Where Has All the Good Spam Gone?
We’re all familiar with spam emails. I doubt there’s an adult in America who hasn’t received an email from someone letting us know that THERE ARE SINGLES LOOKING FOR SEX NEAR YOU. However, since the rise of AI I’ve noticed a shift in my inbox. Gone are the days of Nigerian princes, IRS agents demanding gift cards, and fake invoices for an iPhone you never ordered (Quick! Click on that link!! It’s so, so urgent!). Now I get personalized emails talking about my books in breathless terms and low-key requests to contact them if I’m interested. It’s so clear that someone has had AI scan my website or Amazon page to create personalized content that I can delete the emails without getting through the first paragraph.
Isn’t AI Personalized Spam Better?
Like a lot of AI slop, personalized spam is not better than good old-fashioned crap. The compliments, syntax, and tone are entirely lacking in authenticity. And while I suppose it’s possible to feel complimented by a machine, the platitudes carry all the heft of Pete Hegseth’s compliments on leadership—I don’t believe them, and they devalue the speaker for their blatant lack of any real knowledge on the subject. And aside from simply sounding implausible and obviously lacking in sincerity, since AI, authors have become a specifically targeted group. Where once we were hard to pin down or gather information on, AI has turned mass data consumption and website scanning into a breeze. The scammers no longer have to put in effort to learn about us or our books and can pump out email after email promising things that authors want (reviews, sales, readers). But that lack of effort shows, and frankly, it’s insulting. Scammers need to do better.
I took a brief poll of the Stiletto Gang, and we all agree that the spam rate increased to a deluge once AI took off. And of course, we’re worried about deleting that one real person who emails, but many of us are deleting as fast as our fingers can click. As Lois Winston said, “I always trash them and empty my trash immediately.” And while we all understand that the end goal is always money, many of us are puzzled by their low-pressure techniques. Why do you want me to tell you where to leave a review? Why are you wasting my time telling me that you love my work, but don’t want to leave a review without permission. No one in the history of reviews has ever had this worry.
So What Does the Spam Look Like?
Here are just a smattering of examples that I and other members of the Stiletto Gang have received:
Example 1: I can help you!
“I recently came across Eye Contact and it’s a gripping contemporary novel that blends science, mystery, and authentic representation. Following Lexi Byrne, a neurodivergent graduate student developing cutting edge bionic eye technology, the story explores her challenges with relationships, friendship, and ethics, all while navigating a high-stakes theft that puts her work and loved ones at risk. With its mix of science driven intrigue, relatable character dynamics, and emotional depth, Eye Contact has strong discovery potential through Goodreads Listopia lists such as Mystery & Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, Science & Technology Fiction, and Neurodivergent Protagonists.”
TRANSLATION: They want me to pay to get my book on a list on Goodreads which is something I can do for free. (And if they made you interested in Eye Contact – you can check it out on Amazon and all major retailers.)
Example 2: We’re big & famous, so of course we’re emailing YOU!
“At Simon & Schuster, we are committed to publishing fiction that resonates with readers while delivering a strong and memorable narrative experience. Based on what I’ve read, I would be very interested in exploring whether there might be an opportunity to work together.”
“As one of the most influential literary platforms globally, The New York Times Book Review reaches a vast and engaged readership of book lovers, critics, publishers, and industry professionals… If you are interested, kindly respond by [date], and I will provide the next steps and scheduling options.” (Thanks to Judy Penz Sheluk for this gem!)
TRANSLATION: We’re going to ask for money to include you in this very special offer. But pro-tip: Simon & Schuster doesn’t use Yahoo email accounts and the NY Times Book Review doesn’t solicit out of print books or forget to include the [date].
Example 3: Visit Our Book Club for Free!
“How are you doing ? I’m reaching out because of how strongly your book has resonated with readers in our community. As we read and discussed it together, one thing became very clear to us. This is a story that was written to be felt, reflected on, discussed, and shared, not simply read and put aside.”
