Ramblings

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Another podcast!

This time much thanks to Carly Kade, author of the In The Reins equestrian romance series. She’s got a podcast where she talks to other horse book authors, and this time it was me!

And to add to my nervousness (see my other blog post about my first podcast), she also puts them on YouTube, so I had to try to look good too!

The house I was catsitting at has a beautiful modern design with lots of high windows, but the sunlight made me look like I was glowing…
Carly is a pro, so she’s got a great background (horses!) and looks great herself!

Our first scheduled date didn’t quite work out, as I was all set up and prepared when the entire town’s power went off, including cell towers and internet. I had purposely scheduled it for while I was housesitting, thinking the internet would be better there than at my off-grid place. Au contraire, mon frere. The thing I was afraid of happening the first time I recorded a podcast–technology going on the fritz–actually happened this time.

But Carly was a sweetheart and we re-booked for another time. I recorded it with her (successfully this time!) in January, and it’s out now.

We talk about my early love of horses, my first riding instructor, the strange and divergent jobs I’ve had and how they’ve given me the skills I use now, some of my inspirations for Fairy Glen, and the business of independent publishing.

Thanks Carly, it was truly a pleasure, and the next time I’m in Arizona maybe we can have that margarita together!

https://www.carlykadecreative.com/blog/episode-106-on-mystery-thrills-horses-a-touch-of-the-supernatural-with-valerie-power-equestrian-author-spotlight-podcast

https://youtu.be/ILNGdCgRgRE

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I Was on a Podcast!

I’m a baby author. I just published my first book in my Fairy Glen Suspense Series last March. Once I’d put it up for sale, I switched hats from creator to marketer, which has been surprisingly fun!

Marketing is also creative, and strategic, and analytical, all rolled into one.

I have always loved podcasts, and I mostly listen to writing and publishing podcasts. I glean so much information from them. But I discovered a podcast called Equestrian Adventuresses, and behold! they do an equestrian fiction episode about once a month.

Taking a shot in the dark, I sent the women that run that podcast a copy of my book. And, months later–after Ute, the woman that does the fiction episodes, read my book–I got an email asking me to be on the podcast.

I felt like I’d won the lottery at first. It was a huge validation for me, that she actually read and enjoyed October’s Fire.

Quickly, that feeling was followed by anxiety. I am terribly shy, and though I’ve outgrown it, and my natural love of people and conversation overrides that, it’s still there. Some days I want to curl up in a ball and hide. Other days I’m the life of the party.

Would I be able to talk coherently about my book, my love of horses, and the process of writing about them? Adding to that anxiety was my poor internet connection. The interview would take place on Zoom, and I figured Murphy’s Law would be in effect, causing lags, drop-offs, and an all round nerve-wracking experience.

But, as the saying goes, I felt the fear and did it anyway.

Ute was such a warm and insightful interviewer that I immediately felt at ease. We chatted a bit before she started recording. She answered my questions about how it would go, and set my mind at ease. Then she hit record, and we were off to the races! (I love a good cliche, don’t I?)

I think I tended to babble and go on and on. Sometimes she would ask a question and I would start talking and halfway through I’d think to myself Did I answer the question? What was the question? Oh God!

But it all came out fine in the end. I talked in depth about how my love of horses started, about how I got my first horse, and about the experiences that planted the seed for October’s Fire and the series. Plus more at the end about the self-publishing experience.

Have a listen and see for yourself!

My sincerest thanks to Equestrian Adventuresses, especially Ute for her professionalism and kindness.

Listen to the episode here.

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My book is published!

It’s been a TON of work, but the self-publishing process is a learning experience, and if you’re a jack-of-all-trades and a DIY’er like me, it’s a natural fit. I’d spent so many years incubating this book–and then actually writing it–that I didn’t want to wait years more for it to be chosen by a big five publisher, and then a few more years to go through the process and get on the market.

