El Segundo Author Fair  

So it is official, I am a READ poster child. It came out really nice and I am proud to be hanging on the walls of an institution I have worked in for the past 26 years. It was truly an honor. Once I can get my camera to cooperate for a stretch of time I will upload a couple pictures from the unveiling.

So today I officially e-mailed a certain mystery organization I belonged to and asked to be removed from their list-serve. I didn't renew my membership long before their policy on POD/Independent/Small Press publishers hit. I think I saw the handwriting on the wall way before. They are strong on supporting women mystery authors, but it only seems to be those that are supported by large publishers, and up and coming writers who choose to follow that path. It is so hard to write and promote any writer, why do certain ones get treated miserably.

I am a big mystery fan. I read them all voraciously, mostly women writers. I have seen a decline over the last few years with quality in both the writing and the editing. I think this is because they are pumping out one a year, sometimes two. Their contracts dictate it. But does that mean what's being sent out into the world is quality? I'm not so sure anymore.

If all I can print is three books, so be it, but they will be my best three books, not a regurgitation of a formula. I want people to be surprised, to think, to feel like their money has been well spent.

I have had several people come up and ask when the next installment will be out. Once faire ends and George's money comes, I will get it out and to the masses. For those who read this and have read the book and enjoy it, please spread the word. Not just about the Lydia Proctor Mysteries, but also about the struggles of independent authors. Ask your friends to give a small fish in a big pond a try. They might be pleasantly surprised!

This is going to be a busy month! I have the poster unveiling and speech (which I still need to finish!) giving Thursday afternoon, and then Thursday night the volunteers with the City of Torrance are being honored with a dinner. Since I am the prez for South Bay Cities Genealogical Society, I sort of have to go. Plus they actually made it at a decent time this year - 5:30 instead of 4:30 so I can go after work.

Wednesday I have our monthly SBCGS general meeting and the topic is "Research Roadshow." Members have submitted problems to a panel to get ideas of where to look to break through brick walls.

Recently I wrote an article for the Independent Authors Guild and it is in their March 2008 newsletter. Click on the link and take a gander at the article and check out the other authors and their books http://www.independentauthorsguild.com/ or http://www.independentauthorsguild.com/

It's hard to believe it is already April and I need to start working on formatting my next installment in the Lydia Proctor Series. I still need to promote the first one some more, maybe when summer hits and I have Friday's off I can start sending postcards to genealogy societies as I had mentioned before.

Time gets away from us so fast.

Well I've been in contact with a distant cousin working on my Robbins line. One of the families I used had an adjustment, no big deal. The premise I had been using for this particular ancestor was a bit far fetched...but it sure made an excellent second novel. So I told her about my series and my web page and she e-mails me back asking if I am the same one she had found on Google and Yahoo! Well I was impressed. She knew about me as a writer before she knew about me as a relative.

I actually got some revising of book four done. I added some character information and expanded some minor scenes. One of the reviews I got was that my current characters are a bit sketchy whereas my characters of the past seemed more developed, so I am working on that a bit. Can't do too much about books 2 & 3 since they are revised/edited and ready for printing.

Well I'm off to bed and to read. I actually got through three books in two weeks. It's either feast or famine reading wise around here!

Until later...