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Showing posts with the label read

New Life for a Book

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One of the things authors need to recognize is that books don't just take off and become bestsellers. Some lie around for months, even years, waiting to be noticed. We're encouraged not to neglect our backlists, but it's difficult when there's something "NEW! NEW! NEW!" to talk about. That's been the case with the Loser series, which ended a couple of years ago. Killing Silence is one of my favorites among my books. I love the protagonist, Loser, who is homeless and damaged but not down and out. The idea that homeless people are counted out of society, ignored by most and assumed to be incapable of paying attention, makes her a perfect sleuth. The publisher of this series has decided to make Killing Silence free on Kindle for May 29-31. I'm really excited about this, since I think freebies are a great way to introduce a book to new readers. If you've already read the book, you can help by passing the news on to your Kindle-reading friends

MACDEATH

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Four authors are observing the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death by showing off their Bard-related mysteries. I'm going to focus on one at a time, so this week it's Cindy Brown's Macdeath . Here are some things I like/love about the book. *It's a cozy--amateur sleuth, small cast of characters who all know each other--but it never descends to the silliness I despise in some cozies. People act like real people (even if they are all actors). :) *It takes place in a theater. Anyone who knows my drama director background can guess I'd like that. *The play Macbeth is woven into the story. Anyone who knows my English teacher background will know I loved that. *The main character is real. I felt like she was someone I've known, or might have. *The author has a sense of story. I particularly liked the connection between the first line and the last. *...and who doesn't love that title? Makes me wish I'd thought of it! Here are the other th

Why Do You Read?

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Heaven knows you've got other things to do, and some people growl if you "sit around with your nose in a book" (or in modern times "staring at a screen"). My dad, usually a patient man, would get irritated with me when I  (a) brought a book to the dinner table ("But it was at a really good part, Dad!"), (b) failed to get dressed until noon on a weekend because I was reading, or (c) sat upside down in a chair with my legs up the back and the book on my chest. (What can I say? At thirteen, it really was comfy.) Here are some reasons that reading is an important part of my day, every day. Reading connects me with other places, other people. I learn from books, even fictional books, about how the world works, how people live, feel, and think. Reading takes my mind off other things. Reading helps me relax and get ready to sleep . Conversely, reading helps me wake up and serves as a step toward action in the morning. Reading gives me lots to talk