You Never Know Where You'll Meet Them

I picked up a middle-aged woman at a stop next to Ben Gordon's Center. This is a place where a lot of people get off and walk to whatever destination. Or, they go to the center, or have come from it. Anyway, she paid her dollar, and sat and I dropped off the last of my riders.

During the ride she makes a phone call. Now, I don't like to eavesdrop, but you make a call in a public place, and I'm sorry, but I'm right there, so if I hear some juicy, personal stuff, that's their problem. She was talking to someone about her ex's stuff, saying she didn't know who she should contact, but knew she couldn't do anything with his stuff, and that he was in jail and couldn't come and get it himself.

Huh.

So, I drive along, thinking about my bathroom break at Target during her one-sided conversation on this. She eventually gets her answer, and I pull up next to the shopping center. I'm getting out. She asks how long I'll be. I said five minutes. She asks if she can smoke (I feel sorry for her lungs). Sure, just don't smoke next to my door, I say. She won't. So, we both get off and do our thing.

I come back we get back on the bus, and I drive slowly away, and through the parking area.

"Do you like your job?" she asks.

Now, this is a loaded question.

"No. I hate it," I say. "But it allows me to do other things." I then fill in the blanks that I've worked for this company for 15 plus years and have seen only about $2.00 in raises since. I inform her I don't get paid through NIU, but through a company which owns us. No benefits, and  lousy pay for transit driver.

As I drive past the closed up Barnes & Nobel, she made comment she didn't know it was closed. Wow, you don't get out much, do you? I think to myself.

She thought it was scary to see a bookstore close. I can't recall my response to that, but I tell her that I think the other stores will stay open (if only so that big names who are published through the trad-publishers could have their books and book signings in them). I told her I meet people all the time who like to hold an actual book to read from. She was one of them, and said she had a box of books. When I found my opening, I told her I was an author.

"Wow," she said. That's when she asked what I wrote.

I looked back at her through my mirror as I came to a slow stop for a light. "The best way to say it is I write vampire books."

"Teenage, or adult?"

"Adult."

"Oh. Good. I can't find anything in adult with vampires," she said. "I'm 41, I don't like reading about teenagers."

We have a conversation in this vein for about five more minutes and I get to another light. I tell her I'll give her a card when she gets off. I pick up a few more people, and we don't speak until she gets to her stop. I've dug out my card--you really need a business card with all the information on it, so that when you meet someone who might be interested can go find you/your books. She saw my name, and miss-pronounced it (usually that's the case). "Oh, sounds like Horlei." EEEW!

"No, it's Lor-e-lie (I do the phonetics for her). You ever hear Styx's song "Lorelei"? I ask.

"No. But I know the group," she says, getting off, and facing me, and looking at my card a couple of times. "I'm going to go home and listen to it. Thanks!"

As I drive away, I feel good that I've connected with a potential reader/fan. You just never know where or when you'll meet them. It's good to be prepared. I've sold books while in my driving capacity--which is difficult, but I do it, and it's fun to have someone ask for an autograph while I'm sitting on the bus. I like to thumb my nose at the camera (bus security) when I do.

Anyway, it's nice to run into people in the street who might just be that next sale.

Have a good Sunday, and week.  Looks like our weather is finally staying warmer than it's been, and very spring-like. So, I'll be outside a lot!

Lorelei Bell author of Sabrina Strong Series

Lainey Quilholt Mysteries

Hello to all of you who stop by here (whether you make a comment or not, that's fine, but I love to hear your thoughts).

Today, I thought I would touch on a new project I'm working on. This is one of those things where, as a writer, you're working on aspects of the possibility of a new novel (or story). I've had this in the back of my mind for a while. It's only begun to take shape.

In fact only today I came up with my MC's last name. I'd already settled on Lainey. But the last name had to sort of be unusual. One that could be memorable. I was reading an article--totally unrelated to anything. I saw the name Leona Spray Quilhot. I liked the last name but as I said it I wanted to put that extra 'l' in it. Thus, Quilholt was what I settled on.

I've got the beginning two pages, which will be worked on, of course. But the gentleman who walks into the store had to grab interest.

I've always wanted to write a mystery. I've been working on studying how they are done. Here's a link on 15 tips for writing a murder mystery by Elizabeth Craig. This has been something I've been working on for a while, so the post is a few years old. But the tips are excellent.

And here is the sub-genres of mysteries. (scroll down to "mysteries", this has all sub-genres, if you want to look into any other genre, like horror, sci-fi, etc.) I had no idea there were so many sub-genres of mysteries, but when you read each one it makes sense. Mine, the Lainey Quilholt Mysteries will be teen or YA.

