The winners of the autographed copies of Marilyn Meredith’s mystery, Calling the Dead, are: Susan Draco and Helen. Both have been contacted off line and should receive their books next week.
Calling the Dead is the sixth in Marilyn’s Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. For the latest novel featuring Tempe, check out Marilyn’s “just released,” Kindred Spirits.
Thanks to all who left comments or sent emails!
The Stiletto Gang
I’m back from Crescent City and the most successful book launch I’ve ever had, this was for Kindred Spirits, the latest in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series.
Before the event, Junie Mattice, the Tolowa woman who inspired the story and two characters, stopped by to see me at the home where I was staying. We had a great reunion and I gave her a copy of the book, explaining about the mistake of the wrong name on the dedication. She laughed and thought it was funny because she’d given me that name. She took the book and went right home and read it.
We had two luncheons, one right after the other 11:30 and 1:30 at a historic B and B, the Ana Wulf House. Those who came paid $25 and received a copy of the book.
Junie was right there with me to autograph books. She told me she loved it, but she also found another mistake. That one I’m not telling anyone about and will wait and see how many will let me know. It’s another error with a name.
After the luncheon, the first setting, I spoke about the book and how I met Junie and what she’d told me about her people. Then Junie talked about being Tolowa and some of the history and near genocide of her people. One of her daughters came too and was extremely thrilled for her mom.
The second setting we did much of the same but one of Junie’s aunts and two sisters came. One of the sisters was a Tolowa storyteller and she honored us with two stories.
Both settings were full–and I was paid for the books and extra to help with the gas.
On Thursday evening Junie and I did a free repeat performance (if you can call it that) at the Crescent City Library to another full house. Sold more books and Junie sold some of her excellent art work. I also donated a complete set of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries to the library and was so glad I did because they have no budget for book.
It was a great week even if it did take us two days to get there and two days to get home.
Next up, I’m the keynote speaker for the Prose in the Park Writers’ Conference in Taylorville IL. (Flying to that one.)
Marilyn
By the time you’re reading this I’ll be on the last leg of my journey to Crescent City and the launch of Kindred Spirits. Because hubby and I have to make regular potty stops, it takes us two days to drive to Crescent City which sits right next to the Oregon border.
Hopefully, I’ll be carrying the 200 books I ordered.
The last part of the drive is wonderful as we’ll be driving through the majestic redwood forest. The ancient redwoods are absolutely mind boggling. When you’re in the forest the trees are so thick, you can’t see the sky.
If we’re lucky, we’ll see a herd of elk. We have each time we’ve driven to Crescent City.
As we draw closer, we’ll be driving along the coast. The ocean is gorgeous along here with fantastic rock formations.
The whole process of getting Kindred Spirits out in time for the book launch has been nerve-wracking. Just before the edits came, I found out that a prominent fact given to me by my primary source and I used in the book several times was erroneous. This meant a scramble trying to find the places and making the changes so they sounded like that’s what they were meant to be.
When the galley arrived, I found one more place that had to be altered. In my determination to make sure the galley was correct I neglected to check the Dedication page. After the book was at the printer and too late to make anymore changes, I looked at the galley for something else and guess what I found? The last name of the person I dedicated the book to is wrong! The first name is correct, but the last name is the name I gave to one of the characters in the book. Granted, the character was inspired by this person, but that doesn’t excuse the mistake.
I suspect when I ran the spell-checker at some point, it suggested I change the right name which is quite unusual to the other name and I mindlessly did it and never noticed my error.
I’ll hand correct the mistake in the books that go out in Crescent City–and I’ll promise the person I dedicated it to a corrected copy when new books are printed. That’s all I can do at this point.
An apology will definitely be a part of my speech at the launching at the Ana Wulf Bed and Breakfast on Wednesday.
Oh, the trials and pain of being an author.
Who knows? Maybe the copy with the mistake in it will become a collector’s copy. Yeah, right.
Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com
No matter how hard you go over edits or galleys, mistakes creep into our books. I don’t even have the copies of my latest, Kindred Spirits yet and I’ve found a glaring error!
No, it’s not in the content of the book–this is worse. The person who actually gave me the first seed of an idea for the story is the one to whom I dedicated the book, Junie Mattice. Unfortunately, in the dedication, her name is printed as Junie Mahoney.
Of course I didn’t notice it when I went over the edits–because it wasn’t in them. What it was in, and I should have noticed then, was the dedication page in the galley.
Where did the name Mahoney come from? It’s the last name of one of the main characters in the Crescent City part of the book–one that was inspired by Junie. Junie has such a multi-faceted personality, I actually based two major characters on her. All I can think of is the spell-checker changed the name from Mattice and Mahoney. Of course I’m the one who is at fault for not noticing it.
In my defense, I was hard-pressed for time because I have to receive the copies of the book this week in order to have them to cart with us when we leave for Crescent City this week. I went over the content of the book carefully and obviously overlooked the dedication page.
What am I going to do about it? I’ve already apologized via email to Junie. I’ll hand correct the copies that I sell in Crescent City. It’ll certainly give me something else to talk about as I speak about Kindred Spirits–something I’d rather not have.
Do I have advice for other authors because of this? Sure, check out your dedication page when doing edits and going over the galley. Certainly from now on that’ll be the first place I check. Too late for 200 copies of this book. Hopefully it’ll be corrected for anymore that are sent out.
Will other mistakes slip by me and other authors? Unfortunately, that’s part of the process. Our eyes seem to correct mistakes and we don’t even notice them.
I hope Junie will forgive me–my intentions were to honor her. I have tremendous respect for this strong Tolowa woman who has for years stood up for what she believes in and continues to fight for the Tolowa people.
