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.
Attention Readers! Try Reviewing and Get Complimentary Books from Authors!
What if the author of the book you just read and yourself met at a crossroads. You have 1-minute to say what you think of the story you just read.
What would you say to the author about the story?
Would you say:
5-Stars! A great story that flowed like a babbling brook dotted with rapids! Rich, lively characters. You pulled me right into the middle of every turn and twist in the stream. I recommend it for a fun and interesting journey to escape into.
Or (heaven forbid) would you say:
1-Star. The misspells threw barricades at every turn. The plot was muddled. The characters snoozed more than they moved. I recommend it for a writing class editing and proofreading project.
So, what reader doesn’t have an important opinion of the story they just read? And isn’t the review the crossroads where the reader and the writer come together?
This post is two-fold. Two-fold because what author isn’t also a reader?
But for clarification, I’ll separate the reader and writer specific sections.
As a reader you will learn:
How important your opinion is
What a book review is and how to write it quick and easy
A place to download gratis copies of books to read and review
As an author you will learn:
How important reviews are
How to get your books reviewed
A place to sign-up to get your book reviews posted on major sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookbub and Goodreads.
Let’s get started.
But first, You as a Reader
Your opinion
Your opinion of a book is a powerful tool for both readers and authors. Prospective readers want to know your thoughts before they buy it for themselves or as a gift for another.
They want to know if the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.
How many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?
Future readers and the writers both learn from your evaluation.
And here’s the great news! Your evaluation does not have to be as monstrous as a book manuscript. Simply say with a few well-chosen words what you liked (or didn’t like) about the book.
Think succinct empathy.
What a book review is and how to write it fast and easy
If the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.
How many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?
You could add if you recommend it to a specific group of readers.
Search engines scrape up about 168 million ways to write a book review. All the same, but completely different. It’s all relative.
I, as a prospective reader and an author, want to know if the characters are lively and memorable; if the story flows; and if you enjoyed the journey.
And even more important, how many stars do you give it? Would you recommend the book?
If you approach writing a review by simply addressing the above concerns, I believe you’ve earned the giveaway aspect of the agreement. At least for me and my offerings. And I thank you for your input.
Where to sign-up to snag gratis Review Copies of books
Of the 21 million listings on Bing, I chose one to get you started. It’s the one I use for my own works after sifting through about 20 million of the listings.
My goto affiliate is Story Origin. The platform is easy to navigate. You can choose categories and tags to narrow down, peruse and select from. The instant download to your e-reader device is fast and easy. I like it.
As a matter of fact, I recently uploaded a free novelette that is a prequel to the Sally the Loner Series. Here’s where you can instantly download ‘Come for Coffee with Sally’ and get the skinny on how the series came to be.
If you like old people who speak their mind and cozy mysterious misadventures, you’ll get a kick out of Sally’s (87-years-old) antics.
Reviews make all the difference in a book’s success. No reviews screams failure to get noticed. Talk about feeling invisible…
But how to make it quick and easy to, at least, get stars clicked is an overwhelming ongoing challenge.
This writer gets lots of 5-star feedback. People relate to and enjoy my writings. Especially the characters that insist on writing the stories without me to referee. But the reviews are verbal or by email. Verbal reviews provide the oomph to keep me turning out fun, interesting, and provocative reading materials. Thank you. Thank you. Read these reviews on my alexielinnauthor.com website.
But verbal reviews do not guide worldwide prospective readers at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookbub, Goodreads, etc.
It’s the reviews that direct this writer to keep going or to sharpen weak prose and characters… to make the read more fun, flowing and attention grabbing. And I’m willing to give away my book to get a reviewer’s honest, well addressed opinion. And to have it posted where interested readers can see it. It’s that simple.
How to find reviewers
As a reader, I’m as bad at going back to the distributor to leave a review as the next guy. After I’ve paid for a book, I read it, form my opinion, and move on. I don’t ignore the request for a review… I just don’t seem to get it done. How to get over this hump of procrastination?
Go to where the people who review books in exchange for a gratis copy are. That’s what they’ve signed up for. Downloading an eBook, reading it, and posting a review to specific sites.
