Please Tune In to Blog Talk Radio Across-the-Pond Saturday, 11am EST - I'm the Guest

I'm excited to be a guest on Saturday, Oct 24, at "A Book and a Chat" with Barry Eva, a fellow author from across the pond.

If you care to listen in, it's a half hour show starting at 11:00 a.m. EST, which is 10:00 Central time (my Illinois time).

You can find the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

A call in question or even a hello would be appreciated at 347-237-5398.

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

Who's paying for the new book rates?

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but when I went over to my sales page for Killer Career at Amazon, the price had gone up $2.00.  The book came out in August, so maybe the special deal time is over.
Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I can't help wondering if the small presses are now funding the big presses' recent drop in prices. How else can they sell those bestsellers so cheap?

What's your thoughts? What about your books' prices? Did they suddenly go up?

Liz Zelvin is my Wednesday Guest at Acme Authors Link

Hi Gang,
Please welcome my guest, Mystery Author, Liz Zelvin, over at Acme Authors Link, http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Morgan

Show us your Signature

My e-mail signature looks too bulky, so I'm changing it. I'll include my website, daily blogspot, publisher url and a very brief snippet from my review from The Midwest Book Review. Should I include more, such as where to order Killer Career, or is that overkill? What do you do?

To help me and others decide, please comment by posting your signature.

Thanks,
Morgan

Phobias at Make Mine Mystery

Phobias are over at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/

Come on over.

Thanks,
Morgan

Amazon and WalMart Book Price War

Yesterday I saw a e-mail report on Publisher's Lunch from Publisher's Marketplace saying a price war is going on between Amazon and Wal-Mart. They're offering hardcover books by well known authors for $9.00. The book price war even made the news on TV.

This move has me worried. Where does this move  leave the midlist authors published by the big houses? If these authors have hardcover books out, they'll most likely be left in the dust by readers grabbing the lesser priced books by popular authors.

Small publishers will have an even more difficult time. How can they possibly pay expenses and still compete in such a market?

What are your thoughts on this? Does it seem a good or bad thing?

Updated Website

Thursday I fiddled around and changed my website a bit, trying to make it more current to reflect my latest release, Killer Career. You're welcome to check it out at http://www.morganmandel.com/

Thanks,
Morgan

People Are Crazy

I heard on the radio this morning that some lady went into Burlington Coat Factory, told people she'd won the lottery and each person could pick $500 worth of merchandise and she'd pay for it. Shoppers called friends and the place was mobbed.

The lady said she was going to the bank and left in her limo. She came back and told everyone she hadn't won the lottery after all. She couldn't even pay the limo driver the $900 she owed him. People got so mad they started trashing the store.

Who was more crazy, the lady who lied, or the people who trashed the store? I'd hesitate about putting a scene like that in a book since it would be unbelievable, unless it were maybe a comedy.

Have you heard of any stories about people doing crazy things? Have you included a scene in a book where a person or persons does something crazy?

By the way, here's the link on Youtube for Billy Currington's song, People Are Crazy. It's one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqrogegV1lw

Hallopalooza coming at the end of this month

I'll be participating in a fun scavenger hunt at the end of the month. You'll get a chance to win some great prizes at the various blog stops.

The Scavenger Hunt will begin 8 am ET, Friday, October 30.

It will end 5 pm ET, Sunday, November 1.
Winners will be announced at noon ET on Monday, November 2 at the Stiletto Gang blog site, at
http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/

The Stiletto Gang is writing a mini-mystery, with a different clue to solve the mystery found on the home page of each of the participating blogs. The mystery will begin and end at The Stiletto Gang, but in order to solve the mystery, the reader will have to visit every one of the 24 participating blogs.


Each blog will provide a clue which will be  posted. The reader will move from blog to blog, collecting the clues which will help solve the mystery.

In addition to the mystery clue, each blog will post the name of the next blog the reader should visit in order to find the next clue.

The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate that the winner can use for books from any online or bricks and mortar bookstore (winner’s choice of bookstore). If multiple readers solve the mystery, we will have a drawing to select the grand prize winner. Runners Up will receive a book from one of the authors of The Stiletto Gang. If there are more than 10 Runners Up, then there will be a drawing among the Runners Up for the books – maximum number of books to be awarded by The Stiletto Gang is ten (10).

More later about this fun event.
Stay tuned to learn how you can win some great prizes at stops along the way.

Midwest Book Review awards 5 stars to Killer Career!

I'm excited to report a 5 star review from Midwest Book Review for Killer Career at Amazon.com!
Here's the permalink for the review:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R169FXMK7RVLB6/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

The review also appears at the main site for Midwest Book Review on the Small Press Bookwatch page in the Mystery/Suspense category, where Killer Career is "highly recommended" -
http://midwestbookreview.com/sbw/oct_09.htm#Mystery/Suspense

I just found the review when I was on the train Monday evening after coming back to work after vacation. It certainly brightened my day!

Morgan Mandel

Vacation Report

Well, we closed down the cottage today, loaded up the van and dragged our stuff back home again until Spring. It was a cold week, but the colors got better and better as the days progressed.

The good thing was I enjoyed shopping, going to dinner, going to the casino, and doing book signings. The bad thing was my cold dogged me most of the week. I did lots of sleeping in between doing things. I noticed lots of other people seemed to have colds also. Even tonight, the weatherman has one. It has to be a new strain, I guess, because they say once you have a cold you can't catch the same one again. Or is that a myth?

Anyway, I finally got the better of the germ by Friday when we went to visit WJJQ again in Tomahawk, WI. I'll be doing another interview there again in the Spring and a book signing at their local bookstore, Cover to Cover. Such is the life of an author - always looking for ways to get my books noticed. I'll be posting some pics later this week after I get kind of organized.

Acme Authors Link about my Eagle River Book Signing & New Blogger Features

Wednesday's my Acme Authors Link day.
Topic is my book signing at Eagle River on Oct 3, plus new Blogger features.
Come on over if you can to http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

The Lakeland Times reviews Killer Career

Thank you, Joyce Laabs of The Lakeland Times, for writing such a nice review of Killer Career!

http://lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=15&ArticleID=10238

She says: "It is a real thriller - a page turner that is hard to put down. However, unfortunately images don't go away as you turn out the light for a night's sleep. Perhaps it is best read during the day."

If you want to read more, click the link above.

Thanks,
Morgan

Sleep

We got up early at 4:15 to leave for vacation. I usually get up at
5:45 to get ready for work.

If I could sleep, I wouldn't sleep later than 7 or 7:30 anyway.

What about you? If you could sleep as late as you wanted, how late
would that be?

Sent from my iPhone

Look What I Found

I got a chance to Google the other day and my efforts were rewarded! I found a review for Killer Career at Internet Review of Books. I'm not sure how long it was there, but I'm very happy I discovered it. . If you'd care to look, it's at  http://internetrevi ewofbooks. com/sep09/ brief_reviews. html?dsq= 17850973   The fun thing about this is the reviewer has the exact same name as my main character, Julie McGuire.   Moral of the story - Remember to Google - kind of reminds me of Remember to Floss, which I always forget until right before the next dental appointment. (g)     If you feel the urge - here are some buy links:  KILLER CAREER Is At Ingram, At Barnes & Noble, NOW ON KINDLE FOR $5.77, ALSO AT BOOKSAMILLION.COM, AMAZON.COM, BN.COM, MOBIPOCKET.COM, DIESEL-EBOOKS.COM

Wednesday at Acme Authors Link

My Wednesday topic for Acme Authors Link is Do You Read or Write On Vacation?
Please stop by Wednesday and let us know at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/.

Thanks,
Morgan

Samples - Kindle - BSP

When I went grocery shopping, I used to see lots more free food samples to try out. Now, I don't see very many people offering me to sample their products. Maybe it's a sign of the slow economy and food companies can't afford samples.

