Cindy Reynders: A Killer Slice

Cindy Reynders is here with A Killer Slice, just in time for Thanksgiving. Isn't that great?
Welcome back, Cindy, and congratulations on the new book. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Cindy, even though I have previously interviewed you, please give new blog visitors a brief bio.

I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming with my husband, Rich and my little dog, Ewok.  I work for Laramie County School District 1 as their Marketing Specialist, and I write feature articles for my office’s Public Schools Chronicle. I’ve written articles for True West and Wild West magazines, and my published books in the Saucy Lucy mystery trilogy are The Saucy Lucy Murders and Paws-itively Guilty.  The newest in the trilogy is A Killer Slice.

I've been to Cheyenne and hope to return next year.

What books came along at just the right time to influence your reading/writing? 

I fell in love with Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind when I read it at sixteen. I wrote romance for years, but I switched to murder mystery and there I found my niche.  I’ve got this crazy wicked sense of humor that plagues my writing, even though I also craft many scenes that are sad. Thankfully, my fans seem to love my style.

Yes, I'm with them!  Please give us a short synopsis of your new book, A Killer Slice.

Sisters Lexie and Lucy are the main characters, and they live in the small town of Moose Creek Junction, Wyoming. A Killer Slice starts during a baby shower for Lexie’s daughter.  A young man shows up on the door step of the Saucy Lucy Café, the eatery the sisters own, claiming he’s Lucy’s long-lost son who she gave up for adoption while she was a single college girl. Now Lucy’s a married, God-fearing, churchgoing woman, so to have this happen is a slap in the face, and she vehemently denies having a child out of wedlock. When the young man winds up dead, the local police naturally consider Lucy a suspect.  So the sisters polish their amateur sleuthing skills to save her from going to jail. Everyone who has read the book so far, including my editor, swears they had no inkling about who did it until the great reveal at the end. A little secret:  When I was writing it, I didn’t know either!

Sometimes our characters surprise us, don't they?

How has your writing progressed since your first book?

I feel more confident in my writing abilities.  I’m also more aware that people are actually reading my work.  As a result, I’m more of a perfectionist because I want to live up to reader expectations. I’m taking more risks, and I’m trying new things.

When do you accomplish your best writing?

           
I go to bed early each evening so I can get up in the wee hours of the morning and hide out in my office to write for a couple of hours before work.

Is there another book on the horizon?

Yes, actually there is. In early 2012, Angelic Knight Press will publish one of my new titles, “The Seven-Year Witch,” a humorous, lighthearted story about a witch who must travel through time to find the Philosopher’s Stone. It’s actually classified as an urban fantasy, so this is one of the new things I mentioned I’ve been trying. I’m hoping AKP and I can continue to work        together to publish more in this line about my witch protagonist and her sisters. They may potentially be made into graphic novels as well, but this still only at the discussion stage.

Suer!
After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind? 

I love reading magazines!  They’re quick fun reads that really help me relax.

Are your books available in print, ebook, and Kindle? 

Yes.  

Where can we purchase these books and get more information about you?

My books can be found online, of course.  If you prefer a hard copy and you can’t locate one in a brick and mortar store, it’s easy to order one online and it will be delivered to your doorstep. Or you can order a hard copy from a book store.  Either way, the process is quick and easy. At my website,  www.cindykeenreynders.com, readers can access my Facebook page and also my blog or they can contact me via e-mail with questions. I’m also on Twitter!

Thanks for visiting again, Cindy, and I plan to look you up when I get back to Wyoming.

Please do, Susan.

 

Handling Social Media

We all know how time-consuming it is to have multiple online sites to maintain. Penny Sansevieri, author of Red Hot Internet Publicity, gives advice on how to handle social media without getting overwhelmed.

10 Ways to Rock on Social Media and Still Have a Life
It's true: social media is here--and there goes your life! Well, maybe not entirely but it sure seems that way sometimes, doesn't it? If you've held off joining the social media party because you were worried about what a time suck it would be, take heart! There are a lot of authors who feel the same way. I speak at conferences all the time and at almost every event I get at least a half a dozen people who insist they don't have time to devote to social media. Well, the fact remains you don't have time not to! But if you are still worried about the time commitment, let's take a look at how you can do this without dumping too much of your time into this effort. I mean an author's still gotta write, right?

When it comes to social media, understand this: sometimes more is not better; it's just more. You don't want to push yourself to too many sites because that can lead to fragmenting yourself too much online and, when you get fragmenting, you often get site abandonment. Meaning that you populate content on a (social media) site, only to forget it even exists.

