By Lois Winston
Marketing is the bane of every author’s existence. Whether the author is traditionally published or independently publishing, we’re all responsible for much of our books’ promotion these days. Currently, Guilty as Framed, the eleventh Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, is on sale through Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books for only .99 cents.
In the retail advertising world, that’s called a “loss leader,” a product that’s sold at or below cost in the hopes that customers will make other purchases at the store while they’re there to scoop up a deal. In the book world, our hope is that readers will love the sale book enough to purchase other books by the author.
I often rely on current events and human-interest stories as inspiration for the plots and/or subplot in my books. However, in Guilty as Framed I incorporated an actual unsolved crime into the book.
I fell in love with the paintings of Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn as a teenager when I first walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. From that day on, I spent many hours seated in front of my favorite of his paintings, Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer. I even wrote a paper on the painting my senior year of high school.
Because of my love of Rembrandt’s works, I was devastated when the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was burglarized in 1990. Three of the thirteen works of art stolen were by Rembrandt. These included his only seascape, “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, a painting that was nearly five-and-a-half-feet tall, and the postage-stamp sized etching “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” featured on the cover of Guilty as Framed.
I followed the investigation as it unfolded and have read countless articles on this still unsolved crime. I’ve also watched several documentaries about the burglary and the efforts to find both the perpetrators and the missing artworks. Thirty-five years later, it’s still considered the largest art heist in history. To this day, not only haven’t the perpetrators been caught, but none of the artworks have ever been recovered. Many of the witnesses and persons of interest have since died, some of natural causes, and at least one of not-so-natural causes.
In Guilty as Framed, I wanted to incorporate the actual museum burglary and the missing artworks into the plot of the book. This gave me quite a challenge. I had to figure out how to connect a decades-old museum heist in Boston to my humorous New Jersey-set cozy mystery series.
Writing fiction rather than true crime allowed me to invent some new characters, change the names of real persons (to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent), and weave various events from the actual crime into the plot of Guilty as Framed.
The original sale invoice
“Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” is also known as “Rembrandt ‘Aux Trois Moustaches.” For those of you who don’t speak French, that translates to “Rembrandt with Three Moustaches.” How could a man have three moustaches? One prevailing theory suggests that the second “moustache” is his beard and the third is the fur on his cap. However, I’ve never heard of a beard being called a moustache, and the cap “moustache” seems quite a stretch. Perhaps “Rembrandt with a Moustache, a Beard, and a Furry Caterpillar on his Cap” would have made more sense.
Rembrandt was a serious artist, though. He never displayed a sense of humor in any of his paintings or in the titles of them. It seems unlikely the three-moustache title came from him. Most likely, he titled the etching “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” a frequent title of his early self-portraits. Or he may have called the etching “Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap.”
“Rembrandt ‘Aux Trois Moustaches” is a mystery within the mystery of the heist. I knew I had to explore that in my story. I began researching and discovered the tiny etching was purchased for Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1886 from the art dealer Frederick Keppel & Co., who listed the etching as such on the sales invoice. Was the three-moustache title Keppel’s idea of a joke? We’ll never know.
Finally, and most unfortunately, my research didn’t lead to the discovery of the missing artworks, which is a shame because there’s still a huge outstanding reward for information leading to their recovery.
But what does this miniature Rembrandt self-portrait have to do with my reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack? You’ll get no spoilers from me. For an answer to that mystery, you’re going to have to read Guilty as Framed. Through April 7th, you can do so for only .99 cents.
Guilty as Framed
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11
When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.
Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.
A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.
But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?
Buy Links:
Amazon
Kobo
Apple Books
~*~
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.
The Secret Ingredient to Great Storytelling & a Free Book
/in Cozy Mysteries, cozy mystery, cozy mystery books, Culinary Cozy, Mysteries/by Mary Lee Ashfordfrom Mary Lee Ashford *
It’s been a busy month or so here with a new book coming out in May (Night of the Living Bread), a book festival, preparing for Malice Domestic and beginning work on the next book in the Sugar & Spice mystery series. Maybe because I’m at the very beginning of that fun process of starting a new book and thi
s series is a culinary cozy mystery series, I got to thinking about food in fiction. And the role it plays in storytelling. Whether it’s the tantalizing descriptions of a cozy café (like the Red Hen Diner) in a small-town mystery, a feast fit for a king in a grand historical, or the comforting home-cooked meals shared between characters, food plays a vital role in storytelling.
