Peg Herring, Mystery Author

We'll start with a giveaway--How's that for getting in the Christmas spirit? I have 2 copies of HER MAJESTY'S MISCHIEF in large print to give away . If you have someone on your Christmas list who needs/prefers large print , here's a chance to get them Book #4 of the Simon & Elizabeth series. What do you do? If you're signed up for my newsletter, just say so in the comments below and I'll put your name in the drawing for one of the books. If you're not signed up for my newsletter, you can sign up below.   (You might want to know that I only send a newsletter when I have a new book coming out, and I'll   never give your name/email to anyone else.) If your name is drawn I'll contact you and you can decide if you want the book mailed to you or directly to the person on your gift list (personalized, of course!. Once you're signed up, you'll also be eligible for freebies I plan to send out after Christmas, so you can ge

Starting November 25, you'll want to check this blog every day. I'm planning 30 Days of Christmas, a countdown to the holiday that is sure to make you merry. (Maggie and I are collaborating) Giveaways Pet Stories Contests Character-Written Posts Author Spotlights ...and anything else we can think of! So starting Wednesday, Nov. 25th, check here every day for something to warm your heart and boost your Christmas spirit!

I opened this blog site just now and saw that a bunch of people logged in yesterday. Wow! I must have said something really wise or interesting. No, not really. And what I did say was last Monday. Why was it so intriguing now, seven days later? Maybe a bunch of people heard of me in the last few days? Nope. I spent the weekend at home, and I didn't post much except my usual smart aleck stuff on FB. So why all these looks at my site? After some thought, I figured it out. (Sigh.) It was me. I made changes last night, turning my summer background into a more fall/winter one. Every time I looked at it so see if I liked what I'd done, the computer counted it as a visit. I guess it's true what they say. You create your own excitement.

Okay, today I have to finish the chapter I started yesterday-- But there's that blogger who wants a guest post by Wednesday-- Oh, and the editor sent a chapter for me to okay. I should get on that soon. But that contest I'm judging has a deadline for me to return my ratings. When was that? I wish I had time to write the book I keep imagining. Seems like fun but can't handle it right now. Christmas is coming. I should do some sort of promotion. And I've got Career Day this Friday at that high school. Need to think about that a little. Setting for DD#4: Interview more people about life in the '50s or do I have enough in there already? Rewrite my will to assign rights to my "intellectual property"? Yeah, when I get time. Two dates in TC coming up. Should I get a room or drive home late at night? December... Beta reader needs a copy of the fourth Dead Detective. Print, since she doesn't Kindle.   Um, when was I g

I just returned from Magna Cum Murder, a mystery con in Indianapolis. It's interesting that each year, more people know who I am and more have already read my books. Many of us on what's called the Mid-list (meaning we're not big names that publishers are engaging in bidding wars for) sit quietly at these cons, listening to more famous writers tell their stories. Some might think that if a book is good, everyone will find it and read it. That's not necessarily true in this age of hype from big publishers. A book might be very good but not quite the thing the marketing people are pushing this year or the fad type of book everyone is supposed to be reading. (For example, when did "everyone" start reading YA lit?) There's nothing wrong with being a mid-list writer in my opinion. I write what I want to write, and no one argues with me (well, not much) about the direction my career should be going. I feel no pressure to attend twenty conferences a year or w

What takes longer, you ask? Everything. It takes longer to sell a book than you'd like. It takes longer to produce a book than you estimate. It takes longer to become a familiar name to readers than you expected. It takes longer to to keep up with promotion than you ever imagined. Let's look at those one by one. Sell the book . Five years is the estimated average time it takes a writer to find a publisher. If you're hoping for a big publisher, it could be even more. Yes, I know you read about an author who hit it big with her first book. Hooray for her, but most of us don't have that experience. We just don't talk about it because the average reader thinks if a book is "good enough," it's going to get published. Yeah, right. Produce the book . Once your book is accepted by a publisher, you're on their timeline. You can tell all your friends about it, but they're likely to have to wait more than a year to see the book in print. My

Some things you need to accept: 1. You're not as good as you think you are. Other people have ideas as good as yours. In fact, it's hard to be truly creative with all the stories that are out there. Others write as well as you do too. Admit it, and you'll be easier to be around. 2. You're going to work harder than you expect to be successful. There is no Book Fairy who sprinkles shiny stuff on your work and gets everyone to notice it. There's no way to get readers to pay attention if they don't want to. There are things you can do that actually turn readers off, like constantly telling what a great book you've written. 3. Nobody knows what works. If there were a formula--well, there isn't. Badly written books get to be Best Sellers and really good books get rejected by publishers or lie languishing if they do get published. 4. Writing well isn't easy. Note the qualifier. A monkey can sit down at a computer and produce something. An author kn