some quarters, them’s fighting words.
 
Sometimes I wonder if I may have been afraid to cross genre lines at some point if my parents had not bemusedly encouraged my vacuum-cleaner-like book choices (start at the beginning of one library shelf, and work my way across, down to the next shelf, and the next, and the …). That kind of reading history inoculated me from believing any common genre prejudice.

Science fiction is not about people? Of course it is. I knew that because I ran across John Brunner’s classic The Sheep Look Up on my uncle’s living room end table when I was 12. That book is all about people, and science (and how corporate greed is toxic to the people – and it was written in the 70s).

Romance is brain fluff? Snort. I’ve been married for over 3 decades, and there’s many a romance (and a few science fiction, mystery, thrillers and fantasies) that’s helped me through the minefield of the romantic relationship many a time – and entertained me along the way.

Fiction gives me insight into human beings (even when they’re disguised as robots or vampires). I need that insight, because – as I discovered while raising a son on the autism spectrum – I’m really not good at picking up people clues in the real world.

I’m proud to say I’ve never met a genre line I was afraid to cross. Some I like more than others, but every genre out there offers me some new perspective on people, life, living, and myself.

Which brings me to my secondary pet peeve: publishers’ fear of genre mixing in anthologies. When you find an anthology, it usually has similar genre stories (maybe a publisher will be daring and mix in some romantic mystery, history, suspense…maybe). But usually they stick stories into same genre boxes.

At Backlist Ebooks, we thought outside the genre box for our anthology of backlist tales. Our stories cross all the lines: mystery, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary, horror, you name it. After all, our authors have backlists in multiple genres. Many of our individual authors cross genre lines within their own backlist. I write historical romance, science fiction, YA (fantasy and contemporary humor), and whatever else strikes my fancy.

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This anthology, Tales From the Backlist, is a work of hope by the members of Backlist Ebooks. We want to support our fledgling backlist author platform. And we hope that readers may dare to cross a genre line or two and find a new genre playground or two that satisfies the reading itch. Take a chance and cross the genre line with our short stories. I dare ya.
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Kelly McClymer has one foot in traditional publishing, with her YA series The Salem Witch Tryouts, and one foot in the indie publishing world, with her backlist Once Upon a Wedding historical romance series. To scramble things up further, her Tales from the Backlist story "Diapers, DIshes, and Demons" is a literary fantasy about a woman for whom post-partum depression is a very real -- and annoying -- demon. You can find Kelly at her website http://kellymcclymer.com, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

 (P.S. Lorraine has a story in Tales from the Backlist, too.  It's my Jeff Resnick story, COLD CASE.)

Tax Time

Don't you just LOVE to spend hours pouring over a spreadsheet adding up each and every trip to the post office, counting the miles AND the postage?  Well, that's how I spent yesterday.  I spent nearly $3,000 in postage in 2011, and will probably spend as much if not more in 2012.  All part of my job of promoting my books.

But that's not a beef.  Honest.  And it really didn't take all that long yesterday because my figures, when broken out, added up with the total at the bottom of the spreadsheet.  Usually I screw up with my formulas and have to go over the figures time and again.  Yesterday?  Not at all.  But then I realized there were missing items.  Like my new keyboard.  I couldn't find the receipt and I couldn't find item listed on my Visa bill (because I couldn't remember the date I bought it).  So ... that didn't get counted.  I know there were others, and I try to be meticulous about keeping receipts and adding the totals to my spreadsheet. Must try harder this year.

Keeping track of my mileage is the worst.  This year I did a better job, but still missed writing down the mileage for my stock signings.  Oh well.  I should keep a special notebook in the car and take down the beginning and ending numbers on those trips.  (Betcha I forget to do that!)

No turbo tax for me.  I go to an accountant.  Are you kidding?  The IRS makes authors jump through hoops.  We're self-employed.  We have to pay estimated taxes quarterly.  Schedule C for me!  I supply the numbers, my accountant puts them in his spreadsheet, hits, a button, prints out the tax forms, and the estimated tickets and envelopes, and I'm done for the year.  Unless I make a LOT less or a LOT more and need to adjust my 4th quarter payment, which has happened in the past.

Tax time is not fun time.  But tax time means Spring is on the way.  Hey, I have to find something positive about the experience, don't I?

How about you?  Expecting a refund this year?  (Sadly, I'm not.)

Speaking of covers . . .

One of the great things about being an indie author is that if something isn't working, you can fix it--or at least play with it.  That goes for your title, your book/story description, and covers, too.

One of my favorite short stories hasn't done all that well.  Okay, so it's kind of a romance, but it's got a lot of heart and for a long time I was disappointed that it didn't sell.  Not for lack of trying.  I submitted the story four times and they asked for three rewrites.  But we just couldn't come to an agreement on certain aspects of the story.  In the long run, I'm rather pleased that I have full control over it.  And although it's not a huge seller like say ... oh, I don't know -- A Crafty Killing and The Walled Flower, in the 18 months it's been available, it has earned me more than I would have gotten at 6 cents a word way  back when.