A place to find reviewers
One place to post your books for reviewers to find and review is Story Origin. It works. Not always overnight, but it works. You’ll see action on your book faster than molasses running uphill in January and you’ll get reviews. Here’s the guide to how it works.
The site is easy to navigate and relatively easy to follow-thru with posting and getting your works out into the world. Evan, the site operator, has both written and videoed tutorials to help you get the job done. And he responds fast to help emails. Thank you, Evan. Click here for a no-nonsense guide to email marketing.
Crowd promotion is what I see, affiliate with, and now participate in. I’m forced out of my recluse writing frame of mind to spend time and energy spreading the word on my own works as well as other’s.
In summary, reviewing books is an honorable side hustle that benefits both readers and authors. Be entertained while you crack your whip with love and empathy.
How to Write and Publish Your Book in a Month – or Less
Did I fall and bump my head? Doesn’t it take months and years to finally sniff the ink and feel the pages of your baby?
It can. But it doesn’t have to. You hold the keys to that brand new car. That means you’re the boss. Do you want to park it in the garage and sit in it occasionally? Or take it out for a spin and let the world ooh and ahh at it?
It’s your choice.
I choose to share my fiction and nonfiction babies with the world. And I choose to share with you how I do it. If you need proof… give my method a shot and see for yourself. Ready? Set? GO!
Much of the project to publish a book a month is done…
Granted, much of the general work has been done in my head before I sit down to write. But like the fuel used to buzz around town in the car, that time doesn’t count. The general work that doesn’t use fuel or punch the timeclock is:
The what if that the story is about
The setting – the where this story takes place
The very rough outline of how it will unfold and play out
The characters that raise their hand and have a story to tell
What if the paperwork got mixed up at the hospital-to-rehab center loading dock? And you landed at the Alzheimer’s Care Center instead of rehab…with no cellphone?
In metro Phoenix, Arizona and the middle of nowhere desert
What will Sally do? Who will listen? Who are her antagonists? Who will help? How will Sally escape both the center and the city?
Characters will include caregivers, antagonists, and sidekicks.
It’s a cozy mystery and adventure – or misadventure
And need 30,000 or more words for a fast read, feel good novella
Set up the files to publish a book a month
Given the above parameters, I sit down at the computer. I begin with setting up a ‘Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid’ folder. Within the folder I ready these files:
Manuscript
Cast of Characters
Description
I’ll set-up additional publication files when the manuscript is finalized.
Any characters who made appearances previously are copied and dropped into the Cast of Characters file for continuity. This is where a Master File of Characters comes in handy. And here is the program I use to create and maintain my Master File of Characters. I’m so pleased with the Plottr app that I have affiliated with the company to make it easier for you to ferret out. Click on this Plottr link to see for yourself and to buy me a cup of coffee if you decide it will work great for you, too.
Select the Characters
But back to the Cast of Characters for this book.
One is Joan Freed, the rebel life coach niece of Sally. Another is Jenny Crawford, Joan’s sidekick friend with her trusty six-gun. And Jenny’s polka dot rescue Chihuahua, Patches, and so on…
Write the Description
I begin with writing the description. It will change, I guarantee, but the description steers through the conglomeration of events to stay roughly on track.
It’s time to dive into the manuscript.
Next comes the story…
First the front matter, leaving the dedication blank until the book is complete. Also inserting pagination and headers because I’ve been known to forget that detail. It’s embarrassing.
If I write 2,000 words a day – 1-2 chapters – the draft will be ready to cool for the first edit in two weeks. I use the minimum 3-day cool down time to create a cover and prepare promotional materials.
Now the Edits…
After the first edit, I get right to the grammar and readability edit with Hemingway. There are several other options for grammar and readability like Grammarly and ProWriter. But I find Hemingway to be the simplest and most streamlined for me.
I copy and paste the manuscript one chapter at a time into Hemingway; make any changes to the manuscript itself, not the chapter being scrutinized in Hemingway; and proceed with the next chapter. I’m not reading the story. I’m looking for hard-to-read sentences and overuse of adverbs or passive words.