1. Skim: the first phase of online promotion is often reading. This can be anything from Twitter posts to Facebook updates, blog posts and online articles. Here's a tip: skim. You'll want to be very selective with anything that you feel is worthy of an in-depth read. Save your time for the real important stuff and skim the rest.

2. Subscribe to RSS feeds, but only those you actually read: it's tempting to subscribe to a whole bunch of RSS blog feeds (just like it's tempting to get an email box full of newsletters but save yourself the hassle and only subscribe to content you can actually read). The same goes for people you follow on Twitter, if they don't add value, let them go. You don't need the noise.

3. Keep a timer nearby: if you are allocating time each day to your online activities, it's safe to assume you'll go over time unless you really police yourself. Get a kitchen timer and keep it near your desk, when the buzzer goes off, stop!

4. Automate whenever you can: automating can be the key to your online happiness. When you have autoresponders or auto content generators in place they can save you scads of time. An easy and quick way to implement example of this might be your newsletter sign ups. There are a variety of systems, one of them via Constant Contact that will allow you to easily automate sign ups. Even if you have a giveaway for signing up, the system can handle this too!

5. Consolidate your online presence: when you use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Squidoo, you can really consolidate what you're doing online. Why? Because these three sites "talk" to one another, what that means is that if you update one, they all update. Makes it easy, doesn't it? While you still should visit each of these to populate them with content, you can also plug your information into one source and have it update all your properties. The 'source' can actually be your blog too. Using a site called Twitterfeed can update your Twitter account each time you update your blog, and there are widgets in Facebook and Squidoo that will do the same.

6. Get a routine: get yourself into a social media routine. You'll want to identify the best times of the day for you to blog, get active on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and then don't diverge from that. Stick to a schedule and a routine.

7. Cross-pollinate your stuff: much like my section on consolidating, you'll want to also cross-pollinate your content. Syndicated online articles are a good example of that. You can link to these articles from a variety of places. Your Twitter account for one will really benefit from this content, and you can also upload it to Facebook and Squidoo.

8. Do only essential things: you can waste a lot of your time online. By now you know that a million things can distract you; it's important to keep to the essentials. This means that you define what pushes your campaign forward and what doesn't. By doing this you will gain a better sense of where it's best to spend your time. For example, if blogging seems to get you a lot of new newsletter sign ups, continue doing it.

9. Don't follow the leader: while there are a lot of folks out there telling you what to do (including moi), you want to do what's right for you and your campaign, not what's popular. Twitter, for example, might make no sense for you at all. So don't just follow advice because you trust the source. Listen, learn, then do what will have the biggest impact on your campaign.

10. Create a plan: without a direction, any path will do. Make sure you have a plan for going online, don't just do it because it's "hip" or everyone else is. Make sure you spend some time creating a focused outline of what you'll do, what your goals are and what you need to attain to accomplish these goals. A plan will not only keep you focused, but also stay better on track with your marketing. A plan should include goals and a to do list so you make sure and sift through all the action items you need to create a rockin' online campaign.

These days, social media is a must for anyone promoting anything. But it doesn't have to mean that it's a time suck too. Keeping a social media presence also means managing it carefully. Know where to spend your time, what needs to be limited and where your efforts need to be expanded. Sometimes the quickest way to grow traction online is to isolate your efforts, while everyone is throwing it all "out there," you can create a focused plan that will not only gain you momentum, but readers as well.

Penny is the author of Red Hot Internet Publicity     

Social networking on blogs

Penny, Sansevieri, author of Red Hot Internet Publicity, stops by again with advice about social networking on blogs:


We all know that it’s great to hop on social networks like Facebook, Squidoo and Twitter, right? But have you ever considered that a blog is a social network, too? You bet it is, but I’m talking specifically about the comment section within each blog. We all know that it’s great to pitch bloggers for your book or product, right? But there’s more to it. Really, it’s about online networking or cyber-schmoozing. Before you even target a blog for your pitch, you should get to know them first. Here’s how.

First, you’ll want to get to know the blogs in your market. To do this you’ll want to follow them and communicate with them via the comment section on their blogs. You can find these blogs through blog search engines like Google Blog Search and Technorati.com. Once you find the blogs that are top in your market (I suggest going after the top 5-10 to start with) then you’ll want to see what they post on and comment on their blog posts. What does this do? Well, it’ll help give you a voice on your top blogs and give the bloggers a chance to get to know you. Here are some tips for commenting intelligently on blogs:

· Be interesting and thought-provoking. Save the “wow, great blog” comments for when you are really looking to not impress someone.

· Watch, then comment. I recommending following the blog for a few weeks before jumping in. You want to get a sense of the tone of the blogger and how he or she responds to comments.

