Stop in for a fresh point of view

cj Sez: Lyrical Pens is excited to present a guest post today.

DARLENE DZIOMBA          

  Welcome, welcome to Lyrical Pens, Darlene. I think your unique comparisons and descriptions of your journey to publication will help everyone visualize the struggles of an aspiring writer. Carry on . . .

 

“  People say, “What I know about, fill in the blank, wouldn’t fill a thimble.” Five years ago, when this crazy thought of “I should write a book” popped into my head, I could probably fill a thimble with my knowledge of writing a book. I had written long papers in Graduate School, so I understood how to outline and general rules of grammar. I had read thousands of mystery books and knew a story needed a protagonist, a villain, a plot, and some red herrings.

 

  I sat down and began my outline. I am a plotter. Hats off to the pantsers out there. I need a plot. Then I started writing. I wrote and wrote and wrote some more. I had what published authors would call a very long synopsis. There were more pages than a synopsis, but I was nowhere near book-length. I signed up for a Writers Workshop to get feedback on my progress. Ten talented writers, one a published author provided me with volumes of feedback. My knowledge level overflowed the thimble and topped off a shot glass. 

  Shots can be fun, but more education was in order. I turned to Sisters in Crime. I took online classes, zoomed into webinars, and lurked across multiple list servs. I revised and rewrote, and wrote some more. My knowledge level expanded, and I could easily fill a six-ounce glass.

  

  I got to around forty thousand words and patted myself on the back. I was doing a great job. However, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I was not ready to start submitting this work to agents. At least I knew that much. So I went to someone whose knowledge could fill a ten-gallon punch bowl, a librarian with a published author in the family. He introduced me to a host of people who were happy to read my WIP and give me more feedback. 

  

  Armed with a ten-ounce wine glass of knowledge and my 74,000-word manuscript, I started submitting to agents. Then I emptied glass after glass of wine as I listed between listening to crickets and receiving rejection emails.

  I had outgrown my glassware, and it was time to pivot. Through all the learning and networking, I met many self-published authors. I researched platforms.
I established a business to collect royalties and pay for writing expenses. (A person can dream that the royalties will one day cover the expenses.) I grabbed one of the empty pinot grigio bottles and filled it with my knowledge. I had a book, and I knew how to self-publish it. Clues From The Canines was released.

  I didn’t want to stop learning at 750ml. If the royalties are going to pay the expenditures, one needs to know far more about Marketing and Publicity than I did. My fellow writers at the Guppies and SinC Grand Canyon Writers were there to help. 

  With enough knowledge to fill a three-liter wine box, Up Close and Pawsonal, the second book in the Lily Dreyfus series, will release on March 4. 2023. In this book, Lily Dreyfus will enjoy an outdoor concert until shots are fired from a passing SUV, critically injuring two bandmates. She is drawn into investigating the crime to help cope with PTSD and to avenge the death of the band member who was her coworkers’ nephew. 

  There is still more to learn about the craft, and I will continue to gain knowledge as the Lily Dreyfus series expands. In August, I will attend Killer Nashville. By the end of the conference, I’ll have enough knowledge to fill a small barrel of bourbon.”

/ / / / 

  Darlene is a member of Sisters in Crime National and several regional SinC groups. She combined her passion for the written word and animals into the Lily Dreyfus series. Darlene volunteers at the Animal Welfare Association, a New Jersey animal shelter, where she chats with the dogs while completing her assignments. She has a 30-year career in Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and is an avid reader, gardener, and traveler.  Darlene lives in New Jersey with her four-legged best friend, Billie.

Find and follow Darlene on these sites:

www.ReadDarlene.com

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Dziomba/author 

@ReadDarlene1

facebook.com/read.darlene.7

ReadDarlene@hotmail.com

Up Close And Pawsonal 

Buy Up Close Now

  A casual evening of listening to music by a local cover band turns into a murder investigation when a drive-by shooting destroys the tranquility of the night and critically injures two of the band members. 

  Lily Dreyfus, stressed and unsettled from having been at the concert, is informed that one of the dead band members is the nephew of her coworker at the Forever Friends Animal Shelter. Lily will leash together a set of seemingly unrelated events to seek the perpetrator and make them heel.

 

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cj Sez:   Darlene, your journey to get Up Close and Pawsonal ready to launch is a super example of dogged determination, discipline and attention to detail for all aspiring writers and perhaps a learning moment for readers. Thank you for sharing on Lyrical Pens, and we wish you best-selling author sales and rave reviews for Up Close and Pawsonal.

 That’s it for today’s post, folks. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.

cj

No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The print copies are out of stock . . . EXCEPT AT The Haunted Book Shop. This indie bookstore has signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Lots of interesting tidbits for writers

cj Sez: Sisters in Crime upcoming events

  These two published authors use very different methods of writing. One is an avowed plotter and the other is an unapologetic pantser. Hear how each works and then listen to them discuss how they might not be that far apart after all. Every writers needs to find the system that works for them!

