I had a Cozy Bargain Bin all set up to share with you. But, like the entire month of April, it has vanished. I can only hope it’s gathering more and more Cozy Bargains for you on its adventure.
So, while the search for that elusive bin continues, I have two works-in-progress to tell you about:
The Procrastinator’s Planning Calendar. It won’t overwhelm you with chores and includes a daily tidbit to ponder procrastination with. I am procrastinating on designing the cover and finishing it. Any cover ideas you’d like to share?
The Planet Ziggy Expedition: Will the Mystery of the Phoenix Lights be Solved? Gordy Gordon is a shapeshifting alien who lands on Sally’s igloo roof. He has a plan to get help finding the lost love of his life and retrain two of Sally’s marauders for a life outside of crime. Or does he have a different agenda?
While I scratch my head over these next two books of the Sally the Loner series, here’s some cozies and mysteries you might like to get lost in…
There’s a new way to buy Sally the Loner eBooks in town that could knock your socks off. It will save you, at the very least, a buck a book! It’s fast. It’s easy. And you’ll love it!
It’s spring, but it’s still cold on the floor. Put your socks back on and I’ll tell you how to save a buck a book, or more.
Alexie Linn has partnered with Lemon Squeezy. Lemon Squeezy is a super quick, mobile friendly, all-in-one checkout platform. It lists a multitude of benefits, but fraud-prevention, multi-currency, fast, and mobile friendly snagged my attention right off.
I tried it. Yep, I bought my own eBooks to check it out… and it works! Just like they say. It’s Super Quick and Mobile Friendly.
Today, all 13 of the Sally the Loner series are uploaded and ready for you to buy. You can download them in Epub, Mobi, or Pdf – right on the site! A receipt flies right to your email account. It’s awesome. And here’s how to turn the key to the savings library:
Go to alexielinnauthor.com. Click through to the book you want. Click the ‘Buy direct from the author’ link. Voila! Done!
And now onto the Spring into the Cozies…
More NEWS!
Book 12 is published and available for your reading pleasure.
Get ready to embark on a whimsical and mysterious journey with Sally, a woman who has always been pet-free, as she grapples with the unexpected appearance of a black and white billy goat in her dooryard.
This goat has no intention of leaving and becomes a constant and quirky presence in Sally’s life, pushing her beyond her comfort zone and into world of goat-related antics and misadventures.
Join Sally as she navigates the challenges of this unexpected visitor and discovers the surprising connections that can be formed when we open ourselves up to the unexpected. In this captivating twelfth installment of the series, prepare to be charmed by the humorous and heartwarming tale of Sally and the goat that defies all expectations.
It’s not the infamous writer’s block. Neither is it brain-burnout or a blank page staring back at me. It’s simply a control issue.
When the conversation doesn’t come bubbling out or the scene is flat and boring, I blame the characters. But the real problem is me. I’m trying to control the characters instead of letting them play it out while I tend to the mechanics of it all.
The mechanics that make the book a readable page-turner. Mechanics like:
Are their actions logical?
Is their information sharing accurate?
How’s their grammar? Is it concise and acceptable?
Is it clear who’s talking?
Are they rambling on and need to put a sock in it?
Here’s an example of me trying to control the characters. It happened to me just last week.
My current work-in-progress – ‘The Goat that Wasn’t – A Baa-d Mystery’ – was becoming dry-as-dust. Oh, there was lots of mystery. There has to be anytime a strange goat comes bombing into your house and takes over… But halfway through the story there still were no bad guys!
No antagonists jumped in to stir the pot and raise more havoc than a presumptuous goat. No bodies appeared. Sally hadn’t whomped anyone with her walking stick. Nobody was holding anybody hostage. It was a story of all good guys!
Huh?
I’d plucked the characters from my own well-cultivated garden and added a few weeds with beautiful flowers. Why aren’t they performing well and thriving? They seemed to be all greens and no fruit.
I feared book 12 in the Sally the Loner series with an attention-grabbing title and 2 covers to choose from were going to fizzle and die before ever leaping out of the computer and into the world of readers.
After three days of worrying it, I practiced my own preachings.
‘Get out of the way and let the characters write the story. It’s their tale to tell.’