“Readers will enjoy dissecting the layers of suspense, from the stolen SUV with a dead body to the cache of jewelry and the ongoing threats Anastasia faces, while also appreciating the lighthearted elements that make the series so engaging.” (Kind of makes you want to read the Anastasia Pollack mysteries, doesn’t it? Learn more at LoisWinston.com)
“Based on your catalog, I would be very interested to know which of your books you feel would create the most compelling and thought-provoking discussion among a community of dedicated readers like ours. Would you be open to having one of your preferred titles considered for this upcoming Networx London – Connect & Grow feature and allowing our members to explore and discuss it together?”
TRANSLATION: We failed to realize that we’re emailing about the third book in a mystery series but we’re going to talk about how it’s SO IMPACTFUL and later probably ask you to pay for the venue on a virtual book club.
Example 4: Authors like other authors, right?
“I recently came across your work, and I was really struck by the honesty in your storytelling and the way you blend personal experience with universal truth. As a fellow author, I deeply appreciate writing that challenges and moves readers the way yours does. I just wanted to reach out to say how much I admired your work. It’s inspiring to see writing that’s both fearless and artful.”
TRANSLATION: I’m looking for someone who has too much time on their hands and will email me back which means they’re probably a sucker.
Example 5: Errors Detected!
“I spotted a few issues that could be impacting your website’s performance. I captured screenshots for clarity. Reply “OK – SEND” if you’d like to see them.”
TRANSLATION: We know you’re a creative and don’t know much about websites and we’re depending on that to bilk you out of money (oh, and also… click on this link).
Spam for All
I think for many of us in the writing community, the new downpour of spam is shocking. Perhaps there are other groups who are being similarly targeted now that new tools are available, but this seems like a new development in the scammer landscape. And the truth is that I’m not falling for anymore scams now than I used to, but now I have to have someone blowing smoke up my skirt while I delete them. It’s infuriating. How about you? Are you seeing a new rise in of junk mail and in your inbox? And do you find the insincere adulation as annoying as I do?
**
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 participates in many activities, including swearing, karate, art, and yelling at the news. 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. She has also writes under the pen name Sirena Corbeau for spicier paranormal romance novels. Learn more at: bethanymaines.com or sirenacorbeau.com
See more books from the Stiletto Gang: BOOKS
AI Ruined My Spam
/in Artificial Intelligence, Author Life, author promotion, humor/by Bethany MainesWhere Has All the Good Spam Gone?
We’re all familiar with spam emails. I doubt there’s an adult in America who hasn’t received an email from someone letting us know that THERE ARE SINGLES LOOKING FOR SEX NEAR YOU. However, since the rise of AI I’ve noticed a shift in my inbox. Gone are the days of Nigerian princes, IRS agents demanding gift cards, and fake invoices for an iPhone you never ordered (Quick! Click on that link!! It’s so, so urgent!). Now I get personalized emails talking about my books in breathless terms and low-key requests to contact them if I’m interested. It’s so clear that someone has had AI scan my website or Amazon page to create personalized content that I can delete the emails without getting through the first paragraph.
Isn’t AI Personalized Spam Better?
Like a lot of AI slop, personalized spam is not better than good old-fashioned crap. The compliments, syntax, and tone are entirely lacking in authenticity. And while I suppose it’s possible to feel complimented by a machine, the platitudes carry all the heft of Pete Hegseth’s compliments on leadership—I don’t believe them, and they devalue the speaker for their blatant lack of any real knowledge on the subject. And aside from simply sounding implausible and obviously lacking in sincerity, since AI, authors have become a specifically targeted group. Where once we were hard to pin down or gather information on, AI has turned mass data consumption and website scanning into a breeze. The scammers no longer have to put in effort to learn about us or our books and can pump out email after email promising things that authors want (reviews, sales, readers). But that lack of effort shows, and frankly, it’s insulting. Scammers need to do better.
I took a brief poll of the Stiletto Gang, and we all agree that the spam rate increased to a deluge once AI took off. And of course, we’re worried about deleting that one real person who emails, but many of us are deleting as fast as our fingers can click. As Lois Winston said, “I always trash them and empty my trash immediately.” And while we all understand that the end goal is always money, many of us are puzzled by their low-pressure techniques. Why do you want me to tell you where to leave a review? Why are you wasting my time telling me that you love my work, but don’t want to leave a review without permission. No one in the history of reviews has ever had this worry.