I'll need to keep notes on a number of things--like suspects (you don't want more than 5, because it's too hard for readers to remember them all), and, of course, Red herrings.

The one thing I haven't settled upon is the murder itself, and the motive. I'm leaning toward jealousy, and the murder of either a wife, or the current husband/lover. That sort of thing. Lainey Quilholt lives in a small river town in Iowa. Why Iowa, I don't know, but at the moment, it's what I'm going with. I want to have it in the Mid-west, but not in Illinois. I actually have a small, river town in mind, but need to do more research--and go and see it and get more detail about the layout and such. 

I've put up a facebook page for this series. There, I'll be posting/have posted pages I've been writing, if you want to take a look. I've just posted the first page of the first chapter there. It's really raw, and will probably, as I said, change with rewrites, but it's at least a start.

Have you been thinking of writing something different, or in a different genre than you normally write? 

And Fade to the Now...

Tah-dah!

As you may have learned, I've signed on with a new publisher, Creativia. And this is the new book cover for the first book of my Sabrina Strong series (previously, "Vampire Ascending"), 

Ascension. 

Beautiful, isn't it? And although I wanted something less seductive, my publisher felt this was A#1. So, I put it up on facebook, to see how other people felt about it. I got a resounding "Wow!". I couldn't argue with those who are my friends, can I?

In my last post here, I delved into my writing past. My trails and missteps, you might say. I've been with Creativia for about two months. The first three books have new covers. I'm waiting on the fourth book's cover to be revealed to me, so you'll know what it will look like as soon as I will.

Meanwhile my other titles are being "brought over into the fold", you might say. They'll still have the same covers and so forth. Like my ever popular

  "Holy Devil" 

As I've said before, I've never wanted to become "Indie". It just seemed to me like too much work doing all the extra little things. My dream was to be a well-read author. I don't know if that will ever be realized. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm working on the rest of the books--books five through eight, of the Sabrina Strong series. After #8, I want to take a break and work on other fiction that is either begun, or nearly done. 

Here are links to the other three books in Sabrina Strong series:

Oh, and if you do buy from Amazon, I do hope that after you've read it, you'll go back and leave a review, and these links will help with that [smiley face]. Thanks!

Trill

Nocturne

Caprice

(old cover)

Here is link to my other novel, 

Spell of the Black Unicorn

And for those of you who like non-fiction... and love cats, this one might be enjoyable:

The Cat Whisperer

Have you checked it out? I've got a contest for a signed copy of Ascension going on if you live in the US. Please go to Lorelei's Muse to see what you need to do to get in on it!

Thanks for stopping by.

Try. Fail. Try AGAIN. Learn. Repeat

J.B. Fletcher, My Mentor

The show, "Murder, She Wrote" aired in 1984, and I was excited to watch this lady mystery writer as she solved crimes. I especially loved the beginning, as the light, and bouncy tune came on, and we see Jessica at her typewriter tapping away, and in between the scenes of the show. And then she shoves her pages of type manuscript into a leather binder, and closes it with the title of the show...

I'd get a little shiver down my spine, thinking about my own writing, that it might be possible I could be successful, like this fictitious writer in a show was.

There was something about her spirit, and her ability to not bow down to those who would try and poo-poo her thoughts on a case, or when they might be trying to scare her. She didn't flinch. Well, that's not hard to believe, since she was an English teacher. Teaching anything to young students has to have its ups and downs and scary moments.

But what I liked mostly was that she was a writer. It's what I hoped to be. Well, I was already writing, but she was a successful writer. That's what I had wanted to be my entire adult life. Well, being dyslexic didn't help much. If I'd have been a retired English teacher, I don't think it would have taken me a whole lifetime to get there.

Well, now we are in the modern era. But back in the 80's and 90's, I tried to solicit my manuscripts to the correct people, agents, and even publishers. Back in the day, you could actually go straight to the publisher. My mother-in-law had a face-to-face meeting with a publisher in New York. But she didn't pursue it. I never found out the real reason why she didn't, but I could guess.

Anyway, back to me and my dilemma.  I was turned down by everyone. Only a few places here and there, if my writing had just been a little better, maybe...

My only successes came in minor things, like short stories, poems, and a few other things. Nothing earth shattering. And those few writing achievements came with a lot of sweat and tears... and not giving up.

Well, I did quit a few times, and threatened to quit permanently. My husband has been behind me keeping at it all this while. He's the only one who has believed in me all this time.

Back to the story at hand...
When I was turning 50, I knew I just didn't have it in me to try to knock on a few more doors. I won't lie to you that every rejection killed a little bit of me to the point of--well, beyond tears. My husband, God love him, was the only person who kept me at it. He would pick me up with whatever words he told me and I just didn't give up. His mother was a writer too, he knew--sort of--how much it meant to me, and how hard I worked at it.

