 |
| Good Paul |
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| Morgan Mandel |
Some pics of me and Good Paul with our costumes at the Festival Committee recognition dinner, plus some other members with their costumes. I don't know all their names.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween
Some pics of me and Good Paul with our costumes at the Festival Committee recognition dinner, plus some other members with their costumes. I don't know all their names.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Nemo James Reveals the Hidden Music World in His New Book
Book Spotlight - Just a Few Seconds, A Story From the Hidden World of Music and Beyond
Just a Few Seconds is an amusing and heartrending story of perseverance showing how the road to success can lead us down the strangest of paths. Just A Few Seconds is a story of one man’s experience in the music business. It is an amusing and true story of a successful freelance musician whose gigs ranged from private parties to the very rich and famous to the roughest London pubs where playing the wrong song at the wrong time meant the difference between life and death. He takes more twists, turns and knocks than a mouse trapped in a pinball machine but the ending shows how the road to success can lead us down the strangest and most desolate of paths. If you are looking for the usual rock star memoirs full of sex drugs and rock and roll then this book is not for you, but if you are interested in a unique insight into the music business that reads like a thriller then this book won’t disappoint.
Here's what Nemo has to say about the inspiration for his book:
Although I was a successful musician, composing was my real love and after 30 years of being unable to a make a living from my compositions I had dug myself into such a huge rut that I knew I had to change my life drastically. Before deciding on what direction my new life should take I had a strong compulsion to write everything down that had happened to me in my old one. I suppose it was a kind of closure from the past and avoidance of the future. This happened twelve years ago during a tour of Switzerland when I had to drive hundreds of miles between gigs and it was during those long drives I practically wrote the whole book in my head. Having spend so many years memorizing everything from thousands of song lyrics to complicated classical guitar solos I was fortunate in being able to remember everything vividly. A year later I finished the final draft and tried to find a publisher but although a couple of them called to say how much they liked it they said it was impossible to sell autobiographies written by unknown musicians and to get back to them when I became famous. I was well aware of how slim were the chances of getting published but it was my last resort so that rejection forced me to look for a new life. It seemed extraordinary to me that the requirement for getting an autobiography published was not good writing and an interesting life but having a record in the charts.
In Just A Few Seconds I wanted to write about what life is like for the 99% of musicians that don’t become rich and famous but still earn a good living often working for the rich and famous. The most interesting stories I have to tell are not about backing artists like Tom Jones and Cliff Richards or playing at private parties for Sheik Yamani or the Aga Khan but stories about holiday camp epidemics, strippers with flatulence and being the cause of US military personnel being Court Martialed. It is amazing how music is such a huge part of everyone’s life and yet so little is known about the ordinary working musicians who supply that music.
12 years later I finally got my big break and so came to live in this beautiful seaside village near Dubrovnik in Croatia. I had the time to return to my book and was determined to publish it even if I had to do it myself. I contacted one of the many publishers that published my music and he advised me not to bother with traditional publishing but to go down the self publishing route. This made sense as for years it has been necessary for bands and songwriters to produce their own albums. Record companies love it because it removes a lot of the risk of signing unknown bands as the band has already produced an album and shown there is a market for their music. I needed to publish my own book and prove there was a market for it and then hopefully a mainstream publisher would offer a solid deal as opposed to small publishers whose only real commitment is to get the book in print.
The more I looked into self publishing the more surprised I was at how sophisticated it had become. I was fortunate in having the I.T. skills to physically produce the book and some loyal fans of my music who offered professional editing and advice so the whole process was plain sailing. I released Just A Few Seconds in February this year and have already been approached by a publisher although it was a small company who were unable to make a firm commitment on promotion so I had the luxury of turning them down. All I have to do now is sit back and dream while I wait for the bidding war. The longer I wait, the longer I get to enjoy the dream.
Amazon Paperback Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Few-Seconds-James-Nemo/dp/0956798608/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-2
Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-A-Few-Seconds-ebook/dp/B004T3FCAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-1
Other Ebook Versions can be purchased from Nemo’s store at
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nemojames
Nemo James dreamt of becoming a professional musician from the first time he picked up a guitar following a talent content disaster. Thought of by his friends as being the person most likely to make the big time he turned professional but was continually side tracked by the need to earn a living from music.
