March News

All writers know the feeling of anticipation that comes when we finally have a release date for our new book. After all, we’ve spent months and months plotting, writing, editing and proofreading our manuscript. Then, we either send it off to our publisher or we begin the process of self-publishing. Either way, it’s a long road.

So, when we finally get to the end of that road, we feel an unbelievable relief but also a lot of apprehension. Will people buy our book? Will they like it? Will they review it? The list goes on and on and I’m not even mentioning the time and effort we put forth to promote our book, which starts before its publication and continues, well, forever.

Which is why I’m thrilled to tell you that this is going to be a very exciting month for me! Here’s a list of this month’s events:

On March 6^th, I will be a guest on author Marilyn Levinson’s blog. My topic is “How one book became a series.” makeminemystery.blogspot.com

March 11^th, I will be signing and selling copies of Marnie Malone, my fifth Malone mystery, at Colerain High School in Cincinnati.

On March 12^th, my post on author Madeline (M.M.) Gornell’s blog will give an overview of my Malone mystery series and, of course, I talk about my new book. https://mmgornell.wordpress.com/

March 13th I'll be featured on author Marja McGraw's blog. "Just in time for St. Patrick's Day."
http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.com/ 

March 14^th is the day that Marnie Malone will officially be released.
Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/8sd2cz4
Barnes & Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Patricia+Gligor/_/N-8qa?_requestid=305533

Here's the direct amazon link for Marnie Malone: http://tinyurl.com/gnvn4kq 

It’s also the day that author, Amy Reade, is interviewing me on her blog. https://amreade.wordpress.com/category/guest-blogger/

March 20th - author Jacqueline Seewald is interviewing me on her blog.  
http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com

March 27 - author Jean Henry Mead has invited me to do a post on Mysterious Writers. My topic is "Why I became a mystery writer." http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com

March 17^th – St. Patrick’s Day. I’m including this date because Ann and Marnie, the two main characters in my series, are of Irish descent. And, the holiday has a very special significance in Marnie Malone.

Until next time:

“May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

Recapping 2016

Well, it’s been an “interesting” year.

We had an election. I don’t think anyone on the planet could’ve missed that fact. It felt like the longest campaign in history, to me. You couldn’t turn on the TV or the radio or visit Facebook without being inundated. I scrolled past all of the political posts online without commenting. You see, my Dad was a wise man and he taught me never to argue religion or politics.

On a more personal note, I finished my fifth Malone mystery, making the decision to end the series – at least for now. If everything goes according to plan, Marnie Malone will be released in the next couple of months. I’m in the process of writing a standalone romantic suspense novel, something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. It’s exciting; a new adventure.

And I made another decision. I’ve posted weekly for well over five years now. I’ve written numerous posts, mostly about writing, and I’ve featured lots of authors and their books on my blog. But writing a weekly post takes time and I've decided I need to use that time to work on my new book.

So, starting January 1st, I’ll post a monthly newsletter instead. I’ll let readers know what’s going on in my life, personally as well as professionally, and I’ll post news about books I’ve read and enjoyed, new releases by other authors, etc. I’ll update the post regularly and I’ll encourage comments from writers who have books coming out and readers who have questions about any facet of writing.

My publisher has extended the 99 cent sale for the books in my Malone mystery series through the end of the year. (See left side of page.) So, if you haven't read one or all of them, here's your chance to catch up before the fifth novel is published.

Happy New Year! 

Spanning the Generations

One of the questions writers are frequently asked is: What is the audience for your book/s? Recently, when I was interviewed on another author’s blog, I was asked that question. I have to admit it was a tough one for me to answer because I’ve had both male and female readers from age ten on up.

That’s right. A ten year old. A couple of years ago, I was selling my first three books at a local festival when a little girl came running up to my booth. Her whole face lit up when she saw my Malone mysteries. I felt kind of bad because I figured she thought the books were for kids. But, when her mother arrived a few minutes later and I explained they weren’t, I got a surprising response. “My daughter has been reading novels since she was five years old. She knows what parts to skip over.” And she bought all three!

But my books are primarily intended to appeal to adult women. The main character is a female in her thirties and, although I keep the language clean, the subjects in my books are more suitable for adults. A serial killer, a child abduction, a murder and (spoiler alert) a stalker.

So, although most of my readers are adult women, my books include both male and female characters and they span the generations. The youngest is six-year-old, Davey, and the oldest is seventy-nine year old, Olivia. But that’s just in the first three books. In Mistaken Identity, I have another senior, Clara, and in my WIP (work in progress), Marnie Malone, yet another, Tallulah (Lu) Grover.

So why the wide age range in my characters? I think the best explanation is the fact that, in real life, I’ve learned (and continued to learn) so much from people of all ages. They say the elderly possess wisdom, which is often true, but everyone we meet can give us a new perspective, some helpful hints and/or story ideas - no matter how old or young they are. If we listen.