Here you can follow the blow-by-blow account of my attempt to transform myself into a (regularly) published author.

Like the Anastasia Raven Fan Page!
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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Paddy Plays Enrolled in Smashwords Summer Sale

cover for Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp cover design by Farah Evers
 
Smashwords is running a Summer Sale for the entire month of July. I've enrolled Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp for 25% off. This means that if you choose to buy this book from Smashwords during July, you'll be sent a coupon code and the book will cost only $2.24 if you use that coupon.

Even if you haven't finished reading the first two books, July would be a great time to buy Paddy, and save some change!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Interviewed on A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book

Listen to internet radio with Jennifer Walker on Blog Talk Radio


Yesterday, I was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio, by Jennifer Walker, on her program "A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book."

Jenn and I have been internet friends for several years, and it was a lot of fun to connect with her by voice. She is an author herself, having written the excellent Green Meadows young adult books. See Author Jennifer Walker

In the interview we chatted about both my Anastasia Raven mystery series, and my non-fiction book, North Country Cache. The program is 30 minutes long.

The link above takes you directly to the interview with me, but all episodes are archived, and you can find them at A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Anastasia Raven Mysteries- 300 Likes= 3 Winners

random numberrandom numberrandom number

So, I've heard that Facebook is cracking down on some pages that are using likes as a way to run contests. They are particularly manic about posting that you are doing it on Facebook, and then sending the results via their message system. Since I don't wish to be unexpectedly banned, I'm announcing the winners of the three Dead Mule Swamp books here.

I hope you've come over to check out if you are a winner. I used Random.org to generate three numbers, and the numbers correspond to the order in which people "liked" the page. I got lucky, and one of the numbers is between 201-300; I wanted one of the "new" people to be a winner.

If you are: Joseph Beekman (28), Donna Thacker (48), or Anna Gikas (219) please email me at jhyshark@gmail.com to tell me if you would like News from Dead Mule Swamp or Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp.

Congrats! Keep the likes coming. I'm still writing.

If you didn't win, hey... "News" is only 99 cents, and "Paddy" is $2.99. Still a great deal! And "Hollow Tree" is always free at Smashwords.

Smashwords or Amazon

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Review of The Opium Equation

the opium equation
The Opium Equation, by Lisa Wysocky, is a cozy mystery set in the American South. The protagonist is Cat (Catherine) Enright who owns a stable of Appaloosa horses. She’s a relative newcomer to the Nashville area, but has been there long enough to be respected by some residents, and to have antagonized others.

Cat is constantly annoyed by the bad behavior of ten-year-old Bubba. The book opens with the boy throwing rocks at her truck. She’s also unhappy with the retired actress Glenda Dupree who thinks she can win riding competitions just because she will look good on a horse.

When Cat finds Glenda beaten to death, and Bubba’s hat covered in blood, her dislike of these people makes her a suspect in the mind of the local Sheriff. But Cat thinks any child is worth trying to save, so she begins looking for Bubba.

I liked The Opium Equation a lot. For starters, it begins with a cast of characters list, just like an old Perry Mason book. And the descriptions of the characters are quirky enough to pique interest.

Cat is funny and sarcastic- the current word is snarky- and I enjoyed that part of her personality. The owner of one of the horses claims the mare Sally Blue is psychic, and Sally Blue does seem to act strangely until the mysteries are solved.

The plot is just complex enough for a cozy. There are several possible suspects, so the reader-sleuth has plenty of potential outcomes to contemplate.

The setting includes a mixture of real places and some imaginary ones. The inclusion of local history and geology in the plot appeals to me.

The story is well-written and the pace doesn’t drag. The ending is well-crafted. Final details are placed in an epilogue. Some people like knowing how all the loose ends tie up. I guess the epilogue format allows the other people to skip them!

The cover leads one to expect a book with lots of horsey parts, however, other than the ownership of the stable and the intriguing Sally Blue, this book isn’t really about the horses. Perhaps there are other Cat Enright books in the works. At any rate the stable allows plenty of opportunities for interaction with a group of people.

Lisa Wysocky is also the author of several non-fiction books.

Visit Lisa Wysocky's web site
Visit Cat Enright Stables blog