Baton Rouge Book Club Hospitality

Thanks to Frances Farlow and the ladies of Frances and Friends Book Club. We had a lively Sunday afternoon on March 30th discussing the life and times of Monette Victor, the heroine of my novel Soulful Strut. Ms. Linda Hamilton was the hostess for the month. Thanks to Frances for the invitation, not to mention suggesting my book as the March selection. Thanks to Linda for such gracious hospitality, and some fierce jambalaya. Finally thanks to the other members: Loriene, Sandra (Hunt), Cathey, Lashelle, Sharon, Donna, Sandra (Boyd) and Ethel. We talked about a lot of issues related to the characters in the novel, but also how the same conflicts and divided loyalties cause problems in real life.

Authors love book clubs. This author is no exception!

A National Treasure

Maya Angelou is a poet and writer that inspired me long before I worked up the courage to seriously pursue writing (by that I mean actually approach an editor about my first novel). She is a treasure in so many ways. I love her poetry and the way she's lived her life as a human being. Happy 8oth birthday to a brilliant woman, writer, person.

E-Books

Two of my books are now for sale in several e-book formats at Diesel e-Books.com Check it out!

The Future is Now

The new e-reader from Amazon.com is getting mixed reviews but the bottom line reviews are in- the Kindle is sold out. Amazon has had to play catch-up to get all the orders filled. Most of the reviews I've read are very positive. Of course I only read a few of the 2000+ at the Amazon website :o)

The thing is be it Kindle or some other e-book reader I'm thinking this technology is here to stay. What makes Kindle different is that it is wireless, allowing users to download books bought from Amazon very fast. Also there is a lot of additional content you can get via subscriptions like magazines and newspapers. Not to mention a lot of copyright free content because Amazon has established relationships to get more goodies. The wireless access is part of the package, too. No monthly fee for that.

Have I bought one? Nope. I've got other budget priorities. For now Kindle would be a "want like crazy, but don't really need" purchase. I'm trying to be a grown-up and not have lots of cool devices that are essentially toys that I don't get to play with very much. I've got to keep writing y'all!

A Change is Gonna Come

Hop over to Blogging In Black to read my post on change and writers. As I say in that piece, I have a love/hate relationship with change. But once I get over myself I mostly love change. Writers who seriously pursue being published better get used to three things- 1. Blunt feedback, 2. Rejection, and 3. Change. That agent you researched and planned to query once your book was finished may have gone out of business or stopped accepting queries. That editor you targeted at publishing house X has moved on. That hot genre you decided to jump on has now gone cold and you can't sell your manuscript. Change, baby. Get with it or stay home where it's safe and predictable.

Networking Works

Today I went to a meeting of the New Orleans chapter of RWA , SOLA. My goal- to hear from Agent Jessica Faust and get to meet her. Mission accomplished. She gave solid information in her talk to the SOLA members. She is a co-founder of BookEnds, LLC literary agency.

I also met an expert in weapons and who currently teaches a course at Tulane U. related to Homeland Security based on his extensive career in security and anti-terrorist strategies. He's retired but is a reserve deputy with the Orleans Sheriff's Department. Bingo- I need to know about guns and he's willing to share his vast knowledge.

I also got to visit with mystery author June Shaw. Another good book to order, read and enjoy. Not to mention we had a nice time chatting about writing, family and other fun things. Since I'm writing a mystery we might one day combine forces at a book signing or conference. Who know? That's the beauty of networking. Writers are solitary people. Some of us are shy, a few painfully so. Still meeting people is a great way to learn and grow. So get out of your shell and network.

Now let me say this isn't a breeze for me. I'm not a mix and mingle type. I prefer small groups of good friends rather than a room of strangers at a party. Also my reticence to just go up to people and introduce myself is cultural in basis. My mother raised us to be polite but not "pushy", which she defined as approaching strangers to chat them up. It's a southern thing. And this is exactly what is expected at meet and greet publishing events. There are great conferences, like Sleuthfest, that include cocktail parties in the program. Authors have a chance to "meet and greet" editors and agents. Wonderful, right? Unless you're shy or not that graceful when it comes to approaching strangers with a smile and a "Hi, my name is Lynn!" So here some things friends with more skills have shared with me that were a help:

1. Relax and be yourself. If you're not a gregarious life of the party type don't try to be. Listen and find a topic you can discuss that interest you, and one that you know something about.
2. Don't give a long, detailed description of your book. Talk about it briefly if asked, but don't assume that a question means the person wants a long synopsis, detailed character profile, etc. Yawn!
3. At a party join a small group and become part of the conversation.
4. Here's something that I found out on my own- find a lone person who seems just as nervous and chat them up. Then you two find another such person, make introductions and include them. Pretty soon you all look like relaxed, seasoned social butterflies!
5. Move around, circulate and meet other people. I found that most other people are glad if you introduce yourself and show an interest in them.
6. With editors and agents, talk to them about subjects other than writing or publishing. They are people just like you and though they expect to have their brains picked at such events, they like it if you show interest in them as people.
7. Did I mention relax? Bears repeating. However, don't lubricate your sense of comfort with alcohol. Remember this is still a semi-business social gathering.

I'm still not all that good at the social butterfly thing though. I have to give myself a pep talk each time. But networking is worth it. Really, people are much nicer to meet than us nervous, shy bookish types think. So get out there and network writers.

Sleuthfest Was a Feast

Sorry for the long lapse between posts. I keep violating one of the commandments of blogging- thou shalt post often. The problem is for working writers (I mean those with day jobs and who write regularly) finding time is a problem. But I'm back!

On of the reasons I have been busy was that I attended Sleuthfest 2008 (February 28th - March 2nd). If you're a mystery author I can recommend this conference. Sleuthfest is a fabulous combination of great workshops with outstanding speakers. Major publishing houses and literary agencies were there. Yet it's small enough to allow for relaxed networking. There's none of the frenetic pace of mega writing events. Not to mention it was near the beach. Of course an unusual cold snap kept sun and sand lovers inside huddling around heat, but we still had a good time. So what did I learn?

Guest of Honor Lee Child is the author of international bestselling novels featuring Jack Reacher, a character readers have learned to love. He shared tips on writing stories that just won't let the reader go. He's charming and funny. Lovely British accent, too!



Guest of honor Doug Lyle, MD proved that along with his expertise in forensics he has the classic sense of humor and storytelling skills of a southerner (he hails from Alabama). He was the luncheon speaker on Friday and gave a workshop on toxins.

James O. Born presented a workshop on weapons, and brought some along. Yeah, baby. Real guns. Being a former U. S. drug agent means he knows what he's talking about. Loved it.





I also learned a lot from two women who are real life CSIs. Just to sum it up, please don't believe the real pros dress like the television CSI characters. But then I knew that the first time I saw Marg Helgenberger strut her stuff at a crime scene dressed in a low cut sweater and tight jeans. Oh please. Detective Chris Kruse and CSI Sharon Plotkin set the record straight, and they brought real crime scene photos. Not for the faint of heart because the photos included dead victims.

The agents and editors in attendance shared insights on the publishing business, how they make their decisions and what they expect the future holds. None of them had answers. The big bottom line- anything can happen in the book biz.

I won't try to list all the names of those attending. I had a great time meeting new friends and learning. Aspiring writers- get thee to a good writers conference. There is no substitute for being there. For a listing check these out:

Writer's Digest

Agent Query