elma's almanac: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

inspirational publisehr

Cross River Media is small Kansas-based publisher of inspirational fiction & non-fiction. Could be a possibility if you have a suitable manuscript to query them about: http://www.crossrivermedia.com/about/manuscript-submissions/ .

Elma Schemenauer CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & betrayal. Info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/nsylp5j or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf

Monday, March 30, 2015

book promotion on Facebook

If you have a book or something else you want to promote on Facebook, you should use a Facebook business page [free], not so much your personal FB page. Here’s why: http://badredheadmedia.com/2015/03/08/facebook-pages-still-useful-sugarbeatbc/

marketing a book via the media

Helpful thoughts here: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2015/03/-10-tips-on-how-to-use-the-media-to-sell-books.html

Saturday, March 28, 2015

STRANGER OR FRIEND by Silvia Villalobos: a review

In Silvia Villalobos's novel Stranger or Friend, the suspense starts on the first page as Zoe Sinclair hears distant shrieks coming from the woods. Zoe, a thirty-something Los Angeles lawyer, has just returned to her Wyoming hometown, Pine Vale, population 250. Her mother, Rosemary, has heart problems and Zoe plans to care for her while continuing to work by computer.

She has hardly begun assessing her mother's needs when they receive the shocking news that Zoe's Pine Vale friend Lori has been murdered. It's hard to believe. Pine Vale is such a quiet place. Most people know each other. As Rosemary's friend, a local reverend, says, "In the wilderness we have time to talk, to listen. Time is endless here."

How could anyone murder Lori Green in slow, idyllic Pine View? Sheriff Nolan is working on the case. Zoe also starts investigating it, her legal mind shifting through possible suspects. What about Nick, the emotionally disturbed son of the Herod family next door? Lori had been trying to help someone who needed counseling. Maybe she was counseling Nick and in the process offended him somehow or did something he misinterpreted as a threat.

Or what about Lori's boyfriend, Corey, a man Zoe instinctively dislikes? Even Sheriff Nolan isn't above suspicion.

As Zoe puzzles over the mystery, she reconnects with a childhood friend, Marshall. He's a handyman and house-painter who lives on a ranch. She likes Marshall's solid build and the smell of him, "spicy aftershave and horses."

Another man on Zoe's horizon is the helpful and sympathetic Sebastian, brother of her emotionally unstable neighbor Nick. Zoe is cynical about romance, burned by some of her big-city experiences. However, concerning Sebastian, she wonders, "Was God trying to tell her she needed a man, this man, to force his way into the fortress that had become her life?"

What's the answer to that question? What's the solution to Lori's murder? Answers come but not until after Zoe is attacked by a mystery man in the woods and Lori's boyfriend, Corey, is murdered.

The author keeps us guessing right to the end. Along the way, her apt appeals to our senses make us feel we're right there with Zoe. Examples:

-"Mother's stare lashed at Zoe like a lasso."

-Zoe's stomach churns "like she'd eaten dog meat."

-Zoe sees "a woman near the bench, red hair sticking from under a black hat."

-The smell of the village hints at "purity and pine."

The author develops her characters well. For example, Zoe's mother, whose failing health is a continuing source of tension in the novel, serves as a moral compass for her daughter. She's a woman who "when she needed an answer,"…"didn't stray far from The Book" (The Bible).

Zoe's mother notably accepts and socialize with the Herod family. Some local people don't because the Herods are outsiders, having recently moved to Pine Vale. They also have darker skin and hair than the "uniform-looking people of Pine Vale," who are light-haired and blue-eyed. What's most troubling about the Herods is the secretive way they deal with the disturbed son of the family, Nick.

Zoe doesn't understand Nick but tries hard to do so. Examples:

-"Nick Herod's suffering cut deep into a mental realm unknown to her."

-He's a man who "lives in a different reality."

-Nick may be suffering from a "co-morbid condition—two or more mental disorders feeding off one another."

A reoccurring suspicion in the book is that Nick may indeed be Lori's murderer. In the end he turns out to have played a far different role in Stranger or Friend's captivating web of mystery and suspense.

Stranger or Friend is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Friend-Silvia-Villalobos/dp/1625261977/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_pap?ie=UTF8&qid=1427580187&sr=8-1&keywords=stranger+or+friend . More information is on Silvia’s website, strangerorfriend.com .

suspense & mystery

Interesting interview with suspense/mystery writer J.A. Menzies: http://suspensesisters.blogspot.ca/2015/03/interview-with-ja-menzies-by-cynthia.html . I’ve read a few of her books & enjoyed them.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Lutheran publisher to publish books for kids

Lutheran publisher Augsburg Fortress, which publishes many books for adults, plans to start also bringing out books for children: http://tinyurl.com/or8mpko .

your book is in what genre?

