Tag Archive for: River Spirits

Titles and Covers Too Similar? by Marilyn Meredith

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Frankly, I always thought it was a good thing that the covers in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries are similar. And though my titles are all short, I hadn’t thought about any being too similar.

However, with my latest two books, it seems that both the titles and the cover are similar enough that I’ve  had one person tell me she already had a copy of one book when I knew she was referring to the one that came before ti.

The stories themselves are not similar at all.

The latest book is River Spirits.

The blurb for this book is:


While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made
against the female stars, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor
is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again,
the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest
Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.


The book right before this one is:

The blurb for this one is:




Ghost hunters stumble upon
a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s investigation pulls
her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past
and the present, and demons and angels at war.


The mysteries are very different despite both titles having a similar word in them: Spirits and Spirit.


I’ve been fortunate to have the same artist design most of the covers so they all have a similar style, but I really think if there is a problem, it might be with the titles. 


When both books are on display side-by-side, no one seems to even mention the resemblance.


Readers, what do you think?


Writers, have you ever had a problem like this?


Marilyn

A New Type of Book Event by Marilyn Meredith

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Recently I received an email from a woman in a neighboring city who is planning a book event in her home. She mentioned the writers she’d invited and asked if I’d like to be a part of what she and another author were planning.

Of course I said yes.

The plan is that there will be advertising in the local newspaper and cards about the event spread around the city and the various towns we writers come from.

On the day of the event, she’ll have a banner in her front yard that says, Neighborhood Book Store.

Inside her lovely home, the authors will be situated in various rooms in her house–there are many.

Because I can’t attend the meeting she’s having with the various authors, I stopped by to meet her and see her home.

In her large kitchen will be wine and snacks which we writers will bring. A couple of husbands will supervise this part.

The event will be held the first weekend in December and sounds like a lot of fun. Whether we’ll have many customers remains to be seen.

Has anyone tried anything like this?

Too, too busy! by Marilyn Meredith

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Here I am, an old lady, retired from several jobs over the years–now I’m just supposed to be a writer.

However, I’m still doing some consulting for folks who are either in the residential care business or want to be. For the first mentioned, I do a monthly newsletter, attend their organization’s meetings, and answer questions via phone. (I used to teach various subjects to these same people and have become somewhat of an expert on regulations.)

For the folks who want to get into the business, I write program designs. Sometimes that is a fairly easy prospect–at others so complicated I wish I’d charged double my going fee.

The only reason I’m mentioning both, is because it seems this is the time of the year when I’m being asked to do a record amount of these things. What I really need to be doing is working on my next Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery. It should have already been finished and sent to the publisher. Fortunately, she’s moved the publishing date a couple of months away from the original one.

And of course, I’m in the throes of promoting my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, River Spirits. On November 1st, I embark on a virtual book tour. Here is the first two week’s schedule in case you are interested in following along.

Nothing ever happens without problems, so instead of beginning on Nov. 1, I have two posts on November 2nd.

Nov. 2    http://judys-stew.blogspot.com                   
Coming Up With a
Title
Nov. 2    http://lindathorne.com/
The Bumpy Road of
Publication for the Tempe Crabtree Series
Nov. 3.   http://wordmuseum.com/
Where Deputy Tempe
Crabtree Came From
Nov. 4    http://Susanvankirk.com   
The Setting for the Deputy Tempe
Crabtree Series
Nov. 5   http://gumbojustice.blogspot.com/
Indians or Native
Americans
Nov. 6   http://livevicarrieous.com 
A Few Questions and Answers
Nov. 7  History of the Indians I Borrow From
http://jrlindermuth.blogspot.com/
Nov. 8 http://drusbookmusing.blogspot.com 
A Day in the Life of Kate Eileen
Shannon
Nov. 9. http://mmgornell.wordpress.com/ 
My Relationship with Tempe
Crabtree
Nov. 10 http://pat.wrtersforum.blogspot.com/  
How Tempe Got Her
Name
Nov. 11   http://lornacollins-author.blogspot.com/ Where My Inspiration Comes From (after
writing so many books}
Nov. 12  http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/  
How Long Will the
Series Continue?
Nov. 13  http://murderousmusings.blogspot.com/  
My Writing Process
Nov. 14 http://gdcramer.com gdcramer@msn.com 
Why it’s Okay
to Take a Break from Writing
Nov. 15   http://www.marywelk.com/  
The Supportive
Mystery Writing Community
Nov. 16 http://crimewriters.blogspot.com 
Where I Get My Energey
Nov 17 http://jwillsbooks.com/ 
Avoiding the Jessica
Fletcher Syndrome

Nov. 18 http://bookbrowsing.wordpress.com    Promotion Tips

Blurb
for River Spirits:
While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made
against the female star, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor
is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again,
the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest
Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

Bio:
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty-five published novels, including
the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest River
Spirits from Mundania Press. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on
the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills
of the Sierra. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/
Contest: The winner will be the person who comments on the most
blog posts during the tour.
He
or she can either have a character in my next book named after them, or choose
an earlier book in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series—either a paper book or
e-book.