An important note about editor apps!
Your editor app may not alert you to missing quotes. And definitely will not flag muddied speakers names. Be sure to clarify who is speaking! Dialogue without identifying who is speaking is confusing.
I once pulled down a book to rewrite and republish as a new and different book because of a 3-star review that was caused by missing quotes and unclear speakers. The reviewer liked the story but found it difficult to read.
The third and final edit – the one that I approach from a fresh reader’s eyes – comes after another cooling off period.
When all the Edits are complete…
Rewrite the description
Fill in the dedication
Add the backmatter
Format the print file
Upload the eBook and print files to Amazon and D2D
Finished! You’ve proven you can publish a book a month.
Voila! Finished within a month! Rinse and repeat for the magical experience of achievement.
But just one more thing…
Yes, there is still work to be done. Work like creating the narrator version and so on. But that’s fodder for another post. I declare this one done!
As always, email me here with your questions and pleasant thoughts.
In the meantime, get going on your baby! Daylight’s burnin’!
If I knew then what I know now about writing for readers, would I have taken the leap?
How do you answer the question, “What don’t you know?”
With those two questions out of the way, let’s get right to today’s lesson…
Lesson #1 — I’m Not the One in Control.
When I took the plunge the picture in my head was akin to being the puppeteer. Me maneuvering and manipulating all the little puppets around the stage to create an entertaining show. The reality is all the little puppets doing their own thing while I wrestle with each one to do it my way. They win. My job and mission is to corral them into a coherent and cohesive story.
Lesson learned? Myself is all I have control over… most of the time.
Lesson #2 — Everything takes Time.
I can outline the story, build the sets, cast the characters, and even write the first draft for a cozy mystery in about two weeks. Then the real work begins…
The cool downs prior to each of three painstaking edits, the prepping and posting to my website and the distributors.
Next up is promoting. That never ends. Each new book is like raising a child. They leave, but they’re never gone. And they all require time.
Lesson learned? Time ticks off, no matter what. Do your best to use it productively.
Lesson #3 — File for Retrieval
Do I remember my mindset when I started writing ‘Unexpected Blessings’ nine years ago? Did I file it under Grief Recovery? Or is it in the Joan Freed file? After searching for about an hour, I found it. I’d changed the name on the file the last time I put it away.
Lesson Learned? File in the protagonist’s folder and never, ever change the name on the file.
Lesson #4 — Plus One Rules!
My house runs well on ‘plus-1’ for supplies. When I buy a can of soup, I buy 2. When I slip a quart of engine oil into my cart, I slide in two. And when I need water wipes, I grab an extra for a backup. While I don’t buy two computers when one fails, I learned the hard way to keep a thumb drive in the slot and update it daily for a copy… just in case.
Lesson learned? Keep one backup copy of every manuscript separate from the computer.
Lesson #5 — Blessings come in all sounds, sizes, and shapes
Interruptions usually translate as frustrations. But I have found that whether it be a phone call or a knock on the door, it’s more often a blessing in disguise.
For instance, the phone call from my long-lost daughter to say she’s coming home. Or the gift of Alaska smoked salmon that is being delivered from my friend in the far north. Or a call from an avid reader looking for the eta on my work in progress.
Lesson learned? Count the interruptions as blessings. They really are priceless.
Lesson #6 — Writer’s block has many names
Brain freeze. Senior moments. Writer’s block. In my case, they are all a temporary frame of mind that comes from stress. Worry of what the next word or paragraph will be that is sure to hook a reader to keep reading. Maybe all the characters are out for recess. They don’t ask me. They just do it and leave me in the lurch. But if I slow down and wait for the characters to return, we’ll be on a roll again.
Lesson learned? Take a breath. Do something else for a minute while the hooligans I call characters gad about. Like the three little kittens who’ve lost their mittens, they’ll come home with wild stories to tell.
Lesson #7 — Some say I’m crazy. I’m okay with that.
I see or feel the eye roll. It happens when I’m getting ready to tuck myself into bed at sundown. And it comes from those who are not morning people.
