tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11446408343733947252024-03-13T00:56:37.342-07:00Lynn Shurr's SpotLynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-63817890390450109832024-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:002024-01-24T12:15:15.381-08:00The Pitfalls of Writing a Long, Long Series<p> I love to write series. My Sinners Sports Romances has now come to a conclusion after fifteen books spanning two generations on the lives and loves of a football dynasty. Sales for this series simply disappeared two years ago for no reason I could discover whether it was the TikTok scam to get free books or as one editor told me, my books were too old fashioned. Young people today want highly emotional one person narrators who spend most of the books trying to solve one problem rather than third person narratives that are often funny, i.e. my books. Strange, when I first began writing I was told readers no longer wanted first person narratives, funny or not. The book I had offered at the time was <i>Mardi Gras</i> <i>Madness. </i>Eventually, it sold along with <i>Courir de Mardi Gras </i>with three POVS and <i>Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball </i>having one. They remain among my bestsellers and are easy to vend at authors' events but I haven't written anymore. Trends come and trends go, and one of those trends might kill a long running series.</p><p> I wrote four books featuring bull riders that petered out after four books. I had planned two more. They are still in the back of my mind, and some of the characters have done cameos in other books so they do live on. Currently, I am working on a ten book series, The Longleigh Chronicles, Regency set historicals that are only now catching on as I finish up book nine. I found that as I worked on this ninth book, I'd forgotten some details as I went along. Fortunately, all of my books are stored on my desk top computer (and a data stick and a Toshiba external drive). I can go back into those files and verify some character's eye color or the name of a servant, etc. that I'd long forgotten. I also keep a list of characters in a paper file with their characteristics written down just in case of computer failure. As the series expands, I need to keep track of the children born, age, and appearance. It takes a good memory and many backups to write a long series.</p><p> Then there are the things I never considered important. In<i> Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball</i> which takes<i> </i>place in the 1920s, the heroine buys several Picasso paintings that her bully of a husband hates. She loses everything to get a divorce and starts life over in another town. I forgot all about those Picassos until a reader asked me what happened to them. Gee, I don't know. Her ex might have slashed them or given them to the maid to sell. Perhaps they are still in the attic of the house on Prytania Street where Roz once lived. Interesting question. Maybe they will turn up in another unrelated book some day.<br /></p><p> Once I finish the Longleigh Chronicles, I don't know what I will do. Perhaps some single titles. Maybe bring the Longleigh offspring into the Victorian era. I have no idea right now with the tenth book still to write. I am sure something will come to me as I cannot fathom giving up writing, successful or not.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcdP6NwCN2f2X6AS5G968toZsoxD4WDL4UFwykcuH-rLntc7W3Fh9DUG4hApLiScaW7gcODsF48EbfOj0cwodbgBmmu5dHAj1HwH8PEZ9Sf1ZnxFvkk8-tCouhbBW0CqgoxSK_-sYlJCO9qZh8P-ySHWbdG9ZNdy6h4HJjeqd1QbrrL0Wd3USjXWr5hU6/s1000/TheEarlsUglyMistress-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtcdP6NwCN2f2X6AS5G968toZsoxD4WDL4UFwykcuH-rLntc7W3Fh9DUG4hApLiScaW7gcODsF48EbfOj0cwodbgBmmu5dHAj1HwH8PEZ9Sf1ZnxFvkk8-tCouhbBW0CqgoxSK_-sYlJCO9qZh8P-ySHWbdG9ZNdy6h4HJjeqd1QbrrL0Wd3USjXWr5hU6/s320/TheEarlsUglyMistress-WEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p><span> </span><br /></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-27891755649154759632023-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:002023-11-01T12:02:06.590-07:00Selling Books during an Eclipse<p> I've sold my books in many, many places and all kinds of weather but never before during a eclipse. My home town sat right on the line for the October 14, 2023 eclipse. It was also the day of our town's big arts and crafts fair and it's Gumbo Festival. We were allowed to set up tables and tents the day before, a big help considering it would be hell to find parking the day of. Nothing like having to lug boxes of books and art, and all I need to survive the--a thermos of hot tea, a book to read, a lunch and snacks, water and cold drinks several blocks. So, we arrived at seven a.m. for an event that started at nine. Even then parking was starting fill up, but we got a good spot and started setting up.in a shady space. I cannot do this without my husband's help anymore, and he was chomping at the bit to get me settled in order to put up his eclipse viewing telescope in Blue Dog plaza. I did take more stuff than usual as I didn't have him as a backup to fetch extra books or give me a lunch break. He did leave me with two sets of eclipse glasses as well. I would see the eclipse but not him until four p.m. when we had to pack up. </p><p> Maybe it was the special circumstances, but people came out in droves and moved between the fair and the gumbo tents all day. The eclipse, not a total one, began around ten-thirty and ended near two-thirty. Eclipses are very slow moving events. The light dimmed, but it did not get dark. In fact, many people didn't realize an eclipse was happening.. The moon blocked the sun to keep the temperature down. I made short trips to an open area and caught it at a crescent, at half, almost full, and then down to just a single bite out of the side before the sun returned. Trustingly, I lent my eclipse glasses to folks who had none-and one pair walked off never to return. After that I required their immediate return. I don't think anyone of those folks bought a book, but yowza, sales were good. I sold four pieces of mini-art, and two other paintings, rare for me, plus lots of books. In fact, I did have to dash back to the car too get more of two titles, my ever popular <i>Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball</i> and <i>Lady Flora's Rescu</i>e, the first title in my Regency series. Gotta reorder both.</p><p> Afraid my last set of eclipse glasses would vanish, I asked someone headed to the Gumbo Fest to pick up some more from my husband. She returned to say he'd run out of them, giving away four-hundred. I was sending people to get a view through his sun safe telescope, and he was sending folks to view my art and books. Not all the six hundred people who looked through his telescope visited me but some did. One woman, as I was starting to pack up, picked out the two titles above and wanted to use Vendmo. Sorry, I only take cash and checks which I grant you is very-old-fashioned. Bless her heart, she ran three blocks to an ATM and returned with the money. What a compliment! Never happened before. I am usually told they will go to the ATM and never see the customer again.</p><p> After the eclipse passed, the temps went up to ninety, sales fell off, and people went home to their air-conditioned homes. As my exhausted husband took down the tent, he said he'd shown six-hundred viewers the eclipse. I told him I'd had my second best day at this event ever, and I'd been doing it for years. There seemed to something magical about the eclipse. I wish I could arrange one every year on this date. Well, there will be one next April. We are going to view it in Texas. And no, I will not be lugging my books along--or maybe I should.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rQdRJEv25I0NZM8yKY7FQn1Zo496hN7XUk7nSwigHEJSi4N2Io4zin60iDVwBH65WydOmJZ9WU_UKDoC6Kgk5TEDYelvbjUaQGKkSpcfwHRzKU0uRt6PNsLJ2wGIxI6cfFtN8Xi1i7rRAw83shAMphyphenhyphenhvU8if_TlCqeV9XZzi6GIbS0B2gxm_LmsFm1S/s900/LadyFlorasRescue_NEW-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rQdRJEv25I0NZM8yKY7FQn1Zo496hN7XUk7nSwigHEJSi4N2Io4zin60iDVwBH65WydOmJZ9WU_UKDoC6Kgk5TEDYelvbjUaQGKkSpcfwHRzKU0uRt6PNsLJ2wGIxI6cfFtN8Xi1i7rRAw83shAMphyphenhyphenhvU8if_TlCqeV9XZzi6GIbS0B2gxm_LmsFm1S/s320/LadyFlorasRescue_NEW-small.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-79284642516452133102023-08-30T12:51:00.000-07:002023-08-30T12:51:03.231-07:00Weather to Write<p> I enjoy writing when it rains, the sound of it falling and that cozy feeling that no one will come to the front door and interrupt. Unfortunately, we haven't had rain for seven weeks, a real oddity in Louisiana where we get sixty inches a year and big thunderstorms in summer. Add on to that the week long temperatures over one hundred degrees. Our backyard weather station registered 109 last week. Yeah, we're used to heat here but not prolonged heat like this. One person I know remarked that it seemed to be the Covid seclusion all over again because no one was out on the streets, no dog walkers or early morning joggers. Sure, we have AC in our cars but even buckling a seat belt results in burned fingertips, and the car doesn't cool off much before getting to your destination.</p><p> So what does this have to do with writing? I should be hard at work on the latest Longleigh Chronicle, <i>A Gentleman and a Scholar, </i>but seem to have the same malaise that I suffered from during Covid. No urge to be creative. During Covid, I managed to complete only one painting and abandoned<i> The Aussie</i> <i>Sinner</i> half-written. It wasn't writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write but lost the will to do it. Usually, I have a new title out in January, but that date came and went with no forward progress. If some of my worried fans hadn't asked me when the new book would be out, it might still be in limbo. For them, I got back to work, slowly at first and got it done.</p><p> What did a long hot spell have in common with Covid? Isolation. I found I needed to be around people, my art group, book club, my fellow guides at Shadows on the Teche, etc. for sheer stimulation. Unlike some authors, I am not an introvert. I love the meet and greet and being out in public When cut off from interaction, I fade and begin to doubt if I have any talent at all, so why bother. I'm not sure if this is unique to me or if others suffer from this as well.</p><p> Of course in Louisiana, we do have hurricanes that cut the power off for days. It is hard to write by candlelight even if you have a power backup on the computer--which will only last a few hours. My admiration goes to people in the distant past that wrote whole tomes using candles and quills or dip pens. I did write my first book by hand and then typed it on a Brothers Electric Typewriter. Let me tell you, using a computer is way easier once you get the hang of it.</p><p> Then, there are other summer interruptions--vacations, two this year, one to a family reunion at Dollywood (which is lovely-you go Dolly Parton) and another to Hawaii. Maybe more on that later, but they do take chunks out of your writing time and interrupt your writing rhythm which for me is get on the computer in the early afternoon and keep butt in chair until I have written a thousand words or must go to make dinner, which ever comes first. Hard to get that back after lazing around in paradise for a while.</p><p> Hopefully, the heat and drought will break. Social life will pick up again in September, and I will feel motivated to write.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-3256780156004192262023-06-27T12:27:00.000-07:002023-06-27T12:27:34.235-07:00Selling books in a Freezer<p> It's been a while since I paid any attention to this blog which I am fairly sure few people read. I did have a busy spring with author events of various kinds nearly every other weekend while doing edits on number eight of the Longleigh Chronicles, <i>The Earl's Ugly Mistress, </i>to be out in July. Galley has been proofed so we are on schedule.