· Try commenting on at least five blogs a week, this way you’re not spending all of your free time doing this and still you’re able to get a voice out there in the blog-o-sphere.

· Offer additional insight to the blog post, perhaps you’ve had a different experience than what the blogger cited. If so, politely and intelligently tell them your viewpoint and invite other ideas.

· Be entertaining, engaging, and helpful. Always. Don’t push your book, yes you can mention it - but don’t push it, that’s a big no-no.

· Try to build a rapport with the blogger by being consistent, that’s why you don’t want to follow too many bloggers. You’ll be too fragmented this way.

· Be inspiring, readers love inspiration. Don’t just gush for the sake of gushing.

Commenting on blogs posts is a sort of social networking, even better in fact because blog posts and their associated comments are searchable. Keep in mind that you’ll want to always list your URL when you log in (and most blogs require that you do log in and leave your online “footprint”).

Once you have spent sufficient time online you’ll start to get to know the bloggers that are a significant “voice” in your industry. This type of networking will help when you go back to pitch them your story, book or product. Remember that bloggers, like any other on or offline media, want the scoop. So give them what they want. Here are a few tips for pitching bloggers once you’ve networked with them:

· Know what they like: don’t pitch them a book review if they don’t review books. Just because you have become commenter-extraordinaire doesn’t mean that they’ll bend the rules for you. Well, they might, but better to let them suggest it.

· If the blogger does review books and/or products check out their submission guidelines before sending them a pitch.

· If you’re sending them a story idea be sure and tell them if you’ve pitched this idea to anyone else. If they have an exclusive, tell them and give them a (reasonable) deadline for responding if you’re going to shop this around.

· Present the unexpected: it’s OK to take chances, it really is as long as you stay on topic. Pitch the blogger, you never know what could happen.

· Make it easy: if you’re pitching them a story don’t just pitch them and expect them to do all the work. Make it easy on them by offering to co-interview (when appropriate) or offering them experts you think might work well for the piece.

The key is that as you’re getting known online, the Internet is one big networking party. Just because you can hide behind your monitor doesn’t mean that you’re invisible. Remember that everything is your resume and everything leaves a footprint. The best thing you can do is get out and cyber-schmooze, the worst thing you can do is be unprepared. Do your homework and remember, online networking (when done effectively) can benefit you enormously both in your online footprint as well as the connections you’ll make. Don’t worry about spending hours on this, it’s really about quality not quantity. Get out there and social network on blogs. You’ll be glad you did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success." AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, Twitter, ezines, video sites, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market. In the past 15 months their creative marketing strategies have helped land 10 books on the New York Times Bestseller list. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at http://www.amarketingexpert.com.


Thanks, Penny.

Keith Pyeatt's Horrors With Heart

My guest today is Keith Pyeatt. Keith, welcome to the blog. Please tell us about yourself.
I was a mild-mannered mechanical engineer when I designed and built a simple log cabin on the side of a mountain in rural northeastern Vermont. After two years in my isolated cabin, I began writing horror novels. After ten years, I left my engineering career behind and moved to Albuquerque to focus on writing and freelance editing. Now I've been writing novels for 14 years. I'm working on my sixth novel, and I recently had two novels published.
My novels blend genres in different proportions, but they all have a paranormal element and plenty of psychological and physical tension. I refer to my novels as "Horror with Heart" because I force my characters to look deep inside themselves and find their very best before they can save the day.

When did the writing bug bite, and in what genre(s)?
I was a manager at an electric utility in Vermont, and my assistant challenged me to write a short story. The only requirement was that the good guys had to win. She wrote a fun and clever story, a couple pages long. A novel came gushing out of me. I wrote it on weekends and evenings in three weeks, and it's a tongue-and-cheek horror novel called Confusion. I didn't know what I was doing when I wrote it, and I've never returned to it now that I do, but it holds a special place in my heart. It hooked me on writing.

When you started writing, what goals did you want to accomplish? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
I write to entertain. My goal is to write novels readers can't put down. I want to flash images and situations into my readers' minds so they can submerge themselves in my stories and enjoy the read. I want my readers to feel the emotions my characters experience, but I also want to evoke emotions from my readers.
There are messages in my novels, often carried by themes that play out throughout the novels. Struck carries a theme about the understated power of acceptance, for example. Two major themes play out in Dark Knowledge, one about how good and bad often can't be separated and another about how winning great prizes requires great effort.