His journey takes him all over the world from private gigs for the rich and famous to the roughest pubs. Starting in the late sixties when heavy rock was born, through to the 1980’s and 90’s when discos and electronics decimated live music dance halls.
Here's what Nemo has to say about the inspiration for his book:
Although I was a successful musician, composing was my real love and after 30 years of being unable to a make a living from my compositions I had dug myself into such a huge rut that I knew I had to change my life drastically. Before deciding on what direction my new life should take I had a strong compulsion to write everything down that had happened to me in my old one. I suppose it was a kind of closure from the past and avoidance of the future. This happened twelve years ago during a tour of Switzerland when I had to drive hundreds of miles between gigs and it was during those long drives I practically wrote the whole book in my head. Having spend so many years memorizing everything from thousands of song lyrics to complicated classical guitar solos I was fortunate in being able to remember everything vividly. A year later I finished the final draft and tried to find a publisher but although a couple of them called to say how much they liked it they said it was impossible to sell autobiographies written by unknown musicians and to get back to them when I became famous. I was well aware of how slim were the chances of getting published but it was my last resort so that rejection forced me to look for a new life. It seemed extraordinary to me that the requirement for getting an autobiography published was not good writing and an interesting life but having a record in the charts.
In Just A Few Seconds I wanted to write about what life is like for the 99% of musicians that don’t become rich and famous but still earn a good living often working for the rich and famous. The most interesting stories I have to tell are not about backing artists like Tom Jones and Cliff Richards or playing at private parties for Sheik Yamani or the Aga Khan but stories about holiday camp epidemics, strippers with flatulence and being the cause of US military personnel being Court Martialed. It is amazing how music is such a huge part of everyone’s life and yet so little is known about the ordinary working musicians who supply that music.
12 years later I finally got my big break and so came to live in this beautiful seaside village near Dubrovnik in Croatia. I had the time to return to my book and was determined to publish it even if I had to do it myself. I contacted one of the many publishers that published my music and he advised me not to bother with traditional publishing but to go down the self publishing route. This made sense as for years it has been necessary for bands and songwriters to produce their own albums. Record companies love it because it removes a lot of the risk of signing unknown bands as the band has already produced an album and shown there is a market for their music. I needed to publish my own book and prove there was a market for it and then hopefully a mainstream publisher would offer a solid deal as opposed to small publishers whose only real commitment is to get the book in print.
The more I looked into self publishing the more surprised I was at how sophisticated it had become. I was fortunate in having the I.T. skills to physically produce the book and some loyal fans of my music who offered professional editing and advice so the whole process was plain sailing. I released Just A Few Seconds in February this year and have already been approached by a publisher although it was a small company who were unable to make a firm commitment on promotion so I had the luxury of turning them down. All I have to do now is sit back and dream while I wait for the bidding war. The longer I wait, the longer I get to enjoy the dream.
Amazon Paperback Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Few-Seconds-James-Nemo/dp/0956798608/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-2
Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-A-Few-Seconds-ebook/dp/B004T3FCAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-1
Other Ebook Versions can be purchased from Nemo’s store at
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nemojames
Born and based in England, Nemo James worked as a professional musician and singer/songwriter for more than 30 years. He now lives in Croatia with his wife Federika and their cat Jutko who is becoming intolerable following his rise to fame on Youtube.
Visit Nemo James at his website http://www.nemojames.com/
Find Nemo James at his tour page at Pump Up Your Book
Watch his videos at You Tube
Find Nemo James at his tour page at Pump Up Your Book
Watch his videos at You Tube
Please welcome Nemo James to Double M by leaving a comment for him.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Who Has 99 Cents Books?
I've been busy getting my work in progress edited, and have neglected my blog here lately. Still, today I saw a question on the Book Spa Friends egroup which I thought could use some attention.
It was Who Has 99 Cents Books?
I invite anyone with a book selling for 99 cents to let us know and leave a link.
Mine is Killer Career, about the lawyer whose career change could be deadly for her and the man she's come to love. Here's the Amazon kindle link:
It was Who Has 99 Cents Books?
I invite anyone with a book selling for 99 cents to let us know and leave a link.
