Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp- Chapter 20, and some thoughts on modern publishing

cover design by Farah Evers

I've been struggling with Chapter 20 all week, and I'm still not very happy with it. However, it's time to leave it and move on to Chapter 21. Maybe when it's bracketed by parts I like I'll be able to see what's wrong with it.

The first time through, I left out an important piece, so I had to go back and weave it in. I think something more significant needs to happen, but I'm not sure at this point what that would be.

Since this chapter is likely to change, perhaps significantly, I don't think I'll include an excerpt.

Instead, I'm going to comment on a blog post made by Dougie Brimson, author of Billy's Log, at Why I love my readers (and why their reviews are so important!)

He says:

"Of course there are people who would never review a book for all kinds of reasons. The usual three being ‘I wouldn’t know what to write’,’ I’d be embarrassed’ or ‘I can’t be arsed.’ But by thinking in this way they are actually missing out on what to me is one of the most exciting elements of the ebook revolution and that’s the potential for the reader to become directly involved in the publishing process... And speaking as an author, reviews have other benefits. One of which is that they help me to decide what to write next."

I think this is one of the most interesting parts of the e-publishing revolution... the instant feedback. For example, When I wrote News from Dead Mule Swamp, I included several local people who became friends of Ana. I generally planned that those characters would continue to show up in subsequent books. However, as feedback began to come in, obviously readers loved Cora Baker.

Chatting with my husband the other day he said with some surprise, "You've changed what you are writing because of what people said?"

In response I explained that I wouldn't go quite so far as to say I changed anything, since I already had the plot of this book pretty much worked out. However, I did make sure that Cora makes more than a short appearance, and that her friendship with Ana has a chance to grow.

So, feedback has certainly had an impact on my writing. Not to mention the encouragement from people who liked the first book. Without that, I probably wouldn't have continued. What you think does make a difference!

Action item of the day: go write a review of a self-published book you've read. I'd love it if you'd review one of mine, but it will help the entire publishing industry if you review a book or two.

You can buy book 1, News from Dead Mule Swamp, for only 99¢ at Smashwords, or Amazon

Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp - Chapters 18, 19

cover design by Farah Evers

Saturday night I got a brain wave for a small element to add to this story which serves several purposes.
1. It brings Cora into the story more (something readers of the first book wanted)
2. It provides an emotional relief from Chapter 17
3. It creates a piece of the final outcome that will be satisfying to the reader

Once I decided how to make it work, I sat down to write yesterday afternoon, and it just exploded onto the screen. I ended up with over 3000 words, and since the chapters in this series are generally short, I split it into two.

Now, I'm ready to buckle down and get back to the main theme and the emotionally heavier part of the story.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 18:

    By the time I got some food collected and Cora had returned the papers and photos to their files it was eleven o’clock. We decided to go to the park first. We didn’t want to waste any time, so just took the paved roads, crossing the county on School Section Road and turning north on Kirtland till we reached the turnoff to Turtle Lake. During the drive, I filled Cora in on my conversations with Star and DuWayne. She shared my concern for the girl, but her body language made it clear that she still didn’t have much use for DuWayne.

You can buy book 1, News from Dead Mule Swamp, for only 99¢ at Smashwords, or Amazon

Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp- Chapter 17

cover design by Farah Evers

Finished this chapter on Saturday. I knew exactly what had to be in it. Which leads me to digress a bit about how I organize my thoughts for writing.

I was asked, by someone I was chatting with on my trip East, if I work from an outline or how I know what goes where in the story.

I guess the idea of an actual outline is mostly in my head. I do have a file with general notes- scenes that I think might be good, interesting names, snippets of conversations, but what I actually write down in terms of organization is a list of chapters.

It's easy to divide the story into bite-sized pieces with generally what happens in each one. These are the central events in chapters. I put them in sequence and write them down. That doesn't mean they are set in stone. In Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp, already, one chapter had to be broken in two, another potential chapter was shrunk to a few sentences and tacked on the end of another one.

Just last night, as I was getting ready to start Chapter 18, I got a brain wave for a small interesting development to add to the story, so that bumps all the original chapter ideas ahead one number. It's just a list to organize the sequential flow of the story, not a rigid plan.

As for Chapter 17, it's another emotional one, and when I finished writing I was really wrung out. For a "light" mystery, this one is having its heavy moments. Here's an excerpt (but I'm deep enough into the story by now that I don't want to give things away with the excerpts):

    Paddy had been crouched at my feet, not barking, apparently trying to understand the angry human voices he was unaccustomed to hearing. I'd almost forgotten him. Now he stood up and nuzzled my hand. Suddenly my knees were weak, and I collapsed into an easy chair. The dog put his head in my lap.
    "Now what, Paddy?" I asked, as I stroked his silky ears.

