Moving House - and moving a new release?

I originally planned to post this piece earlier this summer when a friend said she was “moving house.” While it’s not what we’d call it – we’d simply say “moving” - the term stuck with me since we’re literally moving a house. Well, it’s an old log cabin, but let’s not get too technical.

When we bought our property in the mountains, it came with an assortment of fallen or tumbling down barns, sheds and cabins. Thousands of pounds of debris later, we’re close personal friends with all the people who work at the dump.

We’re down to the last barn standing. Snow banked against the lower tier has made at least one log rot, so the building lists precariously. Having grown up in the South, I was used to older buildings and loved the charm of Charleston where the building age has crossed the 300-year threshold. (Okay, those of you in Europe quit laughing. Three hundred is old over here.) It was a shock to find that out here in the west, a building that’s a hundred is a rarity. So we wanted to preserve the cabin if we could.

Unfortunately the cabin occupied the prime high ground (big surprise, right?) where we wanted to build our house. We’d learned with some of the other buildings we’d constructed that anything over 200 square feet required a permit. Off we went to chat with the building department about what moving the cabin would require.

Here’s the gist of that conversation(s):

Us: We’d like to salvage this historic old barn but weren’t sure about the building requirements.

Building dept: If you take it apart (and treat the logs so they are less likely to rot) and move it, you have to bring it up to code. 

Us: It’s a barn. Like stacked Lincoln logs. 

BD: Yes. 

Us: So what does code mean? (How in the hell do you bring a stack of logs to code and who wrote code for them in the first place???)

BD: You have to have engineered trusses and …

Us: Whoa, whoa, whoa. What would we put the trusses on?

BD: You’d have to build a structure to carry the beams and trusses and you’d need an engineering analysis that the roof can support the snow load. 

Us: It’s been standing for over 100 years. Apparently it can handle the snow load. 

BD: But it MIGHT collapse. So you’d have to bring it up to code.

Us: Wait, you said “if” we take it apart. Is there an alternative?

BD: If you pick it up intact, you can move the barn, but you have to have a building permit to put it down. An analysis of the foundation and footings. And to issue the building permit, we really need an engineering analysis of the foundation and whether the roof…

Us: What if it falls apart when we try to pick up a stack of logs?

BD: Then you’d have to apply for a building permit to put it back together. Bringing it up to code.

Head. Desk.

It took forever to find anyone who’d even consider taking a small, off the wall, structural engineering project. While we searched, we went ahead and disassembled the cabin and treated the logs.

Finally, a friend of a friend agreed to write it up after my engineer husband drew up a discreet structure that carries the trusses and that we can bolt the logs to (making the new part nearly invisible). The balance will be hidden by salvaged wood from other long gone buildings. The frame will also support a new sliding barn door (easier to open when there’s several feet of snow).

Several months and several checks later, we had the analysis and hubby once more visited the building department. 

BD: Ah, this design might work and I see you have the engineering analysis. Yes, I could approve this. 

Us: Great! So you’ll issue the building permit?

BD: Oh, no. This just approves the engineering analysis. We need this (ream of paper) for the building permit. 

Us: Pause…consideration…do we really want to save this (ridiculously expensive) bit of history?

Yes.

Picks up papers and shuffles back to car.

The building department did issue a permit and we’re working on the foundation, so hopefully soon I can report back that the cabin is securely stationed in its new position on the farm.

What does any of this have to do with a new release? Nothing that I can think of…unless you talk about structure of a story. Foundations. Perseverance.

Nah.

CYPHER released this week. An early reviewer called it a twisty mystery with a compelling romance, which describes it well.

When a hit-man kills the wrong person, a Greenville, SC detective confronts hidden agendas and conflicting motives in a powerful local family, while trying to control his attraction to the intended victim—a woman who should be dead, but instead is hell-bent on saving the remnants of her family.

Unwilling to stand by while her family and world are destroyed, she rips apart the secrets surrounding Cypher, the company her father built—and will take any measures to defend.

