Tag Archive for: No Sanctuary

Planning Ahead for a New Rocky Bluff P. D. Mystery Debut

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I don’t have a cover yet, but the the title is Dangerous Impulses. This follows No Bells which centered on Officer Gordon Butler, whose romantic interest is the major suspect in murder case. He risks his life and his job to prove her innocent.

For those who might be interested in catching up on the series, my whole idea when I wrote the first one, was to show how the job of being a police officer affected the family and what was going on in the family affected the job.

When I wrote, Final Respects, I had no idea it would be the beginning of an on-going series.

When I’d finished writing, I realized that I wanted to know more about these people who lived and worked in the small southern California beach community of Rocky Bluff.

Though the characters continue, different ones have starring roles. In Bad Tidings, Lt. Gilbreath often has to be the bearer of bad tidings and receives one of his own.

Fringe Benefits is about a very bad cop. It is also the introduction of Officer Gordon Butler, who has become the favorite of fans of the series.

Officer Stacey Wilbur plays an important role in Smell of Death and it is the beginning of the romance between her and Detective Milligan.

No Sanctuary is about two churches, two ministers, two wives and one murder. Officer Stacey Wilbur, Detective Milligan and Gordon Butler play interesting parts, and Stacey begins her extra job in vice.

An Axe to Grind is about the death of a stalker. For those following Stacey and Doug Milligan’s romance, things are definitely heating up.

Stacey is so busy planning her wedding she isn’t paying enough attention to the job–and there almost isn’t a wedding in Angel Lost.

And of course, No Bells, where Officer Gordon Butler puts his job on the line in his efforts to prove his lady love innocent.

Of course all these books are available in the usual places in paper and ebooks.

Just remember, I wrote them as F. M. Meredith, which is a whole other story.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith

Is It Really Worth It?

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My latest Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, No Bells, (sort of a cozy police procedural) has been out since February and I’ve been promoting it like crazy. In fact, half of my time has been taken up with promotion of it and the next book coming in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series.

This one features Officer Gordon Butler. Poor guy, nothing seems to go right for him. He’s the butt of jokes. In No Bells he finally falls in love with the “girl of his dreams” but she turns out to be the prime suspect in a murder case. He is willing to risk his job and his life to prove her innocent.

Gordon has many fans. When he was looking for a room to rent, one of the fans of this series for a moment considered offering him her extra bedroom.

I promoted the heck out of this book, arranged a fun month-long blog tour, received glowing reviews, promoted on Facebook and Twitter and of course my own blog, attended conference and had in-person events but when my publisher posted the best selling books for the quarter, No Bells wasn’t on the list.

This series has been published by two other publishers. Oak Tree Press is now the publisher and she has republished all the previous books in the series. I know there are some readers out there who like to start at the beginning of a series–so I’m hoping this is a good thing.

This is the order of the series:


Final Respects
When I wrote this I didn’t plan to continue the series, but I fell in love with the characters and wondered what would happen to them next.
Bad Tidings
This offering focuses on Lt. Gilbreath and the bad news he has to deliver to families of victims and some bad news of his own.
Fringe Benefits
The story of a very bad cop and how he nearly gets away with murder.
Smell of Death
Officer Stacey Wilbur and Detective Milligan work together on three murder cases and this is where their romance begins.
No Sanctuary
A tale of two churches, two ministers, two wives and one murder–and the romance continues.
An Axe to Grind
A decapitation of a stalker leads to Detective Milligan’s disappearance. Though the subject is grim, one reader said despite that, it was humorous.
Angel Lost
Stacey plans her wedding, captures a pervert–and disappears on her wedding day. An angel appears in a downtown window.
No Bells (description is above.)


Though this is an on going series, each book is written as a stand-alone. They do not need to be read in order, though most of the characters continue on.

My intention all along has been to show how the job affects the family and what goes on in the family affects the job. Years ago I lived in a neighborhood filled with police officers and their families, I had lots of coffee and conversations with the wives, and as couples we partied together. Later my son-in-law became a cop and told me his stories after his shift. The tradition has continued and I have a grandson who is a police officer and a grandson-in-law who is a deputy sheriff.

Rocky Bluff, where the stories take place, is a fictional beach town in California between Ventura and Santa Barbara.

These books are written under the name F. M. Meredith and are available in all the usual places as trade paperback and ebooks.

Now I’m working on the next one in the series–untitled as yet.

Marilyn aka F. M. Meredith


And the Promo Begins

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Sometimes I wonder why I do all this. All what? you ask.

Submerging myself in an imaginary world, writing about it, going back over to eliminate inconsistencies, because if I don’t find them, someone will. Checking the galley proofs for mistakes and no matter how careful I am, gremlins seem to be at work and sneak them in. And once it’s actually available, then the promoting.