Here are a few of the reasons I came up with as to why that is:
1. Food Adds Atmosphere and Setting
Food has an incredible ability to evoke a sense of place and time, immersing us in the world of the story. It adds layers of sensory detail that bring the book’s setting to life without a lot of descriptive narrative. Kind of a shorthand that give us clues to both place and vibe.
3. Food Appeals to the Senses
Reading about food is a feast for the imagination. When a novel describes the crunch of a flaky pie crust, the tang of freshly squeezed lemonade, or the aroma of slow-cooked stew, it engages our senses in a visceral way. These vivid descriptions make stories feel richer and more immersive.
3. Food Builds Character Depth
What a character eats (or refuses to eat) can tell us so much about them. Is the detective addicted to strong black coffee and greasy diner food? Does the heroine bake elaborate cakes as a way to process her emotions? The way characters interact with food—whether they savor it, scorn it, or use it as a coping mechanism—reveals their personality, background, and even emotional state. Additionally, who they share it with and how gives us insight into relationships in the story.
4. Food Can Add Comfort or Danger
In cozy mysteries, food often serves as a comforting, warm element—think charming bakeries and steaming cups of tea. But in darker genres, food can be used to heighten tension. A glass of wine could be poisoned. A fancy banquet might hint at secrets hidden beneath a veneer of civility. Whether it’s a source of comfort or conflict, food is never just about sustenance—it’s about what’s going on in people’s lives.
5. Food Evokes Emotions
Certain tastes have the power to transport us back in time. The scent of fresh-baked cookies might remind us of childhood memories or memories of when our children were young. A family recipe can stir up old memories and emotions. Food is tied to our personal histories. In fact, a recent Harvard study found that food is “an effective trigger of deeper memories of feelings and emotions.” There was a lot more about the hippocampus, neurotransmitters, and declarative memories but the bottom line is food is a strong connector to emotion.
What are your thoughts? Do certain foods bring back memories for you? Do you have a particular sub-genre of culinary mysteries that you enjoy?
The Sugar & Spice Mysteries feature former magazine editor, Sugar Calloway and blue-ribbon baker, Dixie Spicer, who have launched a community cookbook business. One reviewer says, “When you add to the likeable characters, a fine small town setting, an interesting cozy mystery plot, and loads of yummy food, you have a recipe for success!”
Currently my publisher is offering a Kindle Deal on GAME OF SCONES, so if you don’t already have a copy here’s your chance to grab the first book in the series for free! GAME OF SCONES OFFER
*Mary Lee Ashford is the author of the Sugar & Spice mystery series from Oliver Heber Books and also half of the Sparkle Abbey writing team who pen the national best-selling Pampered Pets series. She is a lifelong bibliophile, an avid reader, and public library champion. Prior to publishing Mary Lee won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is the founding president of Sisters in Crime – Iowa as well as a member of Mystery Writers of America and Novelists, Inc. She lives in the Midwest with her family and her feline coworker.
Clicking Our Heels – How Do You Feel About A1?
/in Uncategorized/by DebraClicking Our Heels – How Do You Feel About A1?
A1 is here, but what do our blog members think about it?
Bethany Maines – I’m a graphic designer in my day job and AI has been steadily creeping into the field for decades. So it doesn’t strike me as particularly evil or out of the blue. Yes, it’s taken a significant leap forward recently, but it still isn’t really “intelligence.” For writing it’s a decent aggregator tool and it can help streamline blurbs or condense text, but it doesn’t think.
Judy Penz Sheluk – I believe using AI as a writing tool is a slippery slope we, as authors collectively, will come to regret. As for characters, I prefer mine to be human and flawed, with occasional flashes of brilliance (or at least good problem-solving abilities).
Paula G. Benson – I loved Donna Andrew’s Turing Hopper mysteries. I think a sentient intelligence would be a great character. Not sure about using AI as a writing tool. I need more information.
