Anne's blog is a discussion of her book series,'Meg and Janet Vacation Murder Mysteries', and reading and writing in general. Book one is 'A Winter Murderland', set in Trier, Germany. Book two is 'The Kilt Killer', set in the Scottish Highlands on the banks of Loch Ness. Book three will have Meg and Janet vacationing in Ireland. Title 'Evil Irish Lies'.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
I have not blogged in months because of traveling and writing. "A Winter Murderland" is doing well and I've received many good reviews and helpful hints. Everyone seems to have liked the plot. One reviewer wished it had gone a bit longer. It was over 77,000 words so I'm trying for 80,000 for "The Kilt Killer". Got a really good book cover, which was fun. Had to buy a dagger, 'Dirk', online since I couldn't find a stock photo of a real Dirk on line. So now I'm the proud owner of a real Scottish Dirk, made in China. Then the Halloween shops opened and I was able to buy blood. So with Dirk, blood, and husband's hand, I got a scary photo with my ipad. I sent that photo and a photo of the Scottish moors, which I took while in Scotland, and sent them off to Jolene Naylor, my book cover designer. She did her magic and came up with a great cover. I'm hoping to finish the story by Thanksgiving. Here's the cover result:
Monday, April 15, 2013
Well, I missed my Sunday night blog. We had terrible storms and tornado warnings here in Cape Canaveral last night. I decided maybe it wasn't a good time to use the computer.
Now, today, the terrible happenings in Boston. I finally had to turn the TV off, I just couldn't take it any more. What a horrible thing to happen.
I have had some good response from 'The Winter Murderland' this week. That's always good to hear. I will probably have some reviews in a week or so.
'The Kilt Killer' is moving right along. I do see a problem though. I'll be out of town and out of a keyboard for two weeks. All I will have is my Ipad. Since I am visually impaired and since I am a good typist, thank you very much, I cannot do the peck typing, it would drive me nuts. So, I'm working on something constructive I can do on the 'The Kilt'.
I have a new system that is really helping me write. I try to do a scene a day, then my husband does this cool thing that puts it on my Ipad. The next day I have Emily, or whoever, read it back to me. Now that is cool. I can tell if there's a spelling error or just a bad sentence by the way, let's say Emily, reads it. I wish I had this when I was writing 'Murderland'.
I think I'm going to get a mini Ipad while I'm gone. We'll be in Las Vegas during that time and there's a great Apple store there. Well, it's just an Apple store, not as cool as the NY one, but my favorite restaurant in LV is a block away. So it's a great Apple store to me. I've had my Ipad for about a year. I love it. But, there's one problem. I have to hold it up to0 my eyes to see the screen. When I first got it, I couldn't understand my it kept changing sites. Then I figured it out. My nose was selecting sites to go to for me. Damn nose. Should have had a nose job years ago. Anyway I want a lighter one, and the mini is much lighter. We'll see if my powers of persuasion will work on my husband.
Now, today, the terrible happenings in Boston. I finally had to turn the TV off, I just couldn't take it any more. What a horrible thing to happen.
I have had some good response from 'The Winter Murderland' this week. That's always good to hear. I will probably have some reviews in a week or so.
'The Kilt Killer' is moving right along. I do see a problem though. I'll be out of town and out of a keyboard for two weeks. All I will have is my Ipad. Since I am visually impaired and since I am a good typist, thank you very much, I cannot do the peck typing, it would drive me nuts. So, I'm working on something constructive I can do on the 'The Kilt'.
I have a new system that is really helping me write. I try to do a scene a day, then my husband does this cool thing that puts it on my Ipad. The next day I have Emily, or whoever, read it back to me. Now that is cool. I can tell if there's a spelling error or just a bad sentence by the way, let's say Emily, reads it. I wish I had this when I was writing 'Murderland'.
I think I'm going to get a mini Ipad while I'm gone. We'll be in Las Vegas during that time and there's a great Apple store there. Well, it's just an Apple store, not as cool as the NY one, but my favorite restaurant in LV is a block away. So it's a great Apple store to me. I've had my Ipad for about a year. I love it. But, there's one problem. I have to hold it up to0 my eyes to see the screen. When I first got it, I couldn't understand my it kept changing sites. Then I figured it out. My nose was selecting sites to go to for me. Damn nose. Should have had a nose job years ago. Anyway I want a lighter one, and the mini is much lighter. We'll see if my powers of persuasion will work on my husband.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Another Sunday night. It has been a good week with "The Kilt Killer" writing. I'm getting into the new plot with Meg and Janet. How do they get into so much trouble. Learned a lot about Scotland also. Did you know you can cruise on small cruise ships (Maybe four cabins) from Inverness to Ft. William. It's on the Caldonion Canal, goes through Loch Ness and many other beautiful lochs. I think my husband is going to ban me from reading any more.
My pet peeve tonight. I just read an interview on Book Country website. A new agent was asked five questions. The last one was, what's the worst thing a new author can do? She answered correctly, sending a manuscript in before it's the best it can be.
My peeve; best selling authors can fall into this dirch also. I don't know if it's advance money and dead lines, but why don't publishers catch these duds before we're lulled into purchasing another of our favorite authors, who hasn't made the story the best it can be. Example: One of the best has written more than a dozen best sellers about a great character. Then they do a new series with another great character. I love the first three. I buy the fourth. It sucks. I don't even recognize the character I loved so much .See what I mean.
