Named as a Character in a Book for the Second Time

 By Linda Thorne

 

The first time this happened, I was named as a character in Marilyn Meredith’s book, Not As It Seems. She does book tours for each book she publishes and often offers a choice of prizes to whomever leaves a comment on the most blogs. I won the prize on an earlier book tour and chose to be named as a character in a later book. When that book was published she stopped by my blog on her tour with a post called, The Character Named Linda Thorne.

This was a fun blog post (September 17, 2015). We got a surprise visit from Hank Phillippi Ryan who dropped in and commented on the complexities of using real people’s names as characters. Another commenter told us she’d never want to be named after a dead body or an evil person. Marilyn’s response was that she’d never kill off a character named after a real person or make them too awful unless, of course, they didn’t mind. I ended up in Not As It Seems as a not-so-nice, tall, redheaded woman. For me, it made the book more fun to read.

Last February, a few members of the Middle Tennessee Sisters in Crime organization met with Carolyn Haines in Mobile, Alabama. She'd joined us in Nashville a few years earlier, but was unable to make another trip in 2016, so we went to her. We had dinner with her one night, got to speak at the Mobile Writers Guild she belongs to, and have lunch with her college students. Carolyn had been teaching creative writing at the University of South Alabama for a very long time. At some point during all this, Carolyn Haines said she was going to name a character after me. I was all for it.

So I am a crotchety insurance sales woman in Sticks and Bones coming out May 17th. I can’t wait. It's part of her Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. I saw it online and will pre-order it.
Buy Link: Buy Sticks and Stones 

Author Carolyn Haines

She told me that she has one friend, Aleta, who has been a dead whore twice in her books. In The House of Memory (I think also available for pre-order) coming out in June, she has four friends who are dead, lobotomized whores. She joked about not being so good to her friends, but hey, I know they all agreed and are happy to be included, dead or alive.

Buy link for the House of Memory: House of Memory

I have loved each and every one of Carolyn Haines Sarah Booth Delaney bone series mystery books. The newest coming out is in mid March and can be pre-ordered now. It is Guru Bones. I guarantee you'll love it. Here's the buy link: Buy link for Guru Bones - A Sarah Booth Delaney mystery

Being named for a character in an author's book is a different experience -- a fun one for me.

Between Books--Writing Them I Mean by Marilyn Meredith

I should be heaving a sigh of relief--my next Tempe is finished and by the time this appears, I'll have fixed the first set of edits and will have sent it off to the publisher.

I'm in the middle of my blog tour for A Crushing Death, which takes time and attention.

However, I have an empty feeling because I'm not working on a book. I don't even have many ideas for one.

It will be the next in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series and there are some loose ends in the characters' lives that I can pick up and use to weave into the plot. But the problem is, what plot?

The method of murder for A Crushing Death came from an author friend. Once I did some research to find out what that was, I was off and running. The ideas came tumbling in.

Anyone want to make a similar suggestion to me on how to murder someone? I've used all number of ways--the usual gun fire, several stabbings, a head chopped off, overdose of prescription meds, building collapse, and illegal drug use--and I'm sure other methods that aren't coming to me at the moment.

What would you like to see happen to a specific ongoing character?

What kind of crimes do you think should happen in my small beach community?

Am I asking too much? Probably, but I need all the help I can get.

I feel weird and yes, a bit empty, because I don't have a work-in-progress.

Any ideas you'd like to share?

Marilyn who is also know as F. M. when it comes to Rocky Bluff.

What is Success for an Author?

Some would say becoming a best-seller.

I've been in the writing business for years, published since 1982--and I have not yet acheived the best-seller status and probably won't in my lifetime.

Other might say having your name recognized.

I suspect a lot of folks do recognize my name because I'm on three blogs on a regular basis, and have my own where I not only promote myself, but many other authors. I also promote like crazy when I have a new book out, and I seem to be compelled to let all my Facebooks friends what I'm up to.

Being able to give up a day-job seems to be another sign of success.

I did that a long time ago--but my writing certainly doesn't support me.

A sign of success to me would be making more money than I spend with promotion.

Yep, some promotion does cost. When I did my freebie for Kindle, I paid for several sites to promote it. Which ones worked best, I have no idea. But I over 5000 copies of the book were downloaded and other books in the series have been purchased (the whole idea of the free download) and new reviews are popping up.

When you do in-person events, there are many costs:

The cost of purchasing books to sell
Gas to get to the venue.
If it's faraway, a hotel room and food to eat.

Often the amount of books sold doesn't begin to pay what you had to put out.
So why do we do it?

I can only speak for myself:

I like meeting readers and talking about my books.
It's fun to get away.
And if you went on vacation, you'd have to pay for a hotel and food--so I consider these trips mini-vacations.

So far I've planned several of these "mini-vacations."

Now I can hear you saying, so why on earth do you do all this if it's not paying off?

One biggie is that as a working writer, all of these expenses are tax-deductible.

But the most important of all is, I'm not going to quit writing until I'm not capable enough to do it. I have this strong compulsion to keep on writing--to find out what my series characters are up to, to create new problems for them and help them solve the problems.

Ah ha! Maybe that's the real sign of success--doing something that I love.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

Me and hubby a the Jackass Mail Run--this one was right down the street and cost a fraction of what most of these venues charge.

The Last Free Day of Final Resepcts on Kindle

This is your last chance to get Final Respects free on Kindle.

So why would you want to, besides the fact that it's free?

Maybe because it's the first mystery in the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series.

Or maybe because you might want to see why I wasn't ready to give up on these characters--because this is where I first introduced many of them.

