Archive for the ‘Writing Process’ Category

Ah yes, the start of a new book. The opportunities to wreak havoc upon my favorite down home characters abound. Of course, there is no secret as to how this book starts. I give it away in the title. I’ve already set up the crime scene in the excerpt at the end of Book 6 (You remember Book 6, right? My long awaited Woman in the Wind that was just released after Christmas?).Now, it’s just a matter of explaining why said clergy person is in said pasture in the middle of January. What a great starting point.

I have lots of ideas. As usual, I want events to unfold in such a way as to lead the reader off in the wrong direction, while slowly revealing the steps that ultimately led to the victim’s undoing. And I want tensions to run a little high, as they often do with a crowded household of adults  trying to run their lives under stressful circumstances. I’m looking forward to introducing new characters, those quirky relatable hometown folks (or maybe not so hometown. It’s hard to say at this point). I enjoy  creating those vignettes that add another dimension and give some heart to the story.

I guess the real question I need to ask myself, and eventually my readers is this: Was the pastor’s demise a personal endeavor, or some  anonymous act carried out in haste?

Well, wouldn’t you like to know?

Let me start out by saying, yuck. I hate this part of the process. Inevitably, every time I finish up a book, I have to retool my marketing of the Dairyland Murders Series. This means this is (at least) the sixth time I’ve had to go back in, look at where I’m selling and where I’m not, and try to figure out how in the hell to sell more.

I repeat, yuck. I love the writing. That’s the fun part. Honestly, that’s the easy part, because I am the god of my story. I have the power. I determine everything, settings, characters, plot twists, crime scenes, sex scenes. It’s all mine.

That being said, I can’t make you buy my books. I can’t make you notice me in the sea of all the information that constantly bludgeons you (pun totally intended) every waking moment. But I know I have to try.

So, as with every new book release, there will be changes. I’m finally getting around to setting up my author page on GoodReads. I’m probably going to have an email list set up soon on this blog. I may even change the look of this blog. It’s been a while. I’m pretty sure my website header is not smart-phone friendly. Who knows? With any luck I might even get interview in a podcast. That might be kind of cool.

Stay posted, those of you who might actually give a crap. I’m comin’ for ya.

So, as many of you veteran readers of my series are already aware, I always put an excerpt of my next book into the end of my current book. And so it goes with Dairyland Murders Book 6: Woman in the Wind. Dairyland Murders Book 7: Pastor in the Pasture takes place in the dead of the Northwest Wisconsin winter. It’s cold, desolate, and the perfect setting to discover a body.
I do this for a couple of really good reasons. As a series, there is an expectation of moving on to the next book, so an excerpt gives the reader something to look forward to. The other, and for me, more important reason, is it gets my brain thinking about the next batch of twists, turns, and action packed revelations of the crime or crimes that will need to be solved.
The discovered body is just the metaphorical onion bulb. There’s still the ground to lay for the planting, the weather the bulb has to grow through and finally the harvest of the onion with all its varying layers ready for the reader to slowly unravel to get to the heart.
So, please, acquire (however you may do, though buying would be helpful for me, wink, wink) Dairyland Murders Book 6: Woman in the Wind, on preorder for the Bargain price of $3.99 at your favorite ebook retailer (release date: December 26th), and get ready for the preorder of Dairyland Murders Book 7: Pastor in the Pasture on December 27th. Happy Holidays!