I did. They did. And coming soon is ‘The Goat that Wasn’t – A Baa-d Mystery’. Watch for it. But first…
I need your help… Sally and the gang are keeping mum.
With two covers vying for first place, I’m boggled. Which one grabs your curiosity first? Please cast your vote for Cover 1 or Cover 2. Thank you, thank you.
Click the pic to vote for COVER 1
Click the pic to vote for COVER 2
On that note; Take this lesson to heart in your own writing endeavors to let the characters do the storytelling. You’re just there for the mechanics. And the covers. And the description. And the…
But while you’re waiting for the debut of ‘The Goat that Wasn’t – a Baa-d Mystery’, you might also like to get acquainted with these characters…
Deadly Cozy – Just for you and yours… Muahahahaha…
The first time Sally stepped away from the house only to be chased back into the house by a crazed orange tabby cat was memorable. Memorable because, to hear her tell it, Sally has no pets.
She called the cat Spaghettio owing to its resemblance to a plate full of the popular canned pasta rings covered in that orangey-red sauce. For levity she labeled the cat a guy trying to dominate her activities.
But where did he come from? Why is he so determined to keep her a prisoner in her own house?
Between her mankin, Rodney’s, calamitous misadventures with his new bionic arm and the wheelchair and the berserk visiting cat, Sally’s got her hands full. Can she solve the insane cat mystery and save Rodney from his new arm?
Family friendly… For young and old… Something for everybody… Including a single question poll. I need your input.
What would you do if you were visiting a cemetery and found a grave marker with your missing father’s name on it… from about a hundred years ago?
Mary Linn and Valinda are off and running again in their pursuit of helping others gain closure for their loved ones. But this time, the closure is for both Mary Linn and Valinda when the marker is discovered but the remains have been stolen. And the two girls witness it from their tent!
Because Valinda goes missing, the questions multiply and the tension heats up.
How will Mary Linn, Lonnie, and Valinda make it through the fire alive this time? Will Mary Linn find her father and get the answers she’s been seeking forever? Will Mary Linn and Lonnie finally succumb to…?
Family friendly… For young and old… Something for everybody… Including a single question poll. I need your input.
What would you do if you were visiting a cemetery and found a grave marker with your missing father’s name on it… from about a hundred years ago?
Mary Linn and Valinda are off and running again in their pursuit of helping others gain closure for their loved ones. But this time, the closure is for both Mary Linn and Valinda when the marker is discovered but the remains have been stolen. And the two girls witness it from their tent!
Because Valinda goes missing, the questions multiply and the tension heats up.
How will Mary Linn, Lonnie, and Valinda make it through the fire alive this time? Will Mary Linn find her father and get the answers she’s been seeking forever? Will Mary Linn and Lonnie finally succumb to…?
Imagine waking up from a nap to see a donkey and a horse peering through the screen door, both desperately thirsty. Would you give them a drink? And then what?
Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?
With no one else around but a goat, chickens and a pup, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.
Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure.
Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “The Secrets of the Tainted Trough”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.
This is so important that I’ll say it again….8 Things Posting a Book Review Says About You… And Does for You
When you were in school, did you have a clue that you were prepping to shape the world? “What world is that?” you ask. “It’s just a boring old required book report.” I know. I lived it, too.
But with every book you read, (fiction or nonfiction) you gain knowledge; learn new ways of thinking or doing things; and have a hand in shaping our future.
In adult life, the book report becomes a book review. And it’s written and posted on books that you choose to read. Posting a book review says more about you than can be written in a paragraph. And does more for you than you can imagine.
Here’s what I’ve discovered and am sharing with you.
8 things posting a book review says about you
You care about readers. Whether it be your mother, your neighbor or your child, you want them to know if a story is quality or needs work. Thank you. You are a gem.
You care about authors. We aim to give you, the reader, a fun, provocative, and interesting experience. Only you can tell us if we’re succeeding. And reviews are the simplest, most direct method of helping us to get it right. Your efforts shape and influence our next offering to you.
You want to be heard. Book reviews are one platform that I guarantee you are being heard by the multitudes.
You’re worth hearing. When you take the seconds to minutes required to post a review, your thoughts offer value.
You want to learn. Your quest for knowledge is insatiable. It’s what keeps you moving and shaking in the world.