Mine is Killer Career, about the lawyer whose career change could be deadly for her and the man she's come to love. Here's the Amazon kindle link:It's also at Smashwords for 99 cents at
Do you have a 99 cents book or know someone who does?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
My Guest, Mystery Author, Marilyn Meredith, Tells Us About Changes in the Writing World
THINGS KEEP CHANGING IN THE WRITING WORLD, according to my guest today, Mystery Author, Marilyn Meredith. Here's what she has to say:
I’ve been at this longer than most and I’ve seen a lot of changes in the writing world, enough to know that nothing ever stays the same.
When I first started writing, I did it in long hand then transcribed it on a typewriter. So I would have copies when I began with a new page, it was paper, carbon paper (had to be sure to put it facing the right direction), and another piece of paper. It was awhile before copying machines came along.
When sending out a manuscript, I had to have two boxes, one with my return address and postage to put inside the larger box so that my manuscript would come back to me if it was rejected. After all, I didn’t want to type all 500 words over again.
Eventually, I would have to retype the manuscript, though, because after being sent out and returned from about five different publishers, it would become rather shop-worn: bent pages, coffee stains, and smelling like cigarette smoke. When I retyped I often also rewrote. (By the way, my first book was rejected nearly 30 times before it found a home.)
Electronic typewriters came along, ones with a correction ribbon. Oh, what a wonderful discovery. By this time, there were also outfits that had copying machines, so for about 5 cents a page, I could get a copy of my manuscript.
Personal computers were the biggest gift to a writer yet. My first one had two places for floppy disks—and these were big and really floppy—one was for the program being used, the other for your story. Neither held very many words. To learn how to use it, the fellow who sold it to me had to come to my house—he also received a lot of phone calls from me.
I have no idea how many other computers I’ve had since then—each one far better than the one before it. You could even have your own printer, copier and fax included.
The next great change was the Internet and email. Sending a whole manuscript via an attachment to e-mail was wonderful! Think of all the paper I saved. Wow!
The first notion of e-books came along about then—10 years or so ago. I had an e-book published before there was such a thing as an e-reader. Not only did that mean anyone buying the book had to read it on a computer, but purchasing it was not easy. The Rocket e-Reader came along and it was great. Ebooks were easily purchased and downloaded. And of course everyone knows how the ebook revolution has taken over with all sorts of eReaders available. Not only that, people can publish their trade paperbacks and their own e-books in various ways
I recently heard that for 150 ebooks are being purchased for every 100 paper books.
Change is coming faster than ever before and it makes me wonder what’s next.
My latest book is Bears With Us and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has her hands full when bears turn up in and around Bear Creek, a young teen commits suicide and his parents’ actions are suspicious, a prominent woman files a complaint against Tempe and her preacher husband Hutch, a love affair from long ago comes to light, and a woman suffering from dementia disappears.
Available from the publisher as a trade paperback and most e-book formats at: http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/
The link at Amazon is
http://www.amazon.com/Bears-Us-Marilyn-Meredith/dp/1606592645/
All my books are available as trade paperback and e-books. You can see what I have on my website: http://fictionforyou.com/
My books are also available at Barnes and Noble, and can be ordered through your favorite independent bookstores.
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, many award winning, including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She’s also a been an instructor at many writing conferences including the Maui Writers Retreat, Central Coast Writing Conference and many others.
Visit Marilyn online at http://fictionforyou.com/
and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/.
Please leave a comment for Marilyn. Maybe you'd like to mention if you've noticed any changes yourself.
 |
| Marilyn Meredith |
I’ve been at this longer than most and I’ve seen a lot of changes in the writing world, enough to know that nothing ever stays the same.
When I first started writing, I did it in long hand then transcribed it on a typewriter. So I would have copies when I began with a new page, it was paper, carbon paper (had to be sure to put it facing the right direction), and another piece of paper. It was awhile before copying machines came along.
When sending out a manuscript, I had to have two boxes, one with my return address and postage to put inside the larger box so that my manuscript would come back to me if it was rejected. After all, I didn’t want to type all 500 words over again.
Eventually, I would have to retype the manuscript, though, because after being sent out and returned from about five different publishers, it would become rather shop-worn: bent pages, coffee stains, and smelling like cigarette smoke. When I retyped I often also rewrote. (By the way, my first book was rejected nearly 30 times before it found a home.)
Electronic typewriters came along, ones with a correction ribbon. Oh, what a wonderful discovery. By this time, there were also outfits that had copying machines, so for about 5 cents a page, I could get a copy of my manuscript.
