Tag Archive for: Debra H. Goldstein

It’s Deception – Not Anticipation

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It’s
Deception-Not Anticipation by Debra H. Goldstein

Deception.

It’s a word
that rolls around my tongue and brain with ease. Different dictionaries shade
its definition:

a: the
act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or
invalid 

b: the
fact or condition of being deceived

c: something that deceives (Merriam-Webster)

The act of hiding the truth, especially to get an advantage – Cambridge Dictionary

A misleading
falsehood.
misrepresentation, deceit. bill of goods – communication (written or spoken)
that persuades someone to accept something untrue or undesirable – The Free
Dictionary

As a mystery
writer, my writings incorporate deception to engage and challenge readers. If
in my everyday life, I tell a little white lie, I am using deception to make my
point or shield someone from the truth.

Lately, I’ve
found deception in my writing and my life are combining against me. I say I’m
writing my fifth Sarah Blair mystery and technically I am. I write 3000 words
and then delete them; I write another 3000 words and then I move them to
another place in the book or into my discard bin. What I’ve finally realized,
after two weeks of this is that I’m not challenged by covid brain or anything
except – deception. I’ve been deceiving myself into thinking the book is
working, the prose is smooth, and that the public will like it. They won’t.
Why? Because I don’t like it. The book isn’t moving fast enough, and after much
thought, I’ve realized why. I’m laying out too much backstory rather than tweaking
moments of deception into my tale.

It sounds like
a simple fix. But that would be deceiving myself. I’ve got to rethink and
rewrite from scratch. That’s the truth. That’s the fact. Oh, how I wish it were
merely a moment of deception. I anticipate otherwise.

  

 

 

Party Time or is There a Better Way to Reach Readers?

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Party
Time or is There a Better Way to Reach Readers? by Debra H. Goldstein

We’re
having a Facebook party on Tuesday night (August 18 from 8 to 9 p.m. EST/ 7 to
8 CST) and you’re invited! It’s a Facebook party being hosted by yours truly
(Debra H. Goldstein), Julia Henry and V.M. Burns to celebrate our August
releases.

 

In the
past, we’ve each had big launches in our cities, attended conferences, made
presentations wherever we were invited, participated in Facebook parties, and
done blog tours, but the world and our normal way of doing things has changed.
As we shelter at home, avoid group gatherings, visit with friends and fans
virtually, we, and other authors, are trying to find the new norm.

We’re
writing blogs because we enjoy interacting through the written word– but
lately, there have been a rash of articles saying that is passé. These same
articles argue that newsletters are the way to go, but not every author enjoys
writing and formatting a newsletter and statistically there are only so many
newsletters opened per mailing round.

Live
conferences which offered numerous panels have been canceled for the
foreseeable future and their virtual replacements can only feature a limited
number of speakers. Similarly, traditional in store launches are being done as
virtual launches or takeovers via store or social media sites. Podcasts have
increased in popularity, but again, there aren’t enough guest slots for every author.

Because
we are interested in what you think is the best way for us to reach readers, we
each are giving away a print or e-book copy of our new book — just think,
leave one comment and you have three chances to win a prize because we will
each randomly select a winner for our respective book.

And to
remind you about our books:

PAW AND ORDER by V. M.
Burns is the fourth book in the Dog Club Mystery Series. 

DIGGINGUP THE REMAINS by Julia Henry is the third book in the Garden
Squad mystery series.

THREE TREATS TOO MANY by Debra H. Goldstein is the third book
in the Sarah Blair mystery series.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts
and hope to see you at the party (lots of fun and giveaways).

 

 

 

 

 

BSP and Passing It Forward by Debra H. Goldstein

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For
the next few months, while Linda takes a short break, watch for guest posts
featuring new books and authors.

BSP
and Passing it Forward by Debra H. Goldstein

It took
me months to learn that BSP stands for “Blatant Self Promotion.” Like many
authors, I’m basically an introvert who struggles to self-promote. Although I
could use this column to tell you that Three Treats Too Many, the new
Sarah Blair mystery, releases on August 25, but is available for pre-order and
that the e-book version of Two Bites Too Many, which was just named a
2020 Silver Falchion finalist, will be reduced to $.99 from August 21-24, and
featured in a Bookbub ad on August 22, but I won’t. Instead, I want to pass it
forward and tell you about some new releases I think might interest you.