</p><p>Now where did I leave off? Oh, yes, I was about to tackle selling books at a library event. I've said before no one sells much inside a library. People browse, take the freebies which I have given up providing, and maybe a book card and say they will read the library copy--and never leave a review. So, mostly I smooze with them and other authors that I see at so many of these events we've become friends. Knowing this and going mostly to see friends, I signed up for an author's row at a library where I've gone before knowing it would be very chilly inside and no food would be available.</p><p>Prepared, I wore long sleeves and packed a lunch and snacks as we had to be there from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon. I'd asked to be seated near two of my author friends to have someone to talk to during the long lulls when everyone avoids your table. Eight of us were placed in a small meeting room off a long hallway. Others were in the center of the library and some out in the hall. Since every year sprouts more new authors, mostly self-published inspirational books or books about their moms or family, I can tell you those others were lucky. </p><p>Our small room was the temperature of a meat locker which often happens when the thermostat is set to cool a large area. My author friends who had not brought a sweater took periodic breaks outside to warm up and later went to a nearby McDonald's to bring back a lunch. I said I'd watch their tables. No worries as not one person took a look at our wares all morning due to something I'd never encountered before in all my years of doing these things.</p><p>One of the authors in our room had proudly published a textbook on teaching phonics--and asked her church group to come and support her effort. One by one a dozen elderly women wandered in and found a chair. The library staff had to bring in more seats and lined them up in a long row.. Her support group then sat down and placed a copy of the book in their laps and sat there for close to three hours, not even talking. The author took single pictures of each one right in front of the door to the room. Who wants to enter when they might mess up someone's photo? Other people peeked in and probably thought a meeting was in progress.</p><p>On a bathroom and warmup break, I did ask one lady why they were there. To support our author friend, she said. I had to admire their stamina. Elderly as they were, they could have caught pneumonia in there. I told her as nicely as I could that usually support meant buying a book, talking to the author for a short time, and moving on. No need to sit there all day. She didn't take my advice but between noon and one, they began to get hungry and left--only to be replaced by more supporters in the afternoon. No one sold anything except the phonics lady who had clogged the room with her friends.</p><p>A half hour before closing, the aunt of one of my friends arrived and bought one of her books and another from the friend sitting next to her. Only half joking, I said, "Why not one of mine?" The reply, "Oh, I promised the woman across from you I'd buy her T-shirt, and I only have ten dollars left for that." And she ran away. I am not usually so needy as I know how it goes. What amazed me was she came back clutching twelve dollars in cash damp with sweat from being outdoors and did buy one of my books. She explained she'd had to go to an ATM for more cash, bless her heart. </p><p>After my one sale, I figured that was it. Time to pack up, but as I was doing that. another woman entered the room and hastily went down the line buying one book from each author in the meat locker, but not the phonics lady. Her arms were filled with books. I gave her a nice canvas bag to hold them all as I have many of these from conferences and and it is a good way to repurpose them. She was grateful but scurried off. I still don't know her motivation as she barely looked at the titles, but hey, a sale is a sale. Having made my usual quota of two sales at these library events, I finished packing, loaded up, and didn't turn on the A/C in the car, though it was a hot day, until I thawed out. </p><p>What I really got out of this event was a good story to tell.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-5768729955517751832023-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:002023-04-11T13:02:04.310-07:00Caterpillars in my Hair-or the Joys of Selling Books Outdoors<p> I see I skipped my blog for March, and no wonder. In the space of four weeks, I had three authors events to prepare for and attend with two more to come, and of course, Easter to celebrate in there somewhere. Two of the events were arts and crafts fairs and one a literary festival, all outdoors. Two I had done before and knew the layout, how far tables and chairs, and boxes of books had to be lugged from parking, when I could set up and when I could leave. The third was a new arts and crafts fair held at a historic home with a huge oak grove. Spaces were marked out but not assigned and the earliest we could get in was seven-thirty for a ten o'clock start. The places was about a ten mile drive from home. We arrived at eight-thirty to find many of the spaces gone but still got a good enough place along the walkway between the parking lot and the house. Best of all, we could park at our space making setup so much easier, especially for my husband who has to do all the hauling of the heavy stuff and put up a tent advertised at being easy to do--but isn't. For one, I am not tall enough to raise the tent to its proper level and the other, just not good at tent pitching. Usually, I sit in the chair we've brought along and listen to him cuss as he gets the canopy up. You can, of course, skip a tent, but I learned my lesson the first time it rained and I had to hustle all my paperback books into boxes and beg the person in the adjoining tent for temporary shelter. Just an aside, also pack your books in plastic boxes that keep the weather out.</p><p> I had my thirty-five books set up in their vertical racks and some art work on a trellis ready to go by opening. Let me tell you, ten to three is a looong day when you are alone behind those tables. My husband usually goes home after the setup and returns a half hour before closing. Sometimes, he'll show up to give me a lunch break and chance to walk around and use the bathroom without my having to ask the neighbors to watch my stuff. I always pack a lunch as I don't really have time to stand in line for food and often there is no food at all. In this case, there was also a gumbo cookoff and the vendors were given a free ticket to get a cup. It went well with my sandwich and apple and Coke Zero. Lots of other food booths sold soul food, barbecue, and boiled crawfish, but that can get messy around books. I used to give out cookies until I learned that small children will take a chocolate chip, then smear it all over any books that that attract them. No more cookies and chocolate freebies in my booth, just book cards anyone can take. The kids like the ones with the fireman and the football kicker on the cover. Oh, and always bring a rag to wipe down any besmirched books.</p><p> I also strive to find a place with some shade. Here in Louisiana, you can take a tan or a sunburn even under a tent. In March which I consider arts and crafts season, the temperatures can go up to eighty by three o'clock. I'd got a space under a tall water oak and was quite content until I found a caterpillar in my hair. I was under a tarp and couldn't image how it got there. But over time, I plucked two more from my head. They were small striped ones, not the black stinging variety that I sometimes encountered at another fair, and thank heaven for that! I am not squeamish or vindictive, and so plucked them from my hair gently and put them on the ground where they met other little friends and had a party on my book boxes which were well sealed. I gave up trying to relocate them as they appeared to just return. I ended up amusing myself during the slow hours by watching them tangle and repel down the sides of the boxes only to climb up again. Cheap fun.</p><p> As I said, it was a new event and the crowd was light. It did earn back the forty dollar fee for the space and forty more in sales. People who preferred e-books picked up my cards to check them out on Amazon which might mean future sales. I always try to get a browser to take a card with all my titles on the back and a blurb for my newest at the top. Since I provide bags recycled from other places like the WW II Museum, Graceland, and our local pie restaurant which are greatly appreciated and cost me nothing, I always put my latest book cards in there with their purchases. You just never know if that will result in another sale. Anyhow, I did okay other than insulting a person who wanted me to come down on a price for a painting of a magnolia in a gold frame marked $50. I had to remind her this was original art and the frame cost thirty dollars, not a garage sale. She huffed off, but sorry, twenty dollars didn't even cover the cost of the canvas and paint. </p><p> Around two, disappointed vendors started leaving. Most had Easter crafts or were selling soaps and witty plaques. There hadn't been many buyers. I think the folks who put it on did their best, but I don't know if they will do it again next year. It was worth it for me. I'd go another time, but check the space for caterpillars first.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-81696920921512348972023-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:002023-02-28T09:19:17.035-08:00Saying Goodbye to a Series<p> With the greatest of regrets, I am ending my long running Sinners sport romances after fifteen years with characters I've come to love. This isn't the first time I've ended a series. Some were only intended for three books like my Mardi Gras books which are still popular. I've had requests for more of these, but ended them long ago and have no really good ideas for more.<i> Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball, Mardi Gras</i> <i>Madness</i>, and<i> Courir de Mardi Gra</i>s have aged well.</p><p> In another series dilemma a while back, I'd written four books, but the last was turned down by my primary publisher because they didn't want my ghost character to have committed a gentle suicide which is why she was condemned to haunt her family home forever. Without this plot device, the book wouldn't work. After the rejection, I took it to my secondary publisher who was glad to put it into print, but both contracts had clauses that claimed rights to further books in the series. Not wanting to get into legal issues, I retired that series even though I'd planned two more titles.</p><p> Which brings me back to the Sinners. I got my first break in publishing with the first title, <i>Goals for a</i> <i>Sinner</i>, a short, light football romance and the sixth book I'd written. Very taken with the quarterback secondary character, I wrote another book about him and his womanizing ways in <i>Wish for A Sinner.. </i>Since then, not a year has gone by without a new Sinners book. This was my bread and butter series which always sold no matter what else I published. People discovered one of the titles and went on to read all of them.</p><p> But last year, 2022, my sales tanked. Royalties dropped to one-hundred dollars for the entire year even with a new title being released. Getting reviews has become impossible with all the Amazon restrictions. I know one person who wanted to post a review but was told she had to spend fifty dollars with them before she could post. She hasn't tired since. Of course, there is always the possibility that no one is reading the books or don't like them so they won't review them to spare my feelings. Some of this might be due to the TikTok scam where people bought books and returned them in seven days thus robbing authors of royalties for their work and not hurting Amazon one bit, but I have no sure way of knowing that.