You don’t waste your time. While others are practicing potato heads, you are an escape artist with class.
You love diversity. Every story is a new adventure. And you choose the destination.
You’re prepping for a possible side hustle. There are opportunities to get free books, make pin money, and even big bucks in the business of reviewing books. Good for you!
Now turning to what’s in it for you…
7 things posting a book review does for you
Gets you free books to read
Informs prospective readers
Encourages writers
Educates authors
Gives you a platform to be heard from
Keeps your mind sharp
Adds skills that can be turned into a side hustle
And speaking of free books to read and review… Click here to get a free eBook novelette that’s only available through this link. It’s a cozy mystery. It’s called ‘Body Lost and Found’. And is the prequel to the Mary Linn, Gravestone Hunter Series. Mary Linn is a teenager with teenager challenges to overcome as well as…
And speaking of reviewing books…
I’ve joined and affiliate with Story Origin. Evan does a very fine job of connecting authors with reviewers all in a one-stop shop.
He answers questions almost faster than a raccoon can race over a roof with a steak in his mouth. Well, not quite that fast. But an overnight email, anyway.
I haven’t found a simpler or better way for writers and reviewers to unite. Thank you, Evan. Click here to learn about Story Origin.Join to get a never-ending supply of genre oriented free review copies of books to read.
Now it’s time to bid you adieu. And let you get on with your honorable passion… Reading and reviewing for the multitudes.
Did it happen again? Here you are… the clock is ticking… you need gifts that will entertain, encourage, and teach… in an hour? Yikes!
Take a breath. It will be fine. Your people will know that you searched and searched and then nailed it just for them. They’ll never know that you simplified and saved your sanity (shhh — if you don’t tell them).
Sit back. Relax. And let your fingers do the shopping with these fast and easy grabs.
Gander through… Click it… Voila! Phew!
For the little ones 4-6 years old:
The Scarecrow Series is available in eBook, Print, and Audible
Got teens? Here you are… Available in eBook, Print, and Audible
Siblings? Check these out:
Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery and Adventure Series is available in eBook, Print, and Audible
Parents and grands and neighbors and the postman? These will tickle them:
Get it in eBook, Print and in Audible
In eBook and Print! Large Print!
In eBook and Print… Large Print!
To coin a phrase…
The cost for your sanity? Priceless!
Read to the end for your gift… the freebies…
Have a great one… whatever it is you’re celebrating.
Happy Trails and Tales from Alexie Linn, Aaralyn Rae and friends
But wait! You might also like…
A teenager who enjoys graveyards? What’s up with that?
A quirky teenager’s mysterious adventures.
Alexie Linn is intrigued by Mary Linn’s hobby. What moves a teenager to scout graveyards for other’s lost ancestors? Is she a ghoul? A vampire? A witch in a secret coven? What is she really in search of? Blood? Ghosts? Magic? Or is it her own bloodline? Her father’s secret past that Joan has mentioned? Or is graveyard hunting simply Mary Linn’s way of escaping from the trials and tribulations of being a teenager? So many options…
A memorable life-changing cozy mystery and adventure…
Two women lay sprawled in front of my truck. They are very dead. Queenie sits like a statue on the passenger side of my vintage Chevy pick-up looking like the circus fat lady that she thinks she is – but she’s not laughing. I am on sabbatical in the Kaibab National Forest, feeding my own free spirit with life changing time by myself, much needed and anticipated after my last exhausting coaching case.
I know none of these women, but the two dead ones seem to have known me because they have magically materialized near each of my camps for a couple of seasons now. I met Queenie last evening and was simply lending a hand – or, in this case my truck and nutritional expertise – to a woman in temporary need. Our less than 24-hour kinship was an uncomplicated ‘women helping women’ moment – I thought.
While this could be a wearisome story of murder and mayhem, it isn’t. It’s the story of how one woman’s life changing personal transformation had a ripple effect in solving a cold case and enriching personal growth.
Who am I, you ask? I am Joan Freed, the rebel life coach and nutritional therapist. You’ve never heard of me? That’s okay. I keep a low profile intentionally.
My office is wherever my 19′ Wilderness RV is parked – which is never in an RV park if I can help it.