On Tuesday, August 11, pick up a copy of PAW AND ORDER by V. M.
Burns.

It is the fourth book in the Dog Club Mystery Series. Available at https://bit.ly/DCMPawAndOrder :

Lilly’s
best pal Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson has done it again! She’s convinced
eccentric poodle-loving billionaire Archibald Lowry to sponsor a grand
fundraiser for the Eastern Tennessee Poodle Rescue. Tragically, it’s too late
to rescue Lowry, who is murdered at the event. His pet poodle is now orphaned,
so Dixie begs Lilly to foster the adorable pup. Of course, she already has a
poodle—her beloved Aggie, named after Agatha Christie. Fortunately, Aggie seems
to like the new addition to the family, whom Lilly renames Rex, after her
second favorite mystery author, Rex Stout.
 
But she’s barely welcomed Rex into her home when
there’s an attempted poodle-nabbing, foiled with Aggie’s help. As desperate
characters try to get their hands on the canine cutie, Lilly turns to Dixie’s
dog training class to help her sort through a litter of suspects. Ultimately,
she may have to unleash Rex as bait to collar the killer . . .

Another
book to check out this month is Digging Up the Remains by Julia Henry.
It is the third book in the Garden Squad mystery series. This time,

Between hosting a haunted house on her
lawn, serving on the town’s 400th Anniversary Planning Committee, and prepping
for the Fall Festival’s 10k fundraiser, Lilly’s hands are full. She doesn’t
have time for prickly newspaper reporter Tyler Crane, who’s been creeping
around town, looking for dirt on Goosebush’s most notable families . . . until
he’s found dead on the race route moments before the start.
 
An unfortunate accident? Or did Tyler unearth a
secret that someone in Goosebush is willing to kill to keep? By planting nasty
rumors and cultivating fear, Tyler sowed a fair share of ill will during his
brief time in town. Weeding through the suspects will be thorny, but Lilly and
her Garden Squad are determined to root out the autumnal assassin before the
Fall Festival flops . .

A few more recently or about to be
released books include Cheryl Hollon’s Still Knife Painting, Leslie Budewitz’s The
Solace of Bay Leaves, Sherry Harris’ From Beer to Eternity, Bethany Maines’
Love and Treasure, Anna Gerald’s Peachy Scream, and Maggie Toussaint’s All
Done With It.


 

 

 

 

The Importance of Pre-Orders

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The Importance of Pre-Orders by Debra H.
Goldstein
Until I
became an author, the only time I thought of pre-ordering a book was when I
knew a new Harry Potter was being released. Once I was published, I heard from
other authors that pre-orders were extremely important. Knowing that the third book
in my Sarah Blair cozy mystery series, Three
Treats Too Many, releases on August 25, but is available for pre-order now,
I decided to research what the importance of pre-orders is.
It turns
out there are several reasons to encourage (beg) for pre-orders:
1)   
If publishers see books are receiving numerous
pre-orders, they will increase the print run. More books being printed means
the publisher will put more advertising help toward the book because it doesn’t
want to get stuck with unsold books. More promotion translates into additional
sales.
2)   
Pre-orders are reported in first week sales.
People often have a surge during their launch parties, but the additional
numbers created by pre-sales may help a book make a national or local
best-seller list. Word of mouth and recognition again translates into more
sales.
3)   
Whether Amazon, other online sources, big box
stores or independent booksellers receive numerous pre-orders, they will tend
to stock more copies of the book. Often, the booksellers will check out and
potentially promote a book that customers are showing an interest in.
4)   
Authors want publishers to accept their next
books. Publishers want to sign authors whose books sell. Pre-order numbers
serve as an indicator to a publisher as to whether there is interest in
additional works by an author.
5)   
Pre-orders are especially important when a
series is debuting its first book. Few know of the existence of the series, so
it is important to use any means possible to build excitement and interest
immediately. One of the best ways to do this is through high numbers of
pre-orders which catch the eye of booksellers and readers.
Now that
I know how important pre-orders are, I hope you will consider pre-ordering Three Treats Too Many or books by your other favorite authors.  The buy links for Three Treats Too Many are listed below.
About Three Treats Too Many:
When a romantic rival opens a competing restaurant in
small-town Wheaton, Alabama, Sarah Blair discovers murder is the specialty of
the house . . . 