Personal computers were the biggest gift to a writer yet. My first one had two places for floppy disks—and these were big and really floppy—one was for the program being used, the other for your story. Neither held very many words. To learn how to use it, the fellow who sold it to me had to come to my house—he also received a lot of phone calls from me.
I have no idea how many other computers I’ve had since then—each one far better than the one before it. You could even have your own printer, copier and fax included.
The next great change was the Internet and email. Sending a whole manuscript via an attachment to e-mail was wonderful! Think of all the paper I saved. Wow!
The first notion of e-books came along about then—10 years or so ago. I had an e-book published before there was such a thing as an e-reader. Not only did that mean anyone buying the book had to read it on a computer, but purchasing it was not easy. The Rocket e-Reader came along and it was great. Ebooks were easily purchased and downloaded. And of course everyone knows how the ebook revolution has taken over with all sorts of eReaders available. Not only that, people can publish their trade paperbacks and their own e-books in various ways
I recently heard that for 150 ebooks are being purchased for every 100 paper books.
Change is coming faster than ever before and it makes me wonder what’s next.
 |
| Bears With Us by Marilyn Meredith |
Available from the publisher as a trade paperback and most e-book formats at: http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/
The link at Amazon is
http://www.amazon.com/Bears-Us-Marilyn-Meredith/dp/1606592645/
All my books are available as trade paperback and e-books. You can see what I have on my website: http://fictionforyou.com/
My books are also available at Barnes and Noble, and can be ordered through your favorite independent bookstores.
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, many award winning, including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She’s also a been an instructor at many writing conferences including the Maui Writers Retreat, Central Coast Writing Conference and many others.
Visit Marilyn online at http://fictionforyou.com/
and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/.
Please leave a comment for Marilyn. Maybe you'd like to mention if you've noticed any changes yourself.
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Really Roughing It
I'm sitting on the deck of my cottage in the Northwoods. Inside, along with electricity and running water, I have basic cable TV with remote control, VCR and DVD players, a laptop computer, an iPhone from which I can get email and connect to the Internet, or in the alternative, connect the iPhone to the computer and read it all there. On the end table by the bed sit my hands-free landline phone and clock radio. The kitchen contains a small stove and refrigerator, and running water. The bathroom boasts a toilet and shower.
 |
| Coming Soon Forever Young- Blessing or Curse |
My husband fishes from the pier or takes his motorboat out when weather is permitting. So far on this trip, weather is very much cooperating.
From the campground further down the road, I can see a Fed Ex truck coming out.
From the campground further down the road, I can see a Fed Ex truck coming out.
Did I mention all the great restaurants nearby, and the casino a little too close for my pocketbook?
It's a wonder in the midst of all this hardship I can actually find the strength to sit down and get any editing done on my thriller, Forever Young-Blessing or Curse. Despite the enormous odds, somehow I'll have to manage.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Tell Us How It Got There
On one of my many walks, I happened to notice a hole in the window of a new house that was for sale. I had a few ideas of how it could have gotten there, but I thought I'd ask you to tell me and everyone how you think a hole in a window could have happened.
Please give a short scenario of how the hole got there - a sentence or two, or if you wish, 1-2 paragraphs.
Later, I'll tell you my theories.
If you like romantic suspense,
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords,
$13.95 in print
Thriller - Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse - almost ready!
Mystery - Two Wrongs coming out
again soon!
Please give a short scenario of how the hole got there - a sentence or two, or if you wish, 1-2 paragraphs.
Later, I'll tell you my theories.
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords,
$13.95 in print
Thriller - Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse - almost ready!
Mystery - Two Wrongs coming out
again soon!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
This Week's Lineup
I'm still working on Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, so I'm not blogging as much. I still managed to get a few posts in, if you'd like to check any of them out.
My 2nd monthly post at The Blood-Red Pencil -
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/leave-tip-today-on-blood-red-pencil.html
My blog at Acme Authors Link inspired by a Sold sign -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/sold.html
My guest, RJ McDonnell, rock & roll series mystery author. That's not all he does -
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/rj-mcdonnell-senior-tweener-fulfills.html
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle & Smashwords.
Also in print at Amazon.
Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse Coming Soon
Two Wrongs to be re-
released soon.
