Here’s the blurb and a link to Camosun – Publish Your Own E-book to register.

Thinking about publishing your writing but struck out with traditional publishers? Don’t fancy the headache of self-publishing in print? Then it’s time to join the latest publishing sensation.

You can publish your magnum opus (or cookbook, or romance, or…) in an electronic book format, sell it through major online booksellers and receive above average royalties as easy as a,b,c…well, almost.

This course will introduce you to all things e-book including set-up and formatting, online bookselling sites, e-reader choices, cover image basics and marketing possibilities.

And it’s only $49.00 (plus the dreaded HST). We had a full house last time so register early. Love to see you there!

Originally created to pitch to Guideposts, for whom I have written six novels in the Church Choir Mysteries series, the series focuses on family, fun, friendship and forgiveness.

Sisterhood of Shepherds

These “cold cases of the heart” are at the centre of the SISTERHOOD OF SHEPHERDS, a cozy feel-good inspirational series starring three adult sisters, Faith, Hope and Charly Shepherd, who hesitantly answer a personal calling to assist others in atoning for past wrongs.

Their ongoing journey, told in third person from Charly’s POV, is one of discovery, heartache, humor and redemption.

I’ve finished the first volume, HEARTSONG, and have submitted it to two interested agents. Now we wait for a response…probably for two to three months.

That’s a lot of chocolate fudge eating time…in the interim, why not read the first few chaps?

One recent reader commented: I like what I read so far of “Heartsong” …The excerpt merely whets the appetite for more.

Love to hear what you think!

Welcome to The Novel Experience®, the podcast dedicated to the craft and art of fiction writing. Listen, enjoy and improve your chances of getting published!

The Novel Experience Podcast

Episode 3: Date with a Sheesha Part 2

Just launched the third episode where I continue my conversation with the award-winning crime writer Anthony Bidulka, the pride of the Canadian prairies. (Duration: roughly 15 minutes)

Listen (above or below) to Part 2 to discover Anthony’s Five ‘Cs’ of author promotion and help your own book marketing…oh, all right. I’ll give you a hint. The first three are: Confidence, Communication and Capitalization.

Of course, to learn the last two and to hear Anthony’s terrific insight on Capitalization, which he describes as capitalizing on your strengths and dealing with your weaknesses, you gotta listen.

If you haven’t heard Part 1 or would like to hear my other interviews, click The Novel Experience Podcast.

The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 3 – Anthony Bidulka

It’s been twice named as one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 most valuable websites for writers.

And it is excellent: all sorts of book news, reviews and author interviews…which leads me to my point.

I’m fortunate enough to be their latest interviewee.

So, if you’d like to discover my pet peeve of the writing biz, among other bits of Furlong flotsam and jetsam, check out the Novel Journey and let me know what you think @ epubbing (at) shaw (dot) ca.

The Novel Experience Podcast

If you’re interested in words, writers and storytelling or if you’re a writer seeking sound advice from published authors to help you get published, please give it a spin at PodcastPickle.com. My latest guest is the Saskatchewan crime writer, Anthony Bidulka.

Click here for more info or if you want to listen via this blog or other podcasting services, such as iTunes and Podcast Alley.

Love to know what you think. Email me @ epubbing (at) shaw (dot) ca. Cheers!

The Black Widow is an intriguing police procedural mystery from a man who’s been in the trenches. To purchase ($2.99 US) or to find out more information, check it out at Smashwords.com. The Black Widow will soon be available from a number of other online booksellers.

The Black Widow by Michael Hanson

Michael kindly offers this note of appreciation for my electronic publishing services, my brief how-to primer, Self-Publish Your E-Book in Minutes, and for my e-publishing course:

When you are getting a little long in the tooth and want to publish a book, modern technology and publishing changes mean that skilled help is necessary.

The lecture on E-Book Publishing given by Nicola Furlong makes it easy for all ages, and her creativity and imagination give the necessary encouragement to take this step to publish your book. She was tremendous help with mine.

Her blog will keep you up to date in a rapidly changing world of fiction and nonfiction reading.

Why not let The Black Widow spin you her web?

UnnaturalStates

To read some reviews, check out the book trailer and find out more info, please visit Unnatural States.

You may always experience Unnatural States in a cool multi-media format at Unnatural States Quillr®.

Am always keen to improve my marketing opportunities for my fiction and non-fiction list and finding this book of interest re SEO, blogging strategies and using feeds and email lists.

View all my reviews >>

You may buy E-Riches 2.0 at
Amazon.com

Youdunit Whodunit!

The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit: How to Write Mysteries.

STORY STRUCTURE (PART 6 Continued)

LOOSE THE HOUNDS INTO THE MIDDLE:

Other mid-story development tidbits:

• Increase the tension and confusion by adding sub-plot entanglements, clues, red herrings, mistakes and misunderstandings. Find these distractions by playing around with answers to this question: what could reasonably and believably go wrong?
• Explore your characters’ motivations; remember the theme or the point of the story or what the Protagonist learns, about him or her or the world, foreshadows the solution
• Create conflict among characters to move the story forward. Witnessing a fist fight is riveting; eavesdropping on a happy couple not so much
• Ensure that EVERY scene provides information to the solution or essential character development. If not, throw it out. Sometimes your best writing should be tossed; them’s the breaks
• Increase the pace as the story unfolds
• Ensure that all plots, be they main or sub, continue to progress (and climax at the end)
• Avoid repetition, and
• Shun long periods without action. Remember: witnessing a fist fight is riveting; eavesdropping on a happy couple not so much.

…MORE how-to write a mystery tips and techniques continued in the next Friday Mystery Writing post!

Find out more information or how to purchase this e-book, jam-packed with ways to immediately improve your writing, click Youdunit Whodunit (only $2.99US!).

If you liked this, you may enjoy the previous post, One Damn Thing After Another

Cover for mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!

LOOSE THE HOUNDS INTO THE MIDDLE:

Other mid-story development tidbits:

• Never introduce the guilty party late in the book; that’s betraying the rule of fair game

• Generate more complications resulting from the criminal’s efforts at concealment or escape; these often result in a really big problem: a second murder or crime

• Remember that the strongest stories are intertwined, so construct your main and sub-plots to resonate or reflect one another. Perhaps your main mystery is a missing child; then a strong sub-plot would be to have one of your character’s searching for their birth family.

• Make it personal: have someone the reader likes be affected by the first murder or crime: maybe as a suspect? Or is in love with the suspect? Or their life’s changed by the crime?

Remember how MURDER SHE WROTE’S Jessica Fletcher always had some relationship with the victim or the suspect? So much so that no one would ever really want to be close to her!

• Develop and show strong motives for at least three characters and you’re off and running

…MORE how-to write a mystery tips and techniques continued in the next post!

Find out more information or how to purchase this e-book, jam-packed with ways to immediately improve your writing, click Youdunit Whodunit (only $2.99US!).