  Members are required to sign in to register for the webinar. Non-members are invited to register for the webinar; however, you must establish a Guest Non-member account on our site so that you can sign in to register.  Creating your account is a one-time process, and you can sign in with the same credentials for all future webinars.

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  "Named for the late, pioneering African American crime fiction author Eleanor Taylor Bland, the award is intended to support the recipient in crime fiction writing and career development activities. The no-fee submissions are open to any crime writer of color who has not published more than ten short works or two novels. More information is available at www.sistersincrime.org/EleanorTaylorBland "

"Eleanor Taylor Bland was the author of fourteen book-length works of crime fiction  between 1992 and 2007. The books featured Marti MacAlister, a female police detective and an enduring and beloved heroine who went against the grain of stereotypes related to African American women in much of U.S. popular culture."

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From the latest blog post at JaneFriedman.com:  How Writing Your Synopsis Can Fix Your Book

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NEXT WEEK . . .

  Stop by Lyrical Pens on February 26 when we feature a guest post by Darlene Dziomba, writing about her five-year journey to get “Up Close and Pawsonal,” the second book in her Lily Dreyfus series, ready to launch. 

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For your reading enjoyment

  Here’s a Mobile Writers Guild anthology chock full of a variety of short stories that transcend its popular holiday theme.

The Ebook is sale-priced, too!

Buy Mardi Gras Pieces   

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  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.

 cj

No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.

The Haunted Book Shop has signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

cj Sez: No problem if your Cajun French is rusty: “laissez les bon temps rouler” (pronounced "Lay-say le bon tom roo-lay") only means “let the good times roll.” The excitement kind of looks like this: 

  The Mardi Gras parades in and around Mobile just keep on rolling, and rain can’t dampen the enthusiastic crowds with hands reaching out to catch the throws flying off the floats.

  Revelers are taking home lots of loot: moon pies, plush toys, cups, glowing necklaces, Star Wars swords, and, of course, beads! 

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Only two weeks to go!

  Hey, all you young writers (and your teachers) in Mobile and Baldwin, AL, counties, the last date to submit a short story to the Mobile Writers Guild for the Tracy Hurley Fran Driscoll Contest is only two weeks away.

  The Mobile Writers Guild is sponsoring a Writing Scholarship contest calling for submissions of short story fiction written by students in grades 6 through 12 in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

  The process goes like this: Write your story, edit it, get it proofread (the more eyes that read it, the better), polish it some more, and submit the manuscript to the Guild by February 26 for a chance to win a ca$h prize. (Be sure to follow the instructions.)

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Also happening in two weeks . . .

Stop by Lyrical Pens on February 26 when we feature a guest post by Darlene Dziomba, writing about her five-year journey to get “Up Close and Pawsonal,” the second book in her Lily Dreyfus series, ready to launch. 

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For your reading enjoyment

  Here are a couple of Mobile Writers Guild anthologies, chock full of a variety of short stories that transcend their popular holiday themes.

And the Ebooks are sale-priced, too!

Buy Valentine’s Day Pieces 

Buy Mardi Gras Pieces 

§§

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.

cj

  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Feeling a bit maudlin

cj Sez: Well, there you have it. I’m nearing another milestone and feeling a little maudlin. A birthday is coming up later this month. I have to say I’m kind of awed with the years I’ve accumulated. 

  I'll admit to being on the far end of middle age, so staying active is primary for me. I haven’t taught an aerobics class in years, but I still enjoy taking an hour-long class of low-impact circuit training twice a week and an hour of yoga once a week. 

  The rest of the week I get my rear out of the computer chair and spend time being physical around my house and two acres of yard. My goal for 2023 and beyond is to keep on keeping on.

  Here’s an encouraging quote from author Babette Hughes (In case you’re wondering, she’s way older than me.):

“Age is not a disability, it is a second chance at life. I’m 92 years old and Post Hill Press has just published my three-novel Kate Brady series; (The Hat; The Red Scarf; The Necklace); I’m working on my fourth novel (Searching For Vivian) and fifth book, and am a frequent contributor to the Huffington Post.”

  Five years after that quote, in 2020, Hughes published 97 Speaks: Lessons From the Decades. It was her eighth book and second memoir.

  P.S. I plan to spend my birthday eating chocolate cake and taking advantage of free lunches and free desserts at more than one restaurant.

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Coming soon . . . a Guest Post 

  Be sure to stop by on Feb. 26, when Lyrical Pens will feature a guest post by Darlene Dziomba, writing about her five-year journey to get “Up Close and Pawsonal,” the second book in her Lily Dreyfus series, ready to launch.

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Timely anthologies and on sale, too.

Buy Valentine’s Day Pieces now

Buy Mardi Gras Pieces now

§§

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.

cj

  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6