My 2nd monthly post at The Blood-Red Pencil -
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/leave-tip-today-on-blood-red-pencil.html
My blog at Acme Authors Link inspired by a Sold sign -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/sold.html
My guest, RJ McDonnell, rock & roll series mystery author. That's not all he does -
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/rj-mcdonnell-senior-tweener-fulfills.html
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle & Smashwords.
Also in print at Amazon.
Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse Coming Soon
Two Wrongs to be re-
released soon.
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Where I Am Lately
You're welcome to make comments at any of these blogs, even if not on the date I originally posted -
At the Acme Authors Link, tell us what your favorite social network is -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-your-favorite-social-network.html
On Monday I did a blog about Mishaps and how to use them to advantage in manuscripts. I asked people to mention theirs, and got some unusual responses at
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/2011/09/mishaps-by-morgan-mandel.html
Here's a fun blog called Save the Goober, where you get to show how to fix a mangled manuscript excerpt -http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/save-goober.html
At Spunky Seniors, you can see a blog about me and my pit bull at
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/spunky-senior-morgan-mandel-owns-pit.html,
among other blogs from seniors. Thursday, Sept. 8, will be a post where I feature one of my favorites, The DanZman. If you sign up for emails, you won't miss any of the posts there or you can just drop by http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ at any given time to see what seniors are up to.
Thanks,
Killer Career still
99 cents on Kindle
and Smashwords.
Also in print for 13.95
Two Wrongs to be
re-released soon.
Forever Young-
Blessing or Curse
also coming soon.
At the Acme Authors Link, tell us what your favorite social network is -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-your-favorite-social-network.html
On Monday I did a blog about Mishaps and how to use them to advantage in manuscripts. I asked people to mention theirs, and got some unusual responses at
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/2011/09/mishaps-by-morgan-mandel.html
Here's a fun blog called Save the Goober, where you get to show how to fix a mangled manuscript excerpt -http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/save-goober.html
At Spunky Seniors, you can see a blog about me and my pit bull at
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/spunky-senior-morgan-mandel-owns-pit.html,
among other blogs from seniors. Thursday, Sept. 8, will be a post where I feature one of my favorites, The DanZman. If you sign up for emails, you won't miss any of the posts there or you can just drop by http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ at any given time to see what seniors are up to.
Thanks,
 |
| Morgan Mandel |
99 cents on Kindle
and Smashwords.
Also in print for 13.95
Two Wrongs to be
re-released soon.
Forever Young-
Blessing or Curse
also coming soon.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Spring Fling 2012 Conference
Get in on the great early registration discount for Spring Fling 2012 conference.
I will be one of the presenters at this conference, speaking about Blog Book Tours!
Here is the information:
2012 SPRING FLING WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Chicago-North Romance Writers of America
April 27-28, 2012
Hoffman Estates, IL
Early Registration opens September 1, 2011
FEATURED SPEAKERS
New York Times best-selling authors:
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Mary Balogh
Simone Elkeles
*Over 30 workshops, many presented by NY Times bestsellers, RITA award winners and multi-published authors. http://www.chicagospringfling.com/workshops.php
*5 Publisher spotlights
EDITORS
Martin Biro-Kensington Publishing
Tera Kleinfelter-Samhain Publishing
Megan Long-Harlequin
Shauna Summers-Ballantine Bantam Dell
Tessa Woodward-Avon Publishing
AGENTS
Ginger Clark-Curtis Brown LTD
Cori Deyoe-3 Seas Literary Agency
Scott Eagan-Greyhaus Literary Agency
Sara Megibow-Nelson Literary Agency
Paige Wheeler-Folio Literary Management, LLC.
*Agent/editor appointments provided on a first registered first served basis.
*Agents and editors subject to change.
Early registration from September 1-October 31, 2011.
RWA members: $164
Non-RWA members: $174
Regular Registration opens November 1, 2011
RWA members: $184
Non-RWA members: $184
For more information about Spring Fling 2012 and to register for the conference please visit:
http://www.chicagospringfling.com/
Questions? Contact us at: conference@chicagonorthrwa.org
It would be great to meet you there!
I will be one of the presenters at this conference, speaking about Blog Book Tours!