 

For someone whose greatest culinary skill is ordering
takeout, Sarah never expected to be co-owner of a restaurant. Even her Siamese
cat, RahRah, seems to be looking at her differently. But while Sarah and her
twin sister, Chef Emily, are tangled up in red tape waiting for the building
inspector to get around to them, an attention-stealing new establishment—run by
none other than Sarah’s late ex-husband’s mistress, Jane—is having its grand
opening across the street. 

 

Jane’s new sous chef, Riley Miller, is the talk of Wheaton
with her delicious vegan specialties. When Riley is found dead outside the
restaurant with Sarah’s friend, Jacob, kneeling over her, the former line
cook—whose infatuation with Riley was no secret—becomes the prime suspect. Now
Sarah must turn up the heat on the real culprit, who has no reservations about
committing cold-blooded murder . . .

 

 Includes
quick and easy recipes!
Pre-Order/Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Treats-Sarah-Blair-Mystery-ebook/dp/B082WRV78G 
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Treats-Sarah-Blair-Mystery/dp/1496719492
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-treats-too-many-debra-h-goldstein/1135275342

Swiss Cheese Brain

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Swiss
Cheese Brain by Debra H. Goldstein
Sometimes
having a brain that feels like a piece of swiss cheese has its benefits. Some
of you know I had surgery, under general anesthesia, last week to remove the
hardware from when my foot was rebuilt a few years ago. Although I almost
immediately traded the opiate pain pills for over the counter medication, I discovered
my brain continued working in gaps. I’d have a thought and then it would fade
away as my eyes closed. I’d snap back into the moment before again losing time.
Not
exactly what a Type A personality wants to have happening. I fought against the
drowsiness and the loss of what seemed to be logical brain connections, but I
didn’t win. If anything, it exhausted me more. So, I decided to surrender.
Once I gave
up, I saw things with more clarity (except for where the holes were). I
realized that sometimes we can’t control the moment or what we want to do any more
than we can dictate the flow of a story or the behavior of a character. Pushing
against what the story or characters want usually results in flat writing or a
dead end. Better to give in until the flow begins anew.

I’m
still taking it easy, but my eyes are brighter and my mind not as
circuitous.  Those characters and ideas
better watch out!

What My Mother’s Day Will Be Like

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What My Mother’s
Day Will Be Like by Debra H. Goldstein

With Mother’s Day
only a few days away, I started thinking about what the day will be like for
me.
Usually, there are
flowers and cards from my husband and from two children and one grandchild. All
four children will send cards; the grandchildren are hit and miss in that
department. The four children will probably go in on a gift together, unless, for some reason, the
girls are mad at the boys and they decide to each send something from their
respective families (in the past the tizzy occurred the year after the boys
forgot to pay up or when one, who was responsible for ordering the gift, left it until
last minute and instead simply sent a Venmo message with money from all….not the
emotional gift the girls envisioned).
In the past,
there were telephone or facetime calls from each of the grandchildren with
cameo appearances by their parents. This year, that might be replaced with a
zoom meeting with all the families represented. That’s how we’ve been
celebrating birthdays, Passover, and just getting together for the past month.
All will warm my
heart, but they will be lacking one thing. My mother. Before I was a mother or
a grandmother, I was a daughter. My mother taught me how to be a mother and a grandmother
by example. She was loving, kind, wickedly funny, and somewhat opinionated, but
she doted on her children and grandchildren. Her greatest joy was the time she
spent with us. She’s been gone a little more than five years, but I still want
to pick up the telephone can call her when something good happens or when I
need a bit of cheering up. I miss having her as a sounding board. Most of all,
I miss the joy of her sharing in the life cycle events of our family.
So, this Mother’s
Day, I will joyfully celebrate with my children and grandchildren, but a part
of my heart will be missing my mother.