Of course this all takes lots of time that you can’t be doing normal things like hanging out with the family (though I try to involve them as much as possible–just ask my hubby), doing housework, cooking, visiting with friends.

I don’t actually have a book in hand, but they are on the way, and I know it’s being advertised on Amazon–though when I looked the cover wasn’t up yet.

I’ve still got to plan and advertise my launch party, put together some promo materials, do some posting here and there, but I do have quite a few speaking engagements set up already. I’ll be attending four conferences, only flying to one, the others are close enough to drive. As you’ve heard from Evelyn, conferences are fun. I’ve met lots of wonderful people at conferences, Evelyn and Susan for example.

More things to do, so onward I go.

Marilyn
aka F. M. Meredith

Starting a New Book

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My plan was to pretty much have my next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel written by the end of February before my big time in person promoting begins for the one that is coming out very, very soon. That one is called No Sanctuary. I have another one finished for 2010, but I like have two ready to go in case I can’t write for some reason or other.

Yes, I do the same thing with my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries. The next one is with the publisher and I have another nearly done. Just reading it to my critique group and polishing it.

I knew where I was going with the Rocky Bluff story, did some notes on what I wanted to happen through the book, know exactly how it will end. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get started.

Finally, I wrote Chapter 1. Today I got nearly all of Chapter 2 done. Hopefully, now that I’m started I’ll continue on without too many problems.

Distractions in the form of blogs and twitters are the biggest problems. I started a blog about the Rocky Bluff P.D. and now feel like I should put up something new every day. I already do that with my own personal blog. Once the new book comes out though, I’ll probably slow that one down since I don’t want to give away too much about the story.

Now if I could only concentrate on the book I’m writing and not head off on so many tangents.

The fact that two bedrooms downstairs very close to my office are being remodeled for my new bedroom doesn’t help. Two grandsons are doing the work and they really want Grandma to come see their progress a lot.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

No Sanctuary

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Last night we attended our church’s Christmas party. What a great time. It was held at a gal’s house who lives farther up in the mountains, off the main road, over the river and round several curving roads. Nearly every adult who attends our church was there. As all good Baptists do, everyone brought tons of good food.

After eating we played a crazy game that we play every Christmas. Everyone brings a wrapped tree ornament. Numbers are handed out. The first person picks a package to open and displays the ornament. The next person can steal that ornament or open another, and so it goes. Where the actions comes in is the stealing of the ornaments because there are always some that people like better than others.

We had a guest last night who doesn’t attend our church. Unfortunately for her, she kept unwrapping the most prized ornaments which were then promptly stolen. Her gem of a remark was, “Lutherans don’t act like this.” (She was kidding, of course.)

What does this have to do with the title of this blog? My next book coming out is from my other series, and it’s called No Sanctuary. It’s about two churches, two ministers and their wives and of course, murder. I thought having the book launch at my church would be perfect but wasn’t sure how the church council would feel about that because of the subject matter. My son-in-law, the pastor, had no problem, but I knew I needed to run it by those who decide such matters. Since I knew they’d all be at the party, this is where I approached them.

They all said it would be fine. Of course the event will be in the fellowship hall, not the sanctuary, and it won’t be on Sunday. I’ll serve food–anything Baptist needs to have food attached–and it certainly will be a pleasant affair.

Now, going back to holiday celebrations, the next celebrating my husband and I will be doing is dinner out with my critique group and whoever they want to bring, husbands or significant others. We also do this every year and I’m looking forward to merely socializing with my writer friends–who by the way are of several faiths.

Again, I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season, no matter how or what you are celebrating, just remember to connect with your friends and enjoy your family.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com

Need Help Planning a Launch Party

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In January I’ll have a new book out–not one of my Deputy Tempe Crabtree books–this one is in my Rocky Bluff PD crime series. Not a cozy–but not really as edgy as many police procedurals. (I never use bad language or have explicit sex in any of my books.)

It’s difficult juggling two series. No Sanctuary will be published by a small independent press, of course. I want to give this book as much promotion time as my other series. I always have some kind of launch party–but not quite sure what to do for this one.

It’s about two ministers, and two churches and of course murder. A church might be a logical place, but I don’t think my son-in-law who is the pastor of the church I go to, would go along with the idea. I might broach it just to see. By the way, the churches in the book have no realtionship whatsoever to our little church.

I’ve had launches outside our local coffee shop (too cold in January), the local Inn, a recreation center (long gone), a gift shop (gone), used book store (gone), antique store, my house, art gallery (gone). Nothing lasts long in our little town–people start businesses who don’t know anything about running businesses.

Of course I’ll do all the usual Internet promotion, but I always like to give my neighbors and fans a chance to purchase my book first.

Any bright ideas about this? Feel free to post them in the comments.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com