Here is the information:
2012 SPRING FLING WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Chicago-North Romance Writers of America
April 27-28, 2012
Hoffman Estates, IL
Early Registration opens September 1, 2011
FEATURED SPEAKERS
New York Times best-selling authors:
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Mary Balogh
Simone Elkeles
*Over 30 workshops, many presented by NY Times bestsellers, RITA award winners and multi-published authors. http://www.chicagospringfling.com/workshops.php
*5 Publisher spotlights
EDITORS
Martin Biro-Kensington Publishing
Tera Kleinfelter-Samhain Publishing
Megan Long-Harlequin
Shauna Summers-Ballantine Bantam Dell
Tessa Woodward-Avon Publishing
AGENTS
Ginger Clark-Curtis Brown LTD
Cori Deyoe-3 Seas Literary Agency
Scott Eagan-Greyhaus Literary Agency
Sara Megibow-Nelson Literary Agency
Paige Wheeler-Folio Literary Management, LLC.
*Agent/editor appointments provided on a first registered first served basis.
*Agents and editors subject to change.
Early registration from September 1-October 31, 2011.
RWA members: $164
Non-RWA members: $174
Regular Registration opens November 1, 2011
RWA members: $184
Non-RWA members: $184
For more information about Spring Fling 2012 and to register for the conference please visit:
http://www.chicagospringfling.com/
Questions? Contact us at: conference@chicagonorthrwa.org
It would be great to meet you there!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
I Have A Cover For Two Wrongs!
he constructed a great cover for the re-release of my reverted rights debut mystery, Two Wrongs by Morgan Mandel.
A boy's sister is murdered and he knows who did it, or does he?
Prison can turn the most innocent man into a killer. What happens when the person testified against is free?
This novel is set in Chicago when Marshall Field's was still Field's, with references to the Big Tree, Walnut Room and Frango mints during an era when basketball was king.
Lots of Chicago references, including my alma mater,
DePaul University.
As soon as I change the introduction, do a read through and insert a teaser at the back, I'll tackle downloading it onto Kindle and Smashwords. Hopefully, this can be done sometime in September, by October at the lastest. It may also coincide with the release of my new thriller, Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, which is in the editing stages.
I'll let everyone know!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Authors, Be Aware!
Money's tight, so we all need to be alert. I noticed an email ad from Kohl's about free shipping, with no purchase limit, along with 15% off. I then remembered I'd also received a mailer ad containing a 20% off code. I knew what I wanted to buy, so I went online and completed the transaction. What would have been a $51.00 charge became $35.36.
Many readers are out of jobs, or making less money than before. They're looking for deals also. Authors need to be aware of this trend. If you're publishing a book on Amazon Kindle or Smashwords, don't overcharge. Unless you're super-popular, you won't make many sales.
Or, maybe you're entering into a contract with a publisher. If so, think about that publisher's record with ebooks. Are they usually overpriced? What percentage of the sales will you get? Would it be worth it to keep the electronic rights if the publisher will allow it?
The majority of readers still want print, but the tide is still turning. While it does, and probably afterwards, overpriced ebooks don't sell as well. People still want to read, but they're looking for bargains. I know I am.
My current romantic suspense, Killer Career, is priced at 99 cents on Amazon Kindle and at Smashwords. I plan to put Forever Young-Blessing or Curse up at $2.99 at first. I have two backlist books I'm getting ready to also transfer over, and don't plan to go higher than $2.99 for any of them.
What are your thoughts about ebook pricing and book trends?
You can also find Morgan Mandel at
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel
http://twitter.com/morganmandel
and other online spots.
Many readers are out of jobs, or making less money than before. They're looking for deals also. Authors need to be aware of this trend. If you're publishing a book on Amazon Kindle or Smashwords, don't overcharge. Unless you're super-popular, you won't make many sales.
Or, maybe you're entering into a contract with a publisher. If so, think about that publisher's record with ebooks. Are they usually overpriced? What percentage of the sales will you get? Would it be worth it to keep the electronic rights if the publisher will allow it?
The majority of readers still want print, but the tide is still turning. While it does, and probably afterwards, overpriced ebooks don't sell as well. People still want to read, but they're looking for bargains. I know I am.
My current romantic suspense, Killer Career, is priced at 99 cents on Amazon Kindle and at Smashwords. I plan to put Forever Young-Blessing or Curse up at $2.99 at first. I have two backlist books I'm getting ready to also transfer over, and don't plan to go higher than $2.99 for any of them.
