This is a Special Edition for a Special Edition of a Sally the Loner Series.
It’s special because it’s not a run-of-the-mill cozy mystery. It’s still cozy. Sally and Rodney are the main characters. But you are the antagonist on your own story not yet written.
What the heck does that mean?
It means that Book 13 of the series is the Procrastinator’s Perpetual Planning Calendar. You complete the story while you fill in the blanks and grab a chuckle – or two.
182 1/2 days of laughter, inspiration, and daily wisdom from Grandma and other wise souls.
Dive into Sally’s delightful anecdotes and practical to-do lists.
Kickstart your day with purpose and humor. Perfect for singles, shut-ins, homemakers, roommates, or anyone seeking a daily dose of motivation and a good laugh.
Let this book be your morning companion to spark action and joy in your life every day.
Yes, you can. The important stuff, anyway. You can tell it things like:
You have my attention!
You look intriguing…
What are you about?
I want to snuggle up with you in front of a cozy fire – or in front of a cooling AC as the case may be.
If you can’t tell a book those things by its cover, the cover has missed the mark.
The cover to your book is the full-page ad you’ve signed up for. Why not make it pay?
Here’s how:
Whether you’re farming the job out or doing it yourself, you will need to have a picture in your head to convey to the artist. Here’s what the artist needs to know:
Size
Colors
Subject Matter
Font
Size
Canva (my goto) digital book covers are 1410 pixels by 2250 pixels. This works perfect for 6” x 9” books.
Colors
Pick your colors by the genre and the attitude of your book. What emotion do you want to fire up? For example: pink and purple for cozy mysteries; black and red for horror stories; green, blue, and brown for dramas. Nothing is set in stone… but do you get the picture?
Click for details
Subject matter
The image should hint at what’s inside. Lightly. Here’s a typical size nonfiction cover that’s been clicked time and time again:
Click for details
But this cozy mystery cover misses the mark entirely and is on the make a new cover list asap:
Click for details
Here’s the cozy that’s had the most comments:
Click for details
And this is cozy mystery cover that breaks all the color rules but is a close second for grabbing attention:
Who can tell what will be the next cover magnet? Except that the subject of the cover should hint at what a reader can expect to be enthralled with on the inside.
Font
Choose your font for clear readability and emotion. Bloody drips hint at gore… but can the title and author be read?
The Perfect Cover
The perfect cover snags attention in a lineup of teeny tiny pictures. It reaches out and grabs a reader’s emotions to dig deeper.
Whether you choose a cover creator service or conjure it yourself with an AI cover image creator like Night Café Studio and Canva, you still have to tell them what you want produced.
Be ready to communicate the size, colors, subject matter, and font of the project.
The scuttlebutt that several news sources agree on is that 99 Cent Only stores are closing up shop. But you can still find dollar deals if you pay attention.
Here’s one cozy mystery popping up to give your giggle bone and page turner finger a workout today…
Meet Katlyn, Mazy, and Helen. Sally bumped into them at the annual senior’s Ice Cream Social. The three ladies were uncommonly interested in Sally’s chosen lifestyle… that of a loner. She’s her own boss in all things. Period. And proud of it.
Pleased with herself at being independent at 87-years-old, she still can’t believe how these ladies sucked her right into the fold. Then made her the one credible witness to their widowhood. But were they wrong in their actions? Were their manipulations a figure of Sally’s imagination?
This story gives new meaning to ‘Choose your friends wisely…’
Got Your Ears On? Here’s how to 1)Save Money! 2)Learn! 3)Be Entertained! All with your ears!
How often does your jet-speed commute turn into a ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ parking lot? Or an appointment flip-flop into cooling your jets in a waiting room? Then there’s the inevitable rehearsal that went overtime and yada, yada, yada.
What do you do to survive none the worse for wear?
Here’s a simple solution.
Read a book with your ears!
Schann Stewart, Alexie Linn, and Audible have partnered to bring you a brand-new audiobook that’s yours for the asking.
Have you met the players?
Schann Stewart is a voice magician. She sings. She plays all the parts in a story, including the horse and donkey. She entertains.
You’re already getting to know Alexie Linn, the author, quite well.
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.
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…
You’ve come so very far. You’ve chosen indie as your publication platform rather than traditional printing houses. Your manuscript is cooling for its final edits before the launch. But how and where will you launch from?
FYI: The bedroom closet is not a launchpad. Neither is the desk drawer or your granddad’s old, beat-up briefcase.