Briefly tell us about your latest book. Series or stand-alone? If you have written both, which one do you prefer?
I had two novels published in '09. Both are stand alone novels, but I could write a sequel for either if the mood hits.
Struck is a paranormal suspense novel set in Albuquerque, a fictional pueblo, and the Anasazi ruins in Chaco Canyon. When the main character, Barry, is struck by lightning, it's more than an act of nature. It's a calling. Earth's fate is now tied to Barry's, and Barry's destiny is linked to the past.
Dark Knowledge is a paranormal thriller that might be described as Flowers for Algernon with a Dean Koontz twist. A mentally challenged man named Wesley can't resist a gift of knowledge, but it comes with a dark destiny. Now Wesley must fight to survive, piece together his heritage, and weigh the value of his soul against the fate of mankind.

What’s the hook for the book?
In Struck, the earth will lose its ability to sustain life unless our easy-going hero understands and accepts his role as warrior, joins forces with a Native American elder, and overcomes massive obstacles before the equinox.
In Dark Knowledge, Satan wants a stronger foothold on earth. Mankind's fate rests on a mentally challenged man who must fight for his life in two worlds, grasp the concept that good and evil can't always be separated, and use that concept to save his soul.

How do you develop characters? Setting?
I give my characters strengths, flaws, quirks, and room to grow. Then I start writing. They become real to me early in the first draft but may continue changing even near the end. I don't worry if their nature changes during the first draft. Making characters consistent is just one of the many things revisions are for.
For settings, I use what works for the novel. Struck is very much tied to New Mexico. The settings in Albuquerque, a Native American pueblo, and Chaco Canyon not only season the novel, the whole premise of Struck comes from New Mexico history and culture. Dark Knowledge uses very different settings, but they also help establish the mood of the novel. It's set in a group home for mentally challenged men and women and a bizarre, threatening, and ever-changing world that exists inside the main character's mind.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?
In Struck, Barry is a kind, compassionate man. He's too easy-going for his own good, especially when faced with the challenge of saving the earth.
In Dark Knowledge, Wesley is a sweet, strong, mentally challenged man with an amazing moral compass. Poor guy has a lot to deal with and overcome in the novel. He ignores his instincts a couple times, and each time pays a price.

How do you determine voice in your writing?
I write from the characters' point of view, so much of my voice comes from them. What carries through from me is word choice and conciseness. I write tight. I also concentrate on how prose flows, and I've been thrilled to see in my reviews the term "poetic."

Do you have specific techniques you use to develop the plot and stay on track?
One of my tricks is to create an in-progress outline as I write first draft. I summarize each scene after I write it. Doing so makes me focus on what happened, what was set up, and where the novel is going based on that one scene. As I progress, I can tell if I'm stagnating or stumbling ahead without proper motivation. Scenes that add little or repeat something already established stand out, and I'll either cut or refocus them in edits.
The finished outline is a big help during edits and also when it comes time to write a synopsis.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?
Interesting and tough question. My environment/upbringing colored me, and I color my writing, so the question goes to the core, my core. Anyone who reads my novels learns something about me, and the personal values revealed are a result of my environment and upbringing.

Have you started any online networks or blogs to promote yourself and others?
Online promotion is important, and I'm everywhere. At least it feels that way. I also send out a short newsletter every other month (there's a sign-up form on my blog). Here are a few places I have an online presence:
 http://keithpyeatt.com/
http://keithpyeatt.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/keithpyeatt
http://www.twitter.com/keithpyeatt
http://www.freado.com/users/3981/Keith-Pyeatt
http://www.redroom.com/author/keith-pyeatt

I also have an author page at both of my publishers' websites. I have a page at Goodreads, Author's Den, Amazon, MySpace, and Manic Readers.

After hours of intense writing, how do you unwind?
I drink. Ha. Actually, physical exercise is a huge help to me. I run four or five times a week and go to the gym to work out with weights four times a week. Exercise helps me unwind and gives me time to think about what I've written. I'm known at the gym for smiling my hellos but not talking. I'm always thinking about my characters or my novels. Unless I'm people watching, noticing interesting traits that might work their way into a character.

What are your current projects?
I'm excited about my work in progress. It's a dark fantasy/paranormal thriller. There's a parallel world and some really dark angles to contrast the light. I've had this project on hold for too long while I market unpublished novels and promote my newly published ones, but I'm finally returning to writing first draft, and it feels good.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
Best places are my website, http://keithpyeatt.com, and my blog, http://keithpyeatt.blogspot.com. To sample my published novels, a great online venue is http://www.freado.com/users/3981/Keith-Pyeatt. There are two chapters of both published novels posted there.

Keith, continued success with your writing. Thanks for the interview.
Great interview questions, Susan. Thank you for hosting me here. It was fun.