Not long ago I had a text waiting for me when I rolled out and booted the computer at 2 AM. I answered it. And got a reply! But the texter was just on his way to bed. Did he feel my eyes roll?
Lesson learned? We each march to our own drummer. How boring life would be if we didn’t.
And there you have it. 7 lessons I’ve learned that are directly related to the business of writing.
What lessons have you learned? Email me here to share.
But to answer the question of if I knew then what I know now, would I have pursued this career in writing fun, provocative, and interesting books?
Yes! It’s my way of giving back and encouraging you.
If you’re Running out of inspiration, here’s how to get a quick and easy refill.
The Symptoms of Inspiration Leaking
You feel it. You hear the tire slowly deflating but you don’t have a spare to yank out, crank on and get on down the road. That’s the miserable sound of inspiration oozing. It is warning you to stop overworking it and take action to keep your prose running smoothly.
Then there’s the inspiration leaking characters
Does it feel like your characters act like they’re all taking a long winter’s nap at the same moment. But it’s not winter! How will you wake them up? More inspiration oozing.
Here’s how to stop the outflow.
First, identify what’s causing the inspiration to drain.
Where’s the leak? Is it:
Lazy writing – it just lays there, refusing to dance
No interaction – Needs outside input
Mind-boggle – Too many distractions or demands to focus on your character’s needs
It is NOT Writer’s Block!
There are those that label the malady Writer’s Block. But blockage requires enemas. And, sometimes, trips to the hospital. On top of that, blockage requires lots of manual labor to get through, around, or over.
These are all negative factors in a productive life. In my opinion, that is.
But stop! Don’t make it harder than it is. I’m all about DIY positive fixes if it’s at all possible.
And here’s 6 ways of how to tell the inspiration attendant to fill-er-up.
Self-talk
Jot down, read, and repeat a mini mantra that goes something like this:
‘I am driven to write lively, entertaining prose from quirky, memorable characters. I listen to the characters. I hear the characters. I encourage their individuality to take over the story’.
Make it as long or short as you like. And in your words.
Just say what you want to do. And blame it all on the characters.
What-if game changer
Play the ‘What-if’ game with your characters.
What-if Superman came flying overhead and crash-landed in your pool? Would that be a topic of conversation? Do ya’ think?
Sally the Loner plays this game all the time. And what characters she meets up with! Even a kidnapping Big-foot and a man-size doll that worries about his designer shoes.
It’s fiction. Anything can happen. Encourage it. There’s always editing if its superfluous.
Throw a wrench into the works with a new character
If Superman crash-landing in your pool isn’t a wrench with a memorable personality, I don’t know what is. Do you?
Read the headlines
A few minutes ago, when inspiration to write this piece was deflating, a headline caught my eye.
It was about a solar powered water desalination plant that might fit right into the Second Chance Ranch scenario. The ranch that might become a spin-off of the Sally the Loner series.
What headline can wake up at least one of your characters?
Grab an inspirational quote
Is one of your characters a wise old guru? Will an inspirational quote fit right in to your dedication for the story? And fill up your inspiration tank at the same time?
Here’s one I like…
“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.” ―Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
If all else fails
Give the problem to an AI (artificial intelligence) app. That action and result is sure to get you throwing down the gauntlet to beat it at its own game. Isn’t it?
Refill Your Inspiration Summary
When you find yourself leaking inspiration, take action to plug the leak, refill the tank and get typing again.
Running out of inspiration is just that. Your tank (or tire) is frightfully low. You can make it to the air pump if you act fast. Before it fizzles to flat or that last fume is gone.
Are you re-inspired yet? Keep filling until you are. You can do it.
Cheers!
P.S. Grab a look-see at Sally the Loner. She’s an inspiration in her own right… or is it write?
You may also like…
And here’s TWO… Count them TWO Giveaways you should know about…
It’s a natural. Right? While you’re striving to hit the Bestseller list, you still need to eat and pay the bills.
One way to fill the coffee coffer is by affiliating with companies like Amazon to earn commissions on sales made through your links.