Speaking of samples, Kindle offers free samples of books. If you own a kindle, along with all the bestselling novels, I invite you to try out a free sample of Killer Career. If you want more, it's at a very attractive price for a brand new book - $5.77. (g)  Hope you like it.

Everybody, Blurb Your Book

Killer Career by Morgan Mandel is about a lawyer whose career change could be a killer when her mentor, a NY Times bestselling author, does more than write about murder. Using one or two sentences, tell us about your book.

Ouch - My Aching Back

I'm not spending too much time at the computer tonight because my back is hurting. It started late last night. I got up from the couch, stiffly as usual, since I'd been fooling around with my website at http://www.morganmandel.com, trying out different fun stuff for the main page and had been at it for a while.

My desktop computer was still on. I reached over to turn it off and all of a sudden my low back really hurt, not just was stiff. It was hard making it up the stairs to the bedroom. I did go to work today, but left early so I could make my train. When I walk slow, it doesn't hurt too much. When I sit still, it feels stiff, but doesn't hurt a lot. But, if I try to walk normal, bend over or try to carry anything with any kind of weight, my back protests.

I'm turning on the heating pad, then gulping some generic Motrin, and hoping that will help.
The pharmacist said that would be okay with my other pills. She also mentioned a pain patch might help. I asked my boss who has had his share of back problems if bedrest was the answer. He said the going advice was to keep active instead.

What about you? Have you ever had a backache? What did you do for it?

To Pay or Not to Pay For a Blog Book Tour

Would you pay good money for a blog book tour?

If you don't mind spending time to research popular blogs to make sure they get enough hits and are the right ones to promote your book, you don't mind contacting their owners and asking if they'll host you, you don't mind doing all the advertising yourself, have a very tight budget, then maybe a do-it-yourself blog tour is for you.

Then again, if you don't have the time or the patience to do the research, don't like making direct contact with hosts, don't believe your own advertising is enough, have enough money saved up for such a promotion, then maybe you'd prefer to leave it in the hands of a professional.

Either way you choose, you'll have lots of work ahead of you getting topics and blogs ready beforehand. During the tour, to make the most of your opportunity, you should be commenting on your hosts' blogs to establish your presence, plus tweeting and sending emails to Facebook and your egroups, and other spots.

With my recently completed Killer Career Blog Book Tour, I practiced a hands-on approach, but I had a great advantage. I not only belonged to the blogbooktour egroup run by Dani Greer, but also the pumpupyourblog egroup, run by Dorothy Thompson - The first being an immensely informative hands-on, do-it-yourself group, the other a group comprised mainly of hosts and guests of Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. I've made wonderful friends in each group, love them both, and respect their methods. Although I didn't pay for my own tour and arranged it all myself, many times I've served as a host for Dorothy's tours and enjoy doing so.

What about you? Do you prefer to pay for a blog book tour and leave the driving to people like Dorothy at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/? Or are you a do-it-yourselfer?

What are your reasons? Please share with us.

Please Welcome My Guest at Make Mine Mystery Today

Hi Gang,
I've got a terrific guest over at Make Mine Mystery today. Bill Walker is a graphic designer who specializes in book and dust cover design.

He's also got a new romantic suspense called A Note From an Old Acquaintance, which sounds very intriguing. Please hop over to http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/ to check him out.

Thanks,
Morgan

R & R and Restructuring

Today, I caught some R & R after being out in the Great Outdoors all day yesterday at the Flea Market and Craft Fair.

Although a steady stream of potential customers went by, not many seemed interested in free bookmarks much less books. We did sell a few books, but not as many as we would have liked. I noticed not many people walked around with multiple bags. Apparently pinching pennies is still the norm for a while, with customers trying to decide what they can afford to purchase and what to do without.

I spoke to the vendors on each side of us and they were disappointed in their sales as well. One lady said she'd sold three times as much the year before. I know this year at the Arlington Heights Frontier Days Marketplace sales were down from the year before, but they were better than at yesterday's event. Also, rain dogged us the first day at Marketplace, plus Killer Career was not out yet. Many customers recognized me and mentioned they already had my backlist books from the year before.

Since we never had a booth at this one before, we have no basis of comparison., but the consensus was it may not be the correct venue for selling our books. We'll skip it next year and try another method.

Today, I'm spending time experimenting with ideas for spiffing up my website's main page at http://www.morganmandel.com. It's a fun kind of project.

What about you? Do you have lots of bookselling success at flea markets and craft fairs?

Flea Market Saturday - Come Join Us

Breaking News - Besides being out in print at many venues, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com, Killer Career is now on Kindle. click this Link to Order Kindle.

I'll be autographing Killer Career at the St. John United Church of Christ Flea Market this Saturday from 9am - 4pm, along with Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams. Even if you already have one or all of them, stop by to say hi, if you're in the area.

Joining me are romantic suspense author, Margot Justes, and contemporary romance author, Debra St. John.

Hope to see some of you there.

Morgan

Dog Trainer, Alex Brooks, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Breaking News - Killer Career is now on Kindle. click this Link to Order.

Morgan Mandel & Alex Brooks------------------------Twister

Tuesday night the DH and I had a great time at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, where professional dog trainer, Alex Brooks, dispensed welcome advice to his eager audience.

Judging from the number of hands that went up in the question and answer period, it was obvious Alex's expertise was much needed.

Aggression over food, barkers, separation anxiety, and which collars to use were only a portion of the topics addressed.

I asked him what to do about Rascal's aggressive tendencies toward bikers, joggers, and skateboarders. I also mentioned part of the problem was she was deaf and couldn't hear them coming up from behind her. He suggested acquainting her with skateboards by going to a skateboard park. That way she'd come to consider them as routine. Now, I see a skateboard park in our future. (g)

His dog, Twister, shown above, is an American bulldog. She's white like our Rascal, but Rascal is a pit bull Dalmatian mix. Twister is taller and has a brown patch, instead of Rascal's black patch. Twister, like Rascal, is deaf. Alex used hand signals to train her.

Rascal pictured here.


It looked like Alex did a great job with Twister. After the presentation, anyone who wanted to could come up to the stage and pet her. The dog was super friendly, dispensing kisses and wagging her tail vigorously.

We hope to take in another Alex Brooks presentation soon. It was great fun and very informative. Here's the link to the Alex Brooks Canine Center, if you'd like more information about him and his work. Check out the cute dog on the main page while you're at it. Another thing to learn - how to do animation on my blog and website. http://www.absdt.com/index.php

Are You Predictable?

When I go into the bathroom to change clothes in the morning, our dog, Rascal, has me figured out. She knows I'm almost ready to leave for work, so she goes to the doorway of her room and waits for the DH to give her a treat before she goes to bed.

As a writer, being predictable can be a good thing or a bad thing. Lots of marketers say to stick with one genre or area of expertise. That way you'll attract a particular audience that will know what to expect and follow you for it. Over time, the audience will grow. You are reliable. That's a good thing.

Then again, it can be a bad thing for writers like me who get bored easily. I would feel stifled if I only wrote mysteries, no matter how much I enjoy doing them. That's because I also love writing romances. I also enjoy writing about my dog, Rascal. Not only that, I have a great time writing how-to articles on marketing, self-publishing, and a number of other topics. Then there's also my blog. I love sharing my writing and life experiences on the Internet.

What about you? Are you predictable, or do you enjoy a wide variety of writing?

Check Out the Mystery in My Backyard

Wednesday is my day at Acme Authors Link. I'm writing about my very own mystery in my backyard. Come on over at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/ to find out about what happened and let me know if you've every experienced anything as strange.

Comments here or there or both are always welcome.

Thanks,
Morgan

Killer Career now available at Barnes & Noble, Ingram,
Amazon, bn, booksamillion.com, Mobipocket.com - and
almost on kindle - hopefully later this week.

Please Welcome Nancy J. Parra and Her Mr. Charming

Hi, I would like to start with a quick thank you to Morgan for hosting me today and you all for reading. This book had a lot of firsts for me.