</p><p> So, I am crafting<i> The Last of the Sinners </i>to bring my characters to an end. It's like losing old friends. In my mind, they live on, winning games, finding love, having children. If anyone wants to know what they are doing after the final chapter, I could tell them.</p><p> I will still be writing my Longleigh Chronicles, a Regency series with ten children to marry off. Three more to go in these<i>.</i> With all the research required, they will keep me busy for some time. Expect<i> The Earl's Ugly Mistress</i> to be out next year. But I will still be missing my Sinners.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-1032614281871172032022-12-17T13:43:00.000-08:002022-12-17T13:43:09.538-08:00Christmas, writing, and other disasters<p> As I said last year, publishers close down in December, one of mine for a month, the other for two weeks. I have a new book coming out at the end of January, <i>Edie's Sinner,</i>, so not much to do between now and then. I am grateful that the new Sinners book will not be out until January 30th as it will be safe from the TicToc scam that robbed me of nearly all of my royalties for 2022. Really, I should spend months creating a new book for some TicTocer to read while sipping a Starbucks coffee that costs more than my e-books, only to have them send it back in the seven day period for a refund that cancels my modest royalty. Evidently, they hated my Sinners series so much they read and returned them all, and I got not a cent. In the spirit of Christmas, I am trying to forgive them for being so naive they thought they were harming Amazon.instead of thousands of authors who only get a $1.68 a book from each book read. I doubt Amazon and big name authors noticed while those with a small following were crushed. On to other disasters.</p><p> With planning for a family visit, getting all the decorations up, and gifts purchased, I had scant time to write, which happens every year, but I did get an unexpected incentive from an unwelcome incident, a tornado strike a block from my house. As I removed cookies from the oven, the TV weatherman said, "A tornado is headed for downtown New Iberia"--and then the lights went out. Downtown is two miles away and full of historic houses, the museum and library, the courthouses, and many small local businesses. I said a little prayer for them and got out my storm radio, candles, flashlights, etc. that we keep on hand for hurricanes. I did not hear the train a comin' at the end of street where three houses were severely damaged after the tornado finished blowing out the windows of the hospital across the bayou and moved on to destroy a dentist's office and a Dollar Store across the street. I did not know what had happened until my husband, who was out running errands, called and said he could not get home because the main street was blocked off by emergency vehicles and police. I'd heard the sirens but they seemed to be moving away from our area. Eventually, the police turned the massive traffic jam around. He got home a half hour later from a one mile trip to the grocery for milk by going miles out of the way.</p><p> The power returned at four p.m. after being out about five hours in time for a hot dinner. However, though the phones worked, both land line and cell, television and computer service did not--for two days. I could fire up my desktop and write all day, but not much else. At least, friends and family who saw the destruction on the news were able to get in touch to ease their worries. Some messages came from as far away as Pennsylvania, my native state. It was comforting that so many thought about us. So, I did write, missed the finale of Ghosts, but watched Broken Wood and Brother Cadfael DVDs, and counted my blessings that our house still stood strong and undamaged, only some sugar cane debris from a nearby field dotting our yard. Very sorry for our neighbors who will be months or years rebuilding.</p><p> Leaving the neighborhood was difficult as the exit street remained closed with a police car blocking the road at either end. I managed to get out by skirting the road and cutting across the convenience story parking lot to reach my water exercise class the long way around, but on coming home wet and ready for a hot shower, was stopped by the cops and asked for ID to enter the neighborhood. I rarely take my license to the pool, was sure I had it on my phone, only found my Covid ID card, no good as it had no address on it, was pawing in the glove compartment for my car registration all the while saying, "I live right there just behind you." Finally, the officer got tired of waiting, and told me to just go home. I guess I didn't look like looter or lookie-loo. Next day, same routine going in and out as the power company set the utility poles upright again with massive machines, but I kept my license out on the dashboard. Absolutely grateful they were looking out for the neighborhood and aiding in getting those poles back up, but what a hassle.</p><p> And so I come to the end of my disasters to wish all of us free of hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, and forest fires in the New Year and gain readers that appreciate a good book enough to pay for it.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-37272328937725384342022-10-31T12:40:00.001-07:002022-10-31T12:40:56.886-07:00Up Close, Personal, and More Profitable As I have watched my online royalties slip from $100 a quarter to $10 with no sales showing for my most popular series due to the Tiktok scammers who read a book, then return it, cheating the author of any royalty (I mean would they put in four or more months of work and then be okay with not being paid),I am trying to be grateful for the return of book fairs and other events that let me sell my books in person. Selling my titles that I get wholesale at a modest increase, I can make two or three dollars a book versus the one dollar in royalties I earn online. My softcovers are often cheaper than at online publishers, so nice for both seller and buyer. The words I love to hear most as I sit in my tent hawking my wares is "I bought one from you last year and loved it. Which should I read next?" You never get that kind of feedback from online sales.<div> Not that everyone who browses buys. Some are just looking for freebies or jot down a title to order as a cheaper e-book. I save them the trouble by giving out a book card with all the ordering information and a synopsis on the back plus a listing of my other titles. I even keep a short stack of the three of my books that are available on audio for those who say they only listen to books and don't read. As for free stuff, my books cost me ten to twelve dollars and I sell them for fifteen. I can't afford giveaways. Long ago, I stopped giving swag. At one time, I had posters of hunky guys and foam footballs that I gave out. I doubt they ever resulted in a sale, but they did cost money, a dollar for foam footballs and seven for a poster. Now, I only give them out with sales as I found a small amount of both when I was doing inventory of my books in storage.</div><div> I offered a foam football to anyone buying my sports romances, The Sinners series. One woman with two sons pondered<i> Heart of a Sinner</i> for some time, reading the back blurb, paging through it, while her sons begged for a football. I told her I'd give her two with a sale. Instead she snapped at her sons, "Why don't you pay for the book then," and stalked off. I image she went home and used the Tictok scam to get it for free. On the other hand, others were tickled to get a sexy guy poster with a sale.</div><div> Some non-sales are still interesting. One asked me if I had any books in French. Nope. I can make myself understood in Spanish and German, but am far from fluent. I suggested she try the book store in town. Turned out she was the teacher for the French immersion students in town and had come here from Paris. We had a pleasant conversation about travels in Europe which I have done during a lull in business.</div><div> At one point, a lovely swallowtail butterfly came to visit my tent and drew a lot of attention. While that butterfly didn't sell any books, one person bought a mini-painting of a monarch and another purchased a floral painting that she said reminded her of her mother's garden. Yes, I do paint but am a much better writer. Still, a sale is a sale.</div><div> A lot of writers are introverts who hate meeting the public. Not me. I am energized by meeting fans and future fans and even total strangers in person. I enjoy public speaking and have several topics I can speak about. A book club whether large or small, I will attend if I don't have to drive too far. My mother used to say I had the gift of gab, now shut up. And so I shall.</div>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-17114599283159771882022-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:002022-08-27T14:00:09.251-07:00A Place to Write<p> I admit I admire authors who can sit down in a Starbuck's, slurp coffee, and work on their latest novel. Also those who blithely settle a laptop on their food tray in a crowded airplane and create away. While I may be forming new chapters behind my closed eyes while flying, I find it difficult to write outside my chosen space---once my daughter's bedroom, now called the computer room though it still has a bed in it. There sits my old desktop computer with the keys that still make sound when hit reminiscent of the days when I typed on an Olivetti portable typewriter, but not nearly as loud. I have a well-worn office chair comfortable enough for napping and adjusted to my height. The desk the screen sits on has enough space for my ever-present cup of hot tea, a printer, and a stack of notes to myself at my left hand because I am left-handed. Its file drawer is overstuffed with the real paper folders I keep on each book for quick reference including a list of characters and copies of my contracts. I also have the contracts on the hard drive, but you can't be too careful with legal stuff. Yeah, I am kind of old-fashioned. I don't trust the cloud. Where is it? What is it? </p><p> I also like peace and quiet when I write. I don't listen to music because it distracts me. I have to hum along or even sing if I like the song which is not conducive to getting words down on a page. I might leave a TV on in another room for white noise, and if any big event takes place I will be alerted by the blast of sound saying Breaking News or Tornado Warning! Sadly, this is why I saw the events of January Sixth and am aware of every school shooting. After watching those, going back to writing seems trivial, but ultimately, I need to escape into my books and craft a story that will give readers some relief from the real world. A fan recently told me that when they are down, they pick up one of my titles and always feel better at the end. A happy ending is guaranteed with every title. I was also touched when I checked my blog stats that someone in Ukraine was reading my post. I try to make them useful and amusing, but bless their heart that in an unjustly war-torn country they can give me even a few minutes of their time.</p><p> Recently, we had some renovations done on our forty-year-old house. Every shot of the nail gun make me jump even though I'd closed the door and tried to immerse myself in writing. Can't be done. So, there is always Facebook in cases like this. I also lose lots of time to travel which I love to do. When I am on vacation I vacate my writing and simply enjoy that jet boat ride down the Snake River or the depths of Mammoth Cave. The guilt comes later when I get home and am way behind my self-imposed writing schedule.