Maybe you'd like to learn how I incorporated a mortuary into the story--an idea that came from my 10 year-old-daughters playing hide'n go seek at her friend's family mortuary.

This was not the easiest freebie to set up. My poor publisher had the misfortune of having all sorts of problems with Amazon in the effort. Problems that resulted in a new AISN number and link.

This caused me problems with all the places that I'd advertised the freebie, contacting them and making the switch. (Not sure if I got them all, but by the fifth day of this freebie effort, it doesn't really mater.)

I do hope the reader of this blog will take advantage and got to Amazon and get Final Respects.

The link is:

 http://www.amazon.com/Final-Respects-F-M-Meredith-ebook/dp/B00WNJEWSM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1430313675&sr=1-1&keywords=final+respects+by+f.+m.+meredith

On my next post, I'll let you know how it turned out.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

Promotion has Taken Over my Life

Anyone who has been follwing me at all either on Facebook or the many blogs I've been on lately, knows that I've put a lot of energy into promoting my latest book, Violent Departures.

From April 1st to April 21st I've been on a blog tour--not only does it take a lot of time to plan, it takes a chunk of each day to promote each blog.

Today is the final day of the tour and I'm on two different blogs; James Jackson intereviewed me here: http://blog.jamesmjackson.com/
and I'm also visiting Kathleen Kaska and wrote about who influenced me the most--and I actually surprised myself when I figured out who it was.

You can check it out here: http://kathleenkaskawrites.blogspot.com/

I've also been busy doing many inperson events from my book launch to having a booth at the Jackass Mail Run.

Next up, I'll be promoting the free Kindle of the first book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. seres, Final Respects--the begins May 1.

And yes, I am writing another book in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series--but it's hard to find the time I should be giving it.

Things should quiet down soon--I hope.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

Nerve-Wracking Time by Marilyn Meredith

What I"m going to write about is something many, if not most writers, fear.

We are told over and over to plan our promotion early. We get a date when the book supposed to be out--and if wr'e smart, we'll start the marketing dates far enough after that in case there are some problems.

This is where I am at the moment.

My next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, Violent Departures, is due out this month. But, at this moment, I've not seen a cover nor the galley proof.

At the end of the month, I have a great opportunity to see this book becasue I'm going to be the speaker for the Cental Coast Sisters in Crime monthly meeting. One of the members won a contest to have a character named after him.

I planned a 20 day blog tour beginning April 1, sure that would be time enough--now I wonder. I don't have a cover or buy link to send on to my host bloggers.

My official book launch will be April 16th, surely I'll have books by then.

So, have any of you gone through these anxiety building problems?

I know my publisher has the best of intentions, but I also know this has been a busy and anxiety building time for her too. I don't want to bug her since the more time it takes for her to read and answer emails, the more time is taken away from doing what's needed for my book.

(And to be fair, I know there are other books lined up in the to-be-published queue.)

So that's my problem at the moment. In case I don't get copies, I'll take last year's RBPD, Murder in the Worst Degree.

Marilyn aka F.M. Meredith

Another One of Those Busy Times

There are those who think I'm always busy--but the better word might be occupied. But right now, I really am busy.

My next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, Violent Departures, is at the publisher's. As I'm writing this, in my in-box is a rough draft of the final product that I need to go over. (By the time this appears I will have done it.)

I received an email from the publisher's assistant as to suggestions for a cover. I'm really not sure. I looked through some stock photos and picked three that might work. A lot will depend upon how the title is done.

One of the things I always do is a blog tour and I'm planning that now. It won't happen until April but it is a lot of work gathering hosts, setting up the calendar and then writing all the blogs. Each one needs to be unique and interesting enough that at least some people will follow along.

I'm also writing the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery--and I need to keep at least one chapter ahead of my critique group which meets every week. (Thank goodness, since the book will be due at the end of summer.)

In the meantime, I have to keep hubby happy, run my household, teach my Sunday School class, do my duties as church clerk, and enjoy my big, big family.

This is a photo that inspired the coming Violent Departures.

Marilyn Meredith who who writes the RBPD series as F. M. Meredith

What is a Cozy Mystery?

Recently, I was a panelist with the LA Chapter of Sisters in Crime and our topic was "Getting Cozy with Sisters in Crime."

 As we gathered and got acquainted.
l-r: Ellen Byron (Moderator)
Lisa Seidman
Tammy Kaehler
Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

We first tackled the question, just what is a cozy anyway?

 Our answer was a mystery with a non-professional sleuth, living in a small town, probably has a cat, and has some interesting hobby, there is no cussing, on scene violence or sex.

None of us fit the criteria exactly.

Ellen Byron who is a TV writer, playwright and journalist has a first mystery called Realty Check.

Tammy Kaehler's career is in marketing and technical writing--and she now has two books in her Kate Reilly Racing mystery series, Dead Man's Switch and Braking Point. Avoidable Contact is coming soon. Learn more at http://www.tammykaehler.com

Lisa Seidaman is also a TV writer and her novel, Killer Ratings is a novel about murder behind the scenes of a television series. (She's written for numerous TV shows and won Emmy Awards for her work on Days of our Lives and the Young and the Restless.

Holly West is the author of the Mistress of Fortune series set in the late 17th century with a fortune teller sleuth, a mistress to King Charles II.  Mistress of Fortune will be followed by Mistress of Lies.

Here we are again, only this time Holly West has joined us.

The general consensus among us all was that none of our books actually fit the criteria for a cozy.

(Though both my series are set in small towns, the sleuths are professionals.)

It didn't matter, the audience had a great time and so did we.

This was the largest audience I've ever seen at a library event like this.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith