Nancy J. Cohen Blog Tour

Please follow me on my blog tour. I have some interesting and unique topics lined up for you. All commenters on these guest posts will be entered into a grand prize drawing for a Warrior Prince T-shirt and magnet and a pdf copy of Warrior Prince.

Sept. 19, Wednesday, Paranormal Wednesday Blog, http://bit.ly/OEndj0 , Author Interview

Sept. 22, Saturday, Novel Natterings, http://www.laverneclark.blogspot.com/, Myth as Inspiration

Sept. 23, Sunday, RomCon Blog, http://bit.ly/Pyon25 , Theme Parks as Setting

Sept. 24, Monday, Coffee Time Romance,http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/22041/ ,  Trolls: Good or Bad?

Sept. 27, Thursday, FF&P Blog, http://ffnp.blogspot.com/,  Mixing Magic and Modern Times

Sept 29, Saturday, Killer Hobbies, http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/, Food for Thought

Oct. 3, Wednesday, Smart Girls Love Sci Fi, http://smartgirlsscifi.wordpress.com, What are Vile Vortices?

Oct. 4, Thursday, My World of Dreams, http://jhthomas.blogspot.com/

Oct. 5, Friday, Long and Short Reviews, Author Profile, http://longandshortarchives.blogspot.com/2012/10/interview-nancy-cohen.html

Oct. 8, Monday, Star Crossed Romance, http://www.star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/,  Myth and Magic

Oct. 11, Thursday, The Galaxy Express, http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net, Author Interview

Oct. 17, Wednesday, The Self-Rescue Princess, http://theselfrescueprincess.wordpress.com/

Oct. 30, Tuesday, Romance Promo Central, http://romancepromocentral.com/, Halloween Spotlight: Monsters in Norse Myths

Please share and tweet these articles to your friends!

Struggling with a Synopsis

Before I begin writing the story, I write my synopsis. This will act as my writing guideline. See my Feb. 6 blog on the plotting process. With each draft of the synopsis, I add more depth, consistency, and motivation. However, I’m now stuck on two points for my next mystery.

The Crime Scene: My working title is Hanging by a Hair. So I want my victim to be hanged. The problems are two-fold. He’s bigger and stronger than the killer. And where in a house can I hang him? I searched through my file of newspaper clippings and came up with one that tells of a woman hanged by a workman on a shower rod. A shower rod? Seems to me it would fall down if the victim is heavy. Where else in a house would this work? And wouldn’t the killer have to incapacitate the person first and then string him up? How would this be possible if the victim weighs a lot?

Once I figure out these details, I’ll have the killer write a confession scene. Then I will know, before I begin writing, what the outcome is of my story. When I get to the confrontation between killer and sleuth in the book, I’ll just slide in this dialogue. My next step is to research on the Internet to see if I can find any relevant news stories that may help spark ideas. If the killer incapacitates the victim first, how is this done? Hitting him on the head is easy, but it’s too obvious if you want the hanging to appear as a suicide. Say the killer poisons the vic. What type of poison? How do they get hold of it? Does it act immediately? Does vomiting/diarrhea occur before death, causing a messy scene?

See how you have to think things through. Then the writer has to figure out what clues are left at the scene.     

The Suspects: I’m pretty clear on most of my suspects, having worked through their motives a couple of times and with my critique partners’ input. But I am still having one problem. The victim discovers a secret. He tells Suspect A, who tells Suspect B. Meanwhile, the victim also tells Suspect C who pays him to keep quiet. But Suspect C is afraid Suspect A will talk to the authorities. So he threatens her to ensure her silence. Okay, he threatens her with what? What does she want to keep hidden?

She’s a professor at a local university. So I’ve come up with a list of possibilities: Plagiarism? Falsifying credentials? Seducing a younger student? Making up reference material to support a recent publication? Accepting bribes in return for good grades?

Whichever one I choose, how would Suspect C—a real estate developer—find out about it?

I decide Suspect A is a single mother with two college age kids. She needs to keep her job to put them through school. Suspect C threatens her with exposure in a manner that might get her fired. Which one of the above might she have done? Does Suspect C threaten her before or after she tells Suspect B? And why does she tell that person? Because she holds a grudge against the victim, and she knows Suspect C will act on her revelation without getting her involved. So basically, I have to determine what secret she’s hiding and how Suspect C finds out about it. Sound complicated? I’m confusing myself by even discussing it here.  