</p><p> Then there is the struggle of sharing my favorite space with my husband who has a very nice laptop but prefers the comfy chair and the desktop, too. No problem before he retired. I used it all day, and he got it all night because I wind down around three-thirty, watch Jeopardy, and make dinner. After that, I stay off the computer. I find it makes for a better night's sleep to pack it away, watch TV, read someone else's books, or do crossword puzzles. Fortunately, my husband is an astronomer who loves to use the computer far into the night if he isn't outside observing a transit of Venus or a flyover of the space station. Still, even though he occasionally bumps me off for a zoom meeting with his planetarium friends, we still manage to get along, though I will get aggressive if I feel the need to write while he is facebooking.</p><p> Did I mention I did not start writing until my children were grown and gone to college? Try sharing your writing space with a teen, but now they would mostly be obsessed by their phones so not a problem. As for writing with small children around. Just forget about it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-19436788696151807072022-07-08T13:06:00.000-07:002022-07-08T13:06:45.663-07:00Before you return a Book, Think<p> The latest thing in the cult of free is to take advantage of Amazon's seven day return policy on books. Ha, ha! You paid $5.99 for an e-book, devoured it in two days and returned it for a refund. Do you think Amazon cares? They are a huge, rich organization and would hardly notice or care. Who does? The author, who would have earned $1.68 in royalties on a work that took months of research and writing, then editing and doing all the little details needed to get that book out from cover selection to the blurb on the back, does. That is a year's worth of effort blown off by a person who could surely afford the $5.99 or they would be using the library to get books. Even a library app pays the author ten cents for each usage, not much, but something.</p><p>Of course, these are the same people who take advantage of the page reads, paying less than a penny a page. They read all but a few pages, get the deep discount, and a royalty for that book goes from 84 cents to 48 cents. I've asked for my books to be taken out of this program, because, well, it cheats authors many of whom have to earn at least $25 in royalties just to get a quarterly check. If not, the tiny earnings are held until the end of the year, not worth the paper four checks would be printed on and mailed. These are the majority of authors. I am sure Nora Roberts doesn't feel the pinch or any of the other big names in writing. When you sell millions of copies and probably get a big advance before the books comes out, who cares about a little cheating on behalf of the reader.</p><p>Generally, I make the $25 cut, but when I see that one of my books was been returned, no idea why but I am just guessing-getting it for free, I do notice the hole punched in my royalty statement--and yes, returns are reported. It is possible to end up in the hole. On my best year, I was able to afford a new French door refrigerator by saving up all my royalties. Another year I paid my half of a trip to Alaska. I sometimes refer for this account as my travel money. Both re lovely things, but I certainly am not making a living at writing. </p><p>I write because I enjoy it and hope my readers do, too. If borrowed from a library or scammed from Amazon, even a review would be appreciated in lieu of payment, assuming the reader did not hate the book, but we never know the why of it. Consider, do you give a panhandler begging outside Walmart and holding up a barely legible sign a dollar out of pity. I guarantee some of these folks take home more in a day than I do writing. So, have some compassion for writers, too. Pay for the damn book and put $1.68 in our pocket.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-56866649914319733692022-05-31T13:02:00.000-07:002022-05-31T13:02:07.694-07:00The Cost of Everything<p> The cost of everything is going up. Same goes for books with paper being more expensive. I find I now have to ask $23 for a book I previously sold for $19. Most of my $15 books now go for $19 or $20 as I have to reorder new copies to place in bookstores and sell at events. Higher costs are not helping my sales as people are always reluctant to try a new author for a higher amount. I do offer some of the oldest for $12, ordered in quantity back when I thought I'd need 100 copies of every book to sell. Ha! But these these still sell at book fairs. When I must reorder, they too will go up price or I will earn nothing selling them. </p><p> Another blow to the indie and small press authors such as myself is the drying up of events to offer their books to the public. I mentioned before the entire cessation of events during Covid, but few are coming back yet. Libraries were holding mass authors' rows to accommodate all who wanted book signings. During Coivd, more people than ever got around to writing that first book. The demand for outlets is still there, but few exist. So far, none of the libraries in our area who did this have restored the events. Books don't sell well in libraries where people expect to get them for free in-house or online from Hoopla and Overdrive. I know I sell books in this way from the modest royalty I get from each read. Mostly, I go to these in events just to get my name out there and hope they do use one of these services or buy from Amazon later.</p><p> The greatest blow came recently from our own state library association who usually sponsors an authors' row at their annual conference in the exhibits. A table and chair is provided, and because of the demand for space, each author gets two hours to peddle their wares. Again, not much is sold there, but you do have a chance to give out information on your books to librarians. Still a member of our association, I often visit with librarian friends and even some of the sales persons. The conference is back after two years, and I was looking forward to it, even willing buy the high-priced gas to get there, only to discover that indie and small press authors must now pay $200 for a booth around the rim of the exhibits. I suspect new people are in charge of the conference, but really, are they delusional that 99% of us can afford that much in order to sell two or three books after traveling a long distance? Maybe if four authors can cram into a booth, it could be done, but personally, I will rarely spend more than $50 for a space anywhere. Just can't afford it and the results are usually poor. Might as well pay Amazon more for sponsored advertising.</p><p> I will be at the Hot NOLA Summer Author Event in Harahan, LA on July 30th at the VFW Hall. No need to fight New Orleans traffic to be there. Sixty authors are attending, and to keep expenses down, I will share a table with an author friend. It runs from noon to five. Food will be available. Gift baskets will be raffled and along with mystery boxes sold. Sounds like fun and affordable. I do hope my three hour drive to get there will be worth the effort. The writers of NOLA are putting a lot of effort into this event. I hope it goes well for all of us. Hope to see some of you there.</p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-6456206208781081002022-04-28T13:27:00.001-07:002022-04-28T13:27:44.457-07:00If I Could Help, I Would, but...<p> As I noted last month, opportunities to sell my books by hand are gradually returning. I've done several arts and crafts fairs, a literary festival, and an art walk that also required me to schlepp some of my paintings along to show--but I really wanted to sell books. I always meet interesting people, just wish more would buy a book and not ask me for advice on getting published. I write mostly romance, historicals, and some main stream with romantic leanings. My output seems impressive, three racks of books holding thirty-two titles. But as I have to explain, I am not prolific. I've been writing for eighteen years. That comes to about two books a year.. Being e-published means they never go out of print, that's all, unless the small press closes.</p><p> I have no idea why would-be children's authors approach me. That's a whole different world from mine, but as a former librarian, I can say they need great illustrations and an original story that will appeal to children. My press doesn't do this kind of work nor do most e-presses. Getting on with a major publisher is a long hard road full of rejections. Then, I refer them to others who have self-published this kind of material, which is what they usually end up doing. Along the way, they discover it ain't cheap to get a full color picture book printed..</p><p> Memoirs and/or ghost writing memoirs is another thing I have no experience in doing. Lots of people want to write about their wonderful mothers, and I can applaud that even though mine wasn't. Unless their mother is the love child of Elvis, big presses aren't going to be interested. Although once I was approached about getting a family story out and after telling them how hard that would be, they finally revealed their uncle was a major mobster. Well then, pitch that to an agent and off you go. Saddest of all an elderly woman wanted me to write her story of being in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. I encouraged her to record her story and put it into good hands like the Holocaust Museum. I had no skills in that area, but do hope she did as I suggested.</p><p> Then there was the eighty-two-year old woman who hobbled up to my booth and asked me to write an expose true crime story about her neighbors who were upsetting her life by running a drug operation that might be undercover next door. I had to tell her I thought that would be both dangerous and possibly illegal, something the police should handle, but she said they won't listen to her. As I pointed out, I only write fiction, and sorry to say, suggested she ask a judge who was at the festival for advice. Passing the buck.</p><p> A friend asked that I give some advice to a relative who had a book she wanted to publish, and could she contact me. Oh, sure. Turned out to be erotica, which does have a market, but again, not my style. I informed her that my publisher did have an erotica department that might be interested, and learned she'd already self-published with Amazon and had a better PR campaign going than I did. Nice talking to her, however.</p><p> I've had to tell numerous people I don't read or edit manuscripts and certainly wouldn't do the last for free which is very time consuming. I suggest they hire a real editor and do what they say. Do they? Nope. Most just go ahead and self-publish some very bad books. Frankly, people don't take advice well, but still they ask a person who is no help at all.</p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-31813712043308867772022-03-31T13:07:00.000-07:002022-03-31T13:07:22.221-07:00On the Road Again<p> With some trepidation, I boarded an airplane for the first time in three years. Masks required in the airport and on the planes where I swear the seats and aisles were even narrower than before--or maybe I gained weight during Covid. My destination was lovely Savannah for a mother/daughter trip. Once landed, I saw few wore masks which made me glad I'd been vaccinated and boosted as the city was crowded with traffic and tourists.