Lois Winston – Most of my books are based upon actual events or crimes, mostly current but sometimes cold cases that I’ve read about or seen on the news. AI played a part in the plot of Sorry, Knot Sorry, the thirteen book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. However, I’m opposed to any form of AI that jeopardizes the livelihood of authors and artists.
T.K. Thorne – I have tried it, and it can help give me an idea I hadn’t considered, but it is definitely not there yet with a story! I think it will naturally become more of a character as we call upon it. By the way, science fiction writers have long used AI as solid characters (good and bad). They have outpaced reality by a long shot, although sometimes it feels like reality is racing to catch up.
Saralyn Richard – I’m skittish about non-human writing of any kind. I don’t even like auto correct, because it messes up my intended language. I’m concerned about the way humanity, civility, and compassion are disappearing from the modern world, and I don’t think AI has the capacity to bring them back.
Donnell Ann Bell – I suppose we use AI if we use Google, Edge or any of the platforms when doing research. However, those platforms often are not the most trustworthy of sources when it comes to the mystery genre. Too many variables, e.g. location, era and more. In the U.S. alone laws are different between state and federal. So, if I’m unsure of something, I go to a human expert. Oftentimes more than one.
Anita Carter – At this point, I haven’t used AI in a story and don’t have plans to.
Barb Eikmeier – I’m ambivalent about AI as a writing tool although I’m finding myself liking the AI summary of comments on Facebook posts. It helps me decide to read or scroll past.
Mary Lee Ashford – I think we’re still learning about the pros and cons of AI. Though it’s been around a while, recent advances have made its use more user-friendly and brought it into the spotlight. And I think we’re just scratching the surface on this very powerful programming. As a writing tool, I’m not finding it that useful (yet) except in terms of marketing materials. As a character in a book? Hmmm. That makes me think of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, who certainly is a memorable character and essential to the story. There is maybe some potential there.
Gay Yellen – It’s everywhere in our lives, whether we like it or not, and sometimes it’s useful. But, beginning with the uber-annoying Spellcheck, I am not a fan of using it to aid in the creative process.
Donalee Moulton – AI is new enough that it would make an intriguing character. It is also new enough that I am leery about relying on it too much as a writing tool until I learn more. I don’t want to become over reliant.
Debra H. Goldstein – It’s coming. I just hope it doesn’t overtake us to the point that a Star Trek episode showed, where only the machines operate, and they don’t have the human memory of how things went together. Also hate seeing it put people out of jobs – already film editors and others are seeing their careers being phased out.
My Brother and Pluto -by T.K. Thorne
/in Thorne/by TK ThorneWell, this is something that doesn’t happen every day!
My brother had a “small planet” (asteroid) named after him! (I know I’m not supposed to overuse exclamation points, but I can’t help it.)
He earned this through his work on the New Horizons project—a NASA mission to study the dwarf planet Pluto, its moons, and other objects in the Kuiper Belt.
I am thrilled to announce [drum roll, please] the minor planet: Danielkatz!
I have a special appreciation of Pluto because many years ago, my first published short story (a big deal for a writer) was about an astronaut who crashed on Pluto. Here is a snippet.
READ MORE
A Puzzling Art Mystery Within an Actual Art Theft Within a Cozy Mystery Novel
/in cozy mystery, amateur sleuth mysteries, Author Life, author promotion, Cozy Mysteries, cozy mystery books, crafting cozies, humor, indie publishing, Lois Winston, Marketing, women sleuths/by Lois WinstonBy Lois Winston
In the retail advertising world, that’s called a “loss leader,” a product that’s sold at or below cost in the hopes that customers will make other purchases at the store while they’re there to scoop up a deal. In the book world, our hope is that readers will love the sale book enough to purchase other books by the author.
I often rely on current events and human-interest stories as inspiration for the plots and/or subplot in my books. However, in Guilty as Framed I incorporated an actual unsolved crime into the book.
I fell in love with the paintings of Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn as a teenager when I first walked through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. From that day on, I spent many hours seated in front of my favorite of his paintings, Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer. I even wrote a paper on the painting my senior year of high school.
Because of my love of Rembrandt’s works, I was devastated when the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was burglarized in 1990. Three of the thirteen works of art stolen were by Rembrandt. These included his only seascape, “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, a painting that was nearly five-and-a-half-feet tall, and the postage-stamp sized etching “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” featured on the cover of Guilty as Framed.