It is my first contemporary. My first romantic suspense and this is my first blog tour. Because it was my first blog tour, I did a mini- five blogs in six weeks. Morgan is my last and I found the tour to be wonderful. My hosts were all warm and welcoming. Their readers were gracious and Mr. Charming spent four weeks on the Wild Rose Press Bestseller list.

Morgan is the author who encouraged me to try blog touring and blog following and other social media. Her advice was solid and boosted not only my sales, but hits to my website and blog. So thank you again, Morgan. I hope you all enjoy the excerpt.

Cheers! Nancy.

Mr. Charming, a romantic suspense

A single mom with a secret past finds herself embroiled in a playboy’s murder. Available for purchase now at:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/mr-charming-p-3576.html
ISBN: 1-60154-524-X

Suggested Retail Price:$6 adobe pdf, $11.99 print
Visit visit Nancy J. Parra at: http://www.nancyjparra.com/

A PRIVATE WOMAN…
A PUBLIC MAN…
A KILLER WHO WANTS THEM BOTH DEAD…

After a painful public divorce, advice maven Jennifer Sumner vows to stay out of the glare of the limelight, but then she makes the mistake of saying yes to her brother’s request for assistance.

Kane McCormick loves his playboy lifestyle, using his fame and fortune as a barrier around his heart until the day the world assumes he’s dead. Then Kane learns that he had it all wrong.

As Kane discovers that Jennifer and her young son are the family he’s been looking for, his would-be killer discovers his whereabouts and threatens to kill them both. Can Kane convince Jennifer to step into his public life and escape the clear and present danger? Or will she stubbornly keep to her vow and take his heart to her grave?

Reviews

“(Parra writes)…wonderful books with strong, stubborn heroes and plucky heroines who aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with them. Shelley Mosley

Excerpt from Mr. Charming:

“Why do you keep touching me?” The words were soft and breathless. Jennifer wanted to take them back the moment they were out.
“I’m a tactile guy,” Kane said simply. “I like to caress what I find beautiful.”
Surprise filled her, scattered across her face. She was thirty five with a kid. Definitely not the type of person he usually dated.
“Yeah,” he said, breaking her stunned silence. “I find you beautiful.” He stepped as close as he could without touching her. He took the mug away from her trembling hand and planted it beside them on the counter. Then he held her face in his hands and smiled down at her. “I’m the kind of man who appreciates beauty in its purest from.”
“I told you, I know what kind of man you are,” she whispered. “Don’t you see? For my own good, I have to reject you.”
“Then I’m afraid we’re at odds, sweetheart, because I have to have you.”
She had promised herself just moments before to do her best to stick to the truth. “I’m not playing games with you.” Her whole body shivered in traitorous anticipation. He drew her to him, surrounding her with male heat and strength.
“Me neither,” he replied.
She put her hand out to keep him away. Her palm hit silky warm skin spattered with just the right amount of hair to make it intriguing. She swallowed a gasp and kept her hand firmly planted on his bare chest. The last thing she wanted was for him to know how electrified she was by the feel of him. “Just keep your distance. I know you’re bored and I’m simply a distraction. It isn’t fair.”
He took her palm and raised it to his lips. His dark gaze captured hers and sent shock waves through her body.

“Haven’t you heard, sweetheart? All’s fair in love and war.”


Author Bio:
The Lovin’ Kind by Nancy J. Parra, June 2006, was named one of the top ten romances of 2006 by Booklist Magazine.
The Bettin’ Kind, October 2005, received a starred review from Booklist Magazine. Cataromance.com says “… a wonderful story that thoroughly sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the last page is read.”

The Marryin’ Kind was heralded as “…another winner,” by Booklist Magazine, while Wyoming Wedding won a Reviewer’s Choice award from Cataromance.com. Labeled a rising star of 2002 by Booklist Magazine, Ms. Parra is proud that A Wanted Man received a starred review in the October 2002 edition of Booklist Magazine and Saving Samantha was featured on the chapter-a-day website.

Nancy’s Morgan Family series started with The Marryin’ Kind, released in Feb. 2005 followed by The Bettin’ Kind, Oct. 2005 and The Lovin’ Kind, June 2006. Her Morgan Brothers series, which includes Saving Samantha, A Wanted Man, Loving Lana and Wyoming Wedding, is available from Avalon books.

Nancy holds degrees in Journalism and Electronics Engineering. She has worked as a newspaper columnist, a publications coordinator, a communications manager, a technical writer, a corporate trainer, a satellite repair technician, and an electronics technician, but through it all, her fiction writing is her number one priority.

A member of Romance Writer’s of America for twelve years, Ms. Parra has been active in various chapters including Mid-America Romance Authors, The Golden Network, Midwest Romance Writers, Windy City and Chicago-North RWA.

Ms. Parra has also been a finalist in the RWA Golden Heart contest, and the MARA Fiction from the Heartland contest as well as receiving an honorable mention in the NY Love and Laughter contest.

Ms. Parra has published columns and articles in the Daily Chronicle; Topeka Capital Journal; The University of Kansas yearbook; and in corporate training manuals and hospital guidebooks throughout the United States. She has written numerous articles on writing for local chapters of RWA and has given workshops on writing techniques to various library and writers groups.

Visit her website at http://www.nancyjparra.com/

Please welcome Nancy by leaving a comment for her.

Romance Author, Nancy J. Parra, Coming on Monday to Double M

Monday, my special guest will be Nancy J. Parra.

Nancy is a fellow Chicago-North RWA member. She has a

brand new release called Mr. Charming, available now from

The While Rose Press.

Nancy is a diligent blogger at her two blogspots:

http://nancyjparra.blogspot.com/ and

http://nancyjparrawebsite.blogspot.com/

You can also visit her at http://www.nancyjparra.com/

Monday, come back to learn more about Nancy.

Saturday at Schaumburg Library Event

If you can, stop by the Schaumburg Township District Library Saturday any time between 10-4 for a mystery writers and fans event, featuring workshops, panels, book signings, raffles, and much more.

I'll be doing the Promo Primer at 1:30 and right afterwards I'll be on a romantic suspense panel with Patricia Rosemoore and Sherrill Bodine.

Hope some of you can make it.

Morgan Mandle

Kindles at my library

The DH and I attended an event at our local library last night. On the way out, I noticed a sign saying kindles were there, so I stopped at the information desk. I learned the library had bought eight kindles loaded with popular books, which they were renting out for two weeks each. Some had fiction, the others non-fiction. Now, I'm on a waiting list for a kindle.

We're running into a little difficulty with converting Killer Career into kindle, since there's a crazy indent thing going on. I suspect Word might be responsible. Anyway, when that's all done, we'll have to put in an order for the kindle version and see if they order it. You never know.

What about you? Does your library have kindles? Or, do you have your own?

Vistaprint Is My Friend

I'm doing a presentation called Promo Primer on Saturday at the Schaumburg Township District Library. To get ready, I've rounded up samples of my promo items for Killer Career, Two Wrongs, Girl of My Dreams and my blogs.

As I glance at the collection, I can't help but notice almost everything came from Vistaprint. I've got postcards, flyers, business cards, brochures, a lawn sign, car magnets, a tote bag, tee shirts, you name it. They're all from the same place. That's because so far I haven't found anywhere to beat Vistaprint's prices. They send me an e-mail just about every day with their latest free offers. Once I had my first batch done, I just selected the same thing next time to save money.

If you haven't checked out Vistaprint, try it, but a note of caution. Don't click on anything else except what you are ordering, unless you really want it. Also, check your cart to make sure you didn't click anything by mistake. You can always remove it before you pay. Also, remember you'll be getting lots of e-mails about free items, so it's not necessary to buy extra of an item unless you're really desperate. It's easy enough to pull up another e-mail and order off of that after you've already placed an order. Just be careful you go to the sale e-mail first when you order because that's the portal to savings. If you just go to the site, you don't always get the bargain.