Available at the following online retail sites:

Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Kobo                 

Boxed Sets, Anthologies and Collections

Is the “boxed set” marketing's new black?

The collections are everywhere. Some center on a holiday, a theme, the hero/heroine's profession. Others are linked more loosely. But they fill the Top 100 ranks of more than one genre category.

Some people decry them as yet another devaluation of the author’s material. This same argument, of course, was applied to the free book and is now targeted at the 99-cent price point. There is a valid point, that people who expect “free” aren't going to buy subsequent books, but over the past year, as the algorithms at Amazon moved away from counting free downloads and the “free days” offered less bounce, fewer people gave away books. And readers moved to the “new” darling, the 99-cent book.

Now the hot marketing device seems to be a collection of novels/novellas. While bundled products, buy-one-get-one-free, and other promotions have been around for ages, the collections are everywhere. The driving force, of course, is to obtain new readers. If author X has a story in the set, the reader may also sample (and read! And Love!) author Z, whose book is next in the collection.

Forgive me if this post rambles a bit. It's very late and I'd planned a different post for today.

Let me tell you the story of two anthologies.

The first, The Ultimate Mystery, Thriller, Horror Boxed Set, was released in early November 2013 by a group of independent authors. The stated goal of the group was gaining new readers, building on each other's networks. The group planned its release strategy, chose advertising, and actively promoted the collection's release. We communicated clearly with each other, shared results of each campaign. The set sold well and has remained #1 or #2 (yay! It's number 1 at Amazon this morning!) for nearly three months.

Then there is the set I planned today's post around. 

Love International Style was supposed to release on Monday. Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc had the box set for presale – with the wrong cover – but Amazon didn't offer it until Monday morning, when apparently it was available for a couple of minutes. It was subsequently removed from sale, with no explanation. The authors who had banded together with other authors in the imprint and worked out a sales campaign were left standing with our mouths open when the book wasn't available on its stated date. All of this occurred with a deafening silence from the publisher. Emails received only a terse, "we're working on it." 

When the set still was unavailable this morning, with a heavy heart, I revised my planned post.

I won't bore you with all the other details, but communication appears to be a key element in the different results for the two anthologies. I hope we (the authors and the publisher) learn both what happened and how to keep a similar snafu from impeding another release.

A multi-part question for you – 

What's your opinion on boxed sets? Devaluing product? Gaining readers? 

Have you ever run into a situation where clear communication could've averted a mess?

Happy Christmas Adam!

Happy Christmas Adam! (If the 24^th is Eve, our kids decided long ago the 23^rd was Adam)

I thought about writing something profound for today, reflecting on the season. Instead, I found myself looking back at an astonishing year and forward into the Great Unknown.

Mostly I thought about our mountain property.

I wrote my very first blog post (ever) almost exactly two years ago - I Didn't Get a Tractor for Christmas.

Since then, I've shared bits and pieces about our adjustment to rural life. My husband and I actually enjoyed clearing the property (for a while there, we were in a close personal relationship with the guy at the county dump!) and loved watching the birds and critters who showed up on the new paths through the woods or at the pond and river. We've met most of the people in our valley and enjoy the genuine friendships that aren't looking to further a career or do anything other than get to know you.

This fall, we've begun working on house plans. Sure, we have a small weekend place that will one day be a guest house (fabulous for the two of us). It'll be interesting to have both kids, spouse, and multiple dogs here for several days. Let's just say the sleeping arrangements will get creative. :)

The further we got into the planning process, the more the reality of the transition took hold. In order for us to live here full-time, my husband has to take early retirement. With my day job, I can work anywhere, as long as I can access the internet. Not possible with my husband's career.

That Next Great Transition is what taps at the back of my head as I wrap the last presents, grocery shop and plan meals. Part of me leaps at the opportunity for travel, for not being tied to his work schedule. Another part worries, have we saved enough money. And another part thinks, Oh my (fill in your own blank), he'll be home All The Time.