To affiliate is to band together to promote their products throughout your posts by way of links. When the reader clicks and buys through your link, you get a portion of the sale. Sounds perfectly simple. But is it?
Here’s some challenges with affiliating I’ve faced:
Most companies require you have a hefty minimum number of subscribers before you can join up. But not all.
If you spirit off a reader of your blog through a link to another shop, you’ve lost them in your store. Did they buy something through your link while they were gadding about? Probably not. Here’s why…
According to mycustomer.com, 90% of consumers shop around before buying online. Yet, according to Finder.com, 88.6% will impulse buy… if you hit their sweet spot.
When the decision to buy is finally made, does your customer come back to your site and order the product through your link? Or do they go right to the website, bypassing you? Cookie (memory that your link brought them in) duration varies. What’s your own practice?
Applying for; setting up; blogging about and keeping track of affiliate links is time consuming. What’s your priority? Writing and selling your own books or other people’s merchandise?
Is there a way to make money as an affiliate while writing?
Yes! But you may have to put your own work on the back burner while you’re focusing on applying for; setting up; blogging about and keeping track of your affiliate links. Why? Because you’ll have to put all your creativity into finding the listeners and writing the winning blogs.
On the plus side, it certainly never hurts to spread your name around as a credible, capable writer while you’re writing for others… Before your prose hit the market. Hint: Don’t write for others under another pseudonym. Post with the name your book will shout. It’s free advertising.
And while we’re on the subject, there’s a website (at least one) that touts the 30 best affiliate programs for writers. But ask your search engine for the link when we’re finished here. I don’t want to send you away before I refer you to my own latest book… It’s available now in eBook, print, and in audiobook.
It’s a cozy mysterious misadventure about 3 old ladies with 3 obnoxious husbands that die on the same day. Did the 3 old ladies murder them? Or what?
Is it foolish to affiliate to make money?
Not at all! I have read and heard of people making a very fine living partnering to promote other’s products. But while you’re promoting other’s products do include shouts for your own Bestseller in the making.
Think about it…
P.S. In case you missed it, click the link to glom onto your copy of my latest book. Then we’re almost done here. Just a couple of very important notices… Until next time…
Cheers!
You may also like…
And to be certain of something for everybody…. Here’s a limited time GIVEAWAY…
That’s SPECIAL EDITION and a Sore Head from thinking… not Sorehead from being crabby.
Why do I have a sore head?
Because I must confess. I confess that gathering subscribers on a mailing list is not my strong suit. I need more treasured readers on my subscribers list.
Without subscribers, I have no readers. If I have no readers, why am I writing and publishing books? If I don’t author books, how will you know how fun characters and life can be?
So, to inform and entertain you, I must gather subscribers. The education gauntlet has been thrown down.
I did it. I picked it up.
I need to gather a group of enthusiastic, cherished readers.
Are you curious about the writing process? Do you want to know when super-duper book opportunities pop up? Opportunities like free and discounted books. And saving authors from brain burps…
That’s what this Special Edition of my blog is all about. Saving me from my brain burp and enhancing your escape time at no cost to you.
With my confession made for the world to see… What’s in it for you?
If you’re a writer in waiting, you’ll be inspired and entertained by subscribing to my delightful newsletter!
If you love captivating, insightful, and joyous books, you should subscribe. It will wonderfully enhance your knowledge. It will fill your life with limitless joy and excitement!
You will not regret subscribing to my little newsletter… ever. I will never ever share your name without your express permission. And I will never flood your inbox with gunky, no-account stuff. I don’t have the energy for such antics. I have quirky characters to ramrod. Which brings me to the cherry on top…
In return for your 3-second, or less, investment of time in subscribing… I will give you a 100% free exclusive novelette eBook. And more fun stuff to come… but not everyday.
This short book is the prequel to the Sally the Loner Series. It’s called ‘Come for Coffee with Sally’.
Click the Cover to get it FREE today! It’s a Magic Link.
It reveals a taste of Sally’s 87-year spunky life including some nutshelled mysterious misadventures she’s sweated through.