What about you? Is Vistaprint your friend or do you have a different one? Or, maybe you share friendship with more than one company.

Forget Something?

It took an incredibly long time to get to our home in Illinois from the Minocqua, WI area, over 7 1/2 hours. Minocqua, WI, by the way, does play a role in Killer Career. Of course, the last hour seemed the longest. One reason was a bit of construction work which we couldn't avoid when we got closer to home.

Right now, I have bags and stuff from vacation all over the living room and dining room. I'm not sure how much I'll put away, since I have a feeling October will be here soon, judging by how the two months flew by since our June vacation.

Also, I'm the packer for vacation and the DH is the driver. This time, the packer forgot most of the DH's socks, plus his jeans. I'm kind of afraid to put away the stuff I brought home. There's danger I may forget to pack it all again next time.

One year, the DH forgot to bring his money, one of the few things he does pack himself. One time, quite a while back, before we had the transponder gizmo that we pay tolls for online, I forgot the change purse with the tollway coins.

What about you? Did you ever forget to bring something with on vacation?

A Slice of Heaven

The weather this trip has been nothing short of a slice of heaven. It's the only way for me to describe days in the mid and upper 70s and nights in the 40s where the cottage cools off without the use of an air conditioner. We haven't even had to use it this trip.

For the first time in a while, I've had a chance to really relax. I've spent hours just reading on the deck with Rascal stretched out beside me and the DH either on the lake fishing or not far from us inside the cottage napping on his easy chair.

When the weather is perfect, you don't need too much more on vacation. I take that back. I am also enjoying my trips to Lake of the Torches Casino each day. Saturday night I played this Jaws game with sharks which was so much fun - lots of bonus rounds and different screens coming out of nowhere. I lost on that machine, but I didn't mind because it kept me entertained.

Oh, I didn't mention the food. Saturday for breakfast was the Magnificent Seven at Perkins, Sunday the Tremendous Twelve. I'm guilty of eating all of the first, but half of the second. Then there's the broasted chicken dinner at Fibber's in St. Germain Sunday night, followed by white chocoate raspberry truffle ice cream at Susie's. We just made it for the ice cream, since they're closing for the season on Labor Day.

Monday is the St. Germain Flea Market, where I'm going as a customer. My friend, Jeanne, and I will be on the lookout for one of the vendors whom we call the sock lady so we can fill up on socks for the winter. Who knows what else we'll find. We won't know until we get there.

How will you be spending your Labor Day?

The Flea Market That Wasn't

I got up early on Saturday so I could get over to the flea market. I was looking forward to selling autographed copies of Killer Career. The spot was down the block, not too far away, so I thought I'd walk Rascal over first to see how things were going.

That's when I discovered the sign, the one that said something like - Due to lack of enough vendors, the flea market is cancelled. Contact xxx at --- for a refund.

I was not a happy camper, to put it mildly. Fortunately, we had not come all the way to Wisconsin just for the flea market. If so, that would have been horrendous. Still, I thought the committee in charge handled it very badly. I had filled out an application and paid for my spot. My contact information was right on there. Now, if there weren't that many vendors, how hard would it have been to notify me that the event was called off?

Has anything like this every happened to you? Please share.

Full Moon & Stars Were In Alignment

After the fish fry and the DH went back to the cottage to fish, my friend, Jeanne, and I drove over to Lake of the Torches Casino. My budget's been kind of tight, but I had enough money stashed away for vacation.

I started out on the Sun and Moon slot machine and miracle of miracles, after being way too stubborn and not leaving it when I'd lost more than I should have, suddenly I got five sun and moons in a row, which means 50 free spins. I love free spins because I'm not putting extra money into the machine. Also, they usually pay better.

It happened again and the winnings grew larger. I played there a bit longer, then stopped, since the machine seemed to have turned off.

After that, Jeanne treated me to one of her comp tickets for an acrobatic show called ZZYXZ in the Hall of Nations room at the casino. I cannot believe what those performers do. They are so limber and contort their bodies into such strange positions. Also, they're not afraid of heights. Of course, they were in the best of shape. They didn't have excessive rippling muscles like wrestlers do, but they had just the right amount to look good and do those spectacular contortions.

After the show we proceeded back for another round of slot machine playing, where I lost some of the money I'd won before, but then miraculously gained it back again. Jeanne did well also.

So, as we left, the full moon was shining down on us and the stars were all in alignment. Such a night is rare, which makes it all the more enjoyable and an evening to remember.

Any slot players out there? Or maybe you prefer poker or black jack? Or maybe you hate gambling?

Fish Fry and Fishing

So far, we've got a fish fry lined up for our Friday night's entertainment. No, it won't be the ones the DH catches. Those go to our neighbor across the street for her and her daughter to prepare. The DH likes to catch fish, but neither he nor I like to clean and cook them. Better that way, anyhow. It doesn't seem as personal that way seeing the fish alive, then eating it later.

What about you? Do you like fish frys? Do any of you like to fish?

Any Bingo Players Out There?

My friend, Jeanne, already emailed me and asked if I'd like to go to Bingo in LacduFlambeau, so Thursday is Bingo day for me, after hanging up and putting away the clothes and such from the van. The good thing about Bingo is if you lose, it takes longer to lose your money. Not like the casino, where it's gone really fast. Actually, last trip, way in June, I actually won a game. Not enough to retire on, but still exciting.

I'll let you know how I do.

Any Bingo players out there?

Back to the North Woods

My group blog today is about Killer Career in the NorthWoods. Read about it at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com

If you want to let me know you've stopped by here first, that would also be great.

Thanks,

Morgan

WINNERS OF BLOG BOOK TOUR CONTEST

I promised two winners for my blog book tour contest. I'm glad to announce two worthy bloggers/authors.

They are - ladies first - Jane Kennedy Sutton from Jane's Ride - She wins the cap with the Killer Career cover art !!!

And the guy is - Stephen Tremp of Breakthrough Blogs for the Aspiring Author - He gets the manly Killer Career tee shirt (no cover art) !!!

Check out their blogs, if you get a chance. They are worth seeing. They both do a great job.

They will receive their prizes after I return from my extended Labor Day vacation starting Thursday and ending the following Tuesday.

I will attempt to get my blogs out those days, but who knows what may happen in the North Woods.

Drive By Signings - How's That For Product Placement?

On Sunday, the DH and I took a ride to two Barnes & Nobles in our area so I could sign more Killer Career stock. At the one store in Deer Park, Illinois, the booksellers were super nice, bringing the books to the customer service desk and furnishing autograph stickers. Afterwards, I asked where they'd gotten the books so I could take a photo there.

That's when one of the booksellers gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. He said something like, "How about if we leave them here, between Teddy Kennedy and Dan Brown?"

The DH took photos of me signing stock, then the other bookseller offered to take a photo with the DH and me. Afterwards I asked if the books would be put back on the shelf. No, they said they appreciated authors who came in to sign stock, so the books would stay right there at the customer service desk in the middle of the store. How's that for product placement?



At the Arlington Heights Barnes and Noble, the booksellers there were also super nice, although I didn't get any offers to place my books at the customer service desk.

Killer Career's home there is in the New Romance Books section. Unfortunately, it's alphabetical, which means near the bottom. Still I'm glad people can see the cover and not just the spine.

Instead of a Drive By, next I plan on a walk over to Barnes and Noble DePaul Center in Downtown Chicago at State and Jackson on a lunch break. I won't have much time, so I'll be hiking in and out.

A book signing is tentatively scheduled for Barnes and Noble, Arlington Heights for October 17. A date certain is set for Barnes and Noble, 590 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg IL on Nov 7, from 1-3pm. A signing is in the works at Deer Park some time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, plus a date certain signing will happen at Barnes and Noble DePaul Center, State and Jackson, Chicago, Illinois on January 13, 2010.