So What Does the Spam Look Like?
Here are just a smattering of examples that I and other members of the Stiletto Gang have received:
Example 1: I can help you!
“I recently came across Eye Contact and it’s a gripping contemporary novel that blends science, mystery, and authentic representation. Following Lexi Byrne, a neurodivergent graduate student developing cutting edge bionic eye technology, the story explores her challenges with relationships, friendship, and ethics, all while navigating a high-stakes theft that puts her work and loved ones at risk. With its mix of science driven intrigue, relatable character dynamics, and emotional depth, Eye Contact has strong discovery potential through Goodreads Listopia lists such as Mystery & Thriller, Contemporary Fiction, Science & Technology Fiction, and Neurodivergent Protagonists.”
TRANSLATION: They want me to pay to get my book on a list on Goodreads which is something I can do for free. (And if they made you interested in Eye Contact – you can check it out on Amazon and all major retailers.)
Example 2: We’re big & famous, so of course we’re emailing YOU!
“At Simon & Schuster, we are committed to publishing fiction that resonates with readers while delivering a strong and memorable narrative experience. Based on what I’ve read, I would be very interested in exploring whether there might be an opportunity to work together.”
“As one of the most influential literary platforms globally, The New York Times Book Review reaches a vast and engaged readership of book lovers, critics, publishers, and industry professionals… If you are interested, kindly respond by [date], and I will provide the next steps and scheduling options.” (Thanks to Judy Penz Sheluk for this gem!)
TRANSLATION: We’re going to ask for money to include you in this very special offer. But pro-tip: Simon & Schuster doesn’t use Yahoo email accounts and the NY Times Book Review doesn’t solicit out of print books or forget to include the [date].
Example 3: Visit Our Book Club for Free!
“How are you doing ? I’m reaching out because of how strongly your book has resonated with readers in our community. As we read and discussed it together, one thing became very clear to us. This is a story that was written to be felt, reflected on, discussed, and shared, not simply read and put aside.”
“Readers will enjoy dissecting the layers of suspense, from the stolen SUV with a dead body to the cache of jewelry and the ongoing threats Anastasia faces, while also appreciating the lighthearted elements that make the series so engaging.” (Kind of makes you want to read the Anastasia Pollack mysteries, doesn’t it? Learn more at LoisWinston.com)
“Based on your catalog, I would be very interested to know which of your books you feel would create the most compelling and thought-provoking discussion among a community of dedicated readers like ours. Would you be open to having one of your preferred titles considered for this upcoming Networx London – Connect & Grow feature and allowing our members to explore and discuss it together?”
TRANSLATION: We failed to realize that we’re emailing about the third book in a mystery series but we’re going to talk about how it’s SO IMPACTFUL and later probably ask you to pay for the venue on a virtual book club.
Example 4: Authors like other authors, right?
“I recently came across your work, and I was really struck by the honesty in your storytelling and the way you blend personal experience with universal truth. As a fellow author, I deeply appreciate writing that challenges and moves readers the way yours does. I just wanted to reach out to say how much I admired your work. It’s inspiring to see writing that’s both fearless and artful.”
TRANSLATION: I’m looking for someone who has too much time on their hands and will email me back which means they’re probably a sucker.
Example 5: Errors Detected!
“I spotted a few issues that could be impacting your website’s performance. I captured screenshots for clarity. Reply “OK – SEND” if you’d like to see them.”
TRANSLATION: We know you’re a creative and don’t know much about websites and we’re depending on that to bilk you out of money (oh, and also… click on this link).
Spam for All
I think for many of us in the writing community, the new downpour of spam is shocking. Perhaps there are other groups who are being similarly targeted now that new tools are available, but this seems like a new development in the scammer landscape. And the truth is that I’m not falling for anymore scams now than I used to, but now I have to have someone blowing smoke up my skirt while I delete them. It’s infuriating. How about you? Are you seeing a new rise in of junk mail and in your inbox? And do you find the insincere adulation as annoying as I do?