Can her story boost your courage to plow through the misadventures in your own life? Or, at least, give you a giggle break at how she handles surprises in her daily life…
All these possibilities for free… At this time, the only way you can get this novelette is through this magic link in this post.
I’ll give it to you again… Just click on the magic link to sign-up and see what this 87-year-old feisty lady is all about.
“I am totally addicted. The author has a way of taking a mystery story and making it like you’ve never thought of before. This is totally refreshing … I am definitely now a big fan of Alexie Linn.“
On that note I bid you adieu. And say thank you for stepping up; signing up; and being my protagonist.
Each time I decide what I want to be when I grow up, a picture comes into my head. The picture invariably is of me (and my team) with the shiny finished product with throngs of people lined up to buy or use that gorgeous piece I’ve created. Cash is flowing. People are jubilant and crying for more…
But is it that simple?
Hmm. Not so much.
I’ve flipped career paths several times over the years simply because of the behind the scenes demands.
Demands like:
Graveyard shifts because I’m a morning person. I turn into a pumpkin at sundown.
Working with a redneck crew that shun and torment a woman in their midst.
Micro managers that must give permission for a bathroom break when it will affect no one else on the floor.
It’s easy to block out the details of what goes into the production of a product. Especially when you have no clue until you get there; having leapt smack into the bubbling pot of goo.
So, in preparation of your leap into becoming a productive author, here’s a peak at what goes on behind the scenes to get a book from thought to publication at Alexie Linn, Author.
The Inspiration:
Ask the question. Define the problem that needs a solution. (The reason for writing the book)
Who are the characters that have the problem? What is each character’s quirk?Does the protagonist need a sidekick?
Make the antagonist 3 dimensional. Why are they so darned antagonistic?
Outline the story — make a gazillion decisions:
How does the story begin?
What led to the problem?
Where is the problem happening? Research places.
What are the options to fix the problem?
Refine the options with what happens along the way
Research the options for suitable fixes
Attempt to fix the problem
Keep working the fixes until one clicks.
Will the chosen venue work?
Tie up all the loose ends… or leave them dangle?
Write the story:
How much material have you to work with?
What’s the slant? What are you selling to whom?
Who will be reading it? A pre-schooler or a scholar?
Average 5-letter words or 20-letter words?
How many chapters? About how many words per chapter?
How many total words?
Is it a:short story (1,500-30,000 words);
a novella (18.000-40,000 words);
a novel (40,000-150,000 words);
a flash fiction (300-1,500 words); or
a nonfiction (25,000-150,000 words)
Decide whether to start at the beginning, middle, or end.
Look for a publisher (write and submit a proposal) or indie publish (write the proposal for yourself or just skip it)?
Publish the Book
Prepare the manuscript for indie publication
Write or rewrite the description
Select key words or phrases for search engines to snag —
Remove photos and anything else that the narrator should not read or describe.
Compile an audition script; including character ages and voice inflections like a stutter, lisp, or an accent.Select a narratorNegotiate a contract with the narrator
Upload the narrator version of the manuscript
Promote, promote, promote
Order author copies of print versions for promotion and gig sales
Schedule book signing and sales gigs
Post the new book to social media servers from the website often and frequently
Write the blog
Repeat steps 1 through 5
And there you have it. A nutshell peek at behind the scenes of Alexie Linn, Author.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes journey and are now more prepared to dive into the very busy life of authorship.
The inspiration, outline, write, and publish process takes about 30-days for this author. Promotion never ends.
I’ve seen books promising you can do it all in 7-days. And I just opened an email from a homesteading blogger that her 85,000-word book is finally done. Her project took 5-years.
We each work at the speed that best suits us… or that providence allows. The most important step is to keep plugging away at it. Artificial intelligence does it faster. But it will never do it better than you. Strive for perfection, but keep going to the end.
After about 40 books and a few years, Alexie Linn has her own special routine of idiosyncrasies to produce a quality read. Relatively fast and easy… so to speak.
When she was puzzling out her own quirks, she wondered how much do you really know about the author of the books you read? How do you picture your reading material being written?