Those are just the Barnes and Noble stores. Next Saturday, Sept 5, on vacation I'll again participate in the Arbor Vitae Wisconsin Fireman's Flea Market. When I come back, I'll be doing a promo workshop and participating in a panel at the Schaumburg Township District Library in a Sisters in Crime event from 10am-4pm. September 19 is the St. John United Church of Christ Annual Flea Market from 9am-4pm

October 24 is a blog talk radio interview at A Book and A Chat by my host Barry Eva at 10am Central Time (Illinois) time.

By that time, I hope to resume my regular blog talk radio shows as well, at http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs . I've got many offers of guests, just no time at the moment to host them.

I'll be posting the event schedule soon, as well as the entire set of permalinks from my blog book tour.

What about you? Do you enjoy doing book signings? Do you prefer online marketing? Do you like both?

Day 7 of Self-Pub Series - Downloading, Proof, Acceptance

Day 7 of Morgan Mandel's Basic Guide to Self-Publishing is up today at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com . I finish with an excerpt. Come on over for how it all ends.

Thanks,
Morgan

Day Six of Self-Pub Series - Promo

Tomorrow will be the grand finale when the upload begins, the book is finished, and I share an excerpt. Before that happens, promo must begin. I've some of the basics covered at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ so head on over and see what's involved. Note I said basics, because promo is never done. We all know that. (g)

Morgan

Day Five of Self-Pub Series - Choosing Cover Art and Setting it Up

Day Five's topic on my Self-Pub Series is Choosing Cover Art and Setting it Up.
Come on over to The Blood-Red Pencil, and give your take on the subject.

Would you try it yourself? Do you have a favorite cover artist you prefer to use?
Are you a cover artist?

Thanks,
Morgan

Day Four of Self-Pub Series - Choosing a Printing House and Getting Familiar With It

Hi Gang,
Today's topic at my blog book tour series on The Blood-Red Pencil is about Choosing a printing house and getting familiar with it.

Come on over and add your two cents. You may have takes on other printing houses than mine. You may agree or disagree with what I say. Please chime in.

Thanks,
Morgan

Day Three of Morgan Mandel's Basic Self-Publishing Manual - Why Use an Editor

Today, at The Blood-Red Pencil, I'll be revealing why and how I chose an editor for Killer Career.
I might add, I'm glad I did. Helen Ginger did a fantastic job of leading me in the right direction, while not taking over my book.

If you're doubtful about whether or not you need an editor, come on over and check out my post.

Thanks,
Morgan

Day Two at Morgan Mandel's Basic Guide to Self-Publishing

Hi Gang,
Come on over to http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com for Day 2 of Morgan Mandel's Basic Guide to Self-Publishing where the topic is How to Get Started: Legalities, Technicalities, References.

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

Why Self-Publish?

Find out why I self-published at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2009/08/morgan-mandels-basic-guide-to-self_24.html

Day One of Morgan Mandel's Basic Guide to Self-Publishing - all week look at the aspects of self-publishing at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com


What about you? Are you up to the challenge?

Killer Career Blog Book Tour Recap, Permalinks, Schedule of Self-Pub Posts at Blood-Red Pencil

First,
You'll find the permalinks for all of my tour stops in a post below this one. Later, it will also be available through a click on the left column of this blogspot. I'm offering them in case you missed one, or if you'd just like to come back and check one for reference.

To let you know what I've learned from my Killer Career Blog Book Tour so far -

Everyone said it would be tiring. I usually blog here everyday, so I didn't think blogging somewhere else would make much difference. I was wrong. It did. For one thing, I wanted the posts to be super-good, instructive, entertaining, with as few mistakes as possible. Because of that, it took longer to compose them.

I not only owed my best efforts to my hosts, but also to myself. I spent lots of time getting Killer Career together just right and I wanted my posts to reflect that fact.

Getting the posts ready wasn't enough. Before I left for work, I spread the word to Twitter, Facebook, Live Journal, MySpace and Hi5. On the train, I spread more word to my e-groups, and believe me, I belong to many. I also plugged the tour at Book Place, my ning network. With Twitter once wasn't enough. During the day, I'd quickly do a tweet about the blog when I could.

After I'd spread the word, I checked the blog-of-the-day numerous times on my work breaks and on the train going home and at home so I could answer comments. I'll carry on in the same manner next week for the rest of my tour at The Blood-Red Pencil.

Another thing - I didn't realize my hosts would be so generous. My blog remained up for days on many of the blogspots, which meant extra exposure. For that I'm extremely grateful. I'll keep checking for comments on all the stops off and on in case more appear.

And now, I'm turning the spotlight on my next tour stop of the tour, one that will last seven days. I've got to say The Blood-Red is a special blog. It's comprised mainly of editors who generously dispense wonderful writing tips. I'm honored to belong to such a group.

Here's the Schedule for what I'm calling Morgan Mandel's Basic Guide to Self-Publishing, at
The Blood-Red Pencil :

Monday, August 24 - Why Self-Publish
Tuesday, August 25 - How to Get Started - Legalities, Technicalities, References
Wednesday, August 26 - Why Use an Editor
Thursday, August 27 - Choosing a Printing House & Getting Familiar With It
Friday, August 28 - Setting Up Cover Art & Logo
Saturday, August 29 - Promo
Sunday - August 30 - Downloading, Proof, Acceptance, Publication

Thanks. I hope you continue on for the rest of the tour!
Morgan Mandel

Permalinks for Killer Career Blog Book Tour Through 8/22

Blog Book Tour permalinks Killer Career
http://www.marywelk.com/2009/08/villains-heroes-gotta-love-em.html

http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/2009/08/morgan-mandel-and-her-killer-career.html

http://www.thelittleblogofmurder.com/2009/08/17/libraries-and-library-events/#comments

http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/08/morgan-mandel-blog-tour.html

http://lillieammann.com/2009/08/19/blog-book-tour-stop-morgan-mandel/

http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/thursday-excerpt-killer-career.html

http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/2009/08/adding-description-to-your-novel.html

http://murderby4.blogspot.com/2009/08/need-to-move-plot-forward-consider.html

8th Killer Career Blog Book Tour Stop at Murder by 4

Having trouble moving your plot forward? Try a secondary character -
See how at my 8th tour stop today at:

http://murderby4.blogspot.com/2009/08/need-to-move-plot-forward-consider.html

If you missed it, I showed ways to add description to novel yesterday at Helen Ginger's blogspot. Here's the link:
http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/2009/08/adding-description-to-your-novel.html

Tomorrow's a recap and the schedule for my upcoming week's posts at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com where the week will be devoted to
self-publishing.

Thanks,
Morgan

Blog Book Tour - Stop Seven at Straight From Hel

Today my Lucky Seven Stop on my Killer Career Blog Book Tour takes me to my wonderful editor, Helen Ginger's blogspot, http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com.

Come on over and learn some ways to add description to your novel.

If you missed it, yesterday an excerpt from the 12th chapter of Killer Career appeared at L. Diane Wolfe's blogspot. Here's the permalink which will take you straight to the excerpt post:
http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/thursday-excerpt-killer-career.html

Thanks, Morgan

Blog Book Tour - Stop Six at Spunk on a Stick

I'm off today to Spunk on a Stick around 7am. It's the blogspot owned by the perky and talented L. Diane Wolfe, at http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ . You'll find an excerpt there from Killer Career. I hope you like it! You'll also find information on her Circle of Friends series of books. My host is a busy gal!

Yesterday, Lillie Ammann set up a beautiful spot for my fourth stop. Unfortunately, her server played tricks for some hours in the afternoon. If any of you missed the interview, you can find it at http://www.lillieammann.com/blog . She asked some great questions. It's worth checking out.

Thanks,
Morgan

Stop 5 of Killer Career Blog Book Tour - Lillie Ammann's Blog

Today, my 5th stop is over at Lillie Ammann's A Writer's Words, an Editor's Eye at
http://www.lillieammann.com/blog . I invite you to come on over. She posed some
great questions, plus her setup over there is beautiful.