Fortunately, I’m not on deadline, so I can take as long as necessary to work out these points. I’ll want my synopsis to read smoothly, follow in a logical manner, and include personal elements in the sleuth’s life. In a cozy mystery, the story is more about the sleuth than the victim, the aftermath of murder, and the criminal’s psyche, which may be the focus of a serious crime novel. In my stories, the personal relationships among the suspects and how they impact the sleuth are what matter, but still the details have to be accurate and plausible.

Versatile Blogger Award

Thanks to LEONIE LUCAS who granted me the Versatile Blogger Award! I put off posting this announcement because it was daunting to come up a list of with 15 bloggers that I follow. It took some work to trace my steps and see where I’ve been, but several hours later, I’m done. Whew!   

So, here are the rules:

1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post (done)
2. Share 7 things about yourself (Oh heck, I have to be interesting now??)
3. Pass this award along to 15 others (Um.. oh there’s her.. and them.. and well, see below for some cool blogs)
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award (Yay!)

Seven Things About Me You Didn’t Already Know…

1. I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate.
2. I always have to read before going to sleep.
3. I don’t sing but I like to dance.
4. Taking walks is my favorite form of exercise.
5. The only crime show I watch on TV is Castle (unless you count Grimm).
6. I love to read historical romance but I won’t write it.
7. I hate filling out these types of questionnaires.

Here are some people that I follow, although I’m often in lurk mode. Please check them out:

Fifteen Blogs You Really Ought to Know!

1. Allison Chase’s News and Views — Popular author of steamy Victorian romance.
2. Cynthia Thomason — Award-winning author of historical & contemporary romance.
3. It’s Not All Gravy — MaryAnn Miller writes books, screenplays, and stage plays.
4. Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers — Lois Winston’s blog features crafting tips, cozy mystery authors, and recipes.
5. Author Expressions — Multi-published authors chat about the writing life.
6. Jungle Red Writers — Eight mystery writers talk about life and writing.
7. The Kill Zone — Musings of eleven top mystery and thriller authors (including me!).
8. Escape with Dollycas — Lori Caswell offers book reviews and entertaining posts by guest authors.
9. Poe’s Deadly Daughters — Elizabeth Zelvin’s blog is for mystery lovers.
10. The Stiletto Gang — A group of women writers discuss life and love.
11. Cozy Chicks — Nine mystery authors discuss life, writing, and their latest releases.
12. Terry’s Place — Terry Odell writes romance with a twist of mystery.
13. Mona’s Blog — Romance author Mona Risk discusses her books and world travels.
14. Believing is Seeing — Sandra Sookoo writes romance with a paranormal twist.
15. Fabulous Florida Writers — Jackie Minniti’s site features Florida authors.

Space Coast Writers Conference

First, congratulations to MAUREEN HAYES who won my January blog contest!
Remember to check my dates in February (click on Appearances above) and comment on my blogs and guest posts to enter a drawing for more free prizes.

This past weekend, I had a great time meeting new friends at the Space Coast Writers Guild Conference.

As a published author, I served as a mentor to three newbie writers. My experience is more fully described on Wednesday over at The Kill Zone . Based on those sessions, I wish to offer these writing tips for your opening chapters:

• Start with action or dialogue. If you absolutely must begin with a description, make sure it is emotionally evocative from the main character’s viewpoint.
• Leave backstory for later or weave it in with dialogue. Or drop it in a line or two at a time in the character’s head if it relates to the action.
• Make sure all conversations serve a purpose.
• Remember to include emotional reactions during dialogue between characters.
• Make sure your characters are not talking about something they already know just so the reader can learn about it.
• Keep the story moving forward.

We all gained a greater understanding of our work from this interactive mentoring experience. I helped my group with critiques of their work, suggestions for author branding and promotion, getting an agent, etc. They helped me determine suspects’ motives for my next mystery.

I also presented a session on Getting an Agent, which included writing the selling synopsis and query letter. I didn’t get to attend many sessions myself, except for one on working with Amazon Createspace. But we attendees had a couple of meals together where I met new friends and heard interesting keynote speeches. The hotel on Cocoa Beach was on the ocean so we got to watch the sun rise over the water. A good restaurant in town is the Lobster Shanty if you ever go there. During the book signing, I sat next to mystery author Lois Winston. We chatted and traded info about the industry.

As an experienced author, you’ll see how much you know and how far you’ve come when you attend conferences with mostly beginning writers. I hope I was helpful to the people I mentored. Now I can face my next story with renewed enthusiasm.

SUNRISE ON THE BEACH

LOIS WINSTON AND NANCY COHEN

If you have any doubts about whether you should sign up for a writers’ conference, do it now. You’ll pick up new gems of writing advice or industry buzz, make new friends, gain name recognition, and come away reenergized. It’s worth the time and money to invest in your career.