What are your thoughts about ebook pricing and book trends?
You can also find Morgan Mandel at
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel
http://twitter.com/morganmandel
and other online spots.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
In the Mood
My friend, Debra St. John, and I were discussing writing and editing our manuscripts. We both agreed we get a lot more accomplished if we're in the right mood.
Some people may consider it a copout, but if I'm too tired or too rushed, I can't give my manuscript the focus it deserves.
But what if I'm never in the mood?
Sometimes it's not easy to psych myself up to get back into the mood once I'm out of it.This started to happen after putting aside my work in progress to clear the basement after the recent flooding.
I wanted to get the editing of Forever Young-Blessing or Curse started again, but part of me said I didn't, mainly because I'd gotten out of the habit of being in the mood.
After setting aside a block of time with no interruptions, I went to the manuscript and began editing and kept at it. Soon I was back in the mood, getting into the flow where I wanted to be.
I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there. I used some trickery to get back into the mood, but it worked.
What about you? Do you have to be in the mood to write or edit? Do you sometimes trick yourself into getting back into the mood?
Some people may consider it a copout, but if I'm too tired or too rushed, I can't give my manuscript the focus it deserves.
But what if I'm never in the mood?
Sometimes it's not easy to psych myself up to get back into the mood once I'm out of it.This started to happen after putting aside my work in progress to clear the basement after the recent flooding.
I wanted to get the editing of Forever Young-Blessing or Curse started again, but part of me said I didn't, mainly because I'd gotten out of the habit of being in the mood.
After setting aside a block of time with no interruptions, I went to the manuscript and began editing and kept at it. Soon I was back in the mood, getting into the flow where I wanted to be.
I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there. I used some trickery to get back into the mood, but it worked.
What about you? Do you have to be in the mood to write or edit? Do you sometimes trick yourself into getting back into the mood?
Monday, August 01, 2011
My glam shot
Lots of laundromat visits since the basement flooded over a week ago. I'm still cleaning up the mess of waterlogged items amassed from living in the same place over thirty years.
The good news is I finally had time to do more editing on Forever Young- Blessing or Curse today. Also, soon the basement will look better than it has in years!
Morgan Mandel
The good news is I finally had time to do more editing on Forever Young- Blessing or Curse today. Also, soon the basement will look better than it has in years!
Morgan Mandel
Thursday, July 28, 2011
RAIN is a four-letter word
I know lots of four-letter words that I won't list here. During the winter, SNOW is one of them.
These days, I've added RAIN to my list.
All week it has kept me from doing the edits on Forever Young-Blessing or Curse.
After what might be described as a drought, rain came down in buckets last Friday night and more is predicted. That's not good news because our basement took in 6 inches of water while we lay in bed unaware of the floodgates being opened. Lots of throwing out of Christmas items where the dye ran, plus other wet items, some that should have been discarded years ago. A horrible way to clean out the basement which needed cleaning!
Treasures found were photos in a waterlogged Rubbermaid container, which I rescued after many tedious hours of separating them to dry. It was worth the effort to bring back such memories.
I'm very disappointed that the Rubbermaid containers turned into flotation devices and tipped over with lids coming undone. I'd thought they would be more secure.
I keep telling myself it could have been worse, since many people threw out carpeting and other items that got ruined, and we don't keep anything really fancy down there.
With the forecast of more RAIN this afternoon and tonight, the DH and I are hoping it won't be visiting our basement! If it does, it won't find too much left to get wet.
These days, I've added RAIN to my list.
All week it has kept me from doing the edits on Forever Young-Blessing or Curse.
After what might be described as a drought, rain came down in buckets last Friday night and more is predicted. That's not good news because our basement took in 6 inches of water while we lay in bed unaware of the floodgates being opened. Lots of throwing out of Christmas items where the dye ran, plus other wet items, some that should have been discarded years ago. A horrible way to clean out the basement which needed cleaning!
Treasures found were photos in a waterlogged Rubbermaid container, which I rescued after many tedious hours of separating them to dry. It was worth the effort to bring back such memories.
I'm very disappointed that the Rubbermaid containers turned into flotation devices and tipped over with lids coming undone. I'd thought they would be more secure.