I followed the investigation as it unfolded and have read countless articles on this still unsolved crime. I’ve also watched several documentaries about the burglary and the efforts to find both the perpetrators and the missing artworks. Thirty-five years later, it’s still considered the largest art heist in history. To this day, not only haven’t the perpetrators been caught, but none of the artworks have ever been recovered. Many of the witnesses and persons of interest have since died, some of natural causes, and at least one of not-so-natural causes.
In Guilty as Framed, I wanted to incorporate the actual museum burglary and the missing artworks into the plot of the book. This gave me quite a challenge. I had to figure out how to connect a decades-old museum heist in Boston to my humorous New Jersey-set cozy mystery series.
Writing fiction rather than true crime allowed me to invent some new characters, change the names of real persons (to protect the innocent and not-so-innocent), and weave various events from the actual crime into the plot of Guilty as Framed.
The original sale invoice
“Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” is also known as “Rembrandt ‘Aux Trois Moustaches.” For those of you who don’t speak French, that translates to “Rembrandt with Three Moustaches.” How could a man have three moustaches? One prevailing theory suggests that the second “moustache” is his beard and the third is the fur on his cap. However, I’ve never heard of a beard being called a moustache, and the cap “moustache” seems quite a stretch. Perhaps “Rembrandt with a Moustache, a Beard, and a Furry Caterpillar on his Cap” would have made more sense.
Rembrandt was a serious artist, though. He never displayed a sense of humor in any of his paintings or in the titles of them. It seems unlikely the three-moustache title came from him. Most likely, he titled the etching “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” a frequent title of his early self-portraits. Or he may have called the etching “Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap.”
“Rembrandt ‘Aux Trois Moustaches” is a mystery within the mystery of the heist. I knew I had to explore that in my story. I began researching and discovered the tiny etching was purchased for Isabella Stewart Gardner in 1886 from the art dealer Frederick Keppel & Co., who listed the etching as such on the sales invoice. Was the three-moustache title Keppel’s idea of a joke? We’ll never know.
Finally, and most unfortunately, my research didn’t lead to the discovery of the missing artworks, which is a shame because there’s still a huge outstanding reward for information leading to their recovery.
But what does this miniature Rembrandt self-portrait have to do with my reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack? You’ll get no spoilers from me. For an answer to that mystery, you’re going to have to read Guilty as Framed. Through April 7th, you can do so for only .99 cents.
Guilty as Framed
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 11
When an elderly man shows up at the home of reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack, she’s drawn into the unsolved mystery of the greatest art heist in history.
Boston mob boss Cormac Murphy has recently been released from prison. He doesn’t believe Anastasia’s assertion that the man he’s looking for doesn’t live at her address and attempts to muscle his way into her home. His efforts are thwarted by Anastasia’s fiancé Zack Barnes.
A week later, a stolen SUV containing a dead body appears in Anastasia’s driveway. Anastasia believes Murphy is sending her a message. It’s only the first in a series of alarming incidents, including a mugging, a break-in, another murder, and the discovery of a cache of jewelry and an etching from the largest museum burglary in history.
But will Anastasia solve the mystery behind these shocking events before she falls victim to a couple of desperate thugs who will stop at nothing to get what they want?
Buy Links:
Amazon
Kobo
Apple Books
~*~
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book
/in Uncategorized/by Saralyn RichardSaralyn Richard writes award-winning mysteries that pull back the curtain on settings like elite country manor houses and disadvantaged urban high schools. Her works include the Detective Parrott mystery series, Bad Blood Sisters, Mrs. Oliver’s Twist, A Murder of Principal, and Naughty Nana, a children’s book. An active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, Saralyn teaches creative writing and literature. Her favorite thing about being an author is interacting with readers like you.
This Sisterhood of the Traveling Book post celebrates MRS. OLIVER’S TWIST, which was just released yesterday.
And I’m smiling, because the word, “Sisterhood,” fits on multiple levels. First, The Stiletto Gang is a true sisterhood of mystery authors, who support and encourage each other. Our writing journeys may be very different, but our dreams and goals are very similar. It’s a joy to share my experience with the other Stiletto Gang sisters.