Wisdom Gained From Eating Dark Chocolate

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Wisdom Gained From Eating Dark Chocolate by Debra H. Goldstein
The combination
of staying indoors (which I don’t really mind) and being frustrated by my work
in progress (which I do mind) has forced me to take drastic steps:  I opened a bag of Dove dark chocolate pieces
with almonds. Delicious and the fun thing is the wrapper on each piece has a
message.
Because I had nothing
better to do (remember, I’m frustrated with my work in progress — and by now,
I’d just thrown out seventy pages and was debating whether to change whodunit),
I decided to let the messages guide me through the day. First, I thought it might
be a fun experiment for the blog and second, it might give spur my writing in a
new direction or at least give me the fodder for a blog.
The first message
was simple: “Every moment matters including this one!”  Okay, it was time to stop playing solitaire
and get to work.
I tried, but words
and ideas weren’t coming to me with the ease I remembered from the past. It was
time for more chocolate and another message: “Keep life moving forward,
looking backward is only for time travelers.”  Well, that was a kick in the … that I needed.
Instead of struggling with my novel, I decided to write my April blogs. Surprising
the words flowed out of me.
When I went for
my third and final piece of chocolate for the day, I was feeling pretty good,
but I knew there was more that I could do. The third message confirmed my inner
thought: “Don’t stop until you’re proud.”

I give you my
word, I won’t.

Things Change, but Stay the Same

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Things
Change, but Stay the Same by Debra H. Goldstein

Recently,
I was thinking about how as much as things change, they stay the same.

For
example, the Stiletto Gang recently welcomed three new members: Kathryn Lane,
Saralyn Richard and Robin Hillyer-Miles. That means, every day of the month, readers
will continue to find an interesting blog to read on The Stiletto Gang.

Last
Thursday, I received edits on one manuscript and galleys on another. Both have
drop dead deadlines. So does a class I’m preparing to teach, a group of
speaking engagements I have scheduled, and lots of family events. My first
instinct was to panic, but then I remembered that if I do one thing at a time,
they all will get done. It’s just a matter of starting and doing rather than
giving in to that moment when I was overwhelmed. The reality is, I’ll get
everything done – and hopefully, at the quality level I want.

Today,
I opened an e-mail. It was the schedule of my youngest grandchild’s school year
for 2020-2021. Why did I get it? Because I’m a mom and a grandmother and my
daughter and her husband want me to know the dates they may need a little babysitting
help. Last week one of our other children called to ask for our Verizon code.
It seems he needed a new phone and because he’s still on my account, he needed
access. He paid for his own phone, but he wants to stay on my family plan because
it is a lot cheaper than if he headed his own phone plan. What do both these
things say to me – they may be grown up, but they still need me the same way
they did when they were toddlers.

I have
a birthday coming up. For that event, there will be many dinners and lunches
with various groups of friends. One will be bittersweet because it will be the
first one missing a friend – the youngest in that group. We’ll raise a glass in
her memory, and then we’ll laugh and cut-up because we’ll still be there
together supporting and, if I can say it, loving each other.

My
husband and I are thinking of downsizing again. After twenty-three years in our
first house, we downsized fifteen years ago. We never looked back. The idea of
going into something smaller, but on one floor, is daunting, but I bet once we
find the right house and get settled, it will feel like we always lived there.

My
writing is like that – ideas come; ideas go, but the beat goes on. That’s what
it’s all about, isn’t it?

10 Days of Promotion by Debra H. Goldstein

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10 Days
of Promotion by Debra H. Goldstein

Writing
is often referred to as a lonely or introverted activity. Successful promotion,
on the other hand, requires one to be gregarious, friendly, and “on.” If you
hand me a microphone, I can take on the characteristics of a comedienne, but
the reality is I’m shy. So, why did I recently take on a four city in ten days
promotional tour? Insanity? A personal challenge? Stupidity? A detour side trip
addition of one city to meet my son’s girlfriend?

Probably,
for every reason cited above.

On Friday,
January 3, I flew to Houston for a book discussion and signing with Kay Kendall
at Murder by the Book on Saturday, January 4. We planned this gig months in
advance – months

before we knew that at the exact time we scheduled the event,
Texas would be in the playoffs. Kay and I were very thankful to the 30 plus
folks who obviously weren’t sports fans who came to the store and for the over
1 million who dropped in on the live stream. It was my first-time live
streaming and it was great to hear from people all over the country who watched
it. What a great signing…. and if you aren’t aware, what a wonderful store.