**
See more books from the Stiletto Gang: BOOKS
Authors Helping Authors: A Full Circle Moment
/in Judy Penz Sheluk, New Release, Romance, writing life/by Judy Penz ShelukI’d been published a little over a year, maybe two, when I first met Emily Wood. I’d been approached by a regional library to talk about writing and getting published. As I recall, it was loosely related to the now defunct National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) held each November. Anyway, Emily was there, and at the time she was the Editor of the Base Borden newspaper, and worked part-time at the library.
I remember her sitting there, earnest, notebook in hand, dreams in her eyes. She asked a lot of questions. Good questions. Relevant questions. I answered them honestly, but I hoped, with cautious optimism. Yes, getting published was tough, but it could be done. And the one thing I believed in was authors helping authors. Emily might not have been a published author — yet — but in my mind, she was still an author. I seem to recall she was writing something dystopian. The Handmaid’s Tale was big at the time, which may or may not have had something to do with it.
I went on to do a few other library events and presentations, mostly at my then-local library. Emily attended each and every one of them. I think, the first time, she was surprised that I remembered her, but I had been really impressed by her enthusiasm and ambition. I’d been her, once. Part of me still was, even if I’d become just a little more jaded. By 2018, after being “orphaned” twice, I gave up on traditional publishers (except for the odd short story) and had started my own imprint.
STEP-BY-STEP PUBLISHING GUIDES
Then I remembered editor and aspiring author Emily Wood. I contacted her, and we came to an agreement whereby I’d pay her a fair hourly wage, and she’d return edited chapters to me on a weekly basis. It was a partnership made in heaven. Emily’s much more youthful perspective, and her recent efforts to find an agent, added meat to FINDING YOUR PATH TO PUBLICATION: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE, that otherwise would not have been included. That book went on to win the 2024 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Nonfiction AND the 2024 Writer’s Digest Award for Best Prescriptive Nonfiction (that one was nice because it came with a $1,000 prize). I followed up PATH with SELF-PUBLISHING: THE INS & OUTS OF GOING INDIE. Here, Emily’s lack of knowledge was instrumental in how I would explain the process that virtually anyone could follow.
A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
Another fast forward, this time in 2024, when Emily was hired fulltime at the library AND informed me she’d landed an agent and they were shopping her book (a romance, which is what she loves to read). She signed a contract soon after and the book JUST MY LUCK, released in February 2026. You can find it on Amazon and other retailers. And then, one day in March, a parcel arrived from Emily. Her debut novel, signed and personalized. A matching bookmark. A lovely thank you card.
And that’s what you call “a full circle moment.”
ABOUT JUST MY LUCK (by Emily Wood)
Community, the Plot Twist We Really Need!
/in Cozy Mysteries/by Sparkle Abbeyby Sparkle Abbey
There’s something to be said about the welcoming world of a cozy mystery. While the sleuth is almost always someone we can root for and the stakes are high (murder anyone?), a cozy community can feel like home.
In cozy mysteries, the community is its own character. The sleuth is surrounded by friends, neighbors, and familiar faces who play a role in the unfolding story. The community is what moves the plot forward and develops relationships. It should pull in the reader and keep them invested. Not just in solving the mystery, but in the lives of the characters.
And perhaps that’s why cozy mysteries resonate so strongly with readers. They reflect something we all crave in our own lives: a sense of belonging.
Community can also raise the emotional stakes. When something goes wrong, and it always does, it doesn’t happen to strangers. It’s someone close to the sleuth, or at least in their circle. It’s the motivation to solve the puzzle.
In real life, community plays a similar role. It’s the network of people we rely on: friends, family, colleagues, neighbors. Those who care and support us.
A community gives us a place to share our pain, celebrate our victories, and navigate life’s challenges. It reminds us that we’re not alone.
At their core, cozy mysteries are more than just an engaging puzzle. They are a reflection of a world where people care about each other and look out for one another.
Or maybe, it’s the world we want to know.
And maybe that’s the real magic.
Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series.
They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don’t tell the other neighbors.)