Thanks,
Morgan

Blog Book Tour - Stop Four at Unbound Today

My 4th stop takes me to Unbound for an interview by Hagelrat at
http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/08/morgan-mandel-blog-tour.html

She offered some great questions. You're bound to learn things about me you didn't already know. Remember, to be eligible for a prize, you need to comment on at least one stop and report here to me before or after that you did, providing your email here.

As a bonus, if you didn't get to see it yet, the post is up at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/2009/08/morgan-mandel-and-her-killer-career.html
about How I Named My Baby. Find out how I chose the Killer Career name.

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

BLOG BOOK TOUR 3RD STOP AT THE LITTLE BLOG OF MURDER

Today, Monday, my Killer Career Blog Book Tour stops at http://www.thelittleblogofmurder.com, where my host is Jeff Marks.

The topic is Libraries - Do They Help or Hinder Sales?

Come on over, see what I have to say, and offer your opinion.

My prior two stops are also still on display by my hosts, if you'd care to check them out -
http://www.marywelk.com/ - Villains and Heroes - Gotta Love 'Em - host Mary Welk

http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/ - Interview, plus a later post coming - How I Named My Baby - host Mary Cunningham

Thanks, everyone


PS Remember the prizes - Comment there and let me know here before or after with your email address here and you could win - gray tee shirt for a guy without the cover art on it, cap or tote bag for a girl with the cover art on it.

PPS Tuesday, tomorrow's stop, is at Unbound, http://hagelrat.blogspot.com where Hagelrat will interview me.

BLOG BOOK TOUR RESUMES, PLUS BOOK LAUNCH PARTY TODAY

It's a busy time over here. Saturday marks the official release date for Killer Career.

Sunday, the Killer Career Blog Book Tour continues onto its second stop at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com If you miss the tour stop on Sunday, you can catch up to it on Monday, as Mary Cunningham, my host, has promised to leave it up for the week. Each day until the end of the month I'll be posting reminders here about other tour stops.

Remember, if you comment at a tour stop, mention it here with your email address, you'll be eligible to win a prize - Grey tee shirt for the guys without the cover art, Killer Career cap or tote bag for the ladies with the cover art.

Also on Sunday is the Killer Career Book Launch Party. If you're anywhere near Arlington Heights between 1-4pm, you're invited to stop in at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, 110 West Fremont, 1st floor, Arlington Room, Arlington Heights, IL (Across from the library)

Light Refreshments, Raffle, and http://www.amazon.com/KILLER-CAREER-Morgan-Mandel/dp/0981991602/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250252850&sr=8-1'>Killer Career autographing happening. I'll also have copies of Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams available for anyone who missed the first time around.

Hope to see you online and/or in person today.

THE BRIEFS AND A BRIEF RESPITE

The Briefs - I thought the DH was kidding when he mentioned my Killer Career Book Launch Party announcement had made it to The Briefs on front page of the Neighbor Section of the Daily Herald Newspaper. I'd been in such a hurry this morning, I hadn't checked the paper thoroughly. It was a nice surprise.

Also, it's a reminder to everyone to take advantage of free publicity. How this got in was by my submitting the information over the Internet one night. Actually, I hit a button before putting my name in, so I didn't think it would appear. I'm happy it made it anyway.

A Brief Respite - I've got only a few days rest before the next stop on my blog book tour which will happen on August 16 at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com.
That will be a fun filled day for me, since my book launch party is also that day.

Hope to see some of you at both spots.

BLOG BOOK TOUR FOR KILLER CAREER- FIRST STOP

This is the first day of my Blog Book Tour. The first stop is up at
http://www.marywelk.com/.

I'd appreciate it if you'd hop on over to Mark Welk's blogspot, Cicero's Children, and read about Villains and Heroes - Gotta Love 'Em.

Don't forgot, to be eligible for a prize after the entire tour is over at the end of the month, you'll need to leave a comment here with your email address, plus a comment at one of the blogspots of the tour.

Next stop after today is on August 16 at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com.


Thanks to everyone who comes with me on my tour.

Prizes for Blog Book Tour

I didn't mention I do have prizes to give away, one for the ladies, one for the guys. The guy prize is a gray tee shirt. It says Killer Career by Morgan Mandel, and my website on it, but it does not have the photo of the heroine, since that might not seem masculine to some.

I've also got a choice of a tote bag or a white cap, which have the cover art from the book on them. This can be a ladies choice, unless a guy winner wants it for his girl.

Anyway, to be eligible for the drawing what you need to do is comment on one or more stops of the tour. There's more. Either before or after doing so, stop here and say you will or have already commented at the blog stop. Leave your email address with your name and whatever else you usually leave for the signature here. Don't send the entries there, but by all means make sure you comment on one or more stops to be eligible.

I'll do a drawing at the end from those who said they commented and did. I'll have the DH or Rascal pick the winner.

No cheating - I'm obsessive about checking for comments on my blogs, so I'll know if you really weren't there. (g)

You've probably figured out this is my not-so-devious way of getting you to comment here as well during the tour.

Hosts are eligible if they comment on a different stop than their own and mention it here, plus include their email addresses. This pertains to the entire tour, which also includes the week at The Blood Red Pencil.


Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
KILLER CAREER IS HERE!

Good Luck to everyone! FIRST STOP IS AUG 12 AT:
Cicero's Children - http://www.marywelk.com
Host: Mary Welk

FEAR THE WORST AUTHOR - LINWOOD BARCLAY - MY GUEST TODAY

Linwood Barclay is a former columnist for the Toronto Star. He is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Too Close to Home and No Time for Goodbye, a #1 bestseller in Britain. He lives near Toronto with his wife and has two grown children. His website is http://www.linwoodbarclay.com/

Website: http://www.linwoodbarclay.com/

Your daughter doesn’t come home one night from her summer job.

You go there looking for her. No one’s seen her. But it’s worse than that.

No one’s ever seen her. So where has she been going every day? And where is she now?

In Linwood Barclay’s riveting new thriller, an ordinary man’s desperate search for his daughter leads him into a dark world of corruption, exploitation, and murder. Tim Blake is about to learn that the people you think you know best are the ones harboring the biggest secrets.

Tim is an average guy. He sells cars. He has an ex-wife. She’s moved in with a man whose moody son spends more time online than he should. His girlfriend is turning out to be a bit of a flake. It’s not a life without hassles, but nothing will prepare Tim for the nightmare that’s about to begin.

Sydney vanishes into thin air. At the hotel where she supposedly worked, no one has ever heard of her. Even her closest friends seem to be at a loss. Now, as the days pass without word, Tim must face the fact that not only is Sydney missing, but that the daughter he’s loved and thought he knew is a virtual stranger.

As he retraces Sydney’s steps, Tim discovers that the suburban Connecticut town he always thought of as idyllic is anything but. What he doesn’t know is that his every move is being watched. There are others who want to find Syd as much as Tim does.

But they’re not planning a Welcome Home party.

The closer Tim comes to the truth, the closer he comes to every parent’s worst nightmare—and the kind of evil only a parent’s love has a chance in hell of stopping.

Some Words From Linwood:

Fear the Worst hits bookstores tomorrow, and many readers are already calling it the best of my thrillers so far. Fast-moving, loads of suspense, a real page-turner. But something no one seems to have zeroed in on is the thing that makes this thriller very different.

The hero is a car salesman.

In most thrillers, our protagonist is, to varying degrees, familiar with crime and those who practice it. Maybe he or she's a spy, or ex-military. A cop or a private detective. An FBI agent. A profiler, maybe.

But the hero is not, generally, someone who sells Honda Accords.

People who sell Hondas are not typically acquainted with the bad guy element. (I'd like to go out on a limb here and say this is also true of people who sell Fords, Toyotas, Nissans, and most other makes.) Tim Blake, who tells the story and sells Hondas for a living, has had his share of troubles over the years, but none that brought him face to
face with fraud artists, human traffickers and killers. But when his daughter Sydney goes missing, he finds himself getting introduced to a whole new class of people.