After this intense conference, we relaxed at the Magic Kingdom. The expansion of Fantasyland continues with construction evident. Other attractions were closed for refurbishment as well. It was a perfect day, sunny in the seventies. We just enjoyed strolling through the grounds and admiring the flowers and landscaping. As always, we had one new experience. We got stuck on the Carousel of Progress in the 1920’s scene. This kept repeating itself and we didn’t revolve to the next diorama. Everyone got up after viewing the scene for the third time and left through one of the exits. I saw later that they had fixed the ride. Oh, well. It didn’t obstruct from our pleasure.

 BIRD WATCHING THE PEOPLE

SPLASH MOUNTAIN

Shear Murder Release Date!

Today is the official release date for Shear Murder, my tenth Bad Hair Day mystery, so you’re going to have to put up with my shameless self-promotion. That’s the trouble when we authors must toot our own horns. We get as tired of talking about Me as you do hearing about it. Lately I’ve been clogging the loops and social networks with my blog tour announcements. I want to make it worthwhile for my hosts by getting a crowd on days when I guest post. But it means I am constantly tweeting and FB’ing and listing my tour dates and topics. I sent out one email newsletter to my fans already and will send another blast next month on my book’s official sale date.

What? You thought I said today was the release date? Indeed, I did. However, for this publisher, that means the books are shipped from the warehouses today. They’ll be ready in the bookstores on February 8, the actual “on sale” date. Confusing, isn’t it? It was a lot less so with my prior publisher, who just had one pub date. As it is now, I’m not sure which day to urge fans to buy the book. Does it really matter anymore?

Here are a couple of sample interview questions from my online blog tour. If you leave a comment on one of my guest posts or here during January, you’ll be entered into a chance to win a signed copy of Shear Murder and a set of Paua shell jewelry.

Tell us about your latest book.

Shear Murder is the tenth book in my Bad Hair Day mystery series. It’s the culmination of a personal journey for my hairstylist sleuth, Marla Shore. It’s about weddings and new beginnings. Just when Marla is planning her own nuptials, she gets caught up in another murder investigation. Marla is a bridesmaid at her friend Jill’s wedding when she discovers the matron of honor—the bride’s sister— dead under the cake table. She has a lot going on in her life, but when Jill pleads for her help in solving the case, Marla can’t refuse. It’s a fast-paced tale with humor, romance, and suspense as Marla races to find the killer before her wedding day arrives.

Considering the book is a mystery, how much can you tell us about the villain?

Since the story is a whodunit, I can’t tell you much! Many people had reason to want Torrie, the matron of honor, dead. Torrie was the bride’s sister, and Jill had a secret past that Torrie threatened to expose. How far would Jill go to maintain her sister’s silence? Then again, Torrie’s colleagues each had their own reasons to want her out of their way.

Meanwhile, Torrie’s husband inherits a piece of property that Torrie had jointly owned with her sister. How badly does he need the money from a property sale? And speaking of commercial property, Jill’s uncle and cousin were involved in a shady real estate deal with the owner of Orchid Isle, where Jill’s wedding took place. Did Torrie learn too much about his secrets? And so on. As you can see, there are a number of suspects. You’ll have to read the story to figure out which one of them is the culprit.

What motivated you to write this story?

My books all have happy endings, and so I wanted to give my series one, too. Seriously, my fans wanted to know when the next Marla Shore mystery would be coming out, but my former publisher had cancelled the series. As the markets changed, I decided to finish this book and give my readers the closure they deserved. So I really wrote it as a response to fans and in gratitude for their support. I hope they are pleased with Shear Murder. It was a delight to write, and I had fun bringing back all the secondary characters we’ve grown to know and love. I am grateful to Five Star for getting this book in front of readers. So if you’re looking for a humorous mystery centered around weddings with a whodunit puzzle to solve, check it out.

What’s next for you?

My next book will start a new paranormal romance series based on Norse mythology. Warrior Prince is book one in The Drift Lords series. I’ve written three books so far in this universe, and I’m eager to share these stories with readers. (Watch for new sale announcement!) After this project is off the ground, I’ll turn my attention back to another mystery. And you never know, it might even be another Marla Shore adventure.

Watch the Book Trailer

BUY NOW!

Author Appearances

January begins the launch window for Shear Murder, my new Bad Hair Day mystery starring hairstylist sleuth Marla Shore. You’ll be hearing a lot from me regarding blog tours, interviews, personal appearances, and such. If you missed my notice yesterday, please check out the January/February issue of Southern Writers Magazine. I’m on the cover and inside in a feature article.