My paperback proof
Continue reading “My book is published!”
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Mystery Writers are Always Hot

I just watched Charlaine Harris’ keynote speech “Mystery Writers are Always Hot” on Sisters in Crime Palmetto Chapter’s Mystery in the Midlands conference online, which they kindly opened up to anyone around the country to attend for free. And WOW, what an uplifting presence she is. I even got my question answered first on the chat! I asked about writing a single POV versus ensemble like the Midnight, Texas series. She also spoke of the challenges of writing with “Covid Brain.” When asked if she’s a plotter, a panster, or a flashlighter (which neither she nor I was totally certain about the definition of, although I had some idea), she said she’s definitely a panster. “When I sit down and write ‘page one, chapter one’, I have no idea what’s going to happen. Other than somebody’s gonna die. Or maybe a lot of people!” she said with a laugh.

But I think what spoke most to me was her saying “dare to take the challenge of writing the book in your heart, not the one you’ve already read.” She emphasized uniqueness as being the key factor in books she’s read that stick with her, that are memorable. If they are written to a formula, they’re forgettable.

“I think everyone wants to know who done it, why done it, or how done it.” And other than that, make it yours.

Thank you Charlaine. You’ve made me want to continue machete-ing my way through final edits on my multiple POV (one of which is a horse) why-done-it mystery paranormal suspense.

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Climax and Denouement

Right now I’m running the climax scenes of October’s Fire through my critique group, the Inkwells. I have been working on this for so long that I can no longer really see what I’m doing on the page. That’s what the critique group helps with. Even before we meet, before I get any feedback on a piece, the moment I hit send on the email, I get new insight, the ability to read it with fresh eyes.

So now I’m trying to see if the post-climax chapters still make sense with the last-minute plot twist I added to the climax. And yes, it pretty much does, I just need to add a sentence or two to allude to the plot twist, and there you go. Although I don’t consider my book to be the cleverest, there are still some surprises right down to the end.

But what order do I want to reveal those? It will be over quickly, nobody wants to keep reading long after a big exciting final battle, so I just have a few very short scenes answering questions, reuniting people, and showing Fairy Glen return to (semi) normality. All in all about 5% of the book. But the order of the reveals will still matter. What have I given up by revealing things to the reader before the character knows? Is that as suspenseful as keeping it secret from the reader? I think so. I think the type of suspense I’m going for is the kind where the reader does know more than the characters, so they get worried for them.

And then of course there’s the epilogue, (which I’m not calling an epilogue), that ends on a cliffhanger for the next book in the series. Is that cheating? I hope not. How is it any different than including the first couple of chapters of the next book as a sample?

We’ll see what the Inkwells say.

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Avoiding the Ick

For a long time I’ve been revising my first book in the Fairy Glen series, October’s Fire. Sometimes I’d get to the point where I was banging my head against a wall. Good advice says put it aside and start work on another project. When you’ve finished something, even if it’s not perfect, move on to the next thing.

Okay, that sounded like a good idea. And my brain was bursting with ideas for future books. I knew that November’s story would involve the women on horseback doing search and rescue for a missing girl, maybe more than one missing girl or woman.

Continue reading “Avoiding the Ick”
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Beta Readers

I’ve had a few friends read my book, but I got some detailed feedback recently from a good friend who reads a lot of mysteries and read my book in less than a month. I trust her feedback because although she cares about me she has no problem being honest.

Part of the thing with beta readers is that they are kind of like shrinks–they can tell you things you knew deep down but were choosing to ignore.

During my drafting phase, I’d have to say the thing I struggled with the most was plot.

And now that I’m doing seemingly endless revisions, the plot is still my biggest bugaboo. It makes me wish I knew what I was doing when I started! But then again, if I’d waited til I knew what I was doing, I never would’ve started. Catch 22.

My critique group has been enormously helpful in this, along with my research into writing craft, and little by little the pieces fall into place.

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Bingeable TV

I recently ditched my satellite TV and internet in favor of unlimited cell data, so I’ve begun watching a lot of series on Netflix and YouTube TV that I didn’t have access to before.

I’m really getting into quite a few series, and learning about my tastes, what draws me in. ‘Soap Opera Suspense’ could sum it up.

So here’s a few of my favorites. I might be forgetting one or two!

Continue reading “Bingeable TV”