When I was thinking about what the hero in this book would do for a living, I knew I didn't want it to be police work. I had no interest in having him work for a secret government agency. I didn't want him to be a reporter. (That's my next book.) I wanted him to have a normal, everyday job. And that's when "car salesman" popped into my head.

Let's face it, car salesmen get kind of a bad rap. And that's too bad.

I have a couple of good friends who have sold cars their entire working lives. I've bought cars from them, and I've been happy with the deals they gave me. And they both helped me with this book.

But our relationship with car salesmen (and saleswomen) tends to be somewhat adversarial. We want to get the car for as little as possible. They want to make the deal, getting as much profit as possible. We need wheels and they need the commission. We say we can't spend that much, they say they can't do it for that. Finally, they say, "Let me talk to my manager and see what we can do."

That, we figure, is when they wander out back of the dealership and have a smoke.

Anyway, once I'd made up my mind what Tim was going to do for a living, I invited my retired car salesmen friends Carl and Mike out for lunch and asked them to tell me their best stories. Like the one where the guy took a pickup truck for a test drive and used it to deliver manure. (That story finds its way into Fear the Worst.) Or that other test-drive when a new Toyota Celica ended up sitting atop a
fireplug, and the prospective buyer was nowhere to be found. They had great tales, and what came out was that they'd really enjoyed their careers. Why? "Because of the people," they both said.

I like writing about people -- regular people. I like writing about what happens to ordinary folks when extraordinary things happen to them. Tim Blake is a regular guy about to be plunged into a parent's worst nightmare. Nothing in his life has prepared him for what's about to happen.

I like that.

As this blog is posted, I’ll just be getting back from promoting Fear the Worst in New Zealand, having already spent a few days in Hong Kong and two weeks in Australia. Everyone down there is pumped about Fear the Worst, and I'm hoping North American readers will feel the same way.
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Fear-Worst-Novel-Linwood-Barclay/dp/0553807161

KILLER CAREER GETS ANOTHER REVIEW!

I'm excited to report that my new release, KILLER CAREER, just got another review, this one by Ron Berry, and I love it! Thank you, Ron, for your kind words.

What I find fascinating about reviews is that you never know what might strike a chord with the reviewer. That happens with our readers also. Nobody thinks exactly alike and that's a good thing.

Snippet: "Morgan Mandel writes an intriguing tale which will keep you turning pages"

For more, go to:
http://unwriter1.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/review-for-killer-career/
Thanks,
Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com,

KILLER CAREER ON SALE AT AMAZON.COM, BN.COM, ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ORDER AT BOOKSTORES, LIBRARIES, MOBIPOCKET.COM

Tony Deblauwe Teaches Us How to Tangle With Tyrants - Bosses, That Is

Tony Deblauwe

This topic should be of interest to a great many of you out there. Who hasn't had to deal with a difficult boss at some time or another? Let's see what Tony's advice is.

Do you dread going to work because of your boss? Quitting is not always an option and feeling like a victim of a bad boss only robs you of productivity, job satisfaction, and power. Career strategist and workplace expert Tony Deblauwe has spent years coaching weary employees how to be more effective with difficult bosses, and he has compiled his experiences into this indispensable guide.

Tangling with Tyrants®: Managing the Balance of Power at Work offers practical techniques that show you how to build a communication process that will turn things around to help you build successful outcomes. You’ll get guidance on addressing direct and indirect bad boss behaviors, developing the right approach, and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. By applying the techniques in this book, you will be equipped with the right tools to handle your boss and create the results you want.


What Inspired Me to Write My Book

I reported to a bad boss early in my career. I didn’t know what to do at the time and spent more energy agonizing over how unfair it was to report to a difficult boss rather than try and fix the relationship. I didn’t want to throw up my hands and quit so my alternative was to figure out a way I could work with him. After much trial and error I started seeing a pattern of communication that was effective whether the boss was a bully (like I had) or a more ineffective and detached style. I started coached others on my methods and refined several techniques that could be duplicated in the field. When I saw I was adding value, I knew I wanted to write a book and share my advice with others.

The inspiration for the title stemmed from the angst I saw in people over their bad boss troubles. It felt like a struggle—a tightness that needed relief. I tried to qualify that feeling with the idea of being tied up in knots. I took it a step further and eventually came to the tangling concept. Someone is so frustrated by their boss they get entangled in emotions and they cannot communicate effectively anymore. The “Tyrants” piece was a little easier. Since I wasn’t writing a book about several boss types or just the bully boss, I wanted one concept, one profile that captured a mixture of traits that magnify some kind of stress and irritation in employees. A “Tyrant” as one distinct profile of disruptive behaviors stuck with people I polled regardless if their boss was a bully or not.

About Tony:
During his career in Human Resources, Tony has worked through many complex people and business challenges to yield lasting results for customers. His interest in high-tech and how technology impacts people has given him insight into what it takes for people to succeed in a virtual economy.

Tony grew up in an eclectic family just a few blocks from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California. The son of Belgian immigrants, his father is a former college professor of art, language and history. His mother is an entrepreneur having worked in haute couture fashion design. Tony's exposure to several world perspectives fuel his cultural awareness and understanding.

Tony believes in collaboration of perspectives and ideas to yield successful results. He applies his expertise in human resources, organization development, and coaching to provide solutions that strengthen ways of working and achieve beneficial outcomes.

For more information visit: http://www.tanglingwithtyrants.com/

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Tangling-Tyrants-Managing-Balance-Power/dp/1589615786/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249402375&sr=8-1

Bios

I got my bio ready for the Blog Book Tour for Killer Career and sent it off to Mary Welk for my first stop at her blog on August 12. Afterwards, I wondered, should I use the same bio at all the stops?

Have you gone on a tour yet? What did you do? If you haven't gone on one, what would you do? Use the same one each time, or think up a new one?

BLOG BOOK TOUR FOR KILLER CAREER - A PREVIEW

Here's the lineup for my upcoming Blog Book Tour for Killer Career. If you follow a particular blogspot, please mark the date of my appearance on your calendar. If you've never been to some of them, it wouldn't hurt to try them out. They're all great places or I wouldn't have picked them.

8/12/09 - Cicero’s Children – http://www.marywelk.com/ Host: Mary Welk – Villains & Heroes – Gotta Love ‘em.

8/16/09 – Bookland Heights – http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/ – Host: Mary Cunningham - Interview and How I named my baby

8/17/09 – The Little Blog of Murder – http://thelittleblogofmurder.com/ - Host: Jeffrey Marks Libraries and library events – Do they help or hinder book sales?

8/18/09 – Unbound – http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/ – Host: Hagelrat – You’ll have to ask her for her real name. I’m sworn to secrecy. - Interview

8/19/09 - A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye – http://www.lillieammann.com/blog
Host: Lillie Ammann - Interview

8/20/09 - Spunk on a Stick – http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ – Host: L. Diane Wolfe – Thursday Excerpt

8/21/09 - Straight From Hel – http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/ – Host: Helen Ginger –
How to add description to your novel.

8/22/09 – Murder by 4 – http://www.murderby4.blogspot.com/ – Host: Marta Stephens –
Need to move your plot forward? Consider a secondary character.

8/23/09 – Recap of Previous Week & Schedule of The Next Week’s Guide to Self-Publishing – How I Did It - Weeklong Feature at The Blood Red Pencil – Host: Dani Greer http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/

8/24 through 8/30 Guide to Self-Publishing – How I Did It by Morgan Mandel

Living A Dream - What's Yours?

On my way home from work, I heard one guy say to another, "I was living a dream - sleeping in, playing video games and watching TV."

I had to smile at that one. Sure, I like sleeping a little later than usual, but sleeping really long makes me groggy. I'm also not a fan of video games. I must confess that I do like to watch TV, but not as much as I used to. Cable was supposed to improve the selection, but maybe I'm getting jaded. I usually can't find much I like to watch.