There are, once again, so many cyberspace options to display and sell your baby on that it boggles the mind. Slog through them if you like, but here are the four venues I use and why:
Launch from Amazon (of course!) – For worldwide distribution of eBooks, print, and audiobooks through Amazon. I write, upload a print-ready package, and promote. Once I push ‘publish’, they do all the printing, shipping, and bookkeeping. I get royalties and a 1099 tax statement at the end of the year.
Launch from Draft to Digital – The one-stop warehouse of eBooks, Print, and Audiobooks for Barnes and Noble, Libraries, and your other favorite retailer like Walmart. They do the distributing and bookkeeping. I get royalties and a 1099 tax statement at year end.
Launch from Google Play – Another worldwide distributor of eBooks. It’s a learning curve that I’m just getting into. Stay tuned on this one.
Launch from Lemon Squeezy – The ‘Buy Direct from the Author’ payment processing platform for eBooks… through my website. They also offer a storefront… so, more uploading of covers and ready-to-read files to make it work. But for $2.50 whoosh into my pocket for a $3 book instead of $1.40 or 38 cents, I’ll do it!
Phew! I’m pooped just sharing all these publishing venues and platforms with you. But I’ll take a breath and grab some coffee to inspire the spilling of pertinent details for each platform.
Please email me here if I’m pouring too fast. It happens.
Here is the computer literate fast-track instructions for lift-off from these platforms:
Click on the ‘Create’ button and start at the top…
To publish an eBook, you will need:
A fully edited, read to enthrall a reader, manuscript including:
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Table of Contents
The story
The end matter:
About the author
Where to find more of your books
Review Call-to-Action
The description
A cover (I use Canva, but there are gazillions more)
Shelf categories – fiction, mystery, drama, etc.
Search terms for search engines and algorithms
Faith and courage
To publish a print book, you will need all the above with these exceptions:
A fully edited, ready to enthrall a reader, manuscript as above in a ready-to-print format. For a 6”x 9” book, reset the margins to 5 ½” x 8 ½” output. Scroll through to delete blank pages. Margin changes can bring surprises – like blank pages…
Back cover blurb
Patience
Amazon makes it easy to add your print book at the same time. Besides being worldwide, kdp makes large print books possible. Watch for an upcoming blogpost for print book formatting hints and tips.
Publishing your works in audiobook form is the subject for a separate blogpost to keep this post a digestible size.
Publishing on Draft to Digital (D2D or Books2Read)
You will need the same uploading packet as with Amazon. But D2D book upload forms seem faster and simpler to me.
It’s also fast and easy to add a print book after the eBook details, however, large print is not offered.
Publish on Google Play
The same procedure and packet. But so far, Google Play is keeping me at arm’s length. It’s an ongoing learning curve. I’ll share when I figure it out.
Publish and Sell Direct from Your Website and Story Origin with Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is a new (to me) way for me to sell my eBooks directly to you. No middleman. The opportunity makes it possible for elbow-rubbing discounts that you can’t get anywhere else.
When I get the hang of it, you’ll see discount codes appearing here and there… hither and yon, so to speak. They might be through a promotional banner from Story Origin that I’ve added to a blog… or a single link in a blog… or even right on a book page of my website. The deal could be blatant or more of a treasure hunt. Only time will tell. It’s the learning curves…
But you can get right to it with Lemon Squeezy for your own website by:
Set-up your account for getting paid, etc. (They pay the sales tax, and more)
Upload your eBooks (Cover, Complete Content packet as above) into your own storefront on their site (required)
Share the link for each book to get the code for checkout from your website and ads you place.
What I really, really like about Lemon Squeezy rather than sites like Shopify (can I say that?) is the pricing structure. You pay a minimal fee for each sale. That’s it. No monthly subscription charges hitting my account.
I like it.
And that’s all I have to say about launching books for success. For today.
Book launch day is an event. I start with Amazon; then D2D; Google Play can wait; ending with alexielinnauthor.com and Lemon Squeezy. Story Origin for reviews and promotion is another event on its own.
Except this one more thing…
Here’s a freebie to introduce you to the Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery/Adventure Series. Click on the cover for the download button to grab it while you can.
Cheers!
P.S. Results of the call for votes on the last blog post was a landslide ‘Mix it up!’ Thanks for participating. You got it!
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…?
Alexie Linn, the Author, and Homespun Rebel 