I keep telling myself it could have been worse, since many people threw out carpeting and other items that got ruined, and we don't keep anything really fancy down there.
With the forecast of more RAIN this afternoon and tonight, the DH and I are hoping it won't be visiting our basement! If it does, it won't find too much left to get wet.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
My Post Tip - Please Plus
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| Morgan Mandel |
Google + (Google Plus) is still in its infancy, yet already has millions of members. This network may have a huge impact on SEO, if it doesn't already. Since that may be the case, if you like a blogpost somewhere, and happen to see a plus sign in the tray at the bottom of that post, please click the plus sign. I believe pluses will have the effect of bringing it to the attention of the millions of Google Plus members,
Plus your post yourself first. Never lose an opportunity.
My Google Plus address is morgansplus@gmail.com if you belong also and want to connect.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Everywhere
I've been everywhere lately, and not here as much. I'm still working on my edits for Forever Young-Blessing or Curse and am amazed how much can still be changed. when I thought before it was right. (g)
Also, I've been pushing the new Spunky Seniors blog at http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ for the 50 and over crowd, or those who are just curious to see how our minds work.
Then, to top it off, I've also created a new Facebook Group, called, guess what? Spunky Seniors, also for the 50 and overs and wannabees (yes, there are some), at https://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel#!/groups/spunkyseniors
So, I've been busy, and now must get back to my editing so I can get my book out!
 |
| Forever Young Blessing or Curse |
I've been everywhere lately, and not here as much. I'm still working on my edits for Forever Young-Blessing or Curse and am amazed how much can still be changed. when I thought before it was right. (g)
Also, I've been pushing the new Spunky Seniors blog at http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ for the 50 and over crowd, or those who are just curious to see how our minds work.
Then, to top it off, I've also created a new Facebook Group, called, guess what? Spunky Seniors, also for the 50 and overs and wannabees (yes, there are some), at https://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel#!/groups/spunkyseniors
So, I've been busy, and now must get back to my editing so I can get my book out!
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
A New Blog Called Spunky Seniors
I've got some great pictures from these bloggers to go with their posts as well.
July 7 - Maggie Toussaint goes kayaking.
Here's the link for Maggie's post -
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/07/spunky-maggie-toussaint-kayaks-in-rice.html
July 14 - Pat Bean goes skydiving.
If you're 50 or over and are spunky in some way, I'd be very interested in what you do, and would love some jpegs about it also. Or, maybe a family member or friend, or famous figure strikes you as a spunky senior. I'd welcome a post and pic or two on that also.
I'm keeping the posts short, 3-4 paragraphs are ideal.
Email me at morgan@morganmandel.com with Spunky Seniors in the subject line if you're interested. In the meantime, no matter what age you are, you may wish to come over and see what our spunky seniors are all about. I've also got a button on the blog for you to follow by email, which is handy for reminders. So far, Thursdays will be the only day a new blog will appear, so people can appreciate the contents all week.
Morgan Mandel
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Blessing or Curse
I've finished one of the stories in Blessing or Curse - A Forever Young Anthology. This one is the tale of Consuela who caretakes her husband, Diego, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. This tale strikes home to me since my own dear mother suffered from this debilitating disease before she passed on.
In Blessing or Curse you'll learn whether the Forever Young pill was a good or bad thing for this couple.
I'm off now to work on another of the anthology stories.
In Blessing or Curse you'll learn whether the Forever Young pill was a good or bad thing for this couple.
I'm off now to work on another of the anthology stories.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
In Capable Hands
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| Forever Young- Blessing or Curse |
Forever Young - Blessing or Curse is now in the very capable hands of my editor, Helen Ginger. Hopefully, she won't find too many things wrong with it, but I'll find out. (g)
In the meantime, I'm getting some blog posts ready ahead of time for when I do my Blog Book Tour, and also blurbs to describe the book. It's a busy, fun time!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Will Today be the Day?
I'm wondering if today will be the day I finish editing Forever Young-Blessing or Curse. I'm getting very close.
However, the DH is also home today. He's already got plans for grocery shopping, going to lunch and a few other projects, so maybe it won't be the day.
I'll let you know when it happens.
However, the DH is also home today. He's already got plans for grocery shopping, going to lunch and a few other projects, so maybe it won't be the day.
I'll let you know when it happens.
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