Literary agents talk about book genres here: http://tinyurl.com/ngrqeft .

Monday, March 23, 2015

retraction re Ottawa Object

Maybe submitting stories to Ottawa Object isn’t such a good idea. One online acquaintance tried it and was asked for a credit card number. Not a good policy to give it in such circumstances, I think.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

short story opportunity

Ottawa Object is a new publication devoted to short stories. Submissions guidelines are here: https://theottawaobject.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

Saturday, March 21, 2015

authors & social media

Interesting article about authors & social media: http://timgrahl.com/3-myths-and-2-truths-about-social-media-marketing-for-authors/

Thursday, March 19, 2015

copyright & digital media

Somewhat enlightening article here: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/Newsletter/Columns/Digital-Publishing--Publishing-Dilemma

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

don't start a novel this way

Article on bad ways to start a novel: http://www.wattpad.com/4667955-bad-ways-to-start-a-novel

kids' book contest: American history & biography

Contest for children’s books about American history and/or Americans in history: http://www.gratefulamericanbookprize.com/

Monday, March 16, 2015

call for info: health & fitness books

Needed: Information from publishers with forthcoming health, diet, and fitness books. Pub. dates: May–October. New books only; no reprints, please. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. Please email pitches and links to artwork to features@publishersweekly.com by no later than Mar. 25, and put “Call for info: Health & Fitness” in the subject line.

Friday, March 13, 2015

spring books about sustainability & environment

For a feature marking Earth Day (Apr. 22), publishers with spring titles about sustainability and the environment can send info to features@publishersweekly.com by Mar. 23.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

rules for writing fiction

Authors have many opinions on how to write fiction. Here are some: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Twitter-pitch your book to agents March 11

You can pitch your book to literary agents tomorrow Wednesday March 11 on Twitter. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/kjdhm4n . Even if no agent is interested, it will be great practice distilling the essence of your book to a few words.

Monday, March 9, 2015

calling publishers of new inspirational books

Call for Info: Inspirational Books
Issue: Apr. 20
Deadline: Mar. 18
Needed: Information from publishers on forthcoming titles (Apr.–Sept.) in the inspirational category, as well as contact info for editors who would like to comment on category trends. New books only; no reprints, please. Submission does not guarantee inclusion. Please email pitches and links to artwork to features@publishersweekly.com by no later than Mar. 18, and put “Call for info: Inspirational” in the subject line. »

Friday, March 6, 2015

new agent: Chila Woychik

Chila Woychik, is closing her wonderfully named publishing company, Port Yonder Press. She recently accepted a position as a literary agent with WordWise. Here’s Chila on what she’s looking for and how to contact her.

“I’m specifically looking for general nonfiction in the areas of Nature/Environmental, Experimental, Memoir, Narrative Nonfiction, Biography, and the odd quirky book. Let me add my favorite of all: Creative Nonfiction, books, essays, etc. In fiction, I'll only have time and interest to look at Literary and Upmarket Fiction for adults. And for children, realistic contemporary middle grade fiction.

As per my usual, all manuscripts should have a wide appeal (“crossover”) and fit well within both the general market and a conservative readers’ market. No overtly evangelical works, or genre works, please. I especially look for the literary, the lyrical, and the original. When submitting to me, copy the first ten pages of your story into the body of your email.

I'm working to put together a sheet with more information which will be available on both the PYP site and my personal website within the next few days to weeks. In the meantime, you may want to do a little research on how to craft a good query letter to agents, and how to write a proposal. Here's the WordWise site if you'd like to learn a little more about the organization itself. When you're queued up and ready, you can reach me with your compelling queries here: woychikchila@gmail.com .”

Thursday, March 5, 2015

article in Davidson Leader

Tara de Ryk’s nice article about my novel in The Davidson Leader. I grew up near Davidson [Saskatchewan].

2 good resources for writers

A couple of good resources for writers: bookmarketingtools.com and The 2015 Guide to Facebook Engagement . Clicking [or control plus clicking] the highlighted words should get you to them.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

insecure writers support group

BC [Canada] Metis author Joylene Nowell Butler runs the Insecure Writers Support Group. I love that name. If you’re interested, it’s at http://cluculzwriter.blogspot.ca/ .

self-publishing children's picture books

Good article here: http://janefriedman.com/2015/03/04/self-publishing-childrens/

Monday, March 2, 2015

interview on Hope Stream radio

An interview about my novel Consider the Sunflowers [conducted by Ron Hughes] will run on Hope Stream radio Tuesday March 3 all day, every 2 hours. If you want to listen, you may catch it by going to hopestreamradio.com .