I
caught the last plane out of Houston to Denver. Boy, was I sweating considering
Denver had snow a day or so earlier. I had visions of the plane being
cancelled, but it wasn’t. Got to Denver, saw my youngest son close to midnight,
and by noon I was at The Book Bar for a signing. A combination bookstore,
coffee and other items bar, I fell in love with how they’ve pulled off the
  (yes, I liked her)

concept. Also appreciated all the friends of my son who gave me a standing room
only audience. This was one time I’m glad he’s never met a stranger. Of course,
meeting his girlfriend and her mother while trying to do a book talk about my
life was an eerie feeling, but again, all went well.

Tuesday
morning, I left snow on the streets Denver and flew to Scottsdale for a dream
come true. When I began writing, a friend told me that if I could get a signing
at The Poisoned Pen, my career would have credibility. I don’t know about that,
but I can tell you that I’m a super fan of The

Poisoned Pen. Not only are there
books galore and a warm and engaging staff, but the hanging pictures of authors
who have spoken there sometime in the past thirty years was wonderful to see.
(Some of the authors still had hair when they made their first visit to The
Poisoned Pen). I also appreciated some special people coming out to join the
audience.

That
night, or should I say morning, it was red-eye time. I landed in Birmingham on
Thursday morning, did laundry, slept, and jumped

in the car to make Memphis before
a predicted storm blew me off the road.



Not only was it fun visiting friends,
but the Sunday book discussion and signing at Novel was with a friend, Beth
(Jaden) Terrell. Always fun to play off each other (we were on a panel together
at the Southern Book Festival) and we both adored the story of Novel. When this
local bookstore was going to have to close, people in the community raised the
money to take it over and keep it going. And that’s an understatement. The
store is full of books and people who love books.

The
tour finished the next morning with an appearance on Live at 9 on Memphis
television station WREG-TV. Marybeth Conley is very generous to authors — and
a great reader of our books. You can watch the interview here .

I drove
home and was tired, but I’d do it all again in a moment. Do you like attending
bookstore events? Leave a comment and have a chance to win a copy of One Taste
Too Many, the first in Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series.

Debra & Kay “Do” Houston

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by Kay Kendall

Avid readers and writers
of crime fiction make up a warm and supportive community, both IRL (in real
life) and online. This fact often astonishes folks outside this community. Isn’t it odd, they ask, that people who spend lots of time steeped in criminal
activities of all kinds—even if it is fictional—are so nice?

Debra H. Goldstein & Kay Kendall, 2014, Killer Nashville

And now one of the nicest
and funniest authors I know is coming to Houston. Debra H. Goldstein and I will do
a talk and book signing together at Houston’s renowned store, Murder by the Book.

On Saturday, January 4 at 4:30 pm. (location: 2342 Bissonnet Street) you’ll
find us doling out cookies, tea, wine, and opinions aplenty about reading and
writing mysteries.

Debra writes funny cozy mysteries
and will talk about her newest book, Two
Bites Too Many. I write historical mysteries and will discuss my latest, After You’ve Gone.

Watch this space for news of a live feed on Facebook!

               
Debra and I are both bloggers here on the Stiletto Gang, but our
pal-hood predates that by several years. We first met at the Killer Nashville
conference in the summer of 2014 and hit it off immediately. Both of us came to
our mystery writing later in life.

She had been both a
successful labor lawyer and one of the youngest individuals appointed as a U.S.
Administrative Law Judge. I had won international awards in my two decades of
corporate communications. Both of us then cut our careers short (hers as a
judge was a lifetime appointment!) to become fulltime mystery writers. Since meeting
five years ago, we’ve each published more books and participated in several
organizations promoting crime novels. This year our paths crossed again as
members of the national board of Mystery Writers of America, with Debra representing
the Southeast Chapter as president, and me as president of the Southwest
Chapter.

I always have fun when Debra is around, and also learn lots of interesting things. I know you will too. If you are lucky enough to be in Houston on January 4, swing by Murder by the Book and see us. And everyone can see our live feed (and/or later video) on Facebook. We guarantee a great time!

~~~~~~~

Author Kay
Kendall is passionate about historical mysteries. 


She lives in Texas with her Canadian
husband, two house rabbits, and spaniel Wills.
Her second book Rainy Day Women won the Silver Falchion for best mystery at
Killer Nashville. Visit
Kay at her website http://www.austinstarr.com/  
or on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/KayKendallAuthor