They love to hear from readers and can be found on social media or contacted via their websites:
Sparkle Abbey: Facebook Website
Mary Lee Ashford: Facebook Instagram Website
Clicking Our Heels – Have You Ever Killed a Real Person Off in Your Books?
/in Clicking Our Heels/by DebraTeresa Thorne – Not yet, but watch out!
Saralyn Richard – I haven’t exactly killed off a real person, but in A Murder of Principal a maverick principal comes to an urban high school with an unpopular student-centered agenda and is victimized. Because I worked as an administrator at urban high schools, and one, in particular, for many years, I knew people would try to match up the murder victim with one of the real-live people in the school. I went to him before I wrote the book and made sure he was okay with the book’s premise and whatever assumptions people might make about his being the model for the character. His reply was, “I would be honored to be represented in your book, even if you kill me off.”
Donalee Moulton – All the deaths in my books are fictional, both interestingly by hanging. In Hung Out to Die, the victim’s death was intended to look like a suicide. In Conflagration!, the enslaved Black woman accused of burning down the entire lower town of Montreal in 1734 was sentenced to death by hanging. She was then burned at the stake. Reality can be so much more brutal that fiction.
Kathleen Kaska – No.
Donnell Ann Bell – No. But I have had people contact me and request to be the murderer in my books. I use their name (with permission) and they for some reason are delighted! 🙂
Debra H. Goldstein – Yes, but I’ll never tell because I’d have to kill you, too.
Judy Penz Sheluk – Gosh, no, though I will say I’ve been sorely tempted. I have managed to exact revenge in a two of my short stories. ‘Live Free or Die’ (included in Live Free or Tri) and ‘The Last Chance Coalition’ (in Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers) were both inspired by true events. It was very cathartic to get even all these many years later, if only on paper.
Lois Winston – Yes, but I held no animosity toward the person in real life and didn’t use his real name. He was a neighbor from about twenty-five years ago. I write humorous mysteries and couldn’t pass up the chance to immortalize his quirkiness in Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the 14th book in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries. When I began the book, I didn’t intend to kill him, but as I wrote, it became evident that he’d be the perfect victim for the book.
Bethany Maines – I don’t think I’ve actually killed anyone off, but I have made several real people be the butt of a joke or made them look stupid. One was an English teacher who said I wasn’t very creative.
/Gay Yellen – All victims from my mystery series are fictional, though some have characteristics of people I’ve known: a young woman from a small town who couldn’t cope with a highstakes
job in the big city, an egotistic journalist, and a male chauvinist.
Mary Lee Ashford – I have not killed a real person off. I’ve considered auctioning off an opportunity to be a victim but in the end decided against it. Though when I first started writing mystery, I was working on a project where the first line was, “It was a regular day at City Hall, except for the dead body in the lobby.” And I have to say the victim varied depending on who was behaving badly that day. Of course, none of that made it into the actual book. And my lips are sealed.
Is There Another Way?
/in T.K. Thorne/by TK ThorneWe are at war. Again.
I am old enough to remember the 1970 song “War” and its iconic refrain: “War, huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” And yet—here we are. Again and again and again.
I have lived through the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the post‑9/11 “Forever Wars” in Afghanistan and Iraq, along with numerous interventions in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, and Syria, and now Iran—another moment in a long, familiar pattern.
And those are just the ones involving my lifetime and my country.
This is not a simple or comfortable question—but it’s one we avoid at our peril.
What compels men to violence?
SEE MORE
#1 Favorite Book of All Time
/in favorite book of all time/by Lois WinstonIllustration from Pixabay
By Lois Winston
“Grandma, what’s your #1 favorite book of all time?”
My #1 favorite book of all time?
As part of a Readathon at his elementary school, my nine-year-old grandson recently asked me this question. You might think this is a simple question with an even simpler answer. Not for me. I’ve been impacted throughout the years by different books at different points in my life. The ones that have left the biggest impressions are the ones that educated me the most. Picking one book out of a lifetime of reading would be impossible.
Unlike what’s happening at many libraries across the country today, my local library didn’t ban books, nor did they prevent children from using the adult section. It was from the library, not the classroom, where I gained a greater understanding of life and history, reading many books that are currently being banned in schools and libraries.