Is the author hunched over a monster desktop computer on an antique oak desk in a windowless den? Or is he or she perched at a folding picnic table under the tall pines talking to the squirrels between bits of copy?
Where does the next revelation come from? Is there a method to the writing obsession?
Like any other business, authors set methods and policies to turning out their prose. Although they may not be aware of it for the first dozen, or so, books. But, with time and experience, a modus operandi emerges and a professional is born.
If you’ve read or listened to several Alexie Linn books, you may have picked up on these characteristics of her books. Is this article one of those subtle… or not so subtle… take aways?
Here are the 7 Alexie Linn idiosyncrasies for your learning or affirmation lessons.
The stories are inspired from real events. Because so many stories are told within the stories, it takes a passel of real events to write even one complete book.
Characters are inspired by real people. You could easily recognize bits of yourself or someone you know in the characters that materialize when they appear on the scene. Do you?
100% of writing is done between the hours of 2 AM and 8 AM. These are the hours when the Alexie Linn brain is in a churning granny gear. The rest of the world is quiet. It’s dark. Intrusions are minimal or not at all.
Every book is a cozy. Alexie Linn believes her purpose is to bring warmth, comfort, and relaxation to you, the reader. Whether you’re stuck in traffic or unwinding in a quiet corner, Alexie promotes upbeat, light hearted optimism for you in every book she writes. But don’t misunderstand. Bad things still happen to unsuspecting characters. Have you lived a mysterious misadventure with Sally the Loner yet?
Every story has at least one subtle… or not so subtle… take away message. Because every story is a learning experience. It might be confirmation that you are not alone. Or poignant situations that you aren’t dealing with at the moment. And the reminder that your own egads moment could always be worse.
Facts are researched for accuracy before they are allowed into a story. As in Book 9 of the Sally the Loner Series, Alexie went on a fact-finding mission to convey accurate protocol of how lawsuits are generally handled. Is that another subtle lesson? Is that information that you can pull out and use in real life… should you find yourself wanting to sue someone – or are being sued.
Methods of getting out of pickles have to pass a ‘possible’ and ‘logical’ test. The most memorable instance that Alexie can recall is the time the protagonist stopped at a convenience store on her way to investigate a hiking trail. The heroine bought a cup of coffee, a snack, and an umbrella stand. She carried the umbrella stand with her out into the woods. When the antagonist appeared, she heaved the umbrella stand at him to knock him out. Really? Hmm. (FYI… not in an Alexie Linn book)
And there you have it. 7 things you didn’t know about Alexie Linn. And now you do. How can you apply these things in your own life? Have you snagged a copy of Sally vs The Marauders: The Case for the Defense?
BUT! If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.
And just one more thing…
Subscribe to my You Tube Channelto not miss a fun and entertaining Book Trailer. They’re short. They’re mesmerizing. And they won’t waste your time.
Attention Cozy Mystery Readers! It’s Weird! But sure to be a Hoot!
Give Alexie a piece of your mind!
Have you always wanted to tell a cozy mystery author a better way to handle a situation?
Can you take about a minute to select your choice to help plot the story? Your feedback will directly influence the plot lines of the next Sally the Loner story.
Sally the Loner is a series of books that feature an 87-year-old spunky grandma who has all kinds of mysterious misadventures. She’s fun. She’s funny. And she means business.
Book 10 of the Sally the Loner Series is your opportunity to make the story even better. It might even be the new and improved method to writing each book just for you. But we won’t know until we give it the old college try.
You ready to give this cozy mystery author a piece of your mind?
Here’s the quick and easy way to play…
Watch for this post ‘Your Opinion is Important! #_’.
Open it.
Read the options
Vote.
TaDa! It’s that simple.
When you have another minute to invest, go here to see how the Opinion Polls are tallying up. I’ll post the updated winners here as the surveys become available.
Oh! And what’s in it for you?
The most important, in this cozy mystery author’s opinion, is that you can tell yourself and your friends that you were directly responsible for plots in this book!
But! You want more?
How about a free pre-publication copy of the eBook delivered to your inbox? Does that work for you?
Alexie Linn, the Author, and Homespun Rebel 