My only personal appearance this month, aside from speaking engagements to private groups, is at a conference:

Friday & Saturday, January 27-28, “Celebrating Florida Writers and Writing, Space Coast Writers Guild Conference, Palms International Resort, 1300 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, FL, 32931, 321-783-2271. Besides mentoring, I’ll be speaking on “Working with an Agent” on Friday at 4:50pm.

Please put these signing dates on your calendar for next month:

Friday, February 17, 7:00, Literary Tea with Author Nancy J. Cohen, Well Read Books, South Harbor Plaza, 1374 SE 17^th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. 954-467-8878. Refreshments served: Cookies and more!

Sunday, February 19, 4:00pm, Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore, 273 NE 2nd Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33444, 561-279-7790, www.murderonthebeach.com. Refreshment served: Wine and Cheese!

Here is my blog tour schedule for January. Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for a signed copy of Shear Murder and a set of Paua shell jewelry.

Sunday, January 1, 2012, The Big Thrill, Topic: Author Interview

Wednesday, January 11, 2012, It’s Not All Gravy, Topic: Guest Interview

Friday, January 13, 2012, Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers, Topic: Character Quirks

Monday, January 16, 2012, Author Expressions, Topic: Guest Interview

Friday, January 20, 2012, Jungle Red Writers, Topic: Conferences, Cocktails, and Coffee

Sunday, January 22, 2012, Buried Under Books, Topic: Setting as Inspiration

Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book, Topic: Weddings and Murder

Monday, January 30, 2012, Savvy Authors, Topic: Concluding a Series

Cliche Alert!

When you write your first draft, it’s okay to forge ahead and write whatever channels through your mind. The next sweep through will give you the opportunity to eliminate those clichés you planted along the way. I’m in the revision process now, and my cliché alert meter when into full mode with the latest doozies. Here they are, before and after. Try to stay in your character’s head and think of analogies relevant to her mindset. In this case, my heroine owns a pottery studio and is a downhome girl from Arizona.

OLD:

Erika sensed his withdrawal from the way his shoulders tensed and his jaw tightened. Had she done something wrong? She hadn’t said anything when the man next to him commented on his attire. Perhaps he’d detected her negative opinion of his costume. Sure, it looked great on him, but he stood out like a sore thumb. If he was hoping to avoid attention from their enemy, he’d gone about it the wrong way.

NEW:

Erika sensed his withdrawal from the way his shoulders tensed and his jaw tightened. Had she done something wrong? She hadn’t said anything when the man next to him commented on his attire. Perhaps he’d detected her negative opinion of his costume. Sure, it looked great on him, but he stood out like gold among clay. If he was hoping to avoid attention from their enemy, he’d gone about it the wrong way.

OLD:

As soon as the group passed, she eased open the door. A peek outside told her the coast was clear. She slipped into the corridor, Magnor following as stealthy as a jungle cat.

NEW:

As soon as the group passed, she eased open the door. At Magnor’s nod of consent, she slipped into the corridor. He followed, moving with the stealth of a ninja.

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The self-editing process gives you the chance the rake through your words and make minute improvements. Clichés are only one of the problems you’ll be searching for as you read through your manuscript. I prefer a printout, recycling my pages through the printer for the various drafts. At the end, I have a clean polished manuscript printed out like in the old days. But you know what? It’s nice when I have to look up something from several chapters back. Plus, I have an actual work that I can send to my manuscript collection at the Bowling Green State University’s Popular Culture Library. But however you go about the process, check those clichés at the door.

AND NOW, here’s an exercise for you. Would you change this passage, and if so, how?

Finally, they could proceed. Magnor had grabbed her hand, and he let go as though she’d given him a hot coal. A wave of despondence hit her like a punch to the gut.

Post-Holiday Greetings

We’re finally past the gift giving and holiday meals for now. Nothing much happens in the business world between Christmas and New Year’s, so I am enjoying the quiet and our balmy Florida weather. Not one to waste time, I’ve started revisions on Warrior Lord, final book in my Drift Lords trilogy. This means I’m tightening sentences, correcting inconsistencies, filling in emotional reactions. It’s a slow process as I examine every line for possible improvements. Doing revisions is so much better after putting aside the project for a few weeks. I have a fresh perspective on the story, and reading it through in one chunk helps me catch a lot of fumbles.

It’s also a quiet time of year for reflection on what we’ve accomplished. Did you meet your goals for this past year? Here were mine. Let’s tally up the successes:

WRITING GOALS

Warrior Lord—Write synopsis and finish book (DONE).
Murder at the Yacht Club—Submit proposal and finish book (DONE).
A Little Night Murder—Complete proposal and finish book (MOVE to 2012).