If I were living a dream, it would probably be eating whatever I wanted without gaining weight or cholesterol, living in a perfect home and doing what I like best - writing, instead of commuting and working at a day job. If it were rotten weather, I wouldn't have to fight the elements to get to work on time. Of course, the DH and Rascal would also be in the picture and we'd all be healthy and happy.

What about you? What's your dream? Does it involve travel? Raising a family? Writing? Are you already living it?

Please share.

Killer Career Released at Amazon

It's August, which means Killer Career has been released at Amazon.com. Here's the link for anyone who wants to get a copy.

If you haven't heard, Killer Career is about a lawyer whose career change could be a killer when her mentor, a NY Times Bestselling Author, does more than write about murders. As for her bestfriend, who is also her law partner, does he mean more to her than she thought? Will he let her go without a fight? To save herself and him, she must face her worst fear: claustrophobia.

Getting back to my Sunday post about the dog days of August, that shot of Rascal appears on every cover of Killer Career, only not as large, since she's the mascot of Choice One Publishing Co.

Happy August!
Morgan Mandel

Dog Days of Summer

In celebration of the Dog Days of Summer, the DH and I took Rascal to obedience class this morning. She loves being around other dogs, not to mention the petting from the handlers and the extra treats.

So, for an hour I tromped around with Rascal and the other owners with their dogs and followed commands like right about turn, left u turn, etc. Fortunately, the weather was not typical Dog Days weather. Actually it was kind of cool, which is one reason we decided to go over there. Since lessons are free for life with dogs from Chicagoland Dog Rescue, we thought it would be a good idea to every once in a while take a refresher class.

She made me proud, following almost all the commands, despite the distraction of other dogs.

Afterwards, we stopped at Bentley's Corner Barkery, her favorite store, where she got another treat and got the royal treatment from Mia, one of the staff.

Rascal was so happy, after we closed the gate and took her leash and collar off in the backyard, she ran around like a nut. You'd think she'd be tired like I was, but apparently not.

To round off her memorable Dog Day, I gave her a femur bone, which is one of the few bones that are safe for dogs to eat and one of her favorites. Actually, almost any food is her favorite.

All in all, this has turned out to be a wonderful Dog Day for Rascal.

KILLER CAREER'S FIRST REVIEW

I want to thank Hagelrat for such a great review. It's especially dear to me since it's my very first. I kind of went all over the place Friday mentioning the review, but if somehow you missed it, here's the link:

http://hagelrat.blogspot.com/2009/07/killer-career-morgan-mandel.html

It's still me

When I updated my Blogger user profile because Killer Career will be out soon, I couldn't help but notice I was still wearing my Wisconsin sweatshirt. It's kind of hot for sweatshirts right now, even though this summer is running cooler than usual in the Illinois area. I feel much better not looking silly wearing a sweatshirt this time of year. Never fear, I haven't abandoned Wisconsin. I will be visiting there again over Labor Day weekend.

While I was at it, I also updated to the same summer gear at my Google profile. When I have more time, I'll add more pics there for my gallery.

Anyway, if you see someone somewhere in a white top holding her head at a strange angle, it's me. Photographers do have strange ideas for poses.

What about you? Have you updated your Blogger or Google profile lately? What about your profile pic?

Bookmarks

Wednesday night we picked up my Killer Career bookmarks, which had finally arrived at my brother's house. He's the one with the protected porch.

For some reason, I'd put off ordering them. Then I had the other decision of where I wanted to go. I chose Print Place. After that, I had trouble figuring out how I wanted them to look.

I was kind of nervous, but they turned out just lovely. Thursday I'm off to a few downtown Chicago bookstores to hand out my own bookmarks for a change. Usually I'm dropping off those from my friends.

By the way, that's a good in at a store. If you want to get known, just bring bookmarks from friends when they have a new book and drop them off. The staff then gets to know who you are. Sometimes that's all you need to get a book signing.

What about you? Do you drop off bookmarks for your friends? If not before, will you now?

Scrap at Acme Today

What do you do with your scrap? My topic today at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

Come on over and let us know.

If you get a chance, check out Helen Ginger's post today - A Killer In My House at http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com

Thanks,
Morgan

Two by Two

I received my author copies of Killer Career and already they’re marching out two by two. On a normal day, I lug a laptop computer, a tote bag and purse with me to work. On these Killer Days, I add to the mix two copies of Killer Career. I’d bring more but the 300 page books get heavy along with everything else.

On my lunch break I drop them off at the post office. Today, one is going to Robert W. Walker, another to Austin S. Camacho for providing terrific back cover blurbs. Yesterday, I sent a few out for reviews, tomorrow will be two copies to a friend who already received her own copy and now wants to share Killer Career with others.

You might ask why I don’t do this on weekends when it’s easier to get to the post office in the car. Actually, I did drop off nine filled bubble envelopes last Saturday and will probably bring more the next.

I don’t like to wait and I don’t like to make others wait, so as the need arises, Killer Career is marching out two by two.

The official release date is August 15, but Killer Career is available for pre-order, on & off line.

Publisher: Choice One Publishing
isbn#978-0-9819916-0-3

Reviewers, Blog Book Tour, Reader

I've got quite a few reviewers lined up for Killer Career and hope to get some feedback soon.

There are only two days left to fill on my blog book tour. I'll be posting the links to the tour stops when I get it all set up. Very soon I'll need to think up some witty things to say on the blogs I visit. The last stop, which will be for an entire week, will be on http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ when I tell everyone the process of getting Killer Career published.

Anyway, I thought I had the Microsoft Reader conversion figured out until I discovered that the Reader program doesn't support Microsoft Word 2007, though it's the same company. It uses Microsoft 2003 like most of the world. So, even when I set my document to compatibility mode for 2003, I got weird error messages. Now I'm trying to use my old computer with Word 2003 on it to see if the program will work there. So far the old one is getting hung up on adding the cover art. It doesn't have much room. That's why I usually just let the DH use it for surfing. Nothing's easy.

I did get to go to Mount Prospect Saturday night where they had a doings called a Block Party on their main street, with food booths, tables and bands. The DH and I met some fun people to sit with and had a great time.

KILLER CAREER NOW AVAILABLE AT MOBIPOCKET

I'm happy to announce Killer Career is making its way along the Internet. I've found several sightings. Of course, I had to print out each and every page I discovered and add all of them to my special folder as keepsakes.

Anyway, the first ebook offering of Killer Career, mobipocket edition, is available for order right now, is over at
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=208914&Origine=6314

For Pre-Order links of the paperback version to date, with more to come, check out http://choiceonepublishing.com/.

If you haven't gone over there yet, you're missing out on seeing what a sexy villain looks like.
Later on, more about the good guy will be up on that site.

Money

A lot of us authors say we're not into the writing business to make money. That has to be true, judging from the data on how much authors make from books compared to the time spent writing them, as well as the time and money spent promoting them.

Still, it helps to get some of it back. I just got my author copies of Killer Career this week and sold three of them at work. It's not a lot of money, but it did feel good to have the money coming in instead of going out.

The downside is I have to go to the bank and deposit it. That's not hard to do, but putting the money into the bank isn't all. I also need to keep track of what's what. Today's deposit is subject to Illinois sales taxes, so I'm putting it in my checking account. That will remind me at the end of the year that 10 per cent is due the State of Illinois. Come December, that amount may change, as Cook County is repealing the tax increase then. That means I'll have to remember to charge less in taxes on whatever date in December it rolls back, also I'll need to fill out two separate sections in the business sales tax form.

There are other downsides to bringing in money for books. I should be happy I'm getting money, but I don't like having to keep track of it. Still, it goes with the territory.

Gee, I'd hate to be a bestselling author. What a hassle that would be. Only kidding.

Continuing on with the frenetics at Acme

I'm continuing on with my frenetic happenings at Acme. The link is http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com if you want to see what I'm up to.

Thanks,
Morgan