</p><p> Now, when I travel I always carry with me a selection of book cards, postcard-sized with my book covers on one side and a blurb, a listing of all my titles, and contact information on the back. I give these out at every opportunity. Before I got off the plane, I'd handed one to my seatmate who had an actual book in her hands. Generally, I ask what a person is reading, explaining that I am interested because I am a retired librarian. Gradually, I work my own books into the conversation and try to pick out a card the reader might be interested in. Not everyone wants a sexy guy card, so I also carry pretty covers for others. Occasionally, I am rebuffed, and if so, simply go back to reading my own book. </p><p> By the time my daughter picked me up, the day had turned rainy. We decided to get a hot cup of tea and shortbread cookies at the Tea Room. We took our time, talked to the very knowledgeable server, and stayed an hour and a half because no one else was in the place, though seeing us having such a good time, customers did start showing up, getting tea to go. The conversation turned to reading, and as it turned out, our server loved romance novels. Needless to say, I gave her a card, too. </p><p> Next stop, the indie bookstore just around the corner as it was still raining and not great for strolling on brick sidewalks. At Shaver's, two fluffy cats greeted us or at least deemed to accept a pet. We read the witty cards to each other and browsed the many small rooms. I did purchase one of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels and could absolutely envision my new Regency series shelved near them. As I checked out, I left another card for the manager in case she might want to consider adding my books to her inventory. Back home, I did follow up with an email and got a most gracious no due to limited shelf space which was kind of her. But, she had checked my web site and told me about a literary festival I might want to attend next year. Probably too far to travel and too expensive, but I'll consider it.</p><p> That evening with the rain still coming down, we met up with the rest of our mother/daughter group. Other than going out for dinner rather late, we stayed in and played UNO. I offered one of my books that I'd brought along as an UNO prize. I won the first hand, my daughter the second, until we finally got a winner on the third round. I personalized the book for the winner and gave out cards to the rest.</p><p> Next day, more rain. We got tickets on an on-and-off bus to get around, toured the cathedral and had lattes at a little coffee shop across the street before hopping on the tram again to get to the waterfront for shopping and a late lunch of shrimp dishes. Still raining,. my daughter was sheltering me with a little, folding umbrella. Out of the blue or rather gray sky, a man with a much larger umbrella offered to trade with her. He said he had plenty as his company gave them out. We took his offer. </p><p> Despite the weather, we were not deterred from going on our Ghost Tour that evening. The rain added to the ghostly atmosphere, dripping from the Spanish moss and slicking the gravestones in the cemetery. We weren't required to get down, but did have a rest stop at a bar and were allowed to bring drinks aboard. I heard a few tales I could work into plots if I ever do another ghost story other than<i> The Courville Rose. </i>The guide loved to read. I left a card for her along with a tip for a fun experience.</p><p> The sun returned on our last day. All wanted to go to the beach. I am not fond of hot sand, murky water, and sunburn. I elected to stay in the beach pavilion where I had food, water, a bathroom, and plenty of people to talk to--about books. Also amusing, the pigeons and grackles courted and stole food from the unsuspecting. A fisherman pulled a three-foot shark from the water near my friends. We rejoined to go to a great pizza dive for dinner, then a cocktail-making class at the Prohibition Museum, fun and interesting though I don't drink much. By the time, I boarded the plane to return, I'd nearly run out of book cards.</p><p> Some people are tickled to meet a real author. Others might just be polite enough to accept a card and throw them out first chance, but some will use them as bookmarks. No telling if I will get any sales out of this. But I would say don't leave home without yours.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-64662190899530160352022-03-01T10:11:00.000-08:002022-03-01T10:11:58.123-08:00Where have all the Copy Editors gone?<p> If you are a published author, you already know what a line or copy editor is. They work in the third phase of getting a book published. By the time a book reaches this vital person, it has been gone over with the proverbial fine tooth comb by the editor and the author to create the cleanest, most cohesive copy possible. The line editor then goes over it one more time to flush out any remaining grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors that remain. They might also check for accuracy and consistency. Every word must be read and considered. While I pride myself on submitting clean manuscripts, I have been saved a time or two by a sharp line editor, one who caught my misspelling of a pin worn on clothes as a broach when it should have been brooch.</p><p> Usually, these people work without making comments, but once I received a remark through my regular editor that the copy editor said she'd never had a manuscript with fewer errors. Quite the compliment. However, I recently got a suggestion for a person whom I think aspired to be a regular editor suggesting a change in plot. Nope, not at this point in the publishing process. The next step is sending a galley or final proof of the book for the author to approve. I usually still find a few errors, but things a reader would most likely miss. In general, I don't notice any subtle changes a line editor might have made which is as it should be.</p><p> I have no idea if copy editors enjoy reading books on the cusp of being published. They would certainly have a first look at a variety of genres. No idea either if they get to choose the types they want to read, but I doubt they do. This job could be fun for a person who loves to read and pick over grammar and spelling errors. Now, I imagine big New York publishing houses have a whole slew of copy editors tolling away for a decent salary with benefits. Not so in small press e-publishing. I only recently learned when I got a little testy about a line editor holding up my book for six weeks (which delays publication) that these folks are not paid. They get a tiny percentage of the sale price of the books sold. I receive a thirty to thirty-five percent royalty, and believe me, that can be way less than a dollar per book depending on its price. Also, the copy editors, like the authors, are paid only quarterly. Surprise! You earned very little for your hard work. Most might do this in their spare time for a little extra cash. With so many books being written during the Covid seclusion, a big backlog exists in every point of publishing, but we cannot move forward without the vital work of the copy editor.</p><p> If not totally discouraged by now, I know Wings ePress is looking for copy editors. Contact Jeanne Howard (executive-editor@wingsepress.com). A Google search would reveal plenty of these jobs is my guess. I did contact a friend who delights in correcting people's grammar (former English teacher), but she gave me a firm no. She only likes to do it orally. I can only say if you find any errors in this blog, I did not have a copy editor to go over it.<br /></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-63510254963327982962022-01-14T08:58:00.000-08:002022-01-14T08:58:39.017-08:00How to Devastate an Author<p> Try posting a one star review on Amazon within days of a new release. Don't reveal your name or post a review as to why you feel this book is absolute trash. But both you and the author know this lone star will influence other readers not to buy the book. Sure, that hurts economically, but more so it means few if any people will read the story that took months of research and more months to write. That one star also endangers the entire series that went before and might come after. In this case, I am speaking of <i>Lion in</i> <i>the Heather</i>, the latest of the Longleigh Chronicles, which is supposed to be a funny romp of a Regency novel. Granted, some take their Regencies very seriously, and this will not be to their taste. I understand that, especially if they post a review saying so. Also, sometimes, an author can glean some insight for their next book and perhaps avoid a pitfall. A one star review with no commentary is only meant to hurt.</p><p> I've been writing for sixteen years and know by now one must grow a skin the thickness of a rhino to continue on. I vividly recall my first troll review on an early book, <i>The Convent Rose</i>. It dropped the day the book was released, hardly enough time to read it. The troll didn't even have the name of the characters right and purposely garbled the plot to make it sound inane. I contacted my editor. If there had been crying emojis back then, my message to her would have contained a dozen tearful faces. She told me to forget about it. I had fans who would like the book and correct the low ranking. She was right. Positive reviews came in slowly and the book ended up with an overall ranking of four stars, probably about right for this short, funny story.</p><p><span> Of course, there is the possibility a person meaning well thought a one star review was great. I had a person once admit to this, but she'd also written a glowing review saying how much she had like the book. At least, this made it clear to anyone reading it that she'd misunderstood the star system. Hey, folks, if you have done this accidently, it is possible to go back and change your ranking, especially on Goodreads. Just go to your review and click on Edit. I am not sure how this is done on Amazon as they rarely take down a review unless it can be proved to be malicious, but with no actual review submitted, it's just an opinion. If a mistake, they could balance that out with leaving five stars and no comment! </span><br /></p><p><span> One person remarked to my current woe that authors write mostly for themselves. Somewhat true. It certainly isn't for money as most books generate only around a dollar for a copy sold. The rest goes to Amazon and the publisher, so no getting rich unless you sell millions of copies. Big name authors can make big money. Many free copies are dispensed to get reviews, and their legions of fans will punch the five star button whether the book is great or not. Much as I like Nora Roberts, I do occasionally drop a four or a three star review. Some stories are just better than others. However, we do want people to love our books and say a few kind words, especially if the author is mid-list and doesn't get tons of reviews.</span></p><p><span> Personally, I have never given a one star review to any author though I have read some one star books. I am too aware of the time and effort and courage it takes to write a book and put it out there. Their sales will tell them their book is bad--and lots of other reviewers, but not me. I will not devastate others.</span></p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-11570741982269537222021-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:002021-11-30T10:53:20.110-08:00Covid and Publishing<p> The Covid epidemic has changed everything, including publishing. As I mentioned before, during the long seclusion, lots and lots of people wrote their first book, and those like me finally got around to penning one they'd been putting off for all kinds of excuses. By the time I send <i>The Aussie Sinner </i>off to my editor, I was told for the very first time that she wouldn't be able to look at it for several weeks. Her desk was flooded with new manuscripts to accept or reject, but all had to be read at least partially along with a synopsis. Since I write a long running series, The Sinners, my contracts are rather routine and come back fast. Not so this time. Once the wait for the contract ended, I found myself in another wait line for an editor. Same for a line editor and a cover.