So, what transforming events do you see on your planning horizon?

Writing news update – the MysteryThriller Horror Box Set is still on the Amazon Top Ten in its category and For Love or Money will be included in Entangled Publishing's Valentine's Day.

Boxed Set, releasing January 27,


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Eulogy

Warning: this may be a morbid topic for some, and it’s said with a bit of tongue-in-cheek. For me, it’s a normal day. ;) And I figure, if I can’t be morbid with my NYUS friends, where can I?

Today is a release day for me. DEADLY BONDS (Mindhunters, Book 3) released in digital form today. In fact, this whole month has been a busy promo month... AVENGING ANGEL (Mindhunters, Book 2) came out in print via harlequin.com this month. And the first book ONLY FEAR is on sale for 99 cents through July 31st. However, some may find it odd for me to choose to celebrate my release day with a eulogy.

I’m about to confess to a guilty pleasure: I’m a big fan of The Young and the Restless. It’s my lunchtime splurge. I watch it while I make my lunch and allow my brain to decompress from the morning routine and recharge for the afternoon. Or, while I’m doing mundane tasks like folding laundry or doing dishes, I’ll put Y&R on in the background.

Jeanne Cooper, Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The show has been a staple in my life since I was twelve. Which is why I was so sad when actress Jeanne Cooper (who played the indomitable Catherine Chancellor) passed away in May of this year. It was like losing a friend you saw every week. A couple of weeks later, Y&R aired a tribute to this amazing woman, who’d been a constant presence on the show for forty years. Her fellow actors and actresses reminisced and shared stories of how she mentored and supported them.

And then my brain made a morbid leap (maybe you're not surprised?)... What if my characters (who are, essentially, my coworkers) had to give a tribute on my behalf? What if I died and they had to say something at my funeral? What would they say?

They’d probably say I put them through hell, but also brought them the best days of their lives when they found a happy-ever-after. Maybe they'd even invite me to their weddings.

They’d probably moan and groan about what I put them through, but laugh and smile about the outcome.

They’d talk about how much they learned because of their time with me.

So, as I work to give another pair of characters their happily-ever-after in the fourth book in my series, I’m encouraged to think what a gift I’m giving them. They’ll stretch beyond what they think is possible, face down their demons and survive. And they’ll be stronger, better, faster, happier.

They’ll thank me one day.

DEADLY BONDS (Mindhunters, Book 3)

A dedicated profiler. Dr. Holt Patterson has thrown himself into his work since his wife's death, and his relationship with his young son, Theo, is suffering. He's caught in an impossible choice—how can he make the world a safer place for his son without sacrificing valuable family time?

An unrequited love. Sara Burns, the director at Theo's prestigious academy, once loved Holt Patterson, but he was her best friend's husband. Now a decade has passed, and Sara realizes that her feelings are just as strong—but how can she act on them without betraying her friend's memory?

A terrifying killer. A violent man develops an interest in Sara, and sends a body instead of flowers to get her attention. Holt is determined to keep her safe. But the killer is much closer than they expect…

Available here: Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Audible

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling.  Her passion for understanding the human race is now satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and award-winning author of romantic suspense.  

She writes to reclaim her sanity.

Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at www.AnneMarieBecker.com.

Forgive and... Remember?

I’m so jazzed to see my newest baby out in the world this week. I had a great time writing Living Dangerously. I’m a big fan of Hollywood and all things entertainment so to be able to write a little about it is always fun. One of the themes I use in many of my books is trust. Betrayal makes for great conflict and great stories come from great conflict.

 

Personally, I’m a pretty forgiving person. But, I’m also like an elephant and I never forget anything. So if someone lies to me or betrays me, I might forgive them, but I’ll always remember what they did to me. I’d hate to think I’m the only person out there with a memory for that sort of thing. (And it’s odd since I have a really cruddy memory with everything else!)  But sometimes, depending on the betrayal, I’m not sure I could be so quick to forgive. Take Sandra Bullock and Jessie James. After all the lying that Tiger Woods did to his wife, I imagined Sandra saying very casually, “Man, if my man did that, I’d leave him so fast his head would spin.” Then low and behold, she finds out her man did exactly the same thing and she’s probably thinking, “It’s time to put my money where my mouth is. Later, Dude.” I can’t imagine how hard that is, to put your total trust and faith in someone and have them lie to you. I’m sure everyone’s been through a certain version of that whether it was with a friend, family member or even a spouse. (Dare I say, former spouse?)

The question is, are certain lies easier to forgive than others? I happen to think so. Are certain lies more damaging than others? Absolutely. Do you have a line in the sand? A lie you can’t forgive? Or maybe the lie you can forgive once, but not twice?

That's my question for the blog, but before I go, I want to announce my other big news. Aside from this being my release week, it also begins the countdown for my next book, Against The Wall! One month from today, June 24, the first book in my High Stakes series goes on sale and I can't wait for it to be out. Today is cover reveal day, not only here but on my website and FB page. What do you think?

I’ll Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

For years the South Carolina Lowcountry RWA chapter has hosted a Masterclass at an Isle of Palms mansion. I’ve come home from previous weeks re-energized, my head bursting with new craft knowledge and insights, renewed after spending time with friends who share a passion for writing.

This year, the focus of the week was on the business of writing. Sometimes as authors we get caught up in our love of words and fail to acknowledge that what we do is also a small business, just like a company producing widgets or a bakery making the most beautiful, custom wedding cakes.

Most of the participants in this year’s Masterclass are published, many are multi-published, some New York Times Best Selling authors. And every one generously shared her experience, from developing a business plan to sitting with me, surrounding by a Nook, Kindle and Kindle Fire, patiently determining if one of the conversion programs would get rid of the annoying tab addition to the dedication page of my novella.

The theme of the week, as you might have guessed, was summed up by CJ Lyon: you are the CEO of You, Inc. In short, CJ said you, and only you, decide what is the correct path for your writing career: Traditional, Digital, Small Press or Indie—or a combination of the above. But you also bear the responsibility for your decision.

With the encouragement of this group of friends, I made the first toe-dipping foray into Indie publishing with a novella. HONOR CODE officially releases on Friday, November 9, 2012. While I’m excited about the story’s theme—honor and personal integrity—and characters, I still initially hesitated to publish the story. While I think my editor at Carina is terrific and learned a lot through a traditional, digital press with my first book, I made the “CEO” decision to go Indie with this story. I want to thank all the friends who made that happen. You know who you are. J

In anticipation of HONOR CODE’s release, I’ll give away an ARC of the novella to a commenter. The Blurb: In a small southern town where everyone knows each other’s business, veteran detective Larry Robbins must solve the disappearance of eighty-year-old widower George Beason.

When evidence arises that Beason may have left town on his own, it would be easy for Robbins to close the case, but his gut instinct tells him more’s at stake. As he uncovers clues about Beason’s deceased wife and his estranged daughter, Robbins must untangle conflicting motives and hidden agendas to bring Beason home alive.

Amazon

So what about you? Have you accepted the position of CEO in your career? Set up a business plan? Are there friends who reached back or pushed you up to give you a little help?

 

 

 

Release Day and Other Adventures

by Janis Patterson

Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you probably know that my cozy historical mystery THE HOLLOW HOUSE was released on Monday. At least, I did my best to make sure that you and every other human being in the country did, and then told everyone again when two days later RT gave it 4.5 stars and Top Pick rating.

While writing is largely a self-satisfying exercise, something done to fulfill a need deep within ourselves, most of us have at least a small vested interest in making money from our work, which means the book has to be released.

Release days are wonderful things, full of potential and congratulations and nifty conversations with people you’d normally never get to talk to. Release days are horrible things, full of texting and tweeting and emailing and self-promotion. Both of these statements are true.

As the veteran of more release days than I care to remember, I decided this one was going to be different. This one would be done in a businesslike fashion, and as much as I hate self-promotion I would do a professional job of it. I would rise and dress as I usually do and in general treat this as another day at work. I would have my release announcement done ahead of time, each in its own little email to be sent to all my various groups, so all I would have to do would be to send them on their way. Of course, in the interims I would be tweeting and making various and sundry other comments.

Yeah. Right.

First of all, my grand plan was handicapped by physical pain. The Husband, trying to have some fun after a couple of long overseas deployments, had booked us into a BMW performance driving class and a tour of a dinosaur dig. Later we realized they were for the same day, the day before Release Day.

The driving thing was fun. As a couple of generations ago I possessed both a BMW and an SCCA license, this was old home week for me. Don’t know when I’ve had so much fun – floorboarding on straightaways, standing on the brake on dogleg turns, whipping through the kinks of a slalom… Can’t say everyone in the car enjoyed it as much as I did, though.

The dinosaur dig was also fun, but a lot more challenging, mainly in just getting there. The dig itself was in a huge depression and about a quarter mile away from the road, but that was okay. The hard thing was getting down to it. First of all you had to shinny over this 6 foot near-vertical earth berm, then go down this 40 foot high cliff. The Husband says it was not a cliff, just a steep rise. I say when something is so steep I have to go down it on my buns, it’s a cliff! In the interest of public sensitivities I will not describe the trip back up.

For the driving thing I had worn lightweight sneakers for mobility and I hadn’t thought to bring anything sturdier for the dig. My bad. After almost an hour of tramping all over the site, slogging through water standing in ruts from recent rains and balancing over a single 2x4 ‘bridge’ over deeper parts, crawling over and stepping on rocks, my muscles were revolting and my feet starting to feel like hamburger. Then, as a great concession (the director of the dig could tell a couple of suckers when he saw them) we were handed trowels and told we could dig if we wanted to. Oh, joy.

I did find out that there was a way to drive in, for the formal diggers, at least. I considered offering one of them money to take me back to the road, but my purse and my money were up in the truck, and I didn’t think The Husband would hand over cash, as he saw nothing untoward about the situation. Navy-fit, he doesn’t understand how overwhelming this all was to someone whose only regular exercise is pushing her luck and jumping to conclusions!

So we dug. Not far down from me a man found a chunk of scapula from a protohadros (along with giant crocs the main inhabitants of our little boneyard.) When I said it looked just like a rock he gave me a 10 minute lecture on how to tell fossil bones from rocks. I actually understood what he said, and went back to digging, intent on finding a bone of my own. I found… mud. Wet, black, sticky Cretaceous mud. Not even a rock. Just mud. Lots of it.

Of course, The Husband saw to it that we are now registered as authorized volunteers for next season’s dig.

When Release Day dawned, my mind and heart were elated. THE HOLLOW HOUSE is a very special book to me, and I was delighted that it was finally going out to the reading public. The rest of me, however, was aching. Throbbing. Plain old hurting. The bottoms of my feet were actually bruised and there was no feeling in my toes. I hurt in places I didn’t know I had and just getting out of bed was a challenge. But I was at the computer before The Husband went to work, sitting in my nightgown and intent on getting an early start sending out announcements. I was still sitting at my computer, still in my nightgown, at 4 that afternoon.

Again I was split. As it was a wonderful, special, magical day, my mind was enjoying itself immensely. My body… well, being a lady I can’t use that kind of language. Before my elbows and knees fused into a permanent 90 degree angle, I forced myself to get up, shower and dress, then staggered back to the computer. When The Husband came home he took one look, then went back out to get Chinese takeaway for dinner, knowing it was either that or frozen pizza.

All in all it was a memorable Release Day. I can’t wait for the next one. Minus dinosaurs, of course.

(In case you’re one of the very few who missed my pr, here’s the teaser for THE HOLLOW HOUSE : When a murder is committed in her employer’s home, Geraldine Brunton knows she must solve the crime to hide the fact that she herself is a killer.)