I changed the cover for the 3rd time last year about this time. I also changed the title for the third time.  So you see, this little story has been around the block a few times, trying to find its way and its audience.

The story has done best as "An Unconditional Love."  I liked the image, but it wasn't working.  That cover was kind of done by committee.  I asked for ideas on Facebook and a bunch of readers weighed in. But it was my Cozy Chick sister Heather Webber (also known as Heather Blake) who found the image that was perfect for the story.

DESCRIPTION:  A one-night stand changes Leslie Turner's life forever when she discovers she's pregnant. Keeping the child means losing her business. Even more devastating, the baby is born with a disfiguring birth defect. Her carefully planned life falls apart . . . until years later when she once again meets her baby's father. Can they ever be a family?

Here's a short review by  Dru Ann Love of Dru's Book Musings:  "What happens when your friend's widowed husband comes into your bar and drowns out his sorrow? You drive him home and that one night of unexpected passion changes the course of your life. This was a heartwarming and tender story of one woman's journey of love and forgiveness."

Will this variation of the old cover work?  Who knows.  But it's kind of fun to try.  I might be doing more of it in the near future, too.

So, which cover do you like best?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

My good pal Pat Ryan did a gorgeous cover for my fourth Jeff Resnick book.  Heck, she did gorgeous covers for the whole series.  But for some reason the short story that inspired the book, COLD CASE, outsells the book like crazy, even though there's a commercial FOR the book at the end of the short story.  The short story's picture relates to the opening of the book. The book's cover picture relates to the stunning ending. I love the way the rope (BOUND) is pulling the word "suggestion down."  It's a wonderful cover and one of Pat's favorites.

When Mr. L and I put the cover of Cold Case together, we had a hard time finding the picture.  Neither of us was happy with it, and yet ... apparently it works because that short story outsells the novel by 60%.

That's a HUGE, WHOPPING DIFFERENCE.

I had a discussion with another of my indie publishing pals who's doing quite well.  We looked at my numbers for the whole Jeff Resnick series and had to shake our heads.  Why isn't that puppy finding an audience?  It's got great covers, great reviews, and EVERY WEEK readers write to beg me to finish the next book in the series.   Just not ENOUGH readers.

My friend's analysis:  I need to find that series a new audience. But that's been the problem all along. I don't know WHERE to find that audience.  Clearly a huge chunk my cozy readers aren't interested in trying something a little edgier. Or maybe they're put off by the word "paranormal" thinking it'll involve vampires, werewolves, and/or zombies. 

No.  My stories are and always have been CHARACTER DRIVEN. There's a paranormal element, but it's not a cheap gimmick. It's just part of who Jeff is.

But back to the question of finding that audience.  I've tried.  I've lowered the first book to 99¢.  Heck, I've even given away more than 26,000 copies for free.  I've priced it at $1.99 and I've priced it at $2.99 and $3.99. (It's currently $2.99)  For those who say they will never buy an e reader, the books are available as a trade paperbacks.

What's it going to take for the books of my heart to find an audience?

I sure hope you've got ideas, because I'm fresh out.

Stepping Out Of Lorna's Shadow

"Nothing on earth can make
up for the loss of one who
has loved you."
--Selma Lagert

I lost my Dad in October of 2009, just as Lorna was starting to see some success.  He never knew most of the Lorna triumphs.  Hitting the New York Times bestsellers list--not just the extended list, but the REAL list (so far three times).  He never saw the third book in the series.  He never knew it was nominated for an Agatha for best novel of 2009. He never knew I sold another series under my own name -- the one he gave me.

Yesterday I learned I hit the New York Times bestsellers (extended) list for the first time under my own name for The Walled Flower.  And guess what, I hit higher than Lorna did on her first time. #25.

Yesterday would have been my Dad's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

And the Blog Tour continues . . .

One of the things that happens around the time an author puts out a new books is ... they're suddenly in demand!

Since The Walled Flower came out last week, I've been all over the place.  Did you miss some of my posts?

They were/are: Feb. 6th  ~ Dru's Book Musings. (Where I talked about Katie's home search.)

Feb. 13th ~ Authors Are People, Too (Interview -- some real oddball questions, which made it fun!)

Feb 15th  ~ Escape with Dollycas Into A Book (Where I talk about bridesmaids)

And Sunday I'll be at Mystery Lovers Kitchen with a great new recipe!

See you there!

To Celebrate Valentine's Day ....

First off, Happy Valentine's Day!

May you and the one you love have a wonderful, sweet, day.  Mr. L and I always celebrate with a Valentine's tea.  This year will be no different.  I'll make the scones, the dainty sandwiches, and haul out the good silver and dishes--while he gets to eat the bounty.  : )

In case you've got extra time on your hands today, maybe you'd like to check out Lauren Royal's blog AUTHORS ARE PEOPLE, TOO.  Here's an interview where there's no talk of writing--just oddball stuff that authors do.  Lauren thought some of my answers were pretty oddball indeed.  Maybe you will, too.  Check it out.

Happy Valentine's Day!