The Christmas Season is Upon Us

Are you rushing around trying to get your house decorated and buy and wrap Christmas gifts?

As an author, I would encourage you to buy books for some of the people on your Christmas list. you might try some of the books by the authors who write for this blog.

When I was a kid, my favorite gifts were books. My mom always gave me the latest Nancy Drew mysteries--and I'd usually read them through by the end of the day. Of course I read them again--and again. And believe me, as an adult, I've always loved receiving a book or a gift card where I could choose books for myself.

May I suggest any of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, and especially for those who enjoy books with Native American elements. And of course, there's my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, about a police department on the Pacific coast, the men and women and their families. I write that one as F. M. Meredith.

Though both are series, the mysteries in each book are finished, so they don't have to be read in order.
But for those who really like to start in the beginning, Deadly Omen is the first in the Tempe series, and Final Respects the first in the Rocky Bluff series.

Buy link for Deadly Omen:

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Omen-Tempe-Crabtree-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07RGCVSYK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Deadly+Omen+by+Marilyn+Meredith&qid=1575472827&s=books&sr=1-1

Buy link for Final Respects:

https://www.amazon.com/Final-Respects-Rocky-Police-Department/dp/1938436385/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=final+respect+by+f.+m.+meredith&qid=1575473041&s=books&sr=1-1

Let's Talk About Promotion

Recently, I was with three other authors and I suggested we have a talk about promotion. Guess what they said--"We don't do any promotion."

I was so shocked I didn't ask the obvious questions: "Do you sell any books?"

Of course I asked the question to perhaps find out something new I could try. I'd be willing to share what I've been doing.

So instead, I'll share with you:

Today is the 2nd day of having the first book in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, Deadly Omen, the Kindle version free on Amazon. The reasoning, as I've said before, is to get people interested in checking out the rest of the series. This freebie is good until midnight on Friday the 14th.

I had my first book signing for the latest in the series; Spirit Wind, last Saturday, at a popular chocolate store (they make their own delicious chocolates), and I advertised it on Facebook and the newspaper. I had a good turnout, including a local video photographer who interviewed me, and a local newspaper reporter.  Lots of my family and friends turned out too--and it was a lively day. And yes, some folks who came into buy candy or a drink bought books too.

Two more signings aee coming, June 23rd, from 1-3 at the Tehachapi Museum in Tehachapi. Should be fun since this is where the book takes place.

And then on June 28th, I'll be on the porch of of the Wild Oak Coffee Shop in my home town of Springville from 1 to 3.

I hope you noted that all three of these venues are not book stores. Not that I have anything against bookstores, but we don't have any close by.

My books can be found in the Patton House in Springville--our local gift and 2nd hand shop. They are wonderful about keeping track and they pay once a month when books are sold.

I love going to book fairs and speaking to writers' groups. I have one big book fair in October coming, and I'm speaking to Night Writers in San Luis Obispo in July.

And the only conference I go to anymore is the Public Safety Writers Association, also in July.

Of course I do all the usual--have a webpage, http://fictionforyou.com/,  a blog of my own: https://marilynmeredith.blogspot/, post here twice a month, and I'm on https://ladiesofmystery.com
the 4th Monday of every month, and I have a monthly newsletter. When asked, I guest on other's blogs.

I'm on Facebook regularly, post in some Facebook groups, Twitter periodically especially when I'm promoting something, and I'm a member of a few listserves I'm fairly regular on.

I know there's more I could do, but there's only so much time--and I do have a life too.

What I'd like to know is what are your favorite kinds of promotion to do?

Marilyn

This Has Been a Busy and Exciting Time

Because good friend Lorna Collins decided to edit and re-publish all my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries since my published closed their doors, I've been busy trying to promote them. Some have new covers that were created before anyone knew Mundania was going out of business.

In an effort to introduce more people to the series, I'm going to do a free e-book promotion for the first one in the series, Deadly Omen.

That will be going on from June 10 through 14th in the Kindle store. No way can I afford a BookBub promotion, but there are many other sites who promote free e-books. The only drawback is that it takes a lot of time--many are free, but other charge minimal fees.

Of course I've also been busy promoting the latest in the series, Spirit Wind. I've been visiting varios blogs and of course posting on Facebook.

My first book signing will be on June 8th at the sweetest place in Porterville, Stafford's Chocolates on Main St. from 11 to 3.

On June 22nd, I'll be at the Tehachapi Museum from 1 to 3. That one will be fun since Spirit Wind is set in Tehachapi. I'm anxious to see how the residents feel about the mystery.

On June 29th from 1-3, I'm doing a signing here at home, Springville, at the Wild Oak Coffee Shop (across from the fire station on Bridge St. This place has the best speciality drinks and sandwiches.

In the meantime, I've finished the latest in my Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series. It still has to be heard and critiqued by my group, then I'll have it edited before I  sent it off to the publisher.

If anyone thinks being a writer isn't work--they aren't a writer.

Marilyn

Why Do You Write?

Recently, we learned of a fellow writer who passed away unexpectedly. Though extremely talented, she never reached her full potential, mainly wrote about what she wanted to write someday. She felt unless she made a lot of money, she was wasting her time.

Though I've never made a lot of money, I've never felt like I was wasting my time by writing.

I enjoy writing. I'm thrilled when I hear from one of my fans that they really liked one of my books. Receiving a good review is like a reward.

But as far as why I write--it's what I do. I spend a lot of time with the characters I've created, and I always want to know what's going to happen to them next. The only way to find out is to write the next book.

Besides writing, I find myself doing a lot of promoting.

Recently, Mundania who publishes my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series reedited and redid the covers on several of the books in the series.

These are the first two and are now available.

In the meantime, the latest in my Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Tangled Webs will be sold for only .99 cents for Kindle from Friday, January 25th through Monday, January 28th.  Anytime there's a sale like this, lots of promotion needs to be done. So of course I've been busy with that too. It will be interesting to see how this goes.

If you want to check it out, here's the link

https://tinyurl.com/yabj9z9f

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The sale starts this Friday.

How about you, why do you write?

Marilyn