So, at that age I did what I thought I would never do. I self-published.

Please understand, at this time, it wasn't possible to self-publish the way it's done now. I had to find a "publisher" who would take my money and work the magic and put my manuscript into print. Well, to be honest, I did all the work on getting the formatting correct for them. I was helped through the process. I also submitted a picture for the front cover. It wasn't as expensive as, say, some of the other places. $400. was what I paid to get my book published and out there. I had a couple of very successful book signings--very thrilling, since I never thought I'd see the day to not only be holding a copy of my first ever published book, but to have a book signing.

I made my $400 back and then some with the sales of my book. Yay Me!

Something like this can boost your morale, and of course I had more books in me. I went on and wrote the sequel to "Spell of the Black Unicorn", but I knew that vampires sold. I had something else burning in me and I had to write it. I went on to write (and spent a couple of years working on it, just like the last book), developing what is now the Sabrina Strong series. At first it was going to only be 3 novels. The second book was hard to write. Sequels are a dickens to write. Ask anyone. You have to keep the same momentum, make notes on what happened in the first one so you don't get tripped up in the second one, etc.

Meanwhile, I knew I wasn't going to pay to have this one published. I needed someone who didn't take my money. I found plenty of those, believe me. I had my first chapter on some site, and eventually a small publisher "discovered" me and offered to publish my book "Vampire Ascending". I read the contract, they took no money from me, and suddenly, I had a publisher. This was great! I had a great cover, and they did all the edits. I was ecstatic!

I had another even more successful book signing at the same Borders in DeKalb. 

Borders Book signing

People were walking out with two or three of my books in their arms!

I went on to publish my second book, Vampire's Trill.

I rode this train until the unfortunate demise of Borders. I already knew Barns & Dribble were not going to order my books in for people to come and buy. They were stupid. I could not get it through their thick skulls that my books would sell.
NO. I'm not going to be able to get anyone to go to your stupid store, order and pay for the book prior to the book signing. Who does that???

So, that shortened my little ride on the author train. Then, after my third novel came out--and it was like pulling teeth to get him to get it out (and the edits were horrible!), (he was in the process of putting his own second novel out, so everyone was working on that).
Then, about three months later, he decides he wants out of the publishing business. This was a blessing in disguise, I realize, of course, as I was mortified by the terrible mistakes in the third book--the damned spine had the wrong title on it!

But this forced me to become Indie. Quickly. I didn't like this. I was trying to reintroduce "Spell of the Black Unicorn", working on those edits of that book. Instead, I had to drop everything and get all three of my books out that summer--as ebooks only.

Being Indie was never in the plans. 
I'm not tech savvy. I don't have the money to pay people to do covers, formatting etc, etc. I don't even like putting the book up on Amazon. I hyperventilate waiting to see if the thing takes on my slow modem. I find all that stuff just, like--well, like dusting a shelf. Annoying. I want to do something else.

Like write.

In the four or five years since I began the Sabrina Strong series, I've written nearly 8 novels. Four are published and the fifth one is ready. But there's a pause in the action. Maybe, once again, it's meant to be...

You see, months ago I tried to get someone to do the cover for me. Take pictures of a lone gargoyle... I waited and waited. People are busy, I get that.

Finally, I get two people wanting to help me and get two sets of photos and there's even an offer to do the cover... but that didn't pan out.

Disappointment looms.

So, I'm on the last portion of edits for number five book. I'm trying to get the book cover done, and it's not happening. I was just sick of doing this by myself! What can I do?

I complain a little to my long time friend, and author, Carole Gill. After a few emails back and forth, she told me to look into her publisher. Creativa.

I did.
They sounded good. Great, actually.
I took the plunge and sent them an email. Then with their permission, sent them the file of my first book, as they requested.

It hasn't been quite a week yet, as I write this Friday evening.
I'm not nervous. I don't have any doubts. I'm more confident about the outcome than I've been in years.

I'll let you know. If this happens, there will be new covers.

Pushing Away November Blues by Making Warm Things

Hello, all my pretties. In case you were so doused in the abnormal winter chill in your area, you didn't know that we, in the north part of Illinois had winter early, well, I'm here to tell you, we did. Oh, the snow wasn't a factor. But being 20 or so degrees COLDER than you should be in November, and having to run every dang heater you own, just to stay warm--that's what we did for those 10-12 days. Today, we've got rain and temps are in 40's. It's going to turn around and snow tomorrow, but for now, I don't mind the rain.

So, since my office was not winter prepared, I couldn't get in here to do anything. Not even check my emails, and I'm still working on getting caught up.