</p><p> In the big time, New York City publishers, a year's wait for a book to come out is common. In e-publishing, they move a bit faster, usually six months, sometime nine. For <i>Aussie Sinner</i>, submitted in the spring, it was nine. I submitted a new Longleigh Chronicle, <i>The Greatest Prize</i>, that same spring with a difference press. It appeared in December, longer than usual for them. Right now, <i>The Bad Boy Sinner</i> is in publishing limbo, editing finished long ago and cover done, but absolutely no release date given. The next of the Longleighs, <i>Lion in the Heather, is </i>vaguely slated for January. Meanwhile, I work on<i> Edie's</i> <i>Sinner. </i>A friend who submitted her new mystery was told it would not be out until 2023 sometime, so the situation has gotten even worse.</p><p> Inexperience shows as well. One line editor whose job it is make sure spelling and grammar are correct, took several weeks to work over one of my manuscripts which are usually low on errors and returned it with notes on scenes she'd like to see changed-ah, not her job. I'd just finished appeasing one editor's quirks and didn't need hers. Though my editors haven't changed lately, I suspect there are a lot of inexperienced ones taken on to deal with the glut. Another friend said the only editing she got was constant notes to check the publisher's handbook. While we often dream of how nice it would be not to have an editor, they really can make a book better, and she felt she hadn't been given that chance.</p><p> Because literary festivals and library events are returning, I soon found my most popular title, <i>Queen of</i> <i>the Mardi Gras Ball</i>, sold out. I've reordered this title twice already. The price to me inches up, but not enough to for me to raise the price to the buyer--yet. I'll wait until after the holidays to do this. Why add to the rush at Christmas. I won't really need them until spring. I do dread the new price because everything like meat and gas has gone up, but this time it will be the price of paper and ink and shipping. Usually, I sell my large format paperbacks for fifteen dollars. If forced to go up to twenty, I suspect my sales will drop off. The only other alternative is to sell for cost--and I am not going to sit outside in rain or sun to virtually give them away. While I do believe the price of food and fuel will come down, I suspect this change in pricing for books will be permanent. I can only wait and see.</p><p> Keep an eye out for <i>Lion in the Heather</i> in January. We'll see what it costs.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtapuhDB6kdShA4onWoIo6SjaU9-6IKf67zko5jQxc2vwJ1nn5EegvrWm-N_AtFZS_OjnnYRS_85vnhWIGyZbEZeorwJENhNsL6DF78KU-V-XcUZwc9JHk8pX0qfIiEGVDMRaTBcs9-qH_/s1000/LionInTheHeather-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtapuhDB6kdShA4onWoIo6SjaU9-6IKf67zko5jQxc2vwJ1nn5EegvrWm-N_AtFZS_OjnnYRS_85vnhWIGyZbEZeorwJENhNsL6DF78KU-V-XcUZwc9JHk8pX0qfIiEGVDMRaTBcs9-qH_/s320/LionInTheHeather-WEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-61494786512666027382021-10-26T10:16:00.000-07:002021-10-26T10:16:28.337-07:00The Dinosaur Wedding <p> I took another break from writing (been doing that a lot lately) to attend our son's unique dinosaur wedding in Minnesota. I've often said I love long road trips. We elected to drive from Louisiana to Minneapolis for the event, three solid days on the road through Dallas traffic, the bleak central landscapes of Oklahoma and Kansas, and the corn fields of Iowa. Travel differed a little from the pre-Covid years. We wore our masks at every rest stop, often ate outside because the places we stopped had drive-up only service, and discovered that our rooms were not made up every day to limit contact between guests and staff. Soap containers were wall mounted in the showers. I am sure both saved the hotels lots of money, too. Need TP? Make a trip to the desk to ask for more. And sadly, our favorite rest stop on the Iowa border no longer offered pie and coffee. We did find some fine little family restaurants, an Amish-themed rest stop, and one small dinosaur museum along the way to make up for that.</p><p> The wedding took place in a park on a terrace overlooking a beautiful lake. The Officiant arrived in full riding a dinosaur costume. Attendants carried bouquets of tropical leaves with small dinosaurs in the foliage and the centerpieces were planters of succulents and cactus creating a Jurassic landscape for more dinos. The bride made them all. After the bride and groom said their hand-written vows, they demonstrated their union by pouring two ingredients into a science project volcano, causing it to erupt. While pictures were being taken (did I mention the bride looked stunning in a long emerald green gown), the guests were treated to a show with live raptors, hawks and an owl.</p><p> We dined indoors with appropriately spaced tables seating family or friend groups and after eating enjoyed a fabulous cup cake buffet with four choices. I was sorry to limit myself to one, a chocolate and red velvet combo. While pre-recorded music played, guests enjoyed a variety of games from giant Jenga on which they were encouraged to write messages to the bridge and groom, Connect Four, and corn hole on the terrace which also had smore making station. Guests could have their photos take with a charging T-Rex, and several tried on one of the three dinosaur costumes and took to the dance floor. Truly, I haven't had such a great time in years.</p><p> Those invited were limited to fifty, sixty with the wedding party. Masks were available, and the couple called all who attended several days later to make sure no one had contracted Covid. None did in highly vaccinated Minnesota. We'd had our shots. Who would have thunk it? Vaccinations work.</p><p> Took me a week after to settle down and do more work on <i>Edie's Sinner</i>, the next Sinners book. Meanwhile, <i>The Bad Boy Sinner, </i>edits finally finished, joined the publication queue for a release sometime next year. <i>Lion in the Heather</i>, the next Longleigh chronicle is due out in January.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT5RmD1mc6jDIcGlEEh3JN8p29PE7FWKBefr-11qOoCYtJDY4DkuatLw02-4rxM9-83x-cgr0Mw_YONhOrZJw2SKlPvP2MHTGC7OjbJ7L75z5-InvJ1HUg4m6kj1EIdnWBrupMgBF_WDq/s2048/TheBadBoySinner_w16064_med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT5RmD1mc6jDIcGlEEh3JN8p29PE7FWKBefr-11qOoCYtJDY4DkuatLw02-4rxM9-83x-cgr0Mw_YONhOrZJw2SKlPvP2MHTGC7OjbJ7L75z5-InvJ1HUg4m6kj1EIdnWBrupMgBF_WDq/s320/TheBadBoySinner_w16064_med.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-56053634650954359642021-09-01T11:21:00.004-07:002021-09-01T11:21:42.121-07:00Hurricane Hiatus<p> Truly, I meant to write this blog the last week in August--and then along came Hurricane Ida. At first, the storm appeared to be headed right for our small southwestern Louisiana town, the setting for most of my books. Gradually, it moved eastward and placed us on the western edge. For those of you who don't know much about hurricanes, that's the best side to be on. Even better for us, the storm continued to veer to the east targeting New Orleans and Baton Rouge and the smaller towns of Houma and LaPlace. By then, we'd carried in all the porch furniture and potted plants (many). checked the battery supply, went out to get milk and canned goods we could heat on the grill, and boarded up the windows. Usually we fill a bathtub for a water supply just in case and keep a pail nearby to recharge the toilet Not our first rodeo by far, the night of Andrew still vivid in our memories from many year ago. </p><p> My husband took the car out to top off the tank in case we had to evacuate and found all the stations closed. So many people in pickup trucks loaded up numerous gas cans, they drained the pumps dry. Late in the afternoon, he found a convenience store off the beaten track and managed to fill up. Our area is still low on gas due to people fleeing from New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The motels are full as well and will be for some time. We were prepared and now had to sit and wait watching the round the clock storm coverage on all channels, sometimes the worst part of the ordeal, that wait.</p><p> Even though we were out of the danger zone, we did expect some high wind gusts and lots of rain, probably a power outage, too. We placed flashlights in most of the rooms. I decided to work on the new Sinners title, <i>Edie's Sinner,</i> as long as I could since I'd missed hours of work to storm prep. Having a battery backup for the computer with sixty minutes of time on it, I figured I'd have plenty of time to save and close down when the lights went out. After two-thousand words, my most productive day in a long time, I quit with the lights still burning bright and went to bed hoping Ida hadn't changed her mind again and was coming to get us. In the end, all we got was some wind and a few sprinkles, never lost power.</p><p> Oh, but to see the devastation on the TV in the morning. Little frame houses blown over, large trees down everywhere in a tangle of wires. one man crushed in his home, another killed by an alligator as he waded in deep storm water (only in LA). They do tell us to stay inside and out of the flooded areas. Some folks with nowhere to go sat in half-destroyed homes waiting for help. The Cajun Navy, private citizens with small boats went to the worst areas and evacuated people, some from attics because their homes had filled with water. Thank heaven, in New Orleans the levees held this time in the below sea level city. But, they did lose the tower that generated electricity for the whole area when it fell into the river. Days and weeks ahead of steamy weather and no AC or lights. Baton Rouge, not as bad, but still hit hard.</p><p> We are prompted to charge cell phones in advance, but that doesn't do much good if the cell phone towers go down. I keep a land line as well just for these occasions even though the junk calls drive me nuts. I have many writer friends in both cities. I'm beginning to hear from some in Baton Rouge as the power there comes up, but only one message from New Orleans that all was well with that person. I lost a couple of days of writing and a little more time hauling stuff outside again. They, no doubt, will lose weeks while cleaning up from the storm. It takes several years for cities to get back to normal. Lake Charles is still recovering from Laura last year, another one that missed our area. Hurricanes, no fun at all. Just hoping we don't attract four like last year.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-35875887924079476232021-07-24T13:18:00.000-07:002021-07-24T13:18:39.490-07:00Singing for your Supper<p> Actually, I can't sing a note, but I am a fearless public speaker. I've found if I offer to do a program at a library or writers' conference I will sell far more books than just passively sitting at a table to sign, trying as hard as I can to will people to stop at my booth. With this in mind, I offer two talks: Adventures in E-publishing and Writing the Historical Novel free to any place that will have me within reasonable driving distance. I've addressed crowded rooms at both libraries and conferences and sold many books afterwards because I've had a chance to connect with my audience, give them good information while also being entertaining. I used to throw foam footballs into the audience to publicize my sports romances, the Sinners series, but my arm isn't what it used to be. I also make myself available to local book clubs if they want to discuss one of my books, my favorite being<i> Queen of the</i> <i>Mardi Gras Ball</i>. I usually have Mardi Gras throws to give away--scooped up from the streets during parades.