BUSINESS GOALS

Revise Keeper of the Rings and convert into ebook format (DONE).
Compose Quarterly Email Newsletter (DONE).
Prepare video book trailer for Shear Murder (DONE).
Update mailing lists (DONE).
Create marketing plan for Shear Murder. (DONE).
Revise handouts for speaking engagements (DONE).
Hold an Author Chat (Move to 2012).
Publish a Podcast (Move to 2012).
Self-publish father’s true-life travel journal of his hitch-hiking adventure in 1929 across the U.S.. (Move to 2012).

Wow, I got a lot done but I still didn’t get to do everything. No matter; that’s to be expected. What is most important is that you try.

What’s next for me? After Warrior Lord is ready for submission, I plan to decide on which mystery novel to work on at the start of 2012. I should polish the blogs I’ve written for my upcoming blog tour. And I could prepare my winter newsletter.

Or…should I laze in front of the television and watch the Star Trek episodes I’ve recorded on VHS tapes? Which would you choose? And what would YOU like to see me work on next?

Turning the Last Page

Each day brings me closer to the last page of my WIP. Besides the final battle scene, I have the emotional resolution to write, and then I’m done. I am both dreading and eagerly anticipating that moment. As the holidays approach, I want more time for gift shopping and cooking and family events. It would nice to have the weight of this story off my mind so I can plan holiday gatherings and vacations, lie around and read magazines, and enjoy the cooler weather. On the other hand, a sense of panic afflicts me at the very notion of that yawning emptiness. No book in my head? No characters who talk amongst themselves? I’ll feel lost, adrift in a sea of reality.

For a while, I can delude myself by revising this story. But once the final version is ready, and that may be months away, then what? Quit the creative writing part for a while to focus on promotion? Surely that’s a valid choice with a new release due out in January and guest blogs to write for a virtual tour. But what will I say when a fan asks, “What’s next?” Dare I think about taking more time off? Would I rather spend the hours sorting family photos into albums, meeting friends for lunch, traveling, and trying out new recipes?

A break would be nice, but too much of a break, and I’ll get depressed. That’s what abstinence from writing does to me. I feel like a boat without a rudder, and it’s not pleasant.

I want to end this book, one of my longer tomes over 450 pages, and yet I don’t want it to end.

Is anyone crazier than a writer? I am certainly going to take a break through the holidays, but I’ll bet when the New Year rolls around, you’ll see me back on a writing schedule. Or the choice may be taken from me if one of my projects finds a home.

How do you feel as a project nears its end? Do you ever yearn for time off, only to find that you go nuts after a week or two away from the keyboard? That promo activities don’t fulfill you the same way creating a new story will? Does a new idea start fermenting in your mind until your fingers itch to type? Or do you crave a quieter life, one where the torments and joys of being a writer fade into the background?

November Contests

To celebrate the release of Wicked Women Whodunit and to gear up for the holidays, I’m offering numerous chances this month for you to win exciting prizes.

1.  Check out my Giveaways on Goodreads (deadline: Dec. 18) and on LibraryThing (deadline: Nov. 27) for a chance to win a free signed ARC of Shear Murder.

2.  Enter my November Website Contest

HOW TO ENTER: Send an email to contest@nancyjcohen.com

In the Subject line, put Contest
In the Message, put your first and last name and email address, and your answer to this question. Watch the Shear Murder book trailer on YouTube: What is the bride holding in her hand? (CLUE: Check the 8^th slide)

ONE ENTRY PER PERSON, PLEASE.

PRIZE: A signed ARC of Shear Murder and a Diamonds International charm bracelet.

Newsletter Subscriber Bonus Drawing: A signed copy of Killer Knots and a deck of tropical drink Playing Cards. (Sign up for newsletter on my Website)

Note: If not a U.S. Resident, an equivalent value online gift card will be offered instead.

DEADLINE: Contest will run from Nov. 1 through Nov. 22.

3.  Leave a comment on my Blog between now and Thanksgiving and enter for a chance to win a signed copy of “Wicked” Women Whodunit.

4.  Join the YES! Party at The Romance Reviews for a chance to win more prizes from over 200 authors. Register on site to play. See my Q&A on November 17 for a chance to win an ebook copy of Keeper of the Rings.

No purchase is necessary. By your entry, you certify that you are at least 18 years of age and agree to the conditions of this contest. You will hold the Author harmless for any misdirected emails and release her from any liability claim that may arise from your entry.

For more details, visit my Contest Page .