In the classroom, I was forced to memorize dates of battles and names of generals. By reading James Mitchner, Leon Uris, and The Diary of Anne Frank, I learned of the atrocities perpetrated by many of those generals at the direction of their leaders here and abroad, whether in the name of Manifest Destiny or the “superiority” of the white race.
In school, we had mandatory air raid drills where we sat in the hall, facing the wall and covering our heads to protect us from possible nuclear attack. On the Beach by Nevil Shute taught me the futility of such an exercise. Yet no teacher in any of my AP US History classes ever mentioned anything about what would really happen should the Soviets launch a nuclear missile at us. Nuclear winter? The term was never mentioned in the classroom. And we certainly were never shown the images of the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
School taught me useless facts that would only benefit me if I ever went on Jeopardy! The historical fiction, biographies, and autobiographies, I borrowed from the library, humanized those famous names rather than lionizing them. It showed me that no issue should ever be viewed entirely in black and white. There are always subtle shades of gray involved. History, unfortunately, has and will continue to repeat itself when we don’t learn from our mistakes. Books taught me that, not my history teachers.
Long after graduating, I’ve continued reading and gaining a deeper understanding of humanity. Roots by Alex Haley and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, although both novels, brought the horrors of slavery to light in a way no high school study of the Civil War, nor reading Gone with the Wind, ever did. As did Ron Chernow’s massive biography of Alexander Hamilton, regarding our founding fathers and the Revolutionary War.
From Ariana Franklin’s Mistress of the Art of Death series, I learned more about the Middle Ages than I ever did in my high school course on European History. Most recently, Marie Benedict’s The Mitford Affair, based on the lives of real people in England before and during World War II, showed me how insidiously fascism took hold of many of the English elite.
As I read these books, I often became angry over the inhumane treatment perpetrated by one group against another, but at the same time I remained hopeful, knowing people are capable of change. As Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Although, lately, that’s becoming increasingly difficult. I also worry that if these books and others are denied to us and future generations, no one will have the opportunity to learn about all the shades of gray.
Of course, I couldn’t convey any of this to my nine-year-old grandson. I needed to give him the title of my favorite book. In the end, I settled on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, also a book about hope and believing in the goodness of others.
What’s your #1 favorite book of all time? Post a comment for a chance to win a promo code for a free audiobook download of any of the available Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries or Empty Nest Mysteries.
~*~
Sisterhood of the Traveling Book
/in Sisterhood of the Traveling Book/by donalee Moultonby donalee Moulton
headstone at Catherine McIntosh’s gravesite
It is worth the drive. Catherine’s gravestone seems unravaged by time. It sits near the road surrounded by flowers, cards, dolls, and other gifts all a tribute to a young girl who never lived to celebrate her ninth birthday. Some kind soul has draped lights above the headstone. I wonder what it would look like at night. I wonder if I have the nerve.
We bring gifts, a small angelic ceramic candle holder from Lynn and miniature bouquet of artificial flowers from me. We make our way to the headstone wondering if, like many others, we will feel Catherine’s presence. We do not. And we should know better.
I place the small vase at the foot of the headstone, and I introduce myself. I tell Catherine I have written about her. She is an important part of my book. I hope she will be happy to know that. As I start to lift my head from the treasure trove of gifts, a red bird looks back at me. A cardinal. Plastic, but nonetheless a cardinal. So, Catherine knew we were coming.
I’m not moving. “Lynnie, there’s a cardinal in the tree.” Lynn turns to look in my direction. Her head sweeps over the small, forested area. “No,” she says. “They are all over the place.”
Someone has festooned branches with red birds, not all cardinals, but all red and all close enough to the title of this book. We thank Catherine, and we leave.
Off the dirt road and back on pavement, we breathe. We realize we have time for a coffee and a walk around a nearby town on our way to a weekend yoga retreat. We park, grab a hot drink, and make our way to the first gift shop. I open the door. A table chock-a-block with lovely toys, trinkets, and treasures holds centre stage. In the middle of this table, a large cardinal. I turn and walk out.