Also, the Quinn McFarland mystery series is all about sisters. The first book, BAD BLOOD SISTERS, featured Quinn and her former BFF, Ana, with whom she shared the blood sister ritual years ago.
Quinn is back in MRS. OLIVER’S TWIST with her former high school English teacher, whose sister plays a big role in the story.
Here’s a short blurb about MRS. OLIVER’S TWIST: Quinn’s on the verge of living her best life when she’s asked to identify the body of her beloved former teacher. When she sees the deceased’s wrist, she enters the vortex of a murder that could derail her plans, her marriage, and her family. For more information, visit https://saralynrichard.com.
Mystery Short Story Nominations
/in awards, Mystery, Paula Gail Benson, Short Stories/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
It’s that time of year when nominations are announced. Mystery short stories have categories in the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgars (for best short story and the Robert L. Fish award for best first short story), the Agathas given at Malice Domestic, and the Thrillers presented at Thrillerfest. Following are the nominees. The Agathas have links so you can read the stories–just click on the link. Notice how many nominations are for Amazon original stories. Congratulations to all those nominated!
Mystery Writers of America Edgar Nominations for:
BEST SHORT STORY
“CUT AND THIRST,” Amazon Original Stories by Margaret Atwood (Amazon Publishing)
“EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK,” Amazon Original Stories by Liv Constantine (Amazon Publishing)
“EAT MY MOOSE,” Conjunctions: 82, Works & Days by Erika Krouse (Bard College)
“BARRIERS TO ENTRY,” Amazon Original Stories by Ariel Lawhon (Amazon Publishing)
“THE ART OF CRUEL EMBROIDERY,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine – July-August 2024 by Steven Sheil (Dell Magazine)
ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD – Endowed by the family of Robert L. Fish.
“THE LEGEND OF PENNY AND THE LUCK OF THE DRAW CASINO,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May-June 2024 by Pat Gaudet (Dell Magazines)
“HEAD START,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September-October 2024 by Kai Lovelace (Dell Magazines)
“MURDER UNDER SEDATION,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March-April 2024 by Lawrence Ong (Dell Magazines)
“THE JEWS ON ELM STREET,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September-October 2024 by Anna Stolley Persky (Dell Magazines)
“SPARROW MAKER,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November-December 2024 by Jake Stein (Dell Magazines)
Malice Domestic Agatha Nominations:
BEST SHORT STORY
“A MATTER OF TRUST” by Barb Goffman, Three Strikes–You’re Dead
“REYNISFJARA” by Kristopher Zgorski, Mystery Most International
“SATAN’S SPIT” by Gabriel Valjan, Tales of Music, Murder and Mayhem: Bouchercon 2024
“SINS OF THE FATHER” by Kerry Hammond, Mystery Most International
“THE POSTMAN ALWAYS FLIRTS TWICE” by Barb Goffman, Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy
Thrillerfest Thriller Nominations:
BEST SHORT STORY
NOT A DINNER PARTY PERSON by Stefanie Leder (Soho Crime)
DOUBLE PARKED by Twist Phelan (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
JACKRABBIT SKIN by Ivy Pochoda (Amazon Original Stories)
THE DOLL’S HOUSE by Lisa Unger (Amazon Original Stories)
AND NOW, AN INSPIRING STORY OF TRAGEDY OVERCOME by Joseph S. Walker (Wildside Press)
The 30,000-foot view of writing
/in Uncategorized/by donalee MoultonWhen you’re creating characters, polishing plot, and tossing red herrings around to mystify readers, it can be easy to lose sight of the book as a whole, to remember what happened in chapter four when you’re on chapter fourteen.
Writers also get close to their work, sometimes too close. We spend time, often at 4 a.m., thinking about the novel, the action, the actors, the unfolding of the story. It’s hard to see the whole when you’re immersed in the parts.
That’s where editing comes in. But we’ve been talking about editing as if it’s one thing. It isn’t. There are several kinds of editing, and they take place at different points in the writing process.