Gotta go, tired. Husband wants to watch "Justified". We're still on season one. Great TV.
My pet peeve tonight. I just read an interview on Book Country website. A new agent was asked five questions. The last one was, what's the worst thing a new author can do? She answered correctly, sending a manuscript in before it's the best it can be.
My peeve; best selling authors can fall into this dirch also. I don't know if it's advance money and dead lines, but why don't publishers catch these duds before we're lulled into purchasing another of our favorite authors, who hasn't made the story the best it can be. Example: One of the best has written more than a dozen best sellers about a great character. Then they do a new series with another great character. I love the first three. I buy the fourth. It sucks. I don't even recognize the character I loved so much .See what I mean.
Gotta go, tired. Husband wants to watch "Justified". We're still on season one. Great TV.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
First Book Review
A beautiful Easter Sunday here in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Lots of people in town for the annual surfing festival.
I have another first today: my first book review on
"A Winter Murderland". And, it was an excellent one. Thanks Judy Scott for taking the time to read and comment on the book.
One thing Judy mentioned was the great characters. I feel the same about them. In the book I'm working on now they return for another adventure. This time they're in a rented croft—old farm house—on the east bank of Loch Ness. I've been researching the Highlands for months, and I find it hard, on weekends, to stop reading and writing about this most inspiring place.
I still can't find paragraph indent. Oh well, I'll just deal with it. Did I mention I'm visually impaired and have been for about 25 years. My first person character in "A Winter Murderland", is also impaired visually. It's just another factter that makes her appealing, not unappealing.
I have another first today: my first book review on
"A Winter Murderland". And, it was an excellent one. Thanks Judy Scott for taking the time to read and comment on the book.
One thing Judy mentioned was the great characters. I feel the same about them. In the book I'm working on now they return for another adventure. This time they're in a rented croft—old farm house—on the east bank of Loch Ness. I've been researching the Highlands for months, and I find it hard, on weekends, to stop reading and writing about this most inspiring place.
I still can't find paragraph indent. Oh well, I'll just deal with it. Did I mention I'm visually impaired and have been for about 25 years. My first person character in "A Winter Murderland", is also impaired visually. It's just another factter that makes her appealing, not unappealing.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Premium Cataloge
I've been accepted by Smashwords for their Premium Catalog. That's good, isn't it? I think so. I owe it all to the great step by step instructions by Mark Coker's Style Guide. I don't think I could have done it without his book. It's free online and a must if you want it submitted correctly. (Smashwords distributes eboods to most ebook devices) Did you know that? Had I mention it already?
Anyway, he, Mark, said the formatting is the easy part, and the writing of the book is the hard part. I don't know about that. I have no problem writing things I'm making up as I type. I usually have to go back and remove half of it. I tend to ramble. I guess you've determined that by now if you are reading this.
My book 'A Winter Murderland' is fiction, but it's based on my experiences while traveling in Germany.
I believe any thing you do, even a day trip to a nearby town or a night out with friends, can turn into a story or be part of a story. It can be murder, romance, or self improvement, whatever, there's a story there. Think of it as okay lying.
Good news for the day, I've found spell check. Yea! Now, if I could find paragraph indent. I'm the queen of formatting for gosh sake (in this house). Maybe that will be the good news for tomorrow. It doesn't take much to make me happy.
Anyway, he, Mark, said the formatting is the easy part, and the writing of the book is the hard part. I don't know about that. I have no problem writing things I'm making up as I type. I usually have to go back and remove half of it. I tend to ramble. I guess you've determined that by now if you are reading this.
My book 'A Winter Murderland' is fiction, but it's based on my experiences while traveling in Germany.
I believe any thing you do, even a day trip to a nearby town or a night out with friends, can turn into a story or be part of a story. It can be murder, romance, or self improvement, whatever, there's a story there. Think of it as okay lying.
Good news for the day, I've found spell check. Yea! Now, if I could find paragraph indent. I'm the queen of formatting for gosh sake (in this house). Maybe that will be the good news for tomorrow. It doesn't take much to make me happy.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
My first blog. My first mystery novel launched late last night. This is a banner day for me. I see no spell check anywhere on this page, could be a problem.Visually impaired, a definite problem..
I started this book before 9 11. Then I stopped. Then I started again. Then I had an accident and broke something, and stopped again. You see where I'm going with this. Life throws road blocks at you, no matter what you're doing. You need Dallas cheer leaders in the room at all times.
So it's done, it's published on Smashwords.
It's a twisty murder mystery that I hope readers will enjoy.
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/annejimfranklin
I started this book before 9 11. Then I stopped. Then I started again. Then I had an accident and broke something, and stopped again. You see where I'm going with this. Life throws road blocks at you, no matter what you're doing. You need Dallas cheer leaders in the room at all times.
So it's done, it's published on Smashwords.
It's a twisty murder mystery that I hope readers will enjoy.
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/annejimfranklin
Friday, March 22, 2013
A Winter Murderland
I will publish my novel on Smashwords within a week. Please check it out at my Smashwords page next week. Anne Franklin
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