Meanwhile I've been crocheting (since I don't have a laptop). I've been making things non-stop. Here are a few of the types of things I've been working on.

I made this headband in one afternoon. But they didn't have the "flower" in the pattern, which was a dang shame, but I've found one, and will add it to this. And I need to buy a large button for it, as it buttons underneath. I made it in medium blue, but turquoise might work too.




I've also been making "boot cuffs", and I like these pretty well.





but I also want to make leg warmers. Like these...

Remember these? I haven't seen any in the stores, but I haven't gone shopping in a while.

I need "skinny pants", in order to wear such things. Since dropping 25 pounds, I need to buy some new clothes!

I've also made a few "fingerless gloves", like these...

And my larger project is this autumn afghan/throw

This looked simple, until I got into it. Thankfully, I'm not a beginner, and I work on this one later in the afternoon. I'm using a darker olive green, burgundy and terra cotta for centers, a gold for the second row, and for the browns I'm using coffee, cafe, and warm brown.

I've been experimenting on "finger knitting" and "finger crocheting". But it wears out the fingers too much. I prefer working with a hook. I might invest in a very large hook for something more dramatic.

I am slowly doing work on my writing. I've lost interest, basically in trying to make a sale. Not making money at the the writing doesn't bolster my need to get something done. So, it's sort of a "whenever" attitude if I do publish another book, or not. I'm going to look into selling my crocheted, and craft things. That's the thing about art. You can see a painting, or, a craft item, or something like the above in a craft store or show, and decide right away you want it. With a book, a sale is tough to get because it's a commitment to something you can only go by the reviews (if you believe them), and the description. And I've found that selling to other writers is not where the fan base is. You are competing against these other authors. I've had only minor success (sales) placing my books into the facebook groups where you basically are selling to other authors. It's really a waste of my time with a slow modem. I can't compete with people who have aps and can plunk their books down all day long, shoving yours down in the page, so no one ever sees it. What's the point?

The blog, too, doesn't work. Non-writers won't come to look at your blog. Not that I've noticed, anyway. So, I'm falling back on doing the blogging as well.

But, I'm just going to work on my two loves (writing and crocheting), and see what happens, where it gets me, and not stress about it. I get a sale here and there, make only $100 a year with the ebooks, fine. I want to try and sell my art. I can sell things like the above for $10-$100, depending upon what it is.

Years ago, I made the mistake of going too diverse when I was making/selling crafts 15-16 years ago. I was only making enough to go buy more supplies (paint, brushes and wood is really expensive). I also didn't like that I had to change my stuff from one holiday to the other. The small stuff sold really well, but again, I didn't make any profit. This time, I'm going to go about this differently. But, until I find a shop that will take my things, that's just a pipe dream. There aren't as many shops like that around any more. But the craft shows are more abundant.

Next week we have six days off, so I'm going to be happy about that, as long as I can work on something. Depending upon the weather, I may have to move my computer into dinning room again!

Well, until I blog again, have a good Thanksgiving!

Moon Lighting... well, sort of...

"Moonlight" starring Alix O'Loughlin, above,
ran for only one season and then they pulled the plug!

I love the show, "Moonlight" with Alix O'Laughlin as Mick St. John (he's a hunk).

The show was great. Someone should be blindfolded and shot for letting this show go off the air.

Okay, I got my rant done.

Wait, another one might come to me.

Anyway, To get you all up to speed, now that we're into the NANOWRIMO where no one does any blogging, unless it's to other people who aren't trying to get their writing quota done for the day (yup, you guessed it, I am not that focused OR abusive toward myself in that way.) (And yet, as a writer I get shit done).

I've just about put the nail in the coffin on one of my older manuscripts that has spent more time in the dark than Dracula.. Originally called "Vampire Legacy" it is now renamed AND rewritten, Dhampir Legacy. I've got to put the ending to it. Since I had the day off, I wrote the climax and have still got my nasty master vampire yet to be put to a final rest, but my dhampirs are going to get to that, eventually.

I stopped working on Sabrina Strong #8, to get this one done. And earlier--well, let me see, now, it would have been last month, I guess--I finished up first edits of #5. Have more to do there, but giving it a rest for now.

Not sure how much longer I will continue doing this. Really. I'm having to re-evaluate the reason why I write and figure out if it's all worth it.

Oh, and my husband just told me we'll have to pick a new plan with health insurance because we'll be paying nearly $150/mo--which would not be possible. And the odd thing is we're making less this year than last year. Isn't life just grand? Now I'll have to deal with that crap. AGAIN!!! ARG!!!

I'm going to sit and crochet rest of the afternoon.