Substantive Editing
This is where the high-level work begins, the 30,000-foot view before we delve into the weeds. It involves rethinking and rewriting. This may mean rewriting whole paragraphs or the entire document. It may involve restructuring or reorganizing parts of the text. It may include identifying where new information is required or existing information should be deleted.
Editors Canada has this to say about substantive editing, which is also called structural or developmental editing.
Structural editing
Assessing and shaping draft material to improve its organization and content. Changes may be suggested to or drafted for the writer. Structural editing may include:
revising, reordering, cutting, or expanding material
writing original material
determining whether permissions are necessary for third-party material
recasting material that would be better presented in another form, or revising material for a different medium (such as revising print copy for web copy)
clarifying plot, characterization, or thematic elements
Substantive editing is major surgery. It is about ensuring the medical team is ready to operate. Blood work has been analyzed, the plan for the procedure reviewed, the instruments lined up neatly, everything and everyone sterilized. The goal: to ensure a successful outcome.
That’s what writers want for their readers. Substantive editing helps them do that. Editors Canada notes that this type of editing supports writers as they define their goals, identify their readers, and shape the manuscript in the best possible way. It enables writers to clarify the argument, fix the pacing, suggest improvements, and draw missing pieces from the author.
It makes the view from 30,000 feet truly spectacular.
Learn More
You can learn more about this in donalee’s book The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say.
Unremarkable Me
/in Paula Gail Benson/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
This week, I received a report from a sinus CT. It contained the line: “The skull is unremarkable.”
I had to think about that, rather like Hamlet contemplating Yorick’s skull in the graveyard scene in Shakespeare’s play.
Sir Laurence Olivier playing Hamlet
phrases.org.uk
To put in context, in Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1, Hamlet and Horatio come upon two gravediggers unearthing bones. When Hamlet learns a particular skull belonged to his father’s jester, Yorick [the famous quote: “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio”], Hamlet asks the skull, “Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar?”
So, I sat, wondering if the words in the report were good or bad.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “unremarkable” as “unworthy or unlikely to be noticed.” Synonyms would be common, ordinary, average, typical, or routine. Something encountered in the normal course of events.
Unfortunately, the “un” or “not” context makes the word unremarkable seem unfavorable. There’s nothing wrong with being average or typical, but when you see yourself described on paper, you want to be considered distinguished, unique, and definitely remarkable or at the least memorable.
I researched further and found a guide to Radiology in Plain English, which indicated that “unremarkable” could be found in all types of radiology reports and was a “good thing” meaning “no structural abnormality.” This guide emphasized the words in radiology reports indicated what the radiologists saw. In fact, it pointed out that sometimes “grossly unremarkable” appeared and meant while nothing obvious was seen, the test might be limited for assessing the organ or structure.
So, I decided to be content with my unremarkable skull, maybe even use that as the title for a short story. Except, if I have a character addressing my skull, I plan to have him talking to a CT photo and not the actual cranium.
What do you think? Is “The Unremarkable Skull” a story you might read?
PS—all is going well for me on the sinus front. My doctor will soon do another CT, in which I hope my skull remains unremarkable.
What to Giveaway
/in Author Life, author promotion, Give Away, Romantic Suspense/by Bethany MainesWell, as a recipient of the occasional free book, I will confirm that yes, I think it’s great when authors giveaway books. However, many authors feel extremely leery of giving away free books. There have been many instances of winners selling books or copying content, so that fear is not unfounded.
Philosophy
However, my philosophy is that while I can’t control the actions of others, I can be a generous person. In other words, haters gonna hate and book pirates are going to book pirate, but I can still put out the kind of energy that I would like to see in the world. Besides, if the four dollars you get from selling an advance print copy of my book is what helps you make it through the day, then take the four bucks. Piracy of ebooks bugs me far more and is an extensive topic that I won’t get into, but in general once I hand you a print copy, you are free to read it, sell it, or pop it in a little free library. Just don’t tell me about it. Unless you loved it. Then absolutely tell me all about it. I want to hear every word.
Do you want free books?