There are forces at work that surround Cardinal. I don’t know what they are, but I am grateful for them.
Get a copy of Cardinal here.
Newly Issued Short Story Anthologies to Explore
/in Artificial Intelligence, Debra H. Goldstein, Paula Gail Benson, Short Stories/by Paula Bensonby Paula Gail Benson
With March coming in like a lion and continuing to exhibit changeable weather, why not enjoy a virtual vacation by taking advantage of some great reissued short story anthologies?
What amazed me in reading these stories is how, with such limited words, the authors drew the settings so clearly and the characters so poignantly. Both S.A. Cosby’s and Debra H. Goldstein’s stories deal with young women learning about the world through their connections with similar honky tonk venues, but each does so in a completely unique and unexpected manner. John M. Floyd’s story contains a wonderful twist in the end. All the stories are delightful and engaging.
So try a staycation with one or both of these fun anthologies. You’ll really enjoy it!
Cardinal takes flight
/in Detective, Mysteries, Mystery, Paranormal Mystery/by donalee Moultonby donalee Moulton
I envisioned aliens, not my most-favorite image. I learned, however, the term refers broadly to anything unusual or unnatural that we can’t scientifically explain. That meant aliens could take a back seat to ghosts. So, I went ghost hunting.
Like most places, Nova Scotia is full of lure and lore about those who have failed to cross over or who have made a return appearance. One of the former is Catherine McIntosh, a little girl who died in rural Nova Scotia before the nineteenth century turned into the twentieth and one month before her ninth birthday.
There does not appear to be anything sinister or suspicious about Catherine’s death. It’s what happened after that has made the little girl part of the fabric of the otherworldly in my province. Catherine decided to stay.
Today people travel the backroads of Pictou County and wind their way along a narrow dirt road to visit her grave and bring her gifts. She likes it when you bring her presents, and this may earn you a giggle or a muddy handprint on your car. Don’t take one away though. Catherine is usually friendly and warm, but she is still a little girl.
Now she is the cornerstone of Cardinal. In these pages, private detective Em Montgomery is hunting for a missing woman. She expects dead ends. She does not expect a dead girl who refuses to stay buried. Em finds herself knee-deep in fog, small-town secrets, and the uneasy sense she’s being watched by more than wildlife.
Oh yes, there is also blueberry grunt. You know why they call it grunt, right?
Book Clubs, By Saralyn Richard
/in Book Clubs, Book events, Detective Parrott Mystery Series, Mysteries, Reading, Saralyn Richard/by Saralyn RichardI’ve been thinking a lot about book clubs, and I’ve known a lot of them over the years. Big ones, small ones, literary ones, social ones, online ones, in-person ones. I’ve belonged to a few, myself, but in recent years I’ve attended mostly book clubs where my books were being discussed.
And even those have been varied. Some are book review clubs, where the audience has not yet read the book, but would like to hear about it in anticipation of reading. One of these has been in existence for over 75 years and is still going strong.
Some are into dressing up like the characters in the book and decorating the room with artifacts from the book.
Some are serious readers and love discussing the book using Socratic questions.
More than a few serve meals and like to model the menu after the foods mentioned in the book.
Many of them are in farflung places and meet online, or they meet in person, but stream me into the fun. These are no less exciting and fun.
I feel so fortunate when I’m invited to lead or participate in a book club meeting. It’s an honor to be able to discuss my book with readers in an intimate setting, where all questions and answers are enlightening and welcome. Getting to know my readers makes the writing of the next book more exciting, as well. Since I have a sharper image of who is reading, what they like, and how they think, I can communicate better with them.
All in all, I think book clubs are the best “invention” since—well, you know, books, themselves. How about you? What is your book club experience like?
Saralyn Richard is a multiple award-winning author of seven mystery novels, a children’s book, and numerous short stories, poems, and essays published in anthologies and magazines. Her works include the Detective Parrott Mystery Series, the Quinn McFarland Mystery Series, A Murder of Principal, and Naughty Nana. Saralyn is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, and she has taught literature and creative writing to high school students and adults through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Saralyn and her husband live in Texas in the house she grew up in.