</p><p> Does this always pay off? No. But if you've agreed to come and sent out your press release to the local paper or library newsletter, you'd better show up. I was scheduled to address a book club after they had their regular meeting featuring another writer's book. The library had set out refreshments, but it was five before they ended. Every last book clubber went home to dinner. I was left with the three library employees assigned to close up the building once I was through. We ended up having a nice conversation and enjoyed the refreshments, but it was a long two hour drive back to my place with no sales. On the other hand, I once drove another two hours through terrible weather to a small town to speak to another club and expected no one to show. I entered a meeting room with an entire pot luck dinner set up and a lively group happy to have me. I swear everyone there purchased a book, one woman buying <i>A</i> <i>Trashy Affair </i>and<i> </i>claiming it had to be about her in-laws. I was also offered a room for the night if I didn't want to drive back in the same torrential downpour. Now that's a warm welcome.</p><p> Sometimes, the timing is just off like having anything scheduled near a meal time. At a writer's conference, the person preceding me on the stage ran overtime by a good twenty minutes. By the time I got up to the mic, the aroma of the luncheon was drifting through the room. After fifteen minutes, people starting taking their pre-meal restroom break. After another fifteen minutes, I was told, sorry, the caterers were ready to serve, truncating my talk by half a hour. Only good that came of it was receiving first place in the lunch line. Zero books sold as after lunch everyone went into small group sessions which lasted until four when awards were given out, no time for the many authors attending to sell their wares at all. I was given a nice gift basket for my very short effort and ate some of the goodies on yet another long drive home.</p><p> My smallest audience ever consisted of one person, a teenage girl who aspired to be a writer. Her parents sat in the rear of the near empty room talking quietly with each other. Instead of giving my talk, I just sat down one on one with the girl and let her ask me questions about publishing. When we finished, the embarrassed librarian who had asked me to come took our picture for the newsletter. I showed the girl how to stand up straight and smile into the camera no matter what the circumstances. Then, she left with her parents who did not buy a book, but the librarian purchased two, a pity sale, no doubt, though she claimed it wasn't. She had invited me because she loved my stories. Well, maybe, but that's all right. I do accept pity sales graciously.</p><p> So, you never know what you will get when you set out on the road, two dozen sales or none. Regardless, if you commit, you show up, give it your all, and smile for the newsletter picture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvNZaN21X5r-uQn3eHBaacjaYIqw3ajx5MIHR4h92JMpo52cYRHMj5zZxcx7d0U13ne_ZIxLSyGAbvccvAmTZoEPpinh9dgf7SJFvwGJTkGKfITh-f0iaIWA7x_c_DPNEccWXh9gcWEjw/s750/QueenOfTheMardiGrasBall_w9538_750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdvNZaN21X5r-uQn3eHBaacjaYIqw3ajx5MIHR4h92JMpo52cYRHMj5zZxcx7d0U13ne_ZIxLSyGAbvccvAmTZoEPpinh9dgf7SJFvwGJTkGKfITh-f0iaIWA7x_c_DPNEccWXh9gcWEjw/s320/QueenOfTheMardiGrasBall_w9538_750.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-12514064842477335472021-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:002021-06-25T13:31:23.974-07:00Exhibiting Indoors<p> Last month I dealt with having book sales and signings outdoor. Needless to say, indoors is easier as there will always be bathrooms handy and thank God, climate control. If the distance isn't too great, I usually go to these events if there is no charge for the space. Nearly always a table and chair is provided so less to haul. Still, have a light weight dolly to help transport heavy boxes of books. Some convention center are vast, and it is a long way to get to your place. </p><p> Libraries are always pleasant, but don't expect sales. Best I've ever done was three books. People come to libraries to check out books for free. I've had many tell me they'd read the library copy when it got on the shelf, not always a guarantee as the library is in no way obligated to buy your titles. If you donate copies, they may or may not reach the shelves. Truly, I've seen library patrons walk the long way around to avoid the authors parked in a hallway or meeting room. Library venues also expect the authors to stay most of the day, say from ten to three, right through the lunch hour. Some will provide a bottle of water. Others have really nice author's lounges set up with everything from pastries and yogurt to hot coffee and cold drinks. You might inquire about this and be prepared to take snacks or troll the tables where cookbook authors give out free samples. Truly, only children's books sell well in libraries, especially if the authors are stationed near the children's department. However, you do meet others authors and a few might buy your book. Mostly I give out postcards with the cover on the front, blurb on the back along with order and contract information.</p><p> Convention aren't the best places for selling either. I've done many library conventions and can tell you librarians want cheap or free books. They rarely buy but will take book cards and order later perhaps. Big name authors are situated in the middle of the fray, autographing and selling books at a deep discount provided by their NYC presses. Usually, the authors of small presses or the indie published are relegated to the outer edges of the venue where traffic is light. Because the event is indoors, this is the time to use those banners and any other attention getting gimmicks you might have. I once sat next to very nice lady, first time author, trying to sell a family memoir. She had wonderful vintage clothing on display, and many stopped to look at it. Sales, not so much, and she had piles of her single title on her table. I could feel her disappointment, but consoled her by saying many had picked up her bookmarks and might buy later. I don't bother with fancy displays much anymore--or cookies and candy giveaways. People swoop in, grab, and are on their way. One child with sticky fingers can do serious damage to your books. No, I have plenty of titles and the gift of gab, that's all.</p><p> A nice perk of doing conventions is the availability of great exhibitor's lounges with free coffee and drinks, sandwiches, snacks, fruit, etc. Conventions centers will also have snack bars and perhaps even hot dog carts and restaurants. You will not go hungry at these affairs. Again, not lots of sales, but fun meeting other authors. The time span might be very short, just an hour or two, to accommodate all who want to sign. Five minutes before your time ends, you will be reminded you must back up and leave in a hurry to let the next guy set up. This is another reason to have a simple setup. I can take mine down in a very short time. Setting up of course takes longer and eats into your time. Go simple.</p><p> Though your time might be short, usually you can find a place to stow your stuff and enjoy some of the other exhibits. I once had a long conversation to a writer of medieval mysteries that I just loved. I stopped to get a signed copy and as she had no one else in line, we got to talk for quite some time. Yes, even midlist authors appreciate some attention. Give it too them if you have the time to spare.</p><p> One last thought, if you can give a program or lecture, you will sell more books, but usually these slots are filled well in advance. Yet, do offer and have some talks prepared and a press kit ready to go. You never know when an opportunity will come your way.</p><p> </p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-61604759748405098132021-05-20T13:31:00.002-07:002021-05-20T14:22:42.862-07:00Outdoor Events--Be Prepared<p> As I said last month, slowly things are returning to normal which means outdoor book fairs are coming back. I've been at this for some time now, and at each event I find dozens of new authors who arrive unprepared. Indoor events usually provide a table and chair. Outdoor venues sell or designate a place on the sidewalk. All the schlepping is up to you. I boldly double park to unload if I can't get closer to my spot than a more distant lot. At the minimum, bring a table(s) and a chair or two and your boxes of books. Have a light-weight folding dolly. It's a challenge to haul books any distance.</p><p> And for heavens sake, check the weather report! If lucky, you might be stationed in a pavilion or a tent with shade and shelter for you and your books from foul weather, but not very often. My family gifted me with a basic blue tarp supposedly capable of being set up by one person---think a tall, mechanically-inclined person. I am not tall enough to push it up. Luckily, my husband is. He usually comes along to do just that. That small tent has saved me and my books more than once, but I admit, I would be wiped out in a bad storm--which did happen to me once, and I lost several books to the rain, couldn't get the wet tarp down and into the car without the kindness of strangers, etc. That disaster also taught me to pack all the merchandise into plastic boxes and not put out stacks of books, but just one copy each. As they sell, I replace them. Usually, they are displayed on book racks or book stands which all have to be lugged, but it is the most efficient method I've found.</p><p> As for decorations, how much more do you want to carry? Some use tablecloths which I only do if required (read all requirements carefully-some do ask for tablecloths). Others invest in large banners that have to be set up and don't fare well on a windy day. Flowers look nice but vases fall over. I only did this once for my Roses series, a lovely selection of yellow roses. Toward the end, I gave the roses away in order not to have to transport them home. This also tempted no one to buy a book, though the public is always looking for freebies. Never once has swag sold a book as far as I can tell. As for myself, I only pick up pens and nail files which are useful. I do hand out postcards with the book cover on one side and the blurb and order information on the other along with a list of my other titles and how to reach me for further events. These are useful for readers who might order an e-book later, though I've never noticed a rush of Amazon sales, maybe one or two at most. Postcards can be had cheap from Vista Print and other online outlets, but they do blow away in the wind. Have something to hold them down. The rest of my decor is minimal. I use handfuls of Mardi Gras beads, small foam footballs and crushed beer cans that fit into the crannies of my book boxes. Even these can cause problems as toddlers tend to get handsy and can take down an entire display with one quick grab as you try to sell their mothers on romance.</p><p> Remember to bring change. For ease of transactions, I simply make all my titles $15 and have lot of fives on hand. I also take take checks and have never had one bounce because readers are good folks. It is possible to pay for a credit card app if you are so inclined, but I don't bother. Often they don't work well. Those more conversant with technology probably know of other ways. Next, offer a bag. No extra expense required. I use colorful bags I've collected in my travels or even the standard, can't get rid of them, plastic grocery bags. I do have some slightly racy covers which some won't want to carry exposed, but bags are also good for foul weather sales to folks who take refuge under your tent.</p><p> For your own survival, ask if any food will be easily available. My husband departs after the tent goes up. Usually, I am there alone. Take a friend if you can, but often you sit outdoors for hours, if lucky stationed close enough to meet authors to the right and left for company and to watch your table if you need a bathroom break. Bathrooms can be some distance away. Ask where they are upon arrival. Some venues offer you bottles of water, some nothing. The best have an author's lounge where you can refresh yourself and get a snack. Usually, I carry a small cooler with drinks, a sandwich, some fruit, and cookies to get through the day. Also, for me, a thermos of hot tea is essential because sometimes when there is no foot traffic, I can have a cup of tea and read someone else's book to pass the time.