Then sign up for Goodreads, Booksweeps, or LibraryThing. Goodreads is now owned by Amazon, so if you’re trying to boycott or you hate them for their myriad of union busting, author scamming ways (completely understandable), then try Booksweeps or LibraryThing. All three platforms consistently gives away free books in all genres and the odds are far better than the lottery. Booksweeps works directly with authors and is a great place to find your next indie read (they’re my favorite). Library Thing is a bit clunky, but still fun and Goodreads is also strangely clunky, but somehow has all the snarky vibes of high school and a NYT review.
Today’s Giveaway
Today I’m sharing my giveaway of the print copies of my forthcoming novel Elevator Ride. This one available through Goodreads. The giveaway runs through 3/16. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Enter the giveaway!
ENTER HERE: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/406074-elevator-ride
About the book:
Vivian Kaye has been tasked with serving a cease-and-desist letter to Rowan Valkyrie—the most hated tenant in Seattle’s Hoskins building—but when she ambushes the seasoned security professional in the elevator, she ignites a powder keg of tempers and attraction. PREORDER NOW
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Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of action-adventure and fantasy tales that focus on women who know when to apply lipstick and when to apply a foot to someone’s hind end. She can usually be found chasing after her daughter, or glued to the computer working on her next novel (or screenplay). You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub. And don’t forget to check out all the Stiletto Gang authors and books on our BOOK page.
Time for a Change?
/in Samantha Newman Romantic Mystery series, Romantic Suspense, Stress relief, Time, writing life/by Gay YellenThere are two kinds of people in this country: those who love Daylight Saving Time, and those who don’t.
The U.S. tried it twice before, during World Wars I and II, in an attempt to minimize the use of artificial lighting and save fuel for the war effort. That exercise likely lay the seed for its permanent adoption by Congress in the Uniform Time Act of 1966.
And yet today, not all states have approved the legislation.
Both Hawaii and Arizona (except for the real estate owned by the Navajo Nation) remain on Standard Time year-round. Meanwhile, 20 states have passed laws or resolutions aiming to stop the time change. However, they cannot implement the change without approval from Congress.
The debate lingers on, like an all-day hangover.
Among those in the DST camp: Golfers. The sport’s aficionados are practically ecstatic when the clock rolls back. Earlier evening hours increase playing time on the links, and players tend to hang around the clubhouse longer in the evening, buying drinks and food. Caddies, country clubs, and public courses alike make more money.
So, good for golfers. Not so good for other businesses. It pretty much killed the drive-in movie business. Remember them?
Staying neutral? The nappers.
As a consolation prize to those who still need more sleep this week, there is National Napping Day, first declared in 1999 by a married couple who sought to promote the benefits of a daytime snooze. (No word on whether they napped together or apart.) It’s no coincidence that it falls on the heels of our mandated clock regression.
Nappers are apparently unfazed by the time change. It’s a fact that mid-afternoon naps have been an integral part of most cultures for centuries. In many countries, businesses still close for two afternoon hours, prime time for a little “afternoon delight,” which may or may not include a nap.
Nappers point to numerous studies that tout a 10-20 minute nap as the most effective way to combat midday fatigue. Improvements in alertness, productivity, and mood—along with decreased stress—have all been shown to improve with this type of snooze. There are even guidelines for how to nap productively. Some claim that a pre-Daylight Saving Time nap can avoid any post-time-change blur.
However…
On the other side of the debate are the grumblers, who offer a multitude of objections, such as:
Why try to mess with Time? Mother Nature brings us longer sunlight hours every Spring and Summer without all the fuss and bother of DST. Why force us to reset our non-digital devices in March, only to change them again every Autumn? And where’s the romance in an evening soirée that takes place mostly in daylight? It’s too confusing, and darn it, people hate taking their children to school in the dark!
Also, even though habitual nappers think they have the time-change-induced mind fog licked, napping can leave a person feeling groggy after waking, which makes it harder to get anything productive accomplished for the rest of the day. And it may lead to nighttime insomnia—possibly with regret over things you could have accomplished instead of sleeping.
Which side of DST are you on? For, against, or somewhere in the middle?
Gay Yellen’s award-winning writing career began in magazine journalism. She served as the co-writer/editor for the international thriller, Five Minutes to Midnight(Delacorte), a New York Times “New & Notable.” The success of that book led to her Samantha Newman Romantic Mystery Series.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q8P1RNP?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1646500849&sr=1-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin