A LITTLE PR GOES A LONG WAY

Recently, the Southwest Florida chapter of RWA sponsored their Hearts in the Sand Writing Conference.  This year, the program was conducted by dynamite Debra Dixon, author, lecturer, and publisher of Belle Books.


Deb’s topic at the conference was her well-known, and deservedly so, Book-in-a-Day Workshop.  If any of you have had the opportunity to hear her on this subject, you know she lays bare the necessity in fiction of GMC—Goal, Motivation, Conflict—and how to achieve all three in your own work.  That was in the morning.  After lunch, she explored Christopher Vogler’s The Hero’s Journey and how its 12 stages can help you effectively plot your WIP.

Please consider all of the above important backstory (I know, I know, I can hear you now!) for what happened during lunch.  It’s the terrific little promotional idea of one of SWFRW’s chapter members, Roseanne Vrugtman, Ph.D., (who as Abigail Dane has authored The Pirate and the Virgin Available at:  TransitionsUnlimited.biz). A while before the conference, Roseanne asked the pubbed chapter members to submit excerpts, 60 to75 words long, from recent releases, along with their name and book title.  She downloaded these excerpts on small, color-bordered cards and stood them in little decorative stands, three or four on each luncheon table.

They were so eye-catching, people were picking them up, reading them, enjoying the short peeks and, hopefully, becoming intrigued with the novels.  With apologies for the poor photography, here’s one below.  And beneath the snapshot are two sample passages from two books in my Murders by Design Series.      

Ah, the lights were on. Rossi was

back. Mr. Hottie with the penetrating

eyes and…“Hello, I’m home.”

“At last,” he said stepping out of

the bedroom.

“Actually I’m early tonight,” I said,

dropping my packages on a chair.

“There’s no such thing as early

where you’re concerned. I’ve been

waiting for ten full minutes. It’s been

hell."

“God, you say the most perfect things.”

“I know.” He laughed and began

kissing me.

Rooms To Die For

by Jean Harrington

                                                 

Rossi stuffed the money back in the oilskin packet and handed it to me.

“Is that wise?” Francesco asked, nodding at the oilskin.

“Yes,” Rossi said, “it is." Together, we lifted Chip off the floor and walked him out to the car.

 The espresso machine went next and then the bottle of Dom Perigean.

I rode shotgun, the oilskin bag clutched in my lap.

Ha!  I should have known—a bottle of Dom Perignon was always a good omen.

 Killer Kitchens

 by Jean Harrington

Jean Harrington is the author of the tongue-in-cheek, Naples-set Murders by Design Mystery Series.  She says her books can be downloaded from Amazon at killer prices.