</p><p> There, I think I have covered it all, but will take questions if I've let anything out, or if you'd like to share ideas. Be prepared for anything as the scouts would say.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-58996306509056190202021-04-19T12:47:00.000-07:002021-04-19T12:47:40.183-07:00Back to Normal--Sort Of<p> I received my first Covid shot (Pfizer) in January before going for hip surgery. The hospital staff was efficiency personified, and I was in and out in half an hour. I did worry about getting my second shot when I was put into the PT rehab place. They had no Pfizer on hand, but did transport me back to the hospital for my second shot--no side effects at all. So, I was fully immunized by the time I returned home. Masks were required in regular PT, no problem for me. If I can do thirty lunges and the same amount of step-ups while in pain and wear one, you should be wearing one, too.</p><p> I revised two manuscripts written before the surgery and sent them off to my two publishers. Both said they were way behind as everyone seemed to take up writing with nothing else to do. First time in a long time that my manuscripts have been put on a wait list, but at least the process has begun for the <i>Bad Boy Sinner</i> and <i>Lion in the Heather</i>. </p><p> The Art Guild, currently not meeting, got in touch asking me to take two paintings to show at the library and two at the Greek restaurant in town. I selected Night in the Forest and Luna Moth for the library and a still life of fruit and a red amaryllis for the Greeks. Since I couldn't drive or reach too high, my dear husband who had gotten his Moderna shots came along and hung them for me. It was lunch time when we finished. I looked around and saw people dining at well-spaced tables and a staff with facemasks worn properly. We had gotten take-out during the long months of seclusion from Olympus, and I thought, why not? We ordered chicken schwarma pasta and a gyro sandwich. The salads were crisp, the food and pita warm, and my Lebanese iced tea delicious. Wonderful to eat in a restaurant again. Two weeks later, we tried a new Mexican place in town. The food and service was great--but I do wish someone would tell the entire staff that facemasks should cover the nose as well as the mouth. Still, we had a table well-spaced, and they made my husband a habanero pepper sauce blended by hand. Another enjoyable meal.</p><p> Then, local arts and crafts shows began to revive. I took only my books to sell and sat outside on a lovely day so warm I got a little sunburn on the back of my neck. I always sell well at this event at an historic home, but did better than usual.. It seemed everyone wanted to be outside on a fine day and spend money after a year cooped up. The Literary Festival followed a couple of weeks later on a rainy, dreary day. I huddled in my little tent drinking hot tea from my thermos, reading, and eating a cookie. No sales at all until the sun came out around noon, A good friend stopped by and bought <i>Lady Flora's Rescue</i>, the first book in my new historical series. Looked like it would be my only sale and not even cover the cost of the space. The event ended at three p.m., and here it was two o'clock. Suddenly, sales picked up. I sold more than ever at this event. Ran out of one title, <i>Lady Flora</i> again, and all my Mardi Gras books, perhaps because Mardi Gras had been cancelled and people wanted to celebrate vicariously. This weekend, I have another Arts and Crafts festival. Of course, rain is predicted again. If possible, I will take some small pieces of art with me as well as books. I'd really like to see if this trend will continue considering that I sold only four books, all to the library, in past year. I have to say my e-books sold as usual. But my 2020 taxes will show I lost about $400 in income on paperbacks that are best hand sold.</p><p> Regardless, I am thrilled to be almost back to normal.</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-44885956174169930082021-03-11T06:08:00.002-08:002021-03-11T06:08:32.174-08:00Great Review of The Greatest Prize<p> <a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h oo483o9r f1sip0of lzcic4wl oo9gr5id gpro0wi8" href="https://fourfoxesonehound.wordpress.com/2021/03/11/reviewing-the-greatest-prize/" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: #e4e6eb; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; touch-action: manipulation; white-space: pre-wrap;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://fourfoxesonehound.wordpress.com/2021/03/11/reviewing-the-greatest-prize/</a></p><p>Check this out!</p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-65492315119241354822021-02-15T12:12:00.000-08:002021-02-15T12:12:40.604-08:00The Unexpected<p> I fully expected to write a brief blog at the end of January despite being scheduled for hip surgery on the twenty-fifth of the month. Hey, I'd spend two or three nights in the hospital and be home in time to write my message before February arrived. Instead, I was transferred to a PT rehab facility for eleven days to rebuild my strength. Physical therapy three times a day, decent food, sponge baths--but no computers. When not exercising, we were to stay in our rooms with no visitors thanks to the Covid epidemic. My husband could visit at a open window where we passed my laundry back and forth, not love notes.</p><p> Of course, <i>The Aussie Sinne</i>r had just come out, and I was unable to promote it from my room. I also expected a shipment of <i>The Greatest Prize</i> paperbacks that I'd been trying to order since December, but the publisher had changed printers and complications ensued. Before, we just sent a message on how many copies we wanted and after paying through Paypal, the books appeared two weeks later. These showed up days after I'd returned home. Not that I had anywhere to sell them because all events had been cancelled. I wanted to drop the usual number of copies off at the local bookstore and the library--still sitting in the box. Why? Because I'm not allowed to drive yet--and the roads are covered in ice.</p><p> Yes, I live and often write about south Louisiana, but weather in the twenties and a sleet storm on Lundi Gras (the Monday before Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday) rank right up there with the highly unexpected. Parades and other Mardi Gras activities had already been cancelled and thank heaven for that. Cajuns simply aren't equipped for black ice and slippery roads. I can only say the theme of my Mardi Gras books is "anything can happen on Mardi Gras day" in a city, small town or the country. If you can't get out, try reading<i> Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball, Mardi Gras Madness</i>, or <i>Courir de Mardi Gras</i>.</p><p> Lest you think I did no publicity while in rehab, you'd be wrong. As usual, my purse was stocked with book cards showing my covers and having blurbs and ordering information on the back. I freely distributed these to nurses, LPNs, and patients, many of whom were readers with time on their hands during the long night shifts and endless hours alone. I know one of them is now reading her way through the Sinners series which is greatly gratifying. So, you never know what the unexpected will bring your way for better or worse. Just be prepared to roll with it. </p><p><br /></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1144640834373394725.post-34310777604928775952020-12-24T12:34:00.001-08:002020-12-24T12:34:57.350-08:00Blue Christmas<p style="text-align: left;"> The thing I am most thankful for is that terrible 2020 is nearly over. For Christmas, I want a better 2021--and a Covid shot, but I'll have to wait my turn, probably months. Of the year in review, I can only say for lack of anything else to do, I completed four books. <i>Daughter of the Rainbow, The Double Dilemma, and The Greatest Prize,</i> all in the Longleigh Chronicles, and <i>The Aussie Sinner</i>, the newest Sinners title. The first two came out in the spring, <i>Greatest Prize</i> in December, and <i>Aussie Sinner</i> will be available in late January. I'm also nearly done with <i>The Bad Boy Sinner</i>. Evidently, all writers were just as productive as one of my editors was not thrilled to get my manuscript for <i>Aussie Sinner</i>, saying they were slammed with editorial work. As a result of that, it moved through the lengthy publishing process like maple syrup on a cold day. But, that's okay. I don't plan to do as much next year and do plan to have another hip surgery. If that is successful and Covid gives us a break, I'll be hitting road again, not spending every day writing.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> Christmas is the one time of year we get together with our three grown children, their significant others, and the grandkids, not always at our house as we take turns hosting, but still together for present opening, meals, movies, and games. None of that this year, so I am feeling a little blue. I told my husband I didn't want a tree or any decorations. I didn't plan to make a huge dinner or do any baking, but he brought home a small tree anyhow--which then had to be decorated with one string of lights and about a quarter of our ornaments. A relative sent a large balsam wreath which we put on our fence. A friend stopped by with cookies, so I had to reciprocate by whipping up batch of my easiest to make treats. Christmas just won't let me alone to brood as I'd like.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> The tree is not the best we've had, but certainly not the worst. One year, we took the kids to a tree farm to cut our own. Out in those field, all the trees seems kind of puny so we settled on the biggest we could find. When unfurled in our room, it took up half the space and required oodles of ornaments. Note to self, trees look much larger indoors. Perhaps our biggest folly was waiting for our freshman daughter to come home from college to get a tree. She arrived just a few days before Christmas--and lo and behold, the lots in our town were empty and shut down. So, we piled in the car and drove to the next town over which also appeared denuded of pine trees except for a sign in the window of a mom and pop sandwich shop which said, "We have Christmas Trees." We piled out of the car and were shown to a small lot behind the store where three trees remained, none of them big or grand, mostly small and yellow. We took the best of them which I swear shed half its needles on the way home. Covered with lots of lights and ornaments, it wasn't awful, but even my daughter said not to wait for her next year.</p><p style="text-align: left;"> There, recounting Christmases past has lifted my mood a little as will the Zoom get together we plan for tomorrow. As I say to everyone these days, stay safe and well. Here's treat for the eye for all of you, the cover of<i> The Aussie Sinner</i> already up for pre-sale on Amazon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXshPf4t8K5ckbiLvAH-DF0LS1Gnx-FMHnbd31pFnEOIssy9MdTzt1HlV9DthwVgePl2XxGBH1LZQVlI0rv83OIZj0Jpmdan_1gnRsbVmYqfluCdI9NxRAc4sGuPfB0XodE429RczEFisc/s750/TheAussieSinner_w14956_750+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXshPf4t8K5ckbiLvAH-DF0LS1Gnx-FMHnbd31pFnEOIssy9MdTzt1HlV9DthwVgePl2XxGBH1LZQVlI0rv83OIZj0Jpmdan_1gnRsbVmYqfluCdI9NxRAc4sGuPfB0XodE429RczEFisc/w266-h400/TheAussieSinner_w14956_750+%25281%2529.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Lynn Shurrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17046594632873639943noreply@blogger.com0