Kindred Spirits is available for order at http://www.mundania.com/books-kindredspirits.html
Marilyn
While my eldest daughter and hubby were here visiting (the tail end of a long trip for them) we went to the movies twice. We saw Swing Vote which we loved and Mama Mia which we also enjoyed. At the end of the movie while the music still played, both my daughters danced down the aisle.
We also went to Eagle Mountain Casino which is on the Tule River Indian Reservation near where we live–and the one that appears in my later Tempe Crabtree mysteries. Though I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the rez, I’d never been inside the casino and I wanted to make sure what I’ve written is accurate. Amazingly it is. Everyone played the machines but me, it isn’t something I enjoyed.
After our company left we headed for the Angelus National Forest (the mountains above La Canada where Mt. Wilson Observatory is located) and a church camp that we haven’t been to for years. Because my cousin and their children and grandchildren attend and a lot of people we’ve known from long ago, my sis and hubby and three grandkids were talked into going. We slept on hard beds in the nurse’s cabin which fortunately had a bathroom down the hall. Everyone else had to use a communal bathhouse which is a walk from nearly everywhere.
Meals were great though it was about 1/2 mile up and down hills to the dining hall. We visited and laughed a lot and sat under a great shade tree with a cool breeze, I read a mystery all the way through, and played cards with a lively bunch of folks from 11 to my age–hubby and I were the oldest campers.
From there we headed to San Luis Obispo and the Women’s Creative Arts Festival. During our emailing about the festival I asked if I need to bring anything and was told no. As soon as we arrived I knew I was in trouble when I saw people putting up tents and setting up tables. Fortunately, I spotted one of my friends in the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime and she had someone bring me a card table. My assigned spot was under a shade tree so that took care of the problem of no tent.
I actually made a lot of sales–as usual, the only way to do this is to stand and talk to everyone who passes by. I noticed not many of the vendors did this. Most sat behind their wares or visited with others in the booth or with other vendors. One of my sales was made to a woman who said she bought from me because I was the friendliest of all the vendors.
Despite the snafu about equipment (which I had a home) I did very well at this sale.
Now the “oh my” part. A good friend is planning a wonderful book launching for Kindred Spirits, the next in my Deputy Crabtree mystery series. It’s going to be a luncheon at a Bed and Breakfast in Crescent City, CA. She was talking about the event at the historical society and a controversy was spoken about–one that is in the book but I had not been given all the facts by my resource person. Needless to say, it has to be fixed. I’ve alerted my publisher and since I don’t have the edits yet, I can make the necessary changes. It could have been a horrific problem.
Last week was full, perhaps a bit too full, fun, exciting, surprising and a bit on the challenging side.
Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com
I typed The End on my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. Of course now I have to do the most important part and that is editing. I’ll wait a couple of days to get started with that.
One thing many readers don’t realize, it’ll be about two years before this one is in print.
The next offering in this series is called Kindred Spirits from Mundania Press. It will be out in September. The following September I expect the following Tempe book to make it’s debut, Dispel the Mist.
While writing, every author is busy planning how they will market each book. Like most everyone else, I have events going on all the time.
The places I’m going this month are listeed on the website. What that doesn’t tell you is for the park gig on the Fourth of July, it not only means hauling my books, but also an EZ-up (tent without sides, 2 tables and 2 chairs) probably half way through the park–and that depends upon how easily we find a parking spot near te park.
The West Coast Author Premier is a bit easier becauase all I have to haul is my books and handouts for my presentation. (Of course I must remember to print them out.) My presentation is at 10:30 a.m., which is good, then I’ll be all done.
The first night in Ventura we’re staying in a haunted room in a Bed and Breakfast at our request, the second night in my youngest daughter’s brand new home. Will blog about both.
For the writers’ group, of course I have handouts.
With a schedule like this, sometimes it difficult to find a time to breathe, much less write.
This is what I’m doing for the books I already have–and I’m also working on the schedule for the new book due in September.
Slight confession, I love it, just wish I were younger.
Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com
No matter how hard you go over edits or galleys, mistakes creep into our books. I don’t even have the copies of my latest, Kindred Spirits yet and I’ve found a glaring error!
No, it’s not in the content of the book–this is worse. The person who actually gave me the first seed of an idea for the story is the one to whom I dedicated the book, Junie Mattice. Unfortunately, in the dedication, her name is printed as Junie Mahoney.
Of course I didn’t notice it when I went over the edits–because it wasn’t in them. What it was in, and I should have noticed then, was the dedication page in the galley.
Where did the name Mahoney come from? It’s the last name of one of the main characters in the Crescent City part of the book–one that was inspired by Junie. Junie has such a multi-faceted personality, I actually based two major characters on her. All I can think of is the spell-checker changed the name from Mattice and Mahoney. Of course I’m the one who is at fault for not noticing it.
In my defense, I was hard-pressed for time because I have to receive the copies of the book this week in order to have them to cart with us when we leave for Crescent City this week. I went over the content of the book carefully and obviously overlooked the dedication page.
What am I going to do about it? I’ve already apologized via email to Junie. I’ll hand correct the copies that I sell in Crescent City. It’ll certainly give me something else to talk about as I speak about Kindred Spirits–something I’d rather not have.
Do I have advice for other authors because of this? Sure, check out your dedication page when doing edits and going over the galley. Certainly from now on that’ll be the first place I check. Too late for 200 copies of this book. Hopefully it’ll be corrected for anymore that are sent out.
Will other mistakes slip by me and other authors? Unfortunately, that’s part of the process. Our eyes seem to correct mistakes and we don’t even notice them.
I hope Junie will forgive me–my intentions were to honor her. I have tremendous respect for this strong Tolowa woman who has for years stood up for what she believes in and continues to fight for the Tolowa people.
Kindred Spirits is available for order athttp://www.mundania.com/books-kindredspirits.html