Oh, and I didn’t mention, I have a bunch of kids, grandkids and great grands I like to spend time with too.

Marilyn


When Will I Stop Writing? by Marilyn Meredith

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This question has been discussed recently on the DorothyL list. And to be perfectly honest, I’ve had people ask me that question too. Probably because I am old.

Yes, I’m the ancient one of this group. I’ve been around since the beginning of this blog. I’ve been writing nearly all my life, but didn’t get published until 1982 and yes, I was already a grandmother then.

So, now, onto the answer of my question. I can’t imagine not writing. As long as I’m able to sit in front of my computer and new ideas pop into my head I’ll be writing.

One of the reasons I keep on is because the only way for me to find out what is happening to the characters I’ve created is to write the next book.

In the case of Deputy Tempe Crabtree, who is also getting older–though certainly at a slower rate than I am–I want to know when she might consider retiring from the sheriff’s department. And when she does, what will she do next? Will she remain in the small mountain community of Bear Creek or move somewhere else? If she moves, will that mean the end of her interacting with the Indians on the Bear Creek Reservation?

I’d also like to know more about her son, Blair, now that he’s working for the Morro Bay Fire Department. And of course there’s her husband, Pastor Hutch. Moving would mean Hutch giving up his church. Would there be another in his future.

And I’ve got a whole other series about the Rocky Bluff P.D. Those characters are aging much slower than I am, though there have been major changes in nearly everyone’s lives. Am I ready to quit writing about them? Not in the near future, in fact I’m nearing the end of the next book.

I also enjoy the other things that go along with writing. I like interacting with my readers. I enjoy some of the promoting that’s expected. I have cut down a bit on some of the in-person events that I do. I only participate in book and craft fairs where I don’t have to put up a tent and haul a table and chairs. I’ve cut down on the mystery and writers cons if they are too difficult for me to get to–and frankly, I miss seeing the people who attend.

For me writing is a part of who I am, so while I’m still of sound mind I’ll continue.

My latest, of course is in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series: River Spirits.

It’s available in all formats from the publisher at http://mundania.com/  and all the usual places.

Marilyn

Juggling Again–or Should I Say Still?

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Because I have a new book on the scene, the latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, River Spirits, I am really juggling a lot.

One of my earlier books in the series, Bears With Us, will be offered for .99 cents on Kindle from October 13- 17, which will take a lot of promoting.

Through the month of November, I’ll be on a virtual blog tour–something I like doing but is a lot of work. I’ve already done a lot in preparation, but while it’s going on it will take a lot of time to let people know where I am visiting.

I’m also involved in several in-person events this month, on the 11th, I’ll be at The Taste of the Arts, in Visalia, CA from 10 to 4 and on October 18th from 10 to 4, the Great Valley Bookfest in Manteca, CA. and on the 25th I’m participating in a panel with the Central Coast Sisters in Crime at the Atascadero Library where we’ll be discussing the age of e-publishing.

And guess what, I’m also writing the next book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, which means I really do have to concentrate on it too.

I know that many of my author friends don’t have children, a few not even a husband to worry about, but I have 4 adult children, 18 grandkids, and 15 great-grands. When possible I love spending time with them. And of course, this is where the juggling comes in. My family comes first even if that means I have to get up earlier than usual or stay up later to take care of my writing commitments.

Here is the cover of River Spirits and as usual, the artist has captured the essence of the title.


Blurb: While filming a movie on the Bear Creek Indian
Reservation, the film crew trespasses on sacred ground, threats are made
against the female stars, a missing woman is found by the Hairy Man, an actor
is murdered and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has no idea who is guilty. Once again,
the elusive and legendary Hairy Man plays an important role in this newest
Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

Available in all formats from the publisher: http://mundania.com/ and from all the usual places.

Marilyn