You can buy book 1, News from Dead Mule Swamp, for only 99¢ at Smashwords, or Amazon

Toby and Harry Free through March 10

Twin Trinity Media is offering some of their short stories for free on Smashwords this week. You have two more days to get "Toby and Harry" for NOTHING. Just download it!

This story is out of the norm for me. Maybe that will interest you (what was she thinking when she wrote this?). Maybe you won't like it. But you can find out with no financial risk at all. Aren't you curious?

Use the coupon code RE100 at Smashwords, for Toby and Harry any time through March 10.

Don't have a reader? No problem. Smashwords offers several formats that can be read on the computer.

Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp- Chapter 16

cover design by Farah Evers

This chapter has actually been done for a while. I've been out of town for a week and didn't write at all during that time. Actually, that's not strictly true. There was a lot of car time and I worked out more details for upcoming chapters in my head. No words were put into the word processor, but progress was made.

Anyway, this chapter was written one night before I left, when I couldn't sleep.

I'm itching to get to creating the next one. The number of "Likes" for Anastasia Raven on Facebook is increasing, and I hope I started a couple of new ripples of sales while on my trip. Obviously, if I have more than the one book available, sales are going to do better. So, I'm really eager to get "Paddy" ready to go.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 16:

    Just as the last of the light was fading, Detective Milford walked in the kitchen door. He seemed to have taken over the house as his base.
    “Mr. Leonard, let’s go in the living room,” he said. It wasn’t an invitation; it was a command.
    Len nodded and stood up stiffly. The men left the kitchen, and I looked at the girls. They both looked very tired.

You can buy book 1, News from Dead Mule Swamp, for only 99¢ at Smashwords, or Amazon

Bubba to the Rescue- Book Review

Bubba to the Rescue is book two of the Green Meadow series for young adults, by Jennifer Walker. If you read Bubba Goes National first, you will have an appreciation for the characters, but it is not necessary to read the books in order.

Both books are perfect gifts for tweens through young teens. In an age when there is so much emphasis on paranormal activities, goofy behavior, fantasy, and urban lifestyles, it's refreshing to find a book that kids are sure to enjoy which promotes hard work, good ethics, a moral lifestyle, and family relationships. Walker is not afraid to take on difficult topics, but in doses which young readers can process.

Bubba is Leslie Clark's Arabian horse (she named him Lucky, but her father calls him Bubba). In book one, she found the horse for sale as a castoff and was able to purchase him, and then ride him to a national championship. Book two begins with Leslie and her boyfriend, Alex, trail riding. They see smoke and discover a forest fire which is threatening a neighbor's ranch. Leslie and Alex save those horses, then ride furiously back to Green Meadow to check on their own ranch. However, during the ride, Bubba is injured.

This is the set-up for the rest of the story. It's exciting and believable. It's also the reason for what I think is the only real problem with this book. Bubba, the title horse, and one we've come to love in book one, is mostly sidelined for the rest of this volume. Instead, the book focuses on a horse that followed Leslie and Alex home during the fire. This horse had apparently been abandoned to the woods, and is in need of a lot of care. Leslie falls in love with the new horse, whom they name Spark, and the book is the story of how they find Spark's owner, and whether Leslie will get to keep Spark. Although Bubba was put out to pasture for a while to heal, I wanted Leslie to care enough to go interact with him more often.

That said, the book was otherwise excellent.

There are a number of serious themes developed (at least to some extent) in this book. Sometimes, I thought perhaps there were too many, but kids have really complex lives these days, so I doubt it will faze most readers. Some of these topics are: injury to a beloved animal, adjusting to a new step-parent, early dating relationships, unhealthy controlling relationships, and father / teen daughter relationships.

Although the plot line is the story of Spark, the character development is at least as important as the plot. Many of the chapters are devoted to Leslie's home life with her new step-mother, Helen, or to her friendships. Of course the whole setting of running a stable and caring for the horses is the necessary background for the series.

Anyone who loves horses will like this book. It's perfect for ages 10 and up (possibly younger), and adults may enjoy it as a light read.

One of Walker's gifts is the natural way she describes all the "horsey" elements. Her personal experience as a horsewoman shows through loud and clear.

On a 10 point scale, I give this book a 9. Just one point off for abandoning Bubba (even temporarily) for Spark so early in the series.

AND... if you'd like a chance to win an e-copy of the companion short "Leslie and the Lion" just leave a comment for this post. Make sure you do that before midnight EST March 16 (end date of the book tour). One winner will be picked at random.

Newspaper Column- February

This month was an easy topic. There was a group of hammock campers at the state park. I interviewed them and wrote about their experiences.

I've got the topics for the next two months, too. So I'm in good shape.

The newspaper column is more human interest, but